Cleveland State Community College is hosting a FAFSA Frenzy Event on Tuesday, Oct. 24 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 26 from 1-6 p.m. in the Enrollment Services Center on the main campus. There is also one scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 26 from 2:30-6 p.m. at the Athens Center.



FAFSA Frenzy is designed to share tools and resources among Tennessee school counselors and college access professionals to support Tennessee students in completing the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Cleveland State staff will offer assistance to students with:



? 2018-2019 FAFSA

? 2018 Tennessee Promise Application

? Cleveland State Scholarship Application

? Application for Admission



We know that a lot of people feel overwhelmed or intimidated by completing the FAFSA, but the CSCC Financial Aid staff is always happy to help, stated Portia Cook, Financial Aid specialist. Completing the FAFSA in October has a lot of great benefits, like allowing us to process your financial aid earlier rather than later. Also, Tennessee Promise students should have their FAFSA completed by Jan, 17, 2018, along with those wishing to qualify for the Tennessee Student Assistance Award.

FAFSA Frenzy events are open to both current and incoming students. For more information on FAFSA Frenzy, contact Ms. Cook at 423-614-8710.
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Lee Universitys School of Business hosted the 12th annual Meet the Firms, an event that provides business students and representatives an opportunity to meet in a professional business setting.

The mission of Meet the Firms is the facilitation of junior and senior Lee business students, primarily accounting majors, for networking purposes with the most viable potential employers.

These employment opportunities include both public accounting and industry in areas such as Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Cleveland.

We were very pleased with the professionalism of our students and how diligently they prepared, said Dr. Phil Rickard, associate professor of accounting at Lee and coordinator of the event. Our guests expressed favorable commentary related to the impressions made by these prospective employees and the volunteer students assisting with the event activities.

The event welcomed 32 representatives from a variety of firms to meet with students, including 10 Lee alumni. Students engaged in detailed discussions related to internship and full-time employment opportunities in staff accounting, auditing, tax, financial advisory, and information technology positions.

Two Lee accounting majors, Brandon Estes and Ashley McCollum, spoke of their internship experiences and expressed gratitude for such opportunities. Estes interned with the Nashville office of Elliott Davis Decosimo, and McCollum interned in the Atlanta office of Capin Crouse. She will work in its Dallas office upon graduation.

It was exciting to note the nature of the enriching conversation between the participating parties as the event reached its conclusion, said Dr. Rickard.

The event also included the introduction of a new full-time faculty member at Lee, Beth Seymour, senior lecturer in accounting.

For more information about Lees accounting program, contact the School of Business at 614-8160.
State-owned banks are finding it more difficult to increase charter capital, especially when they still have to pay dividends instead of keeping the money for this purpose.  Photo cafef.vn

HA NOI  State-owned banks are finding it more difficult to increase charter capital, especially when they still have to pay dividends instead of keeping the money for this purpose.

It is estimated that the State budget will get an additional nearly VN6.1 trillion (US$268.7 million) from the dividend payout of three State-owned banks  VietinBank, Vietcombank and BIDV  by the end of October this year.

VietinBank on September 19 announced it will pay cash dividend to shareholders for 2016. The payment rate will be 7 per cent, meaning that for each share, shareholders will receive VN700 on one share holding. At this rate, the bank will pay dividend worth VN2.6 trillion for 3.72 billion shares held by the stakeholders.

Of the total dividend, State capital representative State Bank of Viet Nam, which holds 64.46 per cent of VietinBanks charter capital as of June 30, 2017, will receive VN1.68 trillion. Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, VietinBanks strategic investor, will get VN514 billion, thanks to its ownership of 19.73 per cent of VietinBanks charter capital.

Previously, Vietcombanks board of directors also approved to make an 8 per cent dividend payout on October 16. The bank will pay shareholders VN800 per share. With nearly 3.6 billion shares listed on the HCM Stock Exchange, the value of the dividend payout will reach nearly VN2.9 trillion.

SBV is also the largest shareholder of Vietcombank, owning more than 2.77 billion shares, or 77.1 per cent of the banks charter capital. The second-largest shareholder is Japanese Mizuho Bank Ltd, which owns nearly 540 million shares, or 15 per cent of the bank, while other shareholders own total 7.89 per cent of the banks capital. Thus, the State will receive more than VN2.2 trillion from Vietcombank once the bank completes its dividend payout while Mizuho Bank Ltd will collect VN431.7 billion.

With these dividend payout plans, the three banks will contribute nearly VN6.1 trillion to the State budget this year. However, the banks will face difficulties as they cannot keep the money to increase charter capital to meet BASEL II standards as regulated by the central bank. According to statistics, the capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of the three banks is at 9 per cent; however, the ratio will reduce to below 8 per cent if BASEL II is applied in the country by 2020.

Besides, following the first half of this year, all three banks had total assets exceeding VN1 quadrillion. The rapid increase in assets means the banks have to increase ownership equity quickly to ensure CAR does not fall below the safety margin.Therefore, if the group of banks fails to increase capital, it will result in a strong negative impact on the credit growth plan of the group as well as the credit expansion of the whole banking sector, according to an SBV official who declined to be named.

In fact, the three banks have tried to increase capital in the past but failed. Vietcombank could not sell more than 7 per cent of its capital to foreign counterparts due to the high market prices, even as investors buying large lots always want cheap prices. BIDV also failed to find a partner to sell up to 30 per cent of its stake as scheduled while VietinBank has not yet completed its merger with PG Bank due to certain issues, including swap rates.

This year, BIDV and Vietcombank also approved capital increasing plans of 13 per cent and 10 per cent to VN38.63 trillion and VN39.57 trillion, respectively, at their annual general meetings. However, so far, no further information on the issue has been published.

According to experts, banks find it difficult to find additional capital sources, especially in the context that foreign investors are not too keen on contributing capital to do business with Vietnamese banks as they can do business on their own in the form of branches or wholly-foreign owned subsidiaries. Besides this, the Government is also urging State-owned groups and corporations to accelerate the withdrawal of capital from the banking sector. Therefore, banks will face more challenges to increase the capital as they still have to pay dividend.  VNS
HCM CITY  Vietnamese and Thai businesses have enhanced trade promotion activities in the other country to achieve bilateral trade of US$20 billion by 2020 as targeted by the two governments, a Viet Nam-Thailand Business Matching event heard in HCM City on Friday.

Pham Thanh Kien, director of the HCM City Department of Industry and Trade, said the trade has grown rapidly in the last few years, topping $12.54 billion last year.

Viet Nams exports were worth $3.69 billion, an increase of 15.9 per cent over 2015, while Thailands exports grew by 6.9 per cent, he said.

He told the Thais, who included executives from 13 major Thai companies in the food and beverages, cosmetics, and personal care industries, to meet and explore the possibility of collaboration with more than 30 Vietnamese companies taking part in the event.

The event was organised by the Thai consulate in HCM City and Kasikorn Bank (KBank) together with the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and VietinBank.

This two-day programme, which ended on Friday, also included site visits on Thursday to MM Mega Market and Saigon Co-op, the leading supermarket operators in Viet Nam, to get an inkling into consumer behaviours in Viet Nam.

Ureerat Ratanaprukse, the Thai consul in HCM City, said with its large population, of whom more than 50 per cent are of working age and increasing affluence, Viet Nam offers a promising market for Thai products, which are of high quality and reasonable priced.

Many Vietnamese love Thai products, another reason for Thai firms to promote their products here, she said.

The consulate and Kasikorn Bank plan to take a Vietnamese business delegation to Thailand to explore business opportunities, she said.

Building upon the already cordial and close relations between the two countries and Viet Nam being Thailands only strategic partner in ASEAN, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in HCM City is fully committed to continue working in close and sustainable partnership with authorities and leaders in HCM City as well as our business partners in promoting two-way trade and investment between two countries towards our leaders commitment to achieve bilateral trade of $20 billions by 2020.

Nguyen Hoang Dung, deputy general manager of VietinBank, said business matching is a value-added service where the bank provides its clients with opportunities to expand their business, diversify distribution channels and develop new markets.

According to Thawee Teerasoontornwong, executive vice president of KBank, the event is part of the banks World Business Matching programme, which aims to deepen its clients understanding of the Vietnamese market and connect them with their counterparts across the region.

By leveraging the strong network of local partners, we can provide services to the clients which go beyond financial support.

Viet Nam has always been our key focus, given the current economic performance and favourable policy to support business and investment. More importantly, Viet Nam has become one of the major export markets for Thai products and several Thai companies are now looking to expand their business to Viet Nam.

I hope that this event can serve as a bridge to help deliver high-quality Thai products to Vietnamese consumers. I can also foresee more products from Viet Nam entering the Thai market, given the increasing awareness of Vietnamese products among Thai consumers, which in turn will help boost the trade between the two countries.  VNS
There are some very special business people in Viet Nam.

They do not simply try to make money, money and more money.

They start little enterprises that also aim to do things like provide books to children, help people with poor hearing, stop children dropping out of school and help poor women earn better money.

Their stories have all been written up in a special book.

By Ruti Sinai

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. This aphorism, coined more than 100 years ago by George Bernard Shaw in his play Man and Superman, sums up the essence of the 27 women and men whose stories are told in Vietnamese and English in a newly published compilation entitled Redefining Success.

They are social entrepreneurs, people who establish startups based on various business models to develop and fund solutions to social, cultural, or environmental problems. In Viet Nam, where startup has become a pervasive buzzword denoting progress and financial success, the concept of social startups is little known. The book aims to awaken awareness of the idea and inspire its development.

Almost 40 years ago, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher insisted that the weaker members of society should be given fishing rods rather than fish  tools with which to change their lives, rather than welfare payments that perpetuate their dependence. With immense compassion and drive, the social entrepreneurs featured in this book do just that.

They and the vulnerable people they serve have not only found their own fishing rods, but also figured out how to fish, how to process the fish, how to distribute it for consumption, writes Dr ang Hoang Giang, a social activist.

The books protagonists are both men/women and supermen/women. Some have known disadvantage or tragedy. In their modest patch, each strives to change the communities in which they live. The book follows their ups and downs, the dreams and naivete often warring with despair, as they confront the lack of material resources to carry out their vision.

The book is the brainchild of Pham Kieu Oanh, a social worker and community developer, who first encountered the concept of social enterprises more than 10 years ago.

At the time, I thought the business world had nothing to do with the community development work. I simply assumed that it was the responsibility of profit-making companies to shoulder part of the funding for community development, and we should mind our own business, she writes.

After being exposed to the work of The One Foundation in Ireland and similar groups, Oanh started realising how the power of business could be efficiently harnessed to address social issues and affect change. In 2008 she established the Center for Social Initiatives Promotion (CSIP). Over the past eight years, CSIP in collaboration with local and foreign partners, has established the initial foundation for a social enterprise community in Viet Nam.

One member of the community is Nguyen Quang Thach, and this is how he started out on a quest to improve education for children in rural Viet Nam.

He wanders the country in a white, worn-out shirt, dirty Adidas shoes with worn soles. His entire luggage can fit in an old backpack. He eats at roadside food stalls, asks to spend the night at peoples homes. He travels 20 kilometres a day on foot, only stopping to give out books and talk to students and parents. There are also days when he is sick and cannot drag himself about any longer. But once he gets better, he gets going, the book describes.

Thach has invented the Family Bookshelf, the Parent Bookshelf and other literacy projects. So far, communities have built more than 10,000 bookshelves, spreading the reading culture to regions where it did not exist.

The business model was simple: If each individual were to donate a few hundred thousand ong (US$10-40) a year a whole generation could be intellectually literate and change the nations future, Thach explains. In 2016, he was one of two individuals awarded the King Sejong Literacy Prize by UNESCO.

Other soldiers in this battle for a more humane, just society have achieved different kinds of recognition. Duong Phuong Hanh lost most of her hearing as a child. Until the age of 40 she lived in a world of virtual silence, alternately embarrassed by her disability and fearful of losing her livelihood. The book describes a journey that culminated in her founding of the Centre for Consultancy & Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in 2016, the first and only social organisation in Viet Nam founded by and serving the hearing-impaired.

The initiatives are based on different business models and goals. Most if not all these entrepreneurs had no experience in business. Social workers Thai Thi Le Khanh and Le Phuong, for example, started a project to prevent children from dropping out of school and support poor women in improving their income in 1990. The project has evolved into a social organization called Mai Vietnamese Handicraft, which employs 22 women and generates at least US$1million a year.

Whether developing chemical-free farming, reviving the art of calligraphy, preserving traditional ethnic minority culture and enabling it to flourish, the initiatives all have one thing in common: they redefine the notion of success in a materialistic world. Formally defined as not-for-profit enterprises, they profit society. VN





GLOSSARY

They are social entrepreneurs, people who establish startups based on various business models to develop and fund solutions to social, cultural, or environmental problems.

A business model is a plan that somebody running a business can follow and in doing so stand a chance of being successful.

In Viet Nam, where startup has become a pervasive buzzword denoting progress and financial success, the concept of social startups is little known.

Pervasive means something that many people very quickly start using as a result of it spreading.

A buzzword is a fashionable word.

Denoting means meaning.

A concept is an idea.

Almost 40 years ago, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher insisted that the weaker members of society should be given fishing rods rather than fish  tools with which to change their lives, rather than welfare payments that perpetuate their dependence.

Welfare payments are payments made to people who are suffering from one or other problem and need help to survive.

Perpetuate means to make something carry on and on.

Dependence means needing somebody, or something.

With immense compassion and drive, the social entrepreneurs featured in this book do just that.

Immense means huge.

Compassion means pity.

They and the vulnerable people they serve have not only found their own fishing rods, but also figured out how to fish, how to process the fish, how to distribute it for consumption, writes Dr ang Hoang Giang, a social activist.

Vulnerable people are people who could easily suffer.

Consumption means using something. In this case it would be using fish, to eat.

The books protagonists are both men/women and supermen/women.

Protagonists in a book are the leading characters.

In their modest patch, each strives to change the communities in which they live.

Strives means tries, or attempts.

The book follows their ups and downs, the dreams and naivete often warring with despair, as they confront the lack of material resources to carry out their vision.

Naivete means lack of wisdom and experience.

Warring means fighting or being in conflict.

Despair means hopelessness.

To confront means to face someone, or something, head on.

A lack of material resources means not having many things.

A vision is a dream.

The book is the brainchild of Pham Kieu Oanh, a social worker and community developer, who first encountered the concept of social enterprises more than 10 years ago.

If you come up with an idea or an invention, it is your brainchild.

After being exposed to the work of The One Foundation in Ireland and similar groups, Oanh started realising how the power of business could be efficiently harnessed to address social issues and affect change.

To be exposed to something means to get to see it, experience it and know it.

Harness means to take control.

Over the past eight years, CSIP in collaboration with local and foreign partners, has established the initial foundation for a social enterprise community in Viet Nam.

In collaboration means working together.

Thach has invented the Family Bookshelf, the Parent Bookshelf and other literacy projects.

Literacy means reading.

The business model was simple: If each individual were to donate a few hundred thousand ong (US$10-40) a year a whole generation could be intellectually literate and change the nations future, Thach explains. In 2016, he was one of two individuals awarded the King Sejong Literacy Prize by UNESCO.

Intellectually literate means clever and able to read.

Other soldiers in this battle for a more humane, just society have achieved different kinds of recognition.

Humane means kind heartedness.

Just means fair.

Recognition means being seen as valuable.

Duong Phuong Hanh lost most of her hearing as a child. Until the age of 40 she lived in a world of virtual silence, alternately embarrassed by her disability and fearful of losing her livelihood.

Virtual silence means almost silent, not total silence.

To be embarrassed means to feel very uncomfortable, awkward and ashamed.

The book describes a journey that culminated in her founding of the Centre for Consultancy & Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in 2016, the first and only social organisation in Viet Nam founded by and serving the hearing-impaired.

Culminated means reached a high point.

Founding means starting.

Hearing-impaired means deaf or slightly deaf.

Whether developing chemical-free farming, reviving the art of calligraphy, preserving traditional ethnic minority culture and enabling it to flourish, the initiatives all have one thing in common: they redefine the notion of success in a materialistic world.

Reviving something means bringing it back to life.

Calligraphy is beautiful handwriting that can be used as a decoration.

Preserving means keeping.

To have things in common means to have things that are the same.

Redefine means to give something a new meaning.

A notion is a belief.

A materialistic world is a place where people believe it is very important to own lots of things.

WORKSHEET

When people hear the word startup, they think of successful businesses. Margaret Thatcher was the British President. The group known as The One Foundation operates in Iceland. Nguyen Quang Thach wore shoes with the Adidas brand. Duong Phuong Hanh has personal experience of being hearing-impaired.

ANSWERS:

 Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2017

1. True; 2. False; 3. False; 4. True; 5. True.
Senior Lieutenant General Vo Trong Viet.  Phototuoitre.vn

Senior Lieutenant General Vo Trong Viet, Chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Defence and Security, speaks to Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper on maintaining national security by defending the border and sovereignty.

Do you have any comment on Viet Nams policy to adopt soft measures in defending the border and sovereignty?

Viet Nam has adopted thousands of programmes and policies for people living along our border areas. However, here I just want to mention the four major policies. They are as follows:

First, the policy on forest land allocation. A key objective of this policy is to help people to improve their livelihoods, to have a better life from the forest so they will protect the forest while defending our border.

Second, is the programme local people are in charge of defending the border line in their locality

Third, the friendship programme between Vietnamese and Chinese people living along the Viet Nam-China border. A key objective of such a programme is to share responsibility in defending their respective border areas.

And finally, to cultivate long-standing friendship between local people and border guard soldiers. Besides their main duties, border guards help local inhabitants with their daily economic activities and in their primary healthcare activities.

Can you talk about Vietnamese border guards stationed in the western areas?

Generally speaking, people living in border areas are often poor. Thats why they need outside support to help them escape poverty. The Viet Nam Border Guard Command has opened classes to teach Vietnamese children and Lao/Cambodian children. In addition, we have sent doctors and nurses to border areas to give health checks to Vietnamese, Lao and Cambodian people living along the border areas.

Through such activities, we have cultivated friendship between Viet Nam and Laos and Cambodia. This is a very effective way to protect the sovereignty of each nation.

Can you talk about the 2015 incident in the southwestern border area?

Unfortunately, to date the task of planting border posts between Viet Nam and Cambodia has not been completed. In 2015, taking advantage of this, the opposition Cambodian National Royal Party (CNRP) accused the Cambodian Peoples Party of compromising with Viet Nam on the border issue. At that time, Prime Minister Hun Sen and agencies from the Cambodian Peoples Party strongly rejected such groundless accusations. Meanwhile, from our side, we explained the actual situation along the border between the two countries.

At the peak of the incident, the CNRP mobilised thousands of Cambodian people to the marker post 203 in Moc Hoa, in Long An Province of Viet Nam to claim that marker post 203 was on Cambodian land. Luckily, with thorough explanations from the Vietnamese side, the Cambodian people returned home. I can say that the Vietnamese border guards in Region 7 and 9 have co-operated closely with their Cambodian counterparts in the spirit of mutual understanding.

What are some measures our border guards have used to protect our national sovereignty in the north?

The Viet Nam-China relationship has experienced ups and downs. But generally speaking, the two countries have planted their border posts as well as the Bac Bo Gulf delineation. Both countries have proclaimed this as a victory of the two states and armies. This is a good lesson for both countries to continue to delineate their territorial waters in the sea.

To date, the Vietnamese and Chinese Ministries of Defence have held four friendship events. The latest event was held on September 24 in Yunan, China with the participation of Vietnamese Minister of Defence, Colonel General Ngo Xuan Lich and Vice Chairman of the Chinese Central Military Commission, General Fan Chang Long.

These events have voiced the two nations resolve to maintain their border of peace  a message both sides want to send to their people living along the Vietnamese-Chinese border and the world as a whole._VNS
THUA THIEN  HUE  The 2017 APEC Women and the Economy Forum (WEF) issued a statement yesterday which aims to enhance womens economic inclusion and empowerment.

The statement, adopted by ministers and heads of delegations of APEC economies at the High Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy on the last day of the WEF, includes policy recommendations for the 21 APEC economies.

They focus on promoting gender equality for sustainable, innovative and inclusive economic growth, enhancing the competitiveness and innovation of women-owned micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises and narrowing gender gaps in human resources development.

The WEF statement is set to be submitted to APEC leaders at their meeting in a Nang city this November.

At a press conference following the WEFs closing on Friday, Viet Nams Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs ao Hong Lan said forum delegates also agreed to implement the APEC Gender Inclusion Guidelines (GIGs), initiated by Viet Nam.

Ministers and heads of delegations affirmed that the GIGs are an important tool to carry out gender equality programmes and policies in APEC. They pledged to work with other APEC forums to ensure gender inclusion is important to policy makers and those who implement policies.

The WEF also approved the Eligibility Criteria and Guidelines for Accessing the Women and the Economy Sub-Fund. The sub-fund is scheduled to become operational in 2018, promising to bring more opportunities and resources for economies that implement womens empowerment projects.

Deputy Minister Lan said the four-day forum attracted about 700 delegates from 19 of the 21 APEC economies. They included ministers, leaders of government agencies and international organisations, CEOs of big businesses from APEC and non-APEC regions, along with experts and scholars.

The WEF was among a series of APEC events throughout 2017, hosted by Viet Nam. Asia Pacifics premier economic forum has 21 member economies that account for 39 per cent of the world population, 57 per cent of global GDP and 47 per cent of global trade.

Experts encourage tapping on women potential

On Friday, experts at a forum held in Hue to connect women-owned businesses encouraged economic sectors, especially banking, to target womens untapped potential.

Gretta Schettler, COO of WEConnect International, said women-owned businesses have untapped potential for the banking sector to help women grow their own businesses.

According to a report released by World Bank Groups International Finance Corporation (IFC), only 37 per cent of women-owned small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Viet Nam have accessed bank loans in the last two years, 10 per cent less than businesses owned by men.

Joana Romero, a SME and Gender Finance Specialist of IFC said banks across the world are focusing more on women and more women are using credit cards or accessing loans to set up businesses.

Women borrowed capital primarily for investment, purchase and accessing new markets, Romero said. She added that 94 per cent of Vietnamese female entrepreneurs started their first businesses close to the age of 40.

The report showed an increasing number of women setting up businesses, with about 21 per cent of enterprises, 95,906, in Viet Nam owned by women. But most of them are micro-sized enterprises.

The forum noted the regional senior director of Southeast Asia Walmart Global Sourcing, Jocelyn Tran, as an activator that helps involve more women in the region in business.

At my first arrival in a country, I set up network with agencies to make them understand the global market from Walmart and then sought women-owned businesses for our supply chain, Tran said.

Tran said Walmart is an international market of 260 million customers and she targeted female products for women customers.

She added that she prioritised working with women-owned businesses and she learned to understand cultural, social and legal challenges for women in running the businesses involved in her supply chain.

Tran also spent time with each women-owned business and traveling to them to build relationships and make commitments.

Forum participants summed up the recommendations to tap the huge potential of women in Southeast Asia for economic growth, including the recognition women-owned businesses as a strategic segment and raising awareness of banks of the opportunities from women SMEs.

The forum was a sideline event of APEC Women and Economy Forum in Hue.  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) receives Lao Minister of Home Affairs Khamman Sounvileuth in Ha Noi yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

HA NOI  Sound collaboration between the Vietnamese and Lao Home Affairs has fostered the friendship between both countries, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said yesterday.

Speaking at a reception held for Lao Minister of Home Affairs Khamman Sounvileuth in Ha Noi, he recommended that both agencies learn, from each other and from other countries, about building a quality-oriented lean government apparatus.

Viet Nam is working to scale down its government workforce, improve the operation of public agencies, and crack down on wrongdoings by public servants, the PM said.

Viet Nams experience in this regard could prove useful for Laos, he said.

He affirmed that Viet Nam was willing to assist Laos in human resources training, particularly in receiving Lao students to study and do research in the country.

Phuc urged the two ministries to continue their practical engagements and directed other Vietnamese agencies to boost exchanges with their Lao counterparts.

Sounvileuth said his ministry looked forward to learning valuable lessons from the organisation of State apparatus and administrative system in Viet Nam.

He asked for further help from the Vietnamese Government and Ministry of Home Affairs, noting that their assistance so far has contributed significantly to effective performance of his agency in the past time. VNS
Three more top officials of the PetroVietnam Construction Co JSC (PVC) will be investigated for property embezzlement under Article 278 of the Penal Code, police said on Friday. Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

HA NOI  Three more top officials of the PetroVietnam Construction Co JSC (PVC) will be investigated for property embezzlement under Article 278 of the Penal Code, police said on Friday.

The three officials, PVC General Director, Nguyen Anh Minh, Chief of Office Bui Manh Hien and former head of Finance and Accounting Division of the companys Vung Ang-Quang Trach Project Management Board, Nguyen uc Hung.

All three accused were placed in temporary custody yesterday and police also executed a search warrant of their residences and offices.

These actions continue investigations into a case of deliberately violating State regulations on economic management causing severe consequences and property embezzlement at PVC.

Earlier this week, four senior officials of the State-owned PetroVietnam (PVN), including chief accountant Le inh Mau, were detained as the police expand their investigation into the case involving Trinh Xuan Thanh, former chairman of PVN subsidiary PVC, who was recently arrested on charges of criminal economic mismanagement.  VNS
QUANG NINH - After 10 years as a coal miner in northern Quang Ninh Province on a monthly income of about VN10million (US$435), Tran Van Phong from northern Hai Duong Province decided to go back to his hometown and take up a job as a delivery man.

The VN3-4 million ($130-174) a month I get now is much less but the work is more satisfying," he said.

Phong is among thousands of coal miners who have abandoned work in Quang Ninh Province in recent years.

Companies in the Viet Nam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin or TKV) are facing the harsh fact that miners are losing interest in the back breaking work.

Worker shortage in the risk-packed job has reached an alarming rate.

According to Vinacomin, last year, more than 1,121 miners quit their jobs. The number of dropouts surged to 1,136 in just the first six months of this year.

However, according to the Lao ong (Labour) newspaper, the real number is larger among the 17 mining companies in operation in Quang Ninh Province.

Trinh Ngoc Toan, president of the labour union at Ha Lam Coal Joint Stock Company said that as many as 423 workers stopped working last year, including dozens who retired. To date, the company has only recruited 181 miners to replace them. In the first eight months of this year, the number hit 334 people while only 120 miners were newly recruited.

Recruiting efforts have become desperate. Vang Danh Coal Company planned to recruit 300 workers in 2016 but so far has only found 80.

According to Vu Van Thinh, director of Vinacomins job recruitment school, each company needs to recruit 3,500 to 4,000 miners to meet productions demands.

The schools recruitment plan for this year is 3,800 students, but we have so far recruited only 1,800, Thinh said.

The coal mining sector needs a huge force of 7,000 to 9,000 miners and electrical and mechanical underground workers to produce 42 million tonnes of coal used for commercial purpose each year.

Thinh and other staff at Vinacomins job recruitment and introduction centre have just returned from the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang to recruit more students. In recent years, worker sources from the northern delta have dried up so recruiters must travel to remote mountain areas and down to the central provinces of Quang Tri, Quang Binh to hire workers.

In previous years, workers from Quang Ninh Province accounted for most miners. Miners from northern delta provinces who once made up 60 per cent of the total now accounts for less than 30 per cent.

With the recruitment effort in mountainous areas, the number of workers from ethnic minority groups has increased to about half of the total.

In spite of free training and accommodation offered by the school and wages of VN10 million a month, the school and authorities still face difficulties.

Some students want to go home to get married, according to their parents demands. We must persuade not only students, but also parents, Thinh said.

Others dropped out of school as they were scared of mines. Some dropouts led to the departure of whole groups, Thinh said.

Students tell each other about mining dangers and hardship. Everyone is discouraged by the inappropriate living environment, despite high wages, a leading official of Cam Pha Coal Company told Lao ong newspaper.

About 10 years ago, being a miner was considered "hot" job, but now many young people refuse to take the job or just do the job for short periods and go back to their hometowns.

A leader of a coal company told Lao ong that the average wage of a miner, even a newcomer, could reach VN20million per month because income was based on productivity. However, he admitted the job was dangerous.

In rural areas now, there were more job opportunities in industrial parks and factories.

Yesterday, two miners were buried in a coal mine accident in Cam Pha City, Quang Ninh Province.

Local authorities aare now offering work opportunities for wives and girlfriends of miners in Quang Ninh Province so that miners are more likely to settle down for life.

At a recent general conference of coal sector, Le Minh Chuan, Chairman of the Board of Members of Vinacomin Group, proposed strengthening mechanisation to reduce the heavy work done by miners and to increase productivity. - VNS
NAM INH  Rice farmer Hoang uc Loi is in deep despair.

The resident of Truc Cuong Commune in Nam inh Provinces Truc Ninh District is afraid that he will lose his crop completely to disease.

The plants are wilting, the leaves are stiff and theres no sprouting (of grains), Loi said.

With VN50 million (US$2,200) invested in each hectare, he stands to lose VN200 million ($4,800) on this crop, which has been hit by the southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus that has been ravaging rice fields in the country since the beginning of July, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Many farmers have suffered huge losses already, the Ministry has said.

Bui Si Doanh, deputy head of the ministrys Plant Protection Department, said the disease caused by the virus has spread to more than 40,000 hectares in the country, 155 times higher than the affected area during the same period last year.

Doanh said the many reason for the widespread damage was the high density of white-backed plant hoppers that transmit the virus. The virus stunts the plants growth and stops them from heading, which is when pollination occurs. Badly affected plants wither and die.

In 2009, this disease had spread to 19 provinces in northern Viet Nam, where it had damaged 42,000ha of rice. In 2010, more than 60,000ha fields in 29 provinces were damaged by the same virus.

Nguyen Huy ien, deputy director of Nam inh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said 16,000ha of rice fields in the province have been affected by the disease. Of this, 8,000ha have been seriously infected and some 4,000ha might be totally lost, he added.

What is more worrying, ien said, is that the areas of seriously affected rice fields could continue to rise in the coming time because Nam inh still has some 10,000ha of rice fields that have not come to the heading stage, the time when the diseases symptoms are more visible.

Weather and carelessness

ien said weather was the main cause for the current situation, but Tran Manh Bao, President of the Viet Nam Seed Trade Association, thought otherwise.

The negligence of localities in disease prevention is the main cause for such extensive damage. Farmers should have been guided on preventive measures in the early stage, but they were not. So the virus, which has been appearing in Viet Nam since 2009, had the chance to come back strongly, Bao said.

A plant protection expert who wanted to remain unnamed said weather was of course a facilitator for the disease, but the situation could have been better controlled.

Theoretically, getting rid of the white-backed planthoppers for the sake of preventing the southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus is a totally different exercise from the common practice of using pesticides, he told the Nong nghiep Viet Nam (Viet Nam Agriculture) online newspaper.

Normal application of pesticides will help farmers keep the planthoppers density under 20 per metre, but if the aim is to kill the virus, we cant afford such density, because even at the rate of five per metre, the virus can cause severe damage to the rice fields, he said.

Farmer Loi said the situation cannot be managed without expert help.

How do we know which white-backed planthopper carries virus and which does not? If we act on our own on seeing some insects, the fields would become a huge sea of pesticides, he said.

Nam inh officials said they have conducted field visits to affected areas and provided some guidance to farmers on how to control the spread of the disease.

Farmers in Thai Binh Province are also suffering, with more than 18,000ha infected with the virus. According to unofficial statistics from districts in the province, some 2,400ha have been totally ruined.--VNS
HCM CITY  Despite a raft of applications for nine lecturer vacancies announced in July, HCM City University of Transport has been unable to fill any of the positions.

Recruiting enough lecturers is not an issue. The question is the academic quality of applicants, said Nguyen Van Thu, rector of the university.

Candidates holding master degrees from domestic universities form the majority of applicants. While the number of PhDs is limited, there is competition among universities in hiring them, Thu told the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Similarly, HCM City University of Natural Resources and Environment (HUNRE) is in need of academic staff.

According to Phan inh Tuan, rector of HUNRE, despite a policy encouraging lecturers to get their PhDs, the university is struggling to recruit enough lecturers. HUNRE offers each of its current lecturers financial support of VN20 million (US$1,000) to study for PhDs to increase academic quality.

The university also helps staff join postgraduate programmes, aiming to raise the percentage of doctorate lecturers to 50 per cent by 2020. However, Tuan said that this goal was unattainable.

Officers of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with PhD degrees have also been invited to teach at the university.

Some of them are not good at research. Therefore, we have to equip them with teaching and researching skills as well as provide scientific resources. Besides wages, ideal working conditions are their priority, Tuan said.

Low income

Sai Gon University (SGU) frequently seeks doctorate lecturers.

Applications are carefully scanned. Then, candidates will be interviewed directly by the principal. Doctors with excellent research background and teaching skills are prioritised, said Cao Thai Ph uong Thanh, vice head of SGUs human resource department.

Up to August 2017, the university had 466 official lecturers including 120 PhDs, accounting for 24 per cent, the rest hold masters degrees. It recruits 40 to 60 lecturers annually. Most are doctorate lecturers who were supported to do their PhD by the university. Outside hires are rare.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Trung, head of the Organisation and Administration Department under HCM City University of Pedagogy (HCMUP), many universities have not offered special policies for high-quality lecturers.

Lecturers are paid based on the Governments wage regulations. Compared with other jobs, their income is small. Therefore, a lot of excellent PhDs choose other careers, said Trung.

o Van Dung, rector of HCMUP, said that besides professional knowledge, lecturers must be fluent in foreign languages to keep up to date with innovations in their field.

Dung said his universitys main source of lecturers was PhD candidates from international universities. Thanks to the universitys high-quality programme which charges high tuition fees, they can offer generous salaries to lecturers.

Nguyen Thi Kim Phung, head of University Education Department under MoET said that Viet Nams talent management policy was not strong enough to attract senior lecturers.

Potential candidates are not motivated by the current policies. Many universities have not paid attention to develop their own human resources by supporting lecturers to do PhDs abroad. Conversely, many applicants fail to meet foreign language requirements to gain governmental scholarships for postgraduate programmes. Meanwhile, the demand for high-quality academic staff is rising, he added.

According to the MoET, in the 2016-2017 school-year, there were 72,792 lecturers, 4.6 per cent more than the previous year. However, the number of doctorate lecturers is still small.  VNS
The north-south axis of China's ancient capital has been extended and revitalized.

On Sept. 29, Beijing authorities unveiled a general plan for the development of the central axis, called the Zhongzhouxian, from 2016 to 2035. It aims to protect the city's history and culture.

The plan said the Zhongzhouxian is both historical and developing, and preservation work should be coordinated with upgrades.

First created in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the original Zhongzhouxian was 3.7 kilometers. The Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties extended the length to 7.8 kilometers from Yongdingmen in the south to the Drum and Bell Towers in the north.

Chinese architect Liang Sicheng, a pioneer of heritage preservation, described the Zhongzhouxian as possibly the world's longest and greatest north-south central axis.

"The unique beauty of Beijing's design is due to the Zhongzhouxian," declared Liang.

The axis was extended again in 2003 as the city prepared for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The general plan states that the current Zhongzhouxian extension stretches to the Yanshan Mountain Range to the north and Beijing's new international airport in the south.

The Olympic Green is considered one of the most important areas along the Zhongzhouxian extension.

Zhao Jin, operations director of Beijing Inno-Olympic Group Co., Ltd., which is leading the Olympic Green property management, says the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Hall and the National Art Museum of China will be built along the Zhongzhouxian extension.

"Together with the Bird's Nest, Water Cube, and China National Convention Center, the north extension is expected to be a national hub for culture, sports, technology and finance," he said.

The Olympic Green received a total of 410 million people, including tourists and visitors, from 2008 to 2016, according to Zhao.

The extension is not separated from the original axis. On a clear day, from the top of Yangshan Mountain in Olympic Park, it is possible to see 8 km south to Jingshan, the highest point on the original Zhongzhouxian.

The Zhongzhouxian, situated at the city's center, separates the districts of Dongcheng and Xicheng.

"It is like the backbone of Beijing's urban spacial structure," said Beijing historian Li Jianping.

Along it are the historic buildings of Qianmen, the Forbidden City, Jingshan Park, and the Drum and Bell Towers.

Political monuments such as Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the Monument to the People's Heroes and Tian'anmen Square line up along the axis.

"This reflects the Chinese idea of 'center worship,'" said Li.

The symmetry is maintained along the Zhongzhouxian. The Great Hall of the People and Beijing Zhongshan Park are on the west side, while the National Museum of China and Beijing Working People's Cultural Palace are on the east.

Beijing Zhongshan Park used to be the Hall of Worshipping the Altar of Land and Grain, which was built in 1425. The Beijing Working People's Cultural Palace was the royal ancestral temple before the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

In 1949, a founding ceremony was held in Tian'anmen Square, transforming it into a place for the people rather than royalty.

The construction of the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube on each side of the Zhongzhouxian north extension reflects the symmetry found along older parts of the axis.

"Beijing has been built according to a 'checker-board' planning system since the Yuan Dynasty," explained Wang Shiren of the city's history and culture preservation committee. "Meanwhile, many capitals of other countries had 'divergent' structures influenced by the Renaissance."

The Beijing Municipal government officially kicked off a campaign in 2011 to place main historic sites along the city's central north-south axis on the world cultural heritage list.

Wang says the Zhongzhouxian used to have 42 historic sites, and 36 of them have been preserved or rebuilt.

But there have also been criticisms of excessive renovation along the axis. Its original south end at Yongdingmen Tower was rebuilt in 2004.

Feng Feifei, director of the Urban Design Department of Beijing Municipal Institute of City Planning and Design, said the city went through different historical periods in which different things were valued.

"The urban functions also differed," she said.

For this reason, a number of historical influences are visible along the axis, including the culture of old Beijing on the section between Yongdingmen and Qianmen, the culture of New China between Mao Zedong Memorial Hall and Tian'anmen, and the imperial culture of the Ming and Qing dynasties from Duanmen to Jingshan Park, Li Jianping said.

The city aims to make progress in becoming a top international capital over the next five years, according to the city's new development goals unveiled in June.

The capital is striving to improve as the country's political, cultural, international and innovation center.

"A long history means a rich cultural heritage," Feng said.
CEDAR FALLS  Spc. Ryan McGranes first deployment was easier than his second.

Thats because when he first deployed in 2008 for Balad, Iraq, he was single. Now, as he faces his second deployment to the Middle East, hes built a family and a home in Waterloo.

Its a little more nerve-wracking this time, because Ive got a wife and kids now. The last time was a lot easier, McGrane said Friday.

McGrane, 32, will join about 390 fellow Iowans who are being deployed to provide aviation support for the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East. He was one of about 100 Iowa Army National Guard members from the 248th Aviation Support Battalion recognized during a send-off ceremony Friday afternoon held at the West Gymnasium on the University of Northern Iowa campus.

Three other ceremonies were held throughout Iowa Friday, in Davenport, Muscatine and Boone.

The deployment is part of a 500-soldier force from four states being deployed, which is the largest deployment since 2010. Another 35 soldiers from Detachment 1, Company C, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion in Waterloo also were deployed in August.

If this deployment is nerve-wracking for McGrane, its more than that for his wife Madeline who is going through this for the first time.

Last time, I didnt know him so well, and he was coming home, so it was exciting, Madeline recalled of his homecoming ceremony in 2009. The two had met through friends during a two-week break in the midst of Ryans first deployment.

But then, this time, its just bittersweet, Madeline McGrane said.

Her anxiety was similar to Al and Missy Neebel, of Gilbertville, who were at the ceremony Friday, with more than two dozen friends and family, to see of their son Bradys first deployment.

Some Iowa Guard airmen headed to Puerto Rico DES MOINES  The Iowa Army National Guard is sending 24 security forces personnel today to s

Probably a mix of emotions, Missy Neebel said. Were very proud of him, but its also knowing hes going to miss so many things this year, like the holidays coming and things like that.

She added, This is new to us.

To make sure that Brady knew he was supported, his mom had made up 70 shirts that read We proudly support our Army National Guard soldier and each of the two dozen friends and family attending the send-off ceremony sported the shirts.

The short ceremony  much more time was spent at the West Gym snapping photos and offering hugs to friends and family than on speeches  gave speakers a chance to thank both the service members and their families for their sacrifices.

We appreciate the sacrifices that youre making. You do represent the finest that this state has to offer, but youre not alone, Brig. Gen. Steve Warnstadt said to the soldiers. Theres another group of patriots that I do want to address here, and thats the families. The only thing tougher than being a soldier is loving one. You didnt ask to carry this burden. You represent all that is admirable in our great country.

He challenged the community members present to offer support to those families while their spouses are deployed and acknowledged the large crowd of more than 500 people present to see off the soldiers.

Id ask that, frankly, northeast Iowa become a beacon of everything that is right about this country, rallying and wrapping your arms around these family members, Warnstadt said. To the troops, it looks to me like your communities have your back.

Thanks Giving: Guard send-off offers gratitude to outgoing unit WATERLOO  About three-fourths of the 35 members in the U.S. Army National Guard aviation un

Warnstadt also told the soldiers they were selected for the mission because of the quality and professionalism they have demonstrated throughout their careers, and said the unit has a record of high performance.

The Guard members expressed their excitement about their deployment and their desire to serve their country.

Though others described Spc. Brady Neebel as nervous about his first deployment, the 20-year-old said he was excited to go. He said he hoped itd offer clarity on whether he wants to fix helicopters for the rest of my life or go on a different career path.

His parents said, though, he enlisted before completing high school at Don Bosco High School and gave up two summers with friends to go through training.

Others joining Brady Neebel in going through their first deployment were equally eager to get on their way.

Im excited, said Spc. Cody Walker, 23, of West Branch. Its going to be a good time to evaluate what I want to do with my life when I get back. Thats why Im excited.

Spc. Wyatt Sadler, 20, of Cedar Rapids, is also eager to deploy. The unit is expected to leave this weekend for Ft. Hood in Texas before heading to the Middle East.

Im excited, ecstatic, want to go, Sadler said. Im excited to see what comes from it.

Sgt. Braden Larsen, 31, of Waterloo, is also going on his second deployment, but he doesnt share the same nerves as McGrane.

Im calm, good, Larsen said.
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An emergency rescue center was established in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region Saturday, marking the first two air ambulances for civil use in the region.

An emergency rescue center is established in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on September 30, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Each fully-fueled helicopter equipped with breathing machine, defibrillator and other medical facilities can carry a patient for up to 600 km, said Ma Jun, director of the center affiliated with the Red Cross Society of Tibet.

The helicopters will be based in Tsechokling airport in the regional capital of Lhasa, and can take off in 25 minutes if needed.

The center will provide services to seven prefectures and cities in the region, with only a 20 square meter spot needed for landing, Ma said.

According to Ma, the center will have a further helicopter equipped with a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, and an A505 passenger aircraft, which will help deliver patients around the world.

Liao Yidong, with the Red Cross Society of Tibet, said the air ambulances would make delivery of patients in critical condition much faster in the plateau region.
The Galapagos Islands? Costa Rica? How can a remote archipelago made famous for Darwin, a bunch of finches, and other cool endemic birds be related to the land of quetzals and gallo pinto (that would be the local version of rice and beans)? Although Cocos Island is halfway between Costa Rica and the Galapagos, we are still talking about hundreds of kilometers of ocean between us and the place of the big tortoises. Really, theres not much connection but thanks to the wandering ways of seabirds, Costa Rica does boast some loose links to that bucket list archipelago. Seabirds that breed in the Galapagos arent exactly in our waters all of the time but at the moment, it does seem like Costa Rica has become a popular destination for the shearwaters.

Within the past few weeks, several Galapagos Shearwaters have been reported in the Gulf of Nicoya and I bet if you took a boat out past the horizon, you would see a lot more. Yesterday, during a quick taste of pelagic birding from the Puntarenas-Paquera ferry, I saw around thirty of those pot-bellied duckish birds; more than I have ever seen in the Gulf than on any other ferry trip. The Gulf is seeing a lot of input from rain swollen rivers right not and I suspect therein lies the answer but whatever the reason may be, take a ferry now and it would be hard not to connect with this species.

As the ferry plodded along, small groups of shearwaters lifted off the water to flutter and glide just above the surface. While scanning, I was pleased to note that I could find small flocks of them scattered here and there on the waters of the Gulf. At other points, they would join groups of Black Terns foraging for bait fish driven to the surface. While the terns screeched and dove, the shearwaters would rush into the fray, skid to a stop and then partially dive beneath the surface. While all of that shearwater coolness was going on, I failed to note any possible Black-vented Shearwaters (a potential lifer) but was nevertheless pleased with some of other arrivals.

The scenery is nice too. I wish we could get closer to this island because scanning it with a scope from a moving ferry seems to be better for inducing dizziness than identifications.

As expected, Black Terns outnumbered everything even though I only had a 150 or so birds instead of the several thousand that are sometimes logged in this area. Among them were two target year birds I was hoping for; Bridled Tern, and one flyby Brown Noddy. Although Black Storm-Petrel, Red-necked Phalarope, and Sabines Gull were no-shows, any possible complaints at missing them were negated by a sudden, mind-blowing occurrence of a Red-billed Tropicbird! Every time I do the ferry, I know this tern-like elegant bird is possible but connecting during one and a half hours of crossing the Gulf in a straight line is pure chance with low odds. On Wednesday, the odds finally fell in my favor when an adult tropicbird appeared like magic right in front of the boat.

Its amazing how these birds escape detection and their ability to do so shows why you will always have a major birding handicap when birding the sea on your own. When it happened, it wasnt like I was reading a book, chatting, or taking a nap. As soon as that ferry got underway, I scanned the waves and horizon with binos and scope like it was a search and rescue operation. Any distant speck was checked, I looked at every bird, and always scanned for more. Even so, I didnt see the tropicbird until it was right in front of the boat and even then, I figured it was going to be just another Royal Tern. However, thanks to good glass and fine lighting, the image became one of a white bird with black barring on the back, a black line behind the eye, and a thick reddish bill. I let out a gasp and almost yelled out, tropicbird! but knowing that I was the only birder there, stopped myself just as the magic year bird flew behind the boat.

After I took my binos down, though, I couldnt help but glance around at my fellow passengers in an automatic search for mutual excitement. I was probably mumbling tropicbird as I did so, but everyone was still doing the same old thing. The two French hippie/backpacker women were staring at their sandals. The guy sitting near me may have been sleeping. The Tico families laughing and talking. It was just another bird to them, even if they had seen it. The same goes for the occasional Blue-footed Boobies that flew past the ferry and flapped off the water in its path. Just another bird to most, to me, they were visitors that may have flown in from the Galapagos.
September 2017 will be long-remembered in Saudi Arabia due to a couple of historic steps introduced in the conservative kingdom, the most important being the royal decree allowing women to drive.

Umm Ibrahim sits behind the wheel of her vehicle as she drives in Riyadh, an act that is banned in Saudi Arabia June 21, 2011. [Xinhua file photo]

Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world where women could not apply for a driving license and faced arrest if found behind the wheel. A couple of daring souls who defied the ban in the past landed in prison.

The end of this ban is not the only reform step taken this month, as earlier the government also lifted the prohibition on voice calls via Skype, WhatsApp and other applications forming the cheapest mode of modern communications, which applied to both Saudi citizens and others living in the country.

Since every year millions of Muslims make a pilgrimage to Saudi holy places, it is a major concession allowing them to reach out to their families back home any time by using social media free of charge.

In another move this month, the government banned a cleric for insulting the country's womenfolk. Saad al-Hijri, head of fatwas (legal-religious opinions) in Saudi Arabia's Assir province, was suspended from all religious activity after saying the brain of a woman shrinks to a quarter the size of a man's when she goes out for shopping and also opposing an end to the ban on women drivers.

In addition, women were allowed for the first time to participate in national day celebrations. Videos and photographs showing women enjoying themselves in the King Fahad Stadium in Riyadh were a welcome sign for the female half of the country.

Human rights supporters and women activists have been campaigning for years to get rid of archaic tribal practices like banning women from driving, or disallowing mixed gatherings where women could feature in public events along their menfolk.

These developments show that Saudi Arabia is changing faster than many analysts could have imagined. And the man responsible for all this is the young Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, also known as MBS. Since bursting onto the national scene a couple of years ago, the prince has embarked on an ambitious program of reforms to transform the economy and society of the country by 2030.

MBS has quite rightly realized that the oil reserves are not unlimited, and also that in a couple of decades, their importance could be considerably reduced due to cheaper and cleaner alternative sources of energy. Hence, Saudi Arabia should act now to remain relevant.

He has started the drive to transform the economy. However, such a transformation was not going to happen without groundbreaking changes in the existing social system that keeps half of population away from work or contributing positively to national development.

Hence, steps like removing ban on female drivers and allowing them to go out and contribute in various sectors of national life is a key measure. It opens up a new source of talent and adds new energy to the social system of the country.

As Saudi Arabia broadens its brand of "glasnost" national reform, there are several visible and invisible bumps in the road ahead. We all know what happened to the USSR when Mikhail Gorbachev unleashed the forces of openness in 1980s in a bid to change the country.

While the international community is heaping praise on Saudi Arabia for its new initiatives, they could face massive domestic opposition from religious leaders and tribal elders opposed to any reform seen as challenging their authority.

The country may also face some kind of covert opposition from fellow Arab nations in the region as the reform and rise of the Kingdom would pose a threat to their own economic status. Saudi Arabia has a huge advantage, as already it attracts millions as part of religious tourism.

If it can add worldly attractions on the pattern of the UAE or Egypt, the influx of annual visitors would further swell. However, MBS should be alert for pitfalls as he goes ahead with his visionary reform agenda, especially as each new measure further raises public expectations.

It would be interesting to see how the Saudi glasnost proceeds in the coming years. The successful transformation coupled with the mainstreaming of women and other vulnerable segments could serve as a model for other conservative Muslim societies.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm
Comedians Stephen Colbert and Nick Kroll are pushing a new way to raise money for Puerto Rico after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria: publicizing bad photos of celebrities as teens.

Colbert, who has a charity foundation, Americone Dream Fund, fueled by the sales of his Ben & Jerrys ice cream flavor, said Thursday that the charity would donate $1,000 to Puerto Rico relief for every celebrity who posts an awkward teenage photo on Twitter with the hashtags of #PuberMe and #PuertoRicoRelief. The move came after Kroll visited Colberts talk show Wednesday and they discussed the awkward photos (by the way, Krolls entry is worth noting). Colbert then proposed the idea, and by the next night's show, it was a reality.
She doesnt have a very thick filter, the actress says of her character.



Lavin, of course, will forever be known for a more substantive role: Alice Hyatt, the Mels Diner waitress she played from 1976 to 1985. Based on the 1974 film Alice Doesnt Live Here Anymore, the show was centered on the trials of a single, working mom in Phoenix  with reliable laughs provided by, among others, Polly Hollidays Flo ("Kiss my grits!).



Im thrilled when people recognize me as Alice, Lavin says when asked whether she ever gets tired of being defined by the role. She changed my life. She politicized me, she brought me into the arena of womens issues, financial issues, economic issues, health care issues, single mother issues, working women issues. Lavin went to ERA marches, gave speeches on labor issues and viewed herself as a kind of role model. She also won two Golden Globes for her performance. No, she adds, I never get tired of it.



Lavin, who grew up in Portland, Maine, has spent much of her career onstage. She appeared on Broadway (Gypsy, The Sisters Rosensweig) in shows that have earned her six Tony nominations and a win for her role in Neil Simons Broadway Bound in 1987.



Twice divorced, she married her third husband, Steve Bakunas  a carpenter, artist and musician  in 2005. They settled in Wilmington, N.C., where they turned an abandoned garage into a 50-seat theater that they ran together for five years.

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They now live in rural New York near the Massachusetts border and are transforming a 250-year-old barn into a B&B with five guest suites in the hamlet of Spencertown. They're thinking about calling it Country Suites and plan to hire a manager to run the place. (There will be no chatting with Lavin over your morning waffles, in other words.)



Devoted to singing for as long as she can remember (even in the crib, Lavin has said), she also has a nightclub act. Last summer she performed at Birdland in Manhattan, belting out jazz standards while telling stories about my childhood, about my life now, she says, with a five-piece band that includes Bakunas on drums. In 2011, she released an album of jazzy show tunes called Possibilities.



Lavin took on 9JKL at the request of Feuerstein, who cowrote the pilot with his wife, Dana Klein. Lavin and Feuerstein had grown close playing mother and son in NBCs short-lived 1998 sitcom Conrad Bloom.



The actress, who turns 80 in October, describes her latest project experience as really the best time I had on television in a long time. Lavin can't imagine anything better than the life she is living: I have everything I want, everything Ive ever needed, right now.
A new technology will eliminate the need for fingerstick testing among many adults who need to monitor their glucose levels for diabetes treatment.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week approved the FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, which continuously monitors glucose, or sugar, levels by means of a sensor wire inserted below the skin's surface. With the device, adult patients can determine glucose levels by waving a mobile reader above the wire to determine whether levels are too high or too low, without the need to draw a blood sample from their fingertips.

It has been common practice for diabetes patients to regularly test their blood sugar levels, often many times a day, using the fingerstick method, then testing the sample with a blood glucose meter.

Donald St. Pierre, deputy director of new product evaluation for the agency's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said the new system, manufactured by Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., allows patients to avoid the additional step of fingerstick calibration, which can sometimes be painful ... with a wave of the mobile reader.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, either because their bodies do not make enough insulin (type 1) or because they do not process it properly (type 2). Insulin is essential in controlling blood sugar, and high blood sugar levels can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and other ailments.
Are you someone who jumps out of bed at the first sound of your alarm, or someone who hits that snooze button  maybe more than once? The answer to that question could shine a light on your priorities.

A survey by Sleep Junkie, an online mattress company, found Americans who woke up thinking about work and money were less likely to snooze through their alarms in the morning. Breaking down tendencies by professions, the survey found government and public administration workers had the most financial motivation  and hit the snooze button the least. Finance and insurance employees came in second.

CBS News reported on the study and noted: The dawdlers who keep hitting the snooze button instead of pouring coffee and hitting the road tend to do so in all probability because they don't want to go to work and might not like their jobs.

This isnt the first time were hearing of the snoozing debate. In 2014, the Huffington Post reported on how hitting the snooze button could screw up your entire day. The more you snooze, the more confused your body and brain get, Rafael Pelayo, a sleep specialist at the Stanford University Sleep Medicine Center, told HuffPost. While it may feel good to hit that snooze button, you could be paying the price later in the day.

Consistent sleep is important. AARP previously reported that falling into an inconsistent sleep pattern is one of the five mistakes people make preventing them from getting a good nights rest. The National Sleep Foundation recommends most adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. People 65 and over can get by sleeping a little less: seven to eight hours each night.

The Sleep Junkie survey of 1,000 people also looked at how a decision to hit the snooze button could impact couples. The finding: the more peoples partners hit the snooze button, the lower their relationship satisfaction.
As World Mercury Project (WMP) discussed in our criminal conduct report of Poul Thorsen , Thorsen had an inappropriate relationship with his CDC supervisor, Diana Schendel beginning in 2002. These love notes are an important piece of the autism/vaccine link story. It is highly inappropriate for a CDC supervisor to be intimately involved with a grantee. When CDC managers learned of Schendels relationship with Thorsen, the disciplinary response from her supervisor, Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, M.D., was equivalent to a hand slap.

World Mercury Project (WMP) has reported that Centers for Disease Conrol (CDC) autism research scientist turned whistleblower, Dr. William Thompson, disclosed fraud in CDC autism research . Since Thompsons disclosures, even more CDC whistleblowers beyond the subject of autism have come forward describing ongoing research fraud and misuse of funds at CDC . Now WMP wants to call your attention to a more recently uncovered scandal: the love notes between Poul Thorsen and Diana Schendel , obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

As history has proven, the love relationship between Schendel and Thorsen (which includes accepting personal gifts and private retreats) resulted in lack of objectivity and oversight regarding Thorsens research activities which, in turn, allowed violations of laws governing protection of human subjects. And, as the indictment shows, the embezzlement of millions of dollars from the CDC.

Previous investigations into Thorsens research document a questionable loss of research subjects from studies using the Denmark Psychiatric Registry for which he had access and control. The loss of research subjects skewed research findings toward no association between autism and the mercury-based preservative Thimerosal. Noted epidemiological autism researcher, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, said of the Denmark research in a presentation at the 2007 Institute of Medicine (IOM) Workshop Autism and the Environment , It was a study looking at the removal of thimerosal from vaccines and the rates of autism before and after. What you can see from this time line, which was not necessarily obvious from the original paper, was that before thimerosal was removed, there was a period of time when only inpatients were in the database, and during part of the after-removal period, which covered all the way out to 2000 in this study, there was an interval when both outpatients and inpatients were included. This study, therefore, is not a rigorous design, because as you can see, you cant really compare the before and after periods because of artifacts in how the database was constructed, and specifically, in how that changed over time. (WMP emphasis)

The Thorsen Denmark CDC studies were the bedrock of science used to dismiss over 5000 vaccine court claims by families who watched their children regress after exposure to Thimerosal-containing vaccines. And, by not being completely transparent on the dangers of injecting thimerosal into infants, the Thorsen research has resulted in the continued widespread use of this dangerous, neurotoxic vaccine ingredient. Read more at WMP here.

It has now been six years now since Paul Thorsen was indicted for the alleged criminal acts of wire fraud, money laundering and a scheme to steal over $1 million in CDC grant money for critical research. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) also added him to the Most Wanted list. Yet Thorsen has been allowed to continue his work, business as usual, with no effort to prosecute him. There has also been no effort to restore the precious autism research dollars allegedly stolen that would help find solutions for families who desperately need answers for their autistic children.
 Flash

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price resigned on Friday amid increasing fire over his frequent and expensive private jet trips, becoming the first cabinet secretary to leave the Donald Trump administration.

File photo taken on July 13, 2017 shows U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price (R) speaking at a news conference at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C., the United States. U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price resigned on Sept. 29, said theWhite House. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu]

Price offered his resignation on Friday and President Donald Trump accepted it, White House Press Secretary said in a statement.

"The President intends to designate Don J. Wright of Virginia to serve as Acting Secretary, effective at 11:59 p.m. on September 29, 2017," the statement said. Wright currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Price has been under heavy fire since U.S. media outlets found he had flown on at least 26 private flights since May, including five domestic flights within one week this month.

He apologized on Thursday, saying he will pay a portion of the costs of his official travelling on private charter planes and will permanently halt his use of charter flights for official business as the health secretary.

However, the total cost of the private jets Price flew on was reportedly more than 400,000 U.S. dollars and Price would pay only 51,887.31 U.S. dollars for his seat on those planes, according to an HHS spokesperson.

Price is not covering the cost for his staffers who flew with him on those charter planes, said the spokesperson on Thursday.

Many of Price's flights were between major cities that offered inexpensive alternatives on commercial airlines. One leg was from Washington D.C. to Philadelphia, a distance of some 130 miles (208 kilometers).

Moreover, on some of those trips, Price reportedly mixed official business with personal affairs such as having a lunch with his son.

On Wednesday, Trump said he was not happy with Price's private jet travel, saying "we'll see" when asked whether he will remove Price over the issue.

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday launched a bipartisan investigation into the use of private planes by all members of the Trump cabinet. Senator Chuck Grassley on Thursday sent a letter asking the White House to detail its efforts to control officials' travel costs.

Price has frequently criticized government waste since his appointment as health secretary and during his tenure in the House of Representatives, where he once chaired the House Budget Committee.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 46F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low 46F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
 Flash

The United States on Friday ordered more than half of the staff at the U.S. embassy in Havana to leave and warned against travels to Cuba, following mysterious "incidents" that caused health problems for American diplomats, U.S. media reported.

The U.S. embassy in Havana will continue to operate with a reduced staff. It will stop processing visas indefinitely, according to U.S. media reports.

The move came after U.S. authorities confirmed last month that at least 21 Americans working at the embassy in Havana had suffered physical debilitations.

No details of the injuries have been released, but media reports said the affected Americans incurred severe hearing loss and at least one victim suffered some "brain damage".

The move will deal a blow to the delicate ties between the U.S. and Cuba. The former Cold War rivals resumed their diplomatic relations in July 2015 after more than five decades of hostility.

U.S. President Donald Trump in July announced new restrictions on U.S. leisure travel to Cuba and U.S. business with Cuban military, in a move to cancel what he called his predecessor Barack Obama's "one-sided deal" with Cuba.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez to discuss the incidents. It was the highest-level diplomatic contact between the two countries since Trump became U.S. president in January.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the two top diplomats had a "firm and frank" discussion of U.S. concerns for its employees.

"The secretary conveyed the gravity of the situation and underscored the Cuban authorities' obligations to protect embassy staff and their families under the Vienna Convention," she said. The United States expelled two Cuban diplomats in late May over the incidents. Cuba said it was investigating the incidents.

"Cuba has never, nor would it ever, allow the Cuban territory to be used for any action against accredited diplomatic agents or their families," the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
September 29, 2017

A delegation of Hamas leaders visited Russia on Sept. 18. The delegation was headed by the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau, Mousa Abu Marzouk, and included Hamas political bureau members Saleh al-Arouri, Hossam Badran, Sami Khater and Mohammad Sawalha. They met with Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia's deputy foreign minister and special presidential representative for the Middle East, as well as other officials at the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Badran told Al-Monitor, The visit is an important milestone in Hamas' foreign ties, because Russia is a great power, at a time when the United States wants Hamas to be labeled as a terrorist group and be isolated. The meeting with Bogdanov at the ministrys headquarters focused on the [Hamas-Palestinian Authority] reconciliation and Russias support for Hamas' positive stances. We met also with Russian politicians who are close to the decision-making circles; there is no need to reveal who they are.

He added, During the visit the Hamas leadership held a press conference [Sept. 19] attended by 60 media outlets, answering reporters questions, which focused on the reconciliation process and Israeli practices against Palestinians in the West Bank. For instance, they asked about the settlements, confiscation of land, spread of checkpoints, arrests, Judaization of Jerusalem, the situation of Palestinian prisoners and the inhumane siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. We have also asked Russia to provide our people in Gaza with humanitarian assistance.

A Sept. 19 press release by Russias Foreign Ministry said Bogdanov met with a Hamas delegation. Bogdanov had said Sept. 18 that Russia does not consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization, given that it is part of the Palestinian community, government and the Palestinian Legislative Council. Also, Bogdanov welcomed the Hamas decision Sept. 17 to dissolve the administrative committee, considering it to be an important step on the reconciliation path.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Sept. 10, Russia  in coordination with some Arab countries  is in close contact with Fatah and Hamas, to persuade them to return to the reconciliation agreement.

Abdul Sattar Qassem, a political science professor at An-Najah National University in Nablus, told Al-Monitor, The Hamas visit to Russia should not be overstated. Although Russia wants to have further influence in the Middle East and a bigger role in the Palestinian cause, its stances are not in line with those of Hamas. Contrary to Hamas, Moscow calls for the implementation of the two-state solution and is against armed operations. Hence, it is better that Hamas does not expect much from Russia, that Hamas await Russian actions when it comes to the Palestinian cause and that Hamas does not content itself with press releases.

Remarkably, the Hamas Sept. 21 statement spoke about how the group would have a representative to Moscow, whom it said was a member of the delegation, without naming him. This would mean that both sides made progress in some political understandings. Besides, the Hamas website said Sept. 13 that Abu Marzouk met Sept. 12 with Russia's ambassador to Cairo, Sergei Kirpichenko, and briefed him on the latest political developments about the Palestinian cause. It added that both sides raised the issue of the US bias toward the Israeli side.

Hamas foreign relations chief Osama Hamdan told Al-Monitor, The Hamas delegations visit to Moscow was at the invitation of Russia not long ago. Although Hamas-Russian ties go back a decade, Moscow endeavored to push forward national reconciliation and supported the Egyptian efforts in this regard.

Hamas probably believes that the visit to Moscow is a turning point on its political path. It is well-aware of how strong Russian-Israeli ties are, but does not view them to be an obstacle to its ties with Moscow. This is because it seeks Russias political backup, and perhaps Moscows support to avert any Israeli threat or aggression.

Hamas may also perceive that its rapprochement with Russia would pave the way for the movement to have a say in the Palestinian decision-making process, and to have the international community and regional countries recognize its future role in any settlement to the Palestinian cause.

A senior Palestinian official close to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, The Palestinian Authority [PA] is not against Hamas' visit to Russia. Political relations do not survive with nothing in return. Russia is part of the international Quartet and calls for Israel recognition. Will Hamas agree on such a political program? Although Russia will not require that Hamas commit to Russian positions and paths, their ties are more likely to collapse should their positions continue to diverge.

Hussam al-Dajani, a Hamas expert and political science professor at Al-Ummah University in the Gaza Strip, told Al-Monitor, Hamas' visit to Russia goes in line with the Russian positions toward the movement. Moscow has not labeled Hamas as a terrorist organization, since it won the 2006 legislative elections. They had good bilateral ties. Since Russia is a major power, any ties between both sides will certainly be beneficial for Hamas and support its stances in the international system. This is true particularly since Russia is on good terms with Israel, the PA and Egypt. Hence, this would promote efforts to achieve reconciliation.

Hamas may have a list of demands and ambitions behind boosting its relations with Russia and its repeated visits to Moscow. However, Russia may not be offering much, even if Hamas is currently seeking to open a representation office in Moscow, to obtain political support or to narrow divergence in views with Western countries.

Moreover, Russia may promote ties with Hamas by giving the movement advice and guidance with a view of including Hamas in Russia's alliances in the Middle East alongside Iran, Syria and Hezbollah.
September 28, 2017

The runup to the Kurdish independence referendum that took place Sept. 25 revealed just how politically intertwined different actors are in the modern Middle East. Russia is no stranger to diplomatic games and typically follows a strategy of inserting itself into the most dynamic contexts, hoping to reap benefits and make itself more visible in the region.

It's hard to identify a clear and coherent Russian policy toward Iraqi Kurdistan. Moscow's partnerships with the central government in Baghdad and the Kurds in Erbil are highly situational. However, Moscow shares strong historic ties with both governments. Russias relationship with Baghdad goes back to 1958 when Iraqi Gen. Abdul Karim Kassem overthrew the pro-West monarchy. Kurdistan has a more intricate partnership. The decade that the late Mustafa Barzani spent in exile in the Soviet Union seems to have created a strong link between the Barzani clan and Moscow; Mustafa's son, Massoud Barzani, is president of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil.

However, whatever relations Russia has developed with Baghdad and Erbil over the years, the Kurdish independence issue is not confined to Iraq; it echoes in Syria, Turkey and Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently told the TV channel Rudaw, The Kurdish issue has implications beyond the borders of present-day Iraq and may have political, geopolitical, demographic and economic consequences."

Russias attempts to market itself as an influential decision-maker on all things Syrian have yielded results. During the past two years, officials from Baghdad and Erbil have flocked to Moscow, each making generous offers of cooperation to Russia. Arguably, all three parties found this to be a convenient arrangement: Both Iraq and Kurdistan present Moscow as a strong advocate of their political position regarding the opponent, while Russia gains benefits in the form of energy and arms deals and projects an image of a great power in the Middle East.

Russias ambivalence about its priorities in Iraq resulted in an odd stance on the Kurdish referendum. In official comments, Russian diplomats openly and repeatedly say they support Iraq's territorial integrity  although apparently not for Iraq's sake, but rather because Iraq's unity is important for maintaining stability and security in the region and for resolving those critical problems that [abound in this region]. However, the narrative that Russia feeds to Kurdistan is significantly more nuanced. In an August interview with Kurdish media, the deputy head of Russias consulate in Erbil made a bold statement that Moscow would support the decision made by the people of Kurdistan because it is a decision through referendum. Coupled with active commercial dealings with Erbil, this ambiguous signaling empowers Kurdistan to claim Russian diplomatic support.

Beyond what Russian diplomats say or imply, all things considered, Kurdistan independence by and large would likely hurt Russias interests in the region. It would not only jeopardize Russia's relations with Baghdad  arguably an important partner, and with whom Moscow just two weeks ago restored direct air connection after 13 years  but would also put Russia at odds with Turkey and Iran, two powers Moscow is presently aligned with in the Middle East.

Since Kirkuk came under Kurdish control in 2014, Russian energy giants have shown great interest in developing oil and gas fields in Iraqi Kurdistan; in fact, Russias priorities visibly shifted from Iran to Iraq. But with Kurdish-controlled areas in Iraq being landlocked, oil exports are entirely dependent on transportation to seaports through Iraqs mainland or Turkey. Both Russias Gazprom Neft, which develops oil fields, and Rosneft, which resells Kurdish oil, need the transportation link to remain open.

The view that Russias increasing investment in the lucrative Kurdish energy industry is an investment in the regions independent future is not entirely accurate. If Turkey follows through on its threat to shut the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in the event that Kurdistan goes independent, Russias investments in the region could go bust. As the uninterrupted flow of oil from Iraq to Turkeys Ceyhan port is in Russias best interest, Erbils independence is rather a liability in the Kremlins calculation. The reason Russia engaged in oil dealings with Kurdistan in areas that were sometimes mere miles from the front line is all too simple: Kurdish crude is generally cheap to extract, much like in Kuwait or Saudi Arabia, which drives Moscow to compete for it, sometimes under great financial and political risks.

However, the key reason Russia shied away from supporting the Kurdish referendum was the timing. Although the date was set several months ago, the referendum's schedule overlapped a crucial moment in the Syrian settlement process. It is hardly a coincidence that, following the independence vote in Kurdistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a three-party phone call with the presidents of Turkey and Iran  a setup more characteristic of the talks on Syria rather than Iraqi Kurdistan. This shows that the three men are wary of the implications the independence referendum results could have for the Syrian peace process.

The yes vote on the referendum also raises questions about the ambitions of Syrian Kurds in the Democratic Federal System of Northern Syria (formerly known as Rojava) and the willingness of parties to the Syrian conflict to continue talks. Moscow has accepted the idea of Kurdish autonomy in Syria and has taken the issue off the agenda of recent talks. The referendum, however, may essentially put an end to this tacit acceptance of the Kurdistan Regions de facto autonomy  something on which Turkey and Iran will likely agree.

One shouldnt forget that the idea of independence for ethnic minorities still hits home in Russia, as the memories of Chechnyas strife for independence are still fresh. While an argument exists that North Caucasus republics of Russia are too small to claim the same type of independence that Iraqi Kurds do, Russia has its own Kurdistan type of landlocked oil-rich region  the predominantly Muslim Tatarstan. Moscow and Tatarstan had a 10-year power-sharing agreement that, when it expired in August, the Kremlin refused to extend. That move provides a sense of just how suspicious Moscow is of any form of autonomous governance. While Iraqi Kurdistan is no Russian region and surely entirely different factors are at play, there is a consensus that the independence referendum complicates things in the Middle East and may have long-lasting implications both in Iraq and Syria.
September 28, 2017

BAGHDAD  The US State Department announced Sept. 10 that the United States would return the Iraqi Jewish archive to Iraq next year. The archive had been shipped to the United States in 2003, after American troops saved it from destruction by water leaking into the cellars of the Iraqi General Intelligence Service building in Baghdad. The archive includes tens of thousands of institutional documents, books, religious manuscripts, photographs and personal documents of Iraqi Jews.

Khedr al-Bussoon  a Tel Aviv-based writer, Iraqi Jewish rights activist and son of the prominent journalist Seleim al-Bussoon, who left Iraq with his family in 1973 under Baathist pressure  explained that security agencies and Baathist officials seized the material in the archive in the 1970s and 1980s. There are personal files and correspondence between the Frank Iny and Shamash schools during the mid-1970s, when the Baathist government nationalized them and renamed them Nizamitta. Also in the archive are documents from synagogues, including from the Meir Taweig Synagogue, in eastern Baghdad's Batawin district, and books  more than 2,700 according to Bussoon  left behind in Baghdad by Jews who had fled. Some of the homes of the departed Jews still stand in parts of Baghdad, including in Batawin, once one of the most heavily Jewish neighborhoods in the city, as do some shrines to Jewish prophets and synagogues in the southern provinces.

According to an agreement with the Iraqi government, the archive was scheduled to be returned to Iraq in 2014. When the time came, however, the agreement was revised for reasons related to Iraqs readiness to preserve the archive after its return. The Baghdad government apparently was in no condition or position to provide proper upkeep. The war against the Islamic State, plus the decrease in world oil prices had contributed to an economic crisis. This increased the odds of the archive being maintained outside Iraq or once back in Iraq eventually being shipped abroad again for maintenance, which would require a new agreement between Iraq and the temporary host.

Some Jewish voices have emerged against the archive's return to Iraq. Some have demanded that Iraqi Jews somehow be made a party to the negotiation process. Bussoon stands at the forefront of the opposition to the archives return given that it is the last signs of recognition of a Jewish presence in Iraq.

This archive tells the stories of our lives as the surviving Jewish generation that left Iraq in 1950-1951, Bussoon said to Al-Monitor. It also tells stories about the lives of our families. It represents our identity. Therefore, we cannot compromise it or leave it in the hands of a library or a museum in a country [Iraq] that does not allow Jews entry, especially since most Iraqi Jews live in Israel.

Bussoon claims that his position represents that of vast majorities of Iraqi Jews around the globe, including in Israel. Bussoon added, Iraqi Jews are angry at the possibility that the archive will return to Iraq.

Explaining the value the archive holds for Iraqi Jews, Bussoon said, We want to recover it, because it tells our story. This is why we call for preserving what remains of [our heritage] and what represents our memories. If this archive ends up back in Iraq, who guarantees us that fundamentalist Islamists wouldnt burn the books of 'pagans'? It would eliminate all that is left for us: memories.

On the other hand, Edwin Shuker, an interreligious dialogue activist and the vice president of the European Jewish Congress, takes a different position based on the content of the archive. He said that while the contents of the archive are mostly personal in nature and have some emotional value, the items are not particularly old and do not hold significant historical importance.

After the generosity and expertise of the Americans guaranteed preservation and digitization of the archive content and therefore making it available for researchers and historians, it is now important to open a dialogue between the Iraqi government and representatives of Iraqi Jews in a way that guarantees a fair agreement on the return of the archive to Iraq, Shuker told Al-Monitor. It would reinforce the memory of Iraqi Jews and open the road for more cooperation concerning the material about the history of the community in Iraq to make available more of this material to exhibit before a larger audience.

Speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, a source at the Iraqi Ministry of Culture said that the importance of the archive goes beyond documents related to Iraqi Jews, as some of them also constitute documents of the Baathist Party and files dating back to when Iraq was a kingdom. The media has, however, focused on the Jewish aspect of the archive because of its emotional value to the Jewish minority that was deported.

Regardless, the source said, another issue is the necessity of holding an internal Iraqi dialogue on the competent governmental entity to handle the reception and management of the archive. Should the Iraq National Library and Archive or a security agency be vested with the responsibility given the importance of the material?

The central government in Baghdad is yet to comment on the US announcement of its intentions. Amid this silence and other discussions, the option has been raised of depositing the archive with a third party or keeping it inside the United States.
Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, begins at sundown tonight and continues until sundown on Saturday.

Jews throughout the world will gather in synagogues throughout the day on Saturday to pray and fast.

Jewish tradition uses the image of a Book of Life to describe the meaning of the High Holy Days, which conclude with Yom Kippur. God writes names in the Book of Life on Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Judgment, and the book is sealed 10 days later on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. So those who want to improve their standing must atone.

Here are some quotes compiled from former Alabama rabbis and other spiritual leaders reflecting on Yom Kippur:

"Yom Kippur is our Day of Atonement, the most serious day of the year, when we do a 24-hour fast, refrain from normal joys of life, focus on the spiritual tasks of life, focus on living a life that God would have us live." - Rabbi Jonathan Miller

"The real work of this holiday is on yourself. You really need to look deep inside. What did you do last year? What is life? What does it mean to me? What can I do to make it better? What do I want next year to turn out to be? Spirituality is inside you. Only you can do the hard work of sitting still and listening to yourself." - Rabbi Randall Konigsburg

"It's always a time of spiritual reflection and assessment of where we are in terms of our own lives and where the world is headed. It's a day of judgment. God judges us and judges the entire world." - Rabbi Jonathan Miller

''The High Holy Days are an intensification of what we're supposed to be doing all the time,'' Yammer said. ''Repentance, prayer and good deeds should be an element of our lives throughout the year.'' -- Rabbi Eytan Yammer

"We read the names of temple members who have died in the past year. It's a somber reading. There's a time of silence. We dwell on the losses, then we get up and we move forward. It's a powerful time. Judaism has a lot of wisdom when it comes to helping people deal with their grief, then ultimately to leave it. You can't just leave your sorrow and grief, you have to experience it, go into it." - Rabbi Jonathan Miller

"Over the next year, if you buy something new, give something else away." - Rabbi Eytan Yammer

"On Yom Kippur, we stand before God, hand on heart and say, "God: it's not your fault." We take responsibility. We are not who we should be, so life is not what it could be. We are the problem in the relationship, not You." -Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt

"Every Yom Kippur, Jewish tradition requires a strict spiritual inventory. You aren't supposed to just sit around feeling guilty, but to take action in the real world to set things right." -Naomi Wolf



"Think of Yom Kippur as a lookout on the top of a mountain that you have been climbing all year. See your days and their moments spread out before you. Be willing to look now at this big picture of your life. Your ultimate goals. Your beliefs. See each person in your life as part of that picture. What lesson have they taught you even if you had to learn it through pain? What message is God sending you by putting this person in your life? -Sara Debbie Gutfreund



"We should not be the same person the day after Yom Kippur that we were the day before Yom Kippur. We should be moving ahead, raising our lives to a higher level." - Rabbi Marc D. Angel



"Yom Kippur is not about personal resolutions and private reflection. It is about standing up and talking to God. It is about apologizing, about reestablishing our connection with our Creator. We must tell God who we are, where we are holding in life, and what we know needs improvement." -Rabbi Dovid Rosenfield



"The entire world is God's message of love to us. Yom Kippur is the time when we are most open to receive this message." -Rabbi Noah Weinberg



"If [a person] were able to survey at a glance all he has done in the course of his life, what would he feel? He would be terrified at the extent of his own power." -Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel



"God has given us the choice between life and death, blessing and curse. "Therefore, choose life!" -Rabbi Debra Orenstein

"Rather than allow ourselves to be burdened by regret for our past misdeeds, we must strive to develop the inherent goodness which lies hidden in our souls, beneath layers of tarnish left by our sins." -Rabbi Joseph Stern

"When Jews appear for Divine judgment, the angels say to them: "Don't be afraid, the Judge... is your Father." - Midrash Tehillim
Authorities respond to a quintuple homicide in Citronelle, Ala. (John Sharp | jsharp@al.com)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

With 407 violent deaths categorized as murder or manslaughter in 2016, Alabama had the nation's third highest homicide rate last year, according to statistics released by the FBI. Nearly 26,000 violent crimes were reported last year in the state with a population of nearly 4.9 million people. Here is a look at the other states with nation's highest murder rates and the number and rates of other violent crimes in Alabama. Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, for which murder rates were also measured in the data set, had the highest murder rates at 20.4 and 19.9, respectively, the data showed.

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(FBI.Gov)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

The FBI Uniform Crime Report: 2016

Data in this presentation on states with the highest and lowest 2016 murder rates and total murders comes from the FBIs Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which has been collecting data on certain crimes from police agencies across the country since 1930.

For the 2016 UCR report, the FBI collected data on murder, robbery, rape, assault, burglary, theft, vehicle theft and other crimes, from more than 16,700 city, county, university, state, tribal and federal police agencies. About 1,700 agencies eligible for the program did not submit data. The data is voluntarily submitted.

The UCR murder rate and the murder totals include both murders and non-negligent manslaughter. The rate measures the number of murders per 100,000 people. (FBI.Gov)

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A man's body was discovered in August 2011 in Huntsville. (AL.com File Photo)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Alabama: 3rd highest murder rate

Murder rate: 8.4

Population: 4.8 million

Total 2016 murders: 407

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Police are shown at the scene of a shooting that left three dead at a precious-metals store in Anchorage, Alaska, on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Alaska: 10th highest murder rate

Murder rate: 7.0

Population: 742,000

Total 2016 murders: 52

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The entrance of an Arkansas nightclub where police are investigating a shooting is cordoned off with police tape Saturday, July 1, 2017. Police say at least 17 were injured. (AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Arkansas: 9th highest murder rate

Murder rate: 7.2

Population: 3 million

Total 2016 murders: 216

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Tennessee: 8th highest murder rate

Murder rate: 7.3

Population: 6.7 million

Total 2016 murders: 486

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FILE - In this June 18, 2015, file photo, a group of women pray together at a makeshift memorial on the sidewalk in front of the Emanuel AME Church, in Charleston, S.C. Dylann Roof, shot a killed nine people while they were in a bible study at the church. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File)

South Carolina: 7th highest murder rate

Murder rate: 7.4

Population: 5 million

Total 2016 murders: 366

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Las Vegas police officers stand outside of the University Medical Center, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017, in Las Vegas. Las Vegas police say an officer was involved but uninjured in a shooting at a hospital that left another person dead. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Nevada: 6th highest murder rate

Murder rate: 7.6

Population: 2.9 million

Total 2016 murders: 224

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LeCarious Oliver, with the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, speaks with family members at a scene where Lauderdale County authorities investigatws the shooting deaths of four members of a family in Toomsuba, Miss., Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. (Paula Merritt /The Meridian Star via AP)(Paula Merritt)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Mississippi: Tied for 5th highest murder rate

Murder rate: 8.0

Population: 3.0 million

Total 2016 murders: 238

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In this Friday, May 6, 2016, file photo, police take Eulalio Tordil a suspect in three fatal shootings in the Washington, D.C., area into custody in Bethesda, Md. Tordil pleaded guilty in June 2017 to fatally shooting Gladys Tordil. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Carol Robins/crobinson@al.com

Maryland: Tied for 5th highest murder rate

Murder rate: 8.0

Population: 6.0 million

Total 2016 murders: 481

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In this Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, photo, police lift crime scene tape in unison in Chicago, after two people were shot and transported to Stroger Hospital. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Illinois: 4th highest murder rate

Murder rate: 8.2

Population: 12.8 million

Total 2016 murders: 1,054

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Police and emergency personnel respond in 2013 to a shooting victim at Stevens Institute of Business and Arts in St. Louis. Police said a gunman entered the school and shot a person in the chest, then shot himself. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Missouri: 2nd highest murder rate

Murder rate: 8.8

Population: 6.1 million

Total 2016 murders: 537

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A shooting in the French Quarter leaves one dead and nine wounded at Bourbon and Iberville Streets. (Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com and the Times-Picayune)

Louisiana: Highest murder rate in the U.S.

Murder rate: 11.8

Population: 4.7 million

Total 2016 murders: 554

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Multiple law enforcement agencies, including unmarked police cars and armored vehicles, have responded to a standoff in Randolph County on July 8, 2016. One deputy was shot and injured in the incident. (William Thornton/wthornton@al.com)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Other violent crime in Alabama in 2016

Rape 1,916

Robbery 4,686

Aggravated assault 18,877

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Lauderdale County deputies investigate the scene of a shooting Friday in Stewartsville that killed at least one person. (AL.com file photo)

Carol Robinson | crobinson@al.com

Alabama's largest cities: How did they fare?

For Alabama, there were 22,957 violent crimes reported in 2015 and 25,886 in 2016 for an increase of 12 percent.

The cities in Alabama with the most violent crimes known to law enforcement were: Huntsville (1,787 or 557.0 per 100,000); Mobile (1,079 or 584.8 per 100,000) and Montgomery (1,215 or 471.7 per 100,000). All were increases over 2015. Figures for Birmingham were not included in the FBI report. Birmingham police said they submitted their numbers to the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center, and do not know why they weren't included in the FBI report.

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A Libertarian Party candidate says Alabama voters need another choice for the U.S. Senate besides Democratic nominee Doug Jones and Republican Roy Moore.

Ron Bishop, an information technology professional who lives in Irondale, will officially announce his write-in candidacy at the Irondale Whistle Stop Festival today at noon.

"The two choices that we have now, they don't conform to what I think America needs to be," Bishop said.

"I'm hoping we that we can give voters out there a third option."

The election is Dec. 12. Moore defeated Luther Strange in a runoff on Tuesday. Jones won the Democratic primary on Aug. 15.

Bishop, 50, is making his second run for office. He ran for the Jefferson County Commission as a Libertarian in 2014.

Bishop was asked if Donald Trump's win over the political establishment last year bodes well for Libertarians, who have typically fought an uphill battle against the established parties.

"That's what we're hoping," Bishop said. "The way it's kind of going right now, everybody that is getting out and voting, they're not voting for the establishment. They're not voting for your typical politicians. We're hoping we can get enough press or enough attention thrown to our campaigns, people can look at us and go, 'You know, these guys are not your average politicians.' "

Libertarians believe in "a free-market economy and the abundance and prosperity it brings; a dedication to civil liberties and personal freedom; and a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade as prescribed by America's founders," says the Libertarian Party of Alabama website.

As a senator, Bishop said he would focus on the economy and "bringing our troops home, getting us out of these endless wars." He said he would promote liberty, lower taxes and ending the Internal Revenue Service.

Bishop said Alabama law makes it harder for third parties to get on the ballot than ballot access laws in most other states.

To get on the ballot, a third-party candidate for statewide office has to collect a number of voter signatures equal to 3 percent of those who voted in the previous general election for governor. A third party is also recognized for ballot purposes if one of its candidates receives more than 20 percent of the vote in the previous election.

Bishop said there was not enough time to meet the signature threshold for the special election. He said the Libertarian Party of Alabama is focusing its efforts on ballot access for the 2018 election cycle.
 Flash

The Iraqi government announced on Friday that a ban on international flights has been imposed on the Kurdish region following the independence referendum there.

"In accordance with the cabinet decision on imposing ban on the international flights, we confirm that the block of the international flights from and to the Kurdistan region has been imposed," Saad Al-Hadithi, spokesman of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, said in a statement.

But the domestic flights to the region will continue as usual in order to preserve the interests of the citizens in the Kurdish region, because the aim is not to punish the citizens but to paralyze the unilateral and unconstitutional decisions by the Kurdish leadership, the statement said.

The ban on international flights came after the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq held an independence referendum on Monday, in defiance of strong opposition from the Iraqi central government and the international community at large.

The electoral commission of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan announced on Wednesday the final results showing 92.73 percent of voters support the independence of the Kurdish region from Iraq.

Ahead of the referendum, the Iraqi central government repeatedly threatened to take a package of countermeasures against the Kurdish region as part of its efforts to preserve territorial integrity.
Parents of children with special needs are worried about a new federal plan for education in Alabama, and they say they are being shut out as the Oct. 12 deadline looms.

After having been told she couldn't speak at the board's Sept. 14 meeting, Trussville parent Corrie Merchant was again denied the opportunity to address board members at their Sept. 27 meeting in Montgomery.

Merchant said she saw on the board's published agenda where the plan would be discussed, and believed she was following the right procedures both times.

"Do you really think I would have driven to Montgomery twice if I had thought I couldn't speak," Merchant asked.

Yet, during his first meeting as interim state superintendent, Dr. Ed Richardson denied Merchant's request, saying the state's federal education plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) wasn't on the meeting's agenda, and board policy only allows the public to address the board about an agenda item.

Richardson told AL.com it was his decision, but board policy gives that discretion to the presiding officer.

Board Vice President Stephanie Bell, R-Montgomery, presided over the meeting. When board member Mary Scott Hunter, R-Huntsville, began asking for the board to allow an exception in this case, Bell didn't allow her to finish her sentence.

Bell did not respond to a request from AL.com asking why she didn't allow Hunter to finish her sentence.

Hunter took issue with the strict interpretation of when a person can address the board, saying on Thursday that the ESSA plan was on the agenda, just not on the meeting agenda.

"[The ESSA plan has] been in the air. It's been on again, off again," Hunter said.

The board planned to take up the ESSA plan during their work session immediately following the meeting, but the public is not allowed to address the board during a work session.

"In the past, my experience is that when we have people show up and there's some confusion and they've come a long way, we usually let them talk," Hunter said. "I was surprised that they didn't let them do that."

After the meeting, Richardson said parents could address the board about the ESSA plan at their October meeting, adding that won't be too late, even though the board is expected to vote on the plan at that meeting.

"I don't know of anyone that's going to be 100 percent comfortable when we approve it on Oct. 12th," Richardson said.

Richardson said the board has 120 days after the plan's submission to make changes, and he planned to "encourage everybody to continue to look at it, to refine it, till we get it closer to what we can live with."

Initially, on Thursday, a U.S. Department of Education spokesperson contradicted Richardson saying that when the plan is submitted, no amendments should be submitted during the 120-day review process because that would make their review process "impossible."

Though Richardson did not return a request for clarification, a U.S. Department of Education spokesperson clarified on Oct. 5 that the 120-day review process necessarily involves back and forth communication between states and federal reviewers, and therefore some changes could result from those exchanges.

Catey Hall, who has a child with special needs, was active in the fight to get Alabama lawmakers to pass a law requiring some employers to fund insurance policies for behavioral therapy for autism.

She, too, is frustrated by the seeming unwillingness of the state board of education to listen to the special education community's concerns.

A resident of Birmingham, Hall drove to Montgomery on Sept. 27 to hear Merchant speak.

Hall is frustrated that the board hasn't yet allowed Merchant to address them. "These are elected officials that are supposed to represent every learner," she said, "and I do not feel that my special needs child has an elected representative on that board."

Even if Merchant speaks at the next meeting, Hall said, "I doubt that any public input will be taken into consideration, and I anticipate no changes will be made to the current plan based on public comment, given that late input."

Merchant has serious concerns that the plan, unveiled at the board's Sept. 27 work session, doesn't go far enough in addressing how educators will improve student outcomes for students in special education.

For example, in Alabama's plan, even if students in a particular subgroup, like those in special education, perform poorly, the school and district could still get the highest rating, masking the poor performance of that group.

Other states do not allow the highest rating to be awarded if any of their subgroups perform below a certain level, Merchant said.

Students with disabilities, a group that encompasses a wide range of abilities, have the lowest achievement and graduation rate long-term goals in Alabama's plan.

Pictured here are the proficiency goals in the plan. Students with disabilities are depicted by the light brown line at the bottom of the stack.

Merchant has been trying to get her concerns addressed, both through her elected board member, Jeff Newman, R-Millport, and other elected officials, including Gov. Kay Ivey.

Newman did not respond to a request for comment from AL.com.

Merchant, whose son has Down Syndrome, first became aware of ESSA through the National Down Syndrome Congress and has been following the formation of Alabama's state plan under the ESSA since the law was passed in December 2015.

Merchant has educated herself on the important aspects of ESSA as it relates to the education of her child and others in special education.

After learning about the flexibility given to states under ESSA, she said, "I started ringing the bell in my community telling people it was important to pay attention."

Merchant attended all of the state and national ESSA meetings she could, but when it came time to share her concerns, she couldn't find anyone who would listen.

Though the federal education department initially issued guidance recommending states gather a diverse group of stakeholders, including parents and civil rights groups, some states have come under fire for the lack of public input into their plan.

Alabama's ESSA Implementation Committee, created by former Gov. Robert Bentley through an Executive Order in March of 2016 and chaired by Early Child Secretary Jeana Ross, held its meetings in Montgomery from May through November of 2016.

Board of education members were allowed two appointments to the Committee. Former state superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice appointed the vice chairs, one state Senate and one state House of Representatives member were appointed to the committee, and Bentley was allowed an unlimited number of appointments.

None of the committee's members were specifically affiliated with any disability or special education organizations.

Merchant attended one of those Montgomery meetings, she said, but the public was not asked for input. All discussion was limited to committee members.

Eight public meetings were held in high schools across Alabama between Aug. 9 and Sept. 20, 2016, to educate the public about ESSA and to solicit feedback from attendees, a spokesperson for the Alabama State Department of Education said.

More than 500 people attended the meetings, the spokesperson said, but they did not know how many attendees were educators, parents, or members of advocacy organizations, as no sign-in sheets were used.

Merchant attended one of those public meetings and said, "Honestly, [officials] were clueless. They were fumbling. It was more of a 'this is ESSA.' It wasn't a 'tell us what you want.'"

At that point, there was no plan to look at, Merchant said, so giving input was difficult.

Merchant said she sent comments through a form on the Governor's web site but never heard anything back.

The ESSA Committee met for a final time on Nov. 1, 2016, and approved a set of key decisions for the state board of education to consider in crafting the final plan, which was presented to the state board at its Nov. 10, 2016, work session by Sec. Ross.

After Ross' presentation, Former state superintendent Michael Sentance told board members work on the ESSA plan should be paused until President Trump took office, as the rules were expected to change.

Though the state department provided an email address for the public to submit comments even after the ESSA Implementation Committee finished its work and Sentance pressed pause, Merchant said she wrote emails but never received a reply.

Trump and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos did, in fact, change the rules last March for what needed to be in a state's ESSA plan, and Merchant went to work to find out what was happening with Alabama's plan.

She sent emails asking to be involved in developing the plan using the new guidelines, but never received any response.

No additional public meetings were held before a draft ESSA plan was unveiled at the board's July 25 work session.

It's unclear who authored that draft plan and when work on the plan was restarted. At the time, Sentance said the draft represented an aggregation of the work of the ESSA Implementation Committee and the work of the three subject-area committees Sentance formed in the fall of 2016 to help create a state-specific strategic plan.

The state department posted that draft on their web site and asked for input for a two-week period ending Aug. 18.

A revised ESSA plan was introduced at the Aug. 23 work session, with department staff saying it is a bare bones plan, claiming they didn't want to put anything in the federal plan that wasn't required.

"If it's not asked for, it's not part of the plan," Assistant State Superintendent Dr. Tony Thacker told board members.

Though Merchant hasn't been allowed to address the board, she did have a chance to share some of her concerns with Dr. Joe Morton, Executive Director of the Business Education Alliance, but doesn't see where those concerns were addressed in the latest plan.

While Merchant, representing the concerns of the special education community, was not allowed to be heard, the six education groups who wrote to Ivey on Aug. 18 pleading for input were given a seat at the table.

Morton, a former state superintendent, said Richardson directed him to pull those six groups together immediately after Richardson was appointed interim on Sept. 14 because "there was no time to waste."

Morton met with representatives of those groups, which included A Plus Education Partnership, the Alabama Association of School Boards, the Alabama Education Association, the Business Education Alliance, the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, and the School Superintendents of Alabama, on Sept. 19 and 25 "for extended periods of time," Morton told the board, and "went through the plan literally line by line, word by word to get everybody's opinion of how we might improve this plan."

None of those six education groups are focused on special education.

Near the end of the work session, Stephanie Bell asked Richardson to display the procedure for speaking to the board prominently on the department's web site so those who want to do so will know exactly how it works. and Richardson agreed to do so.

That does little to ease parents' frustration at being put off another two weeks, though. Merchant is unsure how to give any further input on the plan except directly to the board. Merchant said Bell, in a phone conversation with Merchant's husband on Friday, offered to meet with parents outside of a board meeting.

When AL.com asked if the public could make additional comments now that the final draft of the ESSA plan has been made available, a spokesperson for the state department's communications department said on Friday morning that no additional comment period is planned prior to the board's Oct. 12 vote.

Alabama and South Carolina are the only states that haven't submitted their plan to the U.S. Department of Education. Four states were granted extensions on the Sept. 18 deadline, with the stated reason being because of the recent hurricanes. Since that time, both Florida and Texas have submitted their plans.

Special education is already on the board's October work session agenda, but for a different reason.

Disability advocates upset with remarks made by board member Ella Bell, D-Montgomery, during a previous board meeting had shown up at the Sept. 14 meeting, planning to address the board. Gov. Ivey, presiding over the meeting, told attendees that a request to address special education had been received, and instead of addressing the board that day, the Oct. 12 work session would be dedicated to discuss special education.

Hall and Merchant, along with others attending the meeting on Wednesday, plan to return to Montgomery on Oct. 12.

For her part, Hall plans to attend as many board meetings as she can, saying, "The only thing I can do going forward is to make sure the special needs community remains a strong presence at these board meetings to hold these elected officials accountable for the decisions they're making for our children, for every child."

"The most frustrating thing in the world is knowing what you need for your child and having those elected officials refuse to hear you."

This article was updated on Thursday, Oct. 5, to include additional clarification from a U.S. Department of Education spokesperson regarding whether a state's ESSA plan could change during the 120-day review process.
A pedestrian died in a traffic accident early Saturday near Selma.

Terry DeWayne Ladson, 41, of Selma, was killed when he was struck by a 1999 Ford Expedition on Twenty Foot Avenue about three miles east of Selma, Senior Trooper Reginal King of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said in a news release. Ladson was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford was not injured. The accident happened about 2:20 a.m.

No other information was available. Alabama State Troopers are investigating.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Friday she will support ex-judge Roy Moore in December's U.S. Senate general election, and expects him and "anyone elected to office" to be "pro-economic development."

Ivey called for the special Senate election, won by Moore, eight days after taking office back in April, and has put her support behind Moore's insurgent candidacy since Tuesday's Republican runoff.

"There is a lot of work to do with economic development," said Ivey. "I would expect everybody to be forthcoming on that issue."

Ivey's comments came after she spoke before the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce in Foley. She emphasized that "the state of Alabama is open for business," praised the state's addition of new business and jobs, and announced that progress has been made on a seaside hotel and convention center between Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.

'Businesses watching'

The governor's comments also come as the national media spotlight shines brighter on Alabama in the wake of Moore's victory. The anti-establishment conservative and former head of the Alabama Supreme Court will be the GOP nominee to fill the Senate seat once held by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. His Dec. 12 election opponent is Democratic Doug Jones.

Moore has made international headlines in times past for his religious crusades opposing same-sex marriage. In 2005, he said that "homosexual conduct" should be illegal and equated it to bestiality. In early 2016, Moore ordered probate judges to defy federal orders and refuse marriage certificates to same-sex couples.

Anti-LGBTQ crusades in other states have sparked fierce backlash, and human rights activists believe Moore could cause problems to pro-business groups in Alabama.

"If Alabama wants to be a welcoming place for people from all walks of life and an attractive destination for businesses, it has-to stop elevating politicians who care more about discrimination than they do improving our state," said Eva Kendrick, the Alabama state director for the Human Rights Campaign. "Businesses will likely be watching Moore's actions."

Roy Moore (file photo)

A host of corporations and businesses have left states, or canceled projects in them, where legislation was approved that was viewed as detrimental to the LGBTQ community. Most notable of those was in North Carolina, where lawmakers rescinded a controversial "bathroom bill" earlier this year. The North Carolina law required people to use restrooms that matched their gender identity on their birth certificate. In Alabama, a similar proposed law has never advanced in the Legislature, largely out of concern for the economic damages it might cause.

An Associated Press analysis of the North Carolina law showed it could have cost the state $3.76 billion in lost business over a dozen years. Republican leaders in that state have blamed news organizations for creating a false sense of economic upheaval.

Kendrick, whose organization has long opposed Moore, said, "Pro-equality businesses want to make sure they're located in places that don't harm their business or their employees' quality of life. If Roy Moore becomes a figurehead for Alabama, both of those criteria could take a negative hit."

The Moore campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

The Jones campaign said that Moore's "brand of politics falls short" of goals set by businesses, corporations and industry in "creating an inviting and stable business environment" and who seek a "location where employees would want to live and raise their families."

'Take the blame'

Ivey, a Republican who is seeking election in 2018 for governor, said she was supporting whoever won Tuesday's GOP runoff. She said she called Moore after his win over Luther Strange and congratulated him.

Ivey said she does not regret her call for a special election after she took office. Her predecessor, Gov. Robert Bentley, appointed Strange as senator in February, and the special election for the seat was originally scheduled for November 2018.

Ivey became governor after Bentley resigned amid an ethics scandal involving his relationship with a former aide.

"The law was very clear on what is supposed to happen when a vacancy occurs in a U.S. Senate (seat) in Alabama," Ivey said. "If a vacancy happens more than four months before an election, the governor shall forthwith call an election. I simply followed the law."

She added, "If you think it's a tough decision, Ok, fine. But the law is the law and as an elected official sworn to uphold the law, I just followed the law."

Kendrick and others believe that Ivey should not be blamed for her role in calling for the special election, which became the only Senate election in the U.S. this summer. The race evolved into a star-studded spectacle featuring appearances from President Donald Trump, his former strategist Stephen Bannon, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, British politician Nigel Farage, among others.

"Governor Kay Ivey shouldn't take the blame for calling an election; that's within her job duties," said Kendrick. "But voters must take responsibility for who they elevate to public office."

State Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, and the first-ever openly gay person elected to state office, said she believes groups like the HRC and Equality Alabama will take a lead role in opposing Moore as the general election campaigns crank up.

"They will lead the messaging and the fight to activate those of us who believe Christianity is about fairness and it's about getting the vote out," Todd said.

Business stance

Meanwhile, the state's largest business interest group, the Business Council of Alabama, is staying away from commenting on the social elements that propelled Moore to the nomination. In a statement to AL.com, the council lamented the low turnout for Tuesday's runoff.

Moore's campaign was heavily outspent by those supporting Strange, which included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Political observers are keeping an eye on pro-business groups in the weeks ahead to see if they sidle over to Moore's camp. Chamber of Commerce groups, more often than not, historically back Republican candidates against Democrats.

"Elections are about metrics and optics," said William Canary, president and CEO of the BCA. "What does it say that 86 percent of eligible voters chose to sit out of this election? The metric ... when you choose not to vote, it is not a rebellion, it is a surrender."

Canary added, "Going forward for BAC, nothing changes. Alabama's business community has proven that when we are united, no challenge it too great."

Ivey, herself, implored for more voter involvement. "I hope a lot of folks will go out and vote and exercise their sacred right to vote," she said.

William Stewart, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama and a longtime observer of state politics, said he believes Moore could be problematic for Ivey as she campaigns next summer. The 2018 gubernatorial race is already a crowded one ahead of the June 5 primaries.

"She needs the votes he got and cannot afford to offend the evangelicals," Stewart said.

Stewart said he can imagine Ivey congratulating Moore in public, while taking another tact in private conversations with business groups, but pointing out to them that he's just one senator out of 100.

Jess Brown, a retired political science professor from Athens State University, offered a different view. He said Ivey won't face any political headaches if Moore wins in December.

"Governor Ivey will stay focused on economic development," said Brown. "She will avoid hot button lifestyle issues unless compelled to do so. Right now, she can sidestep those issues. The BCA could care less about those issues. They have other fish to fry and I believe she will stay loyal to their agenda."
A 22-year-old was charged with murder Friday in connection to a fatal shootout in Montgomery.

Montgomery police responded to a call about a shooting in the 2700 block of Poplar Street at 12:30 a.m. on Friday. Police didn't locate anyone at the scene, but did find evidence of a shooting. Shortly after, officers were dispatched to Jackson Hospital, where a man was dropped off at the emergency room with a life-threatening gunshot wound. Zacmarkeo Chambliss, 21, of Montgomery, passed away later.

Issac Walters was taken into custody shortly after the shooting occurred. Investigators learned that Walters and the victim went to Poplar Street armed with guns. Police said they exchanged gunfire with other armed subjects at the location. The victim, whose name has not been released, sustained a fatal gunshot wound during the shootout. Walters sustained a minor gunshot wound.

Police said Walters was charged with murder because the victim was killed during the commission of a felony in which he and Walters participated together. He was transported to the Montgomery County Detention Facility on a $75,000 bond.
With the men at war or herding cattle, women live by their wits, farming, caregiving, and working to support families.

Chahari, South Sudan  The dull thud of a coconut being thrown against a flat stone summons the children around the low straw-thatched mud tukul, a traditional round house in eastern Africa. Nadia* pulls the orange pulp out of the fruit where the rind has cracked, breaking it up among many tiny hands.

One person was shot dead in front of me, so I had to jump over his body, she says, describing her escape from the town of Ikotos, in the Imatong state of South Sudan.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 3.5 million have been displaced since South Sudan descended into war shortly after it seceded from Sudan in 2011. Starting in December 2013, President Salva Kiirs troops have clashed with those of rebel leader and former Vice President Riek Machar. A peace accord signed in August 2015 fell apart after less than three months.

Women and children have paid a particularly heavy price in the fighting with over two million children displaced and reports of ethnic cleansing and rape perpetrated by all sides in the conflict. And while the men fight, many women are left behind to carry the day-to-day burden of caring for their families.

This was not the first time Nadia had seen someone shot dead, but this time was different because she was on her own with her children.

Nadia is a single mother. Her youngest is six years old and both he and his two older brothers depend solely on her. Of their father, she says he is not here, without further explanation.

In July 2016, when the rebel forces and the government army clashed in Ikotos, Nadia was working as a cleaner at a government office. When a group of youths attacked the barracks, we shut ourselves into our house, she says. But an hour later, with the fighting becoming more intense, she left everything behind as she fled with her children.

They travelled for three days, hiding in the bush and surviving on grass and wild fruit, as they made their way to the village of Chahari in Eastern Equatoria state where her relatives lived.

The state was once considered a safe and fertile area of South Sudan. But, after the peace agreement failed, the fighting reached some cities in Eastern Equatoria as well. Two million people are internally displaced in South Sudan. Nadia is hoping to find a relatively peaceful life in this remote, rural area, far from the fighting engulfing the cities and larger towns.

Still, providing her children with enough food to eat is a struggle. A famine fuelled by drought and fighting has ravaged the region for four years.

Women digging in the fields, fetching water or picking wild fruit from trees are a familiar sight in these villages, while the men are away grazing livestock or fighting on the front line.

Most men here take more than one wife.

Maria Gaudenzi, area team leader for the AVSI Foundation, explains that often the men are unable to take care of these nuclei, so all the responsibilities fall completely on their wives. The Italian non-governmental organisation (NGO) is the only active international NGO in this area. It has been running schooling, healthcare and food security programmes in partnership with the World Food Programme and UNICEF since 2005.

With husbands absent, women live by their wits, farming, caregiving, and working on side businesses to generate more income. Away from the frontline of the conflict, they are the ones upholding the country.

WATCH: Women of South Sudan  Broken bodies, shattered dreams (25:23)

Womens health and wellness

Betty Justine Olia, a 38-year-old local health worker with AVSI, has just filled a syringe with the measles vaccine. A dozen women have gathered from surrounding communities to be immunised against polio, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis and tetanus, with their children clinging to their necks.

The role of a man here is only to look after cattle and go for cattle raiding, Olia says. Most of agriculture and caregiving activities are on women. Livestock is very important for local ethnic groups, as it works as a sort of currency.

Rosina Imolong, Olias 25-year-old colleague, explains the importance of updating health cards to the rest of the mothers.

According to its 2016/2017 Approved National Budget plan, South Sudan has invested only three percent of its overall expenditure on health, while security-related expenses account for 44 percent. The health system is weak, meaning that the government is not able to provide even the most basic services, Gaudenzi says, so there is this huge demand of support from NGOs.

In half an hour the women will pack the equipment, drugs and mats onto their bicycles and head for the next village. We are carrying out this service to the people who are not reachable by normal facilities, Olia says. Pushing hard on the pedals, the women travel to four different villages each week, visiting pregnant women and looking for malnourished children. Their team represents the only healthcare that most locals will see in their lifetime.

Imolong and Olia have similar stories to the women they help through the programme.

Olia struggles to make ends meet, as she cares for her six children by herself. My partner left me because I spent too much time taking care of my disabled father, she explains. At night, after attending visits and workshops, she sells home-brewed alcohol to make some extra money.

Imolong thought she had managed to avoid a similar situation when, in 2010, she married a school teacher. But her experience has not met her expectations.

He doesnt help me at all as he keeps the money he is earning from me and asks for mine, Imolong says. She was two weeks pregnant when they had their first quarrel. He said that my head was not good and it was better for him to marry an illiterate woman, Imolong recalls.

Since independence, the government has advanced several steps in gender rights: the Transitional Constitution and Bill of Rights guarantee equality among men and women, setting out a 25 percent quota for women in legislative and executive bodies. Nevertheless, with the ongoing war, little has changed on the ground in the everyday lives of women, in healthcare, safety, employment and education.

READ MORE: South Sudan no longer in famine, but situation critical

READ MORE: Reliving the rape camps of South Sudans civil war

Womens education

Unlike many women in South Sudan, Olia and Imolong can rely on the steady income they receive through their jobs as health workers. In an area where subsistence agriculture is the main activity, international NGOs are seen as the most reliable and generous employers.

The education they received growing up in refugee camps in Uganda where they both attended formal schools, has played a significant role during the job-hiring process.

Yet education remains a challenge for young people in South Sudan, and many girls face additional difficulties due to the gender roles assigned to them.

According to UNICEF, 76 percent of South Sudanese girls are out of school. From an early age, families send their male children to school while keeping their daughters at home to help with domestic work and look after their younger siblings, says Gaudenzi.

Even if they step into the classroom, child marriages and early pregnancy often cut their education short. So girls may start their education, but they give up later, says Gaudenzi. According to 2016 National Education Statistics, in every grade female students are more likely to drop out than male students.

According to UNICEF report, The state of the worlds children 2016, 52 percent of girls in South Sudan are married by their 18th birthday, and nine percent by their 15th. Many girls at the end of the primary school get married, so not many of them go up to secondary [school], says Sister Paskwina, a 62-year-old nun who teaches at the local school in the town of Isohe.

Child marriages in the region have increased as a result of the ongoing crisis, according to a survey conducted by CARE International, with families resorting to them in the hope of receiving a dowry payment or having one less mouth to feed.

I went to school until I was three months pregnant, but when the school discovered it, I was told to stay home, says 18-year-old Paska, her six-month-old son Bryan sticking his head out of her arms. She was halfway through her first year of secondary school when she became pregnant. Local teachers discourage pregnant teenagers from attending classes, even after they give birth because this could be seen as promoting this behaviour, explains Paskwina.

My boyfriend had no cows to pay to my family, so he ran to the capital, Paska says. She nervously taps her left foot on the floor when talking about her childs father. According to customary traditions, a man must pay a cattle price to the father of his bride as a dowry. But Paskas partner was a student so left to find a job in Juba, the capital. She believes that he will come back for her when he has earned enough money.

Paska understood that without schooling she would have no chance of finding a decent job. She was determined to finish school. During her pregnancy, she asked her classmates for notes, so she could study at home. Her family supported her, so they contacted AVSI foundation, which helped persuade the school to allow Paska back into the classroom.

She wakes up at six every morning, breastfeeds Bryan and attends classes. During the midday break, while other students play in the schoolyard, she rushes home to feed him again.

A dream drives her. I love science, and I want to be the first female doctor here, she says. If she fulfils her hopes, she might become the first South Sudanese working in a hospital in this region, as most doctors currently come from Uganda.

Paskas dream is to be part of a new generation of South Sudanese women, capable of moving their country forward, not just living idly by as the men herd cattle and fight wars.

*Name changed to protect identity
Ramallah, occupied West Bank  Hassan Ankush leaned on his cane as he limped through the charred rubble of the home he lived in for four decades in the village of Deir Abu Mashaal.

Killing my son was not enough for the Israelis, he told Al Jazeera. They had to come and destroy my home, too.

Like other Palestinian families whose relatives committed attacks or alleged attacks against Israelis, Ankush is not accused of any wrongdoing. He is among the latest victims of Israels widely condemned policy of punishing families of Palestinian assailants by demolishing their homes.

According to Israeli rights group BTselem, thousands of Palestinians have been displaced by home demolitions. The Israeli government claims the goal is deterrence, but BTselem spokesman Amit Gilutz describes it as a form of collective punishment and a blatant violation of international law.

Nothing else they can do to hurt us

Ankush recalls the day he learned of his 18-year-old sons death during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. We were having iftar at a neighbours house when we heard the news that three Palestinians were killed after carrying out an attack in Jerusalem, Ankush told Al Jazeera, his large, sad eyes wandering across the scattered remnants of his old home.

Ankushs other son, Tareq, called him several minutes later, telling him that his brother, Adel, could be one those killed.

I didnt believe it, Ankush said. Adel is still just a kid. What could drive him to carry out an attack like that?

But when Ankush arrived home that evening, the neighbourhood was gathered around his house. May your son rest in peace, his neighbours told him.

My body became frozen, Ankush said. I didnt think my son was capable of something like this.

On June 16, Adel, along with two other youths from Deir Abu Mashaal  Osama Atta, 19, and Baraa Atta, 18  carried out an attack around the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem, fatally stabbing Hadas Malka, a 23-year-old Israeli police officer. All three were shot dead by Israeli forces at the scene.

Ankush learned all of this from the local news. The Israelis have not provided any information to him personally. The only official information provided to me was Israeli forces raiding my home and handing me a notification declaring that my house would be demolished.

While Muslims around the world celebrated the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which follows Ramadan, the residents of Deir Abu Mashaal cancelled all festivities. Instead, they donned black T-shirts with images of Adel, Baraa and Osama and marched silently through the village.

Last month, Israeli forces raided Deir Abu Mashaal and razed all three families homes. Ankushs house was blown up after Israeli forces placed explosives around the premises.

Of course, we will feel a loss and face difficulties after our home was demolished, Ankush said. But they killed our son. Theres nothing they can do that will hurt us any more than that.

INTERACTIVE: Broken Homes  A record year of Israeli demolitions

Ankushs home housed six people, including Adels 11-year-old sister, Maisa. Even before the demolition, it was hard for the family to make ends meet. Now, they must rent a house in the village. Ankush is still recovering from a stroke that paralysed him four years ago, so it is up to his wife to support the family.

Maisas temperament has abruptly changed since Adels death and the home demolition. According to Ankush, she has become quick to anger and suffers from anxiety. Asked about Israels punitive home demolition policy, Maisa bluntly told Al Jazeera: Its an injustice.

The home demolition is just one of a string of punishments meted out to the family in the wake of Adels death. One week after the attack, Ankushs wife was detained for 15 days by Israeli authorities, and she now faces charges of alleged incitement following the attack. Ankush himself was detained and interrogated for four days, but no charges were brought.

Israel has also withheld the bodies of Adel, Osama and Baraa since the attack. Although a case to release their bodies, along with six others, was pending in Israels Supreme Court, Israeli authorities buried four of the bodies this month in the cemetery of numbers  graves in Israel marked only by numbers, where hundreds of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces are believed to be buried.

Ankush has no idea whether his sons body will ever be returned, and he believes Israels policies are an attempt to torture Palestinian families. My son committed a crime, and they killed him. They [Israelis] got their justice. Why do they still have to steal his body from us and destroy our home?

They want to destroy his memory

Baraa was the youngest of his siblings. Israeli authorities only once permitted him to visit Jerusalem, when he was eight, said his mother, Umm Nidal. The second time he visited Jerusalem, he entered without permission and died there.

Shortly before his death, Baraa had spent around four months in Israeli prison for working in Israel without proper documentation. He was detained alongside his older brother, Mohammad, and his brother-in-law, Munther. A week after he was released, he carried out the attack.

Israeli forces raided Umm Nidals house on a nightly basis following the attack. According to the family, at least 15 of Baraas friends in the village were detained by Israeli forces, three of whom remain in jail.

After Israeli prison authorities realised that Mohammad and Munther were related to Baraa, their status was updated to security prisoners and Munther was placed in solitary confinement, Tahani, Baraas sister and Munthers wife, told Al Jazeera.

During the raids, Tahani said that soldiers tore down posters the family had pasted on the walls of the home, along with other images of Baraa, Adel and Osama posted around the village. At times, Israeli soldiers stabbed the images of the attackers eyes with a knife, Tahani said.

When Israeli forces came to demolish the familys home, there were only women and children inside.

A soldier asked me to get the children out of the house. As I was trying to calm the children down, the soldier was screaming at me, Umm Nidal said. The soldier, standing right in front of me, shot me with a sound bomb in my hip.

Dozens of Israeli soldiers then rushed the house, shooting tear gas at the family, she said, noting that even the children began choking from the gas. An Israeli bulldozer then uprooted their two-storey house.

A house will never be as valuable to me as my sons life, Umm Nidal said, sitting in front of her other sons house, where she now resides. Rows of posters displaying images of the three slain Palestinians have been plastered to the walls. But each corner of that house reminded us of Baraa. Now, its all gone.

READ MORE: Why does Israel keep the bodies of Palestinians?

During the demolition, Umm Nidal said she pleaded with the soldiers not to uproot the tiled floor of the courtyard, constructed by Baraa  but regardless, they partially destroyed it during the demolition process.

I was devastated when the soldiers did this, she said. It was like they wanted to destroy any sign that Baraa had existed.

In the days after the demolition, village residents got together and helped to reconstruct the tiles. Umm Nidal said that while the demolition has affected her family psychologically, the tight-knit community in Deir Abu Mashaal has been a comfort. No one here will ever be sleeping on the streets, she said.

For Tahani, the demolition of the familys home has eroded her memories of Baraa. Baraa was such a shy kid, she said. That house was filled with memories of him. Even the bathroom; thats where Baraa would hide if my mom or I invited other women to the house while he was home  He would only come out once our guests were gone, she added with a laugh.

The family described Baraa as a quiet, well-behaved young man, but despite this, they were not surprised he had carried out an attack.

Israeli policies do nothing but build up hatred, Umm Nidal said.

Look at all these kids, she added, gesturing to a group of children playing in the open area where their house once stood. They are growing up seeing their friends and siblings detained and killed. Almost every night, they witness soldiers raid the village and break into peoples homes.

Israel demolished their house right in front of them, she continued. These kids from a very young age realise what is going on around them. So why are Israelis surprised when they grow up to hate them?

Additional reporting by Soud Hefawi
Two years into the Russian intervention in Syria, we ask what Russians think of the war.

The first thought that crossed Mark Isaevs mind when he heard of the start of the Russian military operation in Syria on September 30, 2015 was that it would be like Afghanistan.

And here goes Syria as well. They will be sending Russian troops to Syria, I thought, says the 53-year-old Afghan war veteran. Politicians take decisions, and we, the military men, follow orders.

In 1987, as the war was raging on in Afghanistan, Isaev  then a fresh military college graduate  was waiting to leave for Libya, where he was to work as a military instructor. Just weeks before his departure, the military administration discovered a problem in his papers: He was not a member of the Communist Party. Isaev says he refused to join the party and as a result was sent to fight in Afghanistan. His deployment lasted until the Soviet army withdrew in 1989.

According to official statistics, 13,400 [Soviet troops] died [in Afghanistan] and I consider that they died in vain, he says. We did not need this war.

Isaev feels the same way about Russian interventions abroad in general, including the war in Syria.

Russia should not participate. During the Great Patriotic War [World War II], people died for their country, they defended their own country. Now [in Syria], who are we defending?

At the same time, Isaev says that Russia should be fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), which he considers a threat. It is Russias duty, he says, and air raids on ISIL are a good thing.

Public opinion

Isaevs attitudes towards the Russian intervention in Syria, while seemingly contradictory, reflect popular opinion in Russia.

According to a poll conducted by independent polling centre Levada in October 2015, some 72 percent of Russians approved of Russias air strikes on ISIL, which is how the Kremlin framed its intervention in state media at that time. The military deployment was necessary in order to stop the threat from ISIL reaching Russian borders, the government rhetoric claimed  although within the first days of Russian bombardment, the Syrian opposition reported that its positions were targeted.

Two years into Russias military operation in Syria, Levada Center conducted another poll which showed that almost half of the respondents wanted the intervention to end.

Part of the public concern has been over the deaths of Russian troops in Syria. Currently, the official number of Russian army personnel who have died in Syria is 40, but media reports have claimed that the number could be higher, as the military reportedly pressures families of dead soldiers not to speak out. The official number also does not include Russian mercenaries currently fighting in Syria.

More recently the opposition has also started discussing the war in economic terms, claiming that within the current economic crisis, Russia cannot afford to spend so much on a foreign war.

A lot of money from the state budget is being spent on this war, while 17-20 percent of the population live below the poverty line, says Elena Slesareva, press secretary for the presidential campaign of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Opposition party Yabloko has estimated that the war has cost the Russian federal budget at least $2.4bn, a number that does not include some costs, including funding for Russian mercenaries.

While there appear to be signs of war-weariness among the Russian public, they have not translated into strong anti-war rhetoric or reaction. There has been no public interest in discussing civilian deaths caused by Russian aerial bombardment in Syria, which within the first four months of the intervention had reached at least 1,000, according to monitoring groups. The official narrative that Russia uses precision air raids and therefore does not cause a significant number of civilian deaths has been widely accepted.

Unlike the war in Ukraine, which provoked public outrage and large antiwar rallies in 2014, the military intervention in Syria has not drawn any comparable condemnation.

Buying into the state narrative

According to human rights activist Sergey Davidis, who participated in a small anti-war protest in October 2015, the general attitude of approval of the Russian intervention persists.

He points out that the majority of Russians, including part of the opposition, have bought into the state narrative of the war as an anti-terror operation against ISIL.

A society in which Islamophobia and fear of Islamic terrorism and migration are well spread does not really worry so much about a war waged far away against unpleasant and dangerous people, he said.

In his opinion, the opposition, which overwhelmingly rejected the war in Ukraine, perceives the situation in Syria as bad Putin fighting some other bad people and has not been so vocal in its condemnation.

At the peak of international attention over the siege on Aleppo in November 2016, a group of activists, including Davidis, sought to hold a protest but the Russian authorities banned it. Davidis says the ban was unlawful and he has taken the state to court over it.

Russias new Afghanistan

At the same time, official rhetoric continues to portray the intervention as largely successful and many have agreed.

In my opinion, two years into Russias anti-terrorist operation in Syria, the results have exceeded expectations, says Elena Suponina, a Moscow-based Middle East researcher. Russia managed to achieve a lot of its goals in Syria at no serious cost or losses.

She says that Levadas opinion poll does not necessarily mean less support for the Russian army fighting in Syria. Russians wanting the end of the operation does not mean they want it quickly, she says.

Yet the possibility of a prolonged conflict is something that does worry some part of the Russian public. In the same Levada survey, some 32 percent of the respondents agreed that Syria could become Russias new Afghanistan.

According to Suponina, no one knows how long Russias operation in Syria will continue, but the Russian army will continue fighting until the sovereignty of Syria has been restored.
About half the countrys opposition members of parliament have left as government vows more arrests over alleged coup.

Half of Cambodias opposition members of parliament have fled the country in fear of a crackdown by Prime Minister Hun Sens government after allegations of a US-backed coup attempt.

Kem Sokha, leader of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), was arrested in the capital Phnom Penh on September 3 and charged with treason for the alleged plot to take power with American help.

The government has said there could be more arrests linked to the alleged plot, which the opposition says is just a ploy to ensure Hun Sen keeps his more than three-decade hold on power in next years general election.

About half are out of the country in fear, Mu Sochua, one of three deputies to Kem Sokha, told Reuters news agency on Friday. Im taking my chances. We cannot live in fear and let the fear paralyse us.

READ MORE: Perilous times as Cambodia Daily shuts after 24 years

She said the party was still in contact with those members outside the country as the opposition tries to rally international pressure on the government.





Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) has a slim majority in the 123-member parliament, which voted on September 11 to allow the prosecution of Kem Sokha in a vote boycotted by opposition members.

A spokesman for the ruling party said it was an internal issue for the CNRP if its members were abroad.

Spokesman Sok Eysan said the CPP believed in a culture of dialogue, but Kem Sokhas criminal act had destroyed it.

The ship has left the port so its already too late, said Sok Eysan.

The government has said Kem Sokhas party could be dissolved if it does not drop him as its leader, something the CNRP has said it will not do.

While the United States, European Union, and United Nations have condemned the arrest of Kem Sokha and called for his release, Hun Sen has support from his close ally China, by far the biggest donor to one of Southeast Asias poorest countries.

OPINION: Cambodia rejects paying dirty debt to the US

Mu Sochua said she was still hopeful that Western countries would take stronger action against the government, but did not specify what. A statement alone is not going to help, she said.

Evidence presented against Kem Sokha so far is a video from 2013, in which he told supporters he has support from unidentified Americans for a plan to gain power.

The opposition says it is evidence of an election strategy, not a coup plot.

If convicted, Kem Sokha could face a jail term of up to 30 years.
Pro-secession supporters camp out at Barcelona schools to defy Madrid authorities before Sundays independence vote.

Supporters of an independence referendum in Catalonia have begun occupying polling stations in a bid to ensure Sundays vote goes ahead, stoking fears of violent confrontation with Spanish police.

Spains central government in Madrid, which opposes the referendum, has sent thousands of police reinforcements to the Catalonian capital of Barcelona to stop people from voting.

A court on Wednesday ordered police to prevent the use of public buildings for the preparation and organisation of the referendum.

But as classes ended for the day, small groups of activists, including parents with their children, on Friday peacefully occupied several schools where voting is scheduled to take place.

READ MORE: All you need to know about the Catalonia referendum

We want to make sure the school is open for activities and at night when they might come to clear us out or empty it, there will be families sleeping or people in the street, Hector, 43, told Reuters news agency.





The head of the Catalan regional police has ordered officers to evacuate and close polling stations by 6am on Sunday, before voting starts at 9am.

Parents vowed to come out and protect their children occupying the schools.

I am going to sleep here with my oldest son who is a student here, Gisela Losa, a mother of three, told AFP news agency at Reina Vionant primary school in Barcelonas Gracia neighbourhood.

Spains government said on Saturday police had sealed off 1,300 of 2,315 schools in Catalonia that had been designated as polling stations for the banned independence referendum.

A government source said 163 schools earmarked as voting centres have been occupied by families.

WATCH: Catalonia referendum  One country, two stories (25:05)

Madrid has repeatedly warned those who help stage a referendum, which the courts have ruled unconstitutional, will face legal repercussions.

Spains education ministry said in a statement on Friday that school directors in Catalonia were not exempt from liability if they cooperated.

There is nothing that justifies violating so basic a right as the right to vote, said Omar Sanchis, a 29-year-old drama student, standing behind the railings of the Collaso i Gil school, which he and others had occupied.

The Catalan government says 2,315 polling stations are ready to go.

Al Jazeeras John Hendren, reporting from Barcelona, said both sides have been preparing for confrontation over the looming vote.

Clearly, many of the polling stations will be shut down [by Spanish authorities], he said. The government of Catalonia has said  it will declare itself an independent republic if they get the votes.

Final rally

On Friday evening, about 10,000 supporters of the referendum gathered off Barcelonas Placa dEspanya, or Spain Square.

Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said regardless of how many people actually cast the ballots, if a majority say yes, he will declare independence on Tuesday.

In these hugely intense and hugely emotional moments, we sense that what we once thought was only a dream is within reach, Puigdemont told a cheering crowd.

On Sunday, we have a date with the future.

READ MORE: Catalan leader accuses Spain of totalitarian actions

Catalonias foreign affairs chief Raul Romeva told Al Jazeera on Friday the referendum is impossible to stop despite the central government in Madrid insisting that the vote is illegal and it will not happen.

Opinion polls show Catalonias roughly 7.5 million residents are divided on independence.

A survey commissioned by the regional government in July showed 49.4 percent of Catalans were against independence while 41.1 percent were in favour.

More than 70 percent of Catalans want a legal referendum on independence to settle the issue.
Under the truce, set to take effect at midnight, the group will suspend hostage-taking and attacks on infrastructure.

The head of Colombias last remaining rebel group has ordered fighters to stand down in advance of a bilateral ceasefire taking effect this weekend.

The ceasefire is an important milestone in efforts to end a half-century of political violence in the South American country.

In a rare video posted online on Friday, Nicolas Rodriguez, known by his war alias Gabino, said he was confident fighters belonging to the National Liberation Army (ELN) would obey orders not to attack government troops or take other actions banned by the ceasefire.

I have no doubt of your loyalty and that you will fulfil this commitment to the last consequences, Rodriguez said.





Hopes were high for peace talks between the government and the ELN that started in February in Ecuador following an agreement last year that led to the disarmament of the much larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

But progress has been slow as the ELN has remained on the offensive and stepped up attacks on oil pipelines.

Just this week, the group was blamed for two simultaneous attacks on a major oil pipeline near the border with Venezuela that dumped crude in several rivers and farms affecting 700 families.

President Juan Manuel Santos on Friday signed a decree ordering troops not to attack ELN rebels once the temporary ceasefire takes effect at midnight Saturday.

Santos pointed out that this would be the first bilateral ceasefire the ELN has signed in its history.

The ceasefire, approved on September 4, will initially last until January 9, after which it can be renewed by mutual consent.

As part of the agreement, the ELN has pledged to suspend hostage-taking, recruitment of minors and attacks on infrastructure.

INFOGRAPHIC: Colombia  FARC and ELN areas of influence

The government, in turn, must improve conditions for jailed fighters, as well as boost protections for leftist activists in areas dominated by the ELN.

As Pope Francis has urged, we must never stop pursuing peace, Santos said.

According to the protocol signed by government and rebel negotiators, UN observers will fan out across the country to 33 areas where the ELN is strongest to monitor the ceasefires implementation.

They will be assisted by the Roman Catholic Church, from which many of the ELNs founders  priests and seminary students  hail.

The FARC and ELN formed in 1964 to fight for land rights and protection of poor rural communities.
At least 50 Oromo people died last year at the Irreecha festival after police fired tear gas and started a stampede.

A year ago, Firommisa Darasa barely made it out of Ethiopias Irreecha festival alive, managing to escape from a deep ditch where dozens perished.

The tragedy happened after police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters, sparking a stampede.

Last years bloodshed at the annual religious festival held by Ethiopias largest ethnic group, the Oromo people, became a turning point in months of anti-government protests that prompted the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency.

While dissatisfaction with Ethiopias government still runs deep among the Oromo, last years protests have since died down.

Those planning to attend this years Irreecha festival say they are hoping for the best when Sundays gathering begins in the resort town of Bishoftu, southeast of the capital Addis Ababa.





I feel fear inside but if I dont come, the people around me wont come. This is our ancestral celebration and we will have to keep it, said one of the festival-goers, 28-year-old Firommisa,

At least 50 killed

The Oromo people began protesting in late 2015, angered by a government proposal to expand Addis Ababa that they feared would deprive them of land without proper compensation.

Those tensions exploded at last years Irreecha when activists took to the stage and began shouting anti-government slogans, prompting police to open fire with tear gas.

At least 50 people were killed in the ensuing stampede, according to government figures. Activists put the death toll much higher.

Changes have been made this year at the festival grounds adjacent to a lake in the town 60km southeast of the capital.

A new open-air amphitheatre has been built and cobblestones laid on the ground, while the ditch that claimed so many lives last year has been fenced off.

The presence of armed security forces was seen as exacerbating last years chaos, but the Oromia regional government said this year there would be no weapons.

This year will be different because there will be no political involvement from the government and no security from them as well, said attendee Dachassa Gosa, 22.

WATCH: Ethiopias bereaved families seek justice (2:31)

Irreecha, or thanksgiving, is the most important annual festival of the Oromo people and it celebrates the end of the months-long rainy season and the upcoming harvest.

While traditionally a time to give thanks and pray for prosperity and abundance, it has increasingly been an opportunity for the Oromo to assert their identity and criticise government policies they say marginalise them.

Last years deaths re-ignited the protests across the Oromo region, but this time the targets were government and foreign-owned businesses, with several destroyed.

All told, the months of violence left more than 940 people dead, according to the governments human rights commission, while arrests topped 22,000.

The bloodshed only ended with the declaration of a state of emergency, which was lifted in August.

However many Oromo say their grievances were not addressed and sporadic strikes and protests still occur.

READ MORE: 669 killed in Ethiopia violence since August

US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Ethiopian government to act with restraint this time around and to take measures to ensure there is no repeat of last years tragedy, while calling for a proper investigation into what happened.

Certainly, if there were to be a return to what happened at least years Irreecha, you would expect that would lead to much wider unrest, HRW researcher Felix Horne told AFP news agency.

Oftaha Oromoo travelled from a district hours away to join the celebration but expects a more subdued event this weekend.

Personally I am still angry, but we have to be patient and celebrate, he said. This year, we want to remember the people who died.
Military exercises to take place near Irans border with Iraqi Kurdish region in response to illegitimate referendum.

The Iranian and Iraqi armies will hold joint drills at several crossings on Irans border with the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region, according to officials.

The announcement on Saturday came amid rising tensions in the wake of a controversial secession referendum in Iraqs Kurdish region, where almost 93 percent of voters backed a split from Baghdad.

Mondays poll was strongly opposed by Iraq and its powerful neighbours Iran and Turkey amid fears it would provoke separatists among their own Kurdish population.





A joint military exercise between Irans armed forces and units from the Iraqi army will be held in the coming days along the shared border, Masoud Jazayeri, Iranian army spokesman, said on Saturday after a high-level meeting of Iranian commanders.

In the meeting, the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq and the illegitimacy of the independence referendum in northern Iraq were stressed again and necessary decisions were taken to provide security at the borders and welcome Iraqs central government forces to take position at border crossings.

Iraqi soldiers on Tuesday also took part in a Turkish military drill close to the Iraqi frontier.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has refused to hand over control of its border crossings to the Iraqi government, as demanded by Iraq, Iran and Turkey in retaliation for the referendum.

OPINION: Kurdish independence vote  A historical perspective

The Iraqi defence ministry has said it planned to take control of the borders in coordination with Tehran and Ankara, without indicating whether Iraqi forces were to move towards the external border posts controlled by the KRG from the Iranian and Turkish side.

On Friday, Iraq also imposed a ban on international flights into its Kurdish region, ordering foreign airlines to suspend travel to the airports in the cities of Erbil and Sulaimaniyah.

Tehran has been cooperating with Baghdad in building pressure on Iraqi Kurds, notably by cutting all flights to and from the region before the vote.

On Friday, it also banned the transportation of refined oil products by Iranian companies to and from Iraqi Kurdish region.
Catalan FM urges Spains government to let voters solve situation by democracy as Madrid insists no vote will happen.

Catalonias foreign affairs chief says a controversial referendum on the regions split from Spain is impossible to stop despite the central government in Madrid insisting that the vote is illegal and it will not happen.

Raul Romeva made the remarks in an interview with Al Jazeera on Friday, two days before the planned poll on October 1.

READ MORE: Catalonia independence referendum  All you need to know

He called on the Spanish government to allow Catalan voters to solve the situation by democracy and reassured that there is not a single reason to believe that there is a risk of violence on Sunday.





An excerpt of the interview follows below. Watch the video above for Romevas full discussion with Al Jazeeras Jane Dutton.

Al Jazeera: The central government is Madrid says it will not let the vote to go forward. What is your response to that?

Raul Romeva: My response is that it is impossible to stop that.

First of all, this is not an illegal act; second, this is something that is absolutely necessary in the sense that it provides a political solution to a political problem; and third, it should concern everyone why the repressive response by the state is going that far.

READ MORE: Catalan leaders vow to push forward on referendum

They are shutting down websites, arresting people, impeding and banning the people from having political debates.

They are violating fundamental rights like the freedom of expression and the freedom of press, so this is something that obviously has nothing to do with the independence of Catalonia  it really has to do with the democratic structures and principles of the Spanish states.

Al Jazeera: How can you guarantee that a vote will not turn violent?

RR: If you have followed all the demonstrations taking place in Catalonia  youll see that its in the DNA of the Catalan way to behave  always peaceful, even when you have a repressive measure taken by the police.





When they went to the printing houses, when they confiscated election material, the response of the people has always been absolutely peaceful. There is not a single reason to believe that there is a risk of violence.

The question is why somebody is trying to provoke that situation, but obviously from that perspective I have to be very clear: neither from the government, nor from the civil society, the message is to respond to those provocations. On the contrary, our response has always been that it always going to be peaceful.

Al Jazeera: If you look at polls in the lead-up to Sundays vote, about 40 percent say they will vote for independence. So, is this worth it, considering the fallout whether you win or lose?

RR: This is not about independence, I insist. Eighty percent of the Catalan population understands that given the current situation the solution passes through voting.

Part of the population wants to vote Yes and part of it wants to vote No, which means that, basically, the 80 percent is demanding to solve that situation by democracy, by voting, by listening to everybody and by respecting what the majority wants to have.
US secretary of state meets Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ongoing threat of war on the Korean Peninsula.

The US says it has open channels of communication with North Korea and is probing whether the Pyongyang government is ready to enter talks on giving up its nuclear weapons programme.

Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state, made the remarks on Saturday after an afternoon of talks with Chinas top diplomats and President Xi Jinping centred on the nuclear crisis and preparations for President Donald Trumps visit to Beijing in November.

We are probing, so stay tuned, Tillerson said.

We ask: Would you like talk?

Were not in a dark situation, a blackout; we have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang.

North Koreas nuclear weapons: Here is what we know

The US is looking to an economic squeeze of North Korea it hopes will compel the countrys retreat from nuclear arms and missile programmes.

The US sees China as critical to averting a military confrontation with North Korea, which is fast advancing towards its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the US.

When asked if China was acting as a go-between for communication with North Korea, Tillerson said the US has its own channels.

Moscow, meanwhile, is prepared to work with Pyongyang to try to find a peaceful resolution to the North Korean missile crisis, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday.

The comments came in a statement issued by the ministry after a meeting between Russian ambassador-at-large Oleg Burmistrov and Choe Son-hui, director-general of the North American department of North Koreas foreign ministry.





Choe also met Igor Morgulov, Russias deputy foreign minister,the ministry said.

The Russian side confirmed its readiness to combine efforts in the interests of finding ways to solve the problems in the region by peaceful, political and diplomatic means, it said.

China says it will strictly and fully enforce UN resolutions against North Korea and its Commerce Ministry on Thursday said North Korean firms and joint ventures in China and overseas would be shut down by January, in line with the latest UN resolution.

Einar Tangen, a political analyst and adviser to Chinas government, said theres not much more Beijing can do to curtail Pyongyangs nuclear programme.

From the Chinese perspective, they see two speeding trains on the same track going full tilt at one another. North Korea has enshrined its nuclear programme in its constitution, theres no way they are going to give up what they see as the only point of leverage, Tangen told Al Jazeera.

From the US side, a nuclear-armed North Korea capable of delivering an attack against US territory is unacceptable. So you have two groups who are not willing to budge an inch. What we need here is diplomacy, not deal-makers. It will require outside-the-box thinking by China and Russia if they want to resolve this.

Unacceptable options

Earlier this week, US Senator John McCain, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he was sceptical.

China has not done anything for the last three presidents. Im not sure that theyre going to do anything with this one, McCain told a security conference in Washington, DC.

McCain has repeatedly warned the US, which neither wants to live with a nuclear-armed North Korea nor go to war with it, may be faced with unacceptable options.

US officials have declined to discuss operational plans, but acknowledge no existing plan for a pre-emptive attack could promise to prevent a counterattack by North Korea, which has thousands of artillery pieces and rockets trained on South Koreas capital Seoul  a city of 25 million people.

HR McMaster, White House national security adviser, said on Monday even options such as a naval blockade meant to enforce sanctions carried risks of military escalation.

OPINION: Should you be worried about North Korea?

Tillerson has in the past expressed hope for dialogue with North Korea. US diplomats have also sought to assure Pyongyang that Washington is not seeking to overthrow leader Kim Jong-un, even as Trump and Kim exchange insults and threats of war.

We are not seeking regime change or collapse, Susan Thornton, a state department assistant secretary who is travelling with Tillerson, told a Senate hearing.

Thorntons remarks were welcomed in Beijing, which is calling for a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Lu Kang, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said the US had issued many positive signals that the North Korean nuclear issue should be resolved via talks.

Still, it is unclear how and when negotiations with Pyongyang might be possible.

McMaster said there was no set list of preconditions for talks but added Pyongyangs capabilities had advanced too far to simply freeze its nuclear programme in return for concessions.
Four children among the dead in overnight aerial attacks on a town in northwestern Idlib province, UK-based SOHR says.

At least 28 civilians have been killed in air attacks in the opposition stronghold of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, according to a war-monitoring group.

Four children were among the dead in the overnight air raids on the town of Amanaz, a few miles from the Turkish border, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Saturday.

An AFP news agency correspondent who toured Armanaz on Saturday said entire apartment blocks had been flattened by the bombardment.

It was not immediately clear whether the attack was carried out by Syrian government warplanes or those of its ally Russia.

According to the SOHR  which gathers its information from a network of sources inside Syria  dozens of people are still missing after the bombardment.

READ MORE: Mapping out Syrias remaining battles

Secondary air raids were carried out as a search-and-rescue operation was under way for victims, the monitor said.

Anadolu news agency reported at least 40 civilians were killed and 70 others wounded in Amanaz.





The Russian and Syrian militaries say they only target insurgents and deny killing civilians.

The surge in bombing raids has forced hospitals in the province to close, medical charity Doctors Without Borders said on Friday.

Syrian and Russian jets have intensified attacks in Idlib. The increased aerial bombardment began after rebels launched an offensive against government-held areas in the northwest of the country on September 19.

Last month, Russia, Turkey and Iran agreed to create a de-escalation zone in the province, as part of their efforts to establish a broad ceasefire in war-torn Syria.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to step up efforts to establish a safe zone in Idlib.

Syria said the Idlib deal does not cover hardline opposition groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group and Hayet Tahrir al-Sham.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the government of President Bashar al-Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to the UN.
As global demand for oil strengthens, we look at the state of the oil industry and the factors at play.

The global oil market has been in a slump for the past three years, but could it be turning a corner?

Crude prices are now up 20 percent from June lows, which means the industry is officially back in a bull market for the first time this year.

So whats behind rising oil prices?

According to the latest quarterly report from the International Energy Agency, oil demand is up 2.4 percent year on year.

On the supply side, production cuts by OPEC, Russia and other producers have also helped tackle the oil glut.

And geopolitical issues are also a factor: An independence vote in the oil-rich Iraqi Kurdish region has inflamed tensions. Turkey has threatened crippling restrictions on oil trading with Iraqi Kurds.

The oil industry is doing fundamentally well, there's an equilibrium of demand and supply. Stocks are being slowly reduced. I do not expect any dramatic changes in prices. by Professor Giacomo Luciani, Graduate Institute in Geneva

Professor Giacomo Luciani from the Graduate Institute in Geneva discusses the current state of the oil market.

The oil industry is doing fundamentally well, theres an equilibrium of demand and supply. Stocks are being slowly reduced. I do not expect any dramatic changes in prices. Prices are kept within a fairly narrow rage  which we may define as $50-80 [a barrel]. Maybe as we reach 2020, they may get to $65, but I am sceptical about any sudden change in prices, except if theres some kind of security or military threat, which would then start a speculative flare-up, explains Luciani.

According to Luciani, whats happening in the Kurdish region is certainly impacting speculative tendency towards higher prices, but whats really behind it is demand. Demand increases higher than expected, which is not surprising because prices have been low, so consumers are keen to use more oil products  While prices may be strong, well have to see what the response of supply will be  especially supply in the US for shale oil which is likely to increase rapidly.

Luciani believes that prices are heading towards $60 a barrel, but wont rise beyond that level.

At $60 per barrel, there are plenty of places especially in the US and Canada that become quite interesting, quite profitable, so supply will increase. Also, the discipline among oil-producing nations may start to erode. They may start saying theres no need to maintain production at a low level, so the tendency and temptation to increase supply will also be there. So, I dont expect prices to rise above $60 per barrel at any point in time in the next year.

Also on this episode of Counting the Cost:

The Uber effect: As legal challenges grow, can Ubers business model survive in its present form?Technology giant Uber has changed how people all over the world hail a taxi. Ubers popularity has made it an indispensable car-ride service in cities all over the world.

The $68bn company is planning an IPO next year. But in 2017, a series of scandals over its business practices and its treatment of workers has kept Uber in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Additionally, its being stripped of its licence to operate in London, one of the biggest markets for cabs in the world.

Carl Benedikt Frey from the Oxford Martin School in the UK offers his take on the impact of the virtual labour market.

Uruguay marijuana: Uruguay is the first country in the world to make it legal to grow and sell marijuana. But now, the new industry is facing a threat no one predicted, as Daniel Schweimler reports from Montevideo.

Saudi women driving: Saudi Arabia ended the kingdoms reign as the only country in the world that bans women from driving. The move is less about addressing gender inequality than an effort to modernise its economy. Women still only make up only 20 percent of the workforce. According to the World Bank, women face gender-based job restrictions in 100 economies around the world. Saudi is also planning to attract global investors when it sells off part of state-owned oil company Saudi Aramco on the stock market next year.

Electric cars: The worlds largest mining company, BHP Billiton said 2017 will be a revolutionary year for electric cars. Its predicting electric vehicles will make up around eight percent of the global car fleet by 2035.

And that electric future will be felt first in the metals market, especially copper. Fully electric vehicles require four times as much copper wiring as a petrol or diesel car.

Aviation jobs under threat: A trade dispute between the US and Canada is threatening the jobs of thousands of aircraft workers beyond North America. It involves US aviation giant Boeing and Canadas Bombardier. The US has slapped tariffs on the new Bombardier C-series plane. Boeing claims the new aircraft are being unfairly subsidised. Northern Ireland is caught up in the row, too, as Daniel Lak reports from Toronto.

Estonia technology innovation: The tiny Baltic country of Estonia already has one of the internets most recognisable brands, but how do you replicate Skypes success? In Tallinn, Rory Challands explores how Estonia, the birthplace of Skype, now wants to be a digital trailbreaker for the rest of the world.
UN Human Rights Council agrees to send investigators to examine alleged human rights violations in the war-torn country.

After weeks of intense negotiations, the UN has agreed to set up an investigation into alleged human rights violations in Yemen.

Some European countries and Canada had asked for a Commission of Inquiry (COI) in Yemen, the UNs highest level of investigation.

But a compromise with a group of Arab states including Saudi Arabia was reached, which removed the call for the COI from the adopted version resolution.

Yemeni government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been battling Houthi fighters since 2015.

How much has politics played in this UN decision? And who will hold those found guilty of war crimes to account?

Presenter: Hazem Sika

Guests:

Hakim Masmari  editor-in-chief, Yemen Post

Sami Hamdi  editor, International Interest

Rocco Blume  Conflict and Humanitarian policy adviser, War Child
As Catalans head to the polls, what does independence mean for both sides? Plus, Mexicos diverse community radio.

On The Listening Post this week: As Catalonia pushes for independence, we look at how the story is being told in Madrid and Barcelona. Plus, diverse voices on Mexicos community radio.

Catalonia referendum: One country, two stories

As Catalans go to the polls in an unofficial referendum on independence this weekend, Spains media landscape approaches peak polarisation. Much of the coverage of the referendum by Spanish and Catalan media has looked like one part journalism and one part propaganda.

On the one hand, much of the national, Madrid-based media  notably Spains public broadcaster TVE, stand accused of denying pro-independence voices a fair hearing. On the other, critics charge Catalan outlets like the widely watched TV3 with indoctrinating Catalans rather than informing them.

Meanwhile, Catalonias pro-independence President Carles Puigdemont, himself a former journalist, has been busy courting international media in an attempt to bend the global narrative towards the independence agenda.

Contributors:

Eric Hernandez, director, El Periodico

Vicente Sanchis, director, TV3

Arcadi Espada, columnist, El Mundo

Ana Fernandez Viso, associate lecturer in media systems at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and at Blanquerna-Ramon Llull University

On our radar:

An investigation is under way in Turkey after two exiled Syrian activists, who opposed the Assad regime, were found murdered in Istanbul.

In India, the revelation of a meeting between the owner of the Hindustan Times and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ignited speculation about the reasons for the departure of the papers editor.

The government of Cameroons crackdown on journalists in its English-speaking region continues, with dozens of reporters suspended and others targeted under anti-terror laws.

Community Radio in Mexico

In a country as geographically and culturally diverse as Mexico, community radio stations provide local news and views that mainstream outlets do not.

Sometimes they counter official narratives that are part of a larger political and media agenda, bringing them into conflict with the authorities and, more perilously, drug gangs.

Now, a new law is offering community radio stations a small piece of the federal governments advertising budget  but could it be a double-edged sword? Some worry that the funding could also threaten stations much-valued independence.

The Listening Posts Will Yong explores the world of Mexican community radio, what it means to audiences and what the future holds.

Contributors:

Socrates Vasquez, member, Radio Jenpoj

Elfego Riveros, legal representative, Radio Teocelo

Veronica Galicia, founding member, Radio La Voladora

Aleida Calleja, advocacy coordinator, OBSERVACOM
In an interview with Al Jazeera, the president of Catalonia discusses a looming referendum to break away from Spain.

The wish of Catalans to vote in a banned referendum on breaking away from Spain is unstoppable, Carles Puigdemont, the regions president, has told Al Jazeera, even as Spanish authorities step up efforts to stop the poll from happening.

The central government in Madrid has mobilised thousands of police to the northeastern region to stop the referendum, while the countrys Constitutional Court suspended the vote after authorities challenged its legality.

Speaking to Al Jazeeras John Hendren on the eve of the poll, Puigdemont said: referendums are not carried out by the courts or the police.





Its voters who make up a referendum, he added. The wish to vote is unstoppable. You cannot put a brake on it.

If it takes place, Sundays vote will be the regions second referendum on independence in three years. The previous ballot, a non-binding vote in November 2014, returned an 80 percent result in favour of an independent Catalan state. However, less than half of the 5.4 million eligible voters participated.

Puigdemonts interview, edited for clarity and brevity, can be read below.

Al Jazeera: In 2014s non-binding referendum, you had 2.4 million people voting. Now, the Spanish government wants to dramatically minimise that and delegitimise the whole process. So, technically, how can the vote take place?

Carles Puigdemont: Spain never authorised any referendum or any consultation, even on a non-binding nature.

But one important thing has happened in the past few days. There is a new wide-ranging majority in Catalonia which has grown and wants to vote  be it Yes or No  and this is unstoppable.

READ MORE: Catalonia independence referendum  All you need to know

Referendums are not carried out by the courts or the police  its voters who make up a referendum. The wish to vote is unstoppable, you cannot put a brake on it.

Today the debate is not between Yes or No, its above all between those who wish to create a new, modern state right from the grassroots or to continue with an authoritarian state which can cut back on our freedom and liberties, and compel us to continue forming part of this state.

Al Jazeera: There is really no campaign in favour of No, so how do you ensure that there are objective people at the polls? And since you had to reprint the ballot papers many times, after the Spanish government has confiscated over 10 million of them, how do you ensure that they are legitimate?

Puigdemont: You have the registered census  people who are in the census will be able to vote, and people who are not in the census will not be able to vote.





People will not be able to vote twice over. There will be an electoral panel, which will be checking each voter individually. We should do things democratically via politics, not using the police or the courts.

Al Jazeera: With this cat-and-mouse game, in which police are shutting down polling stations, is there a secret plan for how to carry this out?

Puigdemont: We dont know what the plans of the state are to stop the referendum. Theyve kept them under wraps.

So, we have no obligation to publicise how we are going to organise the referendum, the logistics  and there has been, as you have rightly said, a cat-and-mouse game.

Al Jazeera: Describe what an independent Catalonia would look like.



Puigdemont: We are committed to the great challenges of humanity: fighting terrorism, fighting climate change, fighting cyberattacks.

Al Jazeera: On the front lines of this quiet revolution are children, young people out in the streets, people who have gone to Catalan schools and are now occupying schools to keep them open as voting places. At the same time, there are thousands of police in the street and there is the potential for violence. If it gets ugly, what will you tell them?

Puigdemont: Firstly, it is inconceivable that a peaceful people that expresses itself peacefully could be repressed with violent means.

For the last six years, we have organised demonstrations which have brought together millions of people with zero incidents of violence. We can mobilise large masses. Now that we have 10 times more police, should we be scared of violence? Its rather suspicious.





The question should be, Is anyone interested in generating a climate of violence in Catalonia to attack the reputation of a movement which has earned its credibility the hard way by the way it expresses its opinion peacefully?

There is no violence. So, if someone does have this temptation, theyll be doing themselves no favour, and theyll be doing European democracy no favour.

Its a peaceful, civic, cross-cutting movement, with young people, old people, people from rural backgrounds, people from metropolitan backgrounds, people of different levels of education, people who are wealthy and people who are not wealthy.

We do not have to show that we are a peaceful people who know how to think properly  we have proved that.

Al Jazeera: If you succeed, youll have to decide what relationships the nation of Catalonia has. In the European Union, any country can withhold its support for a new country entering. Spain would almost certainly do that. Dont you run the risk of doing a Catalonian Brexit in putting more borders between you and Europe rather than fewer?

Puigdemont: No, that is impossible. Firstly, we are already European citizens. There are 7.5 million Catalans who have European citizenship and we shall not lose it. To date, I have never requested recognition from any European state because Ive never known the result of the referendum.

After the referendum, we shall move forward on that. We are pretty confident about the future of Catalonia within the European Union. It is a yes-yes situation.

Al Jazeera: How do you evaluate the reaction of the Spanish and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy?

Puigdemont: It is no surprise, but we are very disappointed. Maybe you have seen images of Spanish people in various points of Spain where police convoys are leaving for Catalonia saying, Go and get them.

Those images define or reflect the policy of the Rajoy government. They have no interest in making us feel comfortable and happy within Spain.

The Spanish government has almost acted like an arsonist. It has been putting wood on the fire. It has been acting totally irresponsibly.





And it is a lack of Spanish patriotism  a genuine Spanish patriot would want everything in its country to go smoothly, for everyone to feel happy within the state.

Al Jazeera: If you dont succeed, you face some pretty serious consequences with the Spanish government. They have accused the organisers of this referendum of crimes, including sedition, which comes with a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Are you willing to face that?

Puigdemont: We accept full responsibility, but it would be very, very irresponsible for the response to a political aspiration to be a prison sentence.

I am no delinquent. Im no criminal. I am not responsible for sedition. You dont normally get coup detats with ballot papers instead of guns.

I accept my responsibilities, but let me tell you it would be a very severe mistake and they would have to live with the consequences. It would be a definite blow.
Since the start of Europes migrant crisis, Hungary has regularly been criticised over its controversial and tough immigration policies.

In September, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) rejected complaints filed by Slovakia and Hungary against a mandatory quota to accept asylum seekers, established as part of efforts to resettle arriving refugees more equally across the EU.

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.

The security situation has never been that bad in Europe than currently in modern history and the threat of terror has never been that serious as it is currently, and this is a direct consequence of the fact that 1.5 illegal migrants were allowed to come to Europe without any kind of control, regulation or check... by Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's foreign minister

Budapest condemned the court ruling as appalling and irresponsible, saying the EU will pay for its security fence with Serbia. Hungarys foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, reportedly said: This decision jeopardises the security and future of all of Europe. Politics has raped European law and values.

So is Hungary willing to play by the EUs rules? And with increasing criticism of the countrys immigration policies and concerning freedom of speech, does Hungary really share the EUs values?

I think [the criticism] its extremely unfair because theres an issue where we dont agree  definitely. We think illegal migration is a security threat to Europe. Others say that illegal migration is acceptable. We dont think its acceptable. But that should not give the reason to anyone to question whether Hungary respects European values or not because we have been members of the European Union  We share the European regulations, and we share the European values, of course, Peter Szijjarto, Hungarys foreign minister, tells Al Jazeera.

Responding to criticism that his country isnt living up to its treaty obligations of accepting more refugees, Szijjarto tells Al Jazeera:

Hungary has always fulfilled all the obligations we have on an international level. When the migrants came to Hungary, we have offered them the supply and treatment which is written in the international contracts and regulations. But those people were not ready to go to refugee camps, those people occupied public areas, those people blocked the highways, those people occupied the railway stations  They refused to cooperate with the local authorities, they refused to go to the refugee camps, and they have violated very important European regulations 

Hungarys foreign minister calls illegal migration a bad phenomenon and believes the migrant issue is to blame for the security threat facing Europe.

The security situation has never been that bad in Europe than currently in modern history and the threat of terror has never been that serious as it is currently, and this is a direct consequence of the fact that 1.5 illegal migrants were allowed to come to Europe without any kind of control, regulation or check. And with this, I dont say that those 1.5 million are terrorists  of course, I dont say that  but I say such a big, illegal massive influx of people gave the opportunity for terrorist organisations to send their fighters, their terrorists to come to Europe.

Our position is that we should not encourage more people to take the life hazard, life risk to come to Europe, but we should help them to stay as close to their homes as possible. Thats why our initiative has always been to give more financial aid to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, the Kurdish region of Iraq because these entities have been taking care of many refugees, Szijjarto says.

Despite disagreements and controversy, Szijjarto says Hungary is committed to staying in the EU: We have been members of the European Union and we will be members of the European Union  thats not a question, no one raises this question.
Dr Marc Lamont Hill is an award-winning journalist and author and is the Steve Charles Professor of Media, Cities, and Solutions at Temple University. Hill is known for his work addressing the intersections of race, justice, politics and culture. His latest best-selling book is We Still Here: Pandemics, Policing, Protest and Possibility which follows on the success of Nobody: Casualties of Americas War on the Vulnerable from Flint to Ferguson. Hill has received numerous prestigious awards from the US National Association of Black Journalists, GLAAD, and the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.










English News China to become high-income country: Peoples Daily

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 30 Septembre 2017



In 2016, the GDP per capita of China reached $8,000, a figure much higher than the threshold value of medium-high income countries. But there is still a gap between China and high-income countries.

(People's Daily Online) China will avoid the middle income trap and become a high-income country, said an article published by Peoples Daily on Sept. 17.



The blue tone that China could get caught in the middle income trap has been speculated since the countrys economic growth slowed in 2012.



In 2016, the GDP per capita of China reached $8,000, a figure much higher than the threshold value of medium-high income countries. But there is still a gap between China and high-income countries.



Now the country is at a key stage to proceed into high-income territory, and recognizing the essence of the middle income trap and the prospect of the Chinese economy is of great significance, the article noted.



The concept of the middle income trap was first put forward by the World Bank in 2006. It said that middle-income countries tend to have slower economic growth than both poorer and richer economies.

However, the concept is more of a statistical phenomenon than a reality, as it is mainly caused by increasing labor costs and insufficient innovation when an economy becomes a middle-income country.



Only 13 out of the 101 middle income countries and regions have become high-income economies from 1960 to 2008. That is a major part of the argument that says China will be caught in the trap too.



However, such statistics are not convincing, because not all of the middle-income economies failed to evolve into high-income countries.



China has not only kept a leading economic growth, but also maintained the health and stability of its economy. It is obviously at an opposite pole of the stalled development described by the middle income trap.



Cross-country comparison and econometrics show that a 4% growth is enough for China to evolve into a high-economy country, and Chinas growth is way above that mark.



China has kept its growth between 6.7% and 6.9% for eight quarters. Researchers believe that the country is able to maintain its growth rate above 6% for the next decade.



According to international comparative studies, a stable government, market-oriented economic policies, high-quality human capital, openness, and social stability are the essential conditions for a middle-income country to evolve into a high-income one. China possesses all of them.



There is no doubt that China will eventually become a high-income country, and when should be the topic that deserves all of the attention.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > Nansha: linking Hong Kong and Macao, a new gateway for China's high-level opening up China issues 145 million digital driver's licenses China accelerates green, low-carbon development Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)










English News Xis book on governance receives international extolling

Alwihda Info | Par peoplesdaily - 1 Octobre 2017



The book has also gained applause from ordinary readers. On the popular website amazon.com, users gave the book a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, with many readers submitting positive reviews.

(People's Daily Online) A book on Chinas governance written by Chinese President Xi Jinping has been hailed by international leaders and readers, with a total circulation of over 6.42 million copies in 22 languages worldwide.

The book, which is the most influential book written by a Chinese leader in the 40 years of Chinas publication history, is titled Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. Made up of 79 chapters of speeches and notes made by Xi from his elections as General Secretary of the CPC China Central Committee in 2012 to June 2014, the work has provided foreign readers a new way to understand Chinese state governance, opening them up to Chinas top leaders political ideas.

The book has been praised by many foreign leaders since its publication. During the release ceremony of the books Thai version in April, Thai Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-Cha had asked his cabinet to read the book, while Marta Martrai, deputy speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, said in April that the book might help those who try to find the secret of the Chinese miracle get the answer.

The book has also gained applause from ordinary readers. On the popular website amazon.com, users gave the book a rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, with many readers submitting positive reviews.

If you would like to know how China has so rapidly advanced since the disastrous Cultural Revolution, read this book. In the same way that China has learned much from us, we would do well to learn a bit from China, wrote a reader named Michael J Carr.

According to Xinhua, a dozen of the existing 22 language editions were released at the request of foreign countries. By the end of 2018, another 13 language versions are expected to added to the series.



Dans la meme rubrique : < > Nansha: linking Hong Kong and Macao, a new gateway for China's high-level opening up China issues 145 million digital driver's licenses China accelerates green, low-carbon development Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
Courtesy Montana Brown(ATLANTA) -- This week, Montana Brown started working as a staff nurse in Atlanta, Georgia.



It was a dream finally realized for the 24-year-old, two-time childhood cancer survivor from Atlanta.



Brown is not just any new nurse at the AFLAC Cancer Center though, she's also a former patient there.



When she was 2 years old, Brown was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of childhood cancer of the connective tissue. She underwent chemotherapy for a year at the AFLAC Cancer Center. All the while, she said, her parents tried to help her have a normal life, watching movies while she was in the hospital.



By the time, Brown reached high school, she had been active in competitive gymnastics and competitive cheerleading for years. Then the family got some shocking news at the end of Brown's freshman year: The 15-year-old had cancer again.



"I had just tried out for my high school cheerleading team," she said. "I actually ran a mile while I had cancer and had no idea. ... There weren't symptoms but my mom and dad could tell that something was different about me and they knew that something was a little off."



She went to the hospital every week, she said. Brown underwent chemotherapy again and radiation. She also learned from doctors that she'd have to stop gymnastics and cheerleading.



"The nurses here, as great as they were when I was 2 -- from what my mom says -- they were extremely loving and caring and compassionate. And, just the love they showed me and my family in our time of need just really helped me," she said. "It helped me want to become as kind and as caring and as compassionate as they were for me."



Brown said it was those encounters she had as a toddler and then years later as a high school student that pushed her to decide nursing was her calling.



"[In nursing school,] I would always say, 'I'm only going to nursing school to do pediatric oncology, like I don't want to do anything else. I don't want to work anywhere else. I'm going to school strictly to do pediatric oncology.' And so it's kind of crazy how full circle it's come so far."



Now, Brown said, she hopes to be a source of hope and inspiration for children battling cancer at the AFLAC Cancer Center.



"I really wanted to be that person where when I said, 'Hey, I totally understand. This is where I was. This is where I am now.' That me and my patients would form a bond," she said. "I'm not walking through the doors as a patient anymore. I am walking through as a staff member."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
During his first address to the UN General Assembly in September, President Donald Trump offered a perspective on the people and the regime of Iran that starkly differed from that of his predecessors. He accurately attested that The entire world understands that the good people of Iran want to change. He described the Iran nuclear deal as an embarrassment, called off the Iranian regime for its export of violence, bloodshed, and chaos, and underlined that Irans people are what their leaders fear most.

These remarks from the president of the United States are a positive signal after three decades of failed appeasement toward the mullahs ruling Iran. And the testament to the fact are the reactions of Iranian officials, which betray their fear and consternation.

In a meeting with the Assembly of Experts, Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Iranian regime called Trumps speech foolish, extremely ugly and hideous and gangster and cowboy language fraught with sheer lies.

Mr. Trump said the wrong things in the wrong place to the wrong people, Rouhani said to the state television.

The question that remains is whether President Trumps remarks at the UNGA were simply a reaction to the failure of the appeasement policy, or was it the result of the natural course of events and the geopolitical dynamics governing the Middle East? Has the explosion in connectivity and social media services been effective in conveying the message of the Iranian people, who want the world to know about their desire for freedom and human rights?

Without a doubt, all of these parameters have been effective. But what are the real foundations of Washingtons new approach to the desires of the Iranian people for regime change?

Uprisings

The first factor that challenges the power of the ruling regime is the looming threat of uprisings. From an economic and social perspective, there has always been a potential for nationwide uprisings in Iran.

The first big occurrence of widespread protests was in 1981 when more than 500,000 people took to the streets of Tehran and demanded the overthrow of the theocratic regime. The protest was brutally suppressed and ruthless executions of protestors and dissidents ensued.

In the summer of 1988 alone, 30,000 political prisoners, mostly members of the opposition group Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), were executed in the span of a few months and were buried in secret graves.

In 1999 and 2009, uprisings erupted again. While the regime smothered both instances with a brutal crackdown, yet the potential for another uprising remains, and the ashes wait to be stirred once again.

Presently, sporadic protests are slowly building up across the country and gaining momentum. An example is the staged protests against the Arman and Caspian foundations, two financial organizations run by the Revolutionary Guards, which have been plundering the peoples wealth at an unprecedented scale. Following the start of Rouhanis second term as president, social dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs has increased.

Infighting

The second factor that is weakening the regime is the ongoing power struggle between the Supreme Leader and other factions within the regime. So long as the countrys constitution is based on the guardianship of the jurist, every key decision will be made by the Supreme Leader. The Supreme Leader is also the commander in chief, which leaves the president with no substantial power.

This religious dictatorship is founded on fundamentalist interpretations of Islam and sees its survival as bound to domestic suppression and foreign terrorism. However, the mullahs crimes in the past four decades have intensified the hatred of the Iranian people toward them.

Earlier this year, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation revisited the mass execution of 30,000 Iranian political prisoners in 1988 in her report to the Secretary-General. Moreover, activists and international human rights organizations have called for an independent investigation into this crime against humanity, placing the Iranian regime in another political and social dead end.

A War of Attrition in the Middle East

The Iranian regime is stuck in three long regional wars, involving Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. Some analysts and politicians perceive the Iranian regimes meddling in these three countries as a sign of power and stability. However, contrary to what Khamenei and other regime officials have insisted on time and again, if they abandon their intervention in the countries of the Middle East, theyll be fighting their wars in the streets of Tehran. Therefore, the sole purpose of the Iranian regimes regional forays is to avoid its collapse. The regimes nuclear and ballistic missile project is for the same purpose.

The Coalition of Arab Countries and U.S. Against Irans Regional Ambitions

The coalition of Arab countries and the U.S., the imposition of further sanctions against the Iranian regimes regional meddling, and the end of the golden era of the Obama administration have faced the regime of Tehran with further challenges. Officials in the new U.S. administration rightly insist that the real threat of Iran comes not only from its nuclear ambitions but also from its ballistic missile program, its chaos mongering in the region and its human rights abuses. The only durable solution to those collective threats is regime change in Iran.

The Existence of a Reliable Alternative to Replace the Regime in Iran

What makes the replacement of a tyrannical regime viable is the presence of a recognized alternative that has a distinct political, social and economic platform for the future, which enjoys the support of the international community. The existence of such a resistance and its international recognition is one of the main parameters that will pave the way for uprisings against the ruling dictatorship.

Iran currently has a democratic alternative, led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, a Muslim woman who opposes fundamentalism and bases her faith on tolerance. Mrs. Rajavis ten-point plan has been praised and acknowledged by many political personalities, jurists, parliamentarians, and human rights activists across the world.

Three decades of appeasement toward Tehran has not moderated the behavior of the Iranian regime -- it has made it worse. However, the foundations for change in Iran exist. What makes regime change in Iran unique is the fact that it requires no foreign intervention. The people of Iran and their organized resistance have the potential to bring about change from Inside Iran.
The State Department announced that U.S. embassy personnel would leave Cuba as a response to the recent sonic attacks. This was predictable and putting the safety of U.S. diplomats first. However, it is the second step, the travel warning, that will have a direct impact on Cuba.

This is from CNN:

The US State Department is pulling out all families of employees and nonessential personnel from Cuba, after a string of mysterious attacks against US diplomats. Several US officials tell CNN that 21 US diplomats and family members became ill after apparent sonic attacks. The American embassy will continue to operate with a 60% reduction in staff. The officials said the US will stop issuing visas in Cuba effective immediately because of the staff reductions and the decision is not described as a retaliatory measure. Officials say there will still be consular officials in the embassy available to assist US citizens in Cuba. The State Department is also issuing a travel warning, urging Americans not to travel to Cuba because they could also be at risk as some of the attacks against diplomats have taken place at hotels where Americans stay, a senior State Department official told reporters Friday.

Over the last few years, the U.S. State Department has issued travel warnings to Mexico, and it clearly hurt business in the resorts.

Cuba now faces two huge problems:

1) Hurricane Irma devastated many of the resorts used to bring in Europeans and American tourists.

2) A reduction of U.S. travelers to the island will mean fewer dollars at a time when the Castro regime needs every dollar it can gets its hands on.

According to news reports, U.S. tourism in Cuba was over $1 billion in 2016. Clearly, these dollars have helped the Castro regime to offset the dwindling support from Venezuela and the failure to create new sources of hard currency. A travel warning puts some of those dollars at risk.

How does Cuba recover from Irma and a U.S. travel warning? It may not. I'm sure that Raul Castro can't wait for retirement so he can leave this grand mess to the next guy not named Castro.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Was former HHS Secretary Tom Price seduced into hypocrisy? How does one explain the downfall of a spending critic?

Price's resignation is dealing a significant blow to the efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, which is still a priority, if a delayed one, for the Trump Reform Agenda. Price is an expert on medical care, an M.D. himself, whose insight and efforts could have been a major contribution to future legislative proposals.

The damage extends to his fellow Cabinet secretaries, who will be highly constrained in the use of time-saving jets and less able to travel around than their predecessors in the Obama administration. Trump-haters have won bigly, as many of the top executives of his administration are denied what virtually every large company in the United States considers vital tool: private jets. Officials involved in national security are allowed use of jets for obvious reasons. But now it will take permission from White House chief of staff Kelly for the other Cabinet secretaries to use private jets.

Of course, the buck stops with Price on his boneheaded decision to use a chartered jet to fly from Dulles Airport to Philadelphia. That one trip was critical in building a public case against him. He undid himself and became too much of a liability for the Trump administration.

Unquestionably, Price bears the responsibility. A crusader against government wasteful spending, he should have known better. But I am fascinated by the question of why he didn't know better.

There are two general lines of explanation for this abandonment of his former principles.

The first and most obvious line of reasoning is the old seduction trap that has undone so many crusaders of various sorts. Once in a position to gratify the urges that were denounced so vigorously, the self-righteous critic turns out to be a hypocrite. When the opportunity for livin' large presented itself, he could not resist. This is a familiar and irresistible drama, and it is the version that would have been hammered by the media had Price remained in office. President Trump gets it when it comes to politics as reality TV.

But there is a second possible explanation: that when Price's travel plans were put together, the charter option appeared to be reasonable when presented to him by the professional staff that had been in place for decades. Am I paranoid if I wonder if some of the bureaucrats at HHS would present precedents for such use of jets? And later someone would leak this? Do you think the Deep State has a branch at HHS?

What if, for example, when a schedule was presented to Price that featured the IAD-PHL jet charter, Price asked questions about whether or not this was really necessary? That is what I would expect from a deficit hawk. I expect that he could have been presented with arguments that this is standard operating procedure. After all, when it was revealed that Loretta Lynch used a private jet to fly to Phoenix  a route flown by commercial airlines[1]  I don't remember a single person screaming about the abuse of taxpayers by such flights.

In addition, the cost of one Acela ticket is not the relevant comparison to the cost of a charter flight.

Yes, Acela is relatively cheap and fast, but figure in the costs and potential disruption from the entourage of a Cabinet secretary being kept secure and accommodated at very busy Amtrak stations in D.C. and Philly. How much extra planning and personnel costs would be generated by this alternative? On the train itself, I would think an entire car would need to be taken. Local police liaisons and extra police manpower would be needed at busy, congested urban railway stations.

Was that even possible in the time horizon for the trip? Protecting an entourage at the private jet terminal of an airport is much easier and cheaper.

Price was suddenly thrust into an executive position in charge of a trillion-dollar budget in which the cost of a jet charter isn't even a rounding error. Facing a demanding schedule, he could have forgotten his old passion for an abstemious style of governing and blinded himself to the P.R. disaster he was constructing. He could have rationalized it.

In reality, it is quite likely that a bit of each alternative was mixed together in producing the behavior that led to the downfall of Tom Price. Tom Price was seduced into a bureaucratic rationale for the behavior he had repeatedly criticized.

The lesson is clear for the rest of the Cabinet. They are living out symbolic as well as substantive roles. Anything that can be made to look bad about their behavior will be leaked and made to look bad in the media.
The president's tax plan was released this week, to the usual weeping and gnashing of teeth by Democrats.

Socialist Bernie Sanders called it "morally repugnant."

Senator Bob Casey (D) tweeted, "Cutting taxes for the super-rich won't create jobs or grow incomes for middle class families."

Nancy Pelosi (D) tweeted, "The GOP Tax Plan isn't tax reform. It's a ploy to give the rich massive tax cuts - & make families foot the bill."

Dianne Feinstein tweeted, "The Republican Tax Plan is nothing but a tax cut for the rich! It's another backroom GOP proposal, with no input from Democrats or the public, that will leave working Americans worse off in order to benefit the rich. A real nonstarter."

Feinstein also stated, "I don't believe California should suffer in order for President Trump to give tax cuts to the rich[.]"

"California's suffering" is in reference to the elimination of the state and local tax deduction, or SALT, currently allowed on federal tax filings. This is a provision that allows one to deduct his state and local tax payments on his federal filing.

This provision admittedly is a hard sell for California and other high tax-state Republicans (New York, New Jersey, etc.), as it would cost residents of these states more in federal taxes.

While it is common to view these matters from a self-interested perspective, why should a high tax-state Republican support paying more money to the federal government?

Our state has high taxes in part because this provision has for so long existed. We don't complain (as much) when taxes are raised, as we figure we can write off this payment against our federal filings. How much more downward pressure on new taxes can Republican residents apply in their Democrat-majority legislatures, if and when this deduction is eliminated as part of the tax reform package? In California, I can attest, there is seemingly nothing that has kept our Democrat super-majority from demanding, as Billy Idol so eloquently stated, more, more, more.

If you are a limited-government conservative, understand that this deduction is a subsidy, paid to you, as the federal government plunders other state residents to pay the shortfall. Government has nothing that it doesn't conscript from another person.

On the whole, the president's tax reform plan is a net positive, as it seeks to help the middle class, spur economic activity, and produce much anticipated good-paying jobs. While this provision may appear to sting California residents, it will most assuredly shine a light on the tax-and-spend liberals in Sacramento. The sting is not the elimination of the deduction, but the high tax rate you pay for the privilege of writing it off on your federal filing.
Crisscrossing the highland plains in western Bolivia is a network of thousands of near perfectly straight lines etched into the ground. These lines do not make any figures or shapes, but they go on remarkably straight for tens of kilometers. Whoever created them worked extremely precisely, which was not easy task in this hilly terrain with rocks, shrubs and other natural obstacles.

Named after the nearby volcano, the Sajama Lines lie under the shadow of Bolivias tallest peak. From the ground, the lines are practically invisible and easy to overlook. Its only from the air that one can recognize the incomprehensible extent of what maybe the worlds largest prehistoric artwork.

Digitally enhanced satellite image of the Sajama Lines.

The Sajama Lines average between one and three meters wide, and run from a few meters to several kilometers. The longest of them are about twenty kilometers in length. They were created by scrapping away the dark oxidized surface rocks to expose the lighter soil beneath. Often, the lines radiate from a common area, usually somewhat elevated, allowing the lines to be seen more easily. Researchers think that these radial centers could be sites of ancient shrines, burial towers or even towns. One theory is that the lines were used by the indigenous people as guide when they made sacred pilgrimages. Indeed, some of the modern roads connecting towns appears to have been built upon these straight lines. Though the region is now sparsely populated there is evidence that some of the lines are still in use as footpaths.

In all, the Sajama Lines cover an area of approximately 22,000 square kilometers, which is about fifteen times larger than the famous Nazca lines in southern Peru. Rough estimates put their linear length at an astonishing 16,000 kilometers. Some consider the Sajama Lines to be the largest artwork in the world.

The sheer number of lines present and the relative area they cover suggest that they have been constructed over many generations spanning hundreds and maybe even thousands of years. The arid climate of the high altiplano, with its sparse rainfall and slow-growing vegetation, has kept the lines relatively intact.

Despite being located near the more popular Nazca Lines in Peru, very little research have been devoted to the Sajama Lines. It was only in 1932, that the first brief reference to the geoglyphs was made in English by the Argentine professor, Aime Felix Tschiffely, who earned fame by riding on horseback from Argentina to New York City. That same decade, anthropologist Alfred Metraux brought the lines and associated structures to the attention of scholars through his ethnographic fieldwork about the Aymara and Chipaya people of the Carangas region.

The first scientific study of the lines were made in 2003 by the University of Pennsylvania, in association with a now-defunct organization called the Landmarks Foundation. Since then, no further studies appear to have been conducted. Aside from satellite images, there is not even a decent photograph of the lines available on the internet.

Digitally enhanced satellite image of the Sajama Lines.

Digitally enhanced satellite image of the Sajama Lines.

Digitally enhanced satellite image of the Sajama Lines.

Photo credit: University of Pennsylvania

Sources: University of Pennsylvania / Wikipedia
(ANSA) - Rome, September 29 - The Organism of Economic and Financial Review (OREF) on Friday rejected Rome city council's consolidated balance sheet. OREF said the balance sheet did not faithfully represent the financial state of the city council. The administration, led by anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) Mayor Virgina Raggi, had been aiming to get the balance sheet, including losses for transport company ATAC and the balance sheet of troubled waste company AMA, approved by tomorrow.

Rome budget councillor Gianni Lemmetti said OREF's verdict "is not binding so we are going to take the balance sheet into the council chamber". The chairwoman of OREF is under investigation in Rieti for "serious crimes such as fraudulent bankruptcy," the Rome M5S caucus leader Paolo Ferrara, said. "The suspicion that OREF is profiting from its task to do politics is legitimate," he said. "Above all because for months we have tried to build a relationship of correct institutional collaboration with the auditing organ". Other M5S members said that "if the members of OREF want to play politics then they should resign".

Raggi has come under fire for allegedly not spending enough on transport and rubbish woes, but says her hands are tied because of debts incurred by previous administrations.


BarcelonaDavid Kaye, the UNs Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, has issued a note urging the Spanish authorities to ensure that the measures adopted ahead of the referendum on October 1 do not interfere with the fundamental rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, and public participation. The statement, which has also been signed by Alfred de Zayas (an independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order), says that Spain must respect the fundamental rights in response to the Catalan referendum.

In their statement both experts mention how Spains Constitutional Court has banned the referendum on independence but they add that regardless of the lawfulness of the referendum, the Spanish authorities have a responsibility to respect those rights that are essential to democratic societies. Kay and Zayas also refer to the hundreds of thousands of Catalans who have taken to the streets in protests and rising tension with with the authorities searching print houses and seizing referendum material and they go on to mention that websites have been blocked, political meetings stopped, officials arrested and the leaders of mass protests are facing sedition charges.

According to the strongly-worded note, published on the website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the measures we are witnessing are worrying because they appear to violate fundamental individual rights, cutting off public information and the possibility of debate at a critical moment for Spains democracy. The authors emphasise that last Thursday over four thousand Spanish police officers were deployed in Catalonia with orders to act, should Catalans go ahead with the referendum.

The experts claim to be concerned that this order and the accompanying rhetoric may heighten tensions and social unrest. That is why they urge all parties to avoid violence of any kind to ensure peaceful protests in the coming days.


Masdar Institute is a part of the Khalifa University of Science and Technology.

Dr. Alejandro Rios G., Director of the SBRC, led a team of Masdar Institute researchers in harvesting the first crop of the biofuel feedstock Salicornia, which is a local salt-tolerant and oil-rich plant.

The harvesting took place at a two-hectare SEAS pilot facility in Masdar City, where seafood and sustainable biomass are being cultivated using saltwater and desert land to contribute to the UAEs sustainable food and fuel security.

Harvesting the Salicornia is the first in a series of steps before the oil collected from its seeds is ready to be refined. The steps include drying and grinding the plants, winnowing out the seeds, extracting the oil from the seeds by pressing, and finally cleansing the oil to remove any impurities.

In February 2018 the clean Salicornia oil is to be processed at the Takreer Research Center for conversion into aviation biofuel. Once the process is complete, the biofuel will be mixed at low concentration with regular jet fuel to power a flight by Etihad Airways on a Boeing aircraft.

Dr. Steve Griffiths, Interim Executive Vice President for Research, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: In achieving this key milestone, the SBRC is closer to establishing a truly sustainable model for aviation fuel production using only our local resources. The success of the SEAS pilot facility, and the collaborative research effort that has supported it, exemplifies our commitment to providing sustainable solutions to the UAEs food security and energy needs.

Peter Baumgartner, , Etihad Airways CEO, said: Alternative sustainable fuels are a key facet in ensuring the future of aviation. This milestone, leading to our first flight on a truly sustainable homegrown biofuel, is a reflection of the commitment not just of our airline and the SBRC partners but of Abu Dhabi.

Bernard Dunn, President, Boeing Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, said: This is another critical step in achieving our joint ambition of developing sustainable aviation biofuel. As Abu Dhabi takes ambitious steps in this direction, the SEAS facility is showing solid results that will help make our collective future more secure.

Dr. Mikael Berthod, Vice President, TAKREER Research, said: With this new great achievement, the SBRC demonstrates its commitment to the development of a sustainable biofuel industry in the UAE. In TAKREER, and throughout the entire ADNOC Group, we are transforming how we identify, develop and deploy technology to increase profitability and productivity. In line with this, TAKREER, from the beginning of the project, looked forward to this step as the Salicornia oil obtained from this harvest will be the feedstock that will be processed in the research center, to produce the first ever biojet fuel 100% made in UAE. With this new fundamental step, the dream to produce biofuel from the desert and the sea is now becoming a reality and will allow us to achieve the expected future jet fuel specification.

The collaborative nature of the SBRC has been key to our success and will continue to be instrumental in overcoming future challenges of scalability. With engagement across all points of the supply chain spectrum, from R&D to refinery and use, we look forward to establishing the UAEs aviation biofuel industry and promoting cleaner skies, said Dr. Rios.

The SEAS pilot facility has six aquaculture units that use seawater to raise fish and shrimp. The fish farm produces a nutrient-rich effluent, which is directed into the halophyte fields where it fertilizes the oil-rich Salicornia plants. The leftover effluent from the process is then diverted into the cultivated mangrove forests, which further purify the water and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while sheltering fish nurseries that live around their underwater roots.

Food security is a challenge for desert regions, especially as populations rise. Close to 70% of the UAEs seafood is currently imported, and SBRCs integrated system, with extensive aquaculture as a key element, will not only support the need for aviation biofuels, but also support growing food demand in a sustainable way.


He has expressed his happiness after his sister Soha Ali Khan gave birth to a baby girl with husband Kunal Kemmu.

Soha Ali Khan and Kunal Kemmu on their wedding day along with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan.

New Delhi: Saif Ali Khan, who will be next seen in the movie 'Chef', has expressed his happiness after his sister Soha Ali Khan gave birth to a baby girl with husband Kunal Kemmu.

Saif, who was in the capital for promoting his new movie, shared that this is a really happy time for them and that he is really happy for his sister and Kunal.

The actor exclusively told ANI, "It is a happy time for us. I've never been an uncle before, so I am Uncle Saif now."

On Friday morning, Kunal announced the birth of a baby girl through a social media post and even thanked everyone for their love and blessings.

He tweeted, "We are over the moon to share we have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl on this auspicious day Thank you for the love&blessing."

Throughout her pregnancy, the 'Rang De Basanti' star, who is an avid social media user, kept her fans updated about her day-to-day activities as well as her daily fashion.

It should be noted that Saif Ali Khan will be seen in Raja Krishna Menon's 'Chef' which is scheduled to release on October 6.
Yashwant Sinha calls Arun Jaitleys remark cheap; son denies pressure.

New Delhi: The bitter personal feud between former finance minister Yashwant Sinha and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley grew bigger on Friday with the 84-year-old saying that if he were a job applicant, then Mr Jaitley would not be holding the finance portfolio now.

Yashwant Sinha was responding to Mr Jaitleys comment at an event on Thursday that the former finance minister was a job applicant at 80 who has forgotten his record.

The two BJP leaders verbal duel had started with a debate on the state of the economy but turned personal with both raising questions about each others performance as finance minister.

Meanwhile, Union minister and Yashwant Sinhas son dismissed allegations that he was put under pressure to write an article challenging his fathers criticism of the NDA governments economic policies. I reject any such charge that I was asked to write the article. I wanted to write the article, Jayant Sinha said.

It is a very serious discussion about the future of the economy and it should not be seen in a personal way, he said, adding that the economy is shifting gears, and that it has slowed down a little bit so it can accelerate further.

After Mr Jaitleys job applicant barb, Yashwant Sinha accused the finance minister of making cheap remarks. So cheap is the remark that I consider it below my dignity to respond to it, he said. And yet, he did.

He (Jaitley) has completely forgotten my background. I gave up the IAS, when I had 12 years of service left, to join public life. I refused to become a minister of state in the V.P. Singh Cabinet in 1989 as I had some issues... I retired from electoral politics. I am not active in politics and am living a quiet life in my corner. So if I was looking for a post, then first of all I would not have given up all these things that I gave up, said the former finance minister.

Yashwant Sinha earlier said that Mr Jaitley delivered a well-researched speech but overlooked party veteran L.K. Advanis advice to refrain from personal attacks, whom he himself had quoted.

In an article on the economy earlier this week, Yashwant Sinha had criticised the government, mainly Mr Jaitley, for the economic mess. A day later, his son and minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha backed the governments decisions through another article. He said Mr Jaitleys criticism of his work amounted to criticism of the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who had entrusted him with key ministries.

When asked about the governments recent moves, including the constitution of the Economic Advisory Council, Yashwant Sinha said, Lets see what great pearls of wisdom they come out with. Nothing has happened so far, so I will wait for some action before I make my comments.

The former finance minister also hit out at Mr Jaitley for taking no action against black money holders, Three years ago HSBC Bank shared the names of over 700 people (holding black money abroad) with India. How many of them have been arrested? Has action been taken against them? asked Yashwant Sinha.
Mr Malhotra said this will be the first visit by an Indian president to Ethiopia after 45 years.

New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind will visit Djibouti and Ethiopia from October 3 on his maiden trip abroad as president during which a number of agreements, including one on economic cooperation, are expected to be signed.

During his four-day visit to the two African nations, the president is expected to sign agreements on institutionalisation of foreign office consultation and greater economic cooperation with Ethiopia, said Neena Malhotra, joint secretary (East and Southern Africa) in the ministry of external affairs.

Press secretary to the President Ashok Malik said Djibouti is an important Indian Ocean partner country with whom Indias bilateral trade stands at $284 million in 2016-17.

The President is looking forward to the visit. He recognises that the Africa and Indian ocean region are central to Indian foreign policy. That is why this region was chosen as his first foreign visit, Mr Malik said. Mr Malhotra said this will be the first visit by an Indian president to Ethiopia after 45 years. The last visit was by President V.V. Giri in 1972.

She said there will be a business event and an interaction with the Indian community there. India's bilateral trade with Ethiopia in 2016 was nearly $1 billion.
This is the first-ever visit by a senior minister to the China border after the recent resolution of the stand-off in the Doklam area.

Rajnath also praised the ITBP personnel saying that after interacting with them, he is sure that no power in the world can stop them from protecting India's borders. (Phtoto: ANI)

Uttarakhand: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday celebrated Dussehra with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Jyotirmath, Uttarakhand.

This is the first-ever visit by a senior minister to the China border after the recent resolution of the stand-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector.

Interacting with the ITBP jawans, the home minister said that the deadlock in Doklam was resolved through positive dialogue between India and China.

"I believe, there will come a time when we will be able to resolve border-issues completely through structural dialogue," he said.

He also praised the ITBP personnel saying that after interacting with them, he is sure that no power in the world can stop them from protecting India's borders.

Singh visited ITBPs Rimkhim post near India-China border.

He also met met jawans who donated blood at a camp in ITBP Headquarter in Jyotirmath.

(Photo: ANI)

The 90,000 personnel strong ITBP is tasked with guarding the 3,488km long Sino-India border across five states from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
The incident led to the launching of a massive sit-in and demonstration at the varsity gate on September 22.

Lucknow: A crime branch team on Friday met the girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted on the Banaras Hindu University campus, and is making the sketch of the accused. Varanasi senior superintendent of police R.K. Bharadwaj said the police team met the girl who is now with her family in Delhi and recorded her statement about the incident on September 21.

The SSP said efforts are being made to prepare the sketches of the accused who attacked her on the basis of details provided by her. Cops said the accused would be nabbed soon. This girl was sexually assaulted near Bharat Kala Bhawan on September 21 evening. The incident led to the launching of a massive sit-in and demonstration at the varsity gate on September 22.

The crime branch also issued notices to 20 members of the proctorial board, including the former chief proctor, asking them to record their statements. SP (crime) Gyanendra Prasad said the investigation into the violence had begun and they are scanning the CCTV footage. However, majority of the CCTV cameras were not functioning on the day the incident happened.

He said a cyber team had also been engaged in the case and a dozen mobile numbers that were active near the incident spot  when the alleged incident took place  had been put on surveillance. A number of students, including women, and two journalists were injured in a lathicharge by the police at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus where a protest against the alleged assault turned violent.
After being manhandled at an electronics fair, the sex robot, Samantha was left in need of major cleaning and repairs.

An AI sex doll has been left heavily soiled and in need of repairs after being repeatedly molested while on display at an electronics fair in Austria.

Samantha, the sex doll, was the star attraction at an electronics fair held in Austria this month, however the creator of the kinky creation says that she needs to be repaired on account of damage caused by "barbarians".

The $4,000 robot suffered two broken fingers and was left "heavily soiled" by the male visitors at the Arts Electronica Festival in Linz, Austria.

According to a report in the Metro, the dolls creator, Sergi Santos, from Barcelona, Spain complained, The people mounted Samanthas breasts, her legs and arms. Two fingers were broken. She was heavily soiled. People can be bad. Because they did not understand the technology and did not have to pay for it, they treated the doll like barbarians.

Santos shipped Samantha back to Barcelona for repairs and cleaning.

Despite heavy physical damage to Samantha's exterior by the sex-crazed tech fair visitors, her AI software worked perfectly.

Santos said to the Daily Star, "Samantha can endure a lot, she will pull through."

Arran Lee Squire, a British engineer who helped Santos develop Samantha told the Daily Post, "I think people have just become over-excited and treated her like a sex doll. She isnt a sex doll, she is a robot with AI."

Santos has sold 15 AI sex robots similar to Samantha at $4,000 a piece as per reports in the Daily Star.
The petition also contended that the university and the faculty of law had placed incorrect facts before the high court.

New Delhi: The Delhi high court has directed the Delhi University (DU) and its law faculty to admit an additional 301 students in its three-year LLB course this academic session.

A bench of acting chief justice Gita Mittal and justice C. Hari Shankar issued this direction on a plea by a group of students, who alleged that the varsity and its faculty of law in particular did not adhere to the high courts direction.

The high court agreed with the claim of the students that the DU and its law faculty did not place the correct position before the high court on June 28 when it directed the university to admit 2,310 students in the LLB course this year as has been done for the past nine years since 2008.

On June 28, the university and the law faculty informed the high court that only a total of 2,310 students were being admitted since the year 2008 to the LLB course offered at three law centres of the university.

The students, who appeared for the LLB entrance exam this year but could not get admission, claimed in their application that 2,611 seats, including 301 supernumerary ones for reserved category students, are made available every year in the law course.

However, this year, the supernumerary seats were included in the 2,310 seats for which admissions were carried out, the students application filed in the high court through advocate Vivek Chib contended.

The petition also contended that the university and the faculty of law had placed incorrect facts before the high court that under the past practice only 2,310 students were admitted to the law course every year.

Agreeing with the submission made on behalf of the students, the high court bench directed the university and the law faculty to admit 301 supernumerary candidates over and above the 2,310 seats.
Sisodia said he told the L-G that making guest teachers permanent was the easiest way to fill the vacancies.

New Delhi: Following lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal flagging concerns on the Delhi governments loan scheme for higher education, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday met the L-G and submitted the proposal for his approval after incorporating his concerns. Mr Sisodia said that the L-G and the AAP government are on the same page on providing loans to students for higher education and making guest teachers permanent.

Mr Sisodia said he met Mr Baijal earlier in the day during which the latter felt that the loan scheme should not be stopped. He said that the L-G wanted his suggestions to be incorporated in the scheme, but most of these had already been included. Ive submitted the files again (to the L-G) and I hope he will appr-ove, Mr Sisodia said.

Mr Baijal had earlier asked the Aam Aadmi Party government to take the Centres opinion on student loans. But this would have set the scheme back by two to three years, Mr Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, said.

On the issue of around 15,000 guest teachers in Delhi whom the AAP government plans to make permanent in service, Mr Sisodia said Mr Baijal was worried about the teaching vacancies in government schools.

Mr Sisodia said he told the L-G that making guest teachers permanent was the easiest way to fill the vacancies.

On Wednesday, the Delhi Cabinet approved a bill to make 15,000 guest teachers in government schools permanent. It will be taken up at the Delhi Assemblys special session on October 4.

The assembly on August 10 put on hold the recruitment of teachers by the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) till the criteria to give weightage to guest teachers was readied.

On Thursday, Mr Baijal asked Mr Sisodia to recommence recruitment of teachers by DSSSB, adding that teachers vacancies were affecting academics.Hiring new teachers will take two-three years and it will in turn derail the good work weve been doing in the Delhi education system, Mr Sisodia said.

Mr Sisodia said he hoped the Delhi government will get Mr Baijals support on the issue.
Reports observations have come to the fore after 22 passengers lost their lives on Elphinstone bridge due to stampede on Friday morning.

Mumbai: A 2016 report on Indian Railways by Comptroller of Auditor General (CAG) had cautioned the Centre over weak foot overbridges (FOBs) and pointed out that 6,000 deaths occur annually due to trespassing in Mumbai alone. However, the railways ministry did not act upon the report.

The reports observations have come to the fore after 22 passengers lost their lives on Elphinstone bridge due to stampede on Friday morning.

The report had sad that the size of FOBs on Mumbais suburban railway network were also not in line with prevalent global standards. One FOB of six meter width was required to be provided at all suburban stations. It was observed that FOBs of the prescribed size had not been provided at all at five stations (sic), the report read.

At a few places, the report noted, FOBs were not even built, which led to 15,000 deaths  6,000 deaths in Mumbai alone  annually due to crossing of tracks. Indian Railways in its Citizens Charter made a commitment to provide safe and dependable train services to passengers. The report 4 submitted (February 2012) to the minister of railways stated that out of the 15,000 deaths every year on the Railway system, about 6,000 deaths are on Mumbai suburban system only. Such large numbers of deaths were mainly attributed to unlawful trespassing. The report further stated that trespassing takes place mainly on account of lack of barricading, fencing, inadequate number of pedestrian overbridges and reluctance to replace pedestrian level crossings with FOBs, the report read.

The CAG also questioned the lack of basic facilities and insufficient booking counters at stations. There was a shortfall in provision of booking counters as per norms under Minimum Essential Amenities at 51 stations, it read.
To eliminate bureaucracy and delays, the minister directed General Managers of railways to spend whatever is necessary on safety.

The meeting was held at the Western Railway's headquarters at Churchgate. (Photo: ANI)

Mumbai: A day after the rush hour stampede at Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai claimed 23 lives, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday convened railways safety meeting to take stock of the ongoing infrastructural works on the suburban train network.

The meeting was held at the Western Railway's headquarters at Churchgate.

Sharing decisions taken today in a high-level meeting on Railways Safety in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/8IQ1d9iKpF  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 30, 2017

Overturning a 150-year-old convention Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that FOBs (Foot Over Bridges) will be deemed mandatory and not a passenger amenity.

To eliminate bureaucracy and delays, the minister directed General Managers of railways to spend whatever is necessary on safety.

Railways has also sanctioned more escalators at crowded Mumbai suburban stations.

The Union minister said, "Additional escalators have been sanctioned at crowded Mumbai suburban stations and thereafter for all high traffic stations."

Goyal also directed relocation of 200 officers from the headquarters as field staff to strengthen ground operations and project implementation.

The minister said that CCTV cameras will be installed in all suburban trains in Mumbai with monitoring mechanism within the next 15 months. Parallel work on installation of cameras will be carried out across India, he added.

Key decisions from High-Level Meeting on Railways Safety Held in Mumbai https://t.co/qOWPS9c6MA  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 30, 2017

To enhance safety and efficiency, 40 yards across India will be upgraded with an investment of Rs 1000 cr including 8 yards in Mumbai region, he added.

Earlier on Saturday, Goyal shared on Twitter some critical decisions taken in Friday's meeting to ensure safety of Mumbai railway passengers.

Critical decisions are being taken to ensure safety of Mumbai railway passengers. Sharing some decisions from yesterday's meeting. pic.twitter.com/zIfA4ZeUSW  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 30, 2017

Read: Mumbai: Death toll rises to 23 in stampede at Elphinstone foot overbridge

At least 23 people died and several others were injured in the stampede that took place on Friday on a narrow foot-over-bridge (FOB) that connects the Elphinstone Road on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line.
he party was summarily slammed on social media by citizens and politicians alike.

Mumbai: The Shiv Senas invitation to the masses to attend its annual Dussehra rally raked up new controversy late on Friday evening. Hours after a horrific stampede chilled Mumbaikars to the marrow  an incident that the Sena dubbed a massacre  the party sent an invitation for the gathering, which is to be held in Shivaji Park on Saturday, and appealed to its supporters to come with a fanfare. The party was summarily slammed on social media by citizens and politicians alike.

Meanwhile, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have demanded Union railway minister Piyush Goyals resignation over Fridays incident. The Shiv Sena workers also held a protest against Mr Goyal. The parties said instead of pursuing Prime Minister Narendra Modis pet bullet train project; the Centre should focus on improving the safety of passengers and amenities at stations.

The stampede at Elphinstone station has triggered anger over rail infrastructure in the city. The Shiv Sena, an alliance partner of the BJP in Centre and state, protested against the BJP on the streets. Sena workers also agitated against Mr Goyal at KEM Hospital. Mr Goyal down down, Mr Goyal resign, were the slogans raised by Sena workers.
Sources said that PML-N has also summoned a meeting on October 3 to re-elect Nawaz Sharif as the party president.

Islamabad: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is set to re-elect ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as the party chief next week under a new law that allows all citizens to form or head party, sources said.

Last week, the controversial Election Bill 2017 was passed by the Senate. The National Assembly session has been convened on October 2 to approve the bill. President Mamnoon Hussain is expected to sign the bill into law on the same day.

Sources said that PML-N has also summoned a meeting on October 3 to re-elect Nawaz Sharif as the party president.

The Election Commission of Pakistan had disqualified Mr Sharif as a member of the National Assembly following the Supreme Courts July 28 verdict on the Panama Papers scandal. The 67-year-old leader was also rendered ineligible to act as the president of PML-N party under the landmark verdict.

To pave the way for him to become the party chief, the PML-N managed to get clause 203 of the Elections Reforms Bill, 2017 passed by the Senate.

Among the new laws introduced to the bill was an amendment to Section 5 of the Political parties Order (PPO). Introduced during Pervez Musharrafs military regime, PPO Section 5 (1) says that every citizen, not being in the service of Pakistan, has the right to form or be a member of a political party or be otherwise associated with a political party or take part in political activities or be elected as an office-bearer of a political party.

But the clause currently has a proviso which reads Provided that a person shall not be appointed or serve as an office-bearer of a political party if he is not qualified to be, or is disqualified from being, elected or chosen as a member of Parliament under Article 63 of the constitutionor under any other law for the time being in force.

That clause disappeared in the Bill. When the Bill was passed in the National Assembly, it went unnoticed. It was only during voting on the Bill in the Senate that leader of the opposition Aitzaz Ahsan brought the development to the notice of the house and proposed an amendment in the relevant law passed by the National Assembly.



Mr Ahsan proposed an amendment to clause 203 (1) of the new election laws with a new proviso stating: provided that the person shall not be appointed or serve as an office-bearer of a political party if he is not qualified to be, or is disqualified from being, elected or chosen as a member of the parliament under any law for the time being in force.

Law minister Zahid Hamid opposed the amendment, which led to the chairman Mian Raza Rabbani calling a vote count. To the oppositions surprise, Mr Ahsan was outvoted by one vote, with 37 for and 38 against, despite the governments numerical weakness.
WASHINGTON  Last year, I proposed a handy rule of thumb for evaluating the economic proposals of politicians: The more growth they promise, the worse their plan probably is.

Why? Because the promise of bonkers growth usually means the politicians need that bonkers growth to paper over the ginormous deficits sure to follow  in the real world, under more realistic assumptions.

If you assume that the economy goes gangbusters and everyone gets a lot richer, then the tax base swells, spending on social-safety-net services falls, and hallelujah! That expensive thing you want no longer looks so expensive. Maybe its even free!

This rule of thumb was useful during the presidential campaign, when candidates promised that their infrastructure, health and tax proposals would pay for themselves through faster growth. Its relevant again with the Big Sixs new tax plan.

I put plan in scare-quotes here because its not really a plan. At best its an outline, offering barely more detail than the bullet points the Trump administration released in April. It doesnt even specify the thresholds for the individual income-tax rates it proposes. It also doesnt identify a single individual tax preference it would kill, despite claiming to simplify the code and close lots of loopholes. Even the state and local tax deduction, which administration officials have talked about eliminating, isnt explicitly mentioned.

The plans designers may not know what their proposal is, exactly, but they know it will turbocharge growth.

President Trump told a group of Democrats and Republicans on Tuesday that this tax framework could lead the economy to grow more than 6 percent a year, as my Washington Post colleagues reported.

To give you a sense of how ridiculous that is, the Federal Reserves median forecast for long-term growth is 1.8 percent, thanks in part to demographic challenges facing the country. (What matters is the long-term number, as growth rates can bounce around a lot quarter to quarter and over the course of the business cycle.) The Congressional Budget Office, in scoring Trumps budget this year, said it would add maybe a tenth of a percentage point to growth  bringing us to a whopping 1.9 percent.

Trumps own economic advisers have said they think the sum total of all his tax and regulatory policies would get us to only 3 percent growth, a number that has been mocked by more or less the entire economics community.

National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn is one of the administration officials who has been using that 3 percent benchmark, which he repeated on CNBC on Thursday while declaring that perhaps we might get even substantially over 3 percent.

We think we can pay for the entire tax cut through growth over the cycle, he explained.

Uh-huh.

A Tax Policy Center estimate of the fuzzy April framework found that it would lower revenue between $3.5 trillion and $7.8 trillion over a decade, depending on which loopholes you assume get closed. Its numbers dont change much after accounting for economic growth effects.

A separate estimate of the more recent framework, released by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, put the cost at about $2.2 trillion.

Whatever the actual number is, we know its in the trillions. No realistic amount of growth is going to wipe that out.

In light of all these grand growth projections, I propose a corollary to my earlier rule.

Here it is: If you promise that your policy will pay for itself through faster economic growth, you must commit  in advance  to cutting the programs you love most if that growth doesnt materialize.

For Republicans, that means writing language into their tax bill lopping trillions off defense spending. Hey, if they truly believe their plan wont cost a dime, surely theres no risk to our national security.

Otherwise, the yawning deficits that would inevitably result from the Trump plan may turn into an excuse to decimate programs Republicans are already eyeing, such as Medicaid and food stamps.

Kansas provides a cautionary tale here. The state passed sweeping tax cuts in 2012 on promises that they would unleash boundless economic growth. Instead, the state had below-average growth and huge budget shortfalls, which led to brutal cuts to services. School districts had to end the school year early.

Eventually, after coming to terms with the failure of their supply-side experiment, the state partially reversed its disastrous tax cuts.

Which may be where the country ends up in a few years, if this Trump tax framework passes. But as Kansas proves, a lot of damage  including, in the federal case, bigger debt  can be done in the meantime.
by Xin Yage

Cardinals Turkson, Prefect of Vatican Dicastery for Integral Human Development, and Card. Bo of Yangon present. The mission of doctors and healthcare professionals to accompany the patient, judged "useless" by contemporary culture. The appreciation of Vice-President Chen Chien-jen.

Taipei (AsiaNews) - The new hospital of the Catholic University Fu Jen was inaugurated yesterday. The morning began with the Eucharistic celebration presided by the archbishop of Kaohsiung Peter Liu Cheng-chung (  ) and with the homily of Card. Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson (   ), Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Integral Human Development.

Card. Charles Maung Bo (   ) of Yangon (Myanmar) and the Vice-President of Taiwan, the Catholic Chen Chien-jen (  ) also attended. The work for the new hospital began in 2011, with the blessing of the first stone by the late Card. Paul Shan.

Card. Turksons messgae was linked to the feast of the day, the holy archangels Raphael (Gods physician'), Gabriel ('God's strength') and Michele ('who is like God?'). He emphasized the mission of doctors and healthcare providers, to accompany patients, who are often judged "useless" by contemporary culture.

At the end of the celebration, Vice-President Chen, thanking everyone who made it possible for the new hospital to be built, recalled the cardinal's words, emphasizing the importance for human dignity.

Mayor Eric Chu (   ), who oversees New Taipei ( ), which covers the entire metropolitan area around the city of Taipei, where the Catholic University Fu Jen is located, said that with this hospital, in addition to precious and advanced medical research, it will also offer a great service to serve the surrounding areas of Xinzhuang (  ) and Taishan ( ).

The University's president is Vincent Han-Sun Chiang (  ). He is known as an excellent physician, pianist and fundraiser, and above all as an authority in the field of neurology. Together with the new vice-general manager Wang Shui Shen (    ) former director of the National Cardiology Department of the National University of Taiwan (NTUH,  ), he has built an exceptional medical team to provide one of the best health services.

Vincent Han-Sun Chiang explained that the present number of students and institutional courses at Fu Jen's Faculty of Medicine outgrow those of the National University, with which there is still a strong collaboration. "We want to continue working - he added - to become Taiwan's best medical research center."

On the sidelines of the ceremony he then recounted: "My father, he was also a Urologist, served a long time in the National University of Taiwan hospital and taught me the value of excellence and medical mission. We want to work to provide health and dignity not only to the Taiwanese, but for the whole advancement of human kind in the medical field."

Vice President Chen Chien-jen is also a medical expert: he is a renowned epidemiologist ( ), famous for discovering the causes of "blackfoot disease" related to the level of arsenic present in water sources. He said he was satisfied and proud of the service that this new institution will offer in collaboration with all related universities in Asia and the whole world.

After the ceremony, Card. Turkson traveled to the south of the island in Kaohsiung for the 24th World Apostleship of the Sea Congress ( 24     ), to be held next week from 1st to 7th October.
The Pleasantville Diner has many of the visual traits often linked with diner-style restaurants  countertop seating, cushioned booths, lots of chrome  but its menu selection exceeds by a long shot the limited choices many may remember from their past diner travels.

Anyone who associates the average diner as a place where patrons can order a multitude of breakfast items at any time of the day, but otherwise have burgers, sandwiches or meatloaf specials to choose from, will be taken aback when they take a gander at the Pleasantville Diner menu.

Its mantra on Facebook says: Everything you are looking for in food, we have it in one place  and they mean it.

Baldomero Gonzalez and his family took over what had been called Mexico Lindo in the latter part of 2016. He overhauled the building into an attractive red and off-white facade, located about a half mile south of the Black Horse Pike in the Main Street business district in Pleasantville, and began gathering fans by cooking every dish to order using fresh ingredients.

Its been pretty good so far, says Roberto Gonzalez, the owners brother. Its been better on the weekends but weve had pretty good crowds for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Id say lunchtime is when were usually busiest.

The restaurant is comprised of 10 four-person booths around the interior fringe, and table and countertop seating for about 40 more, each of which is positioned to view one of three 24-by 36-inch flat-screen TVs. The countertop juts up against a bakery display that offers cookies, pies, cakes and pastries made fresh that day.
Photo of the ZOE courtesy of Renault.

Renault Australia will import two pure electric models to the country that will be sold directly to businesses and governmental organizations.

The battery-electric Zoe subcompact car and Kangoo ZE Maxi van will be available for Australian buyers within the next few months, according to Motoring. Pricing for the Zoe starts at $42,470, while the Kangoo ZE is expected to start at $45,990.

The Zoe was recently given its first major upgrade, which included the installation of a new battery pack that increased its driving range between recharges to around 186 miles in real world conditions, according to the Motor Report. Zoe is powered by an electric motor that produces approximately 91 hp and 165 ft.-lb of torque.

Meanwhile, the Kangoo ZE boasts an equivalent to 124 miles in real-world summer-climate driving, according to the Motor Report.

Renaults decision to offer EVs in the country follows a trial by the Australia Post, which has have been using Kangoo ZEs for post delivery, according to Motoring.
An arrest warrant has been issued in Canada for Monsignor Carlo Capella, the Vatican diplomat recalled from service in Washington in late August, who already was the subject of a Vatican criminal investigation involving child pornography.

Police in Windsor, Ontario, issued a statement Sept. 28 saying, A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for Carlo Capella, a 50-year-old male, for the charges of: access(ing) child pornography, possess(ing) child pornography and distribut(ing) child pornography.

Investigators believe that the offenses occurred while the suspect was visiting a place of worship in Windsor, the statement said. Investigators have determined that the suspect has returned to his residence in Italy.

Capella had worked since the summer of 2016 at the Vatican nunciature in Washington. Prior to that, he worked on the Italy desk at the Vatican Secretariat of State. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1993 for the Archdiocese of Milan. -Via Catholic News Service
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Angelina County Jail

A Lufkin kindergarten teacher is behind bars after pleading guilty to seven counts of sexual assault of a child and improper relationship with a student.

Heather Robertson was sentenced to 10 years in prison after having sex with several high school students, according to and article on CBS News. She'll also have to register as a sex offender.
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A shy but lovable black wolf named LeRoux went missing in Orange County during Harvey and his owner, Jerry Mills, desperately wants to find him.

"I'm so afraid someone is going to shoot him," Mills said. "But he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He was bottle-fed and hand-raised."
Bombardier has ended one of the most turbulent weeks in its history by experiencing mixed fortunes amid a possible fresh trade dispute and a new billion-pound deal.

The firm's 4,000 Northern Ireland workers have been dealt another potential blow, as the body that oversees global trade is to probe a complaint from the Brazilian government over its C Series planes.

The World Trade Organisation has opened a dispute settlement panel to rule on Brazil's accusation that Canada has hurt its own commercial jet industry by subsidising Bombardier's part-Belfast built C Series jets, according to Reuters.

A similar claim by US giant Boeing is threatening the Canadian-owned aerospace firm's future.

Boeing's action could result in a massive 220% tariff being imposed on C Series planes sold to the US following an initial ruling by the Department of Commerce in Washington this week.

Up to 1,000 Bombardier staff in Northern Ireland work on the wings and fuselage of the passenger planes.

Prime Minister Theresa May has said the UK Government will continue to work to protect the 4,000 employees at Bombardier's plants here, who face an uncertain future as a result of the trade dispute.

The initial ruling could scupper a multi-billion dollar deal with Delta Airlines for up to 125 of the jets.

This week Owen Reidy, Irish Congress of Trade Unions assistant general secretary, urged stronger action from Westminster to safeguard local aerospace jobs. He reiterated calls for the UK Government to "immediately review all contracts with Boeing" following its legal challenge over the C Series.

Fears for the future of the workforce here prompted business groups to warn that Bombardier could question the economic sense of remaining in Northern Ireland if the tariff decision isn't reversed or seriously mitigated.

Ann McGregor, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce, said: "A total of 1,000 staff work on the manufacture of the wings for the new C Series aircraft and the company also employs many more in the supply chain.

"It is imperative that the British Government works to protect these vital jobs - the imposition of the tariffs could make Bombardier question remaining in Northern Ireland, where it has operations in four locations."

Angela McGowan, CBI Northern Ireland director, said the decision "reinforces the need for the swift return of an inclusive devolved government".

"Government and business must work in partnership to deliver a new far-reaching industrial strategy to improve regional resilience, economic competitiveness and facilitate growth," she added.

Meanwhile, Bombardier yesterday secured a firm order for 25 of its Q400 turboprop planes, with a potential 25 more to follow.

Indian carrier SpiceJet is behind the order, which is worth up to 1.3bn, according to list prices. SpiceJet has taken delivery of 15 of the Q400s since 2010.

Bombardier's team in Belfast designs and manufactures the wing-mounted flight components for the aircraft.
Shares in troubled infrastructure giant Carillion tumbled on Friday after the firm revealed mammoth half-year losses of more than 1 billion and again warned over its performance.

The firm said pre-tax losses for the six months to June 30 came in at a staggering 1.15 billion as it was dragged down by a series of restructuring charges.

The figure compares with an 84 million profit in the same period last year and includes an 845 million write-down relating to support services contracts and a goodwill impairment charge of 134 million linked to construction activities in the UK and Canada.

It has also made a fresh 200 million provision for support services contracts.

As a result, Carillion said that full-year results will be lower than current market expectations, with total revenue expected to come in between 4.6 billion and 4.8 billion, down from 4.8 billion to 5 billion.

On an underlying basis, pre-tax profit plunged 40% to 50 million.

Carillion, which has around 43,000 staff worldwide, has been thrown into crisis since a hefty profit warning in July, which sent its shares tumbling by more than 70% in one week.

Following the stock market announcement, the groups shares were down 17% to 53p in afternoon trading.

Interim boss Keith Cochrane described the results as disappointing.

He said: This is a disappointing set of results which reflects the issues we flagged in July. We now expect results for the full year to be lower than current market expectations.

No-one is in any doubt of the challenge that lies ahead.

Carillion is a major supplier to the Government with a number of long-term contracts and was named among the firms awarded deals for the building of phase one of the HS2 rail line.

A Government spokesman said: The company has kept us informed of the steps it is taking to restructure the business. We remain supportive of their ongoing discussions with their stakeholders and await future updates on their progress.

Julys profit shock saw chief executive Richard Howson step down as the group said it would need to bolster its balance sheet and was struggling to stay within its borrowing limits.

Full-year net debt is forecast to come in at between 825 million and 850 million.

Since July, it has also parted company with its finance chief and announced a raft of senior management changes.

The group has previously blamed poor orders on some delays in UK public spending decisions following the EU referendum, while low oil prices had hit customer spending in the Middle East.

But the firms battered share price was given a reprieve earlier this week when reports surfaced that a Middle East investor is planning a takeover bid for the group.

Fridays interim results included an update on its group-wide review as it battles for survival.

Mr Cochrane added: The strategic review that we launched in July has enabled us to get a firm handle on the groups problems and we have implemented a clear plan to address them.

Our objective is to be a lower risk, lower cost, higher quality business generating sustainable cash-backed earnings. In the immediate short term, our focus is to complete the disposal programme, accelerate our action to take cost out of the business and get our balance sheet back to a place where it can support Carillion going forward.

To this end, Carillion said that discussions are ongoing regarding sales of its business in Canada and the UK healthcare arm.
EU motion calls for the border to be shifted to the Irish Sea

A European Parliament motion for Northern Ireland to remain in the single market and customs union has been condemned by unionists but welcomed by Sinn Fein.

MEPs have concluded the move is the best way to ensure there is no border in Ireland. The resolution, which is expected to be passed next week, would mean continued free movement on the island.

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Customs checks would take place instead at ports on the Irish Sea for visitors travelling between Britain and Northern Ireland.

Rejecting the motion, DUP MEP Diane Dodds accused Brussels of using Northern Ireland as a "bargaining chip" in Brexit negotiations and said the principle of consent must be upheld.

Mrs Dodds also insisted Prime Minister Theresa May had pledged there would be no "internal borders" in the UK.

"Likewise, democratic unionists will not countenance any undermining of British sovereignty over Northern Ireland," she said.

"This includes any notion of a sea border that places any barrier between us and the rest of the UK.

"Our 10 MPs will use their influence to ensure that our place in the UK single market is not jeopardised by the machinations of Brussels."

Mrs Dodds accused those behind the motion of trying to override the principle of consent.

"The resolution is both hypocritical and inconsistent," she said. "Brussels should not be using Northern Ireland as bargaining chip in the negotiations."

Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson welcomed the European Parliament's motion, which she said was a result of "intense lobbying" by her party.

"This resolution calls on the European Parliament to stress that the unique and special circumstances of the North of Ireland must be recognised in the Brexit withdrawal agreement and that the Good Friday Agreement must be protected in all its parts and be consistent with EU law," she added.

"It reinforces the right of people living in the North to Irish and therefore EU citizenship.

"It would also call on the British Government to come up with an 'effective and workable solution' to the issue of the border which would ensure the integrity of the internal market and customs union."

Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said he was encouraged that the European Parliament was taking a keen interest in resolving the challenges Brexit poses for us.

Mr Farry added: "We do not want to see a customs border emerge either down the Irish Sea or across the island of Ireland. Either of those outcomes would have major political ramifications and would increase the cost of doing business.

"The surest way to avoid a hard Border is for the UK as a whole to agree a fresh customs union with the EU. In the event that the UK as a whole opts to leave the single market, the core of a special deal for Northern Ireland could be continued participation in the single market."

But TUV leader Jim Allister criticised the EU motion. "The suggestion that Northern Ireland should remain in the single market and customs union while the rest of the UK leaves is totally unacceptable," he said.

"Northern Ireland's leaving of the EU must be as complete as that of any other region of the UK. The direct consequence of this proposal would be to move the border to the Irish Sea - the ultimate Sinn Fein objective, of course.

"It is a trap for the destruction of the constitutional and territorial integrity of the United Kingdom."

Mr Allister said that there may be a case for special status, but for the Republic, not Northern Ireland. He also predicted that under Brexit the Republic would "feel the draught" if the EU "cuts off its nose to spite its face by insisting on tariffs".
Police in Northern Ireland have traced Geoffrey Montgomery, who went missing in Belfast.

The 63-year-old has been missing from his north Belfast home since September 27.
The potential prosecution of two former Official IRA members in connection with Bloody Sunday has received a mixed reaction.

The news, revealed by the Belfast Telegraph yesterday, was welcomed by unionist politicians, but described as "an unnecessary distraction" by John Kelly, whose brother Michael was among those who died.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) is already in possession of one file on a former Official IRA man, while a second is being prepared by the PSNI team investigating the events of January 30, 1972.

Thirteen people were shot dead when the Army's Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators. Another died of his injuries several months later.

Two out of five former members of the Official IRA who gave evidence to the Saville Inquiry said in 2003 that they had fired shots on Bloody Sunday.

One said he fired a single shot from a rifle before troops entered the Bogside and another admitted firing two pistol shots at paratroopers.

East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said that where sufficient evidence that could lead to a successful prosecution exists, it must be pursued.

Mr Campbell said: "The broad principle of what I have consistently said throughout the whole Bloody Sunday saga remains the same, no matter who is in the cross-hairs, whether it is former soldiers or former terrorists.

"If there is specific evidence against any individual person of wrongdoing, no matter who they are or what their standing was either at the time or now, then a decision to prosecute is the right one.

"If it is the case that there is a fishing expedition to see if it is possible to put a case, in the first instance against former soldiers and latterly in this incidence against former terrorists, then I think most people will regard that as totally counter-productive.

"If there is specific information which they believe will translate into evidence and the prosecution service believes there is a reasonable chance of a successful prosecution, then I support the decision to prosecute, whoever the person is.

"If there isn't that, and this is an expedition to try and close the books on an even-handed basis, then I think that would be a waste of time, and more importantly a waste of public money."

Mr Kelly, whose bother Michael (17) was the youngest victim who died on Bloody Sunday, also questioned if the decision to seek possible prosecutions of the former Official IRA men was an attempt to "appease" people opposed to the prosecution of soldiers.

He said: "My understanding, which is the same as the other families, was that this was a murder investigation into the deaths of the 14 people who were killed by the British soldiers on Bloody Sunday.

"This is an unnecessary distraction from that, and I think it is an attempt to appease the campaigners who don't want any soldier held accountable for anything they did that day."

He added: "The IRA didn't shoot anyone that day, so the decision to bring them into a murder investigation is beyond my comprehension."

Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie called on Sinn Fein to release all the information it holds.

Mr Beattie said: "The families deserve all the truth and at the moment Sinn Fein - the holders of the IRA archive and institutional memory - know the truth.

"It is time they stood up and explained exactly what the IRA's real role was during the events of that day."

A PPS spokesman said: "We have provided regular updates to all of the families in relation to the Bloody Sunday case, with the most recent contact last week.

"Over the course of last year, the PSNI has provided around 35 lever arch files of material, with further material anticipated.

"Our focus currently is completing our analysis of the police investigation files and on the identification of all significant legal issues and their resolution.

"We have consistently made it clear that the prosecution task in this case is considerable but we are making steady progress.

"We can confirm that one further suspect has been added to the case recently with a further report expected. However, it is not anticipated this will materially affect our timescale for decision-making."

The MoD said that, due to ongoing legal proceedings, it was inappropriate to comment.
PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton has been asked to explain himself after it emerged he attended a dinner hosted by DUP MP Ian Paisley.

More than 200 people were at the function on Thursday night in Ballymena's Tullyglass Hotel at which Tory MP Michael Gove met representatives from Northern Ireland's agriculture, local government and business sectors.

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But Mr Hamilton has been lashed by both Sinn Fein and Ulster Unionist peer Lord Kilclooney.

Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly queried whether it was appropriate for our top police officer to be at such an event on the grounds of impartiality.

Mr Hamilton's attendance at the dinner comes just a few months after the PSNI came under fire for taking part in Belfast Pride.

Mr Kelly insisted Mr Hamilton needed to explain his actions.

"While the Chief Constable does have to engage with people right across the community, attendance at a DUP fundraiser would be a clear conflict of interest," he said.

"The Chief Constable needs to provide an explanation to the public about the reports he attended a party political fundraiser. There is an onus on the Chief Constable and his office to act, and to be seen to act, with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all in the community."

Lord Kilclooney also criticised the Chief Constable's decision to attend the event.

"The Chief Constable should not be attending a fundraising dinner of any political party. Never in RUC," he wrote on social media.

But in a statement, the party insisted the event was not a "DUP fundraiser".

"Ian Paisley hosts an annual MP's constituency dinner," it said.

"The event was attended by civic and political figures from across the community. It was not a DUP fundraising dinner." It is understood that those attending the event purchased tickets.

The Belfast Telegraph approached Mr Paisley to ask whether the proceeds went to charity or to the local constituency association. Mr Paisley referred us to the DUP statement.

The PSNI defended the Chief Constable's decision to attend the dinner, and said he made no financial contribution to it.

"The Chief Constable was invited to last night's annual North Antrim constituency dinner by the MP Ian Paisley and accepted the invitation as his guest," a spokesman said. "The Chief Constable made no financial contribution to or at the event and did not purchase a ticket, as he was there as an invited guest of the MP. The Chief Constable and senior team are invited to attend a range of events hosted by elected representatives and are happy to consider opportunities for engagement at that level from any and all political parties."

It added: "At no time was the Chief Constable aware that this was a fundraising event."

A former Deputy Chief Constable defended Mr Hamilton's presence at the event.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Alan McQuillan said: "In my view, it would be inappropriate for a senior officer to align themselves with any particular party.

"But equally, the police are part of the community, and interact with the community. The Chief Constable has spoken at many events - like the Feile in west Belfast - and at political events, including events in the Irish Republic.

"So it's not unusual to find senior police officers attending meetings of political parties. It would be wrong if they only attended the meetings of one political party - but provided they do it in a neutral way across all the political parties, I don't see the difficulty."
More than half of the Northern Ireland population believe community relations have improved since five years ago, a major report has suggested

Reported hate crimes reduced in 2016/17, with 694 sectarian and 660 racially motivated hate crimes reported, compared to 1,001 and 853 the previous year

More than half of the Northern Ireland population believe community relations have improved since five years ago, a major report has suggested

More than half of the Northern Ireland population believe community relations have improved since five years ago, a major report has suggested.

Three-quarters of people questioned also believed Protestant and Catholic culture added richness to the diversity of society, while more people felt annoyed by republican/loyalist murals, kerb paintings and flags.

Each year a snapshot of the state of community relations is presented by the Northern Ireland Good Relations Indicators report.

It combines results from surveys including the social attitudes of adults and 16-year-olds as well as PSNI statistics on issues like hate crimes.

The key findings showed 52% of adults and 59% of young people believed relationships between Catholics and Protestants were better than five years ago.

This also represents an improvement from last year with figures of 47% and 52% respectively.

Also, 91% of people questioned said they felt they could be open about their cultural identity in their neighbourhood, with 89% saying the same about their workplace.

Over half (58%) of schools were involved in shared education with another school in the last year.

Regarding attitudes to ethnic minorities, 55% of young people and 77% of adults said they felt favourable towards people from these groups, an increase from last year of 6% and 10% respectively.

Reported hate crimes reduced in 2016/17, with 694 sectarian and 660 racially motivated hate crimes reported, compared to 1,001 and 853 the previous year.

More people said they had been annoyed by both republican and loyalist murals, kerb paintings and flags.

Of those questioned, 24% objected to the republican symbols, and 29% to loyalist symbols. The previous year this was 18% and 23% respectively.

Three-quarters (76%) of people believed the traditions of both the Catholic and Protestant cultures added to the richness of Northern Ireland society.

A smaller proportion (64%) said the same about the culture of minority ethnic groups. Three in 10 adults (30%) felt they had an influence on decisions in their neighbourhood, with 29% feeling the same about decisions across Northern Ireland.

This was much lower for young people, with figures of 11% and 8% respectively.

The report also illustrated how community relations have fluctuated during key events throughout the last 30 years.

In 1994, the year of the Provisional IRA ceasefire, less than 30% of people questioned believed community relations were improving.

This climbed to just under half in 1998 against the backdrop of the Good Friday Agreement, plummeting to below 30% again in 2001 during the Holy Cross dispute.

The high point of over 60% occurred in 2007, a period described in the report as 'settled devolution', before dropping again to around 50% in 2012 during the flag protests.
Gerry Adams has continued his war of words with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, accusing him of making "irresponsible party political attacks" on Sinn Fein.

Mr Adams warned that criticism from "establishment" parties in Dublin was making it difficult to implement change in Northern Ireland.

The Sinn Fein president said: "One of the great difficulties in the process of change in the North, and as we seek to achieve the implementation of outstanding elements of the Good Friday and subsequent agreements, is the manner in which establishment parties in the Dail cynically use the situation here to attack Sinn Fein. While all parties have the right to criticise other parties it is obvious that the only motivation for the attacks on Sinn Fein by the southern establishment parties is their electoral fear of the growth of Sinn Fein.

"A mature and leaderly Taoiseach would make the process of change and the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement a bipartisan one. In this way maximum political focus could be exerted on the British government and those opposed to change.

"Instead the party political attacks on Sinn Fein only serve to give succour to the opponents of change.

"Sinn Fein has continued to engage intensely with the DUP and while our will and intent is to see the political institutions restored, the responsibility of the Irish government, like that of Sinn Fein, has to be to ensure that it happens on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement."

Mr Adams was speaking in Omagh last night at a celebration event for Pat Doherty, the former vice president of Sinn Fein and West Tyrone MP.

The Taoiseach has been involved in a series of arguments with Sinn Fein members in recent weeks, including with Mary Lou McDonald earlier this week who stormed out of the Dail after the Taoiseach accused her party of "shouting down" those who don't share their views. He also accused Sinn Fein of a "lack of respect" and making "smart alec remarks" inside Leinster House.

He told Ms McDonald she was being "cranky" and said the "only time you're not scripted is when you're interrupting."

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin also criticised Sinn Fein's controversial stance on the murder of Louth farmer Tom Oliver, who was killed by the IRA in 1991. Mr Adams said in a recent radio interview that the killers responsible for Mr Oliver's murder should not be punished.
The scene at the Ryanair check-in desks at London Stansted Airport, Essex.

Ryanair has r esponded to threats of legal action from the aviation regulator by emailing customers affected by flight cancellations to clarify their rights.

The airline told passengers they can receive a refund or be transferred on to other flights or travel by trains, buses or car hire.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which on Thursday accused the Dublin-based carrier of "not complying with the law" over its handling of the fiasco, claimed the airline had "capitulated" after enforcement action was launched.

It had accused Ryanair of not telling passengers that under EU261 rules they were entitled to be re-routed by another carrier.

Ryanair's offer to passengers features several conditions, including assessing the cost of flights on other airlines "on a case by case basis" before bookings are made.

Alex Neill, a managing director at consumer group Which?, said passengers face a "potential minefield" to reach their destination, describing the process as "convoluted".

She added: "I t still smacks of a lingering reluctance to do the right thing."

An extra 18,000 flights for the winter season were cancelled by Ryanair on Wednesday - a move that will hit 400,000 customers.

Several popular routes used by UK travellers were hit, such as Stansted to Edinburgh and Glasgow, Gatwick to Belfast, Newcastle to Faro, and Glasgow to Las Palmas.

It adds to mounting anger against Ryanair, which was already coming under heavy fire after cancelling up to 50 flights a day earlier this month.

Passengers have expressed their frustration with the airline, with many left out of pocket due to a lack of alternative flights and accommodation bookings they can no longer use.

Ryanair said the cancellations were brought about because of an error with pilot holiday rosters and insisted the latest reduction in its schedule will "eliminate all risk of further flight cancellations".

CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said: " Our job is to protect passengers' rights and ensure that all airlines operating in the UK are fully compliant with important consumer laws.

"Where we find that an airline is systematically flouting these rules, we will not hesitate to take action to minimise the harm and detriment caused to passengers, as we have done with Ryanair in recent days.

"It appears that Ryanair has now capitulated."

Kenny Jacobs, Ryanair's chief marketing officer, said: "We apologise again sincerely for the disruption and inconvenience our rostering failure has caused some of our customers.

"We have taken on extra customer service staff and are moving now to process and expedite all EU261 claims from affected customers.

"We are committed to processing all such claims within 21 days of receipt and hope to have all such claims settled before the end of October."
iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Amid intense debates about the Graham-Cassidy health care bill, the Senate and House missed the deadline to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) -- meaning federal funding for the program expired at the end of September.



Last reauthorized in 2015, CHIP is a partnership between the federal government and states that insures American children from low and moderate-income families.



And though the program's situation isn't yet dire -- and won't be until the states begin to run out of money -- some states are starting to get nervous about paying for the program.



"States are optimistic that Congress will actually act. They're not totally panicked yet," said Diane Rowland, executive vice president of Kaiser Family Foundation. "But, they need to know very soon that addition money will be coming so they'll know how they can continue their programs."



A Little History



CHIP was passed into law with bipartisan support under President Bill Clinton in 1997.



Co-sponsored by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-MA, and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UT, and championed by then-first lady Hillary Clinton, the program provides low-cost health coverage to children in families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but still need government support to pay for their kids' healthcare.



In the years following the program's passage, the uninsured rate among children fell significantly, from 13.9 percent in 1997 to 4.5 percent in 2015, according to a Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission report released early this year. An analysis from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that families are more likely to take advantage of preventative and primary care after enrolling their children in the program.



Who and What Does CHIP Cover?



In 2016, more than 8.9 million children were enrolled in CHIP, up from 8.44 million in 2015, Access Commission records show.



Eligibility rules vary by state, but in most states, children age 18 and younger qualify if their family's income falls under 200 percent of the federal poverty line -- just under $50,000 for a family of four. Some states also offer coverage to children in families earning 250 or even 300 percent of the poverty line. Twenty states offer coverage for pregnant women as well.



Benefits also vary by state, but coverage generally includes routine checkups, immunizations, mental health services, prescriptions, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, and x-ray and lab services.



How Much Does CHIP Cost?



According to the Access Commission, CHIP spending reached about $13.6 billion in FY 2016.



The feds foot the bill for the bulk of CHIP expenditures, with most state governments covering less than 15 percent of the program's cost.



The average cost to families is just over $150 per child per year, according the Access Commission estimates. If not for CHIP, those families would have faced bills of more than $850 per year per child in employer-sponsored insurance, the report said.



Most states have enough money put aside to help pay for CHIP if the government grants aren't immediately available.



But ten states are slated to run out of funding by the end of 2017.



Minnesota's state commissioner for the Department of Human Services even wrote a letter to the Minnesota congressional delegation urging them to extend funding now, saying the state will exhaust their $115 million CHIP allotment soon.



What Happens If We Don't Reauthorize CHIP?



While health coverage for kids under CHIP won't suddenly disappear on Oct. 1, there are serious consequences for the program at the state level. If certain needs aren't met, states will have to reshuffle their funds and may have to notify families soon of amended coverage plans.



Some advocates have expressed concern that CHIP could be another battleground for Obamacare, but most evidence points to lawmakers being supportive of the bipartisan program.



"What I don't know is whether there will be an extension for 5 years, 1 year, 2 years. So while I don't think there will be an immediate crisis, I don't know what the long range prospect for CHIP will be," said Rowland.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has reportedly been caught on camera part-reciting a colonial poem in a Burmese temple before being stopped by an ambassador.

Mr Johnson was said to have begun quoting the opening lines of Mandalay during a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the capital of Burma.

The poem by Rudyard Kipling is written through the eyes of a retired British serviceman in Burma, also known as Myanmar, which Britain colonised for more than a century.

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The Guardian, reporting on the footage due to be broadcast by Channel 4, said the British ambassador Andrew Patrick stopped Mr Johnson mid-flow, and before he recited the line Bloomin idol made o mud/ Wot they called the Great Gawd Budd  a reference to Buddha.

Mr Patrick is reported to have told Mr Johnson: Youre on mic. Probably not a good idea, to which the Unxbridge MP said: What, The Road to Mandalay?

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The ambassador replies: No. Not appropriate.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office declined to comment.

:: Boris Johnson: Blond Ambition is on Channel 4 on Sunday at 10.05pm.
Ryanair has agreed to implement measures to ensure all passengers affected by recent flight cancellations are "fully aware" of their "rights and entitlements".

This will include passengers receiving full refunds or being booked onto alternative Ryanair flights or "other comparable transport options", with reimbursement of "reasonable out-of-pocket expenses".

The airline made the statement after meeting with Ireland's Commission for Aviation Regulation.

The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has accused the Dublin-based carrier of "not complying with the law" over its handling of the fiasco.

Ryanair has pledged to send a "clarification email" to customers outlining their rights and explaining how and when they will be booked onto other flights.

CAA guidelines state that if an airline cancels a flight it must offer passengers an alternative flight under European Union law.

Customers "may have the right" to be booked onto flights by an alternative airline if it would mean reaching their destination "significantly sooner".

Ryanair said that if it is not able to offer a flight on the same or next day from the original or "suitable alternative airport", then it will book passengers onto flights by easyJet, Jet2, Vueling, CityJet, Aer Lingus, Norwegian or Eurowings airlines.

If those options are not available then it will offer "comparable alternative transport" which may be a flight, train, bus or car hire, with costs "assessed on a case-by-case basis".

Ryanair said its statement met the requirement of the CAA to clarify the airline's obligations under EU261 rules.

It called upon the regulator to "now require UK airlines to comply", claiming the legislation "did not apply" to British Airways when 75,000 passengers were stranded following an IT meltdown in May.

Kenny Jacobs, Ryanair's chief marketing officer, said: "We apologise again sincerely for the disruption and inconvenience our rostering failure has caused some of our customers.

"We have taken on extra customer service staff and are moving now to process and expedite all EU261 claims from affected customers. We are committed to processing all such claims within 21 days of receipt and hope to have all such claims settled before the end of October."

CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said he was "furious" after Ryanair cancelled an extra 18,000 flights on Wednesday, a move that will hit 400,000 customers. The latest round of cancellations includes several popular routes used by UK travellers, including Gatwick to Belfast.

It adds to mounting anger against Ryanair, which was already coming under heavy fire after cancelling up to 50 flights a day earlier this month.

Passengers have expressed their frustration with the airline, with many left out of pocket due to a lack of alternative flights, and accommodation bookings they can no longer use.

Ryanair said the cancellations were brought about because of an error with pilot holiday rosters, and the latest reduction in its schedule will "eliminate all risk of further flight cancellations".

Speaking after Ryanair's decision to clarify its position, Mr Haines said: "Our job is to protect passengers' rights and ensure that all airlines operating in the UK are fully compliant with important consumer laws.

"Where we find that an airline is systematically flouting these rules, we will not hesitate to take action to minimise the harm and detriment caused to passengers, as we have done with Ryanair in recent days. It appears that Ryanair has now capitulated.

"We will review their position in detail and monitor this situation to ensure that passengers get what they are entitled to in practice."
New Ukip leader Henry Bolton emerged from obscurity to defy the bookies and beat the two frontrunners in the contest to replace Paul Nuttall.

The 54-year-old former soldier comes to the role after a distinguished career as a diplomat, having been awarded an OBE for services to international security in 2013.

Ukip grandee Nigel Farage welcomed his appointment as party chief, calling him a "man of real substance".

Despite being relatively unknown, the ex-Thames Valley police officer, who joined the party in 2014, is no stranger to running for elected posts.

He stood for the Liberal Democrats in Runnymede and Weybridge in the 2005 general election, finishing third behind current Chancellor Philip Hammond. More recently, the Sandhurst alumnus stood for Ukip as Police and Crime Commissioner in Kent in 2016, finishing second.

Mr Bolton (above), who describes himself as "an expert in borders, security and foreign policy", has worked as a diplomat for the United Nations, Foreign Office and the EU, according to his website.

It adds he was deployed to countries like Croatia, Kosovo, Libya and Ukraine on diplomatic missions for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

After his surprise triumph, the Kent man said: "I do not see myself now as simply being your leader, I see myself as serving this party."
Poland's deputy infrastructure minister has stepped down following criticism of the level of road deaths in the country.

Jerzy Szmit was in charge of road and air transport, including construction of much-needed roads.

Mr Szmit told Polish news agency PAP on Friday that he resigned for personal reasons and that prime minister Beata Szydlo accepted the resignation.

His departure comes on the heels of a report that said Poland's road death toll is among Europe's highest, with more than 3,000 people killed last year.

Poland's ruling party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said recently some changes in the government are possible in the autumn, but said he is in general pleased with its work.

The government is largely unchanged since 2015 when it took power.

AP
US President Donald Trump is seeking a new health secretary to take the place of Tom Price, who stepped down following an outcry over flying on costly private charters for official travel.

The Health and Human Services chief oversees a 1 trillion US dollars department, with 80,000 employees and jurisdiction over major insurance programmes, advanced medical research, drug and food safety, public health, and disease prevention.

The administration will also have to contend with renewed scrutiny of Cabinet members' travel. Following news reports about Mr Price, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee launched a government-wide investigation of travel by top political appointees.

Mr Trump has named Don J Wright, a deputy assistant secretary of health, to serve as acting secretary.

Mentioned as a possible permanent successor to Mr Price is Seema Verma, a protege of Vice President Mike Pence. She now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an HHS division which runs health insurance programmes covering more than 130 million Americans.

Ms Verma's immediate challenge is to manage the 2018 open enrolment season under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, which Mr Trump and the Republican-led Congress have been unable to repeal.

Another possible HHS candidate is FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who won some bipartisan support in his confirmation and is well known in policy, government and industry circles.

Mr Price, 62, a former GOP congressman from the Atlanta suburbs, resigned on Friday afternoon. His pattern of costly trips triggered investigations which overshadowed the administration's agenda and angered his boss. His regrets and a partial repayment could not save his job.

Mr Price became the first member of Mr Trump's Cabinet to be pushed out in a turbulent young administration that has seen several high-ranking White House aides ousted. He served less than eight months.

On Friday Mr Trump called Mr Price a "very fine person", but added "I certainly don't like the optics" around his travels.

Mr Price said in his resignation letter that he regretted that "recent events have created a distraction".

Privately, Mr Trump was reported to have been telling associates in recent days that Mr Price was overshadowing his tax overhaul agenda and undermining his campaign promise to "drain the swamp" of corruption.

Mr Price's repayment of 51,887.31 US dollars (38,715) for his own travel costs did not placate the White House. The total travel cost, including the secretary's entourage, could amount to several hundred thousand dollars.

An orthopaedic surgeon turned politician, Mr Price rose to Budget Committee chairman in the House, where he was known as a fiscal conservative. When he joined the administration, Mr Trump touted him as a conservative policy expert who could write a new healthcare Bill to replace the Obama-era Affordable Care Act.

But Mr Price became more of a supporting player in the GOP's futile healthcare campaign, while Vice President Mike Pence took the lead, particularly with the Senate. The perception of Mr Price jetting around while Republican politicians laboured to repeal the Obama health law - including a three-nation trip in May to Africa and Europe - raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill. Mr Price flew on military aircraft overseas.

But House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Friday that Mr Price had worked hard to help that chamber pass its plan before the GOP effort reached an impasse in the Senate. "I will always be grateful for Tom's service to this country," he said.

Democrats were glad to see Mr Price go, and some urged Mr Trump to appoint an HHS secretary who would reach out to them.

"I hope President Trump learns from this mistake, and looks to appoint someone who can work in a bipartisan way to strengthen health care for all Americans," said Republican Frank Pallone.

Mr Price used private charter flights on 10 trips with multiple segments, when in many cases cheaper commercial flights were available. His charter travel was first reported by the news site Politico.

The controversy was a catalyst for Congress launching a bipartisan probe of travel by political appointees across the administration. The House oversight committee has requested travel records from the White House and 24 federal departments and agencies.

Initially, Mr Price's office said the secretary's busy scheduled forced him to use charters from time to time. But later his response changed, and he said he had heard the criticism and concern, and taken it to heart.

AP
Soldiers guard a lakeside mosque near Marawi after several gunmen aboard a boat were spotted near the area, Sept. 28, 2017.

With timely international military and intelligence assistance, Philippine security forces have successfully contained, isolated and eliminated the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) in Marawi.

Almost 700 Filipino and foreign fighters who embraced IS ideology and practice have been killed in four months of intense combat. Fewer than 70 IS fighters now hold a battle space of less than 10 hectares. The troop advance has been slow, as the urban area is heavily mined with snipers and explosives. IS also holds three dozen hostages, some of whom have turned fighters or supporters under duress.

IS in Marawi compared its initial success to the IS siege of Mosul, and copied IS practices in Syria and Iraq.

IS Marawi burned the police station and the city jail and freed the inmates. It executed officials, including the chief of intelligence of Marawi. After burning Saint Mary's Cathedral and Dansalan College, IS took hostage Christian leaders, staff, teachers and students. To the hostages, some of whom became fighters, IS preached its ideology, which has been rejected by the Muslim population at large. Some 350,000 people were displaced from Marawi and surrounding areas, and parts of their city were reduced to rubble.

The largest IS-centric groups  Islamic State Lanao (ISL) led by the Maute brothers, and Islamic State Philippines (ISP) led by Isnilon Hapilon  sieged the Islamic City of Marawi on May 23. The ISP and ISL engaged in a fierce battle with over 12,000 military and police personnel, supported by U.S. and Australian forces. But contrary to IS expectations, Maranaos were shocked by the siege, and rejected the IS presence.

The lack of public support severely weakened the militants ability to hold Marawi. Their project to establish an IS province (wilayat) failed.

Regrouping

With the death of many of the directing figures of the fight  including Abdullah, Utto and Mahdi Maute  the battle in Marawi is coming to an end. Nonetheless, a dozen local groups that have pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi have resumed their activities in other parts of Mindanao.

Unless the threat is managed with exceptional care, IS will persist and is likely to spread from Mindanao to Sabah in Malaysia, and to eastern Indonesia.

The most active of the threat groups operating outside Marawi is the IS-directed Jamaah Al Muhajirin wal Anshor (JMA), a group in the southern Philippines with extensive links to foreign fighters.

JMA is attacking the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest armed group, which is working with the Duterte government to establish a permanent peace.

Guided by IS, JMA is determined to breakup MILF. IS believes that its attacks will fracture MILF and that pro-IS members within MILF will splinter and join IS-centric groups.

Esmael Abdulmaguid (alias Abu Turaipe), who leads JMA, is adept at attracting foreign fighters. The latest encounter between MILF and JMA was at Barangay Tee, Datu Salibo, Maguindanao on Sept. 27. As the battle in Marawi comes to an end, the clashes elsewhere in Mindanao are likely to increase in frequency, scale and magnitude.

End game

Until the IS siege of Marawi on May 23, 2017, the Philippine government was in denial of an IS presence in Mindanao. However, the response of the Philippine government to the Marawi siege was decisive.

The fighting lasted over four months, for three reasons.

First, the government underestimated IS ideology and fighting capabilities, especially the use of snipers and explosive devices. Second, the terrain could not be effectively cordoned and sealed. Third, the Philippine military units were trained for jungle and rural warfare, not urban warfare.

Until August 2017, the infiltration and exfiltration of IS from the Main Battle Area (MBA) enabled IS to replenish its human losses and material wastage. The fighters formed three layers of defense protecting Hapilon, Abdullah and Omarkhayam. With huge battlefield losses, the MBA is isolated, but the remaining quality leadership and the human shield of hostages will protract the fight for another few weeks.

The deaths of several leaders and experienced fighters in Marawi represent the most significant loss the IS has suffered in the Philippines to date. Abdullah Maute was IS operational leader in Marawi until August 2017, when he was killed in combat. Having lived and studied in Marawi, Abdullah planned and led the fight there under the symbolic leadership of Hapilon, overall emir of IS in the Philippines.

Today, Omarkhayam Maute, the vice emir, has succeeded his brother Abdullah, despite injuries suffered during the fighting. With the saturation of Philippine security forces in Marawi, the fight against IS is steadily coming to an end. Both Hapilon and Omarkhayam must fight or flee. Yet they are unlikely to flee and link up with other IS-centric groups. The chief adviser to Hapilon, Dr. Mahmud bin Ahmad of Malaysia, has fabricated a suicide vest, which he is likely to wear in the final battle.

The landscape ahead

Hapilon, a longtime leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group, has instructed his IS men to merge with pro-IS fighters within the ASG rank and file of Radulan Sahiron, and to plan armed attacks in different places in Mindanao. They wish to target the cities of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and Cotabato. Both ISP and ISL fighters have planned to conduct terrorist activities in the municipalities of Lumbatan, Bayang, Tugaya and Madalum in Lanao del Sur, around Lake Lanao. Some of these plans have been intercepted and disrupted.

However, IS Philippines cannot hold territory unless it has a stronger fighting force. As long as the MILF led by Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim is intact, IS Philippines will not achieve its immediate goals. Demography and geography limit IS expansion and dominance in the southern Philippines. Unless MILF breaks up and a large faction joins IS, the rise of IS is not an existential threat to the Philippines.

Nevertheless, the IS-centric threat landscape outside Marawi is growing. In Mindanao, several groups have joined IS. And the very presence of IS in Mindanao threatens not only the Philippines but its neighbors.

After having attempted and failed to create a province (wilayat) in the eastern edge of Asia, IS central in Syria is thinking long-term.

It intends to build IS forces in the southern Philippines and infiltrate neighboring Indonesia, the worlds largest Muslim country.

IS created its East Asia Division with the intention of expanding from the Philippines to parts of Northeast and Southeast Asia. If IS spreads to Sabah in Malaysia and to eastern Indonesia, it will pose a significant challenge to Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the entire region.

Rohan Gunaratna is professor of Security Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technology University and head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and not of BenarNews.
For Immediate Release, September 29, 2017 Contact: Amy Atwood, (503) 504-5660, atwood@biologicaldiversity.org Interior Secretary Zinke Falsely Claims His Travel Expenses Are Publicly Available Secretary Makes Misleading Remarks During Heritage Foundation Speech WASHINGTON In response to new revelations about charter flights he has taken, U.S. Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke falsely suggested in a speech today that the department makes all his travel expenses available to the public. In fact the Interior Department has only made five months of Zinkes trip summaries publicly available, along with trip expenses for just three time periods in March and May. I dont know who Zinkes trying to fool by suggesting the Interior Department has been forthcoming about his travel expenses, said Amy Atwood, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. If hes genuinely apologetic about using tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money for his travel, then its time for real transparency about where hes flying and why. Secretary Zinke claimed in remarks at the Heritage Foundation that the chartered flights were necessary to travel in areas and under circumstances that we dont have other flight options. Yet Secretary Zinkes trip summaries reveal that he used charter flights to travel from Las Vegas to his home in Montana at a cost of $12,375, as well for flights to Norway, Prudhoe Bay and Fairbanks, Alaska at unknown costs  all places where commercial flights are available. The Center has requested all Zinkes expense reports under the Freedom of Information Act and is currently suing to force release of his communications and schedules. The case is Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Department of the Interior, Civ. No. 17-01595 (DDC) (RC).
LILONGWE, Malawi - MISA Malawi has launched a new website, making it easier to keep up with freedom of expression and access to information developments in Malawi and across southern Africa.

The completely revamped website provides in-depth analysis and commentary, as well as the latest developments in the media and information sectors. Importantly, it holds an extensive collection of papers, publications and legislation in the website's Resource Centre.

MISA Malawi publishes alerts documenting media violations and victories directly to its website. This way, stakeholders can easily track the state of media freedom and freedom of expression in Malawi.

The website also includes a comprehensive Media Directory, with contact details of all media outlets in Malawi from community broadcasters to newspapers and media training organisations.

Free speech and access to information aren't just human rights, they're also vital to keeping an eye on what government and other institutions are doing and holding them to account, said MISA Malawi chairperson, Teresa Temweka Ndanga.

That's why we have spent months redesigning and reorganising our new website  to make sure those looking for important information can find it quickly and easily.

To promote the rights to information and free speech more broadly, MISA Malawi plans to provide content in a diverse range of formats, such as video, graphics and text. The website works on mobile devices as well as on PCs to make it as accessible as possible.

DW Akademie, a German media development organisation, provided technical and editorial support for the development of the website.

With our support for the MISA website, we aim to help everyone, from stakeholders and politicians to journalists and ordinary citizens, know more about their fundamental rights to information and freedom of expression, said Natascha Schwanke, head of DW Akademies Africa division. And also help everyone know why its so vital to support these rights and find out when they are being eroded and how they can be better upheld.

In a country such as Malawi, where information and documents are scattered among different organisations, having a one-stop-shop for freedom of expression and access to information is a fantastic resource, said Sugzo Khunga, deputy bureau chief of the Nation Publications Limited.

The MISA Malawi website was launched with an event in Lilongwe, Malawi, on September 29 to coincide with International Right to Know day, celebrated around the world on September 28.
COLUMBUS  Jeff Glik liked what he saw when he rolled into Columbus the first time looking to scout the community as the site for a new mens and womens clothing and footwear store.

The first day I pushed into town it was a beautiful day and the community was literally bustling with activity, said the 61-year-old executive with Gliks, a retailer founded more than 120 years ago in the St. Louis, Missouri, area.

Glik, a fourth generation of the family in the companys executive ranks, immediately began visiting local retailers to take the pulse of the community.

He liked Columbus' heartbeat.

I was going into stores and asking a lot of questions and the first thing (store owners) asked was, Do you want a job?'" Glik said with a laugh.

Thats a sign of a community with a growing economy, which is good for a clothing and footwear store, he said.

He then made the call to bring Glik's to the Village Centre Mall with a grand opening set for Wednesday. Gliks grandfather, 91-year-old family patriarch Joseph Glik, will be on hand to cut the ribbon on the new store at 114 E. 24th St. (formerly Anytime Fitness).

The space at the outdoor mall underwent a three-month face-lift, a complete gut job by local contractors from the front of the store to the back, over the summer.

Store officials expect to hire about a dozen local employees.

We want to make sure we get the right people, said Glik, who has returned to Columbus four times since that first visit.

Columbus has been on our map for a long time, we saw it as a good opportunity, Glik said.

The Columbus location is the companys 66th store scattered across a 10-state Midwestern region.

The new store features name-brand apparel/footwear for men and women. Brands include Lokai, 1897, North Face, Silver Jeans, Flying Monkey Jeans, Billabong, Hurley, Roxy, Elan, Simply Southern, Yeti, Alex and Ani and more.

Gliks wraps its arms around a wide demographic mix, pulling in shoppers ranging from 14 to 65 while other retailers concentrate on narrower bands of the marketplace.

Its a business strategy that has served the company well.

We believe that fashion is an attitude, not an age, and make sure we have the sportswear and footwear they want along with strong customer service, Glik said.

We do it successfully, he added.

Gliks is well aware that shoppers can be fickle, just as simple jeans and overalls have given way to the fashion-forward and high-tech outdoor gear popular today.

The company, which has weathered depressions, recessions, wars, the advent of mega stores, culture shifts and the onset of online retailing, can bring decades of experience to bear on the market.

Were plugged into whats trending, said Glik, noting that the companys buying teams scout fashion trends from coast to coast and bring them back to the stores.

It gives us a leg up on the competition, Glik said.

It also makes Gliks nimble.

We can turn on a dime to react to trends, while shifting fashions make our competition bigger and slower, Glik said.
McPhillips honored for service

COLUMBUS  The Columbus Housing Authority recently hosted the Nebraska Chapter of NAHRO (National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials) Conference at Ramada-Columbus with 125 staff and directors from housing authorities across the state in attendance.

Bonnie McPhillips, executive director of Columbus Housing Authority, received the Orville Stanton Award for her outstanding dedication and service to the community, supplying affordable housing to low-income residents, seniors and those with disabilities.

McPhillips serves on multiple boards and committees for many businesses and services. She has held and attended many meetings with local leaders, contractors, builders and investors to reinforce the need for more affordable housing in Columbus.

Columbus Housing Authority was also honored with an award for outstanding service to the tenants, in recognition of the excellent services it provides to those who reside the property.

ADM donates to Habitat

COLUMBUS -- Archer Daniels Midland Company recently donated $1,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Columbus.

The donation will go toward the purchase of construction tools. Habitat for Humanity is a Christian housing ministry that builds new, affordable homes for families in Columbus. Habitat for Humanity of Columbus will dedicate its sixth home today.

The donation was given through ADM Cares, a social investment program that directs funds to initiatives and organizations that drive meaningful social, economic and environmental progress worldwide.
KRAKOW  Floyd Stopak walked around the sanctuary of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish with a beaming smile.

The last time he had stepped foot in the Krakow church was in 1935.

This church looks much more beautiful than it used to, Stopak said. It looks nice the way its painted now.

When he was 12 or 13 years old, he served as an altar boy for the parish for about three years. He also took pride in ringing the bell to start each Mass.

Heres the rope right here, Stopak said as he jokingly tugged and swung the dangling rope. Id better not pull it, huh?

His daughter, Monica Heeley, said Stopak has always been a joker. At 96 years old, he clearly still has his wits about him.

My grandfather used to come here for Catechism to receive Holy Communion, Heeley said. He didnt go to the school, just the church.

According to Stopak, his father came to the United States from Poland in 1900. Not having a mode of transportation, he walked to the parish to receive the Sacrament and continue his faith in a new land. When Stopak was old enough, he was able to attend Ss. Peter and Paul School while his mother and father managed the family farm.

My father lost the farm in 1933 during the Great Depression, Stopak said. My grandfather had heard about this small farm in south Texas and recruited my folks to it. That was in April. My dad went down to look at the farm while us kids stayed here in Krakow. After a few weeks mom and dad decided, Were leaving.' We moved in August. We could only drive 30 miles per hour with a trailer with everything we had. All the way to this southern border town.

The farm was a small one. The family bought 12 acres to grow tomatoes, cabbage and carrots, which they sold in town out of a truck. Time passed and Stopaks father accepted a job as a general worker for a local grocery store.

While in Texas, Stopak finished his education and joined the Air Force.

I was in right before World War II, he explained.

Even though Stopak spent his adolescence in southern Texas and built a life there, he never forgot Nebraska. Stopak said he always thought about Krakow and the memories he made at the house where he was born. That structure still stands, but with a great amount of overgrown brush taking over the property.

Stopak took Heeley and his cousins Jerry and Jan Paprocki along during Friday's visit.

We were driving here and there and Floyd was telling us where everything had been, Jerry said. Any road wed go on Floyd would tell us exactly who had lived there, had a farm there, or where he had played when he was a kid. Even at this age he still doesnt miss a beat.

Stopak said this is a trip he'd been hoping to make for a long time.

I wanted to see all these people, Stopak said as he waved his hand around the Paprockis, Heeley and cousin Lilian Kaup. I wanted to see this church and my house just one more time. I still see this church in my mind at night. I still remember it.

Among his church memories are the location of his family's pew  about five down from the front on the left side"  and his times with confession.

Whats that box in the back? Stopak asked. Yeah, I remember that place. Thats the confession place. Id go in and lie to the priest. I never did anything wrong, I was an angel. Then the priest would crouch down and try to see who I was. Thats when I ran out of there.

Then came the story about a dog.

I was out in Prairie Creek and the water was about this deep, Stopak said as he leveled his hands about a foot apart. I got stuck somehow and my dog saw me and started barking. It was loud enough my mom could hear so she came and helped me out.

So the dog saved you? Heeley asked.

Right, Stopak replied.

The boy-saving dog was not, however, named Lassie.

Sport, Stopak said. Just plain old Sport.

Today, Stopak lives in San Antonio just 15 minutes from the River Walk.

This is a trip Im going to think about for a long time, he said.
LINCOLN  Nebraska's highest court handed opponents of Whiteclay alcohol sales a resounding victory Friday, all but guaranteeing the village's four embattled beer stores will remain closed.

In a unanimous decision, the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected the store owners' bid to reopen, citing a technical flaw in their appeal.

The stores, which were forced to close in April, had for decades served millions of cans of beer each year to the Oglala Lakota people of South Dakotas nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol is banned.

Friday's decision ranks with the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn as one of the most significant wins ever for the Lakota people, said Frank LaMere, a Winnebago activist who sought the end of Whiteclay beer sales for 20 years.

"Today will be a red-letter day in Oglala Lakota history," LaMere said.

The court's 17-page opinion did not weigh in on the issues of rampant alcoholism on Pine Ridge or lawlessness in Whiteclay itself.

Instead, the justices determined that a fatal legal flaw doomed the beer store owners' appeal of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission's decision to deny their liquor licenses earlier this year.

"Our decision today does not address the merits of the parties respective positions, but rests solely on jurisdictional grounds," Justice John Wright wrote in the opinion.

The court agreed with Dave Domina, attorney for Sheridan County residents opposing the stores, who argued the store owners hadn't correctly appealed to the court because they didn't include his clients in the case.

As a result, a Lincoln judge's order reversing the Liquor Commission's decision was void, Wright wrote.

Andrew Sndyer, attorney for the beer stores, did not return phone messages Friday.

The owners of the four stores  Arrowhead Inn, State Line Liquor, D&S Pioneer Service and Jumping Eagle Inn  either couldn't be reached or declined to comment.

"We are exploring our options," said Clay Brehmer, co-owner of State Line Liquor, in an email.

Domina said the case topped any he's handled in his prominent career, which included multiple murder trials, leading the investigation into Commonwealth Savings Co. that resulted in the resignation of then-Nebraska Attorney General Paul Douglas in 1984, and prosecuting the impeachment of University of Nebraska Regent David Hergert in 2006.

Even his $1.28 billion jury verdict in a price-fixing case against Tyson Foods, which was later overturned by a judge, doesn't compare, Domina said.

"That one was about money. This was about people."

Todays Nebraska Supreme Court decision means that the shame of Whiteclay is over," he said. "It also means huge rocks have been removed from the road to recovery for many of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Nation and the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Bryan Brewer, a formal tribal president who has opposed Whiteclay beer sales, thanked the Supreme Court and people of Nebraska.

"The Lakota people, we've never won anything. This is a major victory for us  kind of our first big win," Brewer said. "We are very pleased up here.

"We're very happy with their decision, and hopefully we can start the healing process for our people, especially our children."

It is unclear whether the beer stores will make another bid to reopen.

They could seek a rehearing by the Nebraska Supreme Court, or ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision. The stores could also sue the state in federal court.

Another option would be to apply for new liquor licenses, then appeal once more if the licenses aren't granted.

Bob Batt, the state Liquor Commission chairman, said there's "zero" chance the commission will allow beer sales to resume in Whiteclay anytime soon, short of a reversal by the courts.

He called Friday's decision a victory for due process and the rule of law.

"God Bless America," he said. "Weve brought some closure to this."

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, whose office represented the Liquor Commission in the appeal, complimented two lawyers on his staff, Solicitor General Jim Smith and Assistant Attorney General Milissa Johnson-Wiles, for their work.

"Todays decision affords an opportunity to write a hopeful chapter in the story of Whiteclay," Peterson said in a news release.

A task force led by two state senators, Patty Pansing Brooks of Lincoln and Tom Brewer of Gordon, has already begun drawing up plans for new business development and human services in Whiteclay. The task force is visiting the area this weekend for a series of meetings.

"Streets once plagued with public intoxication, vagrancy, assaults, rape, and unsolved murder are now peaceful," Sen. Brewer said Friday. "The drain on Sheridan County emergency services and law enforcement is a fraction of what it once was. The healing of a town once called 'The Skid Row of the Plains' has started."

LaMere said he was "elated" by Friday's decision, but considered it inevitable given the recent momentum Whiteclay opponents have experienced.

He called for a day of "healing and reconciliation" on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, asking people to offer prayers of thanks and to seek forgiveness for allowing Whiteclay to "devastate the people for so long."

"Prayers must be said for ourselves," LaMere said.
There are nearly enough vacant properties in Dublin to house all the homeless people in the capital, according to a leading architect.

The latest Rebuilding Ireland Report shows only 454 social houses were built in the first six months of the year.
Mass immigration and Islam are harming British culture - but there should be no cap on the number of migrants who can come to the country, Ukip's new leader has said.

Henry Bolton won the race to succeed Paul Nuttall on Friday, averting a potential split of the party by defeating anti-Islam candidate Anne Marie Waters, who finished second in the leadership election.

In a sign of the need to unite the party, the little-known former Army officer used his keynote speech to the party conference in Torquay to declare that the present rate of immigration is "unacceptable" and claim British culture was being "swamped" by multiculturalism.

He called for an Australian-style points-based system for managing migration, but in a major shift of Ukip's position abandoned the party's pledge to cap net migration.

Mr Bolton told the conference: "Immigration is overwhelming our public services, which themselves are being slashed - 25% off the police, for example, in some cases nearly 50% off local government.

"Housing and communities are being overwhelmed, it is harming our own culture, traditions and way of life.

"We must demand that our own concerns about our own British culture are heard and that that feeds into our policy on immigration."

Earlier, he told reporters: "There is concern amongst the population writ large that there is an undermining through general immigration and the weight of numbers that we have got, and Islam as well, that our culture is being buried by this, being sort of pushed aside."

But he also watered down Ukip's promises in 2015 and 2017 to cap immigration, despite Prime Minister Theresa May remaining committed to a target of reducing net migration to the "tens of thousands".

Ukip party leader Henry Bolton speaks during the Ukip National Conference at the Riviera International Centre in Torquay.

Mr Bolton told reporters: "Anybody who says 'put a figure on it' is actually being entirely unrealistic and trying to paint politicians like me into a corner that gives you a nice thing to hang a comment on, but you're not going to get it from me because actually we need to be a lot more practical and operational about it."

The ex-soldier opened his speech with a clear pitch to former Ukip voters who backed the Tories in the general election, suggesting Mrs May had betrayed them on Brexit.

The PM's promise that "Brexit means Brexit" and her approach to the issue was thought to be a key factor in Ukip's vote share tumbling to 1.8% from 12.6% in 2015.

Mr Bolton described a transition period as proposed by the Conservatives and Labour as "unacceptable" and said Britain must be "prepared" to leave the European Union immediately.

He claimed Mrs May's Florence speech, in which she set out plans for a two-year transition and made a first offer towards a financial settlement, showed "the UK does not want to leave the EU in anything but name".

The PM's promise of a security partnership with the EU showed she was prepared to "subordinate" the UK's foreign policy, defence and aid to Brussels, Mr Bolton said.

"We must demand the repeal of the European Communities Act and be prepared to leave now," he said.

Mr Bolton added: "The Prime Minister called the last general election, in her own words, 'to strengthen my hand in the Brexit negotiations'.

Ukip party leader Henry Bolton following his speech during the Ukip National Conference at the Riviera International Centre in Torquay.

"She claimed that she offered 'strong and stable' leadership.

"The country and many of our supporters trusted her and the Conservatives won the election.

"So, 14 months after the referendum, have we regained control of our borders?

"Are we able to conclude our own trade agreements?

"We have not, no."

Staying on traditional Ukip territory, Mr Bolton attacked the Government's cuts to defence spending, claiming 1,000 Royal Marines were being axed to save 3 billion to go towards the so-called Brexit "divorce bill".

He said 13 of the Navy's 19-strong fleet of Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers were unable to sail due to a lack of manpower, fuel and supplies, and he drew audible gasps from the crowd when stating "we have fewer main battle tanks than Switzerland".

Turning to Ukip's electoral failure, Mr Bolton set out plans to select candidates earlier, improve planning and training across the party and country, and better manage finances.

He ditched the 2017 manifesto and said 2015's version would be used as a "baseline", while members will be given a role in policy-making, with the party's conference to vote on ideas.

Mr Bolton concluded: "Brexit remains our core task and to secure the future of our great nation is our core purpose.

"Failure is not an option."
US President Donald Trump has lashed out at the mayor of San Juan and other officials in storm-ravaged Puerto Rico, contemptuous of their claims of a slow American response to the natural disaster that has threatened the island's future.

"They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort," Mr Trump said in a series of tweets a day after the capital city's leader appealed for help "to save us from dying".

"Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help," he said.

The tweets were a biting response to San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who had accused the Trump administration of "killing us with the inefficiency" after Hurricane Maria. She implored the president, who is set to visit the US territory on Tuesday, to "make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives".

Mr Trump has pledged to spare no effort to help Puerto Rico recover from Maria's ruinous aftermath, and tweeted that military personnel and first responders had done "an amazing job" despite having "no electric, roads, phones etc".

Puerto Rico, he said, "was totally destroyed" and "10,000 Federal workers now on the island are doing a fantastic job".

Mr Trump's acting homeland security secretary, Elaine Duke, surveyed the Puerto Rican landscape by helicopter during a visit on Friday. She also drove past still-flooded streets, twisted billboards and roofs with gaping holes, and offered encouragement to some of the emergency personnel the US government has on the ground.

Ms Duke also tried to move on from the remarks she made on Thursday in which she called the federal relief effort a "good-news story". On that front, she ran into winds as fierce as Maria.

"We are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency," Ms Cruz said at a news conference.

"I am begging, begging anyone that can hear us, to save us from dying."

Mr Trump, from his golf club in New Jersey, took to Twitter to accuse her of partisan politics.

"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," the president charged, without substantiation.

Thousands more Puerto Ricans have received water and rationed food as an aid bottleneck has begun to ease.

By now, telecommunications have been restored for about 30% of the island, nearly half of the supermarkets have reopened at least for reduced hours and about 60% of petrol stations are pumping.

But many remain desperate for necessities, most urgently water, long after the September 20 hurricane.

Mr Trump said on Friday that Puerto Rico is "totally unable" to handle the catastrophe on its own.

"They are working so hard, but there's nothing left," he said. "It's been wiped out."

He said the government is "fully engaged in the disaster and the response and recovery effort".

He added that he was not aware of Ms Duke's "good-news" remark.

"I haven't heard what she said," he told reporters. "I can tell you this: We have done an incredible job considering there's absolutely nothing to work with."

Yet even in voicing solidarity and sympathy with Puerto Rico, he again drew attention to the island's debt burden and infrastructure woes, leaving doubt about how far Washington will go to make the US territory whole.

"Ultimately the government of Puerto Rico will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort - it will end up being one of the biggest ever - will be funded and organised, and what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island," he said.

"We will not rest, however, until the people of Puerto Rico are safe."

During this season's trio of monster hurricanes - Harvey, Irma and Maria - Mr Trump and his administration have drifted into the perilous territory of premature self-congratulation in the face of unfolding catastrophe, seemingly unmindful of the "Brownie moment" that scarred George W Bush's presidency.

Mr Bush famously told his emergency management director, Michael Brown, "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" during what proved to be a tragically inept federal response to deadly Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Mr Trump has repeatedly boasted about the positive reviews he said his administration is getting from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands for its relief effort, even as people in remote towns struggle to find food, water and other basics.

Then Ms Duke said before leaving Washington that the federal relief effort was a "good-news story" because of "our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths".

"Let me clarify," she said on Friday upon arrival in San Juan. She said she meant "it was good news that people of Puerto Rico and many public servants of the United States are working together".

Ms Cruz responded: "This is a people-are-dying story."

- AP
How you can help Give A Christmas to Lower Bucks families in need
Changes continued to take place within city staff in September.

We finalized our selection for our next police chief and the council gave their approval at the Sept. 5 meeting. We were fortunate to have three well-qualified individuals for this position. Chuck Sherer was selected to lead our police department based on his qualifications and the experience he brings to the position. Along with this we will see the opportunity for internal movement/promotions within the department.

Columbus should be excited about the quality and commitment of those who service and protect us. To have the ability to choose a successor from within our ranks shows the level of professionalism that exists. From our newly appointed chief to all our other police personnel, we are blessed to be protected by some of the best.

My excitement quickly went to disappointment when Drew Brookhart informed me of his resignation as our library director. In his short time here Drew has given the library professional leadership. He was instrumental in bringing the library/cultural arts center to a vote. And, although unsuccessful, he immediately began the process to look at what went wrong, why, and what could be done to tweak the concept and bring it back to the voters. Drew's opportunities back in Colorado are great for him and his family. If you see Drew, say thanks for a job well done.

The library board has selected Karen Connell as interim director. Along with this, the search for a new permanent director has begun. And they continue to look at what needs to be done to bring a successful library/cultural arts center package back to the voters.

The council recently was given a class in "TIF 101." City Administrator Tara Vasicek put an array of information together in the simplest manner possible to explain TIF (tax-increment financing). TIF is a tool used to stimulate economic development and is vastly misunderstood. Her efforts were to help clarify what TIF is and how Columbus can utilize it better.

The council also moved forward with the first reading of our new nuisance ordinance. This is the first of many steps we are taking to gain a stronger hand in dealing with community nuisances. There is common agreement in Columbus that we have many nuisances to address. What we are doing is giving our officials better and more effective tools to work with in addressing these.

One thing I have never mentioned in these monthly updates, because I just assume everyone knows, I am only an email, phone call or personal visit away from any of you who have questions or concerns. For me to be an effective mayor, I must try and have my finger on the pulse of the community. Your input allows this to happen.
How international students in South Jersey celebrate the holidays

South Jersey's international students share how they cope when they can't make it home for the holidays by finding new ways to celebrate the season.
The Madras High Court has issued an interim stay against an order of the Registrar of (RoC), Chennai, disqualifying an individual from being director under the Act, 2013, for five years till 2021. The court has also issued notice of motion to the Centre and the Registrar of Companies, in a petition filed by an individual director.
Uber Technologies Inc co-founder Travis Kalanick on Friday said he had appointed two new directors, a surprise move that publicly reignited a board battle over the role of the ousted former chief executive.

Uber investors are divided over whether Kalanick, who was pressured to step down as CEO earlier this year in the wake of several company scandals, should himself be on the board and whether he can name two other directors.

The company and new Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi are scrambling to portray Uber as a reformed company that is responding to concerns including sexual harassment claims and a US bribery probe.

Kalanick, still one of the largest shareholders, said in a statement he had appointed former Xerox Chief Executive Ursula Burns and former Merrill Lynch Chief Executive John Thain as directors.

"I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent board proposal to dramatically restructure the board and significantly alter the company's voting rights. It is therefore essential that the full board be in place for proper deliberation to occur, especially with such experienced board members as Ursula and John," he said. He did not specify the proposals he opposed.

The appointments were a "complete surprise" to Uber and its board, the company said in a statement. "That is precisely why we are working to put in place world-class governance to ensure that we are building a company every employee and shareholder can be proud of," it added.

An investor who has supported Kalanick, Yucaipa managing partner Ron Burkle, praised the appointments on Friday, calling Burns and Thain "smart, high-quality people."

Division among Uber investors exploded in public in August, when Benchmark Capital filed a lawsuit to force Kalanick off the board and rescind his ability to fill two other seats on the panel, accusing him of concealing a range of misdeeds. Yucaipa and other Uber investors defended Kalanick and asked Benchmark to divest its own shares and step down from the board.

A Delaware judge later that month stayed the Benchmark lawsuit and sent it to arbitration, pushing the dispute out of public view and delivering Kalanick a victory.

Kalanick's action on Friday could be subject to a new legal challenge. Benchmark or other Uber investors could attempt to block the appointments by asking the Delaware judge to issue a so-called "status-quo order." The judge last month did not grant such a request.

Kalanick's lawyer at the time told the court that Kalanick had not rushed to fill the seats. The New York Times also quoted Kalanick's lawyer as telling the court Kalanick had the power to fill the seats under the pre-arbitration "status quo."

Benchmark did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Liana B. Baker and Paresh Dave; Writing by Peter Henderson; Editing by David Gregorio and Lisa Shumaker)
BMGFor the last few years, ex-Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora has been gushing about the music he's been making with his girlfriend, Australian guitar virtuoso Orianthi. Now the couple, who call their collaboration RSO, have delivered their first release.

Today, the duo issued a five-track EP titled Rise, which finds them exploring a variety of genres, including hard rock, pop, blues, R&B and country.

One of the EP's tracks, a soulful pop-rock ballad called "Masterpiece," was given its premiere today on Billboard.com, and can also be heard at RSO's official YouTube channel. According to Billboard, a number of high-profile guest musicians contributed to Rise, including Alice Cooper -- whose touring band Orianthi used to play in -- and Doors guitarist Robby Krieger.

Sambora tells Billboard about Rise, "It was our relationship that we were exploringand now it goes out to humanity. Hopefully people are going to go, 'Yeah, I get that.'"

Richie and Orianthi revealed to the publication that they have recorded about 25 tracks overall, and will eventually release a full-length album. According to RSO's official website, the EP is one of two releases that will come out this year.

Fans who order Rise at RSOOfficial.com will receive a bonus track: a reggae-flavored version of the song "Good Times."

Here is the track list of RSO's Rise EP:

"Rise"

"Masterpiece"

"Truth"

"Take Me"

"Good Times"

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
I am writing to ask that the Public Service Commission reject the KXL pipeline that would carry tar sands through the sandhills of Nebraska. The risk of a pipeline leak is too great. Our aquifer is one of the largest in this country and at this time the water is pure. Tar sands would not be able to be completely cleaned up. Also, it would be setting a precedent for a foreign countries to take U.S. land by eminent domain and own it in perpetuity.
Veteran theatre and film personality Tom Alter lost his battle against skin cancer at his residence in Mumbai, his family said on Saturday. He was 67. Tom Alter was battling stage four quamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer at a Mumbai hospital, where he was admitted earlier in September.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday assured that all the suburban stations in Mumbai will be inspected within a week.

Speaking to the media here, Goyal said, "Employees of Mumbai Railways have accepted my request to not celebrate Dussehra in the wake of the incident. In the next seven days, all suburban stations will be inspected to identify vulnerable issues; we will speed up work on foot-over bridge (FOB)."

Earlier in the day, the Western Railways stated a clarification that there was no structural damage in the FOB (foot over bridge) which can be attributed to the stampede.

Western Railways in a statement asserted that there was overcrowding at the foot over bridge due to heavy rains and people panicked on rumours of foot over bridge collapsing.

Earlier today, 22 people were killed and over 39 seriously got injured in a rush-hour stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone railway station's foot over bridge today.
The White House has announced that United States President Donald Trump will travel to Asia from November 3-14

Trump's first Asia trip as President will take him to China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Hawaii.

The list of nations does not include India, but it's expected that Trump's visit could lead to a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Manila.

Though no announcement has been made yet, Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the regional summit, along with the American President.

It will be their third meeting, if they do indeed meet, after delegation-level talks in June in Washington DC and an interaction during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, in July.

"The President will participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements - including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit - demonstrating his continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the United States in the region," the White House said in a statement.

"President Trump will discuss the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to America's prosperity and security. He will also emphasise the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners. The President's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," the statement added.

The US President will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.
The Chief Minister of the Malaysian state of Selangor, Dato Seri Mohamed Azmin Bin Ali, along with a 10-member delegation of the Selangor Investment Mission, met the Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Suresh Prabhu, in New Delhi on 29th September. .

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Prior to his meeting with the Commerce and Industry Minister, the Chief Minister of Selangor had also visited Chennai and Hyderabad to explore investment and business opportunities. .

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In his interaction with Shri Prabhu, the Chief Minister applauded Genome Valley of Hyderabad for their cutting edge technology and expressed his States interest in collaboration with India in the field of bio-technology, ICT, life sciences, transport and logistics. The Commerce and Industry Minister conveyed Indias interest in mutual cooperation in new and emerging areas such as bio-technology, influence in agriculture, disease control and other research areas. .

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The Chief Minister of Selangor requested Indias support for development of regional smart cities to tap into Indias expertise and talent pool in this endeavour. .

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Both sides expressed keenness to explore potential commercial and investment opportunities and Shri Prabhu urged Malaysian companies to take advantage of the investment prospects available under Indias flagship programmes such as Make in India, Skill India and Invest India. .

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NW
PM expresses grief on the demise of actor Tom Alter

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed grief on the demise of Shri Tom Alter and recalled his contribution to the film world and theatre.

The Prime Minister also extended condolences to the family and admirers of Shri Tom Alter.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Israel's Mossad intelligence agency played a role in Iraqi Kurdistan's independence vote, proved by the waving of Israeli flags during celebrations of the overwhelming "yes' vote.

Ankara fiercely opposed the referendum and has threatened sanctions against the region, reflecting its worries about its own sizeable Kurdish minority.

During a televised speech, Erdogan claimed that Turkey had been saddened to see some Iraqi Kurds acclaiming the independence referendum with Israeli flags.

"This shows one thing, that this administration (in northern Iraq) has a history with Mossad, they are hand-in- hand together," Erdogan said in Erzurum, in eastern Turkey.

Iran and Iraq's central government in Baghdad have also have expressed alarm over the referendum last Monday, and have refused to recognise its validity.

Israel has been the only country to openly support an independent Kurdish state, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backing "the legitimate efforts of the Kurdish people to attain a state of its own."



Erdogan has derided the Israeli support.

"Are you aware of what you are doing?" Erdogan said in an appeal to Iraqi Kurdish leaders. "Only Israel supports you."



Ankara has threatened a series of measures to punish Iraqi Kurds, including shutting the land border between Turkey and the region and halting the transit of oil from Iraqi Kurdistan to the southern Turkish port of Ceyhan, an economic lifeline.

Yesterday, the Turkish carriers Turkish Airlines, Atlas and Pegasus suspended their flights to Iraqi Kurdistan for an unspecified period of time.

Erdogan today vowed that Iraqi Kurdistan "will pay a price" for the "unacceptable" independence referendum, without elaborating.

"An independent state is not being founded in northern Iraq, but on the contrary a continuously bleeding wound is being opened," he said.

"To ignore this reality benefits neither us, nor our Kurdish brothers in Iraq," he said, calling on Iraqi Kurds to "wake up from this dream" of independence.

Ankara had previously refused to engage in official contacts with Iraqi Kurds, fearing that any actions that could encourage the creation of an independent Kurdish state could embolden its own Kurds.

But as Turkey's economy has boomed, Erdogan has moved to forge trade ties with Iraq's Kurdistan region, helping make Iraq the second-largest market for Turkish exports last year, after Germany.

The Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani has also become a frequent visitor to Turkey.

Business sources quoted in Turkish media have warned that the closure of the Habur border gate could harm USD 7 billion of trade between Ankara and Arbil.
Pakistan's interior ministry has asked the election commission not to register a newly-floated political party backed by Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, citing security agencies' report that such groups would "breed violence and extremism in politics".

Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the Lashkar- e-Taiba militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack, last month launched the Milli Muslim League (MML).

The party, on September 18, said that it will foray into Pakistan's political scene by contesting the 2018 general elections.

The MML applied for registration with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which is mandatory for any party to contest elections.

The ECP sought opinion of the Ministry of Interior about the MML, which is apparently a facade to promote the message of Saeed who is currently kept in detention by Pakistan.

A ministry official said that after consultation with various security agencies, the ECP was informed that the MML was not fully independent from the JUD and Saeed, and "it should not be registered as a political party".

Meanwhile, the Nation newspaper in a report on September 27 quoted a letter by the Ministry of Interior to the ECP, asking the election authority not to register the MML.

"There is evidence to substantiate that the Lashkar-e- Tayaba (LeT), the JuD and the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) are affiliates and ideologically of the same hue and the registration of the MML is not supported," the letter said.

The ministry in the letter, quoting an official correspondence of the ECP, said that MML President Saifullah Khalid has claimed that Saeed and he were ideologically affiliated with each other's organisations.

The ministry informed the ECP that the LeT had been proscribed since January 14, 2002, in Pakistan whereas the JuD and the FIF had been placed under "restrictions" since January 27, 2017, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The restrictions now have been extended up to January 26, 2018.

"They have also attracted sanctions under the United Nations Security Council Resolution No 1267 and have been dealt accordingly," the letter said.

The ministry said it took up the MML issue with security agencies.

"The reply of one agency is awaited, while the other agency has intimated that indulgence of proscribed/under observation organisation in the political process with an aim to win legitimacy is a serious issue, thereby neutralising the gains of the National Action Plan (NAP)," the letter said.

"Given the clamour, philosophy, outreach and modus operandi to operate, it is difficult to believe that the MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother organisation," the ministry said while quoting the security agency.

The security agency recommended that "since the registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, their registration as an apolitical party should be avoided".

The ministry also informed the ECP that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has also highlighted Pakistan's obligations and commitment to the NAP and recommended that the Ministry of Interior should take up the matter of the registration and activities of the MML and its association with proscribed organisations with the ECP to avoid any negative consequences for Pakistan.

The MoFA has recommended that the MML's application should not be supported for registration.

The Nation also reported that the Foreign Office told the interior ministry that the recent political activities of the group had also been officially objected at the diplomatic level.

The MoFA also reminded that the JuD and the FIF were proscribed organisations under the UN Security Council Act 1948.

The paper also reported that MML Secretary Information Tabish Qayyum strongly challenged the letter of the ministry and called it "unconstitutional, unlawful and unethical", claiming that there was no law to register a political party.

He said that the MML was a political party under Article 17 of the Constitution and Political Parties Order 2002.

"The party has already made it clear that it had no relations of any kind with any banned organisation, and is not involved in any unlawful activity," the report said.

He said that no proof against the MML leadership had been provided to the ECP along with the so-called letter.

Despite legal issues faced by the MML, it supported a candidate in the elections held in Lahore on September 17.

The candidate performed well and polled more than 7,000 votes.

The JuD formed Milli Muslim League at the time when Saeed was detained in Lahore.

Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti- terrorism act.

The JuD has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

Saeed carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.

(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.)
Ousted Pakistan prime minister will be re-elected as the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) during the party's general council meeting at Islamabad Convention Centre on October 3.

The first meeting of the council would be held at the Islamabad Convention Centre on Oct 2 after a meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC) earlier in the morning to amend the PML-N constitution that also barred a disqualified person from holding any party office.

Sharif will not leave for London till he is re-elected as the party chief. The PML-N's CWC and general council, a 1,600-strong electorate, has been summoned to elect the party's central leadership, the dawn quoted PML-N central information secretary and Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan as saying.

Sharif had relinquished the position of PML-N chief after his ouster from power under the July 28 verdict of the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.

The Representation of Peoples Act 1976 bars anyone who is ineligible to become a member of parliament from holding office in a political party.

The re-election of as PML-N chief is coinciding with the day when the National Assembly will pass the amendments made by the Senate in the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017.

The bar is, however, being removed through the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 passed by the National Assembly on Aug 22 and the Senate, with some amendments, a month later on Sept 22.

The Bill has now been referred back to the lower house of Parliament to pass the amended draft law.

Earlier, was scheduled to fly to London on Thursday to inquire about his wife, Begum Kulsoom, who is undergoing treatment for cancer at a private hospital in the United Kingdom.

Kulsoom on Friday was discharged from the hospital where she was admitted after her condition deteriorated three days ago.

In a tweet, Maryam Nawaz said that her mother returned home and her further treatment would begin soon.

"Shukar Alhamdolillah Ami is better, discharged from the hospital & back home. Her further treatment including chemotherapy starts next week," she tweeted.

Mushahidullah said, "Since Begum Kulsoom's condition has stabilised, Mr Sharif has no plans to leave for London before Oct 3."

Ever since the Supreme Court's verdict, the PML-N has been run by its acting president Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasar, a senator from Balochistan.
An Oxford University college where Aung San Suu Kyi studied as an undergraduate has removed her portrait from its main entrance amid mounting criticism of the Myanmar leader over the plight of Rohingya Muslims.

Suu Kyi had graduated from St Hugh's College in 1967 and the portrait had hung prominently at the college entrance since 1999.

It waspainted by artist Chen Yanning in 1997 and belonged toSuu Kyi's husband, Oxford professor Michael Aris, and was given to the college following his death.

"The college received the gift of a new painting earlier this month which will be exhibited for a period. The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has meanwhile been moved to storage," the college said in a statement.

While the exact reasons for the portrait's removal, which comes just days before the start of the academic year and the arrival of new students, remain unclear, there is a general view that the allegations of ethnic cleansing as a result of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims fleeing their homes to Bangladesh is likely to be behind the move.

But the decision was branded as "cowardly" by theBurma Campaign UK group, which has called for the college to go further.

"This seems a rather cowardly action by St Hugh's. If they have taken down the portrait because of Aung San Suu Kyi defending the Burmese military as they commit ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya they should say so and write to her urging her to respect human rights," Mark Farmaner, the campaign's director, told the Guardian newspaper.

Suu Kyi was also awarded an honorary degree by St Hugh's College in June 2012, which the university said it was not considering withdrawing.

The Myanmar leader won a Nobel Prize following years as a political prisoner and hasbeen Myanmar's de facto political leader since winning elections in 2015.

St Hugh's student newsletter, 'The Swan' said the decision to remove the portrait was taken by the college's governing body.

The college's other notable alumni include UK Prime Minister Theresa May who has also called on Suu Kyi to "make it very clear that the military action (against Rohingyas) should stop".

Suu Kyi read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford between 1964 and 1967.

Councillors in the city of Oxford have said they would reconsider the 'Freedom of the City' honour bestowed on Suu Kyi in 1997.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday foiled a nefarious design of Pakistan to infiltrate terrorists through a tunnel along the Line of Control (LoC) from Arnia sector in Jammu and Kashmir to cause havoc in festival season.

Arnia sector has been witnessing Pakistani aggression in the recent past.

On September 17, at least three civilians were injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Arnia sector.

On September 21, the Pakistan Army again violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Arnia Sector.

On September 23, three BSF jawans were injured after Pakistan violated ceasefire in Arnia Sector.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Urban regeneration is one of the main trends in the actions of urban cities, which enables the social and investment development and has a real and direct impact on citizens' socioeconomic status. The regeneration actions enhance

the competitiveness of cities and regions, have an extreme/ unquestionable/ evident impact on improving the quality of citizens life, and prove that the local level is where challenges are best known and where solutions can best be defined with the citizens. The exchange of good practices and views in the context of the regeneration process in the European Union is extremely

important. The City of odz is a member of the Urban Poverty Partnership, in which it is working on the action plan regarding the urban neighborhoods.





The seminar organised in the City of odz would be a meeting open to a wider audience. Its aim is to engage citizens in a dialogue and to collect feedback on their concerns, in the context of the Urban Agenda for the EU. The event will primarily focus on linking the voice of citizens with a political debate on the future of urban areas in European policies.





Following the CoR initiative, the local event aims to discuss the EUs priority of inclusive cities by supporting urban regeneration actions to fight urban poverty and build equitable cities for all, including the integration of marginalised communities.
China's Ambassador to India, Luo Zhaohui, has said that the time is right for both India and China to "turn a new chapter" in ties and "dance together".

Making an indirect reference to the 73-day-long military standoff on the Doklam Plateau in Bhutan, Ambassador Zhaohui made a strong pitch for renewing India-China ties by using an idiom that both "India and China should make one plus one eleven".

Speaking on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of founding of the People's Republic of China, Ambassador Zhaohui said, "We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and same direction."

Highlighting Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Xiamen earlier this month, Ambassador Zhaohui said both leaders had sent out a clear message of the need to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. He also added that both India and China have agreed to strengthen their ties.

"China is the largest trading partner of India. We have made a lot of progress at the bilateral level, as well as in international and regional affairs. I am quite sure that with joint efforts, we will focus on cooperation, handle the difference properly, enhance mutual trust, and move forward and take our relations to a new height," Ambassador Zhaohui said.

Ambassador Zhaohui said, "In our bilateral engagement, there have been thousands of prominent persons like Professor Xu Fancheng, (Buddhist monk) Bodhidharma, Faxian (a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India in the 3rd century) and Rabindranath Tagore. We should never forget their contribution and legacies. History teaches us a lot of things. Standing on their shoulders, we should do more today,"he added.

Next month, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China will be held in Beijing. The envoy said that he believed that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and President Xi Jinping, China will have a brighter future.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Just two days after senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha's scathing attack on the Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government's economic policy, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said that the government should reform the economic policy and urged the economic advisers to come out of old economic 'isms' and present solutions based on ground reality of the nation.

Criticizing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government at the Centre, Sinha on Thursday had described the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1 as the second major blow to the Indian economy after demonetisation.

He also said that the BJP can no longer blame the Congress for the "mess", since the Narendra Modi regime has been in power and office for more than three years.

Bhagwat, while delivering the annual Vijaya Dashami speech at the RSS's headquarters in Nagpur, said, "We need an economic policy that takes care of all big, small and medium enterprises, farmers etc. It is because of this sector that we have survived economic meltdowns in the past. We should ensure that these sectors are least affected. We should have reforms but we should ensure the stability to these sectors."

Referring to the unemployment in the country, which has become the opposition Congress Party's big point of attack on the Modi government, Bhagwat said "Employment for every hand and remuneration for sustainable livelihood is a major consideration for us. The government should encourage people to adopting entrepreneurial skills and support them. This way we can ensure economic progress."

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has lambasted on the central government for failing to provide job opportunities to the unemployed youth, which is one of the major threats to the growth of the nation.

"The central question is how India gives its people jobs. If you, as a modern country, are unable to give your people jobs, it's very difficult to give them a vision. Everyday nearly 30,000 new youngsters come into job market, but only 450 jobs are being provided today," Rahul Gandhi had said while addressing students at the Princeton University recently.

Yashwant Sinha had also said, "Today, people want to get jobs. But if you ask anyone, he will say, there is no job".

Calling for an integrated policy for safeguarding the interests for all sections of the society to ensure economic progress, Bhagwat said "Our Niti Aayog and economic advisers of the states will have to come out of the same old economic 'isms', and will have to integrate the most up-to-date economic experiences with the ground reality of our nation,"

"All policies and standards need rethinking, unique models of development based on the needs of our nation. Economic advisers will have to come out of old economic 'isms' and present solutions based on ground reality of our nation. Employment for every hand and remuneration for sustainable livelihood is a major consideration for us. The government should encourage people to adopting entrepreneurial skills and support them. This way we can ensure economic progress," RSS chief said.

On the Rohingya issue

Cautioning government against providing asylum to Rohingyas, RSS chief said that Rohingya and Jihadi elements are interlinked.

"The links between Rohingya and Jihadi elements are coming to light. If such elements come to India, they may have an impact on our security situation. Why do the Rohingya want to come to India? We need to study their background," Bhagwat said.

Bhagwat also accused the governments of West Bengal and Kerala of indulging in petty politics by lending a helping hand to the anti- forces.

"The state governments of Kerala and West Bengal seem to be lending a helping hand to the anti- forces for petty political interests. Jihadi forces are active there. We have been facing problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into our country. Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken by keeping in mind threat to national security. We have not even completely solved problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when problem of Myanmar has been heaped on us," he said.

In view of ongoing violence in Rakhine State of Myanmar, which has triggered an outflow of Rohingya Muslims, various security arrangements have been put in place across the region to prevent infiltration of illegal immigrants.

Praised Modi govt. for resolving Doklam diplomatically

Lauding the Narendra Modi government's diplomacy for handling the Doklam issue, Bhagwat said that "it had helped India to attain new heights of diplomacy in the international arena."

"India has demonstrated its strong determination to protect its borders in response to the activities of Pakistan on the Western front and that of China on the Northern front," Bhagwat said in his address.

"Bharat's strong and determined stand has been visible in incidents like Doklam, on the borders as well as in international diplomacy. This definitely makes us realise about our strength, and at the same time, provides new international standing to Bharat," Bhagwat added.

Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a tense border stand-off for over two months at Doklam, near the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction, but on the afternoon of August 28, both China and India agreed for expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site.

Big praise to the Security forces

Hailing the security forces, Bhagwat said, "The determination with which terrorist infiltration and firing from across the border is being dealt with is highly commendable and the ruling BJP government is giving a fitting reply to infiltration by giving freedom to the security forces to do their duty."

"The provocative actions, propaganda and subversive activities of the separatist elements are being curbed by closing off their illegal economic resources and exposing their links with anti-national forces," Bhagwat declared.

Hinted Constitutional amendments on J&K

While lauding the armed forces' efforts in dealing with militancy and ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the Valley, Bhagwat also said, much still needed to be done to bring the state to the mainstream.

"For this just work, necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. Then and then only, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with rest of Bharat and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in the national progress," Bhagwat said in an apparent references to Articles 370 and 35(A) of the Constitution.

While Article 370 gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Article 35(A) defines the state's permanent residents and their special privileges.

Condemned linking of Gau Raksha with violence

Condemning the linking of Gau Raksha with violence, Bhagwat stated that the cow-protection issue "goes beyond religion" and attacking people in its name is not acceptable.

"It is reprehensible that some people have been killed allegedly by Gau Rakshaks. In fact, violence of any form is reprehensible. At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers. We must look at the issue of cow protection beyond religion," says Bhagwat.

Bhagwat said, "Cows are used more for its urine and dung than milk in our country. For a small farmer to progress, rearing of the cow is a must. Protecting cow and cow-based agriculture is directed by the constitution. Rearing of the cow is not a matter of religion. I know many Muslims involved in rearing and protection of cows. Many Muslims have sacrificed their life for Gau Raksha."

Bhagwat ended his speech by quoting Sister Nivedita, who had said, "Samaj is the strength of the family: the home is behind the civic life and the civic life sustains the nationality. We have the essentials of all four elements among us, in our ancient Dharma but we have allowed much of their consciousness to sleep. We have again to realize the meaning of our own treasure."

Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart L. K. Advani, Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also attended the Vijayadashami rally organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah has commuted the death sentences given to 15 Indians lodged in a Kuwaiti jail to life imprisonment.

"HH the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment. HH the Emir has further directed the reduction in sentence of 119 Indian nationals," India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in a series of tweets on Saturday.

Swaraj also expressed India's gratitude to the Emir of Kuwait for this kind gesture and said that the Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison.

"We are grateful to the Emir of Kuwait for this kind gesture.Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison," she tweeted.

Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take up the issue of Indian prisoners languishing in jails in the Middle East.

Citing the release order of 149 Indian prisoners who are currently lodged in jails in Sharjah, Chief Minister Vijayan in a letter to Swaraj, had requested the MEA to direct the diplomatic missions in UAE and other Middle East countries to seek the release of Indian prisoners in jails of these countries on humanitarian countries.

"As you (Swaraj) are aware the ruler of Sharjah Dr. Sheikh Syukltan Bin Mohamed Al Qasami had visited Kerala between 24th and 26th of September 2017. Both Ministry of External Affairs and state government have been receiving large number of representations from Indian citizens who have been sentenced to jail in civil offences, especially in Middle East countries which have stringent legal frameworks. In this context, I had requested His Highness to consider their release as a humanitarian gesture. This request was immediately agreed to and 149 Indian prisoners were ordered to be released," he said in a letter to Swaraj.

"In this context, it is suggested that citing this gesture of Sharjah, If Indian Government takes up this issue with other Emirates in UAE, we may be able to secure the release of a large number of similarly placed Indians. It is requested that MEA may seriously consider taking this step and direct the diplomatic missions in UAE and other Middle East countries to pursue this request," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Chief of app-based cab aggregator Uber, Travis Kalanick, who had resigned from his post in June, has named two new members to the company's Board of Directors, in a bid to grant them voting rights in the million-dollar firm.

Kalanick announced appointment of Ursula Burns, former CEO and Chairwoman of Xerox, and John Thain, who has served as CEO of CIT Group, Merrill Lynch and the New York Stock Exchange.

"I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent Board proposal to dramatically restructure the Board and significantly alter the company's voting rights. It is therefore essential that the full Board be in place for proper deliberation to occur, especially with such experienced board members as Ursula and John. I am confident that, with their additions and Dara's appointment, Uber will be well situated to focus on the future and continue to revolutionize how cities move," an official statement said, reports TechCrunch.

In August, putting an end to months of retrospection over finding a successor to Travis Kalanick, Uber chose Dara Khosrowshahi to take charge as a new chief.

Khosrowshahi, who was the CEO of Expedia, an online travel company, was decided to be the new CEO of Uber in a series of internal board meetings, reports The New York Times.

While the Board was reportedly in favour of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Chief Meg Whitman taking over, they finally decided on Khosrowshahi for the position of CEO.

The decision came over two months after Kalanick stepped down from the position.

Travis, who was absent from work citing personal reasons as well as an internal rift in the organisation, was allegedly forced to step down following severe backlash from the company's shareholders.

The company had reportedly faced a string of revolts from the shareholders, few of which demanded Kalanick's resignation.

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Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the mastermind of Mumbai terrorist attack has sent a Rs 100 million defamation notice to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for his remarks at the Asia Society forum in New York earlier this week.

The notice was sent by a legal team and served by Advocate AK Dogar on behalf of Saeed on Friday under Section 8 of the Defamation Ordinance of 2002. The notice claimed that Saeed is "respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim".

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had recently refused to accept the blame for the presence of the Haqqani Network and in his country, saying it was United States that regarded these 'terrorists' as the darlings of the White House a few decades back.

"Don't blame us for the Haqqanis [the Haqqani Network] and don't blame us for the Hafiz Saeed, chief of banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa. These were the people who were your darlings just 20 to 30 years back. They were being dined and wined in the White House, and now, you say 'go to hell Pakistanis because you are nurturing these people," The Dawn quoted Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif as saying at the Asia Society in New York.

"It is very easy to say Pakistan is floating the Haqqanis and and Lashkar-e-Taiba. They are liabilities. I accept that they are liabilities, but give us time to get rid of them, because we don't have the assets to match these liabilities and you are increasing our liabilities further," he added.

The notice accuses Asif of "an absolute lie and falsehood that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed is one of those persons who had been the darlings of Americans and had been dining and wining in the White House," the Dawn reported.

"I have been advised by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed to tell you that he has never been near the White House, not to speak of wined and dined. It is shocking to know that the foreign minister of my country is accusing Hafiz Muhammad Saeed of taking wine. This is abusive language and can never be used about my client. He is [a] patriotic Islam loving Muslim following the dictates of [the] Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). This is a defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to five years imprisonment and with [a] fine," Advocate Dogar was quoted by Dawn as saying.

"Please take notice that my client intends to file a suit for damages to the tune of Rs. 100m for hurting the reputation of my client not only in Pakistan but all over the world," he further said in the notice.

Saeed was put under house arrest at his residence in Lahore's Johar Town earlier this year.

Responding to an appeal for Saeed's release before the Lahore High Court, the Punjab home ministry recently said that releasing the JuD chief would cause unrest in the province.

Saeed is a wanted terrorist by India and the United States for his alleged role in masterminding the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai that claimed 166 lives.

He even carries a bounty of $10 million (approx. Rs 66 crore) on his head for his role in the attack.

He is an internationally designated terrorist but continues to be an influential person in Pakistan's certain religious groups.

Pakistan claims to have banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), but following the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2002, it re-emerged as Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD). The United States has designated the JuD as a front for the LeT.

(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.)
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said India has demonstrated its strong determination to protect its borders from the activities of "Pakistan on the Western front and that of China on the Northern front" thereby attaining new heights in diplomacy and security.

Speaking on the occasion of Dussehra, Bhagwat praised the Centre for handling the Doklam issue diplomatically and said that it had helped India to attain new heights of diplomacy in the international arena.

"India has demonstrated its strong determination to protect its borders in response to the activities of Pakistan on the Western front and that of China on the Northern front, Bhagwat said in his address in Nagpur.

Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a tense border stand-off for over two months at Doklam, near the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction, but on the afternoon of August 28, both China and India agreed for expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site.

"Bharat's strong and determined stand has been visible in incidents like Doklam, on the borders as well as in international diplomacy. This definitely makes us realise about our strength, and at the same time, provides new international standing to Bharat,"Bhagwat added.

Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar had said that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas as a prerequisite for further development of relations between the two countries.

"Peace and tranquility in the border areas was a prerequisite for our relationship and there should be more efforts to enhance the level of mutual trust between the two sides", Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar told.

Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart L. K. Advani, Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also attended the Vijayadashami rally organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

Hailing the security forces, Bhagwat said, "the determination with which terrorist infiltration and firing from across the border is being dealt with is highly commendable and the ruling BJP government is giving a fitting reply to infiltration by giving fredom to the security forces to do their duty."

"The provocative actions, propaganda and subversive activities of the separatist elements are being curbed by closing off their illegal economic resources and exposing their links with anti-national forces," Bhagwat declared.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the President of the European Council, Donald Franciszek Tusk and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker will visit India to hold the 14th India-EU Summit on October 6.

President Tusk and President Juncker will be on a 'working' visit from October 5- 7, accompanied by a high-level delegation including (European Union) EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini.

EU is India's largest regional trading partner with bilateral trade in goods standing at USD 88 billion in 2016.

The EU is also the largest destination for Indian exports and a key source of the investment and cutting edge technologies as India has received around USD 83 billion FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) flows from Europe during 2000-17 constituting approximately 24 percent of the total FDI inflows into the country during the period.

India and EU are also strategic partners since 2004. The 13th India-EU Summit was held in Brussels on 30th March, 2016.

The 14th Summit aims to deepen the India-EU Strategic Partnership and advance collaboration in priority areas for India's growth and development.

India-EU Business Event will also be organized on 6th October, 2017 on the sidelines of the India-EU Summit with President Juncker as key note speaker.

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The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday detected a 14-foot- long tunnel along the Line of Control (LoC) in Arnia Sector of RS Pura which was dug from Pakistan to help terrorists infiltrate into India.

Troops of 62 battalion of the BSF detected an under-construction tunnel in the forest area of Damala nalah in Arnia sector.

The tunnel was detected when a BSF commander Mukesh was on round and he saw some people fleeing away from the border near the fencing. Curious Mukesh and other BSF jawans surveyed the area and found a 13-14 metre long tunnel.

Ram Avtar, BSF Inspector General, Jammu Frontier, told media, "A lot of food material, excavation material, sleeping bags, heaver sacks, two AK 47 magazines, and a grenade have been seized. And, it seemed that they wanted to dig the tunnel before any BSF team captured them as to cross the border under the fencing to execute yet another crime."

He further added, "The tunnel opening was from the Pakistan side and the dead end of the tunnel was between the fencing on the LoC. The distance from the zero line to the fencing was almost 13-14 meters. The zero line was 8-10 meters towards Pakistan."

He stated that this is another illegal activity of Pakistan which shows that it wanted to help terrorists infiltrate into India.

It is not possible for the civilians to evade the border authorities without the knowledge of the Pakistani Rangers, said the BSF officer.

He also said he had no knowledge of any help from the Indian side.

Ram Avtar further said that experts in tunnel digging might have been used as the detected tunnel is big enough to help many intruders infiltrate.

This is the second tunnel unearthed in 2017, after the security personnel detected one on Feb 13 this year in Ramgarh sector.

Arnia sector has been witnessing Pakistani aggression in the recent past.

On September 17, at least three civilians were injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Arnia sector.

On September 21, the Pakistan Army again violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Arnia Sector.

On September 23, three BSF jawans were injured after Pakistan violated ceasefire in Arnia Sector.

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Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will meet U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to resume bilateral talks and to discuss ways to remove tensions that cropped up after United States President Donald Trump's August 21 speech.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi last week and suggested sending a U.S. delegation to Islamabad for talks aimed at removing tensions.

Islamabad accepted the U.S. proposal but asked for a high-level meeting in Washington to defuse the tensions. Washington accepted the Pakistani argument and invited Asif for a meeting with Secretary Tillerson on Oct 4.

President Trump had blamed Pakistan for maintaining alleged safe havens for terrorists, threatened economic and military sanctions against Islamabad and announced a larger role for India in Afghanistan, ignoring Pakistan's concerns.

Annoyed by the U.S. President's speech, both opposition and ruling parties unanimously adopted a resolution in the Parliament, urging the government to reconsider its relations with the United States. Some opposition parties also asked the government to downgrade its ties with U.S. and further strengthen its strong relations with China.

On October 5, the foreign minister will be addressing a gathering at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), in U.S. on US-Pakistan relations.

Pakistani officials also warned that since this was the election year in Pakistan, this rhetoric may get worse before it starts to improve. They also suggested that a high-level meeting between the foreign policy chiefs of the two countries would help bring down the temperatures, the Dawn reported.

"We don't have anything to announce at this time," said a State Department official when asked to confirm the Tillerson-Asif talks.

The USIP, however, confirmed the talk, pointing out that President Trump's August 21 speech had not only "unsettled US-Pakistan relations," but also had "serious implications for US interests in Afghanistan, nuclear non-proliferation, and stability in the region."

Asif, during speech earlier this week at the Asia Society in New York, acknowledged that jihadi elements particularly Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hafiz Saeed had become a liability for Pakistan.

Asif said that during the Afghan war (1979-89), the U.S. and its allies encouraged such elements from across the to come to the region to fight the Soviet Union. Instead of staying in the region after the war to clear up the mess, they left abruptly, leaving Pakistan alone to deal with the extremists, he added.

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In the wake of the incident wherein 22 people were killed and over 39 seriously got injured in a rush-hour stampede at Elphinstone railway station's foot over bridge, the Congress on Saturday suggested that the affected families could be inducted in the Railways for better safety and security as mere compensation cannot suffice the loss of a family.

Speaking to ANI here, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "The Government is focussing on the bullet train, on the safety and security by the satellite data, etc but the ground reality is that we are experiencing a dismal performance of the railways. Now a commission will be constituted; report will be given after so many years. Before the submission of the commission's report, a number of accidents will again occur. After this, they will compensate to those affected families, but a mere compensation cannot suffice the loss of a family. The members of the affected families could be trained up so that they are inducted as a regular employee for safety and security of the railway."

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has expressed sadness over the Mumbai stampede, assuring that a strict action will be taken against the culprits.

Earlier, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal assured that all the suburban stations in Mumbai will be inspected within a week.

Goyal said, "Employees of Mumbai Railways have accepted my request to not celebrate Dussehra in the wake of the Mumbai Stampede incident. In the next seven days, all suburban stations will be inspected to identify vulnerable issues; we will speed up work on foot-over bridge (FOB)."

The Western Railways stated a clarification that there was no structural damage in the FOB (foot over bridge) which can be attributed to the stampede.

The Western Railways, in a statement, asserted that there was overcrowding at the foot over bridge due to heavy rains and people panicked on rumours of foot over bridge collapsing.

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday condemned the linkage of Gau Raksha with violence, stating that the cow-protection issue "goes beyond religion" and attacking people in its name is not acceptable.

While addressing the crowd at his annual Vijaya Dashami speech at the group's headquarters in Nagpur, Bhagwat said, "Cows are used more for its urine and dung than milk in our country. For a small farmer to progress, rearing of the cow is a must. Protecting cow and cow-based agriculture is directed by the constitution. Rearing of the cow is not a matter of religion. I know many Muslims involved in rearing and protection of cows. Many Muslims have sacrificed their life for Gau Raksha."

"It is reprehensible that some people have been killed allegedly by Gau Rakshaks. In fact, violence of any form is reprehensible. At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers. We must look at the issue of cow protection beyond religion," says Bhagwat.

In his speech, Bhagwat also accused the governments of West Bengal and Kerala of indulging in petty politics by lending a helping hand to the anti- forces.

In view of the ongoing violence in Rajasthan over Alwar lynching case, several civil society organisations reacted strongly to the clean chit to the accused in this case, demanding closure of cow smuggling cases against deceased Pehlu Khan's family and others.

55-year-old Pehlu from Nuh in Haryana was grievously assaulted by self-styled cow vigilantes near Behror in Rajasthan on the Delhi-Alwar highway on April 1, for being a cattle smuggler. He succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital on April 3.

Earlier, the Rashtriya Mahila Gauraksha Dal president, Sadhvi Kamal, had praised one of the cow vigilantes accused in the Alwar lynching case and referred to him as "today's Bhagat Singh.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday called upon the people to free Madhya Pradesh of dirt, corruption, terrorism and poverty on the pious occasion of Dussehra.

Speaking to ANI here, Chouhan said, "I wish the people of the state on the pious occasion of Vijayadashami. Vijayadashami is symbolic of a prosperous Indian culture. It is celebrated as Lord Rama's victory over Lanka after destroying Raavan, symbol of 'ahankar'. It is an occasion of victory of good over evil."

He further urged people to pledge for eliminating the 'Raavan' inside them and absorb the good traits of Lord Rama.

Earlier at Kanyapujan at his residence, he said, "Today we all should take a pledge that we will save girls, educate and promote them.

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India has said that it has no plans to mediate between Myanmar and Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis.

"India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that the government has no plans to act as a mediator between Myanmar and Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis," Sputnik news agency reported.

However, the Russian news agency did not quoted any official of MEA for this remark or statement.

India on Friday reaffirmed its support to Bangladesh in providing humanitarian assistance support in handling of the .

MEA Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar on Friday said, "India is focusing on providing humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh and extending support in handling the situation."

Fearing persecution by Myanmar army, millions of Rohingya Muslims have fled the violence-ridden state of Rakhine, with many of them crossing the border to take refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Last week, in continuance of initiative to send relief packages to Rohingya immigrants in Bangladesh, India sent INS Gharial loaded with 21,000 units of relief material to help its neighbouring nation evolve from the ongoing crisis.

India plans to send a total of 62, 000 units weighing 900 tons.

Relief material is packaged in customised family packets, which contain essential items including rations, clothes, oil, and mosquito net.
A Senator in Pakistan, Farhatullah Babar, has called for a probe on recent report that intelligence agencies were "shielding" terrorists in the country.

Babar submitted a call-to-attention notice in Senate regarding a recent report that intelligence agencies were "shielding" terrorists, the Dawn reported.

Babar's notice was based on a petition submitted in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by an Intelligence Bureau (IB) employee and called Minister of Interior Ahsan Iqbal's attention towards this matter of sufficient and urgent public importance.

Citing circumstantial evidence to support the reports that some militants are being protected by some invisible forces, Babar noted that Maulana Masood Azhar, the head of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), "has repeatedly been protected from UN sanctions for unexplained reasons."

Highlighting another such instance, he said that the discovery of a "Pakistani national identity card and passport Mullah Mansoor Akhtar - who was killed in a drone strike in May last year - should have led to investigations into who is protecting the Taliban.

He also recalled the photographs of a banned militant leader appearing on the election posters of a candidate in the recent NA-120 by-elections had raised concern but the Interior Ministry did not do anything in this regard.

It is pertinent to mention here that dreaded terrorist Hafiz Saeed is tried his hands in politics and had put his stooge in an election fray in Pakistan.

Recently, Saeed launched Milli Muslim League political party that fought to win the seat of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in the National Assembly.

Though the Election Commission of Pakistan has strictly prohibited the display of Saeed's picture on election posters, but the constituency in Lahore is covered with posters showing Saeed, his visage side by side with the official candidate, Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh, a senior Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader.

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Pakistan's interior ministry has directed the electoral commission to bar a new party, backed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, from politics.

The United States has designated Saeed as a terrorist, views him as the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his imprisonment.

The ministry recommended that the Election Commission of Pakistan reject the newly formed Milli Muslim League's (MML) application to become an official party as it is affiliated with the LeT, in reportedly a letter dated September 22.

Saeed is currently under house arrest.

Pakistan has been reluctant to press charges against Saeed, which has been the bone of contention as far as its relations with Washington and India are concerned.

The MML had earlier won 5 per cent of votes in a parliamentary by-election in Lahore on September 17.

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Amid reports by the Border Security Forces asserting that Pakistan's design to infiltrate terrorists through a tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir has been foiled, Minister of State (MoS), on Saturday stated that Pakistan is going to pay price for exporting terror in Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to ANI, Singh said that "Pakistan has been promoting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and it hardly requires any evidence and still it has been in a state of denial. But, retaliatory action has been happening from the Indian side, which was not seen for decades before this. And, Pakistan is going to pay the price for it."

Proclaiming that Pakistan's "mischief" has already been exposed before the world, MoS Singh said that Pakistan has been promoting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the success of BSF has been possible due to the current Government.

"Here it's important to acknowledge the success of BSF and this has been possible because the present Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ensured a certain degree of professional freedom to the security forces and their commanders," Singh said.

He further said that "this is the first time in many years that the security forces and their officers are in a position to function with absolute professionalism using their wisdom and discretion without any external interference."

Earlier on Saturday, BSF foiled Pakistan's nefarious design to infiltrate terrorists through a tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir's Arnia Sector has been foiled.

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday lauded the Indian Army for foiling infiltration bids along the Line of Control (LoC) and retaliating strongly during cross-border firing.

Delivering the annual Vijaya Dashami speech at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Bhagwat said, "The determination with which terrorist infiltration and firing from across the border is being dealt with is appreciated. All security forces, including the Army, have been given the freedom to do their respective duties."

The RSS chief further appreciated the recent crackdown on the Kashmir separatist leaders involved in terror funding and anti- terrorist activities.

"Provocative actions and propaganda of the separatists is effectively controlled by curbing their illegal financial sources and exposing their linkages with anti- terrorist forces. The positive effects of this strategy are visible on the ground," he added.

The RSS chief further called for acknowledging problem of refugees which is still not resolved in Jammu and Kashmir.

"For decades together, some generations are living through this miserable state of refugees for their decision to be in Bharat and remain as a Hindu. Despite being citizens of Bharat, they are still far away from the basic facilities of education, employment and democratic rights, and leading a backward life. This is happening just because the discriminatory provisions in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that denied them the fundamental rights," he added.

He further called for constitutional amendments to give a dignified and secure life to the Jammu and Kashmir people like other Indians.

"We have to create conditions so that our these brothers can lead a happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians by availing equal democratic rights and fulfilling democratic duties, even while remaining firm and devoted to their religions and identity. For this just work, necessary Constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed.

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said that the links between Rohingya and Jihadi elements are coming to light and if such elements come to India, they may have an impact on the security situation.

"The links between Rohingya and Jihadi elements are coming to light. If such elements come to India, they may have an impact on our security situation. Why do the Rohingya want to come to India? We need to study their background. They will not only be a burden on employment but also pose threat to our security. We had not even completely solved the problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when Myanmar's problems have been heaped on us," Bhagwat said during a Vijayadashami rally organised by the RSS in Nagpur.

Ahead of his speech, Bhagwat had also conducted Shastra Puja (weapons worship).

"The state governments of Kerala and West Bengal seem to be lending a helping hand to the anti- forces for petty political interests. Jihadi forces active there. We have been facing problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into our country. Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken by keeping in mind threat to security. We have not even completely solved problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when problem of Myanmar has been heaped on us," he said.

In view of ongoing violence in Rakhine State of Myanmar, which has triggered an outflow of Rohingya Muslims, various security arrangements have been put in place across the region to prevent infiltration of illegal immigrants.

In a bid to study the ground reality and for preventive security measurements, the Centre has asked Joint Secretary (Northeast) Satyendra Garg and Special Secretary (International Security) Rina Mitra to review the security situation along India's border with Myanmar. The review would also include overseeing activities at the Indo-Myanmarese Commercial Trade Centre and the Indo-Myanmar Friendship Bridge.

The officials also met officers and security personnel of 11 Assam Rifles and inquired about frisking of traders and commuters at the security check-post.

The Centre had earlier filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on deportation of Rohingya Muslims from India and said that the illegal influx of the refugees will adversely affect the fundamental rights of Indian citizens and cause a threat to the national security.

Former deputy prime minister and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani on Saturday attended the Vijayadashami rally organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). Sangh observers were curious about the visit as Advani visited the city after a long gap.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were also present to attend the Vijayadashami Utsav.

In the same event, Bhagwat expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in yesterday's rush-hour stampede at Elphinstone railway station's foot overbridge, wherein 22 people were killed and over 39 seriously got injured.

"I am deeply saddened by yesterday's incident. My condolences to families of those who lost their lives," Bhagwat said.

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A delegation of 32 fishermen on Saturday left for Sri Lanka's Mannar to retrieve the boats captured by their Navy.

This is the second batch of Indian fishermen delegation leaving for Sri Lanka.

Earlier on Wednesday, a batch of 53 fishermen, along with seven boats, left for Sri Lanka to retrieve the boats, which are expected to return back by tonight.

The Sri Lankan navy apprehended 12 boats, out of which six belonged to Tamil Nadu and six belonged to Puducherry. The Sri Lankan Navy has agreed to release seven boats of the apprehended.

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The former owner of the Fairground Diner in Carlisle has been charged with income tax evasion, according to a release from the federal prosecutors office.

United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Bruce Brandler has filed charges alleging that Atef Hussein, 48, understated his tax liability from 2012 through 2015, shorting $122,003 in payments.

Hussein is a resident of Hagerstown, Maryland. He was charged in a criminal information filing, which is used in situations where the defendant has agreed that a grand jury indictment is unnecessary, typically because a plea deal has already been reached.

Brandlers office also said it has filed a proposed plea agreement, subject to approval by the court, which involves payment of back taxes and penalties.
The Counter Intelligence wing of Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Ludhiana police, nabbed seven Babbar Khalsa terrorists on Saturday.

In a press conference held on Saturday, Police Commissioner R.N. Dhoke said that the head of the terrorist organization, Surinder Singh Babbar, who is based out of England, is providing financial aid to the terrorists to target the anti-Taliban and anti-Khalistan organizations.

"They were in contact with Surinder Singh Babbar, a terrorist based out of England, through Facebook," Dhoke said

"They had motive of targeting people who wrote against Khalistan but our timely intervention foiled their plan," he added.

They also connected and recruited people using social media, said police.

The police have also recovered a 32 bore country made pistol, 20 live cartridges and two piston 315 bore country made 13 live rounds from the terrorists.

The arrested terrorists were identified as Kuldeep Singh, Jasbir Singh, Amanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Omkar Singh, Jugraj Singh and Amritpal Singh.

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The Sindhi Congress (WSC) and the Sindhi Association of North America staged a demonstration in front of the Canada Parliament in Ottawa and urged the international community to take cognisance of the enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and killings of political activists in Pakistan's Sindh province.

A member of the Canada Parliament, Tom Kmiec, also participated in the demonstration to show his solidarity and spoke to the protestors.

Holding placards asking Pakistani agencies to declare the "whereabouts of Suhail Raza Bhatti Allah Wadhayo Mahar", "Aid to Pakistan is aid to fundamentalism and Talibanisation", protestors raised slogans against the Pakistan Army for carrying out atrocities against Sindhis and Balochs.

They said that the United Nations should be on a fact-finding mission to help Sindh and Balochistan.

They also mentioned that a 19-year-old Allah Wadhayo Mahar was abducted by the ISI from District Malir, Karachi and has gone missing since September 8, 2014.

WSC Canada organiser Hajan Kalhoro, Rub Nawaz Gaho and others also spoke against Pakistani atrocities against Sindhi people.

Kalhoro said, "The Pakistan Government is in the process of grabbing their land and giving it to China to use it for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)."

"We, Sindhis, request and appeal to the Canadian Government and the community to look into the gross human rights violations by the Pakistan Army," Rub Nawaz Gaho said.

"We are protesting here as there is huge surge of disappearances in Sindh. Any activist, who raises their voice for protection of Sindhi rights has been disappeared," he added.

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The United States team of special counsel Robert Mueller has started interviewing White House officials as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and the ties between President Donald Trump campaign associates and Russia.

Indicating that the investigation is speeding up, Mueller has contacted and taken evidence from a number of figures named in the dossier. Christopher Steele, the former MI6 officer is at the centre of a storm over his explosive and contentious dossier on Donald Trump.

Three ongoing inquiries into President Trump - by former FBI director Mueller, the Senate Intelligence Committee, the House Intelligence Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee are at loggerheads on asking Steele to testify.

Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, the chief of staff for the National Security Council was interviewed on Thursday. Kellogg was shown information and asked questions related to President Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, the Hill reported.

President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, retired Gen. Michael Flynn, first declined to comply with a Senate subpoena in May, asserting his Fifth Amendment rights.

Flynn resigned in February after reports he misled senior members of the White House about his contacts with Russian officials. Mueller has asked for documents concerning Flynn and a Justice Department warning about Flynn's ties to a Russian diplomat.

The congressional investigators are looking at a Trump campaign meeting in March 2016 about national security that took place at the site of what is now Trump's hotel in Washington, D.C.

Senators raised concerns that it would violate the Logan Act, which prohibits Americans from engaging with a foreign government without authorization from U.S. officials.

Prosecutors from Mueller's team reportedly told former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort to expect an indictment when they raided his home with FBI agents in July.

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey had told Congress that President Trump has asked him if there was a way to let Flynn go during the meeting, according to testimony from Comey over the summer.

As a result, Mueller is reportedly examining whether Trump obstructed justice in his interactions with Comey.

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United States President Donald Trump has criticised San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz for her remarks that the White House isn't doing enough to support Puerto Ricans in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

Trump also accused Cruz of "poor leadership" and said she "wants everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort."

"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," Trump tweeted.

"Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job (sic)," Trump added in a series of tweets.

Trump also once again hailed federal government's response on the island and said that the military and the first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job.

However, Puerto Rico is still facing a humanitarian crisis, and many of its people remain without power and water.

Mayor Cruz said her goal was to save lives without getting distracted by anything else.

At least 16 people on the island have been reported killed and there was widespread damage to homes, roads and infrastructure.

Trump is scheduled to visit Puerto Rico on Tuesday along with First Lady Melania Trump.

He also continued his tirade against the Fake Media and said CNN and NBC were being biased in their coverage of the relief effort in the region.

"Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to "get Trump." Not fair to FR or effort! The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's. Shame! (sic)" he tweeted.

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Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, on Saturday launched an all around attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at Shiv Sena's Dussehra rally here.

Taking a dig at Bullet Train announced by Prime Minster Modi, Uddhav asked why the Government has "forced" bullet trains on the nation as no one will be visiting Ahmedabad just for a trip in the train.

"Why are Bullet trains forced upon us, none of us are going to Ahmedabad for a round trip in a single day. So, why should we take Prime Minister Modi's burden," Uddhav said in a Shiv Sena Dussehra rally here.

He also asked the Government as to why wasn't the train from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Delhi to Kashmir, or Mumbai to Nagpur started.

"If we are getting something for free, will we accept anything that is given us," Uddhav asked.

He said that the Shiv Sena co-workers are his weapon with whose help and confidence he faces everyone without fear.

Speaking about yesterday's stampede that occurred on a narrow foot-over-bridge that connects the Elphinstone Road station on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line, Uddhav said, "The Prime Minister took to social media and tweeted after yesterday's Mumbai stampede incident. He paid homage to the dead and injured, but what he really means is that they can't do anything more. I couldn't speak after seeing rows of dead bodies in KEM Hospital."

He bashed the Government for the incident and said that instead of appointing a high power committee, they should come down from the same staircase at the peak hours.

"They will realise what happened and they would not need a high power committee to find out what happened yesterday," he said.

Uddhav Thackeray, while addressing the people commented on all the policies of the ruling Government and issues that are prevailing the nation.

- Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Speaking about the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill passed by the Government, Uddhav said, "They say that GST is bringing uniform taxation, but where is uniformity."

He said that even Pakistan has cheaper petrol than India and added, "If you have to do something then make the petrol cheaper than Pakistan. All Shiv sainiks will take you on their heads."

- Rohingyas

Uddhav Thackeray speaking about Rohingyas said that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat has said a very important thing about Rohingya, "They are not from us. Their own country has thrown them out and even Bangladesh has refused to accept them despite being a Muslim country."

He emphasised that people of India are welcoming Rohingyas.

Uddhav Thackeray bashed All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen President Asaduddin Owaisi.

"Owaisi says that we should embrace them as our brothers, why? Does this country belong to your father," said Uddhav.

He said that their "Hindutva" or their humanity is not so generous that they will accept these people (referring to Rohingyas).

- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Speaking about their alliance party BJP, Uddhav said that they allied with BJP for the sole purpose of "Unity of Hindu votes."

"If they think, that we are of no use for them, then we will see how to deal with it," Shiv Sena chief said.

- Demonetisation

Speaking about demonetisation, Uddhav said, "A poor person was standing in a queue, but no rich people were in queues, and an atmosphere was created, where those who favour demonetization are considered 'Deshbhakt', but those who oppose it are Deshdrohi (anti-nationals)."

Uddhav said that they still opposed this decision because no one can teach another person "Deshbhakti" (nationalism).

"We will thank Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for he appreciated Shiv Sena's stand on Mumbai's local Revenue by Octroi and made special arrangements for Mumbai and some other local bodies," Uddhav said during the Shiv Sena rally.

Octroi was the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC's) biggest source of revenue and the civic budget.

He also said that after demonetization, about 15 lakh jobs were lost.

"Banks have lost lakhs of crores, but still we are being assured that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow. When will it grow and how would you compensate the jobs lost or the money lost," asked Uddhav Thackeray.

On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the existing higher denomination currency (Rs 500 and Rs 1000) will be banned or will not be considered legal tenders.

The Prime Minister had said that this is government's biggest push to fight black money and end corruption.

The announcement came as a surprise to the nation, as no warning or notification was provided to which Prime Minister Modi said that he wanted to "surprise" those with black money, so that they are unprepared.

- Kashmir ussue

Asking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) what happened about its slogan of "Ek Vidhan Ek Nishan" (One constitution, one flag and one sovereign head), Uddhav Thackeray said, "I can ask BJP that like you are enjoying power in Jammu and Kashmir, would it dare to abolish Article 370."

The Shiv Sena chief also asserted that when the discussion to abolition Article 370 was going on, the ruling party was threatened by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti that no one will be spared to hold Tiranga (the flag) and hence they are afraid.

"Why are you are afraid for the sake of a deputy Chief Minister post," asked Uddhav Thackeray.

He also said that states like Bihar and J&K are having a deputy Chief Minister, adding that, "Shiv Sena never demanded any deputy Chief Minister post in the state."

Article 370 of the Constitution empowers the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to define the state's permanent residents and their privileges but has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

"You are okay with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar abusing you. You are okay with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti threatening you, but why not Shiv Sena that says "Garv se Kaho Hum Hindu Hain" (say proudly that you are a Hindu)," asked Uddhav.

Recalling Shiv Sena founder and father Bal Thackeray, Uddhav said that, "We remember Balasaheb who protected Amarnath yatris without any force of power during those days. But, now everything has changed and Amarnath Pilgrims are getting killed," Uddhav said.

- Jawaharlal Nehru University

Uddhav said that the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has deshdrohi (anti-nationals) elements, adding that, "In Gujarat Hardik Patel is an anti-national, and when Prime Minster went to J&K, children had guns in their hands instead of Laptops, they are also anti-nationals."

He further said that if Mumbai university's "laptop bearing students" whose results are delayed, take guns or grenades in their hands, then who would be responsible.

- Beef

Asking the ruling Government as to what their beef policy is, Uddhav said, "In Maharashtra, you ban Beef but in Goa and Kerala your Chief Ministers, Manohar Parrikar and Alphons Kannanthanam promise their people that Beef will be provided."

He emphasised the Government to be clear in its policy about beef.

Bashing cow vigilantism, Uddhav said that cow vigilantes are defaming the country.

"I don't say that go and kill cows. But, I will quote that judge who said that here punishment to kill a cow is more than killing a person," Uddhav said.

Earlier in January, the Bombay High Court upheld the beef ban imposed by the state government after the enactment of the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which bans slaughter of bulls, bullocks.

However, the court said that the possession of the meat cannot be considered as a crime, while striking down the relevant sections of the act.

Slaughtering of cows and sale of cow meat in Maharashtra has been banned and made illegal since 1976, but as per the new law the ban has extended to calves, bulls and bullocks.

On May 25, the Centre, through an order, imposed a ban on the sale of cattle, including cows, for slaughter and restricted cattle trade solely to farm owners. (ANI)

- Saubhagya Yojana

"What is this Saubhagya Yojana, when you are threatening to disconnect power supply, and sending them to jails if bills are not paid," Uddhav said about the recently launched scheme.

He further said that the Government is giving free gas, free stove, free power, but if the grains and vegetables are expensive, what will the people do with that gas or power.

"The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar asked us how we can oppose the Government openly while being associated with it. I will tell you one thing Pawar Sahab, we support someone openly and we oppose them openly," Uddhav said.

He further said that the Shiv Sena doesn't support someone with "hidden hands."

Earlier on September 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana or the Saubhagya Yojana with a target to complete electrification of the entire nation by March 31, 2019.

- Farmers

"During loan waiver movement, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that this is not a farmers' Aandolan, but there is some political hand.

"My hands, my legs and me completely was and is with farmers, do whatever you want to do," said the Shiv Sena chief.

Uddhav Thackeray also said how much "greed" will the ruling Government have, asking what does it want, even after winning everywhere.

"Your own leaders are opposing you now," Uddhav said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday criticized the Centre for not doing enough to ensure passenger safety on railways, and added that the country does not need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan when the railways is enough to kill people.

Thackeray's hard hitting statement came a day after 22 people were killed and over 39 were injured during a rush-hour stampede on an over bridge at Mumbai's Elphinstone Railway Station.

Thackeray told media, "Until the present infrastructure of the local railways is made better, not a single brick will be allowed to be placed for a bullet train in Mumbai. It is not the first time that it has rained in Mumbai. They (Railways) say it happened due to the rains? Also, why do we need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan? It seems that our own Railways are enough to kill people".

The MNS chief further gave an assurance about taking effective infrastructure measures to improve the efficiency of the local train network in Mumbai.

"Will give a deadline to throw out illegal hawkers from station bridges, if it is not complied with, then we'll act on our own. List of issues related to Mumbai locals will be given to the Railways on October 5 with a deadline. If things don't get better, will see to it. Also, On October 5, I will lead a morcha to the Western Railway headquarters at Church Gate and ask them questions about their infrastructure," he said.

Following the horrific Friday at Mumbai's Elphinstone Railway Station, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his sadness over the incident and assured that strict action will be taken against those responsible for it.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal also assured that all suburban stations in Mumbai would be inspected within a week.

However, Western Railways said in a clarification that there was no structural damage in the FOB (foot overbridge) which can be attributed to the stampede.

The Western Railways, in a statement, asserted that there was overcrowding at the foot overbridge due to heavy rains and people panicked when they heard rumors of it collapsing.

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The newly appointed Governor of Meghalaya Ganga Prasad on Saturday said that he will work in harmony with all the political parties and abide by the Constitution while performing his duty in the new role.

Expressing happiness to be appointed on this new post, Prasad said it is an honour for him to be selected by the president to carry out this responsibility.

"I received this information yesterday. I will work in harmony with the political parties there, abide by the Constitution and perform my duty honestly," Prasad told ANI.

Prasad was elected for the first time as a Member of the Legislative Council in Bihar (MLC) in 1994.

He has been an MLC for past 18 years, and has also served as the leader of the BJP in the Legislative Council.

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Stirring up again the raging controversy over the demand to abolish Jammu and Kashmir's special status, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said constitutional amendments were needed to fully integrate the troubled state with the rest of India.

Speaking on a range of issues in his annual address to RSS volunteers on its 92nd foundation day here, Bhagwat also dismissed reports of cow vigilantes indulging in communal violence, saying those protecting bovines were, in fact, being "attacked and killed".

He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government not to misinterpret the facts on the issue, and punish the criminals and not harm innocents as the "virtuous work of cow protection will increase in coming days".

The BJP's ideologue gave the thumbs up to the government on the economic situation even as the RSS chief sought special protection for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the "tremors" caused by the "cleaning and reform" drives like demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax regime.

He spoke elaborately on the Kashmir issue in his annual Vijaya Dashami speech and said Hindus who migrated to the state from west Pakistan in 1947 were in a "miserable state of refugees for their decision to be in Bharat and remain as Hindu".

He blamed certain constitutional provisions, like Article 35(A) that empowers the state's legislature to define Jammu and Kashmir residents and accord citizenship rights to them, for the "backward life" of these Hindu migrants.

"This is happening just because the discriminatory provisions in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that denied them the fundamental rights," he said.

"Necessary Constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. Then and then only, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with rest of Bharat and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in the national progress."

The Article 35(A), which also bars non-residents from buying property in the state, applying for government jobs, voting in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, is being debated in the Supreme Court after a petition called for its revocation.

Bhagwat also spoke about Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated from the valley in early 1990s when an armed insurgency broke out in the state, saying their condition "remains as it is".

Welcoming the government's initiative of firmly dealing with separatists and militants, Bhagwat said the "path for complete resolution of the (Kashmir) issue will be facilitated when the entire society will stand behind the well- thought policy of dealing sternly and strongly with the anti-national forces".

"To eradicate the poison of alienation and unrest created through the systematic and false propaganda over the years, the society will have to show the natural affection through these positive actions."

Bhagwat said reports of cow vigilantes indulging in violence were wrong and asked the government not to misinterpret the facts and make sure that criminals were punished and innocents not harmed as the "virtuous work of cow protection will increase in coming days".

The remarks follow scores of incidents of violence in the name of cow protection from across the country, including the murder of Pehlu Khan, a cattle trader, who was killed by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan's Alwar.

According to an analysis of IndiaSpend, a data journalism initiative, out of 63 cases of mob justice of lynchings recorded since 2010, 61 took place under the BJP government. At least 24 out of the 28 people killed in the attacks were Muslims. During the first six months of 2017, there were 20 cow or beef-related attacks.

But Bhagwat said inquiries into such incidents had made it "amply clear that (cow) activists were not involved in those acts of violence".

"On the contrary, many activists who were peacefully involved in cow protection were attacked and killed. It is unfair to link cow protectors or the entire activity of cow protection with violent incidences or communal feelings," Bhagwat said in his Hindi speech. The English translation was made available on the RSS' website.

Apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stern warning against violence in the name of cow, Bhagwat asked RSS volunteers not to get distracted with the statements of "highly placed persons in the government" and remarks by the Supreme Court asking state governments to act against those involved in lynching incidents.

Bhagwat said SMEs, a great employment generator, were India's security net during the ups and downs in the global trade and economic slowdowns.

"Crores of people get jobs or employments through these sectors. Most of the people standing in the last line of the society are also from these sectors."

He said while reforming and cleaning the economic system, the government should keep in mind that these sectors "feel the minimum heat and ultimately get the maximum strength".

On the issue of Rohingya refugees, Bhagwat said they were a security risk.

"They are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with terrorist groups. Any decision regarding them should be taken by keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity."

--IANS

sar/rn

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BJP National President Amit Shah will participate in a 'padyatra' in Kerala, which will see him walk past the home of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the latter's hometown in Kannur district on October 5, as a mark of protest against the ruling CPI-M's "political violence" and also against growing jehadi terrorism, a BJP official said here on Saturday.

V. Muraleedharan, coordinator of the state-wide 'yathra' of state BJP president Kummanem Rajasekheran, said the padyatra was conceived in August, after the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office bearer E. Rajesh on July 29 here. The yathra will also see a campaign against the recent trend of jehadi terrorism promoted by Islamic fundamentalists, he told the media.

"The state-wide yathra would be flagged off by Shah from Payanur in Kannur district on October 3. He will walk for three days, and on October 5, he will walk past the home of Vijayan at Pinarayi. That evening he will address a public meeting at Tellichery. He will then return on the concluding day of the yathra on October 17 and participate in a public meeting to be held here," said Muraleedharan.

"The maximum attack on our cadres has taken place in Kannur district. The venue for flagging off the yathra is Payanur, in memory of V. Ramakrishnan who became the first victim of ours in 1969. In the case Vijayan was an accused. Apart from the fight against political violence of the CPI-M, this yathra is also to highlight the spurt in jehadi terrorism as we have seen that people from Kerala are also part of those who joined the Islamic State group," added Muraleedharan.

He said various Union Ministers and top level national party leaders will walk with the yathra at various locations, and include Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her cabinet colleagues Smriti Irani, Ananathakumar and the lone Keralite in the cabinet K.J. Alphons.

The BJP has just one member in the 140-seat Kerala Assembly in veteran former Union Minister O. Rajagopal.

--IANS

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The Iraqi government on Friday suspended international flights to and from the autonomous region of Kurdistan in response to the referendum - held in defiance of Baghdad - that saw the Kurds vote in favor of independence.

The suspension came into force after Kurdistan refused to comply with the order to hand over control of the Erbil and Suleimaniya international airports to the Iraqi federal government, Efe reports.

The measure only affects international flights, so air links with the rest of Iraq remain intact.

Neither will the ban apply to military or humanitarian flights, the director of the Kurdistan international airport, Talar Faiq, told a press conference.

The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that the suspension of international flights to Kurdistan would be maintained until the government of the autonomous region ceded control of the airports to Baghdad.

"The federal government control over land and aerial entrances to Kurdistan is not meant to cause starvation, hold supplies or besiege citizens, as some officials of the region claim," the statement said.

"They are measures for the entrance and departure of commodities and people under the control of the federal government and the federal regulatory bodies, as apply in all Iraqi checkpoints to stop prevent smuggling and corruption," it added.

Hours before the suspension came into force, the Erbil airport was crowded with passengers waiting to leave the northern region, which borders Turkey, Iran and Syria - countries with substantial Kurdish minorities of their own.

Salem Munji, a Turkish national who works at a construction company, told EFE that Turkey's government warned its citizens to leave northern Iraq out of fear of escalation.

The suspension of international flights to and from Kurdish airports is a measure taken in response to the independence referendum held in Kurdistan on Monday.

Kurdish officials said that more than 92 per cent of the 4 million people who cast ballots voted "yes."

--IANS

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Good Hope Middle School in the Cumberland Valley School District has been selected as one of 342 schools from across the country to receive the 2017 National Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced this years recipients in a news release Thursday.

National Blue Ribbon Schools are active demonstrations of preparing every child for a bright future, DeVos said in the release. You are visionaries, innovators and leaders. You have much to teach us: Some of you personalize student learning, others engage parents and communities in the work and life of your local schools and still others develop strong and forward-thinking leaders from among your teaching staff.

This is a huge honor for our school, and a great tribute to the amazing, creative, hard-working, and supportive students, staff, administrators, parents and community members that have made Good Hope such a special place in which to learn and grow, Good Hope Principal Jeff Hosenfeld said.

Good Hope, which has 1,175 students in grades six through eight, is located at 451 Skyport Road. The school is one of 18 designated schools from Pennsylvania and one of only two middle schools from the state to receive the designation this year.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students achieve very high learning standards or are making notable improvements in closing the achievement gap.

All schools are honored in one of two performance categories, based on all student scores, subgroup student scores and graduation rates:

Exemplary High Performing Schools are among their states highest performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests. Good Hope qualified in this category.

Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are among their states highest performing schools in closing achievement gaps between a schools subgroups and all students over the past five years. Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year.

The department invites National Blue Ribbon School nominations from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity and the Bureau of Indian Education. Private schools are nominated by the Council for American Private Education.
Dussehra, the Hindu festival signifying the victory of good over evil, was celebrated across West Bengal on Saturday.

Effigies of Ravana, Meghnada and Kumbhakarana were torched at various places, including the Salt Lake Central Park, to mark the celebrations.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to wish the people on the festival.

--IANS

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The influential Roman Catholic Church in Goa on Saturday cautioned against "increasing intolerance" in the coastal state, while also disapproving efforts of a section of civilian Catholic leaders to obstruct allocation of land for a burial ground for Goa's Muslim community.

"It has been observed that when there are attempts to purchase land or even find a site for a kabrastan, there are often objections from some sections of the Catholic community, who are opposed to a Muslim cemetery in their village," says a statement issued by Fr. Olavo Caiado, Director of the Diocesan Centre for Social Communications Media, Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.

The statement issued on behalf of the Goa Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao, has also said that disposal of dead bodies is a basic right of every religious community, including Muslims, and appealed to Catholics to peacefully facilitate the setting up of a Muslim burial ground.

"Sadly, in the present times, we see increasing intolerance and even open conflicts drifting us apart. We must reclaim our traditional social relations and once more be the peace-loving sisters and brothers that we always were. Hence our earnest appeal for communal understanding and peace among the different communities in Goa," the statement said.

The issue of providing for a burial ground for the Muslim community in South Goa has been hanging fire during the respective reigns of the BJP as well as Congress-led governments, with both dispensations cautious so as to not antagonise the numerically superior Catholic minority, which accounts for nearly 26 per cent of the state population. Muslims account for nearly seven per cent of the population.

Some weeks back, lay Catholic leaders who oppose the government's plans for a burial ground at Sonsoddo, 40 km from Panaji, heckled and shouted down two Catholic priests who had arrived at a public meet to discuss the contentious issue. The video of the laity heckling priests also went viral on social media.

The statement issued by the Centre on behalf of the Archbishop, now alleges that the lay Catholic leaders had tried to incite the crowd against the two priests, Fr. Maverick Fernandes and Fr. Freddy Braganza.

"His (Fr. Fernandes) words, spoken with pastoral care and patience, were roundly dismissed with shouting and foul language by the leaders. The leaders also tried to incite the crowd and join them in their reprehensible behaviour," the statement said.

"It (burial with dignity) is the last rite conducted on a person who has passed from this life into eternity. This obliges the Catholic faithful to be respectful of similar duties performed by people of other faiths and therefore not to interfere with their legitimate endeavours in this direction," the statement also adds.

--IANS

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After Twitter deleted over 200 fake Russian accounts used to meddle the 2016 US presidential election, Google has now launched a probe into the role its services could have played in the Russian interference, reports said.

"Google is conducting a broad internal investigation to determine whether Russian-linked entities used its ads or services to try to manipulate voters ahead of the US election," The Wall Street Journal reported late on Friday.

Facebook has also started probing how Russian agents could have misused its advertising platform to influence the campaign.

The social media giant is facing intense fake news scrutiny after disclosing details about the presence of Russian political ads worth $100,000 on its platform during the presidential election.

The three tech giants have been reportedly asked to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee panel on November 1 to examine how foreign actors may have used the social media to interfere with the US presidential election.

Twitter on Friday announced that it has deleted over 200 fake Russian accounts and identified Russia Today of buying bought ads targeted at American users' accounts.

"This is an ongoing process and we will continue to collaborate with investigators. Twitter is in dialogue with congressional committees with respect to investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 US election," the micro-blogging platform said in a blog post.

The company also shared with committee staff ads that three Russia Today (RT) accounts targeted to the US market in 2016.
Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed's legal team has sent a Rs 100 million defamation notice to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for his remarks at the Asia Society forum in New York earlier this week.

Asif, who told the forum that Pakistan was not to blame for militant outfits in the country, had said: "Don't blame us for the Haqqanis and don't blame us for the Hafiz Saeeds. These people were your darlings just 20 to 30 years back. They were being dined and wined in the White House and now you say 'go to hell Pakistanis because you are nurturing these people."

The notice, served by Advocate A.K. Dogar on Friday claimed that Saeed, the chief of banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) party was "respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim", Dawn online reported on Saturday.

It accused Asif of speaking "an absolute lie and falsehood that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was one of those persons who had been the darlings of Americans and had been dining and wining in the White House".

The notice stated that Asif made a "defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code to five years imprisonment and with (a) fine".

A Pakistani court earlier this week extended by a month the detention of Saeed, blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack which left 166 Indians and foreigners dead.

The government had contended that the activities of the JuD leaders, if they were released, would pose a serious threat to public safety and public order.

--IANS

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Kriti Sanon, who shifted gears from being an engineering graduate to becoming a model and actress, says she was very studious as a child.

"I was very 'padhaaku' (studious), at least till the second year of college. I couldn't sleep if I hadn't finished my course. I couldn't eat also. I used to walk and learn things," Kriti told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

"My mom is a professor and she used to help me make tests and prepare for viva. I was 'padhaaku', and used to get 90 per cent plus always," she added.

A Delhi girl, Kriti pursued a BTech degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering.

"In college, you realise you can relax a bit. I was also multi-tasking between ad campaigns, attendance and getting my notes done. I got 87 per cent, which I am proud of," she added.

Besides being conscious about her studies, Kriti says she was always focussed on giving her best shot to whatever she took up.

"It's been inside me that I can't leave things undone. I have to give my best to what I have to do," added the actress, who has been appointed Education New Zealand brand ambassador.

In this role, she will be a catalyst in supporting the educational and career prospects of students from India to New Zealand.

--IANS

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Actor Kamal Haasan and filmmaker Shankar are all set to reunite after two decades for the sequel to their highly successful and celebrated 1996 Tamil film "Indian".

The film, to be bankrolled by Dil Raju, will be made in Tamil and Telugu.

"An official announcement is expected to be made today (Saturday). They are joining hands for 'Indian 2'. It will go on the floors next year," a source close to producer Raju told IANS.

In "Indian", Haasan played a dual role.

As a 70-year-old freedom fighter turned vigilante against corruption, Haasan won over audiences and critics alike. He played the father and son.

"Indian", which had music by A.R Rahman, was released in Telugu as "Bharatheeyudu" and in Hindi as "Hindustani".

Also starring Manisha Koirala and Urmila Matondkar, the film bagged three National awards including the best actor honour for Haasan.

Rumours are rife that "Indian 2" could be Haasan's last film before he takes the political plunge.

--IANS

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Two developments in Europe this week have brought cheer. First, Angela Merkel has held on to her job (even though only by the skin of her teeth). Secondly, the very citadel of Western capitalism, The Economist, has editorially welcomed Jeremy Corbyn, a socialist in the Michael Foot mould, as Britain's next Prime Minister, whenever elections take place. There is a stamp size photograph of Corbyn standing at 10 Downing Street, without a necktie, of course.

It is maliciously reported that smoke billowed out of Lord Peter Mandelson's ears after he read the editorial while holidaying on an oligarch's yacht. Tony Blair's favourite sidekick and one of the architects of the now defunct New Labour, had sworn in 2015 that he would work hard to "undermine Corbyn".

It is not that The Economist has suddenly turned pink. It is doing the best it can to cope with altered circumstances: If you can't beat them, join them.

The trophy for prescience must go to Chris Mullin, writer and former Labour MP. In 2015, Mullin wrote an imaginary piece in The Guardian under the heading: "All hail the Bearded One! The first 100 days of Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister.

"To general astonishment, among the early visitors to Downing Street is a grim-faced Rupert Murdoch. He is closeted with the new Prime Minister for more than an hour, at the end of which the following announcement is made.

"First, that the Broadcasting Acts are amended, requiring Sky to compete on a level playing field with the main terrestrial TV channels. And secondly, that he relinquishes control of all his British newspapers which will, in future, be managed by a trust in which no single shareholder will have a controlling interest. Murdoch has accepted these conditions. Our discussions were amicable."

While Corbyn is still in the realm of speculation, the historic German elections have stirred up the heart of Europe. From the wreckage around her emerges Angela Merkel as a fourth term German Chancellor, testimony to the compelling power of decency in public life. If she were not a hardnosed politician also, she would not be where she is -- a titanic figure in world affairs. But a premium she places on moral and ethical values in decision-making shines through. This fourth term is her trophy on that count.

Daughter of a vicar in East Germany, her background has been something of an asset for her. It is the abiding Christian in her, in the highest sense of the term, that enabled her to rise above the din and keep compassion as an ingredient in her decision to accord hospitality to hapless Arab and North Africa migrants -- totally against the prevailing political current.

She is too intuitive not to have known that she would be made to pay a price for her decision. As a consequence, the Bundestag will have for the first time the ultra right wing AFD (Alternative for Germany) with 94 seats, making it the country's third-largest party, much of it at Merkel's cost. Marine Le Pen in France or Geet Wilder in the Netherlands also represent narrow, anti-immigrant xenophobia. In Germany, the AFD resonates more frightfully. It stirs images of Nazism. But it would be a mistake to paint with the same brush all the one million voters who moved away from the ruling Christian Democrats.

Let me add in parenthesis: Voters moved away from CDU and its Bavarian partner CSU, but, please note, much of the largest number of the vote did not shift. They stayed with Angela Merkel. It must be put down to Merkel magic that in a House of 709, she still has 246 seats despite her immigration policy. But she is still 109 short of a majority. "One thing is clear," she announced with good natured mischief in her eyes. "They can't form a government without us."

By the same token, she cannot form a government without them. The Social Democrats who were with her in a grand coalition in the outgoing government have been decimated. They have decided to sit in the opposition.

If Merkel lost 8.5 per cent of her vote because of her calculated decency, Martin Schulz of SPD is kicking himself for having lost 5.2 per cent of his vote for the sin of looking like CDU's B team. The fate of the Spanish Socialist party leader Pedro Sanchez must have haunted him. After two deadlocked elections, Sanchez was persuaded to abstain from a vote, enabling the Peoples Party Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to sail through. Sanchez now looks a cipher in public life. Schulz wishes to escape that fate. There is accidental altruism in his decision too. By choosing to be in the opposition with 153 seats, he has effectively blocked AFD from taking the pulpit as leader of the opposition.

All of Merkel's negotiating skills will be brought into play to forge what in German parlance is called a "Jamaica" coalition -- black, yellow and Green representing the colours of CDU, FDP and Green. The combination happens to be the colour of the Jamaican flag.

How will Merkel reconcile her gentler, market approach to the Liberal, FDP leader, Christian Lindner's unbridled capitalism?

Will there be difficulty striking a rapport with the Green's Katrin Goring-Eckardt on environmental issues? Merkel did not hesitate calling off nuclear energy for Germany quite instinctively as soon as she witnessed Japan's Fukushima disaster.

She will also work very hard to retrieve the million or so voters who drifted away from her because of her being "soft" on immigration. A hunch on Merkel is that she will not compromise on her core beliefs. One such belief concerns immigration. Refugees fleeing from the post-9/11 West Asian wars strike a very Christian chord with her.

Being practical, she will not accelerate migration; she will facilitate migrant leaders, NGOs, in establishing model migrant settlements. Unnecessary gestures unpopular with the electorate will be discarded. She has already spoken with her usual honesty that talks with Turkey should be suspended on European entry. Where is the point in sustaining a dialogue with Turkey when nobody in Europe is willing to give up the medieval aversion to the "Turk".

Decades ago, French President Giscard d'Estaing declared with stunning candour: "European civilisation is Christian civilization." In it there was no room for a Muslim Turkey. Those were days when Turkey's case could be supported because it still donned the secular cloak of Ataturk. Now Europe considers such support untenable: Turkey is quite transparently Muslim Brotherhood.

(Saeed Naqvi is a commentator on political and diplomatic affairs. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com)

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday condoled the death veteran theatre and film personality Tom Alter, who passed away in Mumbai after losing his battle with skin cancer.

"The PM (Prime Minister) expressed grief on the demise of Tom Alter and recalled his contribution to the film world and theatre. He extended condolences to the family and admirers," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

Alter was battling stage four skin cancer at a Mumbai hospital, where he was admitted earlier in September. He returned home on Thursday and breathed his last on Friday night. He was 67.

In 2008, Tom Alter was recognised with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India.

--IANS

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Special Counsel Robert Mueller has started interviewing White House officials as part of the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, a media report said.

Informed sources told Fox News on Friday that retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, the chief of staff for the National Security Council, was interviewed on Thursday.

The questioning covered former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who resigned in February and who helped bring Kellogg onto President Donald Trump's transition team.

The sources said Kellogg was shown records related to the investigation of Flynn.

Mueller's team was expected to start interviewing White House staffers, having already sought a wide variety of documents related to their Russia probe.

In a separate development, Fox News has learned that congressional investigators, as well as federal agents, are scrutinising a Trump campaign national security meeting in March 2016 at Washington DC's Old Post Office, now the site of the Trump Hotel.

During the meeting, a staffer named George Papadopoulos reportedly suggested setting up a meeting with senior Russian officials about repairing the Washington-Moscow relationship.

The sources told Fox News that then-senator Jeff Sessions shut down the discussion, with following up via email that such a meeting might violate the Logan Act -- a 200-year-old statute that bars American citizens from engaging with a foreign government without authorisation from the incumbent government.
Australia wicket-keeper Mathew Wade, who was dropped in the last One-Day International (ODI) game against India, admitted he needs to score more runs in order to get picked.

Australia have already lost the ODI series 1-3 but won without him in Bengaluru. Peter Handsomb was doing the glovework behind the stumps in Bengaluru.

"The selectors haven't told me they've got any worries about my 'keeping," Wade said ahead of the fifth ODI against India here on Sunday.

"It's got nothing to do with that, I just need to score some runs. My performances with the bat haven't been good enough.

"That's what the selectors have told me, that I need to score some runs so I'll have to do that if I want to get picked," Wade, who has managed just 14 runs in three matches, said.

Wade's glovework also came in for criticism on the recent Test tour of Bangladesh after he conceded 30 byes in the first Test.

"I thought I kept quite well. I know there was a lot of talk over the first Test with me letting through some byes. But you only have to look at their 'keeper, who keeps in those conditions all the time, he was pretty similar," he said of his performances in Bangladesh.

"I thought I took some good chances, especially in the second Test, and I've been pretty good here. On the back of India (for the Test series in February-March), where I thought I kept really well."

Wade has an average of 20 in 10 Tests overall since he unseated Nevill last summer.

Now he has to score more runs at the start of the Shield season to have any chance of holding his spot for the Ashes.

"(The Shield games will) be crucial for my chances but I'm not worried about it though. I've got to score runs whenever I go out to bat," he said.

"I've been doing all the hard work, it just hasn't been happening for me yet. A lot has been spoken about the fact I failed in the Test matches in Bangladesh and I failed here (in the one-day series). Before that, I played in India (for the Tests) and I was batting really well.

"So it's not panic stations, we'll just keep working hard."

--IANS

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A 35-year-old nurse of a government-run health centre has been arrested for her alleged involvement in illegally terminating a pregnancy, police said on Saturday.

A team of officials on Saturday carried out a decoy operation on the directions of Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh and the Civil Surgeon.

A team consisting of Drug Control Officer Amandeep Chauhan, Deputy Civil Surgeon Sariyu Sharma and Secretary Red Cross Shayam Sunder nabbed a staff nurse of the Government PHC Bhondsi who was involved in illegal termination of pregnancy from her residential premises under the Bhondsi panchayat.

The decoy was sent and she charged Rs 10,000 for medical termination of the pregnancy.

Four used empty MTP kits strips were recovered from the spot and the accused Anamika was handed over to the police.

--IANS

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An Oxford college where Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi studied as an undergraduate has removed her portrait from public display, in a move that follows global criticism over her role in her countrys humanitarian crisis.

The governing body of St Hugh's college, one of the University of Oxford's constituent colleges, decided to remove the painting of the Nobel laureate from its main entrance on Thursday, days before the start of the university term and the arrival of new students, the Guardian reported late on Friday.

In 2012, Suu Kyi was celebrated with an honorary doctorate from Oxford University, and held her 67th birthday party at the college where she studied politics, philosophy and economics between 1964 and 1967.

In a statement St Hugh's said: "The college received the gift of a new painting earlier this month which will be exhibited for a period. The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has, meanwhile, been moved to storage."

St Hugh's student newsletter, The Swan, said the decision to remove the portrait was taken by the college's governing body, which includes its fellows and principal Elish Angiolini.

The portrait, painted by the artist Chen Yanning in 1997, belonged to Suu Kyi's husband, the Oxford academic Michael Aris, reports the Guardian.

After Aris's death in 1999 the portrait was bequeathed to St Hugh's, and hung near the college's main entrance on St Margaret's Road in north Oxford.

The Oxford council will vote next week on stripping Suu Kyi of the freedom of the city it bestowed on her in 1997, when she was being held as a political prisoner by Myanmar's military junta.

So far Oxford University has decided not to reconsider Suu Kyi's honorary degree. But last week the university expressed its "profound concern" over the treatment of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority.

Over 500,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh after the ongoing spate of violence began on August 25 when Rohingya rebels attacked police checkposts in Rakhine state and killed 12 security personnel.

--IANS

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The police have sealed 1,300 of the 2,315 schools in Catalonia designated as polling stations on the eve of a banned independence referendum, a Spanish government official said on Saturday.

The move came as the Spanish authorities stepped up their attempts to stop Sunday's referendum. Police also seized the regional government's telecommunications centre, the BBC reported.

Seven and a half million people in Catalonia will take part in a referendum condemned as illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court. The authorities in Madrid sent thousands of police to the region to prevent the referendum from taking place.

Catalonia, a wealthy region in north-eastern Spain, has its own language and culture and a high degree of autonomy, but is not recognised as a separate nation under the Spanish constitution.

The police were ordered to clear schools occupied by activists, including parents and their children who remained in the school premises after the end of lessons on Friday, aiming to ensure the buildings can later be used for voting.

According to reports, 163 schools which were earmarked as voting centres, were occupied by families.

Masses of referendum material were confiscated by police in recent weeks, while prosecutors ordered the closure of websites linked to the vote and the arrest of officials involved in organising the referendum.

Friday saw thousands of Catalan separatists hold a final rally in the city of Barcelona. Regional President Carles Puigdemont told the crowd during the rally that he believed Catalonia would be taking its first steps as a sovereign nation.

"Friends, so that victory is definite, on Sunday let's dress up in referendum (clothes) and leave home prepared to change history," Puigdemont said.

But in the town of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, some 2,000 people opposed to independence attended a rally called by Ciudadanos, Catalonia's main opposition party.

Friday also saw a judge order media giant Google to remove an application giving information about the outlawed referendum.

Despite the tension in the region, demonstrations by independence campaigners have been largely peaceful.

"I don't believe there will be anyone who will use violence or who will want to provoke violence that will tarnish the irreproachable image of the Catalan independence movement as pacifist," the Catalonia Regional President said.

--IANS

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The much-talked about Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square has hit rough weather after the Kolkata police stopped its public viewing following an apparent electrical short circuit within the marquee.

The puja, which has drawn huge crowds because of its London-themed marquee and goddess Durga draped in a 22 kg gold saree of 22 carat costing Rs 6.5 crore, saw public viewing being halted early on Saturday morning on Mahadashami, the last day of the festival.

Smoke was seen coming out of a chandelier, a police officer said.

Personnel from the fire department and police immediately rushed to the spot.

The enthusiasts were not allowed to enter the marquee till the afternoon as teams of the PWD, civil, electrical and fire departments inspected the area.

"This is a conspiracy against us. This Puja has attracted huge attention and that's why the people are jealous," Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee President Pradip Ghosh told IANS.

"There was no smoke inside our puja pandal. If there was any fire there must have been some sign of it around or inside the pandal."

Replicas of the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the London Bridge are the chief attractions of the marquee.

--IANS

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The Vishva Hindu Parishad and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Saturday organised 'Shastra Puja' (weapon worship) in various blocks and districts in West Bengal on Vijaydashmi, informed sources said.

The ritual was held mostly indoors and at some places within enclosed premises, the sources said.

While the RSS said it held the ritual at held at all its units in Bengal as done every year, the VHP leadership claimed it was held at more than 300 places in the state to "organise the awakening of the Hindus".

"The RSS celebrates the occasion of Vijaydashmi throughout the country wherein Shastra Pujan is also observed as it is also our foundation day. The ritual was held in nearly 5,000 places in Bengal this year," Jushnu Basu, RSS General Secretary, south Bengal, told IANS.

"Worship of weapons has been held in India for several years. The West Bengal government is trying to divert people's attention by making an issue out of it because they are constantly taking steps to curtail the fundamental rights of the Hindus in the state," he claimed.

The VHP said there was renewed enthusiasm among the state's Hindus, centring on the 'Shastra Pujan Vidhi' following the controversy surrounding the ritual.

"The majority community is not getting justice in Bengal. They are being harassed. If this continues we will organise more elaborate rituals like this in future," VHP state Secretary Sachindranath Singha told IANS.

He said the VHP organised the ritual on Saturday at 15 places in the city.

--IANS

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A module of the Babbar Khalsa was busted and seven members of the Sikh terrorist group arrested in Ludhiana, Punjab Police said on Saturday.

Three pistols and some ammunition was seized from the arrested men, Ludhiana Police Commissioner R.N. Dhoke told the media in Ludhiana.

He said the group planned to target those opposed to or writing against Khalistani ideology and radical Sikh organisations.

Dhoke said those arrested were allegedly linked to and were funded by Surinder Singh Babbar, who is said to be based in London in the United Kingdom.

The officer claimed Babbar was providing money and weapons to the group members.

--IANS

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After impressing the audience with "Bareilly Ki Barfi" and "Newton", Rajkummar Rao will next be seen in "Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana", set for release on November 10.

Rajkummar is paired with Kriti Kharbanda in the film under the Soundarya Production banner.

Directed by Ratna Sinha, it is penned by Kamal Pande and has been shot in Lucknow and Allahabad.

The film's story rises from the cultural and traditional roots of Uttar Pradesh, and is about two ordinary middle-class people, Satyendra Mishra and Aarti Shukla, who are soon to be bound in matrimony. But Satyendra is left alone at the altar as Aarti decides to pursue her dreams, read a statement.

Five years later, they cross paths and the story takes an interesting turn when Satyendra, now an IAS officer, has been assigned the case of framed PCS officer Aarti.

Sinha said the movie comes with "a surprising twist", and says she is glad to have got a cast of her choice.

The producer said: "When Ratnaji narrated us the story of Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, we thought it should be made as it's a beautiful story. The film caters to the mass audience and we hope they like it."

--IANS

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After garnering international acclaim with Oscar nominated film "Lion", child artiste Sunny Pawar will next be seen sharing screen space with actress Tamannaah Bhatia in a film inspired by the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign.

The film is titled "ABC", and is an initiative by the Anti Corruption And Crime Control Committee in association with the Gravity Group. The two hour long movie will premiere at the German and French Film Festival in January next year, read a statement.

"I am of the opinion that the power vested in being a media figure should never be abused and should instead be used to inspire others. The girl child is a cause that is very close to my heart and I am proud to be associated with it," Tamannaah said.

The script of the film will revolve around the importance of awareness and implementation of education for the girl child.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's voice will be used in the form of a guiding force for the on-screen characters in the film, and Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, will be contributing to the musical score.

Stars and noted personalities like Chiranjeevi, Suniel Shetty, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Kiran Bedi, Amitabh Bachchan will also be making special appearances in the Ramkumar Shendge directorial.

The film will be dubbed in 14 languages, and there are plans to make it a compulsory watch in all schools across the nation.

--IANS

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Veteran theatre and film personality Tom Alter, who lost his battle against skin cancer, was cremated here on Saturday in the presence of his close family members and friends from the industry.

As the news of Tom's demise came out, tributes from the film, theatre, television and political world started to pour in, and many called him as a generous and kind-hearted talent.

The actor was battling stage four skin cancer at a Mumbai hospital, where he was admitted earlier in September.

He returned home on Thursday and breathed his last on Friday night, the acclaimed actor's manager Ismail Ansari told IANS.

He was 67.

"The cremation was done in Worli. His close family members were present. Raza Murad and some directors from the industry were also present," Ansari said.

His family has asked for "their privacy to be respected at this time".

Earlier, Tom's son Jamie had told IANS that the actor was suffering from squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. Last year, Tom had got his thumb amputated due to the condition.

Known for starring in television shows like "Zabaan Sambhalke", "Bharat Ek Khoj", "Junoon" and "Betaal Pachisi", Tom was an American-origin actor settled in India.

He had a flourishing career on stage, and on the big screen he has played pivotal roles in successful films like "Gandhi", "Shatranj Ke Khilari", "Kranti", "Aashiqui" and "Parinda".

In 2008, he was recognised with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India.

He last featured in a television show "Rishton Ka Chakravyuh", and on the big screen, he was seen in "Sargoshiyan". He also shot for a short film "The Black Cat", in which he features as author Ruskin Bond.

Through a Facebook post, "The Black Cat" director Bhargav Saikia said: "You have enriched my life and inspired me in so many ways since I met you for the first time in December last year... thank you for the memories, sir. Thank you for your kindness and generosity. Farewell."

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled his death saying he will always be remembered for his contribution to the film world and theatre.

--IANS

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Two criminals were arrested on the charge of raping a 25-year-old woman here last week whereas their accomplice is on the run, police said on Saturday.

The woman, employed as a nurse at a private hospital in the trans-Hindon area, was walking back home after alighting from an auto-rickshaw around 9.30 p.m. on September 22 when the two accused dragged her to a paddy field near National Highway-58 in Ghaziabad and raped her.

The woman alleged that their third accomplice shot a video clipping on her mobile phone after snatching it from her. They threatened that in case she reported the crime to police, they would upload the clipping on social media.

A case was registered under Sections 376 and 394 of the Indian Penal Code at the Sihani Gate police station in the city.

Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police H.N. Singh told the media that the district Crime Branch staff has since recovered the phone dumped in a drain in Duhai locality.

He said the accused had initially sold the mobile phone to someone but took it back later due to the fear that it could help police track them down.

"We screened the entire locality after the crime and shortlisted nearly 100 suspects. During screening, the three accused were identified. While Ankit and Mohit alias Rahul were arrested, Kapil is absconding," the SSP said.

Four criminal cases stand registered against Ankit and two against Mohit at Sihani Gate police station.

"Ankit and Mohit, both alcoholics and habitual criminals, confessed that they gang-raped the young woman while Kapil was only involved in planning the crime. Their initial motive was to rob her," Singh said.

Mohit is a resident of Duhai locality, Ankit of Farid Nagar in Bhojpur police station area and Kapil of Sikrod.

--IANS

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US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price resigned on Friday, said the White House.

Price offered his resignation earlier Friday and President Donald Trump accepted, White House Press Secretary said in a statement.

"The President intends to designate Don J. Wright of Virginia to serve as Acting Secretary, effective at 11.59 p.m. on September 29, 2017," the statement said.

Price has been under heavy fire since U.S. media outlets reported that he had flown on at least 26 private flights since May, including five domestic flights within one week this month.

--IANS

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For a technology reporter, the word "mobile" evokes automatic interest. And for a tech junkie, a Mobile Congress means a platform where you get to see new gadgets, upcoming smartphone technologies, various prototypes pertaining to Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solutions, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) being showcased, and so on.

In its first-ever edition, the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) appears to have done a fair job -- with top telecom and IT stakeholders gathering and brainstorming over India's digital transformation, upcoming 5G technology, smart cities, cyber security and the like -- but the absence of mobile handset makers and new announcements (barring one -- an LG "mosquito repellent" smartphone) left the geeks disappointed.

According to experts, it would have had been great to tie-up with domestic manufacturers like Micromax, Karbonn and Intex and Chinese vendors like Xiaomi, Lenovo, Oppo, Vivo and Huwaei's Honor -- not to forget Apple and Samsung -- and convince them to schedule new launches or announcements for the event.

An early pitch from the organisers to reach out to smartphone makers would have had seen more tech reporters and bloggers making a beeline to the event for a true "Mobile" experience along with a strong policy engagement platform.

Similarly, some upcoming tech trends from chip manufacturers, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) could also have had been looked at in advance.

"The absence of handset makers, especially Indian brands to the extent they could have been here, is noticeable. Handsets do complete the ecosystem," Faisal Kawoosa, Principal Analyst, Telecom and ESDM, CyberMedia Research (CMR), told IANS.

According to Tarun Pathak, Associate Director, Mobile Devices and Ecosystems, Counterpoint Research, IMC 2017 was more of a Business-to-Business (B2B) event.

"Such events can be good platforms for the overall mobile ecosystem, especially for start-ups. So instead of being dominated by a couple of players, we might see more tech players' involvement in the future," Pathak told IANS.

At least 10-15 days prior to IMC 2017, there were some high-profile phone and notebook launches in India. An earlier effort to patch them in for the IMC platform would have had done wonders for the event.

"More marketing around the event would have helped to get smartphone players and their upcoming prototypes being showcased at the event," Pathak added.

Touting the IMC 2017 a success, the organisers said many more industry players now want to participate from next year.

"This has been a good beginning. Many more players want to participate next year, so we hope that in the years to come, IMC will be established as a prominent platform for the mobile, Internet and technology ecosystem in India," Information Technology Secretary Aruna Sundararajan told the gathering on the second day of the event.

When asked if any significant investment announcement was made, Rajan S. Matthews, Director General of the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI), said: "IMC was not intended to be a forum to make such announcements out of context. This event provides a platform for various stakeholders, including the government, to interact and help make decisions."

The three-day event had 21 sessions with themes like "Digital India", "Internet Governance", "Smart Network: The Future of Networking", "Digital Identity for Digital World", "Women in Tech", "Cloud & Virtualisation", "Digital Infrastructure Towards the Digital Economy" and others.

The event also has thematic pavilions and innovation zones, featuring 300 exhibitors. It also claimed to attract more than 500 start-ups, 2,000 delegates from India and other countries with 150,000 footfalls.

"Overall, I think COAI, with patronage from DoT, has done a great job in the first edition of IMC. I think the seminars were also of great quality," Kawoosa added.

"The biggest achievement though remains bringing Jio many steps closer to incumbents, possibly marking the era of collaboration," Kawoosa noted.

However, if the organisers take a cue from the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona -- the world's largest gathering for the mobile industry, organised by the GSMA -- the next event can truly be a "Mobile" experience for those interested in tracking technology trends.

(Nishant Arora can be contacted at nishant.a@ians.in)

--IANS

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In the aftermath of the stampede which killed 22 commuters on Friday, MNS President Raj Thackeray on Saturday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "liar" and warned that he would not allow the Bullet Train project till all suburban commuters' issues are resolved.
The Shiv Sena "will remain in power to protect the interests of people", the party mouthpiece today said amid speculation that it may pull out of the BJP- led government in Maharashtra.

The frayed relationship between saffron allies -- the BJP and Shiv Sena -- had come under fresh strain after Sena MP Sanjay Raut had recently said his party will soon decide on whether to continue in the two-party coalition government in Maharashtra.

However, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' today said "the party would not end the coalition when assembly elections are two years away and will continue to remain in power to protect the interests of people".

Shiv Sena has 12 ministers in the Fadnavis government, including five of the Cabinet rank. Maharashtra has a 39- member council of ministers. The party has one minister in the NDA ministry at the centre.

The editorial also hit out at the railways and the central government, alleging that their apathy led to yesterday's stampede at the Elphinstone station that killed 22 people.
The appointment of 77-year-old Bhanwarilal Purohit as Governor of Tamil Nadu gains significance, since his role is speculated to be crucial considering the political uncertainity in the State. This, despite the fact that the ruling party has been elected with a significant majority in the Assembly elections of 2016.
Six people, including a law graduate and his girlfriend, were arrested in a case of dacoity for allegedly looting a businessmen on the pretext of selling him bitcoins, police said today.

In August, a Delhi-based businessman filed a complaint alleging that he had been robbed of Rs 36 lakh by a gang, whose members claimed to be Bitcoin dealers, said Rajesh Deo, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime).

He was abducted from the Nirman Vihar Metro Station near Laxmi Nagar and taken to Vaishali, Ghaziabad, where he was assaulted along with his friend and were threatened with dire consequences if they reported the matter to police, he added.

During inquiry, it was found that several "crypto currencies" such as Litecoin, Ethereum, Monero are being traded online through various e-wallets such as Zebpay.com.

The seller and buyer do not meet each other in person.

The victim told police that he had uploaded his information on a website localbitcoins.com. He received a call from a woman, who introduced herself as Karishma Rajput, a bitcoin dealer, said the DCP.

The complainant showed interest in buying bitcoins which were available at a rate of Rs 72,000 per bitcoin.

The complainant was interested to make the payments online through Zebpay.com but Rajput lured him to deal in cash by reducing the price and making the deal more lucrative.

On April 7, she, along with his associates, called the complainant to V3S Mall near Nirman Vihar metro station with cash. She called other members of the gang who abducted the complainant and his friend in their Scorpio Car on the pretext of taking them to the client. The accused took the duo to a flat in Vaishali, where he was robbed of Rs 36 lakh, he said.

It was found that the accused were using different numbers to contact the victims. Through the analysis of the call records, the police identified the accused.

Several raids were carried out in NCR, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh to arrest the accused.

Four members of the gang -- Karamvir Singh, Sandeep and Devendra Chauhan and Kunal Sharma -- were arrested on September 2.

Subsequently, two more accused, Priya Thakur alias Karishma Rajput and Yashashvi Sharma alias Aditya Rajput were arrested on September 27, said the DCP.

During interrogation, it emerged that the gang members were involved in two other cases of dacoity.

The gang is headed by Amandeep Singh, a bankrupt property dealer and a resident of Sector 1, Ghaziabad, who roped in the other members, he said.

Thakur and Yashashvi Sharma had registered on the website localbitcoins.com in fake names. Yashashvi is a law graduate.

They would contact the interested party through phone calls and Facebook messages and would convince the buyers to deal in cash for buying bitcoins, said the officer.

Once they convinced the buyer and called them to the designated place, the other gang members -- Karamvir, Kunal, Kuldeep, Amandeep, Sandeep and Devender -- would then rob the victim, he added.

Amandeep and Kuldeep were yet to be arrested.

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Seven persons allegedly belonging to banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) were arrested today, Ludhiana Police said.

Those arrested have been identified as Onkar Singh, Jagran Singh, Amritpal Singh, Kuldip Singh, Jasbir Singh, Amanpreet Singh and Manpreet Singh, Ludhiana Police Commissioner R N Dhoke told reporters here.

Three of those arrested belonged to Amritsar, he said.

All the seven were arrested from Ludhiana where they planned to hold a meeting, Dhoke added.

Three pistols and 33 live cartridges were recovered from their possession, he said.

The Ludhiana police commissioner said the leader of the group has been identified as Surinder Singh Babbar, who is settled in United Kingdom and was providing them financial assistance and weapons.

Babbar was selecting targets through social media, according to the police.

During preliminary investigations, it was revealed that those opposed to "radical views" were on their hit list, Dhoke said. Their motive was to disturb peace and communal harmony of the state, the police said.

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Puthiya Tamizhagam president K Krishnasamy today said he has already submitted memorandums to the Centre and Tamil Nadu government urging handing over the case of suicide by a dalit medical aspirant, to CBI.

Krishnasamy said he would approach the High Court to know the "real facts" behind the suicide in case there was no action on his demand.

The aspirant, 17-year-old Anitha, was reportedly upset after it became known that Tamil Nadu would not be exempted from the ambit of the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test. She had earlier moved the Supreme Court against NEET.

Anitha, daughter of a daily wage earner, allegedly hanged herself at her house in Ariyalur district on September 1, reportedly upset over not getting an MBBS seat.

The PMK's annual conference and state executive will be held at Chennai on October six, Krishnasamy said.

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With the first chartered flight arriving in Goa tomorrow, from Moscow, the tour operators are still wary about the uncertainty on the slot allotment at the state's lone airport.

Heralding a tourism season, a chartered flight from Moscow will be arriving at state's Dabolim airport early morning carrying around 500 passengers, sources from the Airports Authority of India claimed.

The chartered flight season which begins in October continues till the month of May.

"The issue about allotment of slots to chartered flights at Goa airport is yet to be sorted out. The slot has to be allotted by Airports Authority of India (AAI) depending on which, the chartered flight agents can book the trips," Savio Messiah, President, Tour and Travel Association of Goa (TTAG), told PTI.

He said Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has assured to look into the matter and industry is optimistic that the issue will be solved soon, which is crucial for the good tourist season.

Messiah said TTAG and tourism stakeholders have expressed their concern over non-availability of slots at Goa airport but they are yet to get back any communication.

"Initially some slots are allotted but there is uncertainty over rest (of the slots). If this continues that will certainly affect the chartered flight season.

"Many of the agents in India have kept their foreign counterparts on hold for few days stopping them from cancellations," he said.

Giving an example, he said that a chartered flight operator who is scheduled to bring in tourists from the UK has decided to cancel his trip for November due to these issues of slot.

Meanwhile, Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar has said corrective steps will be taken to solve this issue.

"The Chief Minister has assured that all corrective steps will be taken and issues will be resolved so that Goa has a good charter season this year.

"These timely measures will put to rest the anxiety and concerns raised by tourism stakeholders," Ajgaonkar said.

Goa, which is popular among travellers in the western countries, attracted 988 chartered flights during the tourist season lasting from October 2016 to May 2017.

These flights brought 2.32 lakh tourists from various countries, including the UK and Russia.

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After backing the BRICS declaration on terrorism naming Pakistan-based militant groups, China today said it will extend support to the fight against terrorist financing and money laundering in non-financial sectors.

"Money laundering and terrorist financing activities are gradually spreading to some non-financial sectors," the People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank, said in a statement, noting the risks in sectors like real estate intermediary services and jewellery sales.

The PBOC has already started monitoring and analysis in some of these sectors and will work with relevant government departments on anti-money laundering rules for non-financial industries, the state-run Xinhua agency reported today.

Since China's anti-money laundering law became effective in 2007, supervision has improved, covering almost every financial sector, such as banking, securities, insurance, non-banking payment institutions and bank card clearing institutions.

According to a government guideline, made public earlier this week, China will coordinate supervision to counter money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion.

By 2020, China should be able to effectively prevent and control money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion by improving laws and regulations and coordinating the work of different government departments, the statement issued last night said.

Observers say China's backing for anti-money laundering and terror financing efforts could lead to more effective measures at the international level to cut sources of finance to global terror outfits.

Shedding its earlier reservations, China had backed a tough declaration at the BRICS Summit earlier this month in Chinese city of Xiamen and identified 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, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Hizb ut-Tahrir as terrorist groups.

"We deplore all terrorist attacks ... and condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations wherever committed and by whomsoever and stress that there can be no justification for any act of terrorism," the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, (BRICS) statement had said.

Considerable significance was attached to China endorsing the statement specially against militant outfits based in Pakistan, its closest ally, at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen as it had resisted their inclusion at last year's Summit in Goa.

The PBOC also dismissed concerns over strengthened government supervision of abnormal cross-border capital flow, saying that the monitoring will not disrupt normal and legal use of cross-border capital.

The monitoring work will be carried out backstage and does not require further information from citizens and enterprises, the central bank said.

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DEAR ABBY: I'm a 55-year-old guy stranded in a tough marriage situation. My wife has had a serious falling-out with her father. After his wife of more than 50 years passed away, he immediately took up with an old flame and dumped his family in favor of his new lady's family.

My wife now treats me like garbage. Apparently, "all men are dogs," and if she passes away, I "obviously already have a girl lined up to take her place," and, oh yeah, I plan to abandon my children in favor of the new woman's family. I'm being painted with a very broad brush, and it is destroying our relationship.

My wife is angry and bitter all the time, and I feel abandoned. I love her dearly and don't know what to do next, although I am thinking of punching out her father. Any thoughts are appreciated. -- STRANDED IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR STRANDED: Your wife is now an "orphan." She's hurt, angry, and misdirecting her anger at her father onto you. Of course it is unfair to you. She needs counseling NOW, before she compounds her pain by destroying her marriage to you. Be smart and insist upon it.

DEAR ABBY: I'm a fifth-grader, and I'd like to know something important to girls my age. I want to know how to get a guy to be my boyfriend and the steps to getting him. It's hard for me to get a boyfriend.

I know what you're going to say -- I'm too young for boys. But if I am, I would like this information for future reference. I have tried other things. Nothing worked, and basically, you're my last hope. -- PLANNING AHEAD IN BAY CITY, TEXAS

DEAR PLANNING AHEAD: OK, let's review the basics. Are you neat and clean in your appearance? Are you fun to be around and liked by your classmates of both genders? Do you smile and say hello and show an interest?

Basically, the qualities that attract other girls are the same ones that will make boys pay attention. But there's an important point to keep in mind, and it's that while you may be developing an interest in boys, many of them may not be mature enough to have developed an interest in girls yet, so be patient. Focus on your studies, become involved in activities you enjoy, and things will happen naturally.

DEAR ABBY: Recently, a waiter spilled the dinner he was carrying for another diner all over my coat. This is not the first time something like this has happened to me or someone I was dining with. What is the proper thing for a restaurant to do in a situation like this? Offer me a free meal to cover the cost of getting my coat dry-cleaned? -- ANNOYED IN AUSTRALIA

DEAR ANNOYED: The very least you should receive is an apology. If the restaurant is Class A, the manager should come to your table, apologize and instruct you to send or bring the bill for dry cleaning your garment to him or her so the establishment can pay for it. Offering to treat you to dessert would also be good public relations, but expecting to be treated to dinner is excessive.

DEAR ABBY: I am 74, and my wife is 71. We are lonely. All of our friends have died, and we have no relatives in this state. We both have health issues that keep us mostly housebound. That leaves out volunteering and sports, and the high cost of gas is a factor.

We live in our own home and want to continue living here. Our home is in a development consisting of busy families involved in their own lives, or too young to bother with a couple of older people. We tried church, only to find that everyone there is as involved in their own lives as our neighbors are.

I fear the thought of one of us dying and leaving the other to possibly die alone in our house, not to be missed or discovered until much later. How can we have friends like we used to have, and not shallow acquaintances? -- FRIGHTENED OF THE FUTURE IN PENNSYLVANIA

DEAR FRIGHTENED: If there are senior citizen centers in your community, I recommend you contact them. That way you can meet new people and form relationships with contemporaries. Also, these centers usually have geriatric specialists or social workers on staff with whom you can discuss your concerns.

That said, it's important to remember that the kind of friendships you and your wife used to have take time to develop -- they don't happen overnight. Another thought: You say most of your neighbors are busy with their children. Perhaps you could reach out and offer to baby-sit for some of them in your home, if the parents would like a night off. I'll bet some of them will take you up on it.

DEAR ABBY: I was recently in the bakery section of our neighborhood grocery store. A woman came rushing in carrying a cake that had been at least three-fourths eaten and made a scene, saying the cake was terrible and demanding that she be given a new one. To stop the scene, the store manager gave her a new one, even though she had managed to eat most of the "terrible" cake.

The next night, my husband and I went to dinner at a nice steak house. The couple sitting next to us ate almost their entire dinner before complaining to the manager that the steaks were awful and demanding their meals for free.

Has this become acceptable? If something is wrong with the food, shouldn't management be told after the first bite? It looks to me like these people are looking for a free ride. -- OFFENDED IN KANSAS

DEAR OFFENDED: It certainly appears that way. The most effective way to demonstrate that an item of food is inedible is to NOT eat it. In situations like this, the restaurant manager will sometimes offer as an accommodation a free dessert rather than write off the entire meal. As to what happened at the grocery, if the complainer was a good customer, then what the manager did was a wise public relations gesture.

DEAR ABBY: We are all familiar with the rules of who pays for what in a wedding. Usually the bride's family pays for certain portions of the wedding and reception, while the groom's family pays for the rehearsal dinner, among other things.

But what are the rules for same-sex marriages? My daughter and her girlfriend are getting married, and I'm confused about the financial etiquette. Is everything split evenly? -- MODERN DAD IN LOUISIANA

DEAR MODERN DAD: According to Steven Petrow, the LGBT etiquette author, there are few set rules about gay weddings. Your only "requirement" is to provide them with your love and support.

Many couples today, both gay and straight, foot the bill themselves. You might offer a gift to help them pay for the flowers or rehearsal dinner. However, like any responsible couple, your daughter and her intended should plan a wedding that is within their budget.

DEAR ABBY: During a recent trip across the U.S. to visit family, we spent the night in a motel. While we enjoyed the complimentary breakfast the next morning, a middle-aged lady bustled around, keeping serving plates full, wiping the tables clean, and greeting everyone with a smile and a cheery, "Good morning!" There was no tip jar in sight. When I handed her a tip, she smiled and thanked me. I'm pretty sure most people who enjoyed the food and clean dining area never thought to tip her.

Please remind your readers that many service workers in our country are paid less than minimum wage (which isn't a living). They depend on the tips they are given. I mentioned it to the receptionist at the front desk when I checked out. She promised that she would propose a tip jar at the next managers' meeting. Please, folks, even without that reminder, take notice of workers like her who make your travel more pleasant, and reward them accordingly. -- TRAVEL TIP

DEAR TRAVEL TIP: Amen!

DEAR ABBY: Why do married couples exclude single people? I have been friends with these people since long after I was divorced. But sometimes when they get together, they leave out their single friends. We are not a threat to their relationships. Is there a reason for this? -- EXCLUDED IN THE EAST

DEAR EXCLUDED: You are asking a question for which there is no single answer. The reasons could vary from something as simple as having to do with the seating arrangements to concern that the single person might not be comfortable when all the other guests are couples. Readers?

DEAR ABBY: The company I work for recently switched to digital phones that show the caller's name and location on a screen no matter where they are in the building. Years ago, I formed the habit of introducing myself when placing a call: "Hi, this is Sally from marketing. How are you, Trent? Great! I'm calling because ..." I have been informed that what I'm doing is old-fashioned, unnecessary and a waste of everyone's time.

The preferred method would be to launch into the heart of the conversation with no introduction, just "Hi. I need instructions for the new projectors," because the person already knows who is calling. To me, this feels rude, especially when talking with someone I see rarely.

I can't help but wonder what the long-term office climate will be like if everyone is so terse. On the other hand, many of my younger co-workers would prefer not to talk at all and conduct business by email or text. ANY conversation feels excessive to them, and they are humoring me by answering the phone.

Where is the middle ground here? How can I maintain what feels like basic good manners and human interaction without annoying my colleagues? -- POLITE IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR POLITE: There are certain niceties that make interactions with others more pleasant. While you may no longer have to announce that you are "Sally from marketing," it is polite to inquire how the person is doing or how the day is going. It's a pleasant conversation-starter and a transition into the business you will conduct. Because you are getting flak for it, go to your employer or H.R. for guidance in navigating the new system.

DEAR ABBY: I am in a predicament. My therapist is great, but sometimes I think she shares too much. Last time I went, she was running late. When I finally got into her office, she told me the previous patient was nonverbal and had painted her nails during the session. Later in the session, she confided that years ago she had been date raped.

Abby, I am in counseling because my father raped me when I was 15 (I am now 24). Her sharing has me worried because I don't want her telling others what I say or do during counseling. Further, her story of the date rape scared me. She described a situation that is not uncommon for me to be in, and it caused something almost like a flashback in me. I think what she did was insensitive, to say the least.

I have nobody else to ask, so what should I do? I'm getting counseling for free now due to my income, and it took months to get set up with a counselor. Should I report her or accept that this was a mistake and say nothing? If I need to report her, how would I go about doing that? -- CONFLICTED ABOUT IT

DEAR CONFLICTED: You should change therapists because it appears this one has more problems than you do. As to what agency you should report her breach of professional ethics to, contact the state organization that has licensed her to practice.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today sought a "fruitful" probe into the gangrape of a Delhi based Malayalee woman at Bikaner.

In a letter to his Rajasthan counterpart, he said the victim , who overcame the torture, should be provided necessary support.

The Delhi based woman had alleged that she was raped by 23 men on the outskirts of Bikaner.

In her complaint on September 27, she had alleged that she was raped by the men after being abducted from the Bikaner-Jaipur highway, where she had gone to check on a plot she owns.

Six of the accused have been arrested.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A possible rail accident was averted after the driver of a goods train alerted railway officials about concrete blocks being placed on the tracks near Kandari village in the district, police said today.

Concrete blocks were placed by unidentified persons on tracks on the both up and down routes near Kandari village in Karjan tehsil last evening, sub-inspector of Karjan police station, K M Rawal said.

At around 7:40 pm, the train hit some stones and the driver felt a strong jerk and the stones broke into pieces, said senior divisional security commissioner, Vadodara (Western Railway), Hemant Kumar.

The driver then informed officials at the Kashipura railway station. It was later found that six hexagonal concrete blocks, three each on the two tracks, were placed by unidentified persons, which could have caused a major accident, Kumar said.

A case has been registered by the local police and it has launched a probe.

The blocks were placed with a malafide intention to cause an accident, Kumar said, adding that the railway officials acted promptly and averted a possible mishap.

He said the concrete blocks were carried to the tracks from a nearby railway gate, which was unmanned after 7 pm.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said today that "necessary constitutional amendments" will have to be made for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to be "completely assimilated" with the rest of the country.

In his more than an hour-long address on Vijayadashmi, which is also the Hindutva organisation's foundation day, he spoke on a host of issues such as national security, Kashmir, Rohingyas, cow protection, economy and agriculture.

Backing the government's stand on the Rohingya issue, Bhagwat said that they were a threat to national security due to their links with "terrorist" groups.

In Left-ruled Kerala and Mamata Banerjee-ruled West Bengal, "jihadi and anti-national" forces were at work and the governments there were not only indifferent but at times lending a helping hand to them to "appease" a section of the voters for "petty political interests", he said.

On Kashmir, Bhagwat said, "Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state.

"Then and then only the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with rest of Bharat and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in the national progress," Bhagwat said at the RSS headquarters here.

Though Bhagwat did not mention it, but the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP have long demanded abrogation of the Article 370, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Supreme Court is also hearing a plea demanding repeal of Article 35A, which allows the state legislature to define "permanent residents". Hindutva organisations have called it discriminatory.

Kashmir-based parties such as the PDP and the National Conference are against any change in the special provisions granted to the state by the Constitution.

The Sangh chief said there was an urgent need to take the benefits of development to the people of entire J&K, including the Jammu and Ladakh regions, without any discrimination and through transparent and clean governance.

Bhagwat also rejected suggestions for considering the case of Rohingya Muslims, who have fled Myanmar, from a humanitarian view, alleging that they were being driven out of their country due to their violent separatist activities, and links with 'jihadi' and terrorist groups.

"Any decision regarding them should be taken keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity. The government seems to be thinking on the same line," he said.

The Modi government has already told the Supreme Court that Rohingyas were not refugees but illegal immigrants and were a security threat. The government has said that it would send them back.

Bhagwat praised the government's firm action against separatists and terrorists in J&K, saying that the situation prevailing there a few months back has improved.

He also batted for the rights of Hindu refugees living in the state, saying they have been denied citizenship rights unjustly and sympathised with the cause of Kashmiri Pandits, who were forced to flee Kashmir in 1990 due to terrorism.

"Despite being the citizens of Bharat, they still don't have basic facilities of education, employment and democratic rights," Bhagwat said.

Lauding the people living in the border areas, he said they were "bravely and persistently holding ground amid incessant cross-border firing and terrorist-infiltration" and called for relief and assistance to them from the government and social groups.

The RSS chief also praised the Centre for its handling of the Dokalam issue with China. India's determined position on China and Pakistan has bettered its standing in the world, he said.

In his speech, he also gave suggestions to the government on agriculture and economic fronts, observing that farmers were in "pain".

Taking potshots at some intellectuals, he said they did not find anything about India to be proud of. Bhagwat also called for "decolonisation" of the mind and lauded the Modi government for its efforts.

"We are independent for the last 70 years but for the first time we are experiencing" it and so is the world that India is rising, he said.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were present on the occasion. Dalit religious leader Baba Nirmal Das, who was expected to be the chief guest, could not attend the event as he was indisposed. His message was read out at the event.

Referring to the issue of cow vigilantism, Bhagwat said, "It is reprehensible that some some people have been killed allegedly by gaurakshaks.

"At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers," he said.

Bhagwat said the issue of cow protection is beyond religion and "many Muslims have sacrificed their life for protection of the cow just as people of Bajrang Dal have".

On the economic situation, the RSS chief said that the interests of small, medium industries and self-employed businesses should be protected as they make the "biggest contribution" to the economy.

He also asked the government to ensure a minimum support price to farmers to allow them to make enough money to sustain themselves from their produce.

"Our farmer feeds not just his family but the entire nation, is in pain today. He is depressed after facing the onslaught of floods and droughts, export-import policy, meagre pricing, mounting loans and losing everything once the crop is ruined," Bhagwat said.

Though the government has come out with many schemes, he suggested that efforts should be made to find how they have been implemented on the ground.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
People across the country celebrated Dussehra with traditional fervour today as two Cabinet ministers joined the troops in the festivities, but the mood was sombre in Mumbai which mourned the death of 23 people in a railway station stampede.

Arrows were fired to set the effigies of Ravana ablaze at the Parade Ground in Delhi at an event attended by President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

Speaking at the event, Modi urged the people to take a pledge to contribute to the process of nation-building.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi attended another event organised by the Nav Shri Dharmik Lila Committee.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman celebrated Dussehra with the troops in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir respectively.

Accompanied by his wife, Singh interacted with the members of 1st battalion of the ITBP deployed in Rimkhim near Barahoti, which has been witness to alleged transgressions by the Chinese Army in the past.

Singh also took part in a weapon worship ritual performed at the ITBP camp to glorify the spirit of valour.

Sitharaman met with the troops at Siachen and other forward locations in the Ladakh region and assured them of the government's commitment of support in all circumstances.

She was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D Anbu and GoC 14 Corps Lt Gen S K Upadhyay.

But, unlike every year, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus was not illuminated as the railway employees joined the city in mourning the Elphinstone Road station tragedy which killed 23 and injured scores yesterday.

"It is a call taken by railway employees and officers on their own not to celebrate the festival owing to the tragic incident," said Sunil Udasi, Chief spokesperson for the Central Railway.

Kerala celebrated the festival in a unique way introducing thousands of tiny tots to the world of letters with kids and their parents gathering at temples, schools and cultural centres across the state in large numbers.

Arrangements were made for the 'ezhuthiniruthu'-- the initiation ceremony. Vijayadasami is observed as the day of 'Vidyarambham', the beginning of learning, in the state.

Nearly two lakh devotees took part in the chariot procession of Lord Venkateswara near Tirupati, amid chanting of vedic hymns.

In Punjab and Haryana, effigies of demon king Ravana went up in flames marking the triumph of good over evil.

A 210-feet tall Ravana effigy, built with an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh, was put up at Mela ground at Barara in Haryana's Ambala district.

Meanwhile, in Kolkata, with most of the household Durga idols set for immersion, the police and civic authorities have made elaborate security arrangements for peaceful processions.

Immersion will continue on all days from today, including on Muharram day tomorrow, till October 3.

Senior officers of the Kolkata Police will be conducting special vigil from watchtowers constructed near the ghats.

"CCTV cameras and drones will be used at certain ghats to keep a tab on the immersion process. Our officers will also be there in plain clothes," a senior police officer told PTI.

Around 3,500 community pujas were held in the city this year, while over thousands more are observed in the suburban towns and villages across West Bengal.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised an 'astra puja' (weapon worship) ceremony at more than 300 places in the state as part of the celebration.

"Today, in order to unite the Hindus and protect them against anti-national elements, we have organized astra puja at more than 300 places of the state," VHP state secretary Sachindranath Singha told PTI.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Death sentence of 15 Indians, lodged in Kuwaiti jails, have been commuted to life imprisonment by the Emir of Kuwait, External Affairs Minister said today.

Swaraj said the Emir has also directed that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced.

The minister thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his "kind" gesture.

In a series of tweets, she said "the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment".

Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison, she tweeted.

However, it was not clear that under what charges these Indians were put behind bars.
The death toll in the stampede on a foot overbridge (FOB) linking two railway stations here rose to 23 today with one critically injured person succumbing at the KEM hospital, its dean said.

With the tragedy raising concerns of safety, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal convened a full board meeting of Railway officials here to address the safety issues and work out urgent measures.

Dean Avinash Supe said Satyendrakumar Kanojia, who was in his late forties, died today.

"The patient was put on ventilator as soon as he was admitted to the hospital. We tried to save him but he succumbed to internal injuries," he told PTI.

The tragedy took place yesterday around 10.40 am when the overbridge, linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban stations, became overcrowded with people taking shelter from a heavy downpour.

Goyal, who has held a series of meetings with top officials since yesterday, announced in tweets that FOBs would now be a "mandatory" aspect of railway's working, which it was earlier considered as only an 'amenity'.

"We are turning a 150-year-old convention on its head, hereafter, FOBs (Foot Over Bridges) will be deemed mandatory not a passenger amenity," he tweeted.

In order to check delays in execution of projects and red tape, he said the general managers of railway zones have been entrusted with power to spend on works to ensure passenger safety.

Goyal had earlier announced that a multi-disciplinary auditing of all suburban stations will be done within one week and identify areas of concern.

"To eliminate bureaucracy and delays, I have empowered GMs to spend whatever is necessary on safety," he tweeted.

"Work on FOBs in progress will be completed on war footing. Additional FOBs will be immediately planned at other stations where passenger traffic is also high," he said.

Meanwhile, the tragedy continued to generate political heat with the Shiv Sena and the MNS finding fault with the Centre's priorities on railway development and sought to know the need for spending a whopping amount for the bullet train.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray said stampedes in Mumbai, like the one yesterday, will continue to occur till hordes of migrants continue to pour into the city.

"There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions," he told reporters here.

"Does one need a bullet train or improvement of basic rail infrastructure," he asked.

"Until present infrastructure of local railways is made better, not a single brick will be allowed to be placed for the bullet train in Mumbai," Raj said.

The Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP but known for its aggressive posturing against the government, took a swipe at the ambitious bullet train project from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, saying, "what is the use of the bullet train when you cannot provide basic infrastructure to local commuters?"



Meanwhile, bodies of 17 people have been handed over to their relatives so far, said KEM hospital authorities. The railways employees joined the city in mourning the tragedy by not celebrating Dussehra festival.

Late last night, Mumbaikars took out a candle march on the Elphinstone railway bridge and prayed for the departed souls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran today gave Rs 15 lakh to the family of S Anitha, a medical aspirant and an anti-NEET petitioner who allegedly committed suicide on September 1.

He also lashed out at the K Palaniswami-led "anti-people" Tamil Nadu government for not getting exemption for the state from the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for at least this year.

Dhinakaran told reporters here that the 20 AIADMK MLAs loyal to him, including the 18 disqualified ones, had together donated Rs 10 lakh from their salaries, while Rs five lakh were given from the party funds to the family of Anitha on the directions of AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala.

"We are not seeking any political mileage by providing this assistance. Such an incident should not recur and we should not allow our rights to be snatched away," he said.

Taking a dig at the ruling dispensation, Dhinakaran said the "anti-people" government had failed to get an exemption for Tamil Nadu from NEET for even a year.

He added that Chief Minister Palaniswami and state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar had, however, dropped many hints in this regard.

Dhinakaran likened Anitha's death to a personal tragedy and urged the political parties of Tamil Nadu to rise above their differences to fight issues such as the NEET and hydrocarbon projects at Neduvasal and Kathiramangalam.

Apparently upset over the state not being exempted from the common eligibility test for admission into medical colleges, Anitha (17) had allegedly hanged herself at her house in this district,



She had earlier moved the Supreme Court against the NEET.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The five-day Durga Puja festivities came to an end on Saturday with the immersion of idols passing off peacefully.

According to the Kolkata Police, nearly 400 Durga idols were immersed in the city till 6 pm, of the 1,000-odd scheduled for the day, without any untoward incident reported from anywhere.

The organisers of most of the household and community pujas proceeded with the idol immersion at different ghats of the Hooghly river and other waterbodies throughout the state.

Besides the police, personnel from the State Civil Defence, civic bodies, Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) and River Traffic Police were also deployed to monitor the immersions, while speed boats of the navy kept a vigil.

Most of the household Durga idols were immersed at the 22 designated ghats under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Police.

The women took part in the 'Sindoor Khela' ritual, smearing vermilion on each other. They offered sweets and prayers to the goddess while the young swayed merrily to the rhythmic beats of the dhak (drums).

People were seen exchanging greetings on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.

Elaborate security arrangements were put in place by the Kolkata Police to ensure security and maintain peace during the immersions.

Among the big community pujas, the idol of the Deshapriya Park puja is scheduled to be immersed today while the rest are scheduled between October 2 and 4.

For the second year in a row, nearly 75 big budget community pujas would participate in a colourful immersion procession in the city on October 3, police officials said.

Those living on either side of the Ichamati river -- at Taki in Basirhat and Satkhira in Bangladesh, along the Indo- Bangla border -- witnessed a spectacle. While the immersion of the Durga idols was on from boats at these places, greetings were exchanged between the people from either side of the border.

The immersion of Durga idols will continue on all days from today, including on Muharram (tomorrow), till October 4.

The Calcutta High Court had allowed the immersion of idols on all days from Vijaya Dashami onwards, according to the Hindu almanac, including on Muharram.

The court had also directed the West Bengal government to make necessary security arrangements in this regard.

The state government had earlier imposed restrictions on Durga idol immersions after 10 pm on September 30 and said no immersion would be allowed on Muharram.
Observing that farmers were in "pain", RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said today that steps taken by governments such as loan waiver were temporary measures and not a solution to the problem.

The RSS chief also asserted that while reforming and cleaning the economic systems, some tremors and instability were expected but the "informal economy" should feel the minimum heat and should get the maximum strength.

Bhagwat, while speaking at the annual Dussehra event of the RSS here, said that the Niti Aayog and the economic advisers of the states will have to come out of the "same old economic 'isms'" and integrate up-to-date economic experiences with the country's ground reality.

Highlighting the plight of the farmers, Bhagwat said, "Our farmer, who feeds not just his family but the entire nation, is in pain today. He is depressed after facing the onslaught of floods and droughts, export-import policy, meagre pricing, mounting loans and losing everything once the crop is ruined."



He said there was a growing sentiment that the new generation will either become urban educated unemployed or working in farms will disrupt education that will force them to be in villages that are "without any facilities".

Noting that appreciable schemes such as crop insurance, soil testing and e-marketing of agricultural products were being introduced, Bhagwat said the Union and state governments should be more vigilant to ensure effective implementation of these schemes on the ground.

"The measures like loan waivers are also signs of sensitivity and goodwill of the governments, but these temporary measures are not solution to the problem," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said.

Significantly, BJP governments in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had announced loan waiver for farmers earlier this year.

Bhagwat stressed that new technology should be adopted and traditional, non-polluting methods should be amalgamated for farmers so that they can do farming with low investment and without getting into a debt trap.

New technology should be adopted only after ensuring that it does not have any adverse long-term impact on the health of soil, environment and human beings, Bhagwat said.

"Farmers should get the minimum price with a profit range over his investment, so that he can bear his family expenditure and save some capital for the next year's farming," he said.

The purchases of crops based on the support price will have to be ensured by the government, Bhagwat asserted.

Organic farming, mixed farming and farming with cow-based animal husbandry should become a new trend, he said.

"The chemical farming that is poisoning our food, water and soil and also increasing the expenditure of farmers should be slowly done away with," he opined.

Bhagwat also stressed on the need to strengthen the "informal economy".

"Employment, that is work for every hand and enough remuneration for sustainable livelihood, should be a major consideration. On these parameters, the biggest contribution is made by small, medium and handicraft industry, retail or small self employed businesses, cooperative sector and agro and agro-allied sector," he said.

These sectors were the security net during the financial ups and downs and economic turmoil, which is "our informal economy", Bhagwat said.

Crores of people get jobs or employment through this sector, the RSS chief said.

"While reforming and cleaning the economic systems, although some tremors and instability is expected, it should be kept in mind that this 'informal economy' should feel the minimum heat and ultimately they should get the maximum strength," he said.

On the issue of formulation of economic policies, Bhagwat said views of all the stakeholders should be taken into consideration.

Noting that speedy economic development, introduction of welfare schemes to the last person standing and the bold decisions are taken at the government level, Bhagwat said there is a requirement of an integrated and holistic policy, which takes into consideration the diversity and various requirements of the nation.

He called for a policy that will address the needs of industry, trade, agriculture and safeguard the interests of big, medium, small industries, small retailers, farmers and landless labours.

The compulsion to move on the currently accepted global policies and standards, even if they are faulty, artificial, create a mirage of prosperity, cause erosion of morality, environment, employment and self-reliance, can be understood to a certain extent, he said.

"However, it is also universally being recognised that all these policies and standards need a rethinking and nation specific unique models of development should evolve," Bhagwat added.

He also noted that despite being faulty, the parameter of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is still used to measure the health and progress of the economy.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
SEATTLE -- In this city, which is a petri dish of progressivism, a prevailing theory is that when you raise the price of something, people will buy less of it, except when they do not. Another, and related, theory is that constitutional and statutory texts should be construed in the spirit of Friedrich Nietzsche: There are no facts, only interpretations.

The city council has voted to impose a tax, effective next year, on sugary soft drinks, raising the price of a 2-liter bottle of soda about $1.18. Presented as a public health measure to combat obesity, the tax is projected to generate about $15 million a year, although the aspiration of sin taxes (e.g., Seattle's taxes on guns and ammunition) should be zero revenues because chastened consumers will mend their benighted ways. Still, proponents of the tax are confident that it will make people behave better by consuming less of the disapproved drinks.

Three years ago, the city council, adhering to another current tenet of progressivism, voted -- unanimously, of course -- to increase the city's minimum wage incrementally from $9.47 to $15 an hour. The council rejected the contention that when the price of entry-level labor increases, employers buy less of it. The city commissioned a study from six University of Washington economists ranging from left to right, presumably expecting their findings to be congruent with other studies purporting to show that the demand for such labor, unlike the demand for sugary sodas, is price-inelastic. (And unlike in Denmark, where the minimum wage increases 40 percent when a worker turns 18, and the employment of young workers declines one-third.)

The University of Washington study, however, published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, concluded that the costs to low-wage Seattle workers have been three times larger than the benefits. Using a richer trove of data and more sophisticated statistical methods than have been available for other studies of minimum wages, the report concluded that Seattle's still-advancing increase has cost more than 5,000 jobs, and that workers whose wages were increased to comply with the new minimum lost an average of $125 a month as employers reduced their hours. Although total employment in the restaurant industry, which hires a substantial portion of minimum wage workers, did not decline, employers replaced less skilled, low productivity workers with others able to produce higher-value work products. As one of the study's authors said, "Basically, what we're doing is we're removing the bottom rung of the ladder."

The city responded by seeking alternative facts. Forewarned about the six economists' conclusions, it sought more congenial findings from some economists at the University of California, Berkeley, who are known for research that supports the agenda of the national "Fight for $15" movement. The Berkeley economists were so prompt that their findings were publicized before the University of Washington economists' report was released.

Seattle's city council is as undeterred by constitutional and statutory language as it is by social science. In July, it enacted -- unanimously, of course -- a city income tax, setting the tax rate on incomes below $250,000 at 0 and a 2.25 percent rate on individuals' incomes above $250,000 and on household incomes above $500,000. Washington, which has no state income tax, has a law that says: "A county, city or city-county shall not levy a tax on net income." The city council, which overestimates its cleverness, claims it is taxing "total income" as defined on IRS 1040 forms. But that (BEG ITAL)is(END ITAL) net income, after deductions and exclusions. Furthermore, the state's constitution has this "uniformity clause": "All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property." Twice the state Supreme Court has held that a graduated income tax is unconstitutional.

A suit challenging the city council's tax notes that cities, as creatures of the state, have only such taxing authority as is expressly granted by the state Legislature. And the tax is explicitly designed to "test the constitutionality of a progressive income tax," on which Washington's Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled. The city council must hope that the state's Supreme Court, which is very liberal, can be persuaded, in a third consideration of unchanging language, to say that constitutional and statutory facts can be made to disappear in a mist of interpretations.

In 2010, advocates of a progressive income tax submitted this for a referendum. It lost almost 2-to-1 (64-36). It lost even in King County, home of Seattle and its Nietzschean city council.

George Will's email address is georgewill@washpost.com.
The florists have made a brisk business during the ongoing Navaratri festival when the flower trading reached its pick in Berhampur.

Durga Puja committees ordered flowers for puja and to decorate pandals, while shop owners and individuals ordered flowers on occasion of Dussehra.

Flowers like marigold, water lily, jasmine, China rose and amaranth (aparajita) are required for rituals in Durga Puja, said Bhaskar Mitra, a priest.

On Dussehra day, married Hindu women offer at least 10 varieties of flowers to the Goddess.

Besides community pujas, florists get order from temples.

"We supply loose flowers and garlands worth Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 every day to a particular puja pandal," said a florist.

"The cost of the garland for the deity varies from Rs 500 to Rs 1000," said Ch. Kailash, an official of a puja committee at Bijipur here.

A Srinivash Rao, priest of Sana Thakuari, one of the famous temples in the town, said they purchase flowers around Rs 1000 every day since start of Navaratri.

"We have ordered flowers of different varieties worth over Rs 10,000 to decorate vehicles and workshops," said Niranjan Mohanty, a local contractor.

"Since all the flowers are not available locally, we bring these from places like Rajmahendri and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Kolkata and some places of Karnataka," said general secretary of Ganjam District Flower Growers Association A Sridhar Verma.

Varieties like China rose and water lily, however, are met by the local products, he stated.

The demand and price of increase many folds during this time of the year.

The price of a single china rose, which costs about 50 paise in other time, now costs between Rs 2 and Rs 2.50.

Similarly, the price of a garland of marigold increased from Rs 20 to Rs 30.

On an average 200 to 250 quintals of flower sell in Berhampur during this period daily, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following two deaths at Harvalem waterfall, Goa government has decided to deploy lifeguards at the tourist spot.

The waterfall is around 50 kilometres away from here.

Goa Tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said he has directed tourismdepartment to deploy lifeguardsat the waterfall.

A 25-year-old man working as nursing assistance of Military Hospital Panaji died due to drowning at the waterfall today, six days after a Afghanistan national had drowned.

"Indian Navy divers who got the request from Goa government have pulled out body of the Nursing Assistant identified as Periya Swami," a Naval spokesman said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 30-year-old Indian origin professional kick-boxer, who is facing the charge of killing his wife, has been arrested for the alleged murder of his mother, the police said today.

Rameez Patel was arrested yesterday following a probe and would be produced before the Polokwane Magistrates Court on Monday, Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Moathe Ngoepe told the media here.

Patels mother, Mahejeen Banu Patel, had died in a hospital a fortnight ago after she was shot at in her home in Nirvana, an exclusive Indian township established by the apartheid-era white minority government in the city of Polokwane.

Mahejeen was taking care of Rameez's three children after his wife Fatima was murdered in April 2015.

She had suffered multiple wounds and a fractured skull from a blunt instrument as well as a gunshot wound in her head.

Rameez had alleged that his mother was killed by intruders, but during investigations the police detectives found inconsistencies in his story, leading to his arrest.

Ngoepe said that the motive of his mother's murder was unclear, as nothing was taken from the house, so the claim by Patel that intruders were responsible has been ruled out.

At the time of his wife's murder also, there were no signs of forced entry at the very secure residence.

It is alleged that in the ongoing case against Patel, he had falsely staged a burglary at the time of his wife's murder. A domestic help, who was in the house with the mother, remained unharmed and likely to turn state witness.

According to investigating officer constable David Nkuna, Patel has also been implicated in two other murder cases previously.

In one case, the body of a teenager was found from near his house, while the another is related to Ethopian immigrants.

The first case was withdrawn due to lack of evidence while the other was considered to be a case of an illegal mob justice case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German authorities say a passenger jet with 88 people on board overshot the end of the runway on the North Sea island of Sylt, but nobody was injured in the incident.

The regional emergency response centre says the Air Berlin plane from Duesseldorf came to a halt today on the grass about 50 metres beyond the end of the runway.

The 82 passengers and six crew were helped off the jet by firefighters.

In a statement, German officials said the cause of the incident is under investigation but noted that the runway was wet and visibility was poor.

Flights to and from Sylt, a popular tourist destination near the German-Danish border, were suspended today.

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Kerala Congress (M), a former alliance partner of the Congress-led UDF, today extended its support to the Indian Union Muslim League candidate for the Vengara Assembly bypoll.

Addressing a press meet at his hometown Pala, Mani said the KC(M) support extended to IUML candidate K N A Khader should not be seen as a bid by his party to seek a re-entry into the UDF.

IUML is a key partner in the UDF.

The KC(M) had quit the UDF in August last year after blaming a section of the Congress leadership for the rout in the Assembly elections held in May of that year.

Mani had extended his support to IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty when he contested from Malappuram in the Lok Sabha bypoll held on April 12.

Recalling the KC(M) support extended to Kuhalikutty in the Malappuram Lok Sabha bypoll, Mani said it was quite natural for his party to support the IUML candidate in the seat vacated by Kunhalikutty.

The IUML had sought the support of the KC(M) for its candidate Khader in the byelection scheduled on October 11.

It was necessitated following the resignation of sitting MLA Kunhalikutty on his election to the Lok Sabha from Malappuram in April this year.

The Lok Sabha bypoll was caused by the death of former union minister E Ahmed.

Mani said the KC(M) decision to support the IUML candidate is also influenced by the cordial relations his party enjoyed with Panakkad Thangal, the unquestioned leader of the IUML.

The KC(M) has not aligned with any front after severing its ties with the UDF.

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The White Temple of Thailand and the Ashtalakshmi Temple of Chennai have come alive in Kolkata Durga Puja pandals adding grandeur to the festivity.

In the Deshapriya Park Durga Puja, a huge replica of the White Temple of Thailand has come up on the ground drawing a huge crowd.

"We have sought to create the ambience of the White Temple located in Thailand's Mueang Chiang Rai district and is one of the tourist attractions of the country," a member of the puja committee said.

"We have sought to recreate the divine experience one feels while visiting the Thailand landmark," he said.

The pandal has fetched many awards.

The same theme was adopted at the Netaji Colony Lowland Puja at Baranagar in northern part of the city.

"Our presentation this year is themed on non-violence and peace. And what can be better than the White Temple which epitomises the philosophy of peace and harmony," an organiser said.

"We have incorporated certain additional features to the known interiors of the original White Temple of Thailand, taking references from the monasteries inside the pandal," he said.

Cultural programmes of Thailand are also being held at the puja premises.

At Ekdalia Evergreen puja, a crowd puller, Chennai's Ashtalakshmi Temple has been recreated.

"We had never opted for theme puja as our members and people in neighbourhood believed in organising pujas in traditional way. Traditional idol and illumination in the path leading to the pandal are well accepted by the people," state minister Subrata Mukherjee, associated with the puja, said.

"We are celebrating the 75th year this time and thought about presenting the architectural pattern of the famous temple in Chennai and it is drawing a huge crowd ever since its inauguration," he said.

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Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of ousted Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has been discharged from a hospital here but will undergo cancer treatment including chemotherapy from next week, her daughter said today.

Kulsoom was diagnosed with early-stage throat cancer last month and has been in London since, where she has undergone three surgeries. On Tuesday, she was readmitted to a hospital after her condition deteriorated. She has now been discharged.

Her daughter, Maryam Nawaz, who is in London, tweeted, "Ami is better, discharged from the hospital & back home."



"Her further treatment including chemotherapy starts next week," she said.

Kulsoom recently won Lahore's NA-120 seat vacated by Nawaz Sharif after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case.

Kulsoom, who is in her mid-sixties, underwent a third surgery on September 21.

Quoting doctors, the Sharif family had said that Kulsoom's cancer was curable.

Sharif, who was also in London for his wife's treatment, returned to Pakistan on Monday, putting to rest speculation that he would skip the corruption cases against him.

All other members of the family, including daughter Maryam and sons Hussain and Hassan, are still in London.

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Older adults who have trouble identifying common odours are more than twice as likely as those with a normal sense of smell to develop dementia within five years, a study has found.

Researchers at University of Chicago in the US conducted a long-term study of nearly 3,000 adults, aged 57 to 85 years.

They found that those who could not identify at least four out of five common odours - peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather - were more than twice as likely to develop dementia within five years.

The team found that although 78 per cent of those tested were normal - correctly identifying at least four out of five scents - about 14 per cent could name just three out of five.

Five per cent could identify only two scents, two per cent could name just one, and one per cent of the participants were not able to identify a single smell.

Researchers noted five years after the initial test, almost all of the study subjects who were unable to name a single scent had been diagnosed with dementia.

Nearly 80 per cent of those who provided only one or two correct answers also had dementia, with a dose-dependent relationship between degree of smell loss and incidence of dementia.

"Loss of the sense of smell is a strong signal that something has gone wrong and significant damage has been done," said Jayant M Pinto, professor at the University of Chicago.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, used a well-validated tool, known as "Sniffin'Sticks."



These look like a felt-tip pen, but instead of ink, they are infused with distinct scents. Study subjects smell each item and are asked to identify that odour, one at a time, from a set of four choices.

The five odours, in order of increasing difficulty, were peppermint, fish, orange, rose and leather.

Researchers noted that 78.1 per cent of those examined had a normal sense of smell, 48.7 per cent correctly identified five out of five odours and 29.4 per cent identified four out of five.

They noted that 18.7 per cent, considered "hyposmic," got two or three out of five correct and the remaining 3.2 per cent, labelled "anosmic," could identify just one of the five scents or none.

The olfactory nerve is the only cranial nerve directly exposed to the environment, researchers said.

The cells that detect smells connect directly with the olfactory bulb at the base of the brain, potentially exposing the central nervous system to environmental hazards such as pollution or pathogens. Olfactory deficits are often an early sign of Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease.

They get worse with disease progression, researchers said.

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Malaysian state of Selangor has expressed interest in collaborating with India in the fields of biotechnology, ICT, life sciences, transport and logistics with a view to boost economic ties between the two countries.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between Commerce and Minister Suresh Prabhu and Chief Minister of Selangor, Dato' Seri Mohamed Azmin Bin Ali here yesterday, an official statement said.

Ali met Prabhu with a 10-member delegation of the Selangor Investment Mission.

The Chief Minister expressed his states interest in collaboration with India in the fields of biotechnology, information and communications technology (ICT), life sciences, transport and logistics.

Prabhu conveyed India's interest in mutual cooperation in areas such as biotechnology, agriculture and disease control, the statement added.

The Chief Minister also sought support for development of regional smart cities to tap into India's expertise and talent pool in this endeavour, it added.

Further, both the sides expressed keenness to explore commercial and investment opportunities.

Prabhu urged Malaysian companies to take advantage of the investment prospects available under Make in India, Skill India and Invest India initiatives.

The bilateral trade between India and Malaysia increased to USD 14.15 billion in 2016-17 from USD 12.8 billion in the previous fiscal.

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Country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) today launched ECSTAR, Suzuki's global brand of lubricants, coolant and car care products in India.

The company will initially cater to customers at Nexa workshops and gradually it would be offered at the company's full service network of over 3,000 workshops across the country.

"On our journey of transformation we have been bringing a range of new models and technologies. To ensure optimum performance of these new technologies, we are now bringing a range of Suzuki global engine oils and lubricants," MSI MD and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa told reporters here.

The products have undergone rigorous testing under extreme conditions, he added.

Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) had first introduced ECSTAR brand in 1984.

In 2015, SMC promoted ECSTAR as a global brand and it is now widely marketed across Europe, America, Mexico, Australia and South East Asia.

In India, to begin with, the range of ECSTAR products includes injector cleaner, automatic transmission oil, underbody coat and screen wash for the cars.

More products will be added to the ECSTAR range in the country progressively, MSI said.

The auto major said that the range of ECSTAR products will be procured from select local suppliers, which will undergo stringent tests to qualify their products to be included under ECSTAR umbrella.

Suzuki Motorcycle India Managing Director Satoshi Uchida said ECSTAR brand will offer customers outstanding engine protection, a longer life-cycle for their two-wheeler as well as lower maintenance and fuel costs.

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Mobile phone services were totally shut down in Pakistan's biggest city today as a security measure for Muharram processions taken out by Shia Muslims.

Sindh Home Minister Anwar Siyal said mobile phone services would be shut down totally in Karachi and some parts of the province today and tomorrow from morning to night on the recommendation of paramilitary rangers and police.

"We know it will cause inconvenience to the people but the step has been taken to ensure there is no untoward incident during the ninth and tenth day of Muharram and processions," he said.

Internet services were also partially operational in Karachi and other parts of Sindh.

Overall, the central government has decided to suspend mobile services in many parts of the country on the ninth and tenth day of Muharram.

"But in other parts, while the suspension of services is partial, in designated areas in Karachi it is a total shutdown," a telecom operator said.

A senior police official said Karachi remains the most sensitive part of Pakistan as far as terrorist attacks on Muharram processions are concerned.

"We have acted on credible intelligence reports and especially after six terrorists were killed earlier this week who were planning attacks on Muharram processions," he said.

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Pakistan's anti-corruption officials have visited the home of ousted prime minister here and delivered notices of arrest warrants issued against his children and son-in-law, a media report said on Saturday.

A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team on Friday visited Jati Umra, the residence of Sharif, and delivered the arrest warrants, The Express Tribune reported.

The move came in the wake of the failure of Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz and her husband Mohammad Safdar to appear in the court during the last hearing in the Panama Papers scandal, it said.

Maryam, Hussain, Hassan, and Safdar are currently in London with Kulsoom Nawaz, Sharif's wife, who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer.

Noting their absence, Judge Muhammad Bashir had issued the bailable warrants, asking the NAB to ensure that the warrants were delivered to the defendants.

"A NAB team visited Jati Umra to hand written orders over to the Sharif family," an official told the paper.

"Sharif's principal secretary acknowledged the receipt," he added.

Earlier, notices for the bailable arrest warrants of Sharif's three children and his son-in-law were sent to their London addresses. A copy of the notices was also sent to their Lahore addresses, the report said.

The notices to Sharif's children have been sent through the Pakistan High Commission in London and carry their Avenfield, Park Lane, address.

Sharif was disqualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court on July 28 in the Panama Papers case due to concealed assets. The apex court also ordered the country's top graft-buster, the NAB, to file corruption cases against Sharif, his two sons, daughter, and son-in-law.

On the last date of hearing in the accountability court, Sharif himself appeared before the judge but none of his children did.

Maryam had earlier advised her father to not appear before the NAB courts, calling the proceedings against the family a 'farce'.
Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was freed after being kept in captivity suspectedly by ISIS for 18 months in strife-torn Yemen, has said the power of people's prayers for him changed the hearts of his abductors, who did not hurt him and even offered him food during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan.

"I feel the prayers of people and their sacrifices changed the hearts of my abductors and prevented them from hurting me.... I am certain, God had done something," he said at a welcome event in his honour here last night.

The 59-year-old Catholic priest had returned to Delhi on Thursday after rest and recuperation in the Vatican City.

He had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on September 28 in New Delhi after his arrival.

On his meeting with Modi, Father Tom said, "The most interesting part of the conversation I had with the Prime Minister was when he said I am free now and I should get stronger and serve people."



Father Tom belongs to the Congregation of Salesians of Don Bosco and was abducted reportedly during a terrorist attack in Aden and taken to an undisclosed place.

"The abductors also offered me food during Ramzan, the month in which the Muslims fast.. They were kind enough to do so," he added.

Giving an interesting account of his release, father Tom said he was all set to be released on September 10, but the plan was dropped due to lack of transport arrangement.

"On the morning of September 10, I was driven in a car from the place of my captivity to a certain place where we waited for further journey in another vehicle, but it was cancelled, because of lack of transport arrangement. We had to return for next day's journey on September 11," he said.

Interestingly, on way back, a person told him to pray to Jesus Christ, he said.

"It did materialise.... I was again driven to the place where we waited.... After hours of waiting, three vehicles came and in one of the cars, I was driven to Oman through the deserts at a speed of 180 kms per hour. By 4 am on September 12 we reached Oman and rest everybody knows," he said.

When asked what was his first reaction on hearing the of his release, Father Tom said he was doubtful.

"I was not sure of my release, despite one of the abductors, who spoke English, telling me about it....

"They asked me to wear a veil, and that moment I asked myself whether I will be released at all, or taken to some other place to be held captive," he said.

However, on September 12, a person confirmed over phone to him about his return to India.

"I was rest assured of my release when a person spoke to me over phone about my safety and travel back to India. The call was made by the person under whose protection I was driven to Oman," he said.

On his arrival at Bengaluru International Airport yesterday, Karnataka Home Minister K J George and Christian leaders had welcomed him.

Uzhunnalil had reached Yemen in 2010 and was serving the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity of St. Mother Teresa and the catholic population there.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed grief on the death of actor Tom Alter and recalled his contribution to the film world and theatre.

He extended condolences to the family and admirers of the actor, the official handle of the PMO tweeted.

Alter died last night in Mumbai at the age of 67.

The Padma Shri awardee was diagnosed with skin cancer last year and was treated for the same but earlier this month he suffered a relapse and was admitted in Saifee hospital.

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Amid a spate of stabbing incidents, Karachi Police have launched a hunt for a helmet-wearing bike-borne man who targets lone girls and women on streets and bus stands in Pakistan's biggest city.

Fear has gripped the congested Gulistan-e-Jauhar area in Pakistan's financial hub after eight attacks being reported since September 25 where girls and women were stabbed in their stomach or back by the unidentified attacker, officials said.

"We have deployed a network of personnel in plain clothes and informers to catch this apparently serial criminal," Superintendent Police, Gulshan-e-Iqbal area, Ghulam Murtaza Bhutto said.

He confirmed that since September 25 there had been half a dozen cases registered with police where victims said they were stabbed in the back or stomach by a lone motorcycle rider wearing a helmet while they were waiting at bus stops or walking alone.

Bhutto also said there have been two other incidents where the girls and their parents did not get the cases registered with the police.

An investigating officer said that the attacker had used a knife and paper cutter to attack the victims.

"All the victims are young girls aged between 14 and 25 years and each of them has been attacked while out alone on the road," he said.

"The attacker always wears a helmet, jeans and shirt, and appears to be between 25 and 30 years, according to the witnesses we have spoken to so far," the officer said.

Gulistan-e-Jauhar is one of the bigger residential and commercial areas of Karachi.

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Arrows were fired to set the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakaran ablaze at the Parade Ground here today, an event that was attended by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi among a host of other dignitaries.

The burning of the giant effigies, signifying the triumph of good over evil, was organised by the Shri Dharmik Leela Committee, which has been organising the city's one of the most high-profile Raamlila events at the grounds opposite the historic Red Fort since 1924.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, union ministers Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari were also among those present.

Speaking at the event, Modi said that festivals "are a medium of education and teach us unity. Though it has been thousands of years, but the tales of Lords Rama and Krishna enhance consciousness in our society."



He also urged the people to take a pledge on the occasion and contribute to the process of nation building.

President Kovind said "we all should work towards growth and overall development of the society."



Last year, Modi had participated in the Dussehra celebrations in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh which was then facing assembly elections.

Earlier, the President, the Vice President and former Prime Minister Singh applied 'tilak' on the foreheads of the Ramlila participants playing the roles of Rama, Laxmana and Hanuman, the chief protagonists of the epic Ramayana, parts of which are enacted during the Navratra celebrations that culminated today on Dussehra with the slaying of Ravana.

BJP chief Amit Shah attended another such event nearby, organised by the Luv Kush Ram Lila commitee near the Red Fort, while Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi attended the one organised by the Nav Shri Dharmik Lila Committee.

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India has made a huge priority to reduce massive food waste, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has told the American industry leaders seeking their investment and technology in this regard.

India is one of the largest producers of food, as the largest producer of milk and second largest producer of fruit and vegetables in the world. This huge raw material base, paired with a growing 1.3 billion population, presents vast investment and partnership opportunities for the US, Badal said.

"However, India is currently only processing ten per cent of its food, resulting in enormous food waste," said Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries at an industry round table organised by US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

Badal is currently on a weeklong visit to the US to meet the agriculture industry and food processing companies in Chicago, Washington and New York City.

During her visit, she hosted one on one meetings with industry executives from US companies including Pepsico, Amazon, The Hershey Company, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Kraft Heinz, and Honeywell, among others.

"With a growing country and population, the Indian government has made it a huge priority to reduce this waste," Badal said.

In the last three years, India has focused on reducing food waste through a war against food waste, she said.

Badal aims to partner with the US industry by borrowing best practices, technology, and innovation, in exchange for providing US companies with untapped investment opportunities that exist in India's enormous consumer base.

With the fastest growing economy in the world, India possesses a USD 6-billion-dollar food sector, of which 70 percent is food retail. This market is set to triple by 2020. In addition, an average Indian spends almost 40 per cent of income on food.

Over the next six years, this expenditure is set to double. This makes India an attractive destination for foreign investment, Badal said.

India offers immense possibilities, said Mukesh Aghi, president of USISPF.

Badal's visit comes ahead of the mega World Food India show being held in New Delhi from November 3-5. This global event aims to facilitate partnerships between Indian and international businesses and investors. The conclave would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Encompassing the entire food spectrum from production to consumption, World Food India aims to create a better sourcing environment, which will enable higher returns for farmers, create employment, and foster entrepreneurship.

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South Africa failed to overturn an umpire's decision but did not lose their review as new playing conditions came into effect on the third day of the first Test against Bangladesh at Senwes Park today.

Kagiso Rabada appealed for a leg before wicket decision against Tamim Iqbal in the fourth over of the day after Bangladesh, replying to South Africa's 496 for three declared, had added four runs to their overnight total of 127 for three.

Umpire Bruce Oxenford turned down the appeal. South Africa asked for a review, which showed the ball was clipping the outside of leg stump -- in the 'umpire's call' zone.

Previously South Africa would have lost one of their two permitted reviews but under new regulations which came into effect on Thursday they kept the review.

But South Africa lost a review in Rabada's next over when a reverse-swinging yorker struck Tamim on the boot before going off his bat for a run.

Again South Africa challenged Oxenford's not-out decision but although Tamim was struck in front of the stumps the ball was swinging so sharply that it was missing the stumps -- so the review was lost.

Ironically South Africa did not ask for a review in the same over when replays showed Mominul Haque's stumps would have been hit by yet another swinging Rabada delivery.

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Bangladesh had their best day in three Test series in South Africa but could not prevent the hosts from moving into a dominant position on the third day of the first Test at Senwes Park on Saturday.

Mominul Haque and Mahmudullah hit half-centuries to enable Bangladesh to avoid the follow-on but their total of 320 was still 176 short of South Africa's first innings total of 496 for three declared.

In contrast to the first day, Bangladesh dismissed both South African opening batsmen cheaply at the start of the second innings.

South Africa were 54 for two when bad light ended play early, an overall lead of 230. Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram were out for 18 and 15 respectively, after making 199 and 97 in the first innings.

Mominul made 77 -- the highest Test score by a Bangladesh batsman against South Africa -- and Mahmudullah hit 66 as Bangladesh topped 300 for the first time in nine Test innings in South Africa, where they have lost all four previous Test matches by an innings.

On a slow pitch, Bangladesh had four successive half- century partnerships between the third and sixth wickets.

The tourists batted with positive intent, although much of the good work was undone when they lost their last five wickets for 28 runs, four of them after the second new ball had been taken.

The diminutive Mominul and fellow left-hander Tamim Iqbal saw off some hostile bowling by Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada at the start of the day, with the first nine overs producing only seven runs.

Both batsmen survived close leg before wicket decisions against reverse-swinging deliveries from Rabada. But 17 runs came off Rabada's fifth over of the day, including two successive boundaries by Mominul, and South Africa's change bowlers were unable to maintain the pressure.

The only wicket of the morning fell to new cap Andile Phehlukwayo when Tamim, on 39, glanced an off-target delivery down the leg side and wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock flung himself to his right to take a good catch.

Mominul was well caught at short leg by Markram off left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj soon after lunch after a 150- ball innings which included 12 fours.

Mahmudullah, strong on the drive, found another useful ally in Sabbir Rahman (30) before both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession.

Rahman played a lifting ball from Duanne Olivier onto his stumps and Mahmudullah fell to the first delivery with the second new ball when an attempted cut against Morkel crashed into his stumps off an inside edge. Mahmudullah faced 124 balls and hit 11 fours and a six.

Maharaj was the most successful South African bowler, taking three for 92.

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Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Elaine Duke, the acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Secretary, said Friday that while she was "proud" of the federal response in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, the situation on the ground is still "not satisfactory."



"I am proud of the work that's being done," Duke told a press conference in San Juan this afternoon upon arriving in the U.S. territory. "Clearly, the situation here in Puerto Rico after the devastating hurricane is not satisfactory."



Duke added that the progress she's seen so far today is "very, very strong," with more roads cleared, power being restored, hospitals reopening and potable water becoming readily available.



It appeared to be an attempt by Duke to clarify earlier statements that had angered the mayor of Puerto Rico's capital city, in which the homeland security chief called the relief effort on the island "a good news story" with necessary supplies being delivered and federal agencies working hard to distribute those goods.



"We are using air support when we can't get through. We are cleaning the roads regularly, we have expanded greatly, probably 90 percent of the island is accessible now," Duke told reporters outside the West Wing of the White House on Thursday.



Reacting to Duke's remarks, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said Friday the situation on the ground was in fact "not a good news story."



"Maybe from where she's standing, it's a good news story. When you are drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story. When you don't have food for a baby, it's not a good news story," Cruz said in an interview on CNN this morning. "I'm sorry, but that really upsets me and frustrates me."



"I would ask her to come down here and visit the towns, and then make a statement like that, which, frankly, it's an irresponsible statement," Cruz added.



The mayor then said she had a "message" for President Donald Trump to "step up" relief efforts for the "entire island of Puerto Rico," not just the capital of San Juan.



"This is a message for President Trump: Thank you for calling San Juan yesterday and listening for our mayday call. There are 77 other towns that are waiting anxiously and will be very grateful to you and to the American people if you continue to step up to the moral imperative that you have taken on all over the world to help those in need. So help us," Cruz said on CNN this morning.



Although some administration officials have remained defensive, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan said Friday that the military response to the devastation from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico "is not enough."



Buchanan, a three-star general appointed by the Pentagon to lead the U.S. military response to relief efforts in the U.S. territory, said the recovery and aid will "take time" to materialize.



Trump, however, took to Twitter this morning to tout his administration's efforts in Puerto Rico and relayed praise he said he had received from the island's governor.



"Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: 'The Administration and the President, every time we've spoken, they've delivered,'" the president tweeted.



Trump also said that "big decisions" will need to be made about the costs of rebuilding the hurricane-battered island.



"The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding," he tweeted.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: "The Administration and the President, every time we've spoken, they've delivered......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017

...The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017

In an interview on CNN on Friday morning, the president's homeland security adviser, Tom Bossert, said Trump's tweets were "1,000 percent right" that the federal government will have to look at how to handle rebuilding costs considering that the territory has $72 billion of debt.



"With them being in debt, they don't have enough ready liquid cash to pay their normal share," Bossert told CNN. "What we'll do -- and the president has already done it -- give a 180-day cost-share adjustment, and the federal government is making sure lives are protected. Well worry about the big decisions later; that's the president's point."



Bossert added, The president is already doing what it takes. What hes doing is what every good leader does is looking on the horizon for decisions that will come over the next three, four weeks and the next three, four months."



Trump continued to criticize Puerto's Rico's finances in a speech this afternoon addressing the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, D.C.



"We're literally starting from scratch," the president said, adding that "virtually everything has been wiped out" by Hurricane Maria.



"Ultimately, the government of Puerto Rico will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort -- [which] will end up being one of the biggest ever -- will be funded and organized and what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island," he said.



Maria made landfall as a major Category 4 hurricane in Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, killing at least 16 people, knocking out power and devastating the island's agriculture. Residents at the time were still recovering from the powerful Hurricane Irma two weeks earlier that had unleashed heavy rain and high winds.



Trump announced Tuesday he will make his first visit to Puerto Rico next week after critics -- both Democrats and Republicans -- accused his administration of a lackluster response to the catastrophic damage left by Maria.



Meanwhile, more than 9,000 cargo containers filled with necessary supplies have arrived at a port in San Juan but have yet to be distributed to those in need.



"The whole supply chain of distribution has been interrupted," Jose Ayala, vice president of Crowley Puerto Rico Services, told ABC News. "We need to restore the electricity power, we need to restore our roads, we need to restore communications, we need to start moving the diesel around the island."



The Federal Emergency Management Agency told ABC News that any aid it has delivered to Puerto Rico has been immediately distributed.



"There's not a single trailer from FEMA or from response operations that are being held," said Alex de la Campa, the agency's Caribbean-area division director.



At a press conference this morning, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello announced his government will buy cargo containers from private companies if necessary to make sure goods are distributed. He said he will not allow food, water and medical supplies to remain stuck at ports due to a "lack of execution."



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Thousands of demonstrators marched in Dublin today in favour of liberalising Ireland's tight abortion laws ahead of a planned referendum on the fiercely- debated issue.

Protesters chanted, "My body, my choice" and waved placards reading "Not the church, not the state, women should decide their fate" as they headed through the capital towards the parliament.

Linda Kavanagh, a spokeswoman from the Abortion Rights Campaign which organised the rally, told AFP: "The message today is 'time to act' because we've waited for a long time for a change.

"We want full repeal. We can't support exceptions and only a hundred people allowed to get access to abortion."



Abortion has always been illegal in Ireland and in 1983 an eighth amendment was added to the constitution after a referendum, giving equal rights to the life of the unborn child and the mother.

The law was changed three decades later to allow terminations when the mother's life is at risk, following public outrage at the death of a pregnant woman in 2012 who was refused an abortion.

In the face of mounting public pressure, Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Tuesday announced plans for a referendum on the issue to be held in May or June 2018, ahead of a visit by Pope Francis in August.

As the rally began, Keishia Taylor, a spokeswoman for the organisation ROSA (For Reproductive Rights, Against Oppression, Sexism and Austerity), told AFP: "I think today is gonna be a huge turnout, a turning point.

Ireland is still deeply divided over abortion.

A recent poll by Ipsos/MRBI found 67 percent of respondents were opposed to abortion in general but that 76 percent were in favour of legalising it cases of rape.

Varadkar, who trained as a doctor, has called the current laws "too restrictive".

Varadkar has said he would support abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities but is not supporting wider liberalisation.

Thousands of Irish women currently travel abroad for abortions every year, mainly to England.

A "March for Choice" took place in London outside the Irish embassy today.

The upcoming vote has rallied those on both sides of the debate, including activists seeking to keep the current legislation in place, who have said they will be leafleting in cities across Ireland.

"We have every reason to be proud of the eighth amendment which has saved tens of thousands of lives and has prevented the horrific human rights violations that abortion has caused in so many other countries," said Cora Sherlock, spokeswoman for the Pro-Life Campaign.

The Irish government has already sought to gauge public opinion, setting up a Citizens' Assembly which between November and April debated the eighth amendment.

Summing up their discussions, a majority of the 99 members recommended legalising abortion in a wide range of circumstances.

A parliamentary committee has also been examining the abortion law, but on both sides of the debate there is mistrust of officials' approach.

"I'm willing to bet that 90 percent of this country have never actually watched an abortion, the real graphic truth," said Tim Jackson, a marketing consultant who has demanded MPs watch footage of a termination.

In support of his cause, Jackson completed a 10-day hunger strike on Wednesday.

Although the pro-abortion camp reacted positively to the referendum announcement, there is suspicion that MPs continue to be heavily influenced by the church in the mainly Catholic country.

Unlike the referendum which saw Ireland vote in favour of same-sex marriage in May 2015, no politicians have yet taken a strong position calling for greater abortion access.

Irish media has reacted similarly, reluctant to take a bold stance on an issue which has divided Irish society.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Assam Governor Banwarilal Purohit was today shifted to Tamil Nadu, which has been witnessing a political crisis and did not have a full-time governor for over a year.

Purohit was among five governors appointed by President Ram Nath Kovind today, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement.

While Purohit was moved to Tamil Nadu, Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Jagdish Mukhi was appointed in his place in Assam.

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Satyapal Malik was made the new governor of Bihar.

Former member of Bihar Legislative Council Ganga Prasad was appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya.

Brigadier (Retd) B D Mishra, who earlier served with the elite National Security Guards (NSG) and spearheaded a successful anti-hijacking operation in 1993, was made the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.

Former Chief of Navy Staff Admiral (retd) Devendra Kumar Joshi was appointed as the new Lt Governor of Union Territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands, succeeding Mukhi.

Tamil Nadu was so far without a full-time governor for over a year. Maharashtra Governor Vidya Sagar Rao had the additional charge of Tamil Nadu since September last year.

The appointment comes at a time when Tamil Nadu has been going through a political crisis.

Purohit is known as a public personality actively involved over decades in the social, political, educational and industrial spheres in the Vidarbha area of Maharashtra.

He plunged into active politics in 1977 and was elected to the Maharashtra Assembly in 1978 from Nagpur (East). A former MP, Purohit is credited with the revival of 'The Hitavada', an English daily founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the mentor of Mahatma Gandhi.

Another key appointment made today is that of Malik, a former Union minister and BJP's national vice president, as the Governor of Bihar. The post had fallen vacant after Kovind resigned after being nominated as the BJP's presidential candidate.

Malik was also the in-charge of BJP's Kisan Morcha. He was a Union minister of state, parliamentary affairs and tourism from April 21, 1990 to November 10, 1990.

Prasad, the new governor of Meghalaya, was elected for the first time as a member of Legislative Council in Bihar in 1994. He has been an MLC for 18 years. He has served in various capacities such as the leader of the BJP in the Legislative Council.

A special invitee to BJP's national executive, Prasad has also been the leader of the opposition for five years in the Legislative Council.

Mukhi, the new governor of Assam, took to active politics after the Emergency was clamped. He has won seven times from Janak Puri Assembly constituency in Delhi.

Mukhi, who was a professor in Delhi University, had been a minister and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly.

Joshi, the new lieutenant governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, was the chief of Naval Staff from August 2012 to February 26, 2014. He had resigned after taking moral responsibility of fire in INS Sindhuratna, a submarine, according to official records.

Joshi is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned on April 1, 1974 in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy, they say.

He has been awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal, the Ati Vishist Seva medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Nau Sena Medal and the Vishist Seva Medal.

Mishra, the new governor of Arunachal Pradesh, was the commander of the NSG (Black Cat commandos) Counter Hijack Task Force that was involved in rescue operations after an Indian Airlines aircraft was hijacked in 1993.

He has served in various wars and operational roles for the nation. He also volunteered for Kargil War after retirement and has received commendation for gallant role in counter terrorist operations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A federal court in the US has convicted an American al-Qaeda member involved in a terror attack at a US military base in Afghanistan.

Convicted on all nine counts, Muhamad Mahmoud Al-Farekh now faces up to life in prison.

"Today, an American al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a US courtroom," said Acting United States Attorney Rohde.

The trial evidence showed that he was involved in a variety of terrorist activity, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.

According to court papers, prior to travelling overseas to join al-Qaeda, Farekh was a student at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

In 2007, Farekh and two fellow students travelled to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas.

Farekh and his co-conspirators had become radicalised watching video recordings encouraging violent jihad, listened to jihadist lectures, including lectures by now-deceased al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaki.

They traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al Qaeda's base of operations, where they joined and received training from al Qaeda, federal prosecutors alleged.

One of Farekhs co-conspirators, Ferid Imam, provided weapons and military-type training at an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in September 2008.

Among Imam's trainees were Najibullah Zazi, Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin, of Queens, New York, who intended to return to New York City to carry out a suicide attack in the subway system.

During the trial, Ahmedzay testified that Imam as his weapons trainer.

Zazi and Ahmedzay pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements and have yet to be sentenced.

Medunjanin was convicted after trial and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Imam has been indicted for his role in the plot.

The government proved Farekh's participation in the building of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman) on January 19, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan.
The United State has open channels of communication with North Korea and is investigating whether the regime is ready to enter talks on giving up its nuclear weapons programme, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said today.

Tillerson's disclosure follows an escalating war of words between US President Donald Trump and North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Un.

"We are probing, so stay tuned," he told reporters after talks with Chinese officials in Beijing. "We ask. We have lines of communication with Pyongyang. We are not in a dark situation, a blackout, we have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang."



"We can talk to them, we do talk to them," he said.

Asked whether China was acting as a go-between for the contacts, Tillerson said: "Our own channels."



Tillerson spoke after an afternoon of talks with China's top diplomats and President Xi Jinping centred on the nuclear crisis and preparations for Trump's visit to Beijing in November.

Before Tillerson revealed the diplomatic opening, a North Korean state body that handles external propaganda lobbed a new insult at Trump, calling the US leader an "old psychopath" on "a suicidal act of inviting a nuclear disaster that will reduce America into a sea of flames".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat and Governor K K Paul today expressed grief at the death of actor Tom Alter, who passed away in Mumbai.

"His contribution to art and cinema can never be forgotten. It is an irreparable loss to the world of acting," the chief minister said in his condolence message.

The chief minister also spoke about Alter's love for Uttarakhand and Mussoorie where he lived.

Expressing grief at the demise of the renowned actor, the governor said he was not just an acclaimed actor but also a writer who had authored several books.

It was in recognition of his contribution to the world of cinema, art and literature that he was honoured with the Padmashree, he said.

Born and brought up in Mussoorie, Alter, who had been battling stage four skin cancer, died at his residence in Mumbai last night.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kolkata Police stopped public viewing of Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square on the last day of the festival today but allowed in visitors after about 14 hours when the PWD authorities granted it fit certificate.

PWD civil and electrical teams inspected the pandal, where an alleged electrical short circuit had taken place, and declared the pandal "fit" for public viewing.

"We have tested the electrical wires and provided some added protective tapes to cover them. We do not think there will be any problem with the electrical circuit. There is also no problem in the structure of the pandal and it is absolutely fit for the public to visit," PWD engineers said after inspecting the pandal.

A written no objection certificate was collected from the PWD engineers by Kolkata Police officials after which the pandal, which has been getting major attention this year because of its pandal and idol, was reopened to over several hundreds of waiting visitors.

The fire department conducted an inspection at the Puja pandal and okayed the arrangements there.

According to a senior police officer of Kolkata Police, smoke was seen coming out of the chandelier at the Santosh Mitra Square puja pandal at around 1.10 am tonight following which the public viewing of the idol was stopped.

"There was a huge sound inside the pandal at around midnight. Several thousand people were at the pandal at that time. After a short while some of our police officers spotted smoke coming from the chandelier ceiling lamp following which the decision to stop public viewing of the puja was taken for the sake of public security," he told PTI.

Fire department along with a team of police personnel rushed to the place.

The organisers had a verbal duel with the police personnel posted at the pandal premises.

"We are happy that the administration has revoked their decision and reopened our puja for general public. But whatever happened is unexpected," Santosh Mitra Square Puja committee president Pradip Ghosh later told PTI rubbishing any short circuit incident inside the pandal.

"This is absolute nonsense. There was no smoke inside our puja pandal. If there was any fire there must have been some sign of it around or inside the pandal. This is nothing but a conspiracy of Kolkata Police who had failed in controlling the crowd visiting our puja," he said.

"Kolkata Police have been non-cooperative throughout Puja. I know Kolkata Police are doing this on the instructions of some influential people who are jealous because our puja has been pulling more crowd than their's," he alleged.

In fact, Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee members had gheraoed local Munchipara police station this morning demanding immediate revoking of the order which was removed soon after the Puja was reopened.

Santosh Mitra Square puja pandal has been drawing very large number of visitors not only for its gorgeous London-themed pandal but also to view the idol of goddess Durga which has been clad in a 22-kg gold saree of 22 carat which costs Rs 6.5 crore.

Replicas of the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the London Bridge are the chief attractions of the pandal at the sprawling ground in central Kolkata.

In 2015 the Kolkata Police had stopped Durga Puja in south Kolkata's Deshapriya Park following a near-stampede situation as the pandal hoppers gathered in thousands to see the nearly 88-feet idol there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The proposed fare hike of the Delhi Metro is "unacceptable", Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to the Centre, demanding that the decision be withheld and reviewed.

In a letter to Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, Kejriwal today said the proposed hike, to be effected from October 10, would be in violation of the recommendations of the fare-fixation panel.

"The fare-fixation committee had recommended a gap of one year between two fare hikes. This recommendation is being completely violated because the proposed second hike in October, 2017 will take place even before six months since the previous fare hike," he said.

The committee, comprising representatives of both the state and the Centre, which have equal stakes in the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), is entrusted with recommending fare hikes.

The Delhi Metro fares were last revised in May. If the hike is effected, the fares will go up by a maximum of Rs 10 from October 10.

The existing fare structure is: up to 2 kms -- Rs 10, 2-5 kms -- Rs 15, 5-12 kms -- Rs 20, 12-21 kms -- Rs 30, 21-32 kms -- Rs 40 and for journeys beyond 32 kms -- Rs 50.

From October 10, for a distance of up to two kilometres, the fare will remain Rs 10, but for a distance between two and five kilometres, it will go up from Rs 15 to Rs 20.

For the subsequent slabs, it will go up by Rs 10 each, which means the maximum fare will be Rs 60.

"The chief minister has pointed out that the residents of Delhi are still reeling under the impact of the previous steep fare hike by the DMRC in the month of May and the proposed second fare hike from 10th October will be simply unacceptable in this time of economic distress," an official statement quoted Kejriwal as saying.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief urged Puri to use his official capacity under section 86 of the Delhi Metro Railway (Operation and Maintenance) Act 2002 and issue directions to the metro officials, asking them to put the fare hike on hold.

He also demanded that a board meeting of the DMRC be convened to review the decision.

The AAP has threatened to launch protests against the proposed fare hike. A delegation of AAP MLAs is scheduled to meet DMRC chief Mangu Singh on Monday with a demand to put the decision on hold.

The Delhi Metro, on its part, has been maintaining that it has a "huge loan liability" and a rapidly rising operating ratio, which means its expenditure as against every rupee earned is going up.

According to the DMRC, the operating ratio, which was Rs 55 in 2008-09, went up to Rs 74 in 2016-17 due to a rise in the energy, staff and repair or maintenance costs.

While the cost for energy has increased from Rs 3.21 per unit to Rs 6.58 per unit, staff cost from Rs 1.17 crore per km to Rs 2.80 crore per km and repair and maintenance cost from Rs 1 crore per km to Rs 3.13 crore per km, as per a DMRC report.

"As on March 31, 2017, DMRC has taken a loan of Rs 26,760.28 crore from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and re-paid only Rs 3770.79 crore (interest of Rs 2263.67 crore and repayment of a principal amount of Rs 1507.12 crore) till March 31," according to the report.

In his letter, Kejriwal referred to the financial model of the Hong Kong Metro and suggested that following it would significantly improve DMRC's finances and lead to a much lower fare hike.

He also mentioned that his assertion was based on the "advise" of the fare-fixation panel.

"The fare-fixation committee has advised the DMRC to raise funds through real estate development from the large number of properties allotted to it by the government. If this is done efficiently and transparently, the resultant income will help reduce the fare of the ordinary commuter, as in the case of the Hong Kong Metro," the statement quoted the chief minister as saying.
Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio is offering to buy back from its customers Apple's latest iPhone models after a year's use for 70 per cent of their price as part of a joint strategy to increase Jio's data sales and help the U.S. firm expand in the Indian market. The move also marks a further escalation of the cut-throat competition in the Indian telecom sector and will bring established telcos such as Airtel and Vodafone under more pressure.

California-based Apple is keen to sell more iPhones in India, one of the world's biggest smartphone markets, as growth slows in the US and Chinese markets, but the high price of its mobile handsets has kept the smartphone out of reach of most Indians. Akash Ambani, the son of Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, on Friday said the buyback offer would be available on all three latest models - the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X.

The offer will be available to Jio customers who buy the iPhone and subscribe to its Rs 799 monthly package for 12 months. This is the first time an Indian telco is offering such a hefty cashback. The announcement was made on Friday at an event to showcase Jio's launch of Apple's latest iPhones in India, The move could help to raise Apple's market share in India from a mere 3 per cent at present, while Reliance Jio could increase its customer base in the high-spending upper class who can afford to buy Apple smartphones.

Apple is already in talks with government make its phones in India and has started assembling its low-cost SE model in the country. The US company is way behind arch rival Samsung which has a 28 per cent share in the Indian smartphone market. Reliance is already eyeing roughly 500 million customers who use basic, low-cost phones through its Rs 2,500 4G phone that enables users to access the Internet but falls short of being a full fledged smartphone.

Jio has already disrupted the country's price-sensitive telecom market and is targeting between 250-300 million customers in the next two years. Reliance is also footing at least 40 per cent of the cost of its basic 4G phone in an aggressive bid to gain customers. The Jio phone, is expected to roll out this week for a refundable deposit of Rs 1,500, will cost at least Rs 2,500 to assemble, according to market sources.

That means Jio will likely carry around Rs 1000 crore in costs for every 10 million Jio-Phones it sells. The company aims to build a subscriber base of between 250 million and 300 million users in the next two years.

The Reliance group has deep pockets and is sitting on huge cash reserves which it can leverage to fight the price war it has unleashed in the Indian telecom sector. Jio's advanced voice over LTE (VoLTE) network only works with 4G enabled devices, inaccessible to many even at subsidised rates. The significantly cheaper JioPhone, however, will open the Internet to a less affluent segment of Indians for the very first time.

Reliance is making a bold attempt with this phone and data will be the key driver for them. Billionaire Mukesh Ambani, who has shaken up the telecom sector with his disruptive free voice calls and cheap data plans, on Wednesday had said 4G telecom coverage in India will surpass that of 2G in a year.

Data is the oxygen of a digital economy. We cannot deprive Indians of this vital life-sustaining resource. We have to provide ubiquitous access to high-speed data at affordable prices, Ambani said at the India Mobile Congress in Delhi. Ambani also said that India has leapfrogged from a lowly 155th in mobile broadband penetration to being the world's largest mobile data consuming nation in just one year.
The Hainan government's new construction restrictions include a "permanent end" to new developments targeting out-of-towners in one city and several counties, including Qiongzhong county, home to Wuzhishan mountain. Photo: Visual China

Chinese tourists have fallen in love with subtropical Hainan  but the island province isn't looking for anything more than a brief fling.

Hainan province has announced two policy changes aimed at cooling a property market crowded with out-of-province homebuyers, on the eve of an eight-day national holiday.

Authorities in Chinas southernmost province, a popular destination for domestic tourists, said Friday evening that they will stop issuing construction permits for some types of commercial residential projects with dwellings smaller than 100 square meters.

This restriction applies to hotel-style condominiums, but does not include housing for low-income families or owner-occupied commercial and collectively-owned developments marketed to Hainan residents.

The Hainan government also published a document Friday announcing a permanent end to new property developments targeting non-Hainan residents in one of the subtropical islands cities and three of its counties. The four areas, which have now been designated Hainans Central Ecological Core Areas, are the city of Wuzhishan, and the counties of Baoting, Qiongzhong and Baisha.

Only subsidized housing and improvement-making commercial developments aimed at solving local residents housing needs will be allowed in these areas, the government statement said.

These two measures are designed to combat demand from outside the province, Wang Lu, chairman of Hainan-based real estate research firm Jincheng Consultancy, told Caixin.

Hainan, especially Sanya on its southern coast, attracts millions of domestic visitors escaping smoggy northern winters each year, thanks to its mild climate and clean air. In 2010, the provincial government announced their goal of turning Hainan into an international tourism island. More than 80 million tourists  only about 1.2 million of whom will be from outside China  are expected to visit Hainan annually by 2020, according to the provinces 13th Five-Year-Plan.

Many domestic tourists are repeat visitors who purchase vacation homes on the island, and the provincial government has in recent months begun clamping down on real estate investment from out-of-province buyers. In April, Hainan banned buyers from getting mortgages for third homes, and also banned non-resident from buying second newly built homes on the island.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com)
"They feel it's unfair that people get to decide on the validity of their relationships. They are finding that there is obviously some very hurtful stuff being said, often online where anonymous people put up things they would never dare say to your face."
The Energy Department announced conditional loan guarantee commitments today for up to $3.7 billion to help a pair of financially struggling nuclear power reactors under construction in Georgia. The reactors, run by Southern Company with other corporate partners, have already received $8.3 billion in such loans from the Obama administration.



Bigger picture: This move would help the companies behind the project, but the broader nuclear energy industry is still facing broader challenges, like cheap natural gas and concerns about radioactive waste, that will make it hard for the sector to keep growing. The high cost and protracted process it's taking to get this project across the finish line could also scare away investors.



The details: Energy secretary Rick Perry is announcing conditional commitments to three separate companies involved in the two reactors, called Vogtle, according to details reviewed by Axios:



$1.67 billion to Georgia Power Company

$1.6 billion to Oglethorpe Power Corporation

$415 million to three subsidiaries of Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia

Context: This makes the total amount of money the government has loaned for this project $12 billion
"We [the ACT] do hold ourselves out as a progressive human rights jurisdiction and you'd think that at the foundation would be a real commitment to reducing the grossly disproportionate rates of arrest and incarceration for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members," he said.
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"Instead of the raw volcano of emotion that I expected to go with the news that Ursula is dead, I carry around a dull ache across my shoulders, behind my eyes, in my right leg, and in my lower back. My grief moves and shifts around, reminding me every now and then that she is really gone.
That, of course, is the point critics such as Mr Abbott have been trying to sweep under the carpet with wide-ranging and hysterical pronouncements on the possible fallout from allowing two people, who love each other and who also just happen to be of the same sex, to marry.
The AFL decided to change their logo in support of gay marriage and were surprised many people objected, reversing the decision after one day. The NRL followed with the dumb decision to politicise its biggest event of the year with some obscure American rapper promoting gay marriage. I am fed up with the preachiness that has crept into my once apolitical pastimes and I know I am not alone.
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 ...
I recently attended a meeting in Corvallis about being able to offer a realistic and informed response, within our community, to alt-right speakers and rallies.

The alt-right is either a growing movement in this country, or appears to be so because of the encouragement from high places. Recent demonstrations and media coverage have brought it to the attention of wider society, but the alt-rights hatred and extreme nationalist attitudes are nothing new. In fact, they have been a potent feature of our national complexion from our very beginnings. If you havent been the target of hate and bigotry (count yourself lucky), then you may be part of those who are shocked by whats been unfolding. However, to many of our citizens of color, this is business as usual. Its a good thing that we are waking up to this ever-present aspect of our nations shadow self.

The Buddha Way emphasizes the potential that we all have to become aware of our blind spots  personal and societal  and to the myths that narrow our ability to embrace the breadth of our world. To wake up to injustice, cruelty and complexity and to be willing to change our minds is crucial if a society is to value all its members.

But its easy to be complacent if we are privileged. We can talk ourselves out of doing anything if we cherish an image of ourselves as tolerant and progressive. The great Buddhist Master Dogen emphasizes over and over, that awakening is fine, but has meaning only if it influences how we participate in the world around us. I imagine that most of us would agree with this. One of the things I realized during that meeting was that being a bystander is part of privilege, which isnt accorded to many of our citizens of color. But if you are overwhelmed by the issues, you can be uncertain how to respond.

Inn our Buddhist tradition we are admonished not to hide out in some false sense of equanimity. This in actuality can be a form of spiritual bypass, to evade our responsibilities. Yes, it calms our personal waters so that we dont contribute our own fear and urgency to the collective hysteria; on the other hand, we dont add anything at all  not our understanding, nor our energy and resources, nor our compassion.

There are a couple of thoughts that spur me on to more social engagement. One is that the tone of resistance to hate right now is itself mostly an expression of hate  equal and opposite hatred. This just increases the amount of animosity in the world and doesnt change anything. It offers no bridge, no vision, no healing. There is no listening or dignity amidst shouting so loud and activity so frenetic. Yet not to stand up to blind hatred will do nothing to stem it. We have seen how unchallenged movements of hatred and exclusion can sweep entire nations into currents of brutality and atrocity.

So each of us has a responsibility to engage and respond, with our whole heart and sober, mature wisdom. If we react impulsively, or hide out from fear, we add to the alienation that underlies so much of this movement, thus spiraling us all further down the hole. But if we can respond from an awareness of the vulnerability that marks everyones life, and promote conditions for a caring civic life, we may be able to act in ways that keep the community from rupturing and propel us toward greater humanity.
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A man who pulled a knife on a driver in Lebanon Thursday evening found himself staring at a gun when a bystander with a concealed carry permit intervened, according to Lebanon police officials.

Michael Ryan VanGelder, 30, is alleged to have brandished a large, fixed-blade knife at Elizah Bullock, 39, after a verbal dispute at about 7 p.m. near 809 S. Main St.

Witnessing the altercation, Mica Smith, a U.S. Army veteran who served 10 years, the final 3 with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY, leapt from the patio at Conversion Brewing and drew his Glock 42 .380 on VanGelder, who then tried to run from the scene. Both Bullock and Smith chased and tackled VanGelder, who is alleged to have assaulted Bullock in the scuffle.

Lebanon police officers arrested VanGelder. At his arraignment Friday, he faced charges of unlawful use of a weapon, menacing, fourth-degree assault and second-degree disorderly conduct.

"There were threats made with a knife," said prosecutor Ani Yardumian, who asked for $20,000 bail in the case. Judge Rick McCormick set security at that amount.

Yardumian added that Bullock was unable to attend the brief court hearing because he needed to get medical treatment.

Bullock and VanGelder live in the same apartment complex in Lebanon. McCormick ordered that VanGelder could not come within 100 yards of Bullock.

Tim Felling was appointed VanGelder's attorney, and the next hearing in the case was scheduled for Friday, Oct. 6.

Aimee Crumley, VanGelder's sister, was present at the court hearing, and said her brother suffers from mental illness and has days when his behavior is difficult. She said she helps her family take care of VanGelder.

She added that Smith also knows VanGelder.

Lorra Crumley, VanGelder's mother, said in a telephone interview that she felt horrible about the actions of her son.

"I would have never expected it in a million years," she added.

She said that society doesn't have a lot of help for mentally ill people who still appear, at first glance, to function at a high level.

"If I wasnt involved in his life, he would be on the streets," Lorra Crumley said.

VanGelder pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault in 2015 in Lincoln County as part of a negotiated settlement in a criminal case. He was sentenced to a year in jail, and ordered to undergo an alcohol and drug evaluation and a mental health assessment and counseling or treatment, if necessary.
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China has announced new-energy vehicle (NEV) targets that automakers must reach by the year 2019.



By 2019, automakers selling vehicles in the country will have to hit a threshold equivalent to 10 per cent of annual vehicle sales. This figure will then rise to 12 per cent by 2020, Reuters reports.

The country wants to eventually ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel vehicles but has come under pressure from carmakers to relax proposals for the aggressive introduction of all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

On the back of the governments announcement, Ford said it will comply with the new rules.

We welcome the Chinese auto industrys shift towards greater adoption of NEVs and will comply with relevant regulations presented by authorities.

Similarly, General Motors said it would strive to comply with the NEV mandatory requirements and that continued joint efforts by the government and companies are essential to build broad-based consumer acceptance for NEVs. GM has sufficient capacity to manufacture NEVs in China.

PHOTO GALLERY
Toyota makes a lot of hybrids  and sells a lot of them in the US. It hasnt actually made any of those hybrid powertrains in America until now, but thats about to change.



A staggering $373.8-million investment will see the Japanese automaker begin manufacturing the gasoline-electric powertrain for the Highland Hybrid locally in the market where it sells the most of them.

That principally comes down to two sites. The engine plant in Kentucky where the 2.5-liter engine is made gets over $120 million. And the transmission plant in West Virginia where the hybrid transaxle will now be manufactured gets $115 million.

While its at it, Toyota is pouring another $106 million into its engine plant in Alabama. $17 million and $14.5 million are being invested into its aluminum plants in Tennessee and Missouri as well. The sum brings the company that much closer to CEO Akio Toyodas pledge to invest $10 billion in the United States, of which it has now earmarked over $4 billion.

The automaker claims its place as the largest manufacturer of hybrid vehicles in the world, with over 10 million made to date  of which some 3 million have gone to the US market. Some of those will now have less distance to travel to their new owners, which only stands to further reduce their overall carbon footprint over the course of their lifecycle.

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Photo: Darren Handschuh

It was nice while it lasted.

The sunny warm days are coming to an end as Okanagan residents enjoyed a few days of summer-like weather in the fall.

But, according, to Environment Canada, the weather will be turning more seasonal over the next few days.

Clouds will be rolling in Friday afternoon and with them a 60 per cent chance of showers. The wet stuff is supposed to continue through the weekend with a 60 per cent chance of rain Saturday and 30 per cent on Sunday.

After that, the sun is supposed to return for a few days, but temperatures will only reach the mid to high teens.

Lows are expected to drop to just 1 C Monday.
Photo: David Ogilvie

There were multiple reports of a possible grass fire above the Powers Creek Canyon in the Glenrosa area of West Kelowna, just before 5:30 p.m.

Multiple emergency crews attended the scene.

"There are a lot of fire crews in the area. The fire looks to have started by a creek and it appears to be almost out," said Photographer Dave Ogilvie.

The grass fire is currently under investigation.
Photo: colourbox.com

As we tell, and re-tell, ourselves our stories, what genre do we use: drama, romance, comedy, tragedy, farce?

At times, we use every method, but one worth considering is the mystery.

Check out any bookstore. No matter what they have, or dont, there will be mystery novels  cops and robbers, good guys and bad guys, who did what to whom.

In our mystery, we already know who dunnit  us  but we have to figure out why and how and to do that, we need to be detectives.

The great mystery at the centre of who we are is the same mystery at the heart of the universe.

The as-above-so-below concept applies here.

The universe we see is supposedly one of many, a multiverse, and who can even imagine what lies beyond that seeming infinity. If we turn from the telescope to the microscope and look inward, we find that we are universes that sustain as much life, comparatively, as Mother Earth.

Your body is a planet, proclaims Discover magazine. Of the 100 trillion cells inside each of us, only 10 per cent are actually human.

"The rest belong to aliens: bacteria, fungi, and other microbes. We may not realize it, but each one of us is a walking ecosystem.

Just as we can destroy Earth, our mini-universe can be destroyed by the life it fosters; the big difference is, we initiate the causes that let the viruses and cancers multiply.

As long as we balance the eco-system, the universe runs smoothly, but when we disrupt the homeostasis with what we eat and drink, by what and how we think, we free our inhabitants to run amok.

If our physical or mental balance is off, our job, as detectives, is to find out why, to delve into the central mystery and in the process of enlarging our awareness, the harmful things we do seem to stop of their own accord. Harmony re-establishes itself.

One might mischievously argue that God was, in fact, the first detective when he solved the mystery of who bit into the apple before moving on to more serious business in his second case, when Cain and Abel had a somewhat fatal argument, Maxim Jakubowski wrote in 100 Great Detectives.

One great detective we could use as a model is Phillip Marlowe, the quintessential sleuth, a 20th century knight-errant created by Raymond Chandler.

Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid, Chandler wrote.

The detective must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honour. He talks as the man of his age talks, that is, with rude wit, a lively sense of the grotesque, a disgust for sham, and a contempt for pettiness.

In other words, a (wo)man who knows himself and exposes himself and his beliefs to unwavering scrutiny, an often painful yet necessary process.

Before you can ever think seriously of writing creatively, for your own sake, you must establish, as much as humanly possible, the Who, What, When, Where, and Why of yourself, Gregory McDonald, author of the Fletch series, wrote in the introduction to Writing Mysteries.

You are the only source of your originality, and the only person who can develop the skill to make that originality of interest or value to others.

The mystery is perhaps the most explicit of all plots. As with any writing, you pose the question in the beginning, as quickly as possible, and by the end have answered the question as satisfactorily as possible.

The question posed in the mystery form is right on the surface of the work, impossible to miss, Who done what?

That indeed is a mystery, one that some feel compelled to investigate, to get out a metaphorical magnifying glass and peer into the unknown.

In this case, we are the unknown and in our detecting we will likely encounter the watcher that observes our antics with the bemused detachment of a grandfather watching a two-year-old having a temper tantrum.

Many have no idea what makes us tick, indeed dont want to know what we believe, what our values are, what our purpose is, and why we do what we do beyond the obvious. Its easier to perceive ourselves as victims of things beyond our control.

Many of the brains remaining mysteries need for solution mere wiring diagrams, yet a metaphysical halo lingers about the mystery of self-consciousness, said writer John Updike.

But within the human, there is a watcher who always recedes, and who answers every question with another question?

Upon investigation, we discover that when we flow with life, when we dont resist what happens, the stress and the fear dissipate. Its a question of mind over matter: when you dont mind, it doesnt matter. Life, like the traffic we find ourselves in so often, flows along; lights are usually green and theres a parking spot when we need it.

Then again, maybe not. Maybe nothing has changed except our perceptions and it just seems the world is different because were not constantly in a hurry, fighting traffic and life.

If the light is red, we can take the time to appreciate the mystery of the case were working on.

The universe would not give us a case we cant solve. We have the skill, but do we have the will, the desire, and the persistence?

And the solution, once we uncover it, will seem so obvious.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: CTV Police are shown behind the North York Sheridan Mall following a shooting on Friday night.

Police in Toronto are investigating a fatal shooting.

A 33-year-old man was shot dead outside of the North York Sheridan Mall around 7:50 p.m.

The victim was in the parking lot with a group of friends before the shooting, Det. Chris Ruhl said Saturday morning.

The victim was shot in the chest and died in hospital.

Ruhl said three suspects approached the victim, while one suspect stayed inside a vehicle during the incident.

- with files from CTV News
Photo: The Canadian Press Jagmeet Singh, from left to right, Charlie Angus and Guy Caron pose for a photograph as Niki Ashton, is seen on a television screen via satellite from Ottawa, before the final federal NDP leadership debate in Vancouver on September 10.

The federal New Democratic Party's gruelling search for a new leader could finally come to an end Sunday as party faithful gather in Toronto to hear the long-awaited results of the initial round of voting.

One of four candidates  Ontario provincial politician Jagmeet Singh, northern Ontario MP Charlie Angus, Manitoba MP Niki Ashton or Quebec MP Guy Caron  would have to claim more than 50 per cent of the vote for a first-ballot victory.

Otherwise, the last-place candidate drops off the ballot and the suspense lingers for another week before the results of a second round of voting is announced Oct. 8 in Montreal.

Either way, it's been a long time coming.

For the past two years, the NDP has largely been irrelevant in Ottawa, said Kathleen Monk, who served as director of strategic communications to Jack Layton, the late leader who helped the party secure official Opposition status in 2011.

A new leader will allow the party to wipe the slate clean and begin re-energizing its base of support, motivate demoralized staff members and get back on the political map, Monk said in an interview.

"They will get to hire their own people," she said. "It is a clear break from some of the inertia that has been happening."

For many, the long goodbye from Tom Mulcair, who succeeded Layton after the former leader's death in 2012, hasn't helped matters.

Despite a dismal election showing in 2015 that essentially erased the NDP's hard-won traction under Layton, Mulcair opted to hang around to await a successor despite being soundly rejected at the party's spring convention last year in Edmonton.

"The reason I was able, with eyes wide open, to stay on after Edmonton is my profound belief that the NDP offers the only real hope for a progressive government in Canada," he said in an interview.

Mulcair won't be in attendance Sunday due to a previously scheduled parliamentary commitment, he added.

The race to replace him has largely come down to Singh versus Angus, said Monk, citing evidence that includes fundraising figures, the size of their teams of organizers and the number of confirmed voters who have already mailed in their ballots.

"These are the two serious contenders, the two that are vying for that top spot."

It's a classic battle of age versus experience.

Angus, 54, is a household name among party loyalists and a fixture in the House of Commons, where he is widely seen as a strong performer. Singh, 38, represents a younger, more suburban wing of the party, but lacks a federal resume.
Photo: The Canadian Press The Department of National Defence is blaming "fiscal restraints" for promising only two new naval resupply ships in the Trudeau government's new defence policy, even though navy officials say three are required.

The Department of National Defence is blaming "fiscal restraints" for promising only two new naval resupply ships in the Trudeau government's new defence policy, even though navy officials say three are required.

Resupply vessels are considered critical for conducting naval operations around the world. Not only do they carry supplies for naval task groups, but they also have medical and maintenance facilities on board.

The Liberal government's defence policy, released this past June, promised a navy capable of deploying and sustaining two naval task groups, each composed of up to four warships and a resupply vessel.

Such a fleet, the policy said, would let Canada contribute to any international mission "while assuring the ability to monitor our own ocean estate and contribute to the security of North America."

Yet while the Liberals committed to buying 15 new warships to replace Canada's existing frigate and destroyer fleets at a cost of between $56 billion and $60 billion, they promised only two resupply vessels.

While that would be enough to sustain the required two task groups if both ships are operational, officials worry the navy could be hamstrung whenever one of the vessels is in maintenance or otherwise unavailable.

Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd alluded to that problem during a recent interview, telling The Canadian Press: "The requirement is three. And right now  two is what the commitment is."

The Harper Conservatives actually promised three new resupply ships for $2.1 billion shortly after coming to power in 2006, the first of which was supposed to be in the water by 2012.

But the Tories went back to the drawing board after industry said that wasn't enough money, and the new plan announced in 2010 was to build two vessels for $2.3 billion, with an option for a third.

The Liberals removed even that option in their defence policy, despite promising an additional $62 billion for the military over the next 20 years.

National Defence spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said the defence policy "does not explicitly include the option for a third ship given fiscal restraints," even as he played down the need for three vessels.

The 15 new warships and two resupply vessels promised in the defence policy, along with Canada's four existing submarines, will provide the navy with "the necessary fleet mix and capability," he said.

The Royal Canadian Navy has in fact been without any resupply ships since a fire on HMCS Protecteur and serious corrosion problems on HMCS Preserver forced the two vessels into early retirement in 2014.

This winter, the navy will start leasing a converted civilian ship, the MV Asterix, to serve as a stop-gap until construction of the new resupply vessels  or joint support ships, as they are officially known  is finished.

Exactly when that will happen, however, remains unclear as federal procurement officials have said they are currently reviewing the project's schedule and budget.

The vessels will be built by Seaspan Marine in Vancouver.

As for how much they will cost, Le Bouthillier said the previous $2.3-billion figure is no longer accurate, but that detailed costing for the resupply vessels won't be released until next year
Photo: CTV In this video still, a car is seen driving past a stopped school bus as children get off the bus in Perth, Ont.

Mark Lambert is offering a $1,000 for the identity of the driver who raced past his child's school bus that was stopped in front of his home.

Lambert said its the fourth time since last year a car has zoomed past the bus, and hes fed up with drivers putting his three young children in danger.

Money is no object when it comes to my kids, the resident of Perth, Ont. said. If somebody can give me the information that we need, its going to be forwarded to the police, and they can deal with that.Lambert was so upset by the incident that he installed a video camera outside his property to capture images of the vehicles.

A bus company in the community said the incidents are far too common, and that they receive at least 12 complaints about careless drivers every week.

Weve even had people report cars blowing by on the right side of the bus when it is stopped, said Tracy Irvine from Healthy Transportation Ltd.

- with files from CTV News
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Education Images/UIG/Getty Images(COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.) -- The Air Force Academy issued an alert for an active shooter on campus late Friday night and investigated, but police said there was no shooter at about 12:30 a.m. local time.



An Air Force official confirmed that there were reports at about 10 p.m. MT of an active shooter at the Colorado Springs, Colorado, campus, and a shelter-in-place order had been given via text message, according to ABC affiliate KRDO-TV.

Law-enforcement has completed a search of the dorms on Air Force Academy grounds. No injuries and no active shooter. pic.twitter.com/KlS7Od8bXU  EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) September 30, 2017

Earlier in the evening, officials said they were looking into the issue.



"There were reports of an active shooter on the Air Force Academy. Right now, security forces are currently sweeping," said Lt. Col. Allen Herritage, an Air Force Academy spokesman. "There are no reports of injuries, no reports of shots fired. We ask people to stay away from the Air Force Academy to allow security forces to do their job and to ensure the safety of everyone on base."

A spokesperson with the #USAFA says no confirmation on shots fired. Authorities sweeping the grounds pic.twitter.com/iq06QZM8DO  KRDO NewsChannel 13 (@KRDONC13) September 30, 2017

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office tweeted they were going door to door with military personnel, looking for signs of a shooter. Nothing had been found.

Mil personnel & LE are clearing dorms including knocking on doors to check on cadets on USAFA. No reported injuries or shots fired. pic.twitter.com/evxP89FeGi  EPCSheriff (@EPCSheriff) September 30, 2017

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
A warning from the U.S. government about traveling to Cuba does not appear to have quelled Cuban expansion plans for airlines such as United Airlines and American Airlines. Above, passengers arrive in Cienfuegos, Cuba, on an American Airlines flight from Miami on Sept. 7, 2016. (Al Diaz / Miami Herland via AP)

Just as major airlines are vying for approval to fly more frequently to Cuba, the State Department is warning U.S. citizens not to travel to the island.

The warning was prompted by mysterious attacks that have affected U.S. embassy employees in Havana, resulting in dizziness, cognitive issues and other symptoms. The U.S. government can't identify the sources of the attacks, according to a warning issued Friday, and is concerned that citizens traveling to Cuba also could be at risk. Some embassy staff members and their families have been ordered back to the U.S.

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The warning does not appear to have quelled Cuban expansion plans for major players such as United Airlines and American Airlines.

United announced earlier this week that it applied to provide daily service between Houston and Havana, expanding its service from Saturday only. The Chicago-based airline has operated a daily flight to Havana from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey since December.

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The airline's flights to Cuba have not changed as a result of Friday's warning, United spokesman Frank Benenati said. Its plans regarding additional flights, which are pending approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation, also have not changed.

"We continue to operate normally at this time and remain in contact with the relevant federal agencies," Benenati said.

JetBlue Airways, which also is vying for additional flights to the island, said it will waive fees for changing or canceling flights for customers who booked Friday or earlier. Changes can be made through Nov. 1.

American Airlines also has an application pending with the Transportation Department for 10 additional weekly flights to Havana from Miami. It already operates nine daily flights to five destinations in Cuba, spokesman Matt Miller said.

Friday's warning has not cooled the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline on its current operations or future Cuba plans either, Miller said.

"We're monitoring the situation, but we haven't made any adjustments," he said, noting that the airline works closely with the State Department and other agencies.

The first commercial flight from the U.S. to Cuba in half a century arrived in August 2016, a result of the Obama administration's efforts to normalize relations with the country. An arrangement with the Cuban government allows each country's airlines to operate 20 daily round-trip flights between the U.S. and Havana and up to 10 daily round-trip flights between the U.S. and each of Cuba's nine other international airports.

U.S. citizens are still not allowed to travel to Cuba individually as tourists but can go as part of educational group tours. They can also go to visit family or for business meetings, among other reasons.

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Since the government selected which airlines could fly into the once-forbidden country, there have been adjustments. American, for example, cut the number of daily flights it was running between Miami and Santa Clara, Varadero and Holguin from two to one "to better match supply with demand" in February, Miller said.

Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines ended their Cuba service earlier this year, which freed up some of the allotted flight slots and prompted the applications to the Department of Transportation from American, United and JetBlue.

Additionally, the Trump Administration changed the still-fresh U.S. policy toward Cuba in June, promising to crack down on the Cuban embargo and ban on individual tourism. Though the Transportation Department said the changes do not affect U.S. airlines' authority to serve Cuba, the airlines reacted.

Southwest Airlines announced at the end of June that it would cease operations in Varadero and Santa Clara on Labor Day.

Steve Goldberg, Southwests senior vice president of ground operations, said in a news release at the time that the decision came after conducting a performance analysis.

It "confirmed that there is not a clear path to sustainability serving these markets, particularly with the continuing prohibition in U.S. law on tourism to Cuba for American citizens," he said.

amarotti@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @AllyMarotti
CHICAGO  A former executive at a major Minnesota-based fitness firm and eight other people are accused in a new federal indictment of using insider information to make nearly $900,000 by scooping up stocks before word of the company's sale pushed share prices higher in 2015, according to charging documents unsealed Friday in Chicago.

Shane Fleming, 54, the then-vice president for corporate sales at Life Time Fitness Inc., allegedly passed the insider tip about the company's pending sale earlier in 2015 to a friend. That friend then allegedly told his girlfriend and other friends. All nine defendants are charged with conspiracy and each faces at least one count of securities fraud. A conviction on a single fraud count carries a maximum 20-year prison term.

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The company share price rose from around $58 on March 5, 2015, to around $70 one day later after a newspaper first reported the pending sale. Life Time Fitness, which owns fitness centers across the U.S. and Canada, officially announced on March 16 of the same year that two private equity firms were buying all company shares for $72.10 per share.

The nine people charged purchased hundreds of call options in Life Time Fitness stock from Feb. 25, 2015, to March 3, 2015, according to the indictment. The options were traded on the Chicago Board Options Exchange, while the company's common stock was traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

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The acting U.S. attorney in Chicago, Joel R. Levin, said Friday in a statement regarding the charges that ensuring the integrity of markets is "a core principle upon which the American financial system is built."

Hours after the charges were announced, Life Time Fitness spokesman Jason Thunstrom said that Fleming left the firm last year, though he didn't elaborate. He added that Life Time Fitness has cooperated with federal authorities on the matter. He declined to comment on the charges.

Court records on Friday didn't name attorneys for Fleming or the other defendants. Fleming lives in Chanhassen, Minnesota, where Life Time Fitness has its headquarters. As for the other defendants, four live in the Chicago area, two in Mexico, one in California and one in New York.
Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and commanders tout advances in technology that could help officers pinpoint gunfire instantly as part of their newest efforts to combat gun violence plaguing the city. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune) (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Police Department will be expanding its gunshot detection capabilities and their integration with other crime-fighting technology into six patrol districts, a police spokesman said Friday night.

This means that more than half of the city's 22 patrol districts will be using ShotSpotter and other technology to help Chicago police better predict where shootings may occur, in the hopes of allowing officers to respond more quickly to violence.

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So far this year, the department stepped up its use of the technology to combat the violence after a disastrous 2016 that saw more than 4,300 people shot and over 760 homicides, Chicago's highest killing toll in two decades.

Five of the six new districts getting the technology  Wentworth, Grand Crossing, South Chicago, Calumet and Chicago Lawn  are on the South and Southwest sides, said Anthony Guglielmi, the Police Department's chief spokesman. The sixth district getting the technology will be Grand Central, which covers portions of the West and Northwest sides.

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Guglielmi could not say exactly when those districts will be getting the new technology. But he said the department's goal is to have it all up and running in the six districts by the end of 2018.

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Guglielmi said an analysis of crime data and calls for service in those districts will begin immediately in order for the department to determine which of the six will be the first to get outfitted for the technology.

For each of the six districts, Guglielmi said it will likely cost between $1.5 million and $2 million to install the technology, which will be paid for by private and public funds.

In late January, Harrison and Englewood were the first two patrol districts to start using the new technology, which consists of nerve centers called Strategic Decision Support Centers. There, officers analyze large TV screens that display crime maps and surveillance camera footage. They also keep a close watch on ShotSpotter technology that captures the sound of gunfire and helps pinpoint its location. Officers on-duty receive that shooting data in real time on their work cellphones.

Total shooting victim tallies broken down by district were not available. But in Harrison through Sept. 17, shooting incidents  in which at least one person was shot  dropped to 261, a 24 percent decline from 345 a year earlier, department statistics show. Homicides fell to 52, down 21 percent from 66 a year earlier.

In Englewood, homicides fell to 42, down 33 percent from 63 a year earlier, while shooting incidents dropped 41 percent to 157 from 265, according to department records through Sept. 17.

The technology was also expanded earlier this year to four other patrol districts on the South and West sides: Gresham, Ogden, Austin and Deering. But those districts haven't experienced as much violence reduction as Harrison and Englewood  two of the city's traditionally most violent districts that also typically have added manpower.

As the first nine months of 2017 draw to a close, homicides citywide over the same period in 2016 were down about 8 percent and total shooting victims have dropped about 12 percent. On Friday, Chicago police First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro said seven patrol districts on the North, Northwest and South sides have also had fewer shooting incidents so far this year when compared to the same period in 2015.
John Valenta was sentenced to eight years in prison Friday for stealing $400,000 in a fraudulent billing scheme while working as a College of DuPage radio engineer. (Chuck Berman / Chicago Tribune, Elmhurst Police Department)

A former College of DuPage radio engineer was sentenced to eight years in prison Friday for stealing $400,000 in a pattern of fraudulent billing so regular that the station manager likened it to a hit song played in heavy rotation.

Wheaton resident John Valenta, 68, pleaded guilty earlier this year to theft of more than $100,000 from a school for billing the taxpayer-supported college radio station for work and parts purchased from a company that Valenta owned.

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But authorities said Valenta, through his company Broadcast Technologies, pocketed the money but did not perform the service or replace the parts for which he billed the college.

Valenta told DuPage County Judge Liam Brennan that he was ashamed and remorseful.

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"I'm not a bad person," Valenta said at his sentencing hearing Friday. "I always try to put others before me. I ask everyone to please forgive me."

But the judge said he found the case "problematic" after hearing evidence that Valenta had been convicted of a similar felony stemming from a 2011 theft charge while employed as the engineer at Elmhurst College's radio station.

Other testimony Friday also newly revealed that Valenta was fired from another radio job, this one at CBS Radio in Chicago, following a similar, six-figure billing scheme.

Assistant State's Attorney Ken Tatarelis asked the judge for a 10-year term, saying Valenta spent the stolen money on restaurants and vacations, and breached the trust of everyone who employed him.

"Who knows when the defendant last led a law-abiding life?" Tatarelis asked.

Prosecutors on Friday brought to the stand a CBS Radio official, who testified that Valenta was fired in 2008 from a well-paying engineering job after company officials found he had fraudulently billed CBS for more than $144,000. He paid some restitution, and the company did not report the incident to police, authorities said.

Valenta began working for the COD public radio station, WDCB-FM 90.9, in 1979, as the engineer. Station manager Dan Bindert testified Friday that he came aboard in 2013 with a directive from the college to delve into what appeared to be excessive spending for engineering.

In early 2014, a suspicious Bindert refused to pay an invoice submitted from Valenta's company and initiated an investigation. Bindert said he found a regular pattern of invoices from the company for supposed ongoing transmitter problems that recurred so frequently that it was like a radio station's rotation of a hit song.

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"It was pretty obvious that invoices from Broadcast Technologies were not to be believed," Bindert said.

Bindert said he contacted an engineer friend who examined that WDCB transmitter and determined that almost all of its parts were original, dating from installation in 2004. The invoices, Bindert said, indicated that the transmitter required frequent repair and new parts for breakdowns, allegedly caused by electrical power surges that Valenta blamed on ComEd.

When Bindert asked Valenta about it, Bindert said he was "snowed under" with technical jargon. There was, it turned out, no evidence of power surges, he said.

Bindert said the thefts affected ratings and donations for the public radio station.

The station manager said he was approached last month by someone who said he had stopped donating to WDCB after Valenta's arrest. The former donor, Bindert said "wanted to be assured we weren't going to waste his money."

Around the same time as Valenta's story broke, details also emerged of questionable spending by then-COD President Robert Breuder, who was fired in 2015.

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Clifford Ward is a freelance reporter.
As a man tried to rob an armored vehicle employee by hitting him in the back with a sledgehammer, the armored truck employee shot and critically wounded the would-be robber, authorities said.

The driver for Garda armored car services was making a delivery at a currency exchange in the 4300 block of West 26th Street about 9:30 a.m., in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood.

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After the Garda employee exited the armored car with a bag in his hand, a man wearing a reflective vest came up to the Garda employee with a sledgehammer and struck the driver in the back, according to Garrett Croon, a spokesman for the FBI.

When the man in the reflective vest tried to rob the employee, the Garda employee shot the would-be robber, officials said. Despite at least one gunshot wound, the man with the sledgehammer ran from the location and was seen by witnesses inside a vehicle in the 2700 block of South Kostner Avenue.

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Police officers arrived and put the man in custody and he was then rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, according to Chicago police.

About 1 p.m., Croon said the man was in surgery.

The injuries the Garda employee suffered were not life-threatening, Croon said, but possibly life-altering.
Gloria Lopez and her daughter Dayanara, 16, were able to leave Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria and are now living with her other daughter Alyssa Pimentel and her family in Waukegan. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

With only one piece of luggage, Gloria Lopez left her home in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, to seek refuge with her daughter in the Chicago area.

Lopez, who has lived in Puerto Rico for the past nine years, said she will eventually return but is uncertain when it will be safe to do so after Hurricane Maria devastated the island last week.

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"We could come back in six months, maybe a year, but we'll be here until Puerto Rico gets back on its feet," she said Wednesday as she stood near a baggage claim entrance at O'Hare International Airport waiting for her daughter to pick her up.

The Category 4 storm took out the island's electricity grid and damaged homes, businesses and roads. Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello recently said the damage is so extensive that it could halt the economy for at least a month. "This is the single-biggest, major catastrophe in the history of Puerto Rico, bar none, and it is probably the biggest hurricane catastrophe in the United States," Rossello told The Associated Press.

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In Chicago, home to more than 100,000 Puerto Ricans, some local residents are still struggling to get in touch with relatives. Others, who have scrambled to get them on one-way flights to Chicago, face the uncertainty of helping them through long-term recovery. Some of the evacuees may stay indefinitely.

Nilda Flores-Gonzalez, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said her 83-year-old mother, Eva Gonzalez, and brother, Erving Flores, rode out the storm in Gonzalez's apartment in Isla Verde, which is just outside San Juan.

After the storm, her nephew rescued the pair, and they moved to different relatives' homes seeking electricity and water.

As the situation deteriorated, Flores-Gonzalez said she realized how lucky her family was that she had the means to get them out.

"I was able to buy a ticket, I was able to call the airline," Flores-Gonzalez said. "I'm aware of people who have not been able to do that because they might not have family here and might not have the resources."

They will live with her in Oak Park for a couple of weeks until they are able to travel to Texas and Arizona to stay with other relatives with more spacious homes.

After enduring a long recession, Puerto Rico was already seeing an increase in the number of people leaving the island for the mainland, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. At the same time, the number of people moving to Puerto Rico was declining.

But this migration to the mainland may serve as a buffer for some families as relatives in the States could provide assistance to those rebuilding in Puerto Rico, said Maria de Los Angeles Torres, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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Others fear losing more people, especially a large number of professionals, hindering rebuilding efforts.

"Professionals are on better ground to leave, they can more easily find employment, they probably have family who have resources," Flores-Gonzalez said. "While people who don't have those means, who are from lower social economic status will have a really hard time."

Omar Torres-Kortright, executive director of the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center in the Hermosa neighborhood, bought tickets for his parents, who are in their 60s, as soon as he could. He and his brother, who lives in Florida, figured their parents had a better chance of getting out if they flew to Fort Lauderdale. On Thursday, they were flying from Florida to Chicago where they will stay with Torres-Kortright.

He said it's unclear how long they will stay here. His father still has a year to go before he can retire.

"They are reconsidering a lot of things these days in terms of what they need," Torres-Kortright said. "What's supposed to be retirement, what that's going to look like right now."

Passengers who trickled into Chicago last week say they had to camp out in lines for hours to catch one of the limited flights to the mainland. But the earliest Diana Quinones Rivera, 39, of the Avondale neighborhood, could find a flight for her relatives was on Wednesday.

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It took a week for Rivera to get in touch with her family members who live in the small mountain town of Utuado. With limited access to cell service, she was elated to hear from her brother through voicemails on the messaging app WhatsApp. But it also left her deeply concerned about the dire need for aid.

"They're running out of food," Quinones Rivera said. "They don't have water or electricity, ice and water. It's hot over there, and there's no way to cool down. I've been reading (social media posts) from other people I know from the area, and there's a lot of desperation, people stealing from homes. The center of the island is really bad."

Quinones Rivera made calls to a private helicopter company in an attempt to quickly move her family to the mainland. However, she was seeking passage for 11 relatives, and there was room for only a limited number of people. To complicate matters further, her mother and father still hadn't found her sister.

"My idea was to bring them here," she said. "My brother, his partner has family in the suburbs here, but (the partner) doesn't think she wants to move, because of the cold weather. But I don't think they have many options. They have two kids, and, soon, they will have no food."

Quinones Rivera and her husband decided to start an online fundraiser to pay for transportation to Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan and then on to Chicago.

With estimates on restoring power pegged at several months, she hopes other relatives in the Chicago area would be able to take her relatives in for as long as they need.

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After hearing about Quinones Rivera's frenetic scramble to accommodate family members, however, friends offered to take in some of them. "I broke down when they let me know," Quinones Rivera said. "That was such great generosity."

While some residents are making arrangements to bring their families to Chicago, Marisol Vergara is still trying to convince her mother and sister to come for at least a couple of months. Her 78-year-old mother, Lydia Cordero, has a brain tumor, and Vergara and other relatives didn't learn until after the hurricane that her mother had been preparing for a surgery.

Her mother, who worked at Chicago Public Schools before retiring in Puerto Rico, wants to come to Chicago but is scared looters will destroy her home and her daughter's home.

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"She's very scared," Vergara said. "My mom is a strong woman and to hear her crumble like this, I know she is going through some really devastating, some hard times."

Vergara's relatives in the Chicago area have been busy researching the doctors Cordero could see if she comes. Watching the events unfold from her Edgebrook home has been frustrating as Vergara tries to find a way to help.

"I'm so used to at work my whole life, and in the committees that I'm on, if there's a problem, I say let me roll up my sleeves, how can we make this work," she said. "I can't do that with this. I can't fix this."

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Attorney Gloria Allred calls a news conference with Mark Borowski to try to stop the planned parole of Thomas Kokoraleis, who was convicted of murdering Mark's sister Lorraine "Lorry" Ann Borowski, 21, in May 1982 in Elmhurst. Kokoraleis, now 56, was scheduled to be paroled Friday but his release was delayed due to housing issues. (Lou Foglia / Chicago Tribune) (Lou Foglia / Chicago Tribune)

Some 35 years ago, police arrested Thomas Kokoraleis as part of a group of men whose sexually motivated crimes were so vicious, their cruelty reverberates still.

One member of the four-man crew  Kokoraleis' younger brother, Andrew  was the last prisoner to be executed in Illinois in 1999, years before the state abolished the death penalty. The two other men received lengthy prison terms and will likely die behind bars.

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But Thomas Kokoraleis became eligible for parole Friday due to a plea deal brokered in court long ago, before Illinois stopped allowing imprisoned murderers to receive day-for-day credit for good behavior. His planned release sparked public outcry, including from some victims' families and law enforcement, who allege the infamous Ripper Crew tortured, raped and mutilated as many as 20 victims in Cook and DuPage counties in the early 1980s.

Instead of being paroled, though, state corrections officials confirmed one day before Kokoraleis' anticipated release that they will continue to hold the 57-year-old man in prison until he can find a place to live that complies with Illinois' convicted sex-offender residency conditions.

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Illinois at any given time typically has 1,200 to 1,400 inmates in custody beyond their projected release dates because they cannot find a place to live that parole officers find suitable, corrections officials confirmed.

Kokoraleis may not be the most sympathetic poster boy for their cause, but prison reform advocates argue the practice raises financial, constitutional and public safety concerns.

For Illinois taxpayers, the extended stays add as much as an estimated $30.1 million a year in prison costs, based on the $22,000 per capita cost of housing an inmate, compared with the far lower tab for supervising them on parole, experts said.

"It's an injustice and really does cry out for reform," said E. King Poor, a Chicago attorney who has represented inmates affected by the practice. "It's a colossal waste of taxpayer money and defeats the entire purpose of parole."

The practice is commonly known as "violating at the door" because prison officials at one time literally walked inmates who had completed their sentences to the prison gates, only to return them back inside the prison for failing to find a suitable place to live. The lack of an approved "host site," or home, is considered a parole violation.

Such dramatic "turnarounds" no longer take place, prison officials and reform advocates say, yet hundreds of inmates continue to be held beyond their eligible parole dates. Authorities must release an inmate by the time their term of parole ends, which in Kokoraleis' case, with day-for-day credit applied, would be in another 1.5 years.

Illinois Department of Corrections officials in the past have admitted frustration over the situation, but they insist their hands are tied by restrictions that prohibit convicted sex offenders from living near schools, parks, daycare facilities and other places where children congregate.

And stricter laws, such as one that makes it illegal for more than one sex offender to reside at the same address, coupled with the state's dwindling resources toward community-based housing and services, have contributed to the problem, experts said.

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Alan Mills, executive director of Uptown People's Law Center, which represents the poor on prison and other issues, said the policy also makes no sense from a public safety standpoint. Inmates who are released after their parole has expired may pose more of a threat to the public in comparison to those who were able to transition into society on parole with monitoring and other conditions.

Mills also argues the policy unfairly punishes the poor.

"You're keeping someone in prison solely because they're homeless, and that to me violates the Eighth Amendment," he said.

Inmates have challenged the practice in court but have been unsuccessful.

A state task force studying sex offender laws is expected to address housing as part of its final report, due to the General Assembly Jan. 1.

At a recent task force hearing, the prison watchdog group John Howard Association of Illinois urged members to address that and other barriers for sex offenders who are re-entering society, said Executive Director Jennifer Vollen-Katz.

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Of Illinois' nearly 45,000 inmates, about 17 percent are convicted sex offenders, according to the latest available corrections statistics. There are another roughly 450 convicted sex offenders free on parole in Illinois who are being monitored by the department's sex offender supervision unit.

Officials have said the convicted sex offenders are not held beyond their parole date because they pose a danger to the public. If they were assessed a continued threat, prosecutors may seek to have them deemed a sexually violent person under a 1998 state civil law and committed indefinitely.

As the Tribune previously reported, a joint effort is underway by prosecutors for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin to see whether Thomas Kokoraleis qualifies under the law.

To be committed, a person must have been convicted of a sexually violent offense and suffer from a mental disorder. Prosecutors must prove the offender is likely to commit future acts of sexual violence if freed, which is why they have sought a psychological evaluation, officials said.

Prosecutors have not filed a petition yet but, sources say, the process to have Kokoraleis evaluated began this summer and is ongoing. If authorities are successful, Kokoraleis would be held in a secured facility for sex-offender treatment.

Authorities say the Kokoraleis brothers, of Villa Park, and the other two men were part of a satanic gang that stalked streets in Chicago and the west and northwest suburbs in the early 1980s in a red utility van, looking for lone women to kidnap, beat, rape, torture and kill. They cut off their victims' breasts, often while the women were still alive, as part of cannibalistic, sexual rituals.

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Thomas Kokoraleis was convicted of the May 1982 murder of Lorraine "Lorry" Ann Borowski and sentenced to life in prison. Borowski, 21, was kidnapped outside the Elmhurst real estate office where she worked. Her remains were found five months later in a nearby cemetery.

Kokoraleis' conviction later was reversed upon appeal based on a legal error made during his trial. In July 1987, rather than stand trial again, Kokoraleis pleaded guilty to Borowski's murder in exchange for a 70-year prison term. Prosecutors agreed to drop charges alleging a second murder.

The agreement allowed for his Sept. 29, 2017, parole date.

Mark Borowski, one of the victim's brothers, said Friday he's been sick to his stomach at the thought of Kokoraleis' release.

"I feel that anyone who raped, tortured and murdered should not be free to walk among people who every day follow the law," he said.

cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com

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Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner holds a press conference at the State of Illinois Building in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, to announce he has signed an abortion bill that expands abortion coverage for women on Medicaid and state insurance. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

When Bruce Rauner ran for governor in 2014, he was a political blank slate elected as a pro-business outsider who professed to have no social agenda but a strong desire to shake up the status quo of a Democratically controlled Springfield.

Now nearly three years into his term, the Republican governor's slate appears almost indecipherable.

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Rauner signed into law high-profile, Democrat-backed bills on abortion, immigration and voter rights, prompting questions as to who his base of support is as he seeks re-election, whether he'll catch a primary challenge and how he'll deal with Republican lawmakers going forward.

Rauner was already besieged by attacks from would-be Democratic challengers, and now socially conservative Republicans are echoing the partisan attacks, accusing the governor of being a liar who betrayed them. The impetus was Rauner's decision Thursday to approve a bill to expand taxpayer-subsidized abortions to poor women and to women covered by state employee health insurance.

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It's the latest high-drama episode for Rauner, who in recent months has zigzagged between the political right and political left.

A tempestuous summer saw Rauner lose a lengthy budget battle as Republicans joined Democrats in approving a major income-tax increase. Rauner quickly jettisoned a staff of political moderates for a group heavily aligned to the GOP right, only to discard several of them weeks later.

Rauner's decision not to pick a lane and stay in it has prompted some Republicans to question if the governor fully comprehends the complexity of governing and politics and whether he might be better off seeking re-election as a Democrat. It's quite the turn for Rauner, a former private equity investor who famously declared as a candidate that "I've been a success at everything I've done."

House Republican floor leader Rep. Peter Breen, a prominent attorney opposed to abortion rights, said he was tired of watching a governor "unable to adequately and competently administer Illinois government."

Attempting to minimize the internal GOP fallout, Rauner's campaign sent out an email to supporters Friday explaining the governor's decision as showing he "puts the people of Illinois before the pressures of politics."

"After long conversations with advocates on both sides of the issue, Gov. Rauner followed through on a campaign promise signing legislation protecting the right to choose for Illinois women," the email said. "The governor has always spoken his mind throughout his time in office and on Thursday he stood up for the rights of women across the state."

Acknowledging the controversy Rauner's action caused, the campaign featured defenses by Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti and GOP attorney general candidate Erika Harold. "While some disagreed with the decision, noted pro-life Republicans expressed the need to rally around the governor on the big issues facing Illinois," the email noted.

During another era of Illinois Republican politics, Rauner's signature on the abortion bill might have been controversial, but not necessarily as threatening politically.

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In 2000, then-Gov. George Ryan, a Republican who had long been an abortion-rights opponent, vetoed legislation to ban Medicaid funding for abortions for poor women whose health was in danger.

Ryan said then that he viewed his action as a "no-win" situation, and he was vilified by social conservatives. At the time, Dan Cronin, then the Senate sponsor and now DuPage County Board chairman, said of Ryan, "Either he was a fake (on opposing abortion) all these years before or he's a fake now."

Still, the Illinois GOP during that time was led by social moderates, and in 2006 it nominated for governor Judy Baar Topinka, the late treasurer and an advocate of abortion rights and gay rights.

Reflecting national tendencies, the GOP in Illinois has changed and now carries much stronger conservative overtones. After Ryan went to prison, the party spent years in the political wilderness.

Rauner used his money and power to rebuild the Illinois Republican Party and ensure loyalty to him. Still, it's unclear now whether Rauner's wealth will be able to keep rank-and-file Republicans in line.

Writing "big campaign checks," Breen contended, is "the only unique feature left in Rauner's favor" and something that may make others reluctant to criticize the governor. That means "we're going to have to find alternate sources of funding," he said.

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Showing exasperation, some Republicans broke ranks in July to override the governor's veto of a tax-hike budget package. That closed a nearly 2 1/2-year ideological stalemate between Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan and the Democratic-led legislature that hurt the state's social service safety net, threatened its higher education network, escalated its unpaid bills and posed the potential for junk bond status.

Rauner also signed into law a bill that protects immigrants who are in the country illegally from being detained solely because of their immigration status. He did so even though part of Republican President Donald Trump's appeal in 2016 was a hard-line stance against illegal immigration and "sanctuary" status for cities and states.

The governor approved a measure to make voting registration all but automatic when getting or updating a driver's license or seeking other state assistance, something viewed as beneficial to Democrats at a time when some GOP lawmakers contend voting rules are too loose.

Rauner also traveled around the state criticizing a new education funding formula as a "bailout" to the Chicago Public Schools, providing red meat language for a candidate campaigning Downstate. Ultimately, Rauner signed a different school funding measure that gave CPS even more money than the bill that he had attacked.

As a concession to conservative Republicans, the school funding measure included money for a new program worth up to $100 million to provide scholarships for children to attend private or parochial schools through a state income-tax credit system.

The goodwill Rauner earned with those Republicans was washed away by his signature on the abortion legislation, which supporters said also would ensure the procedure would remain legal in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

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"People are looking at the situation and saying, 'Where is the Rauner base?'" asked state Rep. David McSweeney of Barrington Hills, a Republican who doesn't always agree with party leaders.

"You've got Trump in the White House, and we've got a guy who signed 'sanctuary' state (immigration legislation), full taxpayer funding of abortions, we've seen an income tax hike, $16 billion in overdue bills. I don't know where his base is," he said.

In the case of the abortion legislation, Rauner created a no-win situation by promising as a candidate in 2014 to support expansion of taxpayer-subsidized abortions. But in April, in the midst of the prolonged budget battle with Madigan and Democrats, he vowed to veto the measure outright, which helped keep Republican lawmakers united with him.

It meant Rauner had made promises to each side, and one of them was going to be broken. Knowing that, Democrats allowed the issue to linger by delaying sending the bill to him until last Monday as pressure built on the governor from each side.

Signing the bill drew appreciation from abortion rights advocates and praise from liberal newspaper columnists, but neither are likely to offer Rauner much help if he runs against a Democrat for re-election next year.

On Friday, Breen said Rauner now has "lame duck" status and that GOP rank and file should work to reach a consensus on a candidate to challenge the governor in the primary.

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While finding a highly qualified contender is a challenge, a primary battle could inflict even more damage on Rauner at a time the GOP faces a serious challenge to holding the governorship from Democrats. The schisms from a primary fight could serve to dampen Republican turnout, even as Democrats and some Republicans sense the 2018 general election could become a wave election for Democrats due to Trump.

More immediately, though, there are prospects for a potentially raucous return of the General Assembly when lawmakers reconvene in late October and for their regular session in January.

With Rauner under attack from his own members, some Republicans said privately they see Madigan, who has played the role of the governor's chief political nemesis, using the legislature to seek votes on measures aimed at embarrassing the chief executive and showing lack of GOP legislative support.

Publicly, both Republican leaders  Jim Durkin in the House and Bill Brady in the Senate  sought to minimize the political damage within their caucuses by saying their common interests in improving Illinois remained an important goal despite the disappointment.

But privately, one top Republican legislative aide said a rough fall session could just be a prologue for an even tougher spring session with the governor campaign in full gear and Rauner looking for wins to help a re-election agenda.

"Don't come to us expecting us to fall in line like we have for the last three years," the aide said.

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"Yes, there are still a vast majority of things the (GOP) caucus and Rauner agree on. In the past, some of those they didn't agree on, they still held their nose and voted for it. Don't expect that to happen," he said.

Breen, as House GOP floor leader, acknowledged as much about Rauner.

"I will not be supporting him politically. And otherwise, I'm going to make the call one way or the other on bills as they come before us," said Breen, of Lombard. "Whether or not they are able to agree publicly, I know hundreds of elected Republicans, along with hundreds of thousands of Republican voters, who feel the same way I do."

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Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a bill that would prevent local governments from setting up their own "right-to-work" zones (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday vetoed a bill that would prevent local governments from setting up their own "right-to-work" zones.

Democrats sent Rauner the bill to try to combat an ongoing legal battle that the governor hopes will make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The measure he rejected asserts that only the General Assembly can make laws creating right-to-work policies, in which people can work for a company in union-protected positions without having to join the union or pay union fees.

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Democrats' bill followed an effort mounted by the Lake County village of Lincolnshire, which in 2015 approved a right-to-work ordinance that was later struck down by a federal district court. The court ruled that only states have the power to enact laws prohibiting mandatory union participation.

That ruling is now being appealed. But supporters of the Lincolnshire ordinance, including Rauner, are hoping to draw on a contradictory ruling in Kentucky to inspire the Supreme Court to take up the issue.

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Rauner has long advocated for local communities to have the ability to enact right-to-work measures if they choose to do so.

On Thursday he told an Illinois Chamber of Commerce luncheon that he planned to veto the bill, and he alluded to the court challenge that is underway. The effort is being led by the Illinois-based Liberty Justice Center, which is an affiliate of the Illinois Policy Institute, a conservative think tank with close ties to Rauner.

"We're in federal court right now to make sure that states can have their local governments, counties and cities decide for themselves their labor regulations," Rauner said.

The governor later told reporters that he hopes the case will be heard by the Supreme Court in 2019. Lawmakers will have an opportunity to try to override Rauner's veto when they return to Springfield in November, though it is unclear if they'll have the votes to do so.

His veto came a day after a victory for the governor on another labor issue. On Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case originally brought by Rauner. It challenges whether government employee unions should be able to collect fees from nonmembers, a critical question for organized labor nationwide that the court deadlocked over last year.

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TEMPLE, Texas  A Texas man who died after a struggle with police had an intellectual disability, sickle cell anemia and suffered from nerve pain that caused his legs to lock up and kick, a family member said.

Stephen Gayle died Thursday night after Temple police officers who responded to a disturbance call tried to put him in handcuffs. A Temple Police Department spokeswoman said Friday that the Texas Department of Public Safety will investigate the death and that there's no indication the officers "acted outside the scope of their duties."

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An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.

Temple officers responded to a disturbance complaint around 7:30 p.m. Thursday near an apartment complex. They encountered Gayle, believing he was responsible for the disturbance, and said he was uncooperative and appeared intoxicated, according to a police release. During a struggle, the officers tried to handcuff Gayle and put him inside a police car, police said.

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The Temple Daily Telegram reports that Gayle's family and people who witnessed the incident are questioning the account police have given. Witnesses who spoke to the newspaper said the officers, who were white, used excessive force to arrest Gayle, who was black.

Some of the witnesses told the newspaper they saw an officer place a knee in the man's back and punch him in the face while he was on the ground.

According to the newspaper, Gayle's sister, Tiffany Nuckols, said he had an intellectual disability and sickle cell anemia. She also said he suffered from nerve pain in his legs that caused them to lock up and kick sometimes.

"My brother, he wouldn't hurt nobody," she said. "My brother was a good person."

Wanda Nichols, a church pastor who lives in the neighborhood, said she saw Gayle walking down the street and yelling before police arrived. She said she thought he was trying to get the attention of a child who was practicing football nearby.

Police have asked for witnesses to come forward with information they might have about the incident.

Temple has about 73,000 residents and is about 75 miles north of Austin.
Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Republican Senate Majority Leader from Kentucky Mitch McConnell wait to speak to the media about their Tax Reform Bill in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 27, 2017. (Jim Lo Scalzo /EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock / SCALZO/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

The next Republican revolution began last week on a bright blue bus parked at a nighttime rally in Montgomery, Ala., days before a firebrand GOP candidate won the state's Senate primary.

But unlike previous Republican revolutionaries, the hard-line figures who stepped out to cheers did not want to yank the party to the right on age-old issues such as taxes or spending. They wanted to gut it and leave its establishment smashed.

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Fury infused these insurgents' raw remarks as did a common theme: The Republican Party has failed its voters, and a national cleansing was needed in the coming year, regardless of whether President Donald Trump was on board.

Longtime Republicans see a charged civil war on the horizon.

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"There is an emotional component," former House speaker Newt Gingrich, R, said of the frustrations of Trump's core backers, who have grown increasingly vocal. "They want someone to kick over the table. And my advice to every Republican is: You better have an edge, or you become the problem."

That populist rage in the base as Trump struggles to enact his priorities - which lifted former judge Roy Moore to victory on Tuesday against Trump's ally, Sen. Luther Strange, R-Ala., -- now threatens to upend GOP incumbents in 2018 as the latest incarnation of Republican grievance takes hold.

Stoked by former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and his incendiary media platform, Breitbart News, a new wave of anti-establishment activists and contenders are emerging to plot a political insurrection that is with Trump in spirit but entirely out of his - or anyone's - control.

Central command is the "Breitbart Embassy," a Capitol Hill townhouse where Bannon has recently huddled with candidates, from House prospects to Senate primary recruits. Hedge fund executive Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah - Bannon's wealthy allies - have already pledged millions to the cause, said people briefed on their plans.

In the last seven years, the Mercers have emerged as some of the biggest political donors on the right, plowing tens of millions into GOP committees and super PACs. Their money has gone both to shore up the national Republican Party and to finance outside groups taking on the Washington establishment.

So far this year, the Mercers have contributed $2.7 million to federal political committees and campaigns, finance filings show.

Beyond cash, Mercer and Bannon also offer GOP rebels a vast media and advocacy ecosystem that generates attention on social media as well as small-dollar donations. Run by Rebekah, the Mercer family foundation has given $50 million to conservative and free-market think tanks and policy groups from 2009 to 2015, according to tax records compiled by The Washington Post and GuideStar USA, which reports on nonprofit companies.

And that blue bus - sponsored by the Great America Alliance and carrying former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, among other conservative celebrities across Alabama - is scheduling stops across the country.

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"If you don't do your job, you're going to see the bus, and you're going to get bounced," said Ed Rollins, the group's strategist.

Rollins and Eric Beach, another adviser to the advocacy group, insisted that money would not save their elected Republican targets, pointing out that in Alabama they spent about $200,000, compared with the more than $10 million spent by the national GOP and Strange-aligned groups.

Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel - who traveled to Alabama to meet with Bannon and is considering challenging Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., next year - called Moore's success "inspiring" and said he is moving closer to launching a campaign fueled by the "establishment's betrayal."

"The environment feels so much better - people are so much more fed up than they were in 2014," McDaniel said, referring to the year he nearly beat Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., in a Senate primary race.

The rumblings of an uprising come days after Senate Republicans shelved the party's latest health-care proposal and as GOP lawmakers are inching forward on a proposal to cut taxes, but far from bringing legislation to a vote.

"Every Republican member of Congress is sitting there saying, 's---, this could happen to me,' " Rollins said.

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Many players from the tea party era have returned to the breach: Palin, Bannon, Fox News personality Sean Hannity, talk-radio host Laura Ingraham and a cast of familiar foils who have long haunted House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Their enemies, however, go beyond those Republican leaders - anyone remotely linked to them is at risk of attack.

"You are going to see, in state after state after state, people that follow the model of Judge Moore, that do not have to raise money from the elites, the crony capitalists, from the fat cats in Washington, D.C., New York City and Silicon Valley," Bannon told Moore's supporters on Tuesday.

Bannon added that Moore's upset of Strange was "starting a revolution" that would either topple GOP incumbents or prod them to not seek reelection in 2018, as Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., announced on Tuesday.

Seven Senate Republicans are expected to run in next year's midterm elections: Wicker, Jeff Flake, Ariz., Dean Heller, Nev., Ted Cruz, Texas, Deb Fischer, Neb., Orrin Hatch, Utah, and John Barrasso, Wyo.

Wicker, Heller and Flake, in particular, are seen as vulnerable to the coming war because of their ties to McConnell - Wicker is on his leadership team - or because they have clashed with Trump (Heller, Flake).

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The early pitch from the challengers overlaps in part with the outcry of previous election cycles, but it is far more about wrestling power away from traditional Republicans than Democrats.

"The Republican Congress has replaced President [Barack] Obama as the bogeyman," Steven Law, president of the McConnell-allied Senate Leadership Fund super PAC, wrote in a memo about the Alabama contest.

Businessman Danny Tarkanian, who is running against Heller and has met with Bannon, said: "The longtime politicians in the Republican Party haven't done anything since they took over and everything is stalled. So while President Trump has tapped into the anger, McConnell hasn't - at all."

In Tennessee, Corker's departure has prompted Republican leaders to find a candidate who in a contested primary race could win over both the Breitbart bloc and the party's major supporters in the business community. They have focused on encouraging Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. - an upbeat regular at conservative conferences for years - to jump in. Blackburn has said she will make a decision on the race in the coming days.

The lasting national power of Moore's victory remains a flash point within the political ranks of the Republican Party. Republican incumbents are optimistic that the successful passage of tax cuts in the coming months will reduce the exasperation voters now feel over the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare - and say organizing successful campaigns is not easy.

"I don't buy that the Bannon people are going to be able to get lots of Senate campaigns up and running in time," said Ed Brookover, a former Trump campaign adviser. "It's pretty late already in the cycle, and the fields are closer to being set than some of these potential candidates want you to believe."

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In contrast to past anti-establishment efforts in the Republican Party, going back to Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential bid and, more recently, the tea party movement, this crusade is not an ideological project motivated by a desire for smaller government - it's about destroying the party's political class in Washington, even if it jeopardizes the GOP's congressional majorities.

The hawkish stances on foreign policy and federal spending and moral values that have defined the Republican Party since Ronald Reagan's presidency have been shoved to the background, replaced by a blazing strain of nationalism that is driven by anti-trade and anti-immigration views - views that were heralded by Trump in 2016 but that agitators fret have been ignored in Congress.

Patrick Caddell, a veteran pollster who has worked with Bannon, said the "Republican electorate is in revolt."

"The Republican Party is very close to coming apart," Caddell said. "The voters feel economic deprivation, and their children don't have the same opportunities. They're becoming more anti-trade than most union Democrats, in some respects, because of anger with the global economy."

Bannon met this week with former Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo to urge him to consider running for governor - another sign of how prominent critics of illegal immigration, like Tancredo, may return to the fore of the GOP scene.

Trump's fingerprints are all over the ruckus - and he has volleyed complaints at Republicans who have criticized him, most notably Flake, who wrote a book about his displeasure with the GOP's Trumpian turn. Trump has lashed back and praised Flake's primary rival, state Sen. Kelli Ward.

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But Trump is not the movement's standard-bearer, and his positions guide the candidates and groups only to a point, as Strange's defeat attests. More important to them is the president's anti-establishment style - the aura of authenticity along with his aggressive take on illegal immigration. His supporters and populist leaders celebrate that approach as a model of defiance.

"I love the Trump agenda," said persistent Nevada candidate Sharron Angle, who won a Senate GOP primary in 2010 amid the tea party's rise and plans to run for Congress next year. But Angle said Trump's seeming lack of concern for federal deficits has vexed her: "Sometimes, I can't figure out the president. And I don't think I am alone in that."

Added consultant Tom Ingram, a Corker adviser: "Trump's an aberration, a sign of what's happening out there more than anything. He's not really Republican, and he's not really tea party. He's just Trump."

Democrats see an opening to possibly pick up seats if the chaos builds, even in Alabama. Moore, who has made controversial statements on race and sexuality, is facing off against former U.S. attorney Doug Jones, who will soon be joined on the trail by former vice president Joe Biden.

A Decision Desk HQ poll released Friday showed Jones only a few points behind Moore among likely voters - Moore 50.2 percent, Jones 44.5 percent.

McConnell's former chief of staff Josh Holmes tweeted about the poll: "In a surprise to nobody, looks like the Bannon crowd created a new problem" for Trump and the GOP.

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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee issued a statement declaring that the result in Alabama had poured "gasoline over already raging primaries" and "throws into question how Republicans can confront the insurgent candidates who now feel even more emboldened to run. Reminder: Republicans now own Roy Moore and the uncomfortable questions he'll provoke in races across the country."

On the House side, there is also fear of GOP retirements, should challengers and the Bannon-Mercer partnership gain steam. But allies are waiting to see if the threats from those antagonists actually materialize.

"We'll see if people are going to put up candidates for House races when the deadlines come up in Illinois and Texas," said Scott Reed, senior strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which opposed Moore.

"Are they going to primary House Republicans? You can huff and puff all you want, but until you file, it's not a real race."

Michael Scherer and Matea Gold contributed to this report.
Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz hugs a woman during her visit to an elderly home in San Juan on Sept. 22, 2017. Cruz has been critical of the federal government's response to Hurricane Maria, which has left much of Puerto Rico without power and water. (EPA)

BRANCHBURG, N.J.  President Donald Trump, spending the weekend at his Bedminister golf resort in New Jersey, attacked the mayor of San Juan on Saturday for "poor leadership" and accused her of conspiring with Democrats to criticize his administration's response to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico.

Trump blasted Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz in a series of tweets that aimed to deflect blame for the deepening humanitarian crisis on the island and to cast the mounting criticism against him as partisan attacks - from local officials, political rivals and the media.

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"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," Trump wrote on Twitter. In another message, he added that Cruz and other local officials "want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort."

The outburst came as Trump has bristled over accusations from local officials that the federal government has not moved quickly enough to provide support and aid amid widespread power outages that have left residents without air conditioning, while food, drinking waterand other basic necessities are in short supply in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. At least 16 people have died since the storm struck last week, with many others in critical condition, and officials expect the death toll to climb in the coming days.

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On Friday, Cruz pleaded for additional help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying at a news conference: "I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying . . . We are dying and you are killing us with the inefficiency."

In his response on Twitter, Trump cast Cruz's criticism as "unfair" to the thousands of federal workers who his administration says are now in place on the island, and he praised the efforts of the military and other first-responders.

In a bid to isolate Cruz politically, Trump spoke by phone in the afternoon with Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello and U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp and later praised both of them on Twitter. Trump called Rossello a "great guy" and said that Mapp told him FEMA and the military "are doing a GREAT job!" Trump also praised Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, the island's resident commissioner to the U.S. Congress, although he misspelled her first name in a tweet.

And Trump reaffirmed that he and first lady Melania Trump intend to travel Tuesday to Puerto Rico, with a possible stop in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which also is recovering from hurricane damage.

"To the people of Puerto Rico: Do not believe the #FakeNews!" Trump wrote on Twitter in the afternoon.

Appearing on MSNBC, Cruz emphasized that she was not trying to be "nasty" to the president and said she remains open to speaking or meeting with Trump.

"I'm fighting to save lives," she said. "That's it. This isn't personal."

She also made clear she didn't plan to stay quiet.

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"I will always speak my mind," Cruz told reporters at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan. "I don't give a damn."

The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our "true colors". We cannot be distracted by anything else. pic.twitter.com/7PAINk19xM  Carmen Yulin Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) September 30, 2017

The president's tone provoked a major backlash among Democrats, community leaders and major celebrities who lambasted him for casting blame and appearing insensitive to the suffering of U.S. citizens. Trump is expected to stop by the President's Cup professional golf tournament in Jersey City on Sunday before returning to the White House that evening.

Many of the strongest critiques came from female lawmakers, including Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Kristin Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

"When a hurricane hits, there are no Democrats or Republicans--only Americans, families struggling to survive," Pelosi tweeted. "Shameful @POTUS can't see that."

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical "Hamilton," wrote on Twitter that Trump is going "straight to hell," while pop star Lady Gaga wrote to her 71 million followers that "it's clear where the 'poor leadership' lies @realDonaldTrump Puerto Rico is part of the United States. This is our responsibility."

Russel Honore, the retired lieutenant general eventually appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005 to improve the response to Hurricane Katrina, criticized Trump's attack on Cruz.

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"The mayor's living on a cot, and I hope the president has a good day at golf," he said on CNN.

Trump's senior aides struck back, echoing the president's assertions that the "fake news" media had failed to tell the full story of the administration's recovery efforts. White House officials distributed an email to news outlets stating that 10,000 federal workers are on the island and that recovery workers have cleared 11 major highways and 50 percent of the major roadways. The military is airdropping supplies to remote regions in the mountains.

Yet the White House's own statistics showed how much work remains: Just 45 percent of residents have access to drinking water from the island's pipelines and just 49 percent of grocery and big box stores and 60 percent of gas stations have reopened.

Republicans in Congress were mostly silent about Trump's attacks on Cruz, with aides to House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., saying he had spoken about Puerto Rico in his weekly news conference on Thursday and would have nothing more to say on the weekend.

One Republican strategist with ties to the White House said Trump's remarks sought to paint Cruz as a partisan, which will make her criticism easier for Trump's base to discount.

"Trump is simply not going to let the San Juan mayor define the U.S. relief efforts when he feels like he is being attacked," said the strategist, who requested anonymity to speak candidly. "His comments are divisive, yet they redefine the mayor's intent as partisan to his base, which is really what matters to him."

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Doug Heye, a GOP consultant and former communications director for the Republican National Committee, said he found Trump's tweets "appalling."

"He essentially said Puerto Ricans were lazy," said Heye, adding that the mayor had actually not said anything negative about Trump and his role in the recovery.

Late Saturday, Trump sought to strike a more positive tone, tweeting: "We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster."

But he did not relent in his criticism of Cruz.

"Results of recovery efforts will speak much louder than complaints by San Juan Mayor," he tweeted. "Doing everything we can to help great people of PR!"

To his critics, Trump has seemed more concerned with the reviews his administration is getting than the response itself.

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Sailors prepare to cast off mooring lines for the USNS Comfort as the hospital ship departs Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia to support hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico on Sept. 29, 2017. (Brittany Tobin / U.S. Navy via AP)

In a Rose Garden news conference on Tuesday, Trump claimed that "everybody has said it's amazing the job we've done in Puerto Rico" and that his team was getting "tremendous reviews."

On Thursday, he tweeted that the federal government was doing "a GREAT job." And on Friday, he cited the death toll in Puerto Rico as evidence of his administration's success.

"The loss of life - it's always tragic - but it's been incredible the results that we've had with respect to loss of life," Trump told reporters as he left the White House en route to his golf club in New Jersey. "People can't believe how successful that has been, relatively speaking."

Presidential historians said Trump has failed to frame the catastrophe in the proper context.

"President Trump keeps talking about ratings and reviews," said Douglas Brinkley, a historian and professor at Rice University. "It's kind of a TV mentality he has. He's acting like it's a detached problem."

In an attempt to blunt criticism, Trump has stressed the degree of difficulty the response in Puerto Rico presents.

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At the top of a speech devoted to tax policy on Friday, Trump ticked off a series of issues, including that Puerto Rico's infrastructure was already in "very, very poor shape," that the U.S. territory is saddled with "tremendous" debt and that it's an island.

"This is an island surrounded by water - big water, ocean water," Trump said.

Trump's posture has posed a particular challenge for territorial and local officials who want to stay in his good graces but also leverage the most help they can get for their people.

Just a few days ago, Trump tweeted a "thank you" to Cruz for what Trump characterized as her "kind words" about the recovery effort.

Trump advisers say it has been important for the president to boost the spirits for first responders by praising their work in tweets and in public remarks. Doing while also remaining sensitive to the victims of the hurricanes presents "a balancing act," said Barry Bennett, a Trump adviser during last year's election.

For several days now, Trump has accused the media of not giving his administration enough credit for its efforts in Puerto Rico's recovery. That attack intensified with Saturday's tweets, including one in which Trump said the "Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's. Shame!"

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As for Cruz - who appeared on CNN Friday night wearing a T-shirt reading, "Help us we are dying" - she said on MSNBC that she would like Trump to visit decimated towns to see the public's "passion for life, see what we are doing to get back on track and listen to their hearts."

She added that "one can visit as a photo-op or one can visit to make sure that things get done the right way."

Wagner reported from Washington. Arelis R. Hernandez in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Kelsey Snell in Washington contributed to this report.
Gov. Bruce Rauner holds a press conference at the State of Illinois Building in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, to announce he has signed an abortion bill that expands abortion coverage for women on Medicaid and state insurance. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

For more than 30 years, we had a pact in this state. Abortion would be legal and safe, but tax dollars would not fund it, except in cases of rape, incest and to protect the life or health of the mother. That was the bright line imposed and respected since the state of Illinois adopted the framework of the 1976 Hyde Amendment, restricting federal funding of abortion.

Gov. Bruce Rauner's Sept. 28 signature on House Bill 40 erased that line. Medicaid and state worker health plans now will cover the cost of elective, on-demand abortions, something private health insurers often don't cover. The Illinois House and Senate passed the bill in the spring, hyping President Donald Trump's selection of a conservative U.S. Supreme Court justice and false fear that abortion would be outlawed.

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The reality is that the state's legislative research unit and attorneys on both sides of the issue have said states' rights would be protected if the landmark federal case were overturned. Privacy protections in the Illinois Constitution add extra fortification that a future General Assembly could not outlaw abortion here, not without extreme measures.

So let's be clear: The bill Rauner signed was not about protecting safe and legal abortion. It was about putting taxpayers on the hook for more abortions.

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Even voters who consider themselves pro-choice often object to public funding of abortions. The vote this spring in the General Assembly reflected that. Some pro-choice lawmakers voted against the bill due to their objections to taxpayer funding. Nationally, it's the same. An October 2016 poll sponsored by Politico and Harvard University found that 58 percent of likely voters and 77 percent of self-identified GOP voters opposed the use of taxpayer money for abortions.

In 2015, Illinois' legislative research unit determined that Medicaid paid roughly $2 million for 2,778 abortions between 2005 and 2014. In each case, rape, incest or the health or life of the mother was cited as the reason. Expect those numbers to jump significantly due to Rauner's signature.

Yes, we all knew Rauner was pro-choice. But he said at one point he would not sign the bill into law. He could have made numerous arguments against crossing that bright line, such as: "Yes, abortion should be safe and legal, but taxpayer money should not be the source of funding. There are organizations in the private sector that help women cover the cost. Support those groups."

Something like that. But he did not. Not even close. That's why his pro-life backers feel egregiously burned. Rauner didn't have to sign this bill. He did not have to cross that line. In doing so, he has risked losing his core base of support and his re-election chances. That's how important public financing of abortion is to him. That's why he is getting lit up.

Supporters of the bill say the opposite, that Rauner helped clear a pathway to re-election by attracting women voters  as if pro-life women voters don't exist. They do. They deserve respect. And they're steamed.

Since his election, Rauner rightly blocked bloated Democratic budgets and vetoed an income tax increase. He pushed for pro-business, pro-growth reforms. But then he got in bed with Democrats on an issue that is explosive to his conservative base. He's poison to that base now and so is his money.

Worse for him and his re-election prospects, those Democrats who praised him Thursday are not going to be with him in November 2018. No way in hell are supporters of public financing of elective abortion going to be helping Rauner, a pro-business Republican, win another term. They're going to light him up even worse.

Kristen McQueary is a member of the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board.
Each year, through myriad government efforts, the Chicago River gets cleaner, although no one would call it "clean." Nonetheless, as polluted as its water remains, the river used to be much, much, much worse, as a story from more than a century ago illustrates.

It was 4 p.m., on a Monday afternoon, Labor Day, Sept. 6, 1897, when the lumber steamer S.K. Martin, heading southwest in the South Branch of the Chicago River, signaled for the raising of the Halsted Street Bridge, just north of Archer Avenue. This bridge, designed by J.A.L. Waddell, was known as "the red bridge," the gateway to the hardscrabble neighborhood of Bridgeport.

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As the tender operated the machinery, the bridge platform  a 130-foot-long, cedar-block-paved section of Halsted  began to rise slowly between two metal towers, like an open-air elevator. Standing on that pavement and taking the ride up were 22-year-old George William Clarke and a young woman identified by the Tribune as "his sweetheart Miss Kinzie." Also on the platform were two policemen from the nearby Deering Street Station.

Drumroll, please

Just as the platform was reaching its full height of 160 feet above the turbid river, Clarke, a professional diver, began whipping off his outer clothing until he was down to his tights and a close-fitting sleeveless shirt. He moved as if to leap off the platform's west rail, just as the steamer finished passing below, but the two police stepped in to block him. So, he turned and, "at a keen run," dashed for the east rail.

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"He sprang to the rail," the Tribune reported, "and with a wave of his hand to Miss Kinzie jumped forward and upward, turned and went head first as straight and true as a bolt from a crossbow toward the inky water below."

It was, the Tribune wrote, a "desperate dive," one that shocked bystanders who thought they were witnessing a suicide.

But, no, Clarke wasn't looking for oblivion. He sought acclaim.

"Beats High Dive Record," shouted the Tribune headline the next day, continuing with subheads that read: "G. W. Clarke Takes 160-foot Header Off Halsted Bridge: His Sweetheart Is With Him When He Makes the Fearful Leap from the Elevated Platform of the Structure into the Foul Chicago River " An accompanying sketch showed Clarke in his sleeveless shirt, looking like an all-American hero with a forthright glance and a thin, though manly, moustache.

Hitting the "foul" river water  at most, 20 feet deep  Clarke disappeared from view but immediately popped back to the surface, yelling, "All right."

Foulest water in the world

He swam to the riverbank where he was helped ashore and then hosed down by the bridge tender  apparently so no one else would have to come in contact with the "inky water." Indeed, the Tribune reported that the young man had no injuries, aside from whatever intestinal difficulties he might suffer "from having swallowed a mouthful of some of the foulest water in the world."

This characterization of the river water may have been true. From the beginning of the settlement that became Chicago, the river had been used literally as an open sewer.

The unsightly and unseemly were routinely dumped into its waters, and, since 1861, when the city's new sewer system, the first of its kind in the nation, was completed, excrement and other waste emptied directly into the waterway. Perhaps it was no coincidence that, a year later, a letter to the editor in the Tribune complained that the river was "so odorous" as to be a model for the River Styx which, in Greek mythology, was the dividing line between the Earth and the underworld.

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Six months later, a packing-house executive, identifying himself only as "Slaughter House," wrote a letter to the Tribune to complain that people shouldn't worry when they saw the Chicago River running red with blood. Blood, he argued, was "a purifier rather than the reverse." In addition, he asserted that the "fact that the water is colored with blood is no evidence that a large quantity of blood is run into the river.  A very small quantity of blood will color a very large quantity of water. But color is nothing as long as the blood does not decompose and become offensive."

Really, truly disgusting

In 1877, an editorial in the newspaper discussed the disgusting result of a winter thaw on the frozen river:

"Under the ice there had been accumulating since last November the sewage of the whole city, and also the filth, and blood, and even solid matter surreptitiously placed there by slaughterhouses and distillers. This vast deposit, relieved of its frozen crust, would soon, under the rays of the summer sun, have liberated its noxious odors and fetid gases, carrying disease and discomfort into every dwelling."

In this case, though, the newspaper noted, a quick thaw has resulted in a flash flood down the river, flushing all that noxious material (and its smell) out into the lake where it would be out of sight (and smell) and out of mind  as long as it didn't reach the city's water pumping stations and taint Chicago's water supply.

What was worse for Clarke was that passing below the Halsted Street Bridge wasn't just the drainage of city sewers but also the blood, grease and other noxious refuse of the Union Stockyards that oozed out of Bubbly Creek (officially the South Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River). In "The Jungle," published nine years later, Upton Sinclair noted that the South Fork got its nickname because it actually did bubble from "the grease and chemicals that are poured into it (and) undergo all sorts of strange transformations "

Clarke, though, wasn't the only person entering the water in that area. Two years later, the Tribune published a light-hearted story about "hundreds of small boys (who) fairly live in the black waters of the South Branch during the hot season."

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The story was headlined: "Swim in Chicago's Oily River: Gamins Plunge Into the South Branch, After They Have Carefully Swept the Surface with a Broom." Accompanying the story was a drawing of a boy with a broom sweeping together vague objects in the water. Despite its tone, the article also noted, "Many of the children have died of typhoid fever and contracted diseases from constant swimming in this sewer."

The water under the Halsted Street Bridge would become somewhat cleaner  although far from clean  in January 1900, when the river's South Branch was linked with the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, sending the Bubbly Creek blood, grease and chemicals southwest instead of out into Lake Michigan. But that was more than two years in the future.

Hosed down and coping with the effects of swallowing the "inky" river water, Clarke was dutifully arrested by the two police officers. They put him into a patrol wagon heading to the Canalport Avenue Station. There, he was booked for disorderly conduct and held until his bail of $200 was posted. The charge was later dropped.

Patrick T. Reardon, who is writing a book about the impact of the elevated Loop on Chicago, is the author of eight books, including "Requiem for David," a poetry collection.
A 20-year-old man became Chicago's 500th homicide victim on Sept. 17, 2017, when he was shot at the intersection of West 24th Street and South Western Avenue. The victim was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune) (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

Gun violence continues to savage Chicago. Police say that as of early Friday, the city has suffered 507 homicides. More than 2,800 people have been shot, according to a Tribune tally. The pace of killing is down nearly 8 percent from 2016, the most violent year in two decades. The number of shooting victims also has declined.

Still  more than 500 dead in Chicago. And counting. Most of that violence occurs on the West and South sides, much of it connected to gang activity, be it feuding or the drug trade. But flying bullets also perforate many innocents. Every killing devastates at least one family, shakes a neighborhood, diminishes this city.

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Drawn from Tribune reporting, voices of anguish as the body count climbs:

"You don't know who's driving next to you nowadays."

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 Bystander, Feb. 3. There were 58 homicides as of this date, according to Tribune record keeping.

At 2:25 a.m. on an early February Friday, someone in a passing car fired at a white sedan in the 3700 block of West Fullerton Avenue. Bullets struck two occupants, one fatally. Police found a dead 17-year-old, shot in the head, slumped inside his vehicle. Its hazard lights were on. "You can just be driving," the bystander said, "and someone looks at you and you look at them, and they think that you are looking at them the wrong way and they want to up a pistol and just start shooting."

"Kids can't even play in a school playground."

 Uncle, Feb. 11, 71 homicides.

On a Saturday evening that would become notorious, two elementary school girls were shot in the head by random gunfire in separate attacks within 30 minutes of each other. Both girls, Kanari Gentry Bowers, 12, and Takiya Holmes, 11, succumbed to their injuries. "We're steady losing our kids, 11 and 12. Oh my God!" Kanari's aunt, Rochetta Tyler, said. "Please stop; put down these guns," Djuan Donald, Kanari's uncle, said. "Y'all are taking our lives from us. And it hurts.  Over a piece of street that doesn't belong to you? Y'all fighting over squads, cliques and gangs?"

"We know that something will happen to our babies."

 Grandmother, March 25, 134 homicides.

Laquan Allen was 14. Last year, he was shot in the thigh and recovered. On a Saturday in March, he was targeted again, outside a West Side playground. He was shot in the buttocks and died. His family believed he was being pressured to join a gang. "Whoever took my son away from my family and me, they don't know the feeling," said his mother, Luciana Sanders. "It's hard knowing that I won't see him come through the door tonight," said his grandmother, Dieanna Ward.

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"That's pretty arrogant to do so much shooting when the police are there."

 Bystander, June 19, 309 homicides.

The city recorded its 300th homicide over Father's Day weekend, according to the Tribune tally, the same pace as in 2016. It had taken until August to reach that total in 2015. The weekend's tally: 11 dead, at least 50 others wounded. Officers working a double shooting on the Near West Side had to duck when shots were fired blocks away. "It's ridiculous, but it's been going on forever," the bystander said.

"He saw it happen ... but he doesn't understand it yet."

 Aunt, July 28, 412 homicides.

Nikia Betts and her 4-year-old son, Elijah Johnson, were walking in North Austin when gunshots rang out. Both were hit. Family members ran outside to find the woman facedown on the ground. She died. Elijah, days from his 5th birthday, was hit in the forearm. "His understanding is, mother's with Jesus," said Elijah's father, Everitt Johnson. Elijah was able to tell police that the gunman had tattoos on his face and arms. Also shot was a 19-year-old gang member. "She was an innocent bystander," said Nikia Betts' sister, Myla McGee. "We want justice."

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"I'm so sorry. I wasn't there for you. Oh, my baby. I'm so sorry."

 Mother, Aug. 6, 421 homicides.

On Sunday at 2:25 a.m., Damien Santoyo, 14, and two other boys were outside a home in Pilsen. A car drove up, the occupants shouted gang slogans and shots flew. Damien died on porch steps. His mother saw her son's body, which was covered by a blanket. His leg was visible. She was distraught, and apologized to him. "Get up, please," she cried.

"You tell me you fix'n to go to church, it shouldn't be a question if you make it in."

-- Brother, Aug. 13, 437 homicides.

Two men entering Friendship Baptist Church in South Austin for the Sunday service didn't make it inside. They were gunned down on the steps. One of them, Emmanuel Fleming, had witnessed a fatal shooting in which he'd been wounded. "All this senseless killing in Chicago," said Kevin Swift, brother of the other victim. "Do these young people really appreciate the value of life? Do they really know what they doing out there?"

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"You can't sit on your porch for five minutes without (gunfire)."

 Stepmother, Sept. 24, more than 500 homicides and counting.

Dashawn Townes, a 34-year-old father of two teens, was outside his home in Austin last Sunday around 9:30 a.m. when someone in a passing car opened fire. Townes was struck in the neck and chest and died. Police said two gang factions were feuding in the area. Cheryl Hardy, Townes' stepmother, had a message for the city's would-be shooters: "He had kids, and his kids want to be with their dad, and you know whatever it is that you're doing, please stop. It's going to hit you, and it's going to hit you hard."

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What is not being said regarding the president's plan for tax reform is that it will have a negative impact on the middle class. If, as is being told to us, the estate tax is eliminated there would be no need for a "step-up in basis" of inherited assets.

The majority of people do not have estates in excess of $5.49 million (the current threshold) and therefore are not subject to the estate tax. Under current law, inherited assets pass on the heirs at their fair-market value and not at the cost to the deceased. So, when we inherit mom and dad's home, for which they paid $25,000 and is now worth $200,000, we pay no tax if we sell it for $200,000. The same can be said for inherited shares of stock.

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Under the president's plan, should the "step-up" be eliminated, we would pay tax on the difference between the $25,000 and the sales price, in this case, $175,000. In Illinois the total tax could be as much as $35,000.

The tax impact to those of us who do not have taxable estates could be tremendous.

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The wealthy would gladly trade the capital gains tax rate, currently from 0 percent to 20 percent depending on income, for the 40 percent they could have to pay on a taxable estate.

The president's plan is very short on detail for something that could have such a negative impact on the majority of Americans.

 John Quinn Mucker, Oak Lawn
The 22 people charged in "Operation Broken Heart" were indicted this month on a variety of drug- and gun-related felonies. (Kane County State's Attorney)

Officers from local, regional and federal agencies swept both sides of Aurora on Thursday in an organized effort to serve warrants on 22 people indicted this month on a variety of drug- and gun-related felonies.

The 10-month investigation initially focused on an Aurora street gang and its associates, but was later broadened, authorities said Friday.

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One woman and 13 men were arrested during Thursday's operation, which involved law enforcement officers from Aurora, ATF, Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshal Service, the DuPage Metropolitan Group and the Kendall County Cooperative Police Assistance Team, authorities said.

Of the other eight charged in connection with the investigation, which police called "Operation Broken Heart," two were already in the custody of another agency, one was issued a summons and ordered to appear in court and five remain wanted.

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Arrest warrants were issued after a Kane County Grand Jury indicted all 22 people on Sept. 12.

Most of the charges were unsealed Friday, and all were jointly announced in a news release by Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon, Aurora Police Chief Kristen Ziman and ATF Chicago Special Agent in Charge Celinez Nunez.

"We hope our work the last several months puts another dent in the violent crime in Aurora," McMahon said.

Ziman said the operation sent two messages to those who take part in gang and criminal activity.

"You will be held accountable," Ziman said in the news release. "No. 2, it is not just the Aurora police who are watching."

ATF and Aurora's special operations group conducted the investigation with guidance from the state's attorney's office, according to the news release. Officials said their investigation, which took up several hundred hours, involved buying drugs and guns.

They seized seven guns along with ammunition, and about 234 grams of rock and powder cocaine, according to Aurora police.

While serving the warrants Thursday, authorities said they recovered more firearm ammunition and seven pounds of marijuana, which have been reflected in the current charges.

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Taken into custody Thursday were Dimas Avila, 23, Aurora; Jose Campos, 22, of Aurora; Terrone Fultz, 26, of Aurora; Gerardo Guzman Jr., 21, of Aurora; Richard Hayden, 23, of Aurora; DeeJay M. Hill, 18, of Montgomery; Jawon Jackson, 29, of Plano; Daquavious K. Lee, 19, of Aurora; Alexander D. Lopez, 20, of Aurora; Shawn Love, 36, of Aurora; William Pryor, 28, of Aurora; Dominga Rodriguez, 47, of Aurora; Daylon Terry, 26, of Aurora; and Dion White, 25, of Aurora.

Dimas Avila, of the 500 block of Fenton Street, Aurora, was charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park, a Class X felony, and a single count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is set at $200,000 and his next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 12.

Jose Campos, of the 600 block of Palace Street, Aurora, is with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class X felony. His bail is $250,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 13 in court.

Terrone Fultz, of the 1100 block of Kane Street, Aurora, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park, a Class X felony, and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $200,000 and he's next due Oct. 5 in court.

Gerardo Guzman Jr., of the 200 block of Schiller Street, Aurora, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, a Class 1 felony; unlawful possession of marijuana, a Class 2 felony; unlawful distribution of a lookalike substance, a Class 3 felony; and unlawful possession of ammunition without a FOID card, a Class A misdemeanor. His bail, though not reflective of the marijuana and ammunition charges, is $50,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 13.

Richard Hayden, of the 1300 block of North Glen Circle, Aurora, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park, a Class X felony; and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $150,000 and he's next to appear in court Oct. 13.

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DeeJay M. Hill, of the 800 block of Victoria Drive, Montgomery, is charged with two counts of unlawful sale or delivery of a firearm, a Class 4 felony. His bail is $100,000 and he's next to appear in court Oct. 13.

Jawon Jackson, of the 800 block of South Street, Plano, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, a Class X felony, and two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $200,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 13 in court.

Daquavious K. Lee, of the 1900 block of Heather Drive, Aurora, is charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm without a FOID card, a Class 3 felony, and two counts of unlawful sale or delivery of a firearm, a Class 4 felony. His bail is $150,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 13 in court.

Alexander D. Lopez, of the 500 block of Parker Avenue, Aurora, is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm without a FOID card, a Class 3 felony, and unlawful sale or delivery of a firearm, a Class 4 felony. His bail is $150,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 13 in court.

Shawn Love, of the 1400 block of Exposition Avenue, Aurora, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school, a Class X felony; and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $350,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 12 in court.

William Pryor, 28, of the 2400 block of Courtyard Circle, Aurora, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $200,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 12 in court.

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Dominga Rodriguez, of the 500 block of Fenton Street, Aurora, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park, a Class X felony; and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. Her bail is $100,000 and she's next to appear Oct. 12 in court.

Daylon Terry, of the 1100 block of Church Road, Aurora, is charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a church, a Class X felony; and two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $200,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 13 in court.

Dion White, of the 300 block of West Park Avenue, Aurora, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park, a Class X felony; and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony, on April 10. His bail is $150,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 12 in court.

The man issued a summons is Jamar R. Hare, 24, of the 1600 block of North Marywood Avenue, Aurora. Hare is charged with theft, a Class 3 felony. His bail is $30,000 and he's next to appear Oct. 19 in court.

Already in custody were David Barbosa Jr., 32, of the 1300 block of North Glen Circle, Aurora; and Mikel L. Ewing, 21, of the 0-99 block of North Cannonball Trail, Bristol.

Illinois Department of Corrections records show Barbosa has been in a state prison since March for offenses including cocaine dealing. He's now charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class X felony; and one count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $250,000 and his next court appearance is pending.

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Ewing is in jail in Kendall County, where records show his pending charges include felony mob action and misdemeanor domestic battery. Through the Aurora investigation, he is charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, a Class 2 felony; unlawful possession of a firearm without a FOID card, a Class 3 felony; and two counts of unlawful sale or delivery of a firearm, a Class 4 felony. His bail is $250,000 and his next appearance is also pending.

The five men still wanted on warrants are all from Aurora.

Arturo Chavez Jr., 25, of the 1200 block of Fenton Street, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park, a Class X felony; and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $250,000.

Lamar Lathen, 38, of the 800 block of Columbia Street, Aurora, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance in in a public housing residential property, a Class X felony; and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, Class 1 felony. His bail is $250,000.

Luis S. Lopez, 24, of the 900 block of West New York Street, Aurora, is charged with two counts of unlawful sale or delivery of a firearm, a Class 4 felony. His bail is $100,000.

Eric Ross, 21, of the 1700 block of Felten Road, Aurora, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a park, a Class X felony; and two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 1 felony. His bail is $150,000.

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Jovon T. Young, 24, of the 300 block of West Downer Place, Aurora, is charged with defacing identification marks on a firearm, a Class 2 felony; unlawful possession of a defaced firearm, a Class 3 felony; and unlawful sale or delivery of a firearm, a Class 4 felony. His bail is $100,000.

hleone@tribpub.com

Twitter @hannahmleone
Scientel Solutions intends to build a new office and warehouse on this site in Aurora on Eola Road, near Diehl Road, to relocate its headquarters. It also wants to build a 195-foot high tower on the property. (Steve Lord / The Beacon-News )

An Aurora City Council committee has recommended a revised plan to allow a wireless communications company to build a new headquarters in the city.

Scientel Solutions, currently headquartered in Lombard, intends to build a 12,000-square-foot office space, a 3,000-square-foot warehouse building and a 195-foot tall communications tower on a 2.66-acre site at 245 N. Eola Road, just off the southwest corner of Eola and Diehl roads.

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The building would be across the street from Cyrus One, a Dallas-based data processing and storage company that houses data for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Scientel chose its location in part to be near the exchange data center.

Scientel has more than 125 clients across the country with a total of eight offices in the U.S. and Canada.

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Richard Williams, an attorney for Scientel, told members of the Planning and Development Committee the company currently leases its headquarters in Lombard, and decided to build and own a building instead.

The company intends to bring the 30 employees in Lombard to Aurora, and add another 20 more when the headquarters opens. Currently, the company has 62 total employees in its eight offices.

In addition to being near Cyrus One, Williams told aldermen the company also was lured by Onlight Aurora, the city's fiber optic network.

"Fiber was a big attraction to us," Williams said. "That's one of the reasons we're here."

In addition to the building, the Eola Road site is a big investment for the company because it has to pay to bring the utilities to the site. It has to bring water from across the street, but it must pay to extend sewer service all the way from Metea Valley High School south on Eola Road.

To make way for the project, Scientel is asking for a revision to the original Eola Venture plan for the property, a special use for the tower and a revision to the original preliminary plan for the property.

City officials are including a condition on the property that would ensure the company builds what it says it will build there. Some testimony at the Plan Commission on this project suggested the company might put up the tower, and not ever build the building.

Williams said that because of where things are on the site, the tower has to be built before the building. But he said the company plans on the new buildings.

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"We have a hard date (in 2018) by when we have to be out of Lombard," he said. "We're going to spend a tremendous amount of money getting the property ready."

slord@tribpub.com
Two men have been arrested and charged in connection with the Sept. 3 shooting of a 19-year-old Chicago man in Ford Heights, according to Cook County sheriff's police.

The man was shot multiple times in the 800 block of 11th Street but survived the shooting, police said.

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During their investigation, sheriff's police detectives identified two suspects in the shooting  Kendell Cole, 19, of Glenwood, and Jason Isom, 28, of Ford Heights.

On Sept. 5, a sheriff's detective who was at the Markham courthouse to seek warrants for the two spotted Cole and detained him, according to police. He was charged with attempted murder and is being held at Cook County Jail, according to police.

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A nationwide warrant had been issued for Isom, who was arrested Sept. 15 in South Bend, Ind., police said. Isom waved extradition and was returned to Cook County on Sept. 21 and was charged with attempted murder.

Isom is being held at Cook County Jail, and both men have an Oct. 10 court appearance at Markham.

mnolan@tribpub.com

Twitter @mnolan_J
Officer Samella Ramirez survived multiple gunshot wounds to the face, neck and arm during a domestic violence incident Nov. 11, 2014. Ramirez will headline the Crisis Center for South Suburbia's Dance 4 Awareness Oct. 14. (Samella Ramirez)

Not only did Samella Ramirez survive being shot multiple times in the face, neck and arm, she has forgiven the man who nearly killed her.

She believes there's a reason for both.

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A 28-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, Officer Ramirez was off duty the night of Nov. 11, 2014 when she was shot several times by her daughter's ex-boyfriend.

"I was shot under my chin and it took out nine of my teeth. I was shot above my throat, below my lip and a bullet hit my upper cheekbone under my eye," she recalled. "A bullet broke my femur, my hand, my jaw. I went into respiratory failure."

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She remained conscious throughout the ordeal, she said, and nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital later told her she'd said, "I'm sorry. I'm having a bad day," as they tended to her wounds.

Prosecutors said Anthony Gates fired off 12 rounds at Ramirez and her daughter that night, most of them hitting the then-49-year-old grandmother.

Ramirez said today she is "95 percent recovered," and that she refuses to relinquish power to the abuser, who is serving a 37-year sentence in the case, as much as she refuses to give up wearing heels, despite the fact that she now often walks with a limp.

She'll be wearing "pretty shoes" during the Crisis Center of South Suburbia's Dance 4 Awareness (D4A) event on Oct. 14 at Moraine Valley Community College, where she and her daughter, who was also wounded during the incident, will share their stories to help raise awareness and funds on behalf of survivors of domestic violence.

The event will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. at the college, 9000 W. College Parkway, Palos Hills.

The following day, Ramirez will host her own awareness benefit, a party with a deejay and a comedian, from 3 to 7 p.m. at Growth Gathering Fellowship Event Center, 10441 S. Racine in Chicago.

"I wanted to become a domestic violence advocate a lot sooner but I got busy with life and I kind of pushed it to the side," Ramirez said. "Now, the time has come for me to reach out and raise awareness for other women."

Pamela Kostecki, executive director of the CCSS, said, "Officer Ramirez is a brave, educated, proud professional who is far from the stereotype of an abused woman. The sharing of her story is likely to resonate with others and empower them to come forward and get the services they desperately need before it is too late for them."

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Long before she was shot by Anthony Gates, Ramirez said she was in an abusive relationship.

"I experienced (domestic violence) as a young police officer. It gave me a new understanding and appreciation for women going through this. It gave me empathy," she said.

Fortunately, she was able to get out of that situation. "The other person moved on and left me alone," she said.

Even though Gates had threatened Ramirez long before he shot her, she said she didn't realize how bad the situation had become for her daughter until that fateful night. In hindsight, she said, it made sense why her daughter had been talking about moving to Iowa.

"He had told me at one point he was going to hurt me," Ramirez said. "I knew he had issues. He had a history of domestic violence. I just didn't think he was serious. But he was."

Her daughter, she said, "didn't tell us that things were as bad as they were, how he was threatening her. Until it happened."

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On that Tuesday night, Ramirez said she waited with her daughter in the 2200 block of East 68th Street for Gates to pick up his son.

"I told my daughter I had to go but she said (Gates) was being terrible. She said they had been fighting all day and she asked if I would stay behind and I did," Ramirez said.

When Gates arrived at the South Side home, Ramirez recalled, he came over to her vehicle and picked up the boy, who was 2 at the time, and told her that he suspected her daughter had been seeing another man.

"I said, 'Oh Anthony, that's not a big deal. Please just take (her grandson) and go on,'" Ramirez said. "When he went back to his car he leveled a 9 millimeter (handgun) at me and started shooting.

"I didn't have time to react," she said.

Her daughter was also shot in the thigh and beaten during the incident but was able to flee.

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Gates was arrested some three hours later on the Near North Side, according to police, and the boy was found unharmed.

"I was in the hospital for 20 days and in rehab for three-and-a-half months," Ramirez said. "I was off work for eight months."

Ramirez said she has graze wounds everywhere, including on her heart, but has found a way to forgive Gates, something she said benefits her more than him.

"When I was in court, I chose not to go through traditional counseling. I went through spiritual counseling instead and that helped me a lot," she said. "I knew I had to move on with my life. And if I couldn't forgive him, I'd be giving him all my power."

Now, instead, she said, she is free to help other women.

"When I was going through this so many people reached out to me and I was shown so much love. My family was shown so much love as well," she said.

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Among the advice she gives to women in abusive situations is to avoid isolation by maintaining relationships with other family members and friends.

"Remove yourself from the situation, if you can," she added. "A lot of times when women are going through this, they're not aware of that there are shelters and services out there. That's why events like the Dance 4 Awareness are so important."

Kostecki said, "We are always working to break the silence of domestic violence. Despite the alarming rates at which domestic violence takes place, almost half of the domestic violence cases go unreported. We believe that the more survivors share their stories the more attention is brought to the issue. Perhaps even more important, is that a person suffering may relate to the storyteller and get the courage to overcome the shame and embarrassment of their experience of domestic violence and get the help they need."

Ramirez said she believes so many people stay in an abusive situation out of fear.

"When you have limited resources you may be so much under the control of the abuser you may not feel you have a way out," Ramirez said. Social media, she added, can remind you that there are people out there who care and can help.

Kostecki said the south suburbs are "lucky to have one of the 1,500 domestic violence shelters in the country. Did you know there are 3,800 animal shelters? People often see and report animals suffering but not people, even those people we know and care about."

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Among that signs that someone is being abused, Kostecki said, are: physical injuries; being publicly ridiculed or privately controlled by a partner; changes in a woman's or her children's behavior, including fear, exhaustion or seeming "on edge."

"One in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetimes," Kostecki said. "Anyone in need can call our 24 hour hotline and we will guide them to safety 708-429-7233."

Ramirez said her daughter, who was 21 at the time of the shooting, "is now fine. She's working and she goes to school. She's gone on with her life. She's raising their son alone.

"She is proof that you can overcome such a situation. She's definitely a trooper," Ramirez said.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Ramirez, who began her career with CPD nearly three decades ago as "a little old tumbleweed," is now a grandmother of a "feisty 5-year-old boy who is very opinionated, sweet and handsome.

"He's the love of my life," she said.

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Having endured eight surgeries, Ramirez said, "I have made a really good recovery. I know because I saw someone I hadn't seen in years and she told me I look like my old self, which really made me feel good."

Nevertheless, she carries the scars of that night  numbness and tingling in her mouth from nerve damage and that occasional limp, she said.

"I really don't wear the shoes I'm supposed to wear because I'm a shoe nut. I was always known for wearing high heels," she said. "I would probably walk a lot better if I didn't wear them but they make me feel good. It's my comfort to put on a pretty shoe. It makes me feel pretty. If I have a slight limp, I don't really care."

dvickroy@tribpub.com

Twitter @dvickroy
Back in 2007, the Illinois legislature overwhelmingly passed a law that set new restrictions on teen drivers. The measure followed a yearlong Chicago Tribune investigation that examined how various factors involving young drivers contributed to traffic fatalities.

The law sought to curb the riskiest behavior by 16- and 17-year-olds, which research showed included groups of teens traveling in vehicles at night at high speeds.

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There's a tendency among adolescents to show off to their friends. Some outgrow the urge to engage in one-upmanship. Others don't.

"Hold my beer," is a punch line to many jokes about the stupid desire to gain a sense of superiority over another person.

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Some of the behavior I see on social media reminds me of teenagers trying to impress one another.

I regularly see people trying to outperform others. Pick a hot-button issue like race or immigration and watch people devise new ways to insult one another. Some friends egg them on, until sometimes a line is crossed.

This, I think, is what leads to some people losing their jobs over something posted on social media.

"What were they thinking when they posted that?" I sometimes wonder.

This has been going on for years. I know some people are genuinely speaking from their hearts about issues that inspire passion.

Now, however, we're presented with mounting evidence supporting allegations a foreign adversary is manipulating us into some of these heated debates taking place on social media. A foe with a deep understanding of human nature wants us to argue, fight with one another and resent fellow countrymen.

I believe understanding the group dynamics of social media is key to formulating a response to how Russia is allegedly exploiting cultural divisions to their advantage.

In case you missed it, here's a summary of some of the recent evidence that the Russians are playing us.

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While much attention was focused in the past week on a controversy over national anthem protests, Twitter representatives met Thursday behind closed doors with House and Senate intelligence committee members investigating alleged Russian meddling in our 2016 election.

"The presentation that the Twitter team made to the Senate Intel staff today was deeply disappointing," Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., told reporters after the meeting. He said Twitter's response was "frankly inadequate on almost every level."

President Donald Trump ignited a furor over national anthem protests during a speech in Alabama on Sept. 22, one day after Facebook announced it would give Congressional investigators information about more than 3,000 ads it sold to Russian-linked accounts.

"The Russia hoax continues, now it's ads on Facebook," Trump Tweeted on Sept. 22, the same day he spoke in Alabama.

Russian agents paid Facebook $100,000 for ads during the election, Facebook said. At least one of the ads targeted people in Baltimore and Ferguson, Mo., and sought to inflame racial unrest, CNN reported.

"Their aim was to sow chaos," Warner told The Washington Post.

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday he now regrets how he responded to initial claims that Russians were using his company to sway public opinion in America.

"After the election, I made a comment that I thought the idea misinformation on Facebook changed the outcome of the election was a crazy idea. Calling that crazy was dismissive and I regret it. This is too important an issue to be dismissive," he said in a Facebook post.

Congressional investigators now want representatives of Facebook, Twitter and Google's parent company Alphabet to testify at a public hearing about how Russia uses their services.

Those sneaky Russians also are suspected of trying to influence elections in other countries and stoking cultural divisions in other parts of the world.

Pretty soon we're going to have to figure out what we're going to do about it.

Some want to ignore the mounting evidence. It's a "crazy idea" or "fake news."

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Some are certain Russia is attacking our democracy. Others take a wait-and-see approach.

I'm concerned that nearly 11 months after the presidential election and with little more than a year to go before the 2018 midterm national elections, we still don't know the full extent of what the Russians did to us in 2016 and the tactics they may still be using today.

I think it would be wise to proceed cautiously. While criminal experts and Congress continue their investigations, the rest of us can examine how we conduct ourselves on social media.

By all means, express your views. Feel free to argue, defend and persuade. If you're certain your view is the right view, do your best to influence public debate on the topic.

All I ask is for you to imagine for a moment that you're a kid in the backseat of a car on a long road trip with siblings next to you.

"Mom, Dad, so-and-so won't stay on their side of the line," you might complain.

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Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Consider the possibility that while you're thinking of new ways to insult your brother or sister, a little voice from outside the family is whispering in your ear.

"You're being treated unfairly," the voice says. "They're getting more than you. They're not working as hard as you."

The voice doesn't care about you. It only wants you to fight. It wants you to kick and scream and cause a ruckus until your parents are exasperated.

That's how clever adversaries divide and conquer. They get people to fight over issues. They know some people act like teenagers showing off, or dumb adults trying to impress their peers.

They'll trick some people into acting like idiots by leading them to believe their superiority is threatened.

tslowik@tronc.com

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Twitter @tedslowik
Nobody in Springfield should be paid at all. They do nothing. They abuse the taxpayers. They sat around for two years doing nothing while we had no budget, and then they want to get a fat paycheck? They're all money-hungry and rich anyhow.

RC

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When the media tells us that we have much to fear from China, North Korea and Russia, virtually all American citizens accept that as true. However, when the media tells us that President Donald Trump is a liar, almost 50 percent of the people in this country do not believe them. What is wrong with this picture?

Dave

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Former President Barack Obama used to limit his visits to his house in Chicago because of the inconvenience it caused his neighbors. He probably came back to Chicago once or twice a year. President Donald Trump couldn't care less about the inconvenience he causes to his neighbors in New York and Florida. In Florida, they're closing down businesses because security makes them close down. At least one guy's going out of business. Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump couldn't care less about what problems they cause the rest of the country. Of course, I guess Russian President Vladimir Putin is the same way in Russia, and Donald Trump admires Putin very much.

Media bias runs rampant in newspapers and mainstream media. There was an article about people leaving Illinois. They listed all the reasons and one of the main reasons was crime. Really? That might be some component of it but never once in the article did they say property taxes. Apparently they don't want to offend the teacher or public-sector unions. Every time I talk to people, they invariably cite high property taxes as why they'd leave this state. They could go to Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky or any place and their property taxes would be cut by 75 percent or more.

What's Speak Out?

Speak Out allows readers to comment on the issues of the day. Email Speak Out at speakout@southtownstar.com or call 312-222-2427. Please limit comments to 30 seconds or about 120 words and give your first name and your hometown.
Since the state of Illinois enacted its Freedom of Information Act in 1984, reporters, the general public and businesses have used the law to look at what government does and how it spends public dollars, experts say.

Interpretation of that law has developed over the years as technology has changed. It covers emails, voicemails, text messages and  with the advent of police car and body cameras  video of officers' interaction with suspects and the general public.

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Last week, the way the media uses the law known as FOIA to check on police came into focus in Aurora.

After the Illinois attorney general's office ruled that the Aurora police improperly denied a petition by The Beacon-News for a dashcam video, Aurora police Chief Kristen Ziman accused the paper of making unnecessary requests.

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The statement was related to an October 2016 traffic stop during which an 18-year-old passenger exchanged fire with police and fatally shot himself after trying to flee into a nearby house.

After the ruling, Ziman released the video via Facebook and included a message likening the reporter's requests for information to "fishing expeditions." She said some requests failed to result in a story based on data received.

But Don Craven, an attorney with the Illinois Press Association, said many requests do not result in a news story. Businesses, residents, insurance companies and others use the law to access information.

"The purpose of the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Act is to allow citizens and taxpayers the opportunity to learn what their government officials are doing, how they are doing it and how they interact with citizens and taxpayers," Craven said.

Companies, for instance, use the law to determine how to best bid for government contracts or to see where money is spent, said Molly Center, communications specialist for the city of Elgin.

Craven said the laws that provide access to public records  commonly known as sunshine laws  are not designed to play "gotcha" with police or public officials but to help the public and media act as watchdogs.

Residents can use the law to check on budgets, compare tax bills to neighboring homes or find out why there were police squad cars down the street, Craven said.

"You can file a FOIA for that police report  and find out a whole bevy of things," he said.

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For local government bodies, researching and completing FOIA requests takes staff time.

For instance, Kim Dewis, Elgin city clerk, said the city has received 2,580 requests so far this year. Fulfilling those requests has taken 1,303 staff hours, or 162 workdays. Last year, Elgin received 3,545 requests and spent 2,110 hours, or 264 days, fulfilling them.

Naperville receives a similar number of requests. Communications manager Linda LaCloche said the city received 2,178 in 2015 and 2,554 requests in 2016. In addition, Naperville responded to thousands of insurance company requests for information during that time.

School districts also are subject to the law. In Naperville School District 203, the staff received 43 requests in 2015 and 45 in 2016, according to district spokeswoman Michelle Fregoso.

In Elgin-area School District U46, the FOIA officer and support staff spend an average of "at least seven hours a week to process and respond to FOIAs," said Mary Fergus, communications director.

Sometimes, one interested party will file multiple requests resulting in a mountain of documents. That's the case in Aurora-based Indian Prairie School District 204, where, of the 105 FOIA requests this year, 66 are from one individual, said Doug Eccarius, assistant superintendent for human resources. The district spent 341 hours  equivalent to over 40 eight-hour days  responding to that person's requests so far. And there are five the district is still working to complete, Eccarius said.

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Craven acknowledges that there are costs involved in fulfilling the requests.

"All of that is a balancing act performed by the General Assembly in the Freedom of Information Act," he said.

The law was changed a few years ago to give public bodies more time to respond to commercial requests, but not media requests like the one Ziman was challenging.

"This was an everyday, ordinary, run-of-the-mill request from the newspaper and the reporter," Craven said.

Open-records laws played a significant role in the revelation of what happened during the 2014 shooting death of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, said Jack Doppelt, a professor in Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

In that case, the Chicago Police Department refused to release the video until a court ordered it. The officer involved in the shooting was then charged.

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When police do not want to release video, the knee-jerk reaction is to assume officials are attempting to hide bad officer conduct, Doppelt said.

But police also could be thinking about the privacy of people not directly related to the incident. This is something Aurora cited when it improperly denied The Beacon-News' request.

In the Aurora case, Ziman said the department did not have the software needed to blur part of the video to protect the driver's privacy. The department purchased the tools and released the video with some information blurred only after the decision from the attorney general's office.

Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin could not be reached for comment regarding the police chief's conduct on social media. Instead, city spokesman Clayton Muhammad issued a response attributed to the city of Aurora. When asked for comment, Ziman also issued the statement from the city.

"The City of Aurora and the Aurora Police Department absolutely respects the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and follow the rules of the law," the statement said. "We strive to respond to all FOIA requests in a professional and timely manner while upholding an individual's rights guaranteed by the same law."

The statement did not specifically address Ziman's Facebook post criticizing local media, but, in a post on her personal blog, Ziman said her complaints do not mean she opposes FOIA.

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"I believe that my transparency on behalf of my police department as well as my very public views on holding police officers accountable speak to this truth," Ziman wrote.

Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. Naperville Sun reporter Suzanne Baker and Beacon-News reporter Steve Lord contributed.
The mayor of the small town where four University of Idaho students were found dead on Sunday said the event was senseless and a reminder that acts of violence can occur anywhere. Mayor Art Bettge released the written statement on Monday. Police found the students dead in a home near the Moscow, Idaho campus on Sunday. Authorities did not release additional details about the deaths, but said there was not an ongoing threat to the community. Police said no one is in custody, and asked that anyone with information call the department. The university canceled school on Monday and said counselors would be available. University officials also increased the number of security staffers available to walk students across campus.
Tensions ran high during a recent meeting of the Maine Township Town Board as three newly elected trustees voiced objections to the supervisor's hiring of a former elected official to a newly created township position.

Angry exchanges and interruptions punctuated much of the Sept. 26 regular meeting at the Maine Town Hall in Park Ridge, with trustees David Carrabotta, Claire McKenzie and Susan Sweeney arguing that the town board should have had a say in the hiring of Kelly Schaefer, assistant director of the Maine Township Food Pantry.

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Schaefer was hired this summer by Supervisor Laura Morask. A resident of Park Ridge, Schaefer served eight months on the town board as an appointed Republican trustee alongside Morask, but was not elected to a full term in April.

Morask has contended that a township statute allows the supervisor to hire employees within the General Assistance Department without town board approval, but Carrabotta, McKenzie and Sweeney argued that Morask does not have authority in this particular case.

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The trustees say that the Maine Township food pantry does not fall under the specific types of financial aid or services that are defined as "general assistance" in the Illinois Public Aid Code.

"Supervisor Morask believes that the food pantry falls under general assistance, and that is why she believes that she alone can hire her friend without input or consent of the board," Sweeney told the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate in a written statement. "But the money she is hiring for isn't going to 'administer' public aid as defined by law."

Sweeney also called for a "thorough audit" of the General Assistance Department finances.

McKenzie, an attorney and the sole Democrat on the board, made a similar statement, also referencing the Illinois Township Code, which she said does not define a food pantry as "general assistance."

"The township's characterization or declaration that the food pantry is general assistance alone does not give this social service agency or additional assistance program 'general assistance' status," McKenzie said. "Nor does Supervisor Morask's assertion that the food pantry is general assistance give the supervisor the authority to hire and fire employees as she desires or without the board's approval."

During the Sept. 26 meeting, Carrabotta, McKenzie and Sweeney each indicated that they disagreed with the opinions of Maine Township attorney Dan Dowd, and a second attorney hired to weigh in on the matter, Champaign-based Gregory Pelini, both of whom determined that the township supervisor has authority to hire general assistance department employees like Schaefer.

"The fact that General Assistance reaches out to other agencies does not cut out the board from supervising and having decisions," said Carrabotta, who is also an attorney.

Carrabotta referred to Schaefer as "a wonderful person," but said her hiring "looks bad" and "should have been done under the purview of the board."

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Schaefer did not respond to messages seeking comment.

McKenzie suggested the board could have another attorney present an opinion "or we can apply common sense and reason and say people of the township are speaking."

"They are saying there are problems with this," McKenzie told Morask. "Three of your trustees are saying there are problems with this, yet you want to minimize how we feel and what we think. And you don't want to answer to the public."

McKenzie's comment was met with applause from audience members.

Trustee Kim Jones, the only trustee who was not newly elected this year, spoke little on the issue, but did question whether her fellow trustees would accept another legal view.

"I'm not sure what opinion you would agree with," she said, calling for "communication improvements" on the board.

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Morask, an attorney herself, defended her hiring of Schaefer, saying the position was needed and allowed under statute.

"This was well thought-out," she said. "The board may not agree with the process, the board may not agree with the statute, but that is the statute."

Morask said the assistant director's responsibilities will include establishing partnerships with donors  like businesses and schools  in order to solicit additional revenue and donations for the food pantry, which serves at-need families living throughout the township. In order to create the position, three part-time, seasonal positions within the township's General Assistance Department were cut, the supervisor said, with their responsibilities taken on by existing staff.

The food pantry is also now open Monday through Friday as part of what Morask called a "pilot program."

Morask indicated that the opposition from the new board members to Schaefer's hiring, in addition to other issues, have resulted in added expenses and "a barrage of late night and weekend legal and other questions."

"I will not continue to be the subject of a mob mentality of getting emails at 1 a.m. [and] 3 a.m.," she said.

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Morask added: "I had a right to rely in good faith on our township attorney [opinion] on the statute, and I did."

Morask acknowledged that she did not advertise the new assistant director position, which she confirmed that, at 30 hours per week, is eligible for benefits, including pension. The job also pays about $30,000 annually, she said.

Morask said she did not interview anyone but Schaefer for the position. Last month Morask told the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate that Schaefer is well-qualified for the job, particularly due to her computer skills and school fundraising background.

One audience member questioned why the township did not advertise the job opening to the public.

"This isn't a dialogue," Morask said, though she did engage in some discussion with audience members at other points in the meeting.

Carol Langan, director of the Maine Township Food Pantry, and Marsha Warnick, director of general assistance, also weighed in on the hiring issue.

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"I've been hearing my department getting bashed," Langan said, which sparked an angry denial from Carrabotta. Langan also clashed with Sweeney regarding comments she claimed Sweeney made regarding the number of days she works. Sweeney denied making the comments.

Warnick suggested the new trustees "witness what we do on a regular basis" within the General Assistance Department, arguing that the general assistance budget funds a variety of services beyond "welfare," from offering energy assistance to helping residents access Medicare Part D benefits.

"It does not accomplish anything to continue this petty argument," Warnick said. "We need to get beyond it."

jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
Ned Brooks, found dead in a Gary backyard Thursday following a controlled drug buy, died from a self-inflicted gun wound, the Lake County Coroners Office said. (Becky Jacobs / Post-Tribune )

A man who fled police to avoid arrest for a controlled drug buy, injuring two police officers and a civilian in the process, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an autopsy conducted Saturday showed.

The Lake County Coroner's Office's determination that Ned Brooks, 33, of Gary, found dead in a residential backyard in the 4200 block of West 22nd Place in Gary, intentionally shot himself in the right temple corroborated the initial police findings in the case, a news release from the Indiana State Police and the Lake County Coroner's Office said.

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Brooks also had superficial bullet wounds to his right thigh and abdomen and a wound in which a bullet passed through his left thigh, the news release said. His death was ruled a suicide by the coroner's office.

Brooks was involved in a controlled narcotics purchase Thursday in the 4100 block of 22nd Plaza orchestrated by a federal multiagency task force. When officers tried to pull him over afterward to make the arrest, Brooks rammed several unmarked police cars and drove into a police officer and a man standing near the area, the state police said. A second officer sitting inside one of the unmarked cars was also injured, police said.

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As he drove from the scene, Brooks shot his gun at the officers and they returned fire, state police said.

Brooks exited his car on 22nd Place and kept shooting as he fled on foot, reports said. Officers tracked him to a backyard in the 4200 block of 22nd Place, where he was found dead, state police said.

The man hit by Brooks' car was taken to Methodist Hospitals Northlake in Gary and then airlifted to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn "with critical injuries," state police said. His condition could not be confirmed Saturday.

The two officers were taken to a Chicago hospital with lower-body injuries that were not life-threatening, state police said.
Oscar Martinez Jr., is quickly settling into his new role as Lake County's top cop. (Becky Jacobs / Post-Tribune) (Becky Jacobs / Post-Tribune)

Oscar Martinez Jr. has held many titles at the Lake County Sheriff's Department: patrolman, sergeant, deputy commander.

Now, when Martinez walks the halls, being called sheriff still catches him off guard.

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"Oh, that's me," Martinez said.

The longtime officer has begun settling into his new role and is setting up his command staff, starting new initiatives to deal with crime in Lake County, wrapping his arms around the budget and continuing his campaign.

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Martinez, a 24-year veteran of the sheriff's department, was elected sheriff Sept. 16 to fill the remaining term of former Sheriff John Buncich, who was convicted of using the office to solicit bribes from tow operators in exchange for favor. Martinez won the office during the third ballot of the Democratic caucus, edging out eight other candidates.

The sheriff said his No. 1 motivation in his new role is his passion for the job and his love for the community.

"When I think about that, being elected sheriff, I think about not letting them down. I can't let them down," he said.

Leading by example

Martinez said he knows he's fresh on the job, but he's developed a list of what he wants to accomplish.

"This is only a week and a half and we're already thinking way ahead," Martinez said.

He wants to create a youth group for teens, along with a mentoring program and junior police academy to build relationships and children's self-esteem.

Thinking about his own path to becoming sheriff, Martinez said, "I can say to any individual or teenager growing up in life, be persistent. Never give up. I never gave up."

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Martinez also wants to tackle narcotics trafficking and abuse in the area by rebuilding the department's highway interdiction team. Before the unit was dismantled about six years ago, Martinez made headlines with large busts, seizing millions of dollars and drugs.

"We were successful," he said. "I guarantee you we will again start seizing large amounts of drugs, taking it beyond the traffic stop, conducting long-term investigations, investigating where it's coming from and where it's going."

New Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. discussed his new role Wednesday at his office in the Lake County Sheriffs Department. ( Craig Lyons/Post-Tribune )

Martinez has an array of other items on his list: fixing deficiencies at Lake County Jail, hiring more employees, adding resources to the special victims unit and building up the department's intelligence work.

The sheriff said he feels morale has improved with the officers he leads, and he hopes his new command staff, including Chief of Police William Paterson and Deputy Chief Edward Jenkins, will inspire passion, respect and professionalism.

"I'm a hands on person. I lead by example. And I intend to do that as sheriff," Martinez said.

An open budget

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Martinez has reviewed the sheriff's department budget and is identifying ways to save the taxpayers money.

"If you're not fiscally responsible, you can't be successful," Martinez said.

The sheriff is questioning a Comcast bill and looking at the number of cellphones issued by the department. Martinez said his goal is to eliminate the wasteful spending of the last administration.

"All these little cost savings things add up in the end," Martinez said.

The past financial behavior of the sheriff's department led the County Council and board of commissioners to pull authority from the department to better control costs.

When a slew of old bills arrived at the County Council office in recent months, concerns about consistent budget overages prompted the board to launch an investigative committee to determine what practices led to the overspending.

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The County Council stripped the sheriff's department of towing operations oversight because of the charges against Buncich, moving those duties to the commissioners. The commissioners rolled out their towing program June 1 after selecting the tow operators, dividing up territory and terminating contracts with vendors that did not reapply. Commissioners are moving ahead with a plan to take control over garage operations to create a countywide motor pool.

Within 48 hours of his election, Martinez met with the County Council in an attempt to stay any major changes to the sheriff's department budget as he settles into office, especially losing control of garage operations, but the council did not back off the decision.

"We've taken action on that," Councilman Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, said at the September meeting.

Dernulc said if the motor pool proposal needs changes, the sheriff should talk to the board of commissioners.

"We agree it should be under them," Dernulc said.

The garage is important as a secure place for officers to process evidence and conduct vehicle searches, Martinez said.

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"The Lake County Police Department needs to have full and total control of that police garage," Martinez said.

Operations can run better at the garage, Martinez said, and he's looking at a program to better track issues with the fleet and improve regular maintenance.

Martinez said he wants to work with the County Council and board of commissioners to save taxpayers money and stabilize the department.

"It's not about playing secret squirrel stuff," Martinez said. "It's about an open budget."

Politics out of the office

Federal prosecutors asked Buncich during his trial if he thought it was inappropriate to have his staff solicit fundraising tickets from county vendors.

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"It's no different than any other office in Lake County," Buncich said. "Every elected official in Lake County does it."

Martinez said he does not share that thought.

While Martinez will be sheriff through Dec. 31, 2018, he's still running to retain the position for a full term, he said politics has no place in the office. The Democratic primary is in May.

"Selling of political tickets doesn't belong in this department," Martinez said.

During working hours, Martinez will be sheriff and after that, he's back to being a candidate for sheriff, he said.

Martinez said he's run for the office twice before and lost, but now has the chance to show what he can do as Lake County's top cop.

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"It's about building on that momentum," Martinez said. "And showing people I'm out here doing the right thing."

Oscar Martinez is sworn in as Lake County sheriff Sept. 16 after Lake County Democrats chose him in a vote at the Lake County Government Center. ( Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune )

Though Martinez beat out eight other candidates in the caucus, many of them still plan to pursue the sheriff's office in the May primary. Schererville police Chief David Dowling, who lost to Martinez by 53 votes, Richard Ligon, a Gary veteran and former postal inspector, and Dan Murchek, a deputy commander with the sheriff's department, all remain in the race.

Martinez said he hopes his time as sheriff ahead of the election will show voters what he's capable of doing but isn't counting on anything.

"I would not take anything for granted," Martinez said.

clyons@post-trib.com

Twitter @craigalyons

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rejacobs@post-trib.com

Twitter @ruthyjacobs
Wilmette Village President Bob Bielinski apologized Friday for what he called his "combative" stance during an exchange Tuesday with a resident over Wilmette's June decision to opt out of the Cook County minimum wage and sick time ordinances.

Bielinski said he spoke Friday afternoon with Jeff Axelrod, at whom he directed heated remarks during the public comment section of the regular village board meeting.

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"It was a very cordial, very positive call. We spoke for about 50 minutes. I hope it's a positive first step forward on the part of both of us," he said, but acknowledged that they didn't resolve their differences.

In a text, Axelrod confirmed the call and said the conversation was more cordial than their public face-off, but added, "I would say that we made no progress on the issue."

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In a later email, he said Bielinski "was not amenable" to two requests Axelrod made over the phone, one for a community meeting on the issue of the ordinance opt-out. The second was for space in a future village newsletter to respond to Bielinski's comments on the opt-out decision that ran in the most recent village newsletter.

Bielinski said earlier Friday that he "lost my cool" at the meeting, but had apologized at the meeting and reached out to Axelrod to apologize for interrupting and being argumentative.

"I'm disappointed in myself," he said, adding that he planned to apologize publicly at the next board meeting.

The falling out began just under 13 minutes into the meeting, about three minutes after Axelrod condemned the village board's decision and spoke about an an ongoing petition drive asking Wilmette to honor the county ordinance.

"People don't want to live in a town that portrays itself as elitist and selfish," he said.

Axelrod also said he was concerned about business conflicts of interest on the part of unnamed board members who voted to opt out. At that point the exchange escalated, with Bielinski accusing Axelrod and others of organizing a boycott against businesses that supported opting out.

"Why are you trying to hurt the business community?" Bielinski asked, later calling the effort a "shameful" harassment campaign.

Bielinski spoke over Axelrod as the latter tried to explain that his group, which on its website calls itself the Wilmette Justice Team, wasn't organizing a boycott, but was trying to create an "honor roll" of village businesses that voluntarily pay their employees $10 or more and provide paid sick time for employees.

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The two men argued for about five minutes over Axelrod's comments and over what the county ordinance mandated as a minimum wage before Trustee Joel Kurzman interrupted, saying, "I don't wish to stand by idly while a resident is getting dressed down for his beliefs  I'm not comfortable with how this is proceeding."

Bielinski responded by saying he had never before seen "people drawing national-style politics into Wilmette," before apologizing.

On Friday, he said he became upset when Axelrod made his conflict of interest statements.

He also said he was referring to the tone of Axelrod's comments when he spoke of "national-style politics," noting that Axelrod had used words like "contempt" and "disgust" in his presentation.

Historically, he said, Wilmette residents with differing political opinions agreed to disagree.

"We've historically not called each other names. We've historically agreed to disagree. The person who disagrees with me is not my enemy," Bielinski said. "That's what you hear in Springfield and Washington, that the person who disagrees with me is my enemy."

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kroutliffe@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @pioneer_kathy
All votes in the CO-3 election won't be counted until the end of this week

Adam Frisch attending new member orientation in D.C., with the official outcome of the race between him and Boebert unclear
Nevada investigating Douglas County public works

MINDEN (AP)  Officials of a western Nevada county say the state has launched a criminal investigation after allegations of tire theft and other crimes surfaced inside its public works department.

Douglas County officials say the county manager received information from two sources in March alleging criminal wrongdoing inside the department.

The information prompted the county district attorneys office and the Nevada Investigation Division to begin looking into the issues.

Authorities have not released additional details about the investigations because they are ongoing.

County officials released a statement outlining steps they have taken to improve policies and procedures in the department in an attempt to reduce the risk of these issues from happening again.

School board approves policy on sexual misconduct

LAS VEGAS (AP)  A southern Nevada school board approved a policy thats intended to identify and curb sexual misconduct as it sets rules for electronic communication between staff and students.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the policy approved on Thursday by the Clark County School Board prohibits staff from texting with individual students, and it requires volunteers with regular student contact to be fingerprinted and have background checks every five years.

The policy also requires employees and volunteers to immediately report any suspected sexual misconduct to police and child protective services.

The new policy stems from public outcry over recent sexual misconduct cases that resulted in the arrests of 13 district employees.

Worker killed by falling slab of coal at Wyoming mine

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP)  The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is investigating the death of a worker at a southwestern Wyoming coal mine.

Representatives for the Bridger Coal Company and Rocky Mountain Power say Jaime Olivas was hit when a slab of coal suddenly came loose and fell from one of the walls in the underground mine Thursday afternoon.

Olivas, a mining equipment operator, was conscious and speaking when he was brought out of the mine but died on the way to a hospital in Rock Springs.

No other information was released.

Man accused of illegal pot sales slams police





LAS VEGAS (AP)  A man who police accuse of illegally selling pot in a Las Vegas shop says he has no idea why he was arrested.

Authorities charged 36-year-old Clayton Bernard on a felony for illegal sales when they visited the Elevate Medical Pharmacy on September 19.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that state tax officials tasked with regulating the recreational marijuana industry got a tip about the business illegally selling pot.

Bernard said Friday that the business doesnt exist and he doesnt work there.

Bernard said he was targeted by police because of discrimination.

According to the police report, Bernard said during his arrest that he had nothing to do with pot sales.

The Nevada Dispensary Association said this was the first illegal shop that theyre aware of recently.
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To mark the 70th anniversary of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, The Portrait of My Mother, a movie starring ethnic Mongolian actress Ailiya, will open across the country on Oct 4.

A scene from The Portrait of My Mother [Photo provided to China Daily]

Set in the region, the tale is about a mother's love.

Besides Ailiya, who won the best actress award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 1999, the cast also features Wang Meng, Guo Yue and Wu Haitang.

The movie is produced by the Inner Mongolian Film Studio Co Ltd.
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A new China-Europe rail-sea cargo transport route was launched Friday in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The first train carrying Chinese goods left Urumqi Friday, bound for the Port of Riga in Latvia, via Kazakhstan and Russia. The goods will then be transported to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by sea.

The new rail-sea route will shorten the distance by more than 1,000 kilometers and cut the transportation time from more than 20 days to just 14 days, said Liu Changlin, general manager of an international logistics company in Xinjiang.

The new route was launched under cooperation between China and Kazakhstan to further reduce logistics costs.
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Cargo train services began Saturday between Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, and Czech capital Prague.

A train carrying 41 containers, mainly television parts, departed at 3:30 p.m. from the international railway terminal in Chengdu.

The cargo worth over 5 million U.S. dollars is to be delivered to a factory of Sichuan-based TV set producer Changhong in Nymburk, Czech Republic.

Huang Dawen, deputy general manager of Changhong, said the company was looking forward to setting up an operations center in Europe.

The cargo train service between Chengdu and Prague will cut delivery to only 13 days, according to Huang.

The Chengdu-Prague line is the seventh international cargo service from Chengdu, following Lodz, Nuremberg, Tilburg, Almaty, Minsk and Moscow.

More than 600 round-trip cargo trains have run this year from the city to European and Central Asian countries, according to Chengdu international railway service corporation.
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A 2,000-km quantum communication line opened on Friday between Beijing and Shanghai.

Guests attend the opening ceremony of the Jing-Hu, or Beijing-Shanghai, Trunk Line, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The line is the world's first trunk line of secure quantum telecommunications. The Jing-Hu (Beijing-Shanghai) Trunk Line connects Beijing, Jinan, Hefei, and Shanghai.

The line is connected with the world's first quantum satellite, which was launched by China in August last year, through a station in Beijing. The satellite is nicknamed "Micius," after a fifth century B.C. Chinese philosopher and scientist who has been credited as the first one in human history conducting optical experiments.

Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), talked with staff in Hefei, Jinan, Shanghai and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, through the line. He also had a video call with Austrian quantum physicist Anton Zeilinger, through the satellite.

Quantum communications have ultra-high security. It is impossible to wiretap, intercept or crack the information transmitted through them.
Finding a lost child in a city of 10 million people could take the human eye forever, but AI technology can do things in just two seconds.

During Spring Festival this year, 3-year-old Xuanxuan was abducted by a stranger in the city of Shenzhen in south China. Without the help of AI, Xuanxuan may never have seen his parents again.

A local police station equipped with AI system used facial recognition technology to recognize the suspect after a two-second search of live video captured on thousands of security cameras.Police officers quickly identified the suspect, captured her on a train and retrieved the lost boy.

Recognizing images each containing millions of pixels used to be mission impossible for machines. But with the advancement of AI, scientists have developed systems capable of learning. Fed enough data these systems can learn to identify images such as faces and vehicles. The more they learn, the smarter they become.

Peng Ran, chief marketing officer of IntelliFusion, a company behind the technology which aided Xuanxuan's rescue, said the impact of AI on public security was game-changing.

"The error rate of AI-powered facial recognition has been narrowed to a level lower than humans," Peng said. "It works with astonishing precision and efficiency, plus it never gets tired."

AI has made Shenzhen safer. In Longgang, Shenzhen's first district to embrace AI in public security, the crime rate is plummeting. In the first half of 2017, theft and robbery cases in the district dropped by more than half, and AI helped solve 67 percent of such crimes.

Wang Li, a 21-year-old hotel waitress in Shenzhen, usually asks her boyfriend to escort her when she goes home late at night. But she said she does not do it out of safety concerns but to test her lover's devotion.

"The city is perfectly safe," Wang said. "I've never been robbed, let alone assaulted."

Behind Shenzhen's success in bringing down crime is China's rapid advancement in AI technology. The State Council issued guidelines on developing AI in July, aiming to make AI a key economic driving force by 2020, and become a global AI innovation center by 2030.

In a recent report, investment bank Goldman Sachs said China had emerged as a major global contender in using AI to drive economic progress, and was fast catching up with the United States in AI.

Consulting Group iResearch predicts China's AI market will reach 9.1 billion U.S. dollars by 2020, with an annual growth rate of 50 percent.

Attracted by the lucrative market, tech companies are diving head first into the battlefield. At the 2017 China Intelligent Equipment and Robot Expo held September 22-24 in Guangzhou, exhibitors showcased AI products designed for security purposes,including smart locks, patrol robots and robot firefighters.

Gosuncn, an AI company based in Guangzhou, exhibited robots designed to defuse bombs, prevent fire, control crowds and spot crime.

Zhou Ke, marketing manager of the company, said their robots were well received by security companies, shopping malls and warehouses, because they could relieve humans from tedious and dangerous tasks.

"They are reliable, tireless and very smart," Zhou said.

AI may be smart, but plenty of people believe humans ultimately outsmart machines.Technology geeks claim that AI security measures can be fooled, and say they can bypass facial recognition with photos to access bank accounts.

Peng agrees that AI can be tricked, but not with people standing behind it. To counter criminal tricks, such as covering their faces, IntelliFusion is training its system to recognize clothes, body shape and even posture.

The company's AI system is also learning how people's faces change with age. Given enough training, it will be able to recognize people's faces based on their childhood pictures. Peng hopes this technology will help parents who lost their children many years ago.

Peng believes it could be ultimate solution to fighting human trafficking - a thorny problem that worries millions of parents across the nation.

"With the help of AI, no child will be lost in the future," Peng said.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders Saturday paid tribute and laid floral baskets to the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square.

A ceremony is held to present flowers to the people's heroes at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2017, to honor and remember deceased national heroes on the Martyrs' Day. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joined representatives of all walks of life to mark the country's fourth Martyrs' Day, on the eve of National Day.

Other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, also attended.

A military band played trumpets to commemorate the martyrs before the ceremony started.

At 10 a.m., participants sang the national anthem, and then bowed their heads in silent tribute to those who devoted their lives to the liberation of the Chinese people, the establishment and development of People's Republic of China, which was founded in 1949.

Following a patriotic song sung by children, 18 honor guards laid nine sets of flowers in front of the monument.

Baskets were presented in the names of the CPC Central Committee, China's top legislature, the State Council, the top political advisory body, the Central Military Commission, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, non-communist party and non-party individuals, mass organizations, veterans, senior cadres and the families of martyrs, as well as China's Young Pioneers organization.

President Xi straightened red ribbons on the baskets and led a group of senior officials in a walk around the monument to pay tribute.

Children and other attendees followed them and laid bouquets of flowers at the foot of the monument.

The ceremony was presided over by Cai Qi, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC.

It is estimated that China has about 20 million martyrs.

China's top legislature approved Sept. 30 as Martyrs' Day in 2014 to commemorate those who lost their lives for national independence and prosperity.
Trumpian tirades against immigrants and refugees are part of a very American tradition. But they also violate this nations basic moral values and economic self-interest. How can both be true?

Easily. Trump is only the latest in a long line of nativist demagogues who periodically predict that the next wave of newcomers  Irish and Italians, Germans and Jews, Chinese and Japanese  will degrade and demean the American culture.

History has proved them all wrong. Each of those groups is a highly productive and patriotic part of American society today. History will prove Trump wrong, too, and we will look back on his demonization of Hispanics and Muslims as a dark stain on our national narrative. Meanwhile, however, hes doing a great deal of damage.

Take the number of refugees the U.S. will admit in the next fiscal year. President Obama set the annual cap at 110,000; Trump slashed that number this year to 50,000, the lowest in 30 years, and next year the limit will drop again to 45,000, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Trumps war on refugees is a disastrous mistake and a totally self-inflicted wound. Rather than making America great again, editorialized the Washington Post, it would do the very opposite by making the country small, peevish, inward-looking and heedless of its role on the global stage.

One Trumpian trope is that refugees are costly to the country, a drain on public resources, so the president ordered a government study to prove his point. But the research showed exactly the opposite. Refugees  because they are often young, hard-working taxpayers  brought in $63 billion more in government revenue over the last 10 years than they cost in services.

The Ministry of Alternative Facts in the Trump White House was horrified and killed the report, according to The New York Times. This is not just intellectually dishonest but economically self-defeating.

All immigrants, including refugees, are a strong net plus for the economy, and that is especially true in the aging heartland that delivered Trump his victory. A study by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs concludes that the Midwest depends on immigration as an economic lifeline to replenish departing young people and retiring baby boomers. As the studys author told The Atlantic: For the cities of the Midwest, restricting current immigration levels is the last thing they need.

The second argument advanced by the anti-refugee crowd is protecting national security, but again, this is full of non-facts. Since 9/11, not a single American has been killed in a terrorist attack perpetrated by a refugee, and thats because refugees are subjected to exhaustive scrutiny before they are allowed to resettle here.

Moreover, few refugees are young men of military age. Michael Chertoff, who was Secretary of Homeland Security under President Bush 43, wrote in the Post: Only the most vulnerable  those whose safety cannot be assured in their countries of first refuge  are selected for resettlement. For these refugees  widowed women; orphaned children; survivors of rape, torture and brutal religious persecution  refugee resettlement is a lifeline.

The deepest damage inflicted by Trumps refugee policy is to our national honor and reputation. How can we ask other national leaders to shoulder the burden of a worldwide refugee crisis  often at great political risk, as Angela Merkel has learned  if we slam our own doors?

The answer is we cannot. We need to show our friends and allies that we stand with them and this is a shared burden, says Chertoff.

The War on Refugees is part of a larger pattern, a deliberate and long-standing attempt by Trump to dredge up xenophobic impulses for his own political profit. The birther movement, the Mexican wall, the Muslim ban, the defense of neo-Nazis after Charlottesville, even his denunciation of black athletes who stand up or kneel down for racial justice  this is Trump at his race-baiting, fear-mongering worst, and two-thirds of Americans tell the latest ABC/Washington Post poll that he is dividing the country rather than uniting it.

Weve never had a president who so relishes producing animosity and hate among Americans, and who does it so consistently, so gleefully and so intentionally, Peter Wehner, a former adviser to President Bush 43, told the New York Times.

The verdict of history is certain. This president dishonors the country and defaces the flag he professes to love so much. But the refugees he refuses to take in, the widows and orphans and survivors who truly do love the flag, will continue to suffer from his cruelty.
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Turkish prosecutors issued detention warrants for 117 military personnel on Friday over their alleged links to a group believed to be behind a failed coup bid last year.

A police statement said simultaneous operations were launched in 45 provinces across the country to catch the suspects, some of whom have been serving in key units of the Turkish armed forces.

The Turkish government blames the coup attempt in July last year, in which 250 people were killed, on what it calls the Fethullah Terror Organization led by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen.

More than 50,000 people have been jailed and some 150,000 others suspended from their posts in the crackdown started in the wake of the failed coup.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Saturday, discussing U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to China later this year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

"Currently the most important event in our bilateral relations is President Trump's China visit in November," Xi said. "His visit will be a major opportunity for the development of China-U.S. relations."

Xi said China-U.S ties have been generally stable, and that he has maintained sound communication with President Trump.

Chinese and U.S. teams should implement consensus reached by the two heads of state, grasp the direction of bilateral relationship, respect each other, and focus on cooperation while dealing with differences properly, Xi said.

"China attaches great importance to President Trump's visit, and I look forward to working with him to outline and advance our bilateral relations in the years to come," Xi said.

He said the teams on both sides should work closely to make the visit "successful and special."

China and the U.S. are respectively the largest developing country and the largest developed one as well as two leading economies of the world, Xi said, stressing both sides need to and can cooperate on the bilateral, regional and global levels.

"The common interests of our two countries far exceed our differences, and cooperation is the only correct choice," Xi said.

The two sides should expand mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional issues, he said.

Xi called on the two sides to handle their differences and sensitive issues through dialogue and consultation, on the basis of respecting each other's core interests and major concerns, so as to maintain stability of bilateral relations.

The two sides should continue to encourage and expand people-to-people exchanges and strengthen friendship between the people of the two countries, he said.

Tillerson conveyed Trump's greetings to Xi, saying the U.S. president looks forward to his visit to China.

Hailing the progress in U.S.-China relations under the auspices of the two presidents, Tillerson said the United States values its relations with China and hopes to increase mutual trust and practical cooperation in various areas as well as to jointly tackle international and regional challenges.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi also met with Tillerson Saturday, stressing cooperation in economy and trade, military, law enforcement and people-to-people exchanges.

Yang hoped the two sides would work together to inaugurate the first law enforcement and cyber security dialogue, and follow up on the already-convened first diplomatic and security dialogue, comprehensive economic dialogue as well as social and people-to-people dialogue.

Yang said both sides need to properly manage their differences and communicate and cooperate more on major international and regional issues to keep the positive momentum of bilateral ties.

Yang and Tillerson also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Tillerson earlier Saturday.

Wang expounded China's stance on issues including the Taiwan issue, and urged the United States to earnestly respect China's concerns and to deal with these issues properly to avoid disturbance to bilateral relations.

Tillerson reaffirmed that the United States maintains the one-China policy.

Wang and Tillerson also discussed issues including the Korean Peninsula situation and Afghanistan.
The facts of climate change due to global warming are indisputable. The only dispute is how much mankind has caused it, but 97 percent of the worlds climate scientists believe human CO2 emissions are accelerating global warming.

With the exception of the United States and Syria, every country in the world is trying to reduce their CO2 to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2016. Every car manufacturer in Europe has at least one electric car. Volvo is going to all electric and Mercedes is going to offer an electric version on all of their models. Scotland is going electric. China is building massive numbers of electric cars and scooters. And they all need electric batteries primarily made of lithium.

The benefit to believing in climate change for all of the rural counties of Nevada is that lithium mining is already bringing jobs. There are currently nine active lithium sites in rural Nevada according to the Nevada Mining Industry 2015 Report of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology.

The Silverpeak lithium mine is the largest lithium mine in North America. Lithium Nevada, headquartered in Reno, is working on bringing a lithium mine into production in northern Humboldt County. Clayton Valley, Dixie Valley, and Big Smoky Valley all have active lithium mining claims. And the Tesla Gigafactory near Fernley has hired thousands of Nevadans to build lithium batteries for both powering cars and home storage of electricity.

It is very important for Congress to prevent the current administration from ending tax incentives for electric cars, solar power, and making buildings more sustainable (because many sustainable buildings use batteries to store power from their solar panels).

It is in Nevadas best economic interest to believe in clean energy using lithium batteries. I urge Congressman Amodei and our two Senators to get on the right side of history and do whats right for Nevadas rural counties and stop any reduction of government incentives for clean energy.
SHANGHAI  China has opened the market to Malaysian pineapples for the first time, with the first batch of products arriving at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport Friday.

According to a statement released by Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, the first batch of pineapples, weighing 120 kilograms, is a small quantity. The fruits will be sold in Shanghai.

The governments of China and Malaysia signed the trade protocol in May during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing.

According to the plan, Malaysia is expected to export 12,000 tons of pineapples worth around 63.9 million yuan ($9.6 million) a year to China.

China is the largest trading partner of Malaysia.
Working staff operate a flight simulator at the virtual reality technology center of the service outsourcing industry base in Langfang, Hebei province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's service outsourcing business will see its golden season in the coming decade with more policy support and further upgrades to the nation's industrial portfolio, a senior commerce official said.

Further driving up the service outsourcing industry carries great significance to the country's ongoing supply-side reform and the segment will witness even stronger growth momentum in the next decade, especially for high-end outsourcing businesses, Wang Shouwen, vice-minister of commerce, told the China Sourcing Summit 2017 in Hangzhou on Friday.

The country's service industry has been contributing to more than half of the country's economic growth during the first half of 2017, reaching 51 percent of GDP. Outsourcing servicesin which a company contracts part of its existing internal activity to another companycreated 1.21 million new jobs in China last year, with a total of 8.6 million people employed in the sector.

"Driving up the service outsourcing industry is a national strategy. It is also part of China's efforts to attract more foreign direct investment. Relevant companies will enjoy more preferential taxation policies," Wang added.

The State Council, China's Cabinet, announced this year a slew of new measures to further boost trade in services, which include extending tax breaks to more leading service outsourcing cities, reducing restrictions on investment, and encouraging more overseas talent to work in China.

The total value of service outsourcing contracts signed by Chinese corporates in 2016 was 1.02 trillion yuan ($152.9 billion), up 20.1 percent year-on-year.

The structure of the industry, of course, has to be further fine-tuned and upgraded, similar to many other industries of China subject to supply-side reform, Wang added.

Combining digital technologies with service outsourcing business has become the next growth engine for the industry, and it is the right timing for relevant Chinese companies to undergo a digital-oriented transition, said Zhong Boming, president of Hangzhou Service and Trade Association.

Xie Shuangcheng, vice-mayor of Hangzhou, said the city aims to develop the most featured and high-end outsourcing business, with e-commerce, information and telecommunication sectors as priorities.

In fact, high-end service outsourcing businesses also mean a lot to multinational companies such as Haier, which spends nearly $500 million every year on quality outsourced information and designing services.

"In fact, we want to jointly explore business opportunities and make innovations with our outsourcing suppliers and global talents," Howard Yin, CIO and CDO of Haier Group, said at the summit meeting.

Liu Yukun contributed to the story.
A Chinese woman shows credit cards and other bank cards in Qionghai city, South Chinas Hainan province, April 14 2012. [Photo/IC]

China's top banking regulator on Friday warned surging consumer loans may pose potential risks to the country's lending system.

It also cautioned against a fast rise in consumer leverage ratio.

"Banking regulators encourage banks to develop consumer finance but the business must be operated according to high standards," said Xiao Yuanqi, chief of the Prudential Regulation Bureau of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, at a news conference.

"Banks should assess each consumer's repayment ability comprehensively and authentically, and avoid pushing up the consumer leverage ratio, and be careful not to increase the risk of a bubble in certain sectors such as real estate," Xiao said.

"We should learn from the lessons of the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States."

Recent inspections on banks by CBRC branches and the People's Bank of China, the central bank, have found that some consumer loans were used to make a down payment for home purchases or as an investment, rather than using them for travel, education, home renovation or to buy consumer durables.

Such misuse of consumer loans is tantamount to violation of banking regulations, he said.

To get the consumer finance segment back on track, banks must review consumer loans, track their usage and examine the repayment ability of borrowers, he said.

Latest half-yearly financial results showed that many commercial lenders in China have made retail banking a strategy to transform their business, due to a decrease in high-quality corporate borrowers, a boom in the fintech sector and tightening financial risk controls in the first half of this year.
A child plays in front of a wall presenting Disney figure Mickey at the Walt Disney 90th Anniversary Exhibition in Indigo Department Store in Beijing, Sept 6, 2014.[Photo/Xinhua]

As the first US-China social and people-to-people dialogue kicks off on Thursday in Washington D.C., Walt Disney Studios did its own bit by hosting a cross-cultural dialogue of its own.

The five-day, intensive Disney-China Animation Exchange Program, supported by China Film Bureau, was tailored to suit the needs of an elite cadre of Chinese animation filmmakers.

Celebrating its third year, the program, which concluded Wednesday, was a high-level exchange of ideas and practices between filmmakers of Walt Disney Animation Studios and the leading animation filmmakers from China.

"Walt Disney Animation Studios is deeply honored to open our doors and share our learnings and best practices with China's local creative industry. These exchanges have been inspiring to all of us involved," said Andrew Millstein, president of Walt Disney Animation Studios.

"It's an opportunity to exchange ideas and share our approaches to filmmaking, production, marketing, distribution and our underlying concept of how to create a healthy and vibrant studio," Millstein told Xinhua.

Shujie Li, founder of Chengdu L Square Culture Communication Co and one of the 14 program participants from China, said "It's great for Chinese and American filmmakers to exchange ideas face-to-face and to deepen our understanding and friendship with each other so we can carry out more exchanges and cooperation in the future."

The exchange program was the brainchild of John Lasseter,chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and the creative force behind Disney's global winning streak.

During a publicity tour through China for "Big Hero 6," Lasseter was repeatedly asked whether Disney would open a facility in China to help take Chinese animation to the next level.

Lasseter decided to institute the Exchange Program in cooperation with China's Film Bureau in order to share Disney's secrets of success with Chinese animators so they could create their own successful studios.

An indication of the level of respect Disney accorded this unique Chinese exchange program is that the seminar speakers included such top-ranking creative and executive powerhouses as John Lasseter, Pixar co-founder and president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, Ed Catmull, president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Andrew Millstein, head of Production, Ann Le Cam, and Academy Award-winning producer, Roy Conli, as well as other top producers, writers and directors.

Andrew Millstein and Ann Le Cam, speaking on Studio Leadership, welcomed the Chinese participants. "It's an honor to host our friends from China. This exchange helps us strengthen relationships and share in a way that elevates the animation industry as a whole."

"It's exciting to closely observe Disney studios. It makes us ponder the gap between Chinese animation studios and Disney, the world's leading animation studio. Not only in facilities and hardware, but also in ideas and creativity," said Zhigang Yang of Shanghai Pic-moment Film Corporation.

Ann Le Cam told Xinhua that, "Our winning formula is simple: everyone under one roof, open communication, and freedom to innovate."

Millstein agreed, "We invest a lot of time, effort and money into our talented people to enable them to put their highest potential on the screen. You have to support the artists' visions and give them the tools they need to create great stories."

The legendary Lasseter conducted a masterclass on Risk Taking and Innovation and riveted the participants with an in-depth overview of his and the studio's creative process, with a sprinkling of career advice and personal anecdotes.

"Trust your instincts, your taste, and experience when making creative decisions," he advised.

Lasseter outlined his simple recipe for making successful films, "I look for three things in a great project, a compelling, unpredictable story; appealing and memorable characters; and a unique world or setting."

He encouraged his visitors to keep technology and artistic creativity in balance. "Art challenges tech and tech inspires art. It's a collaborative Yin and Yang."

Academy Award-winning producer Roy Conli premiered his team's latest effort, "Olaf's Frozen Adventure," a short film based on Disney's runaway hit "Frozen" and its characters.

"When you have a success like 'Frozen', keeping it alive with new material is a good thing. This short is meant to be a gift to the audience," he said.

The 20-minute film is indeed "a good thing" - a charming, musical tale about the true meaning of family, friendship and tradition, delivered with Disney's incomparable mixture of humor, heart and a hit soundtrack.

"I'm proud of Disney for making original content. There are a few franchises that feed our theme parks and merchandizing outlets, but original content is our primary mission."

Conli also produced the award-winning "Born In China" wildlife documentary. When asked if he would like to work again in China, he said, "I fell in love with China - Shanghai is an amazing city and Chengdu is so beautiful. I would love to work there again - especially with director Lu Chuan."

Ed Catmull, who co-founded Pixar with Lasseter before joining Disney, discussed Disney's international bent. "At Disney, we feel we have a responsibility to tell stories that work around the world. That means we need strong relationships with people from different parts of the world, like you, who think differently than we do."

Regarding Disney's project preferences, he said, "We encourage our creative teams to set stories in other cultures," like their South Pacific Islander tale "Moana," or their soon-to-be-released Mexico-based story "Coco."

He cautioned, "We use extensive research, local elders, anthropologists to capture the real culture without prejudice or stereotyping. We all have stories to tell. And if we can help others tell better stories, we're all better off."

Linlin Shang, general manager of Fantawild Animation Inc, responded, "We should learn from Disney how to tell a story. It's essential for Chinese filmmakers to learn how to tell the China story well, so we can share it with the world."

Bo Chen, vice president of Shanghai Animation Film Studio, told Xinhua that he gained greatly from this program, especially Disney's ideas on how to make excellent movies and their spirit of innovation.

"I'm eager to share my experience with my colleagues in China. I'm sure the cooperation between Sino-US animation filmmakers will contribute to closer bonds between Chinese and American people," he said.

"When we learn from each other, great things happen," Catmull said.
CHICAGO  The governor of the US state of Illinois has shown a strong interest in expanding mutually-beneficial cooperation with China in areas ranging from trade to tourism and to educational exchanges.

"I'm a believer in more trade and more investment, especially with the people of China. So I look forward to doing whatever I can to expand it," Bruce Rauner told Xinhua in an interview while attending a reception held here on Thursday to celebrate the 68th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Rauner is eager to strengthen relationship with China in an all-round way. "I want to expand trade, I want to expand investment, to expand tourism, and expand exchange of students between Illinois and China," he said.

"I believe that China, in the future, will be Illinois' greatest partner, and greatest friend. I want to do everything I can to expand our friendship," Rauner said.

Talking about his trip to China earlier this month, Rauner said that "we met with dozens of chief executives who lead Chinese companies."

"And we were very honored to sign a memorandum of understanding between Zhejiang University in Hangzhou and the University of Illinois, so we can expand the number of students who are studying in each university, so we can expand our education opportunities," he said.

With a population of nearly 13 million, the most populous state in the US Midwest region has a long friendship with China. Its export to China reached $5.11 billion in 2016.

China has 50 companies headquartered in Illinois, which has a diverse economic base and serves as a major transportation hub, while 400 Illinois companies have a base in China.

"I've been there (China) twice so far, I look forward to going again," Rauner said.

Speaking of the first China-US social and people-to-people dialogue held in Washington D.C. on Thursday, Rauner said he is a supporter of the dialogue and that the state of Illinois will create opportunities for this kind of exchanges between the two countries.

Trade between China and the US Midwest states has flourished in recently years. Statistics show that annual trade volume between China and the nine US Midwest states has exceeded $90 billion. More than 200 Chinese companies have invested in the states, creating more than 46,000 jobs.
Robots made by German manufacturer Kuka AG play percussion at an exhibition in Shanghai. [Photo by Long Wei/For China Daily]

Kuka AG, a German industrial robot manufacturer now owned by appliance maker Midea Group, aims to make China its fastest-growing market worldwide, with half of its robots produced and sold in the country by 2020.

Andy Wen, CEO of Kuka Robotics China, the local arm, said such a projection is based on the fact that between 35 percent and 38 percent of Kuka's global robot sales revenue was generated in China in 2016, and the company's goal is to raise the figure to 50 to 55 percent by 2020.

"In the coming decade, we will see unprecedented opportunities in two industries in China, which are semiconductor and robotics," said Wen.

He also expected the "Made in China 2025" strategy to accelerate the industrial upgrade process, and help find solutions to concerns like aging population and labor shortage, creating new growth possibilities for robot makers like Kuka.

"China is going through the process from 'made in China' to 'intelligent manufacturing in China', and will finally enter the phase of 'created in China'. During the process, Kuka needs more efforts to increase its localization ratio," said Wen, adding that the localization will focus on R&D, sales, aftersales service and apps.

In the second quarter of 2018, Kuka will launch a new factory in Songjiang district of Shanghai. By then, Kuka's manufacturing capacity in China will be doubled to 20,000 units per year, according to Stefan Lampa, CEO of Kuka Roboter GmbH, the parent company of Kuka Robotics China.

"Kuka's China goal cannot be realized without support from Midea, including business expansion direction and production strategy tailored for the China market," said Wen.

Midea announced last December that it is taking over Kuka. It said the bid will promote robot and automation technology in China and worldwide.

A total of 88,992 industrial robots were sold in China in 2016, representing nearly 27 percent year-on-year growth. Domestic suppliers installed 29,144 units of them, up almost 31 percent from that of 2015, according to the China Robot Industry Alliance.

China has announced plans to achieve an annual output of more than 100,000 industrial robots by 2020.
Nokia Shanghai Bell, a joint venture of leading telecom company Nokia Corp and State-owned investment firm China Huaxin, eyes a greater international role through helping countries and regions related to the Belt and Road Initiative construct telecommunication infrastructure.

The company said it has provided advanced technological solutions to more than 40 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, which have recorded a total of 24 billion yuan($3.6 billion) in sales in the past decades.

"As the only Sino-foreign joint venture among State-owned enterprises, Nokia Shanghai Bell is ramping up business in the Belt and Road countries, bringing Chinese technology to the world stage," Nokia Shanghai Bell CEO Wang Jianya said.

The firm mainly cooperates with local operators, vertical industries and enterprises to offer equipment and technology including 3G and 4G networks, telecom intellectual properties and optical networks as well as ultra broadband.

In the Philippines, the company has helped local telecommunication operator Global Telecom advance technologies such as IP to establish a more stable mobile network, meeting the mounting demand for data in the country.

In recent years, many Southeast Asian countries have tried to catch up on internet infrastructure, as construction lags far behind in large archipelago nations with widely dispersed populations.

"To suit the complicated landform, the company has adjusted measures to suit local conditions. For example, in the Philippines, we applied different technologies in different parts of the country," Wang said.

He added the company has also helped construct the biggest 4G network in Cambodia and assisted Laos to upgrade to a 4G network.

"What we do in the Belt and Road Initiative has not only brought huge benefits to countries and regions involved in the road, but also propelled Chinese companies to think globally," said Chen Yuhua, executive vice president at Nokia Shanghai Bell. "We will endeavor to do more in the future."
THE HAGUE  Amsterdam-based mapping firm HERE Technologies told Xinhua on Friday that US authorities' disapproval of Chinese investors' bid to buy a minority of its stake is "disappointing" and HERE will pursue commercial collaborations with its Chinese partners.

"While it is of course disappointing not to be able to welcome Tencent and NavInfo as shareholders, we are nonetheless excited to be pursuing our commercial collaborations with these two leading companies. China is one of the most exciting markets in the world and we look forward to serving Chinese customers in the years ahead," said HERE spokesman James Etheridge.

Earlier this week, HERE announced that Chinese digital map provider NavInfo, Chinese internet provider Tencent and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC are no longer pursuing a transaction previously announced in last December.

Under that deal, the three Asian investors would jointly acquire a 10-percent stake from HERE's indirect shareholders - AUDI AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG.

"The decision follows a regulatory review process during which the parties determined there was no practicable path to receiving the necessary approval for the transaction to proceed," said HERE in its press release.

CFIUS, or the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, withheld approval of the deal after a two-phase review that lasted five months, according to NavInfo.

"We of course respect the regulatory review process," said Etheridge. CFIUS is a multi-agency panel authorized to review national security implications of acquisitions of any US business by a foreign person. Its "black box" reviews are confidential and the reasons supporting any approval or disapproval are not released.

HERE develops detailed three-dimensional maps for location-based services and self-driving vehicles. It has more than 200 offices in over 55 countries and regions, including 24 in the United States.

In January 2016, CFIUS blocked the Dutch company Philips'plan to sell its lighting businesses to Asian buyers. Philips has divisions based in California. Philips CEO Frans van Houten said he was "very disappointed about this outcome as this was a very good deal" for both Philips and the buyers.

Earlier in September, US President Donald Trump blocked a Chinese firm from buying an American chipmaker. China's Ministry of Commerce commented that conducting security checks on foreign investments in sensitive sectors is a nation's legitimate right, but it should not be used as a tool for protectionism.

When the deal with Chinese buyers was blocked, HERE announced that it still has the intention to welcome new investors beyond Audi, BMW, Daimler, Intel and Pioneer in the future.

"We do anticipate bringing in other investors in the coming months. It remains the intention for Audi, BMW and Daimler to reduce their combined holding from about 84 percent to below 50 percent in the long-term," Etheridge told Xinhua.

The spokesman also confirmed that HERE keeps expanding into China. "Our joint venture with NavInfo is operational, which means we can start integrating China mapping coverage into our products and services," he said.

"For example, with China map coverage, our HERE Auto SDK product will become even more useful for global automakers who are selling their cars in China. We are working together with NavInfo to enable a robust digital mapping infrastructure for autonomous cars."

China internet giant Tencent is exploring the use of mapping and location platform services from HERE in its own products and services both in China and internationally. "With Tencent, our exploration work continues," said Etheridge.
Social Security is conservatively financed and managed. It has no borrowing authority and cannot spend itself into a deficit. To ensure that all benefits can be paid in full and on time, Social Securitys Board of Trustees reports to Congress annually, projecting the program's income and expenses over three-quarters of a century. That is a longer valuation period than private pensions or most other countries project for their counterpart programs.
Shi Shunlian of Shibadong village in Hunan province makes Miao embroidery at home. A company helps women market their traditional products for extra income. [Photo by CHEN ZEBING/CHINA DAILY]

A sinuous paved mountain road leads to the village of Shibadong in Xiangxi Tujia-Miao autonomous prefecture, a place that marks President Xi Jinping's first use of the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation.

During Xi's stop at the village in Hunan province on Nov 3, 2013, he said efficient measures for targeted poverty alleviation should be adopted on the basis of the village's reality. The village then aimed to forge itself into the "most beautiful village in China" by protecting its natural environment and indigenous culture.

Neat flagstone pathways and steps link frame houses in the village, which has erected eye-catching signboards with Miao culture notes in both Mandarin and Miao.

To keep indigenous culture alive, an arts group has been formed with villagers adept at singing Miao songs, playing the drum, climbing a "ladder of knives" and other traditions of the ethnic group. Yang Chaowen, 44, an arts group member, said they stage performances and ceremonies.

"We have over 30 villagers in the group. Most of us are versatile enough to sing, dance and play the drum. I really enjoy preparing for the shows, which have enriched my daily life remarkably."

Long Shuwu, Party secretary of the village, said the shows also have strengthened cohesion, making many poverty reduction strategies easier to implement.

Yang, who used to be in the clothing business in Zhejiang province, returned to his hometown after Xi's visit to Shibadong. "The top leader of my country cares about my home village, which gives me strong confidence to put aside the migrant life and reach for a well-off life with my family." He and his uncle are opening a farmhouse restaurant, many of which are popping up.

Locals said now more people are willing to work or run a business in their village rather than migrate to other places, even if they're young. Shi Jun, 19, a clerk at the Xiangxi Changhang Village Bank, said he felt content about his work. He earns 2,000 yuan ($300) a month and still has time to take care of his grandmother.

The local post office displays exquisite bags with Miao embroidery produced by a Miao cooperative in the village and Jintian National Cultural Diffusion Co in Huayuan county, where the village is located. It's easier for local women to earn money through a company like Jintiananyone who wants to buy one of the bags displayed at the post office can simply scan a QR code on the counter and use a mobile payment application.
At 8:38 am on Friday, a train with about 350 passengers departed Chongqing Caiyuanba Railway Station, marking the Lanzhou-Chongqing line's official opening.

After the 886-kilometer railway line passes through Sichuan province, it dips into Shaanxi province before passing through Gansu to reach Lanzhou, the province's capital. The project, started in 2008, is the country's third main north-south rail line after the Beijing-Shanghai and Beijing-Guangzhou lines.

This significant part of the country's railway network speeds up travel between the western regions and the rest of the country.

Chongqing, the only provincial-level municipality in western China, is a gateway to the vast inland area. Gansu province is rich in natural resources but has long been poverty-stricken because of poor transportation.

The new rail line cuts the distance between the two cities by about 650 kilometers and travel time from 20 to 13 hours.

It is expected to greatly boost the economy in less developed inland China in combination with the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt plan.

The line's design speed is 160 kilometers per hour with some sections at 200 km/h.

As early as about 100 years ago, Sun Yat-sen (1866-1926), the first provisional president of the Republic of China, wrote in his book General Plan of China that the country should build a railway linking Lanzhou and Chongqing.

But complicated geographic conditions mean the project is considered the most difficult one in China's railway construction history.

Thanks to advanced technologies, workers have built 226 tunnels and 396 bridges to pass through the mountains and rivers, especially the Qinling Mountains, a major east-west mountain range in southern Shaanxi province.

Because more than 72 percent of the line is bridges and tunnels, safety has been the most important issue, according to train crew supervisor Tian Yu, a longtime railway worker.

"When passing through the tunnels, the negative wind pressure can easily hurt people who stand at the junction of two rail cars," he said.

"Our staff needs to pay more attention to educating passengers about safety issues."

Also Friday, a freight train loaded with 290 automobiles made in Chongqing departed from Tuanjiecun Railway Station for Lanzhou.

The rail line is eventually expected to transport 50 million tons of cargo every year and operate 50 passenger round-trips every day.
Farmers "draw" China's national flag and Arabic numeral "68" with 6,800 red carps to celebrate the upcoming National Day on a river in Wuyuan county, East China's Jiangxi province, Sept 28, 2017. The flag measures 15 meters long and 6.8 meters wide. This October 1 will mark the 68th birthday of the People's Republic China. The locals in Wuyuan have a tradition of celebrating festivals by fishing a harvest of fish. [Photo/IC]
More migrant workers are returning home to start their own businesses, a top agricultural official said on Friday.

"The trend has just started, but it can become popular across the whole country with proper guidance and encouragement measures," said Han Jun, director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group. "The number of migrant workers returning to their home villages to start their own businesses in China has kept increasing at an annual rate of about 10 percent for the past five years, and rural areas are becoming hot spots for investment."

Han Changfu, minister of agriculture, said more than 7 million people, most of them migrant workers, have chosen to go to rural areas to start their own businesses.

With more entrepreneurship in rural areas, e-commerce and tourism have been developing rapidly in the past few years.

Total revenue generated from leisure agriculture and tourism in rural areas reached 570 billion yuan ($85.7 billion) last year, while trade of agricultural products through e-commerce reached 220 billion yuan last year, he said.

Many factors have driven migrant workers back to their villages to start business, including greater demand for better and safer agricultural products, popularity of tourism, improved infrastructure in rural areas and improved delivery and distribution systems due to the development of information technology.

According to a guideline released by the central government in February, local governments will take more measures to encourage business startups in rural areas, including improving the business environment and working out preferential financial and taxation policies.

Per capita disposable income of the rural population in China has increased at an average 8.5 percent every year in the past five years - faster than the income of the urban population - and more than 55 million rural residents had been lifted out of poverty from 2013 to last year, Han Jun said.
Pan Huifen feeds monkeys at Longhu Mountain nature reserve in Long'an county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Sept 27, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Pan Huifen, a 61-year-old local in Long'an, currently works as a tour guide in Longhu Mountain nature reserve.

Though her home is far from the scenic spot, she used to visit this area frequently since 1983 as her husband worked in the forestry protection station there.

Since then she got hooked on monkeys in Longhu Mountain and was even called as "monkey mother" by people around her.

Pan became an employee of Longhu Mountain nature reserve in 1992, and she often volunteered to explain habits and characteristics of monkeys to visitors.

Now Pan is one of the most popular tour guides in Longhu Mountain.




The dinner menu during Xi's inspection tour of Fuping County, Hebei on Dec 29, 2012.

The official dining habits of the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, have been revealed in a new exhibition in Beijing.

The details are included in a special show called 'Five Years On,'and includes food menus and receipts from between 2012 and 2015, reports guancha.cn.

A buffet food menu is on show for the first time from a dinner during President Xi's inspection tour of Fuping County, Hebei province back in 2012. The menu for Xi and those accompanying him included traditional Chinese homemade dishes and some local cuisine such as chicken braised in brown sauce, ratatouille with pork, white gourds and meatballs, pork dumplings and rice.

The Exhibition also displays a receipt of 160 yuan signed by Xi Jinping himself during his visit to Lankao County, Henan in 2014.
HANGZHOU - Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, issued a guideline Friday to regulate the city's booming bike-sharing market.

There are now around 448,600 for-hire bikes from 10 companies on the streets of Hangzhou.

"Problems such as haphazard parking and too many bicycles in crowded areas have disrupted traffic order," said Wu Zhirong, deputy director with the transport bureau of Hangzhou.

The guideline also ordered bike-sharing companies to have designated bank accounts to keep deposits, which should not be put to other use.

The guideline also demanded bike-sharing companies to assign at least one maintenance worker for 120 bikes.

It encouraged operators to use electronic fences or cooperate with third-party companies to help them in bike parking management.

He Xiongbiao, deputy director with Hangzhou road transport management bureau, said that the city will set up a supervisory platform before the end of this year, offering real-time data to help operators put their bikes where they are most needed.

China now has around 70 bike-sharing brands, with more than 16 million bicycles on streets nationwide and 130 million users, according to the Ministry of Transport.

In order to regulate the industry, Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen and Tianjin have already issued such guidelines.
CHENGDU - Holger Perner, a German botanist, decided to take a nap after his three-day round-the-clock fieldwork in Zoige county of Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. He did not wake up, dying peacefully in his sleep aged 57.

Perner had been in western Sichuan plateau, where barren soil and atrocious weather kept many locals in poverty, for two decades.

In his lab in Chengdu, where he took his last nap this April, rows of glass cans filled with blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, colored potatoes, orchids and herbs show his painstaking efforts in the past 20 years in China.

Perner made his first visit to China in 1997 when he was traveling with two Japanese experts to Huanglong in northwestern Sichuan. The travel agency mistakenly thought he was from Japan and arranged a China-born Japanese translator Gan Wenqing as their guide. Gan later became his wife.

"She soon learned German, and I have become a Chinese son-in-law," said Perner in an interview with Xinhua earlier this year.

Located in the southern part of the Minshan Mountain range, Huanglong is known for its colorful lake water, snow peaks and glaciers. It is one of 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world, and Perner was obsessed with the rich variety of orchids there.

Four years later, Perner moved to China as a senior advisor to Huanglong scenic area. He studied local ecological system and gave advice on its conservation. But he soon encountered a dilemma.

PEOPLE MATTER MOST

"We are here to protect the environment. But local residents, living on the plateau and with poor infrastructure, barely had enough income. They need the land to survive. If we want to protect the environment, we must find a way out for them," Perner said in a television interview. "In the end, people matter most."

Locals have been living on highland barley and corn, but the two produce little income. Perner thought the acid soil ideal for growing blueberries.

Blueberries then sold for up to 800 yuan (about 120 U.S. dollars) a kilo in China and grows well in acid soil. In 2008, the German Embassy and Huanglong scenic area administration jointly bought a number of blueberry seedlings. Perner cloned them and planted them in nearby Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.

The blueberry plan proved a resounding success. One family had a good harvest of 100 kilos in three years, and now over 110 families have followed suit, and the local blueberry acreage has reached 270,000 square meters.
Editor's note: The eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays are here. Let's present some of the beautiful scenery you may want to see and the simple and unadorned lifestyle you may want to know about in Altay prefecture, a remote and sparsely populated part of the China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Birds fly away from the dense forest in Burqin county, a mostly Kazakh town that is the gateway to Kanas Lake in Altay prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang autonomous region, Sept 25, 2017. [Photo by Zhou Chengzhou/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Veteran actor He Bing stars the upcoming TV series Qingman Siheyuan (Love in a Courtyard). [Photo provided to China Daily]

Courtyards nestled in hutong  traditional Beijing alleys  are a must-visit attraction for many visitors to the Chinese capital.

And an upcoming TV series Qingman Siheyuan (Love in a Courtyard) offers a glimpse of such courtyards.

The 40-episode series will air on Beijing Satellite TV from Oct 4.

The series chronicles the life of several residents sharing a courtyard  a canteen chef, a factory worker, a theater employee and three elderly men.

Liu Jiacheng, the director, says the series features the Beijing dialect.

Also, the crew built a courtyard and a 1970s-style department store on Beijing's outskirts for the series, he says.

The cast features He Bing, Hao Lei, Li Guangfu, Ni Dahong, Hai Yitian and Wei Zibing.
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Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

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I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

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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".

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This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan
A scene from The Portrait of My Mother [Photo provided to China Daily]

To mark the 70th anniversary of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, The Portrait of My Mother, a movie starring ethnic Mongolian actress Ailiya, will open across the country on Oct 4.

Set in the region, the tale is about a mother's love.

Besides Ailiya, who won the best actress award at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 1999, the cast also features Wang Meng, Guo Yue and Wu Haitang.

The movie is produced by the Inner Mongolian Film Studio Co Ltd.
Actor Ma Yingchun has made his directorial debut with the theatrical drama To the Elderly with Love in his 60s. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Now in his 60s, retired National Theater of China actor Ma Yingchun has made his directorial debut with the theatrical drama To the Elderly with Love, which as it title suggests focuses on the lives of the elderly in China.

Running from Oct 11 to 15 at Beijing's West Theater, the drama, written by Ma, tells the story of a retired forest keeper, Kang Qingsong, who comes to Beijing to visit his son. However, Kang's arrival stirs conflict with his son, who is married and lives with his wife's parents.

"I am a retired actor and I have many friends of my age. I've know their stories firsthand, such as loneliness, a gradual loss of connection with the current society and their distance from their children, even a struggle to survive," says Ma.

"People rarely pay attention to the problems elderly people face, and I want to put them in the spotlight with this drama. I want to raise awareness about the situation of the elderly, especially among young people, so they think about their relationship with their parents."

Ma performed in many films, TV series and plays. In one TV drama, also titled To the Elderly with Love, he played a retired man who is sent to a care home by his son.

"Once the elderly can no longer work, they're considered to be a burden, and some even die from lack of care. In the senior home, which was portrayed in the TV drama, they watch out for each other but their children rarely visit them. That TV drama made me think," says Ma.

Though he has retired from acting for the National Theater of China for a few years, Ma has not slowed down and his recent performance in the drama, Beijing Fayuan Temple, which was written and directed by renowned stage director Tian Qinxin, received a warm response from audiences. In it, Ma plays a royal minister at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

According to Tong Yu, promoter of Ma's drama, To the Elderly with Love is the first in a trilogy exploring the lives of elderly people in China.

The drama stars actors and actresses from the National Theater of China and the China National Theater for Children.

After its premier in Beijing, the drama will go on a 20-city tour across the country and will return to Beijing for a run at the Drum Tower West Theater from Nov 8 to 12.

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn
[Photo provided to China Daily]

More than 300 people attended an event to celebrate Confucius' 2,568th birth anniversary in Beijing on Sept 28.

The event took place at the Beijing Confucian Temple, where emperors from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties used to go to remember Confucius.

Some of the guests took part in traditional rites to remember Confucius.

Born in 551 BC, Confucius, a well-known Chinese philosopher and the founder of Confucian culture, has his birthday marked for more than 2,000 years.

Yang Yuedi, a student of the Confucius class from the Beijing 21st Century International School, took part in the ceremony for the first time.

"I learned about benevolence and righteousness, respect, and kindheartedness from Confucius' thoughts, and I'm trying to be a gentleman like Confucius," said Yang, the 5th grade student.

Dong Ting, the deputy secretary-general of the China Next Generation Education Foundation Chinese Study Education Research and Development Foundation, has been a volunteer at the ceremony since 2010.

"I felt honored to take part in the ceremony in 2010, and I've decided to follow Chinese culture since then," Dong said.

Now as the vice-president of the Eastern School, Dong brought students and their parents to the ceremony this year.

"I'd like to help develop and expand Chinese traditional culture."

The ceremony was also the closing event of the 21-day sixth edition of the Beijing Confucian Temple Guozijian Chinese Studies Cultural Festival.
Shakespeare's Globe and China's ATW Culture launched Globe on Screen in China on Sept 24, where Shakespeare's Globe will screen its theater productions in China.

The Globe has been making films of its productions since 2003, ensuring the presence of Shakespearean productions from the United Kingdom across TV screens, in cinemas and on the biggest online VOD platform.

ATW Culture is the leading distributor of filmed theatrical content in China.

The Globe on Screen films will be released in cinemas in eight Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, and they will also enjoy an online release on China's online platform for video content, iQiyi.

Neil Constable, the chief executive of Shakespeare's Globe, said: "The launch of Globe on Screen in China celebrates and cements our commitment to sharing Shakespeare productions with our new and expanding Chinese audiences. We are particularly thrilled to be working with ATW Culture on this exciting new chapter, ensuring that our productions can be seen by people across the world.

"From sending Globe productions and Globe Education teams to China, to inviting visiting companies, we are proud to be adding to the multitude of cultural activities supporting and celebrating the UK-China relationship."
Jacques Godfrain [Photo provided to China Daily]

When people think of a trip to Paris, they immediately think of the fabulous shopping, a trip to the Louvre, a show at the Moulin Rouge and a stroll along the banks of the River Seine. But there's so much more to discover in the city, particularly in its rich history. Take the Fondation Charles de Gaulle, whose mission is to preserve the legacy of the famed French statesman. In March, it released an acclaimed book, Dans les Pas de Charles de Gaulle (In the Footsteps of Charles de Gaulle), published by Artelia. Jacques Godfrain, the foundation's chairman, discusses the close connections between the general and China, as well as the popular tourist spots that honor his storied legacy

You've just returned from a trip to China. How closely does the Fondation Charles de Gaulle work with the country?

General de Gaulle's decision to recognize the government of the People's Republic of China as the legitimate government of the country, leading to the establishment of diplomatic relations on January 27, 1964, means that to this day he enjoys unparalleled prestige among the Chinese - those in government as well as ordinary citizens.

So, as the embodiment of this legacy, the Foundation has a special relationship with the Chinese authorities, especially since the year 2000, in the context of celebrating what Sino-French friendship owes to General de Gaulle, Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. The Foundation's Chinese partners take an exceptionally strong interest in this, and this interest needs to be encouraged and developed so that it directly serves France-China relations.

And how does the foundation help build this relationship?

We work regularly with our partners in setting up economic projects and cultural events such as the Charles de Gaulle: l'Homme des Tempetes exhibition held in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Chengdu in 2004 and 2005, and events organized in Beijing and Shanghai in 2014. We've also been developing university exchange programs since 2007 with the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and that will be expanding after the various meetings we've just had.

You mentioned economic projects; could you go into a bit more detail?

Our Chinese partners would also like to learn more about France through our crafts. The various regions of France are home to some excellent craftspeople, including lace-makers in Calais and Puy, and glovers in Millau; we can put them in contact with our friends in China. We have a large network of contacts with elected officials in France and with French companies.

When there are opportunities for companies - large or small - to approach the Chinese market, our role is to help facilitate the procedures.

Tell us about some of the most distinguished people who have visited.

Like his predecessor Hu Jintao, when President Xi Jinping came to Paris on an official visit in March 2014, he asked to go to General de Gaulle's office to reflect and pay tribute to him. This was a very significant gesture and a true mark of affection for the general.

Where do other Chinese people like to go when they visit?

They're interested in visiting the places where General de Gaulle lived. For them, a trip to France isn't only about the Moulin Rouge and Versailles. Certain places have a mythical quality for them - such as Colombey-les-deux Eglises [de Gaulle's last home as well as his final resting place] - because the man who brought worldwide recognition of their country lived there. So we help organize bespoke tours of those places.

How is this new book different from other publications about the man?

This book is intended to get the public interested. We didn't want to write a guidebook or yet another collection of historical facts. Some renowned writers, including Denis Tillinac, Alexandre Jardin and Hua Wang - now 80 years old, he was one of the group who came to France in 1964 to set up the new embassy of the People's Republic of China - have written about how it felt for them when they visited these places. It's more of a literary approach and we're very happy with it.

Why should people be interested in visiting these historical sites?

It's very important to situate an individual in a place. [French intellectual and politician Francois-Rene] Chateaubriand just wouldn't be Chateaubriand without his castle in Combourg, Brittany. And de Gaulle wouldn't be de Gaulle without the immense forests around Colombey-les-deux-Eglises, which he admired from his window. This book takes the reader on a sort of historical tour, explaining the modernity of de Gaulle - and that visiting the memorial is not about stepping back in history, but about finding an anchorage in today's modernity.

What important places has the foundation been involved with?

Our first major project was building the Cross of Lorraine in 1972; now some 80,000 people visit Colombey every year. Our next project was buying and restoring the house in Lille where General de Gaulle was born. We also built a memorial in Colombey and created the Historial Charles de Gaulle [an interactive multimedia museum in Paris].

Of all the locations associated with his life, which is your favorite?

The Lille house - because that's where it all began.
ZHAI HAIJUN/CHINA DAILY

The collapse of the Soviet Union left the United States alone at the pinnacle of power. That was good for world peace but bad for the Pentagon. Since then much of the US foreign policy establishment has searched for a new enemy to justify a military buildup.

President Donald Trump doesn't appear to think much about geopolitics, his primary interest seems to be trade. But there are many hawks in the US who are presenting China as the next big threat.

Yet the Pentagon's latest report on the Chinese military suggests this is not for the purpose of protecting US territory, population and liberties, but rather to preserve Washington's dominance in Asia.

The latter may be advantageous, though US policymakers do not always do the right thing. But it's not worth the price of preserving an oversize military, let alone going to war.

In its report, Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China 2017, the Department of Defense noted that China had improved its capacity to undertake joint operations and fight short conflicts further from the mainland. Moreover, the report noted that "China has leveraged its growing power to assert its sovereignty claims over features in the East and South China Seas" and "used coercive tactics, such as the use of law enforcement vessels and its maritime militia, to enforce maritime claims and advance its interest in ways that are calculated to fall below the threshold of provoking conflict".

Perhaps most significant, the Pentagon noted that, "China's leaders remain focused on developing the capabilities to deter or defeat adversary power projection and counter third-party intervention including by the United Statesduring crisis or conflict." That includes limiting the US' technological advantage.

None of which is surprising, or particularly threatening to the US; of course, Washington would prefer a docile China which accepts the US' lead. But rising powers rarely agree to remain a vulnerable second.

Nevertheless, the US has a much larger military and spends roughly four times as much on its armed forces. The US has more than six times as many nuclear warheads deployed and more stockpiled. The US possesses 10 carrier groups, while China has one rudimentary aircraft carrier.

Most important, Beijing has only modest ability to project power, especially to attack the continental US. In contrast, the US military has multiple means to strike China.

Finally, Washington augments its power through alliances with most of the world's other industrialized states and projects it by means of multiple bases along China's eastern periphery. China is essentially alone and is surrounded by countries with which it has been at war over the last century. Some territorial disputes could turn violent.

In short, in the near-to mid-term, at least, in any real sense US has little to fear from China. Even if Beijing desired to threaten the US homeland, conquer US territories, or interdict US commerce, it has little ability to do so. What China seeks is to end Washington's dominance along the former's coast, an objective more defensive than offensive.

And economics is on Beijing's side. It is far costlier to project power than deter its use. How much is Washington willing to spend to maintain the overwhelming military superiority necessary to impose its will on China throughout the latter's own region. Such a military is going to grow less affordable over time.

The Congressional Budget Office predicts trillion dollar annual deficits within a decade, and rising outlays on entitlements in future years. Are Americans prepared to sacrifice domestic needs for defense not of their own nation, but of allied states which underfund their own militaries?

The US and China will inevitably have disagreements. However, they have no vital interests in conflict. Indeed, there is no serious cause for conflict if Washington is willing to accommodate China's rise. The US government's primary duty is to protect Americans' interests, not Washington's influence.

The author is a senior fellow of Cato Institute.
The seemingly inexorable advance of the so-called gig economy hit a minor bump in the road this month when taxi-hailing company Uber lost its license to operate in London, one of its biggest markets.

Transport for London, the industry regulator in the British capital, said a number of negative factors, including Uber's failure to make adequate background checks on drivers, meant it was not a fit and proper company to hold a private vehicle hire license.

No doubt in the hope of resolving the spat with the regulator, Dara Khosrowshahi, the new CEO of the California-based company, opted for contrition. In an internal memo to employees, he acknowledged "there is a high cost to a bad reputation".

"It's critical that we act with integrity in everything we do," he wrote. "And learn how to be a better partner to every city we operate in."

That is already a bit of a climb down for the representative of one of the main Silicon Valley technological innovators whose unofficial slogan is "disrupt first, ask questions later".

As the internet-driven gig economy has come to dominate a whole range of goods and servicesfrom books and groceries to fast food deliveries and taxi rides"disruption" has become a buzzword.

Throwing existing service structures up in the air and seeing what comes down may not be the most scientific model. However, it promises huge potential returns to the investors in disruptors that are successful at the expense of traditional providers.

Gig innovators portray themselves as refreshingly New Age and libertarian as they promise to free consumers and workers from the constraints of the old economy. "Flexibility" is a word often applied to their low-income, freelance workers who are told they now have the freedom to work only when they want to. In reality, this flexibility mainly favors the operator, who determines how much work is actually available.

An upsurge in self-employment in countries such as Britainalmost 5 million people at the last countmay have more to do with the absence of secure jobs than with an innate desire of low-paid workers to "be their own boss".

However, in another phrase that could also be the unofficial slogan of the gig innovators, "you can't stop progress".

The new economic model is too far advanced to be reversed by isolated regulatory diktats. The gig revolution has spread well beyond Silicon Valley to infiltrate the global economy and inspire competitors.

In London, Uber was already facing competition from Taxify, an Estonian taxi app backed by China's car-booking group Didi Chuxing. Acknowledging that companies must take into account the views of regulators, CEO Markus Villig promised: "The safety of riders is Taxify's top priority and we are currently working with (Transport for London) to ensure we comply with all of their regulatory requirements and safety standards."

The gig economy has brought undoubted benefits to consumers in terms of convenience and pricing and has created many new jobs, despite the concerns about their security.

But there will always be a need for gatekeepers in the shape of regulators, who are responsible for making sure that consumers and workers do not suffer the unintended consequences of gig-style disruption.

In the face of a tougher regulatory climate, Airbnb, the booking company that allows visitors to arrange short-term stays in private residences, announced restrictions this year on the use of its service in London. One unintended consequence of such holiday rental services had been to reduce the supply of homes for ordinary Londoners.

Perhaps the Airbnb move and the readiness of Uber to negotiate with the regulators are an indication that the gig economy is maturing. Ethically examining the likely consequences of innovation may eventually overtake the disruptive gig mantra of throwing everything up in the air and watching it come crashing down.

The author is a senior editorial consultant for China Daily UK. Contact the writer at harveymorris@gmail.com.
President Xi Jinping speaks at the National Financial Work Conference in Beijing July 15, 2017.[Photo/Xinhua]

As the world is plagued by mounting global security challenges, both old and new, the new proposals by Chinese President Xi Jinping on international security have given a boost to global stability.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 86th Interpol General Assembly on Tuesday, Xi proposed better cooperation and innovation, upholding the rule of law and seeking mutual benefit to build a community of shared security for mankind.

Security and stability are fundamental to peace and development around the world, which is far from tranquil. Global security is facing challenges such as widespread terrorism, cybercrime and organized crime, which all threaten national security, social stability and economic development around the world.

In an increasingly interconnected world, security problems go beyond national borders. A security flaw in one country can easily become an Achilles' heel for regional, even global security.

The security of a country cannot be ensured by an individual government or single country; rather, the joint efforts of different governments are needed to improve cooperation and combat crime.

As Xi put it, "Countries should adopt a concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and jointly respond to security challenges."

With its remarkable progress in combating crime and the development of a sophisticated law enforcement and crime prevention system over the years, China today enjoys sustained economic growth and social stability, and its people feel safe.

More and more people believe China is one of the safest countries in the world, which in turn has contributed to global security.

While focusing on its own security and development, China has helped its neighbors, sharing its experience and making contributions to enhancing their security capabilities.

The country has actively participated in global law-enforcement and security efforts, working with other countries to strengthen extradition, international telecom fraud and drug trafficking cooperation.

China resolutely supports the international fight against terrorism, and it is engaged in in-depth cooperation with more than 70 countries and regions to combat cybercrime.

The country has sent 2,609 peacekeepers to serve in UN missions in nine regions, including South Sudan, Darfur in Sudan, Mali and Liberia, making it the largest contributor of troops among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Xi also unveiled concrete measures to support Interpol in the next five years, with a special focus on underdeveloped countries and regions.

These include giving support to joint global actions against terrorism, cybercrime and new organized crime, and upgrading Interpol communication systems and criminal investigation labs for 100 developing countries.

The Chinese government also plans to set up an international law enforcement college under its Ministry of Public Security to offer training to 20,000 law enforcement personnel from developing countries.

Ensuring global security is an arduous, complicated and prolonged mission.

While Interpol observes its motto of "Connecting Police for a Safer World", China's proposal and action may well serve as solutions to international security cooperation and a safer world.
ZHAO YINGQUAN/XINHUA A doctor measures blood pressure for local residents at a village in Wuzhishan, Hainan province, in August.

Following is the full text of a white paper on public health released on Friday by the State Council Information Office.

Development of China's Public Health as an Essential Element of Human Rights The State Council Information Office of the People's Republic of China September 2017

First Edition 2017

Contents

Preface

I. Ensuring People's Right to Health Based on China's Conditions

II. Continuous Improvement of Health Environment and Conditions

III. Public Health Service Capability Improving Steadily

IV. Great Improvement in the Quality of Medical and Health Services

V. Improvement of the National Medical Security System

VI. Significant Improvement in the Health of Special Groups

VII. Active Participation in Global Health Governance and International Medical Assistance

Conclusion

Preface

Health is a precondition for the survival of humanity and the development of human society. The right to health is a basic human right rich in connotations. It is the guarantee for a life with dignity. Everyone is entitled to the highest standard of health, equally available and accessible

The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have always focused on the people's needs while seeking the development of the nation. Putting the people first, the Party and the government work to fulfill the people's aspiration for a better life, and strive to enhance the people's wellbeing and all-around development. China has always put the people's health at the top of its policy agenda, working hard to improve the people's health and fitness, and making universal health and fitness a primary goal of development. With years of strenuous effort, marked progress has been achieved in making the Chinese people healthierChina is no longer the "sick man of East Asia." China has made continued improvement in boosting the overall strength of its public health and medical services, and in enhancing the physical fitness and health conditions of its people. China has been hailed as a "role model for developing countries" by the World Health Organization in recognition of its achievements.

Prosperity for all is impossible without health for all. Health for all is a solemn promise to the people by the CPC and the Chinese government. Since the Party's 18th National Congress in November 2012, under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core, China has given top priority to improving the people's health, incorporating the development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green development, opening up and shared benefits into the promotion and protection of the people's right to health. Focusing on promoting healthy lifestyles, improving health services, enhancing medical security, building a healthy environment and developing the health industry, China is striving to enhance public health and fitness, providing full-life-cycle medical and health services to its people. With improvement in the Chinese people's right to health, China's human rights have also seen profound progress.
Inside the Livraria Cultura, a bookstore in San Paolo, Brazil. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A new kind of shopping in which you can enjoy stylish architecture and snazzy interior design as you buy stuff, or down cups of coffee as you read, is staving off the demise of bookshops.

The streets around Chunxi Road in downtown Chengdu help make up one of the wealthiest and swankiest areas you will find in Southwest China. In the hustle and bustle of the sprawling low-rise Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li shopping center, exquisitely dressed young women pose for photos that, with the glass-clad Gucci store or the pastel blue walls of a Tiffany store as their glamorous backdrop, will no doubt shortly adorn the pages of social media or websites. It is quite likely that the car that roars by now and again will be a Ferrari or a Porsche.

In short, everything here seems to be designed to charm the eyebut you can almost guarantee that it will also tax your pocket.

Just across from the Gucci shop, on the basement floor of the Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li shopping complex, the cup of fruit juice that had set you back 40 yuan on the other side of Shamao Street will cost as little as 10 yuan. So here at least Chengdu lives up to its reputation for its comfortable weather, delicious food and affordability.

At 10 pm, when the commercial areas of most of China's biggest cities empty out as people make their way home, it seems that Chengdu's citizens simply begin another shift of their relaxed lives. On Shamao Street between 100 meters and 200 meters away from the luxury shops, long lines, made up predominantly of young people, form in front of tea shops or shops selling local delicacies such as roasted pigs' feet or spicy dumplings.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's campaign had its fair share of staff shakeups before the election. And a little over eight months into Trump's presidency, his White House staff and administration have also seen a lot of turnover.



Here are the departures of White House staffers and other administration officials, starting with the most recent:



Tom Price



Role: Secretary of Health and Human Services



Officially started: Feb. 10, 2017



Resigned: Sept. 29, 2017



232 days in his tenure



Price resigned in the midst of a controversy over his use of private jets for government travel. The former congressman and orthopedic surgeon took as many as 26 chartered planes during his short tenure a spent an estimated $1 million of taxpayer money on both the domestic trips and military flights to Africa, Asia and Europe.



"I have spent forty years both as a doctor and public servant putting people first," wrote Price to Trump in his resignation letter. "I regret that the recent events have created a distraction from these important objectives."



The HHS Office of Inspector General launched an investigation into the matter a week prior to the resignation.



Sebastian Gorka



Role: Deputy assistant to the president



Hired: Jan. 30, 2017



Resigned: Aug. 25, 2017



208 days in his tenure



Gorka was a deputy adviser focused on national security and counterterrorism who had worked as a paid policy consultant for Trump's campaign.



Web magazine The Federalist obtained and posted what it says is Gorka's resignation letter. "[G]iven recent events, it is clear to me that forces that do not support the MAGA promise are -- for now -- ascendant within the White House," the Federalist quotes Gorka as saying. "As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr. President, is from outside the Peoples House."



The White House, however, disputed the claim that Gorka had tendered his resignation. A White House official told ABC News, "I can confirm he no longer works at the White House."



What he's doing now: Gorka will return to Breitbart News.



Steve Bannon



Role: Chief strategist and senior counselor



Hired: Nov. 13, 2016



Officially started: Jan. 20, 2017



Fired: Aug. 18, 2017



211 days in his tenure



After working as the CEO of the Trump campaign since August 2016, Bannon was appointed to a role in the White House. Trump's announcement that Bannon would be his chief strategist was met with backlash. Critics opposed Bannon's purported nationalist views and former position as executive chairman of the website Breitbart News, which published articles that promoted the so-called alt-right movement. Bannon's firing came as a result of Trump's increasing frustration with Bannon, according to one senior White House official. A source close to Bannon told ABC News that he resigned with an effective date of Aug. 14.



What he's doing now: Bannon has returned to Breitbart News.



Anthony Scaramucci



Role: White House communications director



Hired: July 21, 2017



Officially started: July 26, 2017



Fired: July 31, 2017



6 days in his tenure



Scaramucci didn't officially start in his position until July 26, so he was on the job for only six days. When his role was announced, however, he took questions from White House reporters during a press briefing.



Almost a week after he was hired, The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza published a detailed account of an expletive-ridden phone conversation he had with Scaramucci. Scaramucci was pushed to resign the Monday after the article's publication.



"Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give chief of staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.



"The president certainly felt that Anthony's comments were inappropriate for a person in that position, and he didn't want to burden Gen. Kelly," Sanders told said at a press briefing the day Scaramucci resigned.



What he's doing now: Having sold his stake in the hedge fund SkyBridge Capital to join the White House, Scaramucci has turned to doing media appearances. His first televised interview since leaving the White House was with ABC News.



Reince Priebus



Role: White House chief of staff



Hired: Nov. 13, 2016



Officially started: Jan. 20, 2017



Fired: July 28, 2017



190 days in his tenure



Trump announced on Twitter that he was replacing Priebus as his right-hand man with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. According to senior White House officials, Trump told Priebus he wanted to make a change two weeks before he was fired.



What he's doing now: Despite being out of the White House, Priebus told Fox News he's going to be "Team Trump all the time."



"I'll always be out there trying to help the president, advance his goals, support him as a friend too," Priebus said.



Sean Spicer



Role: White House press secretary



Hired: Dec. 22, 2016



Officially started: Jan. 20, 2017



Resigned: July 21, 2017



183 days in his tenure



Spicer officially took on the role the day Trump was sworn in as president. But Spicer was named incoming press secretary on Dec. 22, 2016, during the presidential transition. A few hours after Anthony Scaramucci was brought on the team as communications director, Spicer resigned. Spicer told ABC News that he felt "relieved" and that "organizationally" the White House communications team needed a "fresh start." Though he's no longer the press secretary, Spicer is still assisting the communications office.



What he's doing now: After he resigned, Spicer declined to comment on his next steps or formal plans to ABC News, saying only that he would be spending a lot of time with his family. There were rumors that Spicer would join "Dancing With the Stars" or "Saturday Night Live," on which he was famously parodied by Melissa McCarthy.



Mike Dubke



Role: White House communications director



Hired: March 6, 2017



Resigned: May 18, 2017



74 days in his tenure



According to Axios, Dubke left on good terms, but during his time in the White House he didn't gel with those who had been with Trump since the campaign. After he resigned, Dubke offered to stay on until the end of Trump's first foreign trip and "until a transition is concluded," thenchief of staff Priebus said. Dubke's last day was June 2, 2017.



What he's doing now: Dubke has returned to his work at the strategic communications and public affairs firm he co-founded, Black Rock Group.



James Comey



Role: FBI director



Hired: June 21, 2013



Officially started: Sept. 4, 2013



Fired: May 9, 2017



1,344 days in his tenure



Comey was dismissed by Trump, who the White House originally said was acting on the counsel of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, after they criticized Comey's handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails. Trump later portrayed the decision as his alone and said that he was thinking about the FBI's Russian election interference probe when he resolved to fire Comey.



What he's doing now: Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on June 8, when he detailed his interactions with Trump before his firing. In early August, Flatiron Books announced a deal to publish a book by Comey in the spring of 2018.



Mike Flynn



Role in the Trump administration: National security adviser



Hired: Nov. 18, 2016



Officially started: Jan. 20, 2017



Fired: Feb. 13, 2017



25 days in his tenure



Flynn, who spent much of 2016 on the campaign trail supporting Trump at rallies and events, was rewarded with the national security adviser position shortly after the election. He lasted just over three weeks before being forced to resign after it was revealed that he misled Vice President Mike Pence about the nature of multiple meetings with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak before Trump's inauguration.



What he's doing now: Flynn and his business ties to Turkey have been part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and possible connections to the Trump campaign.



Sally Yates



Role: Acting attorney general



Promoted: Jan. 20, 2017



Fired: Jan. 30, 2017



11 days in her tenure



After nearly three decades in a career with the Department of Justice, Yates took the reins of the department with the resignation of Barack Obama's Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Yates was fired for instructing DOJ lawyers not to defend Trump's Jan. 27 executive order barring immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries.



"For as long as I am the acting attorney general, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the executive order, unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so," Yates wrote in a letter to DOJ lawyers. She was fired hours after sending the letter. In a statement, the White House said Yates "betrayed the Department of Justice."



What she's doing now: Since she left the Department of Justice, Yates has penned two op-eds in The Washington Post and The New York Times that are critical of Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions.



Other notable departures:

George Sifakis: director, Office of Public Liaison

Ezra Cohen-Watnick: senior director for intelligence programs, National Security Council

Michael Short: senior press assistant

Walter Shaub: director, Office of Government Ethics

Vivek Murthy: surgeon general

Angella Reid: chief usher, White House

Katie Walsh: deputy chief of staff

Preet Bharara: U.S. attorney, Southern District of New York

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
More than 40 brick-and-mortar bookstores took part in the Shanghai Book Fair this year. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

Though they were once affected by competition from online merchants, brick-and-mortar bookstores are making a comeback thanks to government support, according to Peng Weiguo, deputy director of Shanghai municipal administration of press and publication.

In 2012, Shanghai became the first city in China to introduce policies aimed at supporting and subsidizing physical bookshops. Two years later, the state administration of press and publication launched nationwide measures to help with the development of these businesses.

"All these policies, to a large degree, propelled the development of brick-and-mortar bookstores," said Peng.

According to the annual forum on the innovation and development of brick-and-mortar bookstores which took place during the Shanghai Book Fair, which took place at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from Aug 16 to 22, more than 20 new bookstores have opened or will be opening this year.

In addition, more than 40 brick-and-mortar bookstores participated in the Shanghai Book Fair this year by becoming venues for reading events and book launches. Some bookshops also set up pavilions at the book fair to showcase their products.

In Shanghai, Zhongshu Ge bookstore in Reel Mall, celebrated its first anniversary on Aug 18. Luo Song, the store manager, said that sales have been steady. Located at the heart of the bustling West Nanjing Road commercial area, Zhongshu Ge is a popular destination for young readers.

During the book fair, the store hosted reading events featuring You Touched Me, the latest novel by American Chinese author Yan Geling.
China expressed encouragement for "positive signals" the United States has sent over the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, and called for concrete action to fulfill its "Four Nos" promise.

"China speaks positively of the 'Four Nos' promise that the US has reiterated multiple times, and hopes the US will demonstrate the promise in concrete action," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in Beijing on Friday.

Lu added China also hopes the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will "walk in the same direction".

Lu's remarks came after Susan Thornton, the US acting assistant secretary of state, said on Thursday that her country's "pressure campaign" is aimed at bringing the DPRK back to negotiations.

Thornton told a US Senate hearing the US is not seeking regime change or its collapse, neither does it seek an accelerated reunification of the peninsula or an excuse to garrison troops north of the Armistice Agreement's Military Demarcation Line.

She added the US has "no desire to inflict harm" on the people of the DPRK.

Lu said China has noted these comments.

"Recently relevant parties have sent out positive signals, one after another, that the peninsula's nuclear issue should be solved through dialogue and consultation in the end, to which we express our encouragement," the spokesman said.

Lu added China hopes all parties involved will "show enough sincerity" and create conditions for talks.

According to Reuters, Thornton also urged the US Congress members not to rush to enact new sanctions, before she left with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for China.

Tillerson will be in Beijing on Saturday to meet with State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue will be high on the agenda.
WASHINGTON - The United States on Friday ordered more than half of the staff at the US embassy in Havana to leave and warned against travels to Cuba, following mysterious "incidents" that caused health problems for American diplomats, US media reported.

The US embassy in Havana will continue to operate with a reduced staff. It will stop processing visas indefinitely, according to US media reports.

The move came after US authorities confirmed last month that at least 21 Americans working at the embassy in Havana had suffered physical debilitations.

No details of the injuries have been released, but media reports said the affected Americans incurred severe hearing loss and at least one victim suffered some "brain damage".

The move will deal a blow to the delicate ties between the US and Cuba. The former Cold War rivals resumed their diplomatic relations in July 2015 after more than five decades of hostility.

US President Donald Trump in July announced new restrictions on US leisure travel to Cuba and US business with Cuban military, in a move to cancel what he called his predecessor Barack Obama's "one-sided deal" with Cuba.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez to discuss the incidents. It was the highest-level diplomatic contact between the two countries since Trump became US president in January.

US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the two top diplomats had a "firm and frank" discussion of US concerns for its employees.

"The secretary conveyed the gravity of the situation and underscored the Cuban authorities' obligations to protect embassy staff and their families under the Vienna Convention," she said.

The United States expelled two Cuban diplomats in late May over the incidents. Cuba said it was investigating the incidents.

"Cuba has never, nor would it ever, allow the Cuban territory to be used for any action against accredited diplomatic agents or their families," the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Chinese graduates are pictured during the Commencement ceremony of the 262nd Academic Year of Columbia University in New York, on May 18, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

WASHINGTON - China and the United States will further promote two-way overseas study and enhance bilateral exchanges among educational institutions and scholars, according to a joint statement released in Washington on Thursday.

The new moves are intended to increase mutual understanding and promote bilateral people-to-people exchanges, said the statement released after the first China-US social and people-to-people dialogue was held here on Thursday.

According to the action plan of the dialogue, the two sides will adopt a "double 100,000" two-way overseas study plan, which will allow China to send 100,000 government-sponsored people to study in the United States and permit 100,000 US students to study in China in the following four years.

Besides, China will provide 10,000 scholarships in the coming four years to encourage excellent US students to study in China on a short-term basis, according to the plan.

The United States will continue to implement the Fulbright scholarship program, a US flagship academic exchange program.

The action plan also mentioned that the China-US Youth Innovation Center will be set up in the two countries to boost youth exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, which will also hold dialogues between Chinese and US universities and think tanks to further increase intellectual communication.

"I hope young people in both China and the United States would be the main driver of innovation development and the vanguards of bilateral cultural exchanges, injecting positive energy into the two countries' ties," said Vice-Premier Liu Yandong while addressing a sideline event of the dialogue in New York on Monday.

Liu co-chaired the first China-US social and people-to-people dialogue with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The dialogue is one of the four high-level dialogues established during the Mar-a-Lago meeting between President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in the southeastern US state of Florida in April.
UCOM HAS INTRODUCED FUTURE NETWORK WI-FI 6E ROUTERS

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

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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

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I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

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
A man is in custody after allegedly stabbing his mother to death and critically injuring his father at a west Houston residence, according to police.

Police were called around 5:20 p.m. to the residence in the 12300 block of Westella Drive, where they learned the suspect allegedly stabbed his mother and father, according to Wendy Bainbridge with the Houston Police Department.
Dear Abby:

I am 74, and my wife is 71. We are lonely. All of our friends have died, and we have no relatives in this state. We both have health issues that keep us mostly housebound. That leaves out volunteering and sports, and the high cost of gas is a factor.

We live in our own home and want to continue living here. Our home is in a development consisting of busy families involved in their own lives, or too young to bother with a couple of older people. We tried church, only to find that everyone there is as involved in their own lives as our neighbors are.

I fear the thought of one of us dying and leaving the other to possibly die alone in our house, not to be missed or discovered until much later. How can we have friends like we used to have, and not shallow acquaintances?

Frightened of the Future in Pennsylvania

Dear Frightened:

If there are senior citizen centers in your community, I recommend you contact them. That way you can meet new people and form relationships with contemporaries. Also, these centers usually have geriatric specialists or social workers on staff with whom you can discuss your concerns.

That said, it's important to remember that the kind of friendships you and your wife used to have take time to develop - they don't happen overnight. Another thought: You say most of your neighbors are busy with their children. Perhaps you could reach out and offer to baby-sit for some of them in your home, if the parents would like a night off. I'll bet some of them will take you up on it.

Dear Abby:

I was recently in the bakery section of our neighborhood grocery store. A woman came rushing in carrying a cake that had been at least three-fourths eaten and made a scene, saying the cake was terrible and demanding that she be given a new one. To stop the scene, the store manager gave her a new one, even though she had managed to eat most of the "terrible" cake.

The next night, my husband and I went to dinner at a nice steak house. The couple sitting next to us ate almost their entire dinner before complaining to the manager that the steaks were awful and demanding their meals for free.

Has this become acceptable? If something is wrong with the food, shouldn't management be told after the first bite? It looks to me like these people are looking for a free ride.

Offended in Kansas

Dear Offended:

It certainly appears that way. The most effective way to demonstrate that an item of food is inedible is to not eat it. In situations like this, the restaurant manager will sometimes offer as an accommodation a free dessert rather than write off the entire meal. As to what happened at the grocery, if the complainer was a good customer, then what the manager did was a wise public relations gesture.

DearAbby.comDear Abby P.O. Box 69440 Los Angeles, CA 90069 Andrews McMeel Syndication
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UPDATE:

BuzzFeed is reporting that this viral picture sent out over Twitter is a hoax, sort of. The person identified as Joseph Morales, who sent out the initial tweet, admitted to the online news site that the photo was not his and that he found it online.

ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES:

A student's tweet has gone viral after it captured a unique and hilarious teaching moment. The only problem is, it is a hoax.

It's no secret that most teachers will go above and beyond to help students grow both in their education and in character, but one Texas teacher took the cake.

GROSS: Teacher's lesson on the importance of hand-washing takes over the internet

Joseph Morales  who according to his Twitter lives in Houston  shared a tweet with the caption, "my teacher left the room during a test so we all started sharing answers. Then I look up and she was staring right at me."

The post also included a photo of his teacher staring down from the ceiling with a hugely disappointed look on her face. Talk about dedication.

Morales' post has received over 330,000 retweets and nearly 800,000 likes.

Needless to say the teacher's lesson was loud and clear. Those students will definitely think twice before cheating on a test again.

Chron.com reached out to Morales for comments about the incident, but was not able to get in touch.

Take a look through the gallery above to see hacks that will make help make the school year a breeze.
The Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce announced an effort to restore businesses heavily impacted by Hurricane Harvey at the State of County Luncheon, Friday, Sept. 29.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett was invited as the guest speaker for the event.

Jenna Armstrong, president of the Lake Houston Area Chamber of Commerce, announced the official launch of the Back to Business campaign, which focuses on restoring all businesses from the Lake Houston area, not just members of the chamber.

"I'm really proud of our chamber. Everyone is coming together to help each other out so we can get on that road to recovery," Armstrong said.

Businesses looking for grants to help assist them in re-opening are directed to apply for the Lake Houston Area Relief Fund grant online.

Armstrong stressed all funds raised will remain within the community, specifically to help rebuild businesses. "There is no FEMA for businesses," Armstrong said. "We are all stronger as one collective voice."

The campaign primarily is focused on businesses hit devastatingly by Hurricane Harvey.

Armstrong said, according the FEMA statistics, 40 percent of small businesses never reopen following a disaster, and she is not comfortable with that figure.

"I am sure that the Lake Houston area will do better than that statistic," Armstrong said.

In order to recharge the area's economy, Armstrong said, businesses need to get back up and running.

The chamber will be contacting each business that had to close, keeping in touch with them at least once a month and seeing what their needs are.

When businesses are ready to re-open, they will be heavily promoted by the chamber through newspaper ads, yard signs and social media blasts.

Emmett spoke on the usefulness the Astrodome posed during Hurricane Harvey relief.

He also discussed the decision the Corps of Engineers made to release the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, citing the decision was necessary.

Emmett said if the water was left to overflow, then the path of the flooding could not have been predicted, making it hard to control, but the direction was clear with the decision to release the water.

Emmett also expressed the need for more attention on flood plan preventions, and said while the focus is always Houston and Harris County, West and East Texas areas should be factored into plans to prevent the reoccurrence of devastating floods.
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The Arkema chemical plant  already facing multiple lawsuits over explosions of a volatile chemical in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey  is under criminal investigation by the Harris County District Attorney's Office, officials confirmed Friday.

The Crosby facility was inundated with 6 feet of water that wiped out its power and generators, leading to failure that caused volatile organic peroxides to explode multiple times over the course of a week.

Pillars of fire and thick plumes of black smoke shot into the air after the explosions, and more than a half-dozen first-responders were sickened.sickened.

Now Playing: arkema chemical plant Video: KRIV

"Companies should be on notice that we care when they pollute our air, our water, our environment," District Attorney Kim Ogg said Friday in a statement. "We are looking into exactly what happened at the plant. We are gathering facts and we will apply the law. Arkema is under criminal investigation."

An Arkema spokesperson said Friday the company has hired Houston attorney Rusty Hardin to represent them in legal matters related to the Crosby plant. Hardin, head of Rusty Hardin & Associates, previously represented the accounting firm Arthur Andersen during the Enron scandal, successfully arguing to the Supreme Court that the firm's obstruction of justice conviction be overturned.

Harris County commissioners have also authorized the county to file a lawsuit against the company. The county's Pollution Control Services Department found serious violations of the Clean Air Act by Arkema, County Attorney Vince Ryan has said.

Arkema has already been hit with at least one lawsuit, which claimed first-responders were left vomiting and gasping for breath after being overcome by fumes. The suit, which seeks at least $1 million, accuses Arkema of lacking proper procedures for keeping the chemicals cooled and failing to prepare for a major flood.

Arkema has declined to comment on the lawsuit, but has repeatedly said the explosions did not pose a safety concern if residents stayed out of the 1.5-mile evacuation area established prior to the first explosion.

"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," the company said in a statement at the time.

In the prelude to Harvey, Arkmea officials have said they believed the plant was prepared, having brought in extra generators to keep its volatile organic peroxides from heating up and exploding in the event of a power outage.

Then, rising floodwaters wiped out the company's backup generators, sending a dozen staff to move tens of thousands of explosive materials into freezer trailers.

Days later, the first of the nine trailers exploded. On Sept. 3, the Harris County Fire Marshal office set fire to the remaining six chemical trailers in what was described as a "proactive approach to minimize the impacts to the community."

The public was not told of the decision, instead finding out about the controlled explosions after huge plumes of black smoke filled the sky.

Arkema has also declined multiple requests for detailed breakdowns of the chemicals being held at its sites, and has refused to specify where at the site even more potentially dangerous chemicals are located.

CEO Richard Rowe previously defended the decision as balancing "the public's right to know and the public's right to be secure," and company spokespeople have falsely claimed that such requests would have to be directed to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Staff writer Matt Dempsey contributed to this report.
A staff member at a Texas high school has been placed on administrative leave after a video showing him involved in a physical altercation with a student was posted to YouTube.

The video taken at a Sweetwater High School pep rally Sept. 22 shows a man getting into a shoving match with what appears to be a student. The staff member seems to wrestle the student down before other staff members separate the two.
Zoe Learning Academy, a charter elementary school serving about 150 students in Houston's Greater Third Ward, will shut down immediately due to financial problems.

The charter's superintendent, Richard Rose, said the school didn't have enough students to generate sufficient revenue to operate. Enrollment at Zoe Learning Academy's campuses in Houston and Duncanville, a suburb of Dallas, had declined from about 500 in 2010-11 to about 300 this year. The Duncanville campus closed last week.

About 200 students were expected to attend the Houston campus of Zoe Learning Academy, but roughly 50 of them were displaced by Hurricane Harvey, Rose said. State officials had pledged to provide additional funding to schools serving students displaced by the storm.

Still, the school's financial shape had deteriorated in recent years, leaving it unable to stay open, Rose said. The school opened in 2001.

"We've done everything we can to provide parents a smooth transition, and our message to them will be that we've educated children in this community for 18 years, and we certainly wish that we could have continued to do that," Rose said.

In 2015-16, the most recent year with available information, Zoe Learning Academy reported unrestricted net assets of -$292,360. The charter district received a failing grade this year on the state's financial integrity rating scale, one of four charter schools in Texas to receive the designation.

The Houston campus received an "improvement required" rating for academic achievement from the state in 2013, 2015 and 2017. About 4 percent of Texas schools received an "improvement required" rating this year. Rose said academic issues played no role in the closure.

About 98 percent of the school's students were "economically disadvantaged," as defined by the state, in 2016-17.
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Last week, a 2015 video surfaced showing a Texas judicial nominee warning an audience that same-sex marriage would lead to polygamy and bestiality.

In the same speech, Jeff Mateer, President Donald Trump's pick for a federal judgeship in Texas, called transgender children part of "Satan's plan."

In a call with Texas reporters on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said he "was surprised about that," but the statement doesn't change his support for Mateer, according to The Dallas Morning News.

BACK AND FORTH: In Texas, Al Franken keeps jabbing at Ted Cruz

In a call with reporters on the same day, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said he too was "surprised" by Mateer's statements, but unlike Cruz, raised doubts about the nominee.

"We requested that sort of information about speeches and the like on his application," said Cornyn.

"I am evaluating that information, and I understand there may be even additional information other than that which has previously been disclosed," he added later.

Mateer is the first assistant attorney general of Texas, or the No. 2 in the state attorney general's office.

See the most LGBT-friendly cities in Texas above.
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.
AKRON, Ohio - Summit County has more than $3.1 million in unclaimed funds it wants to return to area residents.

The unclaimed money is accumulated from transactions such as overpayments, various county fees and costs, lost heirs accounts, and sheriff-sale proceeds performed at county agencies.

Summit County Fiscal Officer Kristen M. Scalise's office, which serves as trustee of county unclaimed funds, will host an unclaimed funds table at several different Acme Fresh Markets the last two weeks of October.

County staffers will be on-hand at the stores to search the unclaimed funds database for citizens' names and help them file a claim in one simple step to recover the money owed to them. The notary requirement will be waived for amounts under $1,000.

You also can search this online database for unclaimed funds totaling $10 or more. Just enter your last name or business name in the search box, but do not press the return button after you enter your name; the results will appear in a drop-down list.

If you are owed unclaimed funds you can file your own claim without using a paid professional finder service. The claim form is simple to complete and can be downloaded from the website here. You also must submit a photo copy of a valid form of I.D. such as a driver's license, state identification card or passport. Claim forms must be signed by the owner and notarized.

In 2016, the total amount of unclaimed funds paid to citizens was $86,911.69, with $29,490.16 recorded as the largest amount paid to an individual in the last five years.

Visit one of the following unclaimed funds tables at Acme Fresh Markets between 1-6 p.m.:

Monday, Oct. 16

Tuesday, Oct. 17

Wednesday, Oct. 18

Thursday, Oct. 19

Friday, Oct. 20

Monday, Oct. 23

Tuesday, Oct. 24 --

Wednesday, Oct. 25

Thursday, Oct. 26

Friday, Oct. 27

County unclaimed funds are held indefinitely and can be claimed at any time, except in cases where the funds are the result of a foreclosure or transfer without sale. Because of recent changes in the Ohio Revised Code, foreclosure and transfer-without-sale funds are now held for three years from the date of receipt. If the owner doesn't claim them within three years, the funds are given to the Summit County Land Bank.

For more information about unclaimed funds, or to find out if you have funds owed to you, send an email to the fiscal office or call 330-643-8056.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.
MEDINA, Ohio -- Police are searching for a woman who robbed a Chase Bank Thursday afternoon.

The robbery happened just before 5 p.m. at the East Reagan Parkway branch near North Jefferson Street, according to a news release from Medina police.

The woman walked into the bank, said she had a weapon and demanded cash, Medina police Lt. Dave Birckbichler said. Employees did not see a weapon, he added.

She left in an unknown direction after receiving a small amount of cash, the release says.

She was seen in a smaller burgundy sedan, police say possibly a Kia Optima, before the robbery, the release says. A male driver and a child in a car seat were in the car, the release says.

Anyone with information is asked to call Medina police at 330-725-7777

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. International Trade Commission has told a Chinese company that makes electronic writing tablets to stop pirating technology developed by Kent Displays, a Northeast Ohio pioneer in liquid crystal display devices.

Shenzhen Sunstone Technology, operating under the name iQbe, was accused by the Kent-based maker of the Boogie Board e-writer of illegally using Kent Displays' patented technologies in knock-off tablets. According to a Federal Register notice Friday, the International Trade Commission agreed this week on the violation and told iQbe to cease and desist.

The Chinese firm was found in default in the case earlier this year after it failed to even respond to Kent Displays' complaint, according to the trade panel. Kent Displays said it believed the company was nevertheless continuing to sell its electronic writing devices so it kept pushing for the ITC order that came out this week.

Kent Displays filed its complaint last year against iQbe and another Chinese company, Shenzhen Howshow Technology Co., but later dropped Shenzhen Howshow. That didn't mean it didn't think the latter company also wasn't improperly using its technology, but Kent Displays decided to pursue Shenzhen Howshow in non-judicial venues instead.

Continuing to pursue the case before the ITC, a quasi-judicial U.S. government body that lets all parties demand information to support their respective sides, meant risking exposure of proprietary technologies, said Todd Packer, Kent Displays' intellectual property manager. There was no risk of that with iQbe, since it wasn't even bothering to fight the accusation. But in the case of Shenzhen Howshow, Kent Displays chose other venues and methods, such as petitioning directly to e-commerce sites to remove sale of copycat Shenzhen Howshow e-writers, Packer said.

The Boogie Board uses technology that evolved from early work on liquid crystal materials by scientists from Kent State University. Kent Displays, a private company, was created in 1993 by Professor Bill Doane of the Liquid Crystal Institute at KSU and William Manning of Manning and Napier in Rochester, New York. In 2010, the company launched the Boogie Board e-writer.

The technology enables users to take notes or make drawings on a handheld device with a polymer screen, using a stylus or even a fingernail. The notes or drawings can be saved, deleted and linked through an app to other electronic devices such as smartphones.

Comparisons are sometimes made to the Etch A Sketch, with its glass screen. But Kent Displays says that comparison ignores huge differences in technology, materials and the many applications of the Boogie Board, which is used in universities, private enterprise and governments across the globe. Albert Green, Kent Displays CEO and a physicist with a doctorate from Stanford, has served on advisory boards for the White House and Commerce Department.

In its order this week, the U.S. International Trade Commission told iQbe to stop importing, selling, marketing or transferring unlicensed liquid crystal display e-writers.

The decision won't be final until President Donald Trump's administration signs off. But if iQbe wishes to keep selling its devices in the United States in the meantime, it will have to post a bond equal to 100 percent of the value of all the e-writers it brings in, according to this week's order.
WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Ohio -- The man accused of shooting two Willoughby Hills police officers Thursday following a dispute with employees at a BMW dealership has an "extensive criminal history," authorities said Friday evening.

The man, who was only identified as a 30-year-old white male, had multiple outstanding warrants before the 2 p.m. shooting at Classic BMW Som Center Road near Interstate 90, according to a Willoughby Hills police news release and incident report.

His last known address was on Bishop Road in Willoughby Hills, police said.

Employees called 911 when the man started swearing and refused to leave the dealership after he arrived to have his car serviced Thursday afternoon. The manager told police the man may have been under the influence. Two officers arrived at the scene and attempted to deescalate the situation, police have said.

The man pulled out his gun as he spoke with the officers, and the officers pulled out their own weapons. Authorities have not said who fired the first shot.

The two patrol officers and the man remained in area hospitals Friday. Authorities have not yet charged the man.

WKYC identified the man by name and as a resident of Mayfield Heights.

cleveland.com does not identify people until they are formally charged with a criminal offense. But the man's criminal history dates back to nearly a decade ago and shows a bevy charges.

The Garfield Heights Municipal Court issued a warrant for his arrest March 3, 2015 because he failed to appear in court in a drunken-driving case, court records show.

The Shaker Heights Municipal Court also issued a warrant for his arrest March 30, 2015 because he did not appear at a pretrial hearing. The man was charged in that case with speeding, driving under suspension, a license plate violation and contempt, records show.

In 2008, the man was sentenced to two years on probation after he pleaded guilty in Marion County Court to possessing LSD, court records show.

The man's criminal history also includes misdemeanor convictions for drug possession, traffic offenses and disorderly conduct, records show.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments section.
LORAIN, Ohio -- Gladys Santana has been working in the hall of Sacred Heart Church on Pearl Road preparing tons of goods to be shipped to the devastated island of Puerto Rico. She knows what she is doing will help many people, perhaps even her uncles and aunts.

She has not heard from her four uncles and two aunts since Hurricane Maria slammed the tiny island more than a week ago and worry is never far from her mind.

"I'm so worried about them and all the people in Puerto Rico," she said. "My relatives are in San Lorenzo and there is no phone service, so I just wait and worry."

She was not alone, many of the people had heard from relatives and breathed a sigh of relief, but just as many had not. They all keep one ear to their phones waiting for that call.

One of the volunteers, Maria Gonzales, got a call but it was not the one she hoped for. She was told Thursday that her aunt, Maria Alicea Aviles, 90, died on Sept. 22 after the machine that operated her feeding tube ran out of gas at her home. They had no way of getting more gas, and the woman slipped away.

"I went there 20 years ago to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary," she said. "It's sad that she died that way for a lack of gas."

She was keeping her mind off her grief by helping others.

A.J. Torres, a retired Ohio Highway Patrol officer, said the operation at the church has been going strong since Monday and it's succeeding beyond anything they expected.

"We were hoping to fill one tractor trailer and send it out," he said Friday as a line of cars waited to drop off more goods at the church. "We're up to six and we expect to send at least another one out in a week or so. People have been incredibly generous, and it's not just Puerto Rican people from Lorain, it's all people from all over the area."

When asked if any of the almost 100 people working in the church hall had relatives in Puerto Rico, Torres laughed.

"We all do," he said. "Everyone here has people there. That's why we do this."

Their success was so unexpected that they realized they didn't have enough money to send the trucks all the way to LaGuardia Airport in New York.

"We got the word out on Facebook and very quickly a local family sent us $600 for gas and tolls," he said. "Then people started donating and before we knew it we had $6,000. The UAW workers from the Ford plant in Avon Lake alone raised $3,700. It's overwhelming and all the money will be put to good use."

Pallets loaded with bottled water, food of all kinds, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, diapers and baby food, first aid and even pallets of dog and cat food were being loaded onto tractor-trailers which will leave early Saturday morning. They even had several badly needed generators getting ready to be shipped, machines that people purchased locally and brought to the church to be sent over.

"You should have seen it yesterday," said Rachel Velez, the former wife of Trooper Kenneth Velez who was killed last Sept. 15 when hit by a car on Interstate 90. "It was like a Sam's Club in here, we couldn't even walk."

She said she was not surprised at the response.

"When Kenneth died people did the same thing," she said. "They did so much for the family, they were so generous."

Lorain has long been a destination for Puerto Rican men and women seeking better jobs at the once-booming steel mills. Of the 108,174 Puerto Ricans living in Ohio, 17,437 live in the city of Lorain.

Velez said with every box she fills she thinks of her relatives and relatives of her ex-husband who are dealing with the aftermath of not one, but two, hurricanes. Most of the island is without electricity, gasoline and water is scarce when available at all. Roads are washed out or impassable due to landslides.

"We heard from some relatives that are okay, they lost a lot but they can rebuild. At least they are safe," she said. "They line up and get one minute of cell phone use at a tower, but it was long enough. But I have a cousin and an aunt that live up in the mountains that I have not heard a word from them. It's a terrible feeling to not know."

Two of the drivers are Edwin Diaz and his son, Edwin Jr., both of Lorain. They will each drive a rig to the New York airport early Saturday morning, even as they worry about relatives.

"I have cousins in Naranjito that no one has heard from," he said. "I have seen videos of the damage there and we are really concerned. Are they eating? Are they safe? Do they have water? It keeps me awake worrying about them. I wish I could move them here to be safe."

He said driving the trucks to New York is a way of making him feeling like he is helping.

But, by the sheer weight of numbers, Alva Rios has more to worry about than anyone.

"My mother is 89 and she is the oldest of a family of 11, she lives with me in Lorain," said Rios. "Nine of her siblings live in Puerto Rico. I have over 100 cousins and I have not heard from many of them. One of my uncles lives in an area hit by mudslides."

She was proud of another uncle that she did hear from and what he is doing for his neighbors.

"My uncle, William Morales, has a large grocery store in Bayamon," she said. "He has generators and he has been using them to cook the food from his store and giving it away to everyone he can. He spoke to my mother, who was so glad to hear from him."

Sacred Heart Church will accept donations for the next relief tractor trailer to leave in two weeks. They can be reached at 440-277-7231.
In Geneva, two individuals have been identified as having flushed tens of thousands of euros in cut-up 500 notes like these. The questions is  why?

The times have been good lately for some lucky plumbers in Geneva, Switzerland. According to multiple media reports, tens of thousands of euros in cut-up 500 notes were found flushed down the toilets and clogging the pipes near the vault area of a UBS bank branch in downtown Geneva. Then, several days later, more were discovered in a few area restaurants. Thousands of francs were required to pay for undoing the expensive mess.

U.S. Mint welcomes a fourth metal to the American Eagle bullion program. Also in this weeks print issue of Coin World, we teach our readers about what a weak-fatty gold coin is and why you dont want one in your collection.

The incidents are being investigated by authorities, and the Geneva Tribune says that a local lawyer has been questioned. The Geneva prosecutors office told the BBC that it was trying to determine where the notes came from and whether there was a crime involved, even though destroying bank notes is not illegal in Switzerland. Business Insider said on Sept. 19 that two Spain nationals were responsible and that their lawyer indicated that the pair had compensated the restaurants for the damage. He did not specify the method of payment.

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The 500 note was in the news in 2016 when the European Central Bank said that, although the note would remain legal tender, it would stop printing them and start taking them out of circulation in 2018. This is part of a campaign to make illegal transactions such as money laundering more difficult. The Swiss 1,000-franc note, valued at about $1,030, remains popular and the number in circulation is on the increase.


D.H. Lawrence in Studies in Classic American Literature.

Never trust the artist. Trust the tale. The proper function of the critic is to save the tale from the artist who created it.
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Bridgeports Columbus Day weekend celebration is scheduled to include two free concerts by the 50-member Quantico Marine Corps Band, a Sunday parade and an Italian festa on Madison Avenue.

Columbus, an Italian sailing for the Spanish crown, was the first 15th century European explorer to reach the New World.

Festivities will feature the Quantico Marine Corps Band on Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport. Concert-goers are asked to bring nonperishable items to the Klein prior to concerts for distribution to veterans in need.

Established in 1918, the Quantico Marine Corps Band from Quantico, Va., is one of the oldest professional musical ensembles in the Marine Corps. The 50-member band is scheduled to play patriotic favorites, such as John Philip Sousa marches, as well as symphonic selections. It is under the direction of Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert A. Szabo.

Were very excited about coming back to Bridgeport this year, Band Master/Master Sergeant David J. Wilson said. We enjoy bringing the band on tour to take part in Bridgeports Columbus Day Celebration. The citizens are fantastic and we always play to a packed auditorium.

The 109th Columbus Day Parade, one of the oldest continuous parades in the state, steps off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8, in Bridgeports North End, starting at the corner of Wayne Street and Jewett Avenue and proceeding south on Wayne Street to Madison Avenue, finishing at Micalizzis Italian Ices/Ice Cream Shop.

Richard Iannucci, this years parade chairman, helped to organize more than 75 units that comprise the parade roster. Also featured will be the Pyramid Shriner racers and clowns, Chester Fife and Drum, Fairfield Gaelic Pipes and Drums, an Italian marching band from Brooklyn, N.Y., an Italian dance troupe, the Second Company Governors Horse Guard, the Shelton combined High School and Intermediate Bands and Guard, and floats, including a replica of the Santa Maria with Christopher Columbus at the helm.

On Sunday, from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. a celebration of Italian culture and heritage will take place in and around Micalizzis, 712 Madison Ave. Music, Italian food and treats, activities for children, such as face painting and walk-around magicians and jugglers, will be featured.

We have a great festa in store for the entire family, including a cannoli eating contest. So join us for lots of fun, said Jay Piccirillo, festa chairman.

Marine Corps Band concerts, Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport. Friday, Oct. 6, and Saturday, Oct. 7, both at 7 p.m. Free, but tickets are required, available at Lupes Drug Store, 3129 Main St., Bridgeport. 203-374-0600.
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Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who died Wednesday at age 91, left behind not just a publishing empire but an iconic piece of Los Angeles property, in the form of the fabled Playboy Mansion.

With Hef moving on to the Great Grotto in the Sky, what happens now to the mansion, the site of numerous celebrity-studded parties as well as the location from which Hefner oversaw his girlie-mag empire?

The property, which Hefner had resided in since 1971, was purchased for $100 million in August 2016 by Hefners neighbor Daren Metropoulos, previously the co-owner and co-CEO of Pabst Brewing Company, and current co-owner of Hostess Brands. Metropoulos is the son of former Greenwich billionaire investor C. Dean Metropoulos, who now lives in Florida.

Also Read: Let's Stop Calling Hugh Hefner a Feminist Hero

As part of the deal, however, Hefner was allowed to live in the mansion, located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, for the remainder of his life. According to the Los Angeles Times, Playboy Enterprises agreed to lease the property from Metropoulos for $1 million a year.

A spokesperson for Metropoulos declined to answer TheWraps request for information regarding if or when the Hostess honcho planned to take up residence in the mansion, or what renovations he had in the works, noting that Metropoulos thoughts are with Mr. Hefners family right now.

Metropoulos did issue a statement on Hefners passing, noting, Hugh Hefner was a visionary in business, a giant in media and an iconic figure of pop culture whose legacy will leave a lasting impact. I was fortunate to know him as a neighbor and friend and I extend my deepest sympathies to his family.

Also Read: Hugh Hefner Sex Diaries: Who Gets Mythical Videotapes, Logs of Mansion Romps?

However, an announcement of the purchase last year laid out a detailed plan for the mansions future. The announcement noted that Metropoulos intended to connect the mansion with his property next door, which he purchased in 2009, to create a 7.3 acre compound.

I feel fortunate and privileged to now own a one-of-a-kind piece of history and art, Metropoulos added. I look forward to eventually rejoining the two estates and enjoying this beautiful property as my private residence for years to come.

Beyond connecting the two properties, which according to the Times were both designed by Arthur R. Kelly, it doesnt appear that Metropoulos plans drastic renovations to the mansion. The Twinkie mogul went on at length about the mansions design and heritage following the purchase.

Also Read: Hugh Hefner's Young Widow Crystal Harris 'Won the Jackpot,' Say Twitter Trolls

For the last 45 years, Mr. Hefner has imbued the estate with a rich and storied legacy, Metropoulos said in a statement. The propertys heritage is not only that of a famous address; it is a true masterpiece in design, constructed by a noted architect for a family who played an important role in the development of Los Angeles in the early 20th century.

Given the presumed decades of decadence that the mansion has been witness to, Metropoulos might want to have a cleaning crew go through the place before he moves in, though.

Read original story Hugh Hefner Death: What Happens to the Playboy Mansion Now? At TheWrap
The Connecticut General Assembly has complied a list of all the acts going into effect across the state on Oct. 1  among them, changes to domestic violence crimes, sexting, hate crimes and the Safe Haven law.

There are 140 new acts going into effect Sunday. The full list can be found on the Connecticut General Assembly website. Previous Legislation can also be found on the website, dating back to 2007.

There are three dates throughout the year when new Legislation typically takes effect: Jan. 1, July 1 and Oct. 1, according to the CGA.

For this wave of new acts, some are as simple as a new mushroom act that allows people to take mushrooms from state parks for their own personal use.

New child seat-belt laws are also in effect in the state beginning Sunday. Several police departments and organizations have been hosting events where parents are invited to attend and learn about the new laws.

But other acts are more detailed, addressing issues with current laws and providing revisions.

Domestic violence

There are various changes to domestic violence laws effective Oct. 1, according to the CGA.

The act expands the definition of what constitutes stalking to include behavior that would cause a reasonable person to suffer emotional distress. It specifies that first-degree and second-degree stalking can take place on social media or through electronics.

It also broadens the statutes for strangulation to include suffocation when a person covers another persons nose or mouth.

Penalties for violating the conditions of release when a violation involves a certain type of conduct  though the act does not specify  are increased by the act.

The act creates the requirement of a pre-sentence investigation for any person convicted of a family violence felony where a prison sentence may be imposed. The defendant is not allowed to waive the investigation.

There are also slight conforming and technical changes, the summary of the act indicated.

Sexting

Under the new act for sexting by a child, there are a few changes starting Sunday.

The act removes the lower age limit associated with the law about possession of and sending child pornography by a minor. This change means minors under the age of 13 will be subjected to a misdemeanor charge, rather than a felony charge.

The class A misdemeanor charge for this will apply if the sender is 15-years-old or younger and the subject of the images is 17-years-old or younger.

Previously, the class A misdemeanor charge only applied if the sender was 13- to 15-years-old and the subject of the images was 13- to 17-years-old. Minors younger than 13 were subjected to felony charges and, if convicted, registered as sex offenders.

Sexting in defined by the CGA as: possession of a visual depiction of child pornography that the subject of the depiction knowingly and voluntarily sent to the recipient by an electronic device capable of transmitting a visual depiction.

Safe Haven

The Safe Haven law has been in effect since 2000. This act adds some revisions to the states laws and will go into effect on Oct. 1.

The law requires hospitals to designate an area in the emergency departments where a parent or a parents legal agent can surrender an infant  30 days old or younger  without facing arrest or charges for abandonment.

The new act requires the Department of Children and Families to identify a prospective adoptive parent within on business day after they receive notification of the infants surrender, if such a parent is available.

It also limits the circumstances in which DCF can remove an infant from a prospective adoptive parents home if the infant has been in his or her care for at least 30 consecutive days. If such a removal is set to take place, the prospective adoptive parent can now request a hearing before said removal.

Circumstances in which the DCF commissioner can require DNA tests to determine an infants parentage are specified under the new act.

The act the information a hospital employee can disclose about a surrender if the employee believes the infant was neglected or abused. It also prohibits DCF from providing information about the birth parents of an infant to prospective adoptive, or foster, parents without a court order.

For clarification purposes, the act defines a prospective adoptive parent as a foster paper waiting for the placement of  or who has  a child or children placed in his or her home under the Safe Haven law for adoptions purposes. A foster parent is defined as a person licensed by DCF  or otherwise approved by a DCF-licensed child-placing agency  to take care of a child or children in a private home.

Hate crimes

There are several changes to the states hate crime laws in the act that goes into effect on Oct. 1. Among those changes is an enhancement of penalties for some cases.

Generally, the act modifies the elements of certain hate crimes that deprives someone of his or her rights.

The new act imposes a minimum fine for certain hate crimes. Deprivation of rights, desecration of property, cross burning and first-, second- and third-degree intimidation based on bias or bigotry are included in the certain hate crimes where a minimum fine is imposed.

Courts are now about to cancel or reduce the minium fines if the court states on the record its reasonings for doing so, according to the summary for the new act.

The penalty for desecrating a house of religious worship will increase, effective Sunday, with the new act. It also increases the penalty for first- and second-degree threatening when it affects a house of worship and a religiously-affiliated community center or day care center.

Penalties for third-degree intimidation based on bias or bigotry will be bumped up from a class A misdemeanor to a class E felony.

The new act allows the courts to require hate crime offenders participate in certain programs as a condition of probation or conditional release.

And finally, the new act replaces the Hate Crimes Advisory Committee with the State-Wide Hate Crimes Advisory Council  which is a council within the office of the chief states attorney, the summary for the act said.
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SHELTON  Tired of losing money on its school lunch program, the school district changed food service vendors over the summer in hopes of breaking even or better.

Cafeteria workers, however, say they may be the ones to pay the price.

They want us to take a 10 to 12 percent pay cut by losing affordable insurance, Ann Kosiorowski a lunch lady assigned to Shelton Intermediate School, said. Its unacceptable... Its creating a crisis for us.

Janet Martin Allen, a cafeteria worker for 37 years in the district, called the contract being proposed to them by Whitsons New England Inc., the worst ever.

And I have been through this five times, Allen said of previous contracts negotiated with Sodexo, the districts last long-time food service provider.

Members of UNITE HERE Local 217, filled the Shelton School board meeting this past week. Most carried signs and personal stories of working not only to help support their families but to secure health insurance.

Im the sole provider for insurance of my family, said Lillian Bartomeli, whose husband is self-employed and whose son is a cancer survivor. Without my health insurance, he wont be able to go to the doctors.

Schools Superintendent Chris Clouet, said the workers have also been a presence at back to school nights this fall to air their frustrations over contract negotiations gone sour.

When Whitsons took over the expectation was they would hire all 41 cafeteria workers in the district at similar pay levels. The pay rate is $16.57 an hour, workers say.

Whitsons is not living up to the Boards expectations, said Christina Cruz-Uribe, a union organizer. We are asking the board to hold Whitsons accountable for the standards the board articulated.

Cruz-Uribe said Whitsons is asking cafeteria workers to sacrifice paid-time-off and accept high new deductibles on health insurance that they simply cannot afford.

The paid-time off, she said, offers a buffer for the hourly staff on snow days when school is closed and lunch is not served. At present, all staff are eligible for health insurance whether they work 20 or 30 hours. That too may be in jeopardy.

This is something women prior to us fought for, Kosiorowski said.

Clouet said he was sympathetic but that the workers were appealing to the wrong body.

We like these women. We know they have done a good job for us and our children, Clouet said. And we also know that we are not able to speak to the issue because we are not a party to the negotiations ... We are not legally able to participate.

Clouet said lunch prices did not raise when the new company took over and that the district is hopeful there will be some profit at the end of the school year as opposed to a deficit. The firm has a one year contract with the district, renewable for up to four more years.

Headquartered in New York, Whitsons also runs food services in Hamden, Fairfield, and East Haven. A spokesman on Friday did not respond to a request for comment on the situation.

While negotiations are ongoing, the workers are utilizing COBRA Health Insurance. That runs out at the end of October.

Our goal, as always, is to cause as little disruption as possible, Cruz-Uribe said. However, we are committed to escalate our campaign as necessary to achieve a fair agreement.
Environmental groups say Connecticuts landmark climate change programs  greenhouse gas reduction initiatives and the Green Bank  are being sacrificed to close the state budget deficit.

While the federal government chooses to ignore the real impacts of climate change, its up to the states to pick up the slack, said Louis Burch, program director for the Citizens Campaign for the Environment.

These debilitating cuts will set Connecticut back even further on fighting climate change, Burch said.

Burch was joined this week by representatives of 10 other environmental groups in denouncing tens of millions of dollars in proposed cuts to green energy programs in dueling budgets from the General Assemblys Democratic and Republican caucuses.

The Republican plan  passed by the House and Senate with the help of eight Democrats  drew the most criticism, because it contains the largest cutbacks. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy vetoed the GOP budget this week, sending lawmakers back to square one.

Burch said as legislators search for a budget compromise, the temptation will grow to cut green programs intended to lessen the impact of climate change.

This is a non-partisan message we are trying to put out that there are folks on both sides that supported these cuts, Burch said.

More Information Targeted The GOP budget plan vetoed by the governor this week would slash $26 million over two years from the state's Green Bank and remove $20 million over two years from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative signed with nine other states. See More Collapse

Chris Phelps, state director for Environment Connecticut, said the proposed green cuts would cost jobs and harm the environment.

If insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results, then raiding ratepayer clean energy funds that strengthen Connecticuts economy and cut pollution is budgetary insanity, Phelps said.

Deep reductions

The GOP budget plan would slash $26 million over two years from the states Green Bank, which represents half of its direct funding, and remove $20 million over two years from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative signed with nine other states.

The Green Bank loans money to homeowners and businesses for alternative energy conversion projects, such as solar arrays and other clean energy options. The Green Bank is credited with creating more than 12,000 direct and over 30,000 indirect jobs, many of which are highly skilled, technical jobs.

The RGGI is the first market-based program in the U.S in which energy producers bid against each other for the right to emit carbon. The proceeds from those auctions, along with state funds, are used to help pay for renewable energy projects that reduce carbon emissions.

The General Assemblys majority Democrats  with Malloys support  proposed cutting $31.6 million over two years from the states Clean Energy Fund. That decrease was somewhat offset by increasing a surcharge on electric bills to bring in $21.6 million over two years.

The Clean Energy Fund is used to help homeowners improve energy efficiency and lower monthly utility bills.

Chris Collibee, a spokesman for Malloy, said the governor faced many difficult decisions.

In order to present, and ultimately arrive at a balanced budget, many difficult decisions are going to have to be made when it comes to both expenditures and revenue, Collibee said. However, (Malloy) will not lose sight of his core values, including protecting our environment.

Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said the Republican cuts to the Green Bank would damage the states growing green industry.

Now is not the time to cut investments in a growing industry, Duff said. The Green Bank has created thousands of jobs in Connecticut, including right here in Norwalk.

State Sen. Scott Frantz, R-Greenwich and one of a handful of GOP members who helped write the Republican budget, said cutting green funding came down to a choice between fully funding the climate change programs or diverting money to social services that help disabled residents and those in serious need.

We can come back to this, Frantz said, referring to green funding. And some Democrats felt the same way too.

Energy and jobs

David Sutherland, director of government relations for The Nature Conservancys Connecticut chapter, said the Green Bank must be protected.

Connecticuts Green Bank is a rarity these days, a highly successful, financially innovative program that was established with broad bi-partisan support, that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves residents and businesses money on their energy bills, Sutherland said.

Claire Coleman, a climate and energy attorney with the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, said raiding the Green Bank and the RGGI is the wrong approach.

Slashing the Green Bank and raiding funds from the RGGI would harm both Connecticuts economy and health for years to come, Coleman said. These programs not only save Connecticut families money, they also save lives and cut health care costs by reducing unhealthy pollution.

John Harrity, president of the Connecticut State Council of Machinists and member of the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, said thousands of jobs depend on the states green energy programs

This diversion will do little to address the states overall deficit, but will have a profound impact on programs that help cut energy costs while reducing fossil fuel use, Harrity said.
29 Eylul 2017 Cuma, 10:57

Following the holding of Barzanis independence referendum in Northern Iraq, AKP General Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke of the sanctions that would be applied. Erdogan said, Along with all these, let us see where and through which channels the Northern Iraq Regional Government is now going to send or sell its petrol. We have the stopcock. The moment we close the stopcock, this business will be over, too. Erdogan also commented, When we start applying our sanctions, you will disappear from the scene. We didnt expect Barzani to make this error and we were mistaken.



The reply to Erdogans We were mistaken outburst was not long in coming from the Barzani government. Rebwar Kerim Weli, Editor-in-Chief of Rudaw, known for its closeness to Barzani, addressed Erdogan in an article he penned. Weli wrote, Your excellency the President, you say, We were at their sides at the worst of times. We were mistaken. Assad deceived you. As did Netanyahu. As did Obama. Is Mr Barzan also the latest? How is it that you are so easily deceived? No, your excellency the President, Kurdistan and President Barzani did not deceive you at all. But, you perhaps deceived the Kurdish people for the votes you felt you needed on the way to the presidential system.



THE VOTE YOU GOT IS LEGITIMATE, SO WHY IS THE 92% YES VOTE ILLEGITIMATE?



Weli commented as follows in the article with the headline, Mr Erdogan, be a true man!:



Even as of the first day, you pronounced the independence referendum which 92% of the Kurdish people supported to be illegitimate and a disgrace. Why, your excellency the President? The 51.4% of the vote you got in the referendum on the Presidential system of government is legitimate, so why is the 92% yes vote that the Kurdish people gave in favour of their self-determination illegitimate? Because we are Kurdish?



WHERE DID THE MONEY FROM THE KURDISH PETROL YOU SOLD GO?



Touching on Erdogans comments about sanctions, Weli continued his article as follows:



Then, you threaten to close the stopcock? Despite Baghdads objections, with Kurdish petrol being sent to Ceyhan and, from there, travelling as far as the Gulf of Mexico by ship  whose are those ships? - why did you not close the stopcock? Where did the money from the Kurdish petrol you sold go? Why did it not occur to you to close the stopcock with the money sitting in Halkbank despite Baghdads objections?



HOW IS IT THAT YOU ARE SO EASILY DECEIVED?



Your excellency the President, you say, We were at their sides at the worst of times. We were mistaken. Assad deceived you. As did Netanyahu. As did Obama. Is Mr Barzan also the latest? How is it that you are so easily deceived? No, your excellency the President, Kurdistan and President Barzani did not deceive you at all. But, you perhaps deceived the Kurdish people for the votes you felt you needed on the way to the presidential system.



Did you not invite Mr Mesud Barzani, who you now say, has betrayed this country, to the Kurdish provinces in the capacity of President in election periods? Was Mr Barzani not the President of Kurdistan when you were saying Megri Megri together at rally grounds? Has the Kurdistan flag, hoisted on the pole in Ankara in days when you felt the need for its support, now become illegitimate?



ARE YOU TO ALLY WITH IS?



Weli wrote: You threaten to burn all the bridges that have been set up between Kurdistan and Turkey and say the military option is on the table. Are you now to bomb Kurdistan following BAATH? Are Turkish soldiers stationed in Kurdistan with the Kurdish governments permission to wage war with the Peshmerga and the Kurdistan people? Or, are you to ally with the Hashdi Shabi, which has stated it will battle the Turkish army at every opportunity, or with IS, which burns Turkish soldiers alive?





IS KURDISTAN TO SEEK PERMISSION FOR ITS OWN SELF-DETERMINATION?



Weli, saying in his article, Remember, your excellency the President, that the blood of Turkish soldiers and Peshmergas flowed together in Kurdistan. Peshmergas and Turkish soldiers have become blood brothers, commented as follows: Your excellency the President, you say, We are giving loans. When you set out to make such a move, you do not say, Lets ask. Is Kurdistan to seek permission for its own self-determination? Did the Turkish people seek permission?



Your excellency the President, you have constantly requested assistance and support for domestic peace in your own country. Is it for failing to get permission from you for the independence referendum that Mr Barzani has now once more become a traitor and tribal leader?



Your excellency the President, I entered this world as a refugee, I have always lived as a refuge and I will perhaps die as a refugee. But, my child and the children of Kurdistan will henceforth live in a free country and not as refugees.



Your excellency the President, do not burn the bridges of trust, fraternity and peace that have been built with difficulty between Turks and Kurds, between Turkey and Kurdistan. Do not sow the seeds of enmity and hate between Kurdistan and Turkey. As you have always said, On the stone bier, they will mourn a true man, not a president. Be a true man.
The First Amendment was at the forefront of a discussion led by M. David Rudd, president of the University of Memphis, Monday in the Administration Building.

This meeting was held in preparation for upcoming campus events.

With controversial political analyst Dinesh DSouza scheduled to speak on campus Oct. 10, members of the faculty senate, the Student Government Association (SGA) and other representatives discussed the First Amendment and how the university can approach issues related to free speech.

The importance of free speech, recognizing the boundaries around hate speech and the steps campus can take to prevent potential violence were also discussed.

SGA will host another event related to free speech Oct. 3 at noon.

I really believe that we have an actively diverse community and that theres been good dialogue and discussion, President M. David Rudd said at the meeting. I would encourage, whether its what people describe as left or right, that dialogue and discussion is a good thing for all of us.

During the discussion Otis Sanford, journalism professor with the Hardin Chair of Excellence, made note of a survey from the Brookings Institute that reviewed a lack of understanding of the First Amendment by college students.

The survey interviewed students from 49 states and found 20 percent of responders said they thought it was acceptable to act - including resorting to violence - to prevent speech they considered offensive.

Jake Kolar, chairman of the Memphis chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), said at the meeting that no large protests occurred during last semesters YAFs events. Still, posters advertising speaker Allen West were torn down about 5 times. Steps were discussed to prevent this from happening again.

Kolar also said during the meeting the U of M is very politically and civically disengaged.

Students here at Memphis usually just come and go from class, Kolar said. So they dont stay around unless they live on campus. College republicans and YAF - weve really been trying to amp up our participation and get people civically engaged. And thats not just dissenting political opinions but thats through voter registration.

The upcoming Dinesh DSouza lecture, Trigger Warning: America is the Greatest Country on Earth, is sponsored by YAF and Student Event Allocations. Though DSouza is a conservative political commentator, author and filmmaker who is often criticized for controversial statements and tweets, Kolar said he does not agree with everything DSouza says.

There is not one person that I completely agree with 100 percent, Kolar said. I think if you agree with somebody 100 percent thats not effective. I cant trust people who agree with me 100 percent  I do not agree with everything Mr.DSouza says. I didnt agree with everything Allen West said. I dont agree with everything that Ronald Reagan said.

After Dinesh Dsouza speaks for 20 to 25 minutes at the event there will be a question and answer portion.
A Memphian is trying to raise awareness after Hurricane Mariaas destruction of Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, which Puerto Rican officials described as aapocalyptic.a

When authorities flew over the island Saturday, they saw the millions of citizens without power or communication, limited access to food and water, eight-hour lines to get gasoline and a collapsed infrastructure. The devastation the island territory has face is said to have set Puerto Rico back 20-30 years, said Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez.

Puerto Rico native Marlon Mercado started a Facebook group, aReportate PR,a in order to help the Puerto Rican community and raise the awareness he said that the media wasnat giving.

Mercado, who has lived in Memphis for a year, said he felt useless not being able to help his family or island in such a tragic timeaa family he hasnat heard from in two weeks.

aMany people donat know we are U.S. citizens,a Mercado said. aThey forget that weare humans, and thatas why they donat want to help us.a

Mercado, 40, said he feels that media generally disregards Puerto Rico. Compared to when Harvey and Irma hit, Puerto Rico didnat initially receive anywhere close to the same amount of coverage.

aHarvey and Irma were on the news 24/7, but to see anything about Puerto Rico, I have to download an app,a Mercado said. aThey donat talk about whatas really going to keep ratings up. Puerto Rico gave a lot of support to cities affected by Harvey and Irma, but no one talked about it.a

ABCas aThis Week,a CBSa aFace the Nation,a Foxas aFox News Sunday,a CNNas aState of the Uniona and NBCas aMeet the Pressa each dedicated less than one minute to Mariaas devastation during the Sunday after the storm hit, according to Media Matters, a web-based media research organization.

Mercado said no one cared about the community until people started criticizing the president for not talking about the devastation.

President Donald Trump addressed the matter on Sept. 25 on Twitter.

aTexas and Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble,a Trump tweeted. aItas [sic] old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated.a

Puerto Ricoas roads are damaged, and 30 percent of people donat have water, Mercado said. People cannot get medical help because the hospitals have no power and are paying $11 for water. Mercado said the people are doing anything they can to provide food for their loved ones.

aThe international airport is open with minimal air traffic,a Mercado said. aOnly first-hand responders come in, and the government is only allowing two commercial flights a day to come in so they can avoid people coming in just to look at the damage.a

Mercadoas group will host a free event at Shelby Farms Park Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. to inform people about what is going on in the aftermath of Maria and what Memphis can do to help the Puerto Rican community.
Campus police are mandated to report sexual assaults and dangerous environments through the Clery Act and Title IX.

About one in five women are sexually assaulted while attending college, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, and the same is true for one in 16 college men. The NSVRC also said more than 90 percent of sexual assault victims on college campuses do not report the assault to police.

The Clery Act is a consumer protection law that aims to provide transparency in campus crime policy, Laura Egan, senior director of training and technical assistance at the Clery Center, said.

A schools annual security report must include statistics regarding campus crime for the preceding three calendar years, plus details on measures taken to improve campus safety, according to the Clery Act. The policy statements must include the schools response and prevention to crimes like sexual assault, domestic or dating violence and stalking.

In order to comply with Clery Act requirements, colleges and universities must understand what the law entails, and the act requires colleges and universities that receive federal funding to publish an annual security report to employees and students every Oct. 1, Egan said.

Egan executes trainings and creates resources to help professionals at college campuses understand how to comply with and implement the Clery Act.

Most of our work centers on creating educational materials, resources, trainings and workshops, Egan said. September is National Campus Safety Awareness Month, and we offer free professional development resources in the form of tools, guides and webinars.

Schools also have a responsibility to provide victims of any crimes with a written explanation of rights, the Clery Act states. These rights include the option for a change in transportation, housing and/or relocation and/or academic courses. Rights also include access to counseling, legal services and local law enforcement notification.

The Clery Act also requires campus officials to evaluate if a serious threat to the campus community is ongoing and to determine if a timely warning should be issued to students and staff.

Under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, sex discrimination is prohibited at any education institution that receives federal funding. Title IX requires schools to respond to and remedy hostile education environments, or they could lose funding.

The University of Memphis Office of Student Conducts website states any form of sexual misconduct is a violation of both state and federal laws and may be prosecuted in the criminal justice system as well as through the universitys disciplinary process.

United States Education Secretary Betsy DeVos released a letter Sept. 22 outlining a new campus sexual assault policy. The U of Ms Office of Institutional Equity oversees compliance with Title IX and is a resource for students wishing to report acts of sexual violence or sexual harassment.

The changes caused by these rescissions are notable, but I do not believe that they significantly impact the current policies and practices in place at the university for Title IX for implementation and compliance, Kenneth Anderson, director of the Office of Institutional Equity and Title IX coordinator for the U of M, said. The changes are probably best understood as an interim step in a much broader process.

Anderson said as Title IX coordinator he will keep up with the U.S. Department of Educations changes.

The university is committed to fulfilling its responsibilities under Title IX and promoting a campus environment and culture that is inclusive and safe for all students and staff, Anderson said.

The Office of Institutional Equity is located on the first floor of the Administration Building of the main campus and can be reached by calling 901-678-2713.
Ian McCord is double majoring in business economics and finance at the University of Memphis. He grew up in and around Memphis and is the Vice President of the U of M College Democrats. He believes a fully functioning democracy has an energetic population capable of critiquing the every move of those in power.

The last thing we should be saying now is apolitics should stay out of sports.a People are livid about racial inequality, and the president is attempting to silence them.A This is a moment for conversation, not confrontation.

Spurring a national conflict is not the objective of these protests.A These protests are driven by racial inequality. The current debate is focused on the familiar.

President Donald Trump decided to rehash a fight we have already had.A In Texas v. Johnson, the Supreme Court ruled against prohibitions on desecrating the United States flag.A The flag is as much a symbol of this country as the anthem and should be treated the same way.

People are more important than cloth and sound waves.A Respect for the military has nothing to do with it.A Soldiers died specifically for the right to burn the flag, ignore the anthem and forget the pledge. We are a nation where freedoms are protected, not where reverence is enforced.

Protests are designed to get attention.A If they didnat, there wouldnat be any point.A Players in the league are kneeling because it makes you uncomfortable, and that is 100 percent within their rights as citizens of this country, despite how the president feels.

Regardless of what anyone thinks about national symbols, this behavior from the executive branch is divisive. Trumpas remarks were designed to be controversial, and it has worked.A He has completely distracted us from the topic the protests are about.

Race relations in this country have never been great. Even now, minorities are imprisoned longer and more often, not to mention how much more likely they are to be killed by the police.A There is a constant and oppressive presence of racial prejudice in this countryaTrump being the easiest example of that.

Our country is not at all the aLand of the Freea we pretend it to be. Racial tension seems to be the order of the day in 2017, and the leader of our country seems intent on stoking the fires for another 7 and a half years.

As a nation, we are too easily fooled by nationalistic rhetoric and divisive language. We should not cave to the easy excuse that apolitics should not be in sportsa and ignore our problems.

It took nearly one hundred years for the country that wrote, aAll men are created equal,a to free its slaves. It took another hundred for those minorities to gain the right to vote.

And now, 50 years after that, we continue to ignore racial inequality. We pretend that gunning minorities down is a good substitute for a justice system and that locking those same minorities up for as long as possible will abolish crime.

It is time to stop imagining our nationas sainthood.A It is time to acknowledge our difficulties. And it is most definitely time to take responsibility for ourselves and our fellow citizens.
The great French writer Voltaire famously said: 'I disapprove of what you say and would defend to the death your right to say it'. In this way, he encapsulated what it meant to be an enlightened human being  someone prepared to consider all points of view.

But in recent years the principle of freedom of speech, sacred since Voltaire's 18th century, has been lost, and this is surely one of the most sinister features of our times. It is as if we are entering a new Dark Age of Intolerance.

The irony is that this intolerance has come about as a result of what were initially good intentions. One of the things which makes me happy as I grow older is the thought that during my lifetime we have all tried to become a kinder society.

In recent years the principle of freedom of speech has been lost, and this is surely one of the most sinister features of our times

When I was a boy and a young man, for example, racist jokes were the norm on radio and TV. Now they would be unthinkable. Mockery of homosexuals, and the equation of being gay with being limp-wristed and camp, were absolute norms of comedy when I was growing up. Now no longer.

Such jokes have gone the way of boarding-houses which used to put 'NO BLACKS. NO DOGS. NO IRISH in the window'. Obviously, all civilised people feel pleased by this.

But somehow those initial good intentions  to be kinder to and more tolerant of others  have morphed into a political correctness that has had the very opposite effect.

Two notorious recent examples of this concerned the treatment of a Christian baker in Northern Ireland, and some Christian bed and breakfast owners in Berkshire. The baker had not wanted to make a wedding cake for a gay couple who were getting married. The B&B owners had refused to let a gay couple share the same room in their establishment. In each case they were successfully sued for unlawful discrimination.

Now, a gay activist would no doubt say this was a good thing, arguing that the baker and bed and breakfast owners' behaviour was comparable to the racism of the past. Yet this is surely getting things wholly out of proportion.

The baker was not persecuting homosexuals, as Hitler did. He was not saying they should be put in prison, as all Home Secretaries in Britain did until the Sixties. He was merely saying that, as a Christian, he thought marriage should be between a man and a woman, and that two chaps tying the knot were doing something rather different, which is contrary to traditional Christian teaching.

Whatever you think about this matter, the Northern Irish baker and the B&B couple were merely holding on to Christian beliefs.

I don't happen to share their views myself, and think that if two people are rash enough to promise to live together for the rest of their lives, good luck to them, whether they are gay, straight, trans or anything else. But surely you can understand both sides of this dilemma, can't you?

Well, the answer, more and more in our intolerant society, is 'No'. My concern here is not about the rights and wrongs of gay marriage, transgender rights, our colonial history, or any of the other emotive issues that are subject to endless debate in the modern age.

It is about freedom of thought and speech; freedom to disagree in a liberal society; freedom to have thoughts which are different from the current orthodoxy.

What began as our very decent desire not to be nasty to those of a different ethnicity, or sexual proclivity, from ourselves, has turned into a world as intolerant as monkish Christianity in the days of the Dark Ages, when any freedom of thought is questioned.

Tim Farron, leader of the Lib Dems during the General Election, was asked repeatedly about his views on gay marriage. As a fairly old-fashioned Christian, he did not believe it was possible  marriage should be between a man and a woman.

As the leader of a modern political party, he knew that it would be political death to admit this. He was finally forced to resign.

This was a signal to the world that if you want to succeed in modern politics, it is simply not allowed to hold views which, until a very short time ago, were the consensus among the great majority of people in the Western world.

I use the words 'not allowed' advisedly. What is sinister about living in the new Dark Ages, however, is that it is by no means clear who is doing the allowing and not allowing. In Mao's China, it was obvious: thought crimes were ideas which contradicted the supreme leader.

In Britain today, however, it seems an army of self-appointed censors  from internet trolls to angry students, lobby groups, town hall officials, craven politicians and lawyers and Establishment figures, as well as a host of other sanctimonious and often bilious busy-bodies  have taken it upon themselves to police what we can and cannot think or say.

Not believing in abortion, like not believing in gay marriage, is now, unquestionably, a thought crime. It was hardly surprising that the Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg recently said he did not believe in abortion, because he is a man of conviction as well as a Roman Catholic, and this is the teaching of his Church. Yet his view was treated with incredulity and disdain by everyone from trolls and women's groups to the higher echelons of the political Establishment.

As in the case of abortion, debate is no longer allowed on transgender issues. There was a BBC2 Horizon Programme last Tuesday night called Being Transgender. The close-up shots of transgender surgery in a Californian hospital will not easily leave the mind.

We met a number of nice people who had decided for one reason or another that they were not the gender which they had once supposed. They were all undergoing some form of transformative medical treatment, either taking hormones or having surgery.

What made the programme strange as a piece of journalism was the fact that it did not contain one dissenting voice. Not one psychiatrist or doctor who said they doubted the wisdom of some of these procedures, especially in the very young.

Still less was there anyone like the redoubtable feminist and academic Dr Germaine Greer who once expressed her view that a man did not become a woman just because he had undergone transgender surgery  and was, as a result, decried from the rooftops with everything from petitions launched to stop her from speaking at university campuses to death threats.

Dr Greer had also been bold enough to say 'a great many women' shared her view, which is obviously true  a great many women do not think that transgender people have really changed sex. What has changed is that it is no longer permitted to say so.

A friend of mine who likes bathing in the women's pond on Hampstead Heath in London says that at least one person now uses the female changing rooms who is obviously in a stage of transition from man to woman, and is simply a hairy man wearing lipstick.

However uncomfortable this makes the women feel, they know that they cannot say anything.

There was an ugly incident lately at Hyde Park's Speakers' Corner, which used to be the place where anyone could go and stand on a soap-box and hold any opinion they liked.

Speakers' Corner was a symbol of British Freedom of Speech. As a schoolboy, I had a Jewish friend whose grandfather used to take us there to listen to people proclaiming that the earth was flat, preachers praising Hitler, Stalin, and others saying whatever they liked. It was the freedom to do so, said the old man who had escaped Hitler's Germany, which made the very air of Britain so refreshing to him.

What would he have thought had he witnessed the scene earlier this month at Speakers' Corner when a 60-year-old woman called Maria was smacked in the face, allegedly by a transgender fanatic, while listening to a talk on planned reforms to the Gender Recognition Act. Reforms which would allow men to 'self-identify' as female, and enter women's changing rooms or refuges unchallenged.

For Maria, as for the intimidated women of Hampstead swimming pool, and for Germaine Greer, it is by no means clear that transgender people have changed their sex.

Transgender activists have labelled women like Maria TERFS  Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists. When news of the assault on her reached the internet  ie instantaneously  the trolls began baying, like the bloodthirsty mob during the guillotine-executions of the French Revolution. 'Burn in a fire, TERF'. 'I want to f*** some TERFS up, they are no better than fascists'.

The use of the word 'fascist' is commonplace in our new Dark Age for anyone with whom you happen to disagree. You hear it all the time in the Brexit arguments which rage all around us and which I dread. As it happens, I voted Remain. But I do not regard Brexiteers as 'fascists', and many of their arguments  wanting to reclaim the power to make our own laws and control our own borders  are evidently sensible.

Yet I have lost count of the number of times I have heard Remainers say that Brexiteers are fascists. As a matter of historical fact, many of the keenest supporters of a united European superstate were actual fascists.

The only British politician who campaigned on the ticket of Europe A Nation during the Fifties was Sir Oswald Mosley who was leader of the British Union of Fascists. But then, today's PC censors don't let facts get in their way of bigotry.

Branding anyone you disagree with a fascist; hitting people in the face; tweeting and blogging abuse behind the cowardly anonymity of the internet  these are the ugly weapons used to stifle any sort of debate. And it is often in the very places where ideas should be exchanged and examined that the bigotry is at its worst: our universities.

This week on the Radio 4's Today programme, we heard James Caspian, a quietly-spoken, kindly psychotherapist, describing what has become a cause celebre at Bath Spa University.

He has been working for some years with people who for one reason or another have begun the process of gender-transition, and then come to regret it.

Caspian is evidently not a judgmental man. He wanted to write a thesis on this subject from a sympathetic and dispassionate point of view.

What makes people feel so uncomfortable with their own apparent gender that they wish to undergo painful and invasive surgery to change it? What makes people then come to reassess their first idea? These are surely legitimate questions about a subject many of us can't quite comprehend.

I have two friends who started out as men, and decided in mid-life that they were really women, or wanted to become women, which is what they have done. I do not really understand what has happened to them, even though they have tried to explain it to me.

Surely a man like James Caspian, who has worked with transgender men and women, should be encouraged by a university to explain this area of medicine or psychology?

But no. The university, having initially approved of his idea for a thesis, then turned down his application. 'The fundamental reason given was that it might cause criticism of the research on social media, and criticism of the research would be criticism of the university,' he told Radio 4 listeners. 'They also added it's better not to offend people.'

This is all of a piece with students at Oxford wanting to pull down the statue of 19th century imperialist Cecil Rhodes from his old college, Oriel, on the grounds that he was racist.

Rather than having a reasoned debate weighing the evils of racist colonialism against Rhodes's benevolence, the student at the forefront of the movement  who had actually accepted a 40,000 Rhodes scholarship funded by the fortune the colonialist gave to Oxford  wanted to pull down the statue.

This is the same attitude of mind as that which led monks in the Dark Ages to destroy the statues of pagan gods and goddesses, or the Taliban to do the same to age-old Buddhist artefacts.

Reason, debate, seeing more than one side to an argument, surely these are the foundations of all that has fashioned the great values of the West since the Enlightenment started in the 18th century with an explosion of new ideas in science, philosophy, literature, and modern rational thought that ushered in the Age of Reason.

Realising that human actions and ideas are often mixtures of good and bad  isn't this what it means to have a grown-up mind? Surely we should be allowed to discuss matters without being accused of thought crime?

In universities, as at Speakers' Corner and in the public at large, there used to be the robust sense that sticks and stones may break our bones but words can never hurt us. Now, the 'hurt-feelings' card is regularly played to stifle any debate.

Little by little, we are allowing the Dark Ages of intolerance to come again. We should not be letting this happen.

We should be able to say: 'We disapprove of your views  on Europe, on Transgender Issues, on Islam, on absolutely anything, but we defend to the death your right to express them'.
Wilko has come under fire for continuing describe a pillowcase style as the 'housewife' by a shopper who spotted the line at a store in Exeter.

The generic term, which is used by many linen retailers, originated in the late nineteenth century when The Housewives Co-operative in Bolton designed the style.

But speaking to MailOnline, angry shopper Susannah Willcox commented: 'Didn't realise we were in the 16th century. Made me feel like only a woman can make a bed.'

Social media users have previously described the term as outdated, sexist and have even called for the name to be changed.

Susannah Willcox contacted Mail Online after seeing pillowcases described as Housewife in Exeter's Wilko

Ms Willcox added: 'I think this shows that despite living in one of the most "developed" countries in the world, sexism clearly remains evident in today's society.

'A large brand like Wilko labelling their linen like this suggests that they support the packaging.'

'It is surprising to me that the "housewife" pillowcase term is allowed, and I believe that although we can educate younger generations about gender stereotypes, we need to implement change on a larger, nationwide scale.'

She added: 'It is common that some people believe that we have reached gender equality and therefore there is no need for feminism, however with brands like Wilko reinforcing gender stereotypes, it shows that there is more of a need than ever to bring issues like this to the forefront of the public eye.'

Housewife pillowcases can usually be identified by their inside flap, designed to prevent the pillow from falling out and are sold in multiple retailers.

Wilko has previously addressed criticism over their 'housewife' pillowcases via Twitter saying: 'This is not named by Wilko it is Wilko's own brand version of the housewife pillowcase.'

Brands such as Sainsburys have also been slammed in the past for continuing to use the name after it was bought to the attention of users on Mumsnet.

Last year a Twitter user called on Wilko to embrace gender equality when choosing the names of their linen products

Wilko responded to a thread of tweets questioning their choice to continue to use the name Housewife stating it is a generic name rather the brand

Wilko had received a series of similar tweets also in 2015 from users asking them to drop Housewife from their packaging

Tweets show shoppers have been complaining about Wilko's pillowcases since 2011

In a heated debate, Mumsnetters struggled to agree if the term 'housewife' was offensive - and whether brands should stop using the term.

The 2014 thread began after one user claimed the name of the pillowcases caused them to put the item back on the shelf after a visit to Sainsbury's. They compared using the term housewife to describe products like entering a 'time warp' to the 1950s.

The post received a mixed response from those who felt the name should be changed to avoid embracing any sexist traditions and others who shared that they struggled to find a reason to be offended.

A Mumsnet user previously began a similar debate about stores using Housewife to describe their products after seeing the styled pillowcases in Sainsbury's

One user questioned why the term housewife was seen as sexist - whilst sharing their agreement that it could be seen as old fashioned.

Another challenged the person who began the thread to find an alternative pillowcase that was the same style but isn't described as 'Housewife'.

One response showed users were open to seeing the term as sexist depending on if others were able to give a deeper explanation of why they found the term offensive other than because of the negative connotations usually associated with being a Housewife.

Wilko gave Mail Online this response in regards to the complaints:

wilko acknowledges that it has received a complaint about the fact its pillowcases are called Housewife.

A spokesperson from wilko said; We take the issue of gender stereotyping very seriously and count ourselves among the first UK retailers to proactively remove gender specific descriptions and imagery from our wilko brand packaging and wider visual communications.

As a family owned retailer, we pride ourselves on providing great products supported by clear and simple communications that reflect what our customers want.

We last redesigned our pillowcase packaging in 2012 and researched what our customers thought about the description of our pillowcases. At the time the majority of customers asked us to follow the industry standard description of Housewife and Oxford other options such as Oblong and With Frills caused confusion and frustration.

Our home packaging is set for redesign in early 2018 and we can confirm that pillowcase descriptions is one of the things already under consideration. As in 2012, we will be consulting our customers far and wide on this issue to take an informed decision about whether the description should be changed.
Prue Leith (pictured): 'When I was 21, I fell in love with the man I would go on to marry. There was just one problem  he happened to be the husband of my mothers best friend'

When I was 21, I fell in love with the man I would go on to marry. There was just one problem  he happened to be the husband of my mothers best friend.

Was it difficult? Terribly. We kept it a secret for 13 years. But it was also thrilling  and deeply fulfilling.

We married in 1974 and were happy for the next 28 years, until his death in 2002. Our relationship lasted more than four decades, though Id known him far longer than that, having hero-worshipped him since the age of seven. But it wasnt until Id become an adult that we fell in love.

It was 1961 and I had left home in South Africa to study at the Sorbonne in Paris. But for the summer, my mother sent me to England to stay with her best friend Nan and her husband, the writer Rayne Kruger.

Nan and Rayne had met in South Africa in 1946 when my mother, Margaret, then a well-known actress, had put on a production of Pygmalion. Nan, who was 40 and a widow with three young children, played Eliza. Rayne, despite being 17 years her junior, was Henry Higgins.

Rayne became infatuated with Nan and, although she agonised about the age gap and worried that he would fall out of love with her as the years passed, they were married a year later, in 1947.

Nans daughter Angela was my best friend and Rayne used to carry us around on his shoulders. He held even seven-year-old me in thrall; he was a terrific listener and very good with young people.

I had a secret passion for him, and would fantasise that he had a younger, identical brother who would miraculously appear and fall in love with me.

The truth is out: Prue and writer Rayne Kruger, the husband of Nan, her mother's best friend. They are pictured in 1974 after finally revealing their relationship

So when I arrived in London, I headed for their house in Kensington like a homing pigeon.

That summer I was gently civilised by the Kruger family. Gradually I lost some of my South African rawness or, some would say, brashness. I learnt to have grown-up conversations at Sunday lunch (for which you were expected to take an interest in current affairs, the arts, politics) and occasionally met Nans theatre friends, some of whom  Alec Guinness and John Gielgud, for example  were awesomely famous and very polite and socially polished.

Nan taught me not to nick fruit from the bowl every time I passed it, and to bring home the occasional bunch of flowers or mini present. Rayne taught me, without much success, to talk less and listen more, and Ange let me into her circle of drama-student friends.

They were a fascinating, intelligent, generous and loving family. Their sons Donald, a doctor, and John, who worked for the BBC, were no longer at home, while Angela was at Rada during the day and often out with friends at night. Nan, a successful actress, was usually at the theatre. So I saw more of Rayne than any of the others.

Being a writer, he worked at home and I would make lunch or supper for him and wed talk. He was by far the most interesting person Id ever met. Rayne was born, illegitimate, in 1922 in South Africa.

By the time he was 22 years old he had worked down a gold mine; prospected for tungsten in Rhodesia; been thrown out of university for organising a donkey derby and failing to return the donkeys to their owners (the lads in charge had got drunk and let the animals go); become an articled clerk while pursuing his law degree by correspondence; joined the merchant navy and gone to war; and come home to Johannesburg, where he resumed his law studies while working as a radio announcer and actor and writing his first novel.

By 1961, he was an established author in London. But since writing is a precarious occupation, he worked part-time on property development. He would occasionally have to visit some property or go to a meeting and Id go too. Sometimes we went by bus, but more often on foot.

Prue's mother Margaret Inglis (left) with her best friend Nan Munro. 'Nans daughter Angela was my best friend and Rayne used to carry us around on his shoulders,' said Prue

He knew the city inside out  its history, art and architecture  and, ignoramus that I was, I soaked it all up.

He was a good storyteller and I fell back into my old hero-worship. Soon there was nothing I would rather do than be with Rayne. I told myself I was not falling in love with him, that he was out of bounds. And anyway, he loved Nan.

Then, one evening when we were in the kitchen, he kissed me. I wish I could say I objected, but I didnt. Guilt about Nan would creep in later, but what I felt at that moment  apart from a leaping desire  was surprise and delight that he considered me kissable; a woman, not a child.

So began a 13-year affair. I was utterly infatuated.

Better educated and far cleverer than I, Rayne nonetheless found me interesting. He made me feel talented, beautiful, admired.

There are few things more seductive than someone who delights in you, believes in you, wants you to be happy; and few things more attractive than that someone knowing much more than you do.

To this day, I am an intellectual groupie. Not clever, artistic, or particularly talented myself, I remain in awe of writers, artists and musicians, I am turned on by interesting, achieving people.

One evening when we were in the kitchen, he kissed me. I wish I could say I objected, but I didnt

Of course, I realise my affair with Rayne was unforgivable. I believe adultery is wrong, and feel angry with men who betray their wives. I prefer to forget that I encouraged Rayne to do just that: I fell completely, thunderously and irredeemably for the husband of my mothers best friend.

Poor Nan had no idea what a serpent she had allowed into her nest. I had never met anyone like Rayne before. Ironic though it might sound in view of his secret life, he held almost Victorian values of honesty, probity and kindness. He was also, in those early days, beautiful.

Betraying the hospitality and love of Nan should have been impossible for me, but I pushed all feelings of anxiety and guilt away. I refused to think about it  at least at first. I told myself I was no threat to her, that I loved her and would never hurt her. And neither would Rayne.

Somehow, I cannot now imagine how, I managed to persuade myself that what we were doing was nothing to do with anyone else. In the age-old excuse of all adulterers, I couldnt help it.

After that first kiss, we spent more time exploring London, a good bit of it looking for a flat or a room for me, all the while both of us falling in love.

It is not much of a boast, but Im glad we never slept together at their house. I cant claim any credit for this because if hed wanted me to, I would have. I would have stripped in Piccadilly Circus if hed asked me.

We found a room in Bayswater, and one evening after a Soho jazz club supper and a bus ride home to my new flatlet we finally made love. It had been about a month since that first kiss.

The room was tiny, with almost no space to stand between cupboard, single bed, kitchenette and tiny shower room. It became our island. I would spend all morning preparing first me and then the supper.

'Poor Nan had no idea what a serpent she had allowed into her nest. I had never met anyone like Rayne before'. Above, Prue and Rayne with their son Daniel and adopted daughter Li-Da

My long hair had to go into rollers and I would struggle with Sixties false eyelashes. (When one fluttered into my wine at a party, I gave them up.)

With only a fridge and a kettle, fixing supper was easier  it came cold from the deli. There was no table, but a flap on the wall opposite the bed was wide enough for a tray. We ate sitting on the bed, and then we squashed into it.

I did not want to go back to France. Ill never be a linguist. The Sorbonne is wasted on me; I want to be a cook, I told Rayne.

Even if you become a cook, another year in Paris can only do you good. You could get an evening job in a restaurant or cafe.

Id be better off going to the Cordon Bleu in London.

You can do that later. Besides, darling girl, isnt it time you finished something you started?

Maybe he hoped we would forget each other. Perhaps it was a last-ditch effort not to fall completely in love with me. I dont know. Rayne had an extraordinary power to prevent conversations he did not want to have.

So, at the end of August, I went back to Paris, taking a room with a middle-aged Frenchwoman to improve my language skills. But she hardly spoke to me and I ached for Rayne all the time.

Once, I telephoned when I thought Nan would be at the theatre for a matinee, but I mistook the day. In those days, you had to make long-distance calls through an operator and when she said: Mr Kruger is not in, but would you like to speak to Mrs Kruger? I heard Nans voice, concerned and kind: Prue, darling, its me. Is something wrong? Can I help?

I panicked, put the phone down and curled myself into a ball of anguish, eyes shut tight, teeth clenched.

From the start, Rayne was my adviser in all things, from my hair (he disliked it long) to running a business

I tried not to think about the future. I was too happy to concern myself with what might happen to the relationship, whether I would marry and have children, or what discovery of our affair would mean to my family and Raynes. There werent any answers. I just loved him, I told myself, and I could not make myself un-love him.

When I eventually returned to London, Rayne helped me find my first long-term flat, a bedsit in Barons Court. It cost 4 a week  1 more than I could afford. Rayne chipped in the extra pound, and teased me about being a kept woman.

I was inordinately happy. For the first three months, I was at the Cordon Bleu cookery school in the day. I would bring home little boxes of coq au vin or pots of chocolate mousse, a quiche Lorraine or a soup, and Rayne and I would toast bread on a barbecue fork in front of the two-bar electric fire and talk about my business-to-be.

From the start, Rayne was my adviser in all things, from my hair (he disliked it long) to running a business. He wasnt a svengali  he did not control or dominate me  he just knew a lot more about absolutely everything than I did. Except food  to which, ironically, he was pretty indifferent.

I must have been a very good liar to keep my love affair with Rayne secret for so long. My restaurant, Leiths, kept me very busy and I was happy. But as I got older I sometimes resented what I considered to be Rayne pulling rank on me, just assuming that he knew best.

The first cracks in our idyll started to appear in the early Seventies, when I was a few years into my 30s. Nans children were all married and having babies, my brother Davids youngest was already a teenager and every visit to my brother Jamie and his talented, beautiful, pregnant wife Penny fed a longing for marriage and a family of my own.

I ached to tell Jamie about Rayne. But somehow I couldnt. I knew he would be sympathetic but I also knew he, and particularly Penny, would ask some hard questions about where the affair would end. And what about Nan? They all loved her too, and would be rightly appalled.

But I longed for a baby. Raynes baby. At the centre of me was an uncomfortable ache: a never-ceasing yearn for Rayne to belong to me, and for us to have a child.

Yet I never beseeched Rayne to leave Nan. Instead, I proposed our having a child that I would bring up myself, somehow pretending it was the result of a one-night stand with someone I never wanted to see again.

Prue Leith, right, with her fellow Great British Bake Off presenters

But Rayne would not hear of it. He had already brought up three children, he had no desire for more, and he thought my scheme a romantic dream. So we went on as before.

Then, one evening in 1973, I got talking to Jake, a customer at my restaurant. Jake was confident, self-made, good-looking, my age and obviously attracted to me.

The following evening, he picked me up in a chauffeur-driven limo and took me to Tramp nightclub. I spent the night with him in his grand house in Notting Hill Gate.

The next morning, we ran away together. It was crazy. We hardly knew each other. He was trying to extricate himself from his marriage, and I saw him as my escape route from an impossible situation. I left Rayne a note, just saying it was over and I was going away with someone else.

Jake and I flew to Austria, where he had some business to do, and then on to Israel. Being whisked away on a whim felt like a dream, a Mills & Boon romance.

We flew next to South Africa. Missing Rayne dreadfully by now, I rang a friend in England, who told me that he had left Nan and was living in a hotel room. I simply could not understand it. All those years of fidelity (of a sort) to Nan, and now, when there was no need, hed abandoned her.

My emotions veered from anger  why could he not have left her before?  to anguish at the depth of unhappiness that must have led him to leave her now.

Poor Jake. I was preoccupied and silent, thinking all the time of Rayne. And Jake became ever more moody and morose. In three weeks, the zing had gone.

We flew on to Johannesburg to see my mother, who was full of the terrible news of Rayne leaving Nan. He had written a letter full of sadness, asking her to write to Nan, saying that she was in a bad way and in need of her friendship.

She handed me the letter, and as I read it I bit my lip to stop myself groaning or wailing. He said nothing of his long, now defunct relationship with me.

My mother asked whether I had seen any cracks in his and Nans marriage: Is there another woman, do you think?

I shook my head, not trusting myself to speak, then made an effort and said I didnt know, but no, I didnt think so.

Poor darling Nan, said Mum. She said before she married him that if he gave her five years, it would be worth it. But its harder to be left after 25 than five.

Jake and I flew back to England via Israel. One night, in the middle of dinner in the Tel Aviv Hilton, the waiter told me there was an urgent phone call for me.

It was Rayne. He was more emotional than I had ever known him  desperate, close to tears.

He said all the things Id longed for him to say for 12 years: that he could not live without me, that he wanted us to get married, that I should come home and we would have a baby.

I said no, it was too late. He should return to Nan.

That night, Jake and I made love with new desperation.

Back in London, I went to see Rayne in his office. I told myself that I was in love with Jake now, that I didnt want to go back to Rayne. So why did I take such pains to look my best?

Id lost a lot of weight, collected a sun tan and was better dressed than was my wont, wearing a tan leather jacket that Jake had given me.

My heart was banging in my chest like a schoolgirls. Rayne was composed. He said he loved me for good and would wait in the hope that the Jake thing would run its course. And then he would bear whatever he had to bear.

He had left, he said, because my going had made him realise that I had been the counterpoint that balanced his life and made it possible to stay in a marriage that had long ago lost any spark.

If I married Jake, then he would know it was over and then, yes, if Nan still wanted him, going back and trying to make her happy was the least he could do.

My affair with Jake lasted perhaps another six weeks. He missed his wife, I missed Rayne; and in the end, he dumped me. Deep down, I knew he was right.

I kept telling myself that Rayne should return to Nan, that we would all get over it eventually. But I couldnt keep it up. How could I pretend that Rayne was not the great love of my life?

One evening, I went to him in his hotel room. And that was that. It felt like coming home.

We resumed our clandestine relationship, but now at least we were contemplating having a baby. We agreed wed have one and adopt another.

We didnt want to come into the open yet. Nan was desperately unhappy and Rayne knew that a confession of his love for me would be unspeakably hurtful so soon after his desertion. He saw her once or twice a week, but of course she was miserable.

In March 1974, I discovered I was pregnant. My heart felt as if it might stop from too much emotion. A baby!

I did think of Nan. Of the rest of the family; Ange; my mother. They would be aghast.

But Raynes response to my worries was typically wise.

Darling, they are all good people. Of course theyll be upset, but thats because they all love Nan. And Nan is the most generous woman on earth, if she can come to terms with it, and she will, youll see, they will too.

We decided not to tell anyone about the length of our involvement. Rayne said it would be bad enough for Nan that he had so swiftly taken up with me after leaving her, but worse still to know that hed been deceiving her for so many years.

So he told Nan that we had suddenly fallen in love, and I was pregnant.

Her sons were naturally outraged and Ange said she had put Rayne on a pedestal, but now realised he had feet of clay.

My mother astonished me. She had, after all, been Nans friend for 30 years and had been deeply angry with Rayne. But when I told her that I was happier than I had ever been, she was wonderful.

She told me later that she thought I had adored Rayne because he had filled the gap my father left when he died just before I turned 21.

Finally, Nan asked me to come and see her for lunch on her roof terrace.

Heart banging, feeling sick, I followed her up a steep circular staircase, watching her sensible shoes treading carefully on the iron steps and knowing that in a few minutes, I would have to admit to loving her husband.

Naturally, she wanted to know when we had started our affair and I stuck to the lie Rayne and I had invented. I said it had happened five months ago, at a New Years party, and that the baby was a mistake (not true) but that we wanted to keep it.

That conversation must have been torture for Nan. Maybe it would have been easier if she had ranted or cried, but she was calm and generous. Not forgiving  of course not. But she understood my falling in love with Rayne.

She had done so herself 25 years before, and all through their marriage there had been younger women mooning after him.

More hurtful for Nan was Rayne loving me, but even that she tried to understand.

The fact that both families remained friends was due to her determination as well as his.

Nan told her children that they must try to behave well to us because the families had been friends for ever and a feud would be unbearable.

In the summer, when I was very visibly pregnant, we went, at Nans insistence, to her 70th birthday celebration. I think she wanted to show the world that she accepted the situation.

It must have been incredibly hard for her, but she was as strong as she was generous.

It was Nan who pushed for a speedy divorce: Im not going to be responsible for your baby being born out of wedlock, she said. It was a close-run thing.

We were married on Monday, October 21, 1974, and our son Daniel was born on the Wednesday. Rayne and I eventually adopted Li-Da, a 16-month-old girl from Cambodia, and bought a house in the Cotswolds.

My mother came up to visit a lot, and so did Nan. Friends would sometimes remark on the oddity of Nan remaining such close friends with Rayne and, even more oddly, with me. But we both loved her and he was still her best friend.

She once told me that now, married to me, he was much nicer to her and that she saw more of him at our house than when he had been married to her and shut up in his study all the time.

I cannot know if this was true, but she certainly behaved as a friend, continuing to invite me over, with or without Rayne.

She would often come to us for Christmas. When Nan became ill in her 90s, Rayne went to see her every week. Then, one day in 1992, I had to break the news that she had died.

He shut down, retreated to his study and stopped talking altogether for a while. I felt real sorrow for everyone, for all that had been, and for the unhappiness Rayne and I had brought her.

I found the last decade of Raynes life hard. I was in my 50s, energetic and up for everything. He was in his 70s and growing grumpy and didactic.

Id always known that marrying someone so much older would mean a difficult final lap together. But it was more than a fair price for the happiness hed given me.

His last months were good ones in many ways. Once he accepted that he was ill  with emphysema and other smoking-related conditions  he became gentle, resigned and very loving.

A week before Christmas 2002, he got a lung infection and had to go to hospital. A few days later, as I walked into his ward, a nurse steered me into a side room.

When she told me he had died 15 minutes before, I could hear myself wailing: No, no, no.

How could I not have been at his side?

Gradually, a kind of calm settled on me. I talked to him and held his hand, stroked his cheek, kissed his forehead and finally just buried my face against his side.

Despite my sorrow, I felt profound gratitude. He had been not only my lover and my husband for 40 years, but also my mentor, guide and business partner.

Maybe my mother had been right to say hed also replaced the father Id lost.

I just breathed in the comforting smell of him and thought: Good-bye my darling. Goodbye. And thank you.

Back home, I opened Raynes desk drawer and found notes from him to Li-Da, Daniel and me.

Mine was a postcard. Rayne wrote: How can I say goodbye to her who has been the glory of my life? What expression of thanks can encompass all you have given me, done for me, been to me?

No words, my darling girl. But my soul now reposes in you  to help you call on the courage I know you have to confront your new future with a level eye, and find happiness in it.

Extracted from Relish: My Life On A Plate by Prue Leith (October 5, published by Quercus, 20).  Prue Leith 2012 & 2017. To order a copy for 16 (20 per cent discount) visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640. P&P is free on orders over 15. Offer valid until 13/10/2017.
For what can only be described as a fairly conservative, polyester mid-length dress, churned off a production line in Turkey, this was something of a coup.

M&S said this week that its 45 constellation frock  a navy blue creation with fluted sleeves and a planets and stars motif  had completely sold out nationwide.

Which made it even more desirable, of course. Fashion blogs were abuzz with women deploring the fact that they couldnt get hold of the dress, while some of those lucky enough to own one were quickly turning to eBay, hoping to make a killing.

SIZE 16: THE FIT HAS WON ME OVER Joanna Barratt, 48, is 5ft 6in and a size 16. A music teacher from Surrey, she is married with two daughters. When I first saw the dress online, I didnt like it at all. It looked frumpy and heavy in the website pictures, and I usually hate dark colours. But I saw a friend in it and changed my mind  it fitted her so well. In reality, its lovely. I carry a bit of weight on my bottom and hips, which I like to hide, and the cut of this does that well. Its easy to wear and not exposing at all, which is something I worry about. Joanna Barratt, 48, is 5ft 6in and a size 16. A music teacher from Surrey, she is married with two daughters Advertisement

The dresss popularity was helped by some prominent sightings on TV and social media. When BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire wore it on Monday, fans gushed their praise. Fashion blogger Alex Stedman wore it to London Fashion Week and attracted 3,657 likes on Instagram.

In fact, the making of a smash-hit starts long before it arrives in stores. As they plan their collections, retailers try to identify trends that will be big over the coming months. M&S says: We identified cosmic print as being key very early on.

Model Cara Delevingne was spotted in a similar motif last summer, and Diane von Furstenberg sent space-themed dresses down the catwalk last year. None of the designers who create collections for the High Street are working in isolation, says Francesca Muston at trend forecasters WGSN.

As well as the catwalks, theyre also looking at the social, political and environmental context, so theres definitely an element of them tapping into the zeitgeist.

SIZE 14: IF ONLY IT WERE SEXY Carole Royd is 58, 5ft 10in and size 14. She lives in West London with her two children. I used to wear M&S dresses in the Eighties, and this is the sort of romantic, bohemian dress theyd sell then. The fabric feels substantial for the price. At home, I live in jeans and slouchy soft jumpers and might be tempted into this with ballet pumps. My worry is its a bit of a mid-station outfit  not super smart yet not comfortable enough for relaxing at home. Id also like to vamp it up. Id open the neckline or insert a leg slit to show more flesh. Carole Royd is 58, 5ft 10in and size 14. She lives in West London with her two children Advertisement

SIZE 12: SLINKY - AND NO NEED TO IRON IT! Sheila Appiah, 43, is 5ft 6in tall and a size 12. She lives in Croydon, South London, and is engaged. What a dress! Being 100 per cent polyester, it should be itchy but its not. Theres no lining, yet its silky and slinky. Usually I wear bright, clashing colours but this looks lovely against my skin. Even better, it wouldnt need ironing. I wouldnt change a thing. It covers my stomach area well and swishes over curves to disguise bloating  luckily for me, because I love bread. Sheila Appiah, 43, is 5ft 6in tall and a size 12. She lives in Croydon, South London, and is engaged Advertisement

With its fluted sleeves and midi-length, the constellation dress is bang on trend this season, with a big drive towards conservative fashion.

Once a brand has picked out a few hero pieces, these items are sent to magazines for shoots long before they actually become available to buy. Theyre also often delivered to fashion bloggers and celebrities to build buzz around the item and ensure it appears on social media.

Though its unclear how many of the dresses M&S put into production, some suspect it was fewer than their main runs of clothing.

I would say volumes were deliberately restricted, says Francesca Muston. Its about scarcity. If no one can get it, more people want it. Its a strategy we see more and more.

At 45, the dress sits in the sweet spot of M&Ss price range, she adds. It also does all of the things their core customer wants: it covers the knees, it covers the arms, its flattering.

SIZE 10: IT HIDES A MUM TUM PERFECTLY Kate Beavis, 45, is 5ft 6in tall and size 10. Shes a wedding fair organiser and lives in Bedfordshire with her husband and two children. I wear a lot of vintage clothes and love old-fashioned cuts, so the silhouette of this classic dress stands out instantly to me. Its dressy without being too posh  and, since Im a pear shape, it ticks all the right boxes. Theres a nipped-in waist and the box pleats fall flatteringly over my hips. Once youve had children, this type of midriff camouflage is essential  but not easy to find. The only downside? The size 10 is slightly too big, but I dont think an 8 would fit me. Kate Beavis, 45, is 5ft 6in tall and size 10. Shes a wedding fair organiser and lives in Bedfordshire with her husband and two children Advertisement

SIZE 8: DESIGNER CHIC ON A BUDGET Olivia Callaghan, 25, is 5ft 4in and a size 8. Shes single, lives in London and is the founder of a lifestyle brand, PLOX. For someone my age, this is a great affordable dress for winter weddings. Id dress it up with heels by night, and biker boots and black tights for day. Also, it looks just like a dress Ive seen by Rixo, a high-end independent label, but it costs one-sixth of the price. I love how simple, conservative and yet still girly it is. Everyone looks good in navy, too  its my uniform. Olivia Callaghan, 25, is 5ft 4in and a size 8. Shes single, lives in London and is the founder of a lifestyle brand, PLOX Advertisement

Like most modern brands, M&S now uses social media as a key part of its marketing strategy, working closely with popular figures online to promote their products.

Erica Davies, a former fashion editor who now runs fashion website The Edited, shared a picture of herself wearing the dress on September 2.

Her post attracted 2,337 likes from fans, as well as 195 comments, many from women desperate to get their hands on the dress. We all need it!! @marksandspencer better be stocked up! one wrote.

If you havent got one, all is not lost. Though it wont be restocked until November 6, thats still in time for the Christmas party season. An online waiting list will also soon be available.

Additional reporting: CLAIRE COLEMAN
A fitness guru whose booze-filled workout went viral has once again found a way to spice up her exercise routine with some red wine.

Megan Vaughan, a 34-year-old radio host from Clarksville, Tennessee, took to her social media accounts on Monday to share a cheeky video of herself showing off her husband's new invention: the wine weight.

The military wife's doting husband helped amp up her motivation by attaching wine glasses to the tops of two hand weights, thus allowing Megan to take a sip of wine with each bicep curl.

Winning workout: Megan Vaughan, a 34-year-old radio host from Clarksville, Tennessee, proudly shows off her 'wine weights' in new video

One more rep: The military wife's innovative husband helped amp up her motivation by attaching wine glasses to the tops of two hand weights

Best workout ever? At the end of the clip, Megan lifts both weights in the air as she lets out a satisfied 'ahh'

'My husband made me these amazing wine weights. He's a freaking hero,' Megan wrote on YouTube.

The clip sees Megan wearing a Nike cap, black and white patterned leggings, and a tank top that says 'Fit Shaced' as she holds a weight in each of her hands.

Megan's elbows are locked at her sides and each time she does a curl, she take a big sip of vino.

At the end of the clip, Megan lifts both weights in the air as she lets out a satisfied 'ahh.'

It seems as though Megan has unlocked the secret to turning a dull exercise routine into a fun-filled boozy activity, and the online world can't get enough of fresh take on weight lifting.

Now that's love: Megan called her husband a 'freaking hero' for making her the weights

Fine Wine: Megan has defied her online haters who say she can't drink and have a six-pack

A month ago, Meghan became a viral star after she shared a video of herself demonstrating how she combined her love of fitness and her vino into an ingenious wine workout, which has quickly been shared across the internet

In the video, the blonde toned her arms with iron weight bicep curls, using a personalized weight bar that featured a bottle of red wine taped to its center.

As Megan pulls in each curl from her thighs up to her shoulders, the bottle is in the perfect spot to sneak in a sip; and, with each arm curl, the blonde happily awards herself with a splash of the red.

Wine lovers and gym junkies alike couldn't help but be won over by the clip, which sees Megan herself getting a bit swept away by the fun sweat-sesh, eventually spilling some of the bottle on herself when her sipping technique got a bit too vigorous.

Ensuring she was suitably dressed for the occasion, the tall blonde donned a top with the phrase 'How Melot Can You Go?' adding a jazzy pair of black and white workout pants to complete her fitness-meets-fun look.

Fun fitness! Last month, the radio host and exercise guru shared a similar wine workout video on her social media accounts, where it quickly went viral, racking up over 35 million views

Bottoms up! In the clip, Megan used a customized a curl bar to hold a bottle of red wine in the center, so that in between bicep curls she can take a sip before the next move

How merlot can you go? The Tennessee blonde stepped up to the challenge phrase on her shirt, showing off her bicep curl workout routine while sipping wine

She captioned the video with a fun-filled hashtag too, writing: 'Happy #winewednesday peeps! Bottoms up and biceps up!'

Megan said she started the wine workouts as a joke and had no idea that the videos would blow up into online fame.

'I had an idea to do push ups and drink wine at the same time. I made a video thinking a few friends might like it. It ended up getting 27 million views, so I figured I was on to something!'

'I'm just happy that I was able to make someone laugh. That's all it comes down to,' she added.

Not everyone, however, finds Megan's idea to be so genius, and she was forced to share another post confronting critics of her unique routine.

Jumping for joy! The blonde bombshell flaunts her taut tummy at a home studio where she works as a radio personality in Tennessee

Puppy love! On Instagram the guru shares she loves fitness and her pet husky Cash (above)

'I've been told, 'You'll never have good abs if you drink wine!" Well, sure, I may not have a six-pack, but you know what? I don't really care,' she said.

'Fitness, for me, is about staying in shape and feeling good. And I damn sure love my wine. Life is short, drink the wine, and to hell with everyone else's silly opinions!' she added.

But that wasn't the first time her fizzy fitness ideas have gone viral.

Another video she posted with a friend hit over 7.4 million views on Facebook, where the two sat back to back for an ab workout. Megan held a large bottle of wine with an iron weight attached to the neck, took a sip, and rotated her torso to pass to her partner who did the same.

The radio personality has also posted workout routines on Youtube in the past, all equipped with a dual-purpose bottle. Her husband, who works in the army, builds her workout contraptions such as the curling bar in the viral video.

'My husband films the videos and builds the contraptions that I use. He's just as surprised as I am at the success of the videos,' Megan said.
Elizabeth Jagger, eldest daughter of Sir Mick and Jerry Hall, paid her own special tribute to Hugh Hefner, posting a picture from her 2011 Playboy photoshoot.

Wearing just a pair of thigh boots and bunny ears, Lizzy smiles seductively into the camera with only her long hair to preserve her modesty.

Thank you for supporting the Equal Rights Amendment, she captioned the image in homage to the Playboy editor who died aged 91. Rest In Peace.

Elizabeth Jagger, eldest daughter of Sir Mick and Jerry Hall, paid her own special tribute to Hugh Hefner, posting a picture from her 2011 Playboy photoshoot

The Playboy editor who died aged 91 earlier this week. Lizzy, 33, was banned by Mick from being in Playboy in 2005. But he and Jerry  who appeared on the magazines cover in 1985  later had a change of heart

Lizzy, 33, was banned by Mick from being in Playboy in 2005. But he and Jerry  who appeared on the magazines cover in 1985  later had a change of heart.

They understood that when you dont know when youre going to have kids, its nice to have wonderful pictures of your 20-something self, said Lizzy.

While most actresses are coy about the prospect of plastic surgery, Cold Feet actress Hermione Norris, 50, says bring it on.

When it comes to cosmetic surgery, Id have it all. If you had it done really well, then it wouldnt show. People are so judgmental about it, but I say, if it makes you feel good, just go for it.

Irons gets hands-on with fans

Lothario actor Jeremy Irons outraged feminists when he declared: If a man puts his hand on a womans bottom, any woman worth her salt can deal with it.

True to tactile form, the self-confessed rogue and vagabond enjoyed the attentions of two female fans after watching the play B at the Royal Court Theatre in West London, grinning wolfishly as he leaned in for a group hug.

Jeremy Irons enjoyed the attentions of two female fans on Thursday after watching the play B at the Royal Court Theatre in West London

Irons, 69, has been married to actress Sinead Cusack for almost 40 years, but has been linked to a string of glamorous women.

Following rumours of infidelity on both sides, he takes his marriage to Cusack one day at a time.

DJ Sara Cox, 42, confesses she poisoned her husband Ben Cyzer with her culinary efforts after he spent the night with her for the first time.

I convinced him to stay by offering to make sausage sandwiches. But I didnt defrost the sausages properly first and he got really ill  I basically poisoned him!

Knighted earlier this year for services to the arts, Kinks front-man Sir Ray Davies, 73, tends to speak in a gentle whisper. But hes delivered a crackling written objection to Haringey Council over plans to revamp Hornsey town hall.

Excoriating the proposed seven-storey apartment blocks, which would dwarf the much loved grade II*-listed building, Sir Ray points out that Hornsey town hall was where the Kinks had their very first performance.

Lets hope the councils listening: Sir Ray stamped on his brother Daves 50th birthday cake and once stabbed him with a fork during a disagreement over a plate of chips.
During World War II, Henry Beecher, an American anaesthetist, made an extraordinary discovery.

Many of the soldiers he treated had suffered horrific injuries. He knew these injuries would be agonising, and quickly arranged for the soldiers to be triaged on the severity of their wounds so that those with the worst injuries could be given analgesia first.

But he began to notice something very strange. Over half the soldiers reported little or no pain, despite severe wounds, and didnt request any pain relief. Pain management simply wasnt the priority, and Beecher couldnt understand why it wasnt.

The men were not in shock and were still able to feel pain. In fact, Beecher noted that they complained about the intravenous lines in their arms just as much as other patients.

The placebo is a well-known psychological phenomenon whereby a person improves after taking a treatment simply because they have the expectation that it will actually make them better

What puzzled Beecher was that in peacetime, almost all his patients requested painkillers for injuries of similar severity. In fact, most would have wanted analgesia for far less severe injuries  and would complain bitterly if they hadnt received it.

This puzzled Beecher: surely the same injury would cause the same amount of pain? It was then that he realised he hadnt accounted for one thing: the power of the mind.

He saw that for the soldiers, a severe injury was actually a good thing, as it meant they would be discharged from the army and could return home. For civilians, however, it was a bad thing: a disruption to their life and routine, and it could mean financial hardship, too.

Worrying research this week showed that babies are at twice the risk of ending up in hospital with flu if their older siblings arent vaccinated. With the school vaccination programme, this is so easily preventable, yet it seems only half of young children are getting the (nasal spray) vaccine. In many cases, they are missing out simply because their parents dont get the consent form, which languishes in school bags. With fears this winter may see an epidemic of a flu strain (B) that directly affects young children, babies need to be protected. Delve into that school bag and sign the consent form. Advertisement

He understood that its not necessarily the magnitude of the injury thats important for how a person experiences pain, but the circumstance in which it occurs. He wrote up his findings in a research paper, just a few pages long, and published it in a journal shortly after he returned home.

It caused quite a stir, and led other medics to come forward with similar stories. This all helped spark entire theories about how the mind could control symptoms such as pain.

The only reason I know this story is because a wily anaesthetist told me it at medical school, as he was lamenting how, because of advances in pharmaceuticals, this aspect of pain management had been largely forgotten.

Its precisely this power of the mind thats harnessed in the placebo response  a well-known psychological phenomenon whereby a person improves after taking a treatment simply because they have the expectation that it will actually make them better.

This week, a fascinating study revealed that even if someone knows theyre receiving a placebo, it still reduces their pain.

This can be explained by several factors.

First, its an example of the suspension of disbelief, similar to when we watch a scary film. We know its not real, we know they are only actors, but our mind allows us temporarily to suspend this and experience the fear.

This fat op is doomed to fail Liposuction was in the news this week after a 45-year-old woman ended up in intensive care at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS trust following the procedure. Shed nearly died after developing a fat embolism, where a lump of fat enters the bloodstream, blocking blood vessels. This has led to doctors warning of the dangers of liposuction. Yes, there are possible physical complications, but they are rare. The bigger issue, I think, is the psychological aspect. I have seen numerous patients and have even had friends whove undergone the procedure, and it rarely seems to achieve what people want. Yes of course it removes unwanted fat  although often patients complain about an uneven surface. But most importantly, liposuction cant hope to address the real issue of why someone is so unhappy with their body  which all too frequently is about low self-esteem. Peoples relationships play a big part, too, with many holding on to the false belief that if, for example, they had a flatter tummy, then their boyfriend would love them. Even worse, if they fail to change their eating habits, theyll just put the weight back on. My advice: have psychotherapy for two years (at a fraction of the cost of liposuction) and work on your self esteem. If, after this, you still want it done, do it with my blessing. So far, not a single person to whom Ive said this has gone on to have liposuction, but theyve all felt much better about themselves. Advertisement

Its the same with a placebo. Despite our mind knowing its not an active drug, we can ignore this fact and our symptoms improve.

The placebo effect is also down to another trick of the mind: while people know that a placebo doesnt have any pharmacological effect, they also now know that placebos work  and so it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

There is another, incredibly important element to placebo power. Sadly, its far easier to prescribe painkillers than to explore what might be happening in a patients life socially and emotionally that will be impacting on their experience of pain.

I often think this is why alternative medicine such as homeopathy is so popular with patients who have chronic pain or other complex medical problems, especially when conventional medicine doesnt help their symptoms. Its not just the fact that people believe homeopathy is going to work and therefore it does, but that the practitioner will talk to the patient for a considerable time. Its this interaction that helps as much as anything else.

So while I know theres absolutely no scientific basis for homeopathy, I support its use and think it should be available on the NHS.

Scientists often dismiss the placebo effect, but Im in awe of it and use it a lot in clinical practice. For example, when I prescribe a drug thats expensive, I will tell the patient how much it costs because studies show we assume more expensive drugs are more effective.

The fact that we can get better simply because we believe we will is, to me, testament to the incredible power of the mind.

While those who use homeopathy might believe its working in a different way, does that really matter? It seems a shame to discount the benefit they get from this unscientific treatment when the fact is there is genuine science in its placebo effect.
P.S. writes: I wish I had seen your excellent articles on Incrementum Funding and Paragon Time Trading earlier. My mother has dementia and my brother and I are investing the proceeds of selling her flat in order to help with care home fees.

In July, I was called by Incrementum and told that any capital invested was assured because shares in Paragon were backed by an equal value in luxury watches. We invested 40,000  but it gets worse.

When we returned from holiday in September, another Incrementum salesman called to say Paragon was in talks to be bought by a Dutch firm. We were offered a higher dividend, and we invested another 25,000. Now one Incrementum phone number is unavailable and the other is unanswered, and nobody answers the phone at Paragon either.

Share sale: Paragon rents out watches

It was only a matter of time before this dubious scheme to rent out luxury watches hit big trouble. I warned twice in August that IFRC Consultants Limited  which calls itself Incrementum Funding  was not licensed to sell shares to the public, and that serious unanswered questions hang over Paragon Time Trading itself.

Incrementum should be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in order to market shares. But there is a legal exemption for firms that only deal with sophisticated investors, people who are experienced enough to judge the risks  or well off enough to stand any losses.

As it happens, you and your brother are experienced investors, and fairly well off, so this is one legal trap that Incrementum has sidestepped this time. But none of this means you can be given false or misleading information to persuade you to invest.

Paragons owner, who stands to make a fortune if the company raises the 1.8million pricetag placed on its shares, is Richard Ludgate. But according to Ludgate, there is a second director, Samuel Tyler.

Paragon owner Richard Ludgate

The share prospectus says: Samuel is responsible for driving membership, affiliate partnership, and strategic partnership sales. He has, it claims, run a successful company within IT and marketing for the last six years.

Oddly though, Companies House has no record of Tyler as either a Paragon director or shareholder.

A letter issued to prospective investors over Ludgates name says: Due to my own previous client base and private networking, we have currently secured members for 60 per cent of our membership packages.

This is remarkably successful for a fledgling business. These packages are priced at between 2,500 and 275,100 a year, giving members access to top of the range watches for special events or just for everyday wear.

Yet you have told me that when you challenged Ludgate, he told you most of his companys business is short- term hiring to customers who want a posh watch for a one-off weekend event, with little by way of long-term membership.

You also have real doubts about Paragons marketing page on Facebook, which appears to have more than 2,600 people following it. Again, a remarkable success for a tiny new company.

Of course, Paragon did not sell its own shares. Sales were made by the separate Incrementum Funding, run by Timothy Sandhu. When I exposed one of its salesmen, Spencer George, as a previous pusher of dodgy carbon credit investments, Sandhu dumped him.

But this does not explain Incrementums illegal sales to unsuitable investors. Nor does it shed any light on talk of an offer from a Dutch firm to buy up the whole of Paragon, with a price of 85p a share quoted to you in the second sales call you received from Incrementum. With the shares on offer right now at 60p apiece, why on earth would Sandhu or Ludgate carry on selling them if they could rake in 85p just by holding back a while?

I put all these questions to Ludgate and Sandhu, but neither has offered any comment or explanation. You have told me that Ludgate agreed to repay you more than a week ago, but as The Mail on Sunday goes to press, no refund has arrived, and no dividend either.

The blunt fact is that Paragon shares have been sold illegally to unsuitable investors and with false claims. It is the job of the Financial Conduct Authority to investigate what it calls perimeter issues  people acting as brokers, bankers and so on, without permission.

It is now a month and a half since The Mail on Sunday exposed Incrementums unlawful activity. The regulator told me: We will take action whenever there is sufficient evidence of misconduct.

But it refuses to say whether it considers the evidence published here is sufficient to justify an investigation. Yet what use is a watchdog that will not leave its cosy Canary Wharf kennel? It looks increasingly as though you and your brother will have to sue to recover your mothers money.
Ryanair chief executive Michael OLeary has clashed with rival Norwegian Air after the bombastic airline boss made unsubstantiated claims that the Scandinavian carrier may be financially vulnerable.

Norwegians chief executive Bjorn Kjos is understood to have been shocked after OLeary said the Scandinavian company was scrabbling around daily for cash and may not last another year.

Airline industry sources said OLearys remarks were motivated by sour grapes.

Kjos is reluctant to be drawn into an undignified spat with OLeary, but dismissed his remarks as nonsense.

Youre running out of cash, says Ryanairs OLeary. Dont be daft, Norwegians Kjos hits back

Theres nothing in these allegations, said Kjos. We are very happy with the financial situation we have. This is Michael OLearys style. He likes to project headlines.

Ryanair has been mired in a series of public relations scandals after cancelling flights and ruining the travel plans of 715,000 passengers.

Sources said OLeary was scaremongering and the outburst was triggered by his fury over the defection of scores of Ryanair pilots to his Scandinavian rival.

Norwegian, which owns a 300million stake in a bank, has been expanding rapidly and has been busily opening new routes including one from Gatwick to Singapore last week. Plans for the near future involve Argentina, Chicago and Austin in Texas.

Kjoss firm has recruited 400 pilots this year  including 140 from Ryanair. Airline sources insist Norwegian has not been poaching and said market forces prompted the pilots to leave OLearys firm.

OLearys low-cost carrier, now Europes biggest airline, was last week locked in a showdown with the Civil Aviation Authority over the cancelled flights farce which Ryanair has blamed on botched holiday rotas. Analysts say the fiasco has wiped as much as 50million off Ryanairs profits.

The CAA had threatened legal action over the cancellation of 20,000 Ryanair flights. CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said last week he was furious that Ryanair had not complied with the law. He said the company should have offered passengers more money.

Take-off: Norwegian has been expanding rapidly and has been busily opening new routes

Ryanair said on Friday it had agreed to the CAAs demands to clarify the compensation packages being offered to passengers.

The airline also took a swipe at BA and complained that the CAA appeared to have taken no action when that airline suffered a computer meltdown in May.

Market analysts said Ryanairs expansion plans have been too ambitious and its stretched pilot rota has been put under more strain by the departure of the pilots.

Ryanair has launched roadshows from Brazil to Dubai in a recruitment drive, but sources said OLearys ridiculing of his own pilots was not helping.

The Irishman said ten days ago: I would challenge any pilot to explain how this is a difficult job or how it is they are overworked.

Pilots still working for OLeary are understood to be taking advice on the possibility of industrial action to force Ryanair to offer them better contracts. Daniel Roska, a broker at Sanford C Bernstein and also a former executive at Lufthansa, said: The likelihood is that they just dont have enough pilots to fly their planes.

Given their contract frameworks and working conditions, its a tough sell. Meanwhile, the US carriers are ramping up and are paying on a vastly different level.
Lloyds Banking Group is mulling a legal action against the Lloyds Trade Union over the use of its name.

The lender is understood to feel it is inappropriate. It derecognised the LTU in 2015 and the union can play no part in formal negotiations over pay and conditions, but it can still represent individuals in a dispute.

The bank does recognise two other unions, Accord and Unite.

Name wars: Lloyds Banking Group is mulling a legal action against the Lloyds Trade Union

Separately, sources have raised concerns about links between the LTU and a firm called Plus Insurance Partners. Included in the typical LTU membership fee of around 14 a month are insurance policies, including income protection, personal accident and travel cover.

These are promoted on the LTU website as an insurance package given free of charge as part of the deal for members. The website indicates that the cover is offered through Plus Insurance.

Companies House records show Ian Partridge, a previous general secretary of the LTU, was a director of Plus Insurance before stepping down in 2010. Emma Stopford, his daughter, is a director and majority shareholder in Plus Insurance.

The company had net assets of more than 250,000 on August 31 last year, when its most recent accounts were filed. Stopford is listed as a contact on the unions annual return for last year, though she is not named as a senior official.

Do members know about this? asked one union source. There is a lack of transparency about the links between Plus Insurance and the union. People paying their subscriptions dont necessarily realise.

When Lloyds derecognised the LTU in 2015, union officials said it was revenge for standing up for members. Unusually, however, the bank won the support of Accord and Unite, which agreed to a new collaborative working relationship.

TUC boss Frances OGrady also welcomed the deal at the time.

The LTU, which is not affiliated to the TUC, started life decades ago as a staff association at Lloyds. In 2012 it changed its legal name to Affinity, though it still calls itself the Lloyds Trade Union in its dealings with the bank.

It is believed to have about 15,000 members at the bank, who provide it with an income of just under 2.8million, according to last years annual return. Its general secretary was paid more than 129,000.

Lloyds said: Since July 2015 the recognised unions of Lloyds Banking Group have been Accord and Unite. The role they play makes an important contribution to the future success of the group, as well as promoting the interests of colleagues. Since 2015, Affinity has had no relationship with the group.

The LTU did not respond to requests for comment.
Retailers could be exposed to British factories exploiting workers because many dont have a clue where their clothes are being made, an investigation by The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

British manufacturers are seeing an explosion in demand from high street and online retailers selling fast fashion, but there are fears that this has led to a growth in rogue operators as well as legitimate ones.

There are thought to be more than 100 clothes factories in Leicester, which has seen rapid growth in manufacturing. Many are stepping up production and opening new facilities.

Fashion manufacturing boom: First Jiam, a supplier to former Next boss George Daviess firm, has increased staff by 30 per cent

Online retailers such as boohoo, Missguided, Misspap and In The Style are soaking up demand. Some are sourcing more than half their clothes in Britain. High street giants are also desperate to access production.

But the rapid rise in demand, which means retailers can replenish fast-selling styles in days rather than weeks or months when buying from Asia, means shops are at risk of buying from unscrupulous factories.

Seven years ago this industry was dying. Workers were leaving the factories and getting jobs in warehouses, supermarkets or whatever they could find. But since then it has grown dramatically. The biggest worry now is the labour, said Steve Goodwin, managing director at FG4, the international clothing business owned by Next founder George Davies.

The shortage of staff is encouraging some firms to take on large numbers of inexperienced employees, then cutting corners to compete on sharp prices demanded by retailers. Asos and New Look recently warned in evidence to the Human Rights Select Committee of MPs that the renaissance of British clothing manufacture could be fatally derailed by rogue operators.

The need for speed is where this resurgence has come from, said Goodwin. Some factories wont have a problem because they pay their staff properly. But with others, its questions like: Are they going through the books? Is the building insured? 

Online retailers such as boohoo are sourcing a large proportion of their wares in Britain

He said retailers using UK factories often use third-party agents to buy the clothes. In many cases, the retailers themselves never visit the factories. Ninety per cent of retailers dont have a clue who is stitching their clothes, he said.

Goodwins business, which directly employs experienced staff to monitor production, makes 25 per cent of its womenswear in British factories now compared with less than 5 per cent four years ago.

Most of the clothes are sold in FG4 by George Davies-branded stores in the Middle East. They are also in talks with possible Chinese partners.

Factory sources confirmed that Asos is taking action locally in Leicester to set benchmarks for standards. River Island too is going out of its way to make sure factories behave properly and sweatshops do not proliferate, said one.

Davies, who also set up George at Asda and built Marks & Spencers Per Una business, said he has always had a link to the town, where he used to come to visit factories as a buyer for Littlewoods stores in the 1960s.

Standards: George Daviess FG4 has staff to monitor production

Last week, he made a 5million donation to Glenfield vascular clinic after his mother developed circulatory problems and he regularly visits factories in the city, which is just an hour from his office in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire.

He said: My business has always been hands on. We have quality people working for us, we know the factories, we know the fire regulations, all these things. As a retailer you also have to be vigilant, but my view is that its the same in Bangladesh or any place you are making clothes  we should support these places and work closely with them.

Leicester manufacturers are benefiting from the boom. First Jiam, a Davies supplier, is a family-run warehouse about three miles from the city centre, where the owners recently upgraded to a larger 50,000 sq ft facility to cope with rising demand. Staff numbers have increased by about 30 per cent since the beginning of last year.

First Jiam's warehouse in Leicester

One supplier, who runs a business in Leicester with his brother, said of the city: There is a lot of expertise here and innovation. But until the stores commit and say, Come on, were going to support this, it isnt going to happen in the way it should.

Quick Choice, another supplier to FG4, recently acquired a large city centre warehouse from a rival. It makes fabrics and has increased its 20,000 knitting machines from 30 to 50 in the past two years.

Factory owners say many retailers used to the cheap labour at factories in Bangladesh struggle to stomach the cost of home production, despite the obvious benefits.

The supplier said retailers can also move to other supply sources at the drop of a hat, even when factories have invested tens of thousands to cope with new volumes and design requirements.

He added: I do hope it doesnt go away again for the industry because I dont know what half the people in Leicester would do if it did.
A Russian hacker arrested in Spain on a U.S. warrant said he previously worked for President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party and feared he would be tortured and killed if extradited.

Peter Levashov was arrested while on holiday in Barcelona in April. U.S. prosecutors later charged him with hacking offences, accusing him of operating a network of tens of thousands of infected computers used by cyber criminals, RIA news agency reported.

Levashov's comments this week offered a rare glimpse into the relationship between cyber criminals and the Russian state.

Peter Levashov, an alleged Russian cyber spam kingpin held in Spain who is suspected by the FBI of hacking the U.S. election

The Policia National, Spain's equivalent of the FBI, released a picture of its officers taking away Levashov, saying he was a 'most wanted cyber criminal'

U.S. officials say Russian authorities routinely shield hackers from prosecution abroad before recruiting them for espionage work.

Russian hackers have been under intense scrutiny since U.S. intelligence officials accused Moscow of interfering in last year's U.S. presidential election.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied the allegations.

U.S. prosecutors are seeking a 52-year jail sentence and Levashov, who denies the charges against him, is fighting his extradition from Spain.

He told a court in Madrid on Thursday that he had worked for the United Russia party for the last 10 years.

'I collected different information about opposition parties and delivered it to the necessary people at the necessary time,' RIA quoted him as saying.

Levashov provided no further details about his work for the party, RIA reported, though said he was an officer in the Russian army with access to classified information.

It was unclear if Levashov was a serving officer or an army reservist having completed mandatory military service.

Levashov said he previously worked for President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party and feared he would be tortured and killed if extradited

Levashov was arrested by in Barcelona according to Spanish authorities

He also told the court investigators in the United States would torture him for information about his political work if he was sent there to face the charges against him.

'If I go to the U.S., I will die in a year. They want to get information of a military nature and about the United Russia party,' RIA quoted him as saying. 'I will be tortured, within a year I will be killed, or I will kill myself.'

Levashov has long been seen by cyber security investigators to be the person behind an online persona known as Peter Severa. Severa spent years listed among the world's 10 most prolific spammers, according to spam-tracking group Spamhaus.

U.S. prosecutors have accused Levashov of running the infamous Kelihos botnet, a network of more than 100,000 infected devices used by cyber criminals to distribute viruses, ransomware, phishing emails and other spam attacks.

Russia lodged its own request for Levashov's extradition last week, RIA reported.
Russia's communications regulator on Friday accused U.S. TV channel CNN International of violating Russian media law and said it had summoned the broadcaster's representatives in connection with the matter.

The Russian foreign ministry accused Washington on Thursday of putting unwarranted pressure on the U.S operations of Kremlin-backed media outlet RT, and warned that Moscow could take tit-for-tat measures.

President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of Russia's Security Council on Friday that Russian media outlets working abroad were facing growing and unacceptable pressure, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Russia's communications regulator on Friday accused U.S. TV channel CNN International of violating Russian media law

Russian foreign ministry accused D.C. on Thursday of putting unwarranted pressure on the U.S operations of Kremlin-backed media outlet Russia Today

The communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, said in a statement on its website that it would look at warning CNN about the alleged violations, which it said also breached the terms of its broadcast licence.

It did not say what breaches of Russian laws the U.S. broadcaster had made, adding it would continue its 'systematic monitoring' of foreign mass media outlets registered in Russia.

Asked if the regulator's move was politically motivated, Roskomnadzor head Alexander Zharov, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying: 'I don't work in a political agency. I work in a regulatory service.'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday the U.S. authorities were demanding that Russian state-controlled broadcaster Russia Today (RT) be registered as a 'foreign agent' in the United States

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday the U.S. authorities were demanding that Russian state-controlled broadcaster Russia Today (RT) be registered as a 'foreign agent' in tFpeshe United States.

She said that move endangered the safety of the channel's staff, because it included an obligation to disclose their personal data. 'In the atmosphere of a witch hunt unfolding in the United States, this may present a real threat,' she said.

Putin, meeting permanent members of his Security Council, 'touched upon the issue of ongoing and at times growing pressure on Russian mass media outlets in some foreign countries', Peskov told a conference call with reporters.

President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of Russia's Security Council on Friday that Russian media outlets working abroad were facing growing and unacceptable pressure, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

'It was stressed that such pressure on Russian media is unacceptable,' he added. He did not name the countries where the Kremlin was concerned Russian media were coming under pressure.

The Foreign Ministry's Zakharova said any move made against Russian media working in the United States 'will get a tit-for-tat response'.

'And who it falls on, this should be easy for Washington to work out. The clock is ticking,' she said at a weekly briefing on Thursday. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Dmitry Solovyov,; Editing by Christian Lowe and Ed Osmond)
A Queensland man has been filmed dropping a 120kg barbell on his neck in what has been the second gym-related accident in a week.

The horrifying clip, which was caught on CCTV at Genesis gym at Morayfield, Brisbane, shows 28-year-old Jason Layt attempting a heavy lift without a spotter.

The bar suddenly falls from his grip and onto his chest, pinning the gym-goer down for 17 seconds, before it rolls onto his throat and he is forced to wrench his neck to one side in hopes of wriggling free.

Mr Layt was only freed once other members noticed he was in trouble.

The accident landed the 28-year-old in hospital with a neck brace for more than five hours as he admits the experience left him 'shaking.'

'It pays to have a spotter, you have to have one,' he told the Courier Mail.

Genesis Morayfield owner, champion bodybuilder and former LNP politician Jason Woodforth, said if he was working on the gym floor 24/7 he would see these kind of accidents everyday.

Mr Layt was only freed once other members noticed he was in trouble (pictured right)

'Mr Layt's incident happened in the middle of the day so it just goes to show that even when people are around they can't be watching you the whole time,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'If you've got nothing left in the tank than rack it. When you're doing deadlifts or squats you can always drop the bar but you don't have that same luxury while bench pressing.

The bar suddenly falls from his grip and onto his chest, pinning the gym-goer down for 17 seconds, before it rolls onto his throat and he is forced to wrench his neck to one side in hopes of wriggling free

'I've met an Australian Olympic lifter who has even run into trouble a few times. It can happen to anyone.

'It's not the gym's responsibility to take care of you. Don't try and challenge yourself if you can't get that sixth or seventh rep.'

This is the second time a Queensland native has become trapped by gym equipment in as little as five days.

Ben Shaw, 15, is believed to have been stuck for up to 30 minutes at around 8:30am on Tuesday after dropping a piece of heavy shy equipment on his neck.

Staff at the Pine Rivers PCYC administered first aid to the boy before paramedics arrived and took him to Lady Cilento Hospital in a critical condition.

Friends of Ben say he was a regular at the gym and had been competing in junior weightlifting competitions across the state.

A 15-year-old Brisbane boy is in a critical condition after becoming trapped by gym equipment during a workout

The 15-year-old's neck was reportedly pinned by equipment while he was working out

'We are deeply saddened by this incident and are offering support to all PCYC Pine Rivers members and staff,' PCYC Queensland chief Phil Schultz said.

'We will also offer support to family and friends of the young man involved.'

He is currently on life support with his family by his side.
The sitar (pictured), which featured in the arrangement for Norwegian Wood, sold for 46,706 at an auction is Los Angeles

An Indian stringed instrument owned and played by George Harrison on one of the Beatles best-known tracks has sold for almost 50,000.

The sitar, which featured in the arrangement for Norwegian Wood, sold for 46,706 at an auction is Los Angeles - 52 years after the band recorded the song in 1965.

Harrison purchased the sitar from a shop on Oxford Street in London.

In the Beatles Anthologies, he said: Wed recorded the Norwegian Wood backing track and it needed something.

We would usually start looking through the cupboard to see if we could come up with something, a new sound, and I picked the sitar up - it was just lying around.

I hadnt really figured out what to do with it. It was quite spontaneous: I found the notes that played the lick. It fitted and it worked.

Norwegian Wood was recorded in October 1965, and has noted to kick-start the Great Sitar Explosion in rock and roll.

However, this lead to Harrison generating his lifelong passion for Indian music and learning the sitar and growing his interest Hinduism and Indian culture, all occurring after the string broke on his personal instrument while recording.

He became the first Beatle to visit India and travelled to Mumbai to study the sitar with Ravi Shankar in 1966 following the bands final live concert in San Francisco.

Over the next several months Harrison continued to play the sitar and decided to exchange his older-style crummy-quality one with a more sophisticated style designed to play better into microphones.

It was a lifelong passion for the star, since his marriage to first wife Pattie Boyd in January 1966.

Harrison reportedly gave the sitar to Miss Boyds friend George Drummond who hosted them in Barbados for the wedding, while getting a better sitar flown to the island for him.

An Indian stringed instrument owned and played by George Harrison on one of the Beatles best-known tracks has sold for almost 50,000. Pictured: George receiving instruction in playing the sitar from a Sikh teacher

The sitar is accompanied by two letters of authenticity, one from Boyd and one from George Drummond.

His ex-wife confirms the authenticity of the sitar and wrote: wrote: Before we left Barbados, George Harrison gifted the Sitar to George de Vere Drummond.

Drummonds Letter of Authorisation confirming that Harrison gave him this sitar in February 1966 said that its remained in my possession until I consigned it to Nate D. Sanders Auctions.

The sitars authenticity has been clarified in the letters that it was crafted by Kanai Lal & Brother of Calcutta, and was approximately 10 years old - made in the late 1940s or 1950s - when Harrison played it.

Norwegian Wood was recorded in October 1965, and has noted to kick-start the Great Sitar Explosion in rock and roll. Pictured: The Beatles in 1964
Convicted criminals are being sentenced in prison rather than appearing in court to hear their punishment.

Offenders  including rapists and murderers  are avoiding appearing in front of victims or their families and instead being sentenced in a video link booth at their jail.

Critics have condemned the cost-cutting measure, claiming it is the latest example of soft justice by putting the needs of the criminal before those of the victim.

Details of the measure, part of a modernisation programme designed to save millions of pounds, came to light after Harley Street psychotherapist Nicholas Gully, 47, was found guilty of raping a teenage boy at a leisure centre in Hove, East Sussex

Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Justice state that convicted criminals across England and Wales no longer have to step into the dock to receive their punishment from a judge.

Details of the measure, part of a modernisation programme designed to save millions of pounds, came to light after Harley Street psychotherapist Nicholas Gully, 47, was found guilty of raping a teenage boy at a leisure centre in Hove, East Sussex.

The boy was waiting for a lift home from his mother when he was approached by the depraved predator.

For the duration of his week-long trial at Hove Crown Court, Gully appeared in the dock.

An MoJ source said: Some of the families will feel that sentencing by video link does deprive them of justice as they cannot look the accused or defendant in the eyes. However, sentencing by using a video link to the prison is only used on a case-by-case basis

But when he was sentenced to 17 years in prison earlier this month, he appeared by video link from his jail  even though he was being held on remand just six miles away.

The move caused outrage among friends of the victim who claimed it pandered to the convicted criminal.

One said: We wanted to look him right in the eye as he was sentenced and answered for his dreadful crimes.Allowing him to be sentenced by video link in prison deprived us of a crucial element of justice.

It seems sentencing a defendant in prison is aimed at protecting them and making it easier for them rather than being in the interests of seeing justice done.

Speaking before the sentencing, trial judge Christine Henson QC said the sentencing of defendants by prison video link was a new initiative and added: I am sure we will see a lot more of it in the future.

Liberal Democrat justice spokesman Jonathan Marks said: It is about doing justice in open court and in public  thats very important and we mustnt lose it.

In June this year a murderer considered to be too dangerous to appear in court was sentenced over a live video link in Scotland  not the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice  for damaging his cell.

In the first case of its kind in Scotland, Adam Gallagher, 29, who is already serving a life term, was sentenced at Perth Prison rather than being transported the 1.8 miles to Perth Sheriff Court.

An MoJ source said: Some of the families will feel that sentencing by video link does deprive them of justice as they cannot look the accused or defendant in the eyes.

However, sentencing by using a video link to the prison is only used on a case-by-case basis.

The MoJ declined to comment on the concerns of victims and their families or whether any cases would be exempt from video link sentencing.

The spokesman added that a rolling programme of improvements was introduced in 2015 to install and upgrade video links across England and Wales.
Theresa May was hit by a revolt on three fronts last night as she urged MPs to use the partys annual conference to focus their fire on Labour.

Conservative politicians brushed aside calls for unity by issuing a string of warnings on immigration, benefits and energy prices.

The Prime Minister also faced renewed pressure over Brexit, which looks set to overshadow the Tory gathering when it begins tomorrow in Manchester.

Theresa May was hit by a revolt on three fronts last night as she urged MPs to use the partys annual conference to focus their fire on Labour. She also faced renewed pressure over Brexit

Speaking ahead of the four-day event, Mrs May urged her party to take the fight to Jeremy Corbyn and find new ways to attract younger voters. But last night she was facing pressure from within her own ranks over a string of issues, including:

A dozen Tory MPs backed by former troubled families tsar Louise Casey called for a halt to the rollout of the Governments flagship universal credit benefit;

Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke criticised the PMs target to cut net immigration to under 100,000 as a mistake in some circumstances;

72 Tory MPs backed a cross-party call for Mrs May to honour her pledge to cap energy bills, amid growing fears it could be watered down;

Former ministers Owen Paterson and David Jones urged her to walk away from the EU rather than offer any further concessions to Brussels.

Mrs May has struggled to assert her authority over the party since surrendering her Commons majority in the snap election in June. Speaking ahead of the conference last night, she acknowledged the party had suffered a disappointing election and pledged to listen to the concerns of the public.

The Tory leader, who is expected to unveil new plans to tackle the housing crisis, said the party had work to do to reconnect with younger voters tempted by Mr Corbyns manifesto giveaways.

Yes, we have to get the best Brexit deal, she said. But we must also take action here at home to make this a fairer place to live for ordinary working people.

The PM urged her party to take the fight to Labour, saying: For people considering the alternative, we have a clear message too. The Labour Party is simply not fit to govern  and have already gone back on their promises about things like student debt.

They dont have the balanced economic approach our country needs and we know from last time where that leads. Costs rack up and working people  the very people who can least afford it  pay the price with higher taxes and fewer jobs. After delivering a major speech on Brexit in Florence this month, Mrs May hopes to drag the agenda back to domestic matters this week. But yesterdays developments highlight the difficulties she faces on that front.

In an interview with Londons Evening Standard yesterday, Mr Gauke became the latest senior minister to cast doubt on the Tory pledge to slash net immigration to the tens of thousands, saying it should be more flexible.

If you found yourself in circumstances where we had a very buoyant jobs market, and other parts of Europe didnt, trying to go hell for leather to meet that target would be a mistake, he said.

The PM also faced pressure over the rollout of the flagship universal credit scheme, which replaces six benefits with a single payment. A dozen Tory MPs have written to the Government calling for a pause in the scheme because of concerns that some adults could be left destitute for weeks during a changeover period.

The Tory leader, who is expected to unveil new plans to tackle the housing crisis, said the party had work to do to reconnect with younger voters tempted by Jeremy Corbyns manifesto giveaways

Former Government adviser Louise Casey last night called for the policy to be halted to allow time for a new safety net to be put in. She told Radio Fours PM programme that the implementation of the scheme makes my hair stand on end, adding: If it means that we are looking at more and more people that are ending up homeless, or ending up having their kids taken away, or ending up in more dire circumstances, that cannot be the intention.

At a time like this when the country is fraying at the edges, where we have more homeless people than weve had for decades on the streets, we need to be kinder to people, we need more kindness.

Privately, however, ministers say the poorest families can apply for cash advances to tide them over during the changeover. Dozens of Tories have backed a cross-party letter calling for legislation on Mrs Mays energy price cap pledge.

Ministers have asked regulator Ofgem to examine the issue, but MPs fear that failure to legislate will let the energy firms off the hook. Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg last night said the PM needed to use the conference to re-energise a demoralised party.

We need a good conference because Jeremy Corbyn has just had an excellent one, he said.

We need to leave Manchester with a spring in our step.

The PM yesterday indicated she wants to hold on and fight the next election, telling the BBC she is not a quitter. But in a poll for the ConservativeHome website, 81 per cent of activists said they preferred Boris Johnsons vision of Brexit.
The body of 72-year-old Jane Hings, pictured, was discovered at around 8am at her home in the village of Fleckney, near Leicester, last Sunday

A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder following the discovery of a pensioner's body at her bungalow.

Craig Keogh, of no fixed address, has also been charged with two counts of rape and burglary, Leicestershire Police said.

The body of 72-year-old Jane Hings was discovered at around 8am at her home in the village of Fleckney, near Leicester, last Sunday.

Keogh will appear at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Saturday, a police spokesman said.

Police initially said her death was unexplained after a post-mortem examination proved inconclusive, but began a murder inquiry after finding signs of a disturbance at her home.

A car was seen speeding away from her home late on Saturday night, smashing into other vehicles in the street as the driver made a getaway.

Miss Hings lived alone in a cul-de-sac and is said to have had little in the way of possessions.

Friends said she had travelled the world and lived in Holland before returning to care for her parents, who had dementia, before they died.

She was an only child and never married. Neighbours said she was a church-goer and a private person.
Three people were killed and four seriously injured when a car careened off a major highway after it struck a bear.

The Colorado State Patrol said seven people were in the car that slid across the center median, crossing over lanes of traffic before it flew off Interstate 70 Friday morning near Rifle, Colorado.

Two of those killed were children.

All victims were ejected from the car at the time of the crash and none were believed to have been wearing a seat belts or child restraint systems, according to KDVR-TV.

Brizeyda Hernandez, 15, was one of three people who died when a car driving along an interstate in Colorado hit a bear

Kimberly Hernandez, seven, and Eugenio Hernandez Altamirano, 63, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Brizeyda Hernandez, 15, was rushed to Grand River Hospital in Rifle at approximately 9.25am.

She was then airlifted to Childrens Hospital, where she died of her injuries.

The three fatalities were residents of New Castle, Colorado, a small town about 100 miles from the border with Utah.

Another young victim of the crash - a nine-year-old boy - was also airlifted to Children's Hospital. His injuries are considered life-threatening.

A 62-year-old woman who was also in the car was rushed to Valley View Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The driver, a 36-year-old male, was taken to Valley View Hospital with serious injuries.

The Colorado State Patrol says seven people were in the car that slid across the center median, crossing over lanes of traffic before it flew off Interstate 70 (above) Friday morning near Rifle, Colorado

A female passenger, 32, was also taken to a hospital, though there is no word as to the severity of her injuries.

The Colorado State Patrol says drugs, alcohol, and the speed of the vehicle were not considered factors in the crash.

The bear was killed in the crash.
Australian mining billionaire is in the midst of suing the tobacco industry for billions of dollars on behalf of all smokers.

Businessman and philanthropist Andrew Forrest had reported started seeking advice on the impending lawsuit from some of the most revered Queen Councils (QCs) in the country.

Mr Forrest's efforts follows a Canadian landmark lawsuit which had successfully managed to seek $15.6 billion in damages for more than one million smokers in 2015, the Saturday Telegraph reports.

Billionaire Andrew Forrest (pictured) is suing tobacco companies on behalf of all smokers

The publication reports that Mr Forrest had gone as far as citing his idea 'in a COAG (Council of Australian Government) presentation' in August which were attended by the nation's health ministers.

It was further reported that Mr Forrest plans had been well received by the group.

'This society-critical initiative is still in its infancy but the end game is to reduce this dreaded disease to an illness not a death sentence,' Mr Forrest said.

'We want to prove it works in Australia first and then immediately spread it globally.'

According to the newspaper, 15,000 Aussies die each year from various illnesses derived from smoking amounting to an annual economic lost of $31.5 billion.


The Prime Minister risked infuriating Brexiteers yesterday by promising Angela Merkel that she will enshrine the rights of EU citizens in an exit treaty.

During a head-to-head meeting yesterday, Theresa May confirmed the plans, which would give rules drafted in partnership with Brussels, direct effect in British law.

It is expected the treaty would prevent British politicians from changing the rules in future for the three million EU nationals living in the UK.

No 10 believes the concession could finally prompt a breakthrough on the thorny issue amid pressure from campaign groups to come to a deal.

But leading Eurosceptics last night criticised Mrs Mays proposal, which has already been detailed at the negotiating table, as unacceptable.

The Prime Minister risked infuriating Brexiteers yesterday by promising Angela Merkel that she will enshrine the rights of EU citizens in an exit treaty. During a head-to-head meeting yesterday, Theresa May confirmed the plans, which would give rules drafted in partnership with Brussels, direct effect in British law

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: The rights of EU citizens must evolve in line with the rights of British nationals. To say their rights will be frozen in aspic is not serious and not deliverable.

He said it would be absurd for any future changes to citizens rights in the UK not to apply to EU nationals.

Mr Rees-Mogg added: We cannot have that  it is silly for the EU to be asking for it and weak of the Government to be contemplating it.

Tory MEP David Bannerman said: We mustnt go soft on our legal sovereignty and on Westminster being supreme. Having UK courts deciding EU citizens rights is sensible.

Mrs May first unveiled the significantly softer approach on the issue of citizens rights during her Brexit speech in Florence last week.

Brussels however has rejected the offer and insisted that it will refuse to conclude an agreement unless the European Court of Justice is allowed ultimate oversight of citizens rights deal.

Mrs May first unveiled the significantly softer approach on the issue of citizens rights during her Brexit speech in Florence last week. Above, with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Estonia

But Mrs May is hugely unlikely to allow this after insisting that she would end the jurisdiction of the Luxembourg court within the UK.

A Downing Street source said yesterday: The red line is now direct jurisdiction of the ECJ. The new offer is a stark contrast to the previous Government position, which said that implementing the legal principle would be inappropriate following the UKs split with Brussels.

An information note penned by the Brexit department in July said: It would be inapt to require the UK to maintain it [direct effect] in its domestic law.

Brexit Secretary David Davis confirmed the UK would implement the direct effect principle after tying up the latest round of negotiations this week. But he said this differed from the European Communities Act 1972, which currently ensures the supremacy of EU law in Britain.

Yesterday, Mrs Merkel and Mrs May agreed a deal on citizens rights should be agreed at the earliest opportunity.
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A British climber who died after being crushed by a huge boulder saved his wife's life by diving on top of her.

Andrew Foster, 32, and his wife Lucy Foster, 28, from Cardiff, were crushed under tons of falling rock as they prepared for their climb at Yosemite's El Capitan in California.

Mrs Foster told her family that her husband, an experienced climber, dived on top of her as the rock fell, saving her life.

She suffered from two broken ribs and a punctured lung in the fall but is expected to make a full recovery, thanks to his heroics.

Andrew Foster, 32, and his wife Lucy Foster, 28, from Cardiff, were buried under tons of falling rock as they prepared for their climb at Yosemite's El Capitan in California

Mr Foster (left, at Yosemite on the day he was killed and, right, at Heathrow Airport as the couple headed to California) died when a piece of granite measuring 131ft x 65ft tore away from the famous rock formation at 1.55pm on Wednesday

Mrs Foster told her family that her husband, an experienced climber, dived on top of her as the rock fell, saving her life

His aunt, Gillian Stephens, told The Times: 'She said: "Andrew saved my life. He dived on top of me as soon as he could see what was going to happen. He saved my life."

'They were so devoted to each other. It really was a love story.

'This trip was to celebrate their first anniversary. My sister took them to the airport three weeks ago. They were so happy.'

Mr Foster's parents, from Cheltenham, were due to arrive in America last night to recover their son's body.

Mr Foster died when a piece of granite measuring 131ft x 65ft tore away from the famous rock formation at 1.55pm on Wednesday. They had not yet begun climbing when he became completely buried by the shattered rock, which rained down on the base.

The couple, who were big adventurers and wrote a blog about their experiences, were married a year ago and the three-week trip to the Yosemite National Park in California was part of their first wedding anniversary celebrations.

This is the view of another climber of a rockslide on Yosemite's El Capitan which killed Welshman Andrew Foster on Wednesday

Mr Foster was posing for the camera on September 13 - the couple's first day in Yosemite (left). An onlooker across the valley captured this image (right) of the rock fall from across the valley on Wednesday

A cloud of dust is seen on El Capitan after the major rock fall in Yosemite National Park, which killed the British climber

The pair, who met in university, state on their blog: 'We are a young married couple who enjoy nothing more than getting out and having adventures in the mountains together.

'We are not extreme athletes and describe ourselves simply as passionate weekend warriors. We hope to inspire other people to get out and experience the natural world.'

Mr and Mrs Foster were found by a search and rescue team at the base of the rock formation shortly after the fall on Wednesday.

'The victims, a couple visiting from Great Britain, were in the park to rock climb but were not climbing at the time of the initial rock fall.

'The male was found deceased and the female was flown out of the park with serious injuries,' Yosemite National Park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

The couple had not yet begun their ascent but were wearing climbing gear at the time.

'With all the craziness I don't exactly know where they were going but chances are they were going up,' Gediman added.

'From what I understand they were buried under rock... They were crushed by falling rocks.'

He could not be specific about their injuries but said they were 'consistent with tonnes of granite falling on you'.

A family friend, who delivered a food parcel to Lucy's mother Jennifer, 57, said: 'It's very shocking and it's a terrible time for the family.

'I know Brian has flown out to be with Lucy and Jennifer has remained at home. I can't really say a lot as I think it's down to the family to comment.'

There was a large presence of park rangers and emergency services until late in the afternoon

This before (left) and after picture shows the section of El Capitan where the rock fell from on Wednesday

The pair, who met in university, state on their blog: 'We are a young married couple who enjoy nothing more than getting out and having adventures in the mountains together'

They were keen skiers and Mr Foster proposed while they were on a slope in the French Alps in March 2015

Mr Foster (left, on the couple's wedding day last year and, right, climbing a mountain) was a manager with outdoors equipment and clothing company Patagonia. Lucy also worked in the industry and the pair spent all their spare time in the great outdoors

Another neighbour said: 'Andrew and Lucy were a lovely, young married couple. It's so sad to hear the news this morning. They would always chat whenever they visited her parents

'They haven't been married long and were always off on holidays and adventures. They were real thrillseekers and loved hiking.'

The couple had been training for the expedition for six months and flew off to the States on September 11 along with other members of their climbing club.

Mr Foster was a manager with outdoors equipment and clothing company Patagonia. Mrs Foster also worked in the industry and the pair spent all their spare time in the great outdoors.

They were keen skiers and Mr Foster proposed while they were on a slope in the French Alps in March 2015.

The couple practiced for their trip to Yosemite by climbing cliffs in Cornwall and Pembrokeshire.

Mrs Foster told her friends they were both 'Yosemite virgins' but were prepared for the trip and had bought expensive climbing gear.

The couple (pictured, on their big day last year), who were big adventurers and wrote a blog about experienes, were married a year ago and the three-week trip to the Yosemite National Park in California was part of their first wedding anniversary celebrations

The couple practiced for their trip to Yosemite by climbing cliffs in Cornwall and Pembrokeshire (left)

The pair were hit by the falling boulders as they planned the highlight of their holiday - the ascent of El Capitan

Mr Foster even gave other climbers advice on scaling a 'big wall' a nickname for an ascent like El Capitan which they were about to start.

The day before the tragedy he was pictured in the national park looking exhausted and smiling at the camera.

Mrs Foster put a chilling caption underneath saying: 'Yosemite has broken Andy.'

The pair were hit by the falling boulders as they planned the highlight of their holiday - the ascent of El Capitan.

Mr Foster was from Cheltenham while Mrs Foster grew up in Market Drayton, Shropshire.

Staff at the Cardiff-based Patagonia said in a statement: 'Andy Foster was an inspirational member of the Up and Under family.

'He was a highly regarded member of staff for five years, before he took a job with Patagonia.

'He remained a dedicated friend of Up and Under, and was regularly to be found in the store. His passion for the outdoors, and mountains in particular, was enormous and infectious.

'Andy and Lucy's intentions upon returning from Yosemite were, with the help of Andy's father, to covert a van into a motorhome to enable them to explore the European Alps for the next 12 months.

'It was then our hope that Andy would return to Up and Under in a part time consultative role, whilst he also chased other ambitions.

'Andy was highly respected, loved and his loss will be sorely felt by us all. Our thoughts are with Lucy and his family.'

Site of tragedy: The huge crater where the massive block broke lose and fell 2,000ft to the valley floor can be seen in the center of this image

Vikki Glinkskii (bottom right) a climber steward with Ask A Climber, calls her boss from El Capitan Meadow to tell him about a new rockfall, as white dust is thrown into the air at the Waterfall Route on El Capitan

Friend Jess Spate wrote on Facebook said: 'Rest in peace Andrew Foster. Always cheerful, never a mean word to say about anyone, up for anything, anytime.

'Never so much as a cross word even when he must have been as cold and tired as it's possible to be while still walking.

'There's nobody I'd rather climb a rapidly thawing frozen waterfall with at 2am on a work night.

'Nobody better to play hangman with at midnight in Cardiff City Hall, waiting to impersonate beautiful female ninjas. Nobody better to be topping out of a mountain route with when the weather turned.

'Those times will never be forgotten because they are part of who I am. I know that everyone who met Andy liked him because it was impossible not to.

'Everyone who climbed with him will remember his good humour and his unrivalled sense of adventure.

'Go hard my friend. May the skies always be clear for you and the thermometer stay below -5.'

A second rockfall occurred at the famous California climbing spot on Thursday afternoon. It injured one person whose condition is not known.

Sixteen people have been killed and 100 others injured in rock falls since park records began in 1857.

The last fatality was in June 1999, when climber Peter Terbush was killed below Glacier Point.

El Capitan, one of Yosemite's best-known landmarks, is considered a world-class challenge for rock climbers.

The horrific rock fall was witnessed by another climber who captured the incident on camera.

WHAT CAUSES ROCK FALL IN YOSEMITE? Rock fall in Yosemite is impossible to predict and is caused by geological processes that fracture the granite faces of the valley over thousands of years. Erosion caused by freeze-thaw cycles, waterfalls and the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates gradually creates fractures in the rock. Rock fall occurs when these fractures completely separate a block or blocks from the face . The large piles of boulders knows as talus at the foot of every face in Yosemite are created by rock fall. Around 1,000 large rockfalls have been recorded in Yosemite over the past 150 years. Advertisement

The climber watched an apartment-sized block of rock break free from El Capitan and hurtle thousands of feet to the valley below killing one person.

Ryan Sheridan took the image on Wednesday as the huge 100ft x 100ft block of granite disintegrated into an avalanche of boulders as it fell to the ground from 2,000ft up.

Large rock fall happens a few times a year at Yosemite but there is no way to predict when or where it will occur. Thousands of stunned tourists witnessed the tragedy at 1.55pm but none were hurt.

As he posted the image to Facebook, professional climber Sheridan wrote: 'We are alright, hoping for a good outcome for the people approaching east buttress'

Around 30 climbers were on El Capitan at the time of the rockfall on the Waterfall Route but they appear to be unharmed.

Another witness who saw the slide from above said he saw the rockfall hit two climbers as they walked to the bottom of the face which is one of the most famous symbols of America's national parks.

Peter Zabrok said he saw the two climbers walking below the rock fall and one of them get hit and buried. When his companion tired to run to his aid he was also hit by more rocks plummeting down the face.

Zabrok, who spoke to DailyMail.com on Wednesday night as he made his way back to base, narrowly avoided death.

He had just climbed above the piece of the rock which tore off when he watched from a 'birds eye view' as it fell away.

He said: 'We were climbing the route where the rockfall occurred and we got a bird's-eye view of the rockfall.

Aftermath: This was survivor Peter Zabrok's view after the rockfall. The huge debris field of boulders can be seen bottom right

A helicopter carries an emergency worker with one of those rescued on a winch to safety

'I observed a 100 foot by 100 foot by 100 foot piece of granite peel off and fall 2000 feet to the ground. It was the size of an apartment building' he said.

Zabrok - seasoned rock climber with decades of experience - said the sound of the fall was like 'a thousand freight trains derailing at once but louder'.

'There were two people walking at the base and the appeared to get hit and completely buried.

'We are past it and we are safe. Had we been underneath it we would have died for sure. I give thanks to God and my Savior Jesus Christ,' he said.

The second rockslide sent rocks tumbling down onto the roads running out of the park

Writing later on a climbing forum, Zabrok said: 'A guy in a green shirt ran over from the Zodiac area and probably went up into the rock fall to search for the people who were buried.

'Ryan shouted continually from the portaledge to stay away because more rock was going to come down.

'We think that the guy in the green shirt is the one who perished and was carried away by the rescue crew.

'But this is only a guess based on what we saw. It is a true blue big wall miracle that orange helmet girl survived not one rock fall but too. She must have some sort of hedge of protection around her.'

The last climber to be killed by rock fall was Mason Robinson who was hit by a rock an fell 280ft to his death.

Challenging route: The rock rock fall occurred near the popular waterfall route. It follows the path of the Horse Tail Falls waterfall which plunges 3,000ft to the valley in spring

Aftermath: Peter Zabrok watched as a helicopter scrambled to rescue people beneath him who were 'completely buried' in the slide

Emergency crews worked at the site for hours after the rock fall on Wednesday

Spectacular: The Horsetail Falls climbing route follows the path of this waterfall when it is not flowing (file image)

Subsequent smaller rockfall also put rescuers in danger as they searched for survivors.

Zabrok added: 'There have been three subsequent enormous rock falls and this rescuer is in tremendous peril.'

In a statement after the slide Yosemite National Park said: 'A rockfall of undetermined size occurred on El Capitan at about 1:55 pm today. The release point appears to be near the 'Waterfall Route,' a popular climbing route on the East Buttress of El Capitan.

'This is the area where Horsetail Fall flows in winter and spring conditions.

'There is one confirmed fatality and one injured person. Park rangers are working to transport the injured person to receive medical care outside of the park.'

The fall trigger three smaller slides, he said, which left emergency workers in danger.

'There have been three subsequent enormous rock falls and this rescuer is in tremendous peril,' he said, immediately after the first one.

A second rockfall occurred at the famous California climbing spot on Thursday afternoon (pictured). It injured one person whose condition is not known

Peter Zabrok, who witnessed yesterday's rockfall, said: 'I literally felt the ground shake. This rockfall is far and away the biggest'

A massive cloud of thick dust spreads across Yosemite Valley after after the second rock fall in two day

This image shows the scale of yesterday's rock fall, which was much larger than the one on Wednesday, which killed Andrew Foster
The Australian Defence Force has been involved in two air strikes that resulted in the deaths of Iraqi civilians.

Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral David Johnston confirmed Australia's involvement in the incidents, which took place earlier this year and saw at least eight people killed or injured.

The American-led coalition was due to release details of the official investigations into March 30 and June 7 incidents on Saturday.

The Australian Defence Force has been involved in two air strikes that resulted in the deaths of Iraqi civilians, Chief of Joint Operations Vice Admiral David Johnston confirmed (stock photo)

The June event is believed to have occurred when Iraqi Security Forces were involved in a gun battle with Islamic State militants around 20 metres away.

The group found themselves 'pinned down' and 'unable to move', Vice Admiral Johnston said.

A pair of Australian F/A-18 Super Hornets nearby were called in to provide air support, following normal targeting procedures.

'It was a residential building, but it was assessed a legitimate target,' he said.

A single weapon - a GPS guided bomb - was dropped on the front of the building and it is believed two IS fighters were killed.

Vice Admiral Johnston said no civilians had been observed in the area before the strike however, afterwards it became apparent some had been inside.

'A civilian was either seriously injured or killed as a result of that strike... It was a child carried out' Vice Admiral Johnston said.

The Australian fighter pilots reported the incident to the US-led coalition's headquarters and up the Australian chain of command for investigation.

One civilian was injured or killed as the result of a strike on June 7, when a bomb from an Australian F/A-18 Super Hornet (stock photo pictured) was dropped on a residential building believed to be housing IS members

While seven other Iraqi civilians were killed or injured, including a child, after an airstrike on March 30 involving an ADF member as part of the 'target decision-making process' (stock photo)

Vice Admiral Johnston insisted Australian rules of engagement had been followed and the strike complied with the laws of armed conflict.

Meanwhile, a separate incident also occurred on March 30 when a group suspected of being IS fighters were positioned about 300 metres away from Iraqi Security Forces.

The US-led coalition authorised an air strike and seven civilians were killed or injured, including a child.

Australian aircraft were not involved but Australian defence personnel had been part of the target decision-making process.

'It appeared the group was wrongly identified (as IS),' he said, adding that at the time the information claiming the group was armed had come from a credible and reliable source.

The US-led coalition estimate, there have been 735 civilian fatalities since 2014, with 350 incidents still under investigation.

Airwars, a non-government group monitoring air strikes and civilian deaths in the Middle East estimates close to 5500 civilians have died in coalition air strikes in Iraq and Syria.
Boris Johnson reopened Cabinet divisions over Brexit last night by setting out a series of red lines for negotiations with the EU.

In an intervention which will dismay Downing Street and reopen speculation about his leadership ambitions, the Foreign Secretary said he was not prepared to stay shackled to the EU for 'a second longer' once a two-year transition is complete in March 2021.

Mr Johnson said it was right to stress the positives about Brexit.

Boris Johnson reopened Cabinet divisions over Brexit last night by setting out a series of red lines for negotiations with the EU

The Foreign Secretary said he was not prepared to stay shackled to the EU for 'a second longer' once a two-year transition is complete in March 2021

He said: 'We need to believe in ourselves and believe we can do it. It is unstoppable. Ain't no stopping us now.

'There is a disjuncture between the debate in Westminster and the London bubble and where a lot of people are in the country.

'Most people can't understand what this conversation is all about. We left. We voted for that last year  so let's get on with it.'

Remainers in the Cabinet, including Chancellor Philip Hammond and Business Secretary Greg Clarke, are pushing for a transition of up to three years, fuelling suspicions the UK might never leave.

Mr Johnson said it was right to stress the positives about Brexit: 'We need to believe in ourselves and believe we can do it. It is unstoppable. Ain't no stopping us now'

Theresa May fudged the issue in her Florence speech this month, saying that a transition would be 'about two years'.

But, in an interview with the Sun on the eve of the Tories' annual conference in Manchester, Mr Johnson made it clear he would accept no further compromises on the issue.

He said Brexit voters were feeling betrayed, adding; 'I got that from my own talking to people. Very strongly.

'What that teaches me is that really is it. Rien ne va plus. Finito la musica. Then we come out. There can be no monkeying around.

'Am I impatient about it, do I want to get it done as fast as possible? Yes, absolutely. Do I want the delay to go on longer than two years? Not a second more.'

Remainers in the Cabinet, including Chancellor Philip Hammond and Business Secretary Greg Clarke, are pushing for a transition of up to three years, fuelling suspicions the UK might never leave

Mr Johnson angered No 10 this month when he set out his manifesto for Brexit in an authorised essay running to more than 4,000 words, just days before the PM set out her own vision.

The subsequent row, in which Home Secretary Amber Rudd branded him a 'backseat driver', led to speculation he might quit.

His latest intervention will revive fears in No 10 that Mr Johnson may storm out of the Government and position himself as a 'Brexit martyr'.

Last night Mr Johnson also set down a series of other conditions for the talks with Brussels that threaten to box in Mrs May.

He said that the UK must accept no new EU rules during the transition  which puts him at odds with Mr Hammond, who believes the UK will have to accept continuing regulations from Brussels during this period.

And he said the UK must padlock itself to the single market after it finally leaves and must refuse to accept any demands for payment in return for access to the single market.

Reacting to the intervention, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Foreign Secretary's stance threatened a trade war with the EU

He said: 'It seems a pretty dysfunctional Government. I can't imagine what it's like sitting around a table with their Brexit negotiating team because there are three or four people with three or four completely different opinions'

'What I have always said is that we will pay for things that are reasonable, scientific programmes,' he said.

'But when it comes to paying for access to the market, that won't happen any more than we would expect them to pay us for access to our market.'

He added: 'There is no point in coming out of the EU and then remaining in rotational orbit around it. That is the worst of both worlds. You have to be able to have control of your regulatory framework.'

Reacting to the intervention, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Foreign Secretary's stance threatened a trade war with the EU.

It seems a pretty dysfunctional Government Jeremy Corbyn

He said: 'It seems a pretty dysfunctional Government. I can't imagine what it's like sitting around a table with their Brexit negotiating team because there are three or four people with three or four completely different opinions.

'Boris this morning seems to be saying two years maximum on the transition period and then no shadowing of EU rules. Well, that sounds to me like a threat to have a trade policy that undermines Europe.

'Therein lies the basis of a trade war of the future, therein lies a threat to thousands and thousands of jobs in Britain.

'You have got to have a serious, adult, grown-up relationship with Europe.'

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said Mr Johnson's intervention had undermined the Government's Brexit negotiating position.

'Boris Johnson's latest red line sends an appalling signal to EU negotiators who thought they were dealing with David Davis and Theresa May but now realise that the strings are being pulled by others,' he said.

'Senior Conservatives are displaying an abject failure to act together in the national interest and seem more motivated by selfish, personal ambition.'
St Hughs College governing body removed the portrait of Aung San Suu Ki, pictured, and replaced it with a Japanese painting by Yoshihiro Takeda

An Oxford University college has taken down a portrait of Myanmars leading politician amid claims the country has been carrying out ethnic cleansing.

St Hughs College governing body removed the portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi and replaced it with a Japanese painting by Yoshihiro Takeda, according to a student newsletter.

Burmas civilian leader Suu Kyi is an alumna of the college and had previously been given an honorary degree.

But she has faced heavy criticism over her handling over a crisis that has seen 400,000 Rohingya Muslims flee Burma.

The state has faced accusations of ethnic cleansing by the United Nations earlier this month.

The portrait, which was painted by Chen Yanning in 1997, has been hanging in the main entrance since 1999.

It belonged to Suu Kyis husband, Michael Aris, and was given to the college after his death.

Suu Kyi is pictured with the Principal of St Hugh's College during a visit there in June 2012

St Hughs College told The Telegraph it was to make way for a new painting.

A spokesman said: We received the gift of a new painting this month which will be exhibited for a period. The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has been moved to storage.

Suu Kyi, who graduated from St Hughs in 1967, won a Nobel Prize after she was held as a political prisoner. She has been Burmas leader for the last two years.

Myanmar has denied allegations of ethnic cleansing or genocide.
New Ukip leader Henry Bolton emerged from obscurity to defy the bookies and beat the two front-runners in the contest to replace Paul Nuttall.

The 54-year-old former soldier comes to the role after a distinguished career as a diplomat - having been awarded an OBE for services to international security in 2013.

Ukip grandee Nigel Farage welcomed his appointment as party chief, calling him a 'man of real substance'.

New Ukip leader Henry Bolton emerged from obscurity to defy the bookies and beat the two front-runners in the contest to replace Paul Nuttall

Despite being relatively unknown, the ex-Thames Valley police officer, who joined the party in 2014, is no stranger to running for elected posts.

He stood for the Liberal Democrats in Runnymede and Weybridge in the 2005 general election, finishing third behind current Chancellor Philip Hammond.

More recently, the Sandhurst alumnus stood for Ukip as Police and Crime Commissioner in Kent in 2016, finishing second.

Mr Bolton, who describes himself as 'an expert in borders, security and foreign policy', has worked as a diplomat for the United Nations, Foreign Office and the EU, according to his website.

Henry Bolton with his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, who gave birth to their baby daughter on the 3.43pm Southeastern service from Ashford International to St Pancras International on Sunday May 15, 2016

The ex tank crew member arrived on the diplomatic scene after service in the military, having been deployed in Germany, Belize, Cyprus and Bosnia

It adds he was deployed to countries like Croatia, Kosovo, Libya and Ukraine on diplomatic missions for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

The ex tank crew member arrived on the diplomatic scene after service in the military, having been deployed in Germany, Belize, Cyprus and Bosnia.

After leaving the army, he worked as a police officer for eight years and received a commendation for bravery.

Mr Bolton recently warned Ukip was in danger of becoming the 'UK Nazi Party' if it chose the wrong leader and could 'easily slip towards the ideals of national socialism'.

Although he did not name her, his comments appeared to be aimed at defeated leadership hopeful Anne Marie Waters, the controversial Sharia Watch founder who has denounced Islam as 'evil'.

Henry Bolton, the new UKIP leader a former soldier, career diplomat and ex-Liberal Democrat candidate

Last year, his wife gave birth to their daughter Victoria on a train that had just pulled into St Pancras Station - his third daughter.

After his surprise triumph, he called on the party to united behind him to deliver its aims.

He said: 'I do not see myself now as simply being your leader, I see myself as serving this party.

'You are the party, not me, and this party needs to serve its country.

'There is no greater calling than that and I would call on all of you, whether you voted for me or not, to rally around the party, to be united.'

He lives in Kent with his children and wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton.

Mr Bolton, who describes himself as 'an expert in borders, security and foreign policy', has worked as a diplomat for the United Nations, Foreign Office and the EU, according to his website
When Alexander Turney Stewart opened a brand new store in New York in the 1820s, he adopted a radical and original policy.

All goods had a fixed price. No longer would salesmen size up the apparent wealth of a customer and see how much they could get away with charging.

Rival retailers predicted the Irishman would be bankrupt within a week. Instead, he became a multi-millionaire and A. T. Stewart & Co was, for some time, the worlds biggest department store.

The idea that shops charge a set price for goods has been the norm for almost 200 years  but thats changing thanks to the internet.

Most of us assume that prices at Amazon, the online retail giant, are not just low, but stable.

However, remarkable new analysis of the price of 100 random products during the course of year showed prices fluctuated by up to 260 per cent between the highest and lowest points, leaving customers who bought at the wrong time hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

The research, using data from CamelCamelCamel, a price-tracking website, found that a paddle board, for example, could be bought for as little as 234.87 or as much as 699  a difference of 464.13 over a year.

A Jamie Oliver stainless steel induction saucepan changed price 51 times between first going on sale on Amazon in November 2016 and August this year, ranging in price from 44 to 18.27.

New analysis of the price of 100 random products during the course of year showed prices fluctuated by up to 260 per cent between the highest and lowest points, leaving customers out of pocket

Some prices changed by large amounts on a weekly basis. On average, each product changed price every five days and one product changed price 300 times in a year. For example, the DVD of Stephen Kings 1990 thriller It changed price 24 times a month.

This strategy of prices moving up and down on a regular basis  and in real time  is known in the industry as dynamic pricing.

It is a technique that has long been used in the airline industry to sell as many seats as possible, as profitably as possible.

Some consumers have also experienced it with Uber, the app-based minicab company, which offers low fares compared with black taxis most of the time, but which sometimes adopts surge pricing during periods of high demand.

Dynamic pricing is increasingly being used by online retailers, particularly Amazon.

Philip Downer is the former managing director of Borders, the High Street bookstore chain that faced fierce competition from the online giant.

He now runs small gift shops in Dorking, Surrey, and follows Amazon developments closely.

This price instability means the only certainty is that you can never be certain you are getting the best price for anything, he says.

Indeed, you probably never are getting the best price for anything. One senses as a consumer that they are playing games with you.

Earlier this month, Amazon in the U.S. came under fire for allegedly using dynamic pricing to take advantage of Hurricane Irma.

Customers in storm-hit Florida took to social media to complain that packages of Nestle water were selling for $25 on Amazon, yet prices for those in the north-east of the country showed the same case of water selling for $18.50.

Amazon strongly denied that it was adopting surge pricing for bottled water and insisted it did not alter prices according to the area of the country.

A spokesperson explained that lower-priced offers were quickly selling out due to a spike in demand. That, in turn, was leaving higher-priced offers from third-party sellers that use Amazon.

However, there is strong anecdotal evidence that all online retailers, not just Amazon, tweak prices of some products according to supply and demand.

Another price-tracking website is Idealo, which monitors 183 million live prices across 30,000 shops in Europe, including Amazon, Argos, John Lewis and Asos.

Over the course of three months, it studied a selection of consumer electronics, such as Fitbit fitness devices and computer games, to see how the average price fluctuated throughout the week.

In nearly all cases, prices were lower on a Monday or Tuesday  the least popular days of the week to shop online, according to retailers, and they were more expensive in the run-up to the weekend, when the bulk of online shopping takes place.

For instance, the average price of a Fitbit Charge HR was 89 on a Monday but 94.64 on a Saturday. Call of Duty: Black Ops III, a computer game, cost 12.49 on a Monday but 16.99 on a Friday and Saturday.

The average difference between a Monday and Saturday across all video games is 15 per cent, according to Idealo. The price difference for a selection of four family games, including Monopoly and Articulate, was 18 per cent depending on the day of the week.

It is supply and demand driven, absolutely, says John Hoad at Idealo, which is based in Germany.

Just look at the Lego Millennium Falcon, which is a marriage of two very popular toy trends: Lego and Star Wars.

On May 2, it was priced, on average, at 81.66 across all the retailers it monitors, including Amazon. On May 3, the day before so-called Star Wars Day, which occurs each year on May 4 and is hugely popular with fans, it shot up to 94.90, a 16 per cent leap  a simple case of taking advantage of demand around Star Wars Day, says Hoad. On May 5, the price went back down to 83.99.

A retailer is perfectly within their rights to fluctuate prices according to supply and demand, but consumer experts worry that retailers have the potential to take it a step further.

With all the data that online retailers hold on customers, could they alter the prices according to who was doing the shopping?

In 2012, a Wall Street Journal investigation discovered online companies, including office-supply shop Staples and furniture retailer Home Depot, showed customers different prices based on a range of characteristics that could be discovered about the user.

Customers, for instance, in locations with a higher average income  and perhaps more buying choice  were generally shown lower prices. Another study, in Spain, showed that the price of the headphones Google recommends to you in its ads correlated with how budget-conscious your web history showed you to be.

The travel site Orbitz made headlines when it was revealed to have calculated that Apple Mac users were prepared to pay 20 to 30 per cent more on hotels than users of other computer brands, and to have adjusted pricing accordingly.

Ratula Chakraborty, senior lecturer in business management at the University of East Anglia, and an expert in pricing, says: So-called first-degree price discrimination, when prices are aimed at the individual by identifying them, is a very contentious subject, as Amazon found to its cost several years ago when it started trialling targeted higher prices to consumers based on their shopping history, which it could monitor.

This was back in 2000, when online retailing was just taking off. Amazon was found to have charged some people more than others for the same DVD, with some alleging that older people were charged a higher price.

Every time you visit a website, the company behind it downloads a tracker onto your computer, known as a cookie

Within a fortnight Amazon was forced to apologise, issue refunds and strenuously state it never tests prices based on customer demographics.

An Amazon spokesman reiterated its position to the Mail this week, saying it might alter prices according to a customers location but does not engage in surge pricing or vary its prices by demographics. Retail prices fluctuate all the time, and we simply seek to meet or beat the lowest competitive price for our customers.'

But, as Chakraborty makes clear, it is increasingly easy, in theory, for online retailers to use data they have gathered to change prices according to the customer.

Every time you visit a website, the company behind it downloads a tracker onto your computer, known as a cookie. These monitor what pages of the website you use and how frequently you click on a particular page.

In addition, in nearly all cases you have to hand over your email address to an online shop when you make a purchase; this can then be easily linked to your actual postcode, and other details available about you online, which in turn can be used to estimate your wealth thanks to large consumer databases that segment the population of Britain into about 60 different socio-economic categories.

John Readman, marketing director at Summit, a company that helps online retailers use this sort of customer data to boost their sales, says: Whats fascinating with dynamic pricing is the amount of audience data that is now available to retailers, as consumers move around the internet.

Potentially, an unscrupulous or profit-hungry retailer could change the price of a product based on how much they want that product. That is technically possible.

He insists that no retailer he has ever worked with has used data in this way to profiteer.

HERE ARE SOME CUNNING TRICKS THAT'LL HELP YOU FIGHT BACK Incognito browsing, or private browsing, is a way of visiting websites without those sites knowing who you are and without them tracking your browsing behaviour. Normally, when you visit any site  particularly online retailers  theyll leave something called a cookie on your browser. A cookie contains two pieces of information: a website name and a unique user ID. Cookies are used by the retailer to track you as you move around the internet. This explains why, after browsing food processors available on the John Lewis website, for example, and then visting other websites to see what the alternatives are, you may be plagued with adverts for John Lewis food processors! However, you can stop this tracking by going into your web browser settings, and clicking on clear cookies and/or clear cache. But it is usually quite a cumbersome process, involving a number of steps. It also means you wipe all your web history, so that when you want to return to a particular website and type in the address, your PC will no longer autocomplete. Many consumers find autocomplete useful. Clearing cookies also fails to stop a second problem. If you have a Gmail account, and you are using the Chrome browser (both owned by Google), or you are using Internet Explorer and you have an Outlook Live account (both of which are owned by Microsoft), then in theory the retailer  if you have shopped with them before  can work out that you are a returning customer, and may start sending emails about food processors asking why you have not yet made a purchase, despite looking at them. This is because while browsing you are logged in and your log-in is affiliated to your email address. The way around this problem is to open an incognito or private window to browse. Its as if you are browsing for the very first time with no browsing history to identify you or your interests. How to access incognito browsers on... Google Chrome: go to the address bar where you would type in a websites address. Just to the right of that bar are three little horizontal dots. Click on the dots and choose New incognito window. Internet Explorer: as for Google, click on the three horizontal dots to the right of the address bar and choose New InPrivate Tab. Firefox: click on the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top right hand corner and then click New Private Window. Be warned: This is not a foolproof method to ensure total privacy. It stops your web browser spying on you. But if, for instance, your computer is infected with spyware, your movements and data can still be hacked. Advertisement

Instead, its more about reducing the price to returning customers or to loyal customers to get them over the line.

In other words, most retailers want to convert a browser into a buyer rather than make a bit more profit out of an individual buyer.

What is revealing, however, is how Readman shops online.

He does his initial searches for high-value products and then makes his purchases using an incognito logged-out browser.

This is a button most web browsers, such as Chrome or Internet Explorer, have (see box above for how to find this). Once clicked, users can visit web pages without the sites being able to track the identity of the consumer.

I have certainly seen different results from when I am logged in than when I am on an incognito browser, says Readman.

He says this is mostly true for travel and hotel websites, but he has also spotted different prices for the same product on Amazon.

Amazons strength is in bundling, he adds.

He is referring to the practice by which once youve selected your purchase, up will pop a selection of related items that, apparently, are frequently bought together by other customers, in order to tempt you further.

Nearly 10 per cent of all their sales come from that extra bundling, Readman says. I wouldnt be surprised if they are not showing you the cheapest one on the bundle, but the one they are making the most [profit] margin on.

In the UK, only 16 in every 100 is spent online. But dynamic pricing could soon enter the High Street thanks to technology called electronic shelf-edge labelling.

A number of retailers have started to experiment with electronic displays, rather than paper labels on their shelves.

Andrew Dark, is the chief executive of Display Data, which has developed electronic labels which are so high resolution they look like a printed ticket.

People cant work out it isnt paper, he says. The main benefit of this technology for retailers is cost-cutting.

Display Data has worked with both Morrisons, at its Guiseley branch in Leeds, and Tesco, at Braintree in Essex, to install a trial of electronic price displays.

It means the retailer doesnt have to laboriously print a label, get a human being to cut it out, walk it to a specific location in an aisle and put it in the shelf, says Mr Dark.

Changing 50 items in 1,000 stores just isnt easy to do manually. If you speak to store colleagues, they hate it. Its so laborious.

His system allows someone to change the price in thousands of stores within 17 seconds with the push of a button.

The supermarkets are adamant that they have no intention of using dynamic pricing to push up the price of bottles of wine to commuters in the evening, for instance, or the price of umbrellas when it is raining.

A source close to Morrisons said: Our customers would murder us if we did that. Yes, its technically possible, but as it is so competitive out there, we would be crazy to try this.

However, electronic shelf-edge labelling has been used to cut prices throughout the day, explains Dark, one of whose customers is Kaufland, a large supermarket group based in Germany, which uses it particularly to encourage customers to buy fresh fruit and vegetables near to their use-by dates.

We buy so much with use-by dates and if it doesnt get sold, it gets thrown away. Thats one of the biggest drivers in dynamic pricing: to reduce that wastage by lowering prices, he says.

Mr Dark believes that major British supermarkets as well as DIY shops and electronics stores will start to adopt the technology.

This is no longer a trial. The system works. You will see chains roll out this technology from the end of this year; you will start to see mass deployment across various UK retailers.

If customers really do benefit, by seeing more promotions and discounts towards the end of the day, undoubtedly they will cheer this development.

But so much of dynamic pricing, especially online, with the continual fluctuation of prices, seems designed only to confuse the consumer. As Mr Downer says: What I cant stand is the message you get from politicians that if you are ripped off it is somehow your fault for not shopping around.

As if people have the time, let alone inclination or capability, to do all this.
Seven out of 10 people believe it is best for children to grow up with both their natural parents, a report on family breakdown found yesterday.

A similar number count the fragility of millions of families as one of the country's most serious problems, it said.

The scale of public worry about the impact of breakdown on children, and on the wider problems of poverty and crime, was charted by the Centre for Social Justice, the think tank founded by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.

Seven out of 10 people believe it is best for children to grow up with both their natural parents

Mr Duncan Smith and a like-minded group of Tory MPs and peers have been pressing ministers to do more to support marriage, encourage fathers, and remove the rules that penalise couples from the tax and benefit system.

The new report was based on a series of polls designed to test the strength of public feeling on family breakdown and released in advance of the Tory conference.

Only one in six unmarried cohabiting couples will stay together until their children reach the age of 16, and the cost of family breakdown in benefits, education and NHS spending has been calculated at 48 billion a year.

The first CSJ poll, conducted by ComRes, found that 72 per cent of people agree that 'family breakdown is a serious problem in Britain today and more should be done to prevent families from breaking up.'

The survey, carried out among just over 2,000 people, also found that 69 per cent think it 'important' for children to live with both parents.

A second poll, carried out simultaneously by YouGov among 1,665 people, said that 81 per cent think that 'stronger families and improved parenting are important in addressing Britain's social problems.'

It said that nearly nine out of 10, 87 per cent, think it important for children growing up in poverty to have a strong family life.

Nearly two thirds of single parents  62 per cent  agree on the importance of two parents

A third poll, carried out online by Bounty.com with 1,658 replies, said that nearly nine out of 10 say it is important for children to grow up with both parents, and that nearly two thirds of single parents  62 per cent  agree on the importance of two parents.

Eight out of 10 backed a tax allowance for married couples  including 57 per cent of lone parents  and 91 per cent backed the spending of public money on strengthening families and helping poor parents.

More than seven out of 10 in the ComRes and Bounty polls said the Government should support married couples.

Frank Young of the CSJ said: 'This polling busts the myth that backing families in our fight against poverty has gone out of fashion. There is big public support for any politician willing to be up front about the important role family plays in reducing poverty.

'Lone parents strongly support policies that help families stay together.

'They think it's best for children to grow up with both parents, think governments should give tax breaks to married couples, and they welcome politicians who say stability matters for children.'

Mr Young said: 'In almost every other area of policy, especially health and education, prevention is considered a priority, and we need to take the same approach to family breakdown.'

Theresa May in her election manifesto in the spring departed from David Cameron' s earlier pledges to support the family and the institution of marriage.

Last month Mr Duncan Smith, who was Work and Pensions Secretary until March last year, expressed frustration with apparent lack of interest in family breakdown in Whitehall, when he condemned rumours that state spending on relationship counselling is to be curbed.

Earlier this month 44 Tory MPs, including three former Cabinet ministers, called for bigger tax breaks for married couples and for school pupils to be taught with evidence of the benefits of marriage.
The mother of the man convicted of killing Holly Bobo, and his brother who awaits trial, has insisted both her sons are innocent and that authorities have the wrong men.

Zachary Adams, 33, was convicted earlier this month of raping and murdering 20-year-old Bobo after abducting her from her home in Parsons, Tennessee, in 2011. He avoided the death penalty and has been sentenced to life in prison.

His brother, 29-year-old Dylan Adams, is awaiting his trial date. Prosecutors say he also raped Bobo, a nursing student, and helped his brother dispose of her body.

On Friday, their mother Cindy spoke to ABC's 20/20 to protest their innocence.

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Zachary Adams (left) has been convicted of Holly Bobo's murder and sentenced to life plus 50 years. His brother Dylan (right) is awaiting trial but their mother says they are innocent

Cindy Adams said she believes her sons are innocent and that they were forced to confessing to killing Bobo by police who 'bullied' them

'In my heart of hearts, I knew, I knew. I know my boys. They're drug addicts. They're not murderers,' she said.

The pair were arrested in 2014 after Bobo's remains were found near their property.

A third man who claimed to be there on the day of her death gave damning testimony against them in exchange for the chance of immunity.

Prosecutors say Adams took Bobo from her home then back to his property where they gang raped and beat her.

They alleged that afterwards, he rolled Bobo up in a rug or blanket and put her in the back of her truck.

Jason Autry, the third man who claimed he was there, said he watched as she suddenly moved from inside the material.

He claimed Adams - who was in a 'dark world of methamphetamine at the time - shot her in the head to silence her.

He was convicted of first degree rape, first degree murder and first degree kidnapping in Savannah, Tennessee, earlier this month.

Bobo was 20 when was taken from her home in Parsons, Tennessee, in 2011. Her remains were found three years later near Zachary Adams' house

However his mother believes prosecutors and the jury got it wrong.

The brothers were looked at from the beginning of the investigation but were not the only suspects.

When police found Bobo's body near Zachary's body, they were called in for questioning and Dylan buckled.

Jason Autry said he was with the brothers when they killed Bobo after raping her at Zachary's house. He has also been charged but gave evidence in exchange for a lighter deal with prosecutors which is yet to be determined

He told police Bobo had been at his brother's house that day and in essence confessed to the killing. A transcript of his full interview has never been released and he later withdrew his confession on the advice of his lawyer.

His mother however says he has learning difficulties and that the confession was coerced - something his brother's defense team said during his trial.

She said he has a low IQ and has to wear a digital watch because he struggles to tell time.

The woman claims that after watching a video tape of the confession, she was convinced her son did not give it voluntarily because detectives did most of the talking.

'I just see someone being bullied into saying something they didnt do,' she said.

Afterwards, her son called her and made the same confession to her.

'I get a call from Dylan and just what he tells me just kind of blows me away. He was just like, "Mom, I got something to tell you. I know that youre not going to believe me, and Im just so ashamed to even tell you, but Holly was at Zachs house that day."'

She said she instinctively thought he'd been forced into it and replied: 'Who is making you say this?'

The woman admitted questioning her sons repeatedly about Bobo's disappearance but that she was merely concerned, like the rest of the town.

'I have asked my boys over and over and over, you know, "Do you know anything about Holly? Do you know anybody that knows anything about Holly?"

'[I asked] because this young [woman] was missing, and I was just trying to see if possibly, you know, they knew something that could be beneficial to help find Holly.'

Cindy said she knew her sons are drug addicts but that neither is capable of murder

The Adams' brothers' mother said she asked them repeatedly if they knew what had happened to Bobo before either was charged and says they knew nothing

Zachary (at his trial earlier this month) was in a 'dark world of methamphetamine' at the time of Bobo's killing

During Zachary's trial, his defense team pointed the finger at another local man - a convicted rapist known as 'Chester the Molestor'.

The man, whose full name is Terry Britt, was looked into by police. Detectives even searched his home but found no evidence of any connection to Bobo's disappearance.

No forensic evidence was found inside Adams' home to prove that she was ever there.

Instead, prosecutors relied on damning witness testimony given by Autry and several other of the brothers' acquaintances.

They included inmates who served time behind bars with Zachary as he awaited trial.

They claimed he told them he had been involved in the young woman's death.

Autry has not yet been granted immunity. He remains behind bars on murder and kidnapping charges.

Prosecutors will now review his case along with Dylan Adams.
Teenagers as young as 16 are to be given workplace pensions for the first time under plans expected to be published later this year.

At present workers aged over 22 are automatically enrolled in schemes by their employer providing they earn at least 10,000 a year.

The move was introduced in 2012 in a desperate bid to encourage more Britons to save for their retirement.

The Government is now set to remove the lower age limit which was introduced to help more Britons save for their retirement

The Government is now set to remove the lower age limit, according to industry sources.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is expected to announce the plan in a review that will be published before the end of the year.

Steve Webb, former pensions minister and policy director at Royal London, said: Were always telling people that the sooner they start saving for retirement the better, so we shouldnt have a law where workers under 22 are excluded.

'Reducing or removing the age limit will send out the right message.

Darren Philp, of The Peoples Pension, said: The earlier people start saving, the more investment growth can do the hard work for them in saving for their retirement.

'But it isnt just younger workers that are missing out.

'While auto-enrolment has been a real game-changer for two-thirds of the UK workforce, millions of people havent been enrolled, not just because they are too young, but because they are too old, they dont earn enough, or theyre self-employed.

The DWP did not deny the claim.

A spokesman said: We wont comment on something that had not yet been published, the review is ongoing.

Workers can choose to opt out of auto-enrolment, but fewer than one in ten have asked to be removed.

The number of savers has jumped from 7.8million in 2012 to 13.5 million last year.
A mother has slammed claims she dated a man 20 years her junior in a bid to steal his welfare payment after she was publicly branded a 'Centrelink Cougar' - and claims he broke her heart when he dumped her with a text message.

Leisa Atkinson, 44, from Caboolture in Queensland, met Andrew McInnes when he was 19  they started dating 'the next day' and were together for three-and-a-half years before he 'went to visit his mother and never came home'.

Two years later the couple's relationship has been put under scrutiny after his mother Suzy publicly claimed Ms Atkinson lured him into her home with the promise of alcohol and cigarettes  because she wanted to claim his disability pension.

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Leisa Atkinson, 44, has hit back at claims she lured vulnerable teenagers into her house with cigarettes and alcohol before ripping off their welfare benefits

The woman was publicly accused of trying to take her former fiance's disability pension - but she insists the relationship was real and loving and not about money

She shared Facebook messages between the two from during their relationship which appear to back up her claims

Ms Atkinson is pictured here with her daughter and then-partner Andrew - she deleted all of her couple photos after the breakup

Since then the mother-of-two has been the subject of cruel jokes, has received 'hundreds' of death threats and taunting messages and has been abused in the street.

'Someone sent me a message saying they wanted to slit my fat throat, others have told me to die that I won't be missed,' she said.

The 'Centrelink Cougar' story aired on A Current Affair, with Andrew's mother and sister making teary appearances  even though the couple broke up two years ago.

Ms Atkinson told Daily Mail Australia her life 'has been ruined'. She is also upset that she has been portrayed as a predator when the couple had a 'meaningful' longterm relationship.

'I really thought we were going to make a go of it, spend our lives together,' she said.

'He went to his mum's house one day, before he went to sleep that night he was telling me how much he loved me, then the next day he sent me a text saying it was over - that he loved me but couldn't be with me anymore.

'It was a shock and I was hurt, it broke my heart. The mother of two said the young man proposed to her after they had been together for a year.

'He even asked my kids for permission first then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, I was so happy.'

She says she thought she would spend the rest of her life with the young man

She was left devastated after he broke up with her via text three and a half years into their relationship - and while they were planning their wedding

More messages exchanged between the couple - Andrew's mother and sister claimed he was 17 when he met Ms Atkinson - she says he was 19

She said she will continue to slam claims she was with him for his money  and revealed it was his sense of humour and the way he could 'turn a bad day around' that made her love him.

'He was an adult, I know he was younger but I do feel more comfortable with younger men  and that's okay  but for people to be messaging me and calling me a paedophile  well that hurts because I'm not.'

Another woman, Tayla, also spoke on the program claiming her boyfriend had also fallen victim to the mother-of-two.

Since the program aired, highlighting the relationship, the woman has been labelled a paedophile and predator by her community

'It has ruined my life' she said and claims she is scared to leave her home alone

She has also slammed claims she had seven children living with her - and was claiming welfare payments for all of them

'Blake did live here  he had been living at his friend's first then he came to stay with me  he knew my kids.

'I took him in after I saw him at a shopping centre  he came up to me and asked for food and said he was hungry.

'I felt sorry for him. If my kids needed a place to stay or were starving I would want someone to take them in but I feel like I have been betrayed.

'I never took money from him.' It has been claimed that Ms Atkinson had seven teenagers living with her at once, and she was taking all of their welfare payments.

'That is untrue I have Centrelink records that show I have only ever claimed for a maximum of two children  my two children,' she said.

The mother-of-two does currently have a 15-year-old boy in her care, and is receiving payments from Centrelink for him, but it is an arrangement agreed to by both of the boy's parents

The mother says she initially assumed A Current Affair were doing a piece on her current boarder and was shocked when they focused on her past relationship with Andrew

She said she will continue to slam claims she was with him for his money  and revealed it was his sense of humour and the way he could 'turn a bad day around' that made her love him

The mother-of-two does currently have a 15-year-old boy in her care, and is receiving payments from Centrelink for him, but it is an arrangement agreed to by both of the boy's parents.

'When Tayla says on there that I tried to take her Centrelink money without her knowing but her mum got a notification she was telling a lie.

'I have just had to go through the process of claiming Centrelink for the boy living with me at the moment and you need all of their paperwork and birth certificates.

'Then both the person wanting the payment and the person currently receiving it get a letter and they have to approve it and send the letter back in.'

'I am not a paedophile and it makes me sick that people really think that'

'When they told me I had been under surveillance for four weeks I was terrified'

The mother hopes she will be able to get back to her life again soon without being 'abused' in the street

The mother says she initially assumed A Current Affair were doing a piece on her current boarder and was shocked when they focused on her past relationship with Andrew.

'When they told me I had been under surveillance for four weeks I was terrified.

'I hadn't noticed they were there  and now with all these death threats I am afraid of who else is watching  I am afraid to go outside.

'People have called me a predator and a paedophile and made fun of my appearance  it makes me feel like c**p,' she said.

'I am not a paedophile and it makes me sick that people really think that.

'My daughter has been getting text messages telling me I shouldn't be allowed near her daughter.

The people also claimed the mother 'lived in squalor' but in an attempt to prove them wrong the mother opened up the doors to the home

'My own granddaughter - that is just devastating - my whole family has been turned on by the community.'

The people also claimed the mother 'lived in squalor' but in an attempt to prove them wrong the mother opened up the doors to the home.

'My house is always immaculate.

'Someone sent me a message saying they wanted to slit my fat throat, others have told me to die that I won't be missed,' she said

The messages are hurtful - it makes me hang my head in shame

'And as for the wild parties  I haven't had a party since my daughter's 19th  which is where those photos they used were taken.

'That's me with her friends in one, and me her and Andrew in the other - all adults no children.'

The mother hopes she will be able to get back to her life again soon without being 'abused' in the street.

She has not been charged with anything relating to the allegations against her.

Andrew begged his mother Suzy to 'give Leisa a chance'

The mother said she will think twice before opening her home up for children in the future
A former bank teller at a Washington DC Wells Fargo branch stole more than $185,000 from a homeless man who banked there, according to court filings.

Phelon Davis, 29, pleaded guilty in the US District Court to interstate transportation of stolen property, according to the United State's Attorney's Office.

Davis, of District Heights, Maryland, will likely spend 18 to 30 months in prison and, under his plea agreement, will pay back the homeless man the $185,400 he stole.

Pictured is the M Street NW branch of Wells Fargo in Washington DC. There, in October 2014, bank teller Phelon Davis began a scheme in which he stole $185,400 from a homeless man over a two-year period

His federal offense carries a maximum jail term of 10 years. His crimes were interstate because he transferred stolen money between the nation's capital and Maryland.

Davis was an employee of the M Street NW Wells Fargo in Washington back in October 2014, reports the Washington Post.

The homeless man, a street vendor and a long-time customer of the branch, brought a large amount of cash in a bag to the bank branch.

The man was unable to deposit thousands of dollars he intended to because he did not have any identification.

His accounts had gone dormant due to inactivity.

Davis told the man where to go to get proper identification, and also checked the man's balance at the bank.

Upon realizing that the man had a substantial sum of money in the bank across multiple accounts, Davis 'devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain the customers money,' according to the Attorney's Office.

Davis pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen property. He could spend up to 30 months in prison and will need to repay the homeless man

Davis took $3,000 from one of the man's accounts and used it to open another. He forged the man's signature, created an online account and ordered an ATM card with a PIN number for the fraudulent account.

Davis then, over a two-year period, used ATMs more than 100 times to withdraw $185,440 from the customer's multiple accounts.

The customer never received bank statements showing this activity because he did not have a permanent address. The man also did not have access to email or a computer.

Davis used the funds to put a down payment on his home and to pay for vacations in the Caribbean and Mexico, among other pursuits.

It is not clear how or why the homeless street vendor, who was not identified in court documents, had so much money.

Davis's attorney, Bruce Allen Johnson, told the Washington Post: 'That's the million-dollar question.'

The last time Davis took money from the account was in October 2016. It is not clear how he was caught, but he was formally charged this past July.

His sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
A woman has been stabbed to death allegedly by her on-and-off partner in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Emergency services were called to the Moresby Street, Whalan home in Sydney's west about 2am and found 34-year-old Sarah Brown with a stab wound on her torso.

The mother-of-five, who was home alone, died at the scene, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Sarah Brown (pictured) was attacked when she was home alone on Saturday morning

The mother was allegedly stabbed in her torso by her estranged boyfriend (pictured together)

Friends have said that Ms Brown (pictured) had been in a volatile relationship for two years

Police have arrested her 26-year-old boyfriend Russell Brian Wood who was allegedly seen leaving her four-bedroom house when they arrived, the publication reports.

The attack comes just days after Mr Wood had moved out from the house.

According to the publication, Ms Brown had been in a volatile relationship with Mr Wood for two years.

Earlier in the year, she had taken an apprehended violence order (AVO) against him.

Police have since charged Mr Wood with her murder and for breaching an AVO at the Mount Druitt police station.

He has been refused bail and will appear at the Parramatta Local Court on Sunday.

Police will allege the incident was domestically related.

Emergency services were called to the Whalan home in Sydney's west on Saturday morning
The latest festival in a series of Springtime fiestas is that of Listen Out.

A collection of Sydney women and men donned their favourite sneakers and cowboy boots to dance in Centennial Parklands.

The order of the day was 'less is more' with tiny daisy dukes and brightly coloured crop tops a recurring fashion trend out on the green.

Prior to the festival's starting time at 1pm with Triple J Unearthed star Mookhi many of the attendees took to Instagram to share their outfits - many of which looked as though they took some weeks to coordinate and organise.

One woman wore her hair in space buns with chopsticks stuck through them and a geisha-style red mini dress to match (pictured)

The order of the day was 'less is more' with tiny daisy dukes and brightly coloured crop tops a recurring fashion trend out on the green

The prominent pose for the day was a hands in the air position (left), many of the women choosing spirit fingers or a peace sign to finalise the look

Crop tops (and glimpses of underboob) were a clear sign that the warmer weather was on its way

Long pants with slits up the sides and cropped singlets were a dime a dozen on the green

One woman wore her hair in space buns with chopsticks stuck through them and a geisha-style red mini dress to match.

The prominent pose for the day was a two hands in the air position, many of the women choosing spirit fingers or a peace sign to finalise the look.

This year the headlining acts where What So Not and Duke Dumont with a late entry from Hermitude when US rapper Future pulled out of the Sydney and Brisbane shows.

Diamond encrusted jewels where spotted on foreheads, chests and cheekbones as festivalgoers got into the spirit of Spring

This year the headlining acts where What So Not and Duke Dumont with a late entry from Hermitude when US rapper Future pulled out of the Sydney and Brisbane shows

In a statement Listen Out organisers said: 'Huge thanks to one of our all-time favourite acts Hermitude for stepping up and joining Listen Out Sydney and Brisbane this weekend'

While Sydney weather has been balmy for the last week the festival will be even warmer tomorrow when the act settle in Brisbane's Sporting Fields arena

Cargo pants or short shorts? That was the question on every attendees lips today

In a statement Listen Out organisers said: 'Huge thanks to one of our all-time favourite acts Hermitude for stepping up and joining Listen Out Sydney and Brisbane this weekend.

'They are one of Australia's biggest and most respected electronic/hip-hop acts and are brilliant live. If you haven't seen them before, you're in for a treat. They've kindly put their album recording commitments aside to bring their unrivalled festival skills to the party and make you dance dance dance dance.'

While Sydney weather has been balmy for the last week the festival will be even warmer tomorrow when the act settle in Brisbane's Sporting Fields arena.
Brownlow Medalist Dustin Martin has created history today during the AFL Grand Final, but he didn't forget to give a special message to his dad.

Richmond Tigers defeated Adelaide Crows in the 2017 grand final and Martin told 7 News it was 'the best thing in the world'.

'I honestly just can not believe it, it's a dream come true,' he said.

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Brownlow Medalist Dustin Martin (pictured) has created history today during the AFL Grand Final, but he didn't forget to give share a special message to his dad

'Love you dad,' Martin said (pictured) before rushing off to celebrate the grand win with the Tiger army

Martin (right) said not having his father (left) their to celebrate with him made it 'bitter sweet'

'I'm proud of each and every player that played today.'

Shortly before being awarded the Norm Smith medal, Dustin's quick interview ended with a message to his father as his father, Shane Martin, who watched on from New Zealand.

'Love you dad,' Martin said before rushing off to celebrate the grand win with the Tiger army.

Martin told 7 News the win was 'bitter sweet' because his father wasn't able to celebrate with him in the same country.

'He'd be really happy for me at the same time it's probably bitter sweet, for myself as well,' he said.

'I'd love him to be here but you know I'm sure he's going to be here sooner,' Martin said

Shane Martin (pictured) was deported earlier this month after his visa was cancelled because of his criminal record and 'association with outlaw motorcycle gangs'

'I'd love him to be here but you know I'm sure he's going to be here sooner.'

Mr Martin was deported earlier this month after his visa was cancelled because of his criminal record and 'association with outlaw motorcycle gangs'.

Although the Richmond player's father has never been charged, he is banned from Australia.

The new laws were passed September 4 and signed off by Governor-General Peter Cosgrove in anticipation of a High Court decision.

Although the Richmond player's father has never been charged, he is banned from Australia

Mr Martin reportedly wanted to be in the country for this year's Brownlow Medal count, which his son won (pictured)

The yellow and black superstar (right) has become one of the richest sportsman in Australia after signing an $8 million contract with the football club

Mr Martin reportedly wanted to be in the country for this year's Brownlow Medal count, which his son won.

The Tiger player then went on to win the Norm Smith medal, making him the first player in AFL history to win the trio of awards; the Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal and premiership flag.

The yellow and black superstar has become one of the richest sportsman in Australia after signing an $8 million contract with the football club.
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A public school-educated former banker who has fought against ISIS in Syria for the last three years said he will not leave until the depraved extremists are finally defeated.

Macer Gifford - the pseudonym of a Cambridge-born 30-year-old University College London graduate and former banker - is fighting with the Syriac Military Council (MFS), a Christian group.

He is currently battling to liberate ISIS's self-proclaimed capital city, Raqqa.

The one-time City boy, who fights as a medic and a sniper, said: 'I won't go back until ISIS has fallen. Only the death of a close family member would make me go back home.'

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Foreign volunteer fighter 'Macer Gifford' in the Al-Nahda neighbourhood on the front lines of Raqqa. The Cambridge-born former banker has been fighting against ISIS for the last three years after feeling compelled to act

MFS soldier Sufian Alloush poses for a picture on the front lines. Sufian was recently killed by an ISIS sniper. He was shot through the chest. Macer said: 'He died quickly. He was a legend until the end, one of the best'

Macer fires his sniper rifle toward ISIS positions as other MFS members look on. Sufian, far left, was recently killed by an ISIS sniper

Foreign volunteer fighter Macer rests during guard duty in his front line base in the Al-Nahda neighbourhood on the front lines of Raqqa. He is determined not to leave until ISIS has been defeated

Macer makes his way through an abandoned house as he tries to avoid being hit by sniper fire on the front lines of western Raqqa

Explaining that he finds it 'wonderful being in Syria', he said: 'I've never felt more at peace because I know what I'm doing is right.

'I'm fighting against ISIS. I'm helping the people here resist the fanaticism, the fascism, that has blighted their lives for so long.'

Though he is softly spoken, Macer carries an exceptional amount of confidence and has pride about what he is doing in the Middle East.

'ISIS were winning when I arrived,' he said. 'I joined the losing side.

'There was no help from the Americans and no airstrikes when I came here - and now look, we have ISIS completely surrounded on all sides and we are squeezing them tighter and tighter.

'In the first six months of me being here we liberated 10 per cent of territory off of ISIS in Syria. When I was fighting for the YPG we took back more land than any group fighting ISIS combined!'

Macer, who went to Kimbolton School in Huntingdon, also said his mere presence serves as a morale booster.

He explained: 'Going around meeting the guys with my rifle [...] shows them they're not alone. There's a British man here who really cares about them and wants them to win and build a better future for themselves.

Macer's flak jacket - complete with a tourniquet, a military Union Jack patch and his blood type (A+). The MFS (Syriac Military Council) are a group of Christians who fight alongside the Syrian Democratic Forces in the struggle to topple ISIS

Macer looks through his sniper rifle's scope in Raqqa, Syria. Macer, who went to Kimbolton School in Huntingdon, said his mere presence serves as a morale booster because it shows a British man cares about the people of Syria

Macer fires his sniper rifle toward ISIS militants at night in western Raqqa. But he refuses to be drawn on how many fanatics he has killed, preferring to focus on more positive things

Macer makes his way up a stairwell toward a position to use his sniper rifle against ISIS. Though he originally came to the country as a medic, he began using a sniper rifle to help out

MFS soldiers sleep on the roof of their base as the sun rises in the early mornings on the front lines. They are at times just 300 feet away from ISIS - and constantly suffer from their mortar attacks and drones

MFS soldiers sleep on the roof of their base as the sun rises in the early mornings on the front lines. Airstrikes, he said, land 500 feet away and suck the air from people's lungs

Macer (right) eats his dinner on the floor of his base on the front line as he and his comrades hold off ISIS fanatics just a few hundred feet away

'It's really about building hope and trust between the West and this new community that's growing in Syria.'

Recently, Macer and a small group of MFS fighters have been in control of an abandoned house used as a base on the front line between ISIS and the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces, of which the MFS is a part).

He said he has been there for weeks and is attacked regularly by ISIS fanatics.

'The only problem now is that - having ISIS surrounded - it makes them desperate to break out,' he said.

'We are cutting off their supplies of food and water so they are trying to break free, which in turns makes our perimeter more susceptible to attacks.'

He added: 'It's very dangerous. If they surround us then we can be in serious trouble, and they like to attack at night so there is no time for sleep.

Beautiful: Locals enjoy a swim as they play in a canal in a liberated area on the outskirts of Raqqa. The DSF are surrounded Raqqa, one of the last strongholds still held by ISIS

'It is important to have some small amount of normality in all of this mess,' Macer said. 'For me, it's washing. People will go weeks without a shower or a wash, yet I have one every day. Those five minutes are my sprinkling of sanity in this hell hole'

Locals enjoy a swim as they play in a canal in a liberated area on the outskirts of Raqqa

Macer runs from sniper fire on the front lines of Raqqa. His biggest fear is being shot by snipers. But he added: 'ISIS have been preparing this for years so they have dug tunnels to escape and to catch us off guard, and they have parked VBEDS [vehicle-born explosive devices] ready to attack us'

Time for tea: MFS soldiers kill time as they wait for orders in Raqqa

MFS soldiers cook a late dinner in the kitchen of an abandoned house on the front lines of Raqqa

'They are an invisible enemy. At night all you see are the muzzle flashes and that's it. The rest is drones, airstrikes and mortars. That's modern-day warfare, I guess.'

He said that sometimes ISIS are just 300 feet away.

A few days ago, he ended up in a slanging match with some of the depraved group's fighters.

He said he shouted at them using their Arabic acronym: 'Come on, Daesh! Come here. Daesh! F*** you, Daesh!'

In return, they screamed: 'Come here, sinner!'

Macer is shown positions of ISIS militants before preparing to shoot targets on the outskirts of Raqqa. He has been fighting with the group for two months. Before that, he fought with the YPG militia

A general view of the Al-Nahda neighbourhood of western Raqqa. While being interviewed for this story, he spoke of a group of MFS fighters he wanted to get moving. He said: 'That's the problem with these guys. They hang around for so long and make so much noise that the ISIS drones just come along and drop a bomb on their heads'

Macer fires his sniper rifle toward ISIS militants from a tower block on the outskirts of Syria

An MFS soldier walks through the front lines of the Al-Nahda neighbourhood, western Raqqa

MFS soldier Sufian Alloush looks out over the city of Raqqa. Sufian was recently killed by an ISIS sniper

MFS soldiers cook a late dinner in the kitchen of an abandoned house on the front lines of Raqqa. They are using the house as their Nocter (a base which is being used to hold the line of their forces against ISIS)

Macer waits patiently as he looks out from a tower block in the search of ISIS militants

The biggest threat comes from drones and snipers - but he also worries about future advances.

He said: 'ISIS have been preparing this for years so they have dug tunnels to escape and to catch us off guard, and they have parked VBEDS [vehicle-born explosive devices] ready to attack us.'

It is also too dangerous to stay in one spot for too long, he said, adding that he is always quick to keep moving and tries to keep a low profile.

While being interviewed for this story, he spoke of a group of MFS fighters he wanted to get moving.

Macer Gifford - the pseudonym of a Cambridge-born 30-year-old University College London graduate and former banker - is fighting with the Syriac Military Council (MFS), a Christian group

Macer, who went to Kimbolton School in Huntingdon, also said his mere presence serves as a morale booster. He explained: 'Going around meeting the guys with my rifle [...] shows them they're not alone. There's a British man here who really cares about them and wants them to win and build a better future for themselves'

The one-time City boy, who fights as a medic and a sniper, said: 'I won't go back until ISIS has fallen. Only the death of a close family member would make me go back home'

He said: 'That's the problem with these guys. They hang around for so long and make so much noise that the ISIS drones just come along and drop a bomb on their heads.'

Macer sleeps on the front lines under the stars and beneath the flight path of drones.

The biggest threat while fighting ISIS comes from drones and snipers - but he also worries about bomb-laden vehicles. Pictured: Macer outside of a battle zone

He also has to worry about mortar rounds and US fighter jets. The mortars land less than 100 feet away and shake the building.

Airstrikes, he said, land 500 feet away and suck the air from people's lungs.

It is pitch dark at night, with no electricity and no phones or lighters to ensure ISIS drones aren't given a target to bomb.

Macer said the medical centre he helped set up in Tell Tamer has 'saved thousands of lives'.

'But now I have done a lot of fighting: both in operations and also using my sniper rifle, he added.

'But of course you have to watch out for being on the receiving end of a sniper as well.'

Two weeks ago Macer's friend and fellow MFS fighter Sufian Alloush was killed by a sniper.

He was shot through the chest. Macer said: 'He died quickly. He was a legend until the end, one of the best.'

But how does he keep sane in such an environment?

'It is important to have some small amount of normality in all of this mess,' he said. 'For me, it's washing. People will go weeks without a shower or a wash, yet I have one every day. Those five minutes are my sprinkling of sanity in this hell hole.'

Macer said the medical centre he helped set up in Tell Tamer has 'saved thousands of lives'

He also has to worry about mortar rounds and US fighter jets. The mortars land less than 100 feet away and shake the building

He has been fighting with the MFS for the last two months, and before that he fought with the Kurdish YPG militia

Though he is softly spoken, Macer carries an exceptional amount of confidence and has pride about what he is doing in the Middle East

How does he stay sane? He explains: 'It is important to have some small amount of normality in all of this mess. For me, it's washing. People will go weeks without a shower or a wash, yet I have one every day. Those five minutes are my sprinkling of sanity in this hell hole'

It is pitch dark at night on the front line with ISIS, with no electricity and no phones or lighters to ensure drones aren't given a target to bomb. Pictured left and right: Macer with weapons

It is also too dangerous to stay in one spot for too long, he said, adding that he is always quick to keep moving and tries to keep a low profile

He said that sometimes ISIS are just 300 feet away. Pictured: Macer winning the hearts and minds of Syria's canines

He explained: 'It's not about that, it's about the good that's been done in this place and the people I've saved'

Despite being something of a veteran, he is very reluctant to discuss how many ISIS sadists he has killed

He added: 'If you can't look after your body, how the hell are you going to look after anything else on the front line?' he asked through a mouthful of toothpaste.

And yet despite being something of a veteran, he is very reluctant to discuss how many ISIS sadists he has killed.

He explained: 'It's not about that, it's about the good that's been done in this place and the people I've saved.

'You hear people boast such unconfirmed bulls*** numbers about how many ISIS they've killed. I mean just be normal, for God's sake. Don't exaggerate things. There are such better things to boast about than the people you've killed.'
Britain has seen a night of horror with five stabbing attacks in just a few hours leaving two pepole dead and several injured in cities across the country.

A 21-year-old was killed after a brawl in Manchester that also saw two women knocked out.

In east London, a murder investigation has been launched after a 21-year-old man was stabbed to death.

Britain has seen a night of horror with five stabbing attacks in just a few hours leaving two pepole dead and several injured in cities across the country

In Sheffield, five people have been stabbed in two connected incidents in the city centre.

And in Birmingham, a 14-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital after being stabbed outside a mosque in the early hours of the morning.

Man, 21, dies after being stabbed in the neck during savage nightclub brawl that left two women knocked out and several clubbers and police injured

ByHarvey Day For Mailonline

A man has died after being stabbed in the neck during a savage nightclub brawl that left several clubbers and police injured.

Police are appealing for witnesses after the man was fatally stabbed during a large fight near Deansgate in Manchester city centre.

At around 2.50am cops were called to reports of a large fight involving men and women on John Dalton Street in the city centre.

A man has died after being stabbed in the neck during a savage nightclub brawl that left several clubbers and police injured

It is believed the fighting began in the Suburbia nightclub. Police officers were also attacked when they arrived and two cops were treated for minor injuries.

Officers attended and quickly identified that during the fighting a man had been stabbed.

A 21-year-old man was treated for stab wounds to his neck at the scene but he sadly died as a result of his injuries.

Several other people were taken to hospital with injuries, including a man who had been hit with a glass and two women, aged 19 and 21 who were left unconscious after being punched.

Police are appealing for witnesses after the man was fatally stabbed during a large fight near Deansgate in Manchester city centre

Police officers were also attacked during the fighting and two officers had to be treated for minor injuries

Police officers were also attacked during the fighting and two officers had to be treated for minor injuries.

Four men have been arrested by police including a 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of a section 18 assault; a 24-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer; a 19-year-old arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and possession of a knife; and a 19-year-old man arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.

All four men have been bailed after they were taken into police custody for questioning.

All four men are now in police custody for questioning. John Dalton Street and King Street South are currently closed

At around 2.50am police were called to reports of a large fight involving men and women on John Dalton Street in the city centre

Chief Superintendent Emily Higham from GMP's major incident team said: 'What we were faced with during the early hours of this morning was a large group of men and women fighting in the street.

'Sadly, a 21-year-old man has lost his life, my thoughts go out to his family at this unimaginably painful time.

'We are appealing for anyone who witnessed the fighting to get in touch as soon as possible. We believe the fighting started in the Suburbia nightclub and spilled out onto the road, so there is potentially a nightclub full of witnesses who we want to hear from.

This morning, Dave Wood wrote on Facebook: ' Everybody try and stay away from Deansgate. Tents all over the place. I have been told body bags as well looks well bad'

Chief Superintendent Emily Higham from GMP's major incident team said: 'What we were faced with during the early hours of this morning was a large group of men and women fighting in the street'

She added: 'Sadly, a 21-year-old man has lost his life, my thoughts go out to his family at this unimaginably painful time'

'There is currently a scene in place and some road closures in the area.

'I am asking anyone who has any information or concerns to get in touch with police as a matter of urgency. The level of violence people were using towards each other and police was shocking and this resulted in the tragic loss of a young man's life. We cannot let those responsible get away with this.'

This morning, Dave Wood wrote on Facebook: 'Everybody try and stay away from Deansgate. Tents all over the place. I have been told body bags as well looks well bad.'

Murder investigation after 21-year-old man was stabbed to death in East London

By Keiran Southern For Mailonline

A murder investigation has been launched after a 21-year-old man was stabbed to death.

Metropolitan Police officers were called to reports of a disturbance in Ropery Street in Bow, east London, at around 2.30am on Saturday.

They found the victim with stab wounds in nearby Eric Street.

A murder investigation has been launched after a 21-year-old man was stabbed to death in Bow, east London

Clothing and discarded medical equipment was pictured littering the street. Police were called to reports of a disturbance in Ropery Street at around 2.30am on Saturday

The victim, a 21-year-old man, was later found with stab wounds in nearby Eric Street

He was treated at the scene by paramedics from London's Air Ambulance service before being taken to a hospital, where he died at 4.52am.

Scotland Yard said detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating and no arrests have been made.

The victim's next of kin have been told but formal identification has yet to take place.

A post-mortem examination is also to be arranged.

The victim was treated at the scene by paramedics from London's Air Ambulance service before being taken to a hospital, where he died at 4.52am

Scotland Yard said detectives are investigating and no arrests have been made. Blood-soaked clothes and a mobile phone were pictured at the scene on Saturday morning

The victim's next of kin have been told but formal identification has yet to take place

Five people are stabbed in two linked late-night incidents in Sheffield city centre

By Iain Burns For Mailonline

Five people have been stabbed in two connected incidents in Sheffield city centre.

The area in which the stabbing happened in the early hours of the morning were cordoned off, while other streets remain on lockdown as police investigate.

Four people have been arrested, according to police.

Police tweeted that Cambridge Street, Carver Street/Division Street, Barker's Pool and Bethell Walk leading to Backfields were all closed 'until further notice'

Forensics offices were quick to the scene, where they investigated pools of blood and what appear to be beer barrels

Police tweeted that Cambridge Street, Carver Street/Division Street, Barker's Pool and Bethell Walk leading to Backfields were all closed 'until further notice'.

South Yorkshire Police said: 'We are dealing with two linked stabbing incidents in Sheffield City centre in the early hours of Saturday. Five people were injured.

'Four people have been arrested and detained in relation to the stabbing.'

The police later tweeted: 'The person who was critically injured in Sheffield early this morning is now in a serious but stable condition in hospital.'

Forensics officers were seen in the area investigating pools of blood and what appeared to be beer barrels.

The area has been put on lockdown after the shocking incident

South Yorkshire Police said : 'We are dealing with two linked stabbing incidents in Sheffield City centre in the early hours of Saturday. Five people were injured'

Man, 29, is arrested after teenage boy was stabbed outside mosque in front of his horrified brother just moments after being dropped off by his father for Muslim festival

By LARA KEAY FOR MAILONLINE

A 14-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital after being stabbed outside a mosque in the early hours of the morning.

The teen was attacked outside the Idara Maarif-e-Islam Hussainia Mosque on Herbert Road, in Small Heath, Birmingham, at around 1am today.

He was left with several stab wounds and was taken to hospital by paramedics after suffering life-threatening injuries. He remains in a critical condition and is believed to be from the Kings Heath area of Birmingham.

A 14-year-old boy is fighting for his life in hospital after being stabbed outside a mosque in the early hours of the morning

Police confirmed a 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is currently in custody.

A cordon is in place on the road while specialist teams carry out forensic investigations at the scene, which is near to Birmingham City FC's St Andrews stadium.

West Midlands Police has confirmed the incident is not terror related and is being treated as an attempted murder.

Witnesses at the scene told the Birmingham Mail the teenager was stabbed after being dropped off at the mosque by his father for a special youth event.

The teen was attacked outside the Idara Maarif-e-Islam Hussainia Mosque on Herbert Road, in Small Heath, Birmingham, at around 1am today

The venue was busy with people despite the late hour as worshippers celebrated the start of the Islamic Holy Year and the victim's brother 'saw it all'

One witness told the newspaper: 'His brother saw it all and was screaming to his dad to come and help.'

Azhar Kiana told the newspaper: 'It happened on the pavement.

'By the time, the dad parked his car, his son was on the floor.

'There was a young man who was brutally beating the boy with a knife.

'There was blood everywhere, he was hitting the boy's neck and head. Then the attacker ran off and got into a car.'

Adnan Khan, a senior member of the mosque's congregation said he believes it was a racist attack.

The information secretary said: 'We believe this was a racist attack and the young lad was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

'We had been advised about security and now have knife scanners at the entrance to the halls, but obviously nothing in the street.

He was left with several stab wounds and was taken to hospital by paramedics after suffering life-threatening injuries

'We believe they were lying in wait for someone to attack.'

Detective Inspector Jim Colclough from the complex crime investigation team at Bournville Lane police station said: 'Our investigation is progressing quickly but it is still in the early stages.

'We do not believe it to be terror-related. The motivation for the attack is not yet known, we are keeping an open mind as to whether it could be racially or religiously motivated.

'We are working closely with local communities and have increased our local police presence in the area to provide reassurance and be on hand to answer any questions or concerns that people may have.

'It is tragic event which has left a young boy in hospital fighting for his life.

'We've spoken to a number of witnesses but would continue to urge anyone who was in the area and saw what happened, or has any other information which may help our investigation to contact me or my team on 101 or to call Crimestoppers as soon as possible.'
Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has been accused of 'incredible insensitivity' after reciting part of a colonial-era Rudyard Kipling poem about a British soldier kissing a Burmese girl to Myanmar dignitaries.

Mr Johnson began quoting the opening lines of Mandalay during a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the capital of Burma, in January before being stopped by an ambassador.

The poem by Rudyard Kipling is written through the eyes of a retired British serviceman in Burma, also known as Myanmar, which Britain colonised for more than a century.

Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has been accused of 'incredible insensitivity' after reciting part of a colonial-era Rudyard Kipling poem about a British soldier kissing a Burmese girl to Myanmar dignitaries

In the footage due to be broadcast by Channel 4, the British ambassador Andrew Patrick stopped Mr Johnson mid-flow before he recited the line 'Bloomin' idol made o' mud/ Wot they called the Great Gawd Budd'  a reference to Buddha.

Mr Patrick told Mr Johnson: 'You're on mic. Probably not a good idea', to which the Unxbridge MP said: 'What, The Road to Mandalay?', according to The Guardian.

The ambassador replies: 'No. Not appropriate.'

Mark Farmaner, director of the Burma Campaign UK, told the publication: 'There is a sensitivity about British colonialism and it is something that people in Burma are still resentful about. British colonial times were seen as a humiliation and an insult.

'It shows an incredible lack of understanding especially now we are seeing the impact of Buddhist nationalism, especially in Rakine state.'

Mr Johnson is said to have begun quoting the opening lines of Mandalay during a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the capital of Burma, in January before being stopped by an ambassador

The city of Mandalay was the capital city of Burma, which was part of British India from 1886 to 1937, and a separate British colony from 1937 to 1948.

Rudyard Kipling's poem 'Mandalay' was written in 1890, when the British poet was 24. He had arrived in England in October the previous year, after seven years in India.

This is not the first gaffe for the now-Foreign Secretary.

In July, he likened a traditional Maori greeting to a headbutt while visiting indigenous leaders in New Zealand.

He once said of the Tory Party that it had 'become used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing'.

The poem by Rudyard Kipling (right) is written through the eyes of a retired British serviceman in Burma, also known as Myanmar, which Britain colonised for more than a century

An apology was swiftly due. 'I mean no insult to the people of Papua New Guinea who I'm sure lead lives of blameless bourgeois domesticity in common with the rest of us. Add Papua New Guinea to my global itinerary of apologies.'

And in 2004, the then Tory leader Michael Howard ordered Boris (Tory MP for Henley) to make a penitential visit to Liverpool after an editorial was published in the Spectator (which he edited) that insulted Liverpudlians several times over. Boris called the trip 'Operation Scouse Grovel'.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office declined to comment.

Boris Johnson: Blond Ambition is on Channel 4 on Sunday at 10.05pm.
A group of mainly British homeowners in an idyllic French village near Lake Geneva has sparked an angry reaction from locals after complaining about the noise of cowbells.

The group of 20 residents, mainly British second homeowners, has written to the mayor of Biot, to say the noise 'on the slopes and in front of our chalets is unbearable'.

The letter reads: 'We understand that we live in the countryside and that the bells are a tradition. Except that there are many fields on higher ground and it is not necessary to equip the cows with bells [since they are in a field].'

A group of British homeowners in an idyllic French village near Lake Geneva has sparked an angry reaction from locals after complaining about the noise of cowbells (file photo)

But their complaints have caused anger among locals, reports The Times.

And the town's mayor, Henri-Victor Tournier, is said to be bemused, saying he could have understood if full-time residents had raised the issue.

He added: 'There are worse things than hearing the bells of the cows.'

Biot, which has a population of around 10,000, has a large proportion of locals who still rely on agriculture.

They have been left furious by the holidaymakers' intervention and more than 400 locals attended a protest to show their disgust.

Sebastien Vittoz, the cows' owner, told French newspaper Le Figaro: 'The bells are a working tool. It allows me to find my cows when they go astray.

'My farm covers 25 hectares (62 acres). Even with the bells it is sometimes difficult to find them.'

The group of 20 residents, mainly British second homeowners, has written to the mayor of Biot, to say the noise 'on the slopes and in front of our chalets is unbearable' (file photo)

Mr Vittoz said that grazing the cows in his lower fields saved him 8,000 a year.

Support for the locals soon flooded in from around the world and a petition in support of the mayor garnered more than 116,000 signatures.

One supporter wrote: 'If the townspeople do not want to hear the cows they [should] stay at home or rent a desert island (they can complain about the waves that make noise especially at high tide).'

The mayor called a meeting at the townhall to discuss the problem but none of the homeowners attended and their complaint was swiftly thrown out.

But the council agreed to make concessions and said the cows' water trough will be moved 150m from the houses and potential buyers will be warned about the bells.

The mayor's office said: 'It is a duty to inform those who come to settle of the risks to which they are exposed.'
The Spanish ambassador to UK has warned of 'drama for Europe' if Catalan's independence vote goes forward, as thousands march in Barcelona over the 'illegal' independence referendum.

Carlos Bastarreche, the Spanish ambassador to UK has called the referendum a 'coup d'etat' explaining that an independence result will have a long lasting affect on European stability and reignite Scottish separatism.

The Spanish government considers the referendum illegal, the country's Constitutional Court having suspended it more than three weeks ago.

But regional separatists have vowed to go ahead with balloting, occupying at least 160 schools throughout the weekend so that they can be used as polling stations for tomorrow's disputed vote.

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A demonstrator shouts at a Mosso d'Esquadra, a Catalan regional policeman, in front of city hall during a demonstration in favor of a unified Spain

People gather inside of the Miquel Tarradell institute in Barcelona in one of the designated polling stations for the disputed referendum on independence from Spain tomorrow

People unfurl the Catalan pro-independence Estelada flag during a protest called by the organization 'Galicia with Catalonia' in Santiago de Compostela today

The Spanish government considers the referendum illegal and the country's Constitutional Court has suspended it, but regional separatists have vowed to go ahead with balloting

The Catalan police force are under orders to empty the buildings by Sunday at 6am.

Meanwhile thousands of Catalans are marching in downtown Barcelona and Madrid in defence of Spanish unity, demanding that Catalan leaders be sent to jail.

Protesters wrapped in red and yellow - regional and national colours - chanting, 'Don't let them fool you, Catalonia is Spain', amid calls for regional president Carles Puigdemont to step down.

Mr Puigdemont, 54, openly favours the autonomous regions break from Spain, which is a crucial to contributor to the country's economy.

On Saturday Mr Puigdemont said he and his supporters would not 'give up' their rights, describing Madrid's attempts to ban the referendum as 'authoritarian repression' and 'the fall of democracy'.

In an interview with AFP he insisted that his government had 'everything in place so that everything takes place normally'.

There are 5.3million registered voters but Mr Puigdemont has been criticized for not being able to explain what a Catalan independence would look like.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis accused the Catalan government of trying to promote an exclusionary system that runs counter to the goals and ideals of the European Union.

Mr Dastis said the radical CUP party, which shores up Catalonia's separatist-minded government, was 'adopting Nazi-like attitudes by pointing at people that are against that referendum and encouraging others to harass them.'

He defended the Spanish government's decision as 'totally justified' to deploy thousands of police reinforcements to Catalonia to prevent the vote.

Catalan police officers report the activities organized by parents in a school at the Gracia neighbourhood in Barcelona today

Catalan police arrive at the Cervantes school in Barcelona

Independence supporters, many wearing the colours of FC Barcelona - the region's successful football club - clung from the tractors in a loud, forceful show of strength, while the estelada was draped around dozens of supporters

Spanish national police vehicles enter the port of Barcelona. Hundreds of Spanish police and civil guard reinforcements are housed in two ferries ahead of the referendum tomorrow

He said the CUP had put 'out posters with the faces of mayors who are not supporting the referendum' - comparing that the Nazis' use of posters and signs to single out the houses of Jews.

Dastis also criticized the use of children this weekend to occupy schools in Catalonia so that they can be used as polling stations. Parents and pupils were occupying the schools so police could not dismantle polling stations in them.

The Spanish government has said that most potential voting stations for the banned Catalan referendum have now been closed.

Parents supporting the referendum have organised to occupy schools throughout the weekend so they can be used as polling stations

This morning, parents, children and activists started a day of activities after spending the night in schools across the region, which are designated as polling stations for the vote

Separatists are pictured holding a demonstration in Barcelona on Thursday

Thousands of people gather at the final pro-independence rally at Plaza Espana last night ahead of Sunday's referendum vote in Barcelona

2.3 million people voted in a mock referendum in 2014, in which 80% favoured independence.

Catalan National Assembly, the main civic group behind Catalonia's push for independence, says a turnout of 1million voters - less than a fifth of the electorate - would make the region's secession referendum an 'overwhelming success' given the Spanish government's efforts to stop the vote.

The Catalan government has pledged to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of Sunday if the 'yes' vote wins, no matter what the turnout is.

Calls for secession have grown as austerity has risen.

Around 4,000 state police from other regions have been deployed to prevent the vote and maintain security. They will join 5,000 state police based in the region and 17,000 local police, or Mossos d'Esquadra

More than 500 of the tractors rolled around the cities roundabout cheered on by hundreds more vocal supporters ahead of Sunday's vote

According to laws passed by local government, should Catalan leaders see a successful referendum vote, they may declare themselves independent from Spain within 48 hours

Catalonia's separatist leader Carles Puigdemont (pictured) has defended plans to stage a 'banned' referendum - despite being unable to explain how independence from Spain would work

Striking images capture the moment more than 500 tractors were driven into Barcelona for the Catalan independence referendum which has been banned by officials in Madrid

The north-eastern Spain has its own language and culture, and a high degree of autonomy, but it is not recognised as a separate nation by the Spanish state

People gather outside of the Collaso i Gil elementary school. The Catalan police force is under orders to empty the buildings by early Sunday. Officers have been directed to refrain from using violence to remove parents and students

Quim Roy, a father of two daughters in Barcelona, says police officers told the few dozen parents and children at the Congres-Indians primary school they can't display campaign materials in favor of the disputed referendum and must leave the premises by 6am tomorrow

The EU's silence has been especially conspicuous since Catalan officials appealed to the bloc directly to mediate the dispute. Pictured: The Miquell Tarradell institute

How the 17,000 regional officers respond to the vacate order is seen as key to the success or failure of the planned vote
A helicopter pilot in Western Australia has captured the moment nine crocodiles were caught feasting on the carcass of a dead humpback whale.

Pilot John French was flying over the Montgomery Reef in the Kimberly region when he spotted a very large object laying on the exposed sand.

When Mr French took his helicopter in for a closer look he realised the dark mass was the body of a huge humpback whale.

John French captured the moment nine crocodiles were caught feasting on the carcass of a dead humpback whale in Western Australia

Mr French was flying over the Montgomery Reef in the Kimberly region when he spotted the decaying animal

The pilot returned the next day with passengers on board to have another look and caught a feeding frenzy of crocodiles.

'When we got there we counted nine crocodiles, quite big at around three metres probably, and they were just tiny compared to this whale, which was maybe a medium sized humpback, not a juvenile but a bit older,' Mr French told The Age.

Despite being three-metres long, the crocodiles appear tiny compared to the whale, which was exposed by slack tide.

Mr French said at least 14 crocodiles arrived to feast on the carcass as he flew closer

The smell of the decaying whale is believed to have attracted the crocodiles from across the reef

Mr French said at least 14 crocodiles arrived to feast on the carcass as he flew the Squirrel AS-350 closer.

The smell of the decaying whale is believed to have attracted the crocodiles from across the reef.

'Makes you wonder how many there really are hidden away,' Mr French said.

'It's very rare to see something like this.'
A mother-of-five who was stabbed to death allegedly by her ex-partner has become the third person in four days to be killed in a domestic violence attack in New South Wales.

Sarah Brown, 34, had reportedly taken out an apprehended violence order against ex Russel Brian Wood, 26, earlier this year.

Less than a week after she moved out of their shared home in Western Sydney, Wood is alleged to have showed up at Ms Brown's new home in Whalan on Saturday morning stabbed her in the torso.

Sarah Brown, 34, was allegedly stabbed to death by her boyfriend at 2am on Saturday morning

Ms Brown is believed to be the third person in NSW to allegedly die in domestic violence attacsk over the past four days, following the deaths of Blair Dalton and an elderly man.

Lance Pearce, who was charged with strangling his girlfriend Ms Dalton at her Ettalong Beach home on Tuesday, was due to be charged with murder before his death in custody.

Steve Bojnovic, 39, is accused of fatally attacking his 87-year-old father with a hammer on Friday, and appeared in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.

Blair Dalton (pictured) was allegedly strangled to death by boyfriend Lance Pearce on Tuesday

Steve Bojnovic (centre) was arrested for the murder of his 87-year-old father with a hammer

Ms Browns niece, Sharnee Portors, told the Daily Telegraph that Ms Brown drove down from the Central Coast on Friday to drop her children off at their father's house.

Ms Portros revealed that Ms Brown had moved up to the Central Coast in order to get away from Wood.

Fortunately, none of Ms Brown's five children were inside the home at the time of the violent incident.

The mother-of-five is the third person in the past 4 days to die as a result of domestic violence

Police allegedly found Ms Brown's partner leaving her four-bedroom home when they arrived

Ms Potros claimed Ms Brown's partner Wood has a long-term substance abuse problem, and that the couple had been dating for 'about two years'.

She revealed that her initial impression of Mr Wood was that 'he was really nice', and that at first he was really happy with Ms Brown and her children, 'but then he stared changing'.

Ms Brown's father and sisters attended the crime scene at about 3am on Saturday morning, but were informed that Ms Brown had succumbed to her injuries.

Sarah Brown had taken out an AVO against her former partner, who is charged with her murder

Emergency services were called to the Whalan home in Sydney's west on Saturday morning

Emergency services were called to Whalan home at 2am on Saturday, responding to reports that a woman had been discovered inside a house with a stab wound.

Police allege that they arrived to find Wood exiting the property, prompting them to handcuff him on the front lawn.

A crime scene was established at the house by the Mount Druitt Local Area Command, and an investigation is ongoing.
Kidnapper: Shafak Abbas has been jailed

A kidnapper has been jailed after police stopped him for driving while disqualified and found a crying woman in the boot of his car.

Shafak Abbas was approached by specialist firearms officers as he sat in his gold Mercedes on a residential street in east London.

When questioned the driver admitted that he was not insured for his vehicle but police grew suspicious about his behaviour and decided to search the car.

Abbas then told them that a 26-year-old woman, who was known to him, was locked in the boot.

Officers opened the boot and found the distressed victim inside crying.

Footage captured on a body-camera worn by one of the officers also shows the discovery of a BB gun in the car's footwell.

Abbas was arrested at the scene in April and later charged with kidnap, driving whilst disqualified, no insurance and possession of a firearm.

But despite the whole encounter being caught on camera the defendant denied the kidnap in court.

The footage shown to the jury also captured Abbas's admission to driving while disqualified and being in possession of a firearm.

He was handed a 15-month prison sentence yesterday following a four-day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

Body-camera footage shows the moment police officers found a BB gun in the car's footwell

Abbas, of Bethnal Green, east London, had already been disqualified from driving for two years by Brighton Magistrates' Court in June 2016. He has further been disqualified from driving until June 2021.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Chris Bailey, said: 'Body Worn Video evidence has greatly assisted us in securing this conviction.

'We will not tolerate violence and will do everything in our power to secure a prosecution and to ensure that justice is done.'
The Police Minister in South Africa has declared war on criminals by redeploying a notoriously brutal unit and telling them to 'crush balls' and to make criminals 'pee and drink their urine'.

Mr Fikile Mbalula was relaunching the Tactical Response Team  known as 'AmaBerete'  along with the police's Tracking Unit, and told them to be 'merciless' to criminals on the street.

He said in a speech to 200 new TRT recruits at Pretoria West Police Academy: 'Where criminals congregate and come together we must unsettle them. We must squeeze them.

'If they have got balls we must crush them. We must crush their balls. Let the criminals pee and drink their own urine. If a man says he has balls' we must crush those balls.

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He said in a speech to 200 new TRT recruits at Pretoria West Police Academy: 'Where criminals congregate and come together we must unsettle them. We must squeeze them'

He added: 'If they have got balls we must crush them. We must crush their balls. Let the criminals pee and drink their own urine. If a man says he has balls' we must crush those balls'

Mr Mbalula was appointed by ANC President Jacob Zuma in March this year to combat crime in South Africa

'These people are undermining the sovereignty of our country.

'We must clamp down on them and today I am saying you must be merciless to dangerous criminals.

'Do not blink when you deal with a criminal, run them down if needs be and then you must return fire with fire and protect our people against them' he said.

Mr Mbalula was appointed by ANC President Jacob Zuma in March this year to combat crime in South Africa.

Mbalula was quoted by TimesLive saying that the unit must do what they were notorious for, 'kicking down doors and dishing out dizzying blows', and he would deal with the courts.

He said to loud cheers from the units stood to attention before him: 'Even if you do not have a warrant of arrest, slap them. Break the law progressively and let me worry about court cases'.

He said that as Police Minister he had specifically resuscitated the unit with a reputation for terrifying townships in the South African province of Gauteng to respond decisively to criminals

Mbalula said officials had profiled dangerous criminals, including those who had cases dubiously withdrawn against them possibly due to corruption, and were ready to 'take them out'.

He said the units must round up these thugs and lock them up by Christmas.

The minister also issued a stern warning to rogue cops, saying he was coming for them.

He said: 'We must exorcise them. We must take out the devil amongst us,' he said.

Mr Fikile Mbalula (pictured) was relaunching the Tactical Response Team  known as 'AmaBerete'  along with the police's Tracking Unit, and told them to be 'merciless' to criminals on the street

Mbalula added that police must get fit and be in top condition to fight crime and said that he was making arrangements with Virgin Active for police officers to get free membership

He said it was embarrassing for police to be beaten up by criminals and added that only he as the Minister was allowed to have a 'bulging belly' and not those fighting crime on the streets.

He joked: 'Big bellies are for the Minister alone. Leave that for me so I can enjoy myself.'

To laughter he also said that the national rugby team, The Springboks, who were thrashed 57-0 by the All Blacks last week, had let down the country and the result had led to criminal behaviour.

He joked that unless they raised their game he would send his police units in to sort them out.

In South Africa there are 50 murders every day and an estimated 100,000 rapes a year and serious crime such as car hijacking is rocketing with 11 shot dead overnight in a Cape Town bar.
A baby being carried by an extremely drunk American tourist at Oktoberfest in Munich has had to be taken into care.

The man, from Texas, was so drunk that he was falling over and vomiting while sitting across an exit - despite having a baby attached to his front.

A passerby then noticed and took the baby off the man before police arrived.

The man, from Texas, was so drunk that he was falling over and vomiting while sitting up near an exit - despite having a baby attached to his front.

But according to The Local, the man was in such a state of intoxication that he could not even answer their questions.

As a consequence, the 28-year-old was taken to hospital and the baby taken to a police station.

A child welfare officer then decided to taken the child into care.

Oktoberfest is the biggest beer festival in the world and attracts millions of visitors every year.

Six million visitors are expected this year.
British people feel their culture is being 'buried' by Islam and the 'weight of numbers' of immigrants, Ukip's new leader claimed today in his first major speech.

Henry Bolton, a 31-year veteran of the Royal Hussars and Territorial Army, today defended his claims to have 'fought Islam' and said 'I am proud of what I've done for my country'.

His rhetoric on tackling radical Islam came after his victory over the far-right Anne Marie Waters was widely seen as essential to avoiding a permanent Ukip split.

Mr Bolton, a virtual unknown who secured the stunning win yesterday, used his first major speech to demand an immediate Brexit as he unveiled a new 'Out Now' campaign.

Addressing activists at Ukip's conference in Torquay, he vowed to discuss with them how to rescue the party, which saw a collapse in its vote share and the loss of its only MP on June 8.

Ukip party leader Henry Bolton (pictured delivering his first key note speech in Torquay today) sensationally came from nowhere to win the party crown yesterday

Mr Bolton (pictured as he addressed party activists this afternoon) beat far-right anti-Islam candidate Anne Marie Waters. His win averted a split in the party over her hardline views

Mr Bolton demanded Theresa May take Britain out of the EU immediately as he unveiled a new 'Out Now' campaign (pictured)

The new Ukip leader (pictured left today after his victory and right while serving in the Army) has a huge job to introduce himself to voters after winning the leadership from nowhere

Mr Bolton has used his first day as Ukip leader to soften the party's line on immigration, telling reporters while numbers should be cut a hard target was not needed.

But in his speech to activists he demanded Mrs May implement a 'points based' system to bring in skilled migrants - despite it being deemed unworkable by No 10.

He said: 'Immigration is overwhelming our public services, housing and communities. It is harming our culture, traditions and way of life.

'Some talk of multi-culturism, but are we not permitted to preserve our own British culture? Of course we are. And this party shall.

JUST WHO IS HENRY BOLTON? THE NEW UKIP CHIEF'S CV December 2016-present: Deployable civilian expert for the UK Government's Stabilisation Unit April 2016-present: Consultant on international affairs and diplomacy. May 2016: Failed candidate to be Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent November 2013-March 2016: EU Strategic Planer on the EU Common Security and Defence Policy October 2012- January 2013: Senior advisor at the Foreign Office on Helmand Province, Afghanistan May 2005: Defeated Liberal Democrat candidate in Runnymede and Weybridge February 2003-April 2006: Home Office Ministerial adviser on Transnational Organised Crime and Intelligence August 2003-May 2004: Border Management Consultant at the European Commission September 1992- September 2001: Police Officer, Thames Valley Police February 1990-March 2000: Territorial Army Infantry Company Commander September 1979 February 1990: Trooper and NCO, Royal Husssars, British Army Advertisement

'The present rate of immigration is unacceptable. The Prime Minister has told us that a points system cannot work.

She says it would mean that ministers would be unable to stop someone who had accrued the requisite number of points from entering our country.

'What Tosh Prime Minister! Who is advising you?'.

Earlier, Mr Bolton signalled following his win that he would seek to change Ukip's message on Islam by dropping the party's 'integration agenda'.

The controversial document, unveiled by former leader Paul Nuttall during the election, was almost entirely focused on Muslims. Mr Bolton said he 'abhors' the rhetoric 'that says we are at war with Islam'.

But the new leader issued a stern warning British culture risked being 'pushed aside' by Islam and immigration.

He told reporters: 'There is concern amongst the population writ large that there is an undermining through general immigration and the weight of numbers that we have got, and Islam as well, that our culture is being buried by this, being sort of pushed aside.

'That's a concern that we need to recognise is out there, that's a perception that's out there and we need to address it.

'And there is also an element, a very small element that constitutes a security risk - we know what's been going on in London, we know what's been going on in the European Union and we know that a lot of that is linked to a perversion and a political abuse of the religion.

'So we do need to deal with that of course.'

At the party's conference in Torquay, he warned of British culture being 'pushed aside' by Islam and immigration, although he dropped the party's previous support of a cap on net migration

The new Ukip leader promised to launch a nationwide tour to meet and talk to party activists as he developed a new programme for the beleaguered party

Mr Bolton, who had a long military career until 2000 and later worked in Afghanistan, defended his statement during the leadership contest that 'I have fought Islam, I have been blown off my feet by an Islamic suicide bomber, I have been on the sharp end of this'.

The comments were highlighted by Tell MAMA (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) which works with the Government to highlight anti-Islam 'hatred'.

Mr Bolton said: 'What I was referring to then was some of the operational work that I've done out of the ground which is a very different context to here.

'If you want to go out and spend 27 months in Helmand and if you want to go out and deal with things going on in the North Caucases, you will see what I'm talking about.

'That's what I've done, I am proud of what I've done for my country and serving my country and I hope to continue doing so in this role.

'So I'm not taking that context and putting it into let's take on any religion here.'

Mr Bolton told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it's going to be incredibly difficult to achieve a deal'

Ukip's new leader Henry Bolton says he does not believe Britain will reach any Brexit deal and says the UK should not let the negotiations drag on

HENRY BOLTON'S WIFE GAVE BIRTH ON A COMMUTER TRAIN Mr Bolton hit headlines last year when his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, gave birth on a packed train The new Ukip leader hit headlines last ear when his wife gave birth on a busy commuter train. Henry Bolton was travelling with his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton into London last May when she suddenly went into labour. After coming to a halt at platform 13 shortly after 4pm, the carriage was cleared by staff to give the expectant mother, who is married to Henry Bolton, some privacy. And Mr Bolton's third child, his daughter Victoria, was safely delivered by paramedics. Mr Bolton, 54, said he was very happy with how the unusual delivery unfolded. He said: 'One of the reasons I think it went so well is because it was in a natural situation and it wasn't in a hospital with loads of things going on,' he said. The baby, who weighed 3.82 kg (8.4 lbs). Advertisement

In the interview, Mr Bolton also watered down Ukip's past promises to cap immigration while calling for an Australian-style points-based immigration system.

In 2015 the party promised a temporary block on low-skilled and unskilled migration, and a limit of 50,000 high-skilled immigrants a year, while in 2017 the party committed to zero net migration.

Mr Bolton said: 'I'm not going to put a number on it.

'In different years there's going to be different amounts.

'For me what is important is that we as a society and as a government and as an administration providing services to the citizens of this country, we must be able to manage the inflow of immigration without putting undue pressure on our policing, on our hospitals, on our schools, on our road network, on our housing, on our economy.'

He added: 'Anybody who says put a figure on it is actually being entirely unrealistic and trying to paint politicians like me into a corner that gives you a nice thing to hang a comment on, but you're not going to get it from me because actually we need to be a lot more practical and operational about it.'

Mr Bolton also told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it's going to be incredibly difficult to achieve a deal.

'I actually do not credit some of the people in the European Union with any wish whatsoever to have a smooth deal.

'The other thing is, I do not believe for a moment that we should be pushing this out and allowing the negotiations to be endless before we leave.'

And asked if he would 'ban the burka', Mr Bolton said: 'I don't think it's about banning the burka, is it? It's about 'What is the problem here?'

Ukip grandee Nigel Farage welcomed his appointment as party chief, calling him a 'man of real substance'

And asked if he would 'ban the burka', Mr Bolton said: 'I don't think it's about banning the burka, is it? It's about 'What is the problem here?'

'Now if we've got a security problem with identifying people, it's not just about the burka, is it? It's about full face covering. So, if indeed there is a problem with full face coverings, then the burka obviously is included in that.'

He added that his own personal opinion is if anything is making it difficult to identify an individual on the streets, it is 'something that we need to address'.

Discussing his political background, he said it was 'a long story', saying: 'I got into politics because when I was a United Nations administrator - effectively a district governor - in Kosovo. I was mandated, amongst other things, to help local political parties organise themselves and prepare for the first local government elections.

'At that time I knew very little about the internal structures and governance of political parties. And the only way I could really find anything out was by joining one of them, and I wasn't going to join the Conservatives or the Labour Party and it was a simple case of going for the one in the middle, which was the Liberal Democrats.'

Mr Bolton said he believes in 'old-fashioned, classical liberalism', but feels it has 'lost its way a bit'.

The new leader will set out his vision for how the party aims to re-establish itself as an electoral force on Saturday.

Henry Bolton has already stressed he will seek to unite Ukip after defeating a candidate whose description of Islam as 'evil' had threatened to split the party.

The second day of Ukip's conference in Torquay has seen the controversial ex Tory Neil Hamilton, who leads some of the party's Assembly Members in Wales, speak

Delegates of UK Independence Party clash with anti-austerity protesters during the party's annual conference

He is Ukip's fourth leader in a turbulent year marked by infighting which saw the party suffer a dismal general election, gaining just 1.8 per cent of the vote share, down from 12.6 per cent in 2015.

Mr Bolton said Ukip had avoided becoming the 'UK Nazi Party' after his defeat of Anne Marie Waters.

On Friday night, Ms Waters made her displeasure at the result clear.

She tweeted: 'Today: Jihad - 1 Truth - 0.'

She added: 'My Labour past was mentioned every day (I never hid it), but a Lib Dem past is fine.. No mention.'

The 54-year-old former soldier comes to the role after a distinguished career as a diplomat - having been awarded an OBE for services to international security in 2013.

Ukip grandee Nigel Farage welcomed his appointment as party chief, calling him a 'man of real substance'.

New Ukip leader Henry Bolton (pictured yesterday after being declared the winner) emerged from obscurity to defy the bookies and beat the two front-runners in the contest to replace Paul Nuttall

Despite being relatively unknown, the ex-Thames Valley police officer, who joined the party in 2014, is no stranger to running for elected posts.

He stood for the Liberal Democrats in Runnymede and Weybridge in the 2005 general election, finishing third behind current Chancellor Philip Hammond.

More recently, the Sandhurst alumnus stood for Ukip as Police and Crime Commissioner in Kent in 2016, finishing second.

Mr Bolton, who describes himself as 'an expert in borders, security and foreign policy', has worked as a diplomat for the United Nations, Foreign Office and the EU, according to his website.

Henry Bolton with his wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton, who gave birth to their baby daughter on the 3.43pm Southeastern service from Ashford International to St Pancras International on Sunday May 15, 2016

The ex tank crew member arrived on the diplomatic scene after service in the military, having been deployed in Germany, Belize, Cyprus and Bosnia

It adds he was deployed to countries like Croatia, Kosovo, Libya and Ukraine on diplomatic missions for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

The ex-tank crew member arrived on the diplomatic scene after service in the military, having been deployed in Germany, Belize, Cyprus and Bosnia.

After leaving the army, he worked as a police officer for eight years and received a commendation for bravery.

Last year, his wife gave birth to their daughter Victoria on a train that had just pulled into St Pancras Station - his third daughter.

After his surprise triumph, he called on the party to united behind him to deliver its aims.

He said: 'I do not see myself now as simply being your leader, I see myself as serving this party.

'You are the party, not me, and this party needs to serve its country.

'There is no greater calling than that and I would call on all of you, whether you voted for me or not, to rally around the party, to be united.'

He lives in Kent with his children and wife Tatiana Smurova-Bolton.
A police officer shot and killed in Georgia after responding to reports of a suspicious vehicle was a mother and a five-year veteran of the force.

Detective Kristen Hearne, 29, was killed on Friday in Polk County, leaving behind a husband and a three-year-old son.

A second officer, David Goodrich, a rookie, was shot in his bulletproof vest and survived, officials said.

Two suspects, 31-year-old Seth Brandon Spangler and 22-year-old Samantha Roof, were arrested after attempting to flee.

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Detective Kristen Hearne, a police officer in Polk County, Georgia, was shot and killed after responding to reports of a suspicious vehicle on Friday morning

Hearne, 29, leaves behind a husband, Matt - who is also a police officer - and a three-year-old son, Issac (pictured with Hearne)

'She died a hero doing what she loved to do,' said Matt (pictured, right, with Hearne and Issac)

Hearne's husband, Matt, said she was a devoted wife and mother to their son, Issac, and was always helping her family and community.

'She died a hero doing what she loved to do,' he told WSB-TV.

Like his wife, Matt is a law enforcement officer - a lieutenant with the Aragon Police Department. He was off-duty when he received the news that his wife was shot.

'It's something nobody should ever have to go through. But I want [Issac] to grow up knowing that his mom loved him unconditionally. One of the best women who ever walked the face of this earth,' he said.

Officials say the officers were responding to a call around 11am about a suspicious vehicle and located a Ford Escape stolen from Tennessee on the side of the road.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Vernon Keenan said the suspects, Spangler and Roof, walked out of the woods and up to the officers.

A conversation ensued, after which Spangler allegedly pulled out a handgun and shot both officers, Keenan said.

Two suspects, 31-year-old Seth Brandon Spangler (left) and 22-year-old Samantha Roof (right), were arrested. Spangler is believed to have been the gunman and Roof is believed to be an accomplice

Officials say the officers responded to a call around 11am about a suspicious vehicle and located a Ford Escape stolen from Tennessee on the side of the road. Spangler and Roof then emerged from the woods (Pictured, crime scene)

Spangler (pictured) has been charged with felony murder and felony aggravated assault. Roof has been charged with felony offenses, the details of which have not been released.

Goodrich was hit in his bulletproof vest and was able to return fire, Polk County Police Chief Kenny Dodd said.

Hearne, a detective, was in plainclothes - a polo shirt and khakis - and wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest.

Spangler was wanted on outstanding Walker County warrants for probation violation, Keenan said.

Georgia Department of Corrections records show Spangler was released from prison in August 2016.

He had been serving time for convictions on a 2011 charge of cruelty to children as well as criminal counts added in 2015 for methamphetamine possession and possession of drugs by a prisoner.

Spangler surrendered to officers several hours later after a manhunt. He wasnt wearing any clothes when he was arrested.

Goodrich was hit in his bulletproof vest and was able to return fire. Hearne (pictured, right), a detective, was in plainclothes - a polo shirt and khakis - and wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest

Hearne (pictured) began her career in law enforcement nearly a decade ago but had been serving in Polk County for five years

He has been charged with felony murder and felony aggravated assault. Roof has also been charged with felony offenses, the details of which have not been released.

Hearne began her career in law enforcement nearly a decade ago but had been serving in Polk County for five years.

'The pain is deep. The hurt is deep. The sorrow is deep. But she lives on within us,' Matt said.
President Donald Trump continued his Twitter war with San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who responded Saturday by posting photos of the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico after it was devastated last week by Hurricane Maria.

We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster, Trump tweeted late Saturday afternoon.

He then criticized Cruz again, tweeting: Results of recovery efforts will speak much louder than complaints by San Juan mayor. Doing everything we can to help great people of PR!

Cruz declined to escalate the Twitter feud with the president, tweeting: The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our "true colors". We cannot be distracted by anything else.

President Donald Trump continued his Twitter war with San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz

Later on Saturday, Trump sounded more conciliatory, tweeting: 'I will be in PR on Tues. to further ensure we continue doing everything possible to assist & support the people in their time of great need'

Because of #FakeNews my people are not getting the credit they deserve for doing a great job. As seen here, they are ALL doing a GREAT JOB! pic.twitter.com/1ltW2t3rwy  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

The tweet was sent with photos of Cruz engaged in relief efforts while visiting island residents whose lives have been upended by the hurricane.

In one dramatic photo, Cruz is seen wearing a life vest with water up to her waist. She is shaking hands with a Puerto Rican resident who is kayaking through the flood waters of a residential neighborhood.

Later on Saturday, Trump sounded more conciliatory, tweeting: 'I will be in PR on Tues. to further ensure we continue doing everything possible to assist & support the people in their time of great need.'

The president then repeated his criticisms of the 'fake news' media, saying that press coverage is preventing 'my people' from 'getting the credit they deserve for doing a great job.'

He then posted a video showing federal rescue personnel aiding in the recovery.

The head of the federal agency responsible for the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico defended the president on Saturday while taking aim at Cruz for her criticisms of Washingtons response.

Brock Long, the administrator of FEMA, told CNN on Saturday it was Cruz who failed to connect with FEMAs command center on the island, thus slowing down the recovery.

The problem that we have with the mayor unfortunately is that unity of command is ultimately whats needed to be successful in this response, Long told CNN.

Cruz declined to escalate the Twitter feud with the president, tweeting: The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our "true colors". We cannot be distracted by anything else

The tweet was sent with photos of Cruz engaged in relief efforts while visiting island residents whose lives have been upended by the hurricane

In one dramatic photo, Cruz is seen wearing a life vest with water up to her waist. She is shaking hands with a Puerto Rican resident who is kayaking through the flood waters of a residential neighborhood

Trump on Saturday placed blame squarely on Puerto Ricans for the slow recovery from Hurricane Maria

Eleven days after the devastating storm wiped out power, water and communications systems, more than half of the 3.4 million people in on the island do not have access to drinking water, and 95 percent remain without power, according to the US Defense Department

Brock Long (right), the administrator of FEMA, told CNN on Saturday it was Cruz who failed to connect with FEMAs command center on the island, thus slowing down the recovery

What we need is for the mayor, the good mayor, to make her way to the joint field office and get plugged into whats going on and be successful, he said.

I think thats the bottom line on that tweet.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump took to Twitter to blast Cruz, calling her 'nasty' and also said the American citizens in Puerto Rico expect handouts.

However, he later praised Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello in an afternoon tweet storm, calling him a 'great guy.'

Rossello said the Trump administration adequately responded to their requests for help yesterday. Trump also said Congresswoman Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico has been 'wonderful to deal with.'

Trump tweeted: 'The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump.'

'Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help.'

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Earlier on Saturday, Trump said Democrats told Cruz to be 'nasty' towards him in a Twitter rant early Saturday morning

Cruz said she didn't say anything 'nasty' about the president but was just asking for help

Cruz responded to Trump's morning comments telling Joy Reid on MSNBC: 'Actually, I was asking for help. I wasn't saying anything nasty about the president, but don't take my word for it.

'General Buchanan, a three-star general, has said as one of the first comments that he has made about the Puerto Rico situation, that he doesn't have enough troops and he doesn't have enough equipment of what he needs to get the situation under control.'

Trump's feelings on Rossello were much more positive.

He tweeted Saturday afternoon: 'The Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, is a great guy and leader who is really working hard. Thank you Ricky!'

In his first tweet after Hurricane Maria devastated the US territory, Trump brought up how the country still owed money to Wall Street.

Trump did not seem to have negative feelings about the Governor of Puerto Rico Ricardo Rossello or Congresswoman Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon

Trump criticized the mayor's leadership and said she was not able to get 'workers to help' the devastation in Puerto Rico

In a second tweet storm, the president called out Puerto Rican leaders who have been more positive to the government's response

The county is in $73 billion of debt but less than a quarter of that debt is owned by hedge funds. According to CNN Money, the rest is held by individuals and mutual funds i.e. Main Street America.

Today Trump criticized the efforts of the Puerto Rican people and Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz.

On Friday, she pleaded with the federal government to send more resources to Puerto Rico.

Cruz said in several TV interviews that the lack of an efficient response by the US military and government was going to cost people's lives.

White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino Jr tweeted that Cruz was dramatizing the situation in Puerto Rico because she did not like the president before the storm.

He screenshotted tweets in Spanish that were critical of the president, writing: 'San Juan, PR Mayor has been hating on @realDonaldTrump long before he was our President. I'm not surprised by the show she is putting on...'

Trump will visit Puerto Rico on Tuesday with the First Lady. He also said he would try to stop by the US Virgin Islands, saying people there are 'working hard.'

He continued in his rant: 'They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.'

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz was astonished that DHS Secretary Elaine Duke Duke called the government response to Hurricane Maria was a 'good news story'

'Puerto Rico was totally destroyed': Trump said the US military and first responders were doing an 'amazing job' in the wake of the category five hurricane

A woman poses for a portrait in the door of her heavily damaged home in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Yabucoa,

Many Puerto Ricans have to cook outside over fires because of the lack of electricity

White House Director of Social Media Dan Scavino Jr said the mayor was putting on a show

President Trump claimed the 'fake news media' and the Democrats were making the Puerto Rico recovery effort look worse than it actually is

'The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. Puerto Rico was totally destroyed.'

Hours later, he continued: 'Despite the Fake News Media in conjunction with the Dems, an amazing job is being done in Puerto Rico. Great people!'

During his second rant Saturday the president reiterated the claims of 'fake news' saying: 'My Administration, Governor @RicardoRossello, and many others are working together to help the people of Puerto Rico in every way'

'#FakeNews critics are working overtime, but we're getting great marks from the people that truly matter! #PRStrong'

However, Trump sang a different tune in 2012 when President Obama responded to Hurricane Sandy. He tweeted: 'The federal gov. has handled Sandy worse than Katrina. There is no excuse why people don't have electricity or fuel yet.'

Twitter users unearthed a tweet of Trump criticizing Obama for golfing after Sandy. Trump was golfing on Saturday.

He said in 2012: 'President Obama should have gone to Louisiana days ago, instead of golfing. Too little, too late!'

During his rant Saturday, he went on to criticize news coverage of the devastation from the category five hurricane.

Trump tweeted: 'Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to "get Trump." Not fair to FR or effort!'

Trump's Homeland Security chief told reporters Friday that the government's response to Maria was a 'good news story.'

Trump criticized the Obama administration for how it handled Hurricane Sandy in 2012

President Trump spent Saturday morning golfing but sent this tweet about Obama in 2012

'When you're drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story': Cruz was shocked DHS Secretary Elaine Duke Duke called the government's response to Maria a good news story

Puerto Rico National Guard delivers FEMA supplies of water and MRE meals by helicopter to rural area of Lares devastated by hurricane Maria

DHS Secretary Elaine Duke Duke said: 'I know it is really a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane.'

In an interview with CNN Friday, Cruz seemed astonished by Duke's comments.

Cruz responded the quote on the brink of tears saying: 'When you're drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story. When you don't have food for a baby, it's not a good news story.'

'When you have to pull people down from buildings - I'm sorry, that really upsets me and frustrates me. '

Cruz then invited Duke to come witness the devastation of the towns and reconsider her statement.

Frustated, she said: 'Dammit, this is not a good news story. This is a 'people are dying' story. It's a life-or-death story.'
Fears are growing after seven children vanished from Queensland with a man and a woman with brightly coloured hair.

Queensland Police believe the children are travelling with Lynden Ronan and Joanne Godfrey but their exact location is unknown.

It is possible the family-of-nine could be in Ipswich or Brisbane areas.

Police are hunting for Joanne Godfrey, 34, (pictured) who is believed to have vanished with her seven children

Queensland Police also believe the children are travelling with Lynden Ronan, 39 (pictured)

Mr Ronan is described as Aboriginal in appearance, 180cm tall with a medium build and black hair.

Ms Godfrey is described as Caucasian, 165 cm tall with a medium build and blonde or coloured hair and green eyes.

Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia Mr Ronan, 39, and Ms Godfrey, 34, had been missing since Friday.

Police are appealing for any information about the family as they have concerns for their safety.
A veteran fighter known as 'the sheikh of snipers' (pictured) has been killed in Iraq's battle to retake the town of Hawija from the Islamic State group

A veteran fighter known as 'the sheikh of snipers' has been killed in Iraq's battle to retake the town of Hawija from the Islamic State group, his paramilitary force announced on Saturday.

Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, who took part in conflicts dating back to the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and said he had gunned down at least 320 IS jihadists, died on Friday.

The 63-year-old, who boasted of at least four hits a day, was killed as he advanced on Hawija in northwest Iraq, said Ahmad al-Assadi, spokesman for the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance mostly of Shiite militias fighting alongside government forces against the last jihadist bastions.

At his funeral on Saturday near the southern port city of Basra, close friend Ahmad Ali Hussein said the marksman was widely known by comrades as 'the sheikh of snipers' or 'hawk eye'.

A grey-bearded hulk of a man who drove an offroad motorbike and wore a black-and-white chequered scarf and fingerless mittens, Abu Tahsin was inseparable from his Austrian-manufactured Steyr rifle.

In a video from last year, the warrior gave a rundown of his career as a sniper, starting in 1973 when he was part of an Iraqi brigade fighting on Syria's Golan Heights.

The pensioner, who has bullets longer than his fingers strapped to his belt, talks about what his powerful weapon does to his targets, saying it 'pushes him back one meter before putting him down'.

A grey-bearded hulk of a man who drove an offroad motorbike and wore a black-and-white chequered scarf and fingerless mittens, Abu Tahsin was inseparable from his Austrian-manufactured Steyr rifle

Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, who took part in conflicts dating back to the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and said he had gunned down at least 320 IS jihadists, died on Friday

Iraqi mourners hold a portrait of Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, a veteran sniper from the Hashed al-Shaabi units, during his funeral near the southern city of Basra

Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, a veteran Iraqi sniper from the Hashed al-Shaabi units who boasted of having killed at least 320 Islamic State (IS) group fighters

He talks proudly about how militants fear the area he defends with his gun, pointing to the miles of wide open space below, saying: 'You see this area - I guarantee to god no-one would come up it'.

As he explains his role in the conflict, Mr Tahseen, who has fought in the Yom Kippur war, Iran-Iraq war, Invasion of Kuwait, Gulf War, hears chatter on the radio.

He then settles to take aim, and talks to his spotter has he looks down at the open ground below through his sights, and allegedly sees another sniper and his spotter.

'He's sitting next to him, right? or am I mistaken?,' he says to his spotter, who agrees that he can see their heads showing.

The 63-year-old was killed as he advanced on Hawija in northwest Iraq, said Ahmad al-Assadi, spokesman for the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance

He also fought in late dictator Saddam Hussein's 1980-1988 war against Iran, his 1990 invasion of Kuwait and against US troops who toppled Saddam in 2003, before turning his sights on IS

He then peers though his sights, sitting deadly still, as he takes aim and presses the trigger, and tying to control the huge rifle's massive kickback.

The shot shakes the sniper, but he doesn't remove his eye from the sights, watching for a few seconds until he sees the shot hit his target.

Tahsin, who fights for a Shia militia, then says: 'Sweet. Prayers to Mohammed and his family. Yes. Down in the valley.'

He also fought in late dictator Saddam Hussein's 1980-1988 war against Iran, his 1990 invasion of Kuwait and against US troops who toppled Saddam in 2003, before turning his sights on IS.

'Today, I gunned down two of them (IS fighters). That's ridiculous -- the minimum for me is four,' he says in the video. In anti-IS battles in 2015 'I killed 173 of them, and now I'm at 320.'
Viewers slammed the premiere episode of NBC's Will & Grace revival that aired on Thursday for being too anti-Trump.

In the first new episode of the comedy to air in 11 years, the cast calls First Lady Melania Trump a 'hostage', refers to Midwesterners as people who didn't eat vegetables until Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move!' campaign and makes numerous references to the 2016 presidential election.

But the main premise of the episode surrounds titular character Grace Adler, played by Debra Messing, receiving a job redecorating the Oval Office because Trump has referred to it as a 'real dump'.

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Viewers slammed the premiere episode of NBC's Will & Grace revival that aired on Thursday for being too anti-Trump (Pictured, left, Eric McCormack as Will Truman, and right, Debra Messing as Grace Adler)

One of the jokes had Grace (right) getting a bag of Cheetos to compare it Donald Trump's skin tone

Another joke included character Karen Walker, played by Megan Mullally (left), mocking Kellyanne Conway's infamous couch photo (right)

This landed the characters in the White House where the jabs came in droves.

Jokes included character Karen Walker, played by Megan Mullally, mocking Kellyanne Conway's infamous couch photo, and Grace getting a bag of Cheetos to compare it Donald Trump's skin tone.

Grace is also told Trump wants his the Oval Office 'to look like he's there from time to time'.

And when the cast leaves, they place a 'Make American Gay Again' hat on the corner of the office chair.

The main premise of the episode surrounds Grace receiving a job redecorating the Oval Office because Trump has referred to it as a 'real dump' (Pictured, left to right: Kate Micucci as Page, Mullally as Karen, McCormack as Will, and Messing as Grace)

The end of the episode has the cast place a 'Make American Gay Again' hat on the corner of the office chair (pictured)

One critic called the show 'a lazy way to take shots at the president for the entire length of the show' (Pictured, Donald Trump on Friday)

Conservatives viewers took to Twitter to react, with many noting that they wouldn't tune in again because they were offended by the show's politics.

'Can we just have a show without politics [?] Disappointed nothing is entertaining anymore. Won't watch again,' wrote one Twitter user.

'#WillAndGrace is a liberal cesspool mocking white Americans who vote for Trump. It's garbage, just like every left wing show. Pathetic,' tweeted another.

Another user attacked the joke hat left at the end of the episode: 'That Make America Gay Again Hat will certainly get Trump tweeting and Repubs boycotting.'

One user mocked the show's name, writing: '#WillAndGrace WAS our favorite show. New show is PATHETIC & should be called #WillAndDisgrace. @WillAndGrace is now just a tool for hate.'

Conservatives viewers took to Twitter to react, with many noting that they wouldn't tune in again because they were offended by the show's politics

Both People and The Hollywood Reporter published a list of all the times the show ripped Trump.

The premiere episode did well in the ratings, with 10.2 million viewers tuning in, making it the most-watched scripted show on television Thursday night and NBCs most-watched Thursday comedy telecast in 10 years.

But not all critics were impressed. Amelia Hamilton of The Media Research Center blasted the episode, calling the storyline 'a lazy way to take shots at the president for the entire length of the show' and said it was embarrassing.

'Hollywood still hasn't realized that shows like this do nothing but help Donald Trump,' Hamilton wrote.

'When will Hollywood learn that they're basically running his reelection campaign by doing this?'
Ryanair could replace flights with buses because it offers 'comparable transport' in order to limit its 1 billion compensation bill.

The airline has promised to ensure refunds to 750,000 passengers after cancelling 20,000 flights.

It means customers stranded after their flights were cancelled can fly for free with rivals if there are no Ryanair seats available.

However, rules dictate that if this is impossible they could also offer to pay for trains, car hire or even buses.

Ryanair has caved in to the UK's airline watchdog and offered customers a fuller compensation deal just 45 minutes before the deadline

They will also be able to claim cash back for hotels and food - as long as they are 'reasonable' and backed up by receipts.

This development will come as a relief to passengers who have spent up to 1,500 on accommodation and other expenses.

A spokesperson for the airline said in response to the figure: 'We dont comment on rumour or speculation.'

Ryanair is also emailing customers affected by flight cancellations to clarify their rights after being threatened with legal action from the aviation regulator.

How Ryanair will dish out compensation In a statement issued today, the airline said: 'Ryanair is required to offer disrupted customers (on cancelled flights) the option of a full refund or re-routing to their final destination as follows; (A) Refund Option: A full refund will be given of an unused flight sector and associated fees. If the disrupted flight is their outbound sector, customers will also be offered a full refund of the return sector. (B) Re-routing Options: Ryanair will offer all disrupted customers the following sequence of re-accommodation options; If this option is not available same or next day, then; If this option is not available same or next day, then; Easyjet, Jet2, Vueling, Cityjet, Aer Lingus, Norwegian or Eurowings airlines. If this option is not available same or next day, then; Under EU261, Ryanair will also reimburse any reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by customers as a result of these flight cancellations, subject to receiving an EU261 expense claim form from customers supported by original receipts.' Advertisement

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which on Thursday accused the Dublin-based carrier of 'not complying with the law' over its handling of the fiasco, claimed the airline had 'capitulated' after enforcement action was launched.

It had accused Ryanair of not telling passengers that under EU261 rules they were entitled to be re-routed by another carrier.

Ryanair's offer to passengers features several conditions, including assessing the cost of flights on other airlines 'on a case by case basis' before bookings are made.

If there is no Ryanair flight available they will buy seats with rivals including easyJet, Norwegian Air, Jet2, Vueling Aer Lingus.

They will 'reimburse any reasonable out of pocket expenses' incurred as a result of their cancellation.

Ryanair's official spokesman Kenny Jacobs said: 'We apologise again sincerely for the disruption and inconvenience our rostering failure has caused some of our customers'.

Alex Neill, a managing director at consumer group Which?, said passengers face a 'potential minefield' to reach their destination, describing the process as 'convoluted'.

He added: 'It still smacks of a lingering reluctance to do the right thing.'

Today the airline's decision to launch a 9.99 per-seat mega sale sparked incredulous fury among customers.

The advert promising a great deal on one million seats on 900 routes until February was sent out to customers today including many left reeling after their flights axed in the same period.

Some joked that buying tickets would simply mean putting a 'tenner down the drain'.

Ryanair's decision to launch a 9.99 per-seat mega sale today has sparked incredulous fury among customers caught up in the cancellation crisis

Paul Reynolds tweeted under the advert: 'Will there be any planes attached to those seats by the way?', Clive Darken wrote: 'Can I cancel before I buy???' and Brodie Agnew asked: 'How much extra do I have to pay for a plane and a pilot?'.

In the face of a Twitter storm Ryanair's social media team retained a sense of humour and responded: 'No worries, that's been taken care of, so our aircraft and pilot are included in the price'.

Today even Gerald Ratner called on Michael O'Leary to quit and said Ryanair is a 'joke too far'.

In addition, the Dublin-based carrier must commit to helping passengers who chose an unsuitable option as a result of being misled.

Experts have said that the cancellation crisis could be its 'Ratner moment' - a reference to Gerald Ratner's infamous description of one of the products made by his family jewellery firm as 'total crap'.

The mega sale has sparked a huge reaction on Twitter, which victims of the cancellation crisis have described as 'salt in the wound' and 'disgusting'

And today it emerged the man himself agrees and told The Times: 'I think that he (Michael O'Leary) should resign like I did' - but added: 'Ryanair is not about to go the way of Ratners'.

Passengers have threatened to boycott the airline after the latest wave of cancellations.

Customers bombarded the firm with complaints following Wednesday's decisions to cancel flights for another 400,000 passengers over the winter.

A day after Ryanair was accused of 'cancelling Christmas' by wrecking more people's travel plans, passengers using the hashtag #boycottRyanair vowed on Twitter to never fly with the airline again.

Peter Bond wrote '#Ryanair what a complete and utter shambles of a company. Not fit for purpose. I'll never use them #boycottRyanair'.

It comes after the regulator accused the airline of 'not complying with the law' over its handling of the fiasco.

CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said he was 'furious' after Ryanair cancelled an extra 18,000 flights for the winter season on Wednesday - a move that will hit 400,000 customers.

'They are not making it clear to people their entitlement,' Mr Haines told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

'If they follow through on what they are saying, then they would be breaking the law.'

But the CAA said today it would not 'speculate' on the action it would take if Ryanair misses the 5pm deadline.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has been told he has until 5pm today to sort out compensation for hundreds of thousands of travellers

Gerald Ratner's business life fell apart in 1991 (pictured) when he admitted selling 'crap' in his high street jewellery shops - many have said Ryanair has had its Ratner moment and the man himself agrees

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also instructed the budget airline to tell passengers they are entitled to be re-routed by a rival carrier

The airline has been forced to cancel thousands of flights leaving passengers stranded

A Ryanair internal memo allegedly instructed call centre staff to offer flights with other carriers - provided the price 'does not exceed three times the value of the original Ryanair fare'.

The document, unearthed by ITV News, was criticised by consumer group Which?.

Managing director Alex Neill said: 'Ryanair appears to be plucking figures out of thin air as there is no legal basis for the arbitrary figure they've set.

'The law says passengers must be rerouted and there's no specified limit on cost. This yet again highlights the importance of the action which the Civil Aviation Authority has started.

'It must force Ryanair to immediately change its behaviour and comply with the law.'

A Ryanair spokesman said: 'We will be meeting with the CAA and will comply fully with whatever requirements they ask us to.'

He added: 'Ryanair tries to accommodate such reasonable rerouting requests using a guideline (only) of three-times the original airfare.

'This compares favourably with Easyjet's stated policy, which limits the cost of 'alternative transport' to be 'within the price range you paid for your original return flight or as close as possible'.

'British Airways' stated policy says only that its disrupted customers will be booked 'onto another British Airways flight' with no reference to alternative transport (see attached).

'Ryanair respectfully calls on the CAA to explain what enforcement action it took against British Airways when it suffered a computer systems meltdown at Heathrow on the May Bank Holiday weekend earlier this year.'

The latest round of cancellations includes several popular routes used by British travellers, such as Stansted to Edinburgh and Glasgow, Gatwick to Belfast, Newcastle to Faro, and Glasgow to Las Palmas.

It adds to mounting anger against Ryanair, which was already coming under heavy fire after cancelling up to 50 flights a day earlier this month.

Ryanair says the cancellations were brought about because of an error with pilot holiday rosters.

Some internet wags have lampooned the airline's cancellation crisis in a series of memes - and Mr O'Leary has been accused of ruining Christmas

Passengers have expressed their frustration with the airline, with many left out of pocket due to a lack of alternative flights and accommodation bookings they can no longer use.

Revolt of the Ryanair pilots as they condemn 'disresptful' O'Leary Ryanair is facing a revolt by its own pilots which threatens to cause even more chaos for passengers. Furious crew at 60 airports across Europe signed a letter condemning the behaviour of their beleaguered chief executive Michael O'Leary for showing them and their passengers 'disrespect' over the cancelled flights fiasco. In the bombshell letter, the pilots warned there would be no end to the disruption unless their working conditions improve. They said the crisis would continue unless bosses showed a 'different management attitude and mindset than the ones that created the problems in the first place'. Advertisement

Mr Haines said airline passengers are 'well-protected by the law'.

He went on: 'They are entitled to compensation and if there is a cancellation, they are entitled to be re-routed by other airlines.

'The chief executive of Ryanair (Michael O'Leary) has gone on record and said he is not going to do that. He then issued a clarification.

'But yesterday when they announced 18,000 further cancellations, they failed to follow through on that.

'We are furious they are not complying with the law and they are not giving customers what they are entitled to.'

The regulator asked for a meeting with the airline as part of a consultation that will last at least seven days and could take legal action for breaching consumer protection laws.

It says Ryanair has falsely claimed it did not have to re-route passengers on other airlines, particularly when there are no other services available.

The CAA also accused the airline of stopping short of providing details on its obligations to refund additional expenses incurred by passengers as a result of cancellations including for meals, hotels and transfer costs.

It enforces consumer rights for passengers on UK flights under the Enterprise Act, meaning it could take Ryanair to court, where it would face being fined.

However, it has no powers to stop the airline from operating in the UK on the grounds of how it treats passengers.

Ryanair's operating licence is handled by the Irish Aviation Authority.

The airline said the latest reduction in its schedule will 'eliminate all risk of further flight cancellations'.
Michelle Obama has become a target for mockery in the wake of a spat between First Lady Melania Trump and a Massachusetts school librarian.

In an open letter on Tuesday, Cambridgeport Elementary School librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro rejected a gift of several Dr Seuss books, saying their whimsical illustrations were 'steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes'.

Now Twitter users - armed with photos of Michelle Obama reading Dr Seuss books to children during her time in the White House - are mocking those claims.

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Twitter users shared images of Michelle Obama reading out Dr Seuss books in the wake of a Massachusetts school librarian's decision to refuse to take the 'racist' volumes

On Tuesday, Cambridgeport Elementary School librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro wrote an open letter in which she refused to take the books offered to her school by Melania Trump

The First Lady (left) gave one school in each state ten books from the beloved author's catalog. Soeiro (right) turned them away for being 'racist propaganda' and having 'harmful stereotypes'

Earlier this month, the White House announced that one school in each state would receive a selection of Seuss' books chosen by Melania, including 'Green Eggs and Ham' and 'The Cat in the Hat'.

But Soeiro turned down the collection of almost a dozen books, saying in the open letter her school was award-winning and well-funded.

She continued: 'You may not be aware of this, but Dr Seuss is a bit of a cliche, a tired and worn ambassador for children's literature.'

She added: 'Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr Seuss's illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.

'Open one of his books (If I Ran a Zoo or And to Think That I Saw it On Mulberry Street, for example), and you'll see the racist mockery in his art.'

Neither of those books were included in Melania's selection.

Noting that Michelle Obama had also read the books to children, Trump supporters took to Twitter to ask why this had only become a problem now.

Fans of Donald Trump questioned why Michelle Obama had read out the stories if the book was considered racist

This user shared a video clip of Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia reading from The Cat in the Hat, which critics say is based on minstrel stereotypes

'Dr. Seuss ok when Michelle Obama read it to children but now has racist undertones when our First Lady donates books?' asked Vanessa Vega. 'Unreal.'

MELANIA'S BOOKS The ten books offered to schools were: Seuss-isms!

Because a Little Bug Went KaChoo

What Pet Should I Get?

The Cat in the Hat

I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

The Foot Book

Wacky Wednesday

Green Eggs and Ham

Oh, the Places You'll Go! Advertisement

'Barack & Michelle Obama Share "Racist" Dr Suess Books with Kids. Remember the Outrage?' asked Glen Woodfin. Both included images of Michelle Obama reading from the books.

One use calling himself '"Gitmo" Bama' wrote: 'OUTRAGEOUS! @MichelleObama & her daughters read 'cat in the hat' to a bunch of white supremacist in Johannesburg.'

That was accompanied by a video of Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama all reading out the book to a group of children.

Although the dispute has only been between Soeiro and the First Lady, some seemed to think that Soeiro's position was representative of all on the left.

'MUST DISAVOW: Michelle Obama spewing racist hate speech to children.... God help us! Liberalism is TRULY a brain disorder,' wrote Jared Hill.

The Obamas have not weighed in on the controversy, which centers solely around Soeiro.

Many users feigned shock that Michelle Obama had 'supported racist books' although the Obamas have not weighed in on the controversy, which centers solely around Soeiro

Users complained about the lack of outrage when these photos were taken. Soeiro's school district has distanced itself from her political act

Republican users were upset about the turn of events, which has been an ongoing topic in national news

The White House later responded to Soeiro's remarks in a statement to NBC Boston.

'Mrs Trump intends to use her platform as First Lady to help as many children as she can,' said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's communications director.

'She has demonstrated this in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to schools across the country is but one example.

'Turning the gesture of sending young school children books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the First Lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere.'

The school district later said that Phipps Soeiro 'was not authorized to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district,' adding that her opinions do not reflect that of the school system.

'We have counseled the employee on all relevant policies, including the policy against public resources being used for political purposes,' the district wrote in a statement.

On Saturday it emerged that Soeiro had dressed up as Seuss's The Cat in the Hat character just months before refusing the books.

In her open letter to the First Lady, Soeiro had linked to an article titled 'Is the Cat in the Hat Racist?' that accused Seuss of 'blackface minstrelsy' in creating that character.
The man accused of strangling and killing his ex-girlfriend reportedly choked to death on his chicken sandwich in prison.

Lance Michael Pearce was expected to face murder charges after allegedly trying to suffocate his former partner Blair Dalton, 35, earlier this week.

Pearce was found dead in custody on Friday, less than 48 hours after Ms Dalton's family made the decision to turn her life support off.

The NSW Central Coast woman died in hospital Thursday evening after suffering critical injuries during the alleged domestic incident at Ettalong Beach on Tuesday night.

Lance Michael Pearce, 34, (right) choked to death on a chicken sandwich in custody after he allegedly suffocating and strangling his former partner Blair Dalton (left)

After being in custody for barely three days, Pearce was reportedly found unresponsive on his bed at about 11am after being served breakfast, according to Daily Telegraph.

It is thought Pearce may have choked on a food item, plastic wrapping or sugar sachets.

Police and prison staff told the publication the death baffled them and haven't heard anything like it.

The exact cause of death will be determined by the coroner who will assess CCTV footage.

Pearce was placed on suicide watch when he was first admitted to Silverwater Jail.

Ms Dalton (pictured) died in hospital after allegedly being strangled by Pearce Tuesday night

Ms Dalton, who shared a young son with Pearce, donated her organs to help others following her tragic death, her family shared early Friday.

'Our beautiful Blair who is always helping others will today continue on this path when the transplanting of her organs begin RIP our best friend love dad and Gail,' they wrote.

Family and friends shocked at her passing also left emotional tributes to the young woman on social media, calling her 'one of a kind'.

'Rest easy hun... U didn't deserve to go this way, will remember our good old party days... Ur a awesome chic... So sad for u and all ur loved ones... (sic),' one person wrote.

While a friend added: 'RIP Blair I am so blessed to have been able to work with you. You truly were one of a kind, down to earth and the life of the party.'

'Spread your wings and surround them around your loved ones sweetie. Rest easy.'

Pearce (pictured) was found unresponsive Friday morning in jail by prison staff, hardly spending three days in custody

Ms Dalton's family posted early Friday morning the news Blair (pictured) had died and that her organs had been donated to help others

The alleged attack happened at Ms Dalton's home, with police arriving at the Ettalong Beach property, on the Central Coast around 7.10pm Tuesday.

After locating Ms Dalton, officers commenced CPR, with NSW Ambulance paramedics taking her to hospital in critical condition.

Pearce was taken to Gosford Police Station following the incident, where he has was charged with attempt to strangle/suffocate with intent to murder.

According to The Daily Telegraph during a court appearance Wednesday, he was heard saying 'no, no' and 'is she all right, she has to be all right,' from the dock.

He was refused bail and was set to return to court on November 24 where charges against him were expected to be upgraded to murder, police said.

Officers called to the scene commenced CPR on Ms Dalton (pictured), with NSW Ambulance paramedics then taking her to hospital in critical condition

The alleged attack happened at Ms Dalton's home (pictured) at Ettalong Beach on New South Wales Central Coast

Police were called to the scene around 7.10pm and were pictured investigating Wednesday morning

Friends described Ms Dalton as a 'good Aussie girl,' according to 7 News.

'We're just waiting on doctors reports but the end result won't be good either way will it?'

While others sent their love and best wishes to the family, many expressing how Ms Dalton was 'very giving to the end and beyond'.

'I can't begin to imagine what you all must be going through right now. She was so loved,' one person wrote.

While another added: 'Take your angel wings and let your loved ones feel a gentle breeze as you fly close to them during this difficult time.'

The national domestic violence helpline is 1800 737 732. In an emergency call triple-zero.

Ms Dalton was taken to Gosford Hospital following the alleged attack, but died Thursday night, with family and friends taking to social media to express their sadness
A Pennsylvania woman was arrested for allegedly shooting her mother with a crossbow after the two had an argument.

Fifty-one-year-old Lisa Marie Caplan, of Palmerton, is charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault in the death of 71-year-old Sandra Marie Barndt.

Times News of Lehighton reports Caplan texted her boyfriend saying she shot her mother with the weapon.

Lisa Marie Caplan is charged with murdering her 71-year-old mother Sandra Marie Barndt at their Palmerton home. She told police she shot her mother with a crossbow

Police found Barndt's body underneath a blanket with the arrow sticking out of her (stock image)

State police in Carbon County said relatives became concerned after not having any contact with Barndt since Wednesday and asked police to check on her.

Officers went to the Palmerton home Friday and found her body under a blanket with the arrow sticking out of her and blood leaking from underneath.

Caplan told police that after a fight on Wednesday, she went upstairs to get the crossbow then came downstairs and shot her mother in the back of the neck.

Neighbors knew Caplan as the 'shovel lady' because she would walk around with a shovel for no apparent reason.

Neighbor Shawn Green told the Times: 'She just had some bizarre behaviors, for example she would carry shovels up and down the street here on Lafayette avenue to the water towers. There didnt seem to be any rhyme or reason to why she was carrying the shovel.'

Caplan remains in custody pending an October 11 preliminary hearing. Court documents don't list a defense attorney for her and a number listed in her name had been disconnected.
A Queensland judge has strongly criticised the actions of a manipulative trio of friends, who conned an elderly millionaire into leaving his assets in their names.

In one of Queensland's most complex statutory will cases, a 91-year-old property developer was taken out of hospital, without being discharged, by a real estate agent, her husband and a Gold Coast solicitor.

The Courier Mail reports the trio took the man, whose assets are worth $70 million, to a lawyer's office to have his power of attorney revoked.

A Queensland judge strongly criticised the actions of a trio of friends who conned an elderly millionaire into leaving his assets to them

The man made a will leaving 58 per cent of his wealth to the trio and a retired doctor less than a year later.

The four had reportedly been asked to be left $1.4 million each.

Justice Peter Applegarth ordered a new will be made on behalf of the elderly millionaire, as the man 'lacks testamentary capacity'.

The new will would leave nothing to trio and only $20,000 to the retired doctor.

A 91-year-old property developer was taken out of hospital, without being discharged, by a real estate agent, her husband and a Gold Coast solicitor

The elderly man, who was left isolated from his family and friends by the trio, was said to have developed an 'irrational belief' that his children were conspiring to end his life.

Justice Applegarth said such a belief was due to cognitive impairments and the influence of 'new friends'.

The judge ordered that the man's three adult children will become the primary beneficiaries of their father's assets.

Justice Peter Applegarth ordered a new will be made on behalf of the elderly millionaire

However, Justice Applegarth decided one grandson, who only discovered he was related to the elderly man this year, will get $300,000 and five per cent of the residuary estate.

The grandson reportedly only met his grandfather at court last month.

Justice Applegarth said the Gold Coast solicitor and the real estate agent acted disgracefully and 'misled and manipulated' the elderly man for their own self-interest.

The multimillionaire has a monthly income of up to $225,000, with dividends from a joint-venture in a Queensland shopping complex.

The assets will primarily be divided among the man's children, with a portion going to two charities and various long-term friends.
A record number of Australians are fleeing to New Zealand in favour of taking up lives on rural properties while remaining central to metropolitan areas.

With more than 25,000 people having migrated over the past 12 months, the country is rapidly emerging as an economical powerhouse.

It seems the country's unmistakable beauty isn't its only draw card, with it also offering a plethora of appealing lifestyles opportunities, particularly for families seeking rural living close to the city.

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A record number of Australians are fleeing to New Zealand in favour of taking up lives on rural properties while remaining central to metropolitan areas

Australians have become the country's largest group of imports, which is no surprise given the country's promising employment rate.

For the first time ever, there are more Australians migrating to New Zealand, than there are New Zealanders coming to Australia.

'The more positive net migration flows in the last few years has coincided with a slight reversal of unemployment rates,' Kim Dunston of Statistics New Zealand told Nine News.

'So unemployment rates in New Zealand are currently sitting at around 5 percent, that compares with about 5.5 percent in Australia. If we go back five years, the New Zealand unemployment rates were slightly higher than Australia.'

The Craig family is just of the Australian families to have made the move across the Tasman Sea.

The Craigs live on a two acre block, ten minutes from New Zealand's third largest city, Hamilton. (David, Kylie and Charlotte Craig pictured)

David and Kylie Craig, along with their three children, say they wouldn't be able to enjoy the lives they do now had they of stayed in New South Wales.

They live on a two acre block, ten minutes from New Zealand's third largest city, Hamilton.

'To do that in Australia or to do that in Sydney you're looking at an hour, hour-and-a-half outside of Sydney before you could even get close to anything like this,' Mr Craig said.

The family are still close enough to Sydney to fly to their native home in a few hours should the need arise, which Mrs Craig said helped them choose New Zealand over Europe or America.

'It's much easier for us to get home to family and so forth, it's much easier for us to be here,' she said.
Islamic extremists born overseas will be given a deportation ultimatum under a new Australian government plan.

Foreign extremists will be given one month to enroll in a deradicalisation program or risk being deported, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Community Protection Intervention Orders could be used to enforce bans and curfews on extremists, otherwise they will be at risk of having visas cancelled.

Islamic extremists born overseas, like Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar, 15, (pictured) will be given a deportation ultimatum under a new Australian government plan

Foreign extremists will be given one month to enroll in a deradicalisation program or risk being deported (pictured woman charged with being a member of Islamic State group)

The plan aims to target terrorists like Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar, the 15-year-old school boy who shot and killed police civilian finance worker Curtis Cheng in Paramatta two years ago.

Despite the government being able to deport those unwilling to enroll in the deradicalisation program, they would not be able to revoke citizenship of those from dual nations including Australia.

The plan aims to give police extra monitoring abilities of potential terrorists so they are able to foil possible terror plots.

Liberal MP Jason Wood told the publication if someone refuses the voluntary program, then police would be left to 'wait and see and hope for the best scenario.'

'Police have no means to force that person to receive counselling, mentoring or prevent them from association with other extremists or even stop them from recruiting others into their cause,' Mr Wood said.

It is expected the new plan will be put on the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agenda for next month when state and federal leaders meet.
Members of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups are converging on the Tennessee city of Crossville to attend a rally organized by racist website Stormfront.

The site, which until Friday had its domain name revoked after claims it was linked to dozens of murders, has 330,000 members and was founded by a former Ku Klux Klan 'Grand Wizard'.

Now its members are gathering in the city to discuss how to further their racist agenda by running for office and promoting white supremacy - on the same day as Jewish people celebrate Yom Kippur, USA Today reported.

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White supremacists are attending a summit organized by racist website Stormfront, organized by KKK members and neo-Nazis. Pictured: Protesters at a KKK rally in July

Organizer Billy Roper, a neo-Nazi, says he hopes it will attract young members. The summit will feature lectures on getting into local politics and digging up dirt on 'adversaries' online

Don Black, the ex-KKK leader who founded the site, announced the gathering in July.

He's since bowed out due to illness and the annual gathering is now being fronted by another white supremacist, Billy Roper.

'We wanted to actually make this more of an activist-oriented conference and get a younger audience,' Roper said.

He said the conference will including lectures on running for local office, promoting white supremacist beliefs and how to find the personal details of 'adversaries and allies' on the internet.

The summit was originally organized by ex-KKK leader Don Black (pictured), who dropped out due to illness. Stormfront was shut down after complaints that it was complicit in murders

Roper, who is a neo-Nazi according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, said the timing of the event - which falls squarely within Judaism's holiest holiday - was a coincidence.

The group had originally planned to meet at local restaurant the Beef & Barrel Restaurant and Lounge on Friday, but a member of staff confirmed to DailyMail.com that the reservation had been canceled.

They said that a booking had been made for a party of 30 by a woman who didn't identify herself or her dining partners as white supremacists.

Concerned about the safety of their customers, they canceled the booking, they said. In an official statement on its Facebook page, the restaurant said it doesn't 'discriminate against anyone's religious, racial or sexual preferences.'

'I showed up at 630 [Friday] ... and the waitress was like f**k a kkk,' activist Chris Irwin wrote on Facebook. 'She said she did not believe they still existed and said the owner was horrified when he found out.

'At 7 the pointy heads tried to show up and come in anyway. The owner called the cops and would rather shut the business down than serve them a french fry.

'They sulked around the parking lot--then left.'

More parking lot action was seen Saturday morning at the Cumberland Mountain State Park in Crossville, where the group had gathered to meet.

Irwin filmed supposed members gathering in the lot ahead of their planned event, which he claimed was originally intended to be secretive.

State park officials said that they do not ask the purpose of reservations when they are made; no permit was requested for a demonstration.

Irwin live-streamed himself on Facebook Life calling out to members of the group as they arrived in their cars. Some hid their faces as he shouted to them.

Although the parking lot seemed to be sparsely occupied, Roper had previously said that he thought this could be the biggest gathering ever.

A table for 30 was booked at this local restaurant, the Beef and Barrel, for Friday, until management learned that the group were white supremacists and canceled the reservation

'I keep getting more and more e-mails and (instant messages) from more people who are coming to the replacement conference next weekend,' he wrote on the website's forum.

However, Crossville Mayor James Mayberry downplayed the success of previous events held in his town.

'Last year the rumor was [former Klan leader] David Duke would be here, and of course, he wasn't,' Mayberry said.

'There were rumors it was going to be kind of a big deal and then it wasn't.'

Stormfront is the web's oldest white supremacist website, having opened in 1995, but was shut down temporarily after its domain name was revoked.

That happened after complaints were filed with Network Solutions alleging the site promotes not only hate speech, but deadly violence, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which filed the complaint, said.

Users of Black's website have been implicated in more than 100 killings, according to the complaint, including 77 people slain by neo-Nazi Anders Breivik at a camp in Norway in 2011.

A spokesman for Network Solutions didn't immediately return an email seeking comment.

Another rally is being held on Saturday by The Gulf Coast Patriot Network (members pictured), who are protesting the possible removal of a confederate monument in Louisiana

Another major white supremacist website, The Daily Stormer, was previously shut down by the web-hosting company Go Daddy and then Google after the violence in Charlottesville.

Also on Saturday, members of the The Gulf Coast Patriot Network were to gather at a Louisiana Confederate monument, according to the Shreveport Times.

Barricades had been erected outside the Caddo Parish Courthouse in Shreveport ahead of the planned gathering, to protest the planned removal of the monument, which was erected in 1906.

Organizer Rex Dukes of Keithville, Louisiana, said that while a KKK group expressed an interest in joining the protest, members of that organization were not invited for fear of clashes with anti-fascist groups.
A Californian physical education teacher has been arrested after he was accused of using a jump rope to discipline his students.

The Fresno County Sheriff Department arrested Herndon Barstow Elementary teacher Peter Samhammer of Clovis, California, on four counts of felony abuse.

On Thursday, officers received a report that students had suffered injuries during a P.E. class at the school.

The Fresno County Sheriff Department arrested Herndon Barstow Elementary teacher Peter Samhammer of Clovis, California, on four counts of felony abuse

Samhammer had allegedly used a jump rope to discipline several children while having class outside.

He was said to have put the rope around the student's neck and tighten it up before letting it go.

Kids - ranging from ages nine to 11 - were left with red marks on their necks and shoulder areas.

Samhammer had allegedly used a jump rope to discipline several children while having class outside. He was said to have put the rope around the student's neck and tighten it up before letting it go. Kids - ranging from ages nine to 11 - were left with red marks on their necks and shoulder areas

Mr. Samhammer is on official administrative leave,' said Central Unified School District in a statement.

'Student safety is a top priority for the district and as such, we are fully cooperating with the Fresno County Sheriffs Office and will continue to do so throughout the course of its investigation.

The man has worked in the district as a seasonal employee but is not an active employee.
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The Army's White Helmets motorbike display team were given a rousing send off as they gave their final public performance after 90 years of history.

The White Helmets - dubbed 'the Red Arrows on wheels' - have thrilled crowds with their brilliant daredevil displays since 1927 but have now revved their engines for the last time.

The army has axed the display team because they are out of date. Cost-cutting is also believed to be behind the move.

Today was the final show of the Army's White Helmets after 90 years of history. Pictured are 15 men forming a pyramid as they perform at Blandford Camp in Dorset

One White Helmet braved a great ball of fire as he performed at the event earlier today. The White Helmets - dubbed 'the Red Arrows on wheels' - have thrilled crowds with their brilliant daredevil displays since 1927

The performers have now revved their engines for the last time. The army has axed the display team because they are out of date. Cost-cutting is also believed to be behind the move

Today was their final show, which was held at Blandford Camp.

On Wednesday, the performers rode through the town on their 750cc Triumph Tiger machines for the final time, which is the home of the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team.

Hundreds of people turned out on the streets to wave Union Jacks and cheer on the 23 riders as they rode through the town centre.

Team Sergeant Mike Arnold said the riders were touched by the response.

Sgt Arnold said: 'We were surprised to see so many people there and it was great to know that we have such a great level of support.

'I have been second in command for for two years and I have loved every minute.

'This season alone we have performed around 30 displays and I know many members are sad to see the end of the White Helmets.'

Today was their final show, which was held at Blandford Camp. On Wednesday, the performers rode through the town on their 750cc Triumph Tiger machines for the final time, which is the home of the Royal Signals Motorcycle Display Team

Team Sergeant Mike Arnold said the riders were touched by the response, adding: 'We were surprised to see so many people there and it was great to know that we have such a great level of support'

Since WWII the team has fulfilled an impressive list of annual engagements including visits to Germany, America, Canada, Australia, France, Hong Kong and Spain

Originally called the Blue Devils, the team launched themselves into the public eye when rider Corporal Rowe jumped 35ft through the air - a world record at the time.

Shortly afterwards the Blue Devils became the Red Devils, because their motorcycle supplier Triumph provided them with red overalls.

Continuing to perform throughout World War Two, the team are famed for a show they put on in Libya in the wake of the Desert War during the North Africa Campaign.

Since WWII the team has fulfilled an impressive list of annual engagements including visits to Germany, America, Canada, Australia, France, Hong Kong and Spain.

Originally called the Blue Devils, the team launched themselves into the public eye when rider Corporal Rowe jumped 35ft through the air - a world record at the time

Shortly afterwards the Blue Devils became the Red Devils, because their motorcycle supplier Triumph provided them with red overalls

Continuing to perform throughout World War Two, the team are famed for a show they put on in Libya in the wake of the Desert War during the North Africa Campaign. Pictured are observers watching the show in anticipation

With all this heritage, it is little surprise the decision to disband the White Helmets is tinged with sadness.

Captain Jonathan McLelland, the last team leader said: 'Being a White Helmet is a unique feeling and it's been a true privilege to perform as one - there haven't been many of us and even fewer team captains.

'For it to be coming to an end is obviously very sad but all things must come to an end and we've had a good innings.

'This is the digital age and the army don't use motorcycles to move messages anymore.

'Being a White Helmet is a hard and demanding job but I wouldn't dream of complaining, it has been the highlight of my career.

'To perform as the last riders is an honour.'
The Trump administration admitted for the first time that it is in direct contact with North Korea over its missile and nuclear tests.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made the acknowledgment during a trip to China on Saturday, adding that Washington was 'probing' for potential dialogue with Pyongyang.

'We are probing, so stay tuned,' Tillerson told reporters.

'We ask: "Would you like to talk?" We have lines of communications to Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation.

'We have a couple of direct channels to Pyongyang. We can talk to them. We do talk to them. Directly, through our own channels.'

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson revealed on Saturday while on a trip to China (pictured) that the US is in direct contact with North Korea over its missile and nuclear tests

'We have a couple of direct channels to Pyongyang. We can talk to them. We do talk to them. Directly, through our own channels,' Tillerson said (Pictured, Kim Jong-un visits a farm in an undated photo)

Tillerson also said the Trump administration's goal is to resolve the issue with North Korea peacefully (Pictured, Trump on Friday)

Tillerson also said the administration's goal is to resolve the issue with North Korea peacefully.

'We've made it clear that we hope to resolve this through talks,' he said.

'I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down. They're a little overheated right now, and I think we need to calm them down first.'

Tillerson was in Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss North Korea and other issues, as well as to lay the groundwork for President Donald Trump's planned visit to China in early November.

The US sees China as critical to averting a military confrontation with Pyongyang, which is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching America - something Trump has declared he won't allow to happen.

US officials believe China's priority is stability on the Korean peninsula, because a political collapse would almost certainly push destabilizing waves of refugees into northeastern China (pictured, Kim visits a farm in an undated photo)

US officials say Beijing appears increasingly willing to cut ties to North Korea's economy by adopting UN sanctions, after long accounting for some 90 percent of its neighbor's foreign trade (Pictured, Kim delivers a speech on September 21)

Trump (pictured, Friday) has called on China to do more regarding North Korea and has promised to take steps to rebalance a trade relationship that his administration says puts US businesses at a disadvantage

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say they believe China's priority is stability on the Korean peninsula, because a political collapse would almost certainly push destabilizing waves of refugees into northeastern China.

China has said it will strictly and fully enforce UN resolutions against North Korea and its Commerce Ministry on Thursday said North Korean firms in China and joint ventures in China and overseas would be shut down by January, in line with the latest UN resolution.

The officials also said Beijing appears increasingly willing to cut ties to North Korea's economy by adopting UN sanctions, after long accounting for some 90 percent of its neighbor's foreign trade.

Tillerson (left) met with many officials including Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) to discuss North Korea and other issues

Tillerson was also visiting to lay the groundwork for President Trump's planned visit to China in early November (Pictured, Tillerson, left, shakes hands with China's President Xi Jingping)

In opening remarks at his meeting with Xi (right), Tillerson (left) said relations between the sides continue to 'grow and mature on the strength of the relationship between yourself and President Trump'

Trump has called on China do more regarding North Korea and has promised to take steps to rebalance a trade relationship that his administration says puts U.S. businesses at a disadvantage.

In opening remarks at his meeting with Xi, Tillerson said relations between the sides continue to 'grow and mature on the strength of the relationship between yourself and President Trump.'

He added: 'We look forward to advancing that relationship at the upcoming summit.
It sometimes takes man's best friend to give a proper greeting.

And an adorable video posted on September 22, shows a girl greeted by two ginormous but lovable golden retrievers as she comes home to Carmel, Indiana.

'Our daughter had just arrived home from college for her first-weekend visit, said the camera person in the video caption.

'The dogs were clearly very excited.'

An adorable video posted on September 22, shows a girl greeted by two ginormous but lovable golden retrievers as she comes home to Carmel, Indiana

As the driver tries to open her door to get out, one of the giant dogs puts their front paws on the window, looking happily at the woman.

'Hi babies,' she said as the dogs hurry around the silver SUV before bombarding her with love and affection.

The dogs continue to rush towards their owner's hands in hopes that she will pet them as they whine in excitement and happiness.

As the driver gets closer to the grounds, the dogs begin going after her face, licking it as she tries to avoid their drool.

'Oh I've missed you,' she added to which the dogs respond with barks, agreeing with the sentiment.

The huge retrievers begin to peter out, getting tired from their rush of excitement, but they still continue licking the woman's face.

They love the attention and as the video fades out
Speaking out: Some of the wives of the jailed gang members condemn the men's victims

It is a rainy day in June and I am in a terraced house in Manchester. It belongs to an acquaintance who I will call Mrs Soni, a retired Asian school teacher.

She is shaking with nerves and I, too, am feverishly anxious as we wait, repeatedly peeping out through heavy red curtains.

Our guests had said they would come at nine in the morning, after the children had gone to school. The street is quiet. Few Asians live here, which is important.

I am meeting the wives of three men convicted of a terrible crime  of grooming and raping dozens of white girls. Nila, the 18-year-old daughter of one of them, will be there as well.

It was Nila who had approached me in Leeds when I gave a talk earlier this year. Small for her age, softly spoken, she had beautiful, green-brown eyes, Kashmiri, like her mothers.

She was upset. My dad is in prison because he was with others raping small white girls, she told me. I hate him. He made my mum pregnant eight times even when she didnt want to do it. I heard her crying. Six babies died. He did that to her for so long. But never went to prison.

Since reports of a gang of Pakistani-British sexual predators in Rotherham first emerged in 2011, there has been a string of horrific cases: in Rochdale, Peterborough, Bristol, Aylesbury and at least 20 other towns across the country.

Even now white girls, many from troubled homes, are being violated by men who profess to be good Muslims. Such are the explosive racial and religious implications that, to our shame, many refuse to face the problem.

Look at what happened to Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham, who was sacked from the shadow front bench for saying just this. Or take the case of Amina Lone, a Muslim councillor from Birmingham, who rightly defended Champion but was then told she cannot stand for re-election.

Jailed: Shabir Ahmed (top left), Adil Khan (top right), Abdul Aziz (bottom left) and Qari Abdul Rauf were members of a child sex grooming gang

Yes, sexual predators come from all classes and races. However, in organised group rapes, such as those in Rotherham and Rochdale, the issues of race and ethnicity are undeniable. They must be addressed.

As a female British-Muslim writer, I am deeply troubled by the Muslim men who work in packs and entrap and ravage young white girls and teenagers.

Thanks to the procession of disturbing court cases and the BBC drama Three Girls, based on the Rochdale scandal, we now know the gruesome details of the crimes. But we know nothing about how these rapists behaved behind their own closed doors. They had wives and children  how could they commit such abhorrent crimes? And now, at last, I was getting access to the family members. I had to promise their names would be changed and that none would be identified. The consequences, if discovered, would be unimaginable.

A car arrived. Two women in grey headscarves got out timidly. The third, Nusrat, had a long plait and was modestly dressed in trousers and a top. The driver was Nila, her daughter. They went to the back sitting room.

It will be a long time before I forget the three hours of emotional chaos, disorientation and pain that followed. I learned that they, too, had been subject to despicable sexual abuse. But I also discovered that, trapped in a world of obedience and ignorance, too many also blame the white teenaged victims for leading their abusers on.

These predators  and the wives who seek to justify their behaviour  must understand that women are not white or brown flesh to be consumed at will

Nilas mother, Nusrat, was the most confident. She was born in Britain and married a relative, as expected. Three years ago, he divorced her  punishment for opposing his plans to force Nila to marry his second cousin. Today, she works as a dinner lady.

The other two women, Homa and Mariam, came as young, virgin brides from villages in Pakistan. Arriving here, they spoke no English and their mothers-in-law treated them like slaves. The women would not discuss the intimate parts of their lives at first, resorting instead to vague words and platitudes: Muslim women must give husband, said one of them. He want, she dont like but must give.

But bit by bit, they opened up, describing a world of loveless sex on demand, of domestic violence, routine debasement. He did it hard, it hurt, said Nusrat. It was always painful. He say I am his toy. I say no, he pushed me down, made me cry. He was like a dog.

It was always painful. He say I am his toy. I say no, he pushed me down, made me cry. He was like a dog.

Homas husband was, she says, a kind man when she first came over. He worked for an ironmongers. When it closed, he became a cabbie and changed. He stayed out all hours, hit her, shouted at her and insisted on sex just a few days after she had given birth. Once she fainted with the pain. There was a lot of blood.

Did she complain? These are not matters that are commonly discussed among Muslim women.

I tried to dig further down. How, exactly, did their relationships work? The men, always controlling, had become more so with time, angry as they grew older and as the children grew up. These were marriages with no hugs or kisses, with little overt love and a great deal of fear. A portrait emerged of a generation of men torn between two cultures  and they were angry about it. They are more alienated than the older migrants, their fathers and grandfathers, who chose to come here to build new lives and felt more respected.

As Nila said: Men like my dad hate freedom. They punish us for something that they cant change.

Did the wives know about the criminal abuse committed by their husbands, or at least suspect? They all claimed not to, and I believed them. They could not discuss, let alone question, their husbands movements. As one said: He is a man. He comes and goes as he wants. He doesnt answer to me.

Perhaps what took place was beyond their comprehension. They do not seem to understand the concept of consensual sex. In their world, the sex drive is a male urge that must be satisfied. Their men took the white girls as they took their wives.

Filthy. How they dress. They have no shame, no fear of Allah.

And from all the evidence, it is clear the men in question still blame the victims and feel no remorse. They are sexual psychotics.

Yet, painful as it is to say, it became clear, too, that the men are not alone in blaming the victims. I asked the women how they would feel if their children had been drugged and raped. They agreed it would break their hearts. But, Mariam said: It cant happen to our children because they are not in the streets. We look after them.

Only Nusrat and Nila were prepared to condemn the abuse without reservation. The others, it seemed, privately blamed the girls and even their parents. It became clear they had a very confused sense of morality.

Nusrat fought back, saying: You know our girls are raped by uncles, fathers, brothers and imams. My neighbours daughter had a baby when she was 12. It was her uncle. They blamed her. Sent her to Pakistan. We dont see the truth.

But later, at a separate meeting, I encountered Suju, the wife of another jailed groomer. She was afraid of him but she, too, thinks white girls are: Filthy. How they dress. They have no shame, no fear of Allah.

Was it OK to hurt them the way the men did?, I asked. No. You cant hurt people. Allah does not want that, she replied. But it is the girls who should be careful. They did something to him, maybe bad magic. I am now alone, no money, no life.

It is wrong to suggest all Asian men are sexual predators. The Muslim men I know love and take care of their wives and are deeply shaken by the convictions.

Muslim activists fear talking about the abusers encourages racism. They may be right. But the grooming gangs are responsible for much greater racial hostility. Progressive Muslims must make this crime socially unacceptable. The communities which shelter and defend these men must be confronted. We need research into why a disproportionate number of Pakistani Muslim men in Britain commit this crime as well as offer compulsory re-education for those who have been locked up.

These predators  and the wives who seek to justify their behaviour  must understand that women are not white or brown flesh to be consumed at will.
A fun-loving holiday rep has been left barely able to breathe, move or see after developing a rare and incurable disease.

Natasha Lynch, 24, from Liverpool, is now paralysed from the waist down and blind in one eye, breathing through a ventilator and feeding through a tube.

She struggled for years with a series of crippling, mystery symptoms before finally being diagnosed with mitochondrial disease.

Happier days: Natasha Lynch, 24, from Liverpool, is now paralysed from the waist down and blind in one eye, breathing through a ventilator and feeding through a tube

It spelled the end of her dream job and promising career as a holiday rep for TUI, which owns Thomson.

Natasha, said: 'The hardest part has been going from being so active to being bedbound in such a short time, relying basically on social media for contact with the outside world.

'I have been unable to, and won't ever be able to, breathe without my tracheostomy and ventilator.

'It's particularly hard watching my friends lives passing by and them somewhat forgetting I'm still here sometimes because I'm not 'out there' keeping up with them.

Tragic: Natasha won't ever be able to breathe without her tracheostomy and ventilator

'Also, physical health affects mental health, big time. It's easy to fall into depression.

'But it's shown me there's a lot more to life, more out there than your own little bubble. I've connected with people worldwide due to my illness, and I know I've supported many with their conditions too. That is part of what inspires me to keep going.'

She was back in the UK for training after spending two years working with children at resorts in Egypt and Lanzarote when she first became ill.

She said she began constantly fighting colds and tonsilitis, and noticed she was taking a long time to recover in late 2014.

She then contracted viral meningitis and had to take a break from work to be cared for by her parents, who were living in Spain.

She suffered several more catastrophic episodes of illness over the next few years, from temporarily losing her speech and memory to waking up one morning fighting for breath.

One doctor finally worked out that her rare group of conditions - myelopthy of the spinal cord, hemiplegic migraines and myasthenia gravis - might be down to mitochondrial disease

A series of doctors struggled to diagnose the roots of the problem, and she said even chemotherapy and a stint in a specialist rehabilitation centre left her in a worse state.

But one doctor finally worked out that her rare group of conditions - myelopthy of the spinal cord, hemiplegic migraines and myasthenia gravis - might be down to mitochondrial disease.

The condition is a complex one which affects everyone differently, according to the Lily Foundation.

Mitochondria all over the body give cells the energy to function, but in sufferers they do not work properly.

There is no cure for the condition, but Natasha's family are fundraising for expensive medication that could improve and possibly extend her life.

You can find out more on the Lily Foundation website, and support Natasha's Gofundme appeal here.
Left-wing protesters have dangled vile effigies along with the banner which reads 'Hang the Tories' off a bridge in Manchester ahead of the Conservative Party conference in the city.

The image of the two effigies hanging from nooses and wearing suits has been widely condemned on social media. It comes amid a 2million security effort involving armed police to help avoid repeats of the horrendous scenes two years ago where Tory delegates and journalists had eggs thrown at them and were spat at.

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant tweeted a picture of the disgusting banner which was hung from a footbridge near Salford. He wrote: 'What a charming welcome to Manchester and the Conservative Party Conference. These arent protesters, theyre fascists.'

He later added: 'And these people say they are a Government in waiting. Who will they hang next?'

A banner which read 'HANG THE TORIES' which two effigies wearing suits has been dangled on a bridge in Manchester ahead of the Conservative Party conference

Snipers have been put in place around the Manchester Central conference centre and Midland Hotel, where a number of delegates are staying

Labour MPs have been quick to condemn the banner, claiming the banner does not represent the values of the party.

Lucy Powell, a Labour MP for the Manchester Central area where the banner was hung, tweeted: 'On behalf of our city & my constituency, we're sorry about this. We disagree with, & are angry with your policies, but we wish you no harm.'

Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said she was 'disgusted' by the banner, adding it was drapped 'not in my name'.

Another Labour MP Gareth Snell tweeted: 'This is totally unacceptable and if people who did this think they speak for the Labour party, be assured they do not.'

Officers armed with snipers have been pictured on rooftops near the venues as Britain remains on high-alert following a series of terror threats.

Around 1,000 police officers will be on duty in the city for the four-day event while an estimated 50,000 protesters will march on the city.

A 'ring of steel' has been set-up around the Manchester Central conference centre and Midland Hotel, where a number of delegates are staying.

Airport-style security checks, concrete blocks and road closures have been put in place to help counter the threat of any terror attack, while delegates have been urged to hide any lanyard passes when not inside the conference.

Entrances into the venue have been set up away from where protesters can shout abuse or intimidate some of the 12,000 delegates in just another example of the precautions being taken to stop intimidation from protesters.

Greater Manchester Police insists it has upgraded its security measures this year, known as Operation Protector to avoid ugly scenes which saw 15 arrests in three days in 2015.

A 2million security operation has been put in place in a bid to help avoid a repeat of the last Tory visit to Manchester which was marred by scenes of angry protests

A 'ring of steel' has been set-up around the Manchester Central conference centre and Midland Hotel, where a number of delegates are staying

The conference is expected to pump in an estimated 30million into the Labour-controlled city, with 9,400 rooms across 91 hotels booked out for the four-day event

Senior officers have promised to take action against any protesters who 'cross the line'.

Some 20,000 anti-Brexit marchers, including former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell, will descend on the city in the morning as part of what they claim will be a 'noisy' but peaceful protest.

Later that day, an estimated 30,000 anti-austerity protesters will also take to the streets. Both protests will convene close to the conference venue.

Chief Superintendent John OHare, who is leading the operation, said: We have been really clear with protesters to say we are here to facilitate lawful, peaceful protest and will be doing everything can so they can exercise their right to free speech, to protest and express their opinion.

But with that comes a degree of responsibility. There is a line between whats acceptable and whats not acceptable.

When that line is crossed and it becomes more intimidatory behaviour and people are in fear or oppressed then at that point we will take action.

Brexit tensions threaten to overshadow the Conservative conference tomorrow after Boris Johnson said the transition deal between Britain and the bloc should last 'not a second more' than two years.

His intervention ahead on the eve of the conference has been condemned by former education secretary and vocal Remain campaigner Nicky Morgan, who said people like Mr Johnson have 'no place in a responsible government'.

In an interview with the Sun, the former Mayor of London said: 'Am I impatient about it, do I want to get it done as fast as possible? Yes, absolutely. Do I want the delay to go on longer than two years? Not a second more.'

The conference is expected to pump in an estimated 30million into the Labour-controlled city, with 9,400 rooms across 91 hotels booked out for the four-day event.

Armed police are also on the street as authorities say they will be visible throughout the event

Sniffer dogs and a police handler have checked the main room of the Manchester Central convention centre

As many as 50,000 protesters are expected to take to Manchester tomorrow
A performance with a naked man at an art museum in Sao Paulo has sparked controversy after a child was allowed to touch the man's body while he lay exposed.

In a video circulating on social networks, a four year old girl is seen crawling on the floor around a man who is lying naked on his back in front an audience.

She touches the man's hand, legs and feet while accompanied by her mother who looks on and encourages her participation.

A video of artist Wagner Schwartz performing at an art museum in Sao Paulo has sparked controversy

In a video circulating on social networks, a four year old girl is seen crawling on the floor around him as lays naked on his back in front an audience

Organisers at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) have strongly denied that the presentation had any erotic content and stressed the event was handled sensitively in a closed environment.

However, the display has outraged right wing politicians and far right groups who have called on judges to prosecute the author of the work, artist Wagner Schwartz.

The groups describe the performance as a crime which 'incites paedophilia', 'eroticism and 'pornography'. They add that the show was 'disgusting' and unacceptable' and put the 'child at risk'.

The presentation, which happened on Tuesday marked the opening of the 35th Panorama of Brazilian Art at MAM.

She touches the man's hand, legs and feet while accompanied by her mother who looks on and encourages her participation

The display has outraged right wing politicians and far right groups who have called on judges to prosecute Schwartz

Schwartz said his work, called 'La Bete', was inspired by Brazilian artist Lydia Clark

Schwartz, who has been performing his pose for over a year in various artistic venues across Brazil explained his work, called 'La Bete', was inspired by Brazilian artist Lydia Clark who in the 1960s produced a series of mechanical sculptures named 'Bicho' or 'Animal'.

The geometrically shaped sculptures with hinges allowed the audience to play with the construction changing the shape of what is apparently an animal into a different design by moving the pieces.

Schwartz, who has been an artist for over 20 years explained he performs as a replica of one of Clark's sculptures.

He said: 'As I stand or lie naked and vulnerable I allow my audience to interact with my body by inviting them to pull, reshape and manipulate it into many different poses and to construct images using my body'.

Schwartz, who has been an artist for over 20 years explained he performs as a replica of one of Clark's sculptures

He said: 'As I stand or lie naked and vulnerable I allow my audience to interact with my body by inviting them to pull, reshape and manipulate it into many different poses and to construct images using my body'

A spokesperson for MAM refuted the allegations that the exhibition was 'lewd', 'erotic' and inappropriate for a child

A spokesperson for MAM refuted the allegations that the exhibition was 'lewd', 'erotic' and inappropriate for a child.

They said: 'The performance was in a closed session for guests. The little girl was with her mother who is also an artist.

'Her daughter asked to enter the show after being given an explanation as to what it contained.

'The child wanted to participate and under her mother's guidance and supervision she is seen on all fours going around the artist's naked body without showing any embarrassment or aversion.

'This work was authorised by the museum and is not about eroticism and does not include any erotic content.

'It is an interpretative reading of the work of Brazilian artist Lydia Clark and we are satisfied with the way this performance was handled.'
Pictured: Nazir Afzal was widely praised for his role in tackling the Rochdale scandal

A British Asian lawyer has been banned by fellow lawyers for speaking out in The Mail on Sunday about grooming scandals involving predominantly Asian men and white girls.

Nazir Afzal, who was widely praised for his role in tackling the Rochdale grooming scandal, has been barred from making the keynote speech at the Society of Asian Lawyers annual awards and ball in London on October 28.

He was shocked to be told he was no longer welcome at the glittering event because of his offensive comments in this newspaper.

The embarrassed SAL lawyer tasked with notifying Mr Afzal of the ban told him he personally opposed the decision  but had been over-ruled.

A member of the SAL committee, said in an email to Mr Afzal on September 22, leaked to this newspaper: Candidly, and regrettably, a member of our committee voiced concern over whether your article in The Mail on Sunday on grooming and your keynote speech may cause offence to guests at the ball.

I did not share that concern but we decided not to risk any offence, given the size and scale of the event. I confess this is not a decision I advocated, but is the decision the committee has taken.

With that in mind, we no longer require you to deliver a keynote speech. I personally regret having to send you this email very much.

Jailed: Shabir Ahmed (top left), Adil Khan (top right), Abdul Aziz (bottom left) and Qari Abdul Rauf were members of a child sex grooming gang

Six weeks earlier, Mr Afzal, a previous SAL award winner, had accepted an invitation to deliver the keynote speech at the prestigious black tie event at the five-star Lancaster Hotel, attended by 600 of Britains top lawyers.

In between, he had written an article in the MoS on August 12 in which he said that the growing problem of South Asian grooming gangs operating in British towns and cities had to be confronted.

We cant flinch from difficult conversations, he wrote. The Asian community cannot go back to victimhood. We need to challenge a misogynistic culture thats getting out of control and need to talk about the predators in our community.

Mr Afzal was shocked to be told he was no longer welcome at the glittering event because of his offensive comments in this newspaper

Mr Afzal said last night that he was very disappointed by the SAL ban. I have always argued that misogyny was the main driver of grooming and not race or religion, he said.

Lawyers are supposed to stand up for the rights of the most vulnerable, yet some are more offended by me calling out violent misogyny than the awful crimes committed by people in our community.

The snub echoes the controversial forced resignation of Labour frontbencher Sarah Champion earlier in the summer after saying:

British Pakistanis ARE raping white girls and we need to face up to it.

A friend of Mr Afzal said: Like Ms Champion, Nazir has been made to feel like a pariah by people who should know better. Anyone who challenges these ugly views becomes a persona non grata. But Nazir will not be gagged.

Last night, a SAL spokesman said it utterly condemned grooming.

He added: 'The society simply decided to consider other speakers to avoid any perception of taking a political stance, given some of the remarks Mr Afzal had made.
A plethora of Cuban doctors working overseas to make ends meet are suing their home country and demanding to be released from what one judge called a 'form of slave labor.'

Countries like Brazil utilize contracts - paying Communist Cuba millions of dollars every month - to hire doctors to provide their medical expertise, making the skilled resources one of Cuba's most valuable exports.

But doctors see only a fraction of that money and are growing more irritable with what they feel is unfair treatment.

At least 150 Cuban doctors have filed lawsuits in Brazilian courts, in the last year, and have demanded that they be treated as independent contractors who earn full salaries. Countries like Brazil utilize contracts - paying Communist Cuba millions of dollars every month - to hire doctors to provide their medical expertise

At least 150 Cuban doctors have filed lawsuits in Brazilian courts, in the last year, and have demanded that they be treated as independent contractors who earn full salaries.

'When you leave Cuba for the first time, you discover many things that you had been blind to,' said Yaili Jimenez Gutierrez, one of the doctors who filed suit, said to the New York Times.

'There comes a time when you get tired of being a slave.'

Defecting from Cuba has been something athletes and artist have done for decades, with most winding up in the United States.

But the new lawsuits present a conundrum for a country who uses the doctors as a PR boost for the nation's image as a medical powerhouse that comes to aid others.

For the doctors, not being able to go to United States as a backup plan is taking its toil on their plight.

When they first signed up for the program created in 2013, Dr. Maireilys Alvarez Rodriguez and her husband doctor found the stipend offered by the Cuban government was appealing. While they had to leave their two children behind to be cared for relatives, they were earning 2,900 Brazilian reais a month - worth $1,400 then and $908 now - a steep increase from the $30 they would make back home

In 2006, the United States began a program aimed at welcoming doctors to the country in efforts to undermine Cuba's leadership.

But in January, former President Barack Obama ended the program, stopping the ability of doctors to get permanent residency visas in the states.

'The end of the program was a huge blow to us,' said Maireilys Alvarez Rodriguez,

'That was our way out.'

And the Brazilian courts, which now hold the doctors' fate, have ruled against them with only a few ruling in their favor.

Possible repercussions they can face from Cuba, however, include being barred from the island and their families for years.

Conversations began a year back, when a Cuban doctor and a clergyman met in northeastern Brazil village.

The Brazilian government hopes to appeal recent court cases ruling in favor of the doctors stating that they actually make about what Brazilian doctors make in the country. 'There is no injustice,' said Brazil's health minister, Ricardo Barros. 'When they signed up they agreed to the terms'

Anis Deli Grana de Carvalho was finishing up her three-year medical assignment but having married a Brazilian man, she wanted to stay longer.

The pastor put her in touch with a lawyer in Brasilia and she sued the federal court last year in September to work as an independent contractor. Many other doctors soon followed suit.

The Brazilian government struck up the deal with Cuba in 2013 to provide doctors to impoverished areas. They hope to appeal the cases they've lost.

'There is no injustice,' said Brazil's health minister, Ricardo Barros.

'When they signed up they agreed to the terms.'

When they first signed up for the program in 2013, Dr. Alvarez and her husband doctor found the stipend offered by the Cuban government was appealing

While they had to leave their two children behind to be cared for relatives, they were earning 2,900 Brazilian reais a month - worth $1,400 then and $908 now - a steep increase from the $30 they would make back home.

'It was a pretty acceptable offer compared to what we made in Cuba,' Dr. Alvarez said.

Brazil imported thousands of doctors from Cuba and other countries to help undeserved areas under the Mais Medicos or More Doctors program. The move was led by President Dilma Rousseff, who found health care expansion to be crucial.

'We began to see that the conditions for the other doctors were totally different,' Dr. Alvarez said about noticeable difference she saw between Cuban doctors and doctors from other countries. 'They could be with their family, bring their kids. The salaries were much higher'

The deal was brokered by the World Health Organization and had Brazil pay Cuba about $3620 a month for each doctor.

There are about 8,600 doctors remaining in the country compared to the 18,000 that have done stints there now.

Because the program has lowered Brazil's infant mortality rate and helped indigenous communities, the UN feels it has been a success.

'The More Doctors Project is replicable and would potentially be beneficial in any country that decides to adopt it,' the United Nations Development Program said in a report last year.

But Cuban doctors feel replicating the program would perpetuate an injustice.

After arriving in Santa Rita, a poor village in the northeastern state of Maranhao, Dr. Alvarez and her husband soon noted how different their time was compared to doctors from other countries.

'We began to see that the conditions for the other doctors were totally different,' she said. 'They could be with their family, bring their kids. The salaries were much higher.'

Before their three-year stint was over last fall, some doctors were able to extend their stay if they married Brazilians. Others, were told to go home.

Unhappy Cuban doctors formed a group on WhatsApp in response. Andre de Santana Correa, a Brazilian lawyer, said his cellphone was buzzing unstop as doctors sought his help.

Dr. Alvarez and her husband were lucky, they were able to bring their children to Brazil and get a huge pay raise

Mr. de Santana was able to determine, by analyzing the doctor's contracts, that their agreements were at odds with the equality protections in Brazil's Constitution.

A judge issued temporary injunctions for some of the cases last year, granting Cuban doctors the right to stay as independent contractors, earning full wages.

One federal judge in the capital said that the Cuban contracts as a 'form of slave labor' that could not be tolerated.

But one federal judge found that allowing Cuban doctors to walk away from their contracts posed 'undue risks in the political and diplomatic spheres.'

As soon as the injunctions were issued, Cuban supervisors in Brazil began firing doctors on the spot.

They had to be on a plane to Cuba within 24 hours, or face exile for eight years.

The WhatsApp group quickly became a support network, when the realization hit that most were losing their cases.

'We keep one another strong,' said Dr. Jimenez, who says she has been unemployed since being fired in June and is now barred from re-entering Cuba for eight years.

Dr. Alvarez and her husband were lucky, they were able to bring their children to Brazil and get a huge pay raise.

'It's sad to leave your family and friends and your homeland,' she said.

'But here we're in a country where you're free, where no one asks you where you're going, or tells you what you have to do. In Cuba, your life is dictated by the government.'

Mr. Barros claims that the Cuban doctors should be happy with their salaries as they are comparable to those that Brazilian ones have.

'None of them, to this day, has come to me to complain about their work conditions,' he added.

Mr. de Santana hopes that Brazil's Supreme Federal Court will take the case but they are so backlogged, that may take years.
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It was once one of Puerto Rico's most dazzling resort towns; a thriving beachfront paradise where tourists sipped rum, dined on fresh seafood and soaked up the glorious Caribbean sunshine.

But that was before Playa Punta Santiago was torn to shreds and plunged into anarchy by Hurricane Maria  earning it the grim new nickname 'Playa Apocalipsis' (Apocalypse Beach).

DailyMail.com was the first reporting team to visit the ravaged beauty spot close to where the devastating category 4 hurricane made landfall.

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Playa Punta Santiago was devastated by Hurricane Maria over a week ago. The once thriving vacation town now lays in ruins

Kiosko El Amarillo, a popular tourist spot, which usually sells fresh juices and fried seafood in Playa Punta Santiago is seen at the entrance to Playa Punta Santiago

The town has had just one visit from the Department of Public Works team who came out to survey the downed power lines

Locals in the town do not have power and many are forced to loot. There is also little service and little resources so even if someone did call the police, it is likely they would not come

A car is seen trapped under the debris and fallen trees caused by Hurricane Maria over a week ago

Inocencia Lopez, 85, stands outside her home. She says people helped her move everything from inside her home outside as it was all destroyed

Before: No one died in the town mainly because many of the most vulnerable homes on the shore are empty resort homes

We were confronted with unimaginable scenes of destruction, lawlessness and residents so desperate for food they admitted to looting supermarkets to survive.

'If Mr Donald Trump wants to know what an apocalypse looks like he should take a look around here' said 43-year-old resident Jose Colon.

'They say this is the worst hit street in the whole of Puerto Rico. It's bad enough in the day but at night the bandits come to raid the empty homes. Even the soldiers are too scared to come here.'

The worst of the damage centers on a two-mile strip of Street Number 3 where blacked-out homes and restaurants lead toward a sun-drenched tropical beach reduced to a maze of fallen palm trees.

Wealthier residents fled long ago but the handful of poor families marooned here with no cash or transport face a daily nightmare to find enough food and water amid the rancid squalor.

Rubble and trash has been piled up to form a makeshift barricade at one end of the street in an effort to keep out looters and locals have armed themselves with sticks and axes for protection.

They say they have had just one visit from a Department of Public Works team who came out to survey the downed power lines and gave each family enough just enough water to last a day.

Jose Colon, 43, stands outside his home in Playa Punta Santiago. He said if Trump wants to know what an apocalypse looks like, he should see the town

Some home owners will return to Puerto Rico to discover their million-dollar homes were completely destroyed

The once thriving beachfront paradise looked like a Third World county devastated by war

Kiosko El Amarillo was completely destroyed by the Category 4 storm over a week ago

'We have been completely abandoned by our government and the US': Much of the infrastructure has been destroyed beyong repair

Natalie Civilles, 29, David Cruz, 35, and their 2-year-old son Sharier David Cruz and Jeaseely Maldonado, 21, carry supplies home in Playa Punta Santiago

People have to loot and try to sell supplies to survive because many businesses are still closed

Playa Punta Santiago was torn to shreds and plunged into anarchy by Hurricane Maria  earning it the grim new nickname 'Playa Apocalipsis' (Apocalypse Beach)

'There were people running after the truck screaming and crying for more,' said Haniel Pomales, 22.

'If they hadn't come with soldiers and police officers we would have taken every last drop of water they had. We are thirsty and desperate.'

Pomales found our four days before the hurricane hit that his 21-year-old wife Jeaseely Maldonado was pregnant with their first child and he says he will do anything to protect her.

'We have been completely abandoned by our government and the US,' he went on.

'My brother's friend is a cop, his advice was arm yourselves with whatever you can find and do what you need to do. If you had signal you could try calling the cops but they won't come.

'He said that if we shoot someone we should just leave their body in the street and they will come and pick it up in the morning.

'People are walking to the nearest Walmart and looting what they can to sell on the streets. It's easy to judge us from the safety of a hotel room in San Juan but out here that little amount of cash can keep you alive.'

When Maria slammed into the pretty beachfront town just over a week ago she was packing not only 200mph winds but also a storm surge reaching 6ft.

The facade of a local Walmart is destroyed and the front entrance is wide open in Humacao. People have been forced to loot since supplies are so limited

A makeshift roadblock, that says 'roadway closed,' is created by local residents to discourage looting in the area in Playa Punta Santiago

Police officer Iris Guevara, 43, stands outside her home examining the tragic aftermath of Hurricane Maria

Sharier David Cruz, 2, tries to pull his cart of supplies home in his toy red wagon

Winds sped up to 200mph and a storm surge reached 6ft when Hurricane Maria crashed into Playa Punta Santiago last week

Most of the beach has been swept away and the putrid stench of sewage and rotting food lingers in the air where homes lie in wreckage

Natalie Civilles, 29, David Cruz, 35, and their 2-year-old son Sharier David Cruz, Haniel Pomales, 22, and Jeaseely Maldonado, 21, stand in the darkness since there is no power

A sign says 'Puerto Rico rise up, the beach rise up,' among the devastation in Playa Punta Santiago

Residents told us they rushed to higher floors to escape a wave the size of a tsunami, while those living in one-story homes and shacks clambered on top of roofs and cars.

Miraculously nobody was killed, owing mainly to the fact that many of the houses are empty vacation homes.

Most of the beach has been swept away and the putrid stench of sewage and rotting food lingers in the air.

'There are million-dollar homes here but when the owners finally come back they will find nothing left,' said Natalie Civilles, 29.

She spent the hurricane clinging to her two-year-old son Sharierand restaurant worker partner, David Cruz, 35.

'This was such a welcoming place before,' she added, through tears. 'There were bars, restaurants and people laughing and having fun. Now the gas station and the supermarket are in ruins, most of the wooden homes are gone.

'I'm so scared for my son I just want to get him out of here. When the night comes I'm afraid someone will break into our home.'

When DailyMail.com reached the stricken enclave Friday we met one police officer  off-duty Iris Guevara, 43.

Guevara was struggling just to secure her own family's property and told us her pleas for help had gone unanswered.

'The army did come out here on one occasion and clean the place a little but there is no security,' she admitted.

'People are scouring the garbage and smashing windows to steal things. It's heartbreaking.'

Her neighbor Uuanda Mellan, 48, operated a bustling seafront cafe selling fried shellfish and fruit juice to tourists for 23 years before Maria left her business a twisted pile of debris.

'The government say they are helping us but where is this help?' the mother-of-four demanded to know.

Jose Aponte, 50, Taisha Aponte, 23, and Uuanda Millan, 48, said they wished the federal government would intervene more

Angel Varrios, 71, a US Army veteran, stands outside his home that was almost completely devastated by Maria

A popular structure and famous wall of murals is completely missing in the wreckage in Playa Punta Santiago

Most of the wooden homes were toppled in Hurricane Maria. Some of the stronger concrete buildings were still standing but were heavily damaged

A Jeep dealership is seen mostly destroyed in Humacao, Puerto Rico over a week after Maria hit

'People would come here to walk up and down taking photos. Now you see only a dead place.

'The nature here was precious. Now there is no greenery, no birds.'

Residents told DailyMail.com that that by day they walk several miles to the Las Palmas shopping mall on the outskirts of Humacao to hunt for food.

Businesses there include household US names such as Walmart, Pepboys, Pollo Tropical and Chili's  but hurricane damage has left the deserted strip mall resembling something from a war-torn Third World county.

A handful of cops and security guards are stationed on the perimeter to try to prevent looting but there's likely very little left to steal.

A Jeep dealership across the street has lost its windows and roof. Flummoxed construction workers stare up at the obliterated structure wondering where to start.

As nightfall falls on the Playa Punta Santiago, meanwhile, the normal backdrop of laughter and partying is replaced by just the buzzing of mosquitoes and an eerie silence.

Petrified residents including retired US Army infantryman Angel Verrios, 71, prepare to bed down for yet another night in hell.

'I don't feel well. I'm so sad. I want to go but the water destroyed my car,' he said with a trembling voice.

'I will leave everything behind just to escape from this nightmare  it's only going to get worse.'
Sun glints on the lazy waves of a warm sea as blond children run laughing into the water. Their mothers, elegant in colourful bikinis, sunbathe on the beach. These images, on a 1960s cine film, capture a colonial paradise, complete with cocktails and camel rides, bazaars full of bargains, and a social life centred around the military messes, bars and clubs.

It looks like the Caribbean, or even the Far East, but this is Aden, once a British colony, where diplomats, servicemen and their families enjoyed a hedonistic lifestyle, East meeting West.

The period footage is used in tonights dazzling new BBC One drama The Last Post starring Jessica Raine, of Call The Midwife fame. She plays a glamorous but troubled Army wife who seeks solace in duty-free booze, dancing and adultery after being posted to one of the last outposts of Imperial Britain.

It was a steamy atmosphere that former diplomat Sir Christopher Meyer recalls as akin to the scandal-ridden Happy Valley in Kenya, another corner of colonial excess, where sexual shenanigans were rife.

Jessica Raine (above), of Call The Midwife fame, stars in the BBC's new drama The Last Post. She plays a glamorous but troubled Army wife who seeks solace in duty-free booze, dancing and adultery

Yet life in Aden was fraught with tension  and the most extreme danger. A brutal insurgency increasingly meant no Briton was safe, as those who were there at the time recall all too vividly. In one of the most horrifying episodes, a grenade was tossed on to the dance floor of the officers mess in RAF Khormaksar on Christmas Eve 1964, where a childrens party was in full swing, killing 16-year-old Gillian Sidey.

In the end, as the attacks grew ever more barbaric, even wives and mothers carried guns. Service families struggled valiantly to maintain a sense of normality. But grenades were thrown at military families out for a stroll. Bombs exploded near children playing on the beach and attacks on Maala Straight, where many families lived, became so frequent it was dubbed Murder Mile.

I spoke to men and women posted to Aden for my book on Army wives, and many recall a turbulent and exotic cocktail of glamour and terror  bombings and assassinations alongside family days on the beach, nights of drinking and dancing, and the pressure cooker world of life on a sprawling military base.

Indeed the best way for many to pass the time was to have an affair, says Jonathan Walker, author of Aden Insurgency and an historical adviser to the show.

There would have been a lot of drinking  Aden was a duty-free port, he says. A lot of the wives were just married and it was their first taste of travel. Here they had freedom, sunshine, money and time to play.

There were more curious aspects to life, of course. Midge Lackie, wife of a soldier in the Royal Signals, recalls arriving at the airport as a young bride, having never left Scotland before, in 1960.

She was astonished, first by the hairdryer-heat, then by being addressed by her husbands Army number  Wife of 23510313  and herded into what looked like a cattle pen to wait until he collected her.

She had a further surprise when a shortage of military quarters meant the pair had to share a flat with another couple, naturists who insisted on walking around naked. They were not the only ones keen to shed their clothes.

In 1963, the expat newspaper, The Dhow, ran a scurrilous account of the love life of the Forces in Aden. It was eyebrow-raising stuff and the British press leapt on stories of gin-swilling and bed-hopping in this outpost of Empire that had, apparently, become known the bored wives club. As becomes clear in the BBC series, there is only so much bridge you can play.

It is written by Bafta award-winning playwright Peter Moffat, who grew up in Aden where his father served with the Royal Military Police. Young married couples in the heart of the 1960s living in extremely close proximity in a very alien and dangerous environment has always struck me as ripe territory for drama, he says.

Aden had become important as a refuelling station for British ships travelling to the Indian empire and grew to be one of the worlds busiest ports. But the sunny idyll was blown apart on December 10, 1963 when a grenade was hurled at the High Commissioner, Sir Kennedy Trevaskis, as he waited to board a plane.

He was wounded and his assistant and a bystander were killed. In response, thousands were rounded up and imprisoned. There were allegations of mistreatment and torture  often false  and riots ensued.

Young married couples in the heart of the 1960s living in extremely close proximity in a very alien and dangerous environment has always struck me as ripe territory for drama

Then tribes in the Radfan, a mountainous area bordering Yemen, began attacking convoys. British troops were sent in, and in May 1964 two SAS men were killed and decapitated, their heads displayed on spikes.

One Briton, a young political officer called Stephen Day, recalls how his life was saved at his post near the Yemen border when a tribal leader, using a Kalashnikov, held off a mob surrounding his vehicle.

Yet life in Aden itself carried on as normal. Day had arrived there in 1961 and managed to woo and marry his wife Angela, a beautiful brunette, four years later as the tension grew. I interviewed them both.

Their marriage was sealed with a tribal wedding in the mountains where Stephen was based. The tribesmen invited Angela to take part in a shooting competition and were amazed when she hit the tin-can target with her first shot. The Days were the targets of several assassination attempts, but luck and loyal tribal allies saved them.

An army engineer, who had come to check their drive for landmines, was killed in an ambush meant for Stephen. After Angela had a baby, they decided that it was safer for her to leave Aden.

Indeed the best way for many to pass the time was to have an affair, says Jonathan Walker, author of Aden Insurgency and an historical adviser to the show

Stephen remained behind in a rapidly deteriorating situation. The nationalists were competing to gain respect  and therefore power  by attacking the British. So the killing continued.

But in 1964 an upsurge in violence, prompted by Harold Wilsons announcement that independence would be conferred by 1968, brought the war uncomfortably close to home.

In November, two grenades were thrown into the Oasis Bar, where servicemen and their wives socialised. A corporal living in a nearby flat remembered a terrific explosion and the building shaking. Two servicemen were killed.

Many wives proved to be every bit as stoical as the COs wife in The Last Post. In 1965 Bette Viner, received a phone call informing her that her Brigadier husband had been decapitated and his head was on display in the marketplace. She phoned headquarters to verify this news and was informed that the brigadier was alive and well.

Moffat has his own example: My mum remembers standing on the balcony of our flat in her first week in Aden and seeing a hand grenade thrown, killing a five-year-old boy, and my dad rushing out to try and do something.

The attacks continued. In June 1965, a bomb exploded in the officers mess of the military headquarters. Tourists shopping at Steamer Point were picked off intermittently by a sniper. A young Stella Rimington, later the head of MI5, stopped off to shop there on her way to India and felt an uneasy sensation in the small of my back, wondering if anyone had a rifle trained on it. In February 1967, the mother of a houseboy working for a diplomat was kidnapped. The boy was forced to plant a bomb in their flat timed to detonate during a cocktail party.

My mum remembers standing on the balcony of our flat in her first week in Aden and seeing a hand grenade thrown, killing a five-year-old boy, and my dad rushing out to try and do something

Two British wives were killed, ten others wounded. On Black Tuesday, as June, 20, 1967 became known, a group of South Arabian Police recruits mutinied. A lorry carrying 19 soldiers was sprayed with machine-gun bullets. Some were killed instantly while others lay screaming with pain as blood seeped into the sand.

The mutiny spread to the nearby town of Crater where army patrols were ambushed and massacred. Three soldiers were seized, subjected to a mock trial and hanged. Their mutilated bodies were then dragged through the streets and burned. By the end of the day, 24 soldiers had been killed, the highest number in a single day since the Korean War.

Crater became a lawless, no-go area. But Lieutenant Colonel Colin Campbell Mitchell, commanding officer of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, led his regiment into the town and retook it, to the accompaniment of bagpipes.

He became a hero back in Britain, dubbed Mad Mitch by the press due to his disregard for his safety. He implemented a form of martial law to crush suspected terrorists. They know that if they start trouble well blow their bloody heads off, he announced.

The British government now abandoned their loyal Arab allies and began negotiating with the National Liberation Front, the most violent of the terrorist groups.

The last troops left at the end of November 1967. Gone Away  No Milk, No Papers, was the message scrawled by a soldier on the wall of Adens empty prison. It summed up the indecent haste of Britains departure  a sunny paradise lost amid bloodshed, bravery and political expediency.

Aden descended into chaos from which it never recovered. It is now part of the failed state of Yemen, gripped by civil war and famine and home to Al Qaeda.
Early clues have emerged that suggest a state actor was behind the massive hack of Equifax earlier this month, with China suggested as a prime suspect.

The startling new details from the investigation into the data breach affecting 142million Americans' personal data came in a Bloomberg report on Friday citing more than a dozen people familiar with the probe.

Evidence against China includes the use of multiple sub-specialized hacking teams and hacking tools known to have Chinese interfaces, though experts caution the identity of the perpetrator is far from certain.

Unlike the criminal hacking groups loosely affiliated with the Russian government, China is known to have highly organized People Liberation Army units dedicated to hacking foreign governments and companies.

Those units are believed to be behind numerous previous attacks targeting intellectual property, as well as personal data and medical data that could offer leverage on an intelligence source.

China is known to have highly organized People Liberation Army units dedicated to hacking foreign governments and companies. PLA soldiers are seen in this file photo

New details emerge in the investigation into the Equifax data breach. Some investigators are convinced that China was behind the attack, but that has not yet been proven

The fateful events at Equifax began to unfold on March 6, when Apache published a fix for a known vulnerability in Apache Struts, its popular back-end software for web applications.

Hackers of all kinds watch carefully for new vulnerability fixes, because they expose flaws in the software that can be exploited in any version that hasn't yet been updated.

The Struts vulnerability appeared on Chinese security forum FreeBuf.com within 24 hours of its release.

Days later, on March 10, hackers probing the internet for vulnerable systems got a hit at Equifax, and made their initial breach, sources told Bloomberg.

The hackers quickly began establishing back doors into the system, allowing them to regain access if the initial vulnerability was patched.

Eventually they created some 30 web shells serving as redundant back doors, a technique known to be favored by the Chinese.

One of the web shells used was China Chopper, which is widely used by Chinese hackers but also by other groups.

Using traffic data recovered after the hack was finally discovered on July 29, investigators found that the team that initially breached Equifax struggled to evade the company's internal firewalls, but quickly handed off the job to a much more skilled team.

The second team used special tunneling tools to maneuver around firewalls, analyzing and cracking one database after the next, and creating their own map of where the most valuable data was stored.

That level of specialization is indicative of a large organization with a hierarchy of teams, like the Chinese military.

Eventually, the investigators found, the hackers began searching for data on specific individuals - a tactic that could either indicate a desire to leverage potential intelligence sources or find wealthy people to defraud.

But the criminal hackers who steal credit card data for profit are rarely the ones who use that data to commit fraud.

Instead, specialized infiltration hackers typically obtain as much personal and payment data as possible, and then sell it along in batches to other criminals through Dark Web marketplaces.

The stolen data on 143million Americans has yet to appear on Dark Web criminal marketplaces, suggesting that it is in the hands of a state intelligence agency

Alarmingly, investigators say that none of the data stolen in the Equifax breach has appeared for sale on those marketplaces - alarming because that means it is almost certainly in the hands of a state intelligence apparatus, rather than profit-motivated criminals.

'This wasn't a credit card play,' one investigator told Bloomberg. 'This was a "get as much data as you can on every American" play.'

Searching for clues, on September 11 the FBI asked major banks to monitor small batches of credit card accounts for suspicious activity - in one case the accounts of just 20 people.

Investigators hope that any fraudulent activity on the accounts could give clues as to the breach perpetrators. It is unknown whether the accounts were those of people whom the hackers specifically sought information on.

In the meantime, no mass cancellation of credit cards has been issued, as typically happens when account information is known to be circulating among criminals.

A federal investigation and internal company probe into the breach are both ongoing.

Whether China or another state actor was behind the history-making attack on Americans' data will likely remain uncertain at least until investigators conclude their efforts.
A carpenter used an axe to chop off the hand of a young woman so he could steal her gold watch, bracelet and rings.

The victim had been talking on her mobile with her other hand lying flat on a fencing post at the side of a street in Russia.

The carpenter, with no previous criminal record, was passing by and suddenly decided to steal the glamorous woman's jewellery, says his lawyer Sergey Travin.

Prosecutors allege the carpenter used this axe, pictured, to attack the female victim

The carpenter chopped off the woman's hand to steal her rings and her watch

Sergey Travin, who is representing the alleged attacker said the woman admitted she would have handed over all her belongings if the man had shown her the axe before the attack

On the spur of the moment, he used the axe in the toolkit he was carrying to chop off her hand.

The robber then grabbed the watch and bracelet as well as the severed hand.

After running off, he decided the jewellery was fake and used his axe to further cut up the severed hand into small pieces, meaning it could not be reattached to the woman's arm by doctors.

The screaming and distraught woman was rushed to hospital covered in blood.

She has not been named.

'During the (police) investigation, the woman said that if he had shown her the axe, she would have given away everything,' said Travin, vice president of Federal Union of Lawyers of Russia.

'The carpenter had no previous criminal history.

'He's from a decent family, a father of two, and the owner of a three-floor wooden house that he built himself.

'Psychiatric tests established that he is compos mentis.'

The carpenter - whose name has not been disclosed - was later charged with robbery.

Reports said that the shocking attack was in Ivanovo region, but police have denied this.

Travin said: 'This case truly happened and I shared it with other lawyers on Facebook.

'I didn't expect that it would cause such an interest.

'I don't understand why Ivanovo region is mentioned, this happened at a long distance away.

'After the buzz in the media, my client told me not to disclose the region.'

He claimed his client has 'already reimbursed the damage and moral suffering and is strictly against talking to anyone or disclosing any further details'.

The man faces up to seven years in jail.
David Shepherd, 30, pictured, from Great Warley, Essex, was sentenced to two and a half years at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, Scotland Yard said

A prolific forger who made fake banknotes on an 'industrial scale' has been jailed - two years after a hoax 20 at a sandwich shop aroused suspicion.

David Shepherd, 30, from Great Warley, Essex, was sentenced to two and a half years at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, Scotland Yard said.

He turned his home into a 'forgery factory' filled with UV ink, printers and laminators, producing thousands of sham notes.

Detectives started hunting for Shepherd after his prints were found on a counterfeit used at a Pret a Manger shop in Westminster in October 2015.

His house was raided in May last year, where the forging apparatus and vast amounts of half-finished notes were found.

He was further snared by internet history linking him to materials used for counterfeiting, while CCTV caught him using the fakes at different shops.

Detective Constable Jonathan Roberts, from the Metropolitan Police's serious crime unit, said: 'Shepherd was responsible for producing thousands of counterfeit bank notes from a forgery factory in his home address.

Shepherd turned his home into a 'forgery factory' filled with UV ink, printers and laminators, producing thousands of sham notes

Shepherd's house was raided in May last year, where the forging apparatus and vast amounts of half-finished notes were found

'The lengthy custodial sentence reflects the serious nature of this crime and should act as a warning to others engaged in this type of criminality.'

Shepherd was convicted of two counts of counterfeiting under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981.
Protesters have swarmed a luxury car dealership after it allegedly suspended a married couple who asked for a 2.25 pay rise.

Freddy Lopez and Angelia Valencia Bolanos, who are originally from Ecuador, worked for five years on the minimum wage as cleaners at the HR Owen's Ferrari and Maserati showrooms in South Kensington, London.

The couple voted unanimously to go on strike to boost their wages from 7.50 to the London living wage of 9.75. But when they tried to go to work, they were met at the doors by HR and management.

Dozens of protesters wielding banners and a number holding mops took to the streets of South Kensington and rounded in on the car dealership on Saturday in support of the workers.

Protesters wielding mops and banners tried to took to the streets outside HR Owen car dealership

Class War and other organisations marched to HR Owen's offices and the Ferrari showroom in London to protest against the sacking of a staff member

Anxious staff at the dealership were pictured trying to hold their doors as protesters tried to kick down the glass door, while proud demonstrators brandished a banner which read 'we must devastate the avenues where the wealthy live' outside South Kensington Tube station.

The married pair, who are contracted to Templewood Cleaning, were allegedly told to hand over their keys and accused of taking money for hours they had not worked.

The showroom sells some of the most expensive cars including Lamborghini's, Bentley's, Aston Martin and Ferrari's, often going for hundreds of thousands of pounds.

United Voices of the World Union (UVW), which is representing the couple, said in a statement: 'There could not be a clearer case of trade union victimisation and UVW will immediately initiate legal proceedings against both the cleaning contractor Templewood Cleaning, and HR Owen at an employment tribunal and county court.'

A protester with blue hair kicks tries to kick down the glass door into the luxury car showroom while staff desperately try to stop demonstrators barging in

Proud protesters outside South Kensington Tube station hold up a banner which reads 'we must devastate the avenues where the wealthy live'.

The union added the move was 'an attack on all workers - especially low-paid migrant workers' who were trying to 'fight back against miserly and unscrupulous bosses'.

Green Party baroness Jenny Jones told Politics.co.uk she supported the strike action taken by the two employees.

The former London Assembly Member said: 'Its ridiculous that a company dealing in luxury cars cant pay its cleaners a decent wage and reinforces the case for the London Living Wage to be made compulsory.'

Ms Bolanos said: 'This has been tough for us  but our response to it will be even tougher.

A spokesperson for Templewood told Metro.co.uk: We can confirm that Freddy Lopez and Angelica Valencia Bolanos are employees of Templewood and this is an issue between Templewood and these employees  it has nothing to do with HR Owen.

Freddy and Angelica were suspended for one reason  claiming payment for hours they had not actually worked, an irrefutable fact; we are now following due process regarding this matter. Contracts between Templewood and its employees fully comply with all employment laws.

Given that United Voices of the World Union (UVW), which is representing the couple, has issued a statement that it will immediately initiate legal proceedings against Templewood Cleaning, at an employment tribunal and county court, Templewood is unable to make any further comment.

MailOnline has contacted HR Owen for comment.
Convicted 'Playboy rapist' Simon Monteiro could be released on parole this year despite his victims pleading his offending 'will only escalate'.

The 50-year-old was jailed in 2008 for 12 years after being found guilty of bashing and raping his girlfriend at their home in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs.

The sentence had a non-parole period of seven years and nine months.

The 50-year-old (pictured) was jailed in 2008 for 12 years after being found guilty of bashing and raping his girlfriend at their home in Sydney's wealthy eastern suburbs

But after that time he was still not released because the lothario refused to participate in a program for sex offenders.

Now that it is believed he has undergone a 'therapeutic program' to address his offending the State Parole Authority is in talks and may decide to have him released, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

But victims like Kim Gentle say that his assault on prison staff, including threatening to sexually assault a prison guard's wife, are all tell-tale signs Monteiro should not be set free.

'His release into society not only puts me at risk again but also many of his past victims,' Ms Gentle wrote in a submission to the parole board.

While imprisoned he has been a critic of prison conditions, serially complaining and also demanding a cell by the coast, a soft-bristled toothbrush and an orthopedic mattress (pictured Goulburn jail)

She describes him as a 'narcissist' with a history of committing offences while out on bail.

Monteiro met Ms Gentle in 2001, and already had three women come forward about his violent behaviour in the 1990s, when he assaulted her, stalked her and finally tried to suffocate her with a pillow on her 31st birthday.

However, for that crime his penalty was downgraded to a good behaviour bond after appeals.

In 2003 he met art dealer Kay Schubach in a cafe and went on to try and strangle her to death in her Point Piper apartment.

In 2003 Monteiro (left) met art dealer Kay Schubach (right) in a cafe and went on to try and strangle her to death in her Point Piper apartment

She didn't tell police at the time because she feared for her life but went on to write a book called Perfect Stranger in a bid to stop the recidivist from getting away with his crimes.

It wasn't until 2009, after Monteiro raped his then-girlfriend and destroyed her home, that he was handed a jail sentence.

While imprisoned he has been a critic of prison conditions, serially complaining and also demanding a cell by the coast, a soft-bristled toothbrush and an orthopedic mattress.

A public hearing will be held on Friday to allow affected parties to submit testimonies.

His sentence will expire in 2020.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is reportedly unsure of how to manage Jared Kushner's access to the president.

Kelly is seeking to institute more formal protocols and delineations of authority in Donald Trump's White House. The question of how to deal with Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared, is apparently proving to be difficult.

Politico reports that Kelly was left fuming particularly after he was not clued in to back-room negotiations between Kushner, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Senator Dick Durbin this past summer.

John Kelly, pictured shaking Donald Trump's hand in July 2017, is reportedly unsure of how to manage Trump's family members in their access to the president

Kelly, pictured in focus with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Trump to his right, was also reportedly 'livid' after learning of Kushner's meetings with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Senator Dick Durbin about The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

The trio was meeting to discuss The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a Barack Obama-era protection for undocumented minors.

They were discussing whether or not to extend protections for DACA recipients, known as 'dreamers'.

Kelly, despite his own support for the matter, had taken a hard stance against immigration because of his role in Donald Trump's administration. Trump does not support DACA.

The Chief of Staff was left 'livid' because the backroom deals were done without his knowledge, three sources told Politico. A White House spokesperson denied the account of events.

Kushner, it was revealed last Sunday, has been corresponding with White House staff using a private email account

Kelly allegedly demanded a meeting with Trump, in which he would have railed against Kushner's informal but powerful role in the administration. Kushner is married to Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka.

But the meeting never occurred, and Kelly did not raise the matter with Trump, sources tell Politico.

Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has repeatedly flip-flopped on whether he would repeal it or not.

The Trump administration announced its repeal on September 5. The repeal is set to occur in March 2018.

Meanwhile, a report by the Wall Street Journal alleges that White House Counsel Don McGahn threatened to quit his job this past summer because of the frequent informal meetings between Kushner and Trump.

McGahn was allegedly worried about how these meetings might be used against the president amid the ongoing Russia probe being conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The probe is looking at the extent to which the Russian government interfered in the 2016 Presidential Election and the extent to which members of Trump's campaign team might have colluded with the foreign nation in the interference.

A White House official also disputed this claim and told the Journal: '[McGahn] was focused on implementing the proper processes and structures to protect the White House and its staff, including Jared.'

White House Counsel Counsel Don McGahn (center) reportedly nearly quit Trump's administration over the informal meetings between Trump and Kushner

Kelly allegedly demanded a meeting with Trump to discuss Kushner's role in the White House. The meeting never took place

The news comes as Kushner made his way into the national spotlight after a Politico report last Sunday showed that the president's son-in-law handled business communications via a private email account.

Several email messages were exchanged between President Trump's son-in-law and fellow staffers regarding matters like 'media coverage, event planning and other subjects,' at least four sources told Politico.

Kushner is a senior advisor to Donald Trump. The exact nature of his role in the current presidential administration has not been defined or elucidated in public.
A Western Australian teenager has had a terrifying encounter with a shark at a popular surf break in the state's south.

Matt Marshall, from Mandurah, was body-boarding at Prevelly Beach near Margaret River on September 24, when a fin burst through the wave in front of him.

Despite initially thinking it was a friendly dolphin, after reviewing footage taken by a friend the teen realised it was instead a shark.

Scroll down for video

West Australian teenager Matt Marshall (pictured) had a terrifying encounter with a shark at Prevelly Beach in the state's south, when a fin emerged from the water less than a metre away

'You just see the fin pull off the wave, about a metre in front of me ... so lucky it didn't come towards me a bit quicker,' the lucky teen told 7 News.

Friend and videographer Kobi Evans was recording the close call from the beach and believes the beast was around four metres in length.

'He's lucky he went for the wave essentially, because he could have been missing a leg for all we knew,' he said.

The encounter didn't stop Mr Marshall from returning to the water a short while later though, this time without spotting the unwelcome visitor.

Mr Marhsall (pictured) had been body-boarding on September 24 and said he initially thought it was just a dolphin

Friend and videographer Kobi Evans recorded the close call from the beach and believes the beast was around four metres in length. It came a day before a similarly sized shark knocked a Belgian woman off her board at a nearby surf spot

The incident occurred just a day before a Belgian woman in her 20s was knocked about by a four-metre shark at nearby North Point beach.

Thankfully the woman's board took the brunt of the force, with chunks missing from where it struck.

The south-west corner of Western Australia is renowned for shark sightings and attacks.

In August 2010, 31-year-old Nick Edwards died while surfing at a beach off Gracetown, while just three years later another man, Chris Boyd, was killed in the same area.

This year, 17-year-old Laeticia Brouwer was also fatally wounded while surfing with her family further south at the popular Kelp Beds break, near Esperance.
Old Street Tube has been reopened following reports of a man acting suspiciously and that a bang was heard at the station, sparking an armed police response.

Video footage from the scene showed at least 20 police vehicles parked near the East London train station, which is a popular nighttime destination for thousands of Londoners.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'We were called at approximately 21:20hrs on Saturday, 30 September to reports of a man believed to be acting suspiciously on an underground train.

'Several people subsequently reported hearing a bang. No firearm or any other object was seen.

'Officers, including firearms officers and the British Transport Police, attended the Old Street area and the station was temporarily evacuated.

'There were no reported injuries.

'At this stage nothing suspicious has been found and the incident has now been stood down.'

British Transport Police also attended the scene, tweeting: 'We attended Old Street station following reports of a security alert. A search has taken place to ensure the area is safe. Station reopening.'

Witnesses reported seeing armed police swarm the station and telling passengers to evacuate the station immediately.

George Maier tweeted: 'Just been evacuated out of Old Street station. Armed police came to the platform and told us all to leave immediately.

Armed police stormed Old Street station after there was a bomb scare at the station

Unmarked police cars and dozens of police officiers attended the scene

'Nothing heard beforehand from my location on southbound Northern Line platform, was simply waiting when two armed guards came in.

He added: 'About 15 police vans, including unmarked vans pulling up now, more arriving.'

One person reported hearing 'Inspector Sands' over the tannoy - which is code for a fire alert or bomb scare.

At the time of the investigation, the Northern Line, part of Transport for London's Underground network, tweeted: 'Old Street station is closed whilst the Police carry out an investigation'.

MailOnline has contacted Metropolitan Police for comment.

A number of police vans and cars are parked near the roundabout in Old Street

It is unknown what the nature of the incident is
A police officer whose body was found in a lake had only just moved in to her dream house, it was revealed last night.

Leanne McKie, 39, a detective constable, had been living in rented accommodation with her husband and three children, as they waited for the renovation of their home in Wilmslow, near Manchester, to be completed.

Former neighbours of Mrs McKie, a detective constable in Greater Manchester Police (GMP), described the family as friendly and happy.

Leanne McKie, 39, a detective constable, had been living in rented accommodation with her husband and three children, as they waited for the renovation of their home in Wilmslow, near Manchester, to be completed

One said: It is horrific what has happened to them. I am deeply shaken and shocked. They were a lovely family.

You would never have had any idea there was any drama there.

Last night, a 43-year-old man who was being questioned on suspicion of murder, remained in custody.

Forensic officers yesterday searched the 400,000 house where Mrs McKie and husband Darren, also a police officer, had moved with their two daughters, three and six, and 11-year-old son.

Police also blocked off the entrances to Poynton Park, the beauty spot where Mrs McKies body was found in the early hours of Friday morning.
Body of Ashanti Billie (pictured), 19, was recovered more than 300 miles away from her last location on Friday

The body of a teenage girl last seen at a naval base in Norfolk, Virginia has been recovered and identified more than 300 miles away.

According to federal investigators, the remains of 19-year-old Ashanti Billie were discovered in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations believe that Billie was the victim of a homicide and have launched a manhunt for the killer, according to NBC News.

It remains unclear if authorities are pursuing a specific suspect.

Billie, a culinary arts student who had recently graduated from high school, was last seen at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek on September 18.

'It is with deep regret that I inform the community that Ashanti Billie has been located, deceased, in Charlotte, North Carolina,' FBI special agent Martin Culbreth said in a statement.

Billie was last seen at a naval base in Norfolk, Virginia on Sept. 18 where she worked as an assistant manager at a Blimpie sandwich shop

Billie's car was found abandoned on a dead-end street in the in the Ocean View part of the city on September 23

Details on how Billie died have yet to be released by authorities.

'Our mission is to bring justice for Ashanti, and we will be relentless in our efforts to find who did this to her,' Culbreth said in his statement.

'We will not rest until the person who robbed Ashanti of her life, her promise and her future is held fully accountable under the law.'

Local police found Billie's body behind a church on the 1700 block of Griers Grove Road in Charlotte after a parishioner stumbled upon the remains around 10.30am on Friday.

The teenager's car was later spotted by neighbor's on September 23 abandoned on a dead-end street in the Ocean View part of the city.

FBI special agent Martin Culbreth (pictured) said in a statement that Billie's body was identified on Saturday and are searching for a possible murder suspect

The Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office identified Billie's body following a massive search conducted by the FBI, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Virginia Beach Police Department and the Norfolk Police Department.

Billie was last seen at around 5am at the naval base, arriving to work at the Blimpie sandwich shop where she was employed as an assassinate manager.

Following her disappearance, a $10,000 reward was offered to anyone with information that could help authorities lead to Billie's whereabouts.

Billie's body was found behind a church in North Carolina by a parishioner around 10.30am on Friday

Billie's employer, Blimpie, matched the offer, raising the total to $20,000.

'We are very concerned about the disappearance of Ashanti Billie and we are working with the authorities to help find her and bring her home safely,' said Jeff Wallace, vice president of operations for Blimpie.

'We are here to help support Ashanti's family during this difficult time.'

Billie recently moved to Virginia to attend culinary arts classes at the Art Institute of Virginia Beach, NBC News reported, following her graduation from Henry Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, in 2016.

Anyone with information for the FBI is asked to contact the FBI Norfolk Field Office at 757-455-0100.
Stricken airline Monarch was handed a 24-hour reprieve last night as it teetered on the brink of financial collapse.

Britain's fifth biggest airline is locked in talks over a last-minute rescue amid fears that 100,000 customers could be left stranded.

Government sources said preparations have already begun for a 'mass repatriation' of passengers should the worst happen.

The Foreign Office has alerted consulates in Monarch's destination cities to call in extra staff.

Stricken airline Monarch was handed a 24-hour reprieve last night as it teetered on the brink of financial collapse

Sources said extra planes had been lined up to rescue stranded holidaymakers. Two fully staffed Qatar Airways aircraft have been stationed at Stansted airport in Essex at the request of the CAA and eight more requisitioned in Qatar's capital Doha.

Monarch bosses have held talks with other airlines including easyJet and its Hungarian low-cost rival Wizz over a possible rescue deal and have been in frenzied negotiations over a vital Atol license that allows the company to sell package holidays.

The Civil Aviation Authority, which hands out the licences, said last night it would make a decision by 4pm today.

A CAA spokesman said: 'We can confirm Atol protection will remain available for eligible holiday bookings made with Monarch on Sunday. The CAA will provide a daily update with regard to the protection that is available.'

Government sources said preparations have already begun for a 'mass repatriation' of passengers should the worst happen

Last year, the CAA gave Monarch a 12-day extension to prove it was financially sound enough by securing new funding. It was saved by a 165 million cash injection. But sources said the airline's situation had worsened since then.

'There is a storm in the airlines market and Monarch is right at the centre of it,' said one source. 'It is very painful and Monarch's shorthaul business is heavily loss-making, which is not sustainable.

'Terrorism has meant it has lost significant business in key markets such as Egypt and Turkey. Meanwhile, Brexit means the cost of fuel and aircraft leases, which are paid for in dollars, has rocketed.'

In its most recent accounts, filed in August, Monarch said funding issues were among 'material uncertainties' that 'may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern'.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF AIRLINE GOES BUST? Q What's gone wrong with Monarch? A Britain's fifth-biggest carrier was already limping along a year ago, but was saved in a 165 million bailout by investment firm Greybull Capital. A weaker post-Brexit pound drove up costs and at the same time put many people off foreign travel, placing strain on the firm. Q We bought our package holiday through Monarch  are we protected? A Yes, though only about 5 per cent of Monarch's business comes under the Government-backed Atol protection scheme that covers package holidays. If you're abroad, other flights will be provided. If you're still in the UK, you'll get a full refund. Q What if we bought only flights from Monarch? A It is unlikely Atol will cover you, but if you booked flights using a credit card (or Visa debit card) and the cost is more than 100, the card issuer is liable and you can apply for a refund. A But how will we get home? A In the past, when airlines failed, other carriers stepped in with discount fares to help get flyers home. Whether you are reimbursed for that extra outlay is likely to depend on your travel insurance. Q What should I look out for in an insurance policy? A Some policies offer cover for the failure of an airline or tour operator, referred to as Scheduled Airline Failure Insurance (SAFI). It will cost extra, but will provide peace of mind. Q I see Monarch is still offering some good deals online  should I take one? A Provided that the holiday or flight is either Atol-protected, bought with a credit or Visa debit card or is covered by a SAFI clause in your travel insurance and you don't mind the possibility of extra hassle at the end of your holiday, it could be worth the risk. Advertisement

Monarch's owner, Greybull Capital, lead by Nathaniel and Marc Meyohas, are understood to be hoping administration can be avoided and were working late last night with the airline's chief executive Andrew Swaffield and consultants from top accountancy firm KPMG to save the business.

But one source said failure to secure an Atol license for its package holidays, while only about five per cent of its revenue, could cause customers to lose faith.

The source said losing its license 'would be a tough blow for the company to withstand'.

Atol protection applies to any package holiday booked while the company is under licence but it must stop selling those products as soon as it loses the licence.

However, its flights are not sold under Atol, so they would not be protected if the company failed.

KPMG was brought in three weeks ago to help look at options and help find potential buyers.

The airline is also understood to have asked about a possible lifeline from Government that would allow it to carry on until it can restructure the business.

Alex Macheras, an aviation analyst, said: 'If Monarch fails to get its Atol licence renewed, it will need to find a buyer or it is finished.

'It is neither a low-cost airline like Norwegian or Ryanair nor a holiday operator like Thomson or Thomas Cook. It has ended up somewhere in the middle getting squeezed.'

Last year Monarch flew 6.3 million customers, of which about 100,000 were on package holidays.
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One travel-hungry couple have revealed how they went about converting a bust-up bus into their dream home on wheels.

Amy Butler, 27, and David Laws, 33, quit their jobs in the Caribbean, moved back to Whitby in north England and spent 16,000 both purchasing and renovating a 2005 Fiat Ducato mini bus into a beach hut-inspired abode.

Over the course of four months they stripped out the bus seats and installed a bedroom, kitchen, shower and lounge area. They also decked out the van with a range of homely features including contemporary art and plush furnishings.

Amy Butler, 27, and David Laws, 33, quit their jobs in the Caribbean, moved back to Whitby in north England and spent 16,000 both purchasing and renovating a 2005 Fiat Ducato mini bus into a beach hut-inspired abode

Over the course of four months, they stripped out the bus seats and installed a bedroom, kitchen, shower and lounge area

David shows off his impressive tan by a pool in the sun (left), while Amy is caught on camera as she stops to brush her teeth in the small kitchen sink (right)

Since setting off in August with 5,000 to splash, Amy and David have made stops in France, Spain and Portugal. They told MailOnline Travel that they haven't had an argument yet, despite living in such close quarters, and that they are loving life on the open road.

'We met in Dubai and both had full-time jobs but we realised we had to start searching for something more rewarding,' they said. 'We decided to sell everything we had and looked to travel around Europe. Our dream is to build an amazing treehouse hotel!

'We try and stick to a budget of 15 a day and we love making our own food. We have made lots of dim sum and ramen. We currently have a friend from Ireland staying with us as our sofa pulls into a double bed and the bathroom door closes to make two separate rooms.'

During their epic road trip, the couple have been posting photos via their Instagram account @ourbeachbus and writing about their experiences via a blog. Along with recommending places to camp, they also detail places of interest from beaches to restaurants and bars.

Touching on their most recent escapades they write: 'We drove for hours and hours through the mountains in Spain to end up in Portugal. The landscape was amazing, on the northern Spanish side we were surrounded by green forested mountains.

Before they set out on an adventure of a lifetime with 5,000 to splash, they also decked out the bus with a range of homely features including contemporary art and plush furnishings

Amy and David said their mini bus was in bad shape when they originally purchased it. On their blog they reveal how they went about giving the blue and white four-wheeler an overhaul and it took hours to make sure it was waterproof

Luckily David is a skilled craftsman and he went about building the interiors of the bus from scratch

During their epic road trip, the couple have been writing about their experiences via a blog. Along with recommending places to camp, they also detail places of interest including restaurants and bars

'Once we passed through to the Southern side we were suddenly in a much hotter dryer climate, with landscape similar to the Grand Canyon.

'We stopped at a free campsite on the outskirts of a town in Portugal called Chaves, we found this stop on Camper Contact and its a great place to rest for the night to break up the journey to Porto. This was on the river behind a small family restaurant; they let you stay for free, if you are a customer at the restaurant.

'We just had a couple of beers under their grape vines and headed back to the bus for a peaceful early night. They had a well for you to dump the toilets and a hose you could use to fill up, all for free!'

We have our heart set on finding somewhere in Europe to start a guesthouse eco business

The lovebirds told MailOnline Travel that San Sebastian in Spain has been a favourite spot, especially with lots of tasty tapas on offer.

Other destinations on the couple's wishlist include Italy, Slovenia and Crotaia. Depending on how far their money stretches, they also hope to hit Romania before heading back to the UK.

Amy and David said their mini bus was in bad shape when they originally purchased it. On their blog they reveal how they went about giving the blue and white four-wheeler an overhaul and it took hours to make sure it was waterproof.

Recounting the process, they wrote: 'If like us you brought an old bus, it will probably be full of leaks. We sprayed our bus all over with a pressure washer, and to our horror pretty much every part of the bus that could leak, did leak!

'This was not just the windows, the wheel bases, and the blue fibreglass trim, but every single roof seal as well. This was a very time-consuming and particularly unenjoyable job to do; we spent about 5 days covered in sticky sealant cursing buying such an old bus!

Destinations on the couple's wishlist include Italy, Slovenia and Crotaia. Depending on how far their money stretches they also hope to hit Romania before heading back to the UK

The couple spend their days driving, exploring and packing in rest in between stops. Many of the places they camp at are free

The mini bus has a fully-functioning kitchen (left) and there is plenty of storage space (right)

'In the end we opted for removing every roof and wall panel joint and seal and resealed them. Get the best sealants possible before you do this. We went through about 20 bottles of clear, white and black Sikaflex for this.'

The couple say they're not too worried about living in such a confined space together as they make for perfect travel partners.

They originally met in 2014 in Dubai where David was employed as a design technology teacher and Amy was working in recruitment for an oil and gas company.

We try and stick to a budget of 15 a day and we love making our own food. We have made lots of dim sum and ramen

Since meeting and falling in love, they have lived in various spots around the world including Antigua, Sri Lanka, Whistler, Vancouver, Hong Kong and New York.

Touching on how their busing adventure came about they explain: 'We had a lot of great adventures along the way including getting engaged and Tuk Tuking across Sri Lanka.

'However we decided that it was time to try and find somewhere to settle down and start a business together but not before one last big adventure! We have our heart set on finding somewhere in Europe to start a guesthouse eco business, we are ideally looking for somewhere with lots of land that we can use to grow vegetables and keep live stock.

'We also would like some forestry on the property that David can build treehouses, yurts, and huts and of course bus conversions on.

'We decided the best way to find our ideal spot would be to buy a bus and convert it into our home on wheels.'
Etihad Airways has launched a payment instalment scheme in a bid to help cash-strapped travellers fulfil their globetrotting dreams.

The United Arab Emirates carrier is offering the scheme for all ticket types, so customers can upgrade themselves to business and first class seats if they don't have the cash readily available.

Currently the cheapest return flights from London to Sydney with Etihad come in at 715, meaning it would cost 12 a month if travellers opted for the maximum five-year payment plan.

Etihad Airways has launched a payment instalment scheme in a bid to help cash-strapped travellers fulfil their globetrotting dreams

The payment plan option is only available for those enrolled at 17 participating banks including, Emirates NBD and Riyad Bank.

However, the offering is expected to open up to a wider audience over the coming months.

To participate, travellers can select a 'pay by instalment' option when booking flights online. They must then select their bank and choose a payment period. Instalment times range from three to 60 months.

The airline is the first in the UAE region to offer the 'fly now, pay later' credit on its flights.

Elsewhere, Australian low-cost carrier Jetstar introduced a similar scheme earlier this month, while booking sites such as Expedia and World Airfares also allow travellers to spread the cost of flights and hotels.

To participate, travellers can select a 'pay by instalment' option when booking flights online. They must then select their bank and choose a payment period

It is not clear whether Abu Dhabi-based Etihad charges interest on its travel finance plans.

Commenting on the new concept, Etihad Airways vice president of digital strategy and innovation Justin Warby, said: 'Etihad is committed to continually enhancing the travel experience by providing greater choice and flexibility to our guests.

'We understand travel can be a significant expense, especially for families and those on a tight budget, so this new initiative is a great way for people to book and enjoy their travel without having to worry about paying in one large sum.'

As well as being a convenient payment option for those who want to spread the cost of travel over a period of months, Warby suggests instalment plans are a great way for people who want to experience travelling in premium classes, to attain that dream.

He added: 'When we were designing this product we were really looking at how we can assist those low to medium income travellers and families, but of course, spreading the payment over a period of months is also a great way to indulge in Etihad Airways famous premium cabins.'
iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- Two sources familiar with the process have told ABC News the search for Gen. John Kellys replacement as Department of Homeland Security secretary is currently back at square one, 68 days after President Trump announced Kelly would be coming on as his chief of staff.



President Trump told ABC News Friday that he would make his decision on a new secretary within a month.



The delay comes as DHS is wrestling with the massive response to the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico, implementation of a new travel ban, rollback of the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program, as well as a host of national security and counter-terrorism priorities.



Trump on Friday repeatedly stressed his satisfaction with the job being done by Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke and FEMA administrator Brock Long. But sources say the administration is having a tough time finding a permanent nominee. There are currently no names at this point who are actively considered "contenders," the sources said.



Initially, Trump seemed to have settled on Texas Rep. Mike McCaul  telling Gen. Kelly at one point to hire him. But he was recently ruled out of contention after vocal objections from Attorney Gen. Sessions and other immigration hardliners inside the White House who thought McCaul was not tough enough on immigration issues.



In addition, acting Secretary Duke is considered unlikely to be appointed the permanent director, and is currently not an active contender, sources say. However a senior DHS official emphasized that there is no real pressure to name a new secretary right away because shes done a good job thus far leading the agency.



Kelly and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Kirstjen Nielsen continue to be very involved in the search process, one source says.



The White House has not responded to ABC News' request for comment.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
There is no river quite like the Danube. Flowing through four capital cities  more than any other waterway in the world  the Danube has divided empires and been central to some of the most significant changes in our lifetime.

Who better to explain the events that have shaped its recent history than two special guests who will join The Mail on Sundays exclusive eight-day Secrets And Spies cruise: Sir Richard Dearlove, the former MI6 chief who served behind the Iron Curtain; and the BBCs world affairs editor John Simpson, who has documented first-hand the regions revolutions and regeneration.

Along with their fascinating insights, you will experience the wonders of this majestic river  from palatial Vienna and the historic old town of Bratislava, to the bathing houses of Budapest and resurgent Belgrade  all from the comfort of one of Scenics five-star Space-Ships.

The Budapest Parliament building is the third largest parliament building in the world, with 691 rooms

Six reasons to set sail

1 Join John Simpson in Budapest

The BBC world affairs editor has witnessed first-hand some of the great changes of our time in Central Europe. He will join you in the Hungarian capital to talk about his experience covering the fall of the Iron Curtain, with insights into the different ways nations freed themselves from communism, and the legacy of those crucial moments of history.

2 Meet the MI6 spymaster

You will hear from Sir Richard Dearlove, who served behind the Iron Curtain before he was appointed the Chief of MI6. In a fascinating talk, Sir Richard will elaborate on the shifting geopolitics of the region, and the way intelligence operations have changed since he was a front-line case officer. He will also join readers on a tour of the old communist haunts of the Slovak capital, Bratislava.

3 Sail in five-star luxury ALL THE WAY

As you travel east from Vienna, you will sail in true style on board a Scenic Space-Ship. These luxurious 440ft-long vessels are among the finest in Europe, with a staff-to-guest ratio of one to three. There are up to six dining options, and facilities on board include a lounge bar, sun deck, pool, wellness centre and gym, and e-bikes for adventures ashore.

All lit up: Viennas Prater ferris wheel (left) and the famous Michalska Tower in central Bratislava (right)

The balcony suites include a sun-lounge system, which transforms your balcony into an all-weather conservatory-style space, while all cabins have the same amenities: a private butler service for every guest, high-definition TVs, Mac mini system, LOccitane toiletries and a minibar that is restocked on a daily basis.

MEET OUR EXPERTS Sir Richard Dearlove After joining the Intelligence Service in 1966, Sir Richard served behind the Iron Curtain, as well as in Geneva, Paris, Nairobi and as station head in Washington DC. He was appointed the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, in 1999, a role he fulfilled until 2004, when he went on to become Master of Pembroke College at Cambridge University. In his spare time, Sir Richard paints, fly-fishes and explores rural Cornwall, the county where he spent his childhood. John Simpson The BBCs world affairs editor has had a uniquely distinguished career, reporting from 132 countries, including 42 war zones. He has witnessed the fall of Ceausescu in Romania, Nelson Mandelas release in South Africa, and the liberation of Kabul. His books include Dispatches From The Barricades: An Eyewitness Account Of The Revolutions That Shook The World and We Chose To Speak Of War And Strife: The World Of The Foreign Correspondent. Advertisement

4 Explore four great capitals

You will have the opportunity to explore all four of the capital cities on the river. Starting in the beautiful, baroque Austrian capital of Vienna, you will then sail onwards to Bratislava, where you will have the chance to wander its historic old town.

The next stop is Budapest, the wonderful Hungarian capital, and a city that has been transformed in the decades since communist rule came to an end.

Finally, you will disembark in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia which has a troubled past but a vibrant future.

5 Fascinating excursions

All the excursions are included in the cost of the cruise  and there is a tantalising selection to choose from.

In Vienna, you can opt to visit the renowned Spanish Riding School or explore the former imperial summer residence at Schonbrunn Palace. You can experience the famous bathing houses of Budapest or witness the startling horsemanship at a show held at the Puszta Horse Farm.

The itinerary also takes you through some beautiful Croatian riverside towns, including Osijek and Vukovar.

Both still bear the scars of recent conflict, situated as they were along the fault-line of the Balkans conflict of the 1990s.

But these towns have now largely returned to their elegant, attractive former glory.

6 Everything is included

The price you pay includes all flights, transfers and meals on-board (with wine, beer and soft drinks included with lunch and dinner) as well as all shore excursions, butler service, talks and lectures, all gratuities and taxes and even an unlimited minibar (including top-shelf spirits and cocktails in your room).

FOUR CAPITALS... AND EIGHT BRILLIANT DAYS Day one Vienna Fly to the Austrian capital Vienna from a choice of regional airports. On arrival, you will transfer to your luxury Scenic Space-Ship, which will be your home for the next eight days. Enjoy a welcome dinner on board. Day two Vienna Choose from two fascinating excursions today: either a visit to Viennas world-famous Spanish Riding School, or entry to the magnificent former imperial residence, Schonbrunn Palace, one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in the city. Enjoy a welcome cocktail and the captains gala dinner. Afterwards, former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove will give an exclusive talk discussing the role of MI6 in Europe and how the art of intelligence has changed. Day three Bratislava You dock at Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, this morning. Sir Richard will accompany readers on a tour of the city, exploring its communist past, before returning to the ship for a light lunch. The ship will then set sail for Budapest. Day four Budapest You wake up this morning in the magnificent surroundings of Budapest, where you will have the chance to explore the history of this remarkable city, including the Second World War bunkers beneath the castle district, Heroes Square and Matthias Church, one of the finest churches of the region. John Simpson will join you and give a talk about witnessing the communist era coming to an end, and the changes he has seen since. In the evening you have the opportunity to attend an exclusive classical music concert. Points of interest: Hofburg Palace in Vienna, which was built in the 13th century Day five Kalocsa Today you will travel to Kalocsa, where you will disembark and travel to the Puszta Horse Farm, where there will be a horse-riding show, which is often cited as a highlight of this itinerary. The ship sails from Kalocsa in the early evening for Mohacs. Day six Mohacs Wake up in Mohacs on the right bank of the Danube this morning. Again you have a choice of excursions: either travel to see the Zsolnay ceramic museum, which details the regions history at the cutting edge of porcelain manufacture and design in the 19th Century; or you can take a trip to the wine-growing area around Villany and taste some of the regions vintages. You will rejoin the ship for lunch before setting sail for Croatia. Day seven Osijek Explore two fascinating Croatian towns today  Osijek and Vukovar. In Osijek, housed on the banks of the River Drava, you have the choice of a guided walking tour (including a visit to the fortress in the old town), a bike ride, or take a fishing tour (limited places). In the evening you will stop at Vukovar, the scene of fighting during the Balkan conflict, where you will have time to explore, before joining locals in nearby villages for a home-hosted dinner. Later that evening the ship will depart from Vukovar and sail towards Serbia. Day eight Belgrade You wake up today in your fourth capital city of this itinerary: Belgrade. After breakfast, you will take a tour of the city, including entry to the Tito memorial. After lunch, you will disembark and transfer to the airport for your return flight. Advertisement
Harrison Ford was characteristically dry-witted on Thursday.

The actor, 75, engaged in a joke-off with Jimmy Fallon, 43, on the Tonight Show, and gave the host a dose of tumbleweed after he told a mildly blue gag.

'Second apology of the night to my wife' replied Ford, referring to Calista Flockhart, after Jimmy's NSFW punchline.

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Wry: Harrison Ford was characteristically dry-witted on Thursday

To pick things up during the interview, the 43-year-old host brought up that hed read in Harrisons recent GQ interview that he likes drinking Scotch and telling jokes.

Harrison accepted the whisky and then proceeded to swap jokes with Jimmy.

'Are you Canadian?' Harrison asked Jimmy, who isnt.

Scotch off-guard: The actor, 75, engaged in a joke-off over whiskey with Jimmy Fallon, 43, on the Tonight Show

'Im just asking because theres so many Canadians, Canadian humorists,' Harrison explained.

'A lot of people think Im Canadian, but Im not,' Fallon replied.

'A lot of people think youre a humorist,' Ford shot back wryly to laughter.

'Second apology of the night to my wife' said Ford, referring to Calista Flockhart, after Jimmy's NSFW punchline

Unimpressed: Harrison gave the host a dose of tumbleweed after he told a mildly blue gag

To pick things up during the interview, the 43-year-old host brought up that hed read in Harrisons recent GQ interview that he likes drinking Scotch and telling jokes

My turn! After Fallon's rude joke, Ford told Fallon a cleaner one

Gagging for it! The Raiders of the Lost Ark star looked more pleased with his own punchline

After Fallon's rude joke, Ford, told a cleaner one.

He's been married to Ally McBeal star Calista since 2010.

Harrison is starring in Blade Runner 2049, alongside Ryan Gosling. It's due to be released globally October 6.
It looked like just another casual walk through the East Village neighborhood of New York City.

And Dakota Johnson looked plenty relaxed on Friday, thanks to her mostly demure ensemble.

The 27-year-old Fifty Shades of Grey star was chatting on the phone as she navigated her way along the sidewalk.

Nothing fancy: Dakota Johnson looked plenty relaxed on Friday, thanks to her mostly demure ensemble

For her outing, the daughter of Melanie Griffith kept things casual, donning a rust-colored coat which she layered over a white top.

Her flared black trousers were tight enough to show off her enviably svelte legs, and helped draw the eye to her jazzy crimson leather loafers.

Accessories included a pair of oversized sunglasses and a black leather purse with gold chain strap.

Her brunette tresses were messily parted in the middle and allowed to fall down past her shoulders.

Low-key: For her outing, the daughter of Melanie Griffith kept things casual, donning a rust-colored coat which she layered over a white top

Statement footwear: Her flared black trousers were tight enough to show off her enviably svelte legs, and helped draw the eye to her jazzy crimson leather loafers

Natural beauty: A dash of pale rose lipstick and subtle blush made the youthful star glow

A dash of pale rose lipstick and subtle blush made the youthful star glow.

Adding a twist to the constitutional, Dakota soon met up with ex boyfriend and guitarist in The Drowners Matthew Hitt.

Earlier this year, the couple, who had been on and off for quite some time, reportedly called it quits for good.

Coincidence? Adding a twist to the constitutional, Dakota soon met up with ex boyfriend and guitarist in The Drowners Matthew Hitt

It's over: Earlier this year, the couple, who had been on and off for quite some time, reportedly called it quits for good (seen in July 2014)

Moody: On September 18th, tattoo artist to the stars Doctor Woo posted a picture of what was apparently a new tattoo on Dakota's arm consisting of a partially wilted flower

And it seems as though Dakota has been on more of a solo life journey as of late.

On September 18th, tattoo artist to the stars Doctor Woo posted a picture of what was apparently a new tattoo on Dakota's arm consisting of a partially wilted flower.

'A lil #egonschiele for @dakotajohnson,' he wrote, adding a quote he attributed to the star: 'it's a lil f**ked up, but it's still a flower, like me.'

Egon Schiele was a figurative painter from the early 20th century who was a disciple of famed Gustav Klimt. He was famous for his moody and distorted paintings.

Meanwhile, father Don Johnson, 67, is also managing to keep busy, as he turned up at the premiere for Brawl in Cell Block 99 in LA on Friday night.

The Hollywood stalwart looked dashing in a blue blazer, black button down shirt and dark wash jeans combination.
It was recently revealed she was escaping to Mexico in a bid to avoid spoiling the finale of The Bachelorette.

But on Saturday, a new report claimed the show's starlet Sophie Monk may have fled the country for a second reason.

According to PS, the 37-year-old's Gold Coast mansion has become 'unlivable' due to intense interest from paparazzi who are staking out the premises.

Adios! On Saturday, PS reported Sophie Monk's Gold Coast home has come under intense interest from paparazzi, adding to the reasons she has chosen to fly to Mexico as The Bachelorette continues to air

The report states that one photographer in particular has been 'staking out Monk's home for weeks, capturing all sorts of images that have been snapped up'.

Sophie's sojourn to Mexico comes after rumours that 'playboy publican' Stu Landry steals her heart on The Bachelorette.

The 44-year-old, who is heir to an estimated $500 million fortune, has been cast as an intruder on the show, and will make his debut on TV screens next Wednesday.

Intense interest: The report states that one paparazzo has been 'stalking out Monk's home for weeks, capturing all sports of images that have been snapped up'

Bombshell Sophie snapped up her Gold Coast mansion for $1.1 million last June, and revealed earlier in the year that her parents had also moved in with her.

Sophie's Mexican getaway comes after she appeared on Nova 100's Chrissie, Sam and Browny last week,confirming that she was heading overseas so that she wouldn't be tempted to see her new beau.

'I break all the rules. I can't do rules,' Sophie said, with a prerequisite of the show being the Bachelorette or Bachelor have to keep their chosen winner under wraps.

She's off! The Bachelorette's Sophie Monk is jetting off to Mexico for three weeks to avoid being spotted with her rumoured new love and show winner 'publican playboy' Stu Laundy

'I will definitely try to see him and mess it all up for everyone. So I have to remove myself,' she said, after Bachelor Matty J and winner Laura Byrne were spotted returning to their homes with overnight baggage at the same time, before the finale aired.

'I know I've got no willpower, and so that I don't weaken, I'm going overseas,' Sophie said.

Sophie has repeatedly confirmed that she found on the show: 'This is the one... This is a new feeling. I don't think I have been in love before now,' she admitted.
Michelle Keegan has branded rumours of strife in her romance 'sexist', as she insists her and husband Mark Wright's long-distance marriage should be 'celebrated'.

The 30-year-old actress has long-faced reports of strife in their two-year marriage due to their trying work schedules, which currently sees Michelle filming Our Girl in Kuala Lumpur while the former TOWIE star is launching his US presenting career.

Speaking to The Sun, the defiant beauty insisted their difficult set up is made harder by the rumours, yet she insists all is well while admitting they desperately miss one another and plan to start a family 'as soon as the time is right'.

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Happy days: Michelle Keegan has branded rumours of strife in her romance 'sexist', as she insists her and husband Mark Wright's long-distance marriage should be 'celebrated'

Michelle and Mark have been together for almost five years after they first met in December 2012 while both holidaying in Dubai.

Nine months later, the duo had returned to the Middle Eastern resort where Mark had proposed and they went on to tie the knot in a lavish ceremony at St Mary's Church in Bury St Edmonds in May 2015.

Throughout 2016, reports suggested the couple's relationship was doomed, with sources insisted they were headed for a split, yet the two entered the New Year stronger than ever and have since continued their long-distance love between work.

In light of the reports, Michelle said: ' Its been hard enough being away anyway, but then to contend with all that. It just comes from nowhere.

Hitting back: Speaking to The Sun, the defiant star insisted their difficult set up is made harder by the rumours, yet she insists all is well while admitting they desperately miss one another and plan to start a family 'as soon as they time is right'

'I dont understand how a couple cant have their separate careers, and why cant a newly married woman go off and do her job and a husband go off and do his? I dont understand why thats a negative. It should be celebrated.

'Id say there is a slight degree of sexism to it. I always think its good weve got our own careers. Hes put all his effort into that and Im putting all my effort into this. And for me, I just find it really exciting that were working so hard separately, for our different careers.'

With Mark in America for a year, having landed his dream job as a presenter on showbiz programme Extra, 'excited' Michelle plans to jet out to meet him in December, when she has a break from work.

True love: Michelle and Mark have been together for almost five years after they first met in December 2012 while both were holidaying in Dubai

Earlier this year, Michelle flew to South Africa in May to film BBC war drama Our Girl for the second time after starring on the show last year as army medic Georgie Lane. Despite Mark making a solid effort to visit her on occasion, she spent much of the time out there alone.

He has been busy with his own working commitments and has spent the last few months travelling back and forth as he juggled jobs in London, Los Angeles and Mallorca, along with DJ appearances in Marbella.

Mark appeared to lament travelling constantly and while taking his last flight in a while, he was caught pining after his wife.

The former reality star had shared a selfie on board his flight, penning alongside it: 'The main thing I'm thinking about is the fact I have two more flights to go in 24 hours.

Hard work: Earlier this year, Michelle flew to South Africa in May to film BBC war drama Our Girl for the second time after starring on the show last year as army medic Georgie Lane

'And I will be back in the arms of the person who means more than anything to me. OMG how this moment is going to be cherished,' he gushed. 'It's been well overdue and I'm more excited than you can imagine.' (sic)

Michelle, meanwhile, has previously spoken of how she struggles when forced to work away from home.

During a Facebook Live Q&A with Revlon, the former Coronation Street star had said: 'The hardest part [of my job] is probably not seeing my family and friends for the time that Im away filming. Although we FaceTime all the time, Im in a lucky position I know that, but you miss home a little bit.'
She's the 20-year-old Australian model whose star continues to rise in the global fashion world.

And Fernanda Ly has added another string to her career bow, strutting her stuff on the catwalk for Christian Dior for Paris Fashion Week.

The pink-haired stunner was a vision in black for her Dior turn, wearing a playful sheer polka dot dress underneath a long leather jacket.

Walk this way: Prodigious Australian model Fernanda Ly has added another string to her career bow, strutting her stuff on the catwalk for Christian Dior for Paris Fashion Week

She finished her outfit with a pair of quirky, knee high fishnet boots while her trademark locks added a pop of colour.

After being discovered by agency Priscilla's while she was shopping, Fernanda has since worked with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Kenzo and Moschino.

Last season she was also the face of Christian Dior's Autumn/Winter 2017 campaign.

Rising star: After being discovered by agency Priscilla's while she was shopping, Fernanda has since worked with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Kenzo and Moschino. Last season she was also the face of Christian Dior's Autumn/Winter 2017 campaign

In good company: It appears that Paris has been inundated with genetically blessed Australian's this season with Fernanda joining the likes of Jordan Barrett, Catherine McNeil and Aleyna Fitzgerald on the Parisian catwalks

It appears that Paris has been inundated with genetically blessed Australians this season with Fernanda joining the likes of Jordan Barrett, Catherine McNeil and Aleyna Fitzgerald on the Parisian catwalks.

It was a similar situation at the recent New York Fashion Week, with Jordan, Aleyna, expat Andreja Pejic, Shanina Shaik and Madeline Stuart all taking a fashionable bite out of the Big Apple.

Speaking to Grazia recently, Fernanda revealed that she revelled in being busy, admitting she gets nervous when she has free time.

'I like working, she said. 'I'm a workaholic - sometimes I feel like I'm never working enough.

She added: 'Sometimes I could be working every day of the week, the sometimes you don;t work for like two or three weeks and you think to yourself...you get really scared.'
He's one of the world's most in-demand male supermodels.

And despite having a slew of designers clamouring to dress him, Jordan Barrett stepped out on Friday in a tattered T-shirt.

The 20-year-old Australia model paired the hole-filled T-shirt with a quirky velvet suit while attending an Omega Paris Fashion Week event.

Nothing else to wear? Supermodel Jordan Barrett wears tattered T-shirt at Omega event during Paris Fashion Week

Jordan appeared in high spirits for the watch event, cracking a rare smile for the cameras.

The popular model wore the tattered T-shirt with a very unusual blue velvet blazer and matching pants.

Wearing his signature blonde locks out in relaxed waves, Jordan accesorised with a gold chain and a watch.

Happy: Jordan appeared in high spirits for the watch event, cracking a rare smile for the cameras

An old favourite? Despite having a slew of designers clamouring to dress him, Jordan Barrett stepped out on Friday in a tattered T-shirt

Jordan has been kept busy this month walking in shows at Milan, Paris and New York fashion weeks.

Earlier this year, the handsome hunk made his acting debut in short film Carte Blanche from Czech director Eva Dolezalova.

The film also stars UK actress and supermodel Suki Waterhouse and Val Kilmer's son Jack.

Feeling blue? The popular model wore the tattered T-shirt with a very unusual blue velvet blazer and matching pants

'Hopefully if all things go well, there will be something else coming up on that side in October filming in Australia,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

Jordan's move into the acting sphere is part of his plans to take advantage of his modelling success.

'I am just trying to do as much as I can and take advantage of the opportunities,'he said.
She expertly stormed the runway with the likes of Jourdan Dunn and Alessandra Ambrosio earlier this week.

But Victoria's Secret model Elsa Hosk flaunted more than intended when she slipped into a plunging black Givenchy maxi dress in Paris for the French capital's ongoing Fashion Week festivities on Friday night.

The blonde beauty recovered well from the mishap, by continuing to dazzle those around her despite the awkward slip.

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Whoops: Victoria's Secret model Elsa Hosk flaunted more than intended when she slipped into a plunging black Givenchy maxi dress in Paris for the French capital's ongoing Fashion Week festivities on Friday night

The Swedish bombshell, 28, looked sensational in the shimmering black gown, which had a thigh-skimming leg slit to show off her enviably toned pins.

In-keeping with her sophisticated look, Elsa opted for classy and delicate strapped heels to complement the dazzling ensemble.

The breathtaking dress was pulled in at the waist to accentuate Elsa's incredible slender curves and pert posterior.

Elsa dazzled in an array of outfits while walking for Balmain on Thursday - a designer brand favoured by the likes of Kim and Kourtney Kardashian.

Head up: The blonde beauty recovered well from the mishap, continuing to dazzle those around her despite the awkward slip

Making for a very leggy display, Elsa donned a thigh-skimming structured frock that remained true to Balmain's trademark style and boasted motif panels, along with statement shoulders, and a leather tasseled waistband.

Her blonde tresses fell into soft glamorous curls around her shoulders and she accentuated her picture perfect cheekbones with a sweep of bronzer.

Elsa then slipped into a striking textured pencil skirt that was paired with a casual crew-neck sweatshirt boasting the fashion house's emblem.

Stunning: The Swedish bombshell, 28, looked sensational in the shimmering black gown, which had a thigh-skimming leg slit to show off her enviably toned pins

Elegant: In keeping with her sophisticated look, Elsa opted for classy and delicate strapped heels to complement the dazzling ensemble. The breath-taking dress was pulled in at the waist to accentuate Elsa's incredible slender curves and pert posterior

While she is certainly a modelling supremo, she previously discussed her love and loathing of the travelling side of the job.

She told Harper's Bazaar: 'My favorite part about modelling is probably my least favorite part as well. It's traveling. Because it goes both ways.

'It's so amazing to get to see the world; we're so fortunate to go to all these places that I would never be in unless I was a model.'

Star-studded: Elsa (right) dazzled in an array of outfits while walking for Balmain with the likes of Jourdan Dunn (left) on Thursday
Blade Runner 2049 (15)

Rating:

The Falklands War had been over for less than a fortnight when Ridley Scotts classic science-fiction film Blade Runner came out in 1982.

It took our minds off current affairs by imagining life, brilliantly if thankfully not very presciently, in the outlandishly distant year of 2019.

Now, 35 years later, we finally have a sequel, even more brilliant and enigmatic than the original, which projects forward  one hopes with the same level of inaccuracy  to southern California in 2049.

Ryan Gosling, left, and Harrison Ford, right, in Blade Runner 2049. Dont expect palm trees, surf and sunshine. The only dazzle comes from Goslings superb, unshowy performance

Los Angeles is a grimly dystopian city, in which the monolithic police department towers over everything. Our hero is an unsmiling cop played by Ryan Gosling, last seen in this part of the world hoofing and crooning his way through La La Land.

His character here could hardly be more different. Nor could the urban backdrop. Dont expect palm trees, surf and sunshine. The only dazzle comes from Goslings superb, unshowy performance.

He gets terrific support, too, from a cast which includes the original star Harrison Ford.

But this movie belongs above all to its French-Canadian director, Denis Villeneuve, whose last picture was 2016s Arrival. That was another accomplished slice of sci-fi, but not quite a masterpiece. Unequivocally, this is. Blade Runner 2049 is an instant classic.

The film released next Thursday belongs to its French-Canadian director, Denis Villeneuve

Its a spectacular, virtuoso piece of film-making, and if the narrative isnt always that easy to follow, well, its never less than a lot of fun trying. There are some whopping existential ideas wrapped up in the films sci-fi thriller framework. At times I was reminded of Stanley Kubricks mighty 2001: A Space Odyssey.

But even if you cant make head or tail of its philosophical depths, this movie is astonishing to look at. See it in IMAX if you can. As a cinematic spectacle, it is at times genuinely jaw-dropping.

Gosling plays officer KD6-3.7, usefully shortened to K. He is a cop also working as a so-called blade runner, charged with retiring (in other words, executing) certain pesky replicants.

These are androids who were engineered to be slaves to humankind and indeed K is a replicant himself. But some of his kind have lived too long and need wiping out before they upset the world order with an inflated sense of their own importance.

K goes about his business with cold professionalism, solemnly following the orders of his ruthless boss (Robin Wright) and perking up only when he gets home to his cramped apartment. Waiting at home for him is his very sexy hologram girlfriend (Ana de Armas), who first materialises as a Fifties housewife but can change costume in the blink of an eye.

At first, K seems to be simply a futuristic version of Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe, a film-noir sleuth Humphrey Bogart might have recognised, except for the virtual-reality sex and a session in an interrogation chamber every time he gets back to base.

But then a momentous discovery, involving an old wooden toy, begins to suggest that he might himself be at the heart of the case he is investigating.

Ford (left) with Edward James Olmos in the 1982 film Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott

Whether he is or isnt, its not only the forces of law and order who are interested in his findings. So are a sinister blind tycoon (Jared Leto), a mass-manufacturer of replicants, and his scary henchwoman (Sylvia Hoeks). So far, no Harrison Ford. But then the plot leads K to Las Vegas, where the grizzled old boy pops up at last, playing his 1982 character Rick Deckard as an elderly recluse, with much to be reclusive about. This is where Villeneuve has some real fun. Vegas icons Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Liberace all make fleeting appearances. Marilyn Monroe, too.

Sometimes, the ideas and images come so thick and fast that you can hardly process them.

What a remarkable film this is, with a score, cinematography, and a screenplay (co-written by the original writer Hampton Fancher), that all add heft to Villeneuves thrilling vision.

If it doesnt get a barrage of Academy Award nominations, Im a replicant too.

Blade Runner 2049 opens next Thursday.
She's the down-to-earth former Bachelor contestant who won over people's hearts with her bubbly personality.

And now Tara Pavlovic has once again showed why she was the show's favourite in a hilarious 'twerking' video.

The 27-year-old was seen on Friday twerking with surprising skill during a boozy night out with former contestants Nat Holmberg and Stephanie Boulton.

'I got a bit of junk in the trunk': The Bachelor's Tara Pavlovic shows off her impressive twerking skills while spending a boozy night out with friends

Tara could be seen adopting a near-handstand position as she placed her hands on the ground and her feet on a wall.

She then began vigorously shaking her bottom in a 'twerking' motion as her friends cheered her on.

The pretty blonde seemed pleased with her own efforts, saying to the camera: 'I got a bit of junk in the trunk'.

Twerk it! The 27-year-old was seen on Friday twerking with surprising skill as she spent time with fellow former contestants Nat Holmberg and Stephanie Boulton

Big night? Plenty of liquor bottles could also be seen in the video, as the friends appeared to ready for a boozy night out on the town

Plenty of liquor bottles could also be seen in the video, as the friends appeared to ready for a boozy night out on the town.

Just a few days earlier Tara took to to share an unglamorous post-workout selfie.

Sharing a message with fans about the importance of inner beauty, Tara appeared flushed and makeup-free while sporting a frazzled expression.

Reunion: Tara appeared to have a great time with spent time with fellow former contestants Nat Holmberg (centre) and Stephanie Boulton (left)

Keeping it real! Just a few days earlier Tara took to to share an unglamorous post-workout selfie.

'I don't know how all those Insta chicks look so hot while they are working out,' she captioned.

'This is me after walking up a hill - #ohwell #itswhatsontheinside.'

The Gold Coast nanny's fans applauded her post in the comments section, with some calling her as an inspiration.
The brouhaha between Tori Spelling and Benihana might be simmering down.

The 44-year-old has come to a settlement with the Japanese restaurant chain, TMZ reported Friday, citing court docs in connection with a lawsuit she filed stemming from injuries she suffered after slipping at the chain's Encino, California location more than two years ago.

The initial incident occurred on April 5, 2015, which marked Easter Sunday, as she visited the establishment with relatives including her husband Dean McDermott and their four kids: Liam, 10; Stella, nine; Hattie and Finn, both five. (Their youngest son Beau was born earlier this year.)

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A reason to toast: Tori Spelling, 44, seen Wednesday in a social media post, has reportedly reached a settlement with Benihana as result of burns she suffered during a 2015 trip to the Japanese restaurant

The Beverly Hills, 90210 star had 'an unfortunate accident,' Dean told People at the time of the incident, in which Tori slipped and fell backward, making contact with a live grill.

The following day, she visited a burn center and was given skin grafts to treat the ailment.

An insider described the events to the magazine, saying that 'Tori hadnt even started to eat, when she slipped and fell.

'Not thinking, she grabbed onto the side of the hot grill and burned her arm. At the time, it didnt seem as bad as the doctors told her it was the next day.

Ongoing: The legal battle between the actress and the Hibachi chain has been going on for two years

Out and about: Spelling was snapped in Westwood earlier this month at a film premiere

The daughter of late TV producer Aaron Spelling subsequently filed a lawsuit saying that she had second and third-degree burns as result of the incident, TMZ reported in September of 2015. She requested compensation for damages, hospital bills and lost wages in her legal filing.

The good news comes just weeks after Spelling had a scare when a coyote attacked two of her dogs, Ferris and Musso, nearly slaughtering one of them. She shared an Instagram Live clip earlier this month in which she revealed what had occurred at her Southern California home.

'Were on the prowl for coyotes,' she said. 'Because coyotes got into our yard and dragged out, well, attacked one of our dogs, only four bites, but dragged one of them into a neighbors year and almost killed him.'

Memories: Tori and her family posed for a shot outside of the restaurant the day of the incident
It's going to take a lot more than a giant chicken suit to distract from his current woes.

But on Friday, Kevin Hart was seen on the set of his latest film Night School decked out in just that as he shot a fight scene with Girls Trip actress Tiffany Haddish.

The 38-year-old actor broke a sweat in the full body costume which his character wore to promote fictional restaurant Christian Chicken.

Cluck off: Kevin Hart donned a giant chicken suit while shooting Night School in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday

Hart twirled a sign that read Heavenly Taste, likely one of the jobs his character takes in the film where he is forced to attend adult classes in so he can pass the GED exam.

While decked out in costume, he was seen taking a selfie of the ridiculous look with his iPhone.

Haddish, 37, looked like she was dressed for the office, wearing a pinstripe skirt as she and Hart had a scuffle for the film.

At one point Haddish even removed her belt to whip Hart with it for the energetic scene.

Selfie: The 38-year-old comedian was sure to take a selfie while wearing the ridiculous costume

The comedian seems to be having many tough days in his personal life lately as the woman he was caught fooling around with in a sex tape has talked to DailyMailTV.

This week Montia Sabbag told the show that she had sex with the Get Hard actor, who is married to pregnant Eniko Hart, three times in Las Vegas in August.

In an interview with DailyMailTV, Sabbag tells all about the trip and the ensuing sextortion plot, which saw cheating Hart publicly apologize to his pregnant wife and his two children for a 'bad error in judgment.'

Yummy: He held a sign that red Heavenly Taste as he promoted a fictional chicken restaurant

Cooling off: Between takes he took off the chicken's head and unbuttoned the top of the outfit

Hearty: The sign for Christian Chicken read 'Praise be to God & Chicken' for the shoot

And the 26-year-old exclusively reveals for the first time that the sex tape was filmed during the day when Hart was sober, not when he was drunk late at night.

Sabbag says she and Hart became 'intimate' hours after she jetted in to Sin City with the star on a private jet. The pair, who traveled with a group of mutual friends, flew to Nevada from LA on August 19 and partied for three days and nights.

The aspiring actress claims she didn't know the comedian was married nor did he tell her that he was. He took an immediate liking to her - paying the pretty brunette a lot of attention and ultimately having sex with her three times.

Here comes trouble: Tiffany Haddish joined Hart for an energetic fight scene in a parking lot

Whooped: The 37-year-old Girls Trip actress removed her belt and spanked Hart with it

Contact: The two battled in what is sure to be a hilarious scene in the film, out in 2018

Sabbag said: 'I was intimate with Kevin three times in the course of maybe three days. It was fun,' she recalls in the interview airing Monday.

'We just get along, we get each other, he's funny, I'm funnier. We had a connection, we had chemistry. We clicked.

'It was fun, he didn't try to woo me, it was just an instant connection.'

Flipping the bird: Both Haddish and Hart had fun giving each other a one finger salute on set

Kung fu poultry: The movie revolves around a group of misfits who have to attend adult classes in so they can pass the GED exam

Knockout: Haddish appears to win the scuffle as another man who appears to play a manager attempts to break things up

Sabbag, who says she is a makeup artist and recording artist who lives in LA, was once in a girl group called New View as a 17-year-old.

But that early brush with fame was short-lived and she was soon brought back down to earth.

Sabbag has denied being a stripper, claiming she worked as a bartender at a Vegas strip club before moving to LA. However, a new leaked video from that time period shows Sabbag trying out the pole.

In bad taste: Kevin has found himself in the middle of a sex tape and extortion scandal in the past month

Oops: This week Montia Sabbag told DailyMail TV that she had sex with the Get Hard actor, who is married to pregnant Eniko Hart, three times in Las Vegas in August

Sabbag says she became 'intimate' with Hart hours after she jetted to Las Vegas from LA with him on a private jet on August 19. She spent three days with Hart at his suite

It was back in Nevada that the latest chapter in her life unfolded. 'I had a girlfriend who invited me to go with a few of her friends. I was like, "okay, sounds fun,"' says Sabbag, who is originally from Boston, Massachusetts.

'We stayed at the Venetian hotel and we ended up moving hotels to The Cosmopolitan.

'I met him (Kevin) on the plane, I was with a friend and we had no idea he was gonna be there.

'He was with his friends. I thought he was cute, he's an attractive man, but I wasn't star struck or anything like that, it was super casual, he was a gentleman, a nice guy.'

Sabbag said: 'He was with his friends. I thought he was cute, he's an attractive man, but I wasn't star struck or anything like that, it was super casual, he was a gentleman, a nice guy'

Keeping it light: Hart didn't seem too worried by his current situation as he goofed off between takes

Hart publicly apologized on September 16 over the scandal to his pregnant wife Eniko and his two children from a previous relationship

Hart married Parrish on August 13, 2016 and the pair is expecting their first child, a boy.

Sabbag says a friend alerted her to Hart's heartfelt Instagram apology and she quickly went online to watch it.

'I was like, "wow", but mainly I was confused because I thought he was saying I was the person (who targeted him),' she said. 'I knew I hadn't done anything wrong and I knew I didn't do any of the things he said in the video, so I was confused. I made myself clear from that initial phone call I received and I think I've made myself clear by hiring a lawyer.'

Looking good: Here Montia is seen during her interview for DailyMailTV

Sabbag has hired high profile Los Angeles civil rights lawyer Lisa Bloom to handle the case.

Night School follows a group of outcasts who are forced to attend adult classes in so they can pass the GED exam. The story comes from Hart who is also producing with his Hartbeat Productions banner along with Will Packer through his Will Packer Productions.

Also in the cast are Mary Lynn Rajskub, Tiffany Haddish, Yvonne Orji, and Taran Killam. The film will be released on September 28, 2018.
Reese Witherspoon accepted Stephen Colbert's challenge to raise money for hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico on Friday.

The Late Night host and actor Nick Kroll asked celebrities to post pre-pubescent photos with hashtags #puberme and #PuertoRicoRelief on Wednesday night, where one thousand dollars would be donated for each post.

And Reese, 41, shared a throwback snap with the caption: 'giant glasses, awkward hands, feeling 14! All for a good cause. God Bless Puerto Rico.'

Adorable: Reese Witherspoon shared a throwback snap on Friday with the caption: 'giant glasses, awkward hands, feeling 14! All for a good cause. God Bless Puerto Rico.'

The Oscar winner looked adorable in her oversized glasses, red bow in her hair, and a matching red tank top.

Meanwhile, Stephen set one stipulation to the impromptu fund raiser: 'I get to choose who's a celebrity.'

Aside from the one of Colbert looking 'cool as hell' and Nick as 'a tough guy,' late night stars were quick to tweet their own dorky snaps.

For a good cause: The Oscar winner, 41, accepted Stephen Colbert's challenge to raise money for hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico by posting a throwback snap; (pictured last week)

Nice ice, baby: Stephen Colbert is donating one thousand dollars for each geeky pre-pubescent selfie sent in by celebs to raise money for hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico

'Looking cool as hell': The host started the ball rolling by sharing this shot of himself in braces

'Tough guy': Colbert's guest actor Nick Kroll offered this selfie

A gangly Jimmy Kimmel wore short shorts as he stood next to a car with the license plate 'L8 Nite.'

A clean cut James Cordon smiled in a hoodie pic that he jokingly captioned like a dating site: 'Hello ladies, I'm James From High Wycombe, England.'

And Conan O'Brien tweeted a very freckly snap of himself, saying: 'This photo was taken the day I replaced David Letterman.'

All joking apart: Jimmy Kimmel offered this shot of himself as a lanky lad in short shorts standing next to a car with a L8 Nite number plate

Fab freckles: Red-head Conan O'Brien joked, 'This photo was taken the day I replaced David Letterman

Others include Judd Apatow, Lena Dunham, Billy Eichner, Kumail Nanjiani, Lena Headey, America Ferrera and Sarah Silverman.

The cash-for-tweets will come from the proceeds of sales of Colbert's Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor - Americone Dream - which usually go to charity via the Americone Dream Fund.

This year the money will go to oneamericaappeal.org set up by five former American Presidents to support recovery in areas hit by hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.
Fans did not get a glimpse of her outfit at the New York City Ballet 2017 Fall Fashion Gala on Thursday evening as she skipped the red carpet at the glamorous event.

But on Friday, Ashley Graham showed off her stunning dramatic sleeveless bustier top and pants set that she wore in two snaps with her husband Justin Ervin.

The gorgeous couple beamed as they held hands at the event, which combines fashion and highly choreographed dance presentations.

A night at the ballet: Ashley Graham shared a photo with her husband Justin Ervin on Friday from the at the New York City Ballet 2017 Fall Fashion Gala which took place the night before

Ashley, 29, matched her satin outfit with black heels that gave a boost to her 5ft9in frame, but still her husband had a few inches of height over her.

Ervin, a film director, looked dapper in a black tux with a skinny black tie.

That same night, she also posed with American designer Tracey Reese as they sat for dinner.

Insta-Graham: The model, 29, added a heart animation to another photo shared from the date

In the excerpt from her memoir A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like, the body confidence advocate explained that she was 'shocked' at her grandmother's reaction to her new beau.

'I brought Justin home to Nebraska. Now, I should probably mention that Justin is black, and that I didnt grow up around many black people. The sum total of what I learned about African American culture in school was Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and the Underground Railroad.'

Ashley credits Justin for being understanding and patient with her family and their prejudice.
They are famed for their sizzling physiques.

And Christina Milian, 36, and Karrueche Tran, 29, looked sensational as they arrived arm-in-arm to Catch restaurant in West Hollywood on Friday.

The glamorous pair wore racy thigh-flashing looks to flaunt every inch of their lean pins.

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Sensational: Christina Milian, 36, and Karrueche Tran, 29, looked sensational as they arrived arm-in-arm to Catch restaurant in West Hollywood on Friday

Christina donned a blue shirt, which exposed part of her red bra, and paired it with a distressed hem denim skirt.

She further elongated her legs with a pair of strappy heels, and styled her brunette tresses into waves while carrying her belongings in a miniature black leather handbag with a pom pom.

The songstress painted her visage with dazzling bronze make-up, and appeared to be in high spirits as she giggled with her best friend.

Leggy ladies: The glamorous pair wore racy thigh-flashing looks to flaunt every inch of their lean pins

Stylish: Christina donned a blue shirt, which exposed part of her red bra, and paired it with a distressed hem denim skirt

Karrueche clad her slender frame in a black unitard, which clung to her lean pins and showcased her enviably slim curves.

She teased at her cleavage with the zip of her unitard, and shrugged an edgy biker jacket over her shoulders.

She styled her raven tresses into a sleek 'do, and added some height to her petite frame with a pair of patent red leather boots.

Racy: Karrueche clad her slender frame in a black unitard, which clung to her lean pins and showcased her enviably slim curves

In 2010 Christina's marriage to Grammy-winning producer The-Dream ended after just 10 months, five months after the pair welcomed their first child, Violet Madison Nash.

The split was announced after photos surfaced of The-Dream - real name, Terius Hagert Youngdell Nash - holidaying with a mystery brunette.

The pair married in Las Vegas in September 2009 just weeks before announcing her pregnancy. They now share custody of seven-year-old Violet.

Edgy: Karrueche teased at her cleavage with the zip of her unitard, and shrugged an edgy biker jacket over her shoulders

She also had a high-profile two year romance with Mariah Carey's now-husband Nick Cannon, but it ended in 2005 after she accused him of cheating on her.

Meanwhile Milian boasted on Instagram on Monday about her new hosting gig alongside former NSYNC band member Lance Bass.

The MTV competition show 90's House, which premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 26, features 12 millennial housemates in a 90s-inspired home, forcing the contestants to officially unplug their modern-day devices.
She's the popular animal lover and daughter of the late Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin.

And on Saturday, Bindi Irwin took to social media to wish her fellow Australian idol Olivia Newton-John a happy 69th birthday.

Sharing a photo of herself, boyfriend Chandler Powel and the Australian icon, the 19-year-old told her 1.5 million followers that she was inspired by Olivia's strength.

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Her idol! And on Saturday, Bindi Irwin took to social media to wish her idol Olivia Newton-John a happy belated 69th birthday

'I hope your birthday was beautiful @therealonj,' she captioned.

'Love you so much. Your strength and grace inspires the world,' gushed Bindi.

It's not the first time Bindi's shown support for Olivia who revealed she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time in May this year.

Sending her love: 'Love you so much. Your strength and grace inspires the world'

All smiles: Both Bindi and Chandler opted for Australia Zoo's khaki green uniform with the stunner adding a large jacket and jeans to her look

Showing her support: Earlier in the month, the US Dancing With The Stars winner was also seen attending Olivia's Cancer Wellness & Research Centre Gala in Melbourne

Earlier in the month, the US Dancing With The Stars winner was also seen attending Olivia's Cancer Wellness & Research Centre Gala in Melbourne.

This month also saw the Australian entertainer appear on 60 Minutes with Karl Stefanovic to talk about her controversial choice of using medicinal marijuana to aid her recovery.

'My husband's a plant medicine man so he grew cannabis for me and made tinctures for me to take for pain and inflammation and so many other things that cannabis can do,' she said.

The natural route: This month also saw the Australian entertainer appear on 60 Minutes with Karl Stefanovic to talk about her controversial choice of using medicinal marijuana to aid her recovery

'It helped me a lot with pain, because, you know, I don't like taking prescription drugs, so it's kind of a no-brainer.'

'It's kind and it's compassionate. It's what should be available for everybody to use,' she continued.

Meanwhile, Olivia's daughter Chloe Lattanzi has dedicated herself to the cannabis industry by purchasing an Oregon marijuana farm with her fiance.
She has been jet-setting across the globe over the last few weeks, storming the catwalk in New York, London, Milan and Paris.

And proving she is a hit both on and off the runway, Joan Smalls looked sensational as she stepped out in the French capital for the Years Of MariaCarla party on Friday night.

The model, 29, showcased her lithe frame while flaunting her incredibly honed stomach, as she slipped into a sultry black two-piece for the bash.

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Show-stopper: Joan Smalls, 29, looked sensational as she stepped out in Paris for the Years Of MariaCarla party on Friday night

Her stylish ensemble paired together a minuscule black bandeau crop top with a ruched skirt that sat high on the starlet's waist.

Featuring a daringly high split on one side, it stole a look at Joan's lengthy pins underneath, with the brunette beauty adding extra height to her already statuesque frame by sporting barley-there sandals on her feet.

Joan was seen clutching onto a chic snakeskin printed bag in one hand and appeared to forgo any other accessories, leaving her decolletage bare.

She wore her long glossy locks down in a sleek and straight style, tucking her mane behind her ears and parting her tresses in the centre.

Ab-baring: The model showcased her lithe frame while flaunting her incredibly honed stomach, as she slipped into a sultry black two-piece for the bash

The fashion star then finished off her evening look with glamorous make-up that made sure to accentuate her striking features and natural beauty through neutral shades.

Adding a slick of eyeliner across her eyes, Joan completed her ensemble with a nude lipstick across her lips.

She made sure to showcase her modelling credentials inside the party, held in honour of the eight-day style event in Paris that wraps up Fashion Month, striking up a slew of smouldering poses on her arrival.

Inside, she was seen rubbing shoulders with a bevy of other models including the likes of Doutzen Kroes and Arizona Muse.

Rubbing shoulders: She made sure to showcase her modelling credentials inside the party, as she struck up a slew of smouldering poses alongside Doutzen Kroes (centre) and Natalia Vodianova (R)

Stylish: Doutzen favoured a tailored look for the event and came clad in a monochrome getup that teamed black trousers with a smart white blouse that featured a mesh underlay

Doutzen favoured a tailored look for the event and came clad in a monochrome getup that teamed black trousers with a smart white blouse that featured a mesh underlay.

Arizona, meanwhile, favoured a pretty patterned mini dress that sheathed her model figure at the bodice before transcended into a pleated skirt that sat at her upper thigh.

She teamed her frock with a pair of silver metallic sock boots and wore her cropped blonde tresses in tousled waves swept over to one shoulder.

Beauty: Arizona, meanwhile, favoured a pretty patterned mini dress that sheathed her model figure at the bodice before transcended into a pleated skirt that sat at her upper thigh

Delight: She teamed her frock with a pair of silver metallic sock boots and wore her cropped blonde tresses in tousled waves swept over to one shoulder

Russian supermodel Natasha Poly made sure to set pulses racing, as she favoured a very scanty blazer dress.

Her tailored number boasted a perilously low-cut neckline, revealing her lingerie underneath, and zebra-printed lining at the sleeves.

Drawing attention to her endless legs, Natasha's dress featured a thigh-skimming hemline that she emphasised further by slipping into a pair of complementing thigh-high boots.

Favouring a pared back beauty look, the blonde starlet wore her mane in soft curls that fell over one shoulder.

Scanty: Russian supermodel Natasha Poly made sure to set pulses racing, as she favoured a very scanty blazer dress

Stunning: Courtney Love donned a sophisticated white gown that made for an elegant display - nipping in at the waist before falling to her ankles

High spirits: She was seen posing alongside film producer Mohammed Al Turki

Courtney Love, who was been in Paris attending the designer showcases taking place, was also in attendance.

She donned a sophisticated white gown that made for an elegant display - nipping in at the waist before falling to her ankles - and added a floral statement necklace around her neck.

The bash came after the Nina Ricci SS18 showcase that was held earlier in the day on Friday, drawing in the likes of Emily Ratajkowski and Olivia Palermo.

Still yet to showcase their designs at Paris Fashion Week are Ellie Saab, Vivienne Westwood, Givenchy, Balenciaga, Celine, Stella McCartney, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

Model behaviour: Jasmine Sanders stunned in semi-sheer frock that teased a look at her lingerie underneath and left her pins on display

Risque: Natalia Vodianova favoured a revealing number that teased a look at her legs while sporting a backless design

Casually chic: Binx Walton left her incredibly toned physique on display in a bandeau crop and velvet trousers
She and fiance Shaun Hampson, 29, welcomed their baby girl into the world earlier this week.

And it seems Megan Gale may be having the best week ever after celebrating her fiance's grand final win for the Richmond Tigers on Saturday.

Taking to Instagram the 41-year-old second time mother excitedly congratulated the team and their entourage.

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What a week! On Saturday, Megan Gale took to Instagram to celebrate her fiance, Shaun Hampson's AFL premiership win

'YEWWWWWW! AWESOME EFFORT BOYS!' she captioned.

'HUGEST CONGRATS TO ALL PLAYERS, STAFF, FAMILIES AND PARTNERS. SO PROUD OF EVERYONE #2017aflpremiers,' she added tagging the club.

Staying behind the camera lens, Megan was heard cheering on the boys during the final moments before they claimed victory of 108 points to Adelaide Crow's 60.

Season winners: 'HUGEST CONGRATS TO ALL PLAYERS, STAFF, FAMILIES AND PARTNERS. SO PROUD OF EVERYONE #2017aflpremiers'

With a slew of congratulations for the stunner, fans were quick to suggest her unnamed daughter should be called 'Dusty' after Richmond superstar Dustin Martin became history's first player to achieve the Brownlow, Norm Smith and premiership.

'C'mon Meg's u gotta name her DUSTY,' wrote one fan.

In a busy week with not only a premiership under her belt, yesterday, the former David Jones ambassador revealed she'd given birth to a baby girl.

New addition: In a busy week with not only a premiership under her belt, yesterday, the former David Jones ambassador revealed she'd given birth to a baby girl

Family: 'A big brother that is already so attentive and protective, (who has also handled all these big changes like a boss ) a Dad who is so smitten with you and that you already have firmly wrapped around your little finger'

'WHEN 3 BECOMES 4. Our darling little bun came out of the oven earlier this week,' she captioned a greyscale photo that saw herself, Shaun, their three-year-old son River and their new arrival all holding hands.

'Sweet little soul. You are already so blessed. Healthy as can be with a family that has fallen head over heels in love with you.'

'A big brother that is already so attentive and protective, (who has also handled all these big changes like a boss ) a Dad who is so smitten with you and that you already have firmly wrapped around your little finger,' she continued.

'I'm so committed to being the absolute best mother, friend and role model for you. Thank you for choosing me to be your Mama, my darling girl'.
She recently made a glittering return to the runway with the original 90s supermodels at the Versace Milan Fashion Week Show.

And Helena Christensen opted for a more casual display as she stepped out in New York City on Friday.

The supermodel, 48, showed off her stylish side in a vibrant blue, yellow and scarlet floral print shirt which highlighted her slender midriff as she strolled along.

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Post-fashion week: Helena Christensen, 48, opted for a more casual display as she stepped out in New York City on Friday, a week after her glittering return to the runway with the original 90s supermodels at the Versace Milan Fashion Week Show

Work it: The brunette beauty appeared not to have aged at all at the show as she posed sultrily in her shimmering gown next to fellow 'super' Cindy Crawford, flashing her toned legs thanks to the racy thigh-split

She teamed the bright shirt with a knee-length denim skirt which revealed her toned and tanned legs.

The Vogue cover-star swapped the vertiginous stiletto heels she had strutted in on the runway for comfortable red pumps.

Her brunette tresses were swept away from her face into a low-key ponytail and she sported a minimal dusting of make-up.

The beauty covered her sparkling eyes with a pair of dark shades.

Everywhere's a runway: The supermodel, 48, showed off her stylish side in a vibrant blue, yellow and scarlet floral print shirt which highlighted her slender midriff as she strolled along, (pictured right at the Versace show)

Low-key: She teamed the bright shirt with a knee-length denim skirt which revealed her toned and tanned leg and swapped the vertiginous stiletto heels for comfortable red pumps

Fierce: Posing on the far right for the showstopping finale, Helena certainly held her own alongside original 'supers' Claudia Schiffer, 47, Naomi Campbell, 47, Carla Bruni, 49, and Cindy Crawford, 51

Proving she was enjoying a day of retail therapy she toted two shopping bags.

Her outing came one week after her glittering appearance at the prestigious runway show, where the brunette beauty appeared not to have aged at all as she posed sultrily in her shimmering gown, flashing her toned legs thanks to the racy thigh-split.

The garment hailed back to the Nineties with a plunging cowl neckline and sexy black straps.

Posing on the far right for the showstopping finale, Helena certainly held her own alongside original 'supers' Claudia Schiffer, 47, Naomi Campbell, 47, Carla Bruni, 49, and Cindy Crawford, 51.

The iconic fashion moment, soundtracked by George Michael's Freedom, was a poignant tribute to mark the 20th anniversary of Gianni Versace's murder.

It was a re-enactment of one of Gianni's history-making moments from 1991, when four supermodels walked arm in arm with him on the runway.

Strut: The iconic fashion moment, soundtracked by George Michael's Freedom, was a poignant tribute to mark the 20th anniversary of Gianni Versace's murder (above with Donatella Versace)

And Helena paid ode to the 'much missed' late designer on Instagram, as she admitted her Versace return was 'very emotional'.

Sharing a snap of the group together, she wrote: 'A very emotional moment, walking down the runway with my girls honoring the wonderful and much missed Gianni Versace with @donnatelaofficial who created the most incredible collection.'

Helena, lives in New York City with her 16-year-old son Mingus, who she shares with ex Norman Reedus, of The Walking Dead fame.

The celebrity duo were together for 5 years from 1998 to 2003 and now co-parent Mingus, who was born in 1999.

The former Victoria Secret model, who shot to fame alongside Tyra Banks and Cindy Crawford, has proudly watched her teen son follow in her model footsteps, recently walking for Calvin Klein during New York Fashion Week.
It was recently reported she was escaping to Mexico as her Gold Coast home had become 'unlivable' due to paparazzi 'staking out'.

But on Saturday, The Bachelorette's Sophie Monk revealed her destination of choice was not Mexico but Thailand.

Taking to Instagram Stories to share a screenshot of her conversation exchange with best friend Oscar Gordon, the 37-year-old said she had to leave to ensure her new man was kept a secret as she's 'sh*t at lying'.

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Jettsetter! On Saturday, after rumours she's fleeing to Mexico to escape the paps, Sophie Monk revealed she may head to Thailand instead as she's 'sh*t at lying

'Would u like togo to Thailand instead of Mexico??' asked Oscar.

Both agreeing Phuket was the place to be, the former executive producer of KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O show convincingly said: 'let's book now!!'

With no hesitation Sophie seemed to be on the bandwagon, revealing she needed to 'evacuate' in order to keep her winner a secret.

Best friends! Both agreeing Phuket was the place to be, the former executive producer of KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O show convincingly said: 'let's book now!!'

Jet setting:'Done! I need to evacuate bcs people keep asking who won and I'm shit at lying'

'Done! I need to evacuate bcs people keep asking who won and I'm sh*t at lying,' she hilariously wrote.

Earlier on Saturday, PS reported Sophie was also fleeing the country as her $1 million mansion had become 'unlivable' due to an intense interest from paparazzi staking out the premises.

And it's not the first time Sophie has spoken about heading abroad in the wake of The Bachelroette's grand finale.

Too much stress: PS reported Sophie was also fleeing the country as her $1 million mansion had become 'unlivable' due to an intense interest from paparazzi staking out the premises

Avoiding all contact: Last week, Sophie said she was leaving to avoid temptation to see her new beau, who's rumoured to be Sydney pub heir Stu Laundy, 44

Speaking to Nova 100's Chrissie, Sam and Browny last week, the former fiance of Benji Madden said she was leaving to avoid temptation to see her new beau, who's rumoured to be Sydney pub heir Stu Laundy, 44.

'I break all the rules. I can't do rules,' Sophie said, with a prerequisite of the show being the Bachelorette or Bachelor have to keep their chosen winner under wrap.

'I will definitely try to see him and mess it all up for everyone. So I have to remove myself.'

'I know I've got no willpower, and so that I don't weaken, I'm going overseas,' Sophie continued.




Director General of Sacombank Laos Pham Quang Phu said the inauguration of the branch reaffirms the banks determination to do long-term business in the country and bring its modern products and services to Lao customers.

He said with an initial chartered capital of USD12 million, Sacombank Laos has expanded its network to key areas in Laos such as Vientiane capital, Pakse city, and Champasak and Savannakhet provinces over the past nine years.

As of August 31, 2017, the total assets of Sacombank Laos stood at USD157 million and its pre-tax profit in the first eight months of this year reached USD1 million, fulfilling 68 percent of the annual target, he noted.

Vice Governor of Savannakhet province Thonkeo Phoutthakaiyalard said the launch of Sacombank Laos branch in the province not only generates jobs for locals but also contributes to the local social-economic development in the coming years.

He said local authorities will create the best conditions for the branch to operate efficiently.

On this occasion, Sacombank Laos donated USD6,000 to the provinces disaster mitigation fund./.
She's the reality TV star who has made friends with some of Sydney's social elite since her rejection on The Bachelor.

And this week, Keira Maguire buddied up with her pal Aysha Learmonth, the estranged wife of disgraced Auburn City Councilor Salim Mehajer.

The 30-year-old took to her Instagram story to share a snap of herself with beautician, following another Brazilian butt lift session.

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Back at it again! Keira Maguire spent time with with Aysha Learmonth, the estranged wife of disgraced Auburn City Councilor Salim Mehajer, on Saturday

In the photo, Keira and Aysha pose with in front of a full length mirror for a boomerang-edited clip.

The blonde beauty was dressed casually in a leotard with boyfriend jeans and a pair of Vans sneakers.

The beautician kept her looked stunning in a high-waisted pencil skirt and silk white pussy-bow top, teamed with a pair of kitten heels.

Gal pals: The 30-year-old took to her Instagram story to share a snap of herself with beautician, following another Brazilian butt lift session

The blonde beauty and the beautician: Keira and Aysha even took a selfie in front of a full length mirror for a boomerang-edited clip

This is the second time the two have appeared on Keira's social media together.

Almost a week ago, the Bachelor reject took to her Instagram to share what appeared to be her Brazilian butt lift session with Aysha.

In the clip Keira is lying front side down as the beautician used a suction tool on her posterior.

Plumping her posterior: This is the second time the two have appeared on Keira's social media together

Former flames: Aysha has kept a low profile following her split with Salim

Aysha has kept a low profile following her split with Salim, before the posts she was spotted out with friends and family celebrating her 31st birthday at Ultimo restaurant Salt Meats Cheese.

The pair's marriage, which was dubbed as 'Wedding of the Century', imploded in April 2016 when she packed up her life and left their Lidcombe mansion to stay with her family near Wollongong.

Before her relationship with Salim Mehajer, the brunette was a beautician known as April Learmonth, from Woonona, south of Sydney.
She's set to make a return to UK TV this Friday after a decade of success in the US, with an A Capella singing competition show.

But Cat Deeley has come under fire by Louis Walsh, after she branded The X Factor 'boring'.

The Irish judge, 65, claimed the British expat was merely jealous of the ITV series' success, and questioned whether her comments actually came from a desire of hers to host the show.

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Catfight! Cat Deeley, 40, has come under fire by Louis Walsh, after she branded The X Factor 'boring', leaving the 65-year-old Irish judge enraged

He told The Mirror: 'I think the truth is that Cat would love to be hosting the show but we have already got Dermot [O'Leary] and he is the best in the business.

'She can stay on Sky 1 where nobody is watching. It is a bit of the green-eyed monster from Cat... Sorry Cat, we don't need you.'

MailOnline have contacted Cat's representatives for comment.

Furious: Louis strongly defended the X Factor in light of Cat's comments, telling The Mirror that she can 'stay on Sky 1 where nobody is watching'

Louis' remarks were in response to the So You Think You Can Dance host's claims that viewers have become bored of the Simon Cowell-led format, and that the series should be taken off the air.

Cat, 40, said: 'I think every big show like that is cyclical, like Britain's Got Talent or America's Got Talent.

'It was Opportunity Knocks about 25 years ago  they are hugely successful and then people get bored, and then they put them away for a bit, then they miss them, then they bring them back.'

Fuming: Louis said of Cat 'I think the truth is that Cat would love to be hosting the show but we have already got Dermot [O'Leary] and he is the best in the business'

Cat returned to the UK ahead of the debut of her new series Sing Ultimate A Cappella.

The Pitch Perfect-esque series will see contestants put their voices to the test, performing with no backing music or instruments.

Cat added that she hopes to find a star that can rival Simon's X Factor bid for the Christmas Number One.

'Green-eyed monster': The So you Think You Can Dance was slammed by Louis for her comments, which Cat said ahead of the premiere of her new Sky 1 singing series on Friday

Cat added that US producers are wrong to bring back American Idol as it has only been off screen since 2016.

She said: 'I think they are bringing it back a little too soon, I don't think they have given time for people to miss it.

'It is going to cost so much to produce that the ratings they'll require are going to be so huge  and no one is getting those ratings any more.'

Power Panel: Louis defended The X Factor ahead of the shows bootcamp stages this weekend, as contestants go head-to-head in group singing performances

Louis spoke out in support of The X Factor as the show heads into the bootcamp stage this weekend.

Contestants will go head-to-head in group performances as the judges choose who will move forward to the infamous Six Chair Challenge.

The ITV series has seen a drastic change in format over recent years, in an attempt to regain ratings over rival dance competition Strictly Come Dancing.
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She is one of the world's most in-demand models with nearly two decades in the industry.

And Natasha Poly, 32, proved she was a force to be reckoned with as she joined a glamorous Sara Sampaio to rock the runway at the Mugler Paris Fashion Week Show on Saturday.

The Russian supermodel, who has graced 54 Vogue covers to date, showed off her pert cleavage as she went braless in a plunging, figure-hugging black jumpsuit, embellished with metallic jewels along the neckline and pockets.

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Jaw-dropping: Natasha Poly, 32, proved she was a force to be reckoned with as she joined a glamorous Sara Sampaio (right) to rock the runway at the Mugler Paris Fashion Week Show on Saturday

The stunning garment, which featured a belted midsection, cinched in at the star's slender midriff and showed off her endless legs.

Adding height to her already statuesque frame, the blonde beauty strutted down the catwalk in a vertiginous pair of strappy black stiletto sandals.

Her blonde locks were styled sleek and straight and parted in the middle with her striking features enhanced with mascara and eyeliner.

Wow: The Russian supermodel, who has graced 54 Vogue covers to date, showed off her pert cleavage as she went braless in a plunging, figure-hugging black jumpsuit, embellished with metallic jewels along the neckline and pockets

Work it: The stunning garment, which featured a belted midsection, cinched in at the star's slender midriff and showed off her endless legs while Victoria's Secret Angel Sara, 26, donned a similarly sizzling jumpsuit, with a patent leather strapless bodice.

Supermodel sensation: Joan Smalls, 29, showed off her lithe frame in a snake-skin printed jumpsuit

Style parade: Jewel embellishment, leather and muted hues played a large part in the glittering runway show

While Victoria's Secret Angel Sara, 26, donned a similarly sizzling jumpsuit, with a patent leather strapless bodice.

Featuring a saucy zip on the bodice, the star flashed a hint of cleavage as she sashayed along.

The jumpsuit descended into fitted black trousers with flaring detail on the hips and the brunette beauty teetered on pointed black and perspex stiletto heels.

She accessorised with a star shaped bag.

Her brunette tresses were styled straight while her eyes were enhanced with smoky make-up.

Centre of attention: Natasha led the troupe of models as they did their finale walk

White hot: Actress Robin Wright, 51, showed off her phenomenal physique in an ivory bodycon dress with racy corset detail around the waist as she joined the FROW

Chatty: The star looked right at home on the front row, as she showed off her coiffed blonde locks

Supermodel Joan Smalls also took to the runway clad in a snakeskin printed brown, yellow and cream jumpsuit paired with strappy stiletto sandals.

Natasha, born Natalya Sergeyevna Polevshchikova, made her debut on the catwalk for Emanuel Ungaro in 2004.

Since then, she has starred in campaigns for designer labels including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Chanel, becoming one of the most in-demand models in the world.

Natasha shares four-year-old daughter Aleksandra Christina with her husband of six years, Peter Bakker.
Their first performance on the much-anticipated fifteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing won them a standing ovation.

But ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins, 42, and Brendan's Cha Cha to Sugar by Maroon 5 earned them a distinctly lukewarm reception from the judging panel, after her performance was branded a 'dance disaster' by a stern Bruno Tonioli.

However Alexandra Burke's performance went down a storm, earning her a score of 9 from each judge and bagging her the top numbers of the night- only outdone by Debbie McGee when the previous week's scores were added up.

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Not all that glitters? ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins, 42, and Brendan's Cha Cha to Sugar by Maroon 5 earned them a distinctly lukewarm reception from the judging panel

Charlotte stunned in a glitzy plunging silver mini dress, showing off her shapely pins and enviable curves as she took to the stage.

But her less than confident performance failed to impress the judges after they accused her of losing her rhythm early on.

'To flirt on live TV is not an easy thing and you recovered well from you losing your timing', Darcey said, 'but you'll come back stronger'.

Not distracted: Despite the blonde beauty's eye-popping appearance, her performance was branded a 'dance disaster' but a stern Bruno Tonioli

And Craig branded the piece 'a dance disaster' with the duo scored a more modest basic score of 12.

'You did brilliantly last week and your score will be added to that 12 so don't despair', Claudia told the couple optimistically.

Looking discouraged, the couple gave a cheering crowd a brave wave before disappearing off stage.

'You did brilliantly last week and your score will be added to that 12 so don't despair', Claudia told the couple optimistically

In stark contrast was Alexandra Burke, who won the overall top score of the night with a massive 36 out of 40- beat only by Debbie after last week's scores were added to the night's numbers.

Despite being the final couple on the dance floor, Alexandra Burke, 29, danced with partner Gorka in the Paso Doble to On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez, won the highest scores of the night to a standing ovation.

Giving Debbie and Giovanni's smooch a run for its money, the duo ended the performance in a mock kiss, and a breathless Alexandra Burke got a standing ovation.

Success! In stark contrast was Alexandra Burke, who won the overall top score of the night with a massive 36 out of 40- beat only by Debbie after last week's scores were added to the night's numbers

Last but certainly not least: Despite being the final couple on the dance floor, Alexandra Burke, 29, and dance partner Gorka, performed a Paso Doble to On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez, won the highest scores of the night to a standing ovation

The awe-struck panel, marked the dance with the night's top score of 36 and smashing the show's scores- but still fell behind Debbie's after last week's scores were added up.

Opening the show earlier in the night Tess Daly put on a confident display as she opened the second live show of the series on Saturday, dressed in a strapless nude jumpsuit which made the most of her statuesque physique.

Wearing her glossy blonde hair in tumbling waves, the 48-year-old presenter was joined by Claudia Winkleman, 45, who sizzled in a black bardot dress.

Turning heads: Tess Daly opened the second live show of the series on Saturday, dressed in a strapless nude jumpsuit which made the most of her statuesque physique

Aston Merrygold and Ruth Langsford began the show in the lead, topping the board with the leading scores following last week's first live show.

And opening the show with a touch of comedy was Holby City actress Chizzy Akudolu, 43, and Pasha performed the Foxtrot to I'm a Woman from Smokey Joe's Cafe.

Dressed in a plunging purple frock, she started the skit with a fun scene by the breakfast table, before breaking into the Foxtrot to the sound of rapturous cheers from an applauding audience.

But Shirley Ballas didn't agree, calling her performance disappointing and too 'lumpy for her taste'.

Stunning duo: Wearing her glossy blonde hair in tumbling waves, the 48-year-old presenter was joined by Claudia Winkleman, 45, who sizzled in a black bardot dress

Tense: Saturday marked the first show open to the vote, with eliminations taking place on Sunday

'I want more sophistication,' Shirley added, but Chizzy quipped back: 'I'm not a Rolls Royce, too expensive'.

'Too sassy too soon', Bruno Tonioli added, putting the disappointed dancer firmly in her place.

Pulling no punches, a stern Craig Revel Horwood added 'more Foxtrott and less musical theatre.'

First up: Opening the show with a touch of comedy was Holby City actress Chizzy Akudolu, 43, and Pasha will perform the Foxtrot to I'm a Woman from Smokey Joe's Cafe.

Darcey was kinder, gushing: 'I don't want to cut any of that enthusiasm', applauding her performance value.

After the dance, Chizzy laughed and shocked viewers as she adjusted her wig, announcing: 'Sorry to all the black woman around the world. I just have to do this.'

The performance won the couple a score of 16 and added to last week's score making an overall score of 37.

'Sorry to all the black woman around the world', Chizzy laughed, 'I just have to do this', she added before adjusting her wig

Next was JLS star Aston Merrygold, 29, and Janette who gave a colourful Salsa to Despacito (Remix) by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft Justin Bieber.

Unfortunately Janette suffered a little tumble on her head, but she styled it out quickly and Bruno appeared impressed with their performance.

'I've never seen such a difficult sequence of lifts', he gushed, impressed.

The thrilled judges gave them an impressive score of 32 and the duo were thrilled with the results.

Scottish comedian Susan Calman, 42, and partner Kevin Clifton won an impressive basic score of 32 with their hit performance of a Charleston to If You Knew Susie by Enoch Light and The Charleston City All-Stars.

Festival themed: Next was JLS star Aston Merrygold, 29, Aston Merrygold and Janette who gave a colourful Salsa to Despacito (Remix) by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft Justin Bieber

'Almost perfection': Aston and Janette received mostly positive comments from the panel, scoring 32 points and the first 9 of the series

Oops! Unfortunately Janette suffered a little tumble on her head, but she styled it out quickly and Bruno appeared impressed with their performance

Cranford star Joe McFadden, 41, and Katya were up next, dancing the Tango to Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran.

Katya stunned in a plunging blue floor-length dress, performing to a clapping crowd.

Their dance got a lukewarm reaction from the panel, scoring a score of 22 out of 40.

Joining bottom of the leader board were comedian Brian Conley, 53, and Amy who performed the Cha Cha to Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches and Herb and they recovered their overall score with an impressive scoring from the panel.

Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson, 32, and dance partner Aljaz Waltzing to an Italian version of A Time For Us by Josh Groban.

Anticipated: Strictly's fifteenth series kicked off on the 10th September, revealing the hotly-anticipated pairings

Loving it: Comedian Brian Conley looked like he was having the time of his life during his disco-insprired Cha Cha

Progress: Despite a mixed reception, Brians score of 19 was an improvement from last week

Goofballs: Comedian Susan Calma, 42, performed a goofy Charleston with partner Kevin Clifton to If You Knew Susie by Enoch Light and The Charleston City All-Stars

Perfect dance: Susan was praised by head judge Shirley, who called the dance 'bright, entertaining and synchronised

Improving: Susan and Kevin scored 22 for their Charleston, an improvement on their Viennese Waltz from last week

Hot stuff! The newly shaken-up judging panel headed up by Shirley Ballas after Len Goodman retired earlier this year

Hilarious: Judge Darcy also praised the hilarious dance saying 'you made it your own and sold it'

Gemma put on a head-turning display in a plunging sequin blue dress, but it was her dance that impressed the judges.

The blonde beauty's performance was rated as 'very impressive', winning them a score of 27.

Despite landing in the bottom half of the scoreboard last week, Rev. Richard Coles, 55, and Dianne seemed confident as they performed an American Smooth to Love Really Hurts Without You by Billy Ocean.

Giving last year's Ed Balls a run for his money with his questionable moves, his performance was met by a wailing Darcey - before she surprisingly added 'I love you'.

Natural: Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson, 32, and dance partner Aljaz waltzed to an Italian version of A Time For Us by Josh Groban

Racy: Next up was presenter Ruth Langsford, 57, and Anton who performed a Charleston to 'The Charleston' by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys

A touch of romance: TV chef Simon Rimmer, 54, and Karen Clifton performed a graceful Waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone by Rodgers and Hammerstein

Emotional: Judge Shirley Ballas teared up during the performance to the Hillsborough tribute song, which scored a 19

'Falling petals have more grace', a cutting Craig added honestly to boos from the crowd.

And despite the somewhat stiff performance, Richard won a score of 17.

Next up was presenter Ruth Langsford, 57, and Anton who performed a Charleston to 'The Charleston' by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys.

Ruth put on a rather saucy display in a red wig and sixties gold sequin dress, with her dance being praised by the judges with a top score.

Despite a hamstring injury, contracted during practice, Ruth managed to score an impressive 20.

TV chef Simon Rimmer, 54, and Karen Clifton performed an emotional Waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Checkmate! Speeding up the tempo is Eastenders star Davood Ghadami, 36, who will perform a Quickstep to Last Nite by The Strokes with Nadiya.

Riding high: Davood nailed the first quickstep of the series, scoring 27 points

And the performance resulted in Shirley Ballas almost breaking down, giving an emotional tribute to the song and winning them a high score.

'That song means a lot of different things to different people', she said, her voice breaking and eyes welling up,' so thank you for that performance'.

Saturdays star Mollie King, 30, was up next with AJ, performing the Tango to Addicted To Love by Tina Turner.

'You certainly connected with your partner', Bruno teased of Mollie King and AJ's on-screen chemistry, before demonstrating with Shirley how you should hold your partner

Referring to boob-gate? He then threw his hands up and exclaiming: 'I didn't touch anything!'

With the screens set to black and white, the blonde beauty's scarlet frock and bold red lip stood out as she gave a confident performance to the hit song.

Following their performance AJ picked her up in excitement, thrilled with the results of their dance.

'You certainly connected with your partner', Bruno teased of their on-screen chemistry, demonstrating with Shirley how you should hold your partner- before holding his hands up and exclaiming: 'I didn't touch anything!'

The impressed panel scored the thrilled couple with a high score of 25.

Red hot: Saturdays star Mollie King, 30, and AJ performed a Tango to Addicted To Love by Tina Turner

Go Jonny Go! Paralympian Jonnie Peacock went all western in a cowboy-inspired jive, featuring a specially made blade

'Brilliant': The judges loved Jonnie's cowboy jive, rewarding him with a score of 29 points

Paralympian Jonnie Peacock, 34, and Oti performed an energetic Jive to Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry and got a standing ovation from the crowd, getting a score of 29.

Sweeping onto the dance floor in a sky blue floor-length gown was Late magician Paul Daniel's widow Debbie McGee, 58, who performed a Viennese Waltz to She's Always A Woman by Billy Joel with Giovanni Pernice.

After causing controversy with their kissing skit last week, the duo put on a more classically romantic performance.

A usually stern Craig branded the performance 'amazing' and the couple were scored an impressive 34, topping the leaderboard and smashing the night's scores.

But despite impressing the judges, viewers were not quite as happy with the results, sending Twitter into overdrive after accusing Debbie of having professional dance experience.

Beauty and the priest: Reverend Richard Coles made his return to the floor with a sensational American Smooth

Fan favourite: Despite a low score of 17 points, the Reverend has been won over by viewers

Speeding up the tempo was EastEnders star Davood Ghadami, 36, who performed a Quickstep to Last Nite by The Strokes with Nadiya.

Craig and Bruno branded the energy of the dance 'incredible' and the couple got a high score of 27.

With Debbie in the lead, Rev Richard and Charlotte Hawkins fell to the bottom of the leader board, relying on the public's score ahead of Sunday's elimination.

Feeling blue! Late magician Paul Daniel's widow Debbie McGee, 58, and Giovanni performed a Viennese Waltz to She's Always A Woman by Billy Joel.

Confident: Gemma Atkinson looked in good spirits as she headed to the Elstree studios ahead of Saturday's show

Judging panel: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli

The fifteenth series of the show kicked off on the 10th September, revealing the hotly-anticipated pairings, with the newly shaken-up judging panel headed up by Shirley Bassas after Len Goodman retired earlier this year.

She joined the traditional Strictly judging panel, which consists of Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli and Darcey Bussell.



The first live show last week got off to a controversial start, after Bruno Tonioli outraged fans when he appeared to cup Shirley Ballas' breast.

Eager: Die-hard Strictly fans camped out overnight to get tickets to the coveted show

According to The Sun Strictly Come Dancing bosses have reportedly been hit by a barrage of complaints from fans about the incident and are said to be investigating after around 20 people objected.

A source told the website that although Bruno's behaviour was meant to be 'harmless' viewers did not feel the same.

They said: 'The BBC has now received formal complaints and will be officially looking into them to decide whether Bruno's behaviour was acceptable.

'He obviously thought it was light-hearted fun, but you could tell Tess was shocked by her reaction. She looked completely aghast.

'Bruno is obviously a larger-than- life sort of character but a number of viewers felt that touching a woman's chest like that even in jest sends out the wrong message.

The BBC declined to comment when approached by Mail Online.

Strictly Pairings - The Men Aston Merrygold & Janette Manrara Brian Conley & Amy Dowden Davood Ghadami & Nadiya Bychkova Joe McFadden & Katya Jones Jonnie Peacock & Oti Mabuse Reverend Richard Coles & Dianne Buswell Simon Rimmer & Karen Clifton Advertisement
Saturday will see the second live show of Strictly Come Dancing, with the first couple scoring the lowest points being voted off on Sunday's episode.

And Gemma Atkinson looked in good spirits as she headed to the Elstree studios ahead of Saturday's show.

The former Hollyoaks actress, 32, cut a casual figure in a tracksuit, beaming as she arrived alongside glammed up dancers Dianne Buswell and Nadiya Bychkova.

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Confident: Gemma Atkinson looked in good spirits as she headed to the Elstree studios ahead of Saturday's show

Showing off her natural beauty, Gemma opted to go make-up free ahead of what was sure to be a glamorous appearance on the show.

Dianne stood out in a leather skirt and over-the-knee boots, sporting her trademark fiery locks.

She was joined by blonde beauty Nadiya, who toted a Chanel holdall, dressed in a khaki dress and leather coatigan.

Katya Jones, who has been paired with Joe McFadden after making quite the impact with Ed Balls last year, kept it casual in jeans and a checked shirt, arriving with a suitcase of outfit changes.

Turning heads: Dianne stood out in a leather skirt and over-the-knee boots, sporting her trademark fiery locks and was joined by blonde beauty Nadiya, who toted a Chanel holdall, dressed in a khaki dress and leather coatigan

Chloe Hewitt joined her casual appearance in leggings and a sweatshirt, smiling happily despite not having been assigned a partner.

Karen and Kevin Clifton looked as close as ever as they arrived together, followed by Russian dancer Gleb Savchenko and South African Oti Mabuse.

Dancers Neil Jones and AJ Pritchard followed, along with jolly-looking sprinter Johnny Peacock.

Married dancers Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara followed, flanked by Giovanni Pernice, sporting large dark sunglasses.

Understated: Showing off her natural beauty, Gemma opted to go make-up free ahead of what was sure to be a glamorous appearance on the show

The fifteenth series show kicked off on the 10th September, revealing the hotly-anticipated pairings, with the newly shaken-up judging panel headed up by Shirley Bassas after Len Goodman retired earlier this year.

She joins the traditional Strictly judging panel, which consists of Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli and Darcey Bussell.

As well as pairings, the show also featured a touching tribute to he late Sir Bruce Forsyth, who hosted the show from its 2004 until bowing out in 2013.

Tess Daly, who hosted the show alongside Sir Bruce, broke down in tears as she lead a special dedication to the beloved entertainer.

Glam: Katya Jones, who has been paired with Joe McFadden after making quite the impact with Ed Balls last year and Dianne stood out in a leather skirt and over-the-knee boots, sporting her trademark fiery locks

She is joined by Claudia Winkleman, with the duo replacing the former replacing the former presenting trio.

The second live show- and first live vote off with the results being shown on Sunday, will take place tonight.

Saturday's show will see ex Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson, 32, and dance partner Aljaz Waltzing to an Italian version of A Time For Us by Josh Groban

Songstress Alexandra Burke, 29, and dance partner Gorka will perform a Paso Doble to On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez.

Relaxed: Chloe Hewitt joined her casual appearance in leggings and a sweatshirt, smiling happily despite not having been assigned a partner

Blondes unite: Gemma and Nadya made a swift exit from their hotel en route to the studios

Meanwhile ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins, 42, and Brendan will Cha Cha to Sugar by Maroon 5 and Holby City actress Chizzy Akudolu, 43, and Pasha will perform the Foxtrot to Im a Woman from Smokey Joes Cafe.

Late magician Paul Daniel's widow Debbie McGee, 58, and Giovanni will perform a Viennese Waltz to Shes Always A Woman by Billy Joel.

JLS star, 29, Aston Merrygold and Janette will inject a modern touch to the show with a Salsa to Despacito (Remix) by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft Justin Bieber.

Power couple: Karen and Kevin Clifton looked as close as ever as they arrived together

Casual: Russian dancer Gleb Savchenko and South African Oti Mabuse were also seen leaving their hotel

Saturdays star Mollie King, 30, and AJ will Tango to Addicted To Love by Tina Turner, and presenter Ruth Langsford, 57, and Anton will perform a Charleston to 'The Charleston' by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys.

Scottish museum Susan Calman, 42, and Kevin will perform a Charleston to If You Knew Susie by Enoch Light and The Charleston City All-Stars.

Comedian Brian Conley, 53, and Amy will Cha Cha to Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches and Herb while

Speeding up the tempo is Eastenders star Davood Ghadami, 36, who will perform a Quickstep to Last Nite by The Strokes with Nadiya. Cranford star Joe McFadden, 41, and Katya will Tango to Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran.

Good spirits: Sprinter Johnny Peacock looked in high spirits

Here come the boys: AJ Pritchard emerged along with jolly-looking sprinter Johnny Peacock.

Sprint runnerJonnie Peacock, 34, and Oti will Jive to Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry while Rev. Richard Coles, 55, and Dianne perform an American Smooth to Love Really Hurts Without You by Billy Ocean.

Last but not least is TV chef Simon Rimmer, 54, and Karen who will Waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

The first live show last week got off to a controversial start, after Bruno Tonioli outraged fans when he appeared to cup Shirley Ballas' breast.

According to The Sun Strictly Come Dancing bosses have reportedly been hit by a barrage of complaints from fans about the incident and are said to be investigating after around 20 people objected.

Hot-footing it: Married dancers Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara followed

In disguise: Last but not least dancer Giovanni Pernice emerged sporting large dark sunglasses

A source told the website that although Bruno's behaviour was meant to be 'harmless' viewers did not feel the same.

They said: 'The BBC has now received formal complaints and will be officially looking into them to decide whether Brunos behaviour was acceptable.

'He obviously thought it was light-hearted fun, but you could tell Tess was shocked by her reaction. She looked completely aghast.

'Bruno is obviously a larger-than- life sort of character but a number of viewers felt that touching a womans chest like that even in jest sends out the wrong message.

The BBC declined to comment when approached by Mail Online.

Eager: Huge crowds were seen queueing overnight to get tickets to the show

Eager: The excited campers looked well prepared

Judging panel: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli

Strictly Pairings - The Women Alexandra Burke & Gorka Marquez Charlotte Hawkins & Brendan Cole Chizzy Akudolu & Pasha Kovalev Debbie McGee & Giovanni Pernice Gemma Atkinson & Aljaz Skorjanec Mollie King & AJ Pritchard Ruth Langsford & Anton Du Beke Susan Calman & Kevin Clifton Advertisement
She recently spoke out about she and her family are coping with her father Andrew McCall's heartbreaking battle with Alzheimer's disease.

And Davina McCall, 49, was joined by her beloved 74-year-old dad as she took part in the Alzheimer's Society Memory Walk in Brighton on Saturday.

As the TV personality prepared to cut the ribbon and officially open the event, she was photographed beaming as she shared a warm hug with her parent.

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Father and daughter: Davina McCall took part in the Alzheimer's Society Memory Walk with her beloved dad Andrew McCall in Brighton on Saturday

The pair were joined by the former Big Brother presenter's stepmother Gaby who, like the star's dad, wore an official blue T-shirt under a navy coat.

Wearing a blue-and-green camouflage jacket, mother-of-three Davina was in her usual jovial spirits as she addressed the crowd of 2,000 participants ahead of the event, which raised a whopping 300,000.

Davina has revealed that her dad, who she 'hero-worshipped' growing up, is coping well with his symptoms and despite changes in his personality has remained as charming as he ever was.

We are family: The TV personality and her dad were joined by Davina's stepmum Gaby McCall

Let's hug it out: The trio shared a hug as they spent the day raising awareness and funds

Leading the pack: They led the pack as they prepared to walk with thousands of participants

She said that it is in fact her stepmother Gaby who she worries most about as the stress of caring with a loved-one of the degenerative disease takes its toll.

The Jump host said the family started noticing Andrew, who was diagnosed last year at the age of 73, was showing subtle changes in his behaviour and personality.

They picked up on him repeating a story he had told only 15 minutes earlier and forgetting events that happened in the previous few days.

Eventually, Andrew started struggling to find the words he wanted to say and to find everyday items around the home, as well as making odd remarks.

Jovial: Wearing a blue-and-green camouflage jacket, mother-of-three Davina was in her usual jovial spirits as she addressed the large crowd of participants ahead of the walk

You've got to hand it to her: The bubbly beauty held hands with her dad as they walked

Picture perfect moment: Participants took snapshots of the star and her dad during the event

The star said: 'My dad has always been my rock. He's way smarter than me, funnier, stronger. I've always slightly hero-worshipped him.

'So when he started saying funny things like, "I took the overland train" and "Call me when your work is less explosive", it didn't take us long to all come together and ask each other if we should be concerned.

'The psychologist that first assessed him said that he could have been affected for a while  but he is so clever that he had come up with strategies. That's my dad  see a problem, come up with a strategy.'

Caught on camera: The TV personality also took her own snapshots of the charitable activity

Great cause: Approximately 2,000 people took part in the walk, raising 300,000 for charity

This is one of 34 walks this year which will raise vital funds to?improve care, fund research and?create lasting change for people?affected by dementia

Davina, who recently presented ITV programme Long Lost Family, said her father has maintained a really positive attitude during his Alzheimer's and has become calmer as the disease has emerged.

She explained: 'My dad is very charming, everyone he meets falls in love with him. That's one thing that hasn't changed.

'He still gives the best hugs and my kids adore him. Since he's had Alzheimer's, he has become calmer and kids respond very well to that.

'I have grieved the loss of my old dad. But we are forging a new relationship, a different one  one where perhaps he might need me more. Our dynamic has changed, but he's still my dad.'

Positive attitude: Davina has praised her father Andrew as incredibly 'inspiring', for maintaining such a 'positive attitude' during his Alzheimer's battle

Concern: The 49-year-old TV star revealed her father is coping with his illness well and it is her stepmother Gaby she is most worried about

Diagnosis: Davina's father Andrew was diagnosed with Alzheimer's last year at the age of 73, while her grandmother Pippy also battles dementia (both above)

The former Big Brother host, whose grandmother Pippy also battles dementia, is concerned about how her mother will cope as Andrew deteriorates.

However, she said her family are standing strong together.

'The person I do worry about is my mum. It's a lot, watching the man you love struggle and I know it's tiring for her,' she added.

DAVINA'S FEARS OF DEVELOPING DEMENTIA The fitness fanatic has confessed her father's diagnosis had made her aware of her own health  resulting in several tearful phone calls to her GP voicing her concerns she will develop the disease too. She explained to Good Housekeeping in April: 'I have called my doctor twice, in floods of tears saying, 'I've definitely got Alzheimer's disease.' She is so nice to me and says, 'If you had Alzheimer's, you wouldn't be calling me about it.' She has told me Im only forgetful because my inbox is full and I have cognitive overload. I dont drink, I dont smoke and I am in good health. If I get ill, I get ill  its a lottery. 'None of us knows whats going to happen around the corner. You just have to enjoy life. Advertisement

'Each day is a blessing. We as a family are learning to adapt fast. Each step we discuss together.'

Gaby has spoken out to urge others to seek help as soon as they see early signs of disease in their loved one.

She has lived with Davina's father for 43 years and said it's important to discuss the illness openly as a family.

'Talk about it together on a regular basis,' she said. 'Don't be embarrassed. Andrew is lucky because he is not at all embarrassed and tells everyone about his diagnosis.

'You will have some very frustrating times and your patience will be constantly tested.

'As a partner and carer you need to look out for yourself too. It's sometimes hard to admit that you need help. It's not a sign of weakness; it's inevitable at some point.'

Speaking for the first time about developing dementia, Andrew said: 'My family noticed the signs before I did.

'I am blessed with a strong streak of optimism and there is no doubt that it has helped me come to terms with the diagnosis.

'I'm doing what I am told to do by the professionals: no more alcohol, plenty of exercise, plenty of reading and challenging my brain to keep things working as much as possible.'

Changes: The host went on Good Morning Britain where she explained her close relationship with Andrew has not faltered, but changed slightly as he adapts to his deteriorating memory

It's not the end of life: On the show in July she said,'Hes not aware of the changes hes going through as much as we are, but... he wants to show everyone it's not the end of life'

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia, affecting an estimated 850,000 people in the UK.

This autumn there are 34 Memory Walks taking place nationwide, including the first night walks in London, Liverpool and Cardiff in mid-October.

Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer's Society, said: 'Alzheimer's Society's Memory Walks are going from strength to strength each year  which is just as well because with dementia set to be the 21st century's biggest killer, we must all come together to unite against it.

'Without help, dementia can devastate lives, every pound raised by Memory Walk will help Alzheimer's Society provide information and support, improve care, fund research and create lasting change for people affected.'



Awareness: Back in April, Davina confessed her father's diagnosis had made her aware of her own health  resulting in several tearful phone calls to her GP
He became the fifth actor to portray James Bond, starring in Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day from 1995 until 2002.

And Pierce Brosnan looked every inch the suave star as he enjoyed a sun-soaked day in Croatia with Keely Shaye Smith, 53.

The Irish actor, 64, cut a dapper figure as he strolled through Zagreb with his wife of 16 years, looking every inch the loved up holiday couple.

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Dapper: Pierce Brosnan looked every inch the suave star as he enjoyed a sun-soaked day in Croatia with Keely Shaye Smith, 53

Dressed in a crisp white shirt and grey combats, Pierce looked quite the silver-haired fox, injecting the star factor with a pair of shades.

But it was Keely who stole the show, oozing understated elegance in a grey dress and nude pashmina.

Wearing her brunette hair in a sleek half up-do, she covered her face with a pair of semi-transparent red shades, putting on a relaxed display as she enjoyed the sights of the picturesque town.

The duo headed to a nearby sea-view cafe and enjoyed a bite to eat with pals, before boarding a luxury yacht.

Besotted: The Irish actor, 64, cut a dapper figure as he strolled through Zagreb with his wife of 16 years, looking every inch the loved up holiday couple

Irish-born Pierce married Keely in 2001, 10 years after his first wife, Cassandra Harris, passed away at age 43 following a battle with ovarian cancer.

The star recently gushed about his wife's strength and support for him, telling the Independent last year: 'I love her vitality, her passion.

He continued: 'She has this strength that I wouldn't be able to live without. When Keely looks at me, I go weak.'

The actor often declares his love for his wife by sharing throwback snaps of himself with her in younger years.

Suave: Dressed in a crisp white shirt and grey combats, Pierce looked quite the silver-haired fox, injecting the star factor with a pair of shades

Meanwhile, it's been confirmed that Pierce will reprise his role as Sam for the recently announced sequel to Mamma Mia!

The new film, entitled Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! is due for release in summer 2018, a decade after the original film came out.

Although the storyline remains a secret, it is believed that a number of ABBA hits that werent included in the first film  such as Waterloo and Knowing Me, Knowing You - will be featured.

Elegant: Keely stole the show, oozing understated elegance in a grey dress and nude pashmina

That's the life! The duo headed to a nearby sea-view cafe and enjoyed a bite to eat with pals, before boarding a luxury yacht

Universal Pictures confirmed last month that the sequel will see the return of the film's original cast.

The star-studded line-up will include Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard.

It is believed that a number of ABBA hits that werent included in the first film  such as Waterloo and Knowing Me, Knowing You - will be featured.

The line-up will include Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard.
Since her breakout appearance in Robin Thicke's racy Blurred Lines video, she has been turning heads wherever she goes.

And Emily Ratajkowski ensured she was the centre of attention as she stepped out with boyfriend Jeff Magid during Paris Fashion Week on Saturday.

The model, 26, flashed her taut midriff and tiny waist in a cropped dove grey checked shirt, with dramatic shoulder pads and flared sleeves as she strutted along with her beau.

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Look of love: Emily Ratajkowski ensured she was the centre of attention as she stepped out with boyfriend Jeff Magid during Paris Fashion Week on Saturday

Opting for a casually chic look in the French capital, the Gone Girl actress flaunted her slender legs in high-waisted jeans and completed her look with cream and black block heels.

Her brunette tresses were styled sleek and straight and parted in the middle and she accentuated her pretty features with bronzer and a slick of baby pink lipstick.

She slipped on some silver cat-eye shades and wore gold hoop earrings for a touch of European chic.

Showing she was in the City of Love, Emily stared into her music producer beau's eyes as they sweetly wrapped their arms around each other.

Close: The model, 26, flashed her taut midriff and tiny waist in a cropped dove grey checked shirt, with dramatic shoulder pads and flared sleeves as she strutted along with her beau, who she has been dating since 2014

Glam: Emily has been pulling off a series of sartorial triumphs since arriving in Paris

Revealing his unique sartorial style, Jeff donned what appeared to be a orange and blue dressing gown style sweater for his walk with his lady love.

He slipped on mustard coloured chinos and trainers while covering his head with a cap.

The couple, who have been together since 2014, couldn't stop staring into one another's eyes as they walked along.

Busy Emily is set to co-star star in four films in the coming months.

Fashionista: The star took to the runway for the Bottega Veneta Milan Fashion Week show last week

The actress will join Natalie Dormer in the thriller In Darkness and take the lead in romance, Cruise, both of which have yet to set release dates.

In 2018, she will join forces with Amy Schumer and Michelle Williams for the comedy, I Feel Pretty, due out June 29.

Emily will also join Aaron Paul for the thriller, Welcome Home, about a couple's romantic trip to a cottage in the Italian countryside that turns into a nightmare. It's due out next year.
She's had a busy month, which has seen her pop up on runways in New York, London and Milan for all of the cities' respective Fashion Weeks.

And Winnie Harlow pressed on with her sartorial duties on Saturday, when she took to the runway for Elie Saab's SS18 fashion presentation for Paris Fashion Week.

The Canadian beauty, 23, wowed as she made her way down the catwalk in a flowing, pleated maxi gown, which blended from emerald green to a coral blue.

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Strutting her stuff: Winnie Harlow walked in Elie Saab's SS18 fashion presentation for Paris Fashion Week on Saturday

Her dress featured a high neckline with a semi-sheer lacy overlay, worked its way down to its short sleeves.

She strode down the runway in coral blue heels, which perfectly matched the bottom half of her ensemble and her textured clutch bag.

The former America's Next Top Model contestant's long raven tresses were styled in waves, which fell down her back and torso, while dangling green earrings rounded out her dazzling look.

Wow: The Canadian beauty, 23, wowed as she made her way down the catwalk in a flowing, pleated maxi gown, which blended from emerald green to a coral blue

The model, who is 5ft 9in, was diagnosed with vitiligo around the age of four, making her among one per cent of the population who has the condition.

In an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine, she revealed: 'Kids called me a cow and mooed at me. I remember sitting by my window wishing upon the stars that my skin condition would go away.'

She was physically taunted later in life and said a group of girls 'jumped her' in a fight, which led to her being suspended because she started skipping class.She dropped out of school at the age of 17 and never looked back.

High neckline: Her dress featured a high neckline with a semi-sheer lacy overlay, worked its way down to its short sleeves

Blue: Winnie pouted as she posed up with a fellow catwalker at the event

Glam: Winnie dazzled backstage in her ocean -hued gown

Winnie, who was working at a call centre, was scouted on Facebook and was quickly snapped up to star in a string of campaigns and music videos.

When she excelled on the 21st series of America's Next Top Model, judge Tyra Banks said that Winnie's skin breaks down barriers of what is considered beautiful.

Now Winnie, who describes her self as a 'vitiligo spokesmodel' on Instagram, is being celebrated for her distinctive look.

Her striking good looks have even caught the eye of Formula One hunk Lewis Hamilton and the pair have frequently been spotted partying together - but they have never confirmed a romantic relationship.
She's the comedic social media star who boasts over 2.5 million Instagram followers.

But on Sunday, Celeste Barber revealed it frustrates her when people refer to her as an 'overnight success'.

Known for hilariously mimicking the intricate and staged photos of celebrities, the star told Stellar magazine that her comedic skills aren't by fluke.

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Hard worker: But on Sunday, Celeste Barber revealed it frustrates her when people refer to her as an 'overnight success'

'I'm not a clown,' she said.

'It annoys me to be described as a mum of four from the (New South Wales) Central Coast who's struck overnight success.

'I've trained as an actor, I've worked in TV for years, done stand-up. I'm a writer. I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about people thinking this is just my hobby,' she continued.

Celeste: 'I've trained as an actor, I've worked in TV for years, done stand-up. I'm a writer. I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about people thinking this is just my hobby'

With a long list of celebrities including Zac Efron, Amy Schumer the Kardashain clan and her now friend Rosie Huntington-Whitely regularly commenting and checking in, the star has cemented herself as a popular online presence.

Although frequently dissing the stars and their lavish unrealistic lives, Celeste recently said she respected the Kardashian's and their ability to embrace her constant mocks and disses.

'The Kardashians are clever, they make sure they let the world know they like it,' she told News Corp.

Burn! She famously mocked Kim Kardashian after the reality star famously posed in her underwear in a heap of dirt

impressed: Although frequently dissing the stars and their lavish unrealistic lives, Celeste recently said she respected the Kardashian's and their ability to embrace her constant mocks and disses

Indeed, she famously mocked Kim Kardashian after the reality star famously posed in her underwear in a heap of dirt.

She also took a swipe at Kendall Jenner after the model posed lying down with her hair arranged in love-heart shapes around her head.

This year, she was voted as one of the funniest women on the internet, taking out a WhoHaha female comedy award.
They were delighted that Vietnam-China trade is growing towards a balanced manner.

Vietnams statistics showed that two-way trade reached USD71.9 billion in 2016, a rise of 7.9 percent over the previous year, while trade deficit reduced 13.67 percent year on year.

10th_meeting_of_vietnamchina_committee_for_economic_cooperation-11_47_39_740.jpeg

By the end of August this year, trade between the two countries hit USD55.2 billion, up 23.59 percent over the same period last year, with Vietnam running a deficit of USD17.7 billion, down 5.76 percent.





China continued to be Vietnams top trade partner, while Vietnam was Chinas biggest partner in ASEAN and ninth biggest in the world.

The Chinese side agreed to speed up the evaluation of Vietnamese milk and dairy products, while stepping up the quarantine of Vietnamese fruits before allowing the import of these products to China.

At the same time, the two sides discussed a wide range of issues to manage the quality of Vietnamese rice in the Chinese market, while concurring to increase the exchange of information to facilitate the export of rice and alive pigs to China.

Both countries will encourage businesses and relevant trade associations to foster connections to increase the export of Vietnamese farm produce, aquatic products and fruits to China.

They also recognised the effective operation of Vietnams Trade Promotion Office in Chinas Chongqing city in bolstering bilateral economic and trade cooperation and supporting businesses of both sides. The Chinese side is finalizing procedures to approve the formation of a similar office in Hangzhou on the occasion of the Chinese leaders visit to Vietnam and attend the APEC Summit in November this year.

They will work together to deal with problems in joint projects, such as the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway project, while discussing the signing of an agreement on cooperation in some additional projects in the future.

Both sides will also negotiate for the early signing of a protocol replacing the 1992 Vietnam-China border railway protocol, and launch a feasibility study for the use of Chinas aid package worth CNY1 billion (nearly USD150 million) to build a traditional medicine academy in Vietnam in 2017./.
They took their controversial romance a step further last week, when he met her mum aboard a luxury yacht in Monaco.

And Jeremy Meeks looked every inch part of the family as he stepped out with Chloe Green and mum Tina Green in Monte Carlo on Saturday.

The British Topshop heiress, 26, was seen holding hands with the 33-year-old American felon-turned-model as they enjoyed a day out with her mother.

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Settling right in: Jeremy Meeks looked every inch part of the family as he stepped out with Chloe Green and mum Tina Green in Monte Carlo on Saturday

Putting on a casual display in the sun-soaked city, Chloe slipped into a pair of fitted leggings and coordinating cropped t-shirt, flashing a hint of her stomach.

Completing her ensemble with a hoodie and casual trainers, she held onto her tattooed beau tight.

Showing off his inked arms, father-of-one Jeremy was clad in a khaki t-shirt and coordinating camouflage combats.

Staying mum on engagement rumours: The British Topshop heiress, 26, was seen holding hands with the 33-year-old American felon-turned-model as they enjoyed a day out

He played up to the role as doting boyfriend, as he followed Chloe's billionaire mum Tina, who was dressed in a fluorescent Nike vest and coordinating black leggings.

At the beginning of the month they were forced to deny engagement rumours, after she flashed a huge rock on her wedding finger in a series of confusing snapchats. but made sure she kept her ring finger hidden.

The duo have since been spotted on a series of sun-soaked holidays together, even appearing together at various public events, cementing their relationship status.

Savvy: Jeremy played up to the role as doting boyfriend, as he followed Chloe's billionaire mum Tina, who was dressed in a fluorescent Nike vest and coordinating black leggings

Despite the shockwaves their romance caused after the couple were spotted canoodling on a yacht in Turkey while Jeremy was still married to mother-of-three Melissa Meeks, the duo's relationship appears to be going from strength to strength.

Jeremy began last month by publicly parading his romance with heiress Chloe as they enjoyed carnival during a sunny Barbados holiday, his estranged wife Melissa Meeks appeared to take their continuous insensitivity in her stride as she took to Instagram to show off her sizzling physique soon after.

The brave nurse, 38, appeared to be beginning a post break-up body make-over, posing in her underwear as she showed off her already enviable figure.

Moving on: Jeremy's estranged wife Melissa took to Instagram to show off her sizzling physique last month as she appeared to be beginning a post break-up body make over

Official: Jeremy posted his first public snap with new girlfriend Chloe, heiress to billionaire father Sir Phillip Green's retail fortune at the Barbados carnival last month

Dressed in a black thong, the nurse proudly displayed her toned derriere and flat stomach, teasing a glimpse of her red lace bra.

'Day 1. Week 1. #letsseehowthisgoes', she captioned the racy snap.

And Melissa garnered an influx of supportive messages from followers, who slammed the actions of Jeremy- who Melissa stayed with during his lengthy prison stint.

Supportive: Melissa garnered an influx of supportive messages from followers, who slammed the actions of Jeremy- who Melissa stayed with during his lengthy prison stint

No holding back: Last month Melissa Meeks gave a rare insight into her life post-Jeremy Meeks, as she took to Instagram in a lengthy tirade during the summer

And despite staying maintaining a largely dignified silence over her estranged husband's actions, in July Melissa gave a rare insight into her life post-Jeremy Meeks, as she took to Instagram in a lengthy tirade.

The mother-of-three, who shares a seven-year-old son with the 33-year-old felon turned model, let rip just days after he continued to parade his romance with Chloe.

Taking to Instagram, the nurse shared a snapchot which read: 'I fed mouths that talked sh** about me. I wiped tears from the same people that caused mine. Picked up people that tried to knock me down. Did favours for those who couldn't do sh** for me. Been there for the ones that left me. Crazy? Maybe.'

Mingling with the A list: The model mingled with the likes of superstar rapper Nicki Minaj in Cannes in May- when he reportedly met Chloe

Proving she was taking the high road, the brave beauty concluded: 'But I don't lose myself in the hatred of others. I continue to be me because I can't change who I am. Life ain't easy but through the bullsh** I remain solid. Because I know god got big plans for me.'

'Saw this and felt how REAL it was, so I wanted to share it... #haveablessedday #remember #keepitsolid', she captioned the picture.

And as Chloe and Jeremy engaged in another public round of PDA, wife Melissa finally removed reference to Jeremy on her Instagram bio.

Previously describing herself as 'Wife to Jeremy Meeks' along with a ring emoji, the pretty nurse removed reference to him, keeping the remainder of the bio as 'Blessed beyond belief.. Dedicated to everything I do... Me and my Fam'.

Jeremy sent shock waves across the internet when pictures emerged of him kissing Chloe Green on a yacht in Turkey in June.

Famous friends: Jeremy mingled with socialite Paris Hilton as he modelled for Philip Plein

The duo reportedly met during the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Jeremy was modelling for Phillip Plein.

And in July Jeremy filed for legal separation from mother-of-three Melissa, who he shares her youngest son with.

He was married to the nurse, who stayed with him throughout his stint in prison, for eight years.

Former flames: One of the few remaining pictures left on Melissa's Instagram of the duo shows them kissing just weeks before pictures of him with Chloe surfaced

No longer 'Wife of Jeremy Meeks': After they filed for separation, Melissa finally removed reference to Jeremy on her Instagram bio

She later told the Mail of her devastation, admitting that her husband had been seduced by the glamour of his newfound modelling career.

I know it takes two to tango but she knew he was married. To me, thats unforgivable. My whole world has been torn apart by this. What do I tell our children? My heart is broken.

What sort of woman would do something like this to another woman? My marriage wasnt perfect but I thought it could be saved, until this happened.

Of course Im angry at her. What she did is unforgivable. And Im angry at him too. What they did destroyed my entire world.

Life of luxury: Meeks sent tongues wagging after pictures emerged of him kissing British Topshop heiress Chloe Green on a yacht in Turkey in June

Did either of them think about the children and how this will affect them? Theyre the innocent victims in this. And so am I.

Melissa is mother to his biological child Jeremy Jr, seven, and Robert, 11, Melissas son from a previous relationship. She also has a daughter, 16-year-old Ellie, and says both stepchildren consider Meeks a father figure.

Meeks and Chloe, who is heir to her father Sir Philip's billions, were pictured sharing the intimate kiss aboard a 112,000-a-week yacht in Bodrum.

Family: Melissa is mother to his biological child Jeremy Jr, seven, and Robert, 11, Melissas son from a previous relationship. She also has a daughter, 16-year-old Ellie, and says both stepchildren consider Meeks a father figure

At the time he was still with his wife of eight years, who was seemingly unaware of his new romance until pictures surfaced.

And fans quickly turned on the duo, accusing Chloe of breaking up a marriage.

Chloe was soon forced to delete her Instagram, after followers trolled a gloating post she shared as she snuggled up to married Jeremy.

However she since returned to the social media site, changing her settings to private.

Meeks too has edited his account, deleting all photographs of him and Melissa, which has not gone down with the fans who fell in love with his good looks after his California mugshot went viral in 2014.

Meeks, whose looks have earned him a huge fan base, made his first official modelling appearance at New York fashion week this year, and has certainly turned his life around in an impressive way since his release from prison.

However his journey to stardom hasn't been all smooth-sailing, after he was recently barred from entry to the UK after arriving at London's Heathrow airport from New York.

The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for gang activity and a misdemeanour charge of resisting/obstructing justice.

The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'.
She's stormed runways in Milan and London already this Fashion Month as one of the most sought after models of the moment.

And Arizona Muse, 29, proved she can turn heads both on and off the catwalk as she arrived to the Vivienne Westwood show at Paris Fashion Week on Saturday.

The American model cut an elegant figure outside the event, where Vivienne's weird and wonderful Spring/Summer 2018 designs included hard hats, bubble wrap and head piece plumes which shot more than a metre into the air.

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Chic: Arizona Muse proved she can turn heads both on and off the catwalk as she arrived to the Vivienne Westwood show at Paris Fashion Week on Saturday

Arizona opted for a striking over-sized quilted blazer with gold buttons, layered over a pretty paisley-patterned monochrome shirt.

She kept the look understated yet classy with sweeping wide fit trousers and chic black heeled boots.

She pulled her golden locks back away from her face and up into a bun as she carried a Sonia Rykiel bag - no doubt full of the latest on-trend items.

Glam: The American model, 29, opted for a striking over-sized quilted blazer with gold buttons, layered over a pretty monochrome shirt

That's a wrap: Vivienne's weird and wonderful Spring Summer 2018 designs included hard hats, bubble wrap (pictured) and head piece plumes which shot more than a metre into the air

Weird and wonderful: The celebrated designer, 76, covered many of the models' faces with either slicked locks of hair or splashes of paint

Eye-catching: One design featured a satin-like glitzy bodycon frock worn over blue tights, with the model completing the look with a beautifully detailed floral robe and powder pink veil

At the show the celebrated British designer Vivienne, 76, covered many of the models' faces with either slicked locks of hair or splashes of paint.

One design featured a satin-like glitzy bodycon frock worn over deep blue tights, with the model completing the look with a beautifully detailed floral robe and powder pink veil.

Vivienne is famed for her outlandish shows and designs - which has attracted an A-List following over the years.

Beauty: Arizona also made an appearance at the Years Of MariaCarla party on Friday (above)

Arizona also made an appearance at the Years Of MariaCarla party on Friday night.

She favoured a pretty patterned mini dress that sheathed her model figure at the bodice before breaking into a pleated skirt that sat at her upper thigh.

She teamed her frock with a pair of silver metallic sock boots and wore her cropped blonde tresses in tousled waves swept over to one shoulder.
She is known for her sensational style, especially since unveiling her slimmed-down figure over the summer.

But Holly Willoughby can still wow even while keeping it casual, as she went makeup free for a cheeky Instagram snap on Saturday - in which she was worlds away from the show-stopping ensemble she sported earlier in the week.

The 36-year-old This Morning host showed off her stunning complexion in the photo where she appeared perplexed to be holding a mug with the word 'Granny' emblazoned on it.

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Granny chic: This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby, 36, seemed baffled by her choice of mug in a cheeky Instagram snap on Saturday as she posed with the 'Granny' labelled cup

Holly appeared to joke about the mug, as she posted the photo with the caption 'Errrrm?....'

Holly's flawless skin shone through in the natural snap, in which her blonde tresses were tied back and she cosied up in a fluffy robe.

Fans were similarly amused by the gaffe, with one commenting that she looks more like a 'Glammy'.

The mother-of-three also wowed fans in the tight-fitting sequin rainbow mini-dress on Thursday afternoon for an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show.

Rainbow brights: Holly wowed fans in a stunning Instagram snap showing off her slender figure in a stunning sequin mini dress on Thursday

The presenter teamed the colourful frock with a pair of silver heels, adding inches to her petite frame.

Tying her blonde locks back in a loose bun, Holly showed off her glowing complexion with a natural make-up look.

Sharing a clip of herself sashaying around, the This Morning star beamed as she showed off the glitzy frock, looking thrilled with her choice of outfit.

Captioning the post, she wrote: 'The night I wore a [rainbow] #jonathonrossshow #HWStyle'.

Sensational: The mother-of-three displayed her tiny waist and slender pins in the glitzy tight-fitting number

Radiant: Sharing a clip of herself sashaying around, the This Morning star beamed as she showed off the glitzy frock

Holly will appear on The Jonathan Ross show this Saturday, along with Demi Lovato, Martin Clunes, and James Arthur.

Her latest Instagram update comes as she continued to divide opinion, after posting a shot of herself wearing high-waisted burnt orange trousers.

The statement number cinched in her tiny midriff and fell at a stylish ankle-grazing level, complemented by her strappy brown pointed heels.

With one hand on her hip, the blonde bombshell oozed body confidence as she posed up a storm for the camera.

However, a number of her 2.5 million Instagram followers didn't seem to enjoy her look for the day and encouraged her to revert back to her usual dress sense.

Hit and miss! Holly continued to divide opinion as she resumed her daily outfit documentation with a pair of high-waisted red trousers on Instagram on Thursday morning

'Love Holly, but dont like this outfit Im afraid x'

'Holly you get thinner by the day. Or is it just the filters?'

'Sorry Holly don't like you in trousers or leggings they don't suit you sorry x'

'Nope don't like the trousers' and 'Trousers don't suit at all sorry!!!.love the rest of the outfit '

'Not a good look today and getting by far to skinny ....holly suited her curves.'

'Not sure about this one.'

Usual style: The TV presenter is usually clad in figure-hugging dresses and skirts which show off her sensational curves

'Trousers don't suit you!' A number of her 2.5 million Instagram followers didn't seem to enjoy her look for the day and encouraged her to revert back to her usual dress sense

'I don't like that look sorry Holly makes you look frumpy hun. Shirts OK but those shows and trousers. ....sorry.'

'Thats awful makes you look really frumpy and short shame coz u get it right every time me think you have new stylists this term.'

'Looks like you bought trousers of the wrong size. :/'

The divided opinion continued on Wednesday, as the This Morning presenter shared a snap of herself donning a chic floral-printed shirt dress that highlighted her svelter frame of late.

The blonde beauty appeared to be a hit, thanks to her latest sartorial offering, but found herself subject to comments about her figure, with some fans telling Holly they were missing her usually 'curvaceous' frame.

Dividing opinion: Holly is keen on showing off her fabulous figure in an array of clingy dresses and form-flattering pencil skirts, which have shown off her slimmer stats in recent weeks

'It makes you look frumpy': The backlash over the ensemble continued as fans continued to harp that the trousers didn't 'suit her'

Holly looked simply sensational in her black and white Hobbs London dress that featured a collared neckline and nipped in at the waist, before billowing out around her upper leg.

Its knee-length hem made sure to leave the TV star's pins firmly on view and she added extra height to her ensemble with a pair of strappy black heels.

Sporting a glamorous make-up look, Holly chose to wear her blonde locks down in tousled curls that fell just past her shoulders in a central parting.

Beaming from ear-to-ear, Holly made sure to flash a smile as she updated her following on her latest wardrobe choice, with many fans praising her for her style excellence.

Loving her dress, they took to the comments section in their droves to inform Holly that she looked 'beautiful' in the number. They penned: 'You always look so stunning!!!

Sartorially savvy: Holly appeared to be a hit on Wednesday, thanks to her latest sartorial offering, but found herself subject to comments about her figure

'More radiant than ever': The TV presenter's latest sartorial offering was a hit with her followers, with many praising Holly on how 'beautiful' she looks

'Love today's dress choice and you are looking more radiant than ever.

'Your such a beautiful woman in looks and personality. Broke the mould when they made you.

'Very beautiful I love you in this well done again spot on.'

However, some fans, while complimenting Holly on her appearance, made sure to add that they were missing her famous hourglass frame following her weight loss of late.

'Go steady holly, your beauty is in your curves, stop here , don't go any further,' one fan penned, while another pined: 'Bring our sexy and curvaceous Holly back (Now painfully thin and wrong message) #BringHollyBack.'

Others added: 'Very nice but preferred you more curvy holly; Very beautiful as always but are you losing weight holly. Your looking thinner every time I see you.'

'Go steady Holly': Others, meanwhile, appeared to pine after the beauty's famous curves, as they commented on Holly's svelter frame

Holly's latest post comes after she had touched upon her new slimline figure - that has prompted a flurry of interest from fans - during a recent interview on ITV's Lorraine.

Remaining silent on how she's achieved her new look, Holly simply said: 'My children are a bit older, you get to that point where you have a bit more time to yourself.

'But I think as long as youre happy and healthy that's most important.'

Joking about losing the assets that comedian Keith Lemon memorably dubbed her 'Willough-boobies,' Holly replied: 'I think they're still there, Lorraine.'

Holly has reportedly been training with Lynne Robinson, director of top National Pilates Centre.

New look: Holly's latest post comes after she had touched upon her new slimline figure during an interview on Lorraine, where she joked her Willough-boobies were still there

It's claimed that mother-of-three Holly has been focusing on her core strength and her stomach thanks to exercise including assisted curl ups.

Lynne told MailOnline: 'Pilates is both mind and body training. It is a fabulous method for improving your posture, making your breathing more efficient and for working on your core stability.

'Its a great way to tone up and streamline your body. As you have to focus on your movements, its also a great way to relax.'

Showcasing her honed physique, Holly wowed fans as she displayed possibly her slimmest look to date while sporting a tight white jumper with a chic A-line skirt last week.

Svelte: Showcasing her honed physique, Holly wowed fans as she displayed possibly her slimmest look to date while sporting a tight white jumper with a chic A-line skirt last week

The This Morning host yet again garnered huge praise from fans who gushed over her outfit while others applauded her weight loss, with one fan pointing out: 'You've shrunk!' and another claiming: 'That figure was designed in heaven'.

Holly looked simply sensational in her ensemble which comprised of a polo-neck jumper with a semi-sheer material which was tucked into a waist hugging skirt.

Naturally the comments section was swarmed with praise for the stunning star, with users penning: 'Bang tidy... Absolutely stunning xx... stunning as always x... You've shrunk... You've always looked amazing but I think you look better than ever! X...

'this outfit on you the colour is gorgeous!... Wow hot sexy holly so stunning xx... beautiful work wardrobe style ... but have to wear heels?!... How have you got so lean- you look great x... And that figure is designed by heaven x...

'wish my outfit for work is gorg like this mines jeans top and a tabard lol. n also with I could pull this off lol x what's your weight loss secret ???????...

'It's a bit grannyish!' The day before, in a rare turn of events, Holly was slammed for her outfit choice as she shared a snap in a striped dress to her 2.5 million followers

'This gives me hope that I can wear a turtle neck with boobs!... You show us your lovely outfits, which I love by the way, so please share with us your secret to keeping so slim!! (sic)'

The day before, in a rare turn of events, Holly was slammed for her latest sartorial look as she shared a snap to her 2.5 million followers.

She donned a heavily striped brown dress from Hobbs London - which didn't go down well with her followers who claimed she looked 'grannyish'.

Confidently posing for the camera, Holly clad her famous curves in the shirt-inspired dress which boasted stripes of brown, navy and white hues.

'You usually smash it...': Holly's latest wardrobe choice for This Morning garnered a mixed reaction from fans

'First time i've seen her in something I don't like!' The heavily striped brown dress from Hobbs London - which didn't go down well with her followers who claimed she looked 'grannish'

With one hand on her hips, the blonde beamed as she posed up a storm in towering black heels.

However, while Holly may have expected her usual praise to seep in, she was instead swarmed with a negative response from her Instagram followers:

'No likey today Hollie, sorry' and 'Too old for you. Not the most flattering of dresses.'

'Kinda agree with a few folks not the best dress for you - bit grannyish - but you'd look great in a sack as they say.'

'Beautiful as always!' However, there were dedicated fans who jumped to her defence

'Not your best look!! But you always look good regardless of what you wear. Ooh no, not liking that dress' and 'Awful dress..... too frumpy.'

The backlash continued, with many more offering their opinion of her buttoned dress: 'Absolutely love you but this dress is awful... sorry xx' and 'First time I've seen her in something I don't like xxx

Another fan admitted: 'Nooo awful. Usually smash it, but! Not today.'

However, there were dedicated fans who jumped to her defence: 'BEAUTIFUL as always Holly.'

'You are so beautiful Holly. Gorgeous dress and lovely legs' and 'I like it! would be better with top buttons open though.'

'Oh holly you always look so stunning' and Wow absolutely gorgeous.'
She was one of the hottest fashion icons of the moment throughout the Eighties and Nineties.

So it's no surprise Cindy Crawford channelled Eighties glamour at the Re/Done Collection At Colette party during Paris Fashion Week in the French capital on Saturday.

The sensational supermodel, 51, still looked the spitting image of her model heyday as she styled a leather biker jacket and blue frayed jeans.

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Blast from the past! Cindy Crawford channelled Eighties glamour at the Re/Done Collection At Colette party during Paris Fashion Week in the French capital on Saturday

The catwalk queen showcased her incredibly slim figure when she tucked her plain white T-shirt into her skinny jeans.

Adding to her statuesque height of 5' 7", the style maven treated the streets like a runway as she sashayed past in sky-scraper high platform heels which featured a lace-up front design.

The fashionista injected some drama and sparkle into her casually glamorous attire with huge hooped earrings that peeked out through her glossy tresses.

Wow: The sensational supermodel, 51, looked the spitting image of her supermodel heyday as she styled a leather biker jacket and blue frayed jeans

With her trademark brunette tresses in loosely-tousled waves, the fashion icon proved her beauty stood the test of time.

Youthful Cindy put her hands on her hips and posed up a storm when she worked her model magic in front of the cameras.

The brunette bombshell quit full-time modelling in 2000 to focus on her children, 16-year-old Kaia and 18-year-old Presley.

Still in her skinnies! The catwalk queen showcased her incredibly slim figure when she tucked her plain white T-shirt into her skinny jeans

Standing tall: Adding to her statuesque height of 5' 7", the style maven treated the streets like a runway as she sashayed past in sky-scraper high platform heels with a lace-up front design

Cindy shares the duo - who have both been making their own marks in the modelling world this Fashion Month - with her husband of almost 20 years Rande Gerber.

The pair have certainly learnt from the best, as the all-American beauty is said to have featured on around 500 magazine covers

She has also walked for shows including Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, DKNY and Valentino.

Fashion parade: The style icon proved her beauty stood the test of time, accentuating her features with a neutral make-up palette

Work it: The supermodel tossed her brunette tresses back in beachy waves as she worked her irresistible charm for the camera in the stunning shots

Youthful: Cindy posed up a storm as she worked her model magic in front of the cameras

The model, whose net worth is an estimated $100million according to The Richest, moved on to acting after her success on the runway.

She has also ventured into business with her eponymous furniture range.

The mother-of-two recently gushed about her overwhelming pride for her children and their accomplishments.

Model entrance! She wowed when she stepped out of her waiting car for the event in France

Change of heart: The brunette bombshell quit full-time modelling in 2000 to focus on her children 16-year-old Kaia and 18-year-old Presley but proved she can still pose up a storm

Cindy told Vanity Fair: 'You know what, it's been really fun for me to see my kids get their feet wet in the fabulous world of fashion.

'The advice I give them is more about reminders - like be on time, be prepared, be professional, don't be on your phone, talk to people, and have fun.

'They both have good heads on their shoulders, and I'm not worried.'
She is famed for sizzling Mexican looks - complete with raven tresses and olive skin.

Yet Salma Hayek was evidently feeling a change on Saturday as she put on a show-stopping display while debuting a new blonde do as she joined her husband Francois-Henri Pinault and Vogue editor Anna Wintour at Paris Fashion Week.

The 51-year-old Frida star looked incredible at the Altuzarra show as she rocked a bold pink trouser suit with a Victoriana-inspired frilled shirt while preparing to drink in the Spring/Summer 2018 designs.

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Blonde beauty: Salma Hayek was evidently feeling a change on Saturday as she put on a show-stopping display while debuting a new blonde do as she joined her husband Francois-Henri Pinault and Vogue editor Anna Wintour at Paris Fashion Week

Salma has rarely experimented with her looks in the past, making for the blonde dye to be a shock new look for the stunning star.

The chic hair was styled into an asymmetric bob with a centre parting while her make-up was flawlessly styled with a smouldering eye.

Opting for pure glamour, reminiscent to Reese Witherspoon's beloved Legally Blonde character Elle Woods, she sported the bold pink trouser suit with the ruffled blouse - nailing the playful business look.

Joining her, Vogue Editor-in-chief Anna made her way to the FROW wearing her statement shades indoors as she watched the fashion.

Pink to make the boys wink: The 51-year-old Frida star looked incredible at the Altuzarra show as she rocked a bold pink trouser suit with a Victoriana-inspired frilled shirt as she prepared to drink in the Spring/Summer 2018 designs

Who's who? Salma looked worlds away from her brunette self (Pictured left in May)

Happy days: Salma was cosied up to Francois-Henri and fashion supremo Anna

The beauty recently admitted she has never been disciplined when it comes to exercise - and is even less inclined to work out since turning 50.

Opening up to NET-A-PORTER's digital magazine The EDIT, the Desperado star confessed she has never succumbed to the size pressures of Hollywood, though she insisted she does like to look good for her husband, French businessman Francois-Henri.

She confessed: 'I will sometimes say, "I am 51 years old! Why do I have to look good? I already got my guy!" But then, I dont want to lose the guy, either.'

Suited and booted: Salma has rarely experimented with her looks in the past, making for the blonde dye to be a shock new look for the stunning star

Admitting that she loves her shapely silhouette, the mother-of-one continued: 'I love the word "curvy"; it's artistic.

'A straight line can be boring. [But] I'm not going to lie to you, I would like the curve to go in instead of out in some places.'

The candid interview also saw Salma reveal that Francois-Henri, who is the chairman and CEO of luxury fashion conglomerate Kering, calls her 'electric'.
She's best known for her modelling work as a Victoria's Secret Angel.

And Sara Sampaio sexed up her heavenly good looks when she put on a devilishly hot parade during the Elie Saab show during Paris Fashion Week in France on Saturday.

The Portuguese born beauty, 26, drew attention to her neverending legs in the sizzling electric blue leotard which caught the eye with its decorative tassel overlay.

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Leggy lady: Sara Sampaio sexed up her heavenly good looks when she put on a devilishly hot parade during the Elie Saab show for Paris Fashion Week in France on Saturday

The form-fitting garment was brought in at her tiny waist with a contrasting black belt to show off her slender figure.

The supermodel also showcased her impressive cleavage in the plunging neckline of the slinky leotard.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model threw on a studded biker jacket, complete with a buckle, for an edgy effect on the runway.

Put on a parade: The Portuguese born beauty, 26, drew attention to her lengthy legs in the sizzling electric blue leotard which caught the eye with its decorative tassel overlay

Adding a splash of different colour to her catwalk ensemble, the magazine cover queen accessorised with a multicolored arrow necklace.

The fashionista boosted her statuesque height in turquoise sky-scraper high stilettos as she walked with poise and grace.

Sara joined the great and the good of the fashion industry on the catwalk, including famous faces Winnie Harlow and Cindy Bruna.

Wow: The form-fitting garment was brought in at the waist with a contrasting black belt to show off her slender figure

Splash of colour: The magazine cover queen accessorised with a multicolored arrow necklace

Sara has been out in full force for Paris Fashion Week in the French capital.

It's no surprise the American-based beauty stole the show for the Elie Saab collection as she admitted she has a lot of body confidence.

The style maven admitted she is comfortable stripping off for photoshoots in an interview with NET-A-PORTER.com's digital magazine The EDIT in August last year.

Edgy effect: The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model threw on a studded biker jacket, complete with a buckle

Vibrant: Sara joined stunning models Winnie Harlow and Cindy Bruna (L-R) on the runway at the prestigious Elie Saab Paris Fashion Week Show

Rocking a sexy vibe: The supermodel also showcased her impressive cleavage in the plunging neckline of the slinky leotard

Of her modelling, she told the publication: 'I'm pretty comfortable stripping down to my underwear, as long as there's respect around me.

'Doing nude shots is all about the connection you have with the photographer, nothing else.

'Some photographers make me feel super easy and I trust them, but there are some I don't even want to take my clothes off in front of.'

Off the catwalk: The Victoria's Secret Angel proved she was a natural when she posed up a storm with Martha Hunt backstage
She sizzled in a braless cocktail dress for a night out in the French capital on Friday.

But Emily Ratajkowski looked uncharacteristically understated in a black blouse and jeans at Paris Fashion Week's Altuzarra show on Saturday.

The model, 26, also opted for hair extensions despite having used another sartorial event earlier in the seven day festival to debut her newly-cropped do.

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Rata-low-key: Emily Ratajkowski looked uncharacteristically understated in a black blouse and jeans at Paris Fashion Week's Altuzarra show on Saturday

The American beauty kept things low-key in the chic black blouse, which was jazzed up with a pretty floral frill tracing a line from the plunging V neck to the top's hem.

Emily added to the casual look by rolling up her sleeves as she held a leather look checked clutch in both hands, posing in front of the runway behind her.

The actress and covergirl completed the look with bold smudges of dark eyeliner, grey jeans and black open-toed heels.

Gold rush! Emily went braless in a slinky shimmering cocktail dress as she displayed her newly-chopped locks on Friday

Long locks: The model, 26, also opted for hair extensions despite having used another sartorial event earlier in the seven day festival to debut her newly-cropped do

Working it: The American beauty kept things low key in the chic black blouse, which was jazzed up with a pretty floral frilled section tracing a line from the plunging V neck to the top's hem

Working it: The stunner posted sultry photos of the shimmering garment on Instagram on Friday

Double vision: The model flaunted her enviable figure in the mirror for her social media fans

Working it: Emily switched the catwalk for the pavement as she stepped out in Paris

Blonde beauty: Emily was joined by Salma Hayek who put on a show-stopping display while debuting a new dyed do as she joined her husband Francois-Henri Pinault at the show

Leggy: The tight fit of Emily's grey jeans allowed her to flaunt her athletic physique

Emily was joined by Salma Hayek who put on a show-stopping display while debuting a new blonde do as she joined her husband Francois-Henri Pinault and Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

The 51-year-old Frida star rocked a bold pink trouser suit with a Victoriana-inspired frilled shirt while preparing to drink in the Spring/Summer 2018 designs.

On Friday evening Emily left the Ritz Hotel to embark on another evening out in the French capital, wearing a slinky golden dress on her way out to the Harper's Bazaar 150th anniversary bash.

Turning heads: The brunette beauty was surrounded by fans in the French capital

Pink to make the boys wink: The 51-year-old Frida star rocked a bold pink trouser suit with a Victoriana-inspired frilled shirt as she prepared to drink in the Spring/Summer 2018 designs

Wow-factor: Her cropped brunette tresses were strikingly different to her long locks seen earlier in the week (right)

Stunning: Emily looked typically incredible as she sashayed out of the building in the shimmery number, which hugged her frame in all the right places

The model went braless in the plunging number that showcased her sensational frame in the almost Grecian-inspired ensemble.

Emily looked typically incredible as she sashayed out of the building in the shimmery number, which hugged her frame in all the right places.

The metal mesh dress was handmade in New York by a team of fashion experts at Morphew who hand-linked vintage Whiting & Davis mesh together over the course of one month to create it.

Chic: She kept her accessories in sync with the rest of the look, making sure she was dripping in gold from head to toe with a pair of heels and a clutch purse in the same tones

Get the look: The fashion star favoured a bronzed smokey-eye and contoured cheeks, completing her look

She kept her accessories in sync with the rest of the look, making sure she was dripping in gold from head to toe with a pair of heels and a clutch purse in the same tones.

Her cropped brunette tresses were lightly tousled in waves, while her make-up made sure to accentuate her striking features with a natural creamy tone and a slick of nude gloss on her lips.

The busy model and actress will join Natalie Dormer in the thriller In Darkness - a psychological revenge thriller about blind musician who hears a murder committed in the apartment above her.

Busy: She was on her way out to the Harper's Bazaar 150th anniversary

Partying hard: The busy model and actress has attended various star-studded events this week

Sultry: Emily was not shying away from her usually scanty wardrobe choices in the braless plunging number

Emily will also take the lead in romance, Cruise, which is set in the 1980s and follows the tale of a young Italian-American who falls in love with a Jewish girl from Long Island.

In 2018 Emily will then star alongside Amy Schumer and Michelle Williams for the comedy, I Feel Pretty, due out June 29, 2018.

She will also join Aaron Paul for the chiller, Welcome Home, about a couple's romantic trip to a cottage in the Italian countryside that turns into a nightmare.

Sleek: The dress clung to Emily's supermodel frame

Model behaviour! Showcasing her own catwalk credentials, Emily stunned as left the hotel
They have just wrapped up working on their latest movie together.

And Penelope Cruz, 43, and Javier Bardem, 48, couldn't take their hands off of each other as they blaze the promotion trail for Loving Pablo, this time unveiling the movie at the 65th San Sebastian Film Festival in their native Spain on Sunday.

On the arm of her husband, the Spanish actress wowed as she went braless to best showcase her gravity-defying cleavage in the one-shoulder dress, while Javier certainly seemed appreciative of her assets.

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Completely smitten: Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem couldn't take their hands off of each other on the red carpet for the Loving Pablo premiere for the 65th San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain on Sunday

Open Your Eyes star Penelope oozed sex appeal as she paraded her lengthy pins in the soaring split of the sparkling gown.

The movie star flaunted her svelte figure in the form-fitting dress which also featured a billowing sleeve for added drama.

Ensuring all eyes were secured on her sparkling number, the Hollywood beauty kept her accessories to a minimum wearing only drop earrings.

Only eyes for you! Javier can't take his eyes off of his beautiful wife Penelope

What a figure: The 43-year-old Spanish actress wowed when she went braless to best showcase her gravity-defying cleavage in the one-shoulder dress

Sparkling: The movie star flaunted her svelte figure in the form-fitting dress which also featured a billowing sleeve for added drama

The raven-haired beauty put her youthful beauty on display as she scooped her locks off her face into a ponytail.

The leading lady boosted her petite height with elegant ivory sky-scraper high stilettos, which made her appear taller next to her statuesque husband.

Dressed for the occasion, Javier put his Spanish good looks on display as he wore a navy two piece suit with confidence.

The couple proved to be more in love than ever as they wrapped their arms securely around each other's waists.

Test of time: The raven-haired beauty put her youthful beauty on display as she scooped her locks off her face into a ponytail

Hollywood lovebirds Penelope and Javier returned to the film set to shoot Loving Pablo which tells the controversial true romance of married drug lord Pablo Escobar and journalist Virginia Vallejo.

The handsome hunk recently revealed the pair were careful not to bring the dark subject material into their home after a busy day filming.

Speaking to E! News, Javier said: 'One of the joys, and the fun of what we do, is to create. We were very careful [during shooting] to make sure we kept that joy and that we keep being able to create and use our imagination.'

How to accessorise: She toted a sparkling clutch handbag which matched her dress

And opening up about his new role, he added: 'Thanks to all the documentaries and films, we know more about Pablo now than we ever have before.

'When I started to dig into this character almost 10 years ago, he wasn't as much in the public eye. I was attracted to this movie because it's about what's in his mind, how he could have that greed when he basically had it all.'

As for their own romance story, the couple fell madly in love with each other when they starred in the Woody Allen-directed 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' in 2008.

Raunchy: Open Your Eyes star Penelope oozed sex appeal as she paraded her lengthy pins in the soaring split of the sparkling gown

Penelope scooped an Academy Award for playing Javier's emotionally unstable love interest in the movie.

The married lovers tied the knot during the summer of 2010 in a private ceremony at a friend's home in the Bahamas.

They raise their four-year-old daughter Luna and six-year-old son Leo at their home.

People pleaser: The raven-haired beauty posed up a storm with fans for selfies
Their first performance on the much-anticipated fifteenth season of Strictly Come Dancing sent tongues wagging as they engaged in a rather steamy smooch.

And Debbie McGee, 58, and Giovanni Pernice, 27, caused controversy once again, when their second top score of the night earned them a top space on the leaderboard.

Upset viewers took to Twitter to express their outrage, branding the decision unfair due to her background in professional ballet.

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Soaring to the top! Late magician Paul Daniel's widow Debbie McGee, 58, and Giovanni performed a Viennese Waltz to Shes Always A Woman by Billy Joel, earning them the top overall score of the night

Sweeping onto the dance floor in a sky blue floor-length gown the late magician Paul Daniel's widow performed a Viennese Waltz to Shes Always A Woman by Billy Joel with Giovanni Pernice.

After causing controversy with their kissing skit last week, the duo put on a more classically romantic performance, winning them a standing ovation from the thrilled judges.

A usually stern Craig branded the performance 'amazing' and the couple were scored an impressive 34,- beat only by Alexandra Burke, and topping the leader board after last week's scores were added, smashing the night's scores.

But despite impressing the judges, viewers were not quite as happy with the results, sending Twitter into overdrive after accusing Debbie of having professional dance experience.

'She's a trained ballet dancer!' Despite impressing the judges, viewers were not quite as happy with the results, sending Twitter into overdrive after accusing Debbie of having professional dance experience

'She's a trained ballet dancer!' one viewer wrote, while another angry fan tweeted: 'Amazing? She should be! She's only been doing it for 51 years'.

'Why is Debbie McGee allowed on when she was a ballet dancer? She has an upper hand on the dancers,' one fan questioned.

Meanwhile Tess Daly put on a confident display as she opened the second live show of the series on Saturday, dressed in a strapless nude jumpsuit which made the most of her statuesque physique.

Wearing her glossy blonde hair in tumbling waves, the 48-year-old presenter was joined by Claudia Winkleman, 45, who sizzled in a black bardot dress.

Aston Merrygold and Ruth Langsford began the show in the lead, topping the board with the leading scores following last week's first live show.

Turning heads: Tess Daly opened the second live show of the series on Saturday, dressed in a strapless nude jumpsuit which made the most of her statuesque physique

And opening the show with a touch of comedy was Holby City actress Chizzy Akudolu, 43, and Pasha who performed the Foxtrot to Im a Woman from Smokey Joes Cafe.

Dressed in a plunging purple frock, she started the skit with a fun scene by the breakfast table, before breaking into the Foxtrot to the sound of rapturous cheers from an applauding audience.

But Shirley Ballas didn't agree, calling her performance disappointing and too 'lumpy for her taste'.

Stunning duo: Wearing her glossy blonde hair in tumbling waves, the 48-year-old presenter was joined by Claudia Winkleman, 45, who sizzled in a black bardot dress

Tense: Saturday marked the first show open to the vote, with eliminations taking place on Sunday

'I want more sophistication,' Shirley added, but Chizzy quipped back: 'I'm not a Rolls Royce, too expensive'.

'Too sassy too soon', Bruno Tonioli added, putting the disappointed dancer firmly in her place. Pulling no punches, a stern Craig Revel Horwood added 'more Foxtrott and less musical theatre.'

Darcey was kinder, gushing: 'I don't want to cut any of that enthusiasm', applauding her performance value. Taking it in her stride, Chizzy had more important things to attend to.

'Sorry to all the black woman around the world', Chizzy laughed, 'I just have to do this', she added before adjusting her wig.

The performance won the couple a score of 16 and added to last week's score making an overall score of 37.

First up: Opening the show with a touch of comedy was Holby City actress Chizzy Akudolu, 43, and Pasha will perform the Foxtrot to Im a Woman from Smokey Joes Cafe.

'Sorry to all the black woman around the world', Chizzy laughed, 'I just have to do this', she added before adjusting her wig

Next was JLS star Aston Merrygold, 29, Aston Merrygold and Janette who gave a colourful Salsa to Despacito (Remix) by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft Justin Bieber.

Unfortunately Janette suffered a little tumble on her head, but she styled it out quickly and Bruno appeared impressed with their performance.

'I've never seen such a difficult sequence of lifts', he gushed, impressed.

The thrilled judges gave them an impressive score of 32 and the duo were thrilled with the results.

Scottish museum Susan Calman, 42, and Kevin won an impressive basic score of 32 with their hit performance of a Charleston to If You Knew Susie by Enoch Light and The Charleston City All-Stars.

Festival themed: Next was JLS star Aston Merrygold, 29, Aston Merrygold and Janette who gave a colourful Salsa to Despacito (Remix) by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee ft Justin Bieber

Oops! Unfortunately Janette suffered a little tumble on her head, but she styled it out quickly and Bruno appeared impressed with their performance

And Charlotte stunned in a glitzy plunging silver mini dress, showing off her shapely pins and enviable curves as she took to the stage.

But her less than confident performance failed to impress the judges after they accused her of losing her rhythm early on.

'To flirt on live TV is not an easy thing and you recovered well from you losing your timing', Darcey said, 'but you'll come back stronger'.

But ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins, 42, and Brendan's Cha Cha to Sugar by Maroon 5 earned them a distinctly lukewarm reception from the judging panel.

Not all that glitters? ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins, 42, and Brendan's Cha Cha to Sugar by Maroon 5 earned them a distinctly lukewarm reception from the judging panel

Not distracted: Despite the blonde beauty's eye-popping appearance, her performance was branded a 'dance disaster' but a stern Bruno Tonioli

Despite the blonde beauty's eye-popping appearance, her performance was branded a 'dance disaster' but a stern Bruno Tonioli.

And Craig branded the piece 'a dance disaster' with the duo scored a more modest basic score of 12.

'You did brilliantly last week and your score will be added to that 12 so don't despair', Claudia told the couple optimistically.

Looking discouraged, the couple gave a cheering crowd a brave wave before disappearing off stage.

'You did brilliantly last week and your score will be added to that 12 so don't despair', Claudia told the couple optimistically

Cranford star Joe McFadden, 41, and Katya were up next, dancing the Tango to Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran.

Katya stunned in a plunging blue floor-length dress, performing to a clapping crowd.

Their dance got a lukewarm reaction from the panel, scoring a score of 22 out of 40.

Joining bottom of the leader board were comedian Brian Conley, 53, and Amy who performed the Cha Cha to Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches and Herb and they recovered their overall score with an impressive scoring from the panel.

Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson, 32, and dance partner Aljaz Waltzing to an Italian version of A Time For Us by Josh Groban.

The fifteenth series show kicked off on the 10th September, revealing the hotly-anticipated pairings

The newly shaken-up judging panel headed up by Shirley Bassas after Len Goodman retired earlier this year

Gemma put on a head-turning display in a plunging sequin blue dress, but it was her dance that impressed the judges.

The blonde beauty's performance was rated as 'very impressive', winning them a score of 27.

Winning a score of just 2 last week, Rev. Richard Coles, 55, and Dianne performed an American Smooth to Love Really Hurts Without You by Billy Ocean.

Giving last year's Ed Balls a run for his money with his questionable moves, his performance was met by a wailing Darcey- before she surprisingly added 'I love you'.

Natural: Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson, 32, and dance partner Aljaz Waltzing to an Italian version of A Time For Us by Josh Groban

Racy: Next up was presenter Ruth Langsford, 57, and Anton who performed a Charleston to 'The Charleston' by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys

'Falling petals have more grace', a cutting Craig added honestly to boos from the crowd.

And despite the somewhat stiff performance, Richard won a score of 17.

Next up was presenter Ruth Langsford, 57, and Anton who performed a Charleston to 'The Charleston' by Bob Wilson and his Varsity Rhythm Boys.

Ruth put on a rather saucy display in a red wig and sixties gold sequin dress, with her dance being praised by the judges with a top score.

Despite a hamstring injury, contracted during practice, Ruth managed to score an impressive 20.

TV chef Simon Rimmer, 54, and Karen Clifton performed an emotional Waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Checkmate! Speeding up the tempo is Eastenders star Davood Ghadami, 36, who will perform a Quickstep to Last Nite by The Strokes with Nadiya.

And the performance resulted in Shirley Ballas almost breaking down, giving an emotional tribute to the song and winning them a high score.

'That song means a lot of different things to different people', she said, her voice breaking and eyes welling up,' so thank you for that performance'.

Saturdays star Mollie King, 30, was up next with AJ, performing the Tango to Addicted To Love by Tina Turner.

'You certainly connected with your partner', Bruno teased of Mollie King and AJ's on-screen chemistry, before demonstrating with Shirley how you should hold your partner

Referring to boob-gate? He then threw his hands up and exclaiming: 'I didn't touch anything!'

With the screens set to black and white, the blonde beauty's scarlet frock and bold red lip stood out as she gave a confident performance to the hit song.

Following their performance AJ picked her up in excitement, thrilled with the results of their dance.

'You certainly connected with your partner', Bruno teased of their on-screen chemistry, demonstrating with Shirley how you should hold your partner- before holding his hands up and exclaiming: 'I didn't touch anything!'

The impressed panel scored the thrilled couple with a high score of 25.

Red hot: Saturdays star Mollie King, 30, and AJ will Tango to Addicted To Love by Tina Turner

Sprint runner Jonnie Peacock, 34, and Oti performed an energetic Jive to Johnny B Goode by Chuck Berry and got a standing ovation from the crowd, getting a score of 29.

Next up was Debbie Mcgee's controversial performance with Italian dancer Giovannie Pernice, earning them a top score and giving them the overall lead on the night.

Speeding up the tempo is Eastenders star Davood Ghadami, 36, who will perform a Quickstep to Last Nite by The Strokes with Nadiya.

Craig and Bruno branded the energy of the dance 'incredible' and the couple got a high score of 27.

A touch of romance: TV chef Simon Rimmer, 54, and Karen Clifton performed a graceful Waltz to You'll Never Walk Alone by Rodgers and Hammerstein

Final couple on the dance floor were songstress Alexandra Burke, 29, and dance partner Gorka, who performed a Paso Doble to On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez.

Giving Debbie and Giovanni's kiss a run for its money, the duo ended the performance in a mock kiss, and a breathless Alexandra Burke got a standing ovation.

The awe-struck panel, receiving the night's top score of 36 and smashing the show's scores- but still falling behind Debbie after last week's scores were added up.

With Debbie in the lead, Rev Richard and Charlotte Hawkins fell to the bottom of the leader board, relying on the public's score ahead of Sunday's elimination.

Confident: Gemma Atkinson looked in good spirits as she headed to the Elstree studios ahead of Saturday's show

Judging panel: Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli

The fifteenth series show kicked off on the 10th September, revealing the hotly-anticipated pairings, with the newly shaken-up judging panel headed up by Shirley Bassas after Len Goodman retired earlier this year.

She joins the traditional Strictly judging panel, which consists of Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli and Darcey Bussell.



As well as pairings, the show also featured a touching tribute to he late Sir Bruce Forsyth, who hosted the show from its 2004 until bowing out in 2013.

Tess Daly, who hosted the show alongside Sir Bruce, broke down in tears as she lead a special dedication to the beloved entertainer.

She is joined by Claudia Winkleman, with the duo replacing the former replacing the former presenting trio.

The second live show- and first live vote off with the results being shown on Sunday, took place tonight.

Eager: Die-hard Strictly fans camped out overnight to get tickets to the coveted show

The first live show last week got off to a controversial start, after Bruno Tonioli outraged fans when he appeared to cup Shirley Ballas' breast.

According to The Sun Strictly Come Dancing bosses have reportedly been hit by a barrage of complaints from fans about the incident and are said to be investigating after around 20 people objected.

A source told the website that although Bruno's behaviour was meant to be 'harmless' viewers did not feel the same.

They said: 'The BBC has now received formal complaints and will be officially looking into them to decide whether Brunos behaviour was acceptable.

'He obviously thought it was light-hearted fun, but you could tell Tess was shocked by her reaction. She looked completely aghast.

'Bruno is obviously a larger-than- life sort of character but a number of viewers felt that touching a womans chest like that even in jest sends out the wrong message.

The BBC declined to comment when approached by Mail Online.

Strictly Pairings - The Men Aston Merrygold & Janette Manrara Brian Conley & Amy Dowden Davood Ghadami & Nadiya Bychkova Joe McFadden & Katya Jones Jonnie Peacock & Oti Mabuse Reverend Richard Coles & Dianne Buswell Simon Rimmer & Karen Clifton Advertisement
She's the Australian actress who famously took out an Apprehended Violence Order on then-partner Matthew Newton after alleged 'unprovoked attacks'.

And now Rachael Taylor has opened up about being an advocate for domestic violence.

The 33-year-old said on Sunday that she is proud of the advocacy she has provided and plans to continue to speak out against domestic violence.

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'I'll take any opportunity': Rachael Taylor opens up on being an advocate for domestic violence

'I'll take any opportunity I can see for a conversation to open up around it,' Rachael told Stellar.

The movie star said her reason for constantly talking about the issue is because it 'destigmatises' it.

However Rachael revealed that her strenuous filming schedule means she isn't as effective as she'd like to be in battling the issue.

'I feel a little bit pulled  it's tough being based in the US as much as I am, as I'd love to do more,' she told the publication.

Speaking out: The 33-year-old said on Sunday that she is proud of the advocacy she has provided and plans to continue to speak out against domestic violence

'I'll take any opportunity I can see for a conversation to open up around it,' Rachael told Stellar

The blonde beauty's latest role has been playing radio host Trish Walker on Netflix original series Jessica Jones.

Rachael also paid tribute to her unionist and 'feminist' grandfather, who she said she owes her outspoken nature to.

'He always encouraged me, and dismissed that idea that women should be seen and not heard,' she said.

Troubled relationship: Rachael's continued advocacy comes after she lodged an Apprehended Violence Order against Matthew in August 2010

Rachael's continued advocacy comes after she lodged an Apprehended Violence Order against Matthew in August 2010.

The couple ended their troubled relationship that same year after two years together.

She has spent the past four years with photographer beau Mike Piscitelli, who she said will be a 'permanent fixture' in her life.
Meeting between Mr Le Minh Hung, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (left side) and Ms. Sandie Okoro, Senior Vice President and World Bank Group General Counsel, in Hanoi on September 26th, 2017.

Ms. Okoro held technical meetings with the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, the Ministers of Finance, and Justice. The discussions showcased the strong partnership between Vietnam and the World Bank and explored opportunities for continued Bank support. Issues discussed included areas where the Bank has been providing technical advice, the fiscal constraints faced by Vietnam, and the importance of capacity building for institutional strengthening.

Vietnam has made significant achievements in poverty reduction and economic growth, and it needs to tell its development story out loud. I would like to reaffirm the longstanding partnership between Vietnam and the World Bank Group, said Ms Sandie Okoro.

Ms. Okoro had a fruitful discussion with women representatives of the private sector where she learnt how Vietnamese women are drivers of growth and contribute to all aspects of Vietnamese economy and other areas, such as climate change. She also learnt about the constraints facing Vietnamese women in the public and private sector.

During her meeting and inspirational talks with hundreds of students of Hanoi University of Law, Ms. Okoro shared her own life experience starting as a law student like them and stressed the importance of being humble, resilient, kind and helpful to all, especially embedding integrity in anything they do.

As part of her visit to the Medium Cities Development Project financed by the World Bank in Phu Ly city on September 28th, Ms. Okoro met with provincial leaders and officials as well as beneficiaries including students and teachers from kindergarten and schools financed by the project. She also saw firsthand how project helps to improve basic infrastructure and services including water supply and environmental sanitation and rehabilitation of urban roads and bridges.

The Bank provides analytical and technical support in a wide range of development areas in Vietnam and is currently financing 51 IDA and IBRD projects, totaling USD10.5 billion.

Areas of strategic focus include enabling inclusive growth and private sector participation, ensuring environmental sustainability and resilience, and investing in people and knowledge./.
He notoriously disagreed with director Ridley Scott about fundamental elements of his character in 1982 film Blade Runner.

And now that Harrison Ford has reprised his role as Deckard for Blade Runner 2049, the actor has admitted he still doesn't look back at his time on the original film with fondness.

Speaking to The Herald-Sun on Sunday, the 75-year-old described shooting the sci-fi classic as a 'tough' experience.

'It's not always supposed to be fun': On Sunday, Harrison Ford (pictured) told The Herald-Sun that shooting Blade Runner was 'tough'

'Listen, it's a job. It's not always supposed to be fun. And sometimes it's tough, that's all. But it's never as tough as real job,' he told the publication.

One of the actor's main frustrations at the time was that Ridley envisioned Harrison's character as a 'replicant' (a bioengineered or biorobotic android).

Meanwhile, Harrison vehemently disagreed with this stance, instead seeing his character as a human cop.

'The issues that I wrestled with, it's just part of the business of interpreting the character': One of Harrison's main sources of frustrations was that director Ridley Scott envisioned the actor's character differently

The actor admitted that this somewhat tainted his memories of making the movie.

'The issues that I wrestled with, it's just part of the business of interpreting the character and the issue of who that character was exactly is well described. I'm not going back there again. It was just a tough shoot.'

Also adding to the misery were the constant wet and night shoots Harrison endured in order to create the dark, dystopian world.

Harsh environment: Also adding to the misery were the constant wet and night shoots Harrison and the other actors in the film endured

However, despite his tough past experience, Harrison said he relished being able to return for Blade Runner 2049.

'I was delighted to have the opportunity to revisit that world,' he said.

The new film, in which he stars alongside Ryan Gosling, has a different director this time around, with Denis Villeneuve taking the reins for the reboot.
Agence France-Presse reporter Paul Guihard was murdered on the campus of the University of Mississippi on September 30, 1962, the only journalist known to have been killed during the 1960s civil rights protests in the United States

It was the evening of September 30, 1962 when Agence France-Presse reporter Paul Guihard arrived at the campus of the University of Mississippi.

Tear gas choked the grounds as US marshals clashed with rock-throwing students and others opposed to the admission of the first African-American to the all-white school known as "Ole Miss."

Before the night was done, the 30-year-old Guihard would be dead, shot in the back by a bullet that pierced his heart.

He was the only journalist known to have been killed during the civil rights movement which roiled the United States in the 1960s.

His murder was never solved.

Guihard's death, and the stories of 12 American journalists who covered the violence surrounding the 1962 desegregation of the campus, are the subject of a new book, "We Believed We Were Immortal," by Dr. Kathleen Wickham, a professor of journalism at the University of Mississippi.

The book, published by Yoknapatawpha Press, was released on Saturday to mark the 55th anniversary of Guihard's murder and the rioting at the University of Mississippi against the enrollment of James Meredith, a black US Air Force veteran.

Wickham, in an interview with AFP, said she was drawn to Guihard's story because it has largely been forgotten.

"I've been personally offended that a reporter was killed and nothing was written about it," she said. "I wanted him to be recognized."

She was also determined to try to figure out what happened that night to Guihard on the "Ole Miss" campus, where hundreds of US marshals clashed with several thousand opponents of integration until US troops were sent in to restore order.

"I've worked on it as an investigation to try to determine who murdered him," she said. "Because someone out there knows what happened."

The Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice closed its investigation into Guihard's death in 2011 without filing any charges and Wickham, despite her intensive digging, was unable to reach any definitive conclusions.

"Though theories abound, Paul's murder remains a mystery," she writes in the book.

What is clear is that Guihard was deliberately targeted that evening. The .38 caliber bullet that killed him was fired into his back from less than a foot away, according to the autopsy report.

- Guihard's final day -

The son of an English mother and a French father, Guihard grew up in St Malo on France's west coast and served in the British Army in Cyprus, according to the book.

A burly man with red hair and a red beard, Guihard was a copy editor in AFP's New York bureau when he was sent to Mississippi to cover the conflict surrounding desegregation, according to the book.

Guihard was accompanied on his final assignment by a photographer, Sammy Schulman, a 56-year-old New Yorker.

After flying from New York to Jackson, Mississippi, Guihard and Schulman rented a white Chevrolet and headed to governor's mansion, where 3,000 people were attending a rally against integration sponsored by the White Citizens Council, the book recounts.

After the rally, Guihard went to interview the executive director of the White Citizens Council and filed what was to be his last story from the offices of the group, Wickham writes.

A historical marker on the campus of the University of Mississippi recounts the murder of Agence France-Presse reporter Paul Guihard, the only journalist known to have been killed during the 1960s civil rights movement

Guihard and Schulman then decided to drive to the University of Mississippi in Oxford, about fours hours away.

During the drive they listened on the radio to an 8:00 pm speech by President John F. Kennedy, who had ordered US marshals to enforce court rulings that Meredith be allowed to attend classes at the University of Mississippi.

Guilhard and Schulman arrived at the troubled campus around 8:40 pm, shortly after Kennedy's speech had concluded, and were stopped by a Mississippi State Highway patrolman.

"I can't guarantee your life or property if you drive in," Wickham quoted the patrolman as warning the pair.

Guilhard and Schulman acknowledged the warning and continued on to the campus, parking their car and agreeing to meet up again at the vehicle in an hour.

Less than 10 minutes later Guihard was dead.
With a lack of clean water and toilets aid workers say a major health disaster is imminent at Rohingya refugee camps. Doctors are reporting a spike in cases of diarrhoea, especially among children.

Rashida Begum steers clear of the water pump near the reeking latrine shared by more than 100 families in a grim corner of Bangladesh that has grown into one of the world's largest refugee settlements in just weeks.

"The pump works, but the water stinks, so we don't drink it," the Rohingya woman said in the squalid camp where her family of 11 has lived since fleeing Myanmar a fortnight ago.

The UN has warned of a humanitarian "nightmare" unfolding in Bangladesh's refugee camps, where half a million people have taken shelter after fleeing violence in Myanmar in unprecedented waves.

The Red Cross says camps are teetering on the precipice of a full-scale health disaster.

With a lack of clean water and toilets, aid workers say a major health disaster is imminent.

Heavy monsoon rain is compounding the risk of disease outbreak, with field doctors reporting a huge spike in cases of severe diarrhoea, especially among children.

The near daily torrential downpours send streams rushing through areas where tens of thousands openly defecate every day. For some, this murky runoff is their only source of drinking water.

A stench of excreta hangs in the air on the outskirts of Kutupalong, a camp that already housed tens of thousands of refugees before the latest influx saw it mushroom into a fetid tent city stretching for miles.

At a field clinic, a long queue of refugees waiting to see the only doctor available stretched beyond the tent into the pouring rain.

Conditions are ripe for an illness like cholera to tear through the densely-populated camps, experts say, where refugees live cheek by jowl.

Dr Alamul Haque sees upwards of 400 patients a day and looked exhausted as he described the spiralling number of children presenting with water-borne illnesses.

"Earlier parents were bringing one or two children with them. Now it's three to four," Dr Haque, from Bangladeshi charity SDI, told AFP.

"It's been raining, so human waste is running everywhere. There is a high chance of a diarrhoea epidemic here."

- Serious risk of disease -

New groundwater wells are being dug quickly across the camps, which stretch along the Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar.

But there remains a serious shortage of fresh water, with the sheer scale of the disaster -- described as one of the fastest-growing refugee crises in years -- outpacing aid efforts on the ground.

Bangladeshi officials give money for daily food ration to Rohingya Muslim refugees after they cross the border from Myanmar. More than half a million Rohingya Muslims have poured into Bangladesh in the last month

"There are long queues whenever we go to collect water. There are far more people than there is water," said one Rohingya man, knee-deep in mud as he dug a pit latrine on a hillside.

At Unchiprang, a enormous hillside shanty town of nearly 30,000 people, close to three-quarters of a million litres of water needs trucking in every day. But the roads are virtually impassable, hampering delivery.

Further down the coast at Nayapara and Leda camps experts warn existing water sources will run dry by January.

But sanitation is a more immediate concern.

Toilets are being filled as fast as they are being built, forcing people to defecate wherever they can.

The UN has warned of a humanitarian "nightmare" unfolding in Bangladesh's refugee camps,

"There are hundreds of people queued for the toilets. It's a big problem, especially for the children," Hasina Begum, an elderly Rohingya woman, told AFP.

"There are other toilets on the hillsides, but they're basic pits. They're filled up now, and stink, so nobody uses them."

The Red Cross says camps are teetering on the precipice of a full-scale health disaster.

Conditions are ripe for an illness like cholera to tear through the densely-populated camps, experts say, where refugees live cheek by jowl.

"The risk of there being an acute, watery diarrhoea epidemic is real and serious," said an international health and sanitation expert, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak to media.

Rohingya Muslim refugees have fled violence in Myanmar in unprecedented waves.

"If the current situation stays the same, I guarantee it. It's not if, it's when."

There are small signs efforts to promote hygiene are getting through

On a hillside in a newly-built shanty, Karim Ullah watched as labourers dug a simple pit toilet -- the finishing touch on a new dwelling for 16 members of his family camping far away.

The 56-year-old Rohingya man did not want his wife and daughters using the open fields, and would send for them only when the toilet was complete.

"It's very important to have a proper toilet. Hopefully, I'll be able to bring them here the day after tomorrow," he said.
A previous meeting between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regional security forum in Manila in August 2017

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Beijing on Saturday to discuss efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions and prepare President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to China.

Tillerson was scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping after talks with top diplomat Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ahead of Trump's trip in November.

The visit comes as relations between the two superpowers appear to be improving after months of tensions over how to handle North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's nuclear provocations.

Trump has repeatedly urged Xi to exert more economic pressure on Pyongyang to convince the renegade regime to give up its nuclear ambitions.

China, North Korea's main trade partner, has responded by backing a slew of new United Nations sanctions.

For its part, Beijing has insisted that the sanctions must be coupled with efforts to organise peace talks, but Trump and Kim have traded increasingly personal insults that have raised fears that the crisis could spark a conflict.

The acting US assistant secretary for East Asia, Susan Thornton, told sceptical US lawmakers ahead of Tillerson's trip that China appears to be on board with the plan to squeeze Pyongyang.

"We are working closely with China to execute this strategy and are clear-eyed in viewing the progress -- growing, if uneven -- that China has made on this front," she said.

"We have recently seen Chinese authorities take additional actions," she said, referring to new controls on the cross-border trade and finance that is North Korea's economic lifeline.

On Thursday, China said it was ordering North Korean firms on its territory to close by January.

The announcement came days after China confirmed it will limit exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea from October 1 while banning imports of textiles from its neighbour.

The measures were in accordance with UN sanctions that were approved earlier in September after North Korea detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb -- a test that triggered an earthquake felt across the border in China.

Trump's November trip will be part of a tour that will also take in regional allies Japan and South Korea.
Rohingya Muslim refugees walk after crossing the border from Myanmar, on the Bangladeshi shores of the Naf river

More than 2,000 Rohingya have massed along Myanmar's coast this week after trekking from inland villages in Rakhine state to join the refugee exodus to Bangladesh, state media reported Saturday.

They follow more than half a million fellow Rohingya who have emptied out of northern Rakhine in a single month, fleeing an army crackdown and communal violence the UN says amounts to "ethnic cleansing".

The journey to Bangladesh is fraught with danger for the stateless Muslim minority, who have faced decades of systematic oppression in mainly Buddhist Myanmar.

After fleeing burning villages they say were set alight by soldiers and Buddhist mobs, more than 100 Rohingya have drowned in the scramble to cross the Naf river that divides the two countries.

The latest boat capsize on Thursday has left some 60 feared dead, with 23 bodies -- mainly of children -- brought to shore as dozens more remain missing.

The crowds building up along Rakhine's coast hail from the same inland area -- Buthidaung township -- as many of those who perished in the boat tragedy.

"Starting on Tuesday, they left their region, claiming that they felt insecure to remain because they were now living in a sparsely populated area, as most of their relatives had left for Bangladesh," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

More than half had gathered on a beach near Lay Yin Kwin village, the report said, with photos of women and children clustered together on the sand as security officers looked on.

- 'Nothing to eat' -

It was not clear if or how they would complete the journey to Bangladesh, where the unprecedented influx of refugees has unfurled a separate humanitarian crisis as aid groups struggle to meet their vast needs.

Refugee camps in Bangladesh

The report said officials tried to assure the Rohingya of their safety in Myanmar but villagers said they "would still like to go to Bangladesh of their own accord".

Chris Lewa from the Arakan project, which closely tracks developments in Rakhine, said economic deprivation and tensions with Buddhist neighbours appear to be the main forces driving the recent movements of Rohingya out of Buthidaung, as opposed to fresh outbreaks of violence.

Crucial aid deliveries have been cut off from the impoverished area since August 25, when Rohingya militant raids on police posts triggered the military backlash that plunged northern Rakhine into crisis.

"The majority are mostly poor who are leaving and have nothing to eat," said Lewa.

"The Rakhine (Buddhist) villages nearby, they are treating them very badly and because of that people are afraid to go out ... they feel they cannot get out of their village to do any livelihood."

A Rohingya Muslim refugee walks on the Bangladesh shore of the Naf river after crossing from Myanmar. More than half a million Rohingya have emptied out of northern Rakhine state in a single month

The UN has previously reported that increasingly isolated Muslim communities in Rakhine are receiving regular threats from ethnic Rakhine Buddhists to leave the area.

Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing is under way and instead blames Rohingya militants for whipping up the violence, which has also displaced tens of thousands of Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus.

The crisis has inflamed already blistering religious tensions and fuelled a dizzying array of claims and counterclaims from different ethnic groups.

The Muslim Rohingya have been the target of especially acute hatred in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship and are instead branded "Bengalis" -- or illegal migrants who do not belong in the Buddhist-majority country.
Spain's Belen Mozo saw her lead slashed to one stroke in a windswept third round of the New Zealand Women's Open, at Windross Farm Golf Club near Auckland, on September 30, 2017

Spain's Belen Mozo saw her lead slashed to one stroke in a windswept third round of the New Zealand Women's Open on Saturday as Canadian Brooke Henderson chipped her way into contention ahead of an approaching storm.

As many players struggled in the stiffening breeze, overnight leader Mozo had two bogeys in her 71 to be 15-under 201 going into the final round while Henderson had five birdies in her faultless 67 to be on 202.

"My chipping was awesome. It saved me a couple of times and got me close to make a couple of tap-in birdies so that was the key today. I was hitting it well and judging the wind pretty well," she said.

Not everyone was put off by the strengthening wind on Saturday with American Brittany Lincicome and Nicole Broch Larsen from Denmark firing the day's best rounds of 66.

Lincicome moved up to be in a tie for third with China's Jing Yan, four shots off the lead, with Larsen a further three shots back in eighth.

New Zealand's Lydia Ko, the former world number one, carded a third-round 70 to move up one place for a share of 11th on 208.

Meanwhile, forecast stormy weather has forced the tournament organisers to move the tee times earlier than first scheduled and use a two-tee start.

"The advice from (forecasters) is that we will face some challenging conditions and we believe it is prudent to get play completed as early as possible," tournament director Michael Goldstein said.

"If the forecasted weather results in delays, then we will have time available to get the tournament completed on Sunday."
Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick was pressured to resign as chief of the leading on demand ride service

Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick on Friday unilaterally appointed two new members to the board of directors in a surprise move that increased tension within the leadership of the popular ride service.

Kalanick, who was pressured to resign in June as head of Uber which dominates the market for smartphone on-demand car rides, retains sizeable voting rights in the privately-held company that he co-founded.

On Friday, he appointed former Xerox Chairman and CEO Ursula Burns and former CEO of CIT Group, Merrill Lynch, and the New York Stock Exchange John Thain to the board.

The appointments came ahead of a board vote next week on reducing Kalanicks voting power, US media reported.

"Ursula and John are two highly-accomplished corporate leaders with extensive board experience," Kalanick said in a statement.

"I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent Board proposal to dramatically restructure the Board and significantly alter the companys voting rights," he said.

"There is no doubt the board will be well-served by their valuable insights, counsel and independent perspective as Uber moves into the next phase of growth and prepares for a public offering."

- 'Complete surprise' -

The board was not consulted about the appointments.

"The appointments of Ms. Burns and Mr. Thain to Uber's Board of Directors came as a complete surprise to Uber and its board," the company said in a brief statement.

"That is precisely why we are working to put in place world-class governance to ensure that we are building a company every employee and shareholder can be proud of."

The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and the online site Recode.

Uber's board of directors is split between detractors and supporters of former CEO Travis Kalanick

Uber's board of directors is split between detractors and supporters of Kalanick, who had been the driving force behind the company's massive global expansion but whose brash style made him a liability.

Tensions appeared to subside in August with the appointment of Dara Khosrowshahi, former boss of the global travel giant Expedia, as the new Uber head.

- Tough times -

Kalanick's move is a finger in the eye of major Uber investor Benchmark Capital, which earlier filed a civil lawsuit accusing him of fraud, breach of contract and of plotting to manipulate the board of directors to allow him to return as CEO.

The move also comes as the Japanese group SoftBank is reportedly finalizing a deal to invest up to $10 billion in Uber -- a move, according to the Wall Street Journal, opposed by Benchmark Capital.

Uber, which has accumulated financial losses, has been caught up in a whirlwind of controversy in recent months, facing allegations of sexual harassment, theft of technology, corruption and the use of illegal software.

At the same time, its drivers have been struggling with a wave of opposition from traditional taxis in several countries.

Uber is also facing fierce opposition from various regulators, most recently in London where officials have refused to renew its license.

Uber drivers have also been pressing for better pay and benefits befitting employees instead of contract workers.
North Korea and its nuclear provocations is expected to be on the agenda of talks between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R)

Chinese President Xi Jinping told US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Saturday that he expected President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to be "wonderful", as ties appear warmer following tensions over how to handle North Korea.

Xi smiled as he greeted Tillerson at the imposing Great Hall of the People across Tiananmen Square for talks expected to focus on North Korea and Trump's November visit.

The two men, however, did not mention the hermit state in public remarks before their private talks.

Xi recalled that he and Trump have spoken on the phone several times and that they already met at the US leader's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in April and the G20 summit in Hamburg in July.

"I have enjoyed each and every one of those engagements and we have made considerable efforts to push for the development of China-US relations," Xi said.

"The two of us have also maintained a good working relationship and personal friendship," he said, adding that he believed Trump's visit "will be a special, wonderful and successful one".

Trump has touted his friendship with Xi but he has also prodded the Chinese leader in recent months to exert more pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear and missile activities.

The Trump administration angered Beijing this summer by slapping sanctions on Chinese companies accused of supporting North Korea's weapons programme.

But China, which accounts for 90 percent of North Korea's international trade, has since backed a slew of additional United Nations sanctions against its neighbour.

A senior US official said this week that China appears to be on board with the plan to squeeze Pyongyang.

"This is a relationship that continues to grow and mature on the strength of the relationship between yourself and President Trump," Tillerson told Xi.

"And we look forward to advancing that relationship at the upcoming summit."

Tillerson also met with China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to lay the groundwork for Trump's trip, which will include stops in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines between November 3 and 14.

"Let us concentrate on cooperation and properly manage our differences in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit so that we can keep moving the China-US relationship forward in the right direction," Yang said.

Wang told Tillerson: "At present, China-US relations overall have a positive momentum and have arrived at an important opportunity to progress further."

Tillerson had been due to arrive on Friday evening but his aircraft's problems forced him to travel to China on a military transport plane on Saturday.

- 'Two trains of thought' -

While it has backed UN sanctions against Pyongyang, Beijing has insisted that the punitive measures must be coupled with efforts to organise peace talks.

China has proposed a plan, which Russia has backed, in which North Korea would suspend its weapons programmes in return for the United States to halt its military drills in the region.

But the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3, and Trump and Kim have traded increasingly personal insults that have raised fears of a conflict.

"There appear to be two trains of thought in the international community regarding denuclearization of the peninsula: Crush North Korea or talk to North Korea so as to increase its sense of security. China and Russia hold the latter view," China's state-run Global Times newspaper said in an editorial.

The acting US assistant secretary of state for East Asia, Susan Thornton, told sceptical US lawmakers ahead of Tillerson's trip that China was making "growing, if uneven" progress in the strategy to strongarm Pyongyang.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's visit to China comes as relations between the two superpowers appear to be improving after months of tensions over how to handle North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's nuclear provocations

"We have recently seen Chinese authorities take additional actions," she said, referring to new controls on the cross-border trade and finance that is North Korea's economic lifeline.

On Thursday, China said it was ordering North Korean firms on its territory to close by January.

The announcement came days after China confirmed it will limit exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea from October 1 while banning imports of textiles from its neighbour.

The measures were in accordance with UN sanctions that were approved earlier in September after North Korea's nuclear test, which triggered an earthquake felt across the border in China.
Leftist activists hold up a huge Palestinian flag during a rally for reconciliation between the rival Hamas and Fatah factions in Gaza City on June 13, 2009

West Bank-based Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah is to make his first visit to Gaza since 2015 on Monday, in a fresh attempt to reconcile with the Islamist movement Hamas which rules the Israeli-blockaded coastal enclave.

The trip by Hamdallah and several of his ministers aims to crown a rapprochement between Hamas and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party after a decade of animosity and spurts of violence.

The talks are intended to prepare for a transfer of power in the Gaza Strip from Hamas to Abbas's Palestinian Authority.

The renewed attempt at rapprochement, backed by Egypt, has the potential to impact both the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and the wider Middle East.

For the two million residents of Gaza, the hope is to see an improvement in the miserable living conditions in the overcrowded and impoverished territory.

Battered by three wars with Israel since 2008, it is under Israeli and Egyptian blockade and suffers from severe water and electricity shortages, an economic slump and unemployment of more than 40 percent.

Hamas and its rival Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority, have both expressed confidence that the latest unity initiative will fare better than the failures of the past.

But among many questions to be answered is the central issue of whether Hamas is really prepared to give up its Gaza security apparatus and share power with the PA.

- Turn of the screw -

Hamas says there can be no discussion of disarming its large armed wing in Gaza in any reconciliation deal with its rival Fatah

Senior Hamas official Mussa Abu Marzuq has said there is "great hope" for the success of the reconciliation efforts but that disarming Hamas personnel is not on the agenda.

"This never was nor will it be up for discussion," he said in a statement.

Azzam al-Ahmad, a leading Fatah member, said he was now "more optimistic of ending Palestinian division in Gaza than at any previous opportunity".

But he said the PA must be able to fulfil its responsibilities, "including security, without any interference from any faction".

Hamas, blacklisted as a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States, won a landslide victory in 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections.

It ousted Fatah from Gaza the following year after wrangling over the formation of a new government degenerated into bloody clashes.

Since then, Abbas's limited power is confined to the West Bank which is under Israeli military occupation and located, at its nearest point, 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Israel-Gaza border.

The Palestinian schism is seen as a major obstacle to a peace agreement between Israel and a future Palestinian state combining the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Battered by three wars with Israel since 2008 and unemployment of more than 40 percent, Gaza is in desperate need of an improvement in its miserable living conditions

Abbas has this year turned the screw on his rival, halting payments to Israel for electricity it supplies to Gaza, cutting the salaries of officials in the territory and limiting the number of Gazans given approval to receive medical treatment elsewhere.

Hit by a fall in financial aid from longtime benefactor Qatar and facing the prospect of social unrest among disgruntled Gazans, the increasingly isolated Hamas finally agreed to demands from Abbas.

- Hot potato -

Hamas is now waiting for Abbas to revoke his sanctions.

"These measures will be cancelled the moment the Palestinian government takes over its responsibilities in Gaza," Fatah's Ahmad promised.

Those responsibilities include a PA takeover of Gaza border crossings with Egypt and Israel, he said.

Other issues include the future of the tens of thousands of public officials hired by Hamas since 2007.

Ghassan Khatib of the West Bank's Birzeit University says Hamas's initiative is purely tactical.

"Hamas seems to be trying to throw the hot potato into the lap of the Palestinian Authority," he said.

Analyst Jihad Harb said Egypt was the key player.

A Gaza resident wears a cape of Hamas green and Fatah yellow at a demonstration in support of reconciliation between the rival factions in Gaza City on May 4, 2011

"It is evident that this time it is playing a serious role, not only in sponsoring reconciliation but in actually implementing it."

An Egyptian delegation is to monitor the return of central government to Gaza.

Harb said there were signs of wider international support for the plan too.

"So far, we have not seen any American or Israeli veto of the reconciliation as in the past," he said.

"It is clear there is an international will, whether at the European Union or at the United Nations, to achieve the reconciliation."

The UN special envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, said the chance must be grasped.

"If we miss this opportunity, I don't think another opportunity will come anytime soon," he said.
Residents and rescue workers search for victims of a reported air strike in Harem district in Idlib province on September 29, 2017

At least 28 civilians were killed in air strikes on northwestern Syria where a planned safe zone has been overshadowed by a bombing campaign against jihadists, a monitor said Saturday.

Four children were among the dead in the overnight strikes on the town of Armanaz, in Idlib province near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based watchdog had earlier reported 12 dead in the strikes on the town in Harem district around 20 kilometres (12 miles) northwest of the provincial capital Idlib.

An AFP correspondent who toured Armanaz on Saturday morning said entire apartment blocks had been flattened by the bombardment.

The Observatory said it could not immediately determine whether the strikes had been carried out by warplanes of the Syrian government or its ally Russia.

But they are the latest in an intensifying air campaign carried out by the two governments against jihadist fighters who control most of the province and are not party to a safe zone deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The surge in bombing raids has forced hospitals in the province to close, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Friday.

Residents search for survivors of a reported air strike on the rebel-held town of Armanaz, in northwestern Syria, on September 30, 2017

They were triggered by an offensive by jihadist fighters led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate launched against government-held villages in neighbouring Hama province on September 19.

The jihadists control nearly all of Idlib province after driving out Islamist former allies earlier this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to step up efforts to establish a safe zone in Idlib as part of a wider agreement struck in May.

Three other safe zones have already been set up -- in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, parts of the south and some areas of the central province of Homs.

But in some of those areas too the fighting has continued. Shelling by the army killed at least 21 civilians in Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, more than half of them children, the Observatory said.

The de-escalation agreement excludes both the Islamic State group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the alliance dominated by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate.

The Islamic State group is under attack in its remaining strongholds in eastern Syria by both Russian-backed government forces and US-backed fighters.

On Thursday, it mounted a counterattack against government forces along their supply lines through the desert to the eastern city of Deir Ezzor.

At least 128 troops and militia were killed on Thursday and Friday as the army battled to restore control, the Observatory said.

State media have reported the IS counterattack but have made no mention of the army's losses.
Just as Sebastian Vettel appeared all set to revive his title hopes, the Ferrari driver suffered a major blow when he was denied a chance of qualifying for the Malaysian GP.

Ferrari undertook a precautionary power unit change ahead of the crucial session following an issue which emerged in FP3.

But Vettel reported a problem immediately after taking to the track in Q1, claiming he had lost drive.

An inspection of the car back in the Ferrari garage appeared to indicate only a minor issue but efforts were ultimately abandoned, leaving the German driver to start his race tomorrow from the back of the grid.

A pragmatic Vettel believed his team had done all it could to provide him with the best opportunity to qualify, but it just wasn't met to be.

"It's part of motor racing," lamented Vettel.

"For sure it's not what you want, especially on a day when you feel you've got it in you and in the car. But unfortunately we won't be able to prove that."

Vettel insisted his team was right to change his engine after FP3 as a precautionary measure.

"Definitely the right decision. We need to see what was the problem but we managed to do the change successfully in time, so the guys worked a miracle."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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Station managers in Mumbai have been told by India's railways minister to 'spend whatever is necessary' to ensure passenger safety following Friday's fatal footbridge stampede.

Piyush Goyal made the demand as the death toll from the disaster, which officials said happened after hundreds of people took shelter from heavy rain, rose to 23.

He announced steps to assess and improve safety on the Mumbai suburban network, which carries millions of people around the country's financial hub every day.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal announced steps to assess and improve safety on the Mumbai suburban network, which carries millions of people around the financial hub every day

Panicked commuters surged forward over a foot bridge at the Indian city's Elphinstone Road station at about 10.45am on Friday amid rumours that the structure was collapsing

Most of those killed on Friday were crushed to death, some suffocated and others fell from the narrow bridge between Parel and Elphinstone stations.

Around three dozen injured were also injured in the stampede.

The accident has raised new safety questions about one of the world's biggest rail networks, which is struggling to upgrade infrastructure and safety after a series of deadly crashes in recent years.

Indian Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has promised improvements 'whatever the cost'

Nearly $8 billion has been promised to upgrade the suburban trains in Mumbai that are a lifeline for city's 20 million people

A man is carried away to receive medical treatment after being crushed during a stampede at a station in Mumbai, India this morning

Goyal said all Mumbai stations would be inspected within a week and new footbridges were being approved for overcrowded stations.

'To eliminate bureaucracy and delays, I have empowered GMs (general managers) to spend whatever is necessary on safety,' he said on Twitter.

'Additional escalators sanctioned at crowded Mumbai suburban stations and thereafter for all high traffic stations,' the minister said after chairing a meeting of top railway department officials.

Goyal, who was appointed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month to replace the previous railways minister following a series of accidents, has pledged to invest billions of dollars to make the network safer.

Nearly $8 billion has been promised to upgrade the suburban trains in Mumbai that are a lifeline for city's 20 million people.

Some 7.5 million passengers commute in nearly 2,500 trains daily but hundreds die every year due to losing their grip on the doors, falling while trying to get into packed compartments and hitting electric poles outside.

The injured being shifted to a hospital in Mumbai on Friday after a stampede at Elphinstone railway station

Official figures say some 3,400 people died in 2016 either from falling off the trains or while crossing the tracks of what is the world's most overcrowded suburban rail network.

The toll from the stampede rose to 23 as another person died of his injuries at a city hospital Saturday.

'Rest all are receiving treatment and 11 have been discharged from the KEM hospital,' Tanaji Kamble, spokesman for the local civic corporation's disaster management cell, told AFP.

The stampede is the latest disaster to hit Indian Railways -- the world's fourth largest network.

Last month, 23 people were killed after a train derailed in a northern city. Nearly 150 died in November in a crash.
Iranian soldiers march on the anniversary of the start of the 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, on September 22, 2017 in Tehran

Iran will hold a joint military exercise with Iraq in response to the Iraqi Kurdistan region's "illegitimate" independence referendum, an Iranian military official announced on Saturday.

Iran, which borders Iraq and the autonomous Kurdish region, strongly opposed the vote held Monday, fearing it would provoke separatists among its own Kurdish population.

Iraq's central government has demanded the annulment of the referendum, which resulted in a huge "yes" for independence.

"A joint military exercise between Iran's armed forces and units from the Iraqi army will be held in the coming days along the shared border," Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Masoud Jazayeri told reporters.

The drills will take place at several crossings on Iran's border with Iraqi Kurdistan, he said, speaking after a high-level meeting of Iranian commanders.

"In the meeting, the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq and the illegitimacy of the independence referendum in northern Iraq were stressed again and necessary decisions were taken to provide security at the borders and welcome Iraq's central government forces to take position at border crossings."

Tehran has accepted a request by Baghdad for an Iraqi army presence at border crossings.

Iraqi soldiers on Tuesday also took part in a Turkish military drill close to the Iraqi frontier.

Iran has been cooperating with Baghdad in building pressure on Kurdistan, notably by suspending all flights to and from the autonomous region and banning fuel exports and imports.
Trump lashed out in a series of morning tweets, while also suggesting that Puerto Ricans "want everything to be done for them" and had left the bulk of relief work to federal first responders and the military

US President Donald Trump on Saturday attacked a Puerto Rican mayor over her "poor leadership ability" after she criticized the pace of relief efforts in the wake of devastating Hurricane Maria.

Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of the territory's capital city San Juan, has repeatedly called on federal authorities to do more to get vital supplies to residents, many of whom are still without power and running water since the storm delivered a body-blow to the island earlier this month.

Trump lashed out in a series of morning tweets, while also suggesting that Puerto Ricans "want everything to be done for them" and had left the bulk of relief work to federal first responders and the military.

"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," he wrote.

"Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help.

"They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."

Speaking at a news conference on Friday, an emotional Cruz appeared to take issue to a series of oddly upbeat comments made by Trump administration officials.

"We are dying here, and I cannot fathom the thought that the greatest nation in the world cannot figure out logistics for a small island," she said, adding: "(If) we don't get the food and water into people's hands, we are going to see something close to a genocide.

"I respectfully disagree with President Trump and I am sure that he is not getting the data that we are seeing in the streets."

Trump's latest missive could further inflame sentiment after he had earlier weighed in on the emerging fight over how to finance the already debt-stricken territory's recovery -- comments that were viewed as premature and distasteful by some.

The president plans to visit Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met China's President Xi Jinping and afterwards revealed that Washington has opened channels of communication with North Korea

Washington has opened channels to North Korea to find out if the regime is ready to talk about giving up its nuclear weapons, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Saturday.

His office in Washington quickly clarified that North Korea has shown no interest in such discussions.

Speaking after a day of talks with China's President Xi Jinping and top diplomats, Tillerson told reporters that US officials are in touch with Pyongyang.

The disclosure follows an escalating war of words between US President Donald Trump and North Korean strongman Kim Jong-Un, and Tillerson issued a call for calm.

Asked how he could know whether the North would even contemplate responding to new sanctions by coming to the table, the US envoy said: "We are probing, so stay tuned."

Washington has no diplomatic ties with Kim's autocratic regime, and has been leaning on Beijing to rein in its neighbour's behaviour through tougher sanctions.

But Tillerson said US diplomats do not rely on China as a go-between in overtures to North Korea, and have themselves talked directly through "our own channels".

"We ask," he said. "We have lines of communication with Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation, a blackout, we have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang."

"We can talk to them, we do talk to them," he said.

In Washington, the State Department said that while such communications channels do exist North Korea has shown no interest in talking about giving up its nuclear weapons.

"Despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilising forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearisation," department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The US has not ruled out the use of force to compel Pyongyang to halt missile and nuclear tests, and last week Trump threatened to "totally destroy" the country.

But privately senior figures admit the military options do not look promising, with ally South Korea's densely populated capital Seoul in range of the North's artillery.

- Rocket man -

Tillerson, meanwhile, has been a proponent of a campaign of "peaceful pressure", using US and UN sanctions and working with China to turn the screw on the regime.

But his efforts have been overshadowed by an extraordinary war of words, with Trump mocking Kim as "little Rocket Man" and Kim branding the US leader a "dotard".

Even as Tillerson met Xi and China's top diplomats State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the North's propaganda agency fired a new barrage of insults.

The statement proclaimed Trump an "old psychopath" bent on the "suicidal act of inviting a nuclear disaster that will reduce America to a sea of flames".

North Korea's rhetoric has been backed by a provocative series of ballistic missile tests and on September 3 it conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test yet.

Washington, backed by most of the international community, has declared North Korea's programme unacceptable, fearing that its own vast arsenal will not deter Kim from attack.

With the world on edge, fears are growing that a miscalculation from either side could trigger a renewed deadly conflict on the divided Korean peninsula.

Kim Jong-Un, seen here in an undated picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 16, 2017 has engaged in a war of insults with US President Donald Trump

Some recent tests saw North Korean missiles flying over Japan en route to the Pacific, and its latest underground detonation seems to have been of a powerful hydrogen bomb.

Observers have expressed concern that if the North carries out an atmospheric nuclear test over the ocean, Washington will feel obliged to take risky military action.

- Heated rhetoric -

But Tillerson said that decision would be up to Trump alone and that "as far as I know the commander in chief has issued no red lines."

Tillerson instead called for calm, singling out Pyongyang's missile tests for criticism.

"The whole situation is a bit overheated right now. I think everyone would like for it to calm down," he said in response to a question about Trump's threats.

"I think if North Korea would stop firing all the missiles, that would calm down things a lot," he said.

Tillerson, who was in Beijing to plan for a summit that Xi will host for Trump in November, welcomed recent measures taken by China to crack down on its neighbour.

US leaders criticised Beijing for taking too soft a line with Pyongyang, but in recent weeks China has taken more drastic measures to cut off trade and finance.

And in public, at least, the Chinese officials were all smiles for their guest.

Xi touted what he said was his "good working relationship and personal friendship" with Trump and predicted that the summit "will be a special, wonderful and successful one".
Maria Sharapova hits a return to Anastasija Sevastova during their first round match at the China Open in Beijing, on September 30, 2017

Maria Sharapova got her revenge over Latvian 16th seed Anastasija Sevastova with a gutsy 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 7-6 (9/7) victory in the China Open first round on Saturday.

It was the five-time Grand Slam winner's first appearance since she was beaten by Sevastova at the US Open in early September and gets her stop-start return from a doping ban back on track.

Sharapova, once number one but now ranked a lowly 104 in the world, is a wildcard in Beijing as she works her way back slowly from a 15-month ban for taking the banned substance meldonium.

She was far from her best, making a series of unforced errors, but Sharapova dug in and saved match point during an attritional encounter lasting more than three hours in the Chinese capital.

Sharapova, who has also been wrestling with injury, will take on American qualifier Jennifer Brady or fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the next round.

"I didn't give in, which I think is a really good sign considering it's been a few weeks since I played and she was someone that I lost to in my previous match," said a relieved Sharapova.

The 30-year-old said that "physically and emotionally" she did not have it in her when she faced Sevastova in New York in the fourth round, but feels she is getting stronger in both respects.

"When I saw the draw (Sevastova again), I was like, 'Of course,'" added Sharapova with a grin.

Sharapova, who controversially returned to tennis in April, said she was feeling "fresh" and is eager to finish the season on a high.

"Winning is very special and when you lose it's tough and you have to go on and build and work on things that didn't work out for you," she said.

Asked how far she was from getting back to her peak, Sharapova declined to say: "It's not really the way I think."

Sevastova broke the Russian -- who had the majority of the crowd behind her -- in the seventh game of the first set to seize the early initiative.

Sharapova immediately broke back for 4-4, before falling 6-5 down on her own serve when her drop shot went astray, only to strike back immediately to force a tie break.

"Come on!" the former China Open champion shouted as she wrapped up the first-set tie break.

Sharapova looked set to race through the second set to book her place in round two.

But her serve was suspect all match and the Latvian refused to submit.

Sevastova broke Sharapova once more as the match clock hit the two-hour mark to level the encounter at one-set each, before Sharapova finally saw off her resilient opponent in an epic decider.

Earlier, the second seed Simona Halep battled past the American Alison Riske in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Streets in Buea, the chief city in an English-speaking region of Cameroon, were almost deserted ahead of an expected declaration of independence by the country's restive anglophone minority

The main city in a restive English-speaking region of Cameroon was a virtual ghost town Saturday, with armed police patrolled the streets on the eve of an expected -- but symbolic -- declaration of independence from the French-speaking country by anglophone separatists.

In Buea, the chief city in Cameroon's Southwest Region, shops were closed, streets were almost deserted and the normally bustling university campus was lifeless after residents left, apparently fearing violence.

On Thursday, the authorities announced a temporary curb on travel and public meetings across the Southwest Region, adding to a curfew in the neighbouring Northwest Region, also English-speaking.

The majority of Cameroon's 22 million people are French-speaking, while about a fifth is English-speaking.

The legacy dates back to 1961, when a formerly British entity, Southern Cameroons, united with Cameroon after its independence from France in 1960.

The anglophone minority has long complained about disparities in sharing out Cameroon's oil wealth.

They are also angry about perceived discrimination, especially in education and the judicial system, where they say the French language and traditions are being imposed on them, even though English is one of the country's two official language.

Tensions have surged, leading to marches and a clampdown ahead of what is expected to be a symbolic declaration of independence on October 1 -- the anniversary of the 1961 amalgamation.

University dormitories in the district of Molyko were empty and armed police patrolled the avenues.

"I am renting a room in a dormitory where there are 130 rooms, but right now I'm the only person here," said Benoit, a French-speaking baker.

"There's nobody here, there's not a single student," he said. "They are the lifeblood of Buea. When there are no students here, the city is dead."

The clampdown in Southwest Region runs from Friday morning to Monday morning.

It entails a curfew, the closure of sea and land borders -- western Cameroon abuts Nigeria, a reputed sanctuary for some separatists -- as well as the suspension of transport and a ban on travel between towns and on public meetings of more than four people.

The authorities have also warned that military reinforcements are on hand, and called on the population to "stay calm".

Late Friday, five 70-seat military buses sped through Molyko, heading for Buea Town -- the seat of local government, where the separatists have said they will rally on Sunday.

"If the dogs continue to go into the street to bite people, they will encounter the security forces," the region's governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, said on state radio on September 22, when pro-independence marches took place in anglophone regions.

Local residents say security forces have been carrying out raids almost every day in Mile 17, a rundown area in Buea that is thought to be a haven for separatists.

- 'Pray to God' -

Local people rushed to buy essentials in the few shops that were open. Tensions over anglophone grievances in the francophone-majority region have surged in recent months

In Molyko on Friday night, people queued outside the only supermarket that was open, seeking to make essential purchases before the curfew took effect at 9 pm.

In less than half an hour, the shop's supply of bread was sold out, and it hauled down the blinds.

"I am going home to be with my family," said Iya, an English-speaking shopper. "I came to buy a few supplies because we won't be able to go out in the next two days. We are going to pray for God's intervention. We need peace."

The crisis is having an impact on the city's economic life.

Victor Ndisang, the manager of a computer school with 13 teachers and a capacity of 150 students, said he had not had a single enrolment since the start of the academic year in early September.

"I have had to let the teachers go. There's no money," he said. "If this crisis persists, I am going to have sell all my assets and leave."

Tensions are also high in the Northwest Region, where several schools have been torched, prompting the authorities to announce a 10 pm to 5 am curfew. Internet access there and in the Southwest has been reduced, making it harder to access social media.

Most anglophone campaigners want the country to resume a federalist system -- an approach that followed the 1961 unification but was later scrapped in favour of a centralised government run from the capital Yaounde. A hardline minority is calling for secession.

Both measures are opposed by the country's long-ruling president, 84-year-old Paul Biya.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Two police officers fatally shot a man near a park in Kansas' capital city on Thursday, saying he was armed with a handgun and struggled with officers.

Topeka police said the shooting occurred after officers responded to a report of a disturbance and shots being fired near the park Thursday morning and encountered the man, whom they described as "a suspicious person." He later was identified as 30-year-old Dominique Tyrell White, of Topeka.

"While fleeing from officers, the individual reached for the pocket containing the firearm, causing the officers to fire their weapons," police Lt. Colleen Stuart said in a video statement. "The individual's gun was recovered from the scene."

Topeka police officers walk near the location where a man was killed in an officer-involved shooting Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, in Topeka, Kan. Two police officers fatally shot 30-year-old Dominique Tyrell White, of Topeka, near a park in Kansas' capital city on Thursday, saying he was armed with a handgun and struggled with officers. Topeka police said the shooting occurred after officers responded to a report of a disturbance and shots being fired near the park Thursday morning and encountered the man, whom they described as "a suspicious person." (Phil Anderson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

White was identified by police in Lawrence, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) to the east, who took over the investigation of the shooting because Topeka officers were involved and authorities in Topeka wanted the probe handled independently. Neither police department released the names, races or other information about the officers involved. They also did not disclose White's race or other personal information about him.

Lawrence police said both officers fired their guns immediately after White's struggle with them. White was pronounced dead at a Topeka hospital after being taken there by ambulance.

Officers from the Kansas Highway Patrol and Shawnee County Sheriff's Office also arrived at the scene as dozens of people gathered in the area, some of them agitated, according to local media. The crowd dispersed quickly.

Asalean Netherland, 67, who lives in a nearby apartment, criticized police after the shooting.

"That boy was killed innocently, no reason, just by not stopping," Netherland said in a video posted online by The Topeka Capital-Journal.

But she also said people must obey officers' commands.

"They need to stop whether you wrong or right - you're going to be caught anyway," she said.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna

Topeka police officers walk toward Ripley Park in Topeka, Kan., past items that had been used to treat a man who was killed in an officer-involved shooting Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017. Two police officers fatally shot 30-year-old Dominique Tyrell White, of Topeka, near the park in Kansas' capital city, saying he was armed with a handgun and struggled with officers. Topeka police said the shooting occurred after officers responded to a report of a disturbance and shots being fired near the park Thursday morning and encountered the man, whom they described as "a suspicious person." (Phil Anderson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

Topeka police officers stand at a crime scene behind an apartment unit after a man was killed in an officer-involved shooting nearby Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, in Topeka, Kan. Two police officers fatally shot 30-year-old Dominique Tyrell White, of Topeka, near a park in Kansas' capital city on Thursday, saying he was armed with a handgun and struggled with officers. Topeka police said the shooting occurred after officers responded to a report of a disturbance and shots being fired near the park Thursday morning and encountered the man, whom they described as "a suspicious person." (Phil Anderson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Latest on the fatal shooting of a man by police in Topeka (all times local):

5:25 p.m.

Authorities have identified a man fatally shot by Topeka police near a park in the Kansas capital following what they've described as a struggle with police.

Topeka police officers stand at a crime scene behind an apartment unit after a man was killed in an officer-involved shooting nearby Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, in Topeka, Kan. Two police officers fatally shot 30-year-old Dominique Tyrell White, of Topeka, near a park in Kansas' capital city on Thursday, saying he was armed with a handgun and struggled with officers. Topeka police said the shooting occurred after officers responded to a report of a disturbance and shots being fired near the park Thursday morning and encountered the man, whom they described as "a suspicious person." (Phil Anderson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)

The Lawrence Police Department said the man shot was 30-year-old Dominique Tyrell White of Topeka and two officers were involved.

Police in Lawrence are handling the investigation because Topeka officers were involved. Lawrence is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Topeka.

Lawrence police did not identify White's race or provide other personal details about him. Authorities also are not releasing the names, races or other information for the officers.

Both police departments said Topeka officers came to the area near the park in response to a report of gunshots and encountered White. Topeka police said he attempted to flee after struggling with police.

___

3 p.m.

Topeka police say a man shot by an officer or officers has died.

The Police Department said in a statement that the man died Thursday at a local hospital after struggling with police near a park and attempting to flee.

They said he was armed with a handgun and reached for a pocket with the weapon.

Police did not identify the man or the officers involved in his shooting.

Police said officers responded to a report of a disturbance and shots being fired and encountered a suspicious person who was armed.

They said officers fired at the man after their struggle and his attempt to flee. He was then taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Police said the man's gun was recovered at the scene.

___

2 p.m.

Authorities are investigating what they're describing as a shooting involving a police officer near a park in Topeka, Kansas.

WIBW-TV reports that the shooting Thursday morning sent one man to the hospital, but no officers were injured. The man was shot in the chest, and Topeka Police Capt. Mike Cross said two officers administering first aid to him were covered in blood afterward.

Police said they first responded to shots in the area, and an altercation occurred after officers arrived. Officers from the Shawnee County sheriff's department and Kansas Highway Patrol also went to the scene.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that an agitated crowd of about 50 people gathered nearby but dispersed within half an hour. Police and city officials didn't immediately return phone messages from The Associated Press.
CHICAGO (AP) - In a story Sept. 28 about an Illinois law that expands Medicaid and state-employee insurance coverage to abortion, The Associated Press erroneously reported when it takes effect. The law is effective Jan. 1, not immediately.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Illinois governor agrees to allow Medicaid for abortions

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed legislation that would provide state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions

By JOHN O'CONNOR and SOPHIA TAREEN

Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) - Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner ended months of speculation Thursday and signed legislation allowing state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions, a reversal of the first-term Republican's stance on the proposal last spring.

The Legislature, which is run by Democrats, approved the measure in May but delayed sending it to Rauner until Monday, in part because he has wavered on where he stands. As a candidate, Rauner supported expanding coverage for abortions, but in April said he opposed the legislation and Illinois should focus on economic issues.

Rauner's final word came at a news conference Thursday before signing the bill privately. He said while he'd talked to advocates on both sides, he always supported abortion rights and had to take action "consistent" with his views.

"The passions, the emotions, the sentiments on both sides of these issues are very powerful. I respect them very much," Rauner said. "I believe that a woman living with limited financial means should not be put in a position where she has to choose something different than a woman of higher income would be able to choose."

The law takes effect Jan. 1.

Democrats argued all women should have the same access to abortion services. Republicans said taxpayers shouldn't be forced to fund a morally objectionable procedure, particularly when Illinois has major financial problems.

The annual taxpayer cost of abortions under the measure would be $1.8 million, according to Department of Healthcare and Family Services estimates.

The measure also removes language in Illinois law that states a desire to criminalize abortion if a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing the procedure is overturned. Democrats initially sold the bill as a means of keeping abortion legal if Roe v. Wade were dumped. President Donald Trump has promised to nominate Supreme Court justices bent on revisiting Roe.

The decision was politically difficult for Rauner, who's seeking re-election in 2018 and is considered among the most vulnerable governors nationwide.

The former venture capitalist won his first office in 2014, in part by getting support from independent suburban voters, especially women, with his pledge to have "no social agenda." Singing the bill earned him praise from top Illinois Democrats, including Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a onetime White House chief of staff under former President Barack Obama.

But criticism from conservatives and religious leaders who urged him to reject it poured in immediately.

Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, who ran with Rauner in 2014, said she disagreed with the governor as an anti-abortion Republican who was born to a teenage mother.

State Rep. Peter Breen, House Republican floor leader, called it a "breach of commitment" and said finding a primary challenger for Rauner "seemed inevitable."

"It's a betrayal," Breen said. "In politics you are only as good as your word."

Rauner said he tried to find a compromise but there wasn't support. He dismissed the impact on his political career.

The wealthy businessman with a massive campaign account is the main backer of the Illinois Republican Party. Several high-profile Democrats are vying for the chance to unseat Rauner, including billionaire businessman J.B. Pritzker.

"Politics are politics," Rauner said.

Meanwhile, advocates for women's reproductive rights called Rauner's move an important step.

"Women across Illinois are empowered to make their own health care and life choices without interference from politicians," said Lorie Chaiten, director the reproductive rights project for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. "We are pleased the governor has stood with these women and made the right decision for our state."

More than two dozen states provide Medicaid coverage for abortions in cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group supporting abortion rights. This is in keeping with the 1977 federal Hyde Amendment, which otherwise restricts federal funding for abortions.

But a state can use state-only funds from the state-federal program for women seeking abortions for other reasons. Seventeen states do that, 13 because of a court order.

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WASHINGTON (AP) - The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday sought to clear up confusion over its assessment that 21 states had their election systems targeted by Russian government hackers, saying just because the hackers in some states didn't directly scan election systems, it doesn't mean they weren't looking to break into them.

DHS spokesman Scott McConnell said in a statement to The Associated Press that hackers in an unspecified number of states looked for vulnerabilities to exploit in other government computer systems as a way to get into the election systems. The other networks were usually connected to the election systems or shared similarities. He declined to discuss specific states.

The release of additional information came after state officials in Wisconsin and California said they had received conflicting reports from DHS about which of their computer systems were targeted by hackers during the 2016 presidential campaign. And late Thursday, Texas denied that it was among the states that had been targeted.

Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos sent DHS a letter saying federal investigators got it wrong and there was no attempted hack on his agency's website. Pablos wrote that his office "has determined conclusively that its agency website was not targeted and, furthermore, that DHS had relied on incorrect information." He asked the department to "formally correct its erroneous notification."

McConnell referred questions about Texas to his previous statement.

Last week, the department informed 21 states that their election systems had been targeted by "Russian government cyber actors," and officials in those states subsequently released that information publicly. The formal notification came after months of state election officials voicing frustration that the department had left them and the public in the dark for so long. DHS has said that most systems weren't breached, and there was no evidence that vote tallies or registration databases were altered.

Earlier this week, officials in Wisconsin and California said the Homeland Security Department provided additional information that they believed contradicted the department's earlier notification. Specifically, those state officials said they were told that the Russian hackers targeted computers systems that weren't related to their elections.

In California, the targeted system was the state's Department of Technology, which the secretary of state says it does not use for its IT services. The secretary of state declined further comment on Thursday. In Wisconsin, it was the state's Department of Workforce Development, which oversees job training and unemployment benefits.

Asked about the latest statement from DHS, Wisconsin Elections Commission spokesman Reid Magney said the agency was reviewing it. He had no further comment.

McConnell said the department stands by its initial assessment that 21 states were targeted by "Russian government cyber actors" looking for vulnerabilities in and access to election infrastructure. He noted that some of the intelligence used to make that determination cannot be shared publicly.

In the majority of the 21 states, DHS has said it only observed hackers scanning networks in preparation for breaking into the networks, not actual penetrations. But officials in Illinois have confirmed that hackers broke into the voter registration network for at least three weeks before being discovered in July 2016. Officials said there was no evidence that the hackers had changed any information.

The 21 states that told the AP last week that they had been targeted were: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

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Associated Press writers Todd Richmond in Madison, Wisconsin, and Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report.
CHICAGO (AP) - A judge has convicted former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds on charges he failed to file tax returns for income he made while consulting for Chicago businessmen in Africa.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman found Reynolds guilty Thursday on four misdemeanor counts. He faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison and a $1 million fine.

The Democratic former Illinois congressman represented himself during his trial in Chicago. He argued the money he was paid was for expenses and didn't need to be reported to the IRS.

Former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds leaves the Dirksen Federal Courthouse after a judge convicted Reynolds on charges he failed to file tax returns for income he made while in Africa consulting for Chicago businessmen Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 in Chicago. He faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison and a $1 million fine. (James Foster/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)

Prosecutors said Reynolds knew he needed to file a tax return itemizing his expenses and income whether or not he profited.

Reynolds resigned from Congress in 1995 after being convicted of statutory rape. He was later convicted on charges that included concealing debts.

Former U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds leaves the Dirksen Federal Courthouse after a judge convicted Reynolds on charges he failed to file tax returns for income he made while in Africa consulting for Chicago businessmen Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 in Chicago. He faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison and a $1 million fine. (James Foster/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)
CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on Gov. Bruce Rauner's signing of expanded abortion coverage (all times local):

4:45 p.m.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner says he understands the moral objections to abortion but signed into law expanded coverage for them because he believes all women should have the same health care options.

Rauner signed the measure Thursday. It expands state health insurance coverage and Medicaid for low-income women to abortions.

The first-term governor said in April he would veto the plan. But he says his decision Thursday is not new. He campaigned in 2014 on support for abortion-coverage expansion and he has generally been in favor of abortion rights.

Signing the law upset conservatives who are already angry that the Democratic-controlled Legislature adopted an income-tax increase last summer in approving a budget over Rauner's vetoes.

The legislation also removes language from state law that critics say would outlaw abortion in Illinois if the 1973 Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court opinion is overturned. President Donald Trump has vowed to appoint anti-abortion high court justices.

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4:15 p.m.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed legislation that would provide state health insurance and Medicaid coverage for abortions.

The Republican announced his intentions at a news conference on Thursday and then signed the measure privately afterward.

The General Assembly controlled by Democrats approved the measure in May but delayed sending it to Rauner until Monday, in part because he has changed his mind about support of the plan.

As a candidate in 2014, Rauner said he would support expanding coverage for abortions. But last April he said he opposed the idea and said the state should focus on improving the economy.

The legislation also removes language in Illinois law that states a desire to criminalize abortion if a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling legalizing the procedure is overturned. Democrats adopted that provision after President Donald Trump expressed his opposition to abortion.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on attempts to hack U.S. election systems (all times EDT):

7:45 p.m.

Texas officials say the Department of Homeland Security was wrong when it told them their elections systems had been targeted by "Russian government cyber actors" during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos told the department in a letter sent Thursday that his office has "determined conclusively" that they weren't targeted. He also says federal investigators relied on "incorrect information."

Department of Homeland Security spokesman Scott McConnell said Thursday that in some states hackers didn't directly scan election systems but looked for vulnerabilities to exploit in other government computer systems as a way to get into the election systems. He didn't specifically comment on Texas.

The Texas letter raises more questions about DHS informing 21 states last week that their election systems had been targeted.

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2:30 p.m.

The Department of Homeland Security says that just because Russian government hackers didn't directly scan election systems in some U.S. states, it doesn't mean they weren't looking to break into them.

DHS spokesman Scott McConnell declined to discuss specific states. But he said in a statement to The Associated Press that hackers looked for vulnerabilities to exploit in other government computer systems in an unspecified number of states as a way to get into the election systems. He says the other networks were usually connected to the election systems or shared similarities.

The release of additional information came after state officials in Wisconsin and California said they had received conflicting reports from DHS about which of their computer systems were targeted by hackers during the 2016 presidential campaign.
MUMBAI, India (AP) - The Latest on a stampede at a Mumbai train station (all times local):

2:40 p.m.

Police have increased their count of the number of people injured in a deadly stampede on a crowded Mumbai pedestrian bridge to 32.

Members of the National Disaster Response Force team arrive at the pedestrian bridge where a stampede took place at the Elphinstone station, in Mumbai, India, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. The stampede broke out on a crowded pedestrian bridge connecting two railway stations in Mumbai during the Friday morning rush, killing a number of people police said. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Officer Rajaram Patel says nearby hospitals are treating the 19 women and 13 men for their injuries.

Authorities are investigating what caused the stampede on a raised staircase of a pedestrian bridge linking two commuter railway stations in India's west-coast financial capital.

Indian broadcasters showed images of some people leaping over the railing to escape the crush, while others were crushed in the melee or fell underfoot and were trampled.

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1:20 p.m.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed his condolences to the families of people who died in a stampede in India.

Authorities have said 22 people were killed in the crash and 27 were injured. Mumbai police appealed to citizens to donate blood to help the injured.

Modi tweeted, "Prayers with those who are injured."

The crush occurred on a pedestrian bridge between two railway stations. People were crowding under the bridge's canopy in heavy rain, and falling concrete apparently made people surge forward in fear the bridge would collapse.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said the incident was being investigated.

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12:45 p.m.

An Indian railways official says the toll from a stampede in Mumbai has risen to 22 dead.

Junior Railway Minister Manoj Sinha says another 27 were injured in the stampede that started on a pedestrian bridge during the Friday morning rush.

The stampede broke out on the bridge connecting two railway stations. People started surging to escape when concrete falling onto the railing made them think the bridge would collapse.

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noon

Police at least 21 people have been killed in a stampede at a railway station in the west-coast Indian city of Mumbai.

City police officer Rajaram Patel says another 20 people were injured when panicked pedestrians pushed forward to the end of an overcrowded bridge, with some people falling underfoot and being trampled.

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11:45 a.m.

Police say a stampede at a Mumbai local train station has seriously injured at least 20 people amid heavy rains in the morning rush hours.

Police said the stampede was triggered by a rumor that a pedestrian overpass collapsed after concrete chunks fell. Chaos prevailed as people surged forward to leave the bridge.

Paramedics have taken the injured to a hospital, the police control room said.

Deadly stampedes are fairly common during Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with few safety or crowd control measures.

A woman carries a sack of flowers on her head as she walks across a pedestrian bridge where a stampede took place at the Elphinstone station, in Mumbai, India, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. The stampede broke out on a crowded pedestrian bridge connecting two railway stations in Mumbai during the Friday morning rush, killing a number of people police said. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
BERLIN (AP) - French automaker Citroen is shutting down its car sharing service in Berlin after struggling to compete against rivals BMW and Daimler.

Citroen Multicity Carsharing started offering electric-only vehicles for short-term rent in Berlin in 2012, later adding cars with conventional gasoline engines to its service.

Multicity's purple fleet of emission-free C-Zero vehicles were a common sight in the German capital and popular with young drivers unwilling or unable to buy their own car.

FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2012, file photo Citroen C-Zero electric cars are pictured during the introduction of the 'Citroen Multicity Car Sharing' project in Berlin, Germany. French automaker Citroen is shutting down its car sharing service in Berlin after struggling to compete against rivals BMW and Daimler. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, file)

But the service was eclipsed by rival car sharing companies DriveNow and car2go, owned by German automakers BMW and Daimler respectively.

Citroen, which is part of PSA Group, said Friday that the service will end Oct. 29.
ALLENDALE, S.C. (AP) - State agents say a man has been shot by a police officer after a chase in South Carolina.

State Law Enforcement Division spokeswoman Kathryn Richardson said the shooting happened Thursday in Allendale County.

Richardson says the man was injured, but did not give his condition or his name. No police officers were hurt.

Richardson said in a statement that Allendale County deputies were chasing the man, who was shot by a police officer from the city of Allendale.

She did not release any additional details, and both the Allendale County sheriff and police chief did not return messages Friday.

Allendale is about 70 miles south of Columbia.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper won't play a full game this weekend as he continues to recover from a hyperextended left knee that he sustained on Aug. 12.

Harper returned to the lineup on Tuesday and played two games this week in Philadelphia, not going a full nine innings either time. Washington manager Dusty Baker gave him a day off Thursday against Pittsburgh.

Harper was in the lineup Friday night against the Pirates, and Baker said the 2015 NL MVP would play six or seven innings before taking another day off Saturday. Going nine innings on Sunday is unlikely, Baker said, meaning Harper won't play a full game before the playoffs. Washington hosts the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Oct. 6.

"What's the most (innings) he's played? Five?" Baker said. "Is there time for him to play nine? Realistically, when do I play him nine?"

Baker said the Nationals would continue to monitor how Harper feels.

"And if he's a little sore," Baker said, "we're not going to extend him."
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Minneapolis man was charged with murder Friday after prosecutors say he doused his girlfriend's bed with gas while she was asleep and then set it on fire, killing her.

As Vanessa Danielson was being rushed to the hospital Thursday with severe burns, she told paramedics that she woke up and was burning in her bed. A neighbor who heard her screaming went outside, saw her on fire "from head to toe" and covered her with a blanket to put out the flames, a criminal complaint said. The 36-year-old woman died later at a hospital.

Wyndale Fayson, 32, was charged Friday in Hennepin County District Court. He hasn't made an initial court appearance yet because he was also hospitalized with burns. It's not clear if he has an attorney to comment on his behalf.

Prosecutors said Fayson had threatened to kill Danielson about four hours before the incident.

According to the criminal complaint, Danielson had called police at 2:45 a.m. Thursday to say Fayson had come to her apartment and became angry. She said he grabbed her cellphone and smashed it, then said "he would kill her and that he would set the place on fire," according to the complaint. Fayson also allegedly said he would use gasoline to douse the house. Fayson was gone when police arrived.

But around 6:40 a.m., police were called back to the same address about a report of a woman screaming. They arrived to find Danielson's apartment on fire. She was outside on the ground. Her whole body was severely burned.

Fayson was found about three blocks away on his hands and knees, screaming. The complaint said he was also burned, smelled of gasoline and was heard saying that he should not have gone back to the house.

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BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - The head of Colombia's last remaining rebel group has ordered guerrillas to stand down ahead of a bilateral cease-fire taking effect this weekend that is an important milestone in efforts to end a half century of political violence in the South American nation.

In a rare video posted online Friday, Nicolas Rodriguez said he was confident rebels belonging to the National Liberation Army would obey orders not to attack government troops or take other offensive actions banned by the cease-fire - a tacit acknowledgement of the difficulties ELN commanders have had controlling their estimated 1,500 troops.

"I have no doubt of your loyalty and that you will fulfill this commitment to the last consequences," said Rodriguez, sitting before a laptop computer and speaking into a guerrilla field radio with several armed and masked rebels standing nearby.

Hopes were high for peace talks between the government and ELN that started in February in Ecuador following an agreement last year that led to the disarmament of the much larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

But progress has been slow as the ELN has remained on the offensive and stepped up attacks on oil pipelines. Just this week, the group was blamed for two simultaneous attacks on a major oil pipeline near the border with Venezuela that dumped crude in several rivers and farms affecting 700 families.

President Juan Manuel Santos on Friday signed a decree ordering troops not to attack ELN rebels once the temporary cease-fire takes effect at midnight Saturday. Santos pointed out that this would be the first bilateral cease-fire the ELN has signed in the history of its Cuban-inspired insurgency.

The cease-fire will initially last until Jan. 9, after which it can be renewed by mutual consent. As part of the agreement, the ELN has pledged to renounce hostage-taking, recruitment of of minors and attacks on infrastructure. The government in turn must improve conditions for jailed rebels as well as boost protections for leftist activists in areas dominated by the ELN.

"As Pope Francis has urged, we must never stop pursuing peace," Santos said.

According to the protocol signed by government and rebel negotiators, observers from the United Nations will fan out across the country to 33 areas where the ELN is strongest to monitor the cease-fire's implementation. They will be assisted by the Roman Catholic church, from which many of the ELN's founders - priests and seminary students - hail.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) - Spain's Belen Mozo will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour's New Zealand Women's Open after a 1-under 71 Saturday helped her hold off challenges from Brooke Henderson of Canada and American Brittany Lincicome.

Mozo, who led by five strokes after the second round, had a three-round total of 15-under 201 on the newly-established Windross Farm course.

Henderson had a 67 to move into second place. The biggest mover on the day was Lincicome, who had a 66 to be tied for third, four strokes behind. Also four back was China's Jing Yan, who shot 69.

FILE - In this Sept. 9, 2017, file photo, Brooke Henderson of Canada watches her tee shot on the fourth hole during the final round of the Indy Women in Tech Championship golf tournament, in Indianapolis. Henderson and Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England shot 7-under 65 on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, to share the lead in the New Zealand Women's Open. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

Local favorite Lydia Ko shot 70 and was seven strokes behind Mozo.

Mozo had a bogey at the 164-meter, par-3 13th, where she had a hole in one on Friday.

The hole exemplified how difficult the layout became on Saturday when the wind began to blow and temperatures fell.

It had been one of the easiest holes on the course over the first two days but became one of the hardest on Saturday. Mozo's bogey allowed Henderson, playing ahead of her, to narrow the lead to one stroke but Mozo responded by sinking a 30-foot birdie putt at the 14th to restore a two-shot buffer.

"It was a grind-out day for sure. I had to talk to my caddie in the middle of the round because obviously I couldn't compare the golf I was playing today with the golf that I played yesterday under perfect conditions," said Mozo. "I was able to manage bad shots better than yesterday, and converted a not-so-good round into an under-par round, so that's fine."

Henderson had birdies at 14 and 15 to put pressure on the Spanish player, who hasn't won since joining the LPGA Tour six years ago. But Mozo played solid golf over her last five holes to retain her lead, finishing with a scrambled par at the 18th.

Lincicome had four birdies and an eagle in conditions she described as "yukky."

The 34-year-old Florida native said she felt support close by and from home.

"My dad and husband are both at home but I've got Mom here cheering for me which is nice," Lincicome said. "It's just cool to be playing well so I'm on television a little bit and they can see me."

Henderson played aggressively on a day on which the wind made several holes play long and on which flag placements were challenging.

"Very tough conditions, so to shoot 5-under was great," Henderson said. "My game is in a very good spot so I'm excited to play tomorrow."

Ko is in a tie for 11th at 8-under. The former No. 1 started and finished with birdies at the first and 18th holes but struggled to move up with one bogey and one birdie in between.

"I started with a bang, finished with a bang," Ko said. "I'm kind of fortunate that the ball went in on the last because it was going by pretty quickly."
BEIJING (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged on Saturday that the United State is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea even as tensions rise over the North's nuclear and missile programs and the countries' leaders spar through bellicose name-calling.

Tillerson said the U.S. was probing North Korea's willingness to talk, and called for a calming of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, adding it was incumbent on the North to halt the missile launches.

"We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation, a blackout," Tillerson told reporters during a visit to China. "We have a couple ... three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them."

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, looks at China's President Xi Jinping walks to his seat during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool)

No elaboration about those channels or the substance of any discussions came from Tillerson, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials in Beijing.

While Tillerson affirmed that the U.S. would not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, he also said the Trump administration had no intention of trying to oust Kim. "Despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilizing forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war, and the Demilitarized Zone divides North and South Korea.

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the U.S. has restored a diplomatic back-channel between the State Department and North Korea's mission at the United Nations. That's traditionally been a way for the two sides to communicate because they lack formal diplomatic ties.

The main aim of the initial contacts was to seek the freedom of several American citizens imprisoned in North Korea, although U.S. officials have told The Associated Press that there were broader discussions about U.S.-North Korean relations. Those contacts, however, have failed to reduce the deep mistrust between the adversaries and it's unclear to what extent they have endured the current spike in tensions.

North Korea has in recent months tested long-range missiles that potentially could reach the U.S., and on Sept. 3 conducted its largest nuclear test explosion to date. The standoff has entered a new, more dangerous phase since then as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump have exchanged personal insults and threats of war.

"I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down," Tillerson said. "They're a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first." He did not directly address the impact of Trump's own rhetoric.

"Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot," Tillerson said.

Trump gave a combative speech recently at the U.N. General Assembly in which he mocked Kim as "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission." Trump said that if "forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." Kim responded by saying he would "tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire."

Tillerson's stop in the Chinese capital was helping lay the groundwork for a November state visit by Trump, part of a five-nation swing through Asia. Trump has pressed for sterner measures against the North by China, the North's chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Beijing adamantly opposes steps that could bring down Kim's government, but appears increasingly willing to tighten the screws. China has agreed to tough new U.N. penalties that would substantially cut foreign revenue for the isolated North.

On Thursday, Beijing ordered North Korean-owned businesses and ventures with Chinese partners to close by early January, days after it said it would cut off gas and limit shipments of refined petroleum products, effective Jan. 1. China made no mention of crude oil, which makes up the bulk of Chinese energy supplies to North Korea and is not covered by U.N. sanctions.

China has banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore, and seafood since early September. Still, Washington hopes China will exert even greater pressure.

China argues that sanctions alone cannot solve the impasse, and has urged Washington to cool its rhetoric and open a dialogue with North Korea. But the North is coming closer to having a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike America, and says it will only discuss the weapons programs if the U.S. abandons its "hostile policy" toward the North.

This was Tillerson's second visit to China as America's top diplomat. China is the world's No. 2 economy and chief U.S. rival for influence in Asia, and increasingly, the world.

In addition to North Korea, the U.S. and China have other security concerns to address.

They are at odds over Beijing's military buildup and assertive claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea. Trump is also looking to reduce China's massive trade surplus with the U.S. - $347 billion last year - and what American companies say are unfair barriers to investment, including pressure to hand over their technology.

In opening remarks at his meeting with Xi, Tillerson said relations between the sides continue to "grow and mature on the strength of the relationship between yourself and President Trump."

He added: "We look forward to advancing that relationship at the upcoming summit."

Trump and Xi met in April at Trump's estate in Florida. Trump's planned visit next month will come weeks after Xi is expected to receive a new five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party.

The presidents' upcoming meeting promises to be grander and more choreographed than the informal talks in Florida that were most memorable for Trump's ordering a missile strike on Syria and then informing Xi about it afterward as they ate chocolate cake.

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Pennington reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Joe McDonald contributed to this report.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, shakes hands with China's President Xi Jinping before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, in Beijing. (Lintao Zhang/Pool Photo via AP)
ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan's army says Indian troops with heavy weapons have targeted civilians from across the frontier in the disputed region of Kashmir, killing two villagers and a soldier.

The skirmishes came as Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the country's military leadership discussed ceasefire violations by India in Kashmir at a meeting of the National Security Committee in Islamabad.

On Saturday, a day after the attack, the army said in a statement that a soldier was killed and three others wounded while evacuating villagers.

It said Pakistani troops gave a "befitting response" to India after coming under attack.

There was no immediate reaction from India, but both sides often accuse each other of initiating fire in Kashmir, which is split between them. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety.
CEDARTOWN, Ga. (AP) - A Georgia police officer killed while investigating a stolen vehicle is being remembered as a devoted wife and mother who was always willing to help others.

Polk County police Officer Kristen Hearne was fatally shot Friday when she and Officer David Goodrich investigated a car found beside a rural road. Goodrich's bulletproof vest protected him from serious injury. The suspected gunman, 31-year-old Seth Brandon Spangler, was arrested a few hours later after he emerged from a patch of woods and surrendered.

"Kristen is the absolute kindest person anyone would ever meet," said Nicole Smith, a close friend of Hearne's since high school in Rockmart. "She went out of her way to help anyone she could. The world could definitely have used 100 more of her. "

This booking photo provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation shows Seth Brandon Spangler, 31, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, in Georgia. Two police officers were shot, one of them fatally, when suspect Spangler, walked out of a wooded area accompanied by Samantha Roof, 22, and opened fire on Friday as the officers investigated a stolen car found beside a road in rural Georgia. (Georgia Bureau of Investigation via AP)

In an interview with The Associated Press, Smith said that Hearne adored her family and losing her is devastating.

"She was one of my very best friends," Smith said. "She was too amazing to even put into words."

Hearne, 29, was a five-year veteran of the department who worked hard and loved her job, Police Chief Kenny Dodd said. She was married with a 3-year-old son.

"Words can't express the sorrow and the hurt that we feel right now as an agency," Dodd said.

Goodrich was a rookie officer who'd been with the department for about six months.

Goodrich had gone to investigate a report of a stolen vehicle just before 11 a.m., and Hearne came as backup. Spangler and Samantha Roof, 22, walked out of a wooded area toward the officers. When the officers began talking to them, they acted suspiciously and Spangler pulled out a handgun and shot both officers, said Vernon Keenan, director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Dodd said Spangler was wanted for a probation violation in a neighboring county. Now he faces felony murder and aggravated assault charges in the slaying of Hearne and shooting of Goodrich.

When Spangler emerged from the woods a second time, he was wearing no clothes, Dodd said.

"This was obviously not his first run-in with the law," Dodd said at a news conference. "I have no idea why he thought it was worth the life of a police officer who was just doing her job. It's a senseless killing."

Spangler and Roof ran from the scene and a manhunt ensued. Roof was quickly arrested and Spangler surrendered to officers hours later, Keenan said.

"He came out of the woods with no clothes on and just gave himself up," Dodd said. "So we are currently out there with canines searching for articles of clothing."

Roof will also face felony charges, Keenan said.

Both officers acted bravely, Dodd said.

Funeral services are pending. In addition to her husband, Matt, and son, Isaac, Hearne is survived by her parents and a younger brother.

Spangler was wanted on outstanding Walker County warrants for probation violation, Keenan said.

Georgia Department of Corrections records show Spangler was released from prison in August 2016. He had been serving time for convictions on a 2011 charge of cruelty to children as well as criminal counts added in 2015 for methamphetamine possession and possession of drugs by a prisoner.

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This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Hearne's first name to Kristen.

Polk County, Ga. law enforcement officials look for a suspect involved in a shooting that killed a police officer and injured another, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, in Cedartown, Ga. The suspect, Seth Brandon Spangler, was taken into custody. He faces murder and aggravated assault charges. (Kevin Myrick/Polk County Standard Journal via AP)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - At least two people including a police officer were killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan's western Herat province, a provincial official said Saturday.

Gelani Farhad, spokesman for Herat's provincial governor, said another officer was wounded when a police vehicle triggered the explosive in the Adraskan district.

In a separate incident, Farhad said a civilian motorcycle hit a roadside bomb, killing one civilian and wounding another in the Shindand district.

A police man stands guard at his vehicle at the site of a suicide attack outside a Shiite mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday, killing four people and wounding 20 others, authorities said. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)

In yet another report from northern Kapisa province, at least nine civilians were wounded when a bicycle bomb exploded in a bazaar, said Qais Qaderi, spokesman for the provincial governor. Two small children were among the wounded, including one who was in critical condition, he said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks in Herat or Kapisa.

In a separate report from southern Kandahar province, a woman was killed after a civilian vehicle came under attack by unknown gunmen, said Niamat Khan, director of the regional Kandahar hospital. He said five others were wounded in the attack that took place in Shah Wali Kot district.

Late on Friday, the Islamic State group on its Amaq news agency claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing outside a Shiite mosque in Kabul after Friday prayers. It said Zaid al-Khorasani, an Afghan, carried out the attack in which authorities say at least five people were killed and 29 others wounded.

Najib Danish, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said three people suspected of being involved in the attack have been arrested, and an investigation was underway.

The attack took place two days before the Muslim holy day of Ashura, but Afghanistan has faced a series of large-scale attacks in recent months targeting minority Shiites. Last month, militants stormed a packed Shiite mosque in Kabul during Friday prayers in an attack that lasted for hours and ended with at least 20 worshippers killed and another 50 seriously wounded many of them children. IS claimed it was responsible.

Additional police forces have been deployed by the Interior Ministry, especially around the Shiite mosques in different provinces of the country, ahead of the Ashura holy day Sunday.

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Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.
MOSCOW (AP) - Officials in far east Russia say a soldier who opened fire at other servicemen during drills has been tracked down and killed.

The military says the soldier, who killed three and wounded two other soldiers, offered resistance to arrest and was shot dead early Saturday following a massive manhunt.

During Friday's incident, the soldier fired his Kalashnikov rifle at his comrades waiting to have target practice at a base outside the town of Belogorsk near the border with China and then fled.

The city administration in Belogorsk says the soldier came from the province of Dagestan in Russia's North Caucasus.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has sent a commission to investigate the shooting.
LONDON (AP) - A British newspaper is reporting that the Welsh climber killed by falling rock in Yosemite National Park this week died while trying to shield his wife.

The Times says Andrew Foster's wife, Lucy, told her husband's aunt that he jumped to cover her as tons of rock came cascading Wednesday down the face of El Capitan, a 3,600-foot (1,100-meter) granite monolith that attracts climbers from around the world.

Gillian Stephens, in an interview with the Times published Saturday, says Lucy Foster told her: "Andrew saved my life. He dived on top of me as soon as he could see what was going to happen. He saved my life."

In this Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, photo provided by Dakota Snider, photographer and Yosemite resident, a woman is carried into a helicopter after being rescued off El Capitan following a major rock fall in Yosemite National Park, Calif. All areas in California's Yosemite Valley are open Thursday, a day after the fatal rock fall. (Dakota Snider via AP)

The couple, who lived in Cardiff, Wales, described their love of the outdoors in a blog, Cam and Bear.

This Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 photo provided by climber Ryan Sheridan shows a new rock fall from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, Calif. Sheridan had just reached the top of El Capitan when Thursday's slide let loose below him. Sheridan told The Associated Press that "there was so much smoke and debris," and clouds of dust filled the entire valley below. He said Thursday's rock slide happened in the same location as the one on Wednesday at the El Capitan rock formation. (Ryan Sheridan via AP)

In this Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2017, photo provided by Dakota Snider, photographer and Yosemite resident, a woman is lowered by a helicopter after being lifted off El Capitan following a major rock fall in Yosemite National Park, Calif. All areas in California's Yosemite Valley are open Thursday, a day after the fatal rock fall. (Dakota Snider via AP)
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis is urging Italian mayors to redouble their efforts to welcome migrants and refugees and promote ways to integrate them into their new communities.

In a meeting Saturday with the mayors, Francis said he understood the difficulties of providing accommodation and services for the waves of migrants who have arrived in Italy in recent years. But he called for a new ethics-based model of local leadership "that doesn't leave those who arrive on our territory on the margins," and creates spaces for people to meet and get to know one another.

He said: "It's not about building higher towers, but expanding piazzas."

Pope Francis acknowledges the applause by Italian mayors on the occasion of a meeting with them at the Clementine Hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. Francis is urging mayors to redouble their efforts to welcome migrants and refugees and promote ways to integrate them into their new communities. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)

This week Francis launched an education campaign urging politicians and people to go out and meet migrants and hear their stories, rather than considering them faceless statistics.

A man wears a shirt with a slogan welcoming migrants during a private audience between Pope Francis and Italian mayors, at the Clementine Hall at the Vatican, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. Francis is urging mayors to redouble their efforts to welcome migrants and refugees and promote ways to integrate them into their new communities. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - The new season of "Saturday Night Live" wasted no time getting topical - or mocking Donald Trump - with an opening sketch that featured Alec Baldwin skewering the president for his response to the hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico, threatening Attorney General Jeff Sessions' job and mentioning his stand-off with the NFL.

"It's all part of the plan. The more chaos I cause, the less people can focus," Baldwin joked as Trump, wearing golf clothes in the Oval Office. "Let's keep the chaos coming."

In the sketch, Baldwin's Trump was unclear that Puerto Rico was an American territory, hung up on the mayor of San Juan, put Sessions playfully on his lap and admitted he liked football. "People say I remind them of an NFL player because I'm combative, I like to win and I might have a degenerative brain disease," Baldwin said. His Trump said he rewards loyalty but then ends the sketch palling around with U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer.

In this image released by NBC, Emma Stone, left, appears with host Ryan Gosling during the opening monologue for "Saturday Night Live," in New York on Sept. 30, 2017. (Will Heath/NBC via AP)

Trump was also a target on the show's "Weekend Update," with Colin Jost pointing out that hip-hop artist Pitbull was sending a private plane to help victims in Puerto Rico. "How is the president of the United States worse at humanitarian aid than Pitbull?"

Michael Che also got into the act: "This isn't that complicated, man. It's hurricane relief. These people need help. You just did this for white people twice. Do the same thing. Tell Melania to put on her flood heels."

Musical guest Jay-Z had his own political statement when he wore Colin Kaepernick's jersey number, a nod to the football player's decision to kneel during "The Star-Spangled Banner" last season.

The comedy show hopes to build off one of its most-watched seasons in more than two decades thanks to Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy's appearance as former White House press secretary Sean Spicer. Both actors recently won Emmys for their work, as did Kate McKinnon, who played Hillary Clinton on the show, and on Saturday played Sessions and Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany.

Ryan Gosling was the host and in his opening monologue, which Emma Stone joined, made fun of himself as the guy "who saved jazz," riffing off his role in "La La Land." Gosling featured in some bizarre sketches, including romancing a chicken, overreacting to a restaurant menu switch, playing a flute player in a bar and a man obsessed with the font on the "Avatar" poster.

In the offseason, "Saturday Night Live" saw the departure of cast members Vanessa Bayer, Bobby Moynihan and Sasheer Zamata. Those remaining also include Cecily Strong, Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kyle Mooney, Leslie Jones and Kenan Thompson.

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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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This story has been corrected to show that Emma Stone, not Emma Watson, appeared with Ryan Gosling.

In this image released by NBC, Kate McKinnon portraying German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, appears with Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost, center, and Michael Che during their segment on "Saturday Night Live," in New York on Sept. 30, 2017. (Will Heath/NBC via AP)

In this image released by NBC, Kate McKinnon portrays Attorney General Jeff Sessions, left, and Alec Baldwin portrays President Donald Trump during the cold open for "Saturday Night Live," on Sept. 30, 2017, in New York. (Will Heath/NBC via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) - Federal prosecutors have charged a City University of New York college professor with creating a fake trade school on the campus of his employer by teaching unauthorized courses and issuing phony certificates.

Investigators say that biology instructor Mamdouh Abdel-Sayed has led courses for years on subjects such as CPR and drawing blood on the weekends and in the evenings on weekdays. They say he charged as much as $1,000 for certificates he forged on paper purchased at an office supply store.

The 68-year-old New Jersey resident was released on $100,000 bond Friday. He and his lawyer declined to comment.

Abdel-Sayed was a lecturer at CUNY's Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn.

He's been charged with solicitation of bribes, wire fraud and other crimes.
NEW YORK (AP) - Before he died in a wingsuit accident in Switzerland three years ago, daredevil Donald Zarda filed a lawsuit claiming he had been sacked from a skydiving instruction job after telling a client he was gay.

Now, a federal appeals court in New York is trying to decide whether U.S. anti-discrimination law protects employees from being fired due to sexual orientation.

One U.S. government agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, says "Yes, it does."

Another, the Department of Justice, says "No, it doesn't."

The rare face-off between two executive branch entities played out Tuesday before an equally rare assembly of 13 judges of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

For about two hours, the judges peppered the lawyers with questions about Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars employment discrimination on the basis of "race, color, religion, sex or national origin."

Most federal appeals courts in the past have ruled that "sex" means biological gender, not sexual orientation. But a federal appeals court in Chicago ruled earlier this year that sexual orientation was also covered by the law.

The case was brought after Zarda was fired in 2010 from a skydiving job in Central Islip, New York, that required him to strap himself tightly to clients so they could jump in tandem from an airplane.

In an attempt to put one female student at ease about the physical contact, he told her not to worry; he was gay.

"He was proud of being gay and in the male workplace of the skydiving community. Jokes were often made that loosened the tension of the experience and jokes were often sexual," said attorney Greg Antollino, an attorney for Zarda's estate.

The school fired Zarda after the woman's boyfriend called to complain about his behavior.

Zarda's lawsuit was initially rejected by a federal judge in Central Islip. A three-judge appeals court panel upheld the lower-court ruling in April, citing a 2000 2nd Circuit ruling that concluded Title VII of the act does not cover sexual orientation.

The full 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals then took the rare step of agreeing to rehear the case as a group, a step they usually take less than once a year.

At the oral argument in the case Tuesday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Justice Department argue opposite sides of the issue.

"You know we love to hear from the federal government, but it's a little awkward for us to have the federal government on both sides of this case," Circuit Judge Rosemary S. Pooler said.

A deputy assistant attorney general with the Justice Department, Hashim M. Mooppan, said the language of Title VII makes it clear that it does not cover sexual orientation.

Circuit Judge Denny Chin questioned whether court rulings made on the issue over the last half century should be revaluated.

"The landscape changes in terms of the law, right? Marriage is different now," Chin said. "Why can't the same be said about sexual orientation?"

Mooppan said Congress has the authority and could alter the law to include sexual orientation if it chose to make the change. At one point, he noted the wide latitude employers have to control the sexual behavior of their employees.

"They're allowed to say if you cheat on your spouse, you're fired. They're allowed to say if you're promiscuous, you're fired. None of that is covered by Title VII," he said.

One judge suggested that the Justice Department changed its position after President Donald Trump was elected. The department filed its brief in the case on the same day Trump announced on Twitter that transgender people could no longer serve in the military.

A seemingly unflappable Mooppan grew uncomfortable only when the judge pressed to learn more about how the rift between the EEOC and Justice developed.

"Can the EEOC file its own brief without consultation with Justice?" one judge asked.

"Does DOJ sign off on a brief EEOC plans to file?" asked another.

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment," Mooppan said, adding at one point that answering the questions makes him nervous.

Zarda was 44 when he died.

Bill Moore, a longtime partner of Zarda who is pursuing the lawsuit along with Zarda's sister, said in a telephone interview from his Dallas home that Zarda "would be shocked" that the lawsuit had gone so far since he was seeking something "very small" to compensate him for lost wages.

"Don always felt like he didn't really have very much of a purpose and so he wondered what that was," Moore said. "He would be very happy to see where it is."

A ruling is not expected for some time.
MADRID (AP) - Authorities in Catalonia who want their northeastern region to leave Spain plan to hold a independence referendum Sunday - a vote that the central government in Madrid has vowed to halt.

Catalonia, one of Spain's 17 autonomous regions, has some 7.5 million people and includes the tourist-popular Mediterranean port of Barcelona, the country's second-largest city, which is home to a Catalan parliament and regional government. The region has its own language and generates a fifth of Spain's 1.1 trillion euro economy.

Here is a look at the events leading up to the deeply divisive vote:

With 'esteladas', the pro-independence Catalan flag, on the ir backs, youngsters attend a closing campaign rally for the 'Yes' vote in the independence referendum in Barcelona, Spain, Friday Sept. 29, 2017. Catalonia's planned referendum on secession is due be held Sunday by the pro-independence Catalan government but Spain's government calls the vote illegal, since it violates the constitution, and the country's Constitutional Court has ordered it suspended. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

-2006: Spain's central government and Catalan authorities agree on devolving more powers to the northeastern region, including finance, health care and education. The agreement is approved by both Catalan regional lawmakers and the national parliament.

-2008: Spain enters a five-year financial crisis that brings harsh austerity measures and recession, leaving many Catalans feeling their wealthy region could do better on its own.

-2010: Spain's Madrid-based Constitutional Court strikes down key parts of the 2006 charter, inadvertently breathing new life into the secession movement. Some 1 million Catalans voice their anger in a march through Barcelona. Pro-independence parties win a regional election.

-Sept. 11 2012: On Catalonia's national day, a huge turnout provides a show of force for the independence movement. But Madrid snubs Catalan officials by refusing to grant greater financial independence to the region.

-March 2014: Spain's Constitutional Court rules that Catalonia can't go ahead with a planned Nov. 9 vote on its independence, as all Spaniards must be allowed to cast a ballot.

-Nov. 9 2014: The Catalan government scraps its planned referendum on independence and, instead, calls the ballot an unofficial opportunity for locals to express their opinion about Catalonia's future. Of the around 2.3 million Catalans - less than half of those eligible - who vote, more than 80 percent choose secession. The national government rejects the vote as propaganda.

-Sept. 2015: Then-U.S. President Barack Obama says the United States wants a united Spain. European Union chiefs say an independent Catalonia wouldn't be allowed as a member. In another regional election, Catalonia's pro-independence parties narrowly win the most seats.

-Dec. 2015: Spain's Constitutional Court rules that a pro-independence resolution at the Catalan parliament is unconstitutional.

-March 2017: Former Catalan president Artur Mas is barred from holding public office for two years for holding the Nov. 2014 ballot.

-June 9 2017: Catalan president Carlos Puigdemont announces a new vote on independence on Oct.1. Catalan officials say they will proclaim a new republic within 48 hours of the ballot if a 'yes' vote wins, regardless of the turnout.

-Sept. 7 2017: After a legal challenge from the central government in Madrid, the Constitutional Court suspends the ballot.

-Sept. 20: Spanish police arrest a dozen Catalan officials for organizing the independence referendum, sparking mass street protests. Police seize 10 million ballot papers in a crackdown.

-Sept. 21 : Spain's Constitutional Court says it is fining 22 Catalan electoral board members between 6,000 euros ($7,000) and 12,000 euros ($14,200) a day as long as they fail to comply with the court order suspending the ballot.

-Sept. 29: The Spanish government vows to block the ballot. Catalan officials vow to proceed with it.

-Sept. 30: Police give activists and parents occupying schools in Catalonia so they can be used as polling stations for the Oct. 1 vote an ultimatum to leave by 6 a.m. on Oct. 1.

Youngsters wave esteledas, or Catalonia independence flag, and shout slogans in front of giant screen at the end of the 'Yes' vote closing campaign in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017. Catalonia's planned referendum on secession is due be held Sunday by the pro-independence Catalan government but Spain's government calls the vote illegal, since it violates the constitution, and the country's Constitutional Court has ordered it suspended. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Matt Dana was known around the Adirondack Mountain town where he grew up as a promising young police sergeant who worked hard to root out narcotics dealers. So it came as a shock to friends and co-workers when he died suddenly this summer and an autopsy attributed it to an overdose.

It wasn't from drugs, but from kratom, an herbal supplement sold online and in convenience stores, gas stations and smoke shops.

"It was the talk of the town. People were upset it was reported as an overdose," said Paul Maroun, mayor of Tupper Lake in the central Adirondacks 110 miles northwest of Albany. "It's not an illegal drug."

In this Sept. 27, 2017 photo, kratom capsules are displayed in Albany, N.Y. An upstate New York coroner's classification of a young police sergeant's death as a kratom overdose has sparked controversy among advocates of the herbal supplement who fear it could fuel efforts to ban it. Sgt. Matt Dana died in August 2017 at his home in Tupper Lake. A month later, the coroner said a toxicology study found only a high level of kratom in his blood. He said the 27-year-old officer died of hemorrhagic pulmonary edema, blood and fluid in the lungs. (AP Photo/Mary Esch)

Made from the leaf of a Southeast Asian plant, kratom (pronounced KRAY-tuhm) is touted as an energizer, potent pain reliever, and tool to wean people with addictions off heroin and other opioids. It's also increasingly used recreationally, with users describing it as stimulating like coffee at low doses, and producing a sense of relaxation and mild euphoria at higher doses.

Dana's death has resonated far beyond Tupper Lake, striking fear among kratom advocates that it could be cited in an ongoing federal review to get it banned nationwide.

Six states already ban kratom, and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency proposed a ban last year, citing 15 previous deaths from 2014 to 2016. But that proposal was withdrawn after public opposition, including a letter signed by 62 members of Congress and a protest at the White House organized by the American Kratom Association.

The DEA will decide whether to proceed with a ban after the Food and Drug Administration completes an analysis of the supplement. The FDA said there is no specific timetable. Previously, the FDA has warned consumers that kratom can cause adverse health effects, including severe withdrawal symptoms.

"This is very personal to a lot of folks," said Pete Candland, executive director of the American Kratom Association, founded in 2014 to advocate for full consumer access to the herb. "There are so many people who feel kratom has literally saved their lives, whether it's getting them off an opioid addiction, relieving pain or helping with overall health and well-being."

Why the 27-year-old Dana was using kratom is not clear. His obituary noted that in addition to enjoying hunting and fishing, Dana had been a bodybuilder. YouTube videos by bodybuilders advocate using kratom to increase energy and "push through the pain."

Advocates of kratom dispute the coroner's finding that it caused Dana's death from hemorrhagic pulmonary edema, when there is blood and other fluid in the lungs. The kratom association contends other factors were at work in the 15 previous deaths cited by the DEA, and it has requested the coroner's report in Dana's case to have it reviewed by toxicologists.

Franklin County Coroner Shawn Stuart said that the only substance in Dana's system was a high level of kratom and that his only physical ailment was the edema. Stuart said Dana had been making the powdered Red Vein Maeng Da strain of kratom into a paste and eating it.

Because kratom is classified as a dietary supplement, not a drug, it has not been subjected to clinical trials documenting health effects. But the FDA urges health care professionals and consumers to report any adverse effects to its online MedWatch program. A 2014 alert from the FDA warned the supplement could lead to respiratory depression, vomiting, nervousness, weight loss and constipation. And it noted withdrawal symptoms may include hostility and aggression.

Pulmonary edema wasn't listed as an adverse effect.

Whatever the cause, Dana's death is still being mourned as a loss to Tupper Lake. High School Principal Russ Bartlett said he was the rare kid who comes back to the tiny community after college to make it a better place.

"He wanted to be one of those people he had looked up to," Bartlett said.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - The former coordinator of a Florida Legislature teenage page program has been convicted of soliciting sex from an undercover investigator he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Michael Chmielewski, convicted Friday in federal court in Tallahassee, faces between 10 years and life in prison at sentencing scheduled Jan. 5.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, Chmielewski was convicted of attempted enticement of a minor after a three-day trial. He was arrested in February after authorities say he responded to a Craigslist ad from an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. They discussed sexual activity and he was arrested when he traveled to meet her, according to authorities.

Chmielewski was fired after his arrest. He oversaw a program that recruits 300 teenagers a year as aides and messengers for the state House.

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Information from: Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, http://www.tdo.com
WINOOSKI, Vt. (AP) - The summerlike weather at the end of September is keeping some of the landlocked Atlantic salmon in Lake Champlain from making the runs up the Winooski River to their traditional spawning grounds, a biologist says.

In the last week, no salmon have been found in the fish lift at the Winooski One hydro-electric plant at the waterfall between the cities of Burlington and Winooski, where they would be moved to a truck that would carry them to a spot in the river in North Williston, where they are released.

"Right now they are probably not thinking about coming up the river till things cool off a little bit," said Nicholas Staats, a fish biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The fish lift run by Burlington Electric at the Winooski One hydro-electric plant between the cities of Burlington and Winooski opened Sept. 6. Before the recent summerlike weather, 24 fish had been moved, Staats said.

Over the last seven years, an average of 49 fish had crossed the dam by Sept. 29, from a low of 13 in 2012 and a high of 129 in 2011.

The number of fish carried above the dam varies by year. Last year, a total of 89 were moved. In 2014, 158 were moved. Since biologists began moving the salmon in 1993, the most to cross in a single season was 189 in 2011.

By the end of October and into November, the fish are expected to start spawning, using their tails to dig nests, or redds, in gravel banks near Richmond where the females lay the eggs and the males fertilize them.

Staats said he's hopeful that when water and air temperatures return to normal, the fish will start swimming up the river again.

Biologists say the return of naturally reproducing salmon to the Winooski River in Vermont and the Boquet River in New York is a wildlife success story produced by a decades-long effort by the Fish and Wildlife Service and wildlife agencies in Vermont and New York.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Martin Lopez was shot in the hand last Saturday by two thieves who made off with his precious cans of gas in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. He was rushed to Centro Medico, a trauma center in the Puerto Rican capital where in ordinary times he would be quickly treated by surgeons and sent on his way.

But five days later, the 26-year-old cook was still waiting because only a fraction of the operating rooms were available due to an island-wide breakdown in the electrical power grid caused by the storm. He finally got the surgery and the hospital said he was on the mend Friday - but the same can't be said for Puerto Rico's badly stressed medical system.

"Thank God I'm fine, I'm getting better," he told The Associated Press in an air-conditioned medical tent set up by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the grounds of Centro Medico. "But Puerto Rico is destroyed. It's really sad."

In this Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 photo, patients lie in their beds at hospital in Catano, Puerto Rico. In Hurricane Maria's wake, hospitals and their employees are wrestling with the same shortages of basic necessities as everyone else. There are people who are unable to keep insulin or other medicines refrigerated. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to the tropical heat as widespread power outages mean no air-conditioning. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Of all the problems unleashed by the storm, which roared over the island Sept. 20 as a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 155 mph, the plight of overtaxed hospitals and smaller clinics - and health care in general - is one of the most worrying for officials grappling with recovery efforts.

The health system in the U.S. territory was already precarious, with a population that is generally sicker, older and poorer than that of the mainland, long waits and a severe shortage of specialists as a result of a decade-long economic recession. The island of 3.4 million people has higher rates of HIV, asthma, diabetes and some types of cancer, as well as tropical diseases such as the mosquito-borne Zika and dengue viruses.

In Maria's wake, hospitals and their employees are wrestling with the same shortages of basic necessities as everyone else. There are people who are unable to keep insulin or other medicines refrigerated. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to the tropical heat as widespread power outages mean no air conditioning. And amid the widespread disruption, it's often difficult to get kids to a doctor, especially for families who can't afford to drive long distances on a tank running out of gasoline.

"Whenever there is a disaster that impacts an area to the degree that this one has, then yes, people's lives are going to be in danger," said Dr. James Lapkoff, an emergency room doctor in Waynesville, North Carolina, who was part of the HHS team dispatched to Puerto Rico.

Days before the hurricane hit, 56-year-old retired government worker Damaris Torres tried to find a safe place for her son, who has been bedridden for a decade after a traffic accident and depends on a ventilator, oxygen tank and feeding tube.

She has a small generator at home and a battery connected to an inverter as backup, but she didn't want a rerun of what happened when Hurricane Irma hit just weeks earlier. Back then her son, 30-year-old Manuel Alejandro Olivencia, was transferred to three hospitals in less than 40 hours because his family was told there was no "special place" for someone on a ventilator.

"He's in such delicate condition," Torres said, her eyes welling with tears as she recounted how a hospital in the northern fishing town of Catano finally took him in.

That facility relies on a generator, but officials say they constantly worry about running out of fuel.

"Diesel is the one thing everyone is asking for," Mayor Felix Delgado said as he visited the hospital on a recent morning.

Maria knocked out electricity to the entire island, and only a handful of Puerto Rico's 63 hospitals had generators operating at full power. Even those started to falter amid a shortage of diesel to fuel them and a complete breakdown in the distribution network.

Patients were sent to Centro Medico and several other major facilities, quickly overwhelming them. The situation is starting to improve, with about half of the hospitals getting direct power or priority shipments of diesel, but that barely addresses the challenges facing the island as a whole.

Jorge Matta, CEO of the nonprofit that runs the complex of hospitals that make up Centro Medico, said progress was being made on restoring power capacity there and finding places to send patients whose homes were destroyed. He said they expected to have all 20 operating rooms at the trauma center back up this weekend. But other parts of the island are in much worse shape.

"Right now we have hospitals (elsewhere) that need diesel, they need water, they need oxygen," Matta said.

On Saturday, authorities evacuated dozens of patients at one hospital in the capital of San Juan after its backup generator failed. They were taken to other nearby hospitals already struggling with an overflow of patients.

Metro Pavia, which operates several hospital campuses across the island, warned Friday that it was closing emergency rooms in Arecibo and Ponce because it did not have enough diesel.

Meanwhile medicines are running low and obtaining fuel is an ongoing struggle, said Dr. David Lenihan, president of Ponce Health Sciences University, the only medical clinic currently serving southern Puerto Rico.

"If these things start deteriorating, there's a significant amount of lives at risk," he said. "We're providing care, but it's not optimal care."

At the Doctors' Center Hospital in the northern city of Bayamon, Dr. Victor Rivera said they are so overwhelmed that he has been intercepting patients in the ER waiting room and even outside while people are still in their cars, and sending them on their way with medical advice or a prescription in non-emergency cases.

Only one of the hospital's four surgery rooms is operating because the others were contaminated when they were used as shelters after Maria ripped off the roof on the fifth floor and blew out the windows on the fourth.

Rivera said the hospital, like many others, is relying on overworked generators.

"They've been hit with an enormous amount of work," he said, noting that the hospital had turned them on earlier during Hurricane Irma and increasingly worries they could fail. "This could potentially be a catastrophe for any hospital."

With capacity maxed out, he has been sending patients who suffer from asthma, diabetes and other conditions to other hospitals nearby.

Hospitals are struggling to treat a wide variety of conditions in Maria's wake. The first wave was people with cuts and other wounds sustained in the storm. There are also people like Lopez, who was robbed after waiting in line five hours to buy a rationed supply of gas, who have the type of non-storm-related injuries typically treated at Centro Medico.

The hospital serves as the main trauma center for many around the Caribbean, and when Maria hit, it was already treating patients from the island of St. Maarten who were injured in Hurricane Irma.

Centro Medico and a couple others are also receiving patients from all over Puerto Rico from clinics unable to handle them, straining the system.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello has ordered that all major hospitals be placed on a priority list for receiving diesel.

The U.S. Navy has also dispatched the USNS Comfort, a hospital ship that has been deployed during previous disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The vessel's sailing plan was a Friday departure from Norfolk, Virginia, with up to five days before it would reach Puerto Rico.

In this Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 photo, Dr. Victor Rivera attends Carmen Hernandez in a car in the hospital's parking lot for lack of space at the hospital in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria is stressing Puerto Rico's already weak health care system. Rivera said they are so overwhelmed that he has been intercepting patients in the ER waiting room and even outside while people are still in their cars, to send them on their way with medical advice or a prescription in non-emergency cases. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

In this Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 photo, Damaris Torres watches over son Manuel Alejandro Olivencia at the hospital in Catano, Puerto Rico. Days before the arrival of Hurricane Maria, Torres tried to find a safe place for her son, who has been bedridden for a decade after a traffic accident and depends on a ventilator, oxygen tank and feeding tube. "He's in such delicate condition," Torres said, her eyes welling with tears as she recounted how a hospital in the northern fishing town of Catano finally took him in. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Taryn Armington and Sonar Technician (Surface) Seaman Darian Joseph prepare to cast off mooring lines for the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) as the ship departs Naval Station Norfolk to support hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico Friday, Sept. 29, 2017 in Norfolk, Va.. The Department of Defense is supporting the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the lead federal agency, in helping those affected by Hurricane Maria to minimize suffering and is one component of the overall whole-of-government response effort. (MC3 Brittany Tobin/U.S. Navy via AP)

Hospital employees sort donated canned food to deliver to a nearby shelter for hurricane victims, in Catano, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017. The aftermath of the powerful storm has resulted in a near-total shutdown of the U.S. territory's economy that could last for weeks and has many people running seriously low on cash and worrying that it will become even harder to survive on this storm-ravaged island. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
POWELL, Ohio (AP) - An 18-month-old female manatee has arrived at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from a zoo in Tampa, Florida.

Columbus Zoo officials say Agua arrived Friday from Tampa's Lowery Park Zoo. She had been in Tampa since June 2016 after her mother was struck by a boat. The mother died two months later.

Zoo officials say Agua wasn't injured but has required extra care after being orphaned at a young age. She will be released into Florida waters after her Columbus rehabilitation stint is completed.

This photo provided by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium shows Stubby, right, greets Agua, the new 18-month-old female manatee that arrived at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Columbus Zoo officials say Agua arrived Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, from Tampa's Lowery Park Zoo. She had been in Tampa since June 2016 after her mother was struck by a boat. ( Columbus Zoo and Aquarium via AP)

Agua joins five other manatees in the zoo's 300,000-gallon Manatee Coast exhibit, which includes a rare set of twins.

The Columbus Zoo is part of the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership and provides the second stage of rehabilitation before animals are released into the wild.
NEW YORK (AP) - Ousted Uber CEO Travis Kalanick is naming two new directors to the ride-hailing app company's board as part of an ongoing struggle with one of Uber's major investors.

Former Xerox CEO Ursula Burns and former Merrill Lynch and CIT Group CEO John Thain were named as directors in a Friday statement attributed to Kalanick, rather than Uber Technologies. Kalanick said the board needs a full complement of directors to consider major potential changes to the board as well as voting rights within Uber.

Burns was chair and CEO of Xerox from 2009 to 2016. She started at Xerox as an intern in 1980 and upon becoming CEO was the first black women to head a Fortune 500 company. She left Xerox after the company split itself in two following pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn.

Thain worked at Goldman Sachs for 25 years and became the company's president in 1999. He was CEO of the New York Stock Exchange from 2005 to 2007 before he was hired by Merrill Lynch. He negotiated Merrill's acquisition by Bank of America in 2008, at the height of the global financial crisis, but was criticized after the firm paid out $3.6 billion in bonuses to employees just before the deal closed.

Investors gave Kalanick the power to choose three directors last year, and in June, he appointed himself to the board after he resigned as CEO. His resignation came as the company faced lawsuits, increasing opposition from some regulators and mounting criticism over its corporate culture and allegations of sexual harassment. Several top executives stepped down around the time Kalanick relinquished the CEO title, as did board member David Bonderman, who made a sexist remark at an employee meeting. Twenty Uber employees were fired after a law firm investigated complaints of harassment, bullying and retaliation.

Benchmark Capital, which holds more than a third of Uber's voting power, is suing Kalanick and says he concealed information about internal problems and a lawsuit facing Uber before he gained authority to fill board seats. Benchmark says it would not have voted to create the board seats if that information had been public. Kalanick says those allegations are baseless. In August a judge ruled that the lawsuit must be moved to private arbitration.

Benchmark Capital declined to comment.

In late August Uber hired Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi as its new CEO.
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) - Greek police announced they have arrested eight migrant traffickers who reportedly smuggled 38 migrants through Greece's land border with Turkey.

All the arrests were made Friday, in northern Greece, in four separate incidents.

The largest group of migrants - 10 from Vietnam, two from Iraq and two from Pakistan - was smuggled by two Moldovans and a Romanian. The migrants were stashed in one car while two other traffickers drove another vehicle, checking for police roadblocks, police say.

Ten Syrians and Somalis smuggled in by a Bulgarian driver told police they paid 2,400 euros ($2,836) each to be taken into central Europe. Another seven Iraqis, five Afghanis and two Pakistanis were also smuggled in by traffickers.

Similar incidents occur almost daily, police say.
Keith Hamer charts the career of Enable, the John Gosden-trained filly on the verge of greatness in the Prix de lArc de Triomphe at Chantilly on Sunday:

Low-key debut success

John Gosden gave Enable a low-key debut on the all-weather at Newcastle last November, when she led entering the final furlong and strode away to take a one-mile maiden by three and three-quarter lengths.

Stablemate Shutter Speed scores

Shutter Speed, in 1,000 Guineas and Oaks, preserves her unbeaten record in impressive style for John Gosden and Frankie Dettori at Newbury. pic.twitter.com/LpKTe7x5LH  Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 21, 2017

A quiet introduction to 2017 saw Enable make late progress to finish third behind stablemate Shutter Speed in a 10-furlong conditions race at Newbury in April.

Cheshire Please

Frankie jumping for joy and Enable into 7s for the Oaks pic.twitter.com/XGvUUn1Tfa  Nick Robson (@ValueRacingPlus) May 10, 2017

Ridden by Frankie Dettoti for the first time, Enable showed her Classic potential with an impressive victory in the Cheshire Oaks as she swept Aidan OBriens Alluringly aside with the minimum of fuss. Dettori said: Shes a very nice filly, who is improving all the time. She is beginning to know what she is doing. I liked the way she quickened and put the race to bed.

Oaks romp

#ThrowbackThursday - Enable pulls out all the stops to land the Epsom Oaks for @FrankieDettori pic.twitter.com/Tg7avhmXIM  ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 27, 2017

Leading two furlongs out, Enable put her rivals to the sword to run out a facile five-length winner from Rhododendron in the fillies Classic at Epsom, which was run in driving rain and a thunderstorm. Dettori said: She pulled away in the last furlong and is a good mare. Shes very good. Shes still a bit of a frame, but I think shell get better and better.

Classic double

Enable streaks clear in the Irish Oaks

After tracking Bengala, Enable went about her business halfway up the straight and passed the post five and a half lengths clear of Rain Goddess in the Irish Oaks at the Curragh. Gosden said: Shes probably the best weve got. Shes exceptionally good. She quickens and she stays well. We couldnt be more pleased with her.

King Queen

Enable wins the The King George Vi And Queen Elizabeth Stakes! Watch reaction LIVE on @ITV pic.twitter.com/Iui4vxORgw  ITV Racing (@itvracing) July 29, 2017

Enable was crowned queen in the King George as she beats the colts and older horses in some style with another breathtaking display at Ascot, dispensing of the top-class Ulysses by four and a half lengths. Dettori said: I havent had a feel like that since Golden Horn. Shes very good. I knew she was up to the task, but I didnt expect her to do that and she destroyed them.

Tour de Yorkshire

The Yorkshire Oaks proved another cakewalk as Enable made all the running at York and won unchallenged by five lengths. Gosden said: Shes somewhat special, I think at a mile and a half she is the best filly Ive ever trained. Shes exceptional and able to do it both ways, from the front and off the pace.
Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has reportedly been caught on camera part-reciting a colonial poem in a Burmese temple before being stopped by an ambassador.

Mr Johnson was said to have begun quoting the opening lines of Mandalay during a visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, the capital of Burma.

The poem by Rudyard Kipling is written through the eyes of a retired British serviceman in Burma, also known as Myanmar, which Britain colonised for more than a century.

The poem was written by Kipling. (PA)

The Guardian, reporting on the footage due to be broadcast by Channel 4, said the British ambassador Andrew Patrick stopped Mr Johnson mid-flow, and before he recited the line Bloomin idol made o mud/ Wot they called the Great Gawd Budd  a reference to Buddha.

Mr Patrick is reported to have told Mr Johnson: Youre on mic. Probably not a good idea, to which the Unxbridge MP said: What, The Road to Mandalay?

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The ambassador replies: No. Not appropriate.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office declined to comment.

:: Boris Johnson: Blond Ambition is on Channel 4 on Sunday at 10.05pm.
A murder investigation has been launched after a 21-year-old man was stabbed to death.

Metropolitan Police officers were called to reports of a disturbance in Ropery Street in Bow, east London, at around 2.30am on Saturday.

They found the victim with stab wounds in nearby Eric Street.

(Kirsty O'Connor/PA)

He was treated at the scene by paramedics from Londons Air Ambulance service before being taken to a hospital, where he died at 4.52am.

Scotland Yard said detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating and no arrests have been made.

The victims next of kin have been told but formal identification has yet to take place.

A post-mortem examination is also to be arranged.
Mass immigration and Islam are harming British culture  but there should be no cap on the number of migrants who can come to the country, Ukips new leader has said.

Henry Bolton won the race to succeed Paul Nuttall on Friday, averting a potential split of the party by defeating anti-Islam candidate Anne Marie Waters, who finished second in the leadership election.

In a sign of the need to unite the party, the little-known former Army officer used his keynote speech to the party conference in Torquay to declare that the present rate of immigration is unacceptable and claim British culture was being swamped by multiculturalism.

(Ben Birchall/PA)

He called for an Australian-style points-based system for managing migration, but in a major shift of Ukips position abandoned the partys pledge to cap net migration.

Mr Bolton told the conference: Immigration is overwhelming our public services, which themselves are being slashed  25% off the police, for example, in some cases nearly 50% off local government.

Housing and communities are being overwhelmed, it is harming our own culture, traditions and way of life.

We must demand that our own concerns about our own British culture are heard and that that feeds into our policy on immigration.

We must never again leave it to the last moment to select our candidates for elections - @_HenryBolton  UK Independence Party (@UKIP) September 30, 2017

Earlier, he told reporters: There is concern amongst the population writ large that there is an undermining through general immigration and the weight of numbers that we have got, and Islam as well, that our culture is being buried by this, being sort of pushed aside.

But he also watered down Ukips promises in 2015 and 2017 to cap immigration, despite Prime Minister Theresa May remaining committed to a target of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands.

Mr Bolton told reporters: Anybody who says put a figure on it is actually being entirely unrealistic and trying to paint politicians like me into a corner that gives you a nice thing to hang a comment on, but youre not going to get it from me because actually we need to be a lot more practical and operational about it.

The ex-soldier opened his speech with a clear pitch to former Ukip voters who backed the Tories in the general election, suggesting Mrs May had betrayed them on Brexit.

Leaving the EU is the first step to taking control of our own destiny - @_HenryBolton  UK Independence Party (@UKIP) September 30, 2017

The PMs promise that Brexit means Brexit and her approach to the issue was thought to be a key factor in Ukips vote share tumbling to 1.8% from 12.6% in 2015.

Mr Bolton described a transition period as proposed by the Conservatives and Labour as unacceptable and said Britain must be prepared to leave the European Union immediately.

He claimed Mrs Mays Florence speech, in which she set out plans for a two-year transition and made a first offer towards a financial settlement, showed the UK does not want to leave the EU in anything but name.

The PMs promise of a security partnership with the EU showed she was prepared to subordinate the UKs foreign policy, defence and aid to Brussels, Mr Bolton said.

Members of UKIP, the fight back starts here. It starts now. It starts today. - @_HenryBolton  UK Independence Party (@UKIP) September 30, 2017

We must demand the repeal of the European Communities Act and be prepared to leave now, he said.

Mr Bolton added: The Prime Minister called the last general election, in her own words, to strengthen my hand in the Brexit negotiations.

She claimed that she offered strong and stable leadership.

The country and many of our supporters trusted her and the Conservatives won the election.

We must demand the repeal of the European Communities Act and be prepared to leave now! - @_HenryBolton  UK Independence Party (@UKIP) September 30, 2017

So, 14 months after the referendum, have we regained control of our borders?

Are we able to conclude our own trade agreements?

We have not, no.

Staying on traditional Ukip territory, Mr Bolton attacked the Governments cuts to defence spending, claiming 1,000 Royal Marines were being axed to save 3 billion to go towards the so-called Brexit divorce bill.

We were 100% right that the government want a European armed forces and they want a European foreign policy - @_HenryBolton  UK Independence Party (@UKIP) September 30, 2017

He said 13 of the Navys 19-strong fleet of Type 23 frigates and Type 45 destroyers were unable to sail due to a lack of manpower, fuel and supplies, and he drew audible gasps from the crowd when stating we have fewer main battle tanks than Switzerland.

Turning to Ukips electoral failure, Mr Bolton set out plans to select candidates earlier, improve planning and training across the party and country, and better manage finances.

He ditched the 2017 manifesto and said 2015s version would be used as a baseline, while members will be given a role in policy-making, with the partys conference to vote on ideas.

Mr Bolton concluded: Brexit remains our core task and to secure the future of our great nation is our core purpose.

Failure is not an option.
Swedens David Lingmerth showed the chasing pack what was possible with a brilliant course record of 62 in the third round of the British Masters.

Lingmerth made the halfway cut with nothing to spare on two under par but surged up the leaderboard thanks to nine birdies and a solitary bogey at Close House.

That took the world number 107 into second place on 10 under, two shots behind Englands Tyrrell Hatton, who was due to resume his bid for a second European Tour title shortly after 1pm.

David Lingmerth hit a course record of 62 in the British Masters

A Swede on the charge @dlingmerth's last 7 holes: Birdie - Birdie - Birdie - Birdie - Birdie - Par - Birdie. pic.twitter.com/pmBwvQE9Fy  DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 30, 2017

Im very pleased with how my round ended up today, said Lingmerth, whose score eclipsed the previous record of 63 established by Hatton and George Coetzee on day one.

I try to get up three hours before my tee-time so my alarm was set for five oclock. Im not a morning person so I need to get moving and get my blood flowing.

I got off to a bit of a rocky start and had to save a couple of pars early, but then got rolling with the putter and made five birdies in a row from the fourth and felt like I was swinging it better too.

Putting on these fresh greens early in the morning definitely helped. It took me a few days to get used to the greens, the speed and how to read them. I saw my lines well, putted with great speed and had a few nice ones go in.

Hatton gets his third round underway...#BritishMasters pic.twitter.com/yvoFUb4HpN  DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 30, 2017

I dont know what the leaders will do this afternoon but Im hoping to be somewhat near the leaders and have a chance tomorrow.

Rory McIlroy had perhaps taken encouragement from Lingmerths score as he looks to end a disappointing, injury-plagued season on a high.

McIlroy began the day eight shots off the lead but picked up a birdie on the third, chipped in for another on the fifth and then immediately recorded a third after narrowly missing from 15 feet for eagle on the par-five sixth.

A fourth birdie on the ninth took the four-time major winner to the turn in 31 and up to eight under, four shots behind Hatton.
Clemmie completed a hat-trick to open her Group One account in the Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

The full sister to dual Guineas hero Churchill added this prestigious contest to her Group Three and Group Two triumphs as she asserted at the end of the six-furlong trip.

Treasuring took the field along with Different League and Madeline close up, but Clemmie made her bid two furlongs out and was vying for the lead.

Clemmie wins the The @JuddmonteFarms Cheveley Park Stakes providing Aidan O'Brien with his 19th Group 1 win of the season pic.twitter.com/aZvwoOjjiG  Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) September 30, 2017

Different League looked a big danger but she could find no extra in the final 100 yards as Clemmie (15-8 favourite) pulled away in the hands of Ryan Moore to score by a length and three-quarters.

Madeline was a further length and a half away in third place.

Moore said: Shes very, very high-class and travelled beautifully throughout.

It was a messy enough sort of race, but she always had herself in the right position, she was very comfortable and always felt in control.

Clemmie wins the Gr.1 Juddmonte Cheveley Park Stakes. Stud Director Simon Mockridge presents the trophy to Ryan Moore. pic.twitter.com/8tqvVT8Zft  Juddmonte (@JuddmonteFarms) September 30, 2017

Hopefully theres more to come. Its been a while since she ran here in the summer, shes improved from every start and Id say shell continue to do so.

Shes not stopping in her races and is giving me every indication shell go further.

OBrien said: Im delighted with her. Shes a full-sister to Churchill and is a filly who has been progressing with every run.

To be showing that kind of class over six furlongs, youd be over the moon. Shes very much like Churchill  shes right in his mould. Obviously hes a colt and shes a filly, but she has a great mind and plenty of speed and nothing fazes her.

Aidan O'Brien could look to the @BreedersCup with Cheveley Park Stakes winner Clemmie following her @NewmarketRace victory pic.twitter.com/h2aF4q3VVh  PA Racing (@PAracing) September 30, 2017

I think the lads will discuss it and see what they want to do. She would have the option of going to America (for the Breeders Cup) if thats what the lads wanted to do and she said she was happy to do that.

A mile around there (Del Mar) on nice ground should be no problem to her.

Different Leagues trainer Matthieu Palussiere said: We are delighted with her. She keeps putting up great performances. You would imagine she will keep improving with her physique.

Her first two runs in France were just good gallops basically. She travelled well. I left it all up to the jockey and he knew what to do anyway.

Ryan Moore lands his first Cheveley Park success after Clemmie battles to victory for Aidan O'Brien to land the Group One at Newmarket pic.twitter.com/039KYWJDDZ  Graham Clark (@GrahamClark85) September 30, 2017

She was beaten by a filly that is improving. You would have to think about taking the winner on again. She has a great temperament. It nearly is as good as Ascot (when she won the Albany). Her run in Prix Morny was good as well.

I would say that it is for the year. I would say she will have a prep race before the Guineas.

Trainer Roger Varian said of third-placed Madeline: She ran very well and I am delighted.

She is an honest, talented filly but she didnt quite have the guns to win. She ran a good race and she has ran well all year.

Roger Varian

She is very easy to train and turns up every time. Andrea (Atzeni) was pleased. He said she hit a flat spot, which she did in the Lowther, and she probably needs to go further.

She didnt come down the hill like the first two, but when she met the rising ground she stayed on.

We will see how she is but we might consider the Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar.

The way she has stayed on, she would get a flat American two-turn mile and she will be better on faster ground.
Thousands of people are marching through Dublin demanding change to Irelands strict abortion laws.

The March for Choice is the first major demonstration since the Government set an indicative timescale of early summer 2018 for a referendum on the section of the states constitution that ensures tight legal restrictions on terminations.

Campaigners gathered at Parnell Square from lunchtime before making their way down the citys main thoroughfare, OConnell Street.

Thousands of people are marching through Dublin demanding change to Ireland's strict abortion laws

Chanting and waving placards, demonstrators then marched along the River Liffey past the landmark Custom House before crossing the water on their way to the gates of the Irish parliament.

Anti-abortion activists staged counter events in the city and across Ireland to warn against relaxation of the current law.

The existing Eighth Amendment of Irelands constitution affords equal rights to pregnant women and unborn children. Added to the constitution in 1983, the amendment recognises an unborn childs right to life.

Terminations are currently only permitted when the life of the mother is at risk and the maximum penalty for accessing an illegal abortion in Ireland is 14 years in prison.

Campaigners gathered at Parnell Square from lunchtime before making their way down the city's main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street

Thousands of Irish women travel to Great Britain every year to have a legal abortion.

With the prospect of a referendum having been on the horizon for some time, pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates have already been long campaigning on the emotive issue.

Those efforts are intensifying now a timeframe has been set for the vote.

The march in Dublin is the first big set-piece since Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced on Tuesday that a referendum will likely be called in May or June next year.

Protestors gathered in London to demand changes to the abortion laws in Ireland

A pro-choice rally was also staged outside the Irish Embassy in London on Saturday, with campaigners highlighting the numbers of Irish women who have travelled to Britain for an abortion in the last three decades.

A parliamentary body has been established to advise on the wording for the referendum.

The Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution is considering a report from Judge Mary Laffoy, who chaired a specially-designed Citizens Assembly of 99 people who deliberated and voted on the issue.

The assembly called for article 40.3.3, which was altered under the Eighth Amendment, to be removed from the Constitution.

It said it should be replaced by a provision which placed the onus on politicians to pass laws on termination of pregnancy, rights of the unborn and pregnant womens rights.
Monarch has been granted a 24-hour extension to its licence to sell package holidays.

The low cost airline and holiday company had a deadline of midnight on September 30 before its Air Travel Organisers Licence (Atol) expired.

This allows the firm to sell Atol-protected holidays. The firms new extension will expire at midnight on October 1.

Monarch have been handed a 24-hour Atol extension over package holidays

#Didyouknow? ATOL financially protects holidaygoers in the event that your UK-based travel company collapses. #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/zIfIUVDU8Q  ATOL (@ATOLprotected) September 20, 2017

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said: We can confirm that Atol protection will remain available for eligible holiday bookings made with Monarch on Sunday.

This means that holidaymakers can buy Atol-protected trips from Monarch on Sunday, which will cover them from whatever date in the future their trip takes place.

It is Monarchs second such temporary extension in two years and follows a spotlight being shone on the carriers finances.

A CAA statement said: The Atol renewal process is ongoing and the CAA will conclude the processing of applications from approximately 1,300 Atol holders in the next 24 hours.

In certain circumstances this could require a temporary extension to complete this process.

In line with our usual practice, we will not comment on the specifics of any Atol holders application until such time as the process has reached a resolution.

However, we can confirm that Atol protection will remain available for eligible holiday bookings made with Monarch on Sunday.

The CAA will provide a daily update with regard to the protection that is available to Monarchs customers.

Monarch, whose headquarters are at London Luton Airport, was founded in 1968.

It also operates from four other UK bases including London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds Bradford to more than 40 destinations around Europe and further afield.

The company employs approximately 2,750 predominantly UK based staff, its website states.

UK travel firms selling holidays and flights are required to hold an Atol, which protects customers with pre-booked holidays from being stranded abroad in the event of circumstances such as the company ceasing to trade.
Prime Minister Theresa May has arrived in Manchester for a crunch Tory party conference as tensions over Brexit broke into the open again.

Britains EU divorce deal and the scope of any post-withdrawal transition period looks set to dominate the Conservative gathering.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson caused waves on the eve of the conference as he insisted that any transition period must not last a second more than two years, while some senior Conservatives have said Britain should walk away from Brexit negotiations by Christmas if no serious progress is being made.

Boris Johnson insists any transition period must not last "a second more" than two years (Pavel Neubauer/AP)

Mr Johnson said the UK should not have to abide by any new EU rules during a post-withdrawal transition period, and that Britain should not make payments to Brussels after it.

He said there can be no monkeying around about withdrawal from the EU.

Mr Johnson, who insisted his stance was not a leadership pitch after a poll of activists showed him well favoured for the top job, said Brexit needed to happen quickly.

He told the Sun: Am I impatient about it, do I want to get it done as fast as possible? Yes, absolutely. Do I want the delay to go on longer than two years? Not a second more.

The move came as a letter to the Prime Minister from senior pro-Brexit Tory MPs and business figures in the Leave Means Leave group stated: If the EU is not seriously negotiating a free trade deal by Christmas 2017, the Government should give formal notice that we will move to World Trade Organisation rules in March 2019.

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson called for "serious people" to take charge of the Brexit process (Jane Barlow/PA)

Signatories calling for the hardline stance include former Brexit minister David Jones, and the issue is set to feature heavily at the Tory conference.

However, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson called for serious people to take charge of the Brexit process.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the Foreign Secretarys stance threatened a trade war with the EU.

He said: It seems a pretty dysfunctional Government. I cant imagine what its like sitting around a table with their Brexit negotiating team because there are three or four people with three or four completely different opinions.

Jeremy Corbyn said the Boris Johnson's stance threatened a trade war with the EU (Victoria Jones/PA)

Boris this morning seems to be saying two years maximum on the transition period and then no shadowing of EU rules. Well, that sounds to me like a threat to have a trade policy that undermines Europe.

Therein lies the basis of a trade war of the future, therein lies a threat to thousands and thousands of jobs in Britain.

You have got to have a serious, adult, grown-up relationship with Europe.

Boris Johnson's latest Brexit red lines would be disastrous for UK. He is motivated by selfish, personal ambition not the national interest  Vince Cable (@vincecable) September 30, 2017

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said Mr Johnsons intervention had undermined the Governments Brexit negotiating position.

Boris Johnsons latest red line sends an appalling signal to EU negotiators who thought they were dealing with David Davis and Theresa May but now realise that the strings are being pulled by others, he said.

Senior Conservatives are displaying an abject failure to act together in the national interest and seem more motivated by selfish, personal ambition.
Diafra Sakho came in from the cold to hit a last-minute winner and dig West Ham manager Slaven Bilic out of a hole.

The London Stadium was almost in open revolt following an insipid 89 minutes from the home side against Swansea.

But Sakho, who if he had got his way on transfer deadline day would now be in France playing for Rennes, climbed off the bench to secure a 1-0 win and bail out his boss.

Even Bilic had branded this a must-win game, and he should know  so precarious has his position looked at times that West Ham have had about 10 in the last 12 months.

The credit that the Croatian built up during the final season at Upton Park seems to have evaporated, if the boos which rang round at his decision to substitute Javier Hernandez are anything to go by.

Yet West Ham are somehow now out of the bottom three, and with games against Brighton, Burnley and Crystal Palace coming up, Bilic will feel they can climb further away from trouble.

The Hammers did actually almost open the scoring early on, Lukasz Fabianski at full stretch to palm Michail Antonios effort wide.

In keeping with the rest of a truly awful first half it was a scrappy, scuffed shot which looped up off the turf, but it still required a decent save.

At the other end Wilfried Bony checked Joe Hart was still awake with a 25-year drive which the England keeper extravagantly palmed wide.

The fact that it was only Swanseas 11th shot on target this season illustrated what little attacking threat West Ham were up against  and yet the visitors were in total control.

It was worse than the sort of fare served up by Sam Allardyce which irked the fans so much and eventually cost him his job, to be replaced by Bilic.

Crossbar!



Masuaku whips a great ball in, Carroll gets a great touch on it, but it hits the corner of the upright! #WHUSWA 0-0 (86) pic.twitter.com/zaLZzGa9c3  West Ham United (@WestHam) September 30, 2017

There was even a smattering of boos from some of the supporters who had managed to stay in their seats until the half-time whistle.

After the break Antonio sent in a deep cross which Andy Carroll, stretching at the far post, just failed to get a touch to.

Bilic sent on fit-again playmaker Manuel Lanzini, for the ineffective Mark Noble, on the hour mark in a belated attempt to inject some life into proceedings.

Yet still Swansea posed the greater threat, with Martin Olsson sending a curling effort narrowly wide.

76: Close from @martinolsson3! He steers a right-footed effort just wide of the far post.#WHUSWA  0-0  pic.twitter.com/Am06cO9kFO  Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) September 30, 2017

Bilic turned to Sakho  for Hernandez  and Arthur Masuaku for inspiration, and it eventually arrived.

Carroll had already turned one Masuaku cross against a post and when the winger whipped in a second, Sakho arrived on cue.

The Senegal striker, yet to start a Premier League game since his deadline day shenanigans, slid in at the far post to snatch a scarcely deserved, but potentially huge, three points.
Lintao Zhang/Pool/Getty Images(BEIJING) -- The Trump administration confirmed Saturday for the first time that it is in direct communication with North Korea over its government's escalating missile and nuclear programs.



U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking off-camera with reporters during his trip to China's capital, acknowledged that the administration is speaking to North Korea "directly, through our own channels."



"We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation, a blackout," he said from the residence of the U.S. ambassador in Beijing. "We can talk to them. We do talk to them."



Tillerson said the Trump administration has "three channels" open with the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.



The top U.S. diplomat also said that broad sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program "are beginning to have an effect."



"We are seeing from what we can observe, and the Chinese are telling us, that it is having some effect, and [the Chinese] have a pretty close view of it," Tillerson said. "But I also think it's the uniform voice coming from the international community. There is almost no one aligning with North Korea on this nuclear program of theirs."



The secretary of state described the situation with Pyongyang right now as "overheated" after back-and-forth barbs between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. Tillerson blamed North Korea for the rising tensions, saying that if it would stop testing missiles, that "would calm down things a lot."



Following Tillerson's remarks, U.S. Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert issued a statement Saturday saying there are "several open channels" in which the Trump administration "can communicate" with the North Korean government, but officials in Pyongyang so far "have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization."



"U.S. diplomats have several open channels in which we can communicate with officials within the North Korean regime," Nauert said in the statement. "Despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilizing forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization."



Tillerson's comments and his visit to Beijing come after North Koreas foreign minister earlier this week accused the U.S. of declaring war.



The foreign minister was responding to Trump's threat at the United Nations last week to totally destroy North Korea if the U.S. has to defend itself or its allies from the regime.



"Our country has every right to make countermeasures," Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Monday, adding that those measures could include "shoot[ing] down United States strategic bombers, even when not inside the airspace border of our country."



The day after Ri's remarks, Trump restated his willingness to take military action against North Korea.



"We are totally prepared for [a military option]," Trump said at a press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday. "Not a preferred option, but if we take that option, it will be devastating."



Tillerson reiterated in Beijing on Saturday that a nuclear-armed North Korea will never be acceptable to the U.S. and its allies.



"We have been clear publicly, the region has been clear publicly, that we are not going to accept a nuclear-armed North Korea," he said.



That difficult reality already exists, however, and it will be challenging to convince North Korea's leaders to change it. The U.S. calculated over the summer that Kim Jong Un's regime controlled as many as 60 nuclear weapons, according to an assessment by U.S. intelligence officials cited in a Washington Post report in August, although some independent experts think the number is far smaller.



As to the value of negotiating directly with North Korea, U.S. officials as well as America's allies have expressed different opinions.



While Tillerson says the U.S. is "directly" talking with the regime, both Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have said now is not the time to engage with the Kim Jong Un's government. Meanwhile, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has remained open to such talks.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

US talking to North Korea 'directly,' Rex Tillerson says
US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has acknowledged that America is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea even as tensions rise over Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programmes and the countries leaders continue to trade insults.

Mr Tillerson said the US is probing North Koreas willingness to talk, and called for a calming of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, adding it was incumbent on the North to halt the missile launches.

On a visit to China, he said: We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. Were not in a dark situation, a blackout.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is greeted by State Councilor Yang Jiechi before their meeting today in #Beijing: https://t.co/OQRB7XtkYJ pic.twitter.com/0RCpFqaqER  Department of State (@StateDept) September 30, 2017

We have a couple  three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them.

Mr Tillerson spoke in Beijing, where he met Chinese president Xi Jinping and other top officials.

While Mr Tillerson affirmed that the US would not recognise North Korea as a nuclear power, he also said the Trump administration had no intention of trying to oust Kim Jong Un.

US state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement: Despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilising forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearisation.

US has several channels to communicate w #DPRK, but regime has shown no indication they're interested/ready for talks re: denuclearization. pic.twitter.com/5AwB7JOy0M  Ned Price (@StateDeptSpox) September 30, 2017

The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war, and the Demilitarized Zone divides North and South Korea.

Since US president Donald Trump took office in January, the US has restored a diplomatic back-channel between the State Department and North Koreas mission at the United Nations.

That has traditionally been a way for the two sides to communicate because they lack formal diplomatic ties.

The main aim of the initial contacts was to seek the freedom of several American citizens imprisoned in North Korea, although US officials have told reporters that there are broader discussions about US-North Korean relations.

Rex Tillerson's trip is helping lay the groundwork for a November state visit by Mr Trump, part of a five-nation swing through Asia

Those contacts, however, have failed to reduce the deep mistrust between the adversaries and it is unclear to what extent they have endured the current spike in tensions.

North Korea has in recent months tested long-range missiles that potentially could reach the US, and on September 3 conducted its largest nuclear test explosion to date.

The stand-off has entered a new, more dangerous phase since then as Mr Kim and Mr Trump have exchanged personal insults and threats of war.

I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down, Mr Tillerson said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attends a meeting with China's Foreign Minister

Theyre a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first.

Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot.

Mr Tillersons visit to Beijing is helping lay the groundwork for a November state visit by Mr Trump, part of a five-nation swing through Asia.

The US leader has pressed for sterner measures against the North by China, the Norths chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Beijing adamantly opposes steps that could bring down Mr Kims government, but appears increasingly willing to tighten the screws. China has agreed to tough new UN penalties that would substantially cut foreign revenue for the isolated North.
Sept 29 (Reuters) - Losses from Hurricane Maria and other recent 2017 natural catastrophes, including Hurricanes Irma and Harvey, the Mexico City earthquakes and other events, have led global insurers and reinsurers to issue profit warnings.

Below are statements from insurers and reinsurers in the wake of the catastrophes (in alphabetical order): ALLSTATE Allstate Corp, the second-largest U.S. homeowners' insurer based on premiums collected, estimated pre-tax catastrophe losses of $593 million, net of reinsurance recoveries, for August.

BEAZLEY Lloyd's of London insurer Beazley said losses from hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and a series of earthquakes in Mexico would reduce its 2017 earnings by about $150 million.

CHUBB U.S. property and casualty insurer Chubb Ltd estimated after-tax losses of up to $1.28 billion from hurricanes Harvey and Irma. It expects insured losses of about $520 million from Harvey and $640 million to $760 million from Irma after tax.

HANNOVER RE German reinsurer Hannover Re said it could miss its 2017 profit target because of claims from the natural disasters, its first such warning since the 2008 financial crisis.

HCI GROUP HCI Group's principal operating subsidiary, Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance, a provider of home insurance in Florida, issued a preliminary estimate indicating its losses related to Hurricane Irma would be $100-$300 million.

HISCOX Lloyd's of London underwriter Hiscox Ltd estimated it would face net claims of about $150 million from Hurricane Harvey and has yet to determine losses from Irma.

LLOYD'S OF LONDON Lloyd's of London expects net losses of $4.5 billion from hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which analysts said would eat into the insurer's capital and hit its profitability. Lloyd's 80-plus syndicates have already paid out more than $160 million in claims from Harvey and more than $240 million from Irma.

MAIDEN HOLDINGS Maiden Holdings Ltd said it expected a net impact from Harvey on its third-quarter results of $6-$18 million and $2-$13 million from Irma.

MAPFRE Spain's Mapfre SA said the size and frequency of hurricanes in the Caribbean and earthquake in Mexico would imply a net cost of between 150-200 million euros on its attributable result for the year.

MUNICH RE Germany's Munich Re warned it could miss its profit target this year, the first major reinsurer to flag a hit to earnings from damage caused by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. RLI CORP Specialty insurer RLI Corp said it expects third-quarter pretax losses of $30-$40 million from Harvey and Irma, net of reinsurance.

RSA INSURANCE British motor and home insurer RSA said its UK business would see catastrophe losses from the U.S., Caribbean and Mexico, impacting September results in the marine and international portfolios.

SCOR French reinsurer Scor said hurricanes Harvey and Irma are expected to represent an earnings event rather than a capital event in the third quarter.

TALANX German insurer Talanx warned it may miss its profit target for 2017 as its reinsurer Hannover Re is being hit by major claims from a series of hurricanes and an earthquake in Mexico. (Compiled by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; editing by Alexander Smith)
MEXICO CITY, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Presidential elections in Mexico next year pose no risk to already-signed oil contracts, the sector's top regulator said on Friday, despite the current frontrunner's pledge to review them.

To date, some 70 exploration and production contracts have been inked with several dozen foreign and private oil companies, fruit of a 2013 opening of the sector that ended state-owned oil company Pemex's decades-long monopoly.

"These are completely solid contracts," Juan Carlos Zepeda, head of Mexico's National Hydrocarbons Commission (CNH), said in an interview, adding that there is "no risk" that Mexico's next government could revoke them.

Presidential elections are schedule for next July, and the early leader in public opinion polls is leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor who has been sharply critical of the energy reform.

A two-time runner-up, Lopez Obrador has proposed a nationwide referendum on the energy reform and he has also said he would review the contracts.

"The entire energy framework is in the constitution and that provides it with durability and makes it very difficult to repeal," said CNH's Zepeda, noting that constitutional changes require a two-thirds majority in Congress which no party is likely to gain in next year's vote.

The regulator has run seven oil auctions so far, and plans another deepwater round in January which is expected to draw interest from top global oil majors.

Next week, the regulatory body will auction the rights to partner with Pemex on three projects, one in shallow waters and the other two onshore.

The reform permits Pemex, formally known as Petroleos Mexicanos, to enter into its first joint ventures with equity partners in a bid to help the cash-strapped firm develop projects that it has been unable to fund on its own.

But the reform prohibits Pemex from picking its own partners.

Future oil auctions should offer more and bigger blocks, Zepeda said, similar to bid rounds held by regional competitors in the United States and Brazil.

"Everything indicates that we have to go faster. The industry has told us they can accelerate the process of investment in Mexico," he said.

Earlier this week, bid terms were announced for a March shallow water auction featuring 35 contractual areas up for grabs, the most offered in one tender so far.

Mexico's energy ministry estimates that oil contracts awarded to date will attract $59 billion in new investments over the lifetime of the contracts. (Reporting by David Alire Garcia and Ana Isabel Martinez; editing by Grant McCool)
Posters appeared in the Jaffna town yesterday calling for a Hartal today demanding legal action against all those who attempted to protect the murderers of schoolgirl Sivaloganathan Vidya.

The posters carried pictures of State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran and Attorney Thamil Maran who appeared for Swiss Kumar.

The posters claimed that when the first accused Swiss Kumar was in custody, it was the state minister and the attorney who assisted in getting him released.

The posters had been put up by a group calling itself the, People of Jaffna and several womens organizations.

Meanwhile, the traders organizations and civil society groups said they did not want a Hartal because justice had been meted out. (Romesh Madushanka)
You may find it strange but the fact is that BJP veteran and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha's frontal attack on the Narendra Modi government can be better understood if you juxtapose it with the BJP's unprecedented victory in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections six months ago.

Sinha's ambush of the Modi government was neither the first, nor is it likely to be the last. BJP insiders such as LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Subramanian Swamy, Shatrughan Sinha and Arun Shourie - not to speak of junior leaders such as Kirti Azad and RK Singh, who is now a union minister - had also crossed the Lakshman Rekha and hauled the Modi government over the coals at some point or the other. But their outpourings never posed a political challenge to the Modi government. This time it may be different.

The key word here is "ambush", the dictionary meaning of which is a surprise attack from someone lying in wait in a concealed position. But if we were to extend the scope of this word literally, it may also mean a Trojan horse kind of an experience in which a person or an inanimate object joins the ranks of the opposition force to destroy the enemy from within.

Therefore, in many ways veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, performed the typical role of a Trojan horse as enunciated in Greek mythology to attack the Modi government. Yes, Sinha is virtually akin to the demonetised notes of Rs500 and Rs1,000 that are no longer in currency in today's BJP ruled by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo for the last 40 months. Such demonetised notes have only one home in the current BJP setup, the Margdarshak Mandal, a political equivalent of an old-age home where the inhabitants are being accommodated ripped off any political clout they once had.

The Modi-Shah duo perhaps may be realising now in retrospect that their UP victory may prove to be pyrrhic.

However, what differentiates Yashwant Sinha's criticism of the Modi government from the attack of the seven BJP men named above is the sheer timing. Sinha's ambush has left the BJP far more bloodied than any of the attacks by the seven gentlemen named above.

This brings us to the point about UP elections that I had mentioned earlier.

The Modi-Shah duo perhaps may be realising now in retrospect that their UP victory may prove to be pyrrhic. Perhaps this astounding political trophy fell into BJP's lap much too soon. Perhaps, the BJP rose a bit too early. Because when the BJP registered its unbelievable electoral win in UP, the general elections were still a good two years away.

Analytically speaking, the BJP rose too early as it comfortably pocketed a big state such as UP which has given the maximum prime ministers to India. Nothing more important was left to win for the BJP till the next general elections after the win in UP. From there on, realistically speaking, the saffron party could only go down, not up.

Such a perception has gained currency as the poor state of the economy has now taken centre-stage, giving fodder to the Opposition parties, particularly the Congress.

Even before Sinha chose to vent out his thoughts, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had made this the central theme of his critique of the Modi government while he was touring the United States and made the faltering economy the fulcrum of his public speeches, which he continued on his Gujarat trip earlier this week. Not unsurprisingly, the Sinha column was treated by the Congress party like a crucial run out in their chase to the 2019 general elections.

That's why Sinha's critique of the Modi government carries far greater weight and lethality than the venting out of all BJP leaders before him put together. His remarks have come at a time when the worrisome state of the economy and the alleged dark scenario of negative growth in job generation have started haunting the Modi government. That was not the political narrative during the UP elections.

What differentiates Yashwant Sinhas criticism of the Modi government from the attack of the seven BJP men named above is the sheer timing.

Talking of UP, the Sinha episode has given rise to yet another epic clash between father and son. At the time of UP elections, an important political drama being played side by side was the father-son clash within the then ruling family - Samajwadi Party. Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh were fighting a very public battle.

But now the Yashwant Sinha episode shows that the problem has shifted to the BJP camp as the ruling party at the Centre used son Jayant Sinha, a union minister, against his father Yashwant Sinha.

However, unlike the Mulayam-Akhilesh spat, this time the Yashwant-Jayant war through columns is not going to throw the ultimate winner anytime soon. The current clash has no traction and doesn't fire up the imagination of the electorate. First, because it lacks the typical film drama and second, because the next big election, the general election, is still far away.

It remains to be seen if Jayant Sinha's defence of the Modi government in the face of his father's attack will be a factor in the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections, but it is highly unlikely.

Yashwant Sinha has dented the image of the Modi government like no other BJP leader had done before. It doesn't save Modi any blushes even though Sinha senior hasn't attacked Modi directly.
On February 22, 1943, a young petite girl, found her neck on the guillotine in Nazi Germany. All of 21 years of age, Sophie Scholl, her brother, Hans Scholl, and another close friend of theirs from Munich university were executed for resisting the atrocities of the Nazi regime.

They were a part of the non violent and secret White Rose movement that endeavoured to embolden citizens and encourage them to find their voice to overcome fascist forces. They could kill the youngsters but they could not silence their voices that demanded freedom, liberty and peace.

All that the members of the White Rose movement did was print and distribute leaflets imploring the German youth to resist the Nazi government. They appealed to the conscience of the average citizen. The pamphlets didn't call for citizens to take up arms against the regime and only vaguely asked the youth to stand-up to the government, without planning any concrete conspiracies to oust the Nazi government. It was largely a tiny underground movement led by a small group of idealistic youngsters. In fact, Sophie Scholl, a deeply religious girl, had previously taken part in the League of German Girls, a pseudo-Nazi organization.

And yet, the mighty Nazi government was in jitters. It concluded the trial in four days - they were caught distributing leaflets on February 18, 1943 - and sentenced them to death. The capital punishment was carried out on the same day. It is a trait of authoritarian regimes of any degree that they lack courage and are deeply insecure. It is perhaps to mask their incompetence that they resort to brutally stubbing out any dissenting voices and create a smokescreen by raking up nationalism. Any dissent is not tolerated and immediately dubbed anti-national.

While the situation in India today is nowhere near what it was in Germany, the authoritarian streak of this government cannot be missed. There have been numerous instances where it has acted without compassion. The latest case being its handling of the protests in Banaras Hindu University.

Girls beaten up in Prime Ministers constituency may appear feeble, but are the embodiment of Nari Shakti.

Girls, mostly the age of Sophie Scholl, only sought justice from the university authorities which they were denied. Ideally, the university should have taken cognisance of the students' complaint, investigated the alleged case of harassment and allowed the law to take its own course. However, the authorities shockingly indulged in victim shaming. When the protests escalated, the students, mostly girls were brutally beaten by the police late in the night. Vice-chancellor GC Tripathi brazened out the flak he drew for mishandling the case and even implied that it is a conspiracy by "anti-social" elements to defame the university.

The Prime Minister, who normally is quick to tweet on tragedies across the world, and even wish global leaders when it's not their birthday, (as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani found out in February 2016), kept mum on the issue, which has become his wont. The chief minister of the state is known to make misogynistic remarks at regular intervals. He not only opposed the women's reservation bill earlier but also called the discussion on it a waste of time.

The irony is that all this happened during the Navaratri days, when most rightist leaders gave speeches about Nari Shakti, ad nauseam. People questioning the government over the matter were harassed on the social media with the trite allegations of being anti nationals, traitors, anti-Hindu etc. Such insensitivity and insecurity of the ruling government doesn't augur well for our society.

It displays many traits of an authoritarian regime, where dissent is not tolerated and silenced. There is rampant sexism and a misplaced sense of nationalism. If we keep quiet for too long, the malaise will get deeper and severely cripple our progress as a society. The girls may be young and petite. But they are by no means fickle or feeble. They are the embodiment of Nari Shakti and the government will do well to address their concerns and deliver justice. If the government continues to live in denial, the simmering anger in the youth might become a cause for worry, given that the economy is in shambles due to the myopic policies of the government.

No authoritarian government has ever withstood the test of time. Somewhere in India too, there will rise a Sophie Scholl and a Hans Scholl. The words of the White Rose movement's first leaflet are worth recalling as they hold true for today's India too:

Nothing is so unworthy of a civilised nation as allowing itself to be governed without opposition by an irresponsible clique that has yielded to base instinct. It is certain that today every honest German is ashamed of his government. Who among us has any conception of the dimensions of shame that will befall us and our children when one day the veil has fallen from our eyes and the most horrible of crimes - crimes that infinitely outdistance every human measure - reach the light of day?
RICHMOND  For the next 100 days, a new coalition of business and higher education leaders will push an aggressive agenda for state funding of public colleges and universities, with an eye toward programs that prepare students for jobs that industry needs filled and help restore the states diminished business ranking.

Their target is the Virginia General Assembly, which will convene in early January with the top job of acting on a two-year budget proposed by the departing governor while working with the spending priorities of a new governor whom voters will choose in November.

Growth4VA, an initiative launched Sept. 25 by the Virginia Business Higher Education Council and pushed by McGuireWoods Consulting, has four goals: produce talent for the workforce; foster innovation and entrepreneurs; improve peoples lives through education; and expand affordable access to higher education at every level.

Today is about collaboration, collaboration between higher education and the business community, said Jean Giddens, dean of the School of Nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University, where the initiative held its kickoff ceremony.

The initiative also is about state funding for higher education, both new and redirected at economic priorities, after a long decline since the beginning of the millennium that has been mirrored by a rise in tuition and student debt the state has been working to reverse.

We do need more money, said Dennis H. Treacy, a member of business council who also serves as chairman of the Virginia Chamber, rector of Virginia Tech and president of the Smithfield Foundation. We need level and stable funding, and we need it focused on what the employers say really matters.

For the chamber, the path back to a top five ranking among states for business leads through higher education, Treacy said. Higher education is at the epicenter of what the chamber is trying to do.

Higher education also is central to a number of other business-led initiatives the state has endorsed  including funding for collaborative research that can translate to new technologies and businesses; GO Virginia, a regionally focused economic development model that relies on the states community colleges as a pipeline for trained workers; and refocused workforce development programs that have in the past lost sight of the skills employers say they most need.

All of those initiatives will be looking for renewed or expanded funding in the budget that Gov. Terry McAuliffe will propose in December and the legislature will begin reviewing this month. While business leaders are pleased by Virginias ranking in producing the second-highest number of college graduates, they also worry about the effects of a 45 percent decrease in state funding for higher education from 2000 through 2015.

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia also is concerned about the funding trend, which it estimated last month would require an additional $660 million to fully reverse and ease the pressure on tuition, now accounting for 53 percent of the cost of higher education at public institutions.

However, the 15-year decline does not reflect additional funding the state included in the current two-year budget  more than $167 million, even after cuts of about $64 million to make up for a revenue shortfall that emerged in mid-2016. This year, the state added $18.4 million to help higher education institutions pay a 3-percent raise for faculty.

In return, lawmakers have pressured the institutions to restrain increases in tuition.

In addition to seeking more state funding, Growth4VA also could generate legislation for the General Assembly to consider next year, including the possible creation of a higher education reserve fund to help cushion against declines in revenue, an incentive fund to moderate rise in tuition, and a plan to give each institution more managerial flexibility in return for producing measurable results.

Similarly, the initiative will seek funding and business partnerships to improve job placement and advising at higher education institutions, and provide internships and other pathways into the workforce. In return, the state would require colleges and universities to provide more transparency to prospective students in what their education would cost and the likely return on investment.

Its not just new money but a better focus on the resources that institutions already have, said Donald J. Finley, president of the business council and a former state secretary of education.
San Francisco: Uber Technologies Inc co-founder Travis Kalanick on Friday said he had appointed two new directors, a surprise move that publicly reignited a board battle over the role of the ousted former chief executive.

Uber investors are divided over whether Kalanick, who was pressured to step down as CEO earlier this year in the wake of several company scandals, should himself be on the board and whether he can name two other directors.

The company and new Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi are scrambling to portray Uber as a reformed company that is responding to concerns including sexual harassment claims and a U.S. bribery probe.

Kalanick, still one of the largest shareholders, said in a statement he had appointed former Xerox Chief Executive Ursula Burns and former Merrill Lynch Chief Executive John Thain as directors.

I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent board proposal to dramatically restructure the board and significantly alter the companys voting rights. It is therefore essential that the full board be in place for proper deliberation to occur, especially with such experienced board members as Ursula and John, he said. He did not specify the proposals he opposed.

The appointments were a complete surprise to Uber and its board, the company said in a statement. That is precisely why we are working to put in place world-class governance to ensure that we are building a company every employee and shareholder can be proud of, it added.

An investor who has supported Kalanick, Yucaipa Companies managing partner Ron Burkle, praised the appointments on Friday, calling Burns and Thain smart, high-quality people.

Division among Uber investors exploded in public in August, when Benchmark Capital filed a lawsuit to force Kalanick off the board and rescind his ability to fill two other seats on the panel, accusing him of concealing a range of misdeeds. Yucaipa and other Uber investors defended Kalanick and asked Benchmark to divest its own shares and step down from the board.

A Delaware judge later that month stayed the Benchmark lawsuit and sent it to arbitration, pushing the dispute out of public view and delivering Kalanick a victory.

Kalanicks action on Friday could be subject to a new legal challenge. Benchmark or other Uber investors could attempt to block the appointments by asking the Delaware judge to issue a so-called status-quo order. The judge last month did not grant such a request.

Kalanicks lawyer at the time told the court that Kalanick had not rushed to fill the seats. The New York Times also quoted Kalanicks lawyer as telling the court Kalanick had the power to fill the seats under the pre-arbitration status quo.

Benchmark did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Washington: India has made it a huge priority to reduce its massive food waste, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has told American industry leaders seeking their investment and technology in this regard.

India, one of the world's largest producers of food, is also the largest producer of milk and second largest producer of fruits and vegetables. This huge raw material base, paired with a growing 1.3 billion population, presents vast investment and partnership opportunities for the US, Badal said.

"However, India is currently only processing 10 per cent of its food, resulting in enormous food waste," said Badal, minister of food processing industries, at an industry round table organised by US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

Badal is currently on a week-long visit to the US to interact with the agriculture industry and food processing companies in Chicago, Washington and New York.

During her visit, she had one-on-one meetings with industry executives from US companies including Pepsico, Amazon, the Hershey Company, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Kraft Heinz, and Honeywell, among others.

In the last three years, India has focused on reducing food waste, she said.

"With a growing country and population, the Indian government has made it a huge priority to reduce this waste," Badal said.

Badal aims to partner with US industry by borrowing best practices, technology, and innovation, in exchange for providing US companies with untapped investment opportunities that exist in India's enormous consumer base.

As the fastest growing major economy in the world, India possesses a USD 6 billion food sector, of which 70 per cent is food retail. This market is set to triple by 2020. In addition, an average Indian spends almost 40 per cent of income on food.

Over the next six years, this expenditure is set to double. This makes India an attractive destination for foreign investment, Badal said.

India offers immense possibilities, said Mukesh Aghi, president of USISPF.

Badal's visit comes ahead of the mega World Food India Show to be held in New Delhi from November 3-5. This global event aims to facilitate partnerships between Indian and international businesses and investors. The conclave would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Encompassing the entire food spectrum from production to consumption, World Food India aims to create a better sourcing environment which will enable higher returns for farmers, create employment, and foster entrepreneurship.
Some of the pictures Anushka Sharma shared on Instagram.

Mumbai: Anushka Sharma, who recently joined the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, says as a citizen it is everyone's duty to keep the country clean.

The 29-year-old actor says keeping the surroundings clean will help people live in a healthy environment.

Anushka on Friday joined the cleanliness drive at the Versova beach here and shared pictures of the same on Instagram.

"To keep our country clean is our duty. Everyday we do things for ourselves, just a little bit of awareness and consciousness in keeping our surroundings clean will enable us to live in a healthy environment..." she wrote.

She also quoted Mahatma Gandhi, "An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching". And urged people to do their bit to keep the environment clean.

"An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching"- Mahatma Gandhi ji  #SwachhBharat #SwachhataHiSeva pic.twitter.com/UfhB3sfRpy  Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) September 29, 2017

Other B-Town stars who are part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan include Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Aamir Khan and Vidya Balan.
Mumbai: Varun Dhawan, inarguably is the biggest star of his generation, considering the enormous appeal he has among his fans and his impeccable track record, having never delivered a flop in his entire career.

The actor, who started off the year with the 100-crore grossing 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania,' is all set to better the film's run with father David Dhawan's 'Judwaa 2,' a remake of his own 1998 Salman Khan starrer 'Judwaa'.

The remake, which released on September 29, has opened to a bumper opening, with collections that are the fourth best to have been achieved this year.

'Judwaa 2,' also starring Jacqueline fernandez and Taapsee Pannu,' has opened to a phenomenal 16 crore approximate rupees, according to boxofficeindia(dot)com.

This also is Varun Dhawan's best opening with a solo releaset till date.

The film, a slapstick tale of identical twins with stimulatory reflexes, had been a cult the first time round and is expected to be the biggest Bollywood of the year as well, with the immense pre-release buzz it has managed to achieve, courtesy the popularity of the songs and the very successful starcast.
Parineeti Chopra will be seen opposite Ajay Devgn playing his romantic interest in Golmaal Again.

Mumbai: In the recent development of Anurag Singhs upcoming film on the battle of Saragarhi, actress Parineeti Chopra is speculated to play female lead opposite Akshay Kumar. If reports are true, Parineeti will be seen in the role of Akshay Kumars wife who is playing Havildar Ishar Singh in this period war drama.

Parineeti plays a strong character and has really liked the script. The makers have started prep. Huge sets of the Saragarhi and Gulistan forts, as well as a village, will be erected in Wai, a town in Satara district, informs a source close to the development.

The project was supposed to be jointly produced by Karan Johar and Salman Khan, but the latter has opted out of the project.

The source further reveals, The actors will be provided with a lot of material for their parts and will start full-time prep close to the shooting date. The film is set to tentatively go on the floors in January next year.

However, Parineetis spokesperson refused to confirm the news.

The Battle of Saragarhi was fought on September 12, 1897 in North-West Frontier Province. The Sikh military personnel who were 21 in number fought with 10,000 Afghan Orakzai tribesman. They chose to die than surrender. It is considered as one of the greatest battles in Indian history.

Akshay Kumar is currently filming R Balkis social drama Padman along with Sonam Kapoor and Radhika Apte while Parineeti is gearing up for Diwali release of Rohit Shettys Golmaal Again.
Flu can be serious in very young children because it can cause lung infections and breathing difficulties. (Photo: Pixabay)

Babies with an older sister or brother are more than twice as likely to be admitted to hospital with influenza as compared to children without older siblings, according to a study published today.

Flu can be serious in very young children because it can cause lung infections and breathing difficulties. It can also cause a very high fever, leading to fits called febrile convulsions.

Researchers from University College London (UCL) in the UK studied almost all children born in Scotland between October 2007 and April 2015, about 400,000 in total.

They used anonymised hospital admissions and laboratory data to find out which children had a record of a positive laboratory test result for flu.

The researchers then compared this with other routinely collected information, such as month of birth, whether they were premature or had other health conditions, and whether the children had older siblings.

The results, published in the European Respiratory Journal, showed that children under six months old with older siblings were more than twice as likely to be admitted to hospital with flu than those who did not have older siblings.

Among children under six months who had one older sibling, there was around one extra hospital admission for every 1,000 children compared to children who did not have any siblings, researchers said.

For those with two older siblings, there were two extra hospital admissions for every 1,000 children. Almost half of flu hospital admissions in babies under six months old could be explained by older siblings, they said.

Researchers noted the risk was also higher for babies born between July and December, who would be very young at the start of the flu season.

"Children are very effective spreaders of respiratory viruses like flu. Our study suggests that older siblings pose a risk of serious infection for their baby sisters and brothers," said Pia Hardelid, a lecturer at UCL.
Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancer that causes patches of abnormal tissue to grow under the skin, in the lining of the mouth, nose, and throat, in lymph nodes, or in other organs. (Representational Image)

Washington DC: A study has recently revealed that men are more likely to develop a type of cancer than women, as male hormones promote an infection by virus that causes the deadly disease.

According to researchers, male hormones may facilitate infection with a virus that can cause a type of cancer known as Kaposi's sarcoma.

Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancer that causes patches of abnormal tissue to grow under the skin, in the lining of the mouth, nose, and throat, in lymph nodes, or in other organs.

Ke Lan's group of the State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan University, China, explained how men are at an increased risk of developing Kaposi's sarcoma.

Earlier studies have suggested that men are more vulnerable to infection with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and more DNA from this virus is detected in infected men than in infected women.

This suggests that male hormones may influence KSHV infection, but their precise role has remained mysterious.

To investigate how male hormones might influence KSHV infection, the team performed a variety of experiments with human cell cultures.

These experiments focused on the androgen receptor, a protein found in the outer membrane of some cells.

Both men and women have androgen receptors, but they are activated by hormones (such as testosterone) that are produced at much higher levels in men.

The researchers used a technique known as RNA interference to inhibit androgen receptor activity in the cultured cells and then exposed the cells to KSHV.

They found that AR inhibition led to much lower levels of KSHV genetic material detected in the cells than in control cells.

Cells treated with 5a-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone that activates the androgen receptor, had increased levels of KSHV.

This suggests that both the androgen receptor and DHT promote KSHV infection.

With further research, these findings could help guide efforts to develop drugs that could prevent KSHV infection and reduce the risk of Kaposi's sarcoma.

"Male hormones," the authors further explain, "facilitate Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection through activation of viral receptor EphA2."

The research appears in the journal PLOS Pathogens.
The Oromo people began protesting in late 2015, angered by a government proposal to expand Addis Ababa. (Photo: AFP)

A year ago Firommisa Darasa barely made it out of Ethiopia's Irreecha festival alive, managing to escape from a deep ditch where dozens perished.

The tragedy happened after police fired tear gas at anti-government protesters, sparking a stampede.

Last year's bloodshed at the annual religious festival held by Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, the Oromo people, became a turning point in the months of anti-government protests which prompted the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency.

While dissatisfaction with Ethiopia's government still runs deep among the Oromos, last year's protests have since died down.

Those planning to attend this year's Irreecha festival say they are hoping for the best when Sunday's gathering begins in the resort town of Bishoftu, southeast of the capital Addis Ababa.

"I feel fear inside but if I dont come, the people around me wont come. This is our ancestral celebration and we will have to keep it," said one of the festival-goers, 28-year-old Firommisa.

At least 50 killed

The Oromo people began protesting in late 2015, angered by a government proposal to expand Addis Ababa that they feared would deprive them of their land without proper compensation.

Those tensions exploded at last year's Irreecha when activists took to the stage and began shouting anti-government slogans, prompting police to open fire with tear gas.

At least 50 people were killed in the ensuing stampede, according to government figures. Activists put the toll much higher.

Changes have been made this year at the festival grounds adjacent to a lake in the town 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of the capital.

A new open-air amphitheatre has been built and cobblestones laid on the ground, while the ditch that claimed so many lives last year has been fenced off.

The presence of armed security forces was seen as exacerbating last year's chaos, but the Oromia regional government said this year there would be no weapons.

"This year will be different because there will be no political involvement from the government and no security from them as well," said attendee Dachassa Gosa, 22.

'I am still angry'

Irreecha, or thanksgiving, is the most important annual festival of the Oromo people and it celebrates the end of the months-long rainy season and the upcoming harvest.

While traditionally a time to give thanks and pray for prosperity and abundance, it has increasingly been an opportunity for the Oromos to assert their identity and criticise government policies they say marginalise them.

Last years deaths re-ignited the protests across the Oromo region, but this time the targets were government- and foreign-owned businesses, with several destroyed.

All told, the months of violence left more than 940 people dead, according to the government's human rights commission, while arrests topped 22,000.

The bloodshed only ended with the declaration of a state of emergency, which was lifted in August.

However many Oromos feel their grievances were not addressed and sporadic strikes and protests still occur.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Ethiopian government to "act with restraint" this time around and to take measures to ensure there is no repeat of last years tragedy, while calling for a proper investigation into what happened.

"Certainly, if there were to be a return to what happened at least year's Irreecha, you would expect that would lead to much wider unrest," HRW researcher Felix Horne said.

Oftaha Oromoo has travelled from a district hours away to join the celebration, but expects a more subdued event this weekend.

"Personally, I am still angry, but we have to be patient and celebrate," he said. "This year we want to remember the people who died."
Albert Einstein, who won the Physics Prize in 1921, refused to endorse Freud's nomination for the Medicine Prize in 1928. (Photo: AFP)

Sigmund Freud, a man of letters or the mind? Neither, according to the Nobel committees, which not only gave the father of psychoanalysis the cold shoulder but even criticised his work.

Nominated for the Nobel Medicine Prize for the first time in 1915 by US neurologist William Alanson White, Freud went on to be nominated for a Nobel a total of 13 times until 1938, one year before his death in London.

Freud's name was put forward 12 times for a Medicine Prize and once for a Literature Prize.

In 1937, no fewer than 14 prominent scientists, including several Nobel laureates, backed the nomination of the Austrian doctor, who liked to compare himself to Copernicus and Darwin.

But their support was in vain.

Very early on, Freud "understood that he could never win a Nobel science prize. Psychoanalysis was already under attack as not being a science. He was hurt," said Elisabeth Roudinesco, the author of the biography "Freud, In his Time and Ours".

In 1929, professor Henry Marcus of the Karolinska Institute, home to the Nobel medicine committee, cruelly summed up the scientific community's mistrust of Freud's doctrine:

"Freud's entire psychoanalytic theory, as it appears to us today, is largely based on a hypothesis", with no scientific proof that a neurosis can be traced back to the existence of a childhood sexual trauma -- if a trauma even existed, he wrote in a document unearthed by Swedish academic Nils Wiklund in 2006.

Roudinesco agreed: "His critics were right about the Oedipus complex, because he had become dogmatic about that."

But one cannot write off Freud's entire body of work, she said, noting his important contributions to the study of the soul.

Before Freud, "all psychiatrists regarded the hysterical woman as a madwoman, the masturbating child as a pervert and the homosexual as a degenerate," she said.

'Very good literary style'

Faced with the Nobel science committees' lack of interest in him, Freud's close friend and translator Princess Marie Bonaparte of France tried to round up support for a Nobel Literature Prize instead, when he was in his 70s and was suffering from jaw cancer.

Romain Rolland, the French novelist who won the Nobel Literature Prize in 1915, was well-placed to nominate Freud -- with whom he had corresponded but who had not written a single line of fiction.

On January 20, 1936, Rolland wrote to the Swedish Academy to propose Freud's name.

In the letter -- which is kept in the Academy's archives -- Roland sought to pre-empt any prejudice its members may have against Freud.

"I know that at first glance the illustrious scientist may seem more suited for a medicine prize," he wrote.

"But his great works ... have paved the way for a new analysis of emotional and intellectual life; and, in the past 30 years, literature has been profoundly influenced."

Rolland neglected to mention that Freud had won the prestigious Goethe Prize in 1930.

Per Hallstrom, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy at the time, did not mince his words about Freud's nomination:

"When it comes to the presentation of his theories, it is easy to note the acuity, the fluidity and the clarity of his dialectic. He unquestionably also has a very good and natural literary style," he wrote, before adding hastily: "Apart perhaps from the actual 'The Interpretation of Dreams' on which his entire doctrine is based."

Freud, he concluded, "should not be awarded any poet laurels, no matter how poetic he has been as a scientist".

End of discussion.

No endorsement from Einstein

Eighty years later, Odd Zsiedrich, the Academy's administrative director, is a bit more diplomatic: "The competition was very stiff" in 1936, he said of a year in which American playwright Eugene O'Neill got the nod.

Albert Einstein, who won the Physics Prize in 1921, refused to endorse Freud's nomination for the Medicine Prize in 1928.

"About the truth content of Freud's teachings, I cannot come to a conviction for myself, much less make a judgement that would be an authorisation to others," Einstein wrote, according to historian John Forrester.

Five years later, Einstein and Freud went on to publish "Why War?" a series of letters between them discussing peace, violence and human nature.

In May 1939, after reading Freud's last book "Moses and Monotheism", the man behind the theory of relativity gave him an ambiguous compliment:

"I quite especially admire your achievements, as I do with all your writings," he wrote before adding: "From the literary point of view."
The sitar George Harrison used in the recording of Norwegian Wood has been sold for $62,500 in the United States.

This is the only sitar by the Beatles thats ever been released to auction and its the first sitar that George Harrison likely ever owned. So its kind of ground zero for Beatles memorabilia and also sort of the great sitar explosion of the 60s, Auction Manager, Nate D. Sanders Auctions, Michael Kirk said.

The traditional Indian string instrument was crafted in a music shop in Kolkata and purchased by Harrison from a shop on London's Oxford Street.

Harrison bought this in 1965 and with the release of Norwegian Wood shortly thereafter which he recorded on this, kind of created the great sort of sitar explosion and the interest in India, in Hinduism and it became sort of a life-changing course for George Harrison, so this particular incident really changed the course of his life and music, Kirk added.

Harrison had discovered the sitar in 1965, on the set of the Beatles' second film, Help. The Beatles passion for the instrument generated interest in India too.

The Indian instrument was expected to fetch between $50,000 and $100,000.

Bidding for the sitar began on September 28 at $50,000 and the name of the successful bidder has not been disclosed by the auctioneers.

Harrisons interest in the sitar remained throughout his life - he studied extensively with musician Ravi Shankar until his death in 2001.

It was just a great excuse to be able to surround myself with these great musicians and these great words that have been said in Sanskrit because it was a kind of blessing, really. Its a spiritual experience and its all down to the individual, what you can manifest within yourself as to the vlaue of anything, Harrison said.

The sitar is being sold by George Drummond, a friend of Harrisons first wife, Pattie Boyd.

Drummond reportedly received the sitar from Harrison as a gift for hosting the couple on their Barbados honeymoon in 1966.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray they would not allow a single brick to be placed for bullet train in Mumbai until the infrastructure of local railways is made better. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Mumbai: Reacting to the stampede on foot overbridge at Elphinstone Road railway station, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said they would not allow a single brick to be placed for bullet train in Mumbai until the infrastructure of local railways is made better.

Thackeray said, "Until present infra of local railways is made better, not a single brick will be allowed to be placed for bullet train in Mumbai."

Hitting out at the Railways for the loss of innocent lives at the stampede at Elphinstone Road railway station Thackeray said, "Why do we need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan? It seems our own Railway is enough to kill people.

Also read: Stampedes will happen till migrants continue to pour in, says Raj Thackeray

Taking a strong stand on removal of hawkers from bridges of railway stations, Thackeray said, "Will give a deadline to throw out illegal hawkers from station bridges, if it is not complied with then we'll act on our own."

The MNS Chief said that he would lead a morcha on October 5 to Western Railway headquarters at Churchgate and question them about their infrastructure.

He added, "List of issues related to Mumbai local will be given to Railway on October 5 with a deadline. If things don't get better, will see to it."

Thackeray said the Railway has blamed rains for the stampede but it was not the first time it rained in the city.

He said, "It is not the first time that it rained in Mumbai. They (Railway) say it happened due to rains?"
The meeting was held at the Western Railway's headquarters at Churchgate. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Mumbai: A day after the rush hour stampede at Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai claimed 23 lives, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday convened railways safety meeting to take stock of the ongoing infrastructural works on the suburban train network.

The meeting was held at the Western Railway's headquarters at Churchgate.

Overturning a 150-year-old convention Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said that FOBs (Foot Over Bridges) will be deemed mandatory and will not a passenger amenity.

To eliminate bureaucracy and delays, the minister directed General Managers of railways to spend whatever is necessary on safety.

Also read: 23 dead in stampede at Parel-Elphinstone foot overbridge in Mumbai

Railways has also sanctioned more escalators at crowded Mumbai suburban stations.

The Union minister said, "Additional escalators have been sanctioned at crowded Mumbai suburban stations and thereafter for all high traffic stations."

Goyal also directed relocation of 200 officers from the headquarters as field staff to strengthen ground operations and project implementation.

The minister said that CCTV cameras will be installed in all suburban trains in Mumbai with monitoring mechanism within the next 15 months. Parallel work on installation of cameras will be carried out across India, he added.

To enhance safety and efficiency, 40 yards across India will be upgraded with an investment of Rs 1000 cr including 8 yards in Mumbai region, he added.

Earlier on Saturday, Goyal shared on Twitter some critical decisions taken in Friday's meeting to ensure safety of Mumbai railway passengers.

Critical decisions are being taken to ensure safety of Mumbai railway passengers. Sharing some decisions from yesterday's meeting. pic.twitter.com/zIfA4ZeUSW  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 30, 2017

At least 23 people died and several others were injured in the stampede that took place on Friday on a narrow foot-over-bridge (FOB) that connects the Elphinstone Road on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line.
Swaraj thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his 'kind' gesture and said the Indian Embassy in that country will extend assistance to the Indian nationals who will be released from jails. (Photo: PTI | File)

New Delhi: Death sentences handed down to 15 Indians lodged in a Kuwaiti jail have been commuted to life imprisonment by the Emir of Kuwait, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday.

Swaraj said the Emir has also directed that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced.

"The Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment," she tweeted.

Swaraj thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his "kind" gesture and said the Indian Embassy in that country will extend assistance to the Indian nationals who will be released from jails.
Congress leader P Chidambaram attacked the Narendra Modi government over the bullet train project, saying the train would, like demonetisation, 'kill everything else including safety'. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: A day after 22 people were killed in a stampede on a foot overbridge at Elphinstone Road railway station, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday attacked the government over the bullet train project, saying the train would, like demonetisation, "kill everything else including safety".

Bullet train will be like demonetisation. It will kill everything else including safety.  P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 30, 2017

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said, "Bullet train is not for ordinary people. It is an ego trip for the high & mighty."

Bullet train is not for ordinary people. It is an ego trip for the high & mighty.  P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 30, 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation of 508-kilometer Mumbai to Ahmedabad bullet train project in Modi's home state, Gujarat.

The high-speed train, with a capacity to accommodate 750 people, is expected to slash travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad from seven to three hours.

The Japanese team estimated that the first train would roll out by 2023, but Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said PM Modi wants the train to start on 15 August 2022 - when India completes 75 years of Independence.

In his twitter handle, Chidambaram said, instead of bullet train, Railways should spend on safety, better infrastructure and better facilities.

Railways should spend on safety, better infrastructure and better facilities. Not on bullet train.  P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 30, 2017

He also said the Railways Minister should take pledge for rail safety and not for bullet train.
An APSRTC bus that went off the road near Chandragiri after the driver swerved to avoid passengers getting down from another bus that met with an accident. (Photo: DC)

Tirupati: Ib a freak accident four buses collided on the highway near Chandragiri of Chittoor district on Friday.

First, a private travels bus, on its way to Bengaluru from Vijayawada, hit a Tamil Nadu state road transport corporation bus that was on its way to Tirupati from Salem. As the bus stopped suddenly, RTC bus moving behind the Tamil Nadu bus rammed into it.

Another RTC bus lost control when its driver tried to avoid running into people who were getting down from the Tamil Nadu bus. This bus swerved into the agriculture fields adjoining the highway.

The passengers had a narrow escape with minor injuries. The highway was blocked for hours near Chandragiri.

Later, the police cleared the traffic and took the private travels driver into custody and interrogated him. The quick braking and evasive action taken by other drivers prevented a major mishap.

The road where the accident took place is one of the dangerous spots of Chittoor. But in this case, overspeeding is the main cause of the mishap, as per the police department. A four-lane road is proposed between Tirupati and Chittoor, replacing the existing two lanes.

District collector P.S. Pradyumna has also instructed the national highway authorities to complete this stretch as earlier as possible, in a review meeting last month.

It may be recalled collector Pradyumna, in a recently-held road safety review meeting, had said Chittoor district stood first in the state in maximum number of road accidents. Several recommendations have been suggested by the road safety committee to prevent accidents in the district.
Last week, in continuance of initiative to send relief packages to Rohingya immigrants in Bangladesh, India sent INS Gharial loaded with 21,000 units of relief material to help its neighbouring nation evolve from the ongoing crisis. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: India has said that it has no plans to mediate between Myanmar and Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis.

"India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that the government has no plans to act as a mediator between Myanmar and Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis," Sputnik news agency reported.

However, the Russian news agency did not quoted any official of MEA for this remark or statement.

India on Friday reaffirmed its support to Bangladesh in providing humanitarian assistance support in handling the Rohingya crisis.

MEA Spokesperson, Raveesh Kumar on Friday said, "India is focusing on providing humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh and extending support in handling the situation."

Fearing persecution by Myanmar army, millions of Rohingya Muslims have fled the violence-ridden state of Rakhine, with many of them crossing the border to take refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Last week, in continuance of initiative to send relief packages to Rohingya immigrants in Bangladesh, India sent INS Gharial loaded with 21,000 units of relief material to help its neighbouring nation evolve from the ongoing crisis.

India plans to send a total of 62,000 units weighing 900 tons.

Relief material is packaged in customised family packets, which contain essential items including rations, clothes, oil, and mosquito net.
In case of any trouble within the premises of an educational institution, its students are advised to approach the Self SHE Team to get rid of their problem by taking up counselling to trouble makers and victims. (Representational image)

Rajahmundry: The Urban police has set up Self SHE Teams in as many as 112 educational institutions including schools, junior colleges, degree colleges and professional colleges with each team comprising five girls to tackle eve teasing with the help of head of the institution recently in Rajahmundry.

In case of any trouble within the premises of an educational institution, its students are advised to approach the Self SHE Team to get rid of their problem by taking up counselling to trouble makers and victims. In case the problem persists, the Self SHE Team members will alert the SHE Team members who in turn plunge into action to initiate necessary steps to resolve the issues.

SHE Team members facilitated registration of as many as 32 FIRs in various police stations, as their efforts to counsel and warn the trouble makers failed to yield any result and advised the victims to lodge complaints with the police.

Similarly, 146 petty cases were also booked. SHE Team members initiated action against 3,233 persons on various grounds as they failed to mend their ways and provided counselling to 3,055 persons since July, 2017.

The SHE Team members said that several girls were being subjected to blackmail by their male friends by posting the pictures when they were together in a friendly gesture on social media like Facebook and WhatsApp asking them to continue their friendship.

In some cases, when some women get their marriage arranged by their parents, their former male friends started troubling them with a threat to expose their photographs in which they posed together in social media.

The SHE Team members provided counselling to the victims and the trouble makers in the presence of their parents and solved some problems.

The members are also providing counselling on various violations of traffic rules like rash driving, triple riding and riding of bikes. She Team incharge P. Nagarathnam said, We have almost curbed the eve teasing in the city and we are getting a few such cases occasionally. The purpose of Self SHE Teams is to help solve the minor issues among the students within the limit of educational institutions quickly.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also praised the ITBP personnel saying that after interacting with them, he is sure that no power in the world can stop them from protecting India's borders. (Phtoto: ANI | Twitter)

Uttarakhand: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday celebrated Dussehra with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Jyotirmath, Uttarakhand.

This is the first-ever visit by a senior minister to the China border after the recent resolution of the stand-off in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector.

Interacting with the ITBP jawans, the home minister said that the deadlock in Doklam was resolved through positive dialogue between India and China.

"I believe, there will come a time when we will be able to resolve border-issues completely through structural dialogue," he said.

He also praised the ITBP personnel saying that after interacting with them, he is sure that no power in the world can stop them from protecting India's borders.

Singh visited ITBPs Rimkhim post near India-China border.

He also met met jawans who donated blood at a camp in ITBP Headquarter in Jyotirmath.

The 90,000 personnel strong ITBP is tasked with guarding the 3,488km long Sino-India border across five states from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat also expressed his condolences to victims of families of Elphinstone Road railway foot overbridge stampede. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Nagpur: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said Rohingyas are a threat to national security.

Speaking at the RSS traditional annual Dussehra rally in Nagpur Bhagwat said, "If we give shelter to Rohingyas, they will not only put pressure on our jobs, but also pose a threat to national security."

The RSS Chief also said that Rohingyas have links with Jihad. He added, Rohingyas have link with Jihad and that is why the government of the other country is acting strict against them."

He further went on to add that the country has already been facing problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into India as well.

Bhagwat said, "We had not even completely solved problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when problem of Myanmar has been heaped on us."

The RSS Chief also hit out at the governments of West Bengal and Kerala, who he said are "lending a helping hand to the anti-national forces for petty political interests".

State Govts of Kerala & Bengal seem 2 b lending a helping hand to the anti-national forces for petty political interests. #RSSVijayaDashami  RSS (@RSSorg) September 30, 2017

The RSS chief also slammed violence in the name of cow vigilantism.

He said, "It is reprehensible that some people have been killed allegedly by gaurakshaks. In fact violence of any form is."

Bhagwat said rearing of cow is not a matter of religion. He said, "I know many Muslims are involved in rearing and protection of cows."

He added, "We must look at issue of cow protection beyond religion. Many Muslims have sacrificed their life in gauraksha - protection of the cow just as people of Bajrang Dal have."

The RSS Chief also strongly justified the economic polices of the Narendra Modi government and said they made sincere efforts for the welfare of common but also cautioned that there should be a system in place to gather the feed back from all sources about its execution and impact of scheme on the society.

While reforming and cleaning the economic system, some tremors and instability is expected, said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

The RSS Chief also praised the government's handling of Doklam issue with China.

Bharats determined stand has been visible in incidents like Doklam on borders as well as in international diplomacy.#RSSVijayaDashami  RSS (@RSSorg) September 30, 2017

India and China ended their 73-day standoff in the Doklam area on August 28, 2017.

Addressing the Blue Whale game issue, Bhagwat said, "To save our innocent kids from vicious circles, family, society and government will have to take the effective steps."

He said, "Falling prey to games like Blue Whale show how unsafe our children are in the age of internet media."

Bhagwat also expressed his condolences to victims of families of Elphinstone Road railway foot overbridge stampede. The RSS Chief said, "Deeply saddened by incident which occurred yesterday. My condolences to families of those who lost their lives."

BJP veteran L K Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were present at the event.
Mumbai: Stampedes will continue to occur in Mumbai till hordes of migrants keep pouring into the city, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray said in Mumbai, a day after 22 people were killed in a crush at Elphinstone railway station.

He also warned that "not a single brick will be allowed to be placed for the bullet train in Mumbai" until the infrastructure of local railways was made better.

The MNS leader, who has in the past stoked controversies with his anti-migrant rhetoric, said, "There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions."

Saying that he travelled in Mumbai suburban trains for two years while studying arts at the Sir J J College in Mumbai, Thackeray said, "What you call the famed spirit of Mumbai which overcomes such tragedies is actually hopelessness in face of such calamities."

On Friday, a stampede on a narrow foot overbridge at the Elphinstone railway station during the rush hour had led to deaths of at least 22 people and injuries to 39.

Thackeray said his party leader Bala Nandgaonkar had written to authorities for building a new bridge at the stampede spot but no action was taken on his suggestion and instead Nandgaonkar was told to approach the MMRDA.

The Kakodkar committee had proposed an expenditure of Rs one lakh crore to improve the railway infrastructure but nobody acted on it, he claimed.

Instead, the bullet train project, costing the same amount, is being implemented, he said.

"Does one need bullet train or improvement of basic rail infrastructure," he said.

Thackeray also targeted BJP MP Kirit Somaiya for his silence on the "crumbling" rail services.

"When Congress was in power, this man used to go about measuring the height of platforms. Where is he now when such tragedies are happening in the BJP-led regime," the MNS chief alleged.

He claimed he did not visit the stampede spot or the hospital on Friday as "politicians are there at such spots only for television cameras".

"They (Railway) say the stampede happened due to rains. It is not the first time that it rained in Mumbai," he said.

"A list of issues related to Mumbai locals will be given to railway officials on October 5 with a deadline. If things don't get better, we will see," he said.

He said a deadline would also be given to throw out illegal hawkers from station bridges and if it is not complied with then the party would act on its own, he said.
Hyderabad: Mr Vinoy Kumar Singh, director general of Telangana state prisons, stated on Friday that the department would launch a campaign with the help of NGOs to rehabilitate the mentally unstable persons who are roaming in the city.

Speaking at a press conference in the city, he said that the department with the help of NGOs and corporate houses would identify the mentally unstable persons and would rehabilitate them.

We will assist the NGOs to secure funds from corporate house. Once we get the approval from the government, we will launch the drive. We will try to give them medical assistance also, he said.

The DG said that the department was operating 14 petrol bunks in the state and will start six more soon.

Meanwhile, the director general said that four jail superintendents have been transferred.

Superintendent of Cherlapally Open Air Jail has been transferred to the Chanchalguda Central Prison and K. Arjun Rao was shifted to the Open Air Jail from the headquarters. Chanchalguda superintendent B. Murali Babu has been transferred to the Warangal Central Prison.
Lucknow: Taking a cue from the recent incidents in schools in which children were victimised, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to form stringent rules for schools in the state.

The rules will apply to all schools affiliated to CBSE, ICSE, UP Secondary Education Board, UP Sanskrit Education Board and UP Madarasa Education Board.

The new norms on safe school premises, released on Thursday, state that the main doors of all classrooms should be visible from the playground and at least one window must open towards the playground. All doors and windows of the classroom should remain open during classes.

The other rules state that entry of senior students, unauthorised people and ad hoc employees should be prohibited in the primary and junior sections without permission.

No senior student or other people should be allowed to use utilities, like toilets and drinking water, meant for children. CCTV cameras should be installed at all vulnerable points inside the premises.

The directives issued by the secondary education department are aimed at curtailing crime against children inside schools, while travelling between school and home and during field trips. It will be mandatory for all schools to have boundary walls and the main gate should be shut once classes get over.

If extra classes or sports-related activities are held, then the teacher concerned will have to ensure that the main entrance is locked once everyone leaves. The principal should ensure that no student remains in class after school gets over.

Children, who walk or cycle to school, should be encouraged to come in groups. School transportation should have a functioning GPS. Child and women helpline numbers and police station's number should be printed on the vehicle.

If the transportation is outsourced, the school authorities will have to make sure that police verification of bus drivers, conductors and helpers is done by the concerned authorities. The vehicle should mention the contact details of the school.

The parents will also be required to inform the school about the mode of transportation used by their children. If the child does not use transport of the school, parents will be held responsible for any untoward incident.
Musk said his firm had starting building the system, with the construction of the first ship to start in six to nine months.

Adelaide: Futurist and inventor Elon Musk unveiled ambitious plans to send cargo ships to Mars in five years and use rockets to carry people between Earth's major cities in under half-an-hour.

The founder of SpaceX said a planned interplanetary transport system, codenamed BFR (Big Fucking Rocket), would be downsized so it could carry out a range of tasks that would then pay for future Mars missions.

"The most important thing... is that I think we have figured out how to pay for (BFR)," Musk told a packed auditorium at a global gathering of space experts in Adelaide. "Which is to have a smaller vehicle, it's still pretty big, but one that can... do everything that's needed in the greater Earth orbit activity."

Musk said his firm had starting building the system, with the construction of the first ship to start in six to nine months.

"I feel fairly confident that we can complete the ship and launch in about five years," he added.

At least two cargo ships would land on the Red Planet in 2022, with the key mission of finding the best source of water -- currently mooted as a way to power rockets, he said. The rockets would place power, mining and life-support infrastructure on Mars to support future missions, with four ships set to take people, equipment and supplies to the planet in 2024.

The trips would be funded by a range of activities, including launching satellites, servicing the space station and lunar missions, he said. Musk added that the rockets should also cater to Earth inhabitants by reducing the travel between major cities to less than half-an-hour.

A trip from Bangkok to Dubai would take 27 minutes, and from Tokyo to Delhi in 30 minutes, according to his calculations.

"Once you are out of the atmosphere, it would be as smooth as silk, no turbulence, nothing," he said.

"There's no weather... and you can get to most long-distance places in less than half-an-hour. If we are building this thing to go to the Moon and Mars, then why not go to other places on Earth as well."

The week-long annual International Astronautical Congress, which concluded Friday, has seen government space agencies and private firms outline their plans to send humans to the Moon and Mars in the next few decades.

This included an agreement between Russian space agency Roscosmos and NASA to work on the first lunar space station as part of a programme called the Deep Space Gateway.

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Concerns have largely focused on their astronomical gains in value and the likelihood of painful price crashes.

Dan Wasyluk discovered the hard way that trading cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin happens in an online Wild West where sheriffs are largely absent.

Wasyluk and his colleagues raised bitcoins for a new tech venture and lodged them in escrow at a company running a cryptocurrency exchange called Moolah. Just months later the exchange collapsed; the man behind it is now awaiting trial in Britain on fraud and money-laundering charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

Wasyluks project lost 750 bitcoins, currently worth about $3 million, and he believes he stands little chance of recovering any money.

It really was kind of a kneecapping of the project, said Wasyluk of the collapse three years ago. If you are starting an exchange and you lose clients money, you or your company should be 100 percent accountable for that loss. And right now there is nothing like that in place.

Cryptocurrencies were supposed to offer a secure, digital way to conduct financial transactions, but they have been dogged by doubts. Concerns have largely focused on their astronomical gains in value and the likelihood of painful price crashes. Equally perilous, though, are the exchanges where virtual currencies are bought, sold and stored. These exchanges, which match buyers and sellers and sometimes hold traders funds, have become magnets for fraud and mires of technological dysfunction, a Reuters examination shows, posing an underappreciated risk to anyone who trades digital coins.

Huge sums are at stake. As the prices of bitcoin and other virtual currencies have soared this year  bitcoin has quadrupled - legions of investors and speculators have turned to online exchanges. Billions of dollars worth of bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies - which arent backed by any governments or central banks - are now traded on exchanges every day.

These are new assets. No one really knows what to make of them, said David L. Yermack, chairman of the finance department at New York Universitys Stern School of Business. If youre a consumer, theres nothing to protect you.

Regulators and governments are still debating how to handle cryptocurrencies, and Yermack says the US Congress will ultimately have to take action.

Some of the freewheeling exchanges are plagued with poor security and lack investor protections common in more regulated financial markets, Reuters found. Some Chinese exchanges have falsely inflated their trading volume to lure new customers, according to former employees.

There have been at least three dozen heists of cryptocurrency exchanges since 2011; many of the hacked exchanges later shut down. More than 980,000 bitcoins have been stolen, which today would be worth about $4 billion. Few have been recovered. Burned investors have been left at the mercy of exchanges as to whether they will receive any compensation.

Nearly 25,000 customers of Mt. Gox, once the worlds largest bitcoin exchange, are still waiting for compensation more than three years after its collapse into bankruptcy in Japan. The exchange said it lost about 650,000 bitcoins. Claims approved by the bankruptcy trustee total more than $400 million.

In July, a federal judge in Florida ordered Paul Vernon, the operator of a collapsed US exchange called Cryptsy, to pay $8.2 million to customers after he failed to respond to a class-action lawsuit. The judge ruled that 11,325 bitcoins had been stolen but did not identify the thief. This is no different than bank robbers in the Old West, said David C. Silver, one of the plaintiffs attorneys. Cryptocurrency is just a new front. Vernon could not be reached for comment.

Another challenge for traders: government intervention. This month, Chinese authorities ordered some mainland Chinese cryptocurrency exchanges to stop trading. The order, however, did not apply to exchanges based in Hong Kong or outside China, including those affiliated with mainland Chinese exchanges.

So-called flash crashes  when cryptocurrencies suddenly plummet in value  are also a threat. Unlike regulated US stock exchanges, cryptocurrency exchanges arent required to have circuit breakers in place to halt trading during wild price swings. Digital coin exchanges are also frequently under assault by hackers, resulting in down times that can sideline traders at critical moments.

On May 7, traders on a US exchange called Kraken lost more than $5 million when it came under attack and couldnt be accessed, according to a class-action lawsuit filed in Florida. During the incident, the suit alleges, the exchanges price of a cryptocurrency called ether fell more than 70 percent and the traders leveraged positions were liquidated. They received no compensation. The exchange declined to comment on the lawsuit. In a court filing, it asked for the case to be dismissed and said the claims should be decided by arbitration.

Another two flash crashes occurred this year on the US exchange GDAX. The exchange said it compensated traders who lost money.

Not surprisingly, many banks are leery of cryptocurrency exchanges and some have refused to deal with them. At a bank investor conference this month in New York, Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co, called bitcoin a fraud and predicted it will blow up.

Boycotts by banks can make it impossible at times for exchanges to process wire transfers that allow customers to buy or sell cryptocurrencies with traditional currencies, such as dollars or euros. In March, Wells Fargo stopped processing wire transfers for an exchange called Bitfinex, leaving customers unable to transfer US dollars out of their accounts, except through special arrangement with the exchanges lawyer. Wells Fargo declined to comment.

Dealing with the banks is a constant and ongoing challenge, said Bitfinex Chief Executive Jean Louis van der Velde. Citizens and businesses [are] being treated like criminals when they are not, including myself. He declined to say which banks Bitfinex is now using.

In part, banks say they are concerned about the due diligence cryptocurrency exchanges do on their customers to guard against money laundering, criminal activity and sanctions violations. While regulators require banks to verify who their customers are, some cryptocurrency trading platforms have performed minimal checks, Reuters found.

Internal customer records reviewed by Reuters from the BTCChina exchange, which has an office in Shanghai but is stopping trading at the end of this month, show that in the fall of 2015, 63 customers said they were from Iran and another nine said they were from North Korea - countries under US sanctions.

Americans are generally prohibited from conducting financial transactions with individuals in Iran and North Korea. Statements on BTCChinas website from 2013 and 2014 identify Bobby Lee, who holds American citizenship, as its chief executive and co-founder. Lee is currently CEO of BTCC, a separate Cayman Islands-registered cryptocurrency exchange company, according to a spokesman for the exchanges.

The spokesman did not respond to repeated questions from Reuters as to Lees current role at BTCChina, and Lee did not comment on the issue. The spokesman said that BTCChina complies with Chinese law and is run by a Chinese citizen, and its legal representative is also a Chinese citizen.

The spokesman originally said the exchange had significantly strengthened its compliance processes over the last two years, including banning registrations from sanctioned countries such as Iran and North Korea. Our system still has some inactivated accounts from some sanctioned countries for audit and logging purposes. He said most of those accounts had never been used to trade.

He later said that BTCChina has never had any North Korean customers and has had only one Iranian customer. The Iranian used a bank account in China, not Iran, therefore all of that customers transactions on our trading platform did not violate US sanctions, the spokesman said. He said BTCC has never had and does not have any North Korean or Iranian customers.

The US Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control in Washington, which enforces economic and trade sanctions, declined to comment.

In mid-2016, the Chinese exchange hired a compliance analyst to help monitor any suspicious activity on the trading platform. It selected Constance Yuan, then 23 years old, who told Reuters she had no prior formal training in compliance. On her LinkedIn page, she listed her title as Senior compliance manager.

I was a bit surprised, Yuan said of her hiring. I felt I had no experience, and it was a pretty big responsibility. She said lawyers taught her on the job, which she recently left.

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The offer, which comes during the Indian festive season when discretionary spending typically rises, assures customers buying iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X models through Jio that they will get back 70 per cent of the cost after a year of use.

Indias Reliance said on Friday that customers of its Jio telecoms unit who buy the latest Apple iPhone models from partner stores could sell them back in a year at a guaranteed price, a move that could help the US tech firm expand in India.

The offer, which comes during the Indian festive season when discretionary spending typically rises, assures customers buying iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X models through Jio that they will get back 70 per cent of the cost after a year of use.

Apart from possibly lifting Apple sales in India, the move could also draw more high-paying customers to the Jio network.

Cupertino, California-based Apple is keen to sell more iPhones in India, one of the worlds biggest smartphone markets, but the high cost of its handsets has kept higher-end iPhones in particular out of the reach of hundreds of millions of Indians.

The deal with Reliance, an oil-to-telecoms conglomerate, is Apples latest attempt to grow in Indias competitive smartphone market, similar to the way it boosted sales in countries like the United States by partnering with network operators to subsidise the cost of the phone.

At 64,000 rupees ($980) the upfront cost of the iPhone 8 is still high however, and some remain sceptical that a buyback offer will do much to boost Apples market share in India where iPhone users can already easily resell old iPhones for 50 to 60 per cent of their cost in the second-hand market.

Older and more affordable iPhones will still make for a bulk of Apples sales in India, said Tarun Pathak, analyst at tech research firm Counterpoint. People want their phones but not necessarily the latest and the most expensive ones.

This is the first time such a hefty buyback offer has been made for an iPhone in India, Akash Ambani, the son of Indias richest man, Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, said in Mumbai on Friday when unveiling the deal.

Were excited to be building so many new relationships in India, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a brief pre-recorded video.

For Apple, growing in India is crucial as growth slows at home and in China. The deal will place Apples iPhones in 900 Reliance and Jio retail stores across India, giving the company a chance to boost its meagre 3 per cent market share and close the gap with market leader Samsung Electronics.

DATA GAME

For Reliance, this is the first time the company is offering such a hefty buyback price in a bid to win over high-spending Apple fans whose hunger for data, the company hopes, will boost revenues.

The offer, which will likely boost Reliances average revenue per user, will be available to Jio customers who buy the iPhone and subscribe to its 799 rupees ($12.22) monthly package for 12 months.

By comparison, the industrys monthly average revenue per user was just 80 rupees in the quarter ended-June, according to recent regulatory data.

While there is no penalty for downgrading to a cheaper plan or leaving the contract mid-way through, customers who do so will lose out on the buyback offer.

This is unlike contract deals in some Western countries where the total cost of a phone is subsidised and there is a penalty for dropping contracts mid-way.

With the Apple deal at the high end of the spectrum, Jio is also working to woo cost-conscious aspirational smartphone buyers at the lower end with a $23 4G phone that blurs the line between a smartphone and a traditional feature phone.

The company, which has signed on 128 million users in less than a year via cut-price deals, is now eyeing between 250-300 million customers in the next two years, a source has told Reuters.

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Islamabad: Pakistan's ousted premier Nawaz Sharif is expected to regain the leadership of his PML-N party next week under a proposed new law that will allow a disqualified legislator to head a political party.

Sharif, 67, had to step down as the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after he was disqualified as premier by the Supreme Court on July 28 in the Panama Papers scandal.

Senate, upper house of parliament, passed Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 on September 22 that has a clause that any person other than a civil servant can hold any position within a party.

The new law has deleted the condition that said only those qualified to become members of parliament can hold leadership position within political parties.

According to Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan, the new law will be presented in the lower house or National Assembly on Monday where it is expected to be passed easily as PML-N has the majority in the house.

Once passed by both houses, the bill would go to president and become a law after his signature.

A meeting of the PML-Ns General Council will be held on October 2 to amend the party constitution that barred a disqualified person from holding any party office, according to Khan.

Before the General Council, a meeting of PML-N central working committee (CWC) would be held.

Both -- the CWC and General Council -- would elect the new president on October 3.

The PML-N is hopeful to complete the process of enactment and changes in the laws by October 3. With all legal hurdles removed by that time, Sharif is expected to be easily elected as president.

Though, he is still barred from becoming a lawmaker or prime minister, he would be able to control the party and all other aspects of the politics in the country through his handpicked prime minister, ministers and other appointees.

However, the amendment to the laws is expected to be challenged by the opposition parties in the Supreme Court.

Any effective intervention and decision by the top court against the new law may scuttle the plans of PML-N.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has praised the significant contribution of the Malayalee community in the country's development, saying they have shown how to turn diversity into strength.



Singapore's 26,000 strong Malayalee community is largely descendants of migrants from Kerala in the early 1900s.



Speaking at a gala dinner to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Singapore Malayalee Association, Lee said that one of the reasons behind the Malayalee community's success is its embracing of diversity.



"In many countries, exclusivity and extremism are growing and breeding racial and religious distrust. Singapore is not immune to these diseases of the spirit. But we can protect and strengthen our multicultural system to make our society more resilient against such external pressures," he said.



The small Malayalee community has contributed significantly to Singapore's development, Lee noted.



"The Malayalee community has shown how we can turn diversity into our strength. Singapore needs to do the same on a national level, with our different races and religions," Channel News Asia quoted Lee as saying.



He named former President Devan Nair, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Monetary Authority of Singapore Managing Director Ravi Menon as some of the outstanding Malayalees in Singapore.



Currently, there are also three Malayalees in Parliament -- Senior Minister of State Janil Puthucheary, and Members of Parliament, Vikram Nair and Murali Pillai.



The Malayalees have long embraced and celebrated diversity.



Counting Hindus, Muslims, Syrian Christians, and Roman Catholics in their midst, they are a fine example of turning diversity into strength, Lee wrote in his Facebook post today.



"Over the years, the Singapore Malayalee Association has helped to uplift the community and to enrich and strengthen our social fabric. My congratulations to the Association on its centenary," he said.



The Singapore Malayalee Association last night also paid tribute to other outstanding members of its community, including poet and social activist M K Bhasi, dance pioneer Santha Bhaskar and ambassador at large Gopinath Pillai.



To mark its centenary, the association will set up an SGD 1 million financial aid fund for needy students as well as a wellness centre for the elderly here.
There was no pre-festival illumination of the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) as railway employees joined the city in mourning the Elphinstone Road station tragedy by not celebrating Dussehra festival.



Late last night Mumbaikars took out a candle march on the Elphinstone railway bridge and prayed for the departed souls.



"Yes, it is true that the railway officials, employees, workers are not celebrating Dussehra today in the wake of the tragic incident that took place yesterday.



"All our staff, officers are saddened and they have spontaneously taken a call not to celebrate Dussehra," the chief spokesperson of Western Railway Ravinder Bhakar said.



At least 22 people died and over 30 were injured in the stampede that took place on a narrow foot-over-bridge (FoB) that connects the Elphinstone Road on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line.



Chief spokesperson of Central Railway Sunil Udasi said the Central Railway employees are also not celebrating the festival today.



He said, "It is a call taken by railway employees and officers on their own not to celebrate the festival owing to the tragic incident."



While the CSMT station is illuminated ahead of every festival, the building wore a gloomy look last night.
At least 28 civilians were killed in air strikes on northwestern Syria where a planned safe zone has been overshadowed by a bombing campaign against jihadists, a monitor said Saturday.



Four children were among the dead in the overnight strikes on the town of Amanaz, in Idlib province near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.



The Britain-based watchdog had earlier reported 12 dead in the strikes on the town in Harem district around 20 kilometres (12 miles) northwest of the provincial capital Idlib.



It said it could not immediately determine whether the strikes had been carried out by warplanes of the Syrian government or its ally Russia.



But they are the latest in an intensifying air campaign carried out by the two governments against jihadist fighters who control most of the province and are not party to a safe zone deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.



The surge in bombing raids has forced hospitals in the province to close, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Friday.



They were triggered by an offensive by jihadist fighters led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate launched against government-held villages in neighbouring Hama province on September 19.



The jihadists control nearly all of Idlib province after driving out Islamist former allies earlier this year.



Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to step up efforts to establish a safe zone in Idlib as part of a wider agreement struck in May.



Three other safe zones have already been set up -- in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, parts of the south and some areas of the central province of Homs.



The de-escalation agreement excludes both the Islamic State group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the alliance dominated by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate.
Bodies of 17 of the 22 people killed in the stampede at Elphinstone Road railway station here have been handed over to their relatives so far, hospital authorities said today.



At least 22 persons were killed and 39 injured in a rush hour stampede on a narrow foot-over-bridge (FOB) linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban stations during heavy rain last morning.



Out of the 39 injured, two are in a critical condition, with one of them being kept on a ventilator at the KEM hospital in Parel.



"Bodies of 17 victims have been handed over to their relatives so far," senior medical officer at the hospital, Dr Praveen Bangar, told PTI.



The hospital administration is yet to decide on giving discharge to the injured patients as most of them are still under observation, he said.



"Most of the injuries are either blunt trauma or bone fractures. The patients are admitted to various wards accordingly. The supervisors of the respective wards will review the recovery of the patients and submit report to the higher authorities," he said.



The discharge procedure will be initiated after these reports are submitted, the hospital medical officer added.




A day after the tragic Elphinstone Road foot-over bridge collapse, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray on Saturday slammed the Centre and threatened that it would not allow a single brick to be laid for bullet train project, the big initiative of prime minister Narendra Modi.



"This Piyush Goyal is good for nothing...just for bullet train," Thackeray told a news conference on the occasion of Dassera. "Suresh Prabhu was changed just for bullet train, he was good," he added.



Slamming the Modi government, Raj said: "We would not allow the (Ahmedabad-Mumbai) bullet train to come up here...till the time the present railway infrastructure (of Mumbai Metropolitan Region) improves."



If Modi wants to run the bullet train, he can run it in Gujarat, said Raj, who was one an admirer of the Gujarat model.



The nephew of late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray also gave an ultimatum to the illegal hawkers in the railway premises. "If they do not move out, we would do in our style," he said, adding that till the time "outsiders" keep on time, such incidents would recur.






At least three persons, including a soldier, have been killed and four others injured in alleged firing by Indian troops across the Line of Control, the Pakistan Army said today.



The Army said that Indian troops resorted to "unprovoked firing" yesterday, targeting the civilian population in Rakhchikri area of Rawalakot.



As a result of the shelling, two civilians, including a woman, were killed while one person sustained injuries.



An army patrol assisting rescue operations in the area also came under fire, resulting in the killing of Naib Subedar Nadeem. Three soldiers were also injured, it said.



The Army claimed that Pakistani "troops gave a befitting response to the cross-border firing".
Kolkata Police has stopped the public viewing of Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square, which has been getting major attention this year because of its pandal and idol, on the last day of the five-day festival following an alleged electrical short circuit inside the pandal.



According to a senior police officer of Kolkata Police, smoke was seen coming out of the chandelier at the Santosh Mitra Square puja pandal at around 1.10 am tonight following which the public viewing of the idol was stopped.



"There was a huge sound inside the pandal at around midnight. Several thousand people were at the pandal at that time. After a while some of our police officers spotted smoke coming from the chandelier ceiling lamp following which the decision to stop public viewing of the puja was taken for the sake of public security," he told PTI.



Fire department along with a team of police personnel rushed to the place.



Puja organisers, however, rubbished any short circuit incident and alleged that the police had "conspired" to close public viewing as it had failed to control the huge rush of visitors.



The organisers had a verbal duel with the police personnel posted at the pandal premises.



"This is absolute nonsense. There was no smoke inside our puja pandal. If there was any fire there must have been some sign of it around or inside the pandal. This is nothing but a conspiracy of Kolkata Police who had failed in controlling the crowd visiting our puja," Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee president, Pradip Ghosh said.



"Kolkata Police have been non-cooperative throughout Puja ... I know Kolkata Police are doing this on the instructions of some influential people who are jealous because our puja has been pulling more crowd than their's," he added.



In fact, Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee members gheraoed local Munchipara police station this morning demanding immediate revoking of the order.



"We will continue our demonstration until common people are allowed to view our puja," Ghosh said.



Teams of PWD civil, electrical and fire departments will visit the Santosh Mitra Square Puja for an inspection later in the afternoon, the Kolkata Police officer said.



"Until we get a no objection certificate regarding the security we will not be able to allow people inside the puja pandal," he said.



Santosh Mitra Square puja pandal has been drawing a very large number of visitors not only for its gorgeous London-themed pandal but also to view the idol of goddess Durga which has been clad in a 22 kg gold saree of 22 carat which costs Rs 6.5 crore.



Replicas of the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the London Bridge are the chief attractions of the pandal at the sprawling ground in central Kolkata.



In 2015 the Kolkata Police had stopped Durga Puja in south Kolkata's Deshapriya Park following a near-stampede situation as the pandal hoppers gathered in thousands to see the nearly 88-feet idol there.
Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was freed after being kept in captivity suspectedly by ISIS for 18 months in strife-torn Yemen, has said the power of people's prayers for him changed the hearts of his abductors, who did not hurt him and even offered him food during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan.



"I feel the prayers of people and their sacrifices changed the hearts of my abductors and prevented them from hurting me.... I am certain, God had done something," he said at a welcome event in his honour here last night. The 59-year-old Catholic priest had returned to Delhi on Thursday after rest and recuperation in the Vatican City.



He had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on September 28 in New Delhi after his arrival. On his meeting with Modi, Father Tom said, "The most interesting part of the conversation I had with the Prime Minister was when he said I am free now and I should get stronger and serve people."



Father Tom belongs to the Congregation of Salesians of Don Bosco and was abducted reportedly during a terrorist attack in Aden and taken to an undisclosed place. "The abductors also offered me food during Ramzan, the month in which the Muslims fast.. They were kind enough to do so," he added.



Giving an interesting account of his release, father Tom said he was all set to be released on September 10, but the plan was dropped due to lack of transport arrangement. "On the morning of September 10, I was driven in a car from the place of my captivity to a certain place where we waited for further journey in another vehicle, but it was cancelled, because of lack of transport arrangement.



We had to return for next day's journey on September 11," he said. Interestingly, on way back, a person told him to pray to Jesus Christ, he said. "It did materialise.... I was again driven to the place where we waited.... After hours of waiting, three vehicles came and in one of the cars, I was driven to Oman through the deserts at a speed of 180 kms per hour. By 4 am on September 12 we reached Oman and rest everybody knows," he said. When asked what was his first reaction on hearing the news of his release, Father Tom said he was doubtful. "I was not sure of my release, despite one of the abductors, who spoke English, telling me about it...."They asked me to wear a veil, and that moment I asked myself whether I will be released at all, or taken to some other place to be held captive," he said. However, on September 12, a person confirmed over phone to him about his return to India.



"I was rest assured of my release when a person spoke to me over phone about my safety and travel back to India. The call was made by the person under whose protection I was driven to Oman," he said. On his arrival at Bengaluru International Airport yesterday, Karnataka Home Minister K J George and Christian leaders had welcomed him. Uzhunnalil had reached Yemen in 2010 and was serving the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity of St. Mother Teresa and the catholic population there.
An Oxford University college where Aung San Suu Kyi studied as an undergraduate has removed her portrait from its main entrance amid mounting criticism of the Myanmar leader over the plight of Rohingya Muslims.



Suu Kyi had graduated from St Hugh's College in 1967 and the portrait had hung prominently at the college entrance since 1999.



It was painted by artist Chen Yanning in 1997 and belonged to Suu Kyi's husband, Oxford professor Michael Aris, and was given to the college following his death.



"The college received the gift of a new painting earlier this month which will be exhibited for a period. The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has meanwhile been moved to storage," the college said in a statement.



While the exact reasons for the portrait's removal, which comes just days before the start of the academic year and the arrival of new students, remain unclear, there is a general view that the allegations of ethnic cleansing as a result of Mynamar's Rohingya Muslims fleeing their homes to Bangladesh is likely to be behind the move.



Nearly 500,000 Rohingyas have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, causing a major humanitarian crisis.



But the decision was branded as "cowardly" by the Burma Campaign UK group, which has called for the college to go further.



"This seems a rather cowardly action by St Hugh's. If they have taken down the portrait because of Aung San Suu Kyi defending the Burmese military as they commit ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya they should say so and write to her urging her to respect human rights," Mark Farmaner, the campaign's director, told the Guardian newspaper.



Suu Kyi was also awarded an honorary degree by St Hugh's College in June 2012, which the university said it was not considering withdrawing.



The Myanmar leader won a Nobel Prize following years as a political prisoner and has been Myanmar's de facto political leader since winning elections in 2015.



St Hugh's student newsletter, 'The Swan' said the decision to remove the portrait was taken by the college's governing body.



The college's other notable alumni include UK Prime Minister Theresa May who has also called on Suu Kyi to "make it very clear that the military action (against Rohingyas) should stop".



Suu Kyi read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford between 1964 and 1967.



Councillors in the city of Oxford have said they would reconsider the 'Freedom of the City' honour bestowed on Suu Kyi in 1997.
A day after Indo-Pak forces held flag meeting and vowed to maintain peace, Border Security Force (BSF) Saturday detected a 14-feet long underground tunnel originating from the Pakistani side on the international border in Arnia sector of Jammu.



An under-construction tunnel was detected by a BSF patrol party between Vikram and Patel posts near Damana. War-like store was recovered during the search of the tunnel indicating the presence of armed infiltrators who, however, managed to flee back," a BSF spokesman said.



The recoveries, he said, included Pakistani made batteries, food, knives and grenades.



Sources said some ultras or laborers engaged were inside the tunnel, when BSF personnel detected it. "The BSF personnel opened fire but they escaped back to Pakistan. The length of tunnel is around 14 feet and was yet to be completed. It was detected well in advance before it could reach the fence, he revealed.



The tunnel was discovered in Damala Nullah in Arnia sector which had borne maximum brunt of Pakistani fire from September 15 to September 23. It is the fifth such tunnel detected by the BSF along the IB since July 2012.



On February 15, the BSF detected another such trans-border tunnel in Ramgarh sub sector of Samba district. The discovery foiled a possible infiltration bid by militants into India territory. On March 3 last year, a similar tunnel originating from Pakistan, was detected 30 metres inside Indian territory near Allah Mai De Kothe post of the BSF in RS Pura sector.



In July 2012, a 540 metre trans-border tunnel had been detected dug by Pakistan from Lumbriyal post in Shakkergarh area. However, it had caved in due to rains near the Chalyari border outpost in Samba district.



Blaming the Pakistan Rangers for helping militants to dig these tunnels, a senior BSF officer said, The tunnel originated from Pakistans side; very close to a border post and remains under constant scrutiny of overhead observation tower, it is not possible to dig a tunnel without consent of Pakistani Rangers.



He said that influenced by the success of Hamas militants, who cleverly use tunnels against Israel Defence Forces, Lashker-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad militant outfits are being trained by the experts of Pakistani army in such technology.



Militants with the help of Pakistan Army chose places intelligently before deciding to dig a tunnel which includes suitable terrain that can provide cover from observation posts. Also they trap local agents and Pakistan Army some times open fire on Indian posts to divert the attention, the officer added.



The latest incident came just a day after India and Pakistan on Friday held a sector commander-level flag meeting in Suchetgarh area of the IB in Jammu on request of Pakistani Rangers to discuses border management issues. This was the first such meeting between the border forces after six months. The last such meeting was held on 9th March.



During a detailed discussion, the Pakistani Rangers had assured of taking required measures to maintain peace on borders, the source said.


Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today that people living along the China border were the country's "strategic assets", and directed the frontier guarding force ITBP to ensure that they did not migrate as this would put India's security at risk.



Addressing locals and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops at the 1st battalion camp here, Singh said the border population should be given more importance as the government has "full faith and trust" in the people living in these remote areas.



"People living along the India-China border should not be made to migrate at any cost. They are our strategic assets. They should be given more importance. The day they will migrate...that will not be good for our border security," he said.



The minister said the border population held an important place in the hearts of the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



"The prime minister has said special attention should be given to the well-being of the people living on the borders. I will request ITBP (personnel) to make friends with the local population in the area of their border deployment," he said.



The minister asked the border force to hold special camps to help the locals and assist them in redressing their problems.



The minister, on the third day of his tour of the areas, travelled to the high-altitude border out posts (BoPs) of the ITBP in Lapthal and Rimkhim by helicopter.



While this was the first time a home minister visited the Lapthal BoP, Rimkhim was last visited by then home minister L K Advani in 1998.

Singh had yesterday visited the Mana ITBP BoP in Chamoli district of the state.



The minister said that he would take up the issue of high mobile call rates with the authorities concerned and restore the Rs 1 per minute BSNL calling rate, through satellite phones, for the jawans of the force deployed at some of the most arduous and high altitude posts along this border.



The home minister said he was not happy that the rates were revised to Rs 5 per minute sometime ago.



"This is the only means for our jawans to talk to their homes and families. I will definitely take this up," he said.



The home minister said his ministry had enhanced the funds provided to frontier states under the Border Action Development Plan (BADP) from the allocations of last year, and in Uttarakhand five border districts and their nine blocks would be covered under it on priority for construction of roads.



He said out of the special drive to construct 27 border roads in various states, 10 have been given to Uttarakhand as he directed authorities to finish the work on these links expeditiously.



He said more roads in the Himalayan state would be constructed under the BADP scheme as he added that the work on four stretches had been completed while one or two would become operational by this year.



The rest will get completed by 2019-20, he added.



During the event, where Singh also inaugurated a medical and civic action camp for the locals, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat declared that his government will provide job to one family member of a trooper who is killed in the line of duty.



He also announced that the state, in order to boost the income and provide work opportunities to the border population, would provide four lakh saplings of walnut and apricot trees, free of cost.



The chief minister added that the hill state would raise two companies (about 200 personnel) of an 'eco task force' at the cost of Rs 5 crore and would recruit retired soldiers as its manpower.



The home minister reiterated that the border dispute between India and China would be resolved with the help of "structured dialogue" as no country in the world now wanted confrontation.



He said the recent Dokalam "deadlock" between the two neighbours was resolved after a positive approach was made.



Singh praised the ITBP troops for doing their duty "very bravely, patiently and diligently".



He said he was visiting ITBP posts to compliment the force and boost the morale of these men who face various hardships and adversities while rendering their task and nothing more should be read into it.



The 90,000-personnel strong ITBP is tasked with guarding the 3,488km long Sino-India border across five states starting from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
Two men allegedly assaulted a senior doctor at the KEM Hospital in Parel today to protest the hospital's action of marking serial numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims, police said.



The incident occurred this evening when the duo, believed to be Shiv Sena workers, assaulted the forensic science head of the KEM Hospital, a senior police official said.



"The two barged into the cabin of Dr. Hari Pathak and assaulted him. One of the accused, who brought a sketch pen with him tried to write a number on Pathak's forehead," he said. According to the officer, a search of their five other aides is underway.



"We have found membership identity-card of the Shiv Sena from one of the accused," he said. The two accused were detained and a case under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 323 ( voluntarily causing hurt), 143 (member of an unlawful assembly, 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly) and 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered, he said.



Authorities at the KEM Hospital had come in for severe criticism for inscribing numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims and putting up their pictures on public display.



The tragedy took place around 10.40 am yesterday when an overbridge, linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban stations, became overcrowded with people taking shelter from a heavy downpour. The death toll in the foot overbridge stampede in Mumbai has risen to 23.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will next week host Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, Presidents of the European Council and European Commission, for the 14th summit between India and the European Union. Tusk and Juncker are leading a high-level delegation of the European Union on a visit to New Delhi.



The EU delegation will include the blocs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, who also holds the office of the Vice-President of the European Commission, the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press release. Trade and counterterrorism cooperation will top the agenda of the summit.



The EU is Indias largest regional trading partner with bilateral trade in goods standing at $88 billion in 2016. The EU is also the largest destination for Indian exports and a key source of the investment and cutting-edge technologies. India received around the US $83 billion FDI flows from Europe during 2000-17 constituting approximately 24% of the total FDI inflows into the country during the period.



India and EU last year discussed possibility of an early restart of negotiations on a broad-based trade and investment agreement. The negotiations remained stalled since 2013 due to differences over certain issues, including improved market access for some goods and services, government procurement, geographical indications, investment protection rules and sustainable development. India and EU are also strategic partners since 2004. The 13th India-EU Summit was held in Brussels on March 30.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday asked the Centre to keep national security in mind while taking a decision on Rohingya. He charged that they were driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their violent separatist activities and links with terror groups.



In his Vijayadashmi address from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters here, Bhagwat flagged a number of issues like illegal immigrants, cow vigilantism, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the economic scenario.



He accused the Kerala and West Bengal governments of lending a helping hand to anti-national for forces for petty political interest. He also praised the Centre over the handling of the Dokalam issue with China.



Rohingyas, who were chased away from Myanmar, have infiltrated into the country and many more are ready to migrate illegally, he said.



Giving shelter to Rohingyas will not only put pressure on our jobs but also pose a threat to national security, he said.



Any decision regarding them should be taken keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity, the RSS chief added.



Senior BJP leader L K Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were present on the occasion. Dalit religious leader Baba Nirmal Das, who was expected to be the chief guest, could not attend the event as he was indisposed. His message was read out at the event.



Referring to the issue of cow vigilantism, Bhagwat said: It is reprehensible that some people have been killed allegedly by gaurakshaks.



At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers, he said. Bhagwat said the issue of cow protection is beyond religion and many Muslims have sacrificed their lives for the protection of the cow just as people of Bajrang Dal have.



He noted that problems of the people, who were displaced from the Kashmir Valley in the 1990s, are yet to be addressed. Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state. Only when the constitutional amendments are done, can the residents of Jammu and Kashmir be completely assimilated with the rest of India, Bhagwat said, apparently hinting at Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.



There is an urgent need to take the benefits of development to the masses in the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Jammu and Ladakh regions, without any discrimination and through transparent and clean governance, he said. The problem of refugees is still not resolved in the state. For decades together, their generations are living in a miserable state as refugees for their decision to be in Bharat and remain as Hindu.



Despite being the citizens of Bharat, they still dont have basic facilities of education, employment and democratic rights, Bhagwat said.



The problems of permanent residents of the state, who migrated from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1947 and the people who were displaced from Kashmir Valley in 1990 remain as they were, he said.



Bhagwat said conditions should be created so that our brothers can lead a happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians, by ensuring them equal democratic rights, even while remaining firm and devoted to their religion and national identity.



And for this just work, necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. Then and only then, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with the rest of India and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in the national progress, Bhagwat said.



On the Dokalam standoff, Bhagwat said, In response to the activities of Pakistan on the western front and of China on the northern front, Indias strong and determined stand has been visible in the incidents like Dokalam on the borders as well as in international diplomacy.

Targeting Kerala and West Bengal government for not doing enough against anti-national forces, he said, The situation in Bengal and Kerala is known to all.



The information of these anti-national activities reaches the Union government and they must take necessary steps to foil these nefarious designs, he said.
Two recent judgements in rape cases  one relating to a film producer and the other concerning three students  have thrown judicial propriety and precedents to the wind. The verdicts have shamed the victims, disregarding the Supreme Courts rulings in a number of cases.



The apex court has time and again asked the courts to be sensitive and responsive to the plight of the victim as rape is the worst form of womans oppression and brings in humiliation, feeling of disgust, tremendous embarrassment, sense of shame, trauma and lifelong emotional scar.



In the case lodged by a US researcher against the co-director of Peepli Live, Mahmood Farooqui, the Delhi High Court on September 25 made an elaborate discussion on the myriad circumstances, surrounding a consent to acquit him.



No means yes

The court said, It may not necessarily always mean yes in case of yes or no in case of no. It looked into the circumstances and past conduct between the accused and the victim to conclude: An expression of disinclination alone, that also a feeble one, may not be sufficient to constitute rape.



The single judge bench went on to add, Instances of a womans behaviour are not unknown that a feeble no may mean a yes.



Similarly, in the case pertaining to the repeated sexual assault of an MBA student of Jindal University, the Punjab and Haryana High Courts division bench on September 13 suspended the sentence of students and granted them bail till the hearing of the appeal.



The court found that the victims testimony offered an alternate casual relationship with her friends, acquaintances, adventurism and experimentation in sexual encounters.



Though she claimed that her seniors had obtained her explicit pictures on WhatsApp to exploit her, the court said, Careful examination of her statement again offers an alternate conclusion of misadventure stemming from a promiscuous attitude and voyeuristic mind.



The Supreme Court in the State of Uttar Pradesh vs Chhoteylal in 2014 said: In prosecutions of rape, the law does not require corroboration. The evidence of the prosecutrix may sustain a conviction. It is only by way of abundant caution that court may look for some corroboration.... It also held that a woman who is the victim of sexual assault is not an accomplice to the crime.



Her evidence cannot be tested with suspicion as that of an accomplice. In State of Himachal Pradesh vs Mango Ram, a three-judge bench of the apex court, while dealing with the aspect of consent in the offence of rape, said, Consent for the purpose of Section 375 (rape) requires voluntary participation not only after the exercise of intelligence based on the knowledge of the significance and moral quality of the act but after having fully exercised the choice between resistance (and) assent.




Veteran politician and Konkan strongman Narayan Rane will announce his next political move in Mumbai on Sunday. Rane (65), had resigned from the Congress and the Maharashtra Legislative Council on September 21.



Rane had claimed that the Congress had gone back on its promise of making him the chief minister and over the years he was sidelined in the party.



"I do not go for posts, the posts come to me," the 65-year-old firebrand politician had said addressing a news conference at his home district from Sindhudurg.



Thereafter, he toured some parts of Maharashtra and met his followers. He also visited New Delhi and had a meeting with BJP president Amit Shah.



Rane is expected to float his own political outfit. It is, however, not yet clear, whether Rane would join the BJP-Shiv Sena government and become a minister. In fact, the Shiv Sena does not see eye to eye with Rane.



Rane started off with the Shiv Sena and went on to become the revenue minister and then briefly the chief minister. He then became the leader of Opposition.



Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray had to expel him from the party for raising a banner of revolt against Uddhav Thackeray. Subsequently, he joined the Congress and became a minister in the Democratic Front government.


The grandson of businessman-cum-politician the late D K Audikeshavulu escaped from Mallya Hospital on Friday. The police have formed special teams to nab him.



Geethavishnu was arrested on Thursday after his luxury car collided with a Maruti Omni at South End Circle, injuring six, including three children. He was nabbed by the public while trying to escape.



Vishnu was in an inebriated condition and the police also recovered 110 grams of marijuana from his car.



Vishnu was later admitted to Mallya Hospital - a family-owned institution - where his mother Dr Teejeshwari is the managing director.



It is still not clear how the police could allow Vishnu to be admitted to a hospital owned by his family. Vishnu apparently demanded the police to admit him to Mallya Hospital.



On Thursday afternoon the police were denied permission to interrogate Vishnu about the marijuana found in his car. His mother and other doctors said that he is in the ICU and needs 10 hours of rest.



The police tried again around 12.30 am on Friday but got the same response. Two policemen were then deployed and were directed to check on him every hour.



A policeman on duty said, When I checked around 5.15 am he was sleeping in bed No 11. Again I checked at 6.15 am but he was not there. Doctors did not give a proper reply to our queries. We checked everywhere and later realised that he escaped from the emergency exit.
The $13 million transformation of the Del Mar Fairgrounds satellite betting center is back on track, just in time for the projects hearing before the California Coastal Commission.

Fairgrounds officials announced Friday, Sept. 29 that they have resolved their dispute with the City of Solana Beach over the projects environmental and traffic impacts. The terms of their agreement, however, are not yet being made public.

The 22nd District Agricultural District (DAA), which runs the state-owned fairgrounds, put the finishing touches this spring on its plan to renovate Surfside Race Place by converting half of the facility into a 1,869-seat concert venue and a 7,000-square-foot area for beer tasting and exhibits on the history of horse racing, craft beer and the county fair. The off-track wagering center will continue to operate in the other half.

The ailing facility has for years paled in comparison to its heyday 20 years ago, with attendance typically one-tenth (or less) of its 5,500 capacity. Revenues have followed suit. Adding the concert venue and exhibition hall would generate between $1.2 million to $2 million in profits each year, officials say. Construction is set to begin in December in hopes of opening the new complex in the fall of 2018.

With the downturn in off-track wagering, were very excited about transforming this facility into a concert venue that will become a community asset enjoyed by our neighbors and the general public, Tim Fennell, the fairgrounds CEO and general manager, said in the Sept. 29 press release. It will generate jobs and we hope new horse racing customers as well.

Officials with the fairgrounds and Solana Beach say they are not revealing the terms of their agreement until both parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding laying out those conditions. That is expected by the end of this week.

One clue is that the press release scales back the number of concerts Surfside will hold. It references approximately 60 annual concerts after fairgrounds officials had consistently said it could hold as many as 90 concerts per year.

The dispute stemmed from the DAAs decision not to put the project into environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which can take a year or more. The DAA had said the project is exempt from CEQA on the grounds that its expected traffic increase and other impacts will fall within thresholds laid out in its original permit.

Solana Beach and Del Mar immediately objected to the DAAs position, countering that traffic conditions and surrounding communities have changed dramatically in the decades since Surfside opened in 1991.

Despite those objections, the fairgrounds board of directors approved the plan in May. Solana Beach filed suit a month later in San Diego Superior Court seeking to force the project into CEQA review. Fairgrounds and Solana Beach officials negotiated privately through the summer. That culminated on Wednesday, Sept. 27, when the Solana Beach City Council met in closed session and agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding with the DAA. The following day, the city of Solana Beach informed the California Coastal Commission that the city no longer opposes the project.

The California Coastal Commission is set to consider Surfsides Coastal Development Permit at its Oct. 14 meeting. The staff report recommends approval with several conditions, the most significant of which require the DAA to gather data on parking and attendance for every Surfside event over the next five years, after which the Coastal Commission will evaluate the data before renewing Surfsides permit.
By Giem Guimaraes

29 September 2017

(Mongabay)  Brazil. The fifth largest country in the world. Besides housing the worlds largest rainforest and freshwater reserves,  approximately 12 percent of the worlds total  it is also the country with the largest commercial cattle production, with more than 215 million animals. Additionally, it has the worlds largest production of soybeans, sharing the first place with the USA. Impressive figures. Apart from managing the laws of these paradoxical coexistences  forest and water versus animals and soybeans  we have yet another splendor. The Brazilian political class, which is responsible for what has been called the greatest corruption scandal of all times, involving oil giant Petrobras.

It looks like Brazil continues to be what it had been prearanged to do since it was discovered by the Portuguese: it is a land to be exploited, to see its riches extracted by a privileged caste. In the beginning, this enterprise was managed by the Portuguese court, which was represented by explorers sent by the Lusitanian empire. Others, such as the French, Dutch and Spanish, followed suit, but none were a match for the ruling class that had settled in the country.

Whether it was subsistence farming, mining, livestock or logging, all Brazilian economic activities were soil-dependent for centuries. From the tree the country was named after, Pau Brasil (Brazil wood) to coffee; from gold to sugarcane, its territory has been serving the lords of the earth for more than 500 years. This behavior has solidified Brazilian culture in the trinomial: mineral extraction, deforestation and agribusiness.Most immigrant families who came in the following centuries also took their sustenance from the land and continued with the same destructive pattern already present in the country. Germans, Italians, Japanese, Polish, Ukrainians and their descendants assisted in annihilating the forests of southern Brazil in the last century. Nothing has changed since, and Brazilians are still trapped in the same pattern. Moreover, they have been hostages of a political system set up not to serve them, but to be served by them. []Finally, I present the perfect example to understand how corruption affects nature in Brazil: the [Samarco] Mariana dam burst disaster. Certainly, the worst environmental disaster in Brazils history. To some, it bears comparison to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico. One of the worlds worst mining disasters, the breaking of Samarcos [toxic iron ore waste] dam killed 19 people and left 700 homeless. It also destroyed the Krenak native way of life and contaminated 280 miles of the Doce River, killing millions of fish, and ultimately ruining the entire food and local economic chain. Samarco is a subsidiary of the Anglo-Australian company BHP Billiton (an FTSE 100 company) and Brazilian mining giant Vale. Due to public information, it is widely known that the Mariana disaster was a crime caused by governmental and professional negligence as well as environmental licensing fraud.It has been two years since the incident happened, and not only has there been no accountability or punishment for the disaster, but a judge just also decided to suspend the criminal process due to juridical technicalities. Sadly, the Brazilian judiciary system is known to be pro-accused biased, and the federal government has a tradition of protecting companies, not the Brazilian people.As this is being written, the new Brazilian mining code, which exempts mining companies from presenting contingency plans in the case of accidents, [and doesnt] require them to purchase insurance, is in the process of being approved by the Congress. A recipe for environmental chaos. [more]
By Jeremy Deaton

28 September 2017

(NexusMedia)  People play dirty when they cant win by playing fair. This is, more or less, the story of climate change denial in the United States.Scientists overwhelmingly agree that humans are altering the climate, reaping changes with potentially catastrophic consequences. Climate deniers cant dispute the data. They cant win on facts. Instead, they impugn the credibility of scientists, a tactic which has proved both ugly and effective.Right-wing groups are using open records laws to obtain scientists emails, and then misrepresenting the content of those emails to question the integrity of researchers and cast doubt on their findings, all of which has a chilling effect on scientific inquiry. But scientists have earned powerful allies in the fight to protect their research  including, by a strange set of circumstances, the Trump administration.

Climategate led to a wave of harassment.

The current spate of invasive records requests back to Climategate, a 2009 controversy that erupted when a hacker obtained more than 1,000 emails sent and received by climatologists at East Anglia university in the United Kingdom. Parts of some emails, taken out of context, suggested scientists had manipulated data to exaggerate the warming trend.Climate deniers harped on the leaks to paint climate scientists as ideologically motivated and dishonest. Though an official inquiry into the matter exonerated scientists, the damage was already done. Their calls for universities to investigate climate scientists prompted institutional probes that hampered research efforts. Today, conservative advocacy groups point to Climategate when making open records requests.I think anyone who looks at the whole Climategate manufactured controversy understands now that its bogus, but thats the rationale that theyve used, said Lauren Kurtz, executive director of the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit working to protect researchers threatened by legal attacks.The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E), a conservative think tank with ties to coal and oil companies, cited Climategate as the impetus for its transparency project. In 2011, the group sued to obtain more than 10,000 emails written or received by Michael Mann, a researcher at the University of Virginia and one of the scientists implicated in Climategate. The Virginia Supreme Court sided with Mann, who lamented the coordinated assault against the scientific community by powerful vested interests.That same year, E&E requested more than a decade of emails from University of Arizona climate scientists Jonathan Overpeck and Malcolm Hughes, another researcher ensnared by Climategate. E&Es legal brief alleged there is a climate scientific-technological elite which has behaved badly in the past, a reference to Climategate. In a gesture of surprising candor, E&E acknowledged that it was searching for emails to embarrass both Professors Hughes and Overpeck, whom it characterized as academic climate alarmists. That suit continues to this day.The University of Arizona case volleyed back and forth between the trial court and the appellate court, which recently determined the trial court had failed to consider a statute that protects unpublished research data, manuscripts, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers and other documents produced by researchers at Arizona public universities.Now the case will go back to the trial court, which will reevaluate the records request in light of this statute. The ruling is a pyrrhic victory for researchers and the university, who must dedicate even more time and money to fighting off E&E. Thats basically as good as we could have hoped for, Kurtz said. Even when scientists win, they lose. [more]
The Islamic State group released an audio on Thursday that it said was by its leader, urging followers to ''burn'' their enemies everywhere and target "media centers of the infidels". The reclusive leader of Islamic State, who has only appeared in public once, also vowed to continue fighting and praised his jihadis for their valour in the battlefield - despite the militants' loss of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in July. This appears to be the first recording in nearly a year of the reclusive al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed IS caliph, apparently intended to silence rumours of his death and to galvanise his battered troops. The recording was released by the Islamic State-run al-Furqan outlet, which has in the past released messages from al-Baghdadi and other top figures of the extremist group. The voice in the over 46-minute-long audio sounded much like previous recordings of al-Baghdadi. His last previous purported message was released in November, also in an audio recording. Since then, the group has lost significant territory, including Mosul, Iraq, which had been the largest city under its control, and much of the group's capital, Raqqa, Syria. In the recording, Baghdadi praised his foot soldiers for waging a tenacious battle in Mosul. ''They fulfilled their promise and their responsibility, and they did not give up except over their skulls and body parts,'' he said. ''Thus they were excused, after nearly a year of fighting and confrontation.'' He also accused the American-backed troops of using scorched-earth tactics. ''They burned the people, trees, and everything on the ground,'' he said, according to a translation provided by the SITE Intelligence Group. Baghdadi, 46, emphasized the threat the West still faces from the Islamic State, making indirect references to recent attacks on the Underground in London, in the heart of Barcelona and in Russia. ''Now the Americans, the Russians and the Europeans are living in terror in their countries, fearing the strikes of the mujahedeen,'' he said. The recording, which was widely disseminated to Islamic State supporters in their chat rooms on the messaging app Telegram, begins with the voice of a narrator who introduces. Baghdadi and adds, ''May Allah protect him.'' That phrase is used to refer to people who are still living and is intended to signal that Baghdadi is not dead, contrary to reports over the summer. The recording also cites current events, including the growing nuclear threat from North Korea, suggesting that it was recorded in recent weeks. In June, the Russian military said it might have killed Baghdadi in a strike on Islamic State leaders in May near Raqqa. In July, a British-based monitoring organization, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said senior Islamic State commanders had confirmed that Baghdadi had been killed in Deir al-Zour Province (See: ISIS chief al-Baghdadi dead, says rights body; US unsure). Neither of the reports could be independently confirmed, and United States officials immediately cast doubt on their credibility. "You soldiers of the caliphate, heroes of Islam and carriers of banners: light a fire against your enemies," said al-Baghdadi, a shadowy cleric who has been surrounded by controversy since the Sunni terror group emerged from al-Qaida in Iraq, its forerunner. Al-Baghdadi's whereabouts are unknown but he is believed to be in Islamic State's dwindling territory in eastern Syria. The Islamic State-held cities of Raqqa and Deir el-Zour are under siege and likely too dangerous for him to hide in. Some Islamic State leadership is believed to have gone to the nearby town of Mayadeen, and the group still holds a stretch of the Euphrates River from Deir el-Zour to the Iraqi border, as well as remote desert areas along the border. "Don't you dare allow the Crusaders and the apostates to enjoy a good and comfortable life at home while your brothers are enduring killings, shelling and destruction," added al-Baghdadi, who reminded his followers of the rewards of martyrdom, including "72 wives" from among the maidens of paradise. "You Sunnis of Iraq, Syria, Yemen and everywhere ... get out of your beds and shake off oppression ... return to your faith and restore your glory and eminence," he said. In Yemen, Iranian-backed Shiite rebels are fighting forces loyal to the internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. Addressing Syria's Sunni Muslim majority, he warned them against the "cunning" of the minority Alawites, an offshoot Shiite sect from which President Bashar al-Assad hails, as well as the designs of Turkey and Assad's allies Russia and Iran. At the peak of its power in 2014 - when the Iraqi army crumbled amid the militants' blitz - Islamic State controlled about a third of both Syria and Iraq but has steadily lost ground in the face of a US-led coalition that has backed Iraqi forces as well as Kurdish-led Syrian fighters battling the extremists across the border in Syria. Forces loyal to Syria's Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, have also driven Islamic State out of significant territory. Mosul was also the bureaucratic and financial hub of Islamic State. Raiding Mosul's central bank, and taxing and extorting the city's wealthy inhabitants, made Islamic State the world's richest terrorist organisation. Mosul's vast industrial zones were converted into factories for weapons and explosives. Taking back Mosul from Islamic State came at enormous cost and destruction, especially in the western part of the city. Islamic State fighters had turned the city into a fortress, holding tens of thousands of civilians as human shields.








Bioreactors on a chip renew promises for algal biofuels

For over a decade, companies have promised a future of renewable fuel from algae. Investors interested in moving the world away from fossil fuel have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to the effort, and with good reason. Algae replicate quickly, requiring little more than water and sunlight to accumulate to massive amounts, which then convert atmospheric CO2 into lipids (oils) that can be harvested and readily processed into biodiesel.

Despite high-profile demonstrations, promises have fallen short, and start-ups have revised business models to include production of specialty lipids, such as those used in cosmetics and soaps. Yet the dream of producing commercial-scale renewable energy persists, as new technologies emerge that might finally lead algal biofuels toward a competitive niche in the marketplace.

One of many improvements necessary for sustainable production of algal biofuel is the development of better algae. This week, researchers from Boyce Thompson Institute and Texas A&M University report in Plant Direct exciting new technology that may revolutionise the search for the perfect algal strain: Algal droplet bioreactors on a chip.

A single algal cell is captured in a tiny droplet of water encapsulated by oil - imagine the tiny droplets that form when you mix vegetable oil with water - then millions of algal droplets squeeze onto a chip about the size of a quarter. Each droplet is a micro-bioreactor, a highly-controlled environment in which algal cells can grow and replicate for several days, forming a genetically homogenous colony that goes through its typical biological reactions, including the production of lipids.

"This is the first microsystem that allows both lipid content analysis and growth rate measurement at high throughput, whereas previous work could only do one or the other," remarked senior author and engineer, Arum Han of Texas A&M University.

Scientists are racing to identify a super algal strain that can reproduce faster and produce more lipid per cell. This summer, ExxonMobil announced the discovery of a strain with a single genetic modification that allows for twice as much lipid production per cell. But this is only a step in the right direction, as thousands of genes hold potential for further improving both traits.

With today's gene-editing technologies, modifying algal genes can be relatively straightforward; however, identifying which genes to target is time-consuming and costly.

Exposing an algal culture to a mutagen yields millions of unique, potentially improved algal cells that must each be tested for expression of a desired trait, such as increased lipid production. Mutated genes can then be identified through whole-genome sequencing.

"The important thing is to develop a tool that can screen millions of cells in a much shorter time frame and a smaller space. In a chip housing millions of droplets of cells, each droplet is like a flask or a bioreactor, and that's how we can get results faster from just a tiny chip," explained author and BTI post-doc, Shih-Chi Hsu.

The researchers first validated the chip system with algae known to grow faster or slower, or produce more or less lipid. They then screened 200,000 chemically mutated cells, identifying six mutants with both faster growth and higher lipid content.

The screening, done on-chip, uses fluorescence detection of chlorophyll, representing total cell mass, and BODIPY, a fluorescent molecule that binds to lipids. All mutants with potential for improved growth or lipid production were recovered and verified off-chip.

While the results of this study are promising, 200,000 is still a low number of mutants compared to what is needed to find that super algal strain. "The most extraordinary variants will be found in one in a million, or ten million, so the throughput needs to be accelerated," explained senior biologist and BTI President, David Stern.

Excitingly, the tools for improving throughput are already in development, including larger chips that can screen millions of droplets in one experiment. "Such high-throughput technologies can rapidly accelerate the development process to obtain strains that are more efficient for use in biofuel production," Han remarked.

With the discovery and development of much more efficient algal strains, commercial-scale production of biofuel from algae may finally be a realistic promise.
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From the moment Kharon Torchec Davis was arrested on June 9, 2007, he was presumed innocent.

Cloaked with the presumption of innocence.

Practically every defense attorney cautions a jury during opening arguments of a trial that legally, his or her defendant sits innocent until the time the state proves its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

That means Davis spent 3,758 days in the Houston County Jail presumed innocent.

This is difficult to justify.

Last week, a Houston County jury determined the State of Alabama did, in fact, prove its case and Davis was found guilty of felony murder. He will be sentenced next month and certainly be credited with the 10 years, three months and 13 days served in the county jail.

The case drew nationwide attention due to the extreme amount of time between arrest and trial.

The Sixth A mendment guarantees everyone accused the right to a speedy trial. Although the amendment was written almost 250 years ago during simpler times  the population of the entire country was about one million less than the current population of Alabama  the right still holds.

So how does a person sit in jail for 10 years without going to trial?

To steal a cliche -- a perfect storm.

This is my best shot at an explanation, not an excuse:

Beginnings

Davis was arrested June 9, 2007, less than 72 hours after the death of Pete Reaves. He was charged with capital murder along with two other men, Kevin McCloud and Lorenzo Stacey.

Defendants have the right to request a preliminary hearing, in which a judge can determine whether there is enough evidence to forward the case to a grand jury. It happens in some felony cases but not all. There is no record that a preliminary hearing was requested.

Absent that, very little or nothing happens in a case of this nature until an indictment is returned. A grand jury returned an indictment on Sept. 14, 2007. Just more than three months have now elapsed.

Two weeks later, Davis retained an attorney, Ben Meredith. An arraignment was set for Nov. 13, 2007.

An initial trial date of Jan. 14, 2008 was set. It is not uncommon for murder cases to be set on the first available trial date. They practically never happen that early due to the trial preparation time for the State and the defense.

Meredith entered a plea of not guilty for Davis and waived his arraignment Oct. 30, 2007. Almost five months have elapsed. At this point, nothing uncommon has occurred as far as the record indicates.

Of note is that Ben Merediths son, Frank Meredith, worked on the case as an investigator with the Dothan Police Department. Nothing will be noted about this on the record for quite some time.

The case then goes into a long period of inactivity. This could be because the State was preparing for the trial of one of the co-defendants, Stacey. Since there are three co-defendants, the case becomes increasingly complex. Investigators believed Davis was the man who fired the fatal shots that killed Reaves, so it is not implausible to think that the State planned to try Stacey, then McCloud, then use their testimony against the trigger man. Stacey was tried in 2009 and acquitted, possibly adding a wrinkle to the case.

According to court records, the Davis trial date kept moving until the next available date without explanation until January of 2010, when the defense requested a delay.

Complexity of the Case

In June of 2010, Meredith sought the appointment of a co-counsel due to the complexity of the case. Two months later, he asked to be removed from the record as a retained lawyer and assigned to the case as an appointed attorney, presumably because Davis and/or his family ran out of money to pay Meredith. The following month, Meredith and Allen Mitchell were assigned to the case by Circuit Judge Kevin Moulton, who inherited the case when Circuit Judge Ed Jackson retired.

Davis was charged with capital murder, which means he was eligible for the death penalty. Capital cases take an exorbitant amount of time because the defense must not only spend hundreds of hours or more preparing for the guilt phase of the trial, but almost as many hours preparing for the penalty phase in which the jury must decide between a recommendation of death or life without parole. It is practically like preparing for two big trials. The DA and staffers assigned to the case must also prepare for both phases.

About two years after Stacey was acquitted, the State was preparing to try McCloud. Prior to trial, McCloud pleaded guilty. McCloud agreed to testify against Davis in exchange for a 99-year sentence and the possibility of parole. At the time, Davis was scheduled for trial the following month.

Thats when things really started to grind to a halt.

During a pretrial hearing, then-District Attorney Doug Valeska brought up the issue of Davis being represented by Ben Meredith while his son, Frank, was on the prosecution witness list. Ben Meredith said he had no problem zealously defending Davis, and that Davis had initially hired Meredith as a retained attorney and requested that he be his appointed attorney when he could no longer afford one. Davis, on the record, said he understood the perceived conflict but still wanted Meredith to be his attorney.

First Reset

Out of an abundance of caution, Meredith was taken off the case to remove any appearance of bias. Of course , that set the preparation clock back to zero. Local attorney Derek Yarbrough was appointed as Davis counsel in December of 2011.

Had Meredith been kept on the case, Davis probably would have gone to trial in 2011, but imagine the hue and cry coming from critics that a capital murder defendant was represented by a lawyer whose son was a prosecution witness?

Over the course of the next 10 months, Yarbrough filed 21 motions on behalf of Davis. The State must be given time to respond to each and the judge must research each motion and response to accurately apply the law.

A hearing on the motions was set for December of 2012, but was delayed at the request of the defense. The hearing was reset for Feb. 2013, but continued again although it is unclear who made the request. According to court records, a motion to continue was granted so that all pretrial motions could be heard at the same time.

Unhappy Defendant

During that time, Davis became increasingly impatient with his defense and began to request court records to review in jail. He claimed he was kept from reviewing documents and Moulton issued a ruling in July of 2013 to allow Davis to review records while in lockdown. Davis continued to complain and his mother, Chrycynthia Davis, wrote a letter to Moulton in November of 2013, just a few days before a scheduled status hearing. Chrycynthia Davis said her son continued to be denied the paperwork necessary to help him prepare for his defense. She also expressed frustration over Ben Meredith being removed from the case, stating she spent considerable money to help Meredith prepare for trial.

It is worth noting that Moulton continued to field a full criminal docket during this stretch as well.

Another hearing was set for March of 2014, but was continued at the request of the defense.

In the following months, Yarbrough filed several other pretrial motions. A hearing was set for June, but continued at the request of the State due to the unavailability of a witness who lived in San Antonio, Texas.

An increasingly frustrated Chrycynthia Davis wrote another letter to Moulton in July of 2014, complaining again about the inability of Davis to prepare for his case in jail.

Moulton ruled on several pre-trial motions over the next several months and the case was scheduled for trial again in the summer of 2015. However, prior to trial, Chrycynthia Davis wrote Kharon Davis to inform him she had talked to another attorney who had agreed to take on the criminal case.

That prompted a hearing Aug. 31, 2015, to discuss the letter and subsequent motions to withdraw from the case by Yarbrough and Mitchell. The motions and the hearing were held under seal and the transcripts were not made public. Based on the last letter from Chrycynthia Davis, it appears Kharon Davis was no longer pleased with his attorneys and his attorneys believed they could not represent him without his approval and cooperation.

Davis sought to fire his attorneys. That request was initially denied. Later, a hearing was held and Moulton explained to Davis that if he fired his attorneys, his trial would probably be delayed another two years so the new defense team would have preparation time and also because then-District Attorney Valeska was not seeking office again a new DA (or, as it turned out, assistant attorneys general) would also have to start from scratch in preparing for trial. Davis chose to go with a new defense team.

Second Reset

Yarbrough and Mitchell were allowed to withdraw. Attorneys Chris Capps, Christopher Williams and Dustin Fowler were appointed by Moulton. The appointment of three attorneys to a case, even a murder case, is quite rare. Capps was appointed as lead attorney.

The preparation clock starts at zero again. Capps asked to be removed from the case due to a discovered conflict. He was replaced by Montgomery attorney Thomas Goggans.

The trial was eventually held in September of 2017. A jury found Davis guilty of felony murder. He will be sentenced soon.

The trial could have been pushed through a handful of times. Most of those times, however, Davis would have gone to trial with significant questions about his representation.

As it stands now, Davis is guilty of felony murder and he will be credited with time served awaiting trial. Of course Davis is expected to appeal, and an appeals court or higher court has the power to send the case back for more proceedings.

At the least, a significant review of the case needs to be conducted so it can be determined whether safeguards can be put in place to make sure this doesnt happen again.

- Lance Griffin's column appears Saturdays in the Dothan Eagle.
In a case with enormous financial implications for teachers unions, the U.S. Supreme Court once again has agreed to take up a dispute that threatens a 40-year-old precedent giving unions the right to collect fees from nonmembers.

The justices last week granted review in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 31 , which could affect the treasuries and political might of all public-employee unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and their state and local affiliates.

At risk is the precedent in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education , the 1977 Supreme Court decision that authorized public-employee unions to charge so-called agency or fair-share fees to employees in the bargaining unit who refuse to join the union. (Twenty-two states allow such arrangements.) Last term, in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association , the justices deadlocked 4-4 in a case in which a group of nonunion teachers had asked it to overrule Abood.

Various members of the courts conservative bloc have been signaling in several decisions since 2012 that they would like to overrule Abood. In the oral arguments in Friedrichs in January 2016, Justice Antonin Scalia had appeared ready to join them. But he died the next month, leading that case to end in a tie, which preserved a lower-court victory by the unions.

The court is now back at full strength with the addition of Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, and formally opened its term on Oct. 2. On Sept. 28, the justices jumped at the first opportunity to add the Janus case to their docket for the new term. Oral arguments are likely in January or February.

There are really no new arguments on this, just a change in the membership of the court, said Matthew W. Finkin, a law professor and labor law expert at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The unions have just been waiting for the other shoe to fall.

A Governors Lawsuit

The appeal in the new case was brought by the Springfield, Va.-based National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and the Chicago-based Liberty Justice Center on behalf of Mark Janus, an employee of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, who has $44.58 deducted from his paycheck every month to cover the collective-bargaining fees of AFSCME.

Everyone tells me this case has national implications, Janus says in a video produced by Liberty Justice Center. But I dont look at it that way. I just look at it as an average guy who is standing up for his own rights of free speech.  Im forced to pay money to a union that then supports political causes that I dont agree with.

Janus and two other state employees who object to the union fees had intervened in a lawsuit brought by Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican who has sought by legislative and legal means to upend the status quo in public employment in the state, as has occurred in nearby states such as Michigan and Wisconsin.

The Illinois suit seeks to have the states public-sector agency law declared unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds. The governor was dismissed from the suit for lack of standing, and the other plaintiffs fell by the wayside because of other issues.

Both a federal district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, in Chicago, dismissed Januss case, ruling that it was Abood that stands in the way of his claims.

In their appeal to the Supreme Court , the two groups backing Janus argued that his case would make a good vehicle for the Supreme Court to use to finally put Abood to rest.

Janus and millions of public employees are subject to agency fee requirements that compel them to subsidize the speech of a third party (an exclusive representative) that they may not wish to support, the appeal says. This significantly impinges on the First Amendment rights of each and every employee who did not choose to subsidize the unions advocacy.

Mark Mix, the president of the National Right to Work Legal Foundation, said in a statement that we are now one step closer to freeing over 5 million public sector teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other employees from the injustice of being forced to subsidize a union as a condition of working for their own government.

We Wont Back Down

Both AFSCME and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan , a Democrat who has clashed with Rauner, filed briefs urging the justices not to take up the case.

This case is an especially poor vehicle to reconsider Aboods holding because it has no factual record, Madigans brief said.

Lily Eskelsen Garcia, the president of the nearly 3 million-member National Education Association, said in a statement, We wont back down from this fight and we will always stand up to support working people, our students and the communities we serve.

The NEA has about 87,000 fee-payers.

Randi Weingarten, the president of the 1.6 million-member American Federation of Teachers, which has about 89,000 fee-payers, issued a statement critical of the courts decision to take up the case.

Weingarten said that corporations, wealthy interests and politicians have manufactured Janus as part of their long and coordinated war against unions. ... And under the guise of the First Amendment, they want to overturn a 40-year-old precedent thats been reaffirmed numerous times.

That last point was one stressed by Justice Elena Kagan in a 2014 decision, Harris v. Quinn , a case about home-health workers in Illinois.

In that 5-4 case, the majority held that the workers were not full-fledged state employees, and thus the concept of the unions being able to collect agency fees from nonmembers did not apply. The court stopped just short of overruling Abood, but Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote some 10 pages questioning Aboods constitutional underpinnings.

Writing for the dissenters, Kagan said Alito was taking potshots at the 1977 precedent.

The Abood rule is deeply entrenched and is the foundation for not tens or hundreds, but thousands of contracts between unions and governments across the nation, Kagan wrote. Our precedent about precedent, fairly understood and applied, makes it impossible for this court to reverse that decision.

That assertion will soon be tested in the new case.
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Moldovan parliamentary Chairman Andrian Candu said he hoped negotiations on settling the Transdniestria conflict in the 5+2 format (Moldova, Transdniestria, Russia, Ukraine, and the OSCE plus observers from the United States and the European Union) would be resumed before the end of 2017.

"We are seeking to resume the negotiations and discuss the existing problems so as to achieve at least some results before the end of the year. We also spoke at today's meeting about the need to submit proposals to the parliament for resolving problems facing the residents of the safety zone on the left and on the right banks of the Dniester River," Candu told journalists on Friday, following a meeting of the parliamentary platform for settling the Transdniestria conflict.

"These could be social and economic issues, the simplification of the procedure for confirming Moldovan citizenship for residents of Transdniestria," he said.

The meeting participants also discussed the economic situation in Transdniestria, he said.

"This is really a difficult situation. But it might worsen further if no solution is found regarding Transdniestria's involvement in the free trade area with the European Union. The privileged trade regime with the EU has been extended until January 1, 2018. As much as 65% of Transdniestria's exports go to the European Union now [according to Transdniestria's statistics, electricity supplies to Moldova account for one third of this figure]. If we fail to find a solution to this problem with the European Union, the economic situation on the left bank may worsen even further," Candu said.

The parliament and the government intend to consider the establishment of a special fund promoting the country's reunification, he said.

"Such a fund should be set up. There are countries and organizations willing to facilitate Moldova's reunification with their money. This fund could raise European money to develop the infrastructure, repair the roads, and build bridges. All of this could be tangibly helpful to the region's residents as well," he said.

The 5+2 negotiations have not been held since the spring of 2014. Participants in the negotiating process held two informal meetings in Germany in 2016, but full-scale negotiations have not been resumed. In early June 2016, participants signed a protocol of seven items in Berlin, the implementation of which was supposed to unblock 5+2 negotiations. However, the protocol has never been implemented, which made it impossible to resume full-scale talks.
Tax agreement between IoM and Turkey kicks in next weekend

A tax agreement between the Isle of Man and Turkey comes into force next month.

The Agreement for the Exchange of Information Relating to Tax Matters was signed on 21 September 2012 at the Turkish Embassy in London, before being ratified by Tynwald the following November.

The agreement will kick in on Saturday 7 October.
Written by ACM





*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- While the Controversy on a pro-Secession Referendum in Catalonia Region of Spain approaches the scheduled Day of October 1st, even if EU Parliament reportedly Decided Not to hold Any Public Debate on that issue during its forthcoming Plenary Session in Strasbourg Next Week, (from October 2 to 5), however, Secessionist Groups have Exploited even the recent Barbaric Tragedy of Deadly Islamist Terrorist Attacks at Barcelona in order to make Propaganda for their Plan to hold that Referendum, Denounced to "Eurofora" the Secretary General of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Party, and Top MEP, Antonio Lopez-Isturiz, speaking some days earlier in EU Parliament here.



Replying to relevant "Eurofora"s Questions, (particularly whether the recent Deadly Islamist Terrorist Attacks provoked a Reaction of National Unity between all the Spanish People),

Lopez-Isturiz regretted the Fact that, Despite the presence even of Prime Minister Rajoy and of the King, together with the Victims' Families, and many People, at a huge Public Demonstration in Barcelona in honor of the Victims, nevertheless, some exploited even that sacred moment in order to Distribute f.ex. Leaflets with Publicity about that Controversial Secessionist Referendum attempt, (which has been Declared illegal by the Country's Constitutional Court).



- "At least, they should have Respected the Families of the Victims !", EPP's Secretary General and Top MEP Lopez-Isturiz, pointed out.

(It seems that Not all People were Sad during the Mourning for Victims of Deadly Islamist Terrorism at that Demonstration in Barcelona : Photo published also by RTL, XINYA, etc)

--------------



On the Contrary, he abstained from any Comment on Anti-Terrorist Measures, as. f.ex., around the recent Barcelona ISIS' Deadly Attacks :

Mainstream Spanish Medias (as "ABC" etc), had, f.ex., claimed that, according to Securiy sources, the Catalan Regional Police would have Refused Access on the spot to the Spanish National Police, when an Explosion occured, initialy, at a House where ISIS Terrorists lived. So that the Catalan Regional Authorities erroneously thought that it was a purely Accidental Gas incident, without realizing, at first, that it was a Blunder in Handling Dozens of Bombs stocked there. In Consequence, an Anti-Terrorist Alert Delayed for Many Hours, Excluding the Timely Prevention of the Deadly Terrorist Attacks (otherwise avoidable) which Followed Later on, elsewhere in Barcelona, (See, f.ex. : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/barcelonaterrorrevealseuropeanpoliticalproblem.html).



Lopez-Isturiz, preferred to Focus, rather, on the fact that, at any case, an Efficient Anti-Terrorist action Necessitated a Smooth Cooperation, between National and Regional Police Services, not only on how to ReAct to eventual Islamist Terrorist Attacks, but, most of all, already on how to Prevent them, particularly by a systematic and Timely Exchange of relevant Intelligence, in order to Save Lives of innocent Civilian People notoriously Targetted by ISIS' a.o. Deadly Terrorists.



24 People of 10 Nationalities were Killed, and more than 130 Victims from over 34 Countries were Wounded, by the series of Islamist Terrorist Violence at Barcelona, Catalonia's capital City, last August 2017 (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/barcelonaterrorrevealseuropeanpoliticalproblem.html).



The Number of Muslim Migrants in Catalonia had very Rapidly ... Exploded, Growing from 30.000 up to 700.000 in just Ten Years, Becoming, in certain Catalan Municipalities, Bigger than 20 % of the Local Population (!), as Spain's Biggest Newspaper "El Pais" (Center-Left) had Warned, already on 2015, i.e. precisely when the Latest Local Elections took place.



Among 98 Dangerous Mosques found, throughout All Spain, to Spread "the Most Radical" views of Islam, including "Salafism", etc., at least 50 were in Catalonia, (i.e. "More than the Half") !...



A radicalized Imam from a Catalan City near France, and with links to Belgium, appeared to be ISIS' Deadly Terrorist Gang's ring-Leader in Barcelona's 2017 Attacks. He was personaly linked to anOther, Islamist Terrorism Suspect, Mosque manager at Barcelona, who had been prosecuted, condemned and jailed, in the Past, in the context of a Wide Anti-Terrorism operation of the Spanish Police, but later released, after Catalan pro-Independence Lawyers attacked the Legality of that operation for Procedural reasons.



At least 2 among those local Lawyers were, soon afterwards, Elected in Catalonia as Deputy Mayor of Barcelona or MP, etc, while, almost at the same period, clear indications of Socio-Political Convergence of Interests between some Muslim Migrant Lobbies seeking Voting Rights and Catalan Independantists emerged (Comp. Supra).



Since those Elections of 2015, an atypical Left-oriented Regional Government seized Power in Catalonia, pushing twice towards an "Indepencence" Referendum, which was also declared illegal repeatedly by the Spanish National Constitutional Court. After those pro-Independence Catalan region politicians declared also their intention to make Secession from Spain on 2017, the National Government at Madrid took Measures to try to prevent that Vote, scheduled for Sunday, October 1st, among rising tensions, but also alleged last-minute attempts to find a Peaceful Compromise, in one way or another.



The now governing pro-Independence Catalan politicians, according to International mainstream Medias, have not yet a Majority of the regional population with them, but acceeded since 2015 in office mainly because of the Regional Electoral System which gives priority to Rural areas. A First Referendum of 2015 was won by them with a Weak Participation of People, less than normal. But now, on 2017, it's the First Time that such an attempt is followed also by a declared intention to Kick-Start a Fast-track process towards Secession, resulting in greater tension now, unless a timely compromise is found peacefully, de jure or de facto.

(../..)





---------------------------------





***





(NDLR : Part of larger INTW, taken some Days Earlier, but Published Now, in relation with more recent, topical developments)

+

("DraftNews", as already send to "Eurofora" Subscribers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

****














Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Viktor Muzhenko has said that he will visit the United States in October to hold a number of bilateral meetings and take part in a security conference.

"Next month I'm planning to visit the United States, where I will have a meeting with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a number of bilateral meetings. I will also attend a security conference for NATO countries and partners, which will address the issues of responding to terrorist threats," he said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Muzhenko also noted that the U.S. side has satisfied the request of Ukrainian colleagues and promised to familiarize them with the work of the United States Joint Forces Command.

"We are also going to visit a number of military bases of the California National Guard. By the way, the national guardsmen of California have more than 20 years of experience of partnership with the Ukrainian Armed Forces," he said.
rsenthilkumar6 said: Is this certificate mandatory ?



Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk Click to expand...

Yes it is mandatory since you lived in Aus for more than 12 months. You can either get it before submitting your application, and front-load it with other documents; or wait for the case officer to ask for it, which may lead to possible delays in processing your application.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
garythrifty said: I will be visiting Dubai from Oct. 2, 2017 to Nov. 6, 2017. I am in need of a tour guide to show me around the city and interpret for me if needed. If you are interested please respond. Click to expand...

Your name tells me you don't wish to pay for this guide? Because getting around Dubai by yourself is pretty easy and relatively inexpensive, cheap taxi's, hop on hop off tour buses, a good metro and lots of groupon tour coupons as well. A tour guide for a month would be major $ even if your could find one.We can offer advice on what we each consider highlights if you share your interests.My top list is:1. Visit the Burj Khalifa during the day and at night. I like the bar called Atmosphere but it's pricy. A dinner at night in Souk Al Bahar gives amazing views of the fountain shows.2. Visit the Marina and JBR area3. Visit the Creek area, I like riding my bike around there, there are rentals available4. Take a dune bashing desert trip.5. Visit Hatta or Al Ain to see the mountains and countryside (rent a car).6. A nice Friday brunch or two (I like the Madinat Jumaira for high end and Claw or McGettigans for mid-range)7. Go to the Marines Club and listen to Cherie Garcia.8. Visit Ski Dubai, if you don't want to go in have lunch at TGI Fridays that has windows where you can see the activities.
The Prefecture is not the same as border control and well-meaning staff are not always correct re matters outside their area of responsibility. Your wife has her recepisse. If she has no written advice from the Prefecture that she must not travel, then I would go with that recepisse and the passport. After all, as the wife of an EU citizen (with a nationality that enables her to enter for 90 days without a visa and that is not considered a threat terrorism-wise) she will be allowed to re-enter. That said, the decision has to be yours, but the only alternative would seem to be that she stays in France and you go to the conference.



Edit: I would have thought that worst case scenario is your wife's situation would be that she have to return as a 90-day tourist and start the cds process as the spouse of an EU citizen all over again.
Bonjour, I just joined this forum. I'm Chinese, and a cool Adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK), that's moved here again. I have some expat friends, yet as the saying goes, the more the merrier. Hence, I'm happy hanging out with more expats here.Feel free to send me messages, if you have free-time to hang.
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Nearly 200,000 San Antonio jobs could be at risk if the U.S. pulls out of the North American Free Trade Agreement as President Donald Trump has threatened, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Friday during a trade panel discussion at St. Marys University.

Nirenberg said 63,000 jobs in San Antonio can be directly credited to the 1994 agreement that is undergoing new negotiations. Another 135,000 local jobs are indirectly tied to the trade pact, he added.

The end of NAFTA means the end of hundreds of thousands of jobs in San Antonio and Texas, the mayor told 160 people attending a policy discussion Friday on the trade agreement. The backdrop of the negotiations has been poisoned by national political rhetoric. That environment makes it difficult to negotiate.

Nirenberg said Mexico is a strong economic partner to the city because of the Mexican-made components, such as pickup truck chassis, that flow to San Antonios Toyota assembly plant. He cited the citys current ambition to attract a proposed Toyota-Mazda assembly plant the two companies have said will operate somewhere in the United States.

Toyota has expanded across North America, Nirenberg said. What makes San Antonio the strongest case (for the planned factory) is because we have that integrated supply chain with Mexico. The free movement of goods allows us to be competitive, he said.

The five-day third round of NAFTA negotiations concluded Wednesday in Ottawa, Canada, with up to six additional rounds or more to meet a deadline of March 30 for a completed pact to be sent to the U.S. Congress for approval. The Ottawa session discussed digital trade, telecommunications, regulations, government procurement and customs policies, according to a Canadian government announcement. The fourth round will be held Oct. 11-15 in Washington, D.C.

Mexicos Ambassador to the U.S. Geronimo Gutierrez and former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Antonio Garza expressed optimism that a revised and updated trade agreement can be achieved, but they raised concerns that could be stumbling blocks.

The truth is that we are looking at things so far where we have consensus. We will get to issues that are more difficult, said Gutierrez, a former managing director of the San Antonio-based North American Development Bank.

The first three session have been about settng the table for the tough issues. We will have no sense of where negotiations stand until we get to the fourth or fifth rounds, Garza said. He said the timetable theyve set for negotiations is too ambitious.

After the panel discussion, Gutierrez said the toughest issues will be addressing ways to narrow the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico, reportedly $64 billion a year in goods, and the NAFTA chapters on dispute resolution and protections for investments. He also criticized a proposal to add sunset clauses that could automatically terminate NAFTA every five years. That creates uncertainty, Gutierrez said.

Upcoming 2018 elections  a presidential election in Mexico and midterm U.S. elections  could add political pressures to the trade talks, making an agreement more difficult, Garza and Gutierrez said.

Mexico should not be blamed for lost U.S. jobs when companies move or expand operation to low-labor-cost nations, Garza added. Because of technology, jobs are at risk every day. Its easy to blame Mexico, Garza said.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Looking at the trade talks more broadly, Gutierrez said, The world is still a messy place, citing the Middle East. So why complicate North America? The United States has a good chance to assert leadership with a modernized NAFTA rather than ending the trade agreement, he said.

Garza encouraged companies to become active in organizations able to influence the trade talks. We are at the stage where the engagement of the private sector is absolutely essential. There is nothing about the process that is final, Garza said.

The series of panel discussions Friday was sponsored by St. Marys University, the Texas-Mexico Trade Coalition and the Rivard Report.

dhendricks@express-news.net
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The Early Childhood Studies Center at San Antonio College has helped Michael De La Cerda stay on track to finish his pre-nursing degree next semester.

Ive never felt like my daughter was in better care, De La Cerda told SAC faculty and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett at a news conference Friday while holding Caroline, 4. Everyone here treats her like family, treats me like family.

The community college in the Alamo Colleges District was announcing a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue subsidizing child care for low-income students for another four years.

But Caroline sensed she was the topic of discussion. She twisted around to meet her fathers eyes. Me?

Yeah, De La Cerda said, to laughter.

The Child Care Access Means Parents In School, or CCAMPIS, grant has helped parents attend SAC since 2001, said Ann Coldwater, director of the grant at SAC. Almost 50 children between the ages of 1 and 4 are currently enrolled, with eight more on a wait list, Coldwater said.

The grant gives SAC about $6,000 per child per year, allowing the Early Childhood Studies Center to provide child care to students for $15 to $20 per week.

The services that were providing help parents stay in school, stay focused on their studies and their education and know that their children are getting a great education as well, Coldwater said.

College administrators and Doggett both said they worried for the programs future because President Donald Trumps proposed budget would have eliminated the program entirely.

The fact that San Antonio College had a program already of sufficient quality to attract these dollars speaks well of the efforts of everyone here, Doggett said.

The Early Childhood Studies Center provides all-day child care and play-based education to children of SAC students. It also provides the students with academic counseling, parenting workshops and referrals to other social services. Children are under the care of credentialed faculty but the center is also a laboratory for SACs early childhood studies program, allowing the community college students to acquire more than 200 hours of classroom experience.

The facility opened in 1971 and is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. About $20 million of a $450 million Alamo Colleges bond voters approved in May will fund a parking garage and a new child care center near the Scobee Planetarium.

The CCAMPIS grant also subsidizes off-campus care at accredited facilities for infants, bringing the total number of children served to about 60 per year, Coldwater said. About 75 percent of the SAC students who enroll their children in the CCAMPIS program stay in school, she said.

Amanda Bustamante, whose daughter Alayna Mendoza is 2, said she was able to graduate in May with an associates degree in biology because of the programs support. Bustamante is now applying to nursing programs. And, she said, Alayna is getting a good start on her education.

She learns a lot and shes been here since she was 1, Bustamante said.

amalik@express-news.net
It might seem counterintuitive that the older sister of Facebooks founder  and a former executive at the company herself  would advocate against technologys insertion into every facet of life.

But after spending a decade in Silicon Valley working for one of the most powerful companies in the world, Randi Zuckerberg realized that she needed to take a step back from the tech world, she told a San Antonio audience Friday.

Not only was she often the only woman in the room, but she began to notice technologys inequitable uses and the sometimes invasive ways it could affect her family and society. And she worried about the huge growing gap between children who had access to STEM and those who didnt.

Technology can be amazing, but it doesnt always get used very well, Zuckerberg, 35, said at a fundraising luncheon for the DoSeum at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Tech, its complicated. Theres wonderful things about it. Theres challenges about it.

Parents can often be anxious about how technology is affecting their children and the amount of time they spend at a computer screen, Zuckerberg said. So they create rules about cellphones and other electronics that device-addicted adults ultimately wont follow themselves, she said.

Where do we think our children are learning their behaviors and relationships with tech? Zuckerberg asked.

She encouraged parents to expose their children  especially girls  to STEM fields early on, in ways that do not necessarily involve smartphones. Getting young children involved with areas such as coding, programming and robotics will help prepare them for a workforce thats sorely lacking in skilled workers, she said.

At the same time, Zuckerberg said, everyone needs to take time to unplug for the sake of their health, relationships and creativity.

Upon leaving Facebook, where Zuckerberg was the director of market development, she founded the consulting company Zuckerberg Media. She penned a book about how technology influences modern life, as well as a childrens book about a tech-savvy girl. She now hosts a show on SiriusXM Radio about techs benefits and downsides.

While Zuckerberg still believes technology is an inextricable component of life, her overarching message now is one of balance.

No one ever created anything amazing of value when they were glued to a screen 24 hours a day, she said.

lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba
On Sept. 29th, 1967, San Antonio found itself on the national stage when President Lyndon B. Johnson gave a televised speech at Villita Assembly Hall for the 20th annual National Legislative Conference. The topic was the war in Vietnam, then a little over three years old.

The following day, the paper summed up the speech with a quote from the president in the headline; "It's up to Hanoi." President Johnson said he was ready to start peace talks with the Vietcong "tomorrow," but that, "Hanoi has not accepted any offers for negotiation, and the War continues by Vietnam's own choice."
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Roberto Baltierra was no stranger to anesthesia, a hospital gown or a hospital bed, though the insertion of an IV into his arm still made him feel queasy. Since March, he had been to different doctors about five times to remove a gallstone lodged in a bile duct.

But with each try came the discouraging news that doctors had been unsuccessful. Until Baltierra, 27, of San Antonio, received a call from Dr. Sandeep Patel, a gastroenterologist and medical director of the Advanced Endoscopy Program at University Health System.

Dr. Patel looked into my case and saw what Id been through, Baltierra said. He said, Let me be your doctor and do this procedure on you.

Patel told Baltierra that he would use a laser like a tiny jackhammer to remove the stone, Baltierra added.

The procedure is known as an advanced endoscopy. A regular endoscopy is a nonsurgical procedure, using a tube with a light and camera inserted through the mouth or rectum, to examine the digestive tract and diagnose gastrointestinal disorders. With advanced endoscopies, physicians can also provide treatment through them.

Advanced endoscopy is a field thats growing. Its an interventional field where the idea is to provide relief of acute and chronic diseases, said Dr. Obi C. Ukabam, an advanced endoscopy fellow at University Hospital. Procedures that were routinely done with open surgery can now be done with advanced endoscopy.

One example of an advanced endoscopy is the endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography, which is when the endoscope is passed down the small bowel and into the bile duct and removes a stone that is stuck there. It can also detect cancers. There are also other advanced procedures, which include an endoscopic ultrasound and the laser lithotripsy.

In an endoscopic ultrasound, its a scope that looks like a routine operative endoscope, but it has something at the end that probes, Ukabam said.

The laser lithotripsy is the tiny jackhammer that Baltierras doctor used.

Endoscopic ultrasounds give physicians an opportunity to obtain a closer look at a patients chest cavity, pancreas, spleen, abdomen and gall bladder, Ukabam said.

We can get a better view of the inside organs, better views than sometimes an MRI or CT scan because we are so close to the organs, from the inside looking out, Ukabam said.

Baltierras procedure was one of about a dozen that was broadcast live last week to doctors and others attending the Texas Society for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy meeting in San Antonio. Some of the patients were at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston while others, such as Baltierra, were at University Hospital.

Plans for an advanced endoscopy center are underway at University Hospital as part of its expansion that includes the recently approved Women and Childrens Tower, said Donald Finley, a spokesman for University Health System.

The center will have bigger rooms to accommodate the growing workload, Finley said.

Currently, there are two advanced endoscopy rooms and four standard endoscopy rooms. The new center will have four advanced endoscopy rooms and six standard rooms.

The $390 million project is a major addition, which would increase the number of patients served and consolidate services for women and children.

University Hospital isnt the only institution to offer advanced endoscopies in San Antonio. The South Texas Advanced Gastroenterology Center at Methodist Hospital also performs the procedures, as does San Antonio Gastroenterology Associates and Endoscopy Centers.

Some endoscopy centers, including GAB Endoscopy Center Ltd., do not offer advanced endoscopies.

Last week, doctors and nurses sat in a dark conference room at University Hospital, their eyes glued to the television screen as doctors just a floor above and in Houston performed advanced endoscopies while narrating their every move for the broadcast.

We have different therapies, different techniques used, and so we are teaching our colleagues all over Texas how we do it and how to do it safely in the patients interests, Ukabam said.

For Baltierra, several doctors had been unable to remove the stone for months. He had a plastic stent put in, which failed. Same with a metal stent several weeks later.

I work in plumbing. I know what happens to pipes when something gets stuck in there. Water has to come out from somewhere, Baltierra said. It freaks me out. Ive got a life to live. I dont want to die.

Before being wheeled into the examination room where his procedure would be broadcast, Baltierra felt like he had nothing to lose.

Even if part of the stone is removed, its better than nothing, he said.

By Wednesday, five days later, Baltierra was back to work. Patel had successfully removed the stone that had been plaguing Baltierra for nearly six months.

I have to go for a checkup in six weeks, but its all good now, Baltierra said in a text message. Dont feel any different, but its all good. From this point on, its on me now to stay healthy.

sravani@express-news.net | Twitter: @SarRavani
Latvian Education and Science Minister Karlis Sadurskis and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the field of education, science, youth and sports.

The document was signed at a meeting between the two ministers on September 29, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported.
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Despite President Donald Trumps promises to deport up to 3 million criminal immigrants, his administration has removed fewer people this fiscal year than during the same period last year, about 211,000 through early September, federal statistics show.

Thats by far the lowest number of people deported in at least a decade.

The 12 percent drop has occurred even as the number of migrants Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested since Trump took office in January jumped by 43 percent to some 97,500 compared to the same time frame in 2016.

The end of fiscal-year statistics speak to the challenges the administration faces in removing large amounts of migrants from the interior of the country, where federal agents have far more constraints on how they can deport immigrants in the country illegally than at the borders, increasing the strain on an already overwhelmed immigration court system.

With a record backlog of more than 600,000 cases, it can take at least two years before a migrant appears in court and is ordered deported. Texas has the second-highest backlog in the nation, and cases have an average wait time of 829 days.

By contrast, immigration agents can, and do, deport most migrants apprehended within two weeks of arrival and 100 miles of the border through an administrative process known as expedited removal, which sidesteps the courts.

They can also simply return Mexicans and Canadians across the border, known as voluntary departure, without going through the time-consuming formal deportation process.

About two-thirds of the agencys removals involved immigrants arrested as they were trying to come in.

But the number of people trying to cross the U.S. border with Mexico plummeted significantly after Trump took office, falling by nearly half to almost 23,600 in February.

As the administration threatened to separate women and children at the border, and word of harsh enforcement spread, those numbers dropped further still to 15,800 in April, the lowest monthly figure recorded in at least 17 years.

Apprehensions have since steadily risen again to nearly 31,000 in August, according to Customs and Border Protection statistics.

But the number is still among the lowest in the past five years. In fact, despite the rhetoric about increasing enforcement at the border, sneaking across it is harder than ever before, according to a Department of Homeland Security report released this month. It estimated that as many as 85 percent of illegal border crossings are unsuccessful, up from 70 percent a decade ago.

Sarah Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for ICE, acknowledged that the record decline in apprehensions at the border had an impact on the overall number of deportations. But she noted that removals from elsewhere in the country increased by a third to nearly 52,200 between January and September when compared with the same period last year.

Of those who were arrested, but not yet deported, more than 70 percent are convicted criminals, she said, reflecting the continued prioritization of enforcement resources on aliens who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security.

The agencys own statistics, however, show that by far the greatest increase came in the number of arrests of immigrants without criminal records, which almost tripled to about 28,000 since January when compared with the same period in 2016.

Rodriguez said that about 60 percent of those faced but have not yet been convicted of criminal charges, though she didnt specify what kind.

The greatest number of non-criminal immigrants in the country were arrested in Atlanta, more than 2,500 between January and June, according to the most recent figures released. In that same time frame, the most with criminal records, about 7,000, were arrested in Dallas, followed by 5,900 in Houston.

The rise in arrests for immigrants without criminal records comes as agents have praised Trump for unshackling them and allowing them to deport anyone they find here illegally, rather than focusing on recently arrived migrants and those with serious criminal histories as President Barack Obama ordered them to in 2014.

Obama did that after being labeled deporter-in-chief for removing a record 410,000 immigrants in 2012; but as hopes of comprehensive immigration reform fell apart in Congress, he sought to protect immigrants who have been here a long time and prioritize criminals.

Under the Trump administration, every immigrant is again a focus for removal.

John Sandweg, ICEs former acting director under the Obama administration, said the record deportation low this year shows that the strategy is a failure.

When we have a guy who is the most committed to having unfettered enforcement and he cant make a dent in the population, and in fact comes in under what we were doing with a far more targeted approach, that demonstrates the futility of trying to enforce your way out of the problem, Sandweg said.

ICE has always had the ability to arrest far more people than they could possibly remove, Sandweg said. What we really need is more immigration courts and immigration judges.

The drop in deportations also underlines the need for comprehensive immigration reform for some of the 11 million immigrants here illegally, he said.

The Trump administration faces far more obstacles in deporting large swaths of migrants than the Obama administration, said Randy Capps, director of research for U.S. Programs at the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank in Washington D.C.

Around 70 percent of immigrants detained by ICE are found after they are booked into local jails and their fingerprints match with a Homeland Security database. ICE then asks the agencies to hold the migrants once they are eligible for release so it can pick them up.

But in the last few years, several federal courts, although none in Texas, have ruled doing so violates the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable seizure.

Populous states, including California and Illinois, and about 260 counties and 30 cities stopped complying with the governments detainer requests, saying it is not within their authority and opens them up to lawsuits.

This is a major barrier to increasing the scope of the enforcement system, Capps said.

The administration has tried to push back on so-called sanctuary cities, threatening to cut their federal funding. This week, ICE arrested almost 500 immigrants from cities across the country that dont honor ICE requests, although none in Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott pushed Texas legislators to approve Senate Bill 4 to force local jurisdictions to comply with the detainers  though all, except Travis County in Austin, already do. A federal judge halted the laws implementation, but an appellate panel this week agreed that it can go into effect while the case is heard. As a result, Travis County announced it would honor the detainers once more.

Part of the strategy is signaling to migrants that they will suffer consequences for living here illegally, said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington group advocating for reducing immigration.

No one has seriously suggested that we can deport every person in the country illegally, Mehlman said. The key is to take other steps to convince people, a) not to come, and b) if you are here, theres no reason to stick around.
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In a warehouse in north San Antonio, 55 pallets of food, water and medical supplies wait for their flight to Puerto Rico, gathered by volunteers after hearing of the plight of those affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria.

But the pallets now are stranded, and organizers are grappling with the logistical challenge of sending supplies to an island 2,000 miles away.

What we need at this point is making sure these things get to the island, said Francheska Rios of the group Puerto Rico Rises - San Antonio. People are being extremely generous, but what is all that if we cannot make it happen?

The group formed through social media, said Rios, who moved recently from Puerto Rico and still has family and friends on the island, which was hit by both hurricanes in recent weeks.

More than a week after Maria, which swept across the U.S. territory as a fierce Category 4 storm on Sept. 20, most of the islands 3.4 million people lack power, and half the population lacks running water, according to the Associated Press.

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials said the agency had distributed 2.5 million liters of water and 2 million meals. Nearly 1,700 employees with the U.S. Department of Defense were on the island. Some 3,000 more are expected in coming days.

From San Antonio, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan of San Antonio-based U.S. Army North left early Thursday morning to lead the military response to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to the Pentagon, eight of the nine airports were open in Puerto Rico as of Friday, as well as five seaports.

Organizers from Puerto Rico Rises said they have contacted and will continue to contact government, military and private organizations for help transporting their donations to the island. They plan to continue gathering donations until Sunday.

A FEMA spokesperson directed a reporter to the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, which coordinates government and private relief organizations. Organizers from Puerto Rico Rises said they had not heard of the organization.

Sending help to an island with devastated infrastructure has proved more difficult than after storms in Houston and Florida. In the aftermath of Harvey, charities and good Samaritans were able to drive their goods or their boats to Houston.

This has not been the case with Puerto Rico, which is 1,000 miles south of Miami.

San Antonio pilot Jaime Pacheco flew to the islands west coast Wednesday. From his perch in the pilots seat, Pacheco was able to see how the storms damage slowed recovery efforts.

Only four airports on the island can accommodate large cargo planes, Pacheco said. A pilot with FedEx, he flew to the town of Aguadilla with supplies for workers there. He also flew with a care package for his mother, who lives on the island. After the storm, he wasnt able to contact her for almost a week.

Radar was down, so Pacheco said he had to use the planes navigation system to land. As he approached Puerto Rico, he noticed the earth below was brown. He grew up on the island, but he said, Ive never seen the island brown, not even in winter.

None of the trees had leaves, Pacheco said. After landing, Pacheco said he stepped out of the plane and saw the leveled houses and trees. The storm had flooded the airports hangars and flipped over some of the planes.

It was almost like a tornado, but bigger, Pacheco said.

Its one thing to gather donations, and another to ensure the supplies get to where they are needed. Pacheco referenced a CNN report on how at least 10,000 containers of supplies sat stranded in the Port of San Juan because of a diesel shortage and destroyed roadways.

He also criticized how much of the response has been concentrated in the largest city of San Juan, while the rest of the cities are not getting any.

President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans cleared the way Thursday for more supplies and government funding for Puerto Rico, the AP reported.

Trump waived federal restrictions on foreign ships delivering cargo. And House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said FEMAs disaster relief account would get a $6.7 billion boost by the end of the week.

The developments Thursday came after Trump was sharply criticized for what some said was a slow response to a humanitarian crisis to the U.S. territory.

Pacheco blamed red tape for the stranded 55 pallets in San Antonio and said people should be so mad, they should be screaming about the slowness of the response.

We have large organizations and the Puerto Rican community that have stockpiled enormous supplies that can make a significant impact on some of the crisis, but we have to stand by, Pacheco said.

Most disaster-response experts say donors should donate cash instead of supplies, Megan ONeil, news editor at Chronicle of Philanthrophy in Washington, D.C., said in an interview. Nonprofits at the scene often know better whats needed, and moving large amounts of clothing, food and water can be a logistical mess, she said.

Money is the way to go, ONeil said. Theres an impulse to give things, but generally the experts believe cash is preferable.

jlawrence@express-news.net
CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico  In his first state address since taking office a year ago, Tamaulipas Gov. Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca touted advances in the fight against organized crime and pledged to address the root causes of insecurity in the border state.

With governors from several Mexican states in attendance, and flanked by Miguel Angel Osorio Chong, Mexicos interior minister, Cabeza de Vaca said his government has gone after the sources of drug cartel income and increased punishment for certain organized criminal activity.

We are advancing a paradigm change in the fight against delinquency, he said. We are attacking the cause of the sickness and not just the symptom.

The governor broadly outlined the three strategic pillars of his peace and prosperity agenda: residents security, social well-being and sustainable economic growth.

Cabeza de Vaca this month announced that 140 officers and 70 patrol units would be deployed under the Highway Assistance State Police to boost security on state highways. He also announced plans to add 551 surveillance cameras, as well as plans to add hundreds of police officers before the end of the year.

But the governor, who was born in McAllen and holds dual citizenship, said he expects Tamaulipas to benefit from investment in the energy sector. Cabeza de Vacas office this week opened a trade office in San Antonio to link investors in the neighboring states.

With his election, Cabeza de Vaca, of the conservative National Action Party, wrested control away from the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which had never lost an election in Tamaulipas.

Cabeza de Vaca campaigned on the promise that he would rein in the warring factions of the Gulf cartel and their one-time enforcers, the Zetas. He blamed the corrupt government that proceeded him for many of the problems that continue to plague the state, including former Gov. Tomas Yarrington, who left office in 2005 and since 2012 has faced charges of money laundering and taking bribes from drug cartels.

During most of his five years on the lam, Yarrington had a government-assigned bodyguard assigned to him. Yarrington was captured in Italy this year and is accused of accepting millions of dollars in cartel bribes and of laundering the money in Texas real estate.

But improved security can be hard to find in a state where bystanders are caught in the crossfire of violent clashes between drug gangs, and schools and businesses are placed on lockdown. Border cities rely on marines and state police to secure city streets.

In a hotel conference room across town from the halls of government, families of Tamaulipas disappeared laid flowers atop photos of their missing sons and daughters.

Vicente Baez Moreno, 67, wears the scars from the wire that bound his hands during his 2010 kidnapping.

A few months ago, Baez decided that he had seen enough, leaving his business in San Fernando behind to move to the Texas side of the border.

The government said this was going to end, Baez said, but it seems the situation is getting worse.

Violent crime has spiked across Mexico, and Tamaulipas has witnessed some of the worst insecurity, with nearly a quarter of all nationally displaced persons, the highest reported number of disappearances and the second-highest rates of kidnappings in the country.

One shocking homicide was that of Miriam Elizabeth Rodriguez Martinez, a mother who spent years searching for her missing daughter inSan Fernando. Rodriguez helped others search for their disappeared until she was shot to death outside her home this year on Mothers Day.

Rodriguezs daughter had vanished in 2012. Improbably, Rodriguez found her body in a clandestine grave and eventually led authorities to the men responsible for the murder. Weeks before her own death, some of the men who had been arrested in her daughters case escaped from prison.

Responding to Rodriguezs murder via Twitter, Cabeza de Vaca pledged that his government would not allow her death to become another statistic of violence in a state filled with them.

Last year, Tamaulipas was among the seven most violent states in Mexico, Cabeza de Vaca said. Of the 31 states in the country, Tamaulipas now ranks 16th for violent crime. The governor recognized that the state has a long way to go before its residents can pick up the pieces of fractured lives.

This is no comfort, but we are advancing, Cabeza de Vaca said. The insecurity is the highest concern of our people and this government.

Since Rodriguezs death, her son Luis Hector Salinas Rodriguez has taken up the mantle she left behind with the Citizen Community in Search of the Disappeared in Tamaulipas.

These days, his movements are shadowed by a government-appointed bodyguard. After the initial outpouring of support for his slain mother, there has been little progress on capturing those responsible for her murder, Salinas said.

This was my mothers fight, Salinas said. I want to continue the fight, so that her death was not in vain.

anelsen@express-news.net | Twitter: @amnelsen
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Leaders planning the citys yearlong Tricentennial celebration in 2018 have a message for anyone starting to panic about their slow progress on raising funds.

There are a lot of moving parts. And those parts are moving forward.

Case in point: This week, NuStar Energy Chairman Bill Greehey pledged $1 million to the overall effort, bringing SA300, the nonprofit overseeing the planning, about halfway to its $10.3 million goal for private donations.

San Antonio will only have one 300th birthday, Greehey said in a statement on Friday. We all need to rally together as a community to make it a great success, as the world will be watching.

Also on Friday, Toyota pledged $300,000 toward the Tricentennials educational component.

I completely appreciate that there is this idea that we should be further along or done, Edward Benavides, CEO of SA300, told me. But this project, the Tricentennial, is a whole year of activity. Its not that its going to happen all in one weekend or a week. But it begins with New Years Eve, then it continues to go through 2018.

Robert Thrailkill, general manager of Hotel Palacio del Rio, echoed that outlook.

Its a work in progress, said Thrailkill, president of the citys Tricentennial commission. The funnel is there. We have a funnel. Were working really hard to close those deals. So, more time. We just need more time.

As of Sept. 13, SA300 had spent $2.9 million on branding, marketing and event production efforts.

Concern has been mounting over the nonprofits ability to raise enough money in time to pull off a yearlong celebration of the citys 300th anniversary that focuses on its history, culture and community service. District 6 Councilman Greg Brockhouse told Benavides last week that its fundraising totals raised a giant red flag.

Yet, compared to New Orleans, which also is planning a 300th anniversary celebration in 2018, San Antonio is ahead of schedule. This week, the Crescent City had raised about one-third of its goal of $3 million in private funds, according to Mark Romig, director of that citys commission.

Were a little bit north of $1 million, Romig told me, with many asks still out, many pledges. We believe well be fine with the fundraising.

He added, There are many events that we are helping to steer, not row.

San Antonio is taking a similar steer, not row approach, partnering with more than 540 local organizations  schools, nonprofits, businesses, churches  on nearly 680 activities that will require no funds from SA300.

Whoever you are, weve invited them say, What is it you want to do as part of the Tricentennial? Tell us what it is. Tell us when. Describe your activity, Benavides said. Then we review it, and it becomes sanctioned.

The commission, however, still has not released a master calendar of events, a gap that has proven frustrating for some of its community partners. On Friday, clicking the events tab on the Tricentennials website provided no information.

Benavides, who earns a city-funded salary of $167,000 as CEO of SA300, said a calendar of events in the first quarter of 2018 will be released next week; the rest will be released in November. The commission already has announced some major events, such as a New Years Eve concert and festival at Civic Park at Hemisfair. (SA300 is still in negotiations with an unnamed musical performer for the concert, which will take place on about two acres of a park that will remain under construction, Benavides said.)

Other events will require more private investment. Benavides stressed that conversations with potential donors are ongoing.

The good news is, this is the right time for it, Thrailkill said. We never expected that, by the first of June, wed have everything in.

He added, Mayor (Ron) Nirenberg and County Judge (Nelson) Wolff have really pushed it hard recently. Theyve really stepped up and have really done a great job in talking to community leaders, telling them what were doing, and its really made a difference for us.

Benavides said hes confident the Tricentennial celebration will be successful.

This is a time to really bring attention to San Antonio, he said. This is similar to what Hemisfair did in 1968. Now, 50 years later, the community is making investments, not only from the city government and county government, but the private sector coming as a collective to say, this is an opportunity to highlight all these assets that we have.

He added, And it does require the private sector to come in.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
A couple of weeks ago, a veteran Democratic operative talked to me about how impressed he was with District 21 congressional candidate Joseph Kopser.

A West Point grad with a degree in aerospace engineering, Kopser served 20 years in the Army and earned a Bronze Star for his heroism in Iraq. He later settled in Austin and co-founded RideScout, a tech company that employs a mobile app to inform people about their transportation options.

Kopsers resume seemed so perfect, his credentials so impressive, that the Democratic operative found himself wishing that Kopser would run for something  anything  else.

After all, challenging Republican Congressman Lamar Smith in the gerrymandered district he has dominated for three decades has all the makings of a doomed mission for Democrats. Thats the nature of the dilemma Democrats face in 2018 with Smith, who will soon file to run for his 17th term.

While the odds are perpetually against any Democratic nominee in that district (at least until, or unless, the districts lines get majorly redrawn), there is evidence of daylight for this mission, if you squint real hard.

Five candidates (none of them San Antonians) have lined up for the Democratic primary: Kopser; Austin B-cycle CEO Elliott McFadden; former Nancy Pelosi staffer Derrick Crowe; attorney Chris Perri; and minister/former math teacher Mary Wilson.

It has to be heartening to area Democrats that five contenders have emerged for a seat that not a single Democrat filed for in 2014. While the contest is wide open, McFadden and Kopser command the most attention.

Both of them are soft-spoken, 40-something, Austin-based, new-economy entrepreneurs with no experience as political candidates. But their stylistic similarities mask substantive differences.

McFadden, 43, is an unabashed progressive who supports Medicare for all and free tuition for public universities.

Kopser, 46 is a former Republican and business-friendly centrist who has pledged to avoid ideological extremes during his campaign. He also has shown fundraising muscle by taking in more than $200,000 in donations during the second quarter of this year.

The energy of the party is coming from its most progressive wing, as exemplified by the Indivisible movement. In a primary, that bodes well for McFadden. But conventional wisdom, for what its worth, would suggest that Kopser stands a better chance of pulling off an upset in a general election.

That thinking, however, doesnt necessarily hold up to close scrutiny.

Democrats would love to be able to shift hearts and minds in Smiths district, which includes parts of North San Antonio, South Austin and the Hill Country. Theyd love, for example, to convince District 21 Republicans that Smith is the Joseph McCarthy of climate science, relentlessly badgering and harassing scientists who dont align with his skepticism about man-made climate change.

Its not likely to happen, at least not in big numbers.

Rather than converting the existing District 21 electorate, Democrats need to get a new electorate to the polls, and you do that with passion and uncompromising appeals to your base, rather than with split-the-difference pragmatism.

John Courage, whose council district heavily overlaps with the Bexar County portion of District 21, proved that point less than four months ago when he employed an army of Bernie Sanders loyalists to capture this citys most conservative district.

To a lesser extent, 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also proved that point when she limited Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, to 52 percent of the vote in a congressional district whose boundary lines were drawn to generate 60-65 percent Republican support.

Midterms are very much about the intensity of whoevers engaged, McFadden told me Friday during a visit to San Antonio. So I think what youre going to see on the Republican side is that folks are going to be kind of down. The Republicans are in control, and theyre not delivering. On the Democratic side, people are dying to vote right now.

I think theres going to be a really different dynamic in the voter turnout for this kind of election, and my candidacy is about that.

How will Democrats know theyve really arrived in District 21? If party operatives no longer find themselves wishing that talented Democrats would run for an office other than District 21, theyre on their way.

ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470
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Latvian Education and Science Minister Karlis Sadurskis has said that the provisions of the language article of the new Ukrainian law on education are well grounded, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported on September 29.

"Ukraine's steps to ensure prerequisites for the learning of the state language in the education system are clear," Sadurskis said at a meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, who briefed him on the main provisions of the law.

Based on Latvia's experience, Sadurskis noted the importance of creating prerequisites for schoolchildren to acquire the necessary knowledge of the state language and not be discriminated in the labor market of their country.

Klimkin, in turn, noted the interest of Ukraine in borrowing Latvia's experience of the functioning of the education system using the languages of national minorities.

As reported, the law on education was published on September 27 and came into force on September 28.

Among other things, the law stipulates that the state language is a language of learning at educational institutions, but one or several subjects in two or more languages, namely, the state language, English and other European Union official languages can be taught in compliance with the educational program.

People, who belong to ethnic minorities, are guaranteed the right for learning in the native language along with the Ukrainian language in separate groups of municipal pre-school and primary school institutions.

On September 26, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry said that the country intended to block rapprochement between Ukraine and the EU because of the law on education.

The Ukrainian Education and Science Ministry sent a letter to the Council of Europe stating its intention to submit the language article of the education law for examination by the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission).
Recently graduating from the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Drama School, Michelle Fox went on to film the lead role in ground-breaking new BBC Three series Overshadowed, from Kay Mellor. Telling the story of an Irish vlogger whos battling against anorexia whilst filming every aspect of her life, the haunting yet funny series will soon be available, with Irish television newcomers Eva OConnor and Hildegard Ryan having written the series.

Michelle Fox in Overshadowed / Credit: BBC

We got the opportunity to chat to Michelle all about the show, why she decided to get involved and what tips she has for anybody whos looking to make it in the brutal industry of acting. Read on to find out what she had to say!

What can you tell us about your new series Overshadowed and the character that you play?

Overshadowed is an eight-part short form series following a 17-year-old fun-loving girl named Imogene, as she decides to start filming herself every day. All is not as it seems though as my character struggles to keep a hold of her life and sanity when anorexia takes over. Its a really intimate portrayal of a young girl battling through this nightmare.

What was it about this series that drew you to joining the cast?

I thought the storyline was really interesting and I wanted the chance to delve into the world of Imogene. The concept of the YouTube style episodes was intriguing as well and I havent seen anything on television like this before, so I wanted to be a part of it.

As you mention the show deals with anorexia; how important do you think it is for subjects such as this one to gain attention?

I think its important to show how fast an eating disorder can take a hold of someone without them realising and it can be an ongoing battle. No one on the team wanted this subject matter to be glamourized, and I think Overshadowed shows the stark reality of a mental health crisis. We also wanted to show how mental health issues can be so controlling that the person themselves is powerless to what is happening to them.

Credit: BBC

Shot in a series of vlogs, the series is quite an innovative one; can you tell us a little bit about the filming process and how it differed to previous work?

It was a new experience for everyone on the team including Alex Veitch, our DOP. Alex and myself worked closely as many of the shots were handheld. There were scenes where Alex was running backwards through the woods and walking upstairs backwards holding a heavy camera whilst the boom and sound people tried to duck and dive out of the way. It was challenging but very exciting!

The series was written by Eva OConnor and Hildegard Ryan; did you work with them on the set? How were they to work with?

Eva also played the character of Ana so we filmed nearly all of our scenes together, which meant both Hildegard and her were always there to answer my niggling questions. Hildegard and Eva were amazing throughout and it was a lovely experience working with so many great women, including producer Sian Palfrey and, of course, Kay Meloor.

You recently graduated from the Bristol Old Vic drama school; what can you tell us about that experience?

I loved BOVTS. The training I received really put my head in gear for the road ahead. Im a big fan of stage combat also and was delighted to be fighting with swords and daggers every week. Some of the friends I made there are for life and that was really important to me.

Do you have any advice or tips for those who may wish to study drama and make their way into this business?

I graduated from Drama School last year and although Im still finding my feet, it really gave me the opportunity to get my foot in the door of the business and Id recommend the training to anyone. Also, keeping a level head on your shoulders and being ready for knock backs. There can be many and knowing how to take them in your stride is crucial.

Are there any shows currently on TV youd love to be a part of?

I love sci-fi TV series/films and would love to be a part of anything that deals with travelling through space. Probably because Im re-watching the series Firefly at the moment!

Credit: BBC

-

Overshadowed will land as a box set on BBC Three from Sunday October 1.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Michelle Keegan has hit back at rumours her marriage is in trouble.

Michelle Keegan

The 'Our Girl' beauty tied the knot with Mark Wright in 2015 after three years of dating and although they have been spending time apart while she films in South Africa and he works for 'Extra' in Los Angeles, Michelle insists they are happier than ever.

She told The Sun: "I don't understand how a couple can't have their separate careers, and why can't a newly married woman go off and do her job and a husband go off and do his?

"I don't understand why that's a negative. It should be celebrated.

"I'd say there is a slight degree of sexism to it. I always think it's good we've got our own careers.

"He's put all his effort into that and I'm putting all my effort into this.

"And for me, I just find it really exciting that we're working so hard separately, for our different careers.

"Then, when December comes, when I can have a break, I'm going to go straight over and see him. I find it really exciting."

And the pair keep in constant touch with video calls and messages.

She added: "Don't get me wrong, we miss each other so much but we are in constant contact with WhatsApp and FaceTime."

Michelle also revealed that she and Mark, both 30, are keen to start a family.

She said: "We always say we both want to have kids, definitely, start a family. But when the time is right.

"We'll know when the time is right, definitely."
29 September, Indonesia: Fijis Minister of Defence and National Security, Hon. Ratu Inoke Kubuabola signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Defence Cooperation on behalf of the Fijian Government with Indonesias Minister for Defence, General (Ret.) Ryamizard Ryacudu.



Minister Kubuabola expressed his appreciation for Indonesias continued assistance and support in the past whilst noting that the MOU signing was not only timely and relevant to the future needs of Fiji, but also instrumental in strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.



Both Fiji and Indonesia have reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen and expand the cooperation in the field of defence along the principle of equality, mutual benefits, mutual respect and mutual trust.



The two Ministers met and exchanged views and information on the policy and program to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and specifically through regular dialogue and consultation, capacity building programs, as well as joint defence and military research. Regional peacekeeping operations is also expected to be strengthened through this cooperation.



For Fiji, areas of common interest with Indonesia has been the need for improved maritime security, exchange visits between Defence and Armed Forces personnel and further information sharing in science and technology in defence industry and joint training in anti-terrorism exercise.



The Hon. Minister then concluded by extending an invitation to Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu to visit Fiji for the First Bilateral Dialogue in Defence Cooperation.
Washington D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - December 11, 2017) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a former day trader with making more than $1 million in illegal insider trading profits as part of a ring that allegedly stole confidential information from investment banks and clients so they could trade in advance of secondary stock offerings.

The SEC alleges that Joseph Spera schemed with former colleagues, posing as legitimate portfolio managers to induce investment bankers to bring them 'over the wall' and share nonpublic details about upcoming secondary offerings while agreeing not to disclose the information to others or trade before the offerings were announced. Spera and the others involved allegedly violated those agreements and tipped each other with confidential information that enabled them to trade for a profit ahead of public announcements.

The SEC and criminal authorities previously charged four others in the alleged insider trading ring in parallel actions. In total, the alleged insider trading by Spera and the others generated approximately $5.5 million in illicit profits, including illegal trades they made based on nonpublic information they obtained ahead of a major announcement by a large pharmaceutical company.

'We unraveled many strands of this alleged insider trading scheme by following the chain of tips downstream to those who benefited unlawfully by trading on confidential information that was obtained under false pretenses,' said Sanjay Wadhwa, Senior Associate Director for Enforcement in the SEC's New York Regional Office.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey has filed a parallel criminal action against Spera, who agreed to plead guilty. Spera's childhood friend Paul Petrello and two others charged initially, Steven Costantin and Ronald Chernin, have pleaded guilty in the criminal actions and agreed to partial settlements in the SEC cases with potential monetary sanctions to be determined at a later date. Litigation continues against the alleged ringleader of the scheme, Steven Fishoff, who recruited Spera into the fold along with Petrello.

The SEC's investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by David Austin, Chevon Walker, Matthew Lambert, Stephen Johnson and George Stepaniuk. The litigation is being led by Todd Brody, and the case is being supervised by Mr. Wadhwa. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Options Regulatory Surveillance Authority.
BOCA RATON, FL--(Marketwired - September 29, 2017) - Saxena White P.A. has filed a securities fraud class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee against Envision Healthcare Corporation ("Envision" or the "Company") (NYSE: EVHC) on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of the Company between March 2, 2015 and September 18, 2017, inclusive (the "Class Period").

Founded in 1992, Envision is one of the largest providers of healthcare services in the United States. The Company provides physician services, ambulatory surgery services, post-acute care, and medical transportation. EmCare, one of Envision's subsidiaries, is the nation's largest physician practice management company, with more than 16,000 clinicians providing services at over 4,600 healthcare facilities. The Company is incorporated in Delaware and maintains its principal executive offices in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Complaint brings forth claims for violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects.

Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Envision's growth and profitability were artificially inflated and/or maintained at inflated levels as a result of its illicit business practices; (2) the Company ordered physicians to administer tests that were medically unnecessary, admit patients from the emergency room into a hospital for financial reasons, and bill for the most complex, expensive level of care in unwarranted situations; (3) EmCare routinely arranged for patients who sought treatment at in-network facilities to be treated by out-of-network physicians; (4) EmCare accordingly billed these patients at higher rates than if the patients had received treatment from in-network physicians; (5) the Company's statements attributing EmCare's Class Period growth to other factors while failing to disclose that these illicit practices were materially contributing to the Company's growth were therefore false and/or misleading; and (6) as a result of the foregoing, Defendants' statements about Envision's business, operations, and prospects were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis when they were made.

You may obtain a copy of the Complaint and join the class action at www.saxenawhite.com.

If you purchased Envision stock between March 2, 2015 and September 18, 2017, you may contact Lester Hooker (lhooker@saxenawhite.com) at Saxena White P.A. to discuss your rights and interests.

If you purchased Envision common stock during the Class Period of March 2, 2015 and September 18, 2017 and wish to apply to be the lead plaintiff in this action, a motion on your behalf must be filed with the Court by no later than October 3, 2017. You may contact Saxena White P.A. to discuss your rights regarding the appointment of lead plaintiff and your interest in the class action. Please note that you may also retain counsel of your choice and need not take any action at this time to be a class member.

Saxena White P.A., with offices in Florida, New York, and Massachusetts, concentrates its practice on prosecuting securities fraud and complex class actions on behalf of institutions and individuals. Currently serving as lead counsel in numerous securities fraud class actions nationwide, the firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of injured investors and is active in major litigation pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States.

Lester R. Hooker, Esq.

lhooker@saxenawhite.com



Saxena White P.A.

5200 Town Center Circle, Suite 601

Boca Raton, FL 33486

Tel: (561) 206-6708

Fax: (866) 290-1291

www.saxenawhite.com
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 09/29/17 -- On4 Communications (OTC: ONCI) is pleased to announce the addition of the two new board members, Michael Wach and Richard Lefkowitz. Michael Wach was the Executive Vice President of Sales at the YES Network and President General Manager of Fox 5 Television New York. Richard Lefkowitz was Global Media Chief at GYRO, the world's most independent B2B advertising agency, and the Media Director at TBWA/CHIAT DAY.

CEO Steve Berman states, "In addition, we have hired 3 new sales people for the State of California based out of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. These sales people are 100% commission based."

"Chrysler modifications will be done next week. We are sending modified units this Thursday for a 30 day test."

"Today I met with the office of the mayor of San Antonio and signed a pilot contract for 100 units. This is a 30 day pilot to be tested on select city vehicles after which time they have expressed interest in placing a much larger order."

"The final retirement of the original 30 million preferred shares has now been completed, and will be seen in our next quarterly filing due December 15th."

"I've been asked by both Ford Motor Company and Enterprise Rent-A-Car not to comment on meetings as we have signed NDAs. I expect to be able to say more on this later in October."

"I will be traveling back to Kuala Lumpur to meet with two cell phone service providers for retail selling throughout Malaysia."

"On4 Communications is pleased to announce an update on its JV with NECA. ON4 will be running the Best Title App with its FLY communications team. Revenue will come to ON4 and be split 50/50 with NECA after expenses."

"We are pleased to announce that we have signed a contract with a central Florida dealer group with 5 dealerships in Tampa and Orlando and brands including Chevy, GMC, KIA, Hyundai and Audi. This contract is for 20 units per month for each dealership totaling 100 units per month at $200 per unit for a grand total of $240,000 per year."

Updates on both Kuala Lumpur facilities and upcoming fleet meetings next week.

About On4 Communications

On4 is a holdings company with an aggressive focus of acquiring proven and profitable businesses. Our first project is focusing on businesses operating in the $1.7 trillion U.S. healthcare industry. Our newest targeted businesses are operating in the trillion-dollar mobile App space. Our first acquisition in the mobile App space is FMS Marketing a global creator and distributor of mobile Apps for Android and iPhones. We are also targeting businesses to acquire and joint venture with in the medical marijuana and emerging MJ ancillary products space.

Forward-Looking Statement

This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, as well as statements that include words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and other similar expressions are forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements, as described in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission which are available for review at www.sec.gov, to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter our forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact:

On4 Communications, Inc.

On4Company@gmail.com

(323) 487-0389




Technology's Most Innovative Showcase Kicks Off in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Oracle OpenWorld --This weekend, Oracle welcomes tens of thousands of customers and partners spanning 175 countries and over 18 million live-stream viewers to Oracle OpenWorld 2017. Located at San Francisco's newly redesigned Moscone Center, conference events will span multiple venues in the city's downtown from October 1-5. Heralded as the industry's most important business and technology show, Oracle OpenWorld delivers unprecedented opportunities to hear from the greatest minds across all event programming, including actor and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt, former United States Senator Barbara Boxer, Executive Consultant for the Los Angeles Clippers Jerry West, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass.

On Sunday, Oracle CTO and Executive Chairman Larry Ellison opens the event with a special keynote showcasing all of the innovations delivered in the Oracle Cloud. Mainstage presentations will continue throughout the week, featuring Ellison, Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, and Oracle President of Product Development Thomas Kurian. Leaders from the world's most interesting brands, including Carbon, Trek, FexEx and Gap, will join Oracle executives on stage to discuss pressing topics impacting business and technology today and in the future.

This year, Oracle OpenWorld brings innovation to learning through a new series of session formats developed in collaboration with Stanford University, as well as reimagined exhibition halls. The conference's latest iteration of "Collective Learning" features cutting edge session designs, including: Brain Snacks, 1:1 conversations with fellow experts, and Make Your Case, hands-on workshops tackling the best Oracle case studies. Oracle OpenWorld Exchange, the conference's redesigned exhibition hall, debuts to foster community, spark learning, promote innovation, and unite our customers, partners, and attendees.

"As we raise the curtain on Oracle OpenWorld 2017, we welcome more than 60,000 customers and partners to learn about transforming their business with Oracle Cloud," said Judy Sim, Oracle's Chief Marketing Officer. "The event has evolved as our customers' needs have changed and is now one of the leading technology conferences in the world. Today, we are thrilled to bring a positive economic impact worth more than $3 billion to the City of San Francisco over the last 20 years."

To Learn and Explore:

Sessions : Tap into an elite network of world-class speakers totaling 67,500+ years of industry experience. Select from 2,311 sessions presented by 3,048 customer and partner speakers, more than 523 Oracle demos and case studies showcasing emerging technology, as well as hundreds of partner and customer exhibitions.

: Tap into an elite network of world-class speakers totaling 67,500+ years of industry experience. Select from 2,311 sessions presented by 3,048 customer and partner speakers, more than 523 Oracle demos and case studies showcasing emerging technology, as well as hundreds of partner and customer exhibitions. Oracle Keynotes :

: Sunday, October 1 , 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.



Oracle CTO and Executive Chairman Larry Ellison opens the conference with an inside look at the future of Oracle Cloud and its innovation path.

opens the conference with an inside look at the future of Oracle Cloud and its innovation path.



Doug Fisher , Senior Vice President and General Manager, Software and Services Group, Intel, presents the power of data, and how data offers massive enterprise-class cloud computing opportunities.

, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Software and Services Group, Intel, presents the power of data, and how data offers massive enterprise-class cloud computing opportunities.

Monday, October 2 , 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 p.m.



Oracle CEO Mark Hurd reveals where we are now and where we are headed in a cloud foundational world. Joining him on stage will be leaders from Oracle customers Bloom Energy, FedEx and Gap.

reveals where we are now and where we are headed in a cloud foundational world. Joining him on stage will be leaders from Oracle customers Bloom Energy, FedEx and Gap.

Tuesday, October 3



9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. - Oracle President of Product Development Thomas Kurian and Dave Donatelli , Oracle Executive Vice President, Cloud Business Group, showcase how Oracle Cloud is harnessing the power of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and blockchain to transform organizations of all sizes. They will be joined by Richard Noble , Director of the Bloodhound Project, an inspiring initiative that engages the next generation in science, technology, engineering and math by aiming to surpass the world land speed record.

- Oracle President of Product Development and , Oracle Executive Vice President, Cloud Business Group, showcase how Oracle Cloud is harnessing the power of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and blockchain to transform organizations of all sizes. They will be joined by , Director of the Bloodhound Project, an inspiring initiative that engages the next generation in science, technology, engineering and math by aiming to surpass the world land speed record.



2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Larry Ellison unveils the future of databases in the cloud, including Oracle Autonomous Database, the world's first "self-driving" database.

- unveils the future of databases in the cloud, including Oracle Autonomous Database, the world's first "self-driving" database.

Wednesday, October 4 , 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.



Oracle CEO Mark Hurd returns to the mainstage with NetSuite's Executive Vice President of Development Evan Goldberg and special guests, to discuss the role technology plays in getting ahead of the competition.

NetSuite's Executive Vice President of Development and special guests, to discuss the role technology plays in getting ahead of the competition. Oracle's Leader's Circle : Connect with luminaries on industry trends, foreign affairs, economics and security at this exclusive, invitation-only executive program hosted by Oracle CEOs Safra Catz and Mark Hurd . Join Senator Barbara Boxer and Newt Gingrich , 50 th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for a provocative discussion about the future of the United States .

: Connect with luminaries on industry trends, foreign affairs, economics and security at this exclusive, invitation-only executive program hosted by Oracle CEOs and . Join Senator and , 50 Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for a provocative discussion about the future of . The Innovation Studio : Experience innovations from Design Tech High School students and Oracle Education Foundation. Meet startups from Oracle's Startup Cloud Accelerator, and talk with Oracle customers, partners, and industry business unit experts.

: Experience innovations from Design Tech High School students and Oracle Education Foundation. Meet startups from Oracle's Startup Cloud Accelerator, and talk with Oracle customers, partners, and industry business unit experts. Oracle Cloud User Experience Lab : Experience hands-on demos of the latest Release 13 Oracle Cloud Applications, and learn about Oracle's vision for the future of work, including experimental robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, chatbots, and more of the emerging technology tools in the smart UX toolkit.

: Experience hands-on demos of the latest Release 13 Oracle Cloud Applications, and learn about Oracle's vision for the future of work, including experimental robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, chatbots, and more of the emerging technology tools in the smart UX toolkit. JavaOne Developer Lounge : Use Oracle Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data technologies to brew your own beer. Create your own sculptures and furniture with a 3D printer. Relive "The Matrix" and shoot your own slow motion video with 60 Raspberry Pi cameras in the BulletTime Photo Booth. Interact with a cloud chatbot robot powered by the Oracle Intelligent Bots running on Oracle Mobile Cloud Service.

: Use Oracle Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data technologies to brew your own beer. Create your own sculptures and furniture with a 3D printer. Relive "The Matrix" and shoot your own slow motion video with 60 Raspberry Pi cameras in the BulletTime Photo Booth. Interact with a cloud chatbot robot powered by the Oracle Intelligent Bots running on Oracle Mobile Cloud Service. Oracle Code Event : Join developers from around the world in this one-day event covering machine learning, chatbots, cloud, databases, programming languages, DevOps, and much more.

: Join developers from around the world in this one-day event covering machine learning, chatbots, cloud, databases, programming languages, DevOps, and much more. Oracle NetSuite SuiteConnect: The best of SuiteWorld comes to Oracle OpenWorld for the first time. Held on October 4 , this program features NetSuite users, Oracle executives, product experts and partners.

To Support the Community and Environment:

Oracle Academy's JavaOne4Kids : Designed for children ages 10-16, attendees can use Raspberry Pi and Java programming to catch escaped Pokemon; create a robot and bring it to life; make computer games using Greenfoot and Stride; among other fun activities. Oracle Academy is one of Oracle's key investments in our collective future. In fiscal year 2016, the program impacted over 3.5 million students in 120 countries through $3.75 billion in direct and in-direct resources.

: Designed for children ages 10-16, attendees can use Raspberry Pi and Java programming to catch escaped Pokemon; create a robot and bring it to life; make computer games using Greenfoot and Stride; among other fun activities. Oracle Academy is one of Oracle's key investments in our collective future. In fiscal year 2016, the program impacted over 3.5 million students in 120 countries through in direct and in-direct resources. Plant a Billion Trees : Learn how The Nature Conservancy and Oracle Giving are helping to advance reforestation globally. As part of its participation in The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion trees initiative, Oracle has already achieved 41 percent of its goal to plant one million trees.

: Learn how The Nature Conservancy and Oracle Giving are helping to advance reforestation globally. As part of its participation in The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion trees initiative, Oracle has already achieved 41 percent of its goal to plant one million trees. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International : Discover how Oracle Cloud is helping to save the gorillas. Get a sneak peek of an upcoming National Geographic three-part special on Dian Fossey's life and work as a gorilla conservationist. Hear from Tara Stoinski , President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund about its 27-year partnership with Oracle, and how Oracle Cloud technology has enabled the organization to revolutionize its data management and make its database - the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of data on a wild great ape population - available to scientists, researchers and students without charge.

: Discover how Oracle Cloud is helping to save the gorillas. Get a sneak peek of an upcoming National Geographic three-part special on life and work as a gorilla conservationist. Hear from , President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund about its 27-year partnership with Oracle, and how Oracle Cloud technology has enabled the organization to revolutionize its data management and make its database - the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of data on a wild great ape population - available to scientists, researchers and students without charge. Ride for a Reason: Support the victims of the recent hurricanes by choosing Lyft for Oracle OpenWorld transportation. Between October 1-5 , five percent of the cost of rides will be donated to the American Red Cross. Enter code OOW17 using a Lyft business profile.

To Connect and Play:

Oracle CloudFest.17 : Dance the night away with Grammy award winners The Chainsmokers and sing along with pop sensation Ellie Goulding at Oracle's legendary customer appreciation event taking place on October 4 at AT&T Park.

: Dance the night away with Grammy award winners The Chainsmokers and sing along with pop sensation at Oracle's legendary customer appreciation event taking place on at AT&T Park. SuiteConnect NextUp: Celebrate the day's experiences at a special concert with Royal Machines, joined by "special guests" on October 3 at Howard Street mainstage.

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Oracle OpenWorld, the industry's most important business and technology conference for the past 20 years, hosts tens of thousands of in-person attendees as well as millions online. Dedicated to helping businesses leverage Cloud for their innovation and growth, the conference delivers deep insight into industry trends and breakthroughs driven by technology. Designed for attendees who want to connect, learn, explore and be inspired, Oracle OpenWorld offers more than 2,500 educational sessions led by more than 2,000 customers and partners sharing their experiences, first hand. With hundreds of demos and hands-on labs, plus exhibitions from more than 400 partners and customers from around the world, Oracle OpenWorld has become a showcase for leading cloud technologies, from Cloud Applications to Cloud Platform and Infrastructure. For more information; to register; or to watch Oracle OpenWorld keynotes, sessions, and more, visit www.oracle.com/openworld. Join the Oracle OpenWorld discussion on Twitter.

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CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/29/17 -- The Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) is pleased to announce that the sixth edition of CEO Rescue in the Rockies fundraiser has raised more than $365,000. Since 2011, the unique fundraiser has seen the Alberta community come together and raise more than $4 million for STARS.

It was not a typical day for the four participating CEOs, who took time out of their busy schedules to raise valuable donations for STARS. The day started off with the participants getting picked up in a helicopter from the Calgary Peace Bridge helipad and dropped off at a remote mountain location in Kananaskis Country. Surrounded by the beautiful yet unpredictable wilderness of the mountains, the CEOs faced a series of challenges, including a readiness, survival and STARS medical challenge. The most important challenge of the day saw the CEOs using only their cell phones to collect donations from colleagues, friends, family and fellow philanthropists to raise $100,000 each before they were "rescued" by a STARS air ambulance helicopter.

"Today's mission to beat our fundraising goal was met with enthusiasm and determination by our participating CEOs," said Andrea Robertson, president and CEO of STARS. "STARS relies on the support of allies like Mark, Tim, Quinn and Reid and their organizations to ensure that each person who needs emergency medical care receives it quickly. Thank you for joining our fight to save lives."

This year's Alberta business leaders whose fundraising and wilderness prowess were both put to the test included Tim Harvie, president and CEO at Southbow Farming; Mark McNeill, president and CEO at Stream-Flo Industries Ltd. And Master Flo Valve Inc.; Quinn Holtby, founder, president and CEO at Katch Kan; and Reid Johnson, President at Core Network Solutions Inc.

Funds raised through CEO Rescue in the Rockies will help STARS provide time, hope and life-saving transport to critically ill and injured patients. To learn more about CEO Rescue in the Rockies for STARS or to nominate a CEO for next year's challenge, visit www.ceorescueintherockies.com.

About STARS:

Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) provides specialized emergency medical care and transportation for critically ill and injured patients. STARS physicians, nurses, paramedics and pilots work with a team of dedicated support staff and community partners to save lives. STARS has bases in Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Regina, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.

Contacts:

Angela Cabucos

Brookline Public Relations, Inc.

403-560-4157

acabucos@brooklinepr.com



STARS Media Line

1-866-966-8277

mediainfo@stars.ca




LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 29, 2017 / Lundin Law PC, a shareholder rights firm, announces a class action lawsuit against Sequans Communications S.A. ("Sequans" or the "Company") (NYSE: SQNS) regarding possible violations of federal securities laws from April 29, 2016 through July 31, 2017, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Sequans shares during the Class Period should contact the firm prior to the October 10, 2017 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

To participate in this class action lawsuit, click here.

You can also call Brian Lundin, Esq., of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or e-mail him at brian@lundinlawpc.com.

No class has been certified in the above action yet, and until a class is certified, you are not considered to be represented by an attorney. You may also choose to do nothing and be an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, during the Class Period, Sequans made false and/or misleading statements, and/or failed to disclose, that the Company was improperly recognizing revenue, and as a result, its public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On August 1, 2017, Sequans announced that its revenue in the second quarter was negatively affected by a product return from an early 2016 sale related to the tablet business. Upon this news, Sequans' stock price decreased materially, which caused investors harm.

Lundin Law PC was created by Brian Lundin, Esq., a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding the rights of shareholders.

This press release may constitute Attorney Advertising in certain jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.

Contact:

Lundin Law PC

Brian Lundin, Esq.

Telephone: 888-713-1033

Facsimile: 888-713-1125

brian@lundinlawpc.com

http://lundinlawpc.com/

SOURCE: Lundin Law PC
Nine Ukrainian battalions are currently interoperable with forces of NATO countries, Chief of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Viktor Muzhenko said.

"The battalions are continuing to undergo training with the help of foreign instructors, which started back in 2015. There are instructors and servicemen from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland in Ukraine today And we have currently achieved the necessary interoperability of at least those nine battalions that have already undergone training," Muzhenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

The joint training of troops concerns units of the mechanized, airmobile, and special forces, he said.

"In addition, NATO standards are used as a basis and get adapted to our conditions, considering our experience of combat actions. By the way, servicemen from NATO countries have been making amendments and adjustments to their standards proceeding from our experience. That is, we are not just blindly copying something but are creatively approaching the relevant standards, taking into account the combat experience we have gained," he said.
According to the Complaint, throughout the Class Period, Dr. Reddy's made false and/or misleading statements, and/or failed to disclose, that the Company lacked an effective corporate quality system; and thus, its public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On August 10, 2017, Dr. Reddy's disclosed that the Regulatory of Germany (Regierung von Oberbayern) did not renew the good manufacturing practices compliance certificate of a formulations manufacturing unit of its German subsidiary Betapharm Arzneimittel, located in Hyderabad, India, after a recent inspection of the plant. When this news reached the public, shares of Dr. Reddy's fell in value materially, which caused investors harm according to the Complaint.

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.
In the latest update on the Akshay Kumar-Salman Khan-Karan Johar collaboration, it is being reported that Parineeti Chopra has been roped in to play the female lead (Kumar's wife) in Anurag Singh's movie that is centered around the Battle of Saragarhi.

Parineeti plays a strong character and has really liked the script. The makers have started prep. Huge sets of the Saragarhi and Gulistan forts, as well as a village, will be erected in Wai  a town in Satara district. The actors will be provided with a lot of material for their parts and will start full-time prep close to the shooting date. The film is set to tentatively go on the floors in January next year," said an unverified source, according to a Mumbai Mirror report.

Earlier this year, Johar, Khan and Kumar had announced their major collaboration slated to release in 2018, which will see Akshay in the lead role. The film is expected to be co-produced by Salman Khan Films and Johar's Dharma Productions.

Last year, Ajay Devgn had also announced his home production titled Sons of Sardar: Battle of Saragarhi, based on the exact same historical incident which the trio's collaboration is centered around.

Both Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn are readying themselves to portray the same character on screen  Havaldar Ishar Singh, a military leader of 21 Sikh soldiers who led his army to a deathly war against Afghani invaders.

Kesar (the reported title of the Johar-Khan-Kumar collaboration) is likely to see a 2018 release, whereas Devgn's movie has been stalled for a few years.
Its raining biopics in Bollywood. Over the last few months, at least four biopics were announced and these include films on Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Kapil Dev and Mithali Raj. But the biggest biopic announcement, undoubtedly, has come from the south and its going to be a film on the legendary actor and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, popularly known as NTR.

For the uninitiated, NTR was one of the greatest actors of Telugu industry and there was not a role to which he could not do justice. In his illustrious career, NTR had played a variety of roles and these ranged from mythological characters - popular for playing lord Krishna 17 times among others such as Rama, Bheeshma and Raavana in films like Mayabazaar, Narthanasala and Seetharama Kalyanam, and memorable commercial characters in movies such as Gundamma Katha, Driver Ramudu, Kodalu Diddina Kapuram and Badi Panthulu. In 1982, NTR bid adieu to acting and took the political plunge and the rest, as they say, is history.

In July, maverick filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma announced he will be making a biopic on NTR. In an emotional voice note, he said he is proud to have been given the opportunity to helm the prestigious project. In the note, he said, NTR is a name to reckon with every Telugu-speaking individual. He was not just a great actor but a leader with unprecedented following. I'm very proud to direct a film on his life.

He also confirmed that NTRs son Balakrishna, a popular actor, will play his father on screen. However, when Balakrishna was contacted to verify the authenticity of Varmas words, he clarified that he wont be a part of Varmas biopic. He went on to confirm that he has plans to make a biopic on his father and is currently busy putting together a team of writers who could help in the script department. It is our responsibility to tell audiences his story. The biopic Im planning on him will reveal unknown facts about his life. I will play my father on screen, Balakrishna had told reporters in July.

Varma had said that he is proud to direct the NTR biopic because, My personal relationship with him goes back to the year when his blockbuster film Adavi Ramudu had released. I didn't have money to take the bus to the movie hall. I walked 10 kilometers each time and watched the film 23 times. I was also one among the lakhs of people who had gathered during his first political meeting soon after he launched the Telugu Desam Party. From being a faceless guy in that large gathering to getting to direct his life story means something," he said, adding his story on the iconic star will shine the spotlight on his enemies, on those who betrayed him and so much more that people don't know about the actor yet.

Meanwhile, NTRs widow Lakshmi Parvathi feels justice wouldnt be done if Balakrishna plays his father in the film. In an interview to the Times of India, she said, I am not against the biopic. In fact, I welcome the idea. But, the movie should reflect the entire truth about his life  especially the isolation and pain he suffered during his last days after he was 'dethroned' from power by his own family. This cannot be possible if Balakrishna plays the lead role. He supported Chandrababu Naidu, who back-stabbed NTR and usurped power in the 'Viceroy Hotel' episode," said Lakshmi, who also pointed out that Varma himself portrayed NTR in poor light in his film Raktha Charitra, a biopic on gangster-turned-politician Paritala Ravi.

Following Lakshmis stiff opposition, Varma decided to make NTRs biopic from her point of view and subsequently titled his film Lakshmis NTR. Earlier this week, he even released the first look poster of the biopic and he has confirmed the film will hit the screens by next year end.

Meanwhile, there are rumours that three directors  Teja, Puri Jagannadh and Deva Katta  are under consideration for the biopic which Balakrishna plans to make. When Firstpost caught up with actor Jr NTR, he said anyone is free to make a biopic on his grandfather. In an exclusive chat, he said, You cant stop anyone from making a film on NTR. He belonged to the people of Andhra Pradesh and they deserve to know his story. People have been asking me if I would like to play him on screen. Honestly, I dont have the courage.
By Sharanya Gopinathan

Theres a special kind of funny women can be when they are alone together. You cannot explain it, it is just something that creeps in: You can see it in the kinds of jokes they tell, the way they use their bodies and references to universal inside jokes and pains.

Stand-up comedy in India has a reputation for being male-dominated. It could be because the industry is held to higher standards than others, possibly because Indias leading comics often hold forth on liberal ideologies, including feminism in their sketches, and you know people love pointing out the hypocrisies of others.

The community has also been called out for accepting Amazon Primes decision to sign on 14 male comedians, and not a single woman, and people also point to a hysterical Film Companion video, where Anupama Chopra asked Indias leading comics if their industry was sexist and they all refused to let the only woman present, Aditi Mittal, speak until she was spoken to.

This is why TLCs new show, Queens of Comedy, comes almost as a relief. The show is a televised hunt for Indias next big female stand-up comic, and pits eight amateur stand-up comedians against each other. It is meant to give women comics a platform and an opportunity to unearth the real talent women comics have to offer. It also gives you the perfect opportunity to observe what truly feminine comedy could look like.

The show lets you watch Indian women comics in a setting outside of a local open mic where it does not feel like they are a mandatory female fill-in. This allows them to start doing full sets on topics like hunger strikes, Yoko Ono and the Vietnam War.

While theres absolutely nothing wrong with (and actually a lot thats excellent about) female comedians dipping into the huge well of material that living as a woman in a misogynist world provides (like Aditi Mittal and Sumukhi Suresh do), it is also interesting to see women do sets on topics that seem to have nothing specific to do with women but are still wickedly feminine in their style, tone and delivery.

Like when 22-year-old Urooj Ashfaq (whom you may remember as Supriya from All India Bakchods video If Apps Were People) began her set on non-violent protest with a perfectly timed, slightly nasal dont hit me! complete with a uniquely female jerk of the shoulders and inflection  the moment was so good that it spawned the first genuine, spontaneous, audible laugh from the judges.

Professional female comics have been experimenting with perhaps uniquely feminine forms of comedy for some time now in India. Aditi Mittal frequently slips into a character, Mrs Lutchuke, a foul-mouthed elderly Maharashtrian woman who gives people advice on sex, and it is amongst her most popular segments. She once said in an interview that the device of a ridiculous persona and the veneer of age allowed her to say things people would not otherwise let her say.

Sumukhi Suresh took the idea of womens comedy a step further in her one-of-a-kind, all-women invite-only show (complete with all women bouncers and a stall selling Lovetreat sex toys) at the Hummingtree in Bangalore in 2016. Suresh told us that she had decided to do something like this after a particular show left her with the feeling that women would react differently to certain kinds of jokes if there were not any men around.

The show, called Disgust Me, was an hour of jokes about boogers, itchy groins, sex and other yucky things to which only women were allowed. Suresh told us that the show didnt feel like a one-hour show, I completely underestimated the crowd interaction, which I thought would be for 15 minutes. I forgot the fact that youre dealing with a bunch of women  and they love to talk. Not in an interfering way, I loved how interactive it was; it was like being at a kitty party no, not a kitty party, but like one of those nice iced-lemon-tea lunches where you chit-chat

She could really be on to something. Traditional stand-up, where audience interaction is called heckling, was made by and for men. Perhaps we have reason to believe that there are other forms and ways of comedy that work for women beyond traditional stand-up, uniquely female forms of comedy that just somehow work for us.

The amateur contestants on Queens of Comedy are pushing the envelope too. One contestant, a 21-year-old ball of energy from Kolkata, identified only as Jhansi Dramaqueen, managed to talk about demonetisation, cows, sexual harassment, sexuality and suicide in a set that had her playing the piano and singing while wearing a moustache. Sure, the act was missing a lot, but it also had a lot to offer, and fell neatly into the trend of female comics really experimenting radically with form. This was something the judges appreciated, instead of penalising for not falling within the bounds of traditional stand-up.

I just have to take a minute to drop everything and mention the shows judges here. When I first heard about this show and its three judges, Kaneez Surka, Richa Chadda and Rohan Joshi, I was irritated to see that Joshi was one of the three because I thought it would be nice to have as many women as possible on a woman-centric show. I take it back, I see why they needed him.

Ill give Surka points for effort, but the less said about Chaddas truly painful, wildly useless feedback (Where do you live? Im also from Ghaziabad. Im looking forward to seeing more of you.) the better. Joshi is the only judge who at least tries to offer the contestants meaningful advice, tips and feedback on their sets and the craft of stand up comedy. The judges feedback is consistently the biggest disappointment on the show so far, and Joshi is the panels only saving grace.

Still, Queens of Comedy is an entertaining watch, because the contestants are funny and it is interesting to see how women perform in a space that has traditionally dominated by men. It is fun seeing comics that look like you and move their hands around the way you do, and exciting to pick up inside jokes that you know men around you just will not get. And when you look around, you see that Indian women comics are already making it clear that theyre able and willing to experiment. While it is exciting enough to see more women entering stand-up, perhaps the real prize will be what women are able to do with comedy.

The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online womens magazine.
Mumbai: "Veteran theatre and film personality Tom Alter on Friday lost his battle against skin cancer at his residence here," his manager said. He was 67.

Tom Alter was battling stage four skin cancer at a Mumbai hospital, where he was admitted earlier in September. He returned home on Thursday and breathed his last on Friday night, the acclaimed actor's manager Ismail Ansari told IANS.

Earlier, Tom Alter's son Jamie had told IANS that the actor was suffering from squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. Last year, Tom Alter had got his thumb amputated due to the condition.

According to Jamie, Tom Alter was fighting cancer well and was showing the will to battle it out.

Known for starring in television shows like Bharat Ek Khoj, Zabaan Sambhalke and Betaal Pachisi, Tom Alter was an American-origin actor settled in India.

He had a flourishing career on stage, and on the big screen, he has played pivotal roles in successful films like Gandhi, Shatranj Ke Khilari, Kranti, Aashiqui and Parinda.

In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India.
Come 2 October, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, and you will see Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in a new avatar. He has announced to wage a war against dowry, child marriage and other social evils with a view that social backwardness is one of the biggest hurdles in the development of the state.

Nitish Kumar has already directed his party men not to attend any marriage in which they suspect dowry might have changed hands. He will also announce a crusade against child marriage, a menace Bihar has not been able to tackle as a recent report says this constitutes about 39 percent of all marriages in the state, much higher than the national average.

During his tenure as chief minister, Nitish Kumar has successfully consolidated women population, regardless of caste and community, as his constituency. In his first term (2005-2010), he started the scheme of providing bicycles and uniforms to girl students which proved to be a game changer and resulted in phenomenal increase in school enrolments.

Nitish struck a kind of chord with women which no chief minister was able to establish before. During his yatras in his second term as the chief minister (2010-15), many women complained to him for allowing liquor shops in almost every village which compelled Nitish and his party Janata Dal (United) to take an U-turn. He made total prohibition a poll promise during 2015 Assembly election, which he was fighting in alliance with RJD. After getting elected, he fulfilled that promise on 5 April, 2016. This decision has further increased his popularity among women of the state.

Now on warpath against social evils, Nitish is all set to take legislative routes and change the constitution of the party, if required, to meet his new goals. He has decided to extend his zero tolerance against crime and corruption to a new level. Nitish's close aid and party's general secretary Sanjay Jha says, "Like total prohibition law, he may tighten dowry and anti-child marriage laws which will work as deterrent. The government is mulling on many options including dismissal of a government official found involved in taking or giving dowry, enhanced jail term for abetting child marriages and so on. "

Party leaders attending lavish marriage parties or found having any participation in child marriages might be punished and ousted from the party, Sanjay Jha hinted.

While lauding initiatives taken by the chief minister, Sanjay Jha said, "Many reformers tirelessly worked to eradicate social evils. Some of them joined politics also but apart from Annadurrai, first chief minister of Tamil Nadu, rarely any chief minister thought of waging a war against social traditions detrimental for half of the population. Nitishji has decided to adopt two pronged strategy of giving impetus to welfare schemes and lead the social awareness movement from the front."

Bihar at the bottom of social indicators

Gender Alliance, funded by United Nations population Fund (UNPF) and supported by Woman Development Council (WDC), government of Bihar, came out with a surprising figure on child marriage which puts the state at the bottom of nationwide list.

Prashanti Tiwari, state manager of Gender Alliance, told News18, "Child marriages constitute almost 39 percent of total marriages in the state. We have studied the social pattern of all 354 blocks and derived a social indicator. Remarkably blocks with higher economic indicators and low social indicators have higher numbers of child marriages. The qualitative reasoning behind the phenomenon is that the block where social index is low, the families tend to discriminate at birth. This discrimination continues even in adolescent stage, where the girls are inducted into marginal work-force. This inclusion of girls in marginal work-force, drives up the economic index but in totality it is a discrimination against female."

Block Hilsa in Nalanda district, Nitish Kumar's hometown, has a much lower social index score of 0.909. The overall block average (calculated for 534 blocks) for social index is 0.9406. The predicted female child marriage is high at 59.78 percent. This is higher than the overall average of 39.85 percent. Also, the Economic Index score for Hilsa Block is high at 0.591.

Bandhan Tod movement

The Bandhan Tod campaign is a comprehensive strategy to address the issue of child marriage and dowry in a holistic manner. A mobile application called 'Bandhan Tod' has also been launched by the Gender Alliance. The unique feature of this app is that it connects young girls to a peer network in the village to offer support against the potential child marriage.

The state's social welfare and woman development minister Manju Verma said her department was ready to implement the vision of Nitish Kumar. Bihar is privileged to have such a chief minister who has been relentlessly working for women empowerment. Being a nodal department, our ministry is helping to meet his targets. Come October 2 and a new dawn will usher in, The minister told News18.

Total prohibition, which cost Rs 5,000 crore loss to the state exchequer, was one of the biggest promises Nitish had made to the women of the state. It was a challenge but the state government overcame the financial owes by enhanced commercial tax collections.

Prohibition ensured increased household saving which not only enhanced buying capacity but also working hours resulting in reduction in the cases of domestic violence and rise in economic output. Women always bore the brunt of domestic violence often at the hands of their inebriated husbands or someone else. Prohibition has stopped that. Now, women live their lives with dignity, Verma says.

Challenge: Funds meant for women-centric schemes lying unused

Verma points out at four marquee programmes Nitish Kumar started for half of the population. He envisaged Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojna to discourage child marriages. The state government provides monetary help of Rs 5,000 for the marriage of daughters to those having annual income less than Rs 60,000. Other schemes are Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojna and Mukhyamantri Naari Shakti Yojna. Under the Kanya Surkasha Yojna, the state government provides Rs 2,000 as a bank deposit to up to two girl children. Naari Shakti is a community-driven scheme and women development corporation provides financial assistance to self-help groups.

But, these schemes have not really taken off. For 2017-18, the government marked Rs 6,152 lakh for Naari Shakti scheme but the department has only disbursed Rs 175 lakh till September. Under Kanya Suraksha Yojna, the government has only disbursed Rs 100 lakh against Rs 7,627 lakh of budget outlay and half of the financial year has already passed. Inter-caste marriage promotion scheme has also met the same fate as the government has spent a meagre Rs 3.5 lakh against the allotted amount of Rs 700 lakh.

Concerned over the slow pace, the state government is mulling to integrate seven programs related to women empowerment into an umbrella scheme. Confirming this development, Manju Verma says, Slow pace this year is also due to political uncertainty which resulted in the formation of a new government. Devastating floods also slowed down the process. But we will step up our efforts in the remaining six months.

However, Prashanti says that government-funded schemes are just turning out like financial dole outs. "Our effort should be to achieve a a position where there is no need for help. To make that happen, it is imperative to ensure women participation in economic output. Sadly in Bihar, half of the population (women) only contributes to 9 percent in economic activities," she points out.

Nitish is trying to change this scenario which requires socially awakening of the part of the population for whom marrying a girl child is the utmost priority rather than thinking about their economic independence.
Kolkata: With most of the household Durga Puja idols set for immersion on Dashami on Saturday, the Kolkata police and civic authorities have made elaborate security arrangements for peaceful processions at the various ghats on the river in and around the city.

Immersion of Durga idols will continue on all days from Saturday to Tuesday, including on the occasion of Muharram on Sunday.

Apart from manning the river front and preventing onlookers from getting too close to the water, senior officers of the Kolkata Police will be conducting special vigil from watch towers constructed near the ghats.

"We are keeping strict vigil at the ghats. Also, there will be several police personnel posted on the way to them to check any untoward incident during the immersion process. We are not taking any chances," a senior Kolkata Police officer told PTI. Teams of river police and personnel from disaster management have been deployed to patrol the river, he said.

"Besides, closed-circuit television cameras and drones will also be used at certain ghats too to keep a tab on the immersion process there. Our officers will also be there in plain clothes," he said.

The administration has put up additional lights at the ghats and cranes have been employed to bring out the remains of idols, flowers from the river water to avoid pollution.

Around 3,500 community pujas were held in the city this year, while thousands more are observed in the suburban towns and villages across West Bengal. The Calcutta High Court had allowed immersion of Durga idols on all days from Vijaya Dashami according to the Hindu almanac, including on Muharram on 1 October.

The high court had also directed the West Bengal government to make necessary security arrangements in this connection. The state government had earlier imposed restrictions on Durga idol immersion on 30 September after 10 pm and had disallowed it on 1 October.
The death toll in the Elphinstone Road-Parel bridge stampede rose to 23 on Saturday after one person succumbed to injuries at KEM Hospital, as per media reports.

Elphinstone stampede: Death toll increases to 23 as an injured person succumbs to injuries. #Mumbai  ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017

The dean of the hospital, Avinash Supe, said the deceased was identified as Satyendrakumar Kanojia who was in his late forties. "The patient was put on ventilator as soon as he was admitted to the hospital. We tried to save him but he succumbed to internal injuries," the dean told PTI.

The body would be handed over to his relatives after completion of the routine procedures, he said.

The rise in the death toll comes as a meeting with senior rail officials was underway at the Western Railways headquarters in Churchgate. In the meeting, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that additional escalators would be constructed at all railway stations with high traffic.

Addn'l escalators sanctioned at crowded Mumbai suburban stations & thereafter for all high traffic stations: P.Goyal at meet on rail safety pic.twitter.com/j1H4snq16n  ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017

On Friday, as per a previous Firstpost article, dozens of commuters were injured after a stampede ensued on a foot-over bridge during the early morning rush at Elphinstone Road station. The tragedy took place amid rain in the city when the foot-over bridge was heavily crowded, a police official said.

Police suspect a short-circuit with a loud sound near the foot-over bridge led to panic, which in turn spread panic among people, resulting in the stampede. Railway officials, police and fire brigade reached the site to carry out rescue operations.

"There is usually a huge rush at the station everyday, but because of the rains people wanted shelter and there was a sudden huge rush at the bridge. In no time, People soon started falling over each other like dominoes. The incident happened at 10.45 am," Miitesh Jethva, an eyewitness, told Firstpost.

According to PTI, bodies of 17 of the 22 people killed in the stampede were handed over to their relatives, according to hospital authorities. The people injured during the stampede were immediately rushed to the nearby KEM hospital with the help of RPF officials.

Out of the 39 injured, two are in a critical condition, with one of them being kept on a ventilator at the KEM hospital in Parel.

With inputs from PTI
Mumbai: Two persons on Saturday allegedly assaulted a senior doctor at KEM Hospital in Parel to protest the hospital's action of marking numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims, police said.

The incident occurred Saturday evening when the duo, believed to be Shiv Sena workers, assaulted the forensic science head of the KEM Hospital, a senior police official said.

"The two barged into the cabin of Dr Hari Pathak and assaulted him. One of the accused, who brought a sketch pen with him, tried to write a number on Pathak's forehead," he said.

The two accused have been detained. A case under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) will be registered, the officer said.

"We have found membership identity-card of the Shiv Sena from one of the accused. We suspect that a few more persons are involved in the assault", he said, adding a probe was on.

Authorities at the KEM Hospital had come in for severe criticism for marking numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims and putting up their pictures on public display.
Poroshenko orders creation of High Court on Intellectual Property in Kyiv

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree on the creation of the High Court on Intellectual Property.

The respective decree, dated September 29, was posted on the website of the head of state on Saturday.

The Cabinet of Ministers was tasked with financing the activities related to the implementation of the decree.

The decree comes into force on the date of its publication.
Mumbai: Hours after a stampede left 22 commuters dead and 39 others injured, railway minister Piyush Goyal on Friday ordered a slew of initiatives to beef up commuters' safety and security on the Mumbai suburban network, officials said.

Holding a series of meetings with high-ranking officials of Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR), he ordered setting up of multi-disciplinary teams to visit and inspect all suburban stations and identify areas of concern.

The teams would identify critical locations prone to similar situations and draw up suitable action plans to tackle them.

Ongoing works on foot overbridges at various stations would be completed on a war-footing and additional FOBs would be immediately planned out at other stations where passenger traffic is high.

Goyal also directed the railways to draw up plans for all suburban stations to upgrade their electronic surveillance by installing CCTVs in a time-bound manner.

The WR and CR will be required to resolve within one week all their pending issues with other agencies concerned like the Maharashtra government, Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, City and Industrial Development Corporation, etc.

Goyal also said that any concessions required to accommodate space constraints at railway platforms would be sorted out immediately.

There are around 135 stations on the entire suburban network, comprising WR, CR and the Harbour Line, spread across Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts, catering to over 8 million suburban commuters daily.

The distances covered are upto 123 kilometre on the WR from its starting point, Churchgate and more than 70 kms on the CR in different directions from the starting point, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

The two networks share one common railway station, Dadar which is considered the busiest and most congested on the entire suburban network.

The minister's directions came in the wake of a stampede which killed 22 commuters, including eight women, at the WR's Elphinstone Road station bridge connecting with Parel on the CR, around 10.20 am at the morning peak hour rush of office-bound commuters.

Late this evening, the WR announced that then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had cleared the proposal to construct a new FOB costing Rs 6.75 crore, running parallel to the existing bridge which was the site of the tragedy on Friday and tender documents were readied this month.

Earlier on Friday, Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale had said that he had demanded widening of the (existing) bridge in a letter to Prabhu in April 2015, but it was rejected citing paucity of funds and operational constraints.
New Delhi: Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha ruled out the structural strength of the foot overbridge connecting Mumbai's Parel-Elphinstone Road stations being a factor in Friday's horrific stampede but later said his remarks were being "distorted".

"The incident has occurred due to stampede. So I don't think that any question over the foot overbridge's strength arises.

"A large number of people in Mumbai commute daily. The railway has already been undertaking task of strengthening the overbridges in a serial wise manner. And we are trying to strengthen all the bridges one after the other," he said in New Delhi after 22 commuters were killed and many more injured in a stampede on the narrow railway foot overbridge.

Later, in a statement, Sinha said that he was deeply saddened by the deaths of innocent people in the "unfortunate incident", and that his remarks were being "distorted".

"A high level probe has been ordered into the unfortunate incident. But nobody should do politics over such incidents. Some people are trying to present my statements in a distorted form. This is not right," he said.
Bengaluru: Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was freed after being kept in captivity by Islamic State for 18 months in strife-torn Yemen, has said the power of people's prayers for him changed the hearts of his abductors, who did not hurt him and even offered him food during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan.

"I feel the prayers of people and their sacrifices changed the hearts of my abductors and prevented them from hurting me. I am certain, God had done something," he said at a welcome event in his honour in Bengaluru on Friday night. The 59-year-old Catholic priest had returned to Delhi on Thursday after rest and recuperation in the Vatican City.

He had met prime minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on 28 September in New Delhi after his arrival.

On his meeting with Modi, Father Tom said, "The most interesting part of the conversation I had with the prime minister was when he said I am free now and I should get stronger and serve people." Father Tom belongs to the Congregation of Salesians of Don Bosco and was abducted reportedly during a terrorist attack in Aden and taken to an undisclosed place. "The abductors also offered me food during Ramzan, the month in which the Muslims fast. They were kind enough to do so," he added.

Giving an interesting account of his release, father Tom said he was all set to be released on 10 September , but the plan was dropped due to lack of transport arrangement.

"On the morning of 10 September, I was driven in a car from the place of my captivity to a certain place where we waited for further journey in another vehicle, but it was cancelled, because of lack of transport arrangement. We had to return for next day's journey on 11 September," he said. Interestingly, on way back, a person told him to pray to Jesus Christ, he said.

"It did materialise, I was again driven to the place where we waited. After hours of waiting, three vehicles came and in one of the cars, I was driven to Oman through the deserts at a speed of 180 kilometres per hour. By 4 am on 12 September we reached Oman and rest everybody knows," he said. When asked what was his first reaction on hearing the news of his release, Father Tom said he was doubtful. "I was not sure of my release, despite one of the abductors, who spoke English, telling me about it. "They asked me to wear a veil, and that moment I asked myself whether I will be released at all, or taken to some other place to be held captive," he said.

However, on 12 September a person confirmed over phone to him about his return to India.

"I was rest assured of my release when a person spoke to me over phone about my safety and travel back to India. The call was made by the person under whose protection I was driven to Oman," he said.

On his arrival at Bengaluru International Airport on Friday , Karnataka Home Minister KJ George and Christian leaders had welcomed him. Uzhunnalil had reached Yemen in 2010 and was serving the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity of St Mother Teresa and the catholic population there.
Has fanaticism among a sect of Christians raised its ugly head in the otherwise peaceful state of Mizoram? The suspected involvement of seven persons in an incident of dishonoring the national flag and a Hindu idol has brought the question to the forefront.

Members of a newly emerging sect of Christianity in Mizoram recently burned a Hindu idol and set the tricolour ablaze. This incident comes to light at a time when the rise of Hindu nationalism has caused a number of incidents of communal violence across India.

Though the incident took place on 21 September at Lunglei district in Mizoram, the state police had covered it up to prevent tempers from flaring up. It was highlighted in the local media only this week after a video of the act surfaced on social media.

We took care to keep it secret because we wanted to prevent any flare-up. The incident also has the potential to present the peace-loving Mizo people in a wrong manner, said Kime, the Superintendent of Police of Lunglei district.

The video that appeared on social media showed a man wearing a white robe amidst a group of people shouting slogans against Hinduism and India. The group comprised of young boys, most of them teenagers wearing traditional Mizo attire. One of the boys in the group held a large white cross in his hands.

Significantly the sect of Christianity which this group of people belongs to wants independence from India.

The video showed the man wearing the white robe shouting, We have long been under the Hindus. We have long been under India. Now, we want to declare ourselves independent. He also appealed to the people to join him.

The video showed him setting fire to an idol after a boy in the group poured petrol on it. A boy in the group also set ablaze the tricolor.

Seven persons were suspected to be involved the incident. Police sources said that the name of the man in the white robe is Lalrinawma, who identifies himself as a Christian preacher.

The remaining six persons are young boys aged between 9 to 23, said Kime.

This new sect has emerged only a couple of months ago. The followers and the preachers of this new sect travel around and spread hatred for Hinduism and India, he said.

A police source told Firstpost that the incident of burning of the Indian flag and a Hindu idol in Lunglei town was not the first of its kind in Mizoram.

The same group of people committed the same crime in another village a few days ago, the source said.

Significantly, the group did not attempt to hide their activities from the police. In fact, they admitted to their earlier crime too.

They are fanatics who are in the illusion that they are devoted to the cause of God, Kime said.

Interestingly, the self styled preacher of Christianity also attempted to bury himself alive a few months back, in the belief that he would resurrect after three days as Jesus did as stated in The Bible.

He asked the villagers to bury him. But none co-operated with him in fear that they would be prosecuted if the person died, he added.

Presently there is no name attributed to the sect and its followers also are reportedly very small in number. But it is seen as a cause of concern by the authorities and the society alike.

Hindus are a minority in Mizoram. Any attempt to hurt their sentiments will damage the social fabric of the state, Kime said.

Significantly, Mizoram is one of the most peaceful states in India, where there are no ongoing separatist activities. The new sect is seen as a threat to peace, even by the Christians, who form 87% of the population.

Most of the Mizos are Christians by religion and are Mongolians by race. But we are Indians and Mizoram also belongs to India. We will never accept disrespect to our nation or any other religion of India and we condemn such an act, said Chuanteya, the president of Young Mizo Association, an influential civil society group in the state.

The number of followers of this new sect is not known yet, but the Church leaders have decided to take care that the number does not increase.

For instance, Zuia is the leader of the Presbyterian Church that has expressed grave concern at the rise of this sect. Zuia said to Firstpost, We do not issue circulars, but we have started telling church-goers to abstain from this group.

Even the police does not seem to have much information regarding the numbers of the followers of the sect.

Whatever be there number, it is our responsibility to ensure that the religious sentiments of the Hindus, and the honour and integrity of our nation is not hurt, said Kime.
Mumbai: Till the time the deadly Elphinstone Road railway station stampede snuffed out her life, 24-year- old Hiloni Dedhia embodied the soaring aspirations of a millennial working in a setting with imposing glass facade towers that spawn a thousand dreams.

The steel-and-glass towers that dot central Mumbai's skyline, drawing in lakhs of people every day, also explain the tragedy that struck the megapolis on Friday, extinguishing at least 22 lives on a narrow foot overbridge linking Parel and Elphinstone Road stations.

Far from the massive rush of people, the cotton mills in this pocket gave Mumbai its identity--Manchester of the East-- where people worked at their own pace in textile mills, with chimneys billowing smoke and sirens blaring, indicating change of shifts.

After the 1980s, the mills began giving way to skyscrapers as the restless Maximum City's dreams grew bigger in the quest of affluence.

Dedhia worked in the corporate relations department of Axis Bank, and was on her way to work from home in the northeastern suburb of Ghatkopar when she got caught in the stampede, her uncle told PTI outside hospital morgue.

Axis Bank's corporate headquarters is housed in the Bombay Dyeing Compound, walking distance from Elphinstone Road railway station, where the offices of airline GoAir, media firm Republic TV and the country's first Hard Rock Cafe are also located.

The nearby Century Mills Compound houses Idea Cellular and the Playboy Cafe. There are many such 'mill compounds' here.

The textile strike a decade before Dedhia's birth broke the back of mills, leading to their demise. But the land turned into a goldmine, located as it were in the heart of the city.

The landscape began to change rapidly in 2005 when the first mill land was cleared for commercial development.

Mill owners switched to sectors like pharma, aviation, realty, while a few sold out to real estate companies. The developers bought transfer of development rights by buying FSI from the open market, and erected huge skyscrapers.

According to property consultant JLL, the tiny locality has a 'Grade A' built-up office space of 13.5 million sq ft today, up from 2.96 million in 2005.

If one goes by the thumb rule of 100 sq ft per person, the area could be home to 1.35 lakh working people, JLL research head Ashutosh Limaye told PTI.

And many more glass-and-steel towers are coming up, making it one of the most busy construction sites in Mumbai.

The upcoming towers in the vicinity include the country's first Trump Tower, and the 101-storey World Tower, which would be the country's tallest.

But the infrastructure remains caught in a time warp.

"The mills were never so high and had a lot of open space. The number of people employed also was much lower than today. There were also duty shifts, which ensured less crowding at any time of the day," a septuagenarian local says.

"There is a war-like situation every day here on the foot overbridge during the morning and evening rush hour. People have to fight a war to take the stairs to come out or enter the station," said Arun Tiwari, who is the regional head of a marketing company.

Another passenger, Satish Paul, said, "People have increased but not the infrastructure."

The old and rickety infrastructure today looked bursting at seams as people toppled over each other, getting crushed and smothered in the process.

After her dream died young, Dedhia's aunt and uncle waited patiently at the KEM Hospital, clutching her grey-coloured handbag, for the statutory postmortem to get over and receive her body.

Less than two kilometres away, the surging crowds at the two railway stations continued to muscle their way to platforms and into crammed trains, the trauma of the tragedy just fitfully crossing their mind.
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Srinagar: Restrictions continued in parts of the summer capital for the second consecutive day today as a preventive measure in view of the ninth day of Muharram.

Restrictions are in place in the jurisdiction of 13 police station areas of the city, Srinagar District Magistrate (deputy commissioner) Syed Abid Rashid Shah told PTI in Srinagar.

While restrictions continued in eight police station areas of the city for the second day, the curbs were imposed in five more areas this morning to maintain law and order, the officer said.

The restrictions were in force in Karan Nagar, Shaheed Gunj, Batamaloo, Shergari, Maisuma, Kothibagh, Kralkhud and Ram Munshi bagh police station areas on Friday.

The curbs under Section 144 of CrPc were imposed in the police station areas of Rainawari, Nowhatta, Khanyar, MR Gunj and Safakadal as well this morning.

The district magistrate said there were apprehensions of breach of peace and law and order problems as the Shia community is likely to organise processions on ninth day of Muharram on Saturday and tenth day of Muharram on Sunday.

As per inputs received, there is credible apprehension that certain miscreants may disturb the procession and create law and order problems which may result into breach of peace and public tranquility and may cause loss of life and property, he said.

Therefore, Shah said, in order to facilitate religious gatherings of the community smoothly as per the past practice and to maintain peace, imposition of restrictions in terms of Section 144 CrPC has become imperative.

The traditional Muharram procession used to pass through these areas, but have been banned since eruption of militancy in 1990 as authorities maintain that the religious gathering has been used for propagating separatist politics.

However, life elsewhere in the valley remained normal.
Shillong: Terming the Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance (MUA) government as "corrupt to the core", union tourism minister KJ Alphons on Friday promised to provide a corruption-free government in the state if his BJP is voted to power.

"We are into the election mode in Meghalaya and our simple objective is to come to power. We want to come to power for simple reason for us, power has been instrument for bringing happiness to the ordinary citizen.

"We are not here for power for the sake of power. We want to bring happiness to the last person out there. We will bring to the table to the people of Meghalaya a corruption-free government and we will ensure that," Alphons told journalists on his maiden visit to Meghalaya.

He also voiced concern on the lack of basic infrastructure in Shillong.

"Meghalaya is one of the most beautiful places on earth look at the incredible potential the state has if we just promote tourism.. imagine the millions of job it can create. But look at the way things are, no infrastructure so nobody comes here.

"These are the basic things that the government will create if we come to power. We will do big things in tourism. We will do big things to create jobs for the local people," he said.

Seeking to allaying the fears that BJP is anti-minority, he said. "We will ensure opportunities for every community. Before (Narendra) Modi came to power in 2014, there was such huge propaganda saying if the BJP comes to power, churches will be burnt, Christians will be beaten up and mosques will be demolished all across the country.

"It is complete false propaganda. I am aware of what is happening in the country, not one church anywhere in this country has been destroyed, burnt down or even damaged under the Modi government."
New Delhi: Death sentence of 15 Indians, lodged in Kuwaiti jails, have been commuted to life imprisonment by the Emir of Kuwait, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday.

Swaraj said the Emir has also directed that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced.

The minister thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his "kind" gesture.

In a series of tweets, she said "the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment".

Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison, she tweeted.

However, it was not clear that under what charges these Indians were put behind bars.

HH the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment. /1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017

HH the Emir has further directed the reduction in sentence of 119 Indian nationals. /2  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017

We are grateful to the Emir of Kuwait for this kind gesture./3  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017
Ludhiana: Seven persons allegedly belonging to banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) were arrested on Saturday, Ludhiana Police said.

Those arrested have been identified as Onkar Singh, Jagran Singh, Amritpal Singh, Kuldip Singh, Jasbir Singh, Amanpreet Singh and Manpreet Singh, Ludhiana Police Commissioner RN Dhoke told reporters.

Three of those arrested belonged to Amritsar, he said.

All the seven were arrested from Ludhiana where they planned to hold a meeting, Dhoke added.

Three pistols and 33 live cartridges were recovered from their possession, he said.

The Ludhiana Police Commissioner said the leader of the group has been identified as Surinder Singh Babbar, who is settled in United Kingdom and was providing them financial assistance and weapons.

Babbar was selecting targets through social media, according to the police.

During preliminary investigations, it was revealed that those opposed to "radical views" were on their hit list, Dhoke said. Their motive was to disturb peace and communal harmony of the state, the police said.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed a decree on marking the Day of Dignity and Freedom, celebrated on November 21.

According to the decree of September 30, the Cabinet of Ministers should create in a ten-day period the organizational committee for preparing and marking the Day of Dignity and Freedom in 2017, appointing the prime minister and the head of the presidential administration as co-chairs of the committee.

The government should work out and implement a plan of measures to celebrate the Day of Dignity and Freedom this year. It should ensure the holding in Kyiv and other populated centers on November 21 of memorial and cultural events involving representatives of executive authorities, local government agencies, the clergy, participants in revolutionary events in Ukraine in 2004, 2013-2014, as well as participants in the anti-terrorist operation in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers was obliged to organize exhibitions, information events and meetings with active participants of revolutionary events and ATO participants at military units, educational and other institutions for children and young people. The government should also ensure broad coverage of events, and broadcasting of thematic television and radio programs.

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry, the Security Service of Ukraine, as well as regional and Kyiv city state administrations, were instructed to take measures to ensure public safety and order during the celebration of the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

The decree comes into force on the day it was published.

The Day of Dignity and Freedom is celebrated in Ukraine every year on November 21 in honor of the beginning of two revolutions - the Orange Revolution (2004) and the Dignity Revolution (2013-2014).
Srinagar: Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Bader Eddin Muhammad Adib Hassoun and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday discussed ways and means to end the cult of violence in Muslim countries, an official statement said. Currently visiting the Valley, the Syrian Grand Mufti called on the chief minister here, it said.

"The two leaders discussed several issues confronting the Muslim world and the need to weed out the cult of violence from the Muslim society. They also underscored the need for inculcating values of peace, tolerance and coexistence among the younger generation.

"The two leaders exchanged ideas on education, social system, history and welfare of the Muslim world and the need for an effective inter faith communication to spread the message of Islam," the statement said.

Mehbooba Mufti informed the visiting dignitary of various socio-developmental initiatives undertaken by her government in the State including the education and empowerment of women and invited him to visit the state again for exhaustive sessions with the local Islamic scholars and academicians, it added.

"The Grand Mufti informed the chief minister that he was happy to meet her and know about her views on the subjects discussed," the statement said, adding he termed her a "role model for the Muslim world".

Noting Syrian women would take an inspiration from her personality, he also extended an invitation to her to visit Syria.

The visit of the Syrian Grand Mufti has been coordinated by Indian Council of cultural relations, and he was accompanied by Syrian ambassador to India Riad Abbas, advisor in Syrian embassy, Nazen Nasri and other officials of Syrian Embassy besides ICCR regional director Balwant Thakur, the statement said.
New Delhi: The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hamburg on the sidelines of the G-20 summit set the stage for a resolution of the Doka La standoff along the Sikkim border, a new book has revealed.

Modi and Xi had met on 7 July as the standoff, which started on 16 June, was continuing. While the Ministry of External Affairs had said the two leaders discussed a range of issues, Chinese officials had at that time denied that any bilateral talks took place between the two leaders.

A new book, Securing India the Modi Way, by strategic affairs expert Nitin A Gokhale, reveals that the meeting did take place after Modi walked up unannounced to Xi in the lounge for G-20 leaders.

"According to those in the know, the stage for a prolonged diplomatic engagement was set by Prime Minister Modi at Hamburg when he walked up unannounced to President Xi in the lounge for G-20 leaders," says the book, which Vice-President M Venkiah Naidu launched on Friday.

"According to Indian diplomats witness to the impromptu meeting, the Chinese team was taken aback, if not stunned, by Modi's initiative to meet Xi informally."

According to the book, during the brief meeting, Modi suggested to Xi that the two Indian and Chinese Special Representatives  National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and State Councillor Yang Jiechi  should lead the efforts to resolve the Doklam standoff.

"Our strategic ties are far bigger than small tactical issues like Doklam," Modi reportedly told Xi.

A fortnight later, Doval flew to Beijing for the scheduled BRICS NSAs meet.

In the meanwhile, during the period of the stand-off, at least 38 meetings were conducted in Beijing between the Indian side led by Ambassador Vijay Gokhale, a China specialist known to remain unruffled in tense situations, and Chinese officials. The Indian team was given clear instructions by Prime Minister Modi, NSA Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar on India's red lines.

"The team was told that India will remain resolute on the ground and reasonable in diplomacy," the book says, adding that the fact that the BRICS summit was to be held in China in September also helped in resolving the issue.

"Having invested vigorously in the BRICS platform, China could not afford India's absence at the summit..."

Ultimately, the understanding reached was that China will stop road construction in the area that sparked off the standoff, the book says.

Neither India nor China have mentioned any of these details in their statements after the standoff was resolved.

The book also reveals that trouble in the area started late in May and was spread over three phases  a "quiet" stand-off from May-end to 25 June, build-up of forces on both sides between 26 June and 14 August and a subsequent thaw between 15 August and 28 August.

On 16 June, a light vehicle and nine heavy vehicles, including equipment, reached the area, and there was an "interaction" between Indian and PLA troops that morning. Shortly after, a Royal Bhutan Army patrol reached there and had an "interaction" with the PLA troops.

On 17 June, Chinese bulldozers began work on constructing a temporary road and Indian troops "interacted" twice with the Chinese side, asking them to stop the construction activity. The bulldozers were in action on 18 June as well, and with the matter being reported to military hierarchy, Indian soldiers were ordered to stop the road construction party. Thereafter, Indian troops formed a human chain to block the PLA.

On 20 June, a flag meeting was held at Nathu La between officers of the rank of Major General and equivalent.

The ensuing days saw build-up on both sides, with temporary infrastructure coming up on both sides. A large number of tanks and guns were stationed opposite Sikkim by the Chinese.

"India also quietly matched the build-up, but due to a shorter logistics line, it did not have to get troops close to the border," the book says.

The thaw started after 14 August, and the disengagement finally took place on 28 August.
New Delhi: It is time India and China turn the old page and start a new chapter, Chinese envoy to India, Luo Zhaohui said on Friday, adding the countries have made a lot of progress at bilateral level.

He said Chinese president Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen earlier this month, and the two leaders sent a clear message of "reconciliation" and "cooperation".

"We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and direction. We should dance together. We should make one plus one eleven. China is the largest trading partner of India. We have made a lot of progress at the bilateral level, as well as in international and regional affairs," Luo said.

The Chinese envoy was speaking on the 68th anniversary of founding of the People's Republic of China.

His comments come in the backdrop of the disengagement of Chinese and Indian troops in Doka La, where the army of the two nations were locked in a stand-off for over two months.

India and China, who went to war in 1962, share an uneasy relationship with territorial dispute being a major bone of contention between the two countries.

The Chinese diplomat also recalled one of his teachers, Xu Fancheng, who lived in Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry from 1945 to 1978. Xu is known for his work of translating Upanishad, Bhagawad Gita and Shakuntala from Sanskrit to Chinese.

"In our bilateral engagement, there have been thousands of prominent persons like Prof Xu Fancheng, (Buddhist monk) Bodhidharma, Faxian (a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India in the 3rd century) and Rabindranath Tagore.

"We should never forget their contribution and legacies. The history could do a lot of things. Standing on their shoulders, we should do more today," Luo said.

The Chinese envoy added that the speed of Chinese high speed trains from Beijing to Shanghai was increased from 300 kmph to 350 kmph two weeks ago.

"We have started the feasibility study of hyper loop trains at the speed of 1,000 to 4,000 kmph," he said.

He added that the high speed trains were one of the four latest inventions of China.
Teknaf: He trekked to Bangladesh as part of an exodus of a half million people from Myanmar, the largest refugee crisis to hit Asia in decades. But after climbing out of a boat on a creek on Friday, Mohamed Rafiq could go no further.

He collapsed onto a muddy spit of land cradling his wife in his lap  a limp figure so exhausted and so hungry she could no longer walk or even raise her wrists.

The couple had no food, no money, no idea what to do next. Their two traumatized children huddled close beside them, unsure what to make of the country they had arrived in just hours earlier, in the middle of the night.

Rafiq said their third child, an 8-month-old boy, had been left behind. Buddhist mobs in Myanmar burned the child to death, he said, after setting their village ablaze while security forces stood idly by  part of a systematic purge of ethnic Rohingya Muslims from Buddhist-majority Myanmar that the United Nations has condemned as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing."

Five weeks after the mass exodus began on 25 August, the UN says the total number of arrivals in Bangladesh has now topped 5,01,000.

And still, they keep coming.

"We don't ever want to go back," a stunned Rafiq said, describing his family's ordeal as Bangladeshi volunteers stuffed a small wad of cash into his hand and gave their children biscuits. Another man offered a bottle of water, and Rafiq poured some into his wife's mouth as she lay in his arms, staring blankly at the sky.

"This is not our home. It is not our country," Rafiq said. "But at least, we feel safe here."

Not all those who have fled over the last few desperate weeks have survived. The International Organization for Migration said more than 60 refugees were confirmed dead or missing and presumed dead after one vessel capsized in rough seas in the area Thursday.

The crisis began when a Rohingya insurgent group launched attacks with rifles and machetes on a series of security posts in Myanmar on 25 August, prompting the military to launch a brutal round of "clearance operations" in response. Those fleeing have described indiscriminate attacks by security forces and Buddhist mobs, including monks, as well as killings and rapes.

While the international community has condemned the violence and called on Myanmar to protect the Rohingya, Sufi Ullah, a police officer in Teknaf, said nothing has changed.

"We're seeing them come across whenever they get the chance," Ullah said. "They're hiding in the forests and hills (inside Myanmar) in the daytime. And when they get the chance, they run. The Myanmar Army is putting pressure on them. These people are afraid."

Ullah said several thousand new refugees arrived by boat in Bangladesh on Friday, and authorities were not expecting the flow to let up anytime soon.

On Friday, dramatic scenes played out over and over as hordes of Rohingya who had crossed into Bangladesh overnight tried to make their way further inland. They trudged out of boats and through mud that in some places was knee deep. Men carried babies and old women on their backs. Everyone was exhausted.

Sonabanu Chemmon was among those too weak to walk. Her son-in-law had carried her to one of Bangladeshi's inland creeks, near Shah Porir Dip. But he then abandoned her along with several of her adult daughters.

Asked why Chemmon covered her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks.

"He said he had carried me far enough, that he couldn't carry me anymore," she said. "He told me, 'You can make it from here. I have to look after my own children.'"

Chemmon was finally helped by several Bangladeshis who are among a small army of local citizenry collecting donations, food and clothing, and handing it out to desperate new arrivals.

"Some of these people haven't eaten or slept in days. They're so weak, they can't even walk," said Mohamed Ismail, a Bangladeshi volunteer who traveled here from the city of Chittagong.

"I've never seen anything like it. They have nothing. It's painful to watch," he said, turning away, overcome with emotion. "Bangladesh is not rich, but we have to help."

Karim Elguindi, who heads the UN World Food Program office in Cox's Bazar, described the scene Friday as "distressing."

"There are more and more people coming and there's not enough space in the existing camps" to accommodate them, said Elguindi, who was touring the area after hearing a new influx was underway. "I don't know how many Rohingya are left in Myanmar...but there's more on the way."

Elguindi said many of the refugees had been traveling for five days or more, and many were not carrying food during the journey. "These people are very vulnerable, very hungry...they need shelter, they need water."

Myanmar's government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and it's still powerful military do not allow independent media free access to northern Rakhine state, from where the Rohingya are fleeing. While fires are no longer visible from the Bangladeshi border, some refugees told The Associated Press that their homes had been burned as recently as two days ago.

Rafiq said he and his wife, Noor Khatum, fled their home in the Maungdaw village in Khai Dar Para in the first week of September after police and soldiers moved in and Buddhist mobs, including monks, set fire to homes there in the middle of the night.

Rafiq managed to get his 5-year-old daughter out, while his wife carried their 2-year-old son. But their house, made of wood and sticks, burned quickly, collapsing on their baby boy before they could save him.

After fleeing, they took shelter with relatives in another village, but several days later that village, too, was torched by Buddhist mobs. Rafiq and his family then hid with others in an abandoned house near the border for two weeks but had no money to pay boatmen to take them across the Naf River to Bangladesh.

So for two days, Rafiq helped other families escape, carrying them and their goods in exchange for amounts of cash. On Friday at 3 am his own family finally made it out.

Now, in Bangladesh, a far more uncertain chapter of their lives has begun.

"We don't know where we will go," Rafiq said forlornly, as a long line of families trudged single file toward the town of Teknaf, where authorities were assessing the new arrivals and trucking them to camps further north. "We have nothing. We don't know what we will do."
Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister K Palaniswamy was among the political leaders who greeted state governor-designate Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday on his appointment.

Opposition DMK also welcomed the appointment of Purohit as governor of Tamil Nadu and expressed confidence that he will discharge his constitutional duties in a "free and non-partisan manner."

A release from the Tamil Nadu government said that the chief minister dialed up Purohit.

"The chief minister extended joy and greetings on his behalf and that of the people of Tamil Nadu," it said.

DMK working President and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, MK Stalin, welcomed Purohit's appointment and greeted the latter.

Referring to Maharashtra governor Vidyasagar Rao holding "additional" responsibility of Tamil Nadu so far amidst a "crisis" in the state politics and Assembly, he said it had "affected" government administration, resulting in "stagnation" of progress in many departments.

Following a revolt of then 18 MLAs supporting AIADMK's sidelined leader TTV Dhinakaran against Chief Minister K Palaniswamy last month, DMK and other Opposition parties had urged Rao to order a floor test of the government to prove its numbers in the Assembly.

In a statement, Stalin referred to reports stating that the unified AIADMK has submitted an affidavit in Election Commission that Palaniswamy enjoyed the support of 113 MLAs although the simple majority requirement is 117 in the 234-member House.

RK Nagar seat lies vacant following the death of J Jayalalithaa last year.

However, 18 pro-Dhinakaran MLAs had been disqualified by Speaker P Dhanapal on 18 September, bringing down the strength of the House to 215.

"At a time when affidavits have been filed in the EC that the (chief minister has) 113 members' support in the 234 member House, I am sure the new governor will discharge his constitutional responsibilities and duties in a free and non-partisan manner," Stalin said, apparently stressing on the demand for a floor test.

BJP state unit also welcomed and greeted Purohit, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the appointment.

Party's state President Tamilisai Sounderrajan, while extending her greetings to Purohit, also thanked Rao for "efficiently handling the challenging" political situation in Tamil Nadu.

Purohit was equally adept at "facing such challenging situations", she said in a statement and hailed his experience.

"Under his guidance, it is for sure that Tamil Nadu will progress to a healthy situation," she added.

PMK Youth Wing leader and Lok Sabha MP Anbumani Ramadoss also welcomed Purohit's appointment.

"The new governor should put an end to all the political confusion in Tamil Nadu," he said in a statement, referring to Palaniswamy government having "lost majority" following the internal revolt in the ruling party.

Purohit had vast experience as MLA, MP, minister, and the governor and he "should use that experience" to put an end to the political confusion in Tamil Nadu, he added.

Former Union minister and TMC (M) leader GK Vasan expressed confidence that Purohit will use his experience to ensure public welfare.

President Ram Nath Kovind had earlier announced the appointment of Purohit as governor of Tamil Nadu.

Vidyasagar Rao was holding the additional charge of the state and there had been demands of appointment of a full-time governor in view of the political situation in the state.
Mumbai: There was no pre-festival illumination of the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) as railway employees joined the city in mourning the Elphinstone Road station tragedy by not celebrating Dussehra festival.

On Friday night, Mumbaikars took out a candle march on the Elphinstone railway bridge and prayed for the departed souls.

"Yes, it is true that the railway officials, employees, workers are not celebrating Dussehra today in the wake of the tragic incident that took place on Friday.

"All our staff, officers are saddened and they have spontaneously taken a call not to celebrate Dussehra," chief spokesperson of Western Railway Ravinder Bhakar said.

At least 22 people died and over 30 were injured in the stampede that took place on a narrow foot-over-bridge (FoB) that connects the Elphinstone Road on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line.

Chief spokesperson of Central Railway Sunil Udasi said the Central Railway employees too are not celebrating the festival today.

He said, "It is a call taken by railway employees and officers on their own not to celebrate the festival owing to the tragic incident."

While the CSMT station is illuminated ahead of every festival, the building wore a gloomy look on Friday.
Bathukamma has been always an integral part of the cultural ethos of Telangana.

It was the biggest social event of the year for my grandmother, who was full of tales from her childhood during the festival  of trips to the village pond for festivities and scouring for unique flowers to ensure that the floral arrangements stood out. It is this celebration of/by women that is at the center of a cultural revolution the government wants to bring about, with Telangana identity as its pivot.

Celebrated with much fanfare for nine days starting from the mahalaya amavasya before Dussehra, Bathukamma (Bathuku meaning life, amma meaning mother) is a floral arrangement which is worshipped as a goddess. Made by the women of the house on a brass plate, flowers of different colors are arranged on top of each other in a conical arrangement, gradually decreasing in size. Atop the mound is a small cone of turmeric representing the Goddess Gowri.

This arrangement resembling a temple gopuram is then placed before the family goddess and prayers are offered. In the evenings, women deck up in finery, congregate at one point (village squares or Temples in olden days) and encircle it. Singing songs and clapping their hands in unison (akin to the garba) they pray for peace and prosperity.

Before dusk, the arrangement is immersed in water and the women share a special prasad made only during Bathukamma, called maleeda or maleeza (in Northern Telangana) made from sugar/jaggery and wheat flour. The festivities continue for nine days ending on a crescendo with the finale, Saddula Bathukamma, where five varieties of special Telangana rice dishes made from coconut, tamarind, curd, lemon and sesame are offered to the Goddess.

Like most rural festivals in the country, the origins of Bathukamma are hazy too. However, its purpose has always been clear as Anuradha Reddy, state co-convenor of INTACH Hyderabad, shares, Bathukamma finds it origin through the folk traditions of Telangana. After the monsoons, the lakes were full and flowers, plentiful. It was an occasion to pay tribute to the river and village goddesses. Immersion in ponds was only natural as both haldi/flowers purified the water.

This festival is one of the few which had participation only from women.

Anuradha Reddy opines that was because of the socio-economic patterns of the time. She says, Women in those days led cloistered lives. This was an occasion for married women to return to their maternal homes (as it coincides with Dussehra) and take a break from mundane chores. They could dance, pray and share their sorrows with other women. It was also a democratic festival as it wasnt restricted to any particular caste, everyone was welcome to participate and celebrate.

Surya Kumar, a retired lecturer from Deccan Archaeological and Cultural Research Institute (DACRI) says that Bathukamma has been around from the Kakatiyan times (10th-13th century). He says, Nature worship has always been an integral part of Hinduism and the female form was called Gowri or Parvati. Though there is no historical evidence, Kakatiyan times saw a huge amount of warfare and this festival is believed to be an offering by the women to the Goddess for the safety of their men. Most experts tend to agree on this as the festival is restricted only to the Telangana region which was under Kakatiya rulers.

While the festival was always celebrated with pomp and gaiety, it didnt have the publicity blitzkrieg or buzz which surrounds it today. Ever since the TRS government swept into power on the back of Telangana identity, Bathukamma has moved from being just a village festival to being at the center of cultural appropriation. Declaring it the state festival (along with Bonalu), the government has even commissioned an annual film festival for the occasion.

Almost all the major thoroughfares in the city are decked up and every effort is being made by the government so that the celebrations are on a lavish scale. Special arrangements were made to ensure that nearly 25,000 women took part in a government-organised soiree at LB Stadium, on the likes never seen before in the city. A massive show of Telangana pride, the event had a 25-foot flower arrangement with participation from all districts of the state.

This year the government allotted Rs 15 crore as funds for the festival. The talking point however, was the expenditure of more than Rs 200 crores to distribute free saris to over one crore women all over the state. While 52 lakh saris were procured from the weavers in state, the rest were outsourced from Surat due to shortage of time. The government has promised to source all saris from weavers based in Telangana from next year.

With over 500 designs and colors, these saris became the center of a storm when, opposition parties held a demonstration complaining about the poor quality and even burnt some at dharnas. Protest apart, the gesture was a great PR event for the government apart from earning them a huge amount of goodwill.

Anuradha Reddy opines that the revival and recognition is a welcome change but cautions: Bathukamma was a celebration where women formed kinship with other women and shared their stories. While I welcome the interest and initiative taken, one must be careful not to lose the personal touch. Whether it needs to resemble a Mardi Gras or a carnival in Goa is for the people to decide.

Many however, feel that the widespread celebrations are justified considering that Telangana culture rarely got any prominence during the days of united Andhra Pradesh. With the bifurcation fought on the basis of cultural identity rather than language, using custom as the axis of governance seems acceptable.

Some changes though, rankle the old guard. The primary is the usage of plastic and paper in making Bathukamma, which is strictly against the very premise of the festival, which depends on floral arrangements. The usage of orchids and roses is being frowned upon as only seasonal flowers which grew in abundance (like pumpkin leaf and flower, marigold and Indian lotus amongst others) were traditionally used.

The usage of dandiya sticks too is not accepted as clapping and dancing rhythmically was the traditional practice, although Anuradha Reddy says this was always in existence in some parts of the state. While traditionally Bathukamma was played only in the evening after a visit to a temple, it is now moved to afternoon (in some places) to grapple with the growing numbers.

The biggest sacrilege however, is the usage of film songs which at some places have taken over from folk songs. Imparted down the generations in an oral tradition and considered too sacrosanct to be trifled with, the folk songs vary, from describing the tales of the common woman and celebrating sisterhood to songs dedicated to the Goddess.

Criticism apart, the festival is a big hit with youngsters and Telangana Telugus abroad. From the US to the UK and Australia to Canada, it is celebrated with gusto by the expat population and has become an international export of Telangana traditions showcasing the muscle of soft power. Social media too has played its part, with the hash tag Bathukamma generating more than one crore impressions on Twitter in the nine days of the festival this year.

Bathukamma in todays time signifies the importance of preserving a cultural legacy. Whether it is celebrated in the backyards of villages or in the midst of a stadium, its essence represents the ethos of the region. Dedicated to the women of Telangana, it is a subtle reminder that all life comes from nature and goes back to nature.
X recalls that when she was in Class VIII, a rumour went around her school: the local cable channel played blue films every Saturday, after midnight. Many of the girls decided they would check if the rumour was true, X among them. That Saturday, after the clock had struck 12, she switched the TV on  taking great care not to wake her parents  only to find a blank blue screen on the promised channel. After a long wait yielded no change, she crept back to bed. And thus ended her adventure with porn.

X may have been unsuccessful, but most Indians seem not to have shared her fate. Anecdotal evidence indicates that most Indians (male and female) first encounter porn by the age of 12. If you were a product of the 80s, your stories about accessing porn might involve video cassettes and rented VCRs; later, floppy disks and then CDs made viewing risque content simpler  although not as simple as browsing porn on your smartphone now is. In 2017, porn consumption in India reportedly rose by 75 percent when mobile data rates dropped, mostly in tier-2 and 3 towns.

***

Indians now account for the third-highest chunk of visitors to Pornhub (up from fifth highest in 2014), one of the biggest porn aggregator sites in the world.

When Pornhub turned 10 in May 2017, it released data collated over the past decade, to commemorate the occasion  a huge trove of stats that described everything from how many visitors logged on in a day (75 million annually, at last count), to the number of videos that were uploaded on the site (10 million), to the sum total of hours that these videos ran for (476,291 in 2016; up from 134 in 2007). There was information about how much time the average user spent on Pornhub (9.46 minutes), what the percentage of male versus female visitors was, and which countries they came from. It also provided all the search categories that had been most popular globally, for men and for women, down the past decade  'MILF' and 'Lesbian' ranked consistently high, as did 'Amateur'.

Here was a look at human desire  or at least what humans liked to look at, when they thought no one else was looking. It was illuminating, this picture that big data had made available about our porn preferences, about what millions of people around the world were typing into their search bars when they wanted to be aroused.

***

The 10 years of Pornhub Insights report prompted many news articles; the catchiest of statistics were picked up, and the trends analysed. Why had cuckold suddenly picked up as a search term? Why were women seemingly so fond of massage porn? Amid this commentary, a column by Maureen O'Connor, published in New York magazine in June 2017, stood out.

OConnor called Pornhub Insights the Kinsey Report of our time. We are living in a golden age of sexual creativity  an erotic renaissance that is, I believe, unprecedented in human history. Today you can, in a matter of minutes, see more boners than the most orgiastic member of Caligulas court would see in a lifetime. This is, in itself, enough to revolutionise sexual culture at every level. But seeing isnt even the whole story  because each of us also has the ability to replicate, share, and reinvent everything we see. Taken as a whole, this vast trove of smut is the Kinsey Report of our time, shedding light on the multiplicity of erotic desires and sexual behaviors in our midst she wrote.

***

Beginning in 1938, zoologist Alfred Kinsey embarked on what is considered among the most comprehensive studies of human sexuality. Or more specifically, American sexuality. Kinsey interviewed thousands of subjects (most of them personally) over a 25-year period. Along with two other colleagues, Kinsey published two books: Sexual Behaviour In The Human Male and Sexual Behaviour in the Human Female, and some of the results he reported (such as 10 percent of the American male population being gay, and half of all married men having extramarital affairs etc) were met with much shock at the time.

Kinseys work, while pioneering, was criticised on other grounds as well. Many academicians felt his sample was skewed, as was the methodology itself. And there was always the question of whether or not all those people he interviewed had told him the truth.

Pornhub Insights doesn't suffer from those problems. Of course, the findings are restricted to those who visit the site, but it is still an inordinately large number of people, from all parts of the globe. And while they are quite as likely to be open/hesitant/forthright/reserved in a conversation with another human being (or even while responding to a questionnaire) about what they prefer when it comes to porn, they're not likely to lie when they're searching for it, in private, in the presence of only their screens.

Kinsey would have loved Pornhub Insights.

***

On Pornhub Insights, India ranked just below the US, UK and Canada when it came to the countries that generated most traffic in 2016. Pornhub's vice president Corey Price told us that in 2017, India occupied the third rank in terms of viewership. Due to the size of India, as one of the most populated countries in the world, it has always been a large market for us, Price told Firstpost.

Pornhub also pulled out India-specific data for 2017 for Firstpost. Here's a look at some of their more non-NSFW results:



Of course, Pornhub provides only numbers and no qualitative data. So it remains in the realm of conjecture why so many Indians seem to be searching for xxx bf pakistan videos or those involving neighbour affairs. Or why, in conjunction with the rest of the world, cuckold seems to be a very popular search term here, even as Indian and MILF remain leading search terms for both men and women.

I search for 'best friend's mom', or 'friend's hot sister', a male from the 20-25 age group told us.

Where men and women diverged was in the same sex porn category  this search term was more popular among women than men. In fact, guy on guy seemed to be a big no-no for the men we spoke to  with (gang) rape and pedophilia scenarios being other hard limits. Attractive visuals were a must  the caveat being nothing should look 'too artificial'. The porn that they sought out online did ally with what they liked in real life as well. Videos that eased into the sex were preferred, as opposed to 'gonzo' shots.

For women, 'lesbian sex' was closely followed by a search term called female friendly among the 'top searched' categories  which makes sense, because these may be less threatening categories to look at, in a scenario where women adult performers can be presented in extremely demeaning situations (think swirlies, facial abuse and suchlike). One woman, in her early 20s, told us that she stopped watching porn more than eight years ago  now she uses only the erotic GIFs from Tumblr, mostly for sexting. "Porn made me believe that foreplay has much less importance than the act, that men can last for hours, that there is no initial awkwardness, and that orgasms for women are easy to achieve," she rued.

***

India doesn't have the equivalent of a Kinsey Report. What we have is Dr Mahinder Watsas sex column, where anxious Indians  men and women  write in with all manner of queries. One may be tempted to dismiss some of the more outlandish queries as fake, but I've been assured that the majority of these are genuine. The column has run for many years now, and Dr Watsas dry responses to these hundreds of queries were compiled into a book (It's Normal!) in 2015. The columns run the gamut from queries about male and female organs (the size and appearance thereof), contraception, safe sex, the advisability of giving in to sexual fantasies, waning sex lives, mismatched libidos, libidos that won't be denied, masturbation (if it's bad, and how much of it is too much) and so on. Put together, they too tell us a story about Indian sexuality  albeit in a limited way, with generalisations difficult to draw.

Pornhub Insights may not tell us so much about the sex lives of Indians as it does about their sexual fantasies  and that there is a difference between what we like to see and what we like to do/have done to us, is fairly well-established. There have been attempts by various media houses, in association with Durex, Nielsen etc to do a Kinsey for India. But with results being so widely differing, and no comprehensive academic study in the pipeline, Pornhub Insights is what we'll have to rely on, for some time to come.
When Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, otherwise known for his mild-mannered demeanour, goes ballistic calling an equally temperate Rahul Gandhi a gangu teli and a chamachidiyo (a drowsy bat) in response to the latter's 72-hour campaign in the state that concluded on Friday, it sure is a sign of panic.

And there is a reason for Rupanis irritation.

Rahuls three-day visit has pumped in a much-needed adrenaline into the Congress rank and file while leaving a large populace curious, many of whom already appeared to be in a mood for change. Curiosity because Gandhi presented himself in a different light to the people who are continuously fed pappu jokes on WhatsApp. Not that he really endeared himself to them like Narendra Modi once did, but there should not be any misjudgment on this.

Besides, the fact that the impromptu crowds which gathered at places where Gandhi was to come, made no bones of their disillusionment with BJP, shows that the simplicity of the Congress vice-president's visit may have flown in the face of the ruling party's overkill of promises bordering on fatigue and nausea.

Narmada nu paani? Kyan chhey paani? Paak sukaai jay pachhi malshe paani? Moti-moti vaitu karey chhe, maltu kashu nathi (Where is Narmada water? Will we get it after the crop dries up? He makes big promises, we dont get anything), says Rajesh Tapubhai Patel.

He was talking with this writer at the roadside of Saraaya village in Jamnagar district when other villagers started gathering.

A cynical Nathalal Patel chipped in, I warned them repeatedly. Dont go into the slush (he was referring to lotus), but they just wont listen and are now complaining.

Nanjibhai Patel retorted, Ha baarabar chhey, relo atyare aavey tou shu karu? (Ok, ok, so what? What do I do if the realisation strikes now). At this point, others started giggling.

We are fed up of all the hollow talks. We never got electricity supply for eight hours as they claim, he continued.

Nobody in the crowd was waiting for any questions. They just went on. The government has promised to buy our groundnut crop at Rs 900 MSP for 20 kg after Labh Pancham (the fifth day after Diwali), which is a joke. The input cost goes to around Rs 800 or more, this MSP has no meaning, says Ashokbhai Narsinhbhai.

Suddenly, Rajesh Patel, another bystander joked aloud and everyone laughed. "We will need to bear two sons now and depute one to Narendra Modi to run all the errands related to paperwork. Get a stamp there, get a document signed here, get it verified and attested. So, the duty of this extra son will be this," he said, loosely referring to GST.

"We all went and gave loads and loads of votes. We reposed a lot of faith. But if you give anything in excess, they vomit it on us only," Babubhai Jivabhai shrugged.

They were unstoppable.

In a backdrop like this, Gandhi came only as a whiff of fresh air and not so much as a charismatic leader.

Can Saurashtra bring Congress' revival?

But for the people in Saurashtra, the sheer fact of a national leader mingling with the crowd and chatting with them about their real problems is as good as solving their issues. Somebody merely listening to them and not lecturing them through organised posed-for public meetings makes them happy, particularly in an anti-incumbency atmosphere.

Gandhis schedule was smartly thought of to ensure that he made more personal interactions than holding large public meetings since there is little in his oratory to make an impact. "It was better that he went to the people and chatted with them, rather than them being pooled in and mobilised. Even in places where we had public meetings, they were kept small in size, says a Congress worker, who was at the forefront of organising the logistics and worked closely with Gandhis team. He does not wish to be identified.

From Dwarkadheesh temple in the historical town of Dwarka to the popular hilltop Chamunda Mata Temple in Chotila, where Gandhi climbed nearly 900 steep steps in 47 minutes when locals waiting on the foothill debated if he would be able to make it, to the popular deity of the agitating Patidars at Khodaldham Temple in Kagvad near Rajkot, visits to popular temples of local deities was an integral part of Gandhi's itinerary.

It's important to note that Saurashtra, a region in Gujarat, plays a very important role in state politics, just like the state of Uttar Pradesh does in national politics. It sends the maximum number of MLAs, 52, to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly and is equally caste-driven, feudal and economically backward.

The region, however, is the strongest bastion of BJP. The Congress had managed only 15 seats out of 48 in the 2012 assembly elections, while BJP got 30. Two seats were won by former BJP chief minister Keshubhai Patels Gujarat Parivartan Party, which later merged with the ruling party.

Perhaps, this is why Rupani blurted out those words, which otherwise are not in sync with his persona. Gandhis visit seems to have rattled the BJP that has been running Gujarat for the past 22 years with a virtual power of attorney of an unquestioning populace.

What accentuates the fact is that the chief minister belongs to Rajkot, the nerve centre of the Saurashtra region and he has won from there. The more Gandhi travelled, the more Rupani and the partys spokespersons kept on repeating that Congress loses wherever the Congress vice-president campaigns.

BJP president Amit Shah was parallelly in Gujarat but he was not campaigning, he was looking inwards holding frantic strategy meetings and taking stock of the preparedness of party workers. He is learned to have severely pulled up the chiefs of various cells and morchas as well as office-bearers of the party for not doing enough. Shah even asked them to compare the preparations ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections when the party won 26 out of the 26 seats in Gujarat, and now. He was scheduled to leave for Delhi on Saturday morning.

It is a double whammy for BJP in Gujarat, which is feeling the absence of Narendra Modi as chief minister and is banking completely on his leadership, whose own actions and claims are now being questioned.

There is little to show of the Rupani Government  few, including Gandhi even mention him beyond that it is a remote-controlled dispensation  and the partys future hinges completely on the charisma of Modi. And it is very much there, though it may have jaded. The state leaders are confident that Modi would be there at the peak of the campaign like in Uttar Pradesh to turn the tide with his magic wand that works the best in Gujarat.

Gandhi vs Modi

For now, Gandhi is taking the Modi Government head-on and not so much the Gujarat dispensation  though he is campaigning for a state election  in the same way as BJP is harping on the achievements of the central government.

During his speeches, Gandhi focussed on issues that hurt the BJP govt the most such as demonetisation, GST, unemployment, farmer distress, the issue of Patidars in Gujarat and price rise.

Tearing into the govt's hurriedness to implement GST, Gandhi said, Ek din Narendra Modi-ji ko 500-1000 ka note achha nahi laga, bus bandh kar diya. Hanste-hanste rad kar diya, bus kar diya rad, ha, ha, ha, (One day, Narendra Modi didnt like the look of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, so he just scrapped them and was laughing), Rahul taunted, as people went into peals of laughter.

Waise hi, itni jaldi kya thi GST ki. Humne kaha dhirey se laaiye, lekin nahi, kisi ki sunte nahi wo (In the same way, what was the hurry to implement GST. We asked to go slow and give time but no, they wont listen), Gandhi said, adding that Congress never envisaged GST in this format with several slabs and a high rate of 28 percent. "The common man and the small businesses have been hit hard by this, he said.

When Gandhi asked the people what has happened to development in Gujarat, there was a collective response from many, Vikas gaando thai gayo chhe (development has gone bonkers)", a phrase which has become popular on social media, and has brought huge embarrassment to BJP in Gujarat. Gandhi said it was a result of "Narendra Modis habit of taking people for a ride".

"He said, he will generate two crore jobs, he will get all black money and people will have Rs 15 lakh each in their account, promised farmers to get remunerative prices, to name a few. Nothing of this has materialised, Gandhi added.

Gandhi also taunted Narendra Modi's Make In India slogan, stating that it will be a shame that the Sardar Patels statue will be "brought with the emblem Made in China on it".

Gandhi also made promises of his own though, stating that the Congress government in Gujarat will waive farmers' dues in 10 days. The government in Gujarat is run on a remote control. It wont happen if Congress comes to power. The government will be run in consultation with the farmers, the poor, the youth, and the small businesses, he said.

Gandhi also taunted Modi's Make In India slogan. Sardar Patels statue is being made in China. It will be a shame that it will be brought with the emblem Made in China on it, he said.

The other side: winnability vs nepotism

But there is a catch. Gandhi may have enthused party cadres and the populace in Saurashtra region, but this is not a direct ticket to victory and the ball is in the court of the Gujarat leadership of the party, which has been adept at squandering away opportunities. After the exit of Shankersinh Vaghela, Congress is left with no leader who has a state-level connect.

The party currently has four regional leaders  state chief Bharatsinh Solanki, two former presidents Arjun Modhwadia and Siddharth Patel, and a former leader of Opposition and a national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil  but none of them were able to win their own seats in the previous elections. Though Gohil later won a by-election, it was from the Kutch region and not from his home district of Bhavnagar.

Solanki could not protect his Anand Lok Sabha seat in 2014, which was nurtured over years by his illustrious father and former union minister Madhavsinh Solanki, also a four-time chief minister of Gujarat. In fact, there has been a litany of complaints about his arrogant style of functioning forcing the central leadership to clip his wings recently by the appointment of four working presidents to assist him.

As Gandhi flew to Delhi, a party strategist warned against nepotism in selecting candidates.

We lost many crucial seats in previous elections because the criterion for candidate selection was not winnability but proximity to the local leaders. If we are able to set this right, all the effort that Gandhi made during his sweltering tour could bear fruit. Not otherwise, a party strategist told FirstPost.

For now, the party is waiting for Rahuls next three-day sojourn to central and north Gujarat on 9 October.
A day after 22 people were killed in a stampede on a foot-over-bridge at Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai, MNS chief Raj Thackeray trained his guns on the ambitious bullet train project. Thackeray warned the Centre and the Maharashtra government that his party won't let even a single brick be laid for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, until basic infrastructure is provided to Mumbai citizens.

Speaking to reporters at his residence in Dadar, Thackeray threatened a major morcha to the Western Railways headquarters in Churchgate on 5 October, to highlight poor transport infrastructure, CNN News18 reported.

"While people are struggling to survive in the cities, Modi is asking them to do yoga and campaign for Swachh Bharat. We will launch a 'no bullet train campaign'," Thackeray said slamming the Modi government.

The MNS president claimed that Suresh Prabhu was replaced by Piyush Goyal as the Railway Minister only to push through the Bullet Train project. "This Goyal is useless, Prabhu was good," he said.

"Does one need bullet train or improvement of basic rail infrastructure," Thackeray said.

Attacking the BJP, Thackeray called Modi a "liar" who changed all his statements before and after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. "We have never seen a PM who is such a big liar. He made big promises and then dismissed them as 'election jumlas'. How much can a person lie in this fashion?" asked Thackeray.

Questioning the Railways over the poor handling of the situation on Friday, Thackeray criticised the Railways for pinning the blame on the rains for the tragedy, ANI reported.

It is not the first time that it rained in Mumbai.They (Railway) say it happened due to rains?: Raj Thackeray, MNS chief #MumbaiStampede  ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017

"A list of issues related to local trains in Mumbai will be given to the Railways on 5 October. But if things don't get better, we will look into the issue in our style", CNN News18 quoted him as saying. In the past, the MNS has been known to use strong-arm tactics against government authorities and ordinary citizens to enforce its agenda. Taking potshots at the condition of infrastructure, Thackeray said that Mumbai does not need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan when trains kill people on a daily basis.

Why do we need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan?it seems our own Railway is enough to kill people:Raj Thackeray,MNS Chief #MumbaiStampede pic.twitter.com/OiAyvyBMca  ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017

Thackeray also warned the authorities to take action against illegal hawkers who occupy foot-over bridges in Mumbai.

"If the deadline to throw out hawkers is not complied with then we'll act on our own," ANI quoted Thackeray as saying.

Will give a deadline to throw out illegal hawkers from station bridges,if it is not complied with then we'll act on our own: Raj Thackeray pic.twitter.com/WZLADpdYQr  ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017

The MNS leader added, "There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions."

Saying that he had travelled in Mumbai suburban trains for two years while studying arts at the Sir J J College, Thackeray said, "What you call the famed spirit of Mumbai which overcomes such tragedies is actually hopelessness in face of such calamities."

Thackeray said that his party leader Bala Nandgaonkar had written to authorities for building a new bridge at the stampede spot but no action was taken on his suggestion and instead Nandgaonkar was told to approach the MMRDA.

The Kakodkar committee had proposed an expenditure of Rs one lakh crore to improve the railway infrastructure but nobody acted on it, he claimed.

Thackeray claimed he did not visit the stampede spot or the hospital on Friday as "politicians are there at such spots only for television cameras".

At least 22 were killed, and dozens injured after a stampede ensued on a foot-over bridge during the early morning rush at Elphinstone Road station on Friday. The tragedy took place amid rain in at around 10.40 am when the foot-over bridge was heavily crowded. Police suspect that a rumour of a short-circuit near the foot-over bridge led to panic, resulting in the stampede.

Officials of the railway, police and fire brigade then reached the site to carry out rescue operations. The dead as well as the injured were admitted to KEM Hospital in Parel.

Reacting to the tragedy, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal ordered a high-level inquiry. This is a very sad day and the accident that happened at the Elphinstone Road Station is extremely worrisome. I have ordered a high-level enquiry into the matter," Goyal told media gathered outside the Mumbai International airport on Friday.

With inputs from agencies
The prominent French movie actor Samy Naceri, known particularly for his work in the four Taxi films, has been put on Ukraine's Myrotvorets Center database for visiting Russia-annexed Crimea.

Naceri's profile on the Myrotvorets website says he was included in the database for deliberately violating Ukraine's border with the purpose of entering Russian-occupied Crimea.

"A participant in attempts to legalize the annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by Russia Entered Crimea through a closed checkpoint on September 30, 2017," Naceri's profile says.

The actor has arrived in Crimea to take part in the 3rd international peacekeeping film festival 'I Love Peace' to open in Yalta on October 1.

Foreign politicians, moviemakers, and actors put on the Myrotvorets database are barred from entering Ukraine.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala BJP on Saturday alleged that the southern state had turned into a "fertile soil" for "jihadi terrorism" and hit out at the ruling CPM and Opposition Congress for "doing nothing" to eliminate the "threat".

BJP national executive member V Muraleedharan also claimed in Thiruvananthapuram that the reported presence of Keralites in global terror outfit Islamic State was the "result of the growing jihadi terrorism" in the state.

"Kerala has become a fertile soil for jihadi terrorism...the stand taken by the Congress and CPI(M), who have ruled the state alternatively all these years, cannot be taken lightly by us in this regard," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

Muraleedharan accused both the major political parties in the state of "doing nothing" to eliminate the "threat", even though its roots had spread "far and wide".

The BJP leader also claimed that the "shrinking political space" for the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key partner in the opposition, the Congress-led UDF, also played a role in the spread of the "jihadi terrorism" in Kerala.
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena "will remain in power to protect the interests of people", the party mouthpiece on Saturday said amid speculation that it may pull out of the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

The frayed relationship between the BJP and Shiv Sena had come under fresh strain after Sena MP Sanjay Raut had recently said his party will soon decide on whether to continue in the two-party coalition government in Maharashtra.

However, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Saturday said "the party would not end the coalition when assembly elections are two years away and will continue to remain in power to protect the interests of people".

Shiv Sena has 12 ministers in the Fadnavis government, including five of the Cabinet rank. Maharashtra has a 39-member council of ministers. The party has one minister in the NDA ministry at the Centre.

The editorial also hit out at the railways and the central government, alleging that their apathy led to Friday's stampede at the Elphinstone Road station that killed 22 people.

The Sena also took a swipe at the ambitious bullet train project from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, saying, "what is the use of the bullet train when you cannot provide basic infrastructure to local commuters?"
tech2 News Staff

Elon Musk, at the International Astronomical Congress, delivered a speech in which he outlined in more detail his plan for getting humans to the moon, Mars and anywhere on Earth in less than 30 minutes.

Crucial to this plan is SpaceX BFR  Big Falcon/F**king Rocket, depending on your inclination  which is now smaller and lighter than the one Musk described last year. The biggest problem with the BFR, which, while smaller than the original plan, is still more massive than the Saturn V, is that its expensive. Last year, Musk had no clear plan on how to fund the project and cracked jokes about Kickstarter campaigns and selling underwear. This year, Musk has a plan.

Musk now intend to replace the Falcon and Dragon programs with BFR, which will now be modular and adaptable to multiple roles. All the resources invested in rockets like the Falcon 9 Heavy and Dragon will be used for BFR, and Musk thinks that the money earned from satellite launch commissions and from servicing the ISS (International Space Station) will be enough for the program.

In its heaviest configuration, BFR will be capable of carrying a payload of 150 tonnes to low Earth orbit (LEO). The upcoming Falcon Heavy will carry a relatively tiny 34 tonnes to orbit.

BFR will apparently use a Raptor engine, which Musk claims has the highest thrust-to-weight ratio of any engine in the world. Thirty one of these engines will be strapped to the BFR, providing a mind-boggling 5,500 tonnes of thrust. The vehicle will weigh 4,400 tonnes.

So far, the Raptor engines have been test-fired for a total of 1,200 seconds. The maximum length of time for a single test fire has been 100 seconds, which Musk says is a limitation of the fuel tank and not the rocket motor. A 100 seconds might seem low, but as Musk points out, a Mars landing will only require 40 seconds on thrust.

Speaking of engines, Musk points out that currently, SpaceX craft return and land with only one engine. There have been 16 successful, back-to-back landings so far. The BFR will be a multi-engine system with a landing reliability on par with that of commercial aircraft, promises Musk.

The new lander will apparently dock directly with the launch mounts, eliminating the need for legs.

The BFR payload will be 8-stories tall and hold a pressurised volume greater than that of the enormous Airbus A380. In total, a single BFR payload will be able to carry 100 people per trip in relative luxury. Packing densities can be increased if necessary.

The spacecraft can also accommodate larger satellites, including, say, a telescope with a mirror ten times the diameter of that on the Hubble, says Musk.

The payload module will have a propulsive system of its own consisting of six engines, four of which will operate in vacuum. All the engines are gimballed and can be used to generate directional thrust. Only the two central engines are required for landing, says Musk, and of those two, only one is required to land safely.

One limitation of the BFR, and with heavy rockets in general, is that it can only get to LEO with its 150 tonne payload. To get to the moon or Mars and back will require more fuel.

Musks plan is to develop refuelling tankers in space. These tankers will carry the methane-oxygen combo that makes up the fuel of the spacecraft. Crucial to this refuelling process, says Musk, is an automated docking procedure. This process, he says, is already being perfected by Dragon.

The refuelling process is also interesting and Musk describes a process that simply uses inertia to transfer the fuel. The ships will dock, one will thrust in one direction and inertia will transfer the fuel in the opposite direction.

To get to the moon and back, only one refuelling stop will be required. To get to Mars and back, however, Musk thinks that fuel must be produced there. Given the presence of water on Mars and the CO2-rich atmosphere, this, he believes, is possible.

Given that thousands of ships will be required to colonise Mars, a reusable rocket with refuelling capabilities is essential for cutting costs. A lot of fuel will also be required, though Musk thinks that this can be sustainably produced on Earth with solar power. He thinks that solar power can be used to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and to combine it with water to produce the necessary fuel.

Musk hopes to send two missions to Mars by 2022. The first mission, in 2022, will involve two BFRs, which will hunt for raw materials for fuel production. The following mission will occur in 2024, where four BFRs will head to Mars. Two of these will carry crew and the other two will carry resources for setting up a fuel production facility on the red planet.

Surprisingly, Musk says that this humungous BFR will be cheaper to operate than a much smaller spacecraft. Given the massive payload, Musk says the math works out just as it does for larger commercial airliners. A smaller aircraft is more expensive per person than a larger one.

If the ship can get to Mars, why cant we use the same on Earth? asks Musk. The same rocket, he thinks, can be used to connect the globe. He concluded his speech with a video where he shows the rocket  without a massive booster stage  could be used to ferry people to any place on the Earth in less than an hour. The rocket could leave the Earths atmosphere, hitting speeds in excess of 27,000 kph (most commercial airlines fly at around 800-900 kph) before re-entry and landing.

With this approach, Musk thinks a Delhi to San Francisco trip would be accomplished in just 40 minutes.

So there you have it, Musks updated plan to make humans an interplanetary species and to get anyone to anywhere else on Earth in less than an hour.

You can watch the entire, 43-minute presentation right here, and it's definitely worth a watch.
tech2 News Staff

In the wake of several cyberattacks and hacks, Google is planning to bring a better security tool to the two-step authentication security feature.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Alphabet Incs Google will be offering a security program called the Advanced Protection Program. This program is meant to block third-party access to email accounts and files stored in Google Drive.

The report also said that it is expected to continue allowing for a physical USB security key as part of its security suite.

This program is targeted at corporate executives, politicians and celebrities, the people who are most vulnerable to cyber attacks. This program is meant to secure data and emails on an everyday basis.

The most high-profile cyberattack in recent memory targeted John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman, in 2016. Hackers stole and exposed over 60,000 of Podesta's emails, which was compromised by a phishing attack.

As per Bloomberg, a Google spokesperson has refused to comment on the new security program.

Googles two-step authentication or verification security tool includes a password and the users phone number. To the users phone number, a code is sent for verification.

Two-step authentication is useful when account security is paramount and other tech companies have also enabled the feature for their services. In early 2017, WhatsApp rolled out an update that added Two-Step Authentication to WhatsApp accounts. This feature is an essential method to ensure the safety of WhatsApp accounts. After that Twitter quietly released support for third-party two-factor authentication applications enabling the twitterati to use the app to protect their accounts.

In July, Google removed about 20 Android apps from the Play Store after finding out that they contained a multi-stage spyware product for monitoring and extracting a user's sensitive data like email, text messages, location information, media files etc.
Nitish Rampal

Indias first ever mobile, internet and technology event, the India Mobile Congress 2017 (IMC), concluded on Friday, leaving in its wake a road map for the Digital India of tomorrow  one where private and government players align to herald in a digital age powered by 5G.

While IMC 2017 was touted as a big success by the organisers, many at the event couldnt help but feel a bit let down by the tech on display and the lack of basic amenities at the event  the absence of free-Wi-Fi at an event proclaiming the benefits of data inclusion and free public hotspots was ironic to say the least.

Nonetheless, there is no doubt that the event has sent out strong signals to the world that India is ready to accommodate and incentivise digitisation. IMC has now been established as a signature annual event for the growing mobile, Internet and technology ecosystem in India.

While the event made a lot of headlines owing to its line-up of prominent ministers and industry giants  where industry rivals and government honchos all seemed to have come together on a common platform  the tech on display at the event and most of the keynotes and seminars revolved around the idea of Digital India through privatisation and the advent of 5G.

The government on Tuesday had set up a high-level 5G committee with a mandate to lay down a road map for rollout of the technology by 2020.

"We have created a high-level 5G committee that will work on vision, mission and goals of 5G. When the world will roll out 5G in 2020, I believe India will be at par with them," Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha had said.

The government is said to be working on creating a corpus of Rs 500 crore to fund 5G activity, mainly on research and product development.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries and Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, echoed the views of the government as they all seemed to pitch a 5G-blueprint for furthering the multi-stakeholder approach to digitisation.

Rapid digitisation: A boon or a curse?

But while a rapid shift towards digitising India and its governance to foster inclusion seemed to be the central theme of the event, many expressed concerns over the perils of accumulating sensitive data and handing it over to private firms.

Speaking at a seminar on cyber security, Captain Raghu Raman, former head of the National Intelligence Grid in the Government of India, voiced the perils of rapid digitisation without a proper safety net.

Cyber war is a war of the minds. Simply denying the existence of a problem is not going to make it go away. The government just hands out guidelines to the citizens  like one should always verify IMEI numbers of their phones  and simply shifts the responsibility. There needs to be accountability on part of the government to protect against foreign cyber-attacks, he said.

(Read India Mobile Congress 2017: Data inclusion, security feature heavily on Day 1 for more on the security debate.)

But beyond the keynotes, seminars, warnings and bureaucratic engagements, IMC 2017 saw some interesting new technology on display and also showcased the power and benefits of 5G.

Here is all the new technology showcased at IMC 2017

LG K7i smartphone with inbuilt mosquito-repellent

LG attracted a lot of eyeballs at the event with the launch of a unique budget smartphone at the IMC, the LG K7i. The phone features a Mosquito Away Technology that supposedly drives away mosquitoes. As per a LG exhibitor, the device emits sound waves at an ultrasonic frequency which irritate mosquitoes but are inaudible to humans. The technology, as per the official, will also be available in a host of home appliances like TVs washing machines etc. The LG K7i will be priced at Rs 7,990 and will be available across retail outlets in India.

5G future

Nokia, ZTE and Ericsson showcased their preparedness to welcome in 5G and displayed a host of products that can take advantage of the 5G network.

Apart from displaying the capability of their devices, some manufactures, like Ericsson, showcased the advantages of 5G over 4G via use cases. A self-balancing robot that is able to stand up straight thanks to minimal latencies on 5G, trembles and falls when the latency is increased to 4G levels. The simple demonstration showed how a shift to 5G could help improve machine-to-machine communications and for automating tasks at remote locations.

Another interesting application of 5G was showcased through a robotic arm that mimicked the movements of a human hand with precision. Theoretically, the reduced latency levels of 5G could enable surgeons to conduct operations remotely with increased precision.

JioPhone and TV features

After the launch of the ultra-affordable Rs 1500 Jio feature phone, the company showcased another interesting capability of the device. By using a simple dongle, the phone can connect to any TV  CRT or LCD flat screen  to display live TV via the Jio TV app. The dongles, which are sold separately, comes in two varieties, one with an RCA port and the other with an HDMI port. The dongle also charges your phone as you watch TV on the big screen.

The dongles have not yet launched in the market and the pricing is still to be finalised.

MediaTek entry level 4G chipset

Taiwan-based semiconductor leader MediaTek launched its new MT6739 chipset at IMC designed for mid-to entry-level 4G smartphone users. The high-speed quad-core SoC supports dual-camera photography and 18:9 display support to bring the latest 4G LTE functions to mid and low budget users.

MT6739 is a quad-core 64bit ARM Cortex-A53 processor and operates up to 1.5 GHz. Devices enabled by the chipset will be available in India and the global market by the end of this year.

The Rs 300 phone

But the unlikely star attraction of the IMC that saw a huge number of people on all three days was a exhibition put up by a feature phone-manufacturing company Detel. Their range of phones, starting with the D1 model starts at Rs 300. A lot of people were seen purchasing the D1, and the popularity of the phone forced the manufacturers to arrange for additional stocks.

All in all the first edition of the IMC can be deemed as a success based on its concept and the response from the global community. However, given the lower-than-expected footfall, the absence of basic amenities and the lack of new big tech releases often associated with big mobile events like the MWC in Barcelona, it is safe to say that it IMC can only go up from here.
tech2 News Staff

While Samsung has been teasing the arrival of a smartphone with a folding display for long, a recent report, finally confirmed the same. The news comes from Samsung Electronics President in charge of Smartphone Business Ko Dong-jin who disclosed that the electronics giant will launch a folding smartphone in 2018. The statement was made at the launch of the Note 8 smartphone, but there are now more details on Samsung's folding smartphone strategy.

The source of the new comes from Korea's ETnews that put out a lengthy report, explaining Samsung's never-ending dedication to build its first smartphone with a folding display.

Samsung's current goal is to develop a display with a 3R curvature. 3R is basically a number that shows how far a display can be bent. The same figure also indicates the curvature that covers a circle with a radius of 3 mm.

Samsung Electronics has reportedly been working on a folding smartphone for the past 4 to 5 years. While the company initially setup a goal to build an out-folding smartphone, that goal changed about 1 to 2 years ago.

The report details how Samsung Electronics had invested both effort and substantial money in its quest to develop a smartphone with an in-folding display at the beginning of the project. The company developed not just foldable displays, but had carried out substantial R & D on parts and materials that would work well with the in-folding technology.

Strangely, that goal changed soon after and Samsung changed direction to work on an outward-folding smartphone.

And after researching on out-folding smartphones, just a year ago, Samsung again changed direction and moved back to the earlier goal of developing a smartphone with an in-folding display.

Samsung's reasoning behind changing direction in design and research is unknown. ETNews does hint that since Samsung already had a head start with in-folding almost half decade ago, it is currently at a point today, where it can begin on the commercialisation process of foldable smartphones. The electronics giant is reportedly done with the R & D stage but has a few obstacles or hurdles that it has to overcome before these smartphones can be put into production.
IANS

US President Donald Trump's lawyers have asked Facebook to provide the private account information of the social media giant's users engaged in "anti-administration activists".

"The warrants specifically target the accounts of three Facebook users who are described by their attorneys as anti-administration activists who have spoken out at organised events, and who are generally very critical of this administration's policies," CNN reported on Saturday.

The social media giant went through seven months of legal proceedings so it could make all three users aware that administration lawyers wanted their online details. "We successfully fought in court to be able to notify the three people whose broad account information was requested by the government," a Facebook spokesperson told CNN.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the targeted activists, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has moved to block the warrants. The ACLU said in a filing that enforcing the warrants would "reach deeply into individuals' private lives and protected associational and political activity", according to Independent.co.uk.

It warns that giving the government access to such broad repositories of data would stifle future speech.

Earlier in February, warrants were issued by the Attorney for the District of Columbia that asked Facebook to furnish details about the activities of three users who spearheaded mass protests against Trump's inauguration.
Beirut: At least 28 civilians were killed in air strikes on northwestern Syria where a planned safe zone has been overshadowed by a bombing campaign against jihadists, a monitor said Saturday.

Four children were among the dead in the overnight strikes on the town of Amanaz, in Idlib province near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based watchdog had earlier reported 12 dead in the strikes on the town in Harem district around 20 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital Idlib.

It said it could not immediately determine whether the strikes had been carried out by warplanes of the Syrian government or its ally Russia.

But they are the latest in an intensifying air campaign carried out by the two governments against jihadist fighters who control most of the province and are not party to a safe zone deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.

The surge in bombing raids has forced hospitals in the province to close, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Friday.

They were triggered by an offensive by jihadist fighters led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate launched against government-held villages in neighbouring Hama province on 19 September.

The jihadists control nearly all of Idlib province after driving out Islamist former allies earlier this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to step up efforts to establish a safe zone in Idlib as part of a wider agreement struck in May.

Three other safe zones have already been set up - in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, parts of the south and some areas of the central province of Homs.

The de-escalation agreement excludes both the Islamic State group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the alliance dominated by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate.
London: An Oxford college where Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi studied as an undergraduate has removed her portrait from public display, in a move that follows global criticism over her role in her country's humanitarian crisis.

The governing body of St Hugh's college, one of the University of Oxford's constituent colleges, decided to remove the painting of the Nobel laureate from its main entrance on Thursday, days before the start of the university term and the arrival of new students, The Guardian reported late on Friday.

In 2012, Suu Kyi was celebrated with an honorary doctorate from Oxford University, and held her 67th birthday party at the college where she studied politics, philosophy and economics between 1964 and 1967.

In a statement St Hugh's said: "The college received the gift of a new painting earlier this month which will be exhibited for a period. The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has, meanwhile, been moved to storage."

St Hugh's student newsletter, The Swan, said the decision to remove the portrait was taken by the college's governing body, which includes its fellows and principal Elish Angiolini.

The portrait, painted by the artist Chen Yanning in 1997, belonged to Suu Kyi's husband, the Oxford academic Michael Aris, reports The Guardian.

After Aris's death in 1999, the portrait was bequeathed to St Hugh's, and hung near the college's main entrance on St Margaret's Road in north Oxford.

The Oxford council will vote next week on stripping Suu Kyi of the freedom of the city it bestowed on her in 1997, when she was being held as a political prisoner by Myanmar's military junta.

So far Oxford University has decided not to reconsider Suu Kyi's honorary degree. But last week the university expressed its "profound concern" over the treatment of the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority.

Over 500,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh after the ongoing spate of violence began on 25 August, when Rohingya rebels attacked police checkposts in Rakhine state and killed 12 security personnel.
Yangon: More than 2,000 Rohingya have massed along Myanmar's coast this week after trekking from inland villages in Rakhine state to join the refugee exodus to Bangladesh, state media reported on Saturday.

They follow more than half a million fellow Rohingya who have emptied out of northern Rakhine in a single month, fleeing an army crackdown and communal violence the UN says amounts to "ethnic cleansing".

The journey to Bangladesh is fraught with danger for the stateless Muslim minority, who have faced decades of systematic oppression in mainly Buddhist Myanmar.

After fleeing burning villages they say were set alight by soldiers and Buddhist mobs, more than 100 Rohingya have drowned in the scramble to cross the Naf river that divides the two countries.

The latest boat capsize on Thursday has left some 60 feared dead, with 23 bodies  mainly of children  brought to shore as dozens more remain missing.

The crowds building up along Rakhine's coast hail from the same inland area  Buthidaung township  as many of those who perished in the boat tragedy.

"Starting on Tuesday, they left their region, claiming that they felt insecure to remain because they were now living in a sparsely populated area, as most of their relatives had left for Bangladesh," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

More than half had gathered on a beach near Lay Yin Kwin village, the report said, with photos of women and children clustered together on the sand as security officers looked on.

'Nothing to eat'

It was not clear if or how they would complete the journey to Bangladesh, where the unprecedented influx of refugees has unfurled a separate humanitarian crisis as aid groups struggle to meet their vast needs.

The report said officials tried to assure the Rohingya of their safety in Myanmar but villagers said they "would still like to go to Bangladesh of their own accord".

Chris Lewa from the Arakan project, which closely tracks developments in Rakhine, said economic deprivation and tensions with Buddhist neighbours appear to be the main forces driving the recent movements of Rohingya out of Buthidaung, as opposed to fresh outbreaks of violence.

Crucial aid deliveries have been cut off from the impoverished area since 25 August, when Rohingya militant raids on police posts triggered the military backlash that plunged northern Rakhine into crisis.

"The majority are mostly poor who are leaving and have nothing to eat," said Lewa.

"The Rakhine (Buddhist) villages nearby, they are treating them very badly and because of that people are afraid to go out ... they feel they cannot get out of their village to do any livelihood."

The UN has previously reported that increasingly isolated Muslim communities in Rakhine are receiving regular threats from ethnic Rakhine Buddhists to leave the area.

Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing is under way and instead blames Rohingya militants for whipping up the violence, which has also displaced tens of thousands of Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus.

The crisis has inflamed already blistering religious tensions and fuelled a dizzying array of claims and counterclaims from different ethnic groups.

The Muslim Rohingya have been the target of especially acute hatred in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship and are instead branded "Bengalis"  or illegal migrants who do not belong in the Buddhist-majority country.
Washington: Authorities in California have suggested corrections to the proposed school textbooks in the state after Indian-Americans raised serious concern over the negative portrayal of Hinduism and India, according to a US-based Hindu group.

The Indian-American community has been battling to remove several inaccuracies and myths about Hinduism from the textbooks. The State of California mandates that the textbooks to be based on the framework laid down by the Department of Education.

The department has made several updates to the framework based on inputs by scholars, students and the community members, mentioning Hindu concepts like Yoga and Dharma, Sages Vyasa and Valmiki and Indian achievements in science and technology.

The department has voted to reject contents from two publishers, California-based Hindu Education Foundation (HEF) said.

The move came after the Hindu Americans, LGBT, and African-American communities raised serious concerns about the "biased and inequitable portrayal" of their communities in textbooks at a public hearing this week held by the CDE's Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) which is tasked with conducting the textbook adoption process.

In their submissions, "Hindu-Americans asserted that the textbook drafts demonised Hindus and Indians by promoting orientalist narratives".

"While the disparaging images were rejected and a few positive changes were made, many of the textbook narratives still contain extensive inaccuracies and stereotypes," Shantharam Nekkar of HEF said.

Moreover, several items that are mandated in the California History-Social Science textbook framework (state guidelines) for India and Hinduism are also being ignored by some publishers, he noted.

"We will continue to seek the accurate inclusion of our history, including Yoga, Hindu philosophy, Sanskrit and Tamil Sangam literature, Jainism, and the contributions by Hindu Dalit saints and sages," Nekkar said.

A large number of parents, students, and community leaders joined a week-long protests across California, demanding accurate and equitable representation for India and Hinduism in textbooks. A petition signed by over 8,000 people demanding the withdrawal of biased and inaccurate content was also submitted to the department.

"Some improvements have been made, but significant additional changes are required to present India and Hinduism in an accurate and equitable manner," said Krishna Maheshwari of Hindupedia.

Ahead of the hearing, a coalition of 25 academics from prestigious universities across the US, submitted a letter to the CDE calling the textbook drafts "problematic" and urged the department to make substantive improvements to the textbook drafts in order to better reflect accuracy and cultural competency.

Several State legislators also supported the move. The IQC will send its recommendations to the State Board of Education (SBE) for its approval in November. The textbooks recommended by the board are expected to be adopted by school districts starting early next year.
Washington: US first lady Melania Trump's donation of books to a California school was rejected by its librarian, describing them racist and unneeded.

Melania had sent packages of 10 Dr Seuss books to one high-achieving school in every state. The packages included titles such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and a personal favourite that she and her son, Barron, 11, read together "over and over:" Oh, the Places You'll Go!

In an open letter to the first lady posted on a book blog, Liz Phipps Soeiro, a library media specialist at the Cambridgeport School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that while she was grateful for the books, she would not be accepting them.

Soeiro said she was returning the books because "...my school doesnt have a need for these books."

"Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss' illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes," Phipps Soeiro wrote, citing If I Ran a Zoo, which some critics say contains caricatures of Africans and Asians.

She also criticised the Trump administration's policies on funding schools and libraries, USA TODAY reported.

"Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalised and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?" she proposed.

Her letter prompted her school district to distance itself from her, saying in a statement that she has the right to her opinion but it is not an official position, according to the Boston Globe.

The White House responded by saying that the first lady wanted to use her platform "to help as many children as she can."

"To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the first lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere," her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.
Washington: Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November for the first time since becoming president, stopping in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines on a trip expected to be dominated by the North Korea nuclear threat.

Joined by his wife Melania, Trump will travel 3-14 November. His visit will include attending two major summits, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conclave in the Philippines.

Trumps attendance at the Manila summit had been in doubt until recent days, with officials saying he was reluctant to show support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been responsible for a number of anti-American outbursts.

A US official said Asian leaders who met Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week helped persuade him to attend in unity with key Asian allies.

An Asian diplomat welcomed Trumps decision to visit Manila because that reassures the region that Asia policy is not just about North Korea, its about Southeast Asia as well.

The diplomat said Trumps decision to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal early this year had raised questions about the administrations commitment to the region, but visits by senior officials, including the secretaries of state, defense and commerce, and Trumps planned trip, showed Washington intended to remain engaged.

The president, who has been locked in an increasingly bitter war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will have the opportunity to bolster allied resolve for what he calls the complete denuclearization of Pyongyang.

He has denounced Kim as a rocket man on a suicide mission for test launches of ballistic missiles and for nuclear weapon tests. He has warned North Korea would face total devastation if it threatens the United States. Kim has blasted Trump as mentally deranged.

The presidents engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the White House said in announcing the trip.

Trumps visit to China will reciprocate a trip to the United States made in April by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump has applied heavy pressure on China to rein in North Korea. While his efforts have had limited success thus far, he went out of his way to thank Xi on Tuesday for his efforts.

I applaud China for breaking off all banking relationships with North Korea - something that people would have thought unthinkable even two months ago. I want to thank President Xi, Trump said at a news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

At the same time, Trumps national security team is conducting a broad review of US strategy toward China in search of ways to counter Chinese trade practices and open up market access, a senior administration official said.

The United States also considers Chinese entities behind the theft of intellectual property and cyber attacks and wants to find ways to address these concerns, the official said.

There was no definite timetable for concluding the review.

Were looking at all of it, the official said.
Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi to visit Paris on Thursday, saying the aim is to calm tensions after the deeply divisive Kurdish independence referendum.

In a statement, the presidency said France wanted to "help Iraq to stop tensions from setting in" following the vote on Monday, which saw Iraqi Kurdistan overwhelmingly support secession.

In a phone call on Wednesday, "Macron stressed the importance of preserving the unity and integrity of Iraq while recognising the rights of the Kurdish people. Any escalation must be avoided," the presidency said in the statement late Friday.

"Faced with the priority of fighting Islamic State and the stabilisation of Iraq, Iraqis must remain united," it added, referring to the Islamic State group.

The office of Abadi, however, on Saturday denied that Macron's invitation had any link to the crisis with Iraqi Kurdistan.

"There is no relation between the invitation and the crisis caused by the unconstitutional referendum," it said.

"The visit aims to reinforce bilateral relations and to focus on the fight against terrorism in the region in which Iraq has achieved enormous victories," it added.

Iraqi forces ousted IS from the northern Nineveh province on 31 August, and is now fighting to retake the jihadist group's last footholds in the country.

Abadi's office stressed the invitation was first made when French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defence Minister Florence Parly visited Baghdad on August 26.

It said Macron had made no mention of "the need to recognise the rights of the Kurds or stopping an escalation by Baghdad".

"On the contrary, there was a condemnation of the insistence of the Kurdish leadership to hold this referendum and expose the region to instability".

While Monday's independence vote was non-binding, it has nonetheless sent tensions in the country and the region soaring.

In response to the poll, the Iraqi government has cut Kurdistan's direct air links with the outside world, partially isolating the northern region.

Turkey and Iran, which both have their own Kurdish minorities, have denounced the referendum, while the United States described it as "unilateral" and lacking legitimacy.
Lahore: Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has slapped a Rs 100 million defamation notice on Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif for calling him the "darling of the United States".

Asif, while speaking at the Asia Society forum in New York on Tuesday, acknowledged that Saeed, the Haqqanis and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are "liabilities" for the country but it does not have the required "assets" to get rid of them.

The minister had also said that the US, which was putting pressure on Pakistan to tackle terrorist groups operating from its soil, once used to treat them as "darlings" just 20 to 30 years back.

Saeed's counsel AK Dogar sent the notice to the foreign minister on behalf of his client who heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the LeT militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack.

"Saeed is respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim. Saeed has never been near the White House, not to speak of wined and dined," Dogar said in the notice.

"It is shocking to know that the foreign minister of my country is accusing Saeed of taking wine. This is abusive language and can never be used about my client.

"He is a patriotic Islam-loving Muslim following the dictates of the Prophet. This is a defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to five years imprisonment and with a fine," he said.

The counsel termed it as an absolute lie and falsehood that Saeed is one of those persons who had been the "darlings of Americans" and had been dining and wining in the White House.

Whoever by words either spoken or intended to be read makes any imputation concerning any person so as to harm his reputation is said to defame that person, he said.

"The imputation of wining is a false statement which has injured the reputation of my client and lowered him in the estimation of others. This is slander and actionable libel. I am constrained to issue this 14 days' notice of the intention of my client to bring an action against you.

"My client intends to file a suit for damages to the tune of Rs 100 million for injuring his reputation not only in Pakistan but all over the world," Dogar said.

"Apart from civil remedy, my client has a right to file a criminal complaint against you under Section 500 of the PPC. It goes without saying that you will be responsible for the entire cost of litigation," the counsel added.

Asif had said that it was very easy to say Pakistan is floating the Haqqanis and Hafiz Saeed and LeT.

They are liabilities, he had said.

US President Donald Trump had last month criticised Pakistan for its support to terror groups, saying it receives billions in US aid but continues to harbour militants.

Saeed and his four aides were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti-terrorism act.

The JuD has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

Saeed carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.
Islamabad: Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif is set to regain the leadership of his ruling PML-N party on 3 October under a proposed new law that will allow a disqualified legislator to head a political party.

Sharif, 67, had to step down as chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after he was disqualified as premier by the Supreme Court on 28 July in the Panama Papers scandal.

Senate, Upper House of parliament, passed the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 on 22 September that has a clause that any person other than a civil servant can hold any position within a party. The new law has deleted the condition that said only those qualified to become members of parliament can hold leadership position within political parties.

According to minister for climate change Mushahidullah Khan, the new law will be presented in the Lower House or National Assembly on Monday where it is expected to be passed easily as PML-N has the majority in the house.

Once passed by both houses, the bill would go to President Mamnoon Hussain for his signature. A meeting of the PML-N's General Council will be held on 2 October to amend the party constitution that barred a disqualified person from holding any party office, according to Khan.

Before the General Council, a meeting of PML-N central working committee (CWC) would be held. Both  the CWC and General Council  would elect the new president on 3 October.

The PML-N is hopeful to complete the process of enactment and changes in the laws by 3 October. With all legal hurdles removed by that time, Sharif is expected to be easily elected as president.

Though, he is still barred from becoming a lawmaker or prime minister, he would be able to control the party and all other aspects of the politics in the country through his handpicked prime minister, ministers and other appointees.

However, the amendment to the laws is expected to be challenged by the Opposition parties in the Supreme Court. Any effective intervention and decision by the top court against the new law may scuttle the plans of PML-N.
Islamabad: Pakistan has handed over a dossier to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, the country's top security body was informed on Friday.

The National Security Committee in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was informed that the premier handed over a dossier documenting "the systematic human rights violations by India" in Kashmir to Guterres during the UN General Assembly.

Abbasi also urged the UN to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir.

The National Security Committee's meeting was attended by minister for finance, minister for foreign affairs, all three services' chiefs and senior civil and military officials, according to an official statement.

"The Committee condemned human rights violation in Kashmir and expressed deep concern over the ceasefire violations across the Line of Control," the statement said.

The Committee was briefed that the prime minister and foreign minister Khawaja Asif had engaged the leadership of several important countries to share Pakistan's perspective on regional and global security challenges.

The outcomes of the prime ministers visit to New York for the UN General Assembly were shared with the Committee, the statement said.

Abbasi in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly, urged the UN to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir and warned India against pursuing the doctrine of "limited war" against his country, saying it will evoke a strong and "matching response".

He raked up the Kashmir issue, alleging that the struggle of the people in the Valley is being "brutally suppressed" by India.

The National Security Committee was also informed that the foreign minister had visited key regional countries, including China, Iran and Turkey to apprise their leadership about Pakistan's perspective on crucial regional and international issues.

The Committee also reviewed the current developments in the relationship with Afghanistan as well as common avenues for continued cooperation, especially border management and repatriation of refugees, the statement said.

The participants reiterated commitment for peace in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

"The Committee expressed its unwavering resolve to keep Pakistans defence impregnable against all forms of external aggression," the statement said.
Lahore: Pakistan's anti-corruption officials have visited the home of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and delivered notices of arrest warrants issued against his children and son-in-law, a media report said on Saturday. A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team on Friday visited Jati Umra the residence of Sharif and delivered the arrest warrants, The Express Tribune reported.

The move came in the wake of the failure of Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz and her husband Mohammad Safdar to appear in the court during last hearing in the Panama Papers scandal, it said. Maryam, Hussain, Hassan and Safdar are currently in London with Kulsoom Nawaz, Sharif's wife, who is undergoing treatment for throat cancer. Noting their absence, Judge Muhammad Bashir had issued the bailable warrants, asking the NAB to ensure that the warrants were delivered to the defendants.

"A NAB team visited Jati Umra to hand written orders over to the Sharif family," an official told the paper. "Sharif's principal secretary acknowledged the receipt," he added.

Earlier, notices for the bailable arrest warrants of Sharif's three children and his son-in-law were sent to their London addresses. A copy of the notices is also sent to their Lahore addresses, the report said. The notices to Sharifs children have been sent through the Pakistan High Commission London, which carry their Avenfield, Park Lane, address. Sharif was disqualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court on 28 July in the Panama Papers case due to concealed assets.

The apex court also ordered the country's top graft buster, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), to file corruption cases against Sharif, his two sons, daughter, and son-in-law. On the last date of hearing in the accountability court, Sharif himself appeared before the judge but none of his children did. Maryam had earlier advised her father to not appear before the NAB.
Yangon: More than 2,000 Rohingya have massed along Myanmar's coast this week after trekking from inland villages in Rakhine state to join the refugee exodus to Bangladesh, state media reported on Saturday.

They follow more than half a million fellow Rohingya who have emptied out of northern Rakhine in a single month, fleeing an army crackdown and communal violence, the United Nations says, amounts to "ethnic cleansing".

The journey to Bangladesh is fraught with danger for the stateless Muslim minority, who have faced decades of systematic oppression in mainly Buddhist Myanmar.

After fleeing burning villages they say were set alight by soldiers and Buddhist mobs, more than 100 Rohingya have drowned in the scramble to cross the Naf river that divides the two countries.

The latest boat capsize on Thursday has left some 60 feared dead, with 23 bodies  mainly of children  brought to shore as dozens more remain missing.

The crowds building up along Rakhine's coast hail from the same inland area  Buthidaung township  as many of those who perished in the boat tragedy.

"Starting on Tuesday, they left their region, claiming that they felt insecure to remain because they were now living in a sparsely populated area, as most of their relatives had left for Bangladesh," the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

More than half had gathered on a beach near Lay Yin Kwin village, the report said, with photos of women and children clustered together on the sand as security officers looked on.

It was not clear if or how they would complete the journey to Bangladesh, where the unprecedented influx of refugees has unfurled a separate humanitarian crisis as aid groups struggle to meet their vast needs.

The report said officials tried to assure the Rohingya of their safety in Myanmar but villagers said they "would still like to go to Bangladesh of their own accord".

Chris Lewa from the Arakan project, which closely tracks developments in Rakhine, said economic deprivation and tensions with Buddhist neighbours appear to be the main forces driving the recent movements of Rohingya out of Buthidaung, as opposed to fresh outbreaks of violence.

Crucial aid deliveries have been cut off from the impoverished area since 25 August, when Rohingya militant raids on police posts triggered the military backlash that plunged northern Rakhine into crisis.

"The majority are mostly poor who are leaving and have nothing to eat," said Lewa.

"The Rakhine (Buddhist) villages nearby, they are treating them very badly and because of that people are afraid to go out...they feel they cannot get out of their village to do any livelihood."

The UN has previously reported that increasingly isolated Muslim communities in Rakhine are receiving regular threats from ethnic Rakhine Buddhists to leave the area.

Myanmar denies ethnic cleansing is underway and instead blames Rohingya militants for whipping up the violence, which has also displaced tens of thousands of Rakhine Buddhists and Hindus.

The crisis has inflamed already blistering religious tensions and fuelled a dizzying array of claims and counter-claims from different ethnic groups.

The Muslim Rohingya have been the target of especially acute hatred in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship and are instead branded "Bengalis"  or illegal migrants who do not belong in the Buddhist-majority country.
Washington: An American Al-Qaeda member trained in Pakistan's unruly tribal belt has been convicted by a US court for his involvement in a number of terror attacks in Afghanistan, including one on a US military base.

Convicted on nine counts, Muhamad Mahmoud Al-Farekh now faces up to life in prison.

"Today, an American Al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a US courtroom," said Acting United States Attorney Bridget Rohde.

The trial evidence showed that he was involved in a variety of terrorist activities, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.

According to court papers, prior to travelling overseas to join al-Qaeda, Farekh was a student at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

In 2007, Farekh and two fellow students travelled to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas.

Farekh and his co-conspirators had become radicalised by watching video recordings encouraging violent jihad and listening to jihadist lectures, including lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki, the now-deceased al Qaeda leader in the Arabian Peninsula.

They travelled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al Qaeda's base of operations, where they joined and received training from Al-Qaeda, federal prosecutors alleged.

One of Farekhs co-conspirators, Ferid Imam, provided weapons and military-style training at an Al-Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in September 2008.

Among Imam's trainees were Najibullah Zazi, Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin, of Queens, New York, who intended to return to New York City to carry out a suicide attack in the subway system.

During the trial, Ahmedzay identified Imam as his weapons trainer. Zazi and Ahmedzay pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements and have yet to be sentenced.

Medunjanin was convicted after trial and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Imam has been indicted for his role in the plot.

The government proved Farekh's participation in the building of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman) on 19 January, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan.
Beijing: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in Beijing on Saturday to discuss efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions and prepare President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to China.

Tillerson was scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping after talks with top diplomat Yang Jiechi and foreign minister Wang Yi, ahead of Trump's trip in November.

The visit comes as relations between the two superpowers appear to be improving after months of tensions over how to handle North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's nuclear provocations.

Trump has repeatedly urged Xi to exert more economic pressure on Pyongyang to convince the renegade regime to give up its nuclear ambitions.

China, North Korea's main trade partner, has responded by backing a slew of new United Nations sanctions.

For its part, Beijing has insisted that the sanctions must be coupled with efforts to organise peace talks, but Trump and Kim have traded increasingly personal insults that have raised fears that the crisis could spark a conflict.

The acting US assistant secretary for East Asia, Susan Thornton, told sceptical US lawmakers ahead of Tillerson's trip that China appears to be on board with the plan to squeeze Pyongyang.

"We are working closely with China to execute this strategy and are clear-eyed in viewing the progress - growing, if uneven - that China has made on this front," she said.

"We have recently seen Chinese authorities take additional actions," she said, referring to new controls on the cross-border trade and finance that is North Korea's economic lifeline.

On Thursday, China said it was ordering North Korean firms on its territory to close by January.

The announcement came days after China confirmed it will limit exports of refined petroleum products to North Korea from October 1 while banning imports of textiles from its neighbour.

The measures were in accordance with UN sanctions that were approved earlier in September after North Korea detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear bomb -- a test that triggered an earthquake felt across the border in China.

Trump's November trip will be part of a tour that will also take in regional allies Japan and South Korea.
President Trump is set to visit hurricane-battered Puerto Rico on Tuesday as the U.S. territory continues to hang on after surviving two powerful storms in less than a month.

Residents have been relying on relief organizations for food, shelter and clean drinking water after Hurricane Maria slammed into the island last week, whipping out power for at least six months for many.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said the island was on the brink of a humanitarian crisis, and is urging on Trump and Congress to enact an aid bill that is consistent with other parts of the U.S. who have also suffered storm damage.

Weve taken aggressive economic growth initiatives for Puerto Rico, but after these two storms, particularly Maria, this has changed and we need to recognize it. We need to treat Puerto Rico equally as if we were Texas or Florida or any other state, Rossello told FOX Business Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria on Friday.

Trump, who recently waived the Jones Act last week, to enable non-American ships to deliver aid to the battered island, tweeted Friday that other big decisions will have to be made on rebuilding Puerto Rico next week.

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: "The Administration and the President, every time we've spoken, they've delivered......  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017

...The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017

...The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 29, 2017

Earlier this week, Trump tweeted about the islands broken infrastructure and massive debt, saying the country is in deep trouble.

...It's old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated. Much of the Island was destroyed, with billions of dollars....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017

...owed to Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, must be dealt with. Food, water and medical are top priorities - and doing well. #FEMA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 26, 2017

Norman Bristol Colon, special assistant to Pennsylvanias Secretary of State, a Puerto Rican native with family currently living on the island, told FOX Business that the island desperately needs funds from the U.S. to get residents back on their feet.

The island needs an injection of dollars to restart its economic engine and for these funds to go directly to buy whats left of goods after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. The Port Authority needs to open its ports and airports for relief to arrive and assistance in the clean up efforts. The assistance of medical professionals is crucial to ensure that in the days to come, there is not a break of any epidemics related to flooding, Colon said. The infrastructure for electric, water and telephone service is priority to begin the process of normalizing government operations so services can be assessed and delivered to the thousands of individuals affected by this natural catastrophe. We need Congress and the federal government to support what is anticipated to be a long, difficult journey for the island and its citizens.

Before the latest storm hit, the country was already suffering a 10-year recession and owed billions of dollars to investors. Earlier this year, the country filed for a form of bankruptcy after years of borrowing money to cover budget deficits. The former governor declared its $73 billion in public debt load unpayable, which has prompted an independent investigation into its financial disclosures.

Early estimates say overall damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria will cost about $30 billion, Enki Research reported. But some economists say that while the country was already on a downward spiral before the latest catastrophes, the current devastation may actually help to loosen creditors grip on the country.

You cant squeeze water out a turnip, Nobel-Prize winning economist and professor at Columbia University Joseph Eugene Stiglitz told FOX Business. The bottom line is [Puerto Rico] is going to need a massive amount of help. Without relief from bondholders or from the federal government, they are going to continue on their downward spiral which means for the creditors that they would be better giving them more debt relief because in the future, it will have to come. They are not going to be able to repay anything back.

Jose Antonio Ocampo, professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs at Columbia University who served as Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs at the United Nations, agreed, saying he believes the hurricanes have now increased the proportion of debt that should be written-off.

All will depend on how much the U.S. supports [Puerto Rico] in the reconstruction of the major damages incurred by the island, he told FOX Business.

Stiglitz added that not only is a very large haircut needed among creditors, it is imperative that the federal government give them relief and mentor it with what they are giving other parts of the country that have been also hit, like Houston. If they dont get those additional funds from the government, it just means the education systemwhich is already being strangledwill prevent the countrys ability to return to normalcy. Anything that can be cut will be cut now, he said.

Arthur Gonzalez, former chief judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and NYUs Senior Fellow, told FOX Business that its simply too early to tell what impact [the hurricanes] may have on [Puerto Ricos] debt crisis.

The focus now is on the recovery efforts to ensure the health and safety of the people of Puerto Rico, he said.
Vyera Pharmaceuticals, formerly known as Turing Pharmaceuticals, does not have to pay Impax Laboratories Inc $43 million in a dispute stemming from Turing founder Martin Shkreli's decision to boost by 5,000 percent the price of a drug Turing bought from Impax, a U.S. judge ruled on Friday.

U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in Manhattan said Vyera was liable for the money under its contract with Impax, but did not have to pay it because Impax had violated the contract as well.

Impax and Vyera did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Impax sold Daraprim, an anti-infection drug often used in AIDS patients, to Turing in August 2015. Turing, under Shkreli's leadership, immediately raised its price to $750 per pill, from $13.50, sparking outrage among patients and U.S. lawmakers.

Shkreli stepped down as Turing's chief executive officer in December 2015 after he was charged with defrauding investors in two hedge funds he once ran.

The 34-year-old former executive was convicted of securities fraud in August. He was jailed earlier this month after he placed a $5,000 bounty on former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's hair, prompting a federal judge to revoke his bail.

Shkreli's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said at a court hearing in June that Shkreli still owned a substantial share of Turing worth between $30 and $50 million.

Impax sued Turing in May 2016, claiming that as a result of the price increase, state Medicaid agencies had demanded tens of millions of dollars in rebates for Daraprim pills that still had Impax branding. It said Turing was liable for those rebates.

Drug companies must agree to pay such rebates, which are calculated using a formula that depends in part on the manufacturer's price, in order to be eligible for Medicaid coverage.

Turing countered that Impax had provided faulty information to the federal health agency that calculated the rebates, and was required to submit corrected information. Impax said it had no obligation to do that under the contract, but Ramos rejected that argument on Friday.

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Impax was in talks to merge with privately held Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC, citing unnamed sources.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)
When Boston Beer Company (NYSE: SAM) announced better-than-expected second-quarter results in late July, shares surged as much as 22% the following day -- and with good reason. Boston Beer's performance was punctuated by significantly improved trends for depletions, a key industry metric for how fast its products travel from warehouses to consumer outlets, despite steep competition at retail and a general softening of its core craft beer and cider markets. Looking forward, Boston Beer management is not only working to reduce costs and increase operating efficiency but also striving to return its flagship Samuel Adams and Angry Orchard brands to sustained growth.

But if a recent analyst report is correct, America's largest publicly traded craft brewer may be swallowed up before that happens. More specifically, Boston Beer shares climbed another 5% on Tuesday after Credit Suisse analyst Laurent Grandet suggested the company could be an enticing acquisition target.

The stakes of Boston Beer's turnaround are high

In doing so, Grandet upgraded his rating on Boston Beer stock to "neutral" from "underperform," while simultaneously increasing his per-share price target to $150 from $140. For perspective, Boston Beer stock closed on Friday at just over $156 per share.

To justify his relative optimism, Grandet noted that while "market sentiment remains overly negative" surrounding Boston Beer, he sees "a more balanced spread between potential upside and downside scenarios."

"In addition," Grandet wrote, "although founder Jim Koch seems determined to turn the business around, we think the likelihood of a takeout goes higher if Samuel Adams rejuvenation efforts ultimately fail next year."

Potential suitors

All told, he believes there's a "fair probability" that Boston Beer is acquired over the next 12 months by either a larger peer like Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP) or through a leveraged buyout by private equity investors. He further says Boston Beer could fetch as much as $207 per share, which would equate to an enterprise value of just under $2.5 billion.

"We think Molson Coors would be the most agreeable candidate for Koch to consider buying his company," Grandet mused.

To be sure, we know Molson Coors isn't afraid of acquisitive growth given the right opportunity. It only just closed on its $12 billion acquisition of SABMiller's 58% stake in MillerCoors late last year -- a move which, to be fair, SABMiller had no choice but to make to facilitate regulatory approval for its own $100 billion megamerger with Anheuser-Busch InBev. As a result, Molson Coors emerged as the world's third-largest global brewer by enterprise value.

Boston Beer would certainly be an enviable name to add to its mix. According to this year's Customer Loyalty Engagement Index from Brand Keys, Samuel Adams was tied for third with Yeungling in the list of America's favorite beer brands, trailing only AB InBev's Corona in second place and, ironically, Coors at the top of the heap.

But even despite its recent rebound, Boston Beer stock has fallen around 8% so far in 2017 and sits more than 50% below its early 2015 highs achieved before its current woes began to materialize. If Boston Beer's improvements turn out to be unsustainable, it could easily give up its recent gains and present a mouthwatering chance for opportunistic buyers to make their move.

Alternatively, if Boston Beer's turnaround continues to accelerate in the coming quarters, its stock should respond in kind and discourage potential suitors from placing their bids -- a scenario I would admittedly prefer, as a fan of the brand and craft beer in general. In either case, however, it seems Boston Beer shareholders should be poised to benefit.

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U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged on Saturday that the United State is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea even as tensions rise over the North's nuclear and missile programs and the countries' leaders spar through bellicose name-calling.

Tillerson said the U.S. was probing North Korea's willingness to talk, and called for a calming of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, adding it was incumbent on the North to halt the missile launches.

"We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation, a blackout," Tillerson told reporters during a visit to China. "We have a couple ... three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them."

No elaboration about those channels or the substance of any discussions came from Tillerson, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials in Beijing.

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the U.S. has restored a diplomatic back-channel between the State Department and North Korea's mission at the United Nations. That's traditionally been a way for the two sides to communicate because they lack formal diplomatic ties.

The main aim of the initial contacts was to seek the freedom of several American citizens imprisoned in North Korea, although U.S. officials have told The Associated Press that there were broader discussions about U.S.-North Korean relations. Those contacts, however, have failed to reduce the deep mistrust between the adversaries and it's unclear to what extent they have endured the current spike in tensions.

North Korea has in recent months tested long-range missiles that potentially could reach the U.S., and on Sept. 3 conducted its largest nuclear test explosion to date. The standoff has entered a new, more dangerous phase since then as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump have exchanged personal insults and threats of war.

"I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down," Tillerson said. "They're a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first." He did not directly address the impact of Trump's own rhetoric.

"Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot," Tillerson said.

Trump gave a combative speech recently at the U.N. General Assembly in which he mocked Kim as "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission." Trump said that if "forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." Kim responded by saying he would "tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire."

Tillerson's stop in the Chinese capital was helping lay the groundwork for a November state visit by Trump, part of a five-nation swing through Asia. Trump has pressed for sterner measures against the North by China, the North's chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Beijing adamantly opposes steps that could bring down Kim's government, but appears increasingly willing to tighten the screws. China has agreed to tough new U.N. penalties that would substantially cut foreign revenue for the isolated North.

On Thursday, Beijing ordered North Korean-owned businesses and ventures with Chinese partners to close by early January, days after it said it would cut off gas and limit shipments of refined petroleum products, effective Jan. 1. China made no mention of crude oil, which makes up the bulk of Chinese energy supplies to North Korea and is not covered by U.N. sanctions.

China has banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore, and seafood since early September. Still, Washington hopes China will exert even greater pressure.

China argues that sanctions alone cannot solve the impasse, and has urged Washington to cool its rhetoric and open a dialogue with North Korea. But the North is coming closer to having a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike America, and says it will only discuss the weapons programs if the U.S. abandons its "hostile policy" toward the North.

Tillerson affirmed that the U.S. would not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, while saying the Trump administration had no intention of trying to oust Kim.

This was Tillerson's second visit to China as America's top diplomat. China is the world's No. 2 economy and chief U.S. rival for influence in Asia, and increasingly, the world.

In addition to North Korea, the U.S. and China have other security concerns to address.

They are at odds over Beijing's military buildup and assertive claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea. Trump is also looking to reduce China's massive trade surplus with the U.S.  $347 billion last year  and what American companies say are unfair barriers to investment, including pressure to hand over their technology.

In opening remarks at his meeting with Xi, Tillerson said relations between the sides continue to "grow and mature on the strength of the relationship between yourself and President Trump."

He added: "We look forward to advancing that relationship at the upcoming summit."

Trump and Xi met in April at Trump's estate in Florida. Trump's planned visit next month will come weeks after Xi is expected to receive a new five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party.

The presidents' upcoming meeting promises to be grander and more choreographed than the informal talks in Florida that were most memorable for Trump's ordering a missile strike on Syria and then informing Xi about it afterward as they ate chocolate cake.

___

Pennington reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Joe McDonald contributed to this report.
A week after back-to-back hurricanes ravaged Puerto Rico, the island continues to lack power, food and clean drinking water, leaving many to wonder: What is the Trump administration doing to help the nearly 3.5 million Americans stranded on the island?

Puerto Rico was so badly hit, Bob Guccione Jr., founder of travel site wonderlusttravel.com, told FOX Business Kennedy on Kennedy. And thats American citizens, you know. We have to first care about Puerto Rico, and the presidents response has been woeful.

The Trump administration has already been criticized for not acting as swiftly to help Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth, as it did Florida and Texas after devastating storms swept through those Republican-controlled states. Trump derided Puerto Rico for some of its economic issues, comparing it to the two states in a series of tweets Monday.

Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble, he wrote. President Trump followed up, adding that food, water and medical are top priorities - and doing well. #FEMA.

Members of Congress are now voicing support for a temporary waiver of the Jones Act, which would lift restrictions on ships that can provide supplies and oil to Puerto Rico. On Tuesday, Trump denied a request and said it would not help the islands damaged ports. Big companies -- including Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and Bacardi -- have stepped up in response, announcing millions of dollars in aid to the relief efforts.

Recovery efforts in Puerto Rico may also depend on its tourism industry, which could be in peril since its infrastructure sustained heavy damages in the hurricane. Most likely, Guccione said, the federal government will need to supply the island with funds to repair it.

I do hope tourists still go, he said, adding that, We have to help.
Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned from his post within the Trump administration Friday after it came to light that the former Georgia congressman was using private charter flights at the expense of taxpayers, the White House confirmed in a statement.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the President accepted, the statement read.

Don J. Wright, the deputy assistant secretary for health, will step in as acting health secretary in the interim.

In his resignation letter, Price penned that it was an honor and privilege to serve under President Trump and called for unity moving forward from his resignation.

I have spent forty years both as a doctor and public servant putting people first, he wrote. I regret that the recent events have created a distraction from those important objectives.

Prices resignation comes after Trump said Friday that he was not happy with Prices use of private charter flights. And Friday afternoon while speaking to reporters at the White House, he said that would decide Prices fate soon.

Over the course of three days, Prices charter flight usage reportedly cost taxpayers at least $60,000. And since early May, Price has taken at least 26 flights on charter flights funded by taxpayers money, as first reported by Politico.

In the past, Price has criticized members of Congress for using private planes instead of taking commercial flights at a fraction of the cost.

Another nail in the coffin for Price could have been the GOPs repeated failed efforts to repeal and replace ObamaCare, one of Trumps key campaign promises.
China, North Koreas main trading partner, ordered North Korean-owned businesses within its borders to close amid new U.N. sanctions. On Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin discussed the Trump administrations separate economic sanctions against Pyongyang during an appearance on FOX Business.

The existing behavior in North Korea is unacceptable. [President Trump] signed an executive order that gave me the strongest powers that the Treasury Department has ever had, Mnuchin told Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria. Weve made it perfectly clear to people around the world that they should shut down economic activity with North Korea until they are willing to denuclearize the peninsula and come to the table on those terms.

Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, told FOX Business sanctions are the best path to denuclearization.

We are in a situation where the North Koreans have ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles)  they probably have the capability in a very crude way to hit the United States with a nuclear weapon. So what we need to do is basically strangulate the North Korean economy, and that is the Achilles heel of this whole situation, he told Maria Bartiromo Friday on Mornings with Maria.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will make his second trip to China this weekend, where he will meet with Chinese officials over the rising nuclear threat. Kazianis said the U.S. must form an international coalition to increase sanctions and pressure on North Korea.

Lets face it, there cant be any fan club in the world for North Korea. This is a regime that has over 100,000 people in essentially what are death camps. One of these camps is three times the size of Washington, D.C.
The United States is probing North Korea to see whether it is interested in dialogue and has multiple direct channels of communication with Pyongyang, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Saturday.

The disclosure came as Tillerson expressed hope for reducing tensions with North Korea, which is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will never allow that to happen.

"We are probing, so stay tuned," Tillerson told a small group of reporters during a trip to China. "We ask: 'Would you like to talk?'"

He then said the United States had "a couple of, three channels open to Pyongyang."

"We can talk to them. We do talk to them," he said, without elaborating.

Tillerson's remarks followed a day of meetings in Beijing, which has been alarmed by recent exchanges of war-like threats and personal insults between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump.

"I think the whole situation's a bit overheated right now," Tillerson said. "I think everyone would like for it to calm down.

"Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That'd calm things down a lot."

South Korean officials have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on Oct. 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on Oct. 18.

ECONOMIC SQUEEZE

U.S. officials including Tillerson say Beijing, after long accounting for some 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, appears increasingly willing to cut ties to its neighbor's economy by adopting United Nations sanctions.

But to reach any diplomatic solution, Tillerson would still need to overcome some basic U.S. assumptions about North Korea and China.

The first would be getting North Korea's Kim to view nuclear weapons as a liability, not a strength. The U.S. intelligence community does not believe he is likely to give up his weapons program willingly.

"(Tillerson's) working against the unified view of our intelligence agencies, which say there's no amount of pressure that can be put on them to stop," Senator Bob Corker told a hearing at the chamber on Thursday.

Kim sees nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as "his ticket to survival," Corker said.

The second big challenge for Tillerson would be getting China to impose economic sanctions on North Korea so harsh that Kim might question his future if they persisted.

U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say they believe Beijing's priority is stability on the Korean peninsula, since a political collapse would almost certainly push destabilizing waves of refugees into northeastern China.

Trump, who is due to visit China in November, has called for it to do more on North Korea and has promised to take steps to rebalance a trade relationship that his administration says puts U.S. businesses at a disadvantage.

Chinese President Xi Jinping offered warm words for Trump while meeting Tillerson on Saturday, saying he expected the U.S. president's visit to be "wonderful."

"The two of us have also maintained a good working relationship and personal friendship," Xi said in comments in front of reporters. (Reporting by Phil Stewart, Ben Blanchard and Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Andrew Bolton and Lisa Von Ahn)
Some things about high school never change, but one Wisconsin teen is refusing to accept sexism in the dress code policies for her high school yearbooks photos as one of them.

On Sept. 25, Verona Area High School senior Eleanor Fitzwilliams posted a photo on Twitter that she intended to use for her senior picture, which she says was rejected.

CHRISTIAN WOMAN SUES MISSISSIPPI RESTAURANT OVER DRESS CODE

Here's my senior picture. Because you can see my part of my brallette, it was "too inappropriate". Yet, here's the boys swim team picture, wrote Fitzwilliams in the post, which has since gone viral. She added in another tweet that she didn't have an issue with the swim team, but rather her school administrators.

Posing the provocative question with a side-by-side image of herself in a tank and jeans, contrasted by the bare-chested boys swim team shot, Fitzwilliams post has since been liked over 173,000 times, retweeted more than 33,000 times, and sparked nearly 600 comments.

The Twitterverse erupted in support for the teen, and many shared stories of similar dress code incidents. In the comments, a larger discussion began as to why many high school dress codes focus only on regulating the attire of female students.

One user even shared that she was the only member of the wrestling team that was not allowed to wear a singlet for senior photos because of her gender. It's related intances like these that have reminded Fitzwilliams that she is not alone in this crusade.

TEEN REDUCED TO TEARS OVER CHARTER SCHOOL'S DRESS CODE

So far I have a lot of support from my peers and adults in my life; everyones really proud of me for speaking up, Fitzwilliams told Yahoo Lifestyle. Adding that she first shared the photos to vent, the senior added wants the post to continue to start a conversation in my school about sexualization and dress code.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

While school districts take various stances on the dress code policies for school yearbooks, from appropriate photo submissions to senior portrait attire, hopefully such discussions on social media can help lead to more equitable policies for all.
Editor's note: The following column originally appeared on the City Journal.

In his first testimony before a Senate committee, FBI director Christopher A. Wray revealed that the bureau is now investigating 2,000 terrorism casesan equal number of cases involving radical-Islamic-directed or inspired terror and cases of violence being planned or conducted by white supremacists or other racially motivated extremists. Wednesdays testimony marks the first time that the FBI has divulged that it has about the same number of both types of cases. Wray also told Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, that unlike radical Islamic terrorism, racially motivated domestic terrorism is not a specific crime. While federal law makes it illegal to provide material support to a foreign terrorist group, no corresponding law bans support for racially motivated violence.

Probably the biggest difference is theres not a domestic terrorism offense as such, Wray said. Under questioning, he added that it would be helpful for the bureau to use foreign-intelligence court-ordered surveillance, known as FISA, to collect information about domestic terrorism, a tool permitted now only for investigations of foreign terrorism suspects. We have a lot of tools, Wray told the committee. We can always use more. The request will likely spark concern among civil libertarians, who have long warned about government surveillance of American political groups.

Wray issued a stark warning about the growing danger of drone and cyber terror. Terrorists want to use drones to drop grenade-sized explosives, toxins, or other harmful substances on Americans, just as they have done abroad. Weve seen that overseas already with growing frequency, he said. I think the expectation is that its coming here imminently. Drones, he added, were relatively easy to acquire, relatively easy to operate, and quite difficult to disrupt and monitor.

Nicholas Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, agreed. Two years ago this was not a problem, he told the committee. A year ago it was an emerging problem. Now its a real problem. So were quickly trying to up our game. He also said that it was unclear which agency was in charge of countering this threat, a confusion that concerned several senators. Rasmussen said that while ISIS and al-Qaida had lost significant ground on the battlefieldthree-quarters of the territory once held in Iraq and half of the self-declared caliphate in Syriatheir global reach in terms of terror was undiminished.

Even the achievements that three senior officials cited came with warnings. Rasmussen said that the outflow of jihadists from the battlefields of Iraq and Syria to Europe and their other native lands was not as large as anticipatedbut American officials are concerned about the skill sets of those returning home. Some battle-hardened jihadis had been trained in bomb-making; others had an impressive rolodex; still others had worrisome contacts in their home countries.

Wray told the committee that government information-sharing still had a long way to go, sparking frustration among several committee members. Weve been talking about this since the fires were burning in the Twin Towers, complained Senator Claire McCaskill, Democrat of Missouri, the committees ranking Democrat. Another recurring concern was the admission by Wray, Rasmussen, and Elaine Duke, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, that the U.S. government still doesnt know the whereabouts of some of the 600,000 foreigners in the U.S. believed to have overstayed their visas. Rasmussen added to the gloomy assessment by noting that while there have been fewer jihadist attacks this year in the U.S. than in the past two years, the number of arrests of homegrown extremists has remained constant. Moreover, the officials conceded, while only three of the nearly 40 attacks in Europe since 2015 involved foreign terrorist fighters who had returned from Iraq and Syria, those attacks had caused over half of the total fatalities.

Wray also repeated his predecessors concern about the growing use of encryption by terrorists and cyber-criminals. In the first 10 months of this fiscal year, the FBI had been unable to access the content of more than 6,000 mobile devices using appropriate and available technical tools, though it had the legal authority to do so.

To continue reading this column from the City Journal, click here.
Faced with the rapid progress of North Koreas nuclear and missile programs  along with escalating provocations  President Trumps foreign policy team has engaged in an intensive effort to put maximum pressure on the regime and its enablers. A powerful next move would be to call attention to North Koreas severe human rights violations.

The Trump administration has already: stepped up military exercises and coordination with South Korea and Japan; accelerated missile defense deployment and sent more firepower to the Korean peninsula; worked with Congress on stronger sanctions and fought for the toughest U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea to date; blacklisted Chinese firms and a Chinese bank that are conduits for the North Korean government; and enacted Treasury Department penalties on all individuals and institutions that deal with North Korea.

President Trump, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley have pursued bilateral meetings with their Asian counterparts to emphasize defense commitments with democratic allies, urge China to stop subsidizing North Korea, and convince all countries to freeze North Korean money and cease trade and technology transfers.

The United States wants to so impress North Korea with our military power and resolve  and so choke off North Koreas revenue and assistance from outside powers  that it overwhelms North Koreas calculus regarding the risks of continuing on its course and its ability to do so.

President Trumps language of fire and fury and his threat to totally destroy North Korea if the U.S. is forced to defend itself or its allies, while overly provocative, is likely also designed to affect that calculus, by warning bellicose Kim Jung Un in terms he understands.

In addition to the above steps, Trump administration officials should more frequently condemn North Koreas extreme human rights violations. It is the extremism of the regime that makes its nuclear weapons so dangerous.

Citing these moral and strategic priorities, the U.S. House recently approved a bill that reauthorizes programs to protect human rights and distribute uncensored information into North Korea.

Noting that the regimes greatest victim and longest-held hostage is the North Korean people themselves, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., said: If Kim had to answer to the North Korean people, he would pose far less danger to us. The truth is Kim Jong Uns most potent enemy.  The bonds of public affection for Kim are so fragile that they can only be maintained with purges, public executions, and deadly prison camps.

China  which subsidizes, abets and protects the atrocity-committing North Korean regime  is finally providing equivocal help, but still obstructs U.S. efforts to apply all the pressure it can to North Korea.

Chinas willingness to support recent U.N. resolutions as long as they were diluted to avoid an oil embargo is an obvious example. Chinas unprecedented instruction to Chinese banks to stop handling North Korean trade is testimony to the sting of recent U.S. sanctions, which bar entities doing business with North Korea from access to the U.S. financial system. Thus, it makes sense to recognize China for this significant move, while keeping up the overall pressure.

Although China does not want North Korea to provoke war and foment chaos, China also does not want the United States to gain influence at the expense of North Korea. China sees North Korea as an essential buffer against U.S. influence.

China has worked long and hard to upend Americas post-WWII role as the guarantor of stability in Asia and has made tremendous strides in recent years in enhancing its geopolitical and military positions.

China has undergone a massive military buildup that includes ballistic and cruise missiles, nuclear submarines and mines; has frenetically built and militarized islands in the South China Sea; has aggressively pursued relations and bases in the Indian Ocean; and has taken a harsh stance on Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Chinas aspirations are not just regional, but global. Its One-Belt One-Road initiative  which entails building roads, railways and pipelines in Africa, the Middle East and beyond, and includes loans and poverty projects  is designed to gain access raw materials, and gain economic and political leverage.

Confucius Institutes around the world, including on American college campuses, are designed to disseminate Chinese history and culture in ways flattering to the Chinese government. China knows it cannot achieve its goals without improving its image.

The Economist says China is spending billions of dollars a year on one of the most extravagant programs of state-sponsored image-building the world has seen. Massive information operations downplay its political system and territorial ambitions, and portray China as benevolent.

President Xi Jinping is positioning China as the only great power that can maintain world peace and stability and foster global cooperation and prosperity.

Chinas support for North Korea, which includes its practice of forcibly repatriating escapees, is an Achilles heel that could undermine efforts to shore up and sanitize its image. We should therefore shame China for supporting a regime that inflicts such horrors on its people.

We should stress that a country that stands for peace and stability can hardly stand with bellicose, erratic North Korea; and that if China truly wanted a humane and cooperative world, it would not bolster the severely oppressive and insular hermit kingdom.

If Chinas quest for world power depends as much upon its image as China thinks, then exposing Chinas symbiotic relationship with a country that routinely commits some of the worst atrocities on the planet seems another way to change its calculus about the benefits and costs of that relationship. Chinas own human rights violations belie its propaganda, but its backing of North Korea has the potential to destroy its reputation.

China should have to salvage its reputation by showing that it really does put the interests of humanity ahead of North Koreas. It is time for a Tear Down This Wall entreaty to China that includes both moral principles and existential concerns.
As spoiled millionaire athletes continue to split America into quibbling camps, Spain is going to find out this weekend whether it can remain one country, and if Europe can truly be one united continent.

A referendum that is scheduled to take place Sunday will allow residents of Catalonia, the region that includes Barcelona, to vote on whether to declare their independence from Spain. Catalans have their own culture and language, and for the past two years, their political leadership has been promising citizens a vote. Spains Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has said such a ballot would be invalid and in violation of Spains constitution.

The possibility that Catalonia would split off from Spain is very much like Californias Calexit movement. Politically and psychologically, the Golden State is different from Americas misnamed flyover states, so its aspirations to be independent are understandable. Just a few months ago, one independence movement said leaving the United States was the only way to defend California values.

So, too, Catalonias desire to pull away from the rest of Spain, of which its been a part since the 15th century, when King Ferdinand of Aragon married Queen Isabella of Castile and united their realms. Today, Catalonia is one of Spains economic engines, and Barcelona, its capital, is the countrys leading destination for tourists. So independence advocates have a legitimate claim that Catalonia gives more than it gets from the rest of the country.

The latest opinion polls suggest Catalans are about evenly split on the question of secession. What makes this weekend so vital is that Rajoys government has gone to extraordinary lengths to try to prevent the vote from taking place. Catalan politicians who support it have been arrested and fined. The National Guard has been deployed to seal off polling places, and a national blitz of ads warns residents not to try to vote.

However the vote goes, or even if it does not take place, a lot of citizens of Catalonia are going to be unhappy. If they spill out into the streets to protest whatever happens, civil disorder is a real possibility.

That will further undermine the vision of Europe remaining a united entity. Britain voted to leave the European Union last year, and similar nationalist movements are afoot in Italy, Hungary and Poland.

Despite the efforts of boosters like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, the one-Europe dream is in real trouble. Thats something Americans should consider as they squabble over whether their favorite tight end is on his feet or his knees while our beloved National, repeat National Anthem is played.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has been given the authority to sign off on most Cabinet members' travel on government--owned, rented, leased or chartered aircraft following the resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

Kelly's new responsibility was laid out in a memo Friday night by White House budget director Mick Mulvaney. The new protocol exempts those required to fly on government planes for security reasons, like the secretary of defense and secretary of state.

"We are public servants," Mulvaney wrote in the memo. "Every penny we spend comes from the taxpayer. We thus owe it to the taxpayer to work as hard managing that money wisely as the taxpayer must do to earn it in the first place."

Price resigned earlier Friday amid criticism over his repeated use of private planes to travel to official engagements. On Thursday, Price had expressed "regrets" and offered to pay back nearly $52,000 -- though that amount represented a fraction of the total cost.

Price had defended himself by saying that his itineraries had been approved by HHS and legal officials. In his memo, Mulvaney said that "just because something is legal doesn't make it right."

"With few exceptions," Mulvaney added, "the commercial air system used by millions of Americans every day is appropriate, even for very senior officials."

The Price flap has prompted scrutiny of other Cabinet members' travel, as the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee launched a government-wide investigation of top political appointees. Other department heads have been scrambling to explain their own travel.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke faced scrutiny over three charter flights while in office, including a $12,375 late-night trip from Las Vegas to his home state of Montana in June. On Friday, he dismissed the controversy over charter flights as "a little BS over travel," but he said taxpayers do have the right to know official travel costs.

Price, 62, was seen in Congress as a foe of wasteful spending. As HHS secretary, he led a $1 trillion department whose future is the key to managing mounting federal budgetary deficits. As secretary, Price criticized the Medicaid health program for low-income people, saying it doesn't deliver results commensurate with the hundreds of billions of dollars taxpayers spend on it. As a congressman, he favored Medicare privatization.

But Price's image as a budget hawk took a hit when reports of his official travel started bubbling up. Price used private charter flights on 10 trips with multiple segments, when in many cases cheaper commercial flights were available. His charter travel was first reported by Politico.

On a trip in June to Nashville, Tennessee, Price also had lunch with his son, who lives in that city, according to Politico. Another trip was from Dulles International Airport in the Washington suburbs to Philadelphia International Airport, a distance of 135 miles.

The reports triggered a review by the HHS inspector general's office, which is looking into whether Price's travel violated federal travel regulations. Those rules generally require officials to minimize costs.

The controversy over Price was a catalyst for Congress launching a bipartisan probe of travel by political appointees across the administration. The House oversight committee has requested travel records from the White House and 24 federal departments and agencies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Harvard University students staged a protest as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos delivered a speech Thursday on school choice.

Some held up fists. One held up a sign reading in red ink: White supremacist. Others called for protections for victims of campus sexual assault.

DeVos last week revoked Obama administration guidance that instructed colleges on how to investigate sexual assault cases on college campuses. DeVos said policy was skewed against those accused of assault and had weaponized the Education Department to work against schools and against students.

DeVos did not stop her speech to address the protesters but later took some questions from the audience. The Associated Press reported the protest was mostly silent, though some students snapped their fingers or cheered in support of some questions.

HHS SECRETARY TOM PRICE RESIGNS OVER PRIVATE PLANE TRIPS

Asked about protections for transgender students, DeVos said she is committed to making sure all students are safe. Earlier this year, she rescinded guidance that allowed transgender students to use bathrooms that matched their gender identity.

"With respect to any student that feels unsafe or discriminated against in their school, that is the last thing we want and the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education continues to hear and work with the schools that have any of those issues to deal with," DeVos said. "And we are committed to doing that on behalf of the students."

DeVos said she wanted new rules on campus sexual assault to be fair to both the victims and the accused.

She was asked by a student how much her net worth was expected to increase due to school choice.

Devos responded: "I have written lots of checks to support giving parents and kids options to choose a school of their choice. The balance on my income has gone very much the other way and will continue to do so."

School choice referred to efforts that give students options other than their local public schools, such as charter or private schools. Charter schools were funded by public money but usually operated by entities that were independent of school districts.

DeVos was a supporter of school choice efforts in Michigan before becoming President Trumps education chief. Before she spoke, she announced $253 million in grants to expand charter schools across the country.

The awards went to nine states, two state agencies and over 20 nonprofit charter management organizations. The grants were awarded as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

TILLERSON IN CHINA TO TALK ABOUT NORTH KOREA, TRADE

Tony DelaRosa, 27, a student at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, held a sign reading "Our Students Are Not 4 Sale."

"We need public schools not to lose our funding and be given to charter schools," DelaRosa told the AP. "Administering more charters anywhere, it's going to take funding from somewhere."

Samantha White, a 19-year-old neurobiology major, said she came to the speech to ask DeVos why she rescinded the guidance on campus sexual assault.

"I am very upset and angry about it," White said. "Sexual assault is such a huge problem on college campus already and if you are rolling this back, it makes survivors of sexual assault more vulnerable and it's more difficult for them to seek justice when there aren't these regulations."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
When it comes to touting the successes of his first months in office, President Trump often boasts about the "S.C." in his tweets -- his shorthand for the U.S. Supreme Court and the contentious confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch.

But with a shaky conservative majority in place, the justices are poised to give a hard legal look in the coming months to the president and his party's policies -- in a new term that could either fuel or significantly set back the administrations political and legislative momentum.

"There's only one prediction that's entirely safe of the upcoming term, and that is it will be momentous," Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said at an event last week, with a slight smile.

To boot, the prospect of a resignation or two adds an extra layer of drama and unpredictability surrounding the session that kicks off Monday.

The high court will begin its work with a full bench and a full plate of hot-button cases, including Trump's executive order on an earlier version of his so-called "travel ban."

That case is on hold for the moment, as Trumps initial order for a 90-day pause in travel from six nations has lapsed and the president has issued a new policy restricting travel indefinitely from nine nations. That prompted the high court to cancel scheduled oral arguments and is likely to toss the issue back to the lower courts -- for now.

Other pending disputes include:

-- Religious liberty, and whether a Colorado baker can be sanctioned for refusing to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, in violation of his stated Christian beliefs. In the case, Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, had refused to sell a customized cake for a gay couple's union. They subsequently sued under the state's anti-discrimination law.

Phillips says free speech and religious rights under the First Amendment should protect him. Colorado's law, though, protects people on the basis of their sexual orientation, and state courts have ruled against the businessman.

By wading again into the culture wars, the Supreme Court will have to confront recent decisions on both gay rights and religious liberty: a 2015 landmark opinion legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, and a separate 2014 decision affirming the right of some companies to refuse to provide contraception to workers.

-- Union fees, and whether public employees who choose not to join a labor union have a First Amendment right to avoid paying dues supporting collective bargaining and other union activities. This case involves an Illinois state government worker who challenged the high court's 1979 precedent that concluded public-sector workers could be forced to join a union or financially support one as a condition of employment.

If the Supreme Court rules in his favor, it would strike a blow to union membership. The justices had deadlocked on the "right-to-work" issue last year, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

-- Voter redistricting, and just how much state legislatures can use partisan gerrymandering, maneuvers that have benefitted Republicans in recent years.

-- Privacy rights, testing the limits of police tracking a suspect from his cell phone digital footprint.

Those on both sides of the political spectrum had hoped for timely consideration of the travel ban in particular. But it appears the justices are reluctant to get involved now, and may let the latest executive order play out first in the lower courts.

"This is a very difficult issue for the Supreme Court," said Thomas Dupree, a former top Bush Justice Department official. "In many ways it's a political judgment -- who is allowed into this country -- and historically, the court has been very reluctant to tread into areas where it could be viewed as making a political judgment that is properly confined to the executive."

High Stakes at the High Court

Trump has a lot riding on what the Supreme Court does  and the possibility of another vacancy.

Sources close to Justice Anthony Kennedy say he has been seriously considering retirement and may not stay on the bench for Trump's entire first term. Rumors were at a blustery pitch that he would step down last June, but the new term begins with the 81-year-old justice on board, his unique power base intact.

His influence as the court's "swing" member -- the deciding vote on a range of high-profile cases from gay marriage to immigration to abortion -- has left his seat coveted by those on the right and left. Replacing him would launch an epic political fight, and could prove aboost to the Trump presidency itself.

"With Justice Gorsuch on the bench, instead of President Obama's pick Merrick Garland, it's a very hospitable environment for conservatives to push their agenda," said Elizabeth Wydra, president of the Constitutional Accountability Center. "But as long as Justice Kennedy stays on the bench, I think there will be a vote that blocks efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade, or seriously undermine the rights of gays and lesbians."

For now, Kennedy's moderating presence could blunt the Trump agenda and that of fellow conservative Republicans. Other court watchers wonder about the plans of the liberal Ginsburg, at 84 the oldest member of the court.

"If we put another two or perhaps three justices on, [overturning the right to abortion in Roe v. Wade] will happen," candidate Trump said during a presidential debate a year ago. "That will happen automatically in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court."

It is part of a broader White House strategy to redirect political capital into remaking the 860-member federal judiciary with a more conservative bent. The president is still relying on the same ready list he used when selecting Gorsuch -- the so-called "List of 21" judges then-candidate Trump promised to rely on when choosing a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

There are 145 pending vacancies in the federal courts, and 54 pending nominees. That is a faster nomination rate than other recent presidents at this point in their first terms, a sign of how quickly Trump wants to move.

Courting Controversy

The recurring controversies surrounding Trump, meanwhile, have at times extended to sitting Supreme Court justices  adding another dimension to their jobs as they start the new term.

Gorsuch gave a seemingly harmless speech on Thursday promoting "freedom" at an event sponsored by a conservative group. But since it was held at D.C.'s Trump International Hotel, debate raged whether this was an ethical violation, since Gorsuch would hear any oral arguments in the pending travel ban case.

Recent appearances by Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ginsburg at the liberal American Constitution Society have prompted similar concerns -- as has the attendance by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito at the conservative Federalist Society.

And Chief Justice John Roberts was questioned over a summer speech some interpreted as a subtle slap at Trump's leadership style.

"When you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then that your opponent will gloat over your failure, as a way to understand the importance of sportsmanship," he told members of his son's 9th grade graduating class. "I hope you'll be ignored, so you understand the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion."

Trump has not been shy going after the head of the federal judiciary. During last year's presidential campaign, he labeled Roberts "disgraceful," a "disappointment," and a "nightmare," for not being reliably conservative in Trumps eyes.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Saturday during his visit to China that the U.S. is probing North Korea for talks and the two countries have communications with Pyongyang.

Tillerson said the U.S. has contacted the hermit kingdom to see if it was interested in talks and the two countries have lines of communications to Pyongyang," Fox News has confirmed.

We are probing, so stay tuned, Tillerson told reporters in China. When asked how the two countries "probed" Tillerson said they would ask directly.

We ask: Would you like to talk? We have lines of communication open to Pyongyang. Were not in a dark situation, a black out. We have a couple of three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them," Tillerson said.

Tillerson told reporters that the U.S. government and North Korean government have "direct communication" with one another over its "nuclear and missile tests."

When reporters asked if the U.S. worked with China to communicate with North Korea, Tillerson said the U.S. has direct access.

Directly, through our own channels," Tillerson said.

Tillerson did not go into detail about what type of communications the U.S. has with Pyongyang and if the isolated country has responded.

Tillerson called the tensions between U.S. and North Korea and the threats President Trump and Kim Jong Un have traded the past few days "a bit overheated right now," according to The New York Times.

If North Korea would stop firing its missiles, that would calm things down a lot," he was quoted as saying.

NEW US SANCTIONS HIT 8 NORTH KOREAN BANKS, 26 BANK WORKERS

Earlier Saturday, Tillerson met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials to discuss trade, North Korea and preparations for President Trumps visit to China in November.

Tillerson is making his second visit as secretary of state to the world's No. 2 economy and chief American rival for influence in Asia, and increasingly, the world. Along with Xi and Senior Foreign Policy Adviser Yang Jiechi, he met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who told Tillerson that China-U.S. relations "overall have a positive momentum and have arrived at an important opportunity to progress further."

Neither Tillerson nor the Chinese officials mentioned North Korea in opening remarks made in the presence of journalists.

TILLERSON IN CHINA TO TALK ABOUT NORTH KOREA, TRADE

Ties between Beijing and Washington are considered more crucial than ever with the standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles entering a new, more dangerous phase as its leader, Kim Jong Un, and Trump exchange personal insults and threats of war with no sign of a diplomatic solution.

Last Thursday, Trump signed an executive order targeting North Koreas trading partners, calling it a powerful new tool aimed at isolation and de-nuclearizing the regime. The sanctions would punish eight North Korean banks and 26 bank workers living abroad.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump on Saturday defended his administrations hurricane recovery effort in Puerto Rico and questioned the leadership of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz who is criticizing the president's effort to get supplies, electricity and other relief to the U.S. island.

But after facing criticism over his attacks of the mayor, Trump tweeted praise for several other officials involved in the recovery, including the governors of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He also praised Puertos Ricos representative in Congress.

"We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster," the president tweeted.

He called out three government officials for praise.

The Governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rossello, is a great guy and leader who is really working hard, Trump said. Thank you Ricky!

Just spoke to Governor Kenneth Mapp of the U.S. Virgin Islands who stated that #FEMA and Military are doing a GREAT job! Thank you Governor! the president said.

He also tweeted: Congresswoman Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto Rico has been wonderful to deal with and a great representative of the people. Thank you!

Earlier Saturday, the president singled out Cruz for criticism, accusing her of "poor leadership."

Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help, Trump said in a series of tweets. "They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.

He also tweeted: "Results of recovery efforts will speak much louder than complaints by San Juan Mayor. Doing everything we can to help great people of PR!"

Cruz, in response, said later Saturday morning that shell continue to do whatever I have to do to get federal hurricane assistance.

I will continue to do whatever I have to do, say whatever I have to say, compliment the people I need to compliment and call out the people I need to call out, she told MSNBC. I am not going to be distracted by small comments, by politics, by petty issues. This is one goal and it's to save lives.

Cruz also argued that Lt. General Jeffrey Buchanan, appointed Thursday to lead the administrations response on the U.S. island, says he will need more troops and equipment.

So, who am I? she asked. I'm just a little mayor from the capital city of San Juan. This is a three star general telling the world right now he does not have the appropriate means and tools to take care of the situation.

Trump also tweeted Saturday: The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump.

Trump pledged Friday to spare no effort to help Puerto Ricans recover from Hurricane Maria's ruinous aftermath even as Cruz accused the administration of "killing us with the inefficiency."

Cruz said later Friday that she wanted to "make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives," while the president asserted that U.S. officials and emergency personnel are working all-out against daunting odds, with "incredible" results.

Trump also tweeted: The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. Puerto Rico was totally destroyed," and, "Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to "get Trump." Not fair to FR or effort!"

Among the first to criticize Trump's tweets Saturday was Broadway actor and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda."You're going straight to hell, @realDonaldTrump," Miranda, a multi-million-dollar Hillary Clinton fundraiser, tweeted.

Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, tweeted her support for Cruz.

"Dont let anyone make you feel alone," she said. "We are with you and Puerto Rico."

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello, a Democrat, has said the administration is being responsive to the island's needs and on Saturday appeared to try to deflect questions about Cruz's comments.

He suggested the Trump-Cruz issue was to his "side" and said his message is that he's "here to help" and collaborate with the federal government on resources.

On Friday, Rossello said Trump has responded to his requests after the island was clipped by Hurricane Irma, then struck by Maria.

He also said the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its director, Brock Long, have essentially been in contact with him "all of the time.

Trump's acting homeland security secretary, Elaine Duke, visited the island Friday, surveying the landscape by helicopter in an hour-long tour, driving past still-flooded streets, twisted billboards and roofs with gaping holes, and offering encouragement to some of the 10,000 emergency personnel she says the U.S. government has on the ground.

On Thursday, the U.S. military named Buchanan to oversee the response effort.

Trump is expected to survey the damage Tuesday.

Duke tried, too, to move on from the remarks she made a day earlier in which she called the federal relief effort a "good-news story." But on that front, she ran into winds as fierce as Maria.

"We are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency," Cruz said in a news conference. "I am begging, begging anyone that can hear us, to save us from dying."

Thousands more Puerto Ricans got water and rationed food Friday as an aid bottleneck began to ease. By now, telecommunications are back for about 30 percent of the island, nearly half of the supermarkets have reopened at least for reduced hours and about 60 percent of the gas stations are pumping.

But many remain desperate for necessities, most urgently water, long after the Sept. 20 hurricane.

Trump said Puerto Rico is "totally unable" to handle the catastrophe on its own. "They are working so hard, but there's nothing left," he said. "It's been wiped out." He said the government is "fully engaged in the disaster and the response and recovery effort."

Trump said he was not aware of Duke's "good-news" remark.

"I haven't heard what she said," he told reporters. "I can tell you this: We have done an incredible job considering there's absolutely nothing to work with."

Yet even in voicing solidarity and sympathy with Puerto Rico, he drew attention again to the island's pre-hurricane debt burden and infrastructure woes, leaving doubt how far Washington will go to make the U.S. territory whole.

"Ultimately the government of Puerto Rico will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort -- it will end up being one of the biggest ever -- will be funded and organized, and what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island," he said. "We will not rest, however, until the people of Puerto Rico are safe."

Earlier he tweeted: "The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!"

Speaking to the press, and taking no questions, Duke said neither she nor Trump will rest until displaced Puerto Ricans are back home, schools, hospitals and clean water are back and the island's economy is moving again. Duke said she is aware people are suffering and "clearly the situation in Puerto Rico after the devastating hurricane is not satisfactory."

Trump weighed in on his way to New Jersey for the weekend.

He praised his emergency management director, Brock Long, for doing a "fantastic job," pointed out that Duke is serving in an acting capacity and said "she's working very hard."

Duke said before leaving Washington that the federal relief effort was a "good-news story" because of "our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths."

"Let me clarify," she said Friday upon her arrival in San Juan. She said she meant "it was good news that people of Puerto Rico and many public servants of the United States are working together."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
An Air France flight bound for Los Angeles was forced to make an emergency landing in Newfoundland, Canada Saturday afternoon after one of the aircraft's engines blew out over the Atlantic Ocean.

Passengers on the Airbus A380 tweeted pictures of the damaged engine, with one man saying he felt a "loud thud and a lot of vibration."

Another passenger tweeted the sardonic caption, "I think the engine has seen better days."

"We heard this tremendous bang. It was like the plane hit a Jeep at 35,000 feet," passenger Pamela Adams told the Associated Press in a telephone interview. "We grabbed onto something and then we sat down, and the plane righted itself fairly soon."

Passengers nervously joked to one another as they tried to make sense of the commotion, Adams said. She figured the plane had struck a bird, but then, it became clear that the situation was more dramatic.



The pilot came on over the loudspeaker and said the plane had lost one of its engines and would be landing in Canada, Adams said.

CBC News, citing air traffic control transmissions, reported that the plane landed in Goose Bay at around 1:40 p.m. local time and scattered debris across the runway. The runway was briefly closed while the debris was cleared. The crew handed out meals as they waited on the runway for hours.



In a statement, Air France praised the pilots and cabin crew on Flight 66 out of Paris' Charles de Gaulle Aiport, who they said "handled this serious incident perfectly." The statement added that the engine had suffered "serious damage," but declined to elaborate.

Air France said it brought in two flights to carry the 497 passengers from Goose Bay to Los Angeles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Georgia's judicial watchdog has dismissed ethics complaints against a Georgia judge who was criticized for her involvement in the indictment and arrest of a journalist and his attorney.

The Judicial Qualifications Commission has dismissed four complaints filed against Appalachian Circuit Chief Superior Court Judge Brenda Weaver, the Daily Report newspaper reports . A report filed with the Georgia Supreme Court says the agency found "no grounds" for discipline.

The investigation looked into allegations Weaver had abused her position, engaged in "willful misconduct" and "conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice."

Weaver had served as the head of the commission until she resigned in August 2016. She didn't specifically mention the controversy in an email sent to other commissioners at the time, but she said no one should distract from the commission's duties and responsibilities.

Fannin Focus publisher Mark Thomason and his lawyer, Russell Stookey, were indicted in June 2016 on charges of identity theft and attempt to commit identity theft. The indictment also accused Thomason of making a false statement in an Open Records Act request he had filed. The charges were dropped the following month.

The case stemmed from a legal battle between Thomason and court reporter Rhonda Stubblefield. Thomason was seeking an audio recording of a court proceeding before then-Judge Roger Bradley because he believed the transcript produced by Stubblefield was incomplete.

He tried to use the courts to compel her to release the audio recording and wrote a story saying the transcript might not be accurate. Stubblefield sued him for libel.

A judge ended up dismissing Thomason's claim, and Stubblefield dropped her counterclaim. But Stubblefield subsequently filed paperwork asking to be reimbursed for attorney's fees, even though she had been paid nearly $16,000 from Bradley's operating account.

Weaver said the judges decided to use court money to cover the court reporter's legal expenses since they stemmed from her work for the court.

Circuit District Attorney Alison Sosebee brought the charges at Weaver's request after Weaver learned about subpoenas seeking records for her office's operating account and for the operating account of Bradley, who is no longer on the bench. Weaver was named as the victim in the indictment.

The ethics complaints were filed by Thomason, Stookey, Fannin County attorney Lynn Doss and the Georgia Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

___

Information from: the Fulton County Daily Report, http://www.dailyreportonline.com
A federal judge has ordered a Pennsylvania county to remove the cross from its seal, saying it violated the Constitution.

Lehigh Valley County, which is about 40 miles north of Philadelphia, will have to redesign its seal after U.S. District Judge Edward Smith ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an organization that promotes separation of church and state and which filed the lawsuit against the county, according to The Morning Call.

Smith made it known in his ruling that he was not happy about the decision he had to make but was following the rule of constitutional law, including the establishment clause, which states that Congress may not pass any laws establishing a religion.

While the court does not believe the current state of the law applicable to this case comports with the text of the Establishment Clause, the court is not in a position to reject it, reads the ruling from Smith. The law, as it currently stands, requires that the court rule in favor of the plaintiffs: the inclusion of the cross lacked a secular purpose both when the defendant adopted the seal and when the defendant refused to remove the cross from the seal, and a reasonable observer would perceive the seal as endorsing Christianity.

The FFRF started its campaign to have the cross removed from the county seal and flag in 2014 when four residents first voiced complaints of the imagery. Along with the foundation, they threatened to sue Lehigh County if it refused to remove the cross. County officials refused to give in to their threats, claiming that the cross should be viewed in historical context.

But the residents and the FFRF filed a lawsuit and testified that they opposed the seal and found it offensive, according to court documents.

They said that Lehigh County was home to many Christians, FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor tells Fox News. But it is not a Christian county and it should be welcoming to all other religions and no religions.

The judge was a little begrudging, but even he conceded that anyone who sees this seal or flag would see it as an endorsement of a particular religion by local government.

Officials for Lehigh County did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The seal was first adopted by Lehigh County commissioners in 1944 with the Latin cross displayed in its center, surrounded by a heart to symbolize its county seat, Allentown, along with bison, cement silos, and other imagery, according to The Morning Call.

The seal is included on county flags, buildings, letterhead and legal documents, as well as its website.
A rock climber fell Friday in Yosemite National Park and had to be airlifted out of the area, KRON 4 reported.

The National Park Service reportedly sent a helicopter to the Higher Cathedral Spire to help rescue the climber.

This is the third incident in Yosemite this week, following two separate rock falls near El Capitan, located right across the river from the Higher Cathedral Spire, the report said.

It is not clear how far the climber fell or their current condition.

On Wednesday, a large slab the size of an apartment building fell off the face of El Capitan, killing a British climber and injuring one other.

CLIMBER WHO DIED IN ROCK FALL AT YOSEMITE WAS CELEBRATING FIRST WEDDING ANNIVERSARY

The two people hit by the slide were at Yosemite on a dream holiday, celebrating their first wedding anniversary together.

And on Thursday, a second rock fall happened, also near El Capitan. One climber in the area described this one as being three times the size of the one the day before.

Signs have reportedly been put up near where the rock slides occurred, warning climbers of the recent activity, KRON 4 reported.
Three persons were killed and four seriously injured when a family in an SUV struck a bear on a Colorado highway Friday morning.

The three who were killed were ejected from the vehicle after the crash, authorities told Fox 31 Denver.

The Garfield County Coroner's Office identified the three dead as 7-year-old Kimberly Hernandez, her 15-year-old sister Brizeyda Hernandez, and their 62-year-old grandfather Eugenio Hernandez Altimirano, Fox 4 Grand Junction reported.

Brizeyda died of her injuries at the hospital.

The children's 32-year-old mother, 36,-year-old father, 9-year-old brother and 62-year-old grandmother were all transported to area hospitals, the station reported.

The Colorado State Patrol said the family's Chevy SUV ran into the median and rolled over after hitting the bear, according to the station.

The family was from New Castle, a small town in Colorado about 100 miles from the border with Utah, the station reported.

None of the seven people in the car was believed to have been wearing a seat belt or sitting in a child safety seat at the time of the crash, the State Patrol said.

Drugs, alcohol, and the speed of the vehicle were not considered factors in the crash, the State Patrol said. The case is under investigation.

The highways eastbound lanes near exit 90 in Rifle were closed until around 10 a.m., the Glenwood Springs Post Independent reported.

The bear was killed in the cash. It weighed approximately 300 pounds, according to the paper.

"If you're driving, expect the possibility of wildlife," Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Mike Porras told the paper. "One of the best parts of Colorado is the wildlife, but if you live in Colorado the best thing you can do is be aware."
The body of a missing Florida woman has been found and police have identified a person of interest in her disappearance, authorities said Saturday.

Jennifer Lynn Fulford, 56, was last seen leaving a Winter Park dental office Wednesday morning. Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal told reporters that Scott Edward Nelson, 53, was caught on surveillance footage using Fulford's ATM card in photos released by police Thursday.

Orlando Crimeline is offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads police to Nelson.

"This is not something that happens in the city of Winter Park," Deal said at Saturday's press conference.

Fulford's husband, Robert, wrote on Facebook that his Jennifer's purse was found on the floor of a house where she worked as nanny. Fulford's employer called police Wednesday when she failed to pick up his child as scheduled.

On Thursday, police recovered Fulford's Hyundai SUV. Investigators said they had found "valuable evidence" in the vehicle, but declined to elaborate.

Robert Fulford described his wife as a "very trusting and caring person, and I feel like someone took advantage of that."

"It's unbelievable that something like that could happen to someone that just exhibits joy all the time," he told Fox 35 Orlando Friday.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Winter Park Police Detective Paul Foster at 407-599-3274 or Crimeline at 407-423-TIPS (8477).

Click for more from Fox35Orlando.com.
A former county probation counselor in Northern California was arrested on accusations of having sex with two teenage boys who were incarcerated at a juvenile detention center.

Tricia Caparra, 36, appeared in court on Friday on 15 felony sexual assault charges, Santa Clara County prosecutors said. She did not enter a plea.

Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office said Caparra was a probation counselor with the county in 2016 when she allegedly had sex on multiple occasions with a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old who were held at William F. James Boys Ranch in Morgan Hill, The Mercy News reported.

CALIFORNIA STUDENT STEALS MAGA HAT, PLEADS FOR WEARER TO BE PUNISHED IN BIZARRE RANT

One of the victims came forward last year to police, county officials said. Caparra was put on administrative leave immediately by the probation department and was barred from any contact with juveniles.

Caparra resigned from her job in July.

CALIFORNIA JUDGE SCOLDS DEM AG FOR MISLEADING BALLOT QUESTION ON TAX REPEAL, REWRITES IT

We were appalled to learn of this employees alleged abuse of a minor in our care, and we have worked closely with the sheriff and district attorney to ensure they have the information necessary to investigate and now prosecute this individual, said Chief Probation Officer Laura Garnette told The Mercury News. This employee violated the trust placed in our department. This will not be tolerated,

The Sheriffs Office said the investigation was continuing and has asked if anyone has any information regarding the case to call officers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About two hours after initial reports emerged about a possible active shooter at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, there was still no confirmation that any shots had been fired or that any people had been injured.

Multiple agencies responded to the academy Friday night on a report of an active shooter, FOX21 in Colorado reported, citing information from an El Paso County emergency dispatcher.

But shortly before 1:30 a.m. ET Saturday, the academy itself tweeted there was "no confirmation of shots fired." Still, security teams continued to sweep the campus, the tweet said.

FOX21 spoke to a resident who lives on the Air Force Academy. According to the resident, military police said the reports came from the academy's community center area, near the prep school and the base exchange.

The resident was also told the base is on shelter-in-place status. An alert was sent via text message to school officials and cadets, KKTV-TV reported.
An Iowa man slammed his former wife for allegedly leaving her four children behind while she traveled to Europe, but added he was not surprised at her actions.

Matthew Macke told the syndicated show "Inside Edition" that he was angry at his ex-wife Erin Lee Macke of Johnston for leaving the children behind -- but not shocked.

"I am really angry, but I wish I could say I am surprised, but I am not," Macke, the father of the two youngest children, told Inside Edition.

"In my eyes it was a clear, deliberate, intentional act, he said.

IOWA MOTHER LEFT 4 KIDS HOME ALONE WHILE SHE WENT TO EUROPE, POLICE SAY

Erin Lee Macke, 30, was arrested Thursday and charged with four counts of child endangerment and one of transferring a firearm to a person under 21.

Johnston Police said Macke tried but failed to make child care arrangements for her children - two aged 12, one 7 and other 6  before leaving Sept. 20 for a 12-day vacation in Germany. The father of one of the children was called by his child the next day, and he tipped off police that the kids had been left unsupervised, Johnston police spokeswoman Janet Wilwerding said Friday.

Macke was contacted by police while she was in Germany and ordered to return. The Iowa Department of Human Services took custody of the abandoned children before handing them over to relatives.

FEMALE TEACHER, 25, GETS PRISON FOR SEXUAL CONTACT WITH BOY WHILE WATCHING DEADPOOL

Matthew Macke told Inside Edition the children were doing well.

If she wants to take a vacation, more power to her, Macke said of his ex-wife. But she has a responsibility as a parent.

Erin Lee Macke remained in custody Friday, according to Polk County Jail records.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Massachusetts woman is hoping that DNA will solve her sisters murder nearly 40 years ago.

Theresa Corley, 19, was raped and strangled and her naked body was found on the side of a highway in Bellingham, Mass., on Dec. 4, 1978. Her family pushed to have the body exhumed in May to search for DNA evidence.

"We've always wanted to do the right thing by her," her sister Gerri Houde told Fox 25 Boston. "The people that are out there that thought we forgot about what happened to Theresa, will realize we haven't forgotten her."

Police believe Corley may have scratched her killer during the sexual assault.

Corleys family has been told that evidence collected after the exhumation included fingernail scrapings which were sent to the lab for processing, the station reported.

The key question is whether the scrapings still contain DNA evidence despite the passage of time.

Its going to be very difficult to know what they can get until somebody tries, Boston University DNA expert Robin Cotton told the station. So the question is should you try now or should you try later.

Cotton was a prosecution witness at the O.J. Simpson murder trial in Los Angeles.

It all depends on how many (DNA) cells were there and what condition they are in now, the scientist added.

Investigators said that the night she was killed Corley went to a bar with friends. She and the friends argued and she left.

The investigators said that she then went to an apartment with some others, left and started walking home.

Police found her body in a ditch off I-495 a few days later.

Click for more from Fox 25 Boston.
California state officials are investigating whether colorful flutes given to students in southern California schools may have been contaminated with semen from a music teacher.

The California Department of Justice and U.S. Postal Service have begun an investigation into the flutes in several southern California school districts, NBC 4 Los Angeles reported.

School districts in Fountain Valley, Los Angeles, Fullerton, Inland Empire, Fullerton, Chatsworth, Capistrano Unified and Newport-Mesa have all sent home statements to parents notifying them of the ongoing investigation. Los Angeles Unified School District said at least 13 school districts might have been affected in southern California.

FORMER CALIFORNIA PROBATION COUNSELOR ACCUSED OF SEX WITH TWO TEEN INMATES

The notifications stated the investigation involved an unnamed music teacher, described as an independent contractor, who administered a music program for students at some schools.

The flutes are colorfully decorated and painted by students all over Southern California through a program called Flutes Across the World, NBC Los Angeles reported.

The flutes/recorders that were given to the students were potentially contaminated with bodily fluids, Fountain Valley School Districts Superintendent Mark Johnson told The Orange County Register.

Johnson asked parents to take the flutes from the children and provide it to police as part of the investigation. The Capistrano Unified School District also asked parents to do the same.

CALIFORNIA STUDENT STEALS MAGA HAT, PLEADS FOR WEARER TO BE PUNISHED IN BIZARRE RANT

As part of the investigation, we are working with local law enforcement and school districts to collect instruments, for the California Department of Justice to process, Californias Office of the Attorney General told the Orange County Register.

Federal investigators planned to test the instruments.

You have to read in between the lines  and most likely its not sweat, Nate, a parent whose child attends Courreges Elementary School, told NBC 4 Los Angeles.

A couple of other parents, who asked not to be named, told NBC 4 Los Angeles, that it was disgusting and made them sick to their stomachs.

It was not immediately clear what triggered the investigation.

The California Attorney General's Office did not immediately reply to a request for a comment.
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Authorities are trying to convince more than half of the 144,000 people who fled a menacing volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali to return home, saying they left areas that are safe.

The Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian island known for its lush interior and beguiling beaches has been at its highest alert level for more than a week, sparking an exodus from an official danger zone and areas farther away.

Authorities say the no-go zone is the area at risk of lava, lahars and searing hot clouds of ash if there's a powerful eruption.

Disaster official Putu Widiada said Saturday: "Those who live outside the danger zone, we urge them to go back home and carry on with their daily lives."
Greek police announced they have arrested eight migrant traffickers who reportedly smuggled 38 migrants through Greece's land border with Turkey.

All the arrests were made Friday, in northern Greece, in four separate incidents.

The largest group of migrants  10 from Vietnam, two from Iraq and two from Pakistan  was smuggled by two Moldovans and a Romanian. The migrants were stashed in one car while two other traffickers drove another vehicle, checking for police roadblocks, police say.

Ten Syrians and Somalis smuggled in by a Bulgarian driver told police they paid 2,400 euros ($2,836) each to be taken into central Europe. Another seven Iraqis, five Afghanis and two Pakistanis were also smuggled in by traffickers.

Similar incidents occur almost daily, police say.
A beer-chugging Texas man attending Munichs annual Oktoberfest festival could hold his baby but not the beer, the Dallas Morning News reports.

The paper cites The Local Germany as saying that Bavarian officials took custody of the 1-year-old after the Texan, who was 28, was found falling down drunk.

On Thursday, a reveler saw the Texas man slumped near an exit, according to the paper. He was carrying the baby in sling.

As the man began to topple over, the reveler took the baby and called Munich police.

When the police arrived they had a tough time getting answers from the Texan because he was so drunk and started vomiting, the paper reported.

The Locals report says cops called an ambulance to take the man to the hospital, according to the paper.

The baby was reportedly taken to the central police station and then turned over to the city's child welfare office.

Oktoberfest draws six million visitors to Munich as September turns to October.
Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordecai Vanunu has been granted permission to immigrate to Norway so he can be united with his Norwegian wife.

Vanunu's wife, Kristin Joachimsen, told Norway's TV2 channel Friday the couple requested family reunification after they wed in May 2015. It wasn't clear when he would relocate.

Joachimsen says: "Family values have prevailed."

Vanunu served 18 years in prison for leaking details and pictures of an alleged Israeli nuclear weapons program to a British newspaper. He sought asylum in Norway after his 2004 release.

Israel then banned him from speaking with foreigners and leaving the country, among other restrictions.

Israel neither confirms nor denies its nuclear weapons capability.
Spain's foreign minister vowed Saturday that a planned independence referendum in Catalonia would not take place as the Madrid government sought to dismantle the vote's IT systems.

In an interview with Sky News, Alfonso Dastis said there are "no voting premises, no ballot papers [and] no authorities to check the authenticity of the result."

Spain's Interior Ministry said police had sealed off "most" of the region's 2,315 polling stations and disabled software being used in the referendum. Enric Millo, the highest-ranking Spanish official in the northeastern region, said parents and students were occupying at least 163 schools that were to be used as polling places by mid-Saturday, when about 1,000 more still needed to be checked. In a later update, the ministry didn't provide a new figure but only said "some" schools remained occupied.

Police have set a deadline of 6 a.m. Sunday for the activists to vacate the schools, a move designed to voting from taking place, since the polls are supposed to open three hours later. Some parents decided to send their children home and girded for pre-dawn confrontations with police.

The regional police force has been ordered not to use force in vacating the schools but Millo said anyone remaining after 6 a.m. will need to be removed.

"I trust in the common sense of Catalans and that people will operate with prudence," he said.

Spain's Constitutional Court suspended the independence vote more than three weeks ago and the national government calls it illegal. Police have been ordered to stop ballots from being cast on Sunday and have been cracking down for days, confiscating millions of ballots and posters.

Catalonia's defiant regional government is pressing ahead anyway, urging the region's 5.3 million voters to make their voices heard.

Spain's foreign minister dismissed the planned vote as anti-democratic, saying it runs "counter to the goals and ideals" of the European Union.

"What they are pushing is not democracy. It is a mockery of democracy, a travesty of democracy," Dastis told The Associated Press in an interview.

He accused some pro-independence groups of "adopting Nazi-like attitudes by pointing at people that are against that referendum and encouraging others to harass them."

In the Spanish capital of Madrid Saturday, thousands marched to protest the separatists' attempt to break up their nation and demanded that Catalan leaders be sent to jail. In Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, thousands more also took to the streets to urge their prosperous region to stay united with Spain.



Authorities have already confiscated 10 million paper ballots in the last few days -- which will make it much more difficult for Catalan officials to carry out an effective vote. Millo said the Spanish government would tolerate ad hoc voting in the streets but that those results could not be considered valid.



"They can always put a makeshift table in the street with some buckets and put papers in," he said. "But what Catalan authorities have promised, an effective referendum with legal basis and binding, is something that won't happen."



At the Congres-Indians school in Barcelona, designated as a polling place, activist Quim Roy said he would be sending his two daughters home before the deadline out of concerns about possible violence. He said other parents planned to do the same.



"Who knows what will happen if the Guardia Civil comes?" Roy said, referring to the Spanish national guard.



He said he would not resort to violence but will not leave the building voluntarily.



"If they tell me I can't be in a public school to exercise my democratic rights, they will have to take me out of here. I won't resist, but they will have to carry me out," he said.



Organizers set up a range of activities in the schools -- including yoga sessions, games, film screenings and picnics -- to keep spirits high as the historic confrontation with Spain's central government unfolds.



Roy said there were no ballot boxes or ballots yet at the school but he was not worried about that.



"They will appear," he said with a shrug.



At the La Sagrera primary school in Barcelona, parent Saverio Trioni said 20 parents and children slept over on Friday but "we expect way more tonight. The plan is 100 at least." They are holding a music festival to keep everyone occupied.



Trioni said, however, that "we will leave if ordered to."



A pro-independence grassroots group admitted that Sunday's vote could be in jeopardy unless more schools were kept open to hold it. Open Schools spokesman Ramon Font told the AP he did not have an exact number on how many schools were being occupied but felt it was more than the number stated by police.



"If the number of schools kept open does not rise, then the ability to exercise our right to self-determination will be in serious jeopardy. It will be very difficult to vote," Font said.



In Madrid, thousands of people rallied Saturday in a central plaza to protest the Catalan independence vote, angry and fearful that it could divide Spain. Some shouted "Long live Spain!" and "Puigdemont to jail!"



Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont, who openly favors breaking away from Spain, is among those promoting the independence vote.



In Barcelona, Francisco Morales, a 69-year-old retiree, said he was marching Saturday to defend the unity of Spain against the "lies" of Catalan separatists. Morales and his wife were among thousands protesting the independence referendum.



"We don't want division. It's been enough lies telling people that they can't be Catalans and Spanish at the same time," Morales said. "The politicians supporting independence are bending the law to tear this country apart."



Some anti-vote protesters scaled the windows of Barcelona's city hall and tore a banner calling for "More Democracy" that the municipal government had hung in response to efforts to halt the vote.



Dozens of similar protests calling for the nation's unity popped up in other Spanish cities in the first large grassroots response to the Catalan independence bid.



The main civic group behind Catalonia's push for independence said -- given the concentrated efforts by Spain to block the vote -- that a turnout of 1 million voters, less than a fifth of the electorate, should be considered an "overwhelming success."



Jordi Sanchez, president of the Catalan National Assembly, told reporters that police actions in Catalonia may make a large turnout difficult.



Catalan authorities had hoped previously for a larger turnout than the 2.3 million people who voted in a mock referendum in 2014 in which 80 percent favored independence.



The Catalan government has pledged to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of Sunday's vote if the `yes' side wins, no matter what the turnout is.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
With President Donald Trump scheduled to visit China in November as part of an Asian tour, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Beijing this weekend laying the groundwork -- with talks expected to focus on North Korea and trade.

Tillerson met Saturday with Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi -- with a meeting scheduled later in the day with President Xi Jinping, Agence France-Presse reported.

The secretary of state's arrival in China was delayed because of aircraft problems in Japan, AFP reported.

Trump has been pressing China to impose tougher measures on Pyongyang in a bid to ease tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, which has been goading the U.S. with a combination of weapons tests and threatening rhetoric. China is the North's No. 1 trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Some U.S. officials say Beijing seems increasingly cooperative with U.S. efforts to force U.N. sanctions upon North Korea as a way to change the Norths behavior, Reuters reported.

Trump's meeting with Xi in November will be the next test of that cooperation.

"Our two presidents have developed a very regular and close working relationship," Tillerson told Yang on Saturday, AFP reported. "I know President Trump is very much looking forward to the upcoming summit as is everyone on his team."

Yang, who is China's most senior diplomat, said Trump's trip was of "great importance" for Sino-US relations, the report said.

But just how much progress Tillerson can make on North Korea through talks with the Chinese remained unclear, the report said.

The secretary of state is working against the unified view of our intelligence agencies, which say theres no amount of pressure that can be put on [North Korea] to stop, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told a Senate hearing Thursday.

Thats because North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sees nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as his ticket to survival, rather than a bargaining chip, Corker said.

Meanwhile, Tillerson was also expected to restate concerns about China's massive trade surplus with the U.S. -- $347 billion last year -- and what American companies say are unfair barriers to investment, including pressure to hand over their technology.

Washington wants Beijing to make good on its promise to let market forces have a bigger role in its economy, give equal treatment to foreign and Chinese companies and roll back state industry's dominance.

As for Trump, the presidents planned visit to China in November will come just weeks after Xi is expected to receive a new five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party.

Since taking office in January, Trump has forged a personal connection with Xi over phone calls and through an April meeting between the two leaders at Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

In a prelude to his trip to Beijing, Trump met Thursday with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong in Washington.

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this story.
Analysts say the growing number of rivalries in Chinas oil refinery industry has added to competition in the sector, the Securities Daily reported on Sept. 28.

There are now over 100 gas stations jointly invested by homegrown oil refiners and their foreign counterparts, and most of the joint-ventures are distributed in the countrys eastern coastal areas.

Hu Huichun, an oil analyst with www.sci99.com, said more foreign companies may enter the Chinese market, because it is opening up more widely and has rising demand for refined oil products.

In 2016, Royal Dutch Shell launched an independent oil company in east Chinas Zhejiang province that specializes in gas filling stations.

In September, British Petroleums Shandong branch company was set up with registered capital of $7.2 million. Besides gas filling stations, the company has opened electric vehicle charging points at its gas stations, which the industry says will become a bright spot as more Chinese support new and renewable energy.

New private businesses in China are also intensifying competition in the sector. On Sept.18, a joint-venture was launched by Zhejiang Energy Group and Zhejiang Petrochemical. The joint-venture plans to build hundreds of gas stations by 2020 and be able to handle eight million tons of oil products per year before 2019.

According to statistics, privately-owned gas stations accounted for 40 percent of the total number of gas stations in China by the end of 2016, while foreign-invested ones took up only 2.11 percent.

To gain more market share, Chinas three state-owned energy giantsCnooc, PetroChina, and Sinopecstarted a price war in May with their private counterparts. Industry insiders say more price wars are expected in the future as the number of rivals continues to grow.
Those who want to junk the Electoral College now claim that its a threat to our national security. This argument should persuade only those ignorant of how our federal system of elections works, as well as those who entertain invalid assumptions about the 2016 election.

In an article in Politico, a former Obama administration official and a Stanford University student repeat a familiar mantra to explain Hillary Clintons loss to Donald Trump: An enemy stateRussiawas able to manipulate Americas election process with stunning effectiveness.

This is an unproven claim that ignores the issues and personality characteristics that led to Trump beating Clinton.

That loss simply followed a trend that has been occurring for the past decade. Under Barack Obama, the Democratic Party lost more congressional, state legislative and governors seats than under any other president in historymore than 1,000putting the party in its weakest position politically since the 1920s.

Russia didnt have to do a thing.

The Electoral College is a very carefully considered structure the Framers of the Constitution set up to balance the competing interests of large and small states. It prevents candidates from winning an election by focusing only on high-population urban centers (the big cities), ignoring smaller states and the more rural areas of the countryplaces that progressives and media elites consider flyover country.

The College forces candidates to seek the support of a larger cross-section of the American electorate to win a series of regional elections.

The Framers fears of a tyranny of the majority is still very relevant today. One can see its importance in the fact that despite Hillary Clintons national popular vote total, she won only about a sixth of the counties nationwide, with her support limited mostly to urban areas on both coasts.

The crux of the national security argument is that the Founders could never have imagined the supposed power that foreign powers have through social media to spread propaganda and fake news. The critics obviously dont know the history of the American newspaper business and many examples of fake or incorrect articles.

As Ken Paulson of the Newseum recently said, For all the talk of media bias today, it cant compare to the overt partisanship and personal attacks appearing in papers in our nations early years.

The Founders also had a lot of experience with foreign powers that wanted to influence the relatively new American republic. In 1793, President George Washington demanded the recall of the French ambassador, Edmund-Charles Genet, because of Genets actions in trying to manipulate American politicians, officials, and the public into supporting Frances war with Spain and England, which included recruiting American ships and crews as privateers.

The Politico authors claim it would be more difficult for a foreign entity to sway many millions of voters scattered across the country than concentrated groups of tens of thousands of voters in just a few states.

But that is, in fact, an argument in support of the Electoral College.

If the national popular vote determined the winner, it would be much easier for a foreign entity to influence a close election by focusing its attention on manipulating the results in just one big urban center such as New York City or Los Angeles.

They also say, It would be more difficult to tamper with voting systems on a nationwide basis than to hack into a handful of databases in crucial swing districts.

But that is also an argument for the Electoral College for the same reason.

Want to steal an election under a national popular vote system? Just concentrate on hacking into a big city such as Chicagos election system to add to the total. That would be much easier than trying to hit several states whose Electoral College votes could potentially swing the election.

Our Electoral College system has provided us with orderly elections and a stable government for more than 200 years. Modern technology provides no reason to change a system that balances popular sovereignty with protections for state government and minority interests.

Hans A. von Spakovsky is a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. This column was distributed by the Tribune News Service.
Ransone deserves re-election in the House of Delegates

I have had the pleasure and honor to get to know Del. Margaret Ransone, R-Westmoreland County, since her election to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2012 on both a personal and professional basis, and my respect for her is immense.

Del. Ransone is a dedicated, fiscally responsible public servant with a common-sense approach to solving the many problems facing Virginia and the Northern Neck specifically.

She is a voice of reason that is heard and respected on both sides of the aisle in Richmond. She understands that being a good steward to our environment and fostering a strong business community go hand in hand. She genuinely cares about people, is responsive to her constituents and is devoted to her family.

Del. Ransone is active throughout the community, participating in Shop With the Sheriff by assisting those less fortunate with back-to-school shopping; National Night Out by supporting the community/law enforcement partnership; the Frazier/Mason Some Gave All Ride by assisting area disabled veterans; 3 Ribbons for 3 Reasons by raising distracted driving awareness; visiting area schools and many other community events and causes.

Del. Ransone patroned bills such as HB2313, giving King George County the authority to decide the location of a courts facility. Each year, she improves the efficiency of government and has my full support and endorsement on Nov. 7.

Charles Vic Mason

King George
Global Oncology researchers awarded $2.9M NCI Provocative Questions grant for Kaposi sarcoma immunology study



Drs. Edus H. Hootie Warren and Warren Phipps of Fred Hutch Global Oncology have received a five-year, $2.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institutes Provocative Questions Initiative to study immune responses to Kaposi sarcoma. The research potentially could lead to new treatments  inc ircs/pathogen-associated-malignancies-integrated-re luding immunotherapies  for one of the most common cancers in sub-Saharan Africa.

We want to try to understand what an effective immune response against Kaposi sarcoma looks like so we could then figure out ways to potentially harness that response and improve it in people who do not respond to chemotherapy, Phipps said. We are in the midst of an exciting revolution of our understanding of immune responses as a way to treat cancer, which is what created the vision for this study.

Kaposi sarcoma is one of up to 20 percent of cancers worldwide caused by infectious pathogens, in this case, human herpesvirus 8. Kaposi sarcoma begins in the lymphatic system or in blood vessels and can appear as lesions on the skin, in the mouth, nose or throat, and in the lungs and gastrointestinal tract. In Uganda, where Fred Hutch has a research alliance with the Uganda Cancer Institute, it is the second most common cancer, after prostate cancer, in adult men. It is also a common cancer among women, after cervical and breast cancers.

Driving the high numbers is the HIV/AIDS epidemic. HIV attacks the immune system, leaving those infected less able to fight off other infections. In the United States in the 1980s and early 1990s, the once-rare cancer became a hallmark of the AIDS epidemic. It has become rare again in the U.S. since the rollout of antiretroviral therapies that keep HIV in check. But in Uganda, despite efforts to scale up antiretroviral treatments, many still lack access to care or start therapy late.

Only about 50 percent of Kaposi sarcoma patients survive beyond one year and just 10 percent survive beyond five years.

Novel treatments are urgently needed, Phipps said.

A research exchange that goes both ways

The NCIs Provocative Questions Initiative rewards effective and imaginative ways to improve cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Several features of Kaposi sarcoma  including its occurrence in people with suppressed immune systems  suggest the new immunotherapies that have begun to revolutionize cancer treatment may be effective against it.

The grant will allow Fred Hutch researchers to study the range of responses in patients who receive antiretroviral therapy for their HIV and chemotherapy for their cancers and compare them with Kaposi sarcoma patients who do not have HIV. Uganda is one of the few places where such a study can take place because it also has an endemic, or local, form of Kaposi sarcoma; about 10 percent of patients with the cancer seen at the UCI are HIV-negative, Phipps said.

Were particularly interested in those who respond well and have tumor regression or a complete response, he said. What are their T cells [a type of immune cell] doing? This will guide future work to either augment that response or lay the foundation for new immunotherapies or new strategies such as immune-checkpoint drugs or a therapeutic vaccine to mimic that response.

The urgent need for new therapies; Fred Hutchs longstanding collaboration with the UCI in the countrys capital, Kampala; and the infrastructure it has helped develop there, including trained researchers and a state-of-the-art facility with laboratories; makes Uganda the ideal place to do such a project, Phipps added. The study will make use of tumor specimens he has collected as part of an ongoing Kaposi sarcoma study at the UCI. The only Fred Hutch faculty member currently living in Kampala, Phipps has been working in Uganda for nearly 10 years, building Fred Hutchs research operations, developing its training programs, and conducting his own research, with a particular focus on Kaposi sarcoma.

T cell genetic sequencing for the project will be done in the Seattle lab of immunotherapy researcher and oncologist Hootie Warren, who pioneered the process to be used. Named head of Global Oncology in July, Warrens goals include using what is being learned at the Hutch and elsewhere about immunotherapies to improve cancer treatment worldwide.

Both Warren and Phipps anticipate that the exchange will go in both directions. Although Kaposi sarcoma does not occur in the United States at the levels it did 20 years ago, it still exists, but in numbers too scattered to do large study. Such a study can be done in Uganda  and the lessons applied to U.S. patients.

Anything we can learn about the impact of HIV on T-cell responses to cancer will be significant for our HIV population with other cancers, Phipps said.

In a recent Fred Hutch talk about the project, Warren went one step further.

We will learn important principles from our studies of Kaposis that will clearly benefit how we approach treatment, he said. But the research and what we learn in our studies will have enormous implications for all cancer biology.

 Mary Engel / Fred Hutch News Service
Prostate cancer screening advancing very quickly

As for prostate cancer, things are moving toward precision, but again, were not there yet.

Right now, we dont have a prostate cancer-specific biomarker, said Fred Hutchs Nelson, whether its a blood-based marker, a urine-based marker or even an imaging marker. Theres nothing yet that is specific enough to be used on a routine basis.

But were close. Nelson said research is moving very quickly toward finding better diagnostic tools.

Were probably a good three to five years away from doing that, he said. Until then, were reliant on our best tool at hand: measuring mens PSA which generally  but not always  increases in the presence of prostate cancer. As a result, there are PSA pitfalls: false negatives (tests that fail to detect disease) and false positives that can lead to anxiety, unnecessary biopsies, overdiagnosis and unneeded treatment. Not to mention years of back-and-forth debate regarding the tests validity.

An age-adjusted PSA would be a more useful approach to screening, Nelson said, since normally, PSA levels gradually increase with age. In other words, a PSA level of 2 in a 50-year-old would be concerning; a PSA level of 2 in a 70-year-old, not so much. Another idea: calculating the rate of PSA change over time: a big increase from a low baseline would raise an instant red flag.

But as with breast cancer, risk stratification based on our improved understanding of the genetic underpinnings of the disease is better yet.

For high-risk men, key is awareness

The individuals at greatest risk for aggressive prostate cancer are the ones in families with an inherited risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer, said Nelson. This includes, but isnt limited to, BRCA1/2 mutations.

Theres a lot of prostate cancer we dont want to detect, Nelson said, referring to slow-growing cancers that will never do harm. But weve really turned our attention to men at the highest risk, and there are strategies you can use in those individuals to identify early and intervene.

The Prostate Cancer Genetics Clinic, which opened a year ago at SCCA, is specifically designed for men with metastatic disease or a family history of prostate, breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancers or lymphoma or leukemia. In addition to counseling and genetic testing, men with known mutations are eligible for more intense screening, earlier screening and prophylactic options. The clinic also works with SCCAs Breast and Ovarian Cancer Prevention Program since many inherited mutations are linked with various cancers in men and women.

Thats a key point, he said. If you identify a family with these mutations you want to get both the men and the women screened. Although if you inherit a mutation, it doesnt mean youll get cancer. The likelihood is many-fold higher, but its not a certainty.

Nelson called the clinic a starting point towards precision screening. And hes poised to launch a study to demonstrate its worth.

Weve written a guideline on how to manage these men, and were just starting a study to find out if our approach is the best approach, he said.

What advice do these researchers have for African-American men who are more susceptible to aggressive prostate cancers?

Black men should probably begin the conversation about screening 5 to 10 years earlier than their white counterparts, said Etzioni, referencing a study she published earlier this year showing prostate cancer to be more common and more deadly in black men.

Nelson agreed.

Right now, the guidelines arent different for African American men but they are clearly at higher risk, he said. The key is awareness. They should be aware and recognize symptoms and they should talk to their physician. And one of the first things that should be discussed is his family history. Not just prostate cancer, but breast cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer. These men are at a higher risk and should have screening, but its on the individual to make that call.

Looking to the future

This advice holds true for anyone concerned about any cancer, all three researchers agree.

Know your cancer risk factors. Know your familys entire cancer history (not just breast or prostate). Talk to your doctor about your cancer risk and the risks and benefits of screening. Then if screening is recommended, get screened. Cancers caught early have a higher likelihood of being squelched. If possible, work to reduce your risk by not smoking, limiting alcohol, exercising, eating your vegetables (seriously!) and maintaining a normal weight.

For now, screening for breast and prostate cancer involves mammograms, MRIs and PSAs, the best evidence-based tools available at this moment in time. But it wont be this way forever. Every day, we hear more and more about whole genome sequencing, liquid biopsies, breath testing and other futuristic cancer screening tools. Bit by bit, were making our way down the convoluted path to Precision Land, that magical place where late-stage cancers have become as rare and unlikely as, well, unicorns.

Its a long road, Etzioni said. And were not there yet. But we are making incremental progress. The hope keeps us moving.
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JUBA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to assist South Sudan in its quest to achieve long-lasting peace, prosperity and sustainable development, the Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan He Xiangdong said on Thursday evening.

Speaking during an event to celebrate the 68th Anniversary of the People's Republic of China, He described relations between the two countries as cordial and beneficial to both governments and people.

The envoy said it is China's hope that the attempts led by the East African regional bloc, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to revive the stalled 2015 peace and the national dialogue initiated by President Salva Kiir will yield substantial results and bring peace back to South Sudan.

He added that achieving peace in the war-torn country requires all parties to engage in peaceful dialogue in the spirit of understanding and compromise.

"China will always be a sincere and reliable partner of South Sudan in its peace and development process," He said.

The Chinese envoy revealed that Beijing has provided a large quantity of humanitarian materials to South Sudan including 8,800 tonnes of rice, 2,400 tonnes of sorghum and 380,000 doses of anti-malaria drugs.

He noted that about 1,500 officials, scholars, technicians and young South Sudanese students attended training and scholarship programs in China in the past year.

The envoy said the two countries are implementing a number of development projects, including a 33-million-U.S.-dollar grant from the Chinese government that would enable South Sudan to expand and modernize its health infrastructure in Juba Teaching Hospital and Rumbek Hospital.

On his part, Stephen Dhieu Dau, South Sudan's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said South Sudan is grateful for the role China is playing in peacekeeping operations, infrastructure development, humanitarian assistance and provision of medical services for the people of South Sudan.

He said the government of South Sudan, recognizing the importance of viable relations with Beijing, seeks to strengthen ties with China.

"We particularly value our economic cooperation characterized by substantial investment by many Chinese companies in the oil sector which to date remains the live line for the government and the people of South Sudan. China remains the only country that sends medical supplies and officers to our needy people," Dhieu said

"The people and the government of South Sudan look forward to strengthening the relationship between the people and the government of the People's Republic of China and our country," he added.
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Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos 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
A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now?
A collection of sexually explicit works by Eugene artist Andrew Douglas Campbell on display at a gallery at Linn-Benton Community College's Albany campus has angered some residents, while others are embracing it as free expression.

Campbell has 10 works in the show, which runs though Nov. 30. Seven of the works are abstract pieces made from fabric, but three, which are part of a series called "... And Then What Could Happen Bent to What Will Happen ... ," depict men performing sex acts.

The images, which are essentially loose line drawings, are created using thread pressed between clear Plexiglas. Albany resident Tom Bell learned of the images when one of his Selmet employees, on campus for a training session, shared photos of the show with him.

"He said, 'You'll never believe what's up at LB," said Bell.

Bell said he was outraged when he saw the pictures.

"That's totally out of line," he said. "They have no business displaying those pictures."

LBCC student art curator Sin Melendez sat on the jury that selected the artwork for the show. She said the college decided to display the works in the name of free expression. She agreed the images are graphic and understands why some may find them offensive.

"The images are glaring and staring you in the face, but that's a good thing," she said.

In a written statement, LBCC President Greg Hamann said, One of the challenging aspects about free expression is it sometimes creates discomfort, anger, frustration and offense."

Hamann added the show presents a valuable learning opportunity, in that it allows people who believe in different things to practice how to productively interact.

"Not so they can change one another, but so they might understand one another a little better, he wrote.

Bell believes Hamann went too far in allowing the artwork.

"Here we are complaining about school names like Rebels and Warriors, and then we see this?" he said. "It's just ridiculous."

Bell thinks Hamann should be disciplined for his decision.

"It's no different than seeing it on the street," Bell said. "In fact, I think they could be prosecuted for what they did."

Albany Police Detective Travis Giboney said the display does not break any laws because none of the images are offered for sale.

LBCC student Aislin Goldrick thinks the display is nothing more than art.

"Yes, it is sexual, but it is artistic," she said. "I can see how it would offend people."

Although he was offended, Bell agrees with Goldrick about the art's quality.

"The guy looks like he's a good artist," he said.

Addressing the split opinions about the show, Hamann wrote in his statement that the dialogue is important.

Its difficult to satisfy everyone," he wrote. "But its encouraging that this has triggered conversations and a plan to balance different perspectives while maintaining the opportunity for the free expression of the artist."

A sign on the door to the exhibit warns viewers of the explicit content. Campbell did not immediately respond to a request for an interview. He will hold a reception for his show on Oct. 19, from 4 to 5 p.m. The show is on display in the North Santiam Galleries at LBCC, 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW in Albany.
Sweet Home woman wins Zonta award

Eleanor Hewitt of Sweet Home was named recipient of the 2017 Zonta Club of Corvallis Young Women in Public Affairs Award.

The award is accompanied by a $3,000 scholarship.

The goal of the award program is to encourage more young women to participate in public affairs by recognizing a young womans commitment to the volunteer sector and dedication to the empowerment of women.

Hewitt received the award because of her leadership in her high school and community. She has been active on the Sweet Home City Councils Youth Advisory Council, the Youth Watershed Council, the Rural Development Initiative sponsored by the Ford Family Foundation, and Sweet Home Emergency Ministries, among other activities. She is on the class board, is editor of the school newspaper The Huskian, is president of the Key Club, and is active in several sports.

She intends to pursue a degree in biomedical or biological engineering, with a minor in international relations. She plans to become an ophthalmologist providing services in developing countries.

Corvallis schools place in contest

Ashbrook Independent Schools elementary team placed second in the state finals for the Oregon Battle of the Books after taking the top spot in a regional competition last February.

The competition tasks students with reading more than a dozen books and then they compete by answering trivia questions about them. Franklin K-8 School had both an elementary and a middle school team make it to the state finals; the elementary school made it to the top 16.

Franklin also had a middle school team take second in the state in the Science Olympiad.

CVHS graduate presents research

Laurel C. Field of Corvallis presented her original research titled "Genetics of Sea Star Wasting Disease" as part of The Whitman College Undergraduate Conference held last spring.

The 19th Annual Whitman Undergraduate Conference brought together students from every academic area of the college to share their research and creative projects with the campus community. The projects are a result of the students' work in their courses, senior theses, summer internships and study abroad.

Field is a graduate of Crescent Valley High School and is a student at Whitman College.

OSU student joins DOE program

The U.S. Department of Energy has selected Bethany Matthews of Oregon State University for its Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.

Matthews is working at the DOEs National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, as well as at the nearby Colorado School of Mines through mid-November. She expects to complete a doctorate in physics in OSUs College of Science next June.

The SCGR Program provides opportunities for graduate students to conduct part of their thesis research at a DOE laboratory.

Monroe resident receives degree

William Elfering of Monroe recently graduated with an online Bachelor of Science degree in multidisciplinary studies from Grantham University in Lenexa, Kansas.

OSU student presents findings

JD Lancaster, an Oregon State University doctoral student in applied anthropology/archaeology, presented research findings last April at the Oregon Heritage Summit in Newberg.

Lancaster's presentation was titled "Test Excavation at the Newell Creek and Buffalo Lake Sites, Oregon." Lancaster has been named an Oregon Heritage Fellow by Oregon Heritage, a division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, based on the strength of both scholastic achievement and research topic. The fellowships encourage the thoughtful inquiry of Oregon's heritage by emerging scholars.

LBCC honors two alumni

Linn-Benton Community College named John Dinges and Rachel Kittson-MaQatish as this year's distinguished alumni.

They were recognized at a reception last April.

Dinges, owner of John Dinges Landscape in Lebanon, graduated from LBCC in 1975 with an Associate of Science degree in turf management. He is recognized for establishing the first privately-funded scholarship for COMP-NW medical students, and providing scholarships for LBCC students majoring in health care.

Dinges' community service includes Build Lebanon Trails and the Cheadle Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, the Parks Committee and Tree Board, the Arbor Day celebration, the Strawberrians, the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club and the Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital Board.

Kittson-MaQatish, a partner at Morley Thomas Law Firm, Lebanon, graduated from LBCC in 1991 with an Associate of Arts degree in business administration. She transferred to OSU to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration, and earned a doctorate from Willamette University.

Kittson-MaQatish co-founded the Willamette Street Law Program. She also worked on fundraisers for veterans, at the Sweet Home Pregnancy Center, the Lebanon School Board, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam, the Johnson Park rebuild, the Lebanon Optimist Club, Community Chapel, the Sweet Home Economic Development group, and as a Strawberrian.

Corvallis resident wins scholarship

Megan Alder of Corvallis was among the 100 winners of a Young Entrepreneur Foundation Scholarship award from the National Federation of Independent Business last April.

Alder attended Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis. She received an NFIB/Dave Easton Young Entrepreneur Award of $2,000. She owns NM Photo and plans to attend the University of Oregon.

Stephanie Ann Hitt of Lebanon made the Seattle Pacific University winter quarter deans list.

Students on the list have completed at least 12 credits and attained a 3.50 or higher grade-point average.

Altrusa honors eight students

Last May 3, the Altrusa Club of Corvallis recognized eight students at its awards night.

Scholarship recipients were Isaac Bates and Dakota Volkers (College Hill Scholarships), Jaqueline Peralta Romero (Latina Scholarship) and Tamara Gann (Continuing Education Scholarship). Educational Opportunities Program Achievement Awards went to Ruta Faifaise (freshman), Jessica Dailey (sophomore), Denisse Ramos (junior) and Isamar Chavez (senior). The club has honored 164 EOP students since 1975 and sponsored scholarships since 2007.
The Corvallis City Council meets at 6 p.m. Monday at the downtown fire station, 400 NW Harrison Blvd., with two high-visibility land-use cases on the agenda.

First, councilors will deliberate on an appeal by developers who own property in the Timberhill area who want a planned development overlay removed from their 200-plus acres of land. Councilors held a public hearing on the issue Sept. 5 and held the record open an additional week. The public hearing portion of the hearing is now closed and no public testimony will be taken.

The second land-use case will be heard at a 7:30 p.m. public hearing. Neighbors and the homeowners association at the adjacent Suncrest subdivision are appealing an Aug. 16 Planning Commission decision to approve the Ponderosa Ridge subdivision, a development that would put approximately 275 single-family homes and duplexes on acreage off of Northwest Ponderosa Avenue and Walnut Boulevard.

Councilors also have scheduled two executive sessions, one at 5:15 p.m. to evaluate Municipal Judge Chris Dunfield and the second following the regular meeting to evaluate the city attorneys office.

In other public meetings:

Tuesday

 The Benton County Board of Commissioners will hold a work session at 9 a.m. in the county boardrooms, 205 NW Fifth St., Corvallis. The agenda includes an economic development report from the city of Corvallis, updates on the Benton County Historical Society and veterans' services, and a discussion of 2018 environmental health fees.

 The Benton County Board of Commissioners will meet at noon in the county boardrooms, 205 NW Fifth St., Corvallis, to vote on a new contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

 The Philomath parks advisory board meets at 5 p.m. at City Hall, 980 Applegate St.

 The Adair Village City Council meets at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 6030 William R. Carr Ave. On the agenda are discussions of the citys emergency preparedness plan and a Founders Day initiative.

 The Benton County Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. in the Sunset Building, 4077 SW Research Way, Corvallis, to consider a comprehensive plan map amendment and lot line adjustment for Oak Grove School.

Wednesday

 The Corvallis Arts and Culture Advisory Board and the Corvallis-Benton County Economic Development Office are hosting a 9 a.m. event at The Arts Center, 700 SW Madison Ave. to discuss a recent report on the economic impact of arts and culture in the Corvallis area. On hand to discuss the survey will be Randy Cohen, vice president of policy and research with American for the Arts, and Brian Wagner of the Oregon Arts Commission.

 The Corvallis Community Involvement and Diversity Advisory Board meets at 5 p.m. at the Madison Avenue Meeting Room, 500 SW Madison Ave. The board is scheduled to discuss registration of neighborhood groups.

 The Corvallis Land Development Hearings Board meets at 5:30 p.m. at the downtown fire station. The board, a three-person subset of the Planning Commission, will consider an application from Linn-Benton Community College for a zone change on property it owns at 931 Reiman St. The college plans to use the property for the expansion of its Benton Center operations.

 The Corvallis Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m. at the downtown fire station. There are no public hearings on the agenda. Commissioners will work on their unresolved planning issues list and options on open space preservation.

 The first installment of a three-part lecture series on the Chepenefu Kalapuya tribe is at 7 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre, 115 SW Second St. The free event, with the topic The Kalapuya Then and Now, features David Harrelson, manager of the Cultural Resources Department of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde. Further lectures on the series are Nov. 8 and Dec. 13. For information contact Dave Eckert at deckert@willamettewatershed.com.

 Veterans for Peace is holding a free public forum on the Vietnam War and issues arising from the new Ken Burns documentary on the conflict. The event is at 7 p.m. at the Corvallis Odd Fellows, 223 SW Second St.

 The Corvallis-Benton County Library Advisory Board meets at 7:30 p.m. at the library, 645 NW Monroe Ave.

Thursday

 The Corvallis City Council will meet in a 4 p.m. work session at the Madison room. Topping the agenda is a discussion of two new advisory boards, one working on implementing the Imagine Corvallis 2040 vision project and one that will coordinate the communitys climate action plan.

Friday

 The Corvallis Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board meets at 7 a.m. at the Madison room.

Oct. 7

 Ward 5 Corvallis Councilor Charlyn Ellis will be the government comment corner from 10 a.m. to noon at the library.
China says US should turn positive talk into action on DPRK

BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- China commended the commitment made by the United States on resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday, calling on Washington to convert its resolve to concrete action.

Lu Kang made the remarks in response to U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton's statement at a congressional hearing Thursday.

"We are not seeking regime change or collapse. We do not seek an accelerated reunification of Korea, nor an excuse to garrison troops north of the Armistice Agreement's Military Demarcation Line," Thorton said, adding that the United States has "no desire to inflict harm on the long-suffering" people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

She said that the purpose of putting pressure on the DPRK was to bring it back to negotiations on denuclearization.

"We have noticed that relevant parties released positive signals recently on peacefully resolving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue via dialogue. We encourage these moves," Lu said.

"China is affirmative of the commitment and hopes the United States can convert it into concrete actions," he said, calling on the DPRK to exert joint efforts.

"We expect all relevant parties can show their sincerity to pave way for peaceful talks," Lu said.
An Oregon State University student pleaded guilty to three felony charges of encouraging child sexual abuse in the first degree on Friday in Benton County Circuit Friday.

Pin-Han Tsai admitted in court that in January he possessed and intended to distribute images of a minor engaged in sexual activity despite being aware the creation of those images was child abuse.

Tsai was sentenced to a total of 90 days in jail and 36 months of probation, with a requirement that he complete treatment as a sex offender.

Ryan Joslin, the chief deputy district attorney, said the sentence was based on Tsai not having a prior criminal record and a psycho-sexual evaluation that concluded Tsai was unlikely to physically victimize anyone.

David Corden, Tsais lawyer, said the conviction may trigger U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport Tsai to Taiwan. Unless he is deported, Tsais sentencing does not allow him to leave the United States until he completes his sex offender treatment.

Tsai, who is still listed as a student in OSUs directory, was also ordered to pay $5,000 to the minor who was victimized in the videos. Tsai was a senior in physics when he was arrested in March.

Tsai, 23, now lives in Beaverton with family, Corden said.

Tsai was taken into custody following the plea hearing.
Taoist meditation group: The group will meet at 9 a.m. Sunday at the First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op north store, 2855 NW Grant Ave. in Corvallis.

The event will feature Taoist Quiet Sitting meditation, also known as "Preserving the Light of the One." Information: docneedlestcm@gmail.com.

Reformation discussed: First United Methodist Church, 1165 NW Monroe Ave. in Corvallis, will discuss the Reformation at the 9:30 a.m. service on Sunday.

October marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant movement.

On Oct. 8, the church will celebrate its 25th anniversary as a Reconciling Congregation. Clergy members from the past 30 years of the congregation's history will participate in leadership of the service.

Bah'ai devotions: "Clear Tokens of Divine Loving-Kindness" is set for 10 a.m. Sunday at 5006 SW Hollyhock Circle, Corvallis.

The beauty of these autumn days is evident all around us. The sky, the hills, the earth  each is a token of Gods abiding bounty to humanity. Created from love, we are immersed in the evidence of that love. Join in sharing inspiring expressions of praise from Baha'i sacred texts.

HU Song: A Community HU Song is set for 10 a.m. Sunday in the Eckankar Center of Corvallis, 425 SW Madison Ave. (downstairs).

Join in singing HU, a love song to God that has helped people of many different faiths open their hearts more fully to the uplifting presence of God. Those attending are invited to stay for the spiritual exploration class that follows at 10:45. This months theme is Dreams, Soul Travel and the Wonder of You. To hear the HU Song, visit HearHu.org. Information: 503-233-1595.

Spiritual exploration class: Dreams, Soul Travel and the Wonder of You is set for 10:45 a.m. to noon Sunday at the Eckankar Center of Corvallis, 425 SW Madison Ave (downstairs), following the Community HU Sing at 10.

This class is the first in a series exploring "Past Lives, Dreams and Soul Travel." Local residents are invited to attend one or all of the classes. Discover how dreams and soul travel are sources of inner truth and wisdom and provide ways to improve the quality of your life.

Dreams touch every level of our life. They may let us glimpse the future, or give suggestions for healing, or share insights into our relationships. Above all, they can and will steer us more directly toward God.  Harold Klemp, quoted in "Eckankar: Ancient Wisdom for Today." Klemp is the spiritual leader of Eckankar, the Path of Spiritual Freedom. Those attending will receive this book as a gift.

For spiritual resources on this and other topics, visit Eckankar.org or call 1-800-LoveGod.

Taize: A contemplative ecumenical Taize worship service will take place at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, 333 NW 35th St. in Corvallis.

The monthly event, sponsored by the Corvallis Taize Ensemble, is open to all, and features singing and prayers. Information: 541-753-7622.

Women's meeting: All women are invited to the United Methodist Women Searchers' meeting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Fireside Room of First United Methodist Church, 1115 28th Ave. SW in Albany.

Shirley Hilts will lead the morning's activities. Nancy Benedict and Loretta Menor will serve a light brunch. A Crater Lake District UMW officer, Cheryl Drumheller, will visit and give remarks regarding her position. A brief business meeting will take place, followed by devotional thoughts shared by Kirsten Allam.

The board will meet at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Picnic and program: Lebanon After 5 Connection will present "Let's Talk About Hair" at 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Lobby, 661 S. Main St. in Lebanon.

Laura Stewart will share tips for everyday casual and "up" hairdos to fit various lifestyles, and will give information on hair care. Donna Paris, a home executive, bowler, former hairstylist and fitness instructor, will speak on overcoming fears and devastating life situations.

The event is open to all women, and their guests. Cost is $8.50 inclusive; no credit cards. Reservations: 541-258-6414 or d.neve@comcast.net.
Preparations for the summit : Bonn police are getting ready for the climate conference

Bonn The police in Bonn explained the extent and expenditure of their operation during the climate conference. On one day particularly there will be restrictions for the public.

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A lot will be demanded of the citizens of this federal city during the fortnight of the climate summit in November, but enormous efforts will be required by the police in Bonn too.

On Friday the responsible parties explained the special details of an operation of this size, the requirements and the consequences for the public. To escape the city and disappear for two weeks seems to be an option for many commuters, rumor has it. This is not an option for the police officers since the conference was announced. For the duration of the summit there is a strict vacation ban in place. An operation like this, we never had before, this is unique, said Helmut Pfau, leading police director for all police operations during the conference, when talking about the November 6 to 17 period.

He announced a permanent presence of his officers for two weeks straight. Permanent presence - meaning 24 hours a day. As it happens there will be negotiations in the WCCB at night too, said Pfau. There, within an extraterritorial area, the so-called Bula zone, armed officers of the united nations will secure the sector. Under the One conference, Two zones concept, plenary halls and meeting rooms for negotiations, delegation offices as well as major media facilities will operate in the Bula Zone.

The Bonn Zone will accommodate climate action events, side events and exhibits; some media activities; and events in the delegation pavilions. The Bonn zone, the marquee city on the meadow, the transfer zone and the public area of the Rheinaue will be handled differently. After brief but fierce speculations about the feasibility of St. Martins parades which every year occur during November and fall into the time frame of the conference this year, Pfau announced: The regular security and patrol service will not be reduced during those two weeks. Bonn cititizens can call a helpline at 0228/153030. The police and Bonn gets support from all over North Rhine-Westphalia. The police does not reveal officially how many officers will actually be on duty. Rumor has it that it might be 2,000. They are already running background checks on the 6,000 employees of private security firms, planning road closures and searching the area with explosives detection dogs.

The police consider the four announced demonstrations as routine operations. The applicant for the largest of those reckons that 15,000 people might take part. It will be very little fun to get into the city centre by car on November 11. For that date, two demonstrations have been announced with 5,000 participants each, who plan to use important traffic arteries in Bonn. The police does not expect civil-war-like situations as during the G20 summit in Hamburg in July, caused by left-wing extremists. Helmut Pfau: There is no radical left scene in Bonn, who would give culprits shelter, like in Hamburg.
City council considers new building : Factions debate demolition of Bonns opera house

Bonn The 52-year-old opera house in Bonn might be knocked soon. The majority of the city council wants to consider a new building rather than renovating the old one. The city hall might face a similar future.

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The debate about the future of the opera house was turned changed surprisingly during the last meeting of the city council: As an alternative plan, the administration is now examining the option of demolishing the 52 year old opera house and building a new building instead of renovating it. Christian Democrats (CDU), Social Democrats (SPD) and the Free Democrats (FDP) agreed on this. A new house for musical plays and theatre productions could be build on the current site.

The CDU is also discussing knocking the listed building of the historical city hall in Bad Godesberg too and building a new theatre in the same spot. Just two weeks ago, the SPD failed to convince the committees with the proposal for a new building. But the CDU faction leader Klaus-Peter Gilles gathered support behind the scenes.

Rumor has it that he managed to convince his own faction as well the FDP. The Green Party as coalition partner remain skeptical, but the majority for the proposal now holds certain. Lord Mayor Ashok Sridharan (CDU) approves also: Looking at the exorbitant renovation costs it can only be right to consider the economical benefit of a new building. Sridharans administration had suggested to renovate the opera and the Godesberg theatre within the next ten years. The current calculations suggest an estimate costs of 109 million Euro in total for both buildings.

The renovations will not lead to an attractive result despite the high costsm explained Gilles on Friday. A new building would be a commitment to opera and drama, but in a modern setting. Necessary measures related to safety need to be taken care of immediately. In both opera and Godesberg theatre there are massive shortcomings when it comes to fire safety. Accroding to GA information, Gilles favours selling the opera site and a new building instead of the city hall. For the latter the protection status would need to be lifted, in case it is necessary even by the North Rhine-Westphalian minister for construction.
THE HAGUE, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Amsterdam-based mapping firm HERE Technologies told Xinhua on Friday that U.S. authorities' disapproval of Chinese investors' bid to buy a minority of its stake is "disappointing" and HERE will pursue commercial collaborations with its Chinese partners.

"While it is of course disappointing not to be able to welcome Tencent and NavInfo as shareholders, we are nonetheless excited to be pursuing our commercial collaborations with these two leading companies. China is one of the most exciting markets in the world and we look forward to serving Chinese customers in the years ahead," said HERE spokesman James Etheridge.

Earlier this week, HERE announced that Chinese digital map provider NavInfo, Chinese Internet provider Tencent and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC are no longer pursuing a transaction previously announced in last December.

Under that deal, the three Asian investors would jointly acquire a 10-percent stake from HERE's indirect shareholders -- AUDI AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG.

"The decision follows a regulatory review process during which the parties determined there was no practicable path to receiving the necessary approval for the transaction to proceed," said HERE in its press release.

CFIUS, or the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, withheld approval of the deal after a two-phase review that lasted five months, according to NavInfo.

"We of course respect the regulatory review process," said Etheridge. CFIUS is a multi-agency panel authorized to review national security implications of acquisitions of any U.S. business by a foreign person. Its "black box" reviews are confidential and the reasons supporting any approval or disapproval are not released.

HERE develops detailed three-dimensional maps for location-based services and self-driving vehicles. It has more than 200 offices in over 55 countries and regions, including 24 in the United States.

In January 2016, CFIUS blocked the Dutch company Philips'plan to sell its lighting businesses to Asian buyers. Philips has divisions based in California. Philips CEO Frans van Houten said he was "very disappointed about this outcome as this was a very good deal" for both Philips and the buyers.

Earlier in September, U.S. President Donald Trump blocked a Chinese firm from buying an American chipmaker. China's Ministry of Commerce commented that conducting security checks on foreign investments in sensitive sectors is a nation's legitimate right, but it should not be used as a tool for protectionism.

When the deal with Chinese buyers was blocked, HERE announced that it still has the intention to welcome new investors beyond Audi, BMW, Daimler, Intel and Pioneer in the future.

"We do anticipate bringing in other investors in the coming months. It remains the intention for Audi, BMW and Daimler to reduce their combined holding from about 84 percent to below 50 percent in the long-term," Etheridge told Xinhua.

The spokesman also confirmed that HERE keeps expanding into China. "Our joint venture with NavInfo is operational, which means we can start integrating China mapping coverage into our products and services," he said.

"For example, with China map coverage, our HERE Auto SDK product will become even more useful for global automakers who are selling their cars in China. We are working together with NavInfo to enable a robust digital mapping infrastructure for autonomous cars."

China internet giant Tencent is exploring the use of mapping and location platform services from HERE in its own products and services both in China and internationally. "With Tencent, our exploration work continues," said Etheridge.
ROUYN-NORANDA, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Sep 29, 2017) - Explor Resources Inc. ("Explor" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE:EXS)(OTCQB:EXSFF)(FRANKFURT:E1H1)(BERLIN:E1H1) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with the Matachewan First Nation of Matachewan, Ontario and the Mattagami First Nation of Gogama, Ontario (the "First Nations"), with respect to the Montrose Property.

The MOU will serve as a framework to govern the relationship between Explor and the First Nations in accordance with their intention of further building a relationship characterized by cooperation and mutual respect, in connection with the development of the Montrose Property. This represents an important milestone in moving the project forward and we welcome our new partners.

The MOU sets out the areas in which Explor and the First Nations have agreed to work together notably on mutual key interests such as environmental protection, employment and business opportunities, education and training for the First Nations communities.

Chris Dupont, President and CEO of Explor Resources, stated that "Explor is committed to working in partnership with the First Nations in the development of the Montrose Property. Explor looks forward to building a strong relationship with the First Nations that will be beneficial to both parties."

In order to instill a relationship with the First Nations, Explor will issue 500,000 common shares to both the Matachewan and the Mattagami First Nations. This issuance of equity enables the Matachewan and the Mattagami First Nations to become shareholders and participate in the success of Explor Resources as Explor moves the Montrose Project to the next phase in the development of the property. This issuance of shares is subject to the approval of the regulatory authorities.

The Montrose property consists of 20 mining claims (217 units) located in the Montrose and Midlothian Townships in the Timmins-Porcupine Mining Camp for a total of approximately 3,472 hectares.

The Montrose property is contiguous to the North and East of the former producing Stairs Mine property where widespread alteration, generally within sediments, occurs proximal to felsic volcanic contacts. Alteration consists of wide zones of carbonate/pyrite alteration +/- silification and can obtain widths up to 100-200 m with more intense internal zones of sericite alteration and green mica alteration within the broad carbonate alteration. Gold valeurs are found most commonly with quartz ankerite veins but can also occur in massive sulphide veins, chromic-pyrite veins and sericite alteration.

Explor Resources Inc. is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX Venture (EXS), on the OTCQB (EXSFF) and on the Frankfurt and Berlin Stock Exchanges (E1H1).

This Press Release was prepared by Explor. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

About Explor Resources Inc.

Explor Resources Inc. is a Canadian-based natural resources company with mineral holdings in Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. Explor is currently focused on exploration in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. The belt is found in both provinces of Ontario and Quebec with approximately 33% in Ontario and 67% in Quebec. The Belt has produced in excess of 180,000,000 ounces of gold and 450,000,000 tonnes of cu-zn ore over the last 100 years. The Corporation was continued under the laws of Alberta in 1986 and has had its main office in Quebec since 2006.

Explor Resources Flagship project is the Timmins Porcupine West (TPW) Project located in the Porcupine mining camp, in the Province of Ontario. Teck Resources Ltd. is currently conducting an exploration program as part of an earn-in on the TPW property. The TPW mineral resource (Press Release dated August 27, 2013) includes the following:

Open Pit Mineral Resources at a 0.30 g/t Au cut-off grade are as follows:

Indicated: 213,000 oz (4,283,000 tonnes at 1.55 g/t Au) Inferred: 77,000 oz (1,140,000 tonnes at 2.09 g/t Au)

Underground Mineral Resources at a 1.70 g/t Au cut-off grade are as follows:

Indicated: 396,000 oz (4,420,000 tonnes at 2.79 g/t Au) Inferred: 393,000 oz (5,185,000 tonnes at 2.36 g/t Au)

This document may contain forward-looking statements relating to Explor's operations or to the environment in which it operates. Such statements are based on operations, estimates, forecasts and projections. They are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and may be beyond Explor's control. A number of important factors could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements, including those set forth in other public filling. In addition, such statements relate to the date on which they are made. Consequently, undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements. Explor disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, save and except as may be required by applicable securities laws.
Trump says to make decision on Fed Chair in next few weeks

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he will make his decision on the appointment of the next Federal Reserve Chair in the next few weeks.

"We've had four meetings for Fed chairman, and I'll be making a decision over the next two or three weeks," Trump told reporters on the White House South Lawn.

Trump's remarks came after U.S. media reported that the president had interviewed former Fed governor Kevin Warsh and current Fed governor Jerome Powell in recent days to discuss their potential nominations as the next leader of the central bank.

Other contenders under consideration include Stanford University economist John Taylor, the former BB&T Bank chief executive John Allison, and current Fed Chair Janet Yellen, whose current term expires in February, according to the Wall Street Journal.

As Fed vice chair Stanley Fischer will resign next month for personal reasons, there will be four vacancies in the Fed's seven-member board of governors, giving Trump an opportunity to reshape the central bank by appointing new members.

The president has nominated Randal Quarles, an investment-fund manager and former U.S. Treasury official, as Fed's vice chair of supervision.

The Fed announced last week that it would start a program in October to gradually unwind its 4.5-trillion-U.S.-dollar balance sheet, a years-long process to withdraw its record monetary stimulus since the financial crisis. The next Fed Chair will oversee that process as well as banking regulations.
State regulations adopted for what somebody once considered a good reason can turn out to be needless or even nonsensical when invoked in the present-day economy. Consider the question of red, white and blue paint. Just the words evoke patriotic imagery common to all Americans. In New Hampshire, however, red, white and blue stripes -- at least when painted on the side of a commercial property as an advertisement -- are the exclusive province of barbers.That was the determination of the state Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics. Earlier this year, it fined Sarah Lounder for having the stripes outside her salon, where she is a cosmetologist, not a barber. Determining that she had misled the public, the board fined her $3. Certainly, thats not a big deal. But when Lounder refused to paint over the stripes -- they were a holdover from an earlier barber and, at any rate, she didnt own the building -- the board upped the penalty to $500. It also threatened to yank her license before, as theput it, the board came to its collective senses and dropped the matter on appeal.To Gov. Chris Sununu, this incident was prime evidence for his contention that the state has too many rules. He stopped by Lounders shop this summer to decry what he called silly regulations, taking a red pen to those that appeared duplicative or obsolete, such as ones pertaining to state agencies that no longer exist. Sununu says he expected to find 200 examples of low-hanging fruit. Instead, he identified 1,600 rules that could be wiped off the books without doing any harm.Now Sununu is calling on agencies and a steering committee to find more rules worth getting rid of. Unfortunately, weve become a very overregulated state, Sununu says. Maybe the rules were well-intended, but technology moves on.The simple truth, however, is that, in New Hampshire at least, theres not much a governor can do on his own about regulations. Authority over almost all rulemaking, and dispensing of rules, belongs to the legislature. Its largely a political stunt, says Democratic state Sen. Dan Feltes of Sununus crusade.Feltes has a point. None of Sununus actions did anything to address the regulation that Lounder was accused of violating, even as the governor held court in her store. In New Hampshire, in most cases you need to change the law in order to have the rule changed, says Carol McGuire, a Republican representative who chairs the state House Administrative Rules Committee.But McGuire notes that legislators often work with agencies that identify rules to repeal via statute. The governor may not be able to eliminate rules by fiat, but the fact that his administration is making a formal effort to comb through the statute book to look for questionable examples can only draw more legislative attention to the matter. He does have a bully pulpit, McGuire says. Hes kind of accelerated the process of eliminating obsolete laws.
Surrounded by a crowd of Democratic mayors and legislators Friday morning, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a wide-ranging package of 15 bills designed to bring some relief to the statewide housing crisis.Enthusiastic housing advocates and business leaders also joined the governor for the outdoor bill-signing ceremony in a pocket park at Hunters View, a new mixed-income housing development on the hills of Bayview-Hunters Point in San Francisco."This is the biggest bill-signing I've ever seen, and it's because it deals with something as basic as shelter," the governor said. "It was a big challenge, and we've risen to it this year."But the governor also stressed that many of the problems the new bills are designed to ease were caused by the same local and state officials now cheering the improvements.Things like tough zoning restrictions, requirements for clean air and green energy, multiple rules for construction and a variety of other laws dealing with housing are all good things in themselves, he said. But they combine to build up red tape that can make it harder to build affordable housing, he argued."All these rules were passed by people like you, and they're all good stuff," Brown said. "But I've always said too many goods can create a bad."But that didn't dampen the excitement of people delighted to see the state recognizing the need for dramatic measures to deal with the state's growing housing problems."There is no corner of the state that doesn't need affordable housing," said Tim Frank, director of the Center for Affordable Neighborhoods in Berkeley. "There's no silver bullet to deal with the state's housing crisis, but this is a big first step."The legislators who joined Brown around the small desk where he signed the bills stressed that the housing problem reaches far beyond the low-income homeless."As a former mayor, I can't afford a home in the community where I live and that I represent," said Assemblyman Evan Low, who served as mayor of Campbell. "We need to increase the supply of housing and streamline the approval process."For San Francisco legislators like Assemblyman David Chiu and state Sen. Scott Wiener, the bill-signing was the culmination of years of effort to improve the state's housing situation."I've been working on this since my first day in office," said Chiu, a former San Francisco supervisor who was elected to the Assembly in 2014. "We've had some setbacks, but we kept working."Wiener warned that there's still plenty more to do to deal with the housing crisis."This is the beginning, not the end," he said, promising that he will be introducing more housing bills. "We can't just check this box and move on to something else."The Legislature passed the 15 bills in the housing package on the last day of the session two weeks ago.One of those bills, SB2 by state Sen. Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, creates a permanent source of funding for affordable housing.The permanent funding is estimated to generate $200 million to $300 million a year through a $75 to $225 recording fee on real estate documents and some property transactions, not including home sales. Most of the money goes to local governments to build housing, make existing housing more affordable and create permanent or temporary shelters.The bill was a priority for advocates who said the state needed to create a permanent source of funding to begin to replace $1 billion a year in lost redevelopment agency money.A Public Policy Institute of California survey released Wednesday found that less than half of adults support the fee, though 64 percent of those polled said they favor building more housing in their cities.Voters will decide next year whether to approve a housing bond. SB3, by state Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, will ask voters to approve $4 billion in general obligation bonds to build rental housing for low-income families and to fund other existing housing programs. The bond will set aside $1 billion for the state's veteran home-loan program, which would otherwise run out of money in 2018.Among the other bills signed was SB35 by Wiener, which pushes reluctant cities into approving housing projects. Dozens of cities opposed the measure, arguing that it undermined local land use decisions.SB167, by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, will make it harder for local governments to deny housing projects.AB1505, by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, will allow local governments to require developers to set aside a certain percentage of affordable rental units in new construction.Here are the 15 bills signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday. To read the full bills, go to leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.SB2 by Sen. Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, establishes a permanent funding source for affordable housing through a $75 fee on real estate transaction documents. The fee is capped at $225 per transaction and exempts real estate sales. The fees would generate roughly $250 million a year, which would be split among state and local housing programs.SB3 by Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, authorizes $4 billion in general obligation bonds for affordable housing programs and a veterans' homeownership program. SB3 will be up for approval by voters in November 2018.SB35 by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, streamlines the approval process for infill developments in local communities that have failed to meet their regional housing needs.SB166 by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, ensures that cities maintain an ongoing supply of housing construction sites for residents of various income levels.SB167 by Skinner and AB678 by Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, D-Pacoima (Los Angeles County), increase the standard of proof required for a local government to justify a denial of low- and moderate-income housing development projects.SB540 by Sen. Richard D. Roth, D-Riverside, streamlines the environmental review process for certain local affordable housing projects.AB72 by Assemblymen Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, and David Chiu, D-San Francisco, strengthens the state's ability to enforce laws that require local governments to achieve housing goals.AB73 by Chiu gives local governments incentives to create housing on infill sites near public transportation.AB571 by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella, makes it easier to develop farmworker housing by easing qualifications for the Farmworker Housing Tax Credit.AB879 by Assemblyman Tim Grayson, D-Concord, authorizes a study of local fees charged to new residential developments that will also include a proposal to substantially reduce such fees.AB1397 by Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, makes changes to the definition of land suitable for residential development to increase the number of sites where new multifamily housing can be built.AB1505 authorizes cities and counties to adopt an inclusionary ordinance for residential rental units in order to create affordable housing. By Chiu, Sen. Steven Bradford, D-Gardena (Los Angeles County), and Assemblymen Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, and Todd Gloria, D-San Diego.AB1515 by Assemblyman Tom Daly, D-Anaheim, allows housing projects to be afforded the protections of the Housing Accountability Act if the project is consistent with local planning rules despite local opposition.AB1521 by Bloom and Chiu gives experienced housing organizations a first right of refusal to purchase affordable housing developments in order to keep the units affordable.
(TNS) - Weeks after Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria brought devastating floodwaters, it appeared problems with the federally-run flood insurance program would be thrust into the spotlight.After all, Floridian activists have pressed Congress for years to stop a program that would dramatically raise flood insurance rates for residents in older, flood-prone areas that previously got lower, subsidized rates.Yet, following the hurricanes, that previously vocal front for flood insurance reform is relatively quiet.That's because the goal posts have changed slightly  again. What was once a Sept. 30 deadline for Congress to renew the National Flood Insurance Program is now pushed back to early December."We're in a holding pattern," said Patty Latshaw, vice president of compliance for Wright National Flood insurance.The NFIP is a government-run program that has long been the dominant way to buy flood insurance. Florida accounts for about 40 percent of its policies. Wright has the highest number of NFIP policy holders of any insurance company in the country, and Pinellas County has the largest amount of properties with subsidized rates in the countryPresident Trump signed legislation on Sept. 8 that moved the program's renewal deadline back to Dec. 8, giving more time to local communities that are particularly sensitive to whether flood insurance rates are escalated dramatically or the NFIP doesn't get renewed in time.One such area is Shore Acres, a low-lying waterfront community on the east side of Pinellas County. In 2016, Pinellas County Property Appraiser Pam Dubov saw nearly double-digit increases in sales prices for homes in the area. Between 65 and 92 percent of the homes then qualified for subsidized flood insurance rates.Robin Sollie, head of the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce, said that despite the area flooding even in heavy summers storms, the community did not flood during the storm.And two weeks after the storm, conversation about flood insurance was fairly absent."Everyone is focused on mitigating their level of stress and trying to clean up their yard," Sollie said.The issue was brought back into the spotlight last year when there was widespread concern over rate hikes following a financial blow  a $23 billion deficit  the federal program took following Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.Remember the flood insurance scare of 2013? It's creeping back into Tampa BayWhat will sharpen the conversation is upcoming legislation that will potentially reshape the federal flood insurance program.While it's too early to tell what the final version of the bill will be, Latshaw hopes that there will be a few specific elements included."Long-term reauthorization is really what's needed in the bill," she said. That means something that will last around five years.Simplification of the program is also necessary to help consumers have an easier time acquiring policies."Sometimes it can be very daunting purchasing (a flood policy)," Latshaw said.One current bill attempting to reform the program is H.R. 2875, which was introduced in the House by Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez (D-NY). It outlines a revised appeals process for those with policies through the program who challenge a denied claim, penalizes companies that underpay program claims and expands some of FEMA's duties under the program."After Sandy, we heard from homeowners in New York City and up and down the East Coast who saw their claims denied, delayed or underpaid due to problems in the flood insurance program," Velazquez said in a release at the time. "This bipartisan legislation would address these shortcomings and protect policyholders from fraud and abuse."The bill also establishes an advisory council. Among the council's duties is examining and making recommendations on rates.A Senate bill introduced in July  S. 1571  would extend the program through Sept. 30, 2023. It requires modernized flood mapping for communities covered by the program, pushes communities prone to flooding to create mitigation plans and calls for FEMA to factor in replacement cost value into premiums.And on Thursday, the House passed a bill proposed by Reps. Dennis Ross, R-Lakeland, and Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, that seeks to pave the way for more consumers to take out flood insurance policies from private insurers. Flood coverage is currently is a very small segment of private insurers' business. H.R. 3823  the "Flood Insurance Market Development Act"  calls for the development of a private flood insurance market to lower costs to consumers."The recent major flood events across the country have provided a much-needed sense of urgency to our efforts to provide consumers with private sector flood insurance options," Ross said in a statement.The proposed bills will be addressed in the upcoming legislative session.Contact Malena Carollo at mcarollo@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2249. Follow @malenacarollo on Twitter.2017 the Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.)Visit the Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.) at www.tampabay.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) -- Camden County is putting its waste to work on overtime.The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, the agency that treats most of the countys sewage, launched a project Thursday to swap one million gallons a day of effluent from its Camden wastewater treatment plant for energy produced by a nearby power plant, whose primary fuel source is trash.The agreement between the CCMUA and Covanta Camden Energy Recovery Center will create what officials are calling a sustainability loop that will provide the sewage authority with electricity from the power plant in exchange for treated wastewater that will be used to cool the generation plant. The agreement will help the wastewater plant operate independently of the regional power grid.The treated wastewater that Covanta will receive, which will be a small portion of the 58 million gallons of effluent the CCMUA now discharges into the Delaware, will replace freshwater that Covanta buys from the city of Camden, drawn from an aquifer.This was a no-brainer for us, said James Regan, a spokesman for Covanta, which is based in Morristown, N.J. CCMUA on Thursday marked the launch of the final phase of a multi-year project to reduce its energy costs and to convert its Delaware River waterfront facility to renewable energy. The previous phases included energy efficiency improvements, a 2-megawatt solar system built in 2012 atop the authoritys treatment tanks, and a 3.5-megawatt power generator, set to go online in 2019, that will be fueled by methane derived from sewage sludge.When were finished, well get all our power from the sun, trash, and biosolids, said Andy Kricun, the CCMUAs executive director.The Camden project was among 13 microgrid projects that received funding for feasibility studies in June from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. CCMUA received $150,000 of more than $2 million distributed for the projects.Microgrids are self-generating networks that are connected to the regional power grid, but can operate independently in case of a general power outage. The BPUs interest in shoring up the grids resilience was heightened after Hurricane Sandy, which left some of the states critical infrastructure powerless, including wastewater treatment plants.This project will not only help the environment and get the CCMUA off the grid, but it will also save about $600,000 in annual electricity costs, said Camden County Freeholder Jeff Nash, who attended an event Thursday to announce it. So, we can help the environment by lowering our carbon footprint while we also lower our total annual costs.The feasibility study will examine the costs of building an underground power line and an adjacent treated-wastewater pipe between the CCMUAs facility and the Covanta plant, which are about a mile apart, said Kricun.The study will also explore the feasibility of connecting other facilities to the Covanta-powered microgrid, such as the Camden Housing Authority, elementary schools, several supermarkets, and a gas station, according to the BPU.This makes a lot of business and environmental sense, said Regan, the Covanta spokesman. The company is a worldwide operator of power systems, including waste-to-energy facilities in Conshohocken, Chester, and Camden.The Camden power plant produces 21 megawatts of electricity, of which the CCMUA expects to buy up to 4 megawatts directly on the dedicated power line, or about half the authoritys power needs.The energy that Covanta generates is more valuable than the treated wastewater that the CCMUA provides, said Kricun, so terms of the swap deal between the CCMUA and Covanta still need be worked out.The feasibility study is expected to be completed next year, followed by construction of the lines connecting the two plants. Kricun said he expects it to go online in 2019.
Red Bull has not decided if Pierre Gasly will be released to fight for the Japanese Super Formula title next month.

As the French rookie makes his debut at Sepang, it was rumoured axed Daniil Kvyat could return to his Toro Rosso for Austin.

That's because Gasly has contested the full Super Formula season, and could win the title if he is able to return to Japan to do the Suzuka finale.

Suzuka clashes with the US grand prix, but Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost admitted it is not decided if Gasly will be allowed to race in Japan.

"In a normal situation, Pierre would be in the car for the remaining (F1) races," he told Speed Week.

"Austin clashes with the final of the Super Formula, so we will have to weigh everything and then make a decision," Tost added.

Earlier, team owner Red Bull said Gasly is replacing Kvyat so that the French youngster can be analysed for a potential full race seat in 2018.

Tost said the Faenza based team is happy with Gasly so far.

"I assume that we will get together at the end of October to decide about our team (for 2018)," he said.

(GMM)
Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders of the state attended a ceremony held at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing to honor and remember deceased national heroes on the country's fourth Martyrs' Day on Saturday.

Veterans, family members of martyrs and representatives of all walks of life gathered at the Monument to the People's Heroes and presented flowers to pay tribute to the martyrs.

Martyrs, as defined by the government, are "people who sacrificed their lives for national independence and prosperity, as well as the welfare of the people in modern times, or after First Opium War (1840-1842)."

China's legislature approved September 30, the eve of the National Day, as the Martyrs' Day in 2014 to commemorate those who lost their lives fighting for national causes.
As announced in May, Yara and Kongsberg have partnered to build the worlds first autonomous and fully electric container vessel. Yara Birkeland , named after Yaras founder Kristian Birkeland, will enable a reduction of 40,000 road journeys from Yaras Porsgrunn fertilizer plant in southern Norway to the ports of Brevik and Larvik, significantly reducing local NO x and CO 2 emissions produced by haulage trucks. The vessel will be delivered and begin first tests and operations early 2019, and conduct fully autonomous operations in 2020.

A six-meter, 2.4-ton model of the final design of the autonomous and fully electric container vessel Yara Birkeland ( earlier post ) was revealed as testing commenced at SINTEF Oceans 80-meter test tank facility in Trondheim. ENOVA, a Norwegian government enterprise responsible for promotion of environmentally friendly production and consumption of energy, will support the project with a NOK 133-million (US$16.7-million) financial contribution.

The Yara Birkeland is a 120 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) open-top container ship. It will be a fully battery-powered solution, prepared for remote control and autonomous operation.

The final design is specd (although this may change slightly as work progresses) with a 7.5-9 MWh battery pack, with two Azimuth pods and two tunnel thrusters. Proximity sensors include radar, LiDAR, AIS, camera and IR camera.

Loading and unloading will be done automatically using electric cranes and equipment. The ship will not have ballast tanks, but will use the battery pack as permanent ballast.

The ship will also be equipped with an automatic mooring systemberthing and unberthing will be done without human intervention, and will not require special implementations dock-side.

The autonomous ship will sail within 12 nautical miles from the coast between 3 ports in southern Norway. The whole area is completely covered by the The Norwegian Coastal Administrations VTS (Vessel Traffic Service) system at Brevik.

For the first phase of the project a containerized bridge with crew facilities will be implemented. When the ship is ready for autonomous operation this module will be lifted off.

Following the announcement in May, the vessel was designed at Norwegian design and engineering company Marin Teknikk. A 6-meter, 2.4-ton model of the final design using technology destined for the real ship, including a fully working tunnel thruster system from Kongsberg, will now undergo comprehensive testing at SINTEF Ocean before construction of the full-scale vessel starts. The decision of where the vessel is to be built will be decided and disclosed by the end of 2017.

Initial tests of the model were successful, proving both concept and the technology. The testing at SINTEF Ocean marks an important milestone in the development. This vessel is important for the entire maritime industry, and Yara deserves praise for their initiative and commitment. Yara Birkeland is the start of a major contribution to fulfilling national and international environmental impact goals, and will be a global milestone for seaborne transportation. Geir Hay, President and CEO of Kongsberg

Yara Birkeland is a collaboration between the environment-focused Norwegian agricultural company Yara, global maritime technology firm Kongsberg, DNV GL, Marin Teknikk, SINTEF Ocean and Norwegian maritime authorities.

Kongsberg is responsible for development and delivery of all key enabling technologies including the sensors and integration required for remote and autonomous ship operations, in addition to the electric drive, battery and propulsion control systems on Yara Birkeland.
This is shameful, even for President Trump.

Today, he's harshly and unfairly attacking the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, because she dared suggest her island isn't getting the federal help it needs more than a week after devastating Hurricane Maria flattened it.

"Mayday, we are in trouble," Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said Friday.

And: "I am asking the president of the United States to make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives.

"I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell."

Trump's response: Blame her.

"Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help," he tweeted this morning. "They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."

He added that she "has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump."

Has she been "nasty to Trump"? No. She's giving an account that contradicts Trump's claim that "10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job." Or the assessment by the Department of Homeland Security acting secretary that the Puerto Rico response is "a good news story."

Media reports from Puerto Rico also tell of people who have no power, no water, no fuel, little food ... and haven't seen any aid workers. And those who are told to request help ... online. Without power? And hospitals that can't operate.

According to Trump, this is "fake news" meant to make him look bad.

He looks bad, all right  because of his exaggerations about the success of relief efforts and his attacks on a critic who, honestly, looks like she's at the end of her rope.

Where's his empathy?

He must know at some level that supplies aren't getting to everyone who needs them because he's also talked of the difficult circumstances.

"This is an island surrounded by water, big water, ocean water," he said at a news conference on Friday.

Ocean water? Who knew?

He's also raised questions about paying for the relief going to Puerto Rico ... which is not exactly the right thing to say when U.S. citizens are suffering and dying.

Yes, Puerto Rico was already an economic basket case. Now its entire electric system is destroyed, as well as most of its homes and businesses.

No one disputes the immense challenges. Which is why it was premature, to say the least, for Trump to declare a success.

And why it's so utterly contemptible that the president of the United States chooses to attack a mayor whose people are desperate for help.

This might be a new low for Trump, and that's saying a helluva lot.
On Sept. 29, two China Eastern planes took off from Shanghai to pick up 478 Chinese who were rescued from a devastating hurricane in Dominica and later transferred to a neighboring country, Chinanews.com reported.

The emergency transport mission was guided by Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, and Civil Aviation Administration of China. The planes set off in less than 24 hours after receiving the task.

The two wide-body planes, equipped with 64 crew members, will fly over 19 countries with a round distance of 34,000 kilometers. They are the first Chinese planes to land at the airport in Antigua and Barbuda.

Category 5 Hurricane Maria hit the island country Dominica on the evening of Sept. 18, causing severe damage.

By Sept. 28, a total of 487 Chinese trapped by the hurricane had been transferred in two batches to the neighboring country Antigua and Barbuda.

Chinas embassy in Antigua and Barbuda, along with overseas Chinese companies and members of the local Chinese community, as well as both governments, overcame a number of hurdles to complete the relocation.

Ge Jianping, a manager of an aid project in Dominica and who has worked in the country for 14 years, said the danger and fear caused by the hurricane was unprecedented.

I didnt feel safe until I saw a banner that read we will bring you home and saw rescuers from our motherland, Ge recalled, the moment when he and 300 other trapped Chinese were transferred to Antigua and Barbuda.
SpongeBob SquarePants

10 a.m. (NICKELODEON)

When Squidward rents his house to Man Ray for the weekend, SpongeBob and Patrick decide its up to them to stop his evil vacation in this new episode.

Later, Mr. Krabs puts Larry the Lobster in charge of the Krusty Krab when he goes on vacation.

Cake Boss

1 p.m. (TLC)

Buddy helps a New York martial arts school celebrate its 50th anniversary in this rebroadcast. He creates a samurai cake for the school, and when things get stressful, he turns the decorating room into a sumo wrestling ring.

Gear Dogs

8 p.m. (DISCOVERY)

Master mechanics Chris and Nate welcome viewers to Camp Doghouse, where they build and flip rare and unusual vehicles in this new episode. A car fanatic, Nate Boyer will customize anything that moves, and hes always looking for the next big project.

Halt and Catch Fire

9 p.m. (AMC)

Joe (Lee Pace) discusses the future of Comet with Gordon (Scoot McNairy) in this new episode. Elsewhere, Cameron (Mackenzie Davis) is challenged by a new collaborator.

Bos (Toby Huss) and Diane (Annabeth Gish) make a big decision.
TEMPLE, Texas  A Texas man described by family members as having an intellectual disability has died after a struggle with police.

A Temple Police Department spokeswoman says officers responded to a disturbance call around 7:30 p.m. Thursday and made contact with Stephen Gayle, who they said was uncooperative and appeared intoxicated.

Police say Gayle died after a struggle with officers who were trying to handcuff him.

The Temple Daily Telegram reports that Gayle's family and witnesses are questioning that account, saying the white officers used excessive force to arrest Gayle, who was black.

The police spokeswoman says the department has asked the Texas Department of Public Safety to investigate the death. She says the department has no indications that officers "acted outside the scope of their duties."

Temple is about 75 miles north of Austin, Texas.
EDEN  The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation this evening identified Rockingham County Sheriffs Deputy Shane Woodall and Deputy Eden Police Chief Greg Light and Eden Police Lt. David Martin as the shooters in an Aug. 17 officer-involved shooting.

After responding to reports of an assault on Georgia Avenue, the three officers shot suspect Christopher Raymond Ellison, 34, after determining that he matched the description of a suspect in a double stabbing that occurred earlier that day.

SBI is investigating the shooting per standard protocol.

The bureau has already completed interviews with the three officers, according to SBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Eric Frey.

Frey expects more information to become available once the bureau completes the case file within the next couple weeks.

Currently, the bureau is waiting to receive medical records relating to the incident.

We can't do our final findings to present to the (District Attorney)'s office until we can get that report back, so that's part of the delay, Frey said. We're still collecting information to get some interviews wrapped up. We do some follow up on personnel files and so forth that goes into the case, so it just takes a little while to collect all the information.

Ellison, of 621 North St., Eden, is charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill related to the double stabbing.

Eden police and Rockingham County Sheriffs deputies responded around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 17 to Brownstone Commons Apartments in Draper. Officers were advised the suspect fled the scene.

Upon arriving at 1012 Georgia Ave., Apt. 1, they found two stabbing victims, 44-year-old Flora Lynn Helton and her 7-year-old daughter. They were transported to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro and Morehead Hospital in Eden for treatment of serious injuries.

Due to the sensitivity of the case, the daughters name is not being released by RockinghamNow.

The paperwork also states that it was apparent to officers that from the breezeway of the complex, a struggle had occurred in the apartment leased by Helton.

Following the arrival of police and EMS units, a perimeter was set up in the neighborhood to attempt to locate the suspect.

Ellison was located near Knott and New streets.

Police and deputies allegedly confronted Ellison, who was subsequently shot by Woodall, Light and Martin. Ellison was transported for medical treatment.

Ellison was released from the hospital on Aug. 24 and escorted by police to the magistrates office in Wentworth, where his bail was set at $1 million.

That same day, a safekeeping order filed with the court stated that Ellison was then transferred to a unit of the State Department of Adult Corrections in Raleigh, due to his current medical conditions and need for medical care.

According to the document, Ellison was non weight bearing, he has a right iliac wing fracture, a right ring finger amputation and an open abdominal wound.

RockinghamNow reporter Joe Dexter contribute to this report.
Villagers in southwestern Chinas Guizhou province made the five-star national flag using newly harvested red peppers and corns to welcome the approaching National Day, Guizhou Dushi Newspaper reported on Sept. 29.

Yuanbao Village has gained wealth by growing peppers. This year, the production of peppers is estimated to reach 1,600 tons, worth some 3.2 million yuan.

The rural area has changed significantly with the help of governmental funds, said a villager surnamed Nie. Villagers made this special national flag with their own harvest to express their happiness and to celebrate the 68th birthday of the Peoples Republic of China.
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GREENWICH  From forte to piano, the Steinways strings hummed with the kind of tense restraint that only a masters touch can give, where every note is imbued with a sense of purpose.

The strains of romanticism filled Greenwich High Schools performing arts center during a rehearsal Thursday evening as the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra prepared for two shows this weekend. The symphony is celebrating its 60th season, which will be marked by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Brahms and other greats, as well as lesser known gems and contemporary composers.

Its like a meal. It has to have things that compliment each other and go in the right order, but it also has to engage the audience intellectually, spiritually, said Danny Miller, GSOs principal cellist, who has been playing with the group since 1985.

Miller described GSOs programs as time travel that takes audiences to all different eras and locales, from the Baroque period to today.

To open the year, GSO music director David Gilbert has decided to transport listeners to Czechoslovakia, Austria and France on Saturday and Sunday through a local premiere by turn-of-the-century composer Josef Suk, followed by a Mozart staple and a lesser known concerto by Camille Saint-Saens.

A few nights ago, during rehearsal, Finnish pianist Juho Pohjonen played with a combination of abandon and care. The soloist has visited Greenwich before to perform one of Mozarts works with the GSO, but this time he recommended a change of pace for his part of the concert. He and Gilbert have decided to try Saint-Saens final piano concerto, No. 5 in F major, which is stuffed with the kinds of bells and whistles that make an afficionados heart beat fast.

Famous for his dreamy romanticism, Saint-Saens is perhaps best known for Carnival of the Animals, but the piano concerto -- nicknamed the Egyptian for where it was written -- is not as widely appreciated. When asked who in the GSO had performed it before, viola player Ardith Holmgrain could not remember if anyone raised a hand, excepting one man who she said has a reputation for having played nearly everything.

It is this novelty and challenge that keeps the GSOs performers coming back year after year, decade after decade, they said.

As a musician you want to always stay fresh, Holmgrain said. You dont want to stay burdened in the same repertoire.

A New York native, Holmgrain has been making the trek to Greenwich for 25 or 30 years -- she eventually lost count. While she also plays with the New York Pops, not to mention Frank Sinatras old pianist, Holmgrain said she always feels its worthwhile to come out to Connecticut because of Gilberts attentive ear, which is always trying to keep the work alive and breathing.

He, like everyone, enjoys the musical tweak and enjoys freshness of something that has been overlooked in the repertoire, she said.

Like Holmgrain, everyone in the GSO is a professional musician and gets paid for performing at Greenwich High Schools Performing Arts Center each season. Some of the musicians accompany shows at the Metropolitan Opera House or play along with the New York Philharmonic; others take on eight shows a week on Broadway.

Miller spends most of his nights performing in Wicked. One of his colleagues is in the pit for Lion King, and has been for years. They play the same music evening after evening, so GSO offers them a chance to refuel with something new, they said.

Miller was the one who recommended the Suk premiere to Gilbert.

You cant always play war horses, celebrated compositions that everyone knows, Miller said. You need to challenge -- well not just challenge -- but you need to give the audience a broader view of what the orchestra can do.

A lesser known composer, Suk was protege and son-in-law to famed Czech composer Antonin Dvorak. In Fantastic Scherzo, Holmgrain said she can hear Dvoraks influence, but with a twist. She called it a very sparkly piece.

Mary Radcliffe, a classically trained pianist from Budapest, Hungary, and GSOs president since 1983, said that Suk just made sense to kick off the 60th season. A practical, focused woman, Radcliffe detailed the logic behind the selection.

Its a short piece, and its a good opener, she said. It involves all the instruments of the orchestra.

Radcliffe did allow that all the scores on the program are beautiful, but almost as an aside.

Beautiful is not the point, but its enriching and its interesting, and it involves 300 years of classical music, she said.

Miller said he was dismayed that as headphones and portable devices have become more popular, fewer people are attending live orchestra performances. He said live classical music is seen as a luxury, like Louis Vuitton or Moet Hennessy.

But, he continued, what someone misses when submerged in an iPod is the rawness of live performance, the spatial aspect and the honest sound of instruments that are right in front of them. Beyond that, theres not the same amalgamation of all this effort in a recording. When a full orchestra plays together, each cog in the wheel constitutes decades of practice at a stones throw, he said.

Its thousands of years of experience that goes into playing a Mozart symphony, Miller continued. Playing one note.




Haiti - Tourism : Top Resa 2017 International Fair





The Ministry of Tourism in its promotion policy is redoubling its efforts to maintain its presence in the major events of the world where are discussed leisure, tourism and travel. In this context, a Haitian delegation led by Colombe Emilie Jessy Menos, the Minister of Tourism, composed of Deputy and President of the Tourism and Creative Commission of the lower house, Micalerme Pierre Toussaint and members of the travel and promotion department of Ministry participates in the 39th edition of the prestigious French tourism and travel trade fair "International French Travel Market Top Resa" (IFTM Top Resa), which brings together from 26 to 29 September 2017all the players of tourism in Paris at the Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles, Hall 1 and more than 31,000 trade visitors of the sector.



A stand for the tourist promotion of the destination and other products of Haiti is present at this Show. Raquel Pelissier the first dauphine to Miss Universe 2016, also Goodwill Ambassador of Haiti, supports the presentation of Haiti to the visitors.



During the fair, Minister Menos and members of the delegation met with travel agencies and tour operators from around the world in search of destination to promote and offer in their brochures next year.



In particular, the Minister of Tourism met with Edmond Richard of the French air carrier Air Caraibes with the twofold aim of improving the conditions for the members of the Haitian community attending the company and with a view to extending global collaboration with Haiti. She also met with members of delegations from other countries, such as the Minister of Tourism of El Salvador and a Tourism Representative of the Dominican Republic. Discussions on multi-destination cooperation between the two countries were discussed during the exchanges. With the organization Wallonie-Bruxelles, the Haitian delegation participated in an evening of homage with the Haitian diva, Emeline Michel, on the occasion of the celebration of the 20 years of cooperation with Haiti.



On Wednesday, at the 37th World Tourism Day, declared "International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development" by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Minister Menos sent a message on her vision of tourism in Haiti whose we invit you to share some excerpts :



"By sustainable tourism, we mean a responsible tourism which [...] allows everyone to travel without guilt, without harming the environment, while emphasizing the human.



[...] For 2017 and for the future, we want fair tourism, which will take into account the environmental, economic and social dimensions.



Yes for tourism that preserves natural resources and helps protect the environment.



Yes for inclusive tourism activities, egalitarian exchanges and the creation of stable jobs, all aimed at improving the living conditions of peoples.



And twice yes for tourism that emphasizes the preservation of the traditional values of host communities and cultures, based on principles such as gender equity, as well as respect for their evolution environment. We will constantly emphasize the importance of motivating, empowering and rallying all the links in the tourism industry, from professionals in the sector to travelers, to all the actors at their respective levels on the scale of the Eco-tourism.



[...] We strongly believe that it is high time for the professionals of the sector and all the actors involved in the cause of tourism, to value and encourage good practices of responsible tourism and solidarity, but also to promote collaboration between regional partners and international organizations [...]"



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2017/09/30 | Source

Five years after her debut as a member of the K-pop girl group Hello Venus, Kwon Nara has ventured into a new arena, making her acting debut in a TV series, "Take Care of Us, Captain".

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Kwon Nara said she made extensive preparations for her role as a prosecutor in "Suspicious Partner", which aired in July, working on the basics such as pronunciation and intonation, and observing actual court trials. "It was my first TV series, so I felt a lot of pressure. But I tried to enjoy being on the set too", Kwon Nara said.

Kwon Nara studied acting before joining Hello Venus. "As soon as the six-member girl band debuted in 2012, I was too busy to study acting. I couldn't take classes, so I practiced monologues while watching movies and TV dramas", she said. "I went to a lot of auditions but I couldn't find a role and I lost confidence. It wasn't fun any more, and at some point I just decided acting wasn't for me", she recalled.

Kwon Nara also drew attention for her tall, thin physique. "I try to work out at least four times a week, because I feel uneasy when I'm out of shape. I'm grateful when I get positive feedback about my fitness. It keeps me motivated to work out", she said.

Kwon Nara remains committed to Hello Venus, and is currently working on the group's new album, which is due to come out at the end of the year.

But she makes no secret of her desire to continue acting. "If an opportunity comes, I want to do another acting project immediately so I don't lose momentum. Acting on a set is still new to me, so I don't want to lose this feeling. I need all the experience I can get", Kwon Nara said.
Published on 2017/09/30 | Source

"The First Lap" explores what it means to be in a long-term relationship in Korean society. Expectations can change a relationship that functions well-enough on its own, which is exactly what happens to the couple that is force to contend with family expectations.

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"The First Lap" (2017)

Directed by Kim Dae-hwan

With Kim Sae-byuk, Cho Hyun-chul,...

Synopsis

The first step of starting a family, the first step of facing the family you have run away so far.



Soo-hyeon, a teacher at a private art institute and Ji-yeong, a contract worker at a small network enterprise have been living together for 6 years. To his surprise, Soo-hyeon finds out that Ji-yeong is late on her period.

One evening, the couple heads to the new home of Ji-yeong's parents in Incheon. The housewarming party dissolves in ill humor when Ji-yeong's mother strongly urges the couple to get married. At the end of a long day, the couple tries to sleep.

As Soo-hyeon decides to reunite with his family he had been avoiding for some time, the couple sets off for Samcheok at the far end of the east coast.

Festival

71 Locarno Film Festival

No release date in Korea yet
On Sept. 27, the supply ship Qinghaihu of the 27th Chinese naval escort taskforce drove away nine suspected pirate vessels for a U.K. container ship and a Maltese freighter.

At 9:32 a.m., the two ships sailed to the left of Qinghaihu, and the suspected pirate vessels approached the U.K. ship 10 minutes later.

The Chinese naval ship immediately initiated first-class anti-piracy operations and used sirens to warn the nine vessels.

The Maltese freighter soon approached the right side of Qinghaihu.

Later, the suspected vessels stopped approaching the U.K. ship. In order to prevent them from attacking the Maltese freighter, the Chinese naval ship forced them starboard.

At around 10:13 am, the U.K. and Maltese vessels left the region. Qinghaihu lowered its alert level and continued its patrol mission.
Collaborative Effort to Reduce Truancy Launched

News Release from Hawaii Judiciary, September 29, 2017

LIHUE, Hawaii  The Fifth Circuit Court, in partnership with numerous Kauai agencies and organizations, has launched Truancy Court Collaboration, a pilot project to improve school attendance and family engagement.

A similar program at an Oahu intermediate school produced a 91 percent daily school attendance rate in 2016-17, up about 40 percent from 2015-16.

We are very excited about this program and grateful to our partners for helping us to introduce Truancy Court Collaboration on Kauai, said Judge Edmund D. Acoba of the Fifth Circuits Family Court. We believe that this can be achieved by addressing the hardships and barriers that students and their families face through the use of positive, meaningful interventions which are culturally sensitive, and employ place-based community connections through education, engagement, and enforcement.

Since January, Juvenile Client and Family Services (JCFS) has been working collaboratively with the Department of Educations District Superintendent Bill Arakaki, Waimea High School Principal Mahina Anguay, Waimea Canyon Principal Melissa Speetjens, and representatives from the Department of Educations Mokihana program, Department of Health, the Prosecuting Attorneys Office, Attorney Generals Office, Hale Kipa Student Attendance Support Service, Liliuokalani Trust, and the Kauai Police Department.

This student-centered collaboration is designed to build consistent school attendance, which is critical for student achievement, graduation, and a fulfilling career, said Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald. By encouraging family engagement, rewarding positive behavior, empowering students and holding them responsible, we give students the tools to make good choices and achieve their full potential.

Im grateful to Judge Acoba and all of the partners for participating in Family Courts mission to offer a place of healing, he said.

The unwavering mission of Queen Liliuokalani  to ensure the well-being of Hawaiian children and ohana  is the guiding light for our work at Liliuokalani Trust, said Systems Liaison Edralyn Caberto. Therefore, we are very excited about the opportunity to partner with the Fifth Circuit Family Court and community stakeholders in developing innovative strategies to enhance our youths opportunities to succeed educationally and to thus build pathways to thriving lives.

The need to reverse truancy is highlighted in a University of Hawaii study, which reported that up to 89 percent of Hawaii inmates said they were truants.

The West Kauai School Complex was selected to participate in this pilot program based on its strong interest in addressing truancy problems in its area.

In August, JCFS staff, Judge Acoba, Hale Kipa, Deputy Attorney General Russell Goo, and representatives from Liliuokalani Trust presented the Truancy Court Collaboration Pilot Project at Waimea Canyons disciplinary assembly for the eighth-graders parents. JCFS and Hale Kipa then made similar presentations to the sixth- and seventh-graders parents. The final presentation was made at Waimea High Schools open house.

Attendees learned that the DOE will identify students from the 2016-2017 school year who accumulated 15 or more absences. If the absences continue this year, the DOE will contact the family. If the DOEs efforts to intervene are unsuccessful, a referral will be made to Hale Kipa to contact the family and do home visits. If Hale Kipas intervention efforts are also unsuccessful, then a referral will be made to JCFSB and a probation officer will speak to the family about court intervention if the barriers are not addressed. As a last resort, a petition will be filed and the family will have to appear in Family Court. DOE, Hale Kipa, and JCFSB will continue to collaborate to keep students on track once a referral is made to Family Court.

The goal is to provide early assistance to families that addresses barriers to attending school or classes without having to file a petition in Family Court and requiring the student and parents to appear due to truancy, said Judge Acoba.

If the pilot project proves effective, the hope is to eventually expand it to all the middle and high schools on Kauai.

---30---

KGI: KPD, other Kauai entities partner with Fifth Circuit Court to create truancy pilot in West Side complex

Related:
McCain Bill to exempt Puerto Rico from Jones Act

by Michael Hansen, Hawaii Shippers Council, September 29, 2017

U.S. Senators John S McCain III (R-AZ) and Michael S Lee (R-UT) introduced on Thursday, September 28, 2017, a bill,  To exempt Puerto Rico from the coastwise laws of the United States (commonly known as the Jones Act) .

This measure would amend United States Code, Title 46 Shipping Section 55101 Application of coastwise laws (46 USC  55101) by adding the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to those noncontiguous jurisdictions currently exempt from the coastwise laws of the United States. Those exempt jurisdictions are: The Territory of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the Territory of the Virgin Islands of the U.S. commonly known as the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).

In its narrowest usage, the Jones Act is the informal name for Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, which restricts the transportation of merchandise  meaning cargo  by water to vessels that are U.S. built, -flag, -crewed and owned. There are several other specific coastwise laws of the same tenor that apply to the transportation of passengers by water (1886), dredging (1906), towing (1940), salvage (1940) and the fisheries (1950, 1976 & 1998).

Because the Jones Act is the best known of the various coastwise laws, its often used to mean that whole body of law, and that is the sense in which Sens McCain and Lee used it in the title of their bill.

Internationally, these kinds of protectionist transportation laws are known generically as cabotage, and refer not only to the maritime, but also aviation, rail and trucking (motor carriers).

MCCAINS PREVIOUS JONES ACT REFORM MEASURES

Previously, Sen McCain introduced four measures to eliminate the U.S. domestic ship build requirement of the coastwise laws or Jones Act cabotage.

The first and the basis for the others was the Open Americas Waters Act of 2010. Five years later, Sen McCain unsuccessfully attempted to attach what was essentially his 2010 legislation as an amendment to the keystone XL Pipeline Act of 2015. A year later, McCain unsuccessfully attempted to attach an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 (S. 2012), which would have eliminated the U.S. build requirement for self-propelled seagoing tank ships. In July 2017, Sen McCain reintroduce his original 2010 bill as the Open Americas Waters Act of 2017.

Although his press release states, In 2010, Senator McCain introduced legislation to fully repeal the Jones Act. He reintroduced the same piece of legislation in 2015 and again this July, those measures would not have repealed the Jones Act. All those measures addressed the U.S. build and not the other requirements of Jones Act cabotage.

Given Sen McCains inability to obtain cosponsors and hearings for his previous Jones Act reform measures much less a floor vote, I think its reasonable to assume that there will be significant difficulties in obtaining passage of his instant legislation.

JONES ACT WAIVERS

I am not aware of any Jones Act waivers that have been requested or granted for Hawaii since Statehood in 1959, to alleviate some emergency or national security situation.

It should be recognized that until 1950, all Jones Act waivers had to be authorized by the Congress in specific legislation making them much more difficult to obtain as compared with the administrative procedures that followed. The authorizing statute is 46 USC  501, Waiver of navigation and vessel-inspection laws, which was last amended in 2008.

However, on an interesting historical note, during World War I (WWI), the Territory of Hawaii sought and obtained waivers from the coastwise laws to allow foreign flag ships to carry cargo and passengers in the domestic Hawaii trade. The waivers became necessary because so many U.S. steamers had been requisitioned for the war effort. This left the islands without sufficient tonnage to meet both cargo and passenger requirements. (At the time there was no commercial air service to Hawaii and all passenger traffic including interisland was seaborne.)

After the Armistice ending WWI, U.S. Representative Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (R-HI) introduced a joint resolution in the Congress calling on the President Woodrow Wilson (D) administration to extend Hawaiis wartime coastwise waivers because sufficient U.S. steamers had not yet returned to the trade. The resolution was adopted and the administration did extend the waivers.

JONES ACT REPEAL VS REFORM

A typical question often asked is what would be the impact of fully exempting Hawaii from the Jones Act writ large  i.e., all the coastwise laws or federal U.S. maritime cabotage laws, regulations and rulings.

The results might not be what most people would expect. That is due to all the other non-cabotage federal and state laws and regulations  including immigration, customs, wage and hour, labor, business registration, taxation, health and safety, etc. -- that would impinge on the continuous operation of a foreign flag vessel in a purely domestic trade.

That is a full and complete repeal of Jones Act cabotage is an insufficient condition for the unfettered operation of foreign flag vessels in purely domestic coastwise trading.

That would mean, assuming the complete absence of any U.S. maritime cabotage laws, for example, that all inter Hawaiian island vessels would still have to be registered U.S. flag and comply with crewing and U.S. Coast Guard inspection requirements for U.S. flag vessels  though they could certainly be foreign-built. Likewise, all vessels employed exclusively between U.S. West Coast (USWC) ports and Hawaii  largely containerships  would also need to operate U.S. flag, but could be foreign built.

Where foreign flag ships could transport cargoes between other U.S. ports and Hawaii (assuming alternatively a full repeal nationally, regionally for the noncontiguous trades or singularly for just the Hawaii trade), would be in the instance of a foreign flag ship remaining on a foreign voyage status and immune from domestic regulation by arriving from and proceeding to foreign in respect of U.S. ports of call on each of their voyages. This is how foreign flag vessels operate domestic transportation under a Jones Act waiver.

This, for example, would permit the employment of foreign flag ships in the kind of Transpacific liner service currently operated by Matson Navigation Company Inc. with Jones Act containerships Westbound from the USWC calling at Hawaii, Guam, Okinawa, and two ports in China, thence directly back Eastbound to the USWC. The port calls in Japan (Okinawa) and China would keep the ships on foreign voyage status.

It would also allow the Hawaii Cattlemen to spot charter livestock carriers to transport their cattle to the USWC, which they currently do by air and onboard Matsons containerships in shipping devices known as Cow-tainers.

There would be the opportunity for the oil companies to spot charter foreign flag tankers off the U.S. Gulf and West Coasts to transport petroleum products to Hawaii.

However, a complete and full exemption from all the coastwise laws would be very difficult politically to achieve, and reform measures would appear to have a much greater possibility of actually being enacted.

There are reform measures that could be taken such as Sen McCains Open Americas Waters Acts, which would eliminate the U.S. build requirement from all the coastwise laws on a nationwide basis.

Alternatively, all the noncontiguous jurisdictions currently and fully embraced by the coastwise laws  Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico -- could be legislatively granted the so-called Guam Exemption, which would essentially eliminate both the U.S. build and U.S. ownership requirements.

The Hawaii Shippers Council has and continues to advocate for an exemption from the U.S. build requirement for just the noncontiguous jurisdictions.

The most detrimental aspect of the coastwise law system is the domestic ship build requirement, because the cost of vessel construction in the U.S. has become so extraordinarily high. Eliminating the domestic build requirement not only deals with the U.S. building cost, it also achieves much that a full repeal would in a practical sense.

JONES ACT IMPACT ON HAWAII

As McCains latest Jones Act bill is unlikely to move in the Congress, there seems little possibility for a similar measure to be enacted for Hawaii, especially in view of the support among Hawaii Democrats and Congressional delegation for the Jones Act.

In addition, there are certain constitutional and legal issues with applying the coastwise exemption statute (i.e., 46 USC  55101), which Sen McCains instant bill would amend, to Hawaii as an incorporated state of the U.S.. The statute currently applies only to three unincorporated territories, which denotes areas controlled by the U.S. but where the U.S. constitution and law dont fully apply permitting different treatment than for states and incorporated territories. These territories are not part of the customs territory of the U.S., which is important because enforcement of the coastwise laws is a customs function (interestingly, Puerto Rico is part of the customs territory of the U.S.). The statute codifies maritime cabotage exemptions that were originally part of the international treaties that led to these three territories annexation by the U.S., which imposes a higher legal standard on the exemptions than simple statute.

Longer term, there have not been any thoroughgoing economic studies of the impacts of Jones Act cabotage on the State of Hawaii. There have been several studies of the Puerto Rico trade.

In the instance of Puerto Rico, its possible to compare existing freight rates offered by the Jones Act carriers from the mainland U.S. to Puerto Rico with those charges by foreign flag carriers from U.S. mainland ports to nearby islands such as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic on Hispaniola. In fact the main Jones Act carriers in the Puerto Rico trade all operate foreign flag services throughout the Caribbean basin. Hawaii we dont have nearby islands for such a comparison.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York in their June 29, 2012, Report on the competitiveness of Puerto Ricos economy, reported It costs an estimated $3,063 to ship a twenty-foot container of household and commercial goods from the East Coast of the United States to Puerto Rico; the same shipment costs $1,504 to nearby Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and $1,687 to Kingston (Jamaica)destinations that are not subject to Jones Act restrictions.

To determine the effects on the costs of living and doing business is an assessment that requires an econometric model to ascertain. At present the only group with an econometric model of the States economy is the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (HERO), and their model is limited to certain sectors and does not cover transportation.

---30---

Update 10/02/2017: According to the official website for all congressional legislation Congress.gov the bill, To exempt Puerto Rico from the coastwise laws of the United States (commonly known as the Jones Act), was assigned the number Senate Bill 1894 (S. 1894) and noticed that two other cosponsors signed on the bill as of 09/28/2017 namely U.S. Senators James Langford (R-OK) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) increasing the total number of cosponsors to three.

PDF: Text of Bill
DEBBIE McGEE was a surprise hit on the first Strictly Come Dancing live show in an energetic performance branded hot and spicy by the judges.

The radio presenter and widow of magician Paul Daniels, who lives in Wargrave, impressed the panel with her skirt-swishing Paso Doble, which she ended by planting an impromptu kiss on partner Giovanni Pernice.

The judges awarded her 30 points, putting her second on the leaderboard, just one point behind leaders Aston Merrygold and Janette Marara.

She played a feisty waitress dancing to Fergies Be Italian in a routine met with a standing ovation from judges Darcey Bussell and Shirley Ballas.

Bussell told her: You are on fire  oh my! To see a celeb have more choreography in a Paso Doble, the lady to do more than the man, I can see why.

Youre so flexible  I love it. Keep it up because youre going to go a long way.

The 58-year-old is the competitions oldest contestant but judge Craig Revel Horwood told her: Whatever Giovanni has done to you its certainly working because youre dancing like a 20-year-old out there.

Fellow judge Bruno Tonioli called the routine called the routine yummy, tasty, hot and spicy adding: Like an arrabiata sauce on a lovely pasta al dente with plenty of bite .

There was a lot of very, very good detail and very well done, he added. Youre in good shape arent you, my darling?

Ballas added: You have got it all, youre outstanding.

She was called Debbie Doble McGee by newsreader Chris Browning the next morning on her weekly show on BBC Radio Berkshire.

She told listeners: It was a great night. Im going to soak all afternoon in my sisters hot tub because my body is feeling that it was flung around last night. I had the most wonderful time.

Anyone who watched Strictly will know just how far Giovanni pushed me. Its very interesting the whole process of learning the steps and then your partner pushes you that bit further to get your legs up higher and do your turns faster and fling your head back and then youve got to act the story.

I just thought yep, Im going to have a good time, Ive put in the work, whatever happens, happens and it went well.

She confessed to eating squares of Galaxy chocolate before her performance to give her energy for the routine.

I was second on the leaderboard in my first week which is amazing, she added.

I got an eight from Craig which everybody, even the director, said to me my goodness Debbie, youve got an eight from Craig and everybody was just so lovely to me. Im still bouncing and jumping about despite my late night because I wasnt going to miss the party!

But it didnt all go to plan. After leaving home at about 7.15am on Saturday, she and her partner were the first on the studio floor for a camera rehearsal at 9.20am.

McGee explained: It went completely wrong, I have to say, the dance. Not the acting but just what I was doing  I dropped my tambourine, which was part of the dance.

I didnt fall over but I slipped a bit because the studio floor was so different from what we have been rehearsing with.

Youre having to watch where the cameras are as well and certain bits I wanted to be looking down the lens and couldnt find where the camera was.

A second run proved more successful before she was sent to hair and make-up and was given a massage by a physiotherapist. After lunch she ran through the whole show at a dress rehearsal.

Before the live show she relaxed in her dressing room by watching a documentary about the racing driver Graham Hill, she said.

McGee admitted the couples kiss wasnt part of the routine they had rehearsed while Pernice, who had lipstick around his mouth as they awaited the judges scores, said it had been a trick.

She said: I was just being a performer. It just happened that I grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips and I actually dont think hes recovered yet!

Tomorrow (Saturday) McGee will take to the dance floor again with a new routine. She is competing on the 15th series of the show in tribute to her late husband, who died in March last year, and who appeared in the 2010 series.

McGee will be hoping to fare better in the competition as Daniels and his dance partner Ola Jordan were booted out in week two.

Meanwhile, former Strictly professional dancer Ian Waite led a training day for dance instructors at The Henley College. He visited the college as part of the FitSteps exercise programme.

More than 20 people attended the event where they were trained by Waite and Ian Parker before finding out the following week whether they had passed.

They included salsa teacher Jennifer Benavidez, of Shiplake, and Peter te Slaa, who was visiting from Holland.

Waite, a professional dancer originally from Reading, founded FitSteps with fellow Strictly dancer Natalie Lowe and competitor Mark Foster in 2013. The dance is a combination of ballroom and Latin.
To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry.

Disclaimer

Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes.
A semi-professional mountain bike champion caught driving without insurance has avoided a disqualification, as he needs his licence to get to competitions.

Gavin Carroll (24) had borrowed his father's car on the day in question because there was something wrong with his own vehicle.

Judge Patricia McNamara convicted and fined Carroll 300 but she did not ban him from driving.

The defendant, of Ballyroan Road in Rathfarnham, admitted driving without insurance before Tallaght District Court.

The incident took place at Belgard Square West, in Tallaght, at 12.40pm on April 24 this year, when gardai stopped him driving a 1999-registered vehicle. The court heard that Carroll had never been in trouble before.

Defence solicitor Kevin Tunney said Carroll was insured to drive his own car.

Competitions

Mr Tunney said there was something wrong with the defendant's vehicle and he had taken his father's car from the garage, as he was trying to get to work.

The solicitor said that Carroll describes himself as a semi-professional mountain biker.

He is an Irish national mountain bike champion, and he travels across Ireland and the UK taking part in competitions.

Mr Tunney handed in a number of stills of Carroll taking part in competitions to the judge.

The solicitor said Carroll is also a qualified bike mechanic, but is about to lose his job as the company he works for is closing down.

Mr Tunney asked the judge not to ban the defendant from driving, saying he needs his licence when he is travelling abroad.

He also said that Carroll co-operated fully with gardai and wished to apologise for his behaviour.

Fining Carroll 300, Judge McNamara accepted that Mr Tunney had put forward a special reason for the defendant to avoid a driving ban.
John Purdue is accused of assaulting a parking attendant who was clamping his van

A driver assaulted a parking attendant with a crowbar after making threats when he found his van being clamped near a Dublin apartment complex, it has been alleged.

John Purdue (58) is accused of lunging at the man (25) with the bar before striking him in the ensuing struggle.

He has pleaded not guilty and the case against him was adjourned at Dublin District Court for a hearing early next year.

Mr Purdue, of Belcamp Avenue, Priorswood, is charged with assaulting the man, causing him harm.

Judge Colin Daly heard the incident was alleged to have happened at the Northern Cross apartments, on the Malahide Road in the north of the city, on September 12, 2016.

A medical report outlining the nature of the injuries was handed in to court.

Allegations

Garda Sergeant Niall Murphy then gave an outline of the allegations so that Judge Daly could consider jurisdiction, which determines the ultimate court venue for the case.

He said the alleged victim was a parking attendant who was clamping the defendant's van at 11am.

The prosecution would allege the accused approached him and became very aggressive and threatening towards him.

It was further alleged Mr Purdue got into his van, got out with a crowbar and lunged at the parking attendant with it.

A struggle ensued between the two men, during which the alleged victim's knee was struck, Sgt Murphy said.

The man's knee was sore and tender afterwards but there was no long-term damage to it, he added.

Judge Daly accepted jurisdiction to deal with the case at district court level.

This means it will not be sent forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, which has tougher potential sentencing powers on conviction.

The defendant's solicitor Eoin Lysaght said he was seeking a date for the hearing of the case.

The court heard there would be CCTV evidence in the case and the non-jury trial would take about an hour.

Judge Daly adjourned the hearing to January 11.

The defendant was remanded on continuing bail.
A lotto win has lit up the life of electrician Declan Ward. Despite being just one number short of winning a 2.9m jackpot in last weekend's draw, he wasn't too disappointed as he picked up a cheque yesterday.

Declan won 170,000 with a Match 5, plus the bonus.

"Well, I wasn't too disappointed because I bought a quick pick," he said.

"But if I had have picked the numbers myself and had kept playing the same numbers, I'd be slightly disappointed. But I won. So that's the main thing."

There was already a sparkle in his life, since he surprised his girlfriend Nicola McEneaney (28) with a diamond engagement ring on holiday in California last month.

The couple were on the pier in Santa Monica when he popped the question.

"I never won anything in my life except, of course, when I won Nicola," said Declan (32) .

The couple picked up the winning cheque at Lotto headquarters in Dublin in the company of family, including Declan's parents Noel and Rita.

The couple are both from Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, where they have been building a new home outside the town.

They had just returned from their dream holiday and engagement celebrations in the US when Declan's good fortune increased with a lucky quick pick Lotto ticket.

He bought the ticket in the Londis store in Castleblaney.

When he checked the ticket days later in a shop in Hackballscross, the machine said he should contact Lotto headquarters.

"I didn't know how much I'd won but after misreading the information, I thought I'd won 17,000. But it turned out to be 170,000," he said.

He immediately called Nicola, a community nurse in Dundalk, with the good news.

"I thought he was joking," she said. The couple are delighted with the win and will be celebrating the 170,867 with "a wee hooley" this weekend.

Sped

They had expected their holiday in America to be their last big spend for a long time because of the expenses of building a house and saving for the wedding.

Declan is a big fan of fighter Conor McGregor and they decided to fly from California to Las Vegas for his showdown with Floyd Mayweather.

Seeing the fight was a dream come true for Declan.

Now, their future together has had a great bonus with Declan's big win.

"I'm absolutely thrilled," he said. "The win could not have come at a better time as our house has just been built.

"We've been working hard and saving to get it built over the past few years and now we have the funds to furnish it."
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy says developers will no longer have to provide parking spaces

City centre apartments could become a lot cheaper after Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said developers would no longer be required to provide parking spaces.

The minister said the requirement would be waived in areas with good transport links.

The construction industry claims that building underground car parks can add 100,000 to the cost of an apartment.

Mr Murphy also indicated that measures would be put in place to address the issue of new home affordability in the Budget on October 10.

He also said that housing was not the preserve of the wealthy, and that affordability was a key consideration for the Government as it tackles the housing crisis.

"We have to keep affordability at the centre of everything we're doing, whether it's new supply or bringing homes in from vacancy," he said.

"I'm doing a rolling analysis of Rebuilding Ireland, and next week I'll be talking about affordability.

"In the Budget there will be more measures around affordability. We're going to keep on looking at this.

"We'll be improving things where we can.

"The measures next week will speak more about making apartment developments more affordable.

"I've already flagged that [car parking] is a ridiculous requirement in many parts of our cities where there are excellent transport options - so we'll be getting rid of that requirement."

Quality

He also said the affordable housing developed by O'Cualann in Ballymun could be a template for demonstrating how high-quality homes can be delivered more cheaply.

The estate - where a three-bed home costs 170,000 - is built on land previously owned by Dublin City Council.

Each site valued at 30,000 but provided for 1,000.

Development levies amounting to some 8,000 were also waived, reducing the cost of each unit.

"We recognise as well we need to have affordability provisions brought back in when we talk about the delivery of public housing," said the minister.

"If you look at the O'Cualann model for co-operative housing, we need to look at how we can do that at scale.

"Everything about O'Cualann worked. I went out and I saw what they had done and met some of the families, and they came in here separately and we went through what they had done. I discussed it with the city council as well.

"Can we achieve that at a greater scale?

"We need to do enough work here centrally so as other housing bodies or local authorities want to go with affordability, they have a central framework."

He said a survey on construction costs would be completed in the coming weeks, which would benchmark costs here compared with our European neighbours.

He said the fact that apartments were being built showed that developers could make a profit, but he acknowledged that smaller builders were having problems accessing finance at competitive rates.

"There's nothing wrong with the developer making a profit, but we need to make sure that they can do that and also provide accommodation at affordable prices."

He said there was "some frustration" in Government with the construction sector, particularly around the issue of development levies and VAT.

A levies rebate scheme was in place in Dublin and Cork, but had not been widely picked up.

"I don't want to give developers a kicking, but there is a frustration in Government, and there was a frustration when VAT became the issue.

"We have 226m in infrastructural investment funding to fast-track the opening of sites.

"That is essentially a waiver of development levies on these larger sites to get houses online.

Frustration

"That's going to work, and those types of things are the best way for the Government to achieve success using taxpayers' money.

"Developers are taking that up, and if we can do a few more things around affordability, I think we will see more apartment building.

"There has been some frustration, but we are working with them."

He also said that applications for infrastructural funding were being reviewed, and pledged that affordable homes would be delivered on all sites.

He said that property rights, often flagged as a hindrance in securing vacant homes, were in place to protect the citizen.

"We have very strong property rights in the Constitution to protect the little guy.

"If you undermine that in any way, the person who might get hurt is the person who shouldn't.

"I've spoken to the Attorney General about this, and there's nothing to stop us doing compulsory purchase orders."

Regulations around using commercial buildings for homes will be changed and there will be incentives to build homes on infill sites and within the M50.
Egypts official statistics agency CAPMAS said on Saturday that 23.6 percent of the countrys population  21.7 million people out of 93 million population are between the ages of 18 and 29, 48.5 percent of whom are members of the workforce and 26.7 percent are unemployed.

The CAMPAS statement, which was issued on International Youth Day, said that 51 percent of the youth are males and 49 percent are females.

Some 62.6 percent of Egypts married males and 83.6 percent of married females fall within this age range, while 23.2 percent of the countrys divorced males and 43.6 percent of divorced females are among the youth.

Of the youth who are part of the workforce, an estimated 67 percent are males and 29.3 percent are females, while unemployment among the youth is at 21.6 percent for males and 38.8 percent for females.

Some 37.7 percent of the unemployed youth hold university degrees, while 29.8 percent of the unemployed youth who hold degrees are male and 48.4 percent are female.

Among Egypts youth, 62 percent use computers, 96.7 percent use mobile phones, and 61.9 percent use the internet, while 76.8 percent of internet users use social media networks Facebook and Twitter.

According to the UNs official website, 2017s International Youth Day is "dedicated to celebrating young peoples contributions to conflict prevention and transformation as well as inclusion, social justice, and sustainable peace".

Since its adoption in 1998, International Youth Day is celebrated every year on 12 August.

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School divisions in Bristol, Virginia and Buchanan County were among nine to recently receive the inaugural Dorothy S. McAuliffe School Nutrition Award presented by No Kid Hungry Virginia.

The recognition was presented Sept. 19 during that organizations Virginia summit event in Richmond, according to a written statement.

The award celebrates Virginia school divisions that have gone above and beyond by operating all available federal child nutrition programs and achieving significant participation in the school breakfast program, according to the statement.

I am very proud of the creativity that Kathy Hicks and our School Board have demonstrated to provide healthy meals to our students outside of the normal school nutrition program schedule, Bristol Superintendent Keith Perrigan said. This award is a testament to our systems desire to serve our students, families and communities in every possible way, 365 days a year. Rex [former Superintendent Gearheart] would be proud.

Gearheart, who died in May 2016, was a strong advocate for school nutrition and helped establish many of the divisions current programs.

The award is named in honor of Virginia First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, in recognition of her efforts to end childhood hunger.

I am incredibly proud of the steps that school divisions across Virginia have taken to ensure their students have access to the nutrition they need to succeed McAuliffe said in the statement. Thanks to our strong public-private partnerships and commitment to evidence-based programs, we have connected more local communities with federal nutrition programs, and brought tens of millions of taxpayer dollars back to nourish our children and fuel their success in the classroom.

The awards were presented to divisions where at least 70 percent of students who qualify for free or reduced price meals and eat school lunch are also eating school breakfast; that serve meals and snacks through after school and adult care food programs and serve summer meals through one of three eligible programs.
One in 10 Egyptians lives abroad, the head of Egypts statistics body CAPMAS said Saturday, announcing the result of the latest census at an official ceremony.

Abu Bakr El-Gendy said Egypts population had reached 104.2 million. Some 94.98 million live within Egypt while 9.4 million live abroad.

The figures announced took four years to collate, El-Gendy stated. Unprecedented mechanisms were utilized in the census to reach its goals, he added.

Census data revealed that youth aged 15 to 24 years constitute 18.2 percent of the total population, meaning one in five Egyptians is within that age group.

The census also revealed that 18.4 million, at 25.8 percent of the population, are illiterate. Out of that figure, 10.6 million are females, at six of every 10 illiterate.

El-Gendy stated that 68 percent of the population is married.

The countrys president, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, attended the ceremony along with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal, as well as a number of Egypts cabinet and senior officials.

El-Sisi praised the efforts of CAPMAS, saying that the government could use these figures to better society.

El-Sisi said he wanted to shed light on the phenomenon of marrying off girls at the age of 12, which is illegal. He called on parents to stop underage marriage, adding that some of these girls are already divorcees.

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At the next Northam-Gillespie debate, it would be helpful for Gillespie to "clarify" his vicious assertion that Lt. Gov. Northam is responsible for MS-13 gangs in our midst.

Conventional wisdom in many or most police departments do not want to start enforcing federal immigration laws. The local police departments generally seek to befriend the mostly hardworking immigrants in our midst. If the police start to rough up immigrants, they will lose their best sources of information when violent crimes occur.

Gillespie's campaign is being funded in large part by the Kansas-based Koch Industries, which is attempting to buy our General Assembly. It is likely that Koch planted the vicious remarks against Northam, and I hope this is straightened out in the debate. If not, Koch will continue to pay for scurrilous remarks against Northam. Northam is a clean cut candidate: homegrown in Accomack County, pediatrician, Desert Storm war veteran, and distinguished state senator and lieutenant governor. Gillespie is a Washington lobbyist from New Jersey!
SERVICES

FULL GOSPEL FELLOWSHIP CHURCH: Bristol, Tenn., 94 Ridgecrest Rd. Oct. 1, 11 a.m.: Homecoming & Old Fashioned service with speaker pastor Jerry Taylor; gospel singing featuring Gospel Grass, lunch to follow service; everyone welcome.

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH: Bristol, Va., 311 Spencer St. Oct. 1, 11 a.m.: Worship service sith guest speaker Pat Mooney; everyone welcome.

HOUSE OF THE LORD CHURCH: Castlewood, Va., 48 Cross St. Oct. 1, 11 a.m.: Homecoming guest speaker Tim Suter, everyone welcome, 276-762-5845.

HUNT MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Bristol, Va., 824 Harmeling St. Oct. 1, 10:30 a.m.: Homecoming service & Dedication of new steeple, dinner to follow service; everyone welcome.

RIVER BEND BAPTIST CHURCH: Bristol, Tenn., 226 River Bend Rd. Oct. 1, 10:30 a.m.: Homecoming service featuring Faithful 2; lunch to follow service; everyone welcome, 713-498-1191.

VILLAGE BAPTIST CHURCH: Bristol, Tenn., 214 Johnston Ave. Oct. 1, 11 a.m.: Homecoming service with empowering music featuring Saviors Call, lunch to follow service, everyone welcome, 423-383-9688.

HOLSTON BAPTIST CHURCH: Bluff City, Tenn. 275 Old Weaver Pk. Oct. 8, 10:30 a.m.: Homecoming service guest speaker featuring Ron Martin Trio form Morristown, Tennessee, dinner to follow service, everyone welcome, 423-538-6193.

REVIVALS

HOUSE OF THE LORD CHURCH: Castlewood, Va., 48 Cross St. Sept. 30, 7 p.m. nightly: Revival, guest speaker Pastor Tim Suter, everyone welcome, 423-762-5845.

DENTON VALLEY BAPTIST CHURCH: Abingdon, Va., 24051 Denton Valley Rd. Oct. 9-13, 7 p.m. nightly: Revival with guest speaker Tommy Wurth, special singing nightly; everyone welcome.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Richlands, Va., 402 Suffolk Ave. Oct. 15-17, 7 p.m. nightly: Revival guest speaker Rev. Rodney Lawson; special singing; babysitting will be available; everyone welcome, 276-964-4311.

SINGINGS

CORNER STONE FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH: Bristol, Tenn., 300 Henson Ln. Oct. 1, 6 p.m. Gospel singing featuring Faithful 2; everyone welcome, 713-498-1191.

JOHN WESLEY UNITED METHODISTCHURCH: Bristol, Va., 311 Lee St. Oct. 1, 4:30 p.m.: First annual Oldies but Goodies in Christ musical program; everyone welcome.

WAY OF LIFE CHAPEL: Bristol, Tenn., 1637 Georgia Ave. Oct. 4, 6 p.m.: Gospel singing featuring Faithful 2; everyone welcome 276-4663142 or 713-498-1191.

LEISURE PARK TOWERS: Bristol, Va., 100 Moore St. Oct. 5, 5:30 p.m.: Gospel singing featuring Faithful 2; everyone welcome, 423-498-1191.

CLAY HILL BAPTIST CHURCH: Blountville Tenn., 122 Hobbs Hollow Rd. meets every third Saturday 5 p.m.: Sullivan County Red Back Church Hymnal Sing, everyone welcome.

ROSS N. ROBINSON MIDDLE SCHOOL: Kingsport, Tenn., 1517 Jessee St. Oct. 7, 6 p.m.: First annual fall singing, presented by Christ First Promotions featuring Joseph Habedank & the Browders; special guest performing 5 p.m. featuring the Benton Family. Doors open at 4 p.m. General admission $20 are available at www.christfirstpromotions.org or $25 for artist circle (rows 1-6) by calling 423-292-3340.

COMMUNITY

CELEBRATION WOMENS MINISTRY: Bristol, Va., Reynolds Memorial UMC, 327 Mary St. Oct. 4, deadline for reservations: Event is Oct. 7, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Features July Graham, ministrys national president, speaking on The River of God-Jump In! Light brunch, dessert. Free. RSVP Julie Puckett, 276-644-1688 or jabpBristol@gmail.com.

VILLAGE BAPTIST CHURCH: Bristol, Tenn., 214 Johnston Ave. Oct. 3, 5-8 p.m.: Women in Gods Service meeting will be a Open House all ladies from teen to seniors welcome. Monthly beginning Oct. 7, 9 a.m.-noon. Fall Escape for children, praise worship; life skills, everyone welcome, 423-383-9688.

ALDERSGATE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Bristol, Tenn., Hwy 126. Oct. 7, 5-6:30 p.m.: Annual Soup Bean supper with fried potatoes, slaw; desert; drink, special music featuring Carson Peters & Iron Man Mountain Band. Donations accepted; 423-571-9228 or csperry43@yahoo.com.

INTERFAITH LIFE CHAIN COMMITTEE: Johnson City, Tenn., Oct. 8, 2-3:30 p.m.: 2017 Life Chain prayer, participants may meet a three locations, Heritage Baptist Church, 1512 John Exum Pkwy; University Baptist Church, 219 University Pkwy.; Hosanna Fellowship, 715 Sunset Dr.; everyone welcome, nationallifechain.org.

FIRST BROAD STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Kingsport, Tenn., 101 East Church Circle. To volunteer two hours any day Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Marlene Hudson, 423-817-8332. To help with food: Bob Smith, 423-246-3966. Clothing and other donations can be brought to Single Vision or taken to Shades of Grace.

FAIRVIEW UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Jonesborough, Tenn., 878 Highway 81 North. Third Saturday each month, 7-10 a.m.: Country breakfast, bacon, fresh ground sausage, eggs, pancakes, gravy, biscuits and more. Donations welcome, located 5 miles from downtown Jonesborough going toward Fall Branch.

SHAKESVILLE CHURCH OF CHRIST: Bristol, Va., 262 Kingmill Pike: Connecting People with God, volunteers are needed to donate 2 hours a week, donate plastic grocery bags.

ST. THOMAS CHURCH: Abingdon, Va., 124 E. Main Street. Second Wednesday of each month, 6:45 p.m.: Taize service, everyone welcome, 276-628-3606.

YARD SALE

PENTECOSTAL CHURCH: Abingdon, Va., 17535 Jeb Stuart Highway off Exit 19 toward Damascus: Yard Sale, second Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Name brand childrens and maternity clothes, plus tons of good quality baby equipment. Proceeds benefit the Mayan malnourished children of Guatemala, and children in our orphanage and those in our orphans at home program. www.safehomesforchildren.org.

HOW TO SUBMIT

News and calendar items for the Religion section should be emailed only to features@bristolnews.com with Religion Calendar in the subject line or sent by mail to Religion Editor, Bristol Herald Courier, and P.O. Box 606, Bristol, VA 24203. Mailed items must be typewritten. Deadline is noon Monday. Please include the complete address of event location, name and telephone number of a contact person. If you have questions, contact Dorothy Hurt at 276-645-2556 or email dhurt@bristolnews.com. The service is free.
The government decision, which came into force Friday, met with strong criticism on social media

An Alexandria lawyer filed a lawsuit Saturday before the administrative court calling for a government decision to devalue mobile recharging cards by 36 percent to be annulled.

Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) ratified Thursday evening a decision by mobile companies to decrease the value of mobile recharging cards by 36 percent, starting Friday.

The decision means that a EGP 100 recharging card will give EGP 70 credit, a EGP 50 card will give EGP 35 credit, a EGP 25 will provide EGP 17.5 credit, and so on.

Lawyer Tarek Mahmoud filed the suit against the Egyptian prime minister and minister of telecommunications, as well as the head of NTRA.

The claimant justified the action saying that the decision "will affect Egyptian citizens, and will put burdens on families, who use mobile phones on daily basis."

The government decision met strong criticism on social media, sparking campaigns calling for a boycott of mobile companies.

The Citizens Against Price Increases group called on their Facebook page for all mobile users to participate in a boycott of the three mobile companies Friday, adding that a pressure group would be formed Saturday to call for the decision to be reversed.

The group also called on the Egyptian Competition Authority to intervene in favour of consumer rights, and end these monopolistic acts that it said are against the law.

Earlier this month, landline monopoly Telecom Egypt launched WE, the countrys fourth mobile network, joining Orange, Vodafone and Etisalat.

The new mobile network is available with the technologies of 2G and 3G, and 4G experimentally.

Pre-paid cards for the fourth mobile network will be available 15 October.

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Over 20,000 students have applied for Japanese schools in Egypt since registration opened on 27 September, education ministry spokesperson Ahmed Khairy said in press statements on Saturday.

Five Japanese schools, which run from kindergarten through the third grade, will open their doors to students for the first time in October.

The project, which aims to create 100 such schools, is part of a cooperation protocol signed between Egypt and Japan in May 2017, with Japan providing the necessary technical support for the project.

The students will be attending schools in Cairo's Shorouk City, the Fifth Settlement, New Cairo, and in the governorates of Alexandria, Menoufiya, Suez, Assiut, Beni Suef, and Minya, according to Khairy.

The new schools will teach the same curricula taught in government schools in addition to the Japanese "whole child education" system known as Tokkatsu.

Tokkatsu focuses on achieving a balanced development of intellect, virtue and body by ensuring academic competence, rich emotions and healthy physical development.

"The schools will focus on enhancing the child's personality rather than scientific content by introducing a special system that is meant to improve students' cognitive skills and behaviour while encouraging innovation and creativity," Khairy told Ahram Online.

Parents are required to sign an agreement to spend at least 20 hours during the school year in workshops with their children at the schools.

Each class at the school is planned to comprise 40-45 students, and runs until 5pm, an average of three hours longer than regular schools in Egypt.

Fees for the schools will range between EGP 2,000 and EGP 4,000 ($113 to $225).

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NEWTON  The North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership and the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce will co-host a Hometown Debate on the topic of the states education policy at the Old Post Office Playhouse in Newton on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m.

Continuing their popular Hometown Debate series that began in 2016, the NCIOPL is co-hosting three nights of debate throughout the month of October that will address teacher compensation, oversight of school choice, and the financing of local school construction.

The goal of these events is to encourage and enhance education dialogue at a local level, equipping voters with information they can use to make more informed business, policy, and electoral decisions, said NCIOPL Board Chair Nelle Hotchkiss.

The debate in Newton will focus on the question Should performance pay play more of a role in North Carolina teacher compensation? The doors to the Old Post Office Playhouse will open at 6 p.m. for an attendee reception, followed by the debate at 7 p.m. NCIOPLs mission is centered around fair political discourse on issues, and these debates will provide the opportunity to do just that.

The debate will be taped and broadcast by Spectrum News. Spectrum will air the debate in its entirety on its website at www.spectrumlocalnews.com and an abbreviated version on its program, In Focus, on Sunday, Oct. 29, at both 11:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. The North Carolina Radio News Network will also tape the event and broadcast statewide on Oct. 25 at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on The Commentators. Streaming coverage and online sources will also be available.

The debate will be moderated by Spectrums Loretta Boniti, and the panelists are Matt Ellinwood from the North Carolina Justice Center, Terry Stoops from the John Locke Foundation, Rep. Craig Horn and Rep. Susan Fisher. The event is free, and reservations can be made on our website at www.catawbachamber.org. Additionally, questions for the panelists may be submitted in advance by submitting them to me at lkeisler@catawbachamber.org.

The other two debates in the series will be at the Booker T. Theatre in Rocky Mount on Oct. 10 and the Paramount Theatre in Burlington on Oct. 16. All of the debates start at 7 p.m.

About the NCIOPL: The NCIOPL is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate future political and community leaders in modern campaign strategy, ethical decision making, and governance, such that its participants will have a sound grounding in ethical behavior, consensus building, and cooperative and collaborative leadership. No other program in North Carolina offers such a comprehensive curriculum in strategic, nonpartisan political leadership development.

Lindsay Keisler is president and CEO of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce.
HICKORY  During a time in education when families are considering the best options for their children, public education throughout Catawba County flourishes with an abundant list of accelerated and specialized programsall designed to meet the needs and goals of the individual student.

The collaborative efforts between the three school systems in Catawba County, including Catawba County Schools, Hickory Public Schools, and Newton-Conover City Schools, are tailored to meet the aspirations of students at every level providing opportunities for success.

The collaborative spirit creates excellent venues of education for every child, in every public school, across the county. Maximizing and sharing resources between the three systems helps to address major initiatives, not only from the NC Department of Public Instruction, but also with regards to the goals of the K-64 Initiative as established by the Catawba County Board of Commissioners.

The K-64 (kindergarten to age 64) initiative is designed to create a collaborative partnership between all three local public school systems in the county along with Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC), other higher education institutions, industry and business leadership, county government and economic development organizations. Resources will be exchanged and enhanced through a concerted effort to provide all students with equal opportunities to be college-and career-ready.

Recently, at Hickory Public Schools, a prime example of the spirit of collaboration was evident as Hickory High School became the hub for a day of virtual reality (VR) field trips. The students enrolled in the geography class of Lisa Camichos were distributed a set of VR devices and used Google Expeditions Virtual Reality to visit Kerala, India  without ever leaving their seats.

The VR devices are intuitive and instantly engaging, as students turn their bodies to view every angle of the geographic setting.

In the 21st century, geography has moved from knowing points on a map to understanding people in a given region. VR allows me to show my students the geographical features and the human aspect, Camichos said. I believe that seeing something in reality or VR presents the students with a new understanding of geography as well as humanity  how people live, how their reality is different from individual students. The VR provides the students with an individual experience which is crucial to understanding our world. I look at Athens, Greece and I see the beauty underlying the sea of humanity. My students see that same VR and think, WowI dont think I could live in a city with that many people.

Hickory High students shared their perspective of experiencing the virtual reality lesson in their geography class:

The VR made me feel like I was there, said Riley Lovelace.

It essentially puts you in that place. It is easier to get the feeling of being in that place with VR than it is if we watched a documentary, said Daniel Brody.

Tri Pham said, It was cool being able to see the place from all angles and having the ability to look around. This was definitely better than having to watch a presentation or PowerPoint.

The VR experience allows you to be two places at once and explore places that you have never visited, said Mason Goforth. You can travel all the way across the world with a click of a button and it allows you to see how other people around the world liveand their living conditions.

Without the collaborated effort of combining resources, this VR field trip would not have occurred at Hickory High. The schools media coordinator, Jessica Esposito, is working on a grant for a classroom set of VR devices, but with a price tag of $10,000, the team at Hickory Public Schools is grateful for the exchange of resources from Catawba County Schools.

Collaborating and sharing resources are just the how and what to our why, said Mary Sharpe, chief technology officer for Catawba County Schools. We believe, across all school systems, that educating, empowering and inspiring future employees, productive citizens and leaders to strengthen our community will stimulate innovation and growth. We have an obligation to provide opportunities for all students and educators in the community.

Stacy Lovdahl, instructional technology facilitator with Catawba County Schools, actually brought the VR devices to Hickory High and helped to set up the morning lessons.

I passionately believe that collaboration makes us better educators, Lovdahl said. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with my neighbors and colleagues. One of the strengths of Google Expeditions Virtual Realty field trips comes from the change in point of view. Normally, students would view information in a book or on a screen. But, in the Hickory High VR field trip, we were able to take three classrooms of students from Hickory to Greece to India and back.

The digital teaching and learning teams in all three public school districts of Catawba County work collaboratively on a regular basis, said Terri Hall, HPS instructional technology specialist.

With the start of the K-64 initiative, weve observed the increase of the collaboration. We are meeting more frequently which prompts additional opportunities such as this VR exchange between Catawba County Schools and Hickory Public Schools. This type of exchange provides remarkable opportunities to enhance professional learningextending growth for educators and students, alike, Hall said.

As Esposito works on the grant to secure VR devices for the media center at Hickory High, she recognized the value of the district collaboration. The Google Expedition collaboration lesson was amazing  for the technology and for the co-teaching between school districts and colleagues. Working with the entire team was a professional dream come true, Esposito said. We know that when students are engagedlearning is taking place.

Im really struggling to put this experience into words, said Hickory High student, Aidan Nigrelli, but this VR experience was absolutely incredible.
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Navratri  the nine days of celebration of each form of Goddess Durga  culminates with Dussehra, the tenth day. It is also called as Vijayadashami, the day of victory. There are two mythological tales behind the celebration of victory of good over evil. The first one is about Goddess Durgas victory over demon Mahishasura.

The second is associated with Lord Ram, who fought a war for 10 days with Ravana in Lanka to bring back Sita. Ravana was killed by Ram on the tenth day, and is celebrated as Vijayadashami.

Dussehra celebration across India

The festival is celebrated in various ways across the country. In Kolkata, it is Durga Puja (or Pujo, as Bengalis call it). In Northern India, celebrations often include recital of the Ramayana as a Ramlila. Professional actors dress up and act out portions of the sacred text. The final act is the burning of Ravanas effigy to signify victory over evil.

An artist dressed as the demon king Ravana performs during Ramlila. (Reuters)

In Southern India, the nine days of Navratri are celebrated with a display of gods and dolls called Golu. Sweets are prepared on each day of the celebration. Dussehra celebrations in Mysore are one of the most spectacular in the country. The Mysore Palace is illuminated and performances are organised.

In Maharashtra, families visit friends and offer the dried apta leaf, a symbol of prosperity. People also invest in gold and other expensive metals; it is believed that this will lead to prosperity all year round.

So, how are you celebrating Dussehra this year?

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Egypt's Azbakiya prosecution referred on Saturday six men to a misdemeanour court for "forming a network for homosexual acts" and "debauchery," Al-Arabic Ahram news website reported.

Last week, police raided a flat in Cairo's Ramses Square and arrested six men in indecent positions, according to the prosecution.

The prosecution also says that the defendants had solicited sex with other men for money in Ramses Square.

The prosecution has ordered the suspects be subjected to a medical examination to determine if they have committed homosexual acts.

The prosecution has said that a number of young men who had frequented the Ramses flat were the ones who raised the rainbow LGBT flag while attending a concert featuring Lebanese rock band Mashrou Leila last week.

On Monday, police arrested another seven people who allegedly raised the rainbow flag, which is an international symbol of LGBT pride.

Pictures of fans raising the flag at the concert went viral on social media and caused a storm of controversy on Egyptian TV talk shows.

While consensual homosexual acts are not explicitly criminalised under Egyptian law, people accused of homosexuality have been convicted on charges such as debauchery, prostitution and violating public morals.

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A seven-member group from Mizoram won the award for the best dance performance on Friday at the K-pop World Festival 2017 in Changwon, South Korea.

The all-boys group called Immortals Army competed against 12 teams from Nigeria, Russia, Madagascar, Malaysia, USA, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Canada, Turkey, Peru, and Hungary to clinch the prize.

The finalists at the festival were selected after qualifying rounds were held in 71 countries.

The K-pop World Festival is an annual music and dance competition which was initiated in 2011 by South Koreas ministry of Foreign Affairs and is hailed as one of the biggest K-pop events in the world.

The group performed to the song Blood, Sweat and Tears by the popular K-pop band BTS to take home $ 7,000 prize money. The boys were presented the award by the renowned K-pop girls band Twice.

The group of seven boys- Vanlaltanpuia, Vanlalruata, Laltanpuia, Zothantluanga, Vanlalhruaia, Zomuansang and Lalrammawia- were adjudged the best in the India round of the K-pop festival. Organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in July this year, the boys beat 423 teams from all over India.

Its a proud moment to see India present talents to the world with K-pop and it shows the K-wave in India is getting bigger, said Kim Kum-pyoung, director of Korean Cultural Centre India.

In last years edition, Priyanka Mazumdar from Assam won the Excellent Vocal Award.

List of Winners of K-pop World Festival 2017

Grand Prize : Tifani Arifa, Alphiandi (Indonesia)

Best Performance award (Performance): Immortals Army (India)

Best Performance award (Vocal): Akif (Singapore)

Twitter popular award: Sinem Kadioglu (Turkey )

Audience favourite award (Performance): KINGSMAN (Malaysia)

Audience favourite award (Vocal): Ana Lucia (Peru)

Excellent Performance award (Performance): One Piece (Canada)

Excellent Vocal award (Vocal) : Sinem Kadioglu (Turkey)

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Dussehra is celebrated as the occasion when Hindu god Rama slays the ten-headed demon king Ravan, who is widely seen as the chief villain in the Hindu epic Ramayana, that glorifies Rama.

But, two places in Madhya Pradesh deem Ravan their healer and protector.

In Mandsaur, which is believed to be the hometown of Ravans wife, people consider him as their son-in-law.

As per a belief of the region, those afflicted with various ailments tie a red thread on the left leg of the 35-feet high statue of Ravan in the towns Khanpur area, believing it would cure them.

Ravan is revered and worshipped here and people have faith that if they tie a thread around his leg here in Khanpur, they would be cured of ailments. People, especially those who are suffering from fevers, come here to get healed, says Dheerender Singh, resident.

On Saturday morning, people in Mandsaur, especially womenfolk and members of the Namdeo community, started thronging Khanpur to offer prayers before the statue of Ravan .

People here have immense respect for Ravan and come to worship him, especially on Dussehra, says another resident, Mohini Bai.

And in Vidisha districts Ravan village, where his effigy is never burnt, he is worshipped as the bestower of good luck and protector, without whose blessings no festive or special occasion is complete.

No marriage is solemnised without first sending a wedding card to Ravan at his temple here. Two-wheelers and other vehicles in this village have Jai Lankesh compulsorily written over them. They believe it prevents accidents.

This village, called Ravan, is located in the Nateran tehsil of Vidisha district, nearly 40 km from district headquarter, where for centuries, Ravan has been worshipped by Kanyakubja Brahmins, a Brahmin sub-sect, to which Ravan belonged.

Inside the Ravan temple, there is a big 10-feet idol of Ravan in lying position. The local legend is that an unforeseen calamity would strike the village if anyone tries to put the idol in upright position.

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Dehradun: Tom Alter, who died Friday night in Mumbai, wanted to shoot a film in Mussoorie based on his novel, a dream that will now remain incomplete. The 67-year-old, known for a sprawling body of work spread across films, theater and television, passed away at his home after battling skin cancer.

The film was going to be an adaptation of his first novel, Rerun At Rialto, which was published in 2001. It was a thriller set against the backdrop of a now-defunct cinema hall in the Queen of Hills.

I had written Rerunas a film script originally. When I could not make a film, I decided to turn it into a book which is very close to my heart. Its been a long-cherished dream to shoot the film in my hometown, the actor, a Padma Shri awardee, had told this correspondent in an interview.

The film was one of his many dream projects over the years. In 2013, hed directed one of those  Ek Fursat-e-Gunah, a serial for DD Urdu which was set against the backdrop of Partition  in Landour near Mussoorie. It traced the story of three friends  a maulvi, a pandit and a padre (played by Alter)  based in Landour who are united by their deep love for life, Urdu poetry and their country.

For me, this serial is my humble tribute to the Landour I knew up growing there, and the friends my parents had, from all religions and all walks of life--the true essence of Hindustan, the blue-eyed angrez (Englishman) of the Hindi film industry had told HT.

My heart and soul reside here

Alter often found himself homeward-bound to Mussoorie and the Doon Valley, away from the maddening rush of Mumbai, to rejuvenate himself. My heart and soul reside here. I come back not only because I miss the place, but also because I want to do things here. I want to take back new freshness with me, and, if possible, give some to this place, too, through my shows here, Alter had said.

Maun vrat for Clock Tower

Passionate about his hometown, Alter was quite vocal about issues concerning its cultural legacy. In 2010, hed observed a maun vrat (vow of silence) for 12 hours and carried out a sit-in to protest against the demolition of Mussoories iconic Clock Tower. Built during the 1930s by the British, the landmark structure was brought down by the local municipality to pave way for a new tower that continues to elude the hill town till date.

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It looks like Kangana Ranaut is ready for any legal battle. After Aditya Pancholi sued the actor for defamation, did you wonder if the she would tread further. The answer is, yes. Her lawyer recently confirmed that he has responded to the suit filed Aditya Pancholi.

As quoted by PinkVilla, Kangana Ranauts lawyer Rizwan Siddiquee said, The defamation notice received by the Advocate representing Mr. Aditya Pancholi and Ms. Zarina Wahab have been duly replied to. My client who has been a victim of crime has largely spoken about her personal experiences, which were already reported on various media platforms since the year 2007. Besides the laws of the land do not give any added advantage to any male person to silence any (victim) woman under the threat of filing defamation proceedings against her.

Earlier in an interview, Aditya Pancholis wife Zarina Wahab had said, She really crossed all limits. Kya zaroorat thi yeh sab baatein karne ki film promotion ke liye (what was the need to talk about her past affairs to promote her film?). She would have let the past bury itself in the mud instead of flinging mud on people who once mattered to her. She should have let her work speak for her instead of digging up past affairs, thereby compromising not just herself but also several other individuals and families.

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Tom Alter died in Mumbai on Friday after battling stage four cancer. With a career spanning over forty years, Tom was an actor par excellence who excelled both on the silver screen and the theatre. In his passing away, India has lost one of her finest exponents in the craft. A Film and Television Institute trained actor, his stage performances as Maulana Azad and Mirza Ghalib will remain etched in the minds of millions of his fans.

From Gandhi to Junoon, Indian cinema lovers will remember him for years to come. A fine actor, who could easily adapt to cinema and the stage, heres looking at some of his best film performances.

Gandhi

Appearing in a blink-and-miss role in Richard Attenboroughs Gandhi, Tom Alter played the prison doctor attending Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba Gandhi. It may have been a small role, but it was noticed, at least by many of his Indian fans.

Kranti

The 1981 film Kranti, directed by Manoj Kumar, too featured Tom Alter where he appeared in the role of a British officer. Kranti was set in 19th century British India and dealt with the struggle for independence.

Shatranj Ke Khiladi

In the film Shatranj Ke Khiladi (The Chess Players) directed by Satyajit Ray, Tom again appeared in a small role as Captain Weston, the aide de camp of a British officer General James Outram, played by Richard Attenborough (Gandhis director). This 1977 film was based on a short story of the same name by Hindi writer Munshi Premchand.

Aashiqui

Often typecast as an English police officer or a doctor, Tom Alter plays a warden of a girls hostel in Mahesh Bhatt directed 1990 superhit film, Aashiqui. As the strict warden who wont let the lovers, Rahul (Rahul Roy) and Anu (Anu Aggarwal) meet, Tom playing Arnie Campbell was disliked by all who saw the film then. Of course, it was his win as an actor.

Sardar

In Paresh Rawal starrer Sardar, Tom Alter played Lord Mountbatten in a biopic on the iron man of India.

Ram Teri Ganga Maili

In the Raj Kapoor directed Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Tom played the elder brother named Karam Singh to Ganga, the lead character in the film, played by Mandakini.

Sultanate

In the movie Sultanate, starring Dharmendra, Sridevi, Juhi Chawla and Sunny Deol, Tom Alter plays an Arab.

Junoon (TV)

Junoon, the hit TV serial of the 1990s on Doordarshan, saw Tom Alter play a baddie -- he starred in the long-running serial as Keshav Kalsi, a don.

Shaktimaan (TV)

The immensely popular childrens TV serial Shaktimaan (Mukesh Khanna) featured Tom Alter as Maha Guru, the man who was Shaktimaans friend, philosopher and guide.

Apart from Hindi film, Tom Alter starred in a number other films such as Anuragakarikkinvellam (Malayalam), Daptar - The School Bag (Marathi), Kailashey Kelenkari (Bengali) and Adajya (Assamese).

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Actor Anupam Kher was shocked to hear about the death of his wonderful friend and colleague, actor Tom Alter, who lost his battle to skin cancer at the age of 67 on Friday morning. In an interview with us, Kher recalls working with Tom, and more than a colleague, remembers him as a great human being.

Tom was a great human being. First of all, he was an American who was probably more Indian than many of the Indians. His tehzeeb and his command over Urdu was terrific. He was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India, rightly so, for his amazing contribution to arts and cinema, Kher recalls.

Tom Alter died on Friday after battling skin cancer for years.

Apart from being a colleague, Kher remembers Tom for his warm nature. He was a very warm, affectionate person, and more importantly a wonderful guy, he recalls adding,  I met him a few months back, and he looked absolutely fine then. Only 10-15 days back someone told me about him suffering from galloping skin cancer. I was shocked to hear about his death today, as soon as I landed in Delhi, Kher says.

Kher reveals that he was disappointed that he didnt get to spend enough time with the veteran actor and says,You know these days... the problem with our lives is that we only think about a relationship after that person has died. Then suddenly the entire associations rolls back in front our eyes and mind like a flashback, and you wonder if you could have probably spent some more time with them. These days we dont even get to mourn a person, and things like these end up becoming an event, instead of it being like the end of an era, or an end of life.

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BJPs national spokesperson Sambit Patra was on Friday appointed as non-official director on the board of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Ltd.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his appointment to the post for a period of three years, an order issued by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.

Other BJP leaders too have been appointed to the board of central public sector undertakings.

BJP leader Syed Zafar Islam was appointed as non- official independent director of Air India in May.

Islam, a former investment banker, joined the BJP on April 5, 2014.

Shazia Ilmi, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, was appointed as independent director in Engineers India Ltd (EIL) in January. At present, she is the vice-president of the BJP Delhi unit.

The saffron partys member from Gujarat, Asifa Khan, had also been made non-official independent director of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL).

Existing norms by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandate companies to have at least 50 per cent of directors as non-executive or independent directors with at least one woman director.
Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick on Friday unilaterally appointed two new members to the board of directors in a surprise move that increased tension within the leadership of the popular ride service.

Kalanick, who was pressured to resign in June as head of Uber which dominates the market for smartphone on-demand car rides, retains sizeable voting rights in the privately-held company that he co-founded.

On Friday, he appointed former Xerox chairman and CEO Ursula Burns and former CEO of CIT Group, Merrill Lynch, and the New York Stock Exchange John Thain to the board.

The appointments came ahead of a board vote next week on reducing Kalanicks voting power, US media reported.

Ursula and John are two highly-accomplished corporate leaders with extensive board experience, Kalanick said in a statement.

I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent Board proposal to dramatically restructure the Board and significantly alter the companys voting rights, he said.

There is no doubt the board will be well-served by their valuable insights, counsel and independent perspective as Uber moves into the next phase of growth and prepares for a public offering.

Complete surprise

The board was not consulted about the appointments.

The appointments of Ms Burns and Mr Thain to Ubers Board of Directors came as a complete surprise to Uber and its board, the company said in a brief statement.

That is precisely why we are working to put in place world-class governance to ensure that we are building a company every employee and shareholder can be proud of.

The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal and the online site Recode.

Ubers board of directors is split between detractors and supporters of Kalanick, who had been the driving force behind the companys massive global expansion but whose brash style made him a liability.

Tensions appeared to subside in August with the appointment of Dara Khosrowshahi, former boss of the global travel giant Expedia, as the new Uber head.

Tough times

Kalanicks move is a finger in the eye of major Uber investor Benchmark Capital, which earlier filed a civil lawsuit accusing him of fraud, breach of contract and of plotting to manipulate the board of directors to allow him to return as CEO.

The move also comes as the Japanese group SoftBank is reportedly finalizing a deal to invest up to $10 billion in Uber -- a move, according to the Wall Street Journal, opposed by Benchmark Capital.

Uber, which has accumulated financial losses, has been caught up in a whirlwind of controversy in recent months, facing allegations of sexual harassment, theft of technology, corruption and the use of illegal software.

At the same time, its drivers have been struggling with a wave of opposition from traditional taxis in several countries.

Uber is also facing fierce opposition from various regulators, most recently in London where officials have refused to renew its license.

Uber drivers have also been pressing for better pay and benefits befitting employees instead of contract workers.
The traffic in Manhattans lower east side has been gridlocked. It must mean the United Nations General Assembly was in session. An event associated with this time of the year has returnedIndia and Pakistan hurling abuse over Kashmir, terrorism and anything that caught their fancy.

Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said a Pakistan which is the worlds greatest export of havoc, death and inhumanity had also become a champion of hypocrisy. She had been preceded by Pakistans new prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who used his first high-level diplomatic speech to describe Indias presence in Kashmir as the most intense foreign military occupation in recent history.

Then there were a series of right of reply speeches in a half-empty auditorium. Pakistan fortunately provided comic relief by brandishing the picture of an injured Palestinian girl to highlight Indias inhumanity. India, Israel  they both begin with I, whats the big deal? Islamabads diplomats should wear red plastic clown noses in the future so they can excuse such mistakes by saying they were actually fund-raising for a charity.

Strictly speaking, all the UNGA speeches made during the Narendra Modi government have all largely consisted of long laundry lists of New Delhis accomplishments in Clean India, Make in India, Digital India and so on and so forth. The first two speeches, which were delivered by Prime Minister Modi, overflowed with the milk of human kindness. Pakistan was referred to in the kind of language invoked to describe a son who had strayed but would find a welcome home if he changed his ways. The second speech seemed to have been drafted by Greenpeace and included the invocation, Keep pure! For the earth is our mother and we are her children! Pakistan didnt get a mention as Modi, in a sensible and statesman-like manner, played up the existential threat posed by climate change. As positive was the speech the same year by the then Pakistani leader, Nawaz Sharif. After a passing reference to Kashmir it laid out a four-point peace agenda between India and Pakistan.

When Modi made way for the foreign minister in 2016, it was a warning that the previous years rosy rhetoric was blackening on the edges. Terrorism was invoked in a roundabout way with references to nations that still speak the language of terrorism who need to be identified and held to account. A finger was wagged at Pakistan at how cross-border diplomatic engagement had been overshadowed by the bloodshed of Pathankot and Uri. The pendulum began moving southwards. Today it has entered Antarctic climes. When it comes to India-Pakistan relations, winter has already come.

Speeches before the UN General Assembly, professional diplomats will tell you, are 99% for domestic audiences and are readily ignored by the rest of the world. Most of the seats during these speech relays are filled by note-takers from the various UN missions  they are there because thats their job. Real interest is evoked only when an American and a North Korean threaten to destroy each other and most of Northeast Asia. So when India and Pakistan hurl abuse, the proper form of textual analysis should be to ask what does each government want listeners at home to take back from all the noise.

The Pakistan trajectory of Prime Minister Modi seems evident. After initially seeking to stick any Pakistan initiative within the framework of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation, Modi warmed to the pragmatic businessman view of Sharif. But he was frustrated by the simple fact that Sharif, by his own confession, had no say in Pakistans India policy. Quiet attempts to reach out to Rawalpindis men in khaki got nowhere. When the Pakistan military, more fixated about trying to get their Taliban proxies into power in Kabul, responded to Indias provision of helicopters to Afghanistan with Pathankot and the Line of Control became a live fire zone, the Modi government decided it was time to replace the olive branch with an iron mace. The surgical strike, some major artillery exchanges along the LoC and targeted assassinations of militants in Kashmir have become the norm. After all that, the diplomatic equivalent of four-letter language before the UN is almost a step down. With general elections due in Pakistan next year and India the year after, simple cost-benefit analysis would point to ever more use of the bully pulpit to excoriate the other side. And that would hold true for both New Delhi and Islamabad.

This hardly means war. It means more theatrics. The illusion of a peace process has been replaced with the illusion of confrontation. Even while Swaraj was holding forth, for example, the LoC and Kashmir were the quietest they have been for the past few years. Like Goldilocks porridge, Indo-Pakistan bilateral relations are today neither hot nor cold. If all this sound and fury signifying nothing at all is ingested, it will, like the original Goldilocks, send a person into deep slumber.

There is a school that looks at Pakistan-bashing and asks whether India, with a GDP five times larger, should be wasting its time shouting from a soapbox. There is a case for this.

Modi is seen as among the most politically powerful heads of government in the world and India is wooed as a policy leader in everything from climate change to maritime security. If Indian prime ministers seem to travel too much these days, it is in large part because there is so much greater demand for them than in the past.

Pakistan, on the other hand, is remarkably friendless these days. The Persian Gulf monarchies, including Saudi Arabia, have soured of Islamabad having discovered that Pakistan was happy to take its money until actually asked to fight for these same countries. The United States has a president, Donald Trump, who, for all his other faults, is prepared to publicly call Pakistan a dishonest, two-faced spade. This was something Washington had always known but had been unwilling to act upon. The countrys only true friend today is China. However, as Islamabad is finding, Beijing is much more no-nonsense and hard-nosed in its calculations than, say, Pakistans earlier patron, the US.

This has helped Pakistan curb its worst instincts regarding how to hurt India. But there is no evidence it has experienced a Damascene conversion. Which is why it is not wholly unhelpful to affix labels like Terroristan on the country. At a time when Pakistan is restrained because of its befuddlement both at home and abroad, it is best to apply pressure through words rather than sticks and stones. Even a failing state can survive the latter but could react intemperately to the genuine damage inflicted by the latter. India can take the high road in the future, when there is a clearer diplomatic path across the western border.

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It was meant as a compliment but to me it smacked of patriarchal condescension. I am referring to the spirited defence of India in the UN by two women diplomats against a belligerent Pakistan on the issue of human rights violations in Kashmir. Television reports described them as Indias betis, as if that was their primary moniker. I did not see such familial verbiage when our male diplomats acquit themselves well on the world stage, no talk of them being Indias betas. I am sure many of them would take strong objection to such a description but the women are meant to accept this as a mark of achievement that the nation accepts them into its family fold.

But then this is nothing that should occasion surprise. This is seen in very many aspects of our life. We see politicians so often talk of how they will make the streets safe for our daughters. We see some of the rape accused talking about how they could not conceive of harming the victim as she is like a daughter to them, presumably other women are easy prey.

A misplaced sense of patriarchy drives people like the vice-chancellor of Banaras Hindu University to enforce rules for women which dont apply to men. They are like our daughters, the implication being that they have no ability to look after themselves or think for themselves, so the patriarchal figure will take care of them, whether they like it or not.

While dynasty in democracy is not anything to be proud of, there was much shock and horror at the thought that the womens reservation bill could bring in daughters and wives of powerful politicians. How different are they from the uncles and sons of the same people who seem to consider it an entitlement to inherit the legacy of their male relatives?

I am not saying that this is something that afflicts only Indian men. I recall many condemnations of Donald Trump when he assumed office about his execrable conduct with women. The bulk of the statements went along the lines of `speaking as a father of two daughters, I feel this conduct is inappropriate as though only this status confers on the man the right to speak up for women. That daughters like theirs should not be subject to the advances of a Trump like figure but such a noble yardstick may not apply to other women.

In India of course, the whole notion of wife, daughter and sister is tied up with family honour, read the mans honour. In a rape case for example, it is the mans honour which is affected more than that of the victim who is a mere extension of him. The right wing excels in this sort of hypocrisy. We see many of them including RSS luminaries speaking of how women are treated as devis in India, our vice president informing us that Durga is our defence minister and Laxmi our finance minister in a rare break from his customary alliteration.

There is the same condescension when after successful launches of missiles or rockets we are treated to pictures of women scientists cheering as though the very fact that they are this smart should occasion such surprise and paternal gratitude. The phrase `despite being a woman often precedes a compliment which suggests that the particular individual has somehow made it to the exclusive male club for just that occasion.

The first thing we need to do is to stop trying to talk down to women, to treat them no differently by bracketing them as daughters and wives. The diplomats who held up Indias end are professionals doing their job well, no one has any right to appropriate them as daughters and laud their achievement as though it was something unusual coming from women. When Sheila Dikshit was chosen for her ill-fated run as the chief ministerial candidate in UP, it was her status as the daughter-in-law of a powerful politician that was the Congresss calling card, not her stellar performance as a three-time chief minister.

And finally, we were all told that elevating Nirmala Sitharaman to defence minister was a great leap forward for gender rights. Is it possible that the motivation was that she was the best candidate for the job? But then that would upset the patriarchal applecart which takes pride in giving her that job despite her being a woman.

lalita.panicker@hindustantimes.com

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Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday said he would defend the country's Kurds from attack as internal and regional tensions soared over a controversial independence referendum.

"To our people in the Kurdistan region: we defend our Kurdish citizens as we defend all Iraqis and will not allow any attack on them," he tweeted in English.

An Abadi adviser, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP that the premier was referring to either an internal or external attack.

"We will not allow any harm to you and we will share our loaf of bread together," Abadi said in another tweet.

Iran on Saturday said it would hold a joint military exercise with Iraq on Iran's border with Iraqi Kurdistan in response to Monday's "illegitimate referendum".

Iraqi soldiers on Tuesday also took part in a Turkish military drill close to the Iraqi frontier.

Inside Iraq, Hadi al-Ameri, head of the powerful Iran-backed Badr organisation, has vowed to defend the country's unity, warning that the poll could trigger civil war.

Baghdad has demanded the annulment of Monday's non-binding referendum, which resulted in a huge "yes" vote, and has suspended international flights to and from the region.

Washington has said it does not recognise the "unilateral" referendum.

Turkey, Iran and Syria -- which have their own sizeable Kurdish communities -- have also rejected the vote for independence in the oil-rich region.

On Saturday, Abadi explained Baghdad's wish to better control all of Iraq's oil revenues.

"Federal government control of oil revenues is in order to pay KR employee salaries in full and so that money will not go to the corrupt," he tweeted.

In 2014, after a dispute over oil exports, Baghdad suspended payments to the Kurdish region of 17 percent of Iraq's national budget.

Wages, including those of Kurdish peshmerga fighters, were slashed after the end of those transfers, which were worth around $12 billion (10 billion euros) annually and made up 80 percent of the region's budget revenues.

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In this digital age, where videos go viral faster than the projected speed of Narendra Modis bullet train, living n loving isnt simple. This may be the hard lesson for Dimple.

In times of 24x7 social media scrutiny, theres no shore-shot way to live or love in privacy. Not even on a foreign shore. More so, if that shore is London, which made headlines not just for bombs but also bombshells.

Barely had the Ranbir Kapoor-Mahira video, doing a Namastey London, gone viral that Tweeple were rocked by another blast, this with echoes from the past. A video of former flames Dimple and Sunny Deol in London  capturing his fabled fear-evoking fist in mellower mushy mode, the dhai kilo ka haath inclined to be intertwined in intimacy of the haath-mein-haath kind  spelt tidings not only of the sweet kind but also tweet kind.

Little did Dimples actor daughter-turned-novelist anticipate that her mommy virtually getting caught on the wrong foot, rather hand, would spell trolling left, write and centre. Bombarded with trolls - a la @mrsfunnybones its easy to comment about #husband#mothernow what about ur mother!  this Twitter shock over mums fingerly interlock took a t(r)oll on her foot, famed for being in the mouth, as Twinkle fell mum.

Trolls being a tribe of thick skin, who spare neither kith nor kin, damaad Akshay Kumar, too, landed at the receiving end. Relatively speaking, scarce did Akshay Kumar foresee that his saass outing would raise more stink than his Toilet (courtesy the controversies clouding his cinematic outing). Close on the heels of his cinematic crusade for Swachh Bharats right to private bowel-ing alleys, which saw him going loo and bold, saasu-maas video saw him doing a lo and behold! When he turned a target of trolling, it became a case of low and behold, Akshay Kumar ko naya papa mil gaya baithe bithaye! Post things defecatory, Akshay grappled with posts defamatory.

After the damaads Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, came saasu-maas real-life Troll It: Ek Prem Katha, smacking of shades of Dimples reel outing, Pyaar Mein Twist, which spotlighted the Indian psyche of frowning upon aged single parents acquiring a love life.

Contrast this with the greater acceptance such relationships enjoy in the West, in reel and real life. Perhaps, Instagram India should take time off trolling to virtually do a reel-ity check, a la Hollywood. My Moms New Boyfriend, the Meg Ryan-Antonio Banderas romcom, gives a hilarious take on a single moms tryst with love n longing late in life. Many a Hollywood movie has autumnal love running simultaneous to younger love plots, a la The Big Wedding or Mama Mia. That in Mama Mia Meryl Streeps bride-to-be daughter plays Cupid for autumnal love by secretly inviting three men from her mothers past, reflects the Wests positivism and pro-activism towards autumnal relationships.

That in Bollywood such flicks are few and far between  a la the Nafisa-Dharmendra romance in Life in aMetro  is a telling comment on Indians near-zero tolerance to autumnal ardour.

Such is the stigma attached to autumn romance in India that when, hoping to circumvent roadblocks attitudinal with a change latitudinal, Sunny bhaaji and older lady love looked London-wards for tryst, there was Pyaar Mein Twist. Not of the stroll type, but the troll type:

Dhai kilo ka haath jab kisi ko pakadta hai ...

Toh video sirf uthhta nahi (upload), viral ho jaata hai!

Writer can be contacted at chetnabanerjee@gmail.com
DEHRADUN: Newly appointed chairman of Village Development and Migration Commission SS Negi has over three decades of experience in forestry and research. He retired as director general, forest, and had also served Forest Research Institute in the past. Backed with a wide experience, Negi spoke to Hindustan Times his challenges and plans to check migration.

How bad is the situation of migration in Uttarakhand?

We are currently going by the census of 2011 which has reported negative growth as compared to the 2001s. Two districts, Pauri and Almora, as per the report are facing acute migration. The condition of hill districts is somewhat same while the rural areas of plain districts like Dehradun, US Nagar, Nainital and Haridwar have also reported migration.

What are the challenges that you see on ground?

We have to deal with lot of challenges. Best forestry practices should be adopted to check migration as 67% of the state is under forest. There are other key problems of poor quality of education and health.

What comprises best practices of forestry?

Human-animal conflict is everywhere across the country and so is in Uttarakhand. The crops are damaged by species like wild boar and monkeys in hills, while elephants and blue bull are raiding in plain areas. Practices in terms of how to smartly deal with the conflict and at the same time provide suggestions to grow crops that fetch higher value and also cannot be affected by wild animals.

Dont you think connectivity is another major area of work?

Of course, it certainly is. In that regard, Himachal Pradesh has the best connectivity which helps farmers to sell their produce easily. There they load trucks with apple and apricots at night that reaches Delhi in morning, reaching out to a bigger market. Over here, the produce cannot be transported due to poor connectivity.

Whats your experience of migration here?

I had been to Leh for work where I found waiters from our state. Similarly, there were people of Uttarakhand working in countries like Cambodia and Thailand. No one wants to leave their homes unless forced.

Whats your strategy?

We will start visiting the villages and the good part is that the commission is headquartered at Pauri. When I was with the Government of India, we did studies and researches on migration which are being tested in few areas. We will also be doing our own studies. The problem of migration began since 15 years and its chronic. We are not in a hurry. We want to give recommendations that can be actively adopted, are feasible and long lasting.

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DEHRADUN: The Pithoragarh case in which three leopard skins were smuggled from Nepal highlights the flourishing illegal cross-border wildlife trade despite the presence of central armed police forces in frontier areas.

Earlier, the Sashastra Seema Bal and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have helped in cracking several wildlife crime cases. Ironically, the carrier in Pithoragarh was arrested a few days after the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the Wildlife Institute of India discussed a strategy with Nepalese officials on checking illegal wildlife trade, and discussed strengthening border vigilance.

Those involved in wildlife conservation feel involvement of locals, lack of sources on ground to identify and monitor suspects and lack of plan to avert poaching are undoing the efforts to save wild animals, including the leopard. Border is a very sensitive area and we have defence forces that keep a watch over everything. With limited staff with us, it is impossible to man every big cat, chief wildlife warden Digvijay Singh Khati said.

So far, the forest department has failed to create a network of informers in border areas as well as the adjoiningvillages outside protected areas. In June, a resident of Mothrawala in Dehradun forest division was arrested with a leopard skin. Prior to that body parts of pangolins and jackals were seized from bordering villages of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

Involvement of locals can only be monitored if theres extensive network of sources on the ground. The forest department of Uttarakhand lacks this network, a forest officer said.

Sunish Kumar, project director at Delhi-based NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), holds the same view. We do have agencies like the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and other NGOs, but what we lack is a network of people on the ground that can rigorously work on such cases. These people can be locals, forest staff, police or even sources, Kumar told Hindustan Times.

According to the WPSI, 336 leopards have died till September 28 this year in the country. Uttarakhand tops the list with 78 mortalities of which 37 were poaching and seizure cases. The state also reports maximum leopard attacks on humans.

Madhya Pradesh comes a distant second with 32 mortalities, including 15 of poaching and seizures. The forest department is not counting the Pithoragarh case as it maintains that the three leopards - protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act - are not from the state.

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A man allegedly killed a 6-year-old child in Delhi after keeping him tied up inside the storage box of a bed since he could not execute his plan to seek a ransom, police said late on Friday, rejecting the suspects previous claim that he killed the child for peeping at his wife as she bathed.

Rohit Prasad was arrested on Friday morning after neighbours broke open one of his rooms to investigate a stench that came from the rotting body. He initially told police, according to senior officers, that he killed the child in a fit of rage for peeping at his wife and passing lewd comments when she bathed.

He misled police the entire day and finally accepted that he had kidnapped the child to seek a ransom of Rs 20,000 from his parents, said Romil Baaniya, DCP (south-east). According to Baaniya, Prasad did not know how to execute the plan and realised the child would identify him eventually, before deciding to strangle the victim.

He made up the ogling story thinking it would get him off with a lighter punishment, the DCP said. The victim went missing around 4 pm on Wednesday while playing with friends in his neighbourhood in JJR Camp, Okhla Phase 2. His relatives, neighbours and police searched for him but could not trace him. Neighbours said Prasad led some of the searches, ostensibly to avoid suspicion. It was around 9.30 am on Friday that neighbours sensed a foul smell from a room owned by the suspect.

The stench appeared to be from the storage box of the bed in the room. We got it opened and a plastic sack immediately sprang out. The missing boys face and hand were popping out of the sack. His mouth was tied with a black cloth, said Radha, a neighbour who was among the people who discovered the body.

Prasad later told the police that he had kept the boy inside the box for around 24-36 hours before strangling him to death using a pyjama. Earlier in the day, the DCP said that Prasad claimed to have fatally struck the boy in a fit of rage since he would ogle at his wife.
A group of six people were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and robbing a New Delhi businessman by luring him with the promise of high returns through virtual money bitcoin, police said on Saturday.

Bitcoin, an international currency used for digital payments, is not recognised as legal tender in India. One bitcoin is equal to Rs 282,032, but the rate keeps fluctuating.

Some of suspects are bitcoin dealers and allegedly enticed a businessman into uploading his personal details on a website, localbitcoins.com, earlier this year.

Thereafter a woman, who introduced herself as Karishma Rajput, called him and offered to sell the crypto-currency, Delhi Police crime branch deputy commissioner Rajesh Deo.

When the victim offered to make payments online, the woman lured him into making cash payment by offering a lower price.

The scared businessman kept quiet for some days but reported the matter to police in August.

The meeting point near Nirman Vihar metro station in east Delhi was fixed on April 7.

The businessman went to assigned place with a friend and a woman greeted him. When she became certain that he had brought the cash, she signalled the gang members.

On the pretext of taking them to a client, they took them in an SUV to a flat in Vaishali in Ghaziabad, the officer said.

The victim was robbed of Rs 36 lakh there. He and his friend were then thrashed and let off with a warning not to complain to police, the DCP said.

Police tracked call records of the phone numbers used to contact the businessman and arrested the gang.

Law graduate Yashaswi Sharma and his 31-year-old girlfriend, Priya Thakur, from Dehradun were among the suspects taken into custody.

The kingpin is Amandeep Singh, a bankrupt property dealer. He came in contact with the couple on a website that deals in bitcoin, according to police.

Sharma allegedly became a criminal after burning his fingers in the property business, the officer said.

The businessman is probably the gangs third victim, amassing allegedly more than Rs 35 lakh from the twin strikes before.
While the physical safety of children is of utmost importance, the emotional, mental and health safety of the little ones should also not be ignored. We do not measure the damage done to a child when they are reprimanded for mistakes they make, use sarcastic remarks to modify behaviour or belittle them for scoring less marks.

Schools need to work towards creating a cohesive and safe environment where the child feels completely secure - physically, mentally and emotionally. Every child should be allowed to question and express himself or herself in a non threatening environment. We are here not just to educate them but also to make them confident individuals with high self esteem and self belief.

My take on physical safety is simple. There are guidelines set by the education boards and international research bodies; each school needs to follow them diligently and not compromise to save resources. The additional step is to think through incidents that could happen and create a process to avoid them. However, if an unfortunate incident does occur, first the childs interest and safety needs to be prioritised, and action taken accordingly. Secondly, the incident needs to be investigated thoroughly and the loopholes need to be curbed by updating the process or introducing a new one.

It is also important that safety is introduced as a topic that school authorities regularly (weekly, monthly) discuss with children to make them aware of various aspects of safety like good touch, bad touch, talking to strangers etc. This makes them responsible for their own safety.

Physical safety also involves subtler aspects like the kind of furniture selected for schools, so that these do not have pointed edges, have appropriate height . Any posters, pictures put up in classes should be learner-friendly but not distract the children. The equipment chosen should be non-toxic. Most importantly, the library books should be age-appropriate.

The teacher-child ratio should also be ideal for optimum supervision.

With regards to emotional and mental safety, schools need to build an environment where the rules and consequences are co-created with the children. This gives them the sense of ownership. All rules and consequences should be implemented consistently and fairly across the school.

They should also be empowered with information on the importance of being healthy  eating nutritious food and keeping fit.

Listed below are a few essential points that schools should look at with regards to safety

1.Securing the entire school with CCTV cameras.

2.A Security officer watching the cameras for constant surveillance.

3.Police verification and external verification of each employee

4.The entry and exit of all persons entering the school should be recorded (employees to wear badges at all times, visitor cards issued to all vendors)

5.ID cards to be issued to students and parents/guardian.

6.Students to be handed over only to the designated bearer of the ID card

7.To insure health safety of children we need to have a health officer and a canteen officer,

8.Schools need to make sure the buses also have CCTV.

9.Schools need to specifically have a transport in charge and that a lady bus attendant is present in the bus at all times

10. To help and guide children at all times schools need to have a counsellor

11.Children to co-create rules and regulations with the school

12.Children need to be allowed to question the system

13.There needs to be a weekly review on food and security

14.Staff to be trained on a continuous basis, this including third party vendors too.

15.All schools/learning/therapy centres should develop a personal safety skills programme and personal health education lessons for children with special needs

For a comprehensive list please refer to the guidelines set by the police department of Gurugram.

The author is founder of Kangaroo Kids and Billabong High International School.
New Australian research has revealed that a worrying number of young people are experiencing sleep problems, as well as some of the reasons for the disturbances. Carried out by researchers from James Cook University and the University of Queensland, the study tracked more than 3,600 young people from the age of 14 until they were 21.

The results showed that just over a quarter of the 14-year-olds reported sleep problems, with more than 40% of those still having sleep problems at 21. However what causes these problems is different at different ages according to Dr Yaqoot Fatima from JCUs Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health.

Maternal factors, such as drug abuse, smoking, depression and anxiety among mothers are the most significant predictors of adolescent sleep problems in their children, at 14-years-old, Dr Fatima explained. For all people studied, being female, having experienced early puberty, and being a smoker were the most significant predictors of sleep problems at 21 years.

Depression or anxiety during adolescence were also factors for sleep problems between the two ages. Its a vicious circle. Depression and anxiety are well-established risk factors for sleep problems and people with sleep problems are often anxious or depressed, said Dr Fatima.

In line with other recent studies, the research also highlighted the negative effect of electronic media on sleep, with Dr Fatima explaining that, In children and adolescents, its found to be strongly associated with later bedtime and shorter sleep duration, increasing the risk of developing sleep disturbances.

Although Dr Fatima did describe the results as worrying, as they revealed a high incidence of persistent sleep problems which can go on to cause other health problems, the findings did also suggest a solution. Even allowing for Body Mass Index and other lifestyle factors, we found that an active lifestyle can decrease future incidence and progression of sleep problems in young subjects. So, early exercise intervention with adolescents might provide a good opportunity to prevent their sleep problems persisting into later life. The findings can be found published online in the journal Sleep Health.

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1- 22 dead, 35 injured in stampede at Mumbais Elphinstone Road station

Twenty-two people were killed and 35 others were injured after a stampede broke out on a crowded pedestrian bridge connecting two stations in Mumbai on Friday, one of the worst tragedies to hit the citys teeming local train network. It was unclear what caused the stampede, with official and witness accounts suggesting people may have panicked during the morning rush after believing there was a livewire or the bridge was about to fall. The bridge, which connects Elphinstone and Parel stations, is usually crowded during rush hours but it was more so on Friday morning after people huddled to take cover from a sudden downpour. The stampede took place around 10:30am, when hundreds of people are on it at a time on most days.

Read the story here.

2- Mumbai stampede: Rumours of short circuit and bridge collapse created panic at Elphinstone bridge

Every day, at least one lakh commuters take the Elphinstone Road foot overbridge (FOB) and Friday was no different, which begs the question  how did a daily occurrence escalate into a stampede? According to survivors of the tragedy, commuters were stuck on the overcrowded bridge for almost an hour amid heavy rain and the crowd was moving at snails pace. Sujay Panse, who managed to get off the bridge before the mishap, said: The stampede situation started around 10.30am. The bridge is so narrow and it was overcrowded from about 9.45am. No policemen came to regulate the queues, despite the presence of CCTVs. Two rumours began circulating, which most likely caused commuters to panic, survivors said.

Read the story here.

3- Papa you go ahead, I will come: The last words of Mumbai stampede victim

Papa, you go ahead, I will come, let the crowd thin out, 25-year-old Shraddha Varpe told her father as the two tried to make their way out of the Parel railway station in central Mumbai on Friday morning. Those were her last words. Kishore Varpe (57), her father, managed to cross the footbridge connecting the Parel and Elphinstone Road railway stations when a deadly stampede began. He searched for her frantically, only to find that she was among its victims, said a close relative.

Read the story here.

4- Singed by BSF fire, Pak Rangers commit to uphold ceasefire along border in J&K

Hit hard by the Border Security Forces (BSF) punitive fire during Operation Arjun, Pakistan Rangers at a sector commander level flag meeting at Octroi border outpost in RS Pura sector in Jammu district on Friday said they would observe the November 2003 ceasefire agreement. Pakistan Rangers assured us to hold the sanctity of ceasefire agreement of November 2003 and BSF assured them that it wont initiate first fire but reserves the right to hit back, if provoked, said an Intelligence official, privy to the meeting. Following Operation Arjun that targeted farms and residences of ISI officers and retired Pakistani army officials in retaliation to Pakistani sniper fire, Pakistan Rangers Punjab DG Maj Gen Asgar Naveed Hayat Khan had twice called BSF director KK Sharma on September 23 and September 25 requesting to hold fire.

Read the story here.

5- India says Pakistan ministers remark on swap offer on Jadhav an imaginary lie

India on Friday termed as an imaginary lie and story Pakistans foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asifs claim that an offer was received to swap Indian prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav for a terrorist behind the Army Public School attack in Peshawar in 2014. You have already seen a press release issued by the Afghan National Security Advisers office. If you have gone through the press release, it seems this is one more addition to the long list of imaginary lies and stories created by the Pakistani establishment, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a weekly media briefing here.

Read the story here.

6- One polling station in each HP, Gujarat seat to tally paper trail and EVM votes

The election commission will count the slips generated by paper trail machines and tally them with votes registered by electronic voting machines (EVMs) in at least one polling station per assembly constituency during the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat polls. In both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the election commission has decided to use paper trail machines  or VVPATs  that display the result on a confirmation screen for seven seconds after the vote is cast. A slip generated in the process is collected in a box attached to the machine, and can be used to tally the results later.

Read the story here.

7- BJP govts trying to impose RSS ideology on varsities: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday alleged that the BJP governments, in the states and at the Centre, were trying to impose RSS ideology in universities which he said, was resulting in students unrest and anarchy on the campuses. Interacting with student leaders from various varsities, including the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Delhi University and the Allahabad University here, he said that ever since the BJP government has come to power at the Centre, the atmosphere in educational institutions has been spoiled. The reputation of universities has also been harmed, the former chief minister was quoted as saying.

Read the story here.

8- Trump to skip India in Asia tour, but could meet Modi

The White House on Friday announced President Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November, which will take him to China and four other nations but not India. But the trip could lead to a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Manila that the American leader will attend. Although there has been no announcement by India yet, Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the regional summit as well, given the act East Asia push he unveiled at the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit in 2014 and that he returned to participate in every summit since; the last one in 2016.

Read the story here.

9- Deadline for selling pre-GST goods extended to Dec 31

The government has extended the deadline for sale of pre-GST goods with stickers of revised rates by three months to December 31, Consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Friday. The decision came after several companies and retailers body CAIT highlighted that they are still left with huge unsold stocks of pre-GST goods and need more time to clear that. After implementing GST from July 1, the government had allowed use of stickers with revised rates, alongside the printed MRP for pre-packaged items to reflect changes in selling price for three months till September 30.

Read the story here.

10- 22 killed in suicide attack outside Shia mosque in Kabul

At least 22 people were killed and dozens more injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a Shia mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Friday. The explosion occurred at 2pm local time in Qala-e-Fathullah area of Kabul as worshippers were leaving the mosque after weekly Friday prayers. Eyewitnesses were quoted by Tolo News channel as saying that the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. A suicide bomber who was grazing sheep has detonated himself outside the mosque, Gen Salim Almas, criminal investigative director of Kabul city, told AFP.

Read the story here.

11- South Africa on top vs Bangladesh in 1st Test despite Dean Elgar heartbreak

South Africa claimed three top-order Bangladesh wickets to take a firm grip on the second day of the first Test at Senwes Park on Friday. Bangladesh were 127 for three at the close, still trailing by 369 runs after South Africa declared their first innings on 496 for three. Dean Elgar made 199 and Hashim Amla scored 137 as South Africa batted remorselessly until tea before captain Faf du Plessis declared.

Read the story here.
Banwarilal Purohit will likely have the most eventful beginning amongst the five new governors announced by the Union government on Saturday as he takes charge of Tamil Nadu, where a bruising power struggle within the ruling AIADMK has upset calculations in the assembly.

A breakaway faction threatens to dethrone chief minister E Palanisami. The matter is currently in court where a decision could give Purohit his first major task: calling a floor test while all parties keep a close watch on his every move.

Experts say that Purohits presence in the Raj Bhavan is likely to help the Bharatiya Janata Party. What they did in Assam is known to everyone, said professor Ramu Manivannan of Madras University.

Political commentator and columnist Gnyani Shankaran concurred with his view and said: now they will do full time manipulating... The governor will be, ultimately, loyal to the centre and the BJP will definitely make use of him.

Purohit is a veteran politician from Nagpur, the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He has represented the Congress twice and the BJP once.

The post of Tamil Nadu governor freed last year when K Rosaiah retired. The governor of Maharashtra, C Vidyasagar Rao, was given the additional gubernatorial responsibilities of Tamil Nadu, a role that often saw him rushing to Chennai as political developments unfolded in the state.

At least, Tamil Nadu governor house will save a lot on flight bills, said Manivannan.

The principal opposition party, DMK, welcomed Purohits appointment and said that he hoped the new governor will be fair to all.

The first litmus test faced by the governor and his political fairness will be how he judges the situation arising out of the withdrawal of faith in CM by 18 MLAs that clearly brought the government into a minority, DMK president Stalin said in a statement.

But Stalins colleagues hinted at a suspicion that the hidden hand of the RSS could influence Purohit.

As long as Modi is there, governors behave as politicians and we cannot expect any deviation from that, said TKS Elangovan, DMK MP, without naming Purohit.

BJP state unit chief Tamilisai Soundarrajan was confident that the opposition will be proven wrong and governor Purohit will function in a positive manner.

Purohit is a leader from Vidharbha in Maharashtra and a three-time MP from Nagpur. He is also the managing editor of English daily Hitavada, founded in 1911 by Gopal Krishna Gokhle.

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The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)  students wing of the BJP  has accused BHU vice chancellor Prof Girish Chandra Tripathi and the university administration of mishandling the sexual harassment case that led to protests and violence on the campus.

ABVP has also written to the ministry of human resource development (MHRD) demanding action against the officials who did not take the sexual harassment case on the campus seriously.

Had the BHU VC and the then chief proctor Prof ON Singh handled the girls complaint seriously, violence and cane-charging on students would not have taken place on the campus, said Ghanshyam Shahi, secretary of ABVPs Kashi region.

He said Prof Tripathi ignored the demand of the students and did not hold a dialogue with them to defuse the situation. He didnt take the pains to call on the girls who wanted to share their problems with him, Shahi said.

ABVP had submitted a memorandum to the VC on March 4, drawing his attention towards growing anger among the girls over the lack of dialogue with the university administration, he added.

We again submitted a memorandum to BHU authorities on September 8, asking them to hold regular dialogue with girls and address their problems. However, our suggestions were not taken seriously, he said.

When the molestation victim lodged a complaint with the proctorial boards security personnel, she was asked weird questions like why she was roaming at 6pm, Shahi said.

State unit secretary of ABVP Bhupendra Singh also raised the issue with the university authorities but no action was taken.

The ABVP also blamed the Left wing for creating a rift among the girls who staged demonstration demanding action in the case of sexual harassment. It also criticised the outsiders who tried to hijack the protest.

Shahi said the ABVP would not let Left wing create a rift among the students and would expose the people who instigated violence on the campus.
Comic actor Hassan Fayek began his career on the stage, and went on to star in films such as Hassan, Morcos and Cohen and The Reason and the Money

Comic actor Hassan Fayek was born Hassan Fayek Muhammad El-Kholy on 7 January 1898, and passed away on 14 September 1980.

This simple man, who received little education, played a patriotic role during one of the most turbulent periods in Egypts political history, by delivering witty limericks as a one-man comedian in order to rouse enthusiasm among demonstrators during the 1919 revolution against the British occupation.

This comedian, who appeared at the time of Egypts acting giants, perhaps equalled them in many ways at the beginning.

His unique quality was his seemingly childish laughter and innocent astonishment, and it was through these qualities that he created a bridge between himself and his audience.

Like other members of his generation, Fayek came to the screen from the theatre, after years of both hardship and fame. However, he is also indebted, like them, to the silver screen for the glory he achieved.

Fayek started acting on stage in 1914, and went on to later act in many films. He stopped, or almost stopped acting, when television began broadcasting in Egypt at the beginning of the 1960s.

When he wanted to resume his theatrical activity on television, he was struck by physical paralysis, and remained so for the last 15 years of his life.

Fayeks beginnings were at the hands of his intimate foe, Youssef Wahbi, the star and producer of Sons of Aristocrats (1932), who convinced Mohammed Karim, the films director, to give a role to Fayek.

Although there is no existing copy of Sons of Aristocrats, the documents available point to this role as a rather humble and almost unnoticeable start.

This wasnt just because of the presence of Wahbi and Serag Mounir as the films stars, but also because Fayek did not capitalise on this opportunity and waited three years for his next film role.

His subsequent film came after he had joined El-Rihanis theatre company and that film, Antar Effendi (1935), was in the hands of his old friend and company colleague Stephane Rosti.

Fayek's real beginning, however was to come in the subsequent year, with El-Rihanis film His Highness Wants to Marry, directed by Alexander Farkas. The film boosted his popularity among those who couldnt go to the theatre, especially in the provinces far away from Cairo.

He then moved to another film titled Abou-Zarifa in the same year which was directed by Alvize Orfanelli, and then in 1937 he played his first important and prominent role in The Chant of Hope, which starred Umm-Kalthoum, Zaki Tuleimat, and was directed by Ahmed Badrkhan.

During his cinematic cinema, Fayek was mainly confined to two types of roles.

The first one, which he is most famous for, was moulded by El-Rihani and the scriptwriter Badie Khairy, and is that of a weakling, a pliant person. It is best exemplified by his role as Anwar Wagdi's brother in Fatma (1947), directed by Badrkhan.

The second type was totally different, and that was the shrewd man, always seeking to gain the biggest amount of benefit, clinging to life and searching only for his self-interest. Two clear examples for this type are The Light of My Eyes (1954), directed by Hussein Fawzi, and My Prince Charming (1957), by Helmy Rafla. In both, he was a cunning man looking for wealth but within a comedic frame.

Fayek remained trapped in these types of roles for many years, although there were some variations as he aged, such as his roles in Street of Love (1958), directed by Ezzel-Dine Zulfikar, and Sukkar Hanem (1960) by El-Sayed Bedeir.

Even when he became paralysed after releasing The Reason and the Money (1965), directed by Abbas Kamel, he had three films yet to be released. They were Memoirs of a Female Student, directed by Ali Beheiri, which was released in the same year; The Female Idol (1967), by Helmy Rafla; and Mum's Fiance (1971), by Fateen Abdel-Wahab, which came seven years after his paralysis.

Fayek had two experiences as a leading actor. The first was in 1954 when director Fouad El-Gazayerli adapted Naguib El-Rihanis play Hassan, Morcos and Cohen for the cinema.

Fayek reprised the role of Abbas he had played on stage, in which he had been remarkably successful. He was similarly successful before in the role of Bunduq Abu Ghazala, star of the play Qaraqush's Rule, also by El-Rihani.

In spite of El-Rihani's influence on all the roles he performed, whether on stage or in cinema  just as El-Rihani would influence the actors who would later play the same roles, such as Farid Shawqi, Fouad El-Mohandes, Abu-Bakr Ezzat and even Mohammed Sobhi in the play The Lady's Game -- Fayek was the only one who could free himself from his master's overwhelming influence.

His performance when he played Abbas in Hassan, Morcos and Cohen, revealed Fayek's own soul and his way of performing, even when he was uttering El-Rihani's words.

The Reason and the Money was released on 1 February 1965 while its star was lying paralysed in an Italian hospital. Fayek played the role of both Sultan Caramel and his sibling Bechamel, who was driven by the love of power and money to conspire and depose his sultan brother.

It isnt necessarily right to say that Fayek would have been showered with other leading man roles after this film, if he hadnt been paralysed. This film was an exceptional experience that can't be used as a rule, especially as the man was well over 65, and it is hard to imagine a man who had not been a leading man in his prime becoming so at that age.

Whether Fayek was playing a weakling or a cunning man with ulterior motives, whether he was the leading man or a supporting actor, his wide popularity was drawn from his famous laugh, a feature of every role, to the extent that his fans called him the one with the charming laugh.

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In the early 1970s, the departments of music and medicine at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) had a slugfest over a piece of land around one kilometre west from one of the universitys entrance gates known as Lanka Gate. At the behest of the then students union, the land was converted into a ground called Madhuban in which various departments would display their products -- such as the installation of a nude woman put up by the Arts faculty. Madhuban also became a spot where couples would routinely hang out. The park had no gates and no timings.

Today, Madhuban closes at 6pm. And the art installation is often found covered with a piece of cloth.

This is how regressive BHU has become in the last three decades, said Chanchal, who was the president of the university student union at that time. Students at BHU are conscious adults who can vote and are intelligent enough to choose a government. They need not be told who to meet and at what time, he added.

Violent protests broke out at BHU last week after a female students complaint of sexual harassment and the protest that followed was deal with by a police lathi charge.

After the crackdown by the police and the announcement of early vacations, students are unsure if the protest will revive once the campus reopens. All of us were really happy to see that finally, we could register our protest. But then came the festive season. It has made things little uncertain, said Shreya Pant, a postgraduate student at BHU. Also, the girls who have returned home will be under tremendous pressure from their parents who will counsel them to stay away from protests.

What direction does the protest take also depends on the fate of BHU vice chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi. We foresee that he will be asked to leave before his term ends in December, said Anisha Ghosh, a postgraduate student.

No advertisement for a new VC has been issued resulting in speculation that Tripathi will get an extension. No chance. Not after this episode (lathicharge on students), said Ghoshs classmate Mansi Garg. We will be mighty surprised if he gets an extension, said Akanksha Sharma, who been studying at BHU for eight years.

However, things are not going to remain same on campus. What the protest has achieved is that girls will continue to be vocal in the months to come and such matters will not be scuttled. A beginning has been made, said Sharma.

Considering the bizarre rules in the campus, increasing incidents of harassment and an inept administration to deal with it, most of the BHU students HT spoke to, said that the last weeks unrest was bound to happen. In October 2016, HT reported how sexist rules are stifling life for girls in the BHU campus. Our friends in other campuses laugh at us when we share the bizarre rules here with them, said Pooja Shrivastava, a research student.

Sonal Chandel, who is studying medicine at BHU said, It (the protest) was the result of pent-up anger. It began with the complaint by one girl and gradually hundreds of students joined her. It became intense because the majority of the girls could relate with the survivor. They got a platform.

Dr Vishwanath Pandey, former PRO of the university said, Hooliganism has increased in the last two-three years. Anyone denying this will be lying.

There is palpable anger on the way the VC handled the protest. Even as the scale of the protest kept increasing, the VC opted for interactions with media channels instead of addressing students. This shows the huge communication gap between students and the administration, said Chandel.

Scratching the surface, one finds that many of the current issues plaguing BHU are because of systemic flaws. For example, the university has an executive council, the members of which are nominated by the president of India, and have no accountability. In other words, the top administrative body is ad-hocish.

Also, this council has no say in the selection of the VC. There is choked democracy in BHU. The VC is at the helm of affairs and decides everything on the basis of his formed opinion, said Dr Pandey.

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It is shortly past 2am and rain clouds have given way to cool gusts of wind that soothe weary pandal hoppers, who heave forward in great lurches towards Mohammad Ali Park in central Kolkata. Behind the glow of the multicoloured pandal is a roaring fair, complete with scary rides, a ferris wheel and numerous kulfi-kala khatta and egg roll stalls. Samim Ali is milling in the thousand-strong crowd with three of his friends. They live in the maze of narrow alleys that make up Muslim neighbourhoods in the area.

Did he like the Puja?

Yes, but the pandal should have been decorated better, he says.

Has he heard of the controversy around Muharram and Puja? Its a small issue. They are blowing it up, he answers.

They? Yes, apni janen oi hindu VHPwala ( you know those hindu VHP walas)... I think were ok for now, but were not sure for how long. Theyre growing.

Ali isnt wrong. The strengthening of the Hindu right-wing across West Bengal is unmistakable, fronted by the rising voteshare of the BJP  the saffron partys vote share rose from 6% in 2009 to 16.8% in 2014. In the last assembly elections, the BJP got 10.2% of the votes, up from 4%. Organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its affiliates are also using a network of schools and ashrams, theology and incentives to try to enter the states cultural life. For the first time this Durga Puja, the rise of the Hindu right peppered conversation from the selfie-crazy crowds at Maddox Square to the back-alleys of the century-old Sovabajar Rajbati.

For decades, Bengals biggest festival escaped religious scrutiny as it ballooned in popularity, size and lure. But that is fast changing  and especially away from the nerve centre of Kolkata. Around 70 km from Maa Ashche (The Mother is Coming) billboards in the hinterlands of the South 24 Parganas is Nakurait. This village of around 100 households is believed to be the only Hindu-majority village amid a clutch of Muslim-majority villages in a district where every third person is from the minority community.

Weapon Worship or Shastra Puja ceremony at Durgabari, Phuleswar, Howrah. At the Uluberia event, the turnout was merely 150 people. (Samir Jana/HT PHOTO)

What is unusual though is the local pujo: A modest, traditional affair run by the Hindu Samhati (HS), a fast-rising Hindu right-wing organisation with popularity to rival that of the VHP. Local youth say the Puja was stopped years ago after communal tensions but the HS revived the festival and gave them strength.

We didnt know what the Samhati was. They came to us, gave us the space to resist, says Dipankar Mondal, 28. Standing next to him, Bilu Biswas nods and recounts how the tensions began over using mike during a Durga Puja procession that coincided with the evening azaan. Both of them now call themselves Hindu activists. The local MLA, Trinamool Congress Saokat Molla, admits that there were some problems during pujo. But now, all Hindus and Muslims live in unity.

The police and administration have kept a tight watch so far, with plain clothed detectives patrolling border districts and even WhatsApp or social media to keep a check on rumours and fake news.

Rumour, I think, will be the worst facilitator of tension this year. So besides the cyber cells of Kolkata Police and West Bengal police keeping a close watch on the social networking sites, an awareness campaign among public has been launched to refrain from sharing or distributing fake and disturbing messages, said West Bengal home secretary Atri Bhattacharya.

No armed processions

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has banned any kind of armed public procession and the government deployed police personnel outside the offices of VHP and other organisations to ensure no rallies were taken out for pujo. She has stressed on what she calls the Durga Pujas legacy of communal harmony, as exemplified by several mixed-religion puja pandals in Kolkata such as Mohammad Ali Park, which was run by a committee of Muslims in a Muslim-majority neighbourhood.

Never before has puja been celebrated in the midst of such apprehension.I dont understand why some groups are insisting on idol immersion on Muharram. This is not the culture of Bengal, said Sanjay Das, an organiser of the 85-year-old Ballygunj Durgabari Pratishtan in Kolkata.

But the suburbs are simmering. On Dasami, the VHP organised a show of strength in the once-industrial hub of Uluberia to showcase its most controversial move yet: A Shastra Puja or weapon worship on Dasami that academics say is alien to Bengals heterodox culture. The astra puja is not a part of the Bengali culture this is illiteracy about Bengali traditionDurga Puja is about excess, not piety and austerity as the right-wing is trying to project, said Tapati Guha Thakurta, a professor of history at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences in Calcutta. She added that she has never seen Astra Puja as part of the Durga Puja celebrations in the city before.

The VHP organisers, however, say astra puja is a local tradition dating back thousands of years. At the event in Uluberia, the turnout is just about 150 people but it doesnt seem to dampen the spirit of the speakers. A speaker blames the death of Hindus in 1946 in Noakhali on a lack of weapons. The weapon gives self-respect, courage. We have deviated from the real, traditional meaning of the puja, roars Sachindranath Singha, VHPs in-charge for West Bengal.

So what is the real meaning of the puja? There are several conflicting narratives but most historians converge on one point: That the autumnal celebration of the mother goddess, the slayer of Mahisasura is a recent phenomenon and only picked up in the latter half of the 18th century. Saugata Bhaduri of Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University thinks the origin of the puja was secular; it followed the British abolition of a tax on Hindu festivities after Warren Hastings became governor general in 1772. Zamindars thought if they hold some annual festivity, they could get a tax break, he says.

The festival assumed its current community-funded form  called Sarbojanin (for everyone)  in 1910, when the Sanatan Dharmostsahini Sabha started a puja in Kolkatas Bhawanipore. This was a time of communal tension; Bhaduri suspects that Durga Puja may have been used for consolidation of Hindus.

There is no one narrative. Pujo has been co-opted at various times by various interests. But one thing is clear: Pujo is not for the sarbo-jan(everyone). Puja works during the existing hierarchies of Hindu society, says Ritajyoti Bandyopadhyay, a professor at IISER-Mohali.

But Durga Puja is only one front of a war that will be battled out in the districts. Right-wing groups are said to have poured in resources into places such as Bankura, Murshidabad and Nadia  there are more than 50 VHP camps in Muslim-majority Murshidabad itself, Sachindranath Singha of the VHP tells me. And they are focusing on Dalits and tribals, ostentiably with a purpose to empower them against the aggressors. In speech after speech, VHP and RSS leaders focus on communal dinners, how they are getting castes such as Napit, Kumor, Dhaki into the fold and letting them worship the goddess. But will this be enough to translate into a win for the Hindu right in the rural body polls across the state next year?

(with inputs from Sumanta Ray Chaudhuri)

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Developing infrastructure in areas effected by left wing violence, providing relief to Jammu and Kashmir migrants, countering false propaganda and perception management in Kashmir are some of the components of the Centres Rs 25,000 crore umbrella scheme to modernise Central and state police forces.

On Wednesday the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the implementation of Modernisation of State Police Forces (MPF) umbrella scheme. The Centre will bear 80 per cent share of the funds  to be spent over the next three years  while states will bear the rest.

Of the sanctioned amount, Rs 45 crore will be used for perception management in Kashmir, a civic action plan for Central Armed police forces, which included CRPF and BSF, and other social services, according to official documents.

Apart from that, Rs 3,000 crore will be utilised for public infrastructure and service such as school building, anganwadi centers, primary health centres, drinking water, roads and furniture in schools in 35 districts affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) across India.

The scheme also earmarks Rs 1900 crore to be spent on relief and rehabilitation of Jammu and Kashmir migrants and an equal amount for Kashmir police covering areas of carriage of constabulary, logistic support for security forces, honorarium of Special Police Officers (SPO), India Reserve Battalion and a civic action plan for the states police.

The government will spend Rs 22.5 crore to disseminate information about various development/welfare schemes and to counter false propaganda of the LWE cadres. Another Rs 60 crore will be spent on civic action plans of CAPFs deployed in LWE affected areas.

The other two major components of the umbrella scheme include Rs 628 crore for 250 fortified police stations in LWE affected areas and Rs 1215 crore for North East states. The government has also earmarked funds for gratuitous relief to victims of militancy and raising of India Reserve Battalions.

The massive spending on security and police forces comes two years after the states share of revenue went up to 42 % following the implementation of the 14th finance commission. As a result of this, the task of police modernisation had been left largely to the states. However, Union minister Rajnath Singh in a statement on the MPF said that the scheme will help in realising the dream of Samriddha Aur Surakshit Bharat.

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The Centre has started hunt for a successor of Banaras Hindu University vice chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi, who is in the eye of the storm after recent violence and cane charge on the girls on varsity premises.

The human resources development ministry issued an advertisement for the coveted post of the administrative head of the central varsity, established in 1916.

Several students, mostly women, and policemen were wounded in clashes after university guards and cops cane-charged protesters in front of the vice chancellors home and at the main entrance to the century-old institutions sprawling campus on September 23.

The students were demanding bringing to justice the culprits who allegedly molested a hosteller.

Varanasi commissioner blamed the BHU administration for the campus violence, which became a major political issue in the state with opposition Congress and Samajwadi Party accusing the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government of mishandling the situation.

The incident coincidentally happened when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi.

The advertisement for the post of vice chancellor posted on the official website of the university said the appointment will be made from a panel of names recommended by a committee constituted under the provisions of the BHU act.

The vice chancellor, being the academic as well as administrative head, is expected to be a visionary with proven leadership qualities, administrative capabilities as well a teaching and research credentials, the advertisement reads.

It further says he must have an outstanding record and a minimum of 10 years experience as a professor in a university system or in an equivalent position. He should not be more than 67 years of age as on the closing date of receipt of application of the advertisement.

The format of the application is available on the websites: http://mhrd.gov.in and www.bhu.ac.in
Former state chief minister and All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijaya Singh started his six month long religious journey Narmada Parikrama from the Barman ghat in Narsinghpur district on Saturday at around 5 pm. Narsinghpur, situated on banks of river Narmada is some 225 km east of Bhopal.

Before the yatra he performed pooja at several temples.

He was accompanied by his wife Amrita Singh and many his loyal Congress followers, including six MLAs. His son Jaivardhan Singh and brother Laxman Singh are expected to join him after Dusshera celebrations.

On the first day he will travel only three kilometers to halt at Baria ghat for the night. From Sunday he is going to travel 10 to 12 km, Congress sources said.

Seventy-year old Digvijaya Singh has maintained that the 3300 km long journey along the banks of river Narmada is entirely a religious and spiritual exercise and that nothing political should be read into it, though political observers maintain that through this exercise, Digvijaya Singh is trying to stay politically relevant.

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President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday approved the appointment of five Governors and one Lieutenant Governor. Here are brief profiles of the new appointees.

Banwarilal Purohit: Tamil Nadu Governor

Purohit won election to Maharashtra Assembly for the first time in 1978 from the Nagpur east seat, and became a minister in 1982. He is credited with revival of The Hitavada, an English daily founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the mentor of Mahatma Gandhi.

Satya Pal Malik: Bihar Governor

Former MP and BJPs national vice-president, has been appointed the governor of Bihar, the post that fell vacant after Ram Nath Kovind was nominated as the BJPs presidential candidate.

A former union minister of state for Parliamentary affairs and tourism, he was a two-term Rajya Sabha member and chairman and member of many Parliamentary Committees. A B.Sc and LL.B from Meerut University, he is also an agriculturist, and active social worker.

Admiral (Retd) Devendra Kumar Joshi: Lieutenant Governor Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Chief of naval staff from 2012 to 2014, Joshi has been awarded the param vishist seva medal, the ati vishist seva medal, yudh seva medal, nau sena medal and the vishist seva medal and commanded the Vizag-based eastern fleet of the navy.

Jagdish Mukhi, currently Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has been moved to Assam.(HT file photo)

Professor Jagdish Mukhi: Assam Governor

An alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce of Delhi University, Mukhi took to active politics during Emergency. He represented the Capitals Janakpuri constituency for several terms starting 1980, winning the seat seven times. He also held the portfolios of finance, planning, excise and taxation and higher education in the Delhi government and was leader of the opposition in Delhi assembly from 1998-2008.

Ganga Prasad: Meghalaya Governor

He started his political career in 1994 after being elected as the member of the legislative council in Bihar. He served as an MLC for 18 years and was the leader of the BJP in the council and subsequently the deputy leader.

Brig (Retd) B D Mishra: Arunachal Pradesh Governor

Mishra was the commander of NSG (black cat commandos) counter-hijack task force that successfully executed the rescue operation of the hijacked aircraft of Indian Airlines at Raja Sansi airfield in Amritsar on April 24, 1993. All 124 travellers and crew members were rescued in the operation and the hijackers were killed. He has served in various wars and operational roles, including the Chinese attack in1962 and the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971.
Railway minister Piyush Goyal directed officials to spend whatever is necessary for passenger safety as he announced on Saturday steps to prevent disasters such as a stampede at a busy Mumbai suburban train station that killed 23 people.

Goyal chaired marathon meetings with railway officials the past two days as the stampede revived safety questions engulfing one of the worlds biggest public transportation networks reeling from a series of fatal crashes, poor infrastructure and funds, and red tape.

To eliminate bureaucracy and delays, I have empowered GMs (general managers) to spend whatever is necessary on safety, he tweeted.

To enhance safety and efficiency, 40 yards across India will be upgraded with an investment of Rs 1000 Cr including 8 yards in Mumbai region  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 30, 2017

Within the next 15 months, CCTV cameras in all suburban trains in Mumbai with monitoring mechanism. Parallel work across India.  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 30, 2017

The tragedy happened on Friday morning on an overcrowded stairwell to a pedestrian bridge that connects Elphinstone Road with Parel as at least four trains pulled in simultaneously at both stations and commuters dashed for shelter from sudden rain.

Officials said 22 people were crushed and suffocated to death when fellow commuters fell on them in the narrow foot overbridge (FOB). More than three dozen were injured and one of them died in hospital on Saturday.

The 35-year-old man, Satyendra Kumar Kanojia, was one of the two critical patients and died because of heavy neurological damage, doctors at KEM Hospital said.

The government will bring foot overbridges and platforms within a mandatory safety plan with no budget restrictions. Such bridges are until now considered a passenger amenity, thereby given less priority despite being used by millions of commuters.

We are turning a 150 year old convention on its head, hereafter, FOBs (foot overbridges) will be deemed mandatory not a passenger amenity, Goyal said in a tweet.

According to a British-era edict, used even today, one foot overbridge is counted as essential and subsequent ones as passenger amenity.

The minister gave financial and administrative power to field units for reducing bureaucratic hurdles and pushing development and delivery.

Most pedestrian bridges on the suburban network with around 135 stations in Indias financial hub are old and in urgent need of repairs. An overhaul of the Elphinstone Road bridge built in the 1970s was long overdue.

The railways will install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Mumbais suburban trains within a fortnight. And 40 railway yards, including eight in Mumbai, will be remodeled at an expense of Rs 1,000 crore.

Goyal tweeted 200 officials from the Railway Board and headquarters will be sent to strengthen field operations and project implementation.

Priority will be accorded to stations with higher footfall and revenue.

Additional escalators sanctioned at crowded Mumbai suburban stations and thereafter for all high traffic stations, the minister said.

Some 7.5 million passengers commute every day in nearly 2,500 suburban trains, the lifeline for Mumbais 20 million people.

Millions of people come to Elphinstone, recently renamed Prabhadevi, and Parel stations close to Lower Parel, a business district that has grown rapidly since it was dotted with a spattering of textile mills decades ago.

The stampede is the latest disaster to hit the railways after 23 people were killed when a train derailed in Uttar Pradesh in August. Nearly 150 died last November in a crash.

(with agency inputs)
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs chief Mohan Bhagwat defended on Saturday the bold and courageous economic decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modis government but called for an integrated and holistic policy that benefits everyone.

Addressing a customary gathering to mark the Hindu festival Dussehra (Vijay Dashami) at Reshmibagh, chief of the RSS urged economic advisors to come out of the same old economicism and take into account experiences that he called the ground reality of our nation.

His comments come at a time the Modi government faces strident criticism for its handling of the economy after Indias GDP growth fell for a third consecutive quarter in June and public anger grew over rising fuel prices. The latest round of criticism came from within the BJP, with former finance minister Yashwant Sinha tearing into the current leadership.

Bhagwat said it is understandable that officials will move on with global policies and standards, even if they are faulty, artificial, create a mirage of prosperity, cause erosion of morality, environment, employment and self-reliance. However it is also universally being recognised that all these policies and standards need a rethinking and nation specific unique models of development should evolve.

Modis BJP is the political arm of the RSS and the chiefs comments could potentially have an impact on government policy.

The RSS chief did not name specific decisions of the government such as the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax and last Novembers note ban  both identified as factors by independent experts for the growth slowdown. But Bhagwats thrust on the government working for all was clear.

The government must ensure that tremors and instability that are a natural outcome of economic reforms should have minimum impact on the informal sector, he said.

Crores of people get jobs or employments through these sectors. Most of the people standing in the last line of the society are also from these sectors. While reforming and cleaning the economic systems, although some tremors and instability is expected, it should be kept in mind that these sectors should feel the minimum heat and ultimately they should get the maximum strength.

He also spoke on cow protection, an issue that he said must be looked at not merely as a matter of religion, and expressed his opposition to sheltering Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Rohingyas were driven out from Myanmar mainly because of their violent and criminal separatist activities. Any decision regarding them should be taken by keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity, he said.

Bhagwat also praised the Narendra Modi government for tackling incidents like the Doklam standoff with China as well as international diplomacy.

On farmers, Bhagwat said loan waivers were not the solution for the crisis in the farm sector and insisted on minimum price guarantees.

Senior BJP leader and former deputy prime minister LK Advani, Union minister for transport, shipping and water resources, Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also attended the three-hour programme.

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Saffron outfits worshipped weapons in shastra puja at hundreds of places across West Bengal on Bijoya Dashami, the last day of Durga puja, the states biggest festival.

While in most cases the weapons worshipped were those found in the hands of Goddess Durga, the puja at the state headquarters of Vishva Hindu Parishad, in Kolkata, was performed with firearms, including a rifle and a revolver.

Most of the pujas were held indoor, complying with a Calcutta high court order that barred such pujas outside places of worship.

However, at several places in the districts of Burdwan, Birbhum and West Midnapore, armed processions were taken out by various akharas that maintain links with Hindutva outfits such as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), VHP and Hindu Samhati.

Weapon worship is a Hindu tradition hundreds of years old. However, Bengali Hindus had almost forgotten this tradition. We are trying to revive it because thats the call of the hour in the state, said Jayashis Samaddar, VHPs South Kolkata coordinator.

A Bajrang Dal activist said that the outfit previously performed the puja only at fields where RSS conducts their shakha (unit) but decided this year to take the puja to localities to raise awareness among Hindus.

Sources in the saffron camp said that VHP and Bajrang Dal had initially planned at least four major dhastra puja events but later decide to keep the event low-key and focussed on holding more small-scale events. More than 300 pujas were organised by VHP alone, the organisations Bengal, Odisha, Sikkim and Andaman in-charge Sachindra Nath Singha said.

According to Hindu Samhati vice-president Devdutta Maji, their workers and volunteers participated in more than a hundred Shastra puja events.

Shashtra puja in the office of the Vishwa Hindu parishad (VHP) in Kolkata. (HT PHOTO)

On Saturday, Hindu Samhati president Debtanu Bhattacharya was seen in Durgapur in Burdwan district wielding a sword ahead of a procession with sharp-edged weapons.

Policemen present at the venue looked the other way, even though chief minister Mamata Banerjee had several times threatened strong action against anybody carrying weapon in any procession. The chief minister had said several times that shastra puja is alien to Bengali culture.

Read more: Durga Puja concludes peacefully with immersion of idols in Kolkata

Similar processions were taken out at Asansol in Burdwan and Kharagpur in West Midnapore district.

The processions with weapons in Asansol, Durgapur and Kharagpur - taken out by various akharas - are happening for several years and are part of tradition, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said.

Ghosh wondered why the administration always bothered about presence of traditional weapons in Hindu religious festivals but looks the other way when Shia Muslims carry weapons during processions of Muharram.

Muharram is on Sunday.

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Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui has said it was time for India and China to turn the old page and start a new chapter, stressing that the countries have made a lot of progress at bilateral level.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen earlier this month, and the two leaders sent a clear message of reconciliation and cooperation, he said on Friday in remarks which come in the backdrop of the Doklam row.

We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and direction. We should dance together. We should make one plus one eleven. China is the largest trading partner of India. We have made a lot of progress at the bilateral level, as well as in international and regional affairs, Luo said.

The Chinese envoy was speaking on the 68th anniversary of founding of the Peoples Republic of China.

India and China, who went to war in 1962, share an uneasy relationship and territorial dispute is a major bone of contention between the two countries.

The two nations recently agreed to disengagement of troops in Doklam where their armies were locked in a stand- off for over two months.

The Chinese diplomat also recalled one of his teachers, Prof Xu Fancheng, who lived in Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry from 1945 to 1978. Xu is known for his work of translating Upanishad, Bhagawad Gita and Shakuntala from Sanskrit to Chinese.

In our bilateral engagement, there have been thousands of prominent persons like Prof Xu Fancheng, (Buddhist monk) Bodhidharma, Faxian (a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India in the 3rd century) and Rabindranath Tagore.

We should never forget their contribution and legacies. The history could do a lot of things. Standing on their shoulders, we should do more today, Luo said.

The Chinese envoy added that the speed of Chinese high- speed trains from Beijing to Shanghai was increased from 300 kmph to 350 kmph two weeks ago.

We have started the feasibility study of hyperloop trains at the speed of 1,000 to 4,000 kmph, he said.

He added that the high-speed trains were one of the four latest inventions of China.
Halim El-Dabh died on 2 September at the age of 96. He is hailed for the music he created and his thoughts on this art form, as well as his unique outlook on life

Egyptian-American ethnomusicologist and pioneer of electronic music Halim El-Dabh died on 2 September at the age of 96: a long life filled with passion for music and sound.

His creative journey began in his home country but it flourished on his move to the USA, which placed him among international music figures and pioneers of electronic music.

Though he rose to fame in the USA, El-Dabh was born in Egypt, on 4 March 1921. A few of his works were indeed being performed in Egypt, more frequently in the past. Now they return on occasions like the opening of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (which he attended) in 2002 or as part of a chosen concerts programming or a special events showcasing contemporary Egyptian composers. Be that as it may, he lives on in the collective memory of Egyptian musical circles, and his continuous presence is marked by orchestral-choral composition performed daily since 1961 during the sound and light show at the Pyramids of Giza.

In 1932, El-Dabh attended the Cairo Music Congress organised by King Fouad. He was barely 11  and already experimenting with composition  but he met Bela Bartok, the Hungarian composer, pianist and an ethnomusicologist; Jaap Kunst, the Dutch ethnomusicologist; and Paul Hindemith, the German composer and violist, among other big names. The event would strongly impact the boys thoughts on music and musical documentation, both domains being at the core of the congresss heated discussions.

The experience also introduced El-Dabh to new recording technologies, infusing in him an interest in experimentation rife in the musical West. His maturing mind and early intellectual curiosity also pushed him to read Sigmund Freud, Immanuel Kant, Aldous Huxley, all of whom contributed to his way of thinking about the human mind and human experience. His interest in literature brought him close to works by Naguib Mahfouz and other Egyptian and international authors.

Even so, El-Dabh followed in his fathers footsteps by studying at the agricultural engineering faculty of Cairo (then Fouad I) University, which was to become a temporary path facilitating his living needs while he explored music.

With El-Dabhs preliminary interest being sound, he looked into folk traditions and worked with manipulated wire recordings and capturing the sounds of Cairo and villages environments, creating multiple effects and becoming particularly fascinated by zaar ceremonies. Without realising the gravity of his experimentations, El-Dabh was in fact becoming a pioneer of what was soon to be called electronic music, and one of the most important documenters of Egyptian musical wealth.

Until the late 1940s, El-Dabhs compositions such as The Expression of Zaar (1944), or It Is Dark and Dump on the Front for solo piano referencing the Nakba of 1948, made a strong impact on Egypts musical life of the time. The latter composition was a turning point in his career and in 1950, El-Dabh was offered a Fulbright Music Grant to study music in the USA where he had among his renowned professors Aaron Copland, the influential American composer, composition teacher and conductor.

Studying in the USA not only provided El-Dabhs experimentation with a solid academic backbone, it also made him an active member of New Yorks community of musical thinkers and one of Les Six dOrient, representing the vanguard of contemporary composers inspired by Eastern music.

In the 1950s, he served as Igor Stravinskys assistant at the first Aspen Music Festival. A few years later, El-Dabh already had several pieces of electronic music in his repertoire including the musical drama Leiyla and the Poet (1959). Inspired by a love story from seventh-century Arabia, Layla and Majnun, composed during El-Dabhs work at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center and released as the centres LP record in 1964, the work has become one of the classics of the electronic music.

El-Dabhs explorations included many trips during which he studied the musical traditions of different countries and cultures, including Ethiopia where he also served as an associate professor of music at Addis Ababa (then Haile Selassie I) University, Mali, Senegal, Niger, Guinea, Zaire, Brazil and others. Starting in 1969 and for over two decades he was a professor of music and pan-African studies at Kent State University and continued to lecture in African studies, on a part time basis, until 2012. Amal Choucri Catta wrote about the composer in Al Ahram Weekly in 2007, listing among his works opera and ballet scores, four symphonies, concertos and orchestral works as well as film scores, chamber and incidental music.

In a chapter on El-Dabh in The Arab Avant-Garde: Music, Politics, Modernity, Michael Khoury writes, in his compositions, El-Dabhs recourse to local Egyptian traditions is markedly different from how many Western composers incorporate world tropes into their music. His Egyptian material refuses to be ornamentation, approximation or ethnic styling that adds tinge or color. His music is a rendering of his intimate experience with people making music on a local level  for instance, by manipulating audio recordings of daily Egyptian life and mixing those sounds with atonal piano chords, rather than playing harmonized exotic scales on piano.

Even if El-Dabh never defined himself as an avant-gardist, world music literature classifies him as the father of the Arab avant-garde. However, unlike many experimentors, El-Dabh was never an onlooker who incorporates his findings into creation; he was as embedded in the sounds he produced just as much as he was soaked in Arab and Middle Eastern social, political and creative developments, which he spontaneously and instinctively channeled into his work. It was this amalgam of local traditions and a new musical vocabulary inspired by new technologies coming from the West that formed El-Dabhs mindset and unleashed his creative power.

At the same time, ethnographic research into African and Afro-Brazilian music is one of El-Dabhs most important accomplishments alongside his many collaborations with such renowned artists as modern dance icon Martha Graham  for whom he created four ballet scores including the masterpiece Clytemnestra (1958).

It was when he worked on Grahams Lucifer (1975) that El-Dabh crossed paths with the New York-based Egyptian prima ballerina Magda Saleh.

He was at the piano when I arrived, though the connection went back further: he was a student of my fathers, Ahmed Abdel Ghaffar Saleh, a pioneer of agricultural education in Egypt, Saleh listed the many occasions on which they had met since.

El-Dabh was widely loved because to him music was not only his creation but also, or predominantly, a wonderful tool of interaction with people.

In several interviews El-Dabh underlines how he loves to teach, an activity that must have been a natural extension to his passion for interaction, since he didnt so much teach as he discovered and learned together with his students, as puts it Ron Slabe who helped to compose and perform live El-Dabhs last album Sanza Time in 2016.

At the same time, he would embrace the new technology, quickly picking up an app on the iPad and working with it, or getting up and looking over my shoulder when I was working with the computer. The whole process unfolded so naturally, Slabe recalls.

Surrounded and loved by people who found in him a valuable academic, and a charming companion, El-Dabh was open to everyone he met, and interested in their story, and when he was talking to someone, he was never distracted; that person had his undivided attention, Slabe adds.

Dawn Carson, El-Dabhs family friend since 1988, recalls how shortly after she joined the Kent State University music faculty El Dabh and his wife Deborah started spending hours in her home, during which time they would engage in conversation on various topics: we delighted in sharing the stories of our lives. Tell me a story was a common request from both of us, she reveals.

In 2011, Magda Saleh curated El-Dabhs 90th birthday celebration at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at the Lincoln Center in New York.

Christine Moore, the American soprano with Egyptian ancestors who contributed by singing a movement of El-Dabhs Partita Poly-Obligata for soprano, violin and piano, and his Introducing a Newborn, an a cappella ode to El-Dabhs son Habeeb says both these pieces touched me profoundly, as they showed not only his wild creativity, but his tender soul.

Moore goes on to describe El-Dabh as a gifted, unique, curious, humble and engaging personality. Two years later, Moore also presented two of El-Dabhs works, to much acclaim, in a concert at the Lincoln Center entitled Nearer to East: Chamber Music from the Arab World.

A social character, El-Dabh was known to celebrate his birthday with a public performance, an event that included a lot of drumming and dancing. Several such parties were held at the Standing Rock Cultural Arts-North Water St Gallery, a nonprofit art gallery in Kent, El-Dabhs home city.

In 2015, during the party, El-Dabh did a preview performance of two pieces, The Initiation and In Conversation, from a compilation of electroacoustic-electronic works by and Ron Slabe, part of Sanza Time.

He believed very strongly in the transformative, magical power of music, Slabe states clearly. Over the course of the year that we were working on the Sanza Time release, he said that he hoped that the music would bring peace and understanding to the world, to heal its troubles. He was very interested in current events in the world. Simply incapable of hate, he felt very strongly that the world had gone astray and that the human race needed to come back to a place of balance and to love each other as brothers and sisters.

El-Dabh is hailed for the music he created and his thoughts on this art form, as well as his unique outlook on life.

Although the general population will know and remember him first and foremost as a composer, I hope that they can realize that his music emanated from his desire to spread love and joy and to connect those on earth with each other and the universe, Carson comments.

Indeed, as Magda Saleh puts it, he was the most unassuming, modest, most gentle artist and above all a great Egyptian. He will be much missed and the world is poorer for his loss. There are too few like him.

*This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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First person account of child sexual abuse victim who is now 30 years old and has deposed before a judge against Aijaz Sheikh, a so-called faith healer from north Kashmir

Here is his account, as told to HTs Ashiq Hussain:

It was in 2002, when I was 14, my uncle took me to Aijaz Sheikh, a so- called faith healer or a peer in north Kashmirs Sopore, and left me there for the night.

My uncle had some personal issues and wanted the faith healer Aijaz Sheikh to solve them. The peer had asked him to bring a young boy who would talk to his djinns (genies) about the issues. The peer would tell that his genies are pious and hence would talk only to children. On the very first night, the peer raped me and the ordeal continued for a year until I broke my foot and stopped going there. Each time my uncle would leave me there for the night, Sheikh would rape me. It took me around 15 years to overcome the trauma and I was finally able to speak to someone about it, a friend of mine.

Read Part 1 | I was raped at 7, torture continued for 11 years: A child abuse survivors account

Once I spoke about it, it gave me a huge relief.

The moment you tell the story to anyone, your life will be destroyed, my tormentor would tell me. Djinns will chase you if you tell this to anybody. Your life, family and friends will be destroyed.

I was living in fear and trauma for a long, long time. And there are still people, who are his victims, living in fear. I have spoken to at least 12 victims. Some of them are still not ready to come forward.

Some of them are ready to speak out, but their families are not supporting them, because of the stigma. Its more difficult for a male rape victim than a female to reveal their ordeal in our society.

Faith-healer in court The case came to the light after a Class 10 student along with his father approached Bomai police station in March 2016 with allegations of sexual exploitation against Sheikh. The police filed a case, which is now before the chief judicial magistrate, Sopore. First hearing took place on September 16 ,2017 when Sheikh appeared before the court without a lawyer. Second and third hearings on September 20 and 27 could not happen as CJM, Sopore Masarat Roohi was on leave.

When I shared this story for the first time with a friend, I wrote it down on a paper. I didnt have the courage to say it directly. In conclusion I wrote: I dont know what is going to happen to me now.

Imagine the trauma I was going through. In 2015, I shared this with a friend and in 2016 I heard a young boy has filed a case against Sheikh. I met the boy. He is very brave. He said that he was abused by the Sheikh more than 50 times over a period of four years. I was really sad and shocked and said it is time to take the Sheikh to task.

Read Part 2 | Bullying is the first sign of abuse, says school principal

When it happened to me, I was a child. I was vulnerable. I had no idea what was happening to me. I was thinking that I have sinned and this guy was punishing me for that. This is what was going through my mind.

His modus operandi was simple. No child goes to the peeron his own.

Its the adults who would go to Sheikh with their issues, related to ailment, slump in business, child education among others. He offers them solution, saying his genies would address their problem. He also claims to have memorised the whole Quran.

He has an amazing voice. People get fooled and believe him. He then tells people that his genies are pious. He calls them Neek Moukals. And then tells people that they would talk only to children as they dont commit sins.

He takes the child to his room after dinner and then tells him to look down as he would bring a djinn into his own self. He tells the child not to look up when the djinn comes into his body, otherwise he would burn into ashes. He conquers the child with fear.

Read Part 3 | Justice can no longer exist as a theoretical ideal, writes a lawyer

He switches the language from Kashmiri to Urdu as if genies have entered his body. The child narrates the issues of his family. The peer would then ask very uncomfortable questions such as had he ever had relationship with a girl or a boy or if he had ever masturbated. And then he tells the child to sleep naked with him. Saying no to him would mean annoying a djinn who could destroy the boy. After I lied with him he raped me. I still remember I was not able to walk properly for two weeks. Yet none of my family members, relatives or teachers noticed it. They had no clue what I was going through. This is the story of every child who is his victim.

This disgusted man even rapes a child in front of other children. He forced them to penetrate each other. Once he asked me to penetrate my cousin who was three years younger to me and was 11 at that time. When I could not do it, he raped him himself. In front of me he has raped many children. If there are seven to eight children present on a night, he would rape the chubbiest boy. He is so evil that he would replicate with kids whatever happens in the porn world.

There are worse details which I cant share. You can imagine the trauma this man has inflicted on a generation of children. For the past two decades he has been doing it.

When it happened to me, it was 2002. I know a victim who was exploited in 1999.

Six people have already given a testimony in front of Sopores chief judicial magistrate against the peer and I am one of them.

This is the fourth part of HTs series, #LetsTalkAboutChildAbuse. Join the conversation on @htTweets and send us your ideas and suggestions.
In an important ruling, the Bombay high court has held that looking lecherously at a minor boy or a girl is punishable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2005.

Watching a child with sexual intent comes under mischief covered by Section 11 of the POCSO Act, said Justice AM Badar, while rejecting a petition filed by two Daman residents.

Section 11 of the POCSO Act defines sexual harassment of a child, and includes the words constantly watching a child with sexual intent. This offence is punishable by up to three years imprisonment and fine under Section 12 of the Act.

Therefore, it cannot be said that there are no sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused for the offence as defined by Section 11 and made punishable under Section 12 of the POCSO Act, the judge said, referring to the fact that a minor girl had named him as having bad eye on her in her statement to a metropolitan magistrate.

In her statement, the girl stated that he always used to see her with bad intention, the judge said, while rejecting the petition.

The duo had approached the high court (HC), seeking to quash the First Information Report (FIR) against them under provisions of the POCSO Act. Besides, it was also argued on their behalf that the FIR was based on vague complaint and there was no material to proceed ahead with the trial of the duo.

Justice Badar, however, said there was material to proceed against the accused as the victim herself had stated that he always looked at her with bad intention, and whether the act was with sexual intent or not is a matter of fact that can be decided only at the trial and not otherwise.
Home minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday that people living along the China border were the countrys strategic assets, and directed the frontier guarding force ITBP to ensure that they did not migrate as this would put Indias security at risk.

Addressing locals and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) troops at the 1st battalion camp here, Singh said the border population should be given more importance as the government has full faith and trust in the people living in these remote areas.

People living along the India-China border should not be made to migrate at any cost. They are our strategic assets. They should be given more importance. The day they will migrate...that will not be good for our border security, he said.

The home minister said the border population held an important place in the hearts of the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The prime minister has said special attention should be given to the well-being of the people living on the borders. I will request ITBP (personnel) to make friends with the local population in the area of their border deployment, he said.

The minister asked the border force to hold special camps to help the locals and assist them in redressing their problems.

The minister, on the third day of his tour of the areas, travelled to the high-altitude border out posts (BoPs) of the ITBP in Lapthal and Rimkhim by helicopter.

While this was the first time a home minister visited the Lapthal BoP, Rimkhim was last visited by then home minister L K Advani in 1998.

Singh had on Friday visited the Mana ITBP BoP in Chamoli district of the state.

The minister said that he would take up the issue of high mobile call rates with the authorities concerned and restore the Rs 1 per minute BSNL calling rate, through satellite phones, for the jawans of the force deployed at some of the most arduous and high altitude posts along this border.

The home minister said he was not happy that the rates were revised to Rs 5 per minute sometime ago.

This is the only means for our jawans to talk to their homes and families. I will definitely take this up, he said.

The home minister said his ministry had enhanced the funds provided to frontier states under the Border Action Development Plan (BADP) from the allocations of last year, and in Uttarakhand five border districts and their nine blocks would be covered under it on priority for construction of roads.

He said out of the special drive to construct 27 border roads in various states, 10 have been given to Uttarakhand as he directed authorities to finish the work on these links expeditiously.

He said more roads in the Himalayan state would be constructed under the BADP scheme as he added that the work on four stretches had been completed while one or two would become operational by this year.

The rest will get completed by 2019-20, he added.

During the event, where Singh also inaugurated a medical and civic action camp for the locals, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat declared that his government will provide job to one family member of a trooper who is killed in the line of duty.

He also announced that the state, in order to boost the income and provide work opportunities to the border population, would provide four lakh saplings of walnut and apricot trees, free of cost.

The chief minister added that the hill state would raise two companies (about 200 personnel) of an eco task force at the cost of Rs 5 crore and would recruit retired soldiers as its manpower.

The home minister reiterated that the border dispute between India and China would be resolved with the help of structured dialogue as no country in the world now wanted confrontation.

He said the recent Dokalam deadlock between the two neighbours was resolved after a positive approach was made.

Singh praised the ITBP troops for doing their duty very bravely, patiently and diligently.

He said he was visiting ITBP posts to compliment the force and boost the morale of these men who face various hardships and adversities while rendering their task and nothing more should be read into it.

The 90,000-personnel strong ITBP is tasked with guarding the 3,488km long Sino-India border across five states starting from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh cheif Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday expressed concern over the influx of Rohingya Muslims to India from Myanmar, terming them a threat to national security and integrity.

Addressing the customary Vijaydashami gathering at the RSS headquarters on the organisations foundation day, he claimed that Rohingyas were driven out from Myanmar mainly because of their violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with the terrorist groups.

Any decision on them should be taken by keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity,  he said.

Bhagwats views on Rohingiyas is the reiteration of the central governments stand on the issue. The centre in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court too claimed that Rohingya refugees were a security threat and they must be deported to Myanmar, the country of their origin.

Indias position on the community, regarded as one of the most persecuted in the world, however, drew flak from some rights bodies, including Amnesty International.

There are about 40,000 Rohingyas, mostly living in refugee settlements in Jammu.

According to a UN estimate about 500,000 Rohingyas have fled across the border to Bangladesh since violence began in Myanmars Rakhain state on August 25.

Concerns have been raised over the possibility of some of these refugees might illegally migrate to India through porous India-Bangladesh border.

Nation already has been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas who are chased away from Myanmar have infiltrated and many more are ready to migrate illegally, the RSS chief said.

Modi govt hailed

Bhagwat in his Vijaydashami speech also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his handling of international diplomacy as well as internal security issues.

Tackling of incidents like border standoff with China at Doklam, manifested Indias strong and determined stand, he said, lauding the BJP-led NDA government.

This definitely makes us realise about our strength and at the same time provides new international standing to Bharat, Bhagwat said.

The RSS is the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP.

On internal security

On internal security front too, the RSS chief said, situation has improved as all security forces, including the army, have been given the freedom to do their respective duties.

Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, he said provocative actions and propaganda of the separatists is effectively controlled by curbing their illegal financial sources and exposing their linkages with anti-national terrorist forces.

The positive effects of this strategy are visible on the ground, he added, stating that the benefits of this should now be taken to the masses in the entire state without any discrimination through transparent and clean governance.

On special provisions for J-K

Bhagwat reiterated the RSS demand for abrogation of a special provision of the Constitution that accords special rights and privileges to the natives of Jammu and Kashmir, which the organisation regarded as discriminatory towards Hindu refugees.

The problems of permanent residents of state who migrated from the Pakistan occupied Jammu-Kashmir in 1947 and the people who were displaced from the Kashmir valley in 1990 are remaining as it is.

We have to create conditions so that our these brothers can lead a happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians by availing equal democratic rights and fulfilling democratic duties, even while remaining firm and devoted to their religions and national identity, the RSS leader demanded.

For this, he said, necessary Constitutional amendments would have to be made to change the old provisions.

The need to take additional efforts in the field of education, health, livelihood and national values is also realised in the Kashmir valley and the remote border areas of Ladakh, he added.

West Bengal, Kerala governments flayed

Bhagwat observed that in the bordering states such as West Bengal and Kerala, ruled by Trinamool Congress and the Left Front respectively, attempts were being made to create atmosphere for disrespecting the Constitutional provisions on the basis of language, region, sects, religion etc,.

The state governments and their systematically politicised administrative systems are not only apathetic to this serious national crisis but are also lending a helping hand to the anti-national forces for petty political interests, he alleged.

Cross border smuggling including that of cow continue to be a matter of concern, he added.

Emphasis on welfare of security personnel

For more effective border guarding, the RSS chief called upon the Centre to expedite the process of equipping security forces with adequate resources, to improve their internal communication and coordination with intelligence agencies, and to ensure national self-reliance in military hardware.

He also emphasised on the need to take care of the security personnel and their families. This assumes significance in the wake of complaints by members of security forces about the treatment being meted out to them by their superiors and the quality of foods being served to them.

The direct interaction of government with these forces needs to be improved for this purpose, he added.

Modi congratulates RSS

Modi, meanwhile, congratulated RSS on its 92nd foundation day

All the volunteers engaged in patriotism, sacrament and service activities, my best wishes on the foundation day of the RSS, Modi tweeted.

The RSS was launched in September 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and its foundation day is celebrated annually on Dussehra day.

(With agency inputs)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat criticised the NITI Aayog on Saturday, saying the Centres think tank and state economic advisers should abandon the same old economic isms and present solutions based on reality on the ground for Indias growth.

He termed gross domestic product (GDP) figures as a faulty parameter still used to measure the economys health and progress.

Our Niti Aayog and economic advisers of the states will have to  integrate the most up-to-date economic experiences with the ground reality of our nation, he said at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs annual Dussehra event in Nagpur.

All policies and standards need rethinking, unique models of development based on the needs of our nation.

His remarks came amid a raging debate on the economy, triggered by former finance minister Yashwant Sinhas criticism of the NDA governments policies. Senior ministers rebutted Sinhas argument, saying India has the worlds fastest-growing economy.

The chief of the RSS, the ruling BJPs ideological fount, touched a range of issues that political observers interpreted as expression of dissatisfaction over the state of the nations economy.

Our farmers are in pain today. He is depressed after facing the onslaught of floods and droughts, export-import policy, meagre pricing, mounting loans, he said, addressing a substantial portion of Indias population that depends solely on agriculture.

Bhagwat called announcements by Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab to write of bank loans of farmers a temporary measure. He said farm loan waivers wont solve the problem.

The 67-year-old leader made a pitch for jobs, saying thats a major consideration for us.

He underlined that the biggest contribution toward employment comes from the small and medium industry, retail businesses, and cooperative and agriculture sectors.

They are our security net during ups and downs in the global trade and economic earthquakes ... Crores of people get jobs or employments through these sectors, he said.

His comments are viewed as an oblique criticism of two major economic reforms  demonetisation of Rs 500- and 1,000-rupee banknotes last November and the goods and services tax (GST) launched in July. Both are accused of triggering business losses, especially in small and medium segments.

Bhagwat called for protection to small and medium sectors from economic earthquakes.

While reforming and cleaning the economic systems, although some tremors and instability is expected, it should be kept in mind that these sectors should feel the minimum heat and ultimately they should get the maximum strength, he advised.

Before him, RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Laghu Udyog Bharti and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh criticized the NITI Aayog for lopsided policies, calling it anti-labour and out of sync with reality.

The RSS chief backed the NDA government for its handling of foreign policy and internal security and applauded welfare schemes such as Jan Dhan and gas subsidy.

Bhagwat appreciated the governments zero-tolerance policy on terrorism and border intrusions.

The resolution of the standoff at Doklam with China was praised, as was steps to flush out of militants from Kashmir by choking funding outlets and exposing cross-border terrorism.

Bhagwat made pointed references to refugees from West Pakistan being denied voting rights in states and the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.

The RSS chief said conditions have to be created for allowing happy, dignified and secure life to all.

For this just work, necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed.

The remarks are viewed as the organisations stand on a demand for abrogation of Article 35(A) and Article 370, constitutional provisions that guarantee special privileges to the restive state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Russian President Vladimir Putins special representative on Afghanistan visited India this week for a series of meetings with Indian officials on restoring peace in the war-ravaged country.

Zamir Kabulovs visit followed US defence secretary Jim Mattiss trip to India and Afghanistan.

Putins envoy has three decades of experience about the region and played a key role in shaping Russias policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He is known for his open position about US troops leaving Afghanistan at the earliest, which doesnt really gel well with New Delhis views from the security standpoint.

Indian officials said the visit was part of continuing consultations on Afghanistan on topics ranging from terrorism, the Islamic State terrorist group and the future of the peace process.

The Islamic State is expanding its footprints in the volatile country, a development that deeply worries Russia.

For New Delhi, the visit came in the context of two developments  the Russians taking a position that the Taliban cannot be defeated with military offensives and Moscows growing closeness with Pakistan.

Indian officials said there are common grounds between India and Russia when it comes to peace talks with the Taliban.

All countries the region agrees that Taliban has to give up violence and peace should be an Afghan-led, Afghan-driven process. The Russians understand that within the Taliban there are influential groups like the Haqqani Network that get constant support from Pakistan, an official said.

The biggest concern for India is arch-rivals Pakistan influencing the Afghan peace process to push its interests.

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Police solved the mystery behind two charred bodies found on Friday at Chandigarh Aheer village of Ramgarh tehsil in Alwar district.

A woman, with the help of her brother and a servant, killed her father-in-law and mother-in-law over property dispute, police said on Saturday.

The woman, Geeta, and the servant, Vikas, were arrested. The two admitted that they killed another person, police said.

Satpal Singh Tomar and Pushpa Devi, residents of Sohna in Haryana, were involved in a property dispute with their daughter-in-law Geeta. Because of the dispute, Geetas husband Vipin committed suicide six months ago. Satpal denied any share of their property to Geeta after their sons demise, additional superintendent of police Paras Jain said in a press conference here.

Last month, Satpal sold a property worth crores and didnt give Geeta anything. Geeta became angry and decided to take revenge on the entire family.

Jain said Geeta plotted to kill the couple and her elder brother-in-law Pankaj Tomar, a paralytic. She roped in her brother Samardeep and servant Vikas to execute the plan.

Geeta, Samardeep and Vikas killed Satpal, Pushpa Devi and Pankaj on September 28 by strangling them with ropes. Vikas took a car from Shubham, a resident Sohna, put the bodies in it and drove towards Alwar along with Geeta and her brother, Jain said.

Vikas knew that Alwar is a forest area and it would be easier to get rid of the bodies there. They put the bodies of Satpal and Pushpa in the trunk and that of Pankaj on the back seat of the car. Afraid that police might stop them at a check post, they first dumped Pankajs body and burnt it with petrol, the ASP said.

Then they entered Rajasthan and burnt the other two bodies at Chandigarh Aheer Village using petrol and cow dung cakes.

Randheer Singh Yadav of the village saw them speeding away and noted the car number and manufacturer.

The next day when the two charred bodies were found, Yadav gave the information to police. Car owner Shubham was tracked in Haryana, Jain said.

Shubham said Vikas took his car. Police detained Vikas and Geeta, but Samardeep fled. Later, the two confessed to the crime and Ramgarh police arrested both. Search for Samardeep is on.
When Stephanie and Arryn stripped down for a couples boudoir photo shoot in September, they didnt anticipate the reactions the intimate pictures would generate.

While many reacted positively, applauding the Texas-based couples confidence and chemistry, others were far from kind in their responses.

Stephanie said in a BuzzFeed report that she was fired by her employer -- Austin Bank Texas N.A. -- after the photo shoot. The bank told her they were concerned about how many people would see her photos and how it would reflect on the company, the report quoted her as saying.

The company said the photos were inappropriate, adding that they were a family-oriented company. While the company said Stephanie was topless in the photos, she said she was wearing a swimsuit bottom and a strapless top that is worn with backless dresses.

There was no defending myself, they had made their decision, said Stephanie. I gave over a year to a company that I worked really hard for and then to have them turn on me for doing something so positive, something that I was so proud of  to help myself as a woman  it was hurtful. People were pulling out their phones at work and showing the pictures and that was blamed on me.

As a company, if they feel what I do outside of my job is going to jeopardize their business, thats fine. Its just disheartening to me because I feel like home life and work life are two totally different things. I was a model employee, I was moving up fast. I had a promotion within seven months. This one thing, for me, was the reason I was booted, Stephanie told BuzzFeed.

After the photos -- shot by Wolf & Rose Photography -- became public, Stephanie used the reactions to spread a message on the need for body-positivity. She was engaged to Arryn in February.

Over the years, Ive come to accept that I am always going to be considered plus-size. I push myself out of my comfort zone by wearing clothes that I love. I walk around with my head high, smiling, and show no shame in myself, she told HuffPost.

While some people thought the company was unfair in firing her for what she did on her time, there were many who said women who are slim have been fired for the same thing before, or that the company took the right call.

The photographs have had more than 64,000 reactions on Facebook and over 10,000 comments.

The boudoir photographic style features intimate, romantic, and sometimes erotic images of its subjects, who do not regularly model.

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The foot overbridge at Elphinstone Road railway station, where a Friday rush-hour stampede claimed 23 lives, saw a lone candle flickering on its steps on Saturday afternoon and fewer commuters than usual.

Prasad Arolkar, 19, lit that single candle. Let us not stand here and talk. I was lucky that I survived. On Friday, I left home earlier than usual and missed the stampede by an hour. I will have to muster courage to take this bridge every morning now, but I dont have a choice, he told Hindustan Times. An engineering student and a resident of Elphinstone, Arolkar travels to his Vidyavihar college every morning at 10.30am.

Scores of people visited the station on Saturday to pay their respects to the victims.

Naresh Solanki, a resident of the area, was one of the first to rush to the spot and help victims. Life has slowed down at the station. Maybe it is because its a weekend. But people will certainly need time to recover if they had witnessed the stampede. This long weekend will help, he said.

Manasi Khatri , 43, who works at Parel, said, I will continue taking the train as it is affordable, but I wont have the courage to travel in a train if my children are with me. There are friends of mine who dont want to take the train for at least a week to recover from the incident.

Commuters expect life to come back to normal soon, attributing it partly to Mumbais indomitable spirit, and lack of choice. Bal Shirsat, who lives in Dadar and sometimes takes the train to Elphinstone Road, said, What other alternatives are there? Are roads any safer? Look at the potholes on them. Bus rides are bumpy and traffic jams are never ending.

About 20 police officers are stationed outside the station at various spots.
The special court for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, sentenced a man, an autorickshaw driver, to life imprisonment for raping his minor daughter. Another autorickshaw driver who also raped the girl, on the pretext of protecting her, was sentenced to 20 years in jail.

The man started abusing his daughter when she turned 15. She complained to her mother, who ignored the recurring incidents of abuse. In October 2013, the man raped his daughter at home after his wife went out.

To escape her father, the girl planned to elope with a boy from her locality, who she said she was in love with. On October 25, 2014, she left the house intending to run away. However, the boy backed out of the plan, said the prosecution. On finding an empty autorickshaw that evening, the girl slept on the back seat.

A driver, who seemed sympathetic, told the girl she could sleep at his house. He took her home and raped her, said the prosecution. The driver did not allow the girl to leave his house and she soon found out she was pregnant.

Four months later, she contacted her mother and told her about the pregnancy. She escaped and returned home in May 2015.Her mother and maternal uncle asked the Nehru Nagar police to register a complaint.

The mother told the court that after the case was registered, the girl wanted an abortion, which was subsequently carried out.

The court held the father and auto driver guilty of sexual assault on a minor.
Five men donning Shiv Sena caps walked into the mortuary at KEM hospital on Saturday evening, roughed up Dr Harish Pathak, head of department, forensic medicine, and tried to scribble a number on his forehead.

The men were protesting against the hospitals move to mark numbers on the foreheads of those who died in the stampede at Elphinstone Road foot over bridge. Following the attack, workers at the hospitals mortuary have threatened to stop work. A journalist was also threatened. Of the five, two men were taken to the police room at the hospital.

Twenty-three people were killed and 39 others were injured after a stampede broke out on a crowded pedestrian bridge connecting two stations in Mumbai on Friday, one of the worst tragedies to hit the citys teeming local train network.

It was unclear what caused the stampede, with official and witness accounts suggesting people may have panicked during the morning rush after believing there was a live wire or the bridge was about to fall.

Some of the injured are in serious condition, Deepak Sawant, the health minister of Maharashtra, had said at KEM hospital where the injured were taken.

The bridge, which connects Elphinstone and Parel stations, is usually crowded during rush hours, but it was more so on Friday morning after people huddled to take cover from a sudden downpour.
People who escaped Fridays stampede and their relatives are still coming to terms with what transpired at the foot overbridge at Elphinstone Road station on Friday. Being treated at KEM Hospital in Parel, they recounted their ordeal.

For example, the parents of Akash Parab,18, who fractured his left leg in the mishap, had hidden the news of his 11-year-old brother Rohits death from him. We have told him that Rohit is in the other ward. We have lost everything, said Akashs father Ankush, who is from Vikhroli.

Mahananda Sawant, 36, who works at a housekeeping firm, was curled up on a bed in the womens ward. She was stuck in the stampede for twenty minutes. At 11:30 am on Friday, her son Veresh got a call from her mothers office, asking her whereabouts. I first went to the station and then to KEM Hospital. It took me two hours to find her here, said Veresh.

Sawant said her body was compressed by pressure from all sides. I am feeling breathless and my blood pressure is low. I have been throwing up, she said.

Four other people too had either fractured or sprained their legs, as they were stuck on the overcrowded footbridge.

Avinash Supe, dean of KEM Hospital, said 32 patients were still in the hospital. Two patients have left the hospital against medical advice, another three were discharged on Friday, he said.

Meanwhile, officials at the mortuary said that they had conducted post-mortems of all deceased. The families of all but four victims are yet to claim the bodies for the last rites.

Despite injury, I went to firm for job interview

Though Wasim Shaikh lost his chance to be employed by a company, he won his battle against death.

Shaikh, who works as an accountant in Vashi, was on his way to appear for a job interview

Shaikh, who works as an accountant in Vashi, was on his way to appear for a job interview at Indiabulls Finance Centre, near Elphinstone Road station. People fell in front of me and I fell on someone, said Shaikh as he rested on his mothers lap at KEM Hospital. Despite the injury, Shaikh went for his interview but was rejected. After the interview, I came to KEM hospital as my chest was paining, he said.

Raised hand, shouted for help

Pramod Bagwe, 52, and his wife, Pradnaya Bagwe, 48, both residents of Elphinstone, were stuck on the stairway of the foot overbridge.

I raised my hand and shouted for help, said Pramod. (HT)

My wife and I left together from home. She works at Churchgate and I at Andheri, said Pramod. As the couple tried moving up in the crowd, he felt a huge thump on his chest.

I raised my hand and shouted for help, said Pramod.

He said he lost his wallet, tiffin and bag, but his phone stayed with him.

As soon as I got up, I started looking for my wife. She too was injured, he added.
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a liar, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said he would not allow his ambitious pet project, a bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, unless the suburban rail network is upgraded. He also blamed the influx of migrants into the city, saying such stampedes would occur again due to this.

Thackerays strong remarks came a day after 22 people died in a stampede on a railway bridge at Elphinstone Road station in the city. He also announced a protest march against the railway administration at the western lines railway headquarters in Churchgate on October 5.

I shall not allow even a brick for the bullet train project to be laid. First resolve all the basic problems of Mumbai commuters. If Modi wants, let him construct it in Gujarat, he said, warning that if the government tries to push it through, the MNS will oppose it in its own style.

The government has not been able to maintain the existing set-up of the railways, and is launching new projects. I have not seen a liar such as our prime minister in my entire life. He is boasting about the bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, he said.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president claimed that Suresh Prabhu was replaced by Piyush Goyal as the railway minister only to push through the Bullet Train project.

This Goyal is useless, Prabhu was good, he added as he criticised Union railway minister Piyush Goyal who recently took over the ministry from Suresh Prabhu.

Fridays mishap at Elphinstone Road was an incident waiting to happen as the railway administration has not done anything to maintain and upgrade the infrastructure at railway stations, the MNS chief said at a press conference at his residence in central Mumbais Dadar locality.

The MNS leader, who has in the past stoked controversies with his anti-migrant rhetoric, also went on to blame the large influx of migrants into the city. There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions.

Thackeray also took a pot-shot at the BJP government for having no money to upgrade infrastructure, but planning to run a bullet train that costs Rs 1.1 lakh crore.

The Kakodkar committee (for improvement of Mumbais train network) suggested that Rs 1 lakh crore be spent between 2012 and 2017 on the upgradation of bridges and railway tracks, but the previous and incumbent governments have put the report in cold storage, he alleged.

He also criticised the Shiv Sena, calling it hypocritical for having ministers in the government when it supposedly disapproves of the way the government is functioning.

The MNS chief appealed to people from Mumbai and Thane to participate in the protest march against the government and the railway administration.

We will make a detailed presentation of commuters problems to the administration at railway stations. I want citizens to participate in the morcha and express their discontent, and seek solutions to their problems, Thackeray said.

He said he would speak to hawkers operating at stations and request them to not encroach on public space. If they dont pay heed, they will have to be thrown out.
Mumbai The Shiv Sena will remain in power to protect the interests of people, the party mouthpiece on Saturday said amid speculation that it may pull out of the BJP-led government in Maharashtra.

The frayed relationship between saffron allies -- the BJP and Shiv Sena -- had come under fresh strain after Sena MP Sanjay Raut had recently said his party will soon decide on whether to continue in the two-party coalition government in Maharashtra.

However, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana on Saturday said the party would not end the coalition when assembly elections are two years away and will continue to remain in power to protect the interests of people.

Shiv Sena has 12 ministers in the Fadnavis government, including five of the Cabinet rank. Maharashtra has a 39- member council of ministers. The party has one minister in the NDA ministry at the centre.

The editorial also hit out at the railways and the central government, alleging that their apathy led to Fridays stampede at the Elphinstone station that killed 23 people.

The Sena also took a swipe at the ambitious bullet train project from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, saying, what is the use of the bullet train when you cannot provide basic infrastructure to local commuters?
The Powai police recently arrested two people for firing four rounds at an influential cinema hall owner in Bihar, killing him.

On September 16, the two accused and eight of their accomplices hatched a plan to kill Nirbhay Singh a resident of Bihta, Patna. Huge protests erupted following the shooting as it took place just 250m from the Bihta police station.

Too evade arrest, the accused, Riku Saurabh, 23, and a man identified as Shankar, 26, came to Mumbai eight days ago, and were staying at a relatives house at Tunga Gaav in Powai. Police said they lied to their relatives about why they came to the city, claiming it was for sightseeing purposes.

A Bihta police team arrived in Mumbai and asked for our help. We got information about who owned the house where the two were staying, following which two teams laid a trap and nabbed the culprits, said an officer from Powai police station, who did not wish to be identified.

A team of Patna police, under special superintendent of police Manu Maharaj, was detecting the case. Eight people have been arrested, including mastermind Akshay Kumar.

Police said Kumar had hired the shooters, but are yet to ascertain why Singh was killed.

These goons kill people to spread terror among local businessmen and extort money from them, said an officer, who did not wish to be identified.

The two were produced in court and were later taken to Bihta.

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Terming the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission a puppet of the Punjab government, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Saturday said that neither the premier Sikh organisations president, Kirpal Singh Badungar, nor any Akal Takht representative will appear before it despite having been summoned.

The Congress government had set up the one-man commission of the former high court judge to investigate all cases of sacrilege reported in Punjab, including three of Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district in 2015 and the Behbal Kalan firing incident. The new government had rejected the report of the Zora Singh Commission,which had been appointed by the SAD-BJP regime.

The commission earlier this month sent summons to the SGPC and the secretariat of Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, to submit documents related to pardoning of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a 2007 case of alleged blasphemy, and about the expenses involved in issuing advertisements related to the 2015 pardon that had later been withdrawn.

On Saturday, in an emergent meeting of the SGPC executive chaired by Badungar, the members said the commission is overstepping jurisdiction, which will not be tolerated, as the SGPC and the Takht are supreme institution of Sikhs.

Badungar said, It is highly condemnable that the commission has summoned the SGPC president and the Takht jathedar to appear before it with the record. The executive has passed a resolution to condemn this move and rejected the commission, which is nothing but a puppet of the Congress government.

He added, After Operation Bluestar, Congress government is again directly interfering in Sikh affairs and challenging the Akal Takht and SGPC . The summoning is against the traditions, maryada (code of ethics) and prestige of Sikh institutions. He said the SGPC has decided not to appear before the commission nor submit any documents.

Meanwhile, Daljit Singh Cheema, spokesperson of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) that controls the elected SGPC, termed its decision as the right move.

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Former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) minister Sucha Singh Langah, booked in a rape case, is yet to surrender. Earlier reports had suggested the Akali leader surrendered in a court in Pathankot on Saturday afternoon. Senior officials, however, denied the same, and said the courts were closed on account of Dussehra.

Even as the Gurdaspur police launched a manhunt to nab former Akali minister Sucha Singh Langah, amidst reports that he had gone underground, a late night statement from the veteran leader  issued through the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)  had said he will surrender in a local court on Saturday.

The statement added that the premeditated case was a classic example of political vendetta and a witch hunt. It went on to add that he (Langah) was resigning from all posts with the SAD and was quitting the membership of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) as well.

On Friday morning, minutes after getting word of the rape case while he has addressing an election rally in support of BJP-SAD candidate Swaran Salaria at Dera Baba Nanak, Langah had summoned a private car and left the venue. Noticeably, he did not take any of his government-provided guards with him.

This is vendetta, perpetuated at the most political opportune moment when the byelection of the Gurdaspur Parliamentary constituency is under way, the statement went on to add.

He also claimed that the case was a witch-hunt launched since he met the state DGP in August and complained against seven SHOs in the state.

He claimed that another case was registered against the entire SAD leadership of Gurdaspur district on August 20.

The rape complaint itself was made to the SSP yesterday. An inquiry was marked and conducted within hours and a report also submitted. Legal opinion was also sought and given within a matter of minutes and in the wee hours of Friday, a false FIR was registered, the statement added.

Booked on August 20 for rioting too

Even as he now faces charges of rape himself, on August 20 this year, Langah, was booked for trespass and rioting after he allegedly entered into an argument with members of Chhota Ghallughara Gurdwara, Kahnuwan Chhamb management committee and tried to forcibly enter their premises. He has then raked up the issue of a senior functionary of the management allegedly being seen with a woman inside the gurdwara on the night of August 11. In this case, former Punjab minister Sewa Singh Sekhwan and then AAP leader Kanwalpreet Singh Kaki are also among accused.

A case was registered for trespass, criminal intimidation and rioting at Bhaini Mian Khan police station in Gurdaspur. Langah has also been convicted in a case of possessing more wealth than his known sources of income and is out on bail. He has filed an appeal against the decision in the higher court.
With both the BJP and the ruling Congress having high stakes in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll, the battle is getting murkier. The latest subject of the no-holds-barred campaign is the rape FIR against former minister in the SAD-BJP regime, Akali strongman Sucha Singh Langah, who was being seen as a potential spoiler for the Congress.

Langah, who was convicted in a disproportionate assets case, is no stranger to controversies. But the timing of the rape FIR has raised questions. On why the victim filed the complaint after nine years  the FIR mentions period of crime from January 1, 2009, to September 28, 2017  Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa, who defeated him in 2007 and again this year, dubbed it as the Ram Rahim effect.

Many women are speaking up against sexual assaults by powerful people after the CBI court verdict against Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim (last month). The victims FIR explains how Langah used his clout as a minister in the Akali government and issued threats to silence her, Randhawa said.

The SAD, the BJPs dominant alliance partner in Punjab, has its eye mainly on the rural vote in the five Jat Sikh-dominated assembly segments of the Lok Sabha seat. The seat is spread over nine segments. For the SAD, this is a chance to give the Congress its first major blow after facing a near-rout in the state polls. It lost no time to go into damage-control after Langah was booked and dropped him like a hot potato. Though the former minister dubbed the case as premeditated and a classic example of political vendetta and witch hunt, he was made to announce resignation from the SAD core committee, all other party posts and the membership of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

But the damage seems to have been done. The controversy has given the Congress  which has fielded state unit chief Sunil Jakhar, and the AAPs Maj Gen Suresh Khajuria (retd) a handle against the alliance partners when the bypoll is just 10 days away and Langahs surrender and follow-up action will continue to dominate headlines.

Attacks in the bypoll had got personal as soon as the BJP named Swaran Salaria as its candidate. Both the Congress and the AAP were quick to target the BJPs pick as a rape accused citing a complaint against him by a Mumbai-based air-hostess in December 2014. After the leaders, party workers took the war to social media by circulating the rape complaint  that had later been withdrawn by the woman  on WhatsApp and Facebook. On Thursday, BJP stat unit chief Vijay Sampla had targeted the Swiss in-laws of the Congress nominee, saying that people would need to travel to Switzerland to meet him if he is elected.

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A jilted lover allegedly slit the throat of a 17-year-old girl in broad daylight after she refused to accompany him at the Sector-26 grain market on Friday.

The victim, Pooja, and the accused, Sunil, 18, a resident of EWS Colony, Dhanas, Chandigarh, used to sell vegetables at the market. He was later arrested from near the Timber Market in Sector 26. The knife used in the crime was recovered from him.

In her complaint to the police, Jyoti, a resident of Bapu Dham Colony, Sector 26, Chandigarh, told the police that Sunil had known her friend Pooja for some time. He was enamored by her and had been pursuing her for a relationship. However, Pooja had not been responding to his proposals.

She stated that lately Sunil had been upset with Pooja as he didnt appreciate her talking to other men. On Friday, while Pooja was selling vegetables in the Sector-26 market, Sunil approached her and asked her to accompany her towards the parking area. When she refused, he pulled out a knife from his pocket and slit her throat, before fleeing the scene, Jyoti alleged, adding that Pooja ran about 100 metres gasping for help, before collapsing. She called out Sunil as her attacker, before losing consciousness.

The teenager was rushed to Government Multi-Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, from where she was referred to Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), where she was declared brought dead.

A case under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered at the Sector 26 police station.
The state government may soon ban issuance of loans to farmers found involved in stubble burning. District officials in Barnala have directed patwaris to make a red entry in the girdawari register against any farmer involved in the act.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Ghanshyam Thori said, The state government is contemplating to ban loans for farmers who burn paddy straw in their fields. Such farmers may also be deprived of using agricultural implements on rent.

He claimed, Thousands of farmers from the district have submitted undertakings against stubble burning.

In the past, the state department of science, technology and environment had issued a notification to ban burning of crop residue. The National Green Tribunal had also issued directions to control stubble burning.

The DC added that orders of the Punjab Pollution Control Board imposes a fine up to 2,500 on farmers owning 2.5 acres, 5,000 on those having 2.5 acres to five acres, 7,500 on those owning between five acres and 10 acres, and 15,000 on those having more than 10 acres, incase they are found burning stubble.

Govt has failed to give permanent solution: Sadhu Singh

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP from Faridkot, Sadhu Singh, on Friday, said the central and state governments have failed to provide farmers a permanent solution to manage paddy stubble, even though stubble burning has become a serious issue.

He claimed that Punjab governments suggestion to decompose stubble to enrich soil fertility is an eyewash according to scientists.

The parliamentarian added that farmers are blamed for burning stubbles but no one is ready to offer them lasting solutions.

He said, Farmers protest cant be ignored for long by giving false assurances, adding that the Centre has been betraying farmers by refusing to implement recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. Farmers are being denied even the minimum support price. This is unfair, he said.
Police arrested seven suspected members of terrorist organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) late Friday evening and claimed to have recovered three pistols and 33 bullets from their possession. The arrested include a minor.

The police said the accused were conspiring to kill people who write against Sikhism and Khalistan on the social media. The police also suspect their involvement in the killing of Hindu leaders, including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Jagdish Gagneja, Sri Hindu Takht leader Amit Sharma, Shiv Sena Punjab leader Durga Prasad Gupta and pastor Sultan Masih.

Police said BKI commander Surinder Singh Babbar, who has allegedly been hiding in the United Kingdom, is funding and recruiting youths to carry out operations in Punjab.

The accused are Kuldeep Singh, Jasvir Singh, Amanpreet Singh, Onkar Singh, Jugraj Singh and Amritpal Singh.

They, along with the minor, were produced before a local court on Saturday, which sent them to seven-day police custody.

The minor has been sent to a rehabilitation centre on judicial remand.

Police commissioner RN Dhoke said the seven were arrested following intelligence inputs. A case was registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act.

The accused have no criminal record. However, their involvement in the killings of Hindu leaders cannot be ruled out, Dhoke said.

The police suspect their involvement in five killings where the method to execute the crime was similar.

Amanpreet Singh is a granthi at a gurdwara and has been radicalising people. Kuldeep Singh is a transporter and Jasvir Singh is his driver. Onkar Singh, Jugraj Singh and Amritpal are school dropouts. Besides the minor, all others are between 18 and 22 years, Dhoke said.

During interrogation, the police said, the accused admitted to meeting to create disturbance in the state. They allegedly held three meetings in Ludhiana to recruit people. They were in touch with Babbar on social media.
Oviya, who now has a huge number of followers thanks to her stint at the Bigg Boss Tamil house will be making a re-entry.

From the pictures that have gone viral on Twitter so far, it looks like the ex-housemate will be celebrating the festive occasion with the final contestants of the show. The episode is now going to hook in Oviyas Army for sure, resulting in an increase in viewership for the finale episode. The contestants remaining in the house are Ganesh, Aarav, Harish, and Snehan.

It is going to be an interesting finale as Aarav will be facing the wrath of the audience because of his attitude towards Oviya.

For the uninitiated, Oviya had proposed to Aarav on the show. Throughout the show, he did not stop her from expressing her feelings, and at instances, even seemed to like the attention. So when he said no to Oviya when the other housemates were cornering her, it came as a shock to the audience. An upset Oviya then jumped into a pool and raised an alarm among other contestants. It was after this that she left the Bigg Boss Tamil house. When she came face to face with her audience, there was thunderous applause for the actor.

Also raising the temperature of the finale are the rumoured expectations that Kamal Haasan will announce his next film at the finale.

It is being reported that the Ulaganayagan (a title accorded to Kamal) will be working with Shankar to make the sequel to their hit 1996 film, Indian. Currently, the actor is busy in the post-production of Vishwaroopam 2.

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From watching Raavan burn, playing with dhanush baan and gada toys to making their own Raavan  television celebs recall celebrating Raavan with fervour. But growing up hasnt changed anything. Today, too, they have big plans for Dussehra.

Arjun Bijlani

Dussehra for everyone is a victory of good over evil. I remember my childhood days playing with dhanush baan and gada toys, Ravana masks and considering myself no less than the Ramayan characters  Ram, Ravana and Hanuman.

Vivian Dsena

During my childhood In Bhopal, we would go and visit Ramlila maidaan in a group. The tale of Ramayan always used to make me curious about Ram and Ravana. Dussehra holidays were a lot of fun. We used to eat ghar ka khana and play around. I still feel like a child when I see Ramlila in Mumbai. Our history is rich in culture and real stories... Im shooting on Dussehra and in the evening, Ill have scrumptious home cooked food, mostly dal baati churma.

Karan Wahi

Dussehra was a fun festival for me as a child, as we would go with the family to see the Ramlila. I would then make my Ravana with colony friends and burn the effigies. I am going to celebrate Dussehra in London as I am shooting and will wish my family on the phone.

Dalljiet Kaur

I have just returned to Mumbai from Delhi where I had gone for a Ramlila event. I think Dussehra creates a very powerful energy. Ravana Dahan is what we all have grown up seeing and also listening to the story of Ram vanvas. I would want to kill the trait of blind trust. My son is with me so I will enjoy the festival with him, and explain its significance to him.

Rashami Desai

I love to see Ravana Dahan. I have great childhood memories of going for Ramlila and Ravana Dahan. I feel good in these days of festive fervour. Dussehra gives a very good feeling. I like to see people dressed up, and family gatherings are a delight. I will go out with friends in the evening.

Jasmin Bhasin

As a child, I would get excited seeing the huge effigy of Ravana and hearing the noise of crackers. My parents would buy me clothes and take us out for Ravana Dahan to the Ramlila ground. We had a Ravana Dahan in our neighbourhood also. Now, I really dont get a chance to go and see Ramlila. If I get a chance, I would love to go for Ravan Dahan. I really miss those days.

Adaa Khan

Dussehra reminds that good always wins over evil. I believe in the power of positive living and positive thinking. As a child, I used to go to watch Ramlila with my parents. A ritual that I follow is that we bring fafda jalebi every Dussehra and worship Goddess Durga. This year, I plan to watch a film and go out for dinner.

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Eleven people were killed in a series of overnight shootings in a Cape Town township, police said on Saturday.

Extra police officers were deployed to the Philipi district of Cape Town, a city that suffers from regular gang violence and armed clashes between rival criminal groups.

We have deployed teams comprising specialist detectives, high-risk units and intelligence operatives, police spokeswoman Novela Potelwa told the News 24 website.

We already executed search operations that are set to continue throughout the day. The police are doing their best to arrest those responsible.

Tens of thousands of people live in informal shack settlements in Philipi, located in the notoriously crime-ridden Cape Flats area of the city.

Four people were shot dead at an informal shebeen bar on Friday evening, with three other bodies found by police nearby. Another four more people were killed elsewhere in the district.

The ruling ANC party condemned the deaths.

Regardless of the circumstances, these mass murders -- related or not -- are criminal acts which must be punished using the full might of our law, party spokesman Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.

Criminals live among our communities, they are harboured by us and until society stands as one against this scourge, it will not be defeated.

On average, there are 51 murders per day in South Africa, according to official figures released last year.

Crime is seen as a major issue hampering the countrys social cohesion, economic development and international reputation -- especially as a tourist destination.

Last week 36 Dutch tourists were robbed on a bus on route to their hotel after landing at Johannesburg airport for a three-week holiday.
An American citizen was found guilty by jurors in Brooklyn federal court on Friday of supporting al Qaeda and helping to prepare a 2009 car bomb attack on a US military base in Afghanistan.

Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, 31, was convicted of charges that include conspiring to murder Americans and use a weapon of mass destruction, and supporting a foreign terrorist organization, according to a spokesman for US prosecutors in Brooklyn.

He faces life in prison when he is sentenced on Jan. 11.

Al Farekhs attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

US prosecutors in 2015 accused Al Farekh, who was born in Texas, of conspiring to support al Qaeda by travelling with two fellow students from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces.

They also charged that Al Farekh helped prepare a vehicle-borne explosive device used in a Jan. 19, 2009 attack on a US Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan.

Prosecutors said an accomplice detonated one device, injuring multiple people, while Al Farekhs fingerprints were found on packing tape for the second device, which another accomplice carried but failed to detonate.

One of the other university students Al Farekh travelled with in 2007, Ferid Imam, has also been indicted, though his whereabouts are unknown.

Prosecutors said Imam provided training at an al Qaeda camp in Pakistan in 2008 to three men later found guilty of plotting a bombing attack in the New York City subway system.

Authorities have said that before going to Pakistan, Farekh and Imam frequently watched videos promoting violent jihad, including online lectures by Anwar Al-Awlaki, the US-born, Yemen-based militant preacher affiliated with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who was killed in a US drone attack in 2011.
Rashida Begum steers clear of the water pump near the reeking latrine shared by more than 100 families in a grim corner of Bangladesh that has grown into one of the worlds largest refugee settlements in just weeks.

The pump works, but the water stinks, so we dont drink it, the Rohingya woman said in the squalid camp where her family of 11 has lived since fleeing Myanmar a fortnight ago.

The UN has warned of a humanitarian nightmare unfolding in Bangladeshs refugee camps, where half a million people have taken shelter after fleeing violence in Myanmar in unprecedented waves.

With a lack of clean water and toilets, aid workers say a major health disaster is imminent.

Heavy monsoon rain is compounding the risk of disease outbreak, with field doctors reporting a huge spike in cases of severe diarrhoea, especially among children.

The near daily torrential downpours send streams rushing through areas where tens of thousands openly defecate every day. For some, this murky runoff is their only source of drinking water.

A stench of excreta hangs in the air on the outskirts of Kutupalong, a camp that already housed tens of thousands of refugees before the latest influx saw it mushroom into a fetid tent city stretching for miles.

At a field clinic, a long queue of refugees waiting to see the only doctor available stretched beyond the tent into the pouring rain.

Dr Alamul Haque sees upwards of 400 patients a day and looked exhausted as he described the spiralling number of children presenting with water-borne illnesses.

Earlier parents were bringing one or two children with them. Now its three to four, Dr Haque, from Bangladeshi charity SDI, told AFP.

Its been raining, so human waste is running everywhere. There is a high chance of a diarrhoea epidemic here.

New groundwater wells are being dug quickly across the camps, which stretch along the Coxs Bazar district bordering Myanmar.

But there remains a serious shortage of fresh water, with the sheer scale of the disaster -- described as one of the fastest-growing refugee crises in years -- outpacing aid efforts on the ground.

There are long queues whenever we go to collect water. There are far more people than there is water, said one Rohingya man, knee-deep in mud as he dug a pit latrine on a hillside.

At Unchiprang, a enormous hillside shanty town of nearly 30,000 people, close to three-quarters of a million litres of water needs trucking in every day. But the roads are virtually impassable, hampering delivery.

Further down the coast at Nayapara and Leda camps experts warn existing water sources will run dry by January.

But sanitation is a more immediate concern.

Toilets are being filled as fast as they are being built, forcing people to defecate wherever they can.

There are hundreds of people queued for the toilets. Its a big problem, especially for the children, Hasina Begum, an elderly Rohingya woman, told AFP.

There are other toilets on the hillsides, but theyre basic pits. Theyre filled up now, and stink, so nobody uses them.

The Red Cross says camps are teetering on the precipice of a full-scale health disaster.

Conditions are ripe for an illness like cholera to tear through the densely-populated camps, experts say, where refugees live cheek by jowl.

The risk of there being an acute, watery diarrhoea epidemic is real and serious, said an international health and sanitation expert, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak to media.
Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder announced on Friday that he would chair the board of Russias state-controlled oil major Rosneft after shareholders approved his nomination.

First and foremost, I am really very glad that I was elected not only as a member of the board of directors but as the chairman, Schroeder told journalists in comments translated into Russian.

I am an independent director. You can take that as a starting point. One of my tasks is to find a compromise when there are different opinions.

The 73-year-old spoke after a vote at the annual general meeting for the shareholders of the group controlled by the Russian government.

The Russian government in August nominated Schroeder, a close friend of President Vladimir Putin, to join the board of Rosneft, which is subject to western sanctions over Moscows role in the Ukraine conflict.

He was among seven nominees in a decree signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev for a vote to increase Rosnefts board to 11 from nine. He was nominated as a non-executive director.

Ahead of the general election, Schroeder drew fire from German Chancellor Angela Merkel for accepting a $500,000-a-year pre-tax board job with Rosneft.

I dont think what Schroeder is doing is okay, Merkel said in critical comments on her predecessor in August.

Rosneft, Russias biggest oil producer, is 50 percent state-owned.

Rosneft acquired most of Yukoss assets after the companys founder, Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was arrested in 2003 and jailed for a decade.

Schroeder, a Social Democrat who was German chancellor from 1998 to 2005, has publicly opposed sanctions placed on Rosneft because of Russias interference in Ukraine.

While chancellor, Scroeder championed a Nord Stream pipeline agreement with Russia, which was signed during his last days in office.

Having since built a business career in Russia, he heads up a shareholders committee at Nord Stream, which supplies gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea.
Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has slapped a Rs 100-million defamation notice on Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif for calling him the darling of the United States.

Asif, while speaking at the Asia Society forum in New York on Tuesday, acknowledged that Saeed, the Haqqanis and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are liabilities for the country but it does not have the required assets to get rid of them.

The minister had also said the US, which was putting pressure on Pakistan to tackle terrorist groups operating from its soil, once used to treat them as darlings just 20 to 30 years back.

Saeeds counsel AK Dogar sent the notice to the foreign minister on behalf of his client who heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the LeT militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack.

Saeed is respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim. Saeed has never been near the White House, not to speak of wined and dined, Dogar said in the notice.

It is shocking to know that the foreign minister of my country is accusing Hafiz Mohammad Saeed of taking wine. This is abusive language and can never be used about my client.

He is a patriotic Islam-loving Muslim following the dictates of the Prophet. This is a defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to five years imprisonment and with a fine, he said.

The counsel termed it as an absolute lie and falsehood that Saeed is one of those persons who had been the darlings of Americans and had been dining and wining in the White House.

Whoever by words either spoken or intended to be read makes any imputation concerning any person so as to harm his reputation is said to defame that person, he said.

The imputation of wining is a false statement which has injured the reputation of my client and lowered him in the estimation of others. This is slander and actionable libel. I am constrained to issue this 14 days notice of the intention of my client to bring an action against you. My client intends to file a suit for damages to the tune of Rs 100 million for injuring his reputation not only in Pakistan but all over the world, Dogar said.

Apart from civil remedy, my client has a right to file a criminal complaint against you under Section 500 of the PPC. It goes without saying that you will be responsible for the entire cost of litigation, the counsel added.

Asif had said that it was very easy to say Pakistan is floating the Haqqanis and Hafiz Saeed and LeT. They are liabilities, he had said.

US President Donald Trump had last month criticised Pakistan for its support to terror groups, saying it receives billions in US aid but continues to harbour militants.

Saeed and his four aides were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti-terrorism act.

The JuD has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

Saeed carries a $10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.
Pakistans ousted premier Nawaz Sharif is expected to regain the leadership of his PML-N party next week under a proposed new law that will allow a disqualified legislator to head a political party.

The 67-year-old had to step down as the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after he was disqualified as premier by the Supreme Court on July 28 in the Panama Papers scandal.

Senate, upper house of parliament, passed Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 on September 22 that has a clause that any person other than a civil servant can hold any position within a party.

The new law has deleted the condition that said only those qualified to become members of parliament can hold leadership position within political parties.

According to minister for climate change Mushahidullah Khan, the new law will be presented in the lower house or National Assembly on Monday where it is expected to be passed easily as PML-N has the majority in the house.

Once passed by both houses, the bill would go to president and become a law after his signature.

A meeting of the PML-Ns General Council will be held on October 2 to amend the party constitution that barred a disqualified person from holding any party office, according to Khan.

Before the General Council, a meeting of PML-N central working committee (CWC) would be held.

Both  the CWC and General Council  would elect the new president on October 3.

The PML-N is hopeful to complete the process of enactment and changes in the laws by October 3. With all legal hurdles removed by that time, Sharif is expected to be easily elected as president.

Though, he is still barred from becoming a lawmaker or prime minister, he would be able to control the party and all other aspects of the politics in the country through his handpicked prime minister, ministers and other appointees.

However, the amendment to the laws is expected to be challenged by the opposition parties in the Supreme Court.

Any effective intervention and decision by the top court against the new law may scuttle the plans of PML-N.
Several North Korean missiles were recently spotted moved from a rocket facility in the capital Pyongyang, South Koreas Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported late on Friday amid speculation that the North was preparing to take more provocative actions.

The report cited an unnamed intelligence source saying South Korean and US intelligence officials detected missiles being transported away from North Koreas Missile Research and Development Facility at Sanum-dong in the northern part of Pyongyang.

The report did not say when or where they had been moved.

The missiles could be either intermediate range Hwasong-12 or intercontinental ballistic Hwasong-14 missiles, according to the report, though the missile facility at Sanum-dong has been dedicated to the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

A source from South Koreas defence ministry said he could not confirm details of the report or whether there has been any unusual activities in the area mentioned.

South Korean official have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on October 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on October 18.

Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and US forces recently held their first joint short range air defence training exercise in South Korea, according to a statement released by the US Pacific Command on Friday.

The statement did not give the date of the exercise, but said the next exercise is scheduled to take place over the next few months as the two forces become more familiar with each others capabilities.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out against a Puerto Rico mayor, after she criticised his administrations response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria.

The Category 4 storm struck the US territory in the Caribbean on September 20, killing 18 and leaving the islands inhabitants without food, water and electricity.

In a series of tweets, Trump attacked the mayor of capital San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, after she made a desperate plea for federal help. He also accused Democrats of having a hand in her criticism.

The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump. Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job, he posted.

Earlier, Cruz, tired of the slow-paced rescue and relief efforts, had said: We are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency, and the bureaucracy.

So I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell.

She had also attacked acting secretary of homeland security Elaine Duke after the latter referred to the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Puerto Rico as a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane.

Cruz had said: This is a people-are-dying story.
US secretary of health and human services, Tom Price has become the newest senior official to leave the Trump administration. He resigned Friday under unrelenting fire for using chartered flights for official travel.

Price had worked up a bill of $400,000 and had sought to offset it with an offer of $52,000, a payment for his own seat on those flights. But that was clearly not enough to mollify the president, who had made no attempt to conceal his displeasure.

Im not happy, okay, President Donald Trump said to reporters earlier Friday when asked about Price, And, you know, this is an administration that saves hundreds of millions of dollars on renegotiating things, on new trade deals

The White House announced shortly after Price offered his resignation earlier today and the President accepted, and that the president intended to designate Don J Wright as acting secretary, effective September 29.

And that was yet another churn of personnel in the Trump administration following the exits, so far, of a National Security Adviser, two communications directors, a chief of staff, a press secretary/spokesperson and a chief strategist.

But Price was the first cabinet member to go. Three others are also facing scrutiny for their travels. One of them is alleged to have used a military plane to fly to a government mint in Kentucky that offered a good view of the recent solar eclipse.

And there are still others who have earned the presidents ire for criticising him publicly  such as the chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, who angered Trump for calling out his ambivalence after the racial clashes in Charlottesville.

There is then the attorney general Jeff Sessions, who had been at the receiving end of a very long and very public rebuke from the president for recusing himself from the Russia probe. He has since survived and even earned from rare praise from Trump.

A former Congressman from Georgia, Price had built a reputation as a fiscal hawk and a committed opponent of Obamacare, which he was expected to help kill, but which remains in force despite repeated attempts.

The president has felt extremely frustrated about the failure to repeal and replace his predecessors healthcare reform law that has been at the top of every Republicans hit-list since its enactment in 2010.

Already in trouble with the president thus, Price was hit by a spate of stories in Politico news website about his extravagant travels  26 flights on chartered planes in all, and mostly between cities with scores of less expensive connections.

And he merrily mixed official with non-official. Politico reported a chartered flight Price took to Nashville where he toured a medicine dispensary, spoke to a local health summit organised by a friend and had lunch with his son.

The health secretary also flew abroad in military aircraft, which, according to reports cost more than $500,000. But they were cleared by the White House, which, however, had not approved his expensive domestic travels.

THE TRUMP MOWER

Michael Flynn

National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, a retired general and an early Trump supporter, was the first to be ousted from the White House after he lied to the vice-president about his contacts with Russian officials. He left in February, less than a month in office. The president continued to say good things about him, however, and allegedly tried to end the FBI probe into his contacts with Russians.

Katie Walsh

Next to go was deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh, in March. She left to lead an outside pro-Trump outfit to support the presidents agenda. She was a close ally of then chief of staff Reince Priebus, going back to their stint at the Republican National Committee which Priebus had headed for years.

Michael Dubke

Brought in as communications director in March to shape the White House media strategy, Michael Dubke left just three months later in May, reportedly on amicable terms. He said he was leaving for personal reasons.

Sean Spicer

After a tumultuous six months as White House press secretary, Sean Spicer quit in July when the president decided to bring on board Anthony Scaramucci, a New York financier, as communications director.

Steve Bannon

Long rumoured as the man behind the throne, Steve Bannon, the chief strategist, left the administration in the aftermath of the Charlottesville racial clashes.
An Indian-origin head of a sprawling UK food empire is facing a parliamentary and other inquiries after an undercover investigation found safety dates of chicken being allegedly manipulated in his factory.

Ranjit Singh Boparan, whose 2 Sisters Food Group is the UKs second largest by turnover, is due to be called by the parliamentary committee on environment, food and rural affairs to answer questions on the scandal.

An investigation by The Guardian and ITV News showed poor hygiene standards in his factory and food safety records being allegedly altered that could lead to prolonging the shelf life of chicken. The food standards agency (FSA) also investigated the factory.

The Guardian said its investigation revealed an instance of workers altering the kill date of hundreds of chickens to one day later in August. Chicken portions returned by supermarket distribution centres being repackaged and sent out again to rival grocers.

Other instances included workers dropping chicken on the floor of the processing plant and returning it to the production line, and chickens slaughtered on different dates being mixed on the production line.

A spokesman for 2 Sisters said: We have now had an opportunity to view all the evidence and launch our own internal investigation. This is ongoing and we will ensure our inquiries are comprehensive and thorough. We will of course continue to work closely with all stakeholders during this investigative phase.

The FSA said its latest investigation did not find any breaches, but chairperson Heather Hancock said: It is the responsibility of a food business to ensure that the food it sells is safe and what it says it is. We take any allegations of inaccurate labelling and breaches in hygiene regulations very seriously.

Should we find any evidence of any risk to public health, any products on the market which we believe to be a cause of concern will be urgently removed from sale.

Known as the chicken king, Wolverhampton-born Boparan, 51, founded the food group in West Bromwich with a bank loan in 1993, and went on to become one of Britains largest food producers.

Boparan and his wife Baljinder Kaur Boparan are estimated by the Sunday Times Rich List to be worth 544 million. He is known to maintain a low profile, rarely seen at public events, including those organised by the Indian community.

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The United States on Friday cut its diplomatic presence in Cuba by more than half and warned US citizens not to visit because of mysterious attacks that have caused hearing loss, dizziness and fatigue in US embassy personnel.

The US embassy in Havana will halt regular visa operations for Cubans seeking to visit the United States and offer only emergency services to US citizens, steps that may further erode the US-Cuban rapprochement begun by former President Barack Obama.

The partial evacuation, while depicted as a safety measure, sends a message of US displeasure over Cubas handling of the matter and delivers another blow to Obamas policies of engagement with Cold War foe Cuba.

The Communist Party-run Cuban government was already dealing with several delicate matters - the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, a steep decline in aid from important socialist ally Venezuela and political transition as President Raul Castro steps down next year.

Cubas foreign ministry chief for US Affairs Josefina Vidal said: We consider the decision announced today by the US government through the State Department is hasty and will affect bilateral relations.

Vidal, in a briefing on state-run television, said Cuba was still keen to cooperate with US authorities to clarify what happened.

Officials in President Donald Trumps administration stressed the United States was maintaining diplomatic ties with Cuba.

Twenty-one US embassy employees in Cuba have been injured and reported symptoms such as hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping, the State Department said.

Until the government of Cuba can ensure the safety of our diplomats in Cuba, our embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel in order to minimize the number of diplomats at risk of exposure to harm, secretary of state Rex Tillerson said in a statement.

The Cuban government has denied any role and is investigating. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been looking into the incidents, a U.S. law enforcement official said, but so far has not determined the cause.

A senior State Department official said neither the US nor Cuban governments had been able to identify who was responsible but stressed that the government of Cuba is responsible for taking all appropriate steps to prevent attacks on our diplomatic personnel in Cuba.

In a travel warning, the State Department bluntly said because our personnels safety is at risk, and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe US citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba. A State Department official said most visa processing had been suspended in Havana. Cuban applicants for non-immigrant visas may apply at another US embassy or consulate overseas.

The State Department said the attacks on US embassy personnel had occurred at US diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by US citizens. No tourists are known to have been injured in the attacks.

Canada said it has no plans to change its travel advice for Cuba or to remove any Canadian staff from its embassy there, though some staff have experienced some unusual symptoms, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday.

Diana Rodriguez, 52, who sells handicrafts in Old Havana, said she had a visa appointment in October so she could visit family who live in Florida.

I wont ever go there now, she said furiously. This is a really strong blow that affects regular Cubans on the street. Its just unheard of. What is going on with this man? Neither Bush nor his father were such sons of bitches.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is pushing to suspend a 50-year-old ethics law that prevents employees from receiving money or owning a stake in for-profit colleges that pocket hundreds of millions of dollars in tuition paid through the GI Bill of Rights.

The agency says the conflict-of-interest law - enacted after scandals enveloped the for-profit education industry - is redundant and outdated, with "illogical and unintended consequences" affecting employees who have no real conflict of interest, such as a VA doctor teaching a course at a school attended by veterans with educational benefits.

But veterans' groups and ethics experts reject those arguments and say the department is abandoning protections for veterans and taxpayers. They worry that the effort is part of a larger rollback of federal safeguards that were instituted before President Donald Trump took office to combat abuses and fraud by for-profit colleges.

Several officials who worked in the for-profit college industry and had criticized the Obama-era crackdown as excessive, for example, have joined the Education Department, which administers and polices the federal student loan program and the industry.

The proposal to suspend the ethics law was published in the Federal Register in mid-September and is scheduled to take effect Oct. 16, but no public hearings have been scheduled and no public comments have been submitted.

"It's just reckless and sloppy," Walter Shaub Jr., a former director of the Office of Government Ethics, said of the agency's action.

He questioned why such a blanket exception for more than 330,000 agency employees should exist when the law allows waivers for individuals or even classes of individuals, like those teaching courses. Invoking the waiver also requires public hearings, he said.

Most troubling to Schaub, now senior counsel at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, is that the move seems like an attempt by the executive branch to overrule the legislative branch.

"They are saying the statute is unreasonable, but that's not for them to say," he said of agency officials.

Curtis Cashour, a VA spokesman, said officials had focused on the ethics law after the agency's inspector general investigated complaints this year that two VA employees were teaching at a for-profit institution. There were no significant conflicts and a waiver was ultimately granted, he said, but the report led to worries among many employees about the impact of more rigorous enforcement.

"Our response was aimed at easing the concerns of numerous VA employees," Cashour said in an email, adding that the ethics law had been superseded by subsequent conflict-of-interest statutes.

One concern of critics is that officials at the organization's upper levels could be making decisions about a college in which they have a financial interest, like permitting a school with a record of abuses to recruit at military bases. Another is that people advising veterans about their educational benefits could steer students to a particular school because they were on the payroll.

"There's no good that can come from allowing colleges to have unseemly financial entanglements with VA employees," Carrie Wofford, director of Veterans Education Success, a nonprofit advocacy group. "Congress enacted a zero tolerance for financial conflicts of interest for VA employees precisely because Congress uncovered massive fraud by for-profit colleges targeting veterans."

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., a longtime advocate for veterans, said she planned to look into the agency's decision.

"I am deeply concerned the VA is opening the door for predatory for-profits to take advantage of men and women who have bravely served our country," she said.
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As a 10-year-old kid born in Oklahoma and raised in West Texas, Jimmy Webb didn't have much experience with the sea until his father, a Baptist minister, put him in the car and drove to Galveston.

"It was the most water I'd ever seen," Webb recalls.

Webb never called the island home. But it stuck with him. And in 1968, when he started writing a new song, he knew he didn't want his main character longing to be home in New York or Los Angeles.

"I wanted a place that seemed comfortable, that in the mind of a soldier would have this strong sense of home," Webb says. "A guy who'd been drafted and was in Vietnam and wanted to go back to where he was from. So I chose Galveston, and not arbitrarily. I knew the area: I knew about the storm, Isaac, and the stories about Jean and Pierre Lafitte. Because it was a little different, the location just lent the song some authenticity and some power."

Don Ho gave "Galveston" a go, but his 1968 recording came and went without much attention. Glen Campbell released a version in 1969, and it quickly became a defining song in his repertoire, a cornerstone in Webb's storied songbook and years later the offical song of the city that lent its name to the tune.

More Information Jimmy Webb When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: The Grand 1894 Opera House, 2020 Postoffice, Galveston Tickets: $22.50-$94; 409-765-1894, thegrand.com See More Collapse

"Galveston" carries additional sentimental weight this week. On Saturday, Webb will visit the Grand 1894 Opera House, where the song will be an obvious centerpiece of his set. It should be a particularly poignant moment since Campbell died just two months ago, and five years after he, too, played the Opera House on his farewell tour.

Webb's tour, called The Glen Campbell Years, is based on a creative partnership with Campbell that spanned half a century.

"My wife and I were talking just a couple of days ago about Glen," Webb says during a phone call. "It's a subject that never really goes away, to be honest with you."

Campbell recorded more than 80 of Webb's songs over the years. Several were hits, and three - "Galveston," "By the Time I Get to Phoemix" and "Wichita Lineman" - became the bedrock of Campbell's career as a recording artist.

The partnership was interesting because the men weren't necessarily compatible. Campbell was 10 years Webb's elder and held more tightly to his Southern religious upbringing than Webb did. Born in 1946, Webb came along at just the right time to find his way to the '60s counterculture. He recalls Campbell as being "a little more crisp.

"Initially it was a collision," Webb says, "not unlike some of the things going on in the country right now."

Upon meeting Webb, Campbell told him to get a haircut. But the two wallpapered over any age and cultural differences with music.

"We sort of blended," Webb says.

He says Campbell became something of a big brother to him. Now that Campbell's gone, Webb sounds more like the older sibling, speaking protectively of his friend. He grumbles about Campbell's exclusion from Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists list.

"All the players on that list knew how great he was," he says.

Webb points out how much of Campbell's session work - when he was a guitarist for hire rather than an international star - has been under-documented. Campbell's work on Beach Boys recordings and as a member of Phil Spector's Wrecking Crew are often referenced, but he was a ubiquitous presence on all manner of recordings made in California in the '60s.

By 1965, Webb's songs were beginning to find their way into the world. Johnny Rivers cut "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" in 1966, and a year later the 5th Dimension cut five of his tunes. At the end of that year, Webb's "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" broke into the Top 40, and in late 1968, Campbell's take on "Wichita Lineman" reached No. 3 on the pop charts.

They'd both stagger around in the '70s. Webb's memoir, published earlier this year, is fairly frank about his consumption. Weed in the '60s turned into harder stuff in the '70s.

Webb recalls guitarist Larry Coryell "walking into my kitchen and saying, 'This is gonna change your life.' He slaps this big baggie of cocaine on the kitchen table.

"He was right."

Even the seemingly conservative Campbell was consumed by it. "He took his own walk on the wild side," Webb says.

They'd still work together on songs. And in the late-'90s, they'd play shows together, a natural collaboration since they were connected by so many tunes.

After getting his Alzheimer's diagnosis, Campbell rushed to maximize the remaining lucid time he had. He released "Ghost on the Canvas" in 2011 and a year later recorded songs for an album released earlier this year. "Adios" featured four Webb songs, including the title track.

Webb has heard criticisms directed at the song for opportunism - as if he'd written it deliberately to be a farewell for Campbell.

"That song has been around a long time," he says. "Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Joe Cocker, Linda Ronstadt have all done it. Some have said it could be hokey. Well, to me there's nothing hokey about going away. There's nothing hokey about death."

Webb played "Wichita Lineman" at Campbell's memorial service. He looked out at Campbell's children and says he almost couldn't finish the song.

"I looked out at those little faces," he says. "They're not little faces anymore. They're all grown. But to me, they're still little faces I've seen my entire life."

He made the song a medley with "Amazing Grace," which Webb had heard Campbell play on the bagpipe once.

"He could play anything. I heard him play 'Bonaparte's Retreat' through his nose once. The man was a genius."

Before letting Webb get on with his day, I asked him one last question. For a guy who has made his living from words and music, I wondered if there was a song that made an impression on him when he was young. A song in which he specifically noticed the careful use of the words and the sounds.

"This will almost sound too good to be true to somebody writing a newspaper story, but it is true," he says, signifying a story is coming.

"I was 14 years old and plowing out in the middle of a wheat field. Just pulling a great big plow they called a One Way, a big disc that turned the ground over so you could plant a new crop.

"There wasn't much rock 'n' roll at home. No record player. And this was because my father was a Baptist minister. Let me be clear, it wasn't like living with a Stephen King character. It was just Dad, the Baptist preacher. But that meant you couldn't dance, and you couldn't listen to rock 'n' roll. But I had a little transistor. And I heard this song called 'Turn Around, Look at Me,' and it stopped me cold.

"As soon as things were squared away, I drove to Beaver, Okla., which had a brick-and-mortar record store. And I knew then that's what I wanted to do. I could smell something in that store, the vinyl. And I found that Glen Campbell song and took it home and wore it out. It was smooth as a bowling ball by the time I got through with it. I knew I wanted to write a song that good and have it be recorded by Glen Campbell. From then on, I was writing songs for Glen Campbell in my mind."
Less than a week after a man was shot and killed there, an unlicensed nightclub on Richmond Avenue has been temporarily shut down.

Around 5 a.m. Sunday, Alberth Sinisterr-Villegas, a native of Colombia, was shot four times in the club known as ALAA at 9275 Richmond Ave. The property is part of a shopping mall, and has previously operated  often without a liquor license  under the names Blush Lounge, Allure and Village Gang Nightclub.
The man whose biblical doomsday claim had people worried about Sept. 23, 2017, is not backing down.

The world did not end last month, and David Meade, a self-described "specialist in research and investigations," is saying that's exactly what he had expected. Now, he is focusing on another date, Oct. 15, 2017, which he claims is the beginning of the world's destruction.

It is "the most important date of this century or millennium," Meade wrote on his website. The action starts that day, he claimed, when the world will enter what's called a seven-year tribulation period, a fairly widespread evangelical belief that for seven years, catastrophic events would wreak havoc on Earth.

"Hold on and watch - wait until the middle of October and I don't believe you'll be disappointed," Meade wrote, before going on to promote his book, which he claims has all the details.

"You don't have long to read it," he added.

Meade has earned a fair amount of publicity online for peddling a widely debunked claim that a planet called Nibiru is on a course toward Earth. When it passes the planet later this year, Meade said, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves and other catastrophes would ensue. Other predictions claimed that Nibiru would collide with Earth on Sept. 23, though Meade clarified that he never said that would happen.

NASA has repeatedly dismissed such claims as a hoax.

"The planet in question, Nibiru, doesn't exist, so there will be no collision ... the story of Nibiru has been around for years (as has the 'days of darkness' tale) and is periodically recycled into new apocalyptic fables," NASA said on its website.

Despite the scientific rebuking, these doomsday predictions often come with a great deal of public interest, some of it rooted in Christianity, itself.

"The first market for this sort of prophecy-as-publicity is outside the Christian church. ... I couldn't give you the name of one person who holds the view, and I keep up to date on some of the craziest religious movements in the country. Those without a great deal of familiarity with actual lived religion tend to find this sort of thing exotic and interesting, the way they might find interesting the end-is-near cultists on an episode of 'The Leftovers,' " Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, wrote in an essay for the Washington Post.

"Beyond that, though, there is the very real problem with doomsday hucksterism within American religion. While it is hard to find a nameable proponent of Sept. 23 prophecy, one can watch various Christian television evangelists and talk-show hosts and find a more general, but just as frantic, message: that the world is ending soon."

As Moore says, this is not a new phenomenon. There were multiple days the world was supposed to end during the 20th century - often tied to the Cold War conflicts between the U.S. and Soviet Union, or casting Middle Eastern dictators as representations of the Antichrist, or celestial events such as comets passing or an eclipse.

This, too, is something that predates that century, as well, with various doomsday predictions having gripped some segment of the population since, at least, the Middle Ages.

For instance, William Miller led a doomsday cult in the 1840s, dubbed the Millerites, who settled in upstate New York. The Baptist preacher's prophecies were wrong, but his teachings did contribute to the formation of the Advent Christians and Seventh Day Adventists.

"None of this has anything to do with biblical Christianity. Jesus, and then his apostles, told us to expect a day of final judgment, to look for the return of Christ to our present reality of space and time," Moore wrote.

"But the key to all of this is the unexpected nature of it. Jesus said that life would go on, just as it always does, until, suddenly - like a thief in the night - the eastern skies explode into light. The Bible verses the prophecy-mavens use to fix their dates - wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, and so on - are spoken of by Jesus as the exact opposite. When you see these things, Jesus said, 'see that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet' (Matt. 24:6). Upheavals of this nature will happen in every generation, as 'but the beginning of the birth pains' (Matt. 24:8)."

Robert Joustra, an international studies professor at Redeemer University College in Ontario, said that those who engage in apocalyptic claims often rely on mainstream information, such as the Book of Revelation. But many also find obscure references in the Bible to make predictions.
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My wife and I couldn't believe our eyes one year in mid-October as we watched veritable clouds of monarch butterflies crossing U.S. 90 south into Mexico, between Del Rio and Langtry.

Like orange-colored autumn leaves, they seemed to be whisked along by the breeze. But they were deliberately fluttering to propel themselves in a zigzagging flight pattern that was, nonetheless, on a direct path to Mexico.

The monarchs had come a long way, at least 2,000 miles from northern breeding grounds in places like Canada, the Great Plains and the Midwest. They were navigating a broad route through Texas that began around Wichita Falls and took them through the Hill Country toward the border, between Laredo and Langtry.

Flapping in the air like pieces of colorful tissue paper, the butterflies would head over Mexico's Sierra Madre Orientals to the mountainous oyamel-pine forest in the state of Michoacan. There they would stay for the winter by entering a nonbreeding stage called diapause.

Approximately 90 percent of breeding monarch butterflies migrate along a diagonal swath called the Texas Funnel, from the north-central part of the state to the southwest border. The swarms of migrating monarchs we see in the Houston area mostly breed in eastern North America and will travel along the Texas coast to Mexico, but a few will remain here for the winter and mingle with a small resident population.

More Information Monarch butterflies 9 Millions of monarchs migrate through Texas from September-November, reaching a peak in mid-October. 9 They may inherit a genetic code for migratory routes and navigate with molecules in the brain that orient them like a compass toward magnetic fields. 9 They weigh half as much as a dollar bill and fly on a 4-inch wingspan. 9 Male monarchs are distinguished from females by twin dark spots along innermost black veins of upper hindwings. 9 Follow monarch migration at learner.org/jnorth/monarch. 9 Gardening for monarchs at monarchjointventure.org. See More Collapse

Another population breeding along the West Coast will migrate to Mexico on a path through Arizona and New Mexico.

Monarchs are the only species of butterfly that make - or attempt to make - a round-trip migration between North America and Latin America. Migratory songbirds make the round trip, too, but they do so over many years during their lifetimes. The butterflies won't make even one round trip in a lifetime because the lifespan of a breeding monarch is about three to six weeks. On spring and summer breeding grounds, multiple monarch generations spend most of their lives as larvae or caterpillars.

The last generation, called the Methuselah generation, lives to make the trip to Mexico along an ancestral route they have never traveled and spend the winter in an ancestral place where they've never been.

They'll head back to breeding grounds in February but will die before getting there. Yet they'll breed and lay eggs along the way, leaving their progeny to continue the journey along a route they've never known and arrive on breeding grounds they've never seen.
Q: My wife and I will be flying to Europe in a couple of weeks. We're concerned about the possibility of developing blood clots in our legs.

Air passengers are hardly allowed to walk around during the flight anymore. Even standing for more than a few minutes is discouraged. Seats recline only a little bit, so it is hard to sleep. Is there anything we can do to reduce our risk?

A: There are a few things that will help. Make sure you wear compression hose for the flight. That can lower the risk of a clot. In addition, learn foot and leg exercises that can be done while seated, such as ankle circles, foot lifts and knee raises.

One other option is aspirin. For years, experts told us that aspirin was ineffective against blood clot formation in veins. A study in the European Journal of Internal Medicine (January 2014) contradicted that belief. Low-dose aspirin reduces the likelihood of clot formation in high-risk patients. Ask your physician if aspirin would be safe during your flight.

Q: Recently you mentioned an interesting remedy - vinegar - for the burn associated with eating Japanese wasabi.

Reading that Q&A prompted me to pick up a to-go container of sushi rolls at the grocery store. When I opened it, I noticed the usual dollop of wasabi was not to be found. I enjoyed the treat until I picked up one of the pieces. I didn't notice the big glob of wasabi was stuck to the underside.

I proceeded to eat it and immediately realized what happened. By then, though, my mouth was thoroughly coated and on fire.

I lunged for the kitchen cabinet and took a big gulp of apple cider vinegar. Voila! It stopped the burn immediately. Thank you for such practical advice; you saved one person from a lot of discomfort.

A: The compound responsible for that burning sensation is allyl isothiocyanate. You smell it almost as much as you taste it and could use it to clear the sinuses. We are delighted that the vinegar trick worked so well.

Q: You have written about people having a hard time stopping their antidepressants. More than a decade ago, I was having trouble getting one of my patients off Effexor. I wrote to the drug company for help, and the solution was ingenious. I have used it many times with patients trying to get off an SNRI-type antidepressant.

Fluoxetine (Prozac) has an extraordinarily long half-life. Prozac "covers" the receptors that are unsettled in the discontinuation syndrome.

I put the patient on the lowest dose of the problem antidepressant that is comfortable: no discontinuation symptoms. I start 20 mg of Prozac. In two weeks, I lower the dose of the problematic antidepressant, keeping the patient on Prozac.

I continue to taper the problematic antidepressant down to zero, taking as long as is needed. When my patient is completely off the problem drug, I keep the Prozac 20 mg for two more weeks, taper it to 10 mg for two weeks and then stop it. The long half-life of the Prozac gives me an automatic long taper, and the patient has no withdrawal symptoms.

A: Thank you for providing this detailed account on how to avoid symptoms like "head in a blender" that many people experience when stopping their antidepressant. There is more information about antidepressant pros and cons in our "Guide to Dealing With Depression." It also provides suggestions for nondrug approaches that can be used with or without medication. It can be downloaded for $2 atpeoplespharmacy.com.

Q: I wanted to quit smoking, so my doctor prescribed Chantix. The bad dreams and depression made me question whether life was worth living. I feared going out in public because I would sometimes fly into a rage for no obvious reason. I am a laid-back, even-tempered guy normally.

Even though I lost my urge to smoke, I wonder whether the side effects of the drug are worth it. I am tapering off, but the anxiety, rage and depression are still scary.

A: The manufacturer of the stop-smoking drug varenicline (Chantix) warns that it may cause insomnia, abnormal dreams, depression, agitation, aggression, hostility and panic, as well as suicidal thoughts. This drug may not be appropriate for you.
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The Houston Fire Department's limitations quickly became clear as Harvey's floodwaters rose.

Just one high-water rescue vehicle. Decades-old evacuation boats. Sparse training for swift-water rescues. And limited staffing after an 11th-hour decision not to call in major reinforcements to face the catastrophic storm.

The department had been warned. Lethal flooding two years ago exposed shortcomings and prompted sweeping recommendations to improve future responses.

And yet, when firefighters rushed fearlessly into Harvey's currents in late August, they were again hobbled by a lack of resources, old equipment and a shortage of manpower ready to go when the storm hit, according to a Chronicle review of internal reports and emails, and dozens of interviews with firefighters and other officials.

The review found a department - and a city - that failed to follow the hard-earned lessons of previous storms, even as one of the worst in U.S. history descended on the region.

"Civilians had to step up - which was a great thing - but that's not their job," one high-ranking fire official said. "It's our job to protect and serve the public. We couldn't do that because we didn't have what we needed."

Fire Chief Samuel Pena, who stepped in to lead the department in December, defended the response and commended his firefighters, who performed 7,000 rescues and answered more than 15,000 calls for help during the first five days of the storm.

But he acknowledged that Harvey exposed shortcomings in the department's fleet and training.

"Harvey punched us in the mouth," Pena said. "No municipality is ever going to have the number of resources to be able to respond to a catastrophic incident the size of Harvey. But we know the anticipated risk in this community. We know that the 500-year flood is going to come again next year ... We don't have the adequate resources to address even the expected risk in this community."

Critics, however, say the department's response suffered from more than neglect.

"Anyone with common sense could see with relative certainty there was going to be an enormous rescue effort that was going to be required following the impact of Hurricane Harvey," said Jim Brinkley, director of occupational health and safety for the International Association of Fire Fighters. "It's expected a department would allocate enough resources - in terms of staffing alone - to make sure they're capable of responding."

Years of warnings

Internal reports show fire department leaders should have known they weren't prepared for a catastrophic hurricane.

After the Memorial Day floods of 2015, in which three people died during an attempted swift-water rescue on Brays Bayou, five senior fire chiefs analyzed what went wrong and what the department needed to do better.

Their 38-page report didn't mince words. The team had limited training and experience in swift-water rescues. The equipment didn't work as expected. The unrelenting pace of rescues left firefighters exhausted.

Their recommendations were equally blunt. We need a dedicated swift-water rescue strike team, the chiefs concluded. Trucks that can drive through inundated streets without flooding out. More boats. More training. Better planning and communication before storms hit.

They also recommended the department cross-train with the Houston Police Department on its high-water rescue vehicles, and called for equipment upgrades and purchases.

"Houston firefighters placed themselves between the victims and the hazards as they have done time and time again," the report said. "On this day, they did more than that. The members on Rescue Boat 42A placed themselves in the hazard in an attempt to save lives."

Six months after the report's release, the Tax Day Flood of 2016 swamped Houston again, forcing firefighters back into floodwaters.

A follow-up report that year noted some modest improvements in HFD's response. Firefighters worked more closely with police, "improvising to rescue and evacuate with limited resources and time to remove citizens from danger," according to the May 2016 report.

The report cites efficient use of boats, jet skis and high-water vehicles, streamlined communications, extra staffing, advance preparation and close cooperation with the police department and public works.

"Many of these techniques and methods were the result of lessons learned in recent large area flood incidents," the report stated. "However, it is unfortunate that many of the recommendations and observations made in the following pages are similar to those made in previous HFD operations that have not yet been implemented due to lack of available funding."

Requests to city leaders after the 2015 flood, for example, met with little success.

"We need to get more boats, more 'deuce-and-a-halfs,'" then-Chief Terry Garrison told council members during a budget workshop a few weeks after the Memorial Day flood, referring to two-and-a-half-ton, nine-foot-tall military cargo trucks often used during high-water rescues.

"We need to place our members in those vehicles," he said.

It didn't happen. Neither did two subsequent budget amendments to pay for extra training and three new rescue chief positions - the City Council voted them down.

Former Mayor Annise Parker recently defended her office's decision to oppose the $600,000 budget items.

"Is that a reasonable request? Yes. More training and more high water vehicles? Yes," Parker said last week. "But the job is to balance any number of reasonable and valid requests against the limited resources that are available."

The council vote left the department with its allocation of $16,450 in training funds for the technical rescue team that year - or about $250 per firefighter. Since then, the City Council has cut the department's budget by $6 million, not including reductions in pension contributions.

By the time Harvey approached Houston on Aug. 26, little had changed.

The boat fleet hadn't expanded significantly since Hurricane Rita swept through in 2005 when Houston had 227,000 fewer residents. The department's flotilla in August included 10 shallow-water evacuation boats, six swift-water Zodiac rescue boats, several inflatable dinghies, four functional jet skis, a training rescue boat and a fire boat.

The fire department still had no swift-water rescue strike team. The elite technical rescue team members - who are trained to handle everything from elevator rescues to building collapses and water rescues - manned the high-water vehicle and the rescue boats for hours on end, with no trained replacements available to give them a break.

'Refrain from coming'

Then, with Harvey bearing down, senior leadership made a fateful - and now much criticized - decision not to call to work a major portion of their off-duty employees.

With about 1,000 firefighters at work, only a fraction of the department's 4,100 firefighters were initially in place during the three worst days of the storm, though a few hundred firefighters managed to come in over those first few days. Eleven firefighters were allocated to man three rescue boats and the "High 5," the department's new high-water rescue vehicle, as called for under the department's Incident Action Plan.

The department had never performed a full staffing recall, Pena was told, and didn't have enough equipment if they did. Instead, fire officials planned to pre-position boats around the city so that staff could be brought into certain areas as flooding hit.

The department had already asked for boats, high-water rescue vehicles and additional support from state and federal agencies. But they weren't enough.

"Harvey had a different plan," Pena said. "It inundated everything. It made the entire city impassable and if you were in an area that was flooded, you were stuck. ... That changed the plan."

Luke Manion, a rescue specialist and a director of the Houston Professional Firefighters Association Local 341, said leaders should have called in another entire shift of 845 firefighters.

"It's completely ridiculous to say that manpower wasn't needed," Manion said. "If you have guys working 72 hours straight and there aren't enough of them, it's ridiculous to say you don't need more."

Departments routinely bring in extra staff. Across Texas, many of the 21 IAFF-affiliated fire departments brought in extra staff for Harvey, said John Riddle, Texas State Association of Fire Fighters president.

During 2012's Superstorm Sandy, the New York Fire Department brought in several hundred additional personnel to increase staffing at fire houses and man fire engines and ambulances, and assigned additional chiefs to the city's most at-risk areas, a spokesman said.

In anticipation of Hurricane Rita, the Houston Fire Department brought in extra crews, staffing each truck with five firefighters and placing three additional firefighters on duty at every station so they could spell their colleagues, according to a post-storm report.

Dozens of department paramedics were also called in for Rita, and officials activated a contract with a private ambulance company so that extra ambulances would be available. Twenty dump trucks from the city's Public Works and Engineering department were pre-deployed at fire stations across the city - twice as many as were set up in anticipation of Harvey.

Houston sent mixed signals, however, during the latest storm. On Sunday, Aug. 27 - as devastation from the rains became more evident - the city's director of human resources sent an alert calling essential employees, including firefighters, to work, if needed. Two hours later, the fire department sent an email telling off-duty firefighters to stay home.

"Firefighters who are not scheduled to work are asked to refrain from coming into the station unless otherwise notified by HFD Command," the department's top leadership warned.

Pena said his intended message - to notify firefighters that a full recall of staff was not in effect -got distorted.

"By the time it got down, it was, 'If you're not scheduled to work, stay home,'" he said. "It's not a good explanation, but I own it."

Many firefighters headed into work that weekend anyway, to give their beleaguered colleagues a breather. Among them was Chris White. Floodwaters had kept him from getting to work Sunday, but on Monday, after evacuating his family to his parents' home in the Heights, he called in.

"Hey, do you need anybody to work?" White asked. "I'm available."

Station 37 needed an ambulance driver. For the next 30 hours, White drove through high water, torrential rains and gusting winds responding to attempted suicides, cardiac arrests and dialysis patients who had missed treatments.

"People needed help," he said. "Everybody was in the same boat."

Other firefighters worked on their own, rescuing neighbors or using their personal boats across the city.

Finally, on Tuesday, Aug. 29, the fire department called in two shifts - about 1,700 firefighters - to allow those who had worked to go home.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/Contributor

Looking ahead

Once again, the Houston Fire Department is doing a post-storm analysis.

An internal investigation is underway to review the response, assess what the department did well and highlight what it needs to do better next time.

Already, however, Pena sees where he could have done things differently.

Looking back, he said, he should have called in about 500 extra firefighters, particularly those with special training. And the department definitely needs more equipment: six more high-water rescue vehicles, at least six more rescue boats and 10 more evacuation boats.

"That would get us started, and I don't think it's too much to ask to cover 644 square miles," he said. "The sheriff's office has a marine fleet, the police department has boats and high-water rescue vehicles, but the agency that's primarily responsible for the rescue effort in this community is sorely under-resourced and under-trained."

Councilmember Brenda Stardig, who chairs the public safety and homeland security committee, said she hopes the City Council will not shoot down additional requests for equipment and training.

"You've got to have a professional training team," Stardig said. "At this point, I just cannot begin to believe that anyone would have it in their heart to vote against their assets and their resources."

Mayor Sylvester Turner referred questions about the department's response to Pena, but he recognizes the need for more equipment, spokesman Alan Bernstein said.

The city currently has allocated $5.8 million for HFD fleet purchases, and in November, voters will decide on a bond package that proposes to raise $10.8 million a year for five years for fire department fleet replacement.

"Not only does Turner realize the need for more resources, but that would be hollow if there weren't a number of plans behind it with actual money," Bernstein said. Lower pension obligations will also free up more money for fire department operations, he said.

Marty Lancton, president of Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association Local 341, however, said the proposed funding gets eaten up by long-overdue maintenance costs and replacing aged-out equipment rather than addressing more specialized fleet purchases such as high-water vehicles and rescue boats.

"That doesn't increase the Houston Fire Department's assets at all," he said.

Given the fire department's history with City Hall, Lancton doubts anything will change.

"You can only come to one conclusion," Lancton said. "We have not invested in our infrastructure or the basic resources of emergency response, and that puts citizens' lives at risk. We don't know what else it's going to take for city and elected leaders to take a stand and make the fire department the priority."

Pena, meanwhile, knows one thing is certain - staff and resources cost money.

"Our budget represents how much risk this community is willing to take," he said. "The risk is going to exist. How much do we want to invest in mitigating it and positioning ourselves to be able to respond efficiently? That's going to be the question of the year."

Staff writer Mike Morris contributed to this report.
Robert Zimmerman, the 79-year-old man accused of running over a Houston police officer while intoxicated earlier this week, is barred from drinking and has a 9 p.m. curfew while free on bail, a judge ruled Friday.

Because Zimmerman's breathalyzer test showed that he was not intoxicated on alcohol, the case highlights the fact that a driver can be prosecuted for being intoxicated by prescription medication, a point prosecutors explained Friday.

"Despite the fact that there's no indication of alcohol in his system, he was, in our estimation, intoxicated on what we believe to be medication," said Sean Teare, the vehicular crimes unit chief with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. "You can take prescription medications and still be legally intoxicated. This case is a terrible example of that."

Zimmerman is charged with intoxicated assault on a public servant, accused of crashing into Nestor Garcia at 2 a.m. Wednesday while the rookie Houston police officer worked a routine traffic stop on Interstate 69 near Greenbriar. The young officer was hit as he stood on the freeway and interviewed a suspected car thief.

If convicted of the second degree felony, Zimmerman could face a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Zimmerman, a longtime Houston real estate agent, appeared before state District Judge Jan Krocker in a blue button-down shirt and khaki pants. He had trouble hearing the judge and spoke softly when he said he would not be driving anytime soon because his car has been impounded as evidence.

He did not answer questions after appearing in court, and has not yet hired an attorney.

In court, Krocker set standard bond conditions for the $30,000 bail he posted, including prohibiting alcohol and drugs. She also set a curfew. Although judges sometimes prohibit driving in similar cases, Krocker said Zimmerman can drive as long as it has an ignition interlock device, which keeps drunk drivers from being able to start the car.

He also has to install an in-home device that monitors his alcohol level. The judge also ordered random drug tests and advised him to inform officials what medication he is taking. He said he was taking heart medication. He told officers he takes a sleeping medication, but the last time he took it was the night before the wreck, more than 24 hours before the crash.

The case centers on whether Zimmerman was legally intoxicated on some kind of drug, not whether he was drunk on alcohol because he apparently passed a breathalyzer test. The results of the drug test have not been completed, prosecutors said Friday.

Zimmerman allegedly crashed into the police officer while driving 50 to 60 mph, dragging the officer along the highway before coming to a stop, police said.

Garcia is recovering in the intensive care unit with head trauma, a pelvic fracture, and kidney and liver damage. Police arrested Zimmerman at the scene.

The elderly man, who police said has no criminal record in Harris County, told officers he'd had a 24-ounce beer with dinner around 5 p.m. - more than nine hours before the wreck, according to court records.

Defense attorneys in Houston are familiar with driving while intoxicated cases that stem from people taking their medication, sometimes as prescribed.

"We can't rush to judgment on this because we need to wait and see what the drug tests show," said Tucker Graves, president of Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. "It could be 'Old Driving Syndrome.'"

He is not representing Zimmerman, but spoke about other intoxication cases that were defended by arguing that the medicine was taken as prescribed.

"The standard is: have they lost normal use of mental or physical facilities," he said. "The big issue is what is 'normal.' What may be normal for one person may not be normal for another."

If a drug test shows that medicine was taken as prescribed, he said, the dispute may end up in front of jurors who will consider the drug test, video of the scene and other factors to decide if he had the use of his normal faculties.

After the brief hearing, Teare explained why prohibiting alcohol had to be a condition of bond.

"In this case, we don't believe alcohol is a causative factor in this crash," he said. "That being said, alcohol can exacerbate other medications or illicit drugs."

The prosecutor confined his remarks about Zimmerman to what had been said in court, and spoke broadly about cases that may be similar.

"Regardless of what substance it is that you are intoxicated on, if you have lost the normal use of your mental or physical faculties and that results in a crash, we're going to prosecute you," he said. "I would like this message to get out as broadly as possible. That is not okay."
Following up on a promise to bring the city together, Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner asked City Council on Friday to make a $1 million payment to settle a contentious voting rights lawsuit. The protracted federal court battle elicited national portrayals of the blue collar Houston suburb as fertile ground for suppressing the political clout of its growing Latino population.

The proposed settlement with Latino residents who sued the city in 2014 over a new City Council district election system calls for the city to pay $900,000 for the plaintiffs' legal fees and $197,341 for court costs. The item is set to be heard Tuesday at the City Council meeting. "While I strongly believe that the city did not violate the Voting Rights Act or adopt a discriminatory election system," Wagner said in a statement, "I think it's in the best interest of the city to get this suit behind us."

The city, under his leadership, has taken other steps toward equity, including the mayor's appointment of a Latino police chief and a recent plan to resume bus service that's a lifeline for low-income residents.

Former Mayor Johnny Isbell, who pushed for a split voting system after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gutted the Voting Rights Act, questioned why his successor gave up so quickly on the appeal before the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"I don't agree to throwing in the towel, because I believe the city would prevail in the New Orleans appeals court," said Isbell, who is CEO and Chairman of Apache Oil. "I think it's a mistake since the appeal has already been all paid for, but more importantly, it's what the voters of Pasadena voted for -- redistricting."

The 2013 charter revision passed by a narrow vote margin.

Isbell agreed with Wagner that the city did not intentionally discriminate against Latino voters, even though Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal determined it did.

Isbell felt Pasadena has been unfairly portrayed as a polarized, backwater town. "We are not a racist city in any way," he said.

Patricia Gonzales, one of a group of voters who sued the city through the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund over drastic infrastructure inequities across neighborhoods, was thrilled to hear the news. But she was not surprised.

"We knew this was a winning fight. We prayed on it and we fought on it and we knew it was the right thing to do," said Gonzales, a part time phone operator recently formed a community advocacy group to bring infrastructure improvements to the city's north side.

"We can't be bullied anymore," she said.

Cody Ray Wheeler, a Hispanic council member who testified at a lengthy court injunction hearing last year, said he is relieved the city is putting an end to the infighting. A favored candidate of the Latino electorate, Wheeler was an outspoken advocate of halting what he saw as power grab by longtime mayor Isbell and his backers on the council.

"There was kind of an underbelly in Pasadena of this power network and good old boy system that wanted to keep Pasadena run by this group," he said. "The lawsuit changed that. It really put the power back in the hands of the voters and the citizens of Pasadena."

Based on closed door conversations with his fellow council members, Wheeler said he was confident the majority of the eight-member body will support the deal.

Approval of the settlement would end the city's appeal of Rosenthal's ruling last January that the new council system intentionally diluted Latino voting strength. The new system voters approved in 2013 added two at-large council positions and removed two district seats, a change initiated by the former mayor.

Rosenthal ordered the city to revert to the previous system of eight district positions in the city elections last May.

C. Robert Heath, who represented the city in court, had argued that the 6-2 system, with two at-large seats, did not diminish Latino representation when compared with eight single member districts.

"You ended up with essentially the same representation either way," Heath said. "You ended up with Hispanics having an opportunity either way." But Rosenthal found the vote was diluted and the city had intentionally watered down the vote.

The city has paid more than $2 million to attorneys for the trial and appeal.

Wagner, a former Houston police officer who had served one term on the City Council, won election to replace the term-limited Isbell, who had led the city off and on for decades. Candidates during the city election campaign, and by council members since then, have shown little appetite for continuing the appeal.

Ornaldo Ybarra, a former council member aligned with the anti-Isbell faction, who took the stand in the voting rights case, said the settlement indicates he and his colleagues were justified in challenging former mayor.

"You have to have moral courage," he said. "It shows that what happened was wrong. This just proves that."
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Cara Eugene-Onyejiaka found her youngest son, Joel, in tears after school Thursday. The fifth-grader's mother learned from staff that the Zoe Learning Academy was permanently closing just two weeks into its Hurricane Harvey-delayed school year.

The charter school, which serves about 150 students in Houston's Greater Third Ward, will shut down immediately due to financial problems, according to Superintendent Richard Rose.

He said the school didn't have enough students to generate sufficient revenue to operate. Enrollment at Zoe Learning Academy's campuses in Houston and Duncanville, a suburb of Dallas, had declined from about 500 in 2010-11 to about 300 this year. The Duncanville campus closed last week.

"We've done everything we can to provide parents a smooth transition, and our message to them will be that we've educated children in this community for 18 years, and we certainly wish that we could have continued to do that," Rose said.

Charter schools are tuition-free, public campuses that operate under fewer regulations than traditional public schools.

About 200 students were expected to attend the Houston campus of Zoe Learning Academy, but roughly 50 of them were displaced by Hurricane Harvey, Rose said. State officials had pledged to provide additional funding to schools serving students displaced by the storm.

On Friday, parents and children gathered at the school's campus for a meeting with Rose to learn why the school was closing. Other schools were also on hand to enroll children who needed a new place to attend.

Parents said they were not aware of any financial problems with the campus and most were shocked by the news.

Eugene-Onyejiaka's son Joel had attended Zoe Learning Academy from pre-K to third grade, but left briefly to attend another charter school, C.O.R.E. Academy. She learned that school was closing just a few weeks ago and hurriedly put Joel in back at Zoe. She said her son didn't want to eat breakfast Friday and appeared visibly upset after learning the school was closing. Her eldest son, William, now in high school, also attended the elementary charter school and remembers enjoying the close-knit connection between students and staff.

"I like that everyone knows the kids," Eugene-Onyejiaka said. "They pay attention to their behaviors. They know if some kids are acting out of character. They knew my voice if I called on the phone."

Ralph and Terry Jones said their son Kenneth, who's in third grade, has been attending since pre-kindergarten. They had grown used to the staff and his son's classmates, so they said changing schools will be an adjustment.

"We are going to miss a lot of the staff and a lot of the teachers," Ralph Jones said. "They would go out of their way for us."

In 2015-16, the most recent year with available information, Zoe Learning Academy reported unrestricted net assets of -$292,360. The charter district received a failing grade this year on the state's financial integrity rating scale, one of four charter schools in Texas to receive the designation. About 98 percent of the school's students were "economically disadvantaged," as defined by the state, in 2016-17.

The Houston campus received an "improvement required" rating for academic achievement from the state in 2013, 2015 and 2017. About 4 percent of Texas schools received an "improvement required" rating this year. Rose said academic issues played no role in the closure.

"This is my family," Eugene-Onyejiaka said. "My heart is always going to be a part of Zoe."
Sharon Swanson Evans had never commanded a navy. The psychologist never served in the National Guard.

But she had a duck boat and a cell phone. During Hurricane Harvey, such tools could move a small army.

Equipped with waders and a mobile message board application called Nextdoor, Evans and her husband, Kenny, helped coordinate hundreds of rescues in her flooded west Houston neighborhood, dispatching first responders and volunteer crews to the homes of those posting on the application.

In previous disasters, Evans' story would have been unthinkable. But the days-long downpours spread professional rescue operations thin, thus turning volunteers and neighbors into lifelines for the many stranded by Harvey's barrage.

Emergency and police agencies had dealt with massive storms before. But whereas those came in flash, singular events, Harvey was sustained chaos, raining water, confusion and misinformation across Southeast Texas.

Soon, 911 dispatch systems were overwhelmed, and amid the mayhem many sought help online, forcing what researchers and officials said was among the largest tests yet of how public information - and misinformation - is disseminated in the era of Twitter and Facebook.

Now, many are trying to fine-tune their operations ahead of the next storm, and extend the loose infrastructure of social media to especially-vulnerable people - the elderly, the poor, the homeless - for whom digital access is still often fleeting.

In Houston alone, Nextdoor said there was an 800 percent increase in posts, replies and alerts during Harvey, including more than 3,000 urgent alerts in the first days of the storm. On most days there are only about a dozen such posts, the company said.

"Some of the key differences (between Harvey and other disasters) are that there were volunteer organizations that created really elaborate infrastructures," said Keri Stephens, the associate director for Texas A&M's Moody Center for Health Communications. "And the official emergency managers didn't shy away from them. They were flat-overloaded."

Emergency personnel meanwhile relied particularly hard on social media, shifting from traditional communication mediums to more precise, two-way platforms that allowed them to zero in on the needs of hundreds of small zones throughout the city and state.

Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for the Harris County Office of Emergency Management, said his agency had long been preparing to lean on social media during disasters.

Still, nothing could have prepared them for Harvey, he said.

"I've served on command staffs for 10 presidents who've declared disasters, and this by far has to be the most significant in terms of the hours, the scope, the devastation and the recovery," he said. "We needed to be able to utilize every possible resource we had."

From Aug. 22 to Sept. 15, the county's Regional Joint Information Center posted on social media 2,400 times and had nearly 400,000 visits to its website, a spokeswoman said.

During Harvey, Stephens said, more people called for help on social media than they did on traditional 911 systems - a positive sign, she said, but one that stresses the need to update our understanding of mass, online communications. Stephens this week received a $168,000 grant to examine the matter.

"Social media is there," she said. "It's on people's fingertips. And so we saw it on a much larger scale."

"If you're in an urgent situation, you're going to use every (platform) possible," she said. "If everybody does that, it will overload every one of our systems."

Take, for example, the 15 elderly patients rescued from the La Vita Bella nursing home in Dickinson. Hours after staff there first started calling for help - and as floodwaters rose to the chests of many patients - no boats had arrived.

"I was on the phone with anybody except for God," said employee Tina Davis.

Only after a heartbreaking photo of the scene went viral on Twitter did help arrive.

Meanwhile, in southwest Houston, Sue Deigaard was doing door-to-door surveys of her neighbors, many of whom were without power. Deigaard, who earlier in the week was rescued from her home after posting on Nextdoor, then used the application to coordinate donations for homes in the area.

That isn't to say there aren't dangerous downsides to the reliance on social media: Many read the fake Twitter posts alleging federal agents were checking the immigration statuses of those at local shelters. Fewer checked the veracity of those rumors. Some likely stayed home, in harm's way, because of them.

Generally, researchers have found, the public's ability to spot false information is lacking. Examining Twitter data from Hurricane Sandy, University at Buffalo researchers found use of social media by officials can be crucial to disaster communications. They also, however, note that some 86 percent of Twitter users are prone to retweeting false information - a problem so widespread that it prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency to launch an online rumor control website in the storm's wake.

Such misinformation can have serious consequences, experts say, and can fray public trust at the most crucial of times.

"You have to address (misinformation) quickly," said Jason Spencer, a spokesman for the county sheriff's office. "You can't sit back and think that it's going away."

Nor can agencies stay silent for long periods of time: "In the absence of information, people are going to speculate," he said.

In Fort Bend County, officials are still trying to quell rumors about looters that started days after the storm.

"The challenge is always overriding what people are sharing among themselves and in neighborhoods," said Chad Norvell, a major with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.

And then, there's the issue of inequality. Society's most vulnerable people often also lack access to basic technology, a disparity that's particularly jarring in many parts of Texas. In the Beaumont-Port Arthur and San Antonio metro areas, for example, only 43 percent of households earning less than $20,000 annually have broadband internet, according to census data. In the Brownsville-Harlingen region, only 25 percent have such amenities - by far the lowest rate in the nation.

That could be a serious problem for emergency managers.

"As government, we need to recognize that internet accessibility is a utility," said Sanchez, of the Harris County OEM. "It is a basic service. It is critical infrastructure. We need to empower those communities to know how to use those platforms, and how to be active in the digital space."
Despite President Donald Trump's promises to deport up to 3 million criminal immigrants, his administration has removed fewer people this fiscal year than during the same period last year, about 211,000 through early September, federal statistics show.

That's by far the lowest number of people deported in at least a decade.

The 12 percent drop has occurred even as the number of migrants Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have arrested since Trump took office in January jumped by 43 percent to some 97,500 compared to the same time frame in 2016.

The end of fiscal-year statistics speak to the challenges the administration faces in removing large amounts of migrants from the interior of the country, where federal agents have far more constraints on how they can deport immigrants in the country illegally than at the borders, increasing the strain on an already-overwhelmed immigration court system.

FEAR OF ICE: Immigrant flood victims make do on their own

With a record backlog of more than 600,000 cases, it can take at least two years before a migrant appears in court and is ordered deported. Texas has the second-highest backlog in the nation, and cases have an average wait time of 829 days.

By contrast, immigration agents can, and do, deport most migrants apprehended within two weeks of arrival and 100 miles of the border through an administrative process known as expedited removal, which sidesteps the courts.

They can also simply return Mexicans and Canadians across the border, known as voluntary departure, without going through the time-consuming formal deportation process.

About two-thirds of the agency's removals involved immigrants arrested as they were trying to come in.

But the number of people trying to cross the U.S. border with Mexico plummeted significantly after Trump took office, falling by nearly half to almost 23,600 in February.

As the administration threatened to separate women and children at the border, and word of harsh enforcement spread, those numbers dropped further still to 15,800 in April, the lowest monthly figure recorded in at least 17 years.

Apprehensions have since steadily risen again to nearly 31,000 in August, according to Customs and Border Protection statistics.

But the number is still among the lowest in the past five years.

In fact, despite the blustering rhetoric about increasing enforcement at the border, sneaking across it is harder than ever before, according to a Department of Homeland Security report released this month. It estimated that as many as 85 percent of illegal border crossings are unsuccessful, up from 70 percent a decade ago.

Sarah Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for ICE, acknowledged that the record decline in apprehensions at the border had an impact on the overall number of deportations. But she noted that removals from elsewhere in the country increased by a third to nearly 52,200 between January and September when compared to the same period last year.

Of those who were arrested, but not yet deported, more than 70 percent are convicted criminals, she said, reflecting the "continued prioritization of enforcement resources on aliens who pose a threat to national security, public safety, and border security."

The agency's own statistics, however, show that by far the greatest increase came in the number of arrests of immigrants without criminal records, which almost tripled to about 28,000 since January when compared to the same period in 2016.

Rodriguez said that about 60 percent of those faced, but have not yet been convicted of criminal charges, though she didn't specify what kind.

The greatest number of non-criminal immigrants in the country were arrested in Atlanta, more than 2,500 between January and June, according to the most recent figures released. In that same time frame, the most with criminal records, about 7,000, were arrested in Dallas, followed by 5,900 in Houston.

The rise in arrests for immigrants without criminal records comes as agents have praised Trump for unshackling them and allowing them to deport anyone they find here illegally, rather than focusing on recently-arrived migrants and those with serious criminal histories as President Barack Obama ordered them to in 2014.

Obama did that after being labeled deporter-in-chief for removing a record 410,000 immigrants in 2012, but as hopes of comprehensive immigration reform fell apart in Congress he sought to protect immigrants who have been here a long time and prioritize criminals.

Under the Trump administration, every immigrant is again a focus for removal.

TRUMP VISITS HOUSTON: Immigrants protest

John Sandweg, ICE's former acting director under the Obama administration, said the record deportation low this year, as agents have been ordered to deport everyone, shows that the strategy is a failure.

Even under Obama's targeted enforcement approach, Sandweg said the agency was able to easily apprehend about half a million immigrants who fit into its priorities from the interior of the country each year. But the system only had the capacity to deport around 150,000 of them.

"ICE has always had the ability to arrest far more people than they could possibly remove," Sandweg said. "What we really need is more immigration courts and immigration judges."

The drop in deportations also underlines the need for comprehensive immigration reform for some of the 11 million immigrants here illegally, he said.

"When we have a guy who is the most committed to having unfettered enforcement and he can't make a dent in the population, and in fact comes in under what we were doing with a far more targeted approach, that demonstrates the futility of trying to enforce your way out of the problem," Sandweg said.

The Trump administration faces far more obstacles in deporting large swaths of migrants than the Obama administration, said Randy Capps, director of research for U.S. Programs at the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank in Washington D.C.

Around 70 percent of immigrants detained by ICE are found after they are booked into local jails and their finger prints match with a Homeland Security database. ICE then asks the agencies to hold the migrants once they are eligible for release so it can pick them up.

But in the last few years several federal courts, though none in Texas, have ruled doing so violates the Fourth Amendment against unreasonable seizure.

Populous states, including California and Illinois, and about 260 counties and 30 cities stopped complying with the government's detainer requests, saying it is not within their authority and opens them up to lawsuits.

"This is a major barrier to increasing the scope of the enforcement system," Capps said.

The administration has tried to push back on so-called sanctuary cities, threatening to cut their federal funding. This week ICE arrested almost 500 immigrants from cities across the country that don't honor ICE requests, though none in Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott has also pushed legislators to approve Senate Bill 4 to force local jurisdictions to comply with the detainers  though all, except Travis County in Austin, already do. A federal judge halted the law's implementation, but an appellate panel this week agreed that it can go into effect while the case is heard. As a result, Travis County announced it would honor the detainers once more.

Part of the strategy is signalling to migrants that they will suffer consequences for living here illegally, said Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington group advocating for reducing immigration.

"No one has seriously suggested that we can deport every person in the country illegally," Mehlman said. "The key is to take other steps to convince people, a) not to come, and b) if you are here, there's no reason to stick around."
Mayor Sylvester Turner shot back at Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday over the governor's contention that Turner is incorrectly shifting blame for his proposed tax hike to state leaders.

On Monday, Turner wrote to Abbott asking state officials to tap into the $10 billion Rainy Day Fund, the state's savings account, saying he would not have proposed a $50 million property tax increase if the state would kick in its share now.

Abbott shot back Tuesday, saying, "In times like these, it's important to have fiscal responsibility as opposed to financial panic."

Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said city officials are "sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars" in funds held by Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones that could be used for recovery.

The state law that allows the creation of these economic development zones prevents the city from doing that, however, mandating that the funds be spent only within the boundaries of the zones.

Turner stressed that point at Wednesday's regularly scheduled City Council meeting, noting that the TIRZ program was created by the Legislature.

"It's easy to just throw things out as if people are not aware and are not knowledgeable," Turner said. "But TIRZs are legislative creatures. And the City Council does not have the power just to snatch money away from them without legislative approval."

Abbott has decided not to call a special legislative session this month to vote on a Harvey relief package.

The state can, however, through the Legislative Budget Board, redirect money from state agencies to recovery efforts, then replenish the rainy day fund when the Legislature next convenes in January 2019.
Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday said he would withdraw a proposed property tax rate hike after Gov. Greg Abbott handed him a check for $50 million to help fund the city's recovery from Hurricane Harvey.

The exchange came as the mayor and governor held a joint City Hall news conference, a sharp departure from the last several days when the pair had traded letters and criticism over each other's response to the historic storm.

Turner had tried to pin his proposed tax hike on the state's unwillingness to tap its $10 billion savings account, while state officials viewed the city as seeking a blank check rather than targeting requests for specific emergency funds.

Ultimately, Abbott said he would draw upon a disaster fund within the discretion of his office, producing the $50 million amount Turner had intended to collect from raising residents' property taxes. That fund is one of several the state will replenish using its so-called Rainy Day Fund when the Legislature next convenes in 2019, the governor said.

"The city of Houston has some urgent needs they need to have addressed and part of it is debris and some other things, and it totaled $50 million," Abbott said of his talks with Turner. "And I said, 'This is what the state of Texas is for and what we can do. We are here to help you and help you rebuild because we are one team together.' This is what you call a common-sense case of helping a flooded town."

It was unclear whether the amount was based on a specific tally of needs, but both men noted needed repairs to public infrastructure and the city's need to reinstate its exhausted flood insurance policy, in addition to the costly removal of millions of cubic yards of debris.

Turner listed the liabilities the city has projected thus far: An estimated $26 million for debris removal, a $15 million insurance deductible, $75 million in damage to city buildings beyond what insurance will cover, and $9.7 million to reinstate flood insurance coverage.

"I want to thank you for this check of $50 million because it does address some of those immediate concerns that I would have been asking people in this city - many of whom have been directly impacted and are having now to get back into their homes or to purchase furniture - to assume some of the sacrifice in order to rebuild this city," Turner said to Abbott. "Because of what you've given today, let me say there will be no need for me to do that."

Turner initially had announced plans to enact an 8.9 percent tax rate hike, noting that a voter-imposed cap on property tax collections allowed him to propose a one-year exemption in the event of a federally declared disaster. Such a hike would produce about $113 million in additional revenue. On Wednesday, he cut that proposal roughly in half after federal officials agreed to increase their contribution to the Harvey recovery.

Friday's announcement eliminated the proposal, as well as a political headache.

Some council members opposed to the increase said they believed the mayor lacked the votes to pass it. Before the mayor and governor spoke, William-Paul Thomas, the mayoral aide charged with counting votes, had smiled and said he was "prayerful" that the governor would produce a check and make his life a bit easier.

Passage of Turner's proposed rate hike could have threatened the city's plans to issue $495 million in general obligation bonds in November, in addition to $1 billion in bonds tied to Turner's landmark pension reform plan. Rejection of the pension bonds could unravel the complicated reform plan and thrust the city back into a fiscal crisis leaders had spent years trying to fix.

Councilman Dave Martin, who opposed the tax increase, said he always thought the state should step up with of its own funds, rather than simply funnel federal money to the city.

"I think they showed they're doing the right thing," Martin said of state officials. "I still believe we could have found the money, I didn't think you needed to go to the taxpayers, but it would have been tough. This is a better solution."

Councilman David Robinson, who had said he was open to a supporting the rate hike, also cheered Friday's announcement.

"We're grateful for the governor to come home anytime he wants," Robinson said. "Today was a great day for the unifying forces of - as he said and the mayor said - our state, our local and, we're hoping, our federal partners in relief."

Both Turner and Abbott made oblique references to their public spat earlier in the week, speaking at length about unity and teamwork.

Asked why he had made funds available after appearing reluctant to do so earlier in the week, Abbott said, "After looking at all the options, this looked like the best solution at this point in time."

Achieving such costly goals as building a coastal spine to protect against storm surge, a third local reservoir or other flood mitigation projects, Turner noted, is going to require "wearing the same jersey, running the same direction, tackling others and not ourselves," a comment that prompted smiles from both. "Plus," the mayor added, "he found out this was my birthday week."

Abbott stressed that state officials always have known they will tap the Rainy Day Fund, but would do so after drawing on flexible emergency funds first.

If recovery needs deplete those funds before the Legislature's next scheduled gathering in 2019, Abbott said, it is possible he could call the body into a special session. Another reason to do so would be if a state role in contributing to large flood mitigation projects comes into focus, he added.
Houston Independent School District has been stuck under a storm cloud of its own making. Last year's board meetings were marked by dissension, grandstanding and disrespect. In 2017, the district faced a $106 million shortfall in a $2 billion budget. If about a dozen HISD schools don't improve, the state will close campuses or take over the district's operations.

Now Hurricane Harvey, a real storm, has blown through and the board of trustees of HISD are tasked with maintaining local control of the district, established almost a century ago, while also rebuilding storm-damaged schools.

This latest crisis comes at a time when six seats are open on the nine-member board. Nineteen candidates are running in November to fill these seats. The future of the district, and ultimately its 215,000 students, rides on our community's ability to pay close attention to these races and elect qualified people to serve.

If you want to elect a good judge, you look at legal credentials, years of practice, academic preparation and personal disposition.

In contrast, identifying a good board member may require reading between the lines of a candidate's resume. School board members don't necessarily need a background in education. Their job is simply to be the bridge between the community and the local school system. This means somebody who knows their community well and can represent its values and priorities in clear terms.

Even though experience in education isn't a necessity, it can be a plus, Jasmine Jenkins, executive director of Houstonians for Great Public Schools, told the editorial board. The problem is when members fail to understand the difference between governing and managing.

The superintendent has the exclusive duty of managing the day-to-day aspects of a school district. Board members, on the other hand, simply govern from afar - setting policies that enhance student achievement and holding the superintendent accountable. Troubles arise when members try to meddle outside the chain of command.

Here's one scenario: How should a board member respond if a parent complains to them about, say, a lack of air conditioning at a school? One proper response would be to direct the parent to the principal at the campus. The wrong response would involve the board member storming into the superintendent's office and demanding action.

Also, look for candidates who have experience on other boards and have familiarity with the rules of governance.

"Look to whether they've ever wrestled with anything complex before," Cathy Mincberg, president and CEO at the Center for Reform of School Systems told us.

Honesty and integrity must be a given. Candidates with weak ethics will be tempted to use their position to curry favor with contractors and vendors at the expense of students and taxpayers.

Avoid showboaters who seek the spotlight, and embrace those who know how to listen and collaborate.

These attributes can be easy to spot in person. But most voters will not have an opportunity to meet with the candidates.

That's why a variety of groups, including this page and the nonprofit Houstonians for Great Public Schools, devote the time and effort to screen each of these candidates and issue endorsements.

With its six new members, the board could help right the ship of HISD or it could drive it aground. Consult whatever guide you trust to help you make your choice. But please vote on Nov. 7.
(Thumbs twiddled) It was nice of Gov. Abbott to fly over to Houston Friday for a meeting and press conference with Mayor Sylvester Turner. There was backslapping and handshaking despite the governor's patronizing remarks toward the mayor earlier in the week. Instead of saying "I'm sorry," Abbott did the equivalent of buying your wife diamond earrings. He pulled out a $50 million check (from a state emergency fund) and presented it to Houstonians. That wasn't so hard, was it? The mayor reciprocated by calling off a planned one-year tax increase that we still believe could go to good use. We need tax dollars, and we need them any way we can get them. Both men deferred to the Feds for the Big Three flood prevention projects that must be appropriated and funded: a third reservoir, bayou infrastructure work and coastal protection. Our disappointment is that Abbott is acting slowly and without vision. He should call a special session of the Legislature to establish a regional flood control authority so everyone is truly working together; he should figure out a way to accelerate the building of safety projects along our watersheds and, among other things, he must lead an effort to bring ordinance-making powers to unincorporated areas. Our thumbs are twitching to write something nice about him.

(Thumbs up) Show us an elected official and we'll show you a person who pulls punches and plays it politically correct. Not Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack. He visited the editorial board this week about flooding and pointed a finger of blame at many of his fellow conservatives who have sat on their hands when they had an opportunity to help. Congressman John Culberson, Radack says, is more concerned about space aliens than flood control. Gov. Greg Abbott is making a "terrible mistake" by not calling a special session. And his fellow county commissioners should approve a property tax increase for flood projects.

(Thumbs up) Karma happens. The week after Harvey, the Astros were to host a three-game series with the Rangers. Our hurricane-ravaged guys asked Texas to make a trade: Let us play the August games in Arlington and move the September games to Houston. The heartless, we-don't-have-your-back Rangers said "no" and the first series was relocated to Florida. The second three-game series ended Wednesday with the soon-to-be-World-Champion Astros winning by a combined score of 37-7. We still think the Rangers shouldn't be allowed to wear a Texas flag on their uniforms.

(Thumbs up) State District Judge Bill Burke, a Republican, this week refused to overturn a law that gives Texas doctors the power to suspend life support in cases they deem futile. More important, he stood up to attorney general Ken Paxton who instead of defending the state - as he is elected to do - filed a brief supporting the plaintiff. "I find your presence very unsettling," Burke said. "I suspect you're looking for a shoehorn into the abortion debate. I'm not going to go there."

(Thumbs up) When you think of progressive cities in Texas, Lubbock doesn't exactly make your Top 10 list. Maybe not even the Top 50. So imagine our surprise when Texas Tech University President Lawrence Schovanec showed that he's a First Amendment absolutist by not bowing to the politically correct when he learned that a visiting lecturer dubbed a "bigot" was scheduled to deliver an on-campus talk. "I said, 'How can you promote that kind of serious discussion on social issues if the first time you are given a controversial case you say, 'Let's avoid this,'" Schovanec told The Texas Tribune.

(Thumbs up) The city of Pasadena blatantly discriminated against Latinos, a federal judge ruled in a January voting rights case. Instead of accepting the verdict, the city decided to drag out the pain with an appeal. That was until Friday when new mayor Jeff Wagner announced he'll seek a $1 million settlement. All of this would have been unnecessary if Pasadena had not adopted a system designed to shut out Hispanic voices. Let this be a lesson to the state and Harris County which keep getting smacked around with their own unending lawsuits that crack down on the less fortunate.

(Thumbs down) For someone who entrusts his daughter with one of the most important jobs in the United States, you'd think Donald Trump would understand that gender equity in the workplace is essential. This page recently bemoaned his administration's appalling lack of female appointments to U.S. attorney jobs. He's nominated only one - yes one - woman for 42 openings. So, maybe he'd show some atonement in judicial appointments? If the Fifth Circuit is any indication, the answer is "no." Trump named four circuit judges this week to the New Orleans-based court. All answer to "his honor."
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Judge Denies BMC's Request To Halt Strike

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  A federal judge has denied Berkshire Medical Center's request for a temporary injunction to halt the one-day strike planned Tuesday by the nursing union.

The hospital had filed an emergency motion requesting the federal courts to put a stop to the strike . The hospital alleged that the Massachusetts Nurses Association did not follow the proper grievance process as outlined in the contract. It asked for a temporary injunction.

On Friday, Judge Mark G. Mastroianni denied that emergency request after a hearing in U.S. District Court in Springfield. The nurses plan to go ahead with the one-day strike on Tuesday.

"We are disappointed that it appears there will be a strike on Tuesday," said John Rogers, vice president and general counsel for the hospital. "A strike doesn't serve anybody's best interest, not the hospital's, not the nurses', and not the communities'. We did what we could do to avoid a strike."

Massachusetts Nurses Association spokesman Joe Markman said he isn't surprised by the ruling, saying the hospital's request was "baseless."

"The hospital is trying to distract from the issues at hand," he said, adding that the nurses are "ready to strike Tuesday morning if necessary."

Markman is still calling on the administration to return to the bargaining table and settle a contract before Tuesday. On Monday, Oct. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. the nurses are planning on a vigil outside of Berkshire Medical Center on North Street. The following morning at 7, the nurses plan to take to the picket lines. The one-day strike is expected to end the following morning at 7.

What happens at that point is still unclear. According to the National Labor Relations Board, there are two types of strikes: economic or unfair labor practice. The unfair labor practice strike entitles workers to return to the job right after the strike  in this case that would mean Wednesday morning  whereas an economic strike allows for the administration to lock them out until the temporary workers are released.

The hospital has planned to lock the workers out for four days following the strike, saying that was the length of contract with temporary workers required. Rogers said the hospital was successful in making its case to Mastroianni that this strike wasn't an "unfair labor" strike but an economic one.

"We are satisfied that is not," Rogers said. "It was clear this strike was going to occur long before the [labor complaints]."

The judge's ruling is not yet available through the court reporting system. The docket listing states the preliminary injunction was rejected "for the reasons stated in open court."

Markman, contacted prior to the issuance of the written ruling, said he has to review that ruling before stating whether or not the strike is classified as an unfair labor or economic. Since the hospital believes it is in the right to lock the nurses out, that is likely what will happen and a separate court case would have to decide if that is right or not.

The tense contract negotiations have been underway for more than a year and have hit a stalemate in recent months  and animosity has grown with each side filing unfair labor practice complaints against each other.

The nurses specifically have been citing the need for increased staffing levels, which they picketed about back in 2014 in the wake of the closure of North Adams Regional Hospital. The nurses say they've documented hundreds of cases when they say the staffing levels sub-par and jeopardized patient safety.

When the nurses and the hospital began negotiations, the union was pushing for staffing ratios in the contract. That would have established minimum requirements for the number of registered nurses on duty at one time based on the number of patients, levels of sickness, and shift.

Hospital officials, however, say they don't want to essentially give up control of how the hospital is staffed. The hospital has an internal staffing department that reviews the information and deploys resources as needed. But, those resources don't necessarily have to be nurses. The hospital calls it a team approach to providing care in which sometimes a unit may be short on nurses, but there are doctors and other specialists working the floor.

The hospital returned with a proposal to create a staffing committee consisting of union officials and nurses. That committee would meet regularly, review the data, and then make recommendations for any staffing changes. Hospital officials see that as a way to bring in the concerns of the nurses to the decision-making process without taking away flexibility. By putting ratios into the contract, the hospital would be liable for violating the contract should those staffing levels fall short at a given time.

The nurses say there is already a staffing committee that is ineffective. In May, nurses rejected that hospital's "best and final offer" by a union vote.

The hospital has outlined the proposal on its website and it boasts of 10 percent worth of pay raises over three years, quality health insurance, and the staffing committee.

"We cannot agree to the demand by the MNA that we accept its fixed staffing ratios or similar language that has the effect of controlling staffing decisions or its proposal that nurses cannot be temporarily reassigned from less busy units of the hospital to more busy ones to perform basic nursing services in relief of their colleagues," according to the statement on the hospital's website.

The nurses responded with a proposal for language changes which alleviates a charge nurse from being assigned, patients. That, they said, would allow for an extra hand on the floor and somebody to manage what is happening at a given time.

The hospital, however, said that change doesn't address its concern about flexibility by locking in certain jobs. They also see the nurse's push for staffing as part of a statewide push by the MNA  and multiple MNA chapters across the state have either gone to a strike or near a strike over the similar issues. The MNA is also pushing for a statewide ballot initiative regarding the topic.

The hospital later filed an unfair labor practice complaint saying the union was essentially repackaging the same proposal and accused the nurses of "surface bargaining."

But there had been other issues as well. Regarding the health insurance, which the hospital is proposing to change the percentage nurses pay from 10 percent to 20 percent of the premium to align with other staff members, and the length of the contract still unsettled. The nurses filed an unfair labor practice labor saying the hospital hadn't provided enough data about the health insurance plans.

The union said it is still willing to call off the strike if the hospital returns to the table in the next few days. But both sides are prepared for Tuesday.

"We're ready. We've been preparing for this for several months," said hospital spokesman Michael Leary, emphasizing that Berkshire Medical Center will continue to treat patients and keep providing medical services to the community.
Jean Waterman, great-granddaughter of John E. Atwood, thanks the gathering Saturday for remembering his service to the country and city. Roger Eurbin of the Hill Side Restoration welcomes the gathering. Lily Marceau, who has been volunteering with the restoration, recites the address from memory. Paul Marino gives the history of Atwood's service. Police Director Michael Cozzaglio addresses the crowd. Sgt. James Burdick places the new police force flag at Atwood's grave. Kevin Hamel reads a Civil War soldier's prayer. Hamel presents Waterman with the flag for her great-grandfather. Great-great-granddaughter Corinne Viens holds a copy of Atwood's GAR sketch. The family says his handwriting is eerily familiar to that of Waterman's late brother. Several generations of Atwoods at the graves of John, his wife, Mary, and daughter, Bertha. PreviousNext

North Adams Honors Civil War Veteran, Eyewitness to Gettysburg Address



The marker made by Deerfield Machine notes Atwood's service. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  John E. Atwood had a largely unremarkable life.

Born in North Adams in 1839, son of John and Sally, he would join the Union Army like many of his friends and neighbors and go off to war. He would return and live with his parents into his 30s, and work as a laborer, printer and bartender. At some point, he married Mary Holbrook and had a son, George, and a daughter, Bertha. Mary, also known as Fanny, died in 1894.

At the age of 50, he became a police officer in North Adams and spent five years raiding alcohol hideaways, investigating holdups, breaking up fights and walking a beat. He worked as a janitor until he died of cancer at Boston City Hospital in 1907 at the age of 67.

What sets Atwood apart from the many others lying next to him in Hill Side Cemetery are three remarkable minutes in his largely unremarkable life.

Atwood probably didn't think much of those three minutes at the time; most of his contemporaries didn't either. And even the individual who spoke during those three minutes thought "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here."

On Saturday morning, Atwood's service as both Civil War veteran and North Adams police officer was remembered, as well as his presence at one the nation's most historic moments: President Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863, at the dedication of the national cemetery at Gettysburg.

Roger Eurbin, founder of the Hill Side Cemetery Restoration that's cleaned and restored more than 300 headstones at this point, was surprised that Atwood's grave in the historic cemetery had not reflected his service.

"When I started this work I was really impressed by the number of local men and women who served in the armed forces of this country," he said to the dozens of descendants, veterans and officers present at Saturday's dedication. "They served in every conflict the United States was in, starting with the French and Indian War up through World War II. We have representatives of all those services buried here. Their service and sacrifice were indicated by their gravestone and their plaque, in most cases save one.

"We've rectified that omission today."

A memorial plaque commissioned by the restoration group and produced by Michael Denault's Deerfield Machine & Tool Co. lists Atwood's service, including being wounded in action at Fair Oaks, his police service and as color bearer representing Massachusetts at the Gettysburg dedication.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Atwood was among the first in North Adams to join the volunteer Johnson Grays, named in honor of Sylvander Johnson who raised the funds to buy their guns and gray uniforms. The troop marched to Springfield to enlist, becoming Company B of the 10th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment.

The "Old Tenth" would see fighting as part of the Army of the Potomac, from the Peninsula Campaign to Petersburg. Atwood, by then a corporal, re-enlisted as of July 1, 1863, the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. The 10th marched in the blistering 80-degree heat  making 35 miles in 18 hours while dressed from head to toe in heavy woolen uniforms  to reach Gettysburg on the second day and be placed to support the positions on the Round Tops.

"As they were marching to battle at Gettysburg, he was overcome with sunstroke," explained Marino. "You may think this is a pretty wimpy way of getting out of fighting, but when you consider how much wool the men were wearing it was amazing they weren't just dropping like flies."

Atwood was hospitalized and the 10th moved on. When he was better, Marino said, he was pressed into service as a nurse.

When it was determined to create a national cemetery at Gettysburg, each of the Union governors selected a color guard to represent their state.

"Being a member of the color guard was an enormous honor even for purely ceremonial purposes," Marino said. "This is because it was the color guard who was most likely to get shot ... There was a deadly game of capture the flag going on."

The color guard was made up of three men: one to carry the colors and two soldiers to protect him.

The three men selected by Gov. Andrew, however, asked to be relieved, feeling that the honor should go to invalid soldiers. Atwood, still at the hospital, became the color bearer.

"This means that he was an eyewitness to President Lincoln's delivery of the Gettysburg Address and he also met the president that evening at a reception," Marino said. "Interesting enough, Mr. Atwood did not make a big fuss about having been there at Gettysburg and being only 15 feet from the podium, and meeting the president later on."

In his written memories of the war for the local Grand Army of the Republic sketchbook, the thing he was most grateful for was that he survived the war and came home, Marino said. "He mentioned the address in passing."

But as time went on, the president's three-minute speech came to have far more meaning than the three hours of oration by main speaker Edward Everett, whose name and address have long been forgotten by most.

Atwood, in 1905, gave the Gettysburg Address in North Adams himself, said Marino, likely right there at Hill Side.

On Saturday morning, Lily Marceau, who has been volunteering with the restoration, recited the address from memory. Richard A. Ruether Post 152 American Legion provided the honor guard and salute, with its chaplain, Kevin Hamel, reading a Civil War soldier's prayer.

A contingent from the North Adams Police Department placed a flag and memorial holder at the new memorial stone and Police Director Michael Cozzaglio thanked Atwood's great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren for allowing them to honor him.

"We didn't know he was a member of the North Adams Police Department," he said. "On behalf of the city of North Adams and the North Adams Police Department we want to thank Officer Atwood for his service to the country as a Civil War veteran and his service to the city of North Adams as a police officer."

The Rev. David Anderson lead the group in prayer, noting that they were surrounded by "hundreds and hundreds of stories."

"When we think about the complexity of that era of history of the Civil War what difference does one person make?" he asked, answering that the ocean is made up of billions of drops of water. "If we look at history in those terms, every single person becomes a part of the greater narrative."

Atwood's closes relative, his great-granddaughter Jean Waterman of Williamstown, thanked the group for honoring her ancestor. She was presented with the flag by Post 152.

"I'm proud of my great-grandfather. If my father, if he was here, he would be thrilled," she said of her father, Russell, son of George Atwood. "He'd be thrilled to death over this. You deserve a medal each one of you for what you've done.

"I won't forget and my family won't forget it."
Imperial Valley News Center

USNS Military Sealift Command hospital ship Comfort Departs for Puerto Rico

Norfolk, Virginia - The Military Sealift Command hospital ship, USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), departed Naval Station Norfolk today and is now underway and making final preparations to support relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

USNS Comfort can arrive in Puerto Rico as early as October 3, but the final date and arrival location is to be determined.



"The medical capability the ship can deliver can be done underway, it can be done in port, or it can be done at anchor. Between the helicopter capability we have and the boats we have, all of those things together give us the ability to be flexible in our mission," said Capt. Kevin Robinson, commander, forward command element aboard USNS Comfort.



USNS Comfort departed Naval Station Norfolk with over 800 Navy medical personnel and support staff with the medical treatment facility (MTF), and over 70 civil service mariners. The medical personnel will provide a full spectrum of medical care to include general practice, family medicine, nephrology and pediatrics. The civil service mariners operate and navigate the ship, load and off-load mission cargo, assist with repairs to mission equipment and provide essential services to keep the MTF up and running.



When not deployed, USNS Comfort is kept in a reduced operating status but can transition to full operating status in five days.



"48 hours ago there were less than 100 people onboard this ship that included civilian mariners and medical treatment facility personnel. Over the past 36 hours, we have flown medical professionals and their support personnel from all over the country and the number of people onboard right now is over 800," said Robinson.



Comfort's MTF is an embarked crew of medical personnel from the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery responsible for operating and maintaining one of the largest trauma facilities in the United States.



"I can't tell you how proud I am of the MTF crew, many of whom just found out last night that they were deploying today," said Capt. Kevin Buckley, commanding officer, USNS Comfort's MTF.



USNS Comfort's primary mission is to provide an afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facility to the U.S. military that is flexible, capable and uniquely adaptable to support expeditionary warfare. Comfort's secondary mission is to provide full hospital services to support U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.



USNS Comfort is the second of two Mercy-class hospital ships. A converted San Clemente-class supertanker, Comfort delivered to the Navy's Military Sealift Command December 1, 1987.



Military Sealift Command operates the ships which sustain our warfighting forces and deliver specialized maritime services in support of national security objectives in peace and war.
Republic of Palau Independence Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson: "On behalf of the United States, please accept our best wishes as the people of Palau celebrate their 23rd Independence Day on October 1st.

"Palau is an extraordinary friend of the United States. We continue to work together to promote peace and prosperity around the world as well as at the United Nations. Our relationship goes beyond that of our two governments  Americans and Palauans share warm cultural ties and democratic traditions. From Palauans contributing to our mutual security serving in the U.S. military, to Palauans actively engaged in their local communities across the United States, we are bound together by our shared values. We are deeply grateful to those Palauanas who have given their lives in combat to protect our shared way of life. We look forward to working with Palau to create a better future for our two peoples.

"We offer our congratulations to Palauans everywhere on this special occasion."
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Idris Elba has revealed he failed to win a role in live-action Disney remake Beauty and the Beast, one of the year's biggest films.

The actor, whose big-screen credits include Pacific Rim and Stephen King adaptation The Dark Tower, told PEOPLE he was in line to play the character Gaston, a role which eventually went to Luke Evans.

I honestly love musicals, the Luther star said. I auditioned for Beauty and the Beast. I really did, for Gaston.

 Beauty And The Beast Clip - Gaston

I called and said, Listen, I want in! So somewhere they have a tape of me singing.

The actor, who claims the location of the audition tape is unknown, stated there he bears no hard feelings - when asked if he resented the Welsh actor for winning the role, he stated: No, only a little bit. No! I love you Luke, you know that, Elba jokes.

Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Show all 15 1 /15 Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Director: Martin McDonagh Martin McDonagh Cast: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Caleb Landry Jones Plot: In this darkly comic drama, a mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder, when they fail to catch the culprit. Twentieth Century Fox Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Call Me By Your Name Director: Luca Guadagnino Luca Guadagnino Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg Plot: A young man named Elio, living in Italy during the 1980s, meets Oliver, an academic who has come to stay at his parents' villa, and a passionate relationship develops between them, as they bond over their sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the landscape. Sony Pictures Classics Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Dunkirk Director: Christopher Nolan Christopher Nolan Cast: Harry Styles, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance Plot: In May 1940, Germany advanced into France, trapping Allied troops on the beaches of Dunkirk. Under air and ground cover from British and French forces, troops were slowly and methodically evacuated from the beach using every serviceable naval and civilian vessel that could be found. At the end of this heroic mission, 330,000 French, British, Belgian and Dutch soldiers were safely evacuated. Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Get Out Director: Jordan Peele Jordan Peele Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener Plot: This horror drama follows a young interracial couple who visit the girl's parents only for her boyfriend to uncover a conspiracy whereby young black adults are being captured. Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Downsizing Director: Alexander Payne Alexander Payne Cast: Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Waltz, Alec Baldwin Plot: A man and his wife join a community of miniaturized people after undergoing a process to shrink themselves. Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 The Florida Project Director:Sean Baker Sean Baker Cast:Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince Plot: A precocious 6-year-old and her friends are homeless, living in extended-stay motels, but their summer is still filled with childhood wonder and adventure. Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 The Post Director: Steven Spielberg Steven Spielberg Cast: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Alison Brie, Sarah Paulson Plot: Ben Bradlee and Kay Graham of The Washington Post challenge the federal government for the right to publish classified information in 1971. Twentieth Century Fox Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 The Shape of Water Director: Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Cast: Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, Doug Jones Plot: In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda discover a secret classified experiment. Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Molly's Game Director: Aaron Sorkin Aaron Sorkin Cast: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner Plot: The true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target. Courtesy of STXfilms Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 The Big Sick Director: Michael Showalter Michael Showalter Cast: Kumail Najiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano Plot: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family's expectations, and his true feelings. Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Mudbound Director: Dee Rees Dee Rees Cast: Jason Clarke, Carey Mulligan, Mary J. Blige, Garrett Hedlund Plot: This Netflix film follows two who men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war. Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 The Disaster Artist Director: James Franco James Franco Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Zac Efron Plot: A big screen re-enactment of the making of Tommy Wiseau's cult film The Room deemed 'the worst movie of all time.' Getty Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Phantom Thread Director: Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lesley Manville, Vicky Krieps Plot: Set in 1950's London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover. Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Lady Bird Director: Greta Gerwig Greta Gerwig Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Beanie Feldstein, Tracy Letts Plot: Gerwig's deirectorial debut is a coming-of-age story about a high-school senior (Ronan) and her turbulent relationship with her mother (Metcalf). Early Oscars Best Picture Contenders 2018 Darkest Hour Director: Joe Wright Joe Wright Cast: Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn Plot: The film follows Winston Churchill's early days as Prime Minister while Hitler closes in on Britain during World War II.

Elba will next be seen alongside Kate Winslet in The Mountain Between Us as well as Molly's Game, the directorial debut of The Social Network writer Aaron Sorkin.

Upon its release in March, Beauty and the Beast - which starred Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Ewan McGregor - became the highest-grossing musical of all time in the UK.
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The Queen might have made an apparent reference to Star Wars in her 2015 Christmas address but that does not mean she was willing for the epic film series to use her land.

It has emerged that a Star Wars request to film on land owned by Queen Elizabeth II was all out rejected. The Crown Estate snubbed the film franchise when it asked to film scenes at Windsor Great Park in Berkshire.

A spokesperson for the estate told the BBC they were not swayed by star stature or Hollywood glamour, saying: Our head isnt turned by star names or star films.

The Crown Estates head of commercial operations, Nick Day, said the proposed scenes were not suitable for the park but did not reveal the particular Star Wars film being proposed.

Star Wars was just such a huge thing that the risk for the park was just too great, he told the corporation.

The location they were interested in wasnt suitable for large numbers of people in there.

Our priority is to maintain and protect Windsor Great Park and we can facilitate film crews if were sure the risk to the park is minimal.

But Star Wars is a huge machine, and theres also massive outside interest in those sort of things. It wasnt right for here.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Show all 10 1 /10 Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Rey (Daisy Ridley) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) and Finn (John Boyega) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Rey (Daisy Ridley) stares down Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) and Finn (John Boyega) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos Rey (Daisy Ridley) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) Star Wars: The Last Jedi official photos

The 5000 acre Royal Park, which was Windsor Castles private hunting ground for many centuries, is a popular set for films being shot at neighbouring Pinewood Studios.

It has been used for films such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, and Bridget Jones Baby. The latter of which saw the farmers field used to film a rock concert scene. It was also recently utilised for the new Winnie-the-Pooh film Goodbye Christopher Robin.

Mr Day explained he is forced to rebuff at least eight out of ten film location requests regardless of how hefty the films budget is, saying: If it doesnt work for here then, no matter who you are, Im afraid that dollars, bright lights, and names dont sway us.
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The fact that the photographs we see of models in magazines and on billboards are usually digitally-enhanced is a societal norm we have come to accept.

However, in France, this will no longer be the case.

In a bid to tackle misleading promotions, French advertisers will now be fined for editing model's bodies without indicating that the image has been digitally-altered, according to new rulings in place from Sunday.

Recommended Two huge French fashion giants just banned size zero models

Those who refuse to include the indicative "photographie retouchee" warning label on their edited images could be fined 37,500 (33,000) or up to 30 per cent of the price it took to produce the advert, reports the BBC.

The government believes that image-doctoring is a public health issue and hopes that the new ruling will tackle the issue of seeing very thin-looking models in fashion campaigns, who promote an unhealthy and fundamentally unrealistic body image, given that these photographs are typically altered on the computer.

"Exposing young people to normative and unrealistic images of bodies leads to a sense of self-depreciation and poor self-esteem that can impact health-related behaviour," explained Health Minister Marisol Touraine when the ruling was announced in May.

However, the new law only prohibits the alteration of body shape and will not be applied to retouched hair or skin.

The ruling comes into place just months after it was revealed that France would also ban the employment of unhealthily thin models, requiring them to provide a doctors certificate to prove that they have been deemed fit to work.

Earlier this month, it was also announced that French retail giants LVMH and Kering - who own Dior, Louis Vuitton and Gucci between them - will ban the employment of size zero models.
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In October last year, designer Richard Nicoll tragically passed away at the age of 39 from a heart attack. A loss that reverberated through the fashion industry, the designer was to be remembered for his subtle minimalism and mastery of tailoring.

But, seeking to celebrate his life and work even more close friends and family collaborated with Pantone to create an official shade in his name  Nicoll Blue.

The London designer who was living in Australia at the time of his passing will be remembered for his eponymous line through which he became synonymous with the colour blue adopting it in countless collections, as well as a legacy that included designs at Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Jack Wills and Topshop.

We were so pleased to be able to work on the creation of Nicoll Blue, a unique new blue shade in memory of esteemed fashion designer Richard Nicoll, said Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.

Modest and humble, yet at the same time lively and playful Richard Nicolls Nicoll Blue embodies the elegance and sensitive spirit of this much beloved designer whose innate kindness, loving soul and good natured sense of humour held a special allure to all that entered into his orbit.

But, Nicolls visual presence didnt stop there with fellow designers choosing to honour him by including the colour in their autumn/winter collections.

Celine Autumn Winter 2017 (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

Roksanda Illincic, one of Nicolls closest friends within the fashion world, opened her show with a look head-to-toe in the shade. Here, a high-necked long sleeve silky dress was crafted in powdery blue and paired with matching drawstring leather boots.

Elsewhere, Celine showcased a longline shirt dress worn over matching trousers that were sliced at the knee as well as a mannish overcoat cinched at the waist.

Silk Dress, 99.99, H&M

For Lemaire and Balenciaga, extra emphasis was placed on suiting with the former opting for a blue buttonless collared shirt and high-waist mens trousers, while Balenciaga incorporated flashes peaking through oversized boxy overcoats in Prince of Wales Check and black leather.

A defining characteristic of his work, the shade is a striking way to visually remember and celebrate Nicoll, and it helps that it just so happens to look really, really good on almost every skin tone too.

Lapels Wool Coat, 79.99, Mango

This autumn, ditch your typically humdrum assemblages and inject your seasonal look with a hue thats soft, romantic and ethereal. From wintry scarves to keep you warm to basic tees and silky evening dresses, its a shade thats dominating the high street right now, and with good reason.

Supersoft Tassel Scarf, 16, Topshop

Noisy May Blue Cable Knit Jumper, 22, New Look

Neat Crew T-Shirt, 10, Topshop
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Three former Tesco executives are accused of cooking the books in a scandal which wiped 2bn off the supermarkets total share value and sent shockwaves through the stock market.

Carl Rogberg, 50, Chris Bush, 51, and John Scouler, 49, are alleged to have been involved in a white-collar crime plot in which they failed to correct inaccurately recorded income figures, which were then published to auditors, other employees and the wider market.

The supermarkets former finance chief, managing director and food commercial head, who are charged with fraud by abuse of position and false accounting between February and September 2014, were investigated after Tesco was found to have inflated its profits.

The supermarket made a public announcement to the stock market on 22 September, 2014 which stated that it had previously overestimated its profits by 250m, Southwark Crown Court in London heard.

Sasha Wass QC told the jury: The prosecution case is that the second statement, which corrected the first statement, was the true one and, as you will hear, the second statement caused shockwaves to run through the stock market.

Not only did Tesco shares fall by nearly 12 per cent, wiping over 2bn off the total share value, but the credibility of Tesco itself and indeed the credibility of the stock market had been undermined.

She went on: The prosecution case in a nutshell is that all three defendants were aware that income was being wrongly included in the financial records of the company, which were used to inform the stock market.

Each of the defendants was aware that this would lead to the company looking financially healthier than it actually was and it would result in Tescos trading profits being overstated.

This, say the prosecution, was clearly dishonest.

Mr Rogberg (of Mr Oxfordshire), Bush (of High Wycombe and Buckinghamshire), and Mr Scouler (Hertfordshire), all deny the charges.

Ms Wass said the case, boiled down in its essence, amounted to cooking the books  or what lawyers call false accounting.

She said employees in relatively subordinate positions had been involved in presenting the false figures in order to meet the profit targets set by Tesco.

But she added: The three defendants who are on trial in this case are not the foot soldiers who misconducted themselves. The defendants in this case are the generals  those who are in positions of trust, and who were paid huge compensation packages in order to safeguard the financial health of Tesco.

These defendants encouraged the manipulation of profits and indeed pressurised others working under their control to misconduct themselves in such a way that the stock market was ultimately misled.

Ms Wass said those who objected to the practice within the organisation were bullied and forced to continue.

It is not merely the fact that the defendants were aware that this was going on, she said. Each of these three defendants used their managerial authority and actively encouraged those working beneath them to falsify the figures; when those subordinate employees objected, the subordinate employees were bullied or coerced into carrying on with this practice.

The court heard that Rogberg, who was directly responsible for authorising the falsified figures, received a remuneration package of more than 1m in 2014.

Bush, who was in charge of the performance and integrity of Tesco at the time, received nearly 3m that year, and Scouler, who allegedly directed those beneath him to falsify income figures, received around 1.5m.

Ms Wass said Tesco was operating in challenging trading conditions and failure was not looked on kindly.

Each defendant would have had a very personal interest in keeping the share value of the company high, because a lot of their remuneration package included shares, she said.

And of course, any failure to meet targets could have resulted in not only the share prices going down, but indeed the credit rating of the company being downgraded.

Ms Wass said figures were window-dressed to make it look as if targets were being met.

Biggest business scandals in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Biggest business scandals in pictures Biggest business scandals in pictures Volkswagen emissions scandal VW admitted to rigging its US emission tests so that diesel-powered cars would looks like they were emitting less nitrous oxide, which can damage the ozone layer and contribute to respiratory diseases. Around 11 million cars worldwide were affected. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals Martin Shkreli became known as the most hated man in the world after his drug company, Turing, increased the price of a 62-year-old drug that treated HIV patients by 5,000% to $750 a pill. He was charged with illegally taking stock from Retrophin, a biotechnology firm he started in 2011, and using it pay off debts from unrelated business dealings. Shkreli, who maintains he is innocent, and says there is little evidence of fraud because his investors didn't lose money. Biggest business scandals in pictures Panama Papers: Millions of leaked documents expose how worlds rich and powerful hid money - April 2016 Millions of confidential documents have been leaked from one of the worlds most secretive law firms, exposing how the rich and powerful have hidden their money. Dictators and other heads of state have been accused of laundering money, avoiding sanctions and evading tax, according to the unprecedented cache of papers that show the inner workings of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is based in Panama. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Google's tax avoidance Google reached a deal with the HM Revenue and Customs to pay back 130 million in so-called back-taxes that have been due since 2005. George Osborne championed the deal as a major success. But European MEPs have since called for the Chancellor to appear in front of the committee on tax rulings to explain the tax deal. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures UK to crack down on bank money laundering after reports of 65bn Russian scam, City minister says - March 2017 The Economic Secretary to the Treasury has vowed that the Government will crack down on money laundering practices, after several of the UK's biggest banks were accused of processing money from a Russian scam, believed to involve up to $80bn (65bn). Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former HBOS bankers convicted of bribery and fraud over 245m loan scam - February 2017 Two former HBOS bankers were among six people found guilty of bribery and fraud that cost customers and shareholders hundreds of millions of pounds, the BBC reports. Lynden Scourfield, 54, a manager at HBOS, forced struggling clients to use the services of his friends David Mills, 60, and Michael Bancroft, 73. In return, the two businessmen arranged sex parties, cash and lavish gifts. On Monday, the three were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on accounts including bribery, fraud and money laundering. Mark Dobson, another manager at HBOS, Alison Mills, and John Cartwright were also convicted. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Lloyds chief apologises for damage caused by affair allegations - August 2016 Antonio Horta-Osorio, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has broken his silence over allegations about his private life admitting he regrets any "damage done to the group's reputation". In a message sent to the bank's 75,000 employees, the banker said that anyone can make mistakes while insisting that staff had to maintain the highest professional standards. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Christine Lagarde faces court over 340m Bernard Tapie payment - July 2016 The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, must stand trial in France over a payment of 403 million (now 340m, then 290m) to tycoon Bernard Tapie, a France's highest appeals court has ruled. The court rejected Ms Lagarde's appeal against a judge's order in December for her to stand trial over allegations of negligence in her handling of the affair. Ms Lagarde could risk a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros if convicted. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures HSBC senior manager arrested in FX rigging investigation at JFK airport in New York - July 2016 A senior executive at HSBC has been arrested at New York's JFK airport for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to rig currency benchmarks, according to reports. Mark Johnson, global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday. He will appear before a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bloomberg said. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Former PwC employees found guilty in 'Luxleaks' tax scandal - June 2016 Two ex- PricewaterhouseCoopers staffers were found guilty in Luxembourg of stealing confidential tax files that helped unleash a global scandal over generous fiscal deals for hundreds of international companies. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet face suspended sentences of 12 months and 9 months and were ordered to pay fines of 1,500 (1,230) and 1,000 (822) for their role in the so-called LuxLeaks scandal. Despite the minimal sentences, the ruling was described by Deltours lawyer as shocking and a terrible anomaly. The ruling puts on guard future whistle-blowers, Deltour told reporters.The LuxLeaks revelations sped beyond Luxembourg, causing European Union regulators to expand a tax-subsidy probe and propose new laws to fight corporate tax dodging, while EU lawmakers created a special committee to probe fiscal deals across the 28-nation bloc. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Goldman Sachs dealmakers lavished Libyan officials with prostitutes to win contract - June 2016 A former Goldman Sachs dealmaker trying to persuade Gadaffi-era Libya to invest $1 billion with the investment bank procured prostitutes and invited Libyan officials to lavish parties in the hope of winning the business, the High Court heard on Monday June 13.The Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund is suing Goldman Sachs for inappropriately coercing its naive staff into giving its sovereign wealth fund cash to the bank to invest in products they did not understand. The products were designed to generate big profits for Goldman, the LIA claims.Goldman denies wrongdoing and says the LIA was treated as an arms-length customer Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former boss of BHS said his life was threatened - June 2016 Darren Topp, the former boss of BHS, has said former owner Dominic Chappell threatened to kill him when he challenged him over a 1.5 million transfer out of the business. MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee asked Mr Topp about a 1.5 million transfer Mr Chappell made from BHS to a company called BHS Sweden. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley admits paying workers below the minimum wage - June 2016 Mike Ashley admitted paying Sports Direct employees below the minimum wage at a hearing in front of MPs. The company founder said that workers were paid less than the statutory minimum because of bottlenecks at security in an admission that could result in sanctions from HMRC. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Mitsubishi admits improper fuel tests - April 2016 Mitsubishi has admitted to using false fuel methods dating back to 1991. The scale of the scandal is only just coming to light after it was revealed in April that data was falsified in the testing of four types of cars, including two Nissan cars. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Quindell, the scandal-ridden insurance firm Quindell was once a darling of AIM but its share price fell in April 2014 when its accounting practices were attacked in a stinging research note by US short seller Gotham City. In August the group was forced to disclose that the 107 million pre-tax profit it had reported for 2013 was incorrect, and it had in fact suffered a 64million loss. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Toshiba Accounting Scandal The boss of Toshiba, the Japanese technology giant, resigned in disgrace in the wake of one of the countrys biggest ever accounting scandals. His exit came two months after the company revealed that it was investigating accounting irregularities. An independent investigatory panel said that Toshibas management had inflated its reported profits by up to 152 billion yen (780m) between 2008 and 2014. Biggest business scandals in pictures FIFA Corruption Scandal Fifa, football's world governing body, has been engulfed by claims of widespread corruption since the summer of 2015, when the US Department of Justice indicted several top executives. It has now claimed the careers of two of the most powerful men in football, Fifa President Sepp Blatter and Uefa President Michel Platini, after they were banned for eight years from all football-related activities by Fifa's ethics committee. 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She told the jury about the practice of pulling forward, which she said was Tesco shorthand for bringing forward income from the future to artificially inflate the figures of the present.

It really should have been obvious to anybody, let alone a highly responsible and highly paid executive, that if income is not guaranteed and it hasnt been earned, it shouldnt be included in the current year accounts.

The prosecution say that not only is the recording of income that doesnt exist dishonest, but you can see that if you are going to include the first month of next year into your earnings you are going to start the following year with a month short.

Ms Wass said the trial would hear from witnesses working within Tesco that pulling forward income in the way that was being done at the supermarket was something they had never come across in any other organisation they had worked in.

And some individuals that you will hear from felt so compromised by what they were being asked to do, that they felt their professional integrity was being put at risk and they resigned from their prestigious jobs rather than remain involved, she said.

Ms Wass highlighted the peril of the practice, saying: You can see that the problem, as time passes, just spirals out of control.

She said Tesco had a name to conceal the failure of pulling forward, referring to it as the legacy.

PA
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A murderer has been jailed for life for kicking a kind and honest man to death as he lay defenceless on a street at night.

Richard Wallis, 43, who is a father and grandfather, denied murdering Jan Jedrzejewski but was found guilty by a unanimous jury following a two-month trial at Newport Crown Court.

In his sentencing remarks, judge Sir John Griffith Williams told Wallis: My conclusion having observed you throughout the trial is that you are in no way remorseful.

Your only concern was to lie and to dissemble as you tried to avoid conviction. Mr Jedrzejewski was 41 when he died following the incident in Keene Street in Newport on 12 January.

Recommended Murder probe after body of female police officer pulled from lake

Police were called to the scene near Cromwell Stores at around 11pm and found the victim lying motionless and bleeding profusely.

He died at the Royal Gwent Hospital the next day.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mr Jedrzejewskis sister Emilia Klawczynska described him as really fun-loving... extremely honest and kind. She thanked her family, friends, employers and Gwent Police for their support.

The court previously heard how Mr Jedrzejewski moved to Newport from Poland in August 2015 and worked full time for Island Steel.

Sir John said: Jan Jedrzejewski was a popular man, hard-working, well thought of and liked by his colleagues. He noted he was killed by one or two kicks to his mouth as he lay defenceless on the ground.

William Hughes QC, prosecuting, said Wallis had one previous conviction for violence dating back to 2002, but that this was not considered an aggravating factor for sentence.

Paul Lewis QC, defending, argued there was not a significant degree of planning or pre-meditation and said his client had no involvement in taking the victim to the ground.

He suggested there was some provocation from Mr Jedrzejewski himself and others  a line of argument the judge rejected.

Mr Lewis said his clients involvement was limited to a single kick, although he accepted, based on evidence from a pathologist, that kick was forceful.

Agreed medical evidence stated the blow had a far greater effect than it otherwise would have done due to the victims level of intoxication.

Mr Lewis accepted his client picked up a crowbar, but said there was no evidence he had taken it to the scene.

Wallis, from Keene Street, argued during the trial that he was acting in self-defence, but the judge said: I am sure as to what happened. There was no element of self-defence.

Sir John said he would impose a mandatory life sentence with a starting point for the minimum term of 15 years.

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He reduced the starting point because Wallis intention was to cause really serious injury, not to kill.

But he increased it because the incident involved group violence in the street late at night, gratuitous violence and because of Wallis attempts to dispose of evidence.

The judge also ruled the victim was particularly vulnerable due to his drunkenness.

Wallis was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years. No separate penalty was made for perverting the course of justice.

Wallis mother Catherine Coslett, 64, from Valley View Road, Cwmtillery, was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice and is due to be sentenced at a later date.

Speaking after the hearing, senior crown prosecutor Jamie Dewar said: Richard Wallis took advantage of Mr Jedrzejewskis drunken state and attacked him.

The assault left him unconscious and seriously injured on the ground, bleeding profusely.

[Wallis] denied that his actions led to Mr Jedrzejewskis death, but the prosecution was able to prove that they caused the loss of life.

Our thoughts are with Mr Jedrzejewskis family.
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Cara Delevingne has spoken out about the depression and alienation she suffered in her teenage years in a frank new interview.

The model and actor, who was taken out of school at 15 because of her mental health issues, told Porter magazine: I hated myself for being depressed."

"I didnt understand what was happening apart from the fact that I didnt want to be alive anymore.

Although Ms Delevingne shot to fame as the face of brands like Burberry, Chanel and H&M, she said she struggled with her self esteem while she was at school.

"I didn't have boobs or start my period till very late," she says. "And that whole thing of being called frigid, and being flat-chested... I felt alienated and alone.

Teenagers can be very very cruel. I wasnt into the same things that all my popular friends were.

The model paints a picture of herself as a misunderstood child, often mistaken for a boy due to her short hair and unable properly to discuss the way she felt with friends. It wasnt like I was an alien, but I definitely knew there was something weird going on.

She has worked hard to reach happiness, and has learned to rely less on others to provide it, she said.

The 25-year-old has been recently been taking a break from modelling to focus on her acting career, starring in Paper Towns, an adaptation of John Greens novel of the same name and Suicide Squad, the screen version of a DC comic series.

 Luc Besson sees an Oscar in Cara Delevingne's future

Ms Delevingne has just written her first book, Mirror, Mirror, which draws heavily on her own experiences as a lonely, alienated teenager.

The young adult novel, which will be released in October, follows four characters through their difficult adolescence.

One of the books characters has an alcoholic parent, which some have read as an allusion to Ms Delevingne's own mothers drug addiction. However, the author said she "loved her parents deeply."

The thing about alcoholism, addiction and depression is, you cant hate the person for being who they are, you can hate the disease behind it.

Asked about the future, the model said her ambitions involved children, settling down and learning to drive.

"I want to have a farm, live on a beach... I want kids - I know I'm going to have kids. I can't wait to have that love.
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Unions have dismissed hints by the Government at an end to the 1 per cent pay cap for teachers and other public sector workers, saying it provides no real detail on how it would be funded and calling the gesture an insult to workers and the public.

A letter from Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, to the board responsible for recommending teachers pay awards said shortages meant it was prepared to accept a pay rise above the 1 per cent limit for 2018-19, according to The Guardian.

In the letter to the School Teachers Review Body (STRB), also said to have been sent similar letters to other public sector pay review boards, Ms Truss reportedly stated that more flexibility may be required in order to improve the productivity of the public sector.

But the letter has been received with cynicism from unions, who warned that without extra funding for school budgets, any pay rises to increase productivity would simply be an attempt to squeeze more out of public sector workers.

Rehana Azam, the GMB unions national secretary for public services, told The Independent: Weve had nothing but this flip-flopping from the Government over the last three months, one announcement after another with no real detail.

Its cynical. Its an insult to workers and an insult to the public as well.

If you compare Liz Trusss letter to previous letters, theres not much else in there except she said shes going to listen. My concern is shes using terms like increase in productivity and more flexibility.

Research shows that the proportion of public sector workers in 2017 is the lowest its ever been since 1947, so when she says increase flexibility, efficiency and productivity, Im at a loss to understand how you can squeeze more out of public sector workers when theres less of them.

Ms Azam went on to say there was no mention of how a teachers pay rise would be funded, saying that without additional funding from central Government, it would end up being at the expense of other budgets, which would likely impact the pupils themselves.

Where is this money going to come from? Even if Liz Truss says to the pay review bodies well consider something above 1 per cent, there is no mention that it will be centrally funded, she said.  Its the kids who are missing out here.

Recommended Tories refuse to reverse school budget cuts in new funding formula

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said Ms Trusss letter was welcome news but that any pay rise must be fully funded in order to be meaningful.

As the letter says, the Government has recognised that depressed pay is contributing to a shortage of recruits and the ability to hold on to talented and experienced school staff, he said.

NAHT would like to see a national framework that defines the roles and sets out the pay and conditions of everyone employed in a national, publicly funded education system, including school business leaders, executive heads and CEO roles.

Mr Whiteman added that a stubborn political rhetoric had up to now obstructed the strong moral case for increasing public sector pay, but urged that any pay rise would be meaningless unless it was funded fully into school budgets.

It is now crystal clear that the review body was not able to recommend a pay award based on the evidence. There is a strong moral case for increasing public sector pay, which has been obstructed up to now by stubborn political rhetoric. Theres nothing fair about that, he said.

It is clear that a new approach to pay is needed. The STRB needs a remit that can look beyond a 1 per cent maximum and, crucially, all pay rises must be fully funded into school budgets otherwise they will be meaningless in practice.

The letter comes after sustained pressure from NAHT, which wrote to the Education Secretary, Justine Greening, earlier in the month highlighting the growing evidence that teacher recruitment is being harmed by low pay.

A recent report by the National Audit Office also stated that schools were unable to fill vacancies and of teachers increasingly leaving the sector before they reach retirement age.

Ms Truss also warned that the 2018-19 pay awards were likely to be delayed by the Governments move to an annual budget from autumn.

I recognise that this is far from ideal as our hard-working public servants are entitled to receive their awards promptly, she wrote in her letters to the pay bodies.

It comes as Ms Greening is said to be preparing to announce at the Conservative conference in Manchester that she wants to go ahead with a manifesto pledge to open teacher training to apprentices.

In her speech to the conference on Sunday, Ms Greening will indicate she wants a new route into teaching via high quality degree apprenticeships, which would allow school-leavers to train and study while getting paid, according to The Guardian.

Ms Azam slammed this idea, saying that the majority of already existent apprenticeships for teaching assistants paid less than the minimum wage and accusing ministers of trying to employ workers on the cheap to improve public service.

The GMB is the biggest union for teaching assistants and school support staff, and weve recently researched ... that 75 per cent of teaching assistant apprenticeship vacancies were advertised at 3.50 an hour, she told The Independent.

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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 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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

You cant bring workers in on the cheap as a way of trying to deliver a service.

Earlier this month, the Government was accused of papering over the cracks after it announced a new funding formula for schools that would see budgets fall in real terms and which critics said would do nothing to reverse cuts that have already been made.

The Treasury has been approached for comment.
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Police have launched an investigation after a 39-year-old man dropped a three-year-old girl from a bridge in an apparent murder-suicide bid.

The incident happened on Friday evening when police were called to Astley Bridge in Bolton after reports that a man was standing on the bridge, threatening to drop a child into the river.

Specially trained police negotiators were called to the scene and attempted to speak to the man. They were unsuccessful in their attempts as the male refused to speak to officers, and the toddler was dropped into the river.

The three-year-old was quickly rescued from the water by a police officer already in the water. The child was taken to hospital, to treat her injuries which included a broken wrist.

The man fell into the water, which was around a 30-foot drop. He was removed from the river by police officers and taken to hospital for treatment to minor injuries. He was then arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Superintendent Paul Savill said: Thankfully the little girl will recover from her physical injuries, but the trauma she was put through is heart breaking. My thoughts are with her and her family.

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We have arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder, he will be questioned by police at the earliest opportunity.

We have a specialist team of negotiators who always try their utmost to resolve these situations without injury and get people the support they need. Sadly on this occasion the man failed to engage, however we had a second team waiting in the water to enable us to rescue the child within seconds of her entering the water.

We will now ensure that the little girl and her family have all the support going forward, to help her make a full recovery.

Greater Manchester Police told The Independent that the identity of the child would not be released until later on in their enquiries.

Stephen Lomax was at the Cineworld car park, near Astley Bridge, where he could hear the incident. He told Bolton News: I heard shouts and screaming, the man had a deep growl. The little girl must have been terrified.

A referral has been made to the IPCCC (Independent Police Complaints Commission), which is mandatory when a person suffers an injury while police are present.
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Populist anti-Islam activist Anne Marie Waters declared Jihad 1, Truth 0 after losing her bid to become the new leader of Ukip.

Ms Waters, the founder and director of Sharia Watch UK, was beaten by the lesser known Henry Bolton who is a former soldier and Thames Valley police officer.

Ms Waters, also a co-founder of the UK branch of the anti-Islam group Pegida, was a deeply divisive candidate with an impassioned support base. Her unexpected loss has saved Ukip from a lurch towards the far right and a threatened mass walkout of party members.

The narrow favourite to win, who has described Islam as evil, tweeted Today: Jihad  1. Truth  0 after learning of her defeat in the seven-horse contest.

The 40-year-old finished second, with 2,785 votes, a significant stretch behind the 3,874 won by Mr Bolton.

Mr Bolton, who is rumoured to be a former Liberal Democrat, said the right-wing party had dodged becoming the UK Nazi Party by electing him as leader.

The new leader used his victory speech at the partys conference in Torquay to urge members to come together in the face of mounting divisions, saying: Without being united, we cannot lead.

Mr Bolton is faced with the mammoth task of rescuing Ukip who gained fewer than 600,000 votes at this years general election just two and a half years after it was the UKs third-biggest party by vote share at the 2015 general election.

The new leader denied he was a caretaker for Nigel Farage and said he would be talking to him in the coming days about what role he could play in the party.

Mr Bolton sought to distance himself from the anti-Islam rhetoric espoused by Ms Waters. There is an issue to be discussed. I abhor the rhetoric that we are war with Islam, he said.

Ms Waters, whose campaign video stated Islamic culture does not fit with ours, launched the UK branch of Pegida, a German far-right and anti-Islam group, with former English Defence league leader Tommy Robinson in January 2016. Last year, Mr Farage said party members should not associate with Pegida or take part in marches.

Earlier in September, Ms Waters said she would not prevent Robinson, who endorsed her bid for leadership, from joining Ukip. She said that while she did not think he had any intentions of joining the party, she would not be opposed to his membership if he were to express interest.

Mr Farage, who had hinted at launching a new party if Ms Waters were to have clinched it, said he was delighted about Mr Boltons victory, adding: Hes a man of real substance.

Arron Banks, a multimillionaire who was one of Ukips biggest donors, indicated he may begin backing Ukip again. The insurance mogul tweeted: This is great news and Im sure both myself and Nigel will want to re-engage with the party!

Ms Waters mounting popularity caused a large influx of new members to Ukip, prompting fears of infiltration from some party members and a number of MEPs reportedly threatening to quit if she won.

The Dublin-born politician has been explicit about her hopes to shift Ukip to a form of cultural nationalism based on religious intolerance. Her manifesto warned that Islam has turned Britain into a fearful and censorious society, called for the burqa to be banned, the closure of all sharia councils and a freeze on all immigration.

Recommended Ukip leadership hopeful opens door to Tommy Robinson joining party

The activists views echo extreme nationalist groups such as the English Defence League (EDL) and Britain First. She has close links to the far-right and gained support in her campaign from Jack Buckby, a former prominent member of the British National Party who then spent time in the overtly racist group Liberty GB.

Ms Waters, who tried to run as a Labour candidate before joining Ukip, has written for far-right, pro-Trump news site Breitbart. She has penned pieces for them praising Geert Wilders, a populist far-right Dutch politician who wants to close mosques in Holland, and another linking Muslim immigration to rapes and sexual assaults.

She has described Islam as an expansionist, political, totalitarian and supremacist faith, commanded to world domination and claimed that people are wary of the religion because they fear their children will be abused.

Under Paul Nuttall, Ukip had already begun to shift towards the right, pledging to ban the full-face veil and outlaw sharia law in its general election manifesto. This marked a significant shift from its 2013 stance of not pursuing a blanket ban on face-covering veils.
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An ex-cabinet minister has said Boris Johnson has no place in a responsible government following his repeated media interventions on Brexit, which have destabilised Theresa Mays leadership.

Writing exclusively for The Independent, Nicky Morgan accused Mr Johnson of a dereliction of duty and said his endless currying of favour with hardline Brexiteers is leading Jeremy Corbyn to Downing Street and the Conservatives to our undoing as a party.

Ms Morgan, who chairs the influential Treasury Committee, hit out at Mr Johnson for setting out his own Brexit red lines, which she argued diverged from Ms Mays plans and showed no regard for the financial security of millions of Leave backing voters.

Her attack comes as Mr Johnson faces a broader Tory backlash from MPs and ministers following an interview in The Sun that further stoked speculation about his leadership ambitions, as he set out his Brexit demands and strayed well outside his Foreign Office brief.

Former education secretary Ms Morgan penned her piece following its publication, saying: The UK Government should be focusing on getting the UK out of the EU in the least damaging way, not debating arbitrary red lines set down to try to curry favour with those who want a utopian ultra-free trade, low tax, minimal regulation state.

Those who are pushing this agenda have no place in a responsible government  it is a dereliction of the duty to act in the national interest. And it has to stop.

She argued Mr Johnson appeared to see Ms Mays recent speech in Florence as a compromise which takes him and ardent Brexiteers awayfrom the low tax, minimal regulation state they want.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

She added: Those who think that Brexit offers an opportunity to move to some low tax, almost off-shore de-regulatory haven dont seem to care about the threat posed by Corbyn. They need to wake up.

Not only is there no appetite for their vision amongst the electorate, it isnt smart economics and would be our undoing as a party.

The backlash also emerged elsewhere, with Tory MP Simon Hart taking to Twitter in the wake of Mr Johnsons interview to say: Have I missed something or has Boris Johnson suddenly been given some new role and authority in all this?

A cabinet minister told The Independent Mr Johnson is becoming increasingly isolated on the frontbench because he is destabilising his party and country for the sake of his own career, in the hope he can win a future leadership battle with the support of Brexit backing Tories.

On Saturday Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson also attacked Brexiteers who she said are selling people short by being over-optimistic about withdrawal, and said policy on should be left to serious people.

 Ken Clarke: In normal times, Boris Johnson would have been sacked over his Brexit messaging

But Mr Johnson will not have missed polling showing his high profile interventions over Brexit have launched him into first position in a recent poll of favourites for next leader among party members, who have the deciding say.

He is insisting any Brexit transition period must not last "a second more" than two years, that the UK should not abide by new EU rules during that time and Britain must not make payments to Brussels after it, adding that there can be no monkeying around.

He even used his interview on Saturday to stray into the territory of Chancellor Philip Hammond, his Cabinet rival in the Brexit debate, to demand that the minimum wage rise faster than it is due to.

Mr Johnsons intervention came as a letter by leading Brexiteers demanded Ms May abandon negotiations with Brussels if the EU does not agree to talk about a future trade deal by Christmas.
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Labour has demanded the Government introduce a rescue package for social housing in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

As the Conservative Party Conference kicks off in Manchester, John Healey, the Shadow Housing Secretary, called on Theresa May to divert funding away from other housing schemes and into new social homes.

Ministers should also reverse many of the key provisions of the controversial Housing and Planning Act, which was passed by Parliament last year, he said.

As part of a five-point list of demands, Labour wants the 1.1bn that is currently due to be invested in starter homes  cut-price properties for sale to first-time buyers  to instead be used to build new social homes. The sum is enough to build 20,000 new social homes, according to the National Housing Federation  more than have been built in the last four years combined.

The party also says funding for the Decent Homes Programme should be restarted. The 20bn scheme was established under New Labour to help councils refurbish social homes, but funding was axed entirely by the Coalition Government.

The Independent revealed in July that more than half a million social homes in England and Wales  one in seven - do not meet basic health and safety standards.

Both Labour and the Conservatives have launched reviews into the future of social housing in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, but Mr Healey said ministers should not wait for these to conclude before acting.

He said ministers should scrap the policy of forcing local councils to sell off their highest value social homes to fund the contentious Right to Buy scheme. The forced sale policy, introduced last year, is forecast to lead to the loss of almost 80,000 council properties by 2020.

Labour is also calling on the Government to provide funding for sprinkler systems to be installed in high-rise housing blocks, and to lift borrowing restrictions on local councils to enable them to build new social homes. Councils should also be given the right to keep the proceeds they raise from homes sold under Right to Buy, the party said.

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The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant 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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

John Healey MP, Labours Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, said: The social housing system is on its knees. It needs a big adrenalin shot to kick it back into life.

The post-Grenfell test for the Prime Minister is what she does, not what she says, and if she launches a proper rescue package for social housing, shell get cross-party backing for it.

A Labour government would build 100,000 genuinely affordable homes within its first term, he added.

The Grenfell Tower fire, in which at least 80 people died, led ministers to admit that social housing had been neglected in recent years.

In June, Theresa May told MPs: As we move forwards so we must also recognise that for too long in our country, under governments of both colours, we simply havent given enough attention to social housing.

Mr Healey said cuts since 2010 were largely to blame.

 Jeremy Corbyn points to Grenfell fire as epitome of failed housing policy

He said: After seven years of failure on housing under the Conservatives, all Government funding for new social rented homes has been axed, Labours Decent Homes Programme has been scrapped and the voice of tenants has been silenced.

Theresa May must not use an open-ended review of social housing as an excuse to put off action needed now to help deal with the crisis. She should act now: putting funding back into building new genuinely affordable homes and maintaining existing ones.

The number of social homes being built has plummeted by 97 per cent since 2010  largely because of an 86 per cent fall in Government funding.

Ministers have also ordered councils, housing associations and developers to shift money away from social housing and into affordable homes, which tend to be around 30 per cent more expensive than those for social rent.

Responding to Labour's claims, a Conservative spokesperson said: "This smacks of hypocrisy from Labour. Under Labour, and while John Healey was Housing Minister, house building fell to records lows not seen since the 1920s - particularly social housing.
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The new UK Independence Party leader has spoken out against LGBT rights, arguing children are being encouraged to question their sexuality.

Former soldier and police officer Henry Bolton was announced as the partys fourth leader in just over a year at the Ukip annual conference on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference after his election, Mr Bolton, who once stood as a Liberal Democrat candidate for Parliament, said equality had gone a bit far.

Quite honestly, I think it is getting a bit far when we are encouraging children in some cases to question their own sexuality, he said.

I think that is certainly going too far.

When asked about transgender people, Mr Bolton said: What I have a problem with is that we should all have a choice in that debate.

If somebody feels it has gone too far they should be free to express that concern.

He added he was concerned that there is an effort to silence any dissenting voice which he said was not in keeping with the principle of freedom of speech.

After Mr Boltons victory was announced, former Ukip leader Nigel Farage praised him as a man of real substance.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 November 2022 Members of the hospitality sector demonstrate outside parliament in London. The head of the Confederation of British Industry is urging the UK government to relax immigration rules to help British companies with severe staff shortages, ahead of the chancellors autumn statement EPA UK news in pictures 13 November 2022 England celebrate winning the mens T20 World Cup in Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia AAP Image/Reuters UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA

The 2015 election saw Ukip fail to include any LGBT rights issues in its manifesto, instead publishing a mini Christian manifesto which opposed same-sex marriage legislation  although it did not seek to reverse it.

Former leader Paul Nuttall, who took the partys reins from from November 2016 until his resignation in June, when he failed to deliver any Ukip MPs, has previously spoken out against LGBT-inclusive sex and relationships education in schools.

Rather than helping tackle problems of domestic violence and rape in future years, as given as another woolly reason for introduction, it is going to confuse and worry these little children, he said.
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Theresa May has vowed to put the worries of young people at the heart of her new plan for government, after admitting that rejection by under-40s cost her a Commons majority.

Ahead of a make-or-break Conservative conference, the Prime Minister has insisted she has a strategy to deliver the promise that the next generation should always have it better than the last.

The pledge comes after Ms May acknowledged that voters under 40 had walked away from the Tories  rather than simply the under-25s, who traditionally preferred Labour.

Recommended May faces a growing Tory revolt over energy price cap

At the June election, one survey suggested the Conservative crisis was even deeper, finding that voters were only more likely to back the party when they reached the age of 47.

Instead, they flocked to Jeremy Corbyns promises to tackle the housing crisis, abolish university tuition fees and reverse school funding cuts, Tory candidates reported back.

Now Ms May, facing the Tory faithful for the first time since the election debacle, will insist younger voters will not be neglected as she seeks to rebuild her authority.

I understand the concerns raised, particularly by young people, during what was a disappointing election for my party, she said in a statement.

So my determination to act on those concerns, and crucially, to fulfil the promise of my first speech on the steps of Downing Street, is greater than ever.

The Prime Minister added: The social contract in our country is that the next generation should always have it better than the last. Conservatives have a plan to make that a reality.

She did not set out any measures in the pipeline, but will be under enormous pressure to flesh out her ideas in Manchester, where the conference starts on Sunday.

 Jeremy Corbyn calls out the Daily Mail for their election coverage

The scale of the challenge was underlined by a warning from a former Tory cabinet minister that the party is in danger of losing the support of younger voters permanently.

David Willetts said data analysed for the Resolution Foundation think tank, which he chairs, showed the lifestyles of 25- to 34-year-olds falling further behind those of older voters.

They had seen their living standards squeezed by weak wage growth and rapidly rising property prices  with pension changes likely to make it harder for them to save for their retirement.

The worst-case scenario is we lose the support of the younger generation, and dont regain it, Mr Willetts told The Guardian.

In her pre-conference message, Ms May attacked Labour as simply not fit to govern, adding: They dont have the balanced economic approach our country needs and we know from last time where that leads.

Costs rack up and working people  the very people who can least afford it  pay the price with higher taxes and fewer jobs.

This week in Manchester youll see more of our plan for a country that truly works for everyone.

However, the conference comes against the backdrop of twin Tory revolts over the troubled roll-out of the universal credit benefit and the U-turn that saw Ms May dump plans for an energy price cap.

There could also be a backlash against her admitting the Tories were unprepared for the snap election in June, even though she called it.

In the same interview, with Parliaments magazine The House, the Prime Minister said that her party used to have to acknowledge under-25s not supporting them, but now its under the age of 40.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is expected to cause trouble on the conference fringe, a reminder that rows over Brexit strategy are likely to dominate.
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Boris Johnson has laid out his vision for Brexit in an interview likely to be interpreted as an alternative manifesto for EU withdrawal and a challenge to Theresa May.

Speaking ahead of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, the Foreign Secretary insisted the proposed transition period when the UK leaves the EU must not last for more than two years.

His comments differ from the Cabinets uneasy consensus on Brexit, hammered out in an attempt to appeal to the partys warring factions, placing Mr Johnson at odds with Ms May's attempts to appease both the EU and Remainers.

 Conservative Party Conference preview - what to watch out for

Recommended Boris is top choice for next Tory leader among party members

Following on from his epic 4,000-word essay in The Telegraph, Mr Johnson told the Brexit-backing Brexit-backing Sun newspaper that Leave voters must not be fobbed off with a lengthy transitional period with trading and legal arrangements still subject to EU law.

Am I impatient about it, do I want to get it done as fast as possible?" he said. "Yes, absolutely. Do I want the delay to go on longer than two years? Not a second more.

I got that from my own talking to people. Very strongly.

What that teaches me is that really is it. Rien ne va plus. Finito la musica. Then we come out. There can be no monkeying around.

Mr Johnson conceded some kind of transition period is necessary as some Government departments may not be ready to deal with the upheaval when the UK leaves the bloc at the end of March 2019.

But the MP, whose decision to come out as a Brexiteer during the referendum campaign was largely seen as political opportunism, added: There is no point in coming out of the EU and then remaining in rotational orbit around it. That is the worst of both worlds. You have to be able to have control of your regulatory framework.

 Boris Johnson warns of 'catastrophe' if Kim realises nuclear ambition

Despite recent support among the Tory grassroots for Jacob Rees-Mogg as a possible successor to Ms May, a YouGov poll of activists this week revealed Mr Johnson is now favourite to be the partys next leader.

The Foreign Secretary played down his personal ambitions, insisting his article in The Telegraph had not been intended as a leadership manifesto.

Labelling Brexit as unstoppable, the former London mayor said he was speaking for many people outside the capital in his belief that the Leave decision was final and will be in the best interests of the British people.

Laying out his other red lines, Mr Johnson said the UK must refuse to accept the jurisdiction of the European Courts of Justice during the transition period  although this could prove impossible in practice.

And he insisted payments for access to the single market must cease immediately when the transition period comes to an end.

What I have always said is that we will pay for things that are reasonable, scientific programmes," he said.

But when it comes to paying for access to the market, that wont happen any more than we would expect them to pay us for access to our market.

In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier listens at the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, delivers his speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Michel Barnier, European Chief Negotiator for Brexit reacts during a meeting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg EPA In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Member of the European Parliament and former leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) Nigel Farage wears socks with Union Jack flag at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty Images In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Nigel Farage, United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) member and MEP, addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcoming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier gestures during speeches at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker (L) speaks with European commission member in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain, French Michel Barnier at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt, President of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), addresses the European Parliament during a debate on Brexit priorities and the upcomming talks on the UK's withdrawal from the EU Reuters In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivers a speech during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg Getty In pictures: European parliament Brexit discussions The European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France Getty Images

Mr Johnson added that the UK must not agree to further control from the EU  such as continued freedom of movement  in order to retain access to the single market.

There is a disjuncture between the debate in Westminster and the London bubble and where a lot of people are in the country.

Most people cant understand what this conversation is about. We left. We voted for that last year  so lets get on with it.

Mr Johnson was immediately rebuked by senior figures in the Conservative Party, including Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidosn, who called for "serious people" to take charge of Brexit.

Ms Davidson, another favourite to be a future party leader, told The Times that "overoptimism" about the UK's future outside of the EU "sells people short".

The Conservative Party Conference opens this weekend with the re-emerging historic divisions over Europe likely to be under close scrutiny following the comments from Mr Johnson and Ms Davidson.
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An incriminating note written on Cathriona Whites iPad two years before her suicide has accused Jim Carrey of giving her herpes and introducing her to drugs.

The message is part of a wrongful death lawsuit brought against the actor by Ms Whites family.

The note, written by Carreys former girlfriend, was brought to light by lawyers acting on behalf of her family.

In the distraught message, Ms White accuses the actor of ruining her life, saying you gave me hsv and hpv, I want you to apologise for it because you care enough to. I want you to understand that however little a thing that seems to you, it ruins a girls life.

You introduced me to cocaine, prostitutes, mental abuse and disease.

She described in more detail her state of mind: You threw me away when you absorbed anything worthwhile that was left of me.

Before you, I might not have had very much but I had respect, I was a happy person.

It is not known whether Ms White sent the note, obtained by the Daily Mail, to Mr Carrey before she committed suicide.

Message written by Cathriona White revealed by her family's lawyers (Michael Avenatti)

The wrongful death suit, filed by Marc Burton, Ms Whites ex-husband claims that Carrey illegally obtained highly addictive and, in this case, deadly drugs under the pseudonym of Arthur King. According to Variety, Ms White used these drugs to commit suicide.

On Friday, the 55-year-old actor filed a counter-suit accusing them of extortion. Carrey described Ms White as a beautiful but immature and emotionally damaged woman in his lawsuit.

The Ace Ventura actor repudiates the accusation that he gave her an STD, saying Ms White contracted it before they started a relationship.

Actor Jim Carrey hits back at Fox News as row over anti-NRA video escalates Show all 2 1 /2 Actor Jim Carrey hits back at Fox News as row over anti-NRA video escalates Actor Jim Carrey hits back at Fox News as row over anti-NRA video escalates carrey-fox.jpg Getty Images Actor Jim Carrey hits back at Fox News as row over anti-NRA video escalates jim-carrey.jpg

Carrey did admit that he paid her an undisclosed amount of money in 2013 to stop Ms White from revealing her story that she had contracted herpes from him.

He said his former girlfriend committed suicide in 2015 because she was guilty about taking the money.

I made the mistake three years ago of giving in and settling false claims made against me, he said.

The actors lawyers stated in his counter suit that the Irish make-up artist had threatened to go to the press with the allegation Carrey had given her STDs, but would keep silent if he gave her millions of dollars.

Michael Avenatti, representing Ms Whites family, told People that the note, written in Cats own words, shows the world how Jim Carrey treated her while she was alive and the depths of his destructive behaviour. We look forward to trying our case to a Los Angeles jury.
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Nestle pays just $200 for the right to bottle water at a town near Flint, where residents are still unable to drink tap water after the supply was contaminated with lead, it has emerged.

The worlds largest food and drinks company produces up to 3.5 million bottles of water a day in a plant in Evart, Michigan, just 10 miles from Flint.

According to a report in The Guardian, the company will ask Michigan to pump 60% more water from the Evart increase - without any increase in the annual licence fee.

The food giant, which owns brands such as San Pellegrino and Nescafe, reported sales of $21.1bn in the last financial year.

Residents and companies in the US do not have generally to pay for water by volume if they extract it themselves.

In 2014, Flint changed its primary water source to the Flint River, but did not implement corrosion-reducing phosphates, which allowed lead from old pipes to contaminate the water.

Two independent studies found lead poisoning was caused by ingestion of the public water supply, while 12 people have died after an outbreak of the water-borne Legionnaires disease.

 Sanders talks Flint water crisis during Michigan rally

In June, five Michigan officials were charged with involuntary manslaughter, for what the attorney generals office described as failure to notify and lack of action to stop the outbreak allowed the disease to continue its spread through Flint's water system".

Elsewhere in the country, 77 million Americans drink water that does not comply with regulations designed to prevent contamination, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

In an open letter to the Governor of Michigan published at the time of Nestles expansion application, the campaign group Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation said: Michigan needs to revamp our water laws and dramatically increase the amount charged to water takers like Nestle.

The people of the state of Michigan do not owe Nestle or any other corporation the water resources of our state, especially for the cost of virtually nothing.

Michigan has already gifted Nestle billions of gallons of water that have awarded billions of dollars to one of the worlds richest corporations.
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A police dog in Canada accidentally fired a handgun when its handlers were investigation a fight outside a shop.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers were called to a supermarket in Chestermere, Alberta, when witnessed reported two men assaulting another man with a handgun.

The police dog was tracking the suspects who had fled the scene when it uncovered a gun in a bushy area near the store.

Officers said the dog fired one shot, but neither the animal nor officers were injured.

In a news release, police said the trigger was activated and a shot was fired from the handgun but no other people were in the area at the time.

Thats one of the things that our dogs are trained to do, is find evidence, said Corporal Curtis Peters, a communications officer for the RCMP, told CTV News.

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 dog is fine. Its trained to respond and do its job even in the presence of gunfire, so the dog was quite happy to continue to go to work, as was the handler.

The victim of the assault was later taken to hospital with minor injuries but was later released.
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Sarai Rodriguez-Miranda did not want them staying in her house, police said.

The teens brother, his fiancee and their 11-week-old baby had been staying with Rodriguez-Miranda and her mother at their home in Fort Wayne, Indiana  and they were planning to extend their visit.

Investigators said Rodriguez-Miranda, who was 18 at the time, wanted them to go and sent a text to her boyfriend, detailing a sinister plan.

Im gunna crush up some of these pills since she decided they can stay longer, the teen wrote in January, and kill their baby.

Recommended Murder probe after body of female police officer pulled from lake

The allegations come from an affidavit for probable cause filed this week in the Allen County Circuit and Superior Courts in Indiana. The documents say Rodriguez-Miranda researched how much over-the-counter pain reliever it would take to kill someone, then crushed a number of Excedrin tablets and put the powder in a bottle of breast milk.

Rodriguez-Miranda sent her boyfriend a picture of a mortar and pestle set containing the white concoction, according to the court documents.

I put the stuff in a made bottle in the fridge, she wrote.

In another text, she wrote: Yeah I thought it was funny that I dont have an ounce of guilt.

Authorities are now searching for Rodriguez-Miranda, who has been charged with attempted murder. Police believe she and her boyfriend left Fort Wayne and headed to Michigan to stay with her boyfriends family.

Allen County Sheriffs Department spokesman Steve Stone said Friday morning that authorities were still actively looking for Rodriguez-Miranda, who is now 19.

In the early morning hours of 12 January, Rodriguez-Mirandas mother, who monitors her daughters phone and social media messages, saw the text exchange between the teenager and her boyfriend, according to the court records. The mother, whose name is redacted in the court documents, took images of the messages  then went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door.

Inside, she found two baby bottles  one of which was darker in colour with a greenish ring and a residue that had settled at the bottom.

She put both bottles in a plastic grocery sack and secured them in a zip-lock bag. Then she took her grandchild, along with the childs mother, to a nearby emergency room to have the infant checked for possible poisoning.

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

Court records say the infant showed no signs of poisoning because the bottles had not yet been used to feed her.

Rodriguez-Miranda later sent another text message to her boyfriend, saying: Omg I forgot to tell you, the bottle is gone.

I know Im excited dude. Im glad it didnt happen while I was here, she wrote, adding: Bc then they wouldnt suspect it happened at this house and blah blah blahhh, But idk if theyll even use it bc that bottle was in there for like 2 days before I put it in there.

The teen then started to question why her niece was still alive.

Why didnt that baby die dude thats dumb, she wrote.

The text messages, which are detailed in court records, show the teens evolution from Theyre not gunna suspect me to I had a dream that night that I got caught.

Rodriguez-Miranda wrote in one text my subconscious is guilty but, in the same sentence, added, but tbh I hope she dies. I dont feel bad about it bc she was destined to grow up s-- or be abused.

Following the incident, Rodriguez-Mirandas mother told her to be at home on 17 January to talk to police about what had happened.

But the teen did not return, according to the records. Her mother then gave police the mortar and pestle set, which still had a white powder in it.

A forensic toxicology report showed that the milk in one of the bottles contained the components of Excedrin tablets  acetaminophen, acetylsalicylic acid (or Aspirin) and caffeine.

Authorities wrote in the probable cause affidavit that amount was more than enough to be fatal for an adult.

It was not immediately clear on Friday morning whether Rodriguez-Miranda had an attorney in the case.

Washington Post
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Donald Trump has defended his administration's response to a recent hurricane in Puerto Rico by explaining that the island is surrounded by water.

This is an island surrounded by water, big water, ocean water, he said at a tax reform speech in Washington.

He added that local governments had been totally and unfortunately unable to handle this catastrophic crisis on their own  just totally unable to.

Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico last week, killing at least 16 people. The Category 4 storm knocked out 80 per cent of the islands electricity. Almost all of the island's 3.4m residents remain without power today. Even hospitals are relying on generators to keep the lights on, and the fuel to power them is quickly running out.

Puerto Ricos Governor, Ricardo Rossello, has repeatedly begged for more federal assistance, calling the situation a humanitarian crisis. The mayor of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, recently joined the calls.

"I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying," Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said on Friday. "If anybody out there is listening to us, we are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency."

 Satellite images show Hurricane Maria's powerful 'pinhole' effect compared to Harvey and Irma

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has defended his administration's response, blaming the media for biassed coverage and repeatedly mentioning the territory's island location.

"This is an island sitting in the middle of an ocean  and it's a big ocean, a really, really big ocean," Mr Trump told reporters earlier this week.

He later informed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy that Puerto Rico is "out in the ocean. You can't just drive your trucks there.

"This is tough stuff, he added.

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

Mr Trump also appeared to blame the residents of Puerto Rico for their dire straights, tweeting that the island is in deep trouble because it was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt. It was the Presidents first tweet about the issue, almost a week after the hurricane first hit.

The military has dispatched 4,500 troops and National Guard members to the island to help with reconstruction. FEMA has sent more than 800 people to distribute food and water and coordinate relief efforts.

Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert defended the administrations response in a press conference on Thursday.

I'm confident that we have enough resources marshalled and deployed forward to make those decisions under the right command and leadership structures," he said.
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The British ambassador to Burma was forced to stop Boris Johnson mid-sentence as he recited a colonial poem in the countrys most sacred temple, it has been revealed.

The blunder came on an official visit to the country earlier this year.

Rudyard Kiplings Mandalay is written through the eyes of a retired British serviceman in Burma and also references kissing a local girl.

Recommended Boris is top choice for next Tory leader among party members

But the country, also known as Myanmar, is deeply affected by its colonial past, and the gaffe was described as stunning.

Mr Johnson began quoting the opening lines of the poem during a January visit to the Shwedagon Pagoda, in Yangon, the countrys largest city.

In footage captured by Channel 4 and due to be aired on Sunday, Mr Johnson referred to a golden statue in the temple as a very big guinea pig and soon after burst into verse.

As he recited the poem, the British Ambassador to the country, Andrew Patrick, grew visibly tense.

When the Foreign Secretary said the poem's third line  the wind is in the palm trees ... the temple bells they say  Mr Patrick decided to interject.

"You're on mic, he said. Probably not a good idea."

Mr Johnson replied: "What, The Road to Mandalay?"

No, the ambassador said, not appropriate.

 Boris Johnson: Aung San Suu Kyi must speak out on Burma persecution

The footage was shot as part of a documentary by Channel 4, examining his fitness for the office of Prime Minister.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office declined a request from The Independent for comment.

Mark Farmaner, director of the Burma Campaign UK, told the Guardian: It is stunning he would do this there.

There is a sensitivity about British colonialism and it is something that people in Burma are still resentful about. British colonial times were seen as a humiliation and an insult.

It shows an incredible lack of understanding especially now we are seeing the impact of Buddhist nationalism, especially in Rakhine state [from where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have fled a military operation].

Mr Johnson has a history of poetry which has caused offence internationally.

Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Show all 7 1 /7 Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson plays rugby with Japanese elementary school children in Tokyo Getty Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson bumps into a schoolchild during a Street Rugby event at Tokyo Square Gardens building EPA Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson collides with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson falls down after colliding with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson falls down after colliding with 10-year-old Toki Sekiguchi during a game of Street Rugby with a group of Tokyo children Reuters Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match Boris Johnson takes down boy during rugby match

Prior to becoming Foreign Secretary, he composed a rhyme about President Erdogan of Turkey.

It said: There was a young fellow from Ankara / Who was a terrific wankerer / Till he sowed his wild oats / With the help of a goat / But he didnt even stop to thankera.

On visiting Turkey as Foreign Secretary, Mr Johnson said official questions over the poem did not come up.

Boris Johnson: Blond Ambition is on Channel 4 on Sunday at 10.05pm.
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This is the footage which shows the British ambassador to Burma cutting off Boris Johnson's recitation of a colonial-era poem in the country's holiest site, in what has been labelled a stunning gaffe.

Visiting the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon earlier this year, the Foreign Secretary began quoting the opening lines of Rudyard Kiplings Mandalay.

The poem is written through the eyes of a retired British serviceman in Burma and also references kissing a local girl.

During the visit, after describing a golden Buddhist statue as a very big guinea pig, Mr Johnson burst into prose.

The temple-bells they say  Come you back, you British soldier," the Foreign Secretary said.

Standing next to the ambassador, Andrew Patrick, Mr Johnson continued: The wind is in the palm trees  the temple bells they say  before Mr Patrick interjected.

"You're on mic, Mr Patrick said, looking tense. Probably not a good idea."

Mr Johnson replied: "What, The Road to Mandalay?"

No, the ambassador said, not appropriate.

The footage was shot by Channel 4 as part of a documentary on Mr Johnsons fitness for Prime Ministerial office.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. 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Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. 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. 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Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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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 Foreign and Commonwealth Office declined a request for comment from The Independent.

Mark Farmaner, director of the Burma Campaign UK, told the Guardian: It is stunning he would do this there.

There is a sensitivity about British colonialism and it is something that people in Burma are still resentful about. British colonial times were seen as a humiliation and an insult.
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A portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi has been removed from the Oxford college where she studied.

The state counsellor of Burma studied at St Hughs College between 1964 and 1967, earning a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

The Swan student newspaper reported the painting was taken down on Thursday and replaced with a painting by Yoshihiro Takada.

The newspaper quoted Benjamin Jones from the college as saying the portrait has been moved to a secure location while the Takada piece was displayed for a period.

Aung San Suu Kyi has recently been pressed to take urgent action to end the suffering of the Muslim Rohingya people in Burma.

More than 400,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh amid reports of atrocities in Rakhine at the hands of the Burmese military.

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 a meeting in Naypyidaw with Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Prize winner, foreign minister Mark Field said the violence needs to stop and called for the Government to allow full humanitarian access for aid.

Ms Suu Kyi, whose position as state counsellor does not give her authority over the military, has faced international criticism for her failure to speak out against alleged human rights abuses, including mass killings, gang rapes and the burning of villages.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has called on Ms Suu Kyi to show the leadership she is capable of to try to heal that terrible situation.

PA
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Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November for the first time since becoming President, in a tour planned to confront the North Korean threat.

The President has been applying pressure on his allies in the region to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea in the face of a series of missile tests conducted by Pyongyang.

He will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, attending two major summits, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conclave in the Philippines.

Mr Trumps attendance at the Manila summit had been in doubt until recent days, with officials saying he was reluctant to show support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been responsible for a number of anti-American outbursts.

 Chinese government orders all North Korean firms to close in China

A US official said Asian leaders who met the President at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week helped persuade him to attend in unity with key Asian allies.

An Asian diplomat welcomed Mr Trumps decision to visit Manila because that reassures the region that Asia policy is not just about North Korea, its about Southeast Asia as well.

The diplomat said the US' decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal early this year had raised questions about the administrations commitment to the region. But visits by senior officials, including the secretaries of state, defense and commerce, and Mr Trumps planned trip, showed Washington intended to remain engaged.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Mr Duterte was looking forward to meeting the US President, adding that the relationship between the two countries was so resilient that ties would always recover, regardless of disagreements.

Mr Trump, who has been locked in an increasingly bitter war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will have the opportunity to bolster allied resolve for what he calls the complete denuclearisation of Pyongyang.

He has denounced Mr Kim as a rocket man on a suicide mission for test launches of ballistic missiles and for nuclear weapon tests, and warned North Korea would face total devastation if it threatened the US. The North Korean leader has blasted Mr Trump as mentally deranged.

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

The presidents engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the White House said when announcing the trip.

The Presidents visit to China will reciprocate a trip to the United States made in April by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Trump has applied heavy pressure on China to rein in North Korea. While his efforts have had limited success thus far, he went out of his way to thank Mr Xi on Tuesday for his efforts.

I applaud China for breaking off all banking relationships with North Korea - something that people would have thought unthinkable even two months ago. I want to thank President Xi, Mr Trump said at a news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

Chinas tougher stance on North Korea follows a Security Council resolution passed after Pyongyangs latest test.

The resolution, adopted unanimously in September, restricted the supply of fuel into the country and imposed a ban on North Korean textile imports.

China accounts for around 90 per cent of North Koreas trade, and the isolated state is highly dependent on Chinese oil imports.
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North Korea has moved several missiles out of a rocket facility in North Koreas capital on Friday, stoking fears Kim Jong-un is ramping up military action yet again.

US and South Korean intelligence officials detected the missiles being taken away from North Koreas Missile Research and Development Facility.

The report from South Koreas Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) did not specify a destination or time the missiles had been moved.

A Reuters report stated that the rockets could be the Hwasong-12, an intermediate range missile, or the intercontinental Hwasong-14, which is Koreas longest range ballistic missile.

Suspicion falls on the latter as the Sanum-Dong facility is focused on producing intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The latest test flight of the Hwasong-14 was carried out on 28 July 2017, which was detected by US intelligence. The missile landed 998km (620 miles) away in the Sea of Japan.

Officials from South Korea have raised fears that Pyongyang could be gearing up for a show of military power to celebrate the founding of the Communist Party in North Korea around 13 October.

Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera also voiced his fears. I understand it is an important anniversary for North Korea. We would like to maintain a sense of urgency.

Chung Eui-yong, South Koreas security adviser, added to the growing chorus of concern, stating that he believes Pyongyang will step up their military activity between 10  18 October, but gave no further information.

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

Russia is ready to work with Pyongyang in order to find a peaceful solution to the continuing North Korean missile crisis. Choe Son-hui, director general of the North American department of North Koreas foreign ministry, met with Igor Morgulov, Russians deputy foreign minister.

The Russian side confirmed its readiness to combine efforts in the interests of finding ways to solve the problems in the region by peaceful, political and diplomatic means, Mr Son-hui said.

On Saturday, Rex Tillerson, US secretary of state is in China to hold talks on preventing an escalation in the ongoing missile crisis in the Korean peninsula.

Political adviser and to Chinas government Einar Tangen said: From the Chinese perspective, they see two speeding trains on the same track going full tilt at one another.

He told Al Jazeera: North Korea has enshrined its nuclear programme in its constitution, theres no way they are going to give up what they see as the only point of leverage.

The ballistic missile tests have continued despite the UN Security Council approving new sanctions against North Korea. Donald Trump also signed an executive order authorising additional sanctions against financial institutions and companies that conducted business with Pyongyang.

North Korea hit back with promises to take the "highest-level" action against the United States.

According to an NBC report, a North Korean official said that the US should be fully aware that the more frantic it gets in the unprecedented anti-DPRK frenzy, the earlier it will meet its own miserable extinction."
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Campaigners have launched a crowdfunding bid to hold Burma's leaders accountable under international law for the Rohingya Muslim crisis.

Nearly half a million of the country's Rohingya minority have fled to Bangladesh after Rohingya insurgent attacks against police posts led to a massive retaliation by the Burmese military.

The United Nations has accused the army of "textbook ethnic cleansing" to push the Rohingya out of Burma, and rights groups allege the army has committed crimes against humanity.

 Boris Johnson: Aung San Suu Kyi must speak out on Burma persecution

Hussein Mohamed and Najma Maxamed have launched a crowdfunding campaign to get leading human rights lawyers to begin building the legal case to hold Burma's leaders to account at the International Criminal Court.

They started the campaign after becoming frustrated with the lack of action concerning the Rohingya Muslim crisis, and have already gathered over 400,000 signatures for a petition in support of their campaign, which will be delivered to Downing Street on Saturday.

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

If successful, lawyers will begin investigations in Bangladesh by talking to Rohingya refugees and gathering their first-hand accounts.

They will then establish which people have allegedly perpetrated acts of violence while gathering evidence from existing UN reports.

The campaign has several legal objectives, including the production of written complains to show Burma is in violation of multiple international treaties.

It also aims to seek support in setting up an International Commission of Inquiry, which the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights has already called for.

Rohingya children, who crossed over from Burma into Bangladesh, wait to receive aid during a distribution near Balukhali refugee camp, Bangladesh (AP/Dar Yasin)

"The tragedy unfolding in Myanmar clearly requires a legal response," Saimo Chahal, joint head of public law and international teams at Bindmans LLP, told The Independent, using an alternative name for Burma.

"While there has been widespread political condemnation across the world, a concerted legal effort to bring the perpetrators to justice must be mounted now. Time is of the essence when gathering evidence of this kind and exploring the appropriate avenues for a challenge in international court."

She added: "This crowdfund will allow people to come together, take action and contribute to making that critical early work possible."

Rohingya Muslim refugees arrive in Bangladesh on a boat after crossing from Burma (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Mr Mohamed, who helped launch the campaign, added: We started this campaign because nothing is being done to hold the leaders of Myanmar to account. The world is horrified but that horror is not enough. This campaign is for people who want to have a real impact and begin the process of getting justice for those women, children and families that have been killed, traumatised and displaced."

Several international aid groups have urged the Burmese government to allow free access to Rakhine State, where much of the violence is taking place. The government has stopped international NGOs, as well as UN agencies, from working in the north of the state, citing insecurity.

The violence and refugee exodus is the biggest challenge the government of Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has faced since it came to power last year in a transition from nearly 50 years of military rule.

A Rohingya refugee woman cries as they arrive at the Kutupalang makeshift Refugee Camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh (Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters)

Burma considers the Rohingya illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, although they have lived in the country for generations.

Most Rohingya are stateless and have faced bouts of suppression for decades.

Ms Suu Kyi has faced scathing criticism and calls for her Nobel prize to be withdrawn.

Last week, she denounced rights violates and vowed abusers would be prosecuted. She also said any refugees verified as coming from Burma under a 1992 process agreed with Bangladesh would be allowed to return.
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An American tourist became so drunk at Oktoberfest in Munich that police took away his baby, who was strapped to his chest, it has been claimed.

The 28-year-old Texan is said to have slumped slowly to one side as a fellow tourist watched.

The observer called police who took the mans one-year-old baby, The Local reported.

The American vomited a number of times and was taken to hospital, the site said, after police could not get him to respond to their questions.

His infant was later taken into the care of child welfare authorities.

Oktoberfest runs from mid-September until the first weekend in October in Munich and attracts millions of visitors to sample traditional Bavarian beer and food.

Last years festival saw the lowest number  5.6 million  since 2001. Security was beefed up amid fear of terror attacks throughout Europe.

Ahead of 2017s gatherings a shoe company launched a beer-and-vomit-proof trainer at a cost of 160.
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Spanish police have clashed with voters as thousands of people flocked to the polls to vote in the Catalonia independence referendum.

There are reports that as many as 844 people were hurt as officers deployed by the Madrid government fired rubber bullets and used riot equipment on defiant crowds.

Riot police smashed their way into a polling station in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the region's president voting in the banned ballot.

Civil Guard officers with shields used a hammer to smash the glass of the front door of the voting centre and lock-cutters to force their way in.

Scuffles erupted outside between police and people waiting to vote at the polling centre in Sant Julia de Ramis.

People waiting to vote chanted we are people of peace and we are not afraid.

But despite the violence, the Catalan government has declared an overwhelming victory for the Yes campaign despite the violence.

It says 90 per cent of the 2.26 million voters who cast a ballot voted for independence  a turnout of 42.3 per cent.

It is unclear what will happen next but Catalonia's President Carles Puigdemont has already said he will unilaterally declare independence from Spain within 48 hours if the region votes Yes.

But Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has remained defiant, saying the Catalans had been tricked into taking part in a fake vote as "there was no independence referendum today".

He accused the regional government of using the referendum as a strategy against legality and democratic harmony and was a "path that leads to nowhere".

It comes after a number of arrests in recent weeks of local government figures. Police also confiscated millions of ballot papers and sealed off hundreds of polling stations.

Spains constitutional court has ruled the referendum is at odds with the countrys constitution, and any result will have no legal status.

The main civic group behind Catalonias push for independence says a turnout of 1 million voters  less than a fifth of the electorate  would make the regions secession referendum an overwhelming success given the Spanish governments crackdown.

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

Catalonia is a wealthy region within Spain with its own language and culture. Should the vote take place, a yes vote is likely, given that most of the 40 percent of Catalans who polls show support independence are expected to cast ballots while most of those against it are not.

Hundreds gathered in the centre of Spanish capital Madrid national Spanish flags. They chanted Spanish unity and Dont fool us  Catalonia is Spain. Many balconies in the capital are draped with the red and yellow Spanish flag.

Some sang the Spanish fascist anthem Facing the Sun, a hymn often played during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

The polling stations are due to close at 8pm local time (7pm UK time).

Additional reporting by agencies
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Photos taken at an EU summit in Estonia show Theresa May distanced from other leaders, a reflection of the UKs distant relationship with the European Union.

The prime minister stands at the back of a group of key EU figures in one photo - with Angela Merkel at the opposite end.

In another image, the German Chancellor makes a binoculars gesture whilst Ms May sits alone waiting for the start of a working session at the digital summit in Tallinn.

At the face-to-face meeting with Ms Merkel, who was re-elected as Germanys leader last weekend, the two leaders discussed Brexit matters, agreeing on the importance of settling the issue of EU citizens rights.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Ms May reiterated comments made during her Florence speech last week, emphasising the UK was committed to being the strongest friend to the EU after Brexit.

Angela Merkal makes a binocular gesture, while Theresa May waits alone (AP)

The spokesperson said: She said her Florence speech had been intended to create momentum in the ongoing talks and that the response from the EU 27 had been constructive.

Chancellor Merkel welcomed the speech, and noted the good progress that had been made in negotiations this week. She looked forward to the next round of talks in early October.

Recommended How the eurozone will survive after Brexit

The PM pointed to the commitment made in her Florence speech to incorporate the agreement reached on citizens' rights fully into UK law and make sure the UK courts can refer directly to it.

A Downing Street source added the summit had been productive, noting the mood was good during the prime minister's brief meeting with Ms Merkel.

The Prime Minister left the summit early, ahead of a joint press conference with President of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

Addressing reporters at the summit, Mr Juncker said it would take a miracle for Brexit talks to progress quickly enough for trade negotiations to take place on schedule.

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

At the end of October, we will not have sufficient progress, the EU leader said when asked if recent talks had moved forward enough for the EU to discuss a trade deal.

Im saying that there will be no sufficient progress from now until October unless miracles would happen.
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Thousands of people have taken part in protests demanding abortion rights for Irish citizens, after the Government announced last week a referendum on the issue would be held in 2018.

The sixth annual March for Choice is believed to have been the biggest to date. Thousands marched through Dublin city centre, while protests were also held in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Brussels.

Protesters are demanding the government repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Irish Constitution, which guarantees a foetus right to life.

The Eighth Amendment means abortion is illegal in virtually all circumstances in Ireland. In 2015, 3,265 women travelled from the Republic to England for a termination, according to official figures. Abortion is also effectively banned in Northern Ireland.

Linda Kavanagh, a spokesperson for the Abortion Rights Campaign, said: The reality is we have an instrument of violence against women written into our constitution, violence that is enacted every day on all pregnant people in Ireland.

The Eighth Amendment has caused untold misery and damage, and its time we removed it once and for all.

In London, members of the London Irish Abortion Rights campaign made 205,704 chalk markings on the pavement outside the Irish Embassy, to commemorate the 205,704 Irish and Northern Irish women who have travelled to Britain for an abortion since the introduction of the Eighth Amendment in 1983.

Maeve OReilly, an organiser of the London protest, said: We want to tell these women that we see them and we support them, and we want to show the Irish and Northern Irish governments that they cannot ignore this any longer."

The referendum on abortion is likely to take place in May or June next year, according to the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.

The decision was taken after a Citizens Assembly, a body composed of 99 randomly chosen Irish citizens, recommended that women should have legal access to abortion.

However, pro-choice campaigners are concerned about the options voters will be given in the referendum. The Abortion Rights Campaign said it would reserve judgement on the announcement of a stand-alone referendum on the Eighth Amendment until we know the question that will be put to the people of Ireland".

It is feared that voters may be given the choice to amend, rather than repeal the Eighth Amendment.
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After the mass cancellation of flights by Ryanair, Monarchs annual bout of brinksmanship is unlikely to boost confidence among UK airline passengers.

Once again, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has given the budget airline an extended deadline to prove it is financially stable.

In common with 1,300 other holiday firms, Monarchs Air Travel Organiser's Licence (ATOL) was due to expire on 30 September. The scheme, designed to protect package holidaymakers when travel companies collapse, is administered by the CAA.

As in 2016, the aviation regulator has given the airline extra time to demonstrate it is a going concern.

The CAA said: We can confirm that ATOL protection will remain available for eligible holiday bookings made with Monarch on Sunday.

The cover applies only to package holidays, ie a flight and accommodation booked at the same time. Holidaymakers get a full refund if a travel firm goes bust before their trip starts, and enables them to continue their trip if they are abroad at the time of collapse.

A year ago, Monarch was granted 12 extra days to put additional finance in place, which it did with only hours to spare.

At the time, the Luton-based airline was required to provide ATOL protection to all UK travellers. After 165m in new investment from Greybull Capital was announced, the licence was renewed  and the obligation to protect flight-only passengers was lifted.

The 2017 renewal covers only Monarch passengers who book a package holiday through the company  about 5 per cent of the total.

 Monarch Airlines CEO on air fares after Brexit

But if the ATOL were to be cancelled, it would signal deep concern about the airline.

With some travellers reluctant to book, revenue would fall, and suppliers might demand cash  making it difficult for operations to continue.

Monarch, which has around 2,700 staff, is known to be looking at its optimal future shape, size and strategy; easyJet and Norwegian have been mentioned as possible suitors to acquire some of the flying.

Concerned passengers are turning to social media for guidance. Sprice tweeted: I hope @Monarch is still bringing me home 5/10. And Ive just booked more flights with you! When will you release info for customers?

The airline responded: Our flights are operating as normal, carrying Monarch customers as scheduled.

The Independent estimates that up to 20,000 Monarch passengers are currently abroad, with hundreds of thousands holding future bookings.

A year ago an extremely elaborate shadow airline was set up by the CAA in case Monarch collapsed, with planes flown to Mediterranean holiday airports from across Europe and even the US.

The cost of over 25m was borne by the Air Travel Trust, which is funded by a levy of 2.50 on every ATOL holiday.

There are unsubstantiated reports that Qatar Airways planes have been sent to Stansted as a precaution.

Click here to compare flight options with Skyscanner
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Oh, the places you'll go! Unless, that is, you're 10 Dr. Seuss books donated by Melania Trump and your planned destination is the shelves of the Cambridgeport School library.

The first lady gave a collection of titles by the beloved children's author to award-winning education programmes around the country. As kids learn at school, when you get a gift, even if it is unappealing or unnecessary, you take it and say thanks. What you do after that is up to you. That is not what happened in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Instead, school librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro wrote a letter back to Trump informing her that "we will not be keeping the titles for our collection." Why? Her school is relatively wealthy; its library shelves are well-supplied already. But on top of that, Seuss is "a bit of a cliche" - and worse, he's a racist.

To support her argument, Soeiro cites scholarly work on "the minstrel characteristics" of Seuss's characters, or "caricatures." The Cat in the Hat may have been based on blackface entertainers, and before his storybook career took off Seuss sketched cartoons filled with racist stereotypes, particularly of Japanese people.

Okay. So Seuss had issues. But so did a vast array of other authors, including pretty much anyone writing before, say, 1930. And Dr. Seuss books contain plenty of other lessons more amenable to the forward-thinking, from "The Lorax's" hit-you-over-the-head environmentalism to the anti-fascism of "Horton Hears a Who," "Yertle the Turtle" and "The Sneetches." As The Washington Post's Rachel Chason points out, Seuss was also a champion for children's literacy, the same cause Trump sought to promote when she sent out his books.

Dismissing Seuss's expansive oeuvre as "racist propaganda" is lazy. And, if the photo some online sleuth discovered that looks an awful lot like Soeiro dressed in a Cat-in-the-Hat outfit hugging "Green Eggs and Ham" to her chest is anything to go on, this anti-Seuss crusader doesn't actually disagree.

A librarian's role - and Cambridgeport's has a graduate degree in library science, so she should know it - is to curate a collection that represents a diverse set of viewpoints over an extended period of time so that readers can see the widest possible picture of the literary past and present. Her additional role as an educator is to provide students with the full context of any of those works, showing them how to understand the good, the bad and the ugly in it.

No school employee has an obligation to fawn over an administration whose policies they see as antithetical to their mission as an educator, and Soeiro's letter does include separate critiques of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's agenda. But the way she chose to lash out against DeVos's regime - by rejecting a well-intentioned gift on disingenuous grounds - doesn't seem in line with that mission either.

Soeiro's letter to the first lady also included a list of 10 books that challenge the traditional literary canon. They include the tale of a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who breaks a taboo against female drummers, the saga of a Pakistani boy's victory over a bully in a kite battle and a story starring a Haitian American mother incarcerated because she is undocumented. In other words, the books on the list aim to help children go places that Dr. Seuss never imagined. Good. That's Soeiro's job. Adding Trump's choices to the stacks certainly won't keep her from doing it.

Washington Post
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It is essentially a political story, but with an economic twist. On Sunday the Catalan people vote on independence from Spain, despite the referendum being ruled illegal by the Spanish courts and despite practical efforts by the authorities to block entry to the polling stations. We dont know how the day will pan out but we do know that whatever happens there will be consequences not just for Spain but for the European Union.

For most of us, Catalonia is Barcelona, the glittering planned capital, host of the Olympics in 1992, the event that brought the city to the world stage, and home to the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudis huge and still unfinished cathedral.

Actually it is much more. The region is an economic powerhouse, in effect subsidising the rest of the country. Its 7.5 million people, some 16 per cent of the population of Spain, generate nearly 20 per cent of the countrys GDP. Were it a country it would rank in economic size somewhere between Denmark and Finland. As for Barcelona itself, its port is the biggest in the Mediterranean, and the fourth largest cruise ship destination in the world. It also has two of the top business schools in the world, ESADE and IESE, and a tradition of business competence.

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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 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Catalonia attracts one third of inward investment into Spain, and produces one third of Spains exports.

Without Catalonia, Spain would continue to be the fourth largest economy in the eurozone, after Germany, France and Italy, but it would be much weakened. By contrast Scotlands share of UK GDP is 7.5 per cent, so in economic terms this is a much bigger deal for Spain than Scottish independence would be for the UK. You can see why they oppose a referendum.

But what about the EU? Here the Spanish government has made it clear that were Catalonia to become independent, it would resist it remaining a member of the EU. This would be most unpopular in Catalonia, which would want, among other things, to retain the euro.

 Queen welcomes Spain's King Felipe VI to UK

Legally, Spain would be able to push an independent Catalonia out, but in the real world of European politics it would be hard for the rest of Europe to exclude a country that wanted to remain a member  or to be technically more correct, to rejoin. In economic terms Catalonia will be fully viable and there is no practical reason why it should not continue to use the euro, even if technically it were for a time outside the EU.

The obvious big question really is not so much the outcome of the referendum but whether Spain and Catalonia can rebuild their relationship. If they cannot do so, then Catalonia becomes a threat not just to Spain but to the EU as a whole, in some ways a greater threat than the departure of the UK. One of the lessons of the past couple of years is not just that politics have become unpredictable; it is also the economic consequences of a political event are unpredictable too. By rights the decision or non-decision of 7.5 million people ought not to unsettle Europe. But a week from now it may look very different.
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Donald Trump has demonstrated a special skill for diverting our attention from pesky news that threatens his agenda. Even his missile attack on Syria in April was seen by some as an attempt to distract us from a first rush of allegations about contacts between his campaign and Russia. The distractor-in-chief has struck again, blared one headline in the Washington Post.

As he enters month nine of his presidency, Trump is discovering that his powers of distraction only take him so far. And can even get him into serious trouble (we shall get to Puerto Rico in a moment). Worse is the inevitable reality that other matters have an annoying habit of popping up to distract him. Two cases in point right now: members of his cabinet indulging in unnecessary private-jet travel at mighty cost to the taxpayer and West Wing advisors using private email accounts for government business.

Its tricky to gauge which of these two oopsies is worse. Both scream everything from hypocrisy  what was that about locking up Hillary Clinton?  to what the hell (or something worse).

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. 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In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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Tom Price resigned late on Friday as Health and Human Services Secretary after racking up a reported $1m (750k) or so for taking either military or private charter flights for his assorted trips when commercial flights  or in one case a train  would have done. Wed been hearing for a couple of days that the President was already livid with him. We arent privy, though, to conversations he may have had with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, over the uproar that has erupted over his allegedly using a private email account for months and then failing to divulge the fact to a committee on Capitol Hill investigating Russia and its election meddling.

Prices Gulfstream gallivantings were indeed egregious, much of it unveiled in technicolour detail last week by Politico. He took a $25,000 (18,700) charter flight from Washington to Philadelphia when he could have ridden the rails for $72 (54) return. Thats like ordering up a Lear Jet to get from Bristol to London. He similarly took private jets to a resort in Georgia where he owns some land and to Nashville, Tennessee, sneaking in lunch with his son. How he thought hed get away with this is a good question.

 Trump promises 'giant, beautiful, massive' tax cut to US firms

Its not that Price didnt have official business at each stop, he did. Speaking at health conferences and whatnot. But there is nothing to indicate why private flights were necessary. Beyond the joy of swivel leather seats at 35,000 feet, finger sandwiches and the absence of any hoi polloi (you know, the voters). It appears that in the short time he was in his job he took 26 private charter flights. We are also now learning that he commandeered military aircraft so he could attend events in Europe, Asia and Africa. For his predecessors, taking commercial flights wasnt a problem.

So, its not a huge amount of money Price has wasted, in the scheme of things. Compared, for example, to the $1.2bn (900m) he wanted stripped from the budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But thats part of the problem, of course. Price was for years the main evangelist for scrapping Obamacare  too expensive  even if, in Trumps eyes, he was partly responsible for the failure of Congress to make it happen. If your main mission is to cut costs and save public money, itd be smart to practise a little frugality yourself. And how does all this champagne travel sit with Trumps avowed desire to drain the swamp in Washington?

 Trump: NFL owners are scared of their players

Price attempted damage control, admitting the error of his high-life ways and offering to reimburse $51,887.31 (38728.86) from his pocket. That was the exact sum, he claimed, that his seats on the charter flights cost. If the actual bill was much higher its because he usually took aides with him (oh, and his wife across the Atlantic). I look forward to gaining, regaining the trust that the American people, some of the American people, may have lost in the activities that I took, Price said in an appearance on Fox News. Well, that wont do him much good, even if he may not be the only one who bent the rules. Also under scrutiny for their champagne travel habits are Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Trump hadnt exactly set a good example himself, using Air Force One like a flying car service to get him to Mar-a-Lago and other choice properties he owns at weekends. Air Force One is not Uber, though. Just taking that thing out of the hangar once probably cost more than all of Prices little tripettes combined.

Jared Kushner is facing scrutiny over his use of a private email account (AP) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Prices goof matters because it is easy for voters to understand. Thats their dime paying for the hot towels. The problem Kushner created for himself isnt too hard to grasp either even if the legal questions it raises are murkier. Why did he and, reportedly, four other West Wing aides, think it was OK to use a private email when it wasnt OK for Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State? Her private server was the main cudgel Trump used to beat her. Yet there it is. Kushner, who is married to the presidents daughter, Ivanka Trump, is accused of setting up a private email account in December so he could communicate with other top Trump officials, including ex-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. There are statutes that demand that all White House communications become part of the public record. They cant be private.

 Donald Trump says battling Atlantic Ocean in hurricane relief is difficult

It is especially problematic if the White House in question is already being investigated for possible wrongdoing. Kushners predicament possibly worsened with reports that he had omitted to mention the existence of additional email accounts while under questioning about Russia and contacts with the Trump campaign by a Senate investigating committee. The Committee was concerned to learn of this additional email account from the news media, rather than from you, in your closed staff interview, Senators Richard Burr and Mark Warner, the two leaders of the panel, wrote in a letter sent last week to Kushners lawyer.

Trump might be wondering this weekend what distraction he can conjure up to distract us from these distractions. But he should be careful with that. His other big problem last week was Puerto Rico and how, when the full impact of Hurricane Maria was coming into view a week ago, he was tweeting endlessly about athletes kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice instead of that. He was distracting the nation and himself from what it should have been focusing on, namely the desperate plight of the 3.4 million US citizens on the island.

Its tricky this distracting business. Hed be better off leaving it alone.
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For most people in Britain there is little interest in the politics of the North of Ireland. The little interest there was diminished as the peace process brought an end to conflict on our streets.

So it is not surprising that few people were aware of, or interested in, the politics, policies and attitudes of the handful of Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MPs elected to the British Parliament.

But in the days and weeks following the general election on 8 June, Theresa Mays miscalculation plunged her into a position of instability, and forced her to find allies to sustain power.

After years of brutal austerity and attacks on public services, her options to return to government were extremely limited. It turned out they were limited to the extreme, as she turned to the DUP to prop up her minority Government.

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Suddenly, the politics of the North of Ireland came to the centre of the British political stage.

The Tory-DUP pact has the potential to influence policies at the heart of British society; most significantly in the Brexit negotiations. This potential brought a new media spotlight onto the DUP, their policies and statements on a range of political and social issues  many of which are clearly out of step with modern society.

Citizens in the North of Ireland had been all too aware of the DUP and their retrogressive and  at times  bizarre views. It is these politics and behaviours, particularly in opposition to the development of a rights-based society, which are at the heart of the current political crisis in the North of Ireland, which saw the collapse of the political institutions created by the peace agreement in 1998.

In response to a financial scandal, presided over by the DUP with the potential to cost taxpayers in the North over 500m, the late Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy First Minister and collapsed the Stormont Executive in January 2017.

.

 Sinn Fein claim Theresa May was in 'direct breach' of Good Friday Agreement

The backdrop to this was an emerging crisis caused by the failure of the DUP as the coalition partner in the power-sharing government to implement outstanding agreements, and their determined resistance to enshrining rights and equality across our society.

The response of the electorate in two subsequent elections was to increase the mandate for Sinn Fein and for other progressive parties  removing, for the first time in the history of the state, the unionist majority.

The anachronistic politics and attitude of the DUP are increasingly at odds with a society that wants to move on, build tolerance and to put the prejudice, bigotry and discrimination of the past firmly behind us.

This is the context in which negotiations to rebuild the political institutions continue. Specifically, the focus is on achieving marriage equality, ensuring that Irish language speakers have their rights protected in law, and the rights of victims of the conflict to due legal process, through a coroners inquest.

 Sinn Fein: Who is new leader Michelle O'Neill?

All of these rights are available everywhere else on these islands. Families who lost loved ones in the conflict have been denied the right to a coroners inquest, in some cases for as long as 45 years.

The denial of these rights would not be tolerated anywhere else on these islands. The denial of these rights should not be tolerated in the North of Ireland.

The DUP stands as a barrier to these rights. The Tory party, having grubbed the DUP votes through their right wing pact, tolerates, ignores and therefore encourages the denial of these rights.

The British people have an absolute right to decide who their government should be. But as representatives of the Irish people, Sinn Fein has the responsibility to point out that the current Government, upheld by their pact with the DUP, are colluding in the denial of rights to citizens in the North of Ireland  rights which are available everywhere else in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales.

 Michael Gove says 1 billion for Dup is good for everyone because it keeps Tories in power

For our part, Sinn Fein will not tolerate this. Success in the current negotiations to restore the political institutions hinges on this very issue.

In the North of Ireland, we can ensure that any restoration of the governing Executive will be on the basis of rights, respect and equality. In Britain, it is a matter for the British people if they are prepared to support a government propped up by defenders of inequality, discrimination and second-class citizenship.

Sinn Fein will employ our mandate to build a united and agreed Ireland of equals and a society based on reconciliation, equality and universal rights.

Michelle Gildernew is the Sinn Fein MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone
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Hamid Gul just wanted his family to be safe.

The 18-year old shopkeeper lived in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Afghanistans much fought over Helmand province. After his father was killed by an improvised explosive device in 2013, Hamid and his older brother, Mirwais, had to take care of his mother and younger siblings.

A focus of Taliban violence for many years, Lashkar Gah became much more dangerous after the US handed over primary responsibility for the security of Afghanistan to the Kabul government at the end of 2014. Not long after, districts in northern Helmand began to fall and Lashkar Gah looked in a perilous situation.

In 2016, Hamid sent his mother and siblings back to their family home in a district of Sangin. The insurgents had swept through most of the district earlier that year; this meant Hamids family home, now behind Taliban lines, would no longer be caught in the crossfire. Hamid stayed in Lashkar Gah to earn enough money to provide for the family, while Mirwais continued his studies at the citys university.

By the start of this year the Taliban was pushing hard to take Sangin citys district centre, a fortified compound that housed the local security and administrative officials, just a few miles from Hamid Guls family home. The compound was the only thing stopping the Taliban from claiming the whole district as their own. The US, which had lost at least 70 of its own troops keeping Sangin out of insurgent hands over the years, scrambled to respond with scores of airstrikes.

Hamid was convinced his family were still safer behind Taliban lines than in Laskhar Gah, one of the Talibans prime targets. But on the morning of 10 February 2017, he got an unexpected phone call from a neighbour in Sangin: the familys house had been flattened.

In that one night Hamid Gul lost his 50-year-old mother, Bibi Bakhtawara, six brothers and a sister. All seven children were under 16 years of age. Bibi Rahmania, his niece, also died. She was just two years old.

Hamid was not the only person given devastating news on that day. On the same night, a few hours later, a second civilian house, just a few miles away from his own, was also hit. The following night a third one was struck.

A cropped photograph of one of the children killed in the airstrike (Captain Sardar Agha Ibrahimkhel)

In total, five women and 19 children were killed, an investigation by The Independent and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found.

To this day, there is no consensus about what happened, and why, to those three houses. Three local officials interviewed by Bureau reporters on the ground claimed US airstrikes had destroyed the houses and killed their inhabitants. The United Nations said the same in its biannual accounting of Afghan civilians killed during the war, released in July 2017, adding that there appeared to have been no fighting in the area at the time, meaning the attacks may have been pre-planned.

A spokesperson for Resolute Support, the US-led Nato mission in Afghanistan, told the Bureau that after four investigations the organisation could not confirm or deny responsibility for killing the civilians, though they pushed back strongly against the UNs claims that there was no fighting in the villages at the time. Resolute Support has officially concluded the case as disputed, one of four categories for recording allegations of civilian casualties. The classification was used in this case because Resolute Support cannot decide if insurgents of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) were responsible for the casualties, the spokesperson told the Bureau.

The fact that no one has taken responsibility for the deaths of 24 women and children offers an insight into the lack of accountability of Americas longest-running conflict, which it now fights largely from the air under opaque rules of engagement against 20-odd armed groups.

The US troop presence in Afghanistan  which reached 100,000 at the height of the occupation in 2011  was slashed to a light footprint of around 9,800 by March 2015, along with around 6,300 soldiers from Nato and non-Nato allies. By this point the US and its partners had stopped fighting the Taliban. The Afghan forces were meant to have assumed primary responsibility for that effort, with Resolute Support troops training and advising them in a non-combat role.

The US was not allowed to take the fight to the Taliban on the ground and they could only carry out defensive airstrikes against the insurgents when they were threatening Resolute Support troops. They could occasionally give Afghan soldiers air support but only to save them from a serious setback, such as a strategically significant base being overrun. By June 2016 the ANSF were struggling to hold the Taliban back and the White House gave the US military permission to expand the scope of its strikes, despite announcing weeks later that the US force would be cut again to 8,400 in 2017. The new targeting rules meant the US was allowed to carry out strikes to help Kabuls army and police either take or hold ground from the Taliban and the various other armed groups in the country.

This jacked up the strike rate in Afghanistan. There have been more strikes in the first six months of this year than in all of 2015 and 2016 combined. But with a smaller troop presence on-the-ground intelligence is reduced. While Afghan security forces do most of the ground-fighting, in particular the elite Afghan commando units which operate with US special forces advisers, Afghan intelligence analysis remains a weakness, according to a Pentagon report.

Throughout this period US generals have had to get creative in calculating troop numbers to ensure they had sufficient soldiers in the country to do the job without breaking the limit set in Washington. They did not include soldiers on short-term deployments lasting 120 days, so hiding an extra 3,500 personnel.

In late August President Donald Trump announced his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, including an increase in troops of around 4,000, though officials have refused to confirm a specific figure. More trainers and advisers will likely lead to a further increase in airstrikes, with more US troops to call in close air support for their Afghan partners.

US strikes  together with an unknown number of Special Forces on the ground  have also been hitting the Afghan offshoot of Islamic State for nearly two years.

The Taliban, meanwhile, has been carrying out attacks in districts across the country. Civilians getting caught in the crossfire between the Taliban and Afghan security forces is the second leading cause of civilian harm this year. Insurgents are responsible for most civilian casualties but the situation on the ground is confusing and lines of responsibility for casualties can be blurred. In July the UN attributed 10 per cent of civilian casualties this year jointly to both the Taliban and Afghan security forces because monitors could not tell precisely which side hit them in the crossfire.

Even if the source of the high explosives that flattened the three houses of Hamids family and neighbours was unclear, for the victims there was nothing ambiguous about their effects.

Shopkeeper Fida Mohammad lived in a village just a few miles away from Hamids family. His village was the second place to be hit in early February.

His son, Habib Rahman, 21, told the Bureau that 9 February 2017 had been an ordinary day. The family ate dinner together and went to bed. Fidas house was an extended building, stretched around a compound. Habib and two of his brothers lived on one side of the house with their families; Fida and his wives lived on the other side, along with more of his children.

A blast, at about one oclock in the morning, woke Habib and the rest of the family on his side of the house. They dashed outside to find their fathers side of the home flattened. They scrabbled through the rubble. Each time they turned up a body they hoped in vain for a sign of life. All in all they lost 13 family members that night, including Habibs mother and step-mother, as well as his four sisters, Amina, 17, Habiba, 15, Najiba, aged eight, and Fatima, aged four. Habib also lost a niece, Nooria, who was just one years old.

The next night, in the small hours of 11 February 2017, Haji Mullah Ghafar was going to early morning prayers in the village of Shakar Sheela, just outside of Taliban territory. A local imam, or prayer leader, he was in the mosque when a blast flattened his house.

His 55-year old wife Bibi Sara was killed, along with his nine-year-old son, Zia, and Freshta, his eight-year-old daughter. His grandson, Rohullah, aged nine, also died.

Name Age Strike location and date Nooria 1 Chinari, 10 February 2017 Bibi Rahmania 2 Mata Lakara, 9 February 2017 Fatima 4 Chinari, 10 February 2017 Naz Bibi 5 Mata Lakara, 9 February 2017 Mohammed Wais 6 Mata Lakara, 9 February 2017 Muhib Rahman 6 Chinari, 10 February 2017 Nasibullah 7 Chinari, 10 February 2017 Sultan Aziz 7 Mata Lakara, 9 February 2017 Freshta 8 Shakar Sheela, 11 February 2017 Najiba 8 Chinari, 10 February 2017 Zia ul Haq 8 Shakar Sheela, 11 February 2017 Rohulla 9 Shakar Sheela, 11 February 2017 Rozi Gul 10 Mata Lakara, 9 February 2017 Sultan Wali 12 Mata Lakara, 9 February 2017 Naming the dead  children under the age of 13 killed in three airstrikes

It is not clear what the target could have been in any of these strikes. The UN said nine Taliban fighters were killed when the house next door to Hamids was hit, though he denies there were any Taliban combatants in his village.

Habib, too, said there were no Taliban in his village, insisting the closest were about 15 minutes walk away. But Hayatullah Hayat, the governor of Helmand, told the Bureau that the house next door to Fida Mohammads had been struck because the Taliban were using it as a base for attacks on the district centre. Sardar Mohammad, an Afghan policeman, also said there were Taliban nearby. According to him, the strike killed five Taliban fighters who were sheltering in Fidas compound after incoming fire had hit their previous position.

Haji Mullah Ghafar also said there were no Taliban near his house, just a nearby army checkpoint. But Sardar Agha Ibrahimkhel, an Afghan army captain, said that unbeknownst to Haji Mullah Ghafar, Taliban fighters had been trying to dig a tunnel under one of the checkpoints. Scores of Afghan soldiers in Sangin had been killed by the Taliban tunnelling under checkpoints, packing the shafts with explosives and then detonating the charges.

Sardar Agha Ibrahimkhel said the US struck Hajis house by accident as they tried to repel the Taliban advance. He said the problem was that the US see the people in the area but cant tell whether they are civilians or others.

Finding out who is responsible for causing civilian harm is important not just from the point of view of justice. It is vital for forces which want to avoid civilian harm to learn lessons from actions that cause it. Knowing how civilians came to be killed informs policies and rules of operations.

Afghanistan has been a textbook example of how policies at the top can impact on the civilian death rate on the ground. In 2008, a quarter of all civilian deaths in Afghanistan were attributed to either Afghan government or Nato airstrikes, said the UN. Six months after that report came out, General Stanley McChrystal, then the Nato commander in Afghanistan, vowed to reverse the trend and banned the use of airstrikes on domestic homes in all but the most extreme circumstances. His successor, General David Petraeus, elaborated on this. He told commanders they had to be certain there were no civilians present before allowing strikes to go ahead, except on two conditions that were redacted from the published version of his order.

Policies such as these slashed the civilian casualty rate. In 2009 a civilian died in every sixth strike, on average. In 2010 this was down to one dead in every 15th strike.

At some point the near-blanket ban on targeting domestic buildings seems to have been changed. After a series of high-profile strikes with big civilian casualties, culminating in the bombardment of houses in the northern city of Kunduz, which killed 33 civilians, a new rule was introduced requiring commanders to get permission from headquarters in Kabul before striking a building.

If there was decisive evidence the US did carry out the Sangin strikes, it could trigger further tightening of restrictions on targeting buildings. If it was ANSF mortars or rockets then its own civilian casualty mitigation team could use it to develop better policies and further reduce civilian casualties.

Sifting through the damage of a devastated house (Captain Sardar Agha Ibrahimkhel)

The problem is, it is harder to investigate civilian casualty allegations from airstrikes with only a small force and limited or zero access to the scene of the airstrikes, a senior US military official told the Bureau.

The officials most recent work has focussed on Iraq and Syria but his analysis also applies to Afghanistan, he said. Not only do we not have access, as the military, he said, but even aid agencies dont have access they once had... so its much harder to really dig into an allegation.

When I do my post-strike analysis we may pick up signals intelligence that an ambulance got launched out to that particular location or that theres a news report that there were civilian casualties that happened there. But he added that US troops cannot go to the scene and see the impact and talk to people, and that is incredibly challenging to try and figure out what exactly happened.

The challenge now is the access and the lack of access. Before we had 150,000 troops there. He said back then the US might not find out exactly what happened  the ground truth  but that you did at least get another perspective or an allegation, whereas now we dont have that luxury any more.

In the case of Sangin, Resolute Support said it had accounted for every munition down to precise latitude and longitude and could not find a link between our strikes and the alleged civilian casualties. But it was short of an outright denial.

Helmands governor told the Bureau in July an Afghan government investigation was still going on. I hope we will reach a conclusion that whether these were done by the RS [Resolute Support] or by the rockets of the enemies, he said.

Today, Sangin remains under Taliban control. It is in the insurgents heartland, according to the US military in Afghanistan. A local politician told the Bureau that both the Taliban and local Afghan forces operate in the district but that fighting has become less intense since President Trump announced his new strategy towards the country, as if insurgents are waiting to see how their enemies will try to oust them from their prize.

In Sangin, meanwhile, the Gul, Rahman and Ghafar families are picking up the pieces. Governor Hayat has given them each some money out of his provincial coffers. He told the Bureau he expects they will eventually get more compensation from the central government.

The Afghan intelligence service, Helmand police, the council and the governor all agreed that Hamid Guls family were civilians and he should be compensated. The Bureau first spoke to the governor in February but five months later in July he said he was still waiting on Kabul to decide Hamids case.

Haji Mullah Ghafar, similarly, has been left with nothing. He struggles to understand how this happened. His family was well known and trusted by soldiers on the checkpoint. He used to live in a busy neighbourhood but his neighbours gradually left due to the conflict, till his family was left alone.

My wife and I promised that we will not leave our house and we will not go to Pakistan or Iran... no one, government or Taliban, had anything to do with me, he told the Bureau. If there were Taliban they should have hit them. Why did they hit us?

He is now in debt and struggling. I had a nice house and people wanted it for a lot of money but now I am looking after the injured, he told the Bureau. I am left with nothing. Not even one item was recovered.

Additional reporting by the Bureau of Investigative Journalisms Afghan specialist
Demonstrators at the March for Choice in Dublin

Tens of thousands of people have marched through Dublin demanding change to Ireland's strict abortion laws.

The annual March for Choice was the first major demonstration on the abortion issue since the Government set an indicative timescale of early summer 2018 for a referendum on the section of the state's constitution that ensures tight legal restrictions on terminations.

Organisers estimated that 40,000 people took part.

Campaigners gathered at Parnell Square from lunchtime before making their way down the city's main thoroughfare, O'Connell Street. It took 45 minutes for the parade to pass the street's landmark Spire monument.

Chanting, singing and waving placards, demonstrators then marched along the River Liffey past the historic Custom House before crossing the water on their way towards the Irish parliament.

A number of speakers then addressed huge crowds at Merrion Square.

Anti-abortion activists staged smaller scale events elsewhere in Dublin and in other cities across Ireland but, unlike previous years, there was no evidence of direct counter-protests on the route of the march.

It was the sixth annual March for Choice organised by the Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC).

The existing Eighth Amendment of Ireland's constitution affords equal rights to pregnant women and unborn children. Added to the constitution in 1983, the amendment recognises an unborn child's right to life.

Terminations are currently only permitted when the life of the mother is at risk and the maximum penalty for accessing an illegal abortion in Ireland is 14 years in prison.

Thousands of Irish women travel to Great Britain every year to have a legal abortion.

Linda Kavanagh, spokeswoman for the ARC, warned the Government that pro-choice campaigners would not accept a referendum that only offered a partial relaxation of the law.

"We got 40,000 people on the streets today," she told the Press Association.

"All of them are calling for broad access to abortion.

"That is part of the point we are trying to make today - we want broad access for abortion. We are not here because we want a bit of abortion. People who are behind this movement, this change in Ireland, want broad abortion access."

However, Dr Ruth Cullen, from the Pro Life Campaign (PRL) group, said any change to the Eighth Amendment should be opposed.

"We either protect every human life in our laws or we end up protecting no-one," she said.

"Once it is conceded that unborn babies are unworthy of legal protection in some situations, it is in effect saying that no unborn babies have any intrinsic value."

With the prospect of a referendum having been on the horizon for some time, pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates have already been long campaigning on the emotive issue.

Those efforts are intensifying now a timeframe has been set for the vote.

The march in Dublin is the first big set-piece since Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced on Tuesday that a referendum will likely be called in May or June next year.

UK Labour Party MP Stella Creasy was among those who took part in the event.

Ms Creasy was a vocal campaigner for the NHS in England to offer free abortions to women travelling from Northern Ireland - a region that also has strict laws on terminations

A pro-choice rally was also staged outside the Irish Embassy in London on Saturday, with campaigners highlighting the numbers of Irish women who have travelled to Britain for an abortion in the last three decades.

A parliamentary body has been established in Dublin to advise on the wording for the referendum.

The Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution is considering a report from Judge Mary Laffoy, who chaired a specially-designed Citizens Assembly of 99 people who deliberated and voted on the issue.

The assembly called for article 40.3.3, which was altered under the Eighth Amendment, to be removed from the Constitution.

It said it should be replaced by a provision which placed the onus on politicians to pass laws on termination of pregnancy, rights of the unborn and pregnant women's rights.
Income tax cuts of around 200 a year for middle income earners will form the cornerstone of Leo Varadkar's first Budget as Taoiseach.

An overwhelming majority of Fine Gael politicians and constituency branches have told Mr Varadkar that the widening of the income tax band should be the number one priority.

In relation to spending, Mr Varadkar has been called on to increase the old age pension by 5, restore the telephone allowance and to raise the weekly social welfare payment for the disabled and carers.

The demands have been sent to Fine Gael headquarters by every constituency branch at Mr Varadkar's request.

Fine Gael officials began collating the Budget items last night.

They will present a report to Mr Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.

Highly placed Government sources say the Taoiseach is determined that the Budget closely reflects the proposals submitted by his parliamentary party and constituency branches.

A large number of constituencies placed the widening of the income tax band as their number one priority.

These include Sligo/Leitrim, Dublin North West, Dublin Rathdown, Louth, Limerick City and Galway East.

Laois, Offaly, Cavan/Monaghan, Dublin Bay South and Mr Varadkar's own constituency of Dublin West also selected this option.

The move would see the point at which workers enter the high rate of tax increased by 1,000 to 34,800.

It would save the average middle income earner around 200 a year.

In terms of the Exchequer, widening the tax band by 1,000 would cost 178m.

According to the survey results, a much smaller number of constituencies called for the Budget to include a reduction in the USC.

The constituencies that said they favour this approach include Kildare North and Longford/Westmeath.

But last night, Fianna Fail warned that easing the USC burden forms a key part of the Confidence and Supply Agreement and that it must be honoured.

The party's finance spokesperson Michael McGrath said Fine Gael will have to spell out where it intends to find the money if it chooses to widen the tax bands.

"The agreement provides for a reduction in the USC and we have been clear to the Government that this needs to be honoured," the Cork South Central TD told the Irish Independent.

"If they want to go beyond that on the income tax side and do something else, well, they will have to spell out where that money will come from," he added.

The survey results also included various different infrastructure projects that members want the Government to prioritise, including the Metro North, the Limerick-Cork road and the East Link between Sligo and Dundalk.

There was also a strong consensus that the Budget must provide more money for public and affordable housing.
The Neptune Building at Honey Park in Dun Laoghaire is one of Irelands first BTR developments

German investment manager Patrizia Immobilien has confirmed its intention to purchase 319 Build-to-Rent (BTR) apartments for a total consideration of 130m at the Cosgrave Property Group's Honey Park development in Dun Laoghaire, south county Dublin.

Patrizia's acquisition of the apartments, which are scheduled to be finished construction between June and November 2018, is part of the company's strategy to increase its investment in Dublin's emerging BTR sector to 400 residential units.

The announcement comes just days after US real estate giant Hines announced its intention to develop 1,269 apartments for the rental market as part of the proposed 'town centre' component of its Cherrywood scheme in south Dublin.

While Build-to-Rent (BTR) is well established internationally, it is a relatively new phenomenon here.

Its popularity with institutional investors such as pension funds is understandable as the rental incomes derived from letting residential units in large numbers provide steady returns over many years, and through the peaks and troughs of economic cycles.

Dublin in particular has seen the emergence in a short time of a new breed of institutional landlords, who buy whole blocks to rent.

Ires Reit is the biggest, with 2,377 apartments spread across its Dublin sites.

US real estate giants Kennedy Wilson is also a significant landlord in the market with 2,100 units either built or under construction.

It recently stated its aim to have 5,000 homes for rent in Ireland in the future.
Farmers know that when something goes wrong, the problem must be dealt with - but it equally cannot stop the daily demands of the farm being met.

The same has to be said of Brexit and its fallout. Agriculture Minister Michael Creed hit the bullseye when he said: "It carries no upside."

It is absorbing the energy of a big chunk of the EU administration and has an even bigger impact on Ireland's small government and administrative apparatus. Much of that is about mitigating serious harm rather than creating new advantages - but that's how it is.

As our nearest neighbour exits the EU, we face issues around the border; the protection of Irish citizen's EU rights in the UK; the Common Travel Area; the full protection of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement; and of course future trading relationships so vital to Irish farmers.

Ireland will be 45 years a member of the EU in January. In those years we have hugely diversified export markets and we now trade freely with over 500 million people.

We now export 32pc of our goods and services to the Euro Area, compared to 17pc with the UK. The EU has made trade deals with Canada and Japan in recent months that Ireland would not have been able to accomplish on its own.

One of the few benefits from Brexit is a focus that the EU badly needs reform. EU leaders met at a special summit in Bratislava last year and opened a discussion on the future of Europe. That discussion is happening now on the assumption that it will be an EU without Britain.

A discussion paper on the future of Europe was published by the European Commission in March. This outlined five scenarios: 1. Doing much more together. 2. Carrying on as things currently are. 3. A two-speed EU. 4. An EU that just focuses on the bigger EU issues. 5. An EU that focuses on the Single Market.

That list was styled as a starting point for discussions. Two weeks ago Commission president Jean Claude Juncker added to the list.

In Ireland, and throughout the EU, we need a new debate about our place in an evolving world. That debate must be about democracy, freedom, liberal values, respect for difference, fairness, employment, environmental sustainability and peace. Woven through all those themes must be the economic issues.

The Government has promised to begin a Citizens' Dialogue, organised regionally and across the various sectors as well as with universities and colleges. It will invite the general public to participate in how they see the EU affects them and also their views on the European project moving forward.

The various farm organisations have a good track record of engagement with EU discussions. Irish farmers may not always acknowledge this, but they are among the best informed on European issues in the entire 28-nation bloc.

Europe has always been a bigger ideal than just an economic union. At its heart are the values of freedom, equality and rule of law - something Irish people have fought for over the centuries. A good debate can help Ireland face into an EU without our strongest ally.

Yes, the Brexit fallout must be faced. True, that Brexit affects all the issues cited above.

We cannot just bypass Brexit. But in getting through it we have to see a way ahead for Ireland in a much-changed Europe.

Recent opinion polls have shown that Irish people still believe that the EU - for all its flaws and shortcomings - is worth preserving.

John Downing is an Irish Independent political correspondent
FARMERS have claimed competition authorities must address a serious lack of competition in the meat-processing sector.

It comes as the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) cleared the way for the move by Dawn Meats to acquire Dunbias operations in Ireland.

Approval has also been granted for the strategic partnership which will see the Waterford-based and Northern Ireland-based firm establish a joint venture in the UK under the Dunbia name.

The scale of the combined businesses in the UK and Ireland will see it process around 900,000 cattle and 2.6 million sheep a year.

Jim Dobson, chief executive of Dunbia, said it will introduce a fresh look for the new Dunbia business in the UK. The combined UK businesses will be managed by Mr Dobson as chief executive and Dawn Meats Niall Browne as executive chairman.

The move means Dawn has acquired Dunbias operations in the Republic of Ireland, and it will now have nine facilities, including five abattoirs, after taking over the abattoir in Slane and boning hall in Kilbeggan.

Mr Browne said their focus would continue to be on quality and sustainability across three leading national businesses  Dawn Meats in Ireland, Dunbia in the UK and Elivia in France. They will operate 15 facilities across Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland for both lamb and beef.

Mr Browne has pointed out that with the uncertainty of Brexit this should underpin the competitiveness of both operations.

Irish Farmers Association (IFA) president Joe Healy said it was the responsibility of the CCPC to ensure that there is competition in the beef sector and he claimed it was falling down on this.

He said the IFA had put a detailed independent report to them addressing the lack of competition in the sector.

The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) said it emphasises the urgent need for greater price transparency in the beef sector to ensure farmers have a level of confidence they are getting a fair price for their cattle.

Meanwhile, the European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger regulation the proposed acquisition of joint control over Linden Foods by ABP Food Group and Fane Valley. The Commission found it would not adversely affect competition.
A fulfillment centre owned by the online retail giant, which is reported to be looking for 80,000 sq ft of office space in Dublin

Amazon has dismissed as "rumours and speculation" reports that it is seeking a new office in Dublin.

First reported by Bloomberg, the retail and cloud services giant is said to be searching for office space to accommodate up to 800 people.

Amazon may be looking for 80,000 square feet, said the newswire report, citing unnamed sources.

The tech giant employs over 2,500 people in Dublin, according to a company spokeswoman.

It is also seeking planning permission to build up to seven data centres in a 1bn investment plan for the Dublin suburb of Mulhuddart.

However, the data centres face objections from two people, including one of the objectors to Apple's 850m data centre project for Athenry.

Amazon's increasing dominance in the online-retail and cloud-computing sectors has left it seeking to expand its properties all over the world. In the US, it is running a contest between US cities for a second headquarters that will employ 50,000 people.

In documents published online, Amazon says that average salaries for the jobs will reach $100,000 (84,700). The contest has seen cities scramble to put together financial and infrastructural incentives that might attract the company.

Chicago has assembled a 600-person committee, while Detroit's largest landowner said that he will move tenants out to accommodate the technology giant.

Philadelphia authorities have promised to restructure their business tax regime while the mayor of Tulsa, in Oklahoma, said that the city will match any other tax proposals and exceed them.

"Whatever it takes," said GT Bynum, Tulsa's mayor.

The company's potential move into a new Dublin office could be challenged by a lack of office space in the city's premium office districts.

A recent report from estate agency Savills said that the vacancy rate for premium offices in prime areas of the city is less than 1pc. This is despite an overall office vacancy rate across Dublin of 9pc.

Amazon may also have to jostle with banks seeking to establish offices in Dublin as a recourse to Britain leaving the European Union.

Both JPMorgan Chase and Barclays Bank are expanding their corporate presence in Dublin.
One51s Canadian shareholders are set to lift their direct stake in the business to around 40pc in a series of moves aimed at clearing the way for a stock market listing in Toronto and Dublin, the Irish Independent understands.

Dublin-based One51s main business is now a two-thirds stake in North American plastics manufacturer IPL.

One51 said yesterday that it had begun a process to engage with shareholders on a proposed corporate reorganisation of One51 and IPL ahead of an initial public offering (IPO), without providing details.

An IPO is now expected within 12 to 18 months.

The board is actively advancing this strategy and is today commencing a shareholder engagement process to outline a proposed corporate reorganisation of One51 and in particular the IPL structure that would position the group for an IPO within that timeframe, the company said.

The Irish Independent understands that the plans, which will require shareholder approval, include swapping a stake in One51 itself for the 33pc of IPL owned by Canadian investors Caisse de Dupot et Placement du Quebec (CDPQ) and Canadian government agency Fonds de Solidarite.

The deal will lift the Canadians shareholding in One51 to between 35pc and 40pc of One51, it is understood. As a result, current One51 shareholders will see their stake diluted, but the company will in turn own IPL outright.

IPL now accounts for around 80pc of One51 revenue, a proportion that has increased as the Irish company sold off stakes in other businesses and assets including the Clear Circle waste management business.

The proposals, which will require backing an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) are thought to be in line with a previous plan by One51 management, led by CEO Alan Walsh, that was effectively blocked by then shareholders including businessman Dermot Desmond, who saw it as too generous to the Canadians.

However, earlier this year CDPQ acquired Dermot Desmonds 25pc One51 stake, in effect clearing the way for the IPO.

The price CDPQ paid for that stake has not been disclosed, but was reportedly around 2.50 a share, a significant premium to the current 1.95 a share trading level.

A formal stock market listing would provide the business a chance to raise cash, and should make it easier for small shareholders to trade in and out of the stock.

Currently, One51s around 2000 shareholders, many of whom have held stock since it was spun out of IAWS in 2005, can only buy and sell shares on a so-called grey market that is illiquid.

The Irish company, initially emerged as an investment group owning a mix of assets and corporate stakes, but has gradually been streamlined into a plastics manufacturer.

One51 also announced yesterday that non-executive director Dalton Philips has stepped down from the board, ahead of taking up his new role as chief executive at the DAA, which operates Dublin and Cork airports.

The company said it has appointed advisers to help recruit new directors.
Beryl Dunne, an IT manager who lives in Bray, Co Wicklow, is semi-retired and said she had to ramp up her payments so that she could retire when she wanted.

"I wanted to retire by 50 so, health-wise, I could enjoy life. Also, I felt that by the time I came to retire the State pension wouldn't be there," she said.

"I went into ESB from college and joined its superannuation scheme. When I left after a year they paid back my contributions.

"I started a pension aged 33 in my next job, paying in the maximum amount, plus additional contributions. I left to become self-employed after nine years and left that pension with them. I was pleased how much it had appreciated."

Ms Dunne (57) said other than the two years self-employed, she always paid in the maximum amount.

"Had I started in my early 20s I wouldn't have had to do that. My advice is to start saving from the very beginning and you won't miss it," she said.

Ms Dunne, who is separated and has one daughter, said the first thing she did when she was self-employed was to pay off her mortgage. Then she pooled all funds when she joined her last employer.

"I was over 50 so they encouraged me to invest in a lifestyle pension, moving out of equities and into lower-risk cash or bonds. After 15 years there, I got sick and took redundancy aged 57. I spoke to Karl Daly, a financial adviser from Metis Life, and we split my fund into multiple Personal Retirement Savings Accounts, with Standard Life and Zurich. Now, when I like, I draw down 25pc from one of my tranches tax-free. Anything tax-free makes me happy."
The boss of An Post has said it is inevitable that post offices around the country will close, as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar put the onus back on rural communities to support their post offices.

"If people want to protect post offices, they need to use them," the Taoiseach said.

Mr Varadkar said he was not aware of a plan to earmark hundreds of post offices for closure.

"If it is a plan it's certainly not a Government-backed plan," he said.

His comments came as the Irish Independent reported the Irish Postmasters' Union (IPU) has told its members in a letter the company has prepared a "blueprint" that will mean the closure of 400 post offices.

The Taoiseach noted that the number of post offices has been decreasing over the years.

"The network is being rationalised quite simply because fewer people are sending letters.

"The amount of mail volume is going down and because people in urban and rural areas are sending fewer letters, fewer and fewer people are using post offices, because more and more services are now going online.

"So, ultimately the best way for people to protect their local post office is to actually use it."

However, An Post chief executive David McRedmond confirmed that up to 400 post offices could close over the next few years.

Mr McRedmond initially claimed this figure, reported yesterday in the Irish Independent, was incorrect, but later conceded that after the closures there will be between 700 and 900 offices left.

"We can't treat this as something that is just set in stone, treat it as some kind of theme park, where you keep everything exactly as it was 100 years ago.

"Of course things have to change and things will change," he said on RTE's 'Today with Sean O'Rourke'.
Pictured is Miriam O'Callaghan enjoying Stradballys ultimate party at CASA BACARDI 2017. BACARDI rum returned to a sold out Electric Picnic, boasting a stellar line-up of international DJs as well as top home grown Irish talent.

Miriam O'Callaghan has insisted she has no interest in replacing Bryan Dobson on the Six One.

Dobson (57) confirmed earlier this month that he would be leaving Ireland's most watched news show after 21 years to join Morning Ireland.

The long-standing anchor said he would "greatly miss" the show but felt the time had come to pursue new opportunities.

O'Callaghan, who has fronted current affairs programme Prime Time alongside Dave McCullagh since 1996, said she has no desire to take over.

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"I would not be interested in doing Six One. That's the straight answer, because I have the job I want," said the RTE presenter.

"If someone said to me, 'What job do you want in Irish broadcasting?', I would say Prime Time and that's the truth.

"I've always stayed with them. I love it and I won't be leaving it."

Not long after Dobson's departure was announced, speculation was rife in Montrose that co-host Sharon Ni Bheolain may also quit the programme.

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Ni Bheolain has worked on Six One alongside Dobson for 13 years, but has previously hinted that she was open to leaving, saying she was "looking for something new".

Other broadcasters suggested as potential replacements for Dobson include Ray Kennedy, Claire Byrne, Dave McCullagh and TV3's news anchor, Colette Fitzpatrick.

Two female co-anchors would be a first for Six One, but O'Callaghan believes the most important attribute the new presenter should possess is talent.

"I think talent outweighs anything else and whoever they pick will be great. Bryan and Sharon were both fabulous," she told the Herald.

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O'Callaghan's radio show Sunday With Miriam enjoys high ratings, with nearly 250,000 listeners.

One of only a handful of Irish presenters to enjoy success on both television and radio, she finds the small screen slightly more challenging.

"Because of all the paraphernalia around you, it is probably more difficult," she said.

"On radio, I could literally sit there in a pair of runners and jeans and no one cares. You can concentrate on what people are saying.

"With television, you have to worry about how you look," she added.

"The radio is going great, a Top 10 show, so I am happy with that. It's a great team."

The mum-of-eight was speaking at the launch of the People of the Year Awards.

In its 43rd year, the competition sees family, friends and colleagues nominate ordinary people who have done extraordinary things.

The show will be broadcast on RTE One on Saturday, March 3 next year.

The public can submit details of their chosen nominee at peopleoftheyear.com.

The closing date for entries is Friday, December 1.
Hundreds of students in University College Dublin (UCD) have called to impeach their student union president, saying that the pro-lifer doesn't represent them and that she hasn't followed her mandate.

Just weeks into her presidential term, UCD Student Union President Katie Ascough, has been criticised after she withdrew information over access to abortion services in a magazine circulated to new students.

Ms Ascough said she took an executive decision to redact the information after receiving legal advice that the abortion information was illegal in Ireland, despite the fact the information was previously available in UCD.

The information in the 'Winging It' magazine that was removed included pregnancy help websites, the prices of abortion in other countries and information on abortion pills.

While it is lawful to provide information in Ireland about abortions abroad, it is subject to strict conditions.

Ms Ascough's decision was widely criticised by the student body as the decision to remove the page, which required reprinting the annual guide, is estimated to have cost the union about 8,000.

Independent.ie visited the UCD campus to investigate how students and the UCD Student Union feel about the controversy.

UCD Education Officer Robert Sweeney said that it is good to see students involved in student politics.

"Students have the right to hold their representatives accountable. We're a student democracy and they're entitled to petition if they think the president isn't representing the student body.

"The students voted repeatedly to have a pro-choice campaign on campus and the four of us other sabbaticals on the Student Union are all pro-choice."

UCD has approximately 30,000 students, both in Ireland and internationally.

Graduate Officer Niall Torris told Independent.ie that students feel "outraged" by Ms Ascough's actions.

"The campaign for the petition has been clear about what their grievances are. The 8,000 spent, the executive order to remove the information on abortion that had been provided before.

"Katie's campaign promise that she had researched and that she would be able to delegate any issues relating to choice and repeal and that it could be done. There are a few questions there from the students on whether money is being spent prudently and are core election promises being upheld.

"I think it's good to see students actively holding their student representatives to account for their promises and actions. I think it's encouraging to see UCD students politically involved."

Over 1,000 students signed the petition to impeach Ms Ascough.

"Katie didn't say that she was pro-life in her manifesto. The issue was raised by student journalists and she said she would fully delegate and communicate any issues around the 8th Amendment. Students are outraged by this as they feel she didn't delegate or communicate.

"She said she wouldn't interrupt repeated mandates from the students, who chose to be pro-choice. Her being a pro-life campaigner was absolutely not part of her campaign, but student journalists led her to take this position and promises during the campaign.

"She promised that she would delegate because of her compromising position and the student body took that on good faith. Whether that promise was made in ignorance or in cynicism isn't really the issue. The problem is that the electorate took that promise in good faith and the electorate see it as a betrayal of faith."

The Welfare Officer Eoghan Mac Domhnaill was unavailable to speak to Independent.ie but posted a Facebook post urging people not to support the petition.

"As angry as I was, and still am, that that information was taken out Im not going to sit idle while people circle around my friend and my president.

"Katie, in my eyes has, bar this incident been an absolutely phenomenal president. Ill not be signing any impeachment documentation and should a referendum be called Ill be standing by Katie all the way.

The petition for impeachment will go to the UCD returning officer on Monday and within two to three weeks, the officer will decide if a referendum will be called.

If a referendum does take place for the impeachment of Katie Ascough at least 10 per cent of students must vote and the majority must be in favour of the motion for impeachment to occur.

A female student, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was unaware of Ms Ascough's beliefs when she voted for the SU president last year.

"She said she would delegate but she didn't. She took executive decisions and didn't follow her mandate. Students have the right to abortion information. She had no right to remove it, especially seeing as we are a pro-choice campus.

"Presidents have gone into office before with different beliefs to the students but it is their job to keep their views aside and represent the students. By taking her own beliefs to make an executive decision is breaking the trust of the student body."

Two male students, who didn't want to be named, told Independent.ie that students are being "too hard" on Ms Ascough.

"I think she is up against a wall. Repeal the 8th is a big thing at the moment. Abortion is a hot topic. Just because she's pro-life and their pro-choice doesn't mean she should be impeached.

"I think anyone who speaks out for pro-life is being lambasted. Anyone who speaks out about pro-life is automatically perceived as wrong. There is so much liberal bias. There is no platform for pro-life. Even at Electric Picnic they had posted for 'Repeal the 8th'. Everything is being politicised."

The first-year student said he's "sick of listening" to the debate and that "it doesn't matter to me anyway because nobody is taking into account what the dad wants".

Another first-year student said he agrees that there is no free speech around the abortion issue at the moment.

"We don't have free speech. It's just whatever opinion is popular at the time and then you're lambasted if yours isn't the same.

"I think people are being too hard on her. She's only three weeks into the year. I think impeachment is only necessary when people are consistently messing up and are doing things for the wrong reasons. I think this is people really wanting the 8th Amendment to be repealed and they're beating her up because she disagrees."

Independent.ie was unable to reach Katie Ascough despite numerous attempts.
A man who smiled and laughed after he was arrested for assaulting an 11-month-old baby has avoided jail.

Aaron O'Kane punched the child in the face during a fight with his brother.

On Friday he was given a five-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Derry Magistrates' Court.

O'Kane (26) admitted the two assaults on his brother and the baby in a house in the Carnhill area of the city on April 30 after he had returned home from a day-long drinking binge.

Since the assaults O'Kane has been living at Lodge Road in Coleraine.

A Public Prosecution Service solicitor told District Judge Barney McElholm that at 11.15pm on April 30, police received a 999 call from a woman who was screaming and distressed. In the background a man was heard shouting at her to hang up.

A second 999 call was received from a man who said his brother had assaulted him and a baby.

The brother told the police O'Kane had returned home drunk.

He came into a bedroom where the baby and the man were asleep and switched on the light. His brother asked him to turn the light off as it would waken the baby.

O'Kane then grabbed his brother and punched him 10 times to the head and face.

Their sister ran upstairs and separated the brothers, but O'Kane again started to punch his brother.

O'Kane fell into the baby's cot and when the brother lifted the child from the cot O'Kane again started punching him as the baby was being held.

One punch missed the brother and struck the baby on the side of his face. Another punch struck the brother on the head knocking his head against the baby's head.

Both the baby and the brother sustained redness to the face.

The prosecutor said when it was put to O'Kane by the police after his arrest that his actions caused the baby distress "the defendant laughed and smiled during the interview. He said he was drunk so what would you expect".

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley admitted it was an extremely serious case.

"The defendant knows that no matter how the court deals with him today, the consequences of the offences will stay with him for the rest of his life," he said.

"If he ever enters into a relationship and had a child from that relationship, in all probability the social services will put that child on the at risk register."

Mr Quigley said O'Kane had issues in relation to his temper and in relation to alcohol and drugs misuse.

"He is still trying to rebuild bridges with his family who have taken a very responsible attitude that his behaviour is entirely unacceptable and in the consequences that fall from it," he added.

The baby's mother, grandmother and grandaunt were in court for the sentencing. They heard the District Judge describe O'Kane's behaviour as absolutely disgraceful.

"To punch someone who is holding a baby is completely and utterly disgusting," he said.

Judge McElholm also ordered O'Kane to pay the baby compensation of 300. He warned O'Kane that if he didn't pay he would go to jail.
Emily Casey (21) with a poster she made on why people should get vaccinated Photo: Kyran O'Brien

Emily Casey was left fighting for her life when she was diagnosed meningitis at four-years'-old

Emily Casey from Dalkey, Co. Dublin pictured leaving the Four Courts with her parents, Stephanie and Dermot

Emily Casey (21) pictured with her mother Stephanie at their home in Dalkey Photo: Kyran O'Brien

Emily Casey (21) pictured with her Mother Stephanie at their home in Dalkey Photo: Kyran O'Brien

A young girl who survived life-threatening meningitis as a young girl has told how she was left paralysed after surgeons accidentally cut her spinal cord during a routine surgery.

Emily Casey, now 21, from Dalkey, Co Dublin, was left in a coma, aged four, after developing meningitis overnight in 2000.

Just nine years later after making a miracle recovery, she was left paralysed at the age of 13 due to a "medical mishap".

Mum Stephanie Casey invited Independent.ie into their home for an exclusive interview on how life has changed since the double tragedy.

"Emily was four when she got meningitis. She was fine on the Saturday and then she started to complain about a headache. I noticed she had a temperature but I gave her some panadol and that brought her temperature down. Emily went to bed as usual and before she went to bed she was running up and down the stairs. I had no reason to think that anything terrible was coming.

"At 8am on the Sunday morning I saw a big blue mark on her cheek. Then I pulled back her duvet and I saw blue and black marks all up her legs. She was dying.

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"The last thing Emily said to me before she fell into a coma was that her hands smelled funny. There were black lesions on her hands and they did smell like death."

Stephanie said she rang for an ambulance and Emily was rushed to Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin where a team of doctors were waiting for her.

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"It was like something out of the movies. She was dying in the ambulance and they got her into the intensive care.

"She was dying for five days. We called everyone in to say their goodbyes. On the fifth day, she began to stabilise and her organs stopped failing. But on the fifth day it attacked her brain and she had multiple bleeds to the brain. She almost lost her hands and legs, they were all black."

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After the meningitis, Emily was left paralysed and in a coma for several weeks.

"She was 'locked-in'. Doctors didn't know if she was conscious or unconscious. We didn't know if she could see or hear us. We stayed in intensive care all the time with her reading and singing to her, hoping she could hear us."

Stephanie said that seven weeks after Emily got sick, she knew her daughter would be ok.

"I was shaking a toy in front of her and she smiled. I knew there was somebody in there. A couple of days later she began to move her finger. We had a smile and some movement. I remember crying for hours thinking that if this was it, I would take the smile and the little moving hand."

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Two weeks later, Emily began to speak for the first time since her illness.

"I asked her what movie she wanted to watch and she whispered 'Mulan'. From then on she began to improve and she went to the National Rehabilitation Centre to relearn how to walk and talk again."

While Emily learned how to walk again with some help, she couldn't walk "normally" because the meningitis has tried to "amputate her legs".

"At six she ended up walking with a walking frame and she could talk."

Mum Stephanie, who has three other children, Sarah (36), Gilly (34) and Chris (18), said she spent every day hoping her youngest daughter would improve.

"My beautiful, very able, bright, energetic four-year-old was left with so many disabilities, but she is amazingly courageous."

After surviving the deadly meningitis, Emily was again struck with a devastating diagnosis in 2009.

"Because of Emily's meningitis she had a lot of procedures because she lost flesh after the disease. Her back developed a scoliosis curve and she went for a scoliosis surgery.

"Sadly on the day of the surgery, a screw was misplaced into the spinal cord. She now has no movement from her chest down. She was left paralysed.

"She has been to the High Court on that and a decision was made in her favour. She got a compensation package so she will be able to get ongoing care for that."

In the High Court in 2015, Emily was awarded 4.8million against the HSE, as well as an apology from the hospital.

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"It shouldn't have happened. I don't think I processed the news when I heard it. I kept going and tried to help her in any way that I could. I was very angry and upset. I was devastated and shocked. But I didn't stop doing what I was doing, which was minding her. Even the nurses couldn't believe that it happened."

Emily was left in hospital for a year after the surgery mishap.

"We know that is a surgical accident where an item was placed into the spinal cord by accident in the surgery. Emily is very angry at the surgeon and the surgical team. She often says 'they gave me back my life when I was four and then took away my walking when I was 13'. Accidents happen and they shouldn't. But it did."

Speaking from her home, Emily (21) told Independent.ie that "everyday, life is like a bad dream".

"I can't wake up from this nightmare."

After everything she went through, Emily is now urging people to get the meningitis vaccination.

"My spinal cord injury is another reason why I want everyone to get the meningitis vaccine so they don't have to go through what I did and be operated on and have their spinal cord cut.

"I just want to be able to walk again. It's hard to remain positive when you've had two injuries. An injury to the back and to the brain."

After seeing what her child went through, Stephanie said that everyone should get the meningitis vaccine.

"She got meningitis type B, but there is type C and now there is new vaccine called the ACWY vaccine. Meningitis is around. You need to get vaccinated against all types of meningitis. Emily wants to get the new ACWY vaccine, in case she gets that. I can't understand why someone wouldn't vaccinate their child. It's an instant and deadly virus," Stephanie said.

Stephanie issued a warning to all parents and said if you have any concerns about your child having meningitis to go to the doctor straight away.

"If you think your kid might have meningitis, just go and get it checked. You're better going and having it checked out and not having it than missing it. It is a big fear for doctors that they will miss the signs of meningitis. You can't see it until a child is dying. If you do have any concerns, just go to the doctor.

"We didn't have any warning signals. We were just the unlucky family who had no warning signals of meningitis."

Emily now loves to work with her hands and enjoys building Lego and doing arts and crafts, as well as watching movies.

Despite the many physical and mental challenges, she remains remarkably upbeat and loves minding children.

"I am doing work experience minding kids. I'm working with little children and loving it. They're a little bit hard to handle at times but I like it," Emily said.

Mum Stephanie said that while Emily tries to remain busy, she is often overcome by sadness.

"She gets very sad sometimes. She loves people and is great with people. I need to be there for her and listen to her. She needs to know that she can confide in me and that I know how she feels. That helps and then we keep her busy."

She added that their family's life has completely changed.

"I now get up at 6am and I care for Emily all day. I love her so much and I'm just glad she's here. She was so close to not being here anymore."

The family adapted their home when Emily was eight-years'-old so she could get around the house with her walking frame. Now that Emily is paralysed and in a wheelchair, the family are considering moving to a more wheelchair accessible home.

Looking to the future, Emily says that her dream is to attend the Late Late Toy Show.

"We will try to make it happen this year," said Stephanie.
THE future impact of severe flooding in Ireland can only be lessened if the State concentrates efforts on flood defences, a UK climate change expert has said.

Dr Peter Stott, scientific strategic head for climate monitoring at the UKs Met Office, said Ireland is experiencing sea level rises of around 3mm a year.

Dr Stott told the Citizens Assembly the impact was dependent on whats done about the adaption measures on flood defence.

In August parts of Donegal were severely flooded costing an estimated 15.3 million. On Friday the Dail voted to support Fianna Fails agriculture spokesman Charlie McConologue in his motion to financially support affected families and businesses.

The Donegal TD recently accused the Government of not investing in flood defence to curb flooding in recent years.

Dr Scott said that even if Ireland commits to the extremely difficult scenario of decreasing the States greenhouse emissions to below 1C - a condition of the Paris Agreement - the country still had to deal with the impact of environmental changes, such as flooding.

The climate expert said State and society needed to consider all ways of life including, travel and how homes are heated, if Ireland was to make rapid environmental change.

If it became the mainstream it would help - if I was in charge of policy, thats what Id try to do, Dr Scott said to an applause from the Assembly.

He suggested cutting bureaucracy within the State to help people live a greener life.

Dr Saji Varghese, head of research and environment at Met Eireann, said Irish meteorologists were predicting climate to help protect the life and safety of the Irish public.

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We are on a mission for the next 10 years and a key area weve focused on is the re- analysis of climate data to fill the gaps, he added.

We have old climate data records from the 17th century. We also have international collaborations. Temperatures have been increasing since 1900 in Ireland.

Dr Varghese said average temperatures have increased by 0.8C since 1900. Over the past few decades its clear that for all seasons, temperatures are on the rise.

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He said rainfall has increased by around 70mm from 1941 to 2015. Heavy rain and wet days were an indicator of climate change he said.

Dr Verghese said British research had showed rising levels of 1.7mm a decade in the south of Ireland. The levels are rising from around 2 to 3mm a year since the early 90s based on satellite imagery, he explained.

Another worrying prediction the researcher pointed out, is an expected 50 per cent decrease in frosty days in the years ahead.

Dr Varghese said: We have to bear in mind any change we make to emissions gases has an economic effect.

If the UK and Ireland decided no more greenhouse gases and stopped all fossil fuels, green tech could be a big industry.

We have to leave a good place for our children and grandchildren - we have to be responsible.

Brian Carroll, assistant secretary general leading the climate action and environment function at the Department of Communications, said the Programme for Government initiated last year, had committed to a low carbon future by 2050.

No one has a monopoly on how to get there, Mr Carroll said. Because of the economic downturn, we may come close to compliance (on gas emissions) but it was this (recession) that led us to have less investment on targets.

Mr Carroll added that the issue was more than about Government expenditure, but that there was room for a road for taxation and regulation.

A female member of the Assembly stated the Government should lead by example but that by setting out to fail to meet emission targets, it was not promoting the green message to citizens.

A male member added that he was flabbergasted no questions could be put by the citizens to Mr Carroll, the only Government representative at the event.

To be starting this (debate) in 2017 is shameful, he said. Why cant hospitals have solar panels. Wed be saving money. You ask why people switch off - if the Government isnt willing to lead, you switch off. If the Government is in a stronger position to do so, why should you lead?

Assembly Chair Mary Laffoy said there had been no sinister reasoning behind restricting questions to Mr Carroll and that it had merely been decided this section of the event would only be a brainstorming session.

Several other members of the Assembly also called into question the Governments lack of leadership on climate change.

Some members suggested environmental schemes be introduced including solar panels to be installed in all new builds, plastic free supermarkets and initiatives akin to the tidy town events but concentrating on the environment.

1,200 members of the public made submissions on climate change to the Assembly. The group will meet again tomorrow.

The Assemblys recommendations will then be submitted to the Oireachtas.
A beautiful Galway girl who loved all animals was buried by her heart-broken family in a moving funeral service in Connemara yesterday.

Sophie Coll, from Barna, died in what has been called a freak accident after sustaining critical injuries in a fall last Wednesday.

The 19-year-oldstudent had only recently transferred to University of Limerick from NUI Galway when she was critically injured after falling in a property off-campus in Limerick.

She had been rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick Intensive Care Unit, where she sadly lost her battle for life.

Gardai confirmed they are treating the tragedy as an accidental death.

Fr John Campion, UL Chaplain said he was supporting Ms Colls family in trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

We are supporting the family at this time, as well as Sophies classmates, and housemates, as part of our pastoral care protocol, Fr Campion said.

We will be holding a class service as well, in the next week or two, Fr Campion added.

He described Ms Colls death as a freak accident.

Sophies school friend, Leona Colohan, said she was devastated by her friends passing.

I spent six years with Sophie in secondary school and she is an absolute lady with a heart of gold, she would do anything for you. She was a great friend to have and it is just so sad that she is gone. She will never be forgotten. RIP princess.

There were heart-breaking scenes as Sophies family including parents Rory and Carol, her sisters Stephanie and Abbie, her friends, housemates, and fellow students laid her to rest in Furbo cemetery after mass yesterday.

The family asked that as Sophie loved all animals, donations to the charities she loved so much including Madra the I.S.P.C.A. and the Donkey Sanctuary would be appreciated.
A highly trained garda analysis team are investigating whether the same hitman was responsible for two feud murders in the space of a week.

Gardai have noticed "certain similarities" in the gun murders of John Gibson (28) and his close pal Darragh Nugent (36) who detectives believe were shot dead by the same west Dublin drugs gang.

"The analysis team are trying to determine in a very forensic way what are the similarities between these murders which each happened on a Monday night at almost the same time," a senior source explained.

FEAR

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While no arrests have been made in either case, gardai are examining if the pals were shot dead by the same gunman.

New details of the probe which is being conducted by a team of officers from Tallaght and Lucan stations comes as Independent.ie can reveal that Gibson feared for his life after the murder of his pal Nugent.

"Gibson knew he was under threat, he confided in people about this. He felt he was next to be killed and unfortunately he was right," a senior source said last night.

Gibson's murder as the fourth slaying in the bitter west Dublin drugs feud.

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"He had been staying in the Tallaght area with a friend because he did not feel safe in his home patch," the source said.

"In fact, it seems he was trying to make plans to get out of the country but he was not quick enough or did not have the means. This murder and the murder of Darragh Nugent are the focus of a multi-layered garda investigation," the source added.

The gang suspected of murdering Nugent and Gibson are linked to the deadly Kinahan cartel and are considered west Dublins biggest drug suppliers but they went into conflict with jailed hitman James Nellie Walsh around five years ago.

Both Gibson and Nugent had close links to Walsh who is currently serving a lengthy sentence for firearms offences in Mountjoy Prison.

A hitman has not yet been identified by gardai.

FUNERAL

Gibsons funeral took place on Thursday morning in the Church of the Divine Mercy in Lucan, Co Dublin.

His aunt, Ciara spoke to mourners about John Johns special relationship with his grandad and his mum.

She said: John Johns first father figure was his grandad who loved him dearly and he had lots of friends from where Tara (his mother) grew up.

They all knew him as the gentle giant.

It was always just Tara and John John. She adored him and he idolised his mum.

His aunt then pleaded for the barbaric murders to end and said that the night of Johns death will forever haunt their family.

She continued: My beautiful sister has lost the only child she ever had, her beautiful baby boy."

She can know in her heart that John Eamon Gibson never had anyones blood on his hands.

We condemn all violence in the strongest possible terms because until this week it has been alien to our family," she said.

The dignified scenes at Gibson's funeral were in stark contrast to events that unfolded at his friend Nugent's funeral six days earlier.

Some mourners at that funeral interrupted Fr David Halpin who said the murdered man had made "bad, bad decisions" that contributed to his death.

As he spoke about Nugent's death, one mourner shouted out: "That's enough," and "this is supposed to be a celebration of Darragh's life." Another shouted "stop", a word repeated by other mourners as the sermon continued.

Four of the congregation left the church in anger. However, Nugent's partner Cathy shouted for the priest to continue as "he has to do what he has to do".
Women farmers in work team 2 using the new mobile paddy thresher, Pungsan Co-farm, Tongchon County, Kangwon Province). Photograph by Project Officer

An Irish charity worker has spoken of her fears that the current international crisis surrounding North Korea could lead to further food and fuel shortages in the region.

Concern Worldwide is one of only six international aid agencies working in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), also known as North Korea, and it has been there for almost 20 years.

Their work in food production and water provision is helping over 60,000 people every year. However this is now being put in jeopardy as tensions continue to mount between US President Donald Trump and North Koreas leader Kim Jung Un.

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Brid Kennedy, regional director with responsibility for the DPRK, explained that she has visited the country eight times in the last decade.

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In recent times as more and more sanctions are applied the access to fuel is getting more difficult. Fuel is now very expensive in the region.

That is fuel for transport and cooking.

It is a country with extreme temperatures and as we approach winter that fuel is crucial for heating homes.

Ms Kennedy said she hoped that "calm rhetoric" would prevail and that the charity would be able to continue their good work in the region.

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Asked how Concern came to be one of only six international agencies in North Korea, Ms Kennedy explained that it stems back to 1998 when a cyclone struck the country.

North Korea was already going through a crippling famine and the then leader Kim Jong-il - father of the current leader - was forced to open the secretive state to international aid agencies.

Irish charity Concern was one of the first in and it has remained there ever since.

Ms Kennedy first visited the country 10 years ago and she explained that the differences between then and now are astonishing.

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In 2007 it would have been a 20 minute journey from the airport to the compound where Concern is based. At that point we met one point we met one car.

Last year, when we did the same journey, we met vehicles everywhere.

Asked to explain why she thought this was, Ms Kennedy responded: Some of it is that the markets have opened up and more vehicles allowed in. Some people are simply better off and able to afford vehicles.

Telecommunications networks have also vastly improved.

Mobile phones were only allowed into the country for the first time four to five years ago and now everywhere has access to them.

Despite these improvements Ms Kennedy said the problems of mass poverty and hunger in the region still exist.

The country has 22 million people and much of its land mass is taken up with a major mountain range that stretches along the spine of the country.

Only 20pc of land is arable and that makes it difficult for North Korea to be self sufficient from a food perspective.

This means that whatever farming land they do have needs to be cleverly managed but this isnt easy in a country where many suffer from hunger and where they have only limited access to farm machinery.

Ms Kennedy explained: You see groups of people out everywhere working physically.

People are stunted because they dont get enough nutrition as children. You see a lot of short short people.

The physical work that they do every day is enormous. Because of restrictions on importing goods there are no machines so a lot of the work is done manually or with rudimentary machines.

She said the physical differences between people living in the DPRK and those in South Korea are stark. People in South Korea are much taller and healthier.

There is a high infant mortality rate in North Korea and life expectancy is significantly less than the south.

Concern primarily works in the Hwanghae and Kangwon regions where their programmes focus on improving food production and supplying safe water.

Their three international and 10 national staff members train people in these regions in sustainable food production and improved farming techniques.

Our programmes also supply food processing equipment to the cooperative farms so that they can process their crops into nutritious and easily digestible foods like popped maize or soy noodles.

Concern works closely with the government in the region and is assigned a liaison officer by the regime.

Ms Kennedy said: Over the years there has been a lot of trust built up. We discuss plans with the government and they say where priorities are and where they need programmes.

As an NGO they do not get involved in politics or government affairs. Ms Kennedy is slow to criticise the government and insists they have seen no human rights offences in North Korea.

Concerns primary mandate is to help people in countries where there is massive poverty. It is a country with massive poverty. Many of these countries are poor because of poor governance. DPRK is not the only country with poor governance. Concern would not be following our mandate to address extreme poverty if we were to leave the region.

You can support Concern's work in North Korea by donating here
A man's body has washed up on one of the Aran Islands, gardai have confirmed.

A member of the public found the man's remains on Inishmaan at around 8.30pm on Friday.

A garda spokesman described the deceased man as "middled-aged".

He added that the man's remains were brought to the University College Hospital Galway, where a post-mortem is due to be carried out.
The long-lost family of an Irishman have come forward following a heartbreaking appeal for people to attend his funeral.

John Joseph O'Brien (73) died in Manchester on August 9 and when it was expected that nobody would go to his funeral The Council of Irish Associations Manchester issued a plea online for mourners to come to the service on Wednesday, which they say was viewed and shared over 40,000 times.

They have since said that his long-lost children have got in touch saying they "never forgot him" but sadly their efforts to build a relationship with him failed.

The Council of Irish Associations Manchester said: "Mr O'Brien was a native of Enniscorthy Co Wexford, he came to England and got married and had two sons and a daughter.

"Sadly, the marriage ended and he moved away, naturally the children loved their dad and never forgot him.

"When grown up they tried to find their dad but in their words they were stonewalled.

"With the help of an Irish group near their home they followed many leads - to Ireland, to the US, Canada and Australia to no avail."

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They continued to say that even after Mr O'Brien's eldest son died, his remaining son and daughter continued to search for him but never found him.

The group revealed that Mr O'Brien wanted to find his children shortly before he died.

A spokeswoman for the association said: "John was ill and visited often by a local project, they described him as a very private man.

"Ironically he recently inquired into finding his family but passed away before it was possible."

They said that his son and daughter arranged Mr O'Brien's funeral on Wednesday that was open to his family and friends.

The association added that his son and daughter were overwhelmed by the amount of people who responded to the initial appeal.

They said: "They want to thank everyone who have tried to honour their Dad's memory and for all the good wishes.

"To the few sceptics who made the comments about fortune hunting there is none.

"Now John is reunited with his son may they rest together in peace."
Crime rates in Stepaside dropped "significantly" in the period leading up to a Cabinet decision to reopen the local Garda station, the Irish Independent can reveal.

A review of 78 towns nationwide by Garda management singled out the station in Transport Minister Shane Ross's constituency on the grounds of population growth.

The controversial report, seen by Independent.ie and since published by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, recommends that stations in Leighlinbridge, Co Carlow, and Donard, Co Wicklow, also be reopened - but not until a further analysis of crime trends was completed.

At the same time, the review cautions against "placing too much reliance on crime statistics as an indicator of where best to locate a Garda station".

It can also now be revealed:

Two stations in Donegal and one in Cork that "should be considered for reopening" cannot be because they have been disposed of by the OPW;

The station in Leighlinbridge was selected for reopening because its proximity to the M9 makes the area "vulnerable to mobile criminals";

And gardai believe there is an argument to be made for locating new stations on college campuses.

Mr Ross has denied the prioritisation of Stepaside in south Dublin was a case of "stroke politics".

The interim report was delivered to the Department of Justice on June 8 and a decision was taken on Stepaside at Enda Kenny's last Cabinet meeting as Taoiseach days later.

The Garda Siochana Analysis Service used two key criteria for identifying stations to be considered for reopening: population change by electoral division, and property crimes within relevant station boundaries.

The terms of reference drawn up by Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald last year said six stations should be identified for reopening in a pilot project, with at least one to be in Dublin.

Only four stations were closed in the capital during the recession which, according to the report, "facilitated ease of decision-making".

Stepaside was up against Kill O'The Grange, Dalkey and Rush.

Population growth in Stepaside between 2011 and 2016 ran at between 12pc and 20pc, far ahead of the other areas.

Gardai found there was a rise in property crime in 2014 and 2015 before a reduction in 2016.

Vulnerable

"However, the number of such crimes reported in respect of the area once served by the Garda station at Stepaside has reduced significantly in the first quarter of 2017 when compared to the same period in 2016," the report says.

Nonetheless, a "firm recommendation" was made that Stepaside be included in the pilot scheme, adding that in the event a second Dublin station was reopened it should be Rush.

The review states reopening Stepaside "would give rise to enhanced public confidence in the area which it would serve".

In relation to Leighlinbridge, the report said the town "is accessible by way of the M9 motorway, rendering it vulnerable to mobile criminals".

However, in advance of a "likely" decision to reopen it, gardai wanted more time "to complete additional research regarding crime trends".

Garda management indicated they would include Donard, Co Wicklow, in their final report but need to review more statistics.

No specific reason was given for why Donard was chosen.

The report suggests the Garda stations in Glen Cholm Cille and Min an Labain, Co Donegal, and Meelin, Co Cork, which was closed in 2013, should be considered for reopening - but they are no longer in State ownership.

The review, signed by Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll, goes outside its remit to highlight a need for Garda stations at Dublin Airport and Dublin Port due to the "growth of movement of people and goods". And it adds: "Campuses where third-level institutions are located have been identified as locations [which], due to the significant numbers of people who gather there at particular times, should be considered, when [deciding] where An Garda Siochana should have access to a premises when they can locate personnel."

This morning Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan released the report.

In a statement the minister said: "While in the normal course it would be appropriate and usual to wait for the final report before publication, in the light of misleading public comment and baseless assertions, which continue to be made, I have concluded that it would now be in the public interest to make this interim report available.

"I am of the view that the public interest is best served by the immediate publication of the report."

The 2nd Interim Report on Proposal to reopen six Garda Stations can be viewed here.

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WHAT THE REPORT SAYS:

Stepaside, Dublin

A firm recommendation is made that Stepaside garda station should be reopened on the grounds of population growth.

Leighlinbridge, Carlow

The town is accessible by way of the M9 motorway, rendering it vulnerable to mobile criminals.

Donard, Wicklow

It is likely that a recommendation will be made that Donard be included in the stations that will be reopened but more research is needed.

Rush, Dublin

In the event a second Dublin station is to be reopened Rush should be considered.

Dublin Airport

A facility should be ready by the end of 2017 to ensure appropriate policing and cater for the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

Dublin Port

Requirements placed on Gardai to provide both policing and immigration services are growing considerably.

Fitzgibbon Street, Dublin

Will be reopened as soon as possible as part of the Governments response to crime in the north inner city.

Meelin, Cork

Appropriate for consideration for reopening, however that premises has been sold by the OPW.

Gleann Chom Cille and Min an Labain, Donegal

The only two stations that should be considered for reopening [in the Northern Region], unfortunately both premises have been subject of disposal by the OPW.
'These communities will feel all the more isolated by not getting any new gardai' - Independent TD for Roscommon-South Leitrim Michael Fitzmaurice

No new garda recruits were assigned to the counties of Galway, Roscommon and Longford this year.

The counties were the only three which did not benefit from the 488 probationary gardai who have hit the streets in the past few months.

In total, the Roscommon/Longford division has received just five new recruits in the past three years, while Galway has only welcomed 10 since 2015.

Dublin's south and south central divisions topped the list as receiving the most recruits this year, with 43 probationary gardai each.

The capital's north central division, home to the ongoing Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud, received 42 new gardai, while Dublin's north division received 39.

The figures, released by An Garda Siochana under the FOI act, show that the east of the country benefited from this year's new recruits in the force.

Dublin's west division, where gardai are currently battling a feud which has seen two murders in the last three weeks, added 38 new gardai to their books, while Kildare and Dublin's east division received 25 and 24, respectively.

Other divisions in the east that benefited this year include Laois/Offaly with 27 new recruits, Kilkenny/Carlow with 20 new recruits and Louth, Wexford and Westmeath with 17 each.

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A statement from gardai said the allocation of gardai is determined by a number of factors including the crime and non-crime workloads, the minimum establishment, the population, policing arrangements in the area, operational strategies and transfer applications.

However, Independent TD for Roscommon-South Leitrim Michael Fitzmaurice said the lack of garda recruits being assigned to rural counties is "worrying".

"There seems to be neglect again in rural counties and areas," the TD told Independent.ie.

"These communities will feel all the more isolated by not getting any new gardai.

"The reality is if you don't have feet on the street, you can't be bringing in all this new legislation. At the end of the day, you're not going to solve problems like rural crime and drink-driving if you don't have feet on the street.

"Roscommon, Longford and Galway are huge areas. And when robbers note the lack of gardai, they become more confident.

"It's called equality," he added.

A total of 488 probationary gardai were "allocated to front-line operational policing duties this year", compared to 391 last year, and just 286 in 2015.

Although they've hit the streets, the force's new recruits still need to undergo a further 16 months of "practical and classroom-based training" in order to achieve their BA in Applied Policing.

Probationary gardai technically have 'powers of arrest' after the first six months of training in Templemore, but it is common practice for new gardai to solely undertake a watching brief for the first 17 weeks of their career at a station. Following this, new recruits can make small arrests and can partake in investigations, although they are still observed by a tutor.

A statement released by An Garda Siochana said that new gardai are allocated to "specially designated training stations which have the required training and development structures and resources in place."

This includes "trained garda tutors" and "access to a permanently appointed supervisory sergeant who is thoroughly familiar with their responsibilities under the training programme."

A statement from gardai added; "The allocation of resources within the confines of a Garda Division are proportionate to the requirements necessary to meet the core functions of An Garda Siochana in any given area within that Division."

They also confirmed that no special requests or denials were made and all probationer gardai took up their allocations as directed.
One of the property's four bathrooms. Photo: RightMove

The luxury seaside property is a modernist's dream and comes with its own private beach.

Graham Norton has put his luxury English beach house on the market for 2.3 million (2.6 million).

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The Irish chat show host purchased the six-bedroom property in 2009.

It was previously owned by Spike Milligan and Eddie Izzard.

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The beach-front home is located in Bexhill-on-sea in East Sussex and offers views of the English Channel.

Estate agents, RightMove, describe the home as an "award-winning architect designed beach house... clad in African Iroko teak with wrap around balconies to enjoy a fully uninterrupted view over your own private beach".

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Norton also owns a Georgian mansion in his native west Cork, which he purchased in 2005.

The six-bedroom pile sits on several acres of landscaped grounds and comes with its own mooring.

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Norton has fronted The Graham Norton Show on BBC for over a decade where he attracts a starry line-up of A-listers to his couch.

US actor Will Smith recently said "he's like the king of TV".

The former comedian is Ireland's best-paid broadcaster and took home a reported 2.6 million (3 million) in fees last year.

He runs his own production company, So Television Ltd, which he established with business partner Graham Stuart in 2000.

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He also published his first novel, Holding, last year and it was the third best selling book of 2016.

The 54-year-old also blended his own Sauvingon Blanc in New Zealand in 2015, Cork's Musgrave Group - owner of SuperValu and Centra - signed a deal with New Zealand winemaker Invivo to stock Norton's wine.

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A follow-up blend, called Graham Nortons Own Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, was released in August 2015.
Families travelling to Disney California can now converse with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck, who appear to have been given the power of speech.

Video footage has emerged of the characters regaling guests with stories as part of a new meet-and-greet service that is being trialled at Disney California Adventure Park.

The characters had previously posed silently for cheesy photos and given the odd hug, but now they can properly chew the fat with visitors.

Its not the first time Mickey Mouse has been able to engage in banter  multilingual Mickey can shoot the breeze in several languages at Walt Disney World, Orlando  but its the first time we have heard from Minnie and Donald.

There are as-yet no details on how the characters have gained the power of speech, or if their vocal cords are just pre-recorded soundbites, but its certainly one of the more welcome technological innovations at Disney, which last year started developing a foot-tracking technology that would allow the company to follow customers around its attractions.

The Walt Disney Company, owner of the Disney theme parks, secured a patent for the system, which would scan and photograph customers shoes and allow park authorities to track punters through the Magic Kingdom.

According to patent documents, the data could then be matched up with information about guests  such as names, hometowns, favourite Disney characters, etc  and used to create a customized guest experience.

Disney claims it has no immediate plans to employ the technology.

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Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Challenges can make you stronger if lessons are learnt; and clearly they haven't been, as far as political interference with the running of An Garda Siochana is concerned.

When the Transport Minister takes it upon himself to parade outside a Garda station - to claim credit in his own backyard for its reopening - don't be too surprised if someone complains about smelling a rat.

Shane Ross insists that this was not 'stroke' politics, and he's right. It was far too blatant and embarrassingly self-serving to be deemed worthy of the black arts.

Last night, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was being utterly disingenuous in playing down this row. He attempted to shrug it off with: "Look, anyone who reads the Programme for Government will see that there were negotiations that were contained in that programme that we would reopen six Garda stations on a pilot basis." Decisions on the opening and closure of Garda stations must be left to the Department of Justice under advice from the Garda.

That is why a senior garda in the person of Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll was appointed to look into the station closures. If the Stepaside reprieve wasn't a stroke as Mr Ross insists, then he should do the Lotto this weekend, as his luck is definitely in.

The odds on his station being selected as the one to reopen out of a list of 139 due for the chop, just while the Government was desperately in need of his support, could not have been more fortuitous.

The decision was all the more brazen given - as we reveal today - that the reopening of Stepaside was recommended despite a "significant" fall in crime in the area.

Let us not forget that in recent years two Garda commissioners have retired prematurely in a blaze of controversy. The role of Government players in their departures has been heavily criticised.

The reputation of the Garda has already been undermined by a spate of scandals. Given that we have a Garda Authority and an Inspectorate, there can be no excuse for meddlesome partisan interference from external actors.

Time for O'Leary to eat humble pie in the sky

Ryanair has always worn its reputation as something of a pugnacious upstart as a badge of honour.

Michael OLeary bucked the trend and backed himself against what was famously a buttoned-down high-end industry in a budget air war.

Having stepped on so many toes and ruffled so many feathers, its hardly surprising that some view the fact that he has now backed himself into a corner in a stand-off with pilots as just desserts.

Mr OLeary, unapologetically brash and abrasive, was the key driver in one of Irelands biggest business success stories.

But his rigid focus on the bottom line and a failure to always recognise that people need people to get results has back-fired. Even so, the airline operates out of 200 airports and this year will fly 131 million customers.

So there is no reason to believe that the ability to come to a reasonable compromise with pilots and draw a line under the cancellations debacle can not be achieved.

Mr OLeary has accepted he messed up.

The airline has an unblemished 32-year safety record and manages 2,000 flights a day.

So surely a serving of humble pie in the sky  even at an altitude of 50,000ft  can be arranged, even if means jettisoning some excess baggage from the past.
Donald Trump has plans to reduce the tax rates of US corporations and wealthy individuals.

This policy was a major plank in his campaign for the presidency of the United States.

This would be fine, in fact wonderful news, except that Mr Trump has yet to explain how these cuts would be financed without leading the US into an even larger federal deficit, which he also pledged to reduce.

Without doubt, Mr Trump is certainly a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but his advisers should still try to explain to him that he cannot put his country into a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to escape its creditors in the same way that he used to do to countless of his companies, leaving his creditors high and dry.

Since Trump's UN speech, it has become even more evident that no one can control him; not his secretaries of state nor his chief(s) of staff.

He is a time bomb waiting to explode.

Nothing he says, or tweets, has any semblance of reason.

His raison d'etre is himself.

His closest advisers are - absurdly - his own daughter and her husband. No one outside can have any faith in him.

I am at a loss to understand how he has not yet been impeached, although, with Congressional elections upcoming, his exit might just happen sooner than he expects.

George Dalzell

Stillorgan, Co Dublin

A history lesson for the Taoiseach

In a recent exchange in the Dail, the Taoiseach accused Sinn Fein of never doing anything for the children of the State.

Mr Varadkar may be unaware of the contribution Arthur Griffith (founder of Sinn Fein) and his finance minister Michael Collins proposed for the children of the new State.

As members of the first Dail, which met in the Mansion House after the 1918 election, they drew up a constitution with the help of Seamus Hughes, the then assistant secretary of the ITGWU.

With the significant excision of two articles from the original, their document formed the constitution that existed until a new one was drawn up by De Valera's government in 1937.

The articles abandoned in 1923 relate specifically to child nutrition and health as follows: "To encourage the proper physical development of the children of the nation by the provision of meals, the introduction of dental and medical examinations in schools and an organisation of national pastimes."

The reason given for this withdrawal was that "the clause threatened to push the new party on to the treacherous and, by the standards of the day, radical ground of State-sponsored medicine and welfareism".

The second clause vowed "to promote the extension of educational facilities by easy access from primary to higher schools, so that all the children of the nation have opportunity for the fullest training of their mental faculties".

These clauses were dropped by the new Cumann na nGaedheal government following the deaths of Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins. Over a short period, the CnaG government made sure it was no longer 'infected' by old IRA members and it was soon called by Todd Andrews "a bunch of lawyers on the make".

It should be noted that at the end of the Irish Parliamentary Party's wipe-out in the 1918 election, Dublin had the worst slums in Europe. They remained so until the new government elected in 1932 started to build social houses.

Hugh Duffy

Cleggan, Co Galway

Double standards on migrants

I'm disappointed that our hypocritical Government will not proceed to regularise the position of undocumented migrants living in Ireland despite all its lobbying of US authorities to regularise undocumented Irish in America.

One wonders why the two are not treated equitably. Could it be racism?

The only difference I can see is that our citizens undocumented in the US are largely white, while the majority of undocumented people here have different skin colour.

Frank Smyth

Dalkey, Co Dublin

Extermination by another name

As the March for Choice is taking place this weekend, I fail to see how anybody would choose to end the life of an innocent unborn baby. I have no problem with anyone having a choice to control their own body as long as it doesn't involve another body, and we know only too well that abortion does involve another very vulnerable body - the baby inside the woman's womb.

Many people alive today are here only because of the Eighth Amendment. Do we seriously want to be like England and Wales, who in 1967 brought in "restricted abortion".

The result is now very much non-restrictive. The facts speak for themselves. No country has managed to bring in and maintain restricted abortion. Some 90pc of all babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted in Britain, and Iceland prides itself for having achieved 0pc Down syndrome babies as a result of having them all aborted. This is undoubtedly a form of extermination of very valuable members of society.

Do we want to live in a society where this is the result of "choice"?

Pauline Doggett

Dublin 12

Vital voices are being sidelined

There is a very disturbing narrative in the country at the moment. We are being led to believe by certain vocal politicians that a referendum on the Eighth Amendment is not just imminent, but certain to pass.

While comments like this make a farce of the Oireachtas Committee, there is a much deeper problem. More and more, we are encouraged to ignore all of the positive things the Eighth Amendment has done for Ireland. Families who say their children are alive thanks to the Eighth are being sidelined in the debate, if not derided as fantasists.

This is no way to carry on a debate on such a vital issue. There must be time to discuss all of the issues fairly and in a balanced and respectful way. Otherwise, we cannot consider ourselves the mature society so often vaunted by social commentators.

Kathryn Freney

Co Mayo

Harris disrespectful to medics

I was completely and utterly bemused by Minister Simon Harris's recent appeal to young doctors and nurses to "give the HSE another chance and work in Ireland".

This comes brazenly in spite of the HSE repeatedly ignoring healthcare professionals' basic appeals for better working conditions, adequate training and fair pay.

Frequent statements such as this "appeal" by Mr Harris illustrate a worrying indifference on the part of the Government to addressing the reasons behind why so many of our young healthcare professionals are emigrating. This cavalier attitude of expecting doctors and nurses to return to a HSE in a worse state than it was five years ago, just because the minister asked them to, is both naive and disrespectful to medical professionals on the front line.

Samuel Johnson summed it up well - patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

Dr David J Tansey

Newcastle, Co Dublin
Dundalk Lions Club were delighted to donate an iPad to St. Nicholas' Monastery N.S. in early September.

This iPad is the 40th that the Club have given to various schools in the greater Dundalk area and they have received great feedback from the teachers and SNA' on the benefit of the iPad on the pupils so fully intend to continue the project. Dundalk Lions Club purchased three iPads from their own resources to coincide with World Autism Awareness Days in April.

A local business woman bought two iPads for the the club and two others were donated to the club. The other 33 were received from Irish Autism Action in lieu of mobile phones. The Lions Club also recently gave 500 to one of the autistic units attached to a local school to enable them to upgrade their sensory room.

The iPads have given to autistic units attached to schools locally, to special needs units in mainstream schools and to special needs groups and to autistic children locally.

The Lions Club are continuing with the project and anyone one old mobiles can give them to any member of the club or drop them in to Dundalk FM in Partnership Court.
St. Vincent's are gearing up for their second annual 5k taking place next month.

The route will change this year; starting at the school gym, out onto Inner Relief Road, on to Racecourse Road, Newry Road, Fairgreen, riverbank, back out onto Inner Relief Road and back to the school. The event will be a chip and pin run.

Professor Niall Moyna from DCU of 'Operation Transformation' will act as a mentor for the girls along with students Patience Jumbo Gala and Kate O'Connor.

Much accredited past pupil, Gina Apke Moses will open the race.

There will be a draw for an iPhone 8 for any St Vincent's student who has a completed card back before 29th September. This card gets them entry into the run and a tee shirt. Prizes for the run are as follows: 1st adult male- Playertek system First adult female - Playertek system, second adult male. - Felda three month membership, second adult female. - Felda three month membership, third adult male - Voucher for Luxe Spa Four Seasons Hotel Carlingford, 3rd adult female. - Voucher for Luxe Spa Four Seasons Hotel Carlingford, 1st St Vincent's girl. - 200 1st under 18 Student - 200, second student - hair and make up voucher, third student. - Brendan Reid voucher.

Entrance fee is 15 and a limited amount of tee shirts will be available to purchase for 10. Pre-registration will take place in the school from 9-4 on Friday 20th October and also in the gym before the race.
Dundalk councillor John McGahon has confirmed that 250,000 in funding has been secured for Local Improvement Schemes in Louth, The funding will allow for the repair and improvement of small roads and laneways leading to people's homes and businesses that are not under the normal maintenance of the local authorities.

Cllr. McGahon said: 'I am delighted to announce that 250,000 funding has been secured for Local Improvement Schemes here in Louth. He said that the government hadn't been in a position to fund the LIS scheme for the last number of years but he was delighted that the scheme was being reinstated.

'For people who live in rural areas like North Louth road connectivity is hugely important.

'The ability of people to access their own premises, a farmyard or a neighbour's house is compromised when roads are in a bad state of repair. For emergency services, too, bad road surfaces can lead to delays in accessing sites and can damage their vehicles.'

'An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar along with Minister for Rural and Community Development Michael Ring have announced the Government is providing a total of 10 million to fund this scheme across the country.'

'This will be combined with a small contribution from householders (10-15% of total costs) and Local Authorities, and will allow for the maintenance and improvement of many local roads all over Ireland.

Independent Cllr Maeve Yore also welcomed the funding saying; 'I am delighted to see this scheme relaunched and hope Louth County Council implement and spend the money without delay to improve roads across our county.'

Fianna Fail's Deputy Declan Breathnach, he commented: 'While one never looks a gift horse in the mouth I have complained many times of the poor quality of other minor county roads that have received no pot-hole filling nor any form of repair over the last number of years and I have written to Minister Ring requesting that these roads receive their equitable share of funding for road surfacing. The approach of the management at Council level is to say that they only have sufficient fund to deal with busier roads. People on these tertiary roads are paying their motor taxes, tractor taxes, property taxes the same as everyone else and deserve some form of equity. They cannot avail of this scheme and are being left out again.

'If money cannot be allocated to the Council for these roads then a similar scheme to LIS should be introduced where residents could apply if they are willing to pay 10% of the overall costs similar to LIS.'
Local woman Catherine Corbett, who blogs as Cripplebaby, thought that living with pain was part of normal life.

Having experienced pain all though her childhood and teenage years, which was put down to her having hip dislocation as a baby, she didn't know any different.

'I always had health issues that were put down to my hip. I always had pain but I felt it was normal to be in pain constantly. I didn't know any differently,' says Catherine, who is originally from Ardee and now lives in Knockbridge.

It wasn't until the pain worsened in her 'twenties, that she realised from talking to doctors that she shouldn't have constant pain and eventually was diagnosed with EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) or HSD (Hypermobility spectrum disorder) two years ago, aged thirty.

'It's a rare genetic disorder which results in people having faulty collagen,' she explains. 'This means that people with EDS have joints which tend to be hyper mobile and dislocate easily.'

The delay in getting the correct diagnosis means that she missed out on getting treatment in her childhood and she is now planning to travel to London to see a consultant specialising in EDS and HSD.

'There's not much known about the condition in Ireland and although I have seen consultants rheumatologists here, I really need to attend the hypermobility clinic in London, as there isn't even on EDS specialist in Ireland and as there are a lot of comorbidity issues with EDS, I need access to a team of specialists. I also need to have a MRI in a type of scanner which isn't in Ireland'

The lack of specialist treatment for the condition in Ireland was highlighted for Catherine when she was diagnosed with cancer, in December 2013.

'I had Hodgkin's lymphoma which is curable and it was only then when I was under a team, with nurses telling me that I should inform them if I had side effects from treatment, that I released the difference in the care I was receiving. That sort of thing had never happened to me before.'

Catherine, who blogs about her health and other issues at Cripplebaby.com, says she finds writing 'very therapeutic'.

'There's a lot of emphasis put on people with chronic illnesses having a positive attitude and a lot of blame put on people who complain. While no one wants to be depressed all the time, it's ok to have a rant and say you're not in a good mood. It's okay to say you're not okay, not to be positive 24/7 when you are screaming or vomiting with pain.'

'It's also a good outlet for me as I've had to give up my work as a youth worker due to my illness.'

Catherine does a lot of volunteering with various charity organisations such as Dundalk Dog Rescue and SOSAD.

'I like to do what I can when I can and I help various organisations with pop-up shops.'

She has also set up an on-line petition calling for a specialist consultant to be appointed for people with EDS in Ireland.

Catherine's friend Sarah Hopkins is organising a fund-raising night in The Spirit Store on Thursday night with musicians TPM, games and lots of prizes.
The local 'Border Communities Against Brexit' group met with the European Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator during his fact finding mission to Ireland last week.

Guy Verhofstadt travelled to the border area, where he met a number of local representatives, including the award winning Border Communities Against Brexit group, who are campaigning on behalf of people and businesses in this area.

A spokesman for the group said: 'We are pleased with our talks with Guy Verholfstadt and his team. They certainly have done a lot of work and research into the effects of a hard border and realize that it would be impossible.'

'Mr Verholfstadt is very highly respected in the EU parliament as their coordinator on Brexit, his recommendations to the Parliament on Brexit will be pivotal as EU parliament has a veto on the final Brexit deal with the UK.'

The spokesman added: 'Our engagement with him on the risks to peace, the very damaging economic fallout out of Brexit, the rights of EU citizens living in the north, as well as the huge implications to sectors who export to the EU dependent on EU licenses such as the financial, the chemical and pharmaceutical sector.'

He added: 'The agriculture and agri food sector would suffer enormous damage if Brexit was to proceed as the British government has outlined in their paper and Mr Verholfstadt recognizes this and wants a unique deal for the North to remain within the customs union and the single market. This proposal though must come from the British government.'

The group are set to travel to Westminster in November to lobby British MP's, Peers and Ministers.

He said a hard border would be a 'disaster for the citizens, businesses, farmers, for everybody,' and added that the onus on finding a workable solution to the Irish border problem post-Brexit remains firmly with the UK government.

He also suggested Northern Ireland remaining in the customs union and single market post-Brexit could provide a resolution.

The EU co-ordinator said 'enabling the region to retain such status, even if the rest of the UK leaves the customs union and single market,' might be the way to avoid a hardening of the border.

But he warned that he hadn't seen a 'workable solution' to the border problem put forward by the UK side.

Meeanwhile, Louth TD Declan Breathnach spoke in the Dail to welcome Guy Verhofstadt.

'Let there be no mistake Brexit has the potential to derail so many of the gains of this island and we must not allow this to happen.' A tailored solution taking into account the very unique circumstances of this is required.

He added: 'The commitment to continue both the INTERREG and PEACE programmes (which provided 3.5 billion) to our economy over the last 20 years is worrying. While there is recognition that they will continue to 2020 the many communities, agencies and participants of these programmes need immediate certainty that these funds that embed peace will not be reduced or lessened.

He called for a detailed study of the potential implications of Brexit for reconciliation. 'Allied to this is the psychological impact identified that Brexit that will further affect many families in the North and along the border corridor.'

Mr. Verhofstadt tweeted after his visit: 'I'm happy to listen to the concerns raised by the Border Communities Against Brexit.'

He added: 'The Irish border and all things related to it, are a priority in the Brexit negotiations. 'Europe wouldn't be half of what it is today without dynamic countries like Ireland, who have dealt with complex border and identity issues.'
Tommy McGuinness and David Minto present An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with a CX+ Sport running top at the chamber lunch at Carrickdale Hotel

Colm Markey Chairman Louth County Council, Tommy CX Sport, An Taioiseach Leo Varadkar, David Minto CX Sport and Michael Gaynor, Dundalk Chamber President at An Taoiseach Lunch at Carrickdale Hotel

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's first official visit to north Louth last Friday was almost overshadowed by Brexit, with his keynote address at the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce lunch being delivered just 500 metres from the border.

Huge crowds gathered at the Carrickdale Hotel for the new Taoiseach's first appearance in Louth since he took office.

But invited guests from business and industry around the border area learned that the ongoing battle of Brexit would hold up proceedings.

Almost an hour after his expected arrival, Mr. Varadkar admitted that a very important phone call led to his delay.

'I know a lot of politicians are by nature unpunctual. I am not one of them,' he added, explaining that British Prime Minister Theresa May had made an urgent call to inform him in advance of what she intended to say in her major speech in Florence.

'I thought it was a phone call that I really needed to take, so my apologies for the delay in being here today!'

He said he 'really welcomed the opportunity to speak in Dundalk, as I believe we are at an inflection point in our country's history.'

He congratulated Dundalk Chamber of Commerce on celebrating their 125th year, saying that in that time they had achieved their key aim of really bringing the business community together.

He highlighted the benefits of working together, a local example of which was Mullaharlin Park, a business and science park, which he said was only brought about by the 'wonderful collaboration' of the IDA and Louth County council.

'Dundalk has had more FDI over the past 10 years than anywhere outside of Cork and Dublin, and built on this urban centre with a great tradition of industry.

I think this has always been town that is strong when it came to employment. That history of industry is one of the big reasons why so many international companies have wanted to invest here,' said Mr. Varadkar.

'You are a town who has big ambitions, and this government wants to be right behind you in realising those ambitions.'

He praised agencies like that Local Enterprise Office in Dundalk for their work in helping people to establish and grow businesses, saying that the government will continue to increase resources to the LEO agencies around the country.

He spoke of having been in Croke Park to see Dublin win three All Ireland's in a row last weekend, but added that he want to praise Dundalk for winning 'three in a row' long before Dublin achieved it.

'The country is very proud of you for that.'

The Taoiseach gave his assurances that the government were 'fully engaged with the business of Brexit, and in a very clear negotiating position which is shared by the European parliament, and by the other 26 member states.'

'We are co-ordinated across all government departments and agencies to prepare for all contingencies.

'We also recognise the very specific threats to the border counties, and we will work to ensure that there is no return to a trade border or a closed border on this island.'

Speaking about the future of Ireland's economy, he added that higher level education was a key factor in having a qualified and trained workforce.

'We all know the success of DkIT in recent years, and in many ways its the quality education that it provides that industries want, and will encourage industries and employers to come to this region.'

'As a town you have a reach of about three million people within a 90 minute drive from here, and we need to make sure that remains the case by continuing to upgrade our roads and railways.'
The last concert in this year's Music in Calary series takes place next week and will feature classical guitarist Redmond O'Toole.

He returns to Calary Church at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 6, where he will play Bach's Cello Suite No 1, arranged for guitar, together with works by Mertz, Albeniz, Tedesco, Ian Wilson and Domeniconi.

Redmond is recognised as one of the most distinctive and original guitarists of his generation. He was the first to adopt Paul Galbraith's 'Brahms guitar.' This groundbreaking instrument and technique uses an 8-string guitar in the position of a cello.

He has performed at major concert halls and events throughout Europe such as Passau International Guitar Festival, Germany, Irish National Concert Hall, Royal Dublin Society Concert Hall and Hallein Guitar Festival, Austria. He has performed as soloist with orchestras such as BBC Ulster and the Irish Baroque and has toured extensively as guitarist for legendary Irish group 'The Chieftains'. He teaches at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin.

Recent projects include collaborations with world renowned cellist, Raphael Wallfisch, the Vanbrugh String Quartet and Soprano Kim Sheehan. In 2012 he set up Music Generation Wicklow, part of a national music education programme funded by U2 and the Ireland Funds. O'Toole was coordinator for the initial 18 months of the programme,

Tickets to this wonderful concert, which are 18 and 15 for concessions, can be booked by ringing John at (01) 2818146 or emailing derekneilson@eircom.net.
Students travelling to Dublin for college will have a little extra help with commuting this year, as Dublin Bus announces an extra 84X.

Minister Simon Harris announced this week that he received confirmation from Dublin Bus that an additional 84X service will run during the academic term. The extra bus will depart from UCD at 4.45 p.m. during term time. 'This route is vital to people living along Southern Cross Road, Greystones, Charlesland and Kilcoole,' said Minister Harris.

Deputy Stephen Donnelly welcomed the news and said: 'Today's announcement is a positive development for Wicklow commuters, especially students. I am regularly contacted by people who use these services. Due to the high demand in the evenings, they are regularly passed by full 84x's adding hours to their weekly commute.' He also called for improvements to the Luas, N11 and 133.
Greystones' annual La Touche Legacy Festival of History is now just around the corner.

Those at the Greystones Archaeological & Historical Society and the La Touche Legacy Committee are looking forward to a weekend packed with fascinating facts and stimulating debate.

The conference begins on Friday afternoon, September 29, at 4 p.m. with a dramatic and musical presentation by the sixth class pupils of St Brigid's NS on women of the Irish Revolution with a very special connection with Greystones - and, in one case, with St Brigid's itself.

This promises to be an exhilarating and hugely popular start to the weekend, and organisers thrilled to discover such an awareness at primary level of both local and women's history.

Friday afternoon will then continue with talks from Dr Conor Mulvagh (UCD) on the Irish Convention of 1917, Professor Maurice Manning on the first Free State governments, and Dr Ida Milne (NUI Maynooth) on the engagement of Protestants with the GAA.

The opening speaker on Saturday morning, September 30, will be Dr Mel Farrell (NUI Maynooth) on Cumann na nGaedheal, followed by Dr Leeann Lane (DCU) on historian and political activist Dorothy Macardle.

The morning lectures will end with the annual Jim Brennan Memorial Lecture, given this year by Wicklow historian Joan Kavanagh, speaking on 'Glendalough: then and now'.

The conference will end on Saturday evening with dinner, and what will surely be both a provocative and entertaining speech from the celebrated historian and long-time political advisor, Dr Martin Mansergh.

'We're delighted to be able to host such an exciting line-up of speakers and presentations,' said spokesman George Jones.

'This is Greystones' annual opportunity to hear the best of current historical debate on its doorstep, and we're confident the 2017 event will be as popular as its predecessors.'

Tickets are 30 for all lectures, or 50 to include all lectures and dinner on Saturday night.

Visit greystonesahs.org or latouchelegacy.com for tickets or more information.
Brian Murray, Abbie Murray, Brenda OReilly and Alex and Barry Murray at the family ceremony at the firefighters monument

The weather yesterday morning was almost identical to that of September 26, 2007, when firemen Brian Murray and Mark O'Shaughnessy lost their lives fighting a fire at Adelaide Villas.

A decade later, the families of the two men, members of the emergency services and their fellow fire fighters gathered at the fire station to remember Sub Station Officer Brian Murray (46) and Fire Fighter Mark O'Shaughnessy (26).

The Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band played beautifully at what was a sombre and respectful commemoration of two heroic Bray men. 'It's hard to believe it's been 10 years,' said Deputy John Brady, who laid a wreath at the station along with Martin Lyons on behalf of the fire service.

'It's been a very difficult 10 years,' said Deputy Brady. 'In some ways a very fast 10 years but obviously very painful for the families.

'The ceremony was very poignant and dignified,' he said.

Fire services were represented from all over the country as were the Civil Defence, Coast Guard, the Ambulance Service and all of the emergency services, as well as people from as far as the United States.

The respectful ceremony in the autumn sunlight was followed by Mass at St Fergal's in memory of Brian and Mark. Family members then made their way to a monument at Fr Colohan Terrace, where Brian's grandson laid a single red rose.

Deputy Brady said a few words thanking everyone for their presence yesterday. He also thanked the community who have been a huge support to both families.

'It was important to mark the occasion,' said Deputy Brady. 'Not just to remember and pay tribute to Mark and Brian and the huge sacrifice they made while serving and protecting the community, but also to remember all members of the emergency services who put themselves on the front line every day. It's been very hard over the last 10 years with court cases and inquests. It's been a very long road that hasn't been fully travelled and closure is still needed. Hopefully that will come sooner rather than later.'
County Councillors have voted to retain the Local Property Tax (LPT) at the same level as the past year, with 21 voting in favour and eleven against.

At a council meeting on Monday, the elected members had the choice of retaining the property tax at its current level, or reducing or raising it by up to 15 per cent.

Speaking before Councillors debated the matter, Wicklow County Council Chief Executive, Frank Curran, warned: 'If the property tax is cut then there will be cuts to basic services.'

Retaining the basic rate would allow for the continuation of funding for a number of different projects, including homelessness, disabled persons grants, libraries, playgrounds, community grants, economic development and discretionary funding for the five municipal districts, councillors heard. By retaining the LPT base, it was estimated it would be worth 17.2 million to Wicklow County Council.

Twenty per cent of the money collected will have to go to an equalisation fund, whereby funds are redistributed to Local Authorities which do not have a sufficient property tax base to generate sufficient funding for its services.

That would leave Wicklow with a property tax baseline of 13.7 million, compared to only 8.5 million in 2014.

With the property tax remaining the same, the total council income estimated for 2018 would be 92.8 million, with an expenditure of 100.6 million, leaving a shortfall of 7.75 million.

Cllr Joe Behan proposed cutting the LPT by 15 per cent.

'This whole LPT process was designed to put pressure on councillors to put in place the maximum rate the Council Executive are looking for,' said Cllr Behan.

He was also critical of the legal bills racked up by the council in court proceedings against former and sitting councillors, while lamenting the fact that the amount of money the Whitestown court case could cost the local authority could reach upwards of 100 million.

Nine councillors voted in favour of reducing the LPT, with two abstaining and 21 against.

Cllr Steven Matthews had attempted to get a breakdown, under Freedom of Information, from the Revenue over where LPT receipts from Wicklow originated from. He was informed that the information would only be made available if requested from the Minister or Wicklow County Council.

'I think it is important to know where the money is coming from so I would propose that we ask the Minister to request the Revenue to supply the information,' said Cllr Matthews.

His proposal received the full support of the council and wasn't required to go to a vote.

Cllr Tommy Cullen proposed that a request should be made for the Minister to form a special Local Government Fund collected from residential stamp duty of 20 per cent to be administered from the local authority where the stamp duty originated from.

This proposal was passed after 14 members voted in favour of the proposal, eleven against and seven abstained.

Cllr Derek Mitchell proposed retaining the LPT at its current rate, the proposal that eventually passed after a vote.

'We need to have enough money to provide all types of services. Those calling for a reduction need to state what services will be cut,' said Cllr Mitchell.

A number of councillors were critical of the equalisation fund, whereby 20 per cent of the LPT collected in Wicklow being distributed to other counties.

Cllr Jennifer Whitmore said: 'Some counties voted to reduce their LPT even though they were recipients of the equalisation fund. They were basically subsidised by other local authorities and it is absolutely unacceptable that this was allowed happen for two years running.'
Women played an extraordinary role in Ireland's turbulent history between 1916-1923 and this will be discussed at a fascinating seminar which will be held next week in Blarney.

The Blarney and District Historical Society will present a lecture, 'Ordinary Women in Extraordinary times of 1916-1923' on Thursday, October 5 at 8pm at Schol Mhuire Gan Smal where the spearker will be Anne Twomey.

The story of Cork Women in the Revolutionary Times of 1916 to 1923 concerns the extraordinary women of Cork City and suburbs who took an active part during this very troubled period of the nations history.

Some of those who will be mentioned by Anne Twomey of the Shandon Area History Group, include the Wallace sisters of St. Augustine Stree, who were members of the Irish Citizen Army, Birdie Conway who was a founder of Cumann na mBan and a President of Shandon Branch. Geraldine Sullivan carried explosives around the city.

Kitty Daly took part in raids and ambushes. Emma Hourigan was a major campaigner and organiser who carried messages. The Duggan sisters spirited away men who were on the run while Nora O'Sullivan transported and hid weapons.

Some prominent names include The MacSwiney sisters, Mary Bowles, Geraldine Neeson and Mairead Ni Luasa among the many others who undertook important and dangerous assignments.

Enquiries to Brian Gabriel 087 215321 Web-site: www.blarneyhistory.ie
Cork East Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Justice, David Stanton is encouraging Community Text Alert groups to apply for funding which is available from the Department of Justice through the Rebate Scheme.

"My colleague, Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan will be making approximately 100,000 available under this year's Rebate Scheme which also ran in 2016," Minister Stanton said.

He said this scheme allows any Community Text Alert Group registered with An Garda Siochana to apply for funding to contribute towards their yearly running costs.

As with last year's scheme, Muintir na Tire will be running the rebate scheme and details of how to apply for the rebate are available at www.muintir.ie," said Minister Stanton.
Cork North West TD, Aindrias Moynihan is calling on the people of the Muscrai Gaeltacht to come out and give their views on the future of the Irish language and Gaeltacht communities.

Deputy Moynihan has secured a visit of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gaeilge, an Ghaeltacht and the Islands to the Muscrai Gaeltacht on Monday, October 2, providing what he described as "a brilliant opportunity for the people of Muscrai to have their views heard on the future of their community and of their native language. The Committee is actively seeking to hear the views of people directly affected by Government decisions on the language and the Gaeltacht."

He said: "Some of the topics to be discussed include the Plean Teanga and the Gaeltacht Schools Plan. These two issues will directly affect life in the Muscrai Gaeltacht for the next 20 years.

He said: "Too many Government decisions are made by people who don't understand the particular needs of Gaeltacht communities. This is an opportunity to change people's views and opinions, and I am urging the community to have their voices heard."

Anyone interested in having their opinion heard can leave or make a submission at Deputy Moynihan's office in Macroom or by emailing Aindrias.Moynihan@oir.ie.
The popular Barry Group-sponsored Mallow Business Awards are to make a welcome return after for the first time since in three years.

Business leaders from the greater Mallow area gathered at the Barry Group HQ on Tuesday for the launch of the 2017 awards, which are once again being held in conjunction with Mallow Chamber.

They were joined for the launch by Barry Group MD Jim Barry, Chamber president Sean Lynch and Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe. The awards will be handed out at a gala bash in Springfort Hall Hotel on Saturday, November 25. The ceremony will coincide with the Mallow Chamber Ball, traditionally one of the highlights of the local social calendar.

Addressing the launch, Mr Barry he hoped there would be a lot of interest in this year's awards. "You know Mallow is a great place for business and we want to highlight the importance of small and big businesses. There is a purpose behind these awards - to highlight the importance of commerce to the local economy and to focus on the great businesses that we have here in the Mallow area," said Mr Barry.

"We also want to let people know that we are open for business," he added. Customers and locals have been encouraged to place their nominations through a dedicated awards Facebook page, where a link will be posted to the nomination forms.

A booklet detailing the application process for the awards will also be distributed to businesses across the region over the coming weeks. The closing date for entries will be Friday, October 20. The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges. The awards, which will be handed out in eight different categories, are open to businesses situated Mallow Town, with businesses from other areas including Banteer, Buttevant, Castletownroche, Liscarroll, Rathduff and Buttevant also eligible to participant.

"Supporting local businesses is something I'm very passionate about. These awards are about recognising the enormous impact they have on our communities and their importance to our local economies," said Mr Barry. "There are some fantastic businesses across Mallow and the surrounding areas and I think we will capture the diversity and innovation on offer across the eight categories," he added.

Chamber president Sean Lynch thanked the Barry Group for supporting the awards saying it was great to hear people talking so positively about the initiative. "For this year's awards we have also secured the services of mentors from local financial institutions and accountants to help people fill in their applications forms. The idea being to give applicants an opportunity to review their businesses and see how they can move them forward," said Mr Lynch.

To find out about how to contact one of the mentors call Mr Lynch on 087 939 7000 or contact the Chambers on 022 55660. "I would urge everyone here this evening to spread the word and encourage people to enter," said Mr Lynch.
A packed schedule of events with fun for children from 6 months to 12 years is promised during the Leanbh Festival which takes place over the month of October.

'The Shape Of Things' is a story of two shapes, Cubert and Triantan, and the adventures they have finding their way back to each other.

This is an interactive story told through puppetry, object, theatre, music and sound.

This will take place on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th of October at 10.30am and 12pm. Adult & Child ticket 10 | Adults 7/child 5.

The performance will last 45 minutes and is suitable for those age 6 months - 2 years.

Storytelling With Grainne Rafferty will take place on Saturday, October 7th and 14th at 11am and 1pm.

The event is open to children four and over in the local library and admission is free.

These Storytelling Sessions are brought to you in association with Louth County Libraries and The Children's Book Festival which promotes reader development and literacy and highlights the importance of reading in children's lives.

On Saturday, October 21st there will be a production of Red Riding Hood in the Library produced by Moon and Sixpence Puppet Theatre, Ireland's only travelling marionette theatre.

Shows at 11am and 1pm lasting 50 minutes. Admission is free.

A team of six visual artists will be visiting schools throughout October, working with children in a variety of mediums.

The Punch Lion Comedy Workshop is an introduction to stand-up comedy, comedy improvisation, sketches, comedy acting and silly

story-telling. The workshop for eight to 12 year olds takes place on Wednesday, November 1st at 12pm. Admission 12.

Four Go Wild In Wellies is a whimsical adventure featuring bobble hats, scarves, tents that have a life of their own and, of course, lots of fun in wellies!

The workshop takes place on Wednesday, October 11th at 10am and 12pm and is suitable for children aged 3-4. The cost per adult/child is 5.

From Scratch Orchestra! Join Music Generation Louth for an unforgettable hands-on orchestra workshop. There will be instruments for everyone to play, violins, violas, cellos and double basses.

The event, which is suitable for 2nd and 3rd classes, takes place on Thursday, October 19th from 9.45am - 11.00am, 11.15am - 12.30pm and 1.00pm - 2.15pm.
The O'Carolan Harp Festival honours the poet, composer and harper Turlough O'Carolan, with a series of events from Sept 29-Oct 1, in Nobber, Co Meath. He was born there in 1670 and this year the festival celebrates 30 years.

Over the course of the weekend in O'Carolan College, Nobber there will be workshops given by some of Ireland's top harpers and harp competitions for all ages.

Kicking of the festival on Friday Sept 29th in the George Eogan Center, Nobber is guest artist Gabriella Dall'Olio on concert harp, followed by the ever popular Meath Harp Ensemble, then witness the very best of Irish duets Cormac & Eamonn de Barra followed by Laoise Kelly and Tiarnan O Duinnchin.

The Saturday night concert is another night not to be missed with music from amazing duets to fantastic trios, including the Casey Sisters,

followed by Mairtin O'Connor, Zoe Conway & Donal Lunny in what promises to be an incredible evening's music. Session then in Keogans Bar & Lounge.

The raffle has a chance to win a Salvi Mia 34 string lever harp, there are only 120 tickets being sold and tickets are 25.00 each. The winner will be drawn during the course of the Saturday night concert.

Sunday October 1st will begin with Mass in St John the Baptist church then following mass harpers from the Meath Harp Academy will perform 3 Carolan tunes at Carolan's monument to celebrate and conclude 30 years of the O'Carolan Harp Festival.

Full details available on website www.nobberharpfestival.com / or contact Dearbhail on 0876186305.
A sleepout for the homeless takes place on Friday night, October 13th, at the front of the Dominican Church and an appeal has gone out for as many volunteers as possible to take part.

The event is for Focus Ireland and Fr Jim Donleavy feels the charity needs as much support as possible given the rising number of homeless people in the country.

'We would ask people to come along and sleep out, be it for the night, or an hour or two.

'We have sponsorship cards available and we also need people to shake a bucket both on the Friday night or the Saturday morning up to 1pm,' he stated.

The launch took place at the church where the fund was given the perfect boost when Cllr Frank Godfrey made a donation of 500 towards the cause.

The likes of We Print, McKenna Man and Dominics take-away have also declared their support with the take-away offering to supply food to the 'sleepers' until 4am.

'We'd love companies and homes to leave a light on that night in support of the event,' Rita Hanratty stated. Those wishing to take part, become a sponsor or to help out can contact Fr Jim Donleavy at the church office at the Dominican Church.
The death has taken place of Sister Mary Jones of the Medical Missionaries of Mary.

Born in Galway in 1929, she grew up in Tulsk, Co. Roscommon. She joined the MMM in 1948.

After profession, she went to the USA and completed training as a nurse in Boston. She returned to Ireland and worked in the IMTH as a theatre and OPD nurse for seven years.

After completing midwifery training, Sister Mary was assigned to Nigeria and served for four years in Anua. In 1968 she was appointed novice mistress in Winchester, MA, USA.

She was assigned to Tanzania in 1972 and worked for three years in nursing and pharmacy duties.

In 1978 Sister Mary was assigned to Kenya, where she spent the next 20 years in a number of missions in the Turkana Desert.

In 1998 she returned to Ireland and was assigned to Kilmacow, Co. Kilkenny where she did pastoral care for the elderly for eight years.

In 2006 she moved to the Motherhouse and helped with general duties. Her health deteriorated in recent months and she was admitted to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital on 10 September. She died there peacefully on September 16.
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with some of the pupils at ABACAS on Friday

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visited Drogheda ABACAS School for Children with Autism last Friday to officially open the school, three years to the day after it moved into its permanent premises on Congress Avenue.

The day was an extremely proud and auspicious one for all those involved in the school, which caters for 30 students ranging from preschool age to 18, with autism and complex needs.

Started 15 years ago in a rented three bedroom house in Stameen by a group of parents of children with Autism, the beginnings of the school was 'born out of necessity' according to founding member Jacinta Walsh.

'It was about this time 15 years ago that myself and four other parents got into a car and drove down to Athlone to ask the Department of Education could we start a school and they agreed.'

'There was nothing suitable or appropiate in Drogheda at the time. We were very keen on ABA teaching and it was relatively new at the time.

There were 13 pilot schools like ours around the country and because of the influene those little schools had, that has affected the whole Department of Education policy on educating children with autism.

Principal Michelle McHugh said since moving to Congress Avenue the school has gone from strength to strength and the space has allowed it to offer new programmes such as Aisteoir and the Junior Cycle Programme. 'The space here allows our students to grow and develop their potential,' she said.

Having visited some of the classrooms in the school and meeting some of the students, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it was impressive to see how far the school has developed since it achieved recognition back in 2011.

He said in the past, many people in the community had been unable to receive and education and had therefore been unable to be part of the community and had been effectively cast off into a world of lonelinees.

He said that while there is still much to do, days like this remind us that so much progress has been made.

'The American writer Joan Ryan said that parenthood is about understanding that your child is exactly the person they are supposed to be and that if you're lucky your child will be a teacher who turns you into the person that you're supposed to be,' he said.

There are a number of upcoming events at ABACAS including a meeting of the Parent Support Group with the topic 'newly diagnosed' on Thursday, September at 8pm. All welcome to attend. The Teenage Social Drama Group for teenagers and young adults with autism will also meet on Thursday the 28th. Details from Jacinta on 087 240 7431.

SibShop, a workshop for brothers and sisters of people with disabilities will take place in ABACAS on September 30th at 3.30pm. This is a fun interactive workshop with a trained dramatherapist. Details of all of the above can be found on www.autismsupportlouth.com
Louth County Council need to help residents in a local estate to combat anti-social behaviour in their area.

Local councillor Paul Bell has called on the council to support Beechwood residents in their fight to stop antisocial behaviour in the Council estate which is causing great anxiety for the community.

'In response to several calls from distraught residents, I visited the area and witnessed the remains of fires set on the main the greenspace in the estate. The material was household and domestic waste which is deeply concerning. Residents also complain of youths riding scrambler cycles across the green area and around the estate. There has also been serious fire involving an abandoned vehicle in the estate,' said Bell.

'Having consulted with residents it is imperative that every effort is made by council and the gardai to get this ongoing situation under control. It's about confidence and some of those involved in criminal and antisocial behaviour have already been identified. I appeal to those involved to stop and think of the stress and damage you are causing in your own community,' he added.
The iconic image of the Boyne Viaduct is now an award winning one after a formal plaque unveiling at MacBride railway station.

Chief Executive of Iarnrod Eireann David Franks and John Ellis, chairman of the National Railway Heritage Awards were on hand to reveal the coveted award.

It came as a result of the restoration of the Boyne Viaduct and the ceremony was attended by the judging panel of the Railway Heritage Awards, and Iarnrod staff, including station master, Conor Keane.

The EU-funded refurbishment of the Boyne Viaduct, won the Historic Structures Restoration Award at the Railway Heritage Awards, presented at a ceremony in London.

Speaking at the Drogheda event last week, Mr Franks said that the European funding had been secured after the Narrow Water project didn't go ahead, but it allowed them to refurbish the bridge and also the Enterprise fleet.

'It is an icon of this area,' he stated.

Oliver Tully, who was the only councillor at the event, said he was glad to see the bridge work recognised as it was also shortlisted for a county council award last year.

'It's part of our history and I was glad that Louth CC played its part by funding the lighting on the bridge,' he stated.

The lighting colours can be programmed to change at various times and the bridge goes 'green' for St Patrick's Day.

He now wants to see a similiar lighting project taking place at St Laurence's Gate over the coming months.
Superintendent Andrew Watters was on hand for the launch of the Neighbourhood Watch for Stameen which took place recently in The Black Bull.

A large crowd of local residents were in attendance for the launch, alongside Garda Sinead Malone, the Community Garda for the Dublin Road, Crime Prevention Officer Vincent Jackson, Superintendent Watters, Mayor Pio Smith and local representatives Oliver Tully and Tommy Byrne and Peter O'Leary from the Bryanstown Village Neighbourhood Watch.

The idea for the Neighbourhood Watch came from the local residents association who wanted to improve safety in the long established estate.

Agneta Murphy, Secretary of the Stameen Residents Association said: 'We've never had a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in Stameen before. We tried to set one up a few years ago but it didn't get off the ground.'

However, she said the plan gained momentum again after the area experienced a number of burglaries in recent months.

'We'd had a few burglaries and we had some elderly residents who were afraid to answer the door, even to members of the Residents Association. 'So we looked into setting up the Neighbourhood Watch about six months ago. We got in touch with the community garda and then Pio Smith, the mayor helped us out a lot, as did Cllr Richie Culhane.'

The group surveyed all 220 houses in the estate and received a very positive response to the idea of setting up a Neighbourhood Watch.

The scheme works with a team of street co-ordinators with the estate divided into six or seven zones and a co-ordinator in place for each zone.

She said the launch itself was a fantastic success with a large number of residents in attendance and it is hoped the new Neighbourhood Watch scheme will help to make the estate a safer place. We have all our signage up and we're looking into the possibility of putting up CCTV cameras in the near future.'
Drogheda's historic links to John Boyle O'Reilly were relived in person last week when his great-granddaughter came to visit her descendant's homeland.

Penelope Agnes Boyle O'Reilly Hocking said she was overwhelmed by the reaction to her visit and appreciated her direct link to the great local man even more.

'My father was his grandson as John Boyle O'Reilly had four daughters but only one married,' Penelope (Penny) stated.

Resident in British Colombia, she admits that it was only as she grew older that her interest in the Dowth born Fenian grew.

He was a poet, journalist, author and activist, found guilty of being a Feninan, transported to Western Australia 150 years ago and after escaping, went to America where he became a spokesperson for the Irish community through his editorship of the Boston newspaper The Pilot.

'It took a while for me to realise he had a reputation beyond the family.

'My grandfather built a library in the 1920s on his farm in New Hampshire and I used to look around it and found letters, including his wife's will.'

She visited his house in Boston and was inspired by Sean Tyrell's story of O'Reilly's work to come to Drogheda.

'I was here as a 15 year old with my father, but didn't take much in.

'It has been great meeting everybody and Brendan Matthews gave me so much information.'

Jenny met members of the Old Drogheda Society and the Slane Historical group as well as visiting the sites such as the former Argus office and the estate on the northside named in his honour.

She also went to Netterville House at Dowth and got to see the room where Boyle O'Reilly was born.

She also visited the nearby graveyard and monument.

She was also going to Glasnevin to visit the graves of O'Reilly's parents.

'I wanted to learn more about him and I have on this trip. He was amazing and did so much.'
Three American tourists found themselves at the centre - and ultimately, the end - of a garda chase through the streets of Drogheda last week.

Carl Page, Brienna Rogers and their friend, AJ, who are from Minnesota and Missouri, arrived into Ireland last Tuesday morning, around 4.30am.

They hired a car at Dublin Airport and headed to Drogheda to meet up with friends.

But by mid afternoon, they were counting the damage done to their rental car after it was struck by another vehicle.

It had been observed by gardai on the Termonfeckin Road and a pursuit followed across Scarlet Street and down King Street and Palace Street, exiting the wrong way down Laurence's Street.

The chase ended when it crashed into the tourists' car which was parked close to Relish. A number of men then fled the scene as garda reinforcements rushed to the location.

But for the tourists, they were left to pick up the pieces.

'That Hertz!,' a very optimistic Brienna Rogers stated as she checked out the damage. 'We only rented the car this morning and we are here for two weeks,' she explained.

'We were in a coffee shop down the street when we heard the sirens and I looked out and thought that they were very close to where we parked. Then we walked up and saw this,' she stated.

Bienna explained that she was in Drogheda two years ago on her honeymoon but they could only spend a day in town. They decided to come back and see more of it.

'We didn't think we'd get this attention!,' she mused.

Carl Page said he thought Drogheda was 'a beautiful place' and it would not be turning him off the place.

'The whole Boyne Valley is wonderful and we still intend to enjoy our visit.'

They were spending three days in town and then heading to Galway and Cork.

As for AJ, he could see the more amusing side to it. 'There might be no snow, but it seems it's still hard to drive in Drogheda!.

Bienna said that at least their vehicle had taken the impact because it was heading straight for another car parked behind them.

'Thankfully there was no-one on the street and nobody knocked down,' she stated.

'It's been some first day for us.'
FCJ Secondary School received the Cycle Against Suicide Ambassador School Award at a ceremony in Dublin last week.

These awards recognised the immense efforts of 89 schools around Ireland who have completed the Ambassador School Programme, and became actively involved in mental health promotion.

The Ambassador School Programme which is one aspect of a wide range of Cycle Against Suicide initiatives and programmes, is school-led and involves the completion of 'Five Gears' over the course of a year, all of which are aimed at raising awareness of the message that 'It's OK not to feel OK; and it's absolutely OK to ask for help'.

The programme provides a framework for schools to integrate mental health activities into the school plan and rewards schools who go the extra mile. The programme also aims to recognise innovative and effective initiatives, and facilitates schools to share and showcase good practice.

At the special reception, FCJ Secondary School was awarded the prestigious status of Ambassador School by Cycle Against Suicide in recognition of their fulfilment of the Five Gears, and their exceptional commitment to the promotion of positive mental health.

FCJ Secondary School was represented at the event by Link Teacher Anne Carroll and teacher Sandra Power along with students Fiachra Busher and Angelika Batko.

Ms Carroll said: 'The Ambassador School Awards ceremony was a great day. It's wonderful to attend such a positive event and have the efforts of the students recognised. Our participation in the Ambassador School Programme has had an enormously positive impact on our school community, fostered a school-wide approach to the promotion of positive mental health, and provided incredible opportunities for student leadership.

Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee And Kayleigh Cullinane, Operation Transformation participant presented the awards to students.

For more information log onto www.cycleagainstsuicide.com.
The board of management at St Patrick's Special School have been left fuming after being informed that the construction of their desperately needed new school at Drumgoold has been delayed for a third time. The project has been in the pipeline since the site for the new school was purchased back in 2007 and a start date of February 2016 had been set after planning permission was granted in 2014.

A total of 595 days have passed since this proposed start date and work is still no closer to getting underway with the school last week being informed that all work had now been postponed until Spring 2018. While a flurry of new schools and extensions have been built and opened all over the county, students at St Patrick's Special School are facing into another winter in draughty prefabs on two different sites, neither of which has a playground.

School Principal Lee Rodgers is at his wits end and, over the weekend, took to social media to encourage the public to raise the matter with their local TDs and representatives.

'There's always some excuse with this,' said Mr Rodgers. 'According to the original documents, we should have been on site in February 2016 and work should have finished in May off this year. We should've been having our official opening this September.

'Now the situation is that the project hasn't even gone to tender and no builder means no start date. I've been in touch with the architects on several occasions and the latest I've been told is that "hopefully pre-tender documents should be ready by Christmas". The staff and the families here do amazing work, but we need a building that's suitable for the kids' needs. It's the kids I feel sorry for. While all of this is held up with tender documents and new guidelines, the years drift by. These kids have it hard enough in life. The least we can do is provide them with an appropriate school building.'

One of the many issues with the current site is the complete lack of any sort of playground. Currently, the pupils use a car park to play and, shockingly, one of the Senior Autism Classes has had to resort to using the graveyard down the road to go for a walk or play in any kind of greenery.

'The site at Bohreen Hill was originally built to house four classes,' said Mr Rodgers. 'Now it's home to 11 classrooms, eight of which are prefabs, which carry their own costs in terms of heating and patching them up. It's throwing good money after bad.'

At this point, everyone associated with the school has grown weary of excuses and just want to see some tangible progress being mad at long last.

'We've gotten to the point now where even if we had a solid start date it would be something,' said Mr Rodgers. 'Even if someone said: "work will start on this day in two years time" - at least its a solid date and it would be some light at the end of the tunnel. At the moment, we just keep getting pushed further and further down the line. You see new schools going up all over the county, and it's great to see, but I just don't know why we're constantly being pushed to the back of the queue.'

Fianna Fail TD James Browne has branded the situation as 'outrageous' and says that the Minister for Education Richard Bruton is 'letting these children down'.

'This is the most important school in Wexford to get really,' said Deputy Browne. 'It's been needed for a long time. They're operating in such cramped conditions up there at the moment, and nobody can think of any reason for these delays. It seems the Minister is dragging his heels and isn't treating this as a priority, when it clearly needs to be one. I've submitted numerous parliamentary questions on the matter and have just been told that it's at a certain stage and is expected to advance. I will do everything in my power to raise this matter in the Dail this week though and to tackle the Minister on it.'

Meanwhile, Minister of State Paul Kehoe says that the project is moving forward, albeit at a tedious pace. The Fine Gael TD said that the project was held up considerably in the design phase and that it was now in pre-tender phase, gathering documents ahead of putting the project out to tender, which should happen around Christmas time. Minister Kehoe said that he was due to meet with the Minister of Education today (Tuesday) and would be raising the issue with him as a matter of urgency and trying to get to the bottom of these constant delays.
Lusk Community Council is playing a major part in commemorating the life and times of the local hero that was Thomas Ashe.

The community council has already opened up a fascinating exhibition of the rebel leader's life and times in the Cottage Community Centre at the weekend and has undertaken to organise a number of events and initiatives around the centenary of the Fingal Brigade commander's centenary, this week.

The opening of the exhibition was accompanied by a talk given by Principal Anna McKeown of Corduff National School, the school that Ashe himself was once principal of. Her talk focused on Ashe's days as a teacher and was entitled: 'Thomas Ashe: A Revolutionary Teacher'.

On Monday, September 25, the community council in conjunction with the Irish Defence Forces will host the Mayor of Fingal for a wreath laying ceremony at the 1916 memorial in Lusk which will see the participation of a number of schoolchildren from local primary schools who will be learning about Ashe in the classroom and keeping his memory alive for the next generation.

The community council is set to reinforce that learning experience for the young people of Lusk by hosting an art competition across the various local schools themed around the centenary of Ashe's death.

Lusk Community Council has also developed two special centenary bookmarks which have been circulated to 5,000 students of the parish and neighbouring secondary schools to mark Ashe's 100 year anniversary.

The bookmarks are of a similar design to the centenary banners that have been installed around Lusk in recent months in the build-up to the centenary commemorations.

Brian Arnold of Lusk Community Council has studied Ashe's life extensively and he will be part of the Fingal Festival of History event hosted by the county council at Newbridge House in Donabate. On the Friday (September 29) of this three-day event Brian will deliver a talk on Ashe.
A chronic heroin addict who was caught driving for the 12th time without insurance has been sentenced to five months in prison and banned from driving for five years.

Brendan Rogers (53), who has 82 previous convictions, was also fined 1,000 for the offence which happened on January 22 at Walshestown in Balbriggan, Co Dublin.

Judge Cormac Dunne told the defendant he is 'utterly illiterate with the entire road traffic code,' as he sentenced him to prison.

The judge refused to exceed to defence solicitor Fiona D'Arcy's request to give the defendant a suspended sentence, to enable him to attend an appointment for a detox programme with a view to residential treatment.

However, Judge Dunne refused to give him a suspended sentence saying: 'The suspended sentences he received in the past didn't assist him.'

The defendant, of McAuley Avenue in Artane, Dublin 5, pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and driving without a driving licence before Swords District Court.

Ms D'Arcy said the 53-year-old has been a chronic heroin addict since the age of 14 but he has stabilised on methadone now. 'He is anxious to go to rehabilitation and he is afraid if he goes into custody this will set him back,' said Ms D'Arcy.

She said the defendant is a mechanic by trade but has not worked in the recent past and is on disability benefit.

'He has linked in with a drugs clinic in Donnycarney and he is supported in court by his sister,' said Ms D'Arcy.

After Judge Dunne handed down the sentence, the defendant immediately lodged an appeal.
Carnew is set to host one of the biggest national drama events of the year in 2018 and preparations are already under way.

These plans were unveiled to the members of Baltinglass Municipal District at their September meeting last week as representatives from the South Wicklow Drama Festival sought support.

Carnew falls into the electoral area of Baltinglass although it is on the border of North Wexford and South Wicklow

Eamonn Doran and Kevin McEvoy confirmed that the All-Ireland Drama Festival which takes place every April will be hosted by the Carnew group and will welcome thousands of visitors to the area over an eight-day period.

It is the first time that Wicklow has hosted this prestigious event and it is somewhat of a coup for Carnew to be selected as host town, as the local festival is relatively new on the drama scene.

Since the establishment of the South Wicklow Drama Festival, 155 plays have been staged in St Brigid's Hall and, over the years, a number of productions have qualified for the All-Ireland.

'The top nine groups qualify for the All-Ireland's so this will be an opportunity for the public to enjoy plays from the best amateur groups in the country. It will be an exciting opportunity to showcase the beautiful county we live in as well as the local amenities,' Mr Doran said.

A number of fringe events will take place and a large number of supporters and crew members will travel with each group - meaning plenty of trade for local guest houses, hotels and restaurants.

In fact, the committee estimates a positive economic contribution for the area to the tune of 250,000.

The festival will cost approximately 65,000 to run and will make an estimated 50,000, with the shortfall to be made up through sponsorship, fundraising and local authority support.

Mr Doran told the members that the aim of the festival committee is to keep as much as possible happening in Carnew, including the opening gala dinner, which will be hosted in Colaiste Bhride and catered by a professional company.

A shuttle bus service will also be required to ensure that festival-goers can remain in Carnew to socialise after each show and are easily able to return to their accommodation, be it in Gorey, Aughrim, Arklow or other areas close-by.

Cathaoirelach of Baltinglass Municipal District, Vincent Blake commended the men on their presentation and said that the festival is a very important event for south Wicklow.

Cllr Pat Doran proposed that the sum of 15,000 is made available to the group, but members opted to discuss the matter before making anything official.

Director of Services Sean Quirke suggested that the council could split such a grant over two budgets. Members agreed to grant 7,500 for this year and to look at making further funds available in the 2018 budget.
Forty people attended a headstone symposium in Gorey recently.

Organised by the Graveyard Committee of the North Wexford Historical Society the symposium included trips to two graveyards in the area to examine the local headstones.

John Nangle, genealogist, who is a member of the society said they had been delighted with how well the symposium went.

'Over the past number of years the graveyard committee have recorded over 3,000 headstones in 14 graveyards/churchyards in North Wexford. We photograph, record in hard copy the transcriptions, type of stone, the maker and measurements, etc.

'There are many passion scene headstones in North Wexford, many of which are signed and these are fascinating. All the headstones are sandstone in North Wexford which ages better than limestone.

'People came to the symposium from Dublin, Cork, Wicklow and Wexford which we were delighted by.'

There were four speakers at the symposium, Gerry Mullins, John Nangle, Christiaan Corrlett and Philip Jones.

Gerry who is an archaeologist spoke about the evolution of burial practices from neolithic headstones up to the early 1700s while John spoke about the stone sculptors of North Wexford and their source of inspiration.

Christiaan who works with the OPW spoke about Wicklow stone sculptors from the 1700s and Philip who is secretary of the NOrth Wexford Historical Society spoke about the methods used by the graveyard committee in recording the headstones.

The event finished with visits to graveyards in Market Square and Killinhue. Thy symposium was opened by Cllr Joe O'Sullivan and chaired by Peter O'Connor, chairman of the North Wexford Historical Society.
There was a good turnout at a community meeting in Courtown last Tuesday night to discuss installing a CCTV system in the area.

Gorey District Manager Amanda Byrne said the public meeting in the Taravie had been well attended by members of the community and the gardai.

She said the meeting was held to ascertain community support for CCTV application which Gorey Municipal District intends to make to the Department of Justice.

She said the community had some really good suggestions and are very supportive of the scheme.

There were a number of community representatives at the meeting which was organised by Courtown Community Council.

Secretary of the Courtown Community Council Joy Rice said it had been a very productive meeting with a good turnout from both businesses in the area and local community groups.

She said the meeting which was chaired by Declan Dunbar had been attended by Inspector Pat Cody and Garda Margaret Kennedy.

Ms Rice said that the next step is to put forward the application to the Department of Justice who will fund 60 per cent of the scheme.
An aspiring Gorey novelist will travel to Indonesia in January having won the 2017 Maeve Binchy Travel Award.

Ryan Murphy (23) from Millbrook in Gorey has just completed a Masters in Creative Writing in UCD and while there was encouraged by his lecturers to apply for the prestigious bursary.

The Maeve Binchy Travel award which is sponsored by the Binchy/Snell family, commemorates Maeve Binchy, her love of travel and her world-celebrated creative writing.

The Award, worth 4,000, is open to either undergraduate or postgraduate students, enrolled in UCD's College of Arts & Celtic Studies.

Recipients must use the award to fund a travel opportunity that will enhance their creative writing.

In his application Ryan outlined how he planned to travel to Indonesia to write a poetry collection based on the wildlife there if he were chosen as this year's winner.

His application was looked on favourably by the judges and he was chosen as the lucky recipient.

The son of Christine and Ger Ryan is the oldest of three children and is a former student of Gorey Community College.

Last Wednesday he enjoyed lunch with members of the judging panel and with Maeve's husband Gordon Snell to mark his achievement.

Ryan said Mr Snell had seemed very impressed with his plans to write poetry based on the Indonesian wildlife.

'He very much liked the project because he had done a play about an endangered species in the past.'

Ryan said he has always had a keen interest in wildlife and is very passionate about the environment.

He plans to spend two months in Indonesia and following on from his travels he hopes to become a fiction novelist and poet.

Ryan said he is currently working on an environmental novel based on Donald Trump, Brexit and climate change and also undertaking a TEFAL course.
Childcare Level 6 award, front: Patrice Murphy, Hannah Burke, Cathaoirleach Cllr. Joe Sullivan, Jennifer Mullen and Caroline May. Back: Lorraine Bodell, Karolina Musial, tutor; Niamh McEvoy, Juanita McGonigle, Noel Murphy, assisstant director adult education; Lydia O'Toole, Alyssa Hanbridge, Bryan Barnes, special needs assisstant and Rita Mc Inerney

Principal Michael Finn presents the 'QQI student of the year award' to, Lisa Marie Hempenstall and Fintan Kemple, adult education director presents the 'lifelong learning award' to William Stedmond

Over 150 people attended Gorey Community School's Adult Education Awards Ceremony in the Amber Springs Hotel recently.

Night class participants were presented with Full and Intermediate awards in QQI Level 5 Childcare, Healthcare Support, Business Studies, Community Care, Animal Care as well as QQI Level 6 Childcare and QQI Level 6 Training and Development.

Successful Accounting Technician students also received parchments on the night and those who completed their second year will now become members of Accounting Technicians Ireland.

The awards were presented by Cllr Joe O'Sullivan, Chairman of Gorey Municipal District.

'Adult education is based on lifelong learning and I'd encourage people to take on courses and to continue their lifelong learning journey,' he said, adding that night classes were a way for people to keep in touch with the education system.

Gorey Community School principal Michael Finn said that the skills and qualifications secured by people attending night classes had the potential to change their lives.

He said that the awards ceremony and the number of people receiving awards showcased how the school served the entire community early morning until late into the evening.

MC for the night was Fintan Kemple, Director of Adult Education in Gorey Community School, who congratulated the night class participants and paid tribute to their families and tutors for their role in this step along the recipients' lifelong education journey.

Special Awards were presented on the night in Childcare (Amy Nolan, Loraine Bodell, Sarah O'Donohoe), Healthcare Support (Andrew Cullen, Martina Murphy), Business Studies (John Carter), Animal Care (Verna Bolger), and in the Accounting Technician course (Fiadhnait Ni Lionain, Barbara Wojtasinska).

Lisa Marie Hempenstall was named QQI Student of the Year and newly retired wood turning tutor Willie Stedmond received a Lifelong Learning award to mark his 30 year commitment to adult education.

Also in attendance were Assistant Directors of Adult Education Noel Murphy and Aideen Connaughton, administrator Pauline Connolly and Sean Cassidy from the School's Board of Management.

Up to 280 people attend certified courses and 500 people attend hobby and lifestyle classes in Gorey Community School each year. This year's programme of night classes start this week.

A full schedule of night classes is available on www.goreyadulted.ie or you can text 087 904 9178 with your name and address and a brochure will be posted to you. In addition, you can keep up to date with the night classes on Facebook under Night Classes in Gorey Community School.
The members of Joanne O'Connor's Tenacity School of Dance get ready for their Culture Night performance in the Town Square.

An international cast of dancers take part in Catherine Young's new dance work 'It Takes A Village" at Siamsa Tire on Culture Night. Photo Domnick Walsh

It was all smiles at the Lartigue Monorail in Listowel for Culture Night on Friday

Crowds were busy enjoying the Culture Night festivities in the Seanchai Writers' Museum in Listowel on Friday night

Poetry, famine suppers, paintings, and African drums is just a sample of the cultural feast enjoyed by 'culture vultures' across the county on Friday night as Kerry's museums, galleries, historic houses, artists' studios, and cultural centres became a hive of activity.

Kerry is a county unrivalled in terms of its rich heritage, and Culture Night is that one event in the year when the past is brought creatively to life in a multitude of remarkable and engaging ways. The weather also played its part as the dry evening meant navigating from venue to venue was made that bit more pleasant.

Funded by the Department of Heritage and Gaeltacht and Creative Ireland, Culture Night is run in partnership with Kerry County Council and crowds of people came out in great numbers in places like Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Dingle, Castleisland, Ballinskelligs, Kenmare, Waterville, and Killorglin - to name but a few locations.

Killorglin was the first town to switch on the Culture Night buzz with poetry reading and music, while a well-informed audience enjoyed artist Pauline Bewick who talked about her life and work.

Tralee also got the show underway early as students from Mercy Mounthawk Secondary School provided some Alice In Wonderland themed fun. The Square attracted a huge turnout for dance, circus, music and lots of family fun events. There was a standing ovation at Siamsa Tire for the dance show 'It Takes A Village' by choreographer Catherine Young.

The County Museum hosted tours, workshops, music and medieval family fun, while Rebecca Babington's art installation in Roundy's Bar wowed everyone.

It was all things literary at The Abbey Inn where a reading session by John Sexton and local poet Noel King entertained crowds. At Tralee International Resource Centre the beat of African drums was the showpiece.

Over in Killarney, the Cultural Centre and Killarney House hosted music, a youth choir, choral, song, dance and theatre. Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny were in concert at Muckross Traditional Farms. The visual arts was well represented on the night with selected Kerry artists showcasing their work at Government Buildings (a show that runs until October 17). Meanwhile in Fossa, Tureencahill, Castleisland, and Listowel there was plenty of song, dance and ceili long into the evening at community centres and public houses.

A large crowd gathered at The Listowel Arms Hotel to hear Fergal Keane read from his new book 'Wounds: A Memoir of War and Love'. This was preceded by poetry readings at the Lartigue Monorail, while at the Olive Stack Gallery attendees were treated to spectacular mosaic demonstrations.

In Dingle, artist Aine Ni Chiobhain led the crowd in art, music and demo making at Nellie Fred's and she had audiences sketching Culture Night events across the town.

Creative Ireland 'Kerry Youth Choral' events also featured in Cahersiveen, Tralee, Listowel and Killarney, while in Ballinskelligs there was a great attendance for a tour of the artist's retreat and famine village at Bolus head. This was followed by a famine supper in the house - a house once lived in by Seanchai Sean O Connaill.

All in all, it was another enjoyable occasion and the hope is that people will now continue to experience the vast array of cultural events Kerry has to offer on a weekly basis.
Dingle bar and nightclub An Droichead Beag has had a complaint against it upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland.

Details of the complaint - which centred on a poster advertisement for Loft Nightclub - were published in the ASAI's latest list of rulings.

According to the ASAI, the complainant considered the poster to be misleading as it stated that there was 'free entry' to the nightclub.

When she went along to the venue, however, there was an entry fee charged at the door.

The ASAI report states that the poster for "Loft Nightclub @ An Droichead Beag" billed the venue as "Dingle's Only Free Nightclub. Open Every Sat from 11pm".

In its report the advertising oversight body noted that the "advertisers failed to provide a response to the complaint" an issue the ASAI Complaints Committee were critical of in their published ruling on the matter.

"The Complaints Committee considered the detail of the complaint. They expressed their concern at the advertisers' failure to respond to the complaint and reminded them that there is an onus on advertisers to ensure that their advertising is in conformity with the Code," said the ASAI in its ruling.

"The committee considered that promoting the nightclub as free whilst imposing an entry fee was likely to mislead consumers. In the absence of a response from the advertisers, the committee concluded that the advertising was in breach of Sections 3.10, 4.1, 4.4 and 5.22 of the Code," said the ASAI.

The ASAI have ruled that "the advertisement should not reappear in its current form".

When contacted by The Kerryman, management at the venue stated that there was a change in management at the time in question and the matter had been a mere oversight.
It's interesting that this book should derive from ghost stories. I suspect I will always live with the ghosts of the people whose bodies I've seen in different parts of the world and who I've seen suffering in terrible pain and wasn't able to save or do anything for.

This is probably the hardest thing that lives with you. It informs my work hugely and I hope I would be incapable of ever writing a partisan account of what happened in north Kerry during the Civil War, simply because of what I've experienced. War dehumanises us and leaves terrible pain in its wake on all sides.

It's hard to think that a quiet market town in north Kerry should be the focal point for Fergal Keane's obsession with war and suffering. The award-winning BBC foreign correspondent has witnessed the aftermath of man's inhumanity to man on a scale unimaginable to most of us. But the abject cruelty and suffering - even today in places like Myanmar - are considered universal traits for Keane when humans turn on each other.

'Wounds: A Memoir of War and Love' is Fergal Keane's latest book that tells the story of his grandmother Hannah Purtill, her brother Mick, and their friend Con Brosnan who took up arms to fight the British. It also tells the story of Tobias O'Sullivan, an RIC man shot dead in January 1921 by an IRA unit in Listowel as he strolled home for his dinner - a killing that involved a friend of the Purtill family, someone Hannah and Mick previously soldiered with. Like so many events of that period, this is the moment when brutal deeds yield to silence and are lost to history.

In Dublin, a short time after his death, 38-year old Tobius is laid to rest in an era Keane describes as 'crowded with killing'. But Tobias O'Sullivan's ghost never left Listowel and it was here that Keane, as a young boy, first heard of the hazy happenings surrounding his death. In this book Fergal shines light on that dark period in north Kerry; a darkness familiar to all who grew up with the half-truths and silence of Kerry's bloody past.

"Whenever I went back to Listowel this lack of questioning about that period was always part of the atmosphere," said Fergal.

"It was seldom if ever discussed and I was aware of having questions about that. I was also aware that I grew up in a family that was obsessed with history. But the history I was taught was very much an older history and details of the Tan war or Civil War wasn't discussed at all. This left me with many lingering questions."

'Wounds' captures the fatigued journey of the Irish people as they emerge from the tumultuous period 1916 to 1922; a time, Keane says, when people were mentally, physically and morally exhausted from all that had happened. "That really struck me during the research for the book; just how exhausted the people were by the end of the Civil War. I can see the reasons why there was a great silence drawn over what had happened. It wasn't healthy, but I can see why it happened. People were just trying to survive and repair lives," Fergal said.

A sample of the atrocities in the book present a savage disregard for human life: a man dragged from his bed, shot and stuck with a bayonet in front of his elderly mother; a 17 year old trainee priest beaten to a pulp by a rifle butt; a man slitting his throat following the trauma of his own interrogation - it's a brutal account. But it's also chilling to think such events happened in what is today a peaceful, untroubled landscape, except for the odd Atlantic storm that sweeps in from the coast. But how does a seemingly civilised society suddenly resort to barbarism?

"Once killing starts it is very difficult to control what human beings are capable of.

"People who would never normally find themselves in violence suddenly find they're drawn into doing things they couldn't possibly think of doing in peacetime. This is influenced by factors in the present, but also by old passions and animosities that become exhumed and they become part of a current struggle."

Keane is anxious to point out that 'Wounds' is a book that covers the enormous losses on both sides of the divide, as well as the non-combatants stung by the rasping tail flick of conflict. Keane adds that due to his family's staunchly Fine Gael background he found himself face-to-face with having to write about de Valera in a different light. A hint that, even today, the Civil War can still subconsciously draw us towards choosing sides. A sort of atavistic response to the actions of our ancestors.

"I tried to be as nonpartisan as I could in this book and I found that an interesting challenge given my background," Fergal said.

"There is a burden to carry after war, but you have to get on with it. This book, I hope, bridges the gap in Civil War animosity. In my previous book about WWII, I interviewed dozens of veterans and they are very similar to what I came across in relation to north Kerry. The men who fought in wars were silent; the quiet fathers I call them who just got on with life after witnessing terrible suffering."

Trying to make sense of the past and its ghostly figures is the objective of all who grow to love history. Fergal's first encounter with strange worlds and inhumane acts came late at night in his bedroom when his father Eamon told stories of Elizabethan armies galloping through Listowel. "My father was a great storyteller and the tradition of storytelling in north Kerry is one of the greatest in the world. I emerged from that tradition. But the older I got, I discovered the ghost stories he told me were rooted in truth."

However, given what Fergal has witnessed as a foreign correspondent in the fractured, war-torn regions around the globe, the ghosts of his present must feel as if they've sprung from the very depths of hell. The turmoil of north Kerry's War of Independence and Civil War might be where Fergal's fascination with war commenced, but this, in essence, is imagined from the safety of the present, far removed from the brutality he witnessed first-hand. So what, if anything, haunts the adult Fergal Keane. After a brief pause, I can sense the pain of memory in his sigh prior to answering.

"Rwanda was difficult. Thousands of people were massacred. We came on the aftermath of that and it was an absolutely horrendous sight. The worst that human beings are capable of doing: men, women and children butchered with machetes and clubbed to death, most of which had been done by their neighbours. That's a memory that still haunts me."

But the gap of understanding between north Kerry's conflict of a century ago and the devastation he witnessed around the world has narrowed with time according to Fergal. Questions about conflict in the country where he grew up and the history of Listowel are clearer now and have helped inform him of his preoccupation with war. "I've spent 25 years of my life looking at conflict and one of the things about getting older is you start to wonder about what influences you and what makes you do the things you do. This book explores the origins of that obsession which stretch back to my family's history. But it's also a book, I hope, that will resonate with other family histories."

Lastly, Fergal's research for the book has helped him forge deeper bonds with his ancestral county. The search for history has brought him home to a place, people and tradition he is immensely proud of - a love he equates with Brendan Kennelly's description of those enchanted Atlantic and 'Munster fields' that stretch for miles between Ballybunion and Listowel.

"I've got to know north Kerry a lot more since I've got older. I'm very proud of my roots there. My uncle John B was a huge influence in my career. He was the most independent minded man I ever knew. He often said that if he didn't write he would go mad. I think I now know what he meant."

Fergal concludes: "There's a great line from the poet Robert Lowell that reads: 'why not say what happened'. I've tried to achieve that with this book rather than take any partisan view of the past. We need to say what happened and look at the reasons why it happened."
Four people - two men and two women who are understood to be couples - have been released from custody following a stabbing incident in Tralee town centre on Saturday night.

The incident, in which two men in their early twenties were attacked with knives, unfolded at Strand Street - close to Tralee Garda Station - between 11.30 pm on Saturday night and 12.15 am on Sunday morning.

After the attack the victims were taken to University Hospital Kerry. One of the men was treated for serious but non life threatening wounds and he remained in hospital as The Kerryman went to press on Tuesday .

The second victim - whose wounds were not as serious - was treated and released from hospital later on Sunday morning.

Four people - all foreign nationals - were arrested and they were detained and questioned at Listowel, Killarney and Castleisland Garda Stations.

All four were released without charge on Sunday evening and a file on the case is now being prepared for the DPP.

Gardai have appealed for anyone with information, no matter how trivial, or who was in the area and may have witnessed the incident, or the build up to it, to contact them.
Over 700,000 is being made available to begin upgrading the county's private road network as the Government moved to finally restore a scheme effectively made defunct six years ago.

Private roads the length and breadth of rural Kerry have been deteriorating rapidly since 2011 when the Local Improvement Scheme was cut completely as the havoc generally wreaked by rain and traffic on Kerry road worsened without remedy.

Politicians moved fast to welcome news of the reinstatement of the fund this week. Fianna Fail TD John Brassil said the renewal of the fund was coming 'late in the day' and that additional funding in the coming months is vital.

Independent Deputy Michael Healy Rae - who said it was he who had included the renewal of the fund in the Programme for Government - described it as a 'welcome start' in addressing a road list he estimates requires over 2 million to be tackled completely.

"This 727,000 is going to allow for us to begin upgrading the network of local, private roads, these are small country roads where at least two households exist. I estimate we will need over 2million, but it's a good start and while I was disappointed it wasn't included last year as I had been calling for it's welcome news that the fund is now back at least."

Deputy John Brassil, who said Fianna Fail had first established the fund and had been calling for the scheme's reintroduction, said the money was vitally-needed: "We have seen major issues arising on roads right across County Kerry following the abolition of the scheme by the Fine Gael led Government. Since then the County Council has found it increasingly difficult to incorporate roar repair work into its budget, and as a result many of these roads have fallen into disrepair."

Deputy Danny Healy Rae said he had helped ensure its reinstatement: "I told Ministers several times that the people of Kerry are entitled to a good road to their door every bit as much as the people of Dublin 4."
A marine safety investigation has made several recommendations following a potentially life-threatening incident on the world famous Lakes of Killarney last year.

The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) said the Irish Coast Guard should consider extending its VHF radio coverage to include large inland lakes like Lough Leane, following the September 1, 2016 incident.

During the incident, a clinker-built timber vessel - which had been carrying 12 passengers, a boat-master and four bicycles on a voyage from Ross Castle to the Gap of Dunloe - became swamped and tipped passengers into the water.

The incident occurred on Lough Leane as the PV Mary Ann of Dunloe encountered high winds and steep waves. Three other vessels aided in a rescue operation and the passengers and the crew were rescued. No serious injuries were sustained.

The report arrived at a number of conclusions, one of which was that weather conditions had not been suitable for the voyage. It also added that there was insufficient free-board to prevent down-flooding; that no attempt was made to send a Mayday alert or call emergency services, and that the vessel's master did not have the required commercial endorsement to act as master of the passenger vessel at the time, and did not carry out a passage plan before departing on the voyage.

"This was a serious marine casualty, which posed the threat of death or serious injury to persons", the report added.

"Met Eireann should consider extending the current Met Eireann inland lakes forecast to include other large inland inland lakes, for example Lough Leane."

The report also advised that the NPWS should consider making all licenced vessels carry VHF radios, and called on the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to review licencing requirements concerning bicycles and passengers on vessels on Lough Leane.
The current vessel can carry 15 cars or 90 people, but must be replaced in 2018

The Valentia Island ferry service is a vital asset to all of south-west Kerry and should be given the financial support it needs to continue into the future.

That was the view of Councillor Norma Moriarty at last week's meeting of the South and West Kerry Municipal District following a deputation by Valentia Island Ferries Limited.

The deputation spokesperson Muiris O'Donoghue explained that, through its own money and borrowings, the group currently has 1million of the 2.8million it needs for a new boat it has designed. While its current boat - a 1963-built craft that has operated every March to October in south Kerry since 1996 - is in good shape according to Mr O'Donoghue, the Marine Survey Office has said that the boat will have to be replaced in 2018.

The group has not secured funding from the Failte Ireland Capital Programme for larger projects, and says it has done all it can to raise funds through its own initiative. An emergency meeting will take place in the coming weeks between Ministers Heather Humphreys, Michael Ring and Shane Ross to discuss approaches to securing the ferry's future. Deputy Michael Healy Rae said no date is in place but that Minister Ross "wants it arranged as soon as possible".

Speaking during the deputation, Mr O'Donoghue said: "Any second-hand boats we looked at were not suitable for various reasons, so new is the way to go.

"Losing the ferry has been identified as a threat to tourism throughout South Kerry, not just Valentia. We saw ourselves as a perfect fit for the Failte Ireland Capital Programme, but we have not received funding. We have done all we can and we need the support of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.

"The ferry is vital to local businesses like accommodation providers, water-sport camps, and shops," he added.

A spokesperson for The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport told The Kerryman that the Valentia group's application to Failte Ireland's Grants Scheme for Large Tourism Projects "was unsuccessful as costs associated with boats are not eligible under this scheme".

Richard Foran said: "Whether we like it or not, tourism is the only show in town in Iveragh, and this isn't just a boat, it's a piece of infrastructure.

"This was considered an ambitious plan first day, but it has proven hugely successful. In conjunction with the bridge, the ferry has made Valentia a part of loop routes around Iveragh, but if we lose the ferry people will go back to seeing us as off the beaten track."

The deputation was called by Cllr Moriarty, who described the situation as an acid test of the Government's commitment to rural Ireland.

"There is no argument against funding this project," she said.

"This is crucial to the South-West Kerry region. Iconic is a word that's overused, but it can be used to describe the ferry experience. There's a 65million Capital Programme in place, and it's tailor-made for this project."

Cllr Michael O'Shea called on Kerry County Council to seek a deputation with Minister Brendan Griffin on the matter. All other members that attended on the day expressed their support for the ferry group.

Kerry County Council's Martin O'Donoghue said he couldn't overstate how critical a piece of infrastructure the ferry is and added that the Council Executive will support any application for funding.
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy can forget about resettling Dublin families in Kerry as the rate at which the county's housing list is being tackled in terms of new buildings is 'as slow as the snail to Jerusalem', Danny Healy Rae said last week.

The Independent TD's remarks came in a second-stage debate on the 35th Amendment of the Constitution (Right to Housing) Bill 2017 and in response to a statement by the Housing Minister as to his intent to relocate Dublin families in dire need of home to rural locations.

Deputy Healy Rae made clear his remarks had nothing to do with prejudice towards Dubliners, but with the snail's pace of getting new housing stock ready in Kerry for the county's own needy families. "His [the Minister's] statement said that he was going to take people out of urban areas and take them out to rural areas to house them. I want him to tell me how many vacant houses or how many houses are ready for habitation in County Kerry which I represent.

"We do not have houses for the people we have on our own housing lists. Forget about taking people out of Dublin and bringing them down to Kerry because we do not have houses ready for habitation there yet. There are vacant houses but they are a long way from getting them ready or making them fit to put people into them. The Minister must acknowledge that. The pace at which we are going at these houses is as slow as it took the snail to get to Jerusalem," Deputy Healy Rae said.

He cited the first significant social housing development in Killarney seen in eight years - a 20-home estate that's currently under construction - saying it was 'very wrong' that the Government had stymied it by seeking the Council to lower the cost of the 20 houses at one point. He also called for a reduction in the rate of VAT and levies on private houses in order to try and kickstart the private sector into building. "Until it does that, no houses will be built," he said.
More than 30 refugees fleeing the civil war in Syria will be housed in New Ross over the coming weeks.

Wexford County Council has been buying houses in the town in recent months to accommodate the refugees through funding provided by the Department of Justice.

Senior Houing Officer Padraig O'Gorman told this newspaper that Phase I of the refugee resettlement programme in the county involved 80 refugees being housed in Wexford and Enniscorthy, while Phase II is about to get under way, with the majority of the families being housed in New Ross.

He said: '14 refugee families are being housed in Phase II and ten of these families will be housed in New Ross, with two families going to Wexford and two to Enniscorthy.'

He said the council bought houses in good repair in New Ross specifically for the refugees, adding that this does not affect applicants on the social housing list in the area. 'It's a separate programme, so it's not coming off our housing list. It's funded separately and it's budgeted through the Department of Justice. The houses are dotted around the town.'

Mr O'Gorman addressed a behind-closed-doors meeting of New Ross Municipal District councillors on the matter recently and the meeting lasted for over two hours.

He said some councillors raised some issues, but were happy with the programme and looked forward to welcoming the refugees in late October or early November to New Ross, in a private ceremony.

The Syrian refugees are being housed as part of the Government's Refugee Resettlement Programme, which aims to accommodate 4,000 refugees across the country.

Mr O'Gorman said ten families will live in New Ross, where they will be able to apply for work.

'They have the same rights as any EU citizen. We are creating a New Ross cluster so the families will be able to avail of services like an interpreter, childcare and a dedicated refugee resettlement worker who can assist them.'

The refugees have been staying in Clonea in Dungarvan for several months, acclimatising to life in Ireland.

Mr O'Gorman said there is considerable goodwill towards the refugees. 'These are people who had to genuinely leave their home country because of civil war there.'
General Manager of Datapac Dr Karen O'Connor has been named as a finalist in the prestigious Women Mean Business: Woman in Technology Award 2017. Karen features alongside a number of other high profile business leaders who have impressed judges and matched the strict criteria required.

The prestigious awards celebrate diversity in business and recognise women in business for their outstanding and inspiring contributions. Karen was an obvious choice, as during her time at Datapac, she's enjoyed some major success. In her time as General Manager, she has transformed the managed services division, driving growth and innovation for the company, as evidenced in the recent 2.1million investment in the company, leading to the creation of 35 new jobs in Enniscorthy.

As well as strategic business development, Karen also has a specialist focus on the training, development and mentoring of colleagues and has championed work placement programmes for students and graduates which encourage young people to consider careers in STEM as the technology sector continues to grow.

As a director and board member of the Wexford Chamber of Commerce, Karen is also passionate about job creation in the local community and having recently completed her Doctorate in Business Administration at WIT, she is also committed to constantly bettering herself and learning.

The Women Mean Business Conference & Awards takes place on Monday, October 2 in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin and Karen will have a lot of support from friends and colleagues in Wexford as she aims to bring home the big prize.
A Ballycullane woman who is a hospital chaplain will be featured on a new TV series starting on RTE One featuring this Thursday.

Margaret Sleator from Ballycullane features in a three part series called Ministry of Hope, the first of which airs on Thursday at 10.15 p.m. For over a year the RTE cameras have followed three chaplains working in the Mater Hospital, Shelton Abbey Open Prison and Dublin City University.

Originally from Ballycullane, Margaret was one of the first non-ordained chaplains working in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital when she started there 13 years ago. Every day, more than 600 patients receive 21st century medical treatment in the Mater Hospital. But, alongside that physical care, their spiritual and emotional needs are also catered for by Margaret Sleator and the other chaplains.

Priests from the medical Order of St Camillus are available 24/7 for last rites and sacraments of the sick, but Margaret and the other chaplains are there to serve people of all faiths and none, in any way they can, but only if people want them to. 'I always try to bring reassurance, hope, silence, a little prayer if they want,' says Margaret. 'I never initiate prayer. I would wait for them to say it.'

In the first episode, the cameras follow Margaret as she supports Sean O'Keeffe from Doneraile, Co Cork, whose wife is critically ill in the Intensive Care Unit with a life threatening auto-immune disease.

The prognosis from the medical team is not good, but Sean and his son, Jack, are hoping and praying for a miracle. Chaplain Margaret is there to support the family, but she says, 'I wouldn't ever pull out the Miracle Prayer, because I am afraid that you could be offering too much hope when there isn't any.'

More than 800 people die in the Mater Hospital every year and Margaret and the other chaplains are often there to help people face death. 'I always had a fascination with death,' she says, 'And just being there for somebody, especially where they don't have any family members to hold their hand. That would be the biggest privilege. To be with them before they take their last breath.'

Another patient, Jim Kelly, from Ballymore in Westmeath, who has been in the Cardio-thoracic ward for more than two months always looks forward to Margaret's visit: 'When Margaret comes in, it gives me a sense of being, to see how strong she is. And she gives hope, by only walking into the room. She keeps me from getting into the state of depression maybe.'

It's quite a calling, reaching out to strangers in their time of greatest need and vulnerability, and Margaret is careful not to let her own emotions overwhelm her in the many difficult situations she faces. Even so, she admits there are times when her ever-present mascara runs, when she slips out to shed a few private tears after particularly difficult encounters.
Front row: Betsy White from Maine, USA, great granddaughter of William Wiley, captain of the Alfred D Snow; Jimmy Fitzgibbon, New Ross and Martha White, Florida, USA; back row: Steve White, Florida; Breda Fitzgibbon, New Ross and Denis White, Florida

The great-granddaughter of the captain of the Alfred D Snow - which foundered off the South Wexford coast in 1888 resulting in the deaths of 29 men - visited the village of Ballyhack recently to lay a wreath at the graveyard where many of the men, including her relatives, are buried.

Betsy White, the great grand-daughter of captain William Wiley of the Alfred D Snow whose nephew also perished, attended the wreath laying event at Ballyhack graveyard where a plaque was erected last year to remember the men who died too young.

The Alfred D Snow was wrecked at Broomhill on January 3, 1888. The ship initially grounded under Loftus Hall before sinking near Broomhill. It is not known if the crew were trying to come into the harbour when the vessel sank after a huge swell took them along the coast. The crew of a steamer called The Dauntless tried to rescue the men but to no avail as the vessel had been broken asunder in the storm. 4th, 5th and 6th class pupils at Ballyhack NS researched the three masted, fully rigged ship's history from when it was made at Samuel Watts's shipyard in Thomaston, Maine to its many journeys up to when it left San Francisco carrying 46,233 sacks of flour and wheat bound for Liverpool only for its crew to perish in stormy seas near Arthurstown, for a project.

Ballyhack and Arthurstown Resident's Association, in conjunction with Ballyhack NS, undertook the project in 2016 to commemorate the men who drowned. The ship's captain, W.H. Wilby's body was washed ashore in Arthurstown and several of the men were buried in Ballyhack graveyard.

Betsy, from Maine, read a New Ross Standard story last year about how children at Ballyhack NS had erected a plaque in memory of the ship's crew. She got in contact with New Ross historian Jimmy FitzGibbon and made her first trip to Ireland in early September to visit Ballyhack.

Chairperson of the Ballyhack Arthurstown Residents Committee Lorraine Kehoe said Betsy was deeply moved by the lengths local residents had gone to preserve the memory of the 29 lives lost and by the welcome she received in the area.

'She came over and asked if we could do something for her so we organised a wreath laying ceremony, which was attended by members of the local RNLI, some of the schoolchildren involved in the project and members of the Ballyhack Arthurstown Residents Committee,' Ms Kehoe said.

Betsy laid a wreath festooned with an Irish and an American ribbon.

Afterwards the group of 30 people took shelter from the rain at Byrne's pub in Ballyhack, enjoying refreshments. Betsy presented the residents' committee with a book about shipbuilding in Johnstown, Maine, which she inscribed, in appreciation of their efforts.
When Kiltealy-born tenor Anthony Kearns returns to Ireland for a short run of dates in the coming weeks, he will be leaving behind him some of the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Irma. Now living in Orlando, Florida, Anthony was hunkered down in his home as the storm battered everything in its path and witnessed the panic and devastation that it caused.

'It was absolutely crazy out here,' he said. 'It was like something out of a film. I sat it out at home, but the roads were absolutely chocka-block with people trying to escape and head north. Three days beforehand there were massive queues for petrol, all of the hardware stores completely ran out of wood to board up houses and supplies were very low. People were running around buying up all the supplies they could before they battened down the hatches. Just before the storm there were curfews in place and everything as there were some people going around looting.'

While Anthony initially thought that he would avoid the worst of Irma's wrath entirely, he had a far closer brush with the storm than he would've liked. 'All these warnings were coming through on the news and on the phone,' he said. 'Then the power went out. When it really hit, it was about midnight, so it was pitch black. I listened to all the advice and I was sleeping in the hall away from doors, but I can tell you I didn't sleep a wink! I was up and down and trying to peak out and see what was going on. You could hear the shingles being ripped from the roof and things rolling along the roof. I remember just praying that the windows would hold out and thankfully they did.'

When Anthony awoke to survey the damage, thankfully it wasn't too bad in his area.

'About 80 shingles came off the roof,' he said. 'Then there were trees down all over the place and that kind of thing. I was without electricity for nine days, which in this heat and humidity is a killer because you really need your air conditioning. Thankfully things weren't too bad in my area though. Further south was completely destroyed and the cost will run into billions of dollars.'

In the midst of all this upheaval, Anthony is preparing for his annual pilgrimage home, where he will perform at The Riverside Park Hotel in Enniscorthy, along with dates in The National Concert Hall and Athlone.

'It's always good to get back home,' he said. 'It's great that I get the opportunity to do a few shows here and I'll be home for a little over two weeks.

'I'll be playing the Riverside with myy good friend Patrick Healy, who people know and love at this stage, and we'll be doing a little bit of everything really. Boolavogue will have to come out and we'll be doing some pieces from the musicals, along with some contemporary stuff. It'll be a real night of toe-tapping good fun before I head back to the US to start into our Christmas dates with the Irish tenors starting in November.'

Tickets for the Enniscorthy show are 20 and are available from The Riverside Park Hotel reception, Byrnes Books & Toys in Wexford and Steemers O'Leary Newsagents in Bunclody. Alternatively, they can be bought online at www.eventbrite.ie.
Last Thursday was 'European Day Without A Road Death,' but it would seem someone got their wires crossed, sending out the macabre message with the 'out' missing from Without.

The digital message was out up on all the signboards in Leinster, with this particular example on the N25 ring road around Wexford,

Cllr George Lawlor said he was alerted to the issue by a constituent.

'I immediately contacted David Codd Road Safety Officer Wexford County Council who contacted TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland) which operates the signboards and they were sorted,' he said.

The European Day Without A Road Death (EDWARD) initiative, backed by the European Commission and the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL), aims to reduce the death toll on Europe's roads.
There's been further calls made on Irish Rail to provide an early morning commuter train from Longford to Sligo.

Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Cllr Seamus Kilgannon tabled a motion calling for the service to cater for workers and students.

"Here we have a piece of infrastructure that is there - the first train to arrive from Dublin is at 11am," he said.

He said an early morning rail service from Longford getting in to Sligo at 8am would be a "wonderful service" for the area.

He also pointed out that there are many people who can't afford a car.

"Just see the advantages it would bring to IT Sligo. It's something that should be explored. I put this down before and I didn't get too far," he said.

"It's unfortunate Irish Rail are not listening to us," said Cllr Declan Bree.

Cllr Thomas Healy agreed, sayign it would be great for the towns and villages outside Sligo such as Collooney and Ballymote also.

Cllrs Sinead Maguire and Mayor Hubert Keaney also supported the motion, saying Sligo had more people coming here to work.
A West Sligo family has scooped a major award for keeping a tidy, well-maintained and safe farmyard.

The Feeney Family from Enniscrone, won first place in Connacht for their farmyard in the 2017 FBD National Farmyard Awards run in conjunction with the Irish Farmers Journal.

The Feeney holding was described as a cattle farmer's dream yard.

The first parcel of land was bought by Mary and the late Joe Feeney over 60 years ago.

Their sons Brendan and Greg have added to this and the farm now exceeds 200 acres.

The Feeney brothers have developed the farm running a pedigree Charolais herd and a commercial cattle herd. They also fatten store lambs.

The Farm Manager, Darragh McManus moved to the farm in 2016 with his wife Ciara and two young boys, Shea(9) and Fionn(2).

Darragh manages the farm with some casual labour. The farmyard is of an exceptionally high standard. It is situated in the middle of the farm and commands views of the river Moy and the Atlantic Ocean.

It is the focal point of the farm and is designed with safety, functionality and practicality in mind.

This farmyard is well off the road and serviced by a long driveway that has been planted with hedging on both sides.

The Bostonia herd of pedigree Charolais animals welcomes visitors on a regular basis for sales.

Signage is clear around the farm to guide and alert visitors. Cows are housed in individual pens and each can be head locked for ease of management.

All sheds have headlocks. Bull housing is sturdy and young bulls are housed in pairs to keep them content. Man escape routes are well planned.

Mobile gates on wheels with steering allow cattle to be moved safely and easily. A new machinery shed has been added this year.

The whole farm is piped for the power washer from a central tank.

All rubbish is baled centrally for ease of disposal. This farmyard is any cattle farmers dream yard, said the judges.

The runner up in Connacht was the 100 acre dairy farm run by Billy and Deirdre Connor in a picturesque area of Co Mayo near Mount Nephin in Crossmolina.

The overall winner was the -Hillcrest Farm in County Down which is a large family run dairy business. Beattie and Margaret Lilburn along with their sons David and Reggie farm 500 acres. The Lilburns own 350 acres.

The winners earned themselves a cash prize of 5,000 plus a commemorative plaque.
The lack of private development in Sligo was a matter of "grave concern", Sligo Municipal District's September meeting heard.

Mayor of Sligo Municipal District, Councillor Hubert Keaney said he had "grave concerns that there are no developers in Sligo prepared to build."

"There are people buying up houses. These people have the money to buy the sites but are not prepared to start anything," he said.

"This is not a political thing. It's the system that we have in place that's stopping people delivering on projects."

"We have a huge problem getting projects off the ground," he said, adding that the processes were "unworkable" in relation to decision-making.

He was agreeing with comments made earlier by Council Chief Executive Ciaran Hayes.

He told members that there were only two housing estates being built in the county right now, and none in Sligo town, apart from the Council's Fr O'Flanagan Terrace development.

"To have a properly functioning housing market you need all sectors operating appropriately."

"Part of the solution is the construction of new houses. It's is not the only solution, but it is part of it," said Mr Hayes.

"The difficulties in Dublin, Cork and other big cities are not being felt in Sligo.

"We have a Housing Department moving to bring voids (vacant houses) back into use.

"We've been using up our latent supply," he said.

He said the council had also bought houses in the last year or two, all of which allowed them to deal with the housing waiting list.

There are currently 612 families on the housing waiting list, with another 396 approved for Housing Assistance Payments (HAP).

Mr Hayes warned that there needed to be ongoing growth in both the private and public sector.

"The solution is not solely social housing," he said. "There is no overnight fix. It is very important that the private sector is also active in the housing sector.
The latest figures from Census 2016 released by the CSO show there's been a decline in the number of non-Irish nationals living in Sligo.

In April 2016, some 5,892 people living in Sligo indicated that they were non-Irish nationals, a decline of 507 (7.9%) on five years previously.

They comprised 9.2% of the county's population, compared with 10.0% in 2011.

Nationally, 11.6% of the population were non-Irish nationals.

The largest non-Irish national group in the county were UK nationals with 1,917 residents, followed by Polish nationals with 1,521.

Together with nationals of Germany, Lithuania and Latvia, they comprised 68.5% of the county's non-Irish national population in April 2016.

In the year prior to Census 2016, some 796 people moved into the county, an increase of 183 (29.9%) compared with the year prior to the 2011 census.

Of these, 516 (64.8%) were non-Irish nationals.
Carnew is set to host one of the biggest national drama events of the year in 2018 and members of Baltinglass Municipal District have agreed to lend some financial assistance to the festival.

Plans for the All-Ireland Drama Festival were outlined to the members of Baltinglass MD at their September meeting last week as representatives from the South Wicklow Drama Festival sought their support.

Eamonn Doran and Kevin McEvoy explained that the festival, which takes place every April, will be hosted by the Carnew group and will welcome thousands of visitors to the area over an eight-day period.

It is the first time that Wicklow has hosted this prestigious event and it is somewhat of a coup for Carnew to be selected as host town, as the local festival is relatively new on the drama scene.

Since the establishment of the South Wicklow Drama Festival, 155 plays have been staged in St Brigid's Hall and, over the years, a number of productions have qualified for the All-Ireland.

'The top nine groups qualify for the All-Irelands so this will be an opportunity for the public to enjoy plays from the best amateur groups in the country. It will be an exciting opportunity to showcase the beautiful county we live in as well as the local amenities,' Mr Doran said.

A number of fringe events will take place and a large number of supporters and crew members will travel with each group - meaning plenty of trade for local guest houses, hotels and restaurants.

In fact, the committee estimates a positive economic contribution for the area to the tune of 250,000.

The festival will cost approximately 65,000 to run and will make an estimated 50,000, with the shortfall to be made up through sponsorship, fundraising and local authority support.

Mr Doran told the members that the aim of the festival committee is to keep as much as possible happening in Carnew, including the opening gala dinner, which will be hosted in Colaiste Bhride and catered by a professional company.

A shuttle bus service will also be required to ensure that festival-goers can remain in Carnew to socialise after each show and are easily able to return to their accommodation, be it in Gorey, Aughrim, Arklow or other areas close-by.

Cathaoirelach of Baltinglass Municipal District, Vincent Blake commended the men on their presentation and said that the festival is a very important event for south Wicklow.

Cllr Pat Doran proposed that the sum of 15,000 is made available to the group, but members opted to discuss the matter before making anything official.

Director of Services Sean Quirke suggested that the council could split such a grant over two budgets. He suggested that, for 2017, it would be wise to use the money for works that would benefit Carnew for the festival and afterwards, such as lighting upgrades and hall refurbishment.

Members agreed to grant 7,500 for this year and to look at making further funds available in the 2018 budget.
Deputy Pat Casey and Minister Simon Harris with members of the Wicklow branch of the Alzheimers Society of Ireland and staff at the Lily of the Valley day care centre in Rathdrum last Friday

Local elected public representatives had the opportunity on Friday to visit the Lily of the Valley Day Care Centre in Rathdrum to experience first-hand the services provided and gain some understanding of the need for appropriate supports for people with dementia.

Ministers, TDs and councillors all attended the open-day organised by the The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) Wicklow Branch. The event also allowed for ASI members to discuss with public representatives a proposed investment of 40 million towards community supports for people with dementia which has been outlined in the ASI's Pre-Budget Submission 2018.

The ASI Wicklow Branch Chair, Lisa Mellon said: 'It is estimated that almost 1,500 people have dementia in Wicklow and we anticipate that this number will increase over the coming years. We must ensure that all people who have dementia who want to live at home and within their own communities have the right supports and services in place to do so. There is also a great need for people with dementia and their families to be given the information and advice in their own community throughout their dementia journey.

'For example, the Dementia Adviser service is an invaluable local community resource and for people getting information about dementia in their own homes. However, there are only eight of these advisers serving the whole country. People in Wicklow do not currently have access to the vital service of a Dementia Adviser. This has to change.'
Both of Wicklow RNLI's lifeboats were launched on Sunday after a swimmer got into difficulty at Brittas Bay.

The Dublin based Coast Guard rescue helicopter, Coast Guard shore unit and an ambulance crew were also tasked to the incident at the popular tourist location.

The first reports received stated that a male out swimming a short distance from the beach was struggling in the water and needed assistance.

However, as the RNLI crews travelled to the scene they received confirmation that the stricken swimmer managed to make it ashore.

He was located by the Inshore Lifeboat at the south end of Brittas Bay beach. The crew administered initial casualty care and first aid before the man was handed over to paramedics.

'Thankfully the swimmer was OK after his ordeal and required no further medical attention after being assessed by the Paramedics,' said Tommy Dover, Wicklow RNLI Press Officer.

The all weather lifeboat crew consisted of second coxswain Ciaran Doyle, mechanic Tommy Murphy, Tommy McAulay, David O' Leary, Lisa O'Leary, Kevin Rahill and Terry Sillery.

The crew on the inshore lifeboat were helm Dean Mulvihill, Ian Thompson and John Stapleton.
A planning appeal lodged in relation to a proposed South Wicklow wind SWWAGfarm has been met with disappointment by members of the local community.

News that ABO Wind Ireland Ltd has appealed a refusal by Wicklow County Council for a new development of up to 11 wind turbines across South Wicklow has prompted a renewed concern throughout the district that the rural landscape could be irrevocably damaged.

A spokesperson for South Wicklow Wind Action Group (SWWAG) said that while the group is 'appalled' by the appeal, it is not surprised.

'We are appalled, disappointed but quite frankly not surprised by ABO's action. They have proved yet again that they care nothing for the community's wishes, expressed time and time again and at considerable financial cost to those who if ABP overturns Wicklows decision, will be vastly impacted by an inappropriate industrial development imposed on the south Wicklow landscape. Health will be put at risk due to possible exposure to infrasound/low frequency sound as well as audible noise. People's homes will be devalued and some will become unsaleable. Wildlife will be adversely impacted - Red Kites in particular. Environment will be damaged and rural tourism will decline.'

The opposition from the community was clear earlier this year when over 300 objections were lodged with Wicklow County Council following the application, which was refused.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fail TD Pat Casey has accused ABO Wind Ireland Ltd of displaying 'corporate greed' and has called on An Bord Pleanala to 'defend the rural landscape and heritage of South Wicklow'.

'This is the second application by this company against the wishes of the communities living in South Wicklow. For ABO windfarm to continue to press ahead with its plans against the wishes of the communities, against the unanimous views of local politicians, and against the professional judgement of qualified planners within Wicklow County Council is truly disgusting. For a company to ignore all these factors and to ruthlessly and cynically attempt to railroad this project through is probably one of the worst examples of corporate greed that I have witnessed in my lifetime,' he said.

At a packed public meeting in Aughrim earlier this year, SWWAG and its supporters launched a fundraising campaign for cover the cost of legal action, should the refusal be overturned by An Bord Pleanala.
Congratulations are in order for Kian Egan and Jodi Albert as they have welcomed their third child.

Kian took to Instagram on Saturday morning to share the news, alongside a sweet photo of the newborn.

"Our little cub is finally here," he wrote.

"Cobi Egan was born yesterday at 5:37pm. Mummy and baby are doing amazing. We are all so in love with him!"

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The couple live in Co Sligo with their two sons, five-year-old Koa and Zekey (two).

Earlier this year, the former Westlife star said the family live "a quiet enough family life."

"We've quietened down an awful lot. We're not doing as much. We're living a quiet enough family life," he told the Herald.

"Having a third baby, we kind of know what to expect unless we get some sort of a wobbler thrown at us.

"It's very exciting. You just want a healthy, happy baby. That's all that matters to us."
Millie Mackintosh seems to be falling for Ireland - and the feeling is mutual.

The former Made in Chelsea star flew into Dublin to host the Arnotts Style Sessions on Saturday, the latest in a frequent turn of trips to the capital. It also coincides with the launch of her eponymous collection at the department store, a sign that her fashion influence is ever increasing.

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"This is my first time this year but I feel like Ive lost count how many times Ive been here. I have often been here for work but I like to go out and eat, go shopping and just experience it," she told Independent.ie.

"Im staying at The Marker which is great because they have gorgeous views of the canal and the spa. I like walking around Grafton Street. Ive been to Crackbird a couple of times and had the fried chicken and 777."

Like all regulars, she is a creature of habit and is residing once again at the sleek Marker Hotel, recently endorsed by Vogue magazine  much like the woman herself who was recently dubbed, "Fashions Surprising New Star" by the style bible.

"Its not all pretty dresses and playing dress up, its hard work," she says of her work as a designer.

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On Friday, Millie was taking part in a private media event with Arnotts, attended by about a dozen fashion journalists and bloggers, hosted by stylist Ingrid Hoey, in which she opened up about battling the "preconceptions" she faced when she initially began her fashion career, after leaving behind the E4 reality show that made her famous.

She's wearing a floaty floral midi dress from her own range and a pair of matching pink lace-up heels by L.K. Bennett. Despite her rise to celebrity coming from a programme which documented cast members day-to-day lives, she cherishes her privacy, admitting her envy inducing feed is only a "small part" of her lfie. "Social media is a great tool, the brand wouldnt have been the same if Instagram didnt exist, Im very grateful. I wouldnt put up pictures of me taking the bins out or in the gym or meeting with my accountant," she says.

Its clear her relationship with fiance Hugo Taylor is one she wont be delving into publicly, but she is happy to talk business - including the fact she is launching a beauty range with Boots with her debut Couture Beauty range to complement her image as a a health fanatic. She wears minimal makeup, only some CC cream, mascara, a lip tint and a light brow pencil, adding: "I prefer to enhance what you have. Some people like contouring and that's fine for them, but it doesn't work for me."

And the secret to that infamous glow? Face oil and a hint of fake tan.

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The Arnotts Style Sessions are taking place in-store from Thursday, 28th September  Sunday, 1st October .
Activist Malala Yousafzai is taking up her place at Oxford University in the coming weeks and turned to Twitter for help with her packing list.

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The youngest ever Nobel Prize winner, who narrowly avoided death in 2012 after being shot by the Pakistani Taliban for her outspoken campaigning over girls rights to an education, won a place in August to study philosophy, politics and economics at the prestigious university.

When it came to packing for her new home, however, the 20-year-old needed some assistance.

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Twitter users responded eagerly to Malalas request, making all sorts of useful recommendations.

Some suggested a few things for comfort and cleanliness

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 and others for practicality.

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This lot were concerned with how to help Malala make friends and settle in.

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This advice seemed like the best for someone studying at Oxford University.

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This last one is probably most important of all.

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Happy packing, Malala!
Security forces inspect the site of a suicide attack outside a Shiite mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)

At least two people including a police officer have been killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan's western Herat province, a provincial official said.

Gelani Farhad, spokesman for Herat's provincial governor, said another officer was injured when a police vehicle triggered the explosive in Adraskan district.

In a separate incident, Farhad said a civilian motorcycle hit a roadside bomb, killing one civilian and wounding another in Shindand district.

And in northern Kapisa province, at least nine civilians were wounded when a bicycle bomb exploded in a bazaar, said Qais Qaderi, spokesman for the provincial governor.

Two small children were among the injured, including one who was in a critical condition, he said.

No-one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks in Herat or Kapisa.

In southern Kandahar province, a woman was killed when a civilian vehicle came under attack by unknown gunmen, said Niamat Khan, director of the regional Kandahar hospital.

He said five other people were injured in the attack which took place in Shah Wali Kot district.

Late on Friday, the Islamic State group via its Amaq news agency claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing outside a Shiite mosque in Kabul after Friday prayers.

It said Zaid al-Khorasani, an Afghan, carried out the attack in which authorities say at least five people were killed and 29 others wounded.

Najib Danish, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said three people suspected of being involved in the attack have been arrested, and an investigation was under way.

The attack took place two days before the Muslim holy day of Ashura, but Afghanistan has faced a series of large-scale attacks in recent months targeting minority Shiites.

Last month, militants stormed a packed Shiite mosque in Kabul during Friday prayers in an attack that lasted for hours and ended with at least 20 worshippers killed and another 50 seriously wounded, many of them children. IS claimed it was responsible.

Additional police forces have been deployed by the Interior Ministry, especially around the Shiite mosques in different provinces of the country, ahead of the Ashura holy day Sunday.

AP
People with the estelada, or independence flags, shout slogans on top of parked tractors during a protest by farmers in Barcelona. Photo: Reuters

By now, thousands of Irish holidaymakers will be basking in the memories of the Catalan costas, re-enjoying the sun, sea, sand and sangria they enjoyed. Despite the recent attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, life goes on.

With tourists back on the Las Ramblas promenade, and on beaches, it is business as usual, but with heightened security measures.

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Nevertheless, this weekend could turn out to be very turbulent indeed, as Catalan nationalists make their definitive move towards independence. The process does not, however, start and end with tomorrow's independence referendum.

In any case, the referendum is already compromised by the Spanish government's action in sending in its national police forces, the Guardia Civil, to seize ballot papers, arrest key officials, and disrupt the mailing of warrants for polling stations' staff.

This action is in clear defiance of an overwhelming majority of Catalans (70pc) who want the referendum to go ahead. The Guardia Civil have also raided regional government offices. The regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, have been employed to protect the Guardia Civil from the civil population, while they carry out their operations.

The core issue is national identity and, arguably, the historical failure to accommodate Catalan nationalism within the wider Spanish nation. While the Spanish constitution recognises the Catalans as culturally and historically a nationality, the constitutional court interpretation is that a nationality does not constitute a nation. Unlike the UK, where, for example, Scotland is recognised as a nation, Madrid recognises Catalonia as an autonomous region. The principle of national self-determination applies to nations, but not to autonomous regions.

The Catalan nationalists currently have a majority in the regional parliament in favour of independence. If the referendum takes place and they get a majority 'Yes' vote, they intend to make an immediate unilateral declaration of independence, on Monday.

If the nationalists were ultimately to succeed, the consequences for Spain of a fully independent Catalonia would be dire.

Catalonia is by far the richest region. With 13pc of the population, it pays 20pc of the running costs of Spain.

Other regions of Spain are watching closely. The Basques in particular, but also Valencia and the Balearics. These latter two regions speak dialects of Catalan.

Should Catalonia become independent, Valencia and the Balearics would more likely seek affiliation with Catalonia instead of outright independence.

In such a scenario, unless Spain federalises rapidly, the kingdom could well disintegrate.

At the same time, while Catalonia is well placed to prosper economically, the move to independence is also fraught with difficulty for Catalans. It is not just that a majority of Spanish people are against Catalonia becoming independent, but perhaps up to half of Catalans are also opposed, or ambivalent, to the idea.

Indeed, the current action by Madrid could ultimately lead to a polarisation of Catalan society, not dissimilar to Northern Ireland.

Nor are Catalan unionists passive. Even this observer has been savaged and denigrated, by a well organised and sophisticated unionist blogsite.

As the week has progressed, the counter-referendum police action has tried to increasingly make the holding of a referendum untenable.

The regional government had to decide either to cancel or postpone the referendum, or to attempt to muddle through tomorrow. A botched, compromised referendum will satisfy no one, other than to discredit further the Spanish government in the eyes of both Catalan nationalists, and Catalan unionists who had a good chance of winning a no vote in the referendum.

Madrid has kept open all options, including force, to prevent the referendum taking place. Calls have also been made from right-wing websites to put the regional police force under direct control of Madrid, and to arrest the nationalist leadership.

While considered as a last resort, the deployment of Spanish troops cannot be ruled out.

Indeed, the Spanish constitution directly tasks the armed forces with preserving the territorial integrity of the kingdom. In this regard, the older generation still recall January 26, 1939, when Franco's tanks headed down Barcelona's main avenue, the Avinguda Diagonal, to bring the area back under Madrid control.

So, what next? While Catalan nationalists have long ruled out the use of force to achieve independence, passive resistance to Spanish rule is possible, including largescale protests and industrial action.

Could such action affect the tourism industry? It certainly could, if it led to airports being closed or to a curtailment of other public services.

The regional Assembly could also meet next week and declare independence, anyway, following the Irish example of the First Dail, in January 1919, when it convened in the Mansion House and declared the break from the UK.

At the same time, Spanish and Catalans share a stubborn optimism, and a crisis-avoiding compromise may yet emerge.

In the meantime, don't change your travel plans.

Colonel Dorcha Lee (Retd) is a former Irish Defence Forces Provost Marshal and Director of Military Police. He is co-author of 'Politica de Defensa I Estat Propi', a study on a possible defence policy for an independent Catalonia.
Pro-independence supporters carrying mock ballot boxes take part in a rally in support of Catalonia's secession referendum, in Bilbao (AP)

Catalonian separatists have vowed to ignore a police ultimatum to leave the school polling stations they are occupying ahead of a disputed referendum on the region's independence from Spain.

The police deadline of 6am on Sunday for the activists, parents and children in the Catalan schools is designed to prevent the vote from taking place, since the polls are supposed to open three hours later.

As officers sealed off hundreds of schools, some parents decided to send their children home and prepared for pre-dawn confrontations.

Tensions rose across the country over the planned vote, with thousands marching in Madrid to protest against the separatists' attempt to break up their nation, demanding that Catalan leaders be sent to jail.

In Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, thousands more took to the streets to urge their prosperous region to stay inside Spain.

Spain's Constitutional Court suspended the independence vote more than three weeks ago and the national government calls it illegal.

Police have been ordered to stop ballots from being cast and have been cracking down for days, confiscating millions of ballots and posters.

Catalonia's defiant regional government is pressing ahead despite the ban and the police crackdown, urging the region's 5.3 million registered voters to make their voices heard.

Spain's foreign minister said on Saturday the Catalan government's plan is anti-democratic and runs "counter to the goals and ideals" of the European Union

"What they are pushing is not democracy. It is a mockery of democracy, a travesty of democracy," Alfonso Dastis said.

He said some pro-independence groups are "adopting Nazi-like attitudes by pointing at people that are against that referendum and encouraging others to harass them".

A top Spanish security official in Catalonia says police have already sealed off more than half of the 2,315 polling stations and disabled software that was to have been used in the referendum.

Enric Millo, the highest-ranking official in the north-eastern region, said parents and students were found to be occupying at least 163 schools but about 1,000 more still need to be checked.

The regional police force has been ordered not to use force in vacating the schools. Mr Millo said anyone remaining in schools after 6am will need to be removed in line with a judge's order.

"I trust in the common sense of Catalans and that people will operate with prudence," he said.

Authorities have already confiscated 10 million paper ballots in the last few days, making it much more difficult for Catalonian officials to carry out an effective vote.

At the Congres-Indians school in Barcelona, designated as a polling place, activist Quim Roy said he would be sending his two daughters home before the deadline out of concern for possible violence. He said other parents planned to do the same.

"Who knows what will happen if the Guardia Civil comes?" Mr Roy said, referring to the Spanish national guard.

He said he would not resort to violence but will not leave the building voluntarily.

"If they tell me I can't be in a public school to exercise my democratic rights, they will have to take me out of here. I won't resist, but they will have to carry me out," he said.

Organisers have set up a range of activities in the schools - including yoga sessions, games, film screenings and picnics - to keep spirits high as the historic confrontation with Spain's central government unfolds.

A pro-independence grassroots group admitted that Sunday's vote could be in jeopardy unless more schools were kept open for it.

Open Schools spokesman Ramon Font told the AP he did not have an exact number on how many schools were being occupied by activists but felt it was more than the number stated by police.

"If the number of schools kept open does not rise, then the ability to exercise our right to self-determination will be in serious jeopardy. It will be very difficult to vote," Mr Font said.

Catalan authorities had hoped previously for a larger turnout than the 2.3 million people who voted in a mock referendum in 2014 in which 80% favoured independence.

The Catalan government has pledged to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of Sunday if the 'yes' vote wins, no matter what the turnout is.

AP
A Saudi woman drives her car in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on Thursday after the historic decision that makes the Gulf kingdom the last country in the world to permit women behind the wheel. Photo: Getty Images

When news broke on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia had announced it would finally allow women to drive, I thought of Fawziah al-Bakr.

A Saudi university professor, she was one of 47 women who took part in the kingdom's first protest against the driving ban in 1990. Their act of protest was a simple one: they drove in convoy around the Saudi capital, Riyadh, one afternoon.

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But the consequences were severe: they spent that night in prison, many lost their jobs and they were denounced publicly as immoral.

When I met Fawziah in Riyadh some years ago, she told me the women known as the 'ex-drivers' still dealt with a lingering stigma that had hampered their careers. But she was defiant: "This is a price that has to be paid for our struggle  I have never regretted taking part."

For Fawziah and other Saudi women like her, this week's decision to allow women to drive was a hard-won victory and another step towards achieving the broader rights they have long dreamt of.

Saudi Arabia was not simply the only country in the world where women could not drive - apart from areas under Isil or Taliban control - it is also a nation where a woman cannot travel abroad, work, marry or appear in court without permission from a male "guardian", usually her father or husband and sometimes even a son.

While the kingdom officially cleaves to an interpretation of Islamic law that insists on a strict code of separation between the sexes and requires a male guardian for women of all ages, implementation of the so-called 'guardianship laws" has loosened in recent years.

Saudi officials this week said women would be able to get a driver's licence without having to ask permission of their male guardian.

Whenever I discussed the driving ban with Saudi men and women who supported it, their responses said much about anxieties over the erosion of what they viewed as traditional values.

Some officials and clerics agreed that Islam does not forbid women from driving but argued that women are vulnerable when alone in cars. One young man told me Riyadh's endless traffic jams would be much worse if women were allowed drive.

Another man told me it could lead to immoral behaviour and another insisted it would make the kingdom's already high rate of traffic accidents much worse.

I met several women who were happy with the status quo and others who argued that there were bigger battles to be fought, such as tackling the guardianship laws.

Unsurprisingly, Saudi activists are now turning their focus on pushing back those laws. Celebrating the ending of the driving ban, Manal al-Sharif whose YouTube video of herself driving went viral in 2011, said her next campaign would be to overturn such restrictions on the lives of Saudi women.

Change in the kingdom comes slow - due, many Saudi women argue, to deep-rooted cultural norms that have less to do with religion than rigid customs that grew out of the harsh desert life - but something of a momentum appears to be gathering in recent years.

The king's 32-year-old son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is considered a reformer in the making and he has talked of the need to steer the kingdom's economy and society to better fit global realities.

In 2015, women were given the right to vote and run for seats in local council elections. A younger generation of Saudi women is emerging that is more educated, confident and ambitious than before. "Women are getting braver and more opinionated. They are not afraid to say what they think," one woman who works in a major Riyadh bank told me.

Unprecedented numbers of Saudi women are studying overseas - including in Ireland - under a national scholarship programme aimed at opening young Saudis up to the world. A growing number of women are entering the workplace in the kingdom, making waves in several sectors including government and finance.

When I met Raha Moharrak, who became - at 27 years old - the first Saudi women to climb Everest a couple of years ago, she told me she was passionate about advocating for access to sport for girls in the kingdom.

Many reform-minded Saudi women refer to the Koran and other holy texts to argue that the economic, religious and political rights they seek were enjoyed by women at the time of Muhammad. They say that makes the push for change more palatable to those who are more conservative.

"Change in our country usually comes in little steps but the lifting of the driving ban is a great leap forward," one young Saudi woman told me this week.

"It gives us hope that much more can be within our grasp."
Dearld Peal was arrested with his friend Terry Price on kidnapping and murder charges

A man has been arrested for allegedly beating to death his daughters abusive boyfriend, police said.

Anthony Pietrzak was found bound at the arms and legs and beaten three miles from the home he shared with Dearld Peals daughter near Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The victims family said the couple were expecting a child next month.

Both Mr Peal and his friend, Tracy Price, were arrested on kidnapping and first-degree murder charges.

Officer Jeanne Mackenzie told the Associated Press that Mr Peals daughter had asked him to supposedly commit the crime because Mr Pietrzak was physically abusing her.

Mr Prices involvement in the alleged crime remains unclear.

In an affidavit signed by Mr Peal, he said that [Mr Pietrzak] would never be able to hurt his daughter again".

However, he also said he was not there when the homicide occurred.

Ms Mackenzie said police are investigating if a third person was involved in Mr Pietrzaks death.

The girlfriends name has not yet been released and she has not been charged with a crime.
Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November for the first time since becoming President, in a tour planned to confront the North Korean threat.

The President has been applying pressure on his allies in the region to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea in the face of a series of missile tests conducted by Pyongyang.

He will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, attending two major summits, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conclave in the Philippines.

Mr Trumps attendance at the Manila summit had been in doubt until recent days, with officials saying he was reluctant to show support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been responsible for a number of anti-American outbursts.

A US official said Asian leaders who met the President at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week helped persuade him to attend in unity with key Asian allies.

An Asian diplomat welcomed Mr Trumps decision to visit Manila because that reassures the region that Asia policy is not just about North Korea, its about Southeast Asia as well.

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The diplomat said the US' decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal early this year had raised questions about the administrations commitment to the region. But visits by senior officials, including the secretaries of state, defense and commerce, and Mr Trumps planned trip, showed Washington intended to remain engaged.

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Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Mr Duterte was looking forward to meeting the US President, adding that the relationship between the two countries was so resilient that ties would always recover, regardless of disagreements.

Mr Trump, who has been locked in an increasingly bitter war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will have the opportunity to bolster allied resolve for what he calls the complete denuclearisation of Pyongyang.

He has denounced Mr Kim as a rocket man on a suicide mission for test launches of ballistic missiles and for nuclear weapon tests, and warned North Korea would face total devastation if it threatened the US. The North Korean leader has blasted Mr Trump as mentally deranged.

The presidents engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, the White House said when announcing the trip.

The Presidents visit to China will reciprocate a trip to the United States made in April by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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President Trump has applied heavy pressure on China to rein in North Korea. While his efforts have had limited success thus far, he went out of his way to thank Mr Xi on Tuesday for his efforts.

I applaud China for breaking off all banking relationships with North Korea - something that people would have thought unthinkable even two months ago. I want to thank President Xi, Mr Trump said at a news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

Chinas tougher stance on North Korea follows a Security Council resolution passed after Pyongyangs latest test.

The resolution, adopted unanimously in September, restricted the supply of fuel into the country and imposed a ban on North Korean textile imports.

China accounts for around 90 per cent of North Koreas trade, and the isolated state is highly dependent on Chinese oil imports.
A teacher who turned her classroom into a sex den for pupils is facing six years behind bars.

Danielle Matko, 35, stripped and performed sex acts for teenage boys during during free periods and after classes.

She was caught after police were passed a photo of her naked breasts taken by one of the pupils

The English teacher performed oral sex on one 15-year-old boy at East Palo Alto Aspire Phoenix Academy near San Jose, California.

She also showed touched the victim sexually and allowed him and a second 15-year-old boy to touch her bare breasts, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

She was convicted on one count of oral copulation with a minor and four counts of lewd acts on a minor at San Mateo Superior Court this week and jailed on Friday.

The crimes took place between 1 September and 14 November 2015.

Prosecutors were said to be considering charges relating to another pupil.

Female teachers who commit offences such as this are fairly few and far between, said deputy district attorney Karen Guidotti. But we see it.

She said Matko faced a jail term of about six years and will have to sign the sex offenders' register.

Matko denied the allegations but did not give evidence during her trial. She will be sentenced on December 1.

Matko was fired by the school following her arrest in December.

East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy is committed to the safety and security of each of our students, said a school spokesman.

When the allegations were first made in this case, we chose to terminate employment of Ms Matko. We also co-operated with law enforcements investigation of the allegations.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for talks in Beijing (Lintao Zhang/Pool Photo via AP)

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson has acknowledged that America is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea even as tensions rise over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes and the countries' leaders continue to trade insults.

Mr Tillerson said the US is probing North Korea's willingness to talk, and called for a calming of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, adding it was incumbent on the North to halt the missile launches.

On a visit to China, he said: "We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation, a blackout.

"We have a couple ... three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them."

Mr Tillerson spoke in Beijing, where he met Chinese president Xi Jinping and other top officials.

While Mr Tillerson affirmed that the US would not recognise North Korea as a nuclear power, he also said the Trump administration had no intention of trying to oust Kim Jong Un.

US state department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement: "Despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilising forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearisation."

The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war, and the Demilitarized Zone divides North and South Korea.

Since US president Donald Trump took office in January, the US has restored a diplomatic back-channel between the State Department and North Korea's mission at the United Nations.

That has traditionally been a way for the two sides to communicate because they lack formal diplomatic ties.

The main aim of the initial contacts was to seek the freedom of several American citizens imprisoned in North Korea, although US officials have told reporters that there are broader discussions about US-North Korean relations.

Those contacts, however, have failed to reduce the deep mistrust between the adversaries and it is unclear to what extent they have endured the current spike in tensions.

North Korea has in recent months tested long-range missiles that potentially could reach the US, and on September 3 conducted its largest nuclear test explosion to date.

The stand-off has entered a new, more dangerous phase since then as Mr Kim and Mr Trump have exchanged personal insults and threats of war.

"I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down," Mr Tillerson said.

"They're a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first.

"Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot."

Mr Tillerson's visit to Beijing is helping lay the groundwork for a November state visit by Mr Trump, part of a five-nation swing through Asia.

The US leader has pressed for sterner measures against the North by China, the North's chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Beijing adamantly opposes steps that could bring down Mr Kim's government, but appears increasingly willing to tighten the screws. China has agreed to tough new UN penalties that would substantially cut foreign revenue for the isolated North.

AP
Korean food evangelist Choi Ji-a is a pioneer in popularizing Korean cuisine around the world. In the belief that food is a mirror of a country's culture, she opened O'ngo Food Communications in 2007 and started to offer culinary classes and tours for foreigners from 2010. The programs aim to provide hands-on experience while visiting street markets and taking cooking classes as well as stories about the foods participants are making or eating.

Choi spent most of her childhood abroad and speaks French, Portuguese, German, Japanese and English. When she was two years old, her father flew to Togo to volunteer as a surgeon. She lived there for five years, and then in Brazil for another five years. Her house was always packed with foreigners since neighbors were invited to enjoy Korean food. It was the easiest way to befriend the locals. She became quite naturally accustomed to socializing through food.

It was in Japan where she became engaged in professional cooking. She went there with her husband, who took a postdoctoral course there. Like her parents, she invited people to get to know them and learn Japanese, and she decided to learn cooking professionally. She began working as a food stylist while attending a two-year course at the Japan Table Artist Academy in Tokyo.

Coming back from Japan, she turned her attention to Korean food and enrolled for a master's degree at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. As soon as she completed her doctorate at the same school in 2005, she got another chance to go abroad as her husband went to the U.S. as an exchange professor. This time she studied at the Institute of Culinary Education in Manhattan, New York and accumulated experience through internships in restaurants there.

Returning to Korea, she focused on promoting the country's food culture to foreign visitors, which she feels is as important as doing it abroad. That was how she decided to establish her own business. Foreigners are more curious about how to eat the food rather than just the taste. "To encourage foreigners to come back for the country's food, we need to explain our culinary culture and offer opportunities for them to directly experience it," she says. "Participants in our cooking classes and culinary tours are mostly trendsetters with an interest in culinary culture like food writers and bloggers. Turning them into fans of Korean food is a shortcut to promoting it around the world."
Parents vest a lot of faith in the institutions they send their kids to. After all, it is with the hope that it will be like a second home and that their children will grow into well-informed, better human beings that they are sent there. But, evil it seems, lurks everywhere

The nation was shocked by the recent murder of seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur at the Ryan International School, Gurgaon. The killing not only left the country shaken, it made parents question everything about a place that they entrust their children to.

But whats most heart-wrenching is that a lot of the crimes that are being reported have been perpetrated by the teachers. Whether it is physical and verbal abuse, rape and intimidation or drinking and smoking on the school premises, something is rotten in the state of education and its time we fixed it.

Here are just a few of the incidents that shook our collective conscience:

1 Lucknow teacher who slapped a kid 40 times for not answering

#WATCH Teacher of Lucknow's St. John Vianney High School repeatedly slaps a student for not standing up on attendance call pic.twitter.com/DWlPfLhS1I  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 31, 2017

Recently, a video of a teacher brutally slapping a kid over 40 times in front the entire class went viral. The disturbing footage was taken inside a school classroom in Lucknow, where the teacher slapped the kid for not responding to the attendance call. At the end of the footage, she can even be seen pushing the kid around.

BCCL

On the occasion of Teachers Day, a government school in Chattisgarhs Kanker district was in news when its teachers asked the students to bring chicken and buy liquor for the school celebration. When the issue was brought to departments notice, there was another shocking revelation. It turns out that inebriated teachers were a common sight here.

3 Teacher in Assam who clicked obscene pictures with students

Twitter/Nazir

In what looks like the re-run of the Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer Haramkhor, a teacher from Assam was caught clicking obscene pictures with most of his girl students. The teacher made the girls hug him, kiss him, and sit on his lap before clicking pictures. Faizuddin Laskar was arrested under Section 192 of the IPC, Section 67 of the IT Act and Section 8 of POCSO Act.

BCCL

A 9-year-old girl was raped in Gurgaon days after the Ryan International School tragedy. On reaching home, she told her mother, who accompanied by neighbours, went to the school. The parents pressed charges against the accused teacher 52-year-old Ram Chander, and he was arrested the same day.

5 Thrashing followed by a suicide

JustDial

Those who havent faced it may never understand how much public humiliation can harm the psyche. Some go in a cocoon, develop insecurities and some are pushed to suicide. V Sanjay, jumped from the fifth floor of his apartment at Meerpet in an attempt to commit suicide, after he was allegedly beaten up by his lecturers.

6 Brutal thrashing for forgetting a text book

TOI

Forgetting to carry a textbook to school is not uncommon, but its not something that should land a student in hospital. A class X girl student was beaten up by judo teacher Roshan Shelar when he found out that she had not brought her English textbook to school.

7 When a drunk teacher turned up to take a class

#WATCH Kanpur: Head teacher at Govt primary school in Bilhaur's Nivada village comes to school in inebriated condition. pic.twitter.com/BvZSpZ6Q7y  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) September 19, 2017

Recently, disturbing footage of an unidentified drunk teacher has surfaced online when he came to class completely inebriated. He was so drunk, he could not hold his head straight. In the video, taken at a school in Bilhaur's Nivada village, students, amused by the teacher's condition, laugh and mock him. Some even try to straighten his head.

8 When a teacher slapped a student so hard that he died

BCCL/Representative Image

In a shocking incident, a teacher slapped an 8-year-old student so hard that the child died. Bindu Ram, also called Guddu, was a Class I student. He complained of severe pain after coming home from school. It turns out his teacher had slapped him, causing his eardrum to burst. Parents then took the kid to the hospital, where he breathed his last breath.

9 Stripped naked for scoring low marks

BCCL/Representative Image

Who would have ever thought that the punishment for scoring less marks would call for a abject humilation in front of the entire class? A female teacher in Uttarakhand made two girls strip in front of the entire class after they scored low marks in the English test paper.

10 This kids suicide begging for leniency for his classmates

BCCL

Upset over being harassed by a teacher an 11-year-old boy from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh killed himself by consuming poison. In a note that he left for his father, he begged his teacher not to punish anyone the way she punished him.

"Papa, Today is my first exam and my class teacher kept me crying till 9:15 am. I was kept standing for three periods. She only listens to her sycophants. I am going to end my life today. Please ask my ma'am not to give such a severe punishment to anyone." he wrote.

11 Students turned cleaners

In shocking footage, a school teacher was seen holding a stick and making her students clean her scooter. The footage that shows the teacher holding a cane and students washing her scooter instead of taking class. When she was questioned about it, she said that it was guru-seva.

TOI

Usually, a school calls parents over non-payment of fees or leave notes in the school diary, but pulling out a kids hair is unheard of. A six-year-old student was scared for life when her teacher brutally assaulted her by pulling her hair out, all for a delay in the school fee payment.

The student was left with a fist-size bald spot on her head.

13 This teacher played pornographic video and danced naked in front of students

BCCL/Representative

A female teacher with a history of being unnecessarily strict with students was charged with dancing half naked in front of the entire class and playing pornographic videos. The incident came to light when one of the students complained about it to the parents.

The teacher, however, denied all of the allegations. Speaking to the daily, she said that most of the staff including the Principal of the school are against her.
Cancer the cloud that comes, but never passes. It just hovers over you for the rest of your life, silently waiting in the shadows.Akshay Kumar

Many have lost the battle to the deadly disease, and Padma Shri awardee Tom Alter too succumbed.

YouTube

They say, when cancer returns, it returns back stronger, and that is exactly what happened with the writer-actor who last year got his thumb amputated because of the chronic disease.

Earlier this month, his cancer relapsed in stage four, and unfortunately, he couldnt survive for long.

nmims.edu

His family released a statement announcing the heartbreaking news. It reads:

It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father. Tom passed away Friday night at home with his family and close family members in attendance. We ask for their privacy to be respected at this time.

Twitter

Known for starring in television shows like Bharat Ek Khoj, Zabaan Sambhalke and Betaal Pachisi, Tom Alter is an American-origin actor settled in India. He had a flourishing career on stage, and on the big screen he played pivotal roles in successful films like Gandhi, Shatranj Ke Khilari, Kranti, Aashiqui and Parinda. He has acted in over 300 films.

In 2008, he was recognised with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour of India.
All you ardent Bigg Boss and Salman Khan fans, the time has come when your lives will be filled with gossip from the much-hyped and most-anticipated reality show of the Indian television. The grand premiere of season 11 is already being shot and to entertain us all, the team of Judwaa 2 is going to share the stage with Salman Khan.

The first picture from the grand stage of Bigg Boss season 11 is out in which Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Taapsee Pannu can be seen shaking a leg with the Dabangg Khan. Perhaps, they are grooving on a song from the original Judwaa. Can you guess which one? Take a look at the picture below.

Issa kheta hai #BIGBOSS #JUDWAA. Tomorrow night A post shared by Varun Dhawan (@varundvn) on Sep 30, 2017 at 12:06am PDT

When both the actors will come together, it's going to be 'too much fun', right?

Im not influenced from any Hollywood actor but influenced by @BeingSalmanKhan. Thank you for being my raja and prem. the film is urs now. pic.twitter.com/7MYhIyOVvJ  Varun PREM Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) September 28, 2017

Just in case you didn't know until now, Bigg Boss 11 is premiering tomorrow at 9 pm. The list of the contestants will be out only tomorrow. However, some of the confirmed contestants of the show include--Zubair Khan, Sapna Chaudhary, Shivani Durgah and Jyoti Kumari as commoners, and Benafsha Soonawalla (ex bigg boss contestant), Hina Khan and Hiten Tejwani from the celebrity bunch.

Meanwhile, check out the first picture of the Bigg Boss 11 house here.

We are jumping in excitement already! What about you?
Boys from rich families are often in news for behaving rowdily on roads. In yet another similar case that took place in Bengaluru, police seized 110gm of ganja, allegedly from the Mercedes Benz SUV driven by Vishnu, 27, a grandson of late MP and industrialist DK Audikeshavulu Naidu, after it rammed a Maruti Omni Wednesday midnight, and ended up on the footpath at South End Circle in Jayanagar.

bccl

Vishnu, a businessman, is in the dock after police registered two cases against him  for allegedly crashing his SUV, worth Rs 2.8 crore, into the van and possessing narcotics. Jayanagar traffic police confirmed that the Merc, bearing a Puducherry registration number (PY 05 C 7471), was in the name of Geetha Vishnu, and was being used by Vishnu.

The Omni, in which a family of seven was travelling, was allegedly hit by the speeding Merc around 12.15am. Kaisar Khan, 35, and his family sustained minor injuries. The Merc came to a halt after riding up the pavement, as the driver apparently lost control of the SUV.

bccl/representational image

The public caught Vishnu and assaulted him before handing him to police. "Vishnu's three co-passengers left the scene. We have to find out who they are," police said. Vishnu was rushed to Mallya Hospital, where he is under treatment.

Meanwhile, traffic police informed law and order cops as there was chaos at the accident site. Jayanagar police rushed to the spot and found 110 grams of ganja in the vehicle and registered a case against Vishnu, a cop said.

"We registered two cases against Vishnu, one with Jayanagar traffic police for allegedly ramming his SUV into a van at South End Circle and another with Jayanagar law and order police for allegedly possessing ganja in his vehicle," DCP (South) SD Sharanappa said.

bccl/representational image

According to police, Vishnu said in his statement that "his driver Santhosh was at the wheel and he was sitting in the front seat. Soon after the accident, the driver escaped". But eyewitnesses informed police that Vishnu was driving the car and police are examining CCTV footage at the signal.

Police have sent Vishnu's blood samples to the Forensic Science Lab to check if he was drunk or had consumed ganja at the time of the accident.
No one can forget the 2016 Brussel airport blast, especially the one who witnessed it. Jet Airways crew member Nidhi Chaphekar finally resumed office this week after almost 18 months. She became the symbol of the Brussels airport blast when her picture went viral.

bccl

Waiting to get clearances to fly, she has begun work with the in-flight management and is also involved in voice and accent training activities with Jet. The office is yet to give her a specific role based on her skill set.

"Sitting at home could be depressing sometimes. I enjoy working and it feels good to be back," said Nidhi, adding that she has started working only three to four hours a day.

"I share my story with the new batches joining the organization. I have given a session on voice modulation too. They want me to help them on special projects, but nothing has been chalked out yet."

Her doctor has given her permission to do 'light work' for only a few hours in a day. "My injuries have not healed completely. My calcaneus (heel bone) is hollow...a few of the metatarsal bones are missing. I have lost about 50% of the sensation in my right foot," said Chaphekar. She also has to wear silicon-based gloves till May 2018 to level the skin around the hand, which underwent grafting for burns.

bccl

Apart from giving talks and receiving bravery awards on various platforms, Chaphekar has penned down her experiences during the blasts and is waiting to sign a contract with a publication. "I am ready with my book and am in the process of finalizing a publisher," said Chaphekar.

bccl

Joining a global NGO working in the field of education is also on her wish list now. "I am very keen on working on issues faced globally in girls' education. I have written to Malala as I am keen on joining her movement," she said.

bccl

Chaphekar is looking forward to flying again. Her colleague, Amit Motwani, who was also one of the injured during the blasts that killed 32 and injured over 300 people, has managed to get the medical clearance to fly again. Motwani, however, is on leave. Once Chaphekar is declared fit, she is also likely to get an all-clear from the authorities to fly again.
Pakistans Interior Ministry has asked the countrys election commission to bar a new party backed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed. He is accused of supporting the 2008 terror attacks in India and carries a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head.

afp

Earlier, on September 29, a spokesman for the Election Commission of Pakistan, Haroon Shinwari, said that they will assess the status of Milli Muslim

afp

Saeed's friend Saifullah Khalid is the head of the MML party. The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder is alleged of having links to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 160 people, and he has been designated a terrorist by the U.S. government. He is currently under house arrest in Lahore.
Addressing the nation of the occasion of Vijayadashmi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that issue of cow protection should be looked beyond religion.

It is unfair to link the cow protectors or entire activity of cow protection with violent incidences or communal feelings without knowing or neglecting the facts, he said. Read more

India Asks Myanmar Govt To Take Action Against Rohingyas Who Are Accused Of Killing Hindus

Myanmar troops have accused the Rohingya Muslims of killing over 45 Hindu villagers, following which the Indian government has sought action against those responsible for the murder of hundreds of Hindus in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

This comes after mass graves of Hindus were discovered from the eastern province which is in the grip of an ethnic conflict. Read more

Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Eyes To Become The World's Largest FMCG Brand In Four Years

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has said that by 2018-19, his fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, Patanjali, will overtake Unilever and others and by 2020-21 Patanjali would become the world's largest FMCG brand.

He said he has already prepared a plan of succession for his Rs 10,000 crore Patanjali group, saying that his "successor" will be a team of nearly 500 sadhus trained by him. Read more

Tata Motors Bags Rs 1,120 Crore Deal To Supply 10,000 Electric Cars To Ministry Of Power

State-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) will procure 10,000 electric cars from Tata Motors, an order valued at around Rs 1,120 crore.

Tata Motors will supply the electric vehicles (EVs) in two phases with 500 e-cars in the first phase in November 2017 and the remaining 9,500 electric vehicles (EVs) in the second phase, EESL said in a statement. Read more

Why Do We Need Terrorists, Our Railway Is Enough To Kill People, Says Raj Thackeray After Mumbai Stampede

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has hit out at the government following the stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone road station on Friday.

Blamed the Indian Railways for the deaths, Thackeray said it is killing more people than terrorists. Why do we need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan? It seems our own Railway is enough to kill people, Thackeray said. Read more

Pakistan Seeks Ban On 26/11 Accused Terrorist Hafiz Saeed's Party Which Wants To Contest Polls

Pakistans Interior Ministry has asked the countrys election commission to bar a new party backed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed. He is accused of supporting the 2008 terror attacks in India and carries a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head.

Earlier, on September 29, a spokesman for the Election Commission of Pakistan, Haroon Shinwari, said that they will assess the status of Milli Muslim. Read more
It was nothing short of a miracle when a Syrian mother and her daughter gave birth to their babies at the same time in a Turkish hospital.

Also read: This Grandmother Is Spending All Her Time Sewing Teddy Bears For Children In The War Stricken Syria

getty images

42-year-old Fatma Birinci and her 21-year-old daughter, Gade Birinci underwent caesarean procedures simultaneously in the city of Konya, Turkey.

Also read: Syrian Schools' Playgrounds Being Transformed Into Vegetable Gardens To Curb Famine

getty images

According to Turkish news website Ensonhaber, their newborn boys have been named Recep and Tayyip, after the current Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The doctors have called the births a 'miracle'.

Also read: Meet The Syrian Refugees Who Are All Set To Become Doctors Two Years After Escaping The War

Both Fatma and Gade fled Syria and three years ago and took refuge in Turkey.
Young Koreans increasingly travel abroad to experience a different lifestyle rather than just tick off the major tourist attractions. Some choose volunteer or job-training experiences, all with the aim of getting a brief taste of what it is like to live like a local.

Kim Hyun-ho (31) went to Paris in April, but instead of waiting in line to climb the Eiffel Tower, Kim took a course on choosing French culinary ingredients and cheese.

"I was totally surprised to see not a single Korean tourist when I went to the markets in Paris," Kim said. "I felt as if I was a Parisienne."

Jung Hyo-sun (26) went to Bangkok for her summer vacation last month and took a course in the country's famously intricate fruit and vegetable carving with a Thai instructor. She went to local markets in Bangkok with her instructor to purchase the fruit and veg. "For a brief moment, I felt as if I had become a Thai housewife living in Bangkok," she said.
intelligence arrested an American agent in the heart of Damascus.intelligence arrested the X  after a follow-up lasted for several months during which the suspect was monitored, especially after the arrival of several security reports suspected of involvement in the mediation of a foreign party
Kim Kardashian is at it again as she shares three behind-the-scenes images from her Mexico Vogue shoot on Friday.

In one of them she looked nude as she lay in a bathtub .

Its such an honor to be on the cover of the October issue of Vogue Mexico. We went for so many amazing looks in this shoot, which was shot by Guy Aroch. I really loved the old Hollywood glamour vibe, the reality star wrote on her website.

Source  Chi-Chi Nwa
Top actress and movie producer, Laide Bakare is a versatile Nollywood actress well known for her roles particularly in the yoruba movie industry.

The US based actress has refused to come back to Nigeria, staying back in New York with her children and living life yo the fullest.

The actress took to Instagram to entertain her fans as she showed off great energy and very impressive dance moves.

Here is the video:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZn-iS1hspv/?taken-by=laidebakare

source: Stargist
In a bid to increase its usage in Nigeria, Wikipedia has stared Veteran, Nollywood actor Pete Edochie and Kid comedian Emmanualla in two promotional video adverts.

The promotional videos are titled things come together and Emmanuella goes to school.

Pete Edochie starred as a village Chief in an Eastern community while Emmanulla starred as a pupil who wowed a lecturer with her knowledge and got invited to join a class of tertiary institution students.

Emmanuella along with Mark Angel Comedy has for a couple years held social media audience spell bound with her video skits. She is well known for This is my real face skit.

Read: Emmanuella Is Miss I Know It All In New Hilarious Skit

The 70 year-old Edochie started his career in broadcasting before moving to the movie industry.

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia, created and edited by volunteers around the world and hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation.

Here is the video:

source: Stargist
The Spanish government says there will be no Catalonia independence vote Sunday, even as the regional government continues preparations for the referendum.

Spanish Culture Minister Inigo Mendez de Vigo said Friday the independence vote violates Spanish law and the government will not accept the results of the referendum.

"We are open to dialogue within the framework of the law. As you would understand nobody can ask us... to engage in dialogue outside the framework of the law. It's impossible," he said. "No European political leader can even consider dealing with an issue that is not in [Spanish] government hands."

Catalan authorities say they will declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of the vote if residents there choose to secede. The Spanish government has fought the measure and has instructed police to confiscate all referendum materials, as well as prevent the use of public buildings as polling stations.
Applegreen said the capital raised will be used to further acquisitions and developments in its three key markets of Ireland, the UK and the US.

Chief executive Bob Etchingham said Applegreen was very pleased with the very strong support it received from new and existing shareholders.

The funds raised will ensure Applegreen is well positioned to continue to invest in opportunities for growth across our three markets, he said.

The firm, which has a market fuel share in Ireland of around 15%, has made big strides into the US and UK markets in recent months.

In July, Applegreen said it had reached agreement to acquire the trade and certain assets of Bob Brandi and Bob Brandi Stores, a forecourt retail operation based in Columbia, South Carolina, for $5.4m (4.7m).

Applegreen said it will lease long-term from a US real estate investor who bought the property assets of the business for $70m.

There are 42 sites located in or close to the city of Columbia, which is the state capital of South Carolina.

The company has stations in Long Island, New York, as well as New England. Last month, it bought seven sites along the A1 motorway in the UK.

In January, Applegreen paid 15.7m for a 50% stake in the Joint Fuels Terminal in Dublin Port, which it says will allow it to import fuel directly from refineries.

Some 32 sites have been added to Applegreens stock in 2017, making 275 in total. Gross profits for the first half of the year were 82m, while revenue is up 21% to 672.5m.
The facility, in operation, is located on the airfield and features a hybrid aircraft training simulator in which controlled fires can be set.

It can be adapted to present firefighters with a variety of different aircraft fire scenarios they could expect on board the types of aircraft that operate from Cork Airport.

Crucially, the adaptable simulator can also be reconfigured to provide firefighter training on aircraft designs introduced at the airport.

The facility was constructed by specialist aviation suppliers Kidde Fire Trainers, while the civil works onsite were completed by Ballincollig firm HBS Construction.

The airports fire crews received widespread praise for their response to the Manx2 disaster at Cork Airport in February 2011.

Six people died in the plane crash but the fire-fighters swift response was credited with helping to save the lives of six other passengers on board.

Jim Johnson, the airports chief fire officer, said fire and rescue services staff take great pride in the exceptionally high standards of safety at Cork Airport and work hard to ensure they are always maintained.

The opening of the new fire training ground further enhances our ability to deal effectively and safely with any situation that may arise during operations at Cork Airport, he said.

NEW FIRE TRAINING FACILITY OPENS AT CORK AIRPORT



- State-of-the-art fire training ground opens following 1.8m investment pic.twitter.com/9QrQuBlk7U  Cork Airport (@CorkAirport) September 29, 2017

The aircraft simulator is designed to a high spec and incorporates several variations to ensure we are equipped to deal with any type of aircraft.

The simulator is a dual-fuel training rig that can be used for either clean gas- burning fires or aviation fuel fires, which have a higher intensity and greater smoke plume.

All anticipated scenarios are included within the design, such as under- carriages, engine, fuel spill, and internal cabin fires.

It is a fantastic addition to our overall training and preparedness in the event of an incident.

Last year, the airports fire and rescue services invested in a new Avenger fire- fighting vehicle which replaced older vehicles.
Overhaul of Songpu Bridge begins on Monday

By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2017-09-29 09:05

With the removal of a steel track on its lower deck, the overhaul of Shanghais Songpu Bridge officially kicked off on Monday, September 25. The 41-year-old bridge in Songjiang District will undergo a comprehensive maintenance and renovation during the next couple of years.



According to Chen Liang, chief engineer of the Bridge Design Institute of the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (SMEDI), while the main structure of the double-decked bridge is kept, the bridges upper deck will be widened. Four lanes will be added to turn the deck into a six-lane road. The upper deck, which was an abandoned rail bridge, will be put into use again and be converted into a space set aside for non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians, but the original railway elements will be maintained to highlight a theme of slow life.



As Chen Liang told the Labor Daily, to carry the additional load of vehicles, a mixed material that contains steel and concrete will be utilized, instead of using the original type of construction material.



In addition, the lower deck will be lifted by 20 centimeters, so as to facilitate the navigation of ships on the Huangpu River.

Completed in June 1976, the Songpu Bridge is not only the first bridge over the Huangpu River in Shanghai but also the only double-decked bridge for highway and railway over the river.
The Simon Community has called on the Rebuilding Ireland review to be urgently published while the Peter McVerry Trust says significantly more money must be allocated in next months budget.

The most recent figures released by the Department of Housing show that 8,270 people, including 3,048 children, were registered as living in emergency and temporary accommodation during the last week of August.

The figures show there were 1,442 families living in accommodation such as hotels and B&Bs in August, up from 1,429 in July.

Responding to the figures Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said: The trend, unfortunately, is up nationally but we have seen progress in Dublin where we have 32 families less in homelessness than in August. We need to do more. But its good to see that sign of progress.

While the number of family presentations nationally in August has increased by 13 overall, the number of homeless families in Dublin has fallen by 32.

However, there was a notable increase in homeless single-parent families in the capital which jumped from 733 to 770.

Mr Murphy said more family hubs would be opened across the country and pointed to the additional 10m recently announced for this on top of the 35m already committed.

He said 50% of the people who have availed of the Mater Dei hub in Dublin since it opened in June have moved on to permanent sustainable accommodation,

Others havent because with families, each has individual needs, some need tailored solutions and it will take longer than that, he said.

But if you look at our numbers for building next year, about one-fifth to one-quarter of the new homes to be built next year in this country will be social housing.

CEO of Peter McVerry Trust Pat Doyle said the increase in the numbers of people experiencing homelessness calls into sharp focus the need for urgent and effective measures to prevent people from losing their homes.

Simon Communities spokesperson, Niamh Randall said: The total figure nationally is up 25%, so what we are seeing is a small drop in Dublin and of course any drop is to be welcomed, but I think what this is really pointing to is that this is a nationwide crisis and that we are seeing the impact on every region in the country.

So what it really means is we need to be looking at action at a local, regional and national level.

Focus Ireland welcomed the drop in the number of homeless families in Dublin .

However, the charity warned that the crisis is still deepening as family homelessness rises outside of Dublin and the total number of people homeless nationwide hit a new record total of 8,270.
It found women with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) are not experiencing the same increase in survival rates and improved quality of life as those with early-stage breast cancers.

The Call-to-Action Vision mBC 2025report shows what can be done to improve the experiences and outcomes of women with metastatic breast cancer in Ireland.

Among the key priorities identified are doubling the survival for mBC patients: Enhancing their quality of life, ensuring access to multi-disciplinary care as well as providing access to financial support and improving mBC patients workplace rights.

Around 675 women in Ireland are diagnosed every year with metastatic breast cancer, where the disease has spread from the breast to other parts of the body.

The average survival rate for women with mBC , diagnosed as stage four, is around two to three years, although many patients can live for much longer.

There has been much progress made in the diagnosis, management and outcomes of early breast cancer but improvements have been slower for those living with mBC, and significant gaps exist.

Despite advances in the treatment of breast cancer, about 30% of women initially diagnosed with earlier stages of breast cancer eventually develop recurrent advanced or metastatic disease.

The report, launched globally, was developed by pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer in collaboration with the European School of Oncology.

Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune, who spoke at the launch in Dublin yesterday, said she was one of 16 MEPs supporting a move to improve data collection on the employment status of women with metastatic breast cancer in the EU.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people are attending the Irish Cancer Societys national conference on cancer survivorship in Dublin this weekend.

Cancer survivors and their families, friends, and carers travelled from all over Ireland to attend the two-day annual conference in the capital, which began yesterday.
In an exclusive interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Justice Clarke also rejected suggestions that the judiciary are an insiders cartel in need of breaking up.

He said the bill, which has been spearheaded by Independent Alliance minister Shane Ross, is of concern to members of the judiciary.

He said the concerns expressed by the five presidents of the courts to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar back in June remain and that the position has not changed.

Mr Justice Clarkes outspoken comments are likely to be seen as highly significant as the bill is moved through the Oireachtas in the coming weeks.

He also described relations between Government and the judiciary as having been tense in recent times.

I think the concern is that it is not the best model for appointing judges, simply put, there are better models. Government knows our position and it hasnt changed, he said.

I think the position of the judiciary was made clear in the letter from the five presidents so I dont differ from that. We have said what we have to say on it, but we will live with whatever comes out at the end of the day.

However, he suggested that the proposed new rules could lead to poorer judges being appointed.

We would regard the methods of appointment as important because if we dont get the right people then the judiciary is not as strong as it might be, and that is the concern, he said.

I dont think there was an insiders cartel as it was described. The judiciary is more disparate than people give it credit for.

Mr Justice Clarke said his judicial colleagues are concerned that they may be unfairly subject to misconduct charges under the controversial pending Judicial Council Bill, another reforming piece of legislation currently under consideration.

It has been criticised after it emerged the identity of judges reprimanded for behaving improperly will be protected under the proposed judicial legislation.

The bill is due to be considered by the Oireachtas this session.

In contrast with many other countries, including in England, Wales, and Canada, and unlike in regulated professions here, the public will not know when a judge has been rebuked.

Asked to respond to the criticism, Mr Justice Clarke said: I wasnt really involved in it, but was aware of. It is something I want to talk to colleagues about. The one thing the judiciary have been concerned with is the very low threshold for the definition of misconduct.

I think that is connected with some of the other issues. I dont want to adopt a position without having the chance to talk to those who were involved in the negotiations but it is something we will have to take a position on.

He also revealed his plan to free up judges by delegating some functions to other judicial officers, even in the High Court.

There are matters that need not be handled by judges, you may have suitable people to handle the more routine administrative matters, he said.

A judges primary job is deciding on cases, so maybe more of the work in getting the case ready for a focused, shorter and therefore cheaper hearing could be given to other officers. But they would need to be reasonably experienced and competent people and they would need to be paid otherwise you wouldnt get the people.

Mr Justice Clarke confirmed that in his younger days he was active in Fine Gael and was a speech writer for former taoiseach, the late Garrett FitzGerald.

He also says he remains very interested in politics, not just in Ireland but across the world.

I would have been a reasonably active Fine Gael person over the years, he said. I certainly wrote speeches for Garrett FitzGerald back in the day. I have still have an interest but it is not just Irish politics, I follow German elections, the French elections, the Americans. You retain that interest.
The concern is over the possibility that politicians interfered with policing to serve their own ends.

Stepaside Garda Station was one of 139 closed during the financial upheaval that followed the 2009 recession. A yet-unpublished Department of Justice report recommended reopening six Garda stations. The report has yet to be seen by Cabinet or Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Nonetheless, the week Mr Varadkar was stepping into the role of Taoiseach in June, it was announced that Stepaside would reopen.

The announcement by Mr Ross came just a week after he and other Independent Alliance members met Mr Varadkar on June 6. Enda Kenny was on his way out the door and Taoiseach-elect Mr Varadkar met the group to iron out any issues before taking the reins of Government.

Alliance member and junior minister John Halligan had sat down with me for a 40-minute interview for the Irish Examiner in August, during which we discussed a variety of topics, including the new Taoiseach, along with Mr Halligans role in Government and the Independent Alliance.

One issue that was discussed was the June 6 private meeting between the Alliance and the incoming Government leader. Mr Varadkar had promised to get a number of local projects over the line, Mr Halligan told the Irish Examiner.

Min Halligan told @irishexaminer Leo Varadkar-as Taoiseach elect-promised Shane Ross to get Stepaside garda station "over the line" #iestaff pic.twitter.com/RWkPfsz6qV  Juno McEnroe (@Junomaco) September 28, 2017

Specifically, this included reopening Stepaside and securing better cardiac services in Mr Halligans native Waterford. Mr Halligan said Mr Ross had been pressing for the Stepaside reopening at that meeting.

A week later, the day before the Taoiseach took his seal of office, its reopening was announced.

Controversy had erupted after concerns about outgoing attorney general Maire Whelan being promoted to the Appeals Court, a move supported by Mr Ross. The Stepaside news and Ms Whelans promotion, agreed at Cabinet on June 13, sparked outcry.

This week, on RTEs Prime Time, Mr Ross denied Mr Halligans claim that Mr Varadkar had promised to get Stepaside over the line at the June 6 meeting.

For clarity, and to reveal the extent to which Mr Halligan spoke about this deal, the Irish Examiner today prints a full and unedited transcript of that part of our interview with him.

What about the Attorney General and the whole Maire Whelan appointment and the fact that Shane Ross at the same time was reopening up Stepaside, did you guys think it was a stroke?

No, I didnt and Ill tell you why.

Did you ask him [Shane Ross]?

I didnt have to to and Ill tell you why. And this is the truth. When we went into meet Leo Varadkar. Shane Ross was sitting where Im sitting now, in that geographical position. He was sitting there. Up to then, he was arguing on Stepaside, at that meeting with Leo Varadkar, as I was arguing with the hospital in Waterford.

This is the renewal of things [for Government]?

Yes, the renewal. And he actually said to me Jesus, Im having awful problems with this. And he was, because we knew. There was no question of him saying Ill agree with the Attorney General if you give me Stepaside, that did not happen.

That was the meeting that you all went to before Leo was made Taoiseach, yes?

Yes.

Was he pressing Stepaside then?

Yes he was pressing it still then. Thats the truth. Ask any of the other four [Alliance members]. He was pressing that then. We put our stuff that we had [sic], we decided that we would be honourable in this, we wouldnt start adding new stuff. What it was was a change of leader in Fine Gael and it would obviously then be a change in Taoiseach.

Q: Youre saying it [the Whelan appointment] was a separate issue?

Absolutely. Do you think that the hassle Im having with the [Waterford] hospital, if I thought that hed gone in and said Ill give you that judge if you give me... no, no, no, that is not true because I was speaking to him weeks before that and wed often said fuck, Im having problems with this hospital and he said Im the same in Stepaside, I cant get this over the line. Im finding it difficult getting this over the line. Now, at that meeting, we had said that we had made it quite clear that there were issues in the programme for government. My issue was secondary with the hospital, the mobile cath labs, Shane Ross said my issue is Stepaside.

In fairness, Leo Varadkar said we will get them over the line for you.
High Court President, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, directed that the woman be freed to live a supervised lifestyle for the next six weeks in a village for elderly emigrants who have returned to spend their final days in Ireland.

She will be allowed visits from family members and in turn allowed to visit them at their home but will not be allowed to overnight with them which would be entirely inappropriate, said Judge Kelly.

Judge Kelly, who had directed that HSE personnel appear before him to explain a breach of his order, accepted the apology from top HSE psychiatrist, Dr Izuchukwu Ugwu, who permitted the woman to visit her family overnight in breach of court directions.

Judge Kelly said he accepted the decision to release the woman was made by Dr Ugwu in what he considered was in the best interest of the woman and in ignorance of the legalities attached to the court order. He congratulated Dr Ugwu on what he described as his refreshing honesty and acceptance of responsibility for the breach.

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was less than six stone in weight when the court made an order three months ago allowing doctors administer life-saving treatment to her. The court had heard that it was not a question that she might die but that she would die if not treated.

Dr Ugwu said the woman responded well to treatment and is now just short of normal body mass for someone of her age and stature. He told Judge Kelly the woman had felt caged in the hospital and, in tears, had begged him to allow her occasionally leave the hospital and on one occasion spend an overnight with family members.

Judge Kelly said he accepts that an appropriate plan for the womans treatment and care over a period of the next six weeks has been put in place and he lifted his order detaining her in hospital. She will be placed in a single unit in a residential home for the elderly where a nurse will be on duty at all times.
Independent Alliance Minister of State John Halligan has followed Health Minister Simon Harris who has previously warned that unless people are medically qualified to give advice, they should butt out.

Mr Halligan said he finds it incredible that the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore, Phonsie Cullinan, had attempted to conflate the clinical value of the vaccine with the Churchs views on the need to help young people stay chaste.

Mr Harris said yesterday: I dont want to get into a spat with anybody, bishop or no bishop, but at the end of the day the people qualified to give medical advice on vaccinations are doctors and, funnily enough, not bishops.

The HSE recently launched a campaign to encourage parents to get their teenage daughters HPV vaccinated after levels of uptake dropped.

While Mr Halligan described the bishop as a man of great integrity, he said his comments on the vaccine are fundamentally wrong.

His attempts to weigh in on a medical argument are ill-advised, to say the least. Religion has no place in medical debate and the Catholic Churchs track record on the medical welfare of Irish women speaks for itself. Our health and health education policies need to be evidence-based, with faith and morals left firmly at the door. I would urge Bishop Phonsie to leave the clinical debates to the clinical experts. .

Meanwhile the National Cervical Screening Programme has recorded its most successful year in 2016 since the programme began in 2008. Each year in Ireland, almost 300 women are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer and almost 90 women die from the disease. Some 79.7% of the target population of almost 1.2m eligible women, aged 25 to 60, have now been screened in the last five years.

Professor Grainne Flannelly, clinical director of CervicalCheck, said in the course of its first eight years, CervicalCheck has identified and treated more than 50,000 women with precancerous abnormalities which has significantly reduced their risk of developing cervical cancer.

The programmes latest report shows that 90% of the 263,481 women with a satisfactory screening test received a normal result. Within the same period, 17,909 attended a colposcopy for the first time  an increase of 1,360 in comparison to the previous year  and 7,131 treatments were carried out to reduce the risk of cancer .
He attended Drimnagh Castle Secondary School  where, he notes, rugby was not the sport of choice  before making his way to UCD.

A scholarship student, he was the first person to attend the Kings Inns on the grant, as he says.

He blazed a trail as a lawyer before being appointed to the High Court, and then the Supreme Court.

A former Fine Gael activist and speechwriter for the late Garret Fitzgerald, Justice Clarke was appointed by the Government to become Chief Justice in late July, succeeding Susan Denham following her retirement.

As he puts it, the relationship between the Government and the judiciary has been tense in recent times and he believes that a large part of his job is in steering that relationship towards calmer waters.

In his first major interview since his appointment, Justice Clarke, in typically straightforward and forthright manner, discusses the scale of the challenge ahead of him.

I ask him how he intends handling relations with Government.

Firstly, I would like to see it where there is a constructive engagement and I think it is getting back to that stage, he says.

On one level, one would like to see less of it, less of it being necessary. Most of the time, Government should get on with governing and judges should get on with deciding cases and they shouldnt have to have too much to do with each other.

If there wasnt the need to be too much interaction, I would regard that as a success.

But if there is a need to be an interaction, perhaps a more normalised one than the tenser relations that there have been in recent times.

However, there are two major bills working their way through the Oireachtas which have caused concern, as he puts it, to him and his fellow judges.

Justice Clarke makes it clear that he thinks the proposed bill spearheaded by Transport Minister Shane Ross of the Independent Alliance is highly problematic.

I think the concern is that it is not the best model for appointing judges. Simply put, there are better models, he says.

Government knows our position and it hasnt changed.

I think the position of the judiciary was made clear in the letter from the five presidents so I dont differ from that. We have said what we have to say on it, but we will live with whatever comes out at the end of the day.

The countrys most senior judges told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in an unprecedented letter that the reforms championed by Mr Ross would fail in their aim of removing politics from judicial appointments.

The previously unpublished letter, sent at the height of the controversy over Mr Rosss reforms at the end of June, instead claims the reforms would create further political interference in how judges are chosen.

It is signed by former chief justice Susan Denham, as well as Sean Ryan, Peter Kelly, Raymond Groarke, and Rosemary Horgan, the presidents of the Court of Appeal, High Court, Circuit Court and District Courts respectively.

The judges said they would be failing in our duty if they did not record their concerns.

I press Justice Clarke as to his thinking, as he was not one of the signatories to that letter.

He explains: We would regard the methods of appointment as important because if we dont get the right people, then the judiciary is not as strong as it might be, and that is the concern.

I dont think there was an insiders cartel, as it was described.

The judiciary is more disparate than people give it credit for.

There was the recent research by DCU that suggests that there is no great correlation between the appointment of judges and the outcome of cases.

So I am not sure the problem has been established to which there needs to be an answer.

I ask him about the long-held perception that governments of the day stuff the benches with their cronies.

There may have been times when there was a correlation between the government of the day and people appointed, he says.

I think it is a lot less than people thought.

I certainly know a lot of people who were appointed by governments they didnt support, he says.

The very fact that I was appointed by a Fianna Fail government and promoted by a Fine Gael Government is a sign that governments dont stick necessarily to their own.

There are plenty more examples of that.

But many see judges as being too powerful. Does he accept that?

If you ask the average judge, they would say that their perception is that very little of what they have to say in recent times got much traction at all, he says.

I dont think we do [hold too much sway], but we make our case and we have persuaded Goverment on some issues and not persuaded them on many issues. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

The other major bill that is coming down the tracks is the Judicial Council Bill, which itself has been the source of some controversy.

Requested by the judiciary for 17 years, and repeatedly neglected by successive governments, the matter is now finally moving.

However, one aspect of the bill allows for judges to be sanctioned in private, away from the public gaze.

It has led to the charge that the judges are seeking to look after themselves.

I ask Justice Clarke for his view.

I wasnt really involved in it, but was aware of it, he says. It is something I want to talk to colleagues about.

The one thing the judiciary have been concerned with is the very low threshold for the definition of misconduct.

I think that is connected with some of the other issues.

I dont want to adopt a position without having the chance to talk to those who were involved in the negotiations, but it is something we will have to take a position on.

In terms of what he wants to do, Justice Clarke says he would like to increase the access to the courts to more people.

To do this, costs need to fall.

The issue that causes me most concern is the access to justice, he says.

The fact that for a lot of people, going to court is prohibitive, which means they cannot vindicate their rights, not because they do not have a good case but just because it is too risky to bring that case.

It allows better- resourced entities  sometimes the State, sometimes big businesses and the like  to avoid obligations because they can take those chances and run a case.

They can afford to run a case that others cant.

Even when the case is taken, they may have to make difficult decisions, say if they are made an offer which falls far short of what they think is reasonable, but still they cant afford to take that chance.

So, I ask him, is the answer more courtrooms and more judges?

You could debate what the best solution is, he says.

We have less support than any judiciary around.

At the moment, a Supreme Court judge has a share of one researcher.

If you go to any European country you will find a lot more judges, firstly, and typically they have two or three researchers each.

Then Justice Clarke makes a bold suggestion, that more cases, even in the High Court, could be handled not by judges but by specially-appointed legal officers.

He is proposing a plan whereby the more mundane cases would be heard by non-judges in a bid to speed up the process and reduce costs

The current situation, he says, has a knock-on effect in the way cases are heard and the costs are increased to the parties.

There are matters that need not be handled by judges  you may have suitable people to handle the more routine administrative matters, he says.

A judges primary job is deciding on cases, so maybe more of the work in getting the case ready for a focused, shorter, and therefore cheaper hearing could be given to other officers.

But they would need to be reasonably experienced and competent people and they would need to be paid.

Otherwise you wouldnt get the people.

I ask him then to clarify exactly what his political links are.

I would have been a reasonably active Fine Gael person over the years, he says.

I certainly wrote speeches for Garret Fitzgerald back in the day.

I was less active in more recent years as my practice was busy and I didnt have the time.

I still have an interest, but it is not just Irish politics, I follow the German elections, the French elections, the Americans. You retain that interest.

We conclude by talking about how he would want to be remembered at the end of his term.

If I could make a contribution to increasing access to judges over the four years, there are limits that are within our control, and I dont think we can make a dramatic change, but if that is materially better, then I will feel I have done a good job.
Travelling around the coasts of Ireland and Britain in an old NHS ambulance he has converted into a darkroom, the Englishman landed on Valentia Island in Co Kerry yesterday, where he was rewarded with a slap-up fish supper created by chef Derry Clarke.

The owner of Dublins LEcrivain took time out of his busy schedule to launch the RNLIs fish-supper campaign and cooked for the hungry volunteers of the Co Kerry Lifeboat crew.

I hope its up to scratch, joked Lowe before sinking his teeth into cured salmon with cucumber, apple and dill, followed by seafood chowder and Flaggy Shore oysters, finished off with Lambay Island scallops with cauliflower and raisins.

The pop-up restaurant at the RNLI station was to highlight the charitys Fish Supper campaign thats taking place from October 13 and 15, where people are asked to host a fish supper with friends to raise money for the Lifeboats.

Photographer Jack Lowe, who is travelling around the UK and Ireland photographing RNLI lifeboat volunteers through a Victorian process, assisted in the venture by Duncan Davis. Pic: Valerie OSullivan

Photographer Jack  a grandson of Dads Army actor, Arthur Lowe aka Capt Mainwaring  began his RNLI project in January 2015.

With 100 RNLI stations now completed, using an Edwardian camera but Victorian photography methods on glass plates, hes still less than halfway through the 238 stations dotted along the British and Irish coastlines.

He estimates it will be at least the end of 2020 before its completed.

My wife and I have been married for 21 years and our boys are 19 and 16 so Im at a stage in life where I have more flexibility, he said.

I always knew this would need to be my life if I was going to do it. Its probably one of the biggest photography projects ever attempted in the history of photography and theres no other way to do it really other than throw yourself into it.

Valentia Island RNLI Lifeboat Station marked the 100th station visited by photographer Jack Lowe. Pic: Valerie OSullivan

He develops the photographs in an old NHS ambulance he bought on eBay that he has converted into a darkroom.

His subjects yesterday were the two staff and 30 odd volunteers who make up the Valentia Island Lifeboat crew, a tradition on the island community that spans more than 150 years.

Once completed, the photographs will go on exhibition and he has already been approached by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and other institutions.
Unions are currently preparing to ballot members for strike action as staff seek a 3.75% increase without extra productivity requirements. The company offered 1.5% and also put forward productivity measures.

Siptu condemned, however, what it described as deeply ill-informed media reports on the increments.

It is simply a statement of the truth that our members in Irish Rail have not received a pay rise in the last 10 years, said Siptu sector organiser Willie Noone.

During the same period, these workers have seen their allowances cut, staff numbers reduced, and have accepted other earning-suppressing measures.

Media reports have attempted to present increments received by workers as they progress towards obtaining the full maximum rate for their job as the same thing as pay rises. The fallacy that workers got pay rises during the last decade needs to be debunked. The reality is that approximately 80% of workers in Irish Rail are on the full rate of pay for their role and any movement in increments does not affect them.

He said that, in an attempt to undermine members, the media had not presented the facts of pay in Irish Rail.

The days of driving down real earnings for workers are at an end and it is only right that Irish Rail employees should seek to benefit proportionately for their role in maintaining a functioning rail service, he said.

Siptu organiser Paul Cullen said: Our members in Irish Rail cannot continue to subsidise the service and accept being treated differently to other workers in the transport sector.
The airline was under pressure from aviation authorities both here and in Britain in the wake of Wednesdays cancellation of an extra 18,000 flights, affecting potentially 400,000 passengers.

CAR said Ryanair confirmed yesterday it is taking on additional staff to ensure all refunds are provided to affected passengers within seven working days and that claims for compensation and expenses will be dealt with within 28 working days.

Ryanair has an obligation to re-route passengers to their final destination at the earliest opportunity, said a CAR spokesman. We fully expect Ryanair to offer re-routing on alternative airlines or to alternative airports as appropriate (as they have outlined they will do).

If re-routing means you have to stay an extra night, Ryanair must provide care and assistance at its expense; for example, hotel... meals and refreshments, and transport to the hotel.

The spokesman said CAR is satisfied that a commitment from the airline to firstly seek to move a passenger to the next available Ryanair flight and, if that is not suitable, to go to another airline or mode of transport, meets the requirements of the European legislation.

Ryanair said it emailed all customers affected by its flight cancellations outlining their rights and entitlements. It said it has also updated the frequently asked questions section of its website to reflect all the changes and put a press release on its website explaining how and when customers will be reaccommodated on other Ryanair flights or other airline flights.

In Britain, the airline faced the prospect of enforcement action by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) over its information for passengers affected by cancellations. It had until 5pm yesterday to address the issue.

Ryanair has also today replied to the UK CAA letter of September 28, agreeing to meet its requirement for customer clarification on Ryanairs EU261 obligations, which are in line with those requested by the CAR, the airline said. It also called on the British authority to require all UK airlines to comply with their European obligations, claiming CAA did not apply them to British Airways earlier this year when the airline suffered a computer meltdown.

Meanwhile, the Irish Aviation Authority has rejected claims by the European Cockpit Association that it allows companies a more lenient interpretation of European safety rules on flight-time limitations and the annual limit on flight hours per pilot per year.

IAA said it ensures all airlines comply fully with all safety regulations to the highest international safety standards, including Flight Time Limitation rules.
Shanghai grapes exported to Thailand

By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2017-09-29 09:10

Shanghai grapes have recently made their debut on the Thai market. For the first time ever, grapes produced in Shanghai were exported to a country along the Belt and Road routes.



After being inspected by the Fengxian Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, the first batch of grapes, weighing 160 kilograms in all and produced in Shanghais Fengxian District, was allowed to enter Thailand, marking a breakthrough in the citys history of table grapes exportation.

According to sources, the grapes will later on be displayed for sale in Bangkoks high-end supermarkets, offering Thai consumers an opportunity to taste Shanghai grapes.



The grapes exported to Thailand are produced by Xinxin, a brand that is affiliated to Shanghais leading food supplier Bright Food Group and runs an organic grape plantation in Fengxian.

As a famous trademark in Shanghai, Xinxin has applied the latest green technology to its fruit production. As it uses natural fertilizers instead of chemical agents, the brand enjoys a high reputation in the industry.


Shes a self-confessed homebird who moved to New York for her career. She completed three degrees by the age of 23, and then decided to enter a beauty pageant. Aoife Walsh is certainly ambitious, but the former Miss Ireland is also an intriguing mix of contradictions.

If life had gone according to her plan, Aoife would be teaching a class of secondary-school children now. Instead she is settling into a hectic new life in New York, where she hopes to further her career as a model and influencer.

Moving to ultra-competitive New York to model at the age of 27 might be considered a risky proposition by some, but the Clonmel woman is blase. I felt like I had experience after modelling in Ireland for three years. I was old enough to take on the Big Apple.

Before making the move, Aoife met with three different New York agencies. All of them offered her a place. She signed with MSA Models, which also boasts another former Miss Ireland  Emma Waldron  on its books. Im signed in under three different divisions: fashion, lifestyle which is the commercial end and their influencer division.

Aoife is also continuing to work with her Irish agent, Andrea Roche. Ill be going back and forth to Ireland quite a bit as well, which is great. In New York, a model has to attend casting calls for every job.

You go round the city every day meeting clients, says Aoife.

Being Irish helps. Clients pick up on the accent a lot. Even my name is very different in America, and its a conversation opener. I chat to them about being Miss Ireland and having red hair and I think it gives me an edge over the other girls because they remember you for your story and you stand out from the crowd.

Yet Aoife almost destroyed her modelling USP.

I got a bit of grief about my red hair when I was younger. I wanted to dye my hair blonde and then my mum told me that because I was a red head, if I dyed my hair blonde, it would turn green. I look back and I think I was such an eejit, but Im so glad that I didnt touch it.

Later in life, it really stood to me. In Miss Ireland, I was the only redhead. In Miss World, I was the only redhead. People in New York are always saying they love my red hair. I wouldnt feel me without my red hair.

Top Topshop; Skirt Zara; Bag Zara; Hat Preston & Olivia; Shoes Steve Madden

The big American casting calls live up to their image in the movies. Models are lined up in a hallway waiting to be seen. When called in to meet the client, they do their walk.

Some clients say give me cross or laughter or confused, says Aoife. When that happens, I think I could be on a TV show.

Im loving it here. The modelling industry in New York can be stereotyped as being very harsh and aggressive but, so far, Ive met lots of new friends within my own agency and other agencies, just from going to castings. We all just want to get on and be successful.

A typical day for Aoife begins with a trip to the gym. So far, so normal you might think for a model. But this is only one of the ways her life has changed since she moved Stateside.

Im one of those really lucky people who have a really high metabolism. I can eat whatever I want, and Ive always been the same size. At home, the gym wasnt on my radar.

Living in New York made Aoife want to up her game. She does regular cardio now, working out three or four times a week on the bike or the crosstrainer. I do a light bit of toning then, followed by some core exercises on a yoga mat, nothing too strenuous.

I want to be fit enough to whizz around the city on my feet because castings could be uptown, downtown, over in Brooklyn, anywhere. You might have a couple very close to each other so you need to be moving pretty quickly.

Most casting calls take place in the morning or early afternoon, so after her workout, Aoife does light hair and make-up and goes to her appointments. Shes also working on a blog at the moment about life in New York and her love of fashion.

In the evening, I try to meet friends for coffee. If I havent got to the gym that day, I might go with a friend and make it a social thing. I have made friends with Irish girls here, and its good to get advice from them about how theyve made the transition from home, and the little things like where do you get your chicken.

Ive started doing a lot of cooking. A lot of people here eat out or get takeout every night, but Im very conscious of what Im eating and what is in the food. I make my own food and eat the way I would at home. I make a lot of salads and soups in the evening. Even the bread here is so sugary and salty. Ive just made my own loaf.

Top Topshop; Belt Topshop; Sunglasses: Stylists own

Although Aoife admits to having a sweet tooth, with doughnuts being a serious guilty pleasure, she is very aware of all the temptations around her. I have to restrain myself a little bit more than I would have previously. I brought over Barrys Tea because I cant cope without it. I would usually have chocolate or cookies with it at night, and that would be about it, treatwise.

Aoife has always been focused. By the age of 23, I had three degrees and I had won Miss Ireland, I was doing pretty well. But it wasnt always easy for her. She says that winning Miss Ireland in 2013 was one of the best moments of her life. However, when asked during that competition what was the worst thing that ever happened to her, her reply was failing to get into the HDip teacher training course when she first applied.

I was extremely ambitious but I was being told no. Instead I did my masters in business. The second time I got told no, I did some work experience with disadvantaged students. In hindsight, it definitely wasnt the worst thing to happen to me, but at the time it felt like it was.

On her third attempt, she was accepted in the HDip course in Trinity and UCC. She chose to study in the capital.

Winning Miss Ireland changed Aoifes life, but she almost didnt enter.

Dress Booho; Jewellery Lulu Frost

She was working in Abercrombie & Fitch in Dublins Dundrum Town Centre at weekends while studying for her HDip.

You are a sales assistant but youre classified as a model because you wear the clothes and you had to sell them while you were wearing them. It definitely boosted my confidence even to go forward to [compete in] Miss Tipperary.

I had really wanted to enter it. I wanted to look back in 10 years time and say that was an experience I had. When she turned 22, she realised that she only had one chance left to take part in the competition because of the age cut-off.

But at the last minute I was like I dont know if I will. I was teaching in a school getting my work experience. I had a lot on that year. I was working two jobs and I was in college.

Her mother asked her if she would regret not going for it and she admitted she would. I hate sitting back. I like to go for it and take the opportunity. So what if it doesnt work out, at least I went for it and Ill have no regrets.

Competing in Miss Ireland was another bucket list item. Aoife was so sure that she wasnt going to win that she had planned to go on holiday to Croatia the next morning. I had brought my suitcase to the pageant so that I could go straight to the airport after it.

Aoife was the third woman from Clonmel to win Miss Ireland after Andrea Roche and Roz Purcell. Like her model colleagues, she is determined to make the most of every opportunity life offers.

Moving to New York may be a leap of faith for her, but this ambitious redhead says shes never really been one to have a massive game plan.

After six years studying, I never thought Id be in New York modelling. At the moment Im very open to opportunities. Im just loving life here and who knows where Ill be in five years? But I know I can look back in 10 years time and say I modelled in New York and it was such a great period of time in my life.

Top H&M; Coat Mango; Scarf Zara 20

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Lujiazui FTZ issues first China green card

By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2017-09-30 13:58

Jun Hirasawa (right) is awarded a certificate to prove that he is the first China green card recipient in Lujiazui. [Photo/Eastday.com]

Shanghais Lujiazui Free Trade Zone issued its first China green card in September.



Jun Hirasawa, Chairman of Marubeni (China) Co., Ltd., a company located in Lujiazui Free Trade Zone, received his permanent residence permit in China on September 15. He couldnt believe his ears after learning that he was the first foreigner in Lujiazui Free Trade Zone to get the permit. It is like a dream come true, said Mr. Hirasawa. The residence permit in China is often described by the media as the hardest green card to get in the world.

I submitted the application on May 18 and got the China green card on September 15. It was 121 days, Mr. Hirasawa told the reporter. He was very grateful to those who had helped him obtain the permit, saying, I applied for the permit soon after the new policy was launched. After finding that I was unfamiliar with the policy, the staff of the Free Trade Zone administration bureau in Lujiazui gave me instruction and offered me their greatest help and support, avoiding many detours in my application process. Id like to give my special thanks to them.


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The Winston-Salem Chronicle will have a new home to go along with its new ownership, the publication said this week.

The weekly newspaper is moving from 617 N. Liberty St.  its home for the past 33 years  to 1300 E. Fifth St. near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. It is expected to complete the move Sunday.

The paper will continue as it has, and we will have more square footage, said Derwin Montgomery, one of the two Winston-Salem City Council members who are directors of Chronicle Media Group LLC, which acquired the newspaper from former owner Ernie Pitt for an undisclosed price earlier this year. The other director of Chronicle Media Group is James Taylor.

Montgomery is council member for East Ward, while Taylor is council member for Southeast Ward. When the two men took over direction of the paper, they said the newspaper serving the black community would do fair and balanced journalism, and would not be a vehicle for their personal views.

The newspaper, which was founded in 1974, will move into a former Bank of America Corp. building that was bought for $300,000 on July 31 by Branch Building 500 LLC.

Branch Building 500 was formed May 26, according to N.C. Secretary of States website. The registered agent is listed as James Perkins.

Taylor could not be reached for comment Thursday. He was quoted in The Chronicle as saying the move will increase the newspapers visibility in the Winston-Salem and African-American communities, as well as breathe new life in the former bank site.

According to Forsyth County tax records, the Chronicles current 10,560-square-foot property is valued at $487,400.

Linville Team Partners has had the building listed for sale at $1.2 million, but the firm said Thursday it is no longer marketing the property.

Taylor has said that he and Montgomery each own no more than 10 percent of the company that now owns the Chronicle.

The 10 percent limit is important because of state law governing city contracts. The city cannot enter into a contract with a company if a city official has more than 10 percent ownership of a company.

City Manager Lee Garrity said in March that the city spends about $100,000 a year with the Chronicle on legal notices and advertising.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Philip Morris USA have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal of legal rulings involving smokers Engle progeny lawsuits.

The manufacturers submitted their petition for writ of certiorari on Sept. 15.

A writ typically is submitted when there are conflicting rulings in lower courts, such as state Supreme Courts. At least four justices have to agree to hear a petition to move it forward.

Engle progeny lawsuits sprang from a decision in 2006 by the Florida Supreme Court that decertified a $145 billion class-action lawsuit initially filed by Howard Engle. The ruling limits former class members to filing individual lawsuits stating that cigarettes caused their respective illnesses.

On May 23, the full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a case involving Earl Graham, the husband of the late Faye Graham, who was an original member of the Engle class-action lawsuit. Graham was awarded a $550,000 judgment from Reynolds and $275,000 from Philip Morris, with the jury finding Faye Graham 70 percent at fault for her illness.

The appeals court ruled that previous Engle progeny rulings are allowed as evidence in current and future trials.

The manufacturers say in their 432-page petition that they are asking for clarity on whether previous court rulings should be allowed as evidence, as well as whether their due process has been compromised.

While the class put on evidence of myriad purported negligent acts and defects, the jury never identified what act it found negligent or what defect it found, making it impossible to tell what conduct and which cigarettes, over what timeframe, it had condemned, the manufacturers argue.

If current and future Engle progeny trials can rely on previous rulings, rather than having to produce their own evidence of harm, defendants are thus barred from contesting the core basis of their own liability, the petition says. If the Engle jurys findings are deemed to establish that all cigarettes are inherently defective, are claims based on those findings preempted by the many federal statutes that manifested Congress intent that cigarettes continue to be lawfully sold in the United States?

In January 2016, a three-judge appellate-court panel vacated an April 2015 ruling that said Engle plaintiffs must prove that the cigarettes they or relatives smoked were defective in order to receive damages. The judges ruled that allowing previous legal evidence was akin to a ban on cigarettes, an authority granted only to Congress.

The majority of the 10 appellate judges for the 11th Circuit said in a 284-page ruling that they disagree with the manufacturers argument that federal law pre-empts Engle jury findings and that allowing prior trial evidence would violate the due process clauses in the U.S. Constitution.

Brian May, a spokesman for Philip Morris USA said in May that the dissenting opinion from the full appellate court provides strong legal ground for review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm with clients who are plaintiffs in Engle progeny cases, said the appellate-court decision allows the reintroduction of previous Engle jurys findings that smoking leads to certain diseases and that tobacco companies hid the dangers of smoking from consumers.

Philip Morris, Reynolds and Lorillard Inc. agreed in February 2015 to settle nearly all Engle progeny lawsuit cases, estimated at 415, that are either pending or not yet tried in Florida federal courts. Philip Morris and Reynolds each paid $42.5 million to resolve those cases, while Lorillard paid $15 million.
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 ...
Hero of Mollywood's first musical hit 'Thiramala' shares his Hollywood stint, directing Prem Nazir and more
JURIST Guest Columnist Andrew Wright of the Savannah Law School discusses President Trumps newly revised travel ban

On September 24th, President Donald Trump issued a presidential proclamation revising the entry suspensions and restrictions outlined in Executive Order 13780, issued March 6, 2017. The March 6 E.O. replaced the original chaos-inducing travel ban instituted by Executive Order 13769 on January 27, 2017. For ease of reference, I refer to these three presidential executive actions sequentially as Travel Ban 1.0 (January 27), Travel Ban 2.0 (March 6), and Travel Ban 3.0 (September 24).

JURIST reported on the scope of the new bans coverage, and Marty Lederman provided helpful additional analysis of the Travel Ban 3.0 on Just Security. In operative effect, Travel Ban 3.0 suspended immigration of individuals from Chad and North Korea, in addition to those from Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen who were already covered by Travel Ban 2.0. It also suspends, to varying degrees, the entry of nonimmigrants from those countries, along with certain classes of Venezuelans. It also had the likely effect of mooting much of the pending federal litigation.

The president chose to shift from use of an executive order to a presidential proclamation as the platform for this policy pronouncement. While I cannot resolve the question as to the presidents motivation, I offer some basic contours of these different forms of presidential directives. Bottom line: the validity of the presidents travel ban policy will turn on its substance (and, I would argue, irrationality), not its delivery by means of executive order or presidential proclamation.

The Constitutions enumerated government structure requires that all presidential directives must trace authority to an express constitutional grant of power, a presidential power implied by the Constitution, or a legislative enactment delegating authority to the president. A presidential directive can be controversial as a matter of process by nature of its expression of unilateral action by the president. However, they are more often controversial as a matter of substance: either by means of a contested authority asserted by the president or the presidents policy choice.

Neither the Constitution nor Congress created executive orders and other presidential directives. Rather, they are creatures of customary presidential practice. There are therefore no concrete, universally accepted definitions of each form of presidential directive. There is plenty of overlap, which often gives a president a choice among forms of directive for a given policy. There are some general distinctions that can be made based on recent presidential practices. Presidential directives can come in a number of forms, including executive orders, presidential memoranda, presidential proclamations, national security directives, or presidential signing statements. Here, I will address the general distinction between executive orders and presidential proclamations. More comprehensive treatments, albeit from the legislative branch perspective, may be found in a series of Congressional Research Service reports Executive Orders and Proclamations (See the 1999 report and 2014 report). One immediate similarity between them: the Federal Register Act requires that both executive orders and proclamations be published in the Federal Register.

Executive Orders

In 1957, the House Committee on Government Operations offered the most widely recognized definition of an executive order: Executive orders are written documents denominated as such[and] are generally directed to, and govern actions by, Government officials and agencies. Executive orders tend to regulate the conduct of government officials and affect private individuals only indirectly. They tend to focus on management of the federal agencies of the Executive Branch.

Presidents have used executive orders to establish executive branch policy binding subordinate officials, to formulate policy in an area the President deems to have authority, to delegate executive authority to agencies, to direct agencies to establish regulations, to manage federal property, to reorganize federal agencies, and to supervise military organization. For example, President George Washington used an executive order to require executive department heads to submit a clear account' of their departments operations. Similarly, President Barack Obama used Executive Order 13658 to establish a minimum wage for government contractors.

Executive orders that originate outside of the White House must go through an approval process run by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which is a component of the Executive Office of the President.

The travel ban executive orders originated inside the White House and were therefore exempt from the OMB formal process. President Trump used the Travel Ban 2.0 executive order direct subordinates (the Secretary of Homeland Security and Attorney General) to conduct a worldwide review of information and make recommendations the President to inform his judgment before that order expired. In that sense, while the Travel Ban 2.0 executive order certainly affected individual rights directly, it also largely directed subordinate executive officers to undertake duties.

Presidential Proclamations

In contrast, presidential proclamations more often affect the interests of private individuals and organizations than executive orders. Presidents use proclamations to grant pardons, declare holidays, make hortatory pronouncements, and recognize citizen achievements. For example, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, which declared that all persons held as slaves within the Confederacy henceforward shall be free.

Presidents have used proclamations to announce foreign policy. In addition, proclamations also may become the vehicle by which to make presidential findings required in order to trigger a conditional statutory authority. Presidents have also invoked emergency powers by means of proclamation.

President Trumps Shift

The Travel Ban 3.0 proclamation is largely framed as announcements of policy (e.g.,  1(a) (It is the policy of the United States) or  1(c)(ii) (The United States expects)). Some of its provisions reflect the Presidents determinations following the recommendations he had previously mandated by Executive Order. See  1(h)(ii) (After reviewing the Secretary of Homeland Securitys reportI have determined). In these purely procedural senses, the presidents policy is within the recent historical use of proclamation as a mode of presidential directive. However, the President could have also used an executive order again to achieve the same results. For example, the Travel Ban 2.0 executive order also declared U.S. policy. See Travel Ban 2.0 E.O.  1(a) (It is the policy of the United States). In any event, the legality of the presidents policy will be decided on substantive constitutional or statutory grounds rather than the typology of presidential directive.

Andy Wright is Associate Professor at Savannah Law School. He teaches constitutional law, criminal law, criminal procedure, presidential powers, and federal criminal law. He joined the law faculty after serving in the White House as Associate Counsel to President Barack Obama. Previously, Professor Wright worked in Congress conducting oversight of U.S. national security matters. Professor Wright began his legal career as Assistant Counsel to Vice President Al Gore in the Clinton White House. After Bush v. Gore, he served as General Counsel to the Office of the Former Vice President for legal matters related to winding up White House affairs.

Suggested citation:Andrew Wright, Executive Orders and Presidential Proclamations as Trump Travel Ban Vehicle, JURIST  Academic Commentary, September 29, 2017, http://jurist.org/forum/2017/09/Andrew-Wright-Trump-Travel-Ban.php

This article was prepared for publication by Dave Rodkey, Managing Editor for JURIST. Please direct any questions or comments to him at commentary@jurist.org
(Nairobi, September 29, 2017)  Rwandan authorities have arrested, forcibly disappeared, and threatened political opponents since the August 2017 presidential elections, Human Rights Watch said today. The incumbent, Paul Kagame, won the election with a reported 98.79 percent of the vote.

Those targeted include a would-be independent presidential candidate, Diane Rwigara, and her family members and supporters, and several leaders and members of the Forces democratiques unifiees (FDU)-Inkingi opposition party.

The Rwandan governments crackdown shows that it is unwilling to tolerate criticism or accept a role for opposition parties, and it sends a chilling message to those who would dare challenge the status quo, said Ida Sawyer, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. With each arrest in Rwanda, fewer and fewer people will dare to speak out against state policy or abuse.

Rwandan authorities took no chances with the August 4 presidential vote, despite the weak prospects for any opposition candidate. Several presidential aspirants were barred from participating. The only two allowed to enter the race and compete against Kagame, Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana, said they experienced harassment, threats, and intimidation. In the days following the vote, Human Rights Watch interviewed local activists and private citizens who spoke of intimidation and irregularities in both the campaign period and during the voting.

On August 29, police showed up at Rwigaras office in Kigali, the capital, and took her to her home, where they interrogated Rwigara and her family members and barred them from leaving their house. On August 30, following rumors that Rwigara may have been arrested or forcibly disappeared, the police announced that she was not in detention but that she was under investigation.

After several weeks of intimidation, questioning, and restrictions on their movements, Rwigara and her sister, Anne, a dual Rwandan and American citizen, and her mother, Adeline, a dual Rwandan and Belgian citizen, were arrested on September 23. They are being held in police custody in the capital, Kigali.

The police say that they arrested the three, in part, for publicly revealing information that is, by law, supposed to be confidential. During the interrogations in the weeks before her arrest, Rwigara told Human Rights Watch that she was being accused of forgery linked to alleged invalid signatures to establish her candidacy, of illegally forming and leading a political organization, and of inciting insurrection or trouble among the population. The family was also accused of non-payment of taxes.

In the days leading up to her arrest, Rwigara spoke with international media outlets and criticized the police actions and the accusations against her. Hours before her arrest, Rwigara told one outlet that her family was being persecuted for criticizing the government.

EXPAND Would-be independent presidential candidate Diane Rwigara speaks to the media in Kigali, Rwanda, June 20, 2017.  2017 Jean Bizimana/Reuters

The harassment of Rwigara began in May, when  72 hours after she announced her intention to run in the presidential election  nude photos of her were published on social media in an apparent attempt to humiliate and intimidate her. Rwigara said the photos were photoshopped. In July, the National Electoral Commission rejected her candidacy, claiming that many of the required signatures supporting her candidacy were invalid. Rwigara rejected the accusations and said she had fulfilled the eligibility requirements.

This is all linked to my political activities, Rwigara told Human Rights Watch on September 13. They would not let me campaign freely, and now they are after me and my family.

Since Rwigara has come under police investigation, some of her supporters have been arrested or harassed. On September 12, police arrested a supporter at his home, where they found t-shirts supporting Rwigara. He was held in an unknown location and questioned about Rwigara, then released five days later. Two of his family members were also arrested and one was released after being held in an unknown location for a week. The other remains in police custody.

Rwigaras arrest comes amid growing pressure on other political opponents. On September 6, seven FDU-Inkingi members were arrested, including four of the partys leaders: Boniface Twagirimana, first vice-president; Fabien Twagirayezu, head of party mobilization; Leonille Gasengayire, assistant treasurer; and Gratien Nsabiyaremye, assistant commissioner. Theophile Ntirutwa, Kigali representative of the party, went missing on September 6. Police arrested other FDU-Inkingi members in the following days.

The FDU-Inkingi has faced serious challenges since 2010. The party has not been allowed to register or take part in elections, and its members have been arrested and harassed repeatedly. The partys president, Victoire Ingabire, has been in prison since 2010 and is serving a 15-year sentence following a flawed trial.

EXPAND Members of the FDU-Inkingi political party at court in Nyamirambo, Kigali, on September 26, 2017. Eight members of the party have been charged with forming an irregular armed group and offenses against the president. Other political opponents in Rwanda have been convicted of state security crimes and sentenced to long prison terms after flawed trials.  2017 Private

On September 26, charges were confirmed against eight FDU-Inkingi members, including the four leaders, and they are being held in preventative detention in Remera, a suburb of Kigali. They are charged with forming an irregular armed group and offenses against the president. One party member was released.

Ntirutwa, the FDU-Inkingi member who went missing on September 6, was forcibly disappeared and held incommunicado for 17 days, before a family member could visit him at the Remera police station on September 23. During this period, the police would not confirm to Human Rights Watch or his family whether he was in custody. Ntirutwa has not been charged.

A person taken with Ntirutwa later told Human Rights Watch that he and Ntirutwa were crossing the street in Kicukiro, a Kigali suburb, when a private car pulled up and we were forced in by men with guns. One said, You are being taken because you want to cause insecurity in Rwanda. Our heads were covered so we could not see where we were going.

He was later interrogated about the party. When I asked for a lawyer, I was told, We will kill you. They pushed me to the ground and kicked me and said I was an idiot. Later, a man in civilian clothes pulled the mask off, put a gun to his face and said, If you continue to refuse answers to our questions, you will see. After about 20 hours, he was released from the Remera police station.

Ntirutwa had previously been detained on September 18, 2016, allegedly by the military, in Nyarutarama, a Kigali suburb. He was detained, beaten, and questioned about his membership in the FDU-Inkingi, then released two days later.

Gasengayire, another of those arrested, was previously arrested after visiting Ingabire in prison in March 2016. The police detained her for three days, beat her, questioned her, and denied her access to a lawyer. The police released her without charge, but re-arrested her in August 2016, and charged her with inciting insurrection and disorder among the population. They also accused her of stirring up local opposition to the expropriation of land belonging to residents in her home district and of promoting the FDU-Inkingi. Residents who tried to testify on her behalf at her trial were intimidated. A court acquitted and released her on March 23, 2017.

Enforced disappearances, unlawful arrest and detention, and ill-treatment clearly violate Rwandan and international law. Human Rights Watch has documented numerouscases in recent years in which government critics, especially those accused of threatening state security, have been held in military detention and often tortured or ill-treated in attempt to get information or force confessions. Political opponents have also been convicted of state security crimes and sentenced to long prison terms after flawed trials.

Rwandan authorities should clarify the circumstances around Ntirutwas incommunicado detention and ensure that those responsible for such unlawful detention are held accountable, Human Rights Watch said. The authorities should also ensure that courts are not used for political purposes and that political opponents accused of crimes are given free and fair trials.

The government is using its standard playbook to crush dissent, Sawyer said. Rwandas donors and other international actors should condemn this blatant clampdown on the political opposition.

This article was previously published by HRW
Thousands of angry South African trade unionists took to the streets across the nation on Wednesday to call for President Jacob Zuma to resign over alleged top-level corruption.

In Johannesburg roughly 2,000 members of the COSATU trade union federation, South Africa's largest, marched armed with "Zuma must go, corruption is a crime against humanity" placards.

They accuse Zuma of massive looting of state resources and collusion with the influential Gupta business family who are at the centre of many of the graft allegations against the president.

COSATU, which along with the South African Communist Party (SACP) and Zuma's African National Congress (ANC) party, is in South Africa's ruling coalition but has previously broken ranks and called for the president to go.

COSATU backs Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, a former trade union leader and businessman, in the race to replace Zuma as party leader which will conclude at the ANC's elective conference this December.

Zuma must also step aside as president of the country in 2019 when the ANC leader will likely succeed him as head of state. Zuma denies all allegations of corruption against him.

- Ramaphosa: 'man of good morals' -

But COSATU's president Sdumo Dlamini, who led marchers in Durban, denied that the protests were intended to sway December's conference and insisted that they were simply to protest graft.

"(The) ANC needs to prioritise unity so that we can see a united outcome of their conference in December," he told local media.

In Johannesburg a sea of red-clad demonstrators nonetheless chanted "we are ready for Ramaphosa".

"The president of the country must step down because of his dubious relationship with the Guptas," said 48-year-old Lucas Makgolane, a high school teacher who made the journey to the commercial capital from Heidelberg 60 kilometres (40 miles) southeast of Johannesburg.

"If Zuma steps down then the deputy president, a man of good morals, can step in."

Smaller marches were also held in Cape Town and in several of South Africa's major towns.

Zuma has shrugged off several court cases and persistent allegations of graft and incompetence.

Criticism of his leadership is growing within the ANC and several marchers wearing the party's colours took part in Wednesday's action.

As South Africa's economy struggles to rebound following years of sluggish growth, some political analysts have suggested that the ANC could lose its absolute majority in parliament -- held since the dawn of democracy in 1994 -- in 2019's elections.
GRAND ISLAND  An updated Central Platte Natural Resources District Hazard Mitigation Plan that makes towns, schools and fire departments within the district eligible to seek federal grants was approved Thursday by the CPNRD Board of Directors.

The participating local entities may apply to the Federal Emergency Management Administration for grants to implement mitigation projects that can reduce future losses from natural hazards.

The NRD sponsored the plans initial development in 2010 and the update.

In other business, according to a press release, Bruce Karnatz presented an update on the Kearney Whitewater Associations efforts to remove litter, promote water safety and improve public access to the 2.5-mile water trail on the Platte River-Turkey Creek.

Karnatz said the associations board is working to extend the water trail another 13 miles to the Bassway Strip bridge on Highway 10.

He requested CPNRD assistance with flood prevention and mitigation, invasive species control, bank stabilization, stormwater solids reduction, hazard removal, and improved public access.

Karnatz was given information about the districts new Urban Conservation Cost Share Program that assists sponsors with the acquisition of land or land rights and to establish, develop and improve public recreational areas.

Also Thursday, the CPNRD directors approved sending a letter to Nebraskas congressional delegation urging their support for full funding of all six Regional Climate Centers, including the High Plains center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Natural Resources.

The High Plains center provides climate research, data and information products used by water managers and ag producers in Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and the Dakotas. CPNRD relies on the data for its water and resources management operations

President Trumps FY2018 budget reduced funding for the climate centers by 82 percent. Without those funds, they will cease operations on March 6.

The CPNRD directors also received summary of Environmental Quality Incentive Program activities within the district the past year from Natural Resources Conservation Service district liaison Joe Krolikowski.

He said the deadline is Nov. 17 for FY2018 EQIP applications.
LINCOLN  The KRVN radio station and Rural Radio Network will add a news bureau and production studio at the University of Nebraska-Lincolns Innovation Campus this fall.

KRVN is the 50,000-watt flagship of a nine-station network owned and operated by the Nebraska Rural Radio Association, a cooperative of farmers and ranchers. It spans Nebraska and extends coverage into Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming.

KRVN also will sponsor The Club at NIC, a new networking, event and project space being created at the campus for entrepreneurs, faculty groups and recognized student organizations.

KRVN and the Nebraska Rural Radio Association have worked closely with the University of Nebraska for almost 70 years, said Association General Manager Craig Larson. ... This venture is the next step as we help tell the story of agriculture in Nebraska.
AMHERST  The phone rings at Belschner Custom Meats. Owner Casey Mitchell picks up the phone.

Its a farmer from the area who says hell be bringing in 10 cattle for butchering and processing.

Mitchell hangs up, goes to his antique desk and retrieves a small yellow slip from several piles of paper-clipped notes detailing orders from customers. He calls a customer to say that meat will soon be available. Not long after that, the customer drives in and picks it up.

Belschners does business up close and personal. Theres no mass production and no middleman and no flash packaging. Orders are still written by hand and fastened with others with a paper clip.

Its the way Belschner Custom Meats has done business for five generations, ever since Mitchells great-grandfather Fred Belschner founded it in 1892. It still operates in the aging brick building that Belschner built in 1910.

In a small business like this, you cant hide behind a website, Mitchell said. You are intimately involved in the process of putting meat on the table that is locally raised and dry aged. This is how meat used to get into freezers.

The slaughterhouse is in the back of the building. Pigs come in Mondays and Tuesdays. Cattle come in Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. During hunting season, he also processes a few deer for the Hunters Helping the Hungry program.

The carcasses hang in the cooler for two weeks. This dry aging process tenderizes the meat. After it is aged, butchers cut it up. Once it is frozen, customers can come pick up their orders.

Leftover pieces are cut up, vacuum-sealed in small plastic bags and placed inside freezers in the front room. These freezers contain meat that can be sold to walk-in customers, but those sales make up less than 5 percent of the business.

Big packing plants cant age the meat for two weeks. They run 1,700 cattle a day and must immediately get their meat into mass production. Not us, Mitchell said. Our customers can give specific instructions to an experienced butcher who knows the questions to ask.

Mitchell has 20 employees. Twelve are full-time. Eight are seasonal or part-time workers. Some have been there nearly 40 years.

Mitchell, 38, said the business reflects the farm-to-table trend burgeoning across the country.

People want to know where their meat comes from, whos handling it, he said. If it isnt good, they want to know how to make it right.

Born in Elm Creek, Mitchell grew up in Chadron and graduated from the University of Idaho. He worked for a hunting outfitter in Alaska for a season before coming to Amherst to learn the family business from his grandfather, James Belschner. When his grandfather retired, Mitchell bought the business, but James remained involved until he died in 2014.

I liked the area, the people and the work, and the business had room for growth, Mitchell said. Ten years ago, it slaughtered eight cattle and 10 hogs a month. Now, it processes 20 cattle and 20 hogs a month. Mitchell has had to enlarge the building. He cuts meat for 3,500 families a year.

Mitchell and his wife, ReNae, who does bookkeeping for the company, live with their four children one-half mile away. Mitchell is also the immediate past president of the Nebraska Association of Meat Producers.

On a recent Sunday, Mitchell got up at 6 a.m. to sell meat to a man from Arkansas who has purchased meat from Belschners for eight or nine years. Other customers come from as far as Denver, Lincoln and Omaha.

This commitment to quality and the community has kept my family in business for over a century. To us, small business is about knowing our customers and providing them with quality goods and services from a name that they can trust, he said.
KEARNEY  Kearney High science students gave up recess years ago, but they still can be seen on school days enjoying fresh air and sunshine at a wetland-grassland area south of KHS.

They are exploring new education opportunities at the still-in-development Kearney Outdoor Learning Area, a partnership project of Kearney Public Schools and Audubons Rowe Sanctuary.

Two major grants were awarded to Rowe Sanctuary for the project to restore native grasslands, enhance wetlands and incorporate outdoor education into existing KHS science curriculum: a $50,518 Nebraska Environmental Trust grant for construction and a $91,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant for curriculum development.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided site development expertise and there also has been input from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Cody Wagner, habitat outreach assistant at Rowe Sanctuary, said the partners will work with Prairie Plains Resource Institute in Aurora on the seed mix to restore high-diversity native plant species at the 16-acre site along Turkey Creek, which is part of the Platte Rivers north channel.

He said the plans include having KHS students scatter the seeds, ideally over the coming winter. The timing will depend on Prairie Plains schedule.

This site is going to do a really good job of filtering water in the river, Wagner said, including water from the high schools geothermal heating and cooling systems that flows into one of the wetlands before entering the creek.

What the EPA is really interested in is (teaching) how important wetlands are as a filtering system for rivers like the Platte, he said.

Work completed by Cook Construction of Kearney last week included tree removal, excavation of an old slough for a wetland, making deeper holes in sections of the current drainage so it can hold more water and fixing a potential erosion problem site.

Wagner said the wetland restoration is mostly done, but some additional trees may be removed and a bus pull-out area will be created to accommodate school buses bringing students for field trips.

Bromegrass will be sprayed with herbicide to keep it from competing with the newly planted native grasses.

Wagner said the wetland areas should hold enough water to attract migratory waterfowl.

When we get this restored, we should see a lot of water species. If you build it, they will come. That sort of thing, he said, adding that it is something Rowe staff have seen before after projects on some little prairie patch.

The new wildlife will be added to birds that already call the area home. The coolest thing is we do have a heron rookery, Wagner said.
Next week the Kearney Hub will celebrate National Newspaper Week with special stories about youths learning journalism in high school and how innovative teachers are using newspapers to help their students. We got an early start on National Newspaper Week today with a feature story about the Hubs youngest carrier, 8-year-old Sam Snodgrass, and our oldest, 81-year-old Charlie Pickens.

Young Sam likes his income as a carrier and Charlie likes the exercise. After three hours each day delivering the Hub, he can eat whatever he wishes.

Also this week, well be sharing the thoughts of community leaders. They say newspapers provide the news and information they need to be informed and effective. Well also share our own messages about National Newspaper Week on this page and in ads, and well pitch a special subscription offer. We believe that as the week unfolds, well win over new friends and readers.

Our theme is, Your Community, Your News.

Its an appropriate theme because the Hub has always been about community. Most of us Hubbers, as we arrive for a days work, challenge ourselves with the question, Are we providing the services our advertisers need to thrive and the information our community needs to excel?

Look below this opinion, and youll see our mission is to serve and inform you. It sounds simple, but with so many people following us in print and online, everyone wants something different: More sports, more help wanted ads, funnier comics. The list is long because we touch readers in dozens of ways, beginning with baby announcements and carrying through entire lifetimes.

Were observing National Newspaper Week at a time when some people doubt well be around much longer. They claim were losing readers, but thats far from true, as our audience online is now more than 1 million page views per month and growing.

Think about it. Newspapers are about the most unlikely business there is, considering the breadth of skills, talents, machinery and ambition required to continually publish the news, and yet the Hub has been a part of Kearney since 1888. At 129 years, were almost Kearneys oldest business. Generations of readers and advertisers have valued their Kearney Hub and continue to support us. We are tremendously proud to serve and inform this amazing community, and were planning to continue another 129 years.
The Tonganoxie poultry plant fiasco is an example of why transparency works in government and secrecy doesnt. Tyson Foods Inc. announced last week it is shelving its $320 million poultry plant, just a day after the Leavenworth County Commission and Tonganoxie City Commission each reversed their support for public incentives.

Tyson pulled the plug just two weeks after company officials announced the plant. It was expected to employ up to 1,600 workers earning up $15 per hour.

The county commitment was $500 million in industrial revenue bonds. The city was expected to extend sewer service at a cost of $1.3 million.

State, county and city officials clearly thought they had an economic development winner. But the backlash was immediate and strong. A protest group quickly formed and 2,000 showed up for a town hall meeting with state officials in a Tonganoxie park to protest the plant.

At Mondays city commission meeting, four of five commissioners no longer supported Tyson. County commissioners also rescinded their offer. By Tuesday, Tyson had had enough.

We still have interest in Leavenworth County, Tyson said, but will prioritize the other locations in Kansas and other states that have expressed support.

Journal-World, Lawrence, Kan.
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Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth issued a letter Friday to Michael M. Bell denying Bells request to reopen an investigation into the fatal shooting of Bells eldest son 13 years ago by a city of Kenosha police officer.

Bell had asked Beth, Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Gravely, state and federal law enforcement authorities to look into possible misconduct in the Kenosha Police Department regarding the original investigation of the Nov. 9, 2004, death of Michael E. Bell, 21.

The younger Bell was unarmed and pinned face down against a parked car by two Kenosha police officers, when one of them, a lieutenant, ordered a third officer to shoot him. The third officer shot him in the head at point-blank range.

Within two days of the shooting, now-retired Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Wade and then-Kenosha County District Attorney Robert Jambois found no police wrongdoing in the matter and declared the shooting justified.

However, the Bell family in 2010 reached an out-of-court settlement with the city of Kenosha for $1.75 million just before the familys federal civil rights suit in the case was set for trial in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee.

In his statement declining to reopen an investigation into the shooting, Beth said his department would be unable to overcome the perception of bias.

In addition, the letter recounts the two meeting Aug. 30 in Beths office to discuss Bells request.

At that time, Beth wrote, he told Bell due to the departments familiarity with most or all of the parties requested to be investigated ... there would be a perceived conflict of interest. Beth wrote that he contacted all 72 Wisconsin sheriffs departments to inquire whether they would do so, but none came forward.

In addition, he cited the U.S. Department of Justice and the state Department of Criminal Investigations declining to accept Bells request. He also took issue with Bell citing recent criticism alleging misconduct by Kenosha Police Department investigators in a 2015 homicide case that involved a police officer planting evidence.

Bell said Friday he isnt buying Beths rationale for not reopening an investigation.

I anticipated this already, and we have a request prepared for a John Doe investigation into my sons death. Am I disappointed? I expected it. I really did, because for 13 years, theyve been shutting it down, Bell said.

I believe the evidence I presented to them is incontrovertible for fraud, Bell added. The truth about my sons death are within their fingertips. All they did right here was a review. Its their reluctance to reopen the investigation.

He vowed to continue pushing to reopen the investigation.

Bell recently began running newspaper ads, radio spots and billboards calling for an outside agency to reopen the investigation into his sons in-custody death.

The campaign is similar to, but on a smaller scale than the one he ran statewide in his successful efforts to pass a law in Wisconsin requiring investigations of police shootings to be handled outside of the law enforcement department involved.

Regarding his current advertising blitz, which could eventually run into six figures, Bell puts it in simple terms: What other tool do I have to put pressure on the police?

Mayor John Antaramian and current Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said Wednesday Bell is within his rights to post the billboards and conduct the ad campaign however he sees fit.

Antaramian was mayor at the time Bells son was shot. Miskinis still was making his way up through the supervisory ranks in the Kenosha Police Department. He was appointed chief last year, succeeding John Morrissey, who retired.

Re-opening the investigation into the death of Bells son wont happen from the citys end unless new and credible evidence is brought forward in the case, they said.

Still, Antaramian acknowledged the experience understandably remains painful for Bell.

For a time, Bell, of Kenosha, put his seemingly relentless efforts on hold to change the way investigations of police-involved shootings and use of force are conducted.

Over the years, Bell has been interviewed locally, regionally and nationally by media in the wake of police-involved shootings elsewhere.

People ask me, Why dont you stop? I tell them, Youre asking me to stop seeking justice for my son, Bell said Wednesday.

The familys civil rights suit in his sons death noted the lack of eyewitness interviews conducted by Kenosha police, a medical examiners opinion countering the narratives of the officers involved and included evidence of multiple KPD reenactments of the shooting that didnt match the forensic evidence.

Now, armed with a report written by retired Judge Dennis J. Flynn, Bell said his passion for the truth has been reignited.

Flynn, the appointed referee in a disciplinary case brought by the Office of Lawyer Regulation against recently retired Kenosha County District Attorney Robert Zapf, sharply criticized the Kenosha Police Department regarding an unrelated 2014 homicide case.

That case involved an officer planting evidence, which Zapf failed to report in a timely fashion to defense attorneys and their clients.

Flynns report to the state Supreme Court only bears on whether Zapf should be disciplined up to possible disbarment. But he cited detectives and supervising officers all the way to now-retired Police Chief John Morrissey in accusing the Kenosha Police Department of misconduct and corruption in the case.

Bell points to one of Flynns statements in particular. It reads, in part: The credible evidence supports the conclusion that the KPD and its officers and chief ... engaged in an intentional cover-up of evidence of police misconduct in a homicide case ... 

Miskinis issued a statement Thursday saying he has requested the state DCI look into his departments handling of the case.

As Bell sees it, the case has many similar questions of accountability as those in his sons death. Which is why he says his campaign isnt about money. Instead, he said, his ultimate goal is for the matter to be reopened as a criminal investigation.

If there was misconduct, have the people charged and tried, Bell said. If you put your hand up and take an oath, then you lie, thats exactly what the Flynn report was about.

As he sees it, with the passage of years, public opinion about his cause has strengthened.

I see 95 percent against me in the past and 5 percent for me. Its flip-flopped. Now its more than 95 percent for me and less than 5 percent against, Bell said.

Bell added: After 13 years of being denied, rejected and dismissed, my cause is to find the truth about my sons death.

Whether his intent is to find fault or to fix what he and others argue are problems with police investigating themselves is hard to determine.

Thats an interesting question, because its both, Bell said. If there is fault, they have to be held responsible. If there isnt a fault, then I just have to move forward. If Ive overturned every stone I have to look under, then I have to move on with my life.

I havent reached that point yet, he added. I havent done all that I can. I havent expended all the resources I can.
A recent trip to Osaka, Japan, helped clarify the scope of what Gateway Technical College will face as it helps train a workforce for Foxconn Technology Group, and the manufacturing plant it plans to operate in southeastern Wisconsin.

Bryan Albrecht, president and CEO of Gateway, was a member of a delegation invited to visit a plant operated by Sakai Display Products Corp., a subsidiary of Foxconn. Albrecht called it a remarkable facility.

It helped me get a better understanding and perspective of the type of products that hopefully will be produced right here in southeast Wisconsin, Albrecht said. The size and scope of what they are doing is impressive.

Albrecht added: The product line is very innovative and state-of-the art. It gave us a broad vision of what glass technology is all about.

His review of the experience was postive.

The people were friendly, the facilities were clean and inviting, he said. It provided an inspirational feeling for how we think about advanced manufacturing in the future.

According to Sakai Display Products company information: SDP is located in the same industrial park as extremely advanced companies that deal in materials (glass, liquid chemicals), energy (electricity, gas, water), and other fields. We all work together like one big factory. This synergy helps us realize maximum efficiency in manufacturing.

The facility manufactures some of the worlds largest glass substrates that ultimately get used in display screens.

One of these glass substrates would cover the floor of a nine-square-meter room, the company reports. Eight 60-inch displays or six 70-inch displays can be produced from a single substrate. By effectively manufacturing large-screen LCDs, we can maximize our advantage in making 60-inch-and-larger LCDs.

Capacity and ability

It reassured us that we have the capacity and the ability to be able to provide training programs to meet this world-class standard, Albrecht said.

Gateways efforts to train a workforce for the Foxconn plant will include automation and robotics.

We will be expanding our line of robotics training, Albrecht said. Its the integration of IT and mechanical engineering, which is called mechatronics. In our case, from what we saw there, we need to enhance our ability to get more involved in new materials and material science engineering. That will be an important part of the work we do.

Through the leadership of the Gateway board, Albrecht said he feels the school has committed to a larger investment in programs that address the manufacturing sector.

You are going to see a shift in helping financially support the advanced manufacturing sector for Gateway, he added.

The trip was facilitated by a third party, who Albrecht did not identify. He said he was prohibited from naming the other people who took part in the trip.
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As many was in the health care world, I was shocked by the unlawful arrest of nurse Alex Wubbels. In health care, there is a brotherhood and camaraderie between our law enforcement officers and health care workers, especially nurses. We all are literally on the front line of public service on a daily basis, making this story even more disturbing.

Although the situation initially happened on July 26, the story finally was brought to the public eye on Thursday, August 31 after Nurse Wubbels held a press conference and released the body cam video of her unlawful arrest while working. When I first saw the story start circulating, my initial suspicions were high  maybe we didnt have all the facts. I watched the video and was truly disgusted and immediately angered by what I saw.

This is the third act of violence against a nurse we have seen in recent months.

Thankfully, the national news began running the story, and attention from non-nurses was growing in strength. We were clearly upset, and nothing appeared to be happening  this detective was still working.

Nurses and others called the Salt Lake City Police Department, left messages with city leaders and  in 21st-century style  went directly to the sources via the power of social media. The fire was started.

By mid-morning on Septemeber 1, the University of Utah issued a statement of support for nurse Alex Wubbels, to which a community of nurses breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, administration and nursing on the same side of a fight  stranger things have happened. It was clear from the statement that immediate actions were taken to change the procedure and prevent a bedside nurse from being in that situation in the future. Other hospitals might want to take note.

In the early afternoon of September 1, the mayor and chief of police issued an official statement. Basically, it just reiterated that an ongoing investigation was in the process. As the public outcry continued, an announcement was released by the Salt Lake City Police Department stating that the district attorney was launching a criminal investigation into the incident and that the two officers involved were finally placed on leave. If this is the way he reacted to a nurse in a public place knowing his body cam was on, I dont want to imagine what he does when he feels truly provoked or in danger. So, I am glad he is off the streets.

I would suggest you watch the full footage of the officer who is with Detective Payne  in a few words, it is disturbing the conversations that led up to the unlawful arrest. Even more concerning was that the intimidation continued as Nurse Wubbels was detained in the car in handcuffs.

These officers were locked and loaded and ready to make a point with this situation. They are clearly irritated that they are being challenged. This only means one thing  the last time they were there, the staff just went along, not knowing the policy and/or just trusting the officer was doing the lawful and correct thing. This certainly is not an uncommon occurrence in ERs across the nation. Plenty of anecdotal stories of officers just trying to get some blood to move things along, knowing they are skirting the real procedures. Well, now we have all been educated  thanks, Nurse Wubbels!

Nurse Wubbels finally received an apology from the mayor and chief of police after the public outcry. In her interview the day after the story broke, however, she was clear that she wants some solutions to come from this situation, so it does not happen to another health care provider. She stated, I felt a duty to everyone that has ever had this happen to them that hasnt had the evidence that I have to show it.

Final thoughts

We have the power to make change. Although nurses feel like isolated silos, it is when we speak up, we start to see the true problems in our profession. Social media is clearly the avenue that will connect us. So, stay connected, get your voice out there and show support. We live in unprecedented times where you can tweet directly to the Mayor of Salt Lake City and tell her this is not right or leave messages of support for Nurse Wubbels on the police departments web page. This is how the fire gets fanned these days.

Yes, social media is fun, but it has power  look what happened in just 48 hours when we rallied around a random nurse in Utah.

Know your policies and procedures. They are there to protect us  know them.

Know your policies and procedures. They are there to protect us  know them. Use your chain of command. Please, do not forget to escalate issues.

Let them make the tough decisions. Fear is certainly escalated when a police officer is involved; so do not take the fight on alone.

Would it have been different? I cant help but wonder if this situation would have been different if the nurse had been male? I think Detective Payne saw a person in a perceived submissive role standing up to him, and it angered him. But would it have been different if he were a tall, strong male? We will never know.

Proud to be a nurse. As Nurse Wubbels said perfectly, The only job I have is to keep my patient safe. Not only did she keep him safe, but also she put his interests above her own. Nurses do this each day  missing lunch and bathroom breaks and sleeping in hospitals during disasters as everyone evacuates.

Call your federal senators and representatives. Ask them to support legislation that makes violence against health care professionals a felony in all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

To Nurse Wubbels:

If by some crazy chance you are reading this, know you are my hero. You are who every nurse aims to be as they set off in school, but just dont know how they will ever get to that point in their career. You are the poster child for the everyday nurse, just trying to do what is right even when it is incredibly difficult. I know you probably did not wake up that day and say, Hey, maybe I can get catapulted into the national spotlight and arrested today. But you have handled yourself with grace, poise, and strength. Know you have a nation of nurses behind you supporting you and cheering you on.

Joan Spitrey is a nurse who blogs at the Nurse Teacher.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
(Adds detail on disputed parts of plan)

By Wilda Asmarini and Susan Taylor

JAKARTA/TORONTO, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Freeport-McMoRan Inc , the world's second-largest publicly traded copper company, strongly disagrees with a proposed divestment plan by the government of Indonesia, according to a company letter reviewed by Reuters on Friday.

The Sept. 28 letter to Indonesia's finance ministry reflects persistent and deep divisions between Freeport and the state, which have weighed on the miner's stock and operations, despite a framework agreement announced in late August.

Under the framework deal, Freeport agreed to divest a 51 percent stake in Grasberg, the world's second-largest copper mine, among other terms, and retain operational control until 2041. The Phoenix, Arizona-based company said in a letter from its Chief Executive Richard Adkerson that it is at loggerheads over issues related to the valuation, timing and structure of the divestment.

"Freeport is prepared to discuss a path forward but cannot negotiate on the basis of the government's September 28 proposal," Adkerson said in the letter.

Freeport did not respond to requests for comment.

The company, which has been in talks since late 2009 on the terms of a new permit, said in the letter that it will continue operating under its current contract of work until the issues are resolved.

Under Indonesia's divestment proposal, the government said it has the financial capacity to take over the shares by Dec. 31, 2018, Freeport said in the letter.

Freeport wants an initial divestment, as soon as possible, through an initial public offering, with full divestment done in stages over several years, the letter said.

The two sides remain divided on assessing fair market value. The government wants to base its calculations on operations at the Grasberg mine until 2021, when it says Freeport's contract of work expires.

Freeport maintains that valuation must extend through 2041, because it is entitled to apply for two 10-year extensions under its contract.

Indonesia also proposes that new shares be issued for the divestment, while Freeport wants existing shares to be used, adding that new shares will result in an inefficient and overcapitalized structure.

The miner also rejects a government demand that its joint venture with Rio Tinto be concluded before the divestment.

Freeport said it is preparing a so-called data room for the government to conduct due diligence.

(Reporting by Wilda Asmarini and Fergus Jensen in Jakarta, and Susan Taylor in Toronto; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Meredith Mazzilli)
ACCRA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Ghana's industry regulator Cocobod plans to open the 2017/18 cocoa season on Oct 13, later than usual, after receiving part of a syndicated loan it signed this month to cover its purchasing needs, two company officials said on Saturday.

The world's second-largest cocoa producer does not plan to lower the producer price at which it buys beans from farmers, however, despite calls from top grower Ivory Coast for it to do so, the officials told Reuters.

In recent years Cocobod has opened its crop year in the first week of October.

Ghana has maintained its price at $1,914 per tonne since a year ago, creating a price gap of more than $700 per tonne that exporters said has fuelled a wave of cross-border smuggling.

"The PPRC (producer price review committee) will meet soon and it's very obvious there will be no price cut," one official said.

Cocobod chief executive Joseph Boahen Aidoo told Reuters this month that Ghana would not lower the farmers' price, saying the decision was "non-negotiable". The regulator signed a $1.3 billion loan with international lenders this month for the new season's purchases, estimated at around 850,000 tonnes. The first tranche of the money is expected to arrive in the regulator's account next week, one official said.

Ghana closed its 2016/17 crop year on Sept. 14 with output expected to total around 950,000 tonnes, the highest since a record 1 million tonnes in 2010/11.

(Reporting by Kwasi Kpodo; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
* Official PMI at 52.4, highest since April 2012

* New orders, prices rise at fastest pace this year

* Mid-stream firms worry about cost pressures - NBS

* Private PMI survey shows growth slowed

(Adds analyst comment)

By Elias Glenn

BEIJING, Sept 30 (Reuters) - China's manufacturing activity grew at the fastest pace since 2012 in September as factories cranked up output to take advantage of strong demand and high prices, easing worries of a slowdown before a key political meeting next month.

Production, total new orders and output prices all improved to the highest level in at least a year, while a pick-up in a reading for the construction sector indicated a building boom is undiminished.

The official Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) released on Saturday rose to 52.4 in September, from 51.7 in August and well above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis.

It marked the 14th straight month of expansion for China's massive manufacturing industry and the highest reading since April 2012. Analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast the reading would ease slightly.

The data comes ahead of the Communist Party Congress in mid-October, a once-every-five-years meeting where new leaders are appointed and the government's key political and economic initiatives are laid out, though details are usually not announced until much later.

China's manufacturers are reporting their best profits in years, fuelled by government-led infrastructure spending, a strong housing market, higher factory-gate prices and a recovery in exports.

"Over the short term, we believe the resilient demand growth and disciplined balance sheet expansion ... will point to further improvement in manufacturing profitability and investment returns," analysts at China International Capital Corporation said in a note after the data.

But cost pressures from high raw materials prices and continued underperformance of smaller firms mean some manufacturers are still struggling.

"Mid- and downstream industries are worried about a further increase in cost pressures," National Bureau of Statistics official Zhao Qinghe wrote in comments published with the data.

INPUT PRICES CLIMB

The latest survey showed input prices continued to rise at a solid clip, with the reading at 68.4 compared with 65.3 in August, benefiting upstream producers such as miners, smelters and oil refiners.

Indexes for raw materials prices in the paper, wood processing and furniture, and chemical products manufacturing industries were all above 75.0, said Zhao, indicating large price increases.

Output prices also rose but at a slower pace, pointing to lower profit margins for companies further along the supply chain who are unable to pass on all of the price increases to their customers.

A separate PMI on the steel industry fell to 53.7 in September from 57.2 in August but remained in solid expansion territory, as the industry faces production restrictions aimed at reducing choking air pollution over the winter. Analysts at China Merchants Securities said stricter production limits related to efforts to improve air quality and supply-side adjustments from capacity cuts had helped to improve the supply-demand balance, with new orders rising faster than production in September for the first time since 2012.

For the manufacturing sector overall, inventories of raw materials and finished goods continued to decline in September, providing little indication that factories were stocking up in preparation for winter production cuts.

Big firms saw the strongest improvement in September, with a large firms sub-index rising to 53.8, while one for small firms improved slightly but was still in contraction territory at 49.4.

China's cabinet on Wednesday said that China will take a number of measures, including tax exemptions and targeted reserve requirement ratio cuts, to encourage banks to support small businesses. The impressive performance for China's manufacturers comes despite a government push to shutter outdated industrial capacity and clean up polluting industries, though some analysts say official claims of massive capacity cuts are misleading as overall production is still rising.

Chinese authorities are also in the midst of a campaign to reduce the risks from a rapid build-up in debt produced by years of credit-fuelled stimulus, and the continued strength of the industrial sector could give policymakers confidence to stick to the push for deleveraging.

PRIVATE SURVEY SHOWS SLOWER GROWTH

A separate private survey may temper some of the enthusiasm, as it showed growth slowed in September amid high pricing pressure and slower new order growth.

The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 51.0 in September, compared with 51.6 in August, as new export order growth slipped. So far, the regulatory clampdown has focused on the financial sector, particularly interbank and shadow banking activity, and the pass-through to the real economy appears to be limited.

But S&P last week downgraded China's sovereign credit rating, saying the government's deleveraging drive has progressed slower than expected, leading to higher economic and financial risks.

An official survey on the services sector published Saturday rose at the fastest pace since 2014, though gains in that sector were also driven by higher input prices. A sub-reading for the construction sector rose to 61.1 in September from 58.0 in August.

The official data showed firms in both the manufacturing and services sector continued to shed workers.

(Reporting by Elias Glenn; Editing by Richard Pullin)
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low around 25F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected..

Tonight

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low around 25F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.
The Bohemian Betyars, a "speed-folk freak-punk" band from Hungary, will perform for Zandari Festa at 8 p.m. Sunday in Rolling Hall.



By Jon Dunbar

Zandari Festa returns for its sixth year Friday to Sunday, amid a totally new political environment that would have been unimaginable last year. But musicians -- local and foreign -- are ready for the nation's main indie music showcase.

This year's event offers 140 music acts, with more than 50 from overseas, at 11 venues around Hongik University, Seoul. Additionally, 36 delegates representing overseas festivals and labels are in town.

Many delegates have arrived days ahead of the festival so they can also attend Mu:Con, a government-run music conference.

"I usually just come over for Mu:Con," said John Kastner, representative for Canadian Music Week (CMW) and Montebello Rock Fest. "Everyone always tells me about Zandari but they've been a bit far apart for me to stay that long."



Canadian punk band Pseudo, seen here performing at Thunderhorse Tavern in Seoul, Sept. 8, will play their fifth Korean show this month at Zandari Festa at 6 p.m. Saturday in Club FF.



Last year, Zandari was held Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, while Mu:Con ran Oct. 6 to 8. But this year it ran Sept. 26 to 28, ending the day before Zandari.

"It seems like they've finally figured something out," Kastner said. "It's nice to see, because the people who will benefit from it the most are the bands."

"Mu:Con can support Zandari with its stable production and financial system and Zandari can share its more diverse musical line-up with Mu:Con," said Zandari founder Kong Yoon-young.

The culture industry has faced upheaval since last Zandari, following former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment and the arrest of then Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun for lying under oath about the government's blacklisting of artists.

But music industry insiders fell short of citing governmental housecleaning for the increased synergy between Zandari and Mu:Con.



Deer, an electronic act inspired by trip-hop and industrial founded in Hong Kong by two Mexican expats, will perform for Zandari Festa at 7 p.m. today in K-Art Didim Hall.



Another development this year is China's economic retaliation against Korea's culture and tourism industries over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system here.

All Chinese delegates seem to have canceled on this year's Zandari, except Pierre Blanc, a Frenchman representing Beijing's Dong Dong Festival.

"Unfortunately the diplomatic relationship between Korea and China does not allow artist development at this time," Blanc said. "I'm working worldwide, not exclusively in the Chinese or Korean market. My vision goes beyond."

Instead, he said he will connect Zandari acts with festivals in Africa.

THAAD retaliation limits opportunities for Korean musicians, such as electronic artist Aseul who signed a digital distribution deal at last year's Zandari with a Chinese agency. But the Shanghai-based company isn't coming this year and didn't answer an email from The Korea Times.



The Venopian Solitude, which started in Malaysia as a one-woman show but expanded to a seven-member band, performs for Zandari Festa at 6 p.m. Saturday in Rolling Hall.



"I think maybe it will be difficult for a while," she said, "but I expect things will get better."

Tensions have also increased due to U.S. President Donald Trump, whose protectionist policies have been negative on strategic and economic cooperation with South Korea.

"There are many concerns and challenges with the current administration," said James Minor, delegate for South by Southwest (SXSW). "To confuse matters, a great amount of incorrect information has spread and left people poorly informed."

Earlier this year, SXSW sparked controversy over a contract clause which explained that visiting artists who were entering the country without a work visa could not perform at unsanctioned events. Although the clause was nothing new, it was misunderstood by some musicians as a threat from the festival this year due to the strained political climate.

But Minor says SXSW 2017, held in March, ended up having even more overseas applications than ever.

"I was concerned there would be hesitation from artists, but what I'm seeing is reassuring," he said.

Likewise, Zandari's attendance seems little affected by the threat of war with North Korea.

"Could it happen? Sure. Are there people convinced it will happen? Definitely," said Jeff Moses, American front man of Korean punk band Whatever That Means. "But will it actually happen? You're more likely to be struck by lightning."



Vaudou Game, an Afro-funk band hailing from Togo and France, will perform for Zandari Festa at 8 p.m. today in K-Art Didim Hall. Club FF.



The show must go on

Regardless of political tension, the musicians and delegates are ready for a wild three days in Hongdae.

"We hope Zandari will be our official introduction to the Asian market," said Canadian hip-hop artist Arlo Maverick. "Hopefully there will be delegates in attendance that like what they see and book us for shows or tours in Asia."

He also hopes to discover Korea's music scene while here.

"Zandari will be our opportunity to learn more about Korean hip-hop and network with the artists," he said. "You never know, a collaboration or two may come out of it!"

For many, this is a chance to have fun and make likeminded friends from distant lands, but also to sign deals.

"I am expecting Zandari to be a networking opportunity for us," said Jonathan Lyte of Canadian punk band Pseudo.

"We do not get a chance to socialize with bands from the East. So we are definitely hoping to make some friends and will enjoy some of the bands I have been dying to see."

"I'd like to meet someone who sends us on a fairytale world tour," said Steve C of Busan rock band Genius.

Many festivals are sending delegates for exactly that, with participating festivals including Japan's Fuji Rock Festival, Russia's V-ROX and the U.K.'s Liverpool Sound City, as well as SXSW and CMW, and many others.

Minor, who is attending Zandari for the fourth time, hopes to discover some unique acts for SXSW 2018.

"Victim Mentality is one act I saw at Zandari and immediately invited to SXSW," he said. "I randomly ended up seeing them and was completely blown away."

Korean acts have been enjoying a consistent high at SXSW since 2013, when the first K-Pop Night Out showcase was held.

"I believe the success of the Korean acts at SXSW originally stemmed from general curiosity," Minor explained. "As soon as people saw how great and unique the music was, word spread and the showcase seems to grow a bit each year."

Kastner of CMW has also seen great results from bringing bands to his festival.

"Korea is such an amazing market," he said. "I think it's about to blow wide open."

Not only does Kastner scout bands for festivals, he also has record distributor connections and even manages bands, including the Replacements and Dandy Warhols, and he brought along Toronto rock group Dearly Beloved to play Zandari and Mu:Con.

"I'm excited to come to Korea to see what I can find to bring to CMW in 2018," he said. "And if I find a good Korean band I believe in, I'll definitely get behind it and make some stuff happen."

Visit zfesta.com for the program schedule and other info.
A promotional photo for upcoming OCN drama "Black" / Courtesy of CJ E&M

By Park Jin-hai

OCN, a cable movie channel owned by CJ E&M, is continuing its genre experiments, creating a storm on the local drama series scene.

By focusing on such dramas, which major local broadcasting TV stations had considered as non-mainstream with a limited viewer base, the cable channel has been expanding its influence here and abroad.

This year alone, it brought the spine-chilling crime thriller "Voice," a showdown between a psychopath and a policewoman gifted with perfect psycho-acoustics skills; "Tunnel," a mix of a time-travel hunt for a serial killer and humanism; "Duel," a story of a human clone; and recently a pseudo-religious cult thriller "Save Me."

"Tunnel," which posted a record 6.5 percent viewership for the cable channel, was exported to Japan, a country with its own strong genre dramas. It has been broadcast from late August on the CS satellite channel. Lead actor Choi Jin-hyuk's agency said, "Despite being the first time to officially export a Korean genre drama, it has received a lot of attention from viewers."

"Save Me" featured a religious cult and how blind faith can drive people insane. By taking on a subject that local dramas haven't told before, the program was credited to have shown a different level of suspense with directing skills rather than bloodshed and serial killers.

Not only has the channel widened viewers' acceptance to genre dramas, it became a springboard for rookie actors to earn recognition.

Yang Se-jong, an actor with just a year of experience, took the title role in "Duel," and now he has bagged another lead role in the SBS drama "Temperature of Love." Actor Woo Do-hwan who made his name known to viewers with "Save Me," is also cast as the lead actor in the upcoming KBS drama "Mad Dog."

OCN's next challenge is its upcoming drama "Black," starring hallyu star Song Seung-heon and actress Go A-ra.

Written by Choi Ran, who previously wrote "God's Gift" which was remade into the American TV series "Somewhere Between," and directed by "Voice" director Kim Hong-sun, the new drama will tell the story of a death god and a woman who can foresee death.

It is unprecedented for the channel to hire star cast members.

"The two famous actors Song and Go have certain established images and it is questionable if they fit in genre dramas. So the casting of the two stars can be in itself a challenge for the cable channel, which has counted on new formats and story material rather than a star cast. If Song succeeds in this drama, it could become a turning point in his acting career," said an official of a local production company.

"Black" will premiere on OCN at 10:20 p.m., Oct. 14.
Gov't analyzing data on owners of multiple homes



By Yoon Ja-young



The government is analyzing data on owners of multiple homes to press them to register as home leasing businesses. It will continue tackling real estate speculators while emphasizing public welfare in housing policies, according to the land minister.



"The real estate policies announced on Aug. 2 succeeded in cooling off the overheated market and setting up a foundation for stabilization," Land, Infrastructure and Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee said at a meeting with the media, Thursday.



Since her June inauguration, the heavyweight lawmaker of the ruling party has vowed to fight real estate speculation and stabilize the market. She made it clear the Moon Jae-in administration will be different from previous administrations which often stimulated the housing market as a means of pulling up the economic growth rate.



The Aug. 2 measures are regarded as some of the strongest anti-speculation policies ever, levying heavy taxes on capital gains of those who own multiple homes and restricting mortgages.



The minister, however, said it is not enough.



"I have never forgotten the biggest priority for the land minister is to stabilize housing. Though the Aug. 2. measures somewhat cooled off speculation, I think we still have a long way to go to change the housing market, considering those suffering without homes or sacrificing their future due to concerns over housing."



The government's next step is to bring owners of multiple homes under government control when they put their homes up for lease. Among the country's 19.1 million households, 43 percent are estimated to be residing in homes they rent. The minister pointed out only a handful of owners of multiple homes have officially registered themselves as leasing businesses.



The minister said those not registered as leasing businesses are not subject to any regulations. Those officially registered as leasing business, meanwhile, cannot raise rent more than 5 percent and they also pay taxes on their income from rent.



The government is currently piling up data on owners of multiple homes to "transparently look into the leasing market," according to the minister. On top of levying heavier taxes on owners of multiple homes, the government plans to expand the supply of public rental housing. The minister said the supply will total 650,000 over the next five years.



She also said the benefit for the public should be a priority in transportation policies. The tolls for private highways will be lowered by inducing investment by state-run entities, and the Great Train Express (GTX) will be built to ease traffic congestion during rush hour.



The minister also stressed transport safety. The government is preparing measures to improve road conditions outside of major cities while replacing old components in railways.



Exporting smart cities will also be among the ministry's top priorities, along with inducing construction companies to advance into overseas markets.



"Proceeds from overseas construction worked as seed money for Korea's economic development. It needs another leap forward as a key growth engine," the minister said.



The government plans to set a state-run entity specializing in overseas infrastructure and urban development.




Lee Han-kook, representative director of Jones Lang LaSalle Korea / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Jones Lang LaSalle suggests funds to develop retirement villages

By Park Hyong-ki



Ten years ago, very few doubted about the potential of Korea's residential property market.



If they were asked then whether they would invest their money in buying an apartment anywhere here, including the affluent Gangnam district, most would have said yes.



But this is no longer the case, said Lee Han-kook, representative director of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) in Seoul.



Lee heads JLL Korea's residential property investment advisory business. He is also part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's task force, consisting of industry and academic professionals studying the residential property market.



The country's changing demographics such as aging population and low birthrate, and low economic growth are among the reasons why people nowadays doubt the future of the real estate market.



Lee said these are signals that the wind of change is about to blow through the residential property market.



"If you ask people now whether apartments other than in Gangnam will offer attractive investment returns, they would most probably have a big question mark in their heads and say no," Lee said in a recent interview at JLL Korea's office in Yeouido, Seoul.



"This is a signal that the residential property market will no longer grow like in the old days. The market here needs to prepare for this."



Apartment prices have climbed rapidly over the past years, despite the country's low growth.



This indicates that the property market has been decoupled from the economy.



"The residential property market has been growing abnormally," Lee said.



Prices will further be corrected and slow down as the government's Aug. 2 real estate measures take hold, he added.



Aug. 2 policy



The recent measures tackling the abnormal property market come down to two basic things, Lee said.



One is the policy is pressuring multiple homeowners to sell their homes in an effort to balance the supply and demand.



The second is "putting the brakes on Gangnam property prices and redevelopment," Lee said, noting that the general real estate market here has followed Gangnam.



"This policy is, by far, the toughest, exceeding the industry's expectations in terms of level restrictions," the JLL director said.



"It shows the government's commitment to stabilizing the residential market at an early stage while it has the political power."



From an academic point of view, Lee said Korea should raise its property tax and lower transactions tax to further stabilize the prices.



However, he said he understands that this would be realistically hard.



Raising the property tax has been highlighted as the main issue in the market. The government has been cautious about it, and decided not to do it in the short term.



"If it only involved the real estate market, raising the property tax and conducting home tax audits would be effective. But the reality is the tax issue is very complex as it involves other parts of the market," Lee said.



"Nevertheless, the policy signals its strong drive to bring the market back to normal."



Securitizing residential market



The changing population landscape and the measures tackling household debt and property prices will alter people's housing lifestyle in the near future.



This will include the gradual phasing out of Korea's jeonse leases, in which tenants pay a lump-sum deposit of between a quarter and half of the property's value to landlords for two years.



To prepare for the inevitable change, JLL Korea said it is time to look into securitizing the residential market as have other advanced countries such as the United States, Japan and Singapore.



However, Lee said creating a fund that invests in the development of apartment complexes will not be easy under current circumstances.



Unlike other markets, Korea divides the activities of land development, apartment construction, housing sales and services, like the workings of unconnected silos.



"Even though there is interest from overseas investors in the residential property market here, other than areas such as Gangnam, Hannam-dong and Seongbuk-dong, there are not many places where funds can invest for development and reap attractive returns," Lee said.



This may be a challenge, but Korea could look into residential securitization in those high-end places as a start.



"It would be a long-term process, but it is the appropriate path as the economy faces structural changes," Lee said, forecasting that it could start to happen in five years.



Funds would be especially useful in investing in the development of villages, or silver towns, for the elderly with close access to medical centers.



The government is looking into this as well amid the rapidly aging population.



For instance, the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) participates as an investor in the development of retirement villages in the U.S.



"In the beginning, Korea could get its pension fund involved like CalPERS as a shareholder to provide such services to the elderly," Lee said. "There is no longer a negative image of silver towns."



In the past, people used to view the elderly living in those remote places as those who were abandoned by their children.



But the country will have to not only stabilize property prices and debt, but also see the level of people's income increase before their retirement so that capital can flow to finance the development, the elderly and dividends to investors.



Foreign investment in the residential property market will also need to be active.



"This is a matter of survival for the country. If we can have 10 percent of the capital in the real estate market moved to securitizing the residential market, the impact will be much greater than the commercial property market," Lee said.



Overseas market



Rich Koreans who have at least 3 billion won to invest in residential properties overseas are eyeing Southeast Asian markets, in addition to Hawaii and Los Angeles, California in the U.S.



Countries such as Vietnam and Thailand have been attracting attention as they seek to expand their residential portfolios.



"Most of them look at three things when seeking residential properties overseas. They see whether the places are good for their children's education, retirement and whether they can save on taxes," Lee said.



Most of them seek to invest in high-end houses overseas that can also give returns through leases.



JLL Korea said it has partnered with Vietnam's Indochina Properties to introduce local rich investors to Southeast Asian upscale houses.



JLL opened its Seoul office in 2000. JLL operates in over 80 countries with 77,000 employees.



Last year, its fee revenue on real estate transactions stood at $5.8 billion.


Citibank celebrates its 50th anniversary at the Four Seansons Hotel Seoul. / KoreaTimes photo by Kwak Seung-jin

Citibank Korea Inc. (www.citibank.co.kr, CEO Jin-hei, Park) celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Grand Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul in the evening of September 22nd in the presence of 350 Citi executives and employees, corporate clients, and eminent financial experts.



As one of the first multinational banks that penetrated the Korean market, Citibank opened its first corporate banking branch in Sogong-dong on September 8th, 1967. Building on the corporate banking business solidly in place, it started a consumer banking business for the first time as a foreign-based bank in Korea in 1986. Following its launch of private banking services in the country in 1989, which was another first, it became the first bank to introduce Automated Teller Machine running 24/ 7 to Korea in 1990. It was transformed into Citibank Korea Inc. through the merge of Citi and KorAm Bank in 2004 and has recently executed Omni Channel' strategy where the banking services have been offered on numerous platforms such as online, offline, and mobile reflecting the changing customer needs. In addition, the Korea franchise of the New York-based financial services company has expanded its Korea Desk to allow Korean companies operating overseas an access to services in local markets, continuously sharpening its competitiveness in both consumer and corporate banking businesses.



Citibank received Syungryejang,' a Distinguished Order of Diplomatic Service, in recognition of its contribution to improving the trade balance of Korea by providing the country with USD 200 million of international loan during the Oil Shock in the 1970's. The financial service provider was also honored with Heunginjang,' another type of Distinguished Order of Diplomatic Service, for its critical role in the rollover of USD 24 billion international loan in 1997 when the country was hit by a financial crisis. It contributed to stabilizing the Korean foreign exchange market through USD 800 million of capital increase in 2008 amid the global financial crisis and having the Korea-US currency swap deal completed.



In the welcoming speech, Jin-hei, Park, CEO of Citibank Korea, expressed his gratitude saying, "Citibank has been able to offer the best financial services on its global network thanks to customers' support and trust. It gave us great confidence that we have grown together with customers contributing to the development of the Korean economy for the past five decades. As a trusted financial partner, we will deliver the best results with creative financial solutions that will satisfy your financial needs."



Mike Corbat, Citigroup CEO, said in his video message, "Over five decades, we've established many deep relationships in Korea which remains a high priority market for us. We've witnessed first-hand the fulfillment of Korea's ambitious vision to become one of Asia's great economic success stories and we've not only seen but played a helping role with Korea developing into a leader of digital economy as a premier financial firm that combined deep local knowledge with global resources and expertise. The last half century here has been more than just revenue on growth. It has been about the dedication of our talent people who've focused on for fulfilling our mission of economic growth and process for Korean companies and the entire Korean economy.



Closing the ceremony, Jin-hei, Park delivered his appreciation to the clients for their support for the past 50 years, and announced a plan to establish "Korea Corporate Citizenship Award." To fund the award, Citibank will donate USD 50 per the corporate client attending the ceremony and top the donation with a certain amount of special contribution. Korea Corporate Citizenship Award will select socially responsible companies that have been committed to addressing social problems such as creating jobs for the socially marginalized, providing social services, or developing community economies in partnership with Joyful Union, a non-profit organization devoted to nurturing corporate citizenship, to recognize their efforts and support them with their future initiatives. (Advertorial)






Korea Eximbank head Eun Seong-soo, right, shakes hands with Senegal's Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Oumar Gueye after signing a contract for a $10 million loan at the bank's head office in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Korea Eximbank. / KoreaTimes photo by Kwak Seung-jin



Korea Eximbank head Eun Seong-soo, right, shakes hands with Senegal's Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Oumar Gueye after signing a contract for a $10 million loan at the bank's head office in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of Korea Eximbank



The Export-Import Bank of Korea (Korea Eximbank) has offered a $10 million loan to support projects in Senegal.

Eun Seong-soo, chief of Korea Eximbank, met with Senegal's Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Oumar Gueye at the lender's head office in Seoul, Friday, to sign the contract for the loan.



The heads of both countries had already discussed the issue at the U.N. General Assembly held in New York earlier this month.



The $10 million loan will be used to develop infrastructure for transporting and storing marine products, $5 million for each. This is partly because there has been high demand for Senegalese marine products such as hairtail among Korean consumers.



Meanwhile, according to the contract, only small- and medium-sized enterprises are going to be allowed to launch businesses associated with the refrigerated transport and storage infrastructure of aquatic products in Senegal.

It is expected to help Korea's small businesses make inroads into the African market, which experts point out is filled with high potential.



"Africa remains as the last blue ocean on Earth. The government will increase its support for Africa to boost Korean businesses' overseas expansion to Africa," Eun said.

"Along with infrastructure for the marine products industry in Senegal, we have plans to expand businesses into sanitation and information and communication technology areas to create a foothold in the Western African market."



This is the first major initiative for Eun, who took the helm of the Seoul-based bank midway through this month. Under his stewardship, the lender is expected to support various overseas projects.



(Advertorial)
The Castle Church's historic door has been replaced with a bronze one with Martin Luther's 95 theses engraved on it. / Korea Times photos by Jung Min-ho



Germany invites everyone to celebrate 500th anniversary of The Reformation

By Jung Min-ho

WITTENBERG, Germany  Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther promulgated his 95 theses and criticized the Roman Catholic Church for its theological errors and institutional sins.

He nailed his proposals to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg and stood up against religious leaders who claimed money could reduce God's punishment for sins.

His intention was never to break from the church. Yet his messages from the sleepy little town eventually triggered a movement that forever changed Christianity.

If you travel to the town this year, you are likely to encounter various exhibits, festivals and other activities to celebrate the start of The Protestant Reformation, which is usually dated Oct. 31, 1517.

Christian or not, it is an interesting time to be in Wittenberg  for education, celebration or both.

Wittenberg feels like a one-street town filled with Christians from all around the world. The faith they share makes it natural to smile at one another and talk to one another, which you would rarely see in most other parts of Germany.

There is a long, straight main path that can take you to most of the key spots as you explore the town from one end to the other. Almost everywhere you turn, there is something associated with Luther.





Inside the Luther House



If you walk from the train station, the first landmark you will see is Luther House, where he lived with his wife and six children. Inside the adjoining building, now a museum, there are many interesting relics, including his prayer book, letters of indulgence sold by the Catholic Church and a wooden box to collect that money.

There, visitors can learn how the movement unfolded and how he squared up to religious authorities. The Bible and the ability to uncover the correct interpretation of it  the very foundation of their power  was the weapon he used.

From the Bible, Luther knew his 95 theses weren't wrong and took courage to set fire to the papal bull from Pope Leo X, who ordered him to recant them or face excommunication.

From his writings at the museum, you may feel how certain  and yet scared  Luther was to take a leap of faith during the conflict.





The sleepy little town where the revolution began

For Luther, St. Mary's, or the Town Church, is another meaningful place, where he grew up as a preacher, married his wife Katharina von Bora and baptized their children. For visitors, this is where they can learn what he taught to believers in Jesus Christ.

And there is the Castle Church, also known as All Saint's Church, where Luther nailed the 95 theses to the door to challenge the Catholic Church. He was also buried there with Philipp Melanchthon, his friend and intellectual partner.

Visitors are free to look inside the beautiful church and visit a permanent exhibition, where they can find more details of Reformation history and reformers' activities.

And the famous 95 theses hang there on the wall.

Luther believed humans, including popes, cannot assure themselves of salvation through indulgences or good deeds, but only through God's grace and faith in Jesus Christ.

You may find it surprising that some of his messages seem aimed at churches today as much as the one in the past.

He noted, "Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers  Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, Peace, peace,' and there is no peace!"
By Yun Suh-young

Cover of the book Beowulf by Lee Sung-il / Courtesy of Lee Sung-il

"Why read this translation of Beowulf? Because there isn't a better one to be found," writes Robert D. Stevick in the foreword of the newly published "Beowulf in Parallel Texts" by Lee Sung-il. Stevick is a professor emeritus of the University of Washington.

Why so? Because it "reads so well aloud," and "nothing gets in the way," according to the American professor.

"The choice of words is always true to the text being translated, and always belongs to the active literary language of Modern English. Each (word) seems and smells like a careful choice by a connoisseur of English literary composition."

Further, the book is lauded by several Western scholars who wrote recommendations, including professor emeritus Derek Pearsall from Harvard University, who said, "The naturalness of the flow of language is one of the most admirable features of the translation."

Such compliments from scholars of Western background means a lot to a Korean scholar whose mother tongue is not English.

"I was overwhelmed when I saw that phrase and also quite embarrassed to have it on the very cover of the book because it looked boastful. But they already went into print and couldn't remove it," Lee Sung-il said, modestly, in an interview with The Korea Times. Lee is a professor emeritus of Yonsei University who retired in 2009 after 28 years of teaching. He was a founding member of the Medieval English Studies Association of Korea. He received his master's degree from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University in English literature. Lee's modern English translation of Beowulf was recently published by Cascade Books, a publisher in Oregon.

"I feel thrilled to receive glowing compliments from Western scholars because I'm not a native English speaker. English is an acquired language for me so I felt a sense of mission toward myself. I wanted to challenge the literary scholars of the English language across the world. They might hate the book because students can now read flawlessly," the 74-year-old scholar said, chuckling.

The book is his first English-to-English (medieval-to-modern) translation book to be published. His previous works have been mostly English-to-Korean or vice versa.

The book provides medieval and modern English texts running in parallel on side-to-side pages. The modern translation on the right side is for general readers to enjoy, while the medieval English on the left is for students of English literature who are studying the original text. There is a thorough textual and explanatory notes section at the end of the book which also discusses scholarly interpretations of problematic phrases and lines.

Professor emeritus Lee Sung-il of Yonsei University

"My first love is Old English. Why do I love it so much? Because it's so much fun. And because there are no mushy love stories in medieval epic poems. I was sick and tired of Shakespearean love stories. Although I wrote my dissertation on Shakespeare, I was deeply in love with old English poems," he said.

"Epic poems are worlds of warriors. They're about loyalty, bravery. That's what attracted me as a young man."

If anyone remembers Beowulf's plot from the school curriculum, it is about a warrior named Beowulf of the Geats who comes to the aid of the king of the Danes to fight a monster, Grendel. Beowulf defeats Grendel and also his mother who comes to avenge her son's death, and becomes a hero. Later, Beowulf is crowned king of the Geats. One day, a dragon attacks his kingdom and, to protect his people, Beowulf volunteers to fight when nobody else wishes to. However, in the battle, Beowulf is mortally wounded and dies. The people of Geats honor the king as their brave protector. Created at least a millennium ago, it is considered the oldest surviving long poem of Old English literature.

"I'm so happy now. I'm over 70 and I don't mind when I die because my book will be on the shelves of libraries across the world!" Lee said.

Now 74, Lee says he still has so much to do. Regarding his future plans, he said, "Right now I'm working on short poems to be published as an anthology of Old English poems. And after that I'll continue translating other works. I have so much to do!"
Fashion designer Songzio pose with his new cloth during his launching event for 2018 Spring and Summer collection line at Horim Art Center in Gangnam, Seoul, last Friday. / Courtesy of Songzio Homme



Designer launches secondary label after 12 years

By Kim Jae-heun

Launching a secondary label to support its main line has been a trend in recent years among Korean fashion designers.

To offer experimental haute couture every season, designers need lucrative ready-made sub-labels to maintain their main brands. Another reason to launch a secondary line is to commercialize the designer's brand that can appeal to anybody with simple and comfortable designs.

Songzio Homme, a representative menswear line by Song Zio, owned one of the hottest boutiques in the luxury street Apgujeong, Seoul, 12 years ago.

Song knew he would launch a secondary label one day, but his collections in London and Paris delayed his plan for a long time until last Friday.

"I was busy staging new collections every season in Europe and I really wanted to launch my secondary brand as soon as possible," said Song during the interview with The Korea Times at the opening event at Horim Art Center in Gangnam, Seoul. "But I lost time concentrating on my main label.

Song believes now is the perfect time to open his sub-label as Korean men have become more open to unique and creative designs and there are needs in the high-end brand market.

"The brand Songzio Homme pursues a very masculine design based on traditional menswear silhouettes that graft artworks. In the European fashion field, particularly, a designer must have his or her distinct identity and emotion in their clothing. You cannot survive if your designs are not unique," said Song.

Song's original design comes from his paintings the designer creates prior to making the clothing.

Traveling around the world, Song gets his inspirations for his new collections from nature, painting and movies and draws them on canvas. Be it an abstract figure, simple stripe or a particular person, the image gets printed on the clothing.

"My paintings are what make our house unique. I paint to deliver a new message using new colors every season. I've never learned to paint. If a painter's purpose is displaying their work in a show, I make paintings to turn them into clothing," said Song.

"For example, a sketch of a man has been embroidered on a shirt or made into a patch attached to a sweater," added Song.

The fashion designer ultimately hopes to make his secondary label successful and make the brand big internationally.

"It is a global era now and as one of the leaders in the Korean fashion industry, we need to compete internationally. It applies to all the businesses in any field. If I become successful, corporate will invest in my brand and younger designers will look up to what I've done. I want to become a role model for them and prove that Korean fashion designers can become big too," said Song.

Song established his line Songzio Homme in 1999, participating in his first Seoul Fashion Week while staging European shows in Paris since 2006 until last year.

Songzio Homme has been designing the most sophisticated classic suits with fine textiles used by high-end luxury brands such as Ermenegildo Zegna. Song's clothes are well-known for adopting European "Romantism" of the 19th century as well as avant-garde silhouettes.

His new casual line offers wearable clothes based on a military look and denim styles adopting the concept "Western Age," inspired by the idea of a "romantic wanderer."

For his upcoming 2018 Spring and Summer collection, Song chose orange and blue as highlight colors.
Sen. Jack Reed / Courtesy of U.S. Department of Defense



The United States' focus on diplomacy to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue is "hollowed" by the absence of relevant personnel, including an ambassador to South Korea, a senator said Friday.

Eight months into office, U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to name an ambassador to Seoul. The top State Department official for East Asia is also serving in an acting capacity.

"Unfortunately, the diplomatic effort is being hollowed because of a lack of capacity," Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) said during a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations. "We do not have an ambassador in South Korea and we do not have a confirmed assistant secretary for the region."

Reed, a ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, also pointed to what he called a "lack of coherent message."

"We have seen that from the beginning, when the president tweeted about South Korea paying for the THAAD system when in fact they did a lot of political effort to get it into the country. We have seen it in terms of the free trade agreement. All of that has presented incoherent messages in many respects," he said, referring to Trump's argument that South Korea should pay to host the U.S. missile defense system and amend its trade deal with the U.S.

The Trump administration has emphasized it will use diplomatic and economic pressure to get North Korea to back down from its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. But it has also said it is prepared to use military force if necessary.

"I think the diplomatic effort is vitally important, because even though military is a must, they are preparing for some kind of operation, but this would be a much preferable way to proceed," Reed said. "And also, if it does not succeed, there is much more legitimacy for the use of force."

The senator also said diplomatic options could involve developing informal tracks and back channels to hold talks with Pyongyang and reviving multilateral talks on the North Korea issue with South Korea, Japan, Russia and China. (Yonhap)
By Kim Rahn

The U.S. military will send the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to the Korean Peninsula at the end of next month for scheduled exercises with the South Korean Navy to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, according to defense officials of the two countries, Tuesday.

The deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, along with the earlier show of force involving B-1B Lancer bombers off the North Korean coast, is expected to draw a strong backlash from Pyongyang and provocations in response.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the USS Ronald Reagan strike group will conduct naval drills off the peninsula in late October.

It is not known how far the carrier striking group will go northward  on Saturday, the B-1B bombers carried out exercises in international airspace near North Korea, and they flew further north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) than any other American warplanes in the 21st century.












By Kim Rahn



North Korea has moved its warplanes toward its east coast and strengthened coastal defenses following the U.S. strategic bombers' flight near there, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) Tuesday.



Pyongyang did not take any immediate military action in response to the flight of B-1B Lancer bombers, probably because it failed to detect them, the NIS said.



The spy agency briefed members of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on the movement of North Korea's military following the flight.



Rep. Lee Cheol-woo of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), the committee's head, said after the briefing that North Korea repositioned its aircraft as a follow-up to the bombers' flight late Saturday night.



The U.S. Air Force flew the bombers and F-15C Eagle fighters in international airspace over waters east of North Korea. It was the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that any U.S. warplane has flown this century.



"After the U.S. show of force, North Korea repositioned its warplanes and strengthened defenses in the eastern coastal area," Lee told reporters.



Another committee member said planes in Hwanghae Province on the west coast were moved to the east coast and some flew on patrol.



The moves come amid North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho's remark late Monday that the North "holds the rights to self-defense, including the right to shoot down U.S. strategic bombers even if they don't fly into the country's airspace."



However, contrary to the follow-up measures and the strong threats, Pyongyang seems to have failed to detect the bombers and that is why it did not have an immediate military response, according to the spy agency.



"It seems North Korea could not take measures because it had not anticipated such a show of force would take place around midnight and its radars were unable to detect the bombers clearly," Lee said. "In short, the North did not take any action when the B-1Bs were flying."



There has been speculation that the impoverished state was unable to keep its radar system fully operational due to an electricity shortage.



Saying North Korea may have been surprised, the U.S. military told the NIS that the North was unable to respond quickly, such as issuing a condemnation or more threats, probably because it had to check the bombers' flight through China and Russia's anti-aircraft networks.



The spy agency said South Korea and the U.S. had an agreement on the show of force involving the B-1B bombers, but did not explain in detail what they agreed on, Lee said.



Regarding North Korea's military situation around the DMZ, Lee said the North is also trying to prevent any accidental clash.




Otto Warmbier, center, is escorted at the Supreme Court in Pyongyang, North Korea, Mar. 16, 2016. / AP-Yonhap







By Hwang Ga-yeon



The parents of Otto Warmbier, the U.S. student North Korea detained and who died soon after returning home in June, have described the horrific details of his condition.



Fred and Cindy Warmbier disclosed to Fox News on Tuesday what the communist state did to their son and criticized the country for claiming to be a "victim" of the United States' push for war.



Fred described North Korea as "terrorists" and said they kidnapped and tortured Otto.



The student's family saw him when they went aboard an air ambulance on June 13. But Otto's mother and sister left the plane in shock at the initial sight. They said Otto had a shaved head, a feeding tube in his nose, was blind and deaf and was staring blankly.



The father said Otto also had a large scar on his right foot and a high fever.



"It looked like someone had taken pliers and rearranged his bottom teeth," Cindy said. "We could not call it a coma and were not prepared (to see Otto in such a horrific condition)."







Fred and Cindy Warmbier watch as the casket for their son Otto is placed in a hearse after his funeral in Wyoming, Ohio, June 22. / AP-Yonhap



Fred said that when he was halfway up the steps to the airplane, he and his wife "heard this howling, involuntary, inhuman sound."



"We looked in and Otto was on the stretcher across in the plane and he was jerking violently, making these inhuman sounds," he said.



Cindy added: "No mother, no parent should ever have gone through what we went through".



Otto was arrested in January 2016 for trying to steal a propaganda poster from Yanggakdo International Hotel in Pyongyang.



He was originally sentenced to 15 years' prison but was released after 17 months, partly due to American President Donald Trump's diplomatic efforts.



Warmbier died six days after returning home. Doctors described his condition as "unresponsive wakefulness" and said he had suffered a "severe neurological injury" of uncertain cause.



Trump tweeted on Tuesday that the Warmbiers' appearance was "a great interview." "Otto was tortured beyond belief by North Korea," Trump said on the social media site.
By Kim Hyo-jin



North Korea seems unwilling to repay loans it received from South Korea when inter-Korean relations were good in the 2000s, an opposition lawmaker claimed Thursday.



Citing data from the Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) and the National Assembly Budget Office, Rep. Shim Jae-cheol of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) said the North's outstanding liabilities are 161.4 billion won ($142.5 million) as of July, out of accumulated loans of 1.05 trillion won ($932 million).



"North Korea has not paid back a penny since 2012 but the government has yet to come up with any countermeasure," Shim said.



"The amount of redemption must have been used in nuclear and missile development. The government should do its utmost not to lose the entire 1.05 trillion won, which is the people's tax money."



According to the National Assembly data, the Kim Dae-jung government offered loans worth 369 billion won ($327 million) and the Roh Moo-hyun administration provided as much as 683.7 billion won ($650 million) in the form of food, material and equipment.



It started in 2000 after Seoul and Pyongyang reached a deal for food loans as part of efforts to boost inter-Korean exchanges.



The offer was suspended at the onset of the conservative Lee Myung-bak government amid the worsening of inter-Korean relations.



The redemption dates of multiple loans started in 2012 but the reclusive country has shown no sign of paying its debt, the lawmaker said.



"The government has demanded North Korea redeem the loans by sending a regular notification through the Eximbank on a quarterly basis, but there has been no reply from the North," said a unification ministry official who asked not to be named.



"There is no way to enforce the agreement. We are just doing everything we can. Due to worsening inter-Korean relations since 2012, we have had no opportunity of discussing the issue with the North's working-level officials."



The North repaid 2.7 billion won ($2.4 million) in goods in 2007 and 2008, including zinc. But the cash redemption has never been implemented, according to the data of the Assembly.




State mouthpiece makes first response to B-1B flyby



By Kim Hyo-jin



North Korea denounced the recent flight of U.S. Air Force (USAF) B-1B Lancer bombers off the North Korean coast as dangerous and rash Friday in its first response to the strong show of force.



Uriminzokkiri, a state-run North Korean overseas online propaganda outlet, released a commentary titled "Provocative behavior that arouses tens of millions of people's will for revenge" to criticize the flight. The response came six days after the operation.



"The U.S.' flying its B-1B Lancer strategic bomber squadron over international waters in the East Sea was an immensely dangerous and reckless act that intends to drive the situation on the Korean Peninsula to extremes and an anti-North Korea provocation that cannot be overlooked," the commentary said.



"The U.S. willfully designed the plan to pressure us hard by carrying out the operation like actual warfare and having an aerial tanker accompany it," the site said, adding it is an "utterly miscalculated, silly idea" if the U.S. believes the flight could contain North Korea.



"The U.S.'s bellicose, youthful bravado is rather fanning the will for retaliation among tens of millions of our soldiers and civilians," it said. "Our military has been highly motivated with a resolve to shoot down the U.S. flights seeking to trespass in our territorial skies."



On Sept. 23, the USAF flew the heavy bombers from Guam with an escort of F-15C fighters from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa the farthest north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the 21st century.



The move came as fears are growing over possible armed conflict between the U.S. and North Korea amid the heightened war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



The U.S. Defense Department later described it as a demonstration of the Trump government's resolve and a clear message that the president has many military options to defeat any threat.



However, the North did not take immediate action to the flyover, throwing its air defense capability into question.



In a briefing to lawmakers of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, Tuesday, officials of Seoul's spy agency said that Pyongyang did not respond to the flyover as it failed to detect it, according to Rep. Lee Cheol-woo, who chairs the committee.



The North's state-run media stressed that they had detected previous flights of B-1B bombers, but did not state clearly whether it detected the latest one.



It only said: "This year alone, the U.S. sent its B-1B strategic bombers for 19 times on the Korean Peninsula and they were done in the form of a joint drill with its puppet (South Korea). But this time, it was done as a unilateral move without a prior consultation with its puppet."



Cheong Wa Dae said earlier this week that South Korean President Moon Jae-in received a briefing of the flight plan from the U.S. and gave his consent beforehand, dismissing speculation that Seoul was unaware of the operation.




By Kim Jae-kyoung



The North Korea nuclear standoff is seemingly heading toward a dead end.

The exchange of bombastic rhetoric between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is heightening the risk of military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said Monday that Trump had declared war on his country and that Pyongyang has the right to shoot down U.S. bombers even if they are not in the North's airspace.

On Tuesday, President Trump repeated his warnings of possible military action, saying, "Not a preferred option. But if we take that option, it will be devastating, I can tell you that, devastating for North Korea."

War would be the worst-case scenario and in nobody's interest. However, the U.S.-North Korea chicken game is increasing the chances of a miscalculation by Kim that could lead to a military conflict.

Against this backdrop, many analysts have said that now is the time to stop trading barbs and seek ways to start talks for a peaceful resolution.

"It's time to sit down and talk," Joseph DeTrani, a former U.S. special envoy to the six-party talks, told The Korea Times

The former U.S. mission manager for North Korea believes that China should set up exploratory talks between Washington and Pyongyang for the eventual resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

He said that China has leverage _ oil _ to bring the North back to negotiations. China currently provides over 90 percent of North Korea's crude oil.

"Hopefully, China can get North Korea to do what they did in April 2003 and sit down with the U.S. to put all issues on the table," he said, noting that those meetings created the six party talks process in 2003 among the two Koreas, the U.S., Japan, China and Russia.

DeTrani, who helped broker a 2005 agreement on North Korea's nuclear program, said that an exploratory meeting with North Korea could determine if more formal negotiations should be pursued.

"Ideally, during these exploratory talks, North Korea would refrain from having another nuclear test or launching another missile," he added. "This is the time to work at defusing the current tense situation."

According to foreign media, including the Radio Free Asia (RFA), Thursday, former U.S. government officials and diplomats are expected to meet with officials from North Korea's foreign ministry for informal talks in Europe in mid-October.

The behind-the-scene meetings are known to have been pursued by the North to make sense of Trump and his incoherent messages to Kim Jong-un.

Stephan Haggard, director of the Korea-Pacific Program at the University of California San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, said that Trump's inflammatory rhetoric about North Korea won't help resolve the situation, calling for the two parties to regain composure.

"The fact that the U.S. President gives a speech in which he sounds like the dictator of North Korea is embarrassing. Clearly, the rhetoric has to be toned down," he said.

He is particularly concerned about language that the U.S. will respond militarily to any "threat" other than to actual aggression, which he thinks suggests the possibility of preemption.

"U.S. strategy, at least as articulated by Secretary Tillerson, has emphasized both pressure and the opportunity for negotiations. However, too much attention has been focused on the first half of this equation and not enough on the second," he said.












By Ko Dong-hwan

While China is closely linked to South Korea in many fields, a somewhat puzzling fact has been revealed  that Chinese nationals rate poorly when it comes to being recommended by the Korean government for state honors.

China was one of the lowest-ranked among countries whose nationals were nominated by Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as candidates for honors, according to Rep. Lee Seok-hyun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Wednesday. Rep. Lee is a member of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.

It reflects that the Sino-Korean relationship, despite consistently functional ties, is perceived rather coldly in Korea compared with other nations like the United States and Japan.

There were 148 candidates from over 50 countries recommended for state honors from 2008 until this year and the U.S. topped the list with 22. Japan ranked second with 18, France third with 12 and Russia fourth with seven.

China was even behind countries from regions like Central America (20), the Middle East (12) and Africa (9).

There is only one Chinese who was awarded an honor: former president of Liaoning University Feng Yuzhong, who in 1993 established China's first undergraduate program and research center dedicated to studying the Korean language and history. He was awarded in December 2015.

Conferring a state honor on a foreigner is considered a diplomatic act, partly mirroring how deeply ingrained the giver country considers its political ties with the other country.

But the finding is not surprising because China is involved in several national security and economic issues involving South Korea.

China is seen as having a critical role in pressuring North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile programs that are threatening the security of East Asia and the United States.

But it wants South Korea to give up deploying the Terminal High Altitude Aerial Defense (THAAD) battery against the North's possible missile attacks. To this end, Beijing has taken crippling economic retaliation against Korean firms in China, including major retailer Lotte Mart and auto part manufacturers, as part of a campaign the companies have described as unfair.

"This (honors) finding shows that even 25 years after South Korea and China established their diplomatic relationship, their network is still like a dry land in reality," the Hankook Ilbo said Wednesday.

The finding also raised questions over whether Korea's diplomatic efforts are inadvertently concentrated on the U.S. and Japan, which has left the diplomatic ground with China nearly barren.

"It symbolically reflected that, although we say we consider China importantly, our diplomatic agendas are still tilted towards the U.S. and Japan," said Prof. Kim Heung-gyu from the Chinese policy research group of Ajou University in Suwon. "It has affected Korea making policies without taking China into account enough. It also means that there are not enough Chinese allies whom our government can trust."
By Jun Ji-hye

China is stepping up economic sanctions against North Korea as Washington pressures Beijing to play a bigger role in persuading Pyongyang to halt its nuclear and missile programs.

China's move, which reflects a shift in the view of its longtime ally, comes as the standoff over the North's nuclear weapons has entered a dangerous phase following a war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

On Thursday, China ordered North Korean companies in the country and the North's joint venture companies with Chinese businesses to close within 120 days. The move follows the U.N. Security Council's approval of its latest sanctions resolution, Sept. 11.

Analysts say North Korean restaurants in China, a key source of hard currency for the impoverished state, will bear the brunt of the most powerful sanctions Beijing has imposed on the North.

On Sept. 23, under the U.N. sanctions, China also limited supplies of petroleum products to the North and imports of textiles from the country.

Such prompt actions reflect China's changing attitude toward North Korea. Beijing has been hesitant to punish its neighbor despite calls from the U.S. and South Korea to tighten sanctions.

China's shift follows the Trump administration's initiation of a so-called secondary boycott that calls for penalties against third-party companies or individuals who deal with the North, mainly targeting China, Pyongyang's sole ally.

Trump signed an executive order, Sept. 21, aimed at cutting off banks and companies doing business with the North from the U.S. financial system _ apparently targeting Chinese institutions.
















By Lee Kyung-min







The Seoul Administrative Court ruled, Friday, in favor of Na Hyang-wook, who sought reinstatement as education ministry official after being dismissed for comparing the public to "dogs and pigs" and calling for a caste system.



The court said while his remarks deserved harsh criticism, dismissal was too harsh a punishment, given the consequences following it.



"Dismissal is the harshest punishment for a public official, following which he is not only banned from becoming a public official, but also his severance pay and other retirement benefits are rescinded," the court said.



What he said gravely offended many, the court added, but he was drunk and apologized for his comment the next day.



"He served as a public official for more than 23 years, and has never had any criminal record, or prior record of punishment regarding his work."



Na filed the suit in December last year, seeking to nullify the education minister's decision that dismissed him following what the public considered an attitude "beyond haughty and condescending."



He made the controversial remarks in July last year at a dinner meeting attended by editors and reporters from the local progressive daily, the Kyunghyang Shinmun.



Na made the comparison using quotes from a 2015 movie "Inside Men," in which a character says, "The people are like dogs and pigs and should be treated as such. It's just enough to feed them and keep them alive."



He also said Korea should "consolidate the class system because people are not all born equal."



The reporters took a step further and asked his opinion on the death of a 19-year-old part-time worker, who died after being hit by an oncoming train while repairing a screen door at Guui station. On the issue which sheds light on the increasing inequality and income disparity, a major social ill in Korea, Na said those who said they thought of him as their own son were "hypocrites."



The liberal newspaper ran the story, setting off a firestorm among the public including educators nationwide demanding his immediate resignation.



The ministry suspended him from duty as a ministry official and a disciplinary committee under the Ministry of Personnel Management dismissed him, the harshest punishment for a public official.



The committee said he compromised the integrity of what it means to be a civil servant as a whole and severely tarnished public trust in the public service.



Na later apologized saying he was drunk and careless, but this did little to allay public furor. Some criticized the then Park Geun-hye administration for his "distorted, authoritarian" view toward the public.












By Lee Kyung-min

Lee You-nam, the principal of Myungshin Elementary School

Parents should listen to what their children have to say, rather than dismissing their opinions and expecting blind obedience, a self-proclaimed supermom said Friday.

Lee You-nam, the principal of Myungshin Elementary School in Jongno-gu, Seoul, said letting children have their say is what they need most, which most parents mindlessly neglect.

She published a book titled, "Mother's Apology," to reflect how harsh and demanding she had been with her two high-achieving children and how she took their obedience for granted.

Lee said she wished to share her experience with many parents who at this very moment are likely telling their children to study, get good grades and get into a good university.

"One day, my son, a high school senior, told me he had something to tell me," she said.

"As usual, I dismissed him, using the three words I always used_ quick,' hurry,' and busy.' Then my boy said he would like to take time off school, saying he did not know why he had to go to school and he was too tired."

Lee, outraged, told her son he was only going through the "high school senior phase." He then refused to go to school, after which Lee's berating got so severe that even she herself deemed "intolerable."

"Then, one day, my son said he would commit suicide if I didn't let him quit school. I felt shocked, devastated and speechless. I didn't know what to do."

Lee, like every parent, ended up letting her son do what he wanted, and her daughter made the same demand 20 days later, which Lee also ended up accepting.

"My children were high-achieving, good-looking, exemplary students their whole lives, never had anything that worried me. Imagine how I felt the moment everything I built for my life just disappeared."

It was then that Lee began reflecting on the 10 years of what she believed was perfect management of her children's lives and, by extension, hers.

"Looking back, I realized I never gave my children a compliment, not once, or asked what they wanted. I always evaluated them by how good their grades were, how many awards they won and whether they became leaders in school. Nothing else. I always had every detail figured out for them, not at all considering what they wanted."

Children need to fail, and fail hard, in order to learn about life, as the most unforgettable lessons are learned the hardest way.

"Life is long. What's the point of doing something a year or a two earlier than others? As long as they are happy, it's all that matters," she said.

"Let your children do what they want. I know parents say and do things for their children thinking they are doing what's best for them, but most of the time they are not."

Lee is now beyond proud of her son, a philosophy major in graduate school and her daughter, a psychology major.

When she asked her son why he wanted to study so hard in a field that has no prospect of making money, his son said, "Mom, why do so many teenagers commit suicide? Why is life so hard? Are these not questions that need to be asked? I want to be able to help answer these relevant questions."
The mysterious shooting death of a Korean soldier in Cheorwon County, in Gangwon Province, on Sep. 26 is the latest fatal incident involving soldiers stationed in the county near the inter-Korean border. / Graphic by Cho Sang-won



By Ko Dong-hwan

A Korean soldier stationed in the inter-Korean border county of Cheorwon, in Gangwon Province, died of a mysterious gunshot to his head on Tuesday, the latest in a series of fatal incidents there.

The victim, 22, whose name was not released, was returning to his platoon with about 20 soldiers and their commander after working when the bullet hit him. Who fired the bullet and where it came from are unknown.

The incident occurred about 4:10 p.m. The soldier was taken to hospital but died at 5:20 p.m.

The bullet most likely came from a military shooting range within 400 meters of the incident site, media reports said.

But a netizen who claimed to be a family member of the victim said the commander was responsible for the death. The family member, who was with the victim's body at the Armed Forces Medical Command in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, said the platoon commander led the solders "right across the shooting range while shooting practice was in progress."

"This platoon commander is nonsensical," the person said. "He could have led all 28 soldiers right to their deaths. This incompetent platoon commander took the soldiers, who are as young as his own children, across the shooting range."

In March 2013, a member of an army platoon on duty at a border post in Gyeonggi Province was found dead. The victim, surnamed Kim, 21, had told another soldier that he needed to go to the washroom. The other soldier later heard a gunshot and found Kim dead.

In April 2010, a soldier from a platoon in the county was found dead by two other soldiers. The victim, who was watching from an outpost, was found with a gunshot wound to his chest.

Military authorities found that the bullet was fired from the victim's rifle and concluded he took his own life. But bereaved family members said their son was murdered.
More people stand up against 'gapjil'



By Kang Hyun-kyung

Human rights activist Oh Chang-ik encountered an awkward moment during his visit to the National Assembly on Feb. 22 for a seminar about reforming the law enforcement agencies. When he dropped by the restroom during a break that afternoon, an assistant of then Deputy Police Commissioner Kim Gui-chan was there waiting for his boss with toilet paper in his hand.

Soon, Oh figured out what was going on. As Kim came out of the toilet and washed his hands, his assistant handed him tissues from the roll. His assistant was there to help his boss dry out his wet hands. Kim, who appeared to take his assistant's help for granted, took the toilet paper and used it to dry his hands.

Oh was in disbelief at what he saw. After returning to the seminar room, Oh asked Jang Sin-joong, a retired senior superintendent, if it's common for a senior-level police official like Kim to have their assistant attend to them even in the restroom.

"It's a shame such a trash-like outdated practice is still festering in the police organization," Jang answered. "I was frustrated because I thought it disappeared a long time ago."

What Oh saw in the National Assembly restroom is the tip of the iceberg. Jang said having a full-time personal assistant is one of the perks given to high-ranking police officials. Such excessive perks spoil officials and some wittingly or unwittingly boss their aides around, which Koreans now call "gapjil."

Jang, the founder of the web-based watchdog Human Rights Center for Police Officers, posted the fresh gapjil case on Facebook. It went viral and caused a public uproar against the high-ranking police official.

Kim was replaced in a reshuffle in July, two months after Moon Jae-in was elected President.

Korean society's patience with bullies is wearing thin.

Gapjil (an act of the party, gap) is initially derived from a two-party contract. The party who has the right to enforce terms of a contract, such as a landlord in a housing contract, is usually called "gap," whereas the other party subject to follow the rules set by the gap is "eul."

Gap is an analogy used mainly in a negative manner to refer to people with power who misuse their influence when interacting with others.

So when people portray someone as gap, this usually means the person is greedy, self-serving and abuses their power at the expense of the weaker. There are no established norms or guidelines that can be used to identify whether a certain act by someone constitutes gapjil or not.

In general, however, there's a widely accepted criterion, albeit still vague, to determine gapjil  if you were in the same circumstances, would you feel insulted? If so, you are the victim of gapjil.

Lee Jang-han, the tyrannical, foul-mouthed president of the pharmaceutical company Chong Kun Dang who came under criticism earlier this year after his mistreatment of his driver was made public, and four-star general Park Chan-ju who abused soldiers serving at his official residence are two well-known gapjil examples.

Soldiers who served at Park's official residence reportedly were treated as if they were slaves and had to wear electronic bracelets that vibrated whenever "their masters" called on them to run errands. One of the soldiers testified Gen. Park had received several fruit boxes as gifts from his acquaintances and the fruit soon went bad because there are only two people in the household who ate them  Park and his wife. "When the fruit went bad, his wife yelled at us and blamed us for our failure to keep the fruit fresh," the anonymous soldier said. He said he even saw Park's wife hurl a rotten apple at one of the soldiers.

Earlier this month, the general was arrested after some of the allegations were found to be true and the investigation concluded he violated the law.

Psychiatrist Choi Myong-ki said bullying or gapjil is an outdated way of expressing one's authority.

"People boss others around for various reasons," he said. "Tyrannical leaders do so in order to make sure they are in charge, so they expect their subordinates to recognize their authority and follow their directions without resistance. If the bullies feel their subordinates' reactions or recognition are insufficient, they take the offensive."

Choi said bossing someone around also occurs outside organizations between, for example, a female VIP client of a luxury shopping mall and a staffer selling certain products there. The client, who is upset for some reason, is hard on the staffer and explodes with anger because she fails to control her anger. "In this case, what triggers gapjil is the client's impatience," he said.

According to the psychiatrist, bullies, cutthroat bosses and demanding clients have in common that they don't know they are being excessive. "They do the same as they did in the past because their demanding behavior was accepted then. But their attitude backfires and gets them in trouble today because society has changed a lot. People they interact with are no longer tolerant of bullies or of dysfunctional social hierarchy."

Some experts say gapjil culture shows the transformation of Korean society in a retroactive way.

Emanuel Pastreich, professor of Kyung Hee University and director of The Asia Institute in Seoul, said gapjil culture was born from radical competition encouraged in Korean society.

"Korean society is oddly even more dominated by social hierarchy today and in odd places," he said. "We are looking at something profoundly different from Confucian hierarchy which is based on ethical principles."

Pastreich describes gapjil as a sign of retroactive society in that Confucian hierarchy, which affected the Korean way of thinking, is based on mutual respect and responsibility but such obligations for the haves or those who are in powerful positions are lost in social hierarchy.

The abuse of power by some people in power has been there for several decades. The slave labor of soldiers at the military commander's official residence is one example. According to former police official Jang, Korean men in their 40s or 50s who finished their military service are all too familiar with such abusive practices facing soldiers serving at the official residences of the top brass.

Why does their bullying, which was taken for granted for decades, belatedly draw the ire of the public now?

Kim Jin-sook, a partner at the Seoul-based law firm Barun Law, said a generational change is one reason behind Korean society's growing impatience with bullies or ignorant superrich people who mistreat their workers. "The older generation didn't confront abusive practices because they took them as part of life and something they had to endure," she said. "But for the younger people who were raised in relatively affluent days and educated about equal treatment and human rights, the dysfunctional social practices are not acceptable, so they confront them."

Kim said social media empowers ordinary citizens, who once were considered weak, to become influencers who can make their voices heard.

"In an era of individual media, social media users are independent journalists and they make the most of internet technology to spread the word and influence society to correct the wrongs," she said.
Na Hyang-wook / Yonhap

By Bahk Eun-ji

The Seoul Administrative Court on Friday ruled in favor of a senior educator who was dismissed after referring to the public as "dogs and pigs"

Na Hyang-wook, a former director general of Ministry of Education policy planning bureau, sued the ministry in June, claiming his dismissal was unfair.

Na made the controversial remarks at dinner meeting with editors and reporters from a progressive newspaper in July 2016. During the meeting, Na described the public as nothing but "dogs and pigs,"and said society needed to consolidate the class system because people were not "born equal."

The ministry asked the Central Disciplinary Committee to review the dismissal request. T request was accepted given the intensive public uproar.

The court heard that Na had passed the civil service examination, served as the education minister's secretary and as a Cheong Wa Dae official.
By Choi Ha-young



The long-standing political issue over whether to redraw constituencies is resurfacing as the ruling camp is actively seeking negotiations with the opposition parties for an agreement.



Three liberal parties  the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), the People's Party and the Justice Party  have reportedly found common ground in redrawing the electoral map although they differ in details. The minor conservative Bareun Party is also seemingly open to negotiations because the existing single-member electorate system is unfavorable to the party with 20 seats.



On Wednesday, senior lawmakers from the four parties and civic groups gathered in the National Assembly hall to discuss their commonalities. "Distrust of the Assembly is rampant and I think it is due to the current representative system that has failed to reflect the votes," said Rep. Lee Jong-kul, five-term lawmaker of the DPK.



For decades, civic groups have criticized the existing system which is largely advantageous to major parties. Since only one candidate can clinch a parliamentary seat in each election district, candidates from smaller parties with meager financial support have little chance of success. Therefore, voters who actually back a candidate from a minor party, tend to vote for the candidate from the larger party for fear of casting a "dead vote."



The ruling DPK, the People's Party and the Justice Party generally support the enhanced proportional representation system, the so-called mixed-member proportional representation (MMP). In MMP, the most popular candidate in an election district will win the seat as it is now, and parties will gain more seats according to each party's percentage of the vote.



Rep. Sim Sang-jung of the progressive Justice Party is taking the initiative for the motion. On Monday, the former presidential candidate tabled a bill to implement MMP in some regions during the upcoming regional election, June next year.



Currently, the number of those who can be elected by the proportional representation system is limited  47 out of 300 seats. Under the envisioned system, however, the ratio of the proportional representation system is likely to increase, to around 100 out of 300, according to the suggestion by the Justice Party.



If parties agree not to decrease the number of those elected in local constituencies, this may involve an increase in the number of lawmakers, which is likely to draw disapproval from taxpayers.



On the other hand, the minor conservative Bareun Party is in favor of a multi-seat constituency. According to the proposal, more than two of the most popular candidates in each constituency can gain parliamentary seats.



The largest conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP), which solely opposes the change, did not participate in Wednesday's joint event of four other parties. Regarding the alleged agreement between the People's Party and the ruling camp, the LKP fiercely lashed out at the move, calling it a "backdoor deal."



"The issue is up to the Assembly so it must not isolate the LKP," floor leader Chung Woo-taik said Tuesday. The reform of the electoral system is part of the constitutional revision, which is supposed to be put to a national referendum in June next year.



To calm the controversy, Cheong Wa Dae and the People's Party clarified that they haven't reached a formal agreement. "When I met with the President's chief of staff Im Jong-seok, chief presidential secretary for political affairs Jun Byung-hun and DPK floor leader Woo Won-shik, they all said constitutional revision should be discussed in the Assembly," People's Party floor leader Kim Dong-cheol said.




Moon confidant criticizes Trump

By Jun Ji-hye

The flyby of the B-1B Lancer strategic bombers off the North Korean coast was a misconceived, reckless choice that could have led to an armed conflict, according to a key former campaigner for President Moon Jae-in, Wednesday.





Rep. Woo Sang-ho

"I think it was the wrong decision for the United States to fly the B-1B bombers near North Korea," Rep. Woo Sang-ho, a former floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), said during a radio interview.

"It is very dangerous that President Donald Trump speaks carelessly, threatens the North and takes military action in reality, although Kim Jong-un is making a mess."

Woo was the top officer on Moon's campaign team during the presidential election earlier this year.

The lawmaker said Trump should refrain from provoking North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and South Korea should persuade the U.S. president not to consider military options against Pyongyang.

On Saturday, the U.S. Air Force flew the heavy bombers from Guam and F-15 fighters from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa farther north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) than any other American warplanes have flown in the 21st century.

At the time, the Pentagon said the mission was a demonstration of U.S. resolve and a clear message that President Trump has many military options to defeat any threat.

The flyby came amid the ongoing war of words between Trump and Kim, with the former threatening to "totally destroy" the North if the U.S. is forced to defend itself or its allies against the North.

In response, Kim said his regime will "consider with seriousness the exercising of a corresponding, highest level of hard-line countermeasures in history."

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho also said Monday his country would shoot down U.S. bombers if necessary as it has "every right to take all self-defensive countermeasures."

Rep. Woo said military tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at the highest level since the 1950-53 Korean War amid the exchange of such belligerent remarks.

The third-term lawmaker urged the Moon Jae-in government to keenly cooperate with the international community and the Trump administration to stop the U.S. from exercising military options because they would open up the possibility of a full-scale war.

"The government also needs an inducement strategy to bring North Korea to the dialogue table," Woo said.

Regarding the North's threat to shoot down the bombers, Woo said the North seems to be bluffing as its intelligence assets and weapons probably lack such ability.

But he also warned it would be more dangerous as the North could act imprudently.

The senior lawmaker noted that sending a presidential envoy to the North would be necessary sometime but now is not a good time as the North has shown no signs of reconsidering its nuclear ambitions.

59% back peace initiative

Meanwhile, 59.3 percent of the public said they were satisfied with the Moon government's North Korea policy, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Seoul National University Institute for Peace and Unification Studies.

The institute said the figure was higher than those of previous surveys conducted during the former governments as 53.7 percent liked the government's North Korean policy in 2014, 50.4 percent in 2015 and 45.1 percent in 2016.

"The improvement of the level of satisfaction probably reflects the people's skepticism of the former governments' policies and the expectations about the new government," the institute stated.

Moon took office on May 10 after a rare presidential by-election following the ouster of the scandal-hit former President Park Geun-hye.
By Yi Whan-woo





Kim Kwan-jin

The prosecution is widening its investigation into former Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin's alleged links to the military's online smear campaigns during the 2012 general and presidential elections under President Lee Myung-bak.

Sources from the prosecution said Kim has been banned from leaving the country in connection with the investigation.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office reportedly have obtained documents showing Kim reported to Lee in 2012 about mobilizing the Cyber Warfare Command to post positive online comments about conservative candidates and negative ones about liberals.

Previously, Kim was excluded from the list of suspects as the probe centered on uncovering the National Intelligence Service's (NIS) illegal meddling into the online campaign.

The prosecution previously decided that Kim did not receive any reports from the Cyber Warfare Command; but rather a team of its officials single-handedly decided to join the NIS in the online smear campaign.

"We've recently discovered evidence that Kim masterminded this politically-motivated sabotage," a prosecutor said. "We also found that the military and Cheong Wa Dae worked closely in making this possible. We believe former President Lee can possibly be a target in the near future."

The prosecution said Kim's signature was found on documents it obtained related to the smear campaign.

It also said the documents had the letter "v" regarding the chain of command that received the report about the online campaign.

"We believe the letter v' meant the word VIP," which commonly refers to the president," an investigator said. "It leads us to thinking that Kim directly reported to Lee on the matter."

The prosecution said it separately obtained a recording of a call between former Cyber Warfare Command director Ok Do-kyung and Lee Tae-ha, former head of the psychological operations division at the command.

Recorded in 2014, the call was about Lee Tae-hee complaining and asking for Ok's help when he was about to face charges from the military prosecution for "cyber operations carried out by the Ministry of National Defense."

Lee complained about taking the blame after following orders from Kim.

Ok was given a suspended jail term while Lee was sentenced to 18 months in prison later.

"We recently questioned Lee, who testified that everything he said was true. We also questioned Ok over the background concerning their telephone conversation."

In a separate revelation, Rep. Rhee Cheol-hee of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said he has documents showing President Lee ordering the Cyber Warfare Command to increase its use of civilian workers.

Even if Kim successfully defends himself over the allegation, he still faces another charge of corruption concerning the next-generation fighter procurement project, according to legal sources.

Kim was serving as the National Security Office (NSO) chief under President Park Geun-hye in 2014 when the country abruptly changed its plan to purchase Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle to the F-35 stealth fighter from Lockheed Martin.

Other dubious military contracts, such as one involving the Navy salvage ship Tongyeong took place when Kim was either the defense minister or NSO chief.
Jose Maria Marin, program coordinator for public sector integrity at Transparency International, is interviewed at the Transparency International-Korea office in downtown Seoul, Tuesday./ Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Kim Ji-soo



South Korea, a country with a dynamic and formerly volatile political history, recently demonstrated one of the most effective defenses of democracy with its series of candlelit protests calling for the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye.

In August, only a few months after new leader, Moon Jae-in, took office, Korea took another important step for democracy by launching the first Open Government Partnership (OGP) forum, which included a recent high-level meeting in New York. The inaugural forum brought together representatives from the government, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and 11 members of civic organizations, including Transparency International's (TI) Korea chapter.

"The Open Government Partnership is an international initiative, a platform, a process that Transparency International supports," said Jose Maria Marin, the program coordinator for public sector integrity at Transparency International, a leading anti-corruption organization.

"The OGP gets governments and civic society together, as co-stakeholders, to come up with a national plan based on their priorities and commitments to open up governments to be more transparent and accountable and to ensure citizen participation," said Marin, who works on issues regarding Open Government Partnership within Transparency International and was in Seoul to attend a seminar this week.

The OGP was founded in 2011 and has 75 member countries. It has seven thematic working groups: access to information, anti-corruption, fiscal openness, legislative openness, data openness, and openness in natural resources and climate. South Korea will start working with the OGP Steering Committee next month.

When countries join the OGP, their governments introduce a change process to civic society, share knowledge worldwide through the OGP, and share the assessment of problems, solutions and other items on their national agenda, he said.

Marin said the OGP is a perfect vehicle to add to the fight against corruption "because you're able to put in commitments that specifically tackle corruption but indirectly tackle it as well by increasing participation and making the government more responsive and accountable."

He said South Korea's administrative innovations, such as M-Voting, a mobile app that allows citizens to share their opinion on Seoul city policies, are good examples of how to increase transparency. At the New York OGP meeting, Gwanghwamun 1st Street, a project that operated from May 25 through July 12 to take policy suggestions from citizens, was touted as an example of increasing public participation. In 1998, South Korea implemented the Public Information Disclosure Act, the first law of its kind in Asia.

Asked whether recent developments in Korea  the Anti-Graft Law, a.k.a. "Kim Young-ran Act," implemented a year ago, and the Moon administration's plan for an investigative body that will deal with graft cases involving senior government officials  were good signs that Korea was moving toward more transparency, Marin said he was not necessarily very cognizant of Korea's situation, albeit the country's partnership with the OGP are good signs.

Marin was also asked about South Korea's corruption perception index (CPI) ranking in 2016  52nd among 176 member states  a slip from the previous year that invited concern and criticism.

"The CPI is a very valuable index to raise awareness about corruption. Small changes from year to year are not concerning. That being said, I think the number tells us that that corruption is an issue that needs proper attention in Korea," Marin said.

Asked about the trial of Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong on multiple charges, including bribery and capital flight, Marin said he cannot comment on a specific case.

"I am of the opinion that demonstrating that there is little to no impunity in a country is always helpful in the fight against corruption," he said, adding that the perception that impunity exists demoralizes society and does not help in anyway.

Asked whether government information, in particular sensitive security issues, should be fully disclosed, Marin cautiously said that in principle government information, all of it, should be disclosed to the public.

"It is a difficult game in the sense that some information may do more harm than good. But there needs to be a very credible and independent mechanism that can make that assessment, ensure that what should be public is public and what should not be public, be kept securely," he said. He stressed that establishing independent bodies such as an access-to-information commission are good ways to deal with such sensitive issues.

Korea is moving to strengthen the powers of the public information disclosure committee, so that it will fall under the Prime Minister's Office and can investigate issues and recommend policies regarding public disclosure.

"In general, corruption starts with people and the people should be the ones to solve it," he noted, urging citizens' awareness and participation.




By Lee Kyung-min







Sixteen sex offenders have been chemically castrated over the past six years, government data showed Friday.



According to data submitted from the Ministry of Justice to Rep. Keum Tae-sup of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, the 16 were among 22 offenders sentenced to such a punishment since July 2011 when a related law took effect.



Those sentenced to chemical castration, must either take tablets or receive injections regularly to reduce their sex drive.



Of the 16, eight were convicted of rape and the remaining eight included offenders guilty of sex crimes involving victims under 16. Six offenders were in their 30s, five in their 40s, three in their 50s and two in their 60s.



A recently amended law allows chemical castration to punish individuals for using hidden cameras to record or take a photo of others.



A Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon passed the amended law on July 18, adding the offences to rape, attempted rape and well as sex offences involving victims under 16.



But Keum said the efficacy of the punishment, which costs 5 million won ($4,300) per offender a year, failed fundamentally to solve the issue.



He said chemical castration only removed the impulse temporarily and offenders were highly likely to reoffend as soon as they stopped taking the drug.



The amendment came as a strict countermeasure following a recent jump in crimes using hidden cameras.



According to data from the National Police Agency, the number of hidden camera-based crimes has grown by an average of 21 percent a year since 2012.



Taking photographs or videos with smart phones accounted for most of the offences (85.5 percent), followed by sharing files, including online sharing, and setting up and using hidden cameras.



The number of cases involving illegal filming grew more than three-fold from 2,412 in 2012 to 7,615 in 2015.



According to separate data from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office last year, 98 percent of victims of hidden cameras were women.



Most said they now were unable to maintain a normal life, with some saying they thought about killing themselves out of shame.








Anti-nuclear activists gathered at Busan City Hall on Sept. 12 to call for the permanent halt to construction of the Shin Kori No.5 and 6 reactors. President Moon Jae-in temporarily stopped construction in June pending a comprehensive review. The demonstrators believed that the reactors on the southern seashore are vulnerable to earthquakes. Their protest was held exactly a year after a magnitude-5.8 earthquake shook Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province. / Korea Times file

By Ko Dong-hwan

While businessmen from the global nuclear power industry gather for the so-called "Nuclear Power Olympics" in Gyeongju on Oct. 14, the event has kept a strangely low profile considering its international scale.

In less than three weeks members of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) will gather in the city in North Gyeongsang Province for the 13th biannual general meeting (BGM). But there is no website or press release from officials promoting the event domestically.

The meeting was last held in Toronto and this year will see about 700 people from 122 member companies from 34 countries participate. In 2014, when Korea beat Pakistan to host this year's meeting, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP), the state-run nuclear power plant operator, said "the global circle of nuclear power companies have acknowledged the competitiveness of the Korean nuclear energy industry." National efforts to remind the world of Korea's advanced technologies in building nuclear power plants and exporting them soon followed.

But such efforts are nowhere to be seen as the meeting's D-day looms.

"We can only follow directives from WANO's headquarters in London, the U.K.," Park Jin-heon, senior manager of the corporate communications office of the press PR team from KHNP, said. "And the organization is very strict about its deep-rooted regulations. We can only promote the event here within the range approved by the headquarters. The minimum range includes allowing media press to interview the WANO president and CEOs."

KHNP had planned to release a feature article about this year's event, including who will be there and what content will be discussed during the sessions of the week-long gathering. But the organization ordered the Korean company not to release the article before the event.

"We have been persuading the headquarters that this year's event needs to be advertised more rigorously," Park said. "The past BGMs weren't promoted broadly locally either."

This year's event comes amid the special discussion period during which a committee of nuclear energy experts and citizen jurors lock horns in deciding whether to continue construction of the Shin Kori No.5 and 6 reactors in Busan. President Moon Jae-in halted construction in June to push his anti-nuclear energy policies. Activists opposed to nuclear energy welcomed the move but subcontractors involved in the construction of the plants and nuclear energy experts were fiercely opposed.

Some media reports say KNHP is taking a low-key approach to this year's WANO event because it does not want to attract anti-nuclear activists who will disrupt the event's core purpose of promoting Korea as an advanced nuclear reactor maker. They also said the pro-nuclear event may unfairly affect the committee's decision, tilting it to resume construction of the Busan reactors.

Park dismissed the reports, rejecting the event's alleged influence on the committee.

"As coincidental as it seems, the date for this year's event was determined in Toronto two years ago," Park said. "And the WANO BGM is a gathering of private companies -- not of government agencies -- focused on discussing the responsibility of each nuclear reactor operator in different countries to prevent accidents like the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011."
By Bae Eun-joo





A recent photograph showing a teenage girl kneeling on the ground soaked in blood, beaten by her peer group shocked the nation.

The 15-year old victim was abused for more than an hour by four other teenage girls who inflicted severe wounds on her face and scalp until she fell unconscious. Marks caused by cigarette burns were also found on her body.

This photograph and surveillance camera footage taken in Busan went viral in an instant. Over 270,000 people have signed an online petition on Cheong Wa Dae's website asking for adult punishment for the juvenile offenders.

A more appalling fact was that one of the offenders posted the picture on social media herself along with comments, such as "Was this too much?" and "We are not going to jail... We are juveniles."

This incident triggered a heated debate over the Juvenile Law which stipulates a juvenile offender under the age of 19 can receive a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for committing a crime of extreme violence. The law also states criminals 14 years or younger receive no punishment at all or serve community service.

When people learned that one of the middle school offenders involved in this incident of teen violence in Busan was exempt from criminal charges since she was under 14 years old, they voiced their anger and demanded amending the Juvenile Law.

Last week, a 17 year-old female student, who murdered an eight-year old girl and dismembered her body in Incheon last March, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Her accomplice, an 18-year old female was slapped with a life sentence.

In a rare move, the court sentenced the two teenagers to the maximum sentence and ordered them to wear a location-tracking device for the next 30 years.

The judgment came amid mounting calls to abolish the Juvenile Law and treat teenagers the same as adults when it comes to extremely violent crimes.

Crime and Criminal Statistics data showed physical assaults by minors almost doubled to 6,600 in 2015 from 3,600 in 2011. Experts cite the most serious issue in juvenile crime is recidivism. Recent data showed 12.3 percent of underage offenders committed crimes again, compared to 5.6 percent of adults, possibly due to the lack of stern punishment.

An increasing number of cases have been referred to the school violence commission for review in recent years. Some 23,673 cases of school violence were reported in 2016 whereas 19,968 cases were filed in 2015. The number amounted to 19,521 in 2014 and 17,749 in 2013.

The furor Koreans felt about the teen violence in Incheon could compare to one of the most horrific teen crimes in modern history that occurred in England in 1993.

Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both 10 years old, led away two-year old James Bulger from the Strand Shopping Center in Bootle, Merseyside, and beat him to death with bricks and iron bars. The two accomplices placed the infant's body with multiple skull fractures and 42 separate injuries on a railway to disguise their crime as a train accident.

In November 1993, Thompson and Venables were convicted, becoming the youngest murderers in modern English criminal history. The court ordered them to stay in custody until they turned 18 years old and released them on a lifelong license. This means the two minors were allowed out of prison on parole but faced the threat of immediate return to prison for the rest of their lives.

Considering the level of violence, I thought the two criminals should have been given harsher punishment at first, just like one of some 250,000 people who signed an online petition. But as I learned more about juvenile crimes, I found punishment was not the sole answer.

Criminologist David Wilson of Birmingham City University said, "When children kill, it's always a mixture of factors, including characteristics they are born with and because of the kind of environment or influences they have grown up in. The difference between child and adult murderers is that it is possible for kids to grow out of the behavior that led them to kill in the first place. In the Bulger case, for example, Robert Thompson seems to have modified his behavior, while Jon Venables hasn't."

In 2010, Venables was recalled to prison after he was found in possession of child pornography.

"We have to be prepared to intervene in these youngsters' lives. Parents, neighbors and schools all have a role to play in taking notice of unacceptable behavior and to look for the warning signs," Wilson said.

The Juvenile Justice Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy organization, supports raising the age of juvenile court to 21. It aims to bring the U.S. court system in line with various researches that show young adults between 18 and 21 years of age are more similar to juveniles than adults in terms of criminal offending.

According to the Juvenile Justice Initiative, brain functions that relate to self-control and reasoning continue to mature into the twenties. "Findings suggest that addressing the issues of this age group might be handled in different ways, as one group, or in subdivisions including 18 to 21 and 22 to 25," it said.

Statistics Korea data released Tuesday showed that more teenagers committed suicide last year. The teen suicide rate rose to 4.9 per 100,000 individuals last year, up from 4.2 a year earlier.

The rising number of teen crimes and suicides definitely reflect how dejected and hopeless young adults feel in a society grown-ups have created. It is time for adults to take responsibility and attend to the desperate calls of these children.





ejbae@ktimes.com
From left, French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) Chairman David-Pierre Jalicon; European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) President Christoph Heider; Chairman & CEO of AMCHAM James Kim pose with Foreign Investor Ombudsman Jeffrey I. Kim and The Korea Times chief editorial writer Oh Young-jin before the Times Roundtable on Korea's business environment. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



The U.S.- North Korea standoff is sending military tensions high on the Korean Peninsula. Although Korea is often portrayed to be ground for an imminent battle, foreign investors here say this is not the case. They say they are not alarmed and the situation is close to business as usual. So The Korea Times invited them to speak about what they are up to nowadays. _ ED.



Ensured security of Korean Peninsula

By James Kim

As a Korean-American businessperson living in Korea and given my position as Chairman & CEO of AMCHAM, I am frequently asked about the escalating tensions from North Korea. Interestingly, such inquiries come with much seriousness and concerns from my friends and colleagues outside of Korea. People elsewhere seem to believe that all of us here in Korea live in a constant state of fear. I always assure them that is not the case.



For those of us familiar with constant noise from North Korea, neither the latest rhetoric from the North nor President Trump's responses have created any significant or new concerns. The readiness of the U.S. and Korean militaries to "fight tonight" is a strong deterrent against any action by the North against South Korea, Guam or any other allies of the U.S. We are also confident that the U.S. and South Korea will refrain from taking any action deemed to be a pre-emptive strike unless there is certainty that it will result in minimal damage to South Korea and its allies. We are assured by our two Commanders-in-Chief, President Trump and President Moon, who have also reaffirmed their commitments to the Seoul-Washington alliance, bolstering our joint defensive posture.












By Christoph Heider

The U.S. administration has announced it wants to renegotiate the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) as the trade deficit with Korea is at an unacceptable level. This somehow comes as deja vu as we had the same discussion with the Korea-European Union free trade agreement (KOR-EU FTA) when a Korean surplus turned into a deficit after the deal was implemented in 2011.

To be frank, I am surprised about this discussion. Is the trade balance the only thing that matters in evaluating the effectiveness of an FTA? I don't think so. FTAs are negotiated and ratified when it makes economic sense, when economies are supplemental, when one economy can provide added value to the other economy. In economics this is called "comparative advantage."

What puzzles me is that the public discussion seems to focus to a high extent on the trade in goods balance. Trade is not limited to products but also includes services, which take up a substantial share of the trade. But even this indicator doesn't provide a complete picture. Companies do not only produce goods in their home country; multinational corporations have set themselves up over the recent past in a worldwide network of production sites.

Trade in products that originated outside of the territory of any party to an FTA is not considered at all in the trade balance measurement for each specific FTA. It is indirectly considered in the current account balance when dividends are paid from a subsidiary to its holding company. Also not included in the trade balance itself is foreign direct investment. So if an FTA is purely valued in monetary terms, then at least the current account balance including other financial transactions should be used as a key performance indicator.

In economic theory, a negative trade balance can exist only temporarily. The nation with a trade deficit will experience a devaluation of its currency, which will make its products and services more price competitive, whereas the trading partner with a surplus will see its currency appreciated, therewith increasing the price for its products.












The union of Hyundai Heavy Industries has recently decided to accept temporary workers as members.



The world's largest shipbuilder's union, which had limited its membership to permanent blue-collar workers, opened its doors wider to include temps and white-collar workers.



The decision is significant as it has paved the way for regular and irregular workers to shake off mutual distrust and become one family. Relatively better-to-do full-timers will now be able to provide greater support to struggling part-timers.



All the more so, given the grim reality gripping labor circles, in which the selfish unions of regular workers are raising many eyebrows by discriminating against their irregular counterparts. It was this past April that the trade union of Kia Motors, which had been the nation's only autoworkers union that embraced contract workers, kicked out the latter, citing too many internal conflicts.



Hyundai Heavy Industries' union has its share of a shameful past, however.



The HHI union, one of the pioneers that sowed the seeds of unionism in the wake of Korea's democratization in 1987, saw its reputation smeared in 2002 when a group of company-kept union members took its leadership. In 2004, these pseudo-unionists went as far as to smash the altar set up for a contract worker who had killed himself in protest of the discrimination against non-regular employees and was expelled from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.



As foretold by the razor-thin margin of the vote, however, the process of integration was far from easy. It was only the first successful attempt after two abortive moves. That points to the vast gulf between the two different worker groups, which cannot be solved only by the good intent of embracing weaker colleagues.



The HHI union has a long way to go before being truly one group. The global slump in the shipbuilding industry is crowding out many workers, including regular ones. The union must prevent irregular workers from falling as unilateral targets of workforce trimming. It also should keep temporary workers from becoming perennial victims of industrial disasters.



All this will be difficult, if not impossible, without the spirit of sharing burdens and self-sacrifice on the part of regular workers.




Few visitors are seen at the ITU Telecom World at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Kang Seung-woo



By Kang Seung-woo



BUSAN -- The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2017 ended its "unsuccessful" four-day run, Thursday.



The Swiss-based organization returned to the port city with its information and communication technology (ICT) event, following ITU Telecom Asia 2004 and the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference in 2014.

However, this year it did not live up to its billing as a leading exhibition and forum for the global ICT industry.

The telecom fair failed to draw public attention as evidenced that the spacious Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) was not crowded at all. Many of participants, who had few opportunities to demonstrate their technologies, were spotted keeping their eyes on their smartphones.

"We expected many people to visit this event, but there were fewer visitors during the four days," said an official of an African exhibition booth, who also participated in last year's fair in Bangkok, Thailand. "There were quite a few people from overseas last year."

He added that the relatively few connecting flights to Busan prevented foreign visitors from attending.

"If it had been held in Seoul, many more people could have visited," he said.

People in the nation's second-largest city had a lukewarm attitude toward the event, as well.

"I did not know that the ITU Telecom World was taking place at BEXCO. Many other Busan citizens wouldn't know it, either," said a 39-year-old housewife, who declined to be named.

She suspected the Busan city government did not do its best to promote the event.

"Unlike other large-scale exhibitions such as a motor show and a baby fair, I hardly saw any advertisements about the event," she said.

She also asked why the event was held during weekdays, which made it tougher to attend.

Even a cab driver who is usually familiar with what is happening in the city, did not know that the fair was being held.

Asked if people here had interest in the event, he answered bluntly, "What is it?"

Amid the lukewarm interest, Busan allowed high school and university students in the region to attend the fair for free for the final two days, but exhibitors were busy packing up Thursday morning, with some already gone.

A lack of high-profile companies at the telecom fair was another reason for little attention.

According to the ITU, more than 500 companies participated in this year's event. But few top Korean companies attended.

The exhibition failed to invite globally renowned information and communication technology players. The remaining booths were filled by small- and mid-sized companies.
By Jung Min-ho



The Korean government will review whether to block access to Tumblr, a blogging platform company based in New York City, if it continues to turn a blind eye to illegal content.



The Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), the country's internet censorship body, said Tuesday that it will consider the option, though it will not take immediate action.



"About 10 percent of its content is pornographic," KCSC Vice Chairman Heo Wook told reporters. "It is also an important matter for Tumblr's brand image. We will ask the company again to resolve the issue."



"If you ask me whether it is appropriate to block access, it's not there yet," he said. "But we will consider blocking Tumblr if the problem becomes serious."



His statement came following revelations that the firm rejected the KCSC's request to regulate sexually explicit content on its platform.



"Tumblr is a U.S. company regulated by U.S. law. Tumblr has no physical presence in South Korea and is not subject to its jurisdiction or laws," it responded to the KCSC.



Tumblr has become one of the most popular platforms for adult content here over the past few years in large part because of its "looseness."



The company is known for embracing "reblogging" or the sharing of content; unlike Facebook, users are not required to reveal their real names to log in, but only an email address. This characteristic has made it very popular, especially for people who want to present different personalities through different blogs  both as content creators and consumers.



But this feature has also made it easy to share illegal content behind a curtain of anonymity.



From January to June, the KCSC sent Tumblr more than 22,000 requests to delete posts that were either obscene or linked to the sex trade. It accounted for 74 percent of all its requests. During that period, Twitter received 1,771, Instagram 12 and Facebook 5.



In 2015, Twitter received the most revision requests from the KCSC for such content, accounting for more than 20 percent. But the following year, it gave up the top spot to Tumblr, which was responsible for 58 percent of all requests that year.



Revenge porn and child porn are among materials available on Tumblr, to which anyone, including elementary school students, have easy access.




Visitors to this year's International Telecommunication Union Telecom World 2917 enjoy a virtual reality racing game at a KT booth in the BEXCO convention hall in the nation's southeastern port city of Busan, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Lee Min-hyung



VR, AR draw spotlight from visitors

By Lee Min-hyung

BUSAN  With the upcoming fifth-generation (5G) network era getting closer, global tech giants are busy showcasing how the hyper-connected society can change people's daily lives.

For this year's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2017 held here, mobile carriers as well as research bodies are going all-out to showcase their ongoing 5G outcomes.

Visitors to the global fair have particularly shown keen interest in the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) demonstrations from companies such as KT and also the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI).

The former, as one of the nation's leading mobile carriers, has set up "GiGA VR" demonstration zones where visitors can wear VR head-mounted displays and enjoy reality-like racing games.

For a full-fledged VR gaming service, the 5G network is considered a necessity, as the VR games require massive real-time data transmission for smooth operation.

The next-generation networks, set to be commercialized by 2020, are expected to deliver 10 times faster network speed than the existing long-term-evolution technology.

The VR promotional booth was established as part of KT's bid to promote its efforts to launch the world's first commercial 5G services by 2019.

At the Korea Pavilion, the government also won attention from visitors by setting up a 5G ski-jump experience zone, ahead of the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics next year.

The government has teamed up with KT to successfully host the event. Both sides pledged to turn the upcoming sporting event into the world's first venue to experience a glimpse of a 5G network.

The PyeongChang Olympics booth promoted a series of 5G services to be offered at the upcoming event. They include what it calls the interactive time slice service, which uses 100 cameras to capture momentary motions of athletes from various angles, and the sync view service. It is based on a micro-camera equipped with telecommunication modules, helping transmit ultra-high-definition video in real-time.

"When people watch an Olympics event, they can choose a specific perspective view of a competitor," an official said. "The sync view service will help them feel like they are the athlete in the event."

ETRI, one of the nation's top research institutes, also grabbed attention by showing off its AR-powered pinball mobile game.

"By using our AR tech, we can bring real-world surroundings into a mobile game in an elaborate way," said an ETRI official.

"For example, let's say there are some bottles on a table. We call them a point cloud. The point cloud is then transformed into an augmented reality background of a mobile game via 3D-tracking technology, called simultaneous localization and mapping."
LG Electronics' home appliance and air solution business President Song Dae-hyun, right, with officials from Changwon City and South Gyeongsang Province at the 63 Convention Center in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday, after signing an agreement to establish a smart plant in the city by 2022. / Courtesy of LG Electronics



Electronics firm vows to invest W600 bil. until 2022



By Yoon Sung-won



LG Electronics will renovate its home appliance plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, into an eco-friendly smart factory. It will invest 600 billion won in this project through 2022, the electronics company said Wednesday.



The nation's second-largest electronics maker said the new plant will be completed in 2023 and will produce kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, water purifiers and dish washers.



Alongside the new plant, which is under construction in Tennessee, the Changwon plant will be the first LG Electronics facility to have smart manufacturing systems.



On Wednesday, LG Electronics' home appliance & air solution business head Song Dae-hyun met with officials from Changwon City and South Gyeongsang Province to sign a contract to invest in the plant renovation project in the region.



The city officials also promised to provide administrative support to this project as it is expected to create more jobs there, boosting the regional economy, according to LG Electronics.



"We will continue to invest in the Changwon plant to make it an outpost for the global premium home appliances market as well as a driving force of the regional economy of Changwon and South Gyeongsang Province," Song said.



LG Electronics said the smart plant will have advanced manufacturing systems based on the core technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution such as internet of things (IoT), big data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI). As a result, the firm hopes that it will be able to quickly respond to changes of demand in the global market.



The company said the new plant will concentrate on producing large-sized premium kitchen appliances targeting global markets.



"Our first Changwon plant started operating in 1976 and has been optimized to produce small- and mid-sized products," an LG Electronics official said. "Considering that larger home appliances are taking center stage in the market, the existing manufacturing facilities are not enough to boost productivity for the future."



As of now, the first Changwon plant is capable of producing up to 2 million units of home appliances in a year. Once it is fully renovated, the maximum capacity is expected to go up to 3 million per year.



The smart plant will have what is called the "modular design" system, which allows the company to flexibly change its manufacturing plan to crank out diverse types of products.



To compensate for the downtime during the transition period, the company will purchase extra plant sites near the second Changwon factory before the new smart plant is completed.



LG Electronics is also planning to hire about 250 workers every year for its Changwon plants. In particular, it expects that the introduction of intelligent manufacturing systems will require more talented and skillful workers.



"We currently have about 8,000 workers at the two plants in Changwon and will need many more employees for the expanded manufacturing capacity," the LG official said.



LG Electronics said the new manufacturing facilities it plans to introduce are projected to consume 40 percent less energy than the ones in operation now and will be able to stand severe natural disasters. To this end, the company will build solar power energy panels, energy storage systems and advanced heating and air-conditioning systems.



Meanwhile for its second Changwon plant, which has churned out home appliances such as washers, vacuum cleaners and air conditioners, the company will tentatively keep it as it is.
By Kang Seung-woo

Lululab's Lumini

BUSAN _ Tech giant Samsung Electronics' in-house venture program drew attention at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2017 as it produced three participants.

The annual global telecom fair ended its four-day run in the port city, Thursday.

The ICT Venture Zone was set up at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) and more than 20 startup firms worked diligently to show off their technologies.

Creative Lab (C-Lab) was established at the end of 2012 and is one of Samsung's primary innovation programs that helps its employees nurture creative business ideas and encourages creative thinking throughout the company.

Hardware company Linkflow, headed by CEO Kim Yong-guk, showcased a 360-degree wearable camera, FITT360 Security. The company was spun off from Samsung in 2016.







Linkflow's FITT360 Security

The neck-worn item using four high-definition cameras can capture video images offering a first-person view from all angles and the images can be delivered to servers in real time.

The Seoul-based company is targeting the global market as it plans to debut the camera at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2018 ahead of its mass production.

According to the company, it is the world's first and only high-performance body-worn camera system that captures all 360 degrees of a scene that could be effectively used during security operations.

"U.S. and British police already carry body cameras, but they can only capture video in front of them," Kim said.

"The device that is worn around the neck allows the police to shoot videos clearly without any hand shake."

Lululab, another spinoff from Samsung's startup project in 2017, also unveiled its personalized beauty internet of things (IoT) skin assistant Lumini.

It analyzes the user's skin and recommends suitable products and services that work best for each user.

"By displaying Lumini at the ITU Telecom World, where global companies have participated, our technology has gained recognition," CEO Choe Yong-joon said. "Ahead of its official launch in December, we expect to make business opportunities as a result of being here."
Park Sam-koo

Kumho Asiana Group chairman

Creditors to take initiative to place Kumho Tire on track

By Lee Hyo-sik

Kumho Asiana Group has lost control of its struggling tire unit as Kumho Tire creditors rejected its 730 billion won ($650 million) self-rescue package.

The state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) and other creditors, which hold a combined 42 percent stake in the cash-strapped tire maker, have decided to strip Kumho Chairman Park Sam-koo of managerial control and subject the firm to a stringent workout program to normalize its operations.

KDB said Tuesday Kumho Tire's restructuring package is "insufficient" to tide over current difficulties, stressing that creditors should be in the driver's seat again to get the company back on track.

"Creditors have decided to take the initiative in normalizing Kumho Tire, given the low feasibility of its self-rescue plan," a KDB official said. "The restructuring package is not enough for the tire maker to overcome the ongoing hardship."

He said Kumho Tire CEO Lee Han-seob and other top managers will resign, adding that Kumho Chairman Park will give up his right to buy back the 42.01 percent stake.

"KDB reached a consensus with Kumho Asiana Group on these and other issues. The group also pledged to allow the Kumho Tire buyer, whoever it may be, to use the Kumho trademark without preconditions," the official said. "Creditors and Kumho Group have also agreed to do their best to get Kumho Tire back on track as quickly as possible."

The KDB and other creditors have been seeking to take control away from Park, holding him responsible for the botched deal with mid-tier Chinese tire maker, Double Star Tires. They viewed Park as the main culprit because he made it difficult for Double Star to use the Kumho trademark after acquiring the tire maker.

The Kumho chief did not dispute KDB's announcement Tuesday, telling reporters, "I will accept the creditors' decision. I have no control over the situation."

Korea's second-largest tire maker will again undergo a creditor-led workout program, three years after the previous one.

In 2010, it was placed under management by KDB and other creditors after suffering a severe liquidity crisis caused by overspending on Kumho Group's acquisition of Daewoo E&C in 2006.

Creditors are expected to extend the tire maker's 1.3 trillion won in loans, which will mature this month. They will also likely inject fresh capital into the company to prop up its deteriorating financial health.

In the first six months of 2017, Kumho Tire posted a 50.7 billion won operating loss, compared with a 55.8 billion won operating profit a year ago.

As of June, its cash and cash equivalents amounted to only 69.9 billion won, down from 163.5 billion won six months ago.

Early this month, Kumho Tire submitted its 730 billion won self-rescue plan that included raising 200 billion won by issuing new company stocks.

The firm also said it would sell the tire maker's three plants in China, valued at 400 billion won, as well as raising the remaining 130 billion won by disposing of a 4.4 percent stake in Daewoo E&C shares.
Hyundai Motor Vice President Hwang Seung-ho, center, poses with Deputy Governor of Guizhou Province, Lu Yongzheng, third from left, and other Chinese government officials during the opening ceremony of the carmaker's big data center in Guizhou, China, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor



By Lee Hyo-sik

Hyundai Motor Group has opened a big data center in China's southwestern province of Guizhou to facilitate the development of its connected car service platform in the world's largest automobile market.

Korea's top carmaker said Tuesday the facility will help it process massive amounts of customer data to provide safer and more efficient connected car services to Chinese motorists. It also strives to lead other digital transformation in the automobile industry.

The company also signed an agreement with China Unicom to develop and commercialize a big data analysis model to enhance its competitive edge in the rapidly-growing field. China Unicom is the second-largest wireless carrier of the world's most populous country.

Hyundai has already established extensive digital infrastructure in Korea, such as Hyundai car cloud and a connected car operating system, to produce safer and more efficiently operating vehicles.

On Tuesday, the firm held an opening ceremony for the big data center, 11 months after it broke ground. It is located in Guizhou's big data industrial district, which is also home to Apple, Alibaba, IBM and other global IT giants that operate a data processing center there.

Hyundai said it is the first multinational carmaker to open a big data center, which will help it hone its IT technologies and raise its brand value.

"We will do everything we can to successfully operate the center and set an example for other automakers," Hyundai Motor Vice President Hwang Seung-ho said.

"The facility will further enhance our expertise on how to analyze and use big data. This will significantly boost our capability to create an advanced connected car infrastructure and develop next-generation, wireless internet-based vehicles," he said. "To launch world-class connected vehicles in the near future, we have bolstered cooperation with U.S. network equipment maker Cisco."

The center will collect and systemize various data, including motorist behavior and road conditions, and then analyze it to offer more customized and convenient connected car services to each motorist.

Hyundai also plans to use the facility to collect and accumulate other types of data from social networking service platforms and other sources. It will then process data to more accurately predict market trends and consumer preferences, and introduce vehicles and customer service accordingly.
Daewoo Engineering & Construction head office in Seoul / Courtesy of Daewoo Engineering & Construction



By Jhoo Dong-chan

Daewoo Engineering & Construction (E&C) is recruiting 100 new employees. It will receive job applications through Oct. 9.

Daewoo E&C said it recruits new employees with civil, electrical and mechanical engineering as well as architecture majors in its construction division. For its management division, it will hire business, management support, finance and safety related majors. Applicants with certified licenses get extra credits in the screening.

Those who apply for the company's safety management are required to have related certificates.

"Daewoo E&C is looking for new employees with passion, a challenging spirit and senses of responsibility," a Daewoo E&C official said. "We are very excited to meet new talents ready to prove their qualities with Daewoo E&C."

The recruiting process consists of document screening, a written test and an interview. Applicants who pass the process are scheduled to join Daewoo E&C next January.

For more information, visit Daewoo E&C webpage at http://recruit.daewooenc.com.

Founded in 1973, Daewoo E&C has carried out major construction projects, including Wolseong Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 & 4 and Gwangyang Steel Plant, in Korea. Its major construction projects abroad include Algeria Oman Fertilizer Project, Malaysia KLCC Tower and Hanoi New Town Development in Vietnam.
Sapporo International President Tsukasa Orui, right, and M's Beverage CEO Lee Jong-wan pose at the launch event in Seoul of Premium Yebisu beer, Thursday. / Courtesy of M's Beverage



Sapporo Breweries sets eyes on growing Korean market

By Park Jae-hyuk

Premium Yebisu beer is now available in cans at convenience stores, discount chains and department stores nationwide. Besides Japan, Korea has become the only country where the high-end Sapporo Breweries beer is available through official distribution channels.

Koreans have been able to enjoy Yebisu draft beer at several luxury hotels and Japanese restaurants here since last November. But this is the first time the golden cans hit the shelves in Korea for consumers.

"We realized that the Korean market has undergone a drastic change over the past few years," Sapporo International President Tsukasa Orui said in an interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday.

"Young Koreans in their 30s and 40s especially tend to spend a large amount of money to buy what they want. Also, various imported beers have infiltrated the Korean market, which is expected to undergo further changes."

Orui, who has worked for Sapporo for 30 years, said the company stopped exporting Yebisu to the United States and Taiwan in the past, so as to focus on improving its brand image in Japan.

According to the president, Sapporo's standard quality beers are produced at the company's worldwide factories or by original equipment manufacturers (OEM). However, all Yebisu beers are exclusively made in Japan without exception.

"The freshest beer is the most tasteful one," he said. "If we sell Yebisu far away from Japan, it will lose its freshness, which can deal a blow to the brand."

His company therefore regards Korea as the best place to export Yebisu, due to its geographic proximity and local consumers eager to taste new products.

M's Beverage, the joint venture between Sapporo and the Seoul-based Maeil Dairies, will supply the canned beer produced at a brewery in Kyushu.

M's Beverage has carried out test marketing for Yebisu since late last year at 100 restaurants nationwide.

"Yebisu has received more positive consumer responses than expected," M's Beverage CEO Lee Jong-wan said. "We realized there is demand for premium beers in Korea, and thus we concluded canned beer will succeed."

The CEO, however, said the company has yet to have any plan to sell Yebisu at Paul Bassett, a coffee shop chain run by Maeil. Instead, his company is considering various marketing strategies.

"Our top priority is to let more consumers experience Yebisu beer," he said. "By hosting tasting events, we will help more people enjoy Yebisu. We are also planning to promote the beer on social media."

Prices of the premium beer seem to be slightly higher than Korean beers and other imported beers. Prices for its 500-milliliter can and 350-milliliter can are expected to sell for 4,700 won ($4) and 3,900 won, respectively, according to Lee.

Orui confidently said Yebisu is worth the price.

"If I can use a term for wines, I would say Yebisu is full-bodied," the president said. "It is true that Yebisu is a bit luxurious. The alcoholic beverage is suitable for birthday parties and enjoyable events."

Orui said Yebisu is a beer consumers should drink slowly, compared to Korean beers, which he said are light and easy to drink.

As Yebisu targets consumers who want to drink high quality beers, Lee said his company will focus more on building up brand image, rather than trying to increase sales volume.

"If we are obsessed with sales volume, we may be negligent of quality control," he said. "We aim to pioneer the premium beer market in Korea, so our basic policy is to allow consumers to enjoy the best quality beer."

The chief executive said M's Beverage is not considering distributing other brands or other Sapporo products. Orui also said Sapporo has no plan to sell Yebisu in other countries for now, except in Korea and Japan.
Yoon, first lady reunite with Biden at gala dinner in Cambodia
El Salvadoran CAISA Group Chairman David Ha poses during the 2017 World Korean Community Leaders' Gathering event held at the K-Hotel, Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap



By Jhoo Dong-chan

El Salvadoran CAISA Group Chairman David Ha said he aims to enter the Cuban and North Korea markets despite their political uncertainties.

Heading El-Salvador-based CAISA Group with 25 affiliates in Nicaragua, Honduras, Vietnam and the United States, Ha said he discovered his business opportunities from travel.

"You should move around continuously to find business opportunities. Especially, Koreans should become nomads," Ha said.

"If you find and actively invest in a certain business for five years in a country, you will understand local business culture. You will also become a business expert if you spend another five years in the country."

Ha's CAISA Group operates various business operations, including textiles, coffee and packaging, to record annual sales of around 350 billion won ($307 million). Depending heavily on the export of textiles, El Salvador highly values CAISA Group.

Thanks to CAISA Group's successful export of textiles and its economic contribution to El Salvador, Ha recently received the title of "Noble Amigo De El Salvador," the highest award a foreigner can receive from the country. He was the second Korean to receive the honor after former U.N. Security General Ban Ki-moon.

He has also been heading the country's Korean community for six years.

"I often tell Korean youngsters that they should get out and travel and look for opportunities. Nothing will happen if you duck inside your room," Ha said.

His enthusiasm for business he attributes to his background.

Ha moved to Los Angeles with his mother when he was 10. He learned sewing from her and started related businesses after graduating from college.

Ha went El Salvador in 1996 and two years later the country went through a civil war. Despite the unstable political situation, Ha considered it an opportunity, and he has gained enormous business success. CAISA Group is now a big company in El Salvador employing about 6,000 workers.

Ha said he now aims to enter into the Cuban and North Korean markets.

Cuba has already started allowing foreign investments and is letting international companies run businesses in the country. Ha said North Korea is still a "closed-door" country for business, but it has a great deal of potential if it opens the door for foreign businesspeople.
Transport ministry urged to do more for interests of domestic carriers



By Lee Hyo-sik



Air carriers are expressing frustration at France's recent decision not to increase the number of flights between Korea and France when the number of passengers has increased sharply in recent years.



The French government had initially agreed to increase the number of flights to 14 per week from the current 12 when the two sides met in June last year. But it changed its stance this time, saying now is not the time to do so, according to officials at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.



Carriers also appear to be disappointed with the transport ministry, saying the government should have pushed their French counterparts harder to make it more convenient for Korean travelers to visit the European nation.



Currently, Korean Air operates daily flights from Incheon to Paris, and Asiana Airlines five times a week, while Air France flies daily to Incheon from Paris.



Under the agreement, Korean carriers are allowed to fly to Paris a maximum of 12 times week and it is the same for French airlines. This means there is no room for Korean Air or Asiana Airlines to operate more flights to France, but Air France can add five more flights a week if it wants to.



"It is unfortunate that the French government refused to increase the number of flights between Korea and France," said an airline industry official, who declined to be named. "Last year, France had agreed to allow carriers to run more flights between the two nations, but it changed its mind without giving any logical explanations. It failed to serve the interests of market players."



It is a must for carriers to operate more flights between the two nations to meet growing travel demand, the official said.



He added France should more carefully look at market conditions and do what is the best for travelers and the airline industry.



According to the transport ministry, the number of travelers between Korea and France reached 587,000 in the first seven months of 2017, up from 497,000 in 2013. The occupancy rate on the Incheon-Paris route averaged 87 percent, one of the highest in the industry.



On June 23, 2016, the ministry issued a press release, saying the French government agreed in principle to extend the number of flights to 14 a week. But on Sept. 22, it said its French counterpart refused to keep its earlier promise, adding both sides failed to reach a consensus on the issue.



In its defense against growing criticism, the ministry said it did everything it could to persuade its French counterpart to extend the number of flights during the talks in Seoul on Sept. 20 and 21.



"We did our best to enable local carriers to fly more often to Paris," Kim Gyung-hee, director of the ministry's international air transport division, said. "But French officials showed a lukewarm attitude toward the idea as Air France still has five unused slots. When we meet next year, we will work harder to revise the aviation agreement with France."



France and Japan signed an open skies agreement, meaning Japanese and French carriers can freely increase or reduce the number of flights, depending on demand. In addition, France allows Chinese carriers to fly to Paris or other cities 126 times per week.




Beijing might have to start talking to Washington and Seoul about contingency plans for conflict on the Korean peninsula, a Chinese analyst says.



By Liu Zhen





Beijing needs to come up with backup plans  either on its own or with Washington and Seoul  in case the crisis on the Korean peninsula escalates into conflict, a leading Chinese analyst has warned.

But other observers said it was still too early to discuss a post-war Pyongyang with other countries, insisting there is no sign of the North Korean regime falling.

In an article published in Australia-based online magazine East Asia Forum earlier this month, Peking University international relations professor Jia Qingguo called on China to work with the United States and South Korea on contingency plans.

Analysts said it was rare for such a subject to be raised so publicly by a Chinese academic.

In his article, Jia said four major areas needed to be addressed: North Korea's nuclear arsenal, an influx of refugees, restoration of social order, and post-crisis political arrangements on the peninsula.

"So far Beijing has resisted the idea for fear of upsetting and alienating Pyongyang. But, given recent developments, Beijing may have no better choice than to start talking with Washington and Seoul," Jia wrote. "When war becomes a real possibility, China must be prepared."

He said that if the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fell, most likely as a result of a US military strike, either China or the United States should be ready to manage North Korea's nuclear facilities to prevent the spread of the weapons.

A safety zone should be set up in northeast China to shelter North Korean refugees, and Beijing should talk to Washington about whether to accept a unified Korea.

Sun Xingjie, a North Korea specialist at Jilin University, agreed that preparation was necessary.

"Being well prepared on the border to deal with a possible nuclear or refugee crisis is a good idea," Sun said.

But he also said the prospect of war was low given that North Korea already had nuclear weapons and there had never been a direct conflict between nuclear-armed nations.

China has taken various steps in recent months to signal its impatience with its neighbour, the latest being an immediate ban on imports of North Korean textiles and a tighter cap on oil supplies from next year.

Nevertheless, China would not be willing to talk to the US about a contingency plan unless the ultimate sanction  a full oil embargo  was imposed, according to Cheng Xiaohe, an international relations researcher at Renmin University.

Cheng said that turning off the oil taps completely would probably trigger an economic or humanitarian crisis or a pre-emptive strike by Pyongyang.

No matter who made the first strike, China must safeguard its own interests, he said. To that end, authorities in the military, civil defence and border control would no doubt have strategies in place.

"[China]must take quick action to minimise damage to China's own interests and earn a biggest say in the post-crisis arrangement," he said.

There are signs that some preparations are under way, with Xinhua reporting that Central Military Commission vice-chairman General Xu Qiliang inspected troops from the Northern Theatre Command, which covers China's border with North Korea.

Cheng said that in a post-crisis Korean peninsula, China's basis interests were to rid the region of nuclear weapons and to ensure US forces remained south of the 38th parallel. Other key considerations would be a border agreement, repayment of Pyongyang's debts to China and protection of Chinese commercial holdings in North Korea.

"The Chinese military should move fast to secure important facilities and locations, prevent a refugee crisis and nuclear proliferation, and ensure a good position in the follow-up international settlement," he said.

Lu Chao, from the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, agreed that a massive influx of refugees from North Korea would be the biggest concern for China and neighbours, but it was still too early to discuss it.

"A precondition of making a contingency plan is the likely collapse of the Kim regime, but up until now we have seen no sign of it," Lu said.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (left) meets President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in March.



By Sarah Zheng





US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will arrive in Beijing this week with a full agenda, in the midst of an escalating crisis over North Korea's nuclear and missile weapons development and Sino-US trade tensions.

The diplomat's second official visit to China will take place from Thursday to Sunday and pave the way for US President Donald Trump's inaugural visit to Beijing in November.

Amid a difficult strategic landscape, here are some of the main points to watch for during Tillerson's trip.

North Korea

Tensions on the Korean peninsula will undoubtedly play a primary role during the visit, given the ratcheting up in recent days of the rhetoric between North Korea and the US. Pyongyang has accused Trump of having "declared war" with his brashly worded tweet that stated that North Korea "won't be around much longer", dismissing leader Kim Jong-un as "Little Rocket Man." Washington also imposed additional sanctions on the reclusive authoritarian regime on Tuesday, attempting to slow North Korea's nuclear and military weapons programmes after its sixth and largest nuclear test earlier this month.

Tillerson will likely repeat the need for China and the US to work together to restrain North Korea's nuclear ambitions and temper further escalation.

Trump's first state visit to China

Trump is expected to make his inaugural state visit to China in November, around the time he will attend multilateral summits in Southeast Asia. Tillerson's visit will help lay the groundwork for this meeting, which has heightened importance given it follows the 19th Communist Party Congress, the key political gathering that reshuffles party leaders and sets policy direction for the next five years.

"It makes it all the more sensitive in the sense that Trump is going to meet Xi Jinping for sure, and meet the new leadership that Xi Jinping has set up," said Sow Keat Tok, a Chinese foreign relations expert at the University of Melbourne. "The Party Congress is on Washington's radar, so part of [Tillerson's] job is definitely to find out what's going to happen."

Deciphering US foreign policy

Contradictory voices on US foreign policy have been heard from Washington, with Trump sometimes undercutting statements made by other members of his administration, including Tillerson. Uncertainties about US stances have even forced North Korean officials to make sense of American policy by trying to meet with Republican-linked analysts in Washington, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

Chinese officials may "have two minds about Tillerson," initially expecting him to be bullish as secretary of state, but later seeing him as a more reasoned voice from the administration, according to Tok.

Beijing likely prefers dealing with Tillerson, even if it is "likely as confused" about US foreign policy, he said.

Sino-US trade tensions

US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross met with Beijing officials on Monday, highlighting the US trade deficit with China and various trade frictions between the countries. Given these recent talks and Tillerson's broader diplomatic focus, the secretary of state may focus on other issues in the Sino-US relationship during this particular trip, according to Tok.

But bilateral trade ties continue to loom large in the midst of US probes into Chinese imports and the latest investigation into Chinese intellectual property practices.

Key regional issues

Tillerson's visit may also touch on other regional issues such as territorial contentions in the South China Sea. The talks may be a conduit for more coordination on regionalisation ahead of the Southeast Asia regional summits in November that Trump also will be expected to attend.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations foreign ministers recently endorsed a proposal for negotiations for a code of conduct in the waters for the Asean summit in the Philippines in November.

Although tensions over the South China Sea have "somewhat faded into the background," Tok said, the issue nonetheless remains one of the major concerns in a potential US-China conflict.
PRESS RELEASE

Intense Discussion of Infrastructure vs. Wall Streets Disasters; Opening to the Belt and Road Initiative Is Critical

Sept. 29, 2017 (EIRNS)On Aug. 31, the LaRouche Political Action Committee said in a national mobilization statement on "Natural Disasters Made on Wall Street," that America needed "action, and action now" to build the new infrastructures which could have prevented those disasters.

Three major American metropolitan areasNew Orleans, New York, and Houstonhad been devastated in little over a decade by the lack of protective infrastructure engineered decades earlier, but never built or even begun, due to Wall Streets increasing control of U.S. economic policy for the past half-century. Since that mobilization was launched, new natural disasters have struck, far the worst in Puerto Rico, whose entire infrastructure of power and transport and much more has been destroyed completely.

The first beginnings of a paradigm shift have been provoked. In the White House, sources say that an intense discussion is taking place of the "trillion-dollar infrastructure-building program" now stalled for nine long months on the Trump agenda. President Trump himself said today on Twitter, "The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding." "The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding."

The President "swung strongly away last week from the model of public-private partnerships to build projects," one source said. And a Democratic Congressman reported President Trump committing in a meeting to public funding of the entire program, although undecided on how this would be funded.

"Action, and action now" on new infrastructure projects, for both productivity and protection, has entered the minds of elected officials, as EIR representatives found even in offices of Congress during this week. Mentioning the very subject was able to start unscheduled and sometimes lengthy meetings with senior Congressional staff and/or members. As intense as the focus often appeared, an idea of really creatingthus, financingthis new infrastructure and technology was utterly lacking.

Here is where the link-up with the China-launched Belt and Road Initiative, which "is building major new infrastructure projects across four continents," was proposed as critical by EIR representatives. This link is the clear solution, but means that an United States national credit institution, lacking for 60 years, is as vital as a national capital budget, not used for 45.

What EIR proposed was specifically a Hamiltonian national bank for infrastructure and manufacturing, by which $1-2 trillion in outstanding Treasury debt would be exchanged for longer-term equity in the Bank, and similarly large volumes of credit issued as currency by the Bank for the productive, and pressing, high-technology new infrastructure. Such Treasury debt for national bank equity could immediately involve large foreign holders as wellChina and Japanas can easily be confirmed. This helps open the American door to the New Silk Road, and to great projects both here, and bridging to Mexico/South America and to Canada/Alaska/Eurasia. Finally, to joint reconstruction of Mideast nations destroyed in Bush and Obamas wars.

The idea, combined with Glass-Steagall reinstatement and space and fusion science "drivers," had been presented time and again in many Congressional offices but seemed, this week, to be "heard" for the first time, and as something new and surprising. "Whos against this?" was a frequent question. "Wall Street and London" was the answer.
PRESS RELEASE

Putin Says Pressure on Russian Media Abroad Unacceptable

Sept. 29, 2017 (EIRNS)Russian President Vladimir Putin called the current pressure put on Russia-based media abroad "unacceptable," Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Sputnik today. During Putins meeting with the Russian Security Council today, American actions against freedom of the press were discussed.

On Sept. 28, Margarita Simonyan, RTs editor-in-chief, stated that an RT broadcaster was asked to register as a foreign agent. Otherwise, RT was told, it might face restrictions that would make it unable to continue work in the United States.

Earlier in September, Sputnik reports, the U.S. Justice Department told an RT contractor in the United States to register under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). In June U.S. Congressmen introduced the Foreign Agent Registration Modernization and Enforcement Act, which would broaden the scope of FARA to include Russian broadcaster RT, by expanding the Department of Justices authority to investigate attempts to "unlawfully influence the political process."

This new bill empowers the U.S. Department of Justice, including the FBI, to identify and prosecute organizations that "illegally" try to influence the political processes in the United States.

It was also reported Sept. 11 that the FBI had questioned former Sputnik employee Andrew Feinberg as part of the investigation of reports that Sputnik International allegedly acted as a Russian propaganda agency in violation of FARA.

The FBI, Sputnik reports, claimed it had access to Sputniks working correspondence from Feinberg and another former employee of Sputniks Washington Bureau, Joseph John Fionda. The FBI itself has not responded to Sputniks inquiry on whether it is being investigated by the FBI.

Kremlin spokesman Peskov denounced the move as violating freedom of the press, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow "reserves the right to respond to the outrageous actions of the American side."
PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Welcomes Russian-North Korean Contacts To Help Persuade Pyongyang

Sept. 29, 2017 (EIRNS)Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced that Russias special envoy for dealing with the Korea crisis, Oleg Burmistrov, will consult with the head of the North Korean Foreign Ministrys U.S. relations department Cho Song-hu in Moscow on Friday. "There will be an exchange of opinion regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," Zakharova said, as TASS reported.

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert responded that the United States would welcome such a move.

"I cant see that as a bad thing. Diplomacy is our preferred approach. If Russia can be successful in getting North Korea to move in a better direction, we would certainly welcome that."

She also mentioned that U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joe Yun had visited Moscow about two weeks ago.
Performer Cher is suing Los Angeles billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, alleging he and others duped her into selling shares in a promising drug company at a fraction of the stocks value.

In January 2016, Cher sold her shares in a Florida-based biopharmaceutical company, Altor, at $1.50 each  for a total of $450,000  for an unreasonably below-market price, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday. Cher sold her shares back to the company.

Soon-Shiong, through his firm NantCell, acquired the outstanding shares of Altor in 2016 for about $15 million. The suit contends that Altor now is worth over $1 billion.

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The lawsuit contends that when Cher was asked to sell her shares she was not told that compounds of an Altor drug were showing promise in treating cancer and AIDS/HIV in clinical trials. Other minority shareholders have separately sued over the deal.

Cher alleges fraudulent concealment and breach of fiduciary duty. In addition to Soon-Shiong, defendants include Altor Acquisition LLC, Altor cofounder Hing C. Wong and Fred Middleton, a vice chairman of Altors board. The suit asks for damages and attorney fees and costs.

The lawsuit has no merit. We intend to vigorously defend against it, Soon-Shiongs spokesman, Michael Sitrick, said in a statement.

A person close to the situation not authorized to comment said Soon-Shiong was not aware that Cher was an investor  nor did he approach her about selling her interest.

Cher bought her stake in the company in 2013 through the Inshallah Trust, of which she is the trustee. Though the lawsuit did not say how much Cher paid for the stake,; the person close to the situation said Cher and others paid about 50 cents a share for their Altor holdings.

Middleton, in a statement to The Times on Sunday, said the 2016 stock sales came after a small group of investors, including two board members, became unhappy with the direction of the company.

The board members were Boyden Gray and Adam Waldman, an attorney and advisor to Cher. Middleton said that they wanted to sell their stakes in the company and negotiated the price of the shares.

Cher decided to sell her shares in January 2016 [after] she made a substantial profit in less than three years, Middleton said. Her decision to sell was completely discretionary as she was under no duress to sell.

By that time, Altors management had been encouraging Soon-Shiong to buy out the shares of the restive investors, Middleton said. Soon-Shiong agreed to purchase his initial shares in the company for $1.50 apiece. He became a shareholder in early 2016, investing $50 million in the company.

Earlier this year, Soon-Shiongs Nantcell bought Altor for $2 a share. Minority shareholders approved the deal, Middleton said.

Soon-Shiong is a major stockholder of media company Tronc Inc., which owns the Los Angeles Times.

meg.james@latimes.com

@MegJamesLAT

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UPDATES:

Oct. 1, 12:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comments by Middleton and a person close to the situation.

Sept. 29, 8:35 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from Soon-Shiongs spokesman.

This article was originally published at on Sept. 29 at 8:15 p.m.
NBC News executives had reason to feel like they got up on the wrong side of the bed after negative reviews and tepid ratings marred Megyn Kellys morning show debut.

The first week of Megyn Kelly Today a high-profile attempt by NBC to fit the former Fox News anchor into a brand extension of its morning program Today  opened with 2.93 million viewers on Monday and dropped to 2.4 million viewers by Thursday, according to Nielsen. During the 2016-17 season, the 9 a.m. edition of Today, which Kelly replaced, averaged 2.8 million viewers each day.

While new daily programs take time to build an audience, the rocky start is a worrying sign for a network that is banking on Kelly to become a marquee talent for its valuable Today franchise and boost ratings in the morning.

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TV critics were harsh about Kellys performance and the networks efforts to transform her from a hard-edged, no-nonsense cable anchor into the host of a feel-good show that would steer clear of the nonstop drumbeat of politics and President Trump.

NBC would like to give the show time to develop, but the publicity blitz leading up to the launch made it tough for the $18-million-a-year star to avoid scrutiny and controversy associated with being a cable news provocateur.

Kelly took heat for jokingly asking an audience member who is a super fan of Will & Grace  the iconic NBC sitcom about a gay lawyer and his friends  whether it was true you became a lawyer and you became gay because of Will.

Will & Grace co-star Debra Messing later said on her Instagram page that she regretted her appearance with Kelly, which became a story that was reported widely.

On Wednesday, an interview with Jane Fonda became uncomfortable when Kelly pressed the 79-year-old actress to talk about her plastic surgery. Fonda, who has discussed the topic in past interviews, gave Kelly an icy look and diverted the conversation back to Our Souls at Night, the film she and Robert Redford were on to promote. Fondas tart response became an internet meme and generated stories with such headlines as Megyn Kelly Is Striking Out With Celebrity Guests.

Even technical glitches are getting attention, such as when a camera operator stepped into frame and uttered an expletive that was heard by the viewing audience.

Some TV news industry insiders were surprised that Kellys live program gave minimal attention to current news events given the hosts demonstrated skills as a journalist  she famously clashed with President Trump during the 2016 campaign. Her proclamation that she is done with politics risks putting the program out of step with the rest of the TV news environment that now thrives on discussing the Trump White House and the polarizing issues surrounding it. The host attempted to reel back that pronouncement later in the week, saying politics would be discussed on the program.

Lisa McRee, a former host of ABCs Good Morning America currently on KTTV in Los Angeles, believes the awkward start is a result of NBC going overboard in trying to smooth out the elements that helped make her a breakout on-air talent at Fox.

Rather than melting her down and recasting her, I think they should have left her for the most part who she is, McRee said. Let her do more serious news. Let her do crime stuff.

McRee believed the most compelling segments in Kellys first week were her interviews of Lyle Menendez, his first since the airing of the Law & Order series that depicts the trial for the murder of his parents by him and his brother, Erik.

Kelly also appeared to be more in her comfort zone when she talked with attorney Christopher Darden and the father and sister of Ron Goldman about the impending prison release of O.J. Simpson. Simpson, who was acquitted on charges he murdered his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Goldman, will soon be out on parole after serving nine years for armed robbery.

Megyn Kelly Today executive producer Jackie Levin said she is happy with the shows first week and that she has not read most of the barbs that have been written about it. But she acknowledged that Kelly is getting used to performing in front of a studio audience rather than behind an anchor desk in front of a technical crew.

I think Megyn said the first day, This is new; Im nervous, Levin said. Go back and watch the first week [for other hosts] and see if they werent nervous.

While critics have been tough, Levin said that she is seeing a positive response from people in the studio audience and that Kelly needs to have time to settle into her new role.

I think its a natural evolution, Levin said. Shes having a ball out there.

Kellys colleagues at Today, who have been subjected to tough press in the past, also urged patience for the new program.

Today co-anchor Matt Lauer told The Times that Kellys 9 a.m. hour is a magnet for attention and that the hyper-ventilating over her early performance will eventually pass.

I think its a good show, Lauer said in an interview at a New York party for Princesses Wear Pants, the childrens book by his co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. Everybody has to relax and let it happen.

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio
Question: I own a condo in Orange County that has a second-floor balcony. For two years Ive complained to management and the board that my balcony is drooping and is unsafe to use but they just ignore me. My neighbor in the building next door also complains that the stairwell to her unit wobbles and that the handrails are loose.

Management is not taking the complaints seriously. More than half the buildings have dry rot and balcony problems yet owners cant get anything resolved. My sisters upstairs balcony in Los Angeles has visible cracks and the unit above her has a ceiling that is coming down. Her board also says its not the boards problem.

What can be done about this? Why doesnt someone pass a law that would require regular inspections and repairs as needed?

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Answer: A responsible board should never wait for the Legislature to pass laws before performing its maintenance duties and addressing potentially dangerous conditions in its association.

That said, this year Senate Bill 721, written by Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), was introduced to address the issue of unsafe decks, balconies and elevated walkways.

The bill was spurred by the 2015 collapse of an apartment complex balcony in Berkeley that killed six people -- most of them students visiting from Ireland -- and injured seven. Investigators found that water had seeped into the wood structure and caused dry rot, decay created by fungus that causes wood to lose its strength.

The bill proposes requiring an inspection of all decks, balconies and elevated walkways more than 6 feet above ground level in any building containing three or more multifamily units.

The completion date of the inspection and any necessary repairs was originally to be Jan. 1, 2021. A copy of the inspection would then be filed with the county recorders office, with subsequent inspections and reports required every five years. Civil penalties would apply for untimely compliance.

The bill ran into opposition from the Community Assn. Institute, an HOA trade group, which was concerned the proposed deadline for completing the inspections and repairs was not realistic because of a shortage of qualified professionals -- and the difficulties in performing work that requires access to individual owners units.

Opponents also claimed that the requirements could substantially increase monthly dues, stressing already-stretched association budgets, and even slow sales and make it harder to get mortgages.

The initial bill required inspections to be performed by a licensed general contractor, structural pest control licensee, licensed architect, licensed engineer, a certified construction inspector, or a building official as specified in Health and Safety Code Section 18949.27 -- or other licensee approved by the Department of Consumer Affairs.

As a result of the opposition, the bill was amended to allow the inspection to be performed by a licensed architect, licensed civil or structural engineer -- or an individual certified as a building inspector or building official from a recognized state, national, or international association, as determined by the local jurisdiction where the building is situated. This change would potentially expand the sphere of qualified professionals.

The inspection deadline also was moved back to Jan. 1, 2023, with inspections required every six years thereafter.

The bill never made it out this years legislative session, but Hill plans to take it up again in January when the Legislature reconvenes. It will then face an Aug. 31 deadline for passage.

Bill Leys, a former association manager and publisher of DeckExpert.com, said that associations should not wait for the Legislature to make sure their decks and other elevated walkways are safe.

The balcony that fell at Berkeley wasnt an accident. It was a deadly combination of bad design, bad execution of that design including a failure to inspect and perform maintenance, he said.

He warns that although a thorough inspection may be costly, it could be far cheaper than a tragic accident.

The Irish Times reported in May that the families whose relatives were killed or injured in the Berkeley collapse received a $20-million partial settlement with the defendants involved in the design and construction of the balcony. The deal did not include the complex owner or management company.

Leys also disputes arguments that current state law already mandates that common interest developments perform inspections under the reserve study requirement. The rule mandates HOAs identify major components of a development that need repair, replacement or restoration or have a remaining useful life of less than 30 years.

He said the rule is more of a budgetary tool and that it fails to adequately spell out requirements for the inspections. The Los Angeles Times has reported that the balcony that collapsed in Berkeley passed muster with inspectors hired by the complexs owners less than a year before the tragedy.

The revised, current text of SB 721 does not specifically call for a dry rot inspection. However, it does call for inspectors to ensure that decks, balconies and other exterior load-bearing structures are free of any hazardous condition caused by improper alterations, decay, deterioration or fungus, which Hills office said is a definition that includes dry rot.

The bill is the second written by Hill that has been spurred by the Berkeley collapse. SB 465, which took effect this year, provides more oversight to construction contractors. After the tragedy, it was learned that the builder of the complex had paid out $26.5 million to settle claims of construction defects on various other projects.

Zachary Levine, a partner at Wolk & Levine, a business and intellectual property law firm, co-wrote this column. Vanitzian is an arbitrator and mediator. Send questions to Donie Vanitzian, JD, P.O. Box 10490, Marina del Rey, CA 90295 ornoexit@mindspring.com
Traffic has been one of the chief complaints against Snap Inc. by local activists in Venice who say the social media companys sprawling footprint is diminishing the neighborhoods character.

Now a group called Venice Dogz is shedding new light on Snaps employee shuttle service by publishing Friday what it says is a van schedule that details how the company is contributing to congestion in the area.

The documents, which include a cover sheet with Snaps recognizable ghost logo and the title Shuttle Services, list eight vans that start as early as 6:30 a.m. and finish as late as midnight. The white vans run in 15-minute intervals, dropping off employees at six separate zones by zipping along thoroughfares such as Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Brooks Avenue and Speedway. Venice Dogz says the schedule amounts to 544 van trips a day.

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This is too much for our small town, Venice Dogz said on its website. The group has organized protests against Snap, saying the company has driven up rents, displaced residents and harmed the neighborhoods history.

The activist group would not speak for attribution but said its aim is for Snap to move to a corporate campus.

Snap could not immediately confirm the veracity of the documents but said they do not reflect the companys current shuttle routes. Instead, Snap says it operates a maximum of six vehicles per day to move employees between offices and parking facilities spread across Venice, Santa Monica and Marina del Rey.

While were sorry for any negative impact that our shuttles may have, providing them is one of the best ways for us to reduce employee traffic and parking in the neighborhood, a company spokesman said.

The spokesman added that there have been no safety issues with the shuttles and that their routes would dwindle as Snap moves more of its operations to Santa Monica.

That cant come soon enough for activists such as Venice Dogz, which has been tracking Snaps dozens of leased and owned properties in the neighborhood.

Long synonymous with Los Angeles bohemian culture, Venice is now the toast of the citys hip and moneyed set. High-end boutiques line Abbot Kinney Boulevard. And old bungalow homes are being replaced by glass, steel and concrete residential fortresses.

Snaps presence in Venice embodied the companys youthful appeal  a sort of retort to Silicon Valley, but with swimsuits instead of Patagonia fleece. But its continued expansion with over 1,500 employees spread across multiple buildings triggered local animosity. Shops and restaurants said Snaps security guards were scaring away customers. Some business owners say their rents have nearly doubled.

Snap, a $17.4 billion company by market capitalization that operates the messaging app Snapchat, readily admits its presence has been difficult for some neighbors. But the company says that has been the unintended consequence of its business growing as quickly as it has.

Snap asks its critics to be patient. The company is transitioning out of Venice into hundreds of thousands of square feet of new office space near Santa Monica Airport. Over 500 employees are currently there, and the plan is to keep only a handful of Venice offices by next year, the company said.

San Francisco Bay Area technology companies have faced protests from activists frustrated by their use of private shuttles to shepherd employees from their homes in San Francisco and Oakland to their offices in Silicon Valley.

david.pierson@latimes.com

Follow me @dhpierson on Twitter

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If you have ever felt that flight attendants treat you like a chump because you are seated in the economy section, you are not alone.

While fliers in first and business class sections pay for extras such as better food, drinks and roomier seats, a survey of more than 1,200 Americans found that most travelers feel the flight crew also show first-class passengers more courtesy and respect.

The survey by Clarabridge, an online platform for customer feedback, found that 67% of Americans feel first-class passengers are treated better than other fliers on the same plane.

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That may sound like a minor issue, but the same survey also found that customers rate friendliness of the flight staff and crew as the top reason they are loyal to an airline.

Also, 85% of American travelers who were questioned said they would recommend a particular airline based primarily on the attitude of the staff.

The divide between the airline travel classes can sometimes cause tensions during an already stressful travel experience, the Clarabridge survey concludes.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.

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A play about secrets and grief in Los Angeles. Light and color in Palm Springs. Constructing Obamas presidential center in Chicago. Im Carolina A. Miranda, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, with your weekly dose of all thats hot and not in the world of culture:

A MOTHERS SECRET

Tarell Alvin McCraney, who became the Yale School of Dramas playwriting chair in July, shared the adapted screenplay Oscar with director Barry Jenkins for Moonlight, this years best picture winner. Now McCraneys latest stage work, Head of Passes, has landed at the Mark Taper Forum. It is the story of a Louisiana mother, played by Phylicia Rashad, who wants to bring her fractious brood together at the end of her life. The plot, writes Times theater critic Charles McNulty has its weaknesses, but Rashad makes you forget all about that by tapping into a raw vein of grief and rage. Los Angeles Times

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Phylicia Rashad in Head of Passes at the Mark Taper Forum. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Times reporter Trevell Anderson sat down for an interview with McCraney. On the theater side, I say that Im interested in when theater was both religious and community-necessary, he says. This goes way past what we think of as the great Broadway era to every cosmologys natural origin, every campfire, every shogun tent and coliseum. Los Angeles Times

ART OF LIGHT AND MOVEMENT

An exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum looks at the mind-boggling work created by South American kinetic artists in the 20th century. The show, part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, adds valuable scholarship and offers some tantalizing experiences of movement, color and light. An installation by Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez, writes Times art critic Christopher Knight, with its spatial zones of transparent violet, orange and other rainbow hues surprise expectations and complicate internalized perceptions. Duuuuude. Los Angeles Times

Plus, since were on the subject of PST: LA/LA, the Times Deborah Vankin has a report on the Cuban posters that serve as love letters to U.S. cinema  on view at the Pasadena Museum of California Art. Los Angeles Times

BUILDING OBAMAS PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

The Obama Foundation held a public event in Chicago to discuss plans for the Obama Presidential Center designed by Tod Williams and Billie Tsien. The meeting brought together foundation officers and local activists who want the foundation to guarantee jobs to locals. Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne was there  and he reports that the event, like many things Obama, was carefully stage managed. And not necessarily for the best. Los Angeles Times

Jeanette Taylor of Woodlawn, one of the neighborhoods on Chicagos South Side, where Obamas planned presidential center will land. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Sort of related: The Obama Foundation has just launched a fellowship that includes a call for applications from artists. Artnet

THE L.A. PHILS MOZART GALA

Most orchestral galas, reports Times classical music critic Mark Swed, tend to be quick and flashy. But not the Los Angeles Philharmonics season opener, which featured early compositions by Mozart  with the participation of star performers such as Austrian soprano Anna Prohaska and Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Yuja Wang on piano. The orchestra, he writes, remarkably refused to underestimate its classy crowd. Los Angeles Times

Pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Yuja Wang perform an encore at the LA Phil gala. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Plus: The Los Angeles Master Chorale kicked off the Leonard Bernstein centennial with the composers Chichester Psalms. Los Angeles Times

VOICE OF L.A.

The Times Jeffrey Fleishman has been doing a series on artists whose work is rooted in Los Angeles. And this week he has a beautiful profile of poet Robin Coste Lewis, L.A.s poet laureate. I do think L.A. is just as intellectually rigorous as any other place, but thats not the stereotype of it, because of the dominant influence of Hollywood, she tells him. The beaches. The palm trees. The manufactured identity weve put into the world is unfortunate because theres so many brilliant histories that are taking place here all the time. Los Angeles Times

THE GUGENHEIMS CONTROVERSIAL DOG SHOW

The Guggenheim Museum has pulled three controversial works from an exhibition on Chinese art after drawing protests. These included a video of dogs chained to non-motorized treadmills attempting to fight each other. Animal rights activists praised the decision. But some are worried that it sets a bad precedent of museums removing uncomfortable art to satisfy public opinion. When an art institution cannot exercise its right for freedom of speech, that is tragic for a modern society, Ai Weiwei said in response. New York Times

In an interview given before the uproar, the shows curator Alexandra Munroe, said the show was intended to be difficult: Its gritty and tough and brutal because that is the world these artists have lived in. Artnet

Critic Ben Davis has an absolutely essential essay on the shows context: within art and within Chinese history. And he picks apart the ways in which the Guggenheim failed to adequately convey the works place and time. Must read. Artnet

DACA AND THEATER

The Trump administrations decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) has put a spotlight on Wet: A DACAmented Journey, a one-man play by Alex Alpharaoh. In it, Alpharaoh tells the harrowing tale of how he came to reside in the U.S. Recent audience members have included U.S. Congress member Adam Schiff. I dont consider myself an activist, Alpharaoh tells the Times Jessica Gelt. Im an artist and Im sharing my testimony because this is what I do. Los Angeles Times

Alex Alpharaoh, the creator of Wet: A DACAmented Journey. (Jenna Schoenefeld / For The Times)

CELLPHONE AS STAGE STAR?

Kevin Armentos Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally at the Odyssey Theatre features a cellphone as protagonist. The sentient cellphone, played by Thomas Piper, belongs to a 15-year-old boy, who has it confiscated by his teacher. The center of this production, which toys with moral and theatrical conventions, is Piper, writes Charles McNulty, as an invigorating incarnation of an eager-to-please phone. Los Angeles Times

TOO MUCH TALKBACK IN THE THEATER?

Many works of theater now feature talkback sessions between audience and cast. Some directors loath them. (David Mamet has famously banned them.) Others say they serve a critical purpose. Times contributor Stuart Miller dives in. Los Angeles Times

AROUND L.A. THEATERS

Writer Paul Rudnick, whose play Big Night is at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, sat down for a chat with Times contributor Margaret Gray about comedy in the age of Trump and why he loves Sees Candies. Los Angeles Times.

Contributing reviewer Philip Brandes reports on A Noise Withins staging of Jean Giraudouxs The Madwoman of Chaillot. The performance, he writes, extracts every drop of contemporary relevance from the plays satirical black gold. Los Angeles Times

F. Kathleen Foley has a look at Nick Salamones Billy Boy at the Atwater Village Theatre, a work that features luminous staging and bracing naturalism. Los Angeles Times

Plus, check out The Times weekly guide to whats happening in L.A.s 99-seat theaters. Los Angeles Times

IN OTHER NEWS...

 Annie Lenox will perform at the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts gala, which will honor Mark Bradford and George Lucas. Los Angeles Times

 Prices are going up for Hollywood Bowl tickets and parking. Los Angeles Times

 Gentrification of theater? Alex Needhan on how Londons Punchdrunk company became a luxury brand. The Guardian

 New Yorks Metropolitan Opera is offering buyouts to close a deficit gap. New York Times

 The late Gin Wongs Union 76 gas station in Beverly Hills is moving toward landmark status. Curbed

 The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (a.k.a. Renzo Pianos alien space ball) has unveiled design concepts for its exhibition spaces. Architectural Record

 The new Lego House in Denmark, just completed by the Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, is very Lego. The Guardian

 The late Dick Gregory on the importance of Jet magazine. Paris Review

 How Michigans ArtPrize became politicized for its connections to education secretary Betsy DeVos. New York Times

 The rise of the Instagram-friendly art installation (featuring on-fire quotes from The Times Christopher Knight). Wired

 Transporting bags of cash and other alleged irregularities surrounding Documenta. Artnet

 Mexican artists are pitching in to help victims of the quake. The Art Newspaper

 Puerto Rican art institutions shut down in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Artforum

 Whats it like to be an artist from Boyle Heights? This 10-minute doc, which follows artist Guadalupe Rosales, who grew up in the neighborhood, offers a very worthwhile look. Hyperallergic

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

Zodiac signs ranked by how long theyd survive in a horror movie. Thought Catalog

carolina.miranda@latimes.com

@cmonstah
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
From Mad Men to Big Little Lies, TV has stressed the difficulty for women trying to maintain a successful career while raising children.

Pay too much attention to the job and grandma will end up raising your kid. Pay too much attention to the kid and youll end up losing your cool at work  and your job.

The preoccupation with the good mom versus career woman storyline is understandable. Most women who walk this line in real life know it takes sacrifice on all ends, including wearing the same clothes two  maybe three days in a row  and eating your kids leftover mac and cheese for breakfast.

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Mad Men and Big Little Lies explored the idea from non-traditional angles, calling attention to the double-standard working women have been held to on TV, and everywhere else, since the 1950s.

ABCs mystery-crime series Ten Days in the Valley, debuting Sunday, had the potential to view the career-mom narrative through a fresh filter. But the 10-part series is so half-realized  at least in the episodes available for review  that it ends up reinforcing the very tropes and stereotypes it presumably set out to challenge.

Jane Sadler (Kyra Sedgwick) is a celebrated documentary filmmaker whose research on police corruption and crime is the foundation for her first scripted drama series, which shes developed and is shooting with her own company. But her life becomes as dramatic as the show shes created when her 8-year-old daughter Lake (Abigail Pniowsky) is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night.

How did it happen? Jane was working, of course, instead of paying attention to her daughter.

She had a late deadline and stole away to her backyard office/shed, 10 feet from Lakes bedroom, to rewrite a scene for the next days shoot. In only thinking about herself, she left the sliding glass door open. Selfish Jane.

Jane is sure its the work of her estranged husband, Pete (Kick Gurry). Hes violated their custody agreement before, so shes not all that alarmed when her daughter disappears. In fact, its her sister Ali (Erika Christensen)  the responsible sibling whos trying to get pregnant  who is the first to call the cops.

But when the police, led by LAPD Det. John Bird (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), dont find the girl with her father, what appeared to be a commonplace divorce dispute suddenly becomes something far more sinister.

The investigation uncovers that everyone in Janes life has a secret or two, or 50. Whats certain is that no one can be trusted  including Jane herself.

To cope with her high-stress life, impossible work hours, a nasty divorce, motherhood and a traumatic back story yet to be revealed, Jane pops pills to sleep at night, snorts cocaine to stay awake and swills red wine to get creative.

She also mistakenly inhales the rave drug Special K while trying to prove to a narcotics dealer that shes not a cop (weve all been there, right? Such a drag).

But whats harder to believe here than the above scenario or the lush rainfall scenes in L.A. is that Jane doesnt appear all that broken up about her daughters disappearance.

Instead, she  or at least this series  focuses on the other dramas in her life: coddling her shows temperamental star, sleeping with the hot cop whos a consultant on the show and covering up her own drug use.

The story here is sloppy and underdeveloped, and no matter how much Sedgwick tries, she cant make the viewer care about the fate of a kid that her character doesnt seem all that invested in rescuing.

Even the moments that appear as if they might turn the stereotype of a selfish career women on its head, where others judge her mothering skills and blame her negligence for the kidnapping, end up reinforcing the idea that shes too ambitious to care, or at least too much of a workaholic to bother with tucking her daughter in safely.

Maybe Ten Days in the Valley wasnt meant to say anything bigger. Maybe it was just supposed to be one more suspenseful crime drama that takes us through the various neighborhoods of L.A., Hollywood and a corrupt police force. But it appears to start out with wider ambitions, just like its main character.

It ends up, however, speaking volumes about an everyday reality that TV apparently still sees as a fantastical dichotomy  the mom with career aspirations.

For the record: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of episodes available for review. There were four made available, not three. It also mistakenly referred to Pete as Janes ex-husband. They are still married, but separated.

Ten Days in the Valley

Where: ABC

When: 10 p.m. Sunday

Rated: TV-14-DLS (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14 with advisories for suggestive dialogue, coarse language and sexual content)

lorraine.ali@latimes.com

@lorraineali
Welcome! Im books editor Carolyn Kellogg with book news and reviews this week from the L.A. Times.

THE BIG STORY

Poet Robin Coste Lewis won the National Book Award for her stunning debut collection, Voyage of the Sable Venus in 2015. Now the new poet laureate of Los Angeles, Lewis, who grew up in a pre-rap Compton, visits her old neighborhood with Times reporter Jeffrey Fleishman to talk about its influence  and others, like an injury that forced her to approach language in a new way  on her work.

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THE BIG REVIEW

At the Atlantic, the stories by Ta-Nehisi Coates have become cultural events. Those essays, with additional material by Coates that places each in historical context and connects them to his own evolution as a writer, make up his new book, We Were Eight Years in Power, which will officially hit shelves Tuesday. Walton Muyumba has our review of the book (spoiler: Its really good) and looks at the path Coates has blazed to become one of our most important public intellectuals.

READING THE WORLD

Last week, in connection with this story of the controversial English translation of South Korean Han Kangs The Vegetarian, we asked you, in our first poll, to tell us how many works in translation youve read this year. Thank you to everyone who voted! The results were impressive. Of those who voted, almost a third have read four or more books in translation this year  which is a lot. An additional 45% have read one to three books in translation. Im guessing that those who have read none declined to vote. Among those who did take the poll, more than 75% have read at least one book in translation this year. Only about 3% of books published by major American presses are works in translation, so you, our poll-taking readership, are reading quite widely. If youre interested in more, some smaller presses that publish many works in translation are Restless Books, Unnamed Press, Open Letter Books and Deep Vellum Publishing.

WOMENS BODIES

Something is happening to womens bodies, Ellie Robins writes in our review of Her Body and Other Parties, the debut short story collection by Carmen Maria Machado. The characters every experience is expressed through the body, in ways both natural and supernatural. Robins praises the book: The collection is that hallowed thing: an example of almost preposterous talent that also encapsulates something vital but previously diffuse about the moment.

Machado, who has an MFA from the prestigious University of Iowa Writers Workshop and also publishes erotica, is a young woman taking charge of the female sexual narrative. I think its interesting that her book, which officially goes on sale Tuesday, lands shortly after the death of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner on Wednesday at the age of 91.

For those of you who may have actually read Playboy at least in part for the articles, we have two Hefner-related articles from The Times that I recommend. First is the obituary by Elaine Woo, which captures his importance and cultural impact. Second is this column by Robin Abcarian: Hefner preached sexual liberation but never stopped exploiting womens bodies.

BESTSELLERS

SoCal readers have an appetite for politics. Five books on our nonfiction bestseller list are about our political moment. Debuting this week, at No. 2, is Unbelievable by Katie Tur, her chronicle of covering Donald Trumps presidential campaign for NBC News. Two books enter their second week on the list  Hillary Clintons What Happened, also about the campaign, remains at No. 1, and Kurt Andersens Fantasyland, which threads through American history to explain how we got to now, is at No. 10 (Andersons Spy Magazine famously insulted Trump, in 1988, as a short fingered vulgarian). Former comedian, now-Sen. Al Frankens memoir Giant of the Senate, at No. 6, is in its 16th week on the list. And J.D. Vances Hillbilly Elegy, about his experiences growing up in the white working-class communities of the rust belt, at No. 9, is in its 57th week on the list.

MORE BOOK NEWS

Edward St. Aubyn, known for his autobiographical fiction, updates Shakespeares King Lear in his new novel, Dunbar, in which a media mogul, whose daughters battle for his estate, seems to have lost his mind.

Author Junot Diaz, who is from the Dominican Republic, appeared at a fundraiser for Puerto Ricos hurricane recovery and quoted fellow Caribbean author, the poet Derek Walcott: Break a vase, and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.

The Village Voice, which issued its last print edition this week, goes inside the archives at the New York Public Library in a pointedly-timed story about the joy and serendipity of print artifacts.

In Los Angeles, Agatha French went to a reading at the Bronson Caves, the Griffith Park filming location best known as the Batcave from the 1960s TV series Batman.

carolyn.kellogg@latimes.com

@paperhaus
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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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All the elements were in place here Friday evening for violent clashes outside a fundraiser featuring polarizing former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. But the Fresno Police Department was determined to calm things down and avoid making arrests.

The effort won respect from protesters who could agree on little else.

We have to be the voice of calm, said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer. And when we do walk into the middle of it, we know at times its with risk and that theres always a potential were going to be the ones injured. But its well worth it.

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At the heart of the protest was the speech by Arpaio, who was convicted for actions related to alleged racial profiling of Latinos, and then pardoned by President Trump.

Inside a banquet hall, local Republicans celebrated Arpaio, at a cost of up to $200 a person.

Outside, police cordoned off the entire block of the venue. Beyond that zone, up to 75 officers were available to guide the anti-Arpaio protesters to one side of a street and the much smaller group of counter-demonstrators to the other.

As demonstrators began to assemble, officers walked among them, repeating the message that they were not on hand to take sides, but to keep the peace.

Dyer said he became concerned, however, when some in the larger group began to cross the street and interact with their ideological opposites. People became visibly agitated, raising their voices, starting to get in each others faces.

A stick holding a sign could suddenly become a weapon. One person carried a long knife in a sheath on his side.

Dyer set the tone for officers, jumping into possible confrontations himself at least 20 times. At one point, he stood in the middle as people on one side shouted: Racists go home.

A man retorted: Then why are you here?

Dyer stood silently, with an expression that was sometimes almost bemused, but attentive.

Fresno police chief Jerry Dyer keeps making his way into the middle to separate crowd. pic.twitter.com/IlnIX8ufuD  Brittny Mejia (@brittny_mejia) September 30, 2017

Nearby, Capt. Mike Reid walked into a group that included a man with his face masked.

How we doing guys? We good? he asked. Would you do me a favor? Can you take a step back?

He added: Im going to get right in the middle of this because I love a good argument.

The comment drew laughter.

In another instance, a person gesticulated and accidentally struck another. Reid pulled the first person aside and extracted an apology to the person who was hit.

Dyer said such interventions had already proven themselves during earlier situations, notably an appearance last year by then-candidate Trump. A thousand people gathered in the streets and a couple of thousand more were going to and from events.

On Friday, as the sky darkened, the crowds thinned, but some hard-core protesters seemed to get angrier, and the cover of night raised new concerns.

All it takes is somebody to feel that someones got too close, then the fights on and then weve got 100 people fighting, Dyer said.

Eventually theyll wear down and theyll leave, he said about 7:30 p.m., expressing a hope as well as a prediction.

Brenda Carrasco, a Fresno resident, carried a sign that read: Veterans Against Racist Arpaio.

When things got heated, the police officers stood in just to make sure everyone was safe, she said.

They were putting out fires, said Darrell, a middle-aged man who declined to give his last name but made his pro-Trump sympathies clear with his Make America Great Again hat. If not for law enforcement it would have gotten violent.

The final tally was no one injured, no arrests, no property damage.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

@brittny_mejia

Times staff writer Howard Blume contributed to this report.

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Los Angeles is heading toward another collision over its 30-year-old beach curfew that could decide who rules the citys segments of the coastline after dark.

In a court settlement, the city agreed to go before the California Coastal Commission to defend its midnight-to-5 a.m. closure of 11 miles of shoreline within its limits from Pacific Palisades to San Pedro, attorneys said Friday.

L.A. adopted its curfew in 1988 to deter late-night crime, without seeking commission approval. Closures spread through Southern California as gang violence swirled in the early 1990s.

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Other jurisdictions relaxed their bans or sought the state agencys blessing. L.A. stood firm against sporadic challenges from the commission, which in 2014 asked the city to show credible evidence of a current safety threat to continue barring the public overnight from beaches, piers and oceanfront parks.

The request came in the midst of a curfew-enforcement push in Venice as rising homelessness and inroads by the tech industry into the beach enclaves famously bohemian culture ratcheted up tensions.

Venice activists filed suit in 2015 challenging the citys defiance of the Coastal Commissions jurisdiction and seeking to suspend curfew enforcement. Los Angeles Superior Court and then an appellate panel rejected the citys position that the state agency had no jurisdiction.

Under the settlement filed in court Thursday, the city agreed to seek a permit  first from the city engineer and then from the Coastal Commission  and to have police issue warnings before citing curfew violators, many of whom are homeless people trying to sleep on the beach.

The Los Angeles city attorneys office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Coastal Commission staff members in the past have indicated they were open to a compromise that would relax the total ban without threatening public safety.

We start from the position of maximum public access to the coastline, Coastal Commission enforcement supervisor Andrew Willis said Friday.

Shayla Myers, a Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles attorney who was on the activists legal team, said she was pleased the community would now have a chance to speak on the curfew.

What we wanted was the public process and public vetting  and a specific showing before limiting public access, Myers said Friday.

The first hearing in the process is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Westchester Senior Center near Venice, lawyers said.

gholland@latimes.com

Twitter: @geholland

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Federal authorities are investigating the distribution of a batch of colorful flutes given to students at various Orange County schools that may have been contaminated with bodily fluids, officials said.

At least three school districts  Fountain Valley, Newport Mesa and Capistrano  notified parents this week about the instruments, according to the Orange County Register.

An email from Mark Johnson, superintendent of the Fountain Valley School District, informed parents that an independent contractor gave fifth-grade students at Courreges Elementary School flutes and recorders that were potentially contaminated with bodily fluids in June, according to the paper. The report did not specify which fluids.

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The contractor, who was not identified, did not work for the affected districts in Orange County but worked at other districts in Southern California, the Register said.

An email from the Newport Mesa Unified School District said the flutes may have been given to students in four classrooms at Sonora Elementary School, the Register said. A spokesman for the Capistrano Unified School District told the newspaper that they were still trying to determine which schools may have received the possibly tainted instruments.

The state attorney generals office told the Los Angeles Times in a statement that it was supporting an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in part by working with local police and the schools to collect the instruments.

It was not clear why the Postal Inspection Service was involved. Calls to the agency from The Times were not immediately returned Saturday.

Messages from The Times to officials in the school districts were also not immediately returned.

The flutes were made of plastic pipes and wine corks, the Register said. Some of the districts had asked parents to place the instruments in sealed paper bags so they could be examined as evidence.

kate.mather@latimes.com

@katemather

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The body of a man shot in the head was discovered Friday in an industrial neighborhood in the city of Commerce, authorities said.

Deputies responded to the 2000 block of Saybrook Avenue about 10 a.m. after employees of area businesses reported the body, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Employees directed authorities to the corpse, which was lying in a dirt field near train tracks. The area is mostly composed of warehouses and is about one mile from the Citadel Outlets.

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A Los Angeles County Coroners investigator said the victim had yet to be identified.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriffs homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.

corina.knoll@latimes.com

Twitter: @corinaknoll

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Los Angeles might restrict who can lodge appeals when marijuana businesses get city licenses, blocking challenges from people who do not live, work or own property nearby.

The controversial idea was tucked into draft rules that would lay the groundwork for what is widely expected to be one of the hottest marijuana markets in the country  a burgeoning industry could pump more than $50 million in tax revenue into city coffers next year.

Under the proposed rules, which had been heavily shaped by the office of City Council President Herb Wesson, L.A. would allow appeals only from the business applicants themselves or occupants, stakeholders, or property owners who reside or own property within 500 feet.

Wesson staffers said that wording was meant to include people who live, work or own property within that 500-foot radius.

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It just didnt make sense to me that somebody in San Pedro would appeal something on Crenshaw Boulevard in my district, said Wesson, who represents areas including Mid-City, Koreatown and parts of South L.A.

In addition, some groups might try to appeal every cannabis business that was approved, because of the sensitivity of the issue, Wesson said.

Elsewhere in California, pot businesses have faced challenges from marijuana opponents and rival shops vying for spots in a competitive market.

But critics have been outraged by the proposed restrictions, arguing that the city should not freeze out people farther away from appealing. Neighborhood activists say the rules would exclude people who live just blocks away, parents whose children go to religious services or activities in the area, and others with valid concerns.

Its flat-out unfair, and theres no justification for it, said Doug Haines, a Hollywood resident and neighborhood council member who has challenged planned real estate projects. Five hundred feet is less than a block.

Councilman Jose Huizar raised the issue at a Monday hearing, pointing out that anyone can challenge many other kinds of businesses that need special approval from the planning department, including bars or liquor stores. Huizar later said the proposed restrictions would be arbitrary and inconsistent with how the city handles similar decisions.

After Huizar and others raised questions about limiting appeals, Wesson said Thursday that he wasnt wedded to the idea. Five hundred feet had been suggested, he said, because when there is a public hearing on a business or development that requires city approval, the city typically notifies property owners and residents within a 500-foot distance.

If people want everybody all over the world to appeal, I dont have a problem with that, Wesson said. But the individuals affected should take a lead in saying yes or no.

L.A. does restrict who can challenge a density bonus that allows more units at buildings that provide some affordable housing, limiting appeals to people who live or own property next door or across the street, according to planning officials.

Wesson spokeswoman Caolinn Mejza said that beyond the planning department, appeal requirements are inconsistent across the different departments.

Under the proposed rules, marijuana businesses will file their applications with the newly formed Department of Cannabis Regulation.

Wesson said he had not been lobbied by the marijuana industry to include the proposed restrictions. Industry groups, which have flooded recent hearings on the draft regulations, have not spoken out publicly about the idea. Southern California Coalition, which represents cannabis businesses, said it had not taken a position on who should be able to appeal.

As California cities prepare for the legalization of recreational marijuana sales, pot businesses have faced opposition from drug warriors and their fellow cannabis companies. In San Diego, which has capped the number of cannabis businesses allowed in each part of the city, some marijuana shops have lodged appeals against their rivals.

We saw a very cutthroat mentality of applicants appealing one another, said Kimberly Simms, an attorney who represents cannabis businesses in Southern California. In addition, Simms said, you could just be a person who hates marijuana  and oppose every application. I kind of like this idea that L.A. requires some sort of tie to the community.

L.A. is not planning to cap the number of marijuana businesses, but has proposed zoning restrictions that limit where they can operate, which could spur stiff competition for available land.

Huizar said that even if marijuana companies try to use appeals to sabotage their rivals, the draft regulations set a brisk schedule for how quickly they must be filed and heard. Under the proposed rules, appellants must file within 15 days of the city decision, and the appeal must then be heard within either 15 or 60 days, depending on the kind of marijuana business involved.

Huizar said the city may get frivolous appeals, but the tradeoff is well worth it . Id rather go on the side of allowing for possible meritorious claims.

Laura Lake, a board member with the advocacy group Fix the City, said the proposed restrictions were profoundly undemocratic and argued that community members might feel the negative impacts of a marijuana business beyond the proposed 500-foot radius for appellants. Mike Eveloff, another board member, contended that the current wording of the proposed restrictions would limit appeals even more sharply than Wesson staffers had indicated, requiring stakeholders to own property or live within 500 feet.

The proposed rules will go to the City Council for a vote before city attorneys draft the regulations, which will then come back to lawmakers for final approval. Wesson stressed that the proposal is still evolving as people weigh in on the complex rules about where and how marijuana businesses can operate.

Its not like Ive written this in rock, Wesson said.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATimesEmily

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Were in the brief but much-needed seasonal lull between back-to-school and Halloween, also known as a very good time to try that new restaurant down the street, and maybe cook up a couple of dishes youve been meaning to attempt at home.

For those who dont shy away from tire-sized bowls of chile oil, maybe head to San Gabriel for Nothingness, where restaurant critic Jonathan Gold finds plenty of Sichuan and Chongqing dishes. Or plan to attend a food event that, depending on your tastes, may include wheels of cheese, paella and beer, or a sampling of the best restaurants on the Eastside of the city.

We also have a story on the excellent Filipino dessert halo-halo from pastry chef Margarita Manzke of Republique and Sari Sari Store; directions for how to mix mocktails youll actually want to drink; and a story on micheladas, the Mexican version of a Bloody Mary made with beer rather than vodka. So regardless of what you choose to indulge in  that spicy bowl of chile fish, the paella and beer festival, or a couple rounds of micheladas  it should be a very good week ahead.

 Jenn Harris

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INTO NOTHINGNESS

Crawfish dish is served at the Sichuan restaurant Nothingness. (Patrick T. Fallon / For The Times)

This week, Jonathan considers Nothingness. No, were not referring to Jean-Paul Sartres famous essay on free will, but a new San Gabriel restaurant that specializes in Sichuan and Chongqing dishes. Think lots of fish in mouth-numbing chile oil, and a fiery dish called Thunderbolt Frog.

SUGAR IN LAYERS

The halo-halo from Margarita Manzke is a work of art. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Margarita Manzke grew up eating halo-halo as a kid in the Philippines. Now she makes the stuff at both of her L.A. restaurants, Republique and Sari Sari Store. Food editor Amy Scattergood talked with Manzke about the importance of the dish; and, lucky for you, she also got Manzkes recipe.

MIXING UP MOCKTAILS

Gabriella Mlynarczyks non-alcoholic cocktail contains Seedlip, Kyoho grapes and shiso leaves at Accomplice Bar in Mar Vista. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Gabriella Mlynarczyk, who is the drink architect behind some of the most Instagrammed and talked about libations in town, has turned her attention to mocktails, also known as cocktails made without alcohol. I spoke with her about what makes a good cocktail (alcoholic or not) and she shared a recipe for one of her favorites.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Now is as good a time as any to head to a food event. Why? Because Ive got the details on four upcoming events, including Oozefest, a festival completely devoted to cheese; and the Paella and Beer Festival (which really needs no further explanation).

WHATS IN SEASON

Pears are in season. (Noelle Carter / Los Angeles Times)

Test Kitchen director Noelle Carter gives her weekly farmers market report, considering pears. Did you know that the Bartlett is the most common pear grown in California? Noelle has all the details, plus some great ideas, and recipes for how to use them, including the recipe for Euro Panes pear spice cake.

Goldbot: You can talk to Jonathan Gold any time you want  or at least the robot version of him that lives on Facebook Messenger. You can ask Goldbot for a personal restaurant recommendation based on location, type of food or price. The bot will also deliver Jonathan Golds latest reviews straight to your device.

The Daily Meal, the food and drink website under the editorial direction of Colman Andrews, is now one of our partners. Check out its city food guides, restaurant lists, food stories, recipes and videos.

Jonathan Golds 101 Best Restaurants, the authoritative annual guide to local dining, is online for subscribers and now features his 2016 Best Restaurants. If you didnt get a copy of the booklet, you can order one online here.

Check us out on Instagram @latimesfood

Check out the thousands of recipes in our Recipe Database.

Feedback? Wed love to hear from you. Email us at food@latimes.com.
The Constitution says that the president shall nominate and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint judges and other officials.

But under a tradition often (though not invariably) followed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, one senator can prevent his or her colleagues from considering a judicial nominee from that senators state by refusing to return a blue slip. The slip is a tinted form that the committee sends to the two senators from a nominees home state, seeking their blessing to move ahead on the nominee.

If giving one or two senators the power to kill a nomination sounds like a twisted reading of the advice and consent clause, it is. But Senate Democrats are defending the blue slip as the only way to stop President Trump from pushing the federal judiciary to the right.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, recently warned that eliminating the blue-slip tradition, as some Republicans advocate, would end cooperation between the executive and legislative branch on judicial nominees, allowing nominees to be hand-picked by right-wing groups.

This cycle of partisan retaliation has driven Congress into a cul-de-sac of dysfunction.

Some of Trumps judicial nominees have been extreme, and the administration could be doing more to consult with home-state senators of both parties. But allowing home-state senators to veto a judicial nomination is hard to reconcile with the design of the Constitution. In explaining the confirmation process, Alexander Hamilton wrote that the president would submit his choices for office to the discussion and determination of a different and independent body, not a single senator.

In 2013 we applauded when the Democratic-controlled Senate abolished the filibuster for most judicial nominations in 2013 in response to Republican obstructionism. The blue-slip veto is an even more extreme example of empowering a minority; it too should be abolished.

The blue slip is rooted in the idea that senators possess superior knowledge about the legal credentials of candidates from their states. But in recent years the blue-slip veto also has been used to frustrate a presidents attempt to shape the federal judiciary.

During the Obama administration, as Feinstein has pointed out, several nominees for seats on federal appeals courts didnt move forward because Republican home-state senators wouldnt return blue slips. For example, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky (who is also the Senate majority leader) blocked a hearing for Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Lisabeth Tabor Hughes, nominated to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and rated well qualified by the American Bar Assn. Now some Democrats are treating Trump nominees the same way.

Sen. Al Franken recently announced that he wont return a blue slip for David Stras, a Minnesota Supreme Court justice nominated to serve on the U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, because he fears Stras would be too conservative. Oregons two Democratic senators have said they will withhold blue slips for Ryan Bounds, nominated to the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, because the administration didnt cooperate with their judicial screening process. But the advice and consent clause doesnt obligate a president to accommodate home-state senators; it simply requires the president to obtain the support of the Senate majority.

The case for abolishing the blue-slip privilege for appeals courts is especially strong because the judges on most of those courts rule on cases from several states. Yet its hard to justify a veto for home-state senators even for federal district judges. Certainly those senators should play a prominent role in identifying potential judges from their states and vetting nominees. But ultimately, the fitness of a nominee should be determined by the Senate as a whole.

To be fair, some Democratic senators have returned blue slips for Trump judicial nominees. But the prospect that the blue-slip process will be used routinely by Democrats to thwart Trumps judicial picks has moved McConnell to suggest that the practice be abolished for nominations to circuit courts of appeal.

Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, hasnt gone that far. He has said that he expects the president and senators will continue the tradition of consultation on judicial nominations, but also notes that the blue-slip process typically grants the president greater deference on circuit court nominees than at the district court level.

If this means that home-state senators are entitled to consultation on judicial selections from their states, but not a veto, we agree.

We understand that, with 146 vacancies on the federal bench, Democrats see a blue-slip veto as their only chance to limit Trumps transformation of the federal courts. We also recognize that Democrats are still seething over Republican delaying tactics that prevented Obama from filling many of those vacancies  most outrageously, when they squelched Obamas nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the Supreme Court seat left open when Justice Antonin Scalia died in early 2016. Its hard to blame Democrats for striking back, but that cycle of partisan retaliation has driven Congress into a cul-de-sac of dysfunction.

As with the filibuster, the standard for judging the blue-slip veto shouldnt be the short-term advantage one party or the other would receive. The goal should be a process that is faithful to the Constitution regardless of who controls the Senate or the White House. Allowing one or two senators to block a nomination is not such a process.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
Starbucks, Whole Foods and about 80 other places in California that sell coffee may soon be forced to put warning labels on grande lattes and coffee bean packages to alert consumers that the product within contains acrylamide, a chemical that may be carcinogenic.

Wait a minute. Coffee causes cancer? Actually, research increasingly points to the opposite conclusion. Two large studies published earlier this year in the Annals of Internal Medicine found compelling indications that drinking coffee protects against heart disease, a number of cancers and other common ailments. Furthermore, researchers found that higher coffee consumption was associated with a lower risk of premature death. Maybe it has to do with the antioxidants present in a cup of joe that help the body heal itself, or maybe its some other properties of this complex brew.

But that doesnt matter under Proposition 65. Formally known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, it requires businesses with 10 or more employees to warn the people when they may be exposed to any of about 850 chemicals that are confirmed or suspected carcinogens, regardless of whether that particular exposure might be dangerous.

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Its important to warn consumers about serious health risks, not merely conjectural ones.

Starbucks and some of the other businesses that were sued under the law have already put up the warnings signs the law requires, even though the case is still being argued in a Los Angeles courtroom. Consumers who pause to read the signs might reasonably conclude that their morning fix could harm or even kill them. But Proposition 65 warnings have become such a common sight in the Golden State  in parking lots, hotels, office buildings, amusement parks and gas stations, to name a few places  that theyre not so attention-grabbing any more.

This defeats the purpose of Proposition 65, which was conceived as a way to alert consumers to when they may be exposed to lead and other dangerous chemicals  and spur companies to use fewer of them. The lawsuits authorized by the law, however, have prompted businesses to post prophylactic warnings regardless of the severity of the risk. And the signs they post dont provide the context to help people make educated decisions about the risk they face. Many dont even identify which chemical or chemicals are at issue.

State regulators are updating the Proposition 65 signs to offer more information to consumers, including the identity of at least one of the chemicals present. Still, the update wont fix the larger problem of having so many warnings posted that consumers have trouble telling large risks from small ones.

If the coffee industry loses this legal fight, and it easily could, it would mean countless additional warnings crowding the public space. And to what end? Removing acrylamide, which is produced when coffee is roasted, isnt a viable option at the moment. Nor does it seem necessary yet  the cancer jury is still out on acrylamide, which also turns up when potatoes are fried and toast is burned.

Dangerous chemicals are so widespread, its impossible to conduct a normal life without encountering them. This is why it is important to warn consumers about serious health risks, not merely conjectural ones. Proposition 65 is not accomplishing that, and by rendering people numb to the warnings, it may in fact be doing more harm than good.

The prospect that warnings might be added to every cup of coffee seemed like a joke back in 1986, when opponents of the proposal touted its potential misuse. We pooh-poohed those claims at the time, even though we opposed the initiative as too inflexible.

To be sure, the potential problems would not approach the grossly exaggerated levels predicted by the anti-Proposition 65 campaign, led by oil and chemical companies and the agriculture industry, we wrote. Passage of Proposition 65 will not lead to the banning of ordinary table salt or require warning labels on every apple sold or cup of coffee served in California.

The fact that the most outlandish prediction may now come true only underscores the need for fixing or replacing this law.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Its not exactly news that Hugh Hefner, the perpetually robed Playboy founder who died Wednesday at the age of 91, is a polarizing figure. For decades Americans have disagreed about whether he should be remembered as a great liberator of Americans from their sexual puritanism or as a sexist exploiter of women.

On Thursday, columnist Robin Abcarian came down strongly on the latter side, writing that although we shouldnt forget Hefners support for smart journalism, reproductive rights and civil liberties, we should also not lose sight of the fact that his core business was the objectification of women  mostly women under 30  and the exalting of exclusively male fantasies.

Before Abcarians column was published, the letters on Hefners death reflected the typical mix of opinions we get after most notable celebrity passings: Several mentioned the existence of strong polarization over Hefners work without taking a side, others reflected dispassionately on his work, and a few recounted their own experiences with Hefner. It was only in response to Abcarians column that more readers started expressing stronger opinions on Hefners work itself.

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I wonder if Hefner ever thought about the destruction he may have caused by promoting to men they were entitled to hedonism.  Robin Provart-Kelly, Culver City

Here is what they said.

Robin Provart-Kelly of Culver City wonders how much Playboy may have influenced her own father:

Props to Abcarian for her article on Hefner. I read with disgust in other pieces about his Playboy Clubs, starting in the 1950s Chicago, and his interest in jazz and felt like they were describing my fathers life.

I could not help but wonder if the evisceration and abandonment of my own family started there for my dad, in Chicago before he moved us to L.A. and unceremoniously dumped us. He was a lifelong subscriber to the magazine.

I wonder if Hefner ever thought about the destruction he may have caused by promoting to men they were entitled to hedonism and not responsible to the people they had spawned.

The only thing Hefner should be lauded for is his business acumen. Thanks to Abcarian for speaking for people like me.

Studio City resident R. William Schoettler doesnt think its fair to blame Hefner for exploitation:

My oh my, what a shame! Did Hefner really exploit women? How embarrassing.

Everywhere I look  on television, in newspapers, in magazines and on billboards  I see pictures of young, pretty, mostly white women, flaunting their chests and very white smiles while touting the benefits of some product. The various red carpets are peopled by, what a shame, women displaying as much of their upper bodies as possible.

And poor Hefner is accused of exploiting women. Interesting.

Barri Clark of Los Angeles considers Hefners responsibility for the male gaze:

Abcarian will no doubt take flak for her view of Hefners effect on American culture. I for one am grateful to have someone finally address the bottom line.

The male gaze is a profound concept implicated in a bunny suit and crystallized in the anatomically correct robotic gamines described in your Sept. 25 report, Available soon: Sex robots with artificial intelligence.

By the way, I saw no mention of production of an equivalent male line.

Donald Stuefloten of Hemet asks who exploited whom?

There was only one Hugh Hefner, but there were thousands of Playmates.

Why did so many pretty young women rush to take advantage of some rich old guy? Doesnt that seem sexist?

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: As an environmental attorney who has fought for decades to defend Southern Californias open space from reckless urban sprawl, Im proud to have helped protect more than 11,000 acres of important habitat in Ventura and Los Angeles counties from development and secure funding that will help safeguard the Santa Clara River in perpetuity. (Is Newhall Ranch a new model of sustainable sprawl? Absolutely not, editorial, Sept. 28)

No matter what, the massive Newhall Ranch project was going to break ground in a matter of months. But the legal settlement reached between the developer and my organization and other groups secured important benefits for wildlife, the river and local communities. Clean energy will also get a major boost.

Under the settlement, 10,000 solar installations on the project site will produce enough electricity to power tens of thousands of homes. Thats the single largest rooftop-solar commitment weve ever seen from a developer in California.

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Protecting all this land forever would have been my great preference, and I worked toward that goal for more than 20 years. But after making many conservation commitments, Newhalls developer had the approvals it needed to break ground. Walking away from the settlement talks would only have left more land open to the bulldozers.

John Buse, Los Angeles

The writer is senior counsel and legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

..

To the editor: A Los Angeles Times article from 1989 headlined The plugged-in archbishop, about then-Roman Catholic Archbishop Roger Mahonys various ruminations on L.A., says it all.

In the article, Mahony says his frequent helicopter flights over L.A. reveal a growing gap between those who have jobs and houses and opportunities and those who dont.

Mahony was quoted as saying: I see this anomaly from the air. The inner city seems more like a war zone. You look at whole burned-out blocks and wonder how anybody can survive in that area. Then you see them rearranging mountains and valleys to put in new houses, and I think, geez, why are we taking all those mountains down and filling up the valleys when we really could do something in our communities?

Soon, pristine open space outside Santa Clarita will see the construction of thousands of homes far away from the urban job centers that desperately need this housing. Homes need to go where they are truly needed without destroying the pristine mountains and valleys outside Los Angeles.

Mary Wiesbrock, Agoura Hills

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
A flood of candidates are seeking to fill the Assembly seat once held by Jimmy Gomez, who left the California Legislature to serve in Congress earlier this year, and Los Angeles voters have a chance to start sorting through them in Tuesdays primary.

The race for Assembly District 51 features 13 contenders -- 10 Democrats and no Republicans. The district includes several Los Angeles neighborhoods, such as Echo Park, Silver Lake, Chinatown and Lincoln Heights, and it stretches into the unincorporated areas of City Terrace and East Los Angeles.

The special election is the final domino to fall in a chain reaction that began two years ago when Barbara Boxer announced her retirement from the U.S. Senate.

Kamala Harris successfully campaigned to replace her, vacating her position as California attorney general. Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Xavier Becerra to the post, leaving his seat open in the U.S. House of Representatives.

When Gomez won a competitive special election to replace Becerra in Congress, his victory freed up the Assembly seat on Tuesdays ballot.

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If a candidate receives more than half of the votes cast in Tuesdays primary, he or she wins the campaign outright. But thats unlikely, given the crowded field. Theres a much stronger chance the two candidates with the most votes will advance to a runoff election scheduled for Dec. 5.

Its been a low-wattage and relatively low-dollar race so far, with roughly $1.6 million spent by all the candidates combined as of Sept. 16, according to the California Target Book, which tracks state campaigns.

By comparison, Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) raised $1 million before his primary in a special election last year. He defeated two other candidates to avoid a runoff.

It doesnt seem like anyone has really broken out of the pack, said Parke Skelton, a political consultant who lives in the Los Angeles district and isnt working for any of the Assembly candidates.

Special elections often have dismal turnout, and the Los Angeles area already is notorious for political apathy. Only 14.3% of eligible voters cast ballots in the congressional race won by Gomez.

Voters looking for cues from powerful political organizations on how to cast their ballots will be disappointed. The California Democratic Party has not endorsed a candidate, and neither has the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Gomez also has not anointed a preferred successor.

In a district that was only 11% white in the 2010 census, many of the candidates are stressing immigrant roots and progressive credentials. Heres a look at whos running.

Ron Birnbaum is the son of Argentine immigrants who served in the Navy as a medical officer before moving to Los Angeles. Hes spent close to $350,000 on his campaign, the most of any candidate, and has embraced the push for single-payer healthcare in California.

Wendy Carrillo arrived in the U.S. illegally with her parents from El Salvador, later becoming a citizen. A former local radio host and communications manager for a Service Employees International Union affiliate, she ran for Becerras congressional seat and did not make it past the primary after getting 5.2% of the vote.

Carrillo is the only candidate to have a sizable independent expenditure campaign on her behalf, with the SEIU spending more than $314,000 for mailers and canvassing.

Alex De Ocampo is the son of Filipino immigrants and the former president of the California Young Democrats. He manages the Saban Family Foundation, founded by Hollywood billionaire and Democratic donor Haim Saban.

Mike Fong is a member of the Los Angeles Community College District Board. He previously worked as a City Hall liaison for East L.A. neighborhoods, and hes spent more than $300,000 on his campaign, the second most after Birnbaum.

Luis Lopez first ran for this Assembly seat in 2012, when he lost to Gomez. Hes a board member at Planned Parenthood, which has endorsed his candidacy, and previously served as president of the East Area Planning Commission.

Mario Olmos describes himself as a job developer who has worked with foster children.

Gabriel Sandoval served as a lawyer in President Obamas U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights. He also worked on legal issues in former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas administration.

Barbara Torres describes herself as a union member advocate.

Mark Vargas serves on the California Coastal Commission. Hes worked for a number of politicians and served on various boards, including CicLAvia, which organizes street events.

David Vela is a former member of the Montebello Unified School District Board of Education who now works as a senior vice president at Lee Andrews Group, a public affairs firm. Hes also taught at East Los Angeles College.

With just over 9% of the districts voters registered as Republicans, no one from that party is trying to win the seat. But there is one libertarian candidate, Andrew Aguero, a construction worker and student.

John Prysner, a musician and warehouse worker from the Peace and Freedom Party, and Patrick Koppula, who is not running for any particular party, also are on the ballot.

chris.megerian@latimes.com

Twitter: @chrismegerian

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Updates on California politics
Gubernatorial candidate John Chiang orders lunch at Al & Beas Mexican Food in Boyle Heights in June. (Christina House / For The Times)

California treasurer and candidate for governor John Chiang has pretty much lived off his government paycheck during the last six years.

According to Chiangs tax returns, his average income from 2011 through 2016 was just over $184,000 a year, including his salary as treasurer, his now-estranged wifes earnings and some small investments. Last year, Chiang made $143,915 as treasurer, though hes currently earning about $152,000 for the job.

The race to become Californias next governor is awash in cash 

Thats quite a contrast with one of his Democratic rivals in the 2018 race for California governor, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom , who released his taxes in May. Newsom and his wife made an average of $1.4 million a year though their salaries, investments, wineries, restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses between 2010 and 2015.

So far, Chiang and Newsom are the only candidates who have released their state and federal tax returns.

Similar to Newsom, Chiang allowed reporters to review  but not photocopy  six years of returns on Friday.

Newsoms taxes vs. Chiangs taxes

Six years of State Treasurer John Chiangs tax returns, from 2011 to 2016. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times)

Six years of Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsoms tax returns, from 2010 to 2015. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times)

Chiangs relatively uncomplicated tax returns and simplistic personal finances largely mirror the theme of his steady but understated career in government service.

As a candidate for governor, Chiang is less known than rivals Newsom and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa even though he has held elective office in California since 1997. He served for a decade on the state Board of Equalization before he was elected to two terms as state controller and then treasurer in 2014. Before that, he worked for two members of Congress, as well in then-Sen. Barbara Boxers Los Angeles office and for former Gov. Gray Davis when he served as state controller.

Chiang also put in a brief stint at the Internal Revenue Service , but he still hires a certified public accountant to handle his taxes.

How much Chiang gave to charity and other things the taxes revealed

 Chiang, who filed jointly with his wife until they separated in 2016, gave an average of $3,600 a year to charity over the six years, including contributions to the Miguel Contreras Foundation, California Conservation Corps, Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Jewish Family Services and USCs Keck School of Medicine. That comes out to about 2% of their annual income.

 All of the financial information related to Chiangs wife and her profession in marketing was redacted, so were not sure exactly how she earned that portion of their income.

 The returns show the Chiangs paid roughly $30,000 a year in federal taxes and more than $11,000 in state taxes on average over the six years.

 The biggest federal income tax deductions were for the interest paid on the mortgage for their Torrance condo and for their state income tax bill.

 The Chiangs were due tax refunds in 2011, 2012 and 2013, but instead of taking the cash, they applied it to their taxes the following year. That included more than $10,000 in refunds they were owed in 2011.

Now there will be more pressure on Chiang and Newsoms rivals to release their returns

Villaraigosa promised to release his taxes but hasnt set a date. After leaving City Hall, Villaraigosa worked as an advisor to controversial nutritional products company Herbalife, and his earnings from the company could open him up to attacks. He also did work for Banc of California and global public relations firm Edelman, and he served as a part-time professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy.

Another Democrat, Delaine Eastin, a former state superintendent of public instruction, has also vowed to release her tax returns. Among the top Republicans in the race, venture capitalist John Cox plans to release his returns before the June primary, his campaign spokesman said. GOP state Assemblyman Travis Allens gubernatorial campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

phil.willon@latimes.com

Twitter: @philwillon

Updates on California politics
Trump Jr. to speak privately to Senate staff on Thursday

(Richard Drew / Associated Press)

President Trumps oldest son is expected to meet privately with a Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, several senators said Wednesday.

Donald Trump Jr.'s appearance Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee would probably focus on a meeting he had with a Russian lawyer and others during the final stretches of last years campaign. Emails released in July show that Trump Jr. was told the session at Trump Tower in New York was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father, the Republican nominee.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating that meeting, also attended by Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. A grand jury has heard testimony about it.

Trump Jr. has also agreed to appear in the coming weeks before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own investigation.

Separately, President Obamas national security advisor, Susan Rice, was meeting on Wednesday with the House Intelligence Committee, according to a person familiar with the interview. This person wasnt authorized to discuss the committees confidential work and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

That committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department and the FBI for documents related to a dossier of salacious allegations involving Trump and possible ties to Russia.

As for Donald Trump Jr., some Democratic senators said they planned to attend his session though tradition dictates that senators cannot ask questions at such interviews conducted by committee staff.

Sens. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said they would be there. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) was considering it.

I go in with an open mind, Durbin said. I want to hear his answers to questions  there are plenty of questions  about the involvement of the Trump corporation as well as the Trump campaign with the Russians and other foreigners, and I just want to hear what Mr. Trump has to say.

Durbin said he would be shocked if questions werent asked about whether Trump Sr. knew about the Trump Tower meeting.

The critical part of his testimony will be following the financial dealing, Blumenthal said. He said he also wants to find out what Trump Jr. may know about potential obstruction of justice, adding there may have been conversations between the two about the firing of FBI Director James Comey and other matters.

Blumenthal and Coons said the private interview is no substitute for a public hearing, which the committee chairman, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), has promised will happen.

This meeting is far less important than his public testimony, under oath, before the American people, Blumenthal said.

Grassley would not say on Wednesday whether he would issue a subpoena for Trump Jr. if he refuses to testify publicly.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is reviewing subpoenas from the House intelligence committee.

In a letter Friday that was obtained by the AP, the committee wrote that it had served subpoenas on Aug. 24 to the department and the FBI for documents related to the committees investigation of Russian meddling. The Justice Department and FBI had missed the original Sept. 1 deadline, so the committee extended the deadline to Sept. 14.

The letter was signed by the committee chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who stepped back from the Russia investigation this year after he was criticized for being too close to the White House. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) took over the leading role, but his name does not appear on the letter.

As chairman, Nunes retains subpoena power in the committee.

According to the letter, the original subpoenas requested any documents related to the dossier and sought information about whether the department was involved in its production.

If the documents are not produced, the committee is seeking to compel Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, who has withdrawn from investigations examining connections between Trump and Russia, and newly installed FBI Director Christopher Wray to testify in an open hearing. The committee issued two additional subpoenas to Sessions and Wray on late Tuesday.

Resort to compulsory process was necessary because of DOJs and FBIs insufficient responsiveness to the committees numerous Russia-investigation related requests over the past several months, the letter said.

If the committee is unable to obtain documents or testimony, Nunes wrote, the committee expressly reserves its right to proceed with any and all available legal options, including a House vote to hold Sessions and Wray in contempt.

The Justice Department confirmed it was reviewing the subpoenas but declined further comment.

The dossier attracted public attention in January when it was revealed that then-FBI Director Comey had briefed Trump, soon before he was inaugurated as president, about claims from the documents that Russia had amassed compromising personal and financial allegations about him.

Its unclear to what extent the allegations in the dossier have been corroborated or verified by the FBI because the bureau has not publicly discussed it.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday evening on MSNBC that the subpoenas were issued over the objections of Democrats. Schiff said Republicans are working harder to discredit those who compiled the dossier than to find out if the allegations in it are true. He said Republicans should be more focused on getting documents from the White House.

The subpoenas were first reported by the Washington Examiner.
Burbank may soon have a different schedule for future city elections.

The Burbank City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to have city staff work on a charter amendment that would align the citys election dates with the states dates as a way to increase voter turnout.

Answering a short list of questions created by City Clerk Zizette Mullins, council members suggested the next city general election be held in November 2020 to concur with the next statewide election. They also said the city should eliminate its primary elections as a cost-saving measure.

Any change to the citys election process requires a charter amendment, which means that Burbank voters must approve the modifications. Mullins said she aims to have the amendments ready for the June 2018 statewide primary election.

Mullins added that council members have until Jan. 1, 2018, to approve a plan that outlines how Burbank will make its adjustments and comply with the California Voter Participation Rights Act, also known as state Senate Bill 415.

SB 415, which was signed into law on Sept. 1, 2015, requires that state, county, municipal, district and school district elections be held on the same date as a statewide election if the average voter turnout for those elections is at least 25% less than the average voter turnout for the previous four statewide general elections, Mullins said.

The last four statewide general elections have averaged about a 60.4% turnout, while Burbanks last four city general elections have averaged about 16.9%.

Though the Senate bill was approved more than two years ago, local agencies had until the start of January 2018 to outline how they would align their election dates with the states schedule.

Mullins said Burbank and many other charter cities in the state were under the impression that they were excluded from SB 415. However, an opinion issued by the state attorney general on July 11 determined that charter cities and school districts whose elections are governed by city charters are affected.

Council members had the option to continue having standalone elections with a primary and a general election, but Mullins said costs for those elections are going up.

She estimated the cost for a primary and general election in 2019 would be about $1.7 million combined, which is a significant increase from the $430,300 the city spent for this years elections.

Also, there is a strong possibility that Martin & Chapman Co., the election-services vendor Burbank uses for its elections, will cease operations after 63 years, according to a staff report.

Council members also decided to continue including the Burbank Unified School District board member elections in with the city elections, but would ask the school district to fund its election instead of the city fronting all the costs.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio
A disciplinary board for the Episcopal Church is maintaining restrictions on the bishop of its Los Angeles diocese while he appeals sanctions stemming from his attempted sale of the shuttered St. James the Great church property in Newport Beach.

The Disciplinary Board of Bishops ordered that Bishop J. Jon Bruno refrain from ministry and exercising any authority over property or affairs within the church while he appeals the finding of a hearing panel that he had engaged in misconduct when he tried to sell the St. James site at 3209 Via Lido in 2015. That planned sale to would-be townhouse developer Legacy Partners fell through.

On Aug. 1, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States, removed Bruno from any jurisdiction over St. James and transferred pastoral and property oversight to Bishop John Taylor, who has been named Brunos successor upon Brunos planned retirement at the end of the year.

The boards restrictions will be effective Jan. 1 through the length of the appeal.

The hearing panels August ruling recommended a three-year suspension from ministry for Bruno, plus halting his renewed efforts to sell the St. James property. It also recommended unlocking the building so the congregation could resume worship in its longtime home.

However, the diocese announced in August that it planned to proceed with selling the church property for an undisclosed sum to Newport Beach-based developer Burnham Ward Properties, citing a legal obligation created by Bruno.

The Disciplinary Board of Bishops finds it appropriate under the circumstances to restrict (Brunos) ministry, the boards president, the Right Rev. Catherine Waynick, wrote in an order this month.

Save St. James the Great, a group that formed after Bruno closed the church in 2015, said it supports the decision.

While we did not request this action, we believe it is necessary to the integrity of the (Episcopal) churchs disciplinary process and, indeed, the integrity of the church as a whole, the group said in a statement. We are glad to see that the disciplinary board properly takes Bishop Brunos misconduct more seriously than does the leadership of the Los Angeles diocese.

The St. James congregation currently worships at the Newport Beach Civic Center.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
It was a scene that might have looked as chaotic as the real thing.

On Friday morning at Edison High School, juniors in one of the schools American history courses were playing the roles of immigrants entering Ellis Island in 1908, one of the busiest processing years for the New York facility. Dressed in period garb, they went through various stations, checking in at tables staffed by parent volunteers who were playing roles as immigration agents.

History teacher Brian Boone said the Ellis Island Experience has been an Edison tradition since the late 1990s.

They get to experience what their ancestors went through, Boone said, adding that he hopes the lesson shows them the value of American citizenship.

The students started by lining up outside as if they had just gotten off a trans-Atlantic ocean liner and stepped onto American soil for the first time.

They came to Edisons Ellis Island assuming new identities loosely based on real people, Boone said.

The first stop was a checkpoint where agents looked for passports.

The second station was a vocation check, where the students talked about their work histories and skills.

Third came the character station. Among the inquiries there: Have you ever been to jail? Are you an atheist? Have you ever undergone psychiatric care?

The intent of that checkpoint at the time was to screen out troublemakers entering the United States, Boone said.

Fourth came a health screening for conditions such as tuberculosis or influenza.

Last was a checkpoint where the parents looked over the results of the previous stations before ushering the students into another classroom where they took loyalty oaths before the American flag.

Camryn Yauchzee went through Ellis Island as Catherine Trotsky, originally from Russia. She was the widow of an executed Russian diplomat who had plotted to kill the czar.

Trotsky had traveled across the Atlantic with $580 to start a school, Camryn said.

I took all the riches I had and boarded a ship to America, she said.

Mia Gault played Gilda Bruun, a 29-year-old German who professed a strong set of skills and dreams to start a clothing company.

With a smile and remaining in character, Mia said she breezed through Edisons Ellis Island because I young and healthy.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint
The Huntington Beach City Council on Monday will consider establishing a committee to aid in the investigation of a recurring foul odor that some residents say causes headaches and nausea.

Not enough progress is being made to address the source of the odor, Councilman Billy OConnell said in a statement proposing the item.

Hes requesting that the city form a committee to create a strategy to work with regulatory agencies to find the cause of the odor and methods of mitigating it.

The city released a post last week on its website that said the odor wasnt believed to be an immediate life safety issue.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District is leading the investigation.

An informational webpage provided by the agency says that due to multiple sources in the area with the capability of producing gas-like odors and the periodic nature and unknown location of the source, the agency has had a difficult time assessing the cause. SCAQMD spokesman Sam Atwood said last week that the analysis of complaints and wind directions points to an offshore source.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department has also been working with the agency.

Seal Beach and Long Beach have reported similar odors.

Several residents showed up to a council meeting on Sept. 18 to request help from the city with the odor and complained of headaches, nausea and sore throats.

Huntington Beach resident Adam Plesniak started a Change.org petition to raise awareness about a year ago. Hes gathered more than 1,300 signatures.

The council also will consider approving an update to the citys general plan, which will guide the citys development decisions through 2040.

The council continued the item from its last meeting so City Attorney Michael Gates could look into how the plan would be affected by state Senate Bill 35, which would ease local development restrictions to encourage homebuilding.

The council did unanimously approve the associated environmental impact report.

The general plan update has been in the making since the council voted in 2013 to hire planning consulting firm Michael Baker International to assist.

The document wound its way through the Planning Commission for months and commissioners unanimously recommended it Aug. 15.

California cities are required to have general plans and update them at regular intervals. Huntington Beachs general plan hasnt been comprehensively updated since 1996.

The 1996 general plan forecast a total of 86,499 residential units in the city through 2040. The new update projects 85,403 units through 2040.

The update also includes a new land-use designation  research and technology  intended to help fuel job and economic growth. The designation would allow for industrial and commercial uses that arent accommodated in the current commercial or industrial areas.

The council meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Civic Center Council Chambers at 2000 Main St.

benjamin.brazil@latimes.com

Twitter:@benbrazilpilot
After multiple continuances, the Laguna Beach Planning Commission will discuss a proposed remodel of the Coast Inn hotel at its meeting on Wednesday.

The proposed project covers two parcels  1401 S. Coast Hwy. and 1391 S. Coast Hwy. The latter parcel is the site of the shuttered Coast Liquor, which would reopen as a combination deli and liquor store.

Owner Chris Dornin, a Laguna Beach resident, is seeking coastal development and conditional use permits, and a variance, which is essentially an exception, for a building height that extends higher than allowed under city code.

During a Sept. 20 public meeting, Commissioner Roger McErlane asked Planning Manager Scott Drapkin to explain the reason for the delay.

The holdup was caused in part by a traffic study, Drapkin said. Staff met with a traffic engineer to try to get a little more explanation.

The proposed 24-room hotel would include three restaurants, one of which would be located atop a rooftop deck, and pool, Dornin confirmed in a text message on Friday.

Dornin, who purchased the property in December 2013 , said that the current hotel has been open two years, averaging 95% occupancy.

He, along with architect Marshall Ininns, worked with historical consultant Jan Ostashay on the remodel to honor the propertys rich history.

John H. Smith built the hotel, which opened in 1927, and attracted tourists as Laguna Beach gained a reputation as a resort destination, according to the Coast Inn website.

During World War II and the postwar years, the Coast Inn changed from a primarily vacation destination to a temporary home for servicemen reporting for duty in Southern California, the website said.

In 1956, a fire destroyed much of the front portion of the building. In the ensuing decades, the hotels original cocktail lounge and dining room morphed into a nightclub that became a favorite hangout for gays and was dubbed the Boom Boom Room, according to the hotels website.

The Boom Boom Room closed in 2007.

Previous plans had the pool placed behind the liquor store, but staff and commissioners had concerns for guests safety because they would have to cross Mountain Road to get to the pool, according to a city staff report.

At their March 15 meeting, commissioners requested a parking study and the rooftop deck be reduced in size, the report said.

To read the staff report, visit lagunabeachcity.net. Click on the Government tab. A drop-down menu will appear. Click on City Meeting Minutes and Agendas. Under Upcoming Events click on the Oct. 4 Planning Commission agenda.

Wednesdays meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall at 505 Forest. Ave.

bryce.alderton@latimes.com

Twitter: @AldertonBryce
After three years of bitter fighting, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed on July 27, 1953, at the truce village of Panmunjom.

That agreement put an end to the Korean War. We continue to live under its rubric today.

I was stationed with the United States Army in South Korea in 1965 and 1966 with 45,000 other American troops.

Today, 35,000 Americans  my generations grandkids  are stationed there.

In 2017, North Korea boasts the fourth largest ground army in the world, with 1.2 million soldiers. Theyre generously supplied with tanks, rocket launchers and artillery pieces. They also have nuclear capability.

North Korea is a formidable power.

I respect and admire the South Korean people and Im concerned for them and for the safety of U.S. troops stationed on the peninsula.

I was told when I was stationed there that we Americans were a tripwire should the North Koreans decide to cross the 38th Parallel as they had 15 years earlier. We were a speed bump.

The Los Angeles Times recently reported that North Korea has 11,000 conventional artillery pieces in place north of the Demilitarized Zone. Theyre well protected and locked-in on targets in Seoul. The Korean capital has a population of 25 million today; triple its size when I was there.

My tour of duty lasted 18 months, and I dont remember being inordinately concerned about an invasion of the South by the North. Frankly, it didnt seem plausible or rational to me. Of course, we knew anything was possible.

Things have since become increasingly irrational.

In my day, there were flare-ups along the DMZ. North Korean commandos ambushed a U.S. Army squad six weeks before I rotated back to the United States, in November of 1966. Six GIs were killed. They were just beginning their lives.

We were placed on highest alert and listened for distant thunder.

Tensions spiked. Fourteen months later, the USS Pueblo, a Navy intelligence vessel, was attacked and commandeered by North Korean patrol boats. The 83-man crew was taken to Pyongyang.

By then I was a college student.

Previously, I was attached to Eighth Army Support Command (EASCOM) in Seoul, 30 miles south of the DMZ. I spent considerable time in the 2nd and 7th Infantry divisions along the border between the Koreas.

I was an editor of EASCOMs weekly newspaper, The Frontiersman. Rarely did we mention North Korea in our articles. It was as if Kim Il Sung (leader of North Korea and grandfather to Kim Jong Un) and his regime were invisible.

Though we paid scant lip service, our vigilance was high.

South Koreas 17th annual Armed Forces Day was staged throughout the Republic in May of 1966. I remember it well. I was a participant. U.S. units took part in displays and parades throughout the country.

There is a very powerful army in the Republic of Korea facing north, and the North Koreans have a very powerful army facing south, commented four-star Gen. Dwight E. Beach in The Frontiersman in 1966. Gen. Beach was then commander of U.S. Forces Korea, and the troops revered him.

Each side patrols its portion of the (DMZ). There are incidents and disputes, and you must have a means of settling them unless you want to restart the war.

Beach was referring to frequent meetings of the Military Armistice Commission at Panmunjom. Over the decades, that war continued unabated  a war of words.

And, countless times over the years, things have gotten heated in those light-blue Quonset huts. I watched some of that up close.

The very fact that we can talk with the communists is of great value, Beach continued. The meetings are (our) only door into North Korea, and its barely open. The meetings have proven valuable because there have been no open hostilities since 1953.

Things have changed little in 50 years. In fact, if anything, theyve gotten worse. Name-calling and bluster are louder than ever.

Two million people died from 1950-53. That number could be substantially higher next time.

I suggest we pray that there is no next time.

JIM CARNETT, who lives in Costa Mesa, worked for Orange Coast College for 37 years.
A former Glendale employee pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to embezzling over $600,000 from the city, according to authorities.

Cassandra Alexander admitted to stealing $609,764 from Glendale, using her position in the city attorneys office to pull off the scam, which ran from July 2001 to March 2017, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys office.

The guilty plea came soon after the 53-year-old Winnetka resident was charged with one count of theft from an organization receiving federal funds. As part of her plea deal, Alexander will be required to pay restitution back to the city.

With the fact that the plea agreement also includes restitution, [Glendale] will be able to be made whole and get the peoples money back, city spokesman Tom Lorenz said.

The U.S. Attorneys office said Alexander worked as a claims and litigation support supervisor, which allowed her to assemble settlement packets that were used to resolve claims against the city for property damage or personal injury.

Each settlement packet contained approval of the settlement by a member of the City Attorneys [office] and the City Council, as well as authorization for the citys finance department to issue a check to the claimant, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

Because of her position, Alexander had the authority to sign the necessary documents directing the citys finance department to issue checks. She was also responsible for picking up the payments and providing them to the attorneys of people who filed claims.

Federal officials said she had 30 fraudulent checks issued to her family and friends. She would also bolster the legitimacy of the checks by creating fake minutes of City Council meetings as well as false settlement agreements.

According to Alexanders plea agreement, she would take the checks to the designated payees who would subsequently cash them and transfer the funds back to her.

Officers with the Glendale Police Department were able to seize at least one check she issued to a family member for $82,500.

After the scheme was discovered, Alexander was suspended by the city in March 2017, and she resigned the following month.

Glendale Mayor Vartan Gharpetian said the city took the crime very seriously.

The security of public funds, and more importantly, the publics trust is paramount. There is nothing more that destroys this than an employees unlawful actions, Gharpetian said.

The city of Glendale is fortunate to have partnerships with our federal agencies. Our city staff and police department worked closely with the U.S. Attorneys Office, as well as agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to ensure that justice was served, and that Ms. Alexander will be held accountable for her actions, he added.

Alexander faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
Representatives from Glendale, Burbank and Los Angeles joined Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) Friday to update the public about a bond measure that, if passed, will help fund construction of a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly bridge linking Glendale to Los Angeles.

The third phase of the Glendale Narrows Riverwalk project will include construction of a walkway and bike path over the Los Angeles River that will link the Glendale Narrows to Griffith Park. Another bridge, over the Verdugo Wash, which will connect the Glendale Riverwalk to north Atwater Village, is also in the works.

With a push from Friedman, Gov. Jerry Brown earmarked a $20-million bond measure in September to fund the path via state Senate Bill 5  the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access For All Act.

The funds now hinge on voter approval in the June 2018 primary election.

People are hungry for recreational activities, for health, communing with fellow humans and with nature, Friedman said. Los Angeles, with the L.A. restoration river plan, in addition to this bridge and the bike path network ... will truly be the great city that we all know it can be.

Friedman was joined by Glendale Mayor Vartan Gharpetian, L.A. City Councilman David Ryu and Burbank Vice Mayor Emily Gabel-Luddy, as well as representatives for Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Congressman Schiff is a dedicated cyclist himself and is thrilled with the new investment of alternative forms of transportation that helps people get out of their cars. Its good for our air, traffic flow and for our blood flow, said Pamela Marcelo, a district representative, on behalf of Schiff.

Since 2014, Glendale officials have sought feedback from the community on conceptual designs and locations for the bridge. The first phase of the project was completed in 2012, and the second phase, already funded, is designed to add Flower Plaza Park and Confluence Park to the Riverwalk.

Gharpetian said the estimated cost for the bridge exceeds $20 million, but city officials are ready and willing to close the gap, with $800,000 already secured from the L.A. County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

In a telephone interview Friday, state Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge), a principal co-author of SB 5, said hes really pleased to play a role in the $4-billion Water Parks bond proposal, which includes the $20 million for the local bridge project. He noted that Glendale, Los Angeles and the entire state stand to gain significantly, environmentally speaking.

But, more importantly, we need to make sure voters approve this on the ballot before we celebrate, Portantino said.

Glendale public works director Roubik Golanian, also at the press conference, said the conceptual design is complete and fund appropriation would need to be approved by Glendale City Council.

The bridge location has been narrowed down to a spot north of the Grayson Power Plant and on Zoo Drive, he said.

Golanian estimated breaking ground on the bridge in roughly two years, followed by 18 months to two years of construction  with an expected completion anywhere between 2021 and 2022.

jeff.landa@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeffLanda
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged in Beijing on Saturday that the Trump administration is in direct contact with North Korea over its recent escalation of missile and nuclear tests.

Were not in a dark situation, a blackout, Tillerson said at a briefing with some reporters in China. We have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them.

Stay tuned, he said.

The acknowledgment suggests a potential deescalation after months of bellicose rhetoric on both sides, as well as repeated, provocative intercontinental ballistic missile tests and a nuclear test by North Korea. President Trump has threatened to rain fire and fury on North Korea, and destroy the country of 25 million people. In September, the isolated states leader Kim Jong Un called Trump a mentally deranged U.S. dotard, and Trump in turn has taken to calling him Little Rocket Man.

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North Korea has not dialed back its war of words; on Saturday, its state media released a statement accusing Trump of working toward a suicidal act of inviting a nuclear disaster that will reduce America to a sea of flames.

Tillerson also said it was essential to calm things down between North Korea and the United States and its allies. Asked if that pertained to Trump as well, Tillerson told reporters, I think the whole situation is a bit overheated right now. I think everyone would like for it to calm down.

The secretary of State was in China in part to prepare for Trumps trip there in November. The president also will visit Japan and South Korea, the two allies most directly affected by North Koreas aggressions, as well as Vietnam and the Philippines.

Before Tillerson began his meetings with officials in Beijing, the state-run China Daily warned that his trip should be anything but symbolic.

The English-language paper, in a surprisingly edgy editorial on Thursday evening, demanded the visit go beyond the routine show of mutual goodwill to set the stage for Trumps visit and straighten at least one thing out  what each can expect from the other to ensure the situation on the Korean Peninsula does not deteriorate and spiral out of control.

Chinas Ministry of Commerce said Thursday that it would require North Korean businesses and joint ventures in China to close, in keeping with the latest round of United Nations sanctions. North Korea operates restaurants in several Chinese cities and its laborers work in factories across the country. Much of their income goes directly to the North Korean government.

The Commerce Ministry announced last week that it would cut off natural gas and textile exports immediately and limit annual petroleum exports starting Jan. 1. Officials said the measures were in accordance with U.N. sanctions intended to thwart North Koreas nuclear ambitions.

The Trump administration has welcomed the recent crackdowns on North Korea by China, which is Pyongyangs main ally and economic patron. Beijing had been openly opposed to North Koreas provocations, and joined the United States and others at the United Nations in approving sanctions, yet Trump and his top advisors have repeatedly complained that China is not doing enough to pressure Kim to cease his nuclear weapons program.

After meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in Beijing, Tillerson said he thinks China has become deeply concerned about the Norths missile and nuclear programs and is working hard to persuade Pyongyang to reenter talks. Tillerson did not say specifically what form those talks should take.

Meyers is a special correspondent. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

jonathan.kaiman@latimes.com

For more news from Asia, follow @JRKaiman on Twitter

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#PPP Ruling party chief slams list naming Itaewon tragedy victims Ruling party leader Chung Jin-suk condemned an online media outlet on Tuesday for disclosing a list of victims in the Itaewon crowd crush without the consent of bereaved families. ...

#Cho Yong-pil K-pop legend Cho Yong-pil to return with new single Cho Yong-pil, a living legend of the Korean pop scene, will be back this week with his first release in nine years, his management agency said Tuesday. The 72-year-old singer wi...
The Square Bar in Portlaoise are ready to light your fire this October, when it hosts a tribute to legendary psychedelic rock band The Doors.

The Roundhouse Doors is a Dublin-based tribute band that recreates The Doors live experience as closely as possible in a two hour set.

Using original vintage instruments the same as those used by The Doors themselves, this band is a must see for anyone who enjoys great live music with a set that spans the very best of The Doors repertoire presenting the perfect facsimile of the Jim Morrison era, and this seminal sixties group.

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. The band took its name from Aldous Huxley's book The Doors of Perception, the title of which was a reference to a William Blake quotation: "If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.

The Roadhouse Doors present an authentic recreation of The Doors music with the highest respect, admiration and accuracy the originals genius truly deserves.

Their passion for their music leaves the audience reeling in the psychedelic blues experience of the California greats.

The Doors of perception shall open at The Square Bar, at 9pm on Saturday, October 13.
With an estimated shortage of more than 1000 truck drivers in New Zealand, Canstaff has teamed up with Heartland Immigration Services to offer a new relocation package to overseas heavy vehicle drivers from Ireland to fill the skills shortage gap.

The collaboration will see processing costs for successful applicants and their families waived and further relocation assistance provided in a bid to attract more international drivers to New Zealand.

Canstaff Managing Director, Matt Jones, operates a number of globally recognised recruitment companies and identified that recruiting overseas drivers was the only way to fill the shortage gap, We realised how dire the shortage was when we could physically see the number of trucks parked up and out of use due to the lack of drivers. Despite Government initiatives to attract more heavy vehicle drivers, the shortage has been ongoing and a more immediate solution is needed to keep New Zealands wheels of commerce turning.

There are many stumbling blocks which prevent fast access to becoming a fully licensed truck driver in New Zealand. School leavers are looking at least three years to gain the correct licencing which deters young people from pursuing a career in driving. With the average age of a truck driver being 57 years of age, there is no one coming in to replace the aging workforce. The situation has reached a critical stage with employers turning to global recruitment companies like Canstaff to source overseas candidates.

Although the driver shortage is an ongoing struggle for employers, it has opened up some impressive incentives for international candidates, says Jones. The incentive here for overseas drivers is not only the relaxed Kiwi lifestyle, we can also offer top dollar wages and guaranteed shifts with more available if required. Salaries have increased 20% in recent efforts to attract more people into the industry and we are confident that our relocation package surpasses any other currently on offer.

Applicants are required to have a class five licence or equivalent to operate a heavy combination truck and trailer unit up to 25,000 kgs GCW, two years experience, and be eligible for a visa. Canstaff will assist with, and submit all necessary paperwork to get successful applicants journey to New Zealand underway and add-ons to the relocation packages are available to some candidates. We basically take all of the stress out the move and arrange everything for our applicants. All they need to do is apply and our specialist staff will guide them every step of the way, explains Jones.

For more information on relocating to New Zealand, please visit www.canstaff.co.nz or email jobs@canstaff.co.nz.
The HSE has requested the Leitrim Observer print the following article by Dr Brenda Corcoran, Head of HSE National Immunisation Office in relation to the HPV Vaccination which is due to be administered in local secondary schools over the coming week:

There was a huge welcome when the HPV vaccine was introduced and became part of the school schedule in 2010. Our uptake rates were more than 80% - among the best in the world. In recent years, misleading and false claims have caused doubt, undermined trust and led to parents hesitating about the vaccine.

Each year in Ireland, over 6,500 women need hospital treatment for pre cancer of the cervix, 300 women get cervical cancer, and 90 women die from it. Cervical Cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Some HPV infections caused by high risk HPV types can progress to precancerous growths which may then progress to cervical cancer.

The HPV vaccine protects girls from developing cervical cancer when they are adults. The HPV vaccine is offered to all girls in first year in second level schools because the response to the vaccine is best at this age.

In Ireland, the HSE HPV programme provides Gardasil HPV vaccine which protect against 7 out of 10 cervical cancers and 9 out of 10 genital warts - 690,000 doses of Gardasil HPV vaccine have been administered and more than 230,000 girls have been fully vaccinated against HPV. By March 2017, over 227 million doses of Gardasil had been distributed worldwide and this vaccine is currently used in over 25 European countries, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

HPV vaccines are very safe. For more than 10 years the safety of the HPV vaccine has been strictly monitored and frequently reviewed by many international bodies including: the European Medicines Agency (EMA); the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety of the World Health Organization (WHO); and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US. These international bodies have continually reported that the vaccine is safe with no known long-term side effects.

The World Health Organization considers HPV vaccines to be extremely safe. (July 2017)

Worldwide, regulatory authorities report no increase in any long term medical condition in vaccinated compared to non vaccinated girls. These conditions occurred in girls in the days before the HPV vaccine was ever introduced. They occur in both teenage boys and teenage girls. Yet the rate at which they occur has not increased since 2010 and indeed there is no difference between the rates recorded for boys and girls.

The HSE has been asked about the information it provides to parents and girls. Prior to all school immunisations parents receive a sealed package with an information leaflet in English and Irish, a consent form and cover letter. To ensure the information is meaningful for all, especially vulnerable groups, the information leaflet is written in clear simple language based on guidelines from the Health Information and Quality Authority and approved by the National Adult Literacy Agency.

It contains details of all side effects scientifically shown to be caused by the use of Gardasil, as per the licensed documentation, i.e. the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL). All the side effects seen after the use of Gardasil are short term.

The PIL also contains a list of side effects that have been reported during general use. These are a list of symptoms that have been reported as part of safety monitoring of all vaccines worldwide, even in isolated cases, but this does not mean that the HPV vaccine was responsible.

There is no scientific evidence that these symptoms occur more in those who are vaccinated compared to those who are not. Ongoing analysis from regulatory bodies worldwide shows there is no scientific evidence linking HPV vaccines to any long term medical condition.

Since the HPV vaccination programme started in 2010, the HSE information leaflet has always provided web links to the current licensed documentation.

In countries with high HPV vaccine uptake such as Australia and Scotland precancerous growths of the cervix have been reduced by more than half. In Scotland, research has shown there has been a 90% fall in cancer causing HPV infections in vaccinated girls.

These new findings indicate that the positive impact of the HPV vaccine may be even greater than was initially thought. The HPV vaccination programme in Scotland has achieved a consistently high uptake of around 90% in 12- to 13-year-old girls.

The reality of cervical cancer is distressing and tragically it kills  over 90 women in Ireland every year and over half a million women die across the globe every year. Others endure long term treatment and many end up infertile. That pain, that distress and that heartache can be avoided by ensuring your daughter gets the vaccine. Older girls in school can still get the vaccine.

We urge you to talk directly to your local school vaccination team, your local pharmacist or GP. They will help you talk through any concerns or doubts and will show you the overwhelming evidence that shows that the vaccine is safe and it is effective.

We would recommend you access only accredited information and seek support from trusted sources. The WHO has accredited all the information on our website hpv.ie. We urge you to visit it, get informed and ensure your daughter gets the vaccine and is protected.
Tidy Towns Adjudicator's Report for Manorhamilton.

Community Involvement & Planning / Rannphairtiocht an Phobail & Pleanail:

Manorhamilton is welcome to the National Tidy Town Competition 2017. Thank you for your comprehensive, well-documented application. The submission included a completed application form, photographs, streets improvement plan, Wildlife survey, Feasibility Study and coloured maps. The photographs and maps were very much appreciated by the adjudicator and greatly facilitated the visit. Your mentorship approach has proved very successful involving Leitrim Community Council, your local schools and a myriad of voluntary organisations in your community. The involvement with your local engineers sets a headline in how partnership really works and results are to be seen throughout the town. Congratulations to your schools on their involvement in the big clean up and to

the committee on establishing contact with residential areas. We wish the newly formed Junior Tidy Towns success in their endeavours. Your promotion, using local media, the web and Facebook, obviously gets your message across effectively and your focus on environmental and innovative projects with your schools is a great step forward.



Built Environment and Streetscape / An Timpeallacht Thogtha agus Sraid-dreacha:

The Town Centre contains a fine range of well-presented shop fronts and business premises, too many to mention individually. Imaginative colour schemes with attractive signage are a feature throughout the town. Hand painted fascias have a high quality and continue a great local tradition. Your concentration on vacant and derelict properties has proved very effective and substantial progress on their presentation improvements are to be seen at various locations. The presentation of your public, religious and educational buildings has a very good standard and improvements to the public realm have greatly improved their ambience. The Market House and its forecourt now look excellent. Indeed the Courthouse now deserves a similar treatment. The New Line contains an interesting range of buildings. Thompsons Garage retains a nice character and the barrel-vaulted roof, typical of commercial street buildings of their era, is worthy of preservation. It has an attractive colour scheme and some nice signage on the gable. The adjacent Sculpture Centre, and the row of colourful shop fronts stretching down to the corner of Sean McDiarmada Street, encloses a well presented streetscape on one side. Opposite both old and new Methodist Churches, Baytree House and a beautifully appointed, individual town house, illustrate the mixture of uses and interesting variety of architectural styles that is such an important inheritance of your built environments. These

deserve long term conservation.

Last years adjudicator mentioned small buildings and outbuildings, and these, often small scale stores and sheds, retain significant character. Examples of these were observed here on New

Line and adjacent to Bucklands Bridge with their mild iron rusty roofs. Nearby Caz-Cards Gift Shop, with its attractive colour scheme, appropriate signage and interesting gable mural, was admired. Well done on the provision of universal access to all your public buildings and we wish you well on the Heritage Trail proposal in conjunction with your Historical Society and Leader. The appropriate green information signage, used throughout the town, is very attractive and should be retained and developed as it is much more in keeping with rural Ireland than some of the other catalogue signs now found in other towns.



Landscaping and Open Spaces / Tirdhreachu agus Spasanna Oscailte:

You are to be commended on the fine range of hard and soft landscaping projects carried out in recent years. The new footpaths and road surfaces give a great facelift to the inner town. The Market Square, including the repainting of the Market Bar, looks great. A suggestion here would be to extend the paved area across to the Citizen Information Centre. This would have the effect of spatially restoring the visual context of the square, emphasizing pedestrian priority and creating traffic calming. Up at the castle, the large paved open space looks very well and has some nice seating, planted tubs and a sculpture feature. This would seem to be an ideal location for a major sculptural piece, or other point of interest, especially given the towns sculptural background. Elsewhere, the

planting of incidental open spaces continues and indeed work was underway at the junction of Church Road and Ferguson Street on the day of adjudication. It is good to read of your support for Loughan House Detention Centre and your sourcing of plants from them.



Wildlife, Habitats and Natural Amenities / Fiadhulra, Gnathoga agus Taitneamhachtai Nadurtha:

The use of vacant shops to help highlight this category is a fine agenda, contributing favourably to two categories. The shop front presentation at the junction was excellent and contained an appropriate dark green colour scheme in a high profile location. Your areas abound with important wildlife habitats and you are to be congratulated on seeking professional advice on the elimination of Japanese Knotweed and the promotion of your Wildlife Meadow and Pollination Plan. It is interesting to read of your proposed conservation proposal for an area of the Owenmore River and that you have an interested Tus operative to conduct a survey to facilitate this objective. Unfortunately on the day of adjudication the river contained an amount of litter and debris nearby the bridge.



Sustainable Waste and Resource Management / Bainistiu Acmhainni agus Dramhaiola Inbhuanaithe:

The list of initiatives submitted under this category is comprehensive and it is encouraging to read that you engage with your youth to assist with the promotion and development of these. Well done to St. Clares Comprehensive Junk Kouture Group, Drop Dead Gorgeous and their success at the Helix. The hydroelectric scheme promoted by Seamus Dunbar is somewhat unique and developments here are eagerly anticipated. You are indeed fortunate to have advice and assistance from the Environmental Officer of Leitrim County Council and this contact should prove to be a considerable boost to your efforts in this category in the years ahead. The findings of the Green Initiative

survey are indeed very interesting.



Tidiness and Litter Control / Slachtmhaireacht agus Rialu Bruscair:

We note your actions regarding Dillon Court and the Bus collections point and hope you will be successful here. Your maintenance and clean-up programme is obviously working well as the town was substantially clean and tidy. Congratulations to your volunteers, Tus workers and Mens Shed. Your on-going programme on derelict and vacant buildings is very effective and has resulted in a major visual enhancement. The fire station and engineers office are in need of a freshen up and repainting. At the Hospital and contemporary Health Board complex, presentations were neat and tidy. The Famine Graveyard is nicely presented with an array of colourfully planted boxes. At the

atmospheric Fever Hospital grounds, the educational and dignified memorial and Famine Pot was in need of cleaning. This donated, historic pot contained a quantity of rainwater and debris.



Residential Streets & Housing Areas / Sraideanna Conaithe & Ceantair Tithiochta:

Manorhamilton has a large number of housing areas dispersed throughout the town and all were visited. Generally the standard is good and we note your pro-active approach to on-going maintenance issues. The Children Playground off Castle Street was clean and well-presented and busy during the visit.



Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes / Boithre Isteach, Sraideanna & Lanai:

The Sligo approach road is well surfaced; trees, shrubs and floral planting are attractive, verges tidy and altogether presents a welcoming arrival point to Manorhamilton. The inner town surfaces of roads and footpaths are excellent. Improvement works are on-going and we look forward to seeing the finished works. Some very interesting back lanes have significant character, such as Teapot Lane, and could do with a freshen up.



Concluding Remarks:

A most appealing historic town where residents and their Local Authority are successfully combining to promote, develop and sustain the numerous natural and man-made attractions.

Max Mark 2016 Mark 2017 Mark



Community Involvement & Planning 60 44 45

Built Environment and Streetscape 50 31 33

Landscaping and Open Spaces 50 32 33

Wildlife, Habitats and Natural Amenities 50 22 23

Sustainable Waste and Resource Management 50 17 18

Tidiness and Litter Control 90 48 50

Residential Streets & Housing Areas 50 28 28

Approach Roads, Streets & Lanes 50 31 32

Total Mark 450 253 262
Writing in the Independent, Vince Cable explains why hell be marching on the Tory Party Conference in Manchester this weekend.

He certainly is bringing the anti Brexit fight directly to them.

I believe it would be a healthy exercise in democracy to participate in a peaceful, dignified protest on the big issue of the day by marching. And the issues dont come any bigger than Brexit  which is why I will be addressing marchers protesting at the Conservative conference in Manchester this weekend. Brexit changes most things, not least the quaint notion that governments always seek to increase the prosperity and opportunities of their citizens. It is vital ministers in the hall hear thousands of British people demanding an exit from their disastrous Brexit. Whatever the arguments for or against EU membership in the referendum, the Government has clearly mismanaged the negotiations, and the situation is now so grave that parliamentary niceties suddenly look absurd. Some 15 months on from the original vote, the EUs Michel Barnier suggests we are still months from substantive Brexit negotiations even beginning  because the Government has been so unclear about what it even wants.

And he slates the Governments irresponsibility:

Ministers are effectively saying we have absolutely no idea what future Brexit will bring  but we are going to force it upon you anyway. It is the political equivalent of jumping off a diving board without checking if there is any water in the pool below.

There is a way out, though, as he outlines here:

If enough people protest against this extreme Conservative Brexit, we can still secure a referendum on the final deal, as Liberal Democrats have been fighting for. Only then can we hold the Government to account, giving the people the option to reject a potentially disastrous deal. My only regret is that I didnt also march on the Labour conference, where Jeremy Corbyn still refused to act like an opposition and oppose what many of his colleagues predict will be a ruinous Brexit. That role of opposition falls to Liberal Democrats and thousands of like-minded people this Sunday. Make sure Theresa May hears Manchesters voice, your voice, demanding the chance of an exit from Brexit.

You can read the whole article here.

* Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary in print, on air or online.
SEMINAL Limerick horror author Darren OShaughnessy has said his successful literary career almost didnt happen after his game-changing debut Cirque Du Freak was rejected around 20 times.

He vividly remembers yearning for the big break book deal while he was an employee with Chorus in the 1990s, spending his lunchtime at Arthurs Quay Park with a bag of Donkey Fords chips in his hand.

Now, the 45-year-old writer, who famously goes by the pseudonym of Darren Shan, has sold more than 25 million copies of his novels that have captured the imagination of young horror-hungry readers worldwide.

Just last year, the Pallaskenry man finished his eight-year-long Zom-B book series, 12 years after completing the renowned Darren Shan Saga collection.

Speaking after a Culture Night talk at a full-house in the Hunt Museums Captains Room, Darren said that the success of Cirque Du Freak, which hit the shelves in January 2000, was a really nice, gradual experience. But it very nearly didnt happen, he admitted.

Despite having the same agent as JK Rowling in 1997, not one publisher wanted to send Cirque Du Freak to the printing press.

He set up some meetings with the publishers to talk about why they didnt like it. You know, what else they might be interested in. He didnt really handle many childrens authors, and he wasnt sure why they didnt like it. And at one of the meetings, with HarperCollins, strangely the editor read it again, ahead of the meeting just to refresh her memory. And when she read it a second time, she thought: Actually, it just needs a few tweaks and then she took it on.

Shan wanted to build the bridge between teen horror and Stephen King, but some publishers thought his debut was too dark for young readers, while others reckoned it should have been made darker for adult readers.

Publishers always say that they are looking for something new and completely different, but they are looking for the new JK Rowling, the new Tolkien, the new Stephen King. They want something that they can easily package, now more than ever because the book market has shrunk.

He added: Things have been watered down over the years. The PC brigade have come in and you cant get away with as much, so there was this real sense that this was going to be a really, really controversial book. But it wasnt.

Asked if he ever thinks to himself that his career may not have ever happened, he replied: Yes, all the time.

And the nice thing is I am still in the same place all these years. Still in Pallaskenry. My feet have never left the ground. I dont get ideas above my station. As my granny used to say, if I ever started acting a bit too posh: Its far from it you were raised, he laughed.

Darren lives with his wife Bas and three-year-old son Dante (named after the Italian poet) in Pallaskenry.
THE number of non-Irish nationals living in Limerick only increased by 93 people in five years, the latest release from the Census shows.

There were 18,476 non-Irish nationals living in Limerick, according to the 2016 Census, an increase of 93 people, or just 0.5%, since 2011.

Among the cities, Galway was the most multicultural, with 18.6% of its resident population recorded as non-Irish.

The non-Irish population in Limerick comprised 9.6% of the countys population, compared with 9.8% in 2011, given inward migration, and just under the national rate of 11.6%.

Almost half of all non-Irish nationals (49.4%) in Limerick were either Polish (5,636) or UK (3,495) nationals.

Nationals of Latvia, Lithuania and the USA completed the top five non-Irish nationalities and together accounted for 11.3% of all non-Irish nationals in the county.

Some 3,225 people moved into the county, an increase of 1,747 (118.2%) on the year prior to Census 2011.

Of these, 73.5% (2,370) were born outside of the country.

The report shows that nationally, in April 2016, there were 535,475 non-Irish nationals living in the country, a 1.6% decrease on the 2011 figure of 544,357.

The numbers of people holding dual citizenship increased by 87.4% to 104,784 persons.

Of these Irish-Americans (17,552) comprised the largest group, followed by Irish-UK (15,428) and Irish-Polish (9,273).

There were 30 UK nationals in the electoral division of Glin in 2016, compared with 34 in 2011, and 112 UK nationals in Newcastle West in 2016, compared with 117 in 2011.

There were five UK nationals in the electoral division of Ardpatrick in 2016, compared with 11 in 2011.

In Cappamore, there were 15 UK nationals in 2016, compared with 23 in 2011, and 219 UK nationals in the electoral division of Ballysimon in 2016, up from 198 in 2011.

Dublin city (91,876), Fingal (46,909) and Cork County (42,002) had the largest numbers of non-Irish national residents while Leitrim (3,526) and Sligo (5,892) had the lowest.

Just over 17% of Dublin city residents and one in six of Fingal residents were non-Irish nationals.

Only eight counties showed an increase in their non-Irish national population since Census 2011.

Cork City saw the largest increase (17.2% or 2,505 persons) followed by Longford at 9.1% or 502 persons.

Looking at nationality by towns, Ballyhaunis in Mayo had the highest proportion of non-Irish nationals with 941 persons representing 39.5% of its population.

The two next highest were both in Longford  Edgeworthstown with 32.3% (667 persons) and Ballymahon with 32.1% (599 persons).
A LEADING postmaster has said that all post offices in Limerick are under threat if the Government does not quickly implement a community banking system, which was agreed on almost one year ago.

For four years, Limerick city postmaster Tom OCallaghan has led a campaign for the post office network to adopt a banking system which would see net profits redistributed in the local communities.

The Upper William Street independent postmaster said that a motion, which he worded, was passed unanimously by Dail deputies in November 2016, after Mr OCallaghan contacted every politician, including 942 councillors about the matter.

The passed motion would see An Post diversify into a community banking system, similar to the Kiwibank model in New Zealand, which generated more than $100m in net profits for local communities last year.

At Dail level, the campaign is being led by the Independent Rural Group, namely Deputy Mattie McGrath and Deputy Michael Healy-Rae.

However, Mr OCallaghan said, despite urging the Government to implement the programme within three months of November 2016, there has been no progress.

The problem is we are in a modern era and the post office network needs to be adapt to that. And An Post has introduced their own basic current account, but that now needs to be developed. From that, that is the brick to build the wall.

Lets take an area like Murroe, for example. You go to the local post office, you apply for your finance which may be a car, or could be a farmer who wants to buy some livestock, whatever the reason being. The post office gives the finance, they charge the same rate as any commercial bank, but the profit within that stays within the village of Murroe. So it is your money going back into your community, he said.

He added: And people might ask: Well, why arent postmasters protesting about this? Because they cant. They are subcontractors. They do anything like that, they are in breach of contract, they shut down their office. The reality of this is that this is not an attack on the management of An Post; the direct issue and problem is Government policy.

Mr OCallaghan argued that if the Government does not act fast, the whole network in Limerick and Ireland is going to be collapse.

There are approximately 45 post offices remaining in Limerick. This week, up to 200 people protested the potential closure of the Old Pallas post office, after An Post issued a notice that it was considering its future.

If nothing is done urgently, they are all under threat, fact. It is imminent, Mr OCallaghan said.

The postmaster is the central part of every village or town, urban or rural. And if we lose this, we lose the central identity of what real Ireland is about.

He added: They [politicians] all talk about rejuvenation of rural Ireland, but I can assure you that the taking out of the local post offices is the most detrimental part of keeping that village going.

The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has not responded to requests for comment.
A number of passengers had a lucky escape after they were evacuated from a bus which caught fire on the outskirts of the city.

The alarm was raised shortly after 11am this Saturday after those on board the privately-operated bus were alerted to smoke and flames emanating at the rear of the vehicle.

Three units of Limerick City Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene near Castletroy College for over an hour as did gardai from Henry Street.

It is understood the bus, which was extensively damaged, is part of the fleet which operates the 308 bus route between William Street and Annacotty.

Nobody was injured in the incident and the road has since fully re-opened. It is expected the bus will be removed from the scene later this afternoon.

The incident is the second similar incident in Limerick in recent months. In August, around 20 passengers were evacuated from a bus which caught fire on Clare Street.
Oct 8, 2020, 3 PM

From the Scott Editors  By Donna Houseman

Many important value and editorial changes enhance the 2018 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers.

But before we turn our attention to the many value changes and editorial enhancements, we salute Scott editor emeritus James E. Kloetzel for working tirelessly on the thousands of value changes and hundreds of editorial changes. He and the Scott editors have been busy adding and expanding listings and making significant improvements throughout the catalog. Special thanks to Scott managing editor Charles Snee for leading this colossal project from the home office in Sidney, Ohio.

While there are many editorial enhancements in 2018, the big story is the large number of lowered values for stamps in very fine condition. These lowered values are the result of the editors tracking a softening of the overall market for these United States stamps. With more than 3,000 value changes occurring between Scott 1 and 771, the comprehensive nature of these changes is obvious. Lower values are the rule, with few exceptions.

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These exceptions tend to be among the scarce to rare stamps, such as the 1909 10 yellow coil, Scott 356, which in used VF condition jumps from $4,500 for a single in Vol. 1 of the 2017 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue and 2017 Scott U.S. Specialized catalog to $6,000 in the 2018 Scott U.S. Specialized catalog, and from $10,500 for a pair to $15,000. Scott 519, the 1917 2 carmine stamp perforated gauge 11, moves slightly higher, from $400 to $425 unused, and from $1,750 to $1,800 used.

The biggest winner in the Postage section is Scott 596, the 1923 1 green perf 11 issue made from rotary press sheet waste. A combination of recent retail sales and research made large value changes inevitable. This stamp, known used only, has a total of 15 examples recorded, 10 with the Kansas City Mo. precancel and five non-precanceled. But of these numbers, only three or four precanceled examples are known to be sound, and only two or three non-precanceled examples are known to be sound. The values for 2018 jump to $130,000 for the precanceled stamp and to $175,000 for the non-precanceled stamp.

Two other areas deserve mention for higher values. The first area is revenues, where the Scott editors were fortunate to obtain from stamp dealer Michael E. Aldrich of Carefree, Ariz., census figures from his soon-to-be available updated and expanded census of scarce and rare revenue stamps.

Many of these revenues have turned out to be even scarcer than most collectors or dealers think, and when the census is released later in 2017, some collectors who thought they had stretched this years budget to buy needed revenue stamps will be very glad they did.

The other area showing considerable value growth is proofs, in particular the Scott P2a proofs issued for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition, and the small die proofs (P2) of the 20th century.

Dont overlook the 2018 Scott Stamp Values U.S. Specialized by Grade. This supplement to the Scott U.S. Specialized catalog provides extended values in eight different grades for selected U.S. stamps. The supplement follows the listings for regular issues and precedes the listings for semipostals and other back-of-the-book listings. The pages are trimmed in yellow.

Among the values for graded stamps, values from about grade 85 and below are down in the Postage section almost across the board, while values for grades 98, 95, and some stamps in grade 90 continue to exhibit stability and, in a few cases, are even higher than before.

WHAT EDITORIAL ENHANCEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE?

As usual, earliest-documented-use dates have been updated (six new dates have been added in Postage this year, plus five more in the Christmas Seal section), and a great many new errors have been added. New and clarified footnotes abound to assist collectors in their understanding of the listings and values.

An extensive new note after the 1934 National Parks issue (Scott 740-749) explains the appearance of gummed imperforates in the marketplace from sheets improperly given to favored individuals by Postmaster General James A. Farley. These varieties were not sold in post offices and will not be listed by Scott.

The Computer Vended Postage section has more new listings, as does the Locals section, with the addition of stamps for the Chestnut Street Line in Philadelphia and the Union Despatch in Chicago.

Among early revenues, more varieties  such as double transfers, cracked plates, scratched plates, and gouged plates  have been added, and imperforate stamps are listed as Scott R112b and R115b.

In the Proofs section, new major listings have been added for the 1943-44 5 Overrun Countries issue (small die proofs), Scott 909P2-921P2; the 1995 32 Milton S. Hershey Great American issue (large die proof), 2933P1; the 1925 15 deep orange special delivery issue (small die proof), E13P2; the so-called H proof of the first postage due stamps (from cut-down large die proofs), J1P1-J7P1; and the 1929 10 Playing Card revenue issue (large die proof), RF23P1.

The Specimens and Postal Counterfeits sections see a number of new additions each.

The Test Stamps section has seen its usual thorough review, with a great many clarifications and new major-number varieties added.

Finally, the Canal Zone section now contains a comprehensive and extensive new group of listings for the specimens from the American Bank Note Co. archives. Members of the Canal Zone Study Group have been studying these stamps for years, and their work has been completed and shared. Their help is appreciated.

To purchase the 2018 Scott catalogs, contact your favorite dealer, or call Amos Media at 1-800-488-5349. Also visit Amos Advantage and Scott Online for the eCatalogues.
Whos your Shivaji? Since the early 20th century, the Maratha king's actions have been cleaved out of context to serve varying ideologies /news/talking-point/whos-your-shivaji-111646978108555.html 111646978108555 story

In 1296, when the fearsome Alauddin Khiljislayer of his royal predecessor, coveter of other mens wives, and paramour of the warrior eunuch, Malik Kafurfirst invaded the Deccan, it was to Devagiri that he marched. He came seeking gold, and indeed there was much treasure he would haul back to Delhi after the success of his campaign: The battle was cleverly won, riches heaped before him. But it was before the principal clash, on the way to wealthy Devagiri, that the sultan confronted real resistance. And it came at a place called Lasur where the local commander had by his side two unusually spirited warriorstwo formidable Maratha women who fought, a chronicler would write, like lionesses". Their names have dissolved into history since, but their bravery, which impressed even the invader, survived the generations.

Many centuries later, another Maratha lady, descended it is said from Devagiris royal house, gave birth to the man who would rewrite the destiny of his people. Shivajito celebrate whom yet another statue at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus has been commissioned in Mumbai, besides the colossus by the seawould embark upon a fascinating career, though like most Indian historical figures, he too has largely been painted in politically motivated colours to propel various interests. In his own day, he was known by many (not always complimentary) names. The English called him Sevagee the Rebel" who sacked Surat, while the shah of Iran needled Aurangzeb for failing to contain a mere zamindar like Shiva". The Mughals snarled that Shivaji was a wild animal" and a mountain rat", and when he eventually died (of natural causes, and not at the end of a Mughal sword), the imperial records issued a sour obituary: The infidel went to hell."

The gripping 17th century conflict between Shivaji and the Mughals was a complicated one. But by 1840, British writers like J.W. Massie would state with conviction that it was a kind of holy war". This played nicely into the colonial narrative that Hindu India" and Muslim India" were perpetually at daggers till the West fired its muskets and shone its light, and it has since played also into the hands of Indian parties that seek historical legitimacy for their own antipathy towards certain citizens of our country. Either way, Shivaji, despite solid statues of bronze and iron, has been transformed into a plastic substance in the hands of motivated interests. He certainly had many remarkable aspects to his life and personality. What is unfortunate is that his actions in various contexts are cleaved wholly out of those contexts to lend force to present-day compulsionsa formula that has been in vogue for quite some time.

Jyotirao Phule, who espoused a radical reinvention of society in India, for instance, saw Shivaji as not only the warrior who stood up to a faraway tyrant but also to the tyranny within Hindu society, exemplified by caste. Phule exhorted his 19th century followers to emulate Shivaji and to resist oppression in all its formsfrom the white foreigner to the caste-superior next door. When Phule developed a play in 1869 eulogizing this avatar of Shivaji, it was quickly dismissed by the elite of that time. The ballad of Raja Chattrapati Shivaji," sniffs a review (in Vividhadnyan Vistar, a literary journal). A copy of this has come to us. The author is some Mr Jotirao Govindrao Phule or other. When we read this work we thought that to accept it would bring sheer disgrace upon the great and courageous Shivaji, and upon all Hindu people. We have no idea of the authors address, so weare unable to send it back to him."

While Phules revolutionary Shivaji was swiftly retired from public circulation, Bal Gangadhar Tilaks incarnation received a cheerful embrace, for this version of the king focused solely on the enemy outside, not on reform within. As Maria Misra, a scholar, writes, Tilaks Shivaji was an avenging angel of revivalist Hindu militancy whose politics was Tilaks: culturally aggressive and Brahmin-led(suggesting) that the great generals main purpose in life had been the protection of cows." The reformer M.G. Ranade, meanwhile, impressed with the Wests intellectual advances, sought in his Shivaji a humanist and statesman, a man anxious to reform and who inspired the birth of nationalism in the region. Put together, by the early 20th century, Shivaji was a repository for each mans ideology and every politicians ambition.

By the early 1920s, maharaja Shahu of Kolhapur invoked the memory of his illustrous ancestor for his own anti-Brahmin cause. Even as this ruler, among the more enlightened in India, reserved positions for non-Brahmins in his government and opened up education to the masses, he combined rival views on Shivaji, casting him not only as a protector of peasants but also of the non-Brahmin Maratha aristocracy. The Brahmins, who preferred Shivaji as a champion of orthodoxy, retaliated by refusing to perform rituals for the ruler, denying him status as a legitimate Kshatriya.

After independence, feuds between the Brahmin interpreters of Shivajis legacy and custodians of his Maratha glory have carried on, all the way down to our own times. The only common feature has been undiluted reverence either way, marked also by a proliferation of statues across Mumbai.

At the end of the day, it is the dramatic, fascinating complexity of the man that is the casualty. Painted in broad strokes in limited colours by all dispensations, the rich details of his life receive only secondary attentionthe statue towering over the street and its contemporary battles has become the focus, and the actual man who changed his world subsumed behind obeisance and homage but never the complete, non-partisan analysis that his remarkable legacy deserves. Medium Rare is a column on society, politics and history. Manu S. Pillai is the author of The Ivory Throne: Chronicles Of The House Of Travancore.

The writer tweets at @UnamPillai
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At the Webb County Youth Village, which sits off a quiet stretch of Texas 359, students were met with motivating words from someone with a troubled past of their own.

Actor Cesar Garcia spoke to a group of students attending the Webb County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program on Friday. Garcia is best known for acting in the TV series "Breaking Bad" and the film "Fast and the Furious 4." But before then, Garcia had spent time in juvenile centers and was entangled in gangs.

He encouraged students to not let their mistakes hold them back from the millions of possibilities in the world.

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Garcia advised students to fight for themselves, saying "if you do anything, do it for yourself."

Jose Angel Santiago, 17, said that hearing Garcia's story, he felt assured that he and his fellow classmates are capable of turning their lives around.

"Just because we're here, that doesn't define that we're bad," Santiago said. "Never give up. I mean life is full of lessons. We live and we learn. That's it."

Webb County Court at Law I Judge Hugo Martinez, whose court oversees the juvenile drug court program, brought Garcia to share his story and inspire students to "look inward and realize that they can do it as well." Martinez previously had actor Danny Trejo speak to students about his experience of redemption.

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Martinez said it's important for students to realize that their past doesn't prevent them from fulfilling their potential.

"Trejo is living proof and so is Cesar Garcia that these kids no matter how troubled, they're worth something. And the only thing is that while we may not give up on them, we need them to realize that they can't give up on themselves," Martinez said.
Students clad in blue and ready to release balloons of the same shade were reminded by LISD Superintendent Sylvia Rios that the moment was a symbol of the new height they're going to reach.

On Thursday, the Hector J. Garcia Early College High School was named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Blue Ribbon Award is bestowed to schools that have achieved a high level of academic excellence.

This is the first time the high school has earned the prestigious academic distinction. The Hector J. Garcia Early College High School was among 26 campuses in Texas that were nominated. Of the 26 nominations, five were high schools.

Israel Castilla, principal at Hector J. Garcia Early College High School, said the recognition was one more "garnish" showing students that their hard work and dedication is worth it.

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"It is their achievement and for their accomplishments and their future," Castilla said. "Most definitely this is just a stamp on what we do on a daily basis. It validates what we're doing and that we're on the right path, and that we're providing opportunities for our students."

Castilla said the recognition is something the school district and the community have accomplished together. He acknowledged the faculty for their commitment and passion to promote student success, and expressed his appreciation to TAMIU as well. In order to succeed, Castilla said, support is needed.

The Early College High School was established in 2006 through a partnership between LISD and TAMIU. Students who attend the school are able to earn up to 60 hours of college credit as they work toward their high school graduation. Castilla said giving high school students access to university-level education not only helps them determine their career but motivates them to further their education.

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"One of the biggest components I think is when you make (education) fun. An environment where they can work with the teachers and not necessarily 'I sit and listen but I am part of the instruction.' So that makes it a lot more enticing, a lot more wanting them to continue on because once they start understanding those components it becomes part of them," Castilla said.

"And part of what we're trying to do is for them to become lifelong learners," he added. "I think by having them be part of that lesson, they become and they learn so they can go and apply. And that's what makes them successful."
Herbert Kalmbach, a personal attorney to President Richard Nixon who was drawn into the Watergate scandal as an alleged bagman and later went to prison for illegal political fundraising that included the peddling of an ambassadorship, died Sept. 15 in Newport Beach, California. He was 95.

The death was announced by the family in a notice published in the Los Angeles Times.

Kalmbach had the distinction, it was written in the New York Times in 1973, of being "the most mysterious figure among the strangely assorted cast of characters in the Watergate affair." A California lawyer, he was by all accounts a loyal servant to the president, low-key and capable in matters political as well as private, and was virtually unknown to the public before the Watergate investigation that drove his client from the White House.

Kalmbach had met Nixon through a mutual acquaintance and had supported his political ambitions since Nixon, as vice president, made his first, unsuccessful bid for the Oval Office in 1960. Two years later, Kalmbach stood by his candidate when Nixon lost a race for California governor and prematurely declared his political career to be over.

Nixon's election to the White House in 1968 - and his choice of Kalmbach as his private attorney - propelled Kalmbach's legal practice and burnished his personal prestige. His social circle reportedly came to include Donald Nixon, the president's brother, and actor John Wayne. Kalmbach's firm, with offices in tony Newport Beach and in Los Angeles, attracted a stream of high-powered corporate clients who, in addition to legal representation, received a certain proximity to the president.

Kalmbach was entrusted with Nixon's taxes, his estate planning and the acquisition of the lush property in San Clemente, California, that became known during the Nixon administration as the Western White House. Kalmbach also displayed considerable and sometimes controversial skill in courting political donors, raising a reported $18 million for his client's 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns.

Kalmbach would serve six months in prison after pleading guilty in February 1974 to felony charges of improper fundraising during the 1970 mid-term elections and a misdemeanor charge of offering a European ambassadorship in exchange for a $100,000 donation. But he insisted that he did not knowingly participate in any illegality stemming from the notorious events of June 17, 1972.

On that day, five burglars broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington as part of a scheme to spy on Nixon's political enemies. The operation and attempt to cover it up were linked to high-ranking Nixon administration and campaign officials.

Among them was Kalmbach, who helped channel more than $200,000 to the Watergate defendants. He professed that he had understood the payments - later widely regarded as hush money - to be for "humanitarian" purposes.

"My actions in the period immediately following the break-in," he said before the Senate Watergate committee in July 1973, "which involved the raising of funds to provide for the legal defense of the Watergate defendants and for the support of their families were prompted in the belief that such was proper and necessary to discharge what I assumed to be a moral obligation that had arisen in some manner unknown to me by reason of earlier events."

Kalmbach described for the committee the manner in which the cash was distributed: with utmost secrecy, using aliases and containers that included a hotel laundry bag, and with the assistance of Anthony Ulasewicz, a former New York City police detective who made the deliveries.

Ulasewicz, who had been instructed to communicate only by pay phone, recalled carrying so many coins that he had to wear a waist-mounted coin dispenser.

"I would gather from your success that you must be a great lawyer," Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, said to Kalmbach during his testimony. "Therefore . . . I find it extremely difficult to believe that you are not aware that illegal activities were being carried out."

Kalmbach insisted that he had counted on the reputations of Nixon aides, including former White House counsel John Dean III, who he said had ordered the payments during a conversation on a park bench in Washington's Lafayette Square less than two weeks after the break-in.

"Senator, I was dealing with the counsel to the president of the United States," Kalmbach testified. "It was a matter of absolute trust in the man's integrity and honesty. And, again, as I say, it was absolutely inconceivable to me that this man could ask me to do an illegal act, and I never have done an illegal act."

As evidence mounted that the money may have been used to buy the burglars' silence in the investigation, Kalmbach testified that it was "just as if I have been kicked in the stomach."

Kalmbach said that he might have been used by Dean, former White House chief of staff H.R. "Bob" Haldeman, former domestic policy adviser John Ehrlichman and former attorney general John Mitchell, all of whom went to prison for their roles in the misconduct collectively referred to as the Watergate scandal.

Corruption uncovered in the administration included the "dirty tricks" organized by political prankster Donald Segretti to undermine Nixon's Democratic opposition in the 1972 presidential election. Kalmbach was identified as an authority who controlled the fund underwriting those activities.

The felony charges against him related to $3.9 million that he raised through an under-the-table campaign committee, with no chairman or treasurer, and that was funneled to congressional candidates in 1970.

Prosecutors did not charge him in connection with other fundraising efforts that had been investigated, including his alleged role soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions or pledges from dairy industry officials in exchange for presidential favors.

His misdemeanor offense of selling an ambassadorship was neither the first nor the last such arrangement, or apparent arrangement, by a member of either major party in American politics. "Isn't $250,000 an awful lot of money for Costa Rica?" another potential donor, Ruth Farkas, was said to have asked him. She instead went to Luxembourg.

Herbert Warren Kalmbach was born in Port Huron, Michigan, on Oct. 19, 1921. He was 12 when his father died. During World War II, he was a Navy aviator in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

He received a business degree in 1949 and a law degree in 1951, both from University of Southern California. There he met Robert Finch, a future California lieutenant governor and Nixon adviser, who helped draw Kalmbach into politics.

Kalmbach began his legal career practicing title insurance law and was a founding partner of the Southern California firm of Kalmbach, DeMarco, Knapp and Chillingworth. After Nixon's election, the firm's clientele came to include corporate giants such as United Airlines, Marriott Corp. and the media giant MCA Inc.

In addition to his prison sentence and $10,000 fine, Kalmbach received a suspension of his license to practice law. He was reinstated in 1978 and later was of counsel with the firm of BakerHostetler.

In 1948, he married Barbara Forbush, a former Rose Bowl princess. She died in 2005. Their son Kenneth Kalmbach died in 1980. Survivors include two children, Lauren Kinsey of Newport Beach and Kurt Kalmbach of Coto de Caza, California.

In addition to statements before the Senate Watergate committee, Kalmbach testified as a prosecution witness in the trials of several Nixon administration officials. He did not, however, implicate Nixon.

When Kalmbach went to prison, an unnamed friend told the Times that the lawyer had waited futilely for "some word of sympathy or encouragement from the President, or at least an expression of gratitude for his ... years of unquestioning loyalty." Kalmbach, in keeping with the discretion expected of a man of the bar, made no comment on his relationship with his client.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., one of four members of Congress born in Puerto Rico, said the Trump administration has done a "disgraceful job" of helping the 3.4 million Americans on the island devastated by Hurricane Maria.

"I think it isn't a good job; it's a disgraceful job. The United States of America is the most powerful, wealthiest country in the world, and this is not a response that's demonstrative of our power and our wealth," Gutierrez said, his voice breaking during an emotional interview Friday night with CNN's Jim Scuitto.

President Donald Trump has been facing mounting criticism over what some say is his administration's slow response to Hurricane Maria. For four days after the massive storm made landfall, Trump and his aides remained largely silent as the storm-ravaged island struggled with lack of food, water and electricity, The Washington Post reported Friday. Earlier, the president had issued an emergency declaration and promised all federal resources would be directed to help.

Local officials on the island, including San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, decried logistical failures to deliver basic necessities to communities across Puerto Rico and said that the federal response had "collapsed."

In response, Trump faulted the island's "broken infrastructure & massive debt," blamed the media, and personally attacked Cruz. The president also praised his administration's relief efforts, saying in a tweet Saturday that the thousands of federal workers on the island are doing a "fantastic job."

More than 11,800 federal staff from three dozen departments and agencies are in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as part of recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, according to FEMA. The agency also said that millions of meals and liters of water have been provided, and more are en route via air and sea.

Before Hurricane Maria made landfall, more than 4,500 members of the National Guard were in Puerto Rico, administration officials said.

Gutierrez, who owns a vacation property a few miles from the capital city of San Juan, said the response was not enough.

"It's costing lives, Mr. President, of children, and the elderly and the infirm,," Gutierrez, a Democrat, said of the administration's response. "And we should begin an operation to also evacuate people from this island, especially the elderly, especially those that have sicknesses until they can return to [the] island to rebuild it."

He also said of Trump: "I would hope that as he likes to talk about fire and the fury of the Armed Forces of the United States, that he bring them to Puerto Rico. Put that same fire and fury to save the people of Puerto Rico from what is going to be a disaster here on this island."

Gutierrez added, though, that there is some good news. FEMA had promised to deliver 1.7 million meals and 2 1/2 million liters of water to the island, he said.

Bringing food, water and other basic necessities to Puerto Rico's port and terminals is only half of the logistical challenge, as The Post reported last week. Distributing those goods to the people who need them is the other part of the problem, as damage to the trucking infrastructure, roads and others have also hampered relief efforts.

Gutierrez, who represents many Puerto Rican constituents in Chicago, arrived on the island Friday. The Democrat from Illinois is known for fiery speeches on the House floor and for regularly delivering passionate criticisms of Trump and former president Barack Obama over issues like immigration.

He is one of three Democratic lawmakers who were arrested outside Trump Tower last week. Gutierrez and Reps. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., were protesting Trump's decision to end an Obama-era program that provided legal protections to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as minors.

Before he flew to Puerto Rico, Gutierrez called for the federal government to not only meet immediate needs for food, water, medicine and shelter, but to also promise long-term investment and cooperation with the island's government. He vowed to push Congress to appropriate funding to rebuild Puerto Rico.

"The work of first responders and our military has been heroic, but the island needs more . . . This is a public health crisis and should be declared a health emergency by the federal government," Gutierrez said during a speech on the House floor.
Albany

New York state is sending more help to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that the state is deploying additional personnel from the Port Authority and State Police to help the Caribbean commonwealth following Hurricane Maria.

The 77 Port Authority workers will help reopen and operate the island's ports and airports. Fifty-three state troopers will provide security and public safety assistance.

Ten employees from the New York Power Authority will also join utility officials in Puerto Rico as they work to restore power on the island.

Cuomo said a shipment of medication and supplies left Long Island's Republic Airport Friday morning. The supplies were donated by the Greater New York Hospital Association and include syringes and 5,000 doses of vaccines and medicines for tetanus, diabetes and infections.

 Associated Press
Catalonia heads into a watershed moment in its modern history this weekend, and no one really knows how it's going to play out.

Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said Friday that there's no way the regional administration will pull off its plan to hold an illegal referendum on independence on Sunday. Jordi Turull, the Catalan executive's spokesman, said Friday in Barcelona that almost 7,000 volunteers are ready to open 2,315 polling stations across the region of 7.5 million people.

"Today we've defeated an authoritarian state," Catalonia's regional president, Carles Puidemont, said Friday at the closing rally of the secession campaign. "Each difficulty has made us stronger."

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is deploying thousands of police to Catalonia to maintain public order ahead of a vote declared illegal by the Spanish constitutional court. The region's bid to break away is the biggest challenge to the political settlement instituted following the death of dictator Francisco Franco that sought to tie restive regions into Spain's new democracy.

Earlier Friday, scores of farmers backing secession drove tractors from the provinces into Barcelona to blockade Spanish government offices. Both sides projected their resolve.

"All polling stations will be in place -- even if someone tries to stop it, citizens will still be able to vote," Oriol Junqueras, Catalan economy vice president, said.

After Rajoy met with his cabinet in Madrid, his government repeated its pledge that the referendum wouldn't happen.

"The government, exercising its constitutional functions, will enforce the law," Mendez said at a news conference. "No one is above the law, and anyone who breaks it should face the consequences."

Spain's data protection agency warned that polling station workers face fines of as much as 300,000 euros ($355,000) for accessing and managing data for the electoral registry. The aviation authority said it would restrict airspace over Barcelona during referendum weekend.

A magistrate at Catalonia's High Court ordered Google Inc. to remove "On Votar 1-Oct" app from the Google Play service, according to an email statement from Catalan supreme court. In a separate ruling, the magistrate ordered the Catalan technology agency to shut a chain of applications that potentially could be used for the vote.

On Saturday, Spanish police acting on orders of a judge searched a Catalan technology center in a bid to thwart a plan to hold the referendum online if polling stations are shut, the government's representative in Catalonia, Enric Millo, said in Barcelona. Officers are in a room at the Center of Telecommunication and Information Technologies, according to a statement from a regional government official.

Catalan police already have sealed off 1,300 polling stations, or more than half of the 2,315 locations. In 163 polling stations, people continue to occupy the premises. Those people were given until 6 a.m. Sunday to leave.

"I'm asking the Catalan president to call off the referendum, because if it happens he likely end in a situation in which he will have to appear before a judge," Millo said. "What it's sure is that tomorrow there won't be a binding referendum with guarantees."

Jorge Toledo, Spain's deputy minister for the European Union, said at an European Union conference in Tallinn, Estonia, on Friday that talks with Catalonia could start once the region is complying with the law.

More than 5.3 million of Catalan residents are eligible to take part in the vote, with stations open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

---

Duarte and Tadeo are based in Madrid.
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Two black men from Maryland, with vastly different backgrounds and political styles, are vying for the chance to become the third African-American ever elected governor in the United States.

Ben Jealous, a community activist and former president of the NAACP, and Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker III are competing against at least five other candidates for the Democratic nomination in a blue state where African-Americans make up a third of the population.

Black political leaders in Maryland are watching closely, aware that some African-American candidates who have run statewide in the past say they have not felt fully supported by the Democratic establishment. Political leaders say they are worried that Baker and Jealous could split the all-important black vote, especially if policy consultant Maya Rockeymoore, who is also African-American, gets into the race.

"We know how difficult it is [to elect a black governor] . . . and the fact that we have two black candidates and possibly another, it's frustrating," said state Del. Cheryl Glenn, D-Baltimore, who chairs the state's legislative black caucus. "They could cancel each other out."

Whoever wins the June primary will face off against Gov. Larry Hogan, R, who drew strong support from Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents in 2014 andremains highlypopular across party lines.

But at a time of growing racial division in this country, in a bluestate where Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by more than 26 points, analysts say Hogan could still be vulnerable, especially if Democrats who stayed home three years ago come out to vote.

"There are two strategies for Democrats to take," said Mileah Kromer, a political-science professor at Goucher College. "They can nominate a progressive and hope they entice that progressive base . . . or they can nominate someone . . . who has a message that has a more moderate appeal."

- - -

Jealous, a first-time candidate, has national prominence and strong name recognition for his work as NAACP chief and Maryland co-chairman of Sen. Bernie Sanders', I-Vt., 2016 presidential campaign. He is one of four black progressive forty-somethings running for governor across the country. His platform includes a $15 minimum wage, free tuition at community college and a state-run, single-payer health-care system.

"I've spent my life as a community organizer," Jealous said."My track record is leading big, transformative reform efforts and succeeding despite the odds."

The 44-year-old Democrat stumped for votes this summer at a crab fest in Baltimore County sponsored by the African-American sorority Delta Sigma Theta, and he hosted an event for black professionals athis home in Pasadena, a mostly white community in Anne Arundel County.

He has made many stops in Prince George's, Baker's home turf, where low turnout in 2014 was a key factor in Hogan's victory over then-Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown, D, a longtime politician from Prince George's who stirred little voter enthusiasm.

At a panel discussion on the "state of black America" at the Congressional Black Caucus's recent legislative conference, Jealous cast the battle for universal health insurance in the framework of the civil rights movement.

"We practice the faith of our ancestors, who were the first to stand up in mass for public education across the South," he said. "They said, 'We'll find a way.' Today it's the same responsibility pushing many of us to say, 'Everybody must have health care.' . . . It's the leading cause of bankruptcy, not just in our community, but every community."

Georgia state lawmaker Stacey Abrams ,D, a longtime friend to Jealous who is vying to become the nation's first black female governor, said their campaigns are motivated by a sense that "there is an urgency to this moment that cannot be ignored."

"We are not waiting our turn. . . . Our turn is now," Abrams said.

- - -

Baker, 58, a state delegate for nine years before becoming county executive,has built a reputation in Annapolis and the District of Columbia suburbs as a moderate who works closely with party leaders.

He showed no interest in Sanders' anti-establishment campaign, endorsing former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley for president and then backing Hillary Clinton once O'Malley dropped out.

Baker angered some Prince George's voters by joining top Maryland Democrats in supporting then-U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who is white, over then-U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., who is African-American and lives in the county, in their pitched 2016 primary battle to succeed retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D.

While he has targeted the African-American community for fundraising - his fraternity brothers held an event for him during the CBC conference, and African-American entrepreneur Alexander "A.J." Johnson, a Clinton donor, hosted one in Atlanta last week - Baker shies away from identity politics and has avoided casting his campaign in racial terms. Asked during a recent interview about being an African-American candidate for governor, he interjected to say he is "being Rushern Baker for governor."

"We're going to take our message to everybody," Baker said.

When he worked the room at the Deltas' crab fest, he was recognized far less often than Jealous. An aide who worked for former Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, D, introduced him to familiar faces.

Darius Foreman, 26, a college student in Harford County who came over to talk, said later that with the increased racial tension following the presidential election, he is more likely to consider voting for a black gubernatorial candidate.

"I think we need to elect people with more diverse thinking and more diverse experiences," Foreman said.

Baker's campaign pitch focuses on how he's rebuilt his county's government and reputation following the 2010 arrest on federal corruption charges of his predecessor, Jack B. Johnson, with a focus on economic development, housing and education.

"When I look at what we had to do in Prince George's County, given the circumstances we were in, and I look at the state, it's not dissimilar," he said.

- - -

Jealous has the endorsement of the Collective PAC, a political action committee led by a former NAACP board member that helps recruit, train and fund progressive black Democratic candidates.

The group held a fundraiser for Jealous and three other statewide candidates at the CBC conference featuring U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., among others. Jealous has also won backing from progressive groups with close ties to Sanders, both nationally and in Maryland.

Baker, meanwhile, has received endorsements from a few longtime state lawmakers from Prince George's, including state Sens. Joanne Benson, Paul Pinsky, Douglas J.J. Peters and Ulysses Currie, who is retiring. Glenn, the black caucus chair, said she will probably support him, as well. "Rushern Baker has come up through the ranks," Glenn said. "He has a lot of experience with elected office . . . some of us still believe that is an essential factor."

Two Democratic strategists, who declined to be named, said they believe voters from the party - black and white - may be more likely to support Baker, who could be seen as less polarizing than Jealous in an era when racial fissures in this country seem deeper than ever.

But several African-American politicians said they have seen a groundswell of interest in Jealous from their constituents.

Del. Cory McCray, D-Baltimore, a first-term lawmaker, said voters in his diverse northeast Baltimore district, especially white liberals, seem to like Jealous's platform and approach. "People want to feel connected," McCray said. "They want to feel you are authentic."

Del. Jay Walker, D, chairman of the Prince George's delegation in the House of Delegates, said voters are curious about Jealous, who has lived in Maryland for less than a decade. "That's not a slight against Baker," Walker said. "They know Baker. They are just curious about Jealous."

- - -

The last two African-Americans who ran for statewide office in Maryland fell short, which some black politicians say is proof of the obstacles they face.

Edwards lost to Van Hollen. And Brown blew a double-digit polling lead over Hogan in 2014, largely because of tepid turnout from Democrats overall and African-Americans in particular.

After the 2016 primary, Edwards blamed her loss on the party establishment's open support for Van Hollen. And while she agrees with those who say Brown ran a lackluster gubernatorial campaign, she also says Maryland's Democratic leaders hurt his chances by failing to fully embrace his candidacy.

The former congresswoman, who is weighing a run to succeed Baker as county executive, would not provide any specific examples.Brown, who won Edwards's old House seat last year, did not return calls seeking comment. But Quincey Gamble, who was a senior adviser to Brown, said the campaign would have benefited from having a "stronger operational relationship" with the party duringthe general election.

"I think it would be fair to say we were probably not on the same page on who would play what role," Gamble said.

Yvette Lewis, who served as state chair of the party in 2014, declined to comment.

Edwards said her frustration with the party dates back at least to the 2006 Senate primary, when Democratic leaders backedthen-Rep. Benjamin Cardin, who is white, over Kweisi Mfume, a former NAACP president and congressman.

Disappointed because there were no black candidates at the top of the state Democratic ticket, several Prince George's politicians endorsed Republican Senate nominee Michael Steele, a black former lieutenant governor, over Cardin. Cardin won by 10 points.

"The question is what is it that we in the Democratic Party are willing to do for candidates of color, for women candidates?" Edwards said.

Kathleen Matthews, the current party chair, said Democrats are "taking nothing for granted in 2018. . . . We have to go after every vote."

Baker and Jealous say their messages should resonate with voters regardless of race. But each candidate also acknowledges that he would have to energize and capture a large share of the African-American vote to defeat the others vying for the nomination: state Sen. Richard Madaleno Jr., Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, tech entrepreneur Alec Ross, lawyer James Shea and former Michelle Obama aide Krishanti Vignarajah.

"It's still not easy in many states for a black candidate to generate crossover votes in the white community," said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League. "Obama broke a glass ceiling. . . . But still the coalition that comes together for white Democrats doesn't come as easily together for black Democrats."
Prepare for action! Alamo staffer and living historian John Potter shouted Saturday to a crew of men dressed as they would have about 180 years ago.

Worm and sponge! he directed as they used long rods to clear the cannons barrel of debris.

Load! Prime! And finally: Fire!

With a boom and a puff of smoke, visitors to the Alamos encampment area witnessed cannon fire much as it would have been in 1836, when men tasked with defending the Alamo exchanged fire with Mexican troops during the 13-day siege and battle that claimed the lives of some 200 men.

The cannon, a replica owned by Potter, is one of four manned artillery displays on the grounds of the Alamo this weekend as part of Cannon Fest, a three-day event to commemorate the launch of the Texas Revolution. Monday is the anniversary of the first shots of the war, fired during the Battle of Gonzales in 1835.

The free event introduces visitors to the cannon and artillery of the Texas Revolution. The working replicas on display this weekend are in addition to the seven of 21 cannons believed to have been used by the Texians that are on permanent display on the shrines historic grounds.

The event culminates Monday with a 3:30 p.m. appearance by Texas General Land Office Commissioner George P. Bush to announce an effort to raise $50,000 to conserve those cannons.

The 1836 Alamo Battle cannons are among Texas most treasured artifacts, Bush said in a news release. As champions of our states spirit of liberty, its up to us to ensure that these treasures of Texas fight for independence receive the care and honor they deserve so that future generations may visit, learn and remember.

Cannon Fest is as part of a larger effort at the Alamo to enrich visitors experience with interactive displays on period topics such as medical care, soldier recruitment, food, games of chance, and talks on artillery.

As I walk around and I listen to visitors, this (type of event) is what they expect to find, and it brings the site to life, said Bruce Winders, a historian who is curator of the Alamo. The visit becomes more than just a photo opportunity. When we talk about the master plan, thats the feeling we want to create in the future is the feeling of people coming in and their expectations being met.

If you havent been down here in the last four or five years, theres much more going on, Potter said.

Its every day, and thats what people dont realize, said his wife, Carole Potter.

The Alamo account itself has changed over the years as more artifacts and more information have surfaced. Only in recent decades have researchers learned that post-battle Mexican ordnance reports show the Texians had ample stores of ammunition, shooting down theories the Texians lost because they had nothing left to fire.

The problem for the Texians was that the Alamo, originally a Spanish mission, was more of a fortified village than a military fort, Winders said. Cannons inside the Alamo tended to be mounted high on platforms, which rendered them ineffective at stopping enemies who had dragged their own cannons within 200 yards of its walls.

What we try to tell people is that all history is connected, Winders said. The Alamos history is San Antonio history. San Antonio history is Texas history. Texas history is U.S. history, but its also Mexican history and Spanish history. And so what my goal is as a historian is to introduce people to the broader context of yes, you might like this particular event, but look at all the other things its connected to and look at the bigger picture. Look at the broader story.

The state of Texas, meanwhile, has acquired buildings across the street that are now used for restaurants and tourist shops, to encompass more of the Alamos historic footprint and better tell the story of 1836, Winders said.

The idea is to better create unity so that when visitors come to the Alamo, it isnt well, what are those buildings over there? he said. We can tell the history of San Antonio better, we can tell the history of the region better.

Cannon Fest continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
Prosecutors in the child porn trial of John Campbell, a former H-E-B vice president, showed jurors 53 digital images of underage boys Friday, including one child an FBI agent estimated was 6 to 8 years old.

Prosecutor Josh Somers projected them, for about 12 seconds each, onto a large video monitor turned toward the jury as he put them into evidence. Most of the jurors looked at them studiously but without emotion. Two women on the panel often looked away for minutes at a time and seemed quietly upset.

Campbell, 66, who was once the creative force behind H-E-B's upscale Central Market stores but was fired , is charged with possession and promotion of child pornography, second-degree felonies carrying sentences of two to 20 years in prison. He has not been accused of soliciting or photographing the boys, most of whom are believed to be in their teens.

The testimony of a Washington, D.C-based FBI agent, Alix Skelton, about one of the boys was ultimately disallowed by state District Judge Catherine Torres-Stahl due to defense objections about the agents qualifications to judge his age. Skelton said the FBI believes from having interviewed the child that he was being abused by his father in Alabama and the photo in question was taken between 2011 and 2013 in upstate New York.

Campbell's three-lawyer defense team also objected, without success, to the prosecution's reading of a transcribed Skype conversation alleged to have been between Campbell, using the online moniker of Mike Conner, and a person purporting to be a minor boy, as they talked about masturbation.

Most of the third day of testimony was consumed by defense objections about how a Texas Attorney General's Office investigator had stored and transferred electronic images seized from Campbell's four H-E-B-owned electronic devices, and even about how prosecutors had labeled their files, using the words, child pornography, instead of neutral terms such as text image.

In frustration, prosecutor Patrick Ballantyne told the judge the litany of legal challenges was super-exacting sophistry designed to delay the trial.

His partner, Josh Somers, said of the defense objections immaterial.  None of it really matters.

The trial resumes Monday.

bselcraig@express-news.net
Commissioned into the Navy after graduating from Radcliffe College, Joan Ellen Kennedy Clapp worked in naval intelligence, working with the State Department and defense military information control committee.

She gathered all the intelligence around the world every day, read it and  wrote a briefing paper that was then distributed to all the appropriate departments, said her son, Ray Clapp Jr.

Clapp might have continued her career had she not met her future husband on a flight to Europe.

She loved being in the Navy, and I know she loved working at the Pentagon, her son said. But she chose to marry my dad.

More Information Joan Ellen Kennedy Clapp Born: May 22, 1932, New Haven, Connecticut Died: Sept. 22, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Husband Ray M. Clapp; daughter Carol Drought; grandson Brett W. Bratcher Jr.; parents Helen Gertrude O'Neill and William Richard Kennedy Survived by: Son Ray M. Clapp Jr. and daughter-in-law Marianne; stepdaughters Brenda Butler and Donna Dove; son-in-law Gerald T. Drought; three grandsons; and six step-granddaughters Services: Visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at Porter Loring Mortuary, 1101 McCullough Ave.; graveside service at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery See More Collapse

Clapp died Sept. 22 at 85.

Studying Russian history at Radcliffe, Clapp was in a good position for the military.

Im certain that it  wasnt her plan originally, her son said. It was kind of in the middle of the Cold War, and I think it was something she decided to pursue; it was a patriotic thing for her to do.

Leaving the service as a lieutenant junior grade after marrying in 1954, Clapp and her husband moved to San Antonio, where he had been transferred to Randolph AFB, and stayed after his retirement in 1963.

Becoming a teacher at what is now Garner Middle School, Clapp taught English, social studies and history to eighth-graders.

She loved young people, her son said. She had a student who was one of her favorites who was kind of a troublemaker; he had straight As and straight Us for his behavior.

Believing that any child could be successful given enough support, Clapp would be the one you could go to and she would be encouraging, her son said.

One of the few working mothers in their North Side neighborhood at the time, Clapp still made dinner every night, gathering the family to talk about everything from school to what was going on in the world.

My sister and I were always informed about what was going on, her son said.

Even though they were vacationing in their Airstream when President Richard Nixon was impeached, the family watched on a little black-and-white television with the rabbit ears, her son said.

Suffering a stroke about six months after her husband died in 2014, Clapp wasnt expected to recover.

She had the stroke in December (2014), and she was home in June or July, eventually recovering completely, Ray Clapp said. She had a strong will to carry on.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
Into the never-ending file of unintended consequences:

The state transportation department is considering a proposal that could allow 85-foot-tall billboards to loom over the Texas landscape. We strongly encourage the Texas Department of Transportation to revise its proposed rule change.

Heres the background: Billboards in Texas are not supposed to be taller than 42 feet. But not every billboard complies with this regulation, so the Legislature recently sought to grandfather in about 100 billboards that dont fit the height restriction. It was a way to settle lawsuits.

In seeking to comply with the new law, the Texas Department of Transportation has written a rather clunky rule change that appears to open the door for any sign built prior to March 1 to supersize to 85 feet.

Heres the language  with italics added:

A person may rebuild a sign structure erected prior to March 1, 2017 without obtaining a new or amended permit from the department, provided that the sign is rebuilt at the same location where the sign existed on March 1, 2017, at a height that does not exceed the height of the sign on that date and continues to complies (sic) with all other provisions of the sign permit except height.

Thats awfully confusing. Are rebuilt signs supposed to be the same height, or does the height requirement not apply?

Creating a loophole to supersize existing signs was never the intent of the Legislature, said Angus Lupton, chief of staff for Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, according to Houston Public Media.

To honor lawmakers intent and the scenic Texas countryside, the Texas Department of Transportation should clean up the language in its proposed rule change.

Yes, everything is bigger in Texas, but it doesnt always have to be. Just say no to 85-foot billboards.
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Young start-ups need two things to survive: customer orders and funding.

The challenge, however, is that customers and venture investors often decide to "buy" based on very different messages.

To succeed with customers, start-ups need to articulate clear, focused value propositions. Often the nature of early stage product development is such that the product is of limited functionality and can best be sold by "narrowing the focus to broaden the appeal;" clear use cases, incremental value with respect to products already in production, easy to install, and quick to show value.

Focus is often the key to early sales traction.

Will Price

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140302001812-103827-pat-your-head-and-rub-your-tummy/
The ultimate goal is to facilitate paid work: "Anywhere theres a phone, theres a job. You just pick up a phone and whatever your skills, people will send you digital-currency-based jobs. You can click buttons and make money anywhere in the world."

Tunku Varadarajan

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/blockchain-internet-money-223000709.html
Tax administrations have always looked to the latest technological developments to assist in the task of effectively collecting taxes from the population.

The current shift in the digitalisation of the global economy is an opportunity presented to national tax collectors to make a change in the efficiency of their processes.

Just as the digital tools can benefit tax administrations, the development and implementation of technological innovation in the private sector is a constant race to improve performance. According to its most recent report: Technology tools and the future of tax administration, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) urges tax administrators to manage the risk of imposing restrictive technological requirements on taxpayers. At the extreme regulatory constraints could deprive businesses of the opportunity to exploit the most economically efficient technology, stifling competition and even growth.

Tax authorities face the additional burden that their systems must work for every taxpayer in a stable and predictable fashion. As a matter of sheer practicality, tax systems cannot evolve constantly as businesses do. A single central authority will implement a single central system, which must balance the needs of every taxpayer and will by its nature change infrequently in discrete steps.

ACCAs head of business and tax law, Jason Piper, says:

Businesses operate independently, and each will tailor its digital tools to match its own circumstances. The constant cycle of technological change means no two businesses will implement identical solutions. Tax authorities may see a benefit in imposing a standardised system which drags the least innovative business into the digital net. However, there is a risk that enforcing these changes will in some cases do more harm than good if they compromise other businesses ability to explore all benefits offered by digital tools.

Jason Piper continues:

While most businesses have some level of technological awareness and use technology to an extent, many are by no means fully exploiting the potential benefits of these new tools. There are huge differences around the globe, with some economies leapfrogging ahead to mobile communications technology, completely bypassing the fixed infrastructure relied upon in more mature economies. Many programmes of tax automation and digitalisation are based on evidence that the population as a whole use technology. However, this may not map across to businesses. Even where the owners have bought a computer or smartphone, if a business does not have integrated systems or the national legal or commercial environment has yet to evolve, there will be a limit to the efficiencies tax administrations can exploit.

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Mark Chao. [Photo/amazon.cn]

Mark Chao has been one of the most high-profile actors on the small screen in 2017. In the spring, he played a leading character in popular costume drama Once Upon a Time, which won him both praise and fans.

Then in summer he appeared in a controversial TV drama Midnight Canteen, a Chinese version of Japanese series Shinya Shokudo. Although the actors were criticized for their clumsy acting, Chao was praised for saving the drama.

Recently, the actor came out with another work: an audio book, which was published around his birthday in September.

With a fresh and find look, the book, with its cover colored in peppermint green, includes 12 poems read by Mark. It also comes with a CD and a letter from Chao to the readers, sharing his understanding of the poems.

The 12 pieces are from a series of celebrated poets, including George Byron, William Butler Yeats and Emily Dickinson.

Chao reads each poem in both Chinese and English with music especially composed for each poem playing in the background.

He recalled his memory about Antarctica where he came to understand the meaning of "silence and stillness" in D.H. Laurence's Listening for the first time.

"In Antarctica, when the wind stopped, there was nothing audible left. Yet I can still hear something. It looks a like a murmuring, light, soft and thick," the actor said.

"The sound might be the secret language of the Nature. It makes me humble and pious."

Chao hopes people would read more and experience the great joy and enlightenment that books can give to us.
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San Juan's mayor Friday slammed the Trump administration's "good news" report on the relief effort as the already devastated island braced for heavy rains and more flash flooding through the weekend.

Shelters reportedly have been running out of supplies, Puerto Ricans waited for five and 10 hours in lines for the basics, hospitals were without power, homes were without roofs, and communications were limited to satellite phones and the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers rushed to shore up a dam in danger of collapse.

Of the 69 hospitals in Puerto Rico, only one was fully operational, 55 were partially operational, five were closed, and the status of eight others was as yet unknown, the Defense Department said in a statement.

The hospital ship USNS Comfort left port in Norfolk, Virginia, Friday for Puerto Rico to provide emergency medical assistance and was expected to arrive in about five days, the Pentagon said.

"People have never seen anything like this," President Donald Trump said. "We've undertaken a massive federal mobilization to assist Puerto Rico" to include 10,000 federal civilian and 5,000 military personnel, he said in pushing back on growing criticism of the pace and scope of the response.

The frustration of Puerto Ricans boiled over in the angry response of San Juan Mayor Carmen Ruiz Yulin to a Trump administration official who said the relief effort thus far has been a "good news story."

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On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke said, "I know it is really a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane." Duke said.

"Well, maybe from where she's standing it's a good news story," Yulin Cruz told CNN Friday.

"When you're drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story. When you don't have food for a baby, it's not a good news story. When you have to pull people down from buildings -- I'm sorry, that really upsets me and frustrates me," Yulin Cruz said.

"Dammit, this is not a good news story," she added. "This is a 'people are dying' story. It's a life-or-death story."

Through Thursday, the confirmed death toll in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria was 16.

Several members of Congress, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said the administration should consider putting the military in total charge of the response as the island braced for a weekend of heavy rains.

The National Weather Service said flash flood warnings would remain in effect for Puerto Rico through late Sunday night due to thunderstorms expected to hit the island and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches with locally higher amounts (were) likely each day," the NWS said. "As a result, the current flood situation will be aggravated."

The immediate concern was the status of the cracked Guajataca dam in Puerto Rico's northwest, where thousands of residents have been under an evacuation order.

The Guajataca dam was one of the 38 on the island. All have been rated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as having a "high potential hazard."

Ahead of the weekend storms, USACE delivered 900 "super sandbags," each weighing about 5,000 pounds, to shore up the Guajataca dam.

To bolster the military response, the Navy on Friday recalled the amphibious assault ship Wasp, which was assisting hurricane response efforts in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean, for duty off Puerto Rico.

The Wasp will join the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge and the transport dock ship Oak Hill off Puerto Rico.

The ships will remain in the area although the military effort has shifted from a sea-based to a land-based response under the command of Army Lt. Gen. Jeff Buchanan, deputy commander of U.S. Army North. Buchanan arrived in Puerto Rico late Thursday, U.S. Northern Command said in a statement.

NorthCom has overall responsibility for the military response in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands while U.S. Southern Command, working through the State Department, was focusing on the Leeward Islands.

Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the Kearsarge and sailors from the Kearsarge and the Oak Hill conducted nine medical evacuation missions, and distributed approximately 150,000 pounds of relief supplies and cargo on Thursday, NorthCom said.

The Marines also cleared three miles of roads leading to the former Naval Air Station of Roosevelt Roads on the eastern end of Puerto Rico to open it to ground traffic, NorthCom said.

In an Air Force briefing at the Pentagon Thursday, Brig. Gen. Keith Wark, director of operations for the National Guard Bureau, said that Guard and Reserve airlift into Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands was averaging about 50 missions daily. "I'm expecting to maintain this level of effort for at least the next two weeks," Wark said.

"We're looking at some pretty big muscle movements across DoD if we have to go in and provide the level of troop efforts that we think we are," Wark said.

In addition, "there's planning factors for up to 10,000 additional Guardsmen. If we have to do that -- that's a big if -- that's going to be a significant amount of capability," Wark said.

What the Air Force is doing now "is making sure we're sequenced across FEMA, the active force, the Guard response, and make sure that's all synchronized to get things to the various airfields" for relief in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, he said.

Initially, the main problem was clearing roads around the airfields to allow relief distribution, Wark said. As a result, massive supply distribution has been a challenge, especially in Puerto Rico, he said.

Air Force spokesman Col Patrick Ryder said that since Hurricane Maria hit nine days ago, Air Mobility Command has flown nearly 200 sorties, delivering about 1,500 tons of cargo such as food and water, communications equipment, generators, and medical supplies to both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Ryder said AMC air medical evacuation teams have moved 104 patients from St. Croix, including one mission on Sept. 24 that moved 34 patients.

In an address to the National Association of Manufacturers Friday, Trump stressed that "We're closely coordinated with the territorial and local governments, which are totally and, unfortunately, unable to handle this catastrophic crisis on their own -- just totally unable to."

"The police and truck drivers are very substantially gone. They're taking care of their families and largely unable to get involved, largely unable to help.

Therefore, we're forced to bring in truck drivers, security, and many, many other personnel, by the thousands. We've never seen a situation like this," he said.

"Ultimately, the government of Puerto Rico will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort -- it will end up being one of the biggest ever -- will be funded and organized, and what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island," Trump said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard Sisk@Military.com.
Days after the Marine Corps welcomed its first female infantry officer, the service is set to mark another milestone.

A female officer enrolled in the Corps' assault amphibian officer course aboard Camp Pendleton, California is set to graduate Oct. 3, Capt. Joshua Pena, a spokesman for Marine Corps Training and Education Command, told Military.com. When she does, she'll be the first woman to earn the military occupational specialty of 1803, assault amphibian officer, qualified to be a platoon commander for Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles, better known as AAVs or Amtracks.

Pena did not release the officer's rank or name ahead of her planned graduation.

Like ground infantry jobs, jobs within armored vehicle specialties including AAVs and Light Armored Vehicles were closed to women until 2016, when all jobs across the military were declared open to both genders.

To date, two female enlisted Marines have graduated AAV training, Pena said.

The officer preparing to graduate has completed an intensive 12-week course including land water survival skills, vehicle maintenance and management, gunnery skills, amphibious operations, and offensive and defensive operations. The last four-and-and-a-half weeks of the course are spent at Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center 29 Palms, California and emphasize maneuver and operations in combat.

"The purpose of this course is to provide the training necessary to serve as platoon commanders of an Assault Amphibian unit," a course description posted to the Marines' official website, which still contains exclusively masculine pronouns, reads. "The course ensures the AAV platoon commander is trained to prepare his crews and AAVs for the tactical employment of troops and equipment during ship-to-shore movement and subsequent operations ashore."

The soon-to-graduate assault amphibian officer will represent the latest in a series of firsts for the Marine Corps. On Monday, the Marine Corps announced the graduation of the service's first female infantry officer following her graduation from the service's infantry officer course.

In April, the service welcomed its first tank officer, 2nd Lt. Lillian Polatchek. And two female artillery officers, 2nd Lts. Katherine Boy and Virginia Brodie, have already joined the fleet after completing required job training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in June 2016.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.

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A new detachment of Marines and sailors from 1st Battalion, 10th Marines out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina is headed to the Middle East in support of operations against ISIS, military officials said today.

The detachment, of an unspecified size, will replace Marines already deployed to the region to provide "critical fire support to coalition and local partnered forces," officials with II Marine Expeditionary Force said in an announcement.

The announcement did not specify whether this new detachment of Marines is bound for Iraq or Syria. However, the new deployment does come roughly seven months after the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit dispatched a new team of several hundred Marines armed with M777 155mm howitzers into Syria to set up an artillery base.

The goal of the detachment was to provide support to coalition forces as they assaulted Raqqa, the self-proclaimed capital city of the Islamic State. That fight continues today, though recent reports indicate American-backed forces are gaining ground against the militants. More than 75 percent of the city has now been cleared of ISIS fighters, according to U.S. News and World Report.

In April, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller told Military.com that the Marine artillery post in Syria had moved to aid the ongoing fight, highlighting its design as a mobile position, rather than a fixed installation.

In July, the Marine Corps released new video showing the unit in action, with footage of a Marine artillery strike from an undisclosed location devastating an ISIS artillery position near Raqqa.

Marine Corps artillery assets have also seen action against the Islamic State in Iraq. In early 2016, a small howitzer team was sent from the deployed 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit to establish Fire Base Bell, a position near Mosul that was later renamed Kara Soar Base.

During that deployment, one Marine would be killed in action: Staff Sgt. Louis Cardin died as a result of indirect fire March 19, 2016, shortly after the Marines arrived at the position. Four other Marines were wounded in the same enemy attack.

The base was ultimately turned over to Army forces when the Marines returned home later in 2016.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
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...
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A local artist has pledged to donate any prize money or proceeds from the sale of his ArtPrize entry to local nonprofit "i understand."

A 15-foot-tall sculpture of a bird cage with a human figure inside, "The Door is Always Open" is an entry in the competition's 3-D category from Ada artist Daniel Carlson. The entry can be seen along Monroe Avenue NW, just outside of the newly completed Michigan State University Grand Rapids Research Center.

In the sculpture, the human figure faces away from an open door on the side of the bird cage. In the artist's statement, Carlson explains the figure is symbolic of those who feel trapped within their struggles with depression, anxiety, addiction or unhealthy relationships.

"'The Door is Always Open' is intended to evoke conversation and self-reflection about the cages we create for ourselves, or the limitations that illnesses impose on us, despite the open door and ability to see the potential for freedom, recovery, light and love," he wrote. "The cage's open door represents the ability to let yourself out, or let someone in as an opportunity for recovery, hope and change."

After the conclusion of ArtPrize, Carlson plans to donate the proceeds from the sale of his piece to "i understand" to help raise awareness for mental health and to support families impacted by suicide. The sculpture has been valued at $50,000.

The Ada-based nonprofit hosts educational and awareness events, runs support groups for those who have lost a loved one to suicide, provides speaking engagements on the topic of mental health and delivers mental health care packages to patients locally and around the world.

The organization was created in 2014 by Vonnie Woodrick, in memory of her husband Rob, who died in 2003.

It's unlikely Carlson will be a recipient of one of the ArtPrize 2017 cash prizes -- his entry is neither listed among the top 100 for the public vote nor among the 20 entries on the jurors' shortlist announced Monday, Sept. 25.

But if he does, the artist has also pledged to donate the winnings to the local organization.

ArtPrize Nine began Sept. 20 and runs through Oct. 8. The 20 public vote finalists will be announced Sunday, Oct. 1, and will join entries named to the jurors' shortlist for a final round of voting by the public and expert jury alike. The winners of a series of prizes totaling $500,000 will be announced Friday, Oct. 6.
UPDATE 5:19 p.m.: The incident is clear, MDOT reports.

SYLVAN TOWNSHIP, MI - A single-vehicle rollover crash is causing a traffic backup on westbound I-94 west of Chelsea.

The Michigan Department of Transportation reported the closure at 4:17 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 at I-94 about three quarters of a mile east of Kalmbach Road in Sylvan Township.

A white pickup truck was on its roof on the right side of the expressway.

Chelsea Area Fire and Michigan State Police were at the scene at about 3:16 p.m. Friday.

Traffic on I-94 is backed up for several miles past Dancer Road.

Huron Valley Ambulance was canceled before arriving on scene, said spokesman Matt Rose.

MLive Photographer Matt Weigand contributed to this report.
YPSILANTI, MI - State Rep. Ronnie Peterson pledged to advocate on behalf of Ypsilanti teens as they pursue higher education at a Youth Summit held Friday, Sept. 29 at Eastern Michigan University's College of Business.

"I have a commitment ... to make sure, in terms of state government, we do all we can do to make sure every young person that has a desire can pursue higher education," said Peterson, D-Ypsilanti, to the group of about 120 middle and high school students gathered at the event.

Peterson said he's been meeting with the heads of state universities and private colleges as well as K-12 school districts across the state to learn about what schools are doing to ensure students are prepared to compete in a global job market.

He asked students about their plans after high school and encouraged them to contact his office to let him know how state lawmakers can better advocate for their needs in higher education.

"Give our young people vision. Give our young people hopes," Peterson said. "We are your elected representatives. We owe you good representation. ... I will be your advocate. Ypsi, surrounding areas, Lincoln, Belleville, no matter where you're from, we owe you better."

Lincoln High School senior Aaliyah Brooks, who was involved in organizing the summit, said it was important to bring together students from different Ypsilanti high schools for the event.

"All schools contribute to the community, and since I'm part of the community, every part of Ypsi affects me," Brooks said.

The Youth Summit drew students from Ypsilanti Community High School, Lincoln High School, Washtenaw International High School, Ypsilanti's ACCE alternative high school, the Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education, Arbor Preparatory High School and Ypsilanti's Washtenaw International Middle Academy.

Three other elected officials joined Peterson in discussing civic engagement at the Youth Summit. Karen Lovejoy Roe, Ypsilanti Township clerk, spoke to the students about registering to vote and how they can get involved working elections.

Shauna McNally, vice chair of the Ypsilanti Township Park Commission, talked about ways for students to help plan community activities at the parks, and Ypsilanti Township Trustee Monica Ross-Williams encouraged the teens to put themselves on a path to success and civic engagement.

"Sometimes folks will tell you maybe you're not able or you don't have the money or whatever it is to run for office," Ross-Williams said. "Never let anyone stop your dreams and stop your goals. I would love to see a lot of you coming in to elected office and being leaders in your communities."

Having the Youth Summit during a school day as a field trip for students meant a much higher turnout, than in past years, when it was held on weekends, said Anell Eccleston, a mentor and advocate for the Student Advocacy Center who helped coordinate the event.

In addition to civic engagement, topics covered at the Youth Summit included: youth safety, the state's shift in student discipline policy, self-care and mental health, substance abuse, suicide prevention and mindfulness.

Student input guided the topics selected, Eccleston said. The Student Advocacy Center coordinated the event, with support from Corner Health Center, Ypsilanti District Library, Ozone House, EMU, Growing Hope, the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, the local chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness and Educate Youth.

Tina Woods, an intern with the Student Advocacy Center who worked with Eccleston to organize the event, said she hoped the Youth Summit helped to build community within each of Ypsilanti's high schools as well as the broader area.

Lincoln senior Max McNally, who helped plan the summit, said he hopes youth leadership groups see some growth as a result of the information shared at the Youth Summit.

"It's really cool to see all these kids here. They're trying to make an impact in as many ways as they can, and by coming here, they're making an impact," McNally said. "We have our state representative here, we have our local leaders here and youth who are doing great things."
BAY CITY, MI -- An Indiana woman accused of trying to kill her infant niece with tainted breast milk appeared in a Bay County courtroom for arraignment, the first step in the system to extradite her back to the state where she allegedly attempted murder.

Sarai Rodriguez-Miranda, 19, appeared before Bay County Circuit Court Judge Mark E. Janer on Friday, Sept. 29, via Polycom. She requested a court-appointed attorney to represent her for an extradition hearing that has yet to be scheduled. She is being held in the Bay County jail without bond.

Rodriguez-Miranda was arrested Thursday afternoon, Sept. 28, at a residence in Bay City by a U.S. Marshals Service task force. Police believe she drove to Michigan after learning she faced a murder charge in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Sarai Rodriguez-Miranda, 19, was arraigned in Bay County court Friday, Sept. 29.

The 19-year-old woman is charged with attempted murder, a 20-40 year felony. Prosecutors in Indiana determined she put pain relief medication in a bottle of breast milk. A forensic toxicologist found the equivalent of nine Excedrin tablets in one of the baby's bottles, according to court records.

The 11-week-old baby never drank the milk and wasn't injured, according to the Associated Press.

Court documents say her mother found text messages in January her daughter exchanged with her boyfriend in which she describes mixing crushed pills into breast milk for the infant, writing that "I hope she dies."

The woman was apparently angry that her brother, his fiance and their daughter had been staying with her and her mother.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Police have arrested four more people -- two charged as adults and two as juveniles -- for recent gun shop break-ins that police say are related.

The two adults were arraigned Friday, Sept. 29 and charged with breaking and entering and conspiracy to commit breaking and entering.

They are 18-year-old Cameron Ellis-Ayres and 17-year-old Desiree Taggart.

Police now have arrested 10 people, mostly juveniles, for gun shop burglaries that involved four different businesses.

Grand Rapids police accuse Ellis-Ayres, Taggart and two juveniles of Sept. 23 break-ins at Rylee's Ace Hardware and Batchelder Master Gun Makers, as well as a Sept. 24 break-in at Barracks 616.

The thieves were only able to get guns from Barracks 616 and police say 20 were stolen.

Two juveniles connected to the Sept. 23-24 break-ins also were involved in a Sept. 16 burglary at Cabela's. In that break-in, 13 handguns were stolen and Grandville police arrested six juveniles with two days. Those teens range in age from 13 to 16.

Police say, in total, 33 guns were stolen. Of those, five have been recovered.

A $5,000 reward is being offered for the recovery of the missing firearms.
An Indian-origin entrepreneur, whose company is the biggest supplier of poultry to supermarkets in the UK, is to face a parliamentary inquiry after reports of alleged safety breaches at his factory.

Ranjit Singh Boparan-owned '2 Sisters Food Group' is to be investigated after an undercover media operation exposed footage of workers allegedly altering the source and slaughter date of poultry being processed at the company plant in West Bromwich in the West Midlands region of England.

The West Bromwich factory, which is part of the 2 Sisters Food Group, supplies chicken to major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, Aldi and Lidl.

Other footage gathered as part of a joint investigation by the Guardian and ITV News showed chicken being picked off the floor and being thrown back on to the production line, and older poultry being mixed with fresher birds.

The 2 Sisters group was founded in 1993 by Ranjit Singh Boparan, who is also known as 'Chicken King' and now employs 23,000 staff.

The chairman of the House of Commons environment, food and rural affairs committee, Neil Parish, said he was preparing to call Boparan before the panel to answer questions about the allegations.

"It would be good if we could have a short, sharp inquiry. We need to restore both food safety, animal welfare and consumer confidence to these massive chicken plants run by 2 Sisters," Parish said.

"We would certainly head for the highest levels of the company and ask them to present evidence to us. We are producing chicken to a very high standard in this country," he said.

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has also launched its investigation into the company, which produces a third of all poultry products eaten in the UK.

"Should we find any evidence of any risk to public health, any products on the market which we believe to be a cause of concern will be urgently removed from sale," said FSA chair Heather Hancock.

Some of the biggest chains, including Marks & Spencer, Aldi and Lidl, have meanwhile stopped sourcing chicken from the company's West Bromwich plant while the probe continue, which the company said it was taking "extremely seriously".

The Guardian and ITV News said in a statement that more than 20 workers had confirmed that unhygienic practices took place, while some said they would no longer eat chicken from supermarkets.

Some workers also claimed the chicken that supermarkets reject is sometimes repackaged at the factory and sent out again.

Although it has diversified, the bulk of the group's income still comes from processing poultry.

The company said that it had been made aware of the allegations on Thursday but had "not been given the time or the detailed evidence to conduct any thorough investigations to establish the facts, which makes a fullsome response very difficult".

"2 Sisters Food Group ensures all staff are fully trained on hygiene and safety matters, and enforces a number of policies to ensure compliance with all regulations.

"It is subject to regular audits in these areas and staff have a number of ways in which to voice their concerns," it said in a statement.

It claimed hygiene and safety remained at the "core" of its business, which was subject to frequent unannounced audits from the FSA and Red Tractor  the UK food industry's assurance scheme  among others.

The joint media investigation involved taking secret recordings during a spell of 12 working days inside the 2 Sisters' plant in West Bromwich.
With its sales in India witnessing nearly three times jump this year, Swedish fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is gearing up to enhance it further through the online channel by 2018.

The company had clocked sales of about Rs 703 crore during the nine-month period of December 2016 to August 2017.

It had registered sales of Rs 291 crore in the year-ago period, as per the company's latest report for the nine months.

"Next year, we plan to continue our online expansion into further countries, including India. The plan is that in the future we will offer online shopping in all store markets as well as in other markets," H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson said.

In India, H&M had 17 physical stores at the end of August 31. Currently, the store count stands at 21.

In terms of online presence, the company sells its products through the medium in 41 countries and would add Cyprus and the Philippines later this autumn.

The group had a total of 4,135 H&M stores as of August 31, 2017, of which 176 are operated by franchise partners.

The company received FIPB approval in November 2013 for opening 50 stores in India. It had said the investment would be about Rs 720 crore.

In the nine-month period, the group opened 264 own stores worldwide and closed 53, a net increase of 211 new stores.

The company, which has seen growing number of footfalls over two years, is now betting big on the online space as part of its expansion plans.

"We are continuing to improve the online store and are adding more and faster delivery options, while further broadening the range of products online," Persson said.

On the outlook, the company said the group's online sales are estimated to grow by at least 25 percent per year going forward.
China increased its defence spending by 8.1 percent to USD 175 billion on Monday, its largest hike in defence spending yet. This led us to compare countries worldwide and find 10 countries with the highest defence spending in 2017.

The sector commanders of BSF and Pakistani Rangers on Friday held a flag meeting, first in six months, in the Suchetgarh sector here in the aftermath of the recent cross-border skirmishes.

A spokesman for the Border Security Force said both sides agreed to maintain peace and tranquillity along the international border.

"The meeting was held in a cordial and positive atmosphere and both sides agreed to expedite the implementation of the decisions taken in an earlier meeting," he said.

However, he said, the Indian officers made it clear to their Pakistani counterparts that any provocative action would be met by equal or stronger responses.

The 105-minute meeting was held on the request of Pakistan Rangers, the spokesman told PTI.

It was the first Sector Commander-level meeting between the two forces since cross-border clashes escalated two months ago, he said.

The BSF delegation, comprising 17 officers, was led by P S Dhiman, BSF DIG, Jammu Sector. The Sector Commander of Chenab Rangers, Sialkot Punjab, Brig Amjad Hussain, headed the Pakistan delegation of 14 officers, including three Wing Commanders.

The last Sector Commander-level meet between the two forces was held on March 9 2017.

In the meeting today, the spokesman said, the BSF strongly objected to the brutal murder of two BSF soldiers  constables Brijendra Bahadur and K K Appa Rao  who were performing their duties along the border.

"The BSF also protested the unprovoked cross-border firing and shelling on a number of Indian border villages leading to the death of a woman in Arnia sector on September 4," he said, adding that infiltration attempts at night were also discussed.

"The Pakistan Rangers assured to take measures to maintain peace at border with a request that the BSF should also exercise restraint to ensure minimum loss of civilian lives on the Pakistani side," the spokesman said.

He said the two sides decided to re-energise instant communication between the field commanders to resolve petty matters.
Breaking News

One person in Meghalayas South Garo Hills district sustained severe injuries after an MLA allegedly attacked him for asking 'uncomfortable' questions in public relating to the developmental activities in his constituency, officials said on Saturday.

According to the FIR filed against the MLA at the Baghmara PS, Freedom Marak had sought answers from Samuel Sangma, a local legislator, over the tardy progress of development works in the town which angered him. The MLA, in a fit of rage, then started beating up Marak.

Marak was left with a swollen face and blackened eyes.

Another resident was also allegedly beaten up though he could not muster enough courage to file a police complaint against the legislator.

South Garo Hills SP Abraham T Sangma said, We have received the complaint from one person who was allegedly beaten up by the MLA himself for questioning him.

He added, The matter is currently under investigation and the person who was beaten up has been sent for a medical test."

Samuel was elected as an independent candidate from Baghmara constituency in the 2013 assembly elections. A third-time MLA, Samuel is supporting the Congress government in the state.

The incident and the photo of Marak went viral in the social network sites.

We condemn the attack on an innocent victim who sought to know as a voter. He (MLA) has no right to beat him up, Civil Society Women Organisation president Agnes Kharshiing said.

A failed MLA should be taken to task and he should be arrested, A Rangad, convener, Thma U Rangli u Juki (TUR), a progressive peoples group, said.
NEW DELHI, INDIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Students during candle light protest against lathicharge on students of BHU, at Jantar Mantar on September 26, 2017 in New Delhi, India. Several students, mostly women, and policemen were wounded in clashes at Banaras Hindu University after university guards and cops cane-charged protesters in front of the vice chancellors home and at the main entrance to the century-old institutions sprawling campus around midnight on Saturday. (Photo by Arun Sharma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Banaras Hindu University has been on the boil since last Saturday after students protesting an incident of alleged molestation by outsiders were lathi-charged by police.

BHU vice-chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi has been personally drawing flak for the incident over and above his administrations failure in handling the complaint of molestation.

While the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and protesting students have called for Tripathis resignation, he said he would resign in case he was asked to go on leave. However, he claimed that the Centre had not asked him to go on leave, contrary to some media reports.

Tripathi has been at the centre of a storm over his controversial and contradictory remarks on the incident. Here's a round-up:

# With regard to the protesting female hosteliers, Tripathi said that the girls who go out after 8 pm are the ones who are protesting as per a report in the Hindustan Times.

# On different curfews at the hostel for girls and boys (8pm for girls and 10pm for boys), he said that female students needed more security and the university was taking extra care by restricting them to 8pm.

Why are we competing for such equality? I cant make rules according to every girl student, Tripathi said as per the HT report. But he also added that there was no problem if the girls went out (with guardians permission) after 8pm.

In this regard, DCW has demanded that the PMO intervenes into discriminatory hostel timing for boys and girls, and draft a national policy to provide safety for women on campuses.

# In his official statement on Monday, Tripathi had claimed that lathicharge on female students did not take place.

However, a number of students, including women, and two journalists were reportedly injured in the lathi-charge. A probe has also been ordered into the incident after removal of three additional city magistrates of Varanasi and two police officers.

# Tripathi also stated that acts of violence such as damaging varsity property, hurling petrol bombs were carried out by anti-social elements from outside. We have the footage in which outsiders can be clearly seen at the protest. Tripathi was quoted as saying by PTI.

The police had registered FIR against a thousand students of BHU for alleged violence during the confrontation between them and the students.

# Saying that he did not run the university on the basis of RSS or any political ideology, he told the Hindustan Times, it is my duty to run the university as per the rules of the BHU Act.

# The VC had also claimed the alleged incident of molestation of female students, which the protesters wanted to take up with university authorities, was a "a simple case of eve teasing, NDTV reported.

# Tripathi also alleged that the protests were deliberately staged right ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Varanasi.

# On the safety issue inside the campus, highlighted by protesters as well, Tripathi said, This is such a big campus, anything can happen anywhere. We cannot assign a guard to every student.

# In another interview to Hindustan Times, he said, The allegation that BHU is unsafe is not correct. It is a huge campus and a thoroughfare, adding that more CCTV cameras were going to be installed.
Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, head of Jamaat-ud-Dawa and founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba

Pakistan's interior ministry has asked the election commission not to register a newly-floated political party backed by Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, citing security agencies' report that such groups would "breed violence and extremism in politics".

Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack, last month launched the Milli Muslim League (MML).

The party, on September 18, said that it will foray into Pakistan's political scene by contesting the 2018 general elections.

The MML applied for registration with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which is mandatory for any party to contest elections.

The ECP sought the opinion of the Ministry of Interior about the MML, which is apparently a facade to promote the message of Saeed who is currently kept in detention by Pakistan.

A ministry official said that after consultation with various security agencies, the ECP was informed that the MML was not fully independent from the JUD and Saeed, and "it should not be registered as a political party".

Meanwhile, the Nation newspaper in a report on September 27 quoted a letter by the Ministry of Interior to the ECP, asking the election authority not to register the MML.

"There is evidence to substantiate that the Lashkar-e- Taiba (LeT), the JuD and the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) are affiliates and ideologically of the same hue and the registration of the MML is not supported," the letter said.

The ministry in the letter, quoting an official correspondence of the ECP, said that MML President Saifullah Khalid has claimed that Saeed and he were ideologically affiliated with each other's organisations.

The ministry informed the ECP that the LeT had been proscribed since January 14, 2002, in Pakistan whereas the JuD and the FIF had been placed under "restrictions" since January 27, 2017, under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The restrictions now have been extended up to January 26, 2018.

"They have also attracted sanctions under the United Nations Security Council Resolution No 1267 and have been dealt accordingly," the letter said.

The ministry said it took up the MML issue with security agencies.

"The reply of one agency is awaited, while the other agency has intimated that indulgence of proscribed/under observation organisation in the political process with an aim to win legitimacy is a serious issue, thereby neutralising the gains of the National Action Plan (NAP)," the letter said.

"Given the clamour, philosophy, outreach and modus operandi to operate, it is difficult to believe that the MML will tread its own path, completely at variance with its mother organisation," the ministry said while quoting the security agency.

The security agency recommended that "since the registration of such groups would breed violence and extremism in politics, their registration as an apolitical party should be avoided".

The ministry also informed the ECP that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has also highlighted Pakistan's international obligations and commitment to the NAP and recommended that the Ministry of Interior should take up the matter of the registration and activities of the MML and its association with proscribed organisations with the ECP to avoid any negative consequences for Pakistan.

The MoFA has recommended that the MML's application should not be supported for registration.

The Nation also reported that the Foreign Office told the interior ministry that the recent political activities of the group had also been officially objected at the diplomatic level.

The MoFA also reminded that the JuD and the FIF were proscribed organisations under the UN Security Council Act 1948.

The paper also reported that MML Secretary Information Tabish Qayyum strongly challenged the letter of the ministry and called it "unconstitutional, unlawful and unethical", claiming that there was no law to register a political party.

He said that the MML was a political party under Article 17 of the Constitution and Political Parties Order 2002.

"The party has already made it clear that it had no relations of any kind with any banned organisation, and is not involved in any unlawful activity," the report said.

He said that no proof against the MML leadership had been provided to the ECP along with the so-called letter.

Despite legal issues faced by the MML, it supported a candidate in the elections held in Lahore on September 17.

The candidate performed well and polled more than 7,000 votes.

The JuD formed Milli Muslim League at the time when Saeed was detained in Lahore.

Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti-terrorism act.

The JuD has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

Saeed carries a USD 10 million American bounties on his head for his role in terror activities.
Gurugram-based VVDN in partnership with Irish company Embedded Downloads today unveiled a blockhain-technology-based smartphone BitVault for Rs 75,000 a unit.

"This is the world's first blockhain technology based smartphone. We are using only Android user interface in it but the core operating system has been developed by us in India in last 1.5 years. It will be priced around USD 1,200 or Rs 75,000 at the time of launch," VVDN Technologies co-founder and vice president for engineering Vivek Bansal said at the launch event.

The phone does not support Google Play store and has developed its own mobile application, he said.

"Our main focus is secured communication. We will initially focus on enterprise customers, defence and police for sale of this product. We are also in talks with ITI Limited to incorporate it in their army communication project," Bansal said.

The phone supports 4G VoLTE and comes with 2 GHz octacore processor of Qualcomm, 13 megapixel (MP) main camera and 8 MP front camera, 4GB RAM and 64 GB external storage.

"We have partnered with electronic contract manufacturing firm Napino for making this phone at their facility in Majedar," Bansal said.

The phone does not support external memory storage and data from the phone can be transferred to other computer only through its app for personal computers, he said.
The country has to face temporary pain for long-term gain, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday on the current economic scenario.

He said the global economy has slowed down and even China is witnessing a slack in its economy, but in the midst of this, India is looked upon as a favourable destination for investments.

Naidu's comments come in the backdrop of senior BJP leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha launching an attack on the government over the handling of the economy.

The vice president said as a former minister, he can comment with "authority" that people were willing to invest in India.

"I was taking care of Smart Cities (project). The investment was coming. 35-40 ambassadors came and met me. They all wanted to invest in India even in spite of the present situation," Naidu said.

Before getting elected as the vice president, Naidu was a senior BJP leader and served as the urban development and information broadcasting minister.

"The temporary things... there will be some problem. Of course, you have to take the temporary pain for long-term gain. I am not getting into this arena. There are other people who are debating, using their skills, forgetting what they have done, what has to be done, what needs to be done," Naidu said at a book launch.

He added that there has to be a broader consensus as far as security, foreign and economic policies are concerned.

Naidu asserted that India is a peace leaving country and it has never been an aggressor.

Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu said he reached out to all important countries, their leaders and the Indian diaspora who had influence over the decision-making of those nations.

Without naming Pakistan, Naidu hoped that the United Nations takes a categorical stand against countries aiding, abetting, funding and training terrorists.

"They should be discouraged, identified and the world should isolate them. Only then peace is possible. Because if there is a tension on the border, there can be no attention on development," he said.

Naidu said the country and the leadership should take firm and bold steps to secure its nation and the surgical strike was one such step.

"Terrorism has no religion, caste, creed or sex. It should be curbed and we must be humane and sensitive in our approach while interacting with other countries but at the same time we must be firm in assuring and maintaining India's unity, integrity and internal security," he said.

The vice president also said in democracy violence has no place and bullet cannot bring change where as ballot can.

He added that the policy of the nation should be zero tolerance towards corruption and terrorism.

Naidu also said after becoming vice president, he "retired" from politics", but he was "not tired" of public service.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

Pakistan has handed over a dossier to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, the country's top security body was informed on Friday.

The National Security Committee in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was informed that the premier handed over a dossier documenting "the systematic human rights violations by India" in Kashmir to Guterres during the UN General Assembly.

Abbasi also urged the UN to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir.

The National Security Committee's meeting was attended by Minister for Finance, Minister for Foreign Affairs, all three services' chiefs and senior civil and military officials, according to an official statement.

"The Committee condemned human rights violation in Kashmir and expressed deep concern over the ceasefire violations across the Line of Control," the statement said.

The Committee was briefed that the prime minister and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had engaged the leadership of several important countries to share Pakistan's perspective on regional and global security challenges.

The outcomes of the prime ministers visit to New York for the UN General Assembly were shared with the Committee, the statement said.

Abbasi in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly urged the UN to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir and warned India against pursuing the doctrine of "limited war" against his country, saying it will evoke a strong and "matching response".

He raked up the Kashmir issue, alleging that the struggle of the people in the Valley is being "brutally suppressed" by India.

The National Security Committee was also informed that the foreign minister had visited key regional countries, including China, Iran and Turkey to appraise their leadership about Pakistan's perspective on crucial regional and international issues.

The Committee also reviewed the current developments in the relationship with Afghanistan as well as common avenues for continued cooperation, especially border management and repatriation of refugees, the statement said.

The participants reiterated commitment for peace in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

"The Committee expressed its unwavering resolve to keep Pakistans defence impregnable against all forms of external aggression," the statement said.
President Ram Nath Kovind

Banwarilal Purohit was today appointed as the governor of Tamil Nadu and senior BJP leader Satya Pal Malik would be the new governor of Bihar.

Jagdish Mukhi would be the new governor of Assam in place of Purohit, a press release issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said.The appointments of five governors, including for Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, and Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been cleared by President Ram Nath Kovind, it said.

Former member of Bihar Legislative Council Ganga Prasadhas been appointed as the governor of Meghalaya. Purohit was

holding the additional charge of Meghalaya.

Admiral (Retired) Devendra Kumar Joshi will be thelieutenant governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in place of

Mukhi, the release said.

Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao was holding theadditional charge of Tamil Nadu. There had been demands ofappointment of a full-time governor in Tamil Nadu due to thepolitical situation that arose following the death of J

Jayalalithaa in December.

Malik, former Member of Parliament (MP) and Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) national vice president, has been appointed the Bihar governor. The post had fallen vacant after Kovind was nominated as the BJP's presidential candidate.Brigadier (Retired) B D Mishra would be governor of Arunachal Pradesh, it said.Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya was holding the additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh. Purohit, the new Tamil Nadu governor, was a public personality inseparably involved in social, political,

educational and industrial fields of Vidarbha in Maharashtra.

He had plunged into active politics in 1977 and had wonelection in Maharashtra Assembly for the first time in 1978from Nagpur east seat. Purohit is also credited with revival of 'The Hitavada', an English daily founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the mentor

of Mahatma Gandhi.

Malik, the new Bihar governor, is in-charge of theparty's Kisan Morcha and has held many important positions in

both Centre and state.

He was the Union minister of state, parliamentary affairs and tourism from April 21, 1990 to November 10, 1990. Malik has been a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) during two terms from 1980 to 1984 and from 1986 to 1989. He was also a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and was also the member of Uttar Pradesh Assembly from 1974 to 1977. Prasad, the new governor of Meghalaya, was elected for the first time as a member of Legislative Council in Bihar in 1994 and was an MLC for 18 years.

He has served in various capacities such as the leader of the BJP in the Legislative Council.A special invitee to BJP's national executive, Prasad has also been the leader of the opposition for five years in the

Legislative Council.

Mukhi, the new governor of Assam, took to active politics after the Emergency was clamped. He has won seven times from Janak Puri Assembly constituency in Delhi.

Mukhi, who was a professor in Delhi University, had been a minister and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly. Joshi, the new lieutenant governor, was the chief of Naval Staff from August 2012 to February 26, 2014. He had resigned after taking moral responsibility of fire in INS

Sindhuratna, a submarine, according to official records.

Joshi is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy andwas commissioned on April 1, 1974 in the Executive Branch of

the Indian Navy, they say.

He has been awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal, the AtiVishist Seva medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Nau Sena Medal and the

Vishist Seva Medal.

Mishra, the new governor of Arunachal Pradesh, was the commander of the NSG (Black Cat commandos) Counter Hijack Task Force that was involved in the rescue operation after an Indian Airlines aircraft was hijacked in 1993.

He has served in various wars and operational roles for the nation. He also volunteered for Kargil War after retirement and has received commendation for gallant role in counter terrorist operations.
In an effort to put the Northeast on the retail map of the country, lifestyle brand ANTS is combining contemporary design and craft to deliver a globally inclined yet locally rooted range of designer products.

ANTS, an offshoot of The Action North East Trust of Assam, is making its lifestyle brand a platform not just to generate a sustainable livelihood for the artisans of the Northeast, but also tell tales from that part or the country through its work.

What started in 2002 as a weaving programme in Assam's Bongaigaon with just five Bodo tribal weavers, now has a team of 150 and is registered as a weavers' organisation. A brainchild of designer Smitha Murthy, the brand has added a new store to their two-store inventory at Indiranagar and Whitefield in Bangalore.

"We are now looking at angel investors who can invest in the project and help us take the brand ahead and spread the message of north east around the globe," said Murthy.

While the Northeast is known for its tribal craft among other things, design intervention from experts such as Murthy helps make the products practical and usable.

"We don't want the brand to be so tribal that it cannot be used. We are blending traditions with contemporary inputs that do not mess with the heritage of the art we are promoting through brand Ants," Murthy said. "We also have an in-house marketing team which provides the crafts groups with larger marketing opportunities.We work closely with our customers and provide them with the highest quality of designs and products."

The product line includes textile and garments of both cotton and Assam's popular silks-Muga and Eri, accessories like shawls, scarves and stoles. There are also home furnishings, baskets and pottery works and tribal jewellery. The products come at a price band that starts at Rs 250 and goes up to Rs 5,000 and above.

Alongside sales at the three existing Ants store, the products will soon be available online. Once the brand carves a niche for itself in the retail chain, store expansions are also on the cards.

The stores, however, would not just have products out of the weavers' basket but also house a cafe to complete the shopping experience.

The Ants Cafe will provide a space to conduct events like book readings, film screenings, food festivals, musical evenings, etc to showcase the soft power of people from the region.
Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping

It is time India and China turn the old page and start a new chapter, Chinese envoy to India, Luo Zhaohui said today, adding the countries have made a lot of progress at bilateral level.

He said Chinese President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen earlier this month, and the two leaders sent a clear message of "reconciliation" and "cooperation".

"We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and direction. We should dance together. We should make one plus one eleven. China is the largest trading partner of India. We have made a lot of progress at the bilateral level, as well as in international and regional affairs," Luo said.

The Chinese envoy was speaking on the 68th anniversary of founding of the People's Republic of China.

His comments come in the backdrop of the disengagement of Chinese and Indian troops in Dokalam, where the army of the two nations were locked in a stand-off for over two months.

India and China, who went to war in 1962, share an uneasy relationship with territorial dispute being a major bone of contention between the two countries.

The Chinese diplomat also recalled one of his teachers, Prof Xu Fancheng, who lived in Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry from 1945 to 1978. Xu is known for his work of translating Upanishad, Bhagawad Gita and Shakuntala from Sanskrit to Chinese.

"In our bilateral engagement, there have been thousands of prominent persons like Prof Xu Fancheng, (Buddhist monk) Bodhidharma, Faxian (a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India in the 3rd century) and Rabindranath Tagore.

"We should never forget their contribution and legacies. The history could do a lot of things. Standing on their shoulders, we should do more today," Luo said.

The Chinese envoy added that the speed of Chinese high speed trains from Beijing to Shanghai was increased from 300 kmph to 350 kmph two weeks ago.

"We have started the feasibility study of hyper loop trains at the speed of 1,000 to 4,000 kmph," he said.

He added that the high speed trains were one of the four latest inventions of China.
Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today called on Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the concluding day of his three-day visit.

Fadnavis informed Loong about the growth story of Maharashtra and about important ongoing projects during the interaction this evening.

"The PM agreed to set up a joint working group headed by the CM and Singapore Minister S Iswaran to speed up assistance from Changi Airport for the Pune and Nagpur Airport development as well as from Surbana Jurong for planning of Nagpur and Pune metro region," a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

Fadnavis also met Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam this afternoon.

"Both leaders discussed of collaboration in aviation sector and infrastructure projects. CM informed him about all ongoing projects and efforts in Maharashtra," the CMO stated.

Earlier in the day, Fadnavis called on Singapore Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran.

"CM and Singapore Minister S Iswaran agreed to set up a joint working group to share knowledge, expertise and to speed up investment proposals in Pune and Nagpur Metro Region development," the CMO said.

On the occasion, an memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed in presence of the Chief Minister and Iswaran, between Changi Airport international Ltd and Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC) to establish an adequate framework to handle all co-operation in civil aviation sector.

The CM also interacted with leading industry leaders from aviation, banks, infrastructure, urban developers, electronics and engineering sector at a business round table.
China regards US President Donald Trump's November visit as "the most important bilateral event", President Xi Jinping said, as the two countries grappled to deal with deepening crisis over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

Xi met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson here, amid mounting pressure from Trump on Beijing to rein in its close ally Pyongyang.

"His (Trump's) visit will be a major opportunity for the development of China-US relations," Xi was quoted saying to Tillerson by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Skirting any references to North Korea and the prevailing tensions in the Korean Peninsula where the US has deployed maximum number of air, naval and ground troops besides interceptor missiles to deal with threats from Pyongyang, he said that China attaches great importance to Trump's visit, and looking forward to work with him to advance the bilateral ties.

Both sides should work closely to make the visit "successful and special," the Chinese president said.

He termed China-US ties as "generally stable" and said that he had maintained sound communication with President Trump.

"Chinese and US teams should implement consensus reached by the two heads of state, grasp the direction of bilateral relationship, respect each other, and focus on cooperation while dealing with differences properly," Xi said.

Tillerson also conveyed Trump's greetings to the Chinese president, saying the US president was looking forward to his visit to China.

Hailing the progress made in the US-China relation under the two presidents, Tillerson said that the US values its relations with China and hopes to increase mutual trust and practical cooperation in various areas as well as to jointly tackle international and regional challenges.

Tillerson is visiting China at a time when it has stepped up implementation of UN resolutions by reducing oil supplies to North Korea, besides imposing a ban on the import of textiles from Pyongyang. China has also ordered the closure of businesses connected with North Korea.

Before meeting the Chinese president, Tillerson met with China's top diplomats and held talks on restricting North Korea's nuclear programme and preparations for Trump's November visit.

Tillerson met State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"Our two presidents have developed a very regular and close working relationship. I know President Trump is very much looking forward to the upcoming summit as is everyone on his team," the US Secretary of State told Yang.

Yang said Trump's trip was of "great importance" for China-US relations.

"Let us concentrate on cooperation and properly manage our differences in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit so that we can keep moving the China-US relationship forward in the right direction," he said. During his meeting with Tillerson, Wang said that at present, China-US relations have a positive momentum and have arrived at an important opportunity to progress further.

Tillerson was due to arrive in Beijing last night from Tokyo but his plane developed some technical problem which forced him to travel to China on a military transport aircraft on Saturday.
When I joined the faculty of North Carolina State University four decades ago, buying books  an occupational necessity for academics  was tedious and time-consuming. Id first contact the NCSU Bookstore, who then ordered the book from the publisher. When it arrived  usually weeks later  I would then spend at least 45 minutes walking to and from the bookstore to retrieve the book.

Today, I have 1-click ordering on Amazon, and my books arrive at my front door often mere days later. No wonder my spending on books has skyrocketed.

Amazon was initially a big boon to book buying, then jewelry, followed by items like electronics, housewares and personal products. Amazon may eventually become the virtual store selling almost anything, with the potential for drone development in the future. Amazing!

Now theres another change coming to Amazon. Rather than an expansion of its product line, this change is different. Its the building of a second US headquarters to pair with its current Seattle HQ.

The estimated economic impact of Amazon HQ II is huge: $5 billion in construction, 50,000 employees with an average salary of $100,000 plus another 50,000 jobs from supplier and work spending impacts and an annual $11 billion impact once the new facility is fully staffed and operational.

But Amazon has some very specific items on its shopping list for a second headquarters. The location must be in a metropolitan area of at least 1 million people with access to technical talent, an international airport, a vibrant downtown and mass transit. Amazon also wants the region to have a stable and business-friendly environment, and it encourages areas bidding for the headquarters to think creatively.

Does North Carolina have a chance of landing the new Amazon headquarters? Economic developers have already composed lists of metropolitan areas they consider as viable candidates, and many lists include Charlotte and Raleigh.

At least to me, this makes sense. Both Charlotte and Raleigh are dynamic, fast-growing regions that would give Amazons leadership a presence both on the east coast as well as in the expanding southeast. Each has competitive land costs, an international airport, a trendy downtown and access to tech workers and universities. Both cities could also tout the big reductions in state individual and corporate tax rates in recent years.

Still, Charlotte and Raleigh have their own individual strengths and weaknesses. Raleigh, of course, is well-known as a technology center, whereas Charlotte is more regarded as a banking and transportation hub. Besides N.C. State, Raleigh has easy access to engineering and computer science programs at UNC-Chapel, Duke and N.C. Central, as well as other colleges and scientific programs. Raleigh is also part of the triangle enclosing Research Triangle Park, one of the earliest research-focused sites in the world and currently undergoing an expansion and redesign. The Raleigh region has one of the highest proportions of its population with a bachelors degree in the country, and its rate is a full 10 percentage points higher than Charlottes.

However, Charlotte has a more developed mass transit system than Raleigh, a larger downtown, a busier airport with more connections and a bigger population that can support more amenities and activities. There is also the ability to expand UNC-Charlotte, which will soon be served by the citys light rail system.

One potential issue for both Charlotte and Raleigh is the unhappiness some groups have had with the states resolution of HB2. Many technology companies have expressed support for broader and more inclusive laws protecting individuals. This issue could be considered as a negative by some for a location in North Carolina.

There are, of course, some potential downsides that would come with a project as big as Amazon HQ II. Land and housing prices would likely rise, especially in accessible neighborhoods and areas surrounding the headquarters site. While current owners of land and housing would benefit, new buyers and renters  especially those with limited financial resources  would be disadvantaged. Both Charlotte and Raleigh have already experienced widening income inequality from their rapid growth of recent decades.

Then there is the issue of public financial incentives. There is little question Amazon would want them, and they would be big. Although I would expect Amazons economic benefits in jobs, incomes and economic growth for the state to exceed the cost of targeted tax reductions and forgiveness, incentives always create questions about economic fairness and equity.

Amazon has said it will make a decision about the location of its new headquarters next year  in 2018. Since this may be considered the biggest economic prize of the century  maybe of all time  I have no doubt the company will receive many offers. But one question is, if North Carolina wins, will there ultimately be some winners remorse? You decide.

Mike Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University who teaches and writes on personal finance, economic outlook, and public policy.
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Taipei, Sept. 30 (CNA) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday denied an allegation that preparations for the Oct. 10 National Day are part of an ongoing campaign by the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen () to get rid of the heritage of the Republic of China -- Taiwan's official designation.
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Small Bites returns with all your area food and restaurant news. We've also added a new feature that can help us keep our fingers on the pulse of trends and favorites of Midland and Odessa diners. Read on.

Appetizers

Grocery shopping could become a bit easier. H-E-B on Wadley was recently approved for curbside pickup by the Planning & Zoning Commission. Now the grocery store has to wait for City Council approval.

Pick up the newest issue of Midland Magazine to see our profile of Chef Mick Perkins or read it here online. The Mercy Eatery and Catering owner was candid about his life and overcoming his demons to find success through food.

The inaugural Permian Basin Restaurant Week comes to a close today. Help the West Texas Food Bank at area restaurants offering a special menu with proceeds from those orders benefiting the organization.

Coming Soon

A sign for Hibachi Express was spotted on Rankin Highway at the shopping center which houses Melrose and Papa John's. The restaurant was described as a hibachi grill that will also serve sushi.

Further down Rankin Highway past I-20, the new Burger King and Popeye's Chicken are making progress. Both buildings have taken shape with the signs up but construction is still evident.

Chick-fil-A on Midland Drive is preparing for a grand opening this fall. Franchise owner Andy Slatken has announced that the location has begun hiring team members for full- and part-time positions.

"We encourage anyone who is passionate about serving the freshest food in a friendly environment to apply to join our team," Slatken said in a press release.

To apply, open interviews are between 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the onsite trailer at 4508 W. Loop 250 North. You can also apply online here or by emailing cfamidlanddrivehires@gmail.com.

Wine List

Fans of Basin PBS and West Texas Public Radio as well as wine, may appreciate National Public Radio's recent announcement.

NPR announced on Thursday its new NPR Wine Club which was created for public radio supporters and wine enthusiasts.

The club is also offering a special launch offer where customers can purchase 12 wines of choice for $79.99. NPR will add three unique reds to the order: The Weekend Edition Cabernet Sauvignon, All Grapes Considered Malbec, and NPR Uncorked Merlot.

"The NPR Wine Club puts a fresh, fun spin on wine clubs  creating a totally unique experience of global wine exploration for NPR listeners, while simultaneously supporting public radio," said Howard Jackowitz, Co-Founder of Wines That Rock, LLC. "NPR has a tradition of producing and distributing programs that meet the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression. Now the NPR Wine Club will extend that tradition by bringing together a formidable team of wine experts to guide its members on a journey of discovery through the world of wine."

For more information about the club and memberships, visit nprwineclub.org.

Business Hours

Basin Burger House announced today that it will extend its hours on Sundays starting this weekend.

From BBH's Facebook:

Join us for brunch, lunch and dinner. Starting Oct. 1 we will be open until 9 p.m. on Sundays. Don't miss the specials on food and drinks that we will be having on our first Sunday night open!

On the Menu

Opal's Table announced that it will host its October wine dinner featuring wines by Duckhorn Vineyards. Labels will include Duckhorn, Paraduxx and Goldeneye. The four-course meal will pair with each label to explore the flavor profiles of each.

The event will be held at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at the restaurant located at 223 W. Wall St. Reservations are $85 per person (wine included) and can be made online here.

Here is the posted menu:

Amuse Bouche

Duck Gumbo

Filet with potato puree and Flying Y Farms vegetables

Creme Brulee Bread Pudding

A La Carte

We'd like to know what is on readers' minds when it comes to food and restaurants. With each new Small Bites, A La Carte will ask a question. Please leave your responses in our Facebook comments with this post.

Question: The fall season is upon us. With cooler temperatures comes thoughts of warm comfort foods. What restaurants do you go to for a toasty fix?

Upcoming food, drink and restaurant events

Today | Pasta Night will feature meals made-to-order with house wine included. Half-off all other wine labels. Live music included. 6-10 p.m. at Mulberry Cafe, 2101 W. Wadley St.

Saturday | Midland Downtown Farmers Market: Community Swap Party. The market is open Saturdays through Oct. 28. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Museum of the Southwest, 1705 W. Missouri Ave.

Saturday | Second Annual Tap into Downtown Odessa wine and craft beer tasting. 6 p.m. in downtown Odessa, 119 W. 4th St.

Wednesday | Trivia Game Night, 7 p.m. Wednesdays at True Texas BBQ, 5407 Andrews Hwy. Free.

Oct. 7 | Midland Downtown Farmers Market celebrates National Farmers Day. The market is open Saturdays through Oct. 28. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Museum of the Southwest, 1705 W. Missouri Ave.

Oct. 7 | Post-Symphony Mixer by the MOSC Symphony Young Professionals. 9 p.m. at Proof, 7270 E. Highway 191, Odessa.

Oct. 10 | Second Tuesday Salon is a free lunchtime concert series. Brown bag lunches or purchase from the local food truck onsite beginning at 11:30 a.m. Open to the public. Noon at The Rose Building, 415 N. Grant Ave., Odessa. Free. odessaarts.org.

Nov. 9 | Second Annual Divas and Desserts: Rock of Ages benefiting Permian Playhouse. Local talent will sing the hits of the '80s followed by appetizers and dessert bar. 7 p.m. at CAF Airpower Museum, 9600 Wright Drive. Permianplayhouse.com.
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It was near the end of April 2016 when Mark Summers first noticed that swallowing had become difficult for him.

It felt like something growing in my throat, said the Walmart driver, who was 53 at the time, now 54.

Summers consulted Dr. T. Coe Branch in Plainview, who ran some tests, checking Summers deviated septum and sinus drainage. He advised further testing.

When Summers saw Dr. Philip Scalaro, an ear, nose and throat specialist in Lubbock, his throat had become more bothersome, but not at a rapid rate.

However, Summers said, I had a suspicion. I knew it wasnt just a sore throat.

Scalaro ordered a scope of Summers throat, which involved having a tube threaded through his nose. The tumor was found and a biopsy ordered on Aug. 24, the same day Summers went in.

On Aug. 25, Scalaro gave Summers his diagnosis. He had a squamous cell carcinoma tumor, Stage 3, at the base of his tongue. The tumor measured 4 cm, about the size of a walnut.

The funny thing was, I talked to my sister the night before, and she told me what it was, Summers said. She and her husband both had multiple myeloma. Shes a researcher, and she started looking to see what it was, the recommended treatments, everything. We were on the phone almost every day.

Summers took a planned trip to Maine to visit his sister Donna Cook before he began intense treatments.

We decided on radiation and chemo, Summers said. Surgery was mentioned, but it was too invasive. I didnt want surgery.

Before treatment began, Andrea Ingram, cancer survivor and advocate, and her husband Rusty invited Summers and his wife Molly to come over. They prayed for him and anointed his throat with oil, which was powerful for Summers.

Thats something Id never had before, he said.

In October, chemo and radiation treatments began at the Joe Arrington Cancer & Research Center in Lubbock.

What they do is, they lay you on the table, take plastic mesh, heat it in water, then press it down over you to the middle of your chest. They make an impression of that, and you have it on when you have the treatments, Summers said.

Because radiation treatments have to be very precise, Summers said, the patient is bolted to the table with the device made from the impression. He was also required to have a bite block in his mouth to keep his tongue in place.

At the beginning of my treatment, maybe the third or fourth time, someone bumped the bite block and pushed it back into my throat. I panicked and had to get out of the mask. After that, I could not get back into that mask.

Anxiety medication was ordered and made a world of difference to Summers.

Youre basically being held down while a machine goes around your head, doing treatments, he said. Its not unlike an MRI, but its not an MRI.

Summers had radiation treatment five days a week and chemo one day a week. He is grateful to his wife Molly and to her mother, Ruth Ann McNutt, for driving him back and forth for treatments.

Some of the side effects were pretty severe, Summers said. I got a very bad rash from the Erbitux, used for chemo. It started on the top of my head and worked its way down my body.

Summers describes the red, bumpy rash as feeling like tree leather to the touch.

Dr. Paul Anderson, Summers radiologist in Lubbock, called the rash impressive.

He said the rash normally didnt start until three weeks after the first treatment. Most people didnt react as quickly or as strongly as I did to Erbitux. The worse it was, the better it was, which meant it was working.

Summers oncologist was Dr. Ibrahim Shalaby.

Both of them told me Im not trying to kill you, but that other doctor is, Summers said.

The treatment lasted from Oct. 4 to Dec. 7, an unusually short period of time.

After that, I was in remission. No more treatment, just follow up with the doctors to see how I was doing.

Summers took a temporary leave of absence from work and was cleared to return on April 14, 2017.

Summers is a lifelong nonsmoker, though both his parents smoked. But the doctors said the type of cancer he had was caused by HPV, human papillomavirus, the same type that children can now be vaccinated against.

People my age can be carrying it and not even know it. It may or may not cause a problem, Summers said.

During his treatment, Summers had a feeding tube installed, and was very limited as to what he could take through his mouth. Summers is diabetic, which compounded the problem.

They had me on Diabetisource, which made me throw up, Summers said. Then they recommended, Ensure Plus, which I started for calories. Within a week, I was getting better.

At 228 pounds, Summers was overweight. I lost 60 pounds, almost 70 pounds, total, and I gained 20 back. I went from 226 to 170 in about six weeks at the most.

At this time, Summers drinks only water and a cup of morning coffee. Soda bothers him, reminding him of Pop Rocks candy. Spicy foods, sometimes even pepper, can also hurt his throat.

But Im actually in better shape now than I was before, Summers said. The biggest part was the weight loss. My blood pressure is normal, my diabetes is better, and my diverticulitis has not flared up.

Summers is grateful to many people who helped him through his treatment and recovery. He thanks the Joe Arrington Cancer & Research Center, saying, The doctors and staff were fantastic, from check-in with the receptionist, to the lab people and the radiology team up to doctors Anderson and Shalaby. I could not have asked for better care.

Summers also mentioned support from First United Methodist Church, Highland Elementary School, where his wife works, Lamesa Elementary School where his older daughter works, and people that made prayer afghans and gave him a scripture basket, as well his wife Molly and his daughters Amy and Shelby.

Ive been very blessed and very lucky. I told the doctor I didnt have cancer as bad as others that I had seen, but the doctor says, yeah, you did. You may not have been as close to death as you could have been, but it was bad.

Its a crazy thought, but considering what I had, the cancer could not have gone any better than it did, Summers concludes.
The Plainview/Hale County Crime Stoppers Committee will pay a reward of up to $350 to anyone with information that will lead to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for the following crimes:

--On Sept. 11, someone entered 1301 Nassau and took a Sony PlayStation, 2001 white-colored Cadillac 4-door, bearing Texas FDZ-9225, and three televisions.
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A man and a woman were found shot to death inside a car parked outside a home in San Franciscos Dolores Heights neighborhood Saturday morning, police said.

A resident in the neighborhood called police about 9:30 a.m. to ask for a well-being check on a car with two people inside at 21st and Rayburn streets, said Officer Robert Rueca, a San Francisco Police Department spokesman.

Officers arrived to find a man and woman with at least one gunshot wound each. They were pronounced dead at the scene. It was not clear how long the victims had been in the car.

Police called Child Protective Services after finding a car seat, but no child, in the vehicle, Rueca said. The relationship between the victims was not disclosed.

On Sunday morning, police said in an updated statement that no child was in danger, and the neighborhood was safe.

A gun was recovered from the scene, but police are classifying the event as a double homicide, Rueca said. Investigators will dust the gun for prints and canvass the area for surveillance video.

The intersection of 21st and Rayburn was cordoned off with yellow crime scene tape until almost 1 p.m. Saturday as confused residents asked police what had happened in their neighborhood.

Police did not release the make or model of the car the victims were in, but a silver Saturn Ion was towed from the scene shortly after 1 p.m.

The victims were in a car on Rayburn street, a narrow one-way road in the neighborhood.

A resident on the street said she heard muffled gunshots from inside her home between 9 and 10 a.m.

Ive been here for 20 years. Its a beautiful neighborhood, said the resident, who declined to give her name. Nothing like this has ever happened.

Carolyn Kenady, chair of the Dolores Heights Improvement Club, said her family has been in the neighborhood for 50 years, but now shes worried about public safety.

Its so sad. Its crazy too. We just had the shooting at Dolores Park, Kenady said. Now this happened.

The Dolores Heights neighborhood, a small, quaint community two blocks from Dolores Park, was shaken up after a triple shooting at the park in August.

Before Saturdays shooting, a neighborhood party already had been scheduled for Oct. 7 on Sanchez Street between 21st and Hill streets, where the neighborhood association will focus on public safety, she said.

To have something like this happen is just saddening. Its tragic, said Kenady, who said she lives two blocks away from Saturdays crime scene. Its just a really wonderful neighborhood.

Rueca said the crime does not appear to be a random act of violence.

Things happen everywhere, Rueca said at the crime scene Saturday. This is relatively a pretty safe neighborhood. Very quiet.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
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WASHINGTON  At a rollout last week in Indianapolis, President Donald Trump called his tax reform package a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and said, Ive been waiting for this a long time.

But if Connecticut has anything to say about it, Trump will be in for a much longer wait.

The state might be divided on certain elements of the proposal, such as cutting the top rate to 35 percent, the corporate rate to 20 percent or pass-throughs to 25 percent. But business and political leaders across the spectrum are united in opposition to one major element: eliminating the deduction for payments of state and local taxes.

Its a bad deal for Connecticut, said Jim Campbell, of Westport, a Trump supporter who is former chairman of the Greenwich Republican Town Committee. I think it would drive people out of the state.

Jayme Stevenson, Republican First Selectman of Darien, said she endorses the principles of lower taxes and relief for small business.

Nevertheless, at this moment, because my local residents are under such tremendous tax pressure and we have a fiscal crisis, I would not like to see elimination of this deduction, she said.

Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat, said rolling back the state-local tax deduction would have a profoundly negative effect on states like Connecticut.

Trumps advisers defend the rollback as an essential ingredient in a larger recipe for tax simplification and reducing taxes on the middle class.

The one thing I would beg you all to do is, dont look at any one piece, said Gary Cohn, Trumps top economic adviser, suggesting that 75 percent of taxpayers dont itemize and therefore under current law do not get to deduct state and local taxes. Look at the plan in its entirety.

But arguably the math is different in Connecticut, a state that ranks No. 1 in some surveys of highest median income.

Considerable

difference for some

The state and local tax deduction covers not only state income taxes but property taxes and sales taxes. All three are in play in Connecticut, and with property values already high and rising fast, a mortgage of $500,000 to $1 million is not uncommon.

The people making $10 million-plus will be fine no matter what, but the economic engine of Connecticut is the professional class, the corporate guys who take in $250,000 to $1 million, said Campbell. Thats where the bulk of federal income tax comes from. Those people are very fortunate, but theyre not wealthy. 

Of course, if homeowner-taxpayers in that income category face hardship in losing the state-local deduction, the difficulty is magnified for those making less.

According to data by the non-partisan Tax Foundation, taxpayers of Litchfield and New Haven Counties claim a state-local deduction averaging just above $5,000. But in Fairfield County, the average return includes a deduction of $14,260  the fifth highest in the nation.

Getting rid of the state-local deduction would hurt efforts to get businesses to relocate in Connecticut, and to attract top-flight job applicants, said Joe McGee, vice president for public policy and programs at the Business Council of Fairfield County.

It would be a huge problem, said McGee, who said he is a Republican.

Connecticut historically sends more in taxes to Washington than it receives back in federal aid. An Associated Press survey earlier this year found that Connecticut gets back 83 cents on each dollar it sends to the federal treasury, making it the nations third biggest loser, behind New Jersey and Wyoming.

So theres a fairness argument here, said McGee, adding the loss of the state-local tax deduction would exacerbate the imbalance.

The Trump proposal, engineered along with Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, leaves a lot of blanks to be filled in by Congress. But even so, it has fallen down along lines common to tax debates dating back decades.

Republicans, normally deficit hawks when a Democrat is in the White House, argue the package will spur investment and job growth that, they claim, was sluggish during eight years of the Obama presidency.

Democrats, less concerned about deficit spending when Obama rolled out his stimulus package in 2009, say the Trump proposal would explode the deficit by $2 trillion over a decade.

And, they say, it gives tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires who use the money not for jobs or raises but rather to boost CEO bonuses, dividends and stock buybacks.

The effect on business

Id have trouble looking my four children in the eyes and telling them I want to add trillions to the debt to cut taxes of the one-percent when theres little or no benefit for working middle-class families, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who has vowed to fight it along with the rest of the states Democratic congressional delegation.

But in a state that has seen corporate defections including GE from Fairfield to Cambridge, Mass., and Aetna from Hartford to midtown Manhattan, isnt reduction of the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent helpful for Connecticut?

Maybe.  but maybe not. For one thing, it is nationwide, so it would give Connecticut no particular advantage. And secondly, although the state is in the midst of a budget crisis, its corporate tax rate is in the middle of the pack of all states in the U.S., McGee said.

GE and Aetna made their moves for many reasons, including proximity to digitally adroit millennials who want to be in the New York City and Boston areas, but taxes were not high on the list.

Nevertheless, taxes as they relate to GE were used to weaponize the argument that Connecticut is in trouble, McGee said.

The pass-through modification is aimed at mom-and-pop small businesses, but it also benefits hedge funders, private equity people, lawyers and other well-to-do taxpayers by pegging business income reported on personal returns at 25 percent. The Trump measure also would end the estate tax, which kicks in at $5.4 million for about 110 estates in Connecticut.

All this would appear to be good news for Connecticuts wealthiest residents.

But Blumenthal, himself a Greenwich resident, said the well-off in Connecticut dont mind paying higher taxes if the money is put to good use.

People are willing to pay more and sacrifice for the good of country as long as they feel it is used effectively, Blumenthal said.

dan@hearstdc.com
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DANBURYA chapter of an international service employees union has endorsed Al Almeida for mayor of Danbury.

Chapter 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union announced its endorsement last week at a union picnic where Almeida, a Democrat, who is running against incumbent Mayor Mark Boughton this year, addressed union members.
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A 27-year-old man was in custody on multiple charges Saturday following a multi-department chase that began about 6:40 p.m. Friday outside Hale Center. Almost 15 minutes later, the pursuit ended when the suspects vehicle came to a stop in the front yard of 104 Oak St. in southeast Plainview.

DPS Sgt. John Gonzalez of Lubbock said the DPS at approximately 6:41 p.m. Friday responded to reports of a beige passenger car driving recklessly north on Interstate 27 outside Hale Center.
1 Weapons destroyed: Russia on Wednesday completed the task of destroying its huge, Cold War-era chemical weapons stockpiles, winning praise from an international chemical weapons watchdog. Russian officials reported the destruction of the countrys last remaining artillery projectile filled with VX toxic agent to President Vladimir Putin. The work took place at the Kizner facility in the Urals, one of seven facilities built in Russia to destroy chemical weapons in an effort that has spanned two decades and cost billions of dollars. Ahmet Uzumcu, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, commended Russia for achieving a major milestone with the destruction of its chemical arsenals. The OPCW oversees global efforts to eliminate stockpiles under the Chemical Weapons Convention that took effect in 1997. It says over 96 percent of the weapons declared by the conventions 192 participants have been destroyed.

2 Drug war: Gunmen killed 15 people in a mass shooting at a drug rehabilitation center in the northern border state of Chihuahua in what was apparently a feud between drug gangs, Mexican authorities said Wednesday. The Chihuahua state prosecutors office said initial investigations prove that the attack was related to drug distribution and the feud between the Mexicles and Aztecas gangs. Prosecutors spokesman Carlos Huerta told the Milenio television news channel that the initial death toll of 14 had risen when another shooting victim died of his wounds. Prosecutors said at least seven other people were wounded in the attack in the state capital, also called Chihuahua. The Aztecas are armed enforcers for the Juarez drug cartel, and they have fought long-standing turf battles with the Mexicles in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas. Drug cartels have been known to use rehab centers to recruit addicts, and rival gangs sometimes assault the centers.
Global warming is daunting. So heres a place to start: Often asked questions with some straightforward answers.

What is happening?

Q: Climate change? Global warming? What do we call it?

A: Both are accurate, but they mean different things. You can think of global warming as one type of climate change. The broader term covers changes beyond warmer temperatures, such as shifting rainfall patterns.

President Donald Trump has claimed that scientists stopped referring to global warming and started calling it climate change because the weather has been so cold in winter. But the claim is false. Scientists have used both terms for decades.

Q: How much is the Earth heating up?

A: Two degrees is more significant than it sounds. As of early 2017, the Earth had warmed by roughly 2 degrees Fahrenheit (more than 1 degree Celsius) since 1880, when records began at a global scale. The number may sound low, but as an average over the surface of an entire planet, it is actually high, which explains why much of the worlds land ice is starting to melt and the oceans are rising at an accelerating pace. If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, scientists say, the global warming could ultimately exceed 8 degrees Fahrenheit, which would undermine the planets capacity to support a large human population.

Q: What is the greenhouse effect, and how does it cause global warming?

A: Weve known about it for more than a century. Really. In the 19th century, scientists discovered that certain gases in the air trap and slow down heat that would otherwise escape to space. Carbon dioxide is a major player; without any of it in the air, the Earth would be a frozen wasteland. The first prediction that the planet would warm as humans released more of the gas was made in 1896. The gas has increased 43 percent above the pre-industrial level, and the Earth has warmed by roughly the amount scientists predicted it would.

Q: How do we know humans are responsible for the increase in carbon dioxide?

A: This one is nailed down. Hard evidence, including studies that use radioactivity to distinguish industrial emissions from natural emissions, shows that the extra gas is coming from human activity. Carbon dioxide levels rose and fell naturally in the long-ago past, but those changes took thousands of years. Geologists say humans are pumping the gas into the air much faster than nature has ever done.

Q: Could natural factors be the cause of the warming?

A: Nope. In theory, they could be. If the sun were to start putting out more radiation, for instance, that would definitely warm the Earth. But scientists have looked carefully at the natural factors known to influence planetary temperature and found that they are not changing nearly enough. The warming is extremely rapid on the geologic time scale, and no other factor can explain it as well as human emissions of greenhouse gases.

Q: Why do people deny the science of climate change?

A: Mostly because of ideology. Instead of negotiating over climate change policies and trying to make them more market-oriented, some political conservatives have taken the approach of blocking them by trying to undermine the science.

The climate denialists arguments have become so strained that even oil and coal companies have distanced themselves publicly, though some still help to finance the campaigns of politicians who espouse such views.

What could happen?

Q: How much trouble are we in?

A: Big trouble. Over the coming 25 or 30 years, scientists say, the climate is likely to gradually warm, with more extreme weather. Longer term, if emissions rise unchecked, scientists fear climate effects so severe that they might destabilize governments, produce waves of refugees, precipitate the sixth mass extinction of plants and animals in the Earths history, and melt the polar ice caps, causing the seas to rise high enough to flood most of the worlds coastal cities. The emissions that create those risks are happening, raising deep moral questions for our generation.

Q: How much should I worry about climate change affecting me directly?

A: The simple reality is that people are feeling the effects, whether they know it or not. Because of sea level rise, for instance, some 83,000 more residents of New York and New Jersey were flooded during Hurricane Sandy than would have been the case in a stable climate, scientists have calculated. People are dying in heat waves made worse by global warming. Of course, as with almost all other social problems, poor people will be hit first and hardest.

Q: How much will the seas rise?

A: The real question is how fast. The ocean has accelerated and is rising at a rate of about 1 foot per century, forcing governments and property owners to spend tens of billions of dollars fighting coastal erosion. But if that rate continued, it would probably be manageable, experts say.

The risk is that the rate will increase. Scientists who study the Earths history say waters could rise by 1 foot per decade in a worst-case scenario, though that looks unlikely. Many experts believe that even if emissions stopped tomorrow, 15 or 20 feet of sea level rise is inevitable, enough to flood many cities unless trillions of dollars are spent protecting them. But if emissions continue apace, the ultimate rise could be 80 or 100 feet.

Q: Is recent crazy weather tied to climate change?

A: Some of it is. Scientists have published strong evidence that the warming climate is making heat waves more frequent and intense. It is also causing heavier rainstorms, and coastal flooding is getting worse as the oceans rise because of human emissions. Global warming has intensified droughts in regions like the Middle East, and it may have strengthened a recent drought in California.

In many other cases, though  hurricanes, for example  the linkage to global warming for particular trends is uncertain or disputed. Scientists are gradually improving their understanding as computer analyses of the climate grow more powerful.

What can we do?

Q: Are there any realistic solutions to the problem?

A: Yes, but change is happening too slowly.

Society has put off action for so long that the risks are now severe, scientists say. But as long as there are still unburned fossil fuels in the ground, it is not too late to act. The warming will slow to a potentially manageable pace only when human emissions are reduced to zero. The good news is that they are falling in many countries as a result of programs like fuel-economy standards for cars, stricter building codes and emissions limits for power plants. But experts say the energy transition needs to speed up drastically to head off the worst effects of climate change.

Q: What can I personally do about it?

A: Start by sharing this with 50 of your friends. Experts say the problem can only be solved by large-scale, collective action. Entire states and nations have to decide to clean up their energy systems, using every tool available and moving as quickly as they can. So the most important thing you can do is to exercise your rights as a citizen, speaking up and demanding change.

You can also take direct personal action to reduce your carbon footprint in simple ways that will save you money. You can plug leaks in your home insulation to save power, install a smart thermostat, switch to more efficient light bulbs, turn off unused lights, drive fewer miles by consolidating trips or taking public transit, waste less food and eat less meat.

Taking one or two fewer plane rides per year can save as much in emissions as all the other actions combined.

These personal steps may be small in the scheme of things, but they can raise your own consciousness about the problem  and the awareness of the people around you. In fact, discussing this issue with your friends and family is one of the most meaningful things you can do.
If you do not own an Elroy Bode book, your bookshelf is woefully barren.

You do not open his books; you inhabit them. You do not read his books; you experience them. And you do not finish his books, not really, for they stay with you long after you have reached The End, their quiet wisdom enveloping you like a shawl.

Bode wrote 10 books, many of them published by the now defunct Texas Western Press. He was a graceful, elegant stylist, a naturalist on a par with Annie Dillard, Edward Abbey and Henry David Thoreau. Bode went Thoreau one better, though. The world was his Walden Pond; he saw as much grace and wonder in a turtle trundling across the backyard as in a comet streaking across the sky.

Deceptively simple, his writing is very powerful, Marsha Daudistel, an award-winning writer and editor from El Paso, said. His lasting legacy is that he made us look.

If you have not read Bode, it may be because he was not interested in promoting his books  or himself. He kept a notebook in his pocket, and whenever he saw something that inspired him, which was often, he jotted down an observation. They were gems, all of them, whether they sparked delight, outrage or compassion.

Everywhere I looked, there was the balance of field and mountain and sky: long stretches of green alfalfa blended into the sands, making a pleasing horizontal sweep, cottonwoods and willows thrust up here and there  offering, vertically, their satisfying geometric counterpoints. And above it all  above this grand expanse of the earth at noon  loomed the encompassing desert dome of blue, he wrote in a short piece called The Earth at Noon.

As an English teacher at Austin High School in El Paso, he could have assigned his own essays and short stories  he was that good  but he stuck to writers such as Mark Twain. He read to the kids, and they listened, enthralled, the classroom transformed into the Mississippi River, with Huck and Jim paddling away  or trying to paddle away  from the evils of society. Bode made literature come to life.

A native of Kerrville, Bode served as a first lieutenant in the Air Force. He arrived in El Paso in 1958, and he fell in love with the city, an affection that would start to feed the notebook in his pocket. He was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters in 1966.

My dad, a short story writer who used the pseudonym Amado Muro, encouraged me to read Bode when I was a kid. I was glad he did, even though some of the observations were beyond my pre-adolescent sensibilities. I am not sure why I connected with the writing, but maybe good prose, especially when it is strong and pure, touches all souls, even young ones who are years away from recognizing nuance, much less grasping it.

A freshman journalism major at UTEP, I met Bode in 1973, two years after my father died. They never met, although each read and admired the other. I knew they would have been friends. More than friends, perhaps, because they shared a defining trait, shunning glory and publicity in the service of the words they loved.

Bode and his lovely wife, Phoebe, met at Austin High School. They were both English teachers. Fueled by the same love for literature, they shared an equally powerful love  a love for the kids in the working-class neighborhood of Austin High. They taught the youngsters that words matter, that they could transport you to another world, another life.

Bode, 86, died Sept. 10 in his home in El Paso. He was kind and dignified, a gentleman. The most astounding thing about Bode is that he was as good a man as he was a writer, his character marked by the same charm and elegance that graced his stories and essays. It was an honor to know him.

I was driving from Albuquerque home to El Paso when I heard  that Elroy was gone, Daudistel said. I had to pull over in Socorro and have a good cry in the parking lot of McDonalds. It was impossible to believe he was gone.

rseltzer@express-news.net
Rohingya Muslims have been a well-established population for centuries in Myanmar. They are a distinct historical community whose presence dates to the sixth century. They are an indigenous population of that country.

Unfortunately, despite these facts, Myanmar denies them citizenship

The Rohingya are the most persecuted people in the world. Though the conflict has been going on for 48 years, brutal attacks that began in 2012 and continue today mark a new level of violence against the Rohingya and has led to the flight of thousands.

More recently, military forces entered one of the rural areas occupied by the Rohingya, destroyed at least 1,500 buildings, and shot and killed unarmed men, women and children.

Videos are emerging that show villagers sitting on the ground with their arms over their heads as soldiers appear to beat innocent people.

The silence of the United Nations and Western nations on the suffering of Rohingya is deafening.

Myanmars government demolished 72 mosques in 2001 alone. Now a new law forbids the construction of new mosques or the repair and renovation of any old mosque, plus there is a rule that says that any mosques built within the past 10 years should be pulled down.

Lately, the government of Myanmar has set up a committee to survey the Muslims of Arakan (the Rohingya people are historically also termed Arakanese), and their properties and other types of wealth. And the government has been imposing exorbitantly large tax assessments on them. Anyone who fails to pay is jailed unless they can pay a huge bribe to officials.

Even Arakan fishermen have not been spared the oppression of the junta in Myanmar, and they face death from time to time simply because they are practicing their profession, though with legal permission from the authorities.

In yet another effort to reduce the number of Muslims in the province, the Myanmar government has passed a decree forbidding any male to marry before the age of 30 and any woman before she reaches 25. Even after fulfilling that requirement, the union will not be sanctioned by the marriage bureau of the government unless and until a proper bribe is paid to the official concerned with the issuance of such a permit.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mission to Bangladesh raised its concerns that the atrocities perpetrated against Rohingya Muslims amounted to persecution against a particular ethnic and religious group. The report further indicated that as of Jan. 20, more than 22,000 Rohingyas remained internally displaced in Myanmar.

The report suggested that crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing were taking place.

Rohingya in the thousands have been held in open prison camps, have little food, no employment, and scarce access to medicine and medical care. Life in the camps made many flee in boats to Indonesia and Malaysia, ending up in the hands of human smugglers who beat them for ransom and raped, killed and left them to die in the jungle in mass graves.

A report from UNHCR claims that government soldiers gang-rape Rohingya women and girls. It details children and infants having their throats slit, and the elderly and disabled being thrown into burning buildings alive.

The situation of Rohingya Muslims requires an urgent and comprehensive response: to stop the ongoing violence and to help the victims with all their needs before this ethno-religious remnant disappears from Myanmar, formerly called Burma.

The response must include an adequate investigation of the alleged crimes against Rohingya Muslims.

With the newly elected democratic government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, Rohingya Muslim are still facing genocide and ethnic cleansing. As long as Buddhist nationalists call the shots, these grave atrocities will continue.

As with most of the conflicts between the world powers and Third World countries, this conflict has a lot to do with land-grabbing and natural resources  agriculture, mining, water extraction, oil and gas are the issues in play.

Killing and expelling the Rohingya, who happen to be Muslims, are ways to free up land and natural resources. Myanmar is between the two most populated countries of the world  India and China, both hungry for natural resources.

Major international investors are moving into the country, and Rohingya Muslims are being forced to leave the country or die.

In particular, the U.N., the United Kingdom and the U.S. are ignoring the genocide.

Empty statements are not enough. International journalists are not allowed in Myanmar; therefore, there is a blackout on the Rohingyas plight. Visas and free access is not granted to the U.N. fact-finding mission, so all reports are from outside of the country.

An international tribune, comprised of 66 members, ruled that the Myanmar government is guilty of genocide against the Rohingya and other minority Muslims of the country.

The Myanmar government must amend its constitution and abolish discriminatory laws to give rights and citizenship back to oppressed minorities.

This can only be achieved if our mass media start reporting on these atrocities on a daily basis. Most of the people in the United States do not know what is taking place there.

Since the leaders of the world powers choose to turn a blind eye to the plight of powerless people, citizens of the world need to rise up and demand that this injustice stop.

We need to educate the public through peaceful rallies, discussions, talks and whatever other way we can peacefully do to make the world, especially our own country, aware of this carnage.

As Martin Luther King Jr. said, Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Sarwat Husain is the president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Antonio.
Canada's wake-up call to the US on NAFTA

(CNN)President Donald Trump, a loud and persistent critic of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), recently began renegotiating this trade deal with Canada and Mexico. The President promised to secure a fair deal for American workers. That sounds great. After all, we don't think Americans should be forced to compete with poorly paid workers from Mexico or elsewhere, and we can demand that companies that want to trade with us lift wages, benefits, and health and safety standards for their foreign workers.So it probably came as a shock that one of Canada's main goals in this renegotiation is to get the United States to treat our own workers better. Canada doesn't want its workers competing with poorly-treated laborers -- including workers in the United States. And they have a specific target in mind.According to Canada's major newspaper The Globe and Mail, Canadian negotiators are urging the United States to roll back so-called state "right to work" laws that undercut worker power in the US. I'm glad we're renegotiating NAFTA because it has been a raw deal for American workers. But the Canadians are giving America a wake-up call. As negotiations continue, the United States should take a close look at how our own broken labor policies are hurting American workers -- and fix them.The Canadians focused on so-called "right-to-work" laws, the state regulations that make union dues optional even when unions bargain and represent all the workers. These state laws are a powerful weapon in the war against working people. Twenty-eight states have passed these laws, whose main purpose is to make it harder for workers to have the resources they need to stand up for themselves. Because of these laws starving unions of resources, union leaders face an uphill battle when they try to help workers join together to advocate for higher wages and benefits. And the completely predictable consequences for workers in these states have been devastating.Strong unions lift wages for all workers -- even those workers who aren't union members. Union membership is sharply lower in "right-to-work" states -- after all, that was the whole point of these laws. And the impact is clear: In "right-to-work" states, wages are lower and employees are less likely to have access to employer-provided health care and pensions -- and that's true for union and nonunion employees.The decline in unionization over the last 30 years has hollowed out America's middle class. For the more than 40 million nonunion people in America's private workforce, the lost wages add up to about $109 billion every year.Unemployment has declined and corporate profits have gone up, but workers don't have the kind of bargaining power that unions once created.Instead of strengthening the rights of working people, the Trump administration has pushed in the opposite direction. Since taking office, President Trump has signed several laws that directly undermine the wages, benefits, health and safety of American workers. The President and the Republican Congress have rolled back rules designed to make sure federal contractors don't cheat their workers out of hard-earned wages. They've delayed safety standards that keep workers from being exposed to lethal carcinogenic materials. They've given shady financial advisers a few extra months to cheat hardworking Americans out of billions in retirement savings. The list goes on.The assault on America's workers didn't start with President Trump. For decades, armies of lawyers and lobbyists who represent a handful of giant corporations have pressed our federal and state governments to pursue policies that maximize corporate profits at the expense of the health, safety, and financial security of their workers. Over time, those laws have taken their toll. And now, instead of looking to America for the example of workers who enjoy the best pay, best benefits, and best working conditions in the world, our trading partners are complaining about working conditions in America that are falling below their own standards.A nation that cares about its workers shouldn't need foreign negotiators to sound the alarm. It's a national embarrassment -- and it should spur us to action.That's why earlier last week I introduced a bill repealing the provision in the National Labor Relations Act that allows states to implement "right-to-work" laws. Giant companies that have become accustomed to squeezing every last dime of profit out of their workers in "right-to-work" states will fight any effort to improve workers' rights. But let's be clear: we don't allow these corporations to exploit their workers when we negotiate trade deals with countries like Colombia or Panama. As we renegotiate NAFTA, we shouldn't allow them to exploit workers in Canada and Mexico, either. And above all, we must not let them exploit our own workers here at home.
History will record that it was a previously under-estimated woman, Grace Dr Stop It Mugabe, who succeeded in spectacular fashion to achieve what hardened male gladiators who include opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and former American and British leaders George W Bush and Tony Blair had dismally failed to do  to engineer former president Robert Mugabes fall from power.

And in the end, it also took military tanks controlling the streets of Harare under the guise of Operation Restore Legacy to stop this then increasingly powerful woman from completely effecting what fearless former war veterans leader, Jabulani Sibanda, had colourfully but prophetically called a bedroom coup detat at State House.

For Grace, what started as a seemingly innocuous appointment by her husband to the leadership of the Zanu PF womens league three years ago ended up as the political move of the past 20 years in Zimbabwe  precipitating scores of stunning political developments that culminated in Mugabes spectacular fall from power last month.

In the process, Grace also fell just short of becoming her husbands unlikely successor in an intriguing political tale that has uncanny similarities to the story of the infamous Gang of Four  which became powerful in the last days of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The Gang of Four comprised Maos wife Jiang Qing and her associates Wang Hongwen, Yao Wenyuan and Zhang Chunqiao  a tight political quartet that mirrored Zanu PFs Generation 40 (G40) group whose kingpins were Grace, Jonathan Moyo, Saviour Kasukuwere and Mugabes nephew Patrick Zhuwao.

And just like the original Gang of Four which was arrested and later charged with plotting to overthrow the Chinese government after the death of Mao in 1976, the local group is scattered in self-imposed exile  save for Grace who is licking her wounds in embarrassing fashion having pushed too hard a bargain and engineered her husbands inglorious fall from the throne in the process  in addition to possibly facing myriad criminal charges.

Locally, it was liberation struggle stalwart and former Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo who first made reference to the G40s leading lights as the Gang of Four.

Below we look at some of the key moments and utterances of 2017 which led to Mugabes dramatic fall:

The year started with President Emmerson Mnangagwa under the cosh as the G40 faction hammered him mercilessly and relentlessly, including over his infamous coffee mug which was inscribed with words I am The Boss  which the faction used as a weapon to portray the then VP as disloyal to Mugabe and as having unbridled presidential ambitions.

So bad did things get for Mnangagwa that Mugabe went on to pooh-pooh his longstanding lieutenants chances of succeeding the nonagenarian in his ritual birthday interview with the ZBCTV which was flighted days before his 93rd birthday.

Also, so scathing was Mugabe during the interview, that he bluntly dismissed all his colleagues political credentials  describing them as being not worthy candidates to take over from him.

The call (for me) to step down must come from my party, my party at congress, my party at central committee  I will step down.

Of course, if I feel that I cant do it anymore, I will say so to my party so that they relieve me. But for now I think I cant say so  The majority of the people feel that there is no replacement, a successor who to them is acceptable, as acceptable as I am, Mugabe said boastingly.

But the people, you know, would want to judge everyone else on the basis of president Mugabe as the criteria.

But I have been at it for a longer period than anyone else and leaders will have to be, as it were, given time to develop and to have the ability to meet with the people and to be judged by the people.

Silently, in the majority of cases, the people must see and be convinced that yes, so and so can be the successor. Others think, yaa, yaa, that they are this in the party, they are capable of succeeding the president. Its not that easy, he added as he rubbished his lieutenants.

Mugabe was also to later become a key player in Mnangagwas humiliation by Grace and others at the high-octane Youth Interface rallies which were held in nine provinces.

And as Grace was roasting Zanu PF bigwigs in Buhera, including Mnangagwa, for dreaming about succeeding her husband, Mugabe himself also banished for good the whispers within sections of the warring former liberation movement that she sometimes operated without his blessing.

The increasingly frail nonagenarian not only lavished praises on Grace, he even backed her to succeed him and to hold her own in the deeply-divided ruling party  making it clear in the process that he had been mentoring and guiding her all along, as Zanu PFs deadly tribal, factional and succession wars became more intractable.

She is very acceptable, very much accepted by the people. I thought you saw her on television  (in Buhera North). Its fireworks, isnt it? he said with a glint of mischief in his cunning, aged eyes.

The previously publicity-shy Grace entered mainstream politics with a bang in 2014, when she landed Zanu PFs influential post of secretary for the womens league, in the run-up to the ruling partys sham congress of that year, which saw former long-serving Vice President Joice Mujuru and other senior officials  including former secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and Gumbo  being expelled from the former liberation movement.

Mugabe moved to defend his decision to allow Grace to enter politics in his interview with the State broadcaster, drawing parallels between her rise with the role that his late first wife Sally  who also led the womens league  had played.

But I had my first wife Sally  she organised the women. We did not have the womens league here. The Ghana style, the (Kwame) Nkrumah style of the womens league which gained acceptance in our region was introduced by my wife and others in Zimbabwe, my late wife (Sally) I mean.

But in fact people were saying aah, the leaders must not disallow their wives from participating in politics. We want their wives to lead us. But what you get nowadays from some quotas is that the leaders wife should not participate in politics. Why not? Why not? the nonagenarian asked.

After Graces high voltage rally in Buhera, it became even clearer that Grace was being primed for the highest seat in the land.

Using the politics of smearing which she had successfully employed on Mujuru, Grace was accorded unprecedented and ubiquitous live television coverage as she addressed her rallies where she directly attacked Mnangagwa, war veterans and those in the military.

During the first youth interface rally held in Marondera in June, Mugabe cunningly sent people into speculating that former Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi, who had been publicly touted by Moyo as his preferred successor days earlier during a discussion forum in Harare, was indeed the one destined to succeed him.

The sun rises in the East thats why we have chosen this province to hold the first rally, Mugabe said.

Although Sekeramayi was the most senior politician from Mashonaland East Province at the time, many people overlooked the fact that Grace was also from the same province and was actually  as it later turned out  the one he was referring to when he said the sun rises in the East.

Zanu PFs ugly succession wars later took an ominous turn in August when Mnangagwa fell sick during an interface rally in Gwanda  a development which his backers said was a poison attack by his G40 rivals.

Mnangagwa was later airlifted to South Africa where he had emergency surgery.

The alleged poisoning saga worsened the infighting in the former liberation movement with Mugabe coming out publicly to warn his senior officials over the allegations that Mnangagwa had been poisoned by ice cream from his Gushungo Dairies farm.

Grace claimed that the allegations were calculated to destroy the First Familys businesses and nothing was said about investigating the poisoning incident after that.

But Mnangagwa suggested to hordes of his supporters who had converged at Mupandawana Growth Point in Gutu, for the late Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Shuvai Mahofas memorial service  not for the first time  that he was poisoned in the same way Mahofa was in 2015.

In September during the Bindura youth interface rally, Mugabe  without any hint of irony  revisited the I Am the Boss coffee mug saga, urging Mnangagwa to dump the mug.

Zvino wofira chikapu ichocho  rasaka (do you surely want to die for that coffee mug, throw it away), Mugabe said weeks after Mnangagwa had been poisoned in Gwanda.

In the end, the penultimate Bulawayo youth rally which was held on November 4 marked the beginning of the end for Grace and her husband.

She was booed while speaking on stage as she tore into Mnangagwa  leading to Mugabes direct warning to Mnangagwa and his supporters that he would fire the then VP.

Tinogarotukwa zuva nezuva muzita ravaMnangagwa. Ko ndakatadza here kuita vaMnangagwa deputy wangu, kana ndakatadza ndinovadonhedza mangwana chaiye (We are denigrated and insulted daily in the name of Mnangagwa. Did I make a mistake in appointing him as my deputy? If I made a mistake by appointing Mnangagwa  I will drop him as early as tomorrow), Mugabe thundered.

The following day, which was dubbed Super Sunday, Grace delivered what she saw as the final nail into Mnangagwas political coffin in front of hired members of Apostolic sects  likening him in the process to a snake whose head needed to be crushed.

The snake must be hit on the head. We must deal with the real snake behind the factions and discord in the party. We are going for the (Zanu PF) congress as a united party.

Women who are involved in the Lacoste project, I say to you, you are dead. (Then youth league leader Kudzanayi) Chipanga, those youths who are aligned to Lacoste are gone. They must all be dropped before the congress, Grace thundered.

On November 6, Graces march to the presidium appeared done and dusted when Mnangagwa was fired from the government, and two days later the former VP was also expelled unceremoniously from Zanu PF.

As Grace and Mugabe celebrated Mnangagwas demise, he fled into self imposed exile in neighbouring South Africa from where he released an ominous statement warning that he would be back to lead Zanu PF and Zimbabwe in a matter of weeks.

In the end, it took him just 16 days to do that!

But Moyo, ever contemptuous and dramatic as he always is, went on to Twitter where he dismissed Mnangagwas statement warning Mugabe and his wife saying, The difference between a Press Statement issued by a fugitive in the luxury of a 5-Star hotel in a foreign country & Zanu PF is like that of day & night. Zanu PF is the people whose one centre of power is Pres Mugabe who has asserted the peoples authority!

He also made fun of Mnangagwas flight into exile writing that, When a senior official is fired from a high ranking government office & they jump the border into self exile within hours of their dismissal, you know that they are running away from being legally held to account for heinous crimes they committed & covered up while in office!

But as the saying goes, what goes around comes around, it is Mnangagwa who has had the last and longest laugh  and Moyo is languishing in self-imposed exile facing an uncertain future.

In the meantime, and in a later major development which would spark a series of events that would lead to the fall of Mugabe, then commander of the Defence Forces general Constantino Chiwenga and more than 80 generals warned Mugabe on November 13, that the army would not hesitate to step in if Zanu PF continued brawling and expelling senior figures from within its ranks.

Moyo called Chiwengas ominous warning a bluff and dismissed securocrats on Twitter as, kungovukura vukura, ini zete kuvata zvangu! while military tanks were preparing to storm the capital city, Harare.

On November 14, the military duly made good on its threats and intervened in the countrys governance  placing Mugabe and Grace under house arrest in the process.

Several Cabinet ministers linked to the G40 faction subsequently fled Zimbabwe, while others such as former Finance minister Ignatius Chombo were detained.

Curiously, the military moved two hours after Zanu PF, through its spokesperson and former minister of Information, Simon Khaya Moyo, had released a statement accusing Chiwenga of carrying a treasonous act when he issued the militarys warning on November 13.

But the countrys securocrats were undeterred.

Following the address we made on November 13, 2017, which we believe our main broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and The Herald were directed not to publicise, the situation in our country has moved to another level.

Firstly, we wish to assure the nation that His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and commander-in-chief of Zimbabwe Defence Forces, Comrade RG Mugabe, and his family are safe and sound and their security is guaranteed.

We are only targeting criminals around him who are committing crimes that are causing social and economic suffering in the country in order to bring them to justice.

As soon as we have accomplished our mission, we expect that the situation will return to normalcy. To the civil servants, as you are aware, there is a plan by the same individuals to influence the current purging that is taking place in the political sphere to the civil service.

We are against that act of injustice and we intend to protect every one of you against that, then major general Sibusiso Moyo, who is now Foreign Affairs minister, said as he announced the widely supported military intervention.

Subsequently, hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans took to the streets across the country on November 18 to demand Mugabes resignation, demos that took place simultaneously with a solidarity march by war veterans in Highfield.

The following day, the Zanu PF central committee met in Harare and expelled Mugabe, his wife and other high ranking officials including Chombo, Kasukuwere, Moyo and Zhuwao.

Mnangagwa was then nominated to lead the party and the government by the same meeting  marking a remarkable turnaround for Ngwena, as Mnangagwa is affectionately referred to by his admirers, who had a mere two weeks earlier appeared doomed following his expulsion from both the ruling party and the government by Mugabe.

After 37 years of his controversial rule, the curtain finally fell on Mugabe on November 21 when he resigned moments after a joint sitting of parliament had started impeachment proceedings against him.

And with that, Graces higher office plans were dead in the water, and Mnangagwas path to the presidency that he had seemingly coveted for a long time, had been finally cleared.

Mnangagwa was sworn in as Zimbabwes second executive president on November 24.

Chronology of some of the memorable moments of 2017

May 20, 2017  Mugabe starts nationwide rallies and holds the first one in Marondera.

August 12, 2017  Mnangagwa rushed to hospital after reportedly ingesting poison at a Zanu PF rally in Gwanda.

November 4, 2017  Grace Mugabe is booed in Bulawayo at a youth rally.

November 4, 2017  Mugabe threatens to fire Mnangagwa.

November 5, 2017  Grace calls for Mnangagwas crushing.

November 6, 2017  Mnangagwa is fired from government.

November 8,2017  Mnangagwa is expelled from Zanu PF

November 13, 2017  Army warns Mugabe it could step in

November 14, 2017  Tanks are seen on the outskirts of Harare

November 15, 2017  Army takes over radio and television station, announcing its taking over of government.

November 18, 2017  Massive citizen protest is held in Harare against Mugabe.

November 20, 2017  Zanu PF resolves to impeach Mugabe

November 21, 2017  Mugabe resigns after 37 years in power.

November 24, 2017  Mnangagwa sworn in as president of Zimbabwe.

The garrulous Jonathan Moyo on Twitter:

Kungovukura vukura, ini zete kuvata zvangu! (12:53 PM  13 Nov 2017)

Zanu PF has spoken!  When KHAYA Moyo issued a statement criticising Chiwengas comments as an Act of Treasonable Conduct.

I did not jump the border when I was fired in 2005. I stayed put right here in Zimbabwe as I had nothing & no one to run away from into self exile. Its real thieves & murderous cowards who jump the border after theyre fired from the high positions they abused when in office!

When a senior official is fired from a high ranking government office & they jump the border into self exile within hours of their dismissal, you know that they are running away from being legally held to account for heinous crimes they committed & covered up while in office! (12:50 PM  9 Nov 2017)

Memorable quotes of Dr Amai:

1. Iwe George, George, hauna right yekumisidzana naMinister, you are too junior (as she admonished Information permanent secretary George Charamba).

2. Mnangagwa wajaira, wajaira Mnangagwa.

3. Every day tinogara tichityityidzirwa naMutsvangwa kunzi Munangagwa ane support yemasoja, ngavauye vatipfure.

4.VaMugabe nyange vakafa nhasi he will rule from the grave.

5. Kasukuwere is not going anywhere.

6. Zvamunoona ndakadai nditoriwo muKaranga pandiri pano, Chivhu yakazodimburwa ichiiswa kuMash East later.

7. Mnangawa chii, what is Mnangagwa on this earth, munhu akatopiwavo basa nemurume wangu?

8. Fanika aka kamurume kanonzi (Ray) Kaukonde ndakakamaka fani, kapedza vakadzi vevanhu kachingosekerera ende mazino akanaka.

9. Kazembe Kazembe huya pano mhanya, wanga wave kutozviona wave chairman ka?

10. I am a wife of the President. Who is Mnangagwa on this earth? Who is he? Why would I want to kill him? I want to ask, what do I get from him? I am the wife of Mugabe, but someone says I want to kill Mnangagwa, what do I want from him which I dont have?  So what do I want from another person? Why would I want to kill him, someone who was given a job by my husband? It is nonsensical (in response to claims by then VP Mnangagwa that he was poisoned).

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MEMBERS of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) tasked to guard five properties owned by Lebanese entrepreneur Jamal Joseph Hamed in Harares plush suburbs, allegedly at the behest of former First Lady Grace Mugabe have abandoned the properties and moved off site, NewsDay has learnt.

The development, which came shortly after Graces 93-year-old husband former President Robert Mugabe succumbed to public and military pressure and stepped down dramatically on November 21, confirms the adage that when days are dark friends are few.

Mugabe resigned following a military intervention codenamed Operation Restore Legacy, which the army claimed was aimed at removing criminals surrounding the President.

Now lonely without the support of State machinery and her Zanu PF loyalists, the ruling partys former Iron Lady and womens league boss should be feeling more exposed after police dumped the properties at the centre of her private lawsuit in a controversial $1,2 million diamond ring saga.

Grace, whom Zimbabweans often ridiculed for her penchant for an expensive lifestyle, allegedly engaged Jamal in April 2015 to secure a diamond ring worth $1,2 million for her wedding anniversary celebrations, which she then claimed the entrepreneur failed to deliver on time and only repaid $120 000.

This compelled the former First Lady to file an application in the High Court seeking an order declaring Jamals shareholding in some of his companies auctionable and to attach his residential properties.

But Jamals lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa, in December 2016, petitioned the High Court protesting that Graces son, Russell Goreraza, and suspected accomplice Kennedy Fero had illegally enlisted the police to occupy and hold onto Jamals properties in Avondale, Vainona and Borrowdale suburbs as the diamond ring saga raged on.

In response to the High Court application, police claimed they occupied Jamals properties on the basis that they were exhibits in an alleged criminal matter involving the Lebanese entrepreneur.

Efforts by Jamals lawyer to evict Graces agents and repossess the properties came to naught as police dug in, refusing to move out, claiming the businessman had defrauded Mugabes wife in the ring deal.

NewsDay has gathered that of the five properties, only one has been left under the care of a private security firm as police moved out.

We have since received information that some of the properties have since been abandoned, with at least one property being under the control of a private security company, part of a letter written by Jamals lawyer to Superintendent Nyambo Viera, who has been leading investigations into the alleged fraudulent diamond ring saga, read.

Through Mtetwa, Jamal expressed concern about the security of the properties considering that the ZRP officers who had been occupying them had since vacated.

Our client is naturally concerned at the security and safety of his properties and the assets thereat and we request that you urgently arrange that the police in the company of our clients representatives, attend at each one of the premises without delay so that proper inventories can be taken and so that our client can be satisfied that the assets are not in danger of being vandalised, Mtetwa wrote to Viera.

Besides assisting Grace to occupy Jamals properties, the ZRP also assisted the former First Lady to occupy Manzou Farm in Mazowe and evict some families from the farm.

However, the families, who got assistance from lawyers from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, successfully challenged their eviction in the High Court and continued residing at the farm although they were frequently persecuted by police officers who destroyed their homesteads.

 NewsDay

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With one of the nation's most expensive cities as his backdrop, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Friday aimed at tackling California's growing affordable housing crisis.

Fifteen bills were signed outside a San Francisco affordable housing complex by Governor Brown, calling it the "biggest bill signing he'd ever seen." The core framework of these bills concerned people's shelter and he hopes it will make governments accountable for producing housing.

The bills inlcude money to build more affordable housing and policies to speed up stalled construction. Lawmakers and advocates cheer the package as the most significant housing policy to come out of Sacramento in years.

"It's a big deal that finally the state of the housing crisis has reached a place where these things have become politically viable," said Fernando Marti, co-director of the San Francisco Council of Community Housing Organizations.

But it will be several years before affordable housing units start popping up across the state and, when they do, they won't cover California's full demand. The state lacks an estimated 1.5 million affordable homes compared to demand. Money from the package of bills, meanwhile, is expected to help build up to 90,000 affordable rental homes in the next seven to 10 years, said Matt Schwartz, president of the California Housing Partnership.

Still, Schwartz and others argue the legislation moves in California is a positive direction on housing. Brown eliminated redevelopment money that provided $1 billion in affordable housing money annually to help balance the state budget in 2012, a move Schwartz and other advocates say hurt the state's affordable housing market.

"That put the state's production into this huge tailspin that we've been in ever since," Schwartz said. The new legislation, he said, "changes the dynamics and tells the developers they can count on state investment again."

The package centers on three bills. One will put a $4 billion affordable housing bond before voters next year, meaning it's still not guaranteed. A second imposes a new $75 fee on real estate transaction documents, expected to bring in $200 to $300 million annually. The third aims to streamline regulations that can slow down affordable housing construction.

The rest of the bills likewise ease regulations or make other changes to speed building along.

Lawmakers passed the bills during the final week of session in mid-September, with the real estate transaction fee nearly faltering in the Democratically controlled Assembly. In previous years, Brown and legislative leaders had been unable to reach agreement on a housing fix, with Brown arguing for regulatory reform and lawmakers pushing for more money.

The funds and the 'feet to fire' approach could catalyze 14-thousand homes in California a year, but that is still shor tof where the housing should be. By some estimates, California is about 100,000 units hort of what's already planned to keep up with population growth.
The climbing community in the Bay Area is shaken up after two dangerous rock falls in Yosemite Valley this week.

On Wednesday, a man from the United Kingdom was killed and his wife injured while hiking along a path at the base of El Capitan. Then on Thursday, a much larger rock fall injured a man and made the Yosemite Valley look like a war zone engulfed in a huge dust cloud.

Climbers on Friday said they know there are risks inherent to their sport, but they do it anyway because they love it. The climbers also said they were saddened, but not surprised by this week's events.

"Ultimately these climbers need to make decisions on their own and good decisions," said the National Park Service Public Information Officer, Scott Gedimen.

Park officials on Friday released a new estimate on the size of Thursday's slide, which was much larger than a deadly slide one day before. The slab that broke apart on Thursday was nearly 400 feet tall, which is the equivalent of a 35-story building. It weighed 30,000 tons, officials said.

"I just think about it...and the hairs stick up on my arm," said Peter Zabor, a climber with decades of experience.

Zabor had just climbed the section that collapsed Thursday and was able to record video showing the massive dust cloud. Zabor said he is incredibly lucky and in awe of nature's sheer power.

On Wednesday, the smaller slide in the same area killed a British man and injured his wife. On Friday the wife was listed in fair condition at a local hospital.

British media reports the couple was in Yosemite celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary.

Laura Doughty, an avid climber in San Jose, said this all a reminder that her sport in inherently dangerous.

"While we try to keep ourselves as safe as we can, sometimes there's just things that are out of our control and it's kind of sobering and reminding you that these things can happen," Doughty said.

Doughty said the recent rock falls have made her emphasize safety even more and she said it starts with personal safety.

Geologists said the break was probably caused by the expansion and contraction of the granite as it heats up during the summer and gets cold and more brittle in the winter.

San Jose State professor Kim Blisniuk, whose job is to study natural hazards around the world, says that water, climate change and even small earthquakes are factors in these rock slides.

"In the case of rock falls the basic agent is gravity, the heavy rock tends to want to move from high to low elevation," said Blisniuk.

Blisniuk says the rocks slides from at Yosemite are a common natural geological disaster, but they won't be the last.
Police are looking for two robbery suspects who snatched a purse from a woman in her sixties late Wednesday night in south Palo Alto.

According to police, the woman was arriving at the home of a relative in the 2800 block of Bryant Street around 11 p.m. Wednesday night when she noticed two male subjects on bicycles roaming the area.

Palo Alto police said the woman began unloading a car when the two men approached her and, without saying anything to her, punched her in the stomach, pushed her to the ground and took her purse from her arm.

The suspects then ran back to their bicycles, at which point a male family member of the victim came outside of his home and attempted to give chase to the suspects before falling a short time later.

According to police, the purse contained a wallet, several pieces of jewelry and other personal items.

Both the victim and the male family member suffered minor injuries. The woman victim suffered a minor bruise to her knee and discomfort from the punch to her stomach. Police who responded searched the area but couldn't find the suspects. They were last seen heading south on the bikes on the 2900 block of Bryant Street.

The first suspect is described as a man in his 20s around 6 feet tall, wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and a black backpack. The second suspect is described as a man in his 20s who is approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall and wearing dark clothing.

No similar robberies have been reported at this time. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Palo Alto police at (650) 329-2413.

Those wishing to submit tips anonymously can email paloalto@tipnow.org or send a text message or voicemail to (650) 383-8984.
Earlier this week, Brianna Deines was teaching.

That might not surprise people who know the Fremont woman, because she is a teacher.

But Deines wasnt teaching at a local school on Tuesday morning.

Instead, she was working with 14-year-old Thomas Reynolds at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals, Omaha Campus  where theyve both been having therapy.

Deines is sixth-grade language arts teacher at Fremonts Johnson Crossing Academic Center. In August, she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves.

While heres no cure for Guillian-Barre, most people make a full recovery.

Deines went to Madonna for physical and occupational therapy in mid-September.

And through Madonnas work re-entry program, she began working with Thomas, who was injured in a car accident last summer and came for therapy on Sept. 6.

The two have gotten along well.

Deines has been inspired by her young students resilience, while hes appreciated working with someone who can relate to him from a patients perspective.

Such perspective can be important for people whove undergone difficult situations such as an illness or accident.

While doctors suspected Deines had Guillian-Barre, it would take several MRIs and a couple of spinal taps to confirm that diagnosis, she said.

The exact cause of Guillian-Barre is unknown, but it often occurs after a virus or bacterial infection and doctors would determine thats what happened in Deines case.

A virus had triggered the Guillian-Barre.

Deines symptoms began in August when she had a tingling feeling in her hands and feet. That feeling began moving up her legs.

I just thought I was weak and had a cold, she said.

Deines sons, Reid, 4, and Larson, 2, had been sick.

I figured I had the same thing, she said.

But her condition worsened and she became unable to walk. Her sister and mom took her to the hospital. Deines later was admitted to an Omaha hospitals intensive care unit.

At Nebraska Medicine hospital, she first had five doses of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a plasma product used to treat immune system-related conditions.

Deines then was sent to Madonna.

After a week, I was declining so they sent me back, she said.

She then had plasmapheresis, a plasma exchange in which the blood is filtered. Two weeks later, she returned to Madonna.

Her therapy would include time on the Lokomat, a robotic treadmill training system.

The Lokomat uses a body weight support system to suspend individuals while their legs are attached to robotic legs that help with basic walking functions.

As part of her therapy, Deines also participated in Madonnas work-re-entry program. The program involves taking part in a real work environment by volunteering at Madonna.

Deines worked with Thomas in Madonnas Therapeutic Learning Center. She began by watching Madonnas Omaha campus teacher, Jackie Poulas, work with Thomas on math. Deines would work with Thomas on reading skills, comprehension and vocabulary.

She spent about 30 to 45 minutes, four different times with Thomas, who read short stories to her. Shed listen, stopping him to ask questions.

Even though Thomas is older than (students) I have taught, its nice to be with a kid, she said.

Thomas has appreciated working with Deines.

Shes experiencing the same things that I am, he said.

Both have dealt with some double vision and blurriness. She no longer has double vision, but still has had some blurriness.

Thomas symptoms occurred after a roll-over car accident that happened July 20 out in the country near Aurora, South Dakota. A high school freshman from Brookings, S.D., Thomas sustained a traumatic brain injury from the accident and lost some skin on the side of his head. He doesnt remember the accident.

At Madonna, hes been involved in physical and occupational therapies and in the Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC). In the TLC program, a certified teacher with extra rehabilitation training and experience works with inpatients and outpatients  to help them return to their community schools.

Thomas has read short stories to Deines, whom he said has helped him. Thomas said hes liked working with her.

Shes kind of in the same situation I am. Were both at Madonna as patients  but Im not very patient, he quipped.

Thomas said he looks forward to going home in October to see his black and white cats  Charlie and Buster, named after silent film stars Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. The teen enjoys talking about other animals back home, including dachshunds, Strudel and Schnitzel, and his horses, Buddy and Happy.

He wants to see his pals at school and attend the South Dakota State University Homecoming in Brookings.

Im planning on buying a big, old keg of root beer, he said, enthusiastically.

Deines, who was set to go home on Wednesday, was enthusiastic, too.

Im really excited to get home and see my kids, she said.

Shell have outpatient therapy at Madonna.

I still cant walk. I get fatigued fairly quickly so Im not quite sure when Ill go back to school, she said.

Deines, who has taught school for eight years, said she loves teaching. She has appreciated staff at Madonna.

Theyre all very supportive and, like Thomas, everyone has a really good personality, great sense of humor, which definitely helps, she said.

Deines expressed admiration for Thomas and noted what shes learned from him.

He has been through a whole lot more and definitely has made a lot of progress, which is inspiring, she said. He has a really good sense of humor and personality. Instead of being bitter, its nice to see somebody young like that who still wants to do his stuff and get back to his normal life after everything hes been through.
Two suspected gang members have been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a 22-year-old man Sept. 10 in San Pablo, police said.

Adrian Segoviano-Hernandez was shot to death Sept. 10 in the 1800 block of Powell Street. According to police, investigative leads led to a possible gang-related motive for the shooting.

Jose Maravilla, 22, of Richmond, was arrested at the Concord BART station Thursday with assistance from BART officers, police said. Ignacio Sanchez, 24, of San Pablo, was arrested later that afternoon in the area of Fourteenth and Willow streets in Oakland, according to police.

The two were booked into Contra Costa County Jail on suspicion of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and participation in a criminal street gang, police said.
A note found in the car of a man charged with spraying deadly gunfire at a Tennessee church made reference to revenge for a white supremacist's massacre at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, two years earlier, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

The note could offer a glimpse into Emanuel Kidega Samson's mindset at the time of Sunday's shooting and a possible motive for the rampage, which killed a woman and wounded six other people. The Associated Press has not viewed the note, but it was summarized in an investigative report circulating among law enforcement. Two officials read to AP from the note.

The report said that "in sum and in no way verbatim," the note referenced revenge or retaliation for Dylann Roof, the white supremacist who killed nine black worshippers at a South Carolina church in 2015 and has since been sentenced to death. It wasn't clear what precisely Samson is alleged to have written about the Roof shooting, or whether his note contained other important details that might also speak to a motivation or state of mind.

The law enforcement officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation. Metro Nashville Police declined to comment, saying it had not released the information.

Samson has been charged with murder, and the FBI and U.S. attorney's office in Nashville quickly opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting. His public defender did not immediately return calls for comment. And spokespeople for the FBI, the U.S. attorney's office, and District Attorney General Glenn Funk declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.

Police have said Samson, masked and wearing a tactical vest, fatally shot a woman who was walking to her vehicle and then entered the rear of Burnette Chapel Church of Christ and shot six other people, walking silently down the aisles with a .40-caliber handgun. The case immediately called to mind the killings at Emanuel AME Church, in Charleston, South Carolina. But unlike that church, which is mostly black, Burnette Chapel in the Nashville neighborhood of Antioch has a diverse congregation with people of various ethnicities, a detail noted in the report. And church members told investigators that Samson had attended services a year or two ago.

Samson, who is black, came to the United States from Sudan as a child in 1996 and is a U.S. citizen. Police records say he had expressed suicidal thoughts in June and had a volatile relationship with a woman that twice involved police this year. He made bizarre Facebook posts in the hours before the shooting, including one that read: "Everything you've ever doubted or made to be believe as false, is real. & vice versa, B."

Metro Nashville Police say investigators recovered four guns after the shooting that were bought legally from in-state retailers: the 40-caliber handgun allegedly used in the shooting; a military-style AR-15 rifle found in a case in Samson's vehicle; and a 9 mm handgun recovered from the church. Police say a relative gave the guns to Samson for safe keeping.

Police say Samson bought a .22-caliber pistol found in his SUV.
Police say a teacher at a Rhode Island high school was sexually assaulted by a former student who came back to the school for a visit.

Investigators say 18-year-old Adam Yidana returned to Cranston High School West on Sept. 22. They say he sought out a teacher and spoke to her briefly before attempting to hug her and grab her breast.

The teacher reported the incident to police, and after an investigation, Cranston police learned that the student is currently attending The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

He was arrested there on a second-degree sexual assault charge and was eventually released on $10,000 personal recognizance. It's unclear if he has an attorney.

School officials say a current Cranston High School West student let Yidana through the front doors, which were locked at the time.
Four people are dead and at least 25 have been injured in shootings across Chicago this weekend.

The weekend's latest fatality came on Sunday morning in the 2600 block of East 75th Street. Police arrived on the scene of a shooting to find a 28-year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and back. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 26-year-old woman was also shot in the back, and she was listed in serious condition at Northwestern Hospital according to police.

The fatal shooting came on the heels of another one that occurred early Sunday morning in the city's North Park neighborhood at approximately 12:18 a.m. Police responded to a call of shots fired in the 5000 block of North Bernard, and when they arrived they found a man face-down on the sidewalk.

The man, whose age is unknown, was found with multiple gunshot wounds, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

He was one of at least seven people shot in a six-hour period between 10 p.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday. One of those victims, a 38-year-old man, is in critical condition after he was shot in the 3900 block of West Jackson at 2:17 a.m., according to police.

The first fatality of the weekend occurred at approximately 7:10 p.m. Friday night in the 4000 block of West 25th Place. Police say a 27-year-old man was standing on the sidewalk when a person walked up to him and fired shots at him, striking the victim in the head. He was taken to Mt. Sinai hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

About two hours later, another man was shot and killed in the citys West Garfield Park neighborhood. A 40-year-old man was standing on a sidewalk when an unknown person walked up to him and fired shots, striking him in the face. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

In the city's most recent shooting, a 13-year-old boy was shot at approximately 2:39 p.m. in the 2500 block of South St. Louis, police said.

The boy was shot in the right arm and was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, and police are still gathering information on the incident.

Friday:

Three men were shot in the 1900 block of South St. Louis at approximately 5:16 p.m., according to police. The men were standing outside when a vehicle approached and one of the occupants opened fire. A 25-year-old man was shot in the foot and two 27-year-old men were shot in the leg. All three were taken to Mt. Sinai in stable condition.

A 37-year-old man is in serious condition after being shot in the back, arm, and knee, police said. The man was in a vehicle when a person in a dark colored SUV fired shots at him in the 2600 block of West Harrison at approximately 7:06 p.m.

In the 4000 block of West 25 th Place at 7:10 p.m., a 27-year-old man was shot in the head while standing on the sidewalk. Police say that the man was taken to Mt. Sinai, where he was later pronounced dead.

Place at 7:10 p.m., a 27-year-old man was shot in the head while standing on the sidewalk. Police say that the man was taken to Mt. Sinai, where he was later pronounced dead. A 42-year-old man was standing on a sidewalk in the 700 block of North Waller at approximately 8:49 p.m. when he was shot in the left foot. He was taken to West Suburban in stable condition, according to police.

A 40-year-old man was shot and killed in the 4700 block of West Jackson just before 9 p.m., police said. The man was standing on a sidewalk when an unknown person walked up to him and fired shots, striking him in the face. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the 2600 block of South Central Park at approximately 9 p.m., a 34-year-old man was shot while walking on a sidewalk. He walked to Stroger Hospital, where he is being treated in stable condition according to police.

Two people were shot in the 3000 block of West Lexington at approximately 10:25 p.m., police said. A green SUV pulled up to a 36-year-old woman, and one of the occupants fired shots. The woman was taken to Mt. Sinai in serious condition with gunshot wounds to both legs, and a 26-year-old man, who was standing nearby, was also shot and was taken to West Suburban Hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound to his arm.

Saturday:

A 27-year-old man was sitting in a parked car when a tan colored minivan pulled up at approximately 12:43 a.m. in the 4100 block of West Fifth Avenue. Police say an occupant in the van opened fire, striking the victim in the right knee. He was taken to Mt. Sinai in stable condition.

A 42-year-old man was shot while sitting in a vehicle in the 2600 block of West Cermak at approximately 4:38 a.m. Several men walked up to the car and fired shots at him, striking him in the left elbow. He was treated and released from St. Anthonys, police said.

A 13-year-old boy was shot in the right arm on the 2500 block of South St. Louis at approximately 2:39 p.m., according to police. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition.

Two men are in critical condition after being shot in the 4800 block of South Loomis at approximately 7:15 p.m., according to police. The men were on foot when multiple people exited a dark colored Jeep and fired shots at them. A 19-year-old man is in critical condition at Stroger Hospital with a gunshot wound to his left arm, and a 23-year-old man is in critical condition with gunshot wounds to his legs and abdomen.

Three people were shot in the 7500 block of South Union at approximately 8:06 p.m. The three were attending a funeral when an unknown person fired shots at the group. A 53-year-old was shot in the thigh and is in stable condition at Christ Hospital, police said. A 52-year-old was shot in the lower back and is in stable condition. A 53-year-old man was shot in the right knee but refused medical attention.

A 28-year-old man was shot in the leg and was taken to Christ Hospital in stable condition, police said. The incident occurred at approximately 10:07 p.m. in the 6000 block of South Karlov.

Sunday:




Cook County Commissioner Jesus Chuy Garcia surprised many when he took Mayor Rahm Emanuel to a runoff for mayor, and on Thursday, he endorsed Chris Kennedy for Illinois governor.

Garcia's endorsement is seen as a sign that perhaps more progressive members of the Democratic Party may support Kennedy.



In 2016 Garcia was a key national supporter for Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign, and even in Illinois the primary race with Hillary Clinton tightened with Sanders in the final days of the campaign.

Also on Thursday, Kennedy is holding a major fundraiser with the guest of honor, his mother Ethel Kennedy. Several of his sisters also will be in Chicago for the event, which is focused on women supporting Kennedy.

Democrat JB Pritzker has secured the majority of early endorsements. Just this week, Comptroller Susana Mendoza announced her support for Pritzker, joining Secretary of State Jesse White as key state leaders endorsing Pritzker.
A pregnant woman was among two people found fatally shot Friday morning on Chicago's Far South Side, but doctors were able to deliver her baby, police said.

Officers found the man and woman with gunshot wounds just after 7:30 a.m. in the 400 block of West 102nd Place in the city's Fernwood neighborhood, police said.

The man had suffered a fatal gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman, who had three gunshot wounds to her chest, was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where she was pronounced dead.

Police said the woman's baby was delivered, but the infant remained in critical condition as of Friday afternoon.

The Cook County medical examiners office had not confirmed the deaths Friday morning.

The shooting adds to the bloody milestone the city reached last week, recording more than 500 homicides for the year so far.

Last weekend alone, three people were killed and at least 38 others were wounded in shootings across the area.

Check back for details on this developing story.
The group that represents Connecticuts small towns is urging lawmakers to override the governors veto, saying the Republican budget did more to make sure they were protected from budget cuts in the middle of a fiscal crisis.

Leo Paul, the Republican First Selectman from Litchfield, said the proposed reductions in Gov. Dannel Malloys Executive Order are untenable, especially because of the impact on smaller governments.

In addition, he said any plan to divert funds in order to pay for teacher pensions, Paul argued, amounts to an unfunded mandate.

The governors budget intends to zero out Litchfield, 1.4 million dollars, zeroing out our ECS, over nine hundred thousand dollars that were forced to pay into the teachers pension. Thats 2.3 million dollars in aid that we, or additional funding, that we would have to pay out.

In larger cities, however, they are not nearly as enthusiastic about the Republican plan that passed.

Republican Mayor Erin Stewart from New Britain found herself in a position where each budget proposal cut her city, but in different ways. Shes resigned to the fact that New Britain, with a $245 million overall budget, is going to take some kind of a cut.

Stewart said, At the end of the day is that no scenario is going to be great, no scenario will be perfect. No scenario is going to make any city or town happy.

The vote on a possible override of Malloys veto is expected in October.
Connecticut senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy are demanding an increased federal response to deal with the crisis in Puerto Rico.

They said not enough is happening to help the island reeling from Hurricane Maria and the damage it left behind. They are calling this a crisis they have failed to address.

Texas and Florida got 3 times the number of troops, got an immediate visit from the President. Got a congressional appropriation within 7 to 10 days. Why isnt that happening for Puerto Rico? Murphy said.

The U.S. senators said its time to raise their voice until Puerto Rico receives the resources it desperately needs.

The administrations response to this story so far has been really inadequate and even anemic, Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal and Murphy are making their voices heard in an Albany Avenue neighborhood in Hartford, an area popular with Puerto Rican residents.

Blumenthal said about 50 military helicopters have been sent to the island, along with 5,000 US troops.

Both are disappointed that the Department of Defense told them just yesterday that they were coming up with a plan to deploy more assets to the island.

There should be hundreds of helicopters on the island engaging in air drops and relief supply movement, not a few dozen, Murphy said.

Those with family on the island say they havent been impressed with the federal response.

Too slow. Way too slow. I mean, were what  day 11 or 12 and a lot of the aid has still not gotten there. Just yesterday the Jones act was temporarily waived which to me was a disgrace, Sandy Cruz-Cerrano of Windsor said.

The Jones Act is a law that requires goods shipped between points in the US to be carried by vessels built and operated by Americans.

Both senators said theyre supportive of the temporary suspension, but say the problem is more about moving whats on the island now throughout the US territory.

The supplies that are now at the ports and airports cannot reach the interior and the cities where people need that food, water, medicine and other emergency supplies, Blumenthal said.

The Trump administration is standing by its response with the acting secretary of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke, arriving to Puerto Rico Today.

"I'm extremely proud of our people in the Federal Government and that is what I'm with. There's much, much more work to do. We'll never be satisfied that's why we are here, that's what we're saying. Until people are back in their homes, the schools are open and everybody's safe," Duke said.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to head to the island on Tuesday.
It's a tour stop no police department wants to be a part of  a law enforcement group making a cross-country trek to honor fallen police officers stopped Friday in Little Elm.

The Cannonball Memorial Run is an annual tour which raises money for the families of fallen police officers. This leg of the tour features 12 stops, including two in North Texas.

On Friday, the run visited the Little Elm Police Department. In January, Little Elm Detective Jerry Walker was shot and killed during a standoff.

His colleagues said they are thankful for the attention the charity run provides.

"It's heartwarming," said Lt. Larry Denison, a 12-year Little Elm police veteran. "We say we are a brotherhood. We are a brotherhood."

Cannonball Memorial Run officers say they're trying to fill the gap for families of officers killed in the line of duty. Death benefits and insurance can take several months or longer to be paid. The group is trying to raise $1 million.

Officers also planned to meet with representatives of the Dallas Police Department. Five police officers were killed in a July 2016 ambush in downtown Dallas.
The W.M. Keck Foundation is giving a Southern California university a $21 million gift to finish funding a new science center set to open in the fall of next year.

The Orange County Register reports the new $130 million facility at Chapman University will be named The Keck Center for Science and Engineering as a result of the gift that was announced on Thursday.

The Keck Foundation, created by the founder of the Superior Oil Company, has donated millions to science institutions in the region. The foundation previously gave the university in Orange a $2.45 million gift.

University President Daniele Struppa says that to have the center carry the Keck name is an honor and a recognition of the value placed on the university's scientific efforts.
Federal officials are investigating flutes, possibly contaminated by bodily fluids, that were given to students from school districts across Southern California as part of an investigation of an individual accused of inappropriate sexual conduct.

Several school districts alerted parents on Friday to turn in the flutes to authorities after the California Department of Justice and the U.S. Postal Service launched an investigation.

The flutes are colorfully decorated and painted by students all over Southern California through a program called "Flutes Across the World."

Federal investigators want to test all the flutes, which they believe may be contaminated by semen, from the program's music teacher.

"You have to read in between the lines -- and most likely it's not sweat," said Nate, a concerned parent whose child goes to Courreges Elementary School in Fountain Valley.

Nate went to the police station Friday night to turn in his child's flute.

"It's disgusting, it's unreal, you can't even really fathom it," said another parent, who wished to not be named.

A statement from the Fountain Valley School District is just one of dozens of alarming notifications sent to thousands of parents in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

"It made me sick to my stomach," the parent said.

A statement from the Los Angeles Unified School District states the allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct may have involved at least 13 school districts across Southern California.

Notifications went out to parents in school districts in Fullerton, Newport-Mesa, Chatsworth and the Inland Empire.

The teacher has not been named due to the pending investigation.



An education source close to the investigation confirmed to NBC4 the teacher was arrested.
Officials say that a 12th patient who lived inside a stifling Florida nursing home that lost its air conditioning during Hurricane Irma has died.

Dolores Biamonte, 57, died Thursday, the Broward County Medical Examiner confirmed.

Biamont was the latest victim to succumb to the sweltering heat inside the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills.

More than 100 patients were evacuated from the home on Sept. 13 after three patients were found dead. Five more died later that day and others passed away in the following days. Some who died had body temperatures as high as 109.9 degrees Fahrenheit (48 Celsius).

The dead range in age from 57 to 99. No one has been charged.

Hollywood police are treating all 12 deaths from the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills as part of a criminal investigation, spokeswoman Miranda Grossman said in a statement.

Investigators want to know why the patients died after the storm even though a fully functioning hospital sits just across the street from the nursing home, Grossman said.

But under Florida law, a prosecution might be difficult. Two of three ex-state prosecutors contacted by The Associated Press had doubts as to whether Dr. Jack Michel, the home's owner, or any of his employees will be charged.

All agreed that any criminal prosecutions will hinge on whether the nursing home staff made honest mistakes or were "culpably negligent." Florida defines that as "consciously doing an act or following a course of conduct that the defendant must have known, or reasonably should have known, was likely to cause death or great bodily injury."

Hollywood police and the state attorney's office are investigating.

The home has said it used coolers, fans, ice and other methods to keep the patients comfortable  and that might be enough to avoid prosecution.

"There is a difference between negligence, which is what occurs when you are not giving a particular standard of care vs. culpable negligence," said David Weinstein, a former state and federal prosecutor now in private practice. "So if they are doing everything humanly possible given the circumstances and this all still happened it may be negligent and provide the basis for a civil lawsuit, but not enough for criminal charges."

The home has said a felled tree took out a transformer that powered the air conditioner, but it maintained power otherwise. It said it reported the loss to Florida Power & Light and was promised repairs in the next two days, but the utility never arrived.

Scott's office said that over those two days, home administrators Jorge Carballo and Natasha Anderson were in contact with the state about the failed air conditioner but never said the situation had become dangerous. The state said they were told to call 911 if needed.

Meanwhile, the state has suspended Hollywood Hills' license and its owner has filed a lawsuit in order to re-open, saying they did everything they could to take care of those inside in the days following the storm.

Since the storm, Gov. Rick Scott gave nursing homes and assisted living facilities 60 days to comply with new rules that require them to have generators capable of providing backup power for four days.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement set up a new hotline for anyone with information about the deaths or the nursing home between the dates of Sept. 9 to Sept. 12. The number is 866-452-3461.


A U.S. citizen who joined al-Qaida was convicted on Friday of participating in a failed suicide bombing in 2009 at an American military base in Afghanistan.

A federal jury in New York reached the verdict in the case against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, who's originally from Houston.

Farekh's case drew extra attention because of reports that American officials had initially debated whether to try to kill him in a drone strike, a step almost never taken against U.S. citizens. President Barack Obama's administration ultimately decided to try for a capture and civilian prosecution instead.

Farekh was captured in Pakistan and brought to the U.S. in 2015.

"Today, an American al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a U.S. courtroom," said Bridget Rohde, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, using an alternate spelling for the militant group's name.

She said Farekh faces the possibility of life in prison for "his efforts to murder Americans and his commitment to one of the world's most infamous terrorist organizations."

There was no immediate response from Farekh's lawyer, Sean Maher. He had argued the forensic evidence was too weak to convict Farekh, calling fingerprint experts' testimony "junk science" in a closing argument.

Most of the charges against Farekh stem from an attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost City, Afghanistan, on Jan. 19, 2009.

The attackers drove two vehicles rigged with explosives. An initial blast injured several Afghans, including a pregnant woman, but a much larger bomb failed to go off, sparing the lives of American soldiers.

The jury heard testimony about how forensic technicians in Afghanistan recovered 18 of Farekh's fingerprints on packing tape used to bind the detonators on the unexploded bomb.

Farekh was convicted of conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb a government facility and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

During the trial, the jury also heard testimony from Zarein Ahmedzay, one of three men convicted in a thwarted plot to bomb New York's subway system. Ahmedzay told jurors he was trained by an al-Qaida operative identified by prosecutors as a co-conspirator of Farekh's who traveled with him from Canada to Pakistan in 2007.

Deliberations were briefly interrupted when the judge learned the defendant's father had encountered four jurors in an elevator and complained to them that he'd been denied direct contact with him. The judge decided to replace the jurors with three alternates and ordered the deliberations to continue with a panel of 11 instead of the usual 12.
A Pennsylvania couple is accused of having subjected a 12-year-old girl to waterboarding last spring as a form of punishment.

The Beaver County Times reports that the girl told police and Beaver County children and youth services officials that she was dragged into the Aliquippa home's basement in April, a wet towel was placed over her face and her chair was tilted backward as a bucket of cold water was poured onto her, preventing her from breathing.

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Aliquippa police said the couple told them they learned about waterboarding through a movie.

Thirty-four-year-old Dion Stevens and 41-year-old Malisa Stevens were charged Wednesday with strangulation, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, child endangerment and reckless endangerment. Court documents don't list an attorney and a listed number for them couldn't be found Saturday.
In about three months, recreational marijuana sales will kick off in California, yet no one knows exactly how the pot economy will work.

It could take until late November for the state to issue regulations that will govern the new marketplace.

Meanwhile, growers and sellers are wondering how the industry can function when some operators will have licenses and others might not. There are also questions about banking and federal law enforcement, since pot remains illegal in the eyes of the U.S. government.

"We all have anxiety," top state marijuana regulator Lori Ajax told an industry group Thursday. "It's not going to be perfect."

Last year, California voters approved Proposition 64, which legalized recreational pot sales to adults in the nation's most populous state.

The law takes effect in 2018, when newly legalized recreational sales will be merged with the state's two-decade-old medical marijuana market.

Ajax heard a range of concerns from operators and consultants who are trying to maneuver through a maze of new rules that will dictate where pot can be grown, how it's tested, distributed, taxed and sold.

Ajax said she doesn't know how many operators will come forward to seek licenses. It's a critical question, since the state's legitimate pot sales could be undercut by illegal operators.

Speaking in Long Beach, Ajax said the state is preparing to issue temporary licenses for growers, sellers and manufacturers on Jan. 1. It expects that businesses that receive licenses will only work with others that hold them.

But that has alarmed operators who wonder what will happen if their supplier, for example, decides not to join the new system.

"You would have to shut your doors until your supplier can come online," industry consultant Jackie McGowan said, calling that prospect potentially "disastrous" for the young industry.

Ajax appeared to ease concerns that the state would move quickly on enforcement against operations without licenses.

If the state is aware a business has applied for a license, "I don't want you to have anxiety that we're out there and we're going to be enforcing everything right away," Ajax said.

To obtain a state license, operators must first have a local license or authorization. Los Angeles is still working on its rules and the city is facing criticism that some operators could be cut out of the market.

In addition, it appears San Francisco will not be ready for legal sales in January  and perhaps not for months.

The state will begin by issuing temporary licenses, good for four months. But those could be extended, if necessary.

By legalizing recreational pot, California is attempting to transform its vast marijuana black market into the nation's biggest legal pot economy, valued at $7 billion.

Ajax also heard concerns about the possibility that cottage-industry growers could be overrun by huge operators, backed by Wall Street dollars.

"Capitalism is messed up at best," said Justin Calvino, who sits on the board of the California Growers Association, an industry group.

He warned that smaller growers struggling to survive could be shuttered "when you have licenses being issued to people with the most money, or to people that have the most lobbyists or the best marketing."

Ajax got a round of applause when she said her agency would be open on Jan. 1 to begin issuing licenses.

"We are probably going to do regular business hours," she said. "Even though it's a holiday we are coming in and we are going to get it done because it's important to all of us that we are successful in this."
A New York restaurant owner pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle rare and restricted seafood into the country from Mexico, according to the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of California.

In court Friday, Alan Ren, 48, admitted to conspiring with a Taiwanese citizen, Wei Wei Wang, 37, to covertly smuggle 250 of pounds of exotic seafood, secretly stashed in three suitcases and a black plastic bag.

He was charged with conspiracy, smuggling/importation contrary to law and unlawful importation of wildlife.

According to the arraignment, Ren said that he employed Wang to handle the finances at his seafood business. With Wang in his car, Ren drove into the U.S. with approximately 83 pounds of frozen black abalone, also known as Haliotis cracherodii, and 172 pounds of sea cucumber, also known as Isostichopus fuscus.

The black abalone is an endangered species, and the sea cucumber is protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species, stated the U.S. Attorney's office. Ren acknowledged that he planned to use the abalone and sea cucumbers for commercial business, as he owns two Chinese restaurants.

Ren admitted that they didn't have any permits to export sea cucumber or abalone from Mexico or to import the restricted seafood into the U.S. He agreed that he should have known that harvesting the seafood was also illegal in Mexico.

Several months after smuggling the seafood, Ren falsely claimed two fake receipts from a vendor in Ensenada were the invoices for the sea cucumber and abalone, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Ren agreed to pay $16,600 in restitution to the Mexican government for the illegally exported seafood. If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 30 years in prison and combined fines up to $750,000.



Black abalone reside off California and Baja California. The harvest of abalone is illegal in California, after the population was reduced 80 percent by a wasting disease called Withering Syndrome in the mid 1980's.

Abalones reach reproductive maturity between three and seven years of age but they can live up to 25 or even 75 years, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

Sea cucumbers are found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from Mexico to Ecuador. The marine animals are guarded under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species. A permit is required to import them into the U.S.

Illegal harvesting has decimated sea cucumber populations in the Caribbean Sea off the Yucatan Peninsula. Rival gangs fight over control of the harvest, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.
The body of a 19-year-old student last seen on a U.S. naval base in Virginia, has been identified, and federal investigators are searching for her killer.

The body found Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina, is that of Ashanti Billie, the FBI and local police announced Saturday.

Billie, a culinary arts student who recently graduated from high school in Prince George's County, Maryland, was last seen Sept. 18 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Norfolk, Virginia.

Her body was found 11 days later and more than 300 miles away, outside a church in a residential neighborhood of Charlotte.

Billie's heartbroken parents spoke at a news conference Saturday evening.

"She is home. She's home with God, and we're OK with that," Billie's father, Meltony Billie, said.

Billie's mother, Brandy Billie, addressed her daughter's killer and then her daughter.

"To the person or persons that decided they wanted to take our baby away from us and away from everyone that loved her: You're a coward. You don't deserve to breathe the air she breathed," she said. "Ashanti, baby, we love you, we love you and we love you."

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is investigating Billie's death as a homicide. No information was released immediately on how she died.

Federal officials are assisting in the search for her killer, FBI special agent Martin Culbreth said.

"Our mission is to bring justice for Ashanti, and we will be relentless in our efforts to find who did this to her," he said in his statement. "We will not rest until the person who robbed Ashanti of her life, her promise and her future is held fully accountable under the law."

A landscaper found Billie's body Friday morning behind a church on the 1700 block of Griers Grove Road in Charlotte, local police said. The church, East Stonewall AME Zion Church, is about a mile from Interstate Highway 77 and Interstate Highway 85.

Someone at the church called 911 about 10:35 a.m.

Police arrived and pronounced Billie dead on the scene. It was not immediately clear how long her body had been behind the church.

Billie's family had said Friday that they had been told a body was found but it was not clear if it was Billie's.

"As the family awaits further updates, we ask that you continue to keep us in prayer and pray this is not Ashanti Billie," a statement from the family said.

Billie's body was identified by the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office and Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Police Department. That police department, the FBI, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Virginia Beach Police Department and the Norfolk Police Department searched for Billie, along with her loved ones and volunteers.

More than 75 people combed two Norfolk, Virginia, neighborhoods Thursday, looking for any clues that would lead them to Billie.

Billie was last seen about 5 a.m. on Sept. 18 entering Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Norfolk, where she was an assistant manager at a Blimpie sandwich shop. But police say she never arrived at work.

Her cellphone was found later that day in a dumpster nearly 3 miles away from the base. Neighbors spotted her car Sept. 23 on a dead-end road in the Ocean View section of the city. They told police the car had been there for several days.

On Thursday, a volunteer found a pink shoe near where Billie's car was found, The Virginia Pilot reported. A sweatshirt and phone charger also were found during the search, according to the newspaper. It was not clear if those items are related to her disappearance.

Billie's parents, who both are veterans, said earlier this week they remained hopeful that she would be found.

"Just help me bring my baby, Ashanti, home, please," Brandy Billie said through tears in a video posted to Facebook.

Billie moved to Virginia Beach in August to attend culinary arts classes at the Art Institute of Virginia Beach. She graduated from Henry Wise High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, in 2016.

Anyone with information for the FBI is asked to contact the FBI Norfolk Field Office at 757-455-0100.
The Metropolitan Police Department said two people were shot while inside their car in northeast Washington, D.C., before they drove onto the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Investigators said the shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. Saturday near the intersection of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road. They said the shots were fired from outside the vehicle.

Police said after the shooting, the victims drove to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and exited in Riverdale in Prince Georges County, Maryland. Both people were taken to the Prince Georges Hospital Center.

The conditions of the victims are not known. Police have not released their identities.
Video footage of a model strutting down a runway and falling twice famously made News4's late, great Jim Vance and George Michael laugh uncontrollably on live television.

More than a decade later, and after the moment that has been viewed on YouTube more than 22 million times, News4 has tracked down the model, Kamila Wawrzyniak.

Speaking from Warsaw, Poland, Wawrzyniak told News4's Doreen Gentzler the video makes her laugh too.

"Even though I'm in this video, I find it very hilarious. It's, like, the funniest thing I have ever seen," she said, smiling. "And with those two guys laughing at me, it was even better. It makes me smile every day."

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Wawrzyniak was just 22 and a successful model when she tripped and fell in the 2006 Paris Fashion Week show for British designer Vivienne Westwood. She got up and continued down the runway, but her ankles knocked together and buckled a second time.

As the clip of her falling was shown during a TV broadcast, Vance and Michael lost it.

"There she goes again," Vance said through laughter. He and Michael laughed on live TV for almost a whole minute as anchor Susan Kidd waited alongside them.

Here's what happened: Wawrzyniak's towering high heels weren't the problem. She was used to those. It was the watering can she was holding. Wawrzyniak says that during a rehearsal for the fashion show, the heavy watering can was empty. When it came time for the actual show, the watering can was full and "so super heavy."

As she strutted down the runway, she had to stop to pour water on paper flowers. Some of the water fell onto the runway, making it "super slippery." So, she fell. Twice.

She cried after the show and hurt her ankle, but she still was able to walk in a Dior fashion show that night.

Kidd, the former anchor, said she didn't laugh when Vance and Michael did because she was worried that the model was seriously hurt.

"I feel like now I'm the stick-in-the-mud because I'm the one who wasn't cracking up, but I felt really bad for her," she said. "I'm glad she finds it funny, though."

Wawrzyniak definitely had a sense of humor about it.

"I didn't break my leg. I'm still alive, so everything is fine," she said.

She still works as a model and is pursuing a new career in business and continuing her education.

She said she hopes the video keeps bringing people joy.

"People can continue laughing at me for many more years," she said.
Melania Trump has responded after a Massachusetts school librarian rejected a shipment of 10 Dr. Seuss books sent by the first lady as part of National Read a Book Day.

In a lengthy letter titled Dear Mrs. Trump posted to the Horn Book blog, Cambridgeport Elementary School librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro thanked the first lady for the note she sent to students at the school, but said she was returning the books because "...my school doesnt have a NEED for these books." She added, "Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities...?"

She also suggested that more thought could have gone into the selection of the books, saying that "Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliche..."

The White House responded to NBC Boston's request for comment on Thursday afternoon.

"Mrs. Trump intends to use her platform as First Lady to help as many children as she can. She has demonstrated this in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to schools across the country is but one example," said Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's communications director. "Turning the gesture of sending young school children books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the First Lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere."

Many in Cambridge said they agreed with the school librarian's decision to send back the books.

"The people in the White House need to do some homework on different topics, and Cambridge does not need extra books," resident Dan Trajman said.

"Perhaps the nature of the books that were selected could be a bit more thoughtful as well," noted Chris Walter, the parent of a Cambridgeport Elementary School student.

"Given that we are in Cambridgeport, I think thats to be expected that theyre going to make a political statement," said Natasha Ristivojevic, a Cambridge mother.



Still others were surprised that any school would turn away a cornerstone of learning.

"She should have said thank you to that, not sent them back," parent Renaud Vinson said.

"I think all books are readable," added Maeve Condon. "I think that no matter what your opinion is, if theres multiple, then thats great. That means two kids can take them out at the same time."

Cambridge Public Schools said they support their employees right to voice personal opinions, but noted, "We have counseled the employee on all relevant policies, including donations policies and the policy against public resources being used for political purposes."
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged on Saturday that the United State is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea even as tensions rise over the North's nuclear and missile programs and the countries' leaders spar through bellicose name-calling.

Tillerson said the U.S. was probing North Korea's willingness to talk, and called for a calming of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, adding it was incumbent on the North to halt the missile launches.

"We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation, a blackout," Tillerson told reporters during a visit to China. "We have a couple ... three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them."

No elaboration about those channels or the substance of any discussions came from Tillerson, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials in Beijing.

While Tillerson affirmed that the U.S. would not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, he also said the Trump administration had no intention of trying to oust Kim. "Despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilizing forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war, and the Demilitarized Zone divides North and South Korea.

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the U.S. has restored a diplomatic back-channel between the State Department and North Korea's mission at the United Nations. That's traditionally been a way for the two sides to communicate because they lack formal diplomatic ties.

The main aim of the initial contacts was to seek the freedom of several American citizens imprisoned in North Korea, although U.S. officials have told The Associated Press that there were broader discussions about U.S.-North Korean relations. Those contacts, however, have failed to reduce the deep mistrust between the adversaries and it's unclear to what extent they have endured the current spike in tensions.

North Korea has in recent months tested long-range missiles that potentially could reach the U.S., and on Sept. 3 conducted its largest nuclear test explosion to date. The standoff has entered a new, more dangerous phase since then as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump have exchanged personal insults and threats of war.

"I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down," Tillerson said. "They're a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first." He did not directly address the impact of Trump's own rhetoric.

"Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot," Tillerson said.

Trump gave a combative speech recently at the U.N. General Assembly in which he mocked Kim as "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission." Trump said that if "forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." Kim responded by saying he would "tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire."

Tillerson's stop in the Chinese capital was helping lay the groundwork for a November state visit by Trump, part of a five-nation swing through Asia. Trump has pressed for sterner measures against the North by China, the North's chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Beijing adamantly opposes steps that could bring down Kim's government, but appears increasingly willing to tighten the screws. China has agreed to tough new U.N. penalties that would substantially cut foreign revenue for the isolated North.

On Thursday, Beijing ordered North Korean-owned businesses and ventures with Chinese partners to close by early January, days after it said it would cut off gas and limit shipments of refined petroleum products, effective Jan. 1. China made no mention of crude oil, which makes up the bulk of Chinese energy supplies to North Korea and is not covered by U.N. sanctions.

China has banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore, and seafood since early September. Still, Washington hopes China will exert even greater pressure.

China argues that sanctions alone cannot solve the impasse, and has urged Washington to cool its rhetoric and open a dialogue with North Korea. But the North is coming closer to having a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike America, and says it will only discuss the weapons programs if the U.S. abandons its "hostile policy" toward the North.

This was Tillerson's second visit to China as America's top diplomat. China is the world's No. 2 economy and chief U.S. rival for influence in Asia, and increasingly, the world.

In addition to North Korea, the U.S. and China have other security concerns to address.

They are at odds over Beijing's military buildup and assertive claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea. Trump is also looking to reduce China's massive trade surplus with the U.S.  $347 billion last year  and what American companies say are unfair barriers to investment, including pressure to hand over their technology.

In opening remarks at his meeting with Xi, Tillerson said relations between the sides continue to "grow and mature on the strength of the relationship between yourself and President Trump."

He added: "We look forward to advancing that relationship at the upcoming summit."

Trump and Xi met in April at Trump's estate in Florida. Trump's planned visit next month will come weeks after Xi is expected to receive a new five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party.

The presidents' upcoming meeting promises to be grander and more choreographed than the informal talks in Florida that were most memorable for Trump's ordering a missile strike on Syria and then informing Xi about it afterward as they ate chocolate cake.
What to Know Police said she tried but failed to make child care arrangements for her children  two aged 12, one 7 and the other 6 -- before leaving

The father of one of the kids was called by his child the day after she left for her 12-day excursion, and he tipped off police

The mother was arrested on her return Thursday

An Iowa mother has been jailed after she left her four children home alone while she traveled to Europe for a 12-day vacation in Germany, police said Friday.

Johnston police have charged Erin Macke, 30, with four counts of child endangerment and one of transferring a firearm to a person under 21. Police said the latter charge was filed because a firearm was left at home within the children's reach.

Police said Macke tried but failed to make child care arrangements for her children  two aged 12, one 7 and the other 6  before leaving Sept. 20 for a vacation in Germany. The father of one of the children was called by his child the next day, and he tipped off police that the children had been left unsupervised, Johnston police spokeswoman Janet Wilwerding said Friday.

Johnston police Lt. Tyler Tompkins told Des Moines television station KCCI that Macke's baby sitter options all fell through, so she left the two 12-year-olds in charge.

"They were concerned, they didn't know, they were confused," Tompkins said of the youngsters. "I mean, we're only talking about 12-year-olds being the adults here."

Officers went to the residence Sept. 21 and called the Iowa Human Services Department, which took custody of the children. They have since been released to the care of relatives, Wilwerding said. Police called Macke in Germany, demanding she return.

She had planned to fly home on Sunday.

The mother was arrested on her return Thursday. She remained in custody Friday, according to Polk County Jail records.

Court records don't list the name of an attorney who can comment on her behalf.
A semi truck is filled with emergency supplies, and it's headed to Florida to help out those affect by Hurricane Irma.

The organization CareOne partnered with the New England Patriots and filled this semi with non-perishable items, including water, toiletries, clothing, and other essentials that are needed.

The organization said players generously donated items over time, helping to fill the tractor trailer.

More than 100 million tons of relief supplies have been donated to CareOne.

The organization has three other 18-wheelers like this one that will eventually head to Puerto Rico, after Hurricane Maria destroyed the island.

Many have been left without shelter, electricity, and even food.
From an Advent Open Evening to Carols in the Cloister and an array of special services and concerts with Norwich Cathedral Choir, there is lots to look forward to at Norwich Cathedral this festive season.

From an Advent Open Evening to Carols in the Cloister and an array of special services and concerts with Norwich Cathedral Choir, there is lots to look forward to at Norwich Cathedral this festive season.

Norwich church to hold Sunday healing service Witard Road Baptist Church is hosting a healing service on November 27 led by Rev Ray and Ruth Scorey from Norfolk Healing Rooms. Read more

Sheringham youth attend forbidden church The youth group at Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham were forced to meet at a secret location earlier this month when the Lighthouse building had, supposedly, been shut down by the authorities. Read more

Christmas pud workshop at Norwich church Not made your Christmas pudding yet? Don't know where to start? Come along to a Christmas pudding workshop at Norwich Central Baptist Church on November 21 with MasterChef contestant Jane Wyndham. Read more

Norwich Foodbank provides over 4,700 food parcels Norwich Foodbank gave out 4,793 emergency food parcels to people across Norwich in the last year  with 1,790 of these going to children. Read more

Poppies cascading in Sheringham church A fall of poppies cascades from the pulpit in St Andrews Methodist Church in Sheringham, and anyone is welcome to come and see them. Read more

Bishop Graham's prayers for COP27 climate conference Bishop Graham is publishing daily prayers on social media for the current COP27 climate conference, and is asking all to join. Read more

Discovering the Orange in your life The vibrant colours of autumn have been inspiring regular contributor Jane Walters to focus on the positive. Read more

YMCA annual celebration set to inspire YMCA Norfolk is set to hold its much anticipated 2022 annual celebration and awards ceremony on November 17, after almost 3 years since the last event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Hub manager vacancy at community shop Earlham Community Shop Community Interest Company is looking to appoint a manager for this new venture being developed in the heart of NR5 Norwich. Read more

Abbey Days brings Christmas Magic to Wymondham Visitors to Wymondham Abbeys Christmas fair will be able to treat their children to a magic show and fun baking workshop while they browse more than 60 stalls. Read more

Salvation Armys new Christmas Appeal in Norfolk The Salvation Army has launched their new Christmas appeal across Norfolk which, this year, has evolved from the much-loved Toys and Tins appeal. Read more

Are we storing up treasures on earth? Rising prices affect us all, and Anna Heydon urges us to spare a thought for those who will be struggling with the cost of living this winter. Read more

Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more

Covid leaf memorial at Norwich church St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19 Read more

Community Chaplaincy Norfolk begins a new chapter Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) celebrated the beginning of a new chapter this week, as the new chair of trustees Chris Tomlinson led his first annual meeting. Read more

Lowestoft Christians launch on-line bible helps app The Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth branch of Good News for Everyone (GNFE), formerly the Gideons, have introduced a new mobile phone app called On-line Bible Helps. Read more

Addicts' rehabilitation centre plan for Drayton Hall Christian addiction charity Teen Challenge London is planning to turn Drayton Hall near Norwich into its headquarters and a rehabilitation centre for men, after it was gifted the freehold of the hall by its owner, the Lind Trust. Read more
This week, the GOPs savviest foreign policy expert in the Senate, Tennessees Bob Corker, announced he wont run for re-election in 2018.

No doubt Corker knew hed be primaried by pro-Trump populists who have declared war on mainstream Republicans. (See: Alabama.) But this sober senator had probably tired of chairing the once-powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the Trump era. Why hold serious hearings on weighty issues when theyll be ignored by a president who makes foreign policy by Twitter?

Corkers decision is one more reminder of the dangerous foreign policy confusion that has emerged under the Trump administration. And  apart from North Korea, theres nowhere that confusion is more risky than in Trumps contradictory policies toward the Middle East.

To be fair, any president would have had a tough time with the Mideast mess Trump inherited, the combined product of mistakes by Presidents Bush 43 and Obama along with the chaos of the Arab Spring.

And on the surface, Trump would seem to have returned to a traditional Republican approach to the Mideast: unremitting support for our Sunni Arab allies in the Persian Gulf and Israel, while working to curb Iranian mischief. Add to that bomb the hell out of the Islamic State and make the deal of the century on Israel-Palestine.

But the presidents own lack of discipline and disdain for process have turned his would-be Mideast policy into hash.

Let us count the ways:

Point One. On the Sunni Arab alliance, the president was so entranced by the lavish reception he received from the Saudi royal family that he publicly endorsed its side in a quarrel with Qatar. Thus, Trump helped split the Sunni alliance and distracted its members from a coherent stance toward Iran.

Point Two. On the fight vs. the Islamic State, yes, the president intensified the battle already underway under Obama; the jihadis have been mostly routed from Iraq and partly from Syria. But stabilizing Iraq and Syria in the post-Islamic State era requires skilled American diplomacy with full presidential backing  or else the Islamic State 2.0 will emerge.

In Iraq, for example, Washington still has a key role to play in mediating between factions, including Kurds and an angry Baghdad government after the Kurds Monday independence referendum. Iraqi Sunnis freed from the Islamic State thrall also want U.S. mediation help with the Shiite-led government. A failure to provide it will open the door to a new jihadi explosion  and deeper Iranian penetration of Iraq.

However, Trumps military-only focus and indifference to broad long-term strategy offer little hope that proactive diplomacy will be on offer.

Which leads to Point Three. The United States needs to be talking seriously to Russia about how to stabilize post-Islamic State Syria lest it become another subsidiary of Iran. Shiite militias run by Iran now have access to the Syria-Israel border.

But Trump has made U.S. dialogue with Moscow impossible by his stubborn refusal to criticize Vladimir Putin or Russias interference in the 2016 elections. This makes even necessary dialogue with the Russians suspect.

Point Four. Trump seems to view his foreign policy as a solo operation  tweeting as he sees fit, no matter if this contradicts the positions of his top advisers. Moreover, he appears indifferent to the fact that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is gutting the State Department, leaving few confirmed senior staff to ensure that policy is carried out.

Point Five. Under Trump, foreign policy is a family operation. He appointed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and a personal lawyer as the gurus supposed to bring peace to Israel and the Palestinians. The State Department and National Security Council are out of the picture.

This is a farce that is going nowhere. Can you imagine the reaction if a President Hillary Clinton had appointed her son-in-law, Marc Mezvinsky, to make Mideast peace?

Point Six. Most unnerving, the presidents strategic blindness threatens to put the Iranian ayatollahs back on a short-term path to a bomb.

Despite opposition from his top security advisers, Trump is reportedly about to refuse to certify by Oct. 15 that Iran is in compliance with the deal that sharply curtails their nuclear program for the next decade. That will leave the door open for Congress to reinstate sanctions, which would effectively kill the deal.

Americas top military chiefs, along with Tillerson, say Iran is in compliance. The five other participants in the deal, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China, oppose Trumps stance and would refuse to lift their sanctions. Corker, although an Iran hawk, has said Trump shouldnt tear up the deal.

If he does, Washington would be left as the outlier and Iran would have the option to restart its nuclear program. Chances of negotiating a second deal to end Irans missile tests or extend the deals time frame would be nil.

Trump is all alone on this one, except for his base. But there can be no sane Mideast policy with a president who envisions it in terms of domestic politics  and thinks he has all the answers.

No wonder Corker is planning to retire.
Thousands attend 'simply awesome' village beer festival

THERE was a Buuurgh-rilliant atmosphere in Burghfield as the village hosted another successful beer and music festival at the weekend.

Around 3,000 people are thought to have attended the villages annual Burghfest, held on the recreation ground on Friday and Saturday.

The event is staged by the Burghfield Santas, a group of residents who put on events to raise money for charity.

One of the Santas, Christian Frankum, said: We would describe this years event as simply awesome. A fantastic weekend for everyone in the community.

We were blessed with the weather, talented local bands and amazing breweries.

West Berkshire has a lot to be proud of and we had it all at Burghfest this year.

People certainly enjoyed themselves, consuming 62 casks of beer (4,464 pints); 51 boxes of cider (1,785 pints); 4,500 pints of real ale; 2,200 glasses of wine and fizz, plus 450 pints of lager.

Burghfest is one of four events held by the Santas, who raise money for the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

This years festival is thought to have raised around 10,000 for the charity, contributing to a pot of 35,000 raised in a year by the Santas, plus 10,000 for other local charities.

The Santas other events include the Bunny Hop, Box-kart and Santa Cruise.

For more information, go to www.BurghfieldSantas.org.uk
Sana Shakil By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday made the much-awaited announcement of appointments of new governors in five states and a new Lieutenant Governor in the union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The states which got new governors are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu which finally got its first full-time Governor after a year amid the continuing political crisis.

A statement from the Presidents office said that the appointments will come into effect from the date the incumbents assume charge of the new posts.

Sources say that the President would soon appoint governors in few other states such as Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as the appointments have been due for quite some time in these states too.

Here is the brief profile of the five states, the Union territory and the six people who will don the constitutional hats.

Banwarilal Purohit in Tamil Nadu

Banwarilal Purohit, who was the Governor of Assam till now, was appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu. Among all the newly appointed governors, Purohit is likely to have the most eventful tenure given the political turmoil within the ruling party AIADMK. Purohit (77) will be replacing Ch Vidyasagar Rao who was holding the additional charge of Tamil Nadu while being the governor of Maharashtra.

There had been demands of appointment of a full-time governor in view of the political situation in the southern state.

The post of Tamil Nadu governor freed last year when K Rosaiah retired. Purohit is a veteran politician from Nagpur, the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Purohits first litmus test as the governor could come soon as a breakaway faction of AIADK has been threatening to dethrone chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami.

The matter is currently in court but the courts decision could give Purohit his first major task: calling a floor test while all parties will obviously keep a close watch on Purohits each move. Purohit has a history of juggling political.

He also launched his own party once. He was sacked from the Congress for taking part in kar seva in Ayodhya in 1991 and this is when he first joined BJP.

However, he again went back to Congress in 1999 only to return to the BJP.

Purohit was a two-time MLA and a three-time MP from Nagpur. He is also the managing editor of English daily Hitavada, founded in 1911 by Gopal Krishna Gokhle.

Also Read | Ten things you should know about Tamil Nadu's newly appointed governor Banwarilal Purohit

Jagdish Mukhi: Few facts about Assam's new Governor

Jagdish Mukhi in Assam

Mukhi, the Lieutenant governor of Andaman & Nicobar islands, will now replace Purohit in Assam. Mukhi, a BJP veteran, previously held various profiles in the Delhi Government such as Finance, Planning, Excise & Taxation and Higher Education.

In the Delhi Assembly, he led the Opposition for almost ten years and represented the Delhis Janakpuri constituency for several terms starting 1980, winning the seat seven times.

Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi in Andaman & Nicobar islands

Mukhis charge will be taken over by Joshi who was appointed as the Lieutenant governor of Andaman & Nicobar islands.

Joshi was the Chief of Naval Staff from 31 August 2012 to 26 February 2014. He had resigned in the middle of his tenure as Navy chief in 2014 following a spate of accidents that had raised serious questions about the safety record of the force, becoming the first armed forces chief to quit since Independence. He was to retire in August 2015.

Joshi has to his credit the Param Vishist Seva Medal, the Ati Vishist Seva medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Nau Sena Medal and the Vishist Seva Medal. He has also worked as Defence Adviser in the Indian High Commission in Singapore from 1996 to 1999.

Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retired) in Arunachal Pradesh

Mishra, who has served in various wars and operational roles for the nation, was appointed the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh did not have a full-time governor since the sacking of Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa on September 12, 2016. Nagaland governor Padmanabha Acharya was holding the additional charge of the state since then.

Mishra retired from the Indian Army on July 31, 1995, as Brigadier, after an illustrious career in the Forces, beginning as a permanent regular infantry officer, on December 17, 1961. It was Mishra who led a team of Black Cat Commandos in 1993 that rescued all the passengers safely of hijacked Indian Airlines plane on April 24, 1993.

Satya Pal Malik in Bihar

Former Union minister Satya Pal Malik was appointed the Governor of politically sensitive state Bihar. Malik has held many important positions in both Centre and State.

The vacancy arose in Bihar Raj Bhavan after its former occupant Kovind was elected as President of India. 71-year-old Malik was Minister of state in the 1990s and is a three-term Parliamentarian. He has also been the Chairman and member of many important Parliamentary Committees during his long political career.

Ganga Prasad in Meghalaya

Prasad, a senior BJP leader from Bihar who has served the party in various capacities, was appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya. Prasad was an MLC in Bihar for 18 years. He led the Opposition as an MLC for five of those years.

NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday made the much-awaited announcement of appointments of new governors in five states and a new Lieutenant Governor in the union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The states which got new governors are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu which finally got its first full-time Governor after a year amid the continuing political crisis. A statement from the Presidents office said that the appointments will come into effect from the date the incumbents assume charge of the new posts. Sources say that the President would soon appoint governors in few other states such as Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as the appointments have been due for quite some time in these states too. Here is the brief profile of the five states, the Union territory and the six people who will don the constitutional hats. Banwarilal Purohit in Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit, who was the Governor of Assam till now, was appointed as the Governor of Tamil Nadu. Among all the newly appointed governors, Purohit is likely to have the most eventful tenure given the political turmoil within the ruling party AIADMK. Purohit (77) will be replacing Ch Vidyasagar Rao who was holding the additional charge of Tamil Nadu while being the governor of Maharashtra. There had been demands of appointment of a full-time governor in view of the political situation in the southern state. The post of Tamil Nadu governor freed last year when K Rosaiah retired. Purohit is a veteran politician from Nagpur, the headquarters of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Purohits first litmus test as the governor could come soon as a breakaway faction of AIADK has been threatening to dethrone chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami. The matter is currently in court but the courts decision could give Purohit his first major task: calling a floor test while all parties will obviously keep a close watch on Purohits each move. Purohit has a history of juggling political. He also launched his own party once. He was sacked from the Congress for taking part in kar seva in Ayodhya in 1991 and this is when he first joined BJP. However, he again went back to Congress in 1999 only to return to the BJP. Purohit was a two-time MLA and a three-time MP from Nagpur. He is also the managing editor of English daily Hitavada, founded in 1911 by Gopal Krishna Gokhle. Also Read | Ten things you should know about Tamil Nadu's newly appointed governor Banwarilal Purohit Jagdish Mukhi: Few facts about Assam's new Governor Jagdish Mukhi in Assam Mukhi, the Lieutenant governor of Andaman & Nicobar islands, will now replace Purohit in Assam. Mukhi, a BJP veteran, previously held various profiles in the Delhi Government such as Finance, Planning, Excise & Taxation and Higher Education. In the Delhi Assembly, he led the Opposition for almost ten years and represented the Delhis Janakpuri constituency for several terms starting 1980, winning the seat seven times. Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi in Andaman & Nicobar islands Mukhis charge will be taken over by Joshi who was appointed as the Lieutenant governor of Andaman & Nicobar islands. Joshi was the Chief of Naval Staff from 31 August 2012 to 26 February 2014. He had resigned in the middle of his tenure as Navy chief in 2014 following a spate of accidents that had raised serious questions about the safety record of the force, becoming the first armed forces chief to quit since Independence. He was to retire in August 2015. Joshi has to his credit the Param Vishist Seva Medal, the Ati Vishist Seva medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Nau Sena Medal and the Vishist Seva Medal. He has also worked as Defence Adviser in the Indian High Commission in Singapore from 1996 to 1999. Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retired) in Arunachal Pradesh Mishra, who has served in various wars and operational roles for the nation, was appointed the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh did not have a full-time governor since the sacking of Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa on September 12, 2016. Nagaland governor Padmanabha Acharya was holding the additional charge of the state since then. Mishra retired from the Indian Army on July 31, 1995, as Brigadier, after an illustrious career in the Forces, beginning as a permanent regular infantry officer, on December 17, 1961. It was Mishra who led a team of Black Cat Commandos in 1993 that rescued all the passengers safely of hijacked Indian Airlines plane on April 24, 1993. Satya Pal Malik in Bihar Former Union minister Satya Pal Malik was appointed the Governor of politically sensitive state Bihar. Malik has held many important positions in both Centre and State. The vacancy arose in Bihar Raj Bhavan after its former occupant Kovind was elected as President of India. 71-year-old Malik was Minister of state in the 1990s and is a three-term Parliamentarian. He has also been the Chairman and member of many important Parliamentary Committees during his long political career. Ganga Prasad in Meghalaya Prasad, a senior BJP leader from Bihar who has served the party in various capacities, was appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya. Prasad was an MLC in Bihar for 18 years. He led the Opposition as an MLC for five of those years.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low around 30F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected..

Tonight

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low around 30F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 70%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.
The MINI JCW Pro Edition was introduced in India yesterday and only 20 units will be available for booking exclusively on Amazon India.

The MINI JCW Pro Edition will be available as a Completely- Built up Unit (CBU) in India. This limited edition combines the already powerful MINI 3-Door Cooper S with the John Cooper Works Tuning Kit, along with original John Cooper Works Accessories. While the John Cooper Works Pro Tuning Kit boosts the performance of the car, the JCW accessories simply take the MINI experience to the next level making it a refined statement of style.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, The MINI JCW Pro Edition is inspired by the racing DNA of John Cooper Works that combines distinctive style with legendary driving dynamics and the classic MINI go-kart feeling. Available only on Amazon India, the limited MINI JCW Pro Edition with its irresistible character and high performance capabilities, not only compliments the MINI 3-Door Cooper S but also balances the practicality of a car for everyday use.

The MINI JCW Pro Edition is available at an ex-showroom price of Rs 43, 90, 000.

The MINI JCW Pro Edition is available in a choice of two exciting exterior colours, Midnight Black and British Racing Green. The exclusive matte black bonnet and rear stripes accented by a red pinstripe reinforces the sporty look. The LED headlights surrounded by trim rings in black, brightens the road ahead with superior visibility. Coupled with the JCW aerodynamic package and John Cooper Works emblem at the rear, the MINI JCW Pro Edition is a symbol of supreme performance and racing passion.

The 17 cosmos spoke black alloys, with the 205 profile tyres provide an aggressive stance whilst maintaining the sporty look of the car. The John Cooper Works Tuning Kit features Carbon Fibre finished dual pipe exhausts and controllable exhaust valve systems.

MINI JCW Pro Edition Interior. (Image: Mini)

The interior features a design that strikes the perfect balance between racing pedigree and luxury, with premium workmanship quality in every small detail. The distinctive John Cooper Works Sport Seats with integrated headrests, designed in Alcantara Leather with contrasting Red Dinamica keeps you secured in place as you enjoy the incredible power beneath you. The JCW Steering wheel designed with perforated leather and red stitching comes with the paddle shifters and the automatically adjusted steering sensitivity aids performance driving while keeping the adrenaline flow steady.

The MINI JCW Pro Edition comes with a high contrast MINI Head-Up Display, which provides information regarding the media outputs, navigation and telephone options directly in the line of sight for the driver. Harman Kardon Hi-Fi Audio System, featuring 12 high performance speakers and an eight-channel digital amplifier, delivers 360 watts of crisp, natural and powerful sound.

The 210hp with TwinPower Turbo engine kicks from 0-100 km/hr in a stomach-lurching 6.5 seconds. The 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with TwinPower Turbo delivers upto 300 Nm of Torque.

The 6-speed automatic steptronic transmission, allows for quicker, smoother shifts that can be controlled via the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Plus, with the added functionality of Launch Control, the racing pedigree of this MINI is well and truly up for display.

The three MINI Driving Modes enable an individualised vehicle set-up focusing on either ride comfort, sportiness or efficiency, according to preference. In addition to the standard MID mode, the Sport mode is geared towards active driving fun while the Green mode supports fuel-efficient driving. The Electronic Damper Control sets the suspension of the car dependant on the driving mode that has been selected. Green and MID modes allow for a softer suspension setting for city driving. However, when the roads allow, in Sport mode, the true go-kart handling of the vehicle can be exploited.

The MINI JCW Pro Edition is stacked with cutting-edge safety technology. The standard safety equipment comprises of Front and Passenger Airbags, Brake Assist, 3-Point Seat Belts, Dynamic Stability Control, Crash Sensor, Anti-lock Braking System, Cornering Brake Control and Run-flat Indicator.

Also Watch: New Maruti Suzuki S-Cross (2017) First Drive Review | Cars18
New Delhi: At a time when the government has argued that concept of marital rape does not exist and the Supreme Court has ruled that girls between the ages of 15 and 17 cannot claim to be victims of rape if the accused is their husband, a member of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has said that consensual sex between 16 or 17 years olds should not be an offence.

Calling for amendments to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012, Priyank Kanoongo, Member  RTE and Education, NCPCR, told News18 that this Act was made without consulting members of civil society and most of the time victims are the ones who battle with cases lodged by either angry parents or relatives.

Visit an observation home and see that boys who are aged between 15 and 18 are locked up and are charged under POCSO Act. In most cases, the boy and the girl were friends I met a boy in Meerut where he used to roam around with his girlfriend on the bike and when her family members saw him, they charged him under POCSO. These kind of things are happening and it is a fact that if there is a 17 years old boy and a 16 years old girl who establish sexual relations consensually, then whether to make it an offence or not should be reviewed. Hence, POCSO Act needs amendment, Kanoongo said.

Regarding Uniform Civil Code, Kanoongo said that NCPCR has recently submitted its recommendation to the Law Commission stating that education must be included under the ambit of UCC and that elementary education has to be uniform across India, apart from education imparted by Madrasas or Vedic schools.

We have urged the Law Commission that education be made a part of the Uniform Civil Code. Article 21A of the constitution says that every child must get fundamental right to education. The minority educational institutions are outside the purview of RTE Act. In 2002, there was the 86th amendment to the Constitution and education was made a fundamental right, especially elementary education. To implement this amendment, RTE Act was passed in 2009 but in 2012, the minority segment became outside the purview of the RTE Act. Now the children suffer and the fundamental rights are denied. RTE Act cannot be outside the purview of the Constitution. If it becomes a reality, then it will have effect on Madrasas, Vedic schools, etc because elementary education is the right of every child. We have to find out ways so that religious education may continue, but uniform education will be a must. I am sure this will soon be extended to the age of 18 years, Kanoongo said.

This statement comes soon after Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has stopped the grant to 46 madrasas, which were not functioning as per the standards set by the government.

On the probability of UCC, Kanoongo said I believe that people must have their religious freedom but the rights which the Constitution has guaranteed to individuals must be availed uniformly by one and all.

Apart from including education under the ambit of UCC, NCPCR member also said that child marriages were a reality in India. He said, If half of the population believes in Shariat, then how can it be done away with?

This observation comes soon after a conflict between POCSO and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was revealed when the courts stated that when a man has sex with his wife who is below 18, then it is not rape. However, an NGO submitted that Section 42A of POCSO Act, overrode other Sections of the IPC. The court reiterated its stand, refusing to consider sexual intercourse between a woman who is 15-17 years old and her husband, with or without her consent, as rape.

Kanoongo said neither will people who follow Shariat stop this practice, nor can you force the primitive tribal people to change their customs.

There is no question of marital rape. If half of the population believes in Shariat, then how can it be done away with? The marriages which occur in accordance with Muslim Personal Law generally take place with women who are in their teens. The others are primitive tribes who resort to customary practices and are beyond the legal purview. How will you stop them? The tribal people from the Santhal district also resort to such marriages like Ghotol in Odisha and Jharkhand. Here the boys and girls aged between 16 and 17 like each and other and spend time in the jungle before tying the knot. So the government is correct in saying that it is a reality and you cannot stop tribal customary practices. These practices can be stopped only by awareness, said Kanoongo.
New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar, the Rajya Sabha MP, has been at the receiving end of politicians' anger for his poor attendance in the upper house of the Parliament.

He has been often called passive at best, and rarely stood to ask a question in the Rajya Sabha. However, if the government had heeded his call, lives of 22 people - who died in the stampede on the footover bridge at Mumbai's Elphinstone road station - might have been saved.

In 2016, Sachin Tendulkar had asked the railway ministry if it had identified high-density railway stations with just a single bridge and if it was planning to construct additional bridges to accommodate more people during peak hours.

In August the same year, Minister of State Railways, responded to Tendulkar's question, saying the provision of five new footover bridges, one each at Bhayandar, Elphinstone Road, Kandiwali, Khar Road and Virar railway stations on Western Railway had been sanctioned.

More than a year later, on Friday, the then MoS' words had merely proved to be a rhetoric, with no action taken on the poor state of the narrow footover bridge.

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant had also repeatedly requested for the overhauling of the same bridge. Former Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu had sanctioned an amount of Rs 11.86 crore under Passenger Amenities to upgrade the Elphinstone Road station, but the work hadn't begun.

A large number of people gathered on this footover bridge on Friday morning when heavy rains lashed the area. According to Railway PRO, a person slipped and chaos ensued, leading to a stampede, killing 22 people and injuring scores of others.
New Delhi: Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui has said it was time for India and China to turn the old page and start a new chapter, stressing that the countries have made a lot of progress at bilateral level.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen earlier this month, and the two leaders sent a clear message of "reconciliation" and "cooperation", he said on Friday in remarks which come in the backdrop of the Doklam row.

"We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and direction. We should dance together. We should make one plus one eleven. China is the largest trading partner of India. We have made a lot of progress at the bilateral level, as well as in international and regional affairs," Luo said.

The Chinese envoy was speaking on the 68th anniversary of founding of the People's Republic of China.

India and China, who went to war in 1962, share an uneasy relationship and territorial dispute is a major bone of contention between the two countries.

The two nations recently agreed to disengagement of troops in Dokalam where their armies were locked in a stand- off for over two months.

The Chinese diplomat also recalled one of his teachers, Prof Xu Fancheng, who lived in Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry from 1945 to 1978. Xu is known for his work of translating Upanishad, Bhagawad Gita and Shakuntala from Sanskrit to Chinese.

"In our bilateral engagement, there have been thousands of prominent persons like Prof Xu Fancheng, (Buddhist monk) Bodhidharma, Faxian (a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India in the 3rd century) and Rabindranath Tagore.

"We should never forget their contribution and legacies.

The history could do a lot of things. Standing on their shoulders, we should do more today," Luo said.

The Chinese envoy added that the speed of Chinese high- speed trains from Beijing to Shanghai was increased from 300 kmph to 350 kmph two weeks ago.

"We have started the feasibility study of hyperloop trains at the speed of 1,000 to 4,000 kmph," he said.

He added that the high-speed trains were one of the four latest inventions of China.
Lucknow: Fake currency with a face value of Rs 16 lakh and the equipment to print them were seized after the arrest of five people involved in the international racket, police said on Saturday.

Some illegal foreign currency were also seized from them, the UP Police said in a statement.

Mushtaq Ahmed Khan Gojar, a resident of Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir; Praveen Kumar, a resident of Kanpur Dehat district; Pankaj Saini of Moradabad district, and Neeraj Saini and Gajendra Saini of Amroha have been arrested.

"Pankaj Saini, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan Gojar and Neeraj Saini were arrested from Hasanpur in Amroha. Gajendra Saini was arrested from Moradabad, while Praveen Kumar was arrested from Gurugram's DLF Colony," the police said.

Police seized fake currency with a face value of Rs 15.13 lakh, half-prepared fake currency notes having a value of Rs 1.07 lakh, Rs 27,000 in genuine currency, one USD, Rs 500 Kyat currency, Malaysian currency in denominations of 5, 10 and 20, two Thai currency notes of 100 each, paper for printing the currency and ink.

Police have also recovered a computer, printer, Internet router, PAN card, identity documents, debit card and passport.

A case for counterfeiting currency-notes; using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes; possession of forged or counterfeit currency-notes and making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting currency-notes or bank-notes has been registered.

During interrogation, Gajendra told police that he had visited Bangkok twice and Malaysia once, and had met Zaid Khan alias Gulzar Khan, a resident of Karachi (Pakistan), a fake currency smuggler, police said.
Mumbai: Five Shiv Sena members on Saturday attacked the forensic head of King Edward Memorial Hospital, Dr Harish Pathak, and tried to scribble a number on his forehead. Two of the attackers have been detained by the police and are being questioned.

The Sena members said they were angered by the hospitals decision to identify the victims of the stampede at Mumbais Elphinstone station by marking a number on their foreheads. They said that marking the victims like this was disrespectful to them.

Dr Pathak, however, reasoned that it was only done this way so that the relatives of the dead would not have to see all the bodies. We took photos of the faces of all the victims, numbered them and displayed it to the relatives, he said, adding that hundreds of people had been streaming into the hospital looking for their relatives and it was already chaotic.

He said that once the victims were identified, the numbers were erased and the bodies were handed over. He said that the intention was only speedy identification and not to hurt anyones sentiments.

Following the attack, however, some hospital staff have refused to return to duty, fearing for their safety.

A police officer said that a case will be registered against the two men under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code. We have found membership identity-card of the Shiv Sena from one of the accused, the officer said, adding that more persons involved in the assault are being identified.

Twenty-three people were killed and 39 others were injured after a stampede broke out on a crowded foot overbridge connecting Elphinstone and Parel stations in Mumbai on Friday morning. It is not yet clear what triggered the stampede, but eyewitness accounts suggest it was the heavy downpour coupled with the rumours of the bridge collapsing or a short circuit.

The government has ordered a high-level probe into the incident. A compensation of Rs 10 lakh was announced for kin of the deceased - Rs 5 lakh from Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Rs 5 lakh from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The stampede has once again put the focus on the outdated infrastructure of Mumbais rail network. Sachin Tendulkar, more than a 100 twitter users and two Shiv Sena MPs had warned that it was a tragedy waiting to happen, but the railways ministry failed to take action in time.
Mumbai: Hours after the deaths of 22 people in a stampede at the Elphinstone Road station, it became clear that the Railways ignored a CAG report, warnings tweeted by concerned Mumbaikars, and alarm calls raised by Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant.

In what further indicts Western Railways negligence over the tragedy, documents accessed by CNN-News18 show officials allotted only Rs 1,000 to renovate the bridge out of nearly Rs 12 crore that had been sanctioned by then railway minister Suresh Prabhu.

The pink book of the Western Railways is an official document which lists the amount sanctioned and the allocation made for respective projects.

Point number 673 in the pink book pertains to the footover bridge at Elphinstone Road station which was to be formally named Prabhadevi railway station on Friday, the day tragedy struck.

The amount allotted to the bridge in 2016-2017 is mentioned as Rs 1,000, while the total sanctioned cost was Rs 12 crore. The allotment for the current fiscal was raised to Rs 35 lakh.

A source in the Railway Minister said the amount is representational. Once work on a project begins, money is allocated. This amount is just representational as the detailed estimates had not been approved so far. Tender is due to be issued on November 9.

The Western Railways pink book accessed by CNN-News18.

But railway experts who have served with the government disputed this claim.

Its a chicken and egg story. No work begins without funds being allocated. This includes even the pre-tendering work like planning, approval of drawings, finalisation of estimates, tender documents, invitation of tender and award of works, says Sanjeev Shivesh who has worked extensively on fast train projects.

The stampede killed 22 people and injured 40 on Friday when commuters sought refuge from heavy rains at the footover bridge.

Sources said the stampede might have been triggered when one person slipped on the wet floor.

Police are now examining CCTV footage and video clips shot by onlookers to find out what exactly led to the deadly stampede.
Mumbai: Veteran theatre, film and television actor Tom Alter has passed away. He was 67. According to the family sources, Alter, who was battling skin cancer, passed away on Friday night at his residence in Mumbai.

"It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father. Tom passed away Friday night at home with his family and close family members in attendance. We ask for their privacy to be respected at this time," statement released on behalf of his family read.

Indian actor of American descent, Alter was the son of American missionary parents. He was born in 1950 in Mussoorie. He studied at Woodstock School in Mussoorie and later at Pune's Film and Television Institute.

The actor appeared in over 300 films which included Satyajit Ray's acclaimed movie "Shatranj Ke Khiladi" and "Junoon".

His first Hindi film to be released was Ramanand Sagar's Charas in 1976. His acting credits also include "Aashiqui", "Parinda", "Sardar Patel" and "Gandhi".

In television, Alter's work ranged from "Bharat Ek Khoj" to "Shaktimaan". He also worked in Bengali, Assamese and Telugu cinema. A cricket enthusiast, he also wrote for several sporting journals and was a published author.

His last film was "Sargoshiyan" with Alok Nath and Farida Jalal. The film released in May this year. Alter's presence in theatre has been noteworthy as well. His play, "In Ghalib In Delhi", was performed across the country. He played the lead role of legendary poet Mirza Ghalib.

Alter was also a sports journalist and was the first person to interview Sachin Tendulkar for TV when the cricketer was yet to debut for India. The actor was awarded Padma Shri in 2008 for his services to the field of arts and cinema.

Alter is survived by his wife Carol, son Jamie, and daughter Afshaan.
Durga Puja is one of the rare occasions when Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee comes out in front of the shutterbugs while offering prayers to the goddess. The actress was recently clicked by the photographers at a Durga Puja pandal, where she was joined by none other than her Saawariya co-star Ranbir Kapoor. The young actor shared a warm hug with his first co-star, as they had a quick catch-up chat in front of Durga idol.

The two shared screen space in Kapoor's debut film in 2007, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, where Rani played the role of a prostitute who befriends Ranbir's character and helps him convey his feelings to Sonam's character in the film.

Draped in a beige Saari, Rani looked simply beautiful as she paired the fabric with a contrasting orange blouse. Rani also met Maine Pyaar Kia famed actress Bhagyashree in the same pandal.

Ranbir was also clicked serving food to the people, as they excitedly clicked pictures of the young heartthrob. The actor had come to the pandal with his best friend Ayan Mukherji and Alia Bhatt. The trio is all set to work together in sci-fi romance, soon.

Looks like the Mahanavmi celebrations became a starry affair for people inside the pandal.

(All Images by Yogen Shah)
Los Angeles: Rapper 50 Cent has claimed that Donald Trump's team had offered him $500,000 to make an appearance in his presidential campaign.

The rapper revealed about the proposal during an interview this week with US radio station Hot 97, reported The Guardian.

The musician-actor was discussing the Trump administration when he mentioned the US President's proposal. He said that he believed it was motivated by a desire to appeal to black voters.

"Before he got elected, they were having issues with the African-American vote," said the rapper, whose real name is Curtis Jackson.

"They wanted to pay me $500,000 as part of the campaign just to make an appearance."

Jackson revealed that he turned down the offer, as it would have spoilt his reputation.

"I was like, Nah, that's not good money'," he said, adding: "That's not worth it!"

Earlier, 50 Cent also shared his thoughts on Trump on US chat show The View, saying "we gotta get rid of him".

He is currently enjoying success with Netflix's crime thriller Power, which he has produced and stars in as drug dealer Kanan Starks.
New Delhi: Kashmir, Rohingya, cow protection, economy, Kerala, Bengal and nationalism  the annual Vijaya Dashami speech of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat touched on most topics dominating political discourse today. The speech  marking the Right-wing organisations foundation day  is considered an ideological statement, which various Sangh Parivar affiliates follow in forming their action plan.

Cow

Gau rakshaks (cow protectors), who are piously involved in protecting the bovine, got Bhagwats backing, as he distinguished between them and the criminals... involved in violent activities.

It is unfair to link the cow protectors or entire activity of cow protection with violent incidents or communal feelings without knowing or neglecting the facts, said Bhagwat, adding, Many followers of the Muslim faith are also involved in... cow protection, cow promotion and management of gaushalas.

Holding the cow as an object of reverence, Bhagwat blamed the nefarious campaign going on against the cow-protection for unnecessarily creating tension among the people of different religions.

He asked the cow protectors to not worry over well-intentioned statements by highly placed persons in the government or remarks made by the Supreme Court.

Bhagwats remarks come two years and a day after Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched on the suspicion of having eaten beef, by the villagers of Dadri, in Uttar Pradesh. Since then hundreds of incidents of violence in the name of cow protection have been reported from across the country. In July this year, taking note of the incidents of cow vigilantism, the Supreme Court had asked the states to check such violence.

Bhagwat, however, said only people who are criminals and involved in violent activities should be bothered about that.

Vested interests are misinterpreting these statements to influence the larger public opinion, said Bhagwat, and asked the government to stay away from such misinterpretation and ensure that criminals get penalised and the innocents are not troubled.

The legal and virtuous work of cow protection and cow promotion will go on in the interest of the people and will increase in coming days, he said.

Kashmir

Bhagwat called for constitutional amendments for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir to be assimilated with the rest of Bharat. The RSS and the BJP have historically opposed the constitutional provisions given to Kashmir  Article 370 that grants special autonomous status to the state and Article 35A that lets the state legislature define permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir, providing them special rights and privileges.

On Tuesday, J&Ks deputy chief minister, Nirmal Singh, said that as a BJP member repealing Artcile 370 remained dear to his party, which is part of the PDP-led coalition government in the state.

Bhagwat blamed discriminatory provisions in the state of Jammu and Kashmir for denying the people living in the miserable state of refugees their fundamental rights.

These refugees, according to him, are the generations who decided to stay in Bharat and remain Hindu.

The problems of permanent residents of state who migrated from Pakistan occupied Jammu-Kashmir in 1947 and the people who were displaced from the Kashmir valley in 1990 are remaining as they were. We have to create conditions so that our these brothers can lead a happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians by availing equal democratic rights and fulfilling democratic duties, even while remaining firm and devoted to their religions and national identity, said Bhagwat.

For this, the old provisions will have to be changed.

The RSS chief called for transparent and clean administration in the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir.

He appreciated the determination with which terrorist infiltration and firing from across the border are being dealt with and how the provocative actions and the propaganda of separatists is been effectively controlled by curbing their illegal financial sources. The positive effects of strategy to neutralize the terrorists are now visible on the ground, said Bhagwat.

Rohingya

The Rohingya community got no recognition of refugees needing protection in Bhagwats speech. Instead, he compared them to illegal Bangladeshi migrants and said Rohingya had infiltrated India.

Late August onwards, an estimated 5 lakh members of the Muslim Rohingya community have fled Rakhine, their home state in Myanmar, to escape threats and religious persecution.

Bhagwat, however, said, Links between Rohingya and Jihadi elements are coming to light.

If such elements come to India, they may have an impact on our security situation. Why do the Rohingya want to come to India? We need to study their background. They will not only put pressure on our jobs, resources but will pose a threat to nations security. We had not even completely solved the problem of Bangladeshi intrusion when Myanmars problems has been heaped on us, he added.

They are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with the terrorist groups, said Bhagwat, dismissing all reports of religious persecution to the community in Myanmar. The United Nations, on Friday, called it a humanitarian and human rights nightmare.

Bhagwat said a decision regarding the community must be made keeping threat to national security in mind. He added that the government seems to be thinking on the same line, referring to the BJP-led Centre calling them illegal migrants who can be deported.

Bengal and Kerala

Bhagwat took potshots at the two states staunchly resisting the BJP  Bengal, ruled by Mamta Banerjees Trinamool Congress and Kerala, headed by the CPI(M). He blamed the state governments and their systematically politicised administrative systems for letting anti-national forces stimulate unrest, separatism, violence, enmity or hatred amongst group or local identities on the basis of language, region, sects, religion etc.

The states, he said, were not only apathetic to this national crisis but also lending a helping hand to the anti-national forces for petty political interests.

Left-ruled Kerala has long been the ground for violent clashes between workers of the Right wing and the Left party. Reportedly, of the 96 political killings since 1995, 42 were of people associated with the BJP-RSS and 40 of those with the Left. The BJP is now holding campaigns against political violence in the state.

Economy

Bhagwat called for an economic policy that would protect the informal sector and ensure its stability.

While reforming and cleaning the economic systems, although some tremors and instability is expected, it should be kept in mind that these sectors should feel the minimum heat and ultimately they should get the maximum strength, he said.

Bhagwat chastised the NITI Aayog-backed economic policies, saying , Our NITI Aayog and economic advisers of the states will have to come out of the same old economic isms, and will have to integrate the most up-to-date economic experiences with the ground reality of our nation.

For the good of this informal economy, the small, medium industry, the cooperative sector, the agro allied sector, he called on people to relentlessly insist on buying the Swadeshi products while fulfilling their daily needs and doing other purchases.

Environment

Putting forward Indias leadership role globally, Bhagwat said India stood firm in its international commitments to counter climate change, when even the US went back on its commitment to the Paris Accord. The 2016 Paris Agreement  under which UN member nations committed to fighting climate change, through their own nationally determined contributions  suffered a blow this June when US president Donald Trump announced the countrys withdrawal.

Nationalism

Bhagwat built his speech around his definition of nationalism, calling on intellectuals and thinkers to get rid of the ill-effects of the colonial thought and mindset that make us self-abominating, confused and murky.

We have forgotten our history and our heritage. People from outside teach us about it and we realise that yes, we are great, said Bhagwat.

He quoted Sister Nivedita, a British social worker and follower of Vivekananda: Samaj is the strength of the family. The home is behind the civic life and the civic life sustains the nationality. We have the essentials of all four elements among us, in our ancient Dharma but we have allowed much of their consciousness to sleep. We have again to realize the meaning of our own treasure.

The western concept of the nation, said Bhagwat, was linked to power and state. Indian society, on the other hand, was not an artificial notion but a rashtra based on sanskriti and people. Our eternal life values that envision humanity as a global family, is our collective bonding spirit, he added.

The society has to stand together for the sake of a proud nation. Only then will the countrys thinkers be free of views with foreign perspectives. A nation is always born, it is not made with artificial practices, Bhagwat said.
Patna: Come October 2, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, and you will see Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in a new Avatar. He has announced to wage a war against dowry, child marriage and other social evils with a view that social backwardness is one of the biggest hurdles in the development of the state.

Nitish Kumar has already directed his partymen not to attend any marriage in which they suspect dowry might have exchanged hands. He will also announce a crusade against child marriage, a menace Bihar has not been able to tackle. A recent report says that about 39 percent of all marriages in the state, much higher than the national average, are child marriages.

During his tenure as chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar has successfully consolidated women population, regardless of caste and community, as his constituency. In his first term (2005-2010), he started the scheme of providing bicycles and uniforms to girl students which proved a game changer and resulted in a phenomenal increase in school enrollments.

Nitish struck a chord with women which no chief minister was able to establish before. During his Yatras in his second term as the CM (2010-15), many women complained to him for allowing liquor shops almost in every village which compelled Nitish and his party Janata Dal (United) to take a U-turn.

He made total prohibition a poll promise during 2015 assembly election, which he was fighting in alliance with RJD, and after getting elected, fulfilled that promise on April 5, 2016. This decision has further spiked his popularity among women.

Now on warpath against social evils, Nitish is all set to take legislative routes and change the constitution of the party, if required, to meet his new goals. He has decided to extend his zero tolerance against crime and corruption to a new level. Nitish's close aide and party's general secretary Sanjay Jha says, "Like total prohibition law, he may tighten dowry and anti-child marriage laws which will work as a deterrent. The government is mulling many options, including dismissing a government official found involved in taking or giving dowry, enhanced jail term for abetting child marriages and so on."

Party leaders attending lavish marriage parties or found having any participation in child marriages might be punished and ousted from the party, Sanjay Jha hinted.

While lauding initiatives taken by Nitish, Sanjay Jha said, "Many reformers tirelessly worked to eradicate social evils. Some of them joined politics also, but apart from Annadurrai, first chief minister of Tamilnadu, rarely any chief minister thought of waging a war against social traditions detrimental to half of the population. Nitish ji has decided to adopt two-pronged strategy -- giving impetus to welfare schemes and lead the social awareness movement from the front."

Bihar at the bottom of social indicators

Gender Alliance, funded by United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) and supported by Woman Development Council (WDC), the government of Bihar, came out with a surprising figure on Child Marriages which puts the state at the bottom of a nationwide list.

Prashanti Tiwari, the state manager of Gender Alliance, told News18, "Child marriages constitute almost 39 percent of total marriages in the state. We have studied the social pattern of all 354 blocks and derived a social indicator. Remarkably, blocks with higher economic indicators and low social indicators have higher numbers of child marriages. The qualitative reasoning behind the phenomenon is that the Block where social index is low, the families tend to discriminate at birth. This discrimination continues even in the adolescent stage, where the girls are inducted into the marginal workforce. This inclusion of girls in marginal workforce drives up the economic index, but in totality, it is discriminatory against female."

Block Hilsa, in Nalanda District, Nitish Kumar's hometown, has a much lower social index score of 0.909. The overall Block average (calculated for 534 Blocks) for Social Index is 0.9406. The predicted female child marriage is high at 59.78 %. This is higher than the overall average of 39.85%. Also, the Economic Index score for Hilsa Block is high at 0.591.

Bandhan Tod movement

The Bandhan Tod campaign is a comprehensive strategy to address the issue of child marriage and dowry in a holistic manner. A mobile application called 'Bandhan Tod' has also been launched by the Gender Alliance. The unique feature of this App is that it connects young girls to a peer network in the village to offer support to the potential child marriage through SOS.

The state's social welfare and women development minister Manju Verma said her department was ready to implement the vision of Nitish Kumar.Bihar is privileged to have such a chief minister who has been relentlessly working for women empowerment. Being a nodal department, our ministry is helping to meet his targets. Come October 2 a new dawn will usher in, the minister told to News18.

Total Prohibition, which cost Rs 5000 crore loss to the state exchequer, was one of the biggest promises Nitish had made to the women of the state. It was a challenge, but the state government overcame the financial woes by enhanced commercial tax collections.

Prohibition ensured increased household saving which not only enhanced buying capacity but also working hours resulting in the reduction of domestic violence and rising economic output. Women always bore the brunt of domestic violence often at the hands of their inebriated husbands or someone else. Prohibition has stopped that. Now, women live the life with dignity, Manju Verma says.

Challenge: Funds meant for women-centric schemes lying unused

She points out at four marquee programs Nitish Kumar started for women. He envisaged Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojna to discourage child marriages. The state government provides monetary help of Rs, 5000 for the marriage of daughters to those having an annual income of less than Rs, 60,000. Another scheme Mukhyamantri Kanya Suraksha Yojna and Mukhyamantri Naari Shakti Yojna. Under the Kanya Suraksha Yojna, the state government provides Rs 2000 as a bank deposit up to two girl children. Naari Shakti is a community-driven scheme and women development corporation provides financial assistance to self-help groups.

But, these schemes have not really taken off. For 2017-18 the government marked 6152 Lakh for Naari Shakti scheme but the department has only disbursed 175 lakh till September. Under Kanya Suraksha Yojna, the government has only disbursed Rs.100 lakh against 7627 Lac of budget outlay and half of the financial year has already passed. Inter-caste marriage promotion scheme has also met the same fate as the government has spent a meager 3.5 lakh against the allotted amount of 700 lakh.

Concerned over the slow pace, the state government is mulling over integrating seven programs related to women empowerment into an umbrella scheme. Confirming this development, Manju Verma says, Slow pace this year is also due to the political uncertainty which resulted in the formation of a new government. Devastating floods also slowed down the process. But we will step up our efforts in the remaining six months.

However, Prashanti says that government-funded schemes are just proving like financial dole outs. "Our effort should be to achieve a position where there is no need for help. To make that happen, women participation is imperative in economic output. Sadly, in Bihar, half of the population (women) only contributes just 9 percent to economic activities," She points out.
New Delhi: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday threatened not to allow the construction of bullet train infrastructure to begin in Mumbai until the existing rail network was fixed.

Raj came out all guns blazing against the BJP-led central and state government, saying it was false to say rains caused the death of 22 people. "They (Railway) say it happened due to rains... It is not the first time that it rained in Mumbai," he said.

A large number of people gathered on the Elphinstone road station footover bridge on Friday morning when heavy rains lashed the area. According to Railway PRO, a person slipped and chaos ensued, leading to a stampede, killing 22 people and injuring scores of others.

Raj went on to say that India didn't need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan. "It seems our own railway is enough to kill people."

He announced that he will be leading a protest to the Western Railways Headquarters at Churchgate on October 5, and quiz officials about the infrastructure.

Raj said that a list of issues afflicting Mumbai local rail network will be handed over to the Railways on the same day with a deadline to act.

He said that a deadline to throw out all the illegal hawkers of station bridges will also be given. "If they fail to accomplish the task on or before the deadline, we will act on our own."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe had recently laid the foundation stone for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project. However, ever since the ceremony, the Prime Minister has faced stiff criticism, particularly after a number of rail derailments in the past few months.
Lahore: Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has slapped a Rs 100-million defamation notice on Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for calling him the "darling of the United States".

Asif, while speaking at the Asia Society forum in New York on Tuesday, acknowledged that Saeed, the Haqqanis and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are "liabilities" for the country but it does not have the required "assets" to get rid of them.

The minister had also said that the US, which was putting pressure on Pakistan to tackle terrorist groups operating from its soil, once used to treat them as "darlings" just 20 to 30 years ago.

Saeed's counsel A K Dogar sent the notice to the foreign minister on behalf of his client who heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the LeT militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack.

"Saeed is respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim. Saeed has never been near the White House, not to speak of wined and dined," Dogar said in the notice.

"It is shocking to know that the foreign minister of my country is accusing Hafiz Mohammad Saeed of taking wine. This is abusive language and can never be used for my client.

"He is a patriotic Islam-loving Muslim following the dictates of the Prophet. This is a defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to five years imprisonment and with a fine," he said.

The counsel termed it as an absolute lie and falsehood that Saeed is one of those persons who had been the "darlings of Americans" and had been dining and wining in the White House.

Whoever by words either spoken or intended to be read makes any imputation concerning any person so as to harm his reputation is said to defame that person, he said.

"The imputation of winning is a false statement which has injured the reputation of my client and lowered him in the estimation of others. This is slander and actionable libel. I am constrained to issue this 14 days' notice of the intention of my client to bring an action against you.

"My client intends to file a suit for damages to the tune of Rs 100 million for injuring his reputation not only in Pakistan but all over the world," Dogar said.

"Apart from the civil remedy, my client has a right to file a criminal complaint against you under Section 500 of the PPC.

It goes without saying that you will be responsible for the entire cost of litigation," the counsel added.

Asif had said that it was very easy to say Pakistan is floating the Haqqanis and Hafiz Saeed and LeT.

They are liabilities, he had said.

US President Donald Trump had last month criticised Pakistan for its support to terror groups, saying it receives billions in US aid but continues to harbour militants.

Saeed and his four aides were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti-terrorism act.

The JuD has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

Saeed carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.
Washington: US First Lady Melania Trump's donation of books to a California school was rejected by its librarian, describing them racist and unneeded.

Melania had sent packages of 10 Dr Seuss books to one high-achieving school in every state. The packages included titles such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and Oh, the Places You'll Go!  a personal favourite that she and her son, Barron, 11, read together "over and over.

In an open letter to the first lady posted on a book blog, Liz Phipps Soeiro, a library media specialist at the Cambridge Port School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that while she was grateful for the books, she would not be accepting them.

Soeiro said she was returning the books because "...my school doesnt have a need for these books."

"Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss' illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes," Phipps Soeiro wrote, citing If I Ran a Zoo, which some critics say contains caricatures of Africans and Asians.

She also criticised the Trump administration's policies on funding schools and libraries, USA TODAY reported.

"Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalised and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?" she proposed.

Her letter prompted her school district to distance itself from her, saying in a statement that she has the right to her opinion but it is not an official position, according to the Boston Globe.

The White House responded by saying that the First Lady wanted to use her platform "to help as many children as she can."

"To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the first lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere," her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.
Islamabad: Pakistan's ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif is set to regain the leadership of his ruling PML-N party on October 3 under a proposed new law that will allow a disqualified legislator to head a political party.

Sharif, 67, had to step down as the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after he was disqualified as premier by the Supreme Court on July 28 in the Panama Papers scandal.

Senate, upper house of parliament, passed the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 on September 22 that has a clause that any person other than a civil servant can hold any position within a party.

The new law has deleted the condition that said only those qualified to become members of parliament can hold leadership position within political parties.

According to Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan, the new law will be presented in the lower house or National Assembly on Monday where it is expected to be passed easily as PML-N has the majority in the house.

Once passed by both houses, the bill would go to President Mamnoon Hussain for his signature. A meeting of the PML-N's General Council will be held on October 2 to amend the party constitution that barred a disqualified person from holding any party office, according to Khan.

Before the General Council, a meeting of PML-N central working committee (CWC) would be held. Both -- the CWC and General Council -- would elect the new president on October 3.

The PML-N is hopeful to complete the process of enactment and changes in the laws by October 3. With all legal hurdles removed by that time, Sharif is expected to be easily elected as president.

Though, he is still barred from becoming a lawmaker or prime minister, he would be able to control the party and all other aspects of the politics in the country through his handpicked prime minister, ministers and other appointees.

However, the amendment to the laws is expected to be challenged by the opposition parties in the Supreme Court. Any effective intervention and decision by the top court against the new law may scuttle the plans of PML-N.
Seoul: Several North Korean missiles were recently spotted moved from a rocket facility in the capital Pyongyang, South Korea's Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported late Friday amid speculation that the North was preparing to take more provocative actions.

The report cited an unnamed intelligence source saying South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials detected missiles being transported away from North Korea's Missile Research and Development Facility at Sanum-dong in the northern part of Pyongyang.

The report did not say when or where they had been moved.

The missiles could be either intermediate range Hwasong-12 or intercontinental ballistic Hwasong-14 missiles, according to the report, though the missile facility at Sanum-dong has been dedicated to the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

A source from South Korea's defense ministry said he could not confirm details of the report or whether there has been any unusual activities in the area mentioned.

South Korean official have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on Oct. 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on Oct. 18.

Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and U.S. forces recently held their first joint short range air defense training exercise in South Korea, according to a statement released by the U.S. Pacific Command on Friday.

The statement did not give the date of the exercise, but said the next exercise is scheduled to take place over the next few months as the two forces become more familiar with each other's capabilities.
London: The Oxford University college where Aung San Suu Kyi studied said Saturday it had taken down a portrait of the Myanmar leader, a decision that follows widespread criticism of her over the Rohingya crisis.

The portrait, which was on display in the main entrance of St Hugh's College, has been placed in storage and was replaced on Thursday with a new painting gifted by Japanese artist Yoshihiro Takada.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Suu Kyi studied at St Hugh's, graduating in philosophy, politics and economics in 1967 before completing a master in politics in 1968.

"We received a new painting earlier this month which will be exhibited at the main entrance for a period," the college said in a statement.

"The painting of Aung San Suu Kyi has meanwhile been moved to a secure location."

The university did not say whether the removal was linked to the ongoing crisis in Myanmar's western Rakhine State.

Communal violence has torn through the state since Muslim minority Rohingya militants staged deadly attacks on police posts on August 25.

An army-led fightback has left scores dead and sent around half a million Rohingya fleeing the mainly Buddhist country into neighbouring Bangladesh.

The United Nations describes the situation as "ethnic cleansing".

The removal of the 1997 portrait by the Chinese artist Chen Yanning comes a few days before new students arrive at the college to start their courses.

The portrait belonged to Suu Kyi's husband, the Oxford academic Michael Aris, and was bequeathed to the college after his death in 1999.

St Hugh's also counts British Prime Minister Theresa May among its alumni.
Aboard USS Ronald Reagan (South China Sea): As the commanders of the largest U.S. warship in Asia seek to maintain operational readiness amid protracted tensions over North Korea, they find themselves keeping one eye on China, too.

On Saturday, as F-18 Super Hornet jet fighters roared from the decks of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier during routine drills deep in the South China Sea, two Chinese frigates maintained a constant line-of-sight vigil.

Officers on the Japanese-based Reagan described frequent close quarter surveillance from the ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy in international waters.

Sometimes, they said, Chinese vessels steam in to check out the carrier en route to other destinations. Other times, Chinese frigates linger for days within the screen of U.S. ships and planes that protect the Reagan - Washington's only carrier based outside America.

At times, the carrier crew, to ensure safe passage, will alert their uninvited Chinese escorts, should the Reagan sharply alter course, officers said.

"Weve had no issues. They've been very professional," said Rear Admiral Marc Dalton, commander of the Reagan's strike group, as well as the larger battle forces of the U.S. Seventh Fleet. "We see them on a regular basis," he said.

DEPLOYMENT STRAINS

As Dalton spoke, the midnight blue waters beyond the flight decks made for a crowded scene, with a U.S. and an allied Japanese destroyer also visible as the Reagan manouvered some 400 nautical miles (748 kilometres) from the Chinese coast.

It provided a window into the strains of increased deployments and exercises by regional militaries, in part as they respond to the threat posed by Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear and missile programmes.

North Korea has staged an apparent hydrogen bomb test and fired two ballistic missiles over Japan in recent weeks.

The situation has unfolded as U.S. naval chiefs review operations to draw lessons from four significant accidents within the U.S. Pacific Fleet this year.

A report this month by the U.S. Government Accountability Office highlighted a host of training and maintenance problems as the navy strove to expand overseas deployments and improve operational readiness.

Dalton will soon lead the carrier to a port call in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong - the first such visit in three years after a stop by another carrier was denied in 2016.

China, which claims much of the disputed South China Sea, has long objected to U.S. military operations off its coasts, even in areas Washington insists are free to international passage.

DOMINANT PRESENCE

Routinely carrying between 60-70 aircraft on board, the carrier sends between 80-100 sorties daily - the core of a dominant U.S. military presence in Asia that analysts believe China could still take years to supplant.

In recent months, the 100,000-ton Reagan has exercised with allied Australian ships as well as Japanese forces.

The South Korean defence ministry has announced it will exercise with the Reagan strike group in October.

Rear Admiral Dalton acknowledged the challenges and top-level reviews but insisted the task force was long used to keeping itself in full readiness.

"As a forward deployed force. . . we are already where we need to be to execute our missions all the time," he said.

He did not detail any specific North Korean contingencies but described Pyongyang's missile tests and nuclear programme as a "growing and concerning danger".

"The U.S. has been very clear about leveraging all options in order to get North Korea to change its path," he said.
Washington: President Donald Trump's health secretary resigned on Friday, after his costly travel triggered investigations that overshadowed the administration's agenda and angered his boss. Tom Price's regrets and partial repayment couldn't save his job.

The Health and Human Services secretary became the first member of the president's Cabinet to be pushed out in a turbulent young administration that has seen several high-ranking White House aides ousted. A former GOP congressman from the Atlanta suburbs, Price served less than eight months.

Publicly, Trump had said he was "not happy" with Price for repeatedly using private charter aircraft for official trips on the taxpayer's dime, when cheaper commercial flights would have done in many cases.

Privately, Trump has been telling associates in recent days that his health chief had become a distraction. Trump felt that Price was overshadowing his tax overhaul agenda and undermining his campaign promise to "drain the swamp" of corruption, according to three people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.

On Friday the president called Price a "very fine person," but added, "I certainly don't like the optics." Price said in his resignation letter that he regretted that "recent events have created a distraction."

The flap prompted scrutiny of other Cabinet members' travel, as the House Oversight and Government Reform committee launched a government-wide investigation of top political appointees. Other department heads have been scrambling to explain their own travel.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke faced scrutiny over three charter flights while in office, including a $12,375 late-night trip from Las Vegas to his home state of Montana in June. On Friday, he dismissed the controversy over charter flights as "a little BS over travel," but he said taxpayers do have the right to know official travel costs.

Price's repayment of $51,887.31 for his own travel costs did not placate the White House. The total travel cost, including the secretary's entourage, was unclear. It could amount to several hundred thousand dollars.

Following Price's resignation, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney informed Cabinet secretaries and agency heads in a memo that approval from chief of staff John Kelly will be required for any travel on government-owned, rented, leased or chartered aircraft.

An orthopedic surgeon turned politician, Price rose to Budget Committee chairman in the House, where he was known as a fiscal conservative. When Price joined the administration, Trump touted him as a conservative policy expert who could write a new health care bill to replace the Obama-era Affordable Care Act.

But Price became more of a supporting player in the GOP's futile health care campaign, while Vice President Mike Pence took the lead, particularly with the Senate. The perception of Price jetting around while GOP lawmakers labored to repeal "Obamacare"  including a three-nation trip in May to Africa and Europe  raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill. Price flew on military aircraft overseas.

Although much of Trump's ire over the health care failure has been aimed at the Republican-controlled Congress, associates of the president said he also assigns some blame to Price, who he believes did not do a good job of selling the GOP plan.

But House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Friday that Price had worked hard to help that chamber pass its plan before the GOP effort reached an impasse in the Senate. "I will always be grateful for Tom's service to this country," he said.

Democrats were glad to see Price go. Some urged Trump to appoint an HHS secretary who would reach out to them.

"I hope President Trump learns from this mistake, and looks to appoint someone who can work in a bipartisan way to strengthen health care for all Americans," said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J.

A Pence protege, Seema Verma, has been mentioned as a possible successor to Price. Verma already leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which runs health insurance programs that cover more than 130 million Americans.

Another possible HHS candidate: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who won some bipartisan support in his confirmation and is well known in policy, government and industry circles.

Trump named Don J. Wright, a deputy assistant secretary of health, to serve as acting secretary.

Price, 62, was seen in Congress as a foe of wasteful spending. As HHS secretary, he led a $1 trillion department whose future is the key to managing mounting federal budgetary deficits. As secretary, Price criticized the Medicaid health program for low-income people, saying it doesn't deliver results commensurate with the hundreds of billions of dollars taxpayers spend on it. As a congressman, he favored Medicare privatisation.

But Price's image as a budget hawk took a hit when reports of his official travel started bubbling up. Price used private charter flights on 10 trips with multiple segments, when in many cases cheaper commercial flights were available. His charter travel was first reported by the news site Politico.

On a trip in June to Nashville, Tennessee, Price also had lunch with his son, who lives in that city, according to Politico. Another trip was from Dulles International Airport in the Washington suburbs to Philadelphia International Airport, a distance of 135 miles.

The reports triggered a review by the HHS inspector general's office, which is looking into whether Price's travel violated federal travel regulations. Those rules generally require officials to minimise costs.

The controversy over Price was a catalyst for Congress launching a bipartisan probe of travel by political appointees across the administration. The House oversight committee has requested travel records from the White House and 24 federal departments and agencies.

Initially, Price's office said the secretary's busy scheduled forced him to use charters from time to time.

But later Price's response changed, and he said he'd heard the criticism and concern, and taken it to heart.
While Congress and the media have debated the latest GOP effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, two Lynchburg-area community health centers have kept a wary eye on a different health care front.

The clinics, which serve the underinsured, homeless and working poor, are concerned about the reauthorization of federal funds that comprise a good chunk of their budgets.

Community health centers nationwide receive $1.5 billion in discretionary funds and $3.6 billion in mandatory funds through the Community Health Center Fund, which was established in 2010 and extended in 2015 for a two-year period. The extension is set to expire today.

Loss of that money would equate to a 70 percent cut in federal grant funding, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers.

There are thousands of health centers and millions of patients that will not get care because we dont have the funding, said Peggy Whitehead, CEO of Blue Ridge Medical Center in Nelson County. It is critical.

A bipartisan bill, the Community Health Investment, Modernization and Excellence Act (CHIME) of 2017, was introduced in mid-September and would reinstate funding for community health centers for an additional five years. That bill currently is in a House of Representatives committee.

If federal funds are not extended, Johnson Health Center in Lynchburg will not shut its doors, but we would have to look at how we do business, said Gary Campbell, CEO of Johnson Health Center in Lynchburg.

Johnson Health Center, which has medical offices in Lynchburg and Amherst and Bedford counties, provides primary care, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and OB/GYN services. It served more than 17,000 patients in 2016.

Its operating budget in 2018 is projected to be about $15 million. About 20 percent of the budget  or $3 million  is composed of federal funding. Of that amount, $2.1 million is in jeopardy because of the potential funding cliff.

Campbell said he did not wish to speculate on what changes would be made if the funding issue is not resolved, but Johnson Health Center would have to look at every service line, including patient care.

People who pay for medical services through a sliding scale are the patients most likely to be affected by the funding cut, he said.

How would we support the uninsured and underinsured? We would have to do a financial analysis of that, Campbell said.

I think whats important is that Johnson Health Center and Blue Ridge Medical Center serve a phenomenal purpose, along with other health centers across the country, Campbell said. Were unique that we take care of everyone. We serve everybody, but were also unique that we take burdens off other systems.

Those other systems include emergency rooms, he said, and if the bulk of federal funding for community health centers disappears, patients normally served by community health centers will flood hospital systems and emergency rooms.

Blue Ridge Medical Centers annual operating budget in 2017 is more than $8 million. The centers revenue is composed of patient fees, federal funding, grants and donations. It has a staff of 94 employees, including medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and administrative staff.

The center is based in Arrington, but there is a family practice provider based in Lovingston. Starting Nov. 1, Blue Ridge Medical Center will have a primary care provider in Amherst at the Horizon Wellness Center to integrate behavioral health and medical care.

If the CHIME Act does not pass, Blue Ridge could lose $1.4 million of its federal funding beginning Jan. 1, 2018.

That loss will mean Blue Ridge Medical Center possibly would have to reduce its staff and decrease the discounts offered through its sliding fee scale, Whitehead said.

Roughly a third of Blue Ridges patients, or 2,800 people, are uninsured or underinsured patients who use the centers sliding fee scale.

Whitehead and Campbell said their centers are in communication with Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th District, and Tom Garrett, R-5th District.

In a statement, Goodlatte said he long has been an advocate for community health centers and the affordable health care options that are provided at facilities such as Johnson Health Center and Blue Ridge Medical Center.

I am carefully following the work of lawmakers in the House Energy and Commerce Committee as they hammer out a solution that will help make sure Community Health Centers receive the funding they need to continue serving patients, Goodlatte said in the statement. Ensuring Community Health Centers have the resources they need is a priority for me, and I hope to see legislation come before Congress soon."

Campbell and Whitehead are cautiously optimistic.

Health centers have been around for 50 years; its a bipartisan darling, Campbell said. But weve got to get people on the table to carve out time for us.

We will spend a lot more time continuing our advocacy efforts to help our congressional representatives understand the importance and the seriousness of the legislation, Whitehead said. Were continuing our efforts, and well still be on edge until Congress makes the decision, but we have confidence that we have a lot of support in Congress; its just getting them to act in a timely manner.

Despite the uncertainty, Whitehead said Blue Ridge Medical Center will do everything it can so no one is left without access to care, and she does not want its patients to switch providers. Whitehead said the center has reserves that will keep its operating at normal levels until March 2018.

We will certainly be here next year, she said.

Our board has worked well to keep us fiscally sound; the federal funding is an important part of our budget, but well, we're not going to fall apart.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the integration of Lynchburgs Virginia Episcopal School, several former students and faculty members discussed how integration impacted their time at VES on Friday night.

For Marvin Barnard and Bill Alexander, one memory stood out more than most.

It was slightly after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, and laughter and shouts of joy echoed through the halls of the Virginia Episcopal School dormitories in Lynchburg.

Martin Luther King Jr. had just been assassinated, and Barnard, then 13, and Alexander, then 14, the first two black students to attend the private boarding school, couldnt believe what they were hearing.

That was not a great day for VES  I was in shock, said Alexander, now 64. I knew that he was always at risk that somebody was going to assassinate him, but the fact that it happened, you know, I was in shock really after hearing that, that day.

It made Barnard doubt the sincerity of those around him.

What I mean by that, in terms of hearing of laughter, the joy, the celebration over someones death that we admired  made me feel angry and hurt, he said.

While there were those people Barnard knew immediately leaned toward racist beliefs by the symbols or banners they had, it was the people who showed Barnard kindness and treated him as a friend whose laughter disheartened him the most.

He burst into the dormitory hallway, yelling for anyone who dared to come out and laugh to his face.

Barnards challenge was met with silence in the dormitories, but one school official stood out.

Then-Headmaster Austin Montgomery called all students to the chapel, Alexander said.

Everybody in their pjs, and [Montgomery] basically said that kind of behavior was unacceptable and that we were better than that, he said. Mr. Montgomery is my hero on a variety of fronts, but certainly on that night, [it] took a lot of courage to do and say the right things.

Montgomery acknowledged what happened and addressed it, said Barnard, now 64.

There were many situations in which I think VES blinked, but they didnt keep their eyes shut, he said. They can blink because theyre not perfect, and were all growing. It would have been more tragic if it was never addressed, but it was addressed.

Were not perfect either, he said.  Its not so much that negative types of things occur  its what you do when it does occur.

That was the defining moment of their time at VES, they said.

The two men  who both became doctors  along with former VES student Bud Doughton, former VES English teacher Jim Hopkins and former VES history teacher Nat Jobe, reflected on their years at VES and how integration impacted their experience on stage inside of VES William King Center on Friday.

The event, attended by 160 people and moderated by journalist Mosi Secret, was titled Dare to Imagine a Better World Dialogue: Breaking Down Racial Barriers and was a part of the schools efforts to teach students about the history of integration.

Barnard and Alexander were part of an integration experiment by the Anne C. Stouffer Foundation, an organization founded and funded by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company heiress Anne Reynolds Forsyth in 1967, to promote the integration of preparatory schools in the South, according to University of North Carolina library records.

What they did was really hairy and audacious, Alexander said. They leveraged networks they had throughout the South to identify African-American students they thought could do the work at boarding schools  the major cities of the South came up with a list, and if I remember correctly, I think there was 54 in that original cohort or group, and out of that 54, there were 18 of us that went to prep schools that were willing to integrate in 1967.

Out of those 18, seven went to VES. The seven, made up of Alexander, Barnard, Jerrauld Jones, Johnny Holloway, Terry Sherrill, Greg Prioleau and Tony Johnson, called themselves the Magnificent Seven after the 1960 western film of the same name.

But before any of them could start at VES, they needed to attend a seven-week program sponsored by Duke University meant to acclimate them to boarding school culture and dormitory life, Barnard said.

That was the primary focus, to try to get you acclimated to what would be before you, Barnard said. But the choices they made [in whom to pick], we were already good students. In terms of our individual situations we came from, we were good students  so coming here, I think we wanted to make a point that if the playing field was level, that we could show what black students could do in an elite environment.

The first time Alexander saw VES, he was impressed with its beauty.

I came up to visit the campus in February of 1967 with my father [Bill Alexander Sr.]; we had been invited up by Montgomery, and in some respects, it was an out-of-body experience, he said.

It was a kind of kick the tires visit, as he hadnt been accepted just yet, but Montgomery wanted Alexander to check the school out for himself, he said.

It was very much a black and white world, but as a native of Nashville, Tennessee, Alexander said he was used to it.

But it was a great opportunity, Alexander said. Marvin agreed, not just for them, but for the entire black community.

People that I trust were saying this is great for you, this is great for us, our community, he said. So, from that perspective, there was no way I felt I should not go. So my expectations [were] to be able to be representatives of our community, and this was the way that I could  as a 13-, 14-year-old  contribute to the movement at that time.

On their experiences before the two graduated VES in 1971, Alexander said, The sky didnt fall and the world didnt come to an end, and we actually got to know and develop relationships with our classmates [and faculty] that in many respects have lasted at least 50 years later.

He summarized a black mans mindset in the mid-1900s as youre always hopeful for the best, but you know there may be a few knocks along the road.

A self-described optimist, Alexander said he didnt have the expectation that VES was perfect.

The school would have to go through a process, a change in its culture, and thats not like flipping a light switch, he said.

But the school itself is like a light, he said, and it must continue to act as a light during todays racial tension.

Its so much easier to fuss and cuss as part of a group and not really address issues [one on one]  you gotta deal with me as an individual, one. And two, when my voice isnt heard or Im not hearing your voice, then on a one-on-one basis, we have to have critical confrontation where you have to find your voice and speak your truth, particularly on difficult matters.

... Thats the challenge in this country. Its so easy  we dont like conflict, and we dont like stuff that makes us uncomfortable, but if we dont start having more of those kind of conversations, then well still see that same old mess that were in right now, where [we think] weve made some progress but we really havent.

Thats what Alexander said hes hoping is the legacy of the Magnificent Seven  that their influence on the culture of the school and surrounding community leads to discussion.

Toward the end of the event, current VES senior Ivy Drew stood up, microphone in hand.

I can honestly say, I sent an email, like a very long email, to thank you for your sacrifice, she said to the two members of the Magnificent Seven, her voice thick with tears. It is because of your sacrifice that I do what I do. Im the head of the diversity club, Im the head of the feminist club, Im like everywhere.

Theres not one moment when I  walk through Jett [Hall] that I dont look at your picture; I hold my hand over it and say Please give me strength.
MASON CITY | The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that physical loss loans are available for several North Iowa counties in Iowa, due to four separate disaster events. Farm operators who have suffered major physical losses caused by excessive rain, flash flooding, flooding, hail, high winds, lighting and tornadoes that occurred from June 22 through Aug. 18, 2017, may be eligible for emergency loans.

For the June 22 disaster event, an administrators physical loss Notification has been issued for Butler and Franklin counties as the primary damaged area.

Additionally, 10 Iowa counties are contiguous to this designated disaster area, making these producers also potentially eligible for programs based on this designation. Among them are Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Hancock, and Wright counties.

Low-interest emergency loans may be made available to any applicant with a qualifying loss in the counties affected. Approval is limited to applicants who suffered severe physical losses only.

Producers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration to apply for loans for physical losses.

People who think they may be eligible should contact the FSA for more information. FSA office information is available at offices.usda.gov. Additional FSA disaster assistance program information is available at disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
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SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man who stole a cooler filled with fish and beer from a back yard was sentenced to 10 years in prison Friday.

Hai Nguyen, 47, pleaded guilty in Woodbury County District Court to third-degree burglary. As part of a plea agreement, charges of third-degree arson and reckless use of fire or explosives were dismissed.

District Judge Steven Andreasen sentenced Nguyen to five years in prison for the burglary charge and revoked his probation and imposed the five-year prison sentence from a January conviction for an unrelated burglary.

In the recent case, Nguyen entered an open patio at a house in the 1500 block of Virginia Street in the early morning hours of July 4 and took a cooler containing fish and beer while a man and his son were sleeping inside the home. Nguyen was accused of burning the wire of a surveillance camera to disable it.
We've come a long way since a 5-ounce hamburger patty was grown in a lab in 2013 at upwards of $325,000. As Quartz reports, advancements in technology have dropped that cost tremendously, to about $6,000 a pound. And Hampton Creeka darling of Silicon Valley, a food company valued at $1 billionwants in. It says it'll have a lab-grown meat product available next year, and if it succeeds, it'll be thanks in part to a dogged WWII POW. Quartz digs into the story of Willem van Eelen, born in 1923 in what was the Dutch colony of Indonesia; the Guardian reports he spent five years starving in POW camps after being captured by the Japanese while serving in the war. As the New Yorker once quoted him as saying, "I was so close to death that you could see my spine from the front." And daughter Ira van Eelen says that hunger left its mark.

As a medical student in 1948, he saw researchers experimenting with stem cells in a quest to grow skin for burn victims. A light bulb went off. As he recounted the experience to his daughter: "The only thing I saw was a piece of meat." What followed was a lifelong quest: filing for patents, making surprise visits to would-be investors in an effort to scrape together funding, and teaming up with others who he discovered also had patents related to lab-grown meatincluding Jon Vein. The two launched a concerted effort to get financing and draw in more researchers, but van Eelen died in 2015 without seeing his dream realized. Then, the call: Hampton Creek CEO Josh Tetrick phoned Ira van Eelen this summer, wanting her father's patents. As of September, it was a done deal. Read the full story at Quartz. (Read more Longform stories.)
Teachers and other public employees are now eyeing the Supreme Court after it announced Thursday it will take on a case next summer that may have big repercussions for unions. The Los Angeles Times reports the high court will look at overruling the requirement that all public employees, not just union members, pay fees that support collective bargaining. The case, being brought on behalf of Illinois child support specialist Mark Janus, could affect unions in 22 states where those "fair share" fees are now mandated for all public employees; labor experts think many would stop paying if they weren't forced to. With conservative Neil Gorsuch now on the gavel, it's expected the ruling won't favor the unions. The country's four largest public-sector unions are blasting the complaint as "a blatantly political and well-funded plot ... to further rig the economic rules against everyday working people."

The case stretches back to 2015, when Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner filed a complaint saying the mandated fees were unconstitutional, per the Chicago Tribune. Three state employees, including Janus, joined the suit, which was eventually thrown out by a federal judge and an appeals court. The ruling used as precedence was the 1977 Supreme Court case of Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education, in which it was decided all public employees, even those not in unions, must pay a portion of union dues that go toward collective bargaining efforts, as those efforts benefit all employees. Early last year, Janus penned an op-ed for the Tribune explaining why he didn't feel he should be required to pay the fees, writing: "I am not anti-union. Unions have their place.  But unions aren't a fit for everyone. And I shouldn't be forced to pay money to a union if I don't think it does a good job representing my interests." (Read more US Supreme Court stories.)
People haven't distanced themselves from a star this quickly since Mel Gibson. The BBC reports a week after a top French chef asked for his three Michelin stars to be removed, a luxury hotel in Scotland made the same request of the star it's held for the past decade. Boath House, a 16th century mansion turned hotel in Nairn, stands on 22 acres of land with its own lake and streams, according to the Evening Standard. It's also a money-loser. "Whilst we are extremely proud of the Michelin star we gained 10 years ago and it undoubtedly enhanced our reputation, our restaurant has consistently made a loss," says Wendy Matheson, who owns Boath House with her husband Don. She adds the expectations that come with a Michelin star are "at odds with achievable profit margins."

Boath House is looking to change direction, and Don Matheson tells the AP they didn't want to lose their star by disappointing people who came expecting a multi-course, Michelin-style meal. "The expectation that goes with (a star) is so stressful," he says. Sebastien Bras also cited that stress and a desire "to start a new chapter" when he asked Michelin to remove the three stars earned by his restaurant, Le Suquet in France, last week. Wendy Matheson says they've heard from customers who want a "more informal and relaxed" experience, and that's what they hope to provide in an updated Boath House. "It's obviously up to individual restaurants how they want to run their businesses," the editor of the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland tells the BBC. (Read more Michelin star stories.)
Attorneys for the Department of Justice filed search warrants in February to access the Facebook accounts of three people described as "anti-administration activists," CNN reports. According to NBC News, not only would the search warrants give the government access toas the ACLU puts it"all private messages, friend lists, status updates, comments, photos, video, and other private information" of those three individuals but also the names of approximately 6,000 people who "liked" an anti-Trump protest page run by one of them. Facebook spent seven months fighting the government in court to be able to inform the usersEmmelia Talarico, Lacy MacAuley, and Legba Carrefourabout the search warrants, winning that argument this month. With the search warrants now public, the ACLU filed in defense of the three Facebook users Thursday, LawNewz reports.

The Department of Justice is seeking access to the trio's Facebook accounts in connection with the arrests of hundreds of protesters during President Trump's inauguration. But the ACLU claims the search warrants violate the Fourth Amendment by being too broad and could chill free speech. "Opening up the entire contents of a personal Facebook page for review by the government is a gross invasion of privacy," a senior staff attorney at the ACLU tells NBC. Not only that but access to a protest Facebook page run by Talarico could give the government the names of thousands of people interest in anti-Trump protests, opening them up to government observation. The ACLU is seeking to quash the search warrants. (Read more protesters stories.)
$329,561. That's how much it cost taxpayers to provide security for Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Eric Trump, and their families when they took a ski trip to Aspen last March, reports CBS News, which got the records through a Freedom of Information Act request. The Department of Homeland Security spent $195,700 on housing for the Secret Service, $26,000 on vehicle rentals, and nearly $22,000 on equipmentskis, boots, bicycles, etc.so Secret Service agents could be with the Trump children as they skied. Another ski trip taken by Ivanka Trump and Kushner to Whistler, Canada, in April cost taxpayers $65,000 for Secret Service protection. On the other hand, two Aspen ski trips taken by Michelle, Malia, and Sasha Obama during the previous administration cost $166,000 and $65,000. (Read more government spending stories.)
President Trump lashed out early Saturday at San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz and other Puerto Rican officials who have criticized relief efforts on the hurricane-ravaged island. "The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," he tweeted. He added: "Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort." Cruz appeared on CNN Friday to push back against acting Homeland Security chief Elaine Duke's statement that relief efforts were "a good news story."

Cruz accused the administration of "killing us with the inefficiency" on the island, where more aid is now arriving but many are still lacking necessities including water, the AP reports. "We're dying here," Cruz said, per the New York Times. "We truly are dying here. And I keep saying it, SOS, If anyone can hear us, if Mr. Trump can hear us, lets just get it over with and get the ball rolling." In other tweets Saturday, Trump praised the "amazing" job federal workers are doing in "totally destroyed" Puerto Rico, which he plans to visit on Tuesday. "The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's," he wrote. "Shame!" (Read more Puerto Rico stories.)
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CLEAR LAKE | Ben Smith will remain on the ballot for Clear Lake's Second Ward city council election this November.

The decision was reached unanimously by Mayor Nelson Crabb, City Clerk Jennifer Larsen and First Ward councilman Mark Ebeling after about 10-15 minutes of deliberations Friday afternoon at Clear Lake City Hall.

Ben, whose legal name  according to his birth certificate  is Jack Leroy Smith, was challenged by Bennett Smith for having a similar name on the ballot. Bennett told the three-person committee Friday that this could confuse voters on who they were voting for in the election Nov. 7.

Ben, however, told Crabb, Larson and Ebeling that he has been called Ben since he was a kid. He added that even though it has caused difficulties in the past ranging from financial situations and getting his drivers' license when he lived in Hawaii, that voters should be able to decipher the difference between Ben and Bennett.

Mayor Crabb stated before explaining the committee's decision to both candidates and the audience that "it had been a long week," which received some laughs from those gathered.

He then said he, Larson and Ebeling had decided to allow Ben Smith remain on the ballot after talking to the Secretary of State's office.

"One candidate and his prospective voters cannot and should not be disenfranchised and have their voting privileges chilled by mere speculation related to hypothetical voter confusion," Crabb told the audience.

Both Ben and Bennett were cordial following the decision, and wished each other luck on the campaign trail.

Bennett told the Globe Gazette he thinks the case should cause the Secretary and State's office to look closer at state law concerning similar names on ballots.

"The Iowa code needs more clarity about a second candidate coming into a race with the same name or a substantially similar name," he said. "Because that tends to confuse voters, and that's a problem for our democratic process."

Ben said that while the code caused him stress this week, situations like this are so rare it's unnecessary to use state resources to change it.

"I understand how the code is written, lots of people in the community have nicknames ... so I don't know how much it needs to be revised," he said. "This has happened twice in this county in the past 25 years, I don't think it's worth going through the deliberations and going through everything to change a code in this certain instance."
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Mostly cloudy with snow showers during the evening. Low 6F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with snow showers during the evening. Low 6F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 40%.
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conveyed grief and offered condolences on the death of veteran actor Tom Alter.



The PM recollected Tom Alteras contribution to the world of cinema and theatre.



The actor breathed his last on Friday night in Mumbai. He was 67.

PM expressed grief on the demise of Shri Tom Alter and recalled his contribution to the film world and theatre. He extended condolences to the family & admirers of Shri Tom Alter. a PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 30, 2017



Alter was a recipient of the Padma Shri. He was diagnosed with skin cancer last year and was under treatment for the same but suffered a relapse earlier this month and was admitted to Saifee Hospital.A

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New Delhi:

It is time India and China turn the old page and start a new chapter, the Chinese envoy to India, Luo Zhaohui said on Friday, adding the countries have made a lot of progress at the bilateral level.

He said Chinese President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen earlier this month, and the two leaders sent a clear message of "reconciliation" and "cooperation".

"We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and direction. We should dance together. We should make one plus one eleven. China is the largest trading partner of India. We have made a lot of progress at the bilateral level, as well as in international and regional affairs", Luo said.

The Chinese envoy was speaking on the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Read more: Is China seizing copies of Quran: Heres what happened

His comments come in the backdrop of the disengagement of Chinese and Indian troops in Dokalam, where the army of the two nations were locked in a stand-off for over two months.

India and China, who went to war in 1962, share an uneasy relationship with territorial dispute being a major bone of contention between the two countries.

The Chinese diplomat also recalled one of his teachers, Prof Xu Fancheng, who lived in Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry from 1945 to 1978.

Xu is known for his work of translating Upanishad, Bhagawad Gita and Shakuntala from Sanskrit to Chinese.

"In our bilateral engagement, there have been thousands of prominent persons like Prof Xu Fancheng, (Buddhist monk) Bodhidharma, Faxian (a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India in the 3rd century) and Rabindranath Tagore.

"We should never forget their contribution and legacies. The history could do a lot of things. Standing on their shoulders, we should do more today", Luo said.

The Chinese envoy added that the speed of Chinese high-speed trains from Beijing to Shanghai was increased from 300 kmph to 350 kmph two weeks ago.



"We have started the feasibility study of hyperloop trains at the speed of 1,000 to 4,000 kmph", he said.

He added that the high-speed trains were one of the four latest inventions of China.

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New Delhi:

After the Elphinstone Road station stampede which resulted in death of 23 people, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday defended government by saying that problems in Railways are not new and it was just passed on to them as inheritance.

"Not an excuse but problems in Indian Rail aren't 1-2 years old, they accumulated over years and were given to us in '14 as inheritance," said Piyush Goyal.

Goyal questioned people who oppose Bullet Train. He said that the people who oppose it must answer if they want to keep people unsafe and do they still believe in 100 year old technology?

"13 FOBs in Western Railway approved for widening and 10 new FOBs approved. 20 new FOBs on Central Railway approved. All to be completed in 1 year," said Piyush Goyal.

Earlier in the day, Goyal said that they are turning 150 year old convention on its head and hereafter foot over bridges will be deemed mandatory and not a passenger amenity.

"To eliminate bureaucracy and delays, I have empowered GMs to spend whatever is necessary on safety," said Piyush Goyal.

Railway Minister informed that additional escalators have been sanctioned at crowded Mumbai suburban stations and thereafter for all high traffic stations.

"200 officers to be relocated from Head Quarters as field staff to strengthen ground operations and project implementation," said Piyush Goyal.A

Sharing decisions taken today in a high-level meeting on Railways Safety in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/8IQ1d9iKpF a Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 30, 2017

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind sent across their best wishes to all citizens of the nation on Dussehra by extending his greetings on Twitter. The PM will take part in Dussehra celebrations at Red Fort Ground in New Delhi on Saturday. In a tweet, the Prime Minister greeted the nation on the festival.

Greetings to everyone on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashmi, PM Modi wrote on Twitter. It will be the second time, after 2014, that PM Modi will celebrate Dussehra in the capital. According to reports, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu are also expected to take part in Dussehra celebrations at Red Fort along with PM Modi.

President Kovind also took to Twitter to offer his greetings on the festival. In a tweet, he said, Greetings to fellow citizens on Vijaya Dashami, a celebration of victory of good over evil. Shubho Bijoya! Delhi BJP President Manoj Tewari, along with Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel are also expected to be present at the event.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will also take part in Dussehra celebrations with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border police at Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Saturday.

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New Delhi:

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said that any decision on Rohingya crisis should be taken "keeping in mind threat to national security", stressing that Rohingyas are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with the terrorist groups.

Bhagwat was speaking at the RSS headquarter in Nagpur on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami. "Why are Rohingya here, why were they forced to flee their own country," asked Bhagwat.

"We have been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into our country. Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken by keeping in mind the threat to national security," Mr Bhagwat said, referring to the people who have fled from violence-hit Rakhine state in Myanmar.

He was speaking at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's traditional annual Dussehra rally in Nagpur, where BJP veteran LK Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were also present.

The central government maintains that Rohingya living in India are not refugees but illegal immigrants from Myanmar, and that objections to deport them are baseless. In August, the Home Ministry sent a notice to all states asking them to identify and start the process of deporting Rohingya people.

The RSS Chief also hit out at the governments of West Bengal and Kerala, who he said are "lending a helping hand to the anti-national forces for petty political interests".

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New Delhi:

"The surgical strikes were a message we wanted to communicate. I think they have understood. If the adversary does not behave, and it is required, we can conduct such operations again. We can repeat them, if not in the same form and shape": Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat



Going Back to 2015



On June 4, 2015, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) ambushed a convoy of 6 Dogra Regiment in Chandel district of Manipur, killing 18 jawans.



On June 10 India conducted surgical strikes against terrorist camps along the Indo-Myanmar international border, eliminating more than 150 militants.

The Nature of Surgical Strikes Carried Out On Thursday, September 29, 2016

India conducted Surgical Strikes in an area of 25 km across Line of Control (LoC) which came as a shock for Pakistan and celebration for Indians. This strike was not anti-Pakistan but was clearly focused on terrorists.



On the day of this planned strike, Chief of Army Staff Gen Dalbir Singh was continuously monitoring the Operation, right from the night of Wednesday when Special Forces Para Commandos from the 4th and 9th Battalions of the Northern Command started the onslaught that started just after midnight and concluded around 4.30 Thursday morning. This attack came merely 10 days after the Uri attack in which 18 soldiers were martyred.



Seven terrorist launch pads spread over a significant area were targeted. Each terrorist launch pad had 30 to 40 terrorists, guides and support aides. The launch pads had been under surveillance for about a week.

India's Surgical Strike across Line of Control Described In 10 Points

Earlier on Thursday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a crucial meeting of Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) that was attended by the top brass including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.



And then came the news that sent varied messages of varied essence to varied parties in the country, and across the border: aIndian Armed Forces conducted surgical strikes on the Pakistan side of the Line of Control (LoC) on Wednesday night.a



This was announced by the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Ranbir Singh in an official press conference on Thursday morning.



To simplify the entire operation undertaken, we have it broken down in 10 points. Here you go:



1. The strikes began past midnight and were carried out in Bhimber, Hotspring, Kel and Lipa sectors on the Pakistan side of the LoC.



2. Indian soldiers went at least three kilometres inside the Pakistan side of Line of Control. "Our forces have gone deep in and come back before sunrise," said government sources.



3. The strikes are India's first direct military response to the attack in Uri. It included para-commandos and helicopters.



4. The arc of the operation was spread over 250 km in a landscape that included hills, forests, and mountains.



5. Indian Armed Forces confirmed that full surprise was achieved and there were no Indian casualties.



6. Troops had clear orders anot to leave bodies or buddies behinda.



7. The mission was actively monitored by senior officers in the Army's Operations Room at the Ministry of Defence in South Block.



8. Chief of Army Staff Gen Dalbir Singh was continuously present in the Operations Room, right from Wednesday night when Special Forces Para Commandos from the 4th and 9th Battalions of the Northern Command started the onslaught that started just after midnight and concluded around 4.30 Thursday morning.



9. Seven terrorist launch pads spread over a significant area were targeted. Each terrorist launch pad had 30 to 40 terrorists, guides and support aides. The launch pads had been under surveillance for about a week.



10. According to the Army, the terrorists were planning major attacks in Jammu and Kashmir and in major Indian cities.

Will the Army Conduct Operations on the Lines of the Surgical Strikes in the Near Future?

aWe should hit Pakistan, continue to prepare for surgical strikes, continue to punish Pakistani posts in the proximity of the LoC and we should start adopting counter terrorist measures.a



aThat should be India's action without escalating it to a full-fledged war,a said Lieutenant General D B Shekatkar (retd) in October 2016.



Army chief's stern message to Pakistan: 'Infiltrators will be buried two-and-a-half feet under the ground'



As the country is celebrating the first anniversary of successful execution of the surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC), Army chief General Bipin Rawat, in a direct caveat to Pakistan, said that it should stop cross-border terrorism and if it fails to do so then India possesses an array of penalizing measures to ruin its evil designs.



aThe Indian Army, with a strong counter-infiltration grid along the 778-km Line of Control and robust counter-terrorism operations in the hinterland, is also ready to keep on awelcominga infiltrating terrorists and aburying them two-and-a-half feet under the ground," said General Rawat.



General Rawat said the successful surgical strikes by Indian Special Forces on September 29 last year were intended to send a loud and clear message to Pakistan.



"The surgical strikes were a message we wanted to communicate. I think they have understood. If the adversary does not behave, and it is required, we can conduct such operations again. We can repeat them, if not in the same form and shape," reiterated Gen Rawat.



aIndia, as a strong country is capable of taking such decisions if and when required in keeping with its national security objectives,a he added.
Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Friday expressed shock over the alleged attack on MDMK chief Vaiko by a few Sinhalese during a conference in Geneva and urged the Centre to provide him adequate security cover.

"I was shocked and worried over the incident after reading news reports that some Sinhalese tried to attack Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko during the United Nations Human Rights Council conference in Geneva recently", Palaniswami said in a statement.

Read more: Justice Arumughasamy to probe Jayalalithaa death

"The incident is highly condemnable. I, on behalf of Tamilians, hereby urge the Centre to provide him security and ensure that such incidents do not occur again", he said.

According to the media reports, a group of Sinhalese tried to attack Vaiko inside the UN Human Rights Council hall in Geneva for raising the issue of human rights violations of Sri Lankan Tamils.

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New Delhi:

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday hit out at government for implementation of Goods and Services Tax and its alliance with Bhartiya Janata Party.

Thackeray questioned about the uniformity in GST by saying that even Pakistan has cheaper petrol than India.

"Government says GST brings uniform taxation. Where is the uniformity? Even Pakistan has cheaper petrol than us," said Thackeray.

Thackeray reminded BJP that they entered into alliance for the sole purpose of unity of Hindu votes and if BJP thinks that Shiv Sena is no use to them then they will see how to deal with it.

Uddhav said that an atmosphere was created that those who favor demonetisation are "deshbhakt" and those who oppose it are "deshdrohi."

"You are okay with Nitish who abuses you, with Mehbooba Mufti who threatens you but why not us who say 'garv se kaho hum Hindu hain'?" said Thackeray.

"You enjoy power in Kashmir with Mehbooba Mufti. What happened to your 'ek vidhaan ek nishaan'? Would you dare abolish 370?" said Thackeray.

Shiv Sena has been critical of government decisions for a long time now. They opposed demonetiation, GST, governments diplomacy against China and Pakistan and many more.

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Washington:

President Donald Trump's embattled health minister was forced to leave the US administration, amid a scandal over his use of costly private jets for government travel.

"Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the president accepted", White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.

The announcement came less than an hour after Trump told reporters that Price had not offered to resign, but that his fate would be decided later Friday.

"The President intends to designate Don J. Wright of Virginia to serve as Acting Secretary, effective at 11:59 PM on September 29, 2017", Sanders said.

Wright is currently deputy assistant secretary for health.

Read more: Saudi Arabia: Man arrested for threatening to 'burn female drivers'

For days Price has battled to keep a position he has held for less than eight months.

In all, Price has flown on 26 separate trips this year on private aircraft, totalling some $400,000, according to Politico.

He had tried to put a lid on the scandal by paying back what turned out to be a fraction of the cash spent.

The trips were for government business, Price's department said, but some of the flights were to destinations where Price owns the property, or where he met relatives.

Trump had earlier indicated that Price's job was hanging by a thread.

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New Delhi:

For the first time since becoming President of the United States, Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November. It is expected that the trip will be dominated by the North Korea nuclear threat. Trump will travel Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Trump will travel between November 3 to 14. During his visit, he will attend two major summits, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conclave in the Philippine. Melania Trump will also accompany him.



There was an uncertainty over the presence of the Donald Trump at the Manila Summit until recent days as according to officials he was reluctant to show support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been responsible for a number of anti-America outbursts.



The meeting between Trump and Asian leaders at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week helped persuade him to attend in unity with key allies, as per the U.S. official.

An Asian diplomat welcomed Trumps decision to visit Manila because that reassures the region that Asia policy is not just about North Korea, its about Southeast Asia as well.



However, after the Trumps decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal early year had raised serious concern over the Trumps administrations commitment to the region, but recent visits by senior officials, including the secretaries of state defense and commerce, and Trumps planned trip, showed Washington intended to remain engaged.

Also Read: Donald Trump's embattled health minister resigns from US administration

The upcoming trip to Asia could serve as an opportunity for Trump to resolve the North Korea issue by collaborating with the Asian allies.

He has denounced Kim as a rocket man on a suicide mission for test launches of ballistic missiles and for nuclear weapon tests. He has warned North Korea would face total devastation if it threatens the United States at the recently held UNGA. Kim has blasted Trump as mentally deranged.

The presidents engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the White House said in announcing the trip.



Trumps visit to China will reciprocate a trip to the United States made in April by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump has applied heavy pressure on China to rein in North Korea. While his efforts have had limited success thus far, he went out of his way to thank Xi on Tuesday for his efforts.

Also Read: Donald Trump plans biggest tax reforms in US over last three decades, mulls big cuts on corporation tax

I applaud China for breaking off all banking relationships with North Korea  something that people would have thought unthinkable even two months ago. I want to thank President Xi, Trump said at a news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

At the same time, Trumps national security team is conducting a broad review of U.S. strategy toward China in search of ways to counter Chinese trade practices and open up market access, a senior administration official said.

The United States also considers Chinese entities behind the theft of intellectual property and cyber attacks and wants to find ways to address these concerns, the official said. There was no definite timetable for concluding the review. Were looking at all of it, the official said.













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New Delhi:

Muhamad Mahmoud Al-Farekh, an American al-Qaeda member involved in a terror attack at a US military base in Afghanistan has been convicted by a federal court in the United States.

According to the Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente, the trial evidence showed that he was involved in a variety of terrorist activity, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009.

In a bid to fight against American forces overseas, Farekh and two fellow students traveled to Pakistan. Before joining al-Qaeda, Farekh was a student at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

Through the access of the video recordings which encourages violent jihad, jihadist lectures, including lectures by now-deceased al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaki, Farekh and his co-inspirators had radicalized.

Farekh and his friends traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al Qaedas base of operations, where they joined and received training from al Qaeda, federal prosecutors alleged.

During the trial, Ahmedzay testified that Imam as his weapons trainer. Zazi and Ahmedzay pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements and have yet to be sentenced. Medunjanin was convicted after trial and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Imam has been indicted for his role in the plot. The government proved Farekhs participation in the building of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman) on January 19, 2009, in Khost, Afghanistan.

(With PTI inputs)

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Coup, the cocktail bar that donated all its profits to people and organizations that could be negatively impacted by the Trump administration, will close Saturday to begin a nationwide tour. The bar, which is run by prolific restaurateur Ravi DeRossi, will pop up in cocktail bars around the country, according to Eater, with a schedule forthcoming.

"The owners of Coup...feel strongly that bringing the bar and its charitable efforts to different cities will allow patrons to come together for causes they care about, and they can do so at some of their favorite cocktail spots," DeRossi said in a statement.

For its last two nights near Astor Place, Coup will be donating profits to relief organizations helping out people affected by the hurricanes that devastated Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

"Regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation, I believe everyone should have an equal and fair chance at life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and it doesn't seem that this administration adheres to the same philosophy. In fact, it seems as though they are working very hard to create a society of hate and inequality," DeRossi said when Coup first opened. "So, what we've created is a cocktail bar that encourages discussion, love, respect, acceptance, and above all, creates a community where we turn our angst and despair into something beautiful and positive."

The tour schedules is reported to be announced next month.

64 Cooper Square, 212-260-2182; coupnyc.com
New Delhi:

United States acknowledged for the first time on Saturday that it has direct lines of communication with North Korea over its nuclear and missile tests.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that his immediate goal is to 'calm down things', opening a possible way forward beyond threats of military confrontation between both the sides.

"We are probing, so stay tuned," Tillerson replied. "We ask, 'Would you like to talk?' We have lines of communications to Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation or a blackout. We have a couple of direct channels to Pyongyang. We can talk to them. We do talk to them. Directly, through our own channels."

Tillerson also claimed that the Trump administration aspired for peace and stability vis-a-vis North Korea.North Korea and US have threatened each other with dire consequences over North's nuclear program.

Whereas North Korea has claimed that its missiles can strike US, President Trump vowed to destroy North Korea."I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down," Tillerson added.

Tillerson was in Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and to discuss North Korea and other issues, as well as to lay the groundwork for Trump's planned visit to China in early November.

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paraklisi

Saint Michael the first Metropolitan of Kiev, according to the Joakimov Chronicle, was a Syrian by birth, but according to other chronicles, he was a Bulgarian or Serb or Greek.St. Michael I, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus(Feast Day - September 30 & June 15)In the year 989, he arrived at Korsun with other clergy following the baptism of Prince Vladimir (July 15). Prince Vladimir had requested from Constantinople after his baptism that clergy be sent to Russia to shed the light of Christ among the people entrenched in the superstition of idolatry. Ecumenical Patriarch Nicholas II Chrysoberges therefore chose Michael to lead the people of Russia, on account of his wisdom and blameless and holy way of life. He was accompanied by six bishops and a large number of clergy to assist him in his mission. From Korsun Prince Vladmir brought Michael to Kiev, the capital of Russia at the time, for the illumination of the people of Kiev.As first metropolitan of the Russian Church his service was difficult, but grace-filled. He zealously made the rounds of the Russian Land, preaching the gospel, baptizing and teaching the newly-illumined people, founding the first churches and religious schools. He is traditionally accounted as founding the Archangel Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev as well as the Mezhyhirskyi Monastery near Vyshhorod with Greek monks. As we chant in one of the hymns dedicated to him, Saint Michael "brought the gospel from Constantinople as a gift to the Russian land that heathendom had miserably enslaved." At first he baptized the family of Prince Vladimir as well as the government officials, then after exhorting the people to pull down the idols he encouraged them to receive baptism unto salvation. So the people of Kiev gathered on the banks of the River Dnieper, and were baptized by the Metropolitan and his clergymen, in the presence of the Prince. Thus Saint Michael became the Enlightener of Kiev, as one hymn states: "Even until now, the baptismal robe wherewith you have vested her, O holy Bishop, is the boast of the city of Kiev." The baptism of Kiev gave a firm basis for the preaching of the gospel in the other territories of Prince Vladimir.With the success of the conversion of Kiev, Metropolitan Michael then went to Novgorod and Rostov, two other great Russian cities who worshiped the false gods of paganism. At Novgorod in 990, he saw to the destruction of the idols, baptized, built churches and ordained priests. H did the same later in Rostov. In Rostov he established the first wooden church in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos and installed Theodore the Greek there as bishop. Metropolitan Michael was a wise and gentle, but also strict hierarch. The Russian Church has preserved the memory of the Saints praiseworthy deeds. In the Synodikon of the Novgorod and Kiev Cathedrals of Hagia Sophia he is rightfully called the initiator.To the great grief of Prince Vladimir, Saint Michael died in the year 992 and was buried in the Dormition-Tithe Church in Kiev. In about the year 1103, under Saint Theoctistus (afterwards Bishop of Chernigov, Aug. 5), his incorrupt relics were transferred to the Near Kiev Caves Lavra, and on October 1, 1730 into the Dormition Church of the Caves. Thus his memory is celebrated on September 30, and also June 15, the day of his repose.Formerly, his memory was celebrated on September 2, along with Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. There is a trace of this earlier celebration in the service to Saint Michael. In the second verse of the Praises we sing: Having begun the new year, we offer you our first songs, O blessed one, for you were the beginning of the hierarchy in the Russian land.Apolytikion in the Fourth ToneThe prophecy of the first-called apostle has been fulfilled today: Grace has illumined the hills of Kiev and the faith is increased. Those who were not a people, are now the people of God, a holy nation, a flock of Christ of which you, O Michael, are first shepherd, and you serve it by bringing baptism. O Hierarch, standing before God pray that all may be saved.Kontakion in the Second ToneYou appeared as a second Moses, bringing the vine from Egyptian idolatry into the land of promise. You said of it: Faith shall be established in this land, and fruit to nourish the world shall flourish on the summits of Kiev, more than on the heights of Lebanon. Having this harvest we bless you, O Hierarch Michael.
Japan's education ministry published Friday special rules aimed at limiting student enrollment at private universities in central Tokyo, with a view to correcting the excessive concentration of young people in the Japanese capital.

According to the rules, announced in the government's official gazette, private universities in Tokyo's densely populated 23 wards will not be allowed to increase their enrollment limits for the year from next April.

Also, no new four-year universities or two-year colleges will be allowed to open in the area in the year from April 2019.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike blasted the special rules the same day, describing them as "totally unacceptable."
H John Voorhees III / H John Voorhees III

RIDGEFIELDResidents will get a chance to learn more about candidates running for open positions on the Board of Education and Board of Finance during a forum at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The Ridgefield League of Women Voters will host the forum at the Ridgefield Library. Each slate of candidates, in two separate forums, will answer questions on issues impacting the town.
A Hartford woman with a long rap sheet is facing more charges after racking up nearly $1,000-worth of charges of stolen credit cards, police said.

Westport police originally responded to a theft complaint at a Sterling Drive residence on July 16, 2015, where a resident complained that his car had been broken into and his wallet had been burglarized. Police said that the stolen wallet contained numerous credit cards.
As with many trends over the years, support for the legalization of marijuana is spreading from the West to the East in the United States.

Two new polls have found that voters in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania favor allowing sale and possession of recreational, or adult use, marijuana. Nearly 60 percent of voters in both states supported legalization.

Perhaps not coincidentally, voters in New Jersey also voiced historically low support for Gov. Chris Christie. The Republican has voiced strong opposition to legalizing marijuana. Hes also leaving office in January 2018.

Of the eight states that have legalized adult-use recreational marijuana sales, only two -- Maine and Massachusetts -- are east of the Mississippi River. The six western states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Sales are underway in some states but others are set to in 2018.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey are, respectively, the sixth and eleventh most populous states and would be huge markets for the burgeoning marijuana industry.

Related: Maine Might Legalize Drive-Through and Internet Cannabis Sales

Jersey's biggest pot opponent is deeply unpopular.

Christie has not been subtle in his opposition to legalized marijuana. Earlier this year, he went on a rant on the topic. He called marijuana legalization beyond stupidity and said the entire movement is supported by crazy liberals who want to say everything is OK.

Thats debatable, obviously. Whats not debatable is how much voters in New Jersey do not like Christie. His numbers have become the new standard for deeply unpopular.

A recent poll done by Quinnipiac University found that 79 percent of voters are dissatisfied with Christies performance. Thats the lowest approval rating of any state governor in the 20 years Quinnipiac University has conducted such surveys.

Even 61 percent of Republicans voiced a lack of support for Christie.

Meanwhile, the issue he opposes is picking up popularity. In the same survey, Quinnipiac found that 59 percent are in favor of legal possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Democrats in New Jersey have introduced legislation to make adult-use marijuana legal. They estimate a Colorado-style recreational marijuana market will yield $300 million in annual tax revenue. New Jersey elects a new governor in November. The Democrat candidate, Phil Murphy, supports legalization and commands a 25 percentage point lead over his Republican opponent, who has served the past eights years as Christie's lieutenant governor.

Related: 3 Must-Dos to Prepare for When Cannabis Is Federally Legal

Keystone State Evolution

Pennsylvania voters also voiced support for adult use marijuana in a poll released by Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn. This in a state that has historically been fairly conservative on social issues.

According the survey, 59 percent of voters approve of legalized recreational marijuana. That number stood at just 22 percent in 2006, polling director Terry Madonna told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Notice the evolution, Madonna said. Its been a slow and inexorable growth in support during the past decade. He went on to say that nobody has ever accused {Pennsylvania] of being on the cultural vanguard.

The survey, conducted in September, asked questions of 400 registered voters.

Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has called for legalization, saying the public is ahead of the politicians on this issue.

Follow dispensaries.com on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest cannabis news.

Related:

Polls Find Voters In Pennsylvania, New Jersey Support Legal Marijuana

Maine Might Legalize Drive-Through and Internet Cannabis Sales

10 Ways the Cannabis Industry Is Rebranding to Meet Its Biggest Challenges



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


Annual awards gala celebrates daring local entrepreneurs

VANCOUVER, Sept. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Rob McCurdy, CEO of Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc., the longest-established wood pellet producer in Western Canada, is this year's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Pacific winner.

"Rob is helping grow a successful, sustainable Canadian business," says Lui Petrollini, Entrepreneur Of The Year Pacific program Director. "Some of the world's largest energy generators are turning to wood pellets as an alternative to fossil fuel to create renewable electricity. Rob has played a vital role in helping Pinnacle succeed in developing a cultural shift towards safe, sustainable energy sources."

Before joining Pinnacle, Rob held positions across the globe spanning chemical, construction materials and mining industries. Most recently, he was the India Managing Director for a world-leading producer of building materials. There he was responsible for turning the newly acquired business around financially, setting the course for it to double its size in five years.

Rob's international experience had positioned him well for success as he took on the Chief Executive Officer position at Pinnacle in August 2012. Since then, he has led major transformation and improvement changes in the organization's safety and culture. Taking a people-first approach, Rob headed Pinnacle's Safety Champion Program, which develops talent from within and commits to investing in its people. Most notably, it has earned Pinnacle the reputation of 'best operator' and 'lowest risk supplier' in the industry.

Through his leadership, Pinnacle has improved its safety rate by 90 per cent, significantly increased employee engagement and improved EBITDA results by over 100 per cent. Today, Pinnacle is the world's third largest producer of wood pellets, shipping over 1.4 million tonnes per year from its seven B.C. locations. The company is currently expanding into Alberta and forecasts shipping to boost to 1.8 tonnes annually by 2018.

"Rob's inspirational and entrepreneurial leadership has played a key role as Pinnacle continues to capture greater market share and enter new markets," says Petrollini. "He is very deserving of this award."

What's next?

As the Pacific region's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017, Rob will compete with top entrepreneurs from the Prairies, Ontario, Atlantic and Quebec regions for the national honour of Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017, to be presented at a gala celebration on 30 November 2017 in Toronto. In June 2018, Canada's EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 will move to the world stage to compete with more than 50 country recipients for the title of EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year.

This year, Canada took home the gold. Murad Al-Katib of AGT Food and Ingredients was named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 in Monaco this past June. Murad is a shining example of accelerating growth with purpose.

More information

Follow @EYCanada and #EOYPacific on Twitter for the latest event updates.

Visit ey.com/ca/EOY for more program details and a complete list of category finalists and gala dates in other regions.

The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2017 Pacific category award recipients:

Business-to-Business Products and Services

Pinnacle Renewable Energy Inc. | Richmond

Rob McCurdy

www.pinnaclepellet.com

Emerging Technology

Article | Vancouver

Aamir Baig, Fraser Hall, Andy Prochazka, Sam Prochazka

www.article.com

Financial Services

TIO Networks | Vancouver

Hamed Shahbazi

www.tionetworks.com

Investment Services

Sandstorm Gold Ltd. | Vancouver

Nolan Watson

www.sandstormltd.com (TSX: SSL)

Manufacturing

AvenEx Coating Technologies Inc. | Vancouver

Gary Shokar

www.avenex.com

Mining & Metals

Lucara Diamond Corp. | Vancouver

William Lamb

www.lucaradiamond.com (TSX: LUC)

Real Estate/Construction

Western Wealth Capital | North Vancouver

Janet LePage

www.westernwealthcapital.com

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Clio | Burnaby

Jack Newton

www.clio.com

Technology

StarFish Medical | Victoria

Scott Phillips

www.starfishmedical.com

Special citation: Social Entrepreneur

Lunapads International | Vancouver

Madeleine Shaw, Suzanne Siemens

www.lunapads.com

About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year is the world's most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs. The program makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global awards program of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. ey.com/ca/EOY

The 2017 Pacific region independent judging panel consists of Charles Chang, President and Founder, Lyra Growth Partners; Ashley Cooper, President, Paladin Security; Cathy Thorpe, President, Nurse Next Door; Debi Hewson, President and CEO, Odlum Brown Ltd.; Shannon Rogers, President, Global Relay; Bill Tam, President, BC Tech Association; and Lisa Shields, CEO, FI.SPAN Services Inc.

This year's program national sponsors are TEC Canada, La Presse, RDI, The TMX Group, The Globe and Mail Inc., Merrill Corporation, Kira Talent, Air Canada, SheEO, The Printing House Limited, Hillberg & Berk and MediaOne Creative. Pacific regional sponsors are BCBusiness magazine, Hunt Personnel/Temporarily Yours, Captivate Network, The University of British Columbia, Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and Leone International Marketing

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY is proudly celebrating 150 years in Canada. For more information, please visit ey.com/ca. Follow us on Twitter @EYCanada.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

SOURCE EY (Ernst & Young)

For further information: Matt O'Connor, [email protected], 403 206 5675; Victoria McQueen, [email protected], 416 943 3141; Camille Lariviere, [email protected], 514 879 8021

Related Links

http://www.ey.com


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When Republicans moved to slash $300 million from the University of Connecticut in their now-vetoed budget, it wasnt the first time that Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Drew protested a money grab from the states flagship college.

As a UConn senior in 2002 and editor of The Daily Campus student newspaper, the Middletown mayor appeared on The OReilly Factor to defend the free speech rights of a student-run television show called, I Did Your Mother.

The eight-minute YouTube clip of a 22-year-old Drew with a boy band haircut debating Bill OReilly is raising eyebrows of Republicans, who have been critical of the compensation of UConn administrators and faculty in their protracted budget battle with Democrats.

OReilly questioned Drew, along with the shows host, Peter Pietro, why taxpayers should be forced to foot the bill for raunchy content. He showed a clip of Pietro bantering with his co-host about spanking two female students.

Drew, we dont have to accept gross-out humor that diminishes and denigrates women and gays and everybody else if were paying for it, do we? Is that part of the deal? said OReilly, who was fired by Fox News in April after a series of sexual harassment allegations were made against him.

Well, of course you dont have accept it, but if you dont want to accept it, dont turn it on, Drew said.

But Im paying for it, OReilly interrupted.

Youre paying for it, but if you stop paying for it given the system, given the way the university works, then what happens is once its cut off, once students are allowed to cut it off because they dont like the content, then youre really getting into freedom of speech issues and youre violating Mr. Pietros First Amendment rights, Drew said.

State GOP Chairman J.R. Romano said Drew has a double-standard when it comes to free speech.

There is some irony that he defends a show called, I Did Your Mother,  Romano said. He defends their freedom of speech, but condemns every Republican as racist. It just goes to show how vapid his character is. When you compare that to how hes treated Republicans, you just have to laugh at him at this point. Its no surprise that his moral compass is all screwed up.

Drew, 37, who is in his third term as Middletowns mayor and is a front-runner for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, stood by his remarks to OReilly.

I will defend the First Amendment until my dying breath, Drew said. Defending the First Amendment and endorsing the show and its content are two different things. The show was a piece of garbage. It was craven. It was disgusting.

Drew said Republicans have busted out the clip in the past to try to smear him.

If this is the garbage that J.R. is peddling, I think it says something about the sad state of a affairs of the Connecticut Republican Party, he said.

As long as a student activity doesnt promote violence or oppression, he said, the U.S. Supreme Court has found that regulating content by pulling funding is unconstitutional.

That means very often, not just sometimes, having to listen to views that you find abhorrent, but having to listen to views that make your blood boil, he said.

One thing in the video still haunts Drew, however.

The only thing I regret about that video is my haircut, Drew said.

http://twitter.com/gettinviggy; nvigdor@hearstmediact.com; 203-625-4436
NEW HAVEN  The anger and frustration in the room was palpable.

Congress, so far, has failed to renew funding for community health centers across the country which puts coverage for 9 million patients at risk with potential layoffs impacting 50,000 providers at the 2,800 sites.

Democratic U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal stopped at the Fair Haven Community Health Center on Friday where they listened to administrators and staff from a sampling of the 17 centers in the state.

Generally, these centers serve the poorest clients, who often present with the most complex medical and behavioral issues.

At stake in Connecticut is $37 million in funding for some 90,000 patients.

More than 70 percent of the funding for these centers comes from the Health Centers program under a provision in the Affordable Care Act that is due to expire on Sunday.

There seems to be a nonchalance about this funding stream in Washington that simply does not match the reality on the ground, Murphy said.

At the same time, the junior senator for the state said the Trump administration is brazenly trying to burn down our health care system by sabotaging the Affordable Care Act.

Murphy said for the first time this week the administration admitted plainly that they have no intention to administer and enforce the current law.

They have shut down 90 percent of the marketing for the Affordable Care Act and refuse to pay the insurance companies more than a month ahead of time. They told the IRS to stop enforcing the individual mandate and this week they refused to cooperate with the states who are trying to enroll their citizens in the Affordable Care Act, he said.

Other questionable expenditures by government officials made their way into the discussion.

Dr. Evelyn Cumberbatch, the director of behavioral health at the Fair Haven Center, criticized the estimated $1 million in taxpayer expenditures spent for charter and military planes by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and his staff.

I think that shows a real lack of common sense and priority at a time when we are trying to fund health care to populations a lot needier, she said.

The roundtable discussion took place before it was announced Friday afternoon that Price had resigned. He had only agreed to pay back $51,887, reportedly the price of his seat on the charter flights.

Murphy, after the announcement was made, said Price was done in by the private jet use, but his real offense was overseeing and directing President Trumps sabotage of health care for millions of people. ... Lets get a new HHS secretary whos finally devoted to improving health care, move past these debates and come to bipartisan agreement ...

Michael Taylor, CEO of the Cornell Scott Hill Health Center, said he didnt plan to be as diplomatic as Cumberbatch in his criticism of the government.

He said it is frustrating to hear of these astronomical sums of money being spent on avoidable and unnecessary expenditures.

There is no apparent regard for law whatsoever. It is all about ideology and what I believe. And no one seems to care about the law. It is irrelevant, Taylor said.

He said the centers have been encouraged to expand their services as the number of patients on Medicaid grew.

We have all done that with very thin margins ... All we have now is insecurity no matter where you look, Taylor said, pointing to the lack of a state budget, the immediate funding cliff and the efforts to repeal the ACA.

There is nothing that is secure about a health center anymore  nothing, Taylor said.

The CEO said his operation stands to lose over $4 million in funding and that threatens care for more than 2,600 patients and probably 50 to 75 jobs.

Dr. Suzanne Lagarde, CEO at the Fair Haven Center, said if Congress fails to act, they would lose $2.5 million out of $3.6 million, which will put 2,726 patients in danger of losing coverage.

She said this doesnt take into account the potential loss of other revenue sources and a decrease in services that help patients access care.

Behavioral health depends so much on these ancillary, wrap-around serives, the care coordination, that would be threatened, Lagarde said.

Lagarde said the immediate drop off in funding means they will have to seriously consider cutting services or eliminating sites.

The horizon looks very very gloomy and if this funding cliff is not averted, it is literally going to be a major calamity, Legarde said.

Two Fair Haven patients praised staff member Vivian Acevedo-Rivas, the associate director of care coordination and patient support, for the work that she does to help them get housing and jobs and to keep them on track.

The point was made that the ancillary staff to the medical practitioners is as important to a functioning health clinic that takes a holistic approach to care.

She never gave up on me when I had given up on myself, one patient said about Acevedo-Rivas when the woman said she was homeless for five months.

Blumenthal said the health center money is an investment that provides preventative care before illnesses require more expensive procedures.

These community health centers are worth their weight in gold ... it is a sound investment, Blumenthal said.

If the doctors here turned away 90,000 who needed healthcare, or they failed to treat them properly, they could be held responsible for medical malpractice. The Congress of the United States and the Trump administration are committing political malpractice. They are violating the public trust, Blumenthal said.

It is reckless disregard for the human condition, Blumenthal said.

Taylor said the centers also provide a significant percentage of the substance abuses services in the state, all of which depend upon the same sources of funding.

At a time when this nation and the state of Connecticut and the community of New Haven is suffering and is trying to deal with the substance and the opioid epidemic, we dont have stable funding to continue our programs? I hope you can feel how frustrated I am, Taylor said.

On a more positive note, Murphy said he sits on the Health Care Committee and he and his colleagues are 90 percent along in finding a way to stabilize the individual exchange markets by guaranteeing payments to insurers, while also allowing some flexibility for the states.

As for the community health centers, he said Congress says it will get to it later this year or next year, but that uncertainty ultimately is going to ruin families in this state who rely on these health centers for care and treatment.

Murphy said for the past two weeks, instead of funding the centers, the Congress was tied up with another attempt to repeal the ACA and replace i,t this time with the Graham-Cassidy bill.

That bill never came up for a vote because in the end the GOP did not have a majority.

Murphy said, if passed, 300,000 people in Connecticut would have lost their health care and Connecticut would have seen a 50 percent cut in federal money for health care.
NEW HAVEN  Albertus Magnus College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate its new Shea Softball Complex in the heart of the Prospect Street campus Saturday, according to a press release from the school.

This is another special day in the history of Albertus and our commitment to fielding mission-centric, competitive NCAAs Division III teams, said college President Marc M. Camille in the release.

The new complex will serve as home field for the womens softball team, with dugouts, bull pens, and additional practice space for other Albertus teams, the release said. Albertus Fearless Falcons played an inaugural game Saturday on their new field against the University of Saint Joseph, of West Hartford.

The facility, for which ground was broken May 1, will also allow the college to expand its offerings of mens and womens varsity sports, intramurals and student programs, the release said. Community groups will also have access to the complex, Albertus said.

Carol Ann Shea, Class of 1945, and James OConnor Shea, her brother, bequeathed $3.7 million and $1.1 million, respectively, to Albertus. It was the largest unrestricted bequest the college has ever received, the release said.

Carol Ann Shea was an Albertus alumna and an associate professor at Southern Connecticut State University. She held a Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. She died at age 90 in 2015. James OConnor Shea shared his sisters respect for the education offered at Albertus, the release said.

In addition to the inaugural game against Saint Joseph, softball action is set to continue all day Saturday. Events are open to the public. For schedules, go to albertus.edu/sheacomplex.
WEST HAVEN  City and state officials are considering possible state fiscal assistance for West Haven that would include $8 million over and above what it included in the state budget in exchange for the city working with a municipal advisory review board for three years, officials said Thursday.

But Mayor Ed OBrien said that despite the citys financial challenges, it is in no immediate fiscal danger and he does not anticipate being unable to make payroll even if the states budget impasse drags on.

I am absolutely telling you that thats not the case, he said. We track and were watching almost daily. ... Were doing everything we can do to keep the city stable, OBrien said.

Whats being considered is actually a good thing for West Haven, OBrien said. Its something that I would welcome, although it doesnt change anything that were doing.

If theres aid available for West Haven, we want the aid  and were fighting for West Haven, said OBrien, a Democrat. He is running an independent write-in campaign in the Nov. 7 election to retain his office against Republican City Councilman David Riccio and Democratic nominee and former councilwoman Nancy Rossi  who narrowly beat him in a Sept. 12 primary.

While legislators are working to include West Haven  which had a $16.74 million cumulative General Fund deficit as of the end of the 2015-2016 fiscal year  in legislation being proposed to respond to Hartfords fiscal crisis, participation would be optional and it would be up to city officials to decide, said OBrien and state Rep. Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven.

The citys legislative delegation has been working to ensure that West Haven has the opportunity to participate, should it decide to, with Borer taking the lead, she said.

I pushed for West Haven to be given the option of going under the review board, said Borer. The review board would give us the funding that we need in order to avoid tax hikes and big cuts, but its going to come with some strings.

She said that in her opinion, thats not a bad thing.

The state can no longer afford to provide continued funding to distressed municipalities without also providing input, Borer said.

The board would be a seven-member panel that would include state and local leaders, financial analysts, the mayor and a union leader.

It was really designed for Hartford and they dont want to continue to give money to Hartford without strings attached, Borer said. West Havens legislators have repeatedly lobbied for West Haven also to be included, she said.

The good news is, They all agree that we have struggled and they all agree they want to help. I would say the purpose of the review board is for the state and city to work collaboratively.

OBrien made a point of saying that should West Haven decide to go forward, Its an ADVISORY board and not strictly a review board that would have the power to make the city do things, as was the case with West Havens previous fiscal crisis in the early 1990s.

The Municipal Review Board created at that time imposed steep cuts that included laying off one-quarter of the citys 300 workers at the time.

Its the same thing as the Municipal Finance Advisory Commission that the city already is working with in Hartford, OBrien said. Theyre just changing the name.

Asked whether the city was likely to move forward with the proposal, he answered, Why wouldnt we, given the fact that its an opportunity to obtain additional state funding.

But the advisory and review board is exactly what were going through right now, OBrien said. The only difference is, the state put you in the MFAC while this is optional.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmedia

ct.com
Two Billings residents have thrown their names in for the vacant associate justice position at the Montana Supreme Court.

Judge Ingrid Gustafson, of the 13th Judicial District, and Martha Sheehy, a private attorney, have applied. The vacancy was announced on Aug. 28 when Justice Mike Wheat announced his retirement. Wheat plans to leave the position Dec. 31.

A 30-day public comment period begins on Monday. Applicants who are granted an interview will be notified on Nov. 2 and interviews will be conducted in Helena on Nov. 13. The Judicial Nomination Commission must submit names of nominees to the governor by Nov. 26.

Gustafson has been a district court judge since January 2004, when she was appointed by then-Gov. Judy Martz. She was elected later that year, and re-elected in 2006 and 2012. Gustafson started Yellowstone Countys first felony drug court and was a member of the Commission on Sentencing, a multi-agency effort over the past two years to reform the states criminal justice system.

Sheehy is in solo practice at Sheehy Law Firm where she focuses on civil litigation, including insurance disputes, which represents 85 percent of her work. She also works in media law, primarily in open meeting and constitutional right-to-know issues and has done legal work for The Billings Gazette.

I really like representing clients, including The Gazette, Sheehy said. Its a privilege. So if I were lucky enough to get this position, I would miss practicing, no doubt about it.

Gustafson did not return a request for comment submitted late Friday.

Others who have applied for the associate justice position are:

 Michael Black, director of litigation at the Montana Legal Services Association;

 Cynthia Ford, a University of Montana law professor and chief justice at the Fort Belknap Court of Appeals;

 James Hunt, a Helena attorney;

 Michael Lamb, a Helena attorney; and

 William McElyea, chief water judge for Montana.

The position is subject to election in 2018. The successful candidate will serve the remainder of Wheats term, which expires in January 2023. The annual salary for the position is $144,066.
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Congressman Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, is forging ahead with tax relief for Americans with the recent passage of temporary tax relief for hurricane victims and the creation of tax reform framework.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed the Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017 (H.R.3823) that would deliver temporary tax relief to the victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.

"Hundreds of thousands of people throughout Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and other areas have been devastated by hurricanes and severe flooding that destroyed their homes, their vehicles, and their workplaces," Brady, who serves as chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, said in a statement. "My bill specifically helps hurricane victims keep more of their paycheck, deduct more of the cost of their expensive property damage, and have more affordable and immediate access to money they have saved for their retirement. The legislation will also encourage even more Americans to donate generously to help those in need.

"Taken together, these tax relief measures will help more people be able to bear the tremendous expense of recovering from these destructive hurricanes."

Brady called the passage of the bill "historic" during a telephone press conference Friday.

The bill includes penalty free access to retirement funds to rebuild their home or property, encourages charitable giving by suspending limitations on the deduction for charitable contributions associated with qualified hurricane relief and provides a tax credit for 40 percent of wages (up to $6,000 per employee) paid by a disaster-affected employer to an employee from a core disaster area in order to keep employees working while a business is recovering.

Tax reform

In addition to the temporary disaster relief, Brady said legislators have been successful in creating tax reform framework.

"For the first time in 31 years of the White House, the House and Senate came together behind a unified tax reform framework that is focused on more jobs, fair taxes and bigger paychecks," Brady said Friday, calling the action "a game changer."

The framework, he said, is built for growth and will "leap frog America from dead last in the world in competitiveness to among one of the top three best places on the planet for that next new job."

For many taxpayers, it would allow them to file taxes on a simple postcard style form. For businesses, he added, it would mean owners would be sending less money to Washington, allowing them to spend more money investing in their businesses, employees and communities.

Brady and the Ways & Means committee are working to create legislation.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Ayo Fayose for declaring his intention to contest the 2019 pr...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Ayo Fayose for declaring his intention to contest the 2019 presidential election while he is owing workers in the state salaries and allowances ranging from six to eight months.The party described the governors action as the height of insensitivity to the peoples plight and an irresponsible conduct to behave as if Ekiti State treasury is a personal estate for private comfort.In a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti by the Publicity Secretary of APC, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the party flayed the governor for being blind to the sufferings of workers while pursuing self-promoting presidential ambition.He said it was unconscionable for the governor to keep deceiving workers on the states poor finances to endure suffering while he enjoyed full life with his family and pursue mundane fancies without sparing a thought for the sufferings of the people.Olatunbosun said: It is the height of wickedness for Fayose to always call teachers to meetings like he did this week to brainwash them on the states poor finances and later give them N1,500 pittance for transport until the next brainwashing session with these teachers on empty stomachs while he enjoys full life misapplying states money for his fancies.This is more condemnable against the backdrop of facts available to Ekiti people that Fayose has been awarding contracts at over-bloated costs to his friends outside Ekiti State, contrary to his promise to patronise indigenous contractors during his campaigns.He contended that the money the state had collected since the governor assumed office was enough to make the people happy if he had applied the money honestly and transparently, adding that Thursdays declaration of his presidential ambition was meant to distract the people from alleged funds mismanagement in pursuit of a selfish ambition.The presidential declaration is a distraction to keep Ekiti busy from keeping attention to his illegality in the application of Ekiti money for selfish purposes and a ploy to embark on whipping up sentiments to escape justice in his misapplication of Ekiti money.We urge the EFCC to be meticulous in their investigation into how the governor misapplied bailout of N20b, CBNs N2b loan for small-scale enterprises, N10b loan for projects, N2.8b UBEC/Subeb counterpart fund (which was not matched by the state government), monthly allocation from the Federation Account to Local government councils and Paris Club cash that he has diverted to his ill-motivated projects for selfish motives while Ekiti people go to bed on empty stomachs.
The Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast has forced the closure of more than 57 per cent of schools in Borno State, leaving about 3 mil...

The Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast has forced the closure of more than 57 per cent of schools in Borno State, leaving about 3 million children without an education as the school year begins, the United Nations Childrens Fund said yesterday.Children in Northeast Nigeria are living through so much horror, said Justin Forsyth, UNICEFs Deputy Executive Director at the end of a three-day visit to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.In addition to devastating malnutrition, violence and an outbreak of cholera, the attacks on schools is in danger of creating a lost generation of children, threatening their and the countrys future, he said.Even though the first task is to save childrens lives from pneumonia, diarrhea and malnutrition, we also want to make sure children keep learning and get back to school, Forsyth said after visiting the border village of Banki,about 133 kilometers southeast of Maiduguri.Some 10.5 million children are out of school throughout Nigeria, he said, but the insurgency has affected Borno state most acutely.Nearly 2,300 teachers have been killed in the northeast since 2009 by Boko Haram.Even in the midst of conflict we need to make sure that children keep learning. It helps them overcome trauma, he said, adding that many children there have been kidnapped and have experienced violence.Two young boys told him about being kidnapped, watching people be killed and being forced to work for Boko Haram under threat of beatings and abuse.These boys are deeply traumatized. They are being supported to overcome that situation, and when asked what they most wanted, they both said to me they wanted to go to school, he said.The eight-year insurgency has claimed more than 20,000 lives in the Lake Chad region, and displaced more than 2.3 million. Casualties have doubled in the past five months in Borno and Adamawa states because of increased suicide bombings, many carried out by young girls, Amnesty International has said.The use of children as human bombs  close to 100 so far this year  has sown a climate of mistrust among communities in the northeast, the U.N. agency says.UNICEF has been able to enroll nearly 750,000 children in school this year in northern Nigeria, it said, establishing more than 350 temporary learning spaces.But the U.N. humanitarian agency says that only 12 percent of funding needed for education in Nigeria has been received.Teachers are needed in the remote areas, and funds are needed to recruit them and to rebuild schools, Forsyth said, calling for a deeper partnership and more investment by the government, international community and the U.N.
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Akure Division, has ordered MTN Nigeria Communications Limited and MTN International, M...

The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Akure Division, has ordered MTN Nigeria Communications Limited and MTN International, Mauritius, to pay its former Network Group Operations Manager, Mr Paul Odunewu, $13,419,728.54, 10,000 and N2,540,000 (totalling N4, 825,036,735.9) following wrongful termination of employment.Justice Oyejoju Oyewunmi made the order on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 following Odunewus suit challenging his 2006 termination and the deprivation of his entitlements including share options valued at $13,144,512.00. MTN Group Limited, South Africa; MTN Nigeria and MTN International, Mauritius were first, second and third defendants in the suit which lasted 10 years from the Lagos State High Court to the NICN. Justice Oyewunmi ordered that the sums be paid by the second and third defendants, except the issue of costs which is to be paid by all the defendants. The judge ordered MTN to make the payments within 30 days following which the sums would appreciate at 21 percent interest per annum. In reaching judgment, the court agreed with the submissions of Odunewus counsel, Mr Kemi Balogun (SAN) that MTN unfairly imposed a restraint of trade on Odunewu, thus preventing him from working for a period. The judge upheld Mr Baloguns submission that the evidence showed that Odunewu neither committed any serious, persistent breach of the provisions of the agreement or the companys code, nor was ever summoned to a disciplinary committee or found guilty of any misconduct or non-performance.Justice Oyewunmi observed, among others, that the defendants failed to controvert the testimony of a former MTN Chief Executive Officer, Mr Adrian Wood, regarding the offers made to Odunewu which persuaded him to quit his job in The United Kingdom and join MTN. Odunewu, a UK-based chartered engineer, was employed by MTN Nigeria in 2001. He said MTN pleaded with him to return home from the UK and help the company to develop its telecommunications in Nigeria. He averred that he was promised, among others, a Share Option, a long-term incentive scheme being developed by MTN. Odunewu said when he complained that the Share Option was not contained in his offer letter, MTN persuaded him to accept the job, adding that he would be entitled to the shares after three years.Odunewu said he worked at MTN for over four years, and was responsible for the networks outstanding achievements, which continues till date. The former manager said he was responsible for the companys pre-paid and post-paid revenue, subscription, voucher management and real-time charging. Odunewu commenced the suit against the defendants in 2007 before the High Court of Lagos State, but in 2012, it was transferred to and began afresh at NICN which had exclusive jurisdiction. Trial commenced on January 29, 2014.
The leadership of the Igbo community in Northern Nigeria has said that Igbo people will not heed the call by an association of lawyers i...

The leadership of the Igbo community in Northern Nigeria has said that Igbo people will not heed the call by an association of lawyers in Anambra State, asking them to return home.It described the call as nothing but mischief.This was as Yerima Shettima, one of the leaders of the Coalition of Northern Youths, which had previously issued a quit notice to the Igbo living in the north, assured them that no harm will come their way on October 1 or after.The Vice President of Igbo Delegate Assembly in 19 Northern states, Cheif Chris Nnoli, said the call by the so called lawyers was condemnable.Nnoli, a lawyer, expressed disappointment and dismay that professionals like lawyers could make such call.He, however, assured that no Igbo man living in the north will heed such call because every Nigerian under the constitution of the country has the right to live anywhere they feel like within the country.Nnoli, who is also the President General of Igbo Community Welfare Association (ICWA) in Kaduna State, said October 1 remains Nigerias national day and they will all celebrate together as Nigerians.We are not in support of such call. And if lawyers actually made such call, because I also read the story in a national daily, then it is very unfortunate and we are not going heed it, he said.Also reacting to the call by the lawyers asking the Igbo in the north to return home before October 1 to avoid being caught unaware like it happened in 1966, Shettima described the lawyers asking North-based Igbo to return home during the period as mischief makers and enemies of Nigeria.Shettima said: We are a people of honour and respect. We honour our words. So, the Igbo in the north can go about their normal business and should not listen to mischief makers.We have sensitised our members to ensure the safety of every Nigerian, especially the Igbo, and we can assure you that nothing will happen to the Igbo by October 1 and even beyond.
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, has said that only restructuring can put an...

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, has said that only restructuring can put an end to the agitations by the South East, which is presently posing a threat to the unity of Nigeria.

He went on further to urge the Igbos resident in the north not to flee the region because of the October 1 declaration by the northern youths.





The PDP chief who spoke in Kaduna yesterday, on the need to ensure that the nations internal security and sovereignty was not further threatened by the agitations, advised the Federal Government to embark on the process of restructuring Nigeria for development, growth and peaceful existence of citizens in the country.





Asking Igbos not to leave, he said, If not for the measures the governors took, the matter could have gone out of control. We didnt see reprisals; we saw leaders, governors, traditional rulers and religious leaders calling for calm.





I am confident October 1 will come and go peacefully. Arewa youths are not like IPOB; you cannot see their flag or office. Maybe you see some youths coming from one state or the other at a meeting and they disperse, which is not what IPOB was doing.
When Hamilton resident Isabel Williams was 6 years old she felt a call of compassion. She decided to use her Christmas money to purchase stuffed animals for the local hospital to comfort children when they came in for medical attention.

Now, a whole year later, the 7-year-old still feels that call.

Over the summer she earned money from a booth at the Hamilton Farmers Market. She used those funds to purchase more stuffed animals.

I told her I could help her make things in my shop for sale, said Joel Williams, Isabels father. It is hard to concentrate for long when youre 7, but she did make a couple of things.

Isabel made a coat rack and home signs, and her grandparents made bracelets, stuffed animals, crocheted towels, wooden boxes and cutting boards.

Isabel spent two Saturdays selling items at the market and told everyone who walked by her plans for proceeds and why they should purchase the items.

A couple of weeks ago she took 75 stuffed animals to Corvallis Family Medicine. She also donated 50 stuffed animals to North Valley Hospital in Whitefish where she was born.

On Thursday, with front teeth now filling the gap in her smile, her hair in braids and an infectious laugh, the second-grader from Darby Elementary shared her purchases with medical staff at Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital for the emergency room and ambulances.

Isabel was met by Dr. Ben Watters at the ambulance parked under the awning at the hospital when she made her delivery.

She opened the boxes of 75 stuffed animals and explained there was a selection of dogs, giraffes and unicorns, plus smaller animals to ride in ambulances.

 'Baby Stuffies come with a friendship bracelet, she said as she opened the box filled with happy-faced stuffed animals. Some had zipper mouths to use as a pocket to keep treasures safe, some had magnetic feet to keep the hug strong and others were smaller with a mom dog carrying a puppy in its mouth.

She put a lot of thought into which animals she chose because she thought some would be good for sick or hurting children when they come into the emergency room and some of the animals would be best for the ambulance, Joel Williams said.

She wanted something for them to cuddle, said Heather Williams, Isabels mother.

Jennifer Bush, manager of the emergency department, said the small-sized snugglers are perfect for small arms.

This is going to make their day, said Jennifer Bush, nurse. We went through all of them you brought last time, plus the ones in the ambulances  so those made lots of happy little kids. Sometimes they are crying and then I hand them an animal and they stop crying.

You want to hug someone or something when you dont feel good, she added. Sometimes with all the tubes and things it is difficult to hug your mom but you can sneak a little animal in there and it fits perfectly.

Isabel knows medical staff is there to help families and children. Her grandparents are on the West Fork Quick Response Unit and, when she was 5, Isabel had a trip to the emergency room to get stitches after a dog bit her nose.

She also has a lot of empathy for other children, Joel Williams said.

Both Joel and Heather Williams are proud of their daughter.

These animals are going to cheer up sick children, Watters said. I know my son and daughter would think these are pretty cool. Thank you so much, this will make a lot of kids happy.

Watters said the emergency department is usually an unfamiliar place for children who often are scared when they come in sick or injured.

For them to see something familiar, like a stuffed animal, helps ease some of the apprehension that kids feel when they come in, he said. A stuffed animal will help them know a doctor isnt just there to poke them and run tests on them. It makes them happy and it makes the visit just a little bit less uncomfortable.

Jon Muir, on the ambulance crew, thanked Isabel for her donation.

A lot of times the kids we pick up are sick and scared and these will calm them, he said. Well make sure all of the ambulances get these animals.
Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, has been summoned to appear in a Madrid court on November 3, two days before he takes his team to his old club, Chelsea, in the Premier League.Spanish authorities opened a case against Mourinho in June, for alleged tax evasion during his time as Real Madrid boss.The 54-year-old allegedly did not declare revenue related to his image rights in 2011 and 2012 and owes the Spanish state nearly 2.9million.Mourinhos agent issued a statement at the time denying the allegation and pointed out he paid nearly 23m in taxes during his stint in Spain, at an average tax rate of more than 41%It also stated that he had reached a settlement agreement with the Spanish taxman in 2013.Angel Di Maria, Javier Mascherano and Lionel Messi have all been convicted of tax evasion in recent years.
The Director General of Governor Willie Obiano campaign organisation for the 2017 Anambra governorship election, Chief Victor Umeh has said...

The Director General of Governor Willie Obiano campaign organisation for the 2017 Anambra governorship election, Chief Victor Umeh has said that it was not true that former governor, Mr Peter Obi spent his personal money to sponsor the campaigns of Obianos first term.

Umeh said there was need to make the clarification because of the level of propaganda being peddled in the social media over N7billion said to have been spent by Obi for Obianos election in the 2013 governorship election.





Addressing journalists during a maiden press conference as the Director General of the campaign organization, Umeh said he was national chairman of APGA at that time, and that the party help fundraising ceremonies in some states and abroad, and people contributed money for Obianos election, but that Obi never accounted for any of the funds.





He said there was evidence that Obi was demanding money from the governor as money used for his election as his (Obis) mouthpieces were all over media houses in Anambra to tell the people of the state that those who sponsored Obiano wanted their monies back.





Umeh said, I have even heard Obi on radio say that he sold his property in Abuja to sponsor Obiano, but that is not true. We raised funds in Lagos, Abuja and several cities, and Obi never accounted for them. I was the chairman of the party then, and I know these things.





Speaking on the N75billion which Obi said he left behind and has been squandered by Obiano, Umeh said the former governor was confused about how much he left behind.





He had in a different forum said he left N100billion, in some other places he said N75billion, so he is confused about what he left behind. We are not disturbed about this because we know Obi.





He did it while he was impeached in 2006. We worked hard to get him back to power, and immediately he returned, the first public speech he made was that Etiaba had squandered the N28billion he left behind.





We tried to stop him from toeing that line, telling him he should be thankful that he has been returned, but he insisted and that became an issue between him and Etiaba for many months. My brother Obi is like that and we know him, he said.





Umeh said Obiano has proven himself to be a competent governor in just three years and six months, and that he was sure Anambra people would not fail to return him.





He urged political parties, security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to play by rule to ensure a successful gubernatorial poll.





He also charged President Buhari to caution members of his party to avoid intimidating the people of the state using federal might.
Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) (rtd), has urged Nigerians to embrace dialogue in resolving the coun...

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) (rtd), has urged Nigerians to embrace dialogue in resolving the countrys challenges in order to ensure peace and development.Babangida made the remark on Saturday in Minna to mark Nigerias 57thIndependence anniversary on Oct. 1.He said even though the nation was witnessing agitations and conflicts, there was need for careful appraisal of our journey to nationhood.The resilience of armed forces of Nigeria to curtail secessionist agitation throughout our nations post independence era has reduced tensions and unnecessary destruction of lives and property.Dialogue remains the best option in resolving conflicts and agitations in the country.Recent conflicts and agitations, chanting slogan of war and hate speeches are derailing the nations development and unity.As an active participant during the civil war and as a retired military officer, with the hard lesson learnt, I will never be tired of calling for the oneness and unity of our great nation.We will forever be ready to sacrifice for a united and prosperous Nigeria when called again.The Former Military President said that during his administration deliberate policies, programmes and projects were formulated to weaken agitations for secession.We even created states to promote mutual and peaceful coexistence devoid of ethnic, religious and regional discrimination, he said.He enjoined the three tiers of government to continue to encourage mutual tolerance and protect the life of every Nigerian who should feel at home anywhere he found themselves in the country.Babangida urged Nigerians to pray and work towards peace and progress of the country.He advised those beating war drums through hate speeches to desist and support the government in resolving security and economic challenges of the country.It can be recalled that Babangida was the 8th Head of State of Nigeria who ruled from Aug. 27, 1985 to Aug. 26, 1993.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was not in ...

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, was not in its custody.According to a statement by its Director of Information, Major General John Enenche, the DHQ insisted that its operations in Aba has nothing to do with the alleged raid on the home of separatist group leader.The operations of our men are recorded live, and we can justify that his home was not raided by the military,  Enenche said.Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, Enenche explained that the people that came out to attack the military were the Biafra Security Service and the Biafra National Guard, saying that it was not right for them to block the roads and be collecting tolls and intimidating law abiding citizens of the state who were going about their lawful businesses.On the proscription of IPOB by the Federal Government and South East governors, Enenche noted that the statement he issued two weeks ago did not say proscription but a warning to parents to warn their children, adding that due process was followed by the government before the group was proscribed as a terrorist organisation by a competent court.He said: It is not the responsibility of DHQ to declare Nnamdi Kanu wanted. Nnamdi Kanu is not in the custody of the military.Nobody raided Kanus home. I was watching it live, was monitoring it and speaking with men on the ground. I later confirmed that there was nothing to actually justify them legally to mount roadblocks. I saw the militancy, nobody told me and I saw the actions there. We are still investigating.The military did not proscribe IPOB. Due process was followed to proscribe them. The job of the military was to diagnose security issues and warn the public of the consequences and that is part of our media operations.We did our media operations very well, otherwise, that weekend would have been the longest weekend in this country and we are also very careful in choosing our words and we know the law very well.On whether the military was not alarmed about the militarisation of the country coupled with reservations expressed by the United States of America on the on-going operations of the military across the country, General Enenche said the armed forces of Nigeria was not alarmed by what is being analysed by the US, adding that people see and understand situations in different perspectives. The military sees and understands things in different perspectives too.So, it is the military that would tell you the signs and symptoms of a security ailment because its only a doctor that can tell you that somebody has cancer or malaria.Enenche reaffirmed the unalloyed loyalty of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.
A retired Army General, Maj.-Gen. Ola Ishola-Williams has lambasted President Olusegun Obasanjo for advising President Muhammadu Buhari to ...

A retired Army General, Maj.-Gen. Ola Ishola-Williams has lambasted President Olusegun Obasanjo for advising President Muhammadu Buhari to dialogue with Nnamdi Kanu.

He said Obasanjo should not be the one talking about dialogue, recalling that as president, he ordered assault on communities without adequate consultation.





Dialogue should be the best preferred option in resolving crisis. But I prefer President Buhari having dialogue with Ohanaeze leaders and the South East governors, and other Igbo elders who are already making efforts at finding a lasting solution to the problem, he said.





Obasanjos advice is wrong. How can Buhari invite Kanu for dialogue? Dialogue for what? Buhari doing so would also amount to undermining ongoing efforts by Ohaneze and South East governors to find solution to the crisis.





Obasanjo should keep quiet, if he doesnt know what to say again or advice to give. With due respect to him, Obasanjo is a hypocrite.





When he was the President between 1999 and 2007, did he invite anybody for dialogue or discussion before he sent troops to destroy Odi in Bayelsa State and Zaki Biam in Benue State?





Obasanjo should not be taken serious; he is only playing to the gallery. I dont expect Obasanjo to make that statement. His advice that Buhari should dialogue with Kanu is very wrong.





By asking Buhari to meet Kanu, is Obasanjo legitimising the actions of Nnamdi Kanu some of which are very wrong?





Im highly disappointed with Obasanjo. As a retired General and former President, he shouldnt have made that statement. Is Obasanjo trying to elevate Kanu above Ohanaeze leaders and the Southeast governors?





The other time, that was how he went to meet the father of a Boko Haram leader, a known terrorist under the guise of helping the Federal Government to seek an amicable way to resolve the Boko Haram insurgency.





Honestly, some of the actions often taken by Obasanjo and some of his comments do not show or reflect strategic thinking expected of a retired General and a former President.





Again, asking Buhari to meet Kanu one-on-one for dialogue will also boost Kanus ego. He might even start seeing himself as Igbo leader or hero of a sort, which he is not.





You can never compare Kanu to somebody like Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu or any other renowned, prominent Igbo leader. It is balderdash to ask Buhari to meet Kanu for dialogue. That task should be left for the Ohaneze leaders, South East governors and other Igbo elders. Kanu should not be it at all.





Well, some people may want to say that Kanu commands a huge followership, yes that may be so. In history, we have seen men who had huge followership, with figures like Adolf Hitler but who are not diplomatic, reasonable, lack finesse and didnt act with decorum.





Nnamdi Kanu also falls into the category of these people. He should not be regarded as Igbo leader, he doesnt have such qualities. He should not be treated or regarded as Igbo leader; he doesnt merit it at all. Obasanjo should have reflected very well before making that statement, Ishola-Williams told Sun.
The Kaduna State Police Command has reacted to the warrant of arrest slammed on the spokesman of Arewa Youths Coalition, Abdulazeez Suleima...

The Kaduna State Police Command has reacted to the warrant of arrest slammed on the spokesman of Arewa Youths Coalition, Abdulazeez Suleiman.

The commissioner of Police in Kaduna, Agyole Abeh, while speaking to newsmen in Kaduna, vowed to fully implement the arrest warrant.





He simply said: Any warrant of arrest from a court will be carried.





The Kaduna state government took exception to the fact that the northern youths did their irresponsible press conference in Kaduna, the Police boss added.





The warrant of arrest of the accused persons, which dated 8th August, 2017 with case no: KMD/137x/2017, between the Commissioner of Police (complainant) and Abdulazeez Suleiman,(defendant) explained that, the accused: Stands charged with the offence of inciting Section 78,disturbance 77,injurious falsehood 37,unlawful Assembly section 66,criminal conspiracy section 59 of penal code law 2017. You are hereby directed to arrest the said Abdulazeez Suleiman and to produce him before me.





Recall that, the Coalition of Northern Groups, (CNG) had in Kaduna issued the quit notice in June, asking Igbos to vacate the North before October 1 as they claimed their demand was in response to the secessionist stance of some pro-Biafran groups, like the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.





Kaduna State government had condemned the quit notice and ordered the arrest of those signatories to the declaration.
President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Shettima Yerima has reacted to arrest warrant obtained against his members b...

President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Shettima Yerima has reacted to arrest warrant obtained against his members by Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.

He said the governor was playing with fire by planning to arrest members of his group, who had issued quit notice to Igbos living in the north to leave the region on or before October 1.





Governor El-Rufai had on Thursday obtained court warrant to arrest the Northern youth leaders.





Reacting to this development, Yerima told Saturday Sun, that the governors action showed that he was an enemy of the Muhammadu Buhari government.





Honestly, we really do not want to join issues with him, what is before us is how to rebuild the country, and so far, we have been doing that.





Probably the governor is working to distract the government and we cannot be an agent to distracting the government.





We will ensure we do everything within our limits to ensure that there is peace in the country, and we have been demonstrating this. We will not allow him to distract us, he said.





He noted that Nigerians would be in a better position to judge the Kaduna State governor, and to see if he was a true Nigerian, who actually wanted peace in the country.





We are wondering because El-Rufai never thought of this until few days before October 1, when the issue has been put behind us, and we have done wonderfully to nip in the bud any crisis that would arise in the north because of killings in the Southeast.





We took it upon ourselves to go to Kano, a volatile area to address the northern youths, and warned that nobody should attack any Igbo in the region; more so, there shouldnt be any reprisal attack.





No one from Southeast was harassed in the north. For him to come now is a clear indication for Nigerians to know the true enemy of the government, as well as, true enemy of the country.
Former Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Abubakar Tsav, has called for the removal of Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Jumai Al-Hassan fro...

Former Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Abubakar Tsav, has called for the removal of Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Jumai Al-Hassan from President Muhammadu Buharis government.

He said this in response to her open support for the presidential ambition of former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar.





What the woman did was not good. Although she is entitled to her own opinion, and has the right to support any candidate of her choice, but it is not possible to serve two masters at the same time, he told Sun.





This woman is still in Buharis cabinet, but now she is openly declaring her loyalty to Atiku, what does that tell us? Thats complete disloyalty. She should have been given the red card. I even expect her to have resigned before being fired. I dont know what she is still doing in Buharis cabinet. She should resign honorably.





What Nigerians or even members of Buharis cabinet and Mr President may not know is this; Jumai Al-Hassan has become a big security risk to Buharis administration. She should go.





The danger of retaining her or allowing her to still hang on Buharis cabinet is that for the administration, there is hardly any secret that can be kept again because the possibility is that anything discussed at the cabinet or the caucus meetings, Jumai Al-Hassan can go and reveal it to her godfather, Atiku, especially where matters affecting Atikus interests are involved.





Al-Hassan should be sacked because she can no longer be trusted especially where issues involving Atiku and Buhari are at stake.





Tsav also gave his opinion on the anti-corruption crusade of President Buhari.





The war against corruption is going on fine. Unlike before, fear of Buhari has now made Nigerians wary of corrupt practices. They know that if they get caught, they will face the music.





But my worry is that this war against corruption seems to be selective. So far what we have been seeing is the arraignment of more PDP people while APC members are hardly touched.





Corruption involves everybody; It should not be seen as if members of President Buharis party, APC are being spared. What we are witnessing now is that when some politicians are put on trial for corruption, it would look as if the trial is going to be pursued to a logical conclusion but the moment such politicians defect or decamp to APC, thats the end of the trial.





Are they even telling us that APC members are not corrupt, especially those of them that decamped from PDP to APC? The only difference between APC and PDP is Buhari. The moment you remove Buhari, APC and PDP are the same. The moment you remove Buhari from APC, then APC and PDP are the same.
Nigerian music icon, Sound Sultan, born Olanrewaju Fasasi, has given reasons he didnt participate in the Charly Boy protest against Presid...

Nigerian music icon, Sound Sultan, born Olanrewaju Fasasi, has given reasons he didnt participate in the Charly Boy protest against President Muhammadu Buhari.

Charly Boy, had led a protest against Muhammadu Buhari during his medical vacation in the United Kingdom, demanding that the President comes back or resigns.





Speaking to Punch, where he also claimed that some politicians begged him to change his message, Sultan said, Charly boy called out celebrities quite alright and I respect Charly Boy a great deal but I was not around in the country.





I told him to watch out for me because I always use my social media account to talk to youths. It is very important for us to know it is not about protesting for a week, it is an on-going discussion.





I have been speaking about social ill since the beginning of my career even as an up and coming artiste.





I have always been singing about the hardship in the country, so nobody can point fingers at me and I will keep doing that.





So if I am not around at a certain time that a protest was held, it does not really matter. Tuface was well meaning but the same people he tried to fight for took it against him.





That is Nigeria for you. It is not about Charly Boy. Who were the people throwing stones at Charly Boy during the protest ? Were they Togolese?
CAMDEN -- A man who sold counterfeit computer parts and ran a money laundering scheme was sentenced to a year in prison Friday, authorities said.

Ronald Graban, 58, of Columbus, Burlington County, pleaded guilty in 2012 to charges of mail fraud and money laundering. He was sentenced in Camden federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Starting in 2000, Graban bought and resold computer parts through various companies he had created, including RPR International LLC, Graham Enterprises International, Innovative Technology Group, MT Loveland Corp., Golden Eagle Property Management, Andy Lee Inc. and Andy Lee Electronics.

In late 2004, Graban began acquiring network connecting parts from GigaLight Electronic in China. The pieces were identical to Cisco Systems and Nortel Networks parts, but were counterfeits, something Graban became aware of in 2006, authorities said.

That was after U.S. Customs and Board Protection agents seized shipments of computer parts from GigaLight, and moved to notify U.S. customers that the profits were counterfeit, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Still, authorities said, Graban continued to purchase the parts between 2006 and 2007, and sold them to an online retailer.

In early 2006, Graban received a check for $163,000, a payment for counterfeit parts he sold, authorities said. He then deposited that check into the bank account of a different company.

In 2007, $890,000 was seized from various accounts associated with Graban's companies, as well as two properties in Florida that later went into foreclosure, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

He agreed to forfeit the funds seized as well profits from the two foreclosure sales, which total around $40,000.

Graban must also serve a year of supervised release and pay a fine of $60,000 as well as restitution in the amount of $927,193.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amahoover. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The 2017 fire season set records in some locations for days in extreme fire danger with prolonged hot and dry weather stoking blazes and stretching resources thin, state officials told lawmakers this week.

One thing is clear, and that is that we do not have a fully sustainable program for fire seasons such as this one, said Sue Clark, acting administrator of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation forestry division.

On Thursday, Clark appeared before the Environmental Quality Council, a legislative interim committee that meets between sessions, to update lawmakers on the fire season.

Fire suppression costs have run close to $400 million in Montana, including about $62 million of state dollars. The state received eight federal grants that pay for 75 percent of eligible costs for fires, such as Alice Creek northeast of Lincoln, Lolo Peak in the Bitterroot Valley and the Lodgepole Complex in eastern Montana.

The most expensive fires this year include Lolo Peak at $48 million, Rice Ridge at $47.9 million, Sapphire Complex at $36 million and Meyers at more than $32.5 million.

More than 1.2 million acres, including about 300,000 acres on DNRC-protected state and private lands, burned in Montana this year. That puts 2017 above 2012 by more than 20,000 acres and makes it the highest year in terms of acreage in the last two decades, according to records. In 2012 costs were about $113 million, compared to the $393 million spent in 2017.

State and county firefighters officially controlled about 2,100 fires during initial attack for a 98 percent success rate. DNRC conservatively estimates county crews caught another 500-700 fires that went unreported, Clark said.

During a governor-declared emergency, about 850 National Guard soldiers and five helicopters deployed on firefighting.

EQC may study ways to bolster the fire program, including funding for staging more resources in anticipation of fires.

With fires across the northwest, the number of incident management teams was insufficient and resources were prioritized where officials saw the best chance of success to protect people, property and structures, Clark said.

Michael DeGrosky, chief of DNRCs Aviation Management Bureau, told lawmakers that state and federal officials often have different philosophies on fighting fires. State and county officials are typically responding to fires on private land and DNRC focuses on keeping fires small, while federal agencies have fire protection responsibility on federally managed lands.
UPDATE: Transgender HS student eager to go back to class after attack, mom says

NEWARK -- A 14-year-old transgender student was beaten by several fellow students at East Side High School in an assault that authorities said they are investigating as an alleged bias crime.

Kylie Perez told PIX11 she was punched and kicked Tuesday in a school hallway after a girl shouted "there's the tranny." Perez told the station she has been targeted by bullies who called her anti-gay slurs. She transitioned in 6th grade, according to the report.

The city's mayor, Ras Baraka, said he was "appalled" by the assault and planned to contact Perez and her family.

"I join the LGBTQI community as well as the parents, students, and citizens of Newark who are appalled by the recent bullying and vicious attack on fourteen-year-old Kylie Perez, a transgender student, at East Side High School," the mayor said in a statement.

"We must remain vigilant as a community and continue to denounce and to prosecute the hate crimes that are perpetrated upon members of the LGBTQI community," Baraka added. "This act was particularly egregious because the victim is a young teen whose attackers assailed her without warning."

School officials immediately alerted authorities, said Newark Public Schools spokeswoman Tracy Munford, who said she could not comment further.

"We were notified immediately and we immediately notified the Newark Police Department," the school spokeswoman said.

Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter confirmed the agency and city police were investigating the incident as an alleged bias crime.

Authorities said no charges have been filed in the case as the investigation continued.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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WOODBURY -- A Superior Court judge questioned Friday if a sentence of probation was appropriate for a woman convicted twice of setting her Washington Township condominium building on fire.

Cheryl A. Satoris, 57, was found guilty in June of third-degree arson in a 2011 blaze that damaged eight condo units but caused no injuries. She was originally convicted on the same charge in a 2013 trial, sentenced to five-years probation, ordered to pay $48,000 in restitution and required to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

The probationary term was based on Satoris having already served 981 days in jail while awaiting her first trial.

The appellate division overturned that conviction and ordered a new trial, saying her conviction was based on unreliable evidence and that conditions set for the probationary term were illegal.

In the first trial, a neighbor testified that on the day prior to the fire, Satoris asked him if he was part of the conspiracy among "the Commissioner, Illuminati and other people to kill her." She also asked him if he had renter's insurance and asked, "Do you know these units are going to burn down?" the neighbor testified.

The state is seeking a period of probation conditioned on a mental health evaluation and treatment, Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton told Judge Kevin T. Smith on Friday.

"I think that there would be no purpose served in additional prison time," Anton said. "But I do think that a mental health evaluation is necessary to ensure this doesn't happen again."

Smith expressed concerns that the proposed sentence of probation would not help Satoris.

Following her first sentence, Satoris refused to get treatment for mental health issues and denied she had a problem, Smith said, referring to documents from medical professional who reviewed her case.

He questioned whether she would cooperate with efforts at treatment this time is she was granted parole.

"I have little faith that probation will be beneficial now and I'm concerned about that," he said. "Based upon this history and what is demonstrated before me, placing Ms. Satoris on probation is setting her up to fail."

Satoris repeatedly interrupted Smith during Friday's proceedings, arguing about the appellate ruling, the amount of jail time she has already served in the case and disputing that she has mental health issues.

Satoris claimed that what doctors described as mental health disorders were actually temporary conditions caused by carbon monoxide poisoning from people pumping gases into her condo unit prior to the 2011 fire.

Smith countered with a 2014 report from a doctor who indicated she suffered from a delusional state and expressed concern that she may act out on those delusions.

She also disputed claims that she didn't cooperate with the mental health portion of her original probation and claimed to have proof to support her case.

"It's been represented to me that there's documentation out there that I should take a look at," Smith said.

The judge expressed concern that if he proceeded with sentencing Friday, the appellate court could later rule that he should have considered Satoris' additional evidence.

He agreed to postpone sentencing until Dec. 8 to allow Satoris to present her information.

She remains free pending sentencing.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- Volunteers came out in droves on Saturday to help send off more than 100,000 pounds of emergency supplies to Puerto Rico in the wake a devastating hurricane.

Dozens of people were on hand on Pacific Avenue Saturday morning, including a number of police officers and firefighters, to load up three 18-wheelers with supplies such as food, water and medical supplies that will head southbound and ship off for Puerto Rico.

On Sept. 20, Hurricane Maria knocked out electricity and almost all phone service on the island, making disaster relief efforts difficult. People remain desperate for supplies more than a week after the hurricane's landing.

But volunteers in Jersey City wasted no time in preparing emergency supplies to be shipped off, said Councilman-at-Large Danny Rivera, who helped organize the relief effort.

"We started organizing while (Hurricane Maria) was hitting Puerto Rico," said Rivera, whose parents are from the island.

The more than 157,000 pounds of supplies came from a number of different donors throughout the city, and even from out of state donors from Rhode Island and Connecticut, Rivera said.

"We've had an enormous amount of contributions. You name it, we have it," Rivera said.

Supplies were brought to El Boricua Lechonera, a Puerto Rican restaurant on Pacific Avenue, where they were then loaded into three trucks that were donated to the relief effort by Brian Hermann, a firefighter with the department who has also previously assisted in relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy, Harvey and other natural disasters.

"This is epic," Rivera said. "We're all just here to help."
JERSEY CITY -- A fire beneath a roadway forced officials to redirect traffic away from the westbound Holland Tunnel Friday night, Port Authority spokesman Joseph Pentangelo said.

The fire started around 7 p.m. under the 1&9 westbound ramp. Authorities closed off Jersey Avenue to westbound traffic shortly before it was extinguished about 20 minutes later.

The state Department of Transportation was called to inspect the ramp while the Port Authority closed the tunnel's westbound tube, Pentangelo said. Westbound traffic was diverted to the Lincoln Tunnel.

The westbound tunnel will still be accessible to emergency vehicles Friday night.

One eastbound lane of the tunnel was briefly closed before reopening around 8:30 p.m., Pentangelo also said.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Whether or not fire licked at our doorsteps, the smoke made the fire season personal, and dangerous. Thousands of people from every county in western Montana were forced to leave their homes or at least get ready to flee.

It wasn't a particularly electric summer. But there were a few thunderstorms, the earliest some exceptionally destructive ones in mid-July that sparked fires in Rock Creek and the Jocko River headwaters. When lightning did touch ground it almost invariably started something.

The sun bore down day after blazing day, setting the stage for one of the worst fire seasons in memory. High temperatures in the 90s were the norm. Humidity levels dropped to percentages in the teens or less.

Smoke silhouettes a helicopter making bucket drops on the Sunrise fire in Mineral County near the end of July, at that point the top priority fire in the nation.

Sean Winter a CH-47D Chinook helicopter pilot sits on a hammock in the back of theaircraft as he waits for the smoke to clear at the Superior landing strip. Days of endless smoke hampered aerial attacks on all the fires.

A converted DC-10 jumbo jet drops a load of retardant on the Rice Ridge fire near Seeley Lake.

Thousands of firefighters from across the nation tried to get a handle on western Montana fires. Although more than 500,000 acres burned, only a dozen homes were lost.

Pallbearers from the U.S. Forest Service load the body of firefighter Brent Witham for transport to California for memorial services. Witham died Aug. 2 when he was struck by a falling tree on the Lolo Peak fire, two weeks after Trenton Johnson, 19, of Missoula died after a burning snag fell on him north of Seeley Lake.

Virtually no one in western Montana could escape the onerous, hapless, helpless feeling of the smoke cocoon. On August 10 the pollution level in the town of Seeley Lake were 38 times what the World Health Organization deemed safe.

The costs of two fires alone are approaching $100 million. As of Thursday, the 54,000-acre Lolo Peak fire had rung up $48.4 million in bills. The Rice Ridge fire, which finally stalled out at 160,000-plus acres, checked in at $47.9 million.

The Lolo Peak fire started July 15 and blew up in mid-August sending hundreds of residents in the Bitterroot Valley packing. In all more than 1,100 homes along Highway 93 and Lolo Creek faced mandatory evacuations.

Bryanna Thompson loads a child's bicycle among other items she was taking from her home near Florence after the evacuation order for the Lolo Peak fire.

Montana Highway patrol officers Sean Finley, left, and and Shawn Smalley stop motorists on Highway 12 after the highway was closed because of spot fires from the Lolo Peak fire.

Exhaustion reads on the face of a firefighter from Noorvik, Alaska, while he and his team were working the primary fire line on the Lolo Peak fire.

Motorists on U.S. Highway 93 South pass through a plume of smoke from the Lolo Peak fire as flames from the fire, and from backfiring operations, pushed toward the valley floor between Lolo and Florence.

Five-year-old Hayden O'Leary watches the Lolo Peak fire from the back of her grandfather's truck.

A heavy-lift Chinook helicopter flies toward a large plume of smoke on the Lolo Peak fire.

At one point in late August more than 1,200 people were working on the Lolo Peak fire.

Montana Governor Steve Bullock declared fire emergencies in July and August deploying the Montana National Guard to help fight fires.

Firefighters walk through the Rice Ridge fire camp shrouded in smoke from the fire burning just east of Seeley Lake.

The most worrisome and prevalent air pollutant in wood smoke is the fine particulate, so tiny it can enter your bloodstream when you breathe it in, said Sarah Coefield an air quality specialist for the Missoula County Health Department. It's a cumulative pollutant; the more you're in it, the worse it is for you.

Fire camps were finally able to start preparing for rain in mid-September.

The historic P2V retardant bombers worked their last summer of fires for Neptune Aviation of Missoula.

The rains came on Sept. 14 to southwest Montana and up and over the Continental Divide, where a foot or more of snow piled up. Fires to the north and west got drenched a few days later and with that Montanas summer of fire came to a close.
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FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP)  Survivors of Hurricane Ian face a long emotional road to recover from one of the most damaging storms to hit the U.S. mainland. For those who lost everything to disaster, the anguish can be crushing to return home to find so much gone. Grief can run the gamut from frequent tears to utter despair. The Lee County medical examiner says two men in their 70s even took their own lives a day apart after viewing their losses. Experts say suicides climb after disasters and more funding for mental health should be provided as climate change makes storms and fires more frequent and devastating.
The study looks at two smaller-scale projects that are in some ways predecessors to the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, the $2 billion plan to slow land loss erasing Louisiana's coast. Construction on that project could begin as early as next year, while a similar one on the opposite side of the river known as the Mid-Breton Diversion could follow.
Wed like to thank an amazing young man, his family and supporters known as Aidens Army for the generous donations made to Midlands Humane Society last Saturday. Aiden has juvenile Huntingtons disease, and he celebrated his 12th birthday by giving back.

Aiden loves animals, so he decided to invite his friends and their pets to help him celebrate. The only gifts Aiden asked for were much-needed items from our wish list for our homeless pets.

He was able to stop by with his family Monday to personally deliver all of the donations and even spent time cuddling our kittens. Aiden, we speak for the animals when we say You and your army will always be our heroes!

This weeks adoptable pets are brought to you by our silver corporate level sponsor, SilverStone Group in Council Bluffs.

Little Bit is a petite princess. She is an 8-year-old Persian/Himalayan cat with a long coat that requires regular grooming. Little Bit is very scared. She would love a quiet home and would prefer to be the only cat in the home.

Russell is a 4-month-old domestic short-haired cat. He has a velvety, soft black coat. Russell is very energetic and likes to get into trouble when hes not kept busy. Like most kitties, Russell likes to explore everything. He likes cats and kittens, and a playmate may be just what he needs to keep him trouble-free.

Beans is a 2-year-old terrier mix. He has a short, black coat with just a patch of white on his chest. Beans is active and likes to go on long walks. He is very smart and is learning to sit and play fetch. Although Beans has a playful personality, he is very selective with other dogs, so a meet and greet is required with your pet. He would love a big fenced yard or an acreage. Beans is around 50 pounds, and older children in the home are recommended.

Splinter is a 2- to 3-year-old rat. He likes to run in his wheel for hours at a time. He is an easy keeper. Did you know rats are very social and intelligent?

Despite the misconception that rats are dirty and carry diseases, domestic rats do not. They are very clean, in fact, and groom themselves often.

Weekly wish list: Non-clumping clay cat litter, dryer sheets, rolls of paper towels, wet cat food and 8 -by-11 white copy paper. If you are interested in helping all the homeless pets that come through our doors by joining Simbas Circle of Second Chances and making a one-time or monthly donation, please call our front desk at 712-396-2270 for more information.

Pet tip of the week: Finders keepers. There are times when we are driving along and see a pet alone on the side of the road in our neighborhoods wandering around, or sitting at our back door, and ask ourselves if its lost.

Thats a tough question to answer. If the pet seems friendly and has a collar with tags and owner/veterinarians information on it, call the number. The pet might just be out for a potty break and has accidentally wandered too far from home.

If the pet has no tags, call a neighbor or two and ask them if they know who the pet may belong to or if theyve seen it before. If that doesnt help, bring the lost pet into MHS or Council Bluffs Animal Control at 1020 Railroad Ave. and have the pet scanned for a microchip number.

If the pet is chipped, a registration number will appear and we will call the owner. If the pet is not chipped, we will hold the pet at MHS for 72 hours hoping the owner comes for it. If not, the pet will be placed on the adoption floor after a behavioral evaluation has been determined so we know if it gets along with other pets, is food aggressive, knows commands, etc.

If you do not feel comfortable touching the pet you have found, call Animal Control immediately at 712-328-4656 within city limits. Outside the city, call 712-366-1143 during business hours. If the pet you have found is injured or needs immediate medical attention, dial 911 and Animal Control will be dispatched out to your location.

A pet that wanders onto your property is not yours to keep. Please make every effort possible to get it back to its rightful owner.

All adopted cats and dogs are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before leaving our facility, which is included in the adoption fee.
Some Omaha-area veterinary clinics are reporting an increase in a highly contagious intestinal virus among dogs, one that can be fatal if untreated.

Several dogs and puppies have died from the virus in recent weeks.

Its called parvovirus, and symptoms include vomiting, bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite and weakness. Dogs can become severely dehydrated, requiring hospitalization to receive intravenous fluids.

Dr. Sara Pettis of Council Bluffs Veterinary Clinic said her office has had 15 cases of parvovirus in the past five weeks. Thats more cases than her clinic normally sees in a year, she said.

Dr. Michael Bosilevac of Best Care Pet Hospitals in Omaha said hes had 20 cases in the past three weeks. He said he would typically get a half dozen cases in a year.

Cases of the virus have also risen at several other area clinics. Veterinarians said the virus is preventable through vaccines.

The virus spreads easily through dog waste in animals that arent vaccinated. Dogs, for example, might step in feces at a dog park and then lick their paws, ingesting the virus.

The spike in cases, veterinarians say, could be a sign that some pet owners arent aware of the need for the vaccine or are simply not getting it for their dog.

Dr. Bryce Kibbel, assistant professor at the Iowa Sate University College of Veterinary Medicine, said the lack of awareness could be particularly significant among puppy owners.

Puppies require a series of vaccinations for the virus from about age 6 weeks through 16 weeks, he said. An owner might buy a puppy that hasnt had the complete series and not realize more vaccinations are needed, he said.

Adult dogs typically receive the vaccine every three years, he said.

Kibbel said it is rare for a puppy or dog with the proper vaccinations to get the virus.

Its very preventable, he said. Thats the tragic thing.
Twenty-two years ago, John Liu saw what hundreds of years of neglect had done to Chinas Loess Plateau.

The birthplace of Chinese civilization had become filled with poverty and tragedy. Liu, then a filmmaker, went to China in 1995 to document The World Banks Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Project.

When they were growing their civilization, they were also sowing the seeds of their own destruction, Liu said.

Over hundreds of years, activities by humans had removed the organic soil layer. This led to dust storms, and the Yellow River derived its name from the soil it carried.

Liu, of Indiana, has been talking about his research during Iowas Loess Hills and Heritage Week, which runs through Sunday.

Deep layers of loess soil in the Loess Hills just east of the Missouri River in Iowa and Missouri are similar in structure to the soil found in the Loess Plateau in China, which is about the size of France. Liu and others see some parallels in the threats to the Loess Hills of the Midwest.

The goal of this weeks event is to raise awareness about the distinctiveness of the Loess Hills, said Bill Blackburn, chairman of the committee that planned the weeklong event. There are several events across the seven Iowa counties that are part of the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway.

On Wednesday, Liu spoke at a biology graduate seminar at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In a presentation titled The Art of Healing the Earth, he talked about the partial restoration of Chinas Loess Plateau. He also spoke Friday at the Hitchcock Nature Center in Honey Creek.

Blackburn said the parallels were obvious.

When (Liu) talks about what happened with the Loess Hills in China, theres a lesson for us, Blackburn said. Its like, wait, if we ignore this and dont respect the hills and dont give it attention, it can disappear on us, and then we have this great rare land form that goes away.

Liu said that, since arriving in the area, hes encountered many concerned and passionate conservationists, which is different from what he initially saw in China.

So far, restoration in China has brought a very good result, he said. But more needs to be done.

We have quite a lot of data on this, quite a lot of understanding, but we are not using it, Liu said, because we are saying buying and selling things is more important.

Liu said new economic incentives are needed to protect the environment, which, by extension, will protect people.

The risk is not to life or to Earth  the risk is to human civilization, Liu said of the pressures on the environment.

When youre up close and personal with (Iowas Loess Hills), what you find is there are problems out there, Blackburn said, including erosion and invasive species.

We need to spend time caring for it and, in some places, probably restoring it, Blackburn said.

Its important to know that Chinas loss of loess soil didnt happen overnight, Blackburn said.

Were trying to get people to understand these issues and start talking about them, Blackburn said.

Blackburn said he hopes that Lius visit will lead to collaboration with the Loess Plateau rehabilitation effort. Lius visit was funded by a grant from the Gilchrist Foundation in Sioux City and Blackburns consulting company.
Paddock Road Elementary School Principal Scott Becker stood beaming before students, staff and district representatives packed into the schools gymnasium Thursday afternoon.

Thursday was his birthday. But the main reason he was smiling was the announcement he was about to make. The school had been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education, he told the crowd to a chorus of cheers. Way to go!

This is very, very exciting, Becker said.

Paddock Road Elementary was one of 342 public and private schools across the country named National Blue Ribbon Schools this year. The recognition is based on a schools overall academic performance, or progress in closing achievement gaps, a press release said.

The program began in 1982. It was Paddock Roads first Blue Ribbon award. Three other Nebraska schools were recognized: Dundee Elementary in Omaha, Calvert Elementary in Auburn and Pender Elementary in Pender.

In Iowa, Charter Oak-Ute Elementary School was recognized for closing its achievement gap. Also honored were North Kossuth Elementary School in Swea City, Stilwell Junior High School in West Des Moines, Tipton Elementary School in Tipton and Whittier Elementary School in Indianola.

Iowa can learn from these schools as our education system continues to make sure every student is prepared for success in and beyond school, Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said in a news release Thursday. We celebrate Iowas Blue Ribbon Schools for their commitment to excellence and for their leadership.

The Department of Education will honor the 292 public and 50 private schools at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., in November.
DECATUR

Stephen Decatur DAR to meet

The Stephen Decatur Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution will hold a chapter meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, in St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

Kyle Karsten will present the program, "Veteran Homelessness." Hostesses are, Joyce Doris, Chairman, Kaitlin Mink, Vicki Stewart and Pauline Brown.

Guests are welcome.

DECATUR

Macon Co. Home Extension

Macon County Home and Community Education will be sponsoring its annual HCE week from Oct. 9 to 13.

Activities include making cards for the military personnel; learning to make your own home mixes; painting pot lids; button art; and an African Safari Adventure. There also will be two $5 lunches served.

Call the Macon County Extension, (217) 877-6042, to reserve a space and for more information.
The Iowa Secretary of States Office is disputing the findings of an organization that claims 31 Iowa counties have more registered voters than voting-age adults.

The Public Interest Legal Foundation in Indianapolis, Indiana, announced earlier this week that 248 counties in 24 states had bloated voter rolls.

The foundation sent letters to each county, threatening a lawsuit if they do not disclose satisfactory data demonstrating effective voter roll maintenance efforts before and after the 2016 election, according to a release from the foundation.

Dawn Williams, director of elections for the Iowa Secretary of States Office, responded with a letter that declares: Your information is incorrect.

The national foundation claimed that 31 Iowa counties had bloated rolls, including Fremont and Cass Counties. The organizations website says Fremont percentage of registered voters compared to voting-age adults is 113 percent.

Kevin Hall with the Secretary of States Office said hes unsure what numbers the foundation is using, but the accurate number to use is active voters.

For instance, the U.S. Census Bureau lists Fremont Countys population of adults 18 and older at around 5,414. The Secretary of States Offices active voter total for the county as of November of 2016 is 4,795, which would put the voter-resident ratio at 89 percent.

The grand total for Fremont County  active and inactive voters  is 5,454, more than the countys population. But Hall noted inactive voters are people who havent participated in at least two consecutive general elections in the county and for whom mailers have bounced back to the state.

When such voters fail to respond, officials classify them as inactive but leave them on the registration rolls for up to four years as required by federal law.

Weve explained this to this group over and over, Hall said. This same group has made these claims in the past and they have always been wrong. Usually, theyve combined the active and inactive and they still havent added up to the total.

That assertion checks out in the Fremont County case, as 5,454 is 101 percent of 5,414, not 113 percent.

The foundation said it sent letters to election officials in all 248 counties, warning them that they are in violation of the National Voter Registration Act. Among other things, the federal law requires that registration lists be purged of voters who have died, moved or become ineligible.

The letter asks the counties to comply with 13 requests for information or allow inspection of the requested records. If the counties do not comply, they will face possible lawsuits.

The foundation, run by a politically conservative board of directors, has filed lawsuits against election officials in Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and several other states, said Logan Churchwell, the groups research director. In the active registrations of one Florida county, the group discovered a voter born when Grover Cleveland was president in the late 1800s, Churchwell added.

By keeping the heat on these counties, we have seen forward progress, he said.

The foundation claims nine Nebraska counties have bloated voter roles.

Nebraska Secretary of State John Gale said in a press release that his office is in the process of checking with each of the counties to make sure their voter registration rolls are up to date. But he noted that in 2015, his office found inconsistencies in the registration data obtained by the Indiana group.

It is likely that is the case again, Gale said.

In her letter, Powell with the Iowa Secretary of States Office asked the foundation to withdraw its request for information from Iowa counties, since there is clear evidence based on data that Iowa Counties are in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act.

In all instances, the data sources that you cited do not match your claims, Powell wrote to the foundation. Based on this, we ask that your organization correct the record immediately and publicly withdraw your claims that the thirty-one named Iowa counties are not in compliance with the National Voter Registration Act.

 Joe Duggan of the BH News Service contributed to this report.
Look for another pleasant fall day today in the Council Bluffs-Omaha area before precipitation moves into the forecast.

The unsettled weather that will push in tonight will bring showers and possible thunderstorms to western Iowa and eastern Nebraska, the National Weather Service office in Valley, Nebraska, said.

Next week, the forecast calls for showers and thunderstorms Sunday through Wednesday for most parts of the region, forecasters said.

If multiple rounds of rain and thunderstorms develop over four days or so, parts of the region could receive locally heavy rainfall amounts, the weather service said.

Today in the metro area will be partly sunny to sunny with high temperatures in the lower to mid-70s. Lows tonight will be in the mid- to upper 50s. There is a chance of showers tonight, too.

Sunday, there is a decent chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Expect a high in the lower 70s and south-southeast wind gusts as high as 30 mph.

We should remain dry for the next 36 hours or so, Ryan McPike, a KMTV meteorologist, said this morning. Then were going to see a pretty good chance of showers on the back half of the weekend.

The chance of showers and thunderstorms continues Sunday night through Wednesday in the metro area. Highs will be in the mid- to upper 70s and overnight lows will slide into the mid-50s to lower 60s, the weather service said.

Severe weather with all of this looks minimal, McPike said.

The upcoming forecast, according to the Associated Press:

Today: Partly sunny. Highs in the lower 70s. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers. Lows in the mid 50s. Southeast winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

Sunday: Breezy. A slight chance of thunderstorms. Showers likely in the morning, then a chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.

Sunday night: Mostly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the upper 50s.
DECATUR

Business Power Lunch planned

Business Power Lunch with featured speaker Aaron Moma of River Coffee Co., will be noon, Tuesday, Oct. 3, in the Beach House, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive.

Cost is $12. Reservations required by calling (217) 423-2452 or emailing tia.garrett@maranatha-assembly.org.

TAJIKISTAN

Wailing, hair-tearing at funerals banned

The ex-Soviet Central Asian nation of Tajikistan has imposed limits on how citizens can act at funerals, including bans on black clothes and loud wailing.

Although Tajikistan is overwhelmingly Muslim, President Emomali Rakhmon's government has often taken measures against behavior commonly associated with fundamentalist Islam. Police reportedly have forcibly shaved off the beards of tens of thousands of men and the country bans anyone under 40 from undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

A pamphlet distributed by the government's Committee on Religious Affairs this month says hired mourners cannot be used and those grieving must not tear their hair or scratch their faces, according to Tajik and Russian news agencies.

Tajikistan was devastated by a five-year civil war with Islamist-inspired rebel forces, which ended in 1997.

TENNESSEE

2 face federal charges in vandalism

NASHVILLE  Two men accused of spray-painting profane references to Allah on a Tennessee Islamic center and placing bacon around an entrance are facing federal charges, authorities said Friday.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI said in a joint statement that 19-year-old Charles Dwight Stout III and 18-year-old Thomas Avery Gibbs were indicted on charges of conspiracy and committing a civil rights violation by damaging and defacing the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. In addition, Stout is charged with destroying evidence in the case by deleting photos of the vandalism.

The indictment says the men targeted the center because of its religious character. It says a forensic examination of Stout's phone found anti-Muslim images and photos of Nazi soldiers and Hitler.

The men tried to conceal their identities while defacing the property, with Stout allegedly wearing a World War II-era Nazi gas mask, the statement said.

According to court records, both pleaded not guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Nashville. Their public defender, David Baker, did not immediately return a call for comment.
Gary's Nelson Algren Museum has arranged for a screening of "The Man with the Golden Arm," the 1955 movie adaptation of the National Book Award-winning Algren novel that stars Frank Sinatra.

"The Man with the Golden Arm," which concerns a recovering heroin addict's efforts to go straight in the then-far more hardscrabble Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago, will screen at 2 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Hobart Art Theater. The restored 1941 Art Deco movie theater is at 230 Main St. in downtown Hobart.

Museum officials said watching the movie in a venue of the same vintage would help deepen understanding of Algren, who's best known as a Chicago author but also lived in a beach house in Gary's Miller neighborhood and is now honored there with a museum, pocket park and annual Algren festival.

Algren scholars, including Mark Blottner, co-director of the recent documentary "Nelson Algren: The End is Nothing, The Road is All," will have a panel discussion after the screening. The movie ticket costs $10, and attendees also can buy food and beverages from the adjoining Three Monkeys Pub.

For more information, visit www.nelsonalgrenmuseumofmillerbeach.com.
GARY  The Gary man who fled Thursday during a federal drug investigation and shootout with police committed suicide, an autopsy report confirmed Saturday.

Ned Brooks III, 33, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Lake County Coroner's Office.

Brooks had been the target of a federal drug investigation in the city's Tarrytown neighborhood.

A multiagency task force with the Drug Enforcement Administration had intelligence Brooks was selling crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the Gary area, authorities have said.

After Thursday's shootout, officers located a dead Brooks in the backyard of a house in the 4200 block of West 22nd Place.

While officers' weapons struck Brooks as he fled the scene, a preliminary investigation indicates Brooks suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, state police said.

A state police news release issued Saturday said Brooks had a superficial bullet wound to his right thigh and abdomen, a "through and through" bullet wound to his left thigh and a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right temple.

No law enforcement wounds were deemed life-threatening, state police said.

According to Indiana State Police, Brooks injured two officers and a civilian during the shootout and chase that began at a home near 22nd Plaza and Willard Street, and ended in the backyard near 22nd Place and Morton Street.

Brooks injured a DEA agent, who went to an Illinois hospital for treatment. A Chicago Police Department spokesperson confirmed an officer from their department suffered minor foot injuries. The Chicago officer did not fire his weapon, the spokesperson said.

The injured civilian was in critical condition as of Friday morning, authorities said.

The civilian is believed to live at the residence where the controlled drug buy occurred, but "his involvement, if any, is yet to be determined," DEA Special Agent James Jones said.

A number of weapons were found near Brooks' body and in his vehicle, and an unknown amount of narcotics was found at the scene. Jones declined to comment further, citing an ongoing investigation.

A state police news release on Thursday said Brooks rammed his vehicle into one officer on foot and an unmarked police vehicle, in which a second officer had been seated.

A DEA agent suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Jones said. He said the DEA will not release the officer's name at this time, citing a potential safety risk.

Shortly before 1:50 p.m., officers conducted a controlled narcotics buy near 22nd Plaza and Willard Street in Gary, according to a news release from Indiana State Police.

After stopping Brooks vehicle during the buy, he allegedly rammed it into several unmarked police cars in an attempt to elude officers, state police said.

Brooks began shooting at officers as he fled, prompting officers to return fire, state police said. He abandoned his vehicle on 22nd Place and fled on foot, continuing to shoot at officers.

He was out on parole at the time of his death.

The Indiana State Police investigation into the shootout is ongoing.
GARY  The 33-year-old who apparently killed himself following a shootout with police Thursday had been in and out of prison for much of his adult life and was on parole at the time of his death, court records show.

Ned Brooks III, of Gary, had been the target Thursday of a federal drug investigation in the city's Tarrytown neighborhood, Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent James Jones confirmed Friday.

Jones said the DEA's multiagency task force was in town that day because the agency had intelligence that Brooks was a "poly drug dealer," selling crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the Gary area.

Brooks served a six-year prison sentence for a 2003 robbery conviction, according to court records, and was arrested in June 2009 on charges of dealing cocaine in Gary.

He posted bond on the cocaine charge, but was arrested again on charges of selling cocaine to a police informant in July 2010.

He pleaded guilty later that year to two felony counts of dealing cocaine and received a 15-year prison sentence. He served six years in prison before being paroled in August 2016, according to the Indiana Department of Correction.

After Thursday's shootout, officers located a dead Brooks in the backyard of a house in the 4200 block of West 22nd Place. While officers' weapons struck Brooks as he fled the scene, a preliminary investigation indicates Brooks suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, state police said.

The Lake County coroners office said Brooks manner of death is pending, but that he died from multiple gunshot wounds.

An autopsy is scheduled for Saturday.

According to Indiana State Police, Brooks injured two officers and a civilian during the shootout and chase that began at a home near 22nd Plaza and Willard Street and ended in the backyard near 22nd Place and Morton Street.

Brooks injured a DEA agent, who went to an Illinois hospital for treatment. A Chicago Police Department spokesperson confirmed an officer from their department suffered minor foot injuries. The Chicago officer did not fire his weapon, the spokesperson said.

The injured civilian was in critical condition as of Friday morning, authorities said.

The civilian is believed to live at the residence where the controlled drug buy occurred, but "his involvement, if any, is yet to be determined," Jones said.

A number of weapons were found near Brooks' body and in his vehicle, and an unknown amount of narcotics was found at the scene. Jones declined to further comment, citing an ongoing investigation.

A state police news release on Thursday said Brooks rammed his vehicle into one officer on foot and a unmarked police vehicle, in which a second officer had been seated.

A DEA agent suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Jones said. Jones said the DEA will not be releasing the officer's name at this time, citing a potential safety risk.

Shortly before 1:50 p.m., officers with a federal multiagency task force under the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted a controlled narcotics buy near 22nd Plaza and Willard Street in Gary, according to a news release from Indiana State Police.

After stopping Brooks vehicle during the buy, he allegedly rammed his vehicle into several unmarked police cars in an attempt to elude officers, state police said.

Brooks began shooting at officers as he fled, prompting officers to return fire, state police said. He abandoned his vehicle on 22nd Place and fled on foot, continuing to shoot at officers.

Indiana State Police's investigation into the shootout is ongoing.

Times staff writer Steve Garrison contributed to this report.
The states only juvenile boot camp is being relocated, but the facility near LaPorte will not be closing its doors.

Female juveniles housed by the Indiana Department of Correction in Madison County will be transferred to Camp Summit, which is located at Johnson Road and 500 West.

The 85 male offenders currently at Camp Summit will move to the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility for boys, where the boot camp program will be housed.

Ike Randolph, a DOC spokesman out of Indianapolis, said the move is in response to a dramatic drop in the juvenile female offender population and rising adult female prisoner numbers.

There were close to 200 juvenile female offenders 10 years ago at the over 170-bed facility at Madison County that now houses fewer than 40 juvenile females, according to the DOC.

The space in Madison County is on the same grounds as a separate DOC-operated building for adult female offenders, and will be used to prevent overcrowding at the facility next door.

"Its really just to make sure were utilizing our facilities the best we can," Randolph said.

He said there could be a cost savings from efficiencies achieved from the move, but its too early to say how much.

The change also helps families of female juvenile offenders from the northern part of the state by eliminating trips to southern Indiana for personal visits.

A significant portion of the female juveniles at Madison County are from north of Indianapolis, Randolph said.

"Moving them up north places them closer to their families," Randolph said.

According to the DOC, the decline in juvenile female offenders has much to do with the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative, a program used in close to 300 counties nationwide.

The focus of the initiative is keeping juveniles, especially nonviolent ones, out of jail as they await the outcome of their court cases. This is due to findings say that young offenders kept incarcerated during that period have a higher chance of being sentenced to prison.

Going to prison can have a more serious impact on their prospects of future success, according to the DOC.

Randolph said Camp Summit will have to undergo only slight physical changes in its restrooms and changing the color scheme from male military to something more appropriate for females.

In particular, the arriving female juveniles will take part in making the facility their own by assisting in the painting of murals," he said.

In 2014, DOC chose to shut down Camp Summit, but after much lobbying by local state lawmakers, four months later the decision was reversed.

Camp Summit was established in 1995 as a boot camp for male juveniles the DOC felt would respond favorably to the structure provided in the paramilitary-style program.
GARY  Ivy Tech Community College students will have access to state-of-the-art facilities in their portion of the new three-story Arts and Sciences Building at 35th and Broadway on the Indiana University Northwest campus.

That includes classrooms, and cutting-edge computer and science labs, the latter where students are now participating in real-time experiments.

Ivy Tech students also can take advantage of such shared spaces as an art gallery, a 500-seat professional main stage theater and a 100-seat black box studio theater, which are open to the community.

Other shared spaces include a commons area, conference rooms and a large lecture hall. Small rooms throughout the building are designed for quiet study or project work.

"We envision that students will embark on meaningful educational pathways, all within one building, that will develop and reinforce critical thinking, creative problem-solving and team-building skills, said Margaret Semmer, vice chancellor of academic affairs at Ivy Tech.

After nearly three years of planning, including planning for ways IUN and Ivy Tech students can share the building, the new spaces create an environment for innovative learning, Semmer said.

About 30 percent of the 126,300-square-foot, $45 million building is devoted to Ivy Tech programs, she said.

Ivy Tech students will have the opportunity to include fine and performing arts courses previously not offered in the Region in their degree pathways," she said.

Dale Downs, dean of the Ivy Tech School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said, We have a great hope that this will be a pathway for medical school for students. We envision students starting at Ivy Tech who become doctors in Northwest Indiana, Downs said.

To that end, classes at the new Arts and Sciences Building include anatomy and physiology and chemistry, and some advanced placement courses, he said.

With this new facility, Ivy Tech will provide higher education opportunities for all students, Semmer said.

Our vision is about open-enrollment access for those students who are unable to go to a four-year school, she said.

For students who require remedial classes, those who have developmental needs and who are at risk, Ivy Tech is the answer. We want students to see this as a steppingstone to their future.

Semmer said other groups of students will benefit from classes and programs at the new Arts and Sciences Building, too.

We have programs for adults returning to school. We also have a great relationship with K-through-12 schools in the area to offer dual-credit courses, so high school students can work toward their degrees while still in high school, she said.

Our approach to education is different, Semmer said. We really do believe there needs to be a relationship with students: Were not weeding students out.

In addition, instructors focus on teaching, not research, she said.

Currently officials are considering dual-degree admission with students admitted into both Ivy Tech and IUN programs, which would fit right in with the shared Arts and Sciences Building, Semmer said.

We think this building will be great for students, Downs said, adding that Ivy Tech will continue to connect with business and industry throughout the community. It could be a game-changer for Lake County and Northwest Indiana.
Oktoberfest fun including German food, music and games will fall into the Crown Point High School Fieldhouse from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday for National Teach German Day. Admission cost is $10 at the door, and all middle and high school students are welcome.

Live music provided by the Jay Fox Band is made possible by the Deutsch Macht Spass Grant provided by the American Association of Teachers of German, an organization that CPHS German teachers Heidi Marek and Candis Carey participate in actively. The grants purpose is to allow teachers to help their students create a community event that celebrates and promotes learning about German culture.

We wanted to provide an event for middle and high school students to celebrate and enjoy the fun of German culture. We hope to offer it again next year, CPHS German Club sponsor Heidi Marek said. This is a great opportunity for our outstanding students of German to interact and connect with students in the middle schools.

Crown Point High School German Club students will host the event with the help of other local high school German students, who were also invited to add to the festivities. Activities include face painting, giant Twister, gingerbread decorating, marble game, Bozo buckets, German trivia, and a bean bag toss. Dinner will also be served.
VALPARAISO  Just over 50 years ago, then-Valparaiso University President O.P. Krezmann said the students of the 1960s were a "new breed of cat."

Krezmann wanted to educate this new breed in a new way.

From his idea, and a trend across the country to develop honors colleges, VU's Christ College was born.

In a Jan. 4, 1966, article in the former Vidette-Messenger, Kretzmann was quoted as saying there was an increase in the number of exceptional students in the U.S. and colleges weren't equipped to educate the "really bright children."

Fifty years later, Christ College is still addressing the needs of the university's best and brightest.

"In some ways it hasn't changed much. We still have small classrooms, traditions and interdisciplinary education," said interim dean Jennifer Prough, herself a 1991 graduate of CC and associate professor of humanities and East Asian Studies.

Prough said the idea of an honors college, which brings together students from various majors to study philosophy, literature, religion and ethics, was an experiment back then. Kretzmann was concerned, she said, that students were focusing too deeply on their own majors and not getting a well-rounded educational experience. Bringing different majors together would allow a breadth of opinions and perspectives to be discussed and debated.

At VU, said Prough, the idea of an honors college grew from a directed studies program created in 1961. Initially there were 40 students invited to apply each year following their freshman year at VU. Today, some 90 to 100 freshmen are accepted based on their grades and abilities.

And, said Prough, they are also students who are highly motivated and academically inclined. While taking classes in their majors  from nursing to engineering, literature to teaching  they must enroll in 32 credit hours at Christ College, which is housed in Mueller Hall, over their four years of study.

The building, dedicated in 1970, was named after the Rev. Ewald Mueller and his wife, Joan Mueller, who made a generous gift to the university in 1978.

Originally the building was to have two residential wings, one for men and one for women, but that idea was scrapped when officials decided they didn't want CC students to be separated from other students on campus.

Melissa Avila, a sophomore from Chicago majoring in political science with minors in entrepreneur studies and Spanish and a goal of being an attorney, said she chose to apply to CC not only because her mother graduated from Christ College, but because she wanted to be challenged.

"We all have different opinions and mindsets, yet we all have the same values. We hold ourselves to a higher standard and want to reach outside of our comfort zones," Avila said.

Prough agreed.

"I learned how to think critically in Christ College. I was challenged in a way I never had been before," Prough said.

Both Avila and Prough said traditions are as much a part of the college as are academics. During their freshman year, the incoming class writes, produces and stages a production and in the spring takes part in debates.

For both women, those were bonding activities which brought the diverse group of students closer together.

Some CC alumni remain together even after graduation by participating in two dozen reading groups scattered across the country.

VU physics professor Andrew Richter is also a CC graduate.

"It was challenging, but eye-opening, too. I had a lot of thought-provoking and eye-opening discussions," Richter said.

Richter will have a special surprise for CC graduates returning today for homecoming activities. For the last year, he has been constructing a Lego model of Mueller Hall, which will be unveiled Saturday morning. The project, which took 4,500 Lego bricks and nine reiterations to get correct, will be on display through the end of the school year.

While other honors colleges across the nation have closed or downsized, Prough believes Christ College has continued to grow because of its independent faculty and free-standing building.

And, while steeped in tradition, she said, CC has evolved with the times; initially concentrating on Western traditions, it now has a more global view in its studies.

"We are going to continue to engage the students with a contemporary eye," Prough said.
ARGENTA  Twice the Oakley Brick Church has had its spirits challenged: a tornado in 1982 and straight-line winds in 2015, which took off the roof and opened the inside to even more damage from rain.

Both times, the small congregation pulled together, got the building fixed and stuck it out. It's a familiar hymn to small churches where the faithful often must move mountains in a shared desire to worship together.

Prayer is the overwhelming necessity in a church today, in growing or changing or becoming, said the Rev. David Roe, the pastor at Oakley. We need to pray for the Lord to bless and keep us, to allow the ministries to succeed and continue to bless and keep us. Our church has done better, through this major disaster, between people working together and all that's happened. We've been blessed.

A small church like Oakley Brick, with 35 to 40 in church on a given Sunday, is often a tight-knit group. The members know each other well and are family. Members rally in times of trouble and know how to get things done even when times are good.

According to The National Congregations Study done in 2014, half of all churches in the United States consist of 75 or fewer people, though half of all churchgoers in the country attend a church of 400 or more. Out of any given 100 churches, the largest represents as many attenders as the smallest 70 combined.

Of course, attendance at any house of worship tends to pick up around big holidays. Some synagogues, for example, feature movable walls so a sanctuary can be expanded on High Holy Days.

Even in Decatur, where the population has been declining, small churches continue to thrive. Drive through most neighborhoods, and you're likely to see a church, many in converted homes or storefronts. The city is home to more than 50 denominations of Christian churches, a synagogue and a mosque.

Some of the biggest, like GT Church and Our Lady of Lourdes Church, have hundreds of attendees and multiple worship services on Sundays. Yet the majority of the congregations in Decatur number 100 or fewer souls.

Take Vintage Church in Decatur. It uses Central United Methodist's sanctuary on Sundays after Central's services have ended, said the Rev. Patrick Edrington, because Vintage's congregation, at about 60, is still not big enough to afford its own building. They also want to be closer to downtown to reach out to low-income and homeless people so that they're in a better position to help them, he said.

Small can mean closer relationships among members, but it can also limit, to a degree, what the church can accomplish.

You're always pretty busy, trying to find time to get everything done, Edrington said. That's one of the differences: You're hindered in what you can accomplish, not from standpoint of having less people, but from not being able to be there and on the ground every day.

Like Edrington, pastors of small churches often have to hold a second job to make ends meet. He works at Lincoln Christian College in the marketing department and is also a graduate of the school. The church chose the name Vintage because, he said, he wanted to evoke that old-time religion feeling, but he also wanted to avoid a denominational label.

We do church how it used to be when we were kids, he said. It's not so much fire and brimstone and be there 15 times a week, but the camaraderie and community that feels lost to me in a lot of what goes on (in churches).

"It's fellowship, like the women's group that gets together. It's not traditional, they meet and hang out. I've pushed really hard from the pulpit that relationships are as important as what you're taught. We're a family. We need to be together that way and love each other.

Equipped for service

Relationships are easier to forge in a small congregation, said the Rev. Joey Krol of Galilee Baptist Church, which operates out a gabled-roof building down a narrow lane off Reas Bridge Road.

I'm not saying larger churches don't have that, Krol said. It's just more organic in a small church. It's easy to slide in the back seat of a large church (and go unnoticed) but harder to do in a small church. You're a little more exposed to community and relationships in a smaller church.

"That also means less resources that causes people to step up in the congregation who would normally not. It puts people in a place where there's more opportunities to serve.

Being small doesn't mean a church doesn't want to grow, said the Rev. Don Horath, senior pastor at Hillside Bethel Tabernacle on Greenhill Road in Decatur. With about 100 in attendance on a given Sunday, Hillside isn't quite small, but it isn't a large church. On a recent Wednesday, he led a Bible study in front of about a dozen people seated in three rows of purple chairs. His son, Kevin Horath, is associate pastor, and the church operates a K-12 school.

Of course, we desire growth, and we're doing many different things to generate growth, Don Horath said. We still have three services a week and yes, the friendship and camaraderie of the congregation is advantage because of our size, but we want to grow.

The church broadcasts a half-hour show on WLCF-TV on Sundays and Wednesdays. An active youth ministry and the school serve as community outreach. Other activities include Fall Family Fun Night, which includes bounce houses, hot dogs and games to which the community is invited.

We want to reach out to any and all that we can, Horath said.

In any church, Krol said, the leaders are responsible to equip the flock for service, as it says in Ephesians 4, so that the body of Christ may be built up. And while there are plenty of needs in a church of any size, in a small church where the pastor may be the only staff, the members often feel a little more compelled to pitch in. If they didn't, they'd have a burnt-out, exhausted pastor.

And while Krol joked that some of his administrative duties could be more fun, he also knows his flock well and when something needs to be done, he knows who to call, and that it will get done.

It truly is a family mentality, he said. You know everybody's name, and they send me text messages, 'Pray for my grandpa.' I love the fact that anybody can text me, call me, Facebook me, and they don't have to go through three secretaries to get to me. The pastor is a little bit more accessible.

That's most certainly true at Faith Fellowship Church, where the Rev. Wayne Dunning is pastor, said church member Mary Borden.

She and her siblings have known Dunning for years and grew up calling him "Uncle Wayne," though they're not actually related, she said. She's been a member of Faith Fellowship since 2013, and any time she needs him, he's available.

"I was in a very bad place," she said. "I was going through an abusive relationship, getting over that with three girls. He's just always been there for us. He's there for everybody. He puts everybody else's needs above his own."

The congregation eats together after services on Sundays every week, and before Wednesday evening study, she said, which gives them a chance to really get to know each other. She knows everyone on a first-name basis. Members also do a lot of social activities together outside of church, like going swimming and bowling, or taking trips to St. Louis.

"I don't even feel like I'm going to church," Borden said. "I feel like I'm going to see my family."

Seeking out small

That's what drew Michael Spaeth and his family to Galilee Baptist Church: the family atmosphere. Spaeth said his married daughter searched online for churches, deliberately seeking a small church, when she found Galilee. The family began attending just before Easter this year.

"The smallness of the church allows that family-like atmosphere," Spaeth said.

Sometimes, when new people come to a small congregation where the members all know each other, they feel conspicuous and awkward at first, but Spaeth said that wasn't the case with Galilee at all. The members were so friendly and welcoming that they felt comfortable right away.

And it's that comfort that often allows faith to flourish, spirits to rise, and with them, the places where they gather to express their beliefs.

At Oakley Brick Church, that means a new building is rising. Repairs from the latest damage are nearly complete, and plans are to move back into the building at 10344 Cerro Gordo Blacktop in January.

Members work in a Cerro Gordo restaurant on Sundays and put their tips into the building fund, said Roe, the pastor. Not only does that benefit the building fund, but the church members can meet people in the community, too.

Right now, I'm really pleased, and the church is strong," Roe said. "The people are together, and all in all, I thank the Lord."
Some high-profile rappers lent their names to a supply drive for Puerto Rico relief Saturday. NY1's Erin Clarke filed the following report.

The last time Jose Martinez spoke to his parents in Puerto Rico was about two weeks ago, right before Hurricane Maria barreled down on the island.

"You don't know if they're starving, if they're eating, if they're  you know, at night when it's sundown. When its sundown, that's when I'm most worried," Martinez said.

He was among a group of volunteers that included members of the military, who packed boxes Saturday filled with food, water, and more to send to Puerto Rico.

"We need everybody to continue to donate," volunteer Ivy Cruz said. "That's the only way that we're going to help them rebuild."

The donation event was organized by the governor's office and Tidal, the streaming music company. Tidal chartered a cargo plane that will fly the donated items to Puerto Rico, and several hip-hop artists lent their star power to the effort to bring in a steady stream of donation.

"This plane cost $300,000 to ship this cargo, and you know we want to fill it up," Rapsody told me. "It holds 200,000 pounds  we know how helpful that will be."

"It's only right that you give back to the same people that are your fans and that support you, and you reach out and get people to help support them when they need it," Remy Ma said.

"We have a voice," Jadakiss said. "People tend to follow a lot of the trends and things we do, so helping out, rebuilding Puerto Rico, is definitely a main priority."

That influence that these celebrities yield is exactly what led two men to pitch in; they saw posts to rapper Fat Joe's social media about the Tidal X: Puerto Rico initiative.

"We got together, and it took us 12 hours to fill up this trailer right here, and it took us three hours to drive from Dover, Delaware and drop everything off," Delaware resident Jay Scott said.

Efforts that people like Martinez and some many others, who have family on the island, appreciate immensely.

"This support, it means a whole lot," Martinez said. "This means that this whole community, whether you're Puerto Rican or not, it's all coming together, and it's amazing. It's a big wow."

The event ended Saturday night, but people can still donate at tidal.com/us/puertorico
President Yoweri Museveni has sworn in new Deputy Chief Justice, Alfonse Owiny-Dollo, at a function held at State House, Entebbe.



Museveni called for discipline within the three arms of the state: executive, judiciary and legislature.

"Discipline is crucial. If implemented by all the arms of the State, the country will move forward," he said, adding that he instilled discipline in the armed forces, in spite of their low salaries.



"If the judiciary is disciplined in fighting corruption, the citizens of your country would be happy."

Justice Alfonse Owiny-Dollo swears in as deputy chief justice The president said he is aware of some of the judiciary challenges like personnel number and workload. He however, said some impact could be registered with the limited resources.



"You do not have to be everywhereyou can utilise the meagre resources to do more because not all cases are the same. You may for instance priotise murder, rape, defilement and commercial cases," he said.



Earlier, the Chief Justice, Bart Katureebe, thanked the president for "injecting fresh blood in the judiciary top management". The president said he is aware of some of the judiciary challenges like personnel number and workload. He however, said some impact could be registered with the limited resources."You do not have to be everywhereyou can utilise the meagre resources to do more because not all cases are the same. You may for instance priotise murder, rape, defilement and commercial cases," he said.Earlier, the Chief Justice, Bart Katureebe, thanked the president for "injecting fresh blood in the judiciary top management".

The CJ appealed to the president to give the judiciary another push to ensure that the Administration of Judiciary Bill as well as supporting the issue of officers retiring with all their full benefits.



The president said he supports the tabling of the Administration of the Judiciary Bill - a legislation that would ensure financial and administration independence of the judiciary, and reiterated his position on officers retiring with their full benefits.



He equally said he supports the idea of judicial officers having to retire with their benefits, adding that if funds are unavailable now, "a commencement date could be agreed".



Different speakers including the Attorney General, William Byaruhanga, thanked the outgoing Deputy Chief Justice, Steven Kavuma for his dedicated service to his country.
MATTOON  Administrators from the Mattoon School District plan to meet soon with law enforcement and other emergency responders to review their joint response to the Sept. 20 shooting at Mattoon High School.

The district and the Mattoon Police Department said in a news release Friday that their personnel have met to review the emergency plans for each school building at the beginning of each academic year for 12 years. The next meeting will analyze, among other topics, coordination of staff and first responders, traffic and transportation and communication.

First responders also schedule an annual practice drill with staff from each school. The 2017 emergency planning meeting was Aug. 31, just weeks before the shooting.

Police Chief Jeff Branson said that these annual reviews were especially helpful with the shooting response. He said each emergency is unique, but having a plan, an annual review, knowledge of that plan and knowing the building administrators helps ease the challenges of coordination and response.

Without the help, input and support of first responders, we would not have been able to develop and implement these emergency plans and procedures during the Sept. 20 incident, district Superintendent Larry Lilly said.

The alleged shooter, who is an MHS student, fired several rounds in the cafeteria during lunchtime on Sept. 20. One student was shot and injured during this incident, but has since been released from the hospital and is recovering.

Officials have credited an MHS teacher, Angela McQueen, with subduing the shooter and have credited the Mattoon Police Department's on-site school resource officer, Kasey Alexander, with disarming and arresting the shooter.

Branson and Lilly said in the release that there was only a single shooter on Sept. 20 and that there is no continued threat connected with that incident.

They also cautioned the public about "the medias or communitys assumptions or rumors, including bullying, that led to the shooting." They said no one in official capacity who is involved in the investigation has confirmed any motives or specific situations that led to the shooting.

The police chief said in the press release that more than 250 student and staff interviews have been completed. Branson added later that approximately 98 percent of the these interviews have been completed. He said this is without question the largest number of interviews regarding a single incident that the Mattoon Police Department has conducted during his 28 years on duty.

Mattoon High School's cafeteria was reopened for use by students on Monday following the completion of the crime scene investigation there, Branson said.

Coles County States Attorney Brian Bower is handling this case. The news release noted that because the suspect is a juvenile, specific facts and opinions about the case cannot be shared publicly.

After a Sept. 21 juvenile court hearing in this case, Bower said the suspect has been charged with aggravated battery with a firearm.

The suspect, a male MHS freshman, is being represented by Coles County Public Defender Anthony Ortega. At the hearing, the judge approved Ortega's request for a mental health evaluation for his client. The evaluations will address the possibility of insanity at the time of the incident, whether the boy is a risk to himself or others, and if he's able to understand and help with his case.
Warren Buffett may be one of Americas oldest CEOs, but a food giant created by a merger deal that was orchestrated between his company and a private-equity firm two years ago has named one of the youngest chief financial officers in the country.

Kraft Heinz, the producer of veteran food brands like Velveeta cheese and Maxwell House coffee, has named David Knopf, a 29-year-old vice president, as its new chief financial officer effective Sunday. Knopf, who was leading the Planters peanuts category for Kraft Heinz, has also been a partner with 3G Capital, the private-equity firm that has a reputation for aggressive cost-cutting and partnered with Berkshire Hathaway to create Kraft Heinz.

Executive recruiters said the unusual move  the average age of a chief financial officer is 52  has less to do with any trend in CFOs getting younger than with the particular culture of the people and the firm involved.

To be selected as CFO of a company thats this large with a global footprint and a global brand means hes got to be a star, said Charley Polachi, managing partner of an eponymously named executive search firm.

Moreover, said Peter Crist, chairman of the executive search firm Crist Kolder Associates, the culture of 3G Capital, a Brazilian private-equity firm whose affiliates are big shareholders in Anheuser-Busch InBev, is known for promoting young executives.

The aberration youre seeing here is the cultural aberration of this private specific equity firm, Crist said. Rarely do we see someone with less than 10 years of experience being named a significant public companys CFO.

Knopf is not the only young person in Kraft Heinzs upper management. Tracy Britt Cool, 33, Buffetts financial assistant, is a member of its board of directors, along with Buffett, 87, and Greg Abel, 55, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Another 3G-backed company  Restaurant Brands International, formed from the merger of Burger King and Canadian coffee-and-doughnut chain Tim Hortons  is run by a 37-year-old chief executive who became CEO of Burger King at 32 and had a CFO on his team in his 20s.

Fortune magazine, in a recent article about Kraft Heinz and 3G Capital, called 3Gs management approach meritocracy, broadly defined. Every employee must justify his existence every day. Thats great news for the very best performers; they are promoted with speed that is unheard-of in lumbering old food companies.

That seems to have happened in Knopfs case. According to his LinkedIn profile, Knopf graduated from Princeton University in 2010, worked as an investment banking associate at Goldman Sachs, and then went into private equity, first at Onex and then at 3G Capital. He spent a year as vice president of finance at Kraft Heinz before moving into the position leading the Planters brand. He likely had the benefit of familiarity with the private-equity firm, said Polachi, and familiarity many times can swing the day on whos selected.

Kraft Heinz spokesman Michael Mullen said in an email that Knopf was not available for interviews, but provided this statement about Knopfs selection: Since joining Kraft Heinz, David has delivered extraordinary results. In the Kraft Heinz culture of meritocracy and ownership, we believe in challenging, recognizing and rewarding our top talent and providing unlimited opportunities for growth.

Knopfs appointment comes at a time when the CFOs job has been evolving, growing even more demanding and more expansive than ever, headhunters say. While their job has traditionally been to maximize shareholder value and be the spokesperson to the investor community, the CFOs now often fill the role a chief operating officer once held.

Today, said Alyse Bodine, who leads the CFO practice in the Americas for Heidrick & Struggles, the job has become much more than just finance and accounting.

The CFO is absolutely becoming more critical  a true business partner to the CEO, she said. Thats absolutely a trend.

Companies backed by private equity, in particular, are bringing in more finance executives with an analytic background, such as corporate finance, said Keith Giarman, managing partner at DHR International, rather than those who grew up in public accounting. They know how to think like an investor, he said.

Knopf, of course, will have an opportunity to prove his prodigy status. Like many Big Food companies, Kraft Heinz  which made a rebuffed bid for Unilever earlier this year in search of growth  has seen lackluster sales as consumers increasingly pass up packaged foods for fresher alternatives.

The Omaha World-Herald is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a major electoral setback this week, muddying the outlook for her rule and the future of the European Union.

Germanys two mainstream parties, the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democrats, both lost substantial support to fringe parties, another sign of global desires for change. Especially shocking to many Germans was the rise of the right-wing Alternative for Germany Party, which placed third in the election.

Going forward, Chancellor Merkel must navigate a Parliament with six different parties, including significant forces that are opposed to immigration and greater integration with Europe.

Germany is the largest economy in the European Union, and potential discord there or a threat of less German involvement in the EU sent financial markets reeling. The eurocurrency fell to a six-week low near $1.17 and could fall further if Merkel cannot cobble together a governing coalition.

Perkier hog herd

U.S. pig farmers are running wild and now have a record number of hogs, according to a quarterly report the U.S. Department of Agriculture released Thursday. Total inventories stand at 73.5 million animals, up 2 percent from last year, which knocked prices to the lowest level of the year, trading below 55 cents per pound this week.

For consumers, this abundance of pork should lead to lower prices at the store as well, giving savvy shoppers a chance to buy up cheap chops, hams and bacon.

Healthier wheat harvest

U.S. farmers produced more wheat than expected this year, per the USDA. This summers drought in the Upper Midwest, especially North Dakota, damaged wheat production, but farmers likely produced a sufficient wheat crop.

In its quarterly report released on Friday, the USDA raised projections for the spring wheat crop and generally showed more wheat for this year than most analysts were expecting. This news knocked Minneapolis spring wheat values to $6.20 per bushel, near the lowest price since mid-June.

The same report showed smaller stockpiles of corn and soybeans, which helped boost those markets, which traded at $3.57 and $9.73 per bushel, respectively, on Friday.

Walt and Alex Breitinger are commodity futures brokers in Silver Lake, Kansas. They can be reached at 800-411-3888 or www.paragoninvestments.com.
LINCOLN  The Nebraska Supreme Court has dealt a setback to prison inmates who wanted to get married via videoconferencing.

Paul Gillpatrick and Niccole Wetherell, who are serving murder sentences at separate facilities, had successfully challenged the denial of their marriage request in a lower court. The Supreme Court overturned that decision Friday, saying the inmates made a technical error in filing their lawsuit.

Danielle Conrad, director of the ACLU of Nebraska, said her organization will continue to help the inmates pursue their constitutional right to marry.

Gillpatrick, 45, and Wetherell, 37, met through a mutual friend before entering prison. They have carried on a romance via letters and have been engaged for several years.

Wetherell is one of three people sentenced to life for their roles in the 1998 slaying of 19-year-old Scott Catenacci at Bellevues Haworth Park. Catenacci was stabbed at least 57 times in the group slaying.

She is at the womens prison in York and wont be released unless the State Board of Pardons decides to make her eligible for parole.

Gillpatrick is at the State Penitentiary in Lincoln, where he is serving a term of 55 years to 90 years for second-degree murder and use of a firearm to commit a felony. He was convicted, along with a sister, in the 2009 slaying of a former Omaha firefighter, Robby Robinson. Gillpatrick is not eligible for parole until 2039.

Corrections officials denied the marriage request, pointing to a policy that prohibits the transport of inmates for weddings. They also refused to allow the ceremony via videoconference, arguing that the two would have to exchange vows in the presence of a minister or magistrate for the marriage to be considered valid.

When the prison wedding controversy first became public in 2014, then-Gov. Dave Heineman said it would be an outrage if the state had to spend money to accommodate the marriage.

But Lancaster County District Judge Robert Otte said the cost of a wedding ceremony via Skype or videoconferencing would be inconsequential. The judge additionally said prison officials were thwarting the inmates constitutional rights.

The Supreme Court did not address the merits of the case Friday. Rather, Judge Jeffery Funke said the inmates sued the prison authorities in their individual capacities rather than in their official capacities, as is required by law.
COUNCIL BLUFFS  A donation from a Clarinda, Iowa, trailer manufacturer will make life a lot simpler for Dan Hanusa, manager of the Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs ReStore, and the volunteers who help him.

Habitat offers free pickup of items donated to the ReStore. Most area residents who donate larger items  furniture and appliances  take advantage of the free pickup service.

But that free service took a hit this summer when someone stole the Habitat trailer used to pick up those larger items. The stolen trailer was not recovered.

Habitat officials did the best they could to make timely pickups using borrowed trailers. But Habitat not having a trailer of its own, available whenever people called for a pickup, was really hurting us, said Jason James, a member of Habitats board of directors.

He estimated that 50 percent or more of Habitats revenue comes from ReStore sales. The store sells donated materials, furniture and appliances.

Kerry Preble, an employee of Bank Iowa in Clarinda and a member of the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerces Leadership CB class, said she and a group of class members were looking for a community project when they learned of the trailer theft and the impact it was having on the Habitat operation.

The class members reached out to H&H Trailer Manufacturing in Clarinda for assistance.

Officials at H&H Trailer agreed to build a custom 16-foot cargo trailer and donate it to Habitat.

The trailer was delivered Thursday afternoon.

Were glad to be able to donate this custom-built trailer to Habitat, said Troy Hanni, general manager of the H&H facility in Clarinda. Were glad you can put it to use.

Rick Guill, chairman of Habitats board of directors, expressed the organizations appreciation for the donation.

We certainly appreciate your generosity, Guill said. The ReStore is an extremely important segment of our Habitat operation, and the trailer youve so generously donated will certainly make our efforts more efficient.
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The Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn, Iowa, will open a new exhibit Saturday that pays tribute to the long military and diplomatic relationship between Denmark and the United States.

Lars Bo Muller, a Danish diplomat, and two Danish military veterans are among the guests visiting Elk Horn for the opening of the temporary exhibit, which is called Denmark  Americas Smallest and Biggest Ally.

The U.S. and Denmark have had diplomatic relations since 1801  the longest unbroken diplomatic relationship between any two nations in the world, according to the museums website, danishmuseum.org. An estimated 375,000 Danes emigrated to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The exhibit focuses on the military alliance. The two countries have had a continuous military relationship since World War II, when the U.S. sent troops to Greenland, a Danish territory. During the Cold War the U.S. established Thule Air Base and several bases in Greenland. Denmark also has been a close ally of the U.S. during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and from noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. On weekdays it is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The address is 2212 Washington St., Elk Horn. The exhibit will run until Sept. 3, 2018.
A Thursday evening post on the Logan County Sheriffs Offices Facebook page has caused controversy.

In the post, the department said it was replacing their sirens with the National Anthem to force all suspects to stop running and take a knee.

The post has since been taken down, and it was replaced Friday with another one: Yesterday evening I made a post on this page meant in good humor. Some received that post as racially motivated or discriminatory. That was in no way intended. In light of this confusion, the post has been deleted.

The Logan County Sheriffs Office could not be reached for comment.

Chancey Sazama wasnt surprised by the post. The 32-year-old grew up in Stapleton in Logan County and now lives in Lincoln.

I was embarrassed, Sazama said. (But) I wasnt that surprised. The people in that community helped mold me, so I know there are good people. But racism is nothing new there.

Shane Hobbs, 23, from north-central Nebraska, said he didnt understand why people were offended by the post, which he saw as just the opinion of the sheriff.

(The post) was in no way racial, Hobbs commented on the second Facebook post.

Sara Cowan, 30, of Omaha said she hopes that the Logan County Sheriffs Office takes cultural sensitivity training.

These are the people that are supposed to be serving and protecting our community, and these comments were denigrating and racist by implying that all suspects are black, she said. Though she was glad that the original post was deleted, Cowan said it wasnt enough.

I think they should apologize and take steps to rectify the situation, she said.
Gretna has announced a large annexation proposal that would extend city limits by nearly 3,000 acres  doubling the citys land area  and add at least 2,800 people.

Gretnas 2016 population count was 5,060. Among the landmarks that would be included are Valas Pumpkin Patch and Sapp Bros. businesses. Housing subdivisions up for annexation include Lincoln Place, Willow Park and Standing Stone, all located closer to Gretnas current city limits, and Lake Ridge Estates, which is at 168th Street and Highway 370.

The city announced the annexation proposal on its website Friday afternoon. The package will come before the Planning Commission on Oct. 16 and before the City Council on Oct. 17, 18 and 19.

City Administrator Jeff Kooistra said the annexation is intended to maintain the citys control of the two major gateway community entrances: Nebraska Highway 370 at Interstate 80 and a future I-80 interchange at 192nd Street.

We want to have control, and thats because its going to involve significant development and economic growth, Kooistra said.

The annexation also would bring several substantial residential subdivisions as well as commercial and industrial developments into the city limits, he said.

The package is broken into two tracts. The first is 1,076 acres and 963 people, and the second is 1,895 acres and 1,910 people, though the annexation study says there has been significant residential construction in the area since that census count.

Together, the annexations would cost the city $217,575 more in expenditures than in revenues the first year; starting in 2019, it would begin to show net increases in city revenues, the citys study says.

For residents in the proposed annexations, some sanitary and improvement districts property taxes would go up, but many would be reduced, the study says. Those properties in the annexation areas that receive water or sewer service from the city would see a bill reduction of 33 percent. And residents would no longer have to pay a nonresident $40 library fee.

The city already contracts with the Sarpy County Sheriffs Office for law enforcement services. The citys contract with the Sheriffs Office would increase in cost, but the services to residents wouldnt change, the study says.

Similarly, the funding agreement with the district that equips the Gretna Volunteer Fire Department may change.

The proposed ordinances and annexation study are at gretnane.org.

World-Herald staff writer Jeffrey Robb contributed to this report.

Correction: A map with a previous version of this story incorrectly displayed areas proposed for annexation.
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DECATUR  The first phase of the Macon County Beltway project could begin as early as next spring after the county reached a tentative agreement for the purchase of land necessary to begin.

Macon County Highway Engineer Bruce Bird confirmed Friday that the county and the landowners, Craig and Jill Wynne, reached an agreement on Wednesday that would allow the county to acquire 8.3 acres of land just south of Brush College Road and Illinois 48.

Bird and county Board Chairman Jay Dunn said the tentative agreement was close to the countys last offer, which Dunn said was $26,000 an acre.

The land would be part of a connector project that would act as the starting point for the long-discussed Macon County Beltway, a 22-mile stretch of road to allow traffic to loop around the east side of Decatur.

We are pleased we reached an agreement with the owners, and we look forward to getting the project started, Bird said in an email.

The Wynnes could not be reached for comment. They have not responded to previous requests for comment about the matter.

The plan is to close on the deal in the coming weeks, Dunn said. Once finalized, he said, they would likely put the project out to bid early in 2018.

I had been wanting to get it started this year, Dunn said. "But were hopeful we can get started on this by spring.

The county made its original offer of $17,000 an acre to the landowners on Jan. 12, based on an appraisal completed by Webster & Associates last fall. Both sides have been negotiating since spring.

A finalized agreement will terminate the countys "quick-take" authority, which was granted to them in early August by Gov. Bruce Rauner and the General Assembly. Under quick-take, a formal process of eminent domain, the county could take possession of the land at a "fair monetary value" before negotiations are completed. That value is set by a judge.

The cost to redevelop the intersection is covered by a $10 million investment given to the county in 2014 by former Gov. Pat Quinn.

The site has been on the county's radar for more than a year. The redevelopment of the intersection near Brush College Road and Illinois 48 has been called everything from the 'first piece of the puzzle' to the 'key that opens the door' for the construction of the beltway.

The northeastern portion of the beltway would provide 6.2 miles of four-lane road between Illinois 48 near Interstate 72 and Illinois 105, or William Street Road. The proposed bypass would continue south, widening existing roads as much as possible, and stretch around Mount Zion before connecting with U.S. 51 in Elwin.

The project is seen by city, county and business leaders as critical to the expansion of Decatur's Midwest Inland Port, a transportation hub that uses the city's vast rail network and nearby highways to move goods throughout the region and country. Both aim to increase truck access to Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s intermodal ramp, a key aspect of the port, and assist with the attraction of businesses to the community that want to take advantage of the transportation network.

But there has been some push-back as the beltway, which for more than a decade has been nothing more than a oft-discussed pipe dream, moves closer to reality.

The Macon County Farm Bureau announced in August that they were opposed to the project as currently planned since it would take up valuable farm grounds. Officials from the Farm Progress Show, which makes its biannual home in the northeast part of Decatur, said they were concerned that the current path of the beltway cuts the show in half.
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WASHINGTON -- More than 52 million Americans live in economically distressed communities wracked by poverty, poor education and declining work opportunities. Most of those communities are in the South. And people in those communities die an average of five years earlier than their neighbors in more prosperous areas.



Those are among the key findings of a new national ranking of economic distress and prosperity released this week by the Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan research and advocacy organization founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sean Parker and a small group of investors. The ranking incorporates seven measures of economic health, including rates of education, housing vacancy, workforce participation, poverty, income, employment and new business creation.



The EIG considers communities to be distressed if they score in the bottom fifth of this ranking, and prosperous if they're in the top 20 percent.



"New businesses -- or lack thereof -- are perhaps the central feature of local well-being," said Kenan Fikri, an EIG researcher who co-authored the report. Prosperous communities are gaining new businesses while struggling ones are losing them. This has spillover effects on everything from housing to employment to health.



At the state level, Minnesota (46 percent) and Utah (47.4 percent) lead the nation in the percentage of state residents living in prosperity. In West Virginia, by contrast, just 3.1 percent of residents live in prosperity.

Oregon fell in the middle of the pack, with 26.7 percent of its residents living in prosperity. That trails neighboring Washington (29.8 percent), California (27.8 percent) and Nevada (30.5 percent) but outpaces Idaho (18.9 percent).

The research indicates 5.8 percent of Oregonians live in economically distressed areas. That compares with 2.3 percent in Idaho, 6.1 percent in Washington, 11.7 percent in California, and 22.5 percent in Nevada.

At the county level the data shows a clear pattern, with distressed communities concentrated in the southern half of the country.



But economic distress isn't exclusively a southern phenomenon. While struggling communities in the South tend to be small and rural, the North and Midwest are home to a number of distressed communities that tend to be large industrial hubs.



In Buffalo, for instance, more than 70 percent of the population lives in a distressed Zip code. In Cleveland it's more than 90 percent. In Detroit, 99 percent.



But Rust Belt aside, the report finds a close link between community size and prosperity. "Counties with under 100,000 people are 11 times more likely to be distressed than counties with more than that many people," said Fikri. "Dense clusters of economic activity make it significantly easier to secure a high baseline level of well-being."



There's considerable difference within counties, at the level of Zip codes. Alameda County in California is home to both Berkeley and Oakland. It's "one of the most prosperous counties in the country on the surface," Fikri said, "but even it still contains over 150,000 people living in some of the nation's worst-off communities."



The Zip code-level data shows that suburbs, rather than urban centers, remain the nation's most prosperous communities. "Well-off people still choose to live in suburban communities with their good schools and leafy streets," Fikri said.



Race remains a major national fault line when it comes to economic well-being. "Minorities represent well over half of the population in distressed Zip codes but only about a quarter of the population in prosperous ones," Fikri said. Black Americans, in particular, are nearly three times as likely to live in a distressed community as a prosperous one.



Overall, this new map of U.S. prosperity is a complicated one, reflecting regional history as well as rapidly changing local realities. As so many other metrics of social and individual well-being show, geography truly is destiny.

-- The Washington Post
Q: I'm 40. We own our house and have a young daughter. Through my current employer, I'm able to contribute to a regular 401(k) and also a Roth 401(k) retirement account. My company matches 3 percent if we contribute a total of 6 percent or more of our salaries. Are there any reasons I should contribute to both my 401(k) and Roth, or should I contribute only to my Roth? My salary and bonus is around $80,000 and I have about $150,000 in my 401(k) and about $30,000 in my Roth. Thanks very much for your time.

A: A Roth contribution is essentially a bet that your tax rate in retirement will be the same or higher than it is currently. You're giving up a tax break now, because Roth contributions aren't deductible, to get one later, because Roth withdrawals in retirement are tax free.

Most retirees see their tax rates drop in retirement, so they're better off contributing to a regular 401(k) and getting the tax deduction sooner rather than later. The exceptions tend to be wealthier people and those who are good savers. The latter can find themselves with so much in their retirement accounts that their required minimum distributions  the withdrawals people must take from most retirement accounts after they're 70  push them into higher tax brackets.

That's why many financial planners suggest their clients put money in different tax "buckets" so they're better able to control their tax bills in retirement. Those buckets might include regular retirement savings, Roth accounts and perhaps taxable accounts as well. Roths have the added advantage of not having required minimum distributions, so unneeded money can be passed along to your daughter.

Given that you're slightly behind on retirement savings  Fidelity Investments recommends you have three times your salary saved by age 40  you might want to put most of your contributions into the regular 401(k) because the tax break will make it easier to save. You can hedge your bets by putting some money into the Roth 401(k), but not the majority of your contributions.



Q: Do I have the right to notify the credit bureaus that I do not want any of my financial information stored in their files? They don't seem to be that secure. I rarely borrow money and the three financial institutions I deal with have all the data they need to lend me money if I need some. I do finance a car on occasion, because if they want to lend me money at less than 1%, why not?

A: The short answer is no, you have no right to stop credit bureaus from collecting information about you. You also can't prevent them from selling that information or keeping it in inadequately secured databases.

One thing you can do is to freeze your credit reports at all three bureaus to prevent criminals from using purloined information to open credit accounts in your name. But that will cost you.

The only bureau currently waiving the typical $3 to $10 fee for freezing credit reports is Equifax, the credit bureau whose cybersecurity incident exposed Social Security numbers, dates of birth and other sensitive identifying information for 143 million Americans. The other bureaus, Experian and TransUnion, are still charging those fees.

You'll have to pay an additional $2 to $10 each time you want to lift those freezes, which you'll probably need to do if you apply for new insurance, apartments, cellphone service, utilities and, of course, credit. Financial institutions may indeed have plenty of information about you, but probably wouldn't lend you any money without access to your credit reports or scores. Freezes also are a bit of a hassle because you need to keep track of a personal identification number, or PIN, to lift the freeze.

Just in case you weren't irritated enough by this state of affairs, understand that freezes won't stop other types of identity theft, such as someone getting medical care in your name or giving the police your information when they're arrested. Still, instituting freezes is probably the best response to the most devastating breach yet.

Liz Weston is a certified financial planner and personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the "Contact" form at asklizweston.com.
UPDATE: I-5 shooter in Ashland had mental health issues, family says

A man shot and killed a cook Saturday morning at a well-known Ashland lodge, an apparent random attack that ended with the suspect firing shots at Interstate 5 traffic before a pickup hit and killed him.

The suspected gunman did not know 40-year-old cook Ryan Bagley, said Jackson County sheriff's officials and Donna Bergquist, co-owner of Callahan's Lodge, where the killing took place. Bergquist said another lodge employee entered the kitchen Saturday and found Bagley on the floor in a pool of blood.

The suspect, whose name could not be obtained Saturday evening, left in Bagley's vehicle after taking his car keys, said Bergquist, who said law enforcement officials also told her they did not believe Bagley knew his assailant. The suspect may have seen Bagley enter the lodge for his morning shift, between 6:30 and 6:45 a.m., she said.

The suspect connected to the homicide was killed when he was run over by a pickup while firing shots at vehicles on Interstate 5, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. A man in an older model maroon Subaru Legacy stopped on I-5, got out of the vehicle and began firing at other vehicles in the southbound lane near milepost 1, just north of the Oregon-California border, officials said. He was subsequently struck and killed by a gray pickup truck.

Deputies and Oregon State Police officers found the man dead on the highway with a gun on the ground nearby, sheriff's officials said.

The suspect parked his car diagonally along the freeway, exited and shot at oncoming cars, sheriff's officials said. The man was run over by a car he shot at shortly before 7 a.m. The driver called 911 and reported he had hit a man who was firing at his car, officials said.

A state police public information officer referred questions from The Oregonian/OregonLive to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, which earlier Saturday confirmed a homicide at the lodge.

Motorists called 911 at 7:30 a.m. to report a man firing shots at vehicles. Southbound I-5 was closed at milepost 6 for hours Saturday as police investigated.

Detectives are investigating the shootings and ask that drivers who saw the suspect on I-5 call (541) 774-6800.

According to Bergquist, the incident unfolded like this:

Her husband, Ron Bergquist, left the couple's living quarters within the lodge at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday to pick up a newspaper at the front desk.

There, he encountered a stranger "who was using the phone at our front desk who said he was needing gas. That's what he said," Donna Bergquist said in a phone interview Saturday. "Ron didn't think a lot of it. In fact, he thought he might be one of our guests."

"He picked up his paper and went back to his quarters," she said.

"The next we knew of it was our front desk person had come into the kitchen and turned on the light and put on coffee and noticed our employee on the floor in a pool of blood."

She said the hotel then called 911.

"The (gunman) clearly wanted  had seen our employee come into the lodge and when he went to the kitchen his goal was to get our employee's keys," Donna Bergquist said. "He drove (the employee's) car down the highway."

Jackson County sheriff's officials confirmed in a news release that the suspect took Bagley's car and drove it down I-5.

Bagley, the father of three children, had been working at the lodge since June. "A great employee, great employee. He did a beautiful job," she said, adding that Bagley's parents, who live in a northern California community about 40 miles south of Ashland, visited the lodge on Saturday after being notified of the killing.

Donna Bergquist said she and her husband have owned the lodge, located east of Mount Ashland and just 400 feet off the Pacific Crest Trail, for 22 years.

She said her husband is aware that he encountered a suspected killer Saturday morning.

"He is. Very. We know that," she said.

--Allan Brettman

503-294-5900

@allanbrettman
A 28-year-old woman is accused of second-degree manslaughter after authorities say she abandoned her parents when she crashed the car they were traveling in near Gresham on Sept. 10 and her father later died.

Alma Santiago was arrested Thursday and booked into the Multnomah County jail on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants, failure to perform the duties of a driver and reckless driving. Maritza Montelongo-Sanchez, a 25-year-old friend of Santiago, was also arrested Thursday and accused of hindering prosecution and evidence tampering.

Montelongo-Sanchez is accused of driving Santiago away from the scene after she witnessed the crash and later taking Santiago's bloody clothes, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Miguel Alejo Santiago sustained serious head injuries from the crash and died at OHSU Hospital three days later, the affidavit said.

Emergency responders were called to the crash scene around 1:30 a.m. in the 16500 block of Southeast Foster Road and found Miguel Alejo Santiago and his wife there, the affidavit said. She sustained apparent minor injuries and wasn't taken to a hospital. The 2007 Kia Rio they were in was on the side of the road upside down on its top.

The wife told Multnomah County deputies at the scene that her husband was driving them home after they left a party and crashed, the affidavit said.

A deputy questioned her version of events because the driver's seat appeared to be too close to the steering wheel for Miguel Alejo Santiago's size and height and the majority of the blood in the car appear to be in the back seat, the affidavit said. There was also a phone with a rose-colored covering and a purse inside the car that the wife claimed didn't belong to her.

Investigators determined the car was registered to Alma Santiago, and other witnesses reported she had been the driver, but left before police and paramedics arrived, according to the court papers.

Santiago was interviewed by investigators that next day and she cried as she was questioned. She admitted to drinking "a couple of shots and some beers" at a family gathering with her parents and losing control of the Kia after driving too fast. She said her father was in the back seat and her mother was in the front passenger seat, the affidavit said.

Montelongo-Sanchez had been driving behind Santiago when the crash occurred, the affidavit said. Santiago told investigators that she "slid out of her car" after the crash, got into Montelongo-Sanchez's car and left, according to the court papers.

Montelongo-Sanchez told police she saw Santiago drinking alcohol at the party, witnessed the crash and admitted to driving them both away, the affidavit said. They first drove to another friend's home, but were turned away because of the blood on Santiago's clothes.

Santiago was then driven to Montelongo-Sanchez's apartment where the friend put Santiago's clothes into bags, the affidavit said. Investigators found dried blood on the passenger's side of Montelongo-Sanchez's car.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on the Trump administration to protect the rights of a US citizen detained for allegedly fighting for ISIS in Syria.

In a letter Friday to Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the civil rights group urged "immediate action to ensure that the United States' conduct with respect to the detainee complies with the Constitution, and domestic and international law."

"If the government has legitimate grounds to suspect the citizen fought with ISIS, he should immediately be transferred to the federal criminal justice system for criminal charges," ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero wrote. "On no account should the Defense Department resurrect the past policy of "enemy combatant" detention of US citizens, which proved to be a legal and moral failure."

On Thursday, a Pentagon spokesman said the International Committee of the Red Cross had been notified of the detention of the US citizen, who is alleged to have been fighting with ISIS in Syria.

"In accordance with applicable Policy Directives and guidance, the International Committee of the Red Cross was notified of the detention earlier this week and is expected to meet with the detained unlawful enemy combatant in the near future," Air Force Major Ben Sakrisson told CNN.

The humanitarian group is "following up with the US authorities to organize a visit, and anticipate being given timely access to visit the individual in accordance with US law and policy," Marc Kilstein, a spokesperson for the ICRC in Washington, told CNN. Kilstein said the ICRC will meet the detainee in private and said "per our confidential working method, we will discuss any concerns regarding US detention privately and bilaterally with the US Government."

Earlier this month, Marine Corps Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway told CNN that Syrian Democratic Forces, the US-backed Kurdish-led group fighting ISIS in that country, turned over to US forces an American citizen who surrendered around September 12.

"The US citizen is being legally detained by Department of Defense personnel as a known enemy combatant," he added. The department has not said where the American is being detained.

The ACLU called for the accused American to be tried in the US criminal justice system.

"If the US citizen is indeed alleged to have fought with ISIS, the only lawful and legitimate option is to transfer him immediately to the federal criminal justice system for prosecution," Romero wrote in his letter.

Romero also wrote that the path that the government follows "with respect to the US citizen in Defense Department custody is a critical test for this administration's adherence to the rule of law."

When asked for comment on the letter, Pentagon spokesman Sakrisson said the Department of Defense "will respond appropriately once the letter is officially received."

"The disposition of the detained unlawful enemy combatant will be deliberated with the appropriate agencies; in the interim, the individual remains in DoD custody," he added, referring CNN to the Department of Justice "regarding the appropriateness of pursuing criminal charges."

Justice Department spokesperson Wyn Hornbuckle told CNN: "As a part of the President's national security team, the Department of Justice recognizes the wide range of tools and authorities that the President possesses to protect our national security and to defeat our terrorist adversaries. All options remain on the table, and the Justice Department will continue to use every lawful investigative and prosecutorial tool to achieve these objectives."

This isn't the first US citizen to be detained by US allies in the region for allegedly fighting for ISIS. In March 2016, a US citizen was captured in Iraq by US-backed Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

The number of US citizens traveling to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS is thought to be much smaller than those from other countries and regions, such as Western Europe. Coalition officials have said far fewer foreign fighters have joined ISIS in recent months as the terror group suffers setbacks on the battlefield.

CNN's Laura Jarrett contributed to this report.
An Iranian baby once barred from entering the U.S. to receive heart surgery because of President Donald Trump's travel ban is doing well since undergoing an operation in Portland in mid-February, an Oregon lawmaker said Friday.

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici shared photos on Twitter and Facebook of Fatemeh Reshad taken at her Beaverton office and wrote that the girl, now about a year old, is "thriving" since her surgery at OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital to correct a heart defect.

The girl and her family visited with Bonamici for about 20 minutes, said spokeswoman Ali Mayeda. The family wanted to thank Bonamici in person for her efforts in helping the baby get clearance to travel to the U.S.

Bonamici was part of a group of lawmakers who wrote to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to get the government to grant the baby and her family an exception.

The girl has relatives who live in Portland. Her family had planned to meet with doctors in the city in early February before the travel ban barred immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran.

Fatemeh was born with a congenital heart disease that affects 2 in 10,000 newborns and is fatal without treatment.

The child's story gained national publicity. Lawyers, politicians and doctors intervened on her behalf.

The family received a waiver on the same day a judge in Washington state imposed a temporary restraining order on the travel ban.

OHSU doctors told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the girl would likely live "a full and active life" after surgery.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey


Marcus Hoefliger  Co-founder & CEO, EFTPlus

Marcus Hoefliger chose the Master of Entrepreneurship programme at Otago to complement his degrees in finance and marketing.

I wanted to undertake a programme that allowed me to apply the theories I learned in my undergraduate degrees to real-life, practical scenarios. The Master of Entrepreneurship was the perfect programme to achieve this.

The level of talent, both from a teaching and peer perspective, was outstanding. To be surrounded by, and study with, so many like-minded and driven individuals who are now achieving so much in their careers is something I'm incredibly proud of.

Having previously lived in Dunedin, and having known people who had studied at Otago, Marcus had expected to receive a good education while having a lot of fun.

Being able to live, study, and network with your peers, all within close proximity of the campus, really created such a fun environment. Until you experience it for yourself you really just can't understand how well Otago sets you up for taking the next step in your career  both from study and people perspectives. You can always spot an Otago grad, as theyre usually some of the most personal, engaging and well-rounded individuals you meet at business events.



While studying for his masters, Marcus co-founded his own business, and he now also works as Director of Market Development for a company set up by a fellow Master of Entrepreneurship graduate. He believes that Otago equipped them both well.

The balance of technical know-how with soft-skills I gained has been extremely beneficial for my career, and for that of other people I know. My qualification has also given me credibility with potential partners, clients etc. Ive had conversations with senior bank executives who have been very interested in the programme. They are always looking for graduates who can think outside the box.

For more information on EFTPlus, please visit:

www.eftplus.co.nz
The Kapan Municipal Council, by a vote of 10-0 on August 23, approved a measure to lease the operating rights of the local airport to an outfit called Syunik Airport LLC for 25 years.

The leasing proposal had been introduced by Kapan Mayor Ashot Hayrapetyan.

Kapan Deputy Mayor Argam Grigoryan and Syunik Airport LLC Director Hrachik Ayvazyan signed the lease contract on September 8.

It allows the company the right to maintain, operate and manage the airport and its auxiliary services and to make any improvements it deems necessary. The contract obligates Syunik Airport LLC to present an investment agenda within two months.

Work to get the Kapan Airport up and running started this spring and plans to open by the first half of 2018, if all goes according to schedule.

Hetq visited the airport in June, and we returned today. Photos show that construction continues at the airport.

Once the lease expires, the airport reverts to the Kapan community. The lease can be renewed for ten more years.

The contract allows Syunik Airport LLC, the concessionaire, the right to set service rates (plane parking, fuel, passenger services, etc.) that are reflected in ticket prices.

The company can also allocate commercial space to third parties in the airport.

Syunik Airport LLC was founded on May 18, 2017 by the Syunik Region Development and Investment Fund (SRDIF), which was registered on December 26, 2016.

The SRDIF is the authorized arm of the government tasked with attracting investment to the province and shares an address with the Syunik Provincial Administration.

For the first month, Sahak Hakobyan, a consultant to the Syunik Governor, served as the SRDIFs temporary director. Hakobyan once worked as staff director at Armenias General Department of Civil Aviation. In January of this year, Hakobyan was replaced by Davit Abovyan.

In essence, a company founded by the SRDIF will be operating the airport.

We stress this point because Sahak Hakobyan, in an interview with Sosi TV, had originally stated that an airport operator would be chosen on the basis on whether a nominee had the potential to make the necessary investments.

Of note in this regard is the fact that the entire airport reconstruction project is being financed by the Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Plant (ZCMP) CJSC, a company with mining interests in the area, and the Syunik Region Development and Investment Fund.

The provincial government doesnt plan to allocate any budgetary funds for the project estimated to cost US$2 million. The cost doesnt include the purchase or lease of aircraft.

Syunik Governor Vahe Hakobyan announced that an aircraft similar to a Czech-made L-410 Turbolet will be flying to and from Kapan. The plane, manufactured in 2016, can carry 19 passengers.

Hes probably referring to a variant L-410UVP-E20 that costs 2.4 million Euros (US$2.8 million) in new condition.

Thus, the price of one plane exceeds the entire cost estimate of the entire airport project.

Its no coincidence that the new Kapan airport will be named Syunik, even though there are other airports in the province, in the towns of Sisian, Goris and Meghri.

It just goes to show the influence exacted by the SRDIF, the ZCMP, and the Syunik Provincial Administration.

What the lease contract fails to note is the price to be paid by Syunik Airport LLC for the right to operate and manage the airport for the next 25 years.

Were these rights handed to the company for free?

In response to a Hetq inquiry, the Kapan Municipality answered that the company would be taking over an airport that needed a large investment to make it operational and that such expenditures were enough of a price to exact from the concessionaire.

Thus, any benefits to Kapan and its residents from the eventual operation of the airport will be indirect, stemming from making Kapan a secondary transportation hub to the capital Yerevan. Theres also the possibility that some Kapan residents might get jobs at the new airport.

It will cost around 20,000 AMD (US$ 42) to fly one way from Kapan, the capital of Armenias Syunik Province, to Yerevan. Perhaps, given the costly price announced, the SRDIF has said that it would subsidize airfares for those passengers who have medical emergencies and need to get to Yerevan as quickly as possible.

The flights will take just forty minutes to traverse the 195 kilometers by air. Driving from Kapan to Yerevan takes around five hours, and taxis make the trip for 6,000 AMD. The driving distance is some 300 kilometers. Taxis, by the way, pick-up and deliver passengers door-to-door, at no additional fee.

The question remains, who will shell out 20,000 AMD for the one-way flight?

In June, Sergey Avetisyan, Chief of Armenias General Department of Civil Aviation, said that tickets on small carriers are usually pricey, adding that he believed the Kapan-Yerevan-Kapan flights would initially resemble an air taxi service based on demand.

The Syunik Provincial Administration, however, told Hetq that the flights would operate on a regular basis. So, who would constitute a consistent stream of passengers to justify such regularly scheduled flights?

One group of passengers might be the managers of mining companies located in the towns of Kapan, Kajaran and Agarak who can easily pay the fare to quickly get to a business meeting in Yerevan.

The Kapan Airport was officially opened in 1972, but flights took off and landed as early as the 1940s.

Kapan residents remember that it cost 7-10 rubles to board the Yak-40 planes back then. In the 1970s and 1980s, the official exchange rate for 1 Ruble was US$1.4. Thus, a plane ticket cost the equivalent of $10-14. Today, the estimated one-way fare of 20,000 AMD translates into $42.

Take the difference in the price of aviation fuel, an important factor in the final cost of a plane ticket, then and now. Planes operating in Soviet Armenia obtained their fuel from the domestic market. Today, air carriers in the Republic of Armenia buy fuel on the world market.

Theres also the cost-benefit ratios to consider. Thirty years ago, Yak-40s could carry 40 passengers from Kapan to Yerevan. The L-410 plane scheduled to make the flight today can only carry 19 passengers at maximum.
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With the arrival of autumn comes the annual Smorgasbord and Country Store at Zion Lutheran School in Auburn, hosted by the Ladies of Zion. On Oct. 1, the school's gymnasium will be lined with tables piled high with chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, squash, baked beans, sweet breads and pies as well as German specialties such as pork sausage and sauerkraut.

"We have such a good variety. It's a nice variety," said Deb Shufelt, one of the Ladies of Zion.

Zion Lutheran has been holding a community dinner since 1920, with a chicken dinner in the neighboring park around the Fourth of July. In 1949 the dinner, which resembled more of a potluck, moved to the current school building across the street from the church. By 1964 pork sausage was featured as the main dish and the "October Smorgasbord" was established on the first Sunday in October.

The Ladies of Zion have been talking about this Sunday's dinner for the whole year, but have been going over the finer details since the summer.

"We're always planning on whether we want to change the menu or keep it the same or what we want to tweak. There's always things you want to tweak," Shufelt said.

On Tuesday night, organizers arrived at Zion Lutheran School to make a final supply check, print and laminate tickets and arrange initial set up preparations. With the large number of diners -- last year the Ladies of Zion estimated about 500 people dined in and 200 chose take-out -- the event needs all the help it can get to run smoothly.

Every adult member of the congregation received a request earlier in the year asking for donations of food, items to sell at the Country Store and assistance in the kitchen or dining area.

For some, including Stacey Mieske, they've been aiding with preparations since they joined the church.

"We always helped. Everybody helped. I was always in the Bible study group, mothers of young children and we all helped.

But at one point, the Ladies of Zion came to us and said 'We need some younger people in our group' ... And that's when I joined Ladies of Zion."

Each of the organizers is in charge of a specific area, whether it's preparing one of the side dishes or organizing the dining room. There is no overseer or general manager; everyone works where their strengths lie.

For Lynn Leinberger, her forte is baking and is in charge of the eisenkuechle, a German cookie most commonly referred to as rosettes or sweethearts. Leinberger makes nearly 134 dozen to donate to the Smorgasbord and Country Store, all baked in her certified kitchen at home.

She begins about three days ahead of time and uses 12 dozen eggs, 48 pounds of Crisco, 30 pounds of flour, 16 pounds of powdered sugar and five gallons of milk.

"And a whole load of paper towels," she said with a grin.

Leinberger has been making sweethearts since she was in high school when she began by mixing the batter. This year she is offering several varieties of sweethearts, including plain, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar and frosted. Those that aren't taken are broken up by Leinberger and placed in a box as samples.

While many visitors come for the delicious buffet, they often stay to peruse the Country Store, which consists of crafts, produce and baked goods donated by congregation members.

The store has been a staple at the dinners for several years, with the proceeds of both going towards church missions.

Mieske fondly remembers attending the dinner when it was located at Zion Lutheran Church across the road. Her grandma, who was also a Lady of Zion, helped Mieske discover the treasures of the Country Store. Years later, Mieske brought her daughter along to help with preparations and enjoy the wide array of goodies.

"As kids we went with Grandma. We had to get the rock candy and the eisenkuechle," she recalled.

It is connections like these that make the Smorgasbord and Country Store more than just an annual get-together. Most of the participants are from area churches or local residents with no affiliation with the church, but because of the warm fellowship exhibited by all, no one feels like a stranger.

The Smorgasbord and Country Store opens Sunday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in Zion Lutheran School, 1557 W. Seidlers Road, Auburn. The Country Store opens at 10 a.m. Suggested donations for adult dinners are $8.50 ($9 for take-out), $4 for children ages 5-12 ($4.50 for take-out). Children ages 4 and under eat for free.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriff's Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame.

Thursday, Sept. 28

4:09 a.m. -- A Lee Township resident reported hearing what sounded like someone tampering with a window screen at her home. A deputy checked the home and found nothing suspicious.

9:43 a.m. -- A Homer Township man, 42, reported a package was stolen out of his mailbox. The package contained a $10 pair of shoe insoles. There are no suspects.

9:44 a.m. -- A Hope Township home's mailbox was damaged.

10:04 a.m. -- Deputies were sent to Greendale Township for a report of a school bus parked with its hazard lights on with the door open. The bus had broken down and the school district was aware of the situation.

10:42 a.m. -- Deputies were sent to Lincoln Township for a report of a driver headed the wrong way. The vehicle was not found.

11:37 a.m. -- Deputies were asked to check a vacant home in Greendale Township for a wanted person. The person was not at the home.

12:13 p.m. -- A Homer Township man, 24, was arrested on two contempt of court warrants after a resident reported a suspicious person walking on East Olson Road near North Homer Road.

1:43 p.m. -- A deputy assisted Child Protective Services with a court order to remove two children from a Lee Township home. The children were turned over without any problems.

2:07 p.m. -- Deputies were sent to Edenville Township for a report of an assault and battery involving a Hope Township woman, 39, and Saginaw man, 31. A report was sent to the prosecutor's office.

2:18 p.m. -- A Midland man, 26, was cited in Midland for driving without insurance and expired plate. A report is being sent to the prosecutor.

3:11 p.m. -- Items, valued at a total of $1,100, were stolen from an unlocked vehicle while it was parked at a Larkin Township home.

4:07 p.m. -- A Jasper Township resident asked deputies to search a vacant home in that township for a wanted subject. The wanted person was not at the home.

5:17 p.m. -- Deputies were sent to a Lee Township address to investigate a domestic assault.

9:02 p.m. -- A deputy investigated a report of threats involving two males, ages 15 and 17, in Lee Township.

9:23 p.m. -- A deputy assisted Michigan State Police with a traffic stop and drug investigation in Lee Township.

10:13 p.m. -- A Mills Township man, 48, reported his girlfriend burned his personal property. He did not want to file charges.

11:35 p.m. -- A deputy arrested a 32-year-old man on a Midland County bench warrant after a traffic stop in Lee Township for speeding.
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BLOOMINGTON  After a steady 2016, Central Illinois Regional Airport traffic has tumbled this year  and officials aren't sure why or if it will improve.

By enplanements  passengers getting on and off flights, a metric officials use to measure how successful an airport is  CIRA declined 13 percent in the first eight months of 2017 versus the same period in 2016, the airport reported.

That's disappointing after enplanements were virtually identical from 2015 to 2016, increasing 0.5 percent, but not surprising given a trend of plunging figures for the airport. Enplanements dropped a third from 2011 to 2016.

"Our leisure traffic is very strong, but our business traffic has been soft. I don't know what changed this year, said CIRA Executive Director Carl Olson. "Its getting harder. Its going to continue to be competitive. That means the (Bloomington-Normal) Airport Authority will continue to raise its game.

Among Illinois airports with similar traffic, General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International increased enplanements by 22 percent from 2011 to 2016; Chicago/Rockford International dropped by less than 1 percent; and Quad City International in Moline dropped by 12 percent.

Olson pointed to two main factors that have hurt CIRA over the last five years: airline consolidation and declining business travel.

"Consolidation really took hold of the airline industry, pushed forward by the rapid run-up of oil prices and the recession. That's resulted in fewer airlines, fewer flights and fewer seats," he said. "That produces record airline profits, but capacity (flights and seats) is synonymous with inventory, and if you have less inventory, youll have less sales.

Olson said consolidation has hit CIRA especially hard because it favors large airports like Chicago's O'Hare International that are more likely to get traffic from large, consolidated carriers. He said budget airlines like Frontier and Spirit that fly out of Chicago but not Bloomington have taken local business.

A number of our travelers have opted to spend the time and money to drive to other airports to capture these lower prices, he said.

Consolidation should slow, however, simply because so few major airlines are left, and new ones aren't likely to pop up, Olson added.

Officials also are optimistic about business travel improving as the economy grows, both locally and nationally.

"Were hopeful were starting to see things turn, said Fran Strebing, deputy director for marketing. "Were not sure what Rivian will produce for us, but were hopeful, and things that happen in Decatur or Pontiac also impact us.

Rivian Automotive bought the former Mitsubishi Motors North America plant in Normal in January with the intention of starting manufacturing there in 2019.

Olson said a healthier economy would help officials sell CIRA to airlines.

"The airport has no say in how an airline operates, but we become the advocate for the community to say, 'Heres a market youre not paying attention to,' he said. We say the same to (local businesses that fly).

Though further traffic declines could threaten Federal Aviation Administration grants to CIRA and concession businesses in the terminal, Olson said the airport authority is in good financial health despite the drop in business.

CIRA could get a boost if Congress approves a bump from $4.50 to $8.50 in the maximum passenger facility charge, a fee airports assess to each ticket that funds infrastructure projects.
BLOOMINGTON  After Central Illinois Arena Management owner John Y. Butler pleaded not guilty Friday to 44 criminal charges related to his firm's management of the city-owned arena, his attorney said the case is about business and business practices.

"To have these indictments come down and the way things have been handled, you can see from how the discovery was handled, there is a big master plan," said Urbana lawyer Steven Beckett, who is representing Butler.

Butler and four other CIAM managers were arrested Monday on 111 charges that accuse them of bilking the city out of more than $1.1 million while they managed the former U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

The others charged are: Bart Rogers, CIAM general manager; and CIAM employees Jay C. Laesch, Paul E. Grazar and Kelly W. Klein.

"I ordinarily don't walk out of court with boxes of discovery (materials)," said Beckett, referring to boxes filled with the state's evidence that were handed out in court to the five defendants after their arraignment in a crowded courtroom.

First Assistant State's Attorney Adam Ghrist said the boxes contained more than "2,000 exhibits."

I haven't been in my box yet so I really don't know what I have," said Beckett. "I shouldn't complain. The earlier you get discovery the faster you can get to work on your case."

The five face various charges, including theft of government funds, money laundering, tax evasion, tax fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax evasion.

Beckett described the five defendants as good people ...who had done the best they could at a job where they thought it was very, very important to have that arena here in town and have that arena be successful.

All five waived a formal reading of the charges contained in indictments filed against them and requested jury trials.

The cases were assigned to Judge Scott Drazewski. Their next hearing is Nov. 3.

Beckett said he could not comment on the charges or specifics of the case, but that he was talking to the media to address comments city officials have made since the five CIAM managers were charged.

"The charges are what the charges are," said Beckett. "My client entered a plea of not guilty because he is not guilty."

Beckett said that for city officials to publicly complain about the arena management contract signed almost 12 years ago "seems a little disingenuous."

"This was the city of Bloomington's contract," said Beckett. When Central Illinois Arena Management got this gig, they were told this is the contract you're going to use."

Provisions in the contract included annual audits and continuous disclosure of financial information, Beckett noted.

Some city officials complained about the the external audits not being sufficient, said Beckett. The public needs to know the city is the one who hires those external auditors. My client and Central Illinois Arena Management rely on those audits as well."

He added, "I think my client has a stellar reputation and just having these charges brought against him and having these city officials say the things that they are saying undermines that reputation significantly. And when the case is over and he is found not guilty, he will be going somewhere and saying: Where do I get my reputation back?"

"All I can say in response (to the charges)  is this case is about business and business practices and proper accounting for funds. My client has done that and done it the right way, said Beckett.

CIAM operated the downtown facility since it opened in 2006, but opted not to renew the 10-year-old agreement. Ames, Iowa-based VenuWorks took over management of the city-owned arena on April 1, 2016.
As Tony King tells his story, he pauses often. His memory is still sharp, but the words don't come easily. Maybe it's because he is turning 92. Or maybe he just hasn't talked about that day in a very long time.

Only 19 men still living -- King among them -- know exactly how the agony unfolded on July 30, 1945, the day two Japanese torpedoes struck the USS Indianapolis.

But King never had much interest in reliving it, his relatives say. He never wanted to discuss the horrors he and his shipmates endured as they floated for nearly five days in shark-ridden waters, waiting for rescue.

That is, until now.

As CNN's cameras roll, King recounts the ordeal still lamented as one of the worst disasters in US naval history. While he speaks, his family, tucked secretly behind a wall of museum exhibits, hangs on every word.

They lost touch with the World War II veteran in 1981. Since then, they've searched for him on and off, trolling phone books and newspaper articles, using his Social Security number to try to uncover any trace. But it was only after an expedition crew in August located the wreckage of the USS Indianapolis 18,000 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean that they got their first lead.

A few weeks after the discovery, they're gathered in California to surprise King on his birthday.

A blast shatters the night

For sailors aboard the USS Indianapolis, it all began with promises of romance and adventure.

"Join the Navy and see the world!" the posters lining telephone poles read. "A girl in every port," they promised. Harold Bray had half a year left in high school when he persuaded his father to let him sign up for the Navy.

"When I went in, I had no idea or reason to believe that anything would ever happen to me," Bray told CNN.

He boarded the USS Indianapolis while it was under repair at Mare Island in California, a bustling naval base that boasted as many as 50,000 workers during WWII. They could fix anything at Mare Island, including a heavy cruiser recently slammed by a suicide plane. Three months in their skilled hands and the ship looked as good as new, Bray said.

The USS Indianapolis set sail from Mare Island on July 16, 1945, and immediately picked up cargo on Hunter's Island. The crew had no idea what was inside the huge crate. Rumors and bets quickly mounted: It was a shipment of Cadillacs. Whiskey for everyone to celebrate when the war was over. Thousands of rolls of scented toilet paper for Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

"Needless to say, no one ever collected a nickel from that bet," one survivor remarked in the 2015 documentary "USS Indianapolis: The Legacy."

Packed inside the crate, the world later learned, were components of the first operational atomic bomb. The USS Indianapolis delivered them to the island of Tinian on July 26, 1945. Then the ship headed for Guam, where the captain was ordered to travel, unescorted, to the Leyte Gulf in the Philippines.

Just after midnight on July 30, midway through its course, torpedoes blasted out of a Japanese submarine and ripped into the starboard side of the USS Indianapolis. Survivors have said they knew, at that instant, their ship was doomed.

A hellish wait for rescue

Chaos erupted, survivors have recalled. Men shrieked as they burned alive in the aftermath of a fuel tank explosion. Then came the deafening growl of the rolling ship.

The 10,000-ton vessel sank in 12 minutes. Some 300 of the 1,196 sailors and Marines on board went down with it. The survivors floated in the oil-slicked sea and waited for rescue.

Dawn broke. Hours passed. The sun set, but still no one came.

The reason remains under debate. The Navy claimed a distress signal was never transmitted, though a radioman aboard the ship swears it was. Other communication failures meant officials didn't notice when the ship didn't arrive in the Philippines. Some believe intelligence agents decoded a Japanese message reporting a sunken American battleship but considered it a trap.

For five nights and four days, the American sailors floated in the South Pacific with no food and no water. Because the ship moved forward as it sank, they were spread over miles, small groups not knowing each other's fate.

Survivors have said anyone who'd been badly hurt in the attack didn't last very long in the water. They succumbed to injuries or to the sharks, which circled beneath the crystal-clear water by day and glided past survivors' legs at night.

Those with open wounds or white clothing seemed to be at highest risk of a shark attack, Bray recalled, along with those who ventured off on their own. Some sailors couldn't stop themselves from guzzling saltwater; they swam off toward the imaginary islands their poisoned brains had concocted on the horizon.

Of the 900 or so men who made it off the ship alive, only about a third survived to meet the rescue ships that finally arrived on their fifth night adrift. Survivors told the documentary filmmakers stories like this: There were 44 in our group; only 14 made it. We had 123 in our group; only 60 survived.

"War is a terrible thing," Bray said in a simple distillation of the hellish experience. "The only ones that suffer are the young people, the kids that have to go and fight these things."

A war hero returns, only to vanish

King never dwelled on his time in the water, he says. He preferred to remember instead the homecoming: the big parade that awaited them in San Diego, with girls running alongside their buses and handing them beers. He left the Navy and earned a master's degree in psychology. He married a Catholic girl who died too soon. He traveled the Middle East between visits to his nieces and nephews.

"My uncle was very protective of me growing up because I was the only girl in a whole group of boys," Shirley Ezel told CNN.

King would visit her family in Michigan to help out while their dad was out of town. He once bought 12-year-old Shirley a brand-new dress to wear to an ice cream social at school.

"I felt like a million bucks that day," she said. "It has stayed with me my whole life."

King usually wrote home two or three times a year, said his nephew, James "Dale" Bogard. Then in the early 1980s, the letters stopped. Bogard's mother tried for years to find him, as did Ezel.

"Honestly, no one really knows what happened," Ezel's son, Ryan Summers, said. "My father dropped him off at the airport, and that is the last time anybody in the immediate family knew of his whereabouts."

A ship is discovered and a family reunited

Through the years King's family searched for its war hero, other relatives and comrades of those aboard the USS Indianapolis mourned all that was lost with the ship. Even as the decades passed, some pledged not to allow the remains of the grand vessel to linger, lost at sea.

Then, on August 19, a team of civilian researchers led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen discovered the its wreckage.

"That was a great day," Bray said, chalking it up as one of his happiest. As chairman in recent years of the USS Indianapolis Survivors' Organization, Bray had met fellow sailors -- including some, like King, whom he didn't know during the war -- and he hoped they and the families of the fallen would finally find some closure.

"Now the people that lost 880 kids know where they are," he said.

News of the ship's discovery also kindled a spark in Summers, King's great-nephew. A history buff, he'd always known the warship story. Now, an online search led him to Bray's survivors' group's website. An article caught his attention.

It mentioned that for the first time, the number of living USS Indianapolis survivors had risen, from 21 to 22. The name that had been moved from "deceased" to "living" on the membership list? "A.C." Tony King.

Summers rushed to tell his mother, who posted a message to Bray's group. Within hours, she got one back. That night, she spent 45 minutes on the phone, talking with the uncle she believed she'd lost forever.

"The only thing we could say was, 'I can't believe it's you. I can't believe that you're really here,'" Ezel said. "If the ship had not been found, this may not ever have happened."

A few weeks later, CNN helped unite Ezel, Bogard, Summers and Bray in California for King's 92nd birthday. They surprised King at the Mare Island Museum, a sprawling brick building with a 15-foot iron anchor outside the front door. (You can watch their tearful reunion in the video atop this story.)

As Bray and King sat side by side in their wheelchairs, they discussed what many old men must: their health, pensions and the mess younger generations have made of the world.

After a while, Bray stood up. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a medallion that he placed in King's hand. On the back was the outline of the USS Indianapolis, the ship's 10 battle stars, and a date: July 30, 1945.

CNN's Nick Scott contributed to this story.
NORMAL  Sonny Garcia left U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis' office frustrated Friday.

Garcia, a Bloomington resident and activist, told reporters he was disappointed in the Taylorville Republican during a meeting on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and Garcia plans to get out the vote in 2018  presumably to unseat Davis, a target of national Democrats.

"We want him to be a champion. He did not agree to that. So, we were disappointed, but we are also optimistic that we will continue to have conversations," Garcia said.

"We want a pathway to citizenship for 800,000 of our most vulnerable residents of this country," he added. "He still needs to hear some more information about what is actually doable, but we still stand firm."

President Barack Obama created DACA to provide temporary work permits and protection from deportation for people brought into the U.S. illegally as youths, but President Trump announced Sept. 5 he intends to end it.

Garcia was one of about a dozen residents to meet with Davis on the topic at his office. The congressman said he'll remember their concerns when he returns to Washington, D.C., to work on DACA and a broader immigration reform bill.

U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., have asked Congress to support the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, Act to protect DACA enrollees from deportation. Republican senators have offered a competing Succeed Act.

"It's disappointing when one side or the other wants to talk about one piece of legislation. ... I'm not willing to commit to a hypothetical support of a bill that may or may not be the solution," Davis said of Garcia's complaints. "I think in the end what you'll see is a bill that fixes the DACA program, makes it standard and also addresses some border security issues."

Davis said Trump's announcement that DACA would end six months from that date "wasn't a good decision because now Congress has got to make a legal change."

He did not answer whether he would support building a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, a Trump priority, as part of a reform bill.

Protests sprang up across the Twin Cities after Trump's announcement. Bloomington's District 87 school board adopted a resolution the next week pledging its support for students regardless of immigration status.

Garcia said hundreds in Bloomington-Normal are protected by the program, which has about 800,000 enrollees nationwide. He said it's unfair to punish those residents for offering personal information to the federal government.

"The ultimate goal is to get immigration reform for everybody, for all 11 million (immigrants who entered the United States illegally)," said Garcia.
One reason why Gov. Bruce Rauner promised to veto HB40 last spring was to prevent a House Republican revolt on the state budget.

The bill deletes a so-called trigger provision in current law which states that if the Roe v. Wade case is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, Illinois would automatically revert to outlawing abortions. Theres a dispute about whether this is needed, but the more controversial part of the bill would allow state funding of abortions through Medicaid and the state employee group health insurance program.

Everyone knew from the beginning of the two-year budget impasse that the House Republicans were the key to victory for both sides. As long as Rauner could hold them completely together, he could continue the impasse fight with the Democrats. By April, however, mutinous rumblings were growing in that caucus and one way Rauner could placate them was to swear he would veto HB40 if it ever reached his desk.

There are no remaining pro-choice Republicans in the House, and there are certainly no supporters of taxpayer-funded abortions in the caucus. Legislative threats were made to the pro-choice governor that there would be holy heck to pay if he signed HB40 into law. They'd abandon him in droves and there would be nothing he could do to stop them from working with the Democrats on a budget solution. So the governor told several House Republicans to their faces that he'd veto the bill.

But then a couple of months later, some of those same House Republicans broke with the governor and voted for the tax hike.

That tax vote may have played into the governor's decision to become the first American governor to sign a taxpayer-funded abortion bill into law. He may have simply decided that he wasn't bound to his promise because the House Republicans didn't hold their caucus together.

The trouble is, he made that veto promise to more than just the House Republicans. As Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, pointed out after Rauner signed the bill into law, the governor made a "public commitment" to veto the bill.

The reason this issue became such a huge crisis in the first place is that Rauner's cant be taken as truth.

He spent more than two years saying he would stop the Democrats from muscling through a Chicago Public Schools "bailout," but then he signed a bill that actually gave CPS more money.

The governor told the Chicago Tribune that a budget crisis would give him the leverage to obtain concessions from Democrats on his pro-business, anti-union agenda, then flat-out blamed the Democrats for the next two years for creating the crisis.

The list is just endless. When Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich publicly calls you out for breaking your promise to veto HB40, you know you have a problem.

Candidate Rauner explicitly promised the pro-choice group Personal PAC in 2014 that he would sign legislation for government-funded abortions. So the question really boiled down to who the governor would wind up lying to.

The governor's campaign insists that Rauner is running for reelection. If he manages to win, he's going to have to eventually find a way to reestablish his relationships with legislative Republicans. Time will likely heal some of these wounds within his own party, but only if he makes a genuine attempt to reestablish his credibility.
The removal of the Robert E. Lee statue from Charlottesville, Va. was initiated because the statue represented a symbol of racism. Racism is morally wrong and those that endorse it are filled with the poison of an illogical form of hatred. If the statue contributes to this vile poison, it is right to remove it.

To be fair to the person of Robert E. Lee is another matter. In Jay Winiks history of the last month of the Civil War, April 1865, Winik portrays Lee as the leader that worked towards healing the wounds that divided the country after his surrender at Appomattox.

Lee was a man that was loyal to his home state, a believer in states rights and a man that wrestled with the immorality of slavery. He accepted defeat after his surrender at Appomattox and dedicated the rest of his life to moving the hearts and minds of others to move forward in the process of reconciliation.

He successfully swayed other leaders to give up on the last-ditch notion of the Confederate army transitioning to full scale guerrilla warfare. He saw guerrilla warfare as extending the tragedy and sorrow of the war. Winik states that Lee condemned the assassination of Lincoln. and celebrated the end of slavery as an immoral institution.

The controversy of removing Civil War statues is full of emotion. It is right to remove the statue of his likeness because it is for some a symbol of racism. Yet, we must respect the man.

Mary Sutter, Bloomington




Back in 2015 Patently Apple reported on Apple's acquisition of Faceshift who were masters of face tracking and the video below shows what they were able to do. Then look at the second video of Apple's Jonathan Ive introducing animoji found in iOS 11. Obviously that Apple acquisition was put into action rather quickly. Whether Apple will open the door to Avatars in the future is unknown at this time.





The news of Apple's acquisition of Faceshift was originated by TechCrunch. Yesterday TechCrunch reported that they had learned that Apple had acquired a small French startup called Regaind. Their sources told them that Apple actually acquired Regaind earlier this year.

TechCrunch reports that "Regaind has been working on a computer vision API to analyze the content of photos. It's also unclear if Apple plans to get Regaind's model to work on Apple's devices directly. Apple has recently reiterated its focus on privacy, so it's going to be interesting to learn more about Apple's integration of Regaind's technology when it comes to privacy."

According the company, "Regaind API gives meaning to photos. We help businesses and developers deal with massive flows of images by using state-of- the-art artificial intelligence to analyze and sort them. Your problem is often not reduced to finding a photo of a  sailboat  or of a  lion : it's also about finding the right one for your specific use, among many others. Regaind enables you to understand the content of an image, as well as to assess its technical and aesthetical values, so as to maximize your impact with high quality photos."

Regaind's technology focuses on Face Analysis, Main Semantic Class and Label Detection, Regions of Interest Detection and Aesthetical and Techincal Attributes Evaluation.

For more information, check out Regaind's site. The company is located in Paris and a French write up on the company could be found here at the INRA Center of Research.

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Four years ago the discussion of Apple contemplating a hybrid ARM-x86 CPU for future devices was starting by ABI who wrote: "There are many trends simultaneously affecting the market for mobile device semiconductors. Two have been the shift towards multicore application processors and the addition of x86 and MIPS to what used to be purely an ARM play." Then last December we reported on the coming Microsoft-Qualcomm platform that would see Windows coming to ARM processors that would provide built-in cellular capabilities for for notebooks. Then in April ARM confirmed that Microsoft-Qualcomm notebooks and 2-in-1 devices would be running Windows in Q4 2017. Then in June HP, Lenovo and Asustek announced that they were going to be delivering these devices to market. According to IDC 2nd Quarter PC stats, the three vendors add up to 50.1% of all PC sales. So this is a major shift away from Intel's x86 platform.

The prospect of that shift away from Intel's platform triggered Intel to warn Qualcomm indirectly that x86 emulation on ARM could trigger legal action. The warning has to be taken seriously because it was Intel's chief lawyer Stephen Rodgers making the threat on a company blog.

Fast forward to September 19 and we see ARM GM, VP and Fellow Gus Yeung holding up Intel's first 10nm test chip wafer containing ARM Cortex-A75 CPU cores at a special Intel event held in Beijing.





This particular ARM processor is the next-gen ARM processor with some of the key applications being for high powered smartphones, notebooks and 2-in-1 devices. This is the type of processor going into the new Windows-Qualcomm devices.





If Apple customizes their own ARM processor to power a new Apple mobile device or a future MacBook to take advantage of built-in cellular connectivity to compete with the new Microsoft alliance devices, Intel could end up working with Apple and giving them the ability to run x86 code so that no applications would be lost on such a new beast while being appealing to the enterprise market.

Not that Apple would bite on that feature but if Intel is warning Qualcomm, then it may be that Intel has a large customer or two up its sleeve such as Apple that will get the privilege of offering native x86 apps versus some kind of emulation on the Windows-Qualcomm platform.

Intel or not, Apple working with ARM means that they have access to the new processor that could power a future MacBook. With the Windows-Qualcomm platform likely to be unveiled during Microsoft's late October event, the war will have begun on a new kind of PC.

Yesterday a new rumor emerged from the Nikkei Asian Review that Apple is looking to develop proprietary semiconductors to better compete in artificial intelligence and beyond.

The report further noted that "Industry sources and analysts suggest that Apple is keen to expand its semiconductor capabilities further. They say the company is interested in building core processors for notebooks, modem chips for iPhones and more.

Lastly, the Nikkei report noted that "Core processor chips for the MacBook range is another area Apple is trying to venture into. Two industry sources say that Apple is trying to cut its dependence on Intel when it comes to notebook chips and instead build those using ARM architecture, referring to the SoftBank-controlled British chip designer."

Then again as we've pointed out earlier, Intel has shown it's near ready to go into production on next-gen ARM processors and perhaps be ready to take orders from a tech company such as Apple and simply act as the foundry like TSMC does for current chips for iDevices.

It's not much of a stretch to think that Apple could slowly begin a shift to ARM processors for a future MacBook for starters. Of course don't expect Apple to release such a beast this year, but the door could be opened a crack in 2018. Though more than likely Apple may decide to wait and see the response that the Windows-Qualcomm devices will get from consumers over the next year or two before moving the project up the ladder.

Although Apple won't admit it, the iPad Pro was in my view a way to counter Microsoft's Surface machines that took on Core processors and aimed at the enterprise market.

If you've ever watched the special events surrounding new Surface products, then you know that Microsoft's Surface VP Panos Panay is obsessed at attacking all Apple products. The photo above shows Panay telling his audience that the new 2015 Surface Book was 2X more powerful than the MacBook Pro. But this is an annual ritual with Panay.

Patently Apple posted a report back in 2016 showing Apple patent ideas that Microsoft magically ran with from the Suface Studio's slanting display to the hybrid notebook to notebooks with built in cellular connectivity that we dubbed the Cellular MacBook.

Apple has 21 patents covering that concpet. The Cellular MacBook was way ahead of its time, starting back in 2010, and yet now we see another Apple Idea being hijacked by Microsoft to get ahead of Apple.

Business is business and good for Microsoft for being hungry enough to fight and try to get ahead of Apple in hardware. It's just that Apple should have been the first to bring this to market and failed to because they wanted to support the iPad's cellular connectivity product.

This is why the rumor of Apple working on a new ARM processor that could power a MacBook that will come with built-in cellular connectivity is really a no brainer. It's just a matter of how long will the competition have this on the market before Apple delivers something on this front.

If they've brought cellular connectivity to the new Apple Watch Series 3, why not the cellular MacBook? There are far more MacBook owners who would love this than Apple Watch users. But you can see where Apple's current priorities are.





Looking to future trends, IDC reported late this week that tablets will continue to drop while 2-in-1 hybrid devices will accelerate through to 2021. The report also sees "traditional" notebooks falling by 15.4% while detachable tablets or hybrids taking up most of the slack by 11.4%.

This is the trend that the Microsoft-Qualcomm alliance is betting on and only time will tell if it strikes a chord with consumers. For now, one thing is clear, Microsoft will have the jump on Apple again. It's a leap that enterprises are likely to applaud and support.

A Survey done by 9to5Mac in 2016 showed that two-thirds of Apple fans are for the idea of the Cellular MacBook as noted below. So here's to hoping that Apple's delay on this front translates into a superior product that we can get excited about  because it's long overdue.

Whether Apple brings cellular connectivity to a standard MacBook first or wait for a new ARM based MacBook to do so is unknown at this time, but it's clear fans want it and as soon as possible.





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To the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India,

Government of India,

New Delhi.

Dear Prime Minister,

I write to you this open letter today as one of the retirees of RRBs, and most importantly, as a senior citizen of India just to express my feelings of dissatisfaction with the silent role of the Union Govt as to RRB Pension Issue and to draw your kind attention to the predicament of helpless RRB retirees - real victims of discrimination and injustice.

Sir, pension is not a bounty, payable at the sweet-will of the Govt' and to receive pension is a valuable right of a Govt servant or Public Sector Bank employee, is a well-settled legal proposition. And right to receive pension is also a Constitutional Right (as provided in Article 300A) to each and every Indian citizen.

But after taking normal retirement from my service to the Paschim Banga Gramin Bank, I have been leading a painful life of privation and hardship with my family members since I have not yet been paid my rightful pension as per with sponsor bank by the competent authority. And it is not only me, but also thousands of retired employees of Regional Rural Banks are in the same dire state owing to paucity of a fixed income and have been passing their days through utmost hardship due to denial of rightful pension to the employees of 56 RRBs from their employers' end.

Sir, you are aware of the fact that the Regional Rural Banks are owned by the Govt. of India, State Govt, and Sponsor Bank respectively and the RRBs were established by the GOI under RRB Act 1976 to provide banking and credit facilities towards Agriculture and other Rural Sectors? And the GOI, being the holder of major 85% share (50% GOI: 35% Sponsor Bank: 15% State Govt), is the true owner of 56 RRBs.

So, it is very clear from the above that the Union Govt itself is responsible for the sorry plight of thousands of RRB Employees since benefits of pension at par with Sponsor Banks has not yet been extended to them from their employers i.e., the GOI's end despite several court orders and irrevocable NIT Awards-1990, pronounced by the Hon'ble Justice Obul Reddy on 30/04/1990 which has also been affirmed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India by passing two vital judgements dated 31/01/2001 and 07/03/2002 respectively.

In this connection I would like to attract your kind attention to the irreversible NIT Awards-1990, the basis of Pay Parity as well as Pension Parity with the Nationalised Commercial Banks(NCBs) has duly been implemented by the GOI on 22/02/1991 with retrospective effect on/from 01/09/1987.

As per recommendation of NIT (the NIT Awards-1990) both the officers and employees of RRBs are entitled to 'Pay Parity' (on the basis of 'Equal Pay for Equal Work') with the officers and employees of Sponsor Banks/NCBs in respect of pay scales, allowances, and other benefits in toto (i.e., counter-part of NCBs). And 'other benefits' includes the PF, gratuity, pension, leave salary etc. regarded as retiral benefits. Since the Hon'ble Apex Court has clarified that "Pension is part of Pay," the Equation Pay Parity=Pension Parity is a Solved Equation and no one can ignore the Hon'ble Apex Court's decisions.

So, it is now crystal clear that as per NIT Awards-1990 employees of RRBs are eligible for getting pension on a par with Nationalised Commercial Banks without any question or pre-conditions.

Besides that, several judgments/orders delivered by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the recent past in connection with Pension disputes, for instance, SC Verdict in CA-1123/2015 dated July 01, 2015, main points of which are : i) Pension is a part of pay, ii) Pension amount should not be less than 50% of last salary drawn, iii) Pension is a Constitutional right (as provided in Article 300A), and all these references/judgements speak in favour of our rightful demand 'Pension to employees of RRBs at par with NCBs.' But unfortunately, the GOI is reluctant to implement benefits of Rightful Pension in 56 RRBs and reason for denial of Pension to the RRB employees is best known by the Bank Authority i.e. GOI.

Sir, being a RRB retiree though I am eligible for getting a respectable amount of pension at par with NCBs, I am now just receiving a scanty amount of Rs. 2076/- each month as EPF Pension and similarly the 20000+ RRB retirees are also getting such EPF pension ranging from Rs. 1000/- to Rs. 2500/- per month for their survival on retirement which may be considered a shameful event for the entire nation. But being head of the Union Govt as well as in charge of Pension Department, you are well aware that a government servant is eligible for pension as one of the retiral benefits and the utter truth is starting from the Hon'ble President of India down to the Hon PM, FM, Ministers, MPs, MLAs, bureaucrats, military, police, teachers, government employees, and employees of RBI, SBI, NCBs and all other Public Sector Employees, irrespective of rank/positions, all are getting a respectable amount of pension after retirement, except the retirees of Regional Rural Banks- a Govt of India Enterprise!

But what is the reason for this discrimination? No doubt employees of RRBs are also government-owned bank employees and have been receiving 'Equal Pay for Equal Work' and other benefits at par with the Sponsor Bank/NCBs since 1987 on due implementation of NIT Awards-1990 by the Union Govt but surprisingly we are not qualified for 'Pension at par with Nationalised Commercial Banks' on retirement despite the equation 'Pay Parity=Pension Parity' is duly affirmed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court Judgements/Orders, I reiterate.

Sir, this is nothing but an instance of deprivation, discrimination and gross Injustice to RRB retirees, and it's a pity, despite ours is a democratic country, a welfare state, a 3D PM; but nobody is paying heed to us in spite of making so many appeals to the appropriate authorities for giving us a permanent solution to our long pending issue-- 'Pension Parity with NCBs.' But the real fact is we, the retirees of 56 RRBs, are also eligible for receiving our Rightful Pension at par with Sponsor Banks without any question or doubt and we have every right to live with human dignity.

Now the big question is, after rendering 30-35 years of faithful service to the government-owned rural banks why should we, the RRB retirees, be deprived of our legitimate pension?

Sir, receiving pension from employer is a legitimate right of each and every Govt servant as well as Public Sector Bank employee (as provided in Article 300A of Constitution of India), whereas payment of Legitimate Pension to the employees is also a great responsibility of Employer. But the truth is, we, the employees of 56 RRBs, have been debarred from getting our due pension after retirement due to sheer application of 'double standards' by the GOI in the question of payment of pension to the RRB employees at par with Sponsor Banks.

Sir, Fundamental Rights are guaranteed by the Holy Constitution to the citizens of India and Article 21 secures two valuable rights-- Right to Life and Right to Personal Liberty. Everyone has right to life, liberty and security of person. Being a peace loving and law-abiding senior citizen I have such right to live with human dignity and right to lead a healthy life! Article 21 also provides us right to live in peace and right to sleep in peace. But we are not only deprived of our legitimate pension, but also deprived of our right to life! Being respectable senior citizens of India, we are unable to live in peace or with dignity! In fact, our life is at stake! We are almost dying! Our life is not meaningful too, rather meaningless!

Democracy is our ideology and democratic government is our protector! But unfortunately, democracy becomes a mockery when huge money plays a significant role in election! Still majority people support their Hon'ble PM and people's government, having their confidence in democracy! So, arriving in 2017, being a perceptive and respectable senior citizen of incredible India with different mind-set, could we not be hopeful that our 3D PM, the head of the people's government, should be kind and considerate enough to review the decisions of previous government and to favour us with granting our legitimate pension at par with NCBs just to give us immediate relief?

Sir, we believe, being the head of the popular Govt, Modi ji cannot allow us to die a dog's death without food, medicines and proper medical treatment! But life is short, art is long, Time is fleeting! We have been waiting patiently for a long time for our legitimate pension. Now we are at the last stage of our life-span, unable to make both ends meet, and passing sleepless nights! So, Hon'ble Sir, please think a bit of us, intervene in the RRB Pension issue and extend immediately rightful pension to the dying retirees of 56 RRBs. And thus, protect our life and rights - the need of the hours, dispense us justice, and let us live in peace! We, the helpless RRB retirees, are awaiting your prompt action-- SOS!

With regards,

Yours faithfully,

Abhoycharan Basu

Fuleshwar, Howrah-711316

September 28, 2017

(Edited for brevity)
"Barzani middleman for Zionists to partition Islamic countries": Iran's Velayati

09/27/17

Source: Press TV

A senior advisor to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on international affairs says President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (KRG) Massoud Barzani is a middleman for Zionists, who seeks to implement their plans for the division of Muslim states. "Barzani is a middleman for Zionists [whose goal is] to disintegrate Islamic countries," Ali Akbar Velayati said on Tuesday, adding that in view of the bitter experience of Palestine, Muslim nations will not allow "a second Israel" to be created in the region.

Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region held an independence referendum on Monday in the face of strong objections from the central government in Baghdad and urgent calls from the international community to scrap the vote.



The voting stations were dotted across the three provinces of Erbil, Sulaimaniyah and Dohuk that form the Iraqi Kurdistan Region as well as in the disputed bordering zones such as the oil-rich province of Kirkuk.



United Nations Secretary General Antnio Guterres on Monday voiced his worries over the "potentially destabilizing effects" of the controversial independence plebiscite.



"The Secretary General respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Iraq and considers that all outstanding issues between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government should be resolved through structured dialogue and constructive compromise," said Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, on Monday.



Velayati further emphasized that Barzani was on the verge of defeat, expressing confidence that the Kurdish people would certainly oust him before Baghdad's central government takes any steps in this regard, and would "remove this stain of disgrace from the Muslim world."



"Unfortunately, Barzani has been linked with the Zionists since a long time ago and has not learnt his lessons from [the issue of] Palestine," the senior Iranian official added.



President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (KRG) Massoud Barzani



Velayati noted that the independence vote in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region had triggered the political demise of the KRG president, saying that the noble Kurdish people would not tolerate such disgrace.



The result of this referendum cannot be verified and true turnout figures are not clear, the Iranian official said, emphasizing that Barzani should either abandon his policies or face confrontation.



"The Kurdistan Region is undoubtedly a part of Iraq and the Islamic Republic of Iran is adamant that the territorial integrity of regional countries, particularly such friendly countries as Iraq and Syria, must be preserved," he pointed out.



Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami also on Tuesday voiced the Islamic Republic's opposition to any change in geographical borders in the Middle East and disintegration of regional countries.



"The Islamic Republic of Iran opposes any move, which will lead to a change in geographical borders and partitioning of regional countries," Hatami said.



He added that Iran's principled policy was to respect the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional countries, stressing that the plebiscite in the Kurdistan region "was tantamount to playing into the hands of Daesh terrorists and their regional and international allies."

Iran deploys more missile batteries to western regions



IRGC drills in Iran's northwestern area bordering Iraq's Kurdistan



Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base has deployed new missile batteries to the western parts of the country to increase Iranian forces' preparedness to give a firm response to any possible act of aggression, a senior Iranian commander says.



"The Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base has taken this step to strengthen its air defense shield in the western areas and enhance its preparedness to give a decisive response to any act of aggression by dispatching new missile batteries," deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base for operations, Alireza Elhami, said on Tuesday.



He added that Iran's air defense system continuously safeguarded security in the western parts of the country, particularly in border areas, by using different types of radar, missile, intelligence, communication and artillery equipment.



He noted that Khatam al-Anbiya Air Defense Base, in line with its responsibilities, had provided an air defense umbrella over different maneuvers and exercises held by Iranian Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) in western part of the country.



Elhami's remarks came few days after the IRGC ground forces held heavy artillery fire drills, codenamed Moharram, in the country's northwestern area.



The Hamzeh Seyyed al-Shohadah Base of the IRGC ground forces played the central part in the maneuvers.



Iran has conducted major military drills in recent years to enhance the defense capabilities of its Armed Forces and to test modern military tactics and state-of-the-art equipment.



Each year, the country unveils a host of new projects and hardware developed through reliance on domestic capabilities.



The Islamic Republic maintains that its defense power is driven by deterrence and poses no threat to any other country.


The sale of 11 Gordy's Market locations auctioned off Monday were approved Thursday by Chippewa County Judge James Isaacson.

Sold on Thursday were locations in Black River Falls, Osseo, Augusta, Whitehall, Shell Lake, Spencer, Rice Lake, and closed stores on Hamilton Avenue and Clairemont Avenue (near Shopko), both in Eau Claire, Hayward and at Chippewa Commons, the southside Chippewa Falls store.

James Sweet, a lawyer for members of the Schafer family, which ran Gordy's Market, said they and others are forming a separate company. The new company is negotiating to buy six stores, including downtown Chippewa Falls, Lake Wissota, Cornell, Ladysmith, Barron and Chetek.

The sale of Gordy's stores in Arcadia, Galesville and La Crosse is being held up to hear objections filed by grocer Quillins, and the objection of Hansen's IGA over the sale of a store in Neillsville. Judge Isaacson set a hearing at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27 to hear those objections.

Gordy's closed store in Stanley was not included in Thursday's discussions.

For more on the court hearing Thursday, check back with Chippewa.com or pick up a copy of Friday's Herald.
The brand new vehicles handed over to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) in 2016 on hire purchase by the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has been left to rot.



The vehicles, comprising 100 33-seater buses and 250 saloon cars, were to be used for commercial operations. However, investigations conducted by rainbowradioonline.com have revealed that the vehicles have been left to rot at a parking space within the premises of the International Conference Centre.



Parts of the brand new vehicles have started wearing out because theyve been left at the mercy of the weather. Some of the vehicles have rusted with tyres deflated.



Former President John Dramani who presented the vehicles to officials of the GPRTU, in 2016 said, "The scheme is yet another novelty of this government that will afford members of the GPRTU the opportunity to acquire on hire purchase, buses and saloon cars to renew their fleet in a manner that will not put undue constraints on their capital and cash flow."



He said the provision of the vehicles was consistent with the government's policy to expand opportunities to all and also ensure a firm foundation for socio-economic transformation through the provision of safe means of transport to the citizens of the country.



However, the novelty as the former president described it in 2016, has turned out be a waste of state resources because the vehicles have been abandoned more than a year after they were commissioned.



MASLOC, since its inception in 2006, has provided micro, small and group loans to individuals in many areas of endeavor of micro-enterprise such as food crops, agro-processing and marketing, livestock production and the poultry industry among others.



Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, had said the Centres long-term objective is to promote the emergence, development and growth of a sustainable and decentralized micro-financial sector with grassroots participation in ownership, management and control. A similar case was witnessed after some 150 turbo inter-coolers were abandoned at the institute of Local Government since 2000.



The $1.5 billion Galloper vehicles were imported in the year 2000 as part of an agreement between Government of Ghana and African Auto Mobile Limited for distribution to local assemblies.



The company sued government for 1.5 billion dollars in 2008 because the erstwhile Kufour administration refused to take delivery of these vehicles after the then Chief of Staff, Mr. Kojo Mpiani had said the vehicles did not meet the specifications and standards required.



A ruling by the Commercial Division of the Accra High Court, presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Torkornoo, tin her ruling said the company had no valid binding agreement with government. The case later went to the Supreme Court after the company made a number of appeals against the ruling which upheld the Accra High Court's ruling.



The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has been tasked to investigate the purchase of some 30 ambulances estimated at $2.4 million, under President John Dramani Mahamas administration.



The ministry of health referred the supposedly dubious deal to EOCO for investigation following revelations that there are no documents covering the transaction.



According to reports, the undocumented purchase of 30 out of 200 ambulances procured by the ministry of health and arrived in the country in 2016, did not meet specifications, compelling the ministry to suspend their purchase and distribution to government hospitals and the national Ambulance Service.



The current Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, told the media that during the transition period, it was noted that the ambulances were supplied but the ministry did not accept them because the specifications fell short of expectation.



It was obvious from Rainbow Radios investigations that some of the MASLOC brand new hire purchase vehicles purchased for the GPRTU, may have worn out totally but it would be proper for state officials to make ensure that the rest of the abandoned vehicles are put to use before they are go waste.

Source: rainbowradioonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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An application for the Stay of Execution filed by the Ghana Immigration Service in respect of an order to restore the work and residence permit of Mr Ashok Kumar Sivaram, an Indian businessman, has been thrown out by a High Court, in Accra.



Dismissing the application, the Court, presided over by Mrs Justice Naa Adoley Azu, held that Mr Sivran should be given a residence and work permit to enable him to defend his cases before the courts.



The Court explained that if the application was granted in favour of the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ministry of the Interior, it meant that he would be renewing his permits every three months.



Mr Sivaram would resort to a cycle, which would be repeating itself until his substantive issues were heard.



According to the Court, Mr Sivaram would also be at the mercy of the GIS whilst battling his case at the Court.



The Court also discounted the Attorney Generals claims that if the application for stay of execution was granted the writ of Mandamus would constitute immunity for Mr Sivaran and other prospective persons.



In the Courts view, a writ of Mandamus originally was directed at Statutory institution to do what they were supposed to do, adding that statutory institutions were not above the law.



It also held that the Court of Appeal had the power to order the High Court to reverse the order of Mandamus.



The Court discounted claims of the State that if the application was dismissed it would serve as a precedent, explaining that a precedent that the Court would hear the matter on its merits and also see the Judiciary as independent should be embraced by all.



According to the Court, no evidence was provided before it supporting the preposition that if the application was granted it would affect the security of the State.



The order of Mandamus was issued on business concerns and those concerns exist and are subject matter before the court. It is clear that Mr Sivaram would suffer undue hardship but the applicants would not suffer any negative effects if the application was granted.



Moving the application for the Stay of Execution, Ms Jasmine Armah, a Senior State Attorney, held that if the order of the Court was not stayed it would be a precedent for others to resort to the Court for the grant of visa for residence and work permit, an act which constituted a breach of an Act of Parliament.



Ms Armah explained that if the application was not granted it would amount to the interference of the work of the GIS as provided under the law.



In her view, Mr Sivaram had been untruthful and inconsistent with information relating to his family and his marital status.



Mr Gary Nimako Marfo, counsel for Mr Sivaram, intimated to the Court that if the application was granted it would mean that his client would be in the country illegally and conduct business illegally.



According to counsel for Mr Sivaram, even if the appeal filed by the State began at the Court of Appeal, his client ought to be in the country to defend his interest in the two matters before the Court.



The Counsel said the issuance of the Residence and work will not in any shape or form affect the appeal.



Mr Nimako Marfo earlier on withdrew his affidavit in opposition to the application for stay.



This was because the State asked for an adjournment to enable them to contact the GIS and Ministry of the Interior contained in the affidavit in opposition.



On September 18, this year a High Court in Accra ordered GIS to restore the Residence and Work Permit of Mr. Ashok Kumar Sivaran, the Indian businessman within seven days.



Granting an order of Mandamus filed by Mr Sivaran against the Service, the Court also ordered the GISs assigns, agents and servants to desist from harassing him until his application before the Service was duly processed.



On June 1, this year, the GIS following an order by the Interior Ministry, deported Mr Sivaram on the premise that he had forged his marriage certificate in an application for citizenship.



The Indian businessman, therefore, contested his deportation by filing a judicial review through an order of Certiorari.



Mr Justice Kweku Ackah-Boafo upheld the businessmans application and quashed his deportation order on July 31, this year, on the grounds that the Interior Ministry exceeded its jurisdiction.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, on Friday, swore-in a new Council and Board members for four separate institutions under the Ministry.



They are the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghanas Management Board, the Plant Protection Advisory Council, Veterinary Council of Ghana and the National Seed Council.



The Chairpersons for these institutions are Professor Ebenezer Owusu, the Presidents nominee for the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghanas Management Board, Prof. Kwame Afreh-Nuamah, for the Plant Protection Advisory Council, Dr William Fenteng Danso, the Veterinary Council of Ghana and Mr Josiah Wobil, for the National Seed Council.



The Minister urged the Members of the various Councils and Boards, to work hard to bring about a comprehensive improvement in Ghanas agricultural sector.



He underscored the important contribution of the Cocoa Sub-sector, which was considered as the nerve of the countrys economy, but said it was currently plagued with several challenges, including low yields and the current drastic fall in world market prices, where Ghana was losing about one billion dollars.



Dr Akoto said the inauguration of the Plant Protection Advisory Council, was very significant, narrating Ghanas ordeal and huge revenue losses since the European Union placed a ban on the importation of the countrys vegetables, for failure to follow acceptable international procedures.



The country, he said, after the ban, was given a year to reorganise things, but unfortunately failed again last year to pass the test required, but expressed trust in the expertise of the new Council in addressing the standing issues, and the numerous challenges that plagued the sector.



He cited challenges such as the shortage of human resource, poor attitudes of staff and the high level of corruption, saying that, the Plant Protection Directorate, being Ghanas biological police, must ensure that all food items met international standards, and also protect the countrys borders from the import of foreign organisms that could threaten food security.



The Minister said he had made a special appeal for the recruitment of veterinary surgeons and other professionals to ensure security of the quality of the countrys animal protein supply, and also to make the sector attractive for enhanced investment.



Government had set up a special committee to look into the current conflicts, involving Fulani herdsmen and was sure they would soon be resolved to bring about peace in the northern sector.



Mr Akoto said the National Seed Council was crucial to the success of the governments Planting for Food and Jobs, which was greatly dependent on improved seeds, and their availability to farmers, which was a current challenge and gave the assurance that government was committed to supporting every move that would sustain national growth and development.



Representatives of the various inaugurated Councils and Boards, thanked the government for the honour and confidence reposed in them, and pledged their commitment to work hard to meet their mandates.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Citi FM, Mr Samuel Attah-Mensah (Sammens) has described one Koku Amenyaglo as a twerp in a heated conversation which ensued between the two on Facebook.



Sammens who appeared to be furious over Amenyaglos attack on his personality following reports that he [Sammens] travelled to the USA as a member of the Ghanaian government delegation to the UN General Assembly in New York, hurled insults at Amenyaglo in defense.



Amenyaglo, however, appeared unperturbed as he continuously taunted Sammens in a manner which resulted in the media mogul barraging him with unprintable words.



Twerp. Youre a disgrace to your family. Even the father who gave birth to you has regretted. Fool. Nincompoop. Useless boy. What have done with your life? Youre pity. Fool, Sammens retorted as Amenyaglo replied errand boy.



You will eat from dust. You have bitten more than you can chew, you and your stupid sponsors. Even your father cant hold this. You hide behind social media and spew rubbish. Im not walk over. You havent seen the last of me, Sammens hit back.

Tweets below-

Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Police in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, have launched an inquiry into the death of a level 100 BA Geography and Rural Development student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).



Stephen Nana Agyei Manu was reportedly found lying in a prone position inside a female washroom in the CCB building on the campus of the university in the hot afternoon of Thursday with an empty bottle of Nopest insecticide.



Security officers of the university, who alerted the police, initially rushed the 20-year-old student to the KNUST Hospital for treatment after he was alleged to have taken in doses of the insecticide in a suicide mission.



The police said at about 3:00 pm Thursday they received information from the KNUST security officers that a student of the institution had attempted suicide by gulping down poisonous insecticide.



According to the law enforcement agents, crime scene officers dispatched to the place found the young man dead and later identified him as Stephen Nana Agyei Manu, who was pursuing a BA degree in Geography and Rural Development.



He was reportedly dressed in a pair of blue jeans trousers matched with white, blue and black shirt.



The police indicated that no marks were found on his body, which has since been deposited at the morgue of the KNUST Hospital.



Investigation is ongoing, whilst the cause of death has provisionally been put as insecticide poisoning, pending confirmation by the coroner during the inquest.







Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Presidential staffer, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe has alleged that controversial musician Kwame Asare Obeng popularly known as A-Plus is the original source of an audio recording on which a voice said to be that of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah is heard asking A Plus to manage a situation she was supposed to investigate.



The viral audio portrays that the police covered up corruption allegations for the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff, Messrs Francis Asenso-Boakye and Samuel Abu Jinapor, during the investigations.



The corruption allegations against the two Deputy Chiefs of Staff by A-Plus, has been revived following the leakage of the audio, said to be a telephone conversation between A-Plus and the senior police officer, who was involved in the investigations.



A Plus has maintained that he did not record, doctor or circulate the conversation and has even dared the police to prove that he did.



However, Mr Tagoe in a radio interview with Adom FM on Friday morning said A-Plus sent him the audio recording while he was with a presidential delegation at the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week.



He said he sought permission from A-Plus before fowarding the said audio to Sammy Awuku, and they both later pleaded with him [A-Plus] not to release the tape.



Mr Tagoe said, he was stunned when later A-Plus accused him of releasing the tape even after he pleaded that it should not be released.



He said later when he confronted A-Plus about the issue, the musician said he was told by a friend that he [Tagoe] shared the audio on a whatsapp platform.



Mr Tagoe has issued an ultimatum to A-Plus to reveal the names of the person who accused him of leaking the tape.



He said, he pleaded with A-Plus not to release the tape not because he wanted to cover-up for his bosses, deputy chiefs of staff, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye and Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor but felt it was an internal party issues.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Police in North Middleton Township are searching for a man wanted on charges of sexually assaulting a minor in Florida.

Investigators said John D. Madura, 38, of South Carolina, was in the area earlier this week, working for a vendor at the car show being held at the Carlisle Fairgrounds.

On Wednesday, Madura was assaulted by a co-worker and officers have not been able to reach him since, police said.

Madura was working for Bumper Boys, according to police.

Anyone with information about Madura is asked to contact police at 717-243-7910.
The weekend forecast for much of Pennsylvania calls for warm, sunny days and a fall chill at night.

In the Harrisburg region, there's a chance of rain overnight. But Saturday is expected to be mostly sunny with a high of about 66 and an overnight low of about 44.

Sunday is expected to be sunny with a high of about 67 and a low of 46 at night.

The first half of next week is expected to be pleasant and slightly warmer, with a high of about 76 expected on Wednesday.

The forecast for the Pittsburgh area is similar, although the high Saturday is expected to only reach the low-60s. Then it's expected to warm, with a high of about 79 predicted for Wednesday.

Philadelphia is expected to see partly sunny weather with a chance of showers on Saturday. Sunday is expected to be sunny with a high of about 70, followed by temperatures in the mid-70s during the first half of the week.

The taste of autumn thus weekend might be brief. The first half of October is expected
The apple-loving mini-Bigfoot known as the albatwitch will be celebrated with the annual Albatwitch Day Saturday, October 14, in Columbia, Lancaster County.

The creature, which seems more myth than mystery, has had its own annual celebration since 2014, complete with a legend.

According to Rick Fisher and Christopher Vera, organizers of the first Albatwitch Day, sightings of the albatwitch - reportedly a very slender, 4- to 5-foot-tall, ape-like creature covered in reddish-brown hair - date back 400 or 500 years to the Susquehannock Indians, who inhabited the area around Chickies Rock, near Columbia on the eastern shore of the Susquehanna.

While local lore attributes the name to the Susquehannocks, the creature's association with apples appears to be of more recent, more European vintage.

Fisher said the albatwitch gained that reputation in the late 1800s, when Chickies Rock was a popular picnic spot complete with a trolley that ran there from Columbia. Albatwitches would come out of the trees and steal apples from the picnickers, tossing the cores back at the people.

Sponsored by the Columbia Creative Factory and the Columbia Historic Preservation Society, the day will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and will feature an apple pie contest, zombie beauty contest, dungeon tours, trolley rides, programs by paranormal investigators and live music.

Performing music during the day will be Doomwatch 13, Kill the Dead and Stone Breath.

Paranormal programs will be presented by Ed Kelemen, co-author with M.A. Mogus of "Weird West Overton" and "The Haunted Foothills" about hauntings in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands; "Crypto Kid" Colin Schneider, 16-year-old host of the Crypto-Kid radio show; Ron Murphy, western Pennsylvania cryptozoologist, folklorist and paranormal investigator; and Tim Renner, author of "Bigfoot in Pennsylvania."

For more information, call 717-572-7149.

More about the albatwitch and other mysterious creatures of Pennsylvania:

Bigfoot, mountain lion, chupacabra and more reported by readers

Is Bigfoot in Pennsylvania? Sightings reported for more than 150 years

Pennsylvania's squonk is 'the homeliest animal in the world'

Dogman and werewolf sightings in Pennsylvania go back centuries

Pterodactyls, gargoyles and thunderbirds reported in Pa.

Giant snakes reported in Adams County and nearby

Giant white wolf reports in Pa. explained

Meet Pennsylvania's Loch Ness Monster, the Raystown Ray

Chupacabra sightings in Pennsylvania? There have been reports, believe it or not

Mountain lion reports in Pennsylvania popular, but often a hoax

UFO sightings in Pennsylvania abound

Have you seen something strange or out-of-the-ordinary? Share your report with Marcus Schneck at

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An attorney for Epic Systems argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday that the companys policy requiring employees to sign individual arbitration and confidentiality agreements does not violate those employees rights under federal law.
Naval officers are seen at CFB Esquimalt for HMCS Protecteur's paying-off ceremony in Esquimalt, B.C., on May 14, 2015. The Department of National Defence is blaming "fiscal restraints" for promising only two new naval resupply ships in the Trudeau government's new defence policy, even though navy officials say three are required. Resupply vessels are considered critical for conducting naval operations around the world. Not only do they carry supplies for naval task groups, but they also have medical and maintenance facilities on board. The Royal Canadian Navy has in fact been without any resupply ships since a fire on HMCS Protecteur and serious corrosion problems on HMCS Preserver forced the two vessels into early retirement in 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
A group of chimney swift chicks are shown in Komoka, Ont., in this recent handout photo. Four rescued chicks that tumbled from a chimney in Manitoba have been flown to Ontario to join a flock that will hopefully lead them south for the winter.The Manitoba government says the chimney swift chicks fell from a heritage building at the Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site in St. Andrews in August. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Swift Care Ontario
Government of Alberta staff measure a tranquilized grizzly bear's teeth as they assess his health in this recent handout photo. A grizzly bear that had residents in a southwest Calgary neighbourhood looking nervously over their shoulders for the past week has been captured by fish and wildlife officers. The bruin's arrival led to the closure of Griffith Woods Park after the bear was spotted by a jogger and four other residents of the area. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Government of Alberta *MANDATORY CREDIT*
As the harvest season begins hitting its peak, an investigation into a fatal explosion and fire at Didion Millings corn processing plant has revealed few details about the cause of the disaster.

The beginning of October will mark four months since the explosion and fire that killed five employees and injured 11 others, sending victims to hospitals across the region. Officials have yet to determine the cause of the explosion or comment on the potential for civil or criminal liability.

The investigation into the May 31 incident that leveled much of the sprawling facility has been a cross-discipline, multi-jurisdiction effort involving local authorities, the Wisconsin Department of Justices Division of Criminal Investigation, the State Fire Marshal and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Columbia County law enforcement and public safety authorities initially referred questions about the investigation to Cambria Fire Chief Cody Doucette, who also sits on the village of Cambria Board of Trustees. Doucette had said he expected to release an initial report 90 days after the date of the incident. As that date approached, state authorities took responsibility for the investigation.

In response to an Aug. 31 records request from the Portage Daily Register seeking additional information, State Fire Marshal Tina Virgil declined to release any details.

The public release of these records at this time could compromise the ability for the State Fire Marshals Office to obtain accurate and truthful information during interviews of potential witnesses and interfere with any follow-up investigation, Virgil wrote.

It is not clear how long the investigation may take.

Civil action

While investigators continue searching for the cause of the incident, those affected by it are preparing to take legal action.

About two weeks after the explosion, Milwaukee-based law firm Habush Habush & Rottier announced it had been retained by the family of Duelle Block, who had been killed in the explosion, and also retained by a woman who had been injured that night.

This was an accident that involved substantial injuries, death and multiple victims, and from what I can tell, involved other parties other than the management of the plant, said Madison attorney Michael Fox of Fox & Fox S.C., who is not involved in litigation related to the incident.

Fox said he would expect the investigation to continue at least a couple months before seeing a determination. If there were some contractors, for example, they may have had some involvement designing the features of this particular plant and that if that design contributed to the accident, OSHA wants to know those things as well, he said.

Fox said a majority of any potential civil case would be built outside of the official investigation.

For an individual attorney such as myself, we are not waiting on pins and needles for the results of an investigation, Fox said. A lot of times, the information that the government gets in its investigation is not nearly as comprehensive as what we get in our individual investigation. Once we begin representing someone, we have our own investigators and then potentially once a lawsuit is filed, we can use additional discovery devices, such as compelling testimony from individuals who may not be available to us unless a lawsuit is filed.

Representatives from OSHA would not answer questions about the investigation or offer a timeline for its work.

In the course of the investigation, the answer may not be as simple as whether or not the companys management is responsible for what happened, Fox said. In a high-risk environment such as a corn mill, a particular concern is finding a source of ignition, which could come from a variety of sources.

Is it just an employees fault, is it nobodys fault, is it the fault of the designer of the machinery or the situation that gave rise to that? Fox said. Sometimes people overly focus on these government agencies and, for example, when I sometimes do police shooting cases, typically every agency clears the individual officer and we usually end up developing 10 times the information that the government develops to reach its conclusion.
People walk past a graffiti of a Gracia neighborhood pro-independence youth organization in Barcelona Saturday, Sept. 30 2017. Catalonia's planned referendum on secession is due to be held Sunday by the pro-independence Catalan government but Spain's government calls the vote illegal, since it violates the constitution, and the country's Constitutional Court has ordered it suspended. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)
Polk County, Ga. law enforcement officials look for a suspect involved in a shooting that killed a police officer and injured another, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, in Cedartown, Ga. The suspect, Seth Brandon Spangler, was taken into custody. He faces murder and aggravated assault charges. (Kevin Myrick/Polk County Standard Journal via AP)
Pro independence supporters play their drums with banner reading, ''Long life working class'', while they walk through the old city in support of the Catalonia's secession referendum, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017. Catalonia's defiant regional government is pressing ahead with a ballot on seceding from Spain. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
State Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Daniel Zimmerman wrote a letter to the editor of his hometown newspaper defending Confederate statues.

In the letter, published Aug. 31 in the Ripon Commonwealth Press, Zimmerman chastised black-hooded, bandana-clad thugs who call themselves anti-fascists for trying to sanitize our history by calling for the removal of monuments and statues of Confederate figures.

Blacks and whites who were never slaves are fighting whites and others who were never Nazis over statues, monuments and places honoring prominent American historical figures that have been around for two centuries with little concern, Zimmerman wrote.

DVA spokeswoman Carla Vigue confirmed that Zimmerman wrote the letter and said, His message was intended to encourage us to reject hateful ideologies and find commonalities that unite us all.

Zimmerman was appointed by Gov. Scott Walker Feb. 2. He is a retired Army officer and was the leader of an effort to build a National Republican Party History Museum in Ripon, which is known as the birthplace of the Republican party.

The letter was printed about three weeks after the protests and counter-protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, of the citys plan to remove a statue of Confederate Army Gen. Robert E. Lee. One person died and more than a dozen were injured when the driver of a car deliberately plowed into counter-protesters.

The protests gained national attention amid activists calls around the country for the removal of Confederate statues and monuments.

Many of the monuments were erected decades after the Civil War, from 1900 and well into the 1920s, while racist policies made segregation the law, or in the 1950s and 1960s, during the civil rights movement, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Zimmerman quoted Harvard College philosopher George Santayana, who said: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Zimmerman said the phrase, which is inscribed at the Auschwitz death camp from the Holocaust, would be too controversial at an American site.

As Americans, we need to etch those words in our psyches because if we dare place such common sense on a monument as a reminder, surely someone will find it offensive, Zimmerman wrote.

Zimmerman wrote that social justice warriors are intimidating others to impose their ideology on America.

He also wrote that Civil War monuments are symbols that remind us of the past perils caused by indoctrination and intimidation.

Scot Ross, executive director of liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, called Zimmermans views indefensible and said he should be removed from office.

Ross criticized a culture of intolerance in Gov. Scott Walkers administration, pointing to Walkers response to President Donald Trumps claim that blame lay with multiple sides at the Charlottesville protests.

Gov. Walker refused point blank to condemn Donald Trumps many sides declaration after Charlottesville when asked by the Wisconsin media and in doing so provided an apparent safe space for members of his team to publicly declare similar abhorrent views, Ross said.

Walkers office did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.

In the weeks after the Charlottesville protest, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin ordered the removal of a Confederate monument at the Forest Hill Cemeterys Confederate Rest section that described the 140 people buried there as valiant Confederate soldiers and unsung heroes. The fate of another monument is being decided by the City Council.

The monument that was removed was installed in 1981, and the other was placed around 1931.

Soglin called the older memorial a historical lie.

The Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery died at Camp Randall as prisoners of war.

Zimmerman replaced former-Secretary John Scocos, who resigned in January after months of controversy surrounding the care for residents at the veterans nursing home in King.
Black Lives Matter is a social movement and therefore can't be sued, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

A Baton Rouge police officer anonymously sued Black Lives Matter and DeRay Mckesson, a prominent activist in the movement, after being injured by a rock thrown during a protest over a deadly police shooting in Baton Rouge last year.

But U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson dismissed the officer's suit and ruled that Black Lives Matter is not an entity capable of being sued, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The judge also concluded that the officer's own claims demonstrated that Mckesson "solely engaged in protected speech" at the July 9, 2016, demonstration, which followed the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling.

The lawsuit dismissed Thursday didn't accuse Mckesson of throwing the rock that injured the officer's jaw and teeth, but it claimed he "incited the violence" and "was in charge of the protest," and that he was seen and heard giving orders.
The man with the knife turned toward the two police officers, shouting Kill me. Kill me. Youre going to have to kill me.

He could have charged at them or thrown the knife. But they were trying to save his life while also saving their own and did not fire their guns.

After running across a busy San Fernando Valley street and attempting to scale a wall, the man crossed the street again. Officer Heather Monroe shot him with a Taser and he dropped the knife.

Monroe and her partner Officer Joel Trask were among 27 officers who received awards for bravery, restraint or being wounded in the line of duty.

Monroes father, Greg, accepted her Preservation of Life award. She died in an off-duty car accident on New Years Day at age 30, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. Low 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
COLUMBIA  Top SCANA and Santee Cooper officials knew in early 2014 that engineering snafus had caused costly setbacks and overruns at the V.C. Summer nuclear plant  three years before they pulled the plug on the $9 billion project.

"Your unexcused delays will cause our project costs to increase greatly," SCANA CEO Kevin Marsh and Santee Cooper CEO Lonnie Carter wrote in a May 6, 2014 letter to leaders of Westinghouse and Chicago Bridge and Iron, their contractors.

Obtained by The Post and Courier through the Governor's office, the previously undisclosed letter adds to a growing body of evidence that SCANA and Santee Cooper had longstanding concerns about the progress of the project  concerns they kept to themselves while painting a much more positive picture to state regulators and the media.

SCANA and Santee Cooper complain about reactor designs in 2014 SCANA CEO Kevin Marsh and Santee Cooper CEO Lonnie Carter sent a letter to the leaders of Westinghouse and Chicago Bridge and Iron in May 2014

SCANA did not respond to requests for comment, and Westinghouse declined to comment.

But officials with Santee Cooper said the public utility started pushing for changes at the construction site following the letter.

"We had concerns about the project in 2014," said Molly Gore, Santee Cooper's communications manager, "and based on those concerns pushed for an independent project analysis and changes to our contract with Westinghouse."

The sharply worded letter comes amid state and federal investigations into the failed project and a growing number of lawsuits filed by investors and electric customers.

It also raises more questions about SCANA's oversight of the ambitious energy project as the Cayce-based utility attempts to charge customers roughly $4 billion for money spent on steel, concrete and labor over the past decade.

Attorney General Alan Wilson seeks role in failed nuclear project rate case COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  South Carolina's top prosecutor on Friday told state regulators he wants to take part in a case that will determine whether a utility company can continue to bill customers for a failed multibillion dollar nuclear project, a move that comes amid ongoing state and federal investigations into the debacle. Attorney General Alan Wilson petitioned for status as an intervenor in the case before the Public Service Commission over whether South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. can continue to charge its customers for the scuttled V.C. Summer project. Wilson called it his sworn duty to "seek to protect the rights" of South Carolina citizens, including SCE&G's more than 700,000 ratepayers. But he also wrote that he hadn't yet made up his mind on the issue. Costs associated with the abandoned project currently account for 18 percent of SCE&G customers' bills. The Office of Regulatory Staff - the state agency that represents the public interest in utility cases - has asked state regulators to force SCE&G to stop billing customers for the failure. - By Meg Kinnard, Associated Press

"It is just more proof, concrete proof, that these guys knew this project was in bad shape," said Rep. Russell Ott, a St. Matthews Democrat and vice chair of a special legislative committee investigating the nuclear cancellation. "It's a shame we had to go this far and spend this much money to get to this point."

SCE&G, owned by SCANA, is collecting $37 million per month, or a nearly a half-billion dollars per year from its customers to pay for the failed project. About 18 percent of each customers monthly bill goes toward the debt.

Santee Cooper raised its customers monthly bills twice since 2014, including the rates of many electric cooperatives.

The utilities' letter was 14 pages long. "We regret that this letter is necessary and regret its length," it said. "Your poor performance has made both necessary. A complete description of our grievances would make this letter even longer ... We selected these examples to illustrate our dissatisfaction. They are not an exhaustive listing of your every shortcoming."

The letter showed that SCANA and Santee Cooper identified serious problems with Westinghouse's designs more than a year before they commissioned Bechtel to do an independent audit. Bechtel went on to say the drawings were "often not constructible."

According to the letter, Westinghouse's failure to produce usable blueprints on time started in May 2012, less than a month after workers began pouring concrete and erecting steel at V.C. Summer.

That was the same month Westinghouse's attorneys drafted a legal opinion at SCANA's request arguing South Carolina's professional engineering law didn't apply to the construction of the two nuclear reactors. That set the stage for the use of unlicensed engineers, an issue that The Post and Courier showed contributed to numerous design flaws and costly delays.

But in the years that followed, SCANA and Santee Cooper officials put on a public face that gave little hint to the behind-the-scenes turmoil. They continually reassured lawmakers, regulators and the public that the project was in the best interest of the state. They increased the overall budget by billions of dollars. And they collected billions more from their customers to cover financing costs for the yet-untested reactors.

The letter also highlights the caustic business relationships and incessant infighting that emerged by 2014 between the utilities, Westinghouse and CB&I, which would soon leave the project.

Changes to the executive boards of CB&I and Westinghouse resulted in an attitude change, the utility leaders argued. The contractors seemed "intent on taking advantage" of SCANA's and Santee Cooper's "cooperative nature," Carter and Marsh complained.

Westinghouse and CB&I constantly shifted deadlines and altered schedules, the letter shows.

In early 2011, Westinghouse reportedly told SCANA and Santee Cooper that 95 percent of the construction blueprints were complete and reported progress on the other 5 percent.

But by the time Marsh and Carter wrote their letter, the Pennsylvania-based company revised that number. Only 88 percent of those drawings were ready for thousands of ironworkers, electricians and pipefitters assembled in South Carolina, Westinghouse said.

Two years into construction, the letter suggests the trust between the companies had disintegrated.

"As a result of these events, our frustrations continue to mount," Marsh and Carter wrote. "You have made promise after promise, but fulfilled few of them."

It took Westinghouse's bankruptcy to finally convince the companies to halt construction on one of the first new nuclear reactor projects in the country in 30 years.
ALBERT LEA  Questions abound as a financial health care expert prepares to conduct a feasibility study of Mayo Clinic's Albert Lea hospital, but it appears some health care providers are circling the area, intrigued by the idea of adding the city to their coverage area.

Albert Lea City Manager Chad Adams said at Monday's city council meeting that at least three non-Mayo organizations have expressed an interest in providing health care services for the Albert Lea area since informational discussions began in June. Save Our Hospital representative Craig Ludtke, chairman of the group's second provider subcommittee, previously told the Post Bulletin at least three non-Mayo organizations he's met with are "very interested" in either acquiring or operating the campus.

Adams and Ludtke both declined to identify the interested parties by name, but it adds a new layer of intrigue to what's become a contentious public dialogue between a community and its health care provider.

The specter of a new provider comes as Mayo begins a consolidation process at its merged Albert Lea and Austin campus. Albert Lea's ICU officially will be moved to Austin by Monday, while inpatient surgeries and baby delivery are slated to move in January 2018 and late 2019, respectively.

Mayo frequently has renewed its commitment to the hospital, while rejecting requests to sell the campus since its June 12 announcement of consolidation. Spokeswoman Ginger Plumbo confirmed that stance again on Wednesday.

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"Our goal has always been to keep the hospital in Albert Lea strong and viable for current and future generations and to deliver safe, high-quality care to all our patients," Plumbo said via email.

However, the Albert Lea City Council, Freeborn County Board and Save Our Hospital group all have pledged at least $35,000 to pay for a feasibility study of the Albert Lea hospital. Adams said an expert was selected Thursday and contract details are currently being finalized.

Ludtke, an Albert Lea business owner with 40 years of experience in risk management, says he's spent months pouring over tax documents from more than 40 similarly sized Midwest hospitals to Albert Lea. Based on those comparisons and feedback from other regional providers, he's optimistic about what the feasibility study will reveal.

"Almost to a person, the other providers we've talked to can't understand how we're in this predicament," Ludtke said. "Rural populations under 10,000 are places that are being challenged today. We're a city of 18,000 serving an area of 55,000.

"Most of these people tell us, categorically, they would be making money in this environment."

If the study confirms Ludtke's preliminary analysis, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson has pledged her assistance "to research and provide information about legally permissible financing options" in a Sept. 11 letter to city and county officials.

While they await the findings, Jerry Collins, chairman of Save Our Hospital's political subcommittee, said many community members already are "done" with Mayo.

"There's a large percentage of people in Albert Lea and Freeborn County, plus northern (Iowa), who are done with Mayo Clinic," Collins said. "We love and adore Rochester Mayo, The Mayo Clinic, and we're proud to have that in our backyard. However, Mayo Clinic does not know  how to deliver high-quality rural health care."

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"We've exhausted our options in working with them. Come Oct. 1, I think you'll see us move forward with an alternate provider."

Mayo's losses match national trend

Mayo officials have claimed losses accelerated to $8 million in 2016 at the merged campuses of Austin and Albert Lea, which they say also is facing critical staffing shortages and patient declines of 50 percent during the last decade. Additionally, Mayo Clinic Health System lost money last year for the first time in its 25-year existence, according to Mayo Clinic Vice President and MCHS leader Bobbie Gostout.

Those losses fit the financial trend of rural hospitals across the country, a third of which have been deemed "vulnerable" to closure by the National Rural Health Association.

Mayo declined to answer specific financial questions about Albert Lea's recent tax returns or to provide financial data that would add context to Gostout's statement about MCHS losses. Mayo also received a six-month filing extension from the IRS for its 2016 taxes, which is routine; its 990 form is now due by Nov. 15.

"Several different versions of what the audit might entail have been circulated, but it is unclear at this point who is leading this effort and under what authority a private citizens group may be spending taxpayers dollars," Plumbo said via email. "We have not been contacted by a private auditor and cannot speculate at this point what might be requested or what Mayo's response would be."

Mayo conducted its own 18-month internal study before announcing consolidation plans on June 12. Details haven't been made public.

Debating profits and losses

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Ludtke's three biggest points of "consternation" from Mayo's public tax documents for Albert Lea and Austin are significant increases in the pension plan, office expenses and what are categorized as medical supplies and other expenses.

Those three line items went up by about $32 million from 2014 to 2015, headlined by a 107 percent increase in pension costs.

On the flip side, Mayo's revenue and net profits appear to be solid since consolidating its Albert Lea and Austin campuses four years ago. The merged campuses brought in $278.3 million in 2013, and that had increased to $313.5 million by 2015  an increase of nearly 13 percent. The net profits during that time are nearly $20 million, according to Mayo's tax documents.

However, Mayo officials argue its operations actually are losing money because donations and investment income shouldn't be relied upon to fund operations. That has prompted criticism from some Freeborn County residents.

Independent health care analyst Allan Baumgarten, who is based in Minneapolis, walked a fine line in evaluating the merits of that financial argument.

"It's a reasonable position (for Mayo) to take, but I think it's also reasonable to say you should consider the entire picture, which includes these other sources of income," Baumgarten said. "I guess I'm saying in sort of an unsatisfying way that they're both right.

"How you describe your financial position often depends on what industry you're in, and whether you're a not-for-profit or a for-profit organization."

The entire Mayo system, which is a not-for-profit entity, has posted operating margins of at least 4.3 percent since 2009, resulting in annual profits of between $400 million and $800 million.

Those numbers are well above the 3.4 percent median operating margin for all not-for-profit hospitals in 2015, according to Middy's Investors Service.

However, Ira Moscovice  director of the Rural Health Research Center and a distinguished professor in the division of health policy and management at the University of Minnesota  preaches caution before running too far with those numbers in Albert Lea. He says rural hospitals fall well below Moody's numbers.

"Many rural hospitals would be quite happy to have a 3 to 5 percent operating margin  because many are negative," Moscovice said. "It's a problem, quite frankly. It's one reason why rural hospitals join a system like Mayo's."
Health experts agree that solving Minnesota's rural health care problems is not going to be easy.

"There is no silver bullet that is going to make things perfect," said Steve Gottwalt, executive director of the Minnesota Rural Health Association.

There is no shortage of challenges rural health care providers must face. Populations in rural areas tend to be older, sicker and lower-income. Hospital admissions and lengths of stay have continued to drop. In addition, these rural hospitals continue to struggle when it comes to recruiting staff.

Lawmakers are going to face some tough choices when it comes to the future of rural health care, Gottwalt said. They either can boost funding for rural hospitals to help keep the current system in place. Otherwise, legislators must realize there will need to be a change in the way care is delivered in rural areas because it's no longer sustainable.

"As a society, we seem through policy to be saying we want to reduce costs, we want to pay for health and pay for value, and that is kind of a euphemism for we want to pay less and get as much or better, and it becomes difficult," Gottwalt said.

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One way lawmakers can help is to increase support for the 78 critical-access hospitals in the state, Gottwalt said. These are hospitals that have less than 25 beds and are more than 35 miles from another hospital. But plenty of hospitals don't make that list. For example, Mayo Clinic Health System's Albert Lea and Austin hospitals aren't critical-access hospitals. The clinic is in the midst of moving most inpatient services from its Albert Lea campus to its Austin location.

Investing in workforce

Recruiting and retaining health care workers in rural Minnesota remains a major challenge. While half of Minnesotans live in rural areas, only one-sixth of the state's doctors practice there, according to the Minnesota Rural Health Association.

Doug Parks, chief administrative officer for Mayo Clinic Health System's southeast Minnesota region, said the clinic is eager to work with state lawmakers to try to address the state's health care worker shortage.

"It's just an extremely competitive environment where doctors are entering the workforce sometimes with up to 100 job offers, and we cannot recruit enough providers to fully staff the hospitals we have in some of these communities," Parks said.

He said Mayo Clinic would like to see lawmakers increase the number of rural residency training slots for primary and specialty care, including general surgery and ob/gyn. He also would like to see the state increase funding for loan forgiveness programs for doctors that agree to practice in rural areas.

Mark Schoenbaum, director of Minnesota's Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, agrees Minnesota needs to do all it can to encourage health care workers to practice in rural areas. Minnesota has spent $3.2 million in loan forgiveness for between 300 to 400 health care professionals.

"A high percentage of them  80 to 90 percent  stay in the same or similar setting once their three- or four-year obligation is completed. Those first job experiences have a lasting impact," Schoenbaum said.

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But some lawmakers are wary of boosting loan forgiveness money without having more data to prove these individuals will stay in rural areas.

"I am going to be metrics driven on any loan forgiveness program if we are going to make changes," said Sen. Michelle Benson, chairwoman of the Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee.

Embracing technology

Another way to overcome the workforce shortage while ensuring patients have access to quality health care is making better use of technology. Benson said she supports efforts to help expand the use of telemedicine in Minnesota. In 2015, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill requiring telemedicine appointments be reimbursed at the same rate as in-person visits.

Parks agrees it is important to have policies that support these latest technological advances.

"A lot of what we do in health care is about delivering knowledge and expertise to the area it's needed. Having policies that support that care delivery model is incredibly important," he said.

Health care spending

Another concern is how proposed cuts to Medicaid and MinnesotaCare programs for low-income individuals could impact rural hospitals. Rochester Rep. Tina Liebling is the lead Democrat on the House Health and Human Services Reform Committee. She said she is deeply concerned about the Trump Administration's decision to cut MinnesotaCare funding by $369 million as a consequence of the state getting a waiver for its reinsurance program.

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"What we're looking at is more uncompensated care for rural hospitals," she said.

Liebling fears the MinnesotaCare situation only will get worse. Lawmakers decided to tap into the fund that helps pay for MinnesotaCare and use it for other things. In addition, the tax on health care providers that helps pay for MinnesotaCare is set to expire in 2019.

"One thing we should not do is undermine MinnesotaCare, and that's exactly what Republicans have been doing," Liebling said.

When it comes to funding, Schoenbaum said it is important to make investments that will help make people living in rural communities healthier. That can include supporting public health department initiatives and simple things such as making sure residents have access to sidewalks and dial-a-ride services.

Getting creative

Solving the rural health care challenge also is going to require some creativity, Schoenbaum said. That means looking at other ways to help deliver quality service to residents. He said that could include having community paramedics provide some basic primary-care services to residents in small towns.

"They are genuine medical professionals, and in rural areas, run volume is going to be lower. There may be room for them to do other stuff, which can take some pressure off primary care. At the same time, it may bring in some revenue for that ambulance service," he said.

While the odds may seem daunting, Schoenbaum said he remains optimistic about the future of rural health care.

"The rural health care system will always be fragile to a certain extent," he said. "It takes continued attention, creativity, new ways of doing things, money (and people)."
Iowa is one of a number of states where most voters have concluded that the Democrats have nothing to offer, and have fled to the GOP. The Associated Press is a Democratic Party news source, butto paraphrase Dwight Yoakumthe AP may be slow, but it aint blind. Thus tomorrows headline: Dems in Iowa wilderness struggle for power in Trump era.

In less than a decade, Iowa Democrats have withered, from in-charge to almost irrelevant. After sending progressive Tom Harkin to the Senate for 30 years and twice delivering the state for Barack Obama, Democrats are powerless in the House, Senate and statehouse, and remain stunned by President Donald Trumps solid Iowa victory last year.

***

Theres a prescription for getting them back, former Iowa Democratic Party executive director Norm Sterzenbach said of rural and working-class white voters. We just need someone who can talk to them.

Let that sink in for a moment. The Democrats dont have politicians who can talk to voters in their own state. That seems like a fundamental problem.

On the eve of the 2010 midterm elections, Democrats controlled both state legislative chambers and had occupied the governors office for 12 years. The party held three of five House seats, while Harkin was Obamas right hand in the push for the health care law. But economic blowback from a national financial collapse, a poorly handled state budget crisis and the widespread revolt by grassroots conservatives against the Affordable Care Act created an angry backlash in 2010 against Democrats, especially in Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio.

2010, the year of the Tea Party, was bad for Democrats across the country. But Obama wasnt done pushing voters toward the GOP.

Iowa was also undergoing a rapid, politically consequential demographic shift. Iowa ranks in the top 10 of states with the highest population of whites and in the top 15 of those 65 years and older. According to U.S. Census data, both groups  two pillars of Trumps win statewide and nationally  increased simultaneously after 2010 and became a bigger percentage of Iowas electorate.

The percentage of whites in Iowa increased after 2010? I dont think so. What did happen is that white voters grew increasingly tired of the Democrats endless yammering about white privilege, an idiotic concept that the Dems cant possibly sell to an Iowa farmer or implement dealer.

Especially stark has been the decline of rural Democrats.  The last rural Democrat to hold statewide office was Gov. Tom Vilsack, elected in 1998. Thats been kind of a sea change, said Doug Gross, a moderate Des Moines Republican and former nominee for governor. Its difficult to go into the rural areas of Iowa and find anyone who will admit to being a Democrat.

That tells you something, doesnt it? And Iowa is not alone. There are hardly any rural Democrats anywhere. My own state, Minnesota, is a few years behind Iowa. But in rural Minnesota, too, you would have to search assiduously to find someone who will admit to being a Democrat after the fiasco of the Obama administration. In another four years, maybe six, Minnesota will be, like Iowa, a red state.
It is an article of faith among liberals that Russian meddling in the 2016 electionthe word that is always usedwas of world-historical significance. But what exactly the Russians did has been murky. Maybe they spearphished the DNCs email account and tried unsuccessfully to spearphish the RNCs account, although Julian Assangewho should know, but is an unreliable witnessapparently denies that claim.

Beyond that, the Russians are accused of publishing anti-Hillary stories on the RT.com web site and planting fake news on Facebook and Twitter. That part of the story is becoming a little clearer, as Facebook has now disclosed to Congress 470 accounts that have been traced back to Russian origins. It turns out that the Russians were trying to stir up race hatred by supporting Black Lives Matter through an account called Blacktivist.

Unlike most of what has been attributed to the Russians, Blacktivist was rather important: its Facebook account had 360,000 likes, compared with the verified Black Lives Matter account which currently has 301,000. Blacktivist peddled the same kind of race hatred as Black Lives Matter. Stuff like this:

And this:

And this:

Blacktivist promoted seven rallies and demonstrations during 2016. This Blacktivist poster idealizes the Black Panthers, who made a resurgence of sorts under the Obama administration:

Russian Facebook accounts also endorsed the presidential candidacy of the far-left Jill Stein. But the Russians apparently are fans of diversity. Bogus Russian Facebook accounts also included stuff like this, done in the name of a fictitious group called Secured Borders:

While it seems that the largest volume of Russian meddling was on behalf of Black Lives Matter and its philosophy, it is reasonable to assume that Putins minions wanted to stir up hatred and distrust among Americans generally, as opposed to favoring a particular candidate or party. With hindsight, they probably neednt have bothered: the Democratic Party, with vastly more money and influence than a sub rosa Russian intelligence operation could possibly muster, was doing everything possible to stoke racial conflict and disunity.
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Udaipur. " Sardar Bhagat Singh and his fellow comrades were opposing Trades Disputes Bill and Public Safety Bill while they hurled bombs in the assembly. Unfortunately the union and state governments in India are executing the very same provisions which were in those notorious bills in the name of labour reforms and containing internal disturbances." This was said by Prof. H.S. Chandalia who was speaking as key note speaker in a meeting organized to observe the 110th birth anniversary of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on 28th September, 2017. The meeting was organized by Loktantrik Adhikar evam Sadbhavna Manch. Prof. Chandalia said that the Public Safety Act was passed in 1978 and is used even now under which hundreds of people have been arrested in recent times. Under this Act any body can be arrested and held in custody without trial for three months initially and this period can be extended up to one year. In many cases this rolls on . once somebody gets released by the court order , after release he is arrested again. The second bill was Trades Disputes Bill which banned all kind of Trade Union Activity particularly strikes. Similar provisions are in force in Rajasthan in the name of labour reforms and are to be enacted as a law in the winter session of the parliament. Such anti people laws were being opposed by Bhagat Singh. The time has come to organize people to resist such draconian laws which are being executed in free India. Addressing the meeting Prof. Sudha Chaudhary said that Sardar Bhagat Singh was opposed to the varnashram System which is being strengthened by the BJP led government and its front organizations. She said that communalism, patriarchy and capitalism are the the real challenges before Indian society and these can be overcome by the ideology of Bhagat Singh. The meeting began with a revolutionary song by poet Habib Anuraagi . In the beginning Advocate Rajesh Singhvi, former member of the board of councilors of Municipal Council related the major events of Bhagat Singh's life and his struggle. He said that Bhagat Singh had a vision which most of the leaders of freedom movement lacked. Comrade Shanker Lal Chaudhary, member of the state committee of CPI(ML) said that Bhagat Singh was a rationalist and did not believe in dogmatic religion. He was of the view that freedom would have no meaning if the labourers, peasants and common people did not get justice. CPI(M) leader Rajendra Vasita, AICTU district secretary Saurabh Naruka, Research scholar Sushil Yati, teacher Feroz , district secretary of Democratic Youth Federation of India Lalit Meena,Ashok Kumar, etc. addressed the meeting. Well known poet and social activist Abid Adeeb chaired the programm
ATLANTIC CITY  Students who enroll at Atlantic Cape Community College will have a clear pathway to a four-year degree from Stockton University with a new partnership between the two post-secondary institutions.

Stockton always has accepted transfer students from Atlantic Cape, but the partnership will make the transition easier to transfer credits, waive fees and offer scholarship opportunities.

This fall, nearly 900 students entered Stockton as transfer students. Of them, 20 percent came from Atlantic Cape.

Outside of Atlantic Capes Charles D. Worthington campus Friday, Stockton President Harvey Kesselman joined Atlantic Cape President Barbara Gaba to announce the Stockton University at Atlantic Cape program.

Margate school named national Blue Ribbon School MARGATE  The Eugene Tighe Middle School was one of nine New Jersey schools the U.S. Departm

We want to provide every student who wants it the opportunity to earn a four-year college degree, Kesselman said. This agreement will make it easier and more affordable for local students to continue their education, especially as we open our new Atlantic City campus in the fall of 2018.

The program enhances existing agreements between the two-year and four-year schools, college officials said.

It will provide a cost-effective means for them to get their degree and prepare for the workforce, Gaba said.

Students who join the program and earn their associate degree at Atlantic Cape may enter Stockton as fully matriculated juniors with any application fees to Stockton waived.

Those students who apply to Stockton but are not admitted may attend Atlantic Cape for their associate degree and then transfer.

Chromebooks help move classrooms from paper to platform PLEASANTVILLE  Iris Ruiz, of Pleasantville, has a daughter in middle school and a son in hi

The agreement includes a reverse transfer program, in which students who transfer to Stockton from Atlantic Cape before completing their associate degree may apply credits earned at Stockton toward an associate from Atlantic Cape.

Five $2,000 scholarships will be available to the top-performing students in the program each year.

Stockton at Atlantic Cape students will be eligible for housing at Stockton, too.

Signing the agreement in Atlantic City was important for both institutions, especially as Stockton is preparing to open up its new city campus, with 533 beds, next year.

We both have deep roots in Atlantic City, Gaba said.

Kesselman called Friday a historic day.

This was a labor of love from the very beginning, he said of the agreement. We believe in the city.

Stockton invites students to StockHack computer science contest GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  Stockton University is looking for college and high school students to e

Kesselman said the agreement was a good opportunity for students to gain an affordable education. He said while the two colleges have had agreements in the past, none has been like this.

More information about the program is at atlantic.edu/suac.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  Stockton University is looking for college and high school students to enter StockHack, a 24-hour annual technology innovation event in November.

StockHack is an event in which participants learn by experimenting with interface design and software engineering challenges. The events themes are innovation and design. The grand prize will go to the most innovative original project developed during the event.

The top projects will be selected for presentation, followed by the awards and closing ceremony. Last year, more than 50 students participated. Winners included teams from Stockton, Egg Harbor Township High School and Drexel University.

StockHack emphasizes the importance of integrating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) into a liberal arts and science curriculum.

 Press staff reports
ATLANTIC CITY  Health experts toured a new medical and multipurpose center in the city last week they hope will serve older residents health and social needs.

AtlantiCare LIFE Connection center will be the newest Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, in New Jersey. It will serve Atlantic and Cape May county residents who need medical care and other services and want to delay or avoid moving into nursing homes or long-term care facilities.

PACE is a federally funded, state-administered program for Medicare- and Medicaid-eligible seniors 55 and older who require a nursing-home level of care, but want to and are able to independently live safely in their communities.

AtlantiCares new center, based in the William L. Gormley AtlantiCare HealthPlex, becomes the states sixth PACE location. Inspira Health Network opened its LIFE Center for residents in Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties in 2011.

The center helps us connect with older adults and help them get the most out of life in their last years of life, said Dr. Richard Stefanacci, AtlantiCare program medical director. Rose (a PACE participant) passed away at 92, not in a hospital or nursing home, but at her home. She was able to celebrate the last two years of her life with loved ones and with a purpose.

What makes PACE centers different from community senior centers is that all services, including primary care, dental, prescribing, activities, nutrition care, transportation and personal care at home, are coordinated by a team of experts and paid for by Medicare and Medicaid.

Paul Sullivan, New Jersey PACE coordinator at the Department of Human Services, said about 1,000 older residents are currently served by the program, which came to New Jersey in 2009. The PACE model originally developed in San Francisco in the 1970s and was adopted by Medicare in 1997.

I live in Brigantine and Ive already been recruiting families and Im looking forward to having them here, said Lori Herndon, AtlantiCare president and CEO. Nothing is worse than knowing your loved one isnt where they should be.

Herndon said AtlantiCare officials had been talking about bringing a program like PACE to Atlantic City since 2009, and it took nearly seven years to secure funding and approval. The center contains medical exam rooms, a multipurpose room, a courtyard, quiet rooms and other spaces.

Planning and construction was completed in 18 months and staff currently are reviewing eligible participants. Officials said they hope to have residents using the center by Nov. 1 and expect the program to serve as many as 160 participants at a time.

Jill Viggiano, director of Inspiras LIFE center, said one of the biggest ways the program has been successful is by providing a one-stop shop for families and their loved ones in coordinating care and services among Medicare, Medicaid, insurance, prescriptions and more.

Viggiano said she and other program experts also noticed a decrease in ER visits and hospitalizations among PACE participants. In the 12 months prior to the program, one patient had 24 ER visits, which was reduced to four in the first year the patient was enrolled in PACE.

Since the program cares for older seniors in the last years of their lives, many have been able to die at their homes surrounded by loved ones, instead of in hospitals, she said.

Its really become a tremendous support for family trying to keep loved ones in the community, and it also benefits the individual participants as it leads to an improvement in their quality of life, Viggiano said.
CAMDEN  A Millville man has been charged with threatening to assault and murder a New Jersey congressman and his political staff, acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick said Friday.

Joseph Brodie, 38, is charged by federal criminal complaint with one count of threatening to assault a U.S. official, but the name of the House member was withheld.

Documents filed in the case say Brodie made threats by phone and email Sept. 15 and 19.

State Police from the Port Norris Station went to Brodies home Sept. 20 after someone called to ask for a well-being check.

Troopers found Brodie trying to hide in a home trailer before fleeing out the front door with an assault rifle, which he tried to fire, the criminal complaint said.

During a search of his home, troopers seized weapons, including three rifles, two handguns and three 30-round high-capacity magazines.

State Police arrested Brodie. The Cumberland County Prosecutors Office filed weapons charges.

The FBIs Atlantic City office, which investigated, alleges Brodie is a military veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and was contacting the congressman to complain about the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic.

Brodie was in state custody and is to appear in Camden federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider.

Fitzpatrick said the charge of threatening a U.S. official carries a maximum potential penalty of six years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Prepare now to protect the vulnerable in storms

With the possibility of this area experiencing the devastation of a hurricane and in light of my concern for some of our most vulnerable residents, I ask that we become more concerned and far better prepared to handle the needs of those who live in buildings for seniors and the disabled. These buildings are for the most part able to withstand high winds, but certainly subject to the loss of power, so they should be required to have backup generators.

Many of these residents are much too frail to travel long distances on buses and sleeping on cots in shelters is not conducive to many of their daily medical needs. The buildings in which they live, I believe, can be better equipped to meet those needs, which would make it unnecessary to move many of these people.

I understand the possibility of needing first responders, but if you have advance notice of a hurricane, then such notice would allow preparation for such events. During Sandy, it was an absolute disgrace how the moving of seniors was handled and I would hope we are better prepared in the future. Lets get on it now while we have the time.

Warren Massey

Atlantic City

Amend U.S. Constitution to limit campaign funds

Sept. 17 was Constitution Day and Election Day is less than two months away.

In 2010 there was an important Supreme Court decision known as Citizens United, easing certain limits on campaign spending.

If someone gives $50 to congressman X or Party D or R, theyll cash your check and send a thank you note. But someone giving $50,000 may also have opinions on issues such as taxes, abortion, climate change, Social Security, etc. Many citizens would have to call Congressman X to have the same influence as one call from Mr. 50K.

There is a grassroots movement of both conservative and progressive citizen groups working to take back the promise of democracy through a 28th amendment to the Constitution stating that how money is spent isnt a form of free speech and that only human beings are entitled to constitutional protections. It is common sense that only people are persons under the Constitution.

Shoshana Osofsky

Bridgeton

N.J. cities for Amazon

The race is on. Amazon is looking for a second headquarters in North America, in addition to one in Seattle. Logistically, it would make sense to have the second one on the East Coast.

At least eight cities are said to fit Amazons criteria  Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Dallas, Austin, Boston, San Jose and Washington, D.C.

What about locating the headquarters in New Jersey? A major city in the proximity of the New Jersey Turnpike would be a good choice. Camden, New Brunswick, Elizabeth and Newark come to mind.

Amazon is set to spend billions of dollars developing the headquarters and hire 50,000 workers. Im waiting to see if any New Jersey city attempts to court Amazon.

David M. Levin

Vineland
Saturday will likely be the cloudiest of the next seven days, an ode to high pressure that will dominate our pattern starting Sunday.

For Saturday, a low- pressure system is quickly moving through the New York City metro area and out to sea.

The moisture associated with it has held largely to the north, but a shower or two may sneak in during the morning north of the Atlantic City Expressway.

The afternoon will be rain-free and feel like fall, with high temperatures in the mid-60s. Note there is a moderate risk for rip currents and swimming or surfing activities need to be avoided.

High pressure kicks away the low-pressure system Saturday night, bringing us October weather for our first day of the new month.

Highs will be in the upper 60s everywhere, all with plenty of sunshine. Temperatures will be chilly at night, bottoming out at or just above 50 at the shore but the 40s inland.

I would not be surprised to see one of us waking up to a low in the 30s somewhere in the Pine Barrens.

High pressure and easterly winds will bring us on target in the temperature department for Monday and Tuesday. The fall pattern will continue, with sunshine and highs in the low 70s. The sunny weather will then stay, but temperatures will climb again for the middle and latter portion of the week.

The jet stream, or the highway of winds about 30,000 feet above our heads, will push north into Ontario.

Being south of the jet stream will expose us to warm, southern air, bumping temperatures well into the 70s on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday will be even warmer. In fact, the shore will be the place to go. Highs will peak in the upper 70s to low 80s, under plenty of sunshine.

Looking ahead, the pattern until the middle of October will be a warm one. Expect plenty of days in the 75-85 degree range as dry weather hangs on.
In Lualaba Province in the south of DR Congo, the economic development mainly relies on mineral resources. Richard Muyej Mangeze Mans, the governor of Lualaba Province, said, "Actually, that is a normal phenomenon in DR Congo. Overall, the mining industry provides the maximum employment positions in DR Congo, and other industries only provide very little employment positions. If people don't work in the mining industry, do they have any other options? The agriculture and industry in our country are fairly deficient, thus the mining industry is the key to solving the problem of employment. The main resources and endowment that DR Congo can use concentrates on the mining industry."

In the mining industry in DR Congo, cobalt ore occupies the majority. Li Li, the associate research fellow of the Institute of International Economy of the University of International Business and Economics and the director of the Technical Trade Measure Research Center, told "The latest data shows that DR Congo is the main source of cobalt. The cobalt output of Congo occupies over 70% of the output of the world." Therefore, the development of cobalt ore industry becomes an epitome of the economic operation in there, and it also drives every link in relative and upstream-downstream derivative industries. However, the Child Labour problem in those links has become a focus of the world and it receives a lot of criticism.

Edyrem, a mining expert in DR Congo, said the government of DR Congo has prohibited hiring child labourers. "Actually, there is mining police sent by the government to guard every digging. If children go near, the police would stop them. It is impossible to have children working in mines."

The repeated orders and strict supervision measures of the government of DR Congo had done much in management and regulation upon Child Labour problems, but it could not eradicate them. Now, some diggings are still hiring child labourers. What needs to be discussed is the proportion that those diggings occupy of all the diggings in DR Congo.

In 2016, Amnesty International published a report naming The Truth of Working to Death: The "Driving Force" of the Cobalt Ore Trade of the World Comes from Abusing Human Rights in the Territory of Democratic Republic of the Congo. The report says, "Researchers from Amnesty International Organization and African Resource Observation Organization interviewed 17 boys and girls that were engaged with exploiting, gathering, and processing cobalt ore in Kolwezi and Kambove. The youngest of them was only 7 when he started working in the mine. All of them except one are working on the ground. They are either gathering minerals from tailing heaps in privileged industrial diggings that are or has already stopped operations, or cleaning ores in the rivers or lakes near privileged diggings. One of the boys said that he also did underground mining."

The report released by the United Nations Children's Fund in 2012 also shows that there are about 40 thousand child labourers working in the mine field, and their daily working hours are mostly over 12 hours.

We never accept ores gathered by child labourers. But we can do nothing if those ores go to other collectors," said the responsible person Liu Fujian of Jiangzhi warehouse. Jiangzhi warehouse is an ore collecting warehouse inside DR Congo. That means it is an ore collecting spot that is equivalent to a place of purchasing. "Diggings are in charge of mining, and we purchase those minerals. That is the approximate logical relationship," the responsible person Liu Fujian said.

All the evidence shows in different dimensions that Child Labour phenomenon truly exists in DR Congo and it can never be ignored.

Are China-invested enterprises involved in it?

The unique geographic position and industry agglomeration of DR Congo makes it have frequent industry tie-ins and resource interchange with China. Li Li said that for cobalt industry, relative industry cooperation mainly refers to the application of cobalt. "There are reports saying that 80% of cobalt is used in the battery industry, including mobile phone batteries, new energy automobile, and others. The output of cobalt in China is not much, so it mainly relies on import. One of the important origin countries is DR Congo. Some reports say that over 90% is from DR Congo. In such cooperations, China mainly acts as a "second transmitter", "we import huge amounts of cobalt ores and process it to batteries, then sell to other countries and provide to the downstream of the supply chain," Li Li said.

Then, were those Chinese enterprises in DR Congo involved in Child Labour transactions?

As the demand side, Chinese enterprises, in their operating process, could not avoid the problems of the supply side. However, the Child Labour problem is in the supply side. Before the Child Labour problem was exposed, many Chinese enterprises did not know the exact source of the cobalt ores from the supply side, and they did not know that there is problem of illegally hiring child labourers behind some supply sides, either. When Child Labour event appeared, Chinese enterprises reacted quickly and did strict control and supervision to the cobalt ore source. Moreover, many downstream companies of other countries also reacted quickly and declared that they refuse to use cobalt from DR Congo. "However, if Child Labour problems are not dealt with and solved, it would cause a huge impact on Chinese enterprises, because it is impossible for Chinese enterprises to transfer the whole source of cobalt ores quickly. To be fair, as the cobalt output of DR Congo occupies the most proportion in the world, it is very difficult to find an alternative country. Therefore, Child Labour problems are not only an impact to Chinese enterprises but also an impact to the whole cobalt industry," Li Li said.

However, the cobalt industry and other mineral industries are the only businesses that Chinese enterprises have in DR Congo. Richard Muyej Mangeze Mans thinks that, take Lualaba Province as an example, Chinese enterprises contributed to help the province build public road, and also gave a lot of help using advanced technology and facilities to Lualaba on many big national projects. "For example, we just finished a meeting with La Sino-congolaise des Mines S.A. and they said they would help Lualaba Province do other constructions, including roads, water and electric stations, hospitals, and schools, etc. Those projects are predicted to be finished in one or two years."

"The development plan and goal of Chinese enterprises in Lualaba Province is an epitome of relevant conditions in the DR Congo. The ambassador of China in Congo visited Lualaba not long ago. I also told him the contributions that Chinese enterprises did here. DR Congo has a very good relationship with China. The reason that the policy that DR Congo published can be executed quicker is much because of the help from Chinese enterprises. Those Chinese enterprises are the cooperative partner of DR Congo, we need to make sure they can do their business successfully in our country." Richard Muyej Mangeze Mans is very confident.

Poverty is the root of the problem

What is the root cause of Child Labour problem in DR Congo?

It's poverty.

In DR Congo, a lot of people are still fighting for food and clothing every day. "My farm is co-founded with Huayou Company and Zhejiang University in China, mainly in vegetable cultivation, fruit cultivation and animal husbandry products processing and processing-based. The farm has helped about 120 people to get a job." A farmer Richard in DR Congo aid. Even so, it's only a drop in the bucket, there still exists a lot of poverty in DR Congo, and it needs much time to develop economy.

In the eyes of Li Li, an associate researcher at the Institute of International Economy of the University of International Business and Economics and director of the Center for Technical Trade Measures Research, the root is "poverty". "This poverty comes from two aspects. The first reason is the poverty of DR Congo, which directly leads to inadequate investment in the field of compulsory education in DR Congo, which has also created difficulties for children to attend school; the second reason is poverty from the Child Labour's families in DR Congo. Amnesty International's report has mentioned that many families are unable to support the tuition for their children under survival pressure; so many children are required to earn their tuitions while working. So the poverty is the root cause of Child Labour problem."

Liang Xiaohui, the deputy general economist of China Textile Information Center and international problem expert, believes that the root cause of Child Labour in DR Congo is mainly due to the failure of national governance, which is closely related to the historical development of DR Congo. "In the view of history, there are several issues that are still important. Firstly, the lengthy time of colonization led to the plundering of local resources, but it was important to establish a sufficient system. After the colonial era, the DR Congo was caught in Ethnic Conflict, and did not establish a social consultation and coexistence mechanism, that is, the system of social common governance, which led to Ethnic Conflict, corruption, and the government could not operate for a long time, and finally, the vulnerable groups cannot get the ultimate protection such as children. From the macro-venation of world history, the vacuum of national power caused by colonization has led to struggles among different ethnic groups and it has continued to these days, and this historical legacy has been integrated into the global system by a lot of multinational corporations, so that enterprises cannot have their own right to speak," Liang Xiaohui said.

"I remember two very famous sentences, one is to say: 'Poverty is the cause of Child Labour', but there is another sentence is 'Poverty is the result of Child Labour'. These two sentences are justified. If we say that the failure of national governance has led to the lack of educational opportunities for children, then the nation will have little chance of future development, because there will be no talent gathering, it is difficult to attract talents, and then the nation will be poorer. From this standpoint, if the level of national governance in this country was not improved, it is difficult to take care of vulnerable groups, and there will be a large number of Child Labours entering the labor market. Poverty has caused the failure of national governance. The failure of national governance, in turn, has led to more poverty which has created a vicious circle," Liang Xiaohui said.

At the enterprise perspective, firstly, it is possible to create opportunities for solving the problem of child labour through the optimization of commercial contracts."After the emergence of the child labour problem, in order to get rid of suspicion, many commercial brands directly said that they do not use cobalt produced by Child Labour in DR Congo, but if so, those children still have no other source of income. These children may wish to keep their life through the income of cobalt, and if the road does not work, it cannot solve the incident from the root cause. But, if the enterprises could optimize the terms of the contract on the basis of maintaining the existing commercial contract, add some appropriate regulatory measures in the contract to help the Congo (Kung) children's family to improve life and education, it will be able to gradually resolve this problem," Li Li said.

Next, the enterprises that invested to local places in DR Congo should also actively assume the corresponding responsibility and be aware of their responsibilities to respect some rights of the local people, "This naturally includes the right of local children to develop in the future, it means that these children should not enter the labor market and digging, they should not engage in such heavy work and be the Child Labours who have unsound intelligence, spirit and body. If the enterprises are responsible, it is necessary to take full account of the risks of Child Labour in the supply chain and in the operational relationship. And then come up with specific measures to prevent and treatment," Liang Xiaohui said.

From the level of national comprehensive governance, it should be improved from two directions. Firstly, it is the duty of the nation to protect, and the nation remains the first person responsible for human rights obligations, "As the failure of the national governance mentioned before, it will inevitably lead to the occurrence of Child Labour, the nation must protect its children and provide them with human rights obligations like educational opportunities, this is its duty to these children," Liang Xiaohui said.

Secondly, the nation should formulate policies to help those children to participate in the education system, so that children leave the original harsh working environment and get more growth opportunities, "This is the usual responsibility for relief or rescue, and it is the nation's protection obligations that bear the brunt. If the protective measures are perfect, there will be no Child Labour naturally. To give a very simple example, it is difficult for you to find child Labour in Beijing or Shanghai, children who have registered permanent residence in Beijing will not be Child labourers, because the government has a very good protection mechanism, and also have sufficient educational resources, parents of these children will not let them enter the labor market to earn money to support the family."

"These measures have helped to solve the conflict between the industry and commerce and the human rights in DR Congo, and to disperse the 'haze of Child Labour' in DR Congo," Liang Xiaohui said.

The Link of the Original Chinese Press Release: http://finance.ifeng.com/a/20170919/15681984_0.shtml

Contact:

Hu Wen Jing

Cell Number: +86-10-85717366

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Zhongjing Omnimedia
Executives from Chase Home Lending along with Amy Kong, from the AREAA Education Foundation, were in attendance to award the mortgage-free home to U.S. Marine Sergeant Matthew Palermo and his family during the 2017 AREAA Conference at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel.

"We're honored to take part in this special event with some of our closest partners to celebrate the Palermo family's sacrifice to our country through their military service, and support the next steps on their path towards home ownership," said Sean Grzebin, Head of Originations for Chase Home Lending. "Chase has long been committed to those who have served, including in the housing sector, through dedicated home lending benefits for veterans and our Home Awards program, which has donated more than 900 mortgage-free homes to military families since 2011."

After the presentation, the Scott Brothers, Jonathan and Drew, surprised the family with a check in the amount of $10,000 to select furniture from their line, Scott Living. Once the family moves into their home, they will have the opportunity to purchase new furniture.

U.S. Marine Sergeant Matthew Palermo enlisted in the military in 2005 in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. He and his wife, Allison, wanted to start a family and they wanted to make sure there was a steady income. Matthew served as an assault amphibious vehicle crew chief and prepared tactical equipment during ship to shore movement and for operations ashore. His deployments took him to Iraq in 2006, Japan in 2011, and Afghanistan in 2013. He medically retired last year.

For the past couple of months, Matthew and his family have been living at the Operation Homefront Transitional Housing Village in San Diego. Matthew and Allison have been married for 14 years and have four children.

The Palermo's were accepted into the Village program after hearing about it through Matthew's counselor. While living at the Village, they have been able to save money, reduce their debt, strengthen their family connection and support system, and transition smoothly into civilian life. After hearing about Operation Homefront's Homes on the Homefront program through the Village director, they applied for a home.

Matthew is receiving a mortgage-free home in Hallsville, Texas, and plans to continue treatment with the local Veteran Affairs. Matthew and Allison also plan to become financially stable and find a career that's personally fulfilling.

"This home is going to change our lives  we have moved eight times in the past 12 years," said Matthew. "This new home will give us room to grow and to heal as a family  we are going to be able to breathe and relax. I am trying to accept the idea of being homeowners and I am grateful for this opportunity. It's time to plant roots and it's the time to do it in Texas."

"Operation Homefront's commitment to build strong, stable, and secure military families could never become a reality without the support of long-term partners like JPMorgan Chase and organizations like AREAA," said Margi Kirst, chief development officer for Operation Homefront. "It's always wonderful to present a deserving military family with a mortgage-free home, but having the Scott Brothers join us made it even more special for Matthew Palermo and his family as they begin their journey to homeownership."

The home was awarded through Operation Homefront's Homes on the Homefront program. The program began in 2012. Since inception, Operation Homefront has placed nearly 600 veterans and their families in mortgage-free homes providing more than $56 million in deeded value to military families.

Matthew and his family will participate in one-on-one homeowner counseling services for one to three years. The family will also participate in a customized transition plan, including financial counseling and savings planning.

About Operation Homefront:

Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive  not simply struggle to get by  in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, 92 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves America's military families.

For more information, go to www.OperationHomefront.org.

More on JPMorgan Chase's Commitment to Servicemembers and Veterans:

JPMorgan Chase has supported our veterans since before World War I. The Office of Military and Veterans Affairs (MVA) works closely with the company's business and consumer-facing facets and with non-profit and government partners to ensure that service members and veterans and their families have access to resources including products and services, employment opportunities, small business and strategic initiatives, and talent acquisition and development.

Since MVA started in 2011, JPMorgan Chase has hired more than 12,000 veterans and facilitated more than 400,000 veteran hires through the Veteran Jobs Mission coalition; awarded more than 900 mortgage-free homes to military families in need; helped 7,700 veterans and military spouses complete 10,500 career certifications through Veterans Career Transition Program at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, which was co-founded and is supported by JPMorgan Chase and Syracuse University. 120 of those homes were donated to veteran families in California. Learn more at: www.jpmorganchase.com/veterans.

About the AREAA Education Foundation:

The AREAA Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to empowering the Asian American community through housing. Since 2010, the foundation has partnered with various individuals, corporate sponsors, and likeminded organizations to serve the AAPI community through leadership training, veteran housing, and disaster relief. The foundation is an affiliate of the Asian Real Estate Association of America.

SOURCE Operation Homefront

Related Links

http://www.operationhomefront.net


Meng Qiaoling, who presented the standard on behalf of KERUI Petroleum's oil and gas stimulation equipment division said KERUI Petroleum is a leading provider of nitrogen stimulation services covering more than a 70 percent share of China's nitrogen production market. In preparing this draft, KERUI Petroleum had the opportunity to apply its many years of local and international market experience to create the production equipment standards and improve the Chinese nitrogen industry.

KERUI Petroleum stands up on its corporate vision "Technology Leads the Future, Service Creates Value", and has invested heavily in R&D to align with the current market needs. KERUI has achieved remarkable success at the international level with the continuous development of equipment and services to aid in the exploration process.

KERUI Petroleum's KTMZD(Q)1200 membrane separation nitrogen production equipment can be found in Irkutsk, Russia's extremely cold environment (-45 degrees Celsius). In South America; the company has partnered with Venezuelan and Colombian leading oil producers to provide oil & gas stimulation services including nitrogen gas lift, nitrogen huff and puff as well as pipeline purging and replacement. In the Middle East, the company's 600 type PSA nitrogen production equipment, which has been designed, manufactured and inspected according to ASME standards and has been used with a high performance track record for three years.

This 900 type high-temperature nitrogen integrated operation vehicle uses engine flue gas, assures a high level of safety and low energy consumption. It combines nitrogen production, pressure and heat, and uses a temperature regulator from 50 to 300 degrees Celsius to control nitrogen output. The world's leading new developed technology of PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) has been applied to the marine nitrogen production equipment which is practical, easy to carry, with high performance and can be used not only for natural gas transportation but also in the chemical and medical industries.

As a pioneer and leader in China's nitrogen production industry, KERUI Petroleum hopes to promote the standardization of product design, manufacture and inspection and increase interchangeability of components of Chinese nitrogen plant manufacturing through the "Oil and Gas Drilling Equipment Nitrogen Injection Equipment" standards and norms. The company also looks forward to working with world-class nitrogen production equipment manufacturers to jointly explore how to reduce costs and increase efficiency for customers, and make oil and natural gas more efficient.

SOURCE Keruigroup
SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Sept. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Direct Relief today committed an initial $250,000 in cash for community health centers in Puerto Rico to aid recovery efforts in Hurricane Maria's aftermath. Direct Relief also committed $50,000 to support the work of La Asociacion de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico's primary care association, which represents the 20 member nonprofit corporations that operate 62 clinical sites in 53 municipalities and care for nearly 350,000 patients annually.

Doctors and nurses meet with Direct Relief staff Friday morning in San Juan, Puerto Rico to stock up on emergency supplies. Direct Relief provided staff with Emergency Health Kits, which contain basic medicines and first aid supplies, which equipped the healthcare providers as they traveled to 15 different towns across Puerto Rico to provide medical care. (Gordon Willcock/Direct Relief)

"Direct Relief is deeply concerned for our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico and understands from experience how this massively disruptive situation puts many more people at risk," said Direct Relief President and CEO Thomas Tighe. "As always, the priority during the emergency is the safe evacuation and shelter of those in harm's way, so we are mobilizing to avert the serious health complications that arise rapidly if not addressed."

Today's commitment of cash support follows the delivery of nearly $2 million in medical material aid this week to the Puerto Rico Department of Health. The shipments contained medicine to treat a range of chronic and acute health conditions. The organization also is providing emergency shipments of specialty drugs for less common conditions  a delivery of Bioverativ's therapies for Hemophilia A and B, for instance, arrived this week at the University Pediatric Hospital in San Juan.

Direct Relief also has been coordinating with the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, as well as local public health officials.

Contributions to support emergency response efforts in Puerto Rico can be made by selecting "Puerto Rico" on Direct Relief's donation page. All contributions designated for Puerto Rico will be used solely for relief and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.

About Direct Relief: Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a California-based nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian medical aid in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a stated mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergency situations. Among other distinctions, Direct Relief has been named among the world's ten most innovative nonprofits by Fast Company, received the CECP Directors' Award, the President's Award from Esri for Excellence in GIS mapping, and the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation. Of the more than 8,000 charities rated by Charity Navigator, Direct Relief is one of only 49 to receive a perfect overall score of 100. Direct Relief has worked closely with NACHC, NAFC and their members since 2005 and has delivered more than $650 million (wholesale) in support to over 1,300 facilities.

SOURCE Direct Relief

Related Links

http://www.directrelief.org


WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Within the first 10 days of taking office, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order rolling back redundant, ineffective, and burdensome regulations that have had a negative effect on economic growth.

To ensure that the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is meeting the requirements of the Executive Order, senior DOL officials will join the Small Business Administration (SBA) Monday, Oct. 2, in a Listening Session, "Cut the Red Tape: Liberating America From Bureaucracy."

The session will provide an opportunity for DOL and SBA to hear from regulatory experts, stakeholders and groups on accelerating regulatory reform. The session will focus on the process of regulatory reform.

WHO: SBA Administrator Linda McMahon

Senior Department of Labor Officials



WHAT: Listening Session on regulatory reform and eliminating excessive regulatory burdens



WHERE: Auditorium, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW,

Washington, D.C. (Please use the 3rd Street Visitor Entrance)



WHEN: Oct. 2, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.Pool spray for opening remarks



RSVP: Press should RSVP to Casey Brinck at [email protected]

Contact: Casey Brinck (202) 664-0758

Internet Address: www.sba.gov/news

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Blogs

Advisory Number: MA17-13

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

Related Links

http://www.sba.gov


The establishment of the park was the result of the Changzhou CPC Municipal Committee's and the Changzhou city government's proactive engagement in an initiative to strengthen ties between China and Switzerland. The initiative also helps to advance both "China Manufacturing 2025", the Chinese government's plan to move the country from the role as the world's low-priced factory floor to one whose industrial leaders stand head and shoulders with their counterparts in the world's developed countries, and Switzerland's "Industry 4.0", the Alpine country's plan to take the lead across Europe in completing the fusion of industry and digitisation.

A business, science and education zone based on a Swiss model will be built with Xinlong International Business City, a commercial complex, as the core, while a roughly 65-hectare plot of land zoned for industrial use located in neighbouring Binjiang Economic Development Zone is where a grouping of the park's planned manufacturing facilities will be built. The combination vastly facilitates a collaborative approach to the recruiting of new projects, innovation in scientific research, efficiency in the use of energy and improvements in environmental protection, as well as education and humanities-oriented projects.

Changzhou National Hi-Tech District is home to a cluster of Swiss manufacturing facilities and remains an important investment destination for Swiss companies seeking to set up operations in the Yangtze River Delta. Currently, 14 top Swiss companies have set up shop in the district, among them, Mettler Toledo, Rieter, Givaudan, FoamPartner Bock, GF Machining Solutions and V-Zug, with an aggregate investment reaching US$420 million. The district has attracted investors from 67 countries and regions worldwide, with 1,660 foreign-owned firms having located a facility there, including more than 50 of the Fortune 500 firms. In 2016, the district contributed 115.5 billion yuan to China's GDP and handled US$10 billion in foreign trade. As of the end of 2016, Changzhou had granted approval for the establishment of facilities for 27 Switzerland-invested companies.

SOURCE Changzhou National Hi-Tech District

Related Links

http://www.czxx.org.cn


Stockholm was the last stop of the Sanya Celebration's roadshow targeting Northern Europe. The event was held at Culture House Sweden, one of the largest cultural centres in Northern Europe as well as a popular venue for Stockholm's political and business classes. The event included the showing of a tourism video, performances of the breath-taking ethnic dances of Sanya's Li and Miao minorities, a nose flute and leaf-whistling performance, a virtual reality (VR) setup giving attendees an opportunity to get a close up view of what the seaside resort has to offer, an exhibition on local tours, an introduction to Sanya's tourism resources and the city's strong portfolio of tourism products, as well as an interactive question and answer session, enabling attendees to gain a deeper understanding of Sanya's reputation for hospitality and the unique aspects of the seaside resort's tropical tourism resources.

China and Sweden have both witnessed a steady year-by-year increase in the number of visitor arrivals from the other, with the number of visitors in both directions totalling approximately 200,000 in 2016. Sanya is China's only tropical travel destination with tourism facilities that meet international standards coupled with a unique ecological environment, while Stockholm is Sweden's financial hub and the birthplace of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, the founder of the Nobel Prize award. Both are popular travel destinations for very different reasons, yet, the two cities complement each other in tourism resources. Mutual visits and exchanges are instrumental in enhancing the friendship and in yielding win-win results for both sides.

Ms. Fu gave attendees a presentation on how Sanya developed into a tropical coastal resort with unique characteristics, and, with its internationally-renowned services. She also encouraged Swedish attendees to choose Sanya for their next vacation or to explore business investment opportunities.

A promotional meeting was held during the Celebration, with Pu Zhengdong, Consul of Culture at the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Sweden, Kristina Eriksson, a member of the Eskilstuna City Council, Lydia Liu, a member of the Nacka City Council, Niko Kosmidis, Member Board of Directors of Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden, Wang Yong'an, vice president of the Chinese Confederation of Industry and Commerce in Sweden (CCICIS), as well as executives from over one hundred travel agencies and tourism service providers across Sweden and other Scandinavian countries taking part in. The meeting highlighted Sanya's strong line-up of tourism offerings, including facilities specializing in MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) events, activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family, traditional Chinese physiotherapy, village tours, as well as accommodations designed for destination weddings and honeymoons. Sanya has also taken advantage of its long list of resources to, over the years, continuously roll out a variety of travel packages and services for travellers, leading to rapid growth in the local tourism market. Currently, Sanya has scheduled flight services to and from 20 international destinations. Travellers from 26 countries, including Sweden, now enjoy visa-free access to Sanya, further facilitating the visit to Sanya for Swedish travellers. A wide range of tourism resources, the convenience of visa-free access and the personalized tourism products visibly stimulated the interest of the Scandinavian travel firms that attended the event. In some one-on-one exchanges that took place, several of the firms expressed their willingness to take the discussion to the next step.

Mr. Kosmidis said at the promotional meeting that the period from November to March next year is ice cold in Sweden and most locals choose tropical islands for vacation destinations. With sunny climate complemented by tropical blue waves lapping sandy white beaches and unique folk cultures, Sanya is an ideal destination for Swedish visitors. As the Swedish attendees gained a better understanding of the exotic thrills that were on offer, many expressed a ready willingness to include Sanya in their upcoming travel or vacation plans.

Mr. Wang, who has been resident in Sweden for years, said: "Decades of living and working experience in Sanya makes me emotionally attached to Sanya, a city with a variety of tourism resources. The city has sped up its development pace and efforts in meeting international standards. For locals in Sweden and other Northern European countries, Sanya is not only an ideal vacation destination, but also a potential market with great business investment opportunities. "

The Sanya Celebration has already made stops in Bangkok, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Jakarta, Indonesia, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Moscow, Russia, London, England, Frankfurt, Germany and Copenhagen, Denmark and has now moved onto Stockholm, Sweden. Through this series of promotional events, Sanya has enhanced mutual exchanges with the cities visited in terms of tourism and cultural resources, increased the awareness and heightened the reputation of Sanya in international tourism markets, and attracted more visitors to the Chinese city. In addition to the various steps taken by the city to bring its tourism resources up to international standards across the board, Sanya has also successfully executed on its series of external promotion campaigns, heightening awareness of the city as a viable tourism destination. The coordinated efforts put the city on track to become a new and preferred destination for world travellers.

SOURCE Sanya Municipal Government
Islamabad, Sep 27 : A Pakistani court has extended by a month the detention of terrorist leader Hafiz Saeed, blamed for the Mumbai terror attack.

On Tuesday, the Lahore High Court directed the counsel for Jamatud Dawa (JuD) chief Saeed to file a fresh application against the latest order of the Punjab Home Department extending his detention by another 30 days starting from Monday, the Dawn reported on Wednesday.

Earlier, an official of the Home Department presented the latest detention order before the court.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, however, turned down a Home Department request for holding in-camera proceedings of the petition.

Saeed is accused by India of masterminding the Mumbai terror attack of November 2008 which left 166 Indians and foreigners dead. New Delhi has repeatedly urged Islamabad to punish him for the massacre.

His Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) later became the Jamatud Dawa (JuD).

JuD leaders' counsel A.K. Dogar had contended that the government detained the petitioners -- Saeed and his aides -- on the basis of mere apprehension without any evidence.

The government had contended that the activities of the JuD leaders, if they were released, would pose a serious threat to public safety and public order.

It said a number of cases had been registered against Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), a sister organisatison of JuD. The detainees also launched a campaign of their political party, which was still not registered with the Election Commission.

The Home Department said all the law enforcement agencies strongly recommended extending the detention of the JuD leader in the larger public interest.
New Delhi, Sep 27 : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday urged the Narendra Modi government to deport Rohingya Muslims but grant refugee status to Rohingya Hindus and provide them a "secure and blissful life in India".

The VHP's International Joint General Secretary Surendra Kumar Jain said in a statement that Rohingya Hindus need to be seen in a different light from the Rohingya Muslims, who he alleged were "indulging in terrorist activities".

"To handle the Muslim Rohingyas, the policy of 'no more newcomers, oust the existing ones' needs to be implemented," he said.

He claimed that Rakhine's Rohingya Hindus don't want Indian citizenship but are ready to relocate to any Hindu or Buddhist majority area in Myanmar.

"It is the government's moral and constitutional responsibility to grant them refugee status and provide a secure and blissful life in India," he said.

"VHP also appeals to the central government to pressurize the Bangladesh government to provide security to the Rakhine Rohingya Hindus. The central government should appeal to the Myanmar government to relocate and settle the Rohingya Hindus to a safe place," the statement added.

Jain said that a VHP delegation will meet the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as well as the envoys of Myanmar and Bangladesh to request them to take quick action for the security of Rohingya Hindus.
Washington, Sep 28 : US President Donald Trump on Thursday waived shipping restrictions to help fuel and supplies reach storm-ravaged Puerto Rico, the White House said.

"Trump agreed to waive the Jones Act, which will temporarily lift shipping restrictions on Puerto Rico and enable the hurricane-ravaged island to receive necessary aid," a statement said on Twitter.

The waiver from the shipping law, which requires American-made and operated vessels to transport cargo between US ports, will only last for 10 days and goes into effect immediately, the Hill magazine reported.

"At @ricardorossello request, @POTUS has authorized the Jones Act be waived for Puerto Rico. It will go into effect immediately," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote on Twitter, referring to Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo RossellA.

Lawmakers in Congress since Monday had been pushing for a one-year waiver from the rules in an order to help speed up deliveries of food, fuel and other critical supplies to Puerto Rico, which was battered by two hurricanes last month.

Officials estimate that the island could be without power for six months.

The administration faced fierce backlash for not immediately lifting the law for Puerto Rico, after it issued a two-week waiver for Texas and Florida after hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

White House Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert said on Twitter early morning that the waiver was granted "immediately" after RossellA had petitioned Trump for the exemption on Wednesday night.

Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital and largest city, praised the administration's decision, which she said could help bring down the costs of supplies and construction materials by nearly 33 per cent.

"Our cries for justice were heard," Carmen YulAn Cruz said. "The President did the right thing, and stood on the right side of history."

But she also warned that there are still thousands of containers sitting idle at the ports of San Juan, a problem she blamed on "jurisdictional" and bureaucratic issues.

Cruz called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Governor to release the supplies to bigger and closer distribution centres.

"I have no jurisdiction over those ports," Cruz said. "Just like Trump heard the cry for justice to repeal the Jones Act, I ask you, I beg you, to repeat this and repeat this."
New Delhi, Sep 28 : Touting the first 'Indian Mobile Congress (IMC)' 2017 as a success, the organisers on Thursday said many more industry players want to participate from next year and hoped that IMC will be established as a signature annual event for the growing mobile, Internet and technology ecosystem in India.

"This has been a good beginning. In terms of participation, we had over 350 exhibitors and approximately 500 start-ups at the event. We had presence from 13 countries, including Canada, the US, the UK, Finland, Sweden, Korea, Philippines, Germany, France, Japan, Israel and Bhutan and eight embassies which supported the Mobile Congress," Information Technology Secretary Aruna Sundararajan told reporters here.

"Apart from Google as title sponsor, we also had Facebook, Qualcomm, Nokia, Huawei, Accenture, Deloitte, Oppo, Sterlite, Jio, Airtel and Vodafone being the key participants in the event. We saw 1,200 delegates attending even on the first day and the total number of visitors was over 11,000 on the first say," she informed.

When asked if any significant investment announcement has been made during the two days, Rajan S. Matthews, Director General of the Cellular Operators' Association of India (COAI), said: "IMC was not intended to be a forum to make such announcements out of context. This event provides platform for various stakeholders, including the government, to interact and help make decisions."

"The government is working towards ease of doing business. Many of the programmes highlighted by the government like 'Make in India' and 'Digital India' have also received an impetus here," Matthews said, thanking Communications Minister Manoj Sinha and the government for extending their support to make this event a success.

"There were product launches and participants also exhibited their 5G offerings. Many more players want to participate next year so we hope that in the years to come, IMC will be established as the prominent platform for the mobile, Internet and technology ecosystem in India," Sundararajan added.

The three-day event that started on Wednesday is the first of its kind in India.

Led by the Department of Telecommunication as the nodal ministry, the India Mobile Congress has been organised by COAI.
Srinagar, Sep 29 : Authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar on Friday to prevent a Muharram procession, police said.

Starting from the Guru Bazar locality, the Shia procession would end at the Dalgate area.

After separatist violence started in Kashmir, authorities have not allowed the procession since 1990.

Heavy deployments of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in full riot gear were made in the restricted areas.

Pedestrian and vehicular movement was also suspended.

Life in other areas of Srinagar and elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley, however, remained normal.
Jammu, Sep 29 : The BSF on Friday denounced the killing of two of its troops by Pakistani snipers along the Jammu and Kashmir border, officials said, adding Pakistan Rangers promised to maintain peace on the troubled frontier.

The Border Security Force lodged its complain at a meeting of its sector commanders with those of Pakistan Rangers on the international border in Suchetgarh area of Jammu district.

The meeting lasted one hour and 45 minutes and was held at the request of Pakistan Rangers, a BSF statement said.

At the meeting, the BSF strongly objected to the "dastardly acts of sniping" by Pakistan Rangers of two BSF soldiers on September 24 and August 25 along the border security fence and the "unprovoked cross-border firing and shelling" on many Indian border villages.

The BSF officers made it clear that such provocative acts won't be tolerated and that the BSF shall respond "with equal and more measures".

They also strongly objected to allowing armed militants close to the international border at night so that they could sneak into Jammu and Kashmir.

"Pakistan Rangers (promised to take) required measures to maintain peace at the border and also requested that the BSF should restrain as much as possible in counter measures to see that no civilian loss is caused on the Pakistan side," the statement said.

The two sides decided to re-energize instant communication between field commanders, when required, to resolve petty matters.

The BSF said the meeting was held in "a cordial, positive and constructive atmosphere" and both sides agreed to expeditiously implement the decisions taken in the earlier meetings and promised to maintain peace on the border.

The BSF delegation of 17 officers was led by P.S. Dhiman, the Deputy Inspector General of Jammu sector. Brigadier Amjad Hussain, Sector Commander of Chenab Rangers led a delegation of 14 Pakistani officers.

The previous meeting of sector commanders was held on March 9.

Friday's meeting follows heavy shelling and firing on the international border this month "in which the BSF gave strong calibrated reply to Pakistan Rangers.

"During this period, the BSF foiled successfully a number of infiltration attempts from Pakistan soil including killing of an intruder on September 4 in Arnia sector," it said.
Mysuru (Karnataka), Sep 29 : Lakhs gathered in Mysuru, the cultural capital of Karnataka, on Friday ahead of Vijayadashami as the city residents worshipped gods and goddesses along with arms, horses and the king's throne at the Mysuru Palace.

The visitors to the city usually go up on the final days of the festival when the grand procession by caparisoned elephants around the royal palace is slated.

"The number of visitors as Vijayadashami approaches goes significantly higher than during the beginning of the festival. Overall, this year we're expecting at least 30 per cent increase in the footfall," Additional Deputy Commissioner T. Yogesh told IANS.

Mysuru, located about 150 km from Bengaluru, attracts visitors from across the world during Dasara, which has been celebrated over centuries to mark the triumph of good over evil.

Friday -- being the ninth day of the 10-day Mysuru Dasara, which started on September 21 -- is celebrated as "Ayudha Puje" (worship of instruments) by worshipping tools, machines and instruments.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, the head of the titular Mysuru royal family, had also performed puja at the royal armoury which has swords, guns, and daggers of the Wodeyar dynasty at the Amba Vilas Palace, commonly known as the Mysuru Palace.

Thousands flocked to get a glimpse of the regal treasures and artefacts that were displayed in the illuminated royal durbar hall during the puja.

The Wodeyar dynasty had ruled the then Kingdom of Mysore for over four centuries from 1399.

One of the rulers from the dynasty, Raja Wadiyar is credited with holding the Dasara celebrations for the first time in 1610. Ever since, the royal family has played a significant part in the festivities that have gained popularity across the world.

This year's Mysuru Dasara also had the special attraction of a Dasara Airshow with Indian Air Force planes and army paratroopers performing.

A total of 15 caparisoned elephants were also readied on Friday for the much-awaited procession on Dasara on Saturday, that will be flagged off by the Chief Minister.

The procession will be followed by horse-drawn carriages and tablauex from the royal palace to the Bannimantap Grounds through the city.

The Mysuru Palace, built in 1912, has been lit up with thousands of light bulbs during the evening on all days of the fest.

The celebrations draw at least 10 lakh visitors from the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Maharashtra among others, according to officials. Tourists from across the world also visit the city during this festival.
Barcelona, Sep 29 : Catalonian authorities on Friday announced that over 2,300 polling stations were available for an independence referendum that has already been ruled unconstitutional by Spanish courts.

The vote would go ahead on Sunday in defiance of the Spanish government's response, said Catalonia's regional vice-president Oriol Junqueras, Foreign Affairs Minister RaAl Romeva and government spokesman Jordi Turrul.

In addition to the 2,315 polling stations, the regional government officials said 7,235 electoral volunteers had agreed to work when voting gets underway between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on October 1, the officials was quoted as saying by Efe news.

On Thursday, Barcelona's city police confiscated official ballot boxes and locked them away in a sealed off warehouse to prevent them from being used in the "illegal" plebiscite.

During a press conference in the afternoon, the Catalonian regional government unveiled for the first time their alternative white plastic ballot boxes, with the Generalitat's logo they intend using for their outlawed seccessionist referendum.

Over five million residents of Catalonia are eligible to cast their votes on Sunday. The referendum was declared illegal by the Spanish government and the judiciary.

Spain has insisted the vote will not go ahead, but separatists in Catalonia have pushed on in defiance.

The referendum has pitted Catalonia's president Carles Puigdemont against the Prime Minister of Spain and leader of the right-wing Popular Party government Mariano Rajoy.

Madrid authorities have reinforced police numbers in Catalonia and ordered militarized units to confiscate all referendum material.
Washington, Sep 30 : President Donald Trump indicated on Friday that the exact mechanism for financing Puerto Rico's recovery from Hurricane Maria remains to be determined.

"The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding," the President said on Twitter.

Puerto Rico suffered a glancing blow from Hurricane Irma a week before Maria slammed into the US commonwealth last Wednesday as a monstrous Category 4 storm that claimed at least 16 lives and knocked out power, water and communications.

Trump went on to cite praise from Puerto Rico's governor for the federal government's response to the disaster.

"Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: 'The Administration and the President, every time we've spoken, they've delivered,'" the president tweeted.

The Trump administration has faced mounting criticism from politicians in Puerto Rico and on the US mainland over its handling of the increasingly desperate situation on the island.

In a speech later Friday to the National Association of Manufacturing, Trump prefaced his prepared remarks about tax reform with comments on Puerto Rico.

"All appropriate departments of our government from Homeland Security to Defence are engaged" in relief efforts in Puerto Rico, the president told an audience of business executives, while reiterating his earlier observation that the efforts are made more difficult by the commonwealth's nature as "an island, surrounded by water, big water, ocean water."

He also raised again the issue of Puerto Rico's $72 billion debt, which has forced the island's government to accept a federally appointed oversight board that effectively controls fiscal policy.

"Ultimately, the government of Puerto Rico will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort - it will end up being one of the biggest ever - will be funded and organised, and what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island," Trump said.

On Thursday, the President placed US Army Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan in overall command of military operations to aid Puerto Rico in recovering from the storm.

Buchanan, a three-star general, played the same role in New Orleans in 2005 following the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Trump plans to visit Puerto Rico next Tuesday.
Washington, Sep 30 : US President Donald Trump will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines from November 3-14, the White House said on Friday.

The White House had earlier confirmed Trump's plans to travel to China, South Korea and Japan and on Friday said he also would travel to Vietnam to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and to the Philippines to attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Efe reports.

One of the objectives of Trump's Asia tour will be to "strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," the White House said in a statement.

Amid the growing nuclear threat from North Korea, which has conducted several ballistic missile tests in 2017, Trump said Tuesday that the US was prepared to take "devastating" military action against the secretive Asian nation if necessary.

Trump's Asia visit also will show his "continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the US in the region... and emphasize the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners," the White House said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be in China until Sunday to make preparations for Trump's visit to that Asian nation.
Srinagar, Sep 30 : Authorities on Saturday imposed strict restrictions in many areas across Srinagar to prevent a Muharram procession, police said.

The police received intelligence inputs about miscreants trying to incite trouble during the procession scheduled for later in the day.

"Keeping these inputs in mind, the District Magistrate Srinagar ordered the restrictions under section 144 CrPc to remain in force," police officials said.

Pedestrian and vehicular movement were also suspended and coils of razor fitted wire were placed on the main roads to prevent movement of traffic.

Heavy contingents of police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in full riot gear have been deployed in the city.

The restrictions will remain in force until Sunday, the officials added.

The procession is traditionally carried out by the Shia Muslims on the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram falling on October 1.
Srinagar, Sep 30 : A 75-year-old man was mauled to death on Saturday by a bear in north Kashmir's Bandipora district, police said.

Police said Nazir Ahmad Chauhan was attacked by the wild animal in Chichinar village, injuring him critically. He later succumbed to injuries in a hospital.

The human-animal conflict has been on the increase in Kashmir for the last decade due to shrinking of natural habitats of wild animals.
Washington, Sep 30 : US President Donald Trump's lawyers have asked Facebook to provide the private account information of the social media giant's users engaged in "anti-administration activists".

"The warrants specifically target the accounts of three Facebook users who are described by their attorneys as anti-administration activists who have spoken out at organised events, and who are generally very critical of this administration's policies," CNN reported on Saturday.

The social media giant went through seven months of legal proceedings so it could make all three users aware that administration lawyers wanted their online details.

"We successfully fought in court to be able to notify the three people whose broad account information was requested by the government," a Facebook spokesperson told CNN.

Meanwhile, on behalf of the targeted activists, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has moved to block the warrants.

The ACLU said in a filing that enforcing the warrants would "reach deeply into individuals' private lives and protected associational and political activity", according to Independent.co.uk.

It warns that giving the government access to such broad repositories of data would stifle future speech.

Earlier in February, warrants were issued by the Attorney for the District of Columbia that asked Facebook to furnish details about the activities of three users who spearheaded mass protests against Trump's inauguration.
Nagpur, Sep 30 : RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday dismissed reports of cow vigilantes indulging in communal violence, saying that on the contrary those protecting bovines within the constitutional framework were being "attacked and killed".

Bhagwat asked the government not to misinterpret the facts on cow protection and make sure that criminals were punished and innocents not harmed as the "virtuous work of cow protection will increase in coming days".

Addressing a crowd of RSS activists at his annual Vijaya Dashami speech in Nagpur, he said volunteers of the Hindutva group and other organisations were peacefully involved in the cow protection campaign, which "is also included in the Directive Principles of our Constitution".

He said cow smuggling had emerged as a serious issue in all states, and especially on the Bangladesh border which made cow protection "more valuable".

He said inquiries into recent incidences of violence and atrocities by cow vigilantes had made it "amply clear that these activities or the activists were not involved in those acts of violence".

"On the contrary many activists who were peacefully involved in cow protection were attacked and killed. This issue is neither discussed nor being inquired. It is unfair to link cow protectors or the entire activity of cow protection with violent incidences or communal feelings," Bhagwat said in his Hindi speech. The English translation of the speech was made available on the RSS' website.

The RSS chief said many Muslims involved in the activity of cow protection, cow promotion and management of cow shelters, told him that a "nefarious campaign" was being run to create tension among the people of different religions in India.

Apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stern warning against violence in the name of cow, Bhagwat asked RSS volunteers, who are "piously involved in the activity", not to get distracted with the statements of "highly placed persons in the government" and remarks by the Supreme Court asking governments to act against those involved in lynching incidents.

"People who are criminals and involved in violent activities should be bothered about that."

He asked the government to "stay away from such misinterpretation and ensure that criminals get penalised and the innocents are not troubled".

He said the utility of the Indian breed of cow was scientifically proven by "the medicinal value of cow dung and urine for human beings".
Chandigarh, Sep 30 : The SGPC on Saturday rejected the one-man Justice Ranjit Singh Commission and said its President Kirpal Singh Badungar will not appear before the panel appointed by the Congress government in Punjab to look into cases of sacrilege in the state since 2015.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), called the mini-Parliament of Sikhs, said it was the supreme body managing Sikh religious affairs and thus could not be summoned by a commission.

The decision not to appear before the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission was taken at a meeting of the SGPC in Patiala, nearly 70 km from here.

"We (SGPC) have rejected the Ranjit Singh Commission. The SGPC has decided that it will not appear before the commission nor submit any documents," Badungar told media after the meeting.

The SGPC decision could lead to a direct confrontation between the Sikh body and the Congress government in Punjab. The SGPC manages gurdwaras in Punjab, including the holiest of Sikh shrines Harmandar Sahib or Golden Temple in Amritsar, Haryana, Himachal and other places.

The commission had asked Badungar to appear before it on October 8 along with documents pertaining to sacrilege incidents and the pardon granted by the Akal Takht to controversial Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The commission had also summoned Akal Takht Jathedar (chief) Gurcharan Singh.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Daljit Singh Cheema said on Saturday that the SGPC decision not to appear before the commission was right.

The Congress government, which came to power in Punjab in March, had rejected the report of the earlier Justice Zora Singh Commission set up by the previous SAD-BJP government in Punjab on sacrilege cases.

In April, the Amarinder Singh government set up the new commission headed by Justice Ranjit Singh (retd), a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to investigate all cases of sacrilege reported in Punjab, including three of Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district in 2015.

The new commission was also tasked to enquire into the firing in Behbal Kalan village in Faridkot district in October 2015, in which two persons were killed.

The Akali Dal and SGPC dismissed the new panel as a Congress-backed body.
San Francisco, Sep 30 : After Twitter deleted over 200 fake Russian accounts used to meddle the 2016 US presidential election, Google has now launched a probe into the role its services could have played in the Russian interference, reports said.

"Google is conducting a broad internal investigation to determine whether Russian-linked entities used its ads or services to try to manipulate voters ahead of the US election," The Wall Street Journal reported late on Friday.

Facebook has also started probing how Russian agents could have misused its advertising platform to influence the campaign.

The social media giant is facing intense fake news scrutiny after disclosing details about the presence of Russian political ads worth $100,000 on its platform during the presidential election.

The three tech giants have been reportedly asked to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee panel on November 1 to examine how foreign actors may have used the social media to interfere with the US presidential election.

Twitter on Friday announced that it has deleted over 200 fake Russian accounts and identified Russia Today of buying bought ads targeted at American users' accounts.

"This is an ongoing process and we will continue to collaborate with investigators. Twitter is in dialogue with congressional committees with respect to investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 US election," the micro-blogging platform said in a blog post.

The company also shared with committee staff ads that three Russia Today (RT) accounts targeted to the US market in 2016.
Chandigarh, Sep 30 : A module of the Babbar Khalsa was busted and seven members of the Sikh terrorist group arrested in Ludhiana, Punjab Police said on Saturday.

Three pistols and some ammunition was seized from the arrested men, Ludhiana Police Commissioner R.N. Dhoke told the media in Ludhiana.

He said the group planned to target those opposed to or writing against Khalistani ideology and radical Sikh organisations.

Dhoke said those arrested were allegedly linked to and were funded by Surinder Singh Babbar, who is said to be based in London in the United Kingdom.

The officer claimed Babbar was providing money and weapons to the group members.
Beijing, Sep 30 : Chinese President Xi Jinping met visiting US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Saturday, discussing US President Donald Trump's visit to China later this year.

"Currently the most important event in our bilateral relations is President Trump's China visit in November," Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"His visit will be a major opportunity for the development of China-US relations," the Chinese President said.

He said ties between the two countries had been generally stable and that he had maintained sound communication with Trump.

Chinese and US teams should implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, grasp the direction of bilateral relationship, respect each other and focus on cooperation while dealing with differences properly, Xi said.

"China attaches great importance to President Trump's visit, and I look forward to working with him to outline and advance our bilateral relations in the years to come," Xi said.

He said the teams on both sides should work closely to make the visit "successful and special." Tillerson conveyed Trump's greetings to Xi, saying the US President looks forward to his visit to China.

Hailing the progress in US-China relations under the auspices of the two Presidents, Tillerson said the US values its relations with China and hopes to increase mutual trust and practical cooperation in various areas as well as to jointly tackle international and regional challenges.

The US official also met China's top diplomats to discuss efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions, reports said. He held talks with State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square.
New Delhi, Sep 30 : Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday condoled the death of veteran film and theatre personality Tom Alter, who passed away in Mumbai after losing the battle against skin cancer.

Remembering Tom Alter as a "gifted actor", the Congress President said in a statement: "Through his many roles in films, television, and theatre, Tom Alter earned a special place in the hearts of the Indian audiences. He leaves behind a rich legacy."

Sonia Gandhi said she prayed that Tom Alter's family, friends and admirers find strength in this hour of grief.

Rahul Gandhi said Tom Alter's contribution to Indian cinema and theatre was "immense" and it would be difficult to fill the void left by his demise.

"Tom Alter ji's contribution to cinema and theatre is immense. Sad to know of his demise. The void left behind by him will be difficult to fill," he said in a tweet.

Alter was battling stage-four skin cancer at a Mumbai hospital, where he was admitted in September. He returned home on Thursday and breathed his last on Friday night. He was 67.

In 2008, Tom Alter was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour in India.
Imphal, Sep 30 : The Dalai Lama is to visit Imphal, the capital of Manipur, on October 17 to participate in an international peace conference.

This was disclosed on Saturday by Yumnam Khemchand, the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly during a brief public function.

Khemchand said that the Tibetan spiritual leader will grace a peace conference on October 18 which will be attended by religious leaders from some countries.

The Speaker said that during his last meeting with the Dalai Lama in the national capital sometime ago he had requested him to visit Manipur, which was readily accepted.

Khemchand made the momentous announcement on the sidelines of launching an e-bicycle in Imphal. He said this bicycle will help in protecting the environment.

When the Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh some months back in the northeast there were serious objections from the Chinese leaders who termed it as a provocation.

Highly placed sources told IANS that this time India is not anticipating this kind of provocative statements from the Chinese leaders since there is no territorial claim over Manipur.

Officials said that a large number of Buddhist monks from Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries are likely to visit Manipur on the occasion.

There is no travel restriction between Manipur and these countries. Traders and business people have been participating all these years in the government sponsored fairs and other functions in Manipur. Police said that security measures will be beefed up ahead of the visit of the Dalai Lama.
Beijing, Sep 30 : The US is in "direct contact" with the North Korean government over its missile and nuclear tests, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Saturday.

He said Washington was "probing" the possibility of talks with Pyongyang, "so stay tuned", the New York Times reported.

"We have lines of communications to Pyongyang," he said during a trip to China. "We're not in a dark situation. We have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang," he added, speaking at the residence of the US ambassador to Beijing after a meeting with China's top leadership.

US President Donald Trump had threatened to annihilate North Korea, saying its leader Kim Jong-un was on a "suicide mission", which led Kim to release a statement vowing to "tame the mentally deranged US dotard with fire".

The war of words came against a backdrop of repeated missile tests and Pyongyang's claim that on September 3, it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

The tests were internationally condemned with the UN bringing in sanctions against North Korea.

Tillerson is in China meeting President Xi Jinping and other officials, hoping to encourage them to implement the sanctions.

China this week told North Korean businesses operating in its territory to close down.

Tillerson comments marked the first sign that the Trump administration has been trying its own version of what the Obama administration did with Iran: using a series of backchannel, largely secret communications that, after years of negotiation, resulted in a nuclear accord, the New York Times reported.

Tillerson was quick to distinguish the very different circumstances of North Korea and Iran, saying: "Pyongyang has nuclear weapons, Tehran just a programme that could have led to them."

He added: "We are not going to put together a nuclear deal in North Korea that is as flimsy as the one in Iran."

Tillerson said the most important thing was to lower the temperature of the threats being exchanged in recent days between Kim and Trump.

"The whole situation is a bit overheated right now," he said. "If North Korea would stop firing its missiles, that would calm things down a lot."

When asked whether that caution applied as well to Trump, Tillerson said: "I think everyone would like for it to calm down," he said.

Earlier in the day, Xi told Tillerson that he wanted to ensure the success of a planned visit to China by Trump in November, according to a summary of their meeting issued by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry.

"China attaches great importance to President Trump's visit, and I look forward to working with him to outline and advance our bilateral relations in the years to come," Xi said.

Tillerson also met China's top diplomats to discuss efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions. He held talks with State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square.
Kolkata, Sep 30 : Hundreds of devotees and visitors failed to gain entry to the much-talked Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square here for several hours on Saturday after an apparent electrical short circuit triggered a scare, though entry later resumed after a go-ahead from the Kolkata police.

The police nod came after Public Works Department authorities gave the green signal after inspecting the premises of Saturday afternoon.

"The visitors have started coming (again) and things are back to normal," Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee President Pradip Ghosh told IANS.

A written No-Objection Certificate was collected from the PWD engineers by Kolkata police officers. Several hundred visitors waited amid the rain for the marquee's gates to open.

The puja drew huge crowds because of its London-themed marquee and goddess Durga draped in a 22-kg saree made of 22 carat gold and costing Rs 6.5 crore. Public entry to the marquee was halted early Saturday morning on Mahadashami, the last day of the festival.

After smoke was seen coming out of a chandelier at the 'pandal', fire brigade and police were rushed to the spot.

The enthusiastic crowds were not allowed to enter till teams of the PWD, civil, electrical, and fire departments inspected the area.

"This is a conspiracy against us. This Puja has attracted lots of attention and that's why the people are jealous," Ghosh earlier said.

"There was no smoke inside the pandal. If there was any fire there must have been some sign of it around or inside. We have had a lot of celebrity guests coming in and lavishing rich praise. I don't know why the police haven't been cooperating with us," he added.

Replicas of the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and the London Bridge are the other attractions at the marquee.
Washington, Sep 30 : US President Donald Trump on Saturday lashed out at Puerto Rico politicians over their criticism of US relief efforts on the island following Hurricane Maria.

The Category 4 hurricane a week ago killed 16 people on the island and left millions in desperate need of food, water and other supplies.

In a series of tweets, Trump said that Puerto Rican officials showed "poor leadership ability" and "want everything to be done for them".

It comes after the mayor of Puerto Rico's capital city San Juan made a desperate plea for federal help.

"We have no time for patience any more," said Carmen Yulin Cruz in a news conference. "I am asking the President of the US to make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives.

"I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell."

Cruz, who is a member of the island's Popular Democratic party, said that federal aid was coming in too slowly, blasting what she called a "bureaucratic bottleneck".

She also criticized Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke for referring to the US response to the struggling Puerto Rico as a "good news story".

"Maybe from where she's standing it's a good news story," Cruz said. "When you're drinking from a creek, it's not a good news story. When you don't have food for a baby, it's not a good news story."

Cruz also accused the Trump administration of "killing us with inefficiency", which the President disputed in his early-morning Twitter tirade.

"They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort," Trump tweeted.

"10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job."

"The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump," the President said in another tweet.

Trump also criticised the media, claiming that the "Fake News Networks" were disparaging the relief work of soldiers and the first responders on the island.

"Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to "get Trump." Not fair to FR or effort!", the President tweeted.

"The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's. Shame!," Trump said in another tweet.
London, Sep 30 : An Indian-origin founder of Britain's 2 Sisters Food Group -- the largest supplier of chicken to supermarkets in the country -- is facing a parliamentary inquiry after an undercover investigation revealed poor hygiene standards and safety dates of chicken being allegedly manipulated in his factory.

Ranjit Singh Boparan's 2 Sisters Food Group (2SFG), which owns the factory in West Bromwich, will be probed after a joint investigation by the Guardian and ITV News showed footage of workers altering the source and slaughter date of poultry being processed at the plant.

Experts said their actions could artificially stretch the commercial life of the meat and dupe consumers into buying chicken past its use-by date.

Other footage showed chicken being picked off the floor and being thrown back on to the production line, and older poultry being mixed with fresher birds.

The empire created by 51-year-old Boparan, known as the "chicken king", employs 23,000 people.

Neil Parish, the Chairman of Parliament's Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said he was preparing to call Boparan to Westminster to answer questions about the scandal.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) also launched an investigation into the company, which produces a third of all poultry products eaten in the UK.

Three of the UK's biggest supermarket chains -- Marks & Spencer, Aldi and Lidl -- have meanwhile halted deliveries of chicken from the company's West Bromwich plant.

Marks & Spencer said the footage showed "unacceptable" standards. All chicken received from the plant had been cleared from its shelves as a precautionary measure and all further deliveries had been stopped until M&S completed its own investigation of conditions in the chicken factory.

Aldi and Lidl said they had also suspended supplies from the food processor, while Tesco and Sainsbury's had launched their own investigations.

The prospect of the Boparan being called in front of parliamentarians emerged as the FSA said it had begun "liaising with the local authority in regards to taking the investigation forward and will consider whether offences have been committed".

A spokesman for 2SFG said: "We have now had an opportunity to view all the evidence and launch our own internal investigation. This is ongoing and we will ensure our inquiries are comprehensive and thorough. We will of course continue to work closely with all stakeholders during this investigative phase."

"2SFG ensures all staff are fully trained on hygiene and safety matters, and enforces a number of policies to ensure compliance with all regulations," the 2SFG spokesman said.

Boparan founded the 2 Sisters Food Group in 1993 with a bank loan, and has since grown the firm into the UK's second largest food business by turnover. It claims to process around 6 million chickens a week.

Boparan and his wife Baljinder Kaur Boparan are estimated by the Sunday Times Rich List to be worth 544 million pounds.
New Delhi, Sep 30 : The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation on Saturday defended its decision on another fare hike saying its input costs have gone up over the years, and the increase is on par with other city metro rails.

In a statement issued here, the DMRC said it has been operating in the city since 2002, and is presently carrying around 27 lakh passengers everyday.

"To continue to provide a world class service, it is essential to operate as a healthy organization. Keeping this in view, the provision has been made for the periodic revision of fares through a Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) in the Delhi Metro Operations & Maintenance Act, 2002," the statement said.

"However, since 2009, there has been no fare increase whereas the input cost for DMRC has increased by over 105 per cent in Energy, 139 per cent in staff cost and by 213 per cent for repair and maintenance".

"In addition, the DMRC has taken a huge loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and a payment of Rs 26,760 crore is still outstanding which has to be paid back," it said.

The statement said DMRC has to provide for depreciation and replacement of various assets such as the trains (Rolling Stock) which have a life of 30 years and will have to be replaced subsequently, and for this provision has to be made.

"Inspite of operating efficiently, the DMRC is making a net loss of Rs 378 crore in view of the above factors."

The statement also said that the long gap of over eight years in the formation of FFC has resulted in the fare hike in percentages, which if seen on yearly basis, is in the reasonable range of 7-8 per cent per annum taking into account the two phase of the fare hike - the first that was done in May this year, and the second phase which is to be done in October.

"The DMRC is constantly making efforts to reduce its operating cost by going for solar power projects and increasing the energy efficiency at its stations besides introducing new initiatives on Property Development and Property Business front. DMRC is consistently increasing number of trains, AFC gates, lifts, escalators and other passenger services which also result in the increase of input cost but are essential for providing a world class service," it said.

It also defended the hike saying that once the third phase of Metro is operational, commuters will have to travel shorter distances, and pay lesser.

"A comparison of metro fares of many Metros in India shows that the DMRC's maximum fare level is either less or comparable with other metros which are operating in India inspite of a higher per capita income in Delhi," the statement said.

The statement added that as the metro system is getting older, more maintenance procedures, preventive and corrective checks, safety and reliability checks, replacement of electrical fittings, base plates, rail testing are required and essential for providing a world class service, which also leads to increased cost in overall operations and maintenance.

"The Metro fares have been decided independently by the Fare Fixation Committee which is a statutory body," it added.

The Delhi government has told the Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) to hold its impending fare hike till it completes an enquiry on the proposed increase.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in power in the national capital, has also threatened to launch a protest campaign if DMRC is adamant on increasing the Metro fares.
New Delhi, Sep 30 : The Chief Minister of Selangor, Malaysia, expressed his state's interest in collaboration with India in the field of bio-technology, ICT, life sciences, transport and logistics, a Commerce and Industry Ministry statement said here on Saturday.

According to the statement, the Chief Minister of Selangor Mohamed Azmin Bin Ali, along with a 10-member delegation of the Selangor Investment Mission, visited Chennai and Hyderabad to explore investment and business opportunities, and also met the Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu.

"In his interaction with Shri Prabhu, the Chief Minister applauded Genome Valley of Hyderabad for their cutting edge technology and expressed his State's interest in collaboration with India in the field of bio-technology, ICT, life sciences, transport and logistics," the statement said.

"The Commerce and Industry Minister conveyed India's interest in mutual cooperation in new and emerging areas such as bio-technology, influence in agriculture, disease control and other research areas," it added.

The statement added that the Chief Minister of Selangor requested India's support for development of regional smart cities to tap into India's expertise and talent pool in this endeavour.

"Both sides expressed keenness to explore potential commercial and investment opportunities and Shri Prabhu urged Malaysian companies to take advantage of the investment prospects available under India's flagship programmes such as Make in India, Skill India and Invest India," the statement added.
New Delhi, Sep 30 : Vijaya Dashmi, or Dussehra, marking the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana and symbolising the triumph of good over evil, was celebrated with fervour across the country on Saturday.

In New Delhi, before burning the effigy of Ravana at the Subhash Maidan opposite Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted the citizens to see festivals as source of inspiration to do something positive for society as he underlined their social relevance.

In Punjab and Haryana, a festive spirit prevailed at all places including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur (all in Punjab); Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak and Karnal (all in Haryana) and in Chandigarh where the burning of Ravana effigies was organised.

Interestingly, effigies of babas or self-styled godmen were included among the effigies of Ravana and others at some places this time to highlight the wrong-doings of these babas who take people for a ride in the name of religion.

On some of the effigies of godmen, the photograph of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the disgraced chief of Dera Sacha Sauda sect who was recently convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for rape of two female disciples, was put up.

In Haryana, the tallest Ravana at 210 feet was put up at Barala near Ambala, about 65 km from Chandigarh.

In West Bengal, devotees thronged marquees and community pujas to bid farewell to Goddess Durga on Vijaya Dashami, the last day of the Durga Puja festival.

With anticipation of the homecoming of the deity next year, married women decked in the ritualistic red-and-white saris marked the event with the customary "Sindoor Khela" or smearing each other and the idols with red vermillion to prepare Goddess Durga and her four children -- Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartik -- for their return to their heavenly abode on Mount Kailash.

As part of the observances, enthusiasts cutting across religious and age barriers indulged in "dhunuchi naach" -- dancing to the beat of the 'dhaak' (drums) holding aloft earthen bowls laden with incense and camphor.

In Assam, lakhs of people thronged different Durga Puja pandals since morning, braving rains and inclement weather, to bid adieu to the Mother Goddess and celebrate 'Vijoya Dashami' -- the last day of the four-day Durga Puja festival.

Men, women and children gathered in puja pandals and took part in the rituals performed by the priests and took blessings.

In Karnataka's cultural capital Mysuru, about one million people from across the country gathered for the victory parade to mark the culmination of the Dasara festival, as it is called locally.

With the Karnataka government hosting the fest as the state festival, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah flagged off the 407th procession, to celebrate the triumph of good over evil, from the gates of the royal Amba Vilas Palace.

Fifteen caparisoned elephants, horse-drawn carriages, around 2,000 artists, cultural troupes and 40 tableaux marched five km to the Bannimantap Grounds through the city.

The highlight of the procession is the "Jumbo savari" (elephant parade), a sight popular with tourists and locals alike, in which Hindu deity Chamundeshwari led the procession on a 750 kg golden throne astride the decorated elephants.

Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodeyar, the head of the titular Mysuru royal family, also seen took part in the festivities.

In Himachal Pradesh's Kullu, a grand congregation of over 210 gods and goddesses was assembled on the first day of the festival that begins on Vijaya Dashmi.

Kullu Dussehra is a centuries-old unique festival and celebrations begin on Vijaya Dashami, the day when the festivities end in the rest of the country.

It concludes with the Lankadahan ceremony on the banks of the mighty Beas river. All the assembled deities will participate in the ceremony before being carried back to their own temples.

Here, the responsibility of policing is left to a local deity.

Lord Raghunath, the chief deity of the Kullu Valley, in fact, leaves the task of managing the crowd of over 30,000 devotees during his rath (chariot) processions to his second-in-command 'devta' the deity Nag Dhumbal.
Islamabad, Sep 30 : Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed's legal team has sent a Rs 100 million defamation notice to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for his remarks at the Asia Society forum in New York earlier this week.

Asif, who told the forum that Pakistan was not to blame for militant outfits in the country, had said: "Don't blame us for the Haqqanis and don't blame us for the Hafiz Saeeds. These people were your darlings just 20 to 30 years back. They were being dined and wined in the White House and now you say 'go to hell Pakistanis because you are nurturing these people."

The notice, served by Advocate A.K. Dogar on Friday claimed that Saeed, the chief of banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) party was "respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim", Dawn online reported on Saturday.

It accused Asif of speaking "an absolute lie and falsehood that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was one of those persons who had been the darlings of Americans and had been dining and wining in the White House".

The notice stated that Asif made a "defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code to five years imprisonment and with (a) fine".

A Pakistani court earlier this week extended by a month the detention of Saeed, blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack which left 166 Indians and foreigners dead.

The government had contended that the activities of the JuD leaders, if they were released, would pose a serious threat to public safety and public order.
New Delhi, Sep 30 : Even as the DMRC defended another fare hike by saying its input costs had gone up, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged the Centre to direct Delhi Metro to withhold the "unjustified" proposed increase from October 10.

In a letter to Union Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Kejriwal urged him to direct the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to withhold the fare hike till the decision was jointly reviewed by the central and Delhi governments.

He also demanded that a DMRC board meeting be convened to put a stay on the fare hike as the corporation is jointly owned by the central and the Delhi governments.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader said Delhi residents were "still reeling" under the impact of the previous "steep fare hike" in May and said the proposed hike from October 10 "will be simply unacceptable in this time of economic distress".

Kejriwal said while the Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) had recommended a gap of one year between two fare hikes, the DMRC was going ahead with it in less than six months.

He said that put together, the two hikes accounted for over 80 per cent increase in one year alone even as the FFC recommended that from 2019 onwards, the annual hike should not exceed seven per cent.

"There is no reason why the principles to be followed from 2019 onwards should be completely violated in 2017," Kejriwal wrote in his letter.

However, the DMRC justified its decision by citing increased input costs and that the increase was at par with those in other city Metro rails.

"A comparison of Metro fares in other cities in India shows DMRC's maximum fare is either less or comparable to others despite higher per capita income in Delhi," the statement said.

"Since 2009, there has been no fare increase whereas input cost for the DMRC has increased by over 105 per cent in energy, 139 per cent in staff cost and 213 per cent in repair and maintenance," a DMRC statement said.

"In addition, the DMRC has taken a huge loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and a payment of Rs 26,760 crore is still to be paid back," it said.

It also said that once Metro's third phase gets operational, commuters will have to travel shorter distances and hence pay lesser.

The DMRC said a long gap of over eight years in FFC formation led to fare hike in steps, which if seen on yearly basis "is in the reasonable range of seven to eight per cent per annum", taking into account both the phases of the hike.

The statement said despite efficient operations, the DMRC was suffering a net loss of Rs 378 crore.

"In order to continue providing world-class service, it is essential to operate as a healthy organisation," the corporation said.

Delhi Metro has been operating in the national capital since 2002, and carries around 27 lakh passengers every day.

While Kejriwal said in his letter that no DMRC initiatives were visible to improve efficiency so as to reduce costs, the Delhi Metro said it was constantly making efforts to reduce its operating cost by going for solar power projects and increasing energy efficiency at its stations, besides introducing new initiatives on property development and property business fronts.

"The DMRC is consistently increasing the number of trains, AFC gates, lifts, escalators, and other passenger services, leading to increased input cost but are nevertheless essential for providing world-class service," the Metro statement said.
Kolkata, Sep 30 : Dussehra, the Hindu festival signifying the victory of good over evil, was celebrated across West Bengal on Saturday.

Effigies of Ravana, Meghnada and Kumbhakarana were torched at various places, including the Salt Lake Central Park, to mark the celebrations.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to Twitter to wish the people on the festival.
Shillong, Sep 30 : A Parliamentary Secretary in Meghalaya has been accused of assaulting two of his constituents for questioning him over the poor development situation in his assembly constituency, a police official said on Saturday.

Samuel M. Sangma, the Independent legislator from Baghmara and a supporter of the Congress-led government, had allegedly beat up Freedom Marak.

"Though, the incident occurred at around 11 p.m. on September 28,Marak came and filed an FIR against the legislator only today (Saturday)," South Garo Hills police chief Abraham.T.Sangma told IANS.

Another resident, who is a non-tribal was also beaten up but did not file a police complaint against the legislator.

"We have received the complaint from Marak accusing the legislator of assaulting him. We are investigating into the matter and the complainant has been sent for a medical examination," said the police officer.

Sangma is a three-time legislator from Baghmara constituency in remote South Garo Hills district.
Continuing a long tradition of supporting the children of their community, last month US Bankcard Services, Inc. (USBSI), a leading merchant services provider, made a contribution to Give Something Back (Give Back). The funds donated to Give Back are used to identify, mentor and provide scholarships for youth in need so that they can receive a life-changing education and alter the course of their destiny. USBSIs donation is part of a $1 million fund Give Back has committed to an inaugural program this year at Chapman University in Orange County.

Founded by Robert O. Carr in 2003, Give Back has one of the best success rates among scholarship charities in the country, with over 91% of its benefit recipients graduating from college. Recipients most likely would never have been able to go to college without the help of the program. To date, Give Back has provided scholarships for over 1,500 students across the U.S. Carr is the former CEO of Heartland Payment Systems, which he sold in 2015, and the current CEO of Beyond, a new venture whose goals include providing long-term funding for Give Back.

In a statement on his official site, Carr said: I want to take this opportunity to thank Chris Chang, CEO/president of U.S. Bankcard Services, Inc. (USBSI) and Martin Lanyan, vice president of USBSI for their generosity and kind words. Chris and Martin are special people, and because of them, students from California who live in foster care, are homeless or whose parents are incarcerated will have a promising future. This gift is transformational.

Chris Chang, CEO/president of USBSI said about the contribution: Bobs passion helped put into perspective how contributions do not just benefit one person  but impact the surrounding family, fellow students, and communities. USBSI is proud to help build better futures for children and the communities they come from.

USBSI will continue to seek opportunities to support children in our community, across the country and around the world.

[About US Bankcard Services, Inc.]

US Bankcard Services, Inc. is a top rated MSP that offers competitive rates, incredible customer service support, and cutting edge technology with its credit card processing service. USBSI also offers a wide array of value-added services, including sure3 online turn-key solutions, gift card services, check guarantee, PCI-DSS compliance consultancy, and 24-7 multilingual customer service and technical support. US Bankcard Services, Inc. is a registered MSP / ISO of Elavon, Inc. Georgia and a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Walnut Creek, CA.

For more information about merchant bankcard services please visit us at usbsi.com or call us at: 1-888-525-8558.

ABOUT GIVE SOMETHING BACK

Give Back is a mentoring and scholarship program for Pell Grant eligible students, with special outreach to those who have experienced foster care or the incarceration of a parent. Students are selected in the ninth grade and mentored through high school. After graduation, Give Back scholars attend one of its partner universities or colleges in California, Delaware, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. It is the focus of the organization to help students graduate college in four years.

Giveback.ngo
In partnership with Girls Inc., Free Peoples active-wear line FP Movement is launching Moving Together, a charity-driven campaign in celebration of pairing up with your best friend and getting active. During the first week of October, Free People will host 18 different fitness classes across the US that inspire their customers to pair up and get moving while giving back to Girls Inc. In addition to raising funds and awareness, Free People will be inviting girls from local Girls Inc. affiliates to participate in the fitness events and will be mentored on how to lead healthy lifestyle.

Girls Inc. is a New York based 501(c)3 non-profit that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through direct service and advocacy. In partnership with schools and at centers through a network of 82 affiliates, Girls Inc. delivers life-changing programs and experiences to girls age 6-18, equipping them to navigate various gender, economic, and social barriers. For Moving Together, Free People is supporting the Girls Inc. Mind+Body program, which promotes physical and mental wellness, body positivity and overall health of girls.

Moving Together with Girls Inc. is our campaign that fully aligns with the values of FP Movement on many levels. Moving Together is all about helping girls realize that fitness can be fun and accessible, especially when done with a friend. Were honored to spread the word in partnership with Girls Inc., by helping to educate and mentor girls in the US in fitness, wellness, and body positivity. Says Abby Morgan, Free Peoples Director of Brand Marketing. In line with our rich programming at FP Movement pop-ups in LA and NYC, our Moving Together campaign aims to inspire women to think about wellness in a more holistic way. Were pairing up with some truly bold, intelligent, and very real women in the fitness industry that represent these values and can help inspire our community.

Today, girls encounter significant obstacles to their wellbeing and success, says Judy Vredenburgh, President and CEO of Girls Inc. Physical activity, positive body image, and stress management play a critical role in helping girls grow up healthy, confident and strong. We are thrilled to partner with Free People to equip more girls to embrace a healthy lifestyle and take charge of their health and their futures.

As part of the campaign, Free People has designed a special FP Movement x Girls Inc shirt where 100% of proceeds will go directly to Girls Inc. The shirt will be available for purchase at FreePeople.com, in 17 Free People stores across the US, and at the Moving Together Fitness Festival on October 8th on Governors Island. https://www.freepeople.com/shop/move-together-tee

On the morning of October 7th, the 17 Free People stores carrying the Girls Inc. Tee will be hosting fitness events in-store, followed by an all day shopping event where 25% of Movement sales will be donated to Girls Inc. Here you can find an event near you: http://blog.freepeople.com/2017/09/moving-together-sign-up-today/

If you are unable to attend an event, all day October 7th on FreePeople.com 25% of every FP Movement purchase will also be donated to Girls Inc.

On October 8th, Free People will also be hosting Moving Together, a fall fitness festival in New York City at Governors Island celebrating the campaign for both the NY FP community as well as girls from the local Girls Inc. of New York City affiliate. This will be a fitness circuit event with healthy bites, drinks, giveaways, and music where the brand will be partnering with inspiring women from the local NY fitness scene, including: the Nicole Winhoffer team, Sky Tings Chloe Kernaghan and Kumi Sawyers, Alison Stroming from the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Kathryn Budig of Aim True Yoga.

More information and tickets for the event can be purchased here: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=703499&stype=-102&sTG=45&sVT=47&sView=day&sLoc=1&date=10/08/17

About Free People:

Free People is a global lifestyle brand defined by femininity, creativity, curiosity and adventure, with offerings in unique apparel, intimate wear, shoes and accessories. As an expansion of our lifestyle FP has moved into wellness, fitness, travel and curation of beauty starting from the inside out. The Philadelphia-based retailer is available via our global, UK and China sites, top department and specialty stores, as well as via Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

GIRLS INC Boiler Plate

Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through direct service and advocacy. Our comprehensive approach to whole girl development equips girls to navigate gender, economic, and social barriers and grow up healthy, educated, and independent. These positive outcomes are achieved through three core elements: people - trained staff and volunteers who build lasting, mentoring relationships; environment - girls-only, physically and emotionally safe, where there is a sisterhood of support, high expectations, and mutual respect; and programming - research-based, hands-on and minds-on, age-appropriate, meeting the needs of todays girls. Informed by girls and their families, we also advocate for legislation and policies to increase opportunities for all girls. Join us at http://www.girlsinc.org.
This first-ever Free Online Conference for transwomen and their allies features an amazing lineup of speakers, including:



Monica Helms - trans advocate, creator of the trans flag, co-founder of TAVA

Bamby Salcedo - founder & president, TransLatin@ Coalition

Brynn Tannehill - Board Member of Trans United Fund, HuffPost author

Vanessa Victoria - Writer, Activist, Co-Founder of TWOCC.

Cathy Ann Serino - TransMission, Missouri-based trans advocate

Sally Goldner - Transgender Victoria, Australian trans advocate

Isley Reust - Trans Indie rocker, Actress & Producer

Lisa Kelly - Trans advocate in York, England

Diamond Stylz - YouTuber, trans advocate

Mya Leilani Vazquez - Transgender Liberation Project

Dr. Marci Bowers - Renowned gynecologist and gender-confirmation surgeon

Dr. Scott Mosser MD - Gender Confirmation Surgeon

Dr. Jeffrey Jumaily MD - Facial Plastic Surgeon

Dara Hoffman-Fox - Gender therapist

Robert Sapolsky PhD - Bioneurology professor, Stanford University

Dr. Natalia Zhikhareva PhD - Trans-focused psychologist

Dr. Traci Lowenthal, PsyD - Trans-focused psychologist

Zil Garner Goldstein - Program Director, Mount Sinai Trans Medicine

Kathe Perez - Speech-Language Pathologist

"As a Sexologist - as a human who is committed to a world free of sexual shame - as a human is committed to people's gender and sexual expression - I support this work wholeheartedly. This work is coming at a time that is desperately needed, and I support any work that allows for the healing and celebration of humans. Thank you for this!" Dr. HazelGrace Yates

"Finally! A collective work of much needed voices to empower, support, and recognize gender variance inherent in our humanity. Thank you for your hard work!" Dr. Natalia Zhikhareva PhD

Key Topics at the Empowered Transwoman Online Summit include:

***Am I transgender?***

Some transfolk know from early childhood, with an unwavering certainty. Some others, facing the weight of transphobia and fearing isolation, push their feelings deep down, sometimes denying them entirely - only to have those feelings bubble up later in life. Yet some others, lacking context and information, misunderstand their feelings, and never find a channel for their identity until at some point they become aware of transgenderism as a human condition. At the summit, we'll discuss the various narratives in our common experience.

***Beyond The Binary - Options & Choices***

It's common to feel pressure from society. Pressure to conform to the heteronormative and, once embracing one's gender non-normativity, to feel pressured to follow one path. In reality, each individual is unique, and each of us is writing our own story. We'll sit down with genderfluid, gender non-conforming, and genderqueer folk. We'll meet individuals embracing their own choices of gender expression, and we'll explore what gender means to each of us.

***From Shame to Pride - Discovering your strength***

It's not uncommon that becoming aware of our gender "non-compliance" is a realization accompanied by regret, shame, a sense of loss. We become aware that we're not like the others, and we may feel isolated and alone. If this is coupled by transphobic messages at home, in our social circles or in the media, this can lead to internalized feelings of shame - which can bring about a host of problems. Shame is self-rejection. It leads nowhere. Taking pride in who you are can help you blossom into a unique, amazing person.

***Social Transition - Coming Out Transgender***

Coming out is a very personal experience. One must navigate aspects of personal safety, test the strength of bonds with family and friends, risk social and financial repercussions. We explore the challenges of coming out to family, to friends, to your religious community, at the workplace and at school, to one's parents and to our children.

***Building a Support Group***

We are social beings. Having a social circle is essential to the human experience. When confronted by a major life event, having a support circle can make the difference between success and failure - between finding the strength to persevere in the face of obstacles and challenges, or giving up full of regret. It's important to have a strong support group - family, friends, co-workers who stand up as allies and say "I'll be there for you." We talk about "building your team," and also dealing with non-supportive acquaintances.

***Presenting Your Best Self***

Beauty tips! Electrolysis! Fashion! Most of us never had the opportunity to learn beauty tips as a natural part of becoming a young woman. We're struggling to catch up. What are the best ways to learn, quickly, what is usually learn from mother to daughter, from middle-school friends? We'll interview some experts and share their best tips with you.

***Medical Aspects of Transition***

The most intimidating aspect of gender transition for many of us are the medical steps. We interview transition-focused medical professionals, and gals who have gone through the process, to bring focus to the steps involved, how to best prepare yourself for the various medical procedures, and what to expect during, and after, these procedures.

***A Healthy State of Mind***

Transition is a difficult life event. And depending where you live, the simple act of living as a transgender woman can take a toll. It's easy to succumb to negative thoughts or get down on yourself. Maintaining a positive state of mind is essential, and we'll cover different strategies for keeping a healthy state of mind.

***Parents, Spouses & Partners & Kids of Trans Folk***

Coming out to family can be quite challenging. They have witnessed you in their lives in one form, and may be reluctant - or simply awkward - at adapting to the new you. On top of that, there are their expectations as to the role you'd occupy in their lives; and it can be even tougher if their worldview or religious beliefs hold them back from seeing you for you are. We'll talk about the best ways to deal with these difficult interpersonal dynamics.

***Gender Transition & Career - School & The Workplace***

By far the most stressful aspect of coming out trans can be the workplace. An income is essential to function in this society. Beyond that, we want to be proud of our careers and we want to be respected and accepted in the workplace. We'll talk about being trans at work, with women in many different career paths.

***The Political Climate: Trans Activism***

The current administration has proven itself no friend of LGBT people. And it has targeted transfolk in particular, in efforts to pander to 'conservative' (bigoted) politicians. There are many ways to fight back. We'll talk to several activists who are doing just that.

SPONSORS:

Empowered Trans Woman Summit would like to thank its sponsors: Lambda Legal, Trans* Lounge, Los Angeles LGBT Center, LGBT Center of Orange County, Utah Pride Center, Transcend Legal

EMPOWERED TRANS WOMAN SUMMIT - A FREE ONLINE CONFERENCE

For a complete look at the 2017 Empowered Trans Woman Summit, please visit http://empoweredtranswoman.com

Join and follow the conversation with the hashtag #empoweredtrans

Twitter: @happytranswoman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredtranswoman

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

For more information:

Cassie Brighter

cassie(at)empoweredtranswoman(dot)com
The University of Wisconsin Madison Law School has released a Summary of Conference proceedings following a May conference held in Racine, WI.

The Conference titled "Best Practices for Review and Prevention of Deadly Incidents in High-Hazard Professions: Lessons for Police" placed directors of NASA, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Police Executive Research Forum, the Police Foundation and others in a setting to discuss how the non-law enforcement learning systems develop and issue recommendations to reduce deaths.

The Conference, hosted by the SC Johnson Foundation at Wingspread and the UWM Law School, was organized by the father of a man killed by police, Michael M. Bell.

The Bell family spent 10 years spearheading a first-in-the nation type legislation that was signed by WI Governor Scott Walker in 2014. The legislation requires outside agencies to investigate all fatal shootings by law enforcement throughout the state.

Bell, a retired USAF Lt. Colonel, co-wrote an article titled, "The Insanity of Finding Fault versus Fixing Cause" which was the basis for the conference.

A Legislative Council Committee has been recommended to advance the concepts.
The recent damage from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria have changed the investing landscape for manyand thats putting it lightly. Those with real estate affected by the hurricanes are looking at real losses, either to their homes or to investment property that was set to serve as a retirement nest egg. Recently, Jim Hitt took to the American IRA blog to talk about how those with Real Estate IRA properties affected by hurricane damage can handle these issues.

The first topic for the post: insurance and repair considerations unique to Real Estate IRAs. Because investors shouldnt intermingle their fundswhich means investors should keep their IRA funds separate from the rest of their fundsits important to watch out for these issues especially when theres a sudden demand for repair money. Real Estate IRA owners can be tempted to buy things like sandbags and temporary doors/fencing. But Real Estate IRA investors are expected not to use their personal funds to finance these items. There are common-sense repairs available, and Jim Hitt details these issues in the post.

What many people dont realize about Real Estate IRAs is that its important to keep them separated from an investors usual funds, said Jim Hitt. You wouldnt move money in and out of a 401(k) without thinking about it first. Similarly, investors cant simply go up to their property and use their personal credit card to make things right again. This is a separate, tax-protected investment account, and investors need to remember that theyre expected to treat it as such.

For example, a settlement check from an insurance company for damage to the Real Estate IRA property should be made to the Real Estate IRA, not to the owner of the property. That requires paperwork done the right way on the front end, Jim Hitt says, which is why its so important to work with a reputable Self-Directed IRA custodian.

There are tremendous benefits to the Real Estate IRA, Jim Hitt said. But an investor only realizes those benefits if they follow the rules. Even with special circumstances like hurricane damage, the rules still have to be followed.

About:

American IRA, LLC was established in 2004 by James C. Hitt in Asheville, NC.

The mission of American IRA is to provide the highest level of customer service in the self-directed retirement industry. Mr. Hitt and his team have grown the company to over $250 million in assets under administration by educating the public that their self-directed IRA account can invest in a variety of assets such as real estate, private lending, limited liability companies, precious metals and much more.

As a self-directed IRA administrator they are a neutral third party. They do not make any recommendations to any person or entity associated with investments of any type (including financial representatives, investment promoters or companies, or employees, agents or representatives associated with these firms). They are not responsible for and are not bound by any statements, representations, warranties or agreements made by any such person or entity and do not provide any recommendation on the quality profitability or reputability of any investment, individual or company. The term "they" refers to American IRA, located in Asheville, NC.
Torque wrench tester allows technicians to quickly verify the calibration status of a torque wrench.

Mountz Inc., a specialist in providing torque and fastening solutions, today announced that it has been honored with a Pro Tool Innovation Award for its Validator torque wrench tester in the Test & Measurement - Inspection category. Tool, fastener, and accessory winners were decided by innovationincluding a mix of new features, power, and value. These are best-in-class products that are truly ahead of their time. Over 50 different manufacturers submitted 260 tool entries in dozens of categories for a shot to win a 2017 Pro Tool Innovation Award.

This is the third time in the past five years that Mountz has earned the innovation award. The patented MountzPro true dual click wrench won the award back in 2013 and the EPT adjustable torque wrench was selected in 2015. "This industry award reinforces the value Mountz provides to its customer base, enabling technicians and mechanics to quickly verify the calibration status of a torque wrench," said Daniel Andeel, Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

"When manufacturers built tools and accessories that break the mold, they deserve recognition. Professional consumers need to know which tools are a cut-above and breaking new ground," said Clint DeBoer, Executive Director of the Pro Tool Innovation Awards. "These are the tools that should really be in every tradesman's toolbox. They can save you time, money, and even make the job easier or more ergonomic."

A panel of judges made up of tool and media professionals from across the United States and Canada weighed in on entries from top global manufacturers, and Mountz, Inc. received an award for the Validator torque wrench tester. Here's what the judges had to say about the torque tester: "Its the Guru on the mountain that can tell if your torque wrench is still within calibration limits. By taking care of torque wrench calibration checks in-house, you eliminate unnecessary servicing, keeping your crew more productive and the shop more profitable. Thanks to the easy Green/Red visual indicator, theres no guesswork involved."

The Validator allows for instant verification that a wrench is still in calibration. Coupled with a torque wrench management and maintenance program the Validator can provide significant cost savings by not relying on a time-based calibration interval but by servicing a wrench only when the wrench starts displaying the incorrect torque during in-house testing.

By performing periodic validations with a torque wrench a technician can be confident that the tool is producing accurately the desired torque setting. Periodic checks can be accomplished quickly with the use of our special Pass / Fail visual feedback system. A preset a target torque and tolerance are programmed and if a torque reading falls within the tolerance a Green light is illuminated, Pass. A Red light is illuminated for any out of tolerance readings, Fail. The operator only needs to look at the lights. The robust torque tester is ideal for field service, maintenance and production applications.

Using a quality torque measurement equipment makes a safer world through accuracy and precision. Controlling torque is essential for companies to ensure their product's quality, safety and reliability isn't compromised. The failure of a three-cent fastener that isn't properly tightened can lead to catastrophic or latent failures. Fasteners that are insufficiently fastened can vibrate loose and excessive torque can strip threaded fasteners.
Two competing teams from the United States and Japan will fly their drones across the Pacific Ocean to test the endurance and capability of their vehicles to fly long distances - unmanned. The event, dubbed the Pacific Drone Challenge will pit the technology of an American team - Sabrewing Aircraft Company in the Silicon Valley against the capabilities of a Japanese team  iRobotics of Shinjuku, Japan. Both teams will compete to see who can make the crossing from Japan to the Silicon Valley first.

Weve been working on a heavy-lift, mid-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for several years, stated Ed De Reyes, the Chief Operating Officer of Sabrewing Aircraft. This race gives us the ability to demonstrate our systemand to make some history as well, he stated.

While there have been endurance records set and broken by various teams in recent memory, none have combined distance, endurance and unmanned operations in one event. Most recently, a manned, long-endurance aircraft known as the Solar Impulse flew around the world for a total of 22,915 nautical miles (42,438 km), making 17 stops along the route and amassing 558 hours of total flight time. Two pilots onboard the Solar Impulse took turns flying the aircraft during the entire route. There have been other long-endurance aircraft that have flown non-stop around the world as well. Most notably, the Voyager aircraft flew non-stop from Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert in 1986  also with two pilots on-board.

The difference between what we are doing and what has been done before is significant. De Reyes continued, We are flying 4500 miles (8300 km), over open-ocean, without a pilot on board, for 45 to 50 hours. We are flying that distance for that amount of time on a fraction of the size and weight of other similar aircraft, and at a fraction of the cost.

One other striking difference is that the Sabrewing team is building a UAV that has other applications besides a vehicle that can fly long distances  they are also building in autonomy, high-altitude capability, and more importantly, heavy payload capacity. Sabrewing is also using advanced laser sense-and-avoid technology, as well as a unique computer -- designed and programmed by graduate students from California State University Channel Islands  that integrates all the sensors into a single, artificial-intelligence-based system that enhances safety by autonomously avoiding obstacles as small as birds.

Companies currently providing technology solutions in the industry are also aware of the fact that the Pacific Drone Challenge is making history: Sabrewing is being sponsored by several well-known and established companies in the autonomous air vehicle field  including such companies as Yuneec, FLIR, Cobham Satellite and Inmarsat, to name a few. While these companies are sponsoring in-kind hardware and software, Sabrewing is looking for financial help to reduce the cost of taking on the Challenge.

Competitions have always proven the old saying that necessity is the mother of invention, stated De Reyes. He continued: In this instance, the object is not only to show what our air vehicle can do, but to then re-use all the technology that weve developed to demonstrate how long-range, heavy-cargo deliveries can be made autonomously. Just as Lindbergh proved that flying non-stop across the Atlantic was feasible for mail and passenger aircraft, well be proving that we can do the same thing with an aircraft that doesnt have a pilot aboard.

Sabrewing will be holding a press conference during the World Drone Expo on Tuesday, October 3, 2017. The press conference will be carried live via GoToMeeting.com. For more information on how to tune into the press conference or for information on the Pacific Drone Challenge or Sabrewing Aircrafts entry, please contact Lisa at inquiries(at)sabrewingaircraft(dot)com.

Sabrewing Aircraft Company: http://www.sabrewingaircraft.com

iRobotics: http://www.irobotics.jp

Pacific Drone Challenge: http://www.pacificdronechallenge.com
Celebrate the upcoming holiday season at the USPS First-Day-of-Issue Ceremony, October 5 at Noon.

The American Stamp Dealers Association, Inc. is hosting its annual National Fall Postage Stamp Show, October 57 at the New York Hilton Midtown, 6th Avenue and 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019. The doors open daily at 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday the show runs until 6 p.m.; Saturday until 5 p.m. There is something for everyone from the experienced to the non-collector  dealers, specialty collecting groups, and much more. Admission is Free.

Got Stamps and Dont Know What To Do with Them?

Take Advantage of the Free Appraisal Service  Bring in those stamps/collections that you have inherited or been storing for years. This free service will put a value on your material and advise you on what to do. The appraisal service will be open for business from 10 a.m.3 p.m. each day of the show. To participate in this service, check in at the ASDA Booth located at the show entrance.

What To Do at the Show

Shop Til You Drop  Dealers will be buying and selling stamps and historic envelopes from across the nation and around the world  from vintage to modern, and more. Buy and sell with confidence with ASDA dealer members.

Attend the United States Postal Service First-Day-of-Issue Ceremony  Join the United States Postal Service in celebration of the Holiday season with the unveiling of four new Forever stamps  Christmas Carols. The ceremony will take place at New York Hilton Midtown, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Ave. and West 53rd St., New York, New York, at Noon on October 5. The stamps feature images that illustrate the major theme of each of four beloved Christmas carols: Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, Silent Night and Jolly Old Saint Nicholas. Familiar lines from each song highlight the individual stamps. The booklet of 20 stamps includes five of each design. The late Howard E. Paine was the art director. Artist Steve McCracken of Winchester, Virginia, created original art for the project. Please share the news using the hashtag #HolidayStamps. The USPS is online at http://www.usps.com.

Be Present at the United Nations Pre-Launch Ceremony  The United Nations Postal Administration will be celebrating World Food Day with a pre-launch unveiling ceremony at the show on October 5 at 1:30 p.m. World Food Day is a chance to show our commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2  to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030.

Visit Society Booths  Seven stamp collecting societies will have a presence at the show: the American Topical Association, Ebony Society of Philatelic Events and Reflections, Inc., U.S. Stamp Society, Vatican Philatelic Society, and the Philatelic Foundation.

.

Kids, Get Into Collecting  Each child ages 610, who is accompanied by an adult, will receive a free gift.

Be sure to pick up some souvenirs of your time at the show  stop by the ASDA Booth.

Visit http://www.americanstampdealer.com for all you need to know about the show  schedule of events, dealers in attendance, and more.

Come to the Show!

Get into collecting at the ASDA Fall Postage Stamp Show  October 57 at the New York Hilton Midtown. Explore the wide, wonderful world of collecting  a hobby for a life time! We look forward to seeing you.
Crisis preparedness is key during and in the aftermath of a hurricane. Partners Pharmacy, operating as Advanced Pharmacy in Texas, Florida, and Maryland, helped prepare skilled nursing facilities in Florida and Texas for Hurricanes Irma and Harvey through the use of AP PassPort, a remote onsite dispensing system.

The AP PassPort system is a fully automated, remotely monitored, medication-dispensing center that helps skilled nursing facilities administer patient medications without relying on pharmacy delivery. In preparation for the storms, nursing staff with the AP PassPort system were able to plan ahead and package all necessary meds with an additional one week supply in the chance that they lost power or internet.

During Hurricane Irma, most of Florida lost power, including one-half of the residential nursing homes that we service; however all of the facilities still functioned on generated power. Partners Pharmacy jumped into action during this storm to ensure that all patients needs were met. One Highland Lake Center resident was admitted last minute on oxygen and was provided all necessary meds with no delay. Despite down trees and road blockage, all of the facilities we service through AP PassPort were able to get their medication and access to 24/7 support during the hurricane.

During Hurricane Harvey, Partners Pharmacy ensured that all patients needs were met in the skilled nursing facilities they service in Houston. Regent Care Harborview and League City residential nursing homes were impacted with significant flooding which barred access to the facilities for three days. Despite this challenge, these residents and 100% of Texas residents using Partners Pharmacy were able to get their meds on time through AP PassPort. This includes the Regent Care Kingwood facilities, which were evacuated, with patients being moved to other facilities. All patients medication orders were transferred with no disruptions. Our partnership with Leverage Garland pharmacy helped provide additional services to outlier accounts, and our phone systems were linked to other pharmacies to ensure that all calls were answered. Additionally, Partners Pharmacy pharmacists with multi-state licenses were made available 24/7 to process immediate prescription needs, as well as change orders.

During Hurricane Irma, AP PassPort allowed the skilled nursing facilities we service to maintain high-quality care in the state of a natural disaster, said Nikita Akbari, Director of Pharmacy at one of our customer nursing facilities, in Orlando, Florida. Despite the loss of power, all residents received their medications on time with no delay or issues.

Our PassPort system is monitored visually and diagnostically 24/7 via our on-call pharmacy support, which is crucial to operations functioning seamlessly, even during a state-wide, natural disaster. We are thrilled to report that all of our facilities, thanks to the real-time updates and immediate dispensing of AP PassPort, were able to survive the hurricane with minimal disruption and no delay to medication delivery.

About Partners Pharmacy - Partners Pharmacy is the third largest long-term care pharmacy provider in the U.S. Each regional Partners location provides the same unmatched personalized service through the combined resources of local teams and expanding national resources. Partners collaborates with the communities it serves to improve outcomes, reduce costs and increase operational efficiencies that permit more time for direct patient care.
Container Stop has provided the Central Coast of California with the best possible tack houses made from shipping containers.

This week, Atascadero storage container providers at Container Stop released the report, "5 Ideas For Shipping Container Tack Houses.

Container Stop has provided the Central Coast of California with the best possible tack houses made from shipping containers. Customized by Container Stop, of Paso Robles, each type of tack house can be suited to its individual needs. Horses and other farm animals need a lot of storage space for the saddles, and other tack. Here are some quick ideas to help customize any shipping container tack house.

Consider lighting. Electricity is an option that can be used inside the container and also on the outside. Consider the structural layout of the shipping container and plan out what goes where before installing any electrical components. Solar panels are a great option!

Horse stalls. Adding one or two horse stables to the tack house is a simple effective method of having easily transportable stables, and insulating them is an option worth the investment. Having the stable prebuilt saves the cost of building a stable from scratch.

Storing feed. Animals and varmints love invading a fresh food supply, and keeping the farms food, hay and other precious resources locked up tight is not as hard as it seems. Cabinets can be built into the tack house and securely locked up. Counter spaces naturally take form when installing cabinetry, and having hanging hooks for other tack house goods makes for good organization on the walls. The security of shipping containers is designed into building them in the first place, to keep out any pests.

Storms and weathering. Shipping containers are nearly air and watertight. The technology used to make storage containers ensures durability, strength and long-lasting use. Setting up a gutter system or rain catching system could be a useful way to recycle and use fresh rainwater and to also redirect it exactly where you want it.

Creating additional storage space. It is so simple to line up two shipping containers parallel to each other and place a roof over the top. It makes for a quickly built barn, large shed, garage or workspace. Every tack room should have a wide open space to work in. Keeping a metal roof overhead is sure to shade the animals on hot summer days, and keep rain away during stormy winters.

Container Stop provides Atascadero storage container customers with nearly endless possibilities to customize a tack house specifically for each customers personal taste. A solid source of agricultural storage needs has been fulfilled for an area of California with many ranches, farmland and open spaces.

Container Stop

5873 Stockdale Rd

Paso Robles, CA 93446

(805) 441-0883

http://www.ContainerStop.com

Press release by San Luis Obispo SEO company Access Publishing, 806 9th Street, #2D, Paso Robles, CA 93446. (805) 226-9890.
Destination Wealth Management is a San Francisco Bay Area-based independent money management firm that provides fee-based wealth management services to institutional investors and individual investors. They announced today it will be a Platinum sponsor of the Asian Pacific Funds 2017 Annual Gala (http://bit.ly/APFgala17). The gala will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco.

We believe it is important to help others in our community and is a key foundational value of Destination Wealth Management. We are honored to share in the mission of the Asia Pacific Fund as we seek to serve those in distress., CEO Michael Yoshikami stated in describing DWM involvement in the APF Gala.

The Asian Pacific Funds Annual Gala is the Funds largest fundraising event. For nearly 25 years, the gala has been an exceptional gathering of over 400 Asian and Pacific Islander (API) business leaders. A key feature of the gala is the Leadership in Philanthropy Award. Each year, the Funds Board of Directors selects an individual or group of individuals who have achieved significant success in their field while also making a difference by giving back. Past award recipients have included: bestselling author, Amy Tan; YouTube Co-Founder, Steve Chen; Yahoo! Co-Founder, Jerry Yang; and San Francisco 49ers Co-Owner, Gideon Yu.

This years honoree is Minami Tamaki LLP. For more than 40 years, Minami Tamaki LLP has been a trailblazer in legal services and civil rights on behalf of the Asian American community. The firm made history by reopening the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Korematsu v. the United States, and overturning the conviction of Fred Korematsu. The outcome led to reparations for interned Japanese Americans. The firms partners are equally known for helping found the Asian Law Caucus and the Asian Law Alliance as part of their ongoing mission to promote, advance, and represent the basic human, legal and civil rights of Asian Pacific Islander communities and beyond.

Now more than ever, the Bay Areas API community confronts unprecedented challenges, said Audrey Yamamoto, President & Executive Director, Asian Pacific Fund. The support of sponsoring partners like Destination Wealth Management contributes to our efforts to address the hidden needs of the most vulnerable in our community and helps our 70+ community affiliates to survive and thrive in these uncertain times.

APIs are often represented as being socioeconomically successful and hard-working, feeding into the myth of the model minority. This myth masks the needs of the 50+ ethnic groups under the API umbrella, including high poverty rates, lack of access to English language services, and growing unemployment. These needs are further compounded by the recent finding of increased anti-Asian hate violence post-November election, which has crept up to levels not seen since the aftermath of 9/11.

About The Asian Pacific Fund: The Asian Pacific Fund is a San Francisco-based community foundation dedicated to improving the lives of Asian and Pacific Islander communities in the Bay Area. The Fund mobilizes philanthropic giving from donors, supports organizations that serve the most vulnerable and raises awareness about pressing community needs. For more information, visit their website at http://www.asianpacificfund.org.
Its just the beginning, there are kids who are eligible for reimbursable meals and looking for a good meal and working with our school partners, were going to make sure they get fed, said Joe Gilbert, VP/GM of VE South, the parent company of Star Food Healthy Express.

In 2007 using a vending machine at public schools meant chips and candy. Thats when the team at Star Food went to government officials and decision makers and laid groundwork in 2007 that changed how vending could serve healthy, USDA compliant, reimbursable meals in schools across the country.

Today, a decade later, due in large part to the efforts of school nutritionists, parents, and the team at Star Food Healthy Express, more than 5 million reimbursable meals are being served each school year through more than 500 Star Food reimbursable meal vending machines.

In 36 states, and growing, it takes less than 20 seconds for a student to punch in their student number and receive a USDA compliant, multi-component meal, some designed by top Chefs. Star Food can serve free or reduced cost breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks  all managed by the foodservice professionals at the schools.

Its just the beginning, there are kids who are eligible for reimbursable meals and looking for a good meal and working with our school partners, were going to make sure they get fed, said Joe Gilbert, VP/GM of VE South, the parent company of Star Food Healthy Express.

Our experience with adding Star Food machines in cafeterias in our district was that many of the students who got their reimbursable meals from the machines were students who had not been coming to the cafeteria before. The increase in meals served was incremental right from the first day the machines were installed, said Art Dunham, now retired director of Food Service, Pinellas County, FL where he was responsible for feeding more than 104,000 students daily.

Over the years we added more machines in more schools and kept seeing the same results; students who chose not come eat the cafeterias due to long lines or time constraints were now able to get their lunches quickly and easily. Grab and go salads, sandwiches with fresh fruits and dairy products became popular through vending. We saw students eating with us that had never done so before, said Dunham.

Research findings on how to feed more kids:



Kids will eat if they have access

Near the bus stop

Close to sporting venues

In congregation areas

Visual, appetizing, high-tech and easy all attract kids to reimbursable meal vending machines

Top reasons schools choose vending:



Schools increase revenue when more kids eat

Cashless systems work with POS and avoid vandalism issues

Grades improve, absenteeism declines

Many community organizations, local chefs, farmers, and food producers want to help.

VE South has established a nonprofit to help donors and schools come together. Feed More Kids is a 501 3C organization, registered with the IRS and located in the State of Florida.

ABOUT STAR FOOD

Star Food Healthy Express, which began in 2007, is the leader in reimbursable meal machines in the United States.

Parent company VE South is based in Fort Lauderdale Florida at 4800 NW 15th Avenue, Suite B, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. Contact information: 877-857-3663 x1 and starfoodhealthyexpress.com.

Media contact: Laura Phillips Bennett, laura(at)bennettandco(dot)com
This October, the global non-profit organization The Keep A Breast Foundation (KAB) will launch its national movement  Fit 4 Prevention  to raise awareness about cancer prevention through fitness and wellness. KAB invites studios, gyms, boutiques, and individuals around the country to join in Fit 4 Prevention by hosting donation-based classes within their own communities to raise funds and increase awareness for KABs mission to empower young people around the world with breast health education and support.

The goal of Fit 4 Prevention is to inspire people to reduce their risk of cancers by adopting a healthier, more active lifestyle, in a way that sparks their inner champion, explained Keep A Breast Founder, Shaney jo Darden. We are so grateful for the support we received last year. We cant wait to share our message with even more communities all over the country.

What is your fit? Our bodies are all different and equally beautiful, and fit means something different to all of us. We want to know what fit means to you! We are encouraging participants to share their fitness stories on social media #ThisIsMyFit. We want to open the dialogue on fitness and wellness and help to show people that fitness is different for everyone. It doesnt matter how you fit, just as long as you get moving.

This movement is already underway with the support of over 70 studios nationwide including Barre Code, Rev Cycle, Gracie Barra, Culture Shock, Yoga Union, and many more. The first 100 studios that sign up will receive a KABtivist kit that includes GoMacro minis, i love boobies! bracelets, educational materials, digital assets, including an event listing on the Fit 4 Preventions event page. To host or attend an event near you, please visit fit4prevention.com.

In celebration of Fit 4 Prevention, OUE Skyspace LA will host an event on October 11th in honor of KAB, in their unique space one thousand feet above Downtown Los Angeles. Event festivities will include sunset yoga lead by Caley Alyssa, sound bath by Kassia Meador, light snacks will be served along with beverages provided by Harmless Harvest, and Eagle Rock Brewery. Attendees will also receive a complimentary VIP bag containing coveted swag from great partners such as Bare Bones Body, Just Nips, HUF, SweatStyle, and more! Limited tickets available here!

About The Keep A Breast Foundation:

The Keep A Breast Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower young people around the world with breast health education and support.

Since its inception in 2000, KAB has worked with young people to remove the shame associated with breasts and breast cancer health. Keep A Breast has grown into the leading global youth-based breast cancer prevention organization, with global affiliates in Japan, Canada, Europe, Mexico and Chile.

Website: keep-a-breast.org

Facebook: facebook.com/keepabreast

Twitter: @keepabreast

Instagram: @keepabreast

Event Hashtag: #Fit4Prevention
Partner Jerry Lehocky was recently inducted into the Freedom Area Educational Foundations Hall of Fame. A banquet was held on Saturday, September 23 to celebrate the 2017 Inductees.

Jerry Lehocky, Jack Baker, Barbara Heyman, and Jennifer Sullivan were the four elected individuals to receive this honor. The Hall of Fame banquet serves as the foundations primary annual fundraiser and was created to recognize and celebrate the achievements of successful and prominent alumni. It also fosters a connection between the current (and future) students of the district and those who have come before them.

Established in January 2008, The Freedom Area Educational Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt organization that strives to improve the quality of the education and extracurricular activities that are provided in the Freedom Area School District. The district, located in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, includes the communities of Conway and Freedom Boroughs, and New Sewickley Township. The foundation sponsors multiple activities and events throughout the year, and funds both student scholarships and teacher grants.
The San Luis Obispo Sportsmens Association hosts an annual John Wayne Shootout, Aug. 10-14, featuring cowboy action shooting, and a catered meal from Popolo Catering, San Luis Obispo.

San Luis Obispo Catering company Popolo Catering knows just what to cook for a wide variety of clients in the Central Coast of California. Annually, Popolo Catering has been serving up their mouthwatering and famously delicious BBQ meal at the John Wayne Shootout. The San Luis Obispo Sportsmens Association hosts an annual John Wayne Shootout, Aug. 10-14, featuring cowboy action shooting, and a catered meal from Popolo Catering, San Luis Obispo. Held in the Chorro Valley by the Chorro Valley Regulators, members come dressed up like old western cowboys and cowgirls, to have shootout competitions. The township of Chorro Valley hosts members of the Single Action Shootout Society (SASS), whose families and friends gather to watch the shootouts and timed scenario-based shooting. Participants use firearms that are usually associated with the old west and cowboys of the frontier. Single action revolvers and lever action rifles are just a few of the old guns used during the shooting competition.

The scenic location in San Luis Obispo is surrounded by the golden hills and cool ocean breezes, just off Hwy 1.

Cowboy action shooting is what the various competitions are all about during this weekend-long event for members. Working up quite the appetite, the mini old west town fills up with 400 hungry cowboys and their families. The attendees are invited to dine on Popolos 3 buffet service lines which are full of BBQ prime rib, shrimp scampi, pasta formaggio, and much more. Along with a wide array of beverages, the dessert display of brownies, lemon bars, donuts and freshly baked cookies feeds members who return every year to visit this special place. Held on Aug 12, Popolo Catering comes ready, with three carving teams ready for quick efficient service. The BBQ team from the San Luis Obispo Catering company has a passion for cooking and brings it wherever they are taken. Popolo Catering is known for being very efficient, professional, and organized. The team members can feed 400 people in less than 45 minutes! Previous attendees have stated, My husband comes for the shootout, I come for the Popolo food. I come looking forward to the Popolo menu every year. Popolo Catering loves the community, and receives rave reviews every year from individuals attending the shootout.

Owners, Leon and Kat Castillo take pride in providing the best-catered food and professional service to their many clients. Popolo Catering knows exactly how to feed the cowboys with this annual event, enjoyed by all who attend. With such authentic replica revolvers such as Colts Peacemaker or Ruger Vaqueros, and rifles from Winchester and Marlin, and truly old west attire, the attendees are sent back in time by the Single Action Shooting Society, and fed very well, undoubtedly better than cowfolk so many years ago.

Popolo Catering

1605 Calle Joaquin

San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Call (805) 543-9543

Visit PopoloCatering.com

Press release by San Luis Obispo SEO company Access Publishing, 806 9th Street, #2D, Paso Robles, CA 93446. (805) 226-9890.
ICALEO 2017 | October 22-26 | Atlanta, GA ICALEO serves as a great platform for learning and networking, said Gus Anibarro, LIA Education director. You dont get this kind of crowd anywhere else in the world. The attendees are made up of top-tier laser scientists and educators.

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) announces the technical program and conference highlights for the 36th annual International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO). Industry visionaries, technical specialists, researchers, end users, and equipment manufacturers will convene at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, to explore advances in laser applications happening today in a wide variety of industries October 22-26.

I am honored to have worked with the most innovative minds in laser applications to bring ICALEOs program to life, said congress general chair, Christoph Leyens, of TU Dresden and the Fraunhofer IWS in Dresden, Germany.

The opening plenary session explores medical and climate applications while giving a glimpse at new laser tools. The session will surely push the limits regarding traditional views of laser applications:

Mark Schnitzer, an associate professor at Stanford University, and investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, works in neural circuit dynamics and optical imaging. His optical innovations are used to further neuroscience studies worldwide.

University of Colorado department of physics professor, Dr. Henry C. Kapteyn, builds new tabletop x-ray laser light sources and helps develop corresponding applications.

Jeff Deems is a researcher at CIRES, the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado where he also serves as the liaison for the NASA Airborne Snow Observatory. Deems specializes in laser mapping snow packs and developing lidar applications for avalanche forecasting and climate applications.

To close ICALEO, Dr. Leyens has invited plenary speakers from two groups that are spearheading adoption of additive manufacturing.

The accelerated certification of additively manufactured metals initiative director at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is Dr. Wayne King. He will discuss how his team is leading the transition from conventional manufacturing methods to metal additive manufacturing.

Florian Bechmann, head of Engineering & Technology (Concept Laser brand) at GE Aviation will explore technologies that advance manufacturing of jet engines and other airplane components using new tools such as additive manufacturing.

ICALEO has a strong emphasis on Laser Materials Processing and in recent years technical presentations have integrated additive manufacturing, often known as 3D Printing, with traditional subtractive technologies like cutting, drilling, and marking, as well as with welding, inspection and optical analysis. Sessions delving into the specifics of laser applications were organized by:

Laser Materials Processing Conference Co-Chairs: Klaus Kleine, Coherent Inc. and Friedhelm Dorsch, TRUMPF Laser- und Systemtechnik GmbH

Laser Microprocessing Conference Co-Chairs: Michelle Stock, mlstock consulting and Cather Simpson, University of Auckland

Nanomanufacturing Conference Chair: Yongfeng Lu, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Additionally, the conference offers a number of casual opportunities to meet new colleagues, connect with old friends, and share knowledge. From the opening music-filled Welcome Celebration, to the Presidents Reception, and the Vendor Reception, ICALEO offers a wealth of fun networking events.

ICALEO serves as a great platform for learning and networking, said Gus Anibarro, LIA Education director. You dont get this kind of crowd anywhere else in the world. The attendees are made up of top-tier laser scientists and educators.

The LIA Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon to be held on Wednesday, October 25, will be a highlight of the community. This year the prestigious Arthur L. Schawlow Award will be presented to Dr. Paul Seiler, former managing director of TRUMPF Laser GmbH. The recognition is in honor of his pioneering work utilizing lasers in machine tools for industrial applications. Dr. Seiler joins luminaries in the field of lasers including Milton Chang, Reinhart Poprawe, and Steven Chu, who were past recipients.

No conference in this day and age can be successful without sponsorships. IPG Photonics Corporation; EdgeWave GmbH; Innovative Laser Solutions; SPI Lasers; TRUMPF Inc.; Laserline Inc.; Light Conversion Ltd.; Lumentum; and Spectra-Physics, A Newport Company, have all demonstrated a commitment to furthering laser utilization in real-world applications by supporting ICALEO.

To register for ICALEO 2017, visit http://www.icaleo.org.

About LIA

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. http://www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Suite 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.
Healthy Living Benefits, a website devoted to providing information on all aspects of healthy living, is now featuring a complete guide to CBD Oil benefits. The guide first appeared on the website on August 30, 2017 and was written by Jessica Lewis. According to Lewis, I wanted to write this important guide to share the CBD Oil benefits and clear up a lot of the confusion surrounding CBD Oil.

Lewis first explains what CBD is and then discusses the misinformation that is on the web and other sources. Her guide puts CBD Oil in the scientific, legal and consumer context that it needs to be to have an honest discussion.

Since CBD Oil derives from Cannabis, Lewis provides a brief history of the social and legal aspects of that substance and she goes into detail about the various compounds derived from cannabis, including THC and cannabinoids. She then presents a discussion about the most common and most talked about cannabinoid, Cannabidol or CBD. Here she presents the many benefits of CBD, which, as she points out, include bone growth promotion, cancer cell inhibitors, pain relief, muscle spasm suppression, reduction of nausea and vomiting after chemotherapy, and many more.

Having laid the groundwork, the guide to CBD Oil benefits, focuses on how CBD works, and those very benefits. Readers will find a thorough and detailed discussion of the positive effects of Cannabinoids, including a discussion of some of the research and studies that have been conducted. Lewis even includes a cautionary note that the legal and official positions related to cannabis is in flux and can change and she details some of the talked about side effects of using anything related to cannabis.

Still, the focus on the guide remains the CBD Oil benefits, and this guide identifies ten. These ten include benefits related to cancer and chemotherapy, diabetes and heart disease, seizures and muscle spasms, chronic pain, anxiety management, autoimmune disorders, antibacterial action, anti-inflammatory effects, bone growth and cachexia and anorexia.

Healthy Living Benefits is a website devoted to providing information and advice on all aspects of healthy living. More information about CDB Oil benefits and other topics of healthy living can be found at http://www.hlbenefits.com. Healthy Living Benefits also has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Skill at estate litigation doesn't happen overnight and it's not easy.

Burdette & Rice, one of the leading Texas estate, trust, and probate litigation law firms, is proud to announce that attorney Mark Caldwell has had the honor of having his paper on "Power of Attorney Litigation" accepted by the Thomson Reuters national publication, "Estate Planning," for publication in early 2018. The journal, "Estate Planning," focuses on tax efficiency, asset protection, financial planning, charitable giving and the care of family members in diverse circumstances.

Skill at estate litigation doesn't happen overnight and it's not easy," explained Elliott Burdette, Managing Director of Probate Litigation at Burdette & Rice. Mark is an incredible attorney who is not only a skilled litigator but someone who finds the time to share his knowledge in talks and publications such as this upcoming commitment to be published in Thomson Reuter's journal, 'Estate Planning.'"

To learn more about attorney Mark Caldwell, who has written extensively on the topic of litigation involving Powers of Attorney, visit http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/mark-r-caldwell/. Persons interested in obtaining a copy of the article upon publication should reach out to Mark directly; persons who may be facing an estate litigation issues, especially but not only those in the Dallas, Texas, area, can reach out for a private consultation as well. Those who want a quick overview to the firm's estate litigation practice should visit http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/probate-estate-disputes/.

POWER OF ATTORNEY DISPUTES AND LITIGATION UNDER TEXAS LAW

While the content of Mark's paper is as yet unpublished, the Texas lay public would do well to visit the firm's informational page on power of attorney disputes under Texas law at http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/power-of-attorney-disputes/. This page explains that many people in Texas are serving, or will serve, as attorney-in-fact for a friend or family member at some point. The fiduciary relationship created by a Durable Power of Attorney or Medical Power of Attorney is one of the most common fiduciary relationships that can be encountered, yet it is the one that is the most often abused. A Durable Power of Attorney is a written instrument that authorizes a third party to manage someone elses financial affairs. This instrument remains effective even if the person signing the instrument becomes disabled or incompetent after signing it, thus making it durable. Durable Powers of Attorney present numerous potential disputes that play out in the probate courts. In the most common factual scenario, a parent has given one child a power of attorney to manage the parents financial affairs. The child may become secretive about his or her actions, or engage in suspicious transactions without the parents consent or authority. Many cases like this will involve other friends or family members expressing concerns about the Attorney-in-fact acting improperly. It should be noted that anyone facing a possible dispute over power of attorney in the Dallas, Texas, area is well-advised to reach out for a confidential consultation with an attorney.

ABOUT BURDETTE & RICE, PLLC

Burdette & Rice, PLLC is a top Dallas probate law firm at http://www.dallasprobateattorneys.com/, with lawyers dedicated to listening to their clients, being fully present to them, and advocating their clients positions in the simplest and most persuasive way possible. The law firm employs some of the top probate and estate lawyers in Dallas, Texas. Clients come to Burdette & Rice to contest a will in Texas, work on complex inheritance litigation and disputes, and to litigate disputes over powers of attorney, guardianship and trustee issues all based on Texas law.

Burdette & Rice, PLLC

Media Relations

972-991-7700
Wisdom Teeth Extraction San Francisco Bay Area When doing anything vital, whether its buying a home or going in for oral surgery, its key to solicit more than one opinion from the experts.

Dr. Alex Rabinovich, a top-rated oral surgeon in San Francisco, has announced enhanced advertising regarding wisdom teeth extraction for San Francisco residents. The new campaign, launched on Google and Bing in September, emphasizes the importance of a second opinion when selecting an oral surgeon for wisdom teeth extraction.

When doing anything vital, whether its buying a home or going in for oral surgery, its key to solicit more than one opinion from the experts, commented Dr. Rabinovich. For oral surgery, including wisdom teeth extraction, San Franciscans would benefit from a second opinion before choosing an oral surgeon. Our new advertising and a newly updated information page highlight this dynamic.

One can see the ads running by searching for 'Wisdom Teeth Extraction' in San Francisco. Alternatively, to review the newly enhanced page for wisdom teeth extraction in San Francisco, please visit http://www.oralsurgery-sf.com/wisdom-teeth/. Residents searching for information about dental implants are referred to the company's dental implant website at http://www.sfdentalimplants.com/.

WISDOM TEETH EXTRACTION AND SECOND OPINIONS

Here is background to this release. A hasty decision for big choices can cause regret for a San Francisco local. Choosing to buy a new car on the first lot a person has visited, to use an example, could mean losing out on a better deal elsewhere. Similarly, relying on one single visit with an oral surgeon before an important surgery could end up leaving a person disappointed. Big choices may require more time to review the all the facts. Stepping back and seeking out a second opinion could offer a new perspective to an important decision. Rushing into oral surgery without carefully weighing in all the facts can cause trouble. If a Bay Area resident suffers from impacted wisdom teeth, listening to a second opinion prior to wisdom teeth extraction may be the answer.

For this reason, Dr. Alex Rabinovich, a highly-reviewed oral surgeon in the Bay Area has announced new advertising targeting San Francisco consumers who may need an oral surgeon for wisdom teeth extraction. A single visit to an oral surgeon may not be enough to pinpoint each issue in the mouth. A second look at wisdom teeth extraction in SF may offer insight to impacted wisdom teeth. Visiting a second oral surgeon via referral could help identify several jaw and gum problems not noticed before. The result could be an overall healthier mouth. Large decisions may take longer to confirm. Taking the time to double-check a decision like this before moving ahead can mean successful wisdom teeth extraction in SF.

About Oral Surgery San Francisco

Oral Surgery San Francisco (http://www.oralsurgery-sf.com/) is located in the Financial District of the City. Under the direction of Dr. Alex Rabinovich, a Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon specializing in the field of oral surgery. This additional training, along with his years of experience, sets Alex Rabinovich MD DDS apart from the growing number of general dentists offering oral surgery and other dental procedures. Procedures include wisdom teeth extraction, jaw surgery and dental implants. Oral Surgery San Francisco serves all neighborhoods in the city of San Francisco including Pacific Heights, Russian Hill and Noe Valley.

Contact

Tel. (415) 817-9991
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
The storm made landfall last September, cutting communications, flooding neighborhoods, demolishing homes, and wiping out crop fields. At its peak, Maria was a Category 4 storm with 155-mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center. At least 112 people have died because of the storm, some are still homeless, and around

It could take 24 to 36 hours to restore power to everyone on the island, the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority told The AP, adding that it was prioritizing hospitals, water pumping stations, and San Juan's International Airport.

You might be wondering how to help.

According to

The United Funds of Puerto Rico

Puerto Ricans in Action

Several local charities and food banks are partnering to raise $10,000 through Puerto Rican Hurricane Relief Fund.

Money raised will be given to Puerto Ricans in Action, a Los Angeles-based Puerto Rican group. They will then distribute the funds among local nonprofits to pay for food, medical supplies, clothing, social services, and other resources.

ConPRmetidos

Friends of Puerto Rico

Friends of Puerto Rico, a charity organization based in Washington, DC, set up a Hurricane Maria Recovery Fund for rebuilding homes and infrastructure.

Last September, the organization also announced that it will raise additional funds to rebuild centers run by the Boys and Girls Club in

The Center for Popular Democracy

Food Bank of Puerto Rico

Feeding America, an organizationbased in Chicago, is also partnering with the food pantry. You can donate through either organization.

Habitat for Humanity of Puerto Rico

The Habitat for Humanity division in Puerto Rico is fundraising to rebuild homes and neighborhoods on the island.

Information on how to donate via wire transfer is on its Facebook page. The organization told Business Insider late last year that it is having trouble access the internet, due to down power.

GoFundMe and ConnectRelief

GlobalGiving

Convoy of Hope

Heart to Heart International

All Hands Volunteers

Americares

Americares is asking people to donate money to pay for medicine and emergency supplies  donations can be made online via this direct link.
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Somewhere that's warm but not too warm, free from hurricanes and flood-causing downpours, and close to a body of water yet far enough to avoid the threat of sea-level rise.

Which places does that leave? According to climate scientists and urban planners, not a lot.

"The bottom line is it's going to be bad everywhere," Bruce Riordan, the director of the Climate Readiness Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, told Business Insider. "It's a matter of who gets organized around this."

Still, some areas have a better chance of surviving the onslaught of a warmer planet than others, Vivek Shandas, an urban-planning professor at Portland State University, told Business Insider.

"There are places that might at least temper the effects of climate change," he said.

All of them are cities, which tend to be less isolated than rural areas, and most are in the Pacific Northwest.

"Much of the Pacific Northwest is really well-positioned for being one of the better places for climate change," Shandas said.

Urban parts of that region tend to be newer, meaning that their infrastructure  which includes water systems, the power grid, and public transportation  is more modern and "more resilient to major shocks," Shandas said. That's key when it comes to coping with heat and rising water. It also gives the Pacific Northwest an advantage over cities whose infrastructure is badly in need of updates.

"Generally speaking, the US gets about a D+ for things like this," Shandas said. "Much of our infrastructure was built in the late 1800s, and it's beginning to fall apart."

Riordan agreed. "A lot of places are running into real maintenance issues which lead to delays and overcrowding and operational issues because of aging systems," he said.

Geographically speaking, cities in the Pacific Northwest are also conveniently situated near natural resources like water  an integral buffer against drought  and hills, which provide access to higher elevations with cooler temperatures. The region's temperature is naturally fairly mild, making it a good candidate for those hoping to avoid the heat waves that are already becoming more common.

"What were seeing is longer durations of heat waves every year since 2012," Shandas said. "So one of the key questions is 'How is this area going to cope for the next one?'"

Episodes of intense heat can be exacerbated by a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect, wherein cities essentially act as furnaces, generating so much heat that they become significantly warmer than the areas surrounding them.

One of the largest studies on the effects of heat waves took place in Chicago in the 1990s. That study revealed another important measure of a city's ability to cope with climate change: how involved, enfranchised, and well-organized its populations are. The Chicago residents who fared worst during the heat wave were those who were isolated  typically, people with lower incomes and less access to resources. Those who did better, on the other hand, had historically benefited more from social policies that had incorporated them into society.

"Neighborhoods that are connected do better when these things happen," Riordan said.

That's why Shandas and his team assess social inequity when evaluating how prepared a city is for the future.

"What climate change does is it amplifies these inequities," Shandas said. "It's usually people with resources that have things like air-conditioning units, or cars to escape a hurricane. If a city has a lot of inequity, we can begin to speculate that any event  be it a flood, a heat wave, whatever  will really have a lot of impact and make things worse."

Cities like Seattle and Portland score well on measures of social equality or have plans in place to help distribute resources more fairly. Portland, for example, is one of the only cities with a working group tasked with reducing racial and economic inequality as it relates to potential climate-action policies.

San Francisco also scores well on these measures (though it's not in the Pacific Northwest), since 98% of its population lives within a half-mile of regularly operating transportation. That makes wealth or income less of a factor when it comes to accessing transit during an emergency.

However, it's important to remember that climate change is not going to act selectively, and a stark impact felt in one part of the planet will have far-reaching implications elsewhere.
The cine fest which is in its eighth year is to run between Friday, September 29, 2017, to Sunday, October 1, 2017, at the Hoover Theatre, San Diego, California.

Already, the romantic comedy debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and the Durban International Film Festival held in May and July 2017, respectively.

The flick focuses on a train of hilarious proceedings between two ex-couple who decided to live together in their matrimonial home after divorce. This introduced a series of awkward situations facilitated by their failed bid to assert themselves on each other.
The girls, aged 17 and and 23, are being provided shelter by the First Lady.

Modus operandi

ASP Regina Eleanor Mintah, the Ashanti Regional Anti Human Trafficking Unit Commander, said Obolo and her son, use social media to lure young Nigerian girls to Ghana with a promise of securing them decent jobs.

According to her, Ndubisi managed to convince the young girls to travel to Ghana and even paid for her travelling expenses.

However, upon their arrival in November 2016, Obolo and Ndubuisi failed to provide them with the decent jobs and rather forced them into prostitution.

The young girls fled the Sokoban Wood Village when they realised they were being used for money.

Luckily for the young girls, they met one of the security personnel of the First Lady and narrated their ordeal to him for immediate assistance, according to the report.

When the First Lady was informed about the ordeal of the girls, she ordered for the arrest of the suspects to face the law and provided shelter for the girls.

ASP Mintah said her unit quickly raided the Sokoban Wood Village after they were informed of the unfortunate case by the Office of the first lady.

During the dawn raid, which took place in July, this year, Ndubisi was arrested but Obolo was nowhere to be found, the police officer noted.

She said the police later managed to arrest Obolo.

Court bail
Twenty-nine-year-old mechanical engineer Nicholas Afedi Donkoh drove all the way from his house in France to his hometown in Ghana to prove a point: that everyone deserves an adventure.

I just wanted the world to know that its not only white people who can go on such trips, but we blacks, too, can do that as well, he says.

There was a secondary purpose also: The whole idea was to make Ghana more popular and also make Ghanaians all over the world proud.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Donkoh says he bankrolled the trip himself, denying earlier reports that he received sponsorships, while revealing he spent nearly $2,400 just on fuel. Before setting off, Donkoh tinkered with his BMW 7 Series to boost performance.

I increased the horsepower from 400 to 450 so that the car could move a little bit faster, he says, adding that a trip to the Chambre de Commerce in Paris was required for all the necessary travel documents and permits.

A bit of self-care was also called for, with the driver kick-starting an exercise regimen to ready himself for the road.

Rough sleeping and unlikely hospitality

On the evening of Friday July 7, the Ghanaian loaded his car with 24 bottles of water, food and two spare tires and set off into the night, quad bike in tow.

Driving through France to the southern tip of Spain, Donkoh arrived at the port city of Algeciras on the Bay of Gibraltar.

From there he hopped on a ferry to Tangier in northern Morocco. With the Atlantic to his right, he continued through Western Sahara, then Mauritania, Mali and Burkina Faso.

I spent about three days driving on the desert, he says, describing the process as difficult.

Donkoh bemoaned the border crossings and immigration systems: Even if you have all your traveling documents valid, you still have to pay some money before youll be allowed to cross the border.

It was sometimes frustrating. Then there was the terrain. In all, Donkoh says he lost seven tires to the road. At night he sought out gas stations in lieu of a room.

I initially planned to stay in hotels, but things didnt go on well, so I had to sleep in my car. It was only in Burkina Faso that I spent the night in a hotel, he says.

Despite the obstacles, he says it was still a nice experience. I even met some Ghanaians in Mauritania who invited me over for a bowl of our local fufu dish in their home. I met amazing people during this journey.

Homecoming

Midafternoon on Sunday, July 16, Donkoh crossed from Burkina Faso to Paga in Ghanas Upper East region. That was the only border I wasnt delayed, he recalls.

The immigration officers were very surprised when I told them that I drove all the way from Paris. I was allowed to cross without going through any form of immigration checks. Upon arriving he first paid a courtesy visit to Regional Minister Rockson Bukari in Bolgatanga, before heading to his hometown, Tarkwa, in the west of the country.

When you travel by air, you dont really see anything, he says, reflecting on the experience. You only arrive at the airport of your destination and disembark.

But when you travel by road, you will see a lot of beautiful places and nice things on the way. It was a great experience traveling through the desert and all those savanna areas.

On the road again?

The adventure doesnt stop in Accra, says Donkoh  nor does the flag-flying. Hes set his sights on South Africa and wants to travel there in a Kantanka, a Ghanaian-made auto brand.

We are currently discussing it with the manufacturers of Kantanka cars, he says, smiling.
Igbineweka was locked in her house alone with the 22-year-old youth who gored her with a broken bottle.

Help came from her neighbours but it appeared too late as she had lost a large amount of blood before their arrival according to Punch News who reported that most residents abandoned the compound following the tragedy.

They were described to have been shocked by the incident which had been garnering momentum an evening before the murder.
READ MORE: NCA names radio stations whose licenses have been revoked

However, in a statement signed by the Minority spokesperson on communications, Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini, the NDC MPs says the NCA did not consider the harmful impact of its action, saying some 5,000 people working in the affected radio station will be rendered jobless.

The statement said: "Radio has become a foremost means of expression by large sections of our citizenry since the liberalization of the airwaves at the beginning of the current democratic dispensation. Entities operating within that space, therefore, ought to be acknowledged for their invaluable contributions to the growth of our democracy.

"The NCA does not also appear to have considered the deleterious impact this will have on jobs in the sector. We estimate that close to 5,000 people working in the affected stations will be rendered jobless should the current action persist.

"This will only serve to worsen the precarious unemployment situation and add to the hardships Ghanaians are going through."

Out of the 131 stations, 34 which have been operating illegally after their authorisations had expired, had their licenses revoked.

Other stations affected have also been given a 30-day grace period to settle their indebtedness to the regulator or submit the relevant documentation as indicated in the letters sent them by the NCA.

Some of the popular stations that the NCA has slapped hefty fines on including Radio XYZ which has been fined GHc 4,090,000, Atinka FM fined GHc 14,800,000.

Among the stations that have been fined, Radio Gold and Atlantis Radio are the hardest hit, with GHc 61,330,000 and GHc 60,350,000 respectively.
The student, identified as Stephen Nana Agyei Manu, was reportedly found lying in a prone position inside a female washroom in the CCB building on the campus of the university in the hot afternoon of Thursday with an empty bottle of Nopest insecticide.

He is alleged to have taken in doses of the insecticide in a suicide mission.

Manu was initially rushed to the KNUST Hospital for treatment by the security officials of the University.

According to the police, at about 3:00 pm Thursday they received information from the KNUST security officers that a student of the institution had attempted suicide by gulping down poisonous insecticide.

Crime scene officers dispatched to the University found the young man dead and later identified him as Stephen Nana Agyei Manu, who was pursuing a BA degree in Geography and Rural Development, the police said.

The 20-year old, who had no torture marks on his body, was reportedly dressed in a pair of blue jeans trousers matched with white, blue and black shirt.

His body has since been deposited at the morgue of the KNUST Hospital.
What could be more satisfying than to lie in relaxation and watch a movie that celebrates Nigeria and the spirit of her citizens - ranging from biographical dramas to entertaining box-office blockbusters?

These movies below capture the Nigerian culture, journey of unsung heroes and the strength of Nigerians as a people.

1. "The Wedding Party"

The highest grossing Nigerian film, "The Wedding Party" represents the flamboyant Nigerian wedding culture. Except for the absence of the fundamental Nigerian Jollof rice - I mean, who holds a Nigerian wedding without Jollof rice? - the movie does its best to capture a typical Nigerian wedding.

It is a representation of all the drama that could occur pre and post a wedding party. A typical Nigerian wedding party is fun, dramatic, tedious, but definitely entertaining.

A typical Nigerian wedding has that relative who turns up for the food or souvenirs, friends who turn up for the 'gram' and even an envious ex who is just there to witness and gloat over the inadequacies of the ceremony.

"The Wedding Party" captures the energy, music, colourfulness, culture and fashion that makes a Nigerian wedding party fun to attend.

2. "A Soldier's Story"

If there's any film that attempts to celebrate and encourage heroic soldiers and their contributions to the country, it is "A Soldier's Story."

The movie follows a soldier on a peacekeeping mission, who is left for dead by some rebel soldiers. The movie depicts various emotions such as the heartbreak and anguish that accompanies the news of the demise of a loved one in battle.

This story is such that ensures we remember the labours of these heroes past; heroes such as the Lt. Colonel Muhammad Abu Ali and other gallant officers who died in service during the war against Boko Haram.

3. "A Place in the Stars"

Inspired by the tenure of the late Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Dora Akunyili, the 2014 Steve Gukas film tells the story of Dakim, a young lawyer who is in possession of vital information about the trafficking of counterfeit drugs that can save many lives if he passes it on, but make millions of dollars if he doesnt.

Late Professor Dora Akunyili, during her tenure as the Head of NAFDAC, tirelessly fought to halt the sale and use of fake drugs, even at the expense of her life. She would go on to become the Federal Minister of Information & Communication in 2008, and spear-headed a rebranding campaign for Nigeria with the slogan: Good People, Great Nation.

The film acknowledges the dogged and honest spirit of several Nigerians out there who have been consistent in being good and portraying Nigeria as a great nation.

4. "Saworoide"

Nigeria is a country with several cultural practices that define us. We have the Sharo ceremony in Fulani Land; traditional baby naming ceremony in Yoruba land; the fattening room in Efik land; and Omugwo in Igbo land.

But if we are talking about one of the films that encapsulates an interesting culture of a tribe in Nigeria, it's "Saworide," which means talking drum or brass bell in English Language.

The Tunde Kelani film follows the setting of an old Yoruba norm in the town of Jogbo, where a person can not be crowned king without the Saworoide being played by the right person.

Drumming is a key part of the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people. They are several drums such as Gangan (Talking Drum), Bata, Saworide, Omela Ako; all used for different occasions.

The film celebrates the charm of African art, and the beauty of tradition and folklore.

Most importantly the movie speaks on Nigeria and how it has dealt with civil rule and military dictatorship.

5. "93 Days"

"93 Days" celebrates the sacrifices of the late Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and all who risked their lives to make sure the Ebola virus was contained in Nigeria.

On July 20, 2014, Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, arrived Lagos. He became severely ill upon arrival and died five days later of the Ebola disease. Almost 93 days later, on 20 October 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared Nigeria to be Ebola free.

The method used to contain the virus brought positive recognition from around the world for the country. In WHOs Ebola Situation Assessment report, it was commended with lessons for countries such as the United States. Nigeria had become that exemplary kid in class for a good behavior.

Ebola was controlled as a result of the quick thinking, resilience and selflessness of the late Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh and other medical personnel. Ameyo is credited for curbing a wider spread of the Ebola virus in Nigeria by placing Patrick Sawyer in quarantine despite pressures from some quarters to have him released.

Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh died on 19 August 2014, few weeks after testing positive for the Ebola virus disease.

Apart from recording a significant period in Nigeria, the movie "93 Days" depicts the strength, selflessness and sacrificial nature of Nigerians.
It did not provide a breakdown of casualties among the various forces that took part in the grueling battle.

The July recapture of Mosul, a city that IS seized more than three years before, was the biggest defeat the jihadists had been dealt since the war to push them back began.

Iraqi forces often release figures for IS fighters they say they have killed, but are extremely reticent about their own losses.
GENESEO -- The school district is conducting a dozen group conversations during October to gather comments from residents on the district's educational programs and how they are financed.

School board members are hoping to gather information about what is wanted in the public education system that can be developed into a sustainable program and budgetary strategy that provides for long-term excellence.

The meetings, all open to whoever wants to attend, are planned for various times on Oct. 2, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 24. Residents are invited to sign up for one of the sessions by following this link: https://beta.doodle.com/poll/5fskfmf5wphw4kcw

Superintendent Scott Kuffel said, We want the community to tell us where you want us to continue, what we should be stopping, what we should be starting to do.

The expectation is always to lower taxes, raise scores and do it with less, but that gets more and more difficult to do, Mr. Kuffel said.

At the small group sessions, citizens will be asked questions including:

--What is the district doing currently that needs to continue?

--What is the district currently doing that needs to discontinue?

--How important is it that the district operates a balanced budget?

--What would you be wiling to sacrifice to balance a budget? Would you be willing to cut programs or pay more money?

--Of the options offered to reduce expenses, which are the most fair to students?

--Of the options offered to increase revenues, which are the most fair to the community?

One of the key options for the district is to ask voters to support, by a referendum, an education fund tax rate change.

Mr. Kuffel explained the education fund is the districts largest fund and covers nearly everything in a classroom or surrounding a classroom. The current rate of $2.35 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation was approved by voters in 1987.

A 43-cent tax rate increase would generate about $1.5 million a year, the superintendent said. The district currently borrows money to operate. Issuing a $4 million working cash bond would cost the district about $570,000 in closing costs, issuing expenses and interest expenses.

Mr. Kuffel said that $570,000 in fees and interest could pay a pretty good chunk on a deficit.

The levy increase, which would be required for a 10-year working cash fund bond repayment, would be 40 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation.

Financially, an education fund tax rate change seems like a better use of my tax dollars than issuing working cash bonds every few years, Mr. Kuffel said.

The Illinois financial situation has added to the fiscal woes of the Geneseo School District.

In the 2007-8 school year, the district received $7.48 million from the state. Ten years later, in the current school year, the district hopes to receive $4.9 million from Illinois.

We are nowhere near what we used to get, and how do you make up for that? Mr. Kuffel said. He also pointed out the positives the school district has continued to maintain, including having one of the lowest per-pupil spending rates in the area and continuing to average one of the highest composite ACT score results.

We want to ask the public, If you want these kinds of results to continue, what are your recommendations for doing so? he said.

Depending on the outcome of the upcoming small group conversations and recommendations from the community, an education fund tax rate change referendum could be on the March 2018 ballot.
MOLINE -- On Aug. 10, 1918, Congress established First Army -- the American Expeditionary Forces first field army -- to storm the French battlefields of World War I. Gen. John J. Black Jack Pershing, a West Point graduate with more than 30 years of Army service, became First Armys first commanding general.

Ninety-nine years and 42 commanding generals later, First Army continues to serve, but now on U.S. soil, and with the mission of ensuring the training and readiness of Army National Guard and Army Reserve units.

To kick off a year of special centennial events, First Army soldiers, civilians and their families assembled Sept. 22 for a 99th Birthday Ball at the iWireless Center. In keeping with the historic theme, soldiers wearing World War I doughboy uniforms performed the flag ceremony, and guests gave a toast honoring the units heritage.

Tonight is a special night for First Army, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Twitty, commanding general of First Army. Tonight we begin our official kickoff to commemorate 100 years of First Army. Since I took command of this historic unit more than one year ago, I have come to appreciate how vital First Armys mission is to our nations security and freedom.

A special guest and keynote speaker at the ball was First Armys 33rd commanding general, Lt. Gen. (Retired) Russel L. Honore. While commanding First Army in 2005, he entered the national spotlight when he was selected to lead Joint Task Force Katrina, the joint operation between the Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide relief and security along the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina.

The greatest gift we help give the world is freedom, Lt. Gen. Honore said. Other nations helped us get it; our forefathers fought for it. Our ancestors as veterans demonstrated the ultimate of what we expect them to do -- and that is to be prepared to sacrifice. And this freedom comes through great sacrifice.

Other special guests at the ball were World War II veterans Bill Shore and Lawrence McCormick, and Vietnam veteran John Bowman.

Back in 1917, as the United States mobilized nearly 3 million men for war, Gen. Pershing said, We no longer differentiate in an ultimate sense between Army, National Guard and Reserve Forces. Every energy ... is bent to the development of the Army of the United States. Our purpose is to think only of the American citizen and prepare him ... for duties in war.

A century later, First Army continues to fulfill Gen. Pershings words by serving as the spearhead of Army Total Force Policy, the directive requiring that all Army soldiers and units, regardless of their status or component, meet the same training standards.

First Army has more than 8,000 soldiers and civilian personnel in nine brigades partnered with reserve-component units preparing for operations across the country and the world.

After the ceremonies, the evening concluded with music and dancing.

To those who have given all, those who have given parts of their bodies for the freedom of this nation, God bless you, and God bless First Army, Lt. Gen. Honore said.
CAMBRIDGE -- We are a small school with a big, big heart, Superintendent Tom Akers says of Cambridge schools and students.

About 40 of those students in junior high and high school are hoping for mild weather ahead when they will take part in A Night for the Homeless on Saturday, Oct. 7, and Sunday, Oct. 8, in an effort to raise money for the Christian Care Center in Rock Island. They will be sleeping in cardboard shelters they have constructed in College Square Park in Cambridge.

Their efforts also have been noticed at the state level. Mr. Akers said A Night for the Homeless event is being featured in October at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Chicago in their Take a Stand.

Its a permanent wing added to showcase local groups who are taking a stand to help make the world a better place, and the Cambridge kids were chosen, he said.

The students represent three leadership groups at the schools -- FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes); JKB (J. Kyle Braid); and LEV (Leadership, Ethics and Values).

Students, with adult chaperones, will be in the park from 6 p.m. Oct. 7, until 6 a.m. Oct. 8. Even though their sleeping conditions wont be as comfortable as home, the young people will have electricity, restrooms, and they plan to purchase plenty of snacks in advance.

The groups are under the leadership of Superintendent Akers and school counselors Lisa Miller and Anne Wood.

Students are seeking pledges for their efforts and hope to raise $100 for each participant. There also will be a scavenger hunt and a walk-a-thon around the park so anyone wanting to donate can make a per-lap donation or make a lump sum contribution, with 100 percent being given to Christian Care.

A local worship band will provide music in the park after the walk-a-thon.

Cambridge High senior Hannah Akers said, I think it is important for us to be in such a central location as College Square Park so people can see what we are doing to create awareness about the conditions homeless people live in.

She believes it is most important to raise awareness in her hometown. I feel like raising awareness in such a small community helps people around here realize what it is like because I think people only see how the homeless live primarily in larger communities.

The project includes requiring the students to build their own cardboard shelters when they arrive at the Park on Oct. 7, Mrs. Miller said. They are responsible for bringing cardboard and materials to assemble their shelters, and the shelters will be judged and donated gift cards will be given as prizes in various categories.

Christian Care has been serving the Quad-Cities for 100 years. The Rock Island Rescue Mission was founded in 1916 to provide shelter, food, clothing and spiritual nourishment to men seeking employment in the Quad-Cities.

Christian Care Center is not a United Way agency, but it does qualify for designated funds through the Contributors Choice Program and the Combined Federal Campaign distributed through United Way. Support comes from funds donated by individuals, churches, organizations, businesses, grants and bequests. Christian Care is governed by a volunteer board of directors.

Mr. Akers credits his students for all of their efforts and said, These kids are amazing. Just seven hours after the homeless sleepover, we will participate in the 'Up With Life event in Kewanee to raise awareness about suicide, and we have collected and donated over $600 to help sponsor that event.
Fox News, September 23, 2017

By Hollie McKay

It has been 16 years since the U.S. launched the War on Terror in Afghanistan, yet civilians still are bearing the brunt of the bloodshed.

Mahmoud Saikal, the Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, told Fox News that the war-embattled nation each day amid the insurgency is losing on average 70 to 80 civilians  only a small percent of whom are military.

Other officials suggested the number of civilian casualties is even higher, up to 120 per day.

Saikal also noted  affirming what President Ghani previously has stated  that Afghanistan is fighting some 20 different terrorist groups on its soil on any given day.

The U.S. recently declared it was increasing its troop commitment to Afghanistan, and it is expected that around 3,000 more troops will be deployed there in coming weeks. The decision came after months of deliberations  of which President Trump demanded answers as to why the security situation was so dire despite the trillions of dollars spent and lives lost in the seemingly intractable conflict.

Full report here.
Shreveport Times, September 30, 2017

By Donard Dwyer

Weve been at war in Afghanistan since 2001 and Iraq since 2003. Weve been killing people in those countries longer than any wars in American history with no end in sight.

None of the countries weve destroyed attacked us. The people and government of Afghanistan were not connected with 9-11. President George W. Bush actually backed the Taliban in May 2001 with $43 million. Therefore, every person we kill there is a war crime.

You may think, "What about the Taliban attacking us now?" Just imagine if a foreign country (say China) that we had not attacked bombed the U.S., installed a puppet government and occupied the country with troops. Patriotic Americans would try to kill the occupying soldiers and it would be our right  its our country, after all.

This is not an imaginary situation in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are the cold-blooded empire invading countries that never threatened us. We are the occupying soldiers. Patriotic citizens in those countries should be trying to kill American invaders who occupy their homeland. Its their right. Its their country, not ours.

It amazes me how we cant put this shoe on the other foot and see it from their perspective. Yet there we are  killing so-called terrorists that we created through their resistance.

Mark Twains sarcastic The War Prayer applies to us: O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; . . . help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst . . . 

These wars bankrupt us morally. The Donald Trump Administration proposed $54 billion more for war balanced by spending cuts for Meals on Wheels and school lunch programs.

In 1917, Leon Trotsky already knew this: In all belligerent countries the lack of bread is the most immediate reason for dissatisfaction and indignation among the masses. The insanity of war is revealed to them from this angle: it is impossible to produce necessities of life because one has to produce instruments of death.

Not just Marxists feel this way. Republican President and former General Dwight Eisenhower said, 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.

Even if we thirst for endless bloodshed, war is not financially sustainable. The Mother of All Bombs (MOAB) dropped by Trump cost $227,000, plus shipping and handling. Fifty-nine Tomahawk missiles were launched, costing $1 million each. We drop over 5,000 bombs each year in Afghanistan. A few innocent Afghans are killed, but this only recruits new patriots.

After spending a trillion dollars, weve reached an unwinnable stalemate. But weve expanded the empire, which is why we stay.

U.S. lives lost earlier dont justify more lives lost now. They reflect sacrifices of honest troops deceived by dishonest presidents who started and prolonged the wars for their own purposes.

Nevertheless, by the Geneva Conventions, soldiers must refuse commands to commit war crimes like those ongoing in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Only peace ends war. By this I mean, there must first be an end to hostilities  bombing, military action and killing  followed by negotiated peace settlements and removal of all foreign troops. Its time to give peace a chance. Nothing else will work. If we dont seek peace, were just an evil empire.

Originally published on Sep. 9, 2017
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First Spear is pushing the gearvelope with its latest mag pouch. The new MultiMag incorporates BOA adjustment technology, the same ratchet-fit system found on high-end footwear. The idea is one pouch for many missions. Stuff a mag in and twist the dial on the bottom till you get the retention pressure you want, then forget it. You can crank it in anticipation of vigorous activity, and just pop the dial to release the pressure when you need your gear. The system easily holds AR-15- and AR-10-style mags, and other similar shaped mags and items, like a radio. First Spear is also offering inserts to accommodate a pair of pistol mags. For cats with positive retention needs, there are loops to run a tabbed bungee cord, also sold as an accessory.

Make: First Spear

Model: MultiMag Rapid-Adjust Pocket

Magazine fit: Nearly all of them

COLORS: Black, Coyote, Gray, Green, MultiCam

MSRP: $49

URL: www.first-spear.com

It makes sense that the needs of the fast and light contingent of the worlds armed forces would fall in line with trail-running endurance athletes. And a lot of those athletes choose to wear shoes from Salomons XA Pro lineup. Looking at the extreme end of the XA Pro line, youll find the mid-height Gore-Tex lined XA Pro 3D Mid GTX. Its got the bells and whistles found in a top-flight hiking boot, but its made using materials and technology that gives it the weight and feel of a sneaker. The shoes been a hit in the tactical community for a few seasons, but this is the first time its available in Wolf Grey. U.S. Elite Gear and Salomon worked with Arcteryx to officially license this special shade of gray in a limited release only available through U.S. Elite Gear.

Make: Salomon Forces

Model: U.S. Elite Gear exclusive Sua Sponte XA Pro 3D Mid GTX

Colors: Wolf Grey

MSRP: $180

URL: www.us-elitegear.com

Its pretty rare to hear reloading chatter around the RECOIL water cooler, mostly because wed all rather be out shooting instead of researching spells and stirring the cauldron in the basement. But, when something like the ChargeMaster Lite comes along, were interested because it helps us make safe, accurate cartridges quickly. Its a smaller, less expensive version of venerable Chargemaster Combo, a unit that combines a powder dispenser and scale. Dump your powder in the hopper, dial up the weight and it throws a charge in a few seconds. Its as fast as its predecessor, and just as accurate where it counts, throwing charges with one-tenth grain accuracy in the most used 2- to 300-grain range. But, RCBS lowered the price by using a stepped load cell, slightly decreasing charge accuracy above 500 grains of powder. Considering .338 Lapua and .50 BMG loads dont come close to 500 grains, we think the average reloader will accept that tradeoff.

Make: RCBS

Model: ChargeMaster Lite Powder Scale

Accuracy: 0.1 @ 2-500 gr., 0.2 @ 500-1,000 gr.

MSRP: $300

URL: www.rcbs.com

In an ideal world, we wouldnt need tourniquets. And, in a less ideal world, wed always have a tourniquet handy when we need it. But, we live in the real world, where TQs cost money, and we can only have them stashed in so many cargo pockets, range bags, aid kits, glove compartments, and junk drawers. It makes sense to keep one where its most needed and held in a way that its easily deployed. The Just in Case Tourniquet holder from Tuff Products and Sentinel Concepts offers a way to attach all of the most popular TQs to just about anything with straps or loops while leaving the life-saving device instantly accessible. Its built to last, using durable Hypalon fabric, and duty-grade webbing, elastic, and Velcro.

Make: Tuff Products

Model: SCE JIC Tourniquet Pouch

Colors: Black, Coyote, Gray, Green

MSRP: $28

URL: www.tuffproducts.com

Bipod feet of the world, you have one task: hold the line. No matter the surface, you must not slide. You must not skip. You must not give up. Packed earth, windowsills, Jersey barriers, hoods of rental cars  these are your battlefields and your charge depends upon your grip. This is the battle cry of HHSs Hawk Talons, replacement bipod feet so aggressive, they were grip-tested on Africanized Honey Bee hives. The tri-lobed feet are punctuated with a stainless steel death spike thatll take hold of nearly any surface found on the range or in the real world. Four models cover the gamut of the most popular bipods and installation difficulty ranges from simple to may-take-some-patience, depending on your host legs.

Make: Hawk Hill Custom

Model: Ultimate Bipod Hawk Talons

Fit: Atlas, Atlas 5H, Harris, LRA, and similar

MSRP: $60 to $80

URL: www.hawkhillcustom.com

Participating in any shooting activity, performing an adrenaline sport, or rolling a rental car on a business trip, life can take you by the nads. And this little, rustproof titanium beauty will help you keep your nads, even if youve blacked out. The Crashtag weighs less than a wish and is etched on one side with whatever vital info youd like, the other side gives you a canvas to display some personality. Choose from whatever designs Crashtag has on tap or work with them (as we did) to make batches of tags with custom artwork. The QR code will take the reader to a custom, free website with room for more info that might not fit on the tag itself.

Make: Elevengear

Model: Crashtag

OPTIONS: Larger with bottle opener or smaller, without opener

MSRP: $30

URL: www.crashtag.me

Giving away beer is cool, but giving away your very own brand of beer is even cooler. And thats how Windcheater American Ale came to be. Armageddon Gear got sick of giving away crappy beer at tailgating sessions following precision rifle matches they attended. So, they dug into their sales and marketing budget, linked up with their neighbors at Omaha Brewing Company and made their own beer thats ideal for the warm weather found at southeastern precision matches. The beer is a German Kolsch recipe, which is light and crisp. Windcheater was once only available for free after matches, now its heading for AAFES PXs, gas stations, shopettes, and Class 6 stores in Alabama and Georgia.

Make: Armageddon Gear & Omaha Brewing Company

Model: Windcheater American Ale

MSRP: $11 for a six-pack

URL: www.armageddongear.com

Ruger didnt give up much, if anything, when it comes to accuracy and durability of the Ruger Precision Rifle. Even the ergos of the RPR are hard to argue about  but hard doesnt mean impossible. Catalyst Arms keyed in on one area that could be improved on a lot of precision rifles, the mag release. Like the majority of mag-fed bolt action rifles, the RPRs got a single push lever thats easy enough to get at, but widen it with something like its RPR Mag Release Extension and you can nail it with your trigger finger without risking your manicure. Its gently ramped and serrated for comfortable activation and installed securely with a single screw.

Make: Catalyst Arms

Model: RPR Magazine Release Extension

Colors: Black, Red, Tan

MSRP: $30

URL: www.catalystarms.com

The three greatest battlefield force multipliers ever fielded by U.S. forces are, without question, the A-10 Warthog, the poncho liner, and that one guy in your squad who could get the bar in on both ends of a cot. Perseverance Survival has turned one of the three into a warm, comfortable, and extremely stylish hoodie (especially if youre a grunt.) The Woobie Hoody has all the quilted goodness of its USMC issued brethren, but its made from a slightly smoother fabric that feels a little more luxurious than the original. The hoody is cut and sewn in the U.S. from imported materials.

Make: Perseverance Survival

Model: Woobie Hoodie

Colors: Woodland MARPAT

MSRP: $49

URL: www.perseverancesurvival.com

The second coming of Magpuls UBR addresses two main concerns folks had with the original, price and weight. The update is a few ounces lighter, and a few Jacksons cheaper without giving up the key features weve all come to love. Its still sporting the fixed-stock feel, rattle-free adjustment system, integrated receiver extension, removable storage area, QD sling swivel cups and sling loops. Its also set up out of the box to run with a longer A5 buffer system and includes a spacer for standard buffer system compatibility. Overall, its streamlined and enhanced, but well have to beat the snot out of it before we say its a 1:1 replacement for its tough-as-nails predecessor.

Make: Magpul

Model: UBR Gen2 Collapsible Stock

Weight: 21.7 ounces

Colors: Black, FDE, Gray, OD Green

MSRP: $199

URL: www.magpul.com

Shooting makes things hot  shocking, we know. Burn Proof Gear is best known for their suppressor wraps, but recently decided to include handguards in the equation. The Rail-Rap is a two-piece design utilizing the same heat killing materials as their can covers that keep your grubbies from being scorched. As a bonus, it can also be used as a grippy point of contact when shooting off of a barricade. The Burn Proof Gear Rail-Rap is made in a bunch of tactical colors, including gray, of course.

Make: Burn Proof Gear

Model: Rail-Rap

MSRP: $75

URL: www.burnproofgear.com

Its been ages since the original A-DAC lowers were available. When Radian rebranded, giving up the AXTS name, the company retooled and concentrated on making complete rifles. Now that its caught up with production, its offering complete receiver sets for the builder market. The lower features oversized ambi controls, right-side bolt hold-open, markings for 90- and 45-degree safety selectors, captured rear detent spring, and a self-adjusting upper to lower tensioning system. They also include Radians enhanced takedown pins and a Talon ambi safety selector. The upper and handguard are mated using a burly, double HK416-style interface and locked in agreement with an anti-rotation pin. We asked about handguard accessory mounts; No Dik-Mod, answered Radian, Only M-LOK. Lastly, all three parts are anodized then Cerakoted for a deep, durable black finish.

Make: Radian Weapons

Model: AX-556 Receiver Set

Handguard Lengths: 8.5-, 10-, 14-, 15.5-, 17-inch

Colors: Black

MSRP: $520 to $620

URL: www.radianweapons.com
Owner of Two Story Matt Bengochea said he is looking into other potential locations for the shop, which could be reopening as late as spring semester.
'Religion is but one trait where intolerance manifests itself.'

'We come across chosen races, communities, political ideologies, economic systems, all lending themselves to discriminatory arrangements, which trample the rights of those considered beyond the pale of whatever is the favoured calling,' says Shreekant Sambrani.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.

The most basic human right is that to life itself, not merely in terms of simple physical existence, but a life of some meaning and dignity.

This must be informed by the realisation that one is not alone in exercising this right. The Bible says, No man is an island.

Therefore, our individual pursuit of this right must be guided by the overwhelming consideration that in doing so, we do not harm anyone elses right, either intentionally or accidentally.

If we transgress, we must face its consequences. This is the basis of all ethical systems governing civilisation, albeit at its simplest. It also defines moral behaviour.

Such consideration leads to the quest for human and humane values for individuals and societies alike. An abiding adherence to it would also ensure sustainable development.

All of us wish to celebrate whatever gives us joy. In India, these celebrations have been taking an increasingly raucous form and cause disruptions.

If the celebrants were to concede the right of reasonable peace and quiet to their neighbours, their joy would not diminish; they would also not earn the ill-will of those disturbed.

There is also a disturbing, somewhat militant, tendency in the observance of certain religious or social practices. Those who display them claim that it is their right to do so, ignoring or defying a similar right of the others.

The upshot is a confrontation, with possibly disastrous results. Our society has long recognised the perils of such behaviour. Hindu religious processions accompanied by musicians would mute their instruments while passing mosques.

This respect led to amity and peace between the communities. Pre-eminent masters of musical instruments considered most auspicious by Hindus, the shehnai in the north, and the nadaswaram in the south, Ustad Bismillah Khan and Sheikh Chinna Moula respectively, were devout Muslims and revered by the Hindus for their virtuosity.

This noble behaviour, which went beyond just tolerance and epitomised mutual respect, was enshrined as Sarva Dharma Samabhava, equal respect for all faiths. It implies that my existence as a devout and pious religious being is only enhanced if I respect your right to do so.

Our ancient sages said ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti  the truth is one, but its seekers interpret it differently. How can we accept a dogma, which calls for acceptance of one interpretation above all and defines those who do not subscribe to it as infidels?

Religion is but one trait where intolerance manifests itself. We come across chosen races, communities, political ideologies, economic systems, all lending themselves to discriminatory arrangements, which trample the rights of those considered beyond the pale of whatever is the favoured calling.

Being so divided into groups, we subordinate our human rights to those of the group and its narrow identity. The group does not necessarily respect its individual members, thinking that the group is larger at all times than any of its constituents.

More often than not, the group justifies its distinct identity in confrontational terms with those of others, justifying the exercise of our basic rights at the expense of others.

This violates the very basis of all ethical systems. Our rights must always be informed and circumscribed by a respect for those of the others.

Mahatma Gandhi took no joy in celebrating Indian independence, for which he had struggled all his life, because it was marked by unprecedented communal carnage in Bengal and Punjab. He went instead to some of the worst hit areas of what was then East Pakistan, to heal the wounds of the victims.

When the Indian government contemplated withholding payments due to Pakistan in view of mounting tensions between the two countries, Gandhi opposed it as immoral. He stood his ground and the government abandoned the plan.

This is among the finest examples of unqualified and absolute adherence to basic human rights and human values as the guiding principle of all our behaviour, individual and collective.

At the end of the last century, one had feared horrendous bloodbaths after the collapse of the apartheid regime in South Africa. It required Nelson Mandela to help usher in an era of harmonious peace in the rainbow civilisation, notwithstanding the great suffering of his people and his own self.

Humanity is one and indivisible. Narrow sectarian interests have never achieved any worthwhile results. All great discoveries of science and technology, advances in philosophy, achievements of creative and performing arts did not arise from anything other than human values.

We do not consider Einstein Swiss, Shakespeare English, Lincoln American, Mozart Austrian, Picasso Spanish, Gandhi Indian, da Vinci Italian, Kant German, Bradman Australian, Descartes French, Lao Tzu Chinese or Chekov Russian. They were, at all times, simply exalted human beings, who enriched all of us.

As Indian sages of yore put it, vasudhaiva kutumbakam, or the whole universe is just one family.

Therein also lies the realisation that we share not just a common heritage, but also a very fragile spaceship called the Earth. Its resources are limited, be they essentials for life such as pure air or water, or those used to produce various of our requirements, such as minerals.

El Nino knows no geographical or ethnic boundaries; it affects alike both South America and South Asia. Manmade calamities, too, transcend manmade borders. The ozone hole, melting snow caps and the Asian Brown Haze affect all parts of the world.

We need to learn from Gandhi and Mandela that wiping tears of the victims at times stress is the defining human trait. Admitting the existence of intolerance and hate in a pluralistic society, along with the most stringent efforts to deal with them, is the order of the day.

Anything less would cause it to forfeit its claim to being humane and civilised.
Two persons on Saturday allegedly assaulted a senior doctor at the KEM hospital in Parel to protest the hospitals action of marking numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims, police said.

The incident occurred on Saturday evening when the duo, believed to be Shiv Sena workers, assaulted the forensic science head of the KEM hospital, a senior police official said.

The two barged into the cabin of Dr Hari Pathak and assaulted him. One of the accused, who brought a sketch pen with him tried to write a number on Pathaks forehead, he said.

The two accused have been detained. A case under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code will be registered, the officer said.

We have found membership identity-card of the Shiv Sena from one of the accused. We suspect that a few more persons are involved in the assault, he said, adding a probe was on.

Authorities at the KEM hospital had come in for severe criticism for marking numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims and putting up their pictures on public display.

Image: Police officials stand outside KEM Hospital. Photograph: Sahil Salvi/Rediff.com
Arrows were fired to set the effigies of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakaran ablaze at the Parade Ground on Saturday, an event that was attended by President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi among a host of other dignitaries.

IMAGE: Modi at the Dussehra celebrations at Madhav Das Park, RedFort on the occasion of Vijay Dashmi. Photograph: @PIB_India/Twitter

The burning of the giant effigies, signifying the triumph of good over evil, was organised by the Shri Dharmik Leela Committee, which has been organising the citys one of the most high-profile Raamlila events at the grounds opposite the historic Red Fort since 1924.

IMAGE: PM Modi at the event said that festivals are a medium of education and teach us unity. Though it has been thousands of years, but the tales of Lords Rama and Krishna enhance consciousness in our society. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, union ministers Harsh Vardhan, Vijay Goel, Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Manoj Tiwari were also among those present.

Speaking at the event, Modi said that festivals are a medium of education and teach us unity. Though it has been thousands of years, but the tales of Lords Rama and Krishna enhance consciousness in our society.

IMAGE: President Ram Nath Kovind performs aarti of artists enacting Lord Rama and Lakshman during Dussehra celebrations at Parade Ground. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo

He also urged the people to take a pledge on the occasion and contribute to the process of nation building.

President Kovind said we all should work towards growth and overall development of the society.

IMAGE: Artists enact Ramlila during Dussehra celebrations organised by Shri Dharmik Lila Committee in New Delhi on Saturday. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo

Last year, Modi had participated in the Dussehra celebrations in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh which was then facing assembly elections.

IMAGE: An effigy of Ravana being set on fire during Dussehra celebrations at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo

Earlier, the President, the Vice President and former Prime Minister Singh applied tilak on the foreheads of the Ramlila participants playing the roles of Rama, Laxmana and Hanuman, the chief protagonists of the epic Ramayana, parts of which are enacted during the Navratra celebrations that culminated on Saturday on Dussehra with the slaying of Ravana.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks with former prime minister Manmohan Singh during Dussehra celebrations at Parade Ground. Photograph: Kamal Kishore/PTI Photo

BJP chief Amit Shah attended another such event nearby, organised by the Luv Kush Ram Lila commitee near the Red Fort, while Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi attended the one organised by the Nav Shri Dharmik Lila Committee.

IMAGE: People enjoy fire works during Dussehra celebrations at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi.

Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo
Banwarilal Purohit was on Saturday appointed as the governor of Tamil Nadu and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Satya Pal Malik would be the new governor of Bihar.

Jagdish Mukhi would be the new governor of Assam in place of Purohit, a press release issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The appointments of five governors, including for Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, and Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been cleared by President Ram Nath Kovind, it said.

Former member of Bihar Legislative Council Ganga Prasad has been appointed as the governor of Meghalaya. Purohit was holding the additional charge of Meghalaya.

Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi (retired) will be the lieutenant governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in place of Mukhi, the release said.

Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao was holding the additional charge of Tamil Nadu. There had been demands of appointment of a full-time governor in Tamil Nadu due to the political situation that arose following the death of J Jayalalithaa in December.

Malik, former MP and BJPs national vice president, has been appointed the Bihar governor. The post had fallen vacant after Kovind was nominated as the BJPs presidential candidate. He was elected as president in July this year.

Brigadier B D Mishra (retired) would be governor of Arunachal Pradesh, it said.

Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya was holding the additional charge of Arunachal Pradesh.

Purohit, the new Tamil Nadu governor, was a public personality inseparably involved in social, political, educational and industrial fields of Vidarbha in Maharashtra.

He plunged into active politics in 1977 and had won election in Maharashtra assembly for the first time in 1978 from Nagpur east seat.

Purohit is also credited with revival of The Hitavada, an English daily founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, the mentor of Mahatma Gandhi.

Malik, the new Bihar governor, is in-charge of the partys Kisan Morcha and has held many important positions in both Centre and state.

He was the Union minister of state, parliamentary affairs and tourism from April 21, 1990 to November 10, 1990.

Malik has been a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) during two terms from 1980 to 1984 and from 1986 to 1989. He was also a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and was also the member of Uttar Pradesh assembly from 1974 to 1977.

Prasad, the new governor of Meghalaya, was elected for the first time as a member of Legislative Council in Bihar in 1994 and was an MLC for 18 years. He has served in various capacities such as the leader of the BJP in the Legislative Council.

A special invitee to BJPs national executive, Prasad has also been the leader of the opposition for five years in the Legislative Council.

Mukhi, the new governor of Assam, took to active politics after the Emergency was clamped. He has won seven times from Janak Puri assembly constituency in Delhi.

Mukhi, who was a professor in Delhi University, had been a minister and Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly.

Joshi, the new lieutenant governor, was the chief of Naval Staff from August 2012 to February 26, 2014. He had resigned after taking moral responsibility of fire in INS Sindhuratna, a submarine, according to official records.

Joshi is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned on April 1, 1974 in the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy, they say.

He has been awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal, the Ati Vishist Seva medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Nau Sena Medal and the Vishist Seva Medal.

Mishra, the new governor of Arunachal Pradesh, was the commander of the NSG (Black Cat commandos) Counter Hijack Task Force that was involved in the rescue operation after an Indian Airlines aircraft was hijacked in 1993.

He has served in various wars and operational roles for the nation. He also volunteered for Kargil War after retirement and has received commendation for gallant role in counter terrorist operations.
Mohan Bhagwat flagged a number of issues like illegal immigrants, cow vigilantism, situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the economic scenario in his Vijayadashmi address.

IMAGE: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Vijayadashmi address from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters. Photograph: @RSSorg/Twitter

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday asked the Centre to keep national security in mind while taking a decision on Rohingyas and alleged that they were driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their violent separatist activities and links with terror groups.

In his over-an-hour-long Vijayadashmi address from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters, Bhagwat flagged a number of issues like illegal immigrants, cow vigilantism, situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the economic scenario.

He accused the Kerala and West Bengal governments of lending a helping hand to anti-national for forces for petty political interest.

Bhagwat called for necessary constitutional amendments for complete assimilation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country.

He also praised the Centre over the handling of the Doklam issue with China.

Bhagwat said, We have been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into our country.

Rohingyas, who were chased away from Myanmar, have infiltrated into the country and many more are ready to migrate illegally. They are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatists activities and links with the terrorist groups, he said.

Giving shelter to Rohingyas will not only put pressure on our jobs, but also pose a threat to national security, he said.

Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken keeping in mind the threat to national security... Any decision regarding them should be taken keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity, the RSS chief added

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were present on the occasion. Dalit religious leader Baba Nirmal Das, who was expected to be the chief guest, could not attend the event as he was indisposed. His message was read out at the event.

IMAGE: Volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh take part in the "Path-Sanchalan," or Route March during celebrations to mark Dussehra. Photograph: Himanshu Sharma/Reuters

Referring to the issue of cow vigilantism, Bhagwat said it is reprehensible that some some people have been killed allegedly by gau rakshaks.

At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers, he said.

Bhagwat said the issue of cow protection is beyond religion and many Muslims have sacrificed their life for protection of the cow just as people of Bajrang Dal have.

He noted that problems of the people, who were displaced from the KashmirValley in 1990s, are yet to be addressed.

Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state. Only when the constitutional amendments are done, can the residents of Jammu and Kashmir be completely assimilated with the rest of India, Bhagwat said, apparently hinting at Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

There is an urgent need to take the benefits of development to the masses in the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Jammu and Ladakh regions, without any discrimination and through transparent and clean governance, he said.

The problem of refugees is still not resolved in the state. For decades together, their generations are living in a miserable state as refugees for their decision to be in Bharat and remain as Hindu.

Despite being the citizens of Bharat, they still dont have basic facilities of education, employment and democratic rights, Bhagwat said.

The problems of permanent residents of the state, who migrated from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1947 and the people who were displaced from KashmirValley in 1990 remain as they were, he said.

Bhagwat said conditions should be created so that our brothers can lead a happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians, by ensuring them equal democratic rights, even while remaining firm and devoted to their religion and national identity.

And for this just work, necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. Then and only then, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with the rest of India and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in the national progress, Bhagwat said.

Coming out in support of the citizens living in border areas, who are bravely and persistently holding ground amid incessant cross border firing and terrorists infiltration, he called for relief and assistance for them from the government, administration and different social groups.

On the Doklam standoff, Bhagwat said, In response to the activities of Pakistan on the western front and of China on the northern front, Indias strong and determined stand has been visible in the incidents like Doklam on the borders as well as in international diplomacy.

It definitely makes us realise about our strength and at the same time provides new international standing to India.

Targeting Kerala and West Bengal governments for not doing enough against anti-national forces, he said, The situation in Bengal and Kerala is known to all.

The state governments and their systematically politicised administrative systems are not only apathetic to this serious national crisis, but are also lending helping hand to anti-national for forces for petty political interests.

The information of these anti-national activities reaches the Union government and they must take necessary steps to foil these nefarious designs, he said.

On the economic situation, the RSS chief said that the interests of small, medium industries and self-employed businesses should be protected as they make the biggest contribution to the economy.

Bhagwat offered condolences to the victims of the stampede in Mumbai on Friday.

We all empathise with the families of our brethren who have lost their lives and those who have got injured in yesterdays incident at Mumbai, he said.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray warned that not a single brick will be allowed to be placed for the bullet train in Mumbai until the infrastructure of local railways was made better.

He also said that stampedes would continue to occur in Mumbai till hordes of migrants keep pouring into the city, a day after 22 people were killed in a crush at Elphinstone railway station.

The MNS leader, who has in the past stoked controversies with his anti-migrant rhetoric, told reporters at his residence Krishna Kunj in Dadar, There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions.

Saying that he travelled in Mumbai suburban trains for two years while studying arts at the Sir J J College, Thackeray said, What you call the famed spirit of Mumbai which overcomes such tragedies is actually hopelessness in face of such calamities.

On Friday, a stampede on a narrow footover bridge at the Elphinstone railway station during the rush hour had led to deaths of at least 22 people and injuries to 30.

Thackeray said his party leader Bala Nandgaonkar had written to authorities for building a new bridge at the stampede spot but no action was taken on his suggestion and instead Nandgaonkar was told to approach the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

The Kakodkar committee had proposed an expenditure of Rs one lakh crore to improve the railway infrastructure but nobody acted on it, he claimed.

Instead, the bullet train project, costing the same amount, is being implemented, he said.

Does one need bullet train or improvement of basic rail infrastructure, he said.

Thackeray also targeted Bharatiya Janata Party MP Kirit Somaiya for his silence on the crumbling rail services.

When the Congress was in power, this man used to go about measuring the height of platforms. Where is he now when such tragedies are happening in the BJP-led regime, the MNS chief alleged.

He claimed he did not visit the stampede spot or the hospital on Friday as politicians are there at such spots only for television cameras.

They (Railways) say the stampede happened due to rains. It is not the first time that it rained in Mumbai, he said.

A list of issues related to Mumbai locals will be given to railway officials on October 5 with a deadline. If things dont get better, we will see, he said.

He said a deadline would also be given to throw out illegal hawkers from station bridges and if it is not complied with then the party would act on its own, he said.
Geetanjali Krishna looks at how one organisations unique idea is helping marginalised communities to gain legal access.

IMAGE: Namati trains selected local stakeholders to become barefoot lawyers who can understand, use and shape the laws that affect them. Photograph: Kind courtesy Namati

In the relentless march towards development, disempowered tribal people, fishermen and forest dwellers often find their homes and livelihoods endangered by industries, ports, roads and mines.

Without access to legal guidance to fight for their rights and entitlements, such communities find themselves unable to break out of the vicious circle of underdevelopment and poverty.

A US-based non-profit, working since 2012 in some of the most backward districts of Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh, may have a solution.

By training selected local stakeholders to become barefoot lawyers who can understand, use and shape the laws that affect them, Namati, partnering in India with the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research, is aiming to democratise legal access.

We have found legal access to be an important tool for empowerment and development of marginalised communities, says Manju Menon, senior fellow at CPR, who directs Namatis environmental justice programme in India.

IMAGE: Vinod Patgar, an enviro-legal coordinator for CPR-Namati, gathered evidence of illegal sand mining that led to sinkholes in Kagal, Karnataka. Photograph: Kind courtesy Namati

Here are some case studies.

In May 2016, unplanned and unauthorised silica sand mining in Kagal, a small fishing village in northern Karnataka, created sinkholes that threatened to bring seawater into the village.

Vinod Patgar, the communitys enviro-legal coordinator, gathered evidence of the illegal mining and studied the new Sand Mining Policy, 2011.

A well-researched application to the district commissioner elicited a quick response.

A site visit by the district commissioner and an official of the mines and geology department noted the violations.

The offenders were fined Rs 6.3 lakh and had to pay for all the damages caused.

The ELC played a crucial role here and not just in filing the complaint. Without him, the community might not have even known what its legal standing was, says Menon.

IMAGE: Manisha Goswami, a young mother of two, joined Namati's environmental damage programme to battle the untreated effluent that the Vapi chemical factories are dumping in the Kolak river, affecting the lives of the fishing communities dependent on the river for their livelihood. Photograph: Kind courtesy Namati

In another case in Vapi, Gujarat, the local fishing community found effluents from the industrial zone polluting the river and the sea.

The area used to stink so badly that it was dubbed the armpit of India.

Our two ELCs in Vapi found that the common effluent treatment plant in the industrial zone was malfunctioning, says Menon. The ELCs studied the pollution law and mobilised the community into signing a complaint.

IMAGE: Namati helped several coastal communities in Karwar, Karnataka, who lived with the fear that their homes near the sea violated the 1991 Coastal Zone Protection regulation, which disallowed construction activity within 500 metres of the high tide line. Photograph: Kind courtesy Namati

A third case shows exactly how disempowered communities become when they have limited access to the law.

For the last 26 years, several coastal communities in Karwar in Karnataka lived with the fear that their homes near the sea violated the 1991 Coastal Zone Protection regulation, which disallowed construction activity within 500 metres of the high tide line.

They didnt construct new homes or rebuild old structures for the fear of attracting the governments attention, says Menon. Instead, unscrupulous property developers had begun buying their land at dirt-cheap rates.

Upon reading the regulation, Namatis ELCs discovered that homes built before 1991 were exempted from the regulation. With their help, people were able to successfully legalise their properties, ending years of uncertainty and dread, says Menon.

IMAGE: Educating the disempowered about their rights. Photograph: Kind courtesy Namati

At present, Namati-CPR has 15 ELCs operating in four states. On an average, they spend about Rs 3 lakh per annum on a single individual, taking into account salary, travel costs and more.

The donors include Open Society Foundation, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Skoll Foundation and International Development Research Centre.

Menon and her colleagues are refining their pedagogy constantly.

Namatis field experiences in other parts of Asia and Africa suggest that community-based legal interventions could prove useful in several domains other than environmental law -- gender parity, access to healthcare and land use rights, to name some.

IMAGE: Paralegals trained by Namati and CPR worked with the Aghanashini community to establish a union of clam harvesters. Previously, clam harvesters were not recognised by the government as fishermen and therefore unable to join any union. This resulted in clam harvesters not being eligible for government compensation schemes in the event of death or injury at work. In this picure, Jaivanth Gouda pauses before diving for clams in the estuary of the Aghanashini River,one of the last entirely free-flowing rivers in the world (Information source: Namati). Photograph: Kind courtesy Aubrey Wade for Namati

Meanwhile, the learnings from their interventions in India have been profound.

Our experiences have shown us that since legal training is intensive, it cant be accomplished on a mass scale, says Menon. It needs close range, incremental education, much of which is learnt through its practical application.

Given adequate manpower and financial resources, it is immensely scalable. On a human level, weve seen how once empowered, most stakeholders try their utmost to help others, says Menon.

Community building aside, this new crop of barefoot lawyers has been able to get most of the cases resolved administratively, rather than further burdening Indian courts.

As Namati uses its trailblazing network of grassroots legal advocates to squeeze justice even out of the most broken systems, one thing is clear -- sometimes, the most effective way to dispense justice is by putting law into peoples hands.

To learn more, visit namati.org.
Re-education camps in two counties in northwest Chinas Xinjiang region, where mostly Muslim ethnic Uyghurs have protested Beijings rule, house thousands of politically incorrect inmates who are rarely freed despite undergoing months of training, according to sources.



The camps in Ghulja (in Chinese, Yining) county, in Ili Kazakh (Yili Hasake) Autonomous Prefecture, and Korla (Kuerle) city, in neighboring Bayingholin Mongol (Bayinguoleng Menggu) Autonomous Prefecture hold at least 3,600 inmates, local officials told RFAs Uyghur Service, and are labeled career development centers in a bid to mask their true nature, they said.



Minewer Ablet, a middle school teacher in Ghuljas Turpanyuz township who was assigned to work as an assistant cadre and a Chinese instructor at Camp No. 4one of the countys five re-education campssaid it was unclear exactly how many people were detained in the county camp system.



I am responsible for teaching class No. 33, and I have seen on the teachers notice board that the last class number is 44, she said of the county camps, where other courses include law, regulations, and career training.



There are 30 to 50 students in each class, so I estimate the total number of people who are undertaking the re-education program [across the county] to be at least 1,500.



Assistant cadre Tursun Qadir, who teaches at the same camp, told RFA that of the 45 people in his class, the majority are former criminals or suspects, including a number of Uyghurs who had served time in prison following an uprising against Chinese rule in Ghulja 20 years ago.



Among them are a number of former prisoners who served 10-15 years in prison after being accused of involvement in the Feb. 5, 1997 Ghulja Incident, Qadir said, referring to protests sparked by reports of the execution of 30 Uyghur independence activists that were violently suppressed by authorities, leaving nine dead, according to official media, though exile groups put the number at as many as 167.



The most common reason that people are brought here is that they attended [or overheard] illegal [religious] teachings, he said, adding that other detainees included men who grew beards 10 years ago and parents who sent their children to underground religious schools.



The oldest student is 66 years old and the youngest is 19. The group also includes a number of illiterate people.



Training center



None of the four instructors RFA contacted at Camp No. 4 could recall the official name of the facility, but one, who spoke on condition of anonymity, agreed during a phone interview to walk out to the courtyard to read the name of the camps sign.



The name of our camp is The Center for Developing Skills for a Professional Career, the instructor said, adding that the reason he hadnt been able to remember the name was because it was changed four times in the past eight months.



At first, it was called The Law and Regulation Training Center For Citizens and then it was renamed The Career Training Center For The Unemployed for a while, but now it is called The Center For Developing Skills For a Professional Career, he said.



Obviously, the reason for changing the name is to avoid giving others a bad impression.



According to the instructor, staff live inside the camp and share the same courtyard with detainees. The centers main gate is guarded 24 hours a day and instructors are required to obtain permission if they need to leave the facility.



Students are not allowed to leave the camp until they have completed the full program, but the length of the training is unclearthe rules only say that the program is complete once a satisfactory level has been achieved, he said.



I have been teaching for the last six months, but there is no one in my class who has completed the course and no one knows when the training will end.



Detainees



The same instructor passed his phone to a detainee who told RFA that he had been detained at Camp No. 4 after helping his brother send money to his son, who was studying in Turkey.



Because my crime was not deemed serious, I was placed here, but my brother, Abdurshit, is in prison [facing charges for] sending his son abroad without governmental permission, the detainee said.



I know this camp is called The Center For Developing Skills For a Professional Career, but I was brought here in handcuffs with a black hood over my head. It was only after I passed through the security gate that the handcuffs and hood were removed.



Another detainee named Osman Tursun, who spoke to RFA on a phone handed to him by an instructor, said he had been placed in the camp after he and several of his fellow residents from Yengitam village overheard religious teachings at a wedding ceremony in 2012.



Five years ago, I went to a wedding in my neighborhood where a man discussed teachings from the Quran, though I don't remember the exact information, he said.



There are 22 of us here from my village because we were at the same wedding and listened to the discussion. Apart from us, there are seven others from my village here who are former prisoners.



Korla city



Sources in Bayingholin Mongol Autonomous Prefectures Korla city, where Uyghurs have protested house-to-house raids on their homes during strike hard anti-terrorism campaigns in recent years, told RFA that the municipality houses three re-education camps with at least 2,100 detainees, as well as a Socialism Institute, where more than 40 religious figures are being held.



Rehim Yasin, the Communist Party secretary of Korlas Qara Yulghun village, said that 86 of his villages 1,678 residents are currently being held in the citys three re-education camps, which are known as Professional Career Improvement Centers.



They are all designed to re-educate people who are deemed politically incorrect, he said.



Each camp holds at least 700 people, so in the three re-education camps there are at least 2,100 people.



Mutellep Esset, the party secretary for the Saybagh Street office in Korla, told RFA it was unclear how many people from his district had been detained at the citys re-education centers, but said many of those held had overseas connections.



I learned through my work that among the detainees [from my district] are 13 people held for traveling abroad with a tourist company, one person who had been on a hajj [Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca] two years ago, and two people who studied in Turkey for a short time before returning home, he said.



Vast network



Investigations by RFA suggest there is a vast network of re-education camps throughout the Xinjiang region.



Sources indicate that there are almost no majority ethnic Han Chinese held in the Xinjiang camps, and that the number of detainees in the regions southwhere the highest concentration of Uyghurs are basedfar surpasses that in the north.



Earlier this month, local officials in Xinjiang told RFA that thousands of Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minoritiesincluding Kyrgyz and Kazakhare being held in re-education camps without contact with their families under a policy designed to counter "extremism" in the region.



New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch has called on the Chinese government to free the thousands of Xinjiang people placed in re-education camps since April 2017 and close them down.



Chinas ruling Communist Party blames some Uyghurs for a string of violent attacks and clashes in China in recent years, but critics say the government has exaggerated the threat from the ethnic group, and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for violence that has left hundreds dead since 2009.



China regularly conducts strike hard campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material.



Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
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A long-planned outlet mall along Interstate 95 in Hanover County is not moving forward.

The Outlets at Richmond was to be developed by Newport Beach, Calif.-based Craig Realty Group, which operates 15 outlet centers in nine states, according to the companys website.

The 400,000-square-foot mall was to be located at the northeast corner of Lakeridge Parkway and Lewistown Road, in the Northlake Business Park, off Interstate 95s exit 89.

At this time, the developer is no longer pursuing an outlet center in Hanover, Kay Pangraze, Craig Realtys local project manager, said in a Friday morning story by Richmond BizSense.

Proposals to develop an outlet mall in Hanover date back almost a decade.

I had a feeling that it wouldnt move forward. It was just taking too long to get started, said Brian Glass, senior vice president at the Richmond and Norfolk offices of Colliers International, a commercial real estate firm.

In my opinion, outlet malls have peaked. There are fewer viable retailers, and the merchandise they sell is not always what they sell in their stores, he said. Furthermore, online options have increased, so why bother making the trip to an outlet mall, unless youre on vacation?

Hanover Supervisor Wayne Hazzard said early Friday that he had not heard that the Outlets would not be developed, but he cited the recent opening of a hotel nearby as a sign that the area can thrive on its own.

I think the area is continuing to develop without it, Hazzard said. Weve made it this far without them.

In 2008, Horizon Group Properties LLC announced plans for a mall in the Winding Brook development, but it dropped the idea two years later.

Craig Realty then stepped in as potential developer, buying land in the Northlake Business Park in December 2012.

The mall was to be built on 31.4 acres of the 400-acre business park. The first phase had called for about 273,000 square feet of space for about 35 to 40 outlet stores plus restaurants and specialty food stores. A second phase was supposed to add about 127,000 square feet  about two dozen more stores  and a five-level parking deck.

In December 2015, Craig Realty announced that Under Armour, Banana Republic and Gap were onboard with the project. In July 2016, a spokeswoman said the project had signed three more tenants: childrens clothing retailers OshKosh Bgosh and Carters, plus restaurant chain Johnny Rockets.

But the retail landscape is shifting, with many retailers beefing up their online presence and scaling back on brick-and-mortar stores. Officials at Gap Inc. said in September that the company would close about 200 underperforming Gap and Banana Republic stores over the next year and focus on e-commerce and its growth brands: Old Navy and Athleta.

A market analysis of the commercial retail real estate sector by Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer for the second quarter of 2017 shows an overall vacancy rate of 5.9 percent in the Richmond area, an increase from 5.1 percent during the second quarter of 2016.

The project has been planned for many years. The current owner is capable, but clearly they were unable to get firm commitments from a sufficient number of retailers to make the project a reality, said Lee Warfield, president and CEO of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer.

Its disappointing since the site had some positive aspects, such as a nearby anchor retailer draw in Bass Pro Shops and substantial traffic counts on I-95.

Craig Realty, which did not return calls for comment Friday, owns several parcels in the business park. Its plans for the parcels are not known.
When the Richmond City Council holds a closed-door meeting, should the mayor or his representative have the right to listen in?

Two councilwomen dont think so, and theyve submitted a proposal asking their colleagues to give him the proverbial boot.

The council on Monday will consider the proposal, introduced by 2nd District Councilwoman Kimberly Gray and 4th District Councilwoman Kristen Larson, asking the General Assembly to eliminate from the City Charter a provision stipulating Mayor Levar Stoney or his designee can sit in on its closed meetings held in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

The council could still invite Stoney or members of his administration to closed sessions, but the mayor would no longer be entitled to a seat at the table.

Gray and Larson said in separate interviews that removing the provision is necessary to protect the privacy of council appointees when the nine-member body discusses employment matters.

Its not best practice to bring a third party into any sensitive personnel discussion, and every closed session personnel discussion is a sensitive discussion, just by nature, Gray said.

Jim Nolan, a spokesman for the mayor, said in an email that Stoney believes this provision promotes coordination and accountability between City Council and the Office of the Mayor.

A majority of council members said they support removing or curtailing the provision.

Along with Gray and Larson, those include: Chris Hilbert, Ellen Robertson, Parker Agelasto and Andreas Addison. Each cited confidentiality concerns. They also pointed out that there is nothing in the charter obligating the mayor to provide council members access to his closed-door meetings.

Theres no decision that the mayor makes where were invited or included or expected to be at the table, said Addison, the 1st District representative. Why is it the other way around?

Hilbert, the council president, said he did not support removing the clause in full, but did agree that the mayor should not take part in the councils personnel discussions.

I dont see that leaving them out in a matter that concerns the whole city, with the exception of a personnel decision of council, is necessarily the way to go, Hilbert said.

This isnt the first time a council has sought to strike the provision in question.

In 2005, the council asked the General Assembly to bar the mayor from its closed meetings, among other changes included in its legislative proposal.

The council argued the provision was in conflict with Freedom of Information Act because it prevented it from excluding a nonmember from closed sessions, according to a memo in its legislative package.

State lawmakers saw it differently. They disregarded what the council asked for and amended the provision to its current form.

As written, it permits the council to shut out the mayor only when its discussion pertains to the mayor or when the council determines his participation would be detrimental to its deliberation, according to the charter.

If the council backs Gray and Larsons proposal, a member of the Richmond delegation to the Virginia General Assembly would have to carry a bill requesting the change during the upcoming legislative session.

In the past, Hilbert has been wary of taking that course, citing displeasure with what came of the legislature tinkering with the citys governing document after the 2003 referendum that saw voters overwhelmingly endorse a strong-mayor form of government.

The council has held seven closed sessions this year, according to the City Clerk. Stoney has not personally sat in on any of them, but he has sent Chief of Staff Lincoln Saunders on a few occasions, including the July session preceding the resignation of former City Auditor Umesh Dalal, a council appointee.

Saunders rarely speaks in the meetings, several council members said. In fact, his fly-on-the-wall presence is something of a running joke.

Hilbert, Robertson and Agelasto said Stoney has more frequently taken advantage of the privilege than his predecessor, Dwight C. Jones.

Suzette Denslow, who served as Jones chief of staff for five years, said she and David Hicks, a top Jones aide, often sat in on the councils closed sessions when they pertained to issues concerning the administration.

If the meeting was held to discuss council-appointed employees, however, they would not attend, Denslow said.

The council broached the subject of mayoral access to closed meetings at its retreat last month in a winding discussion about potential changes to the City Charter.

Beyond piecemeal changes, the conversation explored how the council could identify issues with the charter and strong-mayor form of government.

Robertson advocated for a commission to delve into the citys governing document and make recommendations to the council.

She said she will pursue the approach before years end in hopes of making more sweeping changes to the charter during the General Assemblys 2019 session.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, Robertson said in an interview, referring to Gray and Larsons proposal.

To some members, who sits in on closed meetings isnt as much of a concern as how often the body has held them this year.

Reva Trammell, the 8th District councilwoman, said Saunders presence did not bother her but that if she had her druthers, the council would not hold closed sessions at all.

I dont care if (Saunders) is in there; it dont matter to me, Trammell said. If Ive got something to say, Im going to say it regardless of whos in there.

The council will take up the matter at its Organizational Development standing committee meeting Monday at 5 p.m.
LANCASTER  Investigators continue to comb through clues to learn more about the death of Graham McCormick, a former Richmonder and Hampden-Sydney College graduate who was found dead following a boating accident in a Lancaster County creek last month.

The county sheriffs office was first alerted that something was amiss just after 10:30 a.m. Aug. 11 when McCormick, 31, was reported missing from the Irvington home where he had been visiting friends. The person who called said the last time McCormick had been seen was by a dock near the home and said he may have fallen off the dock, said Maj. William Webb, chief deputy of the sheriffs office.

But about an hour later, authorities said, they were alerted that McCormicks body had been found in Carter Creek nearly 2 miles away from the home where he had been reported missing. The sheriffs office eventually learned through their investigation, including witness statements, that McCormick had been on a boat that crashed into a bulkhead in the water, Webb said.

He did not fall off the dock, Webb said in an interview last week. He obviously died from the boating accident.

The state medical examiners office has listed the cause of McCormicks death as drowning and the manner of death as accidental. But Webb said the sheriffs office is awaiting a final autopsy report from the medical examiner before coming to a conclusion about what killed him.

Matt Broughton, a Roanoke-based attorney for the McCormick family, said his firm also is investigating the circumstances surrounding the mans death.

Right now, we dont know a lot obviously, and we are just waiting to see what is revealed, Broughton said.

Broughton said McCormicks family members really miss Graham tremendously.

They appreciate all the outpouring from the public and their concerns and love, and they appreciate every card and letter and every positive statement and encouragement about Graham, Broughton said. This is an incredible young man ... very, very successful.

McCormick, a corporate finance analyst at SunTrust Bank in Atlanta, had been visiting friends at a home in the 600 block of Glebe Road in Irvington. The home is owned by Gary Lee Hooper, a Richmond native who is a former senior vice president at the commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer.

Webb said Hooper was in Africa when McCormicks body was found.

Hooper flew back and met with investigators at his home three days later, the sheriffs office said in a search warrant filed in the case.

Hooper allowed detectives to look around his property and they noticed broken glass on the dock that Hooper could not provide an explanation for, detectives said in court papers.

They also noticed cameras around the property and were told by the alarm company that from Aug. 8 to Aug. 10, the cameras were receiving data but no images were available, the sheriffs office said in the warrant.

The warrant also sought information from Hoopers cellphone account, including any text messages, images or videos stored on its iCloud account.

It was during that Aug. 14 visit that detectives noticed there was damage to Hoopers boat, a 1999 Boston Whaler, according to the court documents.

In a follow-up visit the next day, Lancaster detectives said they could see a hole in the fiberglass hull of the boat, as well as scratches to each side of the vessel and damage to the lower unit of the boat, the search warrant says.

Officials also said in court papers that the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries did an accident reconstruction and concluded that the boat had been in a crash that occurred near where McCormicks body was found in the creek that flows into the Rappahannock River. The boat was also seized through a search warrant.

Detectives also said in court papers that when they found McCormicks body, he had a cut and scratches to the left side of his head and face.

Witnesses told investigators that the night before McCormicks body was found, they had taken a boat ride and then gone to dinner at the Trick Dog Cafe, the search warrant says.

Following dinner, witnesses told police they returned to the home and that McCormick was last seen drinking on the dock with two other people who told police that all three of them went to their respective rooms around 12:30 a.m. Aug. 11, the search warrant says.

Witnesses told investigators that they awoke later that morning and couldnt locate McCormick, so they called the sheriffs office to report him missing, according to the sheriffs office.

Among the witnesses in the case is John Randolph Hooper, Gary Hoopers son, according to investigators, who said the younger Hooper was at the residence while McCormick was staying there.

The younger Hooper told investigators that he remembers getting the boat off the bulkhead after it crashed but has said he does not recall who was driving the vessel, Webb said.

When reached by phone this week, Gary Hooper said he could not comment on the case, noting the investigation is continuing.

John Randolph Hooper could not be reached for comment.

No charges have been filed in the case. Lancaster Sheriff Patrick McCranie said investigators continue to probe the case seeking more information about the circumstances surrounding McCormicks death.

The guys are out there every day trying to place the pieces of the puzzle together, McCranie said.
Donnie Corker, better known as Dirtwoman, died this week, and the news of his passing brought to mind the character of Otis, the town drunk on The Andy Griffith Show. Like Otis, Corker was crude and transgressive  and incorrigible. He was also essentially harmless. He lived life on his own terms, no matter what anyone thought of him, which is more than many people can say. In doing so he elevated, over time, what they did think of him. He was not anyones idea of a role model; people who push boundaries invite hostility and judgment. But they also expand the cultural space  making more room for others to be their own authentic selves as well. The result is a richer, more intricate social tapestry. And that is not such a bad thing at all.

Speaking of transgressive: Hugh Hefner, who founded Playboy, also has passed away. He was not anyones idea of a role model, either  except perhaps for teenage boys and older men with arrested development. By now, in an age of sexting and hookups and internet porn of infinite non-Euclidean varieties, the airbrushed, girl-next-door pictorials that were so risque in their day seem as quaint as the WWII pinup girls that inspired them. In its day, Playboy pushed sexual revolution. Today it seems positively old-fashioned.

On-time graduation rates in Richmond slipped last year; theyre especially bad among Latino and Asian students, a fact that is surely bound up with issues of poverty, immigration, and English as a second language. But thats a challenge  not an excuse. Richmond must do better.

Also in Richmond, the City Council wants to know who is keeping exotic pets in their homes. Says Christie Chipps Peters, director of Animal Care and Control, Weve got to know if youve got a lion in your basement. Or tigers, or bears  oh my!

Police in Henrico captured a pig that was blocking traffic on Nuckols road. This happened not long after Henrico officers had to respond to a 4-foot-long lizard on the loose in Lakeside. Ringling Brothers has folded its tents for good and doesnt bring the circus to town any longer. The way things are going, though, theres no need for it to anyway.
By Barry Duval

The earliest foundations of American business culture were laid over 400 years ago in Jamestown. Since then, the commonwealth  and the United States  have become a beacon for economic opportunity, free enterprise, and entrepreneurial spirit that dates back to our founders. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is proud to support the 2019 Commemoration of this rich history of American enterprise  and it looks to continue to raise Virginias profile as a top business destination globally.

From the very beginning, the purpose of the Virginia Company of London, founded in 1606, was to establish colonial settlements in the New World. The company was funded by nearly 1,700 shareholders who hoped to profit from the natural resources in the New World, which were believed to include gold, timber, and other agricultural crops.

The Jamestown colony became Americas first start-up business. Like many start-ups, the Jamestown colony faced trials and tribulations in its early days, but it planted the seeds for  and ultimately went on to create one of the most successful enterprises ever known  the United States of America.

***

Today, Virginia is home to a diverse collection of companies and industries of all sizes. Weve long been blessed by a strong economy.

However, as we look toward Virginias future, we must ensure that we are ready to compete in an increasingly global market. To ensure that Virginia remains a top destination for businesses, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce has spent the past year collecting feedback from more than 5,000 business leaders to update Blueprint Virginia, our long-term jobs plan.

Blueprint Virginia 2025 brings together the voices of business and community leaders from across the commonwealth to outline top priorities for strengthening Virginias economic competitiveness to continue our legacy of not only being the founder of enterprise and business in America, but also the leader in it.

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce and our member companies across the commonwealth are proud of the role we have played in growing Virginias economy and contributing to our shared American Evolution.

***

The 2019 Commemoration recognizes Virginias important role in the formation of the United States economic approach and government, which are the bedrock of our nations economic success.

Over the next two years, the commemoration will highlight the impact of free-market structures on early democracy in the United States and their continued influence on innovation in Virginia, through support of events such as the Tom Tom Founders Festival. Additionally, the commemoration is attracting tourists to the commonwealth to put Virginia on the national and international stage in a positive way.

Virginias entrepreneurial history is a cornerstone of United States history. We believe that we can in fact stimulate the economy, create new jobs, and make Virginia the best place to live, work and do business. The Virginia Chamber of Commerce is proud to support the 2019 Commemoration as we carry on Virginias entrepreneurial spirit.
By Lewis P. Lawson

Thomas Bowdler was a 19th century British physician who endeavored to expunge Shakespeares writings of disturbing references. From his actions the word bowdlerize came into fashion to describe attempts at censorship or manipulation of material to gain an enhanced view of what otherwise may be perceived as offensive or destructive.

While Bowdlers attempts aimed mostly at sexual references, many people today seem to bowdlerize history by resorting only to those facts or viewpoints that support their position, often eliminating other facts that run counter to their beliefs or agenda.

Similarly, sentimentality is a word that takes on a different hue when applied to literature. Many critics use it to define the way authors and people think and feel in the time period in which they lived.

For instance, Nathanial Hawthorne when he wrote The Scarlet Letter was concerned with hidden sin, more specifically how people dealt with guilt. The Puritanical 19th century environment in which he lived does not exactly parallel our 21st century point of view comprehending morality. Thus, if we read Hawthorne or other authors from different eras solely from our modern perspectives, we quite possibly will miss the full thrust of their message. Perhaps we will think it irrelevant or too outdated.

Are we so naive in our current moral or historical superiority  in other words, the sentimentality in which we think and feel about ourselves in our time period  to realize people a hundred or so years from now may look at us as somewhat irrelevant in positions we currently espouse?

History slices through time with a double-edged sword. There are moments and achievements that bear memorializing and celebrating. Likewise, much of mans past would be best just that, left to the past.

But herein lies the rub: As we are inspired by past accomplishments, so too do we need to be reminded of where man has fallen short, no matter how bitter or unjust those moments or periods may be.

***

The Holocaust museums in Washington and Richmond and other cities are there to remind succeeding generations how cruel and misguided mans treatment of his fellow man can be. Monuments, works of art, and museums constantly remind us of the atrocities and horrors that have been exacted in the guise of nationalism or other sentimentalities of the day.

The Crusades were conducted under the banner of religion, the slave trade in the purport of economics and racial superiority, war internments in the name of national security ... The examples are almost endless.

Logic, its fallacies and sophistries, can be twisted in numerous ways to justify one form of behavior or control over another. As civilization expanded, indigenous people all over the globe were victimized. Their conquerors, acting under such sentiments as nationalism, religious or racial superiority, or philosophies like manifest destiny, condoned the advancement of civilization.

But as Emerson and Thoreau noted, every advancement in one area results in sacrifice or decline in another. The march of society is not always smooth. The important point here is that man, on each rung of the ladder he climbs, should aspire to new heights of excellence rather than decline to previous lows of deprivation.

***

Given the multiple influences of 24-hour news outlets and social media platforms, mans viewpoints have become exceedingly Balkanized, that is fed with only what these limited agendas allow people to hear. Consequently, modern society seems as fractured as ever. This isolationalism does not help mans quest to build upon the failures of the past.

We need to move beyond such myopia. If we are going to tear down monuments, icons of a past not always conforming to modern sentiments, how are future generations to become aware of the periods of acrimony they represent?

Would it not be better to pull down the hardened hearts that make man insensitive to the plights of others  to deconstruct the vanity, ego, and disdain that elevates an individual sense of self over others, to renounce any sense of superiority that isolates us, to dismiss false creeds that divide? Have people in our era become so motivated by a particular agenda that we can no longer work together to find common ground upon which to unite?

The historian John Mack Faragher once wrote: Think of the word myth here not as a synonym for erroneous belief but as the body of tales, fables, and fantasies that help people make sense of its history. Like history, myth finds meaning in the events of the past. But unlike history, myth is less concerned with facts than with ideological essences.

We have a difficult tightrope to navigate between that which is destructive and that which guides us beyond injustices of the past. To reach any reconciliation and hope for succeeding generations, we must be aware of past injustice to avoid recreating the same mistakes in the future.

Visiting museums or viewing monuments that create discomfort and expose us to past transgressions is important, a way to remind future generations about committing the same ideological fallacies. Lao Tzu in the Tao Te Ching states:

With a wall all around

A clay bowl is molded;

But the use of the bowl

Will depend on the part

Of the bowl that is void.

Educated in the vagaries of history, every time I see a statue of a Confederate soldier, a Civil War battlefield, a Jewish concentration camp, a picture of a killing field in Cambodia, my response is not to say lets tear down that statue or rip from the book this picture of horror.

No, my response is to say to myself or to discuss with the person next to me that we must never let these injustices and atrocities happen again.

The needs are great. Is bickering over our differences the solution? Instead of tearing down the reminders of our shortcomings, would it not be better to find constructive ways to use the void to build up our consciousness? To do so is to give living proof as to how dynamic our nation is  always moving forward, a phoenix rising from its ashes, advancing the human rights and dignity of its citizens.

I say, let us put up monuments to celebrate how we as a people can triumph over past injustices or misguided periods of sentimentality.

Perhaps a statue on Monument Avenue of Pocahontas, Maggie Walker, the 14 black former slaves fighting for the Union who died in the Battle of New Market Heights, Woodrow Wilson  in other words, great Virginians who can remind us not only of our shared past, but also of the people we can become when we allow the truth of the human heart to prevail.

The Arthur Ashe monument has pioneered this direction  let us build upon that precedent.
By Mark J. Rozell

A new statewide survey reveals that although Virginians are eager to get beyond our serious racial conflict, they are divided regarding what actions are needed.

The survey findings underscore the risks that confront politicians who build their campaigns on racially tinged issues, such as the current debate over whether to preserve or remove Virginias many public monuments to Confederate Civil War icons.

In the aftermath of the deadly violence that broke out in Charlottesville in August to protest the planned removal of a Robert E. Lee monument from a city park, many argued correctly that Virginias problems go far deeper than bronze and granite.

Yet, survey data show that most Virginians, in particular most white Virginians, have little stomach for a deep dive into understanding and resolving fundamental issues of race.

The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University commissioned a statewide survey by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy  a well-regarded research firm with a long history of work in Virginia.

The survey was conducted Sept. 10-15. A total of 625 registered Virginia voters were interviewed statewide by telephone. All said they were likely to vote in the November general election. The margin of error was plus-or-minus 4 percentage points.

***

Here is what we learned:

By large margins across all categories  race, geography, young and old, men and women, Democrat and Republican  Virginians agreed (70 percent overall) with the proposition that We owe it to our children to deal with race relations issues once and for all.

There was also substantial, albeit somewhat less, support (56 percent overall) for the proposition that the Commonwealth of Virginia should take steps to more fully understand and acknowledge the impact of slavery and racial segregation on African Americans.

There was less support for this idea in Southside and Southwest Virginia, among Virginians without a college degree, and among Republicans.

As the survey drilled down to ask about what steps should be taken to deal with racial issues, larger divisions emerged.

The survey asked participants if they agree or disagree with the idea of mounting a serious study of race relations in the wake of Virginias history of mistreating African Americans. Only 35 percent of Virginians support the idea and 52 percent oppose it (with 13 percent unsure).

Black Virginians supported that idea by a two-to-one margin. White Virginians rejected it by a similar margin.

The serious study idea did not gain majority support in any region of the commonwealth, and opposition was strongest in Southside and Southwest Virginia.

Opinion is divided (43 percent opposed, 39 percent in favor) whether Virginia should appoint a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) to conduct a thorough and nonpartisan study of race relations in Virginia, including how the Civil War is commemorated in public monuments, streets, and buildings.

Sixty-one percent of black Virginians supported the idea of a TRC, but only 32 percent of white Virginians supported the idea. Sixty-nine percent of Virginia Republicans oppose a TRC and 55 percent of Virginia Democrats support it.

Only in Northern Virginia did the idea of a TRC gain majority support (57 percent). Most people in the Shenandoah Valley, Piedmont, Southside, and Southwest Virginia oppose the idea.

In the Richmond region, 31 percent support a TRC, 51 percent are opposed (and 18 percent are unsure). Eastern Virginia was evenly divided on the idea.

Forty-seven percent of Virginians said a Truth and Reconciliation Commission would be counterproductive and mainly would stir up hard feelings.

Even 39 percent of black Virginians agreed a TRC would be counterproductive.

***

There was widespread agreement among almost all demographic categories opposing the idea of financial reparations to African-Americans.

Two-thirds of Virginians overall oppose reparations. Half of black Virginians are opposed to reparations.

All told, the survey findings confirm that race is a divisive issue in Virginia  and that is no surprise.

The challenge, though, is that if we are to make any progress at all, Virginia must face up to its shameful history of mistreatment of African-Americans, from the time of slavery to the 20th century embrace of Jim Crow subjugation of black civil rights, to the current era of unequal justice and underinvestment in our inner cities.

There is no progress without confronting the past, owning it and its consequences, and taking action to heal the deep wounds that afflict many. Virginians largely acknowledge the problem. Yet even 152 years after the Civil War, they cannot agree on what to do.
Several residents said their concerns with the park began worsening a few months ago following the sale of the property to a firm with ties to a hedge fund that has gained notoriety in recent years over its purchase  and attempted purchases  of a number of newspapers across the country.
By PTI: Shillong, Sep 30 (PTI) Union minister Kiren Rijiju today said that Nartiang village in West Jaintia Hills district - which is home to a 500-year-old Durga temple ? will be declared as a national heritage site.

"I will ask the village council and people here to send a proposal (in this regard).... This place deserves a recognition," Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, told reporters at Nartiang.

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Perched on a hill top and overlooking the Myntang river, the Durga Bari at Nartiang in the Jaintia Hills district was built by Jaintia kings in 16th or 17th century.

Nartiang is also a famous tourist destination for its monoliths, the tallest in the entire Khasi-Jaintia Hills region.

"I will talk to both the union tourism minister and union culture minister to provide assistance to this area. This is my commitment," Rijiju said. PTI JOP NN

--- ENDS ---
STAFFORD  A day after the Stafford County attorney announced officials could do nothing to remove or lower a Confederate flag that flies high above Interstate 95 near Fredericksburg, Susan Kosior decided to send a message of her own.

On Sept. 20, she applied for a $200 county building permit to raise a 80-foot flag pole on which to fly a 30-by-50-foot Black Lives Matter flag in the backyard of her home . Shell have six months from the date of the permit to construct it.

Im hoping it lets people know they are not alone. They dont need to be afraid, Kosior said. That other flag is intimidating and inspires fear. I want to counteract that. There are people here who will stand beside you.

The contentious Confederate flag that flies from an 80-foot pole went up in 2014 on private property, although it is within view of drivers on I95. Local and state officials started fielding complaints almost right away.

The deadly white nationalist march in Charlottesville last month sparked the most high-profile opposition to the flag yet. Protesters have stood outside Stafford Countys administration building and signed up to speak by the dozens at the last three meetings of the board of supervisors.

For their part, supervisors largely avoided taking sides. On Sept. 5, Paul Milde, chairman of the board, said he recognized the flag concerned some residents but that the county could not force the property owners  or the Virginia Flaggers organization that leases the land  to take it down.

Then on Sept. 19, County Attorney Charles Shumate told the supervisors that the flag is protected by the First Amendment right to free speech, he said. Any action officials might take could make the county and the supervisors vulnerable to a lawsuit.

I was so disappointed in what happened, she said. I could sit around and be depressed or we could do something.

Kosior filled out an application and submitted a rendering of a flagpole for her property.

We are doing what theyve done. Im sure it will cause some complaints, she said. In fact, a neighbor has already asked her where, exactly, the flag will go.

She told him it would go in her back yard.

I dont know what else to do, really, Kosior said.

For Kosior, who is white, the Confederate flag is personal. Her adopted daughter, 8-year-old Leah, is black. Kosior remembers when Leah came home from school after grasping for the first time the concept of American slavery .

Since then, Kosior has tried to help Leah learn about her history and culture. They even sent off a DNA test in December that confirmed the girl most likely had descendants who came to the United States in the mid-Atlantic slave trade, Kosior said.

The Virginia Flaggers group has maintained its goal is to preserve Confederate history, not to stir up hate or inspire fear. And a handful of residents who have spoken at county board meetings in support of the flag have said the same.

Theres no hate here, the propertys owner, Hubert Wayne Cash, said. He said hed be happy to help Kosior with the Black Lives Matter flag.

Kosior has set up a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe.com to help pay for the estimated $10,000 flag pole plus the construction costs and the price of the flag. Shes calling it the Freedom Pole.

My intent is to fly a Black Lives Matter flag over my property if the board refuses to take any further action over the I95 flag, Kosior wrote on GoFundMe.com.

A zoning complaint has been filed in Stafford County alleging that the Confederate flag is actually a sign because it promotes the Virginia Flaggers, which raises money and erects the battle flag on Virginia roadsides. The flag should comply with the countys sign ordinance, which means it can stand no higher than six feet, Patricia Healy wrote.

The county is investigating the complaint.

In her fundraising post, Kosior said that she hopes the Freedom Pole will help level the playing field.
May 12, 1952 September 27, 2017 Susan Evans Gautier wife of Jackie "Go-Gear" Gautier died Wednesday, September 27, 2017 after a long, courageously brave six year battle with Ovarian Cancer, at their home in Penhook, Va. They had an amazing life together and enjoyed a wonderful love for one another and their family and friends. Susan and Jack loved doing things together, from being on their mountain property with the grandkids picking blackberries, sitting and watching an amazingly peaceful sunset, skydiving from 10,000 feet or sitting in the hot tub watching the Super Bowl. Susan graduated from Mullens High School with "honors", Class of "70" and attended Concord University and earned her BS degree in Business Administration. She studied for her Masters at Virginia Tech. Susan moved to Atlanta, Ga. and worked until deciding to open her first business in Omaha, Neb. Two years later she wanted to expand so she moved to southern California and became owner and President of Perfect Sense Inc. Susan is survived by her loving husband, Jackie Lee Gautier of Penhook formerly of Itmann, W.Va.; a brother, Eugene Evans III of Mullens, W.Va.; a daughter, Chastity Gautier McBroom and her husband, John of Roanoke, Va.; a son, Brandon Gautier of Penhook, Va.; six grandchildren, Rachel McBroom Trudeau and her husband, Thomas of Santa Fe, N.M., Melissa McBroom Elder and her husband, Trent of Lewisberry, Pa., Tye Jackson McBroom of Killington, Vt., Ayla Denali McBroom and Django Ryder McBroom of Roanoke, Va., Isabella Lee Gautier of Las Vegas, Nev.; and one great grandchild, Quincy Jordan Elder. Susan was born May 12, 1952 in Bluefield W.Va., the daughter of the late Dana Lee Stike Evans and Eugene Ray Evans of Mullens, W.Va. Susan and Jack belong to the Penhook United Methodist Church and wish in lieu of flowers please make a donation to the PUMC, P.O. Box 215, Penhook, VA 24137. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Wednesday, October 4, 2017 at Penhook United Methodist Church, with Pastor B. Sung officiating. Interment will follow at Liberty Christian Church Cemetery. Her family will receive friends on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Flora Funeral Service and Cremation Center, Rocky Mount.
At a meeting of the party's accounts committee in Bhopal, BJP president Amit Shah makes a point. "From now on," he says, looking around, "the party's day-to-day expenses will be met through cheque donations." There's polite laughter all around. Most of the people in the room think it's a joke and await a punchline. There is none. Shah, 54, is dead serious. The smiles evaporate. "Stop taking donations in cash," he says.

Shah is on the move. Since April this year, he has embarked on a vistrit prawas (extended campaign), spending 85 of 115 days outside the national capital crisscrossing the countryside, visiting 22 states, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Gujarat to Assam. In the past 37 months, he has become the BJP's most travelled president, having taken around 350 trips to states, covering 750 km a day. He takes mostly commercial flights -- private jets are a strict no-no except during electioneering when time is of the essence. He skips hotels to stay in state government guest houses or party offices.

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The nine months between the Uttar Pradesh elections in March and the Gujarat elections in December 2017 will be the longest break without elections. December onwards, it is going to be a non-stop electoral push for the BJP - protecting their bastion in Gujarat in December, going on the offensive against the last major Congress citadel, Karnataka, next March, and on the defensive in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in December 2018.

Shah is making the most of this nine-month hiatus to whip the party into shape. His nationwide tours are in the manner of a military commander visiting his field formations, not only to instil confidence in partymen, but to assess the ground situation as well. Predictably, his encounters leave a trail of hotly discussed anecdotes in their wake.

At a meeting of BJP unit morchas and heads of various cells in Kolkata this September, Shah was incensed to find positions in the morchas and cells unfilled. His diktat: "Fill the posts soon. If you can't, say goodbye to your positions."

At his next pit stop in Jharkhand capital Ranchi, at a closed-door meeting with party office-bearers and ministers, he derided anti-incumbency as "a term coined by hopeless people". "If the nation has to change, then we have to rule for 60, even 100, years. So, workers of this party should have no time to rest. Those who want to rest should leave the party."

This is much more than an astonishing vision for political parties which don't look beyond the five-year election horizon. It is the clearest articulation of the flip side to Shah's 2014 'Congress-mukt Bharat' coinage: a 'BJP-yukt Bharat'. Shah is planning not just the Congress's electoral obliteration. He wants to ensure the BJP can be an effective replacement.

The closest metaphor currently for his BJP 2.0 mission is the party's partially-completed national headquarters, a gleaming seven-storeyed red sandstone-and-glass structure on 6, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, in central Delhi. Shah has not hidden his disdain for the existing party office on 11, Ashoka Road, a Lutyens' bungalow flanked by a warren of ad hoc single-storeyed structures.

Hard-hatted workers swarm around the under-construction HQ whose foundation stone Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid last January. The building, a Shah brainchild, is to be inaugurated on December 25 this year, the 93rd birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A building fronted by a sweeping staircase, multi-level underground car parking, wi-fi, a digital library, green lawns and an atrium, 6, DDU Marg will be among the largest HQs for any Delhi-based party and the nerve centre of its connect with an army of workers right down to the booth level. Shah will strategise the BJP's 2019 election charge from here.

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BIGGER IS BETTER

The BJP has been on a bull run since the former stockbroker-turned-politician took over as party president in August 2014. Barring two early defeats in Delhi and Bihar in 2015, the BJP has formed nine state governments in a row, six on its own. In his three-year tenure, Shah has doubled the number of states in the party's kitty to 18 and the party has won nine of the 15 elections it has contested. The party has never had the kind of pan-India presence that it has now.

Shah at the home of a tribal family in Ranchi, Jharkhand (Photo: Bandeep Singh)

Shah claims to have expanded the BJP's membership to over 110 million this year from the 32.5 million he inherited in 2014, making BJP the world's largest political party. He acknowledges "the popularity and performance of Narendra Modi as prime minister, coupled with the organisation's ability to convert this strength into votes" (see interview: 'The emerging BJP will be invincible') as the principal factor for the party's onward march. Asked whether the new party will simply be an electoral machine that might overwhelm the BJP's ideological moorings, Shah replies: "The emerging BJP will be ajeya (invincible) in electoral politics. It is not a machine, but a mission for the nation's development."

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The Modi-Shah electoral juggernaut poses an existential challenge to the Opposition. "We have to understand we are up against Mr Modi, Mr Shah," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh told PTI in August. "They think differently, they act differently, and if we are not flexible in our approach, frankly, we will become irrelevant."

Shah's political hunger is insatiable and not only because of the food diplomacy he has pioneered on his state visits this year. He has sat cross-legged in the home of a Dalit or tribal family in every state and also had lunch or dinner with a leading citizen.

Each trip is marked by an average of six crucial closed-door meetings where partymen can speak to him freely. He meets hundreds of party workers, from state and district office-bearers, elected MPs and MLAs to former MPS and MLAs, district party presidents, heads of public sector undertakings, civic body heads, vistaraks, chief ministers and ministers of states. Each of his three days is also broken into 15-18 sessions where he also meets the press, addresses public meetings and meets intellectuals.

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Photo: Bandeep Singh

Shah is clearly keen to avoid what one senior party leader says was the BJP's undoing in the 2004 elections: "The entire party went into government there was no one to fight elections." He is equally conscious of other areas the BJP faltered in. The party's explosive growth from two seats in 1984 to 85 in 1989 and finally 182 in 1999 was based on emotive issues like the Ram temple agitation. This growth was clearly unsustainable and never brought in the numbers for it to form a government on its own because the party had no reach in south India. That jinx was broken in May 2014 when the BJP got a simple 282-seat majority, the first in its 34-year history. Shah's challenge is to create a pan-Indian party that will deliver every time. A party that is large yet nimble. Traditional yet modern. Managing these contradictions could be a tough task and Shah's recipe for success, revealed during his whirlwind tours, is this: the party will be strengthened from the grassroots up; its catchment area will be expanded even if it means roping in leaders from other parties; an army of trained, ideologically motivated and social-media savvy party workers will be fielded; new leaders will be groomed even as the party harps on its pro-poor agenda.

Shah's interaction with BJP workers across the country offers an insight into the BJP's 2019 campaign pitch. The party may be committed to the Ram temple and even cow protection, but the overtly Hindutva issues have been replaced by a distinctly socialist garibi hatao pitch. Shah only talks about the Modi government's probity, transparency, inner party democracy and pro-poor approach. "It's a government of the poor," Shah tells workers. "Schemes like Mudra, Ujjwala, Jan Dhan and Stand-up India have opened a new chapter in poverty elimination."

Significantly, even in closed-door meetings, Shah steers clear of contentious issues such as Article 370 and the uniform civil code. Those can wait as they have to be achieved within the constitutional framework, he reasons. For now, only development and poverty elimination are front and centre.

The focus for the upcoming state elections will be Modi's image, his four pro-poor schemes as well as his crusade against corruption. In states like Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh where the Congress is in power, the party will raise the issue of corruption. Where the BJP is in power, the plank would be woven around achievements of the state government. The fulcrum of the strategy will be contrasting Modi's image to the regional leaders. "The NDA's corruption-free governance will be a major issue even in state elections and our state electoral machinery has been made aware of it," says BJP general secretary, organisation, Ram Lal.

Shah's three-day tours omit any mention of caste and focus only on Modi's pro-poor measures as well as his image as a development icon. In the backroom, though, Shah and his team are drawing up state-specific caste strategies in consultation with local leaders - between Rajputs and Jats in Rajasthan, Vokkaligas and Lingayats in Karnataka, and Patels and other castes in Gujarat where the party fears a backlash over the Patel reservation stir.

The rise in prices due to overtaxation could affect his plans. The hotel industry is unhappy with the increase in tax following implementation of the Goods & Services Tax (GST) and so is the vast handicrafts industry.

His challenge has grown in the past one month after the nation's growth rate in the last quarter dipped below six per cent. BJP's social media warriors appear slightly on the defensive for the first time on the economic front. Shah, however, is confident that it is a passing phase as two major decisions like demonetisation and GST are bound to cause some temporary convulsions.

He believes the Rs 400 crore worth of loans the government has provided to 70 million medium-level entrepreneurs has created ample self-employment which will take care of the loss of jobs in some niche areas. "You can't analyse the job scenario without taking into account self-employment in which our government has broken all past records", says Amit Malviya, convenor of the party's IT department and a former investment banker .

Shah has set his targets for 2019. 'Mission 350', the plan to get as many Lok Sabha seats in 2019 was the buzz at the national executive of the party in New Delhi on September 24 and 25. The 'Mission 120' strategy outlined last year aims for that many Lok Sabha seats from Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and the Northeast.

THE NEW BJP

When Shah steps out of his 11, Akbar Road, residence on the days he is in Delhi, his gaze meets three sepia-toned paintings of personalities, only one of whom is from the Sangh. Chanakya, the political philosopher who laid the foundations of the Mauryan empire in the 4th century BC; Adi Shankaracharya, the philosopher who led the renaissance of Hinduism in the 8th century; and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who birthed the Hindutva ideology that forms the core of the BJP and its parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The troika are Shah's guiding lights as he attempts to infuse their lessons of religion, statecraft and ideology into rebuilding the party.

Developing Gen Next leaders is one of Shah's biggest priorities and also his greatest motivational hook - he repeatedly emphasises how the BJP is the only national party where a booth level worker can aspire to be party president. The UP polls saw the development of a new crop of new-generation leaders in the state BJP. Shah swam against the tide to back Yogi Adityanath for CM. Party sources say Shah has identified around 270 leaders, all under age 40, as future leaders. He holds these names close to his chest. He wants the list to grow beyond 400 names.

Shah frequently brainstorms with key state office-bearers and breaks each state down region by region. A key leader from each state makes a detailed SWOT analysis based on queries Shah sends. At the end of this 90-minute meeting, Shah assesses what changes need to be introduced.

He conducts these open forums with great authority as well as openness. The slightest deviation is sternly dealt with while all genuine grievances are given an ear. Against pending work, like the appointment of office-bearers in party organisations, he sets deadlines with the consent of the appointing authorities and then holds out the threat of action in case of non-compliance. This approach on the one hand helps bring discipline back into the party and on the other provides a platform for genuine grievance redressal.

Photo: Vikram Sharma

The grassroots rebuild of the party was among the 10 projects Shah started when he took over as party president. Phase 1 was to build offices in all 670 party districts. In 2014, only 114 district units had their own offices. Today, 30 new district offices have been readied and work on 388 is on. There are projects for making libraries in each state and district headquarter, with books on governance, Indian history, the state or district and the Constitution. A team comprising Arvind Menon, the party in-charge for departments and projects, and IT department convenor Malviya accompanies Shah during his state tours to take stock of progress in various projects.

A key electoral strategy for 2019 is the fielding of an army of 375,000 vistaraks, part-time volunteers who will donate 15 days of their time for booth-strengthening for the party till the general elections. A separate force of 4,000 vistaraks has been assigned to specific assembly segments across the country since May this year to boost the party's prospects ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Shah has introduced assignment-based training for treasurers, party spokespersons and elected representatives of local elected bodies. "The present scale and speed of training is simply unprecedented," says Muralidhar Rao, national party general secretary. As many as 1 million workers at various levels have been trained by the party in Shah's new political work culture on specific tasks. The three-tier training structure-24 hour organisational training for mandal (block)-level workers under which 7,500 camps have been held in one-and-a-half years; two-day camps for district level workers and three-day ones for state-level party workers. According to R. Balashankar, member of the training committee, the curriculum includes lessons on ideology, party history and goals, economic policy, media relations and party-government coordination. What's more, Shah is keen his party workers are mobile and connected. He calls for a show of hands at a meeting to know how many of the 139 party vistaraks have smartphones and motorcycles. He then directs local party leaders to make good on the shortfall.

Shah's plan is to train the party in such a manner that threats like the mahagathbandhan or anti-incumbency cease to matter, particularly against the onslaught of his unique booth management strategy. The growth due to his smart alliances is remarkable.

As many as 44 parties supported Ramnath Kovind in the presidential election, thanks to the skills of Modi and Shah. Earlier, 33 parties attended an NDA meeting under Shah's leadership. As he put it, "If you follow this mantra, then you have no one to fear but your destiny. You are home with a handsome margin irrespective of any mahagathbandhan or anti-incumbency."

Soon after he took over, Shah floated 19 new departments, assigned them a work charter and set targets. Such work was being done earlier too but only when the need arose or by small cells with no clear-cut direction or targets. Now there are departments for election management and for coordination with the Election Commission. There is a separate department for handling social media, which has dramatically improved the BJP's outreach. Then there are departments for party coordination with the central government and for policy research. The party's Swachh Bharat department, for instance, urges party workers to take part in cleanliness drives.

Photo: Rajwant Rawat

"Amitbhai has given a new ideological thrust to the BJP. If the PM is aiming for a new India, Amitbhai is looking at a new BJP to match his vision," says general secretary Bhupendra Yadav. "The transformation being brought about by him is all-encompassing, from improvement in party functioning and transparency to qualitative development of the party and creating a permanent infrastructure."

BOOTH MANAGEMENT

The one political stratagem he has learned from Modi and deployed to deadly effect is a unique booth management strategy. The smallest unit of the BJP's electoral machine, a booth covers around 1,000 voters. Shah was able to accurately forecast results in all seven phases of the UP elections earlier this year due to the booth-level feedback that flowed in from party workers on the ground. Now, he is fine-tuning the strategy. At closed-door meetings on his recent Madhya Pradesh tour, he told party workers to enlist 1.2 million (apart from the existing 58 lakh) members and ensure of them each casts their vote with two family members.

As BJP national general secretary Anil Jain says, "The benefits have been evident as in Manipur where the party's vote share rose from three to 33 per cent." Shah now wants all the committees to engage with booth voters on a regular basis.

The new BJP HQ in Delhi (Photo: Praveen NegiMail Today)

MANY A SLIP

Shah's grand electoral strategy is not without its vulnerabilities. The key imponderables causing worry within the party are the sluggish economic growth, the crisis in jobs and the impact of demonetisation and GST on the unorganised sector. The lateral entry of defectors from other political parties has fuelled discontent within the BJP. A section of the party's senior leadership feels alienated. "The BJP's victories are a result of Shah's strategy and ability to convert support for Prime Minister Modi into votes. But he has to create a system where veterans are consulted," says Janardan Mishra, 78, a senior UP BJP leader and former Vajpayee aide. A Shah aide dismisses the criticism outright. "There is bound to be ill feeling among veterans when new leadership is being created," he says.

Meanwhile, despite three years as party president, Shah has not been able to appoint a full team of office-bearers. This has forced him to continue with the existing office-bearers even if their performance is not up to the standard he would like.

A party observer, who does not want to be identified, says Shah's near-term target of 120 new Lok Sabha seats for the 2019 elections seems difficult. State units like West Bengal are gripped by infighting, failing to take advantage of what the BJP feels is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's unabashed minority appeasement. Nor has the BJP been able to do much in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Shah has to wield the axe, throw the deadwood out and get in new talent if he is to get results. If the winning streak falters, there will be no one else to blame. And Shah, more than anyone else, knows that.

--- ENDS ---
The BJP president spoke to Deputy Editor Uday Mahurkar on his plans and vision for transforming the party in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and beyond.

BJP president Amit Shah, currently on a whirlwind 120-day nationwide tour, spoke to Deputy Editor Uday Mahurkar on his plans and vision for transforming the party in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and beyond. Excerpts:

Q. What defines the BJP that is emerging under your leadership?

A. It is essentially a back-to-basics BJP, yet a modern party equipped to face today's challenges. We will have our own office buildings at the district level, each of which will be equipped with a library. We have training programmes to bring BJP workers on par with a 21st century party. All modern technological tools, including those on social media applications, are being used to grow this emerging party. Apart from this, a series of features that define the new BJP like an e-library, a department of good governance right down to the district level and another department for policy and research. We have floated 19 new departments to clearly delineate the party's work and focus. We have also started 10 new projects.

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Q. How do you see the party's journey from a party of traders to one for the poor?

A. That we were a trader's party was a misconception. We were a party based on a strong ideological footing. A party's clear leaning is known after it comes to power. In Gujarat, people gave the BJP and Narendrabhai a long innings to develop a genuine pro-poor, pro-farmer model. We came to power in Delhi based on that model and the promise that it held out to a nation fed up with misgovernance and corruption. Then we soon rolled out pro-poor and pro-common man and pro-farmer schemes like Jan Dhan, Mudra loan, Ujjwala cooking gas cylinder, PM's crop insurance and irrigation schemes.

Q. What explains the nine electoral victories you have been able to pull off in a row?

A. The popularity and performance of Narendra Modi as prime minister is the principal factor for our onward march coupled with the organisation's ability to convert this strength into votes.

Q. What is the importance of booth management in your winning electoral strategy?

A. We won Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh thanks to our excellent booth management strategy. For the 2019 polls, we are strengthening the booth structure in 450 Lok Sabha constituencies. We have deployed 4,000 vistaraks-dedicated party workers who will work across India to strengthen our booth strategy until the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Q. Will the new party simply be an electoral machine that will overwhelm the ideological underpinning of the party?

A. No. The emerging BJP will be simply ajeya (invincible) in electoral politics. It is not, however, a machine but a mission for the nation's development.

Q. How do you reconcile terms like 'mission' and 'back to basics' with the open politics of defection you used while forming governments in Goa and Manipur?

A. I don't agree. We haven't deviated from ideology. This is apparent from the internal transparency we are bringing into the party. In both Manipur and Goa, we secured the highest number of votes and so in public perception we were the largest party in the House. The hung assembly that emerged in the two states was not because of us. So, there was nothing wrong in taking the support of other parties and MLAs to form the government.

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Q. What about the Ahmed Patel episode where you tried unethical ways to defeat the veteran Congress leader in the Rajya Sabha poll?

A. There was an internal dispute in the Congress in which we didn't play any role. In such a situation, their MLAs left them and we put up one of them as a third candidate against Ahmedbhai. There was nothing unethical or immoral about it. I think what was really immoral was what the Congress did by hijacking its own MLAs to another state and holding them hostage in a camp. Our MLAs, on the other hand, were moving free all the while.

Q. There are allegations you offered bribes to the Congress MLAs to resign from the party...

A. This is not true. Where is the proof ? The MLAs voted for us only after leaving the Congress. And when they left the Congress, they said they will vote for us.

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Q. Don't you think the entry of leaders and workers from other parties into the BJP will lead to discontent among your own workers ?

A. No party can survive without fresh blood. In fact, the number of such newcomers is not more than five per cent of our total party strength. In Uttar Pradesh, it could be less than 10 per cent.

Q. There is a charge that the states where the party has been in power for two to three terms, there is a 'Congressisation' of the party, an increase in corruption and nepotism in the party ranks.

A. There might be isolated examples, but this is just not possible in the BJP because the existence of our party has never rested on the government. This is not the case in the Congress which practises only power politics. Where the organisation has an independent existence, the so-called degeneration that you are talking about is just not possible.

Q. In many states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP and UP, the BJP's electoral performance has reached a saturation point from where there can only be a downslide. How will you meet the shortfall of seats on account of anti-incumbency during the 2019 polls ?

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A. Terms like anti-incumbency are modern-day coinages of Western-educated political analysts. Our electoral performance is constantly showing that there is no shortfall yet anywhere. india today's own Mood of the Nation Poll says that. But on the other hand in the past three years we have registered significant to striking presence in Odisha, Bengal, Assam, the Northeast, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In Odisha, we are covering new ground. In Bengal, we are second and developing very fast. In Assam and the Northeast, we are the number one party. I think we are consolidating further.

Q. What about a political alliance with the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu ?

A. We will think about that at an appropriate time.

--- ENDS ---
Dear Editor,

When I landed on Samoan shores years ago and soon noticed young fishermen coming out from ocean nocturnal fishing, with strings of dead and agonizing fish hanging from their belts, I thought (quite disappointed): Oh well, this can only mean that there are no decently sized sharks in Samoa.

In fact it is renown that sharks have a very good olfactory (and electric) perception enabling them to detect and locate a bleeding fish from miles away - and oceanic people like Samoans must know this all too well. Clearly, swimming at night outside the reef, open ocean, with bleeding fish hanging from the belt turns the fisherman literally into a shark bait.

For almost six years I have informally surveyed lagoons and the back of reefs along the Samoan coast in my spare time, using my paddling board, to come up to the same sad early conclusion of that night: Samoa is not a place for sharks. Never encountered randomly a non-reef (medium- or large sized) shark during my excursions. Only reef sharks are sometimes seen while snorkelling  but they flee instantly terrorized by the sight of a human  a quite eloquent reality.

A confirmation came also from a recent shark survey, run by an Australian research institute in cooperation with MNRE and SPREP, along the eastern and south-eastern coast of Samoa, that managed to detect only reef sharks.

What could be the reasons for the apparent scarcity of non-reef (medium and large) sharks in Samoa? Where for instance nearby Fiji and French Polynesia are good places to see sharks. First of all, most of Samoan reefs are overfished, as it was stated by the Ministry of Fishery itself as early as the 1990s: this means no much food availability for top predators like sharks.

On top of this, during the past 10-15 years an unnoticed, low profile and uncontrolled fishing of shark for fins may have occurred in the waters surrounding Samoa (where it is known that Chinese fishing vessels roam unrestrictedly). Exactly like everywhere else around the planet. It is estimated that more than 100 million sharks are killed every year for their fins and that the world shark population may have crashed of more than 90% during the past 2 decades. So Samoa is probably no exception.

Yes, Samoa does not seem exactly a paradise for sharks  even though discussions about a Sharks and Turtles Sanctuary have been going on for several years (following the example of American Samoa).

Sometimes you hear of the odd sighting of a medium or large shark but this is quite unusual; while attacks to swimmers, surfers or fishermen (despite their mentioned dangerous practices of fishing) are pretty unheard of - but nonetheless some past records exist.

Then there it came last week the news on the Samoan Observer: a shark attack to a fisherman from the village of NofoaliI, north-western coast of Upolu. The news, as so often happen in relation with sharks, was very melodramatic and sensationalistic, managing easily to raise the alert among local communities about an imminent shark danger. This first news was followed by another one of similar quality and contents about a week later.

On digging and investigating a bit the news I realized that the accident had not happened during the day, like reported, but instead it took place during the night. And  sure enough - the fisherman was using the mentioned method of keeping the captured fish tied around his hips. No coincidence that the shark  certainly not a reef shark based on the size of the bites, possibly a Bull Shark - bit him in that specific part of his body showing that it clearly went for the fish  and not for the person.

Sharks suffer of a problem of image just because news about them are always reinstating the myth that they are formidable killing machines and very dangerous animals for people  still following the leit motif of the (infamous) Hollywood movie Jaws that have terrorized generations of swimmers and sea goers.

The reality is that the more these creatures are studied the more this myth becomes inconsistent and appears as fantasy. What is surely true is that sharks are fundamental players in the ocean ecosystems: an healthy ecosystem needs sharks at the top of the food chain.

When a reef ecosystem loses its sharks, it suffers in all sorts of ways that we are only just beginning to understand. It is also pretty clear that they do not normally attack people, their target food is fish and other marine animals.

The good news is that many Samoan fishermen have halted the use of the mentioned dangerous method of fishing and instead now place the captured fish on floating devices attached to them through a rope, which means by stringing the fish way behind them- or simply throw the caught fish directly inside the canoe.

Unfortunately there are many more who are still using the unsafe system, like the recent accident showed. I believe they know that are some very low risk of attack (due to shark scarcity in Samoa)  and they are keen to run the risk. In fact, in that same village the mentioned accident seems to be the first one of the kind remembered by elderly people, i.e. a unique event during the course of at least a couple of generations.

Far from blaming the shark and terrorizing the people we should try to do our best to raise the awareness among the fishing communities on the safest way to spear fish.

Sharks are just our allies in keeping the ocean reefs healthy and therefore fully able to support the communities livelihoods.

Gianluca Serra

Marine biologist
Samoas most iconic landmark in the heart of Apia, the Town Clock, underwent a transformation last night. For the first time in history, the Town Clock was painted pink as part of a campaign to fight cancer in Samoa.

The campaign is famously known as Pinktober.

Driven by the Samoa Cancer Society Inc., it will be officially launched tomorrow.

Samoa Cancer Society Chief Executive Officer, Shelley Burich, said Pinktober is a universal campaign dedicating to the whole month of October for Breast Cancer Awareness and Advocacy.

It is about raising awareness on breast cancer; pushing the messages of early detection, seeking early intervention; acknowledging those who are fighting breast cancer and honoring those who have passed on."

The Vave Campaign which Im sure youve heard over the months has been going on since February this year and its a campaign funded by the Civil Society Support Programme here in Samoa and is the promotion of early detection with three key messages: Vave iloa, Vave vaai se fomai and Vave vili mai. So the Vave campaign promotes breast cancer awareness and advocacy as well.

Ms. Burich said breast cancer remains the highest killer disease among the female population.

Just last year, weve had 90 new cancer cases referred to the Samoa Cancer Society and 60 per cent of those cases were female. Out of that 60%; 22% being breast cancer patients with the majority of them being late stage presentations. So you can see the importance of Pinktober and Breast Cancer Awareness and pushing that message of Early Detection.

The Chief Executive said the government is doing its best to provide health services for people with Cancer and it is the job of Samoa Cancer Society to advise government on the gaps in the services that needs to be improved and areas that should receive more attention like palliative care or beyond treatment.

Pinktober is about communities taking ownership and leading the way to advocate for Breast Cancer. You might ask why it is important. Because the more we talk about Breast Cancer or Cancer in general, the more people will listen, the more people will be involved and pay attention and the more people will see it as a priority for Early Detection and being informed."

Pinktober is a personal campaign because it takes people who have experienced the battle with cancer to understand and relate to the realities of the disease. "

Our hope and drive is to make sure we can advocate that experience is a little better for someone else."

For people that are surviving cancer, they know and understand the impacts of cancer on their lives and their families and Pinktober is about allowing them to share that experience with us and to share the real impacts that are happening with people that have cancer. So it is really important for us to say What can we do about this? What is missing? What needs to change?"

Giving to the Samoa Cancer Society is not just a donation; it is a gift of life. You are enabling the Society to help people with Cancer to live their life and understand that Cancer does not need to be a death sentence. You are enabling the Society to advocate at the highest level for cancer patients."

We call upon our partners, our Civil society and community partners to join the Pink Wagon and we welcome your support."

General Manager of TV3, Verona Parker, said Pinktober is vital advocacy campaign for the Samoa Cancer Society.

A lot of females have cancer and I guess that is the whole reason behind this initiative, she said.

Manamea Apelu is fighting against the highest level of cancer and we cant let this break us down; us females of this country we need to come together and help these people especially women who have breast cancer. (read piece from Manamea on page 15)

The ANZ Bank has thrown its support behind the campaign. Country Manager Bernie Poort, who once shaved his hair to raise funds for Cancer, said they have been working with the Samoa Cancer Society for seven years now.

This year were delighted to announce a $20,000 donation to the Cancer Society to help with the promotion of Pinktober and well be hosting the official launch on Monday with the Ministry of Health.

Samoa Stationery and Books is also involved. Sales and Marketing Manager, Asia Stanley, said the Pinktober is a cause close to Fiti Leung Wais heart.

Some Pinktober

Activities for 2017:

Monday 2nd October:

Pinktober Opening

Tuesday 3rd October:

Sei Making Day

Wednesday 4th October:

S.S.A.B. Pinktober Launch

Friday 6th October: Purchase a sei in remembrance of those who have passed away and honoring heroes who continue to fight cancer.

Monday 23rd October:

Pink Luncheon hosted by Sheraton Hotel.
The National Public Inquiry into Family Violence has hit out at a prevailing attitude that women can contribute to acts of sexual assault against them through their behavior and their choice of clothes.

The Chairman of the Inquiry and Ombudsman Maiava Iulai Toma has also blasted claims that this type of behavior fuels a primitive and urge within men beyond their control.

The Commission rejects these views entirely and to suggest otherwise is victim blaming of the highest order and must not be tolerated in our society, Maiava said a statement.

In addition, the view that men are unable to control their urges is also plainly untrue and only serves to facilitate and excuse this type of behavior.

Maiava issued the statement two weeks into the Inquiry.

According to him, the issue is among many issues brought to the Commissions attention during the public hearings.

The matter of sexual assault against both adults and minors is one of extreme physical and psychological consequences for the victim. It has come to our attention that there is a prevailing attitude (predominantly among men) that women can contribute to acts of this nature through their behavior and their clothing. Furthermore, that this type of behavior fuels a primitive and urge within men that is beyond their control.

We have heard first-hand the consequences of sexual assault, including rape, of extremely young children. To suggest that they are in some way culpable for what happened not only re-victimises them but also allows abusers to continue their behavior while avoiding accountability.

The bravery of those who have come forward to give evidence to our Commission is an inspiration in the face of these cowardly acts that harm the very fabric of our society, the faa samoa.

According to Maiava, the Feagaiga  covenant between brother and sister  is a fundamental part of the Samoan culture yet it is being torn apart when we blame our sisters for the sexual abuse inflicted upon them.

Let us also be clear that the bible does not condone this type of victim blaming either. Let us not forget It is Gods will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, . and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. Thessalonians 4:3-5

The assumption that women attract this type of behavior due to what they wear, what they say and how they are perceived to act is false and cannot be tolerated.

In regards to child abuse this view is even more abhorrent as under no circumstance can under age children consent to sexual activities. Not only do these attitudes inflict further harm on the victim but they lead to future victims being less likely to report these crimes and further increase the impunity under which perpetrators can operate.

We have been saddened to learn of these prevailing attitudes and will explore this issue in full in our final report, due out next year. In the meantime we urge people to take time to reflect on their attitudes towards this issue, exercise compassion for the many of those who walk among us who have suffered, and resolve to address this, and the broader issue of family violence once and for all.

The time for talking about this issue is almost done. In our final report to Parliament we will set out a comprehensive plan for how we as a society can deal with all of the issues of family violence brought to our attention over the course of our inquiry.

To achieve it will undoubtedly require the efforts of every single person in this country. In that process I urge each and every one of us to remember the following: Ou te lealo I le ata o le laau.

The Inquiry continues.
By Sudhi Ranjan Sen: Admiral D K Joshi (retired), who quit the Indian Navy in a huff in 2014, has been appointed the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The appointment of Admiral Joshi as the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar isn't only about setting past mistakes right. It is also a clear signal that the Modi-led NDA government wants to make the archipelago - India's easternmost military post - play a more decisive military role for its "Look East Policy".

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In fact, the archipelago is designed to be the main staging post for warships, aircraft and submarines to counter the growing aggressiveness of China in the Indian Ocean. More number of Chinese warships and submarines prowled the Indian Ocean in 2017 than ever before. And, on the other hand, the Andaman Nicobar base will form an important logistic base for the Indian Navy's reach out programme to countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam among others. The 750-km long Andaman and Nicobar archipelago comprises a chain of 572 islands and is located 1,200 km from mainland India, but is merely 90 km from Indonesia and 50 km from Myanmar.

The Andaman Nicobar island chain faces the crucial Malacca Strait - one of the busiest shipping lanes and also China's gateway to the Indian Ocean and therefore a natural choke-point. About 40 per cent of the world's trade and more than 50,000 merchant ships sail through it every year. It has assumed even greater importance with the stupendous rise of China in the last decade.

Nearly 80 per cent of China's crude oil imports from the Middle East and Africa pass through the Malacca Strait. And, an estimated 15 million barrels per day of oil flow through the Malacca Strait from the Middle East Gulf and West. The Indian Navy is now permanently sending warships along the 40 Km strait to police the waters. Further down in the Northern Indian Ocean region, the Sunda Strait is also seeing more Indian warships in a policing role.

AIRSTRIP OF INDIAN NAVY's INS BAAZ BEING INCREASED

As per plans, the airstrip of the Indian Navy's INS Baaz, which is located at Campbell Bay - the southernmost tip of the archipelago - is being increased and upgraded to accommodate and maintain a bigger aircraft like the P8I - the US-made long-range maritime surveillance aircraft. The work to upgrade INS Baaz began during the previous UPA regime. However, it has taken longer than expected.

It is from here that surveillance aircraft are planned to take-off to keep an eye over the vast Northern Indian Ocean region. More deep water-jetties to harbour warships are in the making as well. The construction of new harbours and jetties has begun, but again progress has been slow. The Andaman Nicobar Command was set up in 1995 and has six small-to-medium air stations under the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force is up for a major upgrade as well. Again, most of the plans have remained on paper only.

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Despite the South Block's increased focus on Andaman and Nicobar, the construction of infrastructure has been slow. Issues of coordination between agencies and between the three-services have impeded progress. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra have on repeated occasions highlighted slow infrastructure development in the archipelago, top sources told India Today. And this is why appointment of former Indian Navy Chief Admiral Joshi assumes significance. Before taking over as the Navy Chief, Admiral Joshi led the Andaman Nicober command.

"The appointment of Admiral Joshi will sort out coordination issues and fast-track execution. Not only does he understand maritime strategy, he can also ensure better coordination between the three forces", a senior Ministry of Defence official said.

WATCH VIDEO | India, China join hands at BRICS to condemn Pakistan-based Lashkar, Jaish, Haqqani

--- ENDS ---
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has indicated that the government could revise its tax credit schemes in relation to tourism development.

Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, Tuilaepa said the scheme has deprived the government from collecting much-needed taxes for the development of the nation.

Tuilaepa told the Sunday Samoan the scheme could be eliminated.

Such taxes, he said, is money that should be paid to the government. Millions of tala are involved.

Its a tax credit for certain companies on the excuse these companies will invest, he said.

But those infrastructures often delayed which at the same time deprives the government in terms of revenue for our development.

The scheme is allowed under the Income Tax Amendment Act.

Under Tax Credit Schemes for Hotel Investment, the law says that:

(1) Subject to section 60(d), a person who invests at least $100,000 in an approved tourism development is allowed a credit against income tax payable for the persons income at the rate of 100% of the investment (the credit).

(2) The credit is allowed subject to the following conditions:

(a) the approved tourism development is a tourism development that provides first class hotel accommodation in Samoa, as approved by Cabinet acting on the advice of the Minister of Finance; and

(b) the credit or balance of the credit is claimed against income tax payable in the year or years approved by the Commissioner until the credit is exhausted; and

(c) the investment is held for a period of at least five (5) years in a form of investment approved in writing by the Minister of Finance.

(3) If the investment is not held under subsection (2)(c), the Commissioner must:

(a) cancel the credit; and

(b) assess or reassess the persons income tax

liability pursuant to this Act, and the person concerned is liable for income tax as if thecredit were not allowed under subsection (1).

(4) Regulations may be made under section 106 to give effect to or for the purposes of this section.

(5) This section expires on 30 June 2018, without affecting the validity of anything done or suffered under this section or any right, interest, or title already acquired, accrued, or established, or any remedy or proceeding for any credit allowed under this section..

Starting on 1 December 2017, the government will be collecting its full share of tax revenues from certain companies who are part of the governments tax credit scheme.

This was confirmed by Minister of Revenue, Tialavea Tionisio Hunt.

The government is losing out a lot of money from this scheme and so me and Minister of Revenue Sili Epa Tuioti have put a stop to this, he said.

The government needs those revenues for numerous developments."

The hoteliers are not happy about the move, but we know this is the right path and we will take it.

He then referred the questions to the Sili.

Emails and phone calls to the Minister of Finance earlier this week have not been answered.

During the opening of the current Financial Year 2017-2018, Minister of Finance Sili announced the review of current taxation arrangements, such as examination of current taxation procedures and recommend improvements it considers will support the purpose and objectives of the review including the use of tax holidays or other concessions and the use of tax credits such as timeshare scheme.
The Ministry of Police has set the record straight.

They say foul play was not involved in an incident where the life of young man from Vaigaga was lost last Sunday.

This was confirmed by Police Media Spokesperson, Superintendent Logoitino Filipo, in response to the Samoa Observer questions.

There is no confirmation to the allegations, he said.

According to the Spokesperson, the cause of death is drowning.

There was also no post mortem conducted on the deceased as the coroner is satisfied with the cause of death, said Superintendent Logoitino.

As reported earlier, the Samoa Observer was told that the young man had gone with a group of friends for a swim at Mulinuu.

A man who spoke on the condition of anonymity said everyone is in shock because they did not expect such a tragedy to happen.

I think people are still trying to come to terms with what has happened, he said.

We are absolutely devastated. We never thought in a million years that this could happen at all. We are gutted.

According to the close friend, the deceased was with his friends. They were enjoying a good Sunday afternoon when he decided to go for a swim.

I dont know what exactly happened while he was swimming but they couldnt save him.

The deceased was pronounced dead upon arrival at the National Hospital.
Nothing stood in the way of Iite Ite Faalili Lemalu when it comes his puruit to achieve his goals in life.

Disability failed to dampen the spirit of Ite who graduated from the University of Auckland this week with a Diploma in Arts, Specialising in Media, Film and Television Studies.

Ite is visually impaired in both eyes. Despite this, the 38-year-old did persevered.

My biggest challenge is that I am visually impaired in both eyes, he told the Weekend Observer.

This is a disability that I have had as a baby, and as an infant I was not fully aware of my lack of sight or that I was disadvantaged from others until I was around other children at school.

Ite is the son of Augagana Iite Lemalu of Matautu, Lefaga and Falelatai and Luaipouomalo Siaki Lolani from Utualii, Saleimoa and Faleasiu.

Ite also holds a Bachelor of Music, from the University of Otago.

He told the Samoa Observer that growing up his family supported him throughout his journey.

I grew up in a close knit community in Mount Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand where my mother and three older siblings established an understanding with neighbours, friends and the school community about to my visual impairment.

Ite also spoke about his Uni days.

In my experience at University, people throughout campus have shown courtesy and have been accommodating towards me  thats been a highlight."

I know that this may not be the case for others who have a disability beyond in the university campus and beyond, said Ite.

He further noted that skills coming out of his recent studies have primarily been in writing and research.

I have a keen interest in applying these skills into serving my local community, the wider community and in particularly to help those with disabilities."

I am blessed to be doing exactly this in my role as Intern Project Coordinator for the University of Aucklands Office of the Chief Digital Officer, Student First Programme where my skills are used to serving students with Disabilities and Pasifika students, he said.

He told the Samoa Observer, he studied for a year for his Graduate Diploma at the University of Auckland.

My undergraduate degree in Music from the University of Otago allowed me to get cross credited into stage 3, the final year."

I was challenged, briefly coming from a different background."

It was like learning a new culture and language at an accelerate level, it took a while for me to adapt to the terminologies.
The Ministry for Agriculture and Fisheries (M.A.F.), the Samoan Bureau for Statistics (S.B.S.) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (F.A.O.) have been working together to improve agriculture sector information and statistics for Samoa.

The importance of up-to-date and reliable data on the agricultural sector was reiterated at the Statistics Methods Training Workshop, conducted at M.A.F. this week.

In his opening remarks the C.E.O. of M.A.F, Tilafono David Hunter, was grateful to F.A.O. for providing technical assistance and encouraged staff to take advantage of the training at hand.

I would like to stress to trainees the importance of this workshop, said Tilafono. The key take away from this workshop is the ability to collect quality data.

On behalf of F.A.O, Senior Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer, Francis Chopin emphasized the impact of statistics in observing trends in the agricultural sector.

By building the capacity of M.A.F. and S.B.S. in this area, we will see improved evidence-based policy planning and formulation by the Government of Samoa, development partners and donors and all the stakeholders in the Samoan agriculture sector, said Chopin.

Collaboration will help strengthen relationships important for collecting and adding value to relevant agriculture sector information, such as production and consumption trends to better understand food security in Samoa.

From climate change to monitoring food production, nutritional and health levels of the population, and levels of poverty; reliable statistics from the agricultural sector are essential to help the government measure and monitor progress in national development.

Similarly, accurate and timely statistics can help Samoa benchmark against other countries and international development commitments namely, the Sustainable Development Goals related to food and agriculture.

In addition to production statistics, the project also identified post-harvest loss and food risk needs in fresh eating product chains; identified the household characteristics of poor nutrition outcomes in Samoa; and build the capacity of M.A.F. to provide stakeholders with detailed analysis of priority agriculture sector policy issues through a regular State of Agriculture and Fisheries in Samoa publication.
The $24 million performing arts center that opened Thursday at Oceanside High School is a far cry from the windy quad where choir students staged their performances.

The 29,000-square-foot center offers performance space and classrooms for the students and community of Oceanside, with a 502-seat main theater, black box theater, recording studio and other professional features.

With a gleaming, patina-green facade and a wall of glass windows, the building is visible from the Mission Street exit off Interstate 5. It was constructed with funds from Proposition H, a local school bond measure approved in 2008, and was designed to be both a local landmark and center for arts education.

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Thanks to the voters, our kids will develop skills that will last a lifetime, and discover talents that will lead to careers, Superintendent Duane Coleman told school and community officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning.

As the high school orchestra performed on stage, performing arts technician Jeremy Sewell, who manages the facility, guided visitors through the center. The spacious lobby features a concession stand and a digital marquis that can alert theatergoers when a show is about to start. Inside the main hall, 502 red-cushioned seats face a stage rigged with professional lighting and sound equipment. An orchestra pit accommodates musicians, and a control booth houses audio and visual equipment.

Its amazing, said choir teacher Leah Ritt. Were used to performing outside in the cold. We have never had a facility like this. Its top of the line. Its more than I could have ever dreamed.

Choir student Gabi Jimenez, 17, looks forward to singing for family and classmates in the new theater, a big step up from the quad where the group has performed in the past.

With this facility, it will let them experience our vision to the fullest, she said.

A separate, black box theater adjacent to the main hall can be configured to house various performances, rehearsals or recording sessions, Sewell said.

This room can be whatever we need it to be, he said.

In the rear of the building, a classroom and green room provide space for student actors and musicians to rehearse and prepare for performances. And dressing rooms, decorated in light green and cream, featured lighted mirrors and vanities.

In the set shop, they will design, construct and paint theatrical scenery for productions. Nearby, a recording studio provides separate booths for musicians and vocalists, and acoustic dampening to reduce reverberation. Students will use the Pro Tools recording software employed by industry professionals, Sewell said.

My hope is to help some of the students when theyre applying for college, he said. They can actually do their demos here.

The arts center will be pivotal to an academic pathway for arts, digital media and design that the school is rolling out, officials said. Students in that program will be immersed in the art, craft and business of stage productions, learning to build props, operate lighting and sound equipment, manage ticket and concession sales, and produce musical and theatrical shows.

Oceanside High already offers pathways for health and criminal justice that introduce students to subject matter and technical training in those fields. Next year, it plans to add the program for arts, as well as one for environmental science and engineering, and another for business, innovation and global entrepreneurship. Students will choose specialized electives in their area of interest, and take core academic classes that weave the pathways theme into subjects, including English, math or history.

Student Zaire Oros, 16, said she plans to pursue a career in lighting and sound, and is thrilled to get started while shes still a student. The day before the ribbon-cutting, she got her first lesson in rigging lights, she said.

I didnt know how to do that before, and since I plan to be doing that for the rest of my life, its great to learn while Im still going to school, so I dont have to go out into the world unprepared, she said.

The school will host a community open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the new Oceanside High School Performing Arts Center at 1 Pirates Cove. On Saturday evening at 7 p.m., it will present a grand opening benefit concert for the center. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com or ohsfoundation.org.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com Twitter@deborahsbrennan
Heroin nearly killed me. As a matter of fact, it did: For two minutes in 1987 I was pronounced clinically dead from an overdose.

I was at the Franklin Plaza Apartments in Hollywood, shooting up between snorts of cocaine and shots of booze. It was late December 1987. Motley Crue had just released our record Girls Girls Girls and we were about to tour the world. From the outside looking in, I was living the dream. But in reality, I was in the throes of a disease I couldnt control, addicted to heroin.

I remember very little about that night, but I know someone called an ambulance and saved my life. Today I am 16 years sober and a decade into recovery advocacy.

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What Ive been through doesnt make me a policy expert. But it qualifies me to judge the way the United States is handling its latest addiction crisis: Opioid abuse isnt just making addicts sick, its making America sick.

The numbers are devastating. The government estimates that 142 people a day die of drug overdoses. ODs are killing more Americans than car crashes and gun homicides combined. Prescription opioids and heroin are the prime contributors to these statistics.

Once hooked on prescription painkillers, many users turn to heroin, often cut with more lethal drugs, because its cheaper and easier to get than another refill. In 2015 (the most recent year for which we have data), there were more than 30,000 opioid overdose deaths nationwide, and the rate is on the rise. Between 2002 and 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heroin use in the U.S. more than doubled, and heroin deaths more than quadrupled.

Now President Trump wants to slash the 2018 Medicaid budget. Hes suggesting deep cuts in funding for treatment, prevention and addiction research. And Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions wants to fill federal prisons with drug addicts instead of getting them help.

Trump makes a show of concern. He convened a commission in March charged with studying the problem, and he has promised to declare opioid addiction a national emergency, which would free up resources for the battle. But he has failed to file the proper paperwork.

Instead, he found time to do some name-calling (I won New Hampshire, he told Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, because New Hampshire is a drug-infested den.) He lies about the causes of the epidemic, blaming Mexico and China when in fact the responsibility belongs to U.S. drug manufacturers and overzealous doctors pushing prescription painkillers. And then there are those budget cuts.

All addicts are worth saving.

Americans are dying. Entire towns are being destroyed. Local economies are crippled by addiction. Yet this epidemic can be stopped, its solvable.

Trumps opioid commission quickly submitted an interim report that spells out the right approach: It emphasizes treatment, education about pain management for doctors, research and data collection, and rational supply reduction. It spells out policy goals based on facts and science. The president should listen to his own experts. Now.

Congress and the administration must approve a 2018 budget that provides sufficient funding for Medicaid. Of the 2 million Americans in treatment for opioid addiction, approximately 30% receive Medicaid. We must not make it harder for the most vulnerable addicts to obtain treatment.

Our representatives must guarantee that, in any healthcare reform, addiction will not be not classified as a pre-existing condition that could limit an addicts ability to receive lifesaving care for this disease. The latest failed GOP attempt, the Graham-Cassidy bill, would have harmed those affected by the opioid epidemic through coverage cuts and flexibility in what can be covered.

Drug manufacturers have to be held accountable for how they market addictive drugs. Many states are trying. In August, South Carolina became the sixth state to sue Purdue Pharma over OxyContin; 41 states have demanded information on the sales practices of opioid makers and distributors. We can better restrain painkiller prescriptions. Pharmaceutical companies are greedy, and the regulations are too lax.

Naloxone, a medication that can block the effects of opioids and reverse an overdose in progress, should be widely available, yet  outrageously  a puritanical debate rages over whether access to such a safety net encourages drug use.

If we fail to take these necessary actions we are saying to addicts, You arent worth saving. I am here to tell you that all addicts are worth saving.

I am one of the lucky ones. And I know my continuing sobriety is not the result of my actions alone. I have a loving family and an extensive support network.. I have AA and the guidance of my sponsors. I have good health insurance. I have the money, time and resources to help me save myself.

So many people dont have access to these resources. But they are no less deserving of help. No one is a junkie by choice. And no junkie is a lost cause.

Addiction cannot be solved behind closed doors. Its a sickness, a systemic failure and a societal problem. Individuals are responsible for their own recovery, but too often, we struggle and suffer  as we sin  in secrecy and silence. Secrecy and silence do not lead to solutions.

So I am speaking out. And so should you. Because another 142 people are going to die today.

Nikki Sixx is the co-founder of the band Motley Crue. An updated, 10-year anniversary edition of his memoir and Sixx:A.M. soundtrack The Heroin Diaries will be released in October. His photo exhibition Conversations with Angels opens Oct. 4 at the Leica Gallery Los Angeles.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook

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Trumps narcissism has taken over America

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If Fresno Republicans were looking for political red meat, former Arizona lawman Joe Arpaio did not disappoint when he joined them Friday evening for a fundraiser.

Arpaio lionized President Trump, defended his own honor and questioned once more whether former President Obama was truly an American citizen.

As he addressed reporters, several hundred protesters and a much smaller number of counter-demonstrators gathered in the streets outside.

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The longtime Maricopa County sheriff was the star attraction for a sold-out event that concerned some Republicans, who worry about the partys ability to appeal to Latinos.

Arpaio was convicted for actions related to alleged racial profiling of Latinos and then pardoned by Trump. That was one issue Arpaio took on.

I end up on the defense table for a trial on a contempt of court, where everyones bragging about the criminal sheriff, he said.

One day theyre going to find out the real story about this, he said. Im not guilty. I got two parking tickets in my life -- two. Im 85 years old and I end up charged of contempt of court because one judge hates me.

He also said he would support Trump to the end.

He spoke out about illegal immigration. All these people running for office didnt even want to talk about it. They wanted it to go away, Arpaio said. At least he brought it out, forcing everybody else to talk about it.

But he took a more nuanced position than Trump on professional football players who protest peacefully during the pregame national anthem. Trump wants those players blackballed from football, and urged fans to exert pressure by boycotting the sport.

I still get a chill every time I hear the national anthem, Arpaio said. The flag is still something to me, and Im sure many Americans feel the same way. But everybody has the 1st Amendment right to voice their opinion  not that we all have to agree with it.

The fundraiser was billed as an event to proclaim a defense of the 1st Amendment  free speech  and the 2nd Amendment  which includes a right to bear arms. Tickets ranged from $60 to $200 apiece, with the latter including a photo with the guest of honor.

Join us to stand up to the threats against our First Amendment freedom of speech rights! the event handbill proclaimed. The left tries to shout us down and make us cower, but we will not give in to their bullying or fear tactics.

Outside, police cordoned off the entire block on both sides of the speaking venue, a banquet hall. Demonstrators gathered on opposite sides of the street beyond the barriers.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the protesters were largely cooperative and he appeared anxious to avoid making arrests. He became especially concerned when anti-Arpaio demonstrators crossed the street and began to mingle with the opposing side. He urged people who disagreed with one another to maintain a respectful and safe distance.

Please give yourself some space right now, Dyer called out through a bullhorn. Im asking both sides.

He also stepped in personally, positioning himself as a barrier between agitated people, as did his officers.

Before the event, local Republican leaders defended their invitation to Arpaio.

People all around America respect Sheriff Joe, said Fred Vanderhoof, a retired teacher and party chairman. They realize hes being attacked by the left.

But other Republicans see a damaging message for a party struggling for relevance in an increasingly Democratic state. And especially to the group that is now the largest in California: Latinos.

Arpaio was convicted in July of criminal contempt for violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos in Arizona. He was scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 5 and faced a maximum of six months in jail. President Trump pardoned him in August.

Its an unmitigated disaster, said Mike Madrid, a Republican political consultant who has worked for more than two decades to garner the Latino vote for the GOP, primarily in California. Its beyond belief that a man convicted of racial profiling is held up as an iconic figure in the party of Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln.

Madrid said the Fresno County GOPs praise of Arpaio, coupled with Trumps election, have set back their efforts with Latinos  the fastest-growing segment of the electorate  for at least a generation.

Dyer estimated that the anti-Arpaio group outnumbered the supporters 10 to 1. Some Arpaio supporters left their demonstration to attend a VIP reception in hopes of meeting him.

The anti-Arpaio group held up signs with messages such as: Shame and Guilty. One man held aloft a sign that read: Mexican Americans served with honor. Racist Republicans have none.

Other messages expanded on politically compatible themes: Impeach Trump Now and Smash White Supremacy.

On the other side, people hoisted American flags as they converged on a patch of grass. Trump, America, Arpaio, one man shouted.

Some Republican politicians, including Fresno Mayor Lee Brand, skipped the event.

I will be out of town, but I wouldnt go even if I was there, Brand said in a prepared statement. While popular with some, Arpaio is a villain to others. My job as mayor is to unite the community and I am focusing my time and energy on events and policies that further those goals.

We want to stand up for freedom of speech, said Vanderhoof, the local party chairman. We have a right to invite anyone we want and he has a right to speak.

Vanderhoof said he did not believe that inviting the controversial former sheriff would hurt with Latino voter outreach efforts.

On Friday morning, Democratic National Committee leader Tom Perez blasted the choice of Arpaio as a speaker.

It is an abomination that the Fresno County Republican Party has decided to go through with a fundraising event featuring Joe Arpaio, one of our nations most notorious agents of racism and bigotry, he said in a statement.

Arpaio, who once labeled himself as Americas toughest sheriff, became a polarizing figure for the Latino community in Arizona and throughout the country after thrusting himself into the national spotlight for his aggressive tactics against immigrants in the country illegally.

In some ways, Arpaios brash rhetoric against illegal immigration rhetoric made him a precursor to Trumps successful campaign for the presidency. Both had also pushed the birther conspiracy that President Obama was born in Africa and was not a legitimate president.

Kevin Spillane, a Republican political consultant who has concentrated on Latino inclusion for the least 20 years, called the Fresno GOPs move tone deaf, contending that most of them are volunteer activists who dont know the full story about Arpaios tenure in Maricopa County.

But Spillane said he did not believe that having Arpaio speak would be as detrimental to the partys efforts to expand its base to Latinos as others thought. He said the GOP has made gains in getting Latino Republicans elected to state and local offices, including school boards and city councils.

They are the future of the Republican Party, if there is going to be a future, Spillane said. Arpaio belongs to the past, and its unfortunate that Fresno County Republicans did not decide to side with the future and decided to side with the past.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

cindy.carcamo@latimes.com

UPDATES:

8:45 p.m.: This article was updated with photos from Fridays event.

8 p.m.: This article was updated to include Arpaios comments and more details about the police handling of demonstrations.

6:45 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from the Fresno police chief.

5:35 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from protesters.

This article was originally published at 10:25 a.m.
The owner of two Chinese restaurants in New York pleaded guilty Friday in San Diego federal court to conspiring to smuggle 250 pounds of black abalone and sea cucumber, both protected species, through the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Alan Ren, 48, of Northport, N.Y., admitted to driving a minivan from Mexico to the port of entry in February 2016 with the seafood hidden in three suitcases and a black plastic bag, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. He said the 83 pounds of black abalone and 172 pounds of sea cucumber were to be delivered to others in the U.S.

Three months later, he produced two receipts from a vendor in Ensenada that falsely claimed to be the invoices for the seafood. After an investigation, an indictment was filed in April.

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Black abalone is an endangered species found off California and Baja California, and it is illegal to harvest in California. The species was hard-hit by a disease called Withering Syndrome in the mid-1980s, reducing the population by more than 80 percent, authorities said.

The form of sea cucumber in the conspiracy  Isostichopus fuscus, the only type of sea cucumber found in Mexico  is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, and requires a permit to export into the United States.

Ren admitted he did not have the proper permits to import or export the seafood, or to act as a commercial importer of fish or wildlife, prosecutors said.

As part of his plea agreement, Ren agreed to pay $16,600 restitution to Mexico for the exported goods.

Rens alleged passenger, Wei Wei Wang, 37, of Taiwan, is awaiting trial. Ren has stated that he hired Wang to handle the finances of his seafood business.

During an interview with federal special agents at the port, Wang said Ren was her boyfriend and wanted to buy the sea cucumber as gifts for the Chinese New Year for friends and family in Los Angeles and New York, according to a transcript.

Wang was arrested in New York in April at an airport as she arrived on a flight from Taiwan.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
With huge hepatitis A vaccination campaigns underway in many cities, some are beginning to ask whether a vaccine shortage could be on the horizon.

Though no one is saying there is such a shortage underway at the moment, there are some signs that the demand for doses is starting to strain available supplies.

On Friday, Merck & Co. Inc., manufacturer of VAQTA, one of two FDA-approved hepatitis A vaccines on the market, said in a short statement that it anticipates working through some manufacturing constraints in 2017 as a result of unexpected demand for the product.

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These supply constraints will impact availability of pediatric and adult doses of VAQTA this year, the statement said.

But its a unclear exactly what that sentence means. The statement indicates that, already, there are VAQTA shortages for the version of the vaccine that comes in pre-loaded syringes though formulations in vial presentations remain available.

GSK, maker of Havrix, the other hepatitis A vaccine on the market, said in its own statement that it is experiencing an increased demand for the drug but we have Havrix vials in stock.

Both companies declined to say how much supply remains at the moment or how long they expect to be able to continue to meet increased demand before supplies run dry though Merck added that it is taking steps to continue to increase our capacity to meet global demand in 2018.

Hepatitis A vaccine supply is not just a recent issue. In June, a World Health Organization bulletin noted the limited availability of hepatitis A vaccine worldwide in a discussion of the ongoing response to a widespread and unusual increase in infections among gay men across 15 European countries, Chile and the United States.

But the biggest efforts so far this year appear to be in San Diego County where more than 42,000 doses of hepatitis A vaccine have already been administered, according public health officials. With its own outbreak detected among its homeless population, Los Angeles County officials recently said they plan to give hepatitis A 40,000 shots in the coming weeks.

Santa Cruz County reported Friday that its public health department has doled out 1,402 doses and an unspecified number have been given in Southeast Michigan where a hepatitis A outbreak which has killed 14 people has been underway for more than a year now. Salt Lake City, which started its own inoculation campaign on Aug. 23, has already given 812 shots.

These initiatives are beginning to make some wonder whether there will be enough vaccine to go around this fall.

Right now were not having a problem with access to the hep A vaccine, but my worry is that, if were grabbing a lot of doses, and L.A.s grabbing a lot of doses and others in other places are grabbing a lot of doses, will pharma be able to keep up with demand? said Fran Butler-Cohen, chief executive of Family Health Services of San Diego, the regions largest operator of community clinics and a major player in the regions ongoing response to a hepatitis A outbreak that has killed 17 people.

The county health department said in an email that there is no current vaccine shortage and it is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor supply going forward. But, despite requests for additional information made Thursday and Friday, no CDC official was available to discuss existing supplies and how long they are expected to remain adequate as many municipalities ramp up their public health efforts to slow the growth of outbreaks that are growing through person-to-person transmission.

While he said he has not yet seen any evidence that a shortage is nigh, Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said that making more of a vaccine is not as simple as mixing up the right ingredients in the right quantities and filling vials as quickly as possible.

These vaccines, he noted, are grown in mammalian cell cultures, and that takes time. Even when the culturing phase is complete and antibodies are separated out of the mix and purified, there is still a significant regulatory process that must be followed, including potency testing by the FDA, before manufactured doses can be used to fill medical providers orders.

Getting that potency certification back from the FDA can take a substantial amount of time, and thats just one piece of the process outside basic manufacturing. People have this idea in their heads that its like corn, you can just harvest it and its ready. Its just not that simple, Osterholm said.

Its hard to say, he added, whether a shortage is coming without knowing how long ago Merck and GSK decided to produce additional doses.

We dont know how far behind they are, Osterholm said.

Both companies declined to provide information on the length of time it takes them to make new batches of hepatitis A vaccines or to say what theyre doing to ramp up production.

In the last few weeks, as vaccination efforts have increased considerably, Dr. Wilma Wooten, the countys public health officer, has emphasized that she is not recommending hepatitis A vaccination for all residents in part because she wants to make sure that available doses go to those at highest risk. They include homeless people, illicit drug users, gay men and those with liver and autoimmune diseases.

Health Playlist On Now Video: Why aren't Americans getting flu shots? 0:37 On Now Video: Leaders urge public to help extinguish hepatitis outbreak On Now San Diego starts cleansing sidewalks, streets to combat hepatitis A On Now Video: Scripps to shutter its hospice service On Now Video: Scripps La Jolla hospitals nab top local spot in annual hospital rankings On Now Video: Does a parent's Alzheimer's doom their children? On Now Video: Vaccine can prevent human papillomavirus, which can cause cancer 0:31 On Now 23 local doctors have already faced state discipline in 2017 0:48 On Now EpiPen recall expands On Now Kids can add years to your life

paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
The swelling population of homeless and their tents that lined the streets of San Diegos East Village in recent years had all but disappeared by Tuesday morning.

Those still lingering bitterly recounted a swift crackdown by police along 16th and 17th streets a day earlier that resulted in a number of arrests and the removal of peoples belongings.

Camping on the sidewalk was now off limits in the immediate area. The reason given by authorities: the historic hepatitis A outbreak that has claimed 17 lives and stricken 461.

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Even among the few that had yet to clear out of downtown, stories of the contagious liver disease were not hard to find. Of the confirmed cases, nearly two-thirds have been homeless, illicit drug users or both.

Chatting with friends Tuesday morning in the parking lot at K Street and Park Boulevard across from the San Diego Central Library, Consuelo Gomez said her symptoms started in late July.

I was in pain all the time, said the 26-year-old, who has been homeless off and on for the last eight years. Everything hurt, you know, pain like stabbing, headache, stomachache.

Similar to many people downtown who described grappling with the disease, Gomez said she suffered intense fatigue, couldnt eat and experienced continual nausea and diarrhea. The small, youthful-looking woman said she went from 110 pounds to 98 in less than two weeks.

I felt like I was going to die, she said, sitting cross-legged on the pavement with a weary smile. Then my friend told me he got out of the hospital with hep A, and I said, Im going to the hospital.

To date, 315 people have been hospitalized in the outbreak, which is the worst such epidemic in the nations history since routine vaccinations for children were introduced in 1999.

Gomez said she struggled to get herself onto the Orange Line Trolley and make it to Sharp Grossmont Hospital, where she spent a week on the brink of death.

They even had a priest come in and do my last rites on me, she said. I was a wreck. They would wake me up every half-hour to make sure I was alive.

About 30 yards away in the parking lot, Heath McKinney visited with friends. He got off the streets about seven years ago, but he still keeps in touch with the homeless community and volunteers with an outreach program through his church.

The 50-year-old said he fears many homeless people are suffering from the virus in silence and continuing to abuse their bodies when they should be seeking medical attention. There is no cure for hepatitis A once someone has contracted the disease, but those infected are urged to stay hydrated and call 211 to find a community clinic where they can be evaluated.

They dont know how to deal with it, he said. They dont go straight to the doctor. They dont do things like that. Theyre going to tough it out, and thats the wrong thing to do.

On Wednesday, outreach workers with the Alpha Project, Quarlo McSwain and Ola Jackson, hit the streets in a company van after hearing about the crackdown on the tent city. For weeks, the duo has driven around with registered nurses to administer vaccinations and distribute literature on contagious diseases to the homeless.

I havent seen it this not busy in 20 years, Jackson said. That is so crazy. We got to find these people. Theyre hid somewhere, so we got to really go out and look for them.

More than 42,000 vaccinations have been administered countywide since the outbreak started, according to public health officials.

McSwain isnt convinced that their work is done. Health officials first recognized the outbreak on March 3, and since then health officials have confirmed dozens of cases a month, including through September.

Right now, I just got a lot of people telling me that they got their vaccination, but I dont believe it, he said. Ive been like, Youre saying that you got it, so we can leave you alone.

Jackson said many homeless believe a vague rumor that the vaccinations are part of a government plot to implant people with a so-called Obama microchip.

Some people are not getting it because they think theyre putting this little chip in them, she explained.

McSwain nodded. Moments later, they found a small camp of people lined up on a sidewalk along a fence on Newton Avenue and 16th Street in Barrio Logan. Its next to an empty lot where the city and Alpha Project plan to install a 250-person tent for the homeless in coming months.

The outreach workers got out of the van and started talking to people. No one was sure exactly where most of the homeless had moved to.

Harmony Williams huddled over an ashtray resting on a milk crate looking dazed. The sun forced her eye into a squint and lit up her short red hair. The 19-year-old, whos been homeless most of her life, recalled dialing 911 for her mothers boyfriend after he came down with hepatitis A in June.

A 911 dispatcher decided to work with me on this because I was saying, Hes yellow. Hes throwing up. He wont eat. He wont drink. Hes dying basically,  she said.

He lost 12 pounds and went to the hospital three times before finally recovering, Williams said. I was really, really scared that he wasnt going to come back right.

Moments later at Fault Line Park at Island Avenue and 14th Street adjacent to the towering Pinnacle apartment complex in the East Village, 58-year-old Mike Smith explained how he and several people in the area came down with hepatitis A about six weeks ago.

He said he didnt get violently ill, but he remembered a group of about half a dozen hard drinkers who werent as lucky back in June.

Theres a group of about six that drink vodka day and night over there, and one of them got it, and then the rest of them did, Smith said. Two have never come back. One of them was an older guy who had a liver problem, and one was about 58 that had a liver problem as well. They never re-materialized.
The tenure of current V-C Girish Chandra Tripathi, who has been in the news in the past few days for unwanted incidents on campus, ends on November 27.

By Rajat Rai: With the recent turbulence settling down in Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the search for a new vice-chancellor began on Saturday.

The human resource development (HRD) ministry on Saturday invited an application for a new V-C by publicising an advertisement on its website. The advertisement for a new V-C is generally published three months before the completion of the term, but this time it was done about a month late.

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The tenure of current V-C Girish Chandra Tripathi, who has been in the news in the past few days for unwanted incidents on campus, ends on November 27.

Girl students of the varsity were lathi-charged by police when they tried to enter the V-C's residence to hand over an application regarding an incident of eve-teasing and molestation. Irked by the fallout, the girls were joined by other students and several vehicles and other properties were torched.

As a corrective measure, the varsity administration not only directed security guards to change into plain clothes, but also instructed the security agency to supply 20 female security guards for the girls' hostel.

--- ENDS ---
More than a few people took a second look at the trucks with flashing lights and men in hazmat suits spraying chemicals on sidewalks in several San Diego neighborhoods Friday.

Is it ok if I go through? one man asked as he stopped before stepping on the wet sidewalk in the Midway area.

He was told it was fine, despite the slight chemical smell of bleach e that arose as the wet sidewalk heated up around 8 a.m. on Rosecrans Street.

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It was unclear whether he knew the crew he passed was spraying sidewalks because they might have, among other things, traces of human feces that could contain a deadly virus.

Thats urine, one of the crew members said just after the pedestrian passed, pointing out a tale-tell white foam that emerges as the chemicals lingered on a sidewalk in front of a bus stop.

Needless to say, its not the most glamorous job. But it is a job that has brought the new national attention to the effort to help contain a hepatitis A outbreak that has left 17 dead and hundreds hospitalized over the months of the outbreak.

ABC News, CNN, Newsweek and the Washington Post have reported on the effort to stop the deadly outbreak, and a team from the HBO newsmagazine Vice followed the crew as they walked down Rosecrans Street on Friday.

The hepatitis A virus is spread through fecal matter, and the homeless population is particularly vulnerable because they have limited access to toilets and places to wash their hands.

To fight the spread, the city has set up public toilets and hand-washing stations downtown and has evicted people from large sidewalk campsites. On Friday, city crews also moved homeless people out of campsites along the San Diego River.

Clearing away unsanitary tents was one step in stopping the spread of the disease, but the virus still may be on sidewalks, embedded, unseen and dangerous if picked up on a shoe thats later touched.

On Sept. 11, Clean Harbors Environmental Services began cleaning sidewalks with chemicals downtown, and this week they expanded to Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach and the Midway area. On Friday, they finished in Midway and moved on to North Park, Park Boulevard and Colina Park.

Although the city has had limited sanitizing efforts in the past, the current sidewalk sanitizing work is the largest scale, widespread project of its kind for us, said Mario Sierra, director of the citys Environmental Services Department. Public safety and public health must be prioritized, and Im confident that sanitizing work is making a difference.

The washing is done in two phases. First, a team of two sprays diluted sodium hypochlorite (bleach) on sidewalks from small containers that are pressurized by hand.

That solution is diluted at a ratio of one gallon of hypochlorite to nine gallons of water. It sits on the sidewalk for 10 minutes before a third crew member arrives spraying another solution created by further diluting the first solution with water in a one-to-nine ratio.

Much more of the second solution is sprayed than the first, and its shot with a gas-powered pump from a 275-gallon plastic tank hauled on a short trailer behind a Clean Harbors pickup truck.

So much is sprayed, the team has to periodically stop at fire hydrants to refill the tank. There is, however, no runoff, as the spray was more like a mist that occasionally made a rainbow and left sidewalks wet, but not puddled.

One of the crew members said they have absorbent socks to place over storm drains if necessary to catch any runoff, but they have not had to use them. While high-pressure pumps can be strong enough to blast gum off sidewalks, these are turned down to a soft spray because thats all thats needed for this job, a crew member said.

While Clean Harbors employees said they are not allowed be quoted as spokespeople for their company, they were happy to answer questions. The diluted solution is harmless on the sidewalk, one explained, and the hazmat suits are necessary because the spray would stain the crew members clothes.

The men walked down Rosecrans from Kurtz Street to Pacific Highway, where homeless people often set up tents. Not today, however. Bright pink notices were posted in advance to alert people the crew was headed their way. If they did come upon a tent, city communications director Katie Keach said the crew would just spray around them because they dont have authority to make them move.

At the next stop at North Park Community Park, Curtis Jimison noticed the crew as he pushed a shopping cart full of bottles and cans he plans to recycle. Hes been kind of homeless for two years, he said.

Im concerned for a lot of the people, but I try to keep myself really clean, he said about the hepatitis A outbreak.

As he spoke, Jimison washed his hands with a bottle of water and hand soap he keeps in his cart, a routine he does about every 15 minutes when collecting recyclables.

He has kept up on the news about the outbreak and said he has noticed the city has finally begun refilling the soap dispenser in the parks restroom, although the sink had no water.

The crew next made their way down University Avenue in North Park, walking from 32nd to Texas Street.

Many people didnt take notice of the crew, which bypassed stretches that had people sitting in outdoor dining areas.

Others were happy to see them, with some waving and thanking them.

Clee Gonzales, a manager at North Park Flooring, was especially appreciative but wished they would have also cleaned the alley behind his shop.

Were very relieved to see theyre actually doing something, he said. Theyve been talking about it for months, but we hadnt seen any actions taken.

Gonzales said homeless people defecate behind the shop, and since hearing about the hepatitis A outbreak everybody at work has worn gloves when in the back and disinfected their shoes afterward.

I just know its out there. and it makes me nervous, he said about the disease.

The city is asking the public to report other areas that should be washed by calling (619) 527-7500 or by making an online request at sandiego.gov.

Homeless Playlist  On Now San Diego hepatitis outbreak continues to grow: 481 cases On Now Homeless entrenched in booming tent city along Santa Ana River On Now San Diego mayor agreed to homeless hub, then delayed, advocates say On Now Homeless outreach in San Diego On Now Video: Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #8 On Now In poverty himself, 'Water Man Dave,' is the fearless saint of San Diego's homeless 5:41 On Now Video: Homeless living in cars find safe havens 2:21 On Now Street Art: Portraits of San Diego's Homeless #7 On Now Pitching a tent plan for San Diego's homeless On Now Homeless efforts get $80M boost for various services

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

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A sharp spike in the use of police dogs in San Diego is increasing how many suspects get bitten and raising questions about how and when officers call on the dogs to quell dangerous situations.

Police Department officials say canine units help de-escalate situations and prevent elevated use of force, but some recent high-profile biting incidents have prompted complaints from community leaders, lawsuits and a large city payou

Some critics question whether the dogs truly boost safety for officers and suspects, and others contend that allowing dogs to bite suspects is a severe use of force that could be unconstitutional.

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The department is revamping training and procedures for its canine unit to shrink the number of controversial incidents, but officials stress that the percentage of bites per canine unit response has remained low during the spike in usage.

The number of suspects bitten per year has risen sharply from 15 in 2013 to 86 in 2016, but the number of times officers deployed a canine increased from 1,778 to 3,222 over that time.

That increase in usage of canines has come despite an overall decrease in crime and drop in emergency responses by the Police Department.

Assistant Chief Chuck Kaye said thats probably because there has been a continued rise in the number of incidents involving suspects with mental illness and suspects who have been using drugs or alcohol.

Those types of calls have continued to increase every year, said Kaye, adding that police dogs are ideal for such incidents because they tend to act as a psychological deterrent to aggression.

Police dogs are also helpful in apprehending dangerous suspects, investigating robberies that are in progress and breaking up physical fights among people, Kaye said.

Some of the toughest people we face, who are willing to challenge or fight armed police officers, will give up at the sight and sound of a barking police dog, said Kaye. We try to capitalize on that psychological aspect to de-escalate, gain compliance and keep people safe.

Boosting safety, especially of police officers, was what prompted San Diego to create its police canine unit in 1984. Six city police officers had been killed within five years, the highest rate in the nation at that time.

Kaye said police dogs help officers quell such potentially life-threatening situations, but attorney Donald Cook disagrees.

Cook, a Los Angeles lawyer who has sued San Diego over its canine unit policies, said police rarely send dogs into situations where theres a threat of lethal force.

The cops know their dogs are vulnerable and they dont want their dogs to get hurt, said Cook, contending that getting rushed by a dog would increase  rather than decrease  the chances a suspect will use a weapon. The notion that the dog is somehow going to prevent the person with a gun or knife from using it is a fallacy.

Cook said there has never been a study showing that police dogs keep officers from getting killed.

He agreed that the presence of a police dog often makes people surrender more quickly, but Cook said police frequently use dogs when officers could just as easily have gained control of a suspect themselves without the suspect getting bitten.

An example is a man who sued San Diego after a dog badly damaged his leg after police confronted him when he was unarmed and naked in 2015. The man received a $385,000 settlement last December.

The problem with a dog attack is its inherently violent, Cook said.

Another lawsuit is likely in the case of man bitten for at least 30 seconds, while handcuffed, by a San Diego police dog in downtown in July.

A video of the incident went viral and the mans lawyer said a lawsuit will be filed once criminal charges against the man are resolved.

Cook was part a federal lawsuit against the city contending that its police canine unit policies are unconstitutional.

In 2010, San Diego police released a dog during a late-night search for a potential burglar in a Pacific Beach office building. An employee sleeping on a couch after having drinks with co-workers suffered bites on her face from the dog.

A previous ruling had gone against San Diego, but in June the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 10-1 in favor of the city, emphasizing the right of police officers to protect themselves from a potential threat.

The court found that the officers acted reasonably, used appropriate force, and were justified in protecting themselves when responding to an uncertain and potentially dangerous situation in a dark office building, the City Attorneys Office said in a statement after the ruling.

Tim Dees, a retired officer who worked in the Reno Police Departments canine unit for several years, said dogs are highly effective at boosting safety and reducing litigation costs.

Ive never heard of a dog actually killing someone, so its a plus over shooting a suspect, said Dees, adding that dogs also move faster than officers. They are great tools because nobody outruns the dog.

Dees said the fear police dogs typically create is their best asset, because it leads to quick surrenders that eliminate the potential for violence, injuries and lawsuits.

Theres a lot of people that will say dont send in the dog Im coming out, and that way you dont have to use any force at all, which is a big plus for everybody, he said.

A key factor in the success of police dogs is how effectively officers deploy them.

Last year, Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman ordered a review of canine policies and training.

As a result, more role-playing activities and an emotional intelligence component have been added to the training and reviews of bites have been changed to address tactics.

But there are no plans to shift away from having San Diego officers physically remove dogs from suspect during a biting incident. Many other law enforcement agencies end biting incidents with verbal commands instead.

Dees stressed that the quality of police dogs is also crucial.

San Diego pays European breeders $12,500 for each of the dogs, which are typically Belgian Malinois and German Shepherds, and then trains each animals for 10 weeks.

For the last 15 years, all of the money to buy the dogs has come from the nonprofit San Diego Police Foundation.

Some animal rescue organizations have suggested San Diego should consider lowering its standards for police dogs to save money and help many dogs avoid being euthanized.

Police officials said they are open to the idea, but Dees warned against it based on his experience trying something similar in Reno.

The results were pretty uneven, he said. I would say about half were never suitable. They didnt respond to commands or they werent aggressive enough.

The number of police dogs used by San Diego police has varied widely over the years, based partly on the citys budget.

The number of canine units slowly increased from the initial 14 in 1984 up to 20 in 1990, and then was more than doubled to 44 units in 1991 after studies had shown impressive results.

The number of units climbed to 52 by 2002, but was sharply reduced by 2010 during severe budgets in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Since then, the number has slowly increased back up into the mid-30s.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
Border Patrol agents found nearly $1 million worth of cocaine hidden in a car and arrested its driver and passenger on Interstate 15 near Temecula Thursday.

Agents pulled over the Chevrolet Malibu heading north near the Border Patrol checkpoint. A drug-sniffing dog reacted to the car, authorities said.

Agents found 32 bundles of plastic-wrapped cocaine crammed into the front wheel wells and bumper.

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The bundles weighed a total of nearly 76 pounds, with an estimated street value of more than $987,000, Border Patrol officials said.

The two men in the car, both age 30, were booked into a Riverside County jail on narcotics smuggling charges.

Authorities said the Border Patrols San Diego sector agents have seized 2,690 pounds of cocaine since Oct. 1, 2016.
In the 2008 campaign for president, the candidate who publicly acknowledged Jesus Christ as lord and savior was Barack Obama, not John McCain.

And yet in 2008 and again in 2012, those described by media as evangelical Christians voted overwhelmingly for the Republican nominees for president, McCain and Mitt Romney (a Mormon), unwilling to accept Mr. Obamas witness to his Christian faith.

In 2012, Hillary Clinton, a Methodist and confessing Christian, was also rejected by evangelical Christians, 81 percent of whom voted for Donald Trump despite his lifestyle, seen by many as a denial of basic Christian teachings and values.

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That said, the medias political coverage continues to demonstrate critical ignorance of American Christianity, repeatedly identifying supporters of Republican candidates as evangelicals when they are overwhelmingly fundamentalists.

The morphing of Christian fundamentalists into evangelical Christians began with 9/11, when leaders and clergy of fundamentalist denominations, like the Southern Baptists, Protestantisms largest, understood that any confusion between radical Muslim fundamentalists and Christian fundamentalists was a problem.

Fundamentalism was dropped and evangelical, which is culturally less threatening and socially more acceptable, became the watch word  and the media bought into it.

The fundamentalist/evangelical controversy is not new. It has a history.

Harry Emerson Fosdick was one of the titans of the 20th-century American pulpit. Initially pastor at New York Citys First Presbyterian and later at Riverside Church (built for him by John D. Rockefeller), Fosdick often railed against Christian fundamentalism, and yet considered himself and others of comparable views as evangelical.

Fosdick and William Jennings Bryan were at the center of the great fundamentalist-modernist debate, which has long disappeared from the front pages of our newspapers, but it is still with us, as the number of fundamentalists is greater now than ever before.

What then is Christian fundamentalism? At its core, it argues the Bible is inerrant, without error; that every word and every verse of every chapter in every book of the Old and New Testaments, from Genesis to Revelation, is literally true.

This interpretation of Scripture, called verbal inspiration by theologians, means the books of the Bible, in both Testaments, were written by men who became Gods stenographers, writing as He spoke. Hence, by that act of composition, the Bible is, they contend, without error.

However, there is another body of Christian believers, who hold to a different view, who believe in scriptures plenary inspiration; that the effect of inspiration moved biblical writers to produce the words God wanted but takes into account their individual backgrounds, personal traits and literary styles.

And yet many who hold this view, such as Jim Wallis, Tony Campolo, Mike Slaughter, Ron Sider, Adam Hamilton, Timothy Keller and many other church leaders, also consider themselves evangelicals.

To a non-Christian, a nonfaith, nonreligious person, why should it matter? Verbal inspiration, plenary inspiration, fundamentalist, evangelical, modernist, orthodox, who cares?

There is no requirement to care, unless youre a journalist, then theres a requirement to get it right  if accuracy in media is prized. And getting it right means explaining that while all fundamentalists may be evangelicals in asserting that Jesus Christ is Lord, not all evangelicals are fundamentalists.

Fundamentalists are pro-life, many evangelicals, pro-choice. Fundamentalists oppose gay marriages, not all evangelicals do. Fundamentalists believe in creationism, most evangelicals accept Darwin and keep an open mind. Because fundamentalists oppose abortion and gay rights, the two issues that dominate their political agenda, they consistently vote Republican; not all Christians do.

Nonfundamentalist evangelicals have broader concerns  the war in Afghanistan, global warming, health care, racism, the economy, Wall Street, womens rights, the plight of the poor, etc.

The conundrum of fundamentalist/evangelical is heightened by media neither understanding it nor willing to make the distinction, unwilling to do the hard work necessary to separate one from the other, instead choosing to identify them as one  evangelicals. And by that failure, confusion is rampant on what issues divide these two differing bodies of Christian believers  politically and theologically.

Fundamentalists and evangelicals share a common faith in the person of Jesus Christ, but it isnt that which separates them  its everything else.

Mitrovich leads three American public forums in San Diego, Denver and Boston, and served as president of the Ecumenical Council of San Diego County, an organization of more than 100 Christian churches.
It was the summer of 2005 when a yellow school bus filled with high school students headed out on a local field trip. Most of the students parents didnt have the opportunity to graduate from high school, much less pursue a college degree. Although it was a quick 15-minute drive from Vista to California State University, San Marcos, about 99 percent of the students never knew a university existed in their backyard. It was there, for the first time, that many of us had the honor to meet Latinos in higher education.

A seed was planted in my head that day: Maybe one day I could become a teacher.



For the record: In an earlier version of this op-ed, the author referred to former Vista teacher Juan Ayala as Edgar Ayala. We regret the error.

I begin with this story because it gets to the heart of why we need more Latino educators and how we should recruit them.

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Latinos are the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the United States. We represent 40 percent of Californias population now, and will represent 60 percent of our nations population growth through 2050. However, we complete college at a low rate  only 12 percent of us hold a bachelors degree or higher.

It is essential that we provide Latino students with access to high-quality education and inspiration, so that our state and country can thrive along with us. Conversely, if we fail to show Latino students that all paths are open to them, our communities and economy will suffer.

As a former kindergarten teacher and current school board member in Vista Unified School District, I believe that high-quality education begins with highly effective teachers and principals, some of whom share life experiences with their students. As a Latino male, the fourth of nine kids raised in a migrant worker household, I know this made a difference for me.

I had one Latino teacher in K-12: Mr. Eloy Rosas in fifth grade. Mr. Rosas saw the potential in all his students. He called parents to talk about the positive work of each student, and he never gave up, even when we doubted our own academic potential. Mr. Rosas did not see me with my English deficiency but rather saw me as a bilingual student trying to master two languages and juggling two cultures.

As I moved on to high school and college, Mr. Rosas would keep in touch because he genuinely cared. Fifteen years later, we still talk and find time to connect, just one way in which the impact of a teacher can go beyond the years in school.

Unfortunately, many Latino students in California may never encounter a teacher or role model that shares their ethnicity.

We have one of the largest Latino student-teacher diversity gaps in the country. Nearly 1 in 2 public school students are Latino, but merely 2 in 10 teachers are Latino.

The benefit of closing this gap is real. It is demonstrated in research, including a recent study published by the Institute of Labor Economics. It found that low-income black students who have at least one black teacher in elementary school are significantly more likely to graduate high school and consider attending college.

It is also on display in some of our local schools. I recently asked one of our principals about the importance of diversity in hiring, and he reflected, It is important fact to have individuals that speak the same language, come from the same background, have the same beliefs [as students and families], but in the end what matters is that the person at the front of the classroom has a true heart to understand the student as a whole.

Mr. Juan Ayala has heart and background going for him. He is a graduate of our schools in Vista, a former teacher in Vista, and now leads one of our middle schools. Think about how powerful this narrative is for many of our youth: that someone from their community, who attended the same schools as them, can come back to lead in the classroom and as a principal.

California should become a model of innovative Latino teacher recruitment and retention. To do so, we need to create a pipeline that starts in K-12. Our students need teachers and principals who mirror their experiences and provide windows to opportunity. And both traditional and nontraditional teacher training programs need to step up Latino recruitment, and acknowledge the value our culture can have on our students.

Ultimately, the future of California, our country and the diversity of our teaching force are intertwined.

Vargas is an alumnus of Vista Unified School District, California State University-San Marcos and Teach For America. He is pursuing a degree at California Western School of Law.
In 2010, the Obama administration committed to giving California more than $2.5 billion for a state high-speed rail project initially estimated to cost $32 billion. The money came with strings attached: Construction of a Central Valley bullet-train rail line linking Merced and Bakersfield was to be done by today  Sept. 30, 2017. But as the Fresno Bee reported earlier this week, the California High-Speed Rail Authority will miss the deadline on its troubled project by at least two years and probably far more.

State officials offer voluminous excuses for this failure. But the fundamental problem for the rail authority is that years of evidence show its stated expectations were never reasonable.

The projects construction timetable was never realistic, given its bizarre assumption that private investors would spend billions to partner with the state without promises of subsidies if things went awry. No subsidies ensured no investors.

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The current cost estimate  $64 billion  is also not realistic. Federal officials expect a cost overrun of 50 percent on the first segment. Friday, the rail authority predicted it would be 27 percent.

Nearly nine years after state voters gave the go-ahead to the bullet-train project, its still full speed ahead. Unfortunately for taxpayers, Gov. Jerry Brown has long dismissed all criticism coming the trains way. The candidates seeking to succeed him next year should be much more suspect  and forthcoming  about this boondoggle.

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Few things are as infuriating to Americans as government officials blithely wasting taxpayers money to make their own lives more comfortable. As new details kept emerging about how Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price had used private and government planes for his own convenience in recent months, public  and President Donald Trumps  anger boiled over.

When Politico reported the total cost to taxpayers of his travel had topped $1 million since May, Prices resignation on Friday became inevitable.

Given Trumps oft-repeated pledge to drain the swamp in Washington, his disgust with Price was appropriate. Pushing Price out sets an example for other top officials in his administration. While their cases arent as objectionable as Prices, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt also have used costly air travel that can only raise eyebrows in an era of massive government deficits, and Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin should be ashamed his wife got a de facto government-paid vacation while accompanying him on a trip to Europe.

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Zinke has pushed back hard at his critics, saying his flights were approved by ethics officials. But its doubtful many Americans think Zinke charging taxpayers $12,375 to charter a plane owned by oil and gas executives to get from Las Vegas to his Montana hometown is smart or ethical. Every government official should know the public expects them to be thrifty. Its a fair and reasonable expectation.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

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Twitter: @sdutIdeas

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The tax reform plan President Donald Trump touted Wednesday is so vague it is difficult to evaluate  and easy to doubt  one of its central claims: that its a middle class miracle because of a combination of new tax credits, rate cuts and deduction changes. Given that Trump proposes to eliminate the federal tax deduction for state and local income and property taxes, Californias heavily taxed middle class seems unlikely to end up a net winner. Nevertheless, the fact that Trump and at least some congressional Democrats are interested in bargaining suggest that this policy debate could yet end up producing actual smart, bipartisan reform. But for two reasons, Americans  or at least Americans who arent very wealthy  should be profoundly disappointed with the presidents plan.

The first reason? The Trump plan is premised on the most enduring canard in Republican politics: the historically discredited assertion that tax cuts pay for themselves with higher revenue. A case can be made that cuts in capital-gains taxes might increase revenue. And a case can be made that theres a payoff in reorienting tax codes to reward investment and to discourage companies from sitting on profits. Michigans record since 2011 shows how much reforms can spur growth and job creation.

But the claim that broad cuts in corporate and individual tax rates will not reduce revenue is not borne out by history. Conservative economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who worked for President George W. Bush, scoffs at Trumps claim that a $1.5 trillion tax cut eventually will pay for itself. So does veteran GOP consultant Bruce Bartlett, who, in his own words, helped create the Republican tax myth.

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The second reason is that the Trump plan builds off another GOP canard: the idea that the very wealthy should always benefit the most from tax cuts because the trickle-down effects on the economy of letting them keep more of their money are so positive. The proposal reduces some of the itemized deductions that tax attorneys for the wealthy use to keep money from the IRS. But the revenue these changes would create is swamped by the revenue lost because of the elimination of the estate tax and alternative minimum tax; the reduction of the top income tax rate from 39.6 percent to 35 percent; and the imposition of a maximum 25 percent tax on pass-through businesses, such as partnerships and sole proprietorships, which are now taxed based on their owners income.

This tax plans cuts read as if they were crafted by a committee of self-serving billionaires. To say the cuts are tone-deaf in an era in which millions of people in both parties worry deeply about income inequality doesnt begin to convey their obtuseness. Its as if Trump wants to pour gasoline on the populist fire that lifted him to the White House and very nearly won Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders the Democratic nomination.

This is not what Americans want. A Washington Post-ABC poll show big majorities oppose tax cuts for the rich, think the tax code favors the wealthy more than the middle class and dont support lower corporate taxes. After eight months in which Trump has repeatedly shown he cares more about keeping his base happy than the Republican establishment, the presidents tax plan assaults his base and caricatures the view that the GOP establishment is obsessed with keeping rich people happy.

Or at least it does in present form. For the good of the American economy  for the health of our democracy  for a future without trillion-dollar-deficits as far as the eye can see  heres hoping the presidents proposal eventually morphs into something that qualifies as reform. Helping the mega-rich get mega-richer doesnt qualify.

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Heponi Kashi, the company's commander of the Hili BSF said, hope good relations between the two forces continue in the future.

BSF-BGB exchange sweets on the ocassion of Vijayadashmi

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: On the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) greeted their Indian counterpart - Border Security Force (BSF) with sweets at the Hili Border of Dinajpur district in Bangladesh.

The BSF also extended their wishes to BGB.

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Hindu-Bengalis. The Puja ended on Saturday evening with immersion of Durga idols amid fervour.

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After exchanging sweets BGB Hili ICP camp commander Subedar Mahbub Alam said, "We have always exchanged greetings on different national days and religious festivals in India and Bangladesh to maintain brotherhood and harmony.'

Heponi Kashi, the company's commander of the Hili BSF said, hope good relations between the two forces continue in the future.

BOAT RACE ON PUJA FESTIVAL

A boat race was held in Patuakhali the southern district of Bangladesh, on the occasion the Vijayadashami.

The race was held on Saturday afternoon with the title 'Religion is personal but festivals are for all'.

The boat race started from the end of Patuakhali Bridge on the Laukathi river and ended at the Donaghan Bamghat of Lohalia river.

Kalipada Roy and his team of Akhbarabari Puja temple, won the competition.

All the participating parties were felicitated by Mohd Shafiqul Islam, mayor of Patuakhali municipal.

--- ENDS ---
All we read about are college-educated Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients as if they were the majority. The pro-DACA Migration Policy Institute published a 2014 report that fewer than 10 percent of those potentially eligible for DACA held a two-year vocational college qualification or higher, only 1 percent had an advanced degree and about 30 percent did not have a high school diploma.

The pro-DACA Center for American Progress revealed in a survey that 75 percent earned less than $25,000 with only 25 percent earning enough to cover monthly expenses. DACA unemployment is estimated between 9 percent and 16 percent, far above the 4.3 percent nationwide unemployment rate.

Legalization for DACA recipients will cost taxpayers huge sums of tax dollars for welfare, subsidized food and housing, among other public benefits.

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When we have every American off welfare, terminated fraudulent workers compensation and disability benefits, transitioned the homeless off the streets into jobs, then we can talk about dreamers.

Ted Hilton

San Diego

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Regarding Why Gov. Brown should veto SANDAG power play (Sept. 25): The San Diego Association of Governments needs reform. Its current structure is undemocratic and it provides a number of small jurisdictions a veto power over our transportation future.

We were disappointed with the faulty reasoning in the San Diego Union-Tribunes recent editorial against Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletchers Assembly Bill 805, which is a necessary tool to reform SANDAG. The editorial suggests Sacramento should not decide the regions transportation future. But Sacramento actually created SANDAGs flawed voting structure, which favors sprawl over transit and greenhouse gas reduction. Only state legislation can reform SANDAG to make it more representative of the regions voters and values.

Arguments that AB 805 will disenfranchise small cities miss the mark. We are elected officials from small cities in the San Diego region, and we support the bill. Gonzalez Fletcher made numerous amendments to ensure large jurisdictions like the cities of San Diego and Chula Vista can only make decisions with the buy-in of other small cities. The truth is that the version of AB 805 awaiting Gov. Jerry Browns signature would give SANDAG the same structure as the Metropolitan Transit System. Critics alleged AB 805 would be unfair by limiting SANDAGs chair to a mayor from San Diego or Chula Vista. That rule too was amended in the final bill, and now any elected official on the SANDAG board is eligible.

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The reality is that SANDAGs current board structure is undemocratic and results in transportation outcomes that are counter to San Diegos values. We urge Gov. Brown to sign AB 805 into law.

Parent is a La Mesa council member and Sotelo-Solis is a National City council member.

RELATED | The U-T editorial: Why Gov. Brown should veto SANDAG power play

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
If a public figure commenting on a news story makes a factual error, its the job of the news media to flag the error.

In a story on A1 Sept. 22, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, made a mistake, but the error slipped by. The congressman had called for a pre-emptive strike against North Korea. In his comments he said North Korea should join the United Nations. In fact, the country joined the U.N. in 1991.

Reader Jonathan Komats of San Diego emailed noting the mistake and saying the Union-Tribune should have caught it.

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Government editor Michael Smolens agreed. Under the rush of deadline, the mistake went undetected. Komats email alerted the paper to the error of not reporting the membership. Writer Joshua Stewart then updated the online story with a sentence on North Korea joining the U.N. A correction ran in print Wednesday.

Readers consistently play a role in correcting the record, whether it be through comments made on the U-T website or on a U-T social media account. But the best way to alert the paper to an error is to email the Readers Representative at readers.rep@sduniontribune.com. It also helps if the email notes the day of publication and page number if the reader saw the error in print. Some readers will even indicate in which column on the page the mistake appeared.

Phil Wells of Scripps Ranch, who regularly writes in, will even identify the paragraph number. Wells is a particularly intense reader. Hell identify such goofs as non sequiturs and verb-tense disagreements.

Local news on Nextdoor

Chicken-dinner news is a term sometimes heard in newsrooms. It refers to hyper-local news  a council vote on a stop sign, a housing development in a neighborhood, a community fundraising campaign.

This kind of local news is one of the strengths of a newspaper and its website. Thats where the U-Ts new partnership with the online social network Nextdoor comes in.

Nextdoor is a site for neighborhoods where residents share information. For example, in my neighborhood of Old Escondido, residents use the site to tell neighbors of firewood theyre giving away, or of a meeting, or of a lost pet.

The U-T is contributing to Nextdoor sites by posting stories that would be of specific local interest. Readers then can comment on the news. One story, for instance, told of an upcoming La Mesa City Council meeting during which the council would discuss medical marijuana dispensaries. A reader told his neighbors that the meetings are shown on Cox Cable Channel 24.

To find a Nextdoor for your neighborhood, simply Google Nextdoor and your communitys name, and youll see Nextdoor sites. I did that Thursday for a reader in Ramona. You can also ask a neighbor whos on Nextdoor to send you an invitation to join your neighborhood site.

Ill admit that when I first heard of the partnership, I was unenthusiastic. Another social site for news in an already saturated media landscape? Would it just be overload for readers? But as I looked at the stories and comments, I liked what I saw  neighbors talking about news that affects them at a truly local level.

One U-T story that appeared on my Nextdoor site was about a large development coming to Escondido only a couple of miles from my neighborhood. The development will replace two longtime businesses that had seen better days. One was an old motel, the Palm Tree Lodge, and the other was a home-cookin style restaurant, the Wagon Wheel. Neighbors told each other they could still get that comfort fare at another restaurant in town. Charlies, they said, also serves great chicken dinners.

Print subscribers have access to digital U-T

Print readers might also want to read news on the U-T website or use the U-Ts e-edition, an exact replica of the newspaper that can be accessed on electronic devices, such as laptops or tablets.

Occasionally, the Readers Rep will hear from readers frustrated that they have hit the paywall  that is they have reached a monthly limit of free stories on the U-T website, sandiegouniontribune.com, and are shut off from more articles.

But subscribers are paying customers; they can read the e-edition, and they have unlimited website access. They just need to click on login in the upper right of the website and fill out the subscriber information.

Readers can manage their subscriptions at https://myaccount2.sandiegouniontribune.com.
TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Albanian police have arrested an Italian man, accusing him of money laundering.

The Interior Ministry said Thursday that Alessandro Donadon, 56, has been arrested and 450,000 euros ($495,000) that he had at a bank has been impounded. The ministry said in a statement said that Donadon had received different amounts of money from San Marino to his bank account in Albania, which he then tried to take back to Italy with false checks.

If the charges of false documentation and money laundering are proven, Donadon faces up to 15 years in prison.
According to press release, UNICEF also plans to increase the number of learning centres to reach 200,000 children by next year.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund-UNICEF announced to setup more than 1,300 educational centers for Rohingya children who have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh as refugees.

UNICEF is currently running 182 learning school in Rohingya camp s and at Cox's Bazar, and has enrolled more than 15,000 children, said Bangladesh office of UNICEF through a press release.

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According to press release, UNICEF also plans to increase the number of learning centres to reach 200,000 children by next year.

The UNHCR says, around half a million Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh after the latest spell of violence to erupt in Myanmar's insurgency-affected Rakhine state. Children constitute a huge part of the displaced Rohingyas.

UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, Edouard Beigbeder said, "It is critical that these children, who have suffered so much in this crisis should have access to education in a safe and nurturing environment."

"It is critical to provide them with much-needed sense of normalcy now, so that they can build a future", he added.

The press release further states, the learning centres are providing early education to children aged 4 to 6 years and non-formal basic education to children aged 6 to 14 years. In each learning centre there are three shifts, with each shift comprising of 35 children.

Children learn Bengali, English, Maths, Burmese, Science and Arts in the learning centres. They also receive counselling, and are taught hygiene and life skills. The children are given books, pens, colouring pencils, school bags and other educational materials.

WPF PROVIDE FOOD SUPPORT FOR ROHINGYA

The official of Bangladesh Relief and Disaster Management ministry said that, the World Food Programme (WFP) will provide food assistance to 500,000 Rohingyas, who entered Bangladesh fleeing violence in Myanmar.

WFP Executive Director David Beasley announced the food support for Rohingya refugees when he met with Relief and Disaster Management Minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya in a city hotel on Saturday, an official release said.

Secretary of Relief and Disaster Management Ministry Mohd Shah Kamal and Director General of Department of Disaster Management Mohd Reaz Ahmed, among others, were present at the meeting.

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SOCIETY HILL, S.C. -- A three-county pursuit ended Friday evening when a North Carolina man wanted for "several felony warrants" was taken into custody.

The pursuit started Friday in Richmond County, N.C., and ran through Bennettsville and Marlboro County before it stopped at the boat landing in Society Hill where Ronald Alan Wittig III, 20, of Peachland, N.C., got out of his vehicle and ran into the woods, according to a release issued by the Darlington County Sheriff's Office.

Wittig was taken into custody on Williamson Street in Society Hill about 6 p.m. by Darlington County "Sheriff Tony Chavis and several of his deputies with the assistance of the Marlboro County Sheriff's Office, the Florence County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit and K9 Unit, the Bennettsville Police Department, the Society Hill Police Department, the Lake City Police Department K9 Unit, and the Department of Natural Resources," Lt. Robert Kilgo wrote in a Darlington County Sheriff's Office release.

In addition to his North Carolina warrants Wittig will also face charges in Marlboro County, according to the release.
By PTI: By Manish Sain

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Few steps into the Bisrakh village in the backyard of semi-built highrises in Greater Noida, a query for a Ravana temple is likely to be answered with a curt response.

"It is Ravana baba."

While the rest of the country is celebrating the triumph of good over evil by burning effigies of Ravana, the quaint neighbourhood of Bisrakh, disturbed only by intermittent moos of cows and bird chirpings, celebrates the life and teachings of the mythological demon king.

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Ram Das, the mahant of the ancient Shiva temple, which has come to be known as the Ravana temple over the years, told PTI that the Lanka naresh was born in the village.

Legend has it that Ravana, born to sage Vishrava, an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, spent his early childhood in Bisrakh.

"We dont burn Ravana effigies, he was a son of our village. He was born here and we are proud of it," Das said.

Just along the periphery of the village, stands the Ravana temple, housing the deified Shiva linga, believed to have been established by Vishrava.

But, the demon king is not worshipped by the villagers here, yet.

Presently, the temple is home to a host of celebrations of different festivals, but erecting a Ravana statue is in the offing.

"We celebrate all festivals, we worship all gods. Ravana worshipped Shiva and the ancient Shiva linga is still here. We are planning to put statues of Ravana, Vishrava and Kuber in a new building in the complex," Das, who has been the priest here for over 30 years, said.

On Dussehra, the villagers organise bhandaras (community lunches) in different temples in the area.

The idea of worshipping Ravana, who abducted Sita, may appear alien to people living beyond the boundaries of Bisrakh, but Mangi Ram Sharma, a local, finds it difficult to associate Ravana with evil.

"What evil did he do?"

"Did he kill an innocent? Even in the Ramayana, it is not written that he was an evil man. He kidnapped Sita, but he never touched her. He kept her in Ashok Vatika where no man was allowed to enter," he said.

Sharmas vehement attempts to defend Ravana were strengthened by inputs from the priest who quipped, "How can any man sit quiet if some man cuts off his sisters nose?"

"It wasnt merely about taking revenge. It was also a question of reputation -- for both Rama and Ravana," Das added.

Far from the maddening city life, sitting under the soothing shadow of the huge banyan tree in the temple complex, one can only ponder over the rights and wrongs of mythological narratives.

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And, the priest puts the conflicts to rest with a few words of wisdom --"It is all about perspective." PTI MAH TRS TRS

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Model Sophie Turner posted a picture of her cellulite, and there is so much to learn from it.

By Lipi Upadhyay: How many times have you looked in the mirror and wished that the cellulite and the stretch marks would just go away? We bet that there were also a few times when you have looked at the visible belly-rolls in your pictures, and deleted them as quickly as you could.

When did having cellulite, stretch-marks, back fat, and belly rolls became abnormal, disgusting or ugly?

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Also Read: India's only plus-size transgender model is urging trans people to speak to their families

Sophie Turner, a "plus-size" model realised the same thing, when she saw a picture of herself in which her cellulite was clearly visible.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/sophieeturner

She then posted an extremely empowering and daring picture on social media, sharing how her cellulite first made her feel angry, but then she decided that she was much more than her belly rolls, back fat and cellulite.

I done a photoshoot yesterday And these are some behind the scenes pictures - I was angry when I seen this pic because Of my cellulite - It was on my mind but why should it ? I am more than #cellulite I am more than the #bellyrolls and the #backfat and #celluliteisnormal !! Its natural for us ladies to have cellulite and we need to stop seeing it as disgusting or ugly. Yes we all want smooth skin but we also need to accept reality! Ive had cellulite since I was about 12 which is normal. After living with something for a decade its all apart of being me! And Im still learning to love it and not hate it- its a slow road to #selflove but its the best thing you can do for your confidence and mental health ????? A post shared by S O P H I E T U R N E R ??? (@sophieeturner) on Sep 26, 2017 at 8:51am PDT

Watch: Meet Anjali Lama, Lakme Fashion Week's first transgender model

In her poignant post on Instagram, Turner has penned down that it is natural for women to have cellulite, and they should learn to embrace their bodies and love themselves just the way they are. The post obviously connected with what a lot of people feel, and has since then gone viral.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/sophieeturner

Also Read: A model recorded her 'fat' Uber driver fat-shaming her

"It's a slow road to self-love but it's the best thing you can do for your confidence and mental health," she concluded. There really couldn't be a more body-positive message out there, right?

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Press Release

September 30, 2017 PAVB Announces PHL Representative to Venice Architecture Biennale 2018 The Philippine Arts in Venice Biennale (PAVB)--composed of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda--is pleased to announce the selection of the curatorial proposal titled The City Who Had Two Navels by Edson Cabalfin as the country's representative to the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Cabalfin's curatorial concept was selected among 12 proposals that were submitted to the Coordinating Committee in response to the open call for curatorial proposals for the Philippine participation at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale. The Curatorial Proposal Inspired by National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin's novel "The Woman Who Had Two Navels", Cabalfin's proposal "confronts the tension between the vicissitudes of the past and the challenges of constructing contemporary identity." It will highlight two navels in constant dialogue--the forces of colonialism and neoliberalism. The intersection of these two "navels" represents an emergent wave of postcolonial anxieties born out of the process of exiting the colonial condition. Through a transnational and transhistorical investigation, the pavilion argues that the Philippines does not exist in a vacuum, is implicated within power relations, and is inextricably intertwined with other nations and people. To address this emerging postcolonial anxiety, the Philippine Pavilion invites future architects, planners and designers to respond to the two "navels" in the exhibition. As part of the exhibit, a think-tank consortium will be created comprising of students and faculty from select architecture, design, and planning programs in the Philippines. This consortium will be commissioned to conduct research on the current state of Philippine cities in terms of transnational flows. Subsequently, the students will be tasked to respond to the identified issues and present proposals about the future. The diagrams, documentation, models, and ideas generated from the research will be exhibited in Venice. Through the speculations about the two "navels" and the concomitant architectural and urban issues, Philippine "Freespace" anticipates possibilities for renewed life and hope. The Curator Edson G. Cabalfin is Associate Professor and currently Coordinator of the undergraduate and graduate Interior Design program in the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the University of Cincinnati. He received his Ph.D. in Architecture (Major in History of Architecture, Minors in Historic Preservation and Southeast Asian Studies) in 2012 from Cornell University. Prior to coming to the United States, he had received his professional B.S. Architecture (cum laude) and Master of Architecture degrees from the University of the Philippines in 1996 and 2001 respectively. He has published articles in various journals, book anthologies, and conference proceedings on queer spaces in the city, Art Deco architecture in the Philippines, colonialism and post-colonialism in modern architecture, informal settlements and the capital city, alternative modernities and national identity in Philippine vernacular architecture, architectural photography and American colonialism, architectural historiography, architectural education, and Philippine pavilions in international expositions. Deliberation of Jurors A panel of jurors deliberated on the submitted curatorial proposals last September 22, 2017 at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Building in Intramuros, Manila. The jury was composed of NCCA Chairman Virgilio S. Almario; Leandro Y. Locsin, Jr.; Fernando Zobel de Ayala; Carol Yinghua Lu; Lani Maestro and Senator Loren Legarda. "The first time I read the proposal, I was immediately attracted to it. The curator borrowed the point of view of Nick Joaquin--a critical point of view about who the Filipino is. Then he was able to use it to also present a critical point of view regarding architecture. That's what made it different from the other proposals," said Almario, National Artist for Literature and the Commissioner for the Philippine Pavilion. Legarda, the visionary and principal advocate of the Philippine participation in the Venice Biennale, thanked all the other curators who joined the open call and said that all curatorial proposals were well-written and well-thought-out. "When you read the curatorial proposals, you really just appreciate the Filipino even much more. But the chosen curatorial concept, which is based on academic research, excites me. It does not look at city as built heritage, built structure or architecture, but it looks deeper into the people who live in the city, the souls, the whole ecosystem," said Legarda. Locsin, administrator of the Leandro V. Locsin Partners (LVLP) architecture firm and part of the curatorial team that represented the Philippines in its first participation in the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2016, said that the winning curatorial proposal presents a dichotomy: "On the one hand, the way we present ourselves architecturally towards the world, and on the other hand, how we treat our built environment, architecture, urban situation, and social issues that are happening on the ground." Zobel, Chairman of Ayala Land Inc. and member of TATE Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee, said that he was "extremely impressed with the amount of work that had gone into each proposal" and that the deliberation was a very interesting process where judges were free to discuss and speak about their own views about each proposal. "The selected proposal talks about that constant struggle of trying to keep a certain part of your identity but moving on into the modern era. I thought the curator captured it very well in his words and I think it would be something that is Filipino, but at the same time, something that the global audience can relate to," said Zobel. Lu, a curator, art critic and who was part of the jury for the Golden Lion Award in the 2011 Venice Art Biennale, said that she was very impressed in terms of how the curator made references to the past, at the same time, trying to link it to the present context. "This proposal has that quality of an exhibition that can put forward certain conceptual issues and address these issues through architectural practices." Meanwhile, Maestro, one of the participating artists in this year's Philippine Pavilion, "The Spectre of Comparison", at the 2017 Venice Art Biennale, explained the importance of being in the Venice Biennale and other art biennales. "It's not about prestige, but more about participating in a community of other artists from other nations and how they're developing a language to speak about similar concerns and subjectivities." The City Who Had Two Navels by Edson Cabalfin will be mounted as the Philippine Pavilion in the Arsenale for the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, which will run from May 26, 2018 to November 25, 2018. This is only the second time that the country will participate officially at the Venice Architecture Biennale and the first time that the Architecture Philippine Pavilion will be in the Arsenale, one of the main exhibition spaces of the Venice Biennale.
Press Release

September 30, 2017 Put budget promises like 15-min PNP response, 40-kph MRT speed in 'BOSS' One post-budget enactment document the government can publish is a catalogue of performance guarantees issued by agencies, from how fast travellers should exit out of airport immigration queues to police response time. Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, who made this proposal, even has a name for this handy compilation of agency "promissory notes" - BOSS, or Booklet of Service Speed. "Pwede rin tawaging Booklet of Service Standards," said Recto, explaining that the thin, pocket-size booklet will contain "processing time for applied documents like licenses, response time from law enforcers like the police and firemen, and completion period for services asked. " Recto said these performance indicators are included in the national budget, part of reforms which link funds given to an agency to a set of promised outcomes. "Sa ngayon kasi every peso is matched with performance. Kaya doon sa mga requests ng mga ahensya, sinasabi nila na na kapag ganito ang pondong ibinigay ninyo sa amin, ito ang mabilis na serbisyo na kapalit," Recto said. Among the "performance guarantees" embedded in next year's national budget are "the maximum 7-minute response time of firemen to all distress calls and the PNP vow to respond within 15 minutes to all calls for assistance." One particular interest to Metro Manilans, Recto said, is the guarantee by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority that road traffic obstructions will be cleared within 15 minutes and for flood water to substantially recede within 20 minutes. Recto said the Bureau of Immigration has promised "a gone in 40 seconds rule" in immigration exit and entry queues. "But that benchmark applies to the moment the passport is handed over to the officer. What passengers want is a standard from the moment they queue," he said. In the case of passports, of which 3.1 million will be issued next year, the DFA has promised that these will be issued within the prescribed period. The Department of Transportation has promised a 20 percent reduction in airline travel time delays. The DOTr has also included in its 2018 performance guarantees an average 40 kilometer per hour speed of MRT trains. However, it has yet to determine its maximum processing time for driver's licenses and car registrations for 2018. But for those registering new vehicles, the DOTr's standing pledge, based on the 2017 national budget, is that you will get your registration papers, complete with plates and stickers, within seven days. For motor vehicle registration renewals, the current deadline, per the 2017 GAA, is two hours, complete with stickers. For those renewing their driver's license, the unchanged DOTR's pledge for the year is that 90 percent of applications will be renewed within one hour. Some agency targets are outcome-based, like the ones the Department of Health has attached to its P164.9 billion request. The DOH said more than 90 percent of TB cases referred to it will be treated and healed. "In the case of the Department of Public Works and Highways, its budget says 1,592 kilometers of new roads and 1,504 kilometers for repair will be completed within deadline and according to specifications," he said. For the DENR, its goal is to plant 197 million seedlings in 201,852 hectares of new tree plantations. Recto said the DENR should not only guarantee it will achieve this, "but provide proof to senators that billions of trees have been planted in more than one million hectares since 2010." Recto said "minimum speed limits" should be imposed in the agency with the biggest appropriation but also plagued by slow spending, the Department of Education. "To avoid backlogs which hurt students, a six-month deadline should be imposed in hiring teachers and a one-year deadline in building classrooms," Recto said. For 2018, Malacanang has asked Congress for money for new 81,100 teachers and 47,000 classrooms. Recto said the budgets of agencies do not only come with peso signs but with performance guarantees. "Sa DSWD, indicated doon kung ilang milyong kiddie meals ang kanilang ihahain sa mga day care centers. Sa agriculture agencies, bean-counted ang mga pangako, mula sa ilang tonelada ang projected tilapia production hanggang sa hectares of coconut lands replanted."
The BSF has detected a 14-feet-long tunnel on the international border in Arnia sector of Jammu and Kashmir and said that the move foiled Pakistan's design to infiltrate terrorists through the same.

By Ashwini Kumar: The Border Security Force (BSF) has detected a 14-feet-long tunnel on the international border in Arnia sector of Jammu and Kashmir. BSF said that the move had foiled and exposed Pakistan's design to infiltrate terrorists through the tunnel.

Troops of 62 battalion of the BSF detected an under-construction tunnel in the forest area of Damala nalah in Arnia sector.

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On Saturday, while carrying out a search in the area, BSF party observed suspicious movement of around 10 to 12 armed Pakistan nationals on the bank of Damala nalah. Despite heavy mortal shelling from across the border, the BSF jawans reached close to the tunnel to find out more. On seeing the BSF personnel approach, Pakistan nationals fled the spot under the cover of darkness, leaving their stock behind. The BSF then began a detailed search of the area and found an unfinished 14-foot-long tunnel, which was 3 feet high and two-and-a-half feet wide.

It is pertinent to mention here that Jammu's Arnia sector has faced heavy cross-border firing and shelling from Pakistan from September 13 to 17 this year. Pakistan Army is believed to be giving covering fire to help terrorists and other workers engaged in tunnel construction to sneak into Indian territory.

This is the second tunnel unearthed in 2017, after the security personnel detected one on Feb 13 this year in Ramgarh sector.

The security personnel recovered 2 AK-47 magazines, a hand grenade, Duracell batteries and pencil cell, 4 sleeping bags, eatables and 3 3 head lamps that were used for digging the canal from the site.

The BSP personnel have been on high alert after regular Intel inputs regarding movement of anti-national elements from across the border in the festive season.

The items recovered from the tunnel unearthed by BSF. ANI Photo.

Meanwhile, MoS Home Jitender Singh has said, "The Army and the BSF are capable of foiling all of Pakistan's evil designs. They have full liberty by the government."

Whatever method Pak uses, Army&BSF capable of foiling it. They've full liberty by govt: Jitendra Singh, MoS Home on tunnel unearthed in J&K pic.twitter.com/CY7alAFUkO- ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017

Reacting to the unearthing of the tunnel in Arnia, IG BSF of Jammu Frontier Ram Awtar said, "Another illicit act by Pakistan was detected in time and an incident was averted".

Noticed suspicious movement, surveyed area & found 13-14 ft long tunnel (in Arnia),but its end wasn't open: Ram Awtar IG BSF, Jammu Frontier pic.twitter.com/heZF5LaUYX- ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017

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On the first anniversary of Indian Army's surgical strikes on terrorist camps in PoK yesterday, former Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag had hailed the operation, calling it the first to have political clearance and went on to say that it had achieved the desired result.

WATCH VIDEO | Pak's terror plan exposed: BSF detects 14-foot-long tunnel in J-K's Arnia

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Press Release

September 30, 2017 Villar leads 'National Clean-Up Month' celebration at LPPCHEA In observance of the "National Clean-Up Month" every September of the year, Senator Cynthia A. Villar on Saturday led the coastal clean up at Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Eco-Tourism Area (LPPCHEA), which was included in the Ramsar Convention list of Wetlands of International Importance. Villar said this month's celebration intends to encourage massive mobilization of voluntary actions to support and participate in the country's clean-up and environmental activities. Aside the cleaning operations at LPPCHEA, located on the stretch of Manila Bay in the cities of Las Pinas and Paranaque, Villar said there was also an appreciation walk in the area. Villar, chair of the Senate environment committee, said this 175-hectares mangrove forest and marine habitat serves as sanctuary for 84 bird species, including migratory birds from as far as Siberia. It is the breeding site of the vulnerable Philippine Duck and supports at least 1,000 of the remaining 100,000 remaining Black-Winged Stilts in the world. Due to this, she cited the need to protect and preserve LPPCHEA, which has been threatened by reclamation projects and poor solid waste management until recently, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) cancelled the environmental clearance certificate (ECC) for reclamation projects in the area. "With these challenges out of the way, we can now proceed with the realization of our vision to develop LPPCHEA as a tourist and bird watching destination in Metro Manila," said Villar. "We don't have to go out of Metro Manila for a place where we could commune with nature. Here is an internationally-recognized place where one can go bird-watching in a setting where diverse species of trees and mangrove thrive," she added. According to the senator, the latest activities at LPPCHEA were conducted in preparation for the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Convention of the Conservation and Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) (CMS COP12) to be held in the Philippines on October 22-28, 2017. Villar said this will be the first time the COP, which will put emphasis on the vital services of migratory birds to the people such as being a source of food and medicine, as pollinators and seed dispensers and as pest control, will be convened in Asia. The slogan for the conference is "Their Future is our Future- Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People," links to the Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty and hunger, improve health and education, combat climate change and protect oceans and forests. The event will be attended by high-level dignitaries from more than 120 member-countries, observes from local government units, society, media and the private sector. Some 600 volunteers from the following government agencies participated in celebrating the National Clean-Up Month. They are Villar SIPAG; LPPCHEA Management, DENR-NCR; DENR-NCR; Tourism Infrastructure And Enterprise Zone Authority; Biodiversity Management Bureau, DENR; Manila Bay Coordinating Office, DENR Office; National Solid Waste Management Commission; Department of Health National Capital Region Office; Department of Public Works and Highways; Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission; Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) - Las Pinas City; Metropolitan Manila Development Authority; Philippine Coast Guard (PCG); Philippine Coast Guard Auxilliary (PCGA) NCR - Luzon; Philippine Navy; Philippine Red Cross - Las Pinas Subchapter; PNP Maritime Group; CAVITEX - CARE (Cavitex Advocates for the Restoration of the Environment); Maynilad; Manila Bay SUNSET Partnership Program Incorporated; Alliance for Stewardship and Authentic Progress (ASAP); Center for Environmental Concerns; Ecowaste Coalition; Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Mother Earth Foundation.
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Ryan Sheridan, a 25-year-old climber from Buffalo, N.Y., was with two friends on what is known as the Waterfall Route of Yosemites El Capitan when they witnessed horror unfold below  a fatal rockfall that has once again exposed the powerful and at times dangerous natural forces at work in the famed wilderness.

It was Wednesday afternoon. A granite slab the size of an apartment building broke off, hit a lower wall and rained boulders on top of a man and a woman who were walking 1,000 feet below, a pair of British tourists celebrating their dream holiday.

The cascade of boulders was so immense that the climbers didnt believe anybody could survive it, but then, Sheridan said, they spotted a woman in an orange helmet attempting to climb out from between a boulder and the cliff wall. As she struggled, another boulder broke loose and was free-falling directly toward her.

We were yelling at her, telling her to clear the area, when the rock, which was about the size of a school bus, hit a lower, angled slab and split in half and went in either direction around her, Sheridan recalled.

Thats when I witnessed from above somebody wearing all green running back into the rockfall. We were yelling down the entire time, Dont go in there. We saw him meet with the girl in the orange helmet briefly, and then the second fall happened.

Sheridan said he lost track of the man in green, apparently British tourist Andrew Foster, amid the dust, but later saw search and rescue teams recover his body.

Its an inherent risk, Sheridan said, trying to explain a reality that every climber and adventurer in Yosemite faces. The risk is minimal, but its dramatic when it happens. He added, You cant let fear control your life.

Many people are reconsidering this risk in the aftermath of the tragedy and heroism that Sheridan witnessed that day. Danger is a constant in Yosemite, but two rockfalls that peeled off the fabled 3,000-foot edifice this week were an eye-opener for hundreds of hardened rock climbers who had converged in the valley for an annual five-day garbage cleanup and restoration program called Yosemite Facelift.

Foster, 32, of Cardiff, Wales, was killed, and his wife, Lucy, was pinned under debris and seriously injured in the first rockfall.

The second fall Thursday was even bigger, rolling out over the highway toward the Merced River. This time, one person was injured, a motorist from Naples, Fla., named Jim Evans, who was struck in the head by a rock or branch that flew through his sunroof.

The gravity of the situation came into focus Friday as witnesses described Fosters effort to save his wife. Witnesses said the couple had come down from a climb and were walking at the base of the wall with their gear shortly before 2 p.m.

The Fosters, who shared a love of climbing and the outdoors, married in 2016 and were traveling for a year, but their dream holiday was Yosemite, according to reports in British newspapers.

Yosemite is an awesome place and for many climbers is one of the many places to go before you die, Foster once wrote in a personal blog.

Lucy Foster reportedly suffered a punctured lung, among other injuries, and was airlifted to a hospital.

It was a terrible thing to witness, Sheridan said, and especially scary because he and his buddies had, two nights before, climbed on and camped atop the very slab that broke off. Sheridan said the rock had sounded so hollow and loose that he was afraid to hammer equipment into it or attach ropes to it.

I was thinking, this is the worst rock Ive seen in my life, he said. You could see it was peeling away from the face, and you couldnt see how it held on.

Nevertheless, the rockfalls wont deter Sheridan or many other climbers in the valley.

You can be walking down the street and be hit by a drunk driver, he said. Thats probably more common than (dying from) a rockfall.

Greg Stock, the park geologist, said rockfalls like the ones this week usually happen as a result of temperature swings that cause the rock to expand and contract. He said water and ice can expand cracks and, over time, cause fissures that sometimes release in catastrophic fashion.

Stock said the sheer granite cliffs are especially susceptible in Yosemite, where 80 rockfalls are recorded a year, with countless others going unreported.

Indeed, it had rained and was cold in Yosemite when Sheridan and his friends began their climb about a week before the rockfall. He said they noticed sand pouring down the cliff as it rained. Such dust could only come from cracks behind slabs or flakes, he said.

Ken Yager, a longtime climbing guide who founded the Yosemite Climbing Association and organized the Yosemite Facelift event, said every climber worth his or her salt knows the geology of the surface on which they practice their sport.

Ironically, the height of the Yosemite climbing season in the late summer and early fall is also when rockfalls are most common, Yager said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

This is always the time of year where I see the big ones, Yager said. Its because it gets hot during the summer and then it cools off and the rock gets hot, cold and hot. That creates little fractures, and pretty soon the rock is just too heavy to stay attached to the wall and it peels away.

Foster was the first person to die in a rockfall-related accident in Yosemite since climber Peter Terbush was killed on June 13, 1999, as he stood below Glacier Point belaying his partner on a route called Apron Jam. There have been 16 fatalities and more than 100 injuries from rockfalls in Yosemite since 1857, according to the park.

Stock said geologists could conceivably identify which rocks are the most unstable as a first step toward a prediction model. But, as with earthquakes, the system wouldnt be foolproof.

Just in the last decade, we have learned a whole lot about rockfalls in Yosemite, and that helps, he said, but we are still a long way away from predicting them.

Its unclear, he said, whether climate change could increase rockfalls in Yosemite, but Yager said he believes it is likely.

Is there a chance that global warming has something to do with this? I suspect it does, because even a half degree increase in temperature can make a difference, he said. This year it was really hot and suddenly it got cold. It would not surprise me if thats a potential factor.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite

Yosemite statistics

An estimated 150 people die annually in national parks, about 15 to 20 per year at Yosemite. Here are some safety numbers from Yosemite:
A UC Berkeley Republican group that sued the university over restrictions on a planned speech in April by conservative commentator Ann Coulter has failed  at least for now  to point to any facts showing discrimination by campus officials, a federal judge said Friday.

While U.S. District Judge Maxine Chesney said she planned to dismiss the suit by the Berkeley College Republicans against the university and its leaders, she said they could refile the suit within 30 days if they presented plausible assertions that UC officials were ideologically biased or imposed unnecessary restrictions on Coulter and like-minded speakers. A lawyer for the group said the task wont be difficult.

UC Berkeleys failure to accommodate Coulter and other conservative speakers in recent months, and its closure of half the seats in Zellerbach Hall before a speech by author and talk-show host Ben Shapiro two weeks ago, show animus in the university with regard to conservative positions, attorney Harmeet Dhillon told reporters after the 90-minute hearing in San Francisco.

Coulter, invited to speak by the College Republicans, canceled her appearance and said the university had refused to make a campus building available. University officials said they never got a request from the campus group, had no safe sites available on short notice and were turned down by Coulter when they proposed later dates for her appearance.

Now Playing: As free speech week is preparing to kick off Sunday at UC Berkeley, it's still unclear who will be speaking. Video: KTVU

Other conservative groups have promoted appearances by far-right speakers on the left-leaning campus and blamed the university for their cancellation. A four-day free speech event, scheduled to start last Sunday, dwindled to a brief campus appearance Sunday by Milo Yiannopoulos, who spoke to a handful of supporters amid tight police security.

At Fridays hearing, Dhillon said the events reflect a long-standing policy at UC Berkeley to impose restrictions on speakers they dont like. She said the universitys new guidelines for sites and security at speeches on campus, issued after the suit was filed, amounted to a couple of tweaks to make (the policy) look more attractive to the court and to the media.

Bryan Heckenlively, a lawyer for the university, said the policy provides neutral standards for reserving indoor forums for speakers, based on reasonable forecasts of the need for security.

Chesney said the claims of bias would have to address the fact that UC Berkeley offered the controversial Yiannopoulos a great venue and time for a speech that was scheduled in February but never took place because of violent clashes.

At this point, the judge said, the College Republicans have not alleged any facts that would show that UC Berkeley imposed restrictions on Coulter and other conservatives because they disagreed with the speakers, or that the university had other sites available. But she said the case wasnt over, and Dhillon said considerable evidence has come to light of one-sided policies and practices.

Dan Mogulof, a spokesman for the university, said that although the case is not over yet, we welcome the courts ruling that the campus is complying with its First Amendment obligations.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
By PTI: Jammu, Sep 30 (PTI) The Border Security Force (BSF) today unearthed a 14-feet-long tunnel near the zero line in Arnia sector here which was being dug from the Pakistani side, scuttling a major infiltration bid and a possible terror attack, officials said.

Inspector General of the BSF Ram Awtar said an area domination party noticed the suspicious movement of nearly a dozen armed people near the zero line who fled after seeing the uniformed men.

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"The unfinished tunnel, dug from the Pakistani side, approximately having three-feet height and two-and-a-half feet width on the slope of bank at Dhamalla nulla (stream) ahead of border fence was detected by the alert BSF jawans this morning," he told reporters here.

The BSF patrolling party commander got suspicious and launched a thorough search and survey operation of the area which led to the detection of the tunnel and recovery of "war-like stores".

Among the items recovered from the location included a US-made compass, two magazines, 60 rounds of ammunition, a hand grenade,and other items and most of these items were carrying the marking of Pakistan, he said.

Terming the tunnelling activity as a "nefarious act" of Pakistan, the officer said timely action by the BSF foiled a major attack on the Indian soil.

Sector commanders of the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers held a flag meeting in Suchetgarh sector along the international border yesterday at the request of Pakistan to defuse the tension in the wake of intense cross-border skirmishes this month.

"The flag meeting happened yesterday and several issues came up for discussion. The BSF has not lowered its guard but had remained alert, knowing the history of Pakistan which on the face value does something else but behind it are upto something else," he said, adding it is because of the "alertness" of the force that the tunnel was detected.

He said the recovery of huge cache of Pakistan-made food items are indicative that there was an attempt to complete the tunnel before its detection and carry out a major strike on the Indian soil.

In response to another question after a brief video clip of the tunnel was played during the press conference, Awtar said the entry to the tunnel is in Pakistan and its dead-end is just between fencing and the zero line, around 10-metres towards Pakistan.

He said the Pakistani Rangers might be aware of the digging of the tunnel because nothing escapes the eyes of the BSF

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long the international border.

"It is presumed that any civilian activity without the knowledge of the Pakistani Rangers is not possible," the IG BSF said.

He said the length of the zero line and fencing is around 14-metres but the recovery of various items, including digging tools, indicated that services of experts were utilised.

"Simple digging tools were not recovered and the selection of the area was also where there is short distance. The services of experts in tunnel digging were utilised so that anyone with half-bent can move easily through the tunnel," he said.

He said the BSF is fully alert to meet any challenge along the international border to foil the "nefarious designs" of Pakistan.

"The whole border is surveyed and mapped and we know the such suspicious areas which are kept under constant observation," Awtar said.

He said the BSF party after taking all risk think jungle area having number of blind mortar bombs fired from Pakistan (during the recent cross-border shelling) reached close to the area to know the nefarious design.

The BSF officer said this was the second tunnel unearthed since February and fourth in the past one year.

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Earlier, a tunnel was detected on February 13 in Ramgarh sector.

"The digging tools, fresh dug earth and length of tunnel indicated that the tunnelling has started very recently about three days back, with an intent to infiltrate strong group of terrorists. Once again the intent of the Pakistani Rangers to push in anti-national elements has been exposed," Awtar said.

The IG BSF said the force foiled at least four tunnelling activities along the international border over the past one year. PTI TAS KJ

--- ENDS ---
San Franciscos Barbary Coast is remembered as one of the worlds most depraved vice districts. But in the years after the 1906 earthquake, it was also a hotbed of the swinging, improvised new music that soon came to be known as jazz.

Jazz originated in another rollicking vice district, New Orleans Storyville, but San Francisco played a major role in its development as well. Indeed, the word jazz, as used in reference to music, first appeared in a San Francisco newspaper in 1913.

One of the leading black musicians who played on the Barbary Coast was a piano player named Sid Le Protti. Le Prottis life and career provide a window into a mostly forgotten but fascinating chapter of the citys cultural and racial history.

As Bill Edwards notes in his entry on Le Protti on his website Ragpiano.com, Louis Sidney Le Protti was born in Oakland in November 1886, the illegitimate son of a 17-year-old African American woman named Amelia Dangerfield and an Italian laborer named Louis Le Protti, who played the harp. Sid was raised by his African American grandmother, who put him through sixth grade and hired a young German woman to give him piano lessons.

Le Protti first heard ragtime, the syncopated music that helped shape jazz, in 1894 or 1895, when a black pianist named Leroy Watkins played at his grandmothers house for Oaklands few black families. In Tom Stoddards Jazz on the Barbary Coast, Le Protti tells a charmingly multicultural story about the first time he played ragtime.

In those days, the Sunday San Francisco Examiner used to include sheet music for popular songs. When he was about 11 years old, Le Protti found a song called Ambolena Snow: An Afro-American Military Ballad and began playing it. His uncle went into the kitchen and told his grandmother, Ma, Sids playin ragtime.

His grandmother kind of pulled me over the coals, Le Protti said. She said, I spend the money for your music lessons, and here youre playing ragtime. But after conferring with a German friend known as Old Man Lorenzo, she told Le Protti, Old Man Lorenzo told me he thought it was fine that you were playin ragtime.

While working at the Judson Iron Works in Emeryville, Le Protti met another musician who told him a club at 40th Street and San Pablo Avenue needed a piano player. He got the gig, playing the two ragtime pieces he knew along with waltzes like The Blue Danube.

His next job was in Purissima on the San Mateo County coast, which is now a ghost town. The farmers had never heard ragtime and I made me a hatful of money, he said. In 1904, he went to the Gold Rush town of Angels Camp, where he played in a brothel. In 1906, soon after the earthquake and fire, he landed in the Barbary Coast, where he quickly became a fixture at one of the citys legendary bars, Sid Purcells So Different Club.

Purcell and his partner, Sam King, were African American former Pullman porters. After the 1906 disaster, they opened Purcells at 520 Pacific St., where Le Protti and his So Different Orchestra were the house band for much of the next 15 years.

Le Protti saw several groundbreaking New Orleans musicians and bands in Barbary Coast clubs, including King Oliver and Jelly Roll Morton. (Jelly Rolls brief stint on the Barbary Coast was the subject of an earlier Portals.) But the first New Orleans band he saw, and the one that had the biggest influence on his music, was Will Johnsons Original Creole Orchestra.

Johnsons band played four beats to the bar rather than the then-conventional two beats. Le Protti decided he wanted his band to do the same thing, but his drummer, who was called Old Pete, rebelled.

When I told Old Pete I wanted him to play the four beats, he got kind of imminent and said, Man, you dont know how much work that is! Le Protti said. He fired Old Pete and weeded out other players who werent cutting it until he got the musicians he wanted. His first-rate six-man band featured piano, drums, string bass, clarinet, flute and piccolo, and baritone euphonium.

Purcells was what was known as a black and tan club, featuring black dancers and open to both blacks and whites. At the time, such race mixing was taboo in American society, but as a designated zone of misrule, a kind of ur-Las Vegas, the Coast was allowed to stretch the limits of propriety. Plus, the police were paid off. Purcells was a 20-cents-a-dance joint with upstairs bedrooms, where the dancers would take interested customers to make extra cash.

Le Protti made an excellent living playing at Purcells and other Barbary Coast clubs, but he earned his money. He and his band played as many as 30 songs an hour.

It was nothing for the piano player to have tape on the end of his fingers and wear out a good piano in a year, he said.

And playing on the Barbary Coast meant facing worse dangers than calloused fingers. At Purcells and the other joints where Le Protti played, brawls and shootouts were practically nightly affairs.

One time we had a bad shootin scrape over at Louie Gomezs, Le Protti said. How that drummer didn't get shot, nobody knows! This customer got in a fight and pulled a gun and started shootin. One of the bullets went right through the bass drum. ... They killed that fella as he went out the door; the bartender reached over and hit him with a bottle full a whiskey, and then after he hit him, the fellow staggered, and the bartender jammed the rest of the broken bottle in his neck. That cut his jugular veins and his throat, and he fell over and bled to death.

Starting in 1916, the authorities began trying to close down the Barbary Coast, passing an ordinance forbidding dancing in the district and busting clubs that violated it. The Coast struggled on for a few years, but its last call came in March 1921, when two policemen walked into Purcells at 1 a.m. and closed the place down for good. Le Protti recalled the exact tune he was playing: One of his own compositions called Four OClock.

Le Protti kept playing here and there, but gigs became harder to come by. In the 1920s, he opened a shoe-shine parlor and cigar store in Berkeley, where he rehearsed with musician friends. In the 1930s, he and his wife, Mayme, moved to Walnut Creek, where he played for service clubs like the Lions and Kiwanis.

Im still poundin the piano, and just as long as I can keep foolin the public, Ill keep goin, he said.

Sid Le Protti died in 1958.

Gary Kamiya is the author of the best-selling book Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco, awarded the Northern California Book Award in creative nonfiction. All the material in Portals of the Past is original for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: metro@sfchronicle.com

Trivia time

Previous trivia question: What San Francisco Giants team holds the franchise record for most losses in a season?

Answer: The 1985 Giants, who went 62-100.

This weeks trivia question: Where is Little Hollywood?

Editors note

Every corner in San Francisco has an astonishing story to tell. Gary Kamiyas Portals of the Past tells those lost stories, using a specific location to illuminate San Franciscos extraordinary history  from the days when giant mammoths wandered through what is now North Beach to the Gold Rush delirium, the dot-com madness and beyond. His column appears every other Saturday, alternating with Peter Hartlaubs OurSF.
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San Francisco cannabis users hoping to pick up some pot-laced chocolate bars while holiday shopping at the mall may be out of luck.

Four months after submitting a planning application to locate a 1,000-square-foot shop selling cannabis-infused chocolate in the downtown Westfield San Francisco Centre, the mall owner says it is no longer interested in having the weed confectionery, Defonce Chocolatier, move in.

Westfield, which owns the 1.5-million-square-foot retail, dining and movie complex on the 800 block of Market Street, contacted the citys Planning Department late Thursday and informed officials that negotiations with Defonce have stopped and there is no lease on the proposed space, planning spokeswoman Gina Simi said.

Westfield also requested an Oct. 26 Planning Commission hearing on the store be canceled.

In a statement, Westfield said it had decided not to lease space to any cannabis-related tenants.

Unless federal law permits the sale of cannabis products, Westfield will not lease to this type of tenant at any center it operates, the company said.

Defonce CEO Eric Eslao said the company would focus on other locations in the city.

More on Defonce Chocolatier Cannabis chocolate maker wants to open shop in Westfield San...

While were disappointed not to be moving forward with our proposed Westfield location, we are actively exploring alternative locations in San Francisco and look forward to continuing discussions with the city, Eslao said.

Westfield owns 15 shopping centers in California, where voters legalized medical cannabis in 1996 and adult recreational use in 2016. Some form of marijuana is legal in 29 states but it is still illegal under federal law.

Last spring the mall signed a letter of intent to lease a third-floor space to Defonce, a San Jose company. In the conditional-use application on file at the Planning Department, Defonce says our partnership with Westfield Shopping Centre would focus on providing low-dose, high-quality cannabis products designed for the responsible and safe consumption by adults.

The deal was noteworthy because it would have been the first time a major class-A shopping mall owner had leased space to a cannabis business. Most institutional real estate owners wont lease space to them out of fear of running afoul of federal regulators. And banks wont lend on properties with cannabis-related businesses on the rent roll.

Alf Nucifora, chairman of the Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco, said hes not surprised that Westfield backed out.

I can see where Westfield is coming from, he said. Youve got banking issues. Youve got IRS issues. But the reality is that at a certain point, some mall owner is going to jump in and say its OK and, once that happens, the floodgates will open.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@

sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
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When the Book Shop closed its doors in February after 56 years in business, Hayward suddenly found itself without a bookstore.

Thats no longer the case. Books on B, a new independent bookstore in downtown Hayward, is opening on Saturday.

Its a kaleidoscope of emotions, said Renee Rettig, the stores owner. Overwhelmingly though, gratitude: to my community, and to my trade, that I get to continue being of service in the best way I know how, and live out my days with a society that understands what value the culture of reading and readers brings to this world.

Before becoming the proprietor of the new store, Rettig was the manager of the Book Shop, where she had worked since helping out there during college in the summer of 1995. The Book Shop  which was on the same street, B, as Books on B  closed after its owners retired.

Rettig, who has lived in nearby San Leandro her entire life, said she hopes to continue the Book Shops tradition of new and used, quirky and rare books.

Rettig said the store will be indispensable to its city of 150,000, with a robust calendar of events, live music, artwork, storytelling. She also plans to work with the local library to bring in literary luminaries, both local and national.

Originally the home of Abreu Pharmacy (1927), then Goldhors Optometry (1960), the shop is a cozy 900 square feet, with 16-foot ceilings and a skylight. The store will eventually hold about 12,000 titles and also has a gallery space that Rettig says will feature a rotation of work by local artists.

To cover the cost of renovations, Rettig raised $70,000 through an Indiegogo campaign .

In half the projected time, Id met my goal  humbling, she said. Its perfectly Stone Soup  everyone did what they could, even finding the occasional crumpled bill through the mail slot in the morning! I feel incredibly fortunate; the campaign is still active, and book lovers continue to contribute to the cause.

Rettig said shell be the stores Jill of all trades. Shell train an intern on Monday and will otherwise rely on the kindness of volunteers.

Books on B will officially open Saturday  from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. On Friday, a music- and cake-filled ribbon cutting featured remarks from Hayward Mayor Barbara Halliday and Assemblyman Bill Quirk, D-Hayward, and Hayward Poet Laureate Bruce Roberts read a poem  all in celebration of Hayward getting back a bookstore.

John McMurtrie is The San Francisco Chronicles books editor. Email: jmcmurtrie@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @McMurtrieSF
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Levi Strauss & Co. is probably no ones idea of a leader in e-commerce.

But in one stroke, the San Francisco apparel maker might have overtaken its peers.

That might not be saying too much, because clothing chains, including hometown rival Gap Inc., have been notoriously conservative  and inept  at selling merchandise over the Internet. But in Levis case, the latest effort is impressive at least for its scope and ambition.

Like Apple, the company didnt create technology so much as integrate a bunch of new technologies into one service, which it premiered last month on its website, mobile site and Facebook Messenger. Dubbed rather modestly Virtual Stylist, the service incorporates artificial intelligence, natural language processing, social media scraping and, most notably, a way to compare the sizes of Levis jeans and pants with those of other brands.

The total effect is an online experience that comes the closest Ive seen thus far to re-creating a trip to a physical store.

The goal is to really transform the e-commerce and make Levi relevant to that next generation of consumers, because we know thats the future where consumers are shopping, Executive Vice President Marc Rosen, whos leading the companys digital efforts, recently told me.

Like all apparel companies, Levis had been trying to figure out how to boost online sales as fewer people visit brick-and-mortar stores. The company operates about 700 stores, but more than 70 percent of its annual revenue comes from wholesale distribution to other retailers like department stores. In fact, Levis top 10 wholesale customers accounted for 30 percent, or $1.37 billion, of its total revenue in 2016.

But department stores, including Macys and J.C. Penney, have been struggling to grow sales, which makes it difficult in turn for Levis to grow sales. Last year, Levis said annual revenue increased just 1.3 percent after falling 5.5 percent in 2015.

Rosen, who previously worked on e-commerce at Walmart, joined Levis in 2014. He immediately set out to enhance the basic infrastructure for Levis digital operations, including warehousing and online fulfillment.

But he didnt want Levis just to catch up with everyone else.

If we just (copied competitors), were still going to be behind technology trends, Rosen said. Weve got to be driving innovation as well ... not just in designing products but also how we bring products to life for consumers.

As we got that foundation in place, we got a little bit of breathing room, he said. We started to think how are we going to differentiate, what is really going to matter to consumers. And the biggest challenge for a consumer is that its very hard to buy jeans online.

Selling apparel over the Internet has long vexed retailers, more so than any other category, like food or furniture.

In a physical store, consumers can try on clothing in a dressing room. When they order online, they often find the shirts and pants they bought are either too big or too small, regardless of the brand.

In terms of fit, there is no standardization within the industry, said Roseanne Morrison, fashion director at the Doneger Group retail and fashion consultancy in New York. Designer brands cut differently, and sizing is extremely varied.

According to some industry estimates, 20 to 30 percent of all clothing purchased over the Internet goes back to the retailer.

Its becoming a real big problem, said Brian Kilcourse, managing director of RSR Research consulting firm. Its just a really bad deal for both consumers and retailers.

Consumers have to take the time and effort to send the clothing back. And during that period, retailers have less inventory to sell to other shoppers, Kilcourse said.

The cost to handle each return order  including repackaging, shipping and restocking  ranges from $3 to $12 per order, according to some estimates.

Another problem with buying clothes online is assembling outfits. Unlike a website, a physical store offers consumers an easy way to mix and match apparel and accessories.

The bottom line is that retailers are now beginning to confront one of e-commerce retailings basic issues: Its less profitable than brick-and-mortar, according to a report by Kurt Salmon retail consulting firm in New York.

When online sales made up only a single-digit percentage of a retailers total sales, this issue was easier to ignore, the report said. But as e-commerce sales only continue to grow, retailers will have to confront these issues.

Thats what Levis is doing with Virtual Stylist.

Using bots, the tool starts asking consumers questions like How would you like your jeans to fit through your hips and thighs? to explore shoppers preferences on leg shape, rise and stretch.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

A database technology called True Fit allows consumers to compare how a specific size of jeans made by other manufacturers like Lucky or Wrangler translates into Levis sizes. For example, a size 31 Lucky jeans might actually mean a size 33 for Levis.

When that happens in a store, they send you to the fitting room with three or four pairs of jeans, Rosen said. How do we take that best experience and replicate that for the consumer online. We know there are all these emerging technologies retailers havent put together yet.

To help consumers create outfits, Virtual Stylist can search social media sites like Twitter or Pinterest for images with people wearing the same piece of Levis clothing. Consumers can also set up conversation groups on Facebook to solicit advice from friends.

The company did not respond to a follow-up request for comment on the value of sales the Virtual Stylist has helped close since it was introduced about a month ago.

Levis is also working on ways for store employees to retrieve the work consumers store on Virtual Stylist.

Retailers that help make shopping more pleasant will win over consumers. Thats why apparel chains are investing considerable money in remodeling dressing rooms and adding high-tech mirrors.

The stores that have improved the experience in the fitting room, from attentive sales persons to luxury rooms with three-way mirrors and refreshments, (do) wonders to the satisfaction in the sale of merchandise, eliminating the need for returns, said Morrison of the Doneger Group. The more satisfied the consumer is within the confines of the retail environment, the more likely they are to return.

Levis Virtual Stylist cant offer drinks and snacks to consumers. But the company hopes that the technology can at least give customers a taste of a better way to buy clothes over the Internet.

Thomas Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. He is author of Rebuilding Empires (St. Martins Press), his book on the future of big box retail in the digital age. Email: tlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByTomLee
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Microsoft purchased 65 acres of largely undeveloped land in San Jose, snapping up one of the few remaining former orchards in Silicon Valley and adding to the citys growing list of large tech offices.

The Redmond, Wash., company spent roughly $73 million on the property, located north of Highway 237 between Zanker Road and Coyote Creek, which has been slated for light industrial development. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said he expected it to be used as a data center.

Nanci Klein, assistant director of San Joses Office of Economic Development, said it can be difficult to find a piece of land in the Bay Area as large as this property.

Microsoft recognized the opportunity and went for it, she said.

A pear orchard was previously on the land, which was also used in the past for farming.

Christian Belady, a general manager for Microsoft Cloud Infrastructure and Operations, said in a statement that the company sees the San Jose property as an opportunity to meet the needs of a future based on cloud computing and Internet services.

The company has a corporate presence in other parts of the Bay Area, including offices in San Francisco and Mountain View. In Mountain View, Microsoft employs 1,668 people, city spokeswoman Shonda Ranson said.

Microsoft has not said how many jobs it will bring to San Jose with its new development. In general, a data center could generate a couple of hundred jobs, Klein said.

The parcel of San Jose land is near Coyote Creek, where its possible to see hundreds of resident or migratory species of birds. Local environmentalists will be watching how the development proceeds.

We hope they take care of nature, said Shani Kleinhaus of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society.

Microsoft joins other tech companies that have recently expressed interest in expanding to San Jose, where the cost of living is cheaper than in San Francisco. Google is in negotiations with the city over 22 largely undeveloped acres of land near Diridon Station, which could bring thousands of jobs to the area. Last year, Apple received a green light from the city to develop up to 4.15 million square feet of office space over 15 years in North San Jose.

Liccardo said employers are recognizing that there is a critical mass of tech talent in his city. Employers around the region are also dealing with a shortage of housing and intense traffic.

While we have many great suburban towns nearby, there are companies that are bumping their heads on the ceilings of those towns, Liccardo said. They are looking for a big city that provides them with the capacity to grow, and San Jose is that big city.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee
Almost all teachers and other employees in California public schools and community colleges would get six weeks of fully paid maternity leave starting next year under a bill that is awaiting Gov. Jerry Browns approval.

Proponents say AB568 would help schools attract and retain staff at a time when many are facing teacher shortages. The bill will help keep valued school employees in the workforce after having children, and will end the current discriminatory practice that forces only female employees to utilize their (sick) leave balances to bear children, a coalition of school employee groups and unions said in a letter to Brown.

Opponents say the new benefit would reduce funds available for other school needs because the state would not provide any money to pay for it. They also say it will add complexity to an already complicated set of employee-leave programs. Based on my reporting, that latter might be an understatement.

It seems it might be simpler to require school districts and their employees to join in the California Disability Insurance Program.

This program provides partial pay when employees take time off for illness or pregnancy, or to care for a sick family member or newborn. This program is funded entirely by employees, through payroll deduction. Most private-sector employees must participate in the program. School districts can participate, but most dont.

School employees, however, are covered by other leave and benefit laws. It gets complicated because some provide job-protected time off without pay and others provide partial pay  but their timelines are not the same.

In California, employers with five or more employees must give mothers unpaid time off when they cant work because they are pregnant or recovering from childbirth. This is called Pregnancy Disability Leave. It could last up to 17.3 weeks (about four months) if the mother is disabled that long. For normal pregnancies, most health care providers will certify a leave up to four weeks before birth and six weeks after (or eight weeks after a Cesarean section).

In addition, under the California Family Rights Act, most employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a newborn, newly adopted or newly placed foster child within the first year of the childs birth or placement. This is often called baby bonding leave. New moms often take this after their pregnancy disability leave ends. It doesnt have to be taken all at once, and both parents can take it.

Under current law, school employees who dont participate in the state disability program and want to get paid during pregnancy disability and baby bonding leave must use their accumulated paid sick leave. Teachers generally get 10 days annually and can carry unused days over from year to year.

Once they have exhausted their paid sick leave, they are entitled to differential pay. This is the difference between their normal salary and what the school pays a substitute, although some districts have agreed to pay differential pay at 50 percent of the employees salary.

School employees can get differential pay for illness and injury, including pregnancy disability, for up to five months per year. Under recent state legislation, they can also get differential pay for up to 12 weeks of baby bonding leave. In both cases, they must exhaust their sick leave before getting differential pay.

Suppose a teacher has accumulated five weeks of sick leave. She and her doctor determine she needs four weeks before and six weeks after childbirth or 10 weeks total.

Today, if she wants to get paid, she must use her sick leave. After her five weeks are used up, she can begin collecting differential pay for the remaining five weeks of her disability and up to 12 weeks of baby bonding leave.

If her school allows her to take any additional time off (many do), it will be without pay.

Under AB568, the teacher would get six weeks of fully paid pregnancy disability leave before touching her accumulated sick leave. After that, if she wanted to get differential pay, she would first have to exhaust her five weeks of accumulated sick leave. She could then switch to differential pay for the remainder of her pregnancy disability and baby bonding leaves.

Diana Garcia Clavero, who teaches third grade in Half Moon Bay, would like to have a child but has been holding off because of the high cost of living here. Time is running out for me. Im not a spring chicken any more, said Clavero, who is almost 38. Getting six weeks of paid sick leave would most definitely tip the balance for me, she said.

Whats not entirely clear is whether the bill, by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, D-San Diego, would give employees protected time off beyond what is required today.

Evan McLaughlin, Fletchers chief of staff, said it would not. He said the bill is intended to provide six weeks of pay during the employees existing pregnancy disability leave, not add any time to it. This is just a wage replacement program, he said. This is not supplemental protected leave.

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But others say the way its worded, it would add at least six weeks to an employees pregnancy disability leave. Instead of getting up to 17.3 weeks, a woman would get at least 23.3 weeks, if she needs that long.

We are interpreting AB 568 to require six weeks of paid leave in addition to the protected leaves currently available under various laws and benefit programs, a group of school districts and groups representing them said in a letter asking Brown to veto the bill.

Jacob Rukeyser, an attorney for the California Teachers Association, said the bill could extend the duration of a leave in a catastrophic case where a woman is having a very difficult pregnancy or childbirth and needed a lot of time off. In that case, the extra six weeks would be tacked onto pregnancy disability leave, he said.

H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the California Department of Finance, said the bill would provide at least six weeks of protected pregnancy disability leave beyond whats now available. The first six weeks would be fully paid, the rest at the differential rate after the employee exhausted her paid sick leave, he said.

The finance department estimated that if 1 percent of school and community college employees took six weeks of leave at full pay, it would cost the states schools $43 million to $163 million per year.

The department opposed the bill, in part because mandating employee benefits such as maternity leave through legislation sets a precedent for other represented government employee groups to lobby for paid maternity and paternity leave.

If Brown signs the bill, it would take effect Jan. 1. Teachers who are already on pregnancy disability leave at that time could benefit, said Sandra Woliver, an attorney with Dannis Woliver Kelley who represents school districts. For example, if a doctor prescribed six weeks of pregnancy disability leave, and the employee had already taken four weeks at the end of this year, she would have two weeks of fully paid leave starting Jan. 1.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
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TORONTO  In 1971, just as Liam Neeson enrolled in college, newspaper stories began to appear about troubles in the Nixon administration. Neeson read them only peripherally. As a Roman Catholic living in Belfast, he was consumed by The Troubles closer to home over the constitutional status of Northern Ireland.

A physics and computer science major at the time, Neeson couldnt possibly fathom that 45 years later he would be cast in a movie as the government mole most responsible for the collapse of the White House.

The Washington Post  the newspaper to which his character secretly leaked damning classified information about President Nixons Watergate cover-up  dubbed the mole Deep Throat. This was the way he continued to be known until 2005 when Mark Felt, a top FBI official living in retirement in suburban Santa Rosa, came forward and said, Im the guy they called Deep Throat.

Offered the role, I was just very intrigued but I wasnt 100 percent convinced I was the right person. I could think of three or four actors who are perhaps more suitable, Neeson said at the premiere of Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House.

Yet watching 65-year-old Neeson, it is hard to imagine anyone else in this role. He brings to it the commanding bearing and moral certitude portrayed in his most memorable parts: the German industrialist who saved 200 Jews during World War II in Schindlers List; the fiery Irish revolutionary in Michael Collins; and the retired CIA operative tracking down his kidnapped daughter in Taken.

Neeson described watching many hours of Felts TV interviews to prepare to play him.

There was a program like Meet the Press where it was Mark and three heavy-hitting journalists. Knowing what we know now, it was amazing to see him lying in the most incredible way and absolutely effortlessly. One of the interviewers asked him to respond to a rumor he was Deep Throat. The ease with which he dismissed it as ridiculous was stunning.

Great attention was paid to emulating the G-Mans appearance, including his shock of lush white hair (which remained until his death at 95 in 2008), immaculate suits and very good shoes.

That was his suit of armor, Neeson said.

Felt was a leaker before the word became part of the political lexicon. With the passage of time, his motivation for spilling the beans  as Neeson quaintly calls it  has been endlessly diagnosed and dissected.

When we started the research, I wanted to think of him as an absolutely clean hero who saw where this murky trail was leading and decided to stand up for the FBI and to stand up for democracy. But like all of us, the actor soon realized, Mark was made of shades of gray.

It is now widely believed that part of his reason for providing critical information about the political scandal to Post reporter Bob Woodward was his anger at being passed over as head of the FBI upon J. Edgar Hoovers death. Overlooking Felt, who held the bureaus second-highest-ranking post, President Nixon appointed outsider Patrick Gray. Neeson said he believes this slight was coupled in Felts mind with the White House pushing the CIA to interfere with the FBIs intensifying investigation into Watergate and the cover-up.

I think Mark made a decision to defend the FBI. I think he knew that there was corruption at the highest level, Neeson said.

Peter Landesman, who directed and wrote the script based on Felts book, said he became convinced it was a good story because if someone that anonymous could take down a presidency  that makes it mythology.

If Deep Throat had turned out to be somebody like Al Haig, Nixons high-profile chief of staff, then we would have had a movie about a celebrity, Landesman said.

During his research, Neeson learned of all the positive things President Nixon had done, including his trip to China and a nuclear arms deal with the Soviets.

He was destined for greatness, but then he thought he was above the law. It was his Shakespearean flaw.

Ruthe Stein is the San Francisco Chronicles Movie Correspondent.

Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (PG-13) opens Friday, Oct. 6, in Bay Area theaters.
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The films, plays and public broadcasts California now funds to enlighten students and the public about the horrors of Japanese American internment camps in World War II will soon be expanded to illuminate more recent examples of persecution  including the Muslim immigrants targeted by President Trump.

The legislation signed this week by Gov. Jerry Brown is just one example of actions by Californias Democratic lawmakers and policymakers to distance themselves from Trump. Some are mostly symbolic, like resolutions calling for congressional investigation and censure of the president, while others chart an independent course for the state in protecting undocumented immigrants and combatting climate change.

AB491, which takes effect in January, provides $3 million over the next three years for educational projects that link the mass lockup of Japanese Americans to ongoing civil liberties injustices against racial, religious or sexual minorities or immigrants.

As latter-day examples of President Franklin D. Roosevelts 1942 internment order, the legislation cites Trumps orders prohibiting U.S. entry of anyone from selected countries with mostly Muslim populations, and his campaign promise to ban Muslim immigration.

It ties the World War II Japanese incarceration experience to what we see happening today, said the bills author, Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County).

The bill itself declares that Trumps actions highlight the ongoing need for public educational activities so that no group or community is ever again unjustly targeted as Japanese Americans were during World War II.

The Legislature passed AB491 before the latest revision to Trumps travel ban with the additions of North Korea, Chad and government officials in Venezuela, prompting the Supreme Court to cancel a scheduled Oct. 10 hearing on the constitutionality of his previous order.

But the bill is only the most recent in a series of legislative swats by Californias majority Democrats against the Republican president.

In early September, the Assembly passed a Democratic-sponsored resolution, HR57, calling on Congress to censure Trump for his blame-both-sides response last month to the violent white-supremacist march in Charlottesville, Va., which, the resolution said, showed he was unfit to be a moral leader. In addition to the Assemblys full slate of Democrats, the measure had the support of two Republicans, Catharine Baker of San Ramon and Brian Maienschein of San Diego.

In March, the state Senate passed another resolution, SR23, along party lines, calling for a bipartisan commission to investigate connections between Trumps campaign or administration and the Russian government. It also demanded that Trump shed light on any conflicts of interest he might have by releasing his tax returns.

More substantively, legislation on Browns desk, SB149 by Sen. Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, would bar presidential candidates from having their names on the California ballot unless they released five years of tax returns.

On a more far-reaching issue, Attorney General Jeff Sessions threat to punish California as a sanctuary state for unauthorized immigrants drew a defiant response from state legislators, who passed measures further restricting local police from cooperating with federal immigration agents, prohibiting landlords from reporting tenants to immigration officers, and barring immigration officers from entering workplaces without a warrant. Those bills also await action from Brown.

State lawmakers have also approved $30 million in legal and financial aid to immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, whose protection from deportation Trump has proposed to eliminate. They have voted to ban contracts with the federal government to hold inmates in local jails or private prisons. And for good measure, they voted to name part of a state highway in Los Angeles County after former President Barack Obama.

When the Trump administration is infringing on the rights of Californians, were not going to be afraid to challenge that, whether thats through legislation or, as the attorney general (Xavier Becerra) is doing, through the courts, said Kevin Liao, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount (Los Angeles County).

Becerra has filed arguments supporting the challenge to Trumps travel ban and has also sued the administration over air quality, immigration and the proposed border wall with Mexico.

Brown, meanwhile, has responded to Trumps withdrawal from the Paris climate accord by convening his own international summit on global warming, in San Francisco next September, and promoting a worldwide alliance of government leaders committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The bill he signed Tuesday, AB491, expands an educational program that began in 1998 under legislation sponsored by then-Assemblyman Mike Honda, who was a year old in 1942 when he and his family were sent to one of the internment camps that held 120,000 Japanese Americans captive during the war.

Following a U.S. government apology and compensation payments to the internees under President Ronald Reagan, the California program offered grants from the state librarians office to community groups and nonprofits for presentations on the internment, the fears that gave rise to it and the civil liberties it violated.

The most recent grant recipients included producers of films, plays and museum exhibits on the internment, many of them designed for student audiences. A Los Angeles musical organization trained young students to perform in an opera, set in one of the camps. In San Francisco, the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, named for the Bay Area man who challenged Roosevelts internment order, had a state-funded media project on the impacts in California, where the largest number of internees lived.

AB491 will award funds to educational programs that draw connections between the internment and current threats to civil rights. The reference to Trump and Muslim immigrants  which drew some Republican opposition when it was added in a state Senate amendment  would allow, but not require, the librarians office to fund projects that compared the presidents current agenda to the abuses 75 years ago.

Its not a far-fetched comparison, said Muratsuchi, the bills author. He noted that the children of Korematsu and of others who challenged the internment had recently signed onto legal arguments opposing Trumps travel ban.

The idea, he said, is to make sure that the lessons of the World War II Japanese American experience are remembered, and also applied and understood in the present context, whether were dealing with Muslim Americans or any other group that is being scapegoated.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Melody Gutierrez contributed

to this report.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@egelko
A woman climbing a particularly difficult route up Cathedral Spire in Yosemite National Park suffered moderate injuries on Friday when she fell 30 feet and was taken to a local hospital, a park spokesman said.

The injured climbers name was not released. She had been tackling the 600-foot Braille Book route, which is considered tough on climb-rating sites.
Puerto Rico was ravaged by Hurricane Maria last week, but the aftermath has been even worse. The island  a U.S. territory, populated by U.S. citizens  is suffering from a full-on humanitarian crisis. Water, food and fuel are scarce throughout the island. People are dying.

Part of the reason for the crisis is that President Trump refused to waive the Jones Act, a century-old shipping law requiring goods shipped in the U.S. to be carried by vessels operated by Americans, for days after the hurricane. While Puerto Ricans suffered, Trump was busy tweeting about the NFL.

The White House completely mismanaged its response, and the result is catastrophic. But this is only the latest story in a long saga of Puerto Rican neglect. The islands status as a U.S. territory means its people cant vote in U.S. presidential elections. This has deprived them of the democratic process and left them at the mercy of Washington politicians who dont have to face them as voters. Now the whole world can see the tragic result.

Caille Millner, editorial writer
A video captured by a man in California will send chills down your spine. The video shows a terrifying weather phenomenon known as gustnado which can reach wind speeds between 95 to 130 kmph.

By India Today Web Desk: A California man caught a massive cloud of dust on camera.

Brent Rose who was on his way to meet some friends was driving in the evening when he noticed winds were picking up.

"There was a lot of dust in the air. When I turned around to head in a different direction, this crazy whiteout dust storm just came out of nowhere," he told The Weather Network.

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"Suddenly everything was gone."

The frightening weather phenomenon called gustnado was caught on camera.

Brent failed to see either side of the road. In addition to the strong winds, rain helped to turn the dust into mud, according to Rose.

The entire event lasted about 20 minutes.

Watch: Man captures gustnado

A 'gustnado' nearly drove one man off the road as he travelled down a California highway, causing whiteout conditions and damaging his van. pic.twitter.com/lqIadKsIWJ- The Weather Network (@weathernetwork) September 29, 2017

GUSTNADO

A gustnado is a short-lived, ground-based swirling wind that can form on the leading edge of a severe thunderstorm.

The name comes from "gust front of a tornado".

The weather phenomenon almost looks like a tornado. It is not considered to be one. A gustnado develops in a different way than a classic tornado does.

Very strong thunderstorms produce a powerful downward push of air called a downdraft. The downdraft winds then spread outward upon hitting the ground, causing a strong rush of wind at the surface.

Gustnado may be accompanied by rain, but mostly just tosses dust and small debris into the air.

Gustnadoes can sometimes reach wind speeds between 95 to 130 kmph, resulting in significant damages.

--- ENDS ---
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That the photographer Walker Evans was one of the most important American artists of the 20th century is beyond dispute. His influence, starting in the 1930s, has been inestimable, not only on his primary medium and other visual art, but on fields from journalism to geography. His pictures helped to shape the way we remember our past; how we see and describe our world today; and what we value in our environment, both material and social.

You might not get all that, though, from the ponderously thorough Evans retrospective that opens at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art on Saturday, Sept. 30, and is on view through Feb. 4. It is the debut exhibition effort of Clement Cheroux, the museums new senior curator of photography. He organized it for his former employer, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, where it showed before traveling here.

What one hopes for, with such historically significant material as has been gathered here, is a charge of some sort  a thrilling experience of discovery, a visual rush, a recognition of original thought or true feeling. Evans certainly found those things in his work, and all of us who have grown to love that work have shared his delight.

We have seen it in a single moment, as when we first came upon Penny Picture Display, Savannah, a picture he made in 1936. It depicts a window and, through the glass, pressed against it, 15 grids of 15 portrait head shots  225 sub-images in all. Reverse-painted lettering on the window glass boldly announces the site: STUDIO.

We might call it a humble image. Yet, is there a poem that better evokes the core generosity of human beings, their open desire to be admired and to project their loveliest selves? A history of the Depression-era South more concise in its tale of white codependency in its cultural addiction to privilege? A treatise on the social history of art more accurate in describing our need to picture ourselves?

We have delighted, too, in the epic compass of the artists larger projects  his photographs of the rural poor for the Farm Security Administration, for example, or his seminally influential 1938 book Walker Evans: American Photographs.

Evans most loved two things about photography: its omnivorous hunger for detail and its fundamental democracy.

That comes through in this exhibition loud and clear: It is a massive effort, with something like 400 objects displayed. And that is its greatest flaw.

The great pictures are all here in impeccable versions. The prints, whether vintage in provenance or precise in technique (rarely both  Evans honed his understanding of darkroom craft over time), are as close as we will find to the artists original vision. The show has a relaxed but credible (if not new) point of view: That a vernacular cultural language  from rough-hewn shacks and architecture of tarnished splendor, to hand-painted signs  required a corresponding artistic idiom drawn upon popular postcards, homely snapshots and pictures from corner-store photo parlors.

But for all the show and its lavish, 320-page catalog make of the Walker Evans eye, what is missing here is an equivalent curatorial authority. An exhibition cant cover an artists every project, theme and influence without burying the art under an avalanche of information. That we have endured such a landslide, unfortunately, is the sense with which we finish the march through SFMOMAs far-flung photography galleries, every one of which is devoted to the Evans show.

Evans was a collector, which the show abundantly makes clear by including many postcards, signs and the like from the Evans archive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. That is also the way he photographed, making multiple images of the same subject, returning repeatedly to small-town Main Streets, roadside stores and churches, anonymous faces on streets and subways. He was less devoted to the singular exemplar than to the comprehensive array.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The exhibition takes much the same approach. Why show four examples from a series, it implicitly asks, when you can find room for 24?

Though they share a common scholarly ancestry, however, the archivists role is the opposite of that of todays curator. The first amasses, the latter selects.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1

Walker Evans: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays-Tuesdays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays. Saturday, Sept. 30-Feb. 4. $19-$25; ages 18 and younger free. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., S.F. (415) 357-4000. www.sfmoma.org
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The number of sea otters swimming off the California coast this year dwindled by 86 from last year, a 3 percent decline in the animals population, according to a census released by federal sea otter nose counters.

Hungry sharks, skimpy kelp cover, algae blooms and disease are combining to keep the otters from staging a comeback to population numbers before fur traders practically drove them to extinction in the 19th century.

According to data released Friday by the U.S. Geological Survey, there were 3,186 southern sea otters paddling the Pacific off California. Researchers pay particular attention to how sea otters are doing because they are considered a keystone species that reflect the overall health of an ecosystem.

The lower mainland count this year could be due to poorer counting conditions and very sparse kelp canopies, said ecologist Tim Tinker, who leads the surveys sea otter program. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that increased mortality also played a role.

Sharks have been killing off sea otters in large numbers for a decade, the biologists said. Also, the sea otter baby boom of past years, fueled by a bumper crop of tasty sea urchins, seems to be slowing.

Biologists have been counting southern sea otters for four decades. They said it would take an additional 5,000 sea otters for them to reach an optimum sustainable population level.

If there was good news from the kelp bed, it was that the otter population continued  just barely  to remain on track to lose its endangered species status. If there are at least 3,090 sea otters in next years census, the sea otter might be removed from the federal blacklist.

One area where sea otters seem to be thriving is San Nicolas Island off the Ventura County coast, where their numbers have been growing by 10 percent every year for a decade.

Conservation efforts helped the otter population rebound from a low of 50 animals in the 1930s, scientists said.

That growth has been encouraging, said Lilian Carswell, federal sea otter recovery coordinator, who said she hoped to see the otters venture into new territory that she called essential for the long-term resilience of the animal.

The census takers did their otter counting using telescopes mounted along the shore and through low-flying airplanes.

At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, scientists said the animals need to move into their old stomping grounds in order to fully recover.

What we really want to see is the population reinhabiting areas of its historical range, said Andrew Johnson, the aquariums sea otter research and conservation manager. Weve seen how positively coastal ecosystems respond to the presence of sea otters  from the return of thriving kelp beds along the rocky coast, to renewed productivity of wetlands like Elkhorn Slough. We know that many other areas along the California coast would benefit significantly from the sea otters return.

Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
WASHINGTON  President Trump said Friday that he has held four meetings to discuss who should lead the Federal Reserve starting early next year and expects to decide within two or three weeks.

Trump made the disclosure in comments to reporters on the White House lawn. He did not name the candidates he has met with. But a White House official said the president and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met Thursday with Kevin Warsh, a former Fed board member.

The Wall Street Journal reported that they also met with Jerome Powell, the only Republican on the Fed board.

The White House official who discussed Trumps meeting with Warsh spoke on condition of anonymity.

Trump has said previously that he is considering re-nominating Chairwoman Janet Yellen when her term ends in February. But he has said he is also looking at other candidates, including Gary Cohn, the head of the presidents National Economic Council.

Warsh, who served on the board from 2006 to 2011, was a key adviser to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke during the 2008 financial crisis.

Warsh was 35 when he was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve on the board in January 2010. He is a distinguished visiting fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Trump said this month that he liked and respected Yellen but had not yet decided on the Fed job. He had been critical during the campaign of Yellens performance but has made only favorable comments about her since the election.

Trump has also mentioned Cohn as a candidate for the Fed job. But Cohns prospects appeared to dim after he was publicly critical in August of Trumps response to the protest violence in Charlottesville, Va.

Yellen, asked last week whether she had met with Trump recently, said she had not done so since a brief discussion the two had after Trump took office. Yellen has repeatedly said she plans to serve out her current term but has declined to say whether she would accept another four-year term if asked to so do by Trump.

It is possible that Trumps four meetings were with Yellen, Cohn, Warsh and Powell, though Trump did not provide names.

One other person who has been mentioned for the top Fed job is John Taylor, a Stanford University economist and a favorite of conservatives for his support for a rules-based approach to setting interest-rate policies.

There are three vacancies on the Fed board, and there will be a fourth when Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer steps down in October. Trump has moved to fill only one of the vacancies, nominating Randal Quarles to be vice chairman for bank supervision. That nomination is pending before the Senate.

Martin Crutsinger is an Associated Press writer.
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Jury selection is set to begin Monday in the San Francisco murder case that sparked a national uproar over immigration policies and sanctuary cities.

The Superior Court has summoned at least 1,000 potential jurors for the case, seeking to impanel a group of people who will decide the fate of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, a Mexican citizen who was wanted for deportation by federal agents before he was accused of shooting and killing 32-year-old Kate Steinle on Pier 14 on July 1, 2015.

According to the public defenders office, which is representing the 54-year-old defendant, thats significantly more potential jurors than are summoned to a typical trial in San Francisco.

But the case, which raised questions about San Franciscos sanctuary policies and became a lightning rod for the anti-immigrant rhetoric that helped launch President Trump into the White House, is far from typical. And experts say picking a jury wont be easy.

In this case, there are going to be a lot of questions asked of jurors, not just of their knowledge of the case but generally their feelings on immigration, immigrants and undocumented people, said Rory Little, a former federal prosecutor who is a professor of law at UC Hastings. You are trying to find people who will not bring a preconceived bias into the courtroom.

The case that must be decided in court isnt about immigration, but what happened on Pier 14.

Steinle was strolling along the citys Embarcadero with her arm around her father when a bullet pierced her back. Police arrested Zarate, who previously went by the name Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez, and he admitted to handling the gun that fired the round.

The gun had been stolen from a U.S. Bureau of Land Management rangers car four days earlier in the city, and Zarate, who was homeless, said he found the weapon wrapped in a T-shirt under a bench, according to his attorneys. The burglary remains unsolved.

The attorneys say the shooting was an accident, with the bullet ricocheting off the ground before striking Steinle, but prosecutors say he committed murder because he either aimed the gun at Steinle or recklessly fired the weapon in a crowded area.

Zarate had been on track for a sixth deportation after serving 46 months in prison for felony re-entry into the country. But, under the citys sanctuary policies, he was released from the San Francisco jail 2 months before the shooting rather than being turned over to immigration agents.

The case sparked a push against the policies that enabled his release, and San Francisco has fought back, saying sanctuary laws benefit public safety by ensuring that immigrants feel comfortable working with authorities, including as witnesses to crimes.

The House of Representatives passed Kates Law in June, legislation that would significantly boost punishment for people who repeatedly enter the U.S. illegally.

Little said San Franciscos liberal reputation wont make jury selection any easier.

I think there are plenty of people in San Francisco who harbor biases in all directions, but the harder part is trying to get people to admit to this, Little said. The challenge for the lawyers here is to ask questions that are indirect that will give them enough information so they can make the best guess as to who is harboring what  questions like what your favorite television show is, or if you ever had a housekeeper who was undocumented. Theres a lot of sensitivity here.

In an odd twist, one of Zarates attorneys, Francisco Ugarte, was summoned for jury duty Monday. He said he is unsure whether he is being called for his own case, but if he is, he will claim a conflict.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
A San Francisco Superior Court judge overreached by remanding a mentally ill defendant into custody after he asked for a Spanish interpreter  and then trying to hold the mans public defender in contempt of court when he questioned the decision, Public Defender Jeff Adachi said Friday.

Judge Ross Moody should be removed from the bench not just for his actions at the Sept. 14 hearing, Adachi said, but for other unethical and retaliatory instances that attorneys with the public defenders office have experienced in his courtroom.

This is truly a case where a judge not only is abusing his power, but hes jailing people who appear before him without any legal reason, Adachi said. This constitutes judicial misconduct.

Moody currently oversees the misdemeanor courtroom. Ann Donlan, a spokeswoman for the courts, said that Presiding Judge Teri L. Jackson has not received any complaints about Judge Moody and she continues to have full faith and confidence in him.

Adachi represented Deputy Public Defender John Paul Passaglia at Fridays hearing, where he asked Moody to retract the contempt charge. According to court records, Passaglia was representing Michael Banayos, a 55-year-old Filipino man, who was pleading no contest to one count of petty theft at the Sept. 14 hearing.

The court provided Banayos with a Tagalog interpreter, but Banayos became confused. According to court transcripts, Moody asked Banayos to calm down.

Mr. Banayos, I understand that you speak some English, Moody said.

Yeah, Banayos responded.

But the file says that you need a Tagalog interpreter for these matters, Moody continued.

I need Spanish interpreter, Banayos said.

All right, Moody said. Youre this close to either finishing this plea or going into that holding cell. Do you understand?

Banayos expressed more confusion, and Passaglia asked to pass the matter. The court paused the proceedings briefly before returning to continue where they left off.

Abruptly after Moody advised Banayos that his no-contest plea could result in deportation if he isnt an American citizen  a routine piece of plea hearings  the judge instructed deputies to take him into custody, where he remained Friday.

Passaglia objected and tried to put his arm around Banayos. The deputy and Moody instructed him to move away, and later, Moody berated him for interfering.

I have a duty to protect my client in a situation with extreme mental health ... and to put someone in a bind to say, You either understand what Im saying or go to jail is improper, Passaglia said.

Passaglia was served with an order of contempt of court only after the public defenders office filed a writ demanding a reason for Banayos detention. According to Adachi, after the court clerk presented Passaglia with the order, Passaglia saw the clerk and Moody share a fist bump.

Seven witnesses to the Sept. 14 hearing provided declarations, including Deputy Public Defender Anisa Sirur, who said two days before the hearing, Moody threatened to remand her client into custody when her client declined to waive his right to a speedy trial.

Just before Fridays hearing, Moody humiliated Sirur in his courtroom by questioning if she was a lawyer and asking to see her bar card, Adachi said. He did this after he received her declaration for the Sept. 14 hearing.

Moody declined to make a ruling Friday on the contempt charge or on the custody matter for Banayos.

We have a judge who is out of control, Adachi said. This is really one of the most egregious cases of judicial misconduct that I have ever seen.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) People across the country celebrated Dussehra with traditional fervour today as two Cabinet ministers joined the troops in the festivities, but the mood was sombre in Mumbai which mourned the death of 23 people in a railway station stampede.

Arrows were fired to set the effigies of Ravana ablaze at the Parade Ground in Delhi at an event attended by President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

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Speaking at the event, Modi urged the people to take a pledge to contribute to the process of nation-building.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi attended another event organised by the Nav Shri Dharmik Lila Committee.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman celebrated Dussehra with the troops in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir respectively.

Accompanied by his wife, Singh interacted with the members of 1st battalion of the ITBP deployed in Rimkhim near Barahoti, which has been witness to alleged transgressions by the Chinese Army in the past.

Singh also took part in a weapon worship ritual performed at the ITBP camp to glorify the spirit of valour.

Sitharaman met with the troops at Siachen and other forward locations in the Ladakh region and assured them of the governments commitment of support in all circumstances.

She was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D Anbu and GoC 14 Corps Lt Gen S K Upadhyay.

But, unlike every year, Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus was not illuminated as the railway employees joined the city in mourning the Elphinstone Road station tragedy which killed 23 and injured scores yesterday.

"It is a call taken by railway employees and officers on their own not to celebrate the festival owing to the tragic incident," said Sunil Udasi, Chief spokesperson for the Central Railway.

Kerala celebrated the festival in a unique way introducing thousands of tiny tots to the world of letters with kids and their parents gathering at temples, schools and cultural centres across the state in large numbers.

Arrangements were made for the ezhuthiniruthu-- the initiation ceremony. Vijayadasami is observed as the day of Vidyarambham, the beginning of learning, in the state.

Nearly two lakh devotees took part in the chariot procession of Lord Venkateswara near Tirupati, amid chanting of vedic hymns.

In Punjab and Haryana, effigies of demon king Ravana went up in flames marking the triumph of good over evil.

A 210-feet tall Ravana effigy, built with an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh, was put up at Mela ground at Barara in Haryanas Ambala district.

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Meanwhile, in Kolkata, with most of the household Durga idols set for immersion, the police and civic authorities have made elaborate security arrangements for peaceful processions.

Immersion will continue on all days from today, including on Muharram day tomorrow, till October 3.

Senior officers of the Kolkata Police will be conducting special vigil from watchtowers constructed near the ghats.

"CCTV cameras and drones will be used at certain ghats to keep a tab on the immersion process. Our officers will also be there in plain clothes," a senior police officer told PTI.

Around 3,500 community pujas were held in the city this year, while over thousands more are observed in the suburban towns and villages across West Bengal.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad organised an astra puja (weapon worship) ceremony at more than 300 places in the state as part of the celebration.

"Today, in order to unite the Hindus and protect them against anti-national elements, we have organized astra puja at more than 300 places of the state," VHP state secretary Sachindranath Singha told PTI. PTI TEAM TIR

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Herbert Kalmbach, President Richard Nixons personal attorney and a conduit for hush money from the 1972 presidential campaign to the Watergate burglars, died Sept. 15 in Newport Beach (Orange County). He was 95.

His death, which was not widely reported at the time, was announced by his children Friday in a paid death notice in the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Kalmbach was briefly imprisoned and temporarily lost his law license for illegally raising vast bundles of cash, much of it furtively exacted from corporations and individuals.

He oversaw a secret $500,000 stash to finance sabotage and spy operations against the Democrats run by the Nixon political operative Donald H. Segretti. He funneled $220,000 to pay off the seven defendants who had bungled the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. And he steered $100,000 to an unsuccessful campaign to defeat George C. Wallaces comeback as governor of Alabama in 1970.

Mr. Kalmbach also conveyed to the Nixon re-election war chest $2 million from the milk industry, which was promised federal subsidies. The money, from a dairy cooperative organization, came disguised illegally as small contributions.

In another episode, after withdrawing $100,000 earmarked for the anti-Wallace effort from a safe-deposit box, he hand-delivered the cash to a stranger in the lobby of the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York, identifying himself as Mr. Jensen of Detroit.

Mr. Kalmbach later testified that when John W. Dean III, the presidents counsel, instructed him to meet him in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, to discuss the hush money, he was cued to wave his arms boisterously during their conversation so that they would not appear to be conspiratorial.

It was like a Grade B thriller, Mr. Kalmbach said.

On Feb. 25, 1974, he pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Corrupt Practices Act by raising $3.9 million for a secret Republican Congressional Campaign Committee. The money included a $100,000 contribution from an ambassador who was promised an even more prestigious post.

On June 17, Judge John J. Sirica, in U.S. District Court in Washington, sentenced Mr. Kalmbach to up to 18 months in prison. But Mr. Kalmbach wound up serving only a third of that, 191 days, when Sirica released him the following January, citing his cooperation with prosecutors.

Though he admitted that he had violated federal law, Mr. Kalmbach, in his own defense, testified that he had solicited money for the Watergate burglars and had delivered it to them because he had been told that it was being granted on humanitarian grounds  to pay for the mens legal fees and to support their families  and that it had been authorized by John D. Ehrlichman, the presidents assistant for domestic affairs, and by Dean.

The fact that I had been directed to undertake these actions by the No. 2 and No. 3 men on the White House staff, Mr. Kalmbach said, made it absolutely incomprehensible to me that my actions in this regard could have been regarded in any way as improper or unethical.

Herbert Warren Kalmbach was born Oct. 19, 1921, in Port Huron, Mich. When he was only 14, he contrived an airplane de-icer, which was reproduced in Popular Mechanics magazine. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he taught celestial navigation at the U.S. Naval Academy.

He earned a bachelors degree in 1949 and a law degree in 1951 from the University of Southern California and was admitted to the bar in 1952. He became friendly with Nixon later in the 1950s after being introduced by H.R. Haldeman, Nixons future chief of staff.

His wife, Barbara Forbush Kalmbach, a former Rose Bowl princess, died in 2005. He is survived by a daughter, Lauren Kinsey, and a son, Kurt. Another son, Kenneth, died in 1980.

Sam Roberts is a New York Times writer.
By PTI: Swaraj

New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Death sentence of 15 Indians, lodged in Kuwaiti jails, have been commuted to life imprisonment by the Emir of Kuwait, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today.

Swaraj said the Emir has also directed that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced.

The minister thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his "kind" gesture.

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In a series of tweets, she said "the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment".

Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison, she tweeted.

However, it was not clear that under what charges these Indians were put behind bars. PTI PYK ASK ASK

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Leh (JK), Sept 30 (PTI) Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today spent Dussehra festival with the troops at Siachen and other forward locations in the Ladakh region and conveyed to them the governments commitment to support them in all circumstances.

During the visit, she reviewed the security situation in the border region and inaugurated a bridge that will link Leh to Karakoram, providing connectivity on the strategically important Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Olde axis for military transport.

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"The defence minister interacted with the soldiers in the remote areas of Siachen Glacier and conveyed her best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra," a defence spokesman said.

Complimenting the army jawans, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the union government fully support the soldiers who are protecting the nation in all circumstances.

"I assure you that the government is with you all the time and in all circumstances. We are not only sensitive to your needs and demands but also to those of your families," the minister said addressing the troops.

Recalling the prime ministers visit to Siachen where he spent time with soldiers on Diwali in 2014, she said the goverment wanted to understand the conditions in which the jawans live.

"Jawans from different states, which have varied weather conditions, come and serve the nation in such high-altitudes and it is laudable," she said.

"We are committed to spending time with the jawans and do whatever is possible for them," said Sitharaman, who is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

She was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D Anbu and GoC 14 Corps Lt Gen S K Upadhyay.

The defence minister also inaugurated Pratham-Shyok bridge, first major construction on the Shyok Gong river, which will enhance the travel of locals as well as the army in this strategic region.

After inaugurating the bridge built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), she said it is nothing short of a miracle to construct roads and bridges in such a rough terrain and in such trying circumstances where even breathing is difficult.

While lauding the BRO and its men for working in difficult terrains and hostile conditions, Sitharaman said that BRO not only connects people of small hamlets in those areas where the civilian administration cannot reach, but also provides connectivity for the army and strategic locations of the nation.

She said that constructing roads and bridges in difficult terrains will help in development and progress of the nation and its people. PTI MIJ AKK AKK

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Kerala-born Ligy Abraham moved to America after her studies. She was granted US Citizenship in 2012, and was registered as an OCI in 2014.

By Sneha Agrawal: The Delhi High Court helped an Indian-origin American woman restore her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card after it was revoked on the grounds that she was allegedly indulged in religious conversion.

Ligy Abraham moved to America after her studies. She was granted US Citizenship in 2012, and was registered as an OCI in 2014.

In August 2016, Ligy, who had gone to Houston to meet her friends and relatives, was not allowed to enter India on her way back and was deported. She told the court that putting her in the blacklist was preventing her from meeting her parents, who live in Kerala.

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She also said that the act was ill-informed and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

It was alleged that certain nationals of USA, Zimabawe or Canada were involved in missionary activities in India and their visas were cancelled. It was further stated that the Consulate General of India in Houston had also requested that the petitioner be blacklisted.

'NO INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE'

The court observed that there was no incriminating evidence whatsoever which would even remotely indicate that the petitioner had carried out any unlawful activity in India. Later, Sanjeev Narula, counsel for the Union of India told court that a communication was issued by the ministry of external affairs to withdraw the blacklisting order.

"This Court finds it very difficult to countenance the manner in which the respondents have proceeded to issue without reference to the petitioner. In the event, the respondents were desirous for withdrawing the petitioner's OCI card. The least that was expected of them was to give an intimation of the same to the petitioner," the court said.

"In the present case, no steps were taken to either issue a show cause notice or provide a hearing to the petitioner," it added.

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Tajinder Bagga, a Delhi BJP spokesperson who was in West Bengal to take part in Durga idol immersion, claimed that he detained at the Kolkata airport and ordered back to Delhi by police that was acting on CM Mamata Banerjee's orders.

By India Today Web Desk: Tajinder Bagga, a Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson who previously announced plans to visit Kolkata and take part in Durga idol immersion, claimed today that he was detained at the Kolkata airport by police.

Bagga, who intended to essentially 'challenge' West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her diktat on Durga idol immersions, also claimed that the police had ordered him to head back to Delhi. " Police said we have order frm [from] CM [Mamata Banerjee," Bagga also claimed.

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The Delhi BJP leader made these claims on Twitter. There was no official word from the Mamata Banerjee administration.

Coward @MamataOfficial is sending me back to delhi from Airport. Police said we have order frm CM.- Tajinder Bagga (@TajinderBagga) September 30, 2017

The West Bengal BJP too weighed in on the alleged arrest, posting pictures of two boarding passes and saying, " Why has Bagga been detained despite valid documents. Need answers from the CM."

One photo was clearly that of a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Kolkata. The other photo, however, was too out of focus and IndiaToday.in was not able to make out the destination or the time/date stamped on the boarding pass, which looked to be of GoAir.

WHY WAS BAGGA IN KOLKATA?

Earlier this week, Bagga had posted on Twitter that he would visit Kolkata to take part in Durga idol immersion there. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had initially banned immersions on October 1, later saying that immersions could only take place after police gave a go-ahead to Durga Puja organisers.

October 1 also happens to be the day of Muharram and the West Bengal government had cited the possibility of communal clashes to ban Durga idol immersions on the day.

The ban was later lifted by the Calcutta High Court. Following the court's order, the Mamata government declared that Puja organisers who want to perform immersions on October 1 will have to seek police permission.

Speaking to India Today, Bagga had earlier said, "What Mamata Banerjee is doing is anti-Hindu. The Calcutta High Court rapping the West Bengal government over the issue was definitely a victory for us".

Bagga's plans included leading at least two Durga idol immersion processions, including one on October 1.

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Railways Minister Piyush Goyal chaired a safety meeting in wake of the deadly Elphisntone Road stampede in Mumbai and announced a slew of safety-related measures.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: A day after the deadly Elphinstone Road station stampede in Mumbai, Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal today announced general managers of railway divisions have been empowered to spend "whatever is necessary on [sic] safety".

Goyal also said that foot overbridges will now be deemed mandatory instead of passenger amenities, a move, the Railways Minsiter said, overturns a "150 year old convention on its head".

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Goyal posted these announcement on Twitter after chairing a safety-review meeting in Mumbai. The meeting was triggered by Friday's rush-hour stampede at the Elphinstone Road station on Mumbai's Western Railway line.

At least 23 people died in the stampede, with the latest fatality coming today, after a male victim of the tragedy succumbed to his injuries at the KEM Hospital in Mumbai.

Friday's stampede, triggered by rains, overcrowding and panic, was blamed on a narrow, five-meter-wide foot overbridge that connects Elphinstone Road on Mumbai's Western line to Parel on the Central Railway.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal today chaired a meeting on safety at the Western Railway headquarters in Churchgate. During the meeting, Goyal gave his officials a week-long deadline to clear all railways-related issues pending with state agencies.

Goyal also instructed his officials to make multidisciplinary teams and conduct the inspections of suburban railway stations in Mumbai and identify all areas of concern within a week's time.

Goyal also ordered that 200 officers from headquarters be assigned to filed duty for ground operations and project implementation.

Addressing the pressing issue of the Elphinstone Road stampede, Goyal said, Additional escalators [have been] sanctioned at [sic] crowded Mumbai suburban stations and thereafter for all high traffic stations."

"Within the next 15 months, CCTV cameras [will be installed] in all suburban trains in Mumbai with monitoring mechanism," Goyal added.

The minister also said that in an attempt to cut red tape, general managers of railway divisions have been empowered to "spend whatever is necessary on safety" and that financial and administrative powers will soon be delegated to field units.

--- ENDS ---
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IRBIL, Iraq  After a century of yearning, the Kurds of Iraq have managed, at last, to pull off a vote for independence last week, but not without antagonizing nearly everyone in perhaps the worlds most volatile region.

The question now is whether an arid, landlocked proto-state dependent on hostile neighbors can overcome is own shortcomings  and Iraqs disruptive retaliation  to build a viable path to independence.

With its troubled economy and dearth of democratic institutions, its prospects were already tenuous. Its best hopes lay in its oil reserves and U.S. support, but Turkey has threatened to cut off its oil pipeline, and the relationship with the United States soured after the Kurds rebuffed its entreaties to cancel the vote.

Rather than negotiate and then seek international recognition, as the U.S. and others had asked, the Kurds forged ahead with the referendum. But if anything, the vote, while satisfying the Kurds emotionally, may have set back their national aspirations.

Now, after a 93 percent yes vote Monday, the Kurds are beseeching Baghdad to negotiate. Baghdad is not only refusing, but has demanded that the vote results be annulled and has moved to isolate the region, known as Kurdistan.

The last nation to win independence, landlocked South Sudan in 2011, has had a rocky start but at least was internationally recognized and had U.S. backing. Kurdistan is all alone in a dangerous neighborhood.

For the Kurds, the vote was a potent and historic touchstone, a declaration to the world that this is their moment and they are not turning back. But the Kurds may have underestimated the depth of international opposition.

Before they had even stopped celebrating, Iraq and its two powerful neighbors, Turkey and Iran, immediately went to work to negate the vote. Iraq fears losing a third of its country, as well as oil and natural gas reserves. Turkey and Iran fear that independence for Iraqs Kurds would embolden separatist ambitions among their own Kurdish minorities.

The fierce reaction has exposed Kurdistans distinct vulnerabilities and shortcomings. The regions first days after the vote were spent not laying the groundwork for statehood, but struggling to escape a tightening noose.

On Saturday, Iraq moved to take control of the international border crossing leading into the region from Turkey, officials said in Baghdad.

Iraq has forced the suspension of international flights to Kurdistans two international airports, and threatened to close land crossings linking Kurdistan and the rest of Iraq.

Iraqs parliament has asked Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to bring charges against Kurdish leaders who participated in the referendum and to send troops into disputed areas claimed by both the Kurds and Baghdad.

David Zucchino is a New York Times writer.
COPENHAGEN, Denmark  Police said at least 50 people were detained Saturday during a right-wing demonstration in Swedens second-largest city that left one police officer and several others injured.

The rally by the Nordic Resistance Movement in Goteborg, 250 miles southwest of Stockholm, featured an estimated 600 people marching in formation in all-black outfits. Some wore helmets and held shields, while others hoisted the movements green-and-white flags.

Police had posted flyers before the event warning people not to act in a way reminiscent of German Nazis demonstrations in the 1930s and 1940s.

NMR, which promotes an openly anti-Semitic doctrine, originally sought to pass near a downtown synagogue during the march, which coincided with Yom Kippur, Judaisms holiest day of the year. But Swedish courts intervened and shortened the route.

Counterdemonstrators threw fireworks and attempted several times to break police lines, allegedly to confront NMR members, who also tried to get past riot police. Several were detained on suspicion of rioting, police said.

Stones, bottles and sticks were also thrown at us, police spokesman Hans Lippens said.

Police offered to shuttle NMR members away in buses after they were circled by riot police on a Goteborg square, preventing them from completing their march. Police said the move was meant to keep both sides apart.

The NMR later demanded that its leader who had been detained, Simon Lindberg, be released before they would leave the square.

Counterdemonstrators threw rocks at police outside the Liseberg amusement park, which reportedly shut down its main entrance.

Some 20 people, mostly Danes and Germans, were stopped as they arrived in Sweden to take part in the demonstration.
In a series of tweets, ex-finance minister highlighted the futility of the project.

By India Today Web Desk: In a fresh attack on the NDA-led government and its grand plans, former finance minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram today yet again slammed the Modi government over its ambitious bullet train project.

In a series of tweets, ex-finance minister highlighted the futility of the project.

His tweets come a day after the Elphinstone Road Railway station foot overbridge stampede claimed 23 lives.

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Chidambaram said that bullet train will be like demonetisation and that it would kill everything else including safety.

In an apparent jibe, he said that the railways should rather spend on safety, better infrastructure and not on bullet trains.

"Bullet train is not for ordinary people. It is an ego trip for the high and mighty," tweeted Chidambaram.

On Friday following the stampede tragedy, Chidambaram tweeted saying that it was time for mourning, but beyond mourning lies the story of inverted priorities.

The senior Congress leader also said that the railways minister should take pledge that Rs 1 lakh crore will be invested for rail safety, track upgrading, signaling and not for bullet trains.

WATCH | Chidambaram to India Today: Cashless economy not original objective of demonetisation

--- ENDS ---
BEIJING  U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged on Saturday that the United State is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea even as tensions rise over the Norths nuclear and missile programs and the countries leaders spar through bellicose name-calling.

Tillerson said the U.S. is probing North Koreas willingness to talk, and called for a calming of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, adding it was incumbent on the North to halt the missile launches.

We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. Were not in a dark situation, a blackout, Tillerson said during a visit to China. We have a couple ... three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them.

No elaboration about those channels or the substance of any discussions came from Tillerson, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials in Beijing.

While Tillerson affirmed that the U.S. would not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, he also said the Trump administration had no intention of trying to oust Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader.

Despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilizing forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war, and the Demilitarized Zone divides North and South Korea.

North Korea has in recent months tested long-range missiles that potentially could reach the U.S., and on Sept. 3 it conducted its largest nuclear test explosion to date. The standoff has entered a new, more dangerous phase since then as Kim and President Trump have exchanged personal insults and threats of war.

I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down, Tillerson said. Theyre a little overheated right now. He did not directly address the impact of Trumps own rhetoric.

Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down, Tillerson said.

Trump gave a combative speech recently at the U.N. General Assembly in which he mocked Kim as Rocket Man on a suicide mission. Trump said that if forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Kim responded by saying he would tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.

Trump has pressed for sterner measures against the North by China, the Norths chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Christopher Bodeen and Matthew Pennington are Associated Press writers.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has called for a meeting to discuss the delay in railway infrastructure projects in Mumbai.

By Saurabh Vaktania: Initial investigations into the Elphinstone Road railway station stampede has revealed lapses on part of railway officials.

On Friday, 10-10.30 am over 25 local trains stopped on both Elphinstone station and Parel Railway station, which is connected by a common foot-over bridge where the incident took place.

Due to peak hours, large number of passengers get down at both the stations due to the presence of corporate offices and market in the vicinity.

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According to initial probe, If nearly 200 people alighted on the station from a single train, chances of a stampede-like situation are high.

The findings revealed that the railway officials like station master, assistant, railway police personnel and other railway employees should have immediately made announcement for people to not use the foot-over bridge.

The findings suggest that if people had been prevented from using the bridge the tragedy could have been averted.

Incidentally, there was only one RPF personnel stationed on the foot-over bridge, who too went missing soon after the incident.

Sources say that serious action will be taken against railway officials and some police personnel too will be taken to task.

Following the incident, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has called for a meeting. The entire railway board is expected to fly down to Mumbai to be a part of the meeting.

The focus will be on the delay on rail infra projects in city and the present requirements.

On Friday, 22 people were killed and scores suffered injuries in a stampede on the foot-over bridge that connected Parel and Elphinstone Road railway station.

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: London, Sep 30 (PTI) Taking a sauna bath four to seven times a week may reduce the risk of high blood pressure by nearly 50 per cent in men, a study claims.

Previous research has shown that frequent sauna bathing reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death, and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.

Elevated blood pressure is documented to be one of the most important risk factors of cardiovascular diseases.

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Researchers from University of Eastern Finland found that the risk of hypertension was 24 per cent decreased among men with a sauna frequency of two to three times a week, and 46 per cent lowered among men who had a sauna four to seven times a week.

A sauna is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions.

The study, published in the American Journal of Hypertension, found that sauna bathing may decrease systemic blood pressure through different biological mechanisms.

During sauna bathing, the body temperature may rise up to two degrees Celsius, causing vessel vasodilation or widening of blood vessels, researchers said.

Regular sauna bathing improves endothelial function, ie the function of the inside layer of blood vessels, which has beneficial effects on systemic blood pressure.

Sweating, in turn, removes fluid from the body, which is a contributing factor to decreased blood pressure levels.

Additionally, sauna bathing may also lower systemic blood pressure due to overall relaxation of the body and mind, they said.

Researchers studied 1,621 middle-aged men living in the eastern part of Finland. Study participants without elevated blood pressure of over 140/90 millimetre of mercury (mmHg) or with diagnosed hypertension at the study baseline were included in the study.

Based on their sauna bathing habits, men were divided into three sauna frequency groups: those taking a sauna once a week, two to three times a week, or four to seven times a week.

During an average follow-up of 22 years, 15.5 per cent of the men developed clinically defined hypertension. PTI APA SAR SAR

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Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had said at an event in the US that 26/11 attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, the Haqqanis and the Lashkar-e-Taiba were "liabilities" for Pakistan.

By Press Trust of India: Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has slapped a Rs 100-million defamation notice on Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for calling him the "darling of the United States".

Asif, while speaking at the Asia Society forum in New York on Tuesday, acknowledged that Saeed, the Haqqanis and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) are "liabilities" for the country but it does not have the required "assets" to get rid of them.

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The minister had also said that the US, which was putting pressure on Pakistan to tackle terrorist groups operating from its soil, once used to treat them as "darlings" just 20 to 30 years back.

Saeeds counsel A K Dogar sent the notice to the foreign minister on behalf of his client who heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), a front for the LeT militant group that carried out the deadly 2008 Mumbai attack.

'SAEED HAS NEVER BEEN NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE'

"Saeed is respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim. Saeed has never been near the White House, not to speak of wined and dined," Dogar said in the notice.

"It is shocking to know that the foreign minister of my country is accusing Hafiz Mohammad Saeed of taking wine. This is abusive language and can never be used about my client.

"He is a patriotic Islam-loving Muslim following the dictates of the Prophet. This is a defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) to five years imprisonment and with a fine," he said.

The counsel termed it as an absolute lie and falsehood that Saeed is one of those persons who had been the "darlings of Americans" and had been dining and wining in the White House.

Whoever by words either spoken or intended to be read makes any imputation concerning any person so as to harm his reputation is said to defame that person, he said.

"The imputation of wining is a false statement which has injured the reputation of my client and lowered him in the estimation of others. This is slander and actionable libel. I am constrained to issue this 14 days notice of the intention of my client to bring an action against you.

"My client intends to file a suit for damages to the tune of Rs 100 million for injuring his reputation not only in Pakistan but all over the world," Dogar said.

"Apart from civil remedy, my client has a right to file a criminal complaint against you under Section 500 of the PPC. It goes without saying that you will be responsible for the entire cost of litigation," the counsel added. TRUMP'S CRITICISM

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US President Donald Trump had last month criticised Pakistan for its support to terror groups, saying it receives billions in US aid but continues to harbour militants.

Saeed and his four aides were placed under house arrest in Lahore on January 30 under the anti-terrorism act.

The JuD has been declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

Saeed carries a USD 10 million American bounty on his head for his role in terror activities.

WATCH | Is Pakistan's move to ban Hafiz Saeed's party a delaying tactic to fool the world?

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Tribal groups are warning to file an FIR against those who are burning Ravana's effigies.

By Lipi Upadhyay: As the celebrations for Dussehra kick-in with full vigour, the streets are twinkling with decorative lights, and most of us are waiting for the evening, when the ten-headed effigy of the king of Lanka will be burnt to ashes.

According to Hindu mythology, the festival of Dussehra symbolises the victory of good over evil, where Ravana is synonymous with the evil.

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But not everyone agrees with this Hindu legend, as there are some places in the country where people worship Ravana as their deity and fervently oppose the practice of burning his effigies on Dussehra.

Also Read: 4 Indian temples where Ravana is worshipped

The tribal groups in Madhya Pradesh have now warned take a legal course of action against those who burn the effigies of Ravana on Vijaya Dashami.

Tribal leader Dilip Dhurve, told the media, "It is insulting for us to see the effigies burning. We worship Ravana and Meghnad. These are our ancient traditions and our sentiments are hurt."

Photo courtesy: Facebook/Dhruba Dey Photo courtesy: Facebook/Dhruba Dey

The tribal community has always asserted that the festival hurts their sentiments, because for them, Ravana is a deity. This is, however, the first time such an opposition has taken the form of a strong campaign.

The campaign is said to have originated from the tribal-dominated district of Betul in Madhya Pradesh. They said that calling Ravana a demon was an anti-national practice.

Also Read: Sex-workers in Kolkata are being trained to work at food stalls for Durga Puja celebrations

Tribal groups also raised slogans in the praise of their "Lord" Ravana in Sarni, while the community in Athner met the officials and raised the same issue.

The Gongwana Gantantra Party (GGP) is supporting the tribals on their stance, saying that it will oppose the practice of effigy-burning strongly.

According to Huffing Post India, the party officials also talked about taking legal action, if attention was not paid to their demands.

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Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked.

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By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) Amid a stiff opposition from the Delhi government over the proposed fare increase, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today said the "hike is necessary" to meet input costs and to keep providing a world- class service.

Delhi Metro, which has been operational in the capital since 2002, is at present carrying around 27 lakh passengers everyday, and has become the lifeline of the city with a punctuality of over 99.7 per cent.

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"To continue to provide a world-class service, it is essential to operate as a healthy organisation. Keeping this in view, the provision has been made for the periodic revision of fares through a Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) in the Delhi Metro Operations & Maintenance Act, 2002," it said.

However, since 2009, there has been no increase in fare, whereas the input cost for the DMRC has increased by "over 105 per cent in energy, 139 per cent in staff cost and by 213 per cent for repair and maintenance", the DMRC said in a statement.

The proposal has been described as "unacceptable" by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has written to the Centre, demanding that the decision be withheld and reviewed.

In a letter to Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, Kejriwal today said the proposed hike, to be effected from October 10, would be in "violation of the recommendations of the fare fixation panel".

DMRC, justifying the proposed move, said, "As the metro system is getting older, more maintenance procedures, preventive and corrective checks, safety and reliability checks, replacement of electrical fittings are required which is essential for providing a world class service, and which also leads to increased cost in overall operations and maintenance."

In addition, it said, the DMRC has taken a "huge loan" from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and a "payment of Rs 26,760 crore is still outstanding".

Moreover, DMRC says it has to provide for depreciation and replacement of various assets such as the trains (rolling stock) which have a life span of 30 years, and will have to be replaced subsequently, and for this provision has to be kept.

"In spite of operating efficiently, DMRC is making a net loss of Rs 378 crore in view of the above factors.

"The long gap of over eight years in the formation of the FFC has resulted in the fare hike in percentages, which if seen on yearly basis, is in the reasonable range of 7-8 per cent per annum, taking into account the two phase of the fare Hike (Phase-I: May 2017, Phase-II; October 2017)," it added.

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Delhi Metro is making efforts to reduce its operating cost by going for solar power projects and increasing the energy efficiency at its stations besides introducing new initiatives on Property Development and Property Business front.

The metro corporation is consistently increasing number of trains, AFC gates, lifts, escalators and other passenger services which also result in the increase of input cost but are essential for providing a world class service, it said.

"Once Phase-III of the Delhi Metro is fully operational, commuters on many routes will have to travel shorter distances and they will be paying lesser fares.

The DMRCs maximum fare level is "either less or comparable" with corresponding figure of other metros, which are operating in India, the statement said. PTI KND SMN

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Police are investigating a vehicle fire in Kalgoorlie Crescent in Fisher which occurred between 10.00pm and 10.30pm on Friday.

ACT Policing is urging anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity in the area to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or online via https://act.crimestoppers.com.au/.
Richmond's remarkable 11th VFL/AFL premiership

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Earlier this week, Twitter announced that a select group of users would be able to send 280-character tweets - double the platform's signature 140-character limit. It's part of an experiment testing whether longer character limits would be better for everyone. The company explained that, in languages where a single character carries more meaning -- Chinese, Japanese and Korean - they see "more people tweeting - which is awesome!"

If lifting some of the character constraints gets more people to tweet in English and other languages for which the shorter limit feels confining, it would indeed be awesome for Twitter. But it would be even better for America (and the world).

The benefits to the company are obvious.Twitter has 328 million monthly active users globally. By contrast,Facebook has more than 2 billion. And as Bloomberg's Shira Ovide explained in July, Twitter "doesn't turn a profit under any conventional meaning of the word." The company's revenue in this year's second quarter was almost 5 per cent less than in 2016. More users would, of course, mean more ad revenue for the company, and could put it on a path toward profitability.

But more Twitter users could also be a boon for the country, because it could encourage broader participation and more civility in political debates. Yes, civility. Currently, Twitter is a tool used most heavily by the elite. Twenty-nine per cent of Americans with college degrees use the platform, compared with 20 per cent of Americans who have high-school degrees or less, according to a 2016 Pew Research Center study. The study also found that 30 per cent of Americans who make more than $US75,000 use the platform, compared with 23 per cent of thoseearning less than $US30,000.
The first day of holidays ... all my children want to do is sleep.

I can understand why. The American Centres for Disease Control says schoolchildren aged up to 13 need nine to 11 hours per night. Teenagers need eight to 10 hours.

Many teenagers who don't get enough sleep during the week "yo-yo", undersleeping Sunday to Thursday and catching up on Friday and Saturday. Credit:iStock

What with getting to sleep after 10, and getting up early enough to fly out to school, they don't stand a chance.

Neither do as many as one third of Australian teenagers, according to the most authoritative survey by researchers at the University of South Australia. Many of the teenagers who don't get enough sleep during the week "yo-yo", undersleeping Sunday to Thursday and catching up on Friday and Saturday.
While they're often called "LED" televisions, technically these are LED-backlit LCD televisions  meaning they shine an LED backlight through LCD pixels to create colours. They support Ultra HD resolution to do the latest blockbuster movies and television shows justice, along with High Dynamic Range which enhances the colours while revealing more detail in the brightest highlights and deepest shadows.

Offering a super-sharp picture with vivid colours, these two mid-range Ultra HD televisions are vying for pride of place in Australian lounge rooms.

Hisense: quantum dots.

These televisions offer a bright picture with vivid colours, making them decent all-rounders for brightly lit living areas, but they're not the best choice for fussy viewers with a generous budget who are in search of a stunning movie night television.

The trade-off with LED-backlight LCD televisions is they can struggle to completely block the backlight to create deep blacks, which is more noticeable after dark. These two televisions rely on edge-lit screens, with the backlight shining in from the sides.

This means they have more trouble displaying deep blacks than more expensive Full Array LED backlit LCD televisions with the backlight behind the screen, not to mention OLED televisions which do away with the backlight completely. LED-backlight LCD televisions are also more prone to producing slight halos around brightly lit objects on a dark background.

VERDICT The Panasonic is the clear winner on both price and picture quality, while little separates them in terms of style and design. Keep in mind that you're sacrificing picture quality compared to a Full Array backlit LED or OLED television, but to be honest for the extra money you might struggle to see the difference when watching in a brightly-lit room.
Honeypreet's disappearance has become a cause of worry for the Haryana police.

By Manjeet Sehgal: In a major embarrassment for the Haryana police, the SIT on Friday again made six unsuccessful raids in Rajasthan and failed to arrest the fugitive Honeypreet.

The six locations are Pilibanga, Lunkarnsar, Sri Kolayat, Jamsar, Jagdewala and Gurusar Modiya. The raids were conducted on the basis of leads provided by Rakesh Kumar Arora, a top Dera aide who was arrested in Sirsa on Wednesday.

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Arora had told the police that Ram Rahim had set up a Dera in Bikaner where Honeypreet, Aditya Insan and other top Baba aides had stayed.

Besides Bikaner, police are also likely to carry out raids in Barmer and Nagaur districts in Rajasthan. Sources said the SIT is also planning operations in Hamirpur and Chopal in Himachal Pradesh, and Malout, Ferozepur, Atari and Amritsar in Punjab. Sources say raids can also be conducted in Ghaziabad and New Delhi. Police sources said Arora was in contact with Honeypreet and Aditya Insan after August 25. The accused hails from Dadwa Mandi in Sangrur of Punjab.

INSIDERS LEAKING INFO?

Honeypreet's disappearance has become a cause of worry for the Haryana police, who now suspect the role of insiders in leaking information to her.

She has remained elusive for 33 days and is suspected to be frequently moving between cities, and even international borders.

Honeypreet allegedly asked top Dera aides to set up a control room in Sector 3 in Panchkula to monitor police movement and had also formed a WhatsApp group to monitor the situation.

FAILED ESCAPE PLAN

Honeypreet is also allegedly the mastermind behind Ram Rahim's failed escape plan from jail.

The Baba's security guards were found using an illegal wireless set on August 25 . They were allegedly intercepting messages being shared by Panchkula police and monitoring police movement.

A top officer said keeping in view the use of illegal wireless sets on August 25, there is no denying the fact that Honeypreet and Ram Rahim had access to the intelligence wing of Haryana police.

Sources say some insiders are leaking sensitive information about the raids to Honeypreet and this is how she manages to escape the police every time by a whisker.

"Honeypreet is complicating the situation by avoiding the arrest. She should surrender and join investigations. Police are on the job and will arrest her soon," ADGP (law and order) Mohammad Akil said. A senior officer said police let Honeypreet move between Rohtak and Sirsa on August 25 despite knowing the fact that Dera followers were involved in rioting and arson in Panchkula after Ram Rahim's conviction.

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Sources say Honeypreet used Z-plus security cover to escape from the Dera on August 26. The commandos escorted her to Hanumangarh where she stayed for two days on August 27-28 with relatives of her brother. The case was registered against her on August 28 in Panchkula.

VIDEO | SO SORRY: What happens when Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Asaram Bapu get Honeypreet in prison for company?

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The amount of Australian farm land owned by Chinese interests has surged tenfold in the past year, climbing above 14 million hectares or 2.5 per cent of all agricultural land.

The findings from the Australian Tax Office's Agricultural Land Register, released this week, show the UK and China are the largest owners of foreign-held land in Australia, owning 27 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

Foreigners now own up to a quarter of all agricultural land in the Northern Territory and Tasmania, and 14 per cent of all farms across the country.

In NSW and Victoria, foreign interests own more than 3 million hectares. In Queensland it is six times that, with more than 17 million hectares in the state now owned by other countries through cattle stations, crops and abattoirs.
A funny thing happened when I went to work in the Canberra press gallery: I became friends with a politician.

As a rule, this isn't something I'd encourage. The job of the journalist, after all, is to ferret out uncomfortable facts and scrutinise the decisions of the powerful. Getting too close to the people you write about risks undermining your first allegiance: to your readers.

Aware they could be burnt if they give too much of themselves away, politicians are always wary of journalists. Credit:Trevor Collens

Aware they could be burnt if they give away too much of themselves, politicians are just as wary of us. As American journalist Joan Didion put it: "Writers are always selling somebody out." The New Yorker magazine staffer Janet Malcolm, even less kindly, described the journalist as "a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance, or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse".



Luckily, it's not difficult to avoid genuine friendships across the reporter-politician divide. Parliament House runs on self-interest, meaning the relationships between politicians, political staffers and journalists tend to be transactional and superficial. They want to get a message out, we want to break stories, and that's where our interests collide. When a politician stops being useful to a reporter, or vice versa, interactions tend to dry up quickly.

And yet we're human beings too. Away from the heated theatrics of question time and adversarial television interviews, reporters occasionally get a glimpse of the real person behind the political persona. You see doubt, kindness, vulnerability. And on rare occasions, a friendship blooms.
The Royal Australian Navy will join efforts to rescue residents amid a volcanic eruption threat on Vanuatu's Ambae Island.

Defence Minister Marise Payne said HMAS Choules left Australia on Saturday morning with specialists, supplies and landing craft aboard.

Defence Minister Senator Marise Payne said HMAS Choules left Australia on Saturday morning to rescue residents amid a volcanic eruption threat on Vanuatu's Ambae Island Credit:AAP

It will reach Vanuatu in the middle of the week and join a fleet of ships including ferries and commercial vessels that have begun moving 11,000 people to nearby islands.

The evacuees represent 5 per cent of Vanuatu's population.
A leading child abuse activist linked to the $500 million child abuse royal commission has hit back at claims by her family that her psychological treatment triggered "false memories" of abuse at the hands of her father as she comes under fire over her role advising on a compensation scheme for victims.

Cathy Kezelman, a former GP who heads the influential Blue Knot Foundation representing adult victims of childhood trauma, helped co-write national counselling guidelines for sexual abuse victims and was appointed last year to a panel advising the Turnbull government on the rollout of a $4 billion redress scheme for victims of institutional child sexual abuse.

Cathy Kezelman, president of advocacy group the Blue Knot Foundation, has rejected claims her psychological treatment triggered "false memories" of abuse.

But in an article published in the Weekend Australian Magazine on Saturday, Dr Kezelman's brother and emergency doctor Claude Imhoff said he "utterly refute[d]" his sister's claims that she suffered horrific abuse at the hands of her father and a group of paedophiles led by her paternal grandmother.

"I can categorically state that those events never happened," Dr Imhoff said.
When Ateeq-ur Rahman first arrived in Australia from Pakistan in 2011, he had very few plans after high school.

"I was new here and I didn't know anything about the education system, and university wasn't really thought about in my family," Mr Rahman, 24, said.

Ateeq-ur Rahman is a final-year mining engineering student at UNSW, an outcome not planned for upon his arrival in Australia in 2011. Credit:Christopher Pearce

Two years later, he was tossing up between offers to study medical science or mining engineering at the University of Sydney or mining engineering at the University of NSW.

Mr Rahman said a workshop run by UNSW's ASPIRE outreach program he attended in 2012, when he was in year 11 at Holroyd High School, sparked his decision to go to university.
When 12-year-old Emanuel Zoing got the chance to ask NASA's acting administrator Robert Lightfoot a question, he didn't hesitate.

"Are there any plans to use antimatter as a fuel source?" asked Emanuel, in year 7 and home-schooled in Sydney's south.

In response, Mr Lightfoot asked Emanuel when he was coming to work at NASA, and Emanuel was equally impressed with the head of the US space agency.

"He could answer my question that even when I researched a lot, I didn't find much on," Emanuel said.
Michael Candy with his "synthetic polleniser in a canola crop at Shepparton, Victoria, last weekend. The polleniser helps scientists gather data about plants and the bees that pollinate them. Credit:Shepparton Art Museum/Sarah Werkmeister In The Practice of Everyday Life (1988), sociologist Michel de Certeau argued that the bricoleur (or tinkerer) uses tactics, rather than strategy, to tackle imperfect situations. Borrowing from military theory, De Certeau described strategy as the technique of the powerful, with its weakness that it presumes control and predictability. Tactics, on the other hand, are the techniques of those at ground level  the on-the-fly methods of the non-powerful. Stories of such tactics were rife in my research for Tinkering: Australians Reinvent DIY Culture. In 2010, Adis Hondo's tinkering changed the record of Australia's history. He'd been building a homemade Steadicam for a trip to Arnhem Land, where he would join historian Martin Thomas to film the return of Indigenous Australian bones. Michael Candy's guerilla projector, designed to look like a security camera. Credit:Michael Candy The bones were victims of what Thomas called "a postwar extravaganza known as the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land". They'd been stolen, "fetishised and collected in the name of science", and kept in Washington's Smithsonian Institution since 1948.

"Theft is a crime against property," Thomas would later write, "whereas this was a crime against people. The removal of bones is closer to kidnap." A slogan sent out by the guerilla projector at the 2014 G20 Summit in Brisbane. Credit:Michael Candy Although Gunbalanya people gave the pair permission to film, the ceremonies couldn't be discussed or codified in a schedule. Not knowing what lay ahead, Hondo, a Bosnian refugee, used the skills he'd amassed under Tito's rule. Schoolchildren were routinely taught "to make electrical circuitry, draft designs and engineering patterns". During the Yugoslavian civil war, he'd honed these skills, improvising devices, hiding cameras and covertly documenting atrocities. The late Adis Hondo in his shed in Yan Yean, Victoria. Credit:Greg Rochlin

By the time Hondo was assigned to film the bones' return, he'd built much of his own equipment "from patent blueprints and open-access code". But his technical challenge wasn't in Arnhem Land. Travelling first to Washington to film the handover, the filmmakers were stonewalled by bureaucrats at the eleventh hour. The Smithsonian officials, possibly shamed by the institution's drawn-out attempts to keep the bones, withdrew their consent to film. The Bitter Bench, mechanically rigged to tip people off when they sit, also played recorded testimonies of the homeless. This threatened to scupper the hopes of many Australians who'd lobbied for decades for the bones' return, pinning their expectations on footage for perpetuity. So in his hotel room, Hondo made a makeshift spycam and installed it in a shoulder bag he wore to the handover, where "some people noticed, but smiled". In the stealth footage, the Gunbalanya visitors and Washington officials, including then Australian ambassador Kim Beazley, are successfully filmed. DIY activism is a foil to impositions of authority - but less obviously, so are everyday tactics employed in Australia's homes and farms.

"If you can't fix it, you don't own it": iFixit's Repair Manifesto. Michael Drinkwater, a tinkerer from rural Victoria, rigged his home to rely on wind and solar technologies, but his farm machinery and generator still ran on polluting mineral diesel. Using open-source manuals, Drinkwater learned to produce biodiesel with kitchen appliances and cheap materials  used vegetable oil, methanol and caustic soda. Then he converted an old dishwasher into a reactor. Its biodiesel was pumped to an overhead storage tank, and its glycerin by-product drained off. The project "met my entire fuel demands" for about 13 cents per litre (mineral diesel is currently $1.27 per litre). David the Dalek, made by Kathy Sant and Jenny Mann, at the Same-Sex Marriage Rally in Sydney on September 10, 2017. Credit:James Proctor More than thrift, this was about "taking back control of my environment", said Drinkwater. "We're being channeled into reliance on external intelligence, bypassing our own, which leads to exploitation, control and loss of skills."

By exploiting the spoils of other industries, Drinkwater created his own sustainable one, and in the process he formed social relationships that avoided monetised exchange. Make magazine's Maker's Bill of Rights. "I had a deal with the garbage contractor at Mount Hotham and would take the used oil, usually five or more tonnes, from him," said Drinkwater. The glycerine byproduct was "a great hand cleaner and degreaser. My mechanic couldn't get enough, and totally biodegradable." The mechanic "gave me motor oil  we did many things to help each other without really keeping a score sheet". Instead, such material exchanges were built on a register of goodwill. Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald wears a visibly mended cardigan.

For DIY tinkerers, this approach reclaims some of the important human qualities that modernity is thought to have hauled away: community, agency and autonomy. Melbourne-based Gilda Civitico described an exchange she called her "black market of jam". Her gifts were handmade; she gave jam to the woman at the fabric remnants store where she sourced materials; there was reciprocity between friends and exchange of produce or goods from other home industries. But the everyday manual competence that underpins this sort of tinkering is rapidly disappearing from a de-skilled culture that privileges information economies over material knowledge. In response, a growing number of researchers are advocating for First World re-acquaintance with DIY skills. Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald mended this tea towel by embroidering a worm over a hole in the fabric. In his forthcoming book Curing Affluenza, the Australia Institute's chief economist Richard Denniss calls for a material engagement that will change our economy "in ways that will reduce the harm we do to the natural environment, improve our quality of life, create more jobs with more meaning" and give us "time to spend with the people, and on the things, we love the most". "Rather than shun materialism," writes Denniss, our approach to material products should "cherish them, repair them and hand them on to friends or children in better condition."

Matthew Crawford, a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, believes material literacy makes people feel more responsible and accountable for the world. People without material competence live "in channels directed from afar by vast impersonal forces that we don't understand ... that's why tinkering is important". Crawford believes a learned helplessness that comes with material de-skilling "leaves us bereft of something at the core of being human. And that is individual agency." Thinking "materially about material goods, hence critically, gives one some independence from the manipulations of marketing," he says. If we live by artisanal values, we won't be duped by corporate 'craftwashing' campaigns. If we know how devices work, then planned obsolescence can be foiled. If we understand geophysical cycles, then 'clean coal' political campaigns won't wash. Many industrial processes have accelerated climate change, but repair is a growing response of global and local mobilisation. These include community tool libraries, repair cafes, Hackerspaces, iFixit.com, open-source manuals and Restarter parties. Proliferating Craftivism and Visible Mending movements are also responding to a paucity of product stewardship and concerns around responsible product life-cycles. Visible mending "combines creativity with problem-solving", says Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald, who mends clothes and runs Bright Sparks, a social enterprise that repairs and reuses small appliances.
Labor has called for an investigation into a lobbying firm run by National Party president Larry Anthony regarding a "clear conflict of interest" while the Greens have urged for a major overhaul of the rules governing lobbying.

Fairfax Media revealed on Saturday that Mr Anthony's firm, SAS Consulting Group, was representing energy companies such as Santos and Delta Electricity as the Coalition mulls important energy policy decisions.

Former MP Larry Anthony during National's 2015 federal conference in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Anthony's firm, which he founded, co-owns and manages as executive director, promotes him as a president of the Nationals, "one half of the ruling Coalition government". As president, he sits on policy and campaign committees, chairs the national conference and acts as a director of the Nationals' fundraising company.

But the former Howard government minister who lost his NSW seat in 2004 said he was "not directly a lobbyist" and so did not need to appear on the federal register, managed by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, which he removed himself from in 2015.
A stabbing, two hammer attacks and a strangling have made it a horror week of domestic violence in NSW.

The week, in which three people died, culminated in the stabbing death of a 30-year-old woman in Sydney's west in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The Campsie property, where a woman was beaten brutally with a hammer and knife. Credit:Luke Costin

The woman was found inside a home in Whalan with a stab wound to her torso. Despite the efforts of emergency services, she died at the scene.

A 26-year-old man was arrested and charged with murder and contravening an apprehended domestic violence order.
An off-duty police officer has been charged with mid-range drink driving and refusing a roadside breath test, following a crash in Sydney's north-west on Saturday morning.

Just after midnight, police were called to the scene of a crash with a parked car on Kirby Street, Dundas, where the 46-year-old leading senior constable allegedly refused to partake in a roadside breath test and was arrested as a result.

After being taken to Granville Police Station, the officer - who is attached to a specialist command - returned a reading of 0.144, almost three times the legal limit.

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The officer will appear before Parramatta Local Court in early November, facing charges of mid-range prescribed concentration of alcohol, refusing a breath test and negligent driving.
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According to sources in the Haryana Police, Honeypreet Insan and other Dera aides are communicating only via WhatsApp.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Fearing phone-tapping, Gurmeet Ram Rahim's adopted daughter Honeypreet Insan, Dera Sacha Sauda spokesperson Dr Aditya Insan among other fugitives have either dumped or switched their phones off.

According to sources in Haryana Police, the Dera aides are keeping in touch over chat applications like WhatsApp with new numbers that they seem to have acquired.

Haryana Home Secretary SS Prasad claims that it is due to such apps that Honeypreet and other delinquents remain untraced.

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"We have information that Honeypreet Insan and others are using WhatsApp to exchange messages... That is what is delaying their arrest. There are many Dera followers on our radar, which is only making it difficult to raid the many locations... The allegations against the police that raid information is being leaked is baseless," S S Prasad added.

Police and security agencies usually track criminals by tapping their phones, thus leading them to their location, fearing which Dera aides have been very careful with using their cellphones.

Some reports suggest that a WhatsApp group was created just ahead of the final verdict in the twin-rape cases against Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

The group was not only used to exchange sensitive information but reportedly to plan and mastermind the arson and violence that enveloped the city of Panchkula and neighbouring areas in Punjab and Haryana.

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"I cowered and covered myself as the bullets hit me. The bullets were also hitting a metal chair. It made a noise that made me think that the bullets would go off. "I was fearful that the gun was going to be discharged because I had loaded the gun before my shift and knew there was one bullet remaining in the chamber ... I thought I was going to die." Family members gave evidence that Ms Hellessey was withdrawn and paranoid, forgot her children's appointments, startled easily, fidgeted until her hands were raw and was no longer able to complete household tasks. Her mother ironed her husband's police uniform because the task triggered Ms Hellessey's symptoms. Her two big achievements of the day were to feed the horses and prepare dinner, and if she made a mistake in the dinner she became distraught. "I had hoped that that after being away from work Bernadette would improve," husband Paul Hellessey told the court.

"I have not seen any improvement in her at all since that time. In my opinion her symptoms became progressively worse and more frequent." But MetLife repeatedly rejected her claim for a life insurance benefit, citing her Facebook status updates as evidence that she did not have social phobia as claimed and preferring the opinions of its own experts that she "may, with time, be able to work" to those of her own psychiatrist. At one point it queried whether her symptoms were truly triggered by police in uniform, noting that her credit card had been used at a supermarket situated 500 metres from a police station. Ms Hellessey was identified as having 667 "friends" on Facebook and posted 28 pages of status updates over a seven-month period that indicated she was participating in local pony clubs and regional horse shows. "Could not be happier with my life right now! WOW! " she wrote on one occasion.

Ms Hellessey's treating psychiatrist Anthony Durrell told MetLife in 2011 that her mental injuries were "permanent and not curable" and recommended that her claim be determined quickly to avoid further anxiety. Asked by MetLife about her Facebook activity, he said he had encouraged her to attend horse showing events but she was medicated when she did so and accompanied by a support person. Most of her Facebook contacts were loose acquaintances she had met through these activities rather than genuine friends, he said. He told the court he had been "annoyed" by MetLife venturing into her private Facebook account. "This was one of her sole outlets to interact with the world," he said.

"And of course, with her level of suspicion and PTSD  it's just another invasion into her privacy ... increases her distress and creates more work for psychiatrists and psychologists." Ms Hellessey vented some of her distress on Facebook. In 2013 she posted: "Seriously METLIFE! Disguising yourselves and getting into my family and friends profiles is a joke. Just friend me. I'll tell you how it really is. But to use my innocent niece? You are pieces of shit. We have all the evidence. Kept every single screenshot of your fake profile and all correspondence in between." Justice Stephen Robb said it was unreasonable for MetLife to discount Dr Durrell's considered opinions. A MetLife claims assessor emailed his team leader in 2014 to say Dr Durrell's opinion should be preferred to their own expert based on his extensive history with Ms Hellessey, and there was strong support for a finding of total and permanent disability. "MetLife gave undue weight to initial expressions of medical opinion such as [psychologist Rodney] Ward's statement that he would 'like to remain optimistic'," Justice Robb said.

"If one looks at her illness history, the continuing functional impairment she suffers and her modest only response to treatment, then Ms Hellessey clearly has very significant limitations in terms of her capacity for work." Slater and Gordon senior lawyer Sarah Snowden said Ms Hellessey was relieved by the outcome after six years of battling for her condition to be recognised. "It doesn't change her circumstances or the stresses that she goes through day to day but she was glad that this was brought to an end," Ms Snowden said. A MetLife spokeswoman said it was against company policy and values to invent false Facebook profiles and it had not occurred in this case. "MetLife drew upon Facebook evidence at the hearing which had been produced on subpoena by Ms Hellessey and not by 'surveillance' or other covert means," the spokeswoman said. "MetLife is an ethical insurance company that always operates in good faith and is committed to paying every genuine claim and making the process as easy and caring as possible."
An elderly woman who disappeared after going for a short drive on the Gold Coast on Friday afternoon has been found.

The 91-year-old woman was last seen about 3.45pm leaving a Beachcomber Court address at Burleigh Waters but did not arrive at her nearby destination.

Police and family had held concerns for her welfare as her disappearance was out of character.

However, the woman was found in Tweed Heads just before 5pm on Saturday.

A police spokeswoman would not provide further details regarding the circumstances behind the woman's disappearance.
A juvenile gang war is believed to be behind a fight which broke out near a fast-food restaurant in Brisbane CBD on Saturday night, according to police.

Police said a young man was "jumped" by several people near the McDonald's on the corner of Elizabeth and Albert Street about 11.30pm and was bleeding from the head when emergency services arrived.

The victim was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital as a precaution.

Two juveniles were assisting police with their inquiries as the investigation continues.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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A 64-year-old paddle boarder has been plucked from the sea off Rockingham in an early morning rescue on Saturday.

Perth Water Police said a Mayday call was received around 8:40am after a man was spotted in the water near Penguin Island, just off the coast of Rockingham.

The Rockingham Volunteer Sea Rescue Group plucked the man from peril. Credit:Rockingham Volunteer Sea Rescue Group

Water Police and the Rockingham Volunteer Sea Rescue Group swung into action and the man was taken aboard a rescue vessel, explaining he had come off his paddle board.
On your marks, get set... pull over, and show me your driver's license.

A Perth rev-head has had his newly purchased power ride impounded after police allegedly caught him drag racing another car on Friday night with his five-year-old child in the front passenger seat.

Police pulled the car over. Credit:WA police

Police said the man from Spearwood was seen at a set of traffic lights at the intersection of Spearwood Avenue and Barrington Street in Bibra Lake around 6:55pm in a Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo sedan beside another Ford sedan.

Police will allege when the lights turned green the driver put his foot down, causing the rear wheels to lose traction before accelerating the high performance car through the intersection above the speed limit with the other Ford doing the same.
Helicopter pilot John French was flying along the remote Montgomery Reef in WA's Kimberley region when he spotted something very large and very dark on a wide patch of sand exposed by slack tide.

After taking the chopper in for a closer look, he saw the big lump was a dead whale that had become beached and a single saltwater crocodile approaching the carcass ready for an enormous meal.

The crocodiles are utterly dwarfed by the whale carcass they're feasting on. Credit:John French

"He [Mr French] flew right close to have a look and the smell was just atrocious," Adrian Crook, Director of Kas Helicopters and Mr French's employer, said.

Mr Crook returned with Mr French in the chopper the next day to have another look, this time with a tour group on board, and the scene made for incredible viewing.
Legislation to allow up and coming WA businesses to access Crowed-Sourced Equit Funding y has come in to effect and local entrepreneurs are excited at the acceleration this change could bring.

The CSEF legislation enables entrepreneurs to use a crowdfunding approach to raise up to $5 million dollars a year from investors in return for equity in the company.

WA companies can now seek crowdfunding.

Previous regulatory requirements in Australia limited the use of crowd-sourced equity funding, which often prevented small companies from advancing their ideas.

Miles Burke, founder and managing director of Perth-based tech startup 6Q, is pleased to see the equity crowdfunding legislation come into effect.
San Francisco: The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a motion to "quash or narrow" three search warrants filed by the US Department of Justice that seek to obtain details of anti-administration activist Facebook users.

The search warrants, requested by prosecutors in Washington, are part of the US government's investigation into Donald Trump's Inauguration Day demonstrations that injured police and damaged property in an area of downtown Washington.

A protester burns a Donald Trump shirt during a demonstration in downtown Washington on January 20. Credit:AP

The suit was filed on behalf of three activists who were administrators and moderators of the Facebook page DisruptJ20 which organised protests for January 20. The warrant covers their personal Facebook pages as well as DisruptJ20, now named "Resist This".

DisruptJ20, along with thousands of other organised protest groups, were prominent on the day with organiser Legba Carrefour, a self-proclaimed "rather glam anarchist", declaring that "the idea is to shut down access to the parade as much as possible".
Bali: Balinese authorities have warned anyone who visits the peak of Mount Agung volcano is putting lives at risk after a group of priests trekked to the smouldering summit to make offerings.

One of the priests, Jero Mangku Ada, told Fairfax Media a god spoke to him when he was staying at an evacuation centre in Puri Boga and told him to go up and make an offering.

Balinese priest Jero Mangku Ada in his sacred room at his home in Temukus village in the Besakih area, 6km from the summit of Mount Agung. Jero Mangku Ada climbed to the crater yesterday after being asked by the gods to make an offering. Mount Agung is threatening to erupt. 30th September, 2017. Credit:Kate Geraghty

The National Disaster Management Agency has repeatedly urged people to stay away from danger with signs marking an exclusion zone of between nine and 12 kilometres from the summit.

"That zone is forbidden, that is very dangerous," spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told Fairfax Media.
An entertainer named Cardi B shared a video of the strip club she used to work at. The video shows the kindness of the strip club which collected supplies to aid disaster relief in Puerto Rico hit by Hurricane Maria.

By India Today Web Desk: It has been more than a week since Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc in Puerto Rico. Maria smashed poles and killed power lines and flooded electricity-generating plants.

Puerto Rico's health care system is suffering form the aftermath of Hurricane Maria as hospitals and clinics grapple with crippling losses of power, fuel and medical supplies.

Maria has left 3.4 million people in powerless Puerto Rico.

A man stands inside of a destroyed supermarket by Hurricane Maria in Salinas, Puerto Rico: Reuters

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It is described as the strongest storm to strike the US territory in almost 90 years.

Hurricane Maria's strong winds ripped roofs off houses and uprooted trees on the Caribbean island and cutting power across the entire island.

Several people have come together to help the Puerto Ricans with supplies.

Entertainer Cardi B on Twitter shared a video of a strip club she used to work at which collected supplies for Puerto Rico.

Look what the strip club I used to work at collected for Puerto Rico ???????? pic.twitter.com/sKy8YWDzbD- iamcardib (@iamcardib) September 29, 2017

Cardi B is asking for help on Twitter with supplies to aid disater relief in Puerto Rico.

By 10/5, we must fill this plane w/ supplies to aid disaster relief in Puerto Rico & can only do it with YOUR help. https://t.co/J2F4FRWVbO pic.twitter.com/zVoR94TpGd- iamcardib (@iamcardib) September 29, 2017

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New Delhi: The young student fretting about exams and the marks he needed to secure a good job received some advice from a kindly "uncle". He was told not to overdo the studying and instead to get out, play sports, and divert his mind.

"Exams are not everything. You, young Indians, should take up hobbies and travel to widen your horizons. Do something outside the box."

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June Credit:AP

The "uncle" dispensing advice was Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Every month since he took office in 2014, Modi has been having a "fireside chat" with ordinary Indians through the Mann ke Baat (roughly translated as Heart to Heart) radio program.

People write in with questions or suggestions. Out of the thousands received, some are selected. Then, on the national radio network, Modi spends half an hour responding.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson shakes hands with China's State Councilor Yang Jiechi during a meeting in Beijing. Credit:Lintao Zhang Those conversations have had significant success, particularly in recent weeks as North Korea has tested another nuclear weapon and ballistic missiles, officials said. So pervasive is the diplomatic campaign that some governments have found themselves scrambling to find any ties with North Korea. When Vice President Mike Pence called on one country to break relations during a recent overseas visit, officials there reminded him that they never had relations with Pyongyang. Pence then told them, to their own surprise, that they had $2 million in trade with North Korea. Foreign officials, who asked that their country not be identified, described the exchange.

The directive was not made public at the time it was signed, following a policy review in March, because "we were providing every opportunity as a new administration to North Korea to sit down and talk, to take a different approach," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door policy decisions. Lines of communication Tillerson said the communication with North Korea was happening directly and cited two or three US channels open to Pyongyang. "We can talk to them. We do talk to them," he said, without elaborating about which Americans were involved in those contacts or how frequent they were. The goal of any initial dialogue would be simple: finding out directly from North Korea what it wants to discuss.

"We haven't even gotten that far yet," he said. Tillerson's remarks followed a day of meetings in Beijing, which has been alarmed by recent exchanges of war-like threats and personal insults between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump. "I think the whole situation's a bit overheated right now," Tillerson said. "I think everyone would like for it to calm down. "Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That'd calm things down a lot." South Korean officials have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on October 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on October 18.

North Korea is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland. It conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has threatened to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. US officials including Tillerson say Beijing, after long accounting for some 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, appears increasingly willing to cut ties to its neighbor's economy by adopting United Nations sanctions. Tillerson said he believed China's more assertive posture was due to its realisation that North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities had advanced too far. "I think they also have a sense that we're beginning to run out of time, and that we really have to change the dynamic," Tillerson said. The goal of the sanctions would be getting North Korea's Kim to view nuclear weapons as a liability, not a strength.

Still, the US intelligence community does not believe Kim is likely to give up his weapons program willingly, regardless of sanctions. "[Tillerson's] working against the unified view of our intelligence agencies, which say there's no amount of pressure that can be put on them to stop," Senator Bob Corker told a hearing at the chamber on Thursday. Kim sees nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as "his ticket to survival," Corker said. Tillerson agreed that Kim's nuclear and missile programs were aimed at ensuring his own security, and renewed assurances that the United States did not seek to topple Kim's government. "Look, our objective is denuclearisation [of North Korea]. Our objective is not to get rid of you. Our objective is not to collapse your regime," he said.
San Francisco: I moved to the US in 2008 for the Obama oasis of opportunity, innovative discourse and a chance to take my sustainable business to new heights.

My family has thrived on a generous community of smart, caring Americans always encouraging us to strive higher with new ideas.

Volunteer lawyers greet arriving passengers in New York earlier this year as Donald Trump's travel ban heralded an immigration crackdown. Credit:AP

Yes, the USA is a land of extremes and the discrepancies in wealth, education and health are hard to grapple with, but to be honest the Bay Area is a bubble largely isolated from middle 'Merica.

I was briefly catatonic when Trump got in. I marched with the women and with scientists against discrimination. I stayed home for the Day Without Immigrants and followed each Trump roll-back with dismay, but I found solace in reasonable northern California.
Have they touched you too? Are you one of the persons who have benefitted from their unselfish loving kindness and wisdom? Or, have you been moved by what others told you about the way they went out of their way to help those who lost homes and loved ones after the passing of Hurricane Irma?

I am referring to those ordinary Saint Martinoise and Sint Maarteners (St. Martiners), inhabitants of our bi-national island of Saint Martin & Sint Maarten, whose ethical and moral behaviour in the aftermath of that category 5 typhoon is nothing short of saintly. They were the first to share the little that they had, after they had lost much or most of what they had, with their neighbours. They were the ones who sternly yet respectfully addressed those who took stuff from businesses and homes that did not belong to them. They were the ones who began to clean up the rubble, and encourage others to make their neighborhoods habitable again.

These St. Martiners, and I employ that term in this piece to include everyone that resides here regardless of their status or ancestry, arent renowned intellectuals, political hot shots, or well positioned philanthropists tied to charities or NGOs with clout; the good deeds of the latter are sufficiently heralded, as they should be; in a similar vein that one should not romanticize the poor as always virtuous, one should not immediately doubt or depreciate the good intentions of the well off. Those of whom I speak, those who are the focus of this piece, are men and women and their children who despite working hard and long hours barely make ends meet at the end of the month. Sometimes they are undocumented working to make the purgatory-like conditions their families face in their impoverished homelands a bit more bearable. Structurally they are exploited and rendered socially invisible except when a scapegoat is needed.

And the general sentiment seems to be that a sacrificial victim is needed right now. When one translates all the vehement comments one hears on street corners, reads on social media, or picks up from political representatives and opinion makers, one can discern that the blame game is on. That means that someone or some group of persons are being assigned the role of agents of the coming economic crisis.

It is an understatement to say that St. Martin is in shambles. Many businesses will not reopen. Many will be out of a job. There is a fear that the island will not be the darling of western tourists after the negative media coverage on CNN of the looting and incompetence of the government apparatus. No amount of hurray and positive talk about speedy recovery and our island bouncing back can change this.

We arrive at this realization when we take the time to recognize that matters werent picture perfect prior to hurricane Irma. We were facing an economic crunch, there was a moral malaise whereby the gap between the well to do few and those St. Martiners struggling was widening, and generally the population was becoming well-adjusted to indecency. Lest we forget, we were being called to do some soul searching on a collective and individual level.

Those who were performing that role of calling us to order are exactly those persons who are today exemplifying that saintly behavior. I speak from experience having had the good fortune of receiving help and intellectual guidance by some of them. It was a Dominican woman, a cleaner in her fifties who would occasionally babysit my daughter and who would rather remain anonymous, who took the time to help me clean out my house and move the little valuable items that remained after the hurricane destroyed my home. I did not ask for her help. She simply heard of my loss and came. It must have been quite a sight to behold seeing us, differing in age and class and ethnicity, sweeping, mopping, lifting rubble, and sharing the little that we had. And as her small apartment became a shelter, it was a set of undocumented women and men who came and pitched in (this is the category that is now being told to leave the island as they were supposedly the only ones doing the looting!). My point should not be misconstrued as distinguishing the virtue of newcomers versus the moral indifference of the oldcomers. The categories are often blurred and intertwined. An example of this is that a recently arrived newcomer from Jamaica and her local St. Martin husband immediately offered shelter to my family after our house was devastated. I could go on furnishing illustrations, but I think you get the point. Those who exhibit saintly behaviour are a multicultural bunch.

Let me end this by sharing with you some of the wisdom I was privy too conversing with the Dominican lady while we cleaned up the mess. I share it with you, as it is an echo I have heard throughout the island, visiting the many families that are suffering. On the matter of assistance from The Hague and its possible colonial implications, she was practical. She understood when properly explained the line of argument of intellectuals such as Levi Gahman and Gabrielle Thongs of the University of the West Indies that the colonial wrongs in terms of gender, class, racism, and governments still emulating the ruthlessness of the political ancestors of the current North Atlantic powers, are still felt in the region and as a consequence exacerbate the effects of hurricanes such as Irma and Maria. She would say por supuesto (of course), but then go on to furnish personal stories that boiled down to helping me realize that the legitimations of racism, gender inequality, and treating the poor as footstools, were on the defensive. Those who still harbored racial hatred and contempt could not proudly proclaim it as they did when she was growing up. It was important to recognize that some progress had been achieved. Many were to use a popular urban expression, woke (aware and seeking to dismantle the unequal world we inhabit). Her dealings with the Dutch Marines on island, to give a pertinent example, was one in which she was able to see that while some implicitly behaved as though the islanders were childlike, most genuinely sought to establish a relationship and wanted to help. Her station in society, a domestic and Jane of all trades focused on making sure her offspring would have it better than she did, made her a keen observer of behavior. She looked at what an individual did, minimizing the grip of categories such as white, black, neocolonist, etc. that as useful as they maybe can sometimes render us captives of generalizations. She was critical of los Holandeses (the Dutch from the Netherlands) whom she equated with persons coming to deport hardworking friends of hers who unfortunately did not have the proper papers to be residing on SXM. But that generalization did not blind her from seeing and judging individual Dutch men and women based on their deeds. The world needed a restructuring whereby the categories of the law and nationality would not trump the dignity of men and women who were simply trying to lead a decent life.

Given that that was her dream, she disliked all abstractions that could lead men and women from acknowledging the life of every individual. For her it was matter of the goodhearted recognizing all their differences, coming together to rebuild St. Martin. Those with technical expertise in the field of economics, politics, and social dynamics, ought to consult practical men and women and children like her when coming up with viable plans. The reconstruction of St. Martin is not about solely providing food, building materials, and water, but more importantly about creating a society where all will be treated with dignity. To arrive there thinking outside the box is not sufficient. One will have to think outside of the known universe of cherished solutions.

Her dream is shared by many on the island, throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the French Republic, the wider Caribbean, and dare I say the world. If we listen to them, we will be less tempted to scapegoat in dire time and instead come together to come up with practical solutions issuing a different political structure and society.

Francio Guadeloupe
AIRPORT:--- The Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) is set to start operations as of October 6th 2017. According to information provided to SMN News management of PJIAE has decided to open for commercial flights for all airlines that want to resume flying to St. Maarten.

While PJIAE will resume operation, the terminal building will remain closed as the entire roof of PJIAE terminal building has to change. SMN News understands that PJIAE suffered over $100M in damages and the repairs to the roof have not yet begun. It is further understood that the damage assessment is not yet completed neither can the bidding for the roof repairs begin. SMN News learned that PJAIE building was flooded during the passing of hurricane Irma and Maria and each time rain falls the airport terminal building is drenched with water.

Concessionaries at PJIAE are up in arms because they claim that while PJIAE building is fully insured, they have no private insurance for their merchandise. Reliable information reaching SMN News states that the concessionaires are claiming that while members of the public are not allowed to enter PJIAE premises they are losing merchandise. They alleged that even liquor is being stolen from the liquor store and believed that these merchandises are stolen by the marines that are currently occupying the airport.

Another hindrance is the lack of information to the concessionaires who chose to keep their merchandise in the damaged terminal building and to date have not taken the necessary precautions to remove their merchandise from the badly damaged terminal building. Efforts made to reach PJIAE management on Thursday has proved futile however, SMN News learned that management of PJIAE met with the Council of Ministers on Thursday to fully update them on their plans to reopen on October 6th.

No date set for restarting of commercial flights

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister responsible for Aviation Affairs Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher has re-iterated that no official date has been announced by government for the resumption of commercial flights into St. Maarten.

The Minister stressed that travelers need to be careful with any information unless it comes from the official source, in other words, the government of St. Maarten. She said there is some confusion being created by, among other things, airlines announcing dates that they hope to resume service to the island.

In some cases, airlines are allowing people to book tickets although the green light has not been given by government to execute commercial flights. We have stated before and will state again, the Princess Juliana International Airport has to meet various safety and operational regulations before it can handle commercial flights, the Minister said.

When we are at that point to accept commercial flights again, we will announce this and in due time. At the moment there is no date. We urge potential passengers abroad and at home to wait on official notification, she added.

Press Release from the Ministry of TEATT

SXM Airport expects to resume commercial flights within short despite damages of up to US$100 million

SIMPSON BAY:--- The Princess Juliana International Airport, (SXM Airport) suffered damages of up to US$100 million as a result of the destruction caused primarily by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, according to initial estimates revealed by Michel Hyman, acting CEO and COO of the airport.

"Our main concern was the safety of our employees, all of whom have been accounted for after the storms. We however mourn the death of Renaldo Benjamin, aka "Bambi" who worked as an independent contractor at the airport. Our heartfelt condolences to his family and all the loved ones he left behind. May his soul Rest In Peace," Hyman said.

"Several of our staff suffered material damages and we very much appreciate the fact that in spite of the personal difficulties they are going through, they have continued to work diligently to ensure that we resume commercial operations within the shortest possible time," Hyman stated, adding that SXM airport should be able to start receiving commercial flights within short.

"But as always, safety and security is our main priority; the safety and security of the passengers and of all the airlines servicing the destination. Hurricane Irma was a mega-storm that inflicted severe damages to the whole island and to our hub partners, Anguilla, Tortola and St. Barths, however together we will bounce back and regain our enviable position as the leader in Caribbean aviation and the award-winning, world-famous airport we were before the storms," Hyman said.

"As a matter of fact," he said, "KLM has already announced that it will start flying twice weekly to St. Maarten from Amsterdam with effect from October 29th with a stopover in Curacao.

"Similarly, Winair has indicated that if granted the necessary green light by the relevant authorities, it would introduce limited scheduled service to Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barth, Antigua, and St. Kitts as of October 1st."

"All these are very encouraging developments that point to the fact that everyone is eager to return to normal service to the traveling public."

According to Hyman, both the airside and the landside of the airport suffered damages. However, the runway has been cleared to allow for humanitarian and emergency flights, including the evacuation of thousands of people, many of them tourists, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

In spite of winds of up to 230 mph recorded at the airport during Hurricane Irma, all four jet bridges were severely damaged.

"There were extensive roof and water damage to the interior of the airport due to this. As a result, there was significant damage to equipment, but thankfully no structural damage has thus far been identified, Hyman said.

He disclosed that the entire perimeter fencing has been destroyed. The restoration of the fence is critical because no commercial aircraft would land without the fencing up.

There were minimal damages to the fuel farm and the Air Traffic Control suffered severe water damage. The Fire station however was totally destroyed, Hyman said.

"SXM Airport has full insurance coverage, including business interruption. All our structures and assets are fully insured. Based on our policy, our employees have nothing to fear about their jobs or their wages," Hyman stated, adding that the airport has retained the renowned Willis Towers Watson as its claims advocate.

"Neither do our creditors have anything to fear because we have enough liquidity to service our debts for the next 18 months," he added.

According to him, the airport is in the control of the Dutch military at the moment to guarantee safety and security.

"We will move temporarily to the current FBO building from where we will process arriving passengers and use our baggage sortation area for processing of departing passengers once commercial flights resume. We expect about five flights daily when this happens. However, the airport already receives daily cargo deliveries via Amerijet and the Dutch, French and U.S. military, bringing in much-needed relief materials," Hyman said.

"I want to thank the airlines and all other stakeholders that use our airport for their commitment and continued support during these difficult times. I am convinced that together we will be back stronger and better, ready to offer passengers an experience that will move them to keep coming back."

Press Release from the Princess Juliana International Airport
School board meeting fruitful

PHILIPSBURG:--- The opening of school is on track with the Minister of Education, Culture Youth and Sports vision and goal. On Friday October 29th, the School boards met with the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (MECYS), the honorable Silveria Jacobs and the MECYS Recovery Team for the final meeting before the reopening of schools. The school boards updated the recovery team on the status of the schools and the availability of teachers. The recovery team provided vital information on the school hours as well as the bussing of the students to and from school.

The majority of schools will be operational as of Monday, October 2nd. The Minister requested that the school boards request information from the parents on their status. We need the parents and school managers to be open about their status and situation so we can ascertain the feasibility of helping those that are most in need, the Minister said.

The Minister also added that the reason for the reopening of schools in a timely manner was to regain a sense of normalcy and structure as well as strengthen the socio emotional wellbeing of the teachers and students who were affected. The school boards have been requested to practice leniency on the uniform code for the coming weeks.

The school boards all provided information on the reopening of the various campuses, which have been listed, below:

Reopening of school

SPCOBE:

Asha Stevens  CHS - All grades  Monday, October 2nd, 2017

Helmich Snijders  CHS  All grades - Monday, October 2nd, 2017

Seventh Day Adventist School

Pre-Exam and Exam classes  Monday, October 2nd, 2017

SVOBE

Milton Peters College - Pre Exam, Exam Classes and VWO 4  Monday, October 2nd, 2017

Sundial School - Pre Exam and Exam Classes - Monday, October 2nd, 2017

FAVE  Academy/Academy PSVE and CAPE

Pre-Exam and Exam Classes - Monday, October 2nd, 2017 (7:30am  12:00pm)

The School Board of FAVE has introduced extended hours from 2:00pm-6:00 for students who are in need of a space to do homework and research using wifi. The implementation of the extended hours will be made known to the students by the school management.

MAC High

Form 1 (7:30am  12:00pm), Form 3 (7:30am  12:35pm) and Form 5 (7:30am 1:45pm) - Monday, October 2nd

Forms 2 and 4  Monday, October 2nd (10:15am  3:15pm)

MAC

Browlia F. Maillard  All Grades  Monday, October 2nd, 2017

John A. Gumbs Campus  All Grades  Monday, October 2nd, 2017

SKOS (St. Dominic High School)

Forms 4 and 5 and IB year 1 and 2  Monday, October 2nd, 2017

Forms 1,2 and 3  Wednesday, October 4th, 2017

SKOS (Catholic Primary Schools)

Sister Magda Primary School

Sister Regina Primary School

Sister Marie Laurence Primary School

Sister Borgia Primary School

St. Joseph Primary School

St. Dominic Primary School

All Grades  Monday, October 2nd, 2017 (Parents and students of the Sr. Marie Laurence will be notified on how the classes will be divvied)

Public Education

Oranje Primary School

Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School

Leonald Conner Primary School

Ruby Labega Primary School

Marie Genevieve de Weever Primary School

Prins Willem Alexander School

St. Maarten Vocational Training School

Pre-Exam and Exam Classes  Monday, October 2nd, Tuesday, October 3rd and Wednesday, October 4th, 2017 from 8:00am to 12:00pm

As per Thursday, October 5th, 2017, onward phase in other classes as classrooms and teacher readiness permits from 8:00am -2:00pm

The Charlotte Brookson Academy has commenced classes since Monday, October 23rd, and the school board representative informed the recovery team that the school has been in constant communication with the students.

The National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) is still being used as a shelter as it was previously stated that as of Wednesday, September 25th, the shelter would have been closed. Unfortunately, due to the delay in temporary housing, the institute is still being used as a shelter and subsequently, will not be made available in time to accommodate the students. The board and management of NIPA are requesting that the students do not visit the campus until its ready for operations. The Management will inform the students in a subsequent release on the date and time of the reopening. The University of St. Martin will also inform the students on the reopening of the institution in a subsequent press release as the information becomes available.

Press Release from the Ministry of ECYS
Gaval drove a 2021 Ford Expedition through a red traffic signal at about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 21, 2021, crashed into a 2014 Charger and then a 2011 Cadillac CTS driven by Nicholas Newman, who was killed.
By PTI: By Youssra EL-Sharkawy

Cairo, Sep 29 (PTI) Information technology is one of the areas where India and Egypt can work together as both the countries have the potential in that sector, Indias envoy to Egypt has said.

Ambassador Sanjay Bhattacharyyas comments came during a roundtable "Digitisation in India and Egypt" which was organised yesterday at the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), the cultural wing of the Embassy of India in Zamalek.

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The roundtable was part of the of MACIC Roundtable, a monthly seminar series involving youth, academicians, civil society on the issues of mutual interest between India and Egypt.

"Egypt is quite the market leader, very defiantly, the regional superpower in IT, the kind of developing that you have, the research infrastructure of the region, the kind of startups, the youth population that you have, these factors makes Egypt a natural leader," Bhattacharyya said.

He said the growing importance of the IT sector in India makes it as one to the areas in which India and Egypt can work together.

"I usually see digitalisation is connected to the aspect of increasing information and the great desire actually for everybody to have access to it. Connectivity in a broader information state is perhaps one of the key issues that digitalisation is trying to do," he said.

"Digitalisation and information technology in banking is very important as it increases the experience of customers and make money transfer much easier," said Tamer M Sadek, Group Head at Banque Misr, an Egyptian bank.

Professor Khalid Raza spoke about the importance of bringing Information technology and bioinformatics together.

"Bioinformatics is a very new area which is a combination of biology with IT. Information technology apps are solving some biological problems," said Raza, visiting professor, Faculty of Computer and Information Sciences in Ain Shams University. PTI YES MRJ

--- ENDS ---
Bir-Lehlu, Sep 30, 2017 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has sent a message of congratulations to the President of the Republic of Botswana, H.E. Ian Khama, on the 51st Anniversary of Independence Day.

"On behalf of the Sahrawi people and Government, I would like to express my sincere congratulations on the anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Botswana. I wish the brotherly people of Botswana success and prosperity," said the President of the Republic.

The President of the Republic thanked the President, the Government and the People of the Republic of Botswana for their firm support for the struggle of the Saharawi people for their right to self-determination, reflected in the recent speech of Republic of Botswana before the UN General Assembly.

The President of the Republic reiterated the Saharawi state's readiness to further consolidate and diversify the strong ties of friendship, solidarity and cooperation already existing between the two sisterly nations, and to promote them at the highest possible level in the interests of the two peoples and the peoples of the continent. (SPS)

062/SPS/TRA
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STAMFORD - At a Zoning Board meeting last week, Al Sgritta took advantage of the three minutes he was given to speak.

Between illustrated presentations of consultants hired by developers to persuade board members to approve their projects, the Glenbrook senior citizen had something to say about a request from Herald Realty.

The New York company is seeking a change in zoning district and an exception to the parking-space standard for the 32 apartments it is adding to its 94-unit building at 100 Prospect St., which has been converted from office to residential use.

Sgritta likened it to another downtown building.

Theres one on Clarks Hill that was built for housing and converted to office because that was needed, Sgritta said. Then there was no need for office space so it was converted back to condo. My big problem is, the more apartments you put in, what do we do about schools? Were running out of room.

He also wonders about sewage and water pipes, and other infrastructure capacities, Sgritta said.

Those are the problems that we in Stamford get taxed for and billed for  these things should crop up in your mind, he told zoning board members.

A planner with Stamford land-use consulting company Redniss & Mead responded.

Were confident that the building can take the (added sewage) flow, he said, citing calculations compiled by the company. In terms of school impacts  in this particular building, theyre all studios and one-bedrooms and there are no kids.

It was all anyone had to say about Sgrittas concerns.

The exchange illustrates residents long-held claim that developers too often get what they want in Stamford. Fed up with what they call overbuilding, residents have been showing up at City Hall hearings and neighborhood forums to oppose new developments and question the enforcement of zoning regulations.

Now that the Nov. 7 mayoral election is approaching, a number of residents have coalesced on a message - enough is enough.

Zoning regulations have been compromised, and zoning enforcement is not able to keep up with what appears to be irresponsible, on-steroids development, said Deborah Billington, a longtime Cove resident whose neighborhood activism spurred her to run for a Board of Representatives seat in November. I dont understand how the planning and zoning boards can allow this high-speed train to continue to run through Stamford.

But the projects, large and small, keep coming.

Last Monday night, for example, zoning board members took up an application by developer Randy Salvatore to build 25 detached houses and 37 townhouses on 4.5 acres on Colonial Road, a street so packed with multi-family houses that each night cars are parked bumper-to-bumper along the curb.

They heard details of a plan by RoeCo LLC and Saint Johns Roman Catholic Church to build a 212-unit apartment tower with about 8,000 square feet of retail space behind the Atlantic Street church.

Theres a proposal to raze a single-family house at 75 Euclid Ave. in the congested Cove and replace it with a three-unit condo complex, according to the zoning boards Sept. 25 agenda.

And then theres an application to add two units and six parking spaces to a historic house on 0.2 acre at 17 Belltown Road.

For its part, the Planning Board had on its Sept. 26 agenda a proposal to build a day-care center in a residential block on Long Ridge Road; an application to tear down the 40-year-old Burger King on High Ridge Road and build a bigger one with a drive-thru; a proposal for a tower of 177 studio apartments on Canal Street; and a day-care center for 40 children and 25 parking spaces at Hoyt Street and Dolson Place in the crowded downtown.

Its been that way for a while, said Stephen Garst of Springdale, vice president of the Stamford Neighborhood Coalition. There was a little time off for the summer and now everyone is back at it. It seems like they want to develop as much as they can, as quickly as they can.

With all of that going on, the coalition is growing, he said.

Theres been a call to arms, Garst said. We dont oppose all development. We think it should be thought out, have the proper infrastructure, and really look at the traffic impact. The other big impact is on the schools.

Some projects work, said neighborhood activist Paul Longo of High Ridge, citing one in the 700 block of High Ridge Road that divided a large lot into half-acres and built six houses.

Nobody complained about that because that was not overbuilding, Longo said. Its when development is not in character with the surrounding neighborhood that it becomes a problem.

Residents must demand that projects fit zoning regulations, he said.

Theres been too much changing the regulations to suit the project, he said. And enforcement is virtually non-existent. Drive down many, many of the side streets south of the Merritt Parkway and youll see they are reduced to one lane because of all the cars parked at the curb. A lot of it is because of illegal apartments. People break zoning regulations with impunity.

One- and two-family houses have become conversion properties, Billington said. Homes are compromised, streets are compromised, neighborhoods are compromised. It seems like quality of life is not a consideration.

Rents at most of the new apartment complexes are expensive, and the people who were displaced by them cannot afford to live in them, she said.

They end up living in situations where they are packed into homes, into makeshift apartments, she said, citing a large fire on the West Side on Sept. 25 that started in a room constructed illegally on a back porch.

There seems to be a mindset about development  the more the better, just keep building, and cast fate to the winds on roads, congestion, sewers, water and schools, she said.
By PTI: Lucknow, Sep 30 (PTI) Fake currency with a face value of Rs 16 lakh and the equipment to print them were seized after the arrest of five people involved in the international racket, police said today.

Some illegal foreign currency were also seized from them, the UP Police said in a statement.

Mushtaq Ahmed Khan Gojar, a resident of Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir; Praveen Kumar, a resident of Kanpur Dehat district; Pankaj Saini of Moradabad district, and Neeraj Saini and Gajendra Saini of Amroha have been arrested.

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"Pankaj Saini, Mushtaq Ahmed Khan Gojar and Neeraj Saini were arrested from Hasanpur in Amroha. Gajendra Saini was arrested from Moradabad, while Praveen Kumar was arrested from Gurugrams DLF Colony," the police said.

Police seized fake currency with a face value of Rs 15.13 lakh, half-prepared fake currency notes having a value of Rs 1.07 lakh, Rs 27,000 in genuine currency, one USD, Rs 500 Kyat currency, Malaysian currency in denominations of 5, 10 and 20, two Thai currency notes of 100 each, paper for printing the currency and ink.

Police have also recovered a computer, printer, Internet router, PAN card, identity documents, debit card and passport.

A case for counterfeiting currency-notes; using as genuine, forged or counterfeit currency-notes; possession of forged or counterfeit currency-notes and making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting currency-notes or bank-notes has been registered.

During interrogation, Gajendra told police that he had visited Bangkok twice and Malaysia once, and had met Zaid Khan alias Gulzar Khan, a resident of Karachi (Pakistan), a fake currency smuggler, police said. PTI NAV ABH

--- ENDS ---
Kamal Haasan and Shankar last worked together in the 1996 film Indian.

By Pramod Madhav: Actor Kamal Haasan annoucned that his next project would be with director Shankar and the movie would be named Indian-2.

Kamal Haasan announced at an event today that his next project would be directed by Shankar and produced by Dil Raju. The film, Indian 2, would be a sequel to Kamal and Shankar's last collaboration, Indian, which released in 1996 and became a blockbuster.

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Indian 2 would be made in Tamil and Telugu.

Kamal Haasan played a dual role in Indian, a 70-year-old father who was a soldier in Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army as well as a son who had compromised his ideology and become corrupt to survive. In the end, the older Kamal Haasan kills his son in an attempt to "clean the system".

The actor played a patriot in the film and with his recent political speeches, the announcement is being considered as another step towards his political aspirations. In fact, buzz is that Indian 2 could be Haasan's last film before he takes the political plunge.

ALSO WATCH: Politics is a crown of thorns, but I am willing to wear it, says Kamal Haasan on joining politics

--- ENDS ---
LINCOLN  Investigators have reached a resolution in the unsolved homicides of a sheriff and a small-town constable gunned down 80 years ago along an isolated ranch road in the Nebraska Sand Hills.

On Tuesday, the office of Attorney General Doug Peterson will hold a press conference to reveal the results of an updated investigation into the slayings of Boone County Sheriff Lawrence Smoyer and Albion Constable William Wathen. The men were shot to death June 17, 1937, on a two-lane sand road 25 miles northwest of Albion while investigating a complaint of a suspicious vehicle.

The officers had pulled over a Ford sedan with one passenger, but were met with gunfire as they exited their cruiser. Smoyer was quickly killed by a gunshot to the chest while Wathen was paralyzed by a bullet that struck his hip and apparently damaged his spine.

Wathen managed to fire multiple shots at the sedan as it pulled away. He then spent the next 25 hours on the ground before he was discovered. He died in an Omaha hospital four months later.

Wathen described the two assailants and the vehicle, which was later discovered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with stolen Nebraska plates and bullet holes from the constables revolver. The car had previously been reported stolen in Denver.

Despite developing two strong suspects, authorities never obtained sufficient evidence to make arrests or file charges in the case.

But the officers sacrifices havent been forgotten. In the 1960s, Wathens daughter installed a brass-and-granite marker at the site of the slayings, an effort that received a financial windfall after the late World-Herald columnist Tom Allan wrote about it.

Smoyer was a married father of six children. Wathen also was married and had two children. Relatives of the men gathered in Albion on the 80th anniversary of the killings to honor the officers and help dedicate a new memorial to fallen law enforcement authorities at the courthouse.

A joint cold-case investigation was undertaken in 2014 by the attorney general and Seward County Sheriff Joe Yocum, who had preserved records from the case he obtained in the 1990s. Authorities will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Boone County Courthouse in Albion.
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By PTI: Kottayam (Ker), Sep 30 (PTI) Kerala Congress (M), a former alliance partner of the Congress-led UDF, today extended its support to the Indian Union Muslim League candidate for the Vengara Assembly bypoll.

Addressing a press meet at his hometown Pala, Mani said the KC(M) support extended to IUML candidate K N A Khader should not be seen as a bid by his party to seek a re-entry into the UDF.

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IUML is a key partner in the UDF.

The KC(M) had quit the UDF in August last year after blaming a section of the Congress leadership for the rout in the Assembly elections held in May of that year.

Mani had extended his support to IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty when he contested from Malappuram in the Lok Sabha bypoll held on April 12.

Recalling the KC(M) support extended to Kuhalikutty in the Malappuram Lok Sabha bypoll, Mani said it was quite natural for his party to support the IUML candidate in the seat vacated by Kunhalikutty.

The IUML had sought the support of the KC(M) for its candidate Khader in the byelection scheduled on October 11.

It was necessitated following the resignation of sitting MLA Kunhalikutty on his election to the Lok Sabha from Malappuram in April this year.

The Lok Sabha bypoll was caused by the death of former union minister E Ahmed.

Mani said the KC(M) decision to support the IUML candidate is also influenced by the cordial relations his party enjoyed with Panakkad Thangal, the unquestioned leader of the IUML.

The KC(M) has not aligned with any front after severing its ties with the UDF. PTI TGB BN TRK

--- ENDS ---
ST. LOUIS  The Sudanese woman sat on the sidewalk making tea, her wheelchair stacked high with clothes and blankets nearby.

Her husband was next to her, eating sunflower seeds from a bag, cane by his side. The space they had made for themselves near Gravois and Gustine avenues was outlined by a few blankets, under the canopy of a large tree.

This is home for the woman, 51, and her husband, 67. At least it has been for the past several weeks.

The couple have been living in the Tower Grove South neighborhood for at least four years, but never in one location for very long. The refugees became homeless about a year after they arrived in St. Louis in September 2011, and have been reluctant to accept help.

The spot on the sidewalk is where Alvin Ferguson and St. Louis police Officer Larry Dampier found the couple during their recent rounds to check in on the citys homeless  a population scattered throughout the city, familiar faces living largely invisible lives.

For Ferguson and Dampier, its been a four-year partnership. Ferguson is a longtime outreach worker for St. Patrick Center, the regions largest homeless services provider. Dampier is a well-tattooed police officer whose role in addressing the homeless has transformed.

A few years before he teamed up with Ferguson, Dampier had been tapped by then-Police Chief Sam Dotson to address growing complaints about the homeless, especially a concentration downtown. Dotson said he thought Dampier, who has been with the force for 17 years, had the right temperament to handle a population filled with back stories of hardship, drug abuse and mental illness.

Being homeless is not a crime, but behaviors associated with it could be, Dotson said. We wanted to do something to change the trajectory.

Complaints from downtown residents and businesses were escalating. Disturbing the peace. Public urination. Drinking alcoholic beverages on streets and sidewalks.

Things were going good. I was writing four or five summonses a day, Dampier, 39, said. But as I was going along, I realized I was writing summonses to the same people. They werent going anywhere. The homeless were still there.

He began meeting with various groups with downtown interests including Bi-State Development Agency, which oversees public buses and trains; Downtown STL and St. Patrick Center, where he met Ferguson.

Ferguson, 62, asked Dampier if hed like to join him for a ride-along, not just around downtown but throughout the city.

It was eye-opening, Dampier said, and reconditioned him to be more of an outreach coordinator than law enforcement officer.

Ferguson said the key is trying to find out what got a homeless person to where they are now.

There has to be a rapport and getting to know them as human beings, Ferguson said. Theres an old saying that applies: Meet people where they are at.

Dampier, who like Ferguson is a military veteran, shares that sentiment.

I like to give these guys three or four warnings first, Dampier said. They are not drinking out of pleasure, but from addiction, and its a way to dull the pain or act as a substitute for the medication they can no longer afford or dont have access to.

But, he said, if they become belligerent or are causing a disturbance, or a complaint comes through the department, then discretion is not as wide.

Familiar faces

About a year ago, the city opened Biddle House in an old public market just north of downtown, creating a 24-hour homeless shelter operated by St. Patrick Center and Peter and Paul Community Services.

Its opening was meant to fill several gaps in homeless services, including providing a coordinated entry for the homeless to register for services, something that was scattered among dozens of agencies. Biddles day shelter replaced similar services offered by the Bridge Outreach, which closed its doors in June 2016. The city also needed a permanent spot for men to stay overnight as pressure mounted from neighbors to close a temporary emergency shelter in the gym of the 12th and Park Recreation Center.

And the city knew that its years-long battle with the Rev. Larry Rice to close his New Life Evangelistic Center was coming to an end and the 200 or so people who stayed there nightly would need services. Rice, who had been operating without an occupancy permit for nearly two years, shut his shelter at 14th and Locust streets in April, after 41 years.

With Rices shelter closing imminent, city leaders said there would be enough beds for the homeless throughout the citys web of agencies. Still, there are people who spend most of their time on the street. The citys last count of its homeless population, in January, came in at 1,336

Of those, 151 are chronically homeless.

These are the ones Dampier and Ferguson most often bump into, although they are always looking for new faces while checking in with familiar ones.

Hey, come here! Dampier shouted to a man from the passenger seat as Ferguson pulled his Ford Explorer over to the curb at a downtown park near Soldiers Memorial.

Where you been sleeping at? Dampier asked the man, as he stands a few feet away on the sidewalk.

Grandmas house. Shes been letting me stay there. They give him a bag of snacks. He assures the two men he is doing OK.

He has not been sleeping at Grandmas, Dampier said as they drove away, pointing out the mans dirty clothes and hair.

We have to take the temperature of the situation, Ferguson said. Often, a friendly face and a bottle of water are all thats needed. Those who have been living on the streets for a long time are often doing so by choice. They dont want to be part of a system they do not trust, one that has let them down or mistreated them in the past.

But eventually almost everyone comes around, Ferguson said. They get tired of run-ins with the law, have a spiritual epiphany or guys get too sick and too old to fight it alone. Timing is the key. Thats why its important for us to consistently be in touch.

As Ferguson and Dampier made their rounds recently, they drove by Soup Alley in Soulard, where about 25 men were gathered outside Trinity Lutheran Church. Coffee, eggs and soup are regularly served.

Hey, Michael, Dampier says to one of the men, who recognized Fergusons Ford Explorer and came to the window.

You got a hoodie? I need one bad, Michael said to Ferguson.

Well get you one, Ferguson assured him.

Turning onto Seventh Street, Dampier spotted a man drinking from an airplane liquor bottle at a bus stop. As Ferguson slowed down, the man on the bench tucked the tiny bottle behind him.

As a police officer, you have to gauge the situation and whether to take action, Dampier said. With a slight hand motion toward Ferguson, they continued on their route.

They headed toward midtown, and turned onto a tiny road off Vandeventer Avenue near where Highway 40 traffic rushed overhead. They found Dillion, a slender young man working on a bicycle. His encampment is hidden by a half wall and a thick grove of trees, the behemoth Ikea in the distance.

Dillion is in his early 20s, college-educated. But a few years ago, he fell away. He just wants to be left alone, Dampier said. In his mind, this is his reality and way of life.

Walking through Dillions camp, Dampier pointed to the rolls of wire the young man collects to sell for scrap metal.

Hes a good guy. A little bit of a hoarder, Dampier said as he looked around. The camp has been cleaned up by city crews several times, including large items such as washing machines, but it quickly fills up within a few days. Dillion wears headphones, a common accessory of the homeless. They help keep the voices at bay, Dampier said.

Driving down South Grand Boulevard, they eyed an older man pushing a Save-A-Lot grocery cart on the sidewalk in front of Compton Hill Reservoir Park. They pulled over to chat.

Got any potato chips? the man asked. Dampier nodded and gave him a snack bag, which included chips.

Another stop included the flood wall. Between the wall and the Mississippi River, Dampier and Ferguson found tents, clothes, hypodermic needles and mattresses. No one was there. They might have been shooed away or decided it was time to move on.

You always have to check these areas, Ferguson said. People return.

They drove by the old Greyhound station north of downtown and pointed to where the fence had been peeled back. Dampier shook his head, calling the vacant building one large communal Porta-Potty.

Not far away, they saw two women sitting on a retaining wall. The older woman, Samantha, had two cans of beer by her side. It was 11 a.m.

This is my first one of the day, she said as she held up one of the cans, her words badly slurred. And its not even open.

Samantha had been assaulted a few weeks earlier, and her face was still showing the signs. So was her left arm, a softball sized knot at the elbow, the entire limb reddish-black. A walker was in front of her. Dampier and Ferguson said it was there to help steady her after several drinks.

When you look at this, this is what gets you up in the morning, Ferguson said, clearly bothered by the condition of Samantha.

When are you going back to the hospital? Dampier asked her.

Never! she shouted. What the (expletive) are they going to tell me now?

Dampier grew agitated. The two have a history. He is still irked that she used nearby church grounds as a bathroom and that she continues to refuse help. But they drove on. They have done all they can this day. Samantha was intoxicated and angry, but not disturbing anyone.

Ferguson uses a street sheet to collect information on people, including name, race, age, gender and any illnesses or behavior that could indicate mental illness or substance abuse. A photo also is taken, if possible.

The priority is to get them into a unified system for housing, but it can be two to three weeks before a spot is ready for them. Once it is, a call is made to the cellphone number listed on their intake sheet, but its often not in service.

So we have to go looking for them, Ferguson said. The public often wants quick results, he said. But building relationships takes time. Getting people the help they need is not easy. And the people falling into and climbing out of homelessness is an endless cycle.

Its one in, two out, Ferguson said. A continuous stream of chronically homeless people.

An endgame

The number of homeless people in the city has not changed much over the past 10 years. In 2007, the city had about 50 more homeless people than today. There has been, however, a significant drop in the number of chronically homeless people, a hundred fewer than the 258 a decade ago. St. Patrick Center leaders say that is no accident. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development encourages giving priority to the chronically homeless for available housing. And the number of permanent housing options in St. Louis has increased over the past decade.

Dampier and Ferguson supported New Life shutting down, saying the shelter was more of an enabler than a reformer.

If you want people to sleep on the floor and never offer any service, thats Larry Rice, Dampier said. If you want a place to get two bologna sandwiches a day, thats Larry Rice. Youve got to have an endgame.

But with the closing of Rices shelter, it has become harder to keep track of the homeless population. Once concentrated downtown, those who are homeless are now finding refuge throughout the city. Dampier and Fergusons rounds take them north to Interstate 270 and Riverview Boulevard and south to Interstate 55 and Loughborough Avenue.

Seeing fewer homeless people around Rices shelter gives the community the illusion that they are gone, Dampier said. They didnt disappear.

The Sudanese couple, who speak little English and yield little cooperation, remain among Dampier and Fergusons biggest challenges. Some in the neighborhood have complained about them but, Ive heard from far more asking: What can we do to help? said Alderman Megan Ellyia Green.

Dampier said working with the homeless can be a slog, with victories small and slow in coming. But those living on the streets have to be checked on. They have to be told about available services. They have to know someone is looking out for them, even if it means sometimes overlooking the violations that they could be cited for.

They are like our children at this point, Dampier said. You have to talk to them and take care of them.

Because in the end, he said, everybody should have a comfortable place to stay. A place to call home.
What does it take for the St. Louis Police Officers Association to stop tolerating destructive antics inside its management offices? Someone under the direction of President Ed Clark and business manager Jeff Roorda is working overtime to drive a wedge between good cops and the community they serve.

On Tuesday, the union tweeted a link to the names of 46 St. Louis business owners and individuals who had signed a letter siding with those protesting the Sept. 15 verdict in the Jason Stockley murder trial. The letter, first reported in the Riverfront Times, stated that any economic or property damage they might suffer because of the protests is a small price to pay in the fight for justice.

We draw the line at property damage, which merits arrest and prosecution. But the people who signed the letter have every right to take this position and to question police crowd-control tactics without fear of reprisal.

For what its worth  a list of STL businesses that hate cops and sympathize with vandals, brought to you by a tabloid birdcage liner that hates cops and sympathizes with vandals, the association tweeted. The message later was removed without explanation.

The clear signal was that police officers should know who their enemies are. Take whatever action necessary. Dont feel terribly compelled to render quick assistance if these businesses call for help.

Given the current atmosphere, such talk is like throwing gasoline on a raging fire. The police departments integrity is on the line. Public trust is waning. Outrage is well-justified following the not-guilty verdict in the 2011 killing of suspected drug dealer Anthony Lamar Smith by Stockley, then a St. Louis police officer.

Stockley, who is white, was recorded as stating an intention to kill Smith, who was black, only seconds before doing so. In the eyes of many St. Louisans, the verdict suggests that police can behave with impunity, especially when the suspect is black.

Since the verdict, video recordings have shown officers taking overly aggressive actions against nonresisting detainees, including pepper-spraying them after they had already been restrained, as if to punish them on the spot. The associations tweet suggested police should add certain business owners as potential targets for retaliation.

Roorda, who says he was not the source of last weeks tweet, has gone off the deep end before. In July 2016, he suggested that President Barack Obama was responsible for the shooting deaths of five police officers in Dallas. He labeled Treasurer Tishaura Jones a cop hater and race-baiter.

Whenever the citys leadership needed a call for unity and healing, Roorda could be relied upon to sow division.

The unions tweet encouraged bad policing. If the police association has any interest in improving local law enforcements tattered image, the tweeters butt needs to meet the business end of the boot.
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I.  The image is among the most indelible of any American presidency: The commander-in-chief and first lady emerging with a wave from Air Force One.

Now, people outside the first family have a chance to re-create that shot, and get a behind-the-scenes peek at the worlds most famous Boeing 747. A new Air Force One replica, currently on display in Rhode Island and headed next to New York, meticulously re-creates many of the details inside the aircraft.

The Air Force One Experience is the brainchild of Ari Scharf, who says he hopes to inspire an appreciation for democracy, the right to vote and the United States.

This is a great asset to let kids know America belongs to them. Its a very, very sensitive time right now. Theres many people that feel theyre not included in this country, Scharf said. We have to do everything we can to get them engaged, to make them know their voice can be heard.

There are other ways to experience Air Force One: The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., for example, has an earlier, smaller Boeing 707 version on display. But Scharf said he wanted to re-create the current, 747 Air Force One, because it is a modern marvel that allows the president to travel within his own domain.

Inside the plane, visitors can peek inside the presidents bedroom, re-created here with two twin beds. They can imagine Cabinet secretaries gathered in a conference room, or the president sitting at his desk. A small sitting area serves as a mobile medical clinic. The second floor of the plane, including the cockpit, is off-limits.

We built this for kids, but were finding that adults are enjoying this as well. I didnt expect to see all these adults coming without kids, Scharf said.

While the 747 is fully functional, and Scharf would not rule out flying it sometime, it is due to travel by barge to New York.

Still unfinished is the back of the airplane, in an area where the press sits on the real Air Force One. The replica will instead use the space for a learning center for school groups, Scharf said. The work should be finished before it opens in New York at a yet-to-be announced location next summer, Scharf said.

Only the president and his family are allowed through the front door of the real Air Force One. Perhaps thats why the front door seemed to be the biggest attraction one recent day. Visitors snapped selfies of themselves and got one another to pose in front of the presidential seal.
The pictures of the victims, with numbers on their foreheads, were put up on a flex board at the KEM Hospital to expedite the process of identification.

By Press Trust of India: Authorities at the KEM hospital have come in for severe criticism for marking numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims and putting up their pictures on public display.

The hospital claimed the measure was taken to "avoid chaos". The pictures of the victims , with numbers on their foreheads, were put up on a flex board at the hospital to expedite the process of identification , it said.

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The move created outrage on social media with people lambasting the hospital for its insensitivity.

"Is KEM hospital affixing nos on bodies of deceased to identify & count the dead? So terrible! No respect! (sic)" tweeted a user.

"Stampede is depressing! What is more depressing is the attitude of authorities towards the dead bodies! (sic)" another Twitter post read.

The hospital said it would have been a "big mental trauma to make all the relatives see all 22 bodies " for identification.

'NUMBERS WERE ERASED LATER'

"It would have become a chaotic and hectic exercise," said Dr Harish Pathak, head of the forensic science department of the KEM hospital.

He issued a statement late in the evening to defend the hospitals decision.

"Hence, we took photographs of all the bodies, numbered them and displayed them to the relatives on a laptop screen" and a flex board thereafter, reads the statement.

The numbers were erased after the autopsies, it said.

He even went ahead and claimed it would be unjustified and unwise to criticise the scientific method adopted by the hospital for "speedy, honourable and smooth identification" of the victims.

Also watch: Mumbai: 22 dead, over 30 injured in stampede at Elphinstone station

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Pakistan's top civilian and military leaders have expressed serious concern over repeated violations by India of the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control.

The meeting of the National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday, also condemned the Indian atrocities against the people of Indian-Occupied Kashmir.

Many people have been martyred in the shelling by Indian forces along the LoC, the NSC said in a press statement.

PM Abbasi also took the committee into confidence over his recent visit to the US, while participants were also briefed on his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

"The committee was informed that the prime minister, in his meeting with UN secretary-general, had handed over a dossier documenting the systematic human rights violations by India in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and stressed the need for appointing a Special Envoy on Jammu and Kashmir" according to the press statement.

Ministers for finance, foreign affairs, chairman JCSC, all three Services chiefs and senior civil and military officials.

During the meeting, the committee was also informed that the Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had visited key regional countries, including China, Iran and Turkey to apprise their leadership of Pakistans perspective on crucial regional and international issues.

The statement read: "the committee also reviewed the current developments in the relationship with Afghanistan as well as common avenues for continued cooperation, especially border management and repatriation of refugees."

The committee participants reiterated its commitment towards peace in Afghanistan.

Moreover, the committee expressed its unwavering resolve to keep Pakistans defence impregnable against all forms of external aggression.
Seven terrorists belonging to the militant group Babbar Khalsa International have been arrested in Ludhiana.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Seven terrorists belonging to the militant group Babbar Khalsa International have been arrested in Ludhiana in a joint operation by the Punjab Police and the counter intelligence team.

The police also recovered 3 pistols and 33 cartridges from their possession.

According to the Ludhiana Police Commissioner, these terrorists were in contact with Surinder Singh Babbar, a terrorist based out of England, through Facebook and were being funded by him.

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The Ludhiana top cop added that these terrorists had plans to target people who were writing against the Khalistan movement, but due to the police's timely intervention, their designs were thwarted.

Pistols and cartridges seized by the police. Photo: ANI.

Earlier this month, the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorist squad (ATS) had arrested two Babbar Khalsa terrorists from Lakhimpur Kheri district .

The Babbar Khalsa International, also called Babbar Khalsa, is a banned terrorist organisation in India. It has been designated as an international terrorist organisation and proscribed also in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

WATCH VIDEO

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When the Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh some months back in the northeast there were serious objections from the Chinese leaders who termed it as a provocation.

By Indo-Asian News Service: The Dalai Lama is to visit Imphal, the capital of Manipur, on October 17 to participate in an international peace conference.

This was disclosed on Saturday by Yumnam Khemchand, the Speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly during a brief public function.

Khemchand said that the Tibetan spiritual leader will grace a peace conference on October 18 which will be attended by religious leaders from some countries.

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The Speaker said that during his last meeting with the Dalai Lama in the national capital sometime ago he had requested him to visit Manipur, which was readily accepted.

Khemchand made the momentous announcement on the sidelines of launching an e-bicycle in Imphal. He said this bicycle will help in protecting the environment.

When the Dalai Lama visited Arunachal Pradesh some months back in the northeast there were serious objections from the Chinese leaders who termed it as a provocation.

Highly placed sources told IANS that this time India is not anticipating this kind of provocative statements from the Chinese leaders since there is no territorial claim over Manipur.

Officials said that a large number of Buddhist monks from Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries are likely to visit Manipur on the occasion.

There is no travel restriction between Manipur and these countries. Traders and business people have been participating all these years in the government sponsored fairs and other functions in Manipur. Police said that security measures will be beefed up ahead of the visit of the Dalai Lama.

ALSO WATCH | China shouldn't interfere in India's internal matters: Rijiju on Dalai Lama's Arunachal visit

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World Rivers Day on Today marks the opening of public access to the latest science information about the state of Bay of Plenty waterways.

The information on the Land Air Water Aotearoa website brings together environmental monitoring data from 16 regional and unitary councils across the country, and independently confirms its credible through independent verification by the Cawthron Institute.

It means everyone can access some of the countrys best science information and see what its saying about the state of our land, air and water over time, said Bay of Plenty Regional Council Science Manager Rob Donald.

The LAWA website is regularly updated throughout the year, but annual trends from lake, river and aquatic insect monitoring have been updated with 2016 data from today. A new land-cover section, that helps people explore the connection between land use and water quality, has also gone live for the first time.

The new land-cover module includes descriptions and extent of various types of vegetation, water bodies, built environments, and bare natural surfaces (such as gravel and rock) throughout the country. It also shows how these have changed over time.

The type and location of vegetation cover can influence land stability, says Rob. The amount of sediment and contaminants reaching our waterways and the movement of water through the landscape.

So its a useful part of the picture when people are trying to understand what impacts water quality, and what might need to be done to improve it, says Robb.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Local Government New Zealand Regional Sector Chairman Doug Leeder says it is increasingly important the public has up-to-date information on the quality of their waterways.

Having easy access to reliable information will create a greater understanding on the state of our waterways, help people make good choices about how they use them, and help support the changes that they want to see for their lakes and rivers, says Doug.

Freshwater Group Manager at the Cawthron Institute Dr Roger Young says LAWA is a world first initiative in making a wide range of environmental data for a whole country available to the public in one place.

LAWA is all about open, transparent access to data that everyone can trust. As independent validators, our role is to check that the data is collected, analysed and reported in the right way and can be trusted, says Roger.

A new LAWA live on World Rivers Day is land cover, which describes the types of vegetation and features that cover the lands surface, like forests, shrublands, grasslands, crops, urban areas, or roads. The type and location of vegetation cover can influence land stability, the amount of sediment and contaminants reaching waterways and the movement of water through the landscape.

By measuring land cover, we can start to understand the physical make-up of our landscapes and how they are changing, says LAWA Chair and Otago Regional Councillor Stephen Woodhead

The biggest factor impacting land change is caused by people and the health of waterways is directly related to what happens on the land around them, says Stephen.
A new phone and broadband providers launch party leaves Tauranga local smiling from ear-to-ear, with massive prizes up for grabs.

The Hawkes Bay-based company NOW officially launched in the Bay of Plenty today at their new store located on 116 Devonport Road.

The launch party had plenty of fun activities like face painting, barista-made coffees, a candyfloss machine and a sausage sizzle.

There were also chances to win massive prizes such as, organic and locally produced hampers, gift cards, a smart light bulb, doorbell, online security pack, amplifi mesh router, free NOW Techspert In-Home visits, years free broadband, and a home theatre system valued at $3,200.

NOW CEO Hamish White says they have been working on setting up an office in Tauranga for almost a year now and it was great to see the Tauranga public there to support the launch.

Weve become quite famous for challenging the rules and championing our customers, he says.

Weve got this inherent belief that customers deserve more, and we are looking forward to bringing Tauranga what Hawkes Bay has enjoyed for five or six years now.

Were also about local and we take the relationship between the local communities very seriously- weve partnered with local IT providers, worked with local suppliers, employed local people and have launch this local store that we are very proud of.

He says he hopes that everyone who came along to the launch and NOWs future Tauranga customers feel welcome in the new space.

The team at NOW is really excited to be rolling out in to Tauranga as we cement our vision to bring the possibilities of our customers digital worlds to life, he says.

We cant wait to help more customers wrangle the technology theyre struggling with at home, and to help businesses realise their digital capabilities.

NOW has over 12,000 customers and more than 70 staff, with offices already in Hawkes Bay, Rotorua and Wellington.
Arts and culture have an important role to play in helping cities like Tauranga reach their potential in the 21st century.

Thats the opinion of Wellington advertising agency chief executive Peter Biggs, who came to speak to key stakeholders in the Western Bay of Plentys Arts & Culture Strategy.

Peter, who is also chair of the New Zealand Book Council and a former chair of the Arts Council of New Zealand, spoke to a group of invited guests at Maungatapu Marae on Tuesday afternoon, including representatives from local iwi, Tourism Bay of Plenty, Creative Bay of Plenty, The Incubator, and Tauranga Society of Artists.

His talk looked at how changing times and technologies means creativity will be more important than ever in driving economic growth, now and in the future.

We live a strange century. Everything is changing dramatically, he says. Who wouldve thought, 10 years ago, that the biggest accommodation provider in the world today  Airbnb  wouldnt own any hotels? Or that the worlds largest taxi company, Uber, wouldnt own any cars?

He also stresses the need to look beyond the concept of countries, and to see the world as more like a network of cities.

This is the century of the city. One million people move from rural areas into cities every week across the globe.

Peter is a fan of magnet cities  cities that attract the best and brightest people to live and work there. Arts and culture, he says, are a part of that attraction.

In the past, economic fortune made culture possible. But now, it is culture that makes economic fortune possible.

He points to Tel Aviv as an example of a city with a definable identity  the city that never stops  and how this culture is built into its bylaws and structures. He says 120 years ago it was just desert, and now its the most vibrant city in Israel.

After speaking at the marae, Peter also attended a networking event with Priority One in the CBD.

Arts & Culture Strategy development steering group chair Sonya Korohina says feedback has been received from the community, and soon theyll have a document to present to Tauranga City Council.

It consists of 30 actions to promote arts and culture in the region, each with corresponding lead and support agencies.

We had over 600 submissions on our Arts & Culture Strategy, compared with just 400 for Aucklands one. Were really excited about the depth and diversity of the community engagement.

The Arts & Culture Strategy will be presented to the council on November 14.
The 37th mortal victim of gender violence in Spain this year is Rosa Maria S. P., 20. The woman from Cartagena was stabbed on Monday at around 11.30am, one hour after reporting her ex-boyfriend for harassment.

Former partner, Adrian S. C., 22, arrested in connection with the death, was found hiding on an adjoining property's balcony. The accused, from El Palo in Malaga, is said to have travelled to Cartagena with the intention of rekindling their relationship which she had ended months previously. However, when friends told Rosa Maria S. P. that they had seen her former partner in the city, she went with her father to the Guardia Civil to make a complaint against him.

Returning home alone, Rosa Maria S. P. was confronted by her ex who had apparently entered via the rear balcony using a ladder he had just bought at a hardware shop. According to sources close to the investigation, after a heated argument, he is alleged to have stabbed her in the chest and the neck, with knives he had also just purchased, the latter blow proving fatal.

Police, alerted by the screaming, tracked down the accused to a nearby balcony. On being discovered, Adrian S. C. started to self harm before throwing himself off the balcony, six metres to the ground, where he was arrested.
Rincon de la Victoria's annual Fiesta del Boqueron Victoriano was cancelled last Friday, on the day it was due to start, as a mark of respect to resident Jose Manuel Calleja, 62, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while on holiday in Cantabria in northern Spain.

A group of 42 people from La Cala del Moral, which is part of the Rincon de la Victoria municipality, had travelled to La Isla hotel in Cantabria with an organised trip through two local residents' associations. On Thursday reports came through that one person had died and five others were in critical or serious conditions in hospital in Santander.

On Friday evening 35 members of the group travelled back to La Cala del Moral by train and were met by Rincon de la Victoria Mayor, Francisco Salado, who declared that the festival would be cancelled and that there would be three days of mourning in the town.

The mayor also said that the town hall would be placed at the disposition of all of those affected by the disaster and that assistance and psychological help would be offered.

Jose Calleja's funeral took place in La Cala del Moral last Sunday.
One of the biggest projects proposed by the Ciudadanos party in Mijas is one step further towards becoming a reality, as the council has now contracted the Cemosa and Ingenia companies to carry out a detailed study of all the residential developments in the municipality, so that they can be 'adopted' by the local authority. This audit of the 200 urbanisations will cost about 97,000 euros.

Details of the project were provided by the mayor of Mijas, Juan Carlos Maldonado, and the councillors for Town Planning and Infrastructure, Andres Ruiz and Jose Carlos Martin respectively, at a press conference this week.

The council agreed earlier this year that it should begin taking over the residential developments because everybody living in the municipality is entitled to benefit from the same services. It decided that the quickest way of doing this would be to divide them into sectors according to age.

The oldest ones will be studied first, to see what condition they are in, what will be involved in providing them with the services they need, and how much it will cost to adopt and maintain them.

The mayor pointed out that the local authority has made a 50 per cent saving by awarding the contract to these two companies. They now have three months to carry out the study, so by the end of December the council will have a fullpicture of what the project entails and can work out a timetable, although Jose Carlos Martin stressed that the rate of progress will depend on the funds available.

The first urbanisations to be studied will be those classified as 'urban' in the 1987 Urban Plan for the municipality, and that survey will cost 44,467 euros. Next it will be the turn of the developments classified as urban in the 1999 Urban Plan, at a cost of 26,010 euros, and finally those 'suitable for urbanisation' in the 1999 Plan will be studied, at a cost of 26,580 euros.

Gradual adoption

Everything has to be looked at in great detail and in accordance with the law. Our aim is to start taking the developments over in 2018, said Andres Ruiz, but we don't know how long it will take to adopt them all. That will depend on the results of the analysis of each sector, and the municipal budget.

The companies will produce a written description of the present condition of the residential developments, and details and costings of the services each one will need, including annual maintenance costs for street lighting and cleaning, rubbish collection, road resurfacing, paving etc.
By PTI: public

Shillong, Sep 30 (PTI) One person in Meghalaya?s South Garo Hills district sustained severe injuries after an MLA allegedly attacked him for asking uncomfortable questions in public relating to the developmental activities in his constituency, officials said today.

According to the FIR filed against the MLA at the Baghmara PS, Freedom Marak had sought answers from Samuel Sangma, a local legislator, over the tardy progress of development works in the town which angered him. The MLA, in a fit of rage, then started beating up Marak.

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Marak was left behind with a swollen face and blackened eyes.

Another resident was also allegedly beaten up though he could not muster enough courage to file a police complaint against the legislator.

South Garo Hills SP Abraham T Sangma said, ?We have received the complaint from one person who was allegedly beaten up by the MLA himself for questioning him.?

He added, ?The matter is currently under investigation and the person who was beaten up has been sent for a medical test."

Samuel was elected as an independent candidate from Baghmara constituency in the 2013 assembly elections. A third-time MLA, Samuel is supporting the Congress government in the state.

The incident and the photo of Marak went viral in the social network sites.

?We condemn the attack on an innocent victim who sought to know as a voter. He (MLA) has no right to beat him up,? Civil Society Women Organisation president Agnes Kharshiing said.

?A failed MLA should be taken to task and he should be arrested,? A Rangad, convener, Thma U Rangli u Juki (TUR), a progressive people?s group, said. PTI JOP JM

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Passenger rights Flight cancellation The right to reimbursement or alternative transport:Complete reimbursement within seven days, fastest alternative travel to destination or travel on another service. Service rights:Food, drink, calls, as well as accommodation and transfers if forced to stay overnight. It is recommended to keep receipts. The right to economic compensation:Based on distance, except for the following exceptions: being informed over two weeks in advance, being informed one to two weeks in advance but offered alternative transport or another flight, or if the cancellation occurs because of extraordinary circumstances which were unavoidable due to political instability, weather, safety risks, or strikes which affect operations. Flight delays Service rights:Food, drink, calls, as well as accommodation and transfers if forced to stay overnight. Delay of over 5 hours:Full reimbursement in seven days if the passenger could not travel; and full reimbursement plus soonest possible return flight. Compensations:250 euros if the flight, for which the destination is less than 1,500 kilometres away, is delayed over three hours; 300 euros if the flight is delayed three to four hours and is flying over 3,500 kilometres from within the EU to outside the EU; 400 euros if the flight is delayed over three hours and travels 1,500-3,000 kilometres, within the EU; 600 euros if the flight is delayed for over four hours and the flight distance is over 3,500 kilometres from an EU to a non-EU country. Loss or damage to baggage Responsible:The airline. Ask for a Property Irregularity Report from their desk. Window for complaint:7 days for baggage damage, 21 days for delay or loss. Any time after this and the complaint will be discounted. The compensation will be set based on the value of receipts.

The Malaga Consumers Union last week organised the Jornada sobre Reclamaciones Estivales in order to hear what the consumers had to say about flight cancellations and delays, as well as the treatment and compensation they received, if any.

Last Tuesday evening, Spanish airline Vueling cancelled two flights, one coming into Malaga and one leaving to Santiago de Compostela. This is not a regular occurrence, with the Malaga Consumers Union discovering that only 5% of the people surveyed had experienced a flight cancellation. However, what seems to be a daily incident is delays, with 56% of people reporting to have suffered flight delays.

With serious incidences, like those of last Tuesday, which Vueling attribute to general transport strikes in France, the company offers alternatives: in this instance, flying from Granada to Barcelona on Wednesday and then flying to Santiago the following day; or travelling there by bus.

Another revelation from the day was that when a flight is cancelled, there is usually no compensation. When asked, it was discovered that 80% of the people who had claimed back money for cancellations, delays, baggage losses, or extra costs, had not been reimbursed at all by the company. This is due to the fact that most customers who apply for compensation give up after the first failed attempt, essentially because the next step would be to go to court.

The intermediate step would be to use the Consumer Arbitration System, a tool which some independent companies and councils (72 in Spain, including Malaga) have to resolve issues between clients and service providers which avoids them going to court. The downside is that the majority of airlines are unwilling to take on this system, as it is voluntary.

High-quality tourism

The tourism sector must adhere to the Consumer Arbitration System because this high-quality tourism which we all strive for must have the tools in place for the customers to be able to defend their rights, the regional president of the Consumers Union, Juan Moreno, warned. He lamented this large deficiency that currently exists among airlines.

Regional representative for the Ministry of Equality, Health and Social Policies, Ana Isabel Gonzalez, agreed: To prove their loyalty to the tourists they have to respond to all incidences, no matter how small.

We have to encourage airlines to comply with the arbitration committees because its the easiest way of dealing with issues and, moreover, its free, stated Maria del Mar Martin Rojo, central government representative in Malaga.

According to figures provided by the union, among the 2,027 complaints lodged in the first six months, 98 are related to airlines, 63 to do with travel agencies, 68 with restaurants and 60 with hotels. In the case of the city og Malaga, the municipal offices of for customer support (Omic) has recorded 378 complaints, of which eight were related to travel agencies and 17 to transport in general.
ITHACA, N.Y. -- Peeping into windows. Lingering by locked doors. Walking into homes.

Those are kind of suspicious incidents police in Ithaca have investigated repeatedly during the past week in the city's east hill area.

The Ithaca Police Department and Cornell University Police have received multiple reports of men looking into apartment windows, hanging around the locked entrances of apartment buildings and entering homes, said Officer Jamie Williamson, of the Ithaca Police Department.

The suspect in every incident has been described as a male, Williamson said. But the descriptions are too varied to create a composite sketch, he said.

Police asked anyone with information about the incidents to call (607) 272-3245 or (607) 255-1111.
A former Cornell University student won a multi-million-dollar lawsuit Friday after being rendered physically disabled by a fatal 2012 crash, news outlets report.

An attorney involved in the case told reporters it may be one of the largest accident verdicts of its kind in United States history, according to the New York Law Journal.

Morgan Wang, of Brooklyn, suffered a fractured back and spinal cord when a vehicle she was riding in to Cornell crashed in Dryden, according to The New York Post.

The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Neil N. Sexton, then 23, went into the oncoming lane along Route 79 and crashed into a 2002 Chrysler minivan driven by Laraine Ericson, 59, of Newfield, on Aug. 20, 2012, The Post-Standard | syracuse.com archives state.

Myra F. Moran, a 94-year-old woman who was a passenger in the minivan, was rushed to Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca where she was pronounced dead. Ericson and her son were hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries.

Two passengers in Sexton's vehicle -- one being Wang -- were airlifted to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Sexton was taken to Cayuga Medical Center for cuts on his legs and hips.

Wang later sued Sexton for causing the crash when he fell asleep at the wheel, according to the New York Law Journal. The verdict came after a three-week-long jury trial in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Wang was awarded $60 million for future medical expenses, $6 million for future pain and suffering and $5 million for past pain and suffering, the Law Journal stated. She was reportedly unable to finish school at Cornell because of her injuries, according to the Post.

Her attorney, Ben Rubinowitz, told the Law Journal even though Wang's able to walk again, she will need continued medical and psychological treatment even five years after the incident.

"They are actually the needed costs to take care of her for the rest of her life," Rubinowitz said.
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By PTI: Nagpur, Sep 30 (PTI) Union minister Ramdas Athawale today said the Narendra Modi government is not anti-Dalit and asserted that reservation for the oppressed community will remain intact.

The minister of state for social justice and empowerment was addressing a function at the Deekshabhoomi where B R Ambedkar converted to Buddhism with thousands of followers on Ashok Vijaya Dashami in 1956.

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"Modi government is not anti-Dalit and reservation of the Dalits will be intact with no possibility of change in the Constitution. The prime minister, though a Hindu, is a follower of Gautam Buddha and Babasaheb Ambedkar," the Republican Party of India leader said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was present on the occasion, praised Ambedkar, saying the architect of the Constitution had contributed immensely to nation building.

"Ambedkar is our Rashtra Nirmata (creator of the nation) and has contributed immensely in the nation building," he said.

"There is no possibility of changing the Constitution (on reservation)," added the chief minister.

Echoing similar views, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said, "There is no question of changing the Constitution or removing reservations".

"We are determined to ensure social equality and welfare for the last person of the society," said Gadkari, who handles the transport portfolio.

Lakhs of devotees thronged to Deekshabhoomi to mark the 61st Dhammachakra Pravartan. PTI CLS NRB BSA

--- ENDS ---
A marine biologist says that he found a huge underwater sinkhole in Australia's Great Barrier Reef while using Google Maps.

Blue Holes

Also known as blue holes, these large marine sinkholes most often formed during the past ice ages when the sea levels were much lower. They were subjected to erosion from chemical weather and rain but the erosion ceased after they were submerged, leaving deep blue caverns.

Marine geologist Pete van Hengstum, from Texas A&M University at Galveston, explained that blue-holes are water-filled sinkholes that formed in carbonate rock, which eventually dissolves in the subsurface to form caves or cavities.

Blue holes with darker blue color tend to extend deeper below sea levels. Other examples of these marine sinkholes include the Great Blue Hole in Belize and the Dragon Hole in the South China Sea.

Spotted On Google Maps

Johnny Gaskell said that he found the anomaly of the deep, dark blue while looking satellite imagery of a stretch of the reef on the internet. He decided to conduct further investigations after spotting the deep blue hole on Google Maps.

"We decided to head far offshore, out further than our normal Reef trips to see what dwelled within," he shared on Instagram.

Gaskell and colleagues found a thriving ecosystem at the site. There were super elongated Staghorn Corals (Acropora) and huge Birds Nest Corals (Seriatopora) at depths between 15m and 20m. Gaskell claims these are the biggest and most delicate colonies he has seen.

The scientist also noted that the blue hole appeared to be totally unaffected despite that a Category 4 cyclone hit this region of the Great Barrier Reef just five months earlier.

"The position of this deep hole within the lagoon walls has obviously protected these corals for decades."

Australia's Great Barrier Reef In Danger

It is no surprise that such a large feature on the Great Barrier Reef can go undiscovered for a long time. The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 1,400 miles and covers an area of about 133,000 square miles, making it the largest structure on Earth created by living organisms.

The Great Barrier Reef, however, is in danger. Scientists reported that huge sections of the reef stretching across hundreds of miles of its northern sector is already dead. The phenomenon is attributed to hot seawater likely caused by global warming.

Illegal fishing and rapid coastal development are also being blamed for the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A team of researchers used a sniff test on a long-term study to determine the participants' capability to determine five specific scents. Participants with olfactory damage showed significantly larger chances of being diagnosed with dementia.

'Sniffin' Sticks' To Test Olfactory Damage

In 2014, a team of researchers used Sniffin' Sticks to measure participants' ability to identify certain scents. Sniffin' Sticks look like felt-tip pens that are infused with specific scents instead of ink. The results of that research revealed a link between olfactory damage and an increased risk of death within five years. Now the same team of researchers used the same method and well-validated tool but this time to find a link between olfactory damage and subsequent dementia diagnosis.

Researchers from the University of Chicago conducted the long-term study that involved 2,906 participants between the ages of 57 and 85. Participants were tasked to identify five distinct scents: peppermint, orange, rose, leather, and fish.

Among the participants, 78.1 percent had a normal sense of smell, with 48.7 percent correctly identifying all five scents and 29.4 percent accurately identifying four out of five scents. Conversely, 18.7 percent of participants were classified as hyposmic, identifying only two or three of five scents, while 3.2 percent are considered anosmic. Among the 3.2 percent anosmic participants, 2.2 percent identified just one scent, while 1 percent did not identify a single scent.

Olfactory Damage And Dementia Diagnosis

After five years, all the participants who were unable to identify a single scent were already diagnosed with dementia as well as 80 percent of participants who only identified one or two scents. Generally, researchers found that older adults with olfactory dysfunction were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia within the next five years.

The astounding results are not surprising, given the researchers' earlier study. They believe that degeneration of olfactory sense could be signs of the beginnings or progression of cognitive decline and as such should be given closer attention.

The results of the study show the importance of the somewhat-undervalued sense of smell, which is relevant in survival and could even be a marker of mental health.

"Being unable to smell is closely associated with depression as people don't get as much pleasure in life," says Jayant M. Pinto, MD from the University of Chicago, coauthor of the study.

Researchers believe that despite the results, it could still take some time before a clinical-use olfactory test could be developed. For now, their results show that greater importance should be placed in the olfactory sense, especially among people who are at risk of cognitive decline.

The study is published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Animal rights organization PETA revealed on Wednesday, Sept. 27, of pigs in Cambodia that are genetically engineered to develop heaps of muscle mass.

Genetically Modified Pigs Bred To Have Abnormally Large Muscles

By producing bigger pigs, farmers can sell more meat and make more money but this comes at the cost of the animal's welfare, PETA said.

"Mutant pigs bred to grow to an enormous size just to be slaughtered and eaten?" PETA's Danny Prater wrote. "This is the very real horror that seems to be unfolding on a Cambodian farm, where genetically altered pigs are being bred to develop heaping knots of muscle mass."

Mutant Animals Not Capable Of Walking Properly

A company called Duroc Cambodia posted on its Facebook page images and videos of the mutant animals that were kept in cages. The videos also show that the animals are not capable of walking properly because of their abnormally large muscles, which now draw flak online.

Breeding Larger Animals

Farmers have been aiming to produce bigger animals. Belgian Blue cattle, for instance, provide more prized and lean cuts of beef because of their hulking sizes but these are the result of selective breeding.

The farm in Cambodia has resorted to a faster method by genetically modifying pigs, a method that has so far failed to produce promising results.

Problems Linked To Breeding Abnormally Muscular Animals

A 2015 experiment conducted by researchers from South Korea and China showed that genetically engineering pigs to produce leaner meat and higher yield is not viable.

The researchers produced "double-muscled" pigs by editing a single gene of the animals using the gene-editing technology TALEN.

However, of the 32 cloned pigs that were involved in the study, only 13 lived to 8 months old. Of the two that eventually survived, only one was considered healthy. There is also concern about birth difficulties because of the abnormally large sizes of the piglets.

Judith Benz-Schwarzburg, from University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, and Arianna Ferrari, from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, wrote about the problems with humans genetically modifying pigs to produce super-muscular animals.

"Sperm and egg donors and surrogate mothers are normally killed if they are not reusable for other purposes (such as in other animal experiments)," they wrote. "Animals whose modifications end up being undesirable either die because their health is severely compromised or are killed because they are neither commercially valuable nor usable for scientific purposes.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Bhagwat blamed certain constitutional provisions, like Article 35(A) that empowers the state's legislature to define Jammu and Kashmir residents and accords citizenship rights to them, for the "backward life" of these Hindu migrants.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Stirring up again the raging controversy over the demand to abolish Jammu and Kashmir's special status, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said constitutional amendments were needed to fully integrate the troubled state with the rest of India.

Speaking on a range of issues in his annual address to RSS volunteers on its 92nd foundation day here, Bhagwat also dismissed reports of cow vigilantes indulging in communal violence, saying those protecting bovines were, in fact, being "attacked and killed".

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He asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government not to misinterpret the facts on the issue, and punish the criminals and not harm innocents as the "virtuous work of cow protection will increase in coming days".

The BJP's ideologue gave the thumbs up to the government on the economic situation even as the RSS chief sought special protection for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the "tremors" caused by the "cleaning and reform" drives like demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax regime.

He spoke elaborately on the Kashmir issue in his annual Vijaya Dashami speech and said Hindus who migrated to the state from west Pakistan in 1947 were in a "miserable state of refugees for their decision to be in Bharat and remain as Hindu".

He blamed certain constitutional provisions, like Article 35(A) that empowers the state's legislature to define Jammu and Kashmir residents and accord citizenship rights to them, for the "backward life" of these Hindu migrants.

"This is happening just because the discriminatory provisions in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that denied them the fundamental rights," he said.

"Necessary Constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. Then and then only, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with rest of Bharat and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in the national progress."

The Article 35(A), which also bars non-residents from buying property in the state, applying for government jobs, voting in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, is being debated in the Supreme Court after a petition called for its revocation.

Bhagwat also spoke about Kashmiri Pandits, who migrated from the valley in early 1990s when an armed insurgency broke out in the state, saying their condition "remains as it is".

Welcoming the government's initiative of firmly dealing with separatists and militants, Bhagwat said the "path for complete resolution of the (Kashmir) issue will be facilitated when the entire society will stand behind the well- thought policy of dealing sternly and strongly with the anti-national forces".

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"To eradicate the poison of alienation and unrest created through the systematic and false propaganda over the years, the society will have to show the natural affection through these positive actions."

Bhagwat said reports of cow vigilantes indulging in violence were wrong and asked the government not to misinterpret the facts and make sure that criminals were punished and innocents not harmed as the "virtuous work of cow protection will increase in coming days".

The remarks follow scores of incidents of violence in the name of cow protection from across the country, including the murder of Pehlu Khan, a cattle trader, who was killed by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan's Alwar.

According to an analysis of IndiaSpend, a data journalism initiative, out of 63 cases of mob justice of lynchings recorded since 2010, 61 took place under the BJP government. At least 24 out of the 28 people killed in the attacks were Muslims. During the first six months of 2017, there were 20 cow or beef-related attacks.

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But Bhagwat said inquiries into such incidents had made it "amply clear that (cow) activists were not involved in those acts of violence".

"On the contrary, many activists who were peacefully involved in cow protection were attacked and killed. It is unfair to link cow protectors or the entire activity of cow protection with violent incidences or communal feelings," Bhagwat said in his Hindi speech. The English translation was made available on the RSS' website.

Apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stern warning against violence in the name of cow, Bhagwat asked RSS volunteers not to get distracted with the statements of "highly placed persons in the government" and remarks by the Supreme Court asking state governments to act against those involved in lynching incidents.

Bhagwat said SMEs, a great employment generator, were India's security net during the ups and downs in the global trade and economic slowdowns.

"Crores of people get jobs or employments through these sectors. Most of the people standing in the last line of the society are also from these sectors."

He said while reforming and cleaning the economic system, the government should keep in mind that these sectors "feel the minimum heat and ultimately get the maximum strength".

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On the issue of Rohingya refugees, Bhagwat said they were a security risk.

"They are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with terrorist groups. Any decision regarding them should be taken by keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity."

--- ENDS ---
Two men, believed to be Shiv Sena workers, assaulted a senior KEM doctor in an attempt to protest the hospital's act of number the bodies of those killed in the deadly Elphinstone Road stampede in Mumbai.

People pay respects to the victims of Elphinstone Road foot overbridge stampede on Saturday in Mumbai (PTI photo)

By India Today Web Desk: A day after the deadly stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone Road station, a doctor at the KEM Hospital in Parel, where victims of the accident were taken, were allegedly assaulted by two men, news agency PTI reported.

The alleged attack was over the hospital's act of marking numbers on the bodies of the Elphinstone station stampede victims, police said, according to PTI.

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According to a police official who spoke to PTI, the two men, believed to be Shiv Sena workers, barged into the office of the forensic science head of the KEM hospital and assaulted him.

"The two barged into the cabin of Dr Hari[sh] Pathak and assaulted him. One of the accused, who brought a sketch pen with him tried to write a number on Pathak's forehead," the police official reportedly said.

"We have found membership identity-card of the Shiv Sena from one of the accused. We suspect that a few more persons are involved in the assault", he said, adding a probe was on.

The two accused have been detained. A case under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) will be registered, the officer said.

The King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, a premier government-run facility in central Mumbai, came under criticism, especially on Twitter, after pictures of Friday's stampede victim did the rounds yesterday.

The photos showed the faces of those killed in a stampede on the narrow Elphinstone Road-Parel foot overbridge. The victims' foreheads were numbers with sketch pens, an action that several people said was insensitive.

Is KEM hospital affixing nos on bodies of deceased to identify & count the dead? So terrible! No respect! @ndtv @IndiaToday @Dev_Fadnavis- aayeff (@aayeff1) September 29, 2017

Stampede is depressing!What is more depressing is the attitude of authorities towards the dead bodies! Writing... https://t.co/1Bpkn7mhgX- vicky (@VIVEKG07) September 29, 2017

Krishna, I am going to have to delete my tweet. It is too disturbing. To see dehumanisation like this. Stunned and speechless. https://t.co/Xn07nzyoxT- Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) September 29, 2017

The KEM Hospital, for its part, defended its actions the situation following Friday's stampede at the Elphinstone Road station on Mumbai's Western Railway line was chaotic.

"We took photographs of all the bodies, numbered them and displayed them to the relatives on a laptop screen" Dr Harish Pathak, the same person who was allegedly assaulted today, said in a hospital statement issued late last evening.

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The numbers were erased after the autopsies, Pathak said, adding that it would be unjustified and unwise to criticise the 'scientific' method adopted by the hospital for "speedy, honourable and smooth identification" of the victims.

At least 23 people were killed after a stampede crushed people death on a foot overbridge connecting the Elphisnstone Road and Parel railway stations on Friday.

A day after the deadly stampede in Mumbai, Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal announced a slew of safety measures, including the empowerment of railway general managers to spend whatever is necessary for safety.

(With inputs from PTI)

--- ENDS ---
Even as several irregularities have surfaced - from siphoning off of funds for construction of toilets to exaggerated count of usable ones under the ODF initiative in Rajasthan, authorities remain in denial.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: Despite glaring facts highlighting the several irregularities in the implementation of the Open Defecation Free (ODF) drive under the Swachh Bharat Scheme, the authorities entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring the initiative remain in denial.

This is the last of the three-part series on the realities of Swachh Bharat's ODF project in Rajasthan.

India Today confronted the Sarpanch, the Block Development Officer (BDO) and the secretary in Rajasthan's Dholpur. And this is what the BDO had to say.

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"Reports of these irregularities are false. If there is some complaint like that, tell me. I will certainly take action. It's possible that Kanchanpur Gram Panchayat became Open Defecation Free (ODF) before me. I was not there at that time. It's not been a year since I joined Kanchanpur. It became Open Defecation Free before that itself", said Dinesh Chand Katara, BDO of Baari Panchayat Samiti.

In several cases, toilets are simply unusable as they have no septic tanks and no taps, in fact, not even pots. Several of them were also found to have been covered with weeds and seemed like they had not been used for months.

Talking to India Today, villager Bhojraj Solanki said, "All ODF claims are highly exaggerated and anything but the truth . To an extent, yes, open defecation may have been prevented by construction of toilets in some households. Some people who have got toilets made in their homes live outside and come back home after a long time, and hence left neglected, these toilets become site of growth of weeds and wild plants."

Solanki adds, "No, they (the toilets made) are not in a working condition. In some households, two bathrooms and two toilets have been made. People have clicked pictures of their sitting in bathrooms and passed them off as toilets, only out of greed to get monetary rewards.

UNUSED TOILETS BEING USED AS SHOPS, STOREHOUSES

Even the few toilets that have been made have no roof, no taps, no septic tanks. Some people have opened shops in them, others have used them as storehouses for ration or wood - fuel. The Sarpanch has ensured money on that itself."

In Rajasthan's Dholpur district, there are five blocks in which 121 gram panchayats out of 171 have been declared ODF.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2 in 2014 to ensure that the country gets rid of the habit of defecating in the open. However, on the basis of all the reports that have surfaced, it can be safely concluded that the stated purpose of the mission is clearly not being fulfilled on the ground.

A woman in Kanchanpur village gestures towards a broken toilet. (Photo: Nikhil Sharma).

Not only have the authorities failed to ensure its proper implementation, funds allocated for the purpose have been siphoned off and several fraudulent deals have taken place in the name of building toilets to ensure a society that is free of open defecation.

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Several instances of payment actually not reaching the intended beneficiaries have been reported in the media.

LURED BY MONETARY REWARDS, PEOPLE CLICKING MANY PHOTOS OF SAME LOO

Other examples of irregularities include multiple payments being made on the same toilet and people allegedly photoshopping pictures of toilets to get monetary rewards.

Shockingly, cases of toilet space being used as storehouses to keep manure or wheat or even run a shop have also come to the fore. Toilets clearly seem to have been made for people to win cash rewards, and are either ill-equipped or not used at all. The area outside toilets at several locations is seen overgrown with weeds and fungus.

Speaking to India Today, Dholpur Collector Shuchi Tyagi said, "If there is any specific complaint of this kind, I will look into it and the matter will be properly investigated. If the officials at lower levels are found guilty of dereliction of duty, strictest action will be taken against them."

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COUNT OF CONSTRUCTED TOILETS EXAGGERATED?

In Kanchanpur Gram Panchayat in Baadi Block of Dholpur, payment has been made for 1,005 toilets built under the Swachh Bharat mission. However, there are accusations doing the rounds that the actual count of toilets constructed is much smaller.

"While payment has been made for three latrines, only one has been constructed. Who are siphoning off the funds? Where is all the money going if not into the Sarpanch's pocket. We have made two toilets, but got money for only one. We have two cards. The poor have been scarred. No rich person has been scared", said another villager Surendra Chauhan. In Bharatpur, people still go out in the open to relieve themselves even in areas that have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).

Clearly, not only has the purpose of Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat Mission been defeated, funds of the government exchequer are also being misused.

ALSO WATCH VIDEO | Toilet Ek Prem Katha's real life heroine told her in-laws: No loo, no Priyanka

--- ENDS ---
The move was seen as a bid to prevent extremists from entering mainstream politics ahead of next year's elections.

By AP: Pakistan's interior ministry asked the country's elections overseeing body to ban from politics a new party backed by Islamist Hafiz Saeed, who carries a USD 10 million US bounty on his head for alleged involvement in 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, officials said Friday.

The move was seen as a bid to prevent extremists from entering mainstream politics ahead of next year's elections.

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On Friday, Haroon Shinwari, the spokesman at the Election Commission of Pakistan, said they will assess the status of the MML on October. 11 when a five-judge panel of the commission will meet in the capital Islamabad.

He said the party had recently sought to register with the commission, but the ministry opposed it over its links to militants.

"So far, the Milli Muslim League has not been registered" with the election commission, Shinwari said.

Shinwari said the ministry earlier this week informed the commission that the MML was linked to the outlawed Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, which was formed by Saeed, an Islamist accused by India of links to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 160 people.

Lashkar-e-Taiba has been designated a terrorist group by the US government and Saeed is currently under house arrest in Lahore.

The MML in a statement denied links to militant groups, adding that it was "not a bus or truck which needs registration."

Pakistan's powerful election commission is currently also hearing a high-profile case against Imran Khan, a leading opposition figure in Pakistan, for making insulting remarks against it.

Shinwari said the commission will rule on Khan's contempt case on October 12. Khan says the commission lacks the authority to act as a court.

--- ENDS ---
Baton Rouge's Shannon Thomas, left, and husband Mike Thomas find a trip to the voting machine to be quick and easy at the Registrar of Voters office in the fire station building on Coursey Blvd., during the first day of early voting for the Dec. 10 Congressional General Election, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. They early voted there for the Presidential Election and Congressional Primary Election, when waits of 30 minutes were common, and were as much as an hour and a half at other locations. 'Difference between night and day,' he said. The election includes runoffs for East Baton Rouge Mayor-President, for U.S. Senator from Louisiana, Metro Council and other propositions.
A fire caused major structural damage to a house in north-west Belconnen, collapsing part of its roof.

Canberra firefighters were called to the blaze on Nulsen CircuIt in Flynn just after 10pm on Saturday.

The house was well-alight by the time they arrived. Three fire pumpers, a breathing apparatus support vehicle and a commander vehicle attended the fire and their crews put it out within the hour.

ACT Fire & Rescue said it believed the house was unoccupied when the blaze broke out. No one was injured.

However, the building suffered significant damage and the roof partially collapsed.
The simplest way to eliminate your carbon footprint is your knife and fork.

So says Jess Ferry, organiser of Canberra's seventh Living Green Festival, a vegan festival being held at Albert Hall on Sunday.

Living Green Festival organisers and volunteers, from left, Tars Ward, Francine Horne, Tracey Lofthouse and Jess Ferry. Credit:Jamila Toderas

The free festival will be spruiking vegan takes on cheeseburgers, sweets and chicken and waffles, whilst also hosting stalls selling environmentally friendly products.

"We like to blow the idea out of the water of what vegan means," Ms Ferry said.
Further to the article on Pumped Hydro (Focus, September 24, p21), in 2008 David Mackay, a professor of natural history at Cambridge University's Department of Physics, published Sustainable Energy  Without Hot Air and nine months later was appointed chief scientific advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

The first part is a running balance sheet between the UK's energy needs and the extent to which renewable energy can meet those needs and envisages, as I recall, a considerable reliance on distributed pumped hydro systems from sites like the 22,000 so far identified in Australia.

Even if you are a climate change denier this book should be mandatory reading for anyone purporting to be interested in energy cost and reliability of supply. For the acceptors it has the enormous further advantage that it eliminates carbon pollution while putting paid to concerns about baseload power.

These systems can be implemented more quickly and more cheaply than more major projects and should be part of an integrated national grid where High Voltage Direct Current cables [like the one connecting Tasmania to Victoria] could be run from one end of the country to the other if necessary.
Living with an STD has been hard. It's a real eyesore and passersby wince when they pass, neighbours shun me on the footpath, friends judge me when they visit  it makes me feel ashamed and deeply embarrassed.

STDs are really hard to get rid of: the council won't take it with hard rubbish, the local tip is asking for a $40 disposal fee, and I can't seem to pass it on to other people. They just go, "Ewwwww, no way, it's a retread."

I got it off some guy down the street; he was chucking out a car tyre, I said I'd take it off his hands, but it never fit my car and now I'm stuck with the thing  a big, black, crusty one, leaning against my driveway fence.

But I just have to learn to to deal with the social stigma, in the same way I've learned to deal with my PVB. My Purple Velour Beanbag. I got it back in my 20s when I was dabbling in some pretty wild furniture-experimentation  no need to go into the sordid details. Anyway, it's not pleasant to have. So now my PVB is sitting out the front of my house, in the driveway, beside my STD.

Actually I've picked up a whole bunch of embarrassing afflictions over the years. Also have an SOC round the side  a Sinking Office Chair. It won't pump up anymore but I can't bring myself to get rid of it in case I ever get a really low desk.

And there's an OBB out there  an Old Broken Barbecue. I never took care o[f it and now it's completely rusted through, held together with nothing but chipolata fat and honey-soy marinade.

Even picked up a really nasty UEB from a neighbour  Useless Exercise Bike. I saw it in their throw-out pile, took it home, gave it a go, but it really hurt my backside, partly because I'm so unfit, partly because it had no seat and I had to perch directly on the metal seat post. But at least it gave me two days of exercise; the day I carted it into the house and the day I carted it back out again.

Yeah I know, I know. I'm a mess. I've got stuff out front, down the side, round the back (don't want to talk about that, it's not pretty). All I ask is that people stop judging me. Yes I have a problem, yes I'm a cheap filthy two-bit hoarder, but I'll get it all cleared up one day, I promise. Though I think the STD might be with me for good. I'm going to have use concealer to hide the thing, applying a thick layer of raked leaves over the top, then lightly brushing on grass clippings and feathering out the edges. But I know I won't be fooling anyone.
By PTI: Kolkata, Sept 30 (PTI) Kolkata Police has stopped the public viewing of Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square, which has been getting major attention this year because of its pandal and idol, on the last day of the five-day festival following an alleged electrical short circuit inside the pandal.

According to a senior police officer of Kolkata Police, smoke was seen coming out of the chandelier at the Santosh Mitra Square puja pandal at around 1.10 am tonight following which the public viewing of the idol was stopped.

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"There was a huge sound inside the pandal at around midnight. Several thousand people were at the pandal at that time. After a short while some of our police officers spotted smoke coming from the chandelier ceiling lamp following which the decision to stop public viewing of the puja was taken for the sake of public security," he told PTI.

Fire department along with a team of police personnel rushed to the place.

Puja organisers, however, rubbished any short circuit incident and alleged that the police had "conspired" to close public viewing as it had failed to control the huge rush of visitors.

The organisers had a verbal duel with the police personnel posted at the pandal premises.

"This is absolute nonsense. There was no smoke inside our puja pandal. If there was any fire there must have been some sign of it around or inside the pandal. This is nothing but a conspiracy of Kolkata Police who had failed in controlling the crowd visiting our puja," Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee president, Pradip Ghosh said.

"Kolkata Police hav been non-cooperative throughout Puja ... I know Kolkata Police are doing this on the instructions of some influential people who are jealous because our puja has been pulling more crowd than theirs," he added.

In fact, Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee members gheraoed local Munchipara police station this morning demanding immediate revoking of the order.

"We will continue our demonstration until common people are allowed to view our puja," Ghosh said.

Teams of PWD civil, electrical and fire departments will visit the Santosh Mitra Square Puja for an inspection later in the afternoon, the Kolkata Police officer said.

"Until we get a no objection certificate regarding the security we will not be able to allow people inside the puja pandal," he said.

Santosh Mitra Square puja pandal has been drawing very large number of visitors not only for its gorgeous London-themed pandal but also to view the idol of goddess Durga which has been clad in a 22 kg gold saree of 22 carat which costs Rs 6.5 crore.

Replicas of the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the London Bridge are the chief attractions of the pandal at the sprawling ground in central Kolkata.

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In 2015 the Kolkata Police had stopped Durga Puja in south Kolkatas Deshapriya Park following a near-stampede situation as the pandal hoppers gathered in thousands to see the nearly 88-feet idol there. PTI SCH KK KK

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An indefensible practice Bravo, Julie Szego, for exposing, as far as public records allow, the rorting of the public purse by private schools. Nor is this confined to the ostentatiously rich schools that she examines. Mentone Grammar School has recently constructed a palatial "creativity centre". All attempts to get from the school any information about the extent of taxpayers' contribution has been met with total silence. A parent said that the school had been doing "a lot of fundraising". That is a lot of sangers.

And, as Julie Szego points out, both major parties avoid the issue as if it is radioactive. Why does it take a journalist to shine a light on this indefensible practice by politicians and private school alike? Tony Haydon, Mentone A bit more commonsense please Julie Szego's argument surrounding funding to private schools neglects commonsense accounting: 335,000 children attend independent or Catholic schools, versus 590,000 at public schools in Victoria.

In May last year the federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said that on average total government funding annually to educate a public school student was $16,000 and $9300 a student attending a private school. Lara Blamey, Mount Eliza FORUM Tipping point passed It's encouraging that Liberal MP Russell Broadbent predicted an imminent "tipping point in what the public would accept" in relation to Australia's cruel and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers ("Liberal MP slams party over refugees", The Sunday Age, 24/9).

Leaders should accept the tipping point has already passed. They should show courage and change Australia's practice now. People who have been incarcerated in Manus and Nauru should be subject to the same values as Australia espouses globally: equality, justice, inclusion and a fair go. The government's bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council purportedly reflects "commitment to the aims and purposes of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to the ongoing promotion and protection of human rights" (DFAT's website). Leadership requires both promoting and practising integrity and commitment to such standards and values. For Australia to be credible and to contribute to global, collective effort for positive change, we must both write great speeches and protect human rights in practice. The government has to stop causing any more damage to people who deserve our care and support, and to our already tarnished global reputation. Deborah Rhodes, Gisborne The decent MP Is MP Russell Broadbent the only decent Liberal politician with his recent scathing assessment of the harsh asylum-seeker policies?

Susan Munday, Bentleigh East Worthwhile struggle Well said, P.D. Riches ("Saying yes for a better society", The Sunday Age, 24/9). The analogies between racial segregation, the 1967 "Being Counted" referendum and the current debate on marriage equality are helpful and appropriate. How many similar entrenched "traditions" have now finally been consigned to the dustbin of history, but not without a struggle. These struggles have ushered in a fairer, more equitable and more enlightened society. We are now embarked on another such struggle against entrenched attitudes.

I'm voting "yes" for the sake of my courageous son and youngest daughter and her partner, and also for all the students I have taught over my 42 years who never felt they could truly be themselves for fear of ridicule, derision, discrimination and exclusion. Let's put an end to that suffering and being considered not worthy of something as basic as getting married. Nick Toovey, Beaumaris Public activated The Sunday Age reported Federation Square closing the book market ("Final chapter for book market", 24/9). Their language for doing so was out of Management Speak 101. So my response is: "Fed Square is replacing the Sunday book market to have a variety of 'public activations'. Fed'ers, read more books to improve your language." Keith Gove, Hawthorn

Preserve book trove Second-hand bookshops and markets are something special: they allow us to stumble upon ideas and information delightful and rewarding for us to discover. Melbourne's Saturday book market at Federation Square has been such a trove, and deserves to remain and to thrive. I hope that relevant authorities will find ways of allowing it to continue and even grow. Walter Struve, Bentleigh Productive unions In support of the views expressed by Sally McManus inher interview with Ben Schneiders ("Unions push for radical law change", The Sunday Age, 24/9), it should be known that union membership, bargaining across an industry, and wage rises, tend to improve productivity according to many studies, including by the International Labour Organisation.

Union workplaces tend to be more safe, more highly skilled, agree to change collectively and quicker, and produce higher quality products. European studies suggest that employers and unions engaging across an industry tends to lift industry performance because not every problem can be solved at the enterprise. A recent study by the London School of Economics showed the improved morale from a reasonable wage rise boosts labour productivity. A wage rise challenges management to be efficient to recoup the possible higher costs. Unfortunately, many studies have found that Australian management, globally, ranks poorly, so blames their problems on wages and unions. Another European study shows countries with higher union membership have higher labour productivity. The ACTU demand for more union rights, and industry-wide and supply chain bargaining, make a lot of sense to improve our performance, so employer organisations should take note. Max Ogden, Fitzroy North

It's mere sadism To those opposed to assisted dying legislation, and especially its extension to enable people to request help to die if they become incapable of independent decision-making in their future, Michael Bachelard's article ("Like being swept up in this vast machine", The Sunday Age, 24/9) should give you food for thought. If you can't guarantee a "good" death in palliative care, nor a good life in aged care, surely what's left is sadism, whatever coating you give it. Lex Borthwick, Burwood Silent attacks Sound expert Joseph Pompei says that high frequency sound attacks are unheard of ("Riddle of Cuba 'health attack"', The Sunday Age, 24/9). Isn't that the point?

Alan Inchley, Frankston PM, take note Latika Bourke's report ("Corbyn vows to bring in rent controls", The Age, 29/9) gives some hope that UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn would put a brake to unbridled capitalism, which is white-anting civil life in the Western world. The Tories have gone too far to the right, both in their domestic and foreign policy matters, that it is impossible to correct it without sitting in the opposition benches for a few terms. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should take note. Bill Mathew, Parkville

Change needed I, for one, Peter Waterhouse (Letters, 28/9), don't understand the fear apparently inherent in changing the "common, historical understanding" of the word marriage. In the many weddings I have attended, including my own, the vows made between the couple include a promise to love and honour, to care in sickness and in health, to be faithful, etc, generally phrased poetically. These vows must be made willingly between two people of legal age. It would be wonderful, in the 21st century, to cast aside this outdated historical understanding, and change to that which is more relevant to modern times, so all such genuinely heartfelt commitments between couples can be celebrated. Language constantly evolves. If we must vote on this issue, perhaps we should have a vote on a new name for a celebration of love and commitment between two people, which is, after all, what gay people want. Christine Harris, Mordialloc

Waste not Rachel Browne ("Anti-ageism drive to tackle outdated myths", The Age, 29/9} draws attention to a concern affecting growing numbers of people over 70. In my clinical practice of over five decades, I have seen many in their third and fourth age. Behind them is a lifetime experience in education, law, health, industry and business. They may be physically healthy, mentally alert, emotionally stable. At some stage in the future they may be grateful for quality aged care. But their immediate concern is for their age potential. They reflect on their experience and skills and may hear themselves say, "What a waste." In their early years they received an education for a satisfying employment. But in their later years there is little to prepare them for three and four decades of life "after work". Many have a diversity of skills, and are high on community interest, creativity and altruism. So we all might say, "What a waste." Francis Macnab, Kew Kneeling here?
Australian forces participating in the US-led war against Islamic State fighters in Iraq have been involved in two serious intelligence failures resulting in airstrikes that killed or injured civilians - at least one of them, a child.

The two fatal incidents, one on March 30 and another on June 7 this year, saw guided bombs dropped on buildings in the heavily built up urban areas of west Mosul after civilians were wrongly identified as Islamic State fighters or were not known to be present in buildings from which enemy combatants were firing.

A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet in Iraq in 2014. Credit:SGT Mick Davis

The first error occurred as coalition forces supporting the Iraqi army on the ground were moving through west Mosul clearing the territory street-by-street when they identified enemy fighters about 300 metres away.

Chief of Joint Operations Vice-Admiral David Johnston said the group was "positively identified as a group of Daesh fighters, and based on that information, an airstrike was authorised and tragically, seven civilians were unintentionally killed or injured in that strike".
But in reality, nobody is proposing legislation that would restrict the religious. Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten have made it clear they won't countenance that. And there are already two bills drafted by Liberals - George Brandis and Dean Smith - that provide extensive exemptions for people of faith. That is before you consider the wide-ranging exemptions churches already enjoy from anti-discrimination laws (and taxation). What we're talking about, then, is actually winding back anti-discrimination law. At the Press Club, Okotel spoke of a Christian baker in Ireland who unlawfully discriminated against a customer by refusing to make a pro-gay marriage cake. As an example of the tyranny of same-sex marriage, however, it is far from compelling - because it actually occurred in Northern Ireland, the only part of Britain that doesn't allow same-sex marriage. The proprietors of Ashers Bakery were ordered to pay 500 ($855) compensation, though this could be overturned at an appeal next month. And the law they breached had nothing to do with same-sex marriage but was, in fact, a provision of the Equality Act of 2006 - which pre-dates Britain's same-sex marriage legislation by seven years. Northern Ireland's chief justice pointed out that making a cake did not necessitate endorsing the cake's message - just as baking a Halloween cake did not mean that the baker supported witchcraft.

At any rate, bakers in Australia already have to deal with our anti-discrimination laws, which forbid refusal of service on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity. It gets trickier if the customer is straight but ordering a product or service for a gay wedding. Some experts say such a person would probably be considered an agent of the gay couple, rendering it discrimination, but it hasn't been tested in court. Human Rights Commissioner Ed Santow says the existing laws are clear: "Unless you're a religious organisation, you can't refuse a service to someone because of your religious or other belief." 2. Freedom of speech is endangered At the official launch of the Coalition for Marriage in Sydney, several speakers claimed that if same-sex marriage were to be legalised, the mere expression of the view that marriage should be between a man and a woman would become unlawful. The evidence hinged on the case of Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous, who was caught up in anti-discrimination proceedings in 2015 over a booklet titled "Don't Mess With Marriage". The complainant, transgender activist Martine Delaney, particularly objected to claims about nuclear families being the better environment for raising kids. "Messing with marriage, therefore, is also messing with kids," the bishops wrote. Relative to some of the claims now made in the postal survey campaign, this seems rather benign and unlikely to wind up before a court - which, in fact, it never did.

Tasmania's Anti-Discrimination Commission agreed the bishops might have a case to answer and, as is customary, facilitated conciliation between the two parties. Those talks broke down and Delaney ultimately withdrew the complaint, saying she didn't see the point of taking it further. As left-wing commentator David Marr wrote in The Guardian, the church won "hands down". It was a victory for free speech, not a threat. The postal survey debate has generated some heat on the streets. Credit:Rohan Thomson However, the heat of the postal survey has given the "No" side some free ammunition on this point. A young party entertainer in Canberra had her contract terminated over a Facebook post opposing gay marriage. Madlin Sims, the business owner, dubbed it "hate speech" and said it didn't align with her company's brand. Sims' decision was petty, if not potentially unlawful, and fell foul of the spirit of "respectful debate". Okotel also deployed the example of a British social work student expelled from university over Facebook posts "about marriage". In fact, the posts called homosexuality sinful and an "abomination". Whether the university was right to eject him is questionable and will indeed be interrogated in court. But these are all problems that exist already when an individual's speech comes into conflict with an organisation's values - not consequences of changing marriage laws. US rapper Macklemore found himself at the centre of Australia's same-sex marriage debate. Credit:AP

And same-sex marriage opponents showed their own censorious side this week in calling for US rapper Macklemore to be banned from performing one of his signature songs, Same Love, at the NRL grand final. "It's interesting, isn't it," observed Brandis, "that the first person that has called for something to be banned is Tony Abbott." 3. Parents will lose their rights The Coalition for Marriage's prime-time television advertisements concern children. They galvanise residual fears about the Safe Schools program, the anti-bullying initiative which seeks to foster greater empathy with gay, lesbian and transgender kids. Some of the program's additional resources explore ideas that challenge simplistic understandings of gender. In particular, The Gender Fairy tells children: "Only you know whether you are a boy or a girl. No one can tell you." To some, that is a "radical" and inappropriate notion for minors to consider. For others, it's an affirmation of the simple, scientific truth: transgender kids exist. Reverend David Kim with one of the ACT Christian Democratic Party's anti-Safe Schools signs after it had been vandalised. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

The "No" campaign knows Australians are not as relaxed about transgender issues as homosexuality. Not yet, at least. But while it stands to reason that advocates for same-sex marriage would support Safe Schools, that doesn't make them a "package deal", as Shelton often insists. In an interview this week, Sky News' Tom Connell put the obvious to Shelton: we already have Safe Schools without same-sex marriage. Indeed, it was subject to a review at the insistence of conservative Coalition MPs, urged on by the Murdoch press, and essentially given the all-clear. Shelton's best response was to point out that Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews was a prominent backer of both Safe Schools and same-sex marriage. Okotel told the Press Club of an Orthodox Jewish school in London facing closure for neglecting to teach students about homosexuality and gender. "Because same-sex marriage is legal," she said, the authorities declared the school was failing to provide a full understanding of British values. But a reading of the inspector's findings reveals same-sex marriage was not mentioned at all. The school was pinged for failing to adequately teach students the "personal, social, health and economic" curriculum, including respect and tolerance for people of different sexual orientation. This stemmed from legislation introduced in 2010, before same-sex marriage was legalised in Britain. Indeed, the school also failed its inspections on a number of other counts, including facility maintenance, medical rooms and drinking water - problems which it has now rectified. But none of this made its way into Okotel's presentation.

The broader point is that Western countries have moved towards greater acceptance of LGBTI people, whether at school or in marriage laws. The Coalition for Marriage hopes for no less than to halt this trend worldwide. As spokeswoman Sophie York told the Sydney campaign launch to thunderous applause: "I truly believe we Aussies can start a push back." 4. Equality already exists Abbott and others have argued that de facto gay couples already enjoy the same legal rights as married ones. Indeed, Labor figures also made this point when they removed discriminatory laws under the Rudd-Gillard governments. Why, then, the need to adopt the symbolism of marriage? For the most part, federal laws do grant gay couples equal rights. One notable exception was highlighted in a recent decision of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which rebuked Australia for preventing same-sex couples who marry overseas from accessing divorce proceedings in Australia. This breached Australia's human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. There are other areas of inequality which sit just outside or adjacent to the law. The ABC's 7.30 this week told the story of Joe and Greg, a gay couple together for 14 years. Greg has Parkinson's disease, and in preparing to have his superannuation transferred to Joe, discovered his scheme did not accept "binding nominations". Instead they have to prove their relationship, and the fund will only make a decision once Greg dies.

Law professor Hannah Robert told 7.30 that although "technical equality" existed in most areas, "when it comes to actually accessing your rights, that's not necessarily the case". As she wrote for this newspaper last week: "While married and de facto relationships largely have equal standing before the law, only marriage is immediate and incontrovertible." A marriage certificate is also easily recognised and accepted overseas in a way de facto relationships are not. 5. The 'Yes' side is rich Shelton likes to frame the debate as a David-and-Goliath battle, especially when discussing campaign finances. Of course, both sides reckon they're David. The "Yes" campaign says its opponents are showered in money from the churches, while the "No" campaign points to corporate Australia's overwhelming support for marriage equality. However, that support is mostly in kind rather than cash. The biggest reported donation to the Equality Campaign was a personal gift from Qantas boss Alan Joyce of $1 million. Otherwise, the campaign says it has struggled for corporate donations above $10,000. The vast majority of its money comes from individuals.
These are worrying times around the corridors of Australia's gossip magazine offices, once a far off land of florid prose and questionable journalism where fantasy and reality collided on a weekly basis in a cacophony of salacious headlines and front covers, from Princess Diana's marital woes to Bec and Lleyton's Hewitt's endless baby bonanzas.

But then along came Rebel Wilson who single handedly burst magazine-land's bubble with her $4.56 million defamation win against Bauer Media, the publisher of Woman's Day magazine, after convincing a jury she had been defamed and portrayed as a serial liar by the magazine, which she successfully argued had cost her millions of dollars in Hollywood film roles.

Russell Crowe and Terri Irwin are not romantically involved, says an Australia Zoo spokesperson. The pair pictured during 2007 Australia Week Gala in Los Angeles. Credit:Jason Merritt

Now, usually, when things go badly over at Woman's Day, the team over at arch rival New Idea jump for joy, having refined the art of schadenfreude with every Johanna Griggs and Shane Warne exclusive splash over many decades of doing battle.

Well, that's how it used to be. There isn't too much jumping for joy around the offices of New Idea's editor Frances Sheen or her boss, long time New Idea queen Louisa Hatfield.
You'd be forgiven for thinking Fashion Week was back and in full swing with the amount of fashionistas spotted clutching skinny lattes and sauntering towards the Archibald Fountain in Hyde Park on Wednesday morning.

Of course they were on their way to a photo shoot  but this time to include more than 300 of Sydney's most well-heeled creatives, including actors, models, PR, media and influencers, who wanted to show their support for a yes vote in the same-sex marriage postal survey by being part of a real-life rainbow flag.

Richard Wilkins with Virginia Burmeister (to his left), Nat Grosby (far left) and Mark Obitz (far right) at Sydney's Lyric Theatre last Saturday. Credit:Ken Leanfore

Organised by two of Sydney's best-known and influential PR mavens  Adam Worling of AWPR and Marie-Claude Mallat of MCMPR  meant it would be hard to find a creative organisation not represented on the day with the likes of IMG models, Black Communications, and Vogue and InStyle  to name but a few  all showing their support.

Other well-know faces included A Place to Call Home star Marta Dusseldorp, Love Child's Miranda Tapsell and her co-star Sophia Forrest, daughter of mining magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, former Seven newsreader Chris Bath, Love it or List it's Neale Whitaker, and Sydney MP Alex Greenwich.
In this country, there are more statues of animals than there are of real Australian women. Of our top 10 monuments and statues, according to Trip Advisor, A Day Out in Adelaide's Rundle Mall comprises a group of pigs (no word on whether they're chauvinist) while the only woman is represented by a piece of furniture, in the form of Mrs Macquarie's Chair. Her first name isn't even mentioned: she's reduced to an expression of ownership.

It has been thus since prehistoric times. The world's oldest-known sculpture is the LOwenmensch, dating back more than 30,000 years. It looks like a hybrid of a lion and a man.

"Charging Bull" and "Fearless Girl" face off against each other in New York. Credit:AP

Only three per cent of public statues in Australia honour non-fictional, non-royal women: the vast majority are of dead white men. Of course, many gave their lives to protect ours, and they should be venerated. But I think it's telling that the Australian Servicewomen's Memorial, dedicated to "all women who served, suffered and  died in the defence of Australia", is an abstract sculpture.

This isn't just an Australian problem. In the UK, for example, the statistics are similar, prompting journalist Nilanjana Roy to write in the Financial Times, "This goes beyond political correctness: what children and teenagers see of the world shapes their view of it, their sense of the place they should occupy."
An Uber driver with a young woman in the car pulled over, reclined her seat and started kissing the passenger before raping her, police have alleged.

Police said the 24-year-old Coombabah man picked up the 20-year-old woman in Surfers Paradise on the Saturday night of September 23 before sexually assaulting her.

He fronted Southport Magistrates Court on Saturday morning charged with rape and common assault. The man pleaded not guilty.

The magistrate refused bail, saying the "vulnerable" passenger had been "preyed on".

The man was remanded in custody to reappear on October 10.
An advertisement for property investor Henry Kaye. It is now clear the regulator views Kaye  infamous in Australia for his wealth-creation seminars in the early 2000s  as the mastermind behind of what Jonathon Moore, QC, described in court as a "scam". In the hearings, Moore detailed how Kaye directed, and profited from, every major transaction within and across the schemes, reaping millions of dollars for himself, his sister Julia Feldman, and his long-term allies including "project manager" Michael Grochowski, and lawyer, Colin Adno. "You know don't you that this whole scheme was Henry Kaye promoted and driven from start to finish?" Moore asked of Kaye's lawyer Darren Eliau, a partner of Melbourne-based law firm Evans Ellis, formerly Clamenz Evans Ellis. Moore accused Eliau of helping "hide" Kaye behind layers of secretive trusts, so that his involvement would not deter potential investors.

Eliau, whose firm was a key player in the land-banking schemes, eventually conceded the complex trust structures were intended to "conceal" Kaye who was also banned from managing corporations for five years in 2010. The court heard how Kaye and his cronies moved millions of investors' dollars across ostensibly unrelated projects in undocumented and unsecured loans, transactions described by barrister Moore as money effectively "stolen". He put to Eliau that his firm had been "hopelessly negligent" in facilitating such transactions. Among the firm's senior lawyers examined was Daniel Clarke, who is also linked to the alleged $165 million Plutus tax fraud syndicate scam in NSW along with Adam Cranston, son of former Australian Taxation Office deputy commissioner Michael Cranston. The Sunday Age understands that Victoria's legal profession watchdog, the Legal Services Commission, is now investigating Evans Ellis in relation to the Kaye land-banking scam.

The court also heard: That a company ultimately controlled by Kaye, Bourke & Queen Mortgages, loaned money to a development company Foscari Holdings, at the extraordinary interest rate of up to 60 per cent.

How Kaye dictated terms including a direction that his Bourke & Queen Mortgages would loan money to the Foscari and then, later, that it would increase the level of the loan.

That Kaye's sister, Julia Feldman, also profited by lending money to Foscari though her company, Step Forward Investments.

Kaye and/or Feldman controlled the marketing and real estate companies that siphoned off one-third of the investor payments on Wood's Bendigo land.

Kaye associate and project manager Michael Grochowski concede that most of the investors' $24 million outlaid on the Bendigo project was eaten up in commissions or undocumented "loans" to other entities. The Belarus-born Kaye amassed a fortune from get-rich seminars in the early 2000s. His wealth education empire collapsed in 2003 owing 3500 investors up to $60 million. It appears that some of that money was spent on sites in Melbourne's sprawling outer-west where Kaye road tested his new business  urban fringe land-banking. In manipulative seminars from 2011 to 2014, Kaye, his sister and their offsiders, flogged projects such as Foscari (an "iconic architectural masterpiece") and Veneziane (the "Toorak of the West").

Similar schemes were rolled out on the fringes of Melbourne, Bendigo, Shepparton and Townsville. The Age has estimated that as much as $100 million may have been outlaid by investors across about 10 such schemes. But years after the projects were spruiked and options sold, not one sale has been finalised nor brick laid. In some cases, investors were literally buying options where Kaye's team only had options  an options on options, in other words. An important element of the Kaye swindle was to wrap it in credibility by promoting the involvement  usually fleeting and often unpaid  of big brand names including architects Fender Katsalidis, lawyers Slater and Gordon and, even, the Victorian government. Kaye's ingenuity stretched to winning a $520,000 grant from the Napthine government for innovative stormwater catchment; this, for a project never started, much less completed.

While Kaye was not among the 10 witnesses called for public examination, The Sunday Age understands that this is because ASIC is hoping to build a case against him before acting. But the regulator has a problem. Kaye appears to have disappeared. It's likely that much of the land-banking riches are with him. He is understood to have left Australia in the wake of The Age revelations and the official investigations that followed, including by ASIC, a Senate committee and the Victorian Legal Services Commission. If Kaye has absconded, and no one is held to account for ripping off thousands of investors, ASIC faces a potential embarrassment. It will soon be three years since The Age revealed the land-banking scam and pointed to the involvement of Kaye and his family. To date, no one has been held responsible. The land banking scam has been a top investigative priority for ASIC since.
Police used capsicum spray on rowdy Richmond fans on Saturday night after the Tiger Army celebrated into the early hours following their historic premiership win  with footage on social media showing fans jumping on cars, burning Crows' scarves and climbing buildings.

The Tigers ended a 37-year premiership drought on Saturday afternoon with a thumping win over Adelaide at the MCG and police were  initially  full of praise for crowd behaviour on Saturday night.

Shortly before 9.30pm they said of the more than 100,000 people in the stadium, police evicted 20, arrested five people for offences including assault, drunk and disorderly behaviour and shop stealing.

But as the evening wore on, some long-suffering fans began to run amok.
By PTI: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Sep 30 (PTI) India has made a huge priority to reduce massive food waste, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal has told the American industry leaders seeking their investment and technology in this regard.

India is one of the largest producers of food, as the largest producer of milk and second largest producer of fruit and vegetables in the world. This huge raw material base, paired with a growing 1.3 billion population, presents vast investment and partnership opportunities for the US, Badal said.

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"However, India is currently only processing ten per cent of its food, resulting in enormous food waste," said Badal, Minister of Food Processing Industries at an industry round table organised by US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

Badal is currently on a weeklong visit to the US to meet the agriculture industry and food processing companies in Chicago, Washington and New York City.

During her visit, she hosted one on one meetings with industry executives from US companies including Pepsico, Amazon, The Hershey Company, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Kraft Heinz, and Honeywell, among others.

"With a growing country and population, the Indian government has made it a huge priority to reduce this waste," Badal said.

In the last three years, India has focused on reducing food waste through a war against food waste, she said.

Badal aims to partner with the US industry by borrowing best practices, technology, and innovation, in exchange for providing US companies with untapped investment opportunities that exist in Indias enormous consumer base.

With the fastest growing economy in the world, India possesses a USD 6-billion-dollar food sector, of which 70 percent is food retail. This market is set to triple by 2020. In addition, an average Indian spends almost 40 per cent of income on food.

Over the next six years, this expenditure is set to double. This makes India an attractive destination for foreign investment, Badal said.

India offers immense possibilities, said Mukesh Aghi, president of USISPF.

Badals visit comes ahead of the mega World Food India show being held in New Delhi from November 3-5. This global event aims to facilitate partnerships between Indian and international businesses and investors. The conclave would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Encompassing the entire food spectrum from production to consumption, World Food India aims to create a better sourcing environment, which will enable higher returns for farmers, create employment, and foster entrepreneurship. PTI LKJ AJR

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Police in WA's remote Kimberley have charged a man with manslaughter after the death of a woman found with an alleged stab wound to her leg.

Police said the 25-year-old woman was found at a residence in Mulga Street on Friday afternoon at around 4:40pm with a serious leg injury "consistent with a stab wound."

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers. Credit:Georgia Matts

She was taken to hospital by St John Ambulance for treatment but died later in the day.

Homicide Squad detectives and forensic specialists from Perth travelled to Kununurra on Friday.
A mother has been arrested after she left a gun on her bedroom shelf and her four young children to fend for themselves, and jetted off for an 11-day holiday in Europe.

Police say Erin Lee Macke's holiday was cut somewhat short by her arrest on Thursday on child endangerment charges.

By all indications, he said, "it was a social venture."
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
RJD MLA Shakti Singh Yadav has alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi have direct involvement in the Srijan scam.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: The RJD has hit out at the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) for going after small fish in the multi-crore Srijan scam and not registering FIRs against politicians who allegedly have direct links in the scam.

"RJD is of the firm view that people who are seated at the top post in the government are directly involved in the scam, but despite this the CBI is not taking actions against them," said Shakti Singh Yadav, RJD MLA from Hilsa.

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Yadav, alleged that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi have direct involvement in the Srijan scam and therefore a free and fair probe in the scam by the CBI was not possible with both of them being at the helm of affairs.

"The Bihar government was very much aware of the scam when it was happening but despite this it took no action to stop it. Rather the government allowed the state treasury to be looted," alleged Yadav.

He further lashed out at the CBI questioning the kind of urgency which it was displaying in investigating the corruption cases against RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family, but going slow in probing cases against BJP leaders in BJP ruled states.

"If the CBI is misused by the Centre to protect BJP leaders and its alliance partners, it will be a blot on the face of the country's premier investigating agency," said, the RJD MLA.

It is notable that RJD has been demanding resignation of CM Nitish and Sushil Modi to ensure free and fair probe in the multi-crore scam.

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The campus will be darkened at 10:20 p.m. and students, family and friends will silently gather in the plaza in front of the Academic Building. At 10:30 p.m., an honor guard from the Ross Volunteer Company will march from the Corps of Cadets ares to the plaza, where members will fire three rifle volleys. Buglers from the Aggie Band will play Taps and and the tolling of the Albritton Tower bells will signal the end of the ceremony.
Ownership of Aerofit Health and Fitness Centers in Bryan-College Station will transfer to multi-club chain Tru Fit effective Sunday, and plans are underway to renovate some locations, as well as open a new center in College Station.

According to an email sent to Aerofit members, owners Kathy Langlotz and Larry Isham hope for the best as they hand off their long-standing business.

We treasure the time we have spent dedicating our careers to creating this space that welcomes everyone, Langlotz and Isham state in the email. [It is] a space filled with people who love and inspire others to pursue personal health and happiness through fitness in all its forms. Combined, we have 60 years of service to Aerofit, our members, our staff and our community.

The time was right to allow another group the opportunity to serve our members, Ishram said in a message to The Eagle.

According to Ishram, membership rates will not go up, including for new members. In fact, Ishram said, the rates may go down because of Tru Fits business model.

Major changes will include a renovation to the Aerofit gym on Villa Maria Road in Bryan. The clubs on Carter Creek Parkway in Bryan and Wildflower Drive in Bryan will be combined into a new facility that will be built at the Bryan Towne Center off of Briarcrest Drive, which also hosts Target and other businesses.

Ishram said in a message to The Eagle that the Villa Maria Road location changes will begin in the next few days and are expected to be more than $2 million in renovations. No timeline for changes to the other buildings was available.

The Aerofit facility on Longmire Drive in College Station will be given a Tru Fit makeover, the email from Aerofit states. Tru Fit will also be building a fourth club in the former Kroger grocery store location on Texas Avenue in College Station. The company will soon release further details and more specifics concerning these changes.

Our belief in the Aerofit vision of A Happy, Healthy Community remains a priority for both of us, Langlotz and Isham wrote. In fact, our greatest honor has been to have had the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of everyone affiliated with this organization. Our hope is that we have effectively planted the seeds of health and happiness in this community and beyond.

Tru Fit has 14 locations throughout Texas, including in Brownsville, Harlingen, McAllen and San Antonio. The company also has clubs in Colorado.
Sunday

CBS Religious School is offering Sunday morning classes. Students are invited to learn about and experience Judaism in a welcoming and egalitarian environment. For more information or to register, contact religiousschool.cbs@gmail.com.

Faith United Church (UCC), 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, welcomes you to World Communion Sunday with 9:15 a.m. Sunday study: Half Truths: Popular Sayings That Miss the Point, 10 a.m. fellowship and 10:30 a.m. Worship. Pastor Karl's message is "God-Given Authority." Faithuccbryan.org.

St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1101 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will celebrate Holy Communion at 8 a.m. (Rite 1) and 10:30 a.m. (Rite 2). Adult Sunday school begins at 9 a.m. and children's chapel begins at 10:30 a.m. Following the second service, there will be a covered dish luncheon. We are partnering with S. Francis Episcopal Church in Houston to collect gift cards from Target or Visa to support families in their recovery from Hurricane Harvey. For information on weekday services and events, contact the church at 696-1491 or stfrancisbcs.org.

Hillcrest Baptist Church, 4220 Boonville Road in Bryan, will conduct a special contemporary Night of Worship service at 5:30 p.m. Childcare available. 776-5731.

First Christian Church, 900 S. Ennis St. in Bryan, will welcome former Thailand missionary Allan Eubank to the pulpit at the 10:45 a.m. morning worship, preaching on "Going with Jesus." During the 9:30 a.m. Sunday School, he will share a slide presentation of his work in Thailand, followed by coffee time at 10:30 a.m. Youth groups meet at 3 p.m. 823-5451 or firstchristianbcs.org.

Covenant Presbyterian Church, 220 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will worship at 10:30 a.m. with co-pastor Caressa Murray preaching on "Just Do It." Classes for all ages meet at 9:15 a.m., followed by coffee and fellowship. 694-7700 or covenantpresbyterian.org.

Unitarian Universalist Church of the Brazos Valley, 800 George Bush Drive (Texas A&M Hillel), will meet at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Aaron Stockwell will speak on "What's so Difficult About Sin, Brokenness and Confessing?" 696-5285.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Bryan, will host services at 7:30, 9 and 11:15 a.m. We will have coffee hour before and after each service. Christian formation classes begin at 10:15 a.m. www.standrewsbcs.org.

Unity Spiritual Center of the Brazos Valley, 4016 Stillmeadow Drive, Bryan, will have services at 10:30 a.m. Call 324-9857 or unityspiritualcenterbv.org.

Spirit of Faith Church, 900 E. 29th St. in Bryan, will have Sunday school classes for all ages at 10 a.m., followed by morning worship at 11 a.m. All are welcome. 436-6910.

Mount Nebo Missionary Baptist Church, 3610 Plainsman Lane in Bryan, will have Sunday school classes for all ages at 9:15 a.m. and morning worship service at 10:30 a.m. 846-4753.

Tuesday

Eagle's Nest Praise and Worship Ministries will be opening a free prayer line from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The prayer line number is 775-1513, and calls will be answered by a trained prayer ministry associate. The prayer line is coordinated by pastors Gary and Sheila Jones.

Wednesday

Faith United Church, 2901 Austin's Colony Parkway in Bryan, invites men of all ages to Wednesday morning coffee and guy talk at 10 a.m. Faithuccbryan.org.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Bryan, will hold Evening Prayer at 5:30 p.m. www.standrewsbcs.org.

Covenant Presbyterian Church, 220 Rock Prairie Road in College Station, will serve a "Onederful Wednesday" buffet dinner at 5:30 p.m. At 6:15 p.m., we will assemble Clean Up Buckets for those affected by Hurricane Harvey. Please visit our website to see the specific items that are needed. 694-7700 or covenantpresbyterian.org.

Friday

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 217 W. 26th St. in Bryan, will host a 150th birthday celebration from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. There will be church tours, children's activities, and live music by the Joey McGee Band. www.standrewsbcs.org.
The Brazos Valley Czech Heritage Society will have its annual polka Masses, dinner and dance Oct. 8

The Masses at 10 and 11:30 a.m. will be followed by dinner at 1 p.m., with a dance beginning at 1:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 600 E. 26th St. in Bryan.

The Taylor Czech Chorus will perform at the polka Masses, and the Praha Brothers will perform at the dance. Ronnie Horcica of KAGC Czech Polka Time will be the master of ceremonies.

Admission for the dinner and dance is $15. Children 12 and younger are $6. Dance-only admission is $10. Reservations must be made by Monday by calling JoAnn at 224-4434 or emailing lurbanovsky@gmail.com. No reservations are needed for just the dance.
According to College Station police, a couple visiting from Israel called officers when they noticed a large amount of cash had been taken from the nightstand of their room at the hotel in the 2500 block of Texas Avenue. The couple had $2,500 in cash, as well as some Israeli currency, stored in a pouch in the nightstand. On July 19, the visitors noticed the American currency was gone. Police interviewed the hotel staff and were suspicious of Rashad Donnell Butler, 20, of College Station. Police noted in their reports that all staff members had been working at the hotel for several years and had histories of turning in money and valuables there were left behind by guests. Butler had worked at the hotel for a month, and management already suspected he had taken a smaller amount of money, the police report notes. Butler was fired, and officers interviewed him several times. The police report states he eventually confessed to taking the mo ney.
If not for the three utility poles left in the middle of the new right turn lane, the intersection improvements at East 29th Street and Memorial Drive would be nearly complete.

The lane is blocked with cones for now, and signs affixed to the poles warn motorists of the overhead power lines. But the city of Bryan says completion of the improvements around CHI St. Joseph Health will probably be stalled until those poles and several others in the public right-of-way around the hospital are moved and the aerial utilities are relocated underground.

Bryan Texas Utilities finished removing its overhead electric lines and placed new lines in underground conduits in July, and Suddenlink Communications is expected to finish relocating its utilities in the coming weeks. But Frontier Communications has requested the city pay $247,344 for the relocation, a move City Engineer Paul Kaspar said has put the project in a holding pattern.

Kaspar said city staff met earlier this week about the issue, and it was posted for legal advice during last Tuesday's executive session meeting of the City Council. Kaspar said the city doesn't plan to fund Frontier's relocations -- "we don't believe that's the correct way to approach solving this," he said.

Kaspar said the telecommunications company has "taken a different legal stance" with regard to its obligation to relocate its aerial utilities for the project. On Friday, he said no progress had been made on the matter, but BTU, which owns the poles, has notified both Frontier and Suddenlink that their facilities need to be relocated by Dec. 1 so the project can be finished.

Representatives from Frontier could not be reached for comment Friday.

Construction around the hospital began in August 2016 to remove a dip at the intersection to prevent patients from being jostled inside ambulances transporting them to the new emergency department on Memorial Drive. In addition to the rebuilding of the intersection and the addition of new sidewalks, right-turn lanes and new traffic signals were added at the intersections of Memorial Drive and East 29th Street and East Villa Maria Road and East 29th Street.

The project has left utility poles in the middle of the improved roadways, such as those in the new right-turn lane on East 29th Street, and in other locations that require relocation. Kaspar said there were nine poles with just Suddenlink cables attached, and 12 with both Suddenlink and Frontier attachments. The entire project is about 95 percent complete save for the portions of roadway around the poles where concrete has not been poured, he said.

Remaining punch list items, though, cannot be completed until the poles are removed and the utilities are relocated underground.

"We're rapidly approaching that point where we're going to have public facilities being constructed that can't be opened," Kaspar said.

Frontier and Suddenlink were both notified in writing in September 2014 that they would have to relocate their aerial utilities within six months, Kaspar said, and were given design input for the underground conduits that the city paid for. The city says several utility coordination meetings were held during the design and construction phases to plan the underground relocations, but last month Frontier gave notice of its request for payment.

"Since I have been here, and I have been working for the city since 1998 doing these kinds of projects, we have never paid the cost of one the private utility companies to relocate when they're in the public right-of-way and conflicting with proposed new infrastructure," Kaspar said.

Until the issue is resolved, Kaspar said there are adequate traffic controls in place as mandated by the state and local ordinance to direct motorists away from sections of East 29th Street and Villa Maria Road where poles have not been moved.

Larry Young Paving was awarded $2.7 million for construction of the hospital-area infrastructure project, which grew out of the city's Health and Wellness Area Plan. Kimley-Horn was awarded $198,600 for the design in October 2014.
Obaidul Quader said China and Russia were Bangladesh's friends, and expressed hope that they would "play a proper role in this humanitarian crisis."

Rohingyas are fleeing Myanmar in the wake of violence in Rakhine state (Photo: Reuters)

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Bangladesh Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader on Friday said it was "unfortunate" that Beijing and Moscow had taken positions favouring Myanmar on the Rohingya crisis, at a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

"China and Russia have taken position(s) in favor to Myanmar in United Nations Security Council in the open discussion for resolving the Rohingya crisis. But it is unfortunate," he said.

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Quader was speaking to the media after visiting the Durgeshwari Puja Mandap in Dhaka's Dhakeswari National Temple on Friday. He pointed out that on one hand, China was sending humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees, but favouring Myanmar on the other.

Quader said China and Russia were Bangladesh's friends, and expressed hope that they would "play a proper role in this humanitarian crisis."

In this tragic situation, China and Russia should stand for humanity, truth and logic, he said.

Quader called India a genuine friend, and recalled that New Delhi had sent 700 tonnes of relief material for Rohingya refugees.

More than half a million Rohingya have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh in recent weeks, Reuters reported on Friday.

At the UN Security Council meeting, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the crisis had become the "world's fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare."

In a first, the US called the exodus of Rohingya ethnic cleansing.

(Inputs from Reuters)

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Nearly 50 years ago, Congress made big promises when it established the National Flood Insurance Program.

But with this years bad hurricane season sending the already indebted program, called NFIP for short, deeper into the red, its clear those promises havent been kept.

The NFIP has proven an ineffective way to protect U.S. residents from flood losses, and its high time to re-evaluate the policy.

To give credit where credit is due, the initial concept of the program made some sense.

When Congress started it in 1968, essentially no private company wrote flood insurance for residential properties. When disaster struck, relief aid was the only way to rebuild homes. The NFIP seemed like a better choice.

As part of the 1968 law, which also established the Department of Housing and Urban Development, communities were encouraged to opt into the program.

In return for letting local residents buy taxpayer-backed insurance, communities committed to making themselves more flood resistant.

In the early 1970s, Congress moved to require federally supported mortgage lenders to mandate flood insurance for properties in floodplains. The federal government also began to produce flood maps that would let communities know which areas were likely to flood, so they could prevent it.

Over time, the programs architects hoped, NFIP would pay for itself and maybe even return a small profit to the Treasury.

That hasnt happened. Before hurricanes Harvey and Irma, NFIP owed the Treasury some $24.6 billion and had no practicable way to pay it back. By the end of 2017, the debt likely will be roughly double.

While the programs widespread adoption has resulted in most communities forbidding construction in the most obviously foolhardy locations, its pricing policies  overcharging those who face a modest risk and undercharging those with the greatest risk  have had the effect of encouraging building in other flood-prone areas.

As a result, many of those whose homes are less likely to flood dont bother to insure, while those in higher-risk locations do, resulting in very expensive claims.

Fortunately, good alternatives now exist. The initial case for NFIP was based on several assumptions that no longer hold true: most prominently, that flooding is uninsurable.

That has a grain of truth: Unlike car crashes and house fires, floods arent independent events. If one home floods, theres a very good chance that all others in the same area also will flood.

In the days before global reinsurance markets, a small insurer that wrote policies in a single state effectively couldnt spread the risk of flooding; even a nationwide company may have had a hard time.

This made it very difficult for casualty insurers to sell products profitably. Mapping  which enables home buyers and insurers to predict the likelihood of flooding on a given tract of land  also was less reliable in the past.

Today, global reinsurance markets allow insurers to spread flood risk all over the globe. Indeed, the NFIP itself purchased $1 billion worth of private reinsurance, at a cost of just $150 million.

This will reduce the cost of the 2017 storms to taxpayers. Flood mapping, although still challenging, also is far better today than in the 1960s.

The National Flood Insurance Program hasnt made America safer. While it would be impractical to eliminate the program right away, there is no reason that it cant be phased out over time.

This is not 1968; today, private flood insurance is available. Businesses and homeowners in the highest-risk areas along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico might have to pay more, but this would discourage continued overbuilding in these areas.

That would be a blessing, both to taxpayers and those who might be spared what the victims of Harvey and Irma now are going through.

Eli Lehrer is the president of the R Street Institute, a Washington-based free-market public policy think tank, and a research fellow with the Independent Institute in Oakland, California. Write him at R Street Institute, 1050 17th St. NW, Suite 1150, Washington, D.C., 20036. Distributed by Tribune News Service.
Why is the federal government relying on a credit bureau?

I just attempted to set up a mySocialSecurity account but was unsuccessful. The Social Security Administration website told me to contact them about the account.

I learned that the reason I was unable to set up the account was that I had frozen my credit information at Equifax in response to the recent data breach. Consequently, the Social Security Administration was unable to verify my identity.

What in God's name is an agency of the United States government doing relying on a credit bureau to identify people? This is preposterous.

DONALD PETTIGREW

Bryan
By India Today Web Desk: Taimur Ali Khan is the son of two of the most popular actors in Bollywood, Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan. Needless to say, the tiny tot is already quite the celebrity and a favourite of the paparazzi.

But Saif is worried that the constant media attention on him might put pressure on him to choose a career in showbiz, like his parents. "Taimur will have to be aware that he is being watched all the time," the actor told Hindustan Times. Saif said that being the son of famous parents comes with "wonderful privileges" but also its own share of responsibilities. "There will be certain expectations out of him. Maybe all that will force him to become an actor. I hope that with the right guidance, maybe he will find his calling in another field," he said.

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Incidentally, Saif's daughter, Sara Ali Khan, is gearing up to make her debut with Abhishek Kapoor's Kedarnath opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. While he is extremely supportive of her decision to pursue acting, he is also worried. He knows that every actor's journey is filled with ups and downs, and is concerned about how she will deal with failure.

On the work front, Saif is currently awaiting the release of Chef. The film, directed by Raja Krishna Menon, is the official remake of the Hollywood film of the same name and will hit the screens on October 6.

ALSO WATCH: Saif-Kareena become proud parents to a baby boy, Taimur Ali Khan

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Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra / Contributed photo

As the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra continues to search for a new musical director, the 2017-18 season opens Saturday, Oct. 7, with guest Maestro Yuga Cohler, a finalist for the top spot.

At the Anne S. Richardson Auditorium at Ridgefield High School, the program will feature Paul Fruchts Dawn, Elgars Concerto for Cello with Julian Schwarz as soloist, and Rimsky-Korsakovs  Scheherazade.
Costco has a reputation as the kind of place where a job can turn into a career.

The superstore is famous for promoting from within and paying a living wage in an industry best known for a race to the bottom when it comes to labor costs.
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RIDGEFIELD  Standing at the start of a small hiking trail near the Ridgefield-Redding town line, Danielle Bottinger and her 8-year-old daughter explained how just an hour before a clearing in the bushes was filled with invasive plants.

We cleared out that whole space and made that giant pile of evil knotweed, said Bottinger, a Wilton resident, pointing to the heap of invasive Japanese plants nearby.

She and her family were among the 60 volunteers that spent Saturday morning clearing debris, removing invasive plants and planting native pollinator-friendly plants along the trail in celebration of National Public Lands Day.

The event, sponsored by REI and several nature groups, aimed to both preserve the existing pathway and preview whats to come.

The 2-mile trail off Simpaug Turnpike will soon become the next section of the Norwalk River Valley Trail, a project to build 38 miles of trail connecting Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk to Rogers Park in Danbury. Charlie Taney, executive director of the NRVT, said the new section will transform the narrow, grass trail into a 10-foot wide stone dust trail.

(This kind of trail) gets completely choked by vegetates, Taney said, pointing out a section blocked off by overgrown weeds. You put a stone dust trail down and its built to resist things growing through it. For bikers and runners, it becomes a much more usable trail.

Ridgefields section, named the Ridgefield Ramble, will run for two miles north of Simpaug Turnpike and Route 7 toward Bobbys Court. Taney said the organization has raised half of the $20,000 it needs to develop a trail plan for the site.

It will be built in the same style as a 2-mile section in Wilton, which the Connecticut Trail Census estimates about 4,000 people visit each month. The organization was able to raise $200,000 in just four months to build an additional half-acre, which Taney said makes him hopeful for projects in other towns.

You go out on the Wilton loop almost any time of the day youll see people biking, running, jogging, Taney said. (Donors) really stepped up and said we love this...that was a real sign of the enthusiasm of the residents of Wilton and I think well find the same thing in Ridgefield and Redding as we go.

Bottinger and her family use the Wilton trail often, she said, and are looking forward to it expanding soon.

Its a beautiful place to go for a walk, she said. (Having a Ridgefield section) would be so great. More space to spread out in would be wonderful.

Saturdays cleanup was sponsored by REI, Norwalk River Watershed Association, Norwalk River Valley Trail, Ridgefield Conservation Commission, Harbor Watch and Woodcock Nature Center.

aquinn@newstimes.com
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A school funding case spanning more than 11 years made its second appearance in the state Supreme Court in Hartford on Thursday.

Oral arguments before Chief Justice Chase T. Rogers and six other justices focused largely on whether Connecticut is spending enough money to provide adequate education as the state constitution requires, and if not, on how far can the court go to intercede.

A lower court last year did not find fault with the overall level of state funding on education but called its distribution unconstitutional. The state Superior Court judge gave the state 180 days to improve the system in a number of areas, including establishing graduation standards and creating a separate funding stream for special education.

The court could take a year or more to decide the case.

In a session that lasted nearly 21/2 hours Thursday, Associate Attorney General Joseph Rubin, representing the state, told justices the trial court got it half right. He urged the high court to remand the case to the lower court for dismissal.

Rubin argued Connecticut schools are adequately funded by any reasonable standard. The state helps its neediest districts with hundreds of millions of dollars, he said.

Overall, by any legal standard that could apply the funding is rational, Rubin said, adding it is not the courts job to pull out education policies one by one and tell state it can do a better job.

As he did during the state Superior Court trial, Rubin said no direct correlation has been drawn between spending and student achievement.

Justice Richard Palmer, citing the high percentage of students in Bridgeport and other urban districts who do not graduate ready for college, asked Rubin if the court should ignore these disturbing statistics.

Question of rationality

Rubin agreed the numbers were troubling, but said it is up to the Legislature to fix that problem. Rogers asked Rubin if he was equating adequate funding with rationality?

Rationality is a standard set by the trial court, Rubin said.

The chief justice said while the lower court judge ruled funding was minimally adequate, the judge cited examples of districts in which that appears not to have been the case.

Attorney Joseph Moodhe, representing the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, argued state Superior Court Judge Thomas G. Moukawsher did all but deem the funding system inadequate.

What the court was saying was that funding is not rational, Moodhe said. He said the state needs to come up with a system in which funding gets to the district that need it most.

Moodhe said Bridgeport has too few teachers. As a result, class sizes swell, making them too large for quality education.

Districts have to make choices when there is not enough funding, he said.

Asked about the states duties in relation to poverty, Moodhe said schools have an obligation to educate all children, with sensitivity to their backgrounds.

(But) where should the funding go ... and who am I to say, as opposed to (the) Legislature? Rogers asked Moode. How can we get into those determinations and, frankly, do a good job?

Still no state budget

The case was brought by a broad group of school districts, parents and advocacy groups in 2005. Bridgeport and Danbury were two of the districts used as examples of what the group sees as victims of an unfair state funding system.

The plight of Bridgeport, in particular, was brought up on a number of times Thursday, as both sides were questioned by the justices. The financial situation in Bridgeport is such that aides have been pulled from kindergarten classrooms and teaching vacancies beyond December to be filled by substitutes to save money.

Thursdays arguments were waged across the street from the state Capitol, where Gov. Dannel P. Malloy vetoed a Republican budget on Thursday. The state is without a budget in a fiscal year that will be one-quarter finished this weekend.

Moodhe said he hopes the budget crisis has no impact on the school-funding case. Education, he said, is a right that should not be dependent on economics.

Our position is that the poorer districts do not have enough resources, Moodhe said. Legislators, he added, should be told to do their jobs.

On the steps of the courthouse after the hearing, Moodhe said he thought it went well. Hard questions from the justices, he said, was their way of getting confirmation of their own understanding.

This is a seasoned court that knows judicial bounds begin and end, Moodhe said. I think they were trying to get confirmation of their own understanding. I think they have well-informed views of what they can and cannot do.

The Attorney Generals Office declined comment beyond arguments made in court.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/@lclambeck
On Friday, the weather couldnt have been better for a day of learning about literacy and having some fun in the sun.

First- and third-grade students from Trinity Lutheran School in Grand Island attended the 22nd annual Plum Creek Childrens Literacy Festival held at Concordia University in Seward. The all-day event featured speakers who are authors, and also hightlighted illustrators talking about how they got into writing and drawing pictures for childrens books. While the students were there, they also got to do some outside activities in between sessions.

Third-grade teacher Tami Chandler has brought students to the festival for six years. She said this year she thought the featured speakers did a great job describing how hard it can be to get into not only the book writing and illustrating business. She noted they also spoke about how rejection feels and how to proceed on following your dreams.

I think the message the kids took away today is that is not always easy to be successful right away, and that you need to stick with it, and keep trying and it will pay off, Chandler said.

Chandler thought the speakers decision to walk the kids through their creative processes  and how they make stories and illustrations  was educational as well.

The writers and illustrators told the kids they get their ideas from ordinary things; they just have to look around them, she said. They also took them through the process of what it takes to publish a book.

The third-graders first stop of the day was with speaker Henry Cole, who is the author and illustrator of many childrens books.

Cole was as vivid and animated as his illustrations. He talked about growing up on a dairy farm in Virginia, and how he used the wildlife around him as inspirations for his illustrations.

Cole had all the students laughing throughout his speech. He showed slides of how many drafts he did of his very first book, and how many times he had to rewrite it before the publisher would publish it.

Between sessions, students got to enjoy outside games and activities ran by volunteer Concordia students.

Next, the students heard from artist Christian Robinson, who is an illustrator for many childrens books. He too walked the kids through the process of illustrating a book and talked about how he finds his inspirations. He then showed some animation he had been working on and drew animals the kids asked him to draw.

After lunch, the third-graders stopped by the art building and made some 3D pop-up books with college students from the Concordia art program.

Plum Creek Childrens Literacy Festival Director Dylan Teut said the day is all about the kids and encouraging them to read and be creative.

The best part is seeing the children interact with the authors and illustrators and seeing the joy and excitement on their faces, Teut said.

He added the whole day is worthwhile when the kids are inspired to read right away.

The kids might buy the book from the author and go tuck themselves in a corner and start reading it right away, thats what I like to see.

The authors and illustrators were not from Nebraska, but rather from all over the country. Teut said after learning what these speakers describe what it takes to make and publish a book, the children have a renewed appreciation for books and reading.

Besides being the event director, Teut is Concordias interim instructor of literacy. He has been at the college three years and he has been involved in putting on the festival.

Teut said there were roughly 200 groups, making up nearly 5,000 students, on Friday for the special event.

He said the festival doesnt just happen on the one day, and not just on campus.

On Thursday, we had authors and illustrators go to schools in Seward, Lincoln, Omaha, and York. We presented to over 7,000 children on Thursday.

He added there was also an author out speaking in schools in Seward and Lincoln on Friday as well. Teut said Saturday is all about the adults, as Concordia hosts an adult-only conference about literacy.

So what did the kids like about the days events?

Third-grader Alan Borchers said the speakers.

I liked hearing the author talk about writing books. Borchers said he himself has dabbled in book writing.

Last year, my second grade class made a book together and we published it. I like writing stories.

Classmate Bennett Murdoch echoed those sentiments.

I liked listening to the author (Henry Cole) the best. I too like writing. Murdoch said he sometimes makes his own books, and does the illustrations also.

He added that he liked the outside activities as well.

At the end of the day, the Trinity students made their way back to the bus with hands full of paper objects they made, talking about the days events, with large smiles on their faces.
As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.
Shahid Kapoor has injured his ankle after shooting for some strenuous action scenes in Padmavati.

By India Today Web Desk: There's some bad news coming from the sets of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmavati. Shahid Kapoor, who plays Maharawal Ratan Singh in the film, has injured himself, if a report in Mid-Day is to be believed.

Reportedly, Shahid had suffered a ligament tear in July while shooting for Padmavati. When the actor shot for some demanding action sequences, his ankle injury only got worse. A source told the publication, "Shahid had to perform a few stunts. It has taken a toll on him and his ankles are swollen. The unit is racing against time to meet the deadline. It is impossible to halt the shoot at this stage. He has almost 10 days of shoot left."

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Shahid recently shared his look in Padmavati, which was met with a lot of praise from netizens. The actor will play the husband of Rani Padmini, which will be essayed by Deepika Padukone.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period drama is based on the ruthless invader Alauddin Khilji, played by Ranveer Singh, and his attempt to capture the beautiful Rani Padmini of Chittor for himself.

Padmavati is slated to release on December 1.

ALSO WATCH: Padmavati attackers Karni Sena run extortion racket

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I have always believed that the best way to escape from a problem was to solve it. Many of the citizens of Grand Island have come to realize that the failure to pass the one-half cent sales tax has had negative consequences.

Developers spend millions of dollars providing shopping opportunities for Nebraskas third largest Regional Trade Area with a population of more than 150,000. For area residents and visitors alike, Grand Island offers a diverse array of shopping experiences with hundreds of retail stores. The shopping options range from national brand stores to locally owned boutique shops. Together, shopping in Grand Island offers variety, convenience and value.

I believe an increase of one-half percent (25 cents) on a $50 expenditure is fair and appropriate. This contribution is not intended to penalize out-of-towners. Guests visiting Grand Island expect an infrastructure that is maintained and an environment that is safe for their shopping and recreational needs.

These expectations can only be met when the city of Grand Island spends sales tax revenue to meet the desired needs of our residents and our guests who visit Grand Island.

Grand Island is a growing community, expanding the selection of national and regional retail stores to serve the large trade area of Central Nebraska.

Grand Island will continue to provide the shopping and recreational venues that our citizens and our guests desire  a fair contribution from all who are served by Grand Island is fair and appropriate.
The countys Mental Health Board plans to use part of its budget to bring in a medication assisted treatment provider to help those with heroin and opioid addiction.

Theres a drug out there now called Vivitrol. Its $2,500 for 30 days, but it stops addiction dead in its tracks, Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler said during a break at a special budget meeting on Wednesday.

The $500,000 for heroin addiction treatment is part of a budget proposal issued recently by the Madison County Finance & Government Operations Committee.

The passage of the Community Mental Health Act, in 1963, allows the MHB to levy taxes for mental health purposes. It provides the MHB with a $3 million annual budget but Prenzler said the board has a surplus now and were saying lets look at what we can do to help fight the heroin epidemic.

The proposal calls for the MHB to put together a Request for Proposal to bring in a medical assisted treatment provider to the county.

In a news release issued Tuesday, Prenzler said that for years the county has had to deal with the collateral costs of addiction.

Many of the addicts are unable to get help unless they get arrested, Prenzler said. The solution shouldnt be you need to end up in jail to get treatment because that is costing the county, he added.

Jennifer Roth, executive director of the MHB, described drug addiction as an illness that if untreated can be fatal.

Mental health professionals recommend combining medications with counseling and behavioral therapies as the best treatment for substance abuse disorders.

A majority of those addicted who end up in jail use again after getting out, according to the news release.

Were seeing this come to the jail, and wed rather address it before that, Prenzler said.

A pilot program has already begun that is treating five inmates at the Madison County Jail with Vivitrol. Behind the Walls uses funds from an agency affiliated with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The $540,000 grant is being shared with McLean County, in central Illinois.

In recent years, detectives with the sheriffs department have frequently cited drug abuse as a reason for spikes in crimes such as home invasions and burglaries.

Madison County Sheriff John Lakin says he hopes the program is successful in addressing an opioid crisis that is causing a lot of issues.

Three years ago, Madison County launched a Heroin Task Force to seek ways to combat the epidemic.

I am fighting every day to keep heroin dealers off the street, States Attorney Tom Gibbons said in the release. We have to deal with those who are addicted as well and its better to do it before they are arrested or overdose.

Drug overdose deaths in Madison County continue to rise from 7 in 2009 to 71 in 2016.

While no one has criticized the increase in spending for heroin addiction treatment, several county officials have expressed concern about a nearly 30 percent cut in funds for early voting that has been proposed.

I 100 percent understand and recognize the epidemic that is happening with heroin. I am all in favor of that. Fund what you can fund, said Madison County Clerk Debbie Ming-Mendoza on Wednesday. But my citizens under my purview are just as important and they should have a right to be able to know that they are going to be able to early vote. And that I will be able to have what I need so they will be able to have what they need on Election Day.

The Finance & Government Operations Committee held special meetings Wednesday and Thursday afternoon to review the proposed budget.

The Madison County Board will take up Mental Health Board proposal at its monthly meeting on Oct. 18.

*A spokesperson for Alkermes, Inc., a global pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Waltham, Mass., offered the following clarification about the cost of one shot of Vivitrol:

"The actual wholesale cost is $1,300 and thanks to comprehensive Medicaid and commercial coverage over 90 percent of patients (pay) a very small co-pay or nothing at all."

More information can be found at www.alkermes.com.
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Linkedin The Open University of Indonesia (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Sat, September 30, 2017

Sri Wahyuni

The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta

The Open University of Indonesia (UT) is becoming increasingly popular among high school graduates as evidenced by the increasing number enrolling in the open and distant learning education institution over the last few years.

Speaking on the sidelines of a three-day conference of the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) in Yogyakarta this week, UT Rector Ojat Darojat said that high school graduates currently accounted for about 10 percent of the total number of UT students.

Our market segment has changed. It switches from teachers doing their in-service training to high school graduates wanting to continue their studies, Ojat told reporters on Wednesday.

He said UTs high level of computer and internet literacy had attracted more high school graduates to make UT their choice to further their studies.

. (./.)

UT, said Ojat, currently has about 300,000 students including 2,000 who access its education services from abroad, spread across 23 countries. Since being established as the 45th state-owned university in Indonesia, UT has capped about 1.6 million students. Among the noted UT alumni are former First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, former head of National Intelligence Agency AM Hendropriyono and Linda Agum Gumelar.

Ojat said that in its early existence, many of UTs students were aged 30 years and up, who worked and were married. In 2010, 600,000 students were enrolled at UT thanks to Law No 14/2005 on the national education system that required teachers to have an undergraduate degree.

The number in this segment, which we call immigrant natives, is gradually decreasing while digital natives are steadily increasing, Ojat said, adding that UT was now focusing on targeting more high school graduates.

UTs learning activity comprises 50 percent of online and face-to-face tutorials, each made up of eight sessions. This is a blended activity, a mixture between online and face-to-face tutorials using the prepared learning materials, he said.

For the face-to-face tutorials UT has established long distant program units (UPBJJ) in 34 provinces and at Indonesian embassies and consulate generals in 23 countries.

Ojat said face-to-face tutorials, including classroom activities and exercises, were mostly aimed to cover soft skill activities, academic interactions as well as co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

For online tutorials, especially for the discussion forum, Ojat said the university had developed it using concepts to make sure that the social, cognitive and teaching presences were there during the forum.

That way, the student will not feel lonely when joining an online discussion forum because even though they might be located far from each other they are still connected through the forum, he said.

He added that UT the government designed it differently from conventional universities. It excessively made use of developments in the field of information and communication technology to allow students to conduct all activities including enrollment, learning and examinations online through the internet for free. All learning materials could be accessed this way as well.

UT is currently offering 39 study programs at its four faculties: teacher training and education science; law, political and social sciences; mathematics and natural sciences; economy and post graduate programs.

. (./.)

With regard to the AAOU conference in Yogyakarta, Ojat said that it was an honor for UT to host such a big and prestigious event. He said this years conference was the third that UT had hosted and the 31st that the association organized. UT previously hosted AAOU conferences in 1990 and 2005 in Jakarta. Director General of Learning and Students Affairs Intan Ahmad, representing Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir, officially opened AAOU 31st Annual conference.

I am sure this forum will give impressive academic experience, offer chances for academic publications and develop networks for collaborative researches, said Ojat, who is also the AAOU president for 2008-2010, at the conferences opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Dewi Padmo, the chairwoman of the conferences organizing committee, said a total of 306 delegates took part in the conference this year. They came from 16 countries.

This years conference was held under the theme of Open University for Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education. The theme was considered because of the rapid development in learning technology to enable open and long distant education institutions to explore and improve their capability to become inclusive and equitable.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 10:19 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22aab28 4 Health sex,study,Science,science-and-technology,biology,scientists Free

Scientists from Nipissing University, Canada, announced their findings that the human face can project sexual urges. The research also shows that the face can also measure the probability of lying to their significant other in a relationship.

The study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, stated that men and women with smaller, shorter and wider faces are generally more sexually motivated. In short, they have a higher libido.

Face width is measured by the facial width to height ratio, commonly known as FWHR.

Men with wider faces have higher sexual urges compared to others. They are also more open to free sexual relations with no love or commitment and have a tendency to be unfaithful to their significant other.

As reported by Antara News Agency, lead writer of the research, Steven Arnocky, said, These findings show that facial characteristics can deliver important information about human beings sexual motivation.

Read also: Taste of the exotic: 'nasi lemak' condoms from Malaysia

A 2014 study from the Psychological Science journal said that women regard wide-faced men as more dominant and attractive within three minutes of first meeting.

Women are also convinced that these men are more romantic, even though they are only available for short-term relationships.

The findings urged the scientists to investigate whether FWHR can predict sexual urges between men and women.

In two separate studies, Arnocky, who is a psychologist, examined the correlation between sexuality and facial features. In the first study, 145 male and female students who were dating were questioned about their interpersonal behaviors and sexual urges. Their FWHR was also measured using photographs.

In the second study, 314 participants were questioned about their socio-sexual orientations and what kind of infidelity they desire.

As a result, the FWHR significantly correlates with sexual urges. Only by knowing somebodys FWHR, the scientists were able to predict what the person reports about their sexual urges. This result is applicable for both sexes.

The scientists are certain that the behavior relating to FWHR is related to sexual hormones, testosterone in particular. Male and female sexual behavior is partly modulated by testosterone. During puberty, testosterone is linked to sexual behavior and motives in both sexes.

Arnockys study may trigger further research about the effects of FWHR, and whether it can be detected in teenage years to see if it is consistent in adulthood. (asw)
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Linkedin Tian Xuefei and Zhou Huiying (China Daily/Asia News Network) Harbin, China  Sat, September 30, 2017 19:03 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22bab6a 2 Health autism,#autism,health,#health,children,#children,robot,#robot Free

A hospital in Northeast China is using robots and artificial intelligence to help treat children with autism.

Since its opening in mid-September, the E-Medical Artificial Intelligent Cognitive Rehabilitation Center at Harbin Children's Hospital in Heilongjiang province has received about 30 children with autism who will undergo advanced treatment assistance through one of its 10 robots.

Each robot - all take the name RoBoHoN - is about 33 centimeters tall and looks like a friendly cartoon character. With a childlike voice, it can sing, talk and carry on a simple conversation as it engages young patients. Doctors at the center believe the robots will perform an important role in encouraging the children to speak. Results will be evaluated in three to six months.

"My son repeats himself and has great difficulty communicating with others," a mother surnamed Zhang said of her autistic 6-year-old son, who began a training program at the hospital a year ago.

"I found he liked the robot very much, although he didn't talk with it," she said. "I hope he'll experience some positive changes with the help of robots."

The center is said to be the first in the country to use robots to help treat children with autism.

Autism is a neural disorder that causes difficulties in social interaction and communication. Sufferers usually have restricted, repetitive behavior patterns.

The genetic disorder affects about 1 percent of the world's population. In China, more than 10 million people have autism. Of those, more than 2 million are under age 14, according to a report on the development of autism rehabilitation techniques.

Read also: Antidepressants during pregnancy linked to autism in kids: study

"We are in urgent need of ways to treat autism," Yang Guangxue, director of the Autism Research Center at East China Normal University, said during a forum on autism at the hospital.

"It is estimated that the number of children with autism will continue to increase in the next few years."

Li Huaining, deputy director of the hospital, said the number of afflicted children has been increasing. "Now, every month, we receive about 70 children for treatment and rehabilitation."

To meet the increasing demand, the RoBoHoN robots were developed by Harbin Children's Hospital and Harbin E-Medical Technology Co to assist doctors and parents.

They fulfill important tasks at home, such as tracking a child's health, providing reminders to take medicines, providing comfort for lonely children and sending medical data to doctors.

Further, parents have access to long-distance medical consultations through the robot. Taking a robot home costs about 20 yuan ($3) per day.

According to the company, the technology used in the robots will be widely applied in sectors such as online medical treatment in the future.

Topics :

This article appeared on the China Daily newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin Laurence Coustal (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France  Sat, September 30, 2017 14:01 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b1b94 2 Environment Emmanuel-Macron,climate-change,research,scientists Free

French President Emmanuel Macron's 30-million-euro "Make Climate Great Again" campaign has narrowed a list of candidate scientists from abroad from thousands to 90, nearly half from the US, a French official said Friday.

Macron made the offer to fund and host foreign climate experts in early June after US President Donald Trump announced the United States would pull out of the 196-nation Paris Agreement, which pledges to cap global warming.

Trump also asked Congress to slash climate-research budgets across multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Energy, NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

If enacted, the cuts would total billions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

"As a climate scientist, I am extremely preoccupied by all the news I'm hearing about the White House budget, which clearly targets environmental and climate science," said Valerie Masson Delmotte, research director at France's Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission.

Tens of thousands of scientists took to the streets of Washington D.C. in April to protest.

"The decision by the president of the United States is disappointing," Macron said at the time.

"You will find in France a second homeland," he added in launching his appeal, clearly directed to US scientists.

- 'Disdain for science' -

Just over 250 applicants -- 45 percent US citizens -- made the first cut, based on academic qualifications and detailed research proposals, according to Anne Peyroche, chief research office at France's National Centre for Scientific Research.

Read also: Pope slams climate change deniers as 'stupid'

"We have some very high-level candidates," said told AFP.

"It's a real opportunity for France, but at the same time it says something about the situation of climate scientists in the United States."

French institutes and universities have matched Macron's largesse, which means a total of 60 million euros ($70 million) set aside for 50 junior and senior five-year postings.

"It is a kind offer, and it makes a very important statement," Michael Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, told AFP.

"The contrast between Macron -- who supports scientists and listens to its warnings -- and Trump, who expresses disdain for science, could not be more striking."

Macron is scheduled to unveil some of the marquee scientists selected on December 12, the second anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement.

Junior researchers will be alloted up to one million euros over four years, covering salary, two doctoral students and working expenses.

Senior researchers will each have a 1.5-million-euro budget that includes two assistants and two students.

Spouses will also be given work permits while they are in France.
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Linkedin Anne-Laure Mondesert and Fiachra Gibbons (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France  Sat, September 30, 2017 12:54 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b02fd 2 Lifestyle YvesSaintLaurent,YSL,fashion,fashion-designer Free

Yves Saint Laurent was one of greatest yet most private fashion designers of the 20th century.

Now only weeks after the death of his partner and lover Pierre Berge, the hard-nosed business brain behind the legend and the keeper of the flame, some of the creator's innermost secrets are coming to light.

The first of two new museums dedicated to his memory was inaugurated in Paris on Thursday as a raft of new books and documentaries -- including one on his erotic drawings -- attempt to decode the mysteries of the painfully shy man who revolutionized women's fashion.

The Paris mansion where Saint Laurent shook up the dress codes for more than three decades has been turned into a museum for his haute couture creations.

A much larger museum, also paid for by the foundation set up by Berge to safeguard his partner's legacy, opens next month in Marrakesh, the Moroccan city the couple loved and where Saint Laurent would often first sketch out his collections.

Read also: Viewing Yves Saint Laurent through Pierre Boulats lens

"Coco Chanel liberated women, but Yves Saint Laurent gave them power," Berge once said, by appropriating the symbols of power from the male wardrobe -- dinner jackets, safari suits and jumpsuits -- and remaking them for women.

- Inner sanctum -

"I had noticed men were much more confident in their clothes," Saint Laurent once said in a rare interview. "So I sought through trouser suits, trenchcoats, tuxedos and pea coats to give women the same confidence."

His black tuxedo for women, known as "Le Smoking" -- often wore over bare flesh -- caused a scandal in 1966, with the New York socialite Nan Kempner dropping her pants when she was told by a Manhattan restaurant that women in trousers would not be admitted.

Saint Laurent would later design a jacket as a thigh-skimming mini dress just as Kempner, one of his best customers, had worn it.

The heart of the new Paris museum is Saint Laurent's studio, the inner sanctum where he would work night and day in the run-up to his shows.

It remains just as he left it in 2002, his desk festooned with photos of his inner circle of glamorous female friends which included Catherine Deneuve, Bianca Jagger and Paloma Picasso.

Pride of place, however, goes to a New Year's card he made from a painting his friend Andy Warhol did of his French bulldog Moujik.

One wall of the room is completely mirrored, which allowed Saint Laurent to work directly on his live models so he could see his creation from all angles as it progressed.

The museum also gives revealing insight into Saint Laurent's creative process, developing his clothes from very basic sketches into complex designs that, in the case of some of his haute couture creations, could take thousands of hours to make.

- Berge's enduring devotion -

"Unlike many other designers Saint Laurent began systematically archiving his work in the early 1960s -- encouraged by Berge -- and so we can follow the evolution of each item," said a spokesman for the museum, which holds a treasury of 5,000 prototypes for his creations.

Other rooms in the museum are given over to Saint Laurent's inspiration and the "imaginary voyages" his collections often took to Asia, Africa and most famously Russia.

But other than his sojourns in Morocco -- which reminded him of his native Algeria where he was born in 1936 while it was still French -- the designer was not much of a traveller.

With Berge he built up a considerable art collection and he borrowed liberally from artists like Picasso, Matisse and Van Gogh, most famously with his Mondrian dress, which became an instant pop icon when it hit the catwalk in 1965.

Berge always believed that Saint Laurent -- who had begun his career by stepping into the shoes of Christian Dior when he was just 21 -- was nothing less than an exceptional artist, calling him "the greatest designer of the second half of the 20th century".

Having "spent all my life helping Yves Saint Laurent build his work, which I want to last", Berge died earlier this month, just weeks before the museums opened.

Read also: French fashion tycoon Pierre Berge has died aged 86: Foundation

His husband, the American landscape artist Madison Cox -- whom he married this summer -- told AFP that "10 days before he died he told me that 'I am going to die totally at peace', and I think that was true. He was a very determined man and he had put everything in place."

Cox said the museums were also a tribute to Berge's work supporting and protecting the fragile Saint Laurent, who was haunted by drug and drink addictions.

"Of course I and the whole team are profoundly sad that he will not be here," added Cox, who now heads the pair's charitable foundation. "But he would have wanted that we go on."
Speaking at Shiv Sena's annual Dussehra rally, party chief Uddhav Thackeray attacked the BJP and the Modi government over high petrol prices, demonetisation and said that he was only allied with the Amit Shah-led party for the unity of Hindu votes.

By India Today Web Desk: The Shiv Sena is allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party for only one reason - the unity of Hindu votes - and nothing else, Uddhav Thackeray thundered today at the party's annual Dusshera rally in Mumbai.

Thackeray, addressing an event that is a matter of pride for the Sena, launched an attack on the BJP in his address, raking up demonetisation and cow vigilantism, among other issues, to target the Narendra Modi governemnt.

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Interestingly, Uddhav refrained from attacking the prime minister directly and even asked his partymen not to do launch personal attacks. "We will organise more such agitations [against price rise]... But refrain from criticising prime minister Modi. No need to target one person for overall mess," Uddhav said.

The Modi government said that the GST would bring uniform taxation, the Sena supremo said, questioning, "Where is the uniformity? Even Pakistan has cheaper petrol than us." Thackeray was referring to recent criticism of the government over petrol and diesel prices rising despite global crude oil rates falling (fuel prices have fallen in the last few days).

Thackeray also spoke about demonetisation, seemingly criticising the government for creating a 'you-are-with-us-or-against-us' atmosphere. "An atmosphere was created that those who favour demonetization are deshbhakt (patriot) and those who oppose it are deshdrohi (traitor)," Thackeray said.

"Then who were the people who lost their lives waiting in queues (in front of banks)?" he asked.

NITISH, MUFTI

Thackeray went on to attack the BJP for its alliances with Janata Dal (United)'s Nitish Kumar and Peoples Democratic Party's Mehbooba Mufti in Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.

"You (the BJP) are okay with Nitish who abuses you, with Mehbooba Mufti who threatens you... [but why aren't you okay with] us who say 'garv se kaho hum Hindu hain' (say that you are a Hindu with pride)?" Thackeray questioned.

The Sena leader pointed to the contradiction in the BJP sharing power with the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir, while stressing his own party's strong belief in 'Hindutva' politics.

"In Kashmir, what ideological bond do you (BJP) share with the PDP? Why hasn't special status to Jammu & Kashmir been revoked yet?" Thackeray asked.

"We allied with the BJP for Hindutva when the word 'Hindutva' was taboo. If they (BJP) think we are of no use to them, we'll see (what should be our course of action)," Thackeray said. "Let us know what is your definition of Hindutva," he asked.

COW VIGILANTISM

Uddhav also went on to talk about cow vigilantism and the issue of banning cow slaughter.

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"We are not opposing the ban on cow slaughter, but what is that the BJP wants to achieve from it? We believe in the Hindutva defined by late Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who was quite practical about its exercise in daily life," Uddhav said.

"The BJP does not have consistency over the issues it is bringing up. It supports beef ban, but BJP chief minister (Manohar) Parrikar (in Goa) and newly inducted Union minister of state from Kerala K J Alphons contradict the party's line," the Sena chief said.

In a veiled dig at Modi, he said, "If the history of India is written (now), I think we will see only one person's face alone. He will be there on 'Charkha' as well as on book covers."

The Shiv Sena chief was speaking at Mumbai's iconic Shivaji Park grounds. Sena's annual Dussehra rallies are remember for the late Bal Thackeray's fiery speeches and before today's speech, it was speculated that Uddhav might announce a decision to snap ties with the BJP at the Dussehra rally.

(With inputs from PTI)

--- ENDS ---

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Linkedin Fiachra Gibbons (Agence France-Presse) Paris  Sat, September 30, 2017 11:01 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22ab837 2 Books Marcel-Proust,Book,#bookreview,book-review,author,#author,Literature,#literature,auction,#auction Free

The French writer Marcel Proust paid for glowing reviews of the first volume of his "Remembrance of Things Past" to be put into newspapers, letters by the great author reveal.

The novelist wrote the notices himself and sent them to be typed up by his publisher "so there is no trace of my handwriting" to distance himself "absolutely from the money that will change hands".

The letters have come to light with an extremely rare copy of "Swann's Way" which is expected to go for around half a million euros ($580,000) when it goes under the hammer at Sotheby's in Paris next month.

They make it clear that Proust orchestrated the operation himself from his bed, promising his editor at the publishers Grasset that he would "of course, pay him back in full".

The wealthy writer paid 300 francs -- around 1,000 euros ($1,175) today -- for a flattering reference to "Swann's Way" to appear on the front page of the Figaro, then, as now, one of France's leading dailies.

He paid a further 660 francs for another much larger summary of a glowing review by a friend of his to similarly appear on the front page of the Journal des Debats.

Both notices were favorably edited versions of an already highly laudatory review his old friend the painter Jacques Emile-Blanche -- whose portrait of Proust hangs in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris -- had written on the first part of his monumental masterpiece.

The letters to his editor Louis Brun show that Hollywood marketing hucksters had little to teach Proust when it came to the dark arts of hype and selective editing.

Read also: Mandela book withdrawn after outrage from widow

'Too luminous for the eye'

"Swann's Way", he wrote, is a "little masterpiece" which "like a gust of wind blows away the soporific vapors" of everything else currently on sale.

Comparing himself to Dickens, he declared: "What Monsieur Proust sees and feels is completely original."

Indeed, his writing was "almost too luminous for the eye... This books suggest almost the fourth dimension of the Cubists".

Proust tried to get three other publications to carry the highlights of his friend's review, although he was only prepared to offer money to sweeten their passage to one of them, the Gil Blas daily.

The letters also record his fury at the Figaro -- for which he sometimes worked -- for editing out a reference to him as "the eminent Marcel Proust".

Proust's desperation for publicity by fair means or foul was partly because he was having to pay for the book's publication himself, experts said.

Read also: Fake news, '1984' and our obsession with 'the truth'

Turned down by publishers

A string of publishing houses had turned it down before Brun persuaded his boss Bernard Grasset to take it in 1913 -- but only if the author paid all the costs.

Even so Grasset had no great hopes for it, telling a friend to whom he gave an advance copy: "It's unreadable."

However, within weeks of its publication some critics saw it as a work of genius even though others remained puzzled by it.

"The publisher Gaston Gallimard would later write to Proust saying that turning it down was the biggest mistake of his career," said Benoit Puttemans of Sotheby's.

Ever the aesthete, Proust had a special edition run off to celebrate in expensive "Japan tissue" made from the bark of mulberry trees.

Only four copies still exist -- one of which he gifted to Brun for the delicate operations he undertook on his behalf.

It will now go under the hammer with the letters on October 30.

'To die for'

"It's a copy to die for," said Proust's biographer Jean-Yves Tadie.

Sotheby's estimate it will go from between 400,000 and 600,000 euros ($470,000 and $705,000).

Puttemans said that paying for good reviews "did happen at the time. And Proust did it magisterially. He was never very direct.

"He was acting as his own press agent, passing off little articles about his book that he had written himself but which he wanted to make out were written by other people."

Consumate society player that he was, "he wrote that a great painter has written an article about a wonderful book, distributing compliments to everyone along the way," Puttemans told AFP.

"Proust wanted to please everyone."

The man described by Graham Greene as the "greatest writer of the 20th century" had earlier used his considerable society contacts to land a string of interviews to promote the book, holding forth from his bed in a room lined with cork to shield him from the sound of the city outside his mansion's doors.
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Linkedin Andrew Beatty (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Sat, September 30, 2017 14:04 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b215e 2 World trump,presidency,cabinet Free

President Donald Trump's embattled health secretary was forced out of the US administration Friday amid a scandal over his use of costly private jets for government travel.

Tom Price was the latest top official to join in a stream of steady and embarrassing exits from a White House administration that has stumbled from one scandal or self-inflicted wound to another since Trump took power in January.

Price, a wealthy orthopedic surgeon and former lawmaker from Georgia, is the most senior official to be forced out so far.

The scandal that ultimately doomed the 62-year-old has been brewing for days, placing Trump, whose campaign pledges included one to clean up Washington wastefulness and sleaze, in an increasingly difficult position.

The announcement of his resignation came less than an hour after Trump told reporters that Price had not offered to resign, but that his fate would be decided later Friday.

For days Price battled to keep a position he had held for less than eight months, after it emerged he had repeatedly used taxpayer funds to hire chartered jets.

In all, Price has flown on 26 separate trips this year on private aircraft, totaling some $400,000, according to Politico.

Overseas trips bring the total cost to taxpayers of Tom Prices travels to more than $1 million since May https://t.co/pMD8yHvFZm pic.twitter.com/V73ipO4iYC  POLITICO (@politico) September 30, 2017

He tried to put a lid on the scandal by paying back what turned out to be a fraction of the costs.

The trips were for government business, Price's department said, but some of the flights were to destinations where the health chief owns property, or where he met relatives.

Since Wednesday calls for Price's resignation had grown louder and louder.

Price's penchant for traveling on luxury jets, Democratic Senator Patty Murray said Thursday, is "particularly shocking as you serve in an administration that routinely calls for draconian spending cuts and a reduction in government waste, and you yourself have repeatedly advocated for fiscal restraint."

Price had also been intimately involved in Trump's failed efforts to overturn Obama-era health care reforms. His forced departure can also be viewed as punishment for this failure.

With that effort now stalled in Congress, Price's replacement will have to decide whether to take measures to prop up the current system or let it fail.

Republicans say Obama's reforms are unworkable. Democrats and independent experts say Republican plans would see millions or tens of millions of people lose insurance.

Trump had earlier indicated that Price's job was hanging by a thread.

"I don't like the optics," Trump said Friday. "I'm not happy, I can tell you, I'm not happy."

Trump described the former congressman as "a very fine person," adding that for some cabinet secretaries it was not a problem because they have their own planes.

It has been revealed that other cabinet secretaries -- including Treasury's Steve Mnuchin, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt -- have also contracted private or military jets while in office.

Topics : trump presidency cabinet
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Linkedin I Wayan Juniarta (The Jakarta Post) Karangasem, Bali  Sat, September 30, 2017 17:56 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b9ade 1 National Mount-Agung,bali,#MtAgungVolcano,Volcano Free

Despite warnings from the authorities to vacate the danger zone within 12 kilometers of Mount Agung, dozens of people are still conducting activities inside the zone.

During a trip on Thursday across villages in the danger zone, The Jakarta Post spotted several people, mostly adult males, cutting and transporting grass in Muncan and Peringsari villages. They said the grass was fodder for their livestock.

"We return to the village during the day to check up on our houses and feed our cattle. In the afternoon we go back to the evacuee shelters," a villager named Made Kawi told the Post.

In the adjacent village of Sogra, all the houses had been vacated and locked with only dogs seen roaming the streets.

Read also: Airbnb calls on hosts to accommodate Mt. Agung evacuees

Most of the massive sand and stones quarries in Sebudi, a village that lies well within the 9-kilometer highest-danger zone, were already deserted but several stone-cutting workshops still open. In one workshop, a group of nine workers was busy loading stones onto a pickup truck.

"We are transporting the stone materials to Gianyar and will leave the village in the afternoon," a worker said.

In Jangu hamlet at Duda, a village directly outside the perimeter of the danger zone, scores of adult males remained in the hamlet while most of its 150 families had already been evacuated to shelters in Sidemen Valley.

"We are tasked with guarding the hamlet. I dont think the hamlet will be impacted by the eruption because in the 1963 eruption it was spared from the lava," Made Tanu, 64, who witnessed the last eruption, said.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Karanganyar  Sat, September 30 2017

The Karanganyar District Court has found two men guilty for their involvement in hazing practises that led to the death of three freshmen at the Yogyakarta-based Indonesian Islamic University (UII).

Presiding judge Mujiyono handed down the verdict in the trial of Muhammad Wahyudi and Angga Septiawan on Thursday. They were sentenced to five years and six months in prison and six years in prison, respectively.

They were involved in abuse that led to the deaths of three students, Mujiyono said.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Bogor  Sat, September 30, 2017 13:53 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b1b84 1 City #Jokowi,#MilitaryCommand,#1965Tragedy Free

President Joko Jokowi Widodo, together with hundreds of Bogor residents and military personnel, attended a public screening of the movie Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI (Treachery of G30S/PKI) at the Bogor Suryakencana military command post (Korem) on Friday night.

Jokowi was accompanied by Bogor Suryakencana military commander (Danrem) Col. Mirza Agus and Bogor Police chief Sr. Comr. Ulung Sampurna Jaya.

Together with the President, we will watch the full version of the movie; it takes around four hours, Mirza told the media, as quoted by kompas.com.

Tension over the issue began to escalate already weeks before the commemoration of the Sept. 30, 1965 tragedy.

On Sept. 17, hundreds of anticommunist protesters besieged the office of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI), demanding that it dismiss a gathering inside the office, which they accused was held by supporters of the now defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

Recently, Jokowi called on moviemakers to create a remake of the movie to teach millennials about the 1965 communist purge. (hol)
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 14:51 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b3dab 1 National Kutai-Kartanegara,KPK,corruption-case,bribery-case Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has revealed that East Kalimantans Kutai Kartanegara regent Rita Widyasari may have received bribes related to a grant permit for a plantation project in the regency.

Rita, who was named a suspect on Tuesday, allegedly received bribes amounting to Rp 6 billion (US$444,000) from businessman Hery Susanto Gun, the president director of PT Sawit Golden Prima, for a plantation location permit, KPK commissioner Basaria Panjaitan said on Thursday.

Hery allegedly gave money amounting to Rp 6 billion (US$444,000) to Rita as a kickback fee for the latters permit for a oil palm plantation for PT Sawit Golden Prima, she said.

Besides Rita and Hery, the KPK has also named Khairudin, the commissioner of PT Media Bangun Bersama, a suspect.

The KPK allege that Rita and Khairudin accepted US$775,000 in gratuities related to several projects in Kutai Kartanegara.

Khairudin was reportedly part of Team 11, a special team formed by the regent to arrange permits for projects in the regency, Basaria added.

Investigators will charge Hery for allegedly giving bribes to Rita.

During a raid in Kutai Kertanegara, KPK investigators confiscated four luxury cars allegedly owned by Rita under another persons name.

The team of investigators also seized documents of financial transactions allegedly related to the gratuities, as well as documents and permits for the companys palm oil plantation, Basaria said. (rin)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30 2017

Indonesia has bolstered bilateral defense cooperations with Fiji after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday by Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu and his Fijian counterpart Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.

The two countries have agreed to, among others, exchange visits between defense and armed forces agencies, hold bilateral dialogues, participate in joint programs for capacity building, exchange military intelligence and engage in transfer of technology, as well joint research and development to promote the defense industry.

I hope this agreement can increase and enhance our defense capacity and capability [...] I personally encourage the establishment of our defense attache office in Fiji, Ryamizard said on Friday.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 15:16 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b459a 1 City #hate-speech,#ITELaw Free

The Jakarta Police have detained Jonru Ginting, a social media personality, after naming him a suspect of hate speech in order to prevent him from destroying evidence.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yiwono said the police had not immediately detained him after naming him a suspect on Thursday night.

Starting today, on Sept. 30, Jonru will be detained at the Jakarta Police headquarters, Argo said on Saturday, as quoted by tempo.co.

The reason for detaining the suspect is to prevent him from repeating his action, destroying evidence or running away.

Jonru is charged under Article 28 of the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law on hate speech, with stipulates a maximum punishment of six years in prison.

Jonru was reported for hate speech last month by a lawyer named Muannas Al Aidid, who claimed that a Facebook post by Jonru incited hatred related to ethnic, religious, racial or societal groups (SARA). (wnd)
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 17:37 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b9519 1 National Polri,Brimob,Ukraine,ammunition,National-Police,firearms,weapon Free

The National Police (Polri) should publicly clarify reports that the force has purchased from a Ukraine company hundreds of firearms and ammunition that will be used by the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob), a police watchdog said on Saturday.

The police should clarify the reports about 280 firearms and 6,000 rounds of ammunition belonging to Brimob that are currently being held by authorities at Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) chairman Neta S. Pane said in a statement on Saturday.

He added that information obtained by the IPW revealed that the firearms and ammunition were sourced by PT MDM from abroad.

Polri need to explain whether these weapons and ammunition are part of the polices plan to buy 20,000 firearms, said Neta.

He referred to a previous Polri statement that confirmed they planned to buy MAG 4 weapons, of which 5,000 would be bought from state weapons manufacturer Pindad while 15,000 others would be purchased from abroad.

To avoid confusion, the police must tell the public whether firearms taken into custody by the airport authorities form part of the 15,000 firearms they planned to buy from a supplier abroad, said Neta.

A series of reports circulating on social media app Whatsapp since Friday have shown documents from different authorities, including a clearance document approved by Indonesian authorities that appeared to state that a Ukraine Air Alliance cargo aircraft had landed at Soekarno Hatta airport at around 11.35 p.m. on Friday. It was said the cargo comprised items ordered by Polri.

According to the documents, items of the cargo included 280 SAGL 40x46mm grenade launchers and 5,932 RLV HEFJ 40x46 mm grenades.

A photo of a cargo manifest appeared to indicate that among the items carried by the aircraft were cartridges for weapons packed inside 70 wooden boxes weighing 23 kilograms each.

Meanwhile, the shipping classification was 1.1 E. According to the UN shipping classification, 1.1E means secondary explosive, not self initiating, with propelling charge.

Among the other documents circulating via Whatsapp are pictures of green wooden boxes stored inside a warehouse. There is also a document apparently from the Ukrainian Embassy in Jakarta that praised the Indonesian authorities for giving clearance for the aircraft to enter the countrys territory.

Polri spokesman Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto did not respond to The Jakarta Posts request for confirmation. (ebf)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 19:36 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22bac79 1 Politics setya-novanto,setya,pretrial,pretrial-motion,Golkar,GolkarParty,house-of-representatives Free

Golkar Party Youth Movement Group (GMPG) head Ahmad Doli Kurnia has said Setya Novanto should immediately resign from his positions as House of Representatives speaker and Golkar Party chairman.

By resigning from the posts, he explained, Setya could prove that he really was ill.

We want Pak Setya to accept wholeheartedly [our suggestion] that he should no longer serve either as Golkar Party chairman or House speaker. This is the most effective tool to prove that Pak Setya really is unwell, Doli said as quoted by kompas.com in Jakarta on Saturday.

He was speaking in response to a picture that has gone viral on the internet, which appeared to show Setya lying in a hospital bed.

(Read also: Setya cleared as suspect after winning pretrial motion against KPK)

In the picture, Setya is seen being monitored by various items of medical equipment. Instead of arousing public sympathy, however, the picture has triggered derision among netizens with many humorous memes later being uploaded to social media.

Doli said Setya should take a lesson from the incident. Resignation from his positions at the Golkar Party and the House is the only way to make the public believe that he is really sick, he said.

Doli acknowledged that he had received information that Setyas health condition was getting worse. The politician, he said, suffered from at least eight medical conditions, including vertigo, high blood sugar levels, hardening of heart arteries, spots on the brain, kidney problems and sinusitis.

Even though South Jakarta District Court has annulled his suspect status in the high-profile e-id graft case, Doli said, it would be better for Setya to resign from his positions. (ebf)
A source from South Korea's defense ministry said he could not confirm details of the report or whether there has been any unusual activities in the area mentioned.

By Reuters: Several North Korean missiles were recently spotted moved from a rocket facility in the capital Pyongyang, South Korea's Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported late Friday amid speculation that the North was preparing to take more provocative actions.

The report cited an unnamed intelligence source saying South Korean and US intelligence officials detected missiles being transported away from North Korea's Missile Research and Development Facility at Sanum-dong in the northern part of Pyongyang.

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The report did not say when or where they had been moved.

The missiles could be either intermediate range Hwasong-12 or intercontinental ballistic Hwasong-14 missiles, according to the report, though the missile facility at Sanum-dong has been dedicated to the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

A source from South Korea's defense ministry said he could not confirm details of the report or whether there has been any unusual activities in the area mentioned.

South Korean official have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on October 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on October 18.

Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and US forces recently held their first joint short range air defense training exercise in South Korea, according to a statement released by the US Pacific Command on Friday.

The statement did not give the date of the exercise, but said the next exercise is scheduled to take place over the next few months as the two forces become more familiar with each other's capabilities.

ALSO WATCH | North Korea conducts 6th nuclear test with hydrogen bomb

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30 2017

Two civil society groups, the Indonesia Budget Center (IBC) and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), have expressed doubts on whether President Joko Jokowi Widodos administration can accomplish its 12.7-million-hectare (ha) target for its social forestry program.

The social forestry program is part of the countrys 2014 to 2019 medium-term development plan.

Jokowi plans to hand over 12.7 million ha to local residents over the five-year period. The program is expected to protect the locals livelihood in the forest.

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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua  Sat, September 30, 2017 08:44 1872 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22a3fbd 1 National Blasphemy-Law,blasphemy,TNI,Papua Free

A soldier serving in Papua was dismissed from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and sentenced to 2.5 years in prison after being found guilty of blasphemy.

The Jayapura Military Court found Second Sgt. Bangun Ahmad Kasmawan guilty on Thursday.

The defendant violated article 156a of the Criminal Code on religious blasphemy, said presiding judge Col. James Vandersloot of the Corps of Military Law and Justice.

Bangun was sentenced for burning several copies of the Bible in May. Bangun, who was assigned to guard the border between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, was cleaning the house of the 172 Military Resort chief (Kasrem) at a housing complex in Padangbulan, Abepura, Jayapura.

He burned a box of books and other items stored in a shed without checking the contents first. As he burned the books, a resident took a picture and uploaded it to social media, sparking an uproar. Residents then staged a protest that ended in violence. (rin)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 20:17 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22bbf82 1 City #Transjakarta,#workers,#Transportation Free

City-owned bus operator, PT Transportasi Jakarta (Transjakarta) has officially hired 4,316 of its contract workers, who had previously conducted strikes, as permanent employees.

In June, hundreds of contract workers of PT Transjakarta held a strike in protest at their employment status.

The decision was made after a resolution team agreed to approve their demand, Jakarta Manpower and Transmigration Agency head Priyono said.

The team comprised officials from PT Transjakarta, the Jakarta Transportation Agency, the Manpower and Transmigration Agency, and other related institutions.

"The 4,316 workers who have been actively working at PT Transjakarta Busway since 2004 before PT Transjakarta was established, have been hired as permanent employees as per Jan. 1, 2015," Priyono said, as quoted Saturday by kompas.com.

The city administration initially formed Transjakarta in 2003 as a badan layanan umum (public service body), before transforming it into the Transjakarta Busway Management Body (UPTB) under the Transportation Agency in 2006. In 2013 it became the city-owned bus firm PT Transportasi Jakarta.

Another 111 workers who joined the company after 2015 and who had renewed their contracts more than three times, have been hired as permanent employees dating from the date they joined the company.

The remaining 1,847 workers who only renewed their contract once or twice must undergo the company's procedural selection to be hired as permanent workers.

PT Transjakarta president director Budi Kaliwono said that he expected the decision would improve the employees' motivation to serve passengers. (yon)
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Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 20:00 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22bb011 1 National Abdul-Haris-Nasution,Nasution-Museum,nasution,communism,G30S,PKI Free

Jakarta resident Hanifa, 37, swiped sweat from her sons forehead as they left the General Dr. Abdul Haris (AH) Nasution Museum on Jl. Teuku Umar, Central Jakarta, on Saturday.

This is the first time for us to visit the museum. There are no fans inside. I didnt expect there would be a lot of people here. My son got cranky because of the heat, Hanifa smiled as she fanned her 8-year-old boy.

Hanifa said she had decided to bring her two children to the museum after she watched Pengkhianatan G 30 S PKI (Treachery of G30S/PKI), the movie on the coup attempt perpetrated by the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) in 1965, aired on a private TV station on Friday.

Through the visit, Hanifa said, she could give them an early education about the dangers of communism in Indonesia in past years.

I want them to know how harmful the PKI was to Nasution and this nation overall. So, they will have different perspectives from what theyve seen all this time, she added.

The museum was once owned by Nasutions family. The Army general managed to escape a kidnapping attempt perpetrated by the PKI on the night of Sept.30, 1965, but his daughter Ade Irma Suryani Nasution was shot dead.

Pictures of the Nasution family are placed on the walls around the house. Statues of Cakrabirawa soldiers and Nasution and his family members were erected inside the museum to resemble the abduction attempt that occurred 52 years ago. The museum closes at 4 p.m. every day. (ebf)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 13:03 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b0724 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Tourism-Ministry,Arief-Yahya Free

Tourism minister Arief Yahya took an early flight to Bangkok, Thailand on Sept. 28 to attend the 28th Annual TTG Travel Awards 2017.

The Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) is a travel publication that can be found in almost every travel market in the world, first published 1953.

The TTG Travel Awards is a prestigious award given for tourism practitioners in the Asia Pacific region and has been held annually since 1989.

The event is hosted by TTG Asia with the support from TTG India, TTG China, TTG Mice, TTG Associations, TTC BT Mice China and TTG Asia Luxury. In the early days, the awards used to have 10 categories but now there are more than 80 awards divided into four categories: Travel supplier, travel agency, outstanding achievement and travel hall of fame.

The voting process was took two months from May until July this year. The committee asked industry professionals as well as readers to vote.

Read also: Ministry plans to hold 180 tourism events for 2018

Travel supplier awards are given for travel consultants, tour operators and travel companies. Meanwhile, travel agency awards are for hotels, aviation staff, car rentals, broadcast operators, national tourism organizations, GDS companies and other professional travel companies.

This year, Indonesia is being nominated in the outstanding achievement category, Last year the winner was Thailand, since 2010 Thailand has won the award three times (2012, 2013 and 2016) and then followed by Singapore who won two times (2010 and 2011). This year, Wonderful Indonesia will be the one who goes up to the stage, said Arief.

Were going to win destination of the year, it is the most prestigious award from TTG for countries. The award will strengthen our 3Cs: Calibration, confidence and credibility, he added.

The travel hall of fame category is given for 10-time champions. So far there are 15 names that can no longer take part in this category because they have been winning consistently and they are: Singapore Airlines, Singapore Changi Airport, Hertz Asia Pacific, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, Star Cruises, Abacus International, Silk Air, Lotte Tour, Hongkong International Airport, Raffles Hotel, Regal Airport Hotel, Banyan Tree Spa, Qatar Airways, Thai Airways and Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau. (asw)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Sat, September 30, 2017 15:04 1871 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a22b3fe2 2 News Wonderful-Indonesia,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Oman Free

Tourism ministry is set to hold the Wonderful Indonesia Festival in Oman from Oct. 2 - 6.

According to the ministrys deputy minister for Overseas Promotion, I Gde Pitana the event has a mission to help in achieving the 20 million overseas tourists target by 2019 as well as dismissing the negative portrayal of Indonesia as a country that provides unprofessional migrant workers.

We will show that Indonesia has a lot more to offer and has a world-class beauty. This festival will hold a table-top industrial gathering on Oct. 3 at the Sheraton Muscat hotel. This is where tourism practitioners from Indonesia and Oman will meet and extend their network, Pitana said.

The Middle Eastern market is huge especially with their spending that is above average. They usually travel for eight and a half days with an average spending of US$1,190 per-visitor. In Oman, our target is the Middle Eastern families who usually take summer vacations for two until three months, added the ministry's deputy assistant for Europe, the United States, Middle East and Africa tourism promotion, Nia Niscaya.

Moreover, Nia said that Indonesia is trying to keep up with Malaysia that welcomes 300,000 Middle Eastern tourists and Thailand with 800,000 Middle Eastern tourists.

Read also: Tanjung Lesung to build new marina

For the festival, the ministry is bringing four companies to Oman namely Astadala Tour, PT Indonesia Tur Arabia / Go Indonesia, PT. Tambatan Hati Tour & Travel and Travel In Style.

The ministry is also slated to present a seven-member dance group who will perform at the diplomatic reception hosted by the Indonesian Embassy in Oman on Oct. 2.

The dances that will be performed represent Bali, West Java, West Sumatra and Jakarta. There will be four dances such as Bajidor which is a collaboration between Sundanese Jaipong dance and Balinese dance, Gebyar Bali which is a new dance that showcases the Indonesian youth spirit at a peoples party, Galenyek which is the new version of the traditional Minang dance and Lenggang Betawi," Nia said.

The festival will also be held at Muscat Avenue Mall from Oct. 5 - 6.

For the Middle Eastern market, tourism minister Arief Yahya said to promote destinations that have won the World Best Halal Destination awards.

The ministry is targeting to attract five million international tourists for halal tourism in 2019. Currently the number is between two to three million tourists.

Our 2019 target is five million, twice from the current number, told Arief.

According to the report from Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) the number of tourists for this segment is expected to reach 168 million, an increase from the year of 2015 that had 117 million. GMTI also shows that Indonesia is in the fourth place for the most favorite halal destination among the Organization of Islamic Cooperation countries. (asw)
(lead article)

Millions vote yes for independent Kurdistan!

Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani

Over 3 million Kurds and others in Iraqi Kurdistan and tens of thousands in the Kurdish diaspora around the world defied Washington and its imperialist allies, the United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the majority of the capitalist regimes in the Middle East by turning out to vote in the Kurdistan Regional Government`s independence referendum Sept. 25. Authorities there report 92.7 percent of the returns in the nonbinding vote were cast for Yes. The overwhelming vote opens a new stage in the centurieslong struggle of the Kurdish people for a homeland.

The ballot was written in four languages, Kurdish, Arabic, Turkmen and Assyrian, reflecting the participation of the nationalities living in the Kurdistan region. There were 12,000 polling stations spread across the region, including KRG territory recognized by Iraq as well as areas also claimed by the Iraqi government, including the oil-rich Kirkuk province. Over 72 percent of the 4.5 million eligible voters participated.

We have a language. We have a history. We have a geography. And we have suffered, 73-year-old retired lawyer Saleh Mohammed told the Wall Street Journal coming out of his polling booth. There have been wars and uprisings, and after every uprising, negotiations and agreements that were never implemented.

Today is a historic day, said KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani after casting his vote. Our message on this day is: The people of Kurdistan with all its components who live here want to peacefully and democratically express their opinion about their future and how it should look like.

Celebrations of the vote spread across the border into the Kurdish region in Iran as well. Social media sites were full of photos and videos showing enthusiastic mobilizations in Bana, Saqqez, Mariwan, Mahabad, Bokan, Sardasht, Shno, Piranshar, Kamyaran and other cities. The largest celebration was reported in Sanandaj, where Rudaw reports nearly 20,000 people took part, chanting Sandandaj supports you in the citys Freedom Square.

The over 30 million Kurds are the largest nationality worldwide without a state, divided by the imperialist victors in World War I between Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey.

Threats against Kurds intensify

Washington and its imperialist allies, the capitalist rulers in Baghdad, and almost all the capitalist regimes in the Middle East demanded the KRG cancel the referendum right through the vote. Since then some have advanced political, economic and military threats against the KRG.

The propertied rulers in the U.S., today`s dominant imperialist power, fear the Kurds` battle for independence, said Osborne Hart, Socialist Workers Party candidate for mayor of New York in a Sept. 20 statement. So do the rulers in Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran, where most of the Kurdish people live.

This is because every step forward for the centurieslong struggle for the Kurdish people for self-determination anywhere, Hart stated, opens the door to new advances, inspiring Kurds wherever they live and others fighting imperialist domination, oppression and exploitation.

Since the overwhelming independence vote, the anti-Kurdish drumbeat has grown shriller.

We hope for a unified Iraq to annihilate ISIS [Islamic State] and to push back on Iran, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders cynically stated. Washington has maintained a tactical military alliance with Kurdish fighters in both Iraq and Syria as the most effective fighting force in combating the reactionary Islamic State. The U.S. rulers have used and betrayed the Kurds over decades when useful to advance their imperialist interests in the region.

The Iraqi parliament  with Kurdish delegates boycotting  called on Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to send troops to Kirkuk to retake control. The Kurdish peshmerga defended the city, after Iraqi government troops fled when Islamic State swept across hunks of Iraq in 2014.

Baghdad also demanded the KRG relinquish control over the international airports in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah. Some regional airlines, including Egyptair in Cairo and Middle East Airlines in Beirut, said they would suspend flights there beginning Sept. 29.

We will call to account anyone who participated in the referendum, Abadi said, threatening retaliation.

One pro-Tehran member of parliament went further. The step that was taken by some racists in Kurdistan will bring instability to the entire region for years to come, said Mowaffak al-Rubaie from the ruling Shiite National Alliance. The representatives of such efforts had established the state of Israel in 1948.

The Iraqi government does not recognize the Israeli state, the only government in the Middle East that says it would recognize an independent Kurdistan.

The rulers of neighboring regimes with large oppressed Kurdish populations are united in targeting the KRG, fearing the example it sets. Iranian and Iraqi troops are conducting joint military exercises, as are Iraqi and Turkish troops, on their borders with the KRG.

The Turkish regime of Recep Tayyip Erdogan is threatening to retaliate. The KRG is landlocked and its biggest source of revenue is oil that reaches the market through a pipeline across Turkey.

After this, let`s see, Erdogan said, who they sell [their oil] to. The valve is with us. Its finished the moment we close it.

But the KRG also has some defenders. The Turkish policy will fail, said Hadiye Yusuf, co-chair of the founding council administering the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Syria. If the KRG is attacked or blockaded, the Kurds there can count on support from Syrian Kurds, he said, and the Simalke border crossing from Syria into the Kurdistan region area will remain open.

While threats are flying, there is yet no combat on the ground. And the Turkish rulers have not closed their border with Kurdistan.

The Kurds were able to organize the referendum because of the space opened by the coming apart of Syria and Iraq and the conflicts between Washington, Moscow and competing capitalist regimes in the region seeking to bolster their national economic and political interests.

Its serves as an inspiration to others fighting to advance their rights around the world, like the people of Catalonia, currently fighting to vote on an independence referendum Oct. 1 over the fierce objection of the Spanish rulers.





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(front page)

Social disaster leaves people without electricity, water

The social disaster unfolding in Puerto Rico is magnified many times over because it is a U.S. colony. Well before hurricanes Irma and then Maria hit, the state-owned electrical grid and other infrastructure were in disarray. Basic maintenance had been shunted aside as the colonial regime was directed by Washington to prioritize making payments on its $74 billion debt to wealthy bondholders.

Puerto Ricos economy has been adjusted by its colonial masters in Washington for decades to meet the interests of U.S. capitalists. Starting in the 1940s U.S. companies there were exempted from many taxes, which, coupled with low wages, led pharmaceutical and other bosses to set up shop on the island. In the 1990s many hospitals, telecommunications and some hotels were privatized.

After World War II the emphasis on agriculture was destroyed in the interests of expanding manufacturing. Today 85 percent of the islands food is imported.

In 2006 Congress dumped the main tax breaks, accelerating plant shutdowns under the impact of the worldwide economic crisis. Under the notorious Jones Act, all maritime cargo to Puerto Rico from U.S. ports has to travel on U.S.-built, U.S.-owned ships, greatly increasing the cost of goods on the island.

Of the islands population of some 3.5 million today, only 1 million have a job. And the colonial government is bankrupt.

When the hurricanes hit, the government in San Juan had done next to nothing to prepare. It didnt even place satellite phones in government offices outside San Juan, leaving most towns without any means of communication for days after Maria battered the island.

They never came to clean anything. We did. They didnt come to pick up the branches or nothing, San Juan resident Eric Gil, 54, said in a video on the Miami Herald website Sept. 21. We are working. Not the government.

Four days after the storm, mayors from around the island made their way to San Juan to meet with Gov. Ricardo Rossello. They reported that many shelters, with thousands of people, still had no electrical generators and had run short of water and food.

At the same time, El Vocero reported that thousands of containers with basic necessities were stuck at the docks, because of a lack of fuel for trucks, no storage points and no distribution plan.

One thing Washington made sure arrived was the return of military police and cops from the mainland to keep an eye on the population. They also called up more than 1,000 National Guardsmen who were assigned to distribute food  but they gave out just four bottles of water and two GI-style rations per person in Barrio Obrero Sept. 24. They were the lucky ones. With bridges out and many roads blocked, much of the country is only accessible via helicopter.

The lack of electricity is life threatening. Insulin for diabetics has to be kept cool. People wait for hours on line to buy strictly rationed bags of ice or a little bit of diesel to fuel generators. That is, if you can afford a generator  and find one to buy.

As much as 80 percent of this years crops from yam and sweet potato to banana and coffee were decimated. Dairy farmers who salvaged their herds are pouring milk down the drain because there are no trucks to pick it up and no way to keep it cool.

Storms positive?

But officials of the colonial regimes agriculture department told thethat the destruction could be positive because it will give them a chance to modernize farming, which translates into profits for larger capitalist farmers.

The disdain the U.S. rulers and their colonial regime have for working people is captured by what happened in Toa Baja, where as many as nine people drowned. Authorities released water from the Lake Plata reservoir through five floodgates at 8 p.m. Sept. 20, sending water overflowing the riverbanks, but gave no advance warning to those downstream.

Gabriel Diaz, a university student who was at home in Toa Baja at the time, told the Militant by phone from San Juan Sept. 22 that it was only after homes were flooding that emergency personnel arrived and said to evacuate.

Meanwhile, the Guajataca dam in the northwestern part of the island is cracked and in danger of collapse. Gov. Rossello ordered some 70,000 people in the towns of Isabela, Quebradillas and parts of San Sebastian to evacuate. But as of Sept. 25 it was unclear how many people had left.

Absence of government action

In the absence of government action, everybody is pitching in, Diaz said. Its individuals and groups who are clearing the roads, cleaning up, machete in hand. Thats why I was able to travel from Toa Baja to San Juan.

This has been true everywhere hit by the recent hurricanes  working-class solidarity in the midst of government indifference and capitalists search for opportunities to make a buck.

On Sept. 21, Gov. Rossello announced a curfew, which runs from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Its to protect private property, Diaz said, And its really the state putting an obstacle in the way of collective solutions. Many people wont even know theres a curfew and could end up in confrontations with the police.

Were going to need lots of aid, Diaz said. But he said hes concerned the government and the U.S. appointed Financial Oversight and Management Board  which was imposed on Puerto Rico to ensure maximum payment on the debt  will use the crisis to privatize the electric company, and replace affordable housing with luxury homes.

To add insult to injury, some 200 storm victims sheltered at the San Juan convention center were evicted out the back door Sept. 26. They were bused to the Nilmarie Santini gymnasium, which had no electricity, air conditioning, cold water or hot food. The reason: to make room for 2,000 U.S. agents and volunteers who arrived to help,

Many capitalist investors see dollar signs when they think of government aid coming into Puerto Rico after the storm. One wealth manager told a columnist at the Washington Post last summer things were looking up for investors in Puerto Rico. The only thing we need now is a hurricane, she half-joked. But it wasnt a joke. She was talking about the openings for profit that would open for the construction industry and investors. Buy stock in Home Depot, she advised.

Massive aid to Puerto Rico! End US colonial rule!
(front page)

Subscription, book drive kicks off with strong start

The Socialist Workers Partys nine-week fall circulation drive to increase readership is ahead of schedule. The party has set a national quota of 1,500 subscriptions to theand the same number of campaign books written by SWP leaders. Over the first week we sold 251 subscriptions and 211 books.

At the heart of the effort is knocking on workers doors to discuss the carnage that workers, ranchers and farmers are living through, imposed by the bosses and their government as they try to force the cost of the deepening crisis of their capitalist system on us. The goal is to get out broadly into cities, towns and rural areas.

In addition to branches of the SWP, members and supporters of Communist Leagues in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. are using the drive, which runs to Nov. 21, to introduce the communist movement.

The drive runs concurrently with the SWPs $100,000 fall fund to finance the partys ongoing work. Below is a chart showing party fund goals.

SWP members and supporters who work in industry and retail are organizing to win new readers among their co-workers and working with them to introduce the party and its literature to their friends, relatives and neighbors. For example, party supporters who work at Walmart are discussing a goal of selling 150 subscriptions and a matching number of books.

In an exciting part of kicking off the drive, SWP members in Miami were joined by party members from Atlanta to campaign in southern Florida on the heels of Hurricane Irma (see article on page 8).

Party members from a number of cities sent reports on their experiences in the first week of the drive. SWP members Diana Newberry and Alyson Kennedy made a trip to the Arkansas Valley of Southeast Colorado, a ranching and agricultural area. They met workers door to door in three small towns along Route 50.

In Rocky Ford they spoke with Loretta Herrera, Kennedy said, who told us that workers from Mexico come to the area every year to work in the fields picking cantaloupes, melons, onions and other crops. When I went to college I was in the United Mexican American Student group and we would bring Cesar Chavez from the United Farm Workers union to speak about the grape boycott, Herrera said. Today farmworkers have the same problems. Planes fly over the fields and drop pesticides while they are working.

She got an introductory subscription to the Militant along with a copy of The Clintons Anti-Working-Class Record: Why Washington Fears Working People by SWP national secretary Jack Barnes.

My family has a legacy of fighting for Hispanic people, so its nice to see people who care about what is going on, Herrera said. I voted for the Clintons, but I didnt appreciate what they did afterwards. By the end of the weekend Kennedy and Newberry had sold three campaign books, two introductory Militant subscriptions and seven single copies.

In addition to The Clintons Anti-Working-Class Record, the books on special are Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power and Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart? both by Barnes; Is Socialist Revolution in the US Possible? by SWP leader Mary-Alice Waters; and Its the Poor Who Face the Savagery of the US Justice System by the Cuban Five, five Cuban revolutionaries who spent up to 16 years in U.S. prisons for their actions in defense of the Cuban Revolution.

Michele Smith reports that she and party supporter Rashaad Ali in Seattle met Sandra Stubbs at her home and discussed the fight against racism and the history of the battles to defeat Jim Crow segregation. Stubbs got an introductory subscription to the Militant and the books Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power and Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart?

I believe in what you two are saying and have some similar ideas, Stubbs said. A lot of people today have their eyes closed and they need to be opened. Please call me again and we can set up a time to get together with a few of my friends and family to talk politics.

Joanne Murphy from Washington, D.C., reports that party members went door to door in some apartment buildings there. We met Withyawuth W. Hong, who was forced into the Cambodian army as a teenager, then captured and put in one of Pol Pots labor camps, Murphy said. He escaped and when he got to the U.S., spent 12 years in the U.S. military. He said he thought the one thing the U.S. didnt understand about either Vietnam or Cuba was that all Washingtons military might was not strong enough to defeat the peoples will to fight for freedom.

He signed up for a Militant subscription and got a copy of Cuba and Angola: The War for Freedom by Harry Villegas, a book that describes the revolutionary Cuban governments assistance to the Angolan peoples fight against intervention by apartheid South Africa in the 1970s and 80s, Murphy said. Then the next night we got to talk more when he came to the Militant Labor Forum to see All Guantanamo Is Ours, about the Cuban peoples fight to reclaim the U.S.-occupied naval base there.

Members of the Communist League in Vancouver, British Columbia, report they talked to workers door to door in an evening campaign team joined by Philippe Tessier, the Leagues candidate for mayor in Montreal. He was in town to campaign for a few days on his way back from a week of political campaigning in the Philippines. They said one person they talked to gave $20 for The Clintons Anti-Working-Class Record, saying the change was a donation. Thats the second $10 donation theyve received in the last couple weeks.

SWP members in a number of cities report theyve gotten contributions from workers on their doorsteps to help advance the partys work. These donations to the SWP Fall Fund are an important part of meeting the $100,000 goal.

If you would like to sign up friends or others you know to receive the Militant or campaign books, to invite a party member to come visit with you and your friends, or to donate to the Party Fund, please contact the nearest SWP office listed on page 8.





Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home




(special feature)

SWP reaches broadly to workers with paper, books

Workers anger at capitalist carnage opens doors to communist political, union work

NEW YORK  When President Donald Trump said in his inauguration speech that the American carnage stops right now, it resonated with millions of working people, Socialist Workers Party National Committee member Steve Clark told participants in a Sept. 22 Militant Labor Forum here. It was the demagogy of a bourgeois politician, but one who  far more than most in his class  saw the reality of the deepening crisis of the Republican and Democratic parties and used it to trounce his electoral opponents in both parties, Clark said.

That carnage is the product of the global contraction of capitalist production, trade and employment. The percentage of the working class with jobs, as well as their wages and family income, are stagnating or worse, Clark said. Life expectancy is down, health care and pensions devastated and opioid addiction spreading among urban and rural working people.

The cumulative political effects of this social crisis  on workers outlooks and the bourgeois parties alike  became clear to the Socialist Workers Party in 2011, after party members joined protests in Madison, Wisconsin, for several weeks against attacks on public workers unions in that state. The SWP soon concluded that the weekly marches were going nowhere, since the aim of union officials, liberal activists, and middle-class radicals organizing them was to oust Republican Gov. Scott Walker and replace him with a Democrat.

The SWP, Clark said, knew this goal was not only a will-o-the-wisp (Walkers second term ends in November 2018), but more importantly it fostered the self-defeating illusion that workers and our unions have a stake in backing candidates of either of the bosses parties.

The SWP leadership decided party members needed to get out of Madison, instead go door to door in working-class neighborhoods in smaller cities and towns across the state. As we did so, we discovered deep changes in workers thinking that presented new political openings for the party, Clark said.

Wisconsin was one of four states where many workers cast ballots for Donald Trump in 2016 who had voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, Clark said. These workers werent motivated by white racism, as claimed by many on the liberal or radical left, nor were they voting Republican. Theyd simply had enough of capitalisms carnage and wanted a change.

In fact, as a result of the gains of the Black rights movement in the U.S., more workers than ever today oppose racist and anti-immigrant bigotry, discrimination and assaults. That was shown, among other ways, by the broad response against the murder of nine Blacks in Charleston, South Carolina, by ultrarightist Dylann Storm Roof in 2015, as well as the outpouring of 40,000 in Boston in August against the racist, anti-Semitic Tiki Torch march of some 250 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Campaigning at workers doorsteps

Based on the Wisconsin experience, Clark said, the SWP concluded that every branch should put campaigning door to door in working-class neighborhoods at the center of its activity. We find many workers interested in talking with us about our working-class program and becoming readers of theand books by party leaders. Some introduce us to family, friends and co-workers, come with us to social protests, take an interest in activities to defend the Cuban Revolution or want us to join fights or activities theyre involved in.

Deepening the partys week-by-week propaganda work in the working class is at the heart of this falls drive to expand the circulation of the paper and the partys books.

The refusal of the class-collaborationist union bureaucracy to organize and mobilize the working class to respond to attacks by the bosses  with the officialdoms slavish orientation to the rulers political parties, usually the Democrats  has meant union membership is plummeting, Clark said. In 1973 some 39 percent of manufacturing workers were union members; its 8.8 percent today. Overall for workers employed by privately owned companies, the percentage has fallen to 6.4 percent.

Top union officials and most of the U.S. left  whatever they say, and however they say it  are convinced its not possible to organize workers into unions today, Clark said. And thats how the union bureaucrats and middle-class radicals act. None look to workers and our families as the agents of social change, much less the fight for an independent working-class political party and the revolutionary struggle for workers power.

But the Socialist Workers Party, and its members and supporters employed by giant retailers like Walmart, in manufacturing industries, in transportation, and other jobs know differently. We find the same kind of political response among co-workers to the partys program and activity  and interest in the Militant and books on working-class politics, Clark said, as we do going door to door in workers neighborhoods.

No one can predict when working-class opposition to assaults on living standards and job conditions, union busting, racist attacks, the pushback against womens rights, social catastrophes, and wars perpetuated by the capitalists, their government and their political parties will give rise to a sustained social movement to rebuild our unions and to fight for broad working-class social and political demands.

But one thing is for sure, Clark said. The political discussions party members and supporters have with their co-workers today  on the job, and off  and the books, Militant subscriptions, and party election campaign material we get into workers hands, is necessary preparation for those class battles.

The partys campaign this fall to sell subscriptions to the Militant and revolutionary books is trade union work, Clark said, as is reaching out to actions in solidarity with striking workers or protests against racist police killings, attacks on a womans right to choose abortion, or imperialist wars.

Its part of strengthening the nucleus of a working-class cadre in mines, mills, factories, giant retail stores and other workplaces who can and will lead successful union-organizing drives.

Thats why SWP members who are leading the effort where they work to expand the circulation of the partys newspaper and books are decisive to leading the campaign by party branches to reach out to working-class neighborhoods and political contacts across the country.

Washington lost the Cold War

Its increasingly clear the U.S. cant win the wars theyre waging in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere today, Clark said. These brutal wars have resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, maimings and the dispossession of millions. The Afghanistan War began 17 years ago, and Washington is now sending in several thousand additional troops again.

Without conscription, the rulers rely on active duty volunteers plus the National Guard, forcing a small section of the U.S. population from working-class or farm families to do the fighting and dying, with multiple, wrenching deployments  sometimes as many as four or five. Only by bringing back the draft do the rulers have a chance at beginning to win wars again, but they face big political obstacles in even probing such a measure right now.

The propertied U.S. ruling families lost the Cold War, despite what they claimed, Clark said. U.S. imperialism continues to grow relatively weaker, although it remains the only power that can and does project massive military might in every part of the world. Its predominant industrial, trading and banking position is being shaken by the world capitalist crisis and accelerating competition of capitals  not only vis-a-vis its main imperialist rivals but other strengthening capitalist ruling classes. Instead of Russia and China becoming new fields of investment and growth for U.S. capital, theyve become competitors worldwide.

This sharpening imperialist competition is tearing the European Union apart. This is whats behind Brexit, a move by a wing of the rulers in the U.K. to defend Londons diminishing place in the imperialist pecking order by breaking free from the ever greater union stranglehold of the EU. And the Spanish rulers efforts to stop the people of the Catalonia region in northeastern Spain from voting on national independence Oct. 1.

And it opens the door to advances in the Kurds fight for their own country. Clark urged forum participants to be ready to join in actions in defense of the Kurdish peoples fight for independence.

U.S. political crisis unwinds

The capitalist rulers face a deepening political crisis here at home as well, Clark said. Their parties  the Democrats and Republicans  are coming apart and will never be the same.

The liberals and left havent given up on their Resistance drive to get President Trump impeached or indicted.

The no-knock raid on the home of former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort highlights the dangers to the working class of the witch hunt against the Trump presidency, Clark said. The FBIs July unannounced break-in and seizure of Manaforts documents was part of Special Counsel and former FBI chief Robert Muellers open drive to find a handle to go after Trump.

To obtain a warrant for the break-in, Mueller went to a secret FISA court, saying Manafort was likely to destroy the evidence he was after  which the liberal media jumped on as innuendo that where theres smoke theres fire. Raids like this  and the FISA court itself  are police frame-up methods and tools the working-class vanguard has long and bitter experience with.

Clark explained that some in the Democratic Party and sections of the Republicans seeking to drive Trump from the presidency have growing doubts about their ability to do so, and whether it would really solve the problem they see. What these privileged, meritocratic layers fear in the United States today is not Trump, but the millions of workers who voted for him, seeking to drain the swamp and find a way to end the carnage, Clark said.

They think they need to find a way to disenfranchise working people, who they dont deem smart enough to vote the right way. Or they have illusions they can get rid of us with robots, replacing what they view as an increasingly unskilled and useless bunch of losers who arent dying fast enough from opioid overdose or who are cutting into the capitalists riches by drawing disability or jobless benefits. Thats their anti-working-class take on the shrinking labor force, Clark said.

As communist workers campaign door to door among fellow workers, Clark said, we can help explain and answer these rationalizations for exploitation and oppression by introducing working people to books such as Are They Rich Because Theyre Smart? Class, Privilege, and Learning Under Capitalism by Jack Barnes, national secretary of the SWP, and Is Socialist Revolution in the US Possible? by party leader Mary-Alice Waters.

Clark called attention to Barnes introduction to one of the books the party is campaigning with: Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power. The necessary road forward, Barnes says there, is building a proletarian party capable of leading the revolutionary conquest of power by a politically class-conscious and organized vanguard of the working class  millions strong.
While the BJP has supported Purohit's appointment, the opposition DMK representatives said, they will continue to address the issues in the state.

By Akshaya Nath: Appointment of senior BJP leader Banwarilal Purohit as the Governor of Tamil Nadu has come has a relief to many. Amid the turmoil in the state, political parties had to queue up to former Governor Vidyasagar Rao, who held additional charges of Maharashtra as well.

"It will be good to have a full-time Chief Minister for the state. Parties won't have to wait for long to sort out the issues within the state," said political analyst Sumanth C Raman.

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On August 31, 2016 when Rao took over the additional charge as governor of Tamil Nadu, little did he imagine the crisis the southern state was about to face. It was the time when Jayalalithaa was at the helm of affairs and the government was running hassle-free. However, after Amma's demise, Rao made constant visits to Tamil Nadu from Maharashtra where he is the governor. On December 5, 2016, he swore-in O Paneerselvam as the CM of Tamil Nadu.

While the BJP has supported Purohit's appointment, the opposition, DMK representatives said, they will continue to address the issues in the state.

"Banwarilal Purohit is a senior leader with a lot of experience at his side and he will be a good governor," said BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan.

TKS Elangovan said, DMK had met Vidyasar Rao on many occassions and kept him informed him about Tamil Nadu's political crisis and now they will further take the matter to Banwarilal Purohit as well.

Political parties - AIADMK - TTV faction; AIADMK - OPS and EPS faction, are all waiting for the Madras High Court's decision on October 4, about the floor test and fate of 18 MLAs.

--- ENDS ---
How revolutionary Cuba responds to hurricanes

Under capitalist social relations, the aftermath of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria continues to wreak havoc and untold misery on working people in Puerto Rico, other Caribbean islands, Texas and Florida. In sharp contrast to the U.S. rulers and other colonial powers in the Caribbean, Cubas socialist government carefully prepares for these kinds of disasters well beforehand.

The excerpt below is based on a 2005 interview with Gen. Moises Sio Wong in Our History Is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Chinese-Cuban Generals in the Cuban Revolution. Sio Wong was president of the National Institute of State Reserves for more than 20 years.

Our most important reserves are the patriotic reserves of our people, he said. After Hurricane Irma the revolutionary people of Cuba poured into the streets to provide emergency services to those who had been hit hardest, restoring power and beginning to rebuild  using the reserves which had been put away for just such an emergency. Copyright  2005 by Pathfinder Press. Reprinted by permission.





All countries have reserves. But the country that has the greatest assortment of items in its reserves is Cuba. Not just fuel, lubricants, food, medicines, and raw materials. But even paper and pencils, so schools can remain open.

There is a decree of the president of the Council of State in which Fidel defines our policy on the reserves. In the first whereas he says: The increase, preservation, and monitoring of the material reserves is an indispensable condition for the security of the nation, for feeding the population, and for the peoples well-being.

That is the role of the reserves. 

A good example of why we have the reserves is Hurricane Michelle, which struck Cuba in November 2001. We were able to repair all the hurricane damage, and we did it in less than a year. Because we could count on a reserve of fuel, food, construction materials, roofs, power poles and cables, and so on. We were able to deal with the damage to 160,000 homes in seven provinces, 13,000 of them totally destroyed.

In July 2005 Hurricane Dennis battered ten provinces, damaging more than 175,000 homes, among them 28,000 completely destroyed, with total losses reaching US$1.4 billion. Its the most destructive hurricane our country has faced since 1959. It was a Category 5 storm, the maximum on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The force of its winds reached more than 300 kilometers [185 miles] per hour. Some of the mountains in eastern Cuba suffered ecological damage that will take fifty years to heal.

In contrast to Cubas approach, weve seen the consequences of natural disasters in countries far richer than we are, with much greater resources. A while back I was reading an article about relief claims made by people in Florida who had been affected by Hurricane Andrew, I believe. Andrew hit there in 1992  the storm of the century, they call it  and people are still waiting for claims to be settled. They havent received aid promised by the U.S. government more than a decade ago!

But within a year after Hurricane Michelle we had repaired everything. And since agriculture was also hit, we supplied an additional quantity of rice, grain, and oil to those provinces that were affected. Thats the way we respond to any natural disaster. Thats what we are doing now to deal with the damages inflicted by Dennis.

Massive aid to Puerto Rico! End US colonial rule!
Miami: SWP campaigns amid hurricanes carnage

MIAMI  In working-class neighborhoods around the city, people have spent the last two weeks helping each other clean up, cook, make repairs  and try and keep cool  in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. The storm hit Miami Sept. 10, after wreaking widespread destruction in the Florida Keys, Cuba and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

In the midst of this carnage, members of the Socialist Workers Party here, helped by party members from Atlanta, organized to go throughout the metro area knocking on workers doors to discuss the crisis they faced, the partys program, and the Militant and books by party leaders. And, in the middle of all this, Cynthia Jaquith, the partys candidate for mayor of Miami, filed and was placed on the ballot for the November election.

The catastrophic social disaster unfolding in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean is not simply the result of massive rainfall, high winds and what the media likes to call a natural disaster, Jaquith said in a statement she released when she filed, and party members used as they knocked on workers doors. It is a direct product of the natural workings of the capitalist system, the dictatorship of capital.

The SWP demands: Mobilize the necessary federal, state and municipal resources to provide immediate, free emergency medical care, food, shelter, clothes and fuel to all those affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria and any other storms that hit, she said. Put millions of the unemployed in Florida, Texas and beyond to work  at union-scale wages  in an emergency, government-funded public works program to rebuild the area infrastructure and repair and put up new housing!

Tens of thousands were without power here for more than a week. Nearly 4.5 million of Florida Power & Lights 4.9 million customers had their power fail, including 92 percent of accounts in Miami-Dade County. But Florida Powers shareholders neednt worry that costs for cleanup and repairs will cut into their profits, since theyre guaranteed by law to be between 9.6 and 11.6 percent. To assure this bounty, utility bosses have already announced rate increases of $400 million this year, followed by $411 million more over the next three years.

We had to live in our car for five days, Claribel Melendez, told SWP members when they visited her North Miami neighborhood Sept. 20. I have four kids, including a seven-month-old infant. We couldnt stay in the house because of the heat and mosquitoes, so we lived and slept in our car and ran the air conditioning there.

Melendez, originally from Puerto Rico, has lived in Miami two years. The neighbors here helped each other clear our yards and driveways, she said. But the huge piles of debris and garbage are still sitting there, since authorities havent organized to remove them in many areas of the city.

In every neighborhood Socialist Workers Party members visited in the past week, workers were angry about the indifference and incompetence of government officials in dealing with the hurricanes impact. Many pointed to the needless deaths of elderly patients at the Rehabilitation Center in Hollywood Hills who were left in unbearable heat for several days after their power failed Sept. 10. Eight died before they were finally moved across the street to Memorial Regional Hospital. Three others died a few days later and that number may rise. As of Sept. 23, the unofficial death toll for the state stood at 75.

In this country, youre on your own, Peter Parker, 49, told socialist campaigners Sept. 23, when they knocked on his door in Ft. Lauderdale. His family came to the U.S. from Serbia when he was a teenager. He was heading to work when we met him. My Trump sign got blown away in the storm, he said, with a laugh.

Parker said he was interested in what the socialists had to say about the need for workers to organize an independent movement to fight to end the dictatorship of capital and rebuild society in the interests of working people. He decided to subscribe to the Militant and was also interested in The Clintons Anti-Working-Class Record. Ive got to get to work, but call me. Id like to talk to you some more, he said.

Massive aid to Puerto Rico! End US colonial rule!
Your university bedroom is not only a space for sleeping, eating, working and relaxing, it's also your one and only space during term-time thats yours and only yours. So, how do you create a space that does it all?

Heading off to university with some simple design hacks for your new halls will set you up for a great start to student life.

Here lifestyle blogger Poppy Deyes (Kingston, 2014) gives us some tips on creating your perfect home away from home...

1. GIVE EVERYTHING A HOME

When youre at university, there really is no such thing as too much storage and theres always something that needs a home. These baskets can store everything and anything, from your washing, to your notebooks. Not only does buying a set of something look great, its also just super practical. Buy in bulk or in sets, the more the better.

2. BUY MULTITASKING ITEMS

Buying items that have more than one use is a win-win situation. Take these Kilner jars - not only are they perfect for storing pasta and pens, they also double up as vases, or even drinking glasses when you run low. This not only saves time and money, its also super practical, whilst looking fab.

3. THINK PRACTICAL, YET PERSONAL

The likelihood is youre not going to have a huge amount of space, so youre going to need to make the most out of what you do have. Buying items like a desk organiser will keep everything in order, whilst letting you add a personal touch to your space. When it comes to your study area, youre going to want to create an area that you love to work in, that inspires your creativity and most importantly, somewhere you can be at your most productive.

4. THE FINISHING TOUCHES

Although you might not be able to paint your new room your favourite colour, you can still add your personal touch to it. Whether its using a colourful throw, or buying a couple of plants for your desk, picking pieces that make your space really feel homely doesnt have to break the bank. Hang fairy lights from your headboard, or add a rug to your floor - its is the small touches that make all the difference.
Watching how something you love is being destroyed is hideous. You feel like your heart has been torn out and that someone is constantly nailing you to a stake that does not kill you but hurts enough to be permanently damaging.

That is how I feel about the current situation in Catalonia.

The atmosphere has been very tense for the past fortnight as the Spanish Government has taken action to impede the illegal and unconstitutional referendum that the Catalan Government had scheduled for Sunday 1st October, and many people have been protesting on the streets ever since.

I have been reading many articles published by international media outlets since events escalated, and many times I have come upon some advocating for Catalan's right to vote in a referendum. Although, there was one article that got all my attention: the one that the President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, had written for The Guardian . I felt outraged by all the lies he had typed, but mostly because I knew many readers would have believed them and it would have encouraged them to sympathise

As someone who has lived surrounded by separatist falsehood in the media, at school, and on the streets for 18 years, I am used to lies being on the front page of my life. Truth is shadowed by sentiment and thrill, and irrationality steps in.

However, after all these years, I cannot stand all the fallacy I have heard, and all the rancour towards fellow Spaniards that leads people to believe in something that has been manufactured over the years through education and the Catalan public press.

In my opinion, there are two types of separatists. The resentful Catalans who still bear in mind centuries of, most of the times, prettied up history, and the children whose parents were immigrants and somehow have the need to belong and feel somewhere.

It was hard for me to put up with one teacher I had who still blamed Franco for not letting him study in his mother tongue (Catalan) but was not able to see I was not being let study in mine (Spanish). Moreover, I refused the fanaticism of people who called my father "Catalonia's problem" for being born somewhere else in Spain and having emigrated to Barcelona, and the bigotry that made Catalan politicians say Catalonia contributed too much to Spain's economy and got few in return, when they have been stealing from Catalans for decades , and wasting money on independence projects that never arrived. If I were secessionist, I could not be other that incensed.

not, won the popular vote. Sounds familiar? That night, separatists promised to hold an independence referendum and proclaim the independence if they won it. Spain has been stuck in this political impasse for years, but action came on 27th September 2015, when Catalonia held a regional election . Parties that campaigned for a referendum won the seats; parties that didwon the popular vote. Sounds familiar? That night, separatists promised to hold an independence referendum and proclaim the independence if they won it.

The Spanish Constitution, like the American one, does not address secession of states.

Hence, a referendum cannot be allowed unless all Spanish citizens vote. The Catalan Government did not agree on that, so they took an easy way to fulfill their promise. For that reason, when I see Catalan separatists calling themselves the only democrats in Spain, I get chickenpox all of a sudden. If they are not willing to respect the highest possible law their so beloved ancestors voted for, they cannot be democrats.

Catalan separatism is nothing the world has not seen before. It is just another example of rejection of those who do not think alike. If you do not join, you become the enemy. There is a lot of pressure, and if you show your refusal, you are pointed out.

According to Catalan Government sources, in a fictitious independent Catalonia, economy, trade, social justice, political ruling, health, and education would be better. Separatist politicians say Catalans would still belong to the European Union (when European commissioners have repeatedly denied that ), and the United Nations would recognise the newly independent state, but I wonder whether the United States, Russia, China or France would vote in favour knowing they could be facing uprisings in their homeland. Their plan also consists in reuniting the regions that formed the Catalan Counties in the Middle Ages (Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, parts of Aragon, the Roussillon in France, the Principality of Andorra, and the city of Alghero in Sardinia). Also, any debts with the Treasury and Justice Department would be annulled. Start getting it?

Catalan pro-independence politicians have been trying to gain as many international followers as possible, but they may have got lost somewhere along the way. Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro former members of the terrorist group ETA , and Wiki-Leaks founder Julian Assange are among those who stand up for them. It has also been reported that the Catalan Government has been pressuring international media outlets and correspondents in Barcelona in their reports.

As Schopenhauer wrote back in the 19th century when nationalism started to arise, "every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority". That is the motivation that keeps Catalan independence going: the elevation of the banalest characteristics of men, and straightforward and ordinary things such as a dance, a language or a meal that have the power to make them feel special and proud of their roots.

I am not proud of being born in Barcelona, but of having left because that meant courage, sacrifice and personal satisfaction as a reward. Unlike many Catalans calling for independence, I do already consider myself free and do not dare to call myself a slave as I believe it to be an insult for those who truly are.

It took many years for Spain to have a respected democracy, so I am not contributing to the movement that believes to be above it, and I hope you do not either.
The penultimate episode of Rick and Morty focuses on the core themes of the show and its characters, from Jerry's cowardice to Rick's nihilism and the desperate need Beth has for attention from Rick.

'The ABCs of Beth' shows Beth realising that her issues in adulthood are from nature, not nurture - she is exactly the same as Rick. With two different metaphors of what it means to be a monster in this episode, we see people comfortable in their destructive habits  people who dont think theyre monsters, but come across as them, forcing both Beth and Jerry to recognise the toxic traits they have within them.

When Beth sees on the news that a murderer is facing execution for eating her childhood best friend, Tommy, she tells Morty and Summer that she processed it by pretending he lived in Froopyland - a place she thought she'd invented. However, after bubble-gunning Morty and Summer to Jerry's, Rick tells her that he was the one who made Froopyland and it was very much real, after chastising her for the mockery of the name ("Was it my best work? I don't know. Does it deserve to be shit on creatively?").

He opens Froopyland's portal and they enter, with Beth hoping to find Tommy, as they argue about when Beth was locked in there by Rick. Rick shows her that she would not have been able to hurt herself or die in there, building bouncy ground and breathable water into the world, before being picked up by an unknown creature, losing an arm to its claws. While Beth is trying to make him admit that it was wrong for him to have locked her in there for so much of her childhood, Rick is more focused on the introduction of human DNA in Froopyland creatures.

They work out that Tommy is still alive and having sex with the creatures in order to eat the children. Out of nowhere, theyre taken captive by woodland creatures and taken to King Tommy, who tries to explain who he is and where they are  even though they know already. He shows them his origin story play performed by his children, where were told that Beth was jealous of him and his parents, and so pushed him into a honey swamp.

Rick instantly gets them back home, though Beth insists they need to save him. Rick thinks Tommy is telling the truth, leading to an argument about how involved Rick was in her childhood  apparently Froopyland was made because Beth was a scary little kid and he wanted to protect everyone else, since she asked for endless unnervingly violent inventions. Despite her insistence that it was just because she wanted to spend time with him, he doesnt believe her and she returns to save Tommy.

Well, she tries. He realises who she is and asks for an apology. When she refuses, she realises that shes exactly like Rick, which at first makes her upset but then empowers her as she begins to kill Tommys children. She returns to Rick blood soaked, asking him to make a Tommy clone from his severed finger. Rick, though questioning the situation (He gave you his finger?), lets her help, and clone Tommy shows up to his fathers almost-execution, saving his life.

Beth and Rick talk, leading her to realise that shes just like him. When asking what to do now that shes realised her intelligence and the meaningless of everything, he asks if she wants a clone of her to look after Morty and Summer while she explores the multiverse - because shes smart enough to take this opportunity to, hopefully, have a less painful life. When asked why hed do that if nothing matters, Ricks response is Maybe I love you  which was impossibly heartwarming in a bizarre way.

Over in plot B, bubble-gunned Morty and Summer arrive at Jerrys, expecting to see his depressing life again but instead being greeted with a centred, calm and telekinetic Jerry, who has soul bonded with Krutabulon warrior Kiara. They go for sushi, with Morty and Summer uncomfortable with how fast Jerry has moved, while Jerry thinks theyre just being racist. Kiara hunts down and kills a member of the species shes on Earth to destroy, suggesting they celebrate with a hunt. Which leads to another hunt. And another. And another.

Jerry finally realises he has to leave the bond, but Morty and Summer refuse to help their baby and an idiot of a father, or as Summer calls him, a beta-male sexist and leave him to sort out his own situation. He later comes into Mortys maths lesson to take the two of them to Alaska because he told Kiara they were breaking up due to his childrens racism and now she wants to kill them. She finds them, and eventually, he tells her he was only dating her to make Beth jealous. Which is when her ex-Krutabulon-boyfriend shows up, making Jerry realise he was her rebound as well.

Morty and Summer go home, finding an extremely happy Rick and Beth. Almost too happy, as if it isnt the actual versions of them. We never saw Beths response to the cloning opportunity, and we know she grew up with Rick travelling the multiverse, so maybe shes taken him up on the offer to have the same experience he had. But of course, as Rick and Beth would happily remind us, this doesnt matter, life doesnt matter  nothing matters at all.

Rick offers to let Beth go free, but in doing so, would make certain that the family wasnt aware she abandoned them, alleviating the guilt from her shoulders that hes had to carry for years. If she were to accept, then she would also be an asshole, like her father, but smart enough to acknowledge that life is meaningless so people might as well have fun while theyre living - "when you realise nothing matters, the universe is yours." As Beth expresses her love for Rick at the end, it heavily implies she may well have taken the opportunity  otherwise, why else would she be so happy and adoring over him after everything she learnt that day?

Rick is selfish, but loves his family. Jerry is cowardly, but can do the right thing eventually. Beth is exactly like her father, but has the choice to be a better person. Everyone is making mistakes but they continue to learn from them, and though this is the most nihilistic episode yet, it got to the crux of what makes this shows characters click. Does Rick still think life is meaningless? Maybe. Will he eventually learn to find meaning in the moment? We can only wait and see.
A 47-year-old man who doctors thought had lung cancer was given the good news that the mass in his right lung wasnt a tumour at all, but a toy traffic cone he inhaled as a child.

The unidentified handyman, who lives in the UK, was suffering with coughing and mucus after being treated for pneumonia, and when doctors looked at X-rays of his lungs, they found something in his right lung that looked like a malignant tumour.

On performing a bronchoscopy, a procedure that allows doctors to look at a patients airways using a thin instrument known as bronchoscope, doctors at Royal Preston Hospital in Preston found a small Playmobil toy lodged in his lung and removed it with forceps.

The Playmobil cone which was taken out of the mans lung (BMJ)

The man later revealed he regularly played with Playmobil toys during childhood and he might have inhaled the tiny cone shortly after his seventh birthday.

Children have been known to accidentally inhale small toys but in most cases, doctors are able to diagnose it within a week.

In their report, the medics describe the case as something unheard of.

They believe the situation continued for more than 40 years without being noticed because the patients airway was able to remodel and adapt to the presence of this foreign body.

Chest X-rays two weeks before and four months after removal of the toy cone (BMJ)

For example, during childhood it may have been absorbed into the mucosal lining of the bronchus which developed around it, they wrote.

Any symptoms would have been further masked when the patient started smoking, the doctors said.

Although there is some permanent damage in the airway, the patients persistent cough cleared up four months after the toy was removed.

CT scan showing middle and right lower lobe consolidation of the lung (BMJ)

The medics also said consolidation (swelling or hardening of soft tissue) of his lung tissue had mostly subsided.

On a positive note, his symptoms improved markedly and he finally found his long lost Playmobil traffic cone in the very last place he would look, the doctors wrote.

The paper has been published in Biomedical Journal Case Reports.
Have you ever wondered if theres anything more you can do to be a good person, other than what you do for a living?

After Reddit user MaxCherry99 asked other members of the online community how they felt they contributed to society besides having a job, people answered in their droves.

There were some obvious ones. User Time_for_a_cuppa said they gave blood.

Although they give me tea and biscuits afterwards, I still feel that I am giving more than I am receiving, they said.

And even little things made people feel like they were contributing.

I pick up litter, said user PittsburghJon. Every little helps, and the environment is important.

Some people took contributing to the next level, endangering their own lives to help others.

I am a volunteer Firefighter, said rcmag.

You dont have to sacrifice that much to make a difference though.

User Typhoon2423 said they felt their best contribution was trying to have a positive interaction with every person I come in contact with, even if its an indirect contact.

Another responded saying drunk me tells other girls in club toilets that they have great lipstick.

This was widely agreed to be one of the best things you can do.

Others were having some deep realisations about their lives.

You made me realize that I havent made any meaningful contribution to society as of yet besides my job at Subway, said user TriangularHexagon.

They were immediately reassured that people love Subway, and if it wasnt for people like you, there would be no Subway.

Another popular habit was driving related.

I let people who use their blinker cut in front of me in traffic whenever possible, said tiger_without_teeth.

Weve all been in the wrong lane at some point, another sage user added.

But by far the most popular contribution was from user Spork__.

I take my cart to the cart collection area after loading my car, they said.

Thank you, fine internet person. You really are making all the difference.
By India Today Web Desk: First, speculation was rife that the third installment of the popular Tanu Weds Manu franchise would not be made because of the rift between the director Aanand L Rai and the leading lady Kangana Ranaut. However, the filmmaker rubbished the rumours and confirmed that a sequel was very much on the cards. Just a few hours later, came a denial that Tanu Weds Manu 3 was definitely not going to happen.

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In another twist, Kangana Ranaut has told Pinkvilla that she turned down the film long ago. "I am neither the producer nor the director of the said film [TWM]. Therefore, I am not in a position to announce the sequel to it. However, media reports that claim I am keen to do the film should know that I'd refused the sequel to this film long ago," she said.

Responding to the recent turn of events, Kangana said, "The publication who printed Mr Aanand L Rai's quote along with the confirmation of the same claims that he did confirm the sequel to them. Based on the recent denial from his end all I can gather is that he first announced it and then denied. Well, it seems fair as he can do what he likes with the property as Mr. Shailesh Singh and he holds the equal rights to the sequel of TWMR, not ME."

Incidentally, "the publication who printed Mr Aanand L Rai's quote" also included a statement from Kangana. She had reportedly said, "I had to work to make Datto and Tanu [her characters in the film] drastically different. It required a lot of work and that probably distanced Aanand sir from me. He's someone who needs a lot of pampering. Once the pressure of Manikarnika is off me, I'll meet and spend some time with him. The third part of Tanu Weds Manu will have to be crackling. So far, there's no discussion, but the film might happen next year."

ALSO WATCH: Kangana and Hrithik's fight gets messier

--- ENDS ---
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By PTI: Shillong, Sep 30 (PTI) Union Minister Alphons Kannanthanam has met church leaders here in a bid to woo voters from the Christian community ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls in Meghalaya, where most of the people are Christians.

Kannanthanam, who was recently appointed as BJPs in-charge of election in Meghalaya, met Archbishop of Shillong Dominic Jala and a pastor from the Presbyterian Church soon after his arrival in the capital city on last night.

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"I have met the Archbishop, the head of the Catholic Church and also a Presbyterian pastor. We want to connect very well with all the communities to know exactly what they want from us and what we can give them in return," Alphons said.

Speaking at the sidelines of a Swachh Bharat programme at Umprup village, about 25 km from here today, the union tourism minister said the party leaders would meet members of other communities of the state as well.

On the main concern expressed by church leaders during their meeting with him, Alphons said that corruption is a big concern.

"Look at the state of roads here. There is no infrastructure. Government employees are not even getting salaries. Your young people have to go outside to study. So we need a corruption-free government (and) that is the most fundamental thing," he said.

Stating that the main focus of the party is to provide opportunity to young people, Alphons said smart people are leaving the state because there is no opportunity here and the BJP wants to create an opportunity for them.

The union minister also visited Nongkrem - a village famous for its indigenous thanksgiving dance festival which attracts tourists from across the globe ? and met the Syiem (King) of Hima Khyrim tribe Dr Balajied Syiem.

He said the tourism ministry would help support efforts in promoting this place. PTI JOP NN

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Lucknow, Sep 30 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today celebrated Dussehra first time after taking charge of the office and burnt the effigy of the demon king Ravana in Gorakhpur.

He has been participating in the Dussehra festival for many years and this was his first Dussehra as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

People from different walks of life across the state celebrated the occasion by exchanging greetings and pleasantries.

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Durga Puja, which is held during the auspicious period of Navaratra, also witnessed its conclusion today.

Bengali women indulged themselves in the ritual of Sindoor Khela (playing with vermilion) at different Durga pandals.

In state capital Lucknow, Sindoor-Khela was held in different pandals including Bengali Club and Youngmens Association, Jogendra Pathak Road and Rabindrapalli.

In the afternoon, after the Sindoor-Khela was over, the idols of Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati and Lord Ganesh and Kartik were taken out in a procession for immersion.

As the procession moved, the drum beaters (dhaakis) played out various traditional tunes and mesmerised passers- by.

Effigies of demon king Ravan, Kumbhakaran and Meghnad went up in flames. PTI NAV KJ

--- ENDS ---




President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

In our African-Liberian, social cultural tradition, there several Country Devils practices  the Griots, for story-telling, oral history, masked/unmasked, political praise-singing; masked/unmasked general singing, dancing and merry-making at town/village weddings/festivities; and the Kwee, a non-masked but the ultimate source of traditional norms, belief systems and practices or foundation upon which tribal culture of loyalty, allegiance, patriotism and bravery rest. Aides, servants, guides and protectors of the Country Devil are dressed in colorful African prints, some cover with palm branches, faces adorned with white chalk and carefully selected by and represent the people.

The Kwee country devil rarely come out, only on occasions which require final, binding decisions regarding woman palava, land, war and peace locally with neighboring towns/villages and with external, neighboring tribes. Usually, the town/village Crier announces, in advance, the coming-out of the Kwee, often during the night hours, with instructions for all women, minor children, male/female, and non-circumcised males to remain in closed doors. Tradition forbids all women, minor as well as uncircumcised males to see or know the identity of the Zhoe of the unmasked, Kwee Country Devil. For this purpose, Kwee voice to the people is veiled through a reef. Anyone, as described, found out-doors during the Kwee come-out is ceremoniously tried and punished by death.

Country Devil Impact

Thus, the socio-cultural, political, religious and, by extension, economic impact on the majority of the Liberian indigenous citizens cannot be over-emphasized; because all trust, hope, dependence, socio-economic and political protection of their welfare, placed and vested in the traditional powerful masked/unmasked Political Country Devil Dancer are now transferred and vested in the modern Political Country Devil Dancer, symbolized by the highest political leader, usually, the President of the nation and all of aides, servants, guides and protectors.

In its Editorial the New Democrat newspaper (New democrat, September 29, 2017) writes, Enough is Enough! EJS Must Not Be Allowed to Handpick her Successor. But she did!

Zhoe of the modern Political Country Devil Dancer

EJS took her Zhoe graduate degree from the dreaded, banned Americo-Liberian True Whig Party as Minister of Finance. She conceived, planned, financed and led the most destructive, historic civil war nightmare not only Liberia, but also, the Continent of Africa has ever seen.

Now, as the Political Country Devil Dancer she is surrounded by the following aides, servants, guides and protectors:

1. The Civil War Machinery that made and left Liberia a Broken Nation.

2. The Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs have not yet accounted for the millions of US dollars provided for renovation of the Executive Mansion due to the fire incident of about 12 years ago.

3. Bribery, Corruption, deceit and Dishonesty

a. Ministry of Finance & Development Stealing (MFDS) b. Liberia Revenue Stealing Authority (RSA) c. National Investment Commission (NIC) d. National Elections Commissions dominated by foreigners e. Public procurement Concessions Commission (PPCC) f. National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) g. FDA, LPRC, NPA, RIA (Airport Authority) h. Liberia Maritime Authority (LMA)

4. The Political Courts  Judges, Prosecutors and Police

5. The national Legislature dominated by foreigners, EJS/ACDL/TALOR/NPFL/INPFL Generals and former child soldiers.

Apparently, worried and scared to death over the possibility of a trial and conviction for alleged war crimes and joining Charles Taylor in his prison pent house, EJS has chosen a favorable successor or on the verge of doing so at this moment, just a few days away from the elections.

First, it was, reportedly, Presidential Candidate Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party. But putting her retirement and family protection eggs in a single basket was not a rational approach. So, she turned, reportedly, to Senator George Weah of CDC Coalition, also, Candidate for President. Hence, the Senators recent whirlwind special jet-trip to the African sub-region, financed by mysterious. Now in the US and the UK, also, seeking support and credibility.

For a while, EJS and Governance Commission, the Doctors Club fiddled with the Transition bill thing, but it did not wash. But one that is a sure-thingis Cllr. Korkoya and the National Elections Commissions (NEC). EJS is in firm control here; he who she says win, wins the election, irrespective of her democratic talk on CNN.

Cllr. Korkoya told the High Court, earlier, that those who brought charges against him want to open the (Liberias) Pandora Box and that they must take the issue up with the President who appointed me; but we did not take the challenge, of all time, to clean up the mess in our country.

Now the Political Country Devil Dancer, with EJS as the Zhoe , is dancing on its own terms, served, supported and protected by its chosen aides.

What is your take? Please post your comments below:


By PTI: (Eds : Incorporating fresh developments and quotes)

Kolkata, Sept 30 (PTI) Kolkata Police stopped public viewing of Durga Puja at Santosh Mitra Square on the last day of the festival today but allowed in visitors after about 14 hours when the PWD authorities granted it fit certificate.

PWD civil and electrical teams inspected the pandal, where an alleged electrical short circuit had taken place, and declared the pandal "fit" for public viewing.

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"We have tested the electrical wires and provided some added protective tapes to cover them. We do not think there will be any problem with the electrical circuit. There is also no problem in the structure of the pandal and it is absolutely fit for the public to visit," PWD engineers said after inspecting the pandal.

A written no objection certificate was collected from the PWD engineers by Kolkata Police officials after which the pandal, which has been getting major attention this year because of its pandal and idol, was reopened to over several hundreds of waiting visitors.

The fire department conducted an inspection at the Puja pandal and okayed the arrangements there.

According to a senior police officer of Kolkata Police, smoke was seen coming out of the chandelier at the Santosh Mitra Square puja pandal at around 1.10 am tonight following which the public viewing of the idol was stopped.

"There was a huge sound inside the pandal at around midnight. Several thousand people were at the pandal at that time. After a short while some of our police officers spotted smoke coming from the chandelier ceiling lamp following which the decision to stop public viewing of the puja was taken for the sake of public security," he told PTI.

Fire department along with a team of police personnel rushed to the place.

The organisers had a verbal duel with the police personnel posted at the pandal premises.

"We are happy that the administration has revoked their decision and reopened our puja for general public. But whatever happened is unexpected," Santosh Mitra Square Puja committee president Pradip Ghosh later told PTI rubbishing any short circuit incident inside the pandal.

"This is absolute nonsense. There was no smoke inside our puja pandal. If there was any fire there must have been some sign of it around or inside the pandal. This is nothing but a conspiracy of Kolkata Police who had failed in controlling the crowd visiting our puja," he said.

"Kolkata Police have been non-cooperative throughout Puja. I know Kolkata Police are doing this on the instructions of some influential people who are jealous because our puja has been pulling more crowd than theirs," he alleged.

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In fact, Santosh Mitra Square Puja Committee members had gheraoed local Munchipara police station this morning demanding immediate revoking of the order which was removed soon after the Puja was reopened.

Santosh Mitra Square puja pandal has been drawing very large number of visitors not only for its gorgeous London-themed pandal but also to view the idol of goddess Durga which has been clad in a 22-kg gold saree of 22 carat which costs Rs 6.5 crore.

Replicas of the London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the London Bridge are the chief attractions of the pandal at the sprawling ground in central Kolkata.

In 2015 the Kolkata Police had stopped Durga Puja in south Kolkatas Deshapriya Park following a near-stampede situation as the pandal hoppers gathered in thousands to see the nearly 88-feet idol there. PTI SCH KK KK

--- ENDS ---
Distressing visuals viral on social media show miscreants robbing a dead victim of the Mumbai stampede, which killed 23 people. Mumbai Police has launched an investigation into the matter.

Footwear and other articles piled near Elphinstone railway stations foot over bridge where a stampede took place, in Mumbai on Friday (PTI Photo)

By India Today Web Desk: On Friday at around 10.30 am, when 23 people were being crushed to death at the Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai, some among the crowd thought of using the distressing accident to make a quick buck.

The Mumbai Police has said that it came across viral social media visuals that show miscreants stealing jewellery and ornaments from one of the dead victims of the Mumbai stampede.

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At least 23 people died on Friday in Mumbai after a stampede on a narrow foot overbridge that connects the Elphinstone Road station on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line. The railways, in a statement released last evening, blamed rains, overcrowding and the spread of rumours for the tragedy.

Commuters and passersby were among the first to react to the deadly stampede. While there were samaritans who helped the injured in the time of distress, other, it seems, had other ideas on their minds.

Mumbai Police has said that they have launched an ornament theft investigation after visuals went viral on social media showing unidentified persons stealing jewellery from the dead body of one of the Elphinstone Road stampede victims.

The victim was identified as a woman named Sumalata Shetty, one of the 23 people who lost their lives in the deadly crush at the Elphinstone Road station.

"Acting on the visuals which were circulated on social media, we have initiated investigation in the ornament theft case," Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dadar, Sunil Deshmukh said. "No complaint in connection with the theft has been lodged as of yet, but we took sue motto cognizance and have started the investigation."

The officer said CCTV footage from the area is also being examined as are mobile phone clips recorded by commuters at the time of the stampede.

Meanwhile, Railways Minister Piyush Goayal today chaired a safety-review meeting in wake of Friday's stampede. Goyal announced that general managers of railway divisions have been empowered to spend "whatever is necessary on [sic] safety".

Sharing decisions taken today in a high-level meeting on Railways Safety in Mumbai pic.twitter.com/8IQ1d9iKpF- Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 30, 2017

Goyal also said that foot overbridges will now be deemed mandatory instead of passenger amenities, a move, the Railways Minsiter said, overturns a "150 year old convention on its head".

Goyal also instructed his officials to make multidisciplinary teams and conduct the inspections of suburban railway stations in Mumbai and identify all areas of concern within a week's time.

Addressing the pressing issue of the Elphinstone Road stampede, Goyal said, Additional escalators [have been] sanctioned at [sic] crowded Mumbai suburban stations and thereafter for all high traffic stations."

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"Within the next 15 months, CCTV cameras [will be installed] in all suburban trains in Mumbai with monitoring mechanism," Goyal added.

(With PTI inputs)

--- ENDS ---
Effigies of self-styled godmen were burnt at a few places along with the effigies of Ravana and others to symbolise the victory of good over evil as Dussehra was celebrated across Punjab and Haryana.

Dusshera festivities were held amid tight security arrangements at all places.

The effigies of babas or self-styled godmen were included among the effigies of Ravana and others this time to highlight the wrong-doings of these babas who take people for a ride in the name of religion.

On some of the effigies of godmen, the photograph of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the disgraced chief of Dera Sacha Sauda sect who was recently convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for rape of two female disciples, was put up.

A festive spirit prevailed at all places, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Gurdaspur (all in Punjab); Ambala, Hisar, Rohtak and Karnal (all in Haryana) and in Chandigarh.

In Haryana, the tallest Ravana at 210 feet was put up at Barala near Ambala, about 65 km from here.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh attended the Dussehra celebrations at Pathankot town in north Punjab.

In Chandigarh and adjoining towns of Panchkula and Mohali, the effigies were burnt at a number of locations. The tallest effigy of Ravana in the tri-city was set on fire in Sector 46 of Chandigarh.

Religious processions, depicting the victory of good over evil, were also taken out at most places.
Stressing that India will be completing 75 years of independence in 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address on Dussehra urged people to make some positive contribution to help build a new India in the next five years.

Today on the ocassion of Vijay Dashmi, let us resolve to make some positive contribution to help build a new India by 2022 when India celebrates its 75th year of indepence, Modi said while speaking at Dussehra celebrations at Madhav Das Park near Red Fort in the national capital.

This festival remindes us of the victory of good over evil. The burning of demon king Ravana is a ritual reminding us about the victory of ethics, he added.

Indian Festivals are not mere events of festivities but they are also a medium to educate the society, festivals keep us aware about the values in the society, they also teach us to live together as one community, he said further.

President of Ram Nath Kovind too addressed the gathering and said that everyone should strive to beat the evil by good deeds.

All our actions should be weighed by the ethics and morality involved. We should always strive to beat the evil by our own good, he said.

We need the principles of Lord Ram to defeat the evils of society, which includes poverty, the President added.

Both the President and the Prime Minister also witnessed the burning of effigies of Ravan, Kumbhakarn and Meghnad during the event.
Death sentence given to 15 Indians in Kuwait has been commuted to life imprisonment, Minister of External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday.

HH the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment. HH the Emir has further directed the reduction in sentence of 119 Indian nationals, Swaraj tweeted.

HH the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment. /1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017

HH the Emir has further directed the reduction in sentence of 119 Indian nationals. /2  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017

We are grateful to the Emir of Kuwait for this kind gesture. Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals being released from the prison, she said further.

We are grateful to the Emir of Kuwait for this kind gesture./3  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) September 30, 2017
A day after the rush hour stampede at Elphinstone railway station in Mumbai that claimed 22 lives, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday ordered inspection of all suburban stations within a week and sanctioned additional escalators at all crowded stations.

Additional escalators sanctioned at crowded Mumbai suburban stations and thereafter for all high traffic stations, Goyal tweeted after convening a full railway board meeting at the Western Railways headquarters at Churchgate, to evaluate all infrastructural projects.

To eliminate bureaucracy and delays, I have empowered GMs to spend whatever is necessary on safety, he added.

Noting that he was turning a 150 year old convention on its head, Goyal said: Hereafter, FOBs (Foot Over Bridges) will be deemed mandatory not a passenger amenity.

At least 22 people died and over 30 were injured in the stampede on a narrow foot-over- bridge (FoB) that connects the Elphinstone Road on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line on Friday.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had shared a blueprint of decision taken during the meeting held on Friday.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the Mumbai stampede on the foot overbridge between Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban railway stations in which at least 22 people were killed and scores injured on Friday. They extended condolences to the families of the deceased.

In a tweet, President Kovind said, Anguished by the loss of lives in the stampede in Mumbai. Condolences to the bereaved families; prayers with injured.

Expressing his shock over the tragedy, Vice President Naidu said, My deepest condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their dear ones and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

Extending his condolences to the bereaved families, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the situation in Mumbai was being continuously monitored and that the Railways Minister Piyush Goyal was taking stock of the situation and ensuring all assistance there.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday asked the Maharashtra government to provide all necessary help to the kin of the victims of the stampede in Mumbai on Friday and medical assistance to the injured.

In a letter to Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao, the President said: I am sad to learn about the stampede on a foot overbridge in Mumbai in which a number of people lost their lives and others sustained serious injuries.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the accident. I am sure the state government and other agencies are taking necessary steps to provide all possible help to the bereaved families as well as medical assistance to the injured.

Please convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured, he added.

On Friday morning around 10 a.m., in an unprecedented stampede on the Mumbai suburban train network, 22 commuters, including eight women, were crushed to death and another 38 injured, at Elphinstone Road station.

Another death occurred on Saturday when an injured person died in hospital during treatment.

The tragedy occurred on a foot overbridge connecting the Elphinstone Road station with Parel due to overcrowding after a sudden downpour and at least four trains arriving simultaneously at both stations, leading to a heavy rush.
Dr Rana J Singh, Deputy Regional Director, South East Asia, International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (a voluntary scientific organisation) has played a significant role in influencing tobacco control laws and policies in India.

A pulmonologist, Dr Rana has consistently supported the Centre and state governments in advancing their tobacco control agenda with technical assistance, capacity building, research grants and implementation strategies along with his team over the last decade.

Tobacco control efforts in India have been handicapped by the industrys influence on the political set-up, but the latest survey showing a decline in tobacco users has buoyed activists. In an interview to ARCHANA PHULL in Shimla, Dr Rana spoke of his concerns on this important public health issue.

Excerpts:

Has the country shown desired results in tobacco control?

A: India has made progress after signing and ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004. The enactment of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, and implementation of National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), that began in 2006-07, has now expanded to more than 400 districts in 31 states. It is heartening to note that the prevalence of tobacco use has reduced by six per cent in the country from 34.6 to 28.6 per cent as per Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2 (2016-17) released earlier this year by the Union Health ministry as compared to GATS-1 in 2009-10. It is very significant data. The data of states is awaited. We hope it also shows an improvement.

The focus is on banning smoking at public places. What about the high incidence of second hand smoke?

A: Second hand smoke continues to be a major problem in the country. Exposure to second hand smoke at workplaces is of special concern as it has not shown improvement in GATS- 2. (Three in every ten adults who work indoors are exposed to second hand smoke). It will require additional efforts by policy makers. However, there is reduction in second hand smoke at home from 52 to 39 per cent. The exposure to second hand smoke at any public place too has declined from 29 to 23 per cent.

Can there be a legislation to ban smoking at home as Himachal health minister, Kaul Singh Thakur, announced?

A: Public health is an important issue. The state government can ensure some kind of legislative measures to solve the problems of nonsmokers and for that it can work out its own mechanisms.

Is smokeless tobacco a worry for India?

A: India is the top user of smokeless tobacco. The country needs to pay attention towards its control.

How much attention is being paid to tobacco cessation in the country?

A: Tobacco cessation is perhaps a neglected component of tobacco control. It needs to be strengthened to address the needs of 267 million tobacco users in India. The Government of India has launched a Cessation and National Quit Line to help tobacco users quit. The government is also planning to establish a Tobacco Cessation Centre in each district of the country, which is an important step.

Tobacco control agenda is often taken up in isolation to related problems?

A: While we are working for tobacco control, integration with other socio-development programmes, which are linked with it, are a must for better results. This holds true for Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), Non-Communicable Diseases and even poverty alleviation programmes.

Thirty eight per cent of TB deaths are associated with tobacco use.

A: The national framework on TB-Tobacco was launched by the Union Health minister earlier this year. The two programmes will be integrated to address this co-morbidity. The Union government in collaboration with the states has just started a training programme for trainers for joint TB-tobacco collaborative activity in different states. The integration will ensure that both the programmes work in synergy at policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation levels for better success. The introduction of tobacco cessation sessions for TB patients will improve the outcome.

Which Indian state has done good work in tobacco control so far?

A: We cant name one state. Different states have done well in different spheres of tobacco control. Some have done good work in terms of policy, legislation, others in terms of enforcement. Only because of that the country has made progress in tobacco control.

Is there any alternative development plan for tobacco growers as we progress with tobacco control?

A: The Government of India is holding consultations on the issue of alternative cropping for employment to those involved in tobacco cultivation. Five districts in India have been shortlisted for alternative development so far.

Whats next on the agenda?

A: Much remains to be done on the issue of taxation on tobacco products. The taxes need to be raised to WHO-World Bank recommendation level with focus on bidis. The implementation and enforcement of COTPA, 2003, should be strengthened. Above all, the government must put a stop to the tobacco industrys interference.
By PTI: London, Sep 30 (PTI) Voters in key swing states in the US were exposed to larger amounts of junk news in the run-up to the presidential elections last year, according to an Oxford study that analysed over seven million tweets.

Researchers found that although nationally the ratio of professionally produced news content to junk news was one to one, the level of polarising content - from Russian, WikiLeaks and junk news sources - shared in battleground states was both higher than the national average and less competitive states.

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The content used divisive and inflammatory rhetoric, and presented faulty reasoning or misleading information to manipulate the readers understanding of public issues and feed conspiracy theories.

A swing state is a where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, and are viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election.

Researchers from Oxford University in the UK noted that of the 16 swing states, 11 had levels of junk news higher than the national average.

Arizona was the swing state with the highest junk news concentration, followed by Missouri, Nevada and Florida. States that were not hotly contested had, on average, lower levels of junk news, researchers said.

They found that many of the swing states receiving highly concentrated doses of polarising content were also among those with large numbers of votes in the Electoral College. For example, Florida, Arizona and Missouri all featured in the top 12 states ranked.

Researchers analysed more than seven million tweets collected between one to 11 November 2016 that contained evidence of physical location and used hashtags relating to politics and the election in the US.

Junk news can include fake, hyper-partisan or emotionally charged news content, much of which is deliberately produced false reporting, researchers said.

The study also took into account content from Russian sources and WikiLeaks.

"We were surprised to find that the ratio of professionally produced news to junk news on Twitter was around one to one," said Philip Howard, senior researcher professor at Oxford University. PTI APA SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
For wildlife lovers, what could be better than a visit to wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. If you are planning to visit one, travel to pristine Arunachal Pradesh in the Northeast, the land of dawn-lit mountains. The state is endowed with rich bio-diversity and there are 10 wildlife sanctuaries and national parks here.

The state is home to some rare and highly endangered flora and fauna. The wildlife sanctuaries and national parks are Sessa Orchid Sanctuary, Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary, Eaglenest Wildlife sanctuary, Kane Wildlife Sanctuary, Mouling National Park, Dr Daying Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary, Dihang-Debang Biosphere Reserve and Namdapha Wildlife Sanctuary. Apart from wildlife, the mystical and pristine beauty of the place lures tourists to the place.

Breathtaking panoramic view of Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh. The river Dirang flows through it. The place is famous for apple orchards and hot spring.

A morning view of a serene natural lake surrounded by high mountains north of Tawang in western Arunachal Pradesh.

Alpine shrubs in full bloom along the high slopes of the mountains near Tawang in western Arunachal Pradesh.

Tawang Monastery stands atop misty mountains in Arunachal Pradesh. It is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries of India.
The Iraqi government on Friday suspended international flights to and from the autonomous region of Kurdistan in response to the referendum  held in defiance of Baghdad  that saw the Kurds vote in favor of independence.

The suspension came into force after Kurdistan refused to comply with the order to hand over control of the Erbil and Suleimaniya international airports to the Iraqi federal government, Efe reports.

The measure only affects international flights, so air links with the rest of Iraq remain intact.

Neither will the ban apply to military or humanitarian flights, the director of the Kurdistan international airport, Talar Faiq, told a press conference.

The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that the suspension of international flights to Kurdistan would be maintained until the government of the autonomous region ceded control of the airports to Baghdad.

The federal government control over land and aerial entrances to Kurdistan is not meant to cause starvation, hold supplies or besiege citizens, as some officials of the region claim, the statement said.

They are measures for the entrance and departure of commodities and people under the control of the federal government and the federal regulatory bodies, as apply in all Iraqi checkpoints to stop prevent smuggling and corruption, it added.

Hours before the suspension came into force, the Erbil airport was crowded with passengers waiting to leave the northern region, which borders Turkey, Iran and Syria  countries with substantial Kurdish minorities of their own.

Salem Munji, a Turkish national who works at a construction company, told EFE that Turkeys government warned its citizens to leave northern Iraq out of fear of escalation.

The suspension of international flights to and from Kurdish airports is a measure taken in response to the independence referendum held in Kurdistan on Monday.

Kurdish officials said that more than 92 per cent of the 4 million people who cast ballots voted yes.
Swiss authorities said on Friday that a Libyan Muslim preacher accused of spreading hate speech at a mosque in the city of Biel has officially had his right to asylum revoked.

The Federal Administrative Court in St. Gallen said the decision is final and preacher Abu Ramadan, who stirred controversy with his speeches, cannot appeal the decision, Swiss media reported.

The ruling of the court confirmed an earlier decision by the State Secretariat for Migration on Ramadans asylum status, Xinhua reported.

In a strange twist, however, the 64-year-old Libyan national, could be allowed to keep his residence permit and stay in Switzerland, if the cantonal authorities in Bern allow him to do so, the Swiss national broadcaster reported.

Ramadan currently lives in Nidau, canton Bern and is the holder of a Libyan passport.

He obtained asylum in Switzerland in 1998 and was able to regularly draw social security benefits for the past 13 years.

Since 2013 he has made around a dozen visits to Libya, and his last earlier this year lasted more than a month.

The Swiss court argued that Ramadan had made the journeys to his homeland in the knowledge that a recognized refugee must not return to his or her country of origin, as this is a violation of refugee status.

Ramadan who preached at the ArRahman mosque in Biel, at the foothills of the Jura mountains, was allegedly have called for the destruction of Jews, Christians, Russians and Shia Muslims.

He denied, however, that he was an imam at the mosque, and refuted that he had engaged in hate speech, arguing that his words had been inaccurately translated from Arabic.
US President Donald Trump will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines from November 3-14, the White House said on Friday.

The White House had earlier confirmed Trumps plans to travel to China, South Korea and Japan and on Friday said he also would travel to Vietnam to participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and to the Philippines to attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Efe reports.

One of the objectives of Trumps Asia tour will be to strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, the White House said in a statement.

Amid the growing nuclear threat from North Korea, which has conducted several ballistic missile tests in 2017, Trump said Tuesday that the US was prepared to take devastating military action against the secretive Asian nation if necessary.

Trumps Asia visit also will show his continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the US in the region and emphasize the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with Americas trade partners, the White House said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will be in China until Sunday to make preparations for Trumps visit to that Asian nation.
A federal court in the US has convicted an American al-Qaeda member involved in a terror attack at a US military base in Afghanistan.

Convicted on all nine counts, Muhamad Mahmoud Al-Farekh now faces up to life in prison.

Today, an American al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a US courtroom, said Acting United States Attorney Rohde.

The trial evidence showed that he was involved in a variety of terrorist activity, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.

According to court papers, prior to travelling overseas tojoin al-Qaeda, Farekh was a student at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

In 2007, Farekh and two fellow students travelled to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas.

Farekh and his co-conspirators had become radicalised watching video recordings encouraging violent jihad, listened to jihadist lectures, including lectures by now-deceased al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaki.

They traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al Qaedas base of operations, where they joined and received training from al Qaeda, federal prosecutors alleged.

One of Farekhs co-conspirators, Ferid Imam, provided weapons and military-type training at an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in September 2008.

Among Imams trainees were Najibullah Zazi, Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin, of Queens, New York, who intended to return to New York City to carry out a suicide attack in the subway system.

During the trial, Ahmedzay testified that Imam as his weapons trainer.

Zazi and Ahmedzay pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements and have yet to be sentenced.

Medunjanin was convicted after trial and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Imam has been indicted for his role in the plot.

The government proved Farekhs participation in the building of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman) on January 19, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan.
The US on Friday ordered the withdrawal of all non-essential personnel assigned to its embassy in Cubas capital, as well as all family members, an action taken after at least 21 American diplomats showed symptoms of apparent sonic attacks, the secretary of state said.

The measure, which applies to more than half of embassy staff, is aimed at reducing the number of US personnel at risk of being exposed to the attacks, Rex Tillerson said in a statement on the State Departments Web site, Efe reports.

The staff reduction will be in effect until Cuba can guarantee the safety of US personnel on the island, he added.

Over the past several months, 21 US Embassy employees have suffered a variety of injuries from attacks of an unknown nature. The affected individuals have exhibited a range of physical symptoms, including ear complaints, hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping, the statement read.

Tillerson did not blame Cubas government for the attacks, saying that investigators have been unable to determine who is responsible or what is causing these attacks.

The State Department also has issued a travel warning advising American citizens to avoid travel to Cuba.

We have no reports that private US citizens have been affected, but the attacks are known to have occurred in US diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by US citizens, the statement said.

In conjunction with the staff reductions, the US also has indefinitely stopped issuing visas to Cubans from its embassy in Havana and halted all non-emergency services.

The Cuban government, for its part, said it was conducting an investigation but that at the moment there was no evidence supporting allegations of sonic attacks targeting Americans on the island.

The decision comes amid a cooling of diplomatic relations since the January inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has undone some of the liberalization that took place under predecessor Barack Obama and vowed to make closer ties with the island contingent on free elections and respect for human rights.

But Tillerson noted in his statement that the US maintains diplomatic relations with Havana, adding that Cuba has told us it will continue to investigate these attacks and we will continue to cooperate with them in this effort.
A 64-year-old woman was arrested for smuggling drugs to her jailed grandson. She used drinking straws to conceal various drugs.

By India Today Web Desk: A grandmother was arrested after she took drugs for her grandson who is in jail.

Authorities say the West Virginia grandmother has joined her grandson in jail after being accused of smuggling drugs to him behind bars.

The Mountain State Fugitive Task Force said 64-year-old Carolyn Lou Gay was arrested on Wednesday, on 15 charges related to drug possession and delivery.

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A criminal complaint says Gay visited her grandson on September 2 at Eastern Regional Jail near Martinsburg.

The complaint says a guard heard inmate Shawn Douglas Weister tell Gay to "go ahead".

It says Weister was directed to a strip search room, but instead ran away. When guards caught up, he yelled, "Run granny, they caught me."

The complaint says investigators found 22 sealed drinking straws containing various drugs including heroin in Weister's possession, and Gay is the only person who visited him.

--- ENDS ---
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
The Chinese embassy in India usually celebrates its national day at a five start hotel in Lutyens Delhi. This year though, ambassador Luo Zhaohui hosted the party at the sprawling embassy grounds to ensure a personal touch, a source said. The "welcome to my home'' hospitality, was meant to be a salve to the bruises in the relationship between the two countries caused by Doklam. The event celebrated the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Zhaohui went all out to be the perfect host, and as a surprise, his wife led a group of embassy women to perform an enchanting fan dance on stage. She was later seen at the party, wearing a decorative red bindi with her traditional qipao. Even as other Chinese performers danced to Indian music and Indian performers danced to Chinese music, the envoy said that India and China should dance together. Speaking of the meeting between Chinese premier Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS summit some days ago, the envoy said that the message of the meeting was reconciliation. He said the two nations should start a new chapter with the same pace and direction.

The ambassador said that last week, he had visited Puduchery, where one of his teachers, Xu Fancheng, had spent several decades at the Aurobindo Ashram (from 1945 to 1978). He was one of the first bridges between the two countries, as he translated ancient Indian texts into Mandarin. The ambassador also spoke eloquently of Rabindranath Tagore and said that standing on the shoulders of these men, Indians and Chinese should do more to improve people to people relations and bilateral ties.

In a not very subtle manner, Zhaohui went on to speak about China's bullet trainsthe Beijing to Shanghai one has recently upped its speed from 300 to 350 kmph. He also spoke of China's test runs of the hyperloops. The recent high optics foundation laying of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train by Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe and Modi has Beijing concerned. Japan's involvement in India's infrastructure development and overall cosying up made the ambassador point out that China was India's largest trading partner.

He spoke of four Chinese inventionshigh speed travel, Alipay (mobile wallets like Paytm in India), bicycle sharing and online sharing and said that these were attempts at bettering the lives of Chinese and of raising the scope of the Chinese dream. He compared these four inventions with ancient China's inventionspaper, printing press, compass and gunpowder.
On the second day of her two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman celebrated Dussehra with troops at Siachen in Ladakh.

In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had celebrated Diwali with troops at Siachenthe world's highest battlefield.

Sitharaman inaugurated two important bridges on the occasion.

She commended jawans who came from different parts of the country to serve the country at such a high altitude.

The minister told the troops the government will do everything possible to make life better for the soldiers.

She also praised the BRO, which is responsible for developing infrastructure in border areas, for their role and dedication.

The defence minister was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen D. Anbu and GoC 14 Corps Lt Gen S.K. Upadhyay.

She visited the state, in connection with the first anniversary of surgical strikes by the army against militant camps in PoK last year in retaliation for the killing of 19 soldiers in Uri in a fidayeen attack.
As various factions of the AIADMK continue to fight over Jayalalitha's legacy in Tamil Nadu, the newly appointed Governor Banwarilal Purohit's role would be very important since BJP is also trying to get a foothold in the state.

As a veteran politician, Purohit  he has also been Congress Lok Sabha MP twice  is expected to engage with the various political parties in the state. He has considerable influence in Maharashtra and even owns the Hitavada newspaper. Earlier as Assam governor, Purohit has been promoting hindu nationalism, which many in the Congress alleged, led to BJP forming its first government in the state. He belongs to Nagpur, which hosts the RSS headquarters.

Purohit was part of the five new appointments to various gubernatorial posts announced by President Ramnath Kovind on Sept 30. Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Jagdish Mukhi will move to Assam, BJP vice president Satya Pal Malik has been made the governor of politically important Bihar. Another senior BJP leader from Bihar, Ganga Prasad, will be the new Meghalaya governor. Brigadier B.D. Mishra (Retd) who was part of the BJP and also been the convenor of party's ex-servicemen cell is heading to the Arunachal Pradesh Raj Bhawan.

Admiral D.K. Joshi, who had quit Navy in 2014 after a series of submarine mishaps, will be the new Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar. Joshi, with impeccable credentials, has been rewarded for his role as Navy chief. He belongs to Uttarakhand, the same state as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

Malik, who has been the Jat face in the party, was made governor as an apparent message to the community which had voted for the party in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana but is still restless with the saffron party. He was part of Amit Shah's team as vice president. After his exit, Shah is expected to fill the positions to keep the caste balance in the national office bearers.

Brigadier Mishra has been a regular face on television defending the BJP and articulating position with respect to national security.
Tamil Nadu, which has been witness to a political turmoil since the hospitalisation of Jayalalithaa in September 2016, has finally got a full-time governor. Banwarilal Purohit will take charge as the new governor soon. The 77-year-old, a veteran in Maharashtra politics, will now oversee Tamil Nadu as its full-time governor.

A two-time Congress MP, who was also part of Indira Gandhi's cabinet, Purohit has a long political history. He was also a one-time BJP MP from Nagpur and was appointed as the governor of Assam in 2016. Purohit's appointment as Tamil Nadu governor by President Ram Nath Kovind comes at a crucial time when frictions within the ruling AIADMK has reached a fever pitch. While the government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswamy is trying to save its head, the T.T.V. Dhinakaran faction and the opposition DMK have been demanding a floor test asking the chief minister to prove the majority in the assembly.

The TTV faction, comprising 18 MLAs, have already petitioned the governor-in-charge Vidyasagar Rao expressing their lack of confidence in Chief Minister Palaniswamy. The MLAs, who raised the voice of rebellion, have been subsequently disqualified by Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal. Writ petitions challenging the disqualification and also petitions filed by the DMK and the TTV faction seeking a floor test are pending in the Madras High Court. The petitions will be heard again on October 3, once the court reopens after the Dussehra holidays.

Given the current political situation, the governor will have a more active role to play than as an observer. Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao took over as the governor-in-charge of Tamil Nadu in August 2016 when Jayalalithaa was around. Tamil Nadu's political turmoil began in September 2016, after Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital. Rao had to shuttle between Mumbai and Chennai, every time he was needed here. In fact, Rao has been the longest-serving in-charge governor of the state for more than a year. The last time the state saw an in-charge governor was in 2001, when the Centre decided to recall Tamil Nadu's then governor Fathima Beevi.

Tamil Nadu has seen various political happenings, protests and also a cyclone in the past one year. Every time a political situation emerged, Rao would fly down from Mumbai to Chennai and would be available for a week or 10 days. When the government under O. Panneerselvam then handled the Vardah cyclone or the Jallikattu protests that took the state by storm, Rao had to fly down to know what was happening in the state. In January 2017, it was the then chief minister Panneerselvam who hoisted the flag on Republic Dayan apparent break from the existing tradition.

Again, in February, Rao flew from Chennai to Mumbai after accepting Panneerselvam's resignation. A few days later, when Sasikala was elected the legislative party leader of the ruling AIADMK, Rao was not available. He has sworn in two chief ministers for the state in just one year and has seen one cabinet expansion. Rao, despite the huge criticisms from the opposition and the TTV faction, was accommodating for both OPS and EPS whenever they wanted him to be in Chennai, for resignation or for swearing in.

But now the expanding cracks in the AIADMK and the fissures in the government will actually need the attention of an active governor who will play a greater role in handling various crises. "The appointment of a full-time governor is a welcome move and need of the hour. But this appointment is expected to increase BJP's influence in Tamil Nadu. Surely, a governor like the previous one or like in other states will not stay away from the day to day happenings in the state. He might interfere in the affairs of the state government every now and then, right from appointment of vice-chancellors in the universities to various other issues like addressing the flaws in the government," says Raveenthran Thuraisamy, political analyst.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has set the tone for the Modi government as he articulated his views on key policy issues. His annual Vijay Dashmi speech at Nagpur, televised live by state-run Doordarshan, cleared any doubts the government may have had about dealing with the Rohingayas, displaced Kashmiri Pandits, or even charting out the new education policy.

The RSS chiefs Dushhera speech has been primarily meant for the Sangh swavyamsevaks. But ever since Modi government took over, his words carry more weight as he touches upon key issues before the nation, society and the Hindus. This years speech gave a clear direction on what was expected from the government. The range of issues which Bhagwat referred to in his speech showed that Sangh was deeply clued in on things that were occupying the minds of the peoplefrom the violent acts by gau rakshaks, the new education policy, street protests to even the menace of 'Blue Whale'.

In fact, the periodical meetings between the RSS and the various wings of the government and the BJP has ensured that all were aligned in their vision. Bhagwat's speech gave ample reasons to believe that BJP-led government at the Centre and the Sangh were on the same page.

As NDA government has sought the deportation of the Rohingayas on the ground that they had links with terror organisations, Bhagwat, too, echoed the same views. Nation already has been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas, who are chased away from Myanmar, have infiltrated. Many more are ready to migrate illegally."

"They are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with the terrorist groups. Any decision regarding them should be taken by keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity, Bhagwat said. This clear articulation is meant to give a larger message to the Hindu community and the society at large that Rohingayas are not welcome.

For giving equal rights to displaced Kashmiri Hindus, Bhagwat said necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. This assertion is likely to be viewed with suspicion in the Valley, as it is against any tinkering with either the section 35A or the Article 370 of the Constitution.

As state government of West Bengal and Kerala are harsh in dealing with the RSS and the BJP, Bhagwat castigated them for lending a helping hand to the anti-national forces for petty political interests.

Interestingly, as debate has been initiated on the state of economy, Bhagwat wanted the economists to look for solutions locally rather than falling for the -isms.'' Former NITI Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya left the body rather early as he faced stringent opposition from RSS bodies for advocating a model not suited to Indian conditions. The foreign educated Panagariya had given way to Rajiv Kumar, who had advocated 'Indian' solution to economic situation.

Our NITI Aayog and economic advisers of the states will have to come out of the same old economic -isms, and will have to integrate the most up-to-date economic experiences with the ground reality of our nation. During this, they will have to systematically consider national ideals, traditions, needs and resources. People will also have to relentlessly insist on buying Swadeshi products, while fulfilling their day-to-day needs and doing other purchases, the RSS chief added.

Bhagwat batted for cow protection. It is unfair to link the cow protectors or entire activity of cow protection with violent incidences or communal feelings without knowing or neglecting the facts. He went a step ahead to support the cow protectors, Cow-protectors and promoters, who are piously involved in the activity, should not worry or be distracted by the well intentioned statements by highly placed persons in the government or remarks made by the Supreme Court.

For the NDA government, which is in the process of formulating its new education policy, the RSS had a suggestion. The curriculum should remain free of all kinds of isms and instead should be based on seeking the truth and comprehending our nationality and national pride.

Bhagwat also praised Modi government on the handling of the border crisis. Bharats strong and determined stand has been visible in incidents like Doklam, on the borders, as well as in international diplomacy. This definitely makes us realise our strength and at the same time provides new international standing to Bharat, Bhagwat said.

Even Modi government's strong arm Kashmir policy was hailed by Bhagwat. All security forces, including the army, have been given the freedom to do their respective duties. The provocative actions and propaganda of the separatists is effectively controlled by curbing their illegal financial sources and exposing their linkages with anti-national terrorist forces. The positive effects of this strategy are visible on the ground, RSS chief pointed out.
A day after the people of Mumbai were left shocked over the horrific Elphinstone Road stampede, the death toll rose to 23 after a 35-year-old man admitted to the ICU of the KEM hospital succumbed to his injuries on Saturday. To make matters worse, the family of the victim was forced to wait for another day to claim his body as autopsies were completely stalled in the civic-run hospital on Saturday evening.

The reason? A group of Shiv Sena goons tried to attack the head of the department, Dr Harish Pathak, as they were protesting against the hospitals decision to write numbers on the foreheads of deceased stampede victims.

A poster with pictures of the deceased victims was put up in the hospital premises on Friday, drawing criticisim from various quarters who alleged that the move was insensitive and showed complete lack of dignity towards those who lost their lives in the stampede.

The hospitals authorities, however, said the decision was made in order to make it easier for the kin of the deceased to identify the bodies. While Pathak was in his office, a Shiv Sena member, identified as Nilesh Dhumal, barged into the room and tried to write the number zero on his forehead following a heated argument between the two.

THE WEEKs correspondent was present in the hospital and witnessed this incident. Shortly after that, Dhumal was detained by Bhoiwada police officials, while the others who had accompanied him managed to flee the hospital.

The deceased victim, Satyendra Kumar Kanojia, was the sole bread-winner of his family and is survived by his wife and three young children, who live in a village called Jaunpur. He used to live in Vikhroli with us and worked in a garments shop in Parel to support his family. He was on his way to work and crossing the Elphinstone road bridge when the stampede took place, said Rajesh, his cousin, who was waiting outside the hospitals morgue.

Through WhatsApp, we got to know there was a stampede there and I repeatedly tried calling him. However, all of my calls went unanswered. A few hours later, our fear turned out to be true when a nurse from KEM hospital called us and said we should immediately come to the hospital, added Rajesh. Satyendra was in an unconscious state since he was brought to the hospital and had to be put on ventilator support. While his condition was critical, he succumbed to his head injuries on Saturday morning at 11:30 am.

He was the sole breadwinner of his family. Who will take care of his three young children? The youngest one is only four-year-old and his two sons are 12 and 7. We hope his wife and kids will receive some compensation from the government in order to make both ends meet, laments Rajesh.

Meanwhile, 39 other people were injured in the stampede and had to be admitted to KEM hospital. Out of this, 30 are male and nine are female. As of now, doctors at the hospital say the condition of the other patients admitted in the orthopaedic wards is stable.

However, while 27-year-old Ritesh Rathod managed to survive the stampede with minor injuries, his relatives say he is unable to sleep and suffers from recurring nightmares about the incident. In his sleep, he cries for help, and it is obvious he is very traumatised from the incident, said Virendra Malekar, his close friend and colleague.

Rathod, who works in a stores production firm, was heading to Parel to meet a client when the stampede broke out. People started shouting that the bridge is going to fall and everyone started running towards the entrance. A horde of bodies fell on me and I was trapped under them. I couldnt move my hands or legs. Thats all I can remember before I fainted, said Ritesh.

While his client, Tushar, kept calling him on his phone, it was finally answered by a Good Samaritan who helped pull Ritesh out and informed him about his whereabouts. Soon, the Vasai resident was taken to KEM hospital for treatment, where he is currently recuperating from a swollen shoulder and leg. Im still unable to walk or move my leg. The stampede was completely unexpected and I consider myself lucky to have survived, he said.
Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed's legal team has sent a Rs 100 million defamation notice to Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for his remarks at the Asia Society forum in New York earlier this week.

Asif, who told the forum that Pakistan was not to blame for militant outfits in the country, had said: "Don't blame us for the Haqqanis and don't blame us for the Hafiz Saeeds. These people were your darlings just 20 to 30 years back. They were being dined and wined in the White House and now you say 'go to hell Pakistanis because you are nurturing these people."

The notice, served by Advocate A.K. Dogar on Friday claimed that Saeed, the chief of banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) party was "respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim", Dawn online reported on Saturday.

It accused Asif of speaking "an absolute lie and falsehood that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was one of those persons who had been the darlings of Americans and had been dining and wining in the White House".

The notice stated that Asif made a "defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code to five years imprisonment and with (a) fine".

A Pakistani court earlier this week extended by a month the detention of Saeed, blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack which left 166 Indians and foreigners dead.

The government had contended that the activities of the JuD leaders, if they were released, would pose a serious threat to public safety and public order.
Ryanair could be forced to pay up to 1 billion in compensation to 750,000 passengers after cancelling 20,000 flights.

The airline has promised to ensure refunds to all passengers affected by recent flight cancellations.

It means customers stranded after their flights were cancelled can fly for free with rivals if there are no Ryanair seats available.

Ryanair has caved in to the UK's airline watchdog and offered customers a fuller compensation deal just 45 minutes before the deadline

They will also be able to claim cash back for hotels and food - as long as they are 'reasonable' and backed up by receipts.

This development will come as a relief to passengers who have spent up to 1,500 on accommodation and other expenses.

A spokesperson for the airline said in response to the figure: 'We dont comment on rumour or speculation.'

Ryanair is also emailing customers affected by flight cancellations to clarify their rights after being threatened with legal action from the aviation regulator.

How Ryanair will dish out compensation In a statement issued today, the airline said: 'Ryanair is required to offer disrupted customers (on cancelled flights) the option of a full refund or re-routing to their final destination as follows; (A) Refund Option: A full refund will be given of an unused flight sector and associated fees. If the disrupted flight is their outbound sector, customers will also be offered a full refund of the return sector. (B) Re-routing Options: Ryanair will offer all disrupted customers the following sequence of re-accommodation options; If this option is not available same or next day, then; If this option is not available same or next day, then; Easyjet, Jet2, Vueling, Cityjet, Aer Lingus, Norwegian or Eurowings airlines. If this option is not available same or next day, then; Under EU261, Ryanair will also reimburse any reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by customers as a result of these flight cancellations, subject to receiving an EU261 expense claim form from customers supported by original receipts.' Advertisement

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which on Thursday accused the Dublin-based carrier of 'not complying with the law' over its handling of the fiasco, claimed the airline had 'capitulated' after enforcement action was launched.

It had accused Ryanair of not telling passengers that under EU261 rules they were entitled to be re-routed by another carrier.

Ryanair's offer to passengers features several conditions, including assessing the cost of flights on other airlines 'on a case by case basis' before bookings are made.

If there is no Ryanair flight available they will buy seats with rivals including easyJet, Norwegian Air, Jet2, Vueling Aer Lingus.

If this is impossible they will also offer to pay for other flights, trains, buses or car hire and will 'reimburse any reasonable out of pocket expenses' incurred as a result of their cancellation.

Ryanair's official spokesman Kenny Jacobs said: 'We apologise again sincerely for the disruption and inconvenience our rostering failure has caused some of our customers'.

Alex Neill, a managing director at consumer group Which?, said passengers face a 'potential minefield' to reach their destination, describing the process as 'convoluted'.

He added: 'It still smacks of a lingering reluctance to do the right thing.'

Today the airline's decision to launch a 9.99 per-seat mega sale sparked incredulous fury among customers.

The advert promising a great deal on one million seats on 900 routes until February was sent out to customers today including many left reeling after their flights axed in the same period.

Some joked that buying tickets would simply mean putting a 'tenner down the drain'.

Ryanair's decision to launch a 9.99 per-seat mega sale today has sparked incredulous fury among customers caught up in the cancellation crisis

Paul Reynolds tweeted under the advert: 'Will there be any planes attached to those seats by the way?', Clive Darken wrote: 'Can I cancel before I buy???' and Brodie Agnew asked: 'How much extra do I have to pay for a plane and a pilot?'.

In the face of a Twitter storm Ryanair's social media team retained a sense of humour and responded: 'No worries, that's been taken care of, so our aircraft and pilot are included in the price'.

Today even Gerald Ratner called on Michael O'Leary to quit and said Ryanair is a 'joke too far'.

In addition, the Dublin-based carrier must commit to helping passengers who chose an unsuitable option as a result of being misled.

Experts have said that the cancellation crisis could be its 'Ratner moment' - a reference to Gerald Ratner's infamous description of one of the products made by his family jewellery firm as 'total crap'.

The mega sale has sparked a huge reaction on Twitter, which victims of the cancellation crisis have described as 'salt in the wound' and 'disgusting'

And today it emerged the man himself agrees and told The Times: 'I think that he (Michael O'Leary) should resign like I did' - but added: 'Ryanair is not about to go the way of Ratners'.

Passengers have threatened to boycott the airline after the latest wave of cancellations.

Customers bombarded the firm with complaints following Wednesday's decisions to cancel flights for another 400,000 passengers over the winter.

A day after Ryanair was accused of 'cancelling Christmas' by wrecking more people's travel plans, passengers using the hashtag #boycottRyanair vowed on Twitter to never fly with the airline again.

Peter Bond wrote '#Ryanair what a complete and utter shambles of a company. Not fit for purpose. I'll never use them #boycottRyanair'.

It comes after the regulator accused the airline of 'not complying with the law' over its handling of the fiasco.

CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said he was 'furious' after Ryanair cancelled an extra 18,000 flights for the winter season on Wednesday - a move that will hit 400,000 customers.

'They are not making it clear to people their entitlement,' Mr Haines told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

'If they follow through on what they are saying, then they would be breaking the law.'

But the CAA said today it would not 'speculate' on the action it would take if Ryanair misses the 5pm deadline.

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has been told he has until 5pm today to sort out compensation for hundreds of thousands of travellers

Gerald Ratner's business life fell apart in 1991 (pictured) when he admitted selling 'crap' in his high street jewellery shops - many have said Ryanair has had its Ratner moment and the man himself agrees

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also instructed the budget airline to tell passengers they are entitled to be re-routed by a rival carrier

The airline has been forced to cancel thousands of flights leaving passengers stranded

A Ryanair internal memo allegedly instructed call centre staff to offer flights with other carriers - provided the price 'does not exceed three times the value of the original Ryanair fare'.

The document, unearthed by ITV News, was criticised by consumer group Which?.

Managing director Alex Neill said: 'Ryanair appears to be plucking figures out of thin air as there is no legal basis for the arbitrary figure they've set.

'The law says passengers must be rerouted and there's no specified limit on cost. This yet again highlights the importance of the action which the Civil Aviation Authority has started.

'It must force Ryanair to immediately change its behaviour and comply with the law.'

A Ryanair spokesman said: 'We will be meeting with the CAA and will comply fully with whatever requirements they ask us to.'

He added: 'Ryanair tries to accommodate such reasonable rerouting requests using a guideline (only) of three-times the original airfare.

'This compares favourably with Easyjet's stated policy, which limits the cost of 'alternative transport' to be 'within the price range you paid for your original return flight or as close as possible'.

'British Airways' stated policy says only that its disrupted customers will be booked 'onto another British Airways flight' with no reference to alternative transport (see attached).

'Ryanair respectfully calls on the CAA to explain what enforcement action it took against British Airways when it suffered a computer systems meltdown at Heathrow on the May Bank Holiday weekend earlier this year.'

The latest round of cancellations includes several popular routes used by British travellers, such as Stansted to Edinburgh and Glasgow, Gatwick to Belfast, Newcastle to Faro, and Glasgow to Las Palmas.

It adds to mounting anger against Ryanair, which was already coming under heavy fire after cancelling up to 50 flights a day earlier this month.

Ryanair says the cancellations were brought about because of an error with pilot holiday rosters.

Some internet wags have lampooned the airline's cancellation crisis in a series of memes - and Mr O'Leary has been accused of ruining Christmas

Passengers have expressed their frustration with the airline, with many left out of pocket due to a lack of alternative flights and accommodation bookings they can no longer use.

Revolt of the Ryanair pilots as they condemn 'disresptful' O'Leary Ryanair is facing a revolt by its own pilots which threatens to cause even more chaos for passengers. Furious crew at 60 airports across Europe signed a letter condemning the behaviour of their beleaguered chief executive Michael O'Leary for showing them and their passengers 'disrespect' over the cancelled flights fiasco. In the bombshell letter, the pilots warned there would be no end to the disruption unless their working conditions improve. They said the crisis would continue unless bosses showed a 'different management attitude and mindset than the ones that created the problems in the first place'. Advertisement

Mr Haines said airline passengers are 'well-protected by the law'.

He went on: 'They are entitled to compensation and if there is a cancellation, they are entitled to be re-routed by other airlines.

'The chief executive of Ryanair (Michael O'Leary) has gone on record and said he is not going to do that. He then issued a clarification.

'But yesterday when they announced 18,000 further cancellations, they failed to follow through on that.

'We are furious they are not complying with the law and they are not giving customers what they are entitled to.'

The regulator asked for a meeting with the airline as part of a consultation that will last at least seven days and could take legal action for breaching consumer protection laws.

It says Ryanair has falsely claimed it did not have to re-route passengers on other airlines, particularly when there are no other services available.

The CAA also accused the airline of stopping short of providing details on its obligations to refund additional expenses incurred by passengers as a result of cancellations including for meals, hotels and transfer costs.

It enforces consumer rights for passengers on UK flights under the Enterprise Act, meaning it could take Ryanair to court, where it would face being fined.

However, it has no powers to stop the airline from operating in the UK on the grounds of how it treats passengers.

Ryanair's operating licence is handled by the Irish Aviation Authority.

The airline said the latest reduction in its schedule will 'eliminate all risk of further flight cancellations'.
The future of Monarch airlines was hanging in the balance last night as it held last-ditch talks over its finances.

Monarch, which has been in turmoil for more than a year, is fighting to retain its air travel operators licence.

Regulator the Civil Aviation Authority can deny an airline permission to do business if it believes it does not have enough cash to keep going.

Monarch, which has been in turmoil for more than a year, is fighting to retain its air travel operators licence (stock photo)

Monarch, which flies six million passengers to more than 40 destinations, has until tonight to prove it can meet the regulators demands. Without an Atol licence, the airline would have to stop offering, booking or receiving payments for package holidays immediately.

Monarch, which is owned by private equity firm Greybull Capital, is understood to be in talks with rival airlines to sell off bits of its business.

Budget carriers Norwegian and Wizz Air are both thought to have already held discussions with the firm. Greybull has hired accountants KPMG to review the airlines finances and put in place a plan for a possible sale.

Last year, Monarch was forced to turn to Greybull for a 165million rescue package to keep flying. And last month Monarch chief executive Andrew Swaffield hit back after Ryanair boss Michael OLeary said in an interview: It is an open secret that Monarch and Norwegian will not make it through the winter.

The Mail understands that the CAA has warned staff they may be called on to help the tens of thousands of Monarch customers who would be left stranded overseas, or who have flights over the next week.

Sources close to the airline said bosses were involved in talks with the CAA which were expected to run into the night. Rumours of the chaos at Monarch have even spread to passengers with two tweeting the firm yesterday about its future.

Regulator the Civil Aviation Authority can deny an airline permission to do business if it believes it does not have enough cash to keep going (stock photo)

Monarch replied: Nothing has been confirmed and we continue to look at a number of options. We will of course keep our customers updated.

Monarch is the third major European airline this year to run into financial trouble. Italys national carrier Alitalia has already gone bust and earlier this month Germanys Air Berlin went into administration. And its woes come after Ryanair cancelled more than 20,000 flights, with more than 750,000 passengers affected.

Monarchs problems will further dent the reputation of the aviation industry, which has also been blighted with complaints that cost-cutting has led to a fall in service standards at British Airways.

Last night a spokesman for Monarch said: We have made an application to the regulator for a standard renewal of our Atol licence. The CAA will publish its renewal notices as normal. In recent months we have undertaken, and continue to undertake, a comprehensive review of Monarch, designed to determine its optimal future shape, size and strategy. We are having positive discussions on a number of options with potential strategic partners and we will announce any material developments, if and when they happen.

Last September Monarch was forced to beg for a 12-day Atol licence extension from the CAA while it sought emergency funds. This may happen again.

Any airlines that fly package holidaymakers need an Atol licence from the CAA to operate. This protects passengers in the event a company goes bust.

Luton-based Monarch has been operating since 1968 and employs around 2,800 staff. It is understood around 100,000 of its customers may currently be abroad, of which 10,000 are on package holidays.

A further half a million holidaymakers have booked to travel with Monarch in the coming months.

Sources close to the CAA told how staff had been asked to work overtime over the next few days in the event Monarch holidaymakers need to find new flights home.

They have been drafted in to answer the phones when passengers call to ask for advice. Other staff are being despatched to the airports Monarch flies from to advise passengers on the ground.

Last night customers were still able to make bookings for Monarch over the phone and online. A CAA spokesman said: We do not comment on Atol renewals or the financial strength of companies.
Roman Kats





The content of the proposed directive has attracted substantial commentary, particularly with regard to provisions intended to introduce a new neighbouring right for press publishers (Article 11) and obligations for hosting providers in the context of what has come to be known as the value gap problem (Article 13).









Heres what they think:





After a tortuous journey and conflicting opinions amongst the EU institutions (the Commission, the Committees of the European Parliament, the Council), the approval of the draft Directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market is around the corner.





The goals are sound: to adapt copyright to the digital ecosystem and the challenges of new technologies; to strengthen the effectiveness of rights and to promote an enriched relationship between the authors/publishers and the general public; to safeguard a "free and pluralistic press" and to guarantee "quality journalism and easy access to information for all".





The key challenges are shared by the different parties: addressing the radical changes brought by the digital economy, which overwhelm the publishing industry and requiring adaptation of traditional business models; facilitating circulation of works and the licensing system; and allowing publishers and authors to participate with equal arms in the value chain.





The proposed solutions to these problems are however controversial, as the Commission, Council and Parliament swing between compromise attempts and sudden reevaluations.





Lionel Bently

The divisions are most pronounced in relation to two provisions of the proposed Directive: i) Article 11  with which the European Commission proposes to introduce a new right in favour of press publishers to ensure the sustainability of the sector against new forms of exploitation promoted by aggregators and online operators; and ii) Article 13  through which it is intended to control platforms and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that host and make available content.





Article 11 is inspired by similar rules recently introduced in Germany and Spain. Experience with these regimes as yet does not suggest that the proposed reform will do much to sustain newspaper publishing or the quality of local journalism. Outside Italy, the point has been made that many of the difficulties facing publishers can be more proportionately solved by a presumption that they hold rights in the content of their publications, rather than through the creation of a new ancillary right in any fixation of a collection of literary works of a journalistic nature, with the uncertainty necessarily attendant on ascertaining the scope of such right. From an Italian perspective, Article 11 does not add much to the legal framework.





, the Different difficulties arise from the current wording of article 13 and its associated recitals. Many of these difficulties derive from the fact that the proposal seeks to intervene in a complex legal ecosystem, where there are established instruments (the 2000 eCommerce Directive , the 2001 InformationSociety Directive , the 2004 Enforcement Directive and a raft of jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) which has interpreted these through the lens of fundamental rights as recognized in the EU Charter





large amounts of works or other subject matter uploaded by their users, and thus hands over to the CJEU the unenviable task of identifying whether large implies 200 items or 200,000 or somewhere in between. The First and foremost, the definition of legal entities to which the new obligations apply, is hopelessly uncertain. Article 13 refers to information society service providers that store and provide to the public access toof works or other subject matter uploaded by their users, and thus hands over to the CJEU the unenviable task of identifying whether large implies 200 items or 200,000or somewhere in between. The draft JURI Committee Report sensibly seeks to replace large amounts with a criterion relating to the character of the activities rather than the volume of content. That amendment would limit the application of the provision to information society service providers that are actively and directly involved in the making available to the public of user uploaded content and where this activity is not of a mere technical, automatic and passive nature.





Valeria Falce

Secondly, the proposed Directive states that these operators "should take appropriate and proportionate measures to ensure the protection of such works () for example through the use of effective technologies." The provision refers to the filtering and content tracking techniques already used in other industries, such as the music industry. However, the CJEU has already held (twice) that such technologies are incompatible with Article 15 of the eCommerce Directive and fundamental rights and freedoms of the platforms and their users (including their personal data). For this reason, amendments in several of the Parliamentary Committees and in the Council Working Party would delete specific reference to filtering technology, which appears to be the only acceptable way forward.





Thirdly, the proposal uses the terms communication to the public without clearly referencing Article 3 of the Information Society Directive, where it relates to a distinct concept. Implicitly insisting on the conclusion that any service provider that stores and provides access to the public to subject matter uploaded by their users is communicating to the public, Recital 38 ignores the CJEUs instruction that every case should be assessed on its facts. Nor can any assumption be drawn from the recent Pirate Bay decision [see here that hosts that store largely lawful material, but also some unlawfully uploaded subject matter (prior to receiving take down notices) are liable of copyright infringement for communicating the unlawful material to the public. Indeed, the CJEU has stated that communication depends on an awareness of the effects of an intervention (a criterion that is hard to fulfill when the host is unaware of the material that has been uploaded).





A similar objection can be made in relation to the manner in which Recital 38 appears to promote a particular interpretation of Article 14 of the eCommerce Directive, which offers certain hosts immunity from financial liability as regards illegal material. While the CJEU has emphasized the importance of knowledge and control over then content as the key matters that transform a host into someone to whom the immunity is inapplicable, the Commission controversially implies that the immunity vanishes as soon as a host is involved in any optimization of the presentation of materials or promotion of such.




WATERFORD  Town officials said Friday they are treating the report of an attempted abduction in the town Wednesday as "credible."

Town Supervisor Jack Lawler and Waterford Sgt. Robert van Bramer explained the incident during a news conference Friday afternoon.
ALBANY -- Saturday is the deadline to reserve a seat at Tuesday's meeting of the Capital Region chapter of Dining for Women.

Caryl M. Stern, president and CEO of UNICEF USA, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Oct.3 at the Woman's Club of Albany, 725 Madison Ave., Albany, NY 12208. A question-answer period will follow.
New York

A bus driver who barreled through a red light and slammed into another bus in New York City this month, killing himself and two others, had a history of crashes and a conviction for driving drunk, but he was legally allowed to drive under federal rules that grant one strike before banning a driver for life.

Raymond Mong lost a job as a New York City bus driver in 2015 after pleading guilty to an off-duty, hit-and-run, drunken-driving crash in Connecticut. He was still serving 18 months' probation when he got into another crash in his personal vehicle in June of 2016.

Neither of those wrecks, though, kept him from legally driving a bus again.

He got a job with a charter company and had a valid commercial driver's license on Sept. 18 when he powered his empty bus through an intersection in Queens at nearly twice the 30 mph speed limit, hit another bus, plowed onto a sidewalk and crashed into a building, police said. Sixteen people were hurt in addition to the three killed.

It isn't clear exactly when Mong started driving for the charter company, a small outfit called the Dahlia Group.

New York's Department of Motor Vehicles is supposed to be informed when a driver is hired so it can run background checks, but an agency spokeswoman said Dahlia never did. Even if that notification had been made, it wouldn't necessarily have precluded Mong from driving. Under rules by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a driver convicted of certain crimes can have their license suspended for up to a year. After that, they can return to work.

A second violation means they're disqualified for life, though some people can be re-instated after a decade. And other, lower-level infractions committed while in a personal vehicle don't count as a strike against their commercial license.
Five black cadet candidates found racial slurs written on the message boards on their doors at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School this week, leading school officials to denounce racism and launch an investigation.

Security forces are looking into the matter, according to Lt. Col. Allen Herritage, a spokesman for the U.S. Air Force Academy.

"This has come out of nowhere," he said. "We haven't seen anything like this in recent times."

The Air Force Times reported that a cadet candidate's mother posted a photo on social media of "the words 'go home n---' written on the white board outside her son's room."

The Air Force Times did not report the names of the cadet candidate or his parents to protect their privacy but quoted the mother as saying in her post, which has since been taken down, "This is why I'm so hurt!

"These young people are supposed to bond and protect each other and the country. Who would my son have to watch out for? The enemy or the enemy?"

The father told the Air Force Times: "The word has zero power in my house. Zero power. The word is not going to yield a reaction. My initial advice to him was, respond with intelligence, do not react, do not get upset. You don't have to defend intelligence, you don't have to defend common sense, you don't have to defend confidence. He's fine."

He told the Air Force Times he doesn't view his son as the victim but rather the victim is the person who wrote the slurs, because that person will probably go home disgraced and lose out on a promising military career, and "because they were raised with that kind of vitriol and that kind of hate."

Michael Kaplan/United States Air Force Academy

The preparatory school is designed for candidates who have shown leadership or other qualities that would make them strong applicants for the academy but who need to shore up their academic work before becoming cadets, Herritage said.

"There is absolutely no place in our Air Force for racism - it's not who we are, nor will we tolerate it in any shape or fashion," said Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, superintendent of the Air Force Academy, saying the school strives to create a climate of dignity and respect for all. "Period. Those who don't understand that are behind the power curve and better catch up."

"I've said it before, the area of dignity and respect is my red line. Let me be clear; it won't be crossed without significant repercussions."

Diversity is an asset of both the academy and the Air Force, he said. "We are stronger when we take into account the views of those with different backgrounds and life experiences."

On Thursday, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., issued a statement saying racism has no place in this country or its armed forces. "This hateful act stands contrary to everything that makes us strong as a nation. We are glad Academy leadership has made clear this will not be tolerated, and we're grateful for the example set by their response."
Ken Burns and Lynn Novick say their multi-part PBS documentary about the Vietnam War, which concluded this past week, was intended to unpack a complex conflict and to embark upon the process of healing and reconciliation. The series has catapulted the Vietnam War back into the national consciousness. But despite thousands of books, articles and films about this moment in our history, there remain many deeply entrenched myths.

"Vastly superior in tools and techniques, and militarily dominant over much of the world," historian Ronald Aronson wrote about the hegemonic United States and the impudent rebels, "the Goliath sought to impose on David a peace favourable to his vision of the world." Recode recently compared the Viet Cong to Uber: "young, scrappy and hungry troops break rules and create new norms, shocking the enemy."

In reality, the Viet Cong, the pro-North force in South Vietnam, was armed by both North Vietnam  which planned, controlled and directed Viet Cong campaigns in the South  and the Soviet Union. According to the CIA, from 1954 to 1968, communist nations (primarily the Soviet Union and China) provided the North with $3.2 billion in military and economic aid, mostly coming after 1964 as the war accelerated. Other sources suggest the number was more than double that figure.

The Viet Cong had powerful and modern AK-47s, a Soviet-made automatic rifle that was the equivalent of the M-16 used by American troops. Its fighters were also equipped with submachine guns, grenades, rocket launchers and an array of other weapons. By contrast, the U.S. military gave the South Vietnamese armed forces old World War II-era castoffs, such as M-1 rifles, until the late 1970s.

As the Immigration Policy Center's Alicia Campi has put it, the 130,000 Vietnamese who came to the United States at the end of the conflict "were generally high-skilled and well-educated" people. Sociologist Carl Bankston described this group as "the elite of South Vietnam."

Although the group that fled in 1975, referred to as the first wave, was more educated and middle-class, many who arrived through the U.S.-sponsored evacuation efforts were also people with close ties to the Americans in Vietnam whom Washington had promised to rescue. They were not necessarily "elite." These included ordinary soldiers of South Vietnam as well as people who had worked as clerks or secretaries in the U.S. Embassy.

The second wave of refugees who left Vietnam after 1975 numbered approximately 2 million. They came from rural areas and were often less educated. Most escaped on rickety wooden boats and became known as "boat people." More than 400,000 were admitted into the United States.

The third wave of refugees, of which an estimated 159,000 came to the United States beginning in 1989, were offspring of American fathers and Vietnamese mothers, as well as political prisoners and those who had been put in "reeducation camps."

Popular culture is rife with examples of poor and minority soldiers arriving in Vietnam via the draft and then dying. The idea runs through the heart of Robert Zemeckis' "Forrest Gump," Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter," among other movies and books. Vietnam was "the most blatant class war since the Civil War," as James Fallows put it in his 1989 book "More Like Us."

The facts show otherwise. Findings from the Report of the President's Commission on an All-Volunteer Armed Force in February 1970 show that 78 percent of active-duty troops in 1965 were volunteers. Nor did the military rely primarily on disadvantaged citizens or African Americans. According to the commission's report, African Americans "constituted only 12.7 percent of nearly 1.7 million enlisted men serving voluntarily in 1969." Seventy-nine percent of troops had at least a high school education (compared with 63 percent of Korean War veterans and 45 percent of World War II veterans). And according to VFW Magazine, 50 percent were from middle-income backgrounds, and 88 percent were white (representing 86 percent of the deaths).

One of the most pivotal events of the Vietnam War was the attack by the Viet Cong on the U.S. Embassy in Saigon in 1968. Retired ambassador David F. Lambertson, who served as a political officer there, said in one account that "it was a shock to American and world opinion. The attack on the Embassy, the single most powerful symbol [of U.S. presence] signaled that something was badly wrong in Vietnam. The Tet Offensive broke the back of American public opinion." Early reports by the Associated Press said the Viet Cong had occupied the building. UPI claimed that the fighters had taken over five floors.

In fact, communist forces had blasted a hole through an outer wall of the compound and hunkered down in a six-hour battle against U.S. and South Vietnamese forces. The embassy was never occupied, and the Viet Cong attackers were killed. The Tet Offensive's other coordinated attacks by 60,000 enemy troops against South Vietnamese targets were repelled. Don Oberdorfer, writing for Smithsonian Magazine, observed that Tet was a military disaster for the North, yet it was "a battlefield defeat that ultimately yielded victory" for the enemy.

In part, that was because the erroneous reports about the embassy assault were searing and humiliating to Americans, and no subsequent military victories during Tet could dislodge the powerful notion that the war effort was doomed.

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Some contend that the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN), the South's army, was not up to the job. Andy Walpole, formerly of Liverpool John Moores University, wrote that "they were [unwilling] to engage in combat with their guerrilla counterparts and were more interested in surviving than winning." Harry F. Noyes, who served in Vietnam, complained about this widespread belief: "Everybody 'knows' they were incompetent, treacherous and cowardly."

But those who fought alongside the ARVN tell a different story. Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, adviser to the South Vietnamese Airborne Division, bemoaned that "the sacrifice and valor and commitment of the South Vietnamese Army largely disappeared from the American political and media consciousness."

He wrote of the tenacious fighting spirit of those troops, particularly at the Battle of Dong Ha, where they were charged with supporting American Marine units. "In combat, the South Vietnamese refused to leave their own dead or wounded troopers on the field or abandon a weapon."

South Vietnamese forces also fought off the surprise communist assaults on Saigon and elsewhere during the Tet Offensive of 1968. In August and September of that year, according to Gen. Creighton Abrams, commander of U.S. military operations from 1968 to 1972, "the ARVN killed more enemy than all other allied forces combined ... [and] suffered more KIA, both actual and on the basis of the ratio of enemy to friendly killed in action," because it received less air and other tactical support than U.S. forces. In March 1972, during the Easter Offensive, South Vietnamese forces, with American air support, also prevailed against a conventional enemy invasion consisting of 20 divisions. And in April 1975, the 18th Division defending Xuan Loc "held off massive attacks by an entire North Vietnamese Army corps," according to one report. In the end, those soldiers had even more at stake than the Americans did.

Lan Cao is a professor at Chapman University's Fowler School of Law. This commentary appeared in the Washington Post.
Nenagh councillors have raised a number of concerns over derelict buildings in towns and villages in the municipal district council's area.

However, they were told that the legislation dealing with such sites was weak.

Among the buildings highlighted by Cllr Ger Darcy was an old mill in Cloughjordan, which he claimed, was in a dangerous condition.

I am worried about it, he sad. People are afraid to walk on that side of the road.

Cllr Darcy said that placing barriers around the building was not the solution as he doubted they would be of help on a windy night when slates are going everywhere.

Cllr Darcy was told that the council would need to engage a structural engineer to carry out a report on the building.

He was told its owner was in Australia and had committed to carrying out work on the premises. However, it could cost up to 20,000 just to place scaffolding around the structure.

Cllr Joe Hannigan maintained that the owner should be responsibile for any work carried out and not the council.

A structural engineer costs a pretty penny, he said.

Cllr Darcy said he didn't want to put extra cost on the council, but it is absolutely dangerous.

Cllr Seamus Morris highlighted the condition of the former military barracks at Summerhill in Nenagh.

It will fall sometime, he said, calling on the council to issue a Derelict Site notice for the building.

Cllr Morris recalled that the former Nenagh Town Council had been told by an expert that the barracks had a time span of 10 years in which to have work on it to save the building.

That was 12 years ago, so it should fall any day, he said. It is easy enough to get in there. We will be looking at a tragedy.

He was supported by Cllr Hughie McGrath, who said everybody agreed the military barracks was an asset to the town. Support for work at the barracks also came from Cllr John Carroll, Cathaoirleach of Nenagh MDC, and Cllr Joe Hannigan.

However, council officials replied that legislation on derelict sites was very weak.

We can just keep hounding the owners, but very often the reason a building is derelict is because these people are in trouble themselves, they were told.

The councillors were further told that dangerous buildings came under a different Act to derelict sites and in some cases, the council may have to aquire the buildings through compulsory purchase in order to carry out work on them.
NTS Communications Introduces Hosted PBX

By Mandi Nowitz , Web Editor

Earlier this week, NTS Communications, Inc. (NTS) announced the introduction of a hosted PBX service. The provider of fiber-based communications solutions sees the hosted PBX service as a true enhancement to the NTS portfolio. It delivers a higher functioning phone system that is low on maintenance and initial investment.

"We are very excited to announce the launch of NTS Hosted PBX. Our Hosted PBX solution will provide our business customers with all the benefits of traditional PBX systems, but with lower overall costs, more efficient system scalability, and wider integration across multiple devices using NTS' private, secure cloud platform," according to Cyrus Driver, President & CEO of NTS.

The idea of productivity increasing while costs lower is an extremely attractive concept to business owners. The small upfront investment results in serious long term return. The Hosted PBX comes with 50 features such as auto attendant and a full featured web portal, as well as Instant Messaging, video chat and presence, which work seamlessly when connected to desktops and mobile devices.

There is not just one model of phone to choose from and businesses are all for options. Yealink and Polycom IP endpoints offer a wide selection to choose from  both providing feature-rich and future forward solutions. These companies have a bevy of additional services that can be purchased to enhance the communication experience.

This high-performing, feature-rich and pocket friendly PBX solution joins a crowded and competitive business VoIP space.

What PBX does your business have in place?

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Edited by Maurice Nagle
[September 29, 2017] Experience the Future of Cloud at Oracle OpenWorld 2017

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Oracle OpenWorld -- This weekend, Oracle welcomes tens of thousands of customers and partners spanning 175 countries and over 18 million live-stream viewers to Oracle OpenWorld 2017. Located at San Francisco's newly redesigned Moscone Center, conference events will span multiple venues in the city's downtown from October 1-5. Heralded as the industry's most important business and technology show, Oracle OpenWorld delivers unprecedented opportunities to hear from the greatest minds across all event programming, including actor and director Joseph Gordon-Levitt, former United States Senator Barbara Boxer, Executive Consultant for the Los Angeles Clippers Jerry West, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, and President of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass. On Sunday, Oracle CTO and Executive Chairman Larry Ellison opens the event with a special keynote showcasing all of the innovations delivered in the Oracle Cloud. Mainstage presentations will continue throughout the week, featuring Ellison, Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, and Oracle President of Product Development Thomas Kurian. Leaders from the world's most interesting brands, including Carbon, Trek, FexEx and Gap, will join Oracle executives on stage to discuss pressing topics impacting business and technology today and in the future. This year, Oracle OpenWorld brings innovation to learning through a new series of session formats developed in collaboration with Stanford University, as well as reimagined exhibition halls. The conference's latest iteration of "Collective Learning" features cutting edge session designs, including: Brain Snacks, 1:1 conversations with fellow experts, and Make Your Case, hands-on workshops tackling the best Oracle case studies. Oracle OpenWorld Exchange, the conference's redesigned exhibition hall, debuts to foster community, spark learning, promote innovation, and unite our customers, partners, and attendees. "As we raise the curtain on Oracle OpenWorld 2017, we welcome more than 60,000 customers and partners to learn about transforming their business with Oracle Cloud," said Judy Sim, Oracle's Chief Marketing Officer. "The event has evolved as our customers' needs have changed and is now one of the leading technology conferences in the world. Today, we are thrilled to bring a positive economic impact worth more than $3 billion to the City of San Francisco over the last 20 years." To Learn and Explore: Sessions : Tap into an elite network of world-class speakers totaling 67,500+ years of industry experience. Select from 2,311 sessions presented by 3,048 customer and partner speakers, more than 523 Oracle demos and case studies showcasing emerging technology, as well as hundreds of partner and customer exhibitions.

: Tap into an elite network of world-class speakers totaling 67,500+ years of industry experience. Select from 2,311 sessions presented by 3,048 customer and partner speakers, more than 523 Oracle demos and case studies showcasing emerging technology, as well as hundreds of partner and customer exhibitions. Oracle Keynotes :

: Sunday, October 1 , 5:00 p.m.  7:00 p.m.



Oracle CTO and Executive Chairman Larry Ellison opens the conference with an inside look at the future of Oracle Cloud and its innovation path.





Doug Fisher , Senior Vice President and General Manager, Software and Services Group, Intel, presents the power of data, and how data offers massive enterprise-class cloud computing opportunities.

, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Software and Services Group, Intel, presents the power of data, and how data offers massive enterprise-class cloud computing opportunities.

Monday, October 2 , 9:00 a.m.  10:15 p.m.



Oracle CEO Mark Hurd reveals where we are now and where we are headed in a cloud foundational world. Joining him on stage will be leaders from Oracle customers Bloom Energy, FedEx and Gap.

reveals where we are now and where we are headed in a cloud foundational world. Joining him on stage will be leaders from Oracle customers Bloom Energy, FedEx and Gap.

Tuesday, October 3



9:00 a.m.  11:00 a.m.  Oracle President of Product Development Thomas Kurian and Dave Donatelli , Oracle Executive Vice President, Cloud Business Group, showcase how Oracle Cloud is harnessing the power of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, Iternet of Things, and blockchain to transform organizations of all sizes. They will be joined by Richard Noble , Director of the Bloodhound Project, an inspiring initiative that engages the next generation in science, technology, engineering and math by aiming to surpass the world land speed record.

 Oracle President of Product Development and , Oracle Executive Vice President, Cloud Business Group, showcase how Oracle Cloud is harnessing the power of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, Iternet of Things, and blockchain to transform organizations of all sizes. They will be joined by , Director of the Bloodhound Project, an inspiring initiative that engages the next generation in science, technology, engineering and math by aiming to surpass the world land speed record.



2:00 p.m.  3:00 p.m.  Larry Ellison unveils the future of databases in the cloud, including Oracle Autonomous Database, the world's first "self-driving" database.

 unveils the future of databases in the cloud, including Oracle Autonomous Database, the world's first "self-driving" database.

Wednesday, October 4 , 9:00 a.m.  11:00 a.m.



Oracle CEO Mark Hurd returns to the mainstage with NetSuite's Executive Vice President of Development Evan Goldberg and special guests, to discuss the role technology plays in getting ahead of the competition.

NetSuite's Executive Vice President of Development and special guests, to discuss the role technology plays in getting ahead of the competition. Oracle's Leader's Circle : Connect with luminaries on industry trends, foreign affairs, economics and security at this exclusive, invitation-only executive program hosted by Oracle CEOs Safra Catz and Mark Hurd . Join Senator Barbara Boxer and Newt Gingrich , 50 th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for a provocative discussion about the future of the United States .

: Connect with luminaries on industry trends, foreign affairs, economics and security at this exclusive, invitation-only executive program hosted by Oracle CEOs and . Join Senator and , 50 Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for a provocative discussion about the future of . The Innovation Studio : Experience innovations from Design Tech High School students and Oracle Education Foundation. Meet startups from Oracle's Startup Cloud Accelerator, and talk with Oracle customers, partners, and industry business unit experts.

: Experience innovations from Design Tech High School students and Oracle Education Foundation. Meet startups from Oracle's Startup Cloud Accelerator, and talk with Oracle customers, partners, and industry business unit experts. Oracle Cloud User Experience Lab : Experience hands-on demos of the latest Release 13 Oracle Cloud Applications, and learn about Oracle's vision for the future of work, including experimental robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, chatbots, and more of the emerging technology tools in the smart UX toolkit.

: Experience hands-on demos of the latest Release 13 Oracle Cloud Applications, and learn about Oracle's vision for the future of work, including experimental robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, chatbots, and more of the emerging technology tools in the smart UX toolkit. JavaOne Developer Lounge : Use Oracle Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data technologies to brew your own beer. Create your own sculptures and furniture with a 3D printer. Relive "The Matrix" and shoot your own slow motion video with 60 Raspberry Pi cameras in the BulletTime Photo Booth. Interact with a cloud chatbot robot powered by the Oracle Intelligent Bots running on Oracle Mobile Cloud Service.

: Use Oracle Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data technologies to brew your own beer. Create your own sculptures and furniture with a 3D printer. Relive "The Matrix" and shoot your own slow motion video with 60 Raspberry Pi cameras in the BulletTime Photo Booth. Interact with a cloud chatbot robot powered by the Oracle Intelligent Bots running on Oracle Mobile Cloud Service. Oracle Code Event : Join developers from around the world in this one-day event covering machine learning, chatbots, cloud, databases, programming languages, DevOps, and much more.

: Join developers from around the world in this one-day event covering machine learning, chatbots, cloud, databases, programming languages, DevOps, and much more. Oracle NetSuite SuiteConnect: The best of SuiteWorld comes to Oracle OpenWorld for the first time. Held on October 4 , this program features NetSuite users, Oracle executives, product experts and partners.



To Support the Community and Environment: Oracle Academy's JavaOne4Kids : Designed for children ages 10-16, attendees can use Raspberry Pi and Java programming to catch escaped Pokemon; create a robot and bring it to life; make computer games using Greenfoot and Stride; among other fun activities. Oracle Academy is one of Oracle's key investments in our collective future. In fiscal year 2016, the program impacted over 3.5 million students in 120 countries through $3.75 billion in direct and in-direct resources.

: Designed for children ages 10-16, attendees can use Raspberry Pi and Java programming to catch escaped Pokemon; create a robot and bring it to life; make computer games using Greenfoot and Stride; among other fun activities. Oracle Academy is one of Oracle's key investments in our collective future. In fiscal year 2016, the program impacted over 3.5 million students in 120 countries through in direct and in-direct resources. Plant a Billion Trees : Learn how The Nature Conservancy and Oracle Giving are helping to advance reforestation globally. As part of its participation in The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion trees initiative, Oracle has already achieved 41 percent of its goal to plant one million trees.

: Learn how The Nature Conservancy and Oracle Giving are helping to advance reforestation globally. As part of its participation in The Nature Conservancy's Plant a Billion trees initiative, Oracle has already achieved 41 percent of its goal to plant one million trees. Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International : Discover how Oracle Cloud is helping to save the gorillas. Get a sneak peek of an upcoming National Geographic three-part special on Dian Fossey's life and work as a gorilla conservationist. Hear from Tara Stoinski , President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund about its 27-year partnership with Oracle, and how Oracle Cloud technology has enabled the organization to revolutionize its data management and make its database  the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of data on a wild great ape population  available to scientists, researchers and students without charge.

: Discover how Oracle Cloud is helping to save the gorillas. Get a sneak peek of an upcoming National Geographic three-part special on life and work as a gorilla conservationist. Hear from , President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund about its 27-year partnership with Oracle, and how Oracle Cloud technology has enabled the organization to revolutionize its data management and make its database  the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of data on a wild great ape population  available to scientists, researchers and students without charge. Ride for a Reason: Support the victims of the recent hurricanes by choosing Lyft for Oracle OpenWorld transportation. Between October 1-5 , five percent of the cost of rides will be donated to the American Red Cross. Enter code OOW17 using a Lyft business profile. To Connect and Play:

Oracle CloudFest.17 : Dance the night away with Grammy award winners The Chainsmokers and sing along with pop sensation Ellie Goulding at Oracle's legendary customer appreciation event taking place on October 4 at AT&T Park.

: Dance the night away with Grammy award winners The Chainsmokers and sing along with pop sensation at Oracle's legendary customer appreciation event taking place on at AT&T Park. SuiteConnect NextUp: Celebrate the day's experiences at a special concert with Royal Machines, joined by "special guests" on October 3 at Howard Street mainstage. Supporting Resources Live Stream keynotes from Oracle OpenWorld

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Follow @Oracle on Twitter for the latest #oow17 About Oracle

The Oracle Cloud offers complete SaaS application suites for ERP, HCM and CX, plus best-in-class database Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) from data centers throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com. About Oracle OpenWorld

Oracle OpenWorld, the industry's most important business and technology conference for the past 20 years, hosts tens of thousands of in-person attendees as well as millions online. Dedicated to helping businesses leverage Cloud for their innovation and growth, the conference delivers deep insight into industry trends and breakthroughs driven by technology. Designed for attendees who want to connect, learn, explore and be inspired, Oracle OpenWorld offers more than 2,500 educational sessions led by more than 2,000 customers and partners sharing their experiences, first hand. With hundreds of demos and hands-on labs, plus exhibitions from more than 400 partners and customers from around the world, Oracle OpenWorld has become a showcase for leading cloud technologies, from Cloud Applications to Cloud Platform and Infrastructure. For more information; to register; or to watch Oracle OpenWorld keynotes, sessions, and more, visit www.oracle.com/openworld. Join the Oracle OpenWorld discussion on Twitter. Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/experience-the-future-of-cloud-at-oracle-openworld-2017-300528594.html SOURCE Oracle

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[September 29, 2017] IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Lundin Law PC Announces Securities Class Action Lawsuit against SCANA Corporation and Encourages Investors with Losses to Contact the Firm

Lundin Law PC, a shareholder rights firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit against SCANA Corporation ("SCANA" or the "Company") (NYSE: SCG) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws between January 19, 2016 and September 22, 2017, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares during the Class Period should contact the firm prior to the November 27, 2017 motion deadline. To participate in this class action lawsuit, click here. You can also call Brin Lundin, Esquire, of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or you can e-mail him at [email protected].



No class has been certified in the above action yet. Until a class is certified, you are not considered represented by an attorney. You may also choose to do nothing and be an absent class member. According to the Complaint, throughout the Class Period, SCANA made false and/or misleading statements, and/or failed to disclose adverse information regarding the construction of its project to build nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in South Carolina, assuring investors that costs spending was prudent and substantial progress was being made, even when cost overruns and other delays began to materialize.

On July 31, 2017, the Company announced that it would abandon construction of the nuclear project because of cost overruns and delays. On August 4, 2017, the South Carolina Attorney General announced the opening of an investigation into the Company's abandonment of the nuclear project. On the same day, South Carolina state senators called for a special legislative session to investigate SCANA. On September 22, 2017, the South Carolina Attorney General publicly requested that the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division launch a criminal investigation into the project. Upon release of this information, shares of SCANA fell in value materially, which caused investors harm according to the Complaint. Lundin Law PC was founded by Brian Lundin, Esquire, a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding shareholders' rights. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170929005808/en/

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[September 29, 2017] Haeggquist & Eck Investigates Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Self-Dealing by Banc of California Directors

Haeggquist & Eck, LLP, a leading shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that a shareholder derivative lawsuit was filed this week against certain directors of Banc of California, Inc. ("Banc" or the "Company") (NYSE: BANC) alleging breach of their fiduciary duties. Banc provides commercial banking and home lending services in California. On October 18, 2016, a blog post on Seeking Alpha alleged improper relationships between Jason Galanis, a Los Angeles financier and convicted securities fraudster, and the Company's senior managers, including Steven Sugarman, Banc's CEO, and Chad Brownstein, Banc's Lead Independent Director. The same day, Banc issued a press release responding to the Seeking Alpha post, stating that Galanis's claims that he was affiliated with COR Capital were fraudulent. On January 23, 2017, Banc revealed that the SEC (News - Alert) was investigating whether Banc had misled ivestors in its response to the Seeking Alpha report, and disclosed that its CEO Sugarman was resigning.



The derivative complaint, filed September 26, 2017 in the Central District of California, alleges that: (1) defendants authorized or failed to correct the Company's false October 18, 2016 press release, directly resulting in the SEC investigation; (2) the Special Committee was composed of conflicted directors motivated to take control of the Company, which further jeopardized the Company's operations; and (3) Banc engaged in accounting gimmicks with the knowledge of the Audit Committee, designed to inflate Banc's results for the first quarter of 2017. On September 6, 2017, the federal court in the securities class action upheld allegations of securities fraud against Banc, including allegations that Banc made false and misleading statements regarding issues related to the Seeking Alpha report.

Banc of California Shareholders Have Legal Options If you invested in Banc of California stock and would like to discuss your legal rights, please call attorney Amber Eck at 619-342-8000 or e-mail her at [email protected]. There is no cost or obligation to you. Haeggquist & Eck, LLP is a nationally recognized leader in shareholder rights law. The firm represents individual investors in shareholder derivative lawsuits, and members of the firm have helped shareholders recover more than $1 billion of value for themselves and the companies in which they have invested. This release constitutes attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170929005809/en/

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[September 29, 2017] SCANA INVESTOR ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Encourages Investors Who Suffered Losses Exceeding $100,000 In SCANA Corporation To Contact The Firm

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, reminds investors in SCANA Corporation ("SCANA" or the "Company") (NYSE:SCG) of the November 27, 2017 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company. If you invested in SCANA common stock or options between January 19, 2016 and September 22, 2017 and would like to discuss your legal rights, click here: www.faruqilaw.com/SCG. There is no cost or obligation to you. You can also contact us by calling Richard Gonnello toll free at 877-247-4292 or at 212-983-9330 or by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. The lawsuit has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina on behalf of all those who purchased SCANA common stock between January 19, 2016 and September 22, 2017 (the "Class Period"). The case, Norman v. SCANA Corporation, et al., No. 3:17-cv-02616 was filed on September 27, 2017, and has been assigned to Judge Margaret B. Seymour. Te lawsuit focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or omitting material information, concerning the progress, cost, and completion schedule of the multi-billion dollar nuclear construction project at V.C. Summer Nuclear Station (the "Nuclear Project").



Specifically, the lawsuit alleges, in part, that on July 31, 2017, SCANA announced that it would abandon construction of the Nuclear Project because of cost overruns and delays. Then on August 4, 2017, the South Carolina Attorney General ("SC AG") announced the opening of an investigation into SCANA's abandonment of the Nuclear Project. Then on August 10, 2017, The Post and Courier published an article reporting on SCANA's Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Marsh's comments stating, "he wasn't sure he would want to take the project back up after it fell years behind schedule and its costs soared billions of dollars over budget." Then on September 22, 2017, the SC AG requested that the State Law Enforcement Division launch a criminal investigation into the Nuclear Project. As a result of these disclosures, SCANA's share price has declined significantly, causing harm to investors.

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding SCANA's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170929005817/en/

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[September 29, 2017] AIG Issues Statement on Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) Decision to Remove SIFI Designation

American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) today issued the following statement from AIG President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Duperreault regarding the Financial Stability Oversight Council's decision to remove AIG's designation as a Systemically Important Financial Institution (SIFI): "I welcome the decision by the Financial Stability Oversight Council to rescind AIG's SIFI designation. The Council's decision reflects the substantial and successful de-risking that AIG's employees have achieved since 2008. The company is committed to continued vigilant risk management and to working closely with our numerous regulators to enable a strong AIG to continue to serve our clients." Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only AIG's belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside AIG's control. It is possible that actual results will differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results contemplated by these statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those in the forward-looking statements are discussed throughout AIG's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919, today AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial sevices to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.



Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube (News - Alert): www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter (News - Alert): @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170929005827/en/

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IN THE AFTERMATH OF A DEADLY KANSAS CITY HOMICIDE, THE GIRLFRIEND OF THE SUSPECTED SHOOTER TOLD POLICE ABOUT AN ARGUMENT OVER FRENCH FRIES!!!

Tragic note on an. . .Apparently, this didn't put the suspected shooter in a good mood and later gunfire ensued against a woman who pulled next to the teen at a stoplight. She was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time" according to more witnesses.Read it yourself:Developing . . .
The first trilateral meeting of Greece, Cyprus and Egypt on issues of the Greek diaspora will be held in Cairo on Monday, Deputy Minister of State for Coordinating Government Operations Terens Quick said, hailing the Greek-initiated meeting that was finalised on Friday.

"I am especially happy for this development, which was finalised today by telephone with my Cypriot counterpart (commissioner to the presidency of Cyprus for humanitarian and overseas affairs) Photis Photiou and my counterpart in Egypt, (Minister of Immigration and Expatriate Affairs) Nabila Makram, who invited us to Cairo on Monday," Quick noted in an interview to ANA-MPA.

The three ministers met recently in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly meeting at the United Nations headquarters. Their meeting on Monday will pave the way for the first trilateral summit meeting to take place in Nicosia on November 21.

Quick will meet with Photiou on two other trilateral collaborations, one involving Israel and another Armenia, and they will then both leave for Cairo.

After the meeting with Makram in Egypt, all three ministers will meet consecutively with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theodore II of Alexandria and All Africa and the managing directors of the Greek communities in Egypt and Alexandria.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Raduasandei License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA
If the courts agree to the extraditions, these must be approved by the Greek minister of justice

A decision on whether to extradite to the United States a Russian national accused of using a bitcoin platform for money laundering will be delivered by the Thessaloniki court of appeals in Greece on Wednesday, October 4, at 9:30 a.m.

The head prosecutor asked that the 38-year-old Russian be extradited to the United States, where he will stand trial on charges of money laundering as much as 4 billion euros.

"There are enough indications" that the man "accepted illegal revenues from multiple incidents of hacking into computers (...) and many cyber criminals used the platform to launder money," noted judge Evangelos Bakelas. Addressing himself to the judges, he said "there is no reason for the court to block the extradition."

Meanwhile, the court has received another request for extradition of the same man, this time from Russia. According to local media, it concerns transactions between companies totalling 10,000 euros. The decision for this rests with a judges council.

The man, a computer programmer, has asked that he be extradited to Russia.

If the courts agree to the extraditions, these must be approved by the Greek minister of justice.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Rennett Stowe License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA
On Wednesday, the countrys Central Archaeological Council (KAS) postponed again the discussion about whether part of a plot at Elliniko should be declared of archaeological interest

Seeking to counter accusations that the planned real estate investment at the former site of the Greek capitals airport in Elliniko is being undermined by ideologues within ruling SYRIZA, the leftist partys political council issued a statement Thursday expressing its full support for the project.

On Wednesday, the countrys Central Archaeological Council (KAS) postponed the discussion about whether part of a plot at Elliniko should be declared of archaeological interest for a third time, until next Tuesday, prompting fresh worries that the investment could be left high and dry.

The latest postponement triggered a storm of opposition criticism over the governments commitment to big investment projects, and fueled charges that the leftist-led coalition is bowing to the anti-privatization mantra of ideological purists within the party, despite repeated claims by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that his government is pursuing investment-friendly policies. New Democracy spokesman Vassilis Kikilias accused the government of being hostile to any kind of investment.

SYRIZA sought to counter the charge Thursday, saying that it backs all the necessary steps related to the launch of the investment with full respect for the law and the foreseen procedures. Sources said Thursday the government could bypass KAS to get the project up and running.

Members of the partys political council also sought to underlinethe nonbinding nature of the recommendation KAS will make. According to a party official, KAS will provide a framework but from then on, the government will decide how the relevant procedures will move ahead.

Nevertheless, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday that if Tsipras means what he says about his commitment to the investment, even on a rudimentary level, then he should sack the Culture Ministrys general secretary, Maria Andreadaki-Vlazaki. The ministry has been accused of wanting to declare the site at Elliniko an archaeological site.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: License: CC-BY-SA

Photo Source: ekathimerini.com
Iran plans to construct an oil refinery in Syrias western city of Homs that would have an initial processing capacity of 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) with potential to increase to 140,000 bpd once fully developed, said a top official.



The refinery would be built by a consortium of companies from Iran, Syria and Venezuela, Mansour Bazmi, the acting chief of Iran's Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI) was quoted as saying by Iran Daily, which cited Press TV.



Iranian companies would design the units of the project and would also provide its required parts and equipment, Bazmi said.



"The designing of all licensed and non-licensed units of the refinery will be carried out by RIPI in cooperation with Iranian experts," he said. "Iran is to provide the required equipment for the refinery, as well."



Main products of the refinery which would be gasoline and diesel, he added.



The required investment in the project would be around $1 billion, Bazmi said adding that a consortium formed to implement it in already in talks to attract funds from international financers.


More than 53,000 residential units, including flats and villas, will be ready shortly for distribution in different parts of Saudi Arabia, said a report.

The housing units are being implemented with the support of the private sector following the demand and supply rule, reported The Saudi Gazette citing a senior housing ministry official.

"We dont focus on any particular region and our projects cover all parts of the country," remarked Ahmed Mandoura, a senior official at the ministry in charge of partnership with the private sector.

"The housing units being implemented with the support of the private sector would be handed over to beneficiaries three years after signing the contracts," he noted.

Mandoura pointed out that the number of beneficiaries in the main cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam had reached nearly 300,000 with Riyadh having 143,000, Jeddah over 114,000 and Dammam 42,000, said the report.

"There are different products in these three cities including villas, town houses, and developed plots," he explained.

Mandoura disclosed the ministrys plan to develop plots in new areas in the three cities to establish housing projects in cooperation with the private sector.

"The agency for technical affairs at the ministry is currently finalizing five projects. They are the Riyadh airport project, Dammam North, Jeddah Airport, Jeddah Housing and Prince Fawaz project," he added.
Saudi Arabias King Salman continued his push to improve womens rights in the kingdom this week, calling on the interior minister to draft the law.

The interior minister has been given 60 days to draft the new sexual harassment law enforcing penalties on perpetrators, reported Arab News, citing a royal decree.

Considering the dangers sexual harassment poses and its negative impact on the individual, the family and society, along with its contradiction of Islamic principles, our customs and traditions... the ministry shall prepare a draft law to tackle sexual harassment, the decree stated.

A 2014 study revealed that nearly 80 per cent of women aged 18-48 said they had been exposed to some form of sexual harassment.

It is not the first time Saudi Arabia has considered dealing with the issue. In 2014 the Shoura Council in Saudi considered a bill tackling verbal and physical harassment according to local press reports.

That draft considered penalties that included fines of SR500,000 ($133,322), to jail terms and floggings.

The draft comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is modernising its economy under the Vision 2030, including giving women more rights that will ultimately free them up to join the workforce., said the Arab News report

Earlier this week King Salman issued a royal decree that allowed women to apply for driving licenses and drive by June 2018.
[September 29, 2017] Thesys Technologies Announces Move to New Headquarters in Midtown Manhattan

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Thesys Technologies, LLC, the leading big data and market structure technology provider subsidiary of Tradeworx, Inc, announced today it has moved its offices to a new corporate headquarters at 1740 Broadway, located in a 26-story Class-A office tower in Midtown Manhattan on the 14th floor. Thesys Technologies, LLC is currently occupying space at 3 Columbus Circle in Manhattan, NY. The move to its new corporate headquarters will take effect in November 2017 and signals the Company's rapid expansion. The new location will also include a separate office space for its newly established affiliate Thesys CAT LLC at 1740 Broadway. Headquartered out of NY since its inception in 2009, Thesys Technologies has experienced fast-paced growth throughout 2017, mainly as a result of its win to build a Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), a Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) mandated data system. As a result, Thesys Technologies established Thesys CAT LLC, a separate legal entity, which is building CAT to house the world's largest financial database including equity and option orders data throughout their lifecycle from exchanges and broker-dealers. Mike Beller, CEO, Thesys Technologies said, "These are exciting and dynamic times for our organization. The moe to a new corporate headquarters reflects the hard work and commitment of our employees, who have all contributed to our rapid growth. The recent strategic wins for our business have contributed to our overall success, bottom line and fueled a new energy for instrumental recruits to both Thesys Tech and Thesys CAT causing us to outgrow our current space. The new location includes a separate home for our recently established entity Thesys CAT LLC, which will be based in its own independent office space," added, Beller.



Jonathan Schwartz, Chief Financial Officer of Thesys Technologies, commented, "We are pleased to have found a cutting-edge home that closely aligns with our current office needs and fits into our overall innovative corporate culture. It has been a pleasure teaming up with Equity Office and The CBRE Group for this new lease in the heart of NYC. This move is a great milestone for Thesys and we are certain it will have a positive impact on our operations as we continue to evolve our business." The CBRE Group was retained by Thesys Technologies to lead and manage the lease process with Equity Office. The new space is part of a successful prebuilt campaign by Equity Office at 1740 Broadway, designed with a contemporary vibe and featuring open floor designs and exposed ceilings.

Built in 1950, 1740 Broadway was designed by architectural firm Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, the same firm that designed the Empire State Building. Acquired by Equity Office in 2014, the 620,000-square-foot tower features a brand new entrance and lobby and is conveniently located in the heart of Midtown. About Thesys Technologies, LLC: Thesys Technologies, LLC is a Market Structure Technology provider, focused on delivering high performance trading technologies and big data solutions to financial market participants. Thesys' technology includes pre- and post-trade surveillance tools, low latency trading platforms, matching engines, and big data analytical tools such as those provided to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as the MIDAS system. Thesys Technologies, LLC is headquartered in New York with offices in Charleston, South Carolina. About Thesys CAT LLC

Thesys CAT LLC is a subsidiary of Thesys Technologies, the leading big data solutions and market structure technology provider, and Plan Processor for the Consolidated Audit Trail. For more information on Thesys Technologies, LLC, please visit the website at www.thesystech.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thesys-technologies-announces-move-to-new-headquarters-in-midtown-manhattan-300528386.html SOURCE Thesys Technologies, LLC

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A group of diverse but like-minded individuals, the members of ARC have come together in their common desire to fight hatred, bigotry, intolerance and violence because of the harm these antisocial behaviors cause to our society. In that effort, we will not use or sanction the use of illegal actions (such as violence or intimidation) in pursuit of our desired aims and if we learn of anyone who does use these unethical methods we will report those individuals to the authorities. Instead, we will use the guarantees found in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that ensure freedom of legal speech and expression.
 The Indiana volleyball team will pick up the rivalry with No. 19 Purdue on Saturday Sept. 30 at 7:00 p.m. at University Gym.University Gym is located at 2721 E 10Street. It is near the intersection of 10street and the 45/46 bypass.The event is expected to be sold out, so make sure to arrive early to the gym for the match. Limited tickets are still available.Saturday September 30 at 7:00 p.m. ETUniversity Gym | Bloomington, Ind.The first 200 fans in attendance will receive free IU t-shirts, so make sure to arrive early to the match.The Hoosiers started 9-0 for the second straight season. It was the sixth time in program history Indiana has started 9-0 and the first time in school history they have done it in back-to-back seasons.The Hoosiers are coming off their best season since 2010 as they finished 17-16 overall in the 2016 season. The team started 9-0 for the fourth time in school history and went 11-2 in non-conference play. The Big Ten slate was highlighted by wins over No. 13 Michigan and No. 22 Ohio State. In all, the Hoosiers beat four teams that made the NCAA Tournament.With the graduation of five seniors there will be many new faces on the 2017 roster. The team includes 11 freshmen and sophomores and six newcomers. In addition to the five freshmen, the Hoosiers have also added graduate student. Ostach completed her undergraduate education at Fordham and was the team captain in her senior year.
Washington, September 30

Authorities in California have suggested corrections to the proposed school textbooks in the state after Indian-Americans raised serious concern over the negative portrayal of Hinduism and India, according to a US-based Hindu group.

The Indian-American community has been battling to remove several inaccuracies and myths about Hinduism from the textbooks. The State of California mandates that the textbooks be based on the framework laid down by the Department of Education.

The department has made several updates to the framework based on inputs by scholars, students and the community members, mentioning Hindu concepts like Yoga and Dharma, Sages Vyasa and Valmiki and Indian achievements in science and technology.

The department has voted to reject contents from two publishers, California-based Hindu Education Foundation (HEF) said.

The move came after the Hindu Americans, LGBT, and African-American communities raised serious concerns about the biased and inequitable portrayal of their communities in textbooks at a public hearing this week held by the CDEs Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) which is tasked with conducting the textbook adoption process.

In their submissions, Hindu-Americans asserted that the textbook drafts demonised Hindus and Indians by promoting orientalist narratives.

While the disparaging images were rejected and a few positive changes were made, many of the textbook narratives still contain extensive inaccuracies and stereotypes, Shantharam Nekkar of HEF said.

Moreover, several items that are mandated in the California History-Social Science textbook framework (state guidelines) for India and Hinduism are also being ignored by some publishers, he noted.

We will continue to seek the accurate inclusion of our history, including Yoga, Hindu philosophy, Sanskrit and Tamil Sangam literature, Jainism, and the contributions by Hindu Dalit saints and sages, Nekkar said.

A large number of parents, students and community leaders joined a week-long protest across California, demanding accurate and equitable representation for India and Hinduism in textbooks.

A petition signed by over 8,000 people demanding the withdrawal of biased and inaccurate content was also submitted to the department.

Some improvements have been made, but significant additional changes are required to present India and Hinduism in an accurate and equitable manner, said Krishna Maheshwari of Hindupedia.

Ahead of the hearing, a coalition of 25 academics from prestigious universities across the US submitted a letter to the CDE calling the textbook drafts problematic and urged the department to make substantive improvements to the textbook drafts in order to better reflect accuracy and cultural competency.

Several state legislators also supported the move. The IQC will send its recommendations to the State Board of Education (SBE) for its approval in November. The textbooks recommended by the board are expected to be adopted by school districts starting early next year. PTI
Ludhiana: Dasehra was celebrated at Om Parkash Bansal Memorial School with fervour. A special assembly was conducted in which students spoke on the significance of the festival. Tiny tots of pre-primary came dressed up as different characters of Ramlila. A cultural programme was held to mark the day.

Grandparents Day

Police DAV Public School celebrated Grandparents' Day with great pomp and show. Grandpas and grandmas of the kindergarteners were invited to the function. Children in their own special way thanked the grandparents for their love and support. They performed dance and sang songs. Several games for grandparents were also organised. A play on Ramayana was also presented.

KVM holds exhibition

Kundan Vidya Mandir (KVM) organised an exhibition themed Savishkara for students. The chief guest was Harpreet Kang, Dean International Affairs, PCTE, Ludhiana. The exhibition was divided into three zones. The first section 'Ramavtar Avlokana' depicting the different phrases of Lord Rama's life, brought the children closer to their roots and tradition. The second zone showcased 10 states of the country wherein their culture and heritage was presented. The third section displayed more than 100 working models on languages, science and community service among other topics.

Session on Greece

St. Mahapragya's School, Jagraon, organised a programme themed 'From Assembly Greece'. The aim was to acquaint students with rich and varied culture of Greece. The celebration of greek festival 'Annunciation' left the audience spellbound. The tiny tots of Class IV presented themselves as great personalities of Greece in which they came in the get-up of Alexander the Great, Prime Minister Alexis Tripras and famous actress Angelique Rockas. Greek dance 'Zorba' enthralled the audience. TNS
Jammu, September 30

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday unearthed a 14-foot-long tunnel, which was being dug from the Pakistani side along the International Border, and recovered a war-like store in Arnia sector here, officials said.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

An under-construction tunnel was found during sanitisation operation along the International Border between Vikram and Patel posts near Damana, the officials said.

The tunnel was 14-foot long when it was detected by the alert troops, the officials said, adding war-like store was recovered during the search of the tunnel indicating the presence of armed infiltrators who, however, managed to flee back.

The officials said a special drive for the detection of tunnels was launched all along the international border in the wake of recent cross-border shelling by Pakistan which left a jawan and a woman dead and scores of civilians injured.

The tunnel was discovered a day after its field commanders and those of Pakistan Rangers held a flag meeting in which it was mutually agreed that peace and tranquility would be maintained on the International Border by both sides. PTI
New Delhi, September 30

The death sentence of 15 Indians, lodged in Kuwaiti jails, has been commuted to life imprisonment by the Emir of Kuwait, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today.

Swaraj said the Emir had also directed that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced. The minister thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his kind gesture. In a series of tweets, she said the Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment.

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Indian mission in Kuwait will provide all possible assistance to the Indian nationals, she tweeted. However, it was not clear under what charges these Indians were put behind bars.  PTI
Nagpur, September 30

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said the government should reform the economic policy and urged the economic advisers to come out of old economic 'isms' and present solutions based on ground reality of the nation.

"We need an economic policy that takes care of all big, small and medium enterprises, farmers, etc. It is because of this sector that we have survived economic meltdowns in the past. We should ensure that these sectors are least affected. We should have reforms, but we should ensure the stability to these sectors," Bhagwat said while addressing the RSS' annual Dussehra event here.

He said the economic policies and standards need rethinking adding that employment and remuneration should be given prime consideration.

"The government should encourage people to adopting entrepreneurial skills and support them. This way we can ensure economic progress," Bhagwat said.

The RSS chief called for an integrated policy to safeguard interests of all. While acknowledging Centre's various policy decisions to control corruption.

The RSS chief's statement on economic policy comes a day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha criticised the Centre for downfall in economy.

Bhagwat also asked the central government to keep national security in mind while taking a decision on Rohingyas who are seeking shelter in the country.

"We have been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into our country," Bhagwat said.

Giving shelter to Rohingyas will not only put pressure on our jobs, but also pose a threat to national security, he said. "Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken by keeping in mind the threat to national security," he said referring to the people who have fled from violence-hit Rakhine state in Myanmar.

On the Kashmir issue, Bhagwat said the problems of the people, who were displaced from the Kashmir Valley in 1990s, are yet to be addressed.

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"Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state," he said at the event, where BJP patriarch L K Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were among those present.

"Only when the constitutional amendments are done, can the residents of Jammu and Kashmir be completely assimilated with the rest of India," Bhagwat said, apparently hinting at Article 370, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The RSS chief referred to the issue of cow vigilantism, saying "it is reprehensible that some some people have been killed allegedly by gaurakshaks".

At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers, he said.

Bhagwat said the issue of cow protection is beyond religion and "many Muslims have sacrificed their life for protection of the cow just as people of Bajrang Dal have".

On the economic situation, the RSS chief said that the interests of small, medium industries and self-employed businesses should be protected as they make the "biggest contribution" to the economy.

Bhagwat offered condolences to the victims of the stampede in Mumbai yesterday.

"We all empathise with the families of our brethren who have lost their lives and those who have got injured in yesterday's incident at Mumbai," he said. PTI/ANI
New Delhi, September 30

Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui has said it was time for India and China to turn the old page and start a new chapter, stressing that the countries had made a lot of progress at bilateral level.

He said on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen earlier this month, and the two leaders sent a clear message of reconciliation and cooperation.

We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and direction. We should dance together. We should make one plus one eleven. China is the largest trading partner of India. We have made a lot of progress at the bilateral level, as well as in international and regional affairs, Luo said.

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The Chinese envoy was speaking on the 68th anniversary of founding of the Peoples Republic of China.

His comments come in the backdrop of the disengagement of Chinese and Indian troops in Dokalam, where the armies of the two nations were locked in a stand-off for over two months.

India and China, who went to war in 1962, share an uneasy relationship and territorial dispute is a major bone of contention between the two countries.

The Chinese diplomat also recalled one of his teachers, Prof Xu Fancheng, who lived in Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry from 1945 to 1978. Xu is known for his work of translating Upanishad, Bhagawad Gita and Shakuntala from Sanskrit to Chinese.

In our bilateral engagement, there have been thousands of prominent persons like Prof Xu Fancheng, (Buddhist monk) Bodhidharma, Faxian (a Chinese Buddhist monk who travelled to India in the 3rd century) and Rabindranath Tagore.

We should never forget their contribution and legacies. The history could do a lot of things. Standing on their shoulders, we should do more today, Luo said. PTI
Bengaluru, September 30

Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was freed after being kept in captivity suspectedly by ISIS for 18 months in strife-torn Yemen, has said the power of peoples prayers for him changed the hearts of his kidnappers, who did not hurt him and even offered him food during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan.

I feel the prayers of people and their sacrifices changed the hearts of my kidnappers and prevented them from hurting me.... I am certain, God had done something, he said at a welcome event in his honour here on Friday night.

The 59-year-old Catholic priest had returned to Delhi on Thursday after rest and recuperation in the Vatican City.

He had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on September 28 in New Delhi after his arrival.

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On his meeting with Modi, Father Tom said, The most interesting part of the conversation I had with the Prime Minister was when he said I am free now and I should get stronger and serve people.

Father Tom belongs to the Congregation of Salesians of Don Bosco and was kidnapped reportedly during a terrorist attack in Aden and taken to an undisclosed place.

The kidnappers also offered me food during Ramzan, the month in which the Muslims fast. They were kind enough to do so, he added.

Giving an interesting account of his release, Father Tom said he was all set to be released on September 10, but the plan was dropped due to lack of transport arrangement.

On the morning of September 10, I was driven in a car from the place of my captivity to a certain place where we waited for further journey in another vehicle, but it was cancelled because of lack of transport arrangement. We had to return for next days journey on September 11, he said.

Interestingly, on way back, a person told him to pray to Jesus Christ, he said.

It did materialise....I was again driven to the place where we waited....After hours of waiting, three vehicles came and in one of the cars I was driven to Oman through the deserts at a speed of 180 km per hour. By 4 am on September 12 we reached Oman and rest everybody knows, he said.

When asked what his first reaction was on hearing the news of his release, Father Tom said he was doubtful.

I was not sure of my release, despite one of the kidnappers, who spoke English, telling me about it.

They asked me to wear a veil, and that moment I asked myself whether I will be released at all, or taken to some other place to be held captive, he said.

However, on September 12, a person confirmed over phone to him about his return to India.

I was rest assured of my release when a person spoke to me over phone about my safety and travel back to India. The call was made by the person under whose protection I was driven to Oman, he said.

On his arrival at Bengaluru International Airport on Friday, Karnataka Home Minister KJ George and Christian leaders welcomed him.

Uzhunnalil had reached Yemen in 2010 and was serving the Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity of St Mother Teresa and the catholic population there. PTI
MATTOON -- Take a class to jump start your education or add an eight-week course to your current class schedule this fall with Lake Land College.

Each semester, Lake Land offers two sessions of eight-week courses known as Mod I and II. Mod II classes begin the week of Oct. 16 and finish the week of Dec. 11.

Mod II courses serve many purposes, said Emily Hartke, chair of counseling and judicial affairs advisement. For new students, they are a great way to ease into college. For current students, they are a good way to pick up needed credits before the end of the semester.

The following courses are being offered:

AHE041 Medical Terminology; ART250 Understanding Art; BIO225 Human Anatomy and Physiology; BUS085 Accounting Process; CIS160 Practical Software Applications; ECO231 Principal of Economics I; ECO232 Principal of Economics II; ENG120 Composition I; ENG121 Composition II; HED178 Responding to Emergencies; HED200 Principles of Health; HIS252 Western Civil/1660-present; HUM150 Humanities Through the Arts; HUM181 Intro to Film Appreciation; PED210 Aerobic Fitness; PHI232 World Religions; POS160 American National Government; PSY271 Intro Psychology; RDG050 Reading and Study Skills I; SFS101 Strategies for Success; SOS050 Human Relations; and SPE111 Intro to Speech Communications.

Counselors are available to assist students with Mod II registration Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening hours are available by appointment.

For a complete list of Mod II classes, visit: lakelandcollege.edu/schedules. For registration information, call Counseling Services at 217-234-5232.

Lake Land College District 517, located in Mattoon, serves the second largest community college district in the state, with a total population of 189,869. The Lake Land College district comprises all or part of 15 counties and 31 public school districts in rural east central Illinois. Counties served by Lake Land College include: Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Macon, Montgomery, Moultrie and Shelby.
Tribune News Service

Amsterdam, September 30

The message of Non-Violence is resonating through the Netherlands, with institutions and individuals promoting the Follow The Mahatma campaign organised with support of the Indian community and the Embassy of India.

The campaign began with the first interactive class in International School Blijberg on adopting non-violence in daily life.

Ahead of Gandhi Jayanti, a Gandhi March will be held in the capital city of Hague on Sunday, with participants sporting non-violence themed T-Shirts.

The World Peace Flame at Peace Palace will be handed over to the Ambassador of India, Venu Rajamony. The Peace Flame burns beside the entrance to the Peace Palace with the inscription: "May all beings find peace". Since 2004, the monument has been surrounded by the World Peace Path consisting of a path of 196 large and small stones from 196 countries.

The Indian envoy took to twitter to post his video message and spread the word about the event.

The march will conclude with an excerpt of an opera titled Satyagraha to be performed by the Korzo Theatre and Kwekers in de Kunst at the Grote Kerk. Composed by renowned American composer Philip Glass, Satyagraha forms a part of his Portrait Trilogy of operas about men who transformed the world. The opera first commissioned by the city of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 1980 has been staged in many parts of the world.

Satyagraha looks at Gandhis early years in South Africa and his development of non-violent protests as a political tool. The text, sung by the principals and chorus, is entirely in Sanskrit and is adapted from the most important philosophical text of Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita.Philip Glass has personally permitted Korzo Theatre and Kwekers in de Kunst to adapt his original opera into a new version including modern Indian dance.

Additionally a bicycle personally used by Mahatma Gandhi will be on display at the Grote Kerk during the performance. A new book in Dutch titled Gandhi -An illustrated biography published by Lannoo of Belgium and authored by Indian author Pramod Kapoor will be released. Deputy mayors of The Hague Mr Rabin Baldewsingh and Karsten Klein, and other envoys, including the South African ambassador and guests, will be in attendance at the event along with Rajamony.
New Delhi, September 29

India has cited Afghanistan NSA's statement rejecting Pakistan's claim that it had received a proposal to swap Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav for a terrorist, to assert that it was another addition to Islamabad's "imaginary lies".

The reaction came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif suggested that he received the proposal to swap Jadhav with the terrorist, lodged in an Afghan jail, during his meeting with an NSA. However, Khwaja did not identify the NSA or the terrorist who was to be swapped.

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Contradicting Asif's claim, the office of the Afghan National Security Adviser Mohammad Haneef Atmar issued a statement saying there was no mention or reference of India or an Indian citizen during his meeting with the Pakistani foreign minister on September 21 in New York.

Asif had told a gathering at the Asia Society in New York on September 26 that Pakistan received a proposal to swap Jadhav for a terrorist who carried out the horrific 2014 Peshawar school attack and is now jailed in Afghanistan.

Reacting strongly, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the statement by the office of the Afghan NSA suggested that the claim by Asif was one more addition to the long list of "imaginary lies" by Pakistani establishment.

The statement by Atmar's office said the two sides, during the meeting, had detailed discussions on variety of issues including bilateral cooperation.

"The two sides also discussed sanctuaries in Pakistan and exchange of the top five Taliban leaders detained in Pakistan. There was no mention or reference of India or an Indian citizen," it said, adding Atmar was hopeful that the record of the meetings are reported accurately and facts are not "misconstrued".

The MEA spokesperson also referred to Pakistan's use of a "fake picture" in the United Nations General Assembly recently, adding the Pakistan Foreign Minister's claim was another lie.

"If you have gone through the press release (issued by Afghan NSA's office), it seems this is one more addition to the long list of imaginary lies as stories which have been created by Pakistani establishment," said Kumar.

Jadhav, a 46-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was in April sentenced to death by Pakistan's Field General Court Martial on charges of his alleged "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities" against Pakistan.

In a hearing of the case on May 18, a 10-member bench of the International Court of Justice had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav.

The Pakistan Taliban had claimed responsibility for the gruesome Peshawar school attack in 2014 in which nearly 150 people, mostly school children, were killed. PTI
Tribune News Service

Anandpur Sahib, September 30

Five of a familya man, his wife and their three childrenare feared drowned in Bhakra canal near here.

Rajpal (33), Charno Devi (28), Rishu (8), Manu (4) and Harpreet (3-month-old) of Dhanera village had left their house for Himachal Pradesh in a pick-up van on September 28.

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Their relatives informed the police that they did not reach their destination and their mobile phone was found switched off. The relatives tried to look for the missing family and finding clues of an accident on the bank of the canal near Jhijri village informed the police.

The police have started a search for the victims with the help of divers.
Tribune News Service



Ludhiana, September 30

Seven persons allegedly belonging to the banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) were arrested on Saturday, Ludhiana Police said.

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Those arrested have been identified as Onkar Singh, Jagran Singh, Amritpal Singh, Kuldip Singh, Jasbir Singh, Amanpreet Singh and Manpreet Singh, Ludhiana Police Commissioner R N Dhoke told reporters here.

Three of those arrested belonged to Amritsar, he said.

All the seven were arrested from Ludhiana where they planned to hold a meeting, Dhoke added.

Three pistols and 33 live cartridges were recovered from their possession, he said.

The Ludhiana Police Commissioner said the leader of the group has been identified as Surinder Singh Babbar, who is settled in United Kingdom and was providing them financial assistance and weapons.

Babbar was selecting targets through social media, according to the police.

During preliminary investigations, it was revealed that those opposed to radical views were on their hit list, Dhoke said. Their motive was to disturb peace and communal harmony in the state, the police said. With PTI inputs
Chandigarh, September 30

Punjabs former Akali minister Sucha Singh Langah on Saturday failed to surrender in a court, as promised a day earlier after the registration of a rape case against him.

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Langahwho was booked on Friday on charges of rape, criminal intimidation, and cheating on the complaint of a woman working with Punjab Policehas remained underground ever since, police sources said.

Police officials in Gurdaspur said they had no information on his surrender plans. They pointed out that courts were closed on Saturday due to Dussehra holiday.

Read: Former Akali minister Langah booked for rape

Langah was booked under Sections 376 (rape), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code at the Gurdaspur City police station after the woman, a widow, complained he had been raping her since 2009.

Langah, who was a Shiromani Akali Dal core committee member, on Friday announced his resignation from all party posts and from the membership of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee as well.

I have full faith in the judiciary. Therefore, I am submitting to the process of law by surrendering in the court tomorrow (Saturday). I have firm belief that truth will come out and justice will be done to me, he said on Friday.

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who accepted Langahs resignation from all party posts immediately, had said Langah had done so (resigned) to submit himself to the process of law.

Langah termed the case political vendetta and premeditated, just before the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat bypoll on October 11.  IANS
Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 29

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on Saturday said its president Kirpal Singh Badungar would not appear before a commission appointed by the Congress government to inquire into cases of sacrilege in the state since 2015.

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At an emergency meeting called on Saturday, the SGPC  the body that manages religious affairs of Sikhs  questioned the commissions authority to summon it.

The Congress government appointed a one-man commission under a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Ranjit Singh, in April to investigate cases of sacrilege in the state after it rejected a report of the previous governments Zora Singh Commission as inconclusive.

The commission on Friday asked the SGPC chief to appear before it on October 9 to explain why it failed to respond to an incident of desecration in Faridkots Bargari village on October 12, 2015.
Ashima S Batish

Meenakshi Rathi wont settle for empty assurances. She wants to see the work done, and the change happening. Mother to a four-year-old studying in Salwan Public School, Gurugram, she rues that lessons in child security came in sadly after the murder of Pradyuman Thakurs murder on the premises of Ryan International School. A child had to lose life. A mother had to lose her son to teach schools how flawed their system was, as also to tell parents how vulnerable their little ones were, says Meenakshi, as she fiddles with her constantly buzzing phone.

After the news of the tragic incident, the usually laid back WhatsApp group of mothers  of which she is a member  that would only flash homework updates went into overdrive. Parents began asking questions about CCTV cameras and adequate female staff in the school. And we realised that all of us just had questions but nobody was there to answer them.

Parents have a say

The narrative remains the same 250 km away in Chandigarh or 2,400 km in Bengaluru. The past 20 days have been witness to a fierce tug of war between parents and the school authorities. The latter till recently enjoyed the last word. We were never on an equal footing before. All that the parents and teachers communicated with each other was about the childs academic performance and behaviour. Safety of children and tentative threats were never a part of the discussion, says Soumya Rawat, mother of a five-year-old daughter, a student of DPS, Chandigarh.

Now, some demands are being made, some suggestions being floated. A common one being having access to CCTV cameras installed in schools. Parents believe that mere presence of cameras wont prevent a crime. Instead keeping a tab on activities inside the school might help. Nitin Goyal, president of the Chandigarh Parents Association, suggests, The recordings help identify the accused after the damage has been done. And it is not possible for schools to employ staff to observe students at all time. In that case, if parents get access, someone can watch them all the time.

Schools doing their bit

At Scholar Public School, Rajpura, a meeting of teachers with the Principal was fixed in at 8.30 am, the very next day after the incident. The agenda was to take precautionary measures to avoid a repeat. Likewise, a circular was issued by the principal of DPS, Chandigarh, addressing concerns of parents. Besides other things, it mentioned, No male housekeeping staff is allowed in the junior wing, all girls toilets of the school are manned by women. A police verification of all drivers and conductors is in place.

Naheed Rana, mother of two daughters, students of Vidya Niketan School, Bengaluru, confirms that a lot of changes are being made on the ground. Loopholes in the school security systems are taken care of. An emergency meeting was held with the school staff to discuss parents fears. And what came out of it was that security needs to be beefed up even outside the school premises. It was ensured that no alcohol or cigarettes is made available within a 100-metre radius of the school. In times of major trust deficit, such confidence-building measures are crucial.

Work as a team

On the vital issue of safety of children, schools and parents are passing the buck to each other. Parents demand from schools to shoulder responsibility of their ward once he/ she has boarded the school bus. Schools , on the other hand want parents to do their bit. Citing a common practice in NCR, Vivek High School, Chandigarh, has asked parents to take turns in the bus, which has been strongly objected to by parents.

Child counsellor, Meenakshi Rawal, believes that there is no set formula for child safety. Parents and the school authorities can work things out only as a team. Educate children about good and bad touch at home and at school. More parent-teacher meetings should be held and both parties should be encouraged to be more receptive. When the common goal is to keep the child safe, it is necessery to play as a team.

In the debate of what private schools are doing  or not  to ensure the safety of children, what is being ignored is grim reality of government schools. In fact, nobody is even talking about these and the challenges students face. The challenges of government schools are different. We can think about addressing other issues, once the infrastructural concerns are taken care of, says a Haryana Government teacher.
Suresh Dharur in Hyderabad

Suresh Dharur in Hyderabad

TAGAR Sarhadi in his unforgettable movie Bazar (1982) had portrayed a poignant tale of a Hyderabadi girl forced to marry a rich man in an alien land. Sarhadis story has not died down in the city of Bride Bazaar, at least for this 16-year-old girl, and many more. After months of physical and mental torture from her Omani sheikh-husband, she had to call up her mother in Hyderabad, telling her everything.

Her mother then filed a complaint with the local police. In the complaint, she alleged that her husband and his sisters family sold the girl to a 70-year-old Omani national, Ahmed Abdullah for Rs 5 lakh.

The girl is still stuck in Muscat, despite the efforts being made by the government to rescue her.

We are making diplomatic efforts to retrieve the girl. Since the shiekh is claiming that she is his wife, there is a due process to be followed. We are working as fast as we can to get her back, said Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahendra Reddy.

Well-knit racket

While investigating the case, the police stumbled upon a well-knit racket in the city involving forced marriages of minor girls to Arab sheiks. In most cases, the poor parents are lured by the middlemen with offers of money and are forced to marry off their daughters to the aging sheikhs. The victims typically end up becoming sex slaves in foreign lands.

Hyderabad has become a hub for bride bazaar. A web of unscrupulous marriage brokers, qazis and greedy family members are involved in the fraud. The infamous Ameena case of 1991 had first exposed the child bride racket in the city involving elderly Arabs. An 11-year-old Ameena Begum was rescued by flight attendant Amrita Ahluwalia on a Hyderabad-New Delhi Indian Airlines flight on August 10, 1991. The child was found crying and when asked she said her parents married her off to a 60-year-old Saudi national Yahya Al-Sagih. The incident had evoked nationwide outrage.

The unearthing of the latest racket, which led to the arrest of 20 people, has shown that the shameful practice thrives in the city.

The arrested included five Omani and three Qatar nationals, three local qazis, brokers and lodge owners.

The interview

Two of the arrested Sheiks are in their 80s and walk with the help of sticks. They were in the process of interviewing more than 20 minor girls for the purpose of marrying them when the raids were conducted at various guesthouses. The police also arrested the chief qazi of Mumbai Farid Ahmed Khan who was issuing marriage certificates for contract marriages performed in Hyderabad for Rs 50,000 each. Two other local qazis who performed fake marriages recently have also been nabbed.

In an elaborate operation, the police kept a close watch at the Hyderabad Airport for sheikhs arriving from the Gulf. As cops watched, several brokers, including some women, visited them at various lodges and hotels and brought the girls for interviews.

They were in the process of selecting young girls to enter into fake marriage agreements. Brokers were bringing the girls to the guesthouses where the eight men were staying and displaying them. They have been arrested along with three brokers and three qazis who were paid to perform the marriages. The brokers promised the girls parents if the sheikhs selected their daughter for marriage, they would pay Rs 1 lakh. The brokers take Rs 2 to 3 lakh, said Assistant Commissioner of Police of Falaknuma Division, Mohammed Tajuddin Ahmed.

Marriage brokers

In one of the raids, the police found 80-year-old blind sheikh M Abdullah who admitted that he came for a contract marriage.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police V Satyanarayana said they have identified at least 15 Hyderabadi brokers who live in Oman and Qatar and make contact with sheikhs there who are in search of teen brides.

These brokers help the sheikhs get in touch with families of girls in the city and deals are struck after which the sheikhs come to Hyderabad. There are several women whose main job is to identify poor families. In cases where the sheikhs arranged visas and took the newly married girls with them, the girls end up getting sexually exploited, said the police officer.

Among the 35 Hyderabadi brokers the police have identified so far, 25 are women. The police said brokers not only identify and keep the young girls ready for marriage but also offer various packages. In brokers parlance sheikh is a rich Arab who is willing to pay a lot of money for a teenage bride and would like to stay at a decent hotel and hire luxury cars.

Five brokers and four hotel owners were also arrested in the latest case.
Washington, September 30

An American al Qaeda member trained in Pakistan's unruly tribal belt has been convicted by a US court for his involvement in a number of terror attacks in Afghanistan, including one on a US military base.

Convicted on nine counts, Muhamad Mahmoud Al-Farekh now faces up to life in prison.

"Today, an American al Qaeda member was brought to justice in a US courtroom," said Acting United States Attorney Bridget Rohde.

The trial evidence showed that he was involved in a variety of terrorist activities, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.

According to court papers, prior to travelling overseas to join al Qaeda, Farekh was a student at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

In 2007, Farekh and two fellow students travelled to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas.

Farekh and his co-conspirators had become radicalised by watching video recordings encouraging violent jihad and listening to jihadist lectures, including lectures by now- deceased al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaki.

They travelled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al Qaeda's base of operations, where they joined and received training from al Qaeda, federal prosecutors alleged.

One of Farekh's co-conspirators, Ferid Imam, provided weapons and military-type training at an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in September 2008.

Among Imam's trainees were Najibullah Zazi, Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin, of Queens, New York, who intended to return to New York City to carry out a suicide attack in the subway system.

During the trial, Ahmedzay identified Imam as his weapons trainer.

Zazi and Ahmedzay pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements and have yet to be sentenced.

Medunjanin was convicted after trial and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Imam has been indicted for his role in the plot.

The government proved Farekh's participation in the building of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman) on January 19, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan. PTI
Basra (Iraq), September 30

A veteran fighter known as "the sheikh of snipers" has been killed in Iraq's battle to retake the town of Hawija from the Islamic State group, his paramilitary force announced on Saturday.

Abu Tahsin al-Salhi, who took part in conflicts dating back to the 1973 Arab-Israeli war and said he had gunned down at least 320 Islamic State jihadists, died on Friday.

He was killed as he advanced on Hawija in northwest Iraq, said Ahmad al-Assadi, spokesman for the Hashed al-Shaabi alliance mostly of Shiite militias fighting alongside government forces against the last jihadist bastions.

At his funeral on Saturday near the southern port city of Basra, close friend Ahmad Ali Hussein said the marksman was widely known by comrades as "the sheikh of snipers" or "hawk eye".

A grey-bearded hulk of a man who drove an offroad motorbike and wore a black-and-white chequered scarf and fingerless mittens, Abu Tahsin was inseparable from his Austrian-manufactured Steyr rifle.

In a Hashed video, the 63-year-old warrior gives a rundown of his career as a sniper, starting in 1973 when he was part of an Iraqi brigade fighting on Syria's Golan Heights.

He also fought in late dictator Saddam Hussein's 1980- 1988 war against Iran, his 1990 invasion of Kuwait and against US troops who toppled Saddam in 2003, before turning his sights on Islamic State.

"Today, I gunned down two of them (IS fighters). That's ridiculous  the minimum for me is four," he says in the video. In anti-IS battles in 2015 "I killed 173 of them, and now I'm at 320."  AFP
The world faces the prospect of more tension with China over trade, security and human rights after Xi Jinping awarded himself another five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party and called for self-reliance in technology, a stronger military and protection of core interests abroad. At a party congress, Xi gave no sign of plans to change the "zero-COVID strategy that has frustrated Chinas public and disrupted business and trade. He called for faster military development and announced no change in policies that strain relations with Washington and Asian neighbors. Xi is tightening control at home and trying to use Chinas economic heft to increase its influence abroad.
Washington, September 30

US first lady Melania Trumps donation of books to a California school was rejected by its librarian, describing them racist and unneeded.

Melania had sent packages of 10 Dr Seuss books to one high-achieving school in every state. The packages included titles such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and a personal favourite that she and her son, Barron, 11, read together over and over: Oh, the Places Youll Go!

In an open letter to the first lady posted on a book blog, Liz Phipps Soeiro, a library media specialist at the Cambridgeport School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said while she was grateful for the books, she would not be accepting them.

Soeiro said she was returning the books because ...my school doesnt have a need for these books.

Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr Seuss illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes, Phipps Soeiro wrote, citing If I Ran a Zoo, which some critics say contains caricatures of Africans and Asians.

She also criticised the Trump administrations policies on funding schools and libraries, USA Today reported.

Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalised and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? she proposed.

Her letter prompted her school district to distance itself from her, saying in a statement that she has the right to her opinion but it is not an official position, according to the Boston Globe.

The White House responded by saying that the first lady wanted to use her platform to help as many children as she can.

To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the first lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere, her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said. PTI
Ottawa, September 30

The World Sindhi Congress (WSC) and the Sindhi Association of North America staged a demonstration in front of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa and urged the international community to take cognisance of the enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and killings of political activists in Pakistans Sindh province.

A member of the Canada Parliament, Tom Kmiec, also participated in the demonstration to show his solidarity and spoke to the protesters.

Holding placards asking Pakistani agencies to declare the whereabouts of Suhail Raza Bhatti and Allah Wadhayo Mahar, and Aid to Pakistan is aid to fundamentalism and Talibanisation, protestors raised slogans against the Pakistan Army for carrying out atrocities against Sindhis and Balochs.

They said the United Nations should be on a fact-finding mission to help Sindh and Balochistan.

They also mentioned that 19-year-old Allah Wadhayo Mahar was kidnapped by the ISI from Malir district, Karachi, and has gone missing since September 8, 2014.

WSC Canada organiser Hajan Kalhoro, Rub Nawaz Gaho and others also spoke against Pakistani atrocities against Sindhi people.

Kalhoro said, The Pakistan Government is in the process of grabbing their land and giving it to China to use it for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

We, Sindhis, request and appeal to the Canadian Government and the world community to look into the gross human rights violations by the Pakistan Army, Rub Nawaz Gaho said.

We are protesting here as there is huge surge of disappearances in Sindh. Any activist, who raises their voice for protection of Sindhi rights disappears, he added. ANI
Beijing, September 30

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Saturday met Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials on issues including trade, North Korea and preparations for an anticipated visit by President Donald Trump to China in November.

Tillerson told top Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi that Trump and Xi had developed a very regular and close working relationship.

His visit, Tillerson said, also provided an opportunity to assess progress made between the sides since Xi and Trump met in April at the US presidents estate in Florida.

Tillerson is making his second visit as secretary of state to the worlds No 2 economy and chief American rival for influence in Asia, and increasingly, the world.

Along with Xi and Yang, he met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who told Tillerson that China-US relations overall have a positive momentum and have arrived at an important opportunity to progress further.

Neither Tillerson nor the Chinese officials mentioned North Korea in opening remarks made in the presence of journalists.

Ties between Beijing and Washington are considered more crucial than ever with the standoff over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles entering a new, more dangerous phase as its leader, Kim Jong Un, and Trump exchange personal insults and threats of war with no sign of a diplomatic solution.

Trump has been pressing for tougher measures on Pyongyang from China, the Norths chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Although adamantly opposed to steps that could bring down Kims regime, Beijing appears increasingly willing to tighten the screws on Pyongyang, and agreed to tough new United Nations sanctions that would substantially cut foreign revenue for the isolated North.

On Thursday, Beijing ordered North Korean-owned businesses and ventures with Chinese partners to close by early January, days after it said it would cut off gas and limit shipments of refined petroleum products, effective January 1.

It made no mention of crude oil, which makes up the bulk of Chinese energy supplies to North Korea and is not covered by the UN sanctions. China has also banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore, and seafood since early September.

Still, Washington hopes China will exert even greater pressure, even while Beijing says the impasse cannot be solved by sanctions alone and calls on Washington to cool its rhetoric and open dialogue with Pyongyang.

Other than North Korea, the US and China have other security concerns to address. They remain at odds over Beijings military buildup and assertive claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Tillerson is also expected to restate concerns about Chinas massive trade surplus with the USD 347 billion last year and what American companies say are unfair barriers to investment, including pressure to hand over their technology.

Washington wants Beijing to make good on its promise to let market forces have a bigger role in its economy, give equal treatment to foreign and Chinese companies and roll back state industrys dominance.

Trumps planned visit to China in November will come just weeks after Xi is expected to receive a new five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party.

Despite his tough criticism of Chinas trade practices, Trump has forged a personal connection with Xi over phone calls and while hosting him in Florida, during which they agreed on four high-level dialogues to cover various aspects of relations.

The November meeting of the two leaders will be grander and more choreographed than the informal talks in Florida that were most memorable for Trumps ordering a missile strike on Syria and then informing Xi about it afterward as they ate chocolate cake.

Tillerson, facing criticism at home for his muted impact as the top US diplomat, may also be seeking to put his own stamp on the relationship. He surprised some observers during his first official visit to China in March when he employed Chinas own words to characterise relations between the sides language the Obama administration had largely rejected as an attempt by Beijing to establish a type of moral parity between the sides. AP
Washington, September 30

The White House has said that United States President Donald Trump will travel to Asia from November 3-14. Trump's first Asia trip as president will take him to China, Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Hawaii.

The list of nations does not include India, but it is expected that Trump's visit could lead to a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Manila.

Though no announcement has been made yet, Modi is expected to attend the regional summit, along with the American president.

It will be their third meeting, if they do meet, after delegation-level talks in June in Washington DC and an interaction during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany in July.

The President will participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, demonstrating his continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the United States in the region," the White House said in a statement.

President Trump will discuss the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to America's prosperity and security. He will also emphasise the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners. The President's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, the statement added.

The US President will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.
Washington, September 30

A federal court in the US has convicted an American al-Qaeda member involved in a terror attack at a US military base in Afghanistan.

Convicted on all nine counts, Muhamad Mahmoud Al-Farekh now faces up to life in prison.

"Today, an American al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a US courtroom," said Acting United States Attorney Rohde.

The trial evidence showed that he was involved in a variety of terrorist activity, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.

According to court papers, prior to travelling overseas to join al-Qaeda, Farekh was a student at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

In 2007, Farekh and two fellow students travelled to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas.

Farekh and his co-conspirators had become radicalised watching video recordings encouraging violent jihad, listened to jihadist lectures, including lectures by now-deceased al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaki.

They traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al Qaeda's base of operations, where they joined and received training from al Qaeda, federal prosecutors alleged.

One of Farekh's co-conspirators, Ferid Imam, provided weapons and military-type training at an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in September 2008.

Among Imam's trainees were Najibullah Zazi, Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin, of Queens, New York, who intended to return to New York City to carry out a suicide attack in the subway system.

During the trial, Ahmedzay testified that Imam as his weapons trainer. Zazi and Ahmedzay pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements and have yet to be sentenced.

Medunjanin was convicted after trial and sentenced to life imprisonment. Imam has been indicted for his role in the plot.

The government proved Farekh's participation in the building of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman) on January 19, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan. PTI
Now the waiting begins.

Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops on Monday announced the completion of their $5 billion merger deal, and what that means for the city of Sidney and the entire state of Nebraska is still somewhat of a mystery.

Bass Pro declined to comment on the merger beyond a statement issued Monday.

We look forward to growing and celebrating conservation as we work to provide our combined customer base with enhanced product offerings, unique outdoor experiences and unrivaled services, Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops said in a news release.

Morris has previously said that Bass Pro will keep significant operations in Sidney but acknowledged there are likely to be some cuts.

Because the combined company's headquarters will be in Bass Pro's hometown of Springfield, Missouri, many corporate functions such as accounting and human resources are likely to be consolidated there. That would likely mean the elimination of duplicate positions in Sidney.

Sidney Mayor Joe Arterburn, himself a former Cabela's employee, said he and other residents of the town are pretty much in the dark as to what's going to happen.

"As to what (the merger) means to Sidney and our future, we are waiting to hear like everyone else," Arterburn said in an email.

Cabela's employs roughly 2,000 people in Sidney, which has a population of just under 7,000.

The city could probably weather the loss of a few hundred Cabela's jobs. More widespread layoffs could present a problem, though.

Even before the merger went through, Cabela's had laid off more than 100 people in Sidney over the past couple of years.

Earlier this year, in March, the outdoors retailer closed a call center and laid off several dozen employees. However, Lincoln-based Sandhills Publishing stepped in just a couple of weeks later, announcing it would open an operation in the city and work with Cabela's to offer jobs to laid-off employees. Sandhills originally was looking to hire around 50 people.

Nancy Paasch, Sandhills' chief administration officer, said things have been going very well at the Sidney office.

"We have continued to grow and have added staff since we've opened the office," she said in an email.

Few people in Sidney and surrounding areas who want a job seem unable to find one.

As of August, the unemployment rate in Cheyenne County was 2.8 percent, same as the state unemployment rate and the lowest rate in the county since November.

However, the county has seen its workforce shrink over the past several years.

According to the Nebraska Department of Labor, the Cheyenne County labor force stood at 5,032 people in August, with 4,889 people employed. Those numbers were both at their lowest levels since September 2009.

Arterburn said that while the city stands at the ready to work with Bass Pro to keep as many jobs there as possible, "our economic-development efforts remain shifted into high gear, as we welcome new companies to our community."

In addition to Sandhills, companies opening new operations in Sidney include Lukjan Metal Products, an Ohio-based sheet metal manufacturer that is opening a plant that will initially employ about 50 people, which could grow to 100 within five years; and Agri-Plastics, a Canadian company that makes agricultural-related plastic products.

"That being said, we all understand the importance of Cabelas to Sidney and hope a significant presence, a significant workforce, remains to carry on the Cabelas tradition," Arterburn said in his email. "I hope all Sidney citizens will be welcoming and will show Bass Pro Shops why Sidney has been a great home for Cabelas all these years."

Cabela's has its second-largest operation in Lincoln, where its World's Foremost Bank is based. The company employs more than 500 people at an office in northwest Lincoln.

As part of the merger, Capital One took over the credit card operations from the bank.

Company officials declined to comment about the operation but did confirm that it will stay in Lincoln and that nearly all employees are being retained.

Cabela's also had a handful of other employees working at the Lincoln operation, and their fate is unknown.

The other big question for the state is what might happen with stores in the Omaha area.

Cabela's has a store in La Vista, while Bass Pro has one in Council Bluffs, only about 15 miles away.

Bass Pro has not made any comments about specific stores or markets, but Jeff Jones, an assistant professor of finance at Missouri State University in Bass Pro's hometown of Springfield, told the Louisville Courier-Journal that, "it would be reasonable to expect that in some markets where they have both stores some would close.
Many fleets dread the downtime. But according to Rush Truck Centers, front-end alignments can be done in as little as 90 minutes. Photo: Rush Truck Centers

There are always trade-offs when it comes to maintenance practices, and tires are no different. In a perfect world, every fleet would take the time and spend the money to make sure its trucks tires were properly aligned and balanced. But trucks are heavy  and the kinetic forces that surge through a suspension after hitting one good pothole are many times stronger than anything a passenger car ever has to deal with. That one pothole can undo an alignment job in a split second. So why bother?

The same philosophy holds true for balancing tires: Every truck shakes and shimmies its way down the road to one degree or another. So unless that shimmy is really, really bad, why bother?

The counter-argument here is a pretty simple one: The biggest fleet expenses typically are drivers, tires, and fuel. If youre having issues getting one or more of those costs under control, an alignment and/or tire balancing program might yield dividends.

Your fleet may want to invest in alignment equipment from companies such as Hunter or Bee Line to do your own alignments.

Victor Cummings, vice president, service operations, for mega-dealer group Rush Enterprises, says that often fleets dont perform front-end alignments themselves. Instead, they take the truck to a service shop. This means it can be seen as an inconvenience to take the vehicle out of service. But, he says, fleets that do so enjoy some significant benefits.

The biggest advantages to front-end alignments for heavy-duty vehicles include improved fuel economy and reduced tread wear, thus extending the life of your tires, Cummings says. Depending on the severity, a misalignment could also present a safety issue, so it is an important factor to consider.

Tires and powertrains both like to run in nice, straight lines. A misalignment can adversely impact fuel economy by creating increased rolling resistance. Better fuel economy is achieved by reducing this resistance, Cummings notes, as well as longer tire life.

A proper alignment job ensures the vehicle axles are set to factory specifications, he explains. Correct caster/camber and toe-in setting help extend tire life while reducing misalignment [that] can cause stress and increased wear on suspension components, which in turn can lead to poor ride quality. A vehicle that is misaligned can also be more difficult to operate, which can be stressful and fatiguing for the driver.

Paul Crehan, director of product marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires, says alignment is an important part of keeping commercial vehicles properly maintained. Alignment refers not only to the various angles of the steer axle geometry, but also to the tracking of all axles on a vehicle, including the trailer, he says. The dual purpose of proper alignment is to minimize tire wear and to maximize predictable vehicle handling and driver control. Toe misalignment is the number one cause of steer tire irregular wear, he says, followed by rear axle skew (parallelism or thrust).

Application plays a big part in truck alignment, too, Cummings adds. The severity of the environment and the intensity of your operations have the largest impact on your trucks alignment. For example, refuse trucks driving on a wide variety of roads while constantly maneuvering in tight spaces may go out of alignment more frequently than a truck operating in a normal, on-highway environment. But even on-highway trucks are subjected to varying conditions that can lead to alignment issues. Periodic checks and scheduled alignments should be viewed as a common preventive maintenance item for these reasons, he notes.

Dont overlook the trailer

Jon Jefferies, director of trailer OEM sales for Hendrickson, notes that even fleets that are proactive in aligning tractor tires often elect to overlook their trailers. It is always recommended to do a full alignment on a trailer once a year, he says. One of the quickest checks which should be done on every trailer during each maintenance is an axle-to-axle alignment. This check requires very little tooling. Scrub from an axle to axle that is not parallel can quickly cause major tread wear and increase your maintenance costs.

Jefferies says to use a trammel bar (straight and in good condition) to check the center of the hub on one side of the vehicle in relation to the hub on the opposite side of the vehicle, with a tolerance of no more than 1/16 of an inch, to ensure proper alignment.

Proper trailer axle/wheel alignment is critical to maximizing tire life, agrees Ted Armstrong, OEM technical support manager for trailer products at SAF-Holland. This is especially true with wide-base single tires. The tread face of the radial tire reacts differently on wide-based tires so it is more susceptible to wear when not aligned properly, Armstrong explains. Achieving alignment with todays sophisticated laser alignment equipment provides for a more accurate process than past methods for achieving alignment.

In addition, he says, proper maintenance of suspension components is critical to maintaining proper alignment. The importance of inspecting suspension components, bushings and fasteners during routine maintenance checks cant be overlooked. Worn bushings on air ride suspensions are a leading cause of loss of initial manufacturers alignment. Ensuring proper torque on U-bolts and track bar/rods on mechanical suspensions during routine maintenance intervals is crucial as well.

Your tires will tell the tale if theyre improperly balanced. Signs include chunking and scalloping created as the tire vibrates or hops while rolling down the road. Photo: Rush Truck Centers

Three balancing acts to consider

In addition to following recommended guidelines when mounting tires on wheels and installing tire and wheel assemblies on vehicles, fleets also can optimize tire life and enhance the driver experience by helping ensure their tires  particularly in the steer position  are balanced.

Evan Perrow, senior product marketing manager, Goodyear, also points out that balancing can help ensure long, even, tire wear, and can help minimize potential vibrations felt in the steering wheel, seat or cab.

When discussing balancing, its also important to understand the concept of radial run-out, as well as the tire/wheel assembly balancing methods that are available, Perrow adds. Radial run-out is the up-and-down movement of a tire or wheel assembly as it rotates. Minimizing radial run-out is vital to controlling vibration. Lateral run-out is side-to-side movement  but steer axles are typically more susceptible to run-out than the drive axle.

There are three balancing methods that should be understood as well, Perrow says: static, dynamic and on-vehicle. Static balancing is considered a single plane target. A technician will take a measurement of the heaviest point on the tire and then add a steel weight (if the tire is mounted on a steel wheel) or a stick-on weight (if the tire is mounted on an aluminum wheel). This is done to mitigate hop, which is the tire/wheel assemblys up-and-down movement.

Static balancing requires fewer weights and is quicker to implement than the next method, dynamic balancing. In this method, a technician measures two planes  inside the wheel flange and outside the wheel flange  and then adds weights to both flanges. Dynamic balancing can help mitigate hop, in addition to wobble (movement from side to side).

The third method, Perrow says, is on-vehicle balancing, which balances the tire/wheel assembly while its literally on the vehicle. This method is generally less prevalent than static and dynamic balancing. Some providers of on-vehicle or continuous balancing include IMIs Equal and Equal Flexx, Counteract Balancing Beads, and Centramatics wheel balancers.

When it comes to improving tire wear and preventing ride vibration, tire/wheel assembly balancing is a worthwhile corrective measure that can have real impact on tire longevity and driver comfort.
Joe Pantoliano, the Emmy-winning actor who portrayed the wildly violent Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, can provide a fairly succinct diagnosis for the mobsters who, unlike Tony Soprano, never sought answers through introspection guided by a professional.

"What Tony represented in that show was somebody who was troubled that was asking for help, whereas everybody else in that show also should have been seeing a psychiatrist," he said. "They were all narcissists. They were all sociopaths. They were all victims of abuse that led to them choosing a way of life that was afforded to them based on their social, economic, regional restrictions."

Though his character was among those who weren't diagnosed, Pantoliano, 66, has sought out therapy since his early twenties. He's also battled and overcome a world of addictions. The index of his 2012 autobiography, "Asylum: Hollywood Tales from My Great Depression," includes 42 pages in which he references his past drug and alcohol habits. There are a similar number of pages about his therapy.

It took decades for him to decide to open up about his issues, predominantly because no one else in Hoboken, New Jersey, did either.

"Growing up, I can't recall the expression mental illness ever being used, mentioned, or even whispered," he wrote. "If you had a problem  and were dumb enough to mention it  the response would be: 'What! There's nothing wrong with you! Nothing that a swift kick in the ass or a hundred dollar bill couldn't cure. You ain't crazy! That (stuff's) all in your head! Snap out of it!"

A series of events related to his film career led Joey Pants to the decision to not only go public with his depression, but to also found a nonprofit and film a documentary centered around coping with depression. And "Joey Pants," as fans often holler at him, will travel to Lincoln next week to share his story and offer words of encouragement to those who have their own.

"It's one sufferer talking to another sufferer and realizing that you're not alone," Pantoliano said during a phone interview.

Pantoliano will be the featured speaker Oct. 3 at at 6:30 p.m. at the Bryan East Campuss Plaza Conference Center, 1600 S. 48th St., at a lecture titled, Stomp the stigma of mental illness: A tough Hollywood guy battles back.

The guest lectures are the latest form of outreach that Pantoliano has done through his charity, No Kidding? Me Too! In 2009, he released a documentary with a similar title in which he interviews five people who are managing their own recovery from a variety of diagnoses, No Kidding! Me 2!!

The title of each is based off a response that tended to pop up when Pantoliano was having conversations with fans around the time that he was working on a movie called "Canvas." In that movie, he played a husband-caregiver for a woman diagnosed with schizophrenia, played by Marcia Gay Harden. When he would describe the project in passing to people asking what Joey Pants was up to, he said they often shared stories of their own issues with depression, or experiences they had caring for family or friends with struggles of their own. The conversations built.

So did the events that led him to go public. During the filming of Canvas, he learned that a close friend committed suicide -- two days after theyd made plans to spend Thanksgiving together with their families. All the while, Hardens portrayal of someone with schizophrenia rang familiar to him -- it reminded Pantoliano, he'd later realize, of his own mother.

"When the film was over, you know, I realized that I was going through some stuff, he said. I was at that point leading a double life and was able to get through the day through pain medication as a result of falling off my roof a year earlier."

He shook the pain meds after he went in for a physical and his doctor suggested that he see a psychiatrist, who gave him an antidepressant prescription. But when Pantoliano was booking another film, and taking the standard physical at the outset of it, he was alarmed to discover that the studio would insure him for his high cholesterol but would only work with him if he signed a waiver to assume all financial responsibility if the antidepressant he was taking failed and he caused a work stoppage due to a nervous breakdown.

I said, well wait a minute  why are they insuring my heart and not my brain? Pantoliano said. If I have a heart attack I'm covered. If I have a breakdown, I'm not. Why is my brain being discriminated against? And that's when I decided I was going to go public and do something about it.

Hes since traveled to Iraq to share his story with soldiers, to Washington state to talk with the psychiatrist from One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and to events like the one at Bryan Medical Center next week, which is part of the Lincoln hospitals contribution to the National Mental Health Awareness Week, which begins Oct.1. (Go to nami.org for much more information about mental health and to bryanhealth.org/mental-health to take a free, confidential mental health screening.)

I thought mental illness was a minority disease, Pantoliano said. I didn't think a lot of people had it. I didn't know that, you know, one in four Americans will deal with it in the course of their life and four in five Americans are affected by it.

"I thought, if we had emotional intimacy, if we talked about this stuff (it would help). The worst thing you can do is be quiet about it."

The event, sponsored by the Kim Foundation, is free and open to the public for those who register in advance at bryanhealth.org/calendar. About 300 people have already signed up.
Police have made two arrests in connection with Monday's robbery of a Union Bank branch in south Lincoln.

The robber screamed and demanded money but didn't display a weapon while inside the branch at Southwood Drive and Nebraska 2 shortly before 9 a.m., witnesses told police. He ran away with an undisclosed amount of cash.

On Friday at about 7 p.m., police and the Lancaster County Sheriff's Department arrested Roosevelt Q. Erving, 23, and Danielle F. Lawson, 26, following a traffic stop on Interstate 80 just west of Lincoln.

Erving was arrested for robbery and Lawson was arrested for aiding and abetting in the robbery.

Police would not comment on why the stop led to the pair's arrest.

LPD is continuing to explore whether the two are connected to any other recent bank robberies in Lincoln, according to a press release.

Public Safety Director Tom Casady said on Twitter Saturday that Erving's father is serial bank robber Roosevelt L. Erving Jr.

The elder Erving, 42, was sentenced in 2005 to more than 40 years in prison for a string of 13 bank robberies in Lincoln between July 2000 and January 2005.
A record number of runners and teams are expected to compete in the 10th annual Market to Market Relay Nebraska race on Saturday.

The 76-mile race, produced by Pink Gorilla Events, starts in Omaha and ends in Lincoln. The all-day running event consists of teams with six to eight members, who rotate running, hopping into a team vehicle, resting and then repeating to cover the route.

The runners leave in 15 waves beginning at 5 a.m. from Aksarben Village in Omaha and will arrive starting at 3 p.m. near Pinnacle Bank Arena, where a post-run celebration will include food, drinks and music.
UW Students Benefit from Rocky Mountain Power Foundation Grant

The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation awarded $50,000 to the University of Wyoming during the past fiscal year for education and research programs and for scholarships for entering freshmen from Wyoming communities.

Rocky Mountain Power and the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation have gifted a total of $902,820 to UW throughout the years.

All of us at the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation are proud to be able to provide scholarships to outstanding University of Wyoming students, says Leslie Blythe, Rocky Mountain Power regional business manager. With such exceptional recipients, our future is bright in Wyoming.

The grant and additional funding support other campus programs as well, including economics graduate students, UW-Casper, the Veterans Services Center, the College of Education, the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, the College of Engineering and Applied Science Senior Design Symposium, the Center for Global Studies, the UW Art Museum and staff awards.

The support of the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation makes a big impact on students at the University of Wyoming, and we are so pleased to acknowledge their generosity, says Kathleen Bobbitt, director of Student Financial Aid. Students across campus have been provided with additional resources as they strive to attain their educational goals here at UW. We thank them for their stalwart support and look forward to the future of working with Rocky Mountain Power on our shared goal of ensuring students have the best opportunity for success.

Rocky Mountain Power Foundation scholarship recipients for the 2017-18 academic year are as follows:

Buffalo -- Madeline Killian.

Casper -- Garrett Catlin and Trevor Johnson.

Gillette -- Sean Rasmussen.

Riverton -- Devin Martinez.

About the UW Foundation

The UW Foundation is an independent, nonprofit corporation dedicated to securing, managing and stewarding private gifts in support of UWs missions in teaching, research and public service. At the states premier four-year institution of higher education, private support from alumni and friends has never been more important. For more information, visit www.uwyo.edu/foundation.

About the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation

The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation is part of the PacifiCorp Foundation, one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 1.8 million customers in six Western states as Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho) and Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington and California). The foundations mission, through charitable investments, is to support growth and vitality of the communities served by Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power. For more information, visit www.rockymountainpower.net/foundation.
In mid-September, the so-called strongest storm for the last decade landing in the central region caused serious consequences in humans and assets for people in some central provinces, especially those in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh.

The storm collapsed nearly 1,000 houses and damaged a large area of crops and aquatic production, causing many difficulties for local residents.

"Carlsberg Vietnam, especially its Huda brand has had a strong attachment to the central region for nearly 30 years. We understand thoroughly their difficulties caused by natural disasters and have been striving to help them to overcome these difficulties. The charitable programme affirmed Carlsberg Vietnam's strong and long-term commitments towards the beloved region," said Stefano Clini, general director of Carlsberg Vietnam.

The storm supporting programme has been one of Carlsberg Vietnam's meaningful corporate social activities in the Central in nearly three decades of presence in this region.

Specifically, Carlsberg Vietnam held a programme to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2017 when it granted 7,000 gifts for underprivileged residents in six central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam.

Earlier in May 2016, the firm also donated VND10 billion ($454,540) for fishermen in seven central provinces who seriously suffered from massive fish deaths, while helping coastal provinces to clean the beaches.

Penetrating the Vietnamese beer market as one of the first Danish multi-national investors in 1993, Carlsberg Vietnam has factories in the northern and central region. Its lineup includes Carlsberg, Tuborg, Huda, Huda Gold, Halida, and Beerlao.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (Photo: AFP/Odd ANDERSEN)

The AfD, which enters parliament for the first time after winning 12.6 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, has been sharply critical of Merkel's decision to take in 1.3 million mainly Muslim migrants and says Islam has no place in Germany.

Yet 7.5 percent of the AfD's 93 lawmakers have an immigrant background compared with only 2.5 percent of the conservatives, according to the survey by Mediendienst Integration, an online portal that collects data on immigration and asylum.

That leaves the AfD and the conservative bloc each with seven lawmakers with a recent immigrant background.

"Ironically, by entering parliament, the anti-immigrant AfD has contributed to a rise in the number of deputies with an immigration background," said Jannis Panagiotidis of Osnabrueck University.

Some 22.5 percent of Germany's 82 million population have an immigrant background, which means they did not have German citizenship at birth or were born to at least one parent who was not born German.

Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Christian Social Union (CSU) Bavarian allies won most seats in the election on Sept. 24, which secured Merkel a fourth term but saw her conservatives' support plunge to its lowest level in the post-war period.

The CDU/CSU, which together have 246 seats in the Bundestag lower house, are expected to try to build a coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens.

The AfD is the third largest party in the new lower house Bundestag, behind the centre-left Social Democrats.

The new 709-seat assembly will have a total 57 members with an immigration background, 20 more than in the outgoing Bundestag, which had 630 seats.

The far-left Die Linke has the highest percentage of immigrant deputies - nearly 19 percent.
The Nebraska Supreme Court has reversed a Lincoln judge's ruling that determined prison staff couldn't prevent two inmates from marrying by video.

But the state's highest court didn't find fault in the logic of the 2016 decision in Paul Gillpatrick and Niccole Wetherell's civil rights suit, just in how it was filed.

In a decision Friday, Justice Jeffrey Funke said state officials only can be sued in a case like this in their official capacity.

"Assuming, without deciding, that the court's decision was correct on the merits, we nonetheless reverse," he wrote.

The Supreme Court sent the case back to Lancaster County District Court, where attorneys will be given a chance to amend the petition and fix the error.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson's office said in an email, "We are pleased with the Supreme Courts decision and will continue to defend the taxpayers from being forced to facilitate a videoconference wedding ceremony for these two convicted murderers."

But they'll still have to contend with U.S. Supreme Court precedent involving the fundamental right to marry.

Danielle Conrad, executive director of ACLU of Nebraska, said Gillpatrick and Wetherell look forward to their day in court to affirm the clear precedent that states, "Inmate marriages, like others, are expressions of emotional support and public commitment."

"Our clients are simply asking for the ability to marry," she said.

In 2014, the ACLU of Nebraska sued the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, the prison director and the wardens of the prisons where Gillpatrick and Wetherell are housed on behalf of the couple, who by then had been engaged for more than two years.

They met through a mutual friend before they were in prison.

Gillpatrick, 45, is serving a lengthy sentence at the Nebraska State Penitentiary for second-degree murder in Douglas County. Wetherell, 37, is serving a life sentence at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York for first-degree murder in Sarpy County.

Prison policy allows inmates to marry unless a warden finds it presents a threat to security or order at the institution or to public safety. In this case, the prison denied the request, saying policy didn't allow it to transport an inmate for a wedding ceremony.

Attorneys for the couple asked that it be conducted by Skype or some other video teleconferencing. But the prison said no, interpreting state law to require a couple to be physically in the presence of a magistrate or minister and the witnesses.

That led to the lawsuit, which alleged that policy was preventing the inmates from marrying, a right that is fundamentally protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Lancaster County District Judge Robert Otte found the prison policy that prevented the marriage by video to be "constitutionally flawed" and issued an order blocking prison officials from enforcing it.

The state appealed.

Conrad said Friday, "The ACLU will continue to fight for the fundamental rights of all Nebraskans and to ensure prisoners in Nebraska are not deprived of their humanity and Constitutional rights."
The high-speed boats will bring tourists from Tan Cang to Cu Chi, Binh Duong, Can Gio and District 9 at a costs ranging from VND750,000 (US$33) to VND2.14 million ($94) per adult, and VND560,000 ($25) to VND1.61 million ($70) per child.

While these destinations are not new to river tourism, Saigontourist says several new features on their tour routes will attract new visitors.

One attraction featured on a Saigontourist canoe tour along the Tan Cang  Cu Chi route is a stop in Binh Duong to tour an orchard and ancient house. The former Bach Dang  Cu Chi river tour doesnt stop in Binh Duong.

Similarly, the route to Can Gio will not stop at the Dan Xay ecotourism area, a common feature in other tour packages. Instead, tourists will be taken to Can Thanh, the center of the outlying district, where they can enjoy the local market lifestyle.

Ho Chi Minh City has long been trying to boost its river tourism. Several routes have been launched but all have ceased since the shutdown of Bach Dang wharf in District 1.

In the first nine months of this year, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed 4.2 million international passengers, up 16 percent from the same period last year, according to a report by the municipal administration.
1. Objectives: Promoting national image, Vietnamese businesses and trademarks; boosting export of products in which Vietnam has advantages to Laos and Thai north-eastern areas; establishing distribution network and increasing the number of investment projects in Laos;

2. Scope: 300 booths measuring nine square meters each in which 150 booths will be for Vietnamese companies (around 100 businesses) and the remainder for the Lao counterparts;

3. Time: November 25-29, 2010;

4. Venue: Lao International Exhibition and Convention Center (Lao ITECC), Vientiane City, Laos;

5. Content: Agro-forestry-fisheries products and processed food; garment and fashion; electrical-electronic industries; industrial machinery and equipment, construction and building materials; wooden furniture and fine handicrafts; consumer goods; pharmaceutical products; medical equipment; investment, tourism and trade services; 6. Participants: Businesses from assorted economic sectors operating under the law and trade promotion organizations (trade promotion centers in provinces, municipalities, under ministries/departments, and business associations);

7. Selection criteria: Businesses producing competitive items that are compatible to the Lao market requirements; the people taking part in the trip must have the ability to take part in an international trade fair;

8. Expenses:

a) The State will finance the booth lease fee, the fee for decorating the Vietnamese pavilion area and all related expenses for export promotion;

b) Based on the production sector, the State will pay the lease fee for at most four booths/each business;

c) Businesses must incur the following expenses: The fee for making entrance/exist formalities, food, drink, travel and accommodations; goods related expenses. Besides, if they impinge on the organizing committee regulations, they must pay additional charges;

d) Each business must pay a deposit of VND4 million/one booth right after sending a registration record The account for deposit transfer: The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, account number: 001.1.00.028621.2 at the Transaction Bureau of the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam; If a business was chosen to take part in the trade fair, however, it later sends a document to Vietrade to cancel the participation after October 22, 2010 it will loose the deposit. This money will be used by Vietrade to cover relevant state expenses;

9. Obligations: Businesses taking part in the trade fair must:

- Completing registration records, financial obligations and seriously observing the regulations of the Vietnamese group's organizing committee;

- Businesses must send a summary report to Vietrade within a month after the fair ending;

10. Registration records:

- A business registration certificate;

- An application form;

- A company profile;

- A list of staff who will take part in the fair;

- An application for information disclosure in the fair catalogue;

- An explanation why it wants a special booth;

- Any product presentation or promotion programs;

Note: Businesses must send one floppy disc to ngokhacbao@vietrade.gov.vn (including one enterprise logo and two product photos to be shown in the fair's catalogue).

11. Deadline for registration:

October 15, 2010. As the booths are limited in number, not all registered businesses will be selected. Vietrade will later inform the name of chosen businesses.

Interested businesses must send records to:

Export Promotion Center, Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency Floor 5, 20 Ly Thuong Kiet, Hanoi

Tel: 0439364792 +84439364792 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +84439364792 end_of_the_skype_highlighting fax: 04 39369491

Contact: Mr. Ho Ngoc Quan; Mobile: 098 306 9998 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting

Mr. Ngo Khac Bao; Mobile: 091 555 4177 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting Email: ngokhacbao@vietrade.gov.vn
Viet Nam successfully dealt with Australias investigation on galvanished steel. - Photo vca.gov.vn

Nguyen Phuong Nam, deputy director of the ministrys Trade Defence Department, said in the past two years, Australia had hastened the imposition of trade defence instruments on Vietnamese products.

Recently, Viet Nam successful dealt with Australias investigation of anti-dumping and anti-subsidisation of extruded aluminum and galvanised steel, with the Australian Anti-Dumping Commission reportedly dropped the cases following more than one year of investigation.

Nam said these cases proved that besides the Governments efforts, enterprises must also be active in trade defence.

According to Dinh Anh Tuyet, a lawyer from boutique law firm IDVN, to successfully appeal against trade defence investigations, Viet Nam should study subsidy-related accusations carefully. The process would require close coordination among relevant ministries, associations and firms to collect information and present it to the investigator.

Producers should also analyse questionnaires and prepare their response carefully.

Firstly, it is important that firms must provide information and send their answers on time, as well as show a cooperative attitude towards the investigation process, Tuyet said.

According to Vu Van Thanh, deputy director general of Hoa Sen Group, a Vietnamese steel producer who recently dealt with Australias anti-dumping investigation, said local producers and lawyers were still inexperienced in coping with trade-defence cases.

In particular, local firms were still hesitant to provide information to the investigator because some of it could be sensitive and might affect their business, which would result in a conclusion to impose trade defence instruments.

Thanh said local firms must cooperate with the investigator and set up a department that specialised in handling trade defence issues.
Model Ngoc Han wears a design by Cao Minh Tien using hand-embroidery patterns (Photo courtesy of organiser)

The fashion week is being held at Vietnam Televisions studio S14 in Hanoi from September 29 to October 2.



Designer Minh Hanh, founder of the VFW, said its time to honour traditional fabric.



Designers and models have brought Vietnamese fashion to the world, but we dont have the complete glory if we keep using materials imported from foreign countries, Hanh said. I have an ambition to introduce to the world market a design that is made in Vietnam from A to Z.



The fashion week will introduce the latest spring and summer collections of 19 Vietnamese, Spanish and Italian designers during three Ready To Wear nights and one Haute Couture night. The designs showcase creativity as well as wearability.



The natural materials they use are not only a symbol of national pride, but also both practical and desirable, Hanh said.



Natural materials such as tussore and silk are crowned because of their high adaptability and environmental friendliness, she said. With the aim of developing the natural material and expanding the textile weaving villages, designers have been exploring and coordinating with artisans and producers to create natural materials, which are suitable to the requirements of the fashion market.



The first Ready to wear show will introduce the collections of designer Tea Gelashvili from Italy and domestic designers, including Ngoc Han, Phuong Thanh, Duy Nguyen and Hung Viet.



The other shows will feature collections by designers Cao Minh Tien, Diego Cortizas of Chula brand, Cong Huan, Cao Duy, Quang Huy, Ha Duy and Minh Hanh.



Among them, designer Tea Gelashvili, who attended the famous fashion design school Domus Academy, will introduce the hidden beauty of Italy through the delicate details of the costumes in his unique collection.



Hanh is a pioneer in designing with grass cloth from Thanh Hoa and Quang Ngai provinces. Shes known for many collections that include brocades. Audience will see her latest work at this spring-summer fashion week.



Young designer Nhi Hoang has also discovered her own artistic voice by designing with silk from Nha Xq Village, the northern province of Ha Nam.



In my collection, I use the hand-woven technique in which threads are woven across each other, allowing me to mix the colours, said Nhi.



The designers will showcase outfits for women, men and children during the event.
The signing ceremony (Source: baodienbienphu.info.vn)

The cooperation agreement, inked by the two sides in Dien Bien Phu city on September 28, covers programmes in Dien Bien Dong, Muong Cha, Tua Chua and Tuan Giao districts, and projects to help the poor develop production and end violence against children.



These projects cost an estimated 7.3 million USD and run from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2022.



Over the past time, the WVV-financed programmes and projects have significantly contributed to spurring local economic development, improving living standards of locals, tackling social problems and removing difficulties facing local people, especially minority children.



World Vision is a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.



World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.



Since its inception in Vietnam in 1988, the WVV has rolled out a total of 39 programmes in 14 cities and provinces, benefiting about 3 million children each year.
A worker carries a sack inside the compound of the United States Embassy in Havana on Friday. The United States issued an ominous warning to Americans on Friday to stay away from Cuba and ordered home more than half the U.S. diplomatic corps.
Through the decades, Lincoln has had its share of murders with most but not all resolved to everyones satisfaction. One of the most publicized occurred in a decade when Lincoln was almost openly involved in gambling, drinking and vice. The killer or killers were almost certainly known and stood trial but were still found innocent to the amazement and chagrin of Lincolns citizenry.

John Sheedy was born in Ireland, probably in the 1840s, immigrated to the United States, settled briefly in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and arrived in Lincoln about 1869, though he is not listed in early city directories. Marry, sometimes Mollie, Merrill arrived in Lincoln with her second husband, stone mason George, in 1879 and lived near 10th and R streets. John Sheedy took up residence at the European Hotel on O Street between 10th and 11th streets.

Within a year, Mary separated from and later divorced George. She worked at the Arlington Hotel, which was also Sheedys new residence. The two met at the Arlington and, though Mary was about 25 and Sheedy nearly twice that, they became close friends.

About five years later, Tunis (sometimes Turnis) P. Quick built a two-story brick building on the southeast corner of 10th and P streets for his saloon. He also became Lincolns first fire chief, its only paid member of the otherwise volunteer department. Quicks saloon quickly became a favorite with Lincolns elite, including the mayor, as well as a popular debriefing stop after fraternal meetings. It was on Quicks second floor that Sheedy set up a major gambling operation in 1881.

John Sheedy and Mary married. They lived above Quicks Saloon in 1885 while their new house was being built on an empty lot at 1211 P St. Sheedys directory listing that year showed his occupation as speculator as his gambling income allowed him to build the Hotel Mack at 934 P St., undoubtedly named for its manager, James McHaffie, and the Sheedy Building adjacent at 930 P St.

A new player entered the picture. William Monday McFarland began barbering in the walk-under shop at 928 P St. in what was known as the Coffield Building. By 1890 Mary was having her hair done by McFarland at her home. She also began an affair with Andrew Walstrom at his apartment above Heater & Keim Marble Works at 1521 O St.

Just as he left his P Street house in the evening of Jan. 11, 1891, Sheedy was attacked by a man who struck him three times in the head with a leather-covered metal cane. Mary immediately helped him back into the house where she summoned a doctor and Sam Melick, the city marshal, former county sheriff, later deputy U.S. marshal and Lincoln police chief. After bandaging him, Mary administered a sleeping pill dissolved in coffee whereupon he fell into a coma, dying the following night at 10 p.m.

Within days, Goldwaters Pawn Shop reported that they had sold McFarland a steel cane five days earlier. McFarland was said to have been on a spending spree. Sheedys shaving mug was found at McFarlands residence and a witness told of seeing a man matching McFarlands description in the area the night of the attack.

McFarland was taken into custody and after rigorous questioning, admitted that Mary had offered him $15,000 immediately and $5,000 after he had killed Sheedy. He also admitted having attempted to unsuccessfully shoot Sheedy twice before the fatal attack though he claimed it was poison administered by Mary that actually killed him. An autopsy performed by a doctor at Roberts Mortuary showed no evidence of poison in Sheedys stomach, liver or other organs. There also was a marked lack of blood on the brain, which should have been present if the beating had been the cause of death.

Both McFarland and Mary Sheedy subsequently were indicted and brought to trial while Walstrom and others were implicated but did not stand trial. John Sheedys brother arrived from Denver, offered a reward to anyone providing evidence of the true murderer and even hired lawyers to aid in the prosecutions efforts.

The trial began May 12, 1892, and though McFarland and Mary Sheedy were presumed guilty, sufficient proof could not be found and both were found not guilty on May 29.

Mary Sheedy, listed merely as widow of John, lived briefly in rooms at 1452 O St., subsequently sold the house at 1211 P St. and moved from Lincoln before the close of 1892. Monday McFarland disappeared from the city. Within a decade, what had been the most talked about happening in the city was largely forgotten.
Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Someone get the Sizzler Sisters on the line! Those two clearly not insane people need to work on a new act. Jerry is going to be thrilled. According to Kids in the Hall member Kevin McDonald, the beloved Canadian sketch group is being talked into getting the band back together by the same person who facilitated their original sketch show: Lorne Michaels. Youre the first guy to know this, McDonald told Floridas News-Press earlier this week. Last night, before I got on the plane, we got a Kids in the Hall group message to all of us. (Producer) Lorne Michaels wants us to do what Mr. Show did, and do like six episodes of sketches for something like Netflix.

The Kids in the Hall series ran between 1989 to 1995, followed by the troupes 1996 film, Brain Candy, and a 2010 eight-part miniseries entitled Death Comes to Town. The show wouldnt really be a traditional reunion as such, since the group still periodically tours with a stage show. Its so at the beginning, were not able to even get conference calls together. Theres always one or two of us that are kind of busy. And because we are who we are, theres always one of us against it, McDonald continued. But I think, right now, theres no one against it  And Ill try to get it going, because Im the one whos supposed to get it going  Its super exciting! Heres hoping we can all hold off on getting our heads crushed long enough to see it come to fruition.
Super Dark Times. Photo: The Orchard Movies

Super Dark Times begins with its first death already in progress: a deer, having crashed through a classroom window of a small-town high school overnight, lies in a pool of its own blood, breathing shallowly. Theres a cluster of teachers and students whove stopped to watch the hopeless spectacle, but its not the gawky, hysteric high-school scene we might expect; the mood is eerily solemn, as if everyone knows without saying anything that things will only get worse from here.

They eventually do, but for the next 15 minutes or so, everything seems more or less normal for Zach (Owen Campbell) and Josh (Charlie Tahan), and their sort of geeky friends in upstate New York, all of whom are positively dripping with hormones. Despite their bikes, their small town, and their semi-outcast status, these are not the cute little nerds of Stranger Things, or even their more foulmouthed counterparts in this years It. These boys are gross. Moreover, theyre bored. Its the mid-90s, so they have to use the yearbook to find pictures of the girls they lust after, or a furtively watched VHS copy of True Lies. Theres a feeling of a powder keg in the rambling, profane banter (mostly concerning masturbation and female anatomy) as they wander the residential streets lined with split-level homes and nearly naked, late-autumn trees.

One of the thrills of Super Dark Times, an incredibly stylish and confident debut from director Kevin Phillips, is the feeling that its reality could slip away at any moment to reveal something not quite bound by logic, a realm of omens and possessions and sinister transformations. It feels fitting that, rather than a gun, the film introduces Chekhovs samurai sword, found in the vacant bedroom of Joshs older brother, who has gone off to join the Marines. Its a weapon as malevolent as it is absurd, a perfect match for the clumsy misogyny of teenage boys. (The basement-level room where they find it is dank and low-ceilinged and plastered with sad-looking cutouts of hot babes; the boys all agree its the coolest room ever.) Paired with a little stolen weed and a stupid argument, the sword soon becomes deadly.

From there, the film largely concerns Zach, the now-reclusive Josh, and Allison (Elizabeth Cappuccino), their mutual crush who picks the exact wrong time to take an interest in one of them. The violence of the crime theyve covered up and the violence of adolescent jealousy and rivalry become indistinguishable from each other. As they lose sleep, they become less rational than they already were, and Zachs nightmares begin blurring with his real life in increasingly troubling ways. Hes not sure how to deal with his feelings for Allison, and hes not sure if he should start seeing his friend  or himself  as a murderer.

The three leads  Campbell, Tahan, and Cappuccino  are as promising as Phillips, with Campbell especially appealing as an all-too-familiar hapless nice boy. As Josh unravels more and more, Tahan is a truly unnerving presence, and Phillips often shoots him from below, clouds reflected in his glasses and blocking his eyes like an ominous comic-book villain. With his anger and entitlement, he starts to feel like the kind of kid who in 20 years will be a regular on MRA boards, and its a chilling connection to make, especially once the film reaches its surprisingly bloody conclusion. Phillipss film may be dismissed by some for being so overwhelmingly white and male, but its specifically about white male problems, and its jarringly frank about them, despite all the just-shy-of supernatural trappings.

Its climax is where the film drops most of its atmosphere and becomes more of a straight-ahead horror-thriller, which feels both inevitable and unnecessary. The film ends as it begins, through Allisons eyes, and I just dont buy it  she doesnt wind up on top of the teenage wreckage any more than any other girl caught up in the violence of boys. The events of Super Dark Times are indeed extremely dark, and are (coincidentally or not) meant to take place only a few years before violence in schools starts to reach epidemic levels. Phillips kind of stumbles when he tries for a pat wrap-up of a still-horrific problem. But when he digs into the muck of the rot at the heart of it, he comes up with some unforgettable moments.
They played the part of the enemy, jumping into hostile territory, digging holes where they would live for days, conducting surveillance on the Swedish troops training to defend their country.

And the wet was unyielding. It would rain, it would mist, it would be so humid they never got a chance to dry.

I've only seen the sun a couple of times in the three weeks Ive been here, said 33-year-old Joshua Metcalf, a captain in the Nebraska Army National Guard from Valentine. Precipitation to the point I've never seen in my life. Usually in Nebraska, it rains and then the sun comes out and dries everything up.

Said Sgt. 1st Class Casey Lindsay of Lincoln: They promised us it would be crappy, and they came through with their promise.

But it wasn't all bad. When the 60 members of the Yutan-based Echo Company were allowed to climb out of their holes and sit down in the chow hall at Karlsborg, their Swedish hosts rewarded them for their service.

Ive probably gained a little weight, Im not going to lie, Lindsay said. I really like the food.

The soldiers returned home Friday after participating in Aurora 17, a three-week training exercise involving nearly 20,000 troops. The majority were Swedish forces, but military from seven other countries also participated.

Sweden coordinated the training to learn to better protect its eastern borders and islands against an attack from the east. Though the enemy was never named, Sweden's Armed Forces commander Micael Byden launched the drills earlier this month by talking about Russia's recent boldness in the Baltic.

Russia annexed Crimea three years ago, and is supporting rebels in the Ukraine. Russia is the country that affects security in Europe right now with its actions ... so it is clear that we are watching very closely what Russia is doing, he said.

But during the drills, the Nebraskans took the stage  on Gotland Island off Sweden's east coast, and on the mainland near Stockholm  as the enemies. They jumped out of airplanes, dug in and kept tabs on their targets, reporting back their numbers, activities and direction.

Their logistics, their movements. We tell our higher headquarters where the enemy is going, so they have an idea where to amass combat power, Metcalf said.

They were working side-by-side with Swedish forces, but they didn't encounter much of a language barrier, he said. Most people in Sweden, at least those under 40 or so, knew enough English to communicate.

And the Swedish forces knew what they were doing. They had been trained and taught differently than the Nebraskans, and there were times when they approached problems differently, Lindsay said.

But when it came time to jump, to fulfill their mission, the soldiers from two countries worked in rhythm.

We're a half a world apart, but it's the same thing, Lindsay said. It's really amazing.

The exercises went smoothly, Metcalf said. The Nebraskans stayed safe, and were rewarded with a morale-building evening in a nearby town Thursday before boarding a bus for the airport and the long trip home.

Weve been very lucky as far as no significant injuries, Metcalf said, and no international issues you're going to see on the news.

But Lindsay wasn't sure he was ready to leave. His short deployment to Sweden was unlike his two tours in Afghanistan.

Its beautiful out here, absolutely gorgeous, he said. Everyone's nice, everyone says 'hi.' They're going to have a hard time getting me on the airplane.
A new school year means a fresh start for kids  a chance to start new routines and habits, build new friendships and discover new possibilities and interests.

Back-to-school is a fresh start for youth and the people who care for them. As children transition from summer to fall, the Racine Family YMCA is offering programs to school-age children throughout Racine to keep youth active, busy and engaged during out-of-school time.

Through a holistic approach to youth development, the Ys program offer activities in a caring and safe environment during the critical hours after school. Whether through sports, mentorship or academic support, the Ys after-school programs staff nurtures the potential of youth throughout the school year.

At the end of the day when the school bell rings, 11.3 million kids are headed home to be unsupervised from 3 to 6 p.m. according to the Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit public awareness advocacy organization. In Wisconsin, 22 percent of children are left alone and responsible for taking care of themselves. With a new school year about to begin, the Racine Family YMCA encourages parents/caregivers to make sure that children are involved in safe, educational experiences after school hours.

Learning enrichment after school is essential to increasing childrens success in school, said Jeff Collen, CEO of Racine Family YMCA. The opportunity to get additional learning and support, as well as participate in meaningful activities can inspire childrens motivations and abilities to succeed.

The Y is a nonprofit committed to nurturing the potential of every child and teen, supporting their social-emotional, cognitive and physical development from birth to career.

To meet this commitment, the Y offers after-school programs in many schools where youth receive help with homework and also have the opportunity to explore arts and crafts, sports, literature and a variety of other fun activities.

In addition, the Y offers Afterschool Achievement Gap Programs that serve children who are challenged with meeting math and literacy proficiency and important developmental milestones. There are many children in our community who fall significantly behind peers on test scores and graduation rates. This gap, known as the achievement gap, is being addressed by the Ys School Achievers, Young Achievers and Teen Achievers programs.

The Racine Family YMCA has also adopted a set of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity standards in its after-school programs that build a healthier future for our nations children by providing healthy environments rich in opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity.

Financial assistance is available to those in need, to ensure every child and teen has the opportunity to learn and grow at the Y. Financial assistance is possible only because of contributions to the Ys Strong Kids/Strong Communities Annual Support Campaign. Based on the availability of funds, the YMCA strives to turn no one away due to an inability to pay.

For 140 years the Racine Family Y has been providing the community youth with enriching, safe experiences with caring staff and volunteers who model positive values that help build character in children.

For more information on YMCA membership and programs, stop by one of our three Y branches, call 262-634-1994 or go to www.ymcaracine.org.
2 killed in Dhanusha jeep-motorbike collision

Two persons died in a jeep-motorbike collision in Dhanusha district on Friday.
The president of Emily's List rose to the podium at a recent New York fundraiser to make a proud announcement: More than 18,000 women had contacted the group since Election Day, looking to explore running for office  "an explosion," she called it.

Of course, they're all Democrats. On the Republican side, there's been no such explosion. While a tide of anti-Trump activism has led thousands of Democratic women to consider runs for office, their Republican counterparts are where they were before the 2016 election  with little chance of improving their representation.

"Republican women look very much the same now as they did pre-Trump," says Jennifer Lawless, professor at American University and co-author of a recent report that examined the persistent gender gap in political ambition, on both sides of the aisle. "They're generally not interested in running for office, the overwhelming majority has not been recruited to run, they don't think they're qualified to run, and their levels of political activity and enthusiasm are the same as they have always been."

Lawless' report, called "The Trump Effect," also throws some cold water on the expectation that Democrats will see a seismic shift in numbers of women running; re-energized political activism doesn't necessarily translate into candidacies. But the new enthusiasm has been almost entirely on the left side of the spectrum, and some groups are trying to address that.

Erin Loos Cutraro, CEO of She Should Run, a nonpartisan group, says while the overall pace of adding women to elected office is too slow  women, after all, comprise just under 20 percent of Congress  it's clearly happening faster for Democrats.

Part of the problem: uneven institutional resources and support. "Feeling that you're not going at it alone makes a big difference," Cutraro says, "and it can feel really isolating for Republican women. They don't have the same networks, just in sheer numbers ... or the same level of institutional support. If you're a Democratic pro-choice woman, and you have Emily's List there to support you, that can be incredibly powerful. Republican women don't have anything that plays at the same level."

While a group like Emily's List lends concrete support to get a candidate over the finish line, She Should Run serves women seeking that first step. "'I don't even know where to start' is something we hear over and over," says Cutraro.

Rebecca Love is one of those women. A longtime Republican  she was even president of the Republican club in high school  Love, 38, woke up at home in San Diego the morning after Election Day wanting to get involved, somehow.

"I felt that my values as a Republican woman were not represented by the candidate who was elected," says Love, who has a young daughter and works in health care consulting. "I felt Republicans were better than this. It was a wakeup call."

So Love began Googling programs for women interested in politics. Most, she found, were for Democrats  and her experience had been that even groups calling themselves nonpartisan were populated mostly by Democrats, some not eager to engage with Republicans. Finally, Love, who identifies as a pro-abortion rights, moderate Republican, started working with She Should Run. She's learning the political landscape of her community, and expects to pursue a city council seat or something similar.

By now, Love says, she feels confident enough that she doesn't need to be "asked" to run. But she meets women who do: "I say to them, 'You should think about running,' and they say, 'Me?'"

Virtually any advocate working to get women into politics will say the same thing: Much more than men, women  of any party  need to be asked to run.

Julie Conway of VIEW PAC, which works to get Republican women elected to federal office, puts it this way: "You have to tell women, 'Hey, you'd be great,' and not only that, but you'd be the best, and now I'm going to have 10 other people tell you you're the best. Guys just say, 'Hey, I could do this.'"

It's a bipartisan issue, Conway notes. "Women  Democratic or Republican  need to be convinced that they know everything about everything," she says. "Because they don't want to fake it. Guys, you ask them about a question about a specific tax issue, and they say, 'Oh, we believe in lower taxes.' A woman will say, 'I need the exact details of how that works.'"

Adds Stephanie Schriock, president of Emily's List: "For years we've sat at kitchen tables, we've said, 'You can do this, you don't need five years of training  that dude has no training!'"

For Jinyoung Englund, getting asked  by a former boss  was a turning point. A daughter of Korean immigrants in Washington state, Englund got the bug for public service early, working on a congressional campaign and then on Capitol Hill while she was still in her 20s.

She hadn't planned to run herself, and her first response, she says, was that it sounded "kinda crazy. ... Women, like myself, are often, 'Hey, who am I to think I could run?'"

But she is now the Republican candidate in a much-watched special legislative election; Republican control of the state Senate hangs in the balance. At 33, she'd be the body's youngest woman.

Not every woman, of course, needs to be asked. Shantel Krebs, the South Dakota secretary of state and candidate for Congress, served 10 years in the state legislature  she was 30 when first elected in 2004, and had begun her legislative career at 17, as a page. Krebs says she hasn't encountered the obstacles some other women describe, perhaps because South Dakota has a long history of women in positions of political power. The incumbent in the seat she's seeking, Republican Kristie Noem, is running for governor.

"I think South Dakotans expect another woman in that position," says Krebs, 44. "They know that women compromise and they listen."

Like Republican male candidates, GOP women must consider where they stand on President Donald Trump, their party's polarizing leader. Depending on the district, it's not always easy.

"Some candidates find themselves in a no-win situation and it's not a great place to be," says VIEW PAC's Conway. "I'm not seeing a lot of candidates come through saying Trump's the greatest thing since sliced bread. But I also haven't met a lot of people running who are overly willing to speak against him either."

Asked about potential concerns among women voters about Trump's attitudes toward women, Krebs, of South Dakota, says her constituents aren't troubled by that. "I haven't heard from any of my constituents that they're concerned. The concern here is bigger issues. They want government to be accountable, to control spending."

Englund, in Washington state, says she wrote in a candidate for president. "I know part of the Democratic strategy across the country is to try to tie new candidates to the president," she says, "but in our district, and I think nationally, people looked at last year's election and thought, 'Wow, neither candidate really represents my values or my vision for America.'"

In Austin, Texas, Jenifer Sarver is already preparing for the "Trump question," even though she's not yet running for office.

"Certainly people have told me that saying you didn't vote for the president isn't a good thing," says Sarver, 41, who runs a communications consulting business and has been mentioned in the local media as a potential candidate to replace Rep. Michael McCaul  who in turn has been mentioned as a potential Trump Cabinet member. "There are going to be people who won't vote for me. But I believe I can attract people in the middle ... those who want to see that there are people of integrity and character running, who aren't afraid to stand up to the system."

Though a conservative Republican and an opponent of abortion, Sarver voted for Hillary Clinton, "in large part because of (Trump's) history with misogyny," she says. While she's always felt welcome in the Republican Party, Sarver has felt stymied by the lack of an infrastructure to recruit female candidates: "Either there's not the desire there, which I don't think is true, or there's not the support and infrastructure."

This election cycle, there's an additional concern for Republican women in Congress. Several aren't running for re-election, either because they're running for office elsewhere, or retiring. That could bring numbers of Republican women in Congress "down to numbers like we have not seen," says Lawless. "It's going to be very difficult for them to even maintain the numbers that they have."

And that means a setback for women across the board  if you care about overall female representation in Congress. Because even with all the energy on the left, Lawless says, "the Democrats will have to have a hell of a banner year in order to compensate."
Bijaya Dashami today; 11:55 auspicious hour for Tika

The 10th day of the Bada Dasain festival is being celebrated all over the country on Saturday with great enthusiasm by receiving 'Tika' and blessings from elders.
A rock painting party to raise money for Project Angel Tree of Central Texas will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Aces Bar, 2911 Primrose Drive.

The painted rocks will be sold to raise money, and there is a $5 suggested donation for participants. Project Angel Tree provides Christmas gifts for children with incarcerated parents.

Rocks, painting supplies, pizza and door prizes will be provided.

Iris sale

The Waco Iris Society will have its annual iris sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at GreenLife Nursery, New Road and Bosque Boulevard.

For more information, call 854-2558.

Out of the Darkness

An Out Of The Darkness Walk to raise suicide awareness will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Brazos Park East.

The fee to walk is $20, with proceeds benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Confessions of an Entrepreneur

Baylor Universitys Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise will present Confessions of an Entrepreneur with Summer Shine of Luna Juice at 12:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hankamer School of Business, 1621 S. Third St.

The Confessions of an Entrepreneur speaker series features conversation with local entrepreneurs who have taken nontraditional roads to achieve success.

For more information, call 710-1694.

State lawmakers

Texas Sen. Brian Birdwell and Rep. Charles Doc Anderson will speak about the recent special session of the Texas Legislature, at the next meeting of the McLennan County Republican Women, 11:30 a.m. Oct. 10 in the Guadalupe Room of the Waco Hilton, 113 S. University Parks Drive.

The meeting costs $15 and includes lunch. Reservation deadline is Thursday. To make a reservation, contact Rosemary Stovall at 855-3773 or roseandmary57@yahoo.com.
Wacos newest assistant city manager says he will waste no time getting started as the citys point person on major development projects.

Bradley Ford, who started the Waco job Monday, said hes looking forward to shepherd public-private projects such as the Brazos Promenade, the Brazos Commons and the proposed office development at Heritage Square known as Civic Center Waco.

Ford, 35, comes here from fast-growing Burleson in the Fort Worth area, where he served as deputy city manager. He said he jumped at the chance to come to Waco, given its downtown momentum and its position as a regional hub city.

Its best years are coming up real quick, Ford said.

Fords background is in city planning as well as economic and community development. As a planner and then as an administrator in Burleson, he was responsible for helping develop that citys downtown as a center for leisure.

We brought in a lot of destination restaurants, he said. Thats a fun thing to learn about.  Im real excited about the riverfront development here. Theres not a better site than Interstate 35 and the Brazos River for a destination restaurant.

In Waco, Ford will also oversee housing, planning, inspections and code enforcement, animal services, libraries, parks and recreation and Cameron Park Zoo. Ford will work alongside fellow assistant city managers Deidra Emerson and Jack Harper as well as Deputy City Manager Wiley Stem.

City Manager Dale Fisseler, who is set to retire in six months, said he was impressed with Bradleys accomplishments.

I think his background in economic development is exactly what we need, Fisseler said. He will really fill out our executive team.

Ford, an Odessa native, started his career in Fort Worth as a police department planner. He remembers attending a meeting with Fisseler, who was city manager there.

I was always impressed that he could be the city manager of such a big organization and still have a personality and have a good time while getting the work done, Ford said.

Ford, who is married with three elementary school-age children, said he closed this week on a house in Castle Heights.

City Manager Dale Fisseler announces retirement after eventful 4 years City Manager Dale Fisseler announced Tuesday he will retire in six months, but hes not going far.

New generation of diverse leaders hired at Waco City Hall A hiring spree at Waco City Hall has resulted in a new crop of leaders with diverse backgrou
A local group is asking friends to empty that drawer full of plastic bags and hand them over so volunteers can take what might otherwise end up in a landfill and turn it into mats for the homeless.

The Journey to the Streets Ministry is turning those shopping bags into plarn, plastic yarn, and crocheting the material into 3-by-6-foot sleeping mats.

My house looks like a plastic bag convention, Kathy Van Vlleet said this week during a meetup at the Empowerment House in China Spring to laugh, crochet plastic and eat pizza.

With 500 to 700 plastic bags going into each mat, carry handle included, most of the finished products show a variety of colors.

Phyllis Shows street ministry started making the mats over the summer and is seeing engagement in the effort grow as local churches and organizations have signed on to help. Shows said she has been taking food, water and hygiene products to people living on the streets in Greater Waco for about three years. A new friend of hers, Ginny Kroll, started discussing the idea of making the mats after seeing posts online about others across the nation doing it.

We do have a pretty good homeless population, whether people want to admit it or not, Shows said.

Learning finer points

Shows said she is still learning the finer points of making the mats, including turning the corners.

If I can do it, anybody can do it, she said. We get excited when we get different color bags. Weve got some creative people who have done some really creative stuff.

Kroll said there are a lot of benefits to the mats.

One good thing about them is they dont mold. They are easy to wash off and dry, and they are actually really warm, she said.

Van Vlleet, who has been crocheting 50 years, said the trick with working with the plastic bags is not to crocket too tightly. Each bag has to be looked over to ensure it is clean and doesnt have any holes before being turned into yarn, she said.

Many working at the Empowerment House this week agreed making the ball of plarn takes the most time.

Not everybody are crocheters, Kroll said. Some people just make plarn. When we find somebody fast who makes it, everybody tries to steal that person, and then I lose my plarn person.

Lake Shore United Methodist Church in Waco is accepting donations of clean plastic bags.

Church member Marie Pitts said it is best if a group or neighborhood collects a decent lot of bags before dropping by the church.

Caring for homeless

Marsha Albee, of China Spring, recently passed out plastic bag mats, food and water with Journey to the Streets. She has known Shows a long time and has always heard her speak about caring for the homeless, Albee said.

If I had not seen it myself I wouldnt have believed it, she said. I guess what I was amazed most about is, is I thought they were choosing that, and thats not really the way it is. A lot of the homeless are veterans, a lot of them have mental instabilities, and some cant mentally mange their own money.

For more information about getting involved with the project, go to copartnersforchrist.com or find Journey to the Streets Crochet Club on Facebook.

Shows said she hopes the group is making some difference in the lives of the less fortunate.

We share Gods love with them, Shows said. Its sharing Gods love. Thats what we started it for.
Devotees throng Brhamayani to mark Bijaya Dashami

Devotees thronged Bhaktapur's famous shrine Brhamayani from early Saturday morning to paying homage and offer prayers on the occasion of Bijaya Dashami.
Yet Martin was the right winner. This was a territory battle not a defensive block and Martin won territory more than any other. His contested possessions tell the tale. He had 29 touches for the day and 22 were contested. Twenty two! Only Simon Black with 25 in 2003 has had more contested possessions in a grand final. Every time he had a touch he had a player on him or trying to get to him. As ever he brooked no argument. He was tackled and caught twice but was still not contained. One time he just waved his hand at an approaching Crow. More don't bother than don't argue. "He's incredible isn't he? He is just so hard to stop," Damien Hardwick said smiling paternally. This was the season of moons aligning. Trent Cotchin might have been suspended three times and wasn't. Martin might have been suspended  and therefore like Patrick Dangerfield missed the Brownlow  but wasn't. He might also have been a North Melbourne player next week, but won't be. He might have once been a Giants player, now he is a Richmond premiership player. Martin's mum, Kathy, sensed his destiny in the season. In the rooms afterwards with other family members she hugged her son, undeterred by his chastising of her on Brownlow night for talking to the media.

"I knew he would win that Brownlow Medal, I predicted it before the season even started. I knew he would get the Norm Smith Medal as well because he has won everything else," Kathy said. Indeed he has. After winning the Brownlow a query hangs over any winner playing in a grand final of whether it would be a burden on the day. Martin instead as ever found sanctuary on the MCG. "The two hours when you play footy is freedom, you don't have to worry about anything. You go out there and just play and that's what I love doing," he said. "I just go out there and play that's what I have done since I was a young bloke." He now planned to celebrate. How? He was asked. "With a few of these," he said holding up the sponsor's product.

Hardwick chipped in: "I saw Swanny just keep away from him." Martin will not be the only Richmond person to wake up Sunday morning Dusty. Of course a celebration for many players is now achieved with a tattoo. For Martin the only question was which part of his body was left to ink in. His left leg as it goes. Damien Hardwick was not persuaded to join him. Martin wanted to thank everyone but feared leaving some out so singled out none. He chatted to his dad after the game while on radio. Grimes said Martin remaining at Richmond gave the finals a sense of the inexorable but it was the manner in which he played that illustrated why there was the sense of unified purpose of the group. "The thing I like about our group most is that we are just a bunch of scrappers and fighters and blokes who show real heart. And even Dusty who is the best player in the comp this year, even he is prepared to chase and tackle and do the things we saw today.

"When you have your leaders doing that sort of thing a player like Jacky Graham coming in in his fifth game knows the template to keep his spot and how to play a good game." Richmond paid handsomely to keep Martin. It now looks a very pretty figure. Dan Richardson, who with Neil Balme as football heads helped complete the deal, observed as he wiped champagne from his face: "It's complete now isn't it?" Indeed it is.



NORM SMITH MEDAL VOTING:
It says something about the fractious nature of the current debate over same-sex marriage that we can almost look back fondly to the good old days of the Coopers marriage video. You know the one  where two pollies with opposing views disagreed so happily over a beer.

How tame it was; a tip of the hat to an Australia we like to think we are. Apparently we're not that place any more.

How swiftly retribution was heaped on the family brewing company (apparently, an unwitting participant). Boycotts. Accusations. A social media storm. How swift the corporate response as this Christian family company signed on to the "yes" case  perhaps not an outcome the Bible Society anticipated.

From the bullying of Coopers, to the criticism of IBM for daring to employ an executive with Christian convictions, through to the dismissal of a children's party worker because of a Facebook post in favour of the "no" case, this social experiment was never going to go well.
The Melbourne milk bar turned tobacco dealer, the Canberra pub where customers ask for "whites", the Afghan supermarket peddling one kilogram bags of chop-chop and a packet of Marlboro 20s for $13.

There are Spoonbills and Manchesters, cigarettes you have never heard of, and loose-leaf from the Victorian Riverina for the first time in a decade.

It is the illicit trade in a legal drug that is becoming as lucrative as cocaine, at a fraction of the risk, and it is costing the economy millions of dollars in missed tax revenue, according to the federal government.

A list of tip offs shared with the Australian Border Force, NSW, Victorian and Federal Police has revealed more than 60 stores allegedly trading in illegal tobacco around the western suburbs of Sydney, and the east-west ring of Melbourne, with other centres in Griffith, Ballarat and Bendigo.
In China, as the 19th National Congress approaches, the hammer and sickle come to the fore. The portrait of Mao Zedong during a refurbishing on Tiananmen Gate in Beijing. Credit:AP Almost 90 million Communist Party members are being encouraged to download "party-building" apps for their mobile phones, and actively study how to be a good communist. State newspapers encourage the public to "dob-in" extravagant officials who indulge in boozy banquets on the job, or travel overseas on the public tab. The Politburo Standing Committee in 2016. Credit:AP

China's biggest tech companies have been fined for not censoring social media content enough. The Great Firewall has been fortified. Dissidents are being removed from Beijing. Behind closed doors Because of their age, five out of seven members of China's cabinet are expected to step down  68 is compulsory retirement age. Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, with Politburo Standing Committee member Wang Qishan. Credit:AP Almost half of the 25 members of the Politburo, or outer cabinet, are also expected to retire.

And just like an Australian preselection, the real Game of Thrones to replace China's most powerful has been running in the back rooms for months. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Credit:AP The one certainty is that Xi will remain as general secretary of the Communist Party, president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Referred to by the party as "the core", Xi will strengthen his position by bringing more allies into cabinet positions around him. Wang Qishan when he was first elected to the Politburo Standing Committee in 2012. Credit:AP

Traditionally, the makeup of the new politburo standing committee (cabinet) would be carved up among the factions: the Princelings, Communist Youth League and Shanghai group. But these factions are in decline, overtaken by Xi's Zhejiang group. Xi has recently managed to fill many of the key stepping-stone positions that qualify Chinese politicians for entry into cabinet with his followers. His faction is so named because many had worked with him in Zhejiang province as he forged his early career. Sound like an Australian prime minister pencilling a list for cabinet, post-election night win? China's five-yearly turnover is a wilder ride. At the last congress in 2012, factional jostling saw the party boss of Chongqing, Bo Xilai, exit the race amid a murder inquiry, and ultimately jailed for corruption. The Chongqing curse struck again this year, as the Politburo's youngest member Sun Zhengcai, 53, was suddenly dumped as the city's party boss and placed under investigation. Xi follower Chen Min'er was installed to replace him. As party boss of one of China's top four cities, he is almost certain to enter the politburo, and is tipped for cabinet.

Faces to watch Smog-busting blogger Cai Qi had 10 million social media followers, rare for a Chinese official, before he began his meteoric rise through the party ranks. He became the mayor of Beijing in October 2016, cracking down on pollution. He was elevated to Beijing party boss in May. This Xi ally will likely take seat in the politburo.

had 10 million social media followers, rare for a Chinese official, before he began his meteoric rise through the party ranks. He became the mayor of Beijing in October 2016, cracking down on pollution. He was elevated to Beijing party boss in May. This Xi ally will likely take seat in the politburo. Xi's corruption-busting right hand man is Wang Qishan , 69. Wang has passed the unofficial retirement age for Chinese cabinet members, and the biggest question of the congress is whether he stays on despite his age, while many others retire.

, 69. Wang has passed the unofficial retirement age for Chinese cabinet members, and the biggest question of the congress is whether he stays on despite his age, while many others retire. As the head of the party's corruption watchdog, Wang has performed the most important role of any of Xi's inner circle, eclipsing Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Li's power base, the Youth League, is in decline and was criticised by Xi for being out of touch with China's young. The anti-corruption campaign has been fought far and wide  punishing a million officials and toppling the former security chief. It has likely created many enemies for Xi, particularly if rival factions perceive the crackdown has been used against them. But no mud has stuck to Wang. The spotlight has been turned on him in recent weeks, in surprising ways, suggesting he may be preparing to move into a different role. Did China's elderly corruption fighter really meet with China hawk and dumped Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon this month? London newspaper The Financial Times reported Wang summoned Bannon to the Chinese leadership compound of Zhongnanhai.

A week earlier, Wang unusually met visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in the glare of the media cameras. So chances are he won't retire. Post-factional politics? ChinaPolicy's David Kelly, an Australian who has been observing Chinese politics for 40 years, says he no longer watches for factions but rather where people sit along an "axis of risk aversion", to guess who Xi will want to work with. Who in the party thinks China should push onto the world stage faster? Who wants a more cautious approach?

The military The Brookings Institution's Cheng Li says China's military leadership is about to undergo its biggest turnover in history. This is because 90 per cent of the military delegates who will attend the congress are new names. Five military central committee members must retire, and be replaced, including Defence Minister Chang Wanquan, 68. The People's Liberation Army has seen staff numbers slashed by 300,000 under Xi's reforms, while two former vice chairmen have been purged in the corruption campaign. Slogans and ideology

It is routine for Chinese officials, media and party members to be required to study an evolving canon of communist texts, beginning with Marxism and Mao. A Chinese president has made his mark on history if his own "theory" is inducted into this canon, with a catchy title. There is Mao Zedong Thought, Jiang Zemin's Three Represents, and Deng Xiaoping Theory. At the congress, Xi Jinping will break into this elite list. "He will be credited with a level of theoretical contribution equivalent to that of Mao Zedong, and even surpassing," says Kelly. Kelly is tipping that Xi's thought will be: "Governing as a major power." It refers to China's re-emergence on the world stage.

Party journals have recently been pushing this slogan, which is a strong indication it will stick. The party likes to float big ideas, to give opportunity for fine tuning before the congress, says Kelly. (Sort of like Australian political parties sending a slogan to focus groups.) Already, Xi's collected speeches and essays since he became president have been published in a book, Xi Jinping: The governance of China, which has sold 6.42 million copies in 160 countries, as state media likes to remind the public. The efforts of Australian political aspirants publishing books of zeitgeist economic or political theory (think Tony Abbott's Battlelines) pale in comparison. Pollution and reform

The congress will outline key policy directions for the next five years. Big overseas takeovers by Chinese companies have slowed significantly as the Chinese business community waits to see the final shape of new rules on overseas investment. In China, everyone, public or private, plays by the government's rules. Australia, as a major trading partner, will be looking for any policy shifts that impact on exports or investment. China is expected to continue its fight against pollution, which may hit Australian iron ore and coal.

Chinese business analysts tip the congress will result in a new round of economic reforms, including more mergers of state-owned enterprises and the opening up of more of China's services sector, such as health and education, to private investors. The party's central committee on Monday released its first guideline to protect the property rights of entrepreneurs. China is under pressure from US President Donald Trump to do more to open its markets to foreign companies, and this is an area where announcements are likely. Kelly thinks that a new role will be created to take charge of Xi's flagship foreign policy, the Belt and Road Initiative. Billions of dollars in loans are on offer for infrastructure projects to build "modern silk routes" to Europe and Africa via land and sea, but there is concern about risk.
Many major retailers will be closed on Thanksgiving Day
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Sep. 30, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 30, 2017 | 08:50 AM | PADUCAH, KY

Members of the Icheon, South Korea delegation, including their mayor to the UNESCO Creative Cities annual meeting used their last day in Paducah to experience some of what the region has to offer.



They began their day with a tour of Paducah's Purple Toad Winery, where they learned about the process of making and bottling wines, and how owner Allen Dossey, his wife June, and son Steven went from startup to the largest winery in Kentucky in less than 8 years.



From there it was a quick tour of the Whitehaven welcome center, and a bite of Knoth's barbecue before rounding out their whirlwind tour with an afternoon boat ride around Kentucky and Barkley Lake. The group was interested in the operation of both dams and the inner workings of the river industry, having learning about its importance to the region with a tour of Paducah's River Discovery Center on Wednesday.



Icheon is one of eight cities from around the world that are in Paducah as UNESCO Creative cities of Crafts and Folk Art. Representatives from Kansas City, KS and Lexington, KY also attended as candidate cities.



Paducah was honored to host this first ever annual meeting of the cities, which began Sunday. Over the last four days the delegations got to experience many of the things that earned Paducah the designation in 2013, and heard from many regionally and nationally prominent speakers about how the arts and arts related tourism are strong, viable, and sustainable methods for economic development, growth, and enrichment of communities and the world.



When the Mayor of Icheon was asked what about Paducah has surprised him the most, his response was, "The people here are so helpful and friendly. Everything is just so beautiful here."






AT THE ASHEVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT

ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 5TH

WHKP'S "Morning Man" Randy Houston and graphics expert Halle Lentini were on board a flight Thursday and said it was a beautiful day to be aboard that aircraft, which is said to be probably the first passenger airliner. Randy took some great photos of the experience, too. Thanks to the Asheville Regional Airport for allowing WHKP to be a part of this!

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is bringing the first-ever mass produced airliner to Asheville, NC and inviting you for a ride aboard our flight.

The Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT flew its first flight on December 1, 1928 and calls the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio home today. Today, EAA and the Liberty Aviation Museum work together to showcase the historic aircraft around the country for all to enjoy.

For more information about the history of the Ford Tri-Motor and our tour, please refer to the attached media kit or visit http://flytheford.org.
I don't know how many young women come to this blog or how many are parents of teenage or young adult women, but here are some safety tips from Kelsey's Army:

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I

P

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1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.Remember the acronym TIPS:ake Chargenform others of your whereaboutsrepare for any situationurvival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen)For more information, go to Kelsey's Army
Wisconsin lawmakers want to help local agricultural businesses thrive.

Democratic members of the state Assembly Committee on Agriculture toured several Baraboo farms and agribusinesses recently. The excursion through the 81st Assembly District featured behind-the-scenes views of operations at Devils Lake Lavender, Ski-Hi Fruit Farm and the Baraboo Meat Market.

Rep. Dave Considine, D-Baraboo, said the group of lawmakers has taken turns over the past several months organizing tours of agribusinesses in their districts. He said the trips were intended to educate Assembly members on agricultural business, as some representatives from urban districts had little to no experience with farming.

Considine said Fridays excursion provided an overview of Sauk Countys agribusinesses.

I was looking for variety, he said. I think Sauk County is really unique. We have some cool things to showcase here with the lavender farms and Ski-Hi and the Meat Market as well.

Considine, Rep. Don Vruwink, D-Milton, and associates from Rep. Mark Spreitzer, D-Beloit, and Fred Kesslers, D-Milwaukee, offices were given a behind the scenes look at Ski-Hi Fruit Farms operations during the tour. Ski-Hi marketing and retail manager Abby Strozinsky led the group through the Baraboo apple orchards kitchen, storage facility and apple cider pressing room.

After the tour, the Assembly members talked business with Strozinsky over coffee and apple turnovers.

Thats the other part of this is we want to know what we can do, how we can help and how we can facilitate better business, Considine said.

The group discussed the effect the new Highway 12 bypass has had on Ski-His business, along with the apple orchards revamped social media marketing strategy. Strozinksy said once the new Highway 12 route is updated on travel apps, and locals get used to the new directions, shes confident business will pick up for the apple orchard.

I have no doubt in my mind that the bypass will help us, Strozinsky told lawmakers. Its just a matter of educating people on the way the road is set up and for technology to catch up as well.

Vruwink said the tours have shown him and other democratic lawmakers that local agribusinesses attract many tourists to the state, making them a boon to the regional economy. But many smaller operations lack capital to get off the ground, he said.

These small businesses need some funding to get started, Vruwink said. We believe instead of giving money to one major corporation, we should spread it around to the regional economy. Im for helping 72 counties, not just one business in one part of the state.

Strozinksy said its comforting to know that Assembly members are taking time to tour small farms in the area and asking how they can help facilitate better business.

I think its great that theyre trying to understand a more holistic picture of what small businesses and agribusinesses are doing in this area, she said. I think its great that theyre getting out and talking to businesses and seeing what the needs are and how we can grow.
Beaver Dam High School had a high number of students taking Advance Placement tests in 2017, with many of them doing better than their state and national counterparts.

We are nationally known for our AP scores, Beaver Dam High School principal Crystal Bates said.

Advanced Placement courses offer students an opportunity to complete college level work while still in high school, and receive college credit. Bates said about 20 percent of BDHS students take AP tests.

That is really exciting because that means almost a quarter of our students are walking out of our building with college credits, she said.

Students pay a fee to take the tests and Beaver Dam School District provides them an incentive to prepare well and pass the tests.

We are kind of unique in if the students take the exams and they pass them that we reimburse them at that time, Bates said. That is also a little incentive with them to score well.

Beaver Dam High School had 390 exams taken with 209 individual students taking the exams last year, Bates said.

Scoring is done on a 1-5 scale, and credit is granted by all University of Wisconsin System institutions for scores of 3 or better.

Breanna Lerwick, a BDHS class of 2017 graduate, was a National AP Scholar for scoring four or higher on eight or more AP exams.

In addition, nine students were scholars with distinction, scoring three or higher on five or more exams; 13 students were scholars with honor, scoring three or higher on four or more exams, and the last level is AP scholars with 30 students scoring three or higher on three or more.

We had 52 students who were recognized for their scores for taking three or more AP classes and passing those tests and classes, Bates said.

The school offered 16 AP classes last year, but it has had up to 20. Bates said BDHS added AP computer science this year. Students also have options to take classes through the districts virtual academy or through other schools if they are not offered in Beaver Dam.

Beaver Dams average for a pass rate is 80 percent, which is consistently over the state average, Bates said. Last year, Beaver Dams pass rate was 79 percent, while the state average was 68 percent and nationwide was 60 percent.

In 2016, the pass rate for BDHS students was 76 percent and 2015, it was 80 percent.

We are getting them ready for college where they are taking these rigorous course loads, and they are also able to be the young adults where they are taking extracurriculars and they are working jobs and all these pieces, Bates said.

One challenge last school year was the students took the AP tests during finals  and the schedule will be the same this year.

We knew that a year out so we have created our schedule around that, Bates said.

Counselors and administrators proctor the exams and move them off-site for the tests so the students will not be bothered by the bell ringing or other students walking in the halls.

You have to have a good testing environment, which I think has helped us with our test results here as well, Bates said.
MAYVILLE  Mayville Mayor Rob Boelk said Friday that the Common Council will reconsider contract negotiations with interim police chief Ryan Vossekuil at its Oct. 9 meeting at the request of an alderperson.

Residents criticized the Mayville Common Council Monday and asked it to reconsider the contract it offered to Vossekuil.

The city previously had said it would move forward with its search for a chief. Mayville Police, Fire and EMS Commission chairman Dan Bell refused to comment Friday when contacted by the Daily Citizen.

Vossekuil rejected a contract offer from the city made in August in part because he was advised to do so by legal counsel. Boelk issued a news release Sept. 21 that Vossekuil rejected the offer to be chief and he did not make a counter-proposal, leading the city to reject Vossekuil as a candidate.

The offered contract included a 12-month probationary period. A probationary period carries the risk that he could be more easily dismissed and thus put benefits he earned over the course of his career with the department in jeopardy.

Boelk defended the probationary period Monday night, calling it standard and something that must be included in order to protect the citys best interests.
Columbus has added another piece of its rich history to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Wisconsin Historical Society announced last week that the Dix Street-Warner Street neighborhood was listed on the National Register, joining 21 other historic attractions in Columbus. State places and districts designated on the National Register are also included in the Wisconsin Register of Historic Places.

According to the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Dix-Warner neighborhood was selected due to its exceptional grouping of single family homes representing various midcentury modern styles, including Usonian, ranch, split level and contemporary styles, reflecting modern trends in architectural styles during the mid-20th Century.

This area of Columbus grew after World War II when many soldiers returned from the war, started families and built the homes. Daina Penkiunas, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer for the Wisconsin Historical Society, said most of the homes in this neighborhood were constructed in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The ranch style was a popular style back then, Penkiunas said. It was considered modern for that time period. Each one of those homes is a little different.

In order for a neighborhood to be placed on the National Register, it has to be clearly identified as a historic neighborhood, according to the state historical society. Being placed on the National Register provides residents an opportunity to apply for specific grants and income tax credits to maintain their homes. It does not restrict how private property owners may use their properties.

Columbus Mayor Michael Thom said getting the Dix-Warner neighborhood placed on the register was a long, tedious process. Columbus Historic Landmarks Preservation Committee spearheaded the drive to get the district recognized nationally.

They have to submit information to the state and it goes back and forth, Thom said. There are public hearings in the city. I was pretty impressed to see the amount of work put into this and its just people volunteering their time. Luckily we have people on the commission who know this process because theyve done it before.

Thom said the Wisconsin Historical Society has a deep appreciation for the citys commitment to preserving its history.

For a city of this size we have more historical districts than any other city, except maybe Milwaukee, Thom said. Were really setting the bar high for everyone else.

One of the gems along this historic district is the Arnold Home, designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The home, situated at the crest of a hill on Dix Street, is owned by Mary Arnold and Henry St. Maurice.

I know theyve done quite a bit of work in preserving their home, Thom said. Even putting in air conditioning can be a challenge.

Mary Arnold moved into the home as a young child in 1955. When her parents passed away in the mid-2000s, Arnold and her husband, St. Maurice, inherited the home. After moving into the house in 2009, the couple replaced the roof, added insulation and placed air conditioning units in every room.

The Arnold Home itself was placed on the National Register in 2006.

Having grown up here there are some really lovely homes in Columbus and its always a good thing for a town to recognize historic buildings, not just tear them down to build condos, Arnold said. Not that there is anything wrong with condos, but its great these buildings are preserved.

Arnolds parents, E. Clarke and Julie Arnold, expanded the home after learning they were expecting twins in 1959. The home is Y-shaped and is very noticeable in the community. Mary Arnold said the home looks similar to when she was a child in the 1950s.

At the time when this was built this was the only home west of Dix Street, St. Maurice said.

The home provides beautiful views of sunsets and moonlit nights, which is what Wright intended. Its another piece of history that gives Columbus its unique flair.
1. Yes. The ordinance goes against state law and is not in the best interest of the cities.

2. Yes. At the very least, it should be amended to give police officers some discretion.

3. No. Voters approved the ordinance by large majorities; the councils cant ignore that fact.

4. No. The petition process has to be given a chance to work. Leave the ordinance alone.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the cities should move forward regarding the ordinance.

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A tax haven is a jurisdiction, territory, or a state that provides extraordinarily low tax rates or no tax at all compared to other sovereign states. Tax havens are there for the benefit of multinational corporations, affluent individuals, corporate companies, and other elite financial institutions that need to hide away their money to evade taxation. Across the world, some countries offer the most favorable tax or other conditions to its taxpayers. The yearly Financial Secrecy Index is written by the Tax Justice Network (TJN) and features over 80 tax havens; this is based on their level of secrecy and offshore financial activities. In 2015, three countries were listed as the top ranked offenders; they were Switzerland, the USA, and Hong Kong. Tax havens mostly benefit the world's most elite class; wealthy people are the ones who are often in need of such services. Here are some of the countries that serve as tax havens.

10. Switzerland

Switzerland is ranked amongst the top countries that offer offshore banking which is one of the major sectors of its economy. Having top performing banking system makes Switzerland most popular among the tax havens in Europe. However, due to international pressure, it has slightly relaxed its laws on fiscal secrecy with the lobby in charge of enacting these regulations to remain enforced as evident through the aggressive policy against intimidation to disclose information in the sector. As opposed to several other European countries legal procedures, obtaining a Swiss company is a considerably quick process with a requirement by the Swiss law being that for one to be able to register a company there should be one Swiss company director or more.

9. Monaco

Wealthy individuals highly use Monaco as a tax haven for evading their country's taxes. This is because Monaco is a sovereign state and thus not obligated to pay taxes. Monaco does not levy income tax on some people under certain terms. The absence of personal income tax is mainly the reason that has influenced the high numbers of wealthy "tax refugee," especially those residing in the European states who mostly generate income out of Monaco. Good examples are Formula One drivers and other less popular business owners. However, for French citizens, they are obligated to pay wealth taxes and the applicable income to the French government even though they are residents in Monaco.

8. Bahamas

The Bahamas is among the countries listed as tax havens. The country has zero personal income tax rates, capital gains tax, wealth tax and other tax benefits both for the companies or individuals. Direct taxes are not levied therefore no double tax treaties are made with other countries. However, the Bahamas signed a tax information agreement with the United Kingdom, the US, Canada and other 29 states, with limited disclosure on criminal matters.

7. Bermuda

Bermuda is an offshore financial center with the minimal standards of business laws, regulations and direct taxation on personal or corporate income. With no corporate income tax, Bermuda has become a highly popular tax avoidance location, and Google moved over $10 billion in revenue into its Bermuda subsidiary using what is known as "Double Irish" and Dutch Sandwich" tax evasion strategies.

6. Ireland

Despite Irish officials refuting claims of Ireland being a tax haven, it is often referred to as one. The US based Drug Company Pfizer recently merged with Allergan a company based in Ireland. The move is believed to be a tax inversion strategy where Pfizer dodged paying about $148 million in taxes.

5. Mauritius

Mauritius is famous among foreign investors with a high number of international corporations having established subsidiaries. In Mauritius, the levy on corporate tax is considerably low compared to other countries. Interest and capital gains in Mauritius are not taxed, and the residents are beneficiary to tax exemption due to double tax treaties. India is a large investor, although the amendment of the protocol on double taxation treaty between Mauritius and India was just signed in May 2016. The amendment was brought about due to the alienation of the Indian resident companies on shares which are bought by Mauritius residents.

4. Isle Of Man

Low taxes also characterize the Isle of Man. The region features relatively low-income tax with a maximum of 20% only. Low taxes and asset protection in the region attracts many companies who then structure their employee pension benefit plans. However, the only people that benefit from this include those that have employer-sponsored retirement accounts.

3. Jersey

Jersey Island is known to be among the leading offshore financial accounts, ranked 16th on the Financial Secrecy Index in the year 2015. Jersey rose to prominence as a tax haven in the mid 20th century. Jersey has no capital gains or inheritance tax.

2. Luxembourg

In April 2009, Luxembourg's reputation as a tax haven and its banking secrecy laws earned a spot on the "gray list" of states said to have questionable banking arrangements. In the light of this, Luxembourg adopted OECD standards and was listed as jurisdictions implementing the internationally agreed tax standards. However, the Sunday Telegraph reported claims of some $4 billion belonging to Kim Jong-Il being hidden in accounts there in March 2010. In April 2012, the Guardian reported that another of Luxembourg's tax loopholes beneficiaries included Amazon.co.uk. Luxembourg was ranked third in the world's top tax haven in 2011 and as the worlds 2nd safest tax haven in the world in 2013, according to the Tax Justice Network Financial Secrecy Index.

1. Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is ranked the 5th largest among banking centers and are also known for having international financial centers with hedge funds and investments. The country introduced the Mutual Funds Law in 1993, which has also been adopted by other countries. The Cayman Islands are the leading offshore hedge fund jurisdiction in the world. Cayman Islands in 2014 had banking assets worth $1.4 trillion, and was home to more than 11,000 mutual funds and other funds that was valued at $2.1 trillion. It also has more than 95,000 registered companies, more than 140 trust companies and host 200 banks. The financial services in the Cayman account for more than half of the GDP. Cayman has numerous secrecy feature and laws that could land one in jail for not just revealing confidential information, but just asking for it. In the mid to late 1990s, offshore financial centers were put under pressure by the OECD for what was termed as unlawful tax regimes. It was believed that the OECD was preventing low tax regimes from having the upper hand in the marketplace, hence threatened the Cayman Islands with sanctions and being blacklisted.
Social housing plans for eyesore properties gets financial backing from Welsh Government

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Sep 30th, 2017

Work converting three long-standing eyesore properties into social housing is set to begin in the next few weeks.

The homes, located on the site of the old Victoria Garage in the middle of Ruabon will be replaced with new homes for local people after a long-running campaign.

The properties have stood vacant since 2004 when a developer started work on three homes on the site. However it was never completed, and the half-finished houses have sat empty ever since.

Earlier this month Wrexham.com reported that there was a positive future for the three properties, which will be converted into social housing.

Work to secure the site and make it safe has been carried out in the interim by Wrexham Council, but due to the complications around ownership and development, the local authority say that the buildings could not be knocked down or outright redeveloped.

Wrexham Council is currently agreeing timescales with Wales & West Housing Association, which now owns the site.

Funding from the Welsh Government has also been provided for the current financial year, meaning work will need to be under way by the end of March at the latest  subject to planning permission being granted by the local authority.

Local councillor Dana Davies has thanked the Welsh Government for its involvement  and says the result wouldnt have been possible without its backing.

Cllr Davies said: Its fantastic that after so many years something can finally be done. Im so grateful to the Welsh Government for this huge investment in Ruabon  the transformation of this site would not be possible without it.

A Welsh Labour Government spokesman said it will be contributing around 583,000  58% of the entire estimated cost  to the project.

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates said: There has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes for a long, long time and Dana has worked incredibly hard on this. Id also like to thank Sion Wynne, Empty Homes Officer at Wrexham Council.

Im pleased that the Welsh Government has played a key role in bringing this to a positive conclusion and proud that weve been able to help turn such an unwelcoming, ugly site which has blighted the village for years into something positive for local people.

Cllr Davies added: A lot of people I talk to in Ruabon have been worried wed be stuck with this eyesore forever, so Im delighted to have been able to play my part.

As well as to the Welsh Government, thanks must also go to Sion and members of Ruabon Community Council past and present, including my former colleague the late Barrie Price.

This really has been a team effort and Im just glad weve managed to get something done at long last.
Wrexham research clinicians and scientists head to Canada for medical showcase Event

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Sep 30th, 2017

A team of medical research scientists and clinicians dedicated to improving Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Urology Services across the region have flown across the Atlantic to showcase their work.

Members of the BCUHB North Wales and North West Urological Research Centre (NW2URC), based at Wrexham, are participating in the World Congress of Endourology (WCE) in Vancouver, Canada during September 2017.

The event, backed by the Endourology Society is designed to bring urology clinicians and scientists together from the world over to promote research and innovation about urology across the globe.

Consultant urologist at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Iqbal Shergill, Professor Stephen Fon Hughes and Mr Peter Ella-tongwiis, an honorary BCUHB research scientist have travelled to the Canadian city to demonstrate the on-going clinical work being undertaken in the Health Board.

The team of BCUHB researchers are presenting four studies into different areas of urology including bladder cancer and kidney stones, highlighting on-going research involving urology patients from across North Wales. The presentations will be delivered to leading clinicians and scientists worldwide.

Professor Shergill said: We are really pleased to have this fantastic opportunity to showcase the great work we are doing here in North Wales to a worldwide audience. The studies we are presenting are helping us move forward Urology services in the region to the greater benefits of our patients.

He added: Its also a great chance to meet colleagues in the field of Urology from across the globe, and share innovation and learn together new techniques and ideas, which will benefit our services back here in North Wales.

Professor Hughes commented: As a new member of staff at BCUHB, I am proud to be representing the health board at the 35th World Congress of Endourology in Vancouver.

This will no doubt enhance the research profile of BCUHB, and will hopefully promote the North Wales & North West Urological Research Centre as a Centre of Excellence for urological research.

Mr Ella-tongwiis said: This is a great opportunity for personal and professional development. I am dedicated to my work involving bladder cancer patients, and hop
Trumps Sunday announcement of a new indefinite travel ban includes the African nation of Chad, a country that has given full support to Washingtons imperialist wars conducted against several African nations for over a decade. The limitations on travel from Chad to the US go into effect on October 18.

Taking to Twitter late Sunday, Trump expressed the bans reactionary nationalist character: Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet.

As an explanation for Chads addition to the list, Trumps proclamation states, Chad does not adequately share public-safety and terrorism-related information and fails to satisfy at least one key risk criterion.

The list of countries to be restricted include Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia, which were part of the initial ban, with the addition of North Korea, Venezuela, and Chad. Without explanation, Sudan was dropped from the list.

Significant is the fact that of the countries on the list, with the exception of Chad, all are either targets of the US for regime change or are currently undergoing US bombardment. In the case of Chad, the African nation has served a subservient role to Washingtons predatory aims on the continent.

The addition of two non-Muslim countries, North Korea and Venezuela, owe to the Trump administrations attempt to scrub the xenophobic tinge that characterized the original and to ensure the measures resistance to court challenges.

The initial travel ban was announced a few days after Trump was inaugurated, and its implementation was blocked by a federal court as unconstitutional; a revised travel ban was also blocked in the lower courts leading the Trump administration to an appeal before the Supreme Court, which affirmed the measure in June.

Chads ruling government of President Idriss Debry issued a statement to the media condemning the ban. The Chadian Government expresses its incomprehension in the face of the official reasons behind this decision, adding, reasons that contrast with the efforts and the ongoing commitments of Chad in the fight against terrorism.

The inclusion of Chad in the ban, a country which has lent its full support to Washingtons imperialist operations across the Sahel region of Africa, provoked severe criticism from sections within the America ruling class, reflecting the broader conflict since Trumps election over the direction of foreign policy.

There are concerns that the implementation of the reactionary travel restrictions will undermine the global economic order over which American capitalism presides, and provoke a backlash against the US from Washingtons allies around the globe, in particular Europe.

Speaking to Foreign Policy, Richard Downie, deputy director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic International Studies, explained the character of Chads close relationship with Washington and its imperialist prerogatives on the continent, stating, ...the ban would only harm coordination between the Pentagon and Chad, adding [the ban] cannot be anything but damaging to a bilateral relationship.

Chad has received tens of millions in US military aid to carry out Washingtons neo-colonial operations across the Sahel region by utilizing the standard pretext of fighting terrorism. Currently, on the behalf of Washington, Chads forces are engaged in a protracted battle against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

Recently, the US opened a $300 million embassy in capital city NDjamena, making clear Chads geo-strategic importance to Washington.

Additionally, in 2013 Chad lent its forces in the US-backed French military invasion of Mali to neutralize Islamist rebels who conducted an insurgency against the US/French-backed forces who overthrew the government in Bamako.

Illuminating Washingtons interests in Chad, J. Peter Pham, an Africa specialist for the Atlantic Council, and under consideration by the Trump administration for deputy assistant secretary for African affairs, was more explicit.

Pham, in speaking with the New York Times, alleged that Chad had played a somewhat duplicitous role against Boko Haram, and had only cracked down on the Islamist militia when Chads trade routes were threatened.

Speaking on Chads geostrategic importance for Washington, Pham stated that [Chad is] geographically, a country one doesnt want to alienate. Expressing the true face of Washingtons aim of unquestioned dominance of the continent, Pham added, theyve been a necessary partner but not a wholehearted one.

In the country of 14 million, the chief victim of Washingtons calculations are the Chadian people, of whom 90 percent reside in impoverished conditions. The renewed travel ban represents an escalation of Washingtons imperialist offensive in the Sahel region and across the African continent.
The US Department of Justice has issued warrants demanding that Facebook turn over private account information on three individuals described by their attorneys as anti-administration activists who are generally very critical of [the Trump] administrations policies. The private account information on thousands of Facebook users could be funneled to the government as a result of the warrants.

Facebook received the warrants in February, but was until recently under a gag order barring it from making the warrants known to the targeted individuals or the public. The social media giant has not said whether it has, or plans to, comply with the search warrants.

One of the targeted Facebook users, Emmelia Talarico, operated the disruptj20 web page where protests against Trumps inauguration were organized and discussed. Approximately 6,000 individuals visited the site, and the Department of Justice would have access to their identities should Facebook hand over the information sought in the warrants.

Talarico says that if the authorities are able to obtain her account information, they will have access to her personal passwords, security questions and answers, and credit card information, as well as the private lists of invitees and attendees to multiple political events sponsored by the page.

This follows a similar warrant issued to the web provider DreamHost, in which the government demanded that the company turn over all data on disruptj20.org, including visitor logs and IP addresses for 1.3 million people who visited the site. The warrant also demanded access to emails, photos and other data of those involved in contributing to and producing the site.

These warrants are part of a massive attack by the Trump administration on freedom of speech and political expression, focused on the Internet and social media. It is aided and abetted by a McCarthyite campaign led by the Democratic Party and the intelligence agencies, with bipartisan support from congressional Republicans, casting all political opposition to the policies of the government and to the growth of social inequality and poverty as the result of Russian fake news and media manipulation. The aim is to criminalize social opposition and political dissent and brand them as anti-American and treasonous activity.

Such sweeping demands for private information are in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and states that warrants must be based upon probable causeparticularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

They also violate the First Amendments guarantees of freedom of speech and the press, and the right to peacefully protest.

Washington DC Superior Court Judge Robert Morin largely granted the Justice Departments request to collect vast sets of records, including the emails of Facebook users and membership lists.

Yet this flagrant attack on democratic rights and assertion of police-state powers has evoked no significant protest from either the political or media establishment. Not a single leading Democratic politician has issued a statement opposing the warrants.

The other two Facebook users named in the warrants are Lacy MacAuley and Legba Carrefour. In court filings against the search warrant for his account, Carrefour said it contains a significant amount of private material concerning my personal life. He added in a statement that the warrants are part of a pattern of prosecutorial overreach in the repression of Inauguration Day protesters.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing the three Facebook users, filed a motion to invalidate the three warrants. ACLU lawyers said the warrants were too broad and would reveal private information about those not involved in alleged violence during the inauguration protests.

We are deeply concerned about the government engaging in a fishing expedition, said Scott Michelman, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of the District of Columbia.

Of particular concern, Michelman said, is that the government search would disclose anti- administration dissident activities that would then be investigated by the very administration that they are protesting.

The Trump administration claims the warrants are part of a criminal investigation into the January 20 demonstrations in the capital in which more than 200 protesters were arrested.

The disclosure of the Justice Department warrants coincided with an announcement by tech giant Apple that in the first half of 2017, it received its highest ever number of US government national security letters requesting data. According to Apples transparency report, it received between 13,250 and 13,499 requests affecting between 9,000 and 9,249 accounts.

On Thursday, Google also released its transparency report. It received up to 499 requests for data, affecting between 1,000 and 1,499 accounts.

These developments in the US are part of an international attack on political dissent. Just last month, the German government raided the homes of the alleged administrators of the left-wing website linksunten.indymedia.org and shut the site down. The German government has also passed a law requiring social media companies to remove violent extremist material.

The issue of illegal and unconstitutional domestic spying in the US, including the pervasive National Security Agency surveillance exposed four years ago by Edward Snowden, has been completely dropped by the media and the political establishment. The Obama administration defended the NSA and blocked any rollback of government spying on electronic communications or legal action against those who organized it. It set the table for the Trump administration by prosecuting more whistleblowers for exposing classified information than any previous administration.

Technology and information monopolies such as Facebook and Google are complicit in the ruling class attack on freedom of speech and access to information. The World Socialist Web Site has exposed the political blacklisting of left-wing and antiwar websites by Google, which has implemented algorithms that, in the name of demoting low-quality content, slash search referrals to left-wing sites. The WSWS has been most heavily impacted by this censorship.

In response to political pressure, Facebook has turned over to Congress a list of 3,000 accounts, supposedly connected to Russia, which the company claims made $100,000 in ad purchases to sow divisions during the 2016 US election. Twitter is facing similar demands that it crack down on ads from Russian users such as the Russian English-language news outlet RT.
Following the recent general election, the upgrading of Germanys Armed Forces is advancing rapidly. On Monday, Germany ordered five new A330 MRTT transport and tanker aircraft from Airbus, which are to be financed together with Norway through the OCCAR Joint Cooperation Organization. The order is part of a European offensive to renew the air forces of European NATO members.

The new aircraft will replace four old Luftwaffe (German Air Force) A310s and will be based at Cologne-Wahn, where the defence ministry air transport corps is based. The parliamentary Budget Committee had already released finances of 1.4 billion before the summer break for their procurement.

Shortly before the election, the defence ministry had arranged another billion-euro arms deal. Five Braunschweig K130 class corvettes are to be purchased for about 2 billion. The warships are to be completed by 2025.

The ships are to be armed with fully automatic naval guns and two fully automatic 27mm calibre turret guns, as well as two anti-aircraft rocket batteries. In addition, there are sea-to-sea guided missile systems, the possibility of mine laying and technology to disrupt enemy communications. The vessels can also be equipped with marine drones to carry out reconnaissance and surveillance.

Armin Schmidt-Franke, vice president of the Federal Office of Equipment, Information Technology of the Bundeswehr, said: We are enabling the German navy to fulfil its increased commitments within the alliance with boats that have proved their worth in numerous assignments.

The official Navy website says of the corvettes procurement: This type of vessel makes possible worldwide deployment and complements the existing capabilities of the high-speed patrol boats and frigates. Corvettes are optimal for tasks in naval warfare, especially in bordering seas and coastal waters.

The latest acquisitions are part of a comprehensive armaments program over the coming years, whose dimensions recall the massive rearming of the Wehrmacht (Hitlers Armed Forces) in the 1930s, and are to prepare Germany for war.

At present, the Ministry of Defence is working on an upgrade plan based on the so-called provisional conceptual guidelines for the future capability profile of the Bundeswehr, presented by the responsible department head in the ministry, Lieutenant General Erhard Buhler.

Accordingly, Germanys military is to grow strongly in the areas of the army, air force and navy ... in order to meet the new requirements, as reported by the German Bundeswehr Association (DBwV) on its website. This concerns ensuring a full defence capability on land, water, air, outer space and cyberspace.

Specifically, the Luftwaffe should be able to lead a multinational alliance, which can fly up to 350 reconnaissance and combat missions every day. The air forces would have to be able to maintain air superiority over Germany and, together with their allies, ensure superiority over an operational area.

As well as the new tank and transport aircraft, Tornado jets and CH-53 transport helicopters will be replaced. In addition, drones, C-130 Hercules transporters and heavy transport helicopters are to be purchased. The stated objective of the measures is for the Luftwaffe to take over protection of land forces from the air as early as 2021.

Similar growth is planned for the other military forces. For the navy, At least 15 ships and boats will be ready for operation at the same time. To this end, six tenders, four frigates and mine defence units would have to be replaced in the coming years, and additional war ships procured. The navy should also be enabled to conduct naval battles from the air.

The largest restructuring is planned for the army. In future, three fully equipped divisions with eight to ten brigades should be available, which are to be fully operational within three months, writes DBwV. The necessary staffa division usually consists of about 10,000 to 30,000 soldiersis to follow with the increased involvement of reservists.

The DBwVs summary of the planned armament of the tank fleet reads like preparation for a new land war in Europe.

At the centre of the demands for more military hardware is the Boxer armoured fighting vehicle. There are 200 units already at the disposal of the army, and 130 more were approved. But that is not enough by far, internal calculations assume that a three-fold amount is requiredat least. Higher numbers of the new Puma armoured personnel carriers, as well as Franco-German cooperation in the area of artillery systems are under discussion.
US Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, is currently on trial on charges of political corruption. He is specifically charged with twelve counts, including six of bribery and three of honest services fraud.

Among the accusations are three acts undertaken to benefit a friend and wealthy doctor, Salomon Melgen, who had made large political contributions to the senator, reportedly totaling more than $700,000. In one action, Menendez personally intervened to obtain visas for three female friends of Dr. Melgen. Menendez is also accused of having intervened with the departments of State and Commerce for favorable treatment for Melgen regarding a contract dispute in the Dominican Republic. Lastly, the Department of Health and Human Services is alleged to have been pressured by the senator to resolve a billing dispute with Melgen. The prosecution alleges that there was a close correspondence in the timing of substantial political contributions with favorable actions taken by Menendez.

In addition to large campaign contributions, court testimony indicates that Melgen gave lavish gifts to Menendez. In one instance, he is reported to have arranged for the senator to stay for three days in a luxury hotel in Paris, in a room with luxurious amenities, using nearly 650,000 American Express rewards points. These and other gifts, which the indictment characterizes as bribes, were initially not disclosed by the senator, as required.

The defense argues that all of this, the gifts and donations on the one hand, and the political favors on the other, were merely expressions of friendship rather than evidence of corruption.

In reality, all three acts are examples of the use of official position to obtain tangible benefits for a wealthy donor, actions above and beyond what would have been undertaken on behalf of ordinary citizens who could not afford such expensive expressions of friendship.

Earlier this year, Dr. Melgen was convicted of all 67 counts in a scheme to defraud Medicare of an amount totaling $90 million. The Health and Human Services issue for which the doctor received assistance from Menendez involved Medicare reimbursements. He reportedly also lobbied the Obama administration to make changes in Medicare reimbursement policies which would have been of significant financial benefit to Melgen.

Menendez is an experienced political operative, having begun as a mayor, then a state legislator, subsequently a Congressman, and now a US senator, the position to which he was first elected in 2005. He is, therefore, intimately familiar with how power is bought and sold in American capitalist politics. A right-wing figure known for his anti-communist views, he is among the politicians of Cuban ancestry who have lobbied to maintain the US embargo of the island nation.

Despite the clear acts of political quid pro quo in the relations between Menendez and Melgen, Menendez may nevertheless be the latest politician to benefit from a 2016 US Supreme Court ruling that has already resulted in reversals of the corruption convictions of three prominent politicians.

The Supreme Court ruling overturning the conviction of Virginia governor Bob McDonnell established that an actual direct exchange of things of value explicitly undertaken to obtain political or economic benefit from an official action, such as a government contract or specific legislation, had to be demonstrated in order for such a prosecution to succeed. Favors or gifts that were clearly meant to gain political influence, found to be criminal in the eyes of a jury of ordinary citizens, are excluded by the Supreme Court as examples of corruption.

In the wake of the McDonnell decision, the recent corruption convictions of two high-ranking New York politicians, Republican Dean Skelos and Democrat Sheldon Silver, have now been overturned. Skelos and Silver were not mere political foot soldiers. Both were leaders of their respective legislative bodies in the New York State government. Their convictions were overturned on what have been described as legal technicalitiesinsufficiently precise instructions to the juryand both will reportedly be retried. However, it is clear that the political atmosphere is becoming more overtly protective of politicians business as usual practices.

In the McDonnell case, Chief Justice John Roberts described lavish gifts to politicians as distasteful, but not illegal. Plans to retry the ex-governor were subsequently dropped.

In another signal that the ruling elite seeks to limit prosecutions for official misconduct, Preet Bharara, the head federal prosecutor (US Attorney) for the Southern District of New York, who led the cases that resulted in the convictions of both Silver and Skelos, was fired by President Trump shortly after he took office. Corruption is bipartisanboth major political parties of the bourgeoisie are regularly ensnared. Silver and Menendez are Democrats, Skelos and McDonnell are Republicans.

The Supreme Court ruling and its predictable consequences constitute yet another confirmation that corruption is not merely the unfortunate product of a few bad apples, but is an intrinsic part of the capitalist political system, which no amount of reform can expunge. The actions of Silver, Menendez, Skelos and McDonnell are inseparably bound up with the hollowing out of democratic forms of rule and the open buying and selling of political power, given the official stamp of approval by the Supreme Court in its notorious Citizens United decision. The system is constructed of, by, and for the ruling elite. This is being confirmed daily by the egregious self-dealing of the Trump administration.

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Australias main university trade union, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) convened what it termed an unprecedented national briefing to all university staff last Tuesday.

The stated purpose of the on-line presentation was to discuss the implications of last months Fair Work Commission decision to terminate the current union-employer enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) at Perths Murdoch University.

Although that ruling ended the old EBA, it effectively extended its provisions for six months, to allow the NTEU to negotiate a new agreement that would deliver to management the cost-cutting it is demanding.

During the event, the NTEU blocked all debate, concerned, above all, about the presence of supporters of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), who were calling for a unified struggle of university workers across the country against the Turnbull Coalition governments latest multi-billion dollar funding cuts, and similar attacks imposed over the past four decades.

Those arriving at the briefing were issued with an official NTEU motion. Under the guise of calling for solidarity with the Murdoch employees, the resolution insisted that the only means of defending them from deep cuts to pay and basic conditions was to negotiate and expedite EBAs with individual universities throughout Australia.

This is a fraud on two levels. First of all, separate EBAs will only isolate the Murdoch workers by outlawing any industrial action on their behalf at other universities. Secondly, such deals are designed to parallel the kind of attacks on jobs, wages and basic conditions that the Murdoch management is pushing for, thus delivering the sweeping cuts that the Coalition government is demanding.

An NTEU national office media release on August 29 explicitly called for a new EBA deal at Murdoch that would satisfy most, if not all, management demands. The Unions same lead negotiators have been able to successfully negotiate outcomes or are close to settlement with constructive negotiations at the other three WA [Western Australian] public universities, the NTEU stated. These negotiations will deliver much if not all of what Murdoch University wants.

After two decades of such EBAsall promoted by the NTEU as victories for its membersAustralian university students and workers, both academic and professional, already confront intolerable conditions. Years of cuts, by Liberal-National Coalition and Greens-backed Labor governments alike, have led to huge class sizes, massive workloads, widespread exploitation of casual teachers and ever-higher student fees.

EBAs negotiated and enforced by the NTEU have directly facilitated the imposition of these conditions by university managements.

At the same time, under the auspices of the EBAs, Australias 40 public universities have been transformed into money-making machines run by corporate boards. While still nominally public institutions, they are increasingly subordinated to the needs of the financial markets and the political and military-strategic establishments, constantly fighting each other for lucrative student enrolments, mainly in business-oriented courses.

Now, exactly as the World Socialist Web Site warned on September 1, the union is rushing to use the Murdoch ruling to ratchet up this assault. At the same time, it is promoting a sellout EBA that it struck on September 21 with University of Sydney management, and then bulldozed through a branch membership meeting, despite considerable opposition. Even the universitys NTEU branch committee formally opposed the agreement! The Sydney deal undermines job security, abandons claims for sick leave and superannuation for casuals, and represents a pay cut in real terms for most full-time staff. It is such a brazen betrayal that committee members feared the wrath of their own members.

The national briefing consisted of a half-hour report by NTEU national secretary Graeme McCulloch. He declared that union-negotiated EBAs were essential in order to take into account not just the interests of staff, but those of the NTEU, and the universities themselves, given the funding shortfalls and other circumstances that they faced.

This statement revealed the unions determination to assist university managements to impose their requirements on their staff. McCulloch further boasted that the NTEU would reach mutually-acceptable agreements with managements on the basis of rational, reasoned discourse and debate.

In effect, McCulloch was simply outlining the role played by the NTEU, along with the rest of the trade union movement, for the past 35 years, since the 1983-1996 Hawke-Keating government worked hand-in-glove with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) to impose the fraudulent, anti-worker Accords, award restructuring and enterprise bargaining on their members.

In every industry, the trade unions have used EBAs to split and divide workers, workplace-by-workplace, to help employers become more competitive than their rivals, in Australia and around the world. With the full support of the unions, all solidarity industrial action has been outlawed, permitting only limited stoppages at individual workplaces during bargaining periods.

Ludicrously, McCulloch asserted that NTEU members were enjoying the highest level of working conditions for 30 years, summing up the unions indifference and contempt towards them and the conditions they face: constant waves of pro-market restructurings and retrenchments, soaring workloads and ever-greater pressure to satisfy the political and commercial requirements of governments and big business.

Later, McCulloch referred to the wider transformation of universities over the past 10 years, beyond recognition, run by boards dominated by corporate interests, and a funding system that degrades universities. But he said not a word about the culpability of the last Greens-backed Labor government and its free-market education revolution, which cut more than $3 billion from universities, forcing them to compete with each other to recruit students. Moreover, he covered up the fact that the NTEU has assiduously promoted Labor, the Greens and assorted right-wing Senators as education champions.

After his report, McCulloch took a handful of largely friendly questions that he said had arrived via text messages. He brushed aside one question that cast doubt on the wisdom of the University of Sydney deal since it prevented any industrial action there in support of the Murdoch workers.

Predictably, McCulloch made no mention of any questions previously submitted via the NTEUs web page, including several from SEP supporters opposing the Sydney sellout and the unions cynical response to the Murdoch ruling. Instead, he abruptly shut down the broadcast five minutes early, in order to prevent discussion.

At some of the brief campus-by-campus meetings that followed, SEP members of the union spoke against the NTEU resolution that McCulloch had moved, proposing an alternative motion that declared:

In response to the Murdoch ruling, we oppose the NTEU sellout at University of Sydney and call for a unified fight by university workers nationally against the Turnbull governments cuts, and to overturn all the previous cuts imposed by both Labor and Coalition governments over the past four decades.

Allocated two minutes to speak at a sparsely-attended Western Sydney University (WSU) gathering, WSWS correspondent Mike Head, a WSU academic, said solidarity with the Murdoch workers required a break from, and outright opposition to, the NTEU, Labor and the Greens. He pointed to the anti-working class character of Labor and the trade unions, citing their long history of betrayals, and briefly outlined the necessity for a socialist program to pour billions of dollars into education at all levels, from pre-school to tertiary; guarantee the right of all young people to a free, first-class education; and the right of all staff to decent, well-paid and secure positions.

At a half-day strike rally at WSU the previous week, several academics spoke to the WSWS about the conditions they confront.

Martin has been teaching biological sciences at WSU for 16 years on a part-time casual basis, with no sick leave or vacation entitlements.

I am one of those many people who have been robbed of salaries over the decades, he said. I have seen the conditions deteriorate so much. I started out with lectures and tutorials of 16 students, and teaching laboratories. There were 12 laboratories per year. Now the students pay more, for tutorials of up to 36, and only five laboratories per year. We dont have real tutorials anymore. They are mini-lectures because they dont have more than 400 students!

My laboratories are the only chance that students get to talk to a warm human being to clear up their confusions. Its sad. I sometimes feel like part of a scab, that the universities are money-making machines designed to squeeze as much money as possible out of the students, yet pay as little as possible for the transfer of information and educating the students.

Asked about the role of Labor governments, supported by the Greens, in transforming universities into corporate entities, Martin commented: I have never felt that Labor represented me. And the Greens are so airy-fairy. Who knows what the Greens are? They kept the last Labor government in office.

Nobody seems to represent the students. Nobody seems to represent the staff, who are being increasingly exploited. This global trend toward economic rationalism is chipping away at the take-home pay of the workers and its been a continuous trend, and Ive seen no one stepping forward to fight it.

Ive asked myself: Which side is the union on? I think the union is on the unions side. Sadly, they just want to keep themselves employed. They would deny they are on the managements side, but I dont see any movement against them  Im tired of compromising. I want to see someone with the power and authority to fight for workers.

A nursing lecturer, who wished to remain anonymous, said conditions had worsened dramatically over 30 years. We now have such large numbers of students, such large through-put. There is immense pressure. We have increased workloads, extremely large classes and rely on so many casuals. They are not around to help students, for example, on how to construct an assignment. I have 1,400 students in one unit, being taught by 17 different lecturers on three campuses.

Commenting on the political situation, he said: Labor has been at the heart of restructuring for decades  Sadly, this is the case all over the world. The market forces are very strong. Education is now Australias third-largest export earner. We are selling education. We have a business model, but education should not be a business.

We have converted universities into money-making machines. If you want to survive you have to show that you are making money. What options do people have?
Almost two weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, all basic forms of social infrastructure in the US territory have completely collapsed.

Addressing the press yesterday, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said that she watched in horror as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Secretary Elaine Duke called the governments response to the hurricane a good news story. Duke added that she was "very satisfied" with the government response and praised the "limited number of deaths."

To the contrary, Cruz warned, something close to a genocide is unfolding in Puerto Rico due to the governments failed response. She begged Trump to fix the botched relief effort, adding, We are dying here.

That such a state of affairs could exist in a territory of the worlds wealthiest country is another unanswerable indictment of American capitalism, which has proven itself again and again incapable of addressing the most basic social needs of the population.

The financial aristocracy has responded with total indifference to the immediate needs of millions of desperate, impoverished people fighting for their lives on the island territory. Its primary concern is not saving lives in Puerto Rico but passing tax cuts in Washington. To the extent that Puerto Rico registers on its political radar, it is for the purpose of using the disaster to secure debt payments for the islands Wall Street creditors and advance its austerity regime both in Puerto Rico and on the US mainland.

President Trump called the response amazing on Thursday and added on Friday, Its been incredible the results weve had with respect to loss of life. People cant believe how successful that has been, relatively speaking.

The contrast between these callous statements and the terrible reality exposes the oligarchic character of American social life. Aloof from and unconcerned with the needs of the masses of people, the ruling elite evinces a total disdain for human life.

Details of the disaster zone are beginning to emerge more clearly. One hundred percent of the power grid is inoperable and will not be fixed for six months. Ninety percent of homes are damaged. Forty-four percent of the population of 3.5 million is without drinking water.

Most of the island has no cell phone reception. Hospitals are running out of medications, diesel for generators and clean water. Food reserves are running low. Pumps for toilets and bathing have failed. Eighty percent of crops were destroyed.

The sewage system is broken and floodwaters have spread human and chemical waste across the island. Instances of waterborne diseases are growing and the mosquito population is exploding. Officials and relatives have not been able to make contact with many impoverished villages inland. ATMs and credit cards do not work, making it practically impossible to buy food without cash.

The relief effort has been a grotesque display of indifference and incompetence. A government capable of moving trillions of dollars worth of manpower and equipment across the world to wage war has proven unwilling and unable to mobilize emergency aid to an island less than three hours from New York City by plane. The American ruling class is far better at killing than at saving lives.

The government blocked the delivery of tons of foreign shipments of food and medical aid on the basis of the Jones Act, which restricts foreign ships from transporting goods between US ports. Only on Thursdaya week and a half after the storm hitdid the Trump administration waive the Jones Act restrictions for Puerto Rico, and even then only for a brief ten-day window.

Up to 10,000 shipping crates full of food, fuel, water and medical aid have sat for days in Puerto Ricos ports. The Department of Homeland Security, the agency responsible for dispersing the goods through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), had no plan to disburse these items.

Many roads, long neglected by cuts to infrastructure spending on the island, are impassible. The wind wiped out aboveground phone lines and cell towers and destroyed Puerto Ricos power plants, which are a median 44 years old. Trucks cannot deliver fuel to power generators because they do not have enough fuel to make the drive.

Local officials in rural towns complain that the government is not delivering necessary relief even where the roads are intact. Roberto Ramirez Kurtz, Mayor of Cabo Rojo, told National Public Radio, The Roads are open. Ive been able to come here. So why havent we used this to [transport goods]?

As a result, the death toll continues to rise. Though the official total is between 15 and 19, the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI) wrote that this drastically underreports the number of fatalities. It puts the figure in the hundreds or higher. Sources told the CPI that bodies are piling up at morgues and hospitals across the island.

Again and again, storms and natural disasters lay bare the irreconcilable antagonism between the social needs of the population and the money-grubbing parasitism of the rich. While trillions are made available for war, surveillance, police militarization and corporate giveaways, the ruling class claims there is no money to protect the poor and working class from being killed en masse by wind and rain.

Never letting an opportunity go to waste, Trump shrugged off the growing death toll and threatened to withhold emergency funding as a bargaining chip to demand that Puerto Rico pay a higher proportion of its debts to Wall Street creditors in ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.

In a speech Friday before a room of corporate CEOs salivating over his proposed tax cuts, Trump said: Ultimately, the Puerto Rican government will have to work with us to determine how this massive rebuilding effort [that] will end up being one of the biggest ever will be funded and organized. And what we will do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island.

Trump expresses in a more explicitly thuggish form what the financial aristocracy is thinking. While the Democrats raise token opposition to Trumps handling of relief efforts on the grounds that the administration is moving too slowly, it is not just one presidential administration that is to blame, but the entire for-profit capitalist system.

Though the military is ostensibly being mobilized to help with the relief effort, the real purpose is to intimidate or crush social opposition fueled both by the storm and the austerity plan imposed by Wall Street in the islands bankruptcy proceeding. This has been the US militarys basic role for 119 years as an occupation force on the Island.

The destruction of Puerto Rico raises the need for the immediate expenditure of billions of dollars to save the lives of those at risk of death and disease, and hundreds of billions more to provide resources such as food, water, fuel and medical supplies and rebuild and modernize the social infrastructure. All those who have lost their homes or jobs must be fully compensated and made whole.

This cannot be accomplished under capitalism. It requires confiscating the wealth of the financial aristocracy, nationalizing the banks and corporations to place them under public ownership and democratic control, and reorganizing the US and world economy not for profit, but to meet the needs of the human race.
The Indian government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deployed security forces along Indias northeastern borders to prevent thousands of Rohingya refugees entering the country. The Rohingya are fleeing ongoing military violence in Myanmar (Burma). New Delhi also plans to expel around 40,000 Rohingya already in India.

On September 22, Reuters reported that Indias Border Security Forces (BSF) had been authorised to use rude and crude methods to block the refugees. One official told the news agency, We wont tolerate Rohingya on Indian soil, he said.

R.P.S. Jaswal, a BSF deputy inspector general leading patrols in the east Indian state of West Bengal, admitted that his troops had been ordered to use chilli grenades and stun grenades. Chilli grenades cause severe irritation and temporarily immobilise people who are targetted.

On Wednesday, the Hindu reported that the BSF had pushed back Rohingya trying to cross into the northeastern Indian state of Tripura. The newspaper claimed this was the first such incident since Indias home ministry ordered the BSF on August 19 to stop the refugees.

The newspaper has also reported that the chief ministers of Assam and Manipur had instructed border forces to prevent the fleeing Rohingya coming to their states. Assam and Manipur are ruled by political allies of Modis Hindu-supremacist Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP). The Tripura state government is controlled by the Stalinist Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM)-led Left Front.

A recent editorial in Peoples Democracy, the CPMs web site, criticised government attempts to deport the Rohingya but did not defend the right to asylum or oppose New Delhis violent border actions. Instead the publication cynically called on the government to provide the Rohingya with identification papers so they could be sent back when the conditions are conducive.

During his visit to Myanmar last month, Prime Minister Modi endorsed government claims that the military violence in the Rakhine state was in response to extremist attacks.

What is occurring in Myanmar is the opposite. The long-standing oppression and military violence against the Rohingya has been intensified under the new ruling regime headed by Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Burmese military has exploited minor attacks by insurgency groups in Rakhine to unleash a murderous ethnic-cleansing program against the minority Muslim community. Over half a million Rohingya have fled Burma since August, with about 400,000 entering Bangladesh and tens of thousands crossing to India.

The BJPs backing for the Myanmar regime is driven by Indias geo-strategic ambitions. Encouraged by its strategic partnership with the US, New Delhi wants closer relations with Myanmar in order to isolate Chinas influence in the region.

Modis hostility to the Rohingya is also connected to its anti-Muslim communalism, which is used to divide the Indian working class and divert the rising political opposition to the governments austerity measures. In line with this reactionary agenda, the BJP is also stepping up its political and military provocations against Pakistan.

The Congress Party, Indias other main bourgeois party, is encouraging the BJPs reactionary attacks on the Rohingya. Congress spokesman Ajay Maken has recently declared that the influx of refugees is a serious issue and appealed for an all-party conference to formulate Indian policy.

The BJP has tabled a constitutional amendment to the 1955 Citizenship Act in the Indian parliament. It states that minority communitiesHindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christiansfrom Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan shall not be treated as illegal migrants. The reactionary amendment fails to include Muslims from these countries.

Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that Rohingya were not refugees and slammed anyone criticising the governments crackdown. Speaking last week at a seminar organised by the National Human Rights Commission, Singh declared that human rights for Rohingya had been raked up but that they were illegal immigrants and posed a threat to national security.

Whitewashing the military repression unleashed in Rakhine state, Singh said, I am sure Myanmar will take positive steps to take back the Rohingya. He claimed that Indias actions were not in violation of international law because it was not a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Fillipo Grandi, however, recently rejected this claim, stating all countries, irrespective of whether they had signed the convention have obligations under customary international law. They have obligations not to push people back to places where they would face these serious harms, he said.

Early last week, the Indian government submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court countering a petition filed by two Rohingya, Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir. The two refugees are attempting to prevent their deportation, arguing that they had fled Burma, because they faced violence, bloodshed and discrimination. The case is to be heard on October 3.

The home affairs ministry affidavit stated that the Rohingyas continued stay in India was illegal and posed serious security threats. It claimed that the refugees could have links with ISI, the Pakistan intelligence agency, Islamic State and other extremist Islamist groups.

The affidavit called on the court to allow the executive to make the decision on illegal immigrants. In other words, this will allow the government to hand over these refugees to the Burmese military.

Workers in India must oppose the Modi governments anti-democratic actions against the Rohingya refugees. The Rohingya are victims of the pro-western government of Suu Kyi and her military backers. They must be given asylum and allowed to live in safety with full democratic rights wherever they choose.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency announced Thursday that it carried out a sweeping, nationwide crackdown on immigrants living in so-called sanctuary cities. The campaign, dubbed Operation Safe City, involved the arrests of 498 individuals over a four-day period ending Wednesday.

Major metropolitan areas across the US were targeted in the latest ICE raids, including Los Angeles County (167 arrests), Philadelphia (107), Denver (63), New York (45), Seattle (33), Baltimore (28), Cook County, Illinois (30), San Jose (27), Washington, D.C. (14) as well as the entire state of Massachusetts (50).

The immigrants abducted in these raids represent a broad swath of the worlds population, coming from 42 countries.

In their press release, ICE details ten sensationalized stories of the crimes for which some of these immigrants have been accused. They then claim that 317 of those detained had prior criminal convictions, implying that 181 had no criminal record whatsoever. The most common offense cited by ICE was drunk driving, for which 86 of the undocumented immigrants have been detained and face deportation.

Any crimes they may have committed are a product of the diseased social relations of capitalism and can largely be attributed to the impacts of poverty and desperation that have driven them to leave their home countries to come to the US, where they face ostracism and demonization by the government and media.

The ICE press release states, Operation Safe City focused on cities and regions where ICE deportation officers are denied access to jails and prisons to interview suspected immigration violators or jurisdictions where ICE detainers are not honored.

The term sanctuary city refers to those cities that, due to public pressure stemming from sizable immigrant populations, restrain their local police from fully complying with ICE agents deportation requests.

These cities are largely overseen by Democratic politicians, who have offered the most tepid response to the assault on immigrants being carried out by the Trump administration. The sweeping ICE raids themselves expose the lie that there is the possibility for any kind of sanctuary to exist under the current economic and political system.

The press release quotes ICE Acting Director Thomas Homan as saying, Sanctuary jurisdictions that do not honor detainers or allow us access to jails and prisons are shielding criminal aliens from immigration enforcement and creating a magnet for illegal immigration. As a result, ICE is forced to dedicate more resources to conduct at-large arrests in these communities.

He continued, ICEs goal is to build cooperative, respectful relationships with our law enforcement partners to help prevent dangerous criminal aliens from being released back onto the streets. Noncooperation policies severely undermine that effort at the expense of public safety.

The crackdown on sanctuary cities is intended to cultivate authoritarian sentiments within Trumps far-right base of support, as well as embolden the fascistic agents and operatives within ICE itself.

During his presidential campaignwhich was launched with a viciously xenophobic diatribe against Mexican immigrantsTrump repeatedly denounced sanctuary cities, and upon his election signed an executive order curbing funding to such cities. In late April, California District Court Judge William H. Orrick blocked the executive order, arguing that Trump overstepped his presidential authority.

The latest ICE raids coincide with Trumps issuance of a new, indefinite travel ban targeting the citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, North Korea and Venezuela, which was signed by Trump on Sunday night. The new ban is being implemented after the 90-day lifespan of the initial Supreme Court-sanctioned ban elapsed.

Further escalating the clampdown on immigration, Trump announced on Friday in a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that the number of refugees allowed into the US next year would be capped at 45,000, the lowest number since 1980. It also came to light this week that the Department of Homeland Security is expanding a major operation to collect and analyze the social media accounts of all those who seek to immigrate to the United States and apply for citizenship.

On Thursday, Politico released a report compiling State Department data on the cumulative impact of the two previous travel bans implemented via executive orders signed by Trump this year, dubbed the Muslim ban for targeting majority-Muslim countries. Politico found that the monthly average of visitor visas granted to the countries affected by the bans has fallen by 44 percent compared to annual data for 2016. These visas are issued primarily to business travelers, tourists and students.

Overall, the Politico report found that non-immigrant visas to people from all Arab nations fell 16 percent and the number issued to people from the worlds nearly 50 majority-Muslim countries fell 8 percent, even as the number issued to people from all nations was virtually unchanged.

In response to the latest travel ban, the ACLU has filed an amendment to its existing lawsuit challenging the Trump administrations previous travel ban. In a statement, ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said, President Trumps newest travel ban is still a Muslim ban at its core, and it certainly engages in discrimination based on national origin, which is unlawful.
Despite considerable anger and bewilderment among the 450 staff members at a union branch meeting on September 21, the National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) pushed through an initial vote for a major sellout of its members at the University of Sydney. The final vote was 301 for and 139 against, reflecting developing concern about the unions role.

Despite the NTEUs betrayal, however, the proposed new enterprise bargaining agreement (EBA) still has to go to a ballot of all staff, expected to be conducted by the university in November.

After intense backroom talks with management, the union suddenly called the meeting to vote on an in-principle EBA struck between the management and the unions bargaining committee. By the time the meeting was convened, the NTEU national executive had already endorsed the EBA, in a bid to preempt the vote.

As they entered the room, union members were handed written endorsements of the agreement by the NTEU national executive, and the unions New South Wales (NSW), Queensland and Western Australian state secretaries. These endorsements insisted that the proposed agreement was the only way to answer the Fair Work Commissions termination of the EBA at Perths Murdoch University.

Just days earlier, the NTEU had staged a one-day strike and rally, claiming to be fighting for job security, protection against restructuring-driven retrenchments, superannuation and sick leave rights for casual staff, and salary increases. All these pretences have been repudiated in the proposed EBA.

At the meeting, the NTEU members were not given copies of the proposed deal, only a typically misleading summary provided by the union leadership. Even according to that summary, however:

The management can impose forced redundancies in implementing its restructuring plans.





Casuals will not receive any sick leave, parental leave or 17 percent superannuation and will continue to make up an increasing proportion of the workforce.





120 teaching-only roles, with heavy workloads, will be advertised, further undermining the traditional link between academic research and teaching.





All professional staff positions at HEO 10 and above can be advertised externally, establishing a precedent that can be expanded to all staff levels.





There are 2.1 percent annual wage increases, which amounts to a real pay cut.

In its letter to the meeting, the NTEU national executive praised the deal as a breakthrough and stressed the central importance of achieving such agreements at other universities, supposedly as a means of preventing other universities from seeking agreement terminations.

NSW state secretary Michael Thomson, a longtime pseudo-left member of the union leadership and a former University of Sydney branch president, falsely claimed the deal contained gains for casuals. The proposed agreement is an important agreement, he wrote, with important gains for general staff because they would be the best paid in the sector.

So obvious is the sell-out that the majority of the NTEUs own university branch committee advocated rejecting it. In a leaflet, the committee nervously raised concerns about trying to sell it to staff when nothing major has changed. Such an outcome would seriously [call] into question members trust in the union leadership.

The branch committee said the agreement falls short of our claims on job security, which is of particular concern to us in light of the forthcoming sweeping restructures and contains no concessions on our claims for sick leave and superannuation for casuals. The proposed EBA also still represents a real-terms pay cut for a majority of non-casual staff at the university and abandons the principle that academic work should link teaching and research.

The University of Sydney Casuals Network, a NTEU sub-committee, issued a leaflet saying: The NTEU should not give up the fight for casuals rights before it has truly begun. In reality, the NTEU had no intention of mounting a struggle for the rights of casuals, having agreed to successive EBAs for years that have helped the management so much that casuals already do more than half the teaching at the university.

NTEU branch president Kurt Iveson told the meeting he was actually incredibly proud to be standing here to recommend this agreement. He threatened that if members rejected it, the university would withdraw its offer and we will face attempts to wind back the gains we have won and attacks on our existing conditions.

Iveson claimed that, after one 24-hour stoppage, further strike action would only alienate the staff. The fact that a third of the meeting voted against the NTEUs deal, despite such lies and threats, demonstrated otherwise. In reality, the NTEU is determined to prevent or shut down any industrial action at any university that could challenge its drive to impose similar sellout deals across the country.



The author also recommends:

Australian university union pushes sellout deals across the country

[30 September 2017]
GEORGIA (WTXL) - Second Harvest of South Georgia is packing another 1,200 disaster relief boxes for those affected by Hurricane Maria.

Second Harvest has raised relief boxes for both hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

They are asking that community members sponsor a box. $20 will provide one box to a family.

Boxes will include non-perishable items, such as canned tuna, peanut butter and paper towels.

Chief marketing executive Eliza McCall says they need all the support they can get.

"The need is tremendous from what we are hearing," McCall explained. "So we are going to work with Feed America Network to make sure these boxes get to the families that need them."

Second Harvest hopes to raise at least $25,000 to provide the 1,200 boxes.
POLK COUNTY, GA (CBS46) - Authorities have captured a man they say shot and killed a Polk County Deputy on Friday.

The deputy was killed while investigating a stolen vehicle in Polk County.

According to Northwest Georgia News, the shooting happened around 11 a.m. on Santa Claus Road near Highway 100 between the cities of Cave Spring and Cedartown. Another officer was also shot but was wearing a bulletproof vest.

Police issued a Blue Alert following the incident in order to help locate suspect, Seth Brandon Spangler.
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) - The Valdosta Police Department is hosting a series of community forums for open debate about the proposal to amend the teen curfew.

Valdosta Police Chief Brian Childress discussed his viewing Friday after Thursday night's community forum.

Thursday night, community members packed out the meeting chambers at city hall in Valdosta. Many came seeking clarity about the proposed amendment to the teen curfew.

If passed, the curfew would fine parents up to $1,000 as maximum punishment. Police Chief Brian Childress says that would be the last result.

"I think many folks were concerned with 'are we going to take a single mother who truly is trying to raise her child and put them in jail,'" said Childress. "That is not the intent of this ordinance."

Chief Childress presented a presentation to community members listing ways he would try to work with parents.

If a parent is found in violation of the ordinance, the parent and child would have to take a class. That course would cost $50. The second violation would be monetary. But Childress stands firm in says no one is going to jail.
Bystanders check out flooding on Fruitvale Boulevard in Yakima, Wash., Wednesday, March 15, 2017. At least two restaurants were flooded. Authorities said a levee broke on the Naches River, east of Fred Meyer, and contributed to flooding in the area. (SOFIA JARAMILLO/Yakima Herald-Republic file)
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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been treating Israel with hostility in recent years. Time and again, the organization adopts anti-Israel resolutions denying the Jewish peoples connection to the Land of Israel and Jerusalem and defining Jewish sites as "Palestinian heritage sites."

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Time and again, Israel fails to prevent these resolutions, and time and again, it settles for complaints once they are adopted.

Sometimes, it seems as if Israel is suffering from some kind of personality disorder which makes it fall in love with complaints about a disease rather than cure it.

UNESCO headquarters (Photo: AP)

The elections for the post of UNESCO director-general will be held in two weeks. This is Israels chance to show some initiative and active diplomacy, but it seems to have been caught off guard.

Of the nine nominations for the position, four come from Arab countriesQatar, Iraq, Lebanon and an Egyptian representative who is in favor of applying Sharia laws. What we do know is that the election of an Iranian chairperson has already been secured. The only education a Qatari-Iranian coalition in UNESCO will offer the world is education to terror, hatred and extremism.

The State of Israel is well aware of that, as UNESCO concerns many bodiesgovernment ministries, local authorities and plenty of organizations and NGOs. Everyone knows how important these elections are, but they seem to be continuing their summer vacation and have yet to do a thing to promote the election of a professional and decent director-general for the organization.

This is exactly where Israel must use diplomatic counter-terrorism: identify the challenge, detect ways of action and create coalitions that will make it possible to reach the desired result.

Instead of fighting specific decisions, Israel must try to change the agenda. Instead of letting the Arab states hijack UNESCO for anti-Israel incitement purposes, Israel must try to influence the organizations leadership. Instead of complaining in retrospect, Israel must wake up and act.

Israel is not the only country that would benefit from this; so would the entire world. A professional director-general would be committed to advancing culture in the world, and not medieval culture. He would work for the preservation of heritage sites rather than for their destruction. He would promote literature, not book-burning.

A professional director-general who sees the values of education, science and culture before his eyes would know that resolutions which deny the Jewish peoples connection to Jerusalem have no room in the organization, would recognize the Jewish peoples contribution to global culture over thousands of years and would not lend a hand to anti-Israel bias.

UNESCO famously denied Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. Is this merely the beginning? (Photo: Reuters)

There are two candidates who meet this description, professionals of great stature. People who are working to promote education, culture and science in their countries and in international bodies, and even in UNESCO itself. Candidates who represent countries from different continents whose common ground is the rich cultures they represent. These candidates will be able to restore UNESCOs glory and advance the universal and enlightened values the organization was established for.

Israeli officials know these people, know how talented they are and how much they could help the organizationand Israel as well. Instead of being polite, instead of thinking what the world will say if we promote the right candidates, Israel must demonstrate some chutzpah and initiative and put its interests first.

Some will say that Israeli support could be a double-edged sword, as it will prompt other countries to act against the candidate favored by Israel. But thats no reason to sit idly by. Our diplomatic toolbox contains many diverse tools that could be used to try to influence the election: Alliances with different countries, offers for cooperation and plenty of ways to operate above and below the radar.

We are in the Jewish month of Tishrei, and Israelis like to postpone things until after the Holy Days. In UNESCO, we cant afford to do that. We must act now, before its too late.

Amb. Ron Prosor, Israels former permanent representative to the United Nations, is the Abba Eban Chair of International Diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC).
Norway offered on Friday to let Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu live in Oslo with his Norwegian wife, but she said it was unclear if Israel will allow him to travel.

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Vanunu, 62, married theology professor Kristin Joachimsen in Jerusalem in 2015 after first meeting in Israel almost a decade earlier.

She applied for him to be allowed to come to Norway in May 2015 under rules for family reunification and a spokesman for the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration said permission had been granted.

Mordechai Vanunu with his wife Kristin Joachimsen (Photo: Haim Zach)

Vanunu was jailed and served an 18-year sentence after discussing his work at Israels Dimona nuclear reactor with a British newspaper in 1986. The interview led experts to conclude the facility had produced fissile material for as many as 200 atomic warheads.

After his release from jail in 2004, Israeli defense authorities imposed strict conditions on Vanunu, including from traveling abroad, alleging he was a security risk and might have new secrets to tell.

Mordechai Vanunu (Photo: Haim Zach)

Joachimsen said the Israeli restrictions were up for review in November and expressed hopes they would be lifted. We have waited long enough for the case to be solved on Israels side, she said.

The restrictions, upheld by Israels Supreme Court, have been condemned by international human rights groups.
BEIRUT - Overnight air strikes killed 28 people, including four children, in a village in rebel-held Idlib province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday.

Rescue workers have said Syria and Russia have killed scores of civilians in air strikes that began after insurgents launched an offensive against government-held areas in the north west of the country on Sept. 19.

The Russian and Syrian militaries say they only target militants and deny killing civilians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed on Saturday night an agreement reached early Friday with the leadership of the disabled protest.

"This is an historic agreement that would bring to a significant improvement in the condition of disabled people in Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement released after the end of the Yom Kippur holiday.

"The agreement gives expression to the principles Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and myself have set from the start. There will be a significant increase (in benefits) beginning this coming January and reaching NIS 4.2 billion."
The Yom Kippur fast ended Saturday night, capping 25 hours of fasting andon the country's nearly car-free roadsbicycle riders and pedestrians enjoying a rare respite from busy vehicle traffic. Unfortunately, as every year, the holiday wasn't without its incidents. Magen David Adom summarized the holiday's injury toll.

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Magen David Adom paramedics were called to 2,229 incidents nationwide, providing medical attention to 1,659 people. 28 people were injured in car accidents, 2 in moderate condition and 26 suffering only minor injuries.

Tel Aviv's roads empty of cars in favor of bicycle riders (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Meanwhile, 24 people were hurt in violent incidents, one of them seriously wounded and the rest in light condition.

Of the people receiving medical attention, 228 fainted, were dehydrated and felt unwell as a result of the fast. Twenty-one had to be resuscitated.

In addition, 265 people were injured from riding bicycles, rollerblades, roller skates and skateboards, with seven sustaining injuries while using electric bikes or hoverboards.

Magen David Adom teams also took 134 women about to give birth to hospitals, with seven babies delivered in Majdal Shams, Qalansawe, Modi'in, Petah Tikva, Carmiel, Jerusalem and Bnei Brak.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

"Unfortunately, once again this year two incidents of rock throwing on ambulances and obstructing teams from carrying out their duties took place in Ashdod and Acre, with perpetrators being non-Haredi teenagers and children," Magen David Adom said.

Hospitals nationwide report scores of injuries, births

Assaf Harofeh Medical Center cared for 45 adults and children who sustained minor injuries as a result of riding bicycles. Five people arrived to the hospital during Yom Kippur after feeling unwell as a result of the fast, and they have all been treated and are in fair condition.

Soroka University Medical Center in Beer Sheva provided medical attention to 421 patients during the fast, of which 286 were seen to in the general emergency room, 75 in the pediatric emergency room and 60 in the maternity emergency room. The hospital delivered 41 babies during Yom Kippur.

The Hadassah Medical Centers in Jerusalem's Mount Scopus and Ein Kerem saw to 30 patients, most of whom were children, due to falls and contusions, mostly from bicycles.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

An unusual event was noted when a 27 year old was taken to Hadassah Medical centers in Jerusalem's Ein Kerem's trauma unit, after collapsing due to ingesting a plant stimulant. The young man received treatment at the intensive care ward and was in serious condition, in an induced coma and under artificial respiration.

Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon reported the births of 13 babies during the holiday, with the emergency room caring for 180 people.

Two police roadblocks breached near Haifa

Police reported two cases of roadblock breaching by drivers between Kiryat Ata and Kiryat Haim. The first incident took place near HaAmakim junction early Saturday when a vehicle breached a police roadblock and ran over a police officer's foot.

The officer fired on the vehicle and hit one of its wheels, but it nevertheless drove off.

The vehicle was later stopped in Kiryat Ata but its occupants escaped. Police have arrested the car's owner, a 34-year-old resident of Kafr Manda. He will be remanded Sunday at a local courthouse.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The second incident also took place early Saturday, with a car bursting through a roadblock in Kiryat Bialik and driving towards HaTzrif junction.

Police blocked the car from continuing towards the Krayot roads, which were filled with pedestrians, and directed the car to highway 22, where it was stopped. The driver, also from Kafr Manda, was arrested.

A search of his vehicle turned up alcohol bottles and the driver was found to be driving with a suspended license. He will be remanded Saturday night.

Public transportation to resume gradually

No trains will be operating Saturday night, Israel Railways said, with train traffic to resume midnight Sunday. The Egged and Dan bus companies resumed service an hour and a half after the fast ended.

(Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The first flight to land at Ben Gurion Airport after Yom Kippur will touch down at 22:30, whereas the first liftoff will depart an hour later.

The general curfew of the West Bank imposed by the IDF during Yom Kippur will be lifted at midnight Sunday, with crossings into the Gaza Strip also opening again.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed on Saturday night an agreement reached early Friday between representatives from the government and Histadrut labor union federation and the leadership of the disabled protest.

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"This is an historic agreement that would bring to a significant improvement in the condition of disabled people in Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement released after the end of the Yom Kippur holiday.

Representatives from the government, Histadrut and disabled organizations reached a landmark agreement (Photo: Histadrut)

"There will be a significant increase (in benefits) beginning this coming January and reaching NIS 4.2 billion. I would like to thank Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Chairman of the National Economic Council Prof. Avi Simhon, Histadrut Chairman Avi Nissenkorn, Coalition Chairman David Bitan, MK Ilan Gilon and other MKs who helped the negotiations along," Netanyahu concluded.

However, the "Disabled Panthers" organizationnot invited to participate in the negotiationsannounced it does not accept the deal and will continue blocking central Israeli thoroughfares Sunday morning.

Disabled Panthers blocking roads (: "  ")

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"We forewarned we will not be accepting the agreement unless we participate in negotiations. Despite asking to participate, our representatives were not invited to the table. We will continue the protest as well as blocking roads," said Eyal Cohen, the protest's leader.

Disabled Panthers leader Eyal Cohen announced his organization rejects the agreement (Photo: Disabled Panthers)

According to the agreement, to be enacted into law, disabled persons with a 100 percent disability rate will receive an increased NIS 4,000 pensions in four increments, starting January 2018 and terminating in January 2021. The total cost of this raise is estimated to be around NIS 4.2 billion a year.

The agreement further stipulates that the disability pension will be linked to the state's average wage, and not to the consumer price index as is currently the case. In addition, the maximum amount one can be paid at work while still maintaining the full amount of the pension will also be increased from NIS 2,800 to NIS 4,000 in January 2018, and again to NIS 4,300 in January 2019.

It was agreed that the effect of raising this amount would be examined, and if found to be positive, the government would consider a further increase of up to NIS 5,300.

Disabled Panthers threatened to continue blocking roads (Photo: Disabled Panthers)

In addition, NIS 150 million will be allotted to increase disability benefits for children, an additional NIS 300 million will be allotted to the maintenance of old-age disability pensions, which would prevent the disabled from having to choose between maintaining the disability pension and waiving the old-age pension, or vice versa, and an additional NIS 75 million will be allotted to encourage employment of the disabled.

The increase in the disability pension will be carried out in four stagesfrom January 2018 to January 2021in amounts estimated between NIS 700 and NIS 1,800 per month.

The most severely handicapped, who need close supervision, and those entitled to the special services allowance at the two highest rates of disability, will receive about NIS 4,500 a month.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) senior leadership visited Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS) 13 aboard Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma as part of the Boots on the Ground (BoG) program, Wednesday.

Those in attendance included the Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Commanding General Maj. Gen. Mark Wise, CNAF's executive director Bryan Scurry, and Marine Corps Assistant Deputy Commandant for Aviation (Sustainment), William Taylor.



The program's overall goal is to resolve interdependent Naval Aviation issues by conducting site visits to Navy and Marine Corps aviation sites, aircraft carriers and L-class ships. These events allow NAE leaders to engage with Sailors and Marines to sustain focus on readiness and quality of life.



"From the innovative things that are going on to the places where we can break down barriers for Sailors and Marines are the two big takeaways every time we come to a Boots event," said Shoemaker. "All of the young Marines that were briefing today were very polished and very knowledgeable. We were all very much impressed."



During the event, flag officers, senior executive service civilians and subject matter experts heard candid and constructive insights from working-level Sailors and Marines.



"It was cool to be able to present my team's problem and to have our solution approved so quickly," said Marine Cpl. Michael Ruiz, a member of MALS-13's aircrew survival equipment team, who demonstrated the need for a breathing air compressor to support Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1) flight operations. "We have the knowledge base and the personnel to do it, we just don't have the capability and the support equipment."



The event highlighted the MALS-13's unique role to support the entire spectrum of Marine Aviation by adapting geographic constraints for repair and support capabilities. Squadron leaders showcased their Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) successes and innovations while discussing their challenges in supporting the AV-8B Harrier II and F-35B Lightning II as well as other aircraft.



"This particular unit had a lot of executable recommendations which we were able to recognize, but another great outcome is the realization of the expanding requirements of this unit," said Wise. "It's not just Harriers anymore, but this time next year, an equal number of F-35s. I don't think a lot of people really understood how much support this unit actually gives. This visibility will make things better for them now and in the future."



As the first Marine Corps operational squadron to support the F-35B, MALS-13 identified the limited service life of the aircraft's tires was an average of five landings, affecting its overall readiness. Due to their inability to perform maintenance due to lack of authorization, training and qualifications, they were unable to keep up with the demand.



MALS-13 were able to obtain the proper training, tools and support equipment to repair the wheel and tire assemblies at the intermediate maintenance level, allowing for an extended life span of 8-10 landings. This allowed the squadron to establish a stock of ready for issue (RFI) contributing to an increase in readiness.



Marine Staff Sgt. Montana Casper, who briefed BoG attendees on the F-35B's wheel and tire rework, said he could see that NAE leaders were interested in learning more about each challenge presented.



While the squadron were able solved a major readiness issue, MALS-13 presented other challenges that allowed NAE leaders to capture action items for optimizing readiness throughout the fleet.



"Everyone involved has different resources and perspectives that are available," said MALS-13's Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Luke Watson. "To increase situational awareness, especially on new things like the F-35B, just helps people make better decisions on what we need to do or may have a simple fix that can lead to greater efficiencies."



The Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) is a cooperative partnership of naval aviation stakeholders focused on sustaining required current readiness and advancing future warfighting capabilities at best possible cost. It is comprised of Sailors, Marines, civilians, and contractors from across service branches and organizations, working together to identify and resolve readiness barriers and warfighting degraders.
Last Tuesday, responding to questions in parliament by Peter Isoaimo, Member for Kairuku Hiri, and James Donald, Member for North Fly, the prime minister is reported to have justified his controversial decision to re-appoint Mr Duma and Dr Pok to ministerial portfolios.

These effectively acting against his own earlier decision which, in accordance with principles of good governance, was to protect the investigation into the K46 million Manumanu land deal by sidelining William Duma and Fabian Pok until such time as it had been completed.

PORT MORESBY - Transparency International PNG has grave concerns about prime minister Peter ONeills commitment to integrity, given recent remarks justifying his dramatic change of mind in making two key ministerial reappointments,

We will address the issues that may come to light at the end of the enquiry, Mr ONeill said. Its no point me pre-empt [sic] the outcomes of the enquiry under our jurisdiction, the members should know all citizens are innocent until proven guilty.

This is a direct contradiction of the prime ministers statement to the media in February of this year when he said Mr Duma and Dr Pok will step aside from their ministerial responsibilities pending the conclusion and outcomes of the Commission of Inquiry [now an administrative inquiry].

Furthermore, Mr ONeill said that, It is now clear that these agencies of government have not worked together in a coordinated way to facilitate the implementation of the 2012 government NEC decision.

The acquisition of this land has been done in clear violation of the governments decision and resulted in K78.4 million being paid.

In a media statement, Lawrence Stephens, chairman of Transparency International PNG, said Papua New Guineans know that if a minister is being investigated he or she must step down to preserve the integrity of the office they hold.

The PM must follow through his earlier commitment to integrity and revoke the appointments of Duma and Pok until the administrative inquiry into the Manumanu land deal is completed and the results made public.

Mr. Stephens also observed that the members of parliament and media must be commended for reminding the prime minister of his commitment to integrity and protecting the course of justice.
Washington: US first lady Melania Trump's donation of books to a California school was rejected by its librarian, describing them racist and unneeded.

Melania had sent packages of 10 Dr Seuss books to one high-achieving school in every state. The packages included titles such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and a personal favourite that she and her son, Barron, 11, read together "over and over:" Oh, the Places You'll Go!

In an open letter to the first lady posted on a book blog, Liz Phipps Soeiro, a library media specialist at the Cambridgeport School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that while she was grateful for the books, she would not be accepting them.

Soeiro said she was returning the books because "...My school doesn't have a need for these books."

"Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss' illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes," Phipps Soeiro wrote, citing If I Ran a Zoo, which some critics say contains caricatures of Africans and Asians.

She also criticised the Trump administration's policies on funding schools and libraries, USA TODAY reported. "Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalised and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?" she proposed.

Her letter prompted her school district to distance itself from her, saying in a statement that she has the right to her opinion but it is not an official position, according to the Boston Globe.

The White House responded by saying that the first lady wanted to use her platform "to help as many children as she can."

"To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the first lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere," her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.
Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh): Rashida Begum steers clear of the water pump near the reeking latrine shared by more than 100 families in a grim corner of Bangladesh that has grown into one of the world's largest refugee settlements in just weeks.

"The pump works, but the water stinks, so we don't drink it," the Rohingya woman said in the squalid camp where her family of 11 has lived since fleeing Myanmar a fortnight ago.

The UN has warned of a humanitarian "nightmare" unfolding in Bangladesh's refugee camps, where half a million people have taken shelter after fleeing violence in Myanmar in unprecedented waves.

With a lack of clean water and toilets, aid workers say a major health disaster is imminent.

Heavy monsoon rain is compounding the risk of disease outbreak, with field doctors reporting a huge spike in cases of severe diarrhoea, especially among children.

The near daily torrential downpours send streams rushing through areas where tens of thousands openly defecate every day. For some, this murky runoff is their only source of drinking water.

A stench of excreta hangs in the air on the outskirts of Kutupalong, a camp that already housed tens of thousands of refugees before the latest influx saw it mushroom into a fetid tent city stretching for miles.

At a field clinic, a long queue of refugees waiting to see the only doctor available stretched beyond the tent into the pouring rain. Dr Alamul Haque sees upwards of 400 patients a day and looked exhausted as he described the spiralling number of children presenting with water-borne illnesses.

"Earlier parents were bringing one or two children with them. Now it's three to four," Dr Haque, from Bangladeshi charity SDI, told AFP.

"It's been raining, so human waste is running everywhere. There is a high chance of a diarrhoea epidemic here."

New groundwater wells are being dug quickly across the camps, which stretch along the Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar.

But there remains a serious shortage of fresh water, with the sheer scale of the disaster -- described as one of the fastest-growing refugee crises in years -- outpacing aid efforts on the ground.

"There are long queues whenever we go to collect water. There are far more people than there is water," said one Rohingya man, knee-deep in mud as he dug a pit latrine on a hillside.

At Unchiprang, a enormous hillside shanty town of nearly 30,000 people, close to three-quarters of a million litres of water needs trucking in every day. But the roads are virtually impassable, hampering delivery.

Further down the coast at Nayapara and Leda camps experts warn existing water sources will run dry by January.

But sanitation is a more immediate concern.

Toilets are being filled as fast as they are being built, forcing people to defecate wherever they can. "There are hundreds of people queued for the toilets. It's a big problem, especially for the children," Hasina Begum, an elderly Rohingya woman, told AFP.

"There are other toilets on the hillsides, but they're basic pits. They're filled up now, and stink, so nobody uses them."

The Red Cross says camps are teetering on the precipice of a full-scale health disaster.

Conditions are ripe for an illness like cholera to tear through the densely-populated camps, experts say, where refugees live cheek by jowl.

"The risk of there being an acute, watery diarrhoea epidemic is real and serious," said an international health and sanitation expert, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak to media.
Islamabad: Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed's legal team has sent a Rs 100 million defamation notice to Pakistan`s Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for his remarks at the Asia Society forum in New York earlier this week.

Asif, who told the forum that Pakistan was not to blame for militant outfits in the country, had said: "Don`t blame us for the Haqqanis and don`t blame us for the Hafiz Saeeds. These people were your darlings just 20 to 30 years back. They were being dined and wined in the White House and now you say `go to hell Pakistanis because you are nurturing these people."

The notice, served by Advocate A.K. Dogar on Friday claimed that Saeed, the chief of banned Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) party was "respected as a deeply religious and devout Muslim", Dawn online reported on Saturday.

It accused Asif of speaking "an absolute lie and falsehood that Hafiz Muhammad Saeed was one of those persons who had been the darlings of Americans and had been dining and wining in the White House".

The notice stated that Asif made a "defamatory statement punishable under Section 500 of the Pakistan Penal Code to five years imprisonment and with (a) fine".

A Pakistani court earlier this week extended by a month the detention of Saeed, blamed for the 2008 Mumbai terror attack which left 166 Indians and foreigners dead.

The government had contended that the activities of the JuD leaders, if they were released, would pose a serious threat to public safety and public order.
Islamabad: Pakistan has handed over a dossier to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on alleged human rights violations in Kashmir, the country's top security body was informed on Friday.

The National Security Committee in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was informed that the premier handed over a dossier documenting "the systematic human rights violations by India" in Kashmir to Guterres during the UN General Assembly.

Abbasi also urged the UN to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir.

The National Security Committee's meeting was attended by Minister for Finance, Minister for Foreign Affairs, all three services' chiefs and senior civil and military officials, according to an official statement.

"The Committee condemned human rights violation in Kashmir and expressed deep concern over the ceasefire violations across the Line of Control," the statement said.

The Committee was briefed that the prime minister and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif had engaged the leadership of several important countries to share Pakistan's perspective on regional and global security challenges.

The outcomes of the prime minister?s visit to New York for the UN General Assembly were shared with the Committee, the statement said.

Abbasi in his maiden address to the UN General Assembly, urged the UN to appoint a special envoy to Kashmir and warned India against pursuing the doctrine of "limited war" against his country, saying it will evoke a strong and "matching response".

He raked up the Kashmir issue, alleging that the struggle of the people in the Valley is being "brutally suppressed" by India.

The National Security Committee was also informed that the foreign minister had visited key regional countries, including China, Iran and Turkey to apprise their leadership about Pakistan's perspective on crucial regional and international issues.

The Committee also reviewed the current developments in the relationship with Afghanistan as well as common avenues for continued cooperation, especially border management and repatriation of refugees, the statement said.

The participants reiterated commitment for peace in Afghanistan through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

"The Committee expressed its unwavering resolve to keep Pakistan?s defence impregnable against all forms of external aggression," the statement said.
Islamabad: Pakistan's interior ministry has directed the electoral commission to bar a new party, backed by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, from politics.

The United States has designated Saeed as a terrorist, views him as the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his imprisonment.

The ministry recommended that the Election Commission of Pakistan reject the newly formed Milli Muslim League's (MML) application to become an official party as it is affiliated with the LeT, in reportedly a letter dated September 22.

Saeed is currently under house arrest.Pakistan has been reluctant to press charges against Saeed, which has been the bone of contention as far as its relations with Washington and India are concerned.

The MML had earlier won 5 percent of votes in a parliamentary by-election in Lahore on September 17.
Kabul: An Afghan official says at least two people including a police officer have been killed by roadside bombs in western Herat province.

Gelani Farhad, spokesman for the provincial governor, said on Saturday that another officer was wounded when a police vehicle triggered the explosive in the Adraskan district.

In a separate incident, Farhad said a civilian motorcycle hit a roadside bomb, killing one civilian and wounding another in the Shindand district.

In yet another report from northern Kapisa province, at least nine civilians were wounded when a bicycle bomb exploded in a bazaar, said Qais Qaderi, spokesman for the provincial governor.

Two small children were among the wounded, including one who was in critical condition, he said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks in Herat or Kapisa provinces.
New Delhi: The government is planning to organise next India Mobile Congress with global theme to expand its horizon to attract global audience.

"We are working on next dates for the event which will be in sync with global calendar of events. We want to have it along with a global event. Deliberations will take place on it in this month. Probably, an event around innovation is one of the thing that we are looking at for global audience," Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan told PTI.

The three day telecom sector event, held on September 27 -29, saw attendance from senior ministers - Communications Minister Manoj Sinha, Oil and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Law and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal.

Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh D Ambani and Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal shared stage at the event.

"There has been huge interest in scaling up this event... particularly for neighbouring countries and Africa. Enlarge the ecosystem. We still have many ecosystem player who could take part. Next year we expect their participation," Sundararajan said.

She said the industry was at forefront and the government supported.

"This event is actually a PPP (Public Private Partnership). Industry is on the forefront and government role is to support. That is how other global events are organised. From that point of view we want to establish IMC as a permanent global brand," Sundararajan said.

Industry body Cellular Operators Association of India said over 35,000 people attended the event.

"This has been a good beginning. There was participation from around 350 exhibitors, 500 start-ups, 13 countries, including Canada, the US, UK, Sweden, France, Finland, Israel, Japan, Bhutan participated in the event," COAI Director General Rajan S Mathews said.

Sundararajan said many delegates approached the government during the event, with interest in mobile manufacturing and have demanded tweaking of some of the regulation.

"While we have made a start in mobile assembly, we want to move up the value chain. Lot of the investors who met us have shown very significant interest in this area. There are certain tweaks they want in regulatory system. But, since these are initial discussion, it will not really be fair for me to share who is wanting what," she said.
New Delhi: Traffic rules are the same for everyone, even Ravana. If he drives past the President's house wearing his crown instead of a helmet, he is bound to be challaned. And that is what happened when actor Mukesh Rishi, who plays the role of Ravana in a Ramlila production being held at the Red Fort grounds, was driving in Delhi.



The actor was on his way to perform the Ramlila when the violation came to light. Several videos of him riding a Harley Davidson without a helmet went viral prompting the police to send him a challan.

DCP Traffic (Outer Range) Dinesh Gupta has been quoted as saying that the traffic personnel sent videos of him to the Road and Safety cell headquarters in Todapur. The vehicle owner was traced through the videos and a notice was sent to him communicating that he had violated traffic norms.

The actor then reached the Delhi Traffic Police headquarters on Friday and paid the fine. The actor said that he did not do it intentionally. "No matter who you are, you must wear proper gear while driving. I wanted to send this message. I will pay the fine," Mukesh said.
Mumbai: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed his party workers on the occasion of Vijay Dashmi in Pune on Saturday.

In his speech, the RSS chief appealed the 'gau-rakshaks' to not break laws while performing their duties while urging people to take up cow protection without considering religions.

"Cow protection is sanctioned in the Constitution. Rearing of a cow is not a matter of religion. I know many Muslims involved in rearing and protection of cows. There are Muslims who have sacrificed their lives for it," Bhagwat said.

"It is reprehensible that some people have been killed allegedly by 'gau-rakshaks'. In fact, a violence of any form is reprehensible. At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers. We must look at the issue of cow protection beyond religion," he said.

"Cows are used more for its urine and dung than milk in our country. For a small farmer to progress, rearing of the cow is a must. Protecting cow and cow-based agriculture is directed by the constitution. Rearing of the cow is not a matter of religion, he said at the event where Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and veteran BJP leader LK Advani were among those who were present.

Bhagwat also asked the Narendra Modi-led central government to keep national security in mind while taking a decision on providing shelter to Rohingyas in the country while backing their stand on the issue.

"We have been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into our country. If we give shelter to Rohingyas, they will not only put pressure on our jobs but also pose a threat to national security," Bhagwat said.

"Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken by keeping in mind the threat to national security," he said referring to the people who have fled from violence-hit Rakhine state in Myanmar.

On the Kashmir issue, Bhagwat said the problems of the people, who were displaced from the Kashmir Valley in the 1990s, are yet to be addressed.

"Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state," he said at the event.

"Only when the constitutional amendments are done, can the residents of Jammu and Kashmir be completely assimilated with the rest of India," Bhagwat said, apparently hinting at Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

In his speech, Bhagwat also accused the governments of West Bengal and Kerala of indulging in petty politics by lending a helping hand to the anti-national forces.
Nagpur: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday asked the central government to keep national security in mind while taking a decision on Rohingyas who are seeking shelter in the country. "We have been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into our country," Bhagwat said while addressing the RSS' annual Dussehra event here.

Giving shelter to Rohingyas will not only put pressure on our jobs, but also pose a threat to national security, he said.

"Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken by keeping in mind the threat to national security," he said referring to the people who have fled from violence-hit Rakhine state in Myanmar.

On the Kashmir issue, Bhagwat said the problems of the people, who were displaced from the Kashmir Valley in 1990s, are yet to be addressed. "Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state," he said at the event, where BJP patriarch L K Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were among those present.

"Only when the constitutional amendments are done, can the residents of Jammu and Kashmir be completely assimilated with the rest of India," Bhagwat said, apparently hinting at Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The RSS chief referred to the issue of cow vigilantism, saying "it is reprehensible that some people have been killed allegedly by gaurakshaks".

At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers, he said.

Bhagwat said the issue of cow protection is beyond religion and "many Muslims have sacrificed their life for protection of the cow just as people of Bajrang Dal have". On the economic situation, the RSS chief said that the interests of small, medium industries and self-employed businesses should be protected as they make the "biggest contribution" to the economy.

Bhagwat offered condolences to the victims of the stampede in Mumbai on Friday.

"We all empathise with the families of our brethren who have lost their lives and those who have got injured in yesterday's incident at Mumbai," he said. PTI VT NP RT


Mumbai: A day after 22 people died in a stampede at Elphinstone railway station's foot-over bridge here, MNS Raj Thackeray - on Saturday - warned that he won't allow a single brick to be placed for bullet trains till the present railway infrastructure improves.

Thackeray trained his guns on authorities of Indian Railways and blamed them for Friday's unfortunate incident. "It is not the first time that it rained in Mumbai. They (Railways) say it happened due to rains. Until present infrastructure of local railways is made better, not a single brick will be allowed to be placed for bullet train in Mumbai," he said at a press conference.

Some like Thackeray have spoken out on India's plans of having its first bullet train - between Ahmedabad and Mumbai - at a time when the existing infrastructure is in need of an urgent revamp. Friday's stampede has only highlighted the need to fix existing facilities as the foot overbridge at the Elphinstone station was too narrow to cater to the large number of passengers. The tragedy took place amid rain in the city when the foot-over bridge was heavily crowded.

Thackeray though went beyond just targeting the need for bullet trains and said gross negligence leading to deaths is inexcusable. "Why do we need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan? It seems our own Railway is enough to kill people. "A list of issues related to Mumbai local trains will be given to Railways on 5th of October with a deadline. If things don't get better, we'll act on our own," he said.

A PIL has also been filed in the Bombay High Court by local resident Pradeep Bhalekar seeking that railway officials be booked for negligence and culpable homicide.

Meanwhile, Western Railway has decided to not celebrate Dussehra in the aftermath of the tragedy. "All our staff, officers are saddened and they have spontaneously taken a call not to celebrate Dussehra," chief spokesperson of Western Railway Ravinder Bhakar said.

Local hospital authorities also said that bodies of 17 of the 22 killed have been handed back to their relatives. Out of the 39 injured, two are in a critical condition, with one of them being kept on a ventilator at the KEM hospital in Parel.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday attend Dussehra celebrations at Red Fort ground in the national capital.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister greeted the nation on the occasion of Dussehra. "Greetings to everyone on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashmi," PM Modi wrote on Twitter.

This will be the second time, after 2014, PM Modi will celebrate Dussehra in New Delhi.

In 2015, Modi was in Andhra Pradesh where he laid the foundation stone of Amravati, the new capital of the state and in 2016, he celebrated Dussehra in Lucknow.

As per reports, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu are also expected to attend Dussehra celebrations at the Red Fort along with PM Modi.

President Kovind also took to Twitter to offer his greetings on the festival. In a tweet, he said, "Greetings to fellow citizens on Vijaya Dashami, a celebration of the victory of good over evil. Shubho Bijoya!"

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh will also take part in Dussehra celebrations with the jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border police at Joshimath in Uttarakhand on Saturday.

Meanwhile, security arrangements have been beefed up at the areas surrounding the Red Fort. The security personnel have sealed the area completely for security reasons.

Keeping in view the security of PM Modi, at least 8000 personnel have been deployed at the Red Fort and adjoining areas in which Special Cell team, SPG and Paramilitary Forces will be deployed at Red Fort.
New Delhi: Patanjali is increasingly becoming a major player in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. Yoga guru Ramdev said that he plans to make Patanjali the largest FMCG brand in the next 4 years. Revealing his succession plan for the 10,000 crore Patanjali group, he said that his "successor" will be a team of nearly 500 sadhus trained by him.

Speaking at a talk show, he said: "In the next two years, Patanjali will create Rs 1 lakh crore production capacity. Presently our Haridwar facility has Rs 15,000 crore production capacity and the Tezpur facility has Rs 25,000 crore capacity. Our new facilities are coming up in Noida, Nagpur, Indore and Andhra Pradesh. We have 50 small units where we make edible oils, salt, etc. Even if we attain Rs 1 lakh crore production capacity, it will be hardly 10 per cent of the total market size of Rs 10 lakh crore."

The yoga guru added that soon, the company will also start selling jeans, trousers, kurtas, shirts, suitings, sportswear and yoga wear.

Appealing to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Ramdev requested that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on cow ghee and butter, that has been raised from 5 per cent to 12 per cent should be brought down.

He called for a boycott of Chinese and foreign goods, but advocated exporting Indian products in foreign markets. However, he said that the Patanjali group will not exploit poor countries. "Whether it is Bangladesh, Nepal, even Pakistan or African countries, whatever profits we will earn, we will not repatriate to India, we will re-invest the money there."

The yoga guru denied reports of him getting political favours saying that he would never use political connections for his company. "I can say with authority that I have not taken a single paisa worth advantage from the Modi government. Nor did I try to obstruct the government`s work. Had I wanted, I could have achieved any dream a politician normally seeks. But for me, politics is not a profession, it's a mission. I intervened in politics due to exigency (Aaapad dharma) only when I found that bad people (burey log) should not rule any more. I never used, nor will I ever use, my political connections for my company."




New Delhi: Malaysian state of Selangor has expressed interest in collaborating with India in the fields of biotechnology, ICT, life sciences, transport and logistics with a view to boost economic ties between the two countries.

The issue was discussed during a meeting between Commerce and Minister Suresh Prabhu and Chief Minister of Selangor, Dato' Seri Mohamed Azmin Bin Ali here on Friday, an official statement said.

Ali met Prabhu with a 10-member delegation of the Selangor Investment Mission.

The Chief Minister expressed his state's interest in collaboration with India in the fields of biotechnology, information and communications technology (ICT), life sciences, transport and logistics.

Prabhu conveyed India's interest in mutual cooperation in areas such as biotechnology, agriculture and disease control, the statement added.

The Chief Minister also sought support for development of regional smart cities to tap into India's expertise and talent pool in this endeavour, it added.

Further, both the sides expressed keenness to explore commercial and investment opportunities.

Prabhu urged Malaysian companies to take advantage of the investment prospects available under Make in India, Skill India and Invest India initiatives.

The bilateral trade between India and Malaysia increased to USD 14.15 billion in 2016-17 from USD 12.8 billion in the previous fiscal.
San Francisco: Uber Technologies Inc co-founder Travis Kalanick on Friday said he had appointed two new directors, a surprise move that publicly reignited a board battle over the role of the ousted former chief executive.

Uber investors are divided over whether Kalanick, who was pressured to step down as CEO earlier this year in the wake of several company scandals, should himself be on the board and whether he can name two other directors.

The company and new Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi are scrambling to portray Uber as a reformed company that is responding to concerns including sexual harassment claims and a U.S. bribery probe.

Kalanick, still one of the largest shareholders, said in a statement he had appointed former Xerox Chief Executive Ursula Burns and former Merrill Lynch Chief Executive John Thain as directors.

"I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent board proposal to dramatically restructure the board and significantly alter the companys voting rights. It is therefore essential that the full board be in place for proper deliberation to occur, especially with such experienced board members as Ursula and John," he said. He did not specify the proposals he opposed.

The appointments were a "complete surprise" to Uber and its board, the company said in a statement. "That is precisely why we are working to put in place world-class governance to ensure that we are building a company every employee and shareholder can be proud of, it added.

An investor who has supported Kalanick, Yucaipa Companies managing partner Ron Burkle, praised the appointments on Friday, calling Burns and Thain "smart, high-quality people."

Division among Uber investors exploded in public in August, when Benchmark Capital filed a lawsuit to force Kalanick off the board and rescind his ability to fill two other seats on the panel, accusing him of concealing a range of misdeeds. Yucaipa and other Uber investors defended Kalanick and asked Benchmark to divest its own shares and step down from the board.

A Delaware judge later that month stayed the Benchmark lawsuit and sent it to arbitration, pushing the dispute out of public view and delivering Kalanick a victory.

Kalanicks action on Friday could be subject to a new legal challenge. Benchmark or other Uber investors could attempt to block the appointments by asking the Delaware judge to issue a so-called "status-quo order." The judge last month did not grant such a request.

Kalanick`s lawyer at the time told the court that Kalanick had not rushed to fill the seats. The New York Times also quoted Kalanick`s lawyer as telling the court Kalanick had the power to fill the seats under the pre-arbitration "status quo."

Benchmark did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nagpur: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday that "necessary constitutional amendments" are needed for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to be "completely assimilated" with the rest of the country.

In his over an hour-long Vijayadashmi speech at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters here, he also said that the problems of the people displaced from the Kashmir Valley during the 1990s are yet to be addressed.

"Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state. Only when the constitutional amendments are done, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with the rest of India," Bhagwat said, apparently referring to Article 370 of the Constitution which gives special status to J&K.

There is an urgent need to take the benefits of development to the masses in the entire state of J&K, including the Jammu and Ladakh regions, without any discrimination and through transparent and clean governance, he said.

He said that in J&K, the problem of refugees had also not been resolved.

For decades, they are living in a miserable condition as refugees for their decision to be in "Bharat", Bhagwat said.

Despite being the citizens of India, they still don't have the basic facilities of education, employment and democratic rights, the RSS chief said.

"The problems of permanent residents of the state, who migrated from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1947, and the people, who were displaced from Kashmir Valley in the 1990s, remain as they are," he said.

Conditions should be created so that they can lead a happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians, by ensuring them equal democratic rights, even while allowing them to remain firm and devoted to their religion and national identity, he said.

"And for this just work, necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made...Then and only then, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with the rest of India and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in national progress," the Sangh chief said.

Lauding the people living in the border areas, he said they were "bravely and persistently holding ground amid incessant cross-border firing and terrorist-infiltration" and called for relief and assistance for them from the government and social groups.
Mumbai: Bodies of 17 of the 22 people killed in the stampede at Elphinstone Road railway station here have been handed over to their relatives so far, hospital authorities said on Saturday. At least 22 persons were killed and 39 injured in a rush hour stampede on a narrow foot-over-bridge (FOB) linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban stations during heavy rain on Friday morning.

Out of the 39 injured, two are in a critical condition, with one of them being kept on a ventilator at the KEM hospital in Parel.

"Bodies of 17 victims have been handed over to their relatives so far," senior medical officer at the hospital, Dr Praveen Bangar said.

The hospital administration is yet to decide on giving discharge to the injured patients as most of them are still under observation, he said.

"Most of the injuries are either blunt trauma or bone fractures. The patients have been admitted to various wards accordingly. The supervisors of the respective wards will review the recovery of the patients and submit report to the higher authorities," he said.

The discharge procedure will be initiated after these reports are submitted, the hospital medical officer added.


New Delhi: Former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had sanctioned a Rs 11.86 fund for the construction of a wider bridge at Mumbai's Elphinstone railway station that witnessed a deadly stampede on Friday.

At least 22 people died and dozens were left injured after a stampede took place at Elphinstone railway station's foot-over bridge in Mumbai.

Commuters claimed that foot-over bridge at Elphinstone was narrow and was always crowded during the peak hours and that several appeals were made to the government in this regard.

Now, it has been found that former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had in 2015 sanctioned Rs. 11.86 crore for construction of a new foot-over bridge at Elphinstone station.

In a letter dated February 20, 2016, addressed to Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai Arvind Sawant, Prabhu stated that the construction of a 12-metre wide new foot overbridge at Elphinstone Road was under the positive consideration of Railways Ministry.

Reply from @RailMinIndia on 20 Feb 2016 stating dat they've positively considered my demand for #Elphinstone Road new FOB Construction.. pic.twitter.com/ahlCHiKQwU  Arvind Sawant (@AGSawant) September 29, 2017

"It has been one of the toughest years for the Indian Railways because of the adverse effects of the global slowdown. Even in these challenging times the following Railways works in your constituency is under our positive consideration," the letter said.

The former Railway Minister also considered about the extension of the bridge by 100 metres on the north side, said the letter.

"Elphinstone Road-construction of 12 m wide new FOB connecting western railways and central railways after extension of platform number 1 and 2 towards north side by 100 meters," Prabhu stated in the letter.

The construction work on the bridge was supposed to have taken place in 2016-17.

However, it remains not known why the project never took off.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra state government announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to families of the dead and free medical treatment to the injured.
Mumbai: Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday in a veiled attack lambasted the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government saying that the problem in the Indian Railways is not new; it was given to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in 2014 as an inheritance.

"I am not giving an excuse, but problems in Indian Railways aren`t one or two years old, they were accumulated over years and were given to us in 2014 as inheritance," Goyal told the media here.

Goyal without taking any particular name said those opposing the bullet trains should answer whether they want the people to suffer by not letting the government introduce better technology and keep them safe?

He said that is due to the mentality of these critics the Indian Railways is still running on 100-year- old technology.

"Politicos doing politics on the issue should actually give us good suggestions, so that we can help the people in a better way. This is an opportunity to rise above politics," he said.

Further discussing about the initiative taken by the Centre in the wake of the recent Mumbai stampede incident, Goyal said 20 new foot-over bridges have been approved in the Central Railways and 10 new foot-over bridges in the Western Railways.

Apart from this, 13 foot-over bridges have been approved for widening.He said 40 maintenance yards across the country will be upgraded with modern technology for maintenance for wards, locomotive in a better way.

"I have sanctioned 15 car platforms for extension in the Western Railways, which will be beneficial for speeding up the process in the slow corridor," he said.

Earlier in the day, Goyal empowered the Railways` General Managers to spend whatever is necessary on safety.Goyal took this decision while chairing a meeting with the senior officers of the Railway Board at the Western Railways headquarters at Churchgate.

Various major decisions were taken in the meeting, wherein passenger safety has been accorded the highest priority.For next 18 months, General Managers of Railway zones have been delegated powers without limit for Safety related issues.

They shall intimate Financial Commissioner (FC) within a week of sanction for provision, and FC shall confirm the same within 15 days. In case of disagreement, the matter shall be put up to the Railway Board for final decision within the same 15 days.
Udaipur: Accustomed to roaring success of almost every vehicle it introduces, Maruti Suzuki expected the S-Cross to tow the same line when it was first launched in India in 2015. Instead, the car did not buck the trend and swayed away from the success its siblings enjoyed. It remained a blemish of sorts in a product portfolio which now also has the immensly popular Vitara Brezza, Baleno and Ignis. The company however remains undeterred, and determined to turn S-Cross' tale into one with a happy ending with the all-new 2017 version.

Is it worth sitting up and taking note of? Will it replicate the success of other cars from the Maruti Suzuki and Nexa stable? Or will the competition in the broadening SUV segment continue to pull it at its seams? Here's the first-drive review of the 2017 S-Cross.

Exteriors

Majority of the changes in the 2017 S-Cross have come in how the car looks. And it is hardly surprising. One of the major factor going against the S-Cross when first launched was that it looked uninspiring. Within months of its first launch, Hyundai brought in the muscular Creta and it became a roaring success for the Koreans. And so, Maruti Suzuki decided to redo how the car looks and the fresh appeal is a step in the right direction.

The front is highlighted by a big 10-slat vertical grille that lends a purposeful appeal to how the new S-Cross appears. There is generous addition of chrome here but unlike in some other rivals - it all adds up nicely to keep things interesting. Flanking the new chrome grille are really smart projector head lights with DRLs that shine bright even in daytime conditions. The foglamps too get a chrome underbelly but yellow halogen lights look quite misplaced under the LED assembly on top. The scuplted hood however looks really classy with four lines proportioned aesthetically.

On the side, the profile of the new S-Cross remains quite similar to the outgoing model - barring few very noticable changes. The alloys are extremely contemporary courtesy dual-tone 16-inch diamond cut alloys on wider (216/60 R16) tyres. The rear is where the changes are minimum with minimalistic - but smart - LED tail lamp units being the solitary highlight.

Overall, the car continues to look more like a crossover than an SUV. But that does not mean it does not look every bit as appealing, if not more.

Interiors

Maruti Suzuki has tried to update the interiors to make the new S-Cross contemporary. And in it lies several hits as well as misses.

The all-black interiors with satin chrome accent finish go a long way in emphasizing on the visual upgrade here. The soft touch dash and pleasant seat fabric design make for a decent experience on the inside as well. The steering is nice and chunky while the seven-inch infotainment system now has Android Auto, Apple Car play, and is connected to four speakers and two tweeters. It also has voice command feature enabled which can additionally be controlled via an app.

Other elements in the feature list includes automatic airconditioning, rain-sensing wipers, gear shift indicator and anti-pinch driver side window which rolls down the glass when it senses an obstruction - among others.

The front seats - once again - are well appointed and offer decent back and underthigh support which should keep long-distance journeys quite snug.

The story for the rear passengers, however, may not be quite the same. For starters, missing rear AC vents is a scorcher of a blemish and one that cannot be forgiven in Indian weather conditions. Also, there are no charging or USB or AUX ports for people at the back. Not even on the top-end.

Space is nothing much to boast about either with two adults at the back being comfortable but adding a third adult making things a bit too close for comfort. The headroom though is adequate while the boot continues to be big enough for weekend getaways.

Drive

The S-Cross will be available only in the 1.3-litre diesel option which the company has now branded as the DDiS 200. While a big letdown for enthusiasts who may have been banking on the return of the 1.6-litre option, it is really not surprising that it was not brought back considering the sales figures for it in the previous version.

All said, the 1.3-litre option holds its ground and will grow on those behind the wheels. The new S-Cross is quite steady and stable, and even with speeds well into triple-digits, the car remains beautifully composed. The 2017 edition comes with torque assist function that keeps the car going well on straight lines. Uphill sections and turns though are a different challenge.

The gears have to be played with more aggressively during climbs making uphill sections of the drive a bit taxing. There is also a bit of bodyroll for the rear passengers which could have been addressed better. Another aspect on which the company could have done better is the NVH levels which, even in the new version - is not much to write home about. It is adequate at best and slightly jarring at worst.

The trump card here though is in Maruti's hybrid technology (SHVS) making its way into the S-Cross which will add to the mileage. For regular city commutes, therefore, the pros manage to nudge past the cons.

Safety

Apart from ABS with EBD, dual front airbags as standard, disc brakes on all four wheels as standard, the S-Cross also complies with upcoming crash tests in the country for full frontal impact, frontal offset impact and side impact. It also meets the pedestrian protection compliance while ISOFIX child seat anchorages and seatbelt pre-tensioners with force limiters are good addition.

Verdict

The S-Cross has come quite a distance from when first launched. Not that it inherently had many flaws back then but the intense competition was too much for it too handle. In its 2017 version, the car has indeed uplifted itself to offer more than before. The car has been officially launched at following price points:

Sigma: Rs 8.49 lakh*

Delta: Rs 9.39 lakh*

Zeta: Rs 9.98 lakh*

Alpha: Rs 11.29 lakh*

(* Delhi ex-showroom prices)
New Delhi: The day when Lord Rama killed Ravana by beheading each of his ten heads symbolically referring to the vices, is celebrated across the globe as Dussehra. The tenth day after Navratri is also known as Vijayadashami or Dussehra.

In Eastern India, on Vijayadashami Maa Durga's idols are immersed (Visarjan) and a farewell is bid to the goddess with the hope of her coming back again next year. Goddess Durga killed demon Mahishasur and again the victory of good over evil is celebrated on this day.

While in North India, Dussehra too holds the similar significance only with the reference being to Ravana getting killed by Lord Rama. So, Bollywood took to Twitter and extended their best wishes on Twitter:

May all your problems burn along with the effigy of Ravana and may you get success in everything you do. #HappyDussehra pic.twitter.com/QJT6Z60kFu  Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) September 30, 2017

Namaskar.Aap sabko Vijaya Dashmi ki dher saari shubhkaamanayein.  Lata Mangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata) September 30, 2017

May this day clear the hurdles in your life and start a new era of well-being #HappyDussehra!  Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) September 30, 2017

A friend sent me this pic. Nice depiction pic.twitter.com/KXcpcla9fv  Sunil Grover (@WhoSunilGrover) September 30, 2017

#HappyDussehra to everyone! Hope you enjoy the long weekend but also fight evil wherever it exists.  Neha Dhupia (@NehaDhupia) September 30, 2017

Wishing you all a #HappyDussehra!! May the bliss and the beauty of this festival be with you throughout pic.twitter.com/wmf7OmhJqO  Kajal Aggarwal (@MsKajalAggarwal) September 30, 2017

May all the evils in and around you vanish by the virtue of the goodness in and around u#HappyDussehra pic.twitter.com/4t8pRGoMSg  URVASHI RAUTELA (@URautelaForever) September 30, 2017

Wishing everyone a very Happy Dusshera. May this day bring victory, happiness and peace to all. #HappyDussehra  SRIDEVI BONEY KAPOOR (@SrideviBKapoor) September 30, 2017

T 2562 - Among all the days' work and scheduling .. a silent prayer for the tragedy at Elphinstone Station .. pic.twitter.com/UHGXkjtBXC  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) September 29, 2017

T 2561 - Shubho Mahaashtami ... now nearing shubho Maha navmi .. greetings and prayers .. the victory of good over evil .. pic.twitter.com/wVIESohz9A  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) September 28, 2017

Wishing you all a very #HappyDussehra full of positivity and blessings!

May all your worries vanish and all your troubles fade!

Love!!! pic.twitter.com/NYdIFt9uxt  Sayyeshaa (@sayyeshaa) September 30, 2017

Get rid of the evils to make way for good energy & positivity. Wishing everyone a #HappyDussehra September 30, 2017
New Delhi: Veteran actor Tom Alter succumbed to skin cancer and breathed his last on September 29 night. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief on his death.

He extended condolences to the family and admirers of the actor, the official handle of the PMO tweeted.

PM expressed grief on the demise of Shri Tom Alter and recalled his contribution to the film world and theatre. He extended condolences to the family & admirers of Shri Tom Alter.  PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 30, 2017

Alter, 67, was diagnosed with stage four skin cancer and after giving it a tough fight lost the battle to the deadly 'c' word. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2008 by the government of India.
New Delhi: Veteran Bollywood and theatre personality Tom Alter lost his battle to the deadly 'c' word last night at his residence in Mumbai. The thespian was diagnosed with skin cancer last year was treated for the same but earlier this month he suffered a relapse and was admitted in Saifee hospital.

He was at stage four of skin cancer. All of 67, Alter was honoured with a Padma Shri by the government in 2008. His sudden demise has left the entire film, television and theatre fraternity at a complete loss which can never be filled-in.

Alter's mortal remains were brought to Worli crematorium where the last rites were performed on September 30 afternoon in the presence of his family and close friends.

Mumbai: Veteran actor Tom Alter's mortal remains brought to Worli Crematorium for last rites pic.twitter.com/piWRheiqfF  ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2017

IANS quoted actor's manager Ismail Ansari as saying, The cremation was done in Worli. His close family members were present. Raza Murad and some directors from the industry were also present.

His family has asked for "their privacy to be respected at this time".

"Cremation was done today. There is no set pattern for our family (referring to cremation and burial). Dad wanted to be cremated," Alter's son Jamie told PTI.

He further said that the memorial service will be held either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Alter had an illustrious film, television and theatre career spanning almost four decades.

(With agency inputs)
Mumbai: With the festive season at its peak, 73 per cent travellers find this time as the perfect opportunity to skip the monotonous city life and indulge in short getaways, a survey showed.

"The discerning Indian travellers are breaking away from the conventional mindset of staying or visiting hometown during festivals, especially if it is closer to a weekend," Yatra.Com COO (B2C) Sharat Dhall said.

Indian travellers, today, are open to discovering new destinations for quick weekend getaways along with traditional sightseeing vacations. Factors like cheaper airfares and low tariffs for budget hotels, are increasingly making budget travel an attractive option, Dhall said.

Yatra.Com has conducted the survey among 2,700 respondents in the country.

With Diwali and Dusshera falling closer to the weekend, 73 per cent respondents said they find it as a perfect opportunity to escape from their monotonous city life and indulge in short getaways.

Led by airline flash sales, the trend of booking in advance continued to be on rise with a whopping 40 per cent respondents booking at least one to three months in advance from their travel date, the survey report said.

It revealed that travellers are choosing accommodation wisely, with 42 per cent and 25 per cent opting for 3-4 star hotel, and budget hotels, respectively.

This clearly reflects the continued lukewarm demand for luxury accommodation post the Good and Services Tax (GST), it said.

Travellers are increasingly travelling for leisure and embarking on domestic travel for shorter trips which are considerably more affordable.

Only 22.7 per cent respondents said they would prefer taking an international vacation, the survey said.

The survey also found that 63 per cent Indian travellers prefer travelling with families during festivals.

About 42 per cent of the respondents said they are looking at the festive season as a time to head out of the city or country to explore new destinations and cultures, it said.

Kerala has emerged as a popular destination this festive season, followed by Goa, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, while Dubai, Singapore and Thailand have emerged as favourite international destinations.
New Delhi: Realty major DLF on Saturday said its shareholders have approved the promoters' decision to sell their entire 40 per cent stake in the rental arm for Rs 11,900 crore.

This deal, the biggest in the country's realty space, included sale of 33.34 per cent stake in DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL) to Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC for Rs 8,900 crore and a buyback of the remaining shares worth Rs 3,000 crore by DCCDL.

In a filing to the BSE, DLF said a special resolution to approve this transaction was passed at the company's AGM held on Friday. As many as 99.96 per cent of shareholders voted in favour. The promoters, who hold 75 per cent stake in DLF, did not vote on this resolution.

"Institutional investors have overwhelmingly supported this strategic transaction, which will be a game-changer for the company. This will not only remove conflict of interest and reduce significantly the company's overall debt, but create free cash flows," DLF's Senior Executive Director (Finance) Saurabh Chawla told PTI.

"We intend to create a pure play in our commercial and residential businesses," he pointed out.

While the residential business will be driven 100 per cent by DLF, the commercial segment will be run in a JV with GIC, Chawla said.

Last month, DLF promoters -- K P Singh and family -- had decided to sell their entire 40 per cent stake in DCCDL for Rs 11,900 crore and will infuse the net proceeds into DLF for debt repayment.

Post this deal, DLF will have 66.66 per cent stake in DCCDL and GIC 33.34 per cent in the joint venture.

"Gross proceeds to the promoters from the transaction would be Rs 11,900 crore. The net proceeds to the promoters are estimated to be in excess of Rs 10,000 crore post applicable taxes," DLF had said earlier.

The promoters intend to infuse a substantial part of the net transaction proceeds into DLF. The deal is expected to get completed by November after all regulatory approvals, including those of the CCI.

DLF expects an infusion of about Rs 13,000 crore into the company, which will help it in reducing the debt significantly from the current borrowing level of Rs 26,000 crore.

While promoters are expected to invest about Rs 10,500 crore into the company, DLF expects to raise another Rs 3,000 crore from institutional investors as the company will have to hit the capital market as the promoters' shareholding will cross the minimum threshold of 75 per cent post their infusion of funds.

DLF had a net debt of nearly Rs 26,000 crore at the end of the June quarter and out of that, Rs 5,500 crore related to its rental arm, DCCDL.

DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd has rent yielding assets of 26.9 million square feet with annual rental income of over Rs 2,500 crore. It has an under-development pipeline of 2.5 million sq ft with further development potential of 19 million sq ft within the portfolio.
Kolkata: Leading Bengali cine directors today condoled the death of veteran film and theatre actor Tom Alter, who passed away in Mumbai on Friday.

Alter had acted in a number of Bengali films. "It is too shocking for me to hear this though I know he was in critical condition for the past few days," said film director Sandip Roy, the son of maestro Satyajit Ray.

"Memories keep flooding about the days of shooting of my father's Shatranj ki Khilari. Tom used to be extremely polite to all unit members and was a great human being. I am at a loss for words.

"I had thought that if ever I make a film on Prof Shanku (Satyajit Ray's popular science fiction character), he (Alter) would have been cast in an important role. I had cast him as an Englishman in my film Kailashey Kelenkari," Ray told PTI.

Director Goutam Ghosh said, "Tom Altar was a very articulate, brilliant and stylish actor who was equally conversant in Hindi, Urdu and English. I had the opportunity to meet him some time ago and what struck me was his positive approach. He had very close ties with Bengal and I shared warm relations with him.

"Alter's death is a sad news on Bijoya Dashami day," he added.
The last day of the 10-day-long Durga Puja festival culminates with the immersion of the Durga murti, following a grand procession. In West Bengal, Assam and Odisha, Durga Puja is celebrated for five days through the nine-day-long Navaratri, and the last day is known as `Vijayadashami` or Durga Visarjan.

A teary farewell follows every year, when the decorated idol of Maa Durga along with idols of her children Ganesh, Kartikeya, Lakshmi and Saraswati, are immersed in a river or a lake so that she can unite with Lord Shiva in the Himalayas.

People dance and shout `Bolo Durga Mai Ki Jai` during the procession that ends with 'visarjan'. With a heavy heart people bid farewell to Maa Durga and this is quite an overwhelming experience for any onlooker.

The entire city that stands together during the festive occasion, is suddenly ripped off of all the decorations and the grand show that it puts up prior to the visarjan. The feeling is similar when a daughter leaves her native home, post marriage and the atmosphere suddenly transforms to one that of gloom. Devotees give Durga Maa a final farewell with the hope that she will return next year and bless her followers.

In almost all cities of eastern India, Durga Puja celebrations can be compared to that of a street carnival. Traffic literally comes to a standstill. Devotees spend the five days in pandal hopping, bringing home different types of idols, and visiting exuberant make-shift temples with families and friends. The atmosphere in towns or cities transforms is that of a long, extravagant carnival. Security is beefed up for the puja and people have to walk long distances to reach their pandal.

Such is the importance of this festival that people break all barriers and boundaries, irrespective of caste and creed, to come together as one, enjoy the beauty and pay their reverence to their Durga Maa.

On Vijayadashami, before the visarjan is carried out, a number of other rituals are observed, which are pivotal to this day. Houses and shops are all decked up with garlands made of marigold and mango leaves. On the day of visarjan, books, tools and pens are placed before the feet of Durga murti. Vehicles are also decorated with flowers, symbolising the good wishes of the Goddess. All this is done to seek blessings for the coming year.

The last day of the Navaratri festival - Vijayadashami - is considered auspicious to start a new venture.

Darpan visarjan is another important ritual that is observed before the actual immersion of the idol. Here, the priest symbolically immerses the idol by capturing the reflection in a bowl of water. This custom whereby one has to see the reflection of Durga maa through a bowl of water, is a deeply moving sight.

After this, the married women come together for a popular custom called `Shindoor Khela` (integral to Bengalis) where they smear the goddess as well as each other with `sindoor` or vermilion, to wish for a long life of their husbands.

The procession that leads to immersion is an emotional journey, as with a heavy heart devotees bid Maa Shakti goodbye. After worshipping and revering her for five days, the visarjan process is emotionally exhausting for everyone.

Devotees chant religious hymns and devotional songs and move towards the nearby river or lake in a grand procession carrying the life-size idols on decorated vehicles.

Everyone comes out to pay their last respects to Maa Durga on `bhashan` where one by one idols from all the pandals, temples and houses are taken for immersion in a procession.

Some people weep silently, while others sob incessantly. And suddenly all the grandeur of previous days comes to an awkward close. The city transforms from a colourful and joyous carnival into one filled with despair.

Following the bhashan and visarjan, people religiously get together for `Bijoya celebrations`. This is a social gathering among families and neighbours to promote solidarity on the eve of Vijayadashami. On this day, families visit their kith and kin, with youngsters seeking the blessings of their elders. It marks the victory of good over evil.

`Shubho Bijoya` greetings and hugs are exchanged and one celebrates this by distributing sweets. The significance of Vijayadashami or Dusshera, as it is known in North India, is indeed worthy of a mention for the people of eastern India, especially the Bengalis  a new beginning filled with the promise that mother goddess will come again next year to destroy the evil forces on earth and bring prosperity for the nation.

Durga Durga!
New Delhi: The madness of reality show Bigg Boss is about to begin. We are just a day away from getting hooked onto the controversial show. Salman Khan returns as the host and dost the 8th time and his fans are excited as hell!

This time too there will be a mix of commoners and celebrity contestants on the show. Bigg Boss 11 will start from October 1, 2017, and we already have seen the first picture of the house as shared by Colors CEO Raj Nayak on Twitter.

Besides, Varun Dhawan, who shot for the first episode even shared the first pictures on the micro-blogging site. The actor's latest release Judwaa 2 has hit the screens and has got a huge opening of Rs 16 crore.

Varun can be seen dancing along with Sallu Bhai, Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu.
Mumbai: Vijaya Dashami or Vijaya Dasami or Dusshera is one of the most significant festivals celebrated across India. But Mysore Dasara is an event one can certainly not afford to miss in a lifetime.

The day that marks the end of the nine-day festival Navratri symbolises the triumph of good over evil. Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami marks the victory of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana and the defeat of Mahishasura at the hands of Goddess Durga.

Mysore Dasara is hugely famous because of its unique celebrations and events. The Dasara tradition of Mysore is 406 years old and year on year, the people of the city celebrate the festival in the same traditional way amid much pomp and gaiety.

The fest culminates with a victory procession of caparisoned elephants, camels, horses and tableaux from the royal palace to the Bannimantapa grounds in the city for a torch-light parade.

Besides the royal palace, heritage buildings, temples and parks are also illuminated for the mega event.

Karnatakas tourism department makes special arrangements during this period in order to facilitate tourists from across the country.

It is a must watch event not only because of its grandeur and royalty but also to appreciate the efforts of the people of Mysore for preserving tradition in its purest form.

This year, noted Kannada writer Chennaveera Kanavi had inaugurated the 406th edition of the state festival by offering prayers at Hindu goddess Chamundeshwari temple atop the hill on the city`s outskirts in the presence of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and other dignitaries.

Mysuru royal dynasty`s adopted scion Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wodiyar held a private durbar (court) in the Amba Vilas Palace in the state`s cultural capital, about 150 km from Bengaluru.

Though the grand festival is held for 10 days every year, it was spread over 11 days this time due to an extra day in the Hindu (lunar) calendar owing to planetary movements.

Yaduveer held a khasagi (private) durbar daily for nine days in line with the Yadu dynasty`s 600-year-old tradition, worshipped the armoury and other objects (ayudha puja) in the royal palace on October 10. He shall witness the victory parade today.
At least 28 civilians were killed in air strikes on northwestern Syria where a planned safe zone has been overshadowed by a bombing campaign against jihadists, a monitor said Saturday.

Four children were among the dead in the overnight strikes on the town of Amanaz, in Idlib province near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Britain-based watchdog said it could not immediately determine whether the strikes had been carried out by warplanes of the Syrian government or its ally Russia.

But they are the latest in an intensifying air campaign carried out by the two governments against jihadist fighters who control most of the province and are not party to a safe zone deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran.


Washington: The White House announced on Friday that United States President Donald Trump will take a five-nation trip to the Asia Pacific region from November 3-14.

The White House said that Trump will travel to China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines. He will also make a stop at Hawaii.

This will be his first trip to Asia as a President.

Trump's list of nations does not include India, but it's expected that his visit could lead to a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Manila.

Though no announcement has been made yet, Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the regional summit, along with the American president.

It will be their third meeting, if they do indeed meet, after delegation-level talks in June in Washington D.C. and an interaction during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany in July.

"The President will participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements - including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit - demonstrating his continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the United States in the region," the White House said in a statement.

"President Trump will discuss the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to America's prosperity and security. He will also emphasise the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners. The President's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," the statement added.

The US president will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.

(With Agency inputs)
Beijing: China regards US President Donald Trump's November visit as "the most important bilateral event", President Xi Jinping on Saturday said, as the two countries grappled to deal with deepening crisis over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.

Xi met US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson here, amid mounting pressure from Trump on Beijing to rein in its close ally Pyongyang.

"His (Trump's) visit will be a major opportunity for the development of China-US relations," Xi was quoted saying to Tillerson by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Skirting any references to North Korea and the prevailing tensions in the Korean Peninsula where the US has deployed maximum number of air, naval and ground troops besides interceptor missiles to deal with threats from Pyongyang, he said that China attaches great importance to Trump's visit, and looking forward to work with him to advance the bilateral ties.

Both sides should work closely to make the visit "successful and special," the Chinese president said.

He termed China-US ties as "generally stable" and said that he had maintained sound communication with President Trump.

"Chinese and US teams should implement consensus reached by the two heads of state, grasp the direction of bilateral relationship, respect each other, and focus on cooperation while dealing with differences properly," Xi said.

Tillerson also conveyed Trump's greetings to the Chinese president, saying the US president was looking forward to his visit to China.

Hailing the progress made in the US-China relation under the two presidents, Tillerson said that the US values its relations with China and hopes to increase mutual trust and practical cooperation in various areas as well as to jointly tackle international and regional challenges.

Tillerson is visiting China at a time when it has stepped up implementation of UN resolutions by reducing oil supplies to North Korea, besides imposing a ban on the import of textiles from Pyongyang. China has also ordered closure of businesses connected with North Korea.

Before meeting the Chinese president, Tillerson met with China's top diplomats and held talks on restricting North Korea's nuclear programme and preparations for Trump's November visit.

Tillerson met State Councillor Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"Our two presidents have developed a very regular and close working relationship. I know President Trump is very much looking forward to the upcoming summit as is everyone on his team," the US Secretary of State told Yang.

Yang said Trump's trip was of "great importance" for China-US relations.

"Let us concentrate on cooperation and properly manage our differences in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit so that we can keep moving the China-US relationship forward in the right direction," he said.

During his meeting with Tillerson, Wang said that at present, China-US relations have a positive momentum and have arrived at an important opportunity to progress further.

Tillerson was due to arrive in Beijing last night from Tokyo but his plane developed some technical problem which forced him to travel to China on a military transport aircraft today.
Lahore: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will meet US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington DC on Wednesday to resume bilateral talks and to discuss ways to remove tensions that cropped up after United States President Donald Trump's August 21 speech.

US Vice President Mike Pence met Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi last week and suggested sending a US delegation to Islamabad for talks aimed at removing tensions. Islamabad accepted the US proposal but asked for a high-level meeting in Washington.

Washington accepted the Pakistani argument and invited Asif for a meeting with Secretary Tillerson on October 4. President Trump had blamed Pakistan for maintaining alleged safe havens for terrorists, threatened economic and military sanctions against Islamabad and announced a larger role for India in Afghanistan, ignoring Pakistan`s concerns.Annoyed by the US President's speech, both opposition and ruling parties unanimously adopted a resolution in the Parliament, urging the government to reconsider its relations with the United States.

Some opposition parties also asked the government to downgrade its ties with US and further strengthen its strong relations with China.

On October 5, the foreign minister will be addressing a gathering at the US Institute of Peace (USIP), in US on US-Pakistan relations.Pakistani officials also warned that since this was the election year in Pakistan, this rhetoric may get worse before it starts to improve. They also suggested that a high-level meeting between the foreign policy chiefs of the two countries would help bring down the temperatures, the Dawn reported.

"We don't have anything to announce at this time," said a State Department official when asked to confirm the Tillerson-Asif talks.The USIP, however, confirmed the talk, pointing out that President Trump's August 21 speech had not only "unsettled US-Pakistan relations," but also had "serious implications for US interests in Afghanistan, nuclear non-proliferation, and stability in the region."

Asif, during a speech earlier this week at the Asia Society in New York, acknowledged that jihadi elements particularly Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hafiz Saeed had become a liability for Pakistan. Asif said that during the Afghan war (1979-89), the US and its allies encouraged such elements from across the world to come to the region to fight the Soviet Union. Instead of staying in the region after the war to clear up the mess, they left abruptly, leaving Pakistan alone to deal with the extremists, he added.


Arbil: The Iraqi government cut autonomous Kurdistan's direct air links with the outside world indefinitely on Friday, partially isolating the northern region after it voted a massive "yes" in an independence referendum.

The move increases the pressure on the Iraqi Kurds amid soaring regional tensions following Monday`s non-binding but deeply contentious vote.

Washington said it did not recognise the "unilateral" referendum and urged all parties to reject the use of force and engage in dialogue.

"The vote and the results lack legitimacy and we continue to support a united, federal, democratic and prosperous Iraq," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.

The central government in Baghdad had ordered the halt to all foreign flights to and from the autonomous Kurdish region from 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Friday.

Foreigners scrambled to fly out of the region's capital Arbil and its second largest city Sulaimaniyah before the ban took effect.

Iraqi Kurdish transport minister Mawlud Bawa Murad told AFP at Arbil airport that the ban would "negatively impact all international businesses in the Kurdistan region, in addition to all civilians, from all nations".

It would "negatively impact our daily life," he said. "We will do our best to find a viable alternative, or succeed to bring back international flights."

Arbil is a key gateway for humanitarian aid workers helping Iraqis affected by the battle against the Islamic State group (IS).

Washington said earlier it would be willing to facilitate talks between the Iraqi Kurdish authorities and Baghdad to calm escalating tensions over the 92-percent "yes" vote.

Neighbouring Turkey and Iran also strongly opposed the vote, fearing it would inflame the separatist aspirations of their own sizeable Kurdish populations.

Ankara has threatened a series of measures including blocking lifeline oil exports from the region via Turkey.

The Kurds, whose borders with Turkey, Iran and Syria remain open, have condemned the flight suspension as "collective punishment".

Iraq`s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said it was not "punishment" but a legal measure that would be reversed if the transport authority was transferred to Baghdad in line with the Iraqi constitution.

The ban saw people, many of them foreigners, flock to Arbil airport to avoid being stranded.Iraqi Kurdistan is home to a large international community, most of whom enter on a visa issued by the regional authorities that is not recognised by the central government, so they cannot travel elsewhere in Iraq.

On Friday, around 100 passengers waited eagerly for their planes in Arbil, where the last flight out was to Vienna at 4 pm.

"We were supposed to go back to Brazil next Saturday but we rescheduled our flight," said Isidoro Junior, a 32-year-old volunteer for an NGO providing medical assistance to Iraqis displaced by the war against IS.

The director of Arbil airport, Talar Faiq Salih said humanitarian, military and diplomatic flights were excluded from the ban.

Earlier, the UN humanitarian office OCHA said it was working to ensure aid could continue to reach tens of thousands of needy Iraqis.

In Sulaimaniyah, foreigners and others needing to leave sped to the airport before the ban took effect, while Kurds who were abroad for business or tourism rushed home.

"There have been masses of people for two days," said airport spokesman Dana Mohammad Said, adding that the airport remained open for domestic flights.Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq`s highest Shiite religious authority, called for all sides "to abide by the Iraqi constitution and to appeal to High Federal Court to solve the Kurdistan crisis".

"The latest political developments should not have a negative impact on the strong relationship between sons of the homeland, Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds and others," his representative said.

Washington said it would be prepared to "help facilitate a conversation" between Arbil and Baghdad.

"We would like to see some calm on all sides," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, noting that the US had opposed the referendum "because we thought it would be destabilising".

On Thursday, the spokesman for the international coalition fighting IS in Iraq and neighbouring Syria said the referendum had taken focus away from the war against the jihadists.

French President Emmanuel Macron invited al-Abadi to visit Paris on October 5 to discuss the referendum and offered France`s help in calming tensions.

"Faced with the priority of fighting Daesh and the stabilisation of Iraq, Iraqis must remain united," the presidency said in a statement, using another name for IS.

Iraqi forces meanwhile launched an assault on the northern town of Hawija, one of the last IS bastions in the country along with a stretch of the Euphrates Valley near the border with Syria.

Kurdish forces have been key allies in US-backed offensives against IS in both Syria and Iraq.
New Delhi: China's Ambassador to India Lou Zhahui has stressed on 'reconciliation' after the Doklam standoff and said both nations should extend the hand of 'cooperation' and 'make one plus one eleven'.

"We (India and China) should dance together," Lou said, suggesting that both sides should start a new chapter to usher in mutual growth through cooperation.

"We should turn the old page and start a new chapter with the same pace and same direction," he said here on Friday on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

He said that President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent a clear message of "reconciliation" and "cooperation" when they met for BRICS.

His comments come in the backdrop of the disengagement of Chinese and Indian troops in Doklam, where the armies of the two nations were locked in a standoff for over two months.

The envoy's wife, Counselor Jiang Yili, who did her PhD from Delhi University, staged a music and dance performance at the event along with cultural troupes from both the countries.

Calling India as his "second home", Zhaohui stressed the need to ramp up cultural and people-to-people ties. He said he would revive the embassy's engagement with the friendship association, which was very robust at one point.

"They (non-government forums) can do what two governments cannot. In the future days, the embassy can co-host functions with the association," he said.

Doklam lies in Bhutanese territory but is also claimed by China.

The India-China face-off started when Bhutanese troops noticed Chinese soldiers building a road in the area.

When they were unable to push them back, they asked Indian troops for help.
Islamabad: Pakistan's ousted premier Nawaz Sharif is expected to regain the leadership of his PML-N party next week under a proposed new law that will allow a disqualified legislator to head a political party.

Sharif, 67, had to step down as the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after he was disqualified as premier by the Supreme Court on July 28 in the Panama Papers scandal.

Senate, upper house of Parliament, passed Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 on September 22 that has a clause that any person other than a civil servant can hold any position within a party.

The new law has deleted the condition that said only those qualified to become members of parliament can hold leadership position within political parties.

According to Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan, the new law will be presented in the lower house or National Assembly on Monday where it is expected to be passed easily as PML-N has the majority in the house.

Once passed by both houses, the bill would go to president and become a law after his signature.

A meeting of the PML-N's General Council will be held on October 2 to amend the party constitution that barred a disqualified person from holding any party office, according to Khan.

Before the General Council, a meeting of PML-N central working committee (CWC) would be held.

Both -- the CWC and General Council -- would elect the new president on October 3.

The PML-N is hopeful to complete the process of enactment and changes in the laws by October 3. With all legal hurdles removed by that time, Sharif is expected to be easily elected as president.



Though, he is still barred from becoming a lawmaker or prime minister, he would be able to control the party and all other aspects of the politics in the country through his handpicked prime minister, ministers and other appointees.

However, the amendment to the laws is expected to be challenged by the opposition parties in the Supreme Court. Any effective intervention and decision by the top court against the new law may scuttle the plans of PML-N.
Seoul: Several North Korean missiles were recently spotted moved from a rocket facility in the capital Pyongyang, South Korea's Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported late Friday amid speculation that the North was preparing to take more provocative actions.

The report cited an unnamed intelligence source saying South Korean and US intelligence officials detected missiles being transported away from North Korea's Missile Research and Development Facility at Sanum-dong in the northern part of Pyongyang.

The report did not say when or where they had been moved.

The missiles could be either intermediate range Hwasong-12 or intercontinental ballistic Hwasong-14 missiles, according to the report, though the missile facility at Sanum-dong has been dedicated to the production of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

A source from South Korea's defense ministry said he could not confirm details of the report or whether there have been any unusual activities in the area mentioned.

South Korean officials have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on Oct. 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on October 18.

Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and U.S. forces recently held their first joint short range air defense training exercise in South Korea, according to a statement released by the U.S. Pacific Command on Friday.

The statement did not give the date of the exercise but said the next exercise is scheduled to take place over the next few months as the two forces become more familiar with each other`s capabilities.
Beijing: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held top-level talks in China on Saturday as the United States looks to tighten an economic squeeze aimed at persuading North Korea to retreat from its nuclear arms and missile programs.

The United States sees China as critical to averting a military confrontation with Pyongyang, which is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States.

U.S. officials say Beijing appears increasingly willing to cut ties to North Korea`s economy by adopting U.N. sanctions, after long accounting for some 90 percent of its neighbor`s foreign trade.

But to succeed in reaching any kind of diplomatic solution, Tillerson would need to overcome some basic U.S. assumptions about North Korea and China.

The first would be getting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to view nuclear weapons as a liability, not a strength. The U.S. intelligence community does not believe Kim is likely to willingly give up his weapons program.

"(Tillerson`s) working against the unified view of our intelligence agencies, which say there`s no amount of pressure that can be put on them to stop," Senator Bob Corker told a Senate hearing on Thursday.

Kim, Corker said, saw nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as "his ticket to survival".

The second big challenge for Tillerson would be getting China to impose economic sanctions on North Korea so harsh that Kim might question his future if they persisted.

U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say they believe China`s priority is stability on the Korean peninsula, since a political collapse would almost certainly push destabilizing waves of refugees into northeastern China.

China says it will strictly and fully enforce U.N. resolutions against North Korea and its Commerce Ministry on Thursday said North Korean firms in China and joint ventures in China and overseas would be shut down by January, in line with the latest U.N. resolution.

But the latest sanctions need time before they begin to bite, the official China Daily cautioned in an editorial on Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who is due to visit China in November, has called for it to do more on North Korea and has promised to take steps to rebalance a trade relationship that his administration says puts U.S. businesses at a disadvantage.

Tillerson, whose arrival in Beijing was delayed due to mechanical problems with his aircraft, told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that Trump was looking forward to his China visit.

Tillerson also held talks with President Xi Jinping, and China`s top diplomat State Councillor Yang Jiechi, who outranks the foreign minister.

There was no mention of North Korea in any of the remarks in front of reporters, nor in the Chinese government`s account of the meeting with Xi, which focused on Sino-U.S. cooperation.

"The correct direction must be upheld in developing China-U.S. relations. Both countries` common interests far outweigh our disputes, and cooperation is the only correct choice for both sides," China`s Foreign Ministry cited Xi as saying. The U.S. State Department did not suggest any major announcements would be made on Tillerson`s trip but the China Daily said it needed to be more than a "routine show of mutual goodwill" ahead of Trump`s visit.

"The guest and his hosts must ... straighten at least one thing out - what each can expect from the other to ensure the situation on the Korean peninsula does not deteriorate and spiral out of control," it said.

UNACCEPTABLE OPTIONS

Senator John McCain, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, said this week he was skeptical.

"The ideal, we all know, is China. China has not done anything for the last three presidents. I`m not sure that they`re going to do anything with this one," McCain told a security conference in Washington hosted by the Institute for the Study of War.

McCain has repeatedly warned that the United States, which neither wants to live with a nuclear-armed North Korea nor go to war with it, may be faced with "unacceptable options".

U.S. officials have declined to discuss operational plans, but acknowledge that no existing plan for a preemptive strike could promise to prevent a brutal counterattack by North Korea, which has thousands of artillery pieces and rockets trained on Seoul.

White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said on Monday that even military options short of a preventative strike, such as a naval blockade meant to enforce sanctions, carried risks of military escalation.

Tillerson has in the past expressed hope for dialogue with North Korea. U.S. diplomats have also sought to assure Pyongyang that Washington is not seeking to oust Kim, even as Trump and Kim exchange insults and threats of war.

"We are not seeking regime change or collapse," State Department Assistant Secretary Susan Thornton, who is traveling with Tillerson, told a Senate hearing on Thursday.

Thornton`s remarks were welcomed in Beijing, which is calling for a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the United States had issued many "positive signals" that the North Korean nuclear issue should be resolved via talks.

Still, it is unclear how and when negotiations with Pyongyang might be possible.

McMaster said there was no set list of preconditions for talks but added Pyongyang`s capabilities had advanced too far to simply freeze its program in return for concessions.

He cited academic reports about actions North Korea could take to suggest it was serious about talks, such as allowing International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors access to key sites and stating that Pyongyang was willing to denuclearize.

"What we want to see is negotiations that begin under fundamentally different conditions" than in the past, McMaster said.
Washington: A federal court in the US has convicted an American al-Qaeda member involved in a terror attack at a US military base in Afghanistan.

Convicted on all nine counts, Muhamad Mahmoud Al-Farekh now faces up to life in prison.

"Today, an American al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a US courtroom," said Acting United States Attorney Rohde.

The trial evidence showed that he was involved in a variety of terrorist activity, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.

According to court papers, prior to travelling overseas to?join al-Qaeda, Farekh was a student at the University of Manitoba in Canada.

In 2007, Farekh and two fellow students travelled to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas.

Farekh and his co-conspirators had become radicalised watching video recordings encouraging violent jihad, listened to jihadist lectures, including lectures by now-deceased al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al-Awlaki.

They traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al Qaeda's base of operations, where they joined and received training from al Qaeda, federal prosecutors alleged.

One of Farekh?s co-conspirators, Ferid Imam, provided weapons and military-type training at an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in September 2008.

Among Imam's trainees were Najibullah Zazi, Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin, of Queens, New York, who intended to return to New York City to carry out a suicide attack in the subway system.

During the trial, Ahmedzay testified that Imam as his weapons trainer.

Zazi and Ahmedzay pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements and have yet to be sentenced.

Medunjanin was convicted after trial and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Imam has been indicted for his role in the plot.

The government proved Farekh's participation in the building of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman) on January 19, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan.
BEIJING: The United States said on Saturday it was directly communicating with North Korea, seeking to start a dialogue with Pyongyang as its advancing nuclear and missile programs stoke fears of an armed confrontation.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made the disclosure about the communications during a trip to China and said it was important to find a way to reduce tensions with North Korea.

"We are probing, so stay tuned," Tillerson told a group of reporters in Beijing.

"We ask: `Would you like to talk?` We have lines of communications to Pyongyang. We`re not in a dark situation, a blackout."

He said that communication was happening directly and cited two or three U.S. channels open to Pyongyang.

"We can talk to them. We do talk to them," he said, without elaborating about which Americans were involved in those contacts or how frequent they were.

The goal of any initial dialogue would be simple: finding out directly from North Korea what it wants to discuss.

"We haven`t even gotten that far yet," he said.

Tillerson`s remarks followed a day of meetings in Beijing, which has been alarmed by recent exchanges of war-like threats and personal insults between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump.

"I think the whole situation`s a bit overheated right now," Tillerson said. "I think everyone would like for it to calm down.

"Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That`d calm things down a lot."

South Korean officials have voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct more provocative acts near the anniversary of the founding of its communist party on Oct. 10, or possibly when China holds its Communist Party Congress on Oct. 18.

North Korea is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland. It conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has threatened to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific.

ECONOMIC SQUEEZE

U.S. officials including Tillerson say Beijing, after long accounting for some 90 percent of North Korea`s foreign trade, appears increasingly willing to cut ties to its neighbor`s economy by adopting United Nations sanctions.

Tillerson said he believed China`s more assertive posture was due to its realization that North Korea`s nuclear and missile capabilities had advanced too far.

"I think they also have a sense that we`re beginning to run out of time, and that we really have to change the dynamic," Tillerson said.

The goal of the sanctions would be getting North Korea`s Kim to view nuclear weapons as a liability, not a strength.

Still, the U.S. intelligence community does not believe Kim is likely to give up his weapons program willingly, regardless of sanctions.

"(Tillerson`s) working against the unified view of our intelligence agencies, which say there`s no amount of pressure that can be put on them to stop," Senator Bob Corker told a hearing at the chamber on Thursday.

Kim sees nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as "his ticket to survival," Corker said.

Tillerson agreed that Kim`s nuclear and missile programs were aimed at ensuring his own security, and renewed assurances that the United States did not seek to topple Kim`s government.

"Look, our objective is denuclearization (of North Korea). Our objective is not to get rid of you. Our objective is not to collapse your regime," he said.

INCREMENTAL STEPS

It is unclear how and when any actual negotiations with Pyongyang might be possible.

White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said on Monday there were no set preconditions for talks. He added, however, that Pyongyang`s capabilities were too far advanced to simply freeze its program in return for concessions.

He also dismissed the idea of negotiating with Pyongyang even as it continued to develop its nuclear weapons program.

Tillerson in March suggested the United States would only engage North Korea in negotiations once it gave up nuclear weapons.

But he acknowledged on Saturday that denuclearization would be an "incremental process."

"You`d be foolish to think youre going to sit down and say: Okay, done. Nuclear weapons, gone. This is going to be a process of engagement with North Korea," he said.

Trump, who is due to visit China in November, has called for it to do more regarding North Korea and has promised to take steps to rebalance a trade relationship that his administration says puts U.S. businesses at a disadvantage.

Chinese President Xi Jinping did not mention North Korea in his opening remarks while meeting Tillerson on Saturday. He instead offered warm words about Trump, saying he expected the U.S. president`s visit to be "wonderful."

"The two of us have also maintained a good working relationship and personal friendship," Xi said in comments in front of reporters.
Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front row taxi ridesymbolic of the shows content as a fun ride that takes audiences from point A to point B. Gabina VOAs main goal is Enlightening young people, introducing them to cutting-edge technological innovations, exposing them to new processes and ideas so they can be productive, informed and self-governing citizens.
Glenn Elementary (Durham Public Schools)

Lakewood Elementary (Durham Public Schools)

Williford Elementary (Nash-Rocky Mount Schools)

Willis Hare Elementary (Northampton County Schools)

R.B. Dean Elementary (Robeson County Schools)

Southside Ashpole Elementary (Robeson County Schools)

The list of schools eligible for the Innovative School District program just got a little smaller. Six schools remain as officials led by ISD Superintendent Eric Hall narrowed the list of schools eligible for the new program starting in the 2018-19 school year.Originally called the Achievement School District, the ISD aims to place low-performing elementary schools under charter or education management organizations for a five-year period. The goal is to find innovative means of improving student achievement and growth in some of the state's lowest-performing schools.The following schools made the cut:ISD officials used certain criteria to narrow down the list from 48 schools to six. Schools receiving funding through the federal School Improvement Grants were excluded from the list, as were schools located in districts where less than 35 percent of its schools were designated low performing.All schools with a "D" performance rating were removed, along with "F" schools that demonstrated growth in the 2016-17 school year. Schools that met growth in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school year and earned a "D" for both years also were removed.Hall will recommend at least two schools to the State Board of Education at the November board meeting, and next year he will recommend three more. In the meantime, ISD will organize school visits and conduct a comprehensive assessment for each school to further narrow the list.Hall said in a press release.The Durham Public Schools Board of Education sent a letter asking Hall to exclude their schools from the program, saying the board is taking steps to improve the schools. Two Durham public schools made the list of six."It is hard to envision that the Innovative School District would implement strategies radically different from the ones we will adopt," Mike Lee, the DPS Board of Education chairman, said in the letter.Hall repeatedly has emphasized that the program is not a takeover but a partnership between local school districts and the ISD.Hall said.
When North Carolina is competing with other states and nations for investment, business startups and expansions, and high-value professionals, we start out with some important advantages. Our tax code, for example, is now one of the most growth-friendly systems in the country In another area, land-use regulation, North Carolina also ranks above average - but not by much. We ought to strengthen property-rights protections in our state, not only because North Carolinians deserve more freedom but also because such protections appear to boost growth, job creation, and income gains.A new study posted at the National Bureau of Economic Research by Kyle Herkenhoff of the University of Minnesota, Lee Ohanian of UCLA, and Nobel Laureate Edward Prescott of the University of Arizona found that heavy regulations on land use increase the price of housing, thus chasing away investors, entrepreneurs, and workers from the states and localities that impose them.The effects of rent control, rigid zoning laws, density and parking limits, eminent-domain abuse, and other land-use policies aren't just negative for the jurisdictions that impose them. Herkenhoff, Ohanion, and Prescott found that the American economy as a whole suffers from the distortions created by differential regulations and housing costs. If just California and New York alone had kept their regulatory burdens the same since 1980, rather than increasingly them dramatically, the nation's productivity would be substantially higher than it is.I wouldn't count on California and New York getting the message. Their politicians seem, if anything, to be intent on regulating more. But even as North Carolina continues to welcome highly productive economic refugees from these higher-cost places, our leaders still need to do more to strengthen property-rights protections in our state.According to the Cato Institute's "Freedom in the 50 States" index, North Carolina ranks 21st in the nation for land-use freedom . While clearly superior to the regulatory policies prevalent in the northeast and Pacific coast, only Virginia (#26) among the states of the southeast has a worse ranking than we do on this measure. Tennessee (#7) and Florida (#11) are particularly strong protectors of property rights.The right to own, control, develop, and sell land and other real property is not some limited civil right, granted under certain conditions by governments only to fulfill public needs. It is a natural right, derived from the rights of human beings to own their own labor and the fruits of that labor, including the land people live on and develop for their needs.Governments do have a legitimate power to regulate what people do on or with their land - but only to the extent that such private actions directly impinge on the rights of others, by imposing nuisances or polluting either their own private property or the air and water "commons" that all share. You don't have the right to use government to force other people to conform to your aesthetic preferences, or to prop up the market value of your property by restricting development or competition, or to keep "those people" out of your neighborhood.North Carolina has authorized local governments to impose certain kinds of land-use regulations. Some are justified. Others are abusive, and state lawmakers ought to rescind such power to violate individual rights. This may well be an opportunity for some Left-Right alliances, by the way, because some lot-size and zoning regulations prevent the construction of the very affordable housing and high-density projects that many progressives advocate.We should also amend the state constitution to protect landowners against eminent-domain abuse . Governments should be allowed to condemn and acquire private property only for public use - to construct a public asset - and not for the purpose of transferring property from one private owner to another, on the grounds that the politically preferred owner would be best for "the community."If we want healthy vibrant, and growing communities, the best thing to do is to respect the rights of the people who live in them. Freedom, it turns out, is actually good for the economy. Who knew?
Review of report issued in 2006 by Spellings Commission shows solutions remain elusive



UNC President Margaret Spellings after a Jan. 13, 2017 Board of Governors meeting. (CJ photo by Kari Travis)

"It's one thing to take a bunch of recommendations in Washington and put them out, and another thing to figure out how to implement it."

"We really haven't made as much progress as I think many of us would have hoped."

"We've sold college as the golden ticket to middle-class opportunity, then priced average families out of the market."

"The most striking thing, looking back from 10 years later, is that we brought those voices together at the very highest levels and found overwhelming goodwill and agreement."

"The true test of leadership in higher education is ... resisting the endless stream of high-profile distractions. ... That is especially true for higher education, which has become the preferred venue for some of the sharpest partisans, and some of the strident culture warriors in the public square."

"That takes a toll both in public perception and our day-to-day ability to serve students better."

"You see it in the bipartisan agreement that everyone has that a fair opportunity to pursue the American dream should be available to all. Making that reality is our most urgent task. Today's test of leadership."

CHAPEL HILL - More than 10 years after the Commission on the Future of Higher Education assessed the plight of American universities, experts say the problems they identified remain entrenched, and new challenges strains educators even further.In 2005, then-U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, now president of the University of North Carolina, tasked the commission with diagnosing weaknesses in higher education. The so-called "Spellings Commission" identified a host of concerns. But as she said during a Sept. 26 conference at UNC-Chapel Hill, pointing out problems and solving them are different challenges.The commission released a 2006 report The research outlined five challenges for colleges and universities: Access, affordability, quality, accountability, and innovation.During the George W. Bush administration, gaps in higher education resulted from economic and social disruption. Technology was accelerating. Experts feared colleges would crumble under the stress of a changing work force and global marketplace.Today, things don't look so different, Spellings said.Her role at UNC is "payback for the Spellings Commission," she joked before an audience of university administrators and policymakers.Problems outlined more than a decade ago persist. UNC tuition costs for in-state students averages close to $7,000 . Non-residents pay more than twice that to attend UNC schools. But most North Carolina families can't afford to pay for even one year out-of-pocket, Spellings said.The Spellings' Commission report labeled higher education as an "engine of mobility," but that's not the case for low-income and minority individuals, Michael Lomax, president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, told conference-goers.Most institutions have done nothing to deal with issues of affordability, said Cheryl Oldham, senior vice president at the Center for Education and Workforce.After becoming UNC president in 2015, Spellings built a strategic plan around the ideas of access, affordability, and accountability.The UNC Board of Governors unanimously adopted the plan earlier this year. Since then, Spellings has repeatedly said she wants to gut the university budgeting system and overhaul administration to eliminate waste.Additionally, in 2016 North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill to cut tuition at three UNC schools, including two Historically Black Colleges and Universities.In early September, the UNC board proposed more tuition cuts Universities must do their research, collect data, and analyze outcomes, she said. Success is determined by output, not input. Most universities fail to keep tabs on how well students are doing in class.In a nation where 70 percent of students attend public universities, it's up to those taxpayer-funded schools to serve up some solutions, she said.The commission didn't solve everything, but it did set an agenda thatSpellings said, pointing to Bill Gates and other philanthropists who have donated to higher education. Those efforts are an indirect result of the commission's work, she said.The situation can improve further - but not if university leaders are distracted by politics and petty arguments, Spellings said.The Spellings Commission developed a consensus while engaging members with a variety of perspectives. Former North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt, a Democrat and the state's longest-serving governor, was one of 19 people who served on the commission. Others included Richard Vedder, a conservative economist and historian; Sara Martinez Tucker, former CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund; and Nicholas Donofrio, a former IBM executive.If one thing has changed, it's the tone of campus politics, she said.Universities always have welcomed debate and controversy, but now they areOne of the commission's proudest accomplishments was that it remained stubbornly focused on higher education, she said.
State officials failed to account for 234 vehicles worth $634,000 seized by a program targeting drivers convicted of felonies for speeding or driving while intoxicated, a new state audit reported.Auditor Beth Wood found gaps in monitoring the contractors charged with impounding the vehicles, along with resistance from one major contractor to cooperate with the investigation. The missing vehicles should have been auctioned, kept in storage, or returned to the owners. But audit investigators couldn't find the missing vehicles or the paperwork that might help find them.The Department of Public Instruction, the state agency that received money from the sale of seized vehicles, didn't want the responsibility of monitoring the program, saying it was outside the agency's core mission.The audit reviewed the DWI/Felony Speeding to Elude Vehicle Seizure Program from July 1, 2011 until June 30, 2016. Though the review covered five years, vehicles were reported missing over only the past three years.The General Assembly created the program in the 1990s to seize vehicles from motorists convicted of those felonies and prevent them from driving. By law, proceeds from the sale of items seized in criminal cases go to the school district where the case was prosecuted. Local school districts initially and reluctantly monitored the program.In 1997, DPI took charge of overseeing the contractors that impounded and later auctioned the vehicles. But DPI didn't want that responsibility, either. Oversight was lax, and DPI officials said it didn't have the people or money needed to keep tabs on the contractors and make sure they were auctioning the vehicles and sending money to DPI.Oversight of the program shifted last year to the Department of Administration.The audit recommended tighter oversight from DOA, including a referral to the Division of Motor Vehicles, which may be able to track any undocumented vehicles.It also noted that Martin Edwards and Associates, the contractor handling (and losing) the vast majority of the vehicles, had impeded the investigation and resisted subpoenas from the auditor's office. The auditor said DOA should reconsider using MEA as a contractor.DPI and DOA agreed with the audit's findings and recommendations.Secretary of Administration Machelle Sanders said the requirements contractors must face to impound vehicles for the program are so stringent that not many towing/impoundment businesses qualify to participate in it - implying it would be difficult to replace a crooked or incompetent contractor. She said regulations possibly expanding the pool of available contractors would need the General Assembly's approval.
The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day?

Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount.

Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what so called "Democracy" does exists.


Lisa Hill, Dean of Arts and Sciences at BCCC, with Brooke Butler, first participant in the PackTrac program

Contact: Attila Nemecz

Attila Nemecz Attila.Nemecz@beaufortccc.edu

WASHINGTON, N.C. The first time Brooke Butler visited N.C. State University, her eyes opened up to a new part of North Carolina. Inspired by how thousands of students pursued their own education collectively, the Martin County native immediately committed to attending, but was not ready to leave home after high school. Now, Butler is taking advantage of the a new collaboration between NC State and Beaufort County Community College that allows her to start her bachelor's degree in agricultural education at BCCC.Butler is the first student at BCCC to enroll in PackTrac, which puts BCCC students on course for bachelor's degrees in any of 13 majors through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State. The PackTrac program clearly defines all of the classes and requirements students will need to transfer. The program also sets up advisors on both sides to help with the transition. Among the degrees that students can pursue are agricultural business management, agricultural & environmental technology, animal science, horticultural science and plant biology.Butler's agriculture teacher at Riverside High School, Mike Bennett, encouraged her to take an active role in Future Farmers of America. Along with Dr. Jason Davis, the North Carolina FFA coordinator, Bennett inspired Butler to become an agricultural educator herself. Butler, who teaches horse-riding lessons at her family's farm, was not ready to weigh herself down with student loans, or leave her family and job behind.she said.Butler remembers thinking of NC State, "These students love their school!" She could have easily been overwhelmed by the campus, where the enrollment exceeds the population of her entire county, but instead she saw a student population sharing in something together.she recalled.One day, Lisa Hill, Dean of Arts and Sciences and the advisor for PackTrac, stopped Butler in the hall and told her about the new program. Hill knew about Butler's agricultural education ambitions. Butler immediately signed up.Butler points out that that only one percent of the workforce are farmers. With seven billion people in the world to feed, the agricultural sector needs to keep innovating. After she finishes her bachelor's degree at NC State, she can teach that innovation to the next generation.
Anyone who applies for an executive or upper management position at a university these days must demonstrate a "strong commitment to diversity." That's because diversity, according to campus dogma, provides real educational benefits.Counting and mingling students and professors by race, ethnicity or gender is supposed to broaden perspectives and enhance classroom learning. That might be true in academic departments built on identity politics-I don't know. But what about in the rest of the university?For example, what critical perspective does a black academic bring to microbiology, civil engineering, or the study of African resistance to European imperialism that a white scholar cannot? What distinctive viewpoint does a Hispanic professor rely on to explain French colonialism, the rise of the Land Freedom Army/Mau Mau in 1950s Kenya, or trans-Saharan commerce that a black instructor cannot?The idea that one's ancestry gives a professor insights that others cannot have is indefensible.My maternal Russian heritage gives me neither special wisdom nor even interest in Peter the Great, Gogol and Tolstoy, or the collapse of Soviet communism. Knowledge, understanding, and insights about history derive from careful study, wide reading and travel, and broad communication with people who agree and disagree with you. One's surname, gender or racial admixture is never a substitute.As for the students, defenders of diversity groupthink maintain that students from underrepresented minorities bring especially novel viewpoints to classrooms, making them essential for higher learning. The former president of California State University, Chico, where I taught for 40 years, once assured me that simply having a variety of students clustered by race or ethnicity contributed to a "livelier mix" in classes.His view is appallingly mistaken. As with faculty members, a student's ancestry or skin color bestows no special insights or knowledge. There is no "black perspective" on chemistry or "Hispanic perspective" on statistics. Even in courses that pertain to the social sciences, few undergraduates know enough about the subject matter to contribute new viewpoints in class.After four decades of teaching African history, including more than 6,500 individual class sessions, I recall few undergraduates who brought unique perspectives to any historical topic. My course topics ranged from explaining different interpretations of linguistic evidence used to suggest the origins of the Bantu language family, to identifying the Dutch settler and British colonial origins of racism in South Africa.Most students had little previous knowledge of African history, regardless of their skin color or ethnic heritage. At the start of each semester, I asked the class how many students (aside from those who had traveled in Africa) could name two African languages? Almost none could.How could they possibly enunciate some special perspective unavailable to their classmates? The assumption that their presence would make the course "more lively" is groundless.Unfortunately, the notion that one's race gives minority students deep knowledge may even have an adverse effect on them. It leads them into a feeling of entitlement in "their" courses.Several years ago, an impassioned black student was doing poorly in my African history course. She insisted that her difficulties in learning African names and concepts - her own heritage - were due to my skin color.I explained to her that understanding the historical importance of Zulu-Xhosa rivalries, the significance of the massive stone structures at Great Zimbabwe, or the disparate roles played by missionaries in supporting 20th-century African nationalist movements required intellectual discipline, systematic reading and being open to new ideas.Rather than doing the necessary work, she dropped the class.While the notion that diversity has great educational benefits is highly debatable, its advocates rarely speak to audiences that will question their core beliefs. Anyone who challenges their claims will spark immediate reproach from them. Criticism is dismissed with mind-numbing cliches. I know from experience.As mentioned above, I taught African history for 40 years at CSU, Chico. When I criticized the overtly divisive racial preferences and obsessive gender double standards that I witnessed on faculty hiring committees, I was denounced as an "enemy of diversity." That label was rich in unintended irony.Raised in an orthodox Jewish home in west Baltimore, I graduated from the University of Richmond (founded by Southern Baptists), completed my M.A. at Howard University (the country's pre-eminent historically black college), earned my Ph.D. in history at UCLA, then taught at a modest liberal arts college.As a Jewish American historian of Africa, I specialized in Somalia, a country that's 99% Muslim. I visited Somalia 10 times, conducting research and teaching at the National University in Mogadishu. Somalis always welcomed me with hospitality and collegiality.In 1984, while working on a PBS documentary called "The Parching Winds of Somalia," I sought permission to film Muslim congregants at prayer in a Mogadishu mosque. The imam there, Sheikh Aden, insisted that I guarantee my crew would behave in a "worshipful manner" during filming. A practical scholar and revered community leader, Sheikh Aden knew I was Jewish.After I led my crew in chanting the Muslim profession of the faith (shahada) in his office, I recall Sheikh Aden telling me:Yet I was dismissed as an "enemy of diversity." Why can't intelligent adults discuss the claims about diversity in a reasonable manner?According to Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker in his book The Blank Slate, some academic debatesDiversity is certainly one of them.warned Pinker.The term "the mentality of taboo" was developed by psychologist Philip Tetlock and others to describe an intellectual loop into which one enters, accepts its main propositions, and then finds it difficult to escape. Within the mentality of taboo,In that regard, the psychology of taboo provides a defense mechanism that's widespread among the cult-like advocates of diversity. To believe something with aThe ardent defenders of ethnic or racial diversity in classrooms, to borrow Pinker's phrase, areWe badly need to get over the taboos regarding criticism of diversity. Doing so would be particularly helpful to minority students.In her 1994 book Racism 101, the black writer Nikki Giovanni reminds students that it takes individual effort, not group identity, to improve themselves.She dismisses claims that black students, simply because of their skin color, ought to be considered a source of special insight or to serve as some role model. A distinguished professor at Virginia Tech, she urges them to focus instead on self-discipline, completing class assignments, and studying hard to succeed.Giovanni counseled black students to be a consistent presence in class, meet with their professors, demonstrate seriousness about getting good grades, do assignments on time, and ask their professor what they needed to do to improve their grade.she reminded them.Finally, if I were to single out two cohorts whose members disproportionately enhanced diverse exchanges in my classrooms, they would be military veterans and strong Christians.The vets were disciplined, rarely missed class, and were exemplary in their academic deportment. They kept pace with the readings, peppered me with questions, and insisted on clarifications.The Christian students had a very different perspective. When I explained why fossil finds from eastern Africa were central to understanding human evolution, they relished challenging me on creationist grounds. That was a true diversity of viewpoints.Why don't colleges seek out students from those groups to genuinely "enhance diversity?"As a scholar of African history and a multicultural individual, I taught students without regard to their skin color, ethnicity or gender. This hardly makes me diversity's enemy-no matter what administrators might say.
On Monday evening, Playboy founder Hugh Hefner died at the ripe old age of 91. He spent his life sleeping with women (he estimated over 1,000 conquests) and pretending to be a deep thinker. But the media's gushing focus on Hefner is truly astonishing: in an era in which the media routinely condemn President Trump's "toxic masculinity," blast the casual vulgarity of Clay Travis' support for the "First Amendment and boobs," and complain about exploitation of women in culture, they were willing to overlook all of their basic views about female value in order to laud Hefner. Why? Because Hefner was a creature of the Left through and through, a man who sought to break down traditional sexual mores in favor of a "freer" and more vulgar America.Let's be clear about one thing: Hefner's attempt to glorify the "swinging" lifestyle was a dressed-up version of pure hedonism. While he said he liked to listen to jazz, talk about Nietzsche, and be surrounded by beautiful women, he's only famous because of the last element: without publishing pictures of bare breasts, Hugh Hefner would have been a nearly-anonymous, seedy-type trying to hit on women who could pass for his granddaughters. Hefner is iconic only because our culture has been so degraded. Yes, Hefner published articles by Norman Mailer and John Updike. So did Picador and Random House. But neither of those publishers have been feted for doing so. The media may pretend that Hefner's "sophistication" is the reason they're praising him today, but it's his obscenity and his open hatred of traditional morality that really turned them on.None of this is to argue that Hefner's antics weren't protected by the First Amendment. They arguably were - although it's highly doubtful that James Madison and company were particularly concerned about the right of individuals to publish nudity in public. It is to argue that glorifying Hefner for his pornographic use of the First Amendment is ridiculous.It's also worth noting that the Left's attempts to attribute Hefner's reputation to his forward-thinking on civil rights is an attempt to coat turd in gold. Martin Luther King, Jr. somehow pushed for civil rights without publicly touting a lifestyle straight out of a Saudi harem. Rosa Parks didn't have to pose as a Playboy centerfold to effect change.What the Left truly loves about Hefner is that he was instrumental in destroying public support for monogamy. It was Hefner who celebrated polyamory, who suggested that prior generations were repressed and ignorant - as though he was the first man to discover the pleasures of sex. Here's The New York Times lauding him in a 3,300-word essay (they gave William F. Buckley some 3,000 words):Mr. Hefner wielded fierce resentment against his era's sexual strictures, which he said had choked off his own youth. A virgin until he was 22, he married his longtime girlfriend... In "The Playboy Philosophy," a mix of libertarian and libertine arguments that Mr. Hefner wrote in 25 installments starting in 1962, his message was simple: Society was to blame. His causes - abortion rights, decriminalization of marijuana and, most important, the repeal of 19th-century sex laws - were daring at the time.What a fellow. He hated that he stayed a virgin until he got married - clearly that cut off his creative juices. He loved abortion and he disliked traditional marriage. Feminists used to be wise enough to understand that Hefner's brand of female objectification didn't liberate women; now, feminists suggest that Hefner, who built his infamous grotto into a "squalid prison" for buxom younger women, was somehow a breaker of chains. Hefner didn't make women more respected; he made men more open in their piggishness.But he broke the old consensus about the value of marriage, so bully for him.All of which shows that for many on the Left, principles about female value and opposition to men acting like garbage are disposable, so long as the man in question fulfills certain anti-traditional standards. From Bill Clinton to Teddy Kennedy, political leftism is the golden ticket to enjoying all the rewards of personal depravity. That's why Hefner was treated as a cultural hero rather than as a pornographer masquerading as a highbrow philosopher.
Transgender teen Ally Lee Steinfeld was stabbed in the genitals, had her eyes gouged out, and was burned to a charred crisp. But she was not the victim of a hate crime, say the police and prosecutor.

Steinfeld, 17, was allegedly attacked by her girlfriend and two teenagers in an assault in Cabool, Texas Country, Missouri which left her with her eyes gouged out, court records said.

Steinfeld, who was born as Joseph Matthew Steinfeld, had been missing for a month before investigators found her charred remains in a bag dumped in a chicken coop.

It came weeks after a post on social media site Instagram where she described herself as "mtf", or male-to-female, later adding: "I am proud to be me I am proud to be trans."

But the authorities insisted Steinfeld's murder was not motivated by her sexuality or gender.

Prosecutor Parke Stevens Jr told news agency AP: "I would say murder in the first-degree is all that matters. That is a hate crime in itself."
Best Spanish Pickup Lines

Five Basic Spanish Pickup Lines All Guys Should Master

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The English language is the most widely spoke, with many countries across the globe making it part of their curriculum starting as early as elementary school. But the second most used dialect? Spanish!

From South and Central America to Mexico and Spain, traveling around the world will inspire you to brush up on your espanol phrases, especially if you meet a lady youd like share some wine and tapas with. Not only is learning another language a bonus point for your resume, but it can help broaden your international community, and who knows? Maybe even introduce you to your esposa (ahem, thats wife).

RELATED: The Best Sign Language Pickup Lines

Next time you find yourself abroad and ready to mingle with a Spanish-speaking senorita, try out these pickup lines:

Hola

What it translates to: Hello

Why it works: When you walk into your office, scan your card at the gym, announce yourself on a conference call, meet your buddies at the local watering hole, see your parents or your siblings, or well, do anything, whats the first word you utter? More likely than not, its hello or hi. You might not consider this one-word greeting to be effective when grabbing the attention of a beautiful woman, but more times than not, ladies will value a man who is confident enough to master the art of being sincere. When you treat women, well like humans, they wont feel like youre merely talking to them to score, but rather, to get to know them.

Eres hermosa

What it translates to: Youre beautiful

Why it works: Women may lean more toward the camp of getting to know someone before passing judgement, while men are quick to speak to a lady they find attractive. Its okay that you lead with your eyes, as long as you take the time to venture into her mind, too. No matter your approach however, if youre in a conversation with a person you find yourself lusting after and the moment feels right, slipping this genuine compliment will probably catch her off guard  in a great way.

RELATED: The Most Useful Languages To Learn, Revealed

Cual es tu nombre?

What it translates to: What is your name?

Why it works: Before there can be a first date where you woo her with the right wine bar (with the most romantic ambiance) or impress her with your robust trivia knowledge on a myriad of topics, you have to know her name. This basic phrase in Spanish is used commonly, considering its determines how you address people, but starting off by making a point to begin with this is recommended. Plus, from here, you can approach all other conversations, starting with her name.

Como estas?

What it translates to: How are you?

Why it works: You could come up with a creative way to compliment her dress. Or you could make a funny joke on the current state of affairs. You might even begin talking about a place you visited or a trip you took or a world record you broke. These pickup lines are not foolproof though, considering you dont know her humor and you arent sure of how shell take certain topics. But one question that is universally accepted is inquiring about how someone is doing and how theyre day is going. Though simple in nature, it indicates you are putting her needs above your own, and interested in her perspective.

Que estas bebiendo?

What it translates to: What are you drinking?

Why it works: Once youve broken the ice with one of the above introduction sentences or questions, and you know you want to keep on talking to this woman, you might try and buy her a drink. This is a subtle way to indicate that you want to ask her more questions, continue chatting and let the night continue as fate will have it. Just be prepared to purchase whatever she wants  from a Corona to a margarita and all in between.

Continue Learning On Udemy.com

If you really want to become bilingual and use Spanish to both your romantic and your professional benefit? You might need to go a little further than few catchphrases. Luckily, you can explore the Spanish language  and countless other classes  on Udemy.com. This online resource is mostly free and curated by experts in many fields and disciplines. You can start browsing their 55,000 course library today. Vamonos!



$45.00 To Start Learning At UdeMy.com

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Best Way to Learn Spanish

Master Spanish in No Time With These Key Essentials

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Its estimated that more than 410 million people across the world speak Spanish as their native language, making up nearly six percent of the population. If you have a wanderlust spirit, business travel or bucket list of passport stamps, you may be tempted to learn the ropes of this language. Especially if youre trekking to South or Central America, Spain, Mexico or other Hispanic regions of the world, mastering basic conversational skills will help you navigate and explore an unfamiliar country with ease. And if youre hoping to expand your career or earn a larger salary, adding bilingual to your resume is a stepping stone thatll take you leaps ahead of others at your level. As the Spanish speaking community continues to grow across the US, now more than ever is a a great time to become well versed in this romantic language.

Ready to tackle the challenge, amigo? Here, a 101-guide on learning Spanish, from what to keep in mind and what steps to take to recommended classes, books, apps, and programs. Vamonos!

What You Need to Know

While you might have casually signed up for that one-day cooking class to learn how to make your own pasta and considered yourself an expert after linguine, studying a new language with various nuances is a bit more intensive. When you decide to explore your options, youll want to keep a few rules of thumb in mind to become as expressive and articulate as you can be. Heres a few to get your brain flowing:

Make It A Priority

Sure, between your full-time office job, your side project, your girlfriend, your buddies, your gym habit, and the hours you need to veg in front of Netflix, adding in another to-do might seem exhausting. It could be, but setting aside time to practice regularly is the most important key to success. Even if you cant establish a daily hour to translate, write and converse, you can select one day of the week to spend an afternoon brushing up on your lessons. Certain apps (more below!) can even make the process entertaining, making it feel less like a chore and more like a game where you beat various levels. Bottom line? If you dont make learning Spanish a priority, youll never get past basic greetings.

Give Yourself Weekly, Monthly And Yearly Goals

Much like when youre given certain benchmarkers to meet at work, that your manager tracks to critique your bi-annual review, its essential to make consistent targets for yourself. These weekly, monthly, and yearly objectives will help you stay focused, consistent, and identify your progress. It can be encouraging to see how much of a difference 30 days  or 60 or 90  transform your ability to pronounce and conjugate verbs, which in turn, may be the mojo you need to keep moving forward in your studies. For an even bigger incentive, plan a trip to a Spanish-speaking country six months from now, where you can test your skills firsthand with locals. Or, if thats out of your budget, plan a large dinner with your closest pals at a Mexican restaurant and take on the task of ordering for everyone.

Recruit A Buddy

Theres both safety and spirit in numbers. Thats why encouraging (or bribing) a friend, your partner or a sibling to learn Spanish with you could be the best idea to keep you on track. Dont just recruit anyone though, you need an accountability partner who will take the courses seriously, push you to break through barriers when you hit them and be there to field questions, bounce ideas, and work through difficult lessons or chapters. If your girlfriend is as curious about languages as you are, it can be an impressive twist on date night, opening up new discussions and seeing a new side to her and your relationship. Or, if you and your brother havent had much bonding time in past years, it can be a way to rekindle your sibling debates, making for fun stories to share when you visit the folks at the holidays. And hey, you could even tell some jokes in Spanish and leave your parents none the wiser.

Find The Teaching Style That Works For You

Remember in college when your fraternity brother would make flash cards before a big final, while you needed to read the study materials out loud? Or, in the office, where some of your colleagues prefer to have their hands held throughout every leg of a project, and youd like to be left to your own devices? As with anything that requires intense thought and a new intelligence, learning Spanish isnt the same process for everyone. And depending on where you live and the free hours you have to dedicate to your linguistic practice, you might need an app as opposed to a class. Luckily, with the widespread thirst to learn Spanish, there are plenty of options available for various levels, goals and lifestyles.

Here, a breakdown of what might work for you:

E-Learning Platforms

Face it: you spend more one-on-one time with the Internet than you do with your best gal, your friends, your boss or truly, anyone. With every answer under the sun a simple Google search away, youre a master at surfing and scouring the world wide web, so why not utilize your addiction to learn Spanish? E-learning platforms offer this solution and option.

Pros Of E-Learning Platforms:

Youre already stressed to find a hot second to yourself and find time to plan your third bachelor party, so having to make it to a class in your city every week may be out of the question. With an online Spanish class though, you earn the flexibility to take and complete lessons whenever you want to, on your own schedule and at the pace that feels most comfortable and effective for you. Or, if youre someone whose job requires you to fly from New York to Los Angeles, and from Boston to Miami, you need a learning program that goes wherever you go. Since the internet is well, basically everywhere, you can use downtime in your hotel room or long cross-country flights to brush up on your verbs and pronouns. Another plus of e-learning platforms is their effectiveness. Many users rave as happy customers, reporting they now feel comfortable and proficient in the language they selected.

Cons Of E-Learning Platforms:

Unfortunately, if youre on a budget, you might not want to look toward e-learning platforms as a resource considering they do fall on the higher end of the spectrum. In general, you can look at spending upwards of a thousand dollars for these, making it an investment in your education but also a handsome chunk out of your savings. Also, you should keep your personal learning style in mind when deciding how to study Spanish. If you prefer face-to-face connection, an interactive approach, and an instructor who can answer questions, these platforms dont offer an interface to meet your needs. Lastly, if you do need to have some sort of accountability metric to ensure you actually complete tasks, an e-learning platform is easy to push to the side, along with those coupons you were going to collect, and those birthday cards youve been meaning to pen for, say, a decade?

Rosetta Stone

Best For: Those Serious About Learning Spanish

The creme de la creme of e-learning platforms is Rosetta Stone, which was among the first in the market to introduce the idea of mastering another language. Their immersive way of learning includes speaking into your computer, writing out Spanish, identifying objects, and more. There are a multitude of levels, helping you scale up from novice to fluent in a few months. Because this e-learning platform has been around for several years, theyve gone through several iterations, improving with each version. They also have taken customer feedback into consideration to expound their offerings and make a smarter, easier experience for learning the ropes of Spanish.

Find out more at RosettaStone.com

Udemy

Best For: Those Who Want More Interaction With An Instructor

If you think college was the best, most golden, exciting time of your life, youre in luck: you can now go back to university. Sorry though bro, this doesnt include keg parties and impromptu hiking trips for the weekend on a backpackers budget. Instead, Udemy offers traditional collegiate coursework, giving experts the platform they need to create whatever type of class theyre masters of. With 55,000 classes, you can browse around until you find the right fit for your learning style, making the Spanish course as unique to your preferences as an online course can offer.

Through Udemy you can learn from some of the top tier Spanish speakers in the world, and even gain course credit if you need to finish your degree. Or, if you just want to learn Spanish without the title? No worries, professionals can use the platform to become bilingual too.

$11.99 at Udemy.com

EdX

Best For: Spanish Learners With An Inflexible Income

Much like Udemy, edX hosts online university-level courses, designed by accredited professors and instructors. While their course offering is lower  around 1,270 classes  they have an estimated 10 million students taking these classes. The bonus of this platform is how easy it is on your wallet, making that hard-earned cash stretch further, considering many of their courses are free. Take this Basic Spanish class, as an example, which cost a whopping $0 to complete, and only $50 if youd like certification for your office wall.

Free, $50.00 certification at Edx.com

Apps

If you have been learning Espanol here-and-there, off-and-on since elementary school, maybe even minoring in the language in college or studying abroad in a Spanish-speaking country, you might not need a fully-fledged class to bring back your memory. Instead, you might need a fresher-up type of course that triggers the phrases and words you have stored, but havent accessed in a while. One way to refamiliarize yourself is through a plethora of apps, many of which are offered free of charge.

Pros Of Spanish-Learning Apps:

Take a look at the apps you most recently opened on your phone: your e-mail, Facebook, Instagram, maybe Snapchat or Google Maps, and surely some sort of game to pass the time when youre waiting in line at Starbucks or for your protein shake to be brewed at the gym. With a Spanish language learning app, you wont feel the pressure of a learning program, and instead, find the process more entertaining and light-hearted. Because many interfaces feature competition modules and points to collect, you might not even realize youre soaking up sentences as you practice. Plus, as a way to pass the time, its better for your brain power than stalking your ex-girlfriend on Insta.

Cons Of Spanish-learning Apps:

Unlike a Spanish class you take at a local community college or a language class in your city, apps are more one-on-one and individual to your personal progress. This can make them feel a tad lonely or polarizing. They also arent as intensive as e-learning platforms, so they arent recommended for true beginners who are starting from square uno. (Ahem, one.)

Duolingo

Best For: Vacationers

As the name suggests, this free app helps you become bilingual through a variety of levels, games and interactions. From writing out sentences and words to speaking directly into your phone, you have to pass every lesson to move onto the other. Though you might not become fully fluent with this app, it might be ideal to prep for a 2-week journey through South America or Spain.

As an added feature, you can connect with your Facebook friends who also use the app. This added social interaction encourages you to compete against one another in real time, offering a kick when you want to slack on a Sunday.

Free with ads at Duolingo.com

Memrise

Best For: Former Spanish Students

In addition to using games and competitions to help you get schooled on Spanish, this app (that also has a learning platform) uses the methods of memory techniques to help you learn. It aims to give recreational, conversational skill sets to its users, both beginners, and more advanced speakers. To date, they have 20 million users, so it might be worth looking into.

Free at Memrise.com

Drops

Best For: Casual Learners

If youre merely interested in learning a few words here-and-there to pass the time, or just to be entertained, consider a whole different spin on learning a language. The key to Drops is simple: take five minutes each and every day to learn a language  thats it. It takes away the overwhelming nature of studying a language with their visual-only, swiping method that requires little effort. Unlike immersive programs, this is a mindless, beautiful way to throw a few Spanish words into happy hour chats.

Free at Itunes.com

Books

As an add-on to your coursework, app or e-learning program, you might consider stocking up on good old-fashioned books (yep, real ones!) that will answer lingering questions, sans Google. Especially if youre traveling, having a carry-on approved guide will come in handy when youre out of network or without WiFi.

Pros of Spanish Books:

Though you might come to a point where you can understand and respond in Spanish, at least in need-to-know conversations (like where the toilet is, how to say thank you, ask for directions), scribbling down Spanish phrases is a whole new ballgame. Books with writing exercises will help improve your overall comprehension, as well as improve your ability to read in another language.

Cons of Spanish Books:

You wont find much social interaction in books unless of course, youre working in a pair to decode a chapter. You also cant test your speaking and dictation with a book, making your pronunciation something to be considered through a different medium.

Merriam-Webster - Pocket Spanish-English Dictionary

Best For: Everyday Spanish Questions

Trust us when we say your most essential book for learning Spanish is a translation dictionary, like this pocket-sized one from Merriam-Webster. With this handy guide, youll be able to travel with ease, order the dinner you actually want, and mind your Ps & Qs. Plus, as you're going about your coursework and have a question, you can turn to this for a solution simply by flipping pages.

Pro tip: If you travel light, youll love the small size thats packed with robust knowledge.

$4.99 at Amazon.com

Christopher Kendris - 501 Spanish Verbs

Best For: Those Who Want To Perfect Verb Use

Ask anyone who has attempted to learn Spanish and theyll tell you how difficult it is to understand verbs. With this highly-recommended and pleasantly-reviewed book and CD set, you can learn more than 500 words  501, in fact  complete with how to conjugate them for masculine and feminine. This book is the ideal companion guide for an e-course or for a pro who wants to go even further.

$16.98 at Amazon.com

Jose Maria Navarro - Mastering Spanish Vocabulary

Best For: Those Who Want To Go The Extra Mile

Much like the verb megabook, this massive guide will improve your vocabulary, giving you the extra tips and tools you need to conversate at ease. With an added audio element, you get more than just the pages of a book, they can come to life as you read along and mimic the tone and words. With a five-star rating, you know you can trust this Spanish book to get the job done.

$18.99 at Amazon.com

In-person Classes

Instead of more modern approaches  like online courses and apps  you may better understand the beauty and the craft of the Spanish language in a classroom setting. With hands-on application and lessons that require your attendance and attention, you might be more dedicated to learning the craft when youre plopped in front of a native speaker instructor.

Pros of In-Person Classes:

Especially as you get older, making new friends can be a difficult feat, as many groups are solidified post-college. However, when you take an in-person class, youll meet like-minded individuals who share your same thirst to continue their education and broaden their linguistic expertise. Its also beneficial to have a teacher in front of you who wont roll their eyes at your millionth question, unlike your best pal from Spain who gets frustrated.

Cons of In-Person Classes:

The greatest drawback of the classroom is having the time to fit it into your already overpacked schedule. When youre faced between choosing to attend a friends engagement party one weekend, while making a business trip the next, and fit in following your favorite team every season, a 2-hour class might be out of the question.

Course Horse, ABC Languages, Verlocal and More

Depending on which coast you call home in the United States, you can use sites like Course Horse, Verlocal and others to find a local language learning class. ABC Languages is offered in most the major metropolitan areas, giving you many different price ranges and levels to select from.

Groupon

Dont discount (get it?) the plethora of options available on Groupon that make attending classes, finding restaurant deals, booking vacations, and buying home goods that much easier and cheaper. You can not only find a great deal on a Spanish class but also book a reservation at a tapas bar to test your newfound phrases with the waiter.

Closing Tips

Now that youre prepared with all of the information, what will you choose for your way to learn? With apps, books, sites, and classes, theres no lack of opportunity to become bilingual, you just need the motivation to get to the start line. Might we suggest booking a trip ASAP to a Spanish-speaking country, where you can celebrate all of the hard work from studying? Thats better than Spring break, after all.

Related Readings

Five Life Lessons You Didn't Learn In School

How To Get A Project Management Certificate Online

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Celebrities Are Sharing Awkward Teen Photos To Raise Money For Puerto Rico

Trending News: Stars Share Awkward Photos For Disaster Relief And OMG Alison Brie

Long Story Short

Stephen Colbert has called on celebrities to share awkward photos to raise money for Puerto Rico.

Long Story

Thought you were awkward in your teenage years? Celebs, they're just like us.

On Wednesday's The Late Show, Stephen Colbert and Nick Krollcame up with a dare for celebs: you share your most awkward teenage photo with the hashtag #PuberMe, and he'll donate $1,000 to Puerto Rico, which got completely battered by Hurricane Maria.

Here's Colbert and Kroll making the announcement:

And here's Colbert calling out celebs to take up the challenge.

And the stars have heeded the call. Well, some of them (keep 'em comin'!).

Take a look at some of the best (or perhaps worst is better) photos:

Stephen Colbert

Nick Kroll asked me to post a pic of my awkward stage, but I never had one. So here's me lookin' cool as hell! #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief pic.twitter.com/UC9a7XtjZa  Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) September 28, 2017

Nick Kroll

John Oliver

Alison Brie

Conan O'Brien

Jimmy Kimmel

Weird Al

Sarah Silverman

Marc Maron

Okay. I found one at 13. Fresh off the bema. Notice pocket watch chain. I thought that was very hip. #PuberMe #PuertoRicoRelief pic.twitter.com/uNhjLQSyAJ  marc maron (@marcmaron) September 29, 2017

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

It's nice that the celebs are doing this, but shouldn't have, say, the White House been reacting more quickly with disaster relief?

Drop This Fact

The hurricane that hit Puerto Rico was like if a 50-mile wide tornado made a direct strike on the island.
When Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced proposed tax changes in July, he said he expected some push-back, but it's clear the Liberals did not expect the shove to be quite this forceful.

The Liberals say they're open to tweaks based on what they've heard during the 75-day consultation period, but they've been vague on which areas might be changed when that period ends Monday.

"We've heard some concerns that we agree with and some concerns that we don't agree," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week.

But in an appearance at the House of Commons finance committee Thursday, Morneau revealed, to some extent, which voices have been heard above the fray: farmers.

"Nothing in what we're proposing is intended to change the ability of a family member work on the farm, nothing is intended to in any way limit the farmer's ability to save for that investment...and nothing is intended for it to make it more difficult for the farmer to pass the farm to the next generation," said Morneau.

Here are four possible tweaks experts say finance officials could consider, to help farmers and other small business owners.

1. Exempt intergenerational business transfers

One of the proposals is designed to stop private corporations from converting corporate income, which would be taxed at a higher rate, to capital gains, which is taxed at a lower rate.

While some use this vehicle to game the system, there are those who use this mechanism to sell all or part of the family business to their children  for example, to keep a farm in the family. The new rules would increase their tax rate from 25 per cent to between 40 and 45 per cent.

"Canadian families can't afford the tax bill to sell to their children if they were in that situation," said Todd Nixon, a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Osgoode, Ont. If they sold to someone outside the family, he said, the taxable income would be subject to the lower tax rate, making it cheaper to sell to a stranger than family.

Story continues

The Finance Department anticipated this might be a problem and noted so in its written proposal, asking for ideas for how to better accommodate "genuine intergenerational business transfers while still protecting against potential abuses."

One option is to simply exempt such transfers, and develop a test to make that distinction  and not just for farmers.

"I don't think it's rocket science to make an exception to this anti-avoidance rule," said Robert Kepes, a tax lawyer at Morris, Kepes, Winters in Toronto. "And to me, I don't think they should distinguish between farmers and entrepreneurs who are carrying on [family] business."

2. Minimum-number-of-employee threshold

The Liberals say the number of professionals such as doctors and lawyers who are registered as private corporations has increased from 1.2 million in 2001 to 1.8 million in 2014.

They also say a significant number have done so to shield company profits from a dividend tax by putting them into so-called passive investments, meaning they remain inside the company.

When the investment is eventually withdrawn, the profits are taxed. But until then, the ability to invest the larger, pre-tax amount gives them an unfair advantage over business owners who took profits out of their companies.

Business owners say they need to build passive investment value for a rainy day. Morneau has said he has some sympathy for the rainy-day argument since businesses have their ups and downs.

But the government also says it wants to encourage businesses to reinvest their money rather than sit on it. To soften the blow, the government could allow some passive income to continue being taxed at the lower rate if the business had a minimum number of employees, or number of hours worked by employees (since some could be part-time).

That could prove the business is really an active one and not just a shelter for investment income.

3. Clarify reasonableness test for 'income sprinkling'

The Finance Department says about 50,000 family businesses are "income sprinkling" inappropriately. In other words, some business owners are transferring income to family members who aren't actively involved in the business and who are in a lower tax bracket. Owners also face a lower tax rate on their reduced declared income.

The government is proposing a reasonableness test to determine whether a relative is truly earning their pay or dividend. The test will consider labour contributions, capital contributions and previous remuneration. But many small businesses say the criteria leave too much to subjective judgement by a Canada Revenue Agency auditor  and it makes them nervous.

"Is it only reasonable if my mother comes and does barn work?" asks dairy farmer Todd Nixon. "Or if she's running around and picks up parts for us? Do we have to document every little thing? 'Cause in a family business, everybody contributes all the time [in some way]."

Nixon and others want the government to be more specific about what it takes to pass the test.

4. Transitional tweaks

The passive income and income sprinkling measures, if passed, would not be retroactive.

Experts say, however, much estate or retirement planning was done based on the current rules and it's unfair to change those rules mid-game.

The proposed change to intergenerational business transfers would be retroactive to July 18, when the measure was announced, which would capture transfers that were mid-process.

A gradual transition into some of the rules, for some businesses, might soften the blow.
An Edmonton school was on lockdown Friday morning after getting a tip from a U.S.-based group of former special agents and military veterans who monitor online threats of violence.

Bob Dowling, the president of Tactical Institute and former senior special agent with the FBI's National Joint Terrorism Task Force, held a meeting with his team Friday morning to talk about the violent threats they were seeing online.

Some of the online posts that stood out were from an account based in Edmonton.

The student who made the posts wrote that he might bring a gun to school and shoot it up.

"[We] put essentially a threat matrix together for that student and scored him high enough to make a call based on his open-source tweet with no right to privacy," Dowling told CBC News.

"We were not just interested in the single tweet about shooting the school up, but prior to that multiple tweets about being disturbed, self-described depression, knives, a lot of gameplay involving very, very violent videos," Dowling said.

"We're looking for weapons, we're looking for intent. And this student showed both."

No injuries 'makes our day'

The student allegedly posted a video outside of Edmonton's Balwin School, so Dowling called the school principal on Friday morning.

The K-9 school was immediately locked down after 9 a.m. for a few hours. Students quietly hid in their classrooms without any injuries, said an Edmonton Public Schools spokesperson.

A suspect was arrested by Edmonton police and the lockdown was lifted.

Dowling called the lockdown "textbook" and was happy to hear that no one was injured.

"We believe that today was just a superb example of [the Tactical Institute] working with school administration and law enforcement," he said. "The fact that there were no injuries and no shots fired really makes our day."

The company mostly makes calls to U.S. colleges, and is contracted to monitor student public accounts, said Dowling, who believes the company has prevented 18 school shootings.

Story continues

Calls to Canada are rare, he said, but added that this account showed clear red flags.

"We have made calls to Canada without any preconceived bias that you guys don't have as many guns as we do here in the States. But at the same time, we were looking at a student who has very boldly claimed that he wanted to shoot the school up  people make him upset and he gives a motive."

Dowling wouldn't disclose how many people work for Tactical Institute, but he said most of the employees are former military veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq.

@Travismcewancbc

Travis.mcewan@cbc.ca
President of Winnipeg-based Canada Drugs has licence to practice suspended in Manitoba

Extradition hearing dates have been set for five Winnipeg men accused of illegally importing and selling $78 million worth of misbranded and counterfeit drugs to American doctors from 2009 to 2012.

Kristjan Thorkelson, Thomas Haughton, Ronald Sigurdson, Darren Chalus and Troy Nakamura will be in the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench the week of May 7, 2018. A hearing date for James Trueman is expected to be set in Vancouver next week.

"The judge may make a decision from the bench immediately, but may also take time to review the information presented," Ian McLeod, manager of media relations and litigation communications with the federal Department of Justice, wrote in an email.

Thorkelson is the owner and CEO of CanadaDrugs.com. Sigurdson is the company's CFO. Haughton is president of two CanadaDrugs subsidiaries operating in Barbados and the U.K.. Chalus is director of clinical sales for CanadaDrugs and Nakamura is the clinical manager for CanadaDrugs.

Trueman is accused of serving as a liaison between CanadaDrugs and its drop shippers in Illinois and Washington state.

The men were arrested under the Extradition Act in Manitoba and British Columbia in June. They were released on bail, on conditions including surrendering their passports and not moving without notifying authorities.

In 2014, U.S. federal prosecutors laid charges of smuggling, conspiracy and international money laundering against the men, CanadaDrugs.com and affiliated companies and associates in the United Kingdom and Barbados.

At the time, a CanadaDrugs.com manager acknowledged shipping and distributing vials of the blockbuster cancer drug Avastin, but said he didn't know the drug was counterfeit.

It was found to contain cornstarch and acetone but no active ingredients.

In 2015, RCMP officers raided the Winnipeg offices of CanadaDrugs.com and assets in one bank account were seized.

American federal prosecutors have also put a hold on four bank accounts in Canada, the United Kingdom and Barbados "to assure the availability of the funds for forfeiture in the event of the defendants' conviction."

Story continues

Court documents show RCMP had five Winnipeg homes under surveillance as recently as May.

The claims have not been proven in court.

If convicted, the men could face up to 20 years in prison and fines.

CanadaDrugs.com is a Winnipeg-based company that is still operating and is licensed by the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba.

At the extradition hearings, the judge will decide whether the evidence is strong enough to commit the men to trial if the alleged activity had happened in Canada. If the judge is satisfied, they will be ordered extradited.

But that's not the end of the process.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould will make the final decision whether to surrender them to U.S. authorities to face trial, and the men can make submissions to her before she makes that decision.

They also have the right to apply for judicial review of the minister's decision and the extradition hearing decision to the Court of Appeal.

If those decisions to extradite are still upheld, they can then appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Lawyers for the men could not be reached Friday afternoon or said they couldn't comment while the case is before the courts.
George Clooney has revealed that he and his wife, Amal, have welcomed a Yazidi refugee from Iraq into their home in a new interview.

The Hollywood star, who recently had twins, did not name the man but he is living in one of Georges homes in Augusta, Kentucky, and studying at university.

The couple are known for their humanitarian work. Copyright: [Rex]

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, George explained: He was on this bus to Mosul, and ISIS shot the two bus drivers and said, Anybody who wants to go to college, we will shoot them.

He survived and came to America. He got through all the checks, and once he got through those, it was like, Listen, we got your back. You want to get an education? You want to move your life forward? This is something that we can do.'

George and Amal are known for their humanitarian work, with Amal being a human rights lawyer, however, George went on to admit that they made a pact to not let their efforts put them in danger now that they are parents to three-month-old twins Alexander and Ella.

George became a father in June. Copyright: [Rex]

Recalling a terrifying time when Amal was in the Maldives working to get former President Mohamed Nasheed out of prison, George said: When she finally got out of there, she had another client in jail in Azerbaijan, and I said, Ill tell you what, lets make a deal: I wont go to South Sudan and you dont go to Azerbaijan. How is that? And she said, For now, fine.

I dont know that shell stick it out.

George also admitted that he has well and truly left his bachelor lifestyle behind and is loving life as a hands-on father.

The pair have vowed to not let their humanitarianism put them in danger now that theyre parents. Copyright: [Rex]

Asked if he missed the old days, George said: I sure dont. That seems like a lifetime ago. Now my house is filled with the warm sounds of babies crying.

You should see when my friends show up and see me change a diaper, the laughter that comes from them. I go, I know, I know.

Ive given them so much s**t for so many years, I deserve every bit of it.

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By Philip Blenkinsop and Marine Pennetier TALLINN (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron won backing from Angela Merkel for plans to reform the European Union after Brexit, founded on what the German chancellor called "intense" cooperation between Paris and Berlin. But many leaders remained wary of ambitious new projects, doubting the appetite of voters for giving up national control and fearing the continued strength of anti-EU sentiment that is taking Britain out of the bloc and saw the far-right win dozens of seats in the German parliament in Sunday's election. "Last night's discussions showed there's a common realization of a need for a leap forward in Europe," Macron told reporters on Friday after an EU summit dinner that stretched beyond midnight in the Estonian capital Tallinn. "Today we're all convinced Europe must move ahead faster and stronger, for more sovereignty, more unity and more democracy." Macron voiced satisfaction with summit chair Donald Tusk's commitment to report back to EU leaders when they meet again in three weeks with proposals for concrete steps to be taken. Tusk himself referred to a profusion of reform initiatives, such as those from Macron in a barnstorming pro-European speech at the Sorbonne on Tuesday and by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker earlier this month. But Tusk, a former Polish premier, also added a note of caution, urging a "step-by-step" approach to "real problems". He insisted the EU needed to maintain unity in the face of conflicting views about so many new initiatives: "Even though some may think it is a kind of a Eurovision contest, and perhaps it is, I am personally convinced that together, we will make good use of it, if we sing unisono."Merkel, re-elected for a fourth term on Sunday but weakened by the rise of an insurgent eurosceptic opposition, met Macron for half an hour before the dinner and, according to a French aide, welcomed his speech as "visionary" and a return of co-founder France as a driving force in the European Union project. But she also noted differences. Some of her potential new coalition partners, along with northern governments like the Dutch and Finns, are very dubious about his suggestions for pooling budgets with less fiscally austere states in the south. "As far as the proposals were concerned, there was a high level of agreement between German and France. We must still discuss the details, but I am of the firm conviction that Europe can't just stay still but must continue to develop," she said. Merkel is happy to play what she sees as a traditional role in a partnership that has driven the Union for 60 years, German officials say, with France back on form as a creative force and Berlin building consensus and helping put ideas into practice. "AVOID MIRAGES" Macron faced a reality check of scepticism from leaders wary of his talk of ambitious "horizons" for the continent. The no-nonsense president of euro zone member Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, tweeted during the dinner: "European horizons drawn. Important to avoid mirages in the desert on the way." Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told reporters countries needed first to reform their own economies: "You're starting with the end point ... There is a discussion about a European finance minister -- but no one has told me what he would do." British Prime Minister Theresa May also attended the dinner, despite Britain's increasing isolation as it prepares to quit. She took the opportunity of Friday's "digital summit" in Tallinn to visit British troops on a NATO mission in northern Estonia and pledged post-Brexit security cooperation with European neighbors confronting Russian threats. May arrived knowing that a keynote major Brexit speech she made last Friday succeeded in unblocking talks in Brussels this week on Britain's divorce package -- though the leaders in Tallinn were at pains to avoid appearing to negotiate with her. The chief EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, praised on Thursday a "new dynamic" to Brexit negotiations created by concessions made by May, although progress was still not sufficient to allow discussions on future trade relations. That message was rammed home by Juncker, Barnier's boss, who told reporters in Tallinn that it would take "miracles" to have sufficient progress by next month and he did not expect that -- effectively ruling out EU leaders giving a green light to trade talks when they meet in Brussels on Oct. 19-20. Friday's talks on a "digital agenda" for Europe ranged from cross-border data flows and privacy to cybersecurity and taxing online businesses. (Additional reporting by Julia Fioretti, David Mardiste and Andreas Rinke in Tallinn, Elizabeth Piper in Tapa, Estonia and Alastair Macdonald, Robert-Jan Bartunek, Jan Strupczewski, Foo Yun Chee and Alissa de Carbonnel in Brussels; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Newfoundlander in Northern Iraq hoping for calm as country cracks down on Kurdish region

A tumultuous situation in the Middle East has left at least one Newfoundlander with few options for getting out.

The people of Kurdistan, an autonomous region of Northern Iraq, have voted for further independence from the country. The Iraqi government has cracked down, banning international flights leaving Kurdistan after Friday.

That leaves Richard White, a teacher from St. John's, in a precarious situation.

But for the moment, White is not too worried.

"It will blow over is the assumption," he told CBC News on Friday. "Myself, like many foreigners, have chosen to remain despite the difficulties associated with leaving during this time."

White said the situation is "very disconcerting," and he finds it hard not to think of the worst-case scenario. But speaking with locals, they seem to think it will be another passing feud with the country's core government in Baghdad.

The Kurdish people encompass a region spanning parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. They were granted autonomous status in Northern Iraq in 1970, and have claimed regions of northern Syria during the country's civil war.

Turkey has long sought to stifle movements for Kurdish autonomy in their country and has taken military action against Kurdish forces in Syria as recently as last spring.

In Northern Iraq, 93 per cent of Kurdish voters opted for independence in the Sept. 25 referendum.

Despite the Kurds being a valued ally of Western countries fighting the Islamic State, the independence vote has been panned by many regional and world powers. The United States has called it "illegitimate," while Turkey has issued a warning the Kurds could "pay dearly" for holding the referendum.

Canada has chosen to remain mostly neutral, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau saying he respects the referendum process.

Due to its autonomy, Kurdistan does not require a visa to enter, White said, but the rest of Iraq does.

Story continues

His only option for leaving now would be to apply for an Iraqi visa and travel to Baghdad in order to fly home to Newfoundland.

Fortunately for him, he has no plans to leave any time soon.

White always harboured an interest for the Middle East and was enamoured by the chance to teach in Northern Iraq. Despite being stuck in the country for the time being, he does not regret his choice.

"I jumped at it," he said. "It didn't really matter that it was a tricky place to be."
By John McCrank NEW YORK (Reuters) - Equifax has been cooperating with regulators on issues resulting from the credit reporting agency's massive data breach and has addressed many of them, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office said on Thursday. Schneiderman was one of several state attorneys general to launch formal investigations of Equifax after the firm disclosed on Sept. 7 that cyber-criminals had hacked its systems and accessed sensitive information on up to 143 million Americans more than a month earlier. The regulator had a long list of complaints on how the firm handled the hack and its aftermath. The issues included the delay in notifying consumers of the breach, a forced arbitration clause in Equifax's free credit monitoring contracts and its failure to provide Spanish-language customer service to affected consumers. "Following conversations with our office, Equifax has addressed all of those issues," Clark Russell, deputy bureau chief of the state regulator's Bureau of Internet and Technology, said in prepared remarks to a New York State Senate Consumer Protection hearing. He also noted that Equifax agreed to provide consumers the ability to lock and unlock their credit file for life at no charge. But the facts behind the hack are still unfolding, Maria Vullo, superintendent of New York's Department of Financial Services (DFS), told the same hearing. "It simply is unacceptable for a company that profits from consumers' private information to fail to have adequate protections," she said. The DFS recently issued a subpoena to Equifax demanding more information about the breach. It has proposed including credit-reporting agencies in its landmark cybersecurity regulation, along with all regulated financial services institutions. The regulation would require Equifax, along with rival firms Experian and TransUnion , to have adequate controls in place to protect their information systems and to report known cyber breaches within 72 hours, among other things. (Reporting by John McCrank; Additional reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Dan Grebler)
Kyle Fougere admits he's been obsessed with the weather as long as he can remember.

And this time of year, it's the calm before the storm for the manager of Environment Canada's Prairie and Arctic Storm Prediction Centre in Edmonton.

"We know that winter is coming and there's going to be significant snow storms, so it's important for people to get our information," he said.

Last week parts of Alberta were blanketed in snow. This past week it's been balmy summer-like conditions. But it's just the calm before the winter storms for the centre's staff.

A team of meteorologists work around the clock on the third floor of the storm prediction centre's Eastgate offices at 9250 49th St., where they create weather forecasts for all of Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Arctic islands.

"Environment and Climate Change Canada is the authority for weather warnings and watches, so all the watches and warnings will come from this office," said Fougere.

Fougere scans the giant screens in this weather nerve centre, plotting data looking for clues as to what will happen next on the weather front. He admits things can change quickly.

Transition seasons, like the fall, are especially important to keep an eye on, according to Environment Canada meteorologist Dan Kulak, who works on warning preparedness.

He has seen winter catch us off guard more than once. "And that first good snowfall people are going, 'Where did this come from?' it was so nice three days ago," said Kulak.

For Kulak, the big push is on at this time of year to start getting people to plan ahead for storms, to pack an emergency kit, even have a weather radio available for updates.

"Once you get to a (weather) watch or a warning, whether it be a tornado or a blizzard, or freezing rain or any of these other severe weather events, it's too late to prepare," he said.

One thing Fougere is confident in predicting: snow is on the way and his team is ready.

"Getting to work with people that are so passionate about what you're passionate about is just truly fantastic," he said.

You can see more about the Prairie and Arctic Storm Prediction Centre on this week's edition of Our Edmonton Saturday at 10 a.m. and Sunday and Monday at 11 a.m. on CBC TV.
First Nations people in Saskatchewan contemplating suicide face inadequate options for help and those who seek support are often left disappointed, a local clinical psychology practitioner says.

Suicide prevention for First Nations people is an urgent health-care need, Dr. Kim McKay-McNabb said in a discussion paper on a provincial suicide prevention strategy for Saskatchewan.

In the paper, released earlier this month, she described the stigma surrounding mental health illnesses and the need for timely access to medical professionals, particularly First Nations professionals.

Suicide rates for First Nations people in the province from 2005-15 were more than four times higher than for non-First Nations people, the paper says. In it, McKay-McNabb outlined several instances where barriers existed for First Nations people looking to access mental health supports in the province, such as the few mental health therapists listed by Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch who are actually taking new clients.

"At the present time, there are very few options for mental health supports [for First Nations people in Saskatchewan]," McKay-McNabb wrote. "There is a need for integrating traditional/ceremonial options" for those who request them, she added.

The discussion paper was released by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which is developing a multi-faceted First Nations suicide prevention strategy, expected by May 31, 2018.

Integrate cultural healing

McKay-McNabb's words ring true for Kat Worm, the manager of the wellness and community development unit at the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology in Saskatoon.

"I'm a firm believer that for us to really heal and for our people to really pick themselves up, it has to be our ways," Worm said.

Her unit is a three-person team that collaborates with Health Canada to procure professional development training services for workforces on reserve.

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Since 2013, Worm has helped organize the Saskatchewan Regional Mental Wellness Knowledge Exchange, which was held in Saskatoon Wednesday and open to the public for the first time.

"There's that underlying need for culture and our own ways of doing things that we've started to weave and thread within our programing, and in our trainings, and in our conferences  we ensure that there's always a smudge available for anybody who desires," Worm said.

Elders are also in attendance for organized conferences to offer support to those who ask, she added.

Knowledge Exchange keynote speaker Howard Walker spoke Wednesday of mental health supports and his own experience with First Nations suicide.

"Never look down on anyone, unless you're helping them up," Walker said twice during his speech, who hails from Sturgeon Lake First Nation

During his life, seeing young Indigenous people struggling with alcohol, drugs and violence strengthened him to do more to help them, he said.

"In the 40 years I worked as a front-line worker  in the field of drugs and alcohol, I found nine young people who took their lives from suicide," Walker said.

An 11-year-old girl's death stuck out the most, he said; he had cut her down after she hanged herself. A note that said "Nobody listens, nobody cares, life sucks" was found in her pocket.

Worm said integrating traditional cultural healing practices into care is an essential part of preventing such tragedies.

"We want to be able to bring back that Indigenousness.

"Like I keep saying, our ways of being and knowing and doing  because those are the ways that are going to work for our people to heal and to move forward."
Death sentences handed down to 15 Indians lodged in a Kuwaiti jail have been commuted to life imprisonment by the Emir of Kuwait, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday.





Swaraj said the Emir has also directed that the sentences of 119 Indian nationals be reduced.





"The Emir of Kuwait has been pleased to commute the sentence of 15 Indian nationals from death to life imprisonment," she tweeted.





Swaraj thanked the Emir of Kuwait for his "kind" gesture and said the Indian Embassy in that country will extend assistance to the Indian nationals who will be released from jails.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

: english.manoramaonline.com, September 30, 2017
The Indonesia Supreme Court (MA) has yet to issue a decision regarding the time limit for the submission of pardon for death row inmates convicted by the Attorney General Office (AGO) since August 2017.





"We are still waiting [for the Supreme Court decision], we must be careful on this, as this is a decision on life or death of a human being," said Attorney General HM Prasetyo in Jakarta, Friday (29/09/2017).





He asserted the death execution was related to the life of a person, and therefore the AGO needs to request for a decision from the Supreme Court , since the decision of the Constitutional Court about the pardon did not mention the time period for submission of pardon.





The Constitutional Court, through Decision No. 107/PUU-XIII/2015 abolished the enactment of Article 7 paragraph (2) of Law no. 5 of 2010 on Amendment to Law no. 22 of 2002 on Pardon related to the time limitation of submission of pardon to the president. That is, the Court "frees" the convicted person to apply for pardon at any time.





This ruling changed the preceding rules, the submission of pardon is done no later than a year since the decision of permanent legal force.





The petitioner of this case is Su'ud Rusli, a death row inmate of the murder of President Director of Asaba Budyharto Angsono. Su'ud regards Article 7 paragraph (2) of the Law on Gracency injured a sense of justice due to the submission of pardon more than a year since the final decision was considered expired.





The filing of Su'ud's pardon in 2014 was rejected by President Joko Widodo on 31 August 2015, which was received on October 8, 2015.





Previously, the Attorney General admitted concerned with the disclosure of drug smuggling cases in the country that increasingly rife.





"We are concerned about the disclosure of a ton of shabu in Banten and the hundreds of kilos in Pluit, proving it appears that Indonesia is the center of the drug network in Southeast Asia," said Attorney General HM Prasetyo after receiving a visit to the Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Malaysia (MACC) Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad last month.





He mentioned the drug case would undermine the generation of the Indonesian Nation. Therefore there is no compromise to such a crime. "It must be fought sincerely and seriously," he said, asserting.





Prasetyo added that the AGO would not hesitate to sue the perpetrators of drug trafficking. Let not a ton, no compromise of evil as it should be fought sincerely.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

netralnews.com, September 30, 2017
We have already won, we have won over the fears and the threats of an authoritarian state that didnt want to let us get this far and tried to make us surrender at the first sign of difficulty. That was the defiant message on Friday night spoken by Carles Puigdemont, the regional premier of Catalonia, with less than two days to go before his governments planned independence referendum, a vote that has been declared illegal by the Spanish justice system.

More information Why citizens should not go out to vote in Catalonia on Sunday

The politician was speaking at a campaign rally in favor of the yes vote organized by pro-secessionist forces, and which took place on the Maria Cristina avenue, in the Catalan capital.

They didnt know that given the kind of people we are, we just get stronger with every difficulty we face

Carles Puigdemont

Despite pressure from the central government in Madrid, which is fiercely opposed to the vote and to independence for the northeastern Spanish region, and the actions of the police and Civil Guard to stop the poll from taking place, Puigdemont insisted that the yes vote would win out on Sunday. But he admitted that these hours [before the referendum] will feel like the longest and most impatient on the way to winning independence. He struck out against the police operations, court-ordered searches and arrests that have taken place in the run-up to the vote, in a bid to find and seize material such as voting slips and ballot boxes. They didnt know that given the kind of people we are, we just get stronger with every difficulty we face, he told the crowds.

Ahead of concluding with definitive victory on Sunday, Puigdemont stated that October 1 would see the end of the [independence] process and the start of progress, when Catalonia declared its secession from Spain. The scenario that he laid out was of a country that only asks to be treated like a normal country, where no one has to fear the police, where the internet is not cut off, and whereby no one who says that they want to vote is threatened.

On Sunday we have a date with the future, and on Monday we will begin to take that path, we will look at ourselves in the mirror and we will not recognize ourselves, the premier said, without giving any hints as to when or how such a declaration of independence would take place.

If you dont declare independence, we will never forgive you. Rome does not pay traitors CUP deputy Mireia Boya

The speeches heard at the rally on Friday night were of a markedly different tone from that given several hours earlier by Mireia Boya, a deputy from the Popular Unity Candidacy party (CUP), a small far-left radical group whose elected representatives have held the key to power for Puigdemonts Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) group, after it failed to win a majority at the 2015 regional elections.

Boya stated on Friday night that the October 1 vote is neither a mobilization, nor a participatory process, as the Podem coalition (formed by anti-austerity group Podemos and Catalonia Greens, among others) describe it, but rather a self-determination referendum because we want to declare independence. She also had a warning for the government of Puigdemont. If you dont declare independence, we will never forgive you. Rome does not pay traitors.

She also called on the public to defend polling places, which are due to be sealed off by the police, and called for the occupation forces to leave, in reference to the thousands of Civil Guard and National Police officers that have been drafted into the region ahead of Sundays poll.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Shouting slogans such as Viva Espana! and chants such as  I am Spanish , around 10,000 people, according to figures from the central government delegation in Madrid, attended a demonstration at midday on Saturday in the Plaza de Cibeles, in the heart of the Spanish capital.

A protest against the referendum in Barcelona. Samuel Sanchez

The aim of the protest was to object to the planned referendum on independence that is due to take place on October 1 in the northeastern region of Catalonia, whose government is determined to hold the vote on its future despite the poll having been suspended by the Constitutional Court.

Meanwhile, around 70 people gathered in the Madrid neighborhood of Lavapies, under the slogan Madrid embraces Catalonia, in favor of the illegal poll. These kinds of demonstrations were seen in a number of Spanish cities today, with just hours to go until the planned vote in Catalonia was scheduled to begin.

A number of groups of young people scaled the scaffolding on the City Hall building to hang flags and banners

In Barcelona, a demonstration against the referendum in front of the City Hall building, in Sant Jaume square, attracted several hundred people. Similar protests were seen in Valencia, Seville, Valladolid, Santander and Cadiz.

Just before the scheduled start time of midday, thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the Palacio de Correos in Cibeles square, which is home to the Madrid City Council. Some of them were carrying regular Spanish flags, while some waved the same flag emblazoned with a black eagle, which dates from the era of the Franco dictatorship.

Spanish flags on display at an anti-referendum protest in Valencia today. Kai Foersterling (EFE)

Some of the demonstrators, who had been called to the protest by the Denaes Foundation for the Defense of the Spanish Nation, complained to the police on the scene that the area had not been closed off to traffic. But the officers explained to protestors that this was due to the fact that the demonstration had not been authorized by the central governments delegation in Madrid.

While most of the protestors were middle-aged, youngsters were the protagonists of some of the more symbolic moments of the demonstration. A number of groups of young people scaled the scaffolding on the City Hall building to hang flags and banners. One of the attempts to do so was stopped by police officers on the scene.

Newlyweds in Seville observe the scene as thousands of people take to the city streets with Spanish flags to call for a united Spain. Raul Caro (EFE)

To defend the great nation that is Spain. That was the reason that Alberto Garcia, 17, gave for his presence at the demonstration, while at the same time accusing the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of being unwilling to change. Many commentators and members of the public have criticized the conservative Popular Party (PP) government of Mariano Rajoy for having let the situation get this far and not having entered into dialogue with politicians in Catalonia on the regions powers and finances in a bid to stop the referendum from going ahead.

Other slogans that were chanted by the protestors included: They wont fool us, Catalonia is Spain, as well as calls for Catalan regional premier Carles Puigdemont to be sent to jail. For several minutes, one group sang the Falangist anthem, Cara al Sol (or, Facing the Sun), according to Spanish news agency EFE. Slogans were also chanted against anti-austerity party Podemos, and left-wing Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena.

I am Spanish and a patriot and Im proud of the Spanish flag

Jose Manuel Pelaez, 68

The protest finished at around 1.30pm, although several hundred people were still in the area around Cibeles afterward.

I am Spanish and a patriot and Im proud of the Spanish flag, explained Jose Manuel Pelaez, 68, as he carried two Spanish flags on his shoulders.

Meanwhile, in the working-class neighborhood of Lavapies, around 70 people came out to demonstrate in favor of the right of Catalans to vote on their future. The spokesperson for the platform that organized the protest, Carlos Casas, said that the aim was to send a message of solidarity to the Catalan people.

During the protest, a number of residents in the area shouted messages from their balconies, including: Go and do that in Catalonia! before throwing potatoes, cans and yogurt at the assembled demonstrators.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Parents spending the night in the Diputacio school. Albert Garcia (EL PAIS)

Hundreds of people last night slept in schools throughout the Catalonia region, in a bid to stop the authorities from sealing them off to prevent them from being used as polling stations on Sunday, when an illegal referendum on independence is due to take place.

Despite rising police and political pressure to stop the poll from happening, the atmosphere in Catalonia thus far today has been festive and without incident, apart from in Manlleu (Barcelona), where three people sustained light injuries after being shot at with an air rifle.

Of the 1,300 schools that have been inspected by the regional Mossos dEsquadra police force, 163 have been occupied

According to information supplied at midday by the central government delegation in Catalonia, of the 1,300 schools that have been inspected by the regional Mossos dEsquadra police force, 163 have been occupied by members of the public.

Meanwhile, the Civil Guard has assumed control of the regional governments Telecommunications Center, to avoid electronic votes from being cast on Sunday.

Via its official Twitter account, the Catalan government denounced the move. This is another display of the disproportionate acts by the state to repress the referendum, its message read.

While there are no official rallies planned for today in the region, given that the day before elections in Spain usually sees campaigns suspended for a day of reflection, hundreds of people are currently taking to the streets of Barcelona to protest against the referendum, which has been suspended by the countrys Constitutional Court.

In Madrid, meanwhile, two demonstrations were held, one in favor of the referendum and one against, with other similar protests seen throughout the country.

There are no voting places, no ballot papers, no authorities to check the authenticity of the results Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis

Via its Twitter account, the Interior Ministry sent out a message pointing out that the 15,000 officers that make up the regional Mossos dEsquadra Catalan police force swore to uphold the Spanish Constitution. The Mossos have been ordered to clear out any schools being occupied by members of the public at 6am tomorrow, but have been given strict instructions regarding the limited use of force they must employ when they do so.

Speaking to British broadcaster Sky News, the Spanish foreign minister, Alfonso Dastis, stated on Saturday that Catalonia would not be holding an independence referendum tomorrow, although there might be a simulation of a vote in some areas. There are no voting places, no ballot papers, no authorities to check the authenticity of the results, he said. There may be some type of simulation of a vote in certain places and streets, but I dont believe that there will be any referendum.

Dastis went on to say that the Spanish authorities will do all that is possible to ensure that the day passes peacefully. The security forces are showing a lot of moderation, acting in a proportionate manner, and if there is violence it is not coming from them, he said. While there might not be physical violence, there is intimidation and harassment on the part of the groups who support the referendum, he added.

The Catalan Socialist Party denounced on Saturday graffiti that appeared to threaten one of its mayors

Dastis went on to say that for the central government to begin negotiations with the Catalan regional government, there can be no preconditions of accepting an independence referendum, stating that Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has shown his willingness to begin talks.

Meanwhile, the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) denounced on Saturday graffiti that appeared to threaten one of its mayors, Noemi Trucharte. In power in the Catalan municipality of Vilanova del Cami, Trucharte was the object of a threatening message that read: Noemi Trucharte, remember that you are mortal! Mayors in Catalonia have been put in a difficult situation in terms of the planned referendum, given that those who have been unwilling to cede public buildings for use as polling stations have met a hostile reception from pro-independence supporters, while those who are willing to do so risk arrest.

English version by Simon Hunter.
After months of bitter exchanges, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders and Iran President Hassan Rouhani met to "eliminate apprehension", IRGC Chief Commander Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, said in an interview with state-run TV IRIB on September 27.

The IRGC strongmen's meeting with President Rouhani took place on July 24, weeks after the incumbent was declared the winner of the May 19 presidential election, beating his main challenger reportedly backed by the IRGC.

The two sides had apparently agreed to meet each other by some tacit recommendation by the supreme leader.

The only official photo released after the meeting shows Rouhani alone, while all the IRGC top commanders are facing him in full force.

[Those who are running the government] are incapable of employing people for eliminating crises and financial problems, as well as implementing economic resistance.

The meeting was critical, Jafari admitted, noting without any elaboration, The characteristics of the situation after the presidential election necessitated such action [tete- a-tete meeting Rouhani in full force].

Therefore, Jafari maintained, We met the president and expressed our apprehensions and he welcomed [discussing IRGCs concerns]".

Jafari referred to creating unity, coherence, and preventing division among the [Islamic] revolutionary forces as the main topics the IRGC top commanders discussed with Rouhani.

It was a critical discussion, but he (Rouhani) welcomed it since it was an honest one and based on integrity, Jafari asserted. Rouhanis response to us (our requests) was positive.

Still without any elaboration, Jafari claimed that, since the meeting, everything between the president and the IRGC has smoothly gone forward.

The meeting on July 24 took place after weeks of saber rattling and a bitter war of words between the incumbent and IRGC commanders who, it was widely believed, had supported Rouhanis main conservative challenger, mid-ranking cleric, Ebrahim Raeisi.

The generals at the meeting were Jafari, Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani, IRGC Aerospace Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Basij Commander Gholam-Hossein Gheybparvar, and deputy chief of Sarallah security base in Tehran, Esmaeil Kousari.

The senior commanders were ostensibly there to congratulate Rouhani on his victory in the May presidential election.

Unity among all forces is essential to realize the guidelines of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and also to serve the people, Irans official news agency, IRNA, quoted Rouhani as saying.

While appreciating IRGC forces' efforts in their assigned capacity, Rouhani expressed his hope for armed forces attempts to serve the needs of the people, IRNA reported.

Meanwhile, the IRGC-backed news agency, Tasnim, reported, "Rouhani appreciated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its services to the country and highlighted his administrations full support for the services provided by the IRGC.

According to Tasnim, Jafari congratulated Rouhani on his re-election and voiced the IRGCs readiness for all-out cooperation with the administration to materialize the objectives of the Islamic Revolution.

Besides interchanging such pleasantries mixed with mild sarcasm, little detail concerning the gathering has been published so far.

However, reactions to the gathering were rosy with a trace of caution on both sides.

This is not an image, its a course; [a course on the way to] freedom, security, peace, and progress for the people as well as for the system, which depends on strategic unity between the government and the defensive forces of the country as a whole, said Rouhanis cultural adviser, Hesameddin Ashena, on his Telegram channel.

Irans newspapers have widely reported and welcomed the gathering. The daily Shahrvand praised the meeting on its banner headline as a milestone.

Another pro-government daily, Sharq, described the gathering as the end of some of recent weeks misunderstandings that heralds more cooperation between the government and the IRGC.

However, in his latest comments, the IRGC top commander once again targeted the government.

A day after describing the outcome of the meeting with Rouhani as productive and based on mutual understanding, Jafari accused the government of inefficiency and incapability.

[Those who are running the government] are incapable of employing people for eliminating crises and financial problems, as well as implementing economic resistance, " Tasnim cited Jafari as saying on September 28.

Jafari insisted that calls for resistance, not only in defense and security matters but in all fields, have fallen on deaf ears.

Addressing Khamenei as Imam and the Guardian of the Islamic Jurists who has repeatedly stated similar comments, the IRGC commander lamented, Yet, some people insist on their own comments and continue going forward on their wrong path.

Rouhani and his cabinet ministers have not yet reacted to the commanders latest comments.
Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has defined a new role for the Assembly of Experts, directing them to hold the three branches of the government accountable.

The constitutional role of the assembly is to supervise the supreme leader, not the executive or legislative powers. The assembly is empowered to designate or dismiss the supreme leader.

In a meeting with members of the assembly on September 21, Khamenei tasked them to assess the accomplishments and failures of Iran in achieving the goals of the revolution.

In this regard, he asked the assembly to demand accountability from various state bodies, including the three branches of the government.

The Assembly of Experts consists of 88 members, many senior clerics, who are elected by popular vote, but are screened by the Guardian Council, which is under the supreme leaders control. Therefore, an assembly, which is constitutionally tasked to be watchdog over the supreme leader, is basically selected by him.

Moreover, some members of the assembly who have disagreed with Khamenei in the past, have been arrested or ostracized.

For assessing accomplishments and failures, Khamenei mentioned several issues he deems important.

He asked the assembly to consider ridding the existing culture of Western elements. He also mentioned the need to gain economic power, fight poverty, achieve a more equitable distribution of wealth, and uphold the tenets of the revolution.

In an interview with Radio Farda, Paris-based Iranian journalist and analyst Morteza Kazemian said, Unfortunately, the supreme leader has defined a new and illegal mission for the Assembly of Experts, just to divert the assembly from its main mission.

Kazemian added that the assembly has become more of a ceremonial body that, instead of supervising the supreme leader, carries out his agenda.

The chairman of the assembly, hardline ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, also announced that the duty of the body is the consolidation of the supreme leaders positions and demanding accountability from other organs of the state.

Ali Motahari, the outspoken deputy speaker of parliament who is a social conservative, had said earlier this year that the assembly is not doing its duty of supervising the supreme leader. He insisted many members have a lot to say but are afraid of expressing their views because of what often happens to critics.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has today received Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev.

The head of state noted that bilateral relations between the two countries are developing successfully in political, economic, security and other fields, adding that economic and trade cooperation is expanding.

The Azerbaijani president said the two countries enjoy good dynamics in import and export operations. Saying that Azerbaijan and Russia maintain close cooperation in the field of security, President Aliyev stressed the importance of close contacts between the two countries when the world and the region are facing growing threats, adding that the issues discussed during Nikolai Patrushev`s visit are of great importance in this regard.

President Aliyev expressed hope that Nikolai Patrushev`s visit to Azerbaijan will give fruitful results, and contribute to the expansion of the security cooperation.

Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev extended greetings and best wishes of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to President Ilham Aliyev.

He noted that cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan is developing successfully in the field of security.

We are very pleased with a meeting with you, and we attach great importance to cooperation through the Security Council and the ties are developing very constructively in these areas. Together with Azerbaijan we determine the new threats that the world faces and ways of joint fight against these challenges. We are grateful to our Azerbaijani friends for their participation in multilateral events. We are interested in this, said Patrushev.

During the conversation, they exchanged views over the issues of mutual interest.

The head of state thanked for the greetings and best wishes of Vladimir Putin, and asked Nikolai Patrushev to extend his greetings to the Russian president.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

Trend:

The investigation into the case of a group of servicemen and civilians accused of espionage will be completed until the end of 2017, Azerbaijans Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov told reporters in Baku Sept. 30.

According to him, the group was identified by the Ministry of Defense, and currently, the investigation is conducted by the Military Prosecutors Office of Azerbaijan.

Earlier, Prosecutor Generals Office, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security Service of Azerbaijan said in a joint statement that a group of servicemen and civilians were identified in the country that transmitted secret military information to the Armenian Armed Forces intelligence and special authorities.

On the basis of gathered information, a criminal case was filed on May 3 and an operational investigation team was created from employees of the above mentioned authorities in order to conduct a preliminary investigation.

As a result of urgent operational and investigative measures, provocations and terrorist acts planned to be committed in public places of Baku were prevented.

Servicemen and civilians involved in the matter were brought to criminal responsibility and arrested.

According to the joint statement, necessary operational and investigative measures continue, to identify and bring to justice all the perpetrators.
Details added (first version posted on 10:44)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

Trend:

The investigation into the case of a group of servicemen and civilians accused of espionage will be completed until the end of 2017, Azerbaijans Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov told reporters in Baku Sept. 30.

According to him, the group was identified by the Ministry of Defense, and currently, the investigation is conducted by the Military Prosecutors Office of Azerbaijan.

Earlier, Prosecutor Generals Office, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security Service of Azerbaijan said in a joint statement that a group of servicemen and civilians were identified in the country that transmitted secret military information to the Armenian Armed Forces intelligence and special authorities.

On the basis of gathered information, a criminal case was filed on May 3 and an operational investigation team was created from employees of the above mentioned authorities in order to conduct a preliminary investigation.

As a result of urgent operational and investigative measures, provocations and terrorist acts planned to be committed in public places of Baku were prevented.

Servicemen and civilians involved in the matter were brought to criminal responsibility and arrested.

According to the joint statement, necessary operational and investigative measures continue, to identify and bring to justice all the perpetrators.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

By Samir Ali  Trend:

The citizens of Turkey who visited the occupied Azerbaijani territories are known for their pro-Armenian position, Azerbaijans Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov told reporters in Baku Sept. 30.

They support the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), promote the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, noted Garalov.

According to him, the position of these people is not a position of Turkey.

Criminal cases will be filed against those who illegally visited Nagorno-Karabakh, and their search will be conducted in all countries, said the prosecutor general.

It should be recalled that on September 22, Turkish citizens Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu and Erol Katircioglu illegally visited the territory of Azerbaijan  Nagorno-Karabakh, which is occupied by the Armenian armed forces.

The Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan filed a criminal case under Article 318.2 (illegal crossing the state border of Azerbaijan) of the Criminal Code. Under a court decision, a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against those people. They have been declared internationally wanted.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The European Union hails Azerbaijan as enabler of the Southern Gas Corridor project which envisages transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe.

"The EU is committed and supports Southern Gas Corridor and the role that it plays in the EU's strategy to diversify our energy supply sources and transportation routes, as well as the crucial role of Azerbaijan as ''enabler'' of this grand project," Anca Paduraru, Spokesperson for Health, Food Safety and Energy Union projects at the European Commission told Azernews and Trend.

Paduraru recalled that key projects of the Southern Gas Corridor are the expansion of the South-Caucasus Pipeline, the Trans-Anatolian Pipeline in Turkey and the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline to Italy.

"The EUs objective has not changed. To diversify the EUs supplies, the Southern Gas Corridor aims to expand infrastructure that can bring gas to the EU from the Caspian Basin, Central Asia including Iran, the Middle East, and the Eastern Mediterranean Basin," added the European Commissions spokesperson.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.



At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.



As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
In the period from 25th to 28th of September, the International ITU Telecom World 2017 forum and exhibition was held in the city of Busan, South Korea.

The opening ceremony of this prestigious international four-day event took place on 25th of September at the BEXCO exhibition and convention center in the city of Busan. The ICT delegation of Azerbaijan also took part in the said international exhibition, organized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), being a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) that is responsible for information and communication technologies area.

Being a part of the Azerbaijani delegation at this international event, Nar demonstrated its latest achievements and various products and services to the international public, by means of the specially organized Azerbaijan National Pavilion. The visitors of the Nar stand at the exhibition were able to get acquainted with the operators innovative services, applications and solutions. During the exhibition period, the employees of Nar who joined this international forum received a great opportunity to learn about the latest development trends in the ICT industry, evaluate the new directions of the international practice and participate in the exchange of experience in this area.

Azerfon LLC started its operations on March 21, 2007, under the Nar Mobile trademark, and within a short period of time became one of the leading companies of the telecommunications and mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan. The Nar brand name was later selected as the symbol that resembles the cohesion of the rich cultural and historical heritage of Azerbaijan with the modern life. Nar was the first company in the country to introduce 3G technology and has provided the customers with a wide 4G network coverage. Within the frames of strategy aimed at continuous improvement of its network quality Nar introduced the HD-Voice (High Definition Voice) service, which is designed to significantly increase the quality of voice calls and ensure the clearest way of voice transmission. With the large network of over 6000 base stations covering 93% of the country Nar provides more than 2 million subscribers with the highest quality services.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

Trend:

As part of a working trip around South Kazakhstan region, Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev visited a number of facilities in the Ontustyk industrial zone, among which are a glass container plant EuroCrystal LLP and a ceramics factory Zerde Keramik LLP, primeminister.kz reported.

During the visit, the Premier became familiar with their prospects for modernizing production. First of all, Bakytzhan Sagintayev visited the production building of EuroCrystal, where he got acquainted with the technological process of producing glass containers and assortment of finished products. EuroCrystall LLP is the first factory in the region to produce glass jars and bottles.

A significant import substitution of this type of products takes place due to its work, since the factory delivers its production with a capacity of 60 million pieces per year, exclusively to the domestic market. After that, the Prime Minister visited the enterprise for the production of porcelain stoneware Zerde Keramika LLP. It should be noted that this is the only plant for the production of porcelain stoneware in Kazakhstan, which covers more than 40% of the country's total demand. In addition, the plant sends part of its products for export to the border countries.

It should be noted that 85 investment projects worth 55.8 billion tenge are being implemented in the Ontustik industrial zone, which has been operating since 2010, with the creation of 5,000 workplaces. Of these, 46 projects for the amount of 21.4 billion tenge have been realized so far with the creation of more than 3 thousand jobs. Also, at present, work continues on the creation of other industrial zones in the districts and cities of the region.

To date, 9 such zones the total area of which is 699 hectares have been put into operation. In general, 173 investment projects worth 167 billion tenge are being implemented in all industrial zones of the region with the creation of 10,000 jobs. It is worth noting that the industrial zone offers investors ready infrastructure, the opportunity to buy or lease land below market value, a convenient logistics system, reduced tariffs for natural monopoly services and project support. The functioning of industrial and special economic zones creates favorable conditions for the transition from raw materials production to the quality, processed products manufactory in the country and the increase in non-primary exports.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 30

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan discussed the preparation for the official visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Ashgabat, scheduled for October 2, at its meeting, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news agency reported Sept. 30.

A number of bilateral documents are planned to be signed following the high-level talks.

During the Cabinets meeting, Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted the importance of the upcoming talks.

Turkmenistan and Russia have friendly relations, according to him.

Our countries demonstrate closeness or coincidence of positions on such global key issues as ensuring universal peace and security, countering the challenges and threats of our time, noted the Turkmen president.

It was also noted that there is an impressive potential for building effective cooperation in the trade and economic sphere.

Berdimuhamedov also spoke about the dynamic nature of partnership with big companies of Russia, facilitated by the regular holding of various events, including joint business forums and cultural events.

Diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Russia were established in April 1992. More than 100 intergovernmental agreements covering all spheres of cooperation have already been signed by the two countries.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 30

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, in his message to the National Security Ministrys employees on the occasion of 26th anniversary of this authority, said that the fight against corruption and bribery carried out jointly with other law enforcement agencies should be strengthened.

You must confront the challenges and threats of modernity, prevent the entry into the country of such dangerous phenomena as international terrorism, extremism, cybercrime, President Berdimuhamedov told employees in his letter.

Earlier, it was reported that there were cases of abuse of official powers by some officials, facts of bribery and smuggling in a number of ministries and departments.

Particularly, the results of inspection of the activities of agricultural complex structures and the Turkmenhimiya state concern were reported.

Criminal cases were filed in Turkmenistan in mid-May on the crimes related to bribery and embezzlement of state property.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

By Fatih Karimov Trend:

The trade turnover between Iran and Turkey stood at $7.252 billion during the first eight months of 2017, according to the latest statistics released by the Turkish Statistical Institute.

The figure indicates a rise by 14.7 percent compared to same period of the preceding year ($6.32 billion).



The trade turnover between the two countries reached $928.36 million in August 2017.

The exports of Turkey to Iran in August 2017 valued about $286.3 million ($462.092 million in August 2016), meanwhile the country imported goods worth $642.058 million from Iran in the same month ($459.712 million in the same period of 2016).

Turkey's exports to Iran in the first eight months of 2017 amounted to $2.098 billion, compared to $3.358 billion in the first eight months of 2016.



The country also imported $5.154 billion worth of goods from Iran in the period, 74 percent more compared to the first eight months of 2016 ($2.962 billion).



The trade turnover between the two countries was $13.71 billion in 2014, which stood at $9.76 billion in 2015, indicating a 29-percent plunge.
Irans foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has called on Europe to defy US sanctions if the Trump administration torpedoes the international nuclear agreement with Tehran, the Guardian reported.

Zarif warned that if Europe followed Washingtons lead, the deal would collapse and Iran would emerge with more advanced nuclear technology than before the agreement was reached in Vienna in 2015. However, he insisted that technology would not be used to make weapons, in line with Tehrans obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Speaking to the Guardian and the Financial Times, Zarif said the only way Iran would be persuaded to continue to observe the limits on its civil nuclear programme would be if the other signatories  the UK, France Germany, Russia, China  all remained committed to its terms and defy any subsequent US sanctions.

Europe should lead, Zarif said in an interview in the Iranian UN ambassadors residence in New York.

The Iranian foreign minister said he expected Trump to carry through his threat not to certify Iranian compliance in a state department report to Congress on 15 October. Congress would then have 60 days to reimpose sanctions suspended under the deal.

I think he has made a policy of being unpredictable, and now hes turning that into being unreliable as well, Zarif said. My assumption and guess is that he will not certify and then will allow Congress to take the decision.

Trump has said he has already made his decision but has not told anyone outside his immediate circle. He refused to tell Theresa May when she asked him at a bilateral meeting at the UN last week, despite the fact that the UK is a close ally and a fellow signatory to the agreement.

Zarif warned that US abrogation of the deal would backfire on Washington, saying that Iran would resume uranium enrichment and other elements of its nuclear programme at a more advanced level than before.

The deal allowed Iran to continue its research and development. So we have improved our technological base, he said. If we decide to walk away from the deal we would be walking away with better technology. It will always be peaceful, because membership of the NPT is not dependent on this deal. But we will not observe the limitations that were agreed on as part of the bargain in this deal.

He added that walking away from the deal was just one option under consideration in Tehran.

There are other options and those options will depend on how the rest of the international community deal with the United States, he said. If Europe and Japan and Russia and China decided to go along with the United States, then I think that will be the end of the deal.

However, Zarif pointed out that in a previous era of high tensions between Washington and Tehran  when the US adopted sanctions legislation aimed at punishing European companies for doing business in Iran  Europe had resisted and sought to insulate its firms from US sanctions.

In the 1990s they didnt just ignore it, Zarif said. Europe, the EU, has legislation on the books that would protect EU businesses and adopt counter-measures against the US if the US went ahead with imposing restrictions. And it has been suggested by many that might be the course of action that Europe wants to take.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep. 29

By Umid Niayesh  Trend:

President Donald Trumps refusal to certify Irans compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal would weaken multilateral cooperation with the US, an international affairs expert suggested.

Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Tuesday joined other members of President Donald Trump's Cabinet in confirming that Iran is complying with the 2015 nuclear deal that has put a temporary halt to its nuclear weapons program.

"Dunford correctly argued that Trumps refusal to certify Iranian compliance would weaken multilateral cooperation with the US. Moreover, if Congress should impose economic sanctions on Iran as a result of non-certification, other nations would unlikely join the US, rendering US sanctions ineffective. Dunford also suggested that a better way to approach Irans regional policies would be to seek the cooperation of other nations, such as France, in opposing them," Edward Haley, the W.M. Keck Foundation Professor of International Strategic Studies at Claremont McKenna College, told Trend.

"Donald Trumps public statements are a combination of ignorance and political calculation," the expert believes so. "For example, he knows very little about the Iranian nuclear agreement, but his opposition to it is popular among his political supporters. The resulting tension showed clearly in his recent speech at the United Nations. Apparently his real concern was Iranian support for the Syrian government and Hezbollah, but he could not refrain from condemning the nuclear agreement with Iran. In an odd way he may even have been reassuring his supporters about his views on Iran ahead of a seemingly contradictory decision to recertify Iranian compliance with the agreement."

"Trumps combination of ignorance and political calculation has several other important effects: it puts American military and political leaders in an awkward position. Their informed and disinterested views often conflict with his directly or indirectly, as was the case with General Dunfords recent statements to Congress in support of the Iranian nuclear agreement. Trumps casual posturing also alarms and confuses allies and enemies, which makes effective decision-making difficult, undermines support for US policy, and risks escalating out of control during a crisis."

The US president has, so far, remained silent on whether he plans to certify before Congress on October 15 that Iran is complying with its obligations under the nuclear agreement.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

The rhetoric between Iran and the US around the nuclear deal reminds the warmest (1960-1970) years of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, when the two countries used to exchange conventional blames.

One can observe how contradictory the fencing between Washington and Tehran is.

President Trump names the deal embarrassment, while the State Secretary Tillerson says Iran is in technical compliance with it. President Rouhani says that we consider dialogue and negotiations based on a positive-sum paradigm as the only path towards the resolution of global and regional crises, whereas the chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, states that his country is capable of resuming uranium enrichment process within five days, if the US tears up the deal.

Iran-US mutual attacks are so typical that it is not that hard to predict the next step.

National security adviser H.R. McMaster has recently called the Iran deal fundamentally flawed. It gave the Iranian regime all the benefits upfront, he said. And then the incompleteness of the deal ... which really could give the regime cover to advance a nuclear program.

Doesnt it look like a test to see Irans reaction to possible renegotiation?

On the same day, Rouhani said that the nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and six world powers cannot be renegotiated.

Last Friday President Rouhani vowed that Iran would boost its missile capabilities despite any warnings from Washington to bury the deal.

Following his words, Iran tested a new medium-range missile. It is capable to reach Israel or US bases in the Gulf. Iran says all of its missiles are designed to carry conventional warheads only.

Now the world is waiting for retaliatory knock from Washington. The muscle-flexing continues.

However, if somebody bargains about the issues of regional, or world importance in such a manner, no good outcome is to be expected.

The world superpowers have one weak point, namely, they frequently put their lovely trump card under the name talk from the position of strength on the table as a good argument.

This baton policy hinders them to see and assess alternative options of a problem solving, and accordingly, to build smooth relationship with smaller states. One of the latest illustrative examples of it is Russia-Ukraine and Russia-Georgia relations.

If it hadnt been for Russias tough position on gas dispute with Kyiv in 2009 and signing associated membership agreement between Ukraine and the EU in 2013, Russia would have not lost Ukraine for many years. Lack of flexibility and overconfidence in its own power, has led Russia to bloody conflict with its most friendly state. Where were Russian Talleyrands at that time?

Official Washington has to decide what it wants to obtain - a relatively neutral Iran or a new holder of nuclear weapons. It can flip a coin in case of a doubt.

America is rightfully considered the worlds greatest nation; therefore it has the opening gambit.

The US could leave aside blackmail regarding the certify-decertify decision of the nuclear deal and try to resolve other regional concerns with Iran in face-to-face non-public negotiations. Nobody says it will be easy trip, but its worth the effort. It is very likely that Iran will also make steps forward, and both will manage gradually to come to an agreement on majority of issues.

Iran, in its turn, could exercise greater flexibility in the most sensitive problems that disturb Washington. Also, it would be wise and in-time decision for Iran to declare that it no longer considers USA a Big Satan, and has not any idea to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth.

Then it will be not conventional, but the 21st century approach.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iranian armed forces and Iraqi army will stage joint military drills along the Islamic Republics western frontier areas with the Arab state, a senior Iranian commander said.

Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, senior spokesperson of the Iranian armed forces, has said that the sides will stage the joint drills in the coming days, Tasnim news agency reported.

According to the report, the decision was made during a meeting between the commanders of the armed forces on Sept. 30 morning.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the regular army of Iran earlier on Sept. 25 conducted two separated war games along the countrys western boarders with Iraq.

The developments came following reports on holding a referendum on independence in northern Iraq.

Iran and Turkey are among the countries, which have urged for protecting Iraqs territorial integrity.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 30

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Judging by the escalation of situation with the anti-Russian sanctions of the United States, Armenia is afraid of their negative influence on the Kremlins allies, one of which is Armenia itself.

US President Donald Trump has recently appointed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as the executor of the law on sanctions against Russia that was adopted a month ago.

This law envisages that no later than 180 days after its entry into force, US secretary of the treasury, together with the director of National Intelligence and secretary of state, presents detailed reports to the relevant congressional committees about leading political figures of Russia, including information on their closeness to the ruling regime and the amount of personal wealth; assessment of the sources of their incomes, including family members (spouses, children, parents, brothers and sisters), as well as assets, investments, other business interests, and information on offshore companies; the identification of business ties of these individuals beyond Russia.

It is unknown which sanctions will be imposed on these people, but the fact that some of them will undoubtedly be linked to Armenia, is already obvious.

Earlier, Chairperson of Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and Deputy Chairman of the Federation Councils Committee on Defense and Security Franz Klintsevich warned that the US is trying to destabilize the situation in Russia, both in the country itself and through the countries of the former USSR.

It is clear that one of the very first countries will be just Russias outpost in the South Caucasus  Armenia, major part of the economy of which is linked to Russian capital.

In Russia, on which Armenia depends financially, the situation with economy is not that good. Recently, the bankruptcy processes of two big Russian banks  Otkritie and Binbank and one of the biggest airlines  WIM Airlines  has begun. It is clear that the economic tsunami in Russian economy will affect Armenia.

All this time, as long as relations between Russia and the US are worsening, Armenia talks full support of the Russian authorities and speaks about further strengthening of ties.

However, knowing the nature of Armenians, it wont be a surprise if they turn their backs on Moscow at the last moment. Perhaps, this will happen already in November at a summit in Brussels, where Yerevan can agree on a new content of agreement with the EU that is not approved by the Kremlin.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will hold top-level talks in China on Saturday as the United States looks to an economic squeeze of North Korea it hopes will compel the reclusive countrys retreat from nuclear arms and missile programs, Reuters reported.

The United States sees China as critical to averting a military confrontation with Pyongyang, which is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States.

U.S. officials say Beijing appears increasingly willing to cut ties to North Koreas economy by adopting U.N. sanctions, after long accounting for some 90 percent of its neighbors foreign trade.

But to succeed in reaching any kind of diplomatic solution, Tillerson would need to overcome some basic U.S. assumptions about North Korea and China.

The first would be getting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to view nuclear weapons as a liability, not a strength. The U.S. intelligence community does not believe Kim is likely to willingly give up his weapons program.

(Tillersons) working against the unified view of our intelligence agencies, which say theres no amount of pressure that can be put on them to stop, Senator Bob Corker told a Senate hearing on Thursday.

Kim, Corker said, saw nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as his ticket to survival.

The second big challenge for Tillerson would be getting China to impose economic sanctions on North Korea so harsh that Kim might question his future if they persisted.

U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say they believe Chinas priority is stability on the Korean peninsula, since a political collapse would almost certainly push destabilizing waves of refugees into northeastern China.

Tillerson, who was due to arrive early on Saturday in Beijing, is expected to hold talks with Chinas top diplomat State Councillor Yang Jiechi, Foreign Minister Wang Yi as well as President Xi Jinping.

China says it will strictly and fully enforce U.N. resolutions against North Korea and its Commerce Ministry on Thursday said North Korean firms in China and joint ventures in China and overseas would be shut down by January, in line with the latest UN resolution.

But the latest sanctions need time before they begin to bite, the official China Daily cautioned in an editorial on Friday.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who is due to visit China in November, has called for it to do more on North Korea and has promised to take steps to rebalance a trade relationship that his administration says puts U.S. businesses at a disadvantage.

The U.S. State Department did not suggest any major announcements would be made on Tillersons trip but the China Daily said it needed to be more than a routine show of mutual goodwill ahead of Trumps visit.

The guest and his hosts must ... straighten at least one thing out - what each can expect from the other to ensure the situation on the Korean peninsula does not deteriorate and spiral out of control, it said.
The United States is probing North Korea to see whether it is interested in dialogue and has multiple direct channels of communication with Pyongyang, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The disclosure came as Tillerson expressed hope for reducing tensions with North Korea, which is fast advancing toward its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will never allow that to happen.

We are probing, so stay tuned, Tillerson told a small group of reporters during a trip to China. We ask: Would you like to talk?'

He then said the United States had a couple of, three channels open to Pyongyang.

We can talk to them. We do talk to them, he said, without elaborating.

Tillersons remarks followed a day of meetings in Beijing, which has been alarmed by recent exchanges of war-like threats and personal insults between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump.
ELBRIDGE  Around 100 biking volunteers for the 15th Annual Syracuse Ride for Missing Children were greeted by cheering, sign-wielding Elbridge Elementary School students Friday morning.

The students were lined up at the front of the school to support the riders, who also had police escorts and others with them. The cars' blaring police sirens prompted even more bouncing and smiling from the children.

The 100-mile ride featured volunteers on bikes to acknowledge missing children, drum up attention for child safety education and to raise funds for education programs focused on preventing child abduction and sexual exploitation.

The cyclists were set to do "ride-bys" for 10 school districts and take breaks where they interact with children at five school districts, including Weedsport and Skaneateles. The Syracuse ride was one of many Ride for Missing Children events which have taken place in the state this year.

Jordan-Elbridge Middle School Associate Principal Mary Madonna, who was set to ride for the event with fellow Jordan-Elbridge staff members Happy McClurg and Lorraine Jewsbury, spoke Wednesday about the event.

Madonna and her fellow "J-E Soaring Eagles" team members were set to take on a 50-mile trek as opposed to the entire journey. The educator  who said she has done 10 previous missing children rides  acknowledged the seriousness of the event but said she believes in the importance of the education pieces students are shown.

For example, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's New York office, which sponsored the ride, held a presentation for Elbridge elementary students Wednesday. The presentation went over safety tips like what to do if they are approached by a stranger at a grocery store or a park.

Madonna said Wednesday each rider was meant to raise at least $300 for the event. She said she had raised $296 at the time, but joked that she felt she'd be able to meet the goal.

The riders stopped off for a break at Skaneateles Middle School, complete with music and food. Songs from the likes of Pharrell Williams and Bruno Mars played as children danced and some interacted with the riders.

Pam Weaver, deputy executive director for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's New York office, said a presentation about maintaining safe habits online for children  like not sharing too much about themselves or not sharing inappropriate photos  was held for the school earlier in the week. Weaver said the ride is meant to be positive overall.

"It's not about frightening (students), it's just helping them to make good choices," Weaver said.
TipRanks

After last weeks better-than-expected October inflation data, stocks saw broad gains. The tech-heavy NASDAQ led the way with a jump of 7.67%, and the S&P 500 was more than 5% up at the end of the week. Gains like that can spread out, and cloud stocks were among the NASDAQs best performers. Jim Cramer, the well-known host of CNBCs Mad Money program, points out that this sharp rally gives investors a chance to clear the chaff out of their cloud stock portfolios and focus on high-quality names
Putting all worries over supply glut to bed, oil prices jumped on Sep 25. This liquid commodity is now hovering around the $50 level. Notably, Brent crude touched its highest level in more than two years while U.S. crude surpassed $52 a barrel for the first time in four months. United States Oil USO was up about 3% while United States Brent Oil BNO gained more than 3.9% on the day.

As per Reuters, key producers indicated that the global oil market is finally going to be rebalanced, while Turkey threatened to cut oil flows from Iraq's Kurdistan region towards its ports. Turkey announced that it may remove a pipeline that transports oil from northern Iraq to the global market, in order to put pressure on the Kurdish autonomous region over its independence referendum. The Iraqi government does not acknowledge the referendum and has turned to foreign allies to cease importing Kurdish crude (read: How to Trade the Oil Rally with ETFs & Stocks).

Market watchers now believe that the OPEC output cut is finally bearing fruit. However, as per analysts though both WTI and Brent contracts rose, worries about U.S. supply glut kept gains on WTI in check. The spread between WTI and Brent futures widened to $6.61, its steepest since August 2015, as per an article published on Reuters.

Demand-Induced Jump in Oil Prices

In any case, oil prices have been steady lately. WTI crude ETF USO and BNO were up 8.7% and 13.5% in the last one month (as of Sep 25, 2017). Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF XLE added about 10.1% in the last one month.

The reason behind the uptrend was believed to be the possibilities of the OPEC discussing the extension of the output cut deal, as per a portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital. Not only this, demand jumped 2.4% in the second quarter of 2017.

This led International Energy Agency (IEA) to upgrade its global oil demand estimate for this year. Along with the demand-induced rally, OPEC output declined in August for the first time in five months. There are indications the U.S. output growth is also slowing. The number of oil rigs operating in the United States fell lately. As a result, hedge funds increased their bets that oil prices will go higher from here, quoted on CNBC.com.

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How to Play?

Amid the fresh round of optimism, many investors have turned bullish on the energy sector and are seeking to tap this opportunity. For them, we have highlighted a few ETF investing options:

Direxion Daily Energy Bull 3x Shares ERX

This fund creates a triple (3x or 300%) leveraged long position in the Energy Select Sector Index while charging 95 bps in fees a year. ERX was up 4.6% on Sep 25 (read: Capex Cuts Are Back: What's in Store for Energy ETFs?).

SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF XES

This fund provides equal weight exposure across 37 securities by tracking the S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services Select Industry Index. The fund added about 3.4% on Sep 25.

PowerShares S&P Small-Cap Energy Portfolio PSCE

The underlying index of the fund  the S&P SmallCap 600 Capped Energy Index  looks to measure the performance of the small-cap U.S. energy companies. The fund gained more than 3.6% on Sep 25.

VanEck Vectors Russia ETF RSX

Oil is seemingly the main commodity of Russia. About half of Russias exports in terms of value come from oil and natural gas as the country has the third-largest oil reserve in the world and the biggest natural gas reserve. This makes it clear why Russias economy is highly dependent on the oil price movement. RSX is the most popular and liquid option in the space. The fund gained about 1.9% on Sep 25 (read: Oil Again in Bull Market: 4 Country ETF Winners).

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By Jussi Rosendahl

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Rovio (ROVIO.HE), the maker of hit mobile game "Angry Birds," will look to buy up other players in the gaming industry following its listing on Friday, its main owner Kaj Hed said.

The Finnish company's shares got off to a flying start on their stock market debut, trading up as much as 7 percent from their initial public offering price (IPO) of 11.50 euros.

Hed, who cut his stake from 69 percent to 37 percent in the IPO, said Rovio now had more muscle to do deals in a gaming sector he believes is ripe for consolidation.

"We have a clear will to be a consolidator, and we are in a very good position to do that," he told Reuters at Rovio's headquarters by the Baltic Sea.

"Many good (gaming industry) players face the question of whether they should go public, or whether they should consolidate. Going public is expensive and requires hard work, so finding a partner could be easier."

Analysts have long urged Rovio to do more to reduce its reliance on the "Angry Birds" franchise.

Hed, the uncle of Rovio's co-founder Niklas Hed, said he remained strongly committed to the company.

"The reason that I sold shares was to give the company the liquidity, because that is very important. My intention is to remain as a long-term investor in the company."

Rovio saw rapid growth after the 2009 launch of the original "Angry Birds" game, but it plunged to an operating loss and cut a third of its staff in 2015 due to a pick up in competition and a shift among consumers to freely available games.

But the 2016 release of 3D Hollywood movie "Angry Birds", together with new games, have revived the brand and helped sales recover.

In the first half of this year, Rovio's sales almost doubled from a year earlier to 153 million euros, while core profit increased to 42 million euros from 11 million.

Rovio's market valuation of around 950 million euros ($1.12 billion), looks high based on Rovio's historical profit, said Atte Riikola, an analyst at research firm Inderes.

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"There seems to be initial demand for (the stock). But given that the IPO was multiple times oversubscribed, the share price reaction is not too dramatic," he added.

"Profit growth is priced in, so they need to keep up the good performance which they had in the first half of the year."

At 1135 GMT, Rovio shares were trading at 11.77 euros, off a high of 12.34 euros/

(Additional reporting by Tuomas Forsell; Editing by Alexander Smith and Mark Potter)
By David Henry and Ross Kerber REUTERS - U.S. lenders are concerned their consumer loan and credit card businesses could be stymied if large numbers of people lock or freeze their credit reports to protect themselves in the wake of the Equifax Inc hack. Equifax said on Wednesday it "will let consumers easily lock and unlock access to their Equifax credit files" by the end of January. The pledge came in an apology from the company's interim chief executive for the exposure of personal identification information for 143 million people in a cyber attack. Financial advisers recommend many people freeze their records to block thieves trying to borrow in their name. Restrictions on reports, however, stall the credit checks lenders need for making legitimate loans, requiring borrowers take the extra step of getting the restrictions removed. "Banks hate credit freezes. The banks want people to buy things on credit without a second thought," said Chris Hoofnagle, a law professor at the University of California, Berkley, and an author on consumer protection law. The time required to remove restrictions could thwart issuance of new credit cards, especially store credit cards that offer instant discounts on purchases. Second thoughts could lead drivers to spend less on cars when they reconsider how much they will have to borrow for more expensive models. Only 2 to 3 percent of U.S. consumers currently have freezes on their credit reports, said Avivah Litan, a security analyst at research firm Gartner Inc. But with the publicity around the breach, the number will rise. "People are thinking about it like never before," Litan said, adding that the number will double, though only to 5 percent, without any noticeable impact on lending. Still, one banker, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the industry does not know how much credit report restrictions will ultimately slow business. "That's on the worry list." Litan said more people would already have freezes, which vary from state to state, if not for credit bureaus having made them "unnecessarily complicated." She said it is not clear exactly how the Equifax locks will work and how they differ from freezes. Bankers expect the locks will be easier to remove, resulting in less "friction" to lending than freezes, which are covered by state laws. How many consumers add either restriction could depend on how many frauds surface, which will take time to emerge. "Lets face it, 143 million frauds won't be perpetrated right away, it will take some time to filter through," said Steve Bowman, GM Financials chief credit and risk officer. (Reporting by David Henry in New York and Ross Kerber in Boston; Additional reporting by John McCrank; Editing by Dan Grebler)
The president has claimed he wont benefit from the White House plan to cut taxes for hardworking Americans. Heres whats wrong with that assertion

Above: one of the biggest beneficiaries of Donald Trumps tax plan. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump has outlined plans for the biggest overhaul of the US tax system since the Ronald Reagan era. The cuts were aimed at everyday hardworking Americans, Trump told the crowd in Indiana on Wednesday. But even a cursory look at the still developing plan shows the biggest beneficiary is likely to be ... Donald Trump. Heres why.

Rich working people

My plan is for working people and my plan is for jobs, Trump said. I dont benefit. Very, very strongly I think theres very little benefit for people of wealth. Wrong! as Trump would say.

Trump has proposed cutting the tax rate of so-called pass-through businesses to 25%. Pass-through businesses dont pay tax as businesses but pay at the rate of tax paid by the owner. The highest rate they currently pay is close to 40%.

Most businesses are pass through, but 96% of businesses already pay less than 25% tax and only 4% of them currently pay the highest rate of tax. Those businesses are the ones controlled by high net worth individuals, hedge fund managers, corporate lawyers and rich people who structure their businesses as partnerships or limited liability companies. Trump himself controls 500 pass-through businesses.

Kansas passed a similar tax cut in 2012 and it almost broke the bank. The cuts had to be reversed as the states coffers dried up.

Trump is carving out a special loophole for his own businesses and calling it a small-business tax cut, said TJ Helmstetter of the group Americans For Tax Fairness.

Trump has also proposed cutting the alternative minimum tax (AMT). The AMT is widely disliked because of its complexity but its basic aim is good. The idea is to make sure that very rich people are not able to avoid paying any tax at all by using the abundant loopholes available to their armies of accountants. AMT was the reason Trump had to pay $31m in taxes in 2005, according to documents given to MSNBCs Rachel Maddow. Well, he wont have to worry about that any more if he gets his way.

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Rich dead people

Trump  and the Republican party  have been keen to do away with the estate tax for years. The so-called death tax hurts American families, Trump has said on numerous occasions. Sure. But only rich ones. The tax is currently set at 40% on estates worth $5.49m for an individual or $10.9m for a couple. It only affects 0.2% of the US population.

It will cost $240bn to remove the estate tax over 10 years  roughly the same amount as the Trump administrations plans to cut food stamps would save.

Who pays for it?

The Trump tax plan will have to be paid for somehow. The national debt is now more than $20tn and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates the plan will add between $3tn and $7tn to the national debt over the next decade. Where does that money come from? The Trump administration has proposed $5tn in cuts to non-military spending, meaning schools, Medicaid healthcare, social security, disability insurance.



If the plan is passed  and thats a big if  Americas middle class will be paying for these tax cuts for generations to come.
U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May tried Thursday to push Boeing to back down from a trade spat with Canadas Bombardier that is threatening a thousand sensitive jobs in Britain.

Earlier this week, the U.S. International Trade Commission slapped a 220% import tariff on the Canadian companys CSeries airliners, in response to a Boeing complaint that it had sold the planes at below-cost price. May saidwith a sideways look at big military contracts that Boeing is bidding for in the U.K.that this is not the sort of behavior we expect from a long-term partner and it undermines that partnership.

But Boeing wasnt backing down Thursday.

We have heard and understand the concerns from the Prime Minister and the Government about Bombardier workers in Northern Ireland, the company said in a statement e-mailed to Fortune. But, it added, Boeing had to take action as subsidized competition has hurt us now and will continue to hurt us for years to come, and we could not stand by, given this clear case of illegal dumping.

The tariff decision by the U.S. International Trade Commission effectively closes the huge U.S. market to the CSeries, according to Canadas Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, risking the projects viability. That in turn jeopardizes thousands of jobs1,000 of them at a plant in the British province of Northern Ireland, which does work on the planes wings and fuselages.

Read: The U.S. Has Slapped a 219% Duty on the Sale of Bombardiers New Jets

Northern Ireland, with its sectarian divide between Catholics and Protestants, is a sensitive enough place at the best of times, but this comes at a particularly delicate moment: The provinces economy stands to be hit harder than any other part of the U.K. by Brexit if it has to reintroduce a physical border with the Republic of Ireland. Moreover, Mays Conservatives depend on the provinces (Protestant) Democratic Unionist Party for their majority in parliament, meaning they cant pass key legislation on Brexit without DUP support. And all that at a time when the U.K. economy is visibly slowing due to uncertainty around the Brexit process.

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But most embarrassing of all is the fact that Mays Conservatives have promised that the U.K. will enjoy a new golden age of free trade once it has freed itself of the protectionist shackles of the EU. That the U.S.the only country whose leader has publicly supported Brexitis putting up tariff barriers that could put British workers out of jobs flies in the face of such assurances.

The trouble in this case is that Boeing holds most of the aces. It already has a $2.3 billion order for 50 Apache attack helicopters in the bag, along with with a $3.9 billion deal for P-8A maritime patrol aircraft. And the defense industry is so concentrated that the U.K. can hardly afford to exclude the company from any future tenders without exposing itself to price gouging from its competitors.

Read: The U.K. Is Too Busy Fighting With Itself to Negotiate a Brexit Deal With the EU

Moreover, Boeing is pretty important to the U.K. economy too  the company says it supports more than 18,700 jobs in the U.K. either directly or through its tier one supply chain (the P-8A program alone foresees it creating 2,700 jobs in the U.K. going forward). Boeing is also a key backer of a new Advanced Manufacturing Research Center in Sheffield, the kind of academic hothouse that would normally be able to count on EU funding, but which will lose that channel of support with Brexit.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon confirmed that neither the P-8A nor the Apache contracts would be reviewed in retaliation for the action against Bombardier. Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, by contrast, has threatened to cancel a plan to buy Boeings F18 Super Hornet jet fighters for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Trudeaus problem is that the obvious alternative to the F18 is Lockheeds F-35, whichin a rare instance of agreement with U.S. President Donald Trumphe has already slammed as being too expensive.

Read: Northern Irelands Peace Generation Frozen Out by Politics of War

Ironically, one of Mays best remaining hopes to get the tariffs rescinded could lie with Sinn Fein, the Irish Nationalists that were once the political wing of the Irish Republican Army. The Republican cause has traditionally enjoyed broad, if not always overt, support from the Irish-American community, and the Belfast Telegraph quoted Sinn Fein leader Michelle ONeill as saying that she had written to Vice President Mike Pence and also briefed the chairman of the US Congressional Friends of Ireland committee, Richie Neal, on the damage this dispute will have on thousands of families across [Northern Ireland].
By Esha Vaish REUTERS - Carillion is looking at options including a share issue to shore up its balance sheet, the British construction and support services group said, as a warning that full-year results would be lower than expectations knocked its shares on Friday. The company, whose shares have lost two-thirds of their value since it announced a writedown on July 10, booked a further 200 million pound provision relating to services contracts, following a review of its entire business. "While self-help measures will lead to a material reduction in our average net debt, these alone will not be enough to achieve our target. The board is therefore considering other available options, including raising equity to repair and strengthen the balance sheet in due course," Carillion said. Friday's profit warning is Carillion's second this year after the firm booked an 845 million pound ($1.13 billion)writedown on problematic construction contracts in July, prompting the departure of its chief executive. Analysts have said they expect Carillion to have to raise new funds to shore up its balance sheet, although uncertainty over its contracts, its debt position and its pensions obligations have raised questions over the value of the company. "We believe that the business could have an enterprise value of 1.6 billion pounds," Liberum analysts wrote in a client note. Carillion's shares were down 11 percent to 57 pence at 0732 GMT on Friday, cutting its market capitalisation to around 245 million pounds. Shares in Carillion had risen earlier this week after a London newspaper reported that a Middle Eastern buyer was considering making a bid. "TOO COMPLEX" "The reality is that Carillion has become too complex. It has been a business that has too many layers of management from top to bottom," the company's interim CEO Keith Cochrane told Reuters following the announcement. Cochrane said the aim of its cost cutting programme was to make the company "more agile" and efficient and the company would look at further redundancies in addition to the 340 job cuts which are already in an consultation process. Carillion said that its 2017 revenue was expected to be between 4.6 billion and 4.8 billion pounds, down from a previous expectation of 4.8 billion to 5 billion pounds. Full-year average net debt was expected to be between 825 million pounds and 850 million pounds, it said, as it announced measures to boost its balance sheet including raising 300 million pounds from asset disposals and an 80 million pound reduction in its pension deficit. "Whilst there are many good businesses within Carillion, we remain wary given the many balance sheet uncertainties," Peel Hunt analyst Andrew Nussey wrote in a client note. Nussey reduced underlying full-year pretax profit expectation to 110 million pounds from 135 million pounds and forecast that Carillion would need to raise more than 500 million pounds from fresh equity or potential disposals. Carillion said on Sept 11. that its chief financial officer Zafar Khan was leaving and would be replaced by Emma Mercer, the finance head of its UK construction business. ($1 = 0.7458 pounds) (Reporting by Esha Vaish in Bengaluru; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Equifax told the U.S. House of Representatives in a letter made public on Friday that its board of directors formed a special committee to review stock sales by company executives weeks before the credit-reporting service disclosed a massive data breach.

Three senior executives including the companys chief financial officer sold $1.8 million in shares three days after the company learned on July 29 hackers had breached personal data for up to 143 million Americans.

Equifax announced the breach publicly more than a month later, on Sept. 7. The news sparked public outcry, government investigations, a sharp drop in its share price and a management shake-up.

Equifax lawyer Theodore Hester said in a letter dated Thursday to members of Congress announcing the review that the company takes these matters seriously and has retained lawyers.

In response to questions about whether the stock sales violated insider trading laws, Equifax has said the executives did not know about the breach when making their sales, which were not prearranged. The company did not immediately comment Friday.

According to regulatory filings, chief financial officer John W. Gamble Jr sold shares on Aug. 1 for $946,000, while Joseph Loughran III, president of U.S. Information Solutions, sold $584,000 in stock on the same day. Rodolfo Ploder, president of Equifaxs Workforce Solutions business, sold $250,000 worth of stock on Aug. 2.

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Equifax stock efx was down 28 cents at $106.10 on Friday, a decline of more than 25% from early September.

The breach has prompted investigations by multiple federal and state agencies, including a criminal probe by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Earlier this week, the Atlanta-based company said CEO Richard Smith would leave and forgo this years bonus.

Congressional committees plan hearings next week with Smith.

Equifax said in a regulatory filing that it might claw back some of Smiths compensation for this year, depending on results of the boards investigation into the breach, which the company has said occurred between mid-May and July.

The breach has already prompted the departures of Equifaxs chief information officer and chief security officer.

The hack, among the largest ever recorded, was especially alarming due to the richness of the information exposed, which included names, birthdays, addresses and Social Security and drivers license numbers, cyber researchers said.
Another 2.4 Million Equifax Customers Are About to Find Out Their Identities Were Stolen in Hack

Equifax's new CEO apologized to the more than 143 million people who had their personal information stolen as a result of the company's recent data breach, and promised free credit locking for life  but not for Canadians.

In a letter published in the Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Paulino do Rego Barros Jr. offered his "sincere and total apology to every consumer affected by our recent data breach" that was announced earlier this month, where hackers made off with names, addresses, credit card information and even social security numbers for 143 million Americans and 100,000 Canadians.

- 100,000 Canadian victims: What we know about the Equifax breach  and what we don't

While Barros noted that any company can be vulnerable to a cyberattack, the company's response to the attack was just as problematic, as Equifax was slow to respond to the flood of consumer inquiries, and even gave out incorrect information at times.

"Our responsibility is to provide timely, reassuring support to every affected consumer," the letter said.

Barros has been chief executive of the company for barely two days, after Richard Smith, who had led the company since 2005, abruptly stepped down on Tuesday.

In addition to a full apology and vow to do better, Barros also announced customers would soon be able to lock and unlock their personal credit files, to guard against fraud. By January, all the company's U.S. customers "will be able to do this at will. It will be reliable, safe and simple. Most significantly, the service will be offered free, for life."

Canadians demand answers

The service will not, however, be offered to Canadians. "These new services do not apply to Canadian consumers, a spokesperson with Equifax Canada told CBC News.

"Equifax Canada is offering complimentary credit monitoring for one year, as well as identify theft monitoring, for Canadian consumers impacted by the breach."

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One of the best defences against identify theft is to implement a "freeze" on one's credit report, which would block any attempts to borrow money under a person's identity. The problem for Canadians, however, is that service isn't available in Canada  even for a fee.

The company said it will be contacting affected Canadians by mail, but in another statement to CBC News Thursday evening said it had not mailed any notification letters yet. Equifax said the people affected will not be contacted by email or telephone.

"Equifax has engaged a leading cybersecurity firm to conduct a comprehensive forensic review to assist us with identifying potentially impacted Canadians," the statement read. "The investigation is ongoing. We have begun the preparation necessary to notify impacted consumers."

Anyone affected faces the possibility of having fraudsters apply for credit in their name, along with other forms of identity theft. They would have to alert their various financial services providers and possibly even go as far as applying for a new social insurance number from the government.

Many of the company's Canadian customers have complained that the company's response has been slow and inadequate, something the new CEO promised to address.

"Our responsibility is to provide timely, reassuring support to every affected consumer," the CEO's letter reads.
There are two kinds of companies, according to a saying that former Equifax CEO Rick Smith shared in a speech at the University of Georgia on Aug. 17. Theres those companies that have been breached and know it, and there are those companies that have been breached and dont know it, he said. Though it was still 21 days before his company would reveal that it had been massively hacked, Equifax, at that time, had been breached and knew it.

The speech, given by Smith to students and faculty at the universitys Terry College of Business, covered a lot of ground, but it frequently returned to security issues that kept the former CEO awake at night--foremost among them was the companys large database.

When you have the size database we have, its very attractive for others to try to get into our database, said Smith. So that is a huge priority for us.

Smith elaborated on what hackers can do with consumers personal information, including selling it on the Dark Web. It is a very lucrative way to make money, he said.

Smiths fastest growing area of security concern was state-sponsored hacking and espionage, he said. Its countries youd expect--you know its China, Russia, Iran, and Iraq--and theyre being very aggressive trying to get access to the know-how about how companies have built their capabilities, and transport that know-how back to their countries, said Smith. Its my number one worry. he added.

Its not clear if the hackers stole any proprietary Equifax secrets, but they did make off with the personal information for at least 143 million U.S. consumers. Smith retired from Equifax on Tuesday. He will receive $90 million in payouts, salary, and stock compensation.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
By Julia Fioretti

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Thursday outlined how firms like Google (GOOGL.O), Facebook (FB.O) and Twitter (TWTR.N) should remove illegal content more quickly from the Web, increasing pressure on the companies to do more.

The spread of illegal content on the Web, whether because it infringes copyright, involves counterfeit goods or contains threatening material, has sparked a heated debate in Europe between those who want online media firms to do more to tackle it and those who fear it could impinge on free speech.

As a result the Commission has issued a set of guidelines for how the internet firms could increase the speed and effectiveness of their removals of content, be it through establishing trusted flaggers or investing more in automatic detection technologies.

"The rule of law applies online just as much as offline. We cannot accept a digital Wild West, and we must act," said EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova.

The companies have recently stepped up efforts to tackle the problem, agreeing to an EU code of conduct to remove hate speech within 24 hours and forming a global working group to combine their efforts in removing illegal content from their platforms.

But the Commission said the companies were still too slow.

"The situation is not sustainable: in more than 28 percent of cases, it takes more than one week for online platforms to take down illegal content," said Mariya Gabriel, EU digital commissioner.

The guidelines call on the companies to appoint points of contact so they can be rapidly alerted about illegal content and work with trusted flaggers - experts in identifying such content.

Existing EU legislation says internet platforms should not be liable for the content that is posted on their websites by users, limiting how far policymakers can force companies, who are not required to actively monitor what goes online, to act.

Illegal content should be removed as quickly as possible and can be subject to specific time frames, the Commission said, and automatic tools should be used to prevent previously removed content from being uploaded again.

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The Commission said it would monitor companies' progress and could come forward with legislation by next Spring if it is not satisfied.

The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook, welcomed the Commission's guidelines.

"CCIA has advocated for a long time for the introduction of well-thought-out notice and action guidelines, and this ... is a welcome initiative for a more aligned approach on the removal of infringing content across the European Union," it said in a statement.

However some politicians criticized the Commission's call for more automatic detection technologies, saying it would restrict the flow of information online.

Sky (SKYB.L) welcomed the guidelines saying they made clear that online platforms needed to provide greater protection against illegal content.

"The responsibility is now on the platforms to ensure that the online world becomes a safe environment for everyone  and they will need to do this ahead of the Commissions Spring 2018 deadline.

(Reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing by Greg Mahlich and Elaine Hardcastle)
Google has unveiled new measures aimed at helping news organizations drive more subscriptions and generate revenues (AFP Photo/LOIC VENANCE) (AFP)

Tallinn (AFP) - The EU will propose a new tax on tech giants such as Google and Facebook next year despite opposition by several states that fear a blow to their economies, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said Friday.

Championed by French President Emmanuel Macron, the new tax on digital multinationals will target revenue generated in an EU country, instead of on profits that are booked in a low-tax EU headquarters, often Ireland or Luxembourg.

The hope is to have a formal proposal by EU ministers in December, that would become a draft law by the commission, the EU's executive arm, in 2018.

"Tax has to be paid where it is due, be it offline or online," Juncker said after an EU summit in Tallinn, Estonia.

"The commission will propose next year new rules on fair and effective taxation that provides legal certainty and a level playing field for all."

Juncker made the commitment after Macron pressed the issue at the second day of the summit, where the leaders discussed the opportunities and dangers of the digital economy.

The push by France, already backed by powerful Germany, is part of a wider onslaught by the EU on Google and other US tech behemoths as Europe seeks ways to regulate Silicon Valley more tightly.

In a closely watched speech on Europe Tuesday, Macron thundered against high tech companies that had become the "freeloaders of the modern world."

So far about a dozen of the EU's 28 member states have signed on to the idea, though many urge action to take place on a global level, such as the G20, instead of just in Europe.

Europe-wide tax reform is a huge headache in the European Union, requiring unanimity of all 28 states, which has proven nearly impossible on tax issues.

Already smaller EU states have expressed strong resistance to the idea, which they say will chase US tech giants from their shores, especially Ireland that serves as a low-tax hub for Apple, Facebook and Google.

"If we want Europe to become digital leader, the solution isn't more taxes and more regulation, it's actually the opposite," said Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.
By Tiisetso Motsoeneng JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's central bank has told top lenders they cannot fire auditor KPMG, entangled in a scandal involving friends of President Jacob Zuma, because it might undermine financial stability, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. KPMG sacked its South African leadership two weeks ago after it found work the accounting firm had done for companies owned by the Gupta family "fell considerably short" of its standards. KPMG has said it will ask a senior legal figure to conduct an external investigation into whether its South Africa-based workers were complicit in illegal activities or colluded in producing a report that has since been discredited. The scandal has raised questions about the survival of the local unit of KPMG, after it lost at least four clients. A number of blue-chip companies, including Barclays Africa and Nedbank, have publicly said they are considering dropping one of the biggest names in accounting. But the prospect of the local unit of KPMG going under has rattled the South African Reserve Bank because it is one of only four auditors with enough depth to jointly audit the four largest banks. No bank may drop or hire an auditor without the central bank's approval. "The Reserve Bank is essentially saying KPMG is 'too big to fail'," one source said. "They have taken that stance to their discussions with banks." The Reserve Bank did not respond to questions about its dialogue with lenders and referred Reuters to a statement it issued two weeks ago in which it said it would hold meetings with banks and auditors with a view to maintaining financial system stability. "RISK TO THE SYSTEM" Under South African rules, the big four banks, Standard Bank, Barclays Africa, Nedbank and FirstRand must appoint two joint auditors from the pool that comprises KPMG, Ernst & Young, Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers, companies deemed to have specialist banking knowledge. In addition, the big four are required to rotate their auditors every five years and the central bank believes without KPMG in the mix it would be harder, if not impossible, to comply, the sources said. "Reserve Bank believes KPMG failure poses risk to the system," another source said. Standard Bank did not directly answer a Reuters question about whether the central bank had asked it not to drop KPMG. It said it would wait for the auditor to complete the investigation before taking any action. "We do not consider that KPMG has yet taken sufficient action to begin to restore its reputation," it said. Rival Nedbank also did not specifically address the question. Its Chief Financial Officer Raisibe Morathi said it was awaiting the result of KPMG's independent inquiry before deciding on its next step. Barclays Africa said it was still in the process of reviewing its relationship with KPMG, without going into details about whether the central bank had told it to keep the firm as its auditor. FirstRand does not use KPMG as its external auditor. KPMG's new chief executive Nhlamu Dlomu, appointed after the leadership purge two weeks ago, said the company was working to rebuild public trust. "The local and international KPMG teams and I have been talking to many of our clients and regulators to provide them with a detailed explanation as to the steps we are taking to demonstrate KPMG's continuing ability to serve their needs," Dlomu said. One client is the South African auditor general, Kimi Makwetu, who said on Friday his office had met Dlomu and decided to retain KPMG pending the outcome of the independent inquiry. The KPMG scandal largely relates to a report it produced at end of 2015 that alleged people at the South African Revenue Service created an illegal "rogue spy unit". The report was used to discredit then finance minister Pravin Gordhan, a vocal critic of Zuma. KPMG has this month apologised for the report and withdrawn its findings. KPMG is one of several high-profile international companies facing questions about its work for the Indian-born Gupta brothers, who have been accused by an anti-graft watchdog of unduly influencing the awarding of government contracts. The Guptas and Zuma deny wrongdoing and say they are victims of a politically motivated witch-hunt. The Guptas and their companies have not been charged with any crime. (Additional reporting by TJ Strydom and Tanisha Heiberg; Editing by Joe Brock and Andrew Roche)
Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook Wednesday to once more defend himself and his platform. Responding to a cavalierly-tweeted charge of anti-Trump bias from the President of the United States, Zuckerberg again repeated his claim that Facebook was a platform for all ideas, and that, contrary to unfolding public opinion, his company did much more to further democracy than to stifle it. For evidence, Zuckerbergas is his wontturned to the data. More people had a voice in this election than ever before, he wrote. There were billions of interactions discussing the issues that may never have happened offline. He also pointed to the number of candidates that used Facebook to communicate, and the amount of money they spent publishing political advertising on his platform.

Zuckerberg has made this kind of quantitative argument before. In his first letter to investors in 2012, he wrote that people sharing more  leads to a better understanding of the lives and perspectives of others and helps people get exposed to a greater number of diverse perspectives.

These arguments rest on a simple equation: The amount of information that a population shares is directly proportional to the quality of its democracy. And, as a corollary: the more viewpoints that get exposed, the greater the collective empathy and understanding.

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Facebook's European headquarters in Dublin. (Photo by Niall Carson/PA Images via Getty Images)

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Belgium, Brussels, May 25th 2017Meeting between Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron at the United States's embassy in Brussels. Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron are posing for the photographers in one of the embassy's salon.Belgique, Bruxelles, 25 Mai 2017Rencontre entre Donald Trump et Emmanuel Macron  l'ambassade des Etats Unis  Bruxelles.Donald Trump et Emmanuel Macron posent pour les photographes dans un des salons de l'ambassade.Michael Zumstein / Agence VU

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That math has worked out well for Facebook for most of its history, as it convinced its users to share more information in the name of community and openness. It found its ultimate expression in the Arab Spring, when protestors around the Middle East connected over Facebook to have conversations they couldnt in public. In retaliation, some of those threatened governments shut down the internet, only proving the point: good guys spread information, and bad guys try to stop it.

But as Facebook has grown, that equation has become less certain. Today, Facebook users perform two very different functions; they are both sources and recipients of information. Zuckerbergs formulation, that more information is always empowering, may be true when Im sharing informationI certainly benefit from my ability to say whatever I want and transmit that information to anyone in the world. But its not necessarily the case when it comes to receiving information.

Future Shock author Alvin Toffler saw the problem back in 1970, when he coined the term information overload. Just as the body cracks under the strain of environmental overstimulation, he wrote, the mind and its decision processes behave erratically when overloaded. Fellow futurist Ben Bagdikian expressed similar concerns, writing that the disparity between the capacity of machines and the capacity of the human nervous system results in individual and social consequences that are already causing us problems, and will cause even more in the future.

Zuckerbergs corollary, that exposure to more viewpoints makes you more informed, doesnt fare any better. By that logic, CNNs shoutfest-panels, in which a half-dozen consultants yell at one another, should be the most illuminating show on television. (It isnt.)

We are certainly hearing more from one another than ever before. Ideas that were once dismissed as fringe, from white supremacy to socialism, are getting expressed and openly shared. By Zuckerbergs math, that should be producing a more cohesive society and a better-functioning democracy. But that isnt happening, because of what Zuckerbergs equation leaves out.

Zuckerberg's stance requires him to argue that any conclusion someone reaches as a result of what they see on Facebook is by definition good for society. After the election, Zuckerberg dismissed claims that fake news had swung the vote to Trump as condescending: Voters make decisions based on their lived experience, he said. Twitter made a similar argument in June, when its vice president of public policy, government and philanthropy wrote that its users wouldnt be swayed by fake news on its platform because they journalists, experts, and engaged citizens tweet side-by-side correcting and challenging public discourse in seconds. Trusting users to discern meaning from a barrage of tweets is the informational equivalent of the mythical homo economicus, the perfectly rational consumer who always acts in his own self-interest. Its also a familiar argument for anyone who has railed against the power that our self-designated cultural gatekeepers exercised to limit our worldviews and control the terms of our discourse.

But we are starting to see the limits of that argument. However you feel about Trump, youd be hard pressed to conclude that the deluge of digital information that Zuckerberg celebrates has created a more cohesive and politically coherent nation. In his book Propaganda, the pioneering publicist Edward Bernays wrote that In theory, every citizen makes up his mind on public questions and matters of private conduct. In practice, if all men had to study for themselves the abstruse economic, political, and ethical data involved in every question they would find it impossible to come to a conclusion about anything. Bernays was a megalomaniacal jerk, but maybe he was onto something.

Companies like Facebook imagine that they are taking a great step toward civilizational progressthat by removing barriers to communication they are building a new era of human consciousness. Perhaps they are right. But progress requires other ingredients as welllike a coherent narrative. Any large-scale human cooperationwhether a modern state, a medieval church, an ancient city or an archaic tribeis rooted in common myths that exist only in peoples collective imagination, writes Sapiens author Yuval Noah Harari. Much of history revolves around this question: how does one convince millions of people to believe particular stories about gods, or nations, or limited liability companies? Yet when it succeeds, it gives Sapiens immense power, because it enables millions of strangers to cooperate and work towards common goals.

This is whats missing from Zuckerbergs maththe transmutation of information into common myth. We have more data then ever before, but when you put it all together, it doesnt add up to much.

This isnt to suggest that we need to return to the days of cigar-smoking, back-room gatekeepers. Facebook proved, thrillingly, that an algorithm can be a better judge of what someone wants to read than any human ever could. But that's not always a good thing. People tend to read, like, and share information that confirms their own biases, or stokes their angernot necessarily information that brings them closer to citizens of all political persuasions.

Imagine if Facebook were to ask a different question. Instead of asking what someone wants to read, it could ask what someone should read. If Facebook decided it really wanted to bring diverse people together, it could promote stories that diverse people likestories that get high completion rates and engagement from users of all political persuasions, or all ethnic backgrounds, or who are distributed evenly around the country. That might create its own problemsfavoring bland centrism over radicalism, for instance. But it may suggest a new way of creating a less top-down, more-inclusive common narrative.

Of course, it would be difficult for Facebook to make that decision. It might make for a higher-quality experience, but a less addictive one. It might even cause people to spend less time on Facebook altogether. And less time means less revenue which means a lower stock price.

And thats an equation that Facebook understands better than anyone.
You might think of radio as an archaic form of listening to music, but it's still one of the more effective ways to get information to people, especially when cell networks go down. Most smartphones already have an FM chip baked right into the chipset, but they tend to be inaccessible, especially in the US. Now FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is asking Apple to activate these FM chips already in iPhones. "Apple is the one major phone manufacturer that has resisted (activating the chips)," said Pai in a statement. "But I hope the company will reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria."

This isn't a new push by Pai to get FM enabled in smartphones, either. "In recent years, I have repeatedly called on the wireless industry to activate the FM chips that are already installed in almost all smartphones sold in the United States," he said. "And I've specifically pointed out the public safety benefits of doing so." In his first public speech as FCC chairman, Pai notes, he said that "you could make a case for activating chips on public safety grounds alone."

As The Verge notes, many companies, including Motorola, LG and Samsung (among others), have allowed for FM access in their smartphones. Many are on the list of supported devices provided by NextRadio, a smartphone app that provides FM broadcasts to smartphones. AT&T already asks manufacturers of Android phones to enable the FM systems, too. "I applaud those companies that have done the right thing by activating the FM chips in their phones," said Pai.

Update: Apple has responded to Pai's request with the statement below, claiming that its most recent models don't actually have FM capability which exec Phil Schiller also noted in a tweet. The company didn't mention older models, but according to John Gruber of Daring Fireball, he's heard that while they may contain an FM radio chip it isn't connected or available to be enabled by a software update.

Apple cares deeply about the safety of our users, especially during times of crisis and that's why we have engineered modern safety solutions into our products. Users can dial emergency services and access Medical ID card information directly from the Lock Screen, and we enable government emergency notifications, ranging from Weather Advisories to AMBER alerts. iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models do not have FM radio chips in them nor do they have antennas designed to support FM signals, so it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products.
Some investors are rotating out of earlier high flying technology stocks into cheap emerging markets.

International Business Machines Corp. IBM has partnered with pharmacy chain store operator, Walgreens. Per the recently signed agreement, the companys retail analytics solution will be deployed for improving the efficiency level of more than 8100 Walgreens stores nationwide.

Moreover, IBMs cloud services will be used to optimize the usage of resources at each of these Walgreens locations, depending on the history of service requests. The data gathered will help in determining the extent of the support level required, which will ultimately help in faster resolution of issues at the store.

The increasing adoption of IT solutions in retail is helping businesses to lower monetary losses. Moreover, the availability of real time processed information on inventories, demand and supply chain movement is actually improving efficiency, leading to customer satisfaction. This eventually drives revenues for retailers.

Expanding Clientele Globally

IBM is actually benefiting from this trend globally. Based on its Big Data analytics and cognitive computing technologies through Watson offerings, the company aims to become a dominant player in the retail analytics market. Per MarketsandMarkets latest report, this space is expected to witness CAGR of 19.7% through 2017-2022.

In July, IBM announced a Watson-based services platform on the IBM Cloud that uses cognitive technologies to help service providers improve their operations. Danske Bank was one of the initial users of this services platform.

Moreover, mobile offerings are helping the company win customers in International markets. Recently, M-Industry  a subsidiary of Switzerland's largest retailer and supermarket chain Migros Group  launched a new IBM designed mobile offering to transform how product promoters work.

M-Industry is equipping its 300 employees with Apple AAPL iPad and IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps. This will help them to better promote in-store products.

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Cloud Adoption: Key Catalyst for IBM

IBM is benefiting from increasing cloud adoption. In recent times, the companys cloud-based offerings have been selected by the likes of Syniverse, State of Arizona, Codify Academy, Italian airport operator SEA and Germany-based leading automotive supplier Faurecia.

IBM also remains a preferred choice for federal projects. The U.S. Army's Logistics Support Activity (LOGSA) awarded the company a contract to continue providing cloud services, software development and cognitive computing worth $135 million.

Gartner recently stated that the worldwide public cloud services market is anticipated to increase 18% in 2017 to reach $246.8 billion from $209.2 billion in 2016. The total market is expected to reach $383.4 billion in 2022. This increase in spending bodes well for IBM.

Moreover, the company continues to build new data centers, which will boost IBMs competitive position in the cloud computing market currently dominated by Amazon.com Inc. AMZN and Microsoft Corporation MSFT.

More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!

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In its new term beginning October 2, the Supreme Court will consider many pressing questions. Can a baker refuse to make a cake for a gay wedding? Can states redraw districts to help a political party? And, does Justice Neil Gorsuch talk too much?

Gorsuch has proven himself to be a forceful and dynamic presence on the bench, a jurist who cements the Courts conservative tilt, infuriates liberalsnot least because of the circumstances by which he got thereand breaks custom with his uncommon assertiveness. Considering Gorsuch in his robes is to grapple with what legacy President Trump will leave on the highest court, and he is inciting unusually strong reactions from both Republicans who love what they see, and Democrats who hate it.

It didnt take long for the newest member to make his presence known on the Court. Gorsuch, a conservative judge nominated by President Trump and confirmed in April, had been sitting in his first oral argument last spring for just 10 minutes before he asked his first question. Over the next hour, he asked 21 more, posing more questions at his first oral argument than any of his eight colleagues did at theirs. He blew past Justice Sonia Sotomayors previous record of 15 questions at her first oral argument, according to Adam Feldman, who runs a blog tracking Supreme Court data.

Thats rare for a freshman justice. By the Courts unwritten rules, new members are often seen more they are heard. I think he has ruffled some feathers on the Court, Garrett Epps, a professor at University of Baltimore School of Law, says of the newest justice.

In his first month, Gorsuch wrote as many separate opinions as Justice Elena Kagan, the last justice to join the Court, wrote in her first two terms. In one, a 7-2 decision about statutory interpretation in which he and Justice Clarence Thomas were the only dissenters, Gorsuchs pointed writing style was on full display. If a statute needs repair, theres a constitutionally prescribed way to do it, he chided. Its called legislation.

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In a religious liberty case, Gorsuch took on conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the majority opinion. In his concurrence, which argues for a broader reading of religious liberty, Gorsuch wrote that, respectfully, [he] harbor[s] doubts about an aspect of the chiefs opinion.

He has not been shy, says John Malcolm, vice president for the Institute for Constitutional Government at the conservative Heritage Foundation. Sometimes you might expect a new justice to sit back for a while before wading in on significant issues, certainly in writing dissents and concurrences, Malcolm adds. But [Gorsuch] has shown none of that. Hes acting as if hes been sitting on the high court for years.

Gorsuch is drawing criticism off the bench as well. Some court-watchers on the Left have complained about his appearances outside the stately halls of the Supreme Court. In September, the justice appeared with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at an event in Kentucky, McConnells home state. The following week, Gorsuch gave a speech at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., the symbolic focal point of the presidents business entanglements. Progressive activists held a protest outside the hotel during his remarks.

Justices often give speeches to liberal or conservative groups, but Democrats are upset by the optics of Gorsuchs recent appearances. Generally, Supreme Court justices, whether appointed by Democrats or Republicans, do their best to avoid any outward support for an administration, says Nan Aron, president of liberal judicial advocacy group Alliance for Justice, who argues Gorsuch has erased any possibility that he is anything other than a partisan.

The vastly different reviews on the new justice from conservative and liberal groups are evidence of the nasty political battle that led to him taking the seat in the first place. Gorsuch, who spent a decade as a judge on the Tenth Circuit in Colorado, occupies a spot on the court that sat vacant for more than a year after Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016. President Barack Obama nominated moderate liberal Judge Merrick Garland to fill the seat. But instead of confirming a nominee during Obamas final year in office, congressional Republicans refused to consider the nomination, stalling the process until Trump was inaugurated, and then quickly confirming Gorsuch over cries from Democrats.

He takes the seat under a cloud for a lot of people, says Epps. Not because they personally dislike him, but because of the circumstances under which he got it.

At just 50 years old, Gorsuch looks poised to cement a conservative majority on the Court for a generation. More immediately, hell affect the outcome of many of the significant cases the Court will hear this term.

Gorsuch, whose judicial philosophy revolves around interpreting the text of the law as written, has already signaled that hes sympathetic to religious liberty claims, which could put him on the side of the baker who refused to make a cake for a gay wedding in the case Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. And he recently was a deciding vote blocking a Texas courts ruling that new districts drawn by the state legislature had to be redone, which may provide a clue to his thinking on the partisan gerrymandering case Gill v. Whitford, which will be argued before the court on Oct 3.

So far, Gorsuch has proven to be most in the mold of Justice Thomas, agreeing with the conservative stalwart in each of the 15 cases he heard last term. That plants Gorsuch firmly to the right of his old boss, swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy, for whom he clerked in the 1990s. Gorsuch has sided with Kennedy 73% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.

But while he has made a bold entrance to his new job, Gorsuchs style on the bench may simply make him a natural heir to the voluble jurist he replaced. From the get-go, Justice Scalia changed the tenor of the court dramatically because he was such an avid questionasker, says Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network. I know that some justices viewed that a little askance, like wheres this little upstart coming from?

That doesnt make [Gorsuch] unique, she continues. I think thats always how the old guard reacts.
Critics have hit the Republican tax plan for raising the bottom tax rate, effectively creating a tax for the poor. The proposal's chief architects, though, say that's not the right way to look at it. White House economic advisor Gary Cohn said lower-income fillers actually will receive a tax cut due to a doubling of the standard deduction that most workers can take. That will offset what appears to be a raise in the bottom tax bracket from 10 percent to 12 percent, he said. "We have really helped our lower-income earners by doing that," Cohn told CNBC in an interview. "We're doing an awful lot to help working Americans," he added. "I think when people see the final, final details they'll be pretty impressed when they see what we're doing for working Americans."The new plan reduces the number of brackets from seven to three. Where the old system had levies ranging from 10 percent to 39.6 percent, the new plan proposes 12 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent. In addition, the GOP plan doubles the so-called zero tax bracket to $24,000 for married couples and $12,000 for individuals. Under the previous plan, workers earning from $1 to $9,325 were taxed at a 10 percent rate.That will change under the Republican proposal, in effect providing relief for the bottom two current brackets of 10 percent and 15 percent."You're going from 10 percent on the bottom to zero," House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told CNBC in a subsequent interview. "By doubling the standard deduction, the people who are currently captured in that 10 percent rate, they go to a zero percent rage, and the 15 percent bracket comes down to 12 percent."Ryan said he expects the "demagoguery" will continue over the plan, though he expects it to pass with some Democratic support. Critics have hit the Republican tax plan for raising the bottom tax rate, effectively creating a tax for the poor. The proposal's chief architects, though, say that's not the right way to look at it. White House economic advisor Gary Cohn said lower-income fillers actually will receive a tax cut due to a doubling of the standard deduction that most workers can take. That will offset what appears to be a raise in the bottom tax bracket from 10 percent to 12 percent, he said. "We have really helped our lower-income earners by doing that," Cohn told CNBC in an interview. "We're doing an awful lot to help working Americans," he added. "I think when people see the final, final details they'll be pretty impressed when they see what we're doing for working Americans." The new plan reduces the number of brackets from seven to three. Where the old system had levies ranging from 10 percent to 39.6 percent, the new plan proposes 12 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent. In addition, the GOP plan doubles the so-called zero tax bracket to $24,000 for married couples and $12,000 for individuals. Under the previous plan, workers earning from $1 to $9,325 were taxed at a 10 percent rate. That will change under the Republican proposal, in effect providing relief for the bottom two current brackets of 10 percent and 15 percent. "You're going from 10 percent on the bottom to zero," House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told CNBC in a subsequent interview. "By doubling the standard deduction, the people who are currently captured in that 10 percent rate, they go to a zero percent rage, and the 15 percent bracket comes down to 12 percent." Ryan said he expects the "demagoguery" will continue over the plan, though he expects it to pass with some Democratic support.



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Crude oil prices edge lower

Investing.com - Oil prices edged lower on Thursday, after U.S. government data revealed a weekly climb in domestic production to the highest level in over two years.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures shed 20 cents, or around 0.4%, to $51.94 a barrel by 3:35AM ET (0735GMT), after rising 26 cents in the previous session to just below a five-month high.

Meanwhile, Brent crude futures, the benchmark for oil prices outside the U.S., dipped 37 cents, or about 0.6%, to $57.20 a barrel, moving further away from a 26-month peak reached earlier this week.

Oil prices ended higher on Wednesday, as investors digested weekly supply data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Crude oil inventories fell by 1.8 million barrels, according to the EIA, after posting hefty increases in each of the last three weeks, as refiners raised output following Hurricane Harvey last month.

However, gasoline stockpiles were up 1.1 million barrels for the week, rising for the first time in four weeks.

The report also showed that domestic crude production edged up by 0.4% to 9.55 million last week, the highest level since July 2015.

Prices have been well-supported in recent weeks amid growing optimism that the crude market was well on its way towards rebalancing as data showed strong compliance from major producers with their supply cut agreement.

In May, OPEC and non-OPEC members led by Russia agreed to extend production cuts of 1.8 million barrels per day for a period of nine months until March 2018 in a bid to reduce global oil inventories and support oil prices.

Elsewhere on Nymex, gasoline futures were little changed at $1.602 a gallon, while heating oil slumped 1.5 cents, or 0.8%, to $1.824 a gallon.

Natural gas futures held steady at $3.059 per million British thermal units, as traders looked ahead to weekly storage data due later in the global day.

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Sixty years ago, a team of scientists went looking for yellow fever in the jungles that line the northwestern edge of Lake Victoria. What they found instead, in the blood of a rhesus monkey, was a new virus, one they named for the areas dense vegetation: Ugandas Zika Forest. Within a few years, Zika virus was showing up in humans, causing a pink rash and mild flu-like symptoms. And for the next six decades, as it spread eastward on the wings of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, its symptoms stayed the same.

That all changed when the virus jumped the Pacific Ocean and landed on the shores of Brazil sometime around 2014. As Zika sickened thousands, reports of microcephalya birth defect characterized by abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brainsbegan pouring in from doctors offices and hospitals around the country. In April of last year, scientists at the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention formally declared that Zika was to blame for the microcephaly cases. Since then, researchers have been rushing to tease apart how the Zika virus went from tepid to toxic, in hopes of finding vaccine or drug targets to prevent the most devastating manifestations of the infection.

New evidence suggests it might all come down to one measly mutation.

In a paper published Thursday in Science, researchers from some of Chinas largest academic institutions report that a single genetic change, which likely happened around May of 2013, swapped one amino acid on one of the viruss three structural proteinsa tiny tweak with catastrophic effects. The research highlights the importance of a global genetic surveillance system for emerging pathogens, and opens the door to developing better predictive tests for expectant mothers.

The Chinese researchers started out by comparing three contemporary strains of the virusisolated from patients in the Caribbean, Samoa, and Venezuela in 2015 and 2016with a more ancestral Cambodian strain from 2010. When they injected the viruses into baby mice, they saw something shocking. The Cambodian strain killed fewer than a quarter of the mice, leaving the rest with some brain damage. The three modern strains? Killed every mouse. And compared to the older virus, the newer version from Venezuela killed significantly more neural progenitor cellsthe cells that give rise to new neurons in the developing brainleading to mice with much smaller brains.

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Using the old Cambodian strain as a reference, the scientists then compared the genomes of the newer ones, trying to tease apart any differences that could account for their enhanced lethality. They discovered that Zika had developed multiple mutations before the virus broke out in Brazil, all of which persisted in the American strains.

In particular, they identified one mutation that switched a single amino acidfrom serine to asparagineappearing around May 2013. And they believe it's that change that strikes a disastrous blow to the brains of unborn children. Of all the mutations they engineered into a reference strain, only the serine to asparagine swap led to more neuronal death and smaller brains in baby mice than the older Cambodian strain. While it may still take a constellation of mutations to create the worst forms of microcephaly, this one shines brightest.

This answers a big question scientists have been wrestling with since microcephaly cases started ballooning: Do they have a genetic cause? There are other possible explanations to the birth defects surprising appearance in Brazil; perhaps microcephaly wasnt showing up in places like India and Africa because a lot of women were exposed to Zika as children, so they already had immunity to the diseases. Especially in rural areas, there might just not have been enough microcephaly to be detected. But now theres convincing evidence that the birth defect is in fact the product of viral evolution. The papers authors write that their findings offer an explanation for the unexpected causal link of Zika to microcephaly, and will help people to understand how Zika evolved from an innocuous mosquito-borne virus into a congenital pathogen with global impact.

The results of the paper are very intriguing and beautifully laid out, says Pardis Sabeti, a Harvard computational biologist and accomplished virus hunter. She and her colleagues published a series of papers earlier this year tracking the genetic spread of Zika around the Americas. Her team stressed the importance of sequencing the genomes of emerging threats like Zika in as close to real-time as possible, both to inform public health responses on the ground and make studies like this one possible. Viruses continually mutate, and the more opportunities we give them to take hold in a population the more opportunities they have to change in ways with great consequences, Pardis says.

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The next release of sterile mosquitoes from MosquitoMate gets an assist from robotic sorters from the Google spin-off.

What the Science study authors still dont know is whether the microcephaly-associated mutation helps Zika survive and spread. Cheng-Feng Qin, a virologist at the Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology and co-author of the paper, says thats what theyre trying to figure out next. One possibility is that the mutation affects the interaction between some unidentified host proteins and the virus, he says. The other hypothesis is the mutation could have impacts on viral assembly and maturity in neural progenitor cells. Viruses are about just one thing: making more of themselves, whatever it takes. So its possible the mutation somehow helps Zika transmit more effectively, and the toxicity to fetal nerve cells is either part of transmission or an unrelated byproduct. Or it could just be a random tweak that doesnt happen to harm the virus.

Thats the million dollar question right now, says Aaron Brault, a microbiologist with the CDCs Division of Vector-Borne Diseases who has been studying Zika since 2015 at the agencys Fort Collins laboratory. If the mutation helps Zika spread, that means the microcephaly-causing mutation somehow provides an evolutionary advantage, and could be selected for in nature. This paper opens the door to understanding whether or not this mutation might arise again, says Brault. Like, say, in Africa, where the disease has circulated for a long time but hasnt yet caused birth defects like those seen in the Americas. It also makes it clear that the mutation, at the very least, is a persistent one. This mutation is present in every sequence of the virus generated in the western hemisphere since 2013, he says. Its not going anywhere.

Over the past two years, the CDC has been working to fast-track a number of diagnostic tests so that doctors and patients can be better informed early on of potential birth defects related to Zika. But those tests have had issues, missing some Zika cases while picking up related infections like dengue and chikungunya. A blood test designed to only pick up this particular mutated protein would likely be a much better indicator of microcephaly than any test out there now. And while Zika cases in the Americas are no longer ragingtheyve dropped to fewer than a thousand cases this summer, compared to 35,000 during the outbreaks peak in January 2016public health officials say its no time to slack off. If Zikas taught them anything, its that a crisis is always just one mutation away.
MUNICH, Germany Prosecutors have arrested a former Porsche board member in connection with an emissions scandal at carmaker Audi, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

Wolfgang Hatz, former chief of research and development at Porsche and head of powertrain development at Audi and parent Volkswagen in previous roles, was taken into custody, the person said, marking the first arrest of a former board member of one of Volkswagen's units in Germany.

A lawyer representing Hatz declined to confirm the arrest and also declined any further comment.

Hatz left Porsche last year, having been suspended since Volkswagen's emissions test-cheating scandal broke in September 2015. Investigations found no evidence against him, Porsche said in May 2016.

Munich prosecutors earlier said they had arrested a second suspect and widened the number of suspects in their investigation. They did not disclose the suspect's identity.

Prosecutors have also searched personal premises, a spokeswoman for the Munich prosecutors said, adding that corporate locations were not part of the raid.

Audi has no knowledge of the arrest and continues to cooperate with authorities, a spokesman said.

German business daily Handelsblatt first reported the arrest, and Sueddeutsche Zeitung disclosed Hatz's identity.

Audi admitted in November 2015, two months after parent Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal broke, that its 3.0 liter V6 diesel engines were fitted with a "cheater" auxiliary control device deemed illegal in the United States.

In March, Munich prosecutors searched offices at the carmaker's Ingolstadt base, where about 44,000 workers are employed, and the premises of Jones Day, a U.S. law firm hired by Volkswagen to lead an investigation into the emissions scandal.

Four months later, the U.S. Justice Department said it had charged a former Audi manager with directing employees at the company to design software to cheat U.S. emissions tests in thousands of Audi diesel cars.

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The former Audi manager, Italian citizen Giovanni Pamio, was subsequently arrested by Munich prosecutors on suspicion of fraud and false advertising in connection with the carmaker's emissions scandal. Pamio remains in custody pending ongoing German investigations and an extradition request by U.S. authorities.

Pamio's lawyers said he is cooperating fully with prosecutors and has denied the allegations.

Reporting by Jorn Poltz, Andreas Cremer and Christoph Steitz



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The Priceline Group (PCLN) operates across 220 countries, but CEO Glenn Fogel is the most bullish on one market: China.

With over $68.1 billion in gross bookings in 2016, Priceline is the world leader in online travel through different brands  priceline.com, booking.com, agoda.com, KAYAK, rentalcars.com and OpenTable.

Priceline is approaching 1,000 employees in China with three customer service centers across the country, according to Fogel.

If you want to be successful in China, you absolutely have to localize. Things are changing there so rapidly. Innovation is unbelievable. Its really amazing that people here sometimes think, Oh, China theyre catching up and copying what we do. Theyre so wrong. [Chinas] the cutting edge, he told Yahoo Finance at the Skift Global Forum.

Targeting the Chinese customer

The company has been able to capture the inbound market because customers have shown sustained interest in visiting China. He noted that outbound travel from China is also growing rapidly.

But the domestic Chinese market has been harder to crack, and Priceline is leveraging the mobile experience to reach the local customer.

In China, people are using WeChat all the time  to book hotels, restaurants. Theyre trying new things all the time. We want to [be a part of that], he said.

Instead of trying to operate independently, Priceline has adopted a similar philosophy to many American businesses  partner with locals. For example, Priceline has invested over $2 billion in Ctrip (CTRP), Chinas leading travel booking site.

Fogel acknowledged that while he wants to grow Pricelines existing brands, the company has an acquisitive nature. And its next target could be a smaller competitor in China.

Melody Hahm is a writer at Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and real estate. Follow her on Twitter @melodyhahm.

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By Matt Scuffham TORONTO (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada's chief executive, Dave McKay, said on Thursday that artificial intelligence (AI) is helping the bank reduce credit card fraud, and the bank expects to use blockchain technology in its loyalty programs next year. McKay said at a Reuters Newsmaker event in Toronto with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Stephen Adler that the bank is spending over C$10 million ($8.04 million) a year on artificial intelligence. McKay said there is a scarcity of talent in AI globally, which means that RBC has to spend a significant amount to attract people with specialist knowledge. RBC, Canada's biggest bank, has set up an AI research center in Toronto with 35 staff to conduct pure research with massive data that the bank possesses. The researchers are helping to predict customer behaviors. McKay said he expects competition to emerge from non-bank companies in the money-moving side of the business as barriers to banking are coming down. Asked about a remark earlier this month by Jamie Dimon, the chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co , that cryptocurrency bitcoin is a fraud, McKay said it should be monitored but said that bitcoin "doesn't misrepresent what it is." RBC is also experimenting with blockchain to help move payments between its U.S. and Canadian banks, Reuters reported separately. (Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Milan (AFP) - Italian tyremaker Pirelli on Friday set a share price for its stock market return in Europe's biggest IPO this year, valuing the company at a total 6.5 billion euros ($7.7 billion).

The shares will be offered at 6.50 euros each on the Milan stock exchange in the initial public offering next week, Pirelli said in a statement.

Some 35 percent of Pirelli's capital will go on sale to investors, but that stake could rise if an option for additional shares known as "green shoe" is exercised.

The operation marks a bourse comeback for Pirelli, an icon of Italian industry famous for providing Formula One racing tyres, after it withdrew from the stock exchange two years ago after it was taken over by China National Chemical Corp (ChemChina).

According to a deal with the Chinese giant, Pirelli was to return to the stock market by 2019 at the latest after a split between the company's consumer and industrial activities.

The Milan listing concerns only the consumer side, "a 145-year-old start-up," as chief executive Marco Tronchetti Provera has described the reshaped business.

The industrial tyre business is being integrated into Aeolus Tyre, which has a Shanghai listing.

Tronchetti Provera previously said the integration of Pirelli's industrial tyre business into Aeolus had gone much more quickly than expected and that the early listing had also been driven by "extraordinary growth" on the consumer tyre side of the business.

The company, which had sales of 4.97 billion euros in 2016, is pitching its shares on the back of a forecast of growth of at least nine percent a year through 2020, at which point the 70-year-old CEO expects to step down.

The IPO will reduce ChemChina's stake, held through the Marco Polo holding company, to below 50 percent.

Tronchetti Provera backed the 2015 deal with ChemChina as the best way to prevent Pirelli becoming a target for hostile takeover attempts.
Moving abroad from its current headquarters in London's Canary Wharf could see the European Medicines Agency losing up to 94% of its staff, the agency has warned (AFP Photo/Niklas HALLEN)

Brussels (AFP) - The fight to host major EU agencies leaving London after Brexit reached a milestone Saturday as Brussels gave its assessment of individual bids, though it stopped short of ranking them.

One regulator has warned that the wrong choice could see a mass exodus of staff.

The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, published its views on 19 candidates seeking to be the new home of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and eight bidding for the European Banking Authority (EBA).

Stressing the need for a timely decision on where the "two key regulatory agencies for the EU's Single Market" -- are to go, the Commission said that "their relocation is a direct consequence of the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union."

The Commission did not provide a shortlist of bidders, but assessed them against six criteria agreed by the 27 EU members that will remain when Britain leaves the bloc.

These included accessibility, geographical spread, availability of schools and jobs for staff families and guarantees the agency will be able to start work as soon as Britain exits in 2019.

A final decision will be made in November when EU states hold a secret ballot.

The Commission said Saturday it hoped to see a "smooth and timely relocation" which would allow "continuity" of the agencies' activities, including during any transitional period, with new premises being ready.

It said its assessment "respects the Member States' decision that the criteria should be unweighted and does not provide a ranking or shortlist of any kind."

The two agencies were also consulted.

The European Commission's assessments are not binding, although EU leaders are expected to take its findings into account, and the decision will ultimately be deeply political.

Between them, the agencies employ more than 1,000 people and promise to bring money and prestige to the new host cities. The contest has sparked an intense lobbying campaign.

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The cities vying for the EMA are Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Bonn, Bratislava, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Lille, Milan, Porto, Sofia, Stockholm, Malta, Vienna, Warsaw and Zagreb.

The agency, which employs 900 pharmaceutical experts, biologists and doctors from every corner of Europe, evaluates medicines throughout the bloc.

- 'Public health at stake' -

Earlier this week, the EMA warned that nothing less than "the future of public health in Europe" was at stake as it published a survey showing anywhere between 19 percent and 94 percent of staff planned to quit after the agency left London.

The EMA did not name the cities in question but said that for some, staff retention rates could be "significantly less" than 30 percent.

"This would mean that the agency is no longer able to function and, as there is no backup, this would have important consequences for public health in the EU," the EMA said.

Even the best-case scenario would see one in five staff leave as a result of the move, the EMA said.

As for the EBA, the German financial hub of Frankfurt is seen as the frontrunner followed by Paris, Luxembourg and Prague, with Brussels, Dublin, Vienna and Warsaw also in the running.

The EBA, with 159 staff, is perhaps best known for its regular stress tests on the EU's financial sector after the global financial crisis.

Six countries -- Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and Poland -- have made bids for both agencies.

Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia and the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have not bid for any.
Donald Trump's top economic advisor Gary Cohn resigned to protest the president's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski) (AFP/File)

Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump's top economic adviser on Thursday defended plans unveiled this week for sweeping tax cuts but said he could not guarantee they would benefit every middle-class taxpayer.

The White House has moved to defend the proposed tax overhaul, which is still being crafted, from criticism that it will unduly help the wealthiest Americans or blow a hole in the federal budget.

Opposition Democrats have denounced the plan as a massive tax giveaway to the rich.

"Our tax plan is aimed at making sure we give middle-class Americans a tax cut," National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn told reporters, adding that a family earning $100,000 would see $1,000 decrease in tax liability.

But he said that, given the multiplicity of local jurisdictions and the variety of financial situations Americans find themselves in, it was possible not everyone would benefit.

"You can find me someone in the country that their taxes may not go down," said Cohn. "We have 50 states, we have counties, we have cities...we have all different kinds of structures in the tax code."

The outlines of the proposal involve cutting corporate tax rates from 35 percent to 20 percent, reducing the number of income tax brackets from seven to three and eliminating the so-called alternative minimum tax, which is designed to cut down on tax dodging, among other changes.

Leaked records published in March showed that, under the alternative minimum tax, Trump was forced to pay $31 million in 2005, suggesting that eliminating the provision could benefit him and other wealthy individuals like him.

- Paying for itself? -

In a break with tradition, Trump, a billionaire who has assembled an exceptionally wealthy Cabinet, has refused to release his tax returns.

Preliminary evaluations say the cuts could reduce revenue by more than $2 trillion over a decade. But Cohn said Thursday that the resulting rebound in economic activity would more than make up for lost revenues.

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"Our plan is based on lowering rates, and expanding the base," he said, adding that reaching three percent annual GDP growth would bring in more revenues.

"One percent of GDP means $3 trillion. It more than pays for a tax cut."

Economists, however, have cast doubt on the proposition that tax cuts can pay for themselves or that the United States is likely to return to three percent annual growth on a sustained basis.

Official figures released Thursday showed that the US had grown at an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the second quarter, bringing growth in the first half 2017 to 2.2 percent.

Cohn said officials were also working to prevent wealthy individuals from taking advantage of proposals to cut taxes on so-called "pass-through" corporations, in which a company's income passes to its owners.

"Guys like myself should not be allowed to fit their assets into a partnership and reduce our tax liability by ten percent," said Cohn.
Photo: Bloomberg

Its hard to think of a tougher policy sales pitch for the tech industry than its argument against a bill called the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA).

Advocates for it have a simple request: Do something to stop the plague of online sex trafficking! Opponents are stuck with a more nuanced request on behalf of companies that are not always too beloved on Capitol Hill: That bill might make life dicier for social-media sites.

Major changes to the Communications Decency Act

The bill would make two significant changes to the 1996 Communications Decency Acts Section 230, which currently says a site cant be held legally responsible for what its users post there, and that a site moderating or screening those contributions doesnt erase that immunity.

Yes, you can blame CDA 230 for allowing comments sections to exist, but its also enabled the entire category of social media to flourish.

One part of SESTA would allow civil lawsuits and state prosecutions against sites that foster sex traffickingthat is, sex for money performed by children or adults subject to force, fraud or coercion. Another would criminalize knowing conduct by a site that assists, supports, or facilitates those crimes.

Congress must stop allowing websites to promote and profit from sex trafficking, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D.-Conn.) at a Sept. 19 Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing.

SESTA would introduce new legal risk

Internet Association general counsel Abigail Slater expressed a different perspective minutes later, suggesting the law could hurt sites that might unintentionally benefit from sex trafficking but have no practical way of stopping it.

SESTA would introduce new legal risk not just for internet services that do not knowingly and intentionally facilitate illegal conduct, but also create risk for an incredibly broad number of innocent businesses, said Slater, whose trade group represents Twitter (TWTR), Google (GOOG, GOOGL), Facebook (FB), and other tech giants.

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The reality, as ever, is more complicated. SESTA would indeed weaken a key piece of law that enables sites to give users a voice online without fear of endless litigation, even as current laws await use by prosecutors against the cretins trying to profit from child prostitution and sex slavery.

But while sites that rely on user generated contentespecially those smaller ones that cant afford to keep squads of lawyers on retainerfear eroding that protection, they and the groups speaking for them in Washington seem resigned to accepting some form of this law.

A dollar has become more important than a human life

The hearing last week provided compelling testimony for the bill that Sen. Rob Portman (R.-Ohio) introduced Aug. 1.

Yvonne Ambrose tearfully recounted how her 16-year-old daughter Desiree Robinson was raped and killed by a man who had responded to a listing that her pimp had placed for her on the classified-ads site Backpage.com.

She screamed for help, and there was no one around to help her, Ambrose said. And yet, she said, she could not hold that site responsible for profiting from her childs exploitation. Somehow, a dollar has become more important than a human life.

What do current laws not do?

Federal criminal law doesnt go away because of CDA 230, but courts still must decide where that laws immunity ends. And multiple witnesses at last weeks hearing said it doesnt provide enough guidance.

Courts have struggled and failed to reconcile the CDAs narrow immunity, said Yiota Souras, general counsel for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra observed that a state court threw out sex-trafficking charges that his office had brought against Backpage. Were fighting with two hands tied behind our back, he complained.

That site has long been public enemy No. 1 for opponents of online prostitution. Well after Craigslist shuttered its Adult Services section, Backpage kept its own comparable category until January; the same types of listings now run elsewhere on the site.

The hearing, however, did not mention a newer law, 2015s Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act, that bans sex ads involving minors or coerced individualsand which has yet to be invoked by a prosecutor, even though it was written with Backpage in mind.

I dont see any defect thats made it unviable, said Alexandra Levy, an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dames law school, in an e-mail.

She noted that if Backpage actually commissioned ads for sex servicessomething the Washington Post found that it did in a July investigationthen the CDA wouldnt protect it.

Backpage did not respond to a request for comment submitted through its site Wednesday.

Why SESTA makes sites nervous

Opponents of this bill say it will subject well-meaning sites to abusive or frivolous litigation. And while the resulting legal bills might not leave much of a dent in a Google or Facebook, they could easily bankrupt smaller firms.

A single bad lawsuit can totally destroy a company, said Evan Engstrom, executive director of the startup-advocacy group Engine, at a panel discussion in Washington Thursday.

They also argue that SESTAs knowing conduct clause could incriminate sites that try to moderate user inputsince, in theory, that meant they should have known of attempts to advertise sex services. They might find it safer, as Goldman said in the hearing, to give up moderating entirely.

Mike Masnick, founder of the tech-policy site Techdirt, noted that his site, like many, attracts a massive amount of comment spam that often links to illicit offerings, and automated filters cant catch it all.

Weve seen fairly clever spammers posting perfectly legit and on-topic comments but with links to whatever it is theyre spamming, he wrote in an e-mail. Its a legit fear.

SESTA backers, however, say they wont yield on core principles. We will not gut a bill that has broad and diverse Senate support with 31 cosponsors, Portman spokesman Kevin Smith wrote in an email.

That leaves opponents of the bill hoping to soften its edges. At the Senate hearing, the Internet Associations Slater asked legislators to clarify the knowing conduct rule and only allow lawsuits against sites that acted with knowledge and intent. Engines Engstrom made similar suggestions at Thursdays panel.

In a conversation afterwards, Engstrom sounded reasonably optimistic about getting those changes. But SESTA features a widely loathed opponent, a goal virtually everybody supports, and a tech lobby that now finds itself increasingly questioned if not resented in Washington. It may be the rare tech-policy bill that Congress easily passes.

More from Rob:

Email Rob at rob@robpegoraro.com; follow him on Twitter at @robpegoraro.
Elon Musk, founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and lead designer of SpaceX, and also CEO and co-founder of Tesla, reacts as a screen displays a depiction of a human colony on the planet Mars during a presentation at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Adelaide, Australia, September 29, 2017. AAP/Morgan Sette/via REUTERS

By Sonali Paul and Tom Westbrook

ADELAIDE/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Silicon Valley billionaire Elon Musk on Friday outlined ambitious plans for a manned mission to Mars and a rocket capable of carrying passengers from one continent to another on Earth.

SpaceX plans its first trip to the red planet in 2022, carrying only cargo, to be followed by a manned mission in 2024, Musk, who runs the company and electric luxury car company Tesla Inc, said at a conference in Adelaide.

NASA's first human mission to Mars is expected about a decade later.

Musk, the chief executive and lead designer of Space Exploration Technologies, said SpaceX has shrunk the size of the rocket ship it is developing to go to Mars, aiming to start construction on the first spaceship in the first half of next year.

As for the intercontinental passenger rocket - a concept familiar to science fiction fans - Musk said, "If you build a ship that's capable of going to Mars, what if you take that same ship and go from one place to another on Earth? We looked at that and the results are quite interesting."

He then showed the conference audience a video of images of a rocket taking off in New York City and landing in various places around the world, with words on the screen showing flight times of less than an hour between any two cities on opposite sides of the world. A New York-to-Shanghai trip could be done in 39 minutes, for example.

Musk had previously planned to use a suite of space vehicles to support the colonization of Mars, beginning with an unmanned capsule called Red Dragon in 2018, but he said SpaceX is now focused on a single, slimmer and shorter rocket instead.

The rocket would be partially reusable and capable of flight directly from Earth to Mars, could still carry 100 passengers, and could also be used for fast transport on Earth, Musk said.

Musk's SpaceX is one of several ventures that have said they want to open up space routes to Mars.

Lockheed Martin Corp announced separate plans for a manned Mars journey on Friday, unveiling concept drawings of a "base camp" space station orbiting Mars and landing craft that would carry four astronauts to the planet's surface.

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"We know its cold, it's pretty inhospitable, so we start with the robots and then we go down with these landers," Rob Chambers, Lockheed's director of human space flight strategy, told Australian Broadcasting Corporation in an interview.

Chambers gave no date, but the planned mission would be a joint expedition with NASA, which aims to reach Mars during the 2030s.

Mars is typically 140 million miles (225 million km) from Earth, and landing the first humans there, after what traditionally has been seen as a six- to nine-month journey, is an extremely ambitious goal.

SpaceX, which Musk founded with the aim of colonizing Mars, is one of several private and government-funded ventures vying to put people and cargo on the red planet, and other destinations beyond Earth's orbit.

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture is also designing a heavy-lift vehicle called New Armstrong that will be capable of Mars transport.

Russia and China are each preparing for manned missions to the moon, and Russia has agreed to work with NASA planning a "deep space gateway" space station in lunar orbit, which would serve as a staging post for future missions.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul and Tom Westbrook; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Jonathan Oatis)
FILE PHOTO - Uber CEO Travis Kalanick speaks to students during an interaction at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus in Mumbai, India, January 19, 2016. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/File photo

There's a new battle brewing in the ongoing war for control at Uber as the company prepares to reset itself after appointing a new CEO.

On Friday night, former CEO Travis Kalanick surprised the company by appointing two new members to the board, apparently without notifying the company and other board members. An Uber spokesperson told Business Insider the move was "a complete surprise."

Kalanick's appointments came ahead of the board's meetings to consider new rules of governance for the company that would change shareholder voting rights and potentially the structure of the board.

In a statement to Business Insider Friday night, Kalanick basically admitted his surprise appointments were designed to get in front of the proposed changes to the board structure. Kalanick had power over those two empty seats, and he appointed Xerox chairwoman Ursula Burns and former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain.

"I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent Board proposal to dramatically restructure the Board and significantly alter the companys voting rights," Kalanick said in his statement. "It is therefore essential that the full Board be in place for proper deliberation to occur, especially with such experienced board members as Ursula and John."

Recode's Kara Swisher and Theodore Schleifer reported more details on the proposals that the board is considering next week. Some of the changes could reduce the voting power Kalanick and other shareholders have. According to Recode, some of the options on the table include:

Removing special voting power of some shareholders like Kalanick and the VC firm and early Uber investor Benchmark.

Kalanick would lose one of the three board seats he controls, and a representative from SoftBank, which is considering a major investment in Uber, would get the seat instead.

Kalanick would be able to appoint someone to the third board seat he controls, but with restrictions attached, like approval from Uber's new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. The seat must also be filled by a c-suite executive from a Fortune 100 company.

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Obviously, most of these new proposals would limit Kalanick's power on the board, which could explain why he decided to appoint members to the empty board seats he controls without any warning. Recode's report says some of these proposals will be considered by the Uber board on Tuesday.

NOW WATCH: I won't trade in my iPhone 6s for an iPhone 8 or iPhone X  here's why





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German police arrested and detained a man Thursday who had previously been one of Volkswagen Groups highest-ranking engineers, over his role in the companys diesel emissions scandal.

Wolfgang Hatz had been head of engine development at Audi between 2001 and 2007, a period that spans the dates when engineers across the group had started to use illegal software to mask the true level of harmful emissions generated by their cars. From 2011, Hatz had been head of research and development at Porsche, another unit of VW. He had been suspended along with two other senior executives shortly after the deception was made public by U.S. authorities in September 2015 and left Porsche by mutual consent in 2016.

Hatz is the most senior executive to be arrested to date in connection with the scandal, despite widespread suspicions that management at the very top were also aware of the issue well before it became public, The news of Hatzs arrest was first reported by the German paper Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported.

Read: Hoaxwagen  Inside Volkswagens Diesel Fraud

Volkswagen has agreed to pay over $24 billion in penalties to U.S. authorities to settle and remedy charges that it deceived regulators, dealers and customers. However, it has largely escaped penalties in Europe, where it sold nearly 20 times as many dirty diesels over the last decade. Thats because EU law has more loopholes that allow VW to argue that its software and its marketing claims were, technically, legal.

Separately, Volkswagen announced Friday it would take a new charge of 2.5 billion euros ($2.95 billion), saying that the technical fixes that it had agreed to in the U.S. for its 2-liter cars were proving more expensive than it had reckoned.

Volkswagens shares were the worst performers in Germanys benchmark DAX index Friday, falling 2.7% in early trading.

UPDATE: This story has been updated to include news of the financial provisions announced Friday.

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See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
U.S. banks like JPMorgan Chase & Co. would thrive under President Donald Trump's tax proposal, as the firms benefit from a cut in the corporate rate while being spared from potentially painful provisions like the elimination of the deduction for mortgage interest. The corporate tax rate under Trump's plan would drop to 20%, according to an outline of the plan released Wednesday by the U.S. Treasury Department, from the current 35%. While the proposed figure is higher than the 15% that Trump has pushed for, it's below the rate of 28% to 30% that many analysts and investors had expected a few weeks ago, said Jaret Seiberg, financial-services and policy analyst at Cowen Washington Research Group in Washington. "The rate cuts are deeper than had been anticipated," Seiberg said in a telephone interview. "That's likely to lead to more economic activity, which at the end of the day is really what's best for banks. They thrive when the economy's booming." Indeed, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, who chairs the Business Roundtable lobbying group, described the proposal as "an encouraging step forward" in a statement. "Congress must act with urgency on this framework and move the legislative process forward," he added. "Congress and the administration are committed to tax reform, and business leaders are equally committed to pushing beyond our parochial interests to achieve a result that benefits the economy and American workers." Bank stocks rallied earlier this year on investor bets that Trump's tax plan, when coupled with a rollback of regulations imposed following the 2008 financial crisis, would bolster corporate profits and economic growth. More recently, the stocks had retreated as Trump failed to achieve other campaign promises, such as overhauling former President Barack Obama's healthcare law -- a signal that the tax changes, too, might be in danger. Yet much of the advance has stuck. On Wednesday, an index of large-bank stocks climbed 1.6%, bringing the gain over the past 12 months to 40%. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a New York-based brokerage firm specializing in financial companies, estimated in a Sept. 18 report that the tax savings alone could increase earnings per share for big banks by about 12% on average, with an additional boost of 3% from faster economic growth. And that projection assumed a cut in the corporate tax rate to just 25%. According to the Treasury Department, the average corporate rate for the industrialized world is 22.5%. The Treasury said in a statement that homeowners would retain a popular deduction for interest on home loans. Elimination of that perk might have curbed demand for mortgages, while also putting downward pressure on housing prices, said Richard Bove, a bank analyst at Vertical Group. The firms also are likely to benefit from provisions to reduce taxes on companies' overseas earnings. According to the Treasury Department, such measures would end the "perverse incentive to offshore jobs and keep profits overseas." Large banks "are just as interested in being able to repatriate foreign earnings, tax efficiently, as anyone else," said Robert Willens, a tax consultant based in New York. "Many of them have large unpatriated balances on their books." One potentially negative aspect of the tax blueprint for lenders like Bank of America Corp. , Citigroup Inc. and Wells Fargo & Co. is a proposal to limit the deductibility of interest expense for corporations. Such a measure could hamper companies' after-tax return on investment, which might put a damper on new plants or capital projects and, in turn, reduce demand for corporate loans, Bove said. "Obviously, the economics of the plant change," Bove said in a telephone interview. "If you can't deduct it, you're going to rethink building that factory." Citigroup is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS charitable trust portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer and the AAP team buy or sell the stock? Learn more now. It's not clear whether banks will be able to deduct their own interest payments, according to Willens. That's a key question since the firms get much of their funding for loans from deposits and borrowings. Willens predicted banks will be allowed to continue deducting their interest payments. "It would be highly unlikely and unusual to not have a carve-out for businesses that literally use money as their raw material," Willens said. "It's just inconceivable to me that they would lose their interest deductions." Chris Kotowski, a bank analyst at Oppenheimer & Co., cautioned that competition might ultimately force firms to pass some of the tax savings to customers -- in the form of lower lending rates or fees. "I would expect that most of that benefit would end up going to the bank customers rather than the shareholders," Kotowski said. The tax blueprint didn't mention another key deduction -- for state and local income taxes. According to Seiberg, the absence of a mention is a signal that the deduction might be scrapped or limited -- a big factor for taxpayers in states with high income-tax rates. "That could be material on individuals," he said. "What's best of the bank is for people to be transacting more, so if this is a tax cut that ends up not really saving consumers money, it won't do much good." Overall, though, bank investors should be elated by the Trump administration's plan, Willens said. "This is about as good as it gets," he said. And for critics, that's precisely the problem. The plan "delivers massive tax cuts to millionaires and giant corporations and kicks working families to the curb," Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat who has pushed stricter regulation of large banks, said in a statement. "Not one penny in tax cuts for the wealthy and giant corporations," she added, promising to fight the plan. "Especially not on the backs of everyone else." Updated from 6:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017. More of What's Trending on TheStreet: * PayPal's Stock Has Blown Away Facebook and Google This Year for One Big Reason * Microsoft's New Xbox One X Shows It's Done Trying to Please Everyone * How to Invest Like Billionaire Warren Buffett * A 401(k) Loan Is a Terrible Idea Until It Isn't

EXCLUSIVE OFFER: See inside Jim Cramers multi-million dollar charitable trust portfolio to see the stocks he thinks could be potentially HUGE winners. Click here to see his holdings for FREE.
U.S. and Russian space agencies have agreed to work together on a space station near the moon that could expedite manned exploration both to the moon itself and beyond to Mars.

Representatives of NASA and Roscosmos, its Russian counterpart, signed a joint statement Wednesday pledging cooperation. The news came out of the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia, according to a NASA statement.

There arent a lot of specifics, but generally the two agencies agree that there needs to be further study of NASAs proposed deep space gateway. Such a structure, located near the moon, could theoretically act as a way station for manned flights deeper into space.

Related: Elon Musk Confirms Plans for SpaceX Manned Space Exploration

NASAs acting administrator Robert Lightfoot said in the statement that while the deep space gateway remains a concept, NASA welcomes growing international interest.

The agencies agreed to come up with common objectives for space exploration with missions possibly starting in the 2020s. One goal is to take what they have already learned from the International Space Station and parlay it into the new gateway. By putting this structure near the moon, it would be close to control robots on the lunar surface, according to Popular Science.

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NASA has also contracted private companies including Bigelow Aerospace, , , Orbital ATK, Sierra Nevada, and Nanorack for work on the gateway and space transport.

See original article on Fortune.com

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uber travis kalanick

Uber cofounder Travis Kalanick appointed Xerox chairwoman Ursula Burns and former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain to the company's board of directors on Friday, a surprise move that's almost certain to re-ignite the bitter internal fighting that has destabilized the ride-hailing giant for months.

Uber quickly decried the move as "a complete surprise" to both the company and its board.

"That is precisely why we are working to put in place world-class governance to ensure that we are building a company every employee and shareholder can be proud of," an Uber spokesman told Business Insider.

The appointments come a few months after Kalanick resigned under pressure from the CEO job at Uber. And the move signals that the hard-charging entrepreneur, who remains on Uber's board, does not intend to fade away from the company he turned into a $69 billion juggernaut built largely in his image.

Uber hired Dara Khosrowshahi, the former CEO of Expedia, to replace Kalanick in August as the ride-hailing company tries to move past months of scandals and controversies that have caused an exodus of talent and, by some accounts, put a dent in its hefty private market valuation.

Uber is reportedly in negotiations for a massive $10 billion investment deal with Japan's Softbank, and Benchmark Capital, one of Uber's largest investors that helped pushed Kalanick out, has sought to structure the deal in a way that ensure the former CEO cannot return to power.

In his statement to Business Insider, Kalanick drops a strong hint that these appointments are a direct refutation of Benchmark's demands.

"I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent Board proposal to dramatically restructure the Board and significantly alter the company's voting rights," Kalanick writes. "It is therefore essential that the full Board be in place for proper deliberation to occur, especially with experienced board members as Ursula and John."

Story continues

Disputed seats

Ursula Burns

The appointments of Burns and Thain fill two board seats controlled by Kalanick, which have sat vacant until now. Kalanick's control over the two seats has been challenged by one of Uber's largest investors, Benchmark Capital.

Kalanick's announcement, late on Friday, that he was filling the two seats appears to be a direct challenge to Benchmark, which has sued Kalanick for fraud and is attempting to wrest the board seats from his control.

At the core of the Benchmark lawsuit are two seats on the board that Kalanick fully controls  meaning he can appoint whoever he wants to fill them. Benchmark alleges that Kalanick promised to relinquishh those seats to independent directors after he resigned in June, but never followed through.

Kalanick already has a rough reputation in the court of public opinion after Uber was rocked with so many scandals under his leadership that investors, led by Benchmark, forced him to resign from the CEO role in June. Those scandals also led to the exodus of many other top Uber execs.

Kalanick still owns about 10% of the company, including so-called "super-voting shares" that give him about 16% of the voting rights of Uber. Meanwhile, new Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has been working hard to repair the company's reputation amid all this drama.

Here's Kalanick's full statement:

I am happy to announce that Ursula Burns and John Thain have agreed to join Ubers Board of Directors. Until earlier this year, Ursula was Chairman and CEO of Xerox, while John was formerly CEO of CIT Group, Merrill Lynch, and NYSE. Ursula and John are two highly accomplished corporate leaders with extensive board experience.

Their backgrounds include successfully leading large public companies as chief executives and chairs, navigating dynamic, technology-powered and regulated industries, and guiding tens of thousands of employees around the world. Both Ursula and John have engineering degrees and are incredibly talented and proven problem solvers. There is no doubt the Board will be well-served by their valuable insights, counsel and independent perspective as Uber moves into the next phase of growth and prepares for a public offering. I am grateful for their enthusiastic support of Uber.

I am appointing these seats now in light of a recent Board proposal to dramatically restructure the Board and significantly alter the companys voting rights. It is therefore essential that the full Board be in place for proper deliberation to occur, especially with such experienced board members as Ursula and John.

I am confident that, with their additions and Daras appointment, Uber will be well situated to focus on the future and continue to revolutionize how cities move.

NOW WATCH: Ubers pick for its new CEO is the head of Expedia and an Iranian refugee who has criticized Trump





More From Business Insider


A Volkswagen logo is seen on the front of a Volkswagen vehicle at a dealership in Carlsbad, California, April 29, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Volkswagen (OTC:VLKAY) said Friday it will book another charge of around $2.94 billion to cover the cost of fixing cars affected by its diesel emissions scandal.

The new charge, which Volkswagen will take in the third quarter, brings the total cost of the scandal to $30 billion.

The German automaker said it needs to increase provisions for a buyback and retrofitting program because hardware repairs are proving to be far more technically complex and time consuming. The program, part of a settlement with U.S. authorities, includes 475,000 2-liter TDI vehicles.

Volkswagen is repairing 8.5 million diesel-powered cars in Europe, but most of those vehicles only need a software update.

Volkswagen will release its third-quarter earnings on Oct. 27.

The company has been under a cloud since 2015 over its equipping of diesel cars with illegal software that enabled cheating on U.S. emissions tests. Volkswagen has agreed to more than $20 billion in fines and civil settlements over the scandal.

Under the $14.7 billion settlement related to Volkswagen 2-liter vehicles, the company agreed to fix or buy back 85% of the vehicles by June 2019 or face additional penalties.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related Articles
Volkswagen's bill for emissions cheating keeps growing as a new charge in the US adds to the tab (AFP Photo/Karl-Josef Hildenbrand) (dpa/AFP)

Frankfurt am Main (AFP) - Volkswagen on Friday said it was setting aside another 2.5 billion euros to deal with the fallout from the "dieselgate" scandal in the United States as its efforts to recall tainted cars there proved to be more "complex" than expected.

The latest provisions bring the total sum set aside by Volkswagen to deal with fines and costs over the diesel scandal to 25.1 billion euros ($29.6 billion).

"In the third quarter, negative special items of circa 2.5 billion euros are expected to weigh on the operating result," the German car giant said in a statement.

"The reason is an increase in provisions relating to the buyback/retrofit programme for 2.0-litre TDI vehicles, which is part of the settlements in North America that is proving to be far more technically complex and time consuming."

Volkswagen last year agreed to buy back or repair nearly half a million 2.0-litre diesel cars in the US that had been fitted with cheating software to make them seem less polluting than they were.

The group later agreed to a similar settlement concerning some 80,000 3.0-litre cars as well.

The storied German auto giant has been engulfed in crisis since US regulators uncovered the cheating scam two years ago, and its legal woes are far from over at home and abroad.

- Arrests at Audi -

In Germany on Thursday, prosecutors arrested a second Audi employee and said they were widening their investigation into the diesel emissions cheating scam to include more suspects.

German media named the arrested suspect as Wolfgang Hatz, who stepped down from his post on Porsche's management board last year after being suspended over the dieselgate investigation.

Hatz was head of engine development at Audi from 2001 to 2007, before moving on to lead powertrain development at the VW group and then becoming research and development chief at Porsche, another VW subsidiary.

Also in custody since July is former Audi executive Giovanni Pamio, suspected of instructing engineers to design software that could cheat emissions tests.

Story continues

In another setback for Volkswagen, German news weekly Der Spiegel on Friday reported that the carmaker had improperly registered nearly 500,000 gasoline-powered cars in the US between 2009 and 2017.

The magazine, which did not cite its sources, said VW had failed to disclose software updates as required by US regulators, and could now face fines.

VW was not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP.

VW shares were down 0.3 percent to 137.95 euros in afternoon trading in Frankfurt, underperforming the DAX 30 index of leading German shares which was up 0.5 percent.

VW said it would publish its third-quarter results on October 27.
- By Geoff Gannon





Charlie Munger (Trades, Portfolio) has said "good ideas are rare." Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) often talks about the idea of a punch card with just 20 punches on it. Each time you buy a stock - you use up one punch. Buffett believes anyone who invests that way will become a better investor. Is that true, though? Just how many ideas does an investor need, and how much juice can you really squeeze out of just one idea?





The value of a stock idea can come from a combination of four sources:

How much money you put in the idea. How cheap the stock is. How fast the stock is compounding its value. How long you own the stock.







The ideal stock would be a business quickly compounding its intrinsic value per share, which you are able to buy at a deep discount to intrinsic value, which you feel confident allocating a big chunk of your portfolio to and which you are going to hold for a very long time.

Ideas like that are rare. If you "settle" too much on one of these four measures, you need help from the other areas to offset your compromised standards - or the idea is not going to be worth much.

For example, say you put just 5% of your portfolio into a certain stock. The business is not growing much at all, but it owns land worth $50 a share and you paid $10 a share for it. In this case, the eventual return from this idea is worth 20% of your starting portfolio. The stock itself is a "five-bagger," as Peter Lynch would say (it can go from $10 to $50 a share). But it can only do this once. And you - for whatever reason - were only willing to put 5% of your portfolio into this idea. A stock selling at an 80% discount to intrinsic value sounds like an amazing idea, but we can see in this case it is really nothing special in terms of what it is going to do for your overall portfolio. Since the stock is not compounding its intrinsic value, you hope to sell it quickly. There is one "puff" in this cigar butt. In this hypothetical case, it is a huge puff. But unless you are willing to allocate a lot of money to this idea, the actual return you get could be as little as just 20% of your starting portfolio (400% return * 5% allocation = 20% value growth in your total portfolio).

Story continues

A return of four times your investment is excellent, so this is a good idea. But if that is really how you would invest in it - put just 5% of your portfolio into the stock, hope to hold it for as short a time period as possible and then get out - it has very limited upside. Compare this to a business that was never a deep-value stock but has compounded its intrinsic value per share.

Over the past 10 years, Sherwin-Williams (SHW) has compounded its earnings per share by 10% a year. The compounding of earnings power over that time is capable of getting you a return of 160% on top of your original investment (every $1 of EPS becomes $2.60 within 10 years), but you would have to hold the stock throughout that whole period and you would have to allocate 100% of your portfolio to Sherwin-Williams to increase your portfolio by 160% over 10 years. No investor I know of is going to put 100% of their portfolio in one stock and hold it for 10 whole years, but there is an offset here. Sherwin-Williams' price-earnings (P/E) ratio expanded from approximately 12 to approximately 29. This added another 9% a year to the annual return. If a stock's earnings go nowhere for 10 years, but the P/E goes from 12 to 29 while you own the stock, you make about 9% a year over 10 years. In this case, your investment in Sherwin-Williams could have returned approximately 19% a year over 10 years.

But how much value would you have extracted from this idea?

Well, it depends on how much of your portfolio you put into Sherwin-Williams. Imagine you had a tremendous amount of confidence in a well-known and dominant company like Sherwin-Williams that you did not have in another stock selling for 20% of the fair market value of its assets but was not growing. So you decided to put 25% of your portfolio into Sherwin-Williams back in 2007 and never trimmed the position over the next 10 years. In that case, you have produced a gain that was about 117% of the total value of your portfolio in 2007 (since 25% * 1.19^10 = 142%, and 142% less the 25% initial investment is a 117% profit).

Even if we argue Sherwin-Williams is not expensive today (and a P/E of 29 certainly looks expensive historically), we would have to admit the stock was never as cheap as my hypothetical example of a five-bagger. A P/E of 12 divided by a P/E of 29 gives you a price to appraisal value of a little over 40% - not as low as the 20% example I gave. Yet, Sherwin-Williams could have been the more valuable idea for three reasons:

The stock compounded its intrinsic value (grew EPS) by 10% a year. It is the kind of stock some people might actually hold for 10 years. It is the kind of stock some people might actually put 25% of their portfolio into.







Someone recently asked me why I said in an earlier article that not investing in Sherwin-Williams around that time (10 years ago) was a mistake I should not have made. The answer is not Sherwin-Williams was the best investment you could have made in 2007. Rather, it is that it was an obvious investment. It was a well-known and long dominant branded business trading at a P/E of 12 and growing approximately 10% a year (sometimes 5% a year, sometimes 15% a year - but along that 10% trendline even then). There are some businesses that grew more than 10% a year over the past 10 years, and there are some businesses that had a P/E lower than 12 back in 2007, but very few stocks had the combination of those two things.

The way I try to get a lot out of each idea I have is to bet big.

As of last quarter, my favorite idea was 42% of my portfolio and my second favorite idea was 23% of my portfolio. So the two stocks accounted for 65% of my portfolio. This is the Munger way. Long ago, Munger decided he could be comfortable owning as few as three stocks. I am comfortable owning only three stocks right now. Though, to be fair, I hold a lot more cash than most investors do (about 30% of my portfolio is in cash right now).

In the early days (when running his own money and partnership money), this is how Buffett invested. He said in 2008:





"Charlie and I operated mostly with five positions. If I were running $50, $100, $200 million, I would have 80% in five positions, with 25% for the largest."







And in 1998, Buffett said:





"I can guarantee that going into the seventh one instead of putting more money into your first one is...a terrible mistake. Very few people have gotten rich on their seventh best idea. So I would say for anyone working with normal capital who really knows the businesses they have gone into, six is plenty, and...probably have half...(in) what I like best."







If you look at the 2008 quote, Buffett is saying he would have 25% in his number one idea and 80% in his top five positions. In the 1998 quote, Buffett is saying he would have six stocks total and 50% in his number one idea. If we take 80% and divide by five (from the first quote), we get a 16% position size. If we take 100% and divide by six (from the second quote), we get a 16.67% position size.

In the first quote, he says "with 25% for the largest," and in the second quote he says "probably have half (in) what I like best." So Buffett seems to be talking about a normal position size of around 16% overall and have 25% to 50% in your favorite idea. Essentially, Buffett is advocating putting 25% to 50% of your portfolio in your favorite idea and 10% to 20% of your portfolio in each of the ideas you like a little less. He has never made it quite that formalized - but that is a fairly good approximation of what he has said.

Munger was at least as concentrated in his investments during the partnership years. Buffett was not as concentrated an investor once he began working with bigger sums at Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A) (NYSE:BRK.B). His stock portfolio was often more concentrated - until the last decade or two - than a mutual fund would ever be. But it was not as concentrated even in most of the 1970s and 1980s as his portfolio had sometimes been during the partnership years. Buffett's personal portfolio has always been even more concentrated than when he was running money for other people. For example, his biggest allocation we know of during the Buffett partnership years was 40% of the portfolio in American Express (AXP), but we know years earlier he put 75% of his own net worth into one stock: GEICO.

So how did Buffett "offset" the greater degree of diversification at Berkshire? If Buffett put 20% or 25% of his partnership's money into Sanborn Map and then pushed for change there - he could get a 10% to 12% return for the entire partnership just from getting a 50% return (50% of 20% to 25% is 10% to 12%). If instead of putting 25% to 50% of your portfolio in your favorite idea, you are only putting more like 10% to 15% of your portfolio into that idea - you need to have some way to still get a ton of juice out of a rare idea. If you fail to do this - the only way to still be a successful investor would be to discover a lot of good ideas. We know Buffett says he has very few good ideas, so he has to be offsetting the "watering down" caused by diversification somehow.

Take Buffett's investment in Coca-Cola (KO) for example. This was considered a big bet by Berkshire. By my calculations, however (admittedly, very approximate based on the data I have), Buffett allocated perhaps just under 20% of his entire stock portfolio to Coca-Cola at the time he built the position. Despite putting just 20% of his portfolio into the stock in the late 1980s, however, Berkshire ended up not only with a position that today is worth about 13 times what he originally bought - the one position alone is also worth several times what Berkshire's entire portfolio was when he made the Coke investment.

How did he do that?

Let's look at the four ways to get the most out of a stock idea:

You can put a lot into the stock (Buffett put 20% of his portfolio into Coke). You can hold the stock a long time (Buffett has now owned Coke for just under 30 years). The stock can compound is intrinsic value at a high annual rate (Coca-Cola compounded EPS at about 11% a year for the first 25 years Buffett owned the stock). You can buy the stock when it is cheap (the P/E on Coke went from 15 when Buffett bought it to 30 recently).







Coke is pretty close to a perfect example of some value coming from all four possible sources of getting the most out of an idea.

These sources of value you can get from an idea are a good set to look at when deciding whether an idea is really worth your time and attention.

Ask yourself:

Does it seem likely I might feel comfortable putting more of my portfolio into this idea than any other idea I am looking at right now? Does it seem likely I might end up holding this idea for longer than any other idea I am looking at right now? Does it seem likely this stock will compound its intrinsic value faster than any other idea I am looking at right now? Does it seem likely this stock is cheaper than any other idea I am looking at right now?







A big part of Buffett's return in Coca-Cola came from the fact he was willing to allocate 20% to this idea and was willing to hold it for the long term.

That only worked up to a point, though.

In the case of Coca-Cola, the value the stock created for Berkshire really came from the first 10 to 12 years. It did not come from the last 15 years.

Still, a 10-year or greater holding period is long for your average investor, and a 20% allocation to a single stock is big for your average investor.

As investors, we tend to focus on the fact Coke grew its earnings per share by more than 10% a year and the P/E more than doubled while Buffett owned it. But that is just the objective side of the investment. The subjective (Buffett) side of the investment is just as important. To make a killing in Coke, Buffett was willing to put 20% of his portfolio into the stock for over 10 years.

Can you diversify widely and still get a lot of value out of each idea?

Oddly, yes. If the strength of an idea is so great to start with - it can still provide strong returns after you have watered it down by diversifying.

In fact, I have seen the records of a couple investors that prove it is possible to run a portfolio almost entirely of "watered-down" ideas. But the only two viable ways to offset a lack of concentration are:

Invest in deep-value stocks (the Walter Schloss approach). Invest in ultra-high-growth stocks (the Motley Fool Rule Breakers approach).







Even then, it is only possible to get much out of a growth idea if you either:

Put a large part of your portfolio in that one idea (the Phil Fisher approach). Never sell a growth stock once you buy it (The Motley Fool Rule Breakers approach again).







We come down to the same combination of four questions that determine the value you will get from a new idea:

How big a position will you take? How long will you own it? How fast is the stock compounding value? How cheap is your purchase price?







As a value investor, the more diversified you become, the more you must either focus on:

A longer holding period. Finding "deeper" value stocks (really cheap stuff, turnarounds, etc.).







And as a growth investor, the more diversified you become, the more you must either focus on:

A longer holding period (really, a "forever" holding period). An exceptionally high rate of compounding.







The more you maximize one variable, the less you have to worry about another. For example, Buffett has never been good at finding super-high-growth businesses. However, Buffett never overpays for a stock, almost always holds a stock for an incredibly long time and usually puts a lot of his portfolio into each idea. Doing all that means he can afford to miss out on Amazon (AMZN) and Starbucks (SBUX). He can just own things like The Washington Post and Coca-Cola because he was willing to put a lot of money into them, he did not overpay and the held them forever. If he was trying to invest in 100 stocks at once - he might actually need to invest in an Amazon or Starbucks to offset the weaker performance of the other 90-plus positions.

A comparison of Fisher and Benjamin Graham using these four factors helps illustrate how you can use one factor to offset another. Graham's fund was widely diversified, but it was not an especially high turnover portfolio (ideas often stayed in the portfolio for three to five years) and it was a very deep-value portfolio. Some of the stocks were shockingly cheap. This means Graham could meet or beat the performance of the overall market without turning up more than about one new idea a month even if he held something like 100 ideas. That is because his returns came from the 60 good ideas not the 40 bad ones. He also held those 60 good ideas for closer to five years than five months. This only works if your good ideas are not "a bit cheaper" than average, but rather dirt-cheap. Graham's returns came from some truly dirt-cheap stocks. Extreme cheapness can offset the need for growth in the businesses you own and concentration in your portfolio.

Fisher did not worry much about price. He could afford to do that because he did two things:

He put a lot into his favorite ideas. He held stocks almost forever.







Yes, he also invested in high-growth ideas. But high-growth stocks as a whole do not outperform the market. It is only the "right" expensive stocks that outperform. If Fisher was investing in 25 to 50 stocks at a time instead of five or 10, his approach never would have worked. Fisher's approach depended on the combination of big position sizes and long holding periods - fast growth alone was not enough.

In his early days, Buffett mostly got huge value from each idea by buying very cheap stocks in very big allocations. At Berkshire, Buffett mostly got huge value from each idea by buying fairly rapid compounders and holding them forever.

It is possible, however, to get a lot out of a single idea through any combination of these four factors:

High growth. Low price. Big position size. Long holding period.







Some of the factors do not seem to mesh all that naturally. The worst combinations are probably low price, long holding period and high growth, big position size. It is worth remembering that if you cannot or do not want to do any of these four things - for example, you do not know how to find high-growth ideas or you are afraid of big position sizes - you need to learn to offset that fact by maximizing the value-creating factors that can offset this.

Decide which factors you are comfortable with and then push these to the extreme. So if you do not like big positions but you do like long holding periods - try to make yourself a "forever" investor. Doing so will make it easier for you to have good performance without needing as much concentration in your portfolio.

If you cannot find high-growth stocks - you really need to look for truly low-priced stocks, not just good businesses at a good enough price.

The alternative to all this is simply finding more ideas than the other guy over your investing lifetime, which is a very hard thing to do. Peter Lynch was the master of doing this. However, he was a professional and burned himself out after just 13 years of this approach. The man retired in his mid-40s. Turning over more rocks and finding more good businesses and cheap stocks is certainly possible, but I have met very few people with Lynch's work ethic. So my suggestion is to try copying Buffett instead of Lynch. Whether that means "early Buffett" (low price, big position size) or "late Buffett" (high growth, long holding period) is up to you.

Disclosure: None.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






A popular provision that allows homeowners to deduct state and local property taxes is gone under the current reform proposal, White House economic advisor Gary Cohn said Friday. Discussions over the tax exemption have indicated that one of the ways the Republican-backed plan would pay for itself is by eliminating the write-offs. Cohn confirmed that at least in its present form, that's how the new plan will work. "You've seen our blueprint. You've seen our plan. Our plan at this point does not allow for deductions of state and local taxes," Cohn told Bloomberg News in a television interview . The nine-page draft released earlier this week makes no mention of the exemptions either way. However, the GOP will have to find ways to pay for the cuts, which the plan's sponsors estimate to be $1.5 trillion. Cohn told CNBC in a Thursday interview that economic growth would more than offset the reductions in corporate and personal tax rates. But there also will be tightening of deductions to help defray the cost as well. "We set out to achieve a couple main goals: No. 1 was lower rates for everyone. No. 2 was simplification," the former Goldman Sachs chief operating officer said in the Friday interview. "By creating simplification, we were trying to get rid of all of the loopholes and all of the deductions that mostly wealthy people use."However, the issue looks to be open for negotiation.The White House has said the reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent is a "red line," meaning it is not open to negotiation. There have been no red-line proclamations about the property tax deductions."That is not a red line. We've told you where our red lines are," Cohn said. "Our red lines are the business tax rate, both on the pass through entities and the corporate entities cannot go higher than it is in our initial proposal and that there has to be a tax cut for hard working middle income Americans. We are willing to work with the tax writers on the other dials we have in the system."Cohn added Thursday that the plan is to give middle-class payers a break, though he acknowledged "you could find someone" who might have to pay more.WATCH: Cohn discusses the ramifications of companies repatriating overseas profits . A popular provision that allows homeowners to deduct state and local property taxes is gone under the current reform proposal, White House economic advisor Gary Cohn said Friday. Discussions over the tax exemption have indicated that one of the ways the Republican-backed plan would pay for itself is by eliminating the write-offs. Cohn confirmed that at least in its present form, that's how the new plan will work. "You've seen our blueprint. You've seen our plan. Our plan at this point does not allow for deductions of state and local taxes," Cohn told Bloomberg News in a television interview . The nine-page draft released earlier this week makes no mention of the exemptions either way. However, the GOP will have to find ways to pay for the cuts, which the plan's sponsors estimate to be $1.5 trillion. Cohn told CNBC in a Thursday interview that economic growth would more than offset the reductions in corporate and personal tax rates. But there also will be tightening of deductions to help defray the cost as well. "We set out to achieve a couple main goals: No. 1 was lower rates for everyone. No. 2 was simplification," the former Goldman Sachs chief operating officer said in the Friday interview. "By creating simplification, we were trying to get rid of all of the loopholes and all of the deductions that mostly wealthy people use." However, the issue looks to be open for negotiation. The White House has said the reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent is a "red line," meaning it is not open to negotiation. There have been no red-line proclamations about the property tax deductions. "That is not a red line. We've told you where our red lines are," Cohn said. "Our red lines are the business tax rate, both on the pass through entities and the corporate entities cannot go higher than it is in our initial proposal and that there has to be a tax cut for hard working middle income Americans. We are willing to work with the tax writers on the other dials we have in the system." Cohn added Thursday that the plan is to give middle-class payers a break, though he acknowledged "you could find someone" who might have to pay more. WATCH: Cohn discusses the ramifications of companies repatriating overseas profits .



More From CNBC


New Zealands prime minister Bill Englishs National Party won 46% votes compared with Jacinda Arderns Labour winning 35.8%. However, Bill English will need to form a coalition with the New Zealand First in order to be able to govern.



National got 58 seats while Labour secured 45. Both parties fell short of the 61-seat requirement to attain majority. Moreover, if Labour wants a ruling majority, she will have to form a three-way coalition involving the Green party.



Whats in Store?



The future of the New Zealand government is now dependent on Winston Peters, leader of New Zealand First, which secured 9 seats. He is expected to get the better end of the bargain to extend his support to either of the parties, as Ardern refuses to concede defeat.



Moreover, these negotiations could take weeks to materialize. This was not comforting to investors as the markets do not like uncertainty. As a result, the New Zealand dollar declined. However, the relative majority of the National party is a positive for investors, as they expect stability in a National-led government.



Investors are concerned about Labours hard-line stance on immigration, as it could negatively impact growth. Moreover, Nationals track of leading the country to positive economic growth in their years of power is comforting for investors.



Although National definitely has a greater chance of securing a coalition government, the possibility of Labour attaining victory by forming a three-way coalition has not been completely ruled out. A coalition with New Zealand First and the Greens would lead to the oustering of Bill English from office.



However, a final tally of votes including special votes will be released on Oct 7. These votes comprise 15% of the total count and include overseas votes.



Let us now discuss the most popular New Zealand ETF, ENZL (see all Asia-Pacific (Developed) ETFs here).



iShares MSCI New Zealand Capped ETF ENZL



This ETF provides exposure to equities of companies based out of New Zealand. The fund has AUM of $172.9 million and charges 48 basis points as fees per year. From a sector look, Utilities, Health Care and Industrials take the top three spots, with 18.5%, 17.8% and 13.6% allocation, respectively (as of Sep 22, 2017). From an individual holding perspective, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp, Spark New Zealand Ltd and Auckland International Airport Ltd are among the top holdings of the ETF, with 10.3%, 9.8% and 8.8% allocation, respectively (as of Sep 22, 2017). The fund has returned 3.3% in a year and 19.2% year to date (as of Sep 22, 2017). ENZL currently carries a Zacks ETF Rank #3 (Hold) with a Low risk outlook.

Story continues



We will now compare the performance of ENZL to a broad Asia Pacific ETF, DVYA.



iShares Asia/Pacific Dividend ETF DVYA



This ETF aims to provide exposure to companies in Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Singapore. The fund has AUM of $42.3 million and charges 49 basis points as fees per year. It has 49.6% exposure to Australia, 28.2% to Hong Kong, 12.2% to New Zealand and 9.1% to Singapore (as of Sep 22, 2017). From a sector look, Financials, Consumer Discretionary and Telecommunications take the top three spots, with 23.0%, 18.6% and 18.2% allocation, respectively (as of Sep 22, 2017). From an individual holding perspective, Spark New Zealand Ltd, Sky Network Television Ltd and Giordano International Ltd are among the top holdings of the ETF, with 4.9%, 4.4% and 4.4% allocation, respectively (as of Sep 22, 2017). The fund has returned 8.7% in a year and 10.5% year to date (as of Sep 22 2017). DVYA currently carries a Zacks ETF Rank #3 with a Medium risk outlook.



Below is a chart, comparing the year-to-date performance of the two funds.





Source: Yahoo Finance



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TORONTO, Sept. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CCRM, a leader in the development and commercialization of regenerative medicine technologies, cell and gene therapies and Affigen, a biotechnology company that is developing therapeutics that target cell lineage-specific tumor proteins, are pleased to announce a new partnership that will advance the creation and commercialization of a closed platform for the production of individualized, tumor-identifying therapeutics for the treatment of a range of currently incurable cancers.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2e77bb19-2b27-4263-8c48-4cbb0d158b70

"Our mission at Affigen is to realize the full promise and potential of therapies that can target the molecules that make cancers unique, while sparing non-cancerous cells. We think this approach will ultimately prove essential to achieving safe, long-term remissions and cures," says Carlos Santos, Ph.D., CEO of Affigen. "Our first tumor targets include B-cell lymphomas and leukemias  these cancer types have long been known to harbour proteins that are unique to these tumors, and that are nearly ideal targets for immunotherapy. The historical challenge with drugging these targets has been that they are genetically random from patient-to-patient, which makes manufacturing a particularly difficult challenge to overcome."

Affigen has engaged CCRM to provide process development and optimization solutions in areas critical to the creation of a manufacturing platform that can produce single-patient batches of therapeutics in a clinically relevant timeframe and at a commercially viable scale and cost.

CCRM is excited to support Affigen in advancing the manufacturing of this treatment approach for people living with B-cell lymphoma and leukemia, says Michael May, Ph.D., President & CEO of CCRM. This partnership is an example of how CCRMs new facility and employees attract companies to our ecosystem, and the impact we can have in supporting the needs of industry to move discoveries into the hands of patients.

"Our team has unique experience and expertise in developing closed, highly-automated platforms for single-patient-batch therapeutics. As we looked for a process development partner that could allow us to scale and to meet our aggressive requirements and timelines, it became clear that CCRM was the perfect fit," continues Dr. Santos. "We are extraordinarily impressed with the scientific acumen and capabilities Dr. May and his team bring to bear, and we could not be more excited to be a CCRM launch partner."

CCRM will be conducting the work in its 10,000 ft (~930 m) development facility in the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. Work related to the project is scheduled to be complete in early-2019.

About CCRM

CCRM, a Canadian not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and leading academic and industry partners, supports the development of regenerative medicines and associated enabling technologies, with a specific focus on cell and gene therapy. A network of researchers, leading companies, strategic investors and entrepreneurs, CCRM aims to accelerate the translation of scientific discovery into new companies and marketable products for patients, with specialized teams, funding, and infrastructure. CCRM is the commercialization partner of the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the University of Torontos Medicine by Design. CCRM is hosted by the University of Toronto. Visit us at www.ccrm.ca.



About Affigen

Affigen (www.affigen.com) develops tumor-identifying therapeutics that target cell lineage-specific tumor proteins across a range of currently incurable cancers. The Companys growing team houses deep expertise in immuno-oncology, mass-personalized biomolecular engineering and complex therapeutic development, and is working to deliver a new class of therapeutics that maximize both anti-tumor activity and safety in patients with critically unmet medical needs. Affigen is headquartered in the Cortex Innovation District in St. Louis, Missouri.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Stacey Johnson

Director, Communications and Marketing, CCRM

Phone: 416-946-8869

Email: stacey.johnson@ccrm.ca
valyrian wrote:

Hi valyrian , happy to review your profile below.

All of the above look really solid- and it is great that you are thinking ahead on how to best present yourself in MBA application process- now- while there is still time to improve your profile.

Great that you have international work experience already too.

Age: 24Sex: MaleNationality: IndianMechanical graduate from top reputed private university (Non IIT) with a GPA of 8.9. (top 7 percent) Would be 3.9 plus in US system.I did a six months internship at Tata motors during my 6th semester and was among 6 students selected from a batch of 140. Received Six sigma green belt for successfully completing training and project. Also was awarded best trainee second runners up.Masters in mechanical engineering - UC Berkeley (Highest ranked public engineering university in the world)GRE of 331/340.3.8 GPA in masters (Top 10 percent).Awarded Fung Fellow designation and 20k dollars merit scholarship from Berkeley.First attempt GMAT - 770. Q51 V42. IR 8 AWA 5.5Working as a product quality engineer in a German multinational (Fresenius, Global F-500 and world leader in dialysis therapy) in San Francisco since mid 2016.Fresenius is more than a century old company and is the largest dialysis medical devices manufacturer in the world as well as has nearly 90 percent market share in the dialysis market. They are the largest hospital group in Europe owning about 100 hospitals there and a few thousand clinics in USA.Extra curriculars:State level badminton player in schoolConvener of muse club in college.Participated and won a lot of literary and quizzing events in college.Have 2nd year degree certificate for tablaAlso planning to take CFA level 1 by Dec and level 2 by June next year.I am planning to apply to Harvard , Wharton or Stanford after 2 years. What can I do to improve my profile. Also do I have a chance in these universities.
Rene Descartes, a 16th century Frenchman often regarded as one of the founders of modern philosophy, penned one of its most famous slogans: I think, therefore I am. This statement was the conclusion to an approach of systematic doubt, the goal of which was to arrive at a new foundation for knowledge. He might have been able to doubt all the evidence of his senses, Descartes reasoned, but he could not doubt the proposition that he himself existed to do the doubting. His statement might almost be rephrased as: I doubt, therefore I am. Yet despite the fact that philosophers since the early 19th century have made heavy use of this conclusion, Descartes in his own day was most influential as a scientist, not a philosopher.



Throughout 16th century Europe, for example, Descartes was well known for his work in physics, geometry, and physiology, and modern scholars still consider him one of the precursors of the scientific revolution. His attempts to use algebra to solve problems of space and motion essentially created the field of analytic geometry, upon which modern applied mathematics is still largely based. Descartes discovered the law of refraction, which explains why straight objects appear bent when immersed partly in water, and was one of the first to theorize that the workings of human bodies can be studied in similar fashion to the workings of machines. Even his Discourse on Method, which contained the famous philosophical statement, was intended merely as the framework within which a collection of essays on optics, meteorology, and geometry was to be understood.





(a) The career of a well-known historical figure is traced chronologically

(b) Two opposing perspectives on a well-known historical figure are presented

(c) Two fields of study are compared and contrasted

(d) A common misconception in introduced, then put in wider context

(e) A common misconception is introduced, then refuted

Show Spoiler E



2. Information from the passage suggests that the author would most likely regard which of the following statements as INCORRECT?



(a) Descartes contributions to the field of mathematics have largely been superseded.

(b) Descartes work has greatly influenced philosophers since the early 19th century.

(c) Descartes was not as famous for his quote as for his scientific works when he lived.

(d) Descartes took a rational approach to the search for a new foundation of knowledge.

(e) Descartes intended his scientific work and his philosophical work to be closely interrelated.

Show Spoiler A



3. Which of the following most accurately states the purpose of the passage?



(a) To inform readers about the context in which Descartes famous statement was written

(b) To review Descartes contributions to modern scientific fields

(c) To offer an explanation for why Descartes philosophical works are more popular than his scientific ones

(d) To argue that Descartes should be considered more a scientist than a philosopher

(e) To explain the relationship of analytic geometry to metaphysics

Show Spoiler D



4. It can be inferred from the passage that Descartes came to be known as a philosopher rather than a scientist for which of the following reasons?



(a) Because doubt is a very common problem for the modern individual

(b) Because more of his philosophical than scientific writings have been preserved

(c) Because of his popularity with philosophers since the early19th century

(d) Because he himself considered philosophy to be more important than science

(e) Because optics is no longer a significant scientific field

Show Spoiler C 1. Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?(a) The career of a well-known historical figure is traced chronologically(b) Two opposing perspectives on a well-known historical figure are presented(c) Two fields of study are compared and contrasted(d) A common misconception in introduced, then put in wider context(e) A common misconception is introduced, then refuted2. Information from the passage suggests that the author would most likely regard which of the following statements as INCORRECT?(a) Descartes contributions to the field of mathematics have largely been superseded.(b) Descartes work has greatly influenced philosophers since the early 19th century.(c) Descartes was not as famous for his quote as for his scientific works when he lived.(d) Descartes took a rational approach to the search for a new foundation of knowledge.(e) Descartes intended his scientific work and his philosophical work to be closely interrelated.3. Which of the following most accurately states the purpose of the passage?(a) To inform readers about the context in which Descartes famous statement was written(b) To review Descartes contributions to modern scientific fields(c) To offer an explanation for why Descartes philosophical works are more popular than his scientific ones(d) To argue that Descartes should be considered more a scientist than a philosopher(e) To explain the relationship of analytic geometry to metaphysics4. It can be inferred from the passage that Descartes came to be known as a philosopher rather than a scientist for which of the following reasons?(a) Because doubt is a very common problem for the modern individual(b) Because more of his philosophical than scientific writings have been preserved(c) Because of his popularity with philosophers since the early19th century(d) Because he himself considered philosophy to be more important than science(e) Because optics is no longer a significant scientific field
AdityaHongunti wrote:





Sent from my XT1562 using Hello everyone, I hope everyone is doing good. I need a little help regarding which study material I should go for 700+ level questions. Also if there is any book which could give me the detailed analysis and also help me improve my SC . books do not have a satisfactory explanation. Thank youSent from my XT1562 using GMAT Club Forum mobile app

Hi Aditya,is certainly not a guide you one should dive into directly. You should dedicate around 3 months to achieve your dream score. If you are willing to study dedicatedly for four months, you are sure to achieve your goal. is a great course to help you improve your score.You can also try out the they are phenomenal and cover the entire syllabus really well. I must add that if you are particularly looking to discover and improve on your weak areas in Quant; a subscription to is the best way to do that. They are indeed phenomenal and will not only pinpoint your weak areas but also help you improve on them.Further taking multiple mocks might help. Apart from the GMATPREP, tests and Veritas Prep Tests in my experience have good verbal and Quant section and will certainly help you point out and improve your weak areas.Further another advantage of taking many mocks is to build up your stamina. Apart from the GMATPREP tests, taking practise tests of any major GMATPREP company ought to do that.I would also encourage you practice all the questions twice from the latest version of and the verbal review. Here is a link that will help you with your decision.Lastly, you can check out a very interesting article by Mike McGarry from detailing a 3 month study plan https://magoosh.com/gmat/2012/3-month-g ... -students/ . You will find it very helpful as it gives out a study plan as per your needs.Hope this helps. All the best.
- Woman was diagnosed with Limb Griddle Muscular Dystrophy at age 13

- She became disabled and was confined to wheelchair when she turned 24

- People said she will never find love, much less get married. They were wrong

They say love is blind, and perhaps this young Indian womans story is the most convincing manifestation that true love exists.

At the age of 13, Sneha Khaitan Jaiswa was diagnosed with Limb Griddle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD), a condition that made it gradually impossible for her to lift or move her limbs.

The 27-year-old who grew up and went to school in a small village in Bihar, India said: In the beginning, people thought it was just laziness, but slowly they realized I was not making it up."

Sneha Khaitan Jaiswa and her husband.Photo: Being You Facebook Page.

By the time Khaitan was 24, she was no longer able to walk without support. Khaitan said: My heels turned upwards and my spinal cord started bending.

It also became difficult to attend a far-distance college in Bagalpure, where she had been admitted upon completion of 10th grade.

Now wheelchair-bound and with nothing much to do at home, Khaitan decided to teach herself graphic designs. And soon she was sharing her work on social media.

READ ALSO: White lady buys iPhone and MacBook for Nigerian man she met on Facebook (photos)

Photo: Being You Facebook Page.

With her disability, people concluded that her life was, practically speaking, over. They said she will never find love, much less get married. But they were wrong.

One fateful day, a stranger reached out to Khaitan via social media to tell her that he liked her designs, to which she responded with a thank you. It was the beginning of something special.

He reached out again and said he liked me. I refused to accept and told him I was on wheelchair. I also told him I didnt want to be liked out of pity. He said he already knew, and that he loved me nevertheless, Khaitan narrates on 'Being You' Facebook page.

Sneha Khaitan Jaiswa. Photo:Facebook.

The social media chats quickly escalated into real dates between the pair and the mystery gentleman proposed twice. She accepted in both occasions.

PAY ATTENTION: Get all the latest gossips on NAIJ News App

Today, Khaitan is a happily married woman with loving husband who carries her and cooks for her. And she loves preparing breakfast for him.

Life has never been the same again.

You can read the full story on Facebook page below:

Meanwhile, watch this video to see what Nigerians think should be considered before entering into a relationship:

Source: Legit.ng
As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ
FLEMING  The Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency will use a newly awarded state grant to help prosecute and prevent domestic violence cases in Cayuga County.

On Friday night, CSCAA announced it was one of four agencies in New York state to receive a two-year $200,000 grant for domestic violence services. The agency said it will use that money to train local law enforcement and establish a special task force for high risk cases in the county.

The announcement was made at CSCAA's Purple Tie Event at the Springside Inn. For the fifth year in a row, hundreds of people donned purple for an evening to raise awareness and funds for the agency's domestic violence services department.

CSCAA Executive Director Laurie Piccolo said the Purple Tie Event was first and foremost a fundraiser when it began in 2013. However, over the years, she said it has become more about raising awareness as federal, state and local governments have started awarding more grants for domestic violence programs.

"Governments have realized that there is a need for additional education and housing and services for survivors of domestic violence," Piccolo said. "They have begun to recognize the importance of domestic violence intervention training."

That training is what CSCAA will focus on now, as the agency announced a new partnership with the Auburn Police Department and Cayuga County Sheriff's Office. Auburn Police Chief Shawn Butler said police officers and sheriff's deputies will begin training next week, learning how to prosecute domestic violence cases without victim cooperation.

"That is something we run into all the time," he said. "Victims often don't cooperate for a multitude of reasons ... so we have to try to navigate around those fears. I want my officers to be able to think outside the box and think about how we can still build a case even if we don't have 100 percent cooperation from the victim."

Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said this type of training is essential to helping his office prosecute cases. He also noted the importance of supporting the agency's advocates as well, who help comfort victims.

"Our victims are our witnesses ... they're the backbone of our cases," Budelmann said. "Without support they can't make it through the ordeal of a trial. So having these advocates here to sit with them in the emergency rooms and the court rooms ... it's important. Without the advocates and volunteers and the folks we're supporting today, we couldn't do that."

According to Butler, the police department investigates between 1,500 and 2,000 domestic violence cases a year. He said domestic violence is one of the department's largest volumes of calls in the city.

Cayuga County Sheriff David Gould agreed that domestic violence has been a "epidemic" in the county. He recalled several domestic violence homicides, including those of Katie Socci and Bridget Bell. Both women were killed in separate cases of domestic violence in 2011; both were 29 years old.

"We're not immune in Cayuga County," Gould said. "If anything, we've had higher incidents of fatalities in Cayuga County in past years than a lot of bigger counties. ... That is unacceptable."

In addition to special training, CSCAA announced it will be creating a multidisciplinary task force and follow up program in which law enforcement will follow up on high risk cases in order to prevent an escalation of violence and homicide. Butler said the team will pay special attention to repeat offenders.

Both the Socci and Bell families attended the Purple Tie Event Friday night. Tina Socci, Katie's mother, said she was happy to hear there would be more training for law enforcement.

"(Officers) need to be educated and know when to be there and when to step in," she said. "We're headed in the right direction, but I'd say there is still a long way to go."

"If we could stop one generation of domestic violence, it would be a different world," Gould added, noting that more than 95 percent of domestic violence cases are caused by men. "We cannot as males be afraid to intervene when a female is being abused. We need to stand up and prevent that."
Sabet explained that she and six other Bahai leaders had initially faced seven charges, but the state was unable to present any actual evidence of its claims of espionage. Although the Bahai faith was founded in Iran in the 19th century, its current leadership is based in Israel, and this has led Muslim opponents of the faith to attempt to discredit it by portraying it as being a collective agent of the Jewish state.

Perhaps in part because of this longstanding propaganda, the Iranian judiciary convicted Sabet and her co-defendants of collaborating with enemy states anyway, in spite of an absence of evidence and the legal objection that Iran was not officially at war with any country and thus could not have enemy states. This conviction was overturned, then reinstated, but the sentences for the Bahai leaders were ultimately reduced from 20 years to 10, due to changes in the Iranian penal code which limited prison terms to the longer of the sentences in cases of multiple, simultaneous convictions. The remaining sentence for which Sabet served her 10 years was forming an illegal group.

The Bahai religious community as a whole is effectively an illegal group, albeit in an unofficial fashion. Unlike Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism, the Bahai faith is not recognized in the Iranian Constitution, but Iranian officials regularly deny a policy of persecution. Nevertheless, the actual existence of such a policy is well established and can be corroborated with reference to quotations from both the current and former supreme leaders of the Islamic Republic.

Commentary from these political-religious authorities has established that Bahais are to be deprived of key rights of citizenship, including the right of access to education. The deprivation of this access has been a major point of focus in the regimes persecution, as well as in the human rights activist communitys efforts to exert international pressure on the regime.

So far, it seems that this effort has been to little avail. IranWire has reported that on September 22, the date of enrollment in Iranian universities, at least 115 Bahais were barred from signing up for classes despite having pass enrollment tests and otherwise completed the process as established. Traditionally, this blockage of enrollment has been done without formal explanations of the reason behind it. University administrators have tended to refer instead to an unspecified incompleteness of defect in the students file.

In a broad sense, this enrollment period was no different. But the IranWire report indicates that while students were not given formal explanations for their non-enrollment, at least some of them were told that they would be able to complete the process if they would write and sign letters disavowing their faith. In another report, CHRI was able to confirm the cases of two students who had been presented with this ultimatum, both of whom refused.

Notably, IranWire points out that this latest blockage of Bahai enrollments took place just days after President Hassan Rouhani declared that minorities in the Islamic Republic have the same rights as Shiite Muslims who are ethnically Persian. Rouhani has been granted a reputation as a moderate by some members of the international community, and his reelection campaign in May of this year sought to appeal to reform-minded voters with renewed promises of a freer and more open Iranian society. But since winning reelection, the president has come under fire for failing to follow up on any such promises and for even disavowing some.

Rouhani himself was joined throughout his first term and into his second by various other officials who are prone to denying misdeeds by the Iranian regime but not addressing valid international criticisms. In 2015, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif was widely ridiculed within the human rights community for declaring on American television, We do not jail people for their opinions.

The CHRI report on Bahai enrollments pointed out that Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, a spokesperson for the Iranian judiciary, effectively reiterated this claim with specific reference to religious persecution, saying, No individual is arrested simply for being a Bahai or a follower of any other faith.

The cases of Mahvash Sabet and her fellow Bahai leaders clearly falsify this narrative, and Mohseni-Ejeis comments seemingly evade the broader accounts of religious persecution including the blocked university enrollments, which are not limited to Bahais.

Iran Human Rights Monitor reported on Tuesday that the 18-year-old son of an Iranian Christian priest named Yousef Nadarkhani had also been barred from registering for classes. This apparent case of personal revenge serves to place additional pressure on Nadarkhani, who is serving a 10 year prison sentence, plus two years of domestic exile, for leaving religion and inviting other Muslims to Christianity.

Although, as mentioned above, Christianity is recognized in the Iranian Constitution, this only refers to citizens who are Christian by birth. Converting from Islam is illegal and can even be punished with death. And in practice, Christian and Jewish communities are still widely harassed and persecuted by authorities in the Islamic Republic, as well as by hardline supporters of the theocratic system.
Tehran continues to advance its ballistic missile arsenal, meddle in the Middle East, and escalate domestic human rights violations, as these issues were not addressed under the nuclear accord. Now these matters must be addressed and alterations are necessary. Many believe that the best approach may be compromising with Tehran to expand the scope of the Nuclear Deal.

Still, the easily overlooked fact is that Iran continues to launch missiles and engage in wars on numerous frontiers.

After the Taliban lost in Afghanistan, Tehran reportedly began its meddling objectives, such as fueling unrest in this country and recruiting Shiite fighters for the war in Syria. Now Iran stands accused of providing arms and explosives to Taliban fighters.

Iran also took advantage of the 2003 Iraq war. Tehrans political, social and economic impact in Mesopotamia is seen by many as undeniable, and is believed to have caused problems across the land, including sectarian wars against the minority Sunni community. Its reported that Irans efforts continue under the banner of fighting the IS group.

The six year war in Syria has been bloody and brutal. Tehran has continued to maintain Bashar Assads dictatorship. Over half a million Syrians have been killed, and 12 million are displaced inside the country and abroad. As well, much country is considered destroyed. The money received by Tehran under the JCPOA is said to have financed much of this.

In Yemen, Iran has apparently spread its reach and influence into the backyard of regional arch-rival, and an important US ally, Saudi Arabia. Reports say that Iran continues to funnel of arms, equipment, and money to the Houthis in Yemen, and is threatening vital international shipping lines in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with sea mines, anti-ship missiles and suicide boats packed explosives. Again, support of these activities is alleged to have been provided by financial benefits of the JCPOA.

It is believed by some that appeasing Iran produced a highly flawed pact that merely curbed its nuclear ambitions to a limited extent under sunset provisions, and that adopting a policy capable of ending wars across the Middle East, should be the next step.
At the United Nations General Assembly earlier this month, Trump said in his speech that the 2015 nuclear agreement, which was led by his predecessor Barack Obama, was one-sided and an embarrassment to the United States.

Many have hinted that Trump will not recertify Iran as compliant to the deal, and many officials have supported this potential move. United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said that Iran is not complying with the spirit of the deal which was put in place to put an end to Irans nuclear program. She also said that Trump would have more than enough reason to not certify Iran compliant.

Echoing the comments by Haley is National Security Adviser Gen. H.R. McMaster, who said: The President has already declared that the Iranian regime is not living up to its obligation. They are certainly not living up to the spirit of this agreement. Instead of contributing to regional peace and security, as the deal calls for, Iran is using proxy forces and a terrorist network to foment violence and victimize innocents across the greater Middle East. The Iranian regime is seeding these networks with increasingly destructive weapons as they try to establish a bridge from Iran to Lebanon and Syria.

On the other hand, others, including leaders in the EU firmly believe that the United States should not pull out of the deal and are not interested in renegotiations. And neither is Iran interested in renegotiating the deal. And with good reason because the nuclear deal, as it stands, is wholly beneficial to the Islamic Republic which has seen billions of dollars worth of assets unfrozen. Numerous concessions were given to Iran in the deal, and if the crippling sanctions that were in place before the deal was signed are reissued, the countrys economy would suffer greatly again.

If Trump decides not to recertify Iran compliance, the future of the deal will essentially be in the hand of Congress. It will have sixty days to decide whether the pre-agreement sanctions will be reapplied.

Whatever way the decision goes, it is very clear that Iran cannot continue along the same destructive path as it has been for years. It is involved in many acts of belligerence across the Middle East and there are now reasonable claims that it is financing the nuclear program in North Korea.

Iran has complete disregard for the international condemnations that have slammed the North Korean dictators brazen attitude and actions that threaten the entire world.

There are claims that the Iranian regime will be able to get nuclear weapons from North Korea when it wants. In exchange for cash of course, but cash that the Iranian regime has because of the nuclear deal.

Appeasement made no change to Irans behaviour when Obama was in office, so it is certain that the opposite approach needs to be employed.


We present the third of five parts of the short story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," by Edgar Allen Poe. The story was originally adapted and recorded by VOA Learning English.

My housemate in Paris, August Dupin, was an interesting young man with a busy, forceful mind. This mind could, it seemed, look right through a mans body into his deepest soul.

After reading in the newspaper about the terrible murder of a woman and her daughter, Dupin was consumed with the mystery. He questioned the ability of the Paris police to solve the crime. I told Dupin that it seemed to me that it was not possible to explain the strange details surrounding the killings.

No, no. I think you are wrong. A mystery it is, yes. But there must be an answer. There must! Let us go to the house where it happened and see what we can see. I know the head of the police, and he will permit our visit. It will be interesting and give us some pleasure.

I thought it strange that Dupin thought the activity would give us pleasure. But I said nothing.

It was late in the afternoon when we reached the house on the Rue Morgue. It was easily found, for there were still many persons  in fact, a crowd, standing there looking at it. Before going in, we walked all around it, and Dupin carefully looked at the neighboring houses as well. I could not understand the reason for such great care.

Finally, we entered the house. We went up the stairs to the room where the daughters body was found. Both bodies were in the room now. The police had left the room as they had found it in every other way. I saw nothing beyond what the newspaper had told us.

Dupin looked with great care at everything, at the bodies, the walls, the fireplace, the windows. Then we went home. Dupin said nothing. I could see the cold look in his eyes, which told me that his mind was working, working busily, quickly.

Dupin said nothing about our exploration until the next morning when he suddenly asked me a question.

Did you not notice something especially strange about what we saw at the house on the Rue Morgue?

Nothing more than what we both read in the newspaper, which was unusual indeed. How shall we explain the horrible force, the unusual strength used in these murders? And whose were the voices that were heard? No one was found except the dead women; yet there was no way for anyone to escape. And the wild condition of the room; the body which was found head-down in the chimney; the terrible broken appearance of the body of the old lady, with its head cut off-- these are all so far from what might be expected that the police are standing still; they dont know where to begin.

These things are unusual, indeed, but they are not deep mysteries. We should not ask, What has happened? but What has happened that has never happened before? In fact, the very things that the police think cannot possibly be explained are the things which will lead me to the answer. Indeed, I believe they have already led me to the answer.

I was so surprised that I could not say a word. Dupin looked quickly at the door.

I am now waiting for a person who will know something about these murders, these wild killings. I do not think he did them himself. But I think he will know the killer. I hope I am right about this. If I am, then I expect to find the whole answer, today. I expect the man here  in this room  at any moment. It is true that he may not come, but he probably will.

But who is this person? How did you find him?

Ill tell you. While we wait for this man we do not know  for I have never met him  while we wait, I will tell you how my thoughts went.

Dupin began to talk. But it did not seem that he was trying to explain to me what he had thought. It seemed that he was talking to himself. He looked not at me, but at the wall.

It has been fully proved that the voices heard by the neighbors were not the voices of the women who were killed. Someone else was in the room. It is therefore certain that the old woman did not first kill her daughter and then kill herself. She would not have been strong enough to put her daughters body where it was found. And the manner of the old ladys death shows that she could not have caused it herself. A person can kill himself with a knife, yes. But he surely cannot cut his own head almost off, then drop the knife on the floor and jump out the window. It was murder, then, done by some third person  or persons. And the voices heard were the voices of these persons. Let us now think carefully about the things people said about those voices. Did you notice anything especially strange in what was told about them?

Well, yes. Everybody agreed that the low voice was the voice of a Frenchman, but they could not agree about the high voice.

Ah! That was what they said, yes, but that was not what was so strange about what they said. You say you have noticed nothing that makes their stories very different from what might have been expected. Yet there was something. All these persons, as you say, agreed about the low voice, but not about the high hard voice. The strange thing here is that when an Italian, an Englishman, a Spaniard, and a Frenchman tried to tell what the voice was like, each one said it sounded like the voice of a foreigner. How strangely unusual that voice really must have been! Here are four men from four big countries, and not one of them could understand what the voice said; each one gave it a different name.

Now, I know that there are other countries in the world. You will say that perhaps it was the voice of someone from one of those other lands  Russia, perhaps. But remember, not one of these people heard anything that sounded like a separate word.

Here, Dupin turned and looked into my eyes.

This is what we have learned from the newspaper. I dont know what I have led you to think. But I believe that in this much of the story there are enough facts to lead us in the one and only direction to the right answer. What this answer is, I will not saynot yet. But I want you to keep in mind that this much was enough to tell me what I must look for when we were in that house on the Rue Morgue. And I found it!

What did I first look for? The path of escape, of course. I mean, we agree the killers were not ghosts; they could not move through walls. So, how did they escape?

At first I saw no way out. It had been necessary for the neighbors to break down the door in order to enter the room. There was no other door. The opening above the fireplace is too narrow for even a child to go through. That leaves only the windows. We must make that exit somehow possible.

Remember, there are two windows in the room. Both of them, you will remember, are made of two parts; to open the window one must lift up the bottom half. One of these windows is easily seen; the lower part of the other is out of sight behind the big bed. I looked carefully at the first of these windows. It was firmly closed, fastened, like the door, on the inside. To keep the window closed, to fasten it, someone had put a strong iron nail into the wood at the side of the window in such a way that the window could not be raised. At least it seemed that the nail held the window closed. The nail was easy to see. There it was. And the people who discovered the killings used their greatest strength and could not raise the window. I, too, tried to raise the window and could not.

I went to the second window and looked behind the bed at the lower half of the window. There was a nail here, too, which held the window closed. Without moving the bed, I tried to open this window also, and again I could not do so. But I did not stop looking for an answer there.

Quiz

Quiz: The Murders in the Rue Morgue, Part Three Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

For Teachers

Download activities to help you understand this story here.

Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. What kinds of skills do you possess that might help the police solve crimes? Should private citizens help the police, or should the police alone work to solve crimes? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

housemate  n. a person who lives in the same house with another person but is not a part of that person's family

consume(d)  v. to take all of a person's attention, energy or time

neighboring  adj. near or next to something or someone

moment  n. a very short period of time

certain  adj. used with it to say that something is known to be true or correct

notice  v. to become aware of something or someone by seeing or hearing it

perhaps  adv. possibly but not certainly

ghost(s)  n. the soul of a dead person thought of as living in an unseen world or as appearing to living people

fasten(ed)  v. to attach something or join two things or two parts of something especially by using a pin, nail or something else

nail  n. a long, thin piece of metal that is sharp at one end and flat at the other end and that is used chiefly to attach things to wood
Child labor was a problem in Lebanon before the arrival of Syrian refugees Now, it's worse.

As money for humanitarian aid begins to run out, some observers fear child labor could become even more widespread in Lebanon. Refugee families often depend on the money their children earn. So there are no easy answers.

Non-governmental organizations are working to bring children into the Lebanese education system. And the United Nations has developed guidance that it hopes will help young people reclaim their childhood.

Children are often paid just three or four dollars for a day of work. Yasmine Deeb is a refugee from Syria.

"Why should mama work on her own? Id get upset. I wanted to help my mother, also sometime when shes ill, she also cant work.

The 12-year-old girl and her family are preparing garlic for restaurants because they need the money. Before that, they did very physical work: gathering potatoes from the ground.

Kalima Deeb, Yasmines mother, says that before the war in Syria, her family worked in farming. Back then, she remembers, she and her husband earned enough money to send their children to school.

You know every child has their own dreams and ambitions. I didnt imagine that they would come out of school and be subjected to such work and fatigue.

Thousands of Lebanese and Syrian children are working in the agriculture and on the streets. Many people fear the problem will worsen.

Syrian refugees are receiving less humanitarian aid now compared to one or two years ago. They are being forced to pay fees for living in Lebanon, and the government restricts what jobs they can take.

Two UN organizations -- the International Labor Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization -- have launched campaigns to help tell about the danger of some jobs for children.

Dr. Rana al-Barati Tabbana is a public health specialist.

Child labor affects all those facets in growth and development of children, and has very serious detrimental effects on their quality of life, health and well-being -- both in the short term and in the long term.

A local non-governmental organization called Beyond Association is helping Yasmine and her three sisters.

They are among 450 children in the area who are being educated in the morning before they go to work. The organization hopes the children will one day attend school and not be part of the workforce.

Layla Assi works at Beyond Association.

Were trying to work with those children step-by-step to let them go out from work, and when they come here, their dream is to have education. Now they dream to be a lawyer, to be a doctor..."

Because some children work to provide food for their families, ending child labor is not easy. The young people in the Beyond Association program are just a small percentage of those who are working. But as they return to their home, Yasmine and her sisters are given the chance to see a better future.

Im Caty Weaver.

John Owens reported this story from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

upset  adj. angry or unhappy

ill  adj. not well or healthy; sick or unhealthy

ambition  n. a particular goal or aim; something that a person hopes to do or achieve

fatigue  n. the state of being very tired; extreme weariness

facet  n. a part or element of something

detrimental  adj. causing damage or injury

impact  n. a powerful or major influence or effect
Several African leaders recently spoke to the United Nations General Assembly about the growing threat of violent extremism in Africa.

The leaders called on the international community to help better support anti-terror forces across Africa.

They noted the importance of strengthening such forces at a time when the Islamic State, or IS, group has been losing strength and territory in the Middle East. They predicted that many defeated IS fighters will return to their home countries in Africa.

We want an Africa in peace and security, said Macky Sall, president of Senegal. Sall told the General Assembly last week that the goal is an Africa that does not serve as a sanctuary for terrorist groups fought and defeated elsewhere.

But a new study has found that measures taken by African governments to prevent terrorism may actually make more people join violent groups.

The United Nations Development Program, or UNDP, organized the two-year long study. It is called Journey to Extremism.

More than 700 people were questioned for the study. Nearly 600 of them were voluntary or forced recruits of extremist groups in six African countries. The countries are Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, Cameroon and Niger.

The study noted a lack of a strong family structure, lack of education and poverty as reasons why people turn to violence and extremism.

State violence and abuse of power provide, what the study called, a final tipping point for the people to join extremist groups.

The report noted that many African countries have used anti-terror measures to limit political opposition and to suppress civil society and the media.

The study suggests that good governance by African governments will be a more effective tool for stopping terrorism and extremism.

Religion not a reason

The U.N. study found that religion was less important than other reasons for joining an extremist group. It said that more than average religious schooling appeared to create opposition to extremism.

The report said, These findings challenge rising Islamophobic rhetoric that has intensified in response to violent extremism globally.

The report went on to say that creating greater understanding of religion, through methods that enable students to question and engage critically with teachings, is a key resource for [preventing violent extremism].

The 2016 Global Terrorism Index suggests that the areas most affected by terrorist groups are the Middle East, North Africa and countries south of the Sahara Desert.

The report identified the most active extremist groups in Africa as Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM); the Movement for the Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO); Boko Haram, in Nigeria; Al-Shabab, in East Africa; and the Lords Resistance Army, in Central Africa.

Those groups are reportedly spreading their activities across national borders. They are also urging more groups and people to support their ideology and carry out violent attacks.

The U.N. estimates that violent extremism has killed more than 33,000 people in Africa over the past six years

In northeast Nigeria, an estimated 20,000 people have been killed since 2009, the year when Boko Haram became active. More than 2.6 million people have been displaced during this period.

Threat to development

The U.N. has said the terror threat could overturn development gains made in sub-Saharan Africa and harm development for years to come. It said insecurity caused by terror groups has affected tourism and trade in countries such as Nigeria and Kenya.

The threat has persuaded some countries to strengthen their anti-terrorism efforts at home and cooperate on stopping cross-border violence.

Earlier this year, five African countries established an international force of about 5,000 troops with the help of France and the United Nations. The five are Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.

Yet, human rights organizations have criticized some governments for using severe measures to fight terrorism.

Amnesty International has accused the Nigerian military of torture, harsh military detention and forcibly expelling people from their homes in its fight against Boko Haram.

And Human Right Watch noted the killing, disappearances, torture and beating of individuals suspected of links with Al-Shabab has worsened in Kenya.

Rikar Hussein and Nisan Ahmado reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted their report for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

sanctuary  n. a place of refuge or protection

recruit  n. a newcomer to an activity

challenge  n. a difficult test or problem

Islamophobic  adj. relating to a fear or discrimination against Islam or followers of Islam

rhetoric  n. the art of speaking or writing effectively

resource  n. a supply of something; an object or place that proves useful

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
When looking for stories with the words college application help, Googles search engine identifies over 500 million examples on the World Wide Web.

It is hard to say how long it would take to look at all 500 million, but no one has that kind of time.

Now, five higher education groups are trying to make the college application process simpler.

The five started a website  with the goal of providing all the college information students need in one place. It offers help to students and their parents as they learn about and complete the college application process.

The websites address is www.steps2college.org.

The site provides information about important dates in the college admission process, help with application forms and sources of financial aid.

Although designed for American students, it can be a big help to other students, says Laura Owen of American University in Washington, D.C. She directs the Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success at Americans School of Education.

There is a lot of information provided -- in a single place, Owen said.

American University helped to create the website. The other creators are the ACT Center for Equity in Learning, the American Council on Education, Success Better Make Room and the National College Access Network.

The site offers ideas on how to avoid the kind of problems students often face when preparing for college.

For example, one report examines what is known as summer melt. That is term used to describe students who are accepted at a college and pay the required deposit, but then do not show up for the first day of class.

The report says college administrators had long believed summer melt students decided to change schools. But researchers Lindsay Page and Ben Castleman found that many failed to attend classes anywhere that school year.

The report goes on to say that it is likely that many students just were not aware of all the paper work required before the start of classes.

This is especially true for those who completed high school and no longer could contact college officials for help with the process.

The website also has information on how students can choose the best college.

On October 4, the site will offer a virtual college fair of 100 colleges and universities. The event will give students and parents a chance to question officials and students from 100 schools.

If that does not work, you can look up former students at your high school who went to a college you would like to attend. They are likely to honestly discuss their experiences, both good and bad.

American Universitys Laura Owen says she likes that the website provides a timeline  one that organizes all steps needed to successfully complete the application process.

I'm Bruce Alpert.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. If you attended college, what was the application process like for you? Do you think you chose the right college? What would you advice high school seniors to consider when applying to college so they end up in the right school?

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

application - n. a formal and usually written request for something such as admission to a school or employment

deposit - n. The first payment to insure admission to a college or for the purchase of a product

address - n. a place where you can contact a person or organization; directions for shipment of an object

aware - adj. having shown knowledge or understanding
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Enbridge Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company. The company operates through five segments: Liquids Pipelines, Gas Transmission and Midstream, Gas Distribution and Storage, Renewable Power Generation, and Energy Services. The Liquids Pipelines segment operates pipelines and related terminals to transport various grades of crude oil and other liquid hydrocarbons in Canada and the United States. The Gas Transmission and Midstream segment invests in natural gas pipelines, and gathering and processing facilities in Canada and the United States. The Gas Distribution and Storage segment is involved in natural gas utility operations serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Ontario, as well as natural gas distribution and energy transportation activities in Quebec. The Renewable Power Generation segment operates power generating assets, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and waste heat recovery facilities; and transmission assets in North America and Europe. The Energy Services segment provides energy marketing services to refiners, producers, and other customers; and physical commodity marketing and logistical services in Canada and the United States. The company was formerly known as IPL Energy Inc. and changed its name to Enbridge Inc. in October 1998. Enbridge Inc. was founded in 1949 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. 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Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. 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Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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Uber South Africa said it is doing everything it can to make riders and drivers feel safe, but it needs more support from the government and the police.

Uber drivers have faced violence from members of the metered taxi industry in South Africa, particularly in Gauteng.

There have been attacks on drivers, with Uber vehicles set alight in certain cases.

To fight the attacks, Uber has introduced new safety features: Social Connect and Share My Trip for drivers.

While Uber has introduced measures to help keep drivers and riders safe, GM for Uber in sub-Saharan Africa Alon Lits said they need law enforcement to fight crime.

I wish I could tell you that well solve crime in South Africa, but we are not the police, Lits said previously.

We need violence to be considered unacceptable. We need arrests to be made.

What police are doing

Spokesperson for the South African Police Service in Gauteng, Brigadier Mathapelo Peters, told MyBroadband that investigations into the violence between Uber and metered taxi drivers are underway.

In addition to investigating reported cases, the SAPS and Metro Police are working together on the matter and have daily deployments in identified hotspots.

They are also conducting regular intelligence-driven operations aimed at thwarting eruptions of violent incidents.

According to reports, Community Safety MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane recently said that over 100 police officers are deployed at the Sandton Gautrain Station to maintain law and order.

Nkosi-Malobane said if rival cab drivers refuse to work together, the government will be forced to close routes.

Anyone who continues to operate in a closed route will be removed from the area, have their car impounded, and face a R25,000 fine or jail time.

Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi has said that the government will not tolerate lawlessness.

He said any cab operating without the proper permissions would be impounded, and that Uber partners must apply for permits.
STEPANAKERT.  President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), Bako Sahakyan, on Monday signed several decrees.

The Presidential decrees established the following composition of the Artsakh Cabinet of Ministers:

Minister of State

Ministry of Healthcare

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Resettlement

Ministry of Nature Protection and Natural Resources

Ministry of Agriculture

Ministry of Economy and Industrial Infrastructures

Ministry of Education, Science and Sports

Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Tourism

Ministry of Defense

Ministry of Urban Planning

Ministry of Finance.

The decrees also defined the following state administrative bodies:

National Security Service

Police

State Service of Emergency Situations.

According to the decree of the President:

Arayik Haroutyunyan was appointed Minister of State,

Karine Atayan was appointed Minister of Healthcare,

Ararat Danielyan was appointed Minister of Justice,

Masis Mayilyan was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Samvel Avanesyan was appointed Minister of Labor, Social Affairs and Resettlement,

Vazgen Mikayelyan was appointed Minister of Nature Protection and Natural Resources,

Zhirayr Mirzoyan was appointed Minister of Agriculture,

Levon Grigoryan was appointed Minister of Economy and Industrial Infrastructures,

Narine Aghabalyan was appointed Minister of Education, Science and Sports,

Sergey Shahverdyan was appointed Minister of Culture, Youth Affairs and Tourism,

Levon Mnatsakanyan was appointed Minister of Defense,

Karen Shahramanyan was appointed Minister of Urban Planning,

Grigory Martirosyan was appointed Minister of Finance.

Also, the Presidential decrees defined the ministers whose activity will be coordinated by the Minister of State, as well as the scope of authorities entrusted to the Minister of State by the President in the domain of state property and financial management.

By another decree of the President, a number of structural changes have been made. In particular:

The Department of Tourism has been separated from the Ministry of Economy and Industrial Infrastructures and included into the Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Tourism;

In the structure of the Presidents Office, a separated subdivision: Administration of the Governmental Affairs has been established, which is the legal successor of the former Administration of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Certain subdivisions of the former Administration of the Cabinet of Ministers have been included within various bodies. The Social-Economic Department as well as subdivisions functioning in the domain of territorial administration has been included in the staff of the Minister of State. The Departments of Real Estate Cadastre and State Property Management, Geodesy and Land State Inspection have been included into the structure of the Ministry of Economy and Industrial Infrastructures. Department of Housing Affairs and Resettlement as well as the Migration Division have been included into the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Resettlement.

In correspondence with the new functions, the statutes and structures of the Presidents Office as well as the Administration of the Governmental Affairs have been approved.

By another Presidential decree, a new order of organizing governmental activities has been defined.

On the same day, the NKR President signed decrees also on appointing Deputy Head of the Presidents Office Arayik Lazaryan as head of the Administration of Governmental Affairs of the Presidents Office-First Deputy Head of the Presidents Office. Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Danielyan was appointed deputy head of the Presidents Office-Head of the State-Legal Department, Central Information Department of the Office of the NKR President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.
YEREVAN.  Special representative of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly for the South Caucasus, Kristian Vigenin, and the head of the Armenian representation in the OSCE PA, Hermine Naghdalyan met in the parliament with the residents of the village of Talish of Nagorno-Karabakh.

A resident of Talish village, Artur Nazunts spoke about the inhuman cruelties of Azerbaijani soldiers against the family of his wife's parents: Valeriy, Marusya and Razmela Khalapyan during the April 2016 military operations.

According to another villager, Boris Mezhlumyan, people are not going to leave their land and are looking forward to return.

In the 21st century, we must do everything so that there will be no wars, and people will have the opportunity to live peacefully. And I hope that we, the deputies, representatives of the people, can contribute to this, Vigenin said.

Naghdalyan noted the importance of meeting Vigenin with the villagers. She added that Vigenin will present the results of his visit at the autumn session of the OSCE PA on October 2-6, which will be held in Andorra.
Steve Jobs' sandals sold for more than $200,000

Armenian PM accuses Azerbaijani leader of terrorizing Armenian civilians

Azerbaijan shells Armenian positions on border again

OPEC downgrades its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2022

White House: Biden and Xi Jinping agree on Blinken's visit to China

CNN: CIA chief Burns meets with SVR director Naryshkin in Ankara

Turkish FM Cavusoglu thanks Ararat Mirzoyan for condolences

Putin signs decree allowing stateless persons to serve in Russian army

Airbus CEO: There is no question of them breaking off trade ties

Armen Grigoryan receives Igor Khovayev

Britain and France sign agreement on strengthening cooperation on illegal migration

US updates its sanctions list for Russia: Milur Electronics LLC, an Armenian company listed

Potatoes prices grow by 20%: expert claims agriculture collapse in Armenia

Peskov says Russian-American talks in Ankara initiated by Washington

Morgan Stanley: UK and euro zone economies are likely to face recession

Xi Jinping hopes for comprehensive dialogue between NATO, the EU and the US and Russia

Japan proposes to deploy Australian nuclear submarines

Biden calls talks with Xi Jinping at G20 summit frank

WB: Debt levels among low- and middle-income countries soared in 2021

Xi Jinping: China does not intend to challenge the U.S.

Scholz: Adopting a joint G20 summit statement is a tough task

Biden and Xi Jinping oppose use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine

Nikol Pashinyan receives Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group

IMF head warns of risks for world economy because of rivalry between China and US

Irakli Garibashvili: Georgia is ready to promote in every possible way the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan

Red Wings airline launches direct flights from Makhachkala to Yerevan

Olaf Scholz: EU should expand its cooperation with Southeast Asian countries

Global Leadership Foundation will visit Armenia

Kurdistan Workers' Party denies its involvement in Istanbul terrorist attack

NATO Secretary General says they must not make mistake of underestimating Russia

IRGC resumes strikes on Iraqi Kurdistan

French and German central bank heads call for speeding up EU capital markets union

Control of U.S. House of Representatives depends on several tight races

Artsakh FM speaks with his Transnistria counterpart

Italy, Greece, Malta and Cyprus say they cannot accept migrants

Cavusoglu thanks Mirzoyan for condolences on terrorist attack in Istanbul

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden begin first face-to-face meeting in Bali

Zelenskyy arrives in Kherson

Armenian Defense Minister: After expiration of contract service 5 million drams will be provided to servicemen

Turkey refuses to accept U.S. condolences after terrorist attack in Istanbul

Defense Ministers of Georgia and Azerbaijan sign military cooperation plan for 2023

Russian Foreign Ministry denies reports about Lavrov's hospitalization in Bali

Yellen hopes Biden and Jinping meeting leads to engagement on macroeconomic issues

Russian Defense Ministry confirms violation of ceasefire in Artsakh by Azerbaijani Armed Forces

Artsakh MOD denies accusations of Azerbaijani MOD

Azerbaijani Defense Minister holds talks in Georgia

Armenian MOD denies another lie of Azerbaijani MOD

Germany warns its delegation about Egyptian spies at COP27

NSS of Armenia reveals channel of illegal migration

Azerbaijani State Security Service announces disclosure of 'Iranian spy network'

Politico: Indonesia, hosting G20, lobbies West to soften criticism of Russia in final communique

Ararat Mirzoyan expresses condolences to Mevlut Cavusoglu over Istanbul explosion

Iranian lawmakers sharply criticize Aliyev

Ambassador-at-Large: Azerbaijan's attacks on Armenia are a terrorist attack

Germany needs to diversify its business interests in Asia to reduce dependence on China

Head of U.S. Treasury Department says sanctions against Russia should remain in force even after war in Ukraine

Natasa Pirc Musar to become Slovenia's first woman president

IMF: World economic outlook even bleaker than predicted

Pashinyan: Azerbaijan calls Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh 'our citizens' and at the same time shoots at them

Turkish Interior Minister announces arrest of suspect in attack on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul

Alpine to make 3 electric crossovers

Number of injured in Istanbul blast rises to 81

Paul McCartney sells guitar for $77,000 to support Ukraine

Erdogan says preliminary findings after Istanbul bombing point to terrorist attack

Erdogan says number of victims of Istanbul bombing rises to six

Authorities forbid TV channels to broadcast from Istanbul bombing site

Istanbul blast: Governor reports 4 dead and 38 wounded

Media: Terrorist attack considered as one of versions of bombing in Istanbul

Blast in Istanbul: victims reported

Reuters: National Bank of Ukraine prepares banking system for power outages

Explosion hits pedestrian street in Istanbul

Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin calls for Turkey to be recognized as sponsor of terrorism

Bloomberg columnist says Japan may be preparing for war with China

Reuters: U.S. to demand EU colleagues to continue aid to Kyiv at G20

Washington Post: U.S. intelligence believes UAE tried to interfere in U.S. politics

Yeni Safak: Turkey increases sales of winter products, blankets in EU by almost third since beginning of year

Fox News: Trump has been silent on social media for over 24 hours amid Republican failures

Lebanon extradites to Iraq relative of Saddam Hussein

Financial Times: Kyiv plans to nationalize more private companies

U.S. Senate declares 'death' of Republican Party after congressional elections

Head of U.S. Customs resigned

President of Georgia Zourabichvili says about 100 thousand Russians settled in country

CNN: Democrats to retain control of Senate after congressional elections

Alen Simonyan: We are truly and sincerely committed to the peace agenda

Artak Beglaryan: Genocidal purpose is apparent

French maritime services rescue more than 140 migrants trying to swim across English Channel

Biden says he is satisfied with results of midterm elections in U.S.

Slovenia holds second round of presidential elections

'Witch' burned alive in India, 14 arrested

COVID-19 cases are expected to surge in Germany this winter

Dollar makes worst showing in week since early days of COVID-19 pandemic

Macron confirms France's readiness to support normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku

Germany withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty

Is Jordan country that has not supplied arms to Armenia?: 'The press usually has reliable information'

European Commission approves nationalization of Russian Gazprom's German subsidiary

Pashinyan: If the state interferes with the exchange rate unnecessarily, the economy will only suffer

U.S. to work with strategic coalition of Southeast Asian countries

Armenian PM: To reform army, it is necessary to make military service more attractive

Defense Ministry: Azerbaijani Armed Forces opened fire at Armenian positions

Putin and Raisi discuss topical issues of the bilateral agenda
YEREVAN.  In fact, the web is one of the fronts of the Karabakh conflict, media expert Samvel Martirosyan told media during inter-parliamentary hearings on effective opposition of the collective security system to hybrid wars.

The hearings are held at the suggestion and initiative of the commission of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly on political issues and international cooperation.

First of all no one can clearly describe what a hybrid war is, Martirosyan said.

The use of non-traditional methods is considered a component of a hybrid war. This includes agitation warfare, cybercrime groups that are now becoming part of a real war. There are cases when the use of cyber attacks has led to serious physical losses, the media expert added.

The components of a hybrid war were also evident in the Karabakh war.

What today can be called a drone war is more secretive, Samvel Martirosyan said.

The expert believes that modern wars have some components of a hybrid war. In the Karabakh conflict, this is an information war, and Armenia has a great experience of conducting such a war, since information war is always there, he added.
In meetings yesterday and today with government and parliamentary leaders in Armenia, OSCE PA Special Representative on the South Caucasus Kristian Vigenin (MP, Bulgaria) reiterated the need for a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, keeping in mind the interests of the thousands of people directly impacted by the protracted conflict.

In Yerevan on 29 and 30 September Vigenin met with Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, Parliament Speaker Ara Babloyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian, Defence Minister Vigen Sargsyan, and Members of the Armenian Delegation to the OSCE PA. He also met with representatives of civil society, students from Yerevan State University, as well as a number of residents of Talish village, which suffered civilian casualties and severe damage during the intense hostilities of April 2016.

Having met just this week with people on both sides of the contact line who continue to suffer from this decades-long conflict, I repeat: this must end, said Special Representative Kristian Vigenin. The conflict still impacts the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Whether they live under the terror of the daily ceasefire violations that take place along the line of contact, or the tragedy of being displaced from their homes for years on end, it is the people who suffer. Urgent and serious political engagement is needed to deliver peace for them.

Vigenin reiterated his steadfast support for the work of the OSCE Minsk Group and its Co-Chairs, but stressed that the ultimate responsibility lies with the political leaderships of the parties involved. He welcomed plans for a meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the near future.

The countries of the South Caucasus are full of voices for peace, because they are the ones suffering from conflict. I plan to work with my colleagues in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly to do all we can to amplify these voices and contribute to efforts at finding lasting solutions to the conflicts, he said.

In Yerevan, Vigenin also met with the chairman of the de facto parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Special Representative will report on the regional visit to the OSCE Parliamentary Assemblys Standing Committee on 4 October, and will outline concrete proposals for future engagement in the region.
Georgian internal affairs minister Georgy Mgebrishvili arrived in Gumburdo village of Samtskhe-Javakheti region.

A scuffle between the inhabitants of the village of Gumburdo and the police started in the village on Saturday morning. Residents wanted to install a khachkar on the site of the reburial of the remains of their ancestors in the courtyard of the 10th century church which is being restored. The police did not let them into the yard, saying that they had an order in their hands. Residents did not want to give in. The situation has escalated so that even special forces were deployed at the scene.

The minister is negotiating with residents inside the church, Jnews reported.

The minister went inside the territory of the church, which is guarded by special military personnel. Several villagers accompanied the minister, while others were not allowed.

Special forces and weapons have been deployed not far from the church.

Samvel Manukyan, MP, is conducting negotiations between residents and policemen. According to preliminary data, some residents of the village, as well as police officers, suffered during short-term scuffle.
A preliminary agreement on the installation of kahchkar in the yard of the Armenian church, which is being restored by the Georgian Ministry of Culture, has been reached between the Armenian and Georgian authorities, as well as spiritual leaders, co-chairman of unregistered Virk Party, Davit Rstakyan, told Armenian News  NEWS.am Saturday, commenting on the incident in Gumburdo settlement of Georgias Samtskhe-Javakheti region.

"It is known that the Georgian side has destroyed the Armenian cemetery during "restoration" works then ours have decided to build a mass grave and to install a kahchkar in the yard of the church. There were talks that after the elections they would be allowed to install the kahchkar, but this did not happen. Then Armenians decided to go and establish the cross-stone this morning. The problem is not in khachkar," Davit Rstakyan said adding that the problem is that Georgian side intends to "misappropriate" the church.

It was reported earlier that the Georgian police officers were firing into the air and were beating local Armenians with truncheons during the scuffle in Javakheti region.

The scuffle between the locals and police officers broke out on Saturday morning after the residents tried to install a kahchkar in the yard of a church.

Many Armenians were injured as a result of police violence. Many of them suffered head injuries. Several Armenians were detained, Davit Rstakyan said.

Police did not let people in saying they have an instruction. The situation escalated so that the special troops were deployed.
The European Ombudsman Institute (EOI) issued a statement calling on Azerbaijani media not to publish incorrect articles.

The General Assembly of this structure held a meeting in Bucharest, which was attended by ombudsmen of Armenia and Karabakh not for the first time. Coming back home, the Azerbaijani ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova, known for her doubtful statements and misreporting, has tried to convince the Azerbaijani media that she managed to prevent Ombudsman of Karabakh, Ruben Melikyan from speaking and even revoked his membership in the organization.

A statement issued by EOI Secretary General Josef Siegele says there are institutional or individual members in the organization. The Ombudsman-institution of the Nagorno-Karabakh is an individual member.

The EOI has not kicked any member, because the EOI makes no political issues, the statement reads.

The Representative of Nagorno Karabakh, Mr. Melikyan not made any political statement or at the General Assembly 2017, he made only an objective generally inquiry to children rights, without each political context to the presidium, Siegele said.

Josef Siegele urged Azerbaijani media to correct the wrong articles, adding that EOI is only interested in human rights and protection of them, not political issues.
In a 1931 newspaper article, an unnamed reporter wrote, "The other day Clarence Kossow said, this is my fathers birthday. His father -- he smiled as though confident the name would explain everything -- his father was John Kossow. It was in 1899 that his father was killed."

Well, today is the 115th anniversary of the day Big John Kossow was bludgeoned to death, making him the second police officer murdered on the job. (The first, Frank Piszczk, was shot on 2nd and Florida in Walkers Point in 1884). And, all these years later, the name no longer rings a bell in Milwaukee.

The story came to my attention when my friend, architect Keith Stachowiak, dropped off a manila envelope with photos and newspaper clippings and asked what I thought he ought to do with them.

The envelope contained three old photos of Kossow -- including one with a group of policemen taken in 1896. There were also some old articles, including one from the Oct. 1, 1899 edition of the Milwaukee Sentinel, held together by tape. X

"I got it from a rummage sale in Franklin," Stachowiak told me. "She said she took care of John Kossow (junior) late in his life, and that he didn't have a next of kin, that she knew. She held on to a lot of his possessions after he passed but just didn't know what to do with them anymore. After showing interest and buying a couple other things from her, she just gave these to me."

The articles -- which, along the photographs, Stachowiak will offer as a donation to the Milwaukee Police Historical Society -- tell the nuts and bolts of the story.

Shortly before noon on Saturday, Sept. 30, 1899, Officer John Kossow -- reportedly well-known and well-liked on his South Side beat, where they called him "Big John" as a nod to his towering 6-6, 250-pound frame -- went to the home of Herman Mueller on 25th and Orchard after he was alerted to a domestic dispute.

Mueller, a 42-year-old tanner who had arrived from Germany nearly a decade earlier and earned $10 a week as a night watchman at Pfister and Vogel, had returned home at about 7:30 a.m., drunk, and argued with his second wife, in whose home the couple lived, along with their children, about a broken bed.

Mueller apparently brandished a large butchers knife and threatened to kill himself (and perhaps his wife, though he later denied both) before kicking over a stove and setting fire to some straw in the basement (it was 1899), which was extinguished. According to a newspaper report on the inquest, Mueller later said he'd been amusing himself "by pulling out wisps of straw and lighting them, although he had no intention of trying to set the house on fire."

By the time Kossow arrived, and was warned by Mrs. Mueller that it really wouldve been better had he arrived with a partner, Mueller was either asleep in a chair or, as his 11-year-old son later testified, pretending to sleep. Kossow put a hand on Muellers shoulder, setting him off.

Before Kossow knew it, the 6-2, 165-pound Mueller was up and on him. The two tussled around the house, choking one another, moving from room to room, knocking over furniture, and when, while in the kitchen, Kossows billy club fell, Mueller snatched it up and began to beat Kossow over the head. The officer fell, but Mueller continued his assault on the now prostrate policeman. X

As he lay dying beneath Muellers blows, Kossow is said to have appealed to his murderers humanity, saying, "Du bist doch ein mann?" (Surely, you are a man?)

So violently did he pummel Kossow that the Sentinel luridly reported that "the head of the patrolman was literally battered to pieces."

A neighbor saw Mueller flee with the club, fetch a bicycle and ride off. He entered the house and found Kossow moaning, near death.

Mueller, meanwhile, rode far and wide. While police responded to his home and quickly sent word out around town to be on the lookout, he headed west on National Avenue as far as the "West Milwaukee shops" and then north to Grand Avenue, where on 30th Street, two officers found Mueller walking his bicycle.

Mueller was apprehended quietly and without incident, allowing police to search him, and was found to be unarmed, though his pants were bloodied and he had a cut on his scalp.

The next day the Sentinel reported, "few members of the Milwaukee Police department were better known or better liked than John Kossow."

Born in 1864, Big John was appointed to the MPD in 1890 and worked for about five years in "the bad lands," between 3rd and 7th Streets, Grand Avenue north to Cedar (now Kilbourn). He transferred to the South Side, where he lived with his wife and three children (John Jr. would later become the fourth), in spring 1899 and his beat ranged from Muskego on the east to 27th Street, then the citys border, on the west, Greenfield Avenue south to Lincoln.

The Sentinel reported that Kossow, "not only had a splendid physique but he also possessed a cool head and had undaunted courage. On account of his great height Kossow always carried the banner when the police department was on parade."

Though Mueller initially appeared to confess, during a coroners inquest on Monday, he testified that he was assaulted first by Kossow and at a preliminary hearing on Wednesday at which he was held without bail and charged with murder, he pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Kossow was laid to rest at Forest Home Cemetery, attended by Police Chief John Janssen and a platoon of policemen.

Mueller was tried a few weeks later and found guilty and served 13 years at Waupun.

John Junior, who wouldve been about 2 when his father died, probably had few memories of his dad. But perhaps more than his little brother Clarence, the one who spoke to that anonymous reporter in 1931.

Clarence was born about a month after his father was killed.
This animation shows the sudden appearance of a bright aurora on Mars during a solar storm. The purple-white color scheme shows the intensity of ultraviolet light over the course of the event, from observations on Sept. 12 and 13, 2017, by the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph on NASA's MAVEN orbiter. Credit: NASA/Univ. of Colorado

An unexpectedly strong blast from the Sun hit Mars this month, observed by NASA missions in orbit and on the surface.

"NASA's distributed set of science missions is in the right place to detect activity on the Sun and examine the effects of such solar events at Mars as never possible before," said MAVEN Program Scientist Elsayed Talaat, program scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington, for NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, or MAVEN, mission.

The solar event on Sept. 11, 2017 sparked a global aurora at Mars more than 25 times brighter than any previously seen by the MAVEN orbiter, which has been studying the Martian atmosphere's interaction with the solar wind since 2014.

It produced radiation levels on the surface more than double any previously measured by the Curiosity rover's Radiation Assessment Detector, or RAD, since that mission's landing in 2012. The high readings lasted more than two days.

Strangely, it occurred in conjunction with a spate of solar activity during what is usually a quiet period in the Sun's 11-year sunspot and storm-activity cycle. This event was big enough to be detected at Earth too, even though Earth was on the opposite side of the Sun from Mars.

Energetic particles from a large solar storm in September 2017 were seen both in Mars orbit by NASA's MAVEN orbiter, and on the surface of Mars by NASA's Curiosity Mars rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Colorado/SwRI-Boulder/UC Berkeley

"The current solar cycle has been an odd one, with less activity than usual during the peak, and now we have this large event as we're approaching solar minimum," said Sonal Jain of the University of Colorado Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, who is a member of MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph instrument team.

"This is exactly the type of event both missions were designed to study, and it's the biggest we've seen on the surface so far," said RAD Principal Investigator Don Hassler of the Southwest Research Institute's Boulder, Colorado, office. "It will improve our understanding of how such solar events affect the Martian environment, from the top of the atmosphere all the way down to the surface."

RAD monitored radiation levels inside the encapsulated spacecraft that carried Curiosity from Earth to Mars in 2011 and 2012 and has been steadily monitoring the radiation environment at Mars' surface for more than five years.

RAD findings strengthen understanding of radiation's impact on Mars habitability, a key objective of the Curiosity mission. NASA is also using RAD findings for planning the safety of human-crew missions to Mars. Highly energetic solar events can significantly increase the radiation that penetrates through the atmosphere to the Mars surface. The increased radiation also interacts with the atmosphere to produce additional, secondary particles, which need to be understood and shielded against to ensure the safety of future human explorers.

"If you were outdoors on a Mars walk and learned that an event like this was imminent, you would definitely want to take shelter, just as you would if you were on a space walk outside the International Space Station," Hassler said. "To protect our astronauts on Mars in the future, we need to continue to provide this type of space weather monitoring there."

These profiles show the brightness of auroras in Mars' atmosphere at different altitudes. The solid black profile on the right is from a September 2017 solar storm. Barely visible along the vertical axis is a dashed profile from the previous brightest aurora seen by MAVEN, in March 2015. Credit: NASA/Univ. of Colorado

The Sun is always emitting a continuous stream of charged particles, mainly electrons and protons. Occasionally, eruptions called coronal mass ejections occur, with higher density, energy and speed of the ejected particles. These events vary in strength. Strong ones cause dramatic aurora displays on Earth, and very strong ones can disrupt communications. Some coronal mass ejections, such as this month's event, are broad enough in extent to affect planets in quite different directions from the Sun.

Jain said, "When a solar storm hits the Martian atmosphere, it can trigger auroras that light up the whole planet in ultraviolet light. The recent one lit up Mars like a light bulb. An aurora on Mars can envelope the entire planet because Mars has no strong magnetic field like Earth's to concentrate the aurora near polar regions. The energetic particles from the Sun also can be absorbed by the upper atmosphere, increasing its temperature and causing it to swell up."

Analysis of the data is just beginning. "We expect to get a better understanding of how the process operates in the upper atmosphere of Mars today, and a better understanding of how storms like this may have stripped away much of the Martian atmosphere in the past," said MAVEN Principal Investigator Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado Boulder. The loss of most of Mars' original atmosphere to space is linked to the planet's change from wet to dry, long ago.

Besides the observations by instruments on MAVEN and Curiosity, effects of the Sept. 11, 2017 event were also detected by instruments on NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and by the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter.
At least 28 civilians were killed in air strikes on northwestern Syria where a planned safe zone has been overshadowed by a bombing campaign against jihadists, a monitor said Saturday. Four children were among the dead in the overnight strikes on the town of Armanaz, in Idlib province near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based watchdog had earlier reported 12 dead in the strikes on the town in Harem district around 20 kilometres (12 miles) northwest of the provincial capital Idlib. An AFP correspondent who toured Armanaz on Saturday morning said entire apartment blocks had been flattened by the bombardment. The Observatory said it could not immediately determine whether the strikes had been carried out by warplanes of the Syrian government or its ally Russia. But they are the latest in an intensifying air campaign carried out by the two governments against jihadist fighters who control most of the province and are not party to a safe zone deal brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran. The surge in bombing raids has forced hospitals in the province to close, medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Friday. They were triggered by an offensive by jihadist fighters led by Al-Qaeda's former Syria affiliate launched against government-held villages in neighbouring Hama province on September 19. The jihadists control nearly all of Idlib province after driving out Islamist former allies earlier this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to step up efforts to establish a safe zone in Idlib as part of a wider agreement struck in May. Three other safe zones have already been set up -- in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, parts of the south and some areas of the central province of Homs. But in some of those areas too the fighting has continued. Shelling by the army killed at least 21 civilians in Eastern Ghouta on Saturday, more than half of them children, the Observatory said. The de-escalation agreement excludes both the Islamic State group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the alliance dominated by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate. The Islamic State group is under attack in its remaining strongholds in eastern Syria by both Russian-backed government forces and US-backed fighters. On Thursday, it mounted a counterattack against government forces along their supply lines through the desert to the eastern city of Deir Ezzor. At least 128 troops and militia were killed on Thursday and Friday as the army battled to restore control, the Observatory said. State media have reported the IS counterattack but have made no mention of the army's losses.
The EU warned Friday that Britain needs a miracle to unlock the next phase of Brexit talks by next month, as leaders discussed the post-Brexit reform vision of French President Emmanuel Macron. The talks in Tallinn, Estonia were supposed to be devoted to the digital future of Europe, but Britain's departure from the bloc and Macron's plans to reboot the union hijacked the agenda. The youthful French leader has given new impetus to a year of European soul-searching after the Brexit vote, even as the bloc tries to sort out the nitty-gritty before Britain leaves in March 2019. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned that there was next to no chance that the divorce talks would get far enough by the end of next month to move on to discussions on a future trade deal, a crucial demand of Britain. "By the end of October we will not have sufficient progress," Juncker said as he arrived for the second day of the summit. "I'm saying there will be no sufficient progress from now until October unless miracles will happen." EU leaders are set to decide at a summit on October 19-20 whether there has been "sufficient progress" on three key issues: Britain's exit bill, the fate of Northern Ireland, and the rights of EU citizens living in Britain. - 'Better vibe' - British Prime Minister Theresa May, however, insisted there had been "very good progress" on the rights of EU expatriates, following a major Brexit speech she gave in Florence, Italy, last week. EU negotiator Michel Barnier and his British counterpart David Davis wrapped up a fourth round of Brexit negotiations in Brussels on Thursday saying there had been progress following May's speech. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said there was a "better vibe and a better mood" coming from the talks, but added it was "still very evident there's more work to be done." German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the EU's most influential leader, said there had been "progress" and praised "very constructive" talks with May after a short bilateral in the Estonian capital. Estonia, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, bills itself as in the vanguard of the digital revolution and urged the summit to help promote tech in Europe. At the digital talks, Macron called on sceptical counterparts to overhaul tax rules so that more of the profits from Silicon Valley giants such as Facebook and Google fall into Europe's public coffers. In a closely-watched speech on Europe on Tuesday, Macron thundered against high tech companies that had become the "freeloaders of the modern world". Juncker said the EU will propose such a tax next year. - 'Wake-up call' - Macrons proposal was part of a wider vision that the 39-year-old leader unveiled in a landmark speech in Paris, aimed at reviving a European project hurt by Brexit, populism and the refugee crisis. "There's a collective wake-up call that a leap forward is indispensable in Europe," Macron said at the talks. At dinner in the Estonian capital on Thursday, EU national leaders held a debate about Macron's plans. Merkel, whose backing Macron sees as key for his ideas, indicated her support for Macron's new vision, giving a boost to the Franco-German alliance that must be strong to advance reform in the EU. "There is a wide agreement between France and Germany when it comes to the proposals, although we must work on the details," said Merkel. Other countries worried about France's ambition, which could leave more cautious countries behind. "Dividing Europe into several speeds, groups, clubs, small or big, is simply a mistake," said Beata Szydlo, prime minister of Poland whose government holds fraught relations with Brussels. The leaders discussed the ideas -- over courses of flank steak, salmon and rabbit liver -- during a "good and constructive debate", said European Council President Donald Tusk. Based on the discussion, Tusk, who coordinates EU summit meetings, said he will in two weeks unveil a programme for the bloc's leaders for 2017 and 2018.
Formula One inspectors have given the Sepang circuit the all-clear, race organisers said Saturday, after a loose drain caused a shocking tyre explosion during Malaysian Grand Prix practice on Friday. Romain Grosjean's Haas was flung into the barriers at high speed on Friday after a drain grille, which should have been welded down securely, popped up at a kerb on turn nine after Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari drove over it. "All drain covers were inspected last night. It was reinforced -- double checked, triple checked," the Sepang circuit's CEO Razlan Razali told AFP on Saturday. "If FIA do not say anything the race is good to go. We only listen to the FIA," he added ahead of Saturday's final practice and qualifying sessions. In the freak incident, Grosjean's car spun after he hit the raised metal drain cover at more than 200kph (124mph) causing huge damage to his Haas. The impact instantly ripped his right rear tyre from its rim and sent the out-of-control car careering into the safety barriers with an impact estimated at 17G (17 times the force of gravity). Following the Frenchman's crash, safety officials spent Friday evening checking every drain cover at the 5.543-kilometre circuit. "All drain covers were inspected last night. It was reinforced, double checked ... triple checked," Razlan said, adding that there had been an FIA inspection earlier in the week which had declared the track safe. "On Thursday, the FIA did a track inspection. We got a clean go to race," he said. The FIA stewards at Sepang gave Haas special permission to repair Grosjean's car due to the unusual nature of the incident. Under F1 rules, teams must normally observe a strict overnight curfew, during which they are not permitted to work on their cars. Officials said in a statement that it was because they "consider that the circumstances causing the crash of Car 8 were entirely and clearly beyond the control of the Driver and the Competitor." It came after an angry Haas team principal Guenther Steiner slammed the state of the track. "Thank God he didn't get hurt or anything," he said Friday. "The car is damaged, in my opinion, things like this in 2017 shouldn't happen on a permanent circuit, they shouldn't happen on any circuit. This is, in my opinion, not acceptable. This is not up to the standards." jsm/dh FERRARI NV
ROME (Reuters) - Libya's eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar was quoted on Friday as saying force must remain an option for imposing order in the country, though he added that a political solution would be preferable. Libya has been mired in turmoil since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ended Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, giving space to Islamist militants and smuggling networks that have sent hundreds of thousands of migrants to Europe via Italy. Italy and other Western states have tried to work with the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, but factions aligned with Haftar control eastern Libya and back a rival government. "It's obvious that we prefer the political routes, but when these don't work there must be other solutions," Haftar told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper in an interview. "We are defeating terrorism in Libya not through diplomatic channels, but with weapons." Haftar's comments came as United Nations envoy Ghassan Salame made a renewed push to get rival factions to sign up to a plan to stabilise Libya and take the country toward presidential and parliamentary elections. Haftar spoke to the Corriere after his first official visit to Italy on Tuesday. After the meeting, Italian Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti expressed hope that all parties would support Salame's "inclusive political strategy... excluding any military solution". Haftar also said Pinotti had agreed to train his soldiers and urged the revocation of a U.N. arms embargo "if European countries are interested in stopping migrants". He also criticised Italian efforts to convert armed groups on the Western coast into anti-smuggling police. "It's a big mistake. The Italian government should not be led astray by the militias... Tomorrow they will fight among themselves for a share of the spoils; it will be a never-ending blackmail," Haftar said. Some international media have reported that the leader of one such group, the Anas al-Dabbashi brigade, had received five million euros directly from Italy's secret services to stop the migrant boats. Italy has denied making any direct payments to armed groups. There has been a sharp reduction in migrant departures since the brigade, known previously as one of the country's biggest people smuggling gangs, clamped down on trafficking in July in exchange for promises of legitimacy and state security jobs from the GNA. Almost two weeks ago, fighting broke out in Sabratha between the Dabbashi brigade and its allies and rival cross-town factions. (Reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned that the only way to stop its nuclear deal from collapsing is for Europe to defy any US reimposition of sanctions. In an interview published Saturday by Britain's Guardian newspaper, Zarif said Iran would develop much more advanced nuclear technology -- though not for weapons purposes -- if Europe followed the United States in returning to a sanctions regime. "Europe should lead," he said during an interview in New York. The deal, agreed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers -- the United States, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany -- lifts economic sanctions put in place in 2005 in exchange for curbs to Tehran's nuclear programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responsible for verifying that Iran meets the terms of the agreement. US President Donald Trump has attacked the deal on numerous occasions, vowing to tear it up. On October 15, Trump is due to testify to Congress whether Tehran is complying with the deal and whether it remains in the United States' interests to stick by it. If he decides it is not, it could open the way for US lawmakers to reimpose sanctions, leading to the potential collapse of the agreement. "I think he has made a policy of being unpredictable, and now he's turning that into being unreliable as well," Zarif said. "My assumption and guess is that he will not certify and then will allow Congress to take the decision." He said that if the United States scuppers the deal, the decision would prove counter-productive. "The deal allowed Iran to continue its research and development. So we have improved our technological base," he said. "If we decide to walk away from the deal we would be walking away with better technology. It will always be peaceful... but we will not observe the limitations that were agreed on as part of the bargain." Zarif said "walking away" was one of the options being considered by Tehran. "If Europe and Japan and Russia and China decided to go along with the United States, then I think that will be the end of the deal," he said. Washington on Thursday pressed for the IAEA to carry out more nuclear inspections in Iran, warning that failure to do so would make the nuclear deal with Tehran "an empty promise".
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian troops that took part in war games in neighbouring Belarus have returned to their bases, a Russian general said on Saturday. "As for units of Russian forces that took part in a mutual strategic military exercises 'Zapad 2017', they all returned to their permanent disposition," TASS news agency quoted Major-General Igor Konashenkov as saying. "Zapad" is the Russian word for "west". Konashenkov spoke after Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Viktor Muzhenko said Russia had left troops behind after staging the war games despite promising not to. Relations between Kiev and Moscow nosedived after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and supported the outbreak of a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people. Muzhenko told Reuters that Russia had withdrawn only a few units from Belarus and had lied about how many of its soldiers were there in the first place. Konashenkov said Muzhenko's remarks on Russian troops in Belarus were a fantasy. He said the comments were "a reason for an immediate resignation for such an executive officer," referring to Muzhenko. A Belarussian defence ministry spokesman said the last train of Russian troops and equipment had left Belarus on Thursday, Sept. 28. (Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Spain has freed a journalist whose arrest provoked widespread condemnation from human rights organisations, announcing Friday that he would not be extradited to Turkey as requested by Ankara. Turkish-Swedish journalist Hamza Yalcin was arrested on August 3 at Barcelona's El Prat airport on a warrant issued by Turkey, which accuses him of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and having links to an unspecified "terror group". Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo said Friday the government had decided not to pursue the extradition process. "The Passive Extradition Act and the Convention on the Status of Refugees stipulates that extradition cannot be granted when the person has been granted refugee status," Mendez de Vigo said. "The Swedish authorities have twice granted asylum to Yalcin, who had refugee status until obtaining Swedish nationality in 2016." A judge freed Yalcin on Thursday. Yalcin's release comes as alarm grows over press freedom in Turkey, with dozens of journalists detained and foreign reporters also caught up in a crackdown under the state of emergency imposed after last year's coup attempt. According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency, Yalcin, who writes for Odak, a left-wing online magazine critical of the government, should be tried for insulting Erdogan and making "propaganda" for a "terrorist group". Turkey ranks 155 on Reporters Without Borders' latest press freedom index, below Belarus and the Democratic Republic of Congo, after dropping four places from its 2016 ranking.
By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November for the first time since becoming president, stopping in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines on a trip expected to be dominated by the North Korea nuclear threat. Joined by his wife Melania, Trump will travel Nov. 3-14. His visit will include attending two major summits, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations conclave in the Philippines. Trump's attendance at the Manila summit had been in doubt until recent days, with officials saying he was reluctant to show support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been responsible for a number of anti-American outbursts. A U.S. official said Asian leaders who met Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week helped persuade him to attend in unity with key Asian allies. An Asian diplomat welcomed Trump's decision to visit Manila "because that reassures the region that Asia policy is not just about North Korea, its about Southeast Asia as well." The diplomat said Trumps decision to withdraw from the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal early this year had raised questions about the administrations commitment to the region. But visits by senior officials, including the secretaries of state, defense and commerce, and Trumps planned trip, showed Washington intended to remain engaged. Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Duterte was looking forward to meeting Trump, adding that the relationship between the two countries was so resilient that ties would always recover, regardless of disagreements. Trump, who has been locked in an increasingly bitter war of words with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will have the opportunity to bolster allied resolve for what he calls the "complete denuclearization" of Pyongyang. He has denounced Kim as a "rocket man" on a suicide mission for test launches of ballistic missiles and for nuclear weapon tests. He has warned North Korea would face total devastation if it threatens the United States. Kim has blasted Trump as "mentally deranged." "The president's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the White House said in announcing the trip. Trump's visit to China will reciprocate a trip to the United States made in April by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump has applied heavy pressure on China to rein in North Korea. While his efforts have had limited success thus far, he went out of his way to thank Xi on Tuesday for his efforts. "I applaud China for breaking off all banking relationships with North Korea - something that people would have thought unthinkable even two months ago. I want to thank President Xi," Trump said at a news conference with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Speaking in Beijing, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told China's top diplomat State Councilor Yang Jiechi that the two presidents had established a "very regular and close working relationship". Yang described Trump's visit as of great importance to the bilateral relationship. "Let us concentrate on cooperation and properly manage our differences in a spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefit," he said to Tillerson. At the same time, Trump's national security team is conducting a broad review of U.S. strategy toward China in search of ways to counter Chinese trade practices and open up market access, a senior administration official said. The United States also considers Chinese entities behind the theft of intellectual property and cyber attacks and wants to find ways to address these concerns, the official said. There was no definite timetable for concluding the review. "We're looking at all of it," the official said. (Reporting by Steve Holland, additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON, Phil Stewart in BEIJING and Martin Petty in MANILA; Editing by Andrew Hay and Richard Pullin)
Ag Growth International Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes grain and rice handling, storage, and conditioning equipment in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company offers storage equipment comprising grain and bolted bins, hopper bins, smooth wall bins, temporary storage equipment, unloads and sweeps, water tanks, fuel tanks; and conditioning equipment, such as mixed flow dryers, fans and heaters, aerations, airaugers, aeration floors, vents and exhausters, stirrings, and accessories. It also provides portable handling equipment, such as portable augers, conveyors, grain vacs, post pounders, seed treaters, and accessories; and permanent handling equipment, including bucket elevators, chain and belt conveyors, enclosed belt conveyors, distributors, feed handling equipment, screw feeders and conveyors, and spouts and connections. In addition, the company offers towers, catwalks, ladders, all-steel buildings, flat storage buildings; batch blenders, bulk scales, declining weight blenders, vertical blenders, micro-dosing systems, mixers, milling equipment; and controllers, hazard monitoring equipment, monitoring and automation equipment, sampling solutions. Further, it provides cleaning and destoners, rice milling and processing equipment, bin unloads, blending and control systems, Liquid and dry fertilizer blending and conveying equipment, turnkey design and build construction solutions for seed and fertilizer facilities, and farm management software. The company markets its products under the AGI, Airlanco, Batco, Brownie, CMC, Compass, Danmare, Ezee-dry, Frame, Grain Guard, Grainmaxx, Hi Roller, Hutchinson, Improtech, Junge, Keho, Mayrath, Milltec, MMS, Neco, PTM, REM, Sabe, Sentinel, Storm, Suretrack, Tramco, Twister, Westeel, Westfield, Wheatheart, and Yargus brand names. It provides its equipment for agricultural commodities. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada.
VMware, Inc. provides software solutions in the areas of modern applications, cloud management and infrastructure, networking, security, and digital workspaces in the United States and internationally. It offers VMware multi-cloud solutions, including VMware vSphere, a data center infrastructure that provides the fundamental compute layer; vSAN and VxRail, which offers holistic data storage and protection options to applications running on vSphere; and vRealize Cloud Management solutions that manages hybrid and multi-cloud environments running in virtual machines and containers, as well as VMware Cloud Foundation, a cloud platform that combines its vSphere, vSAN, and NSX with vRealize Cloud Management into an integrated stack and delivers enterprise-ready cloud infrastructure for private and public clouds. The company also provides networking solutions, such as VMware NSX, NSX Distributed and Gateway Firewalls, NSX Network Detection and Response Engine, NSX Advanced Load Balancer, Tanzu Service Mesh, and VMware SASE; security solutions consisting of VMware Carbon Black Endpoint, Workload, and Container; and digital workspace solutions comprising Workspace ONE Unified Endpoint Management, Access, Intelligent Hub, and Horizon. In addition, it offers application modernization solutions, such as Tanzu Application and Operations Platform, Tanzu Application Service Platform, Tanzu Observability, Tanzu Community Edition, and Tanzu Labs; and cloud management solutions, including vRealize Cloud Management, vCloud Suite, and CloudHealth by VMware Suite. The company sells its products through distributors, resellers, system vendors, and systems integrators. VMware, Inc. has a strategic alliance with Amazon Web Services to build and deliver an integrated hybrid solution. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
By Ibrahim A Manzil

Opposition Dr. Kiiza Besigye has asked Ugandans who drive to work to leave their cars at home once every week in protest against the campaign on scrapping the presidential age limit from the constitution.

Addressing a news conference at his office locate on Katonga Road in Kampala, Dr Besigye has asked the elite to abandon their air conditioned vehicles once a week.

The opposition leader says it is time for the elite to show solidarity with the rest of the population.

Flanked by Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago, Dr Besigye, has lashed out at the Uganda Communications Commission and its Executive Director Godfrey Mutabazi for what he called stifling the media.

On Wednesday, after a chaotic Parliamentary session during which plain clothed security officials arrested suspended MPs from the Chambers, Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi was granted leave to introduce a Private Members Bill.

The Constitutional Amendment Bill 2017 seeks to, among other things, seek to delete Article 102 (b) from the 1995 constitution, which places a 75 year cap on prospective presidential candidates.
By Francis Mugerwa

37 magistrates and registrars have been transferred.

This is been confirmed by the Chief registrar Paul Gadenya in an internal memo to judicial officers dated September 29th.

Wolimbwa says the transfers have been made in Court registries and magistracy.

Transfers of registrars and magistrates will take effect on 10th October and 1st November 2017, respectively. All the affected judicial officers should arrange to hand over their offices in accordance with chapter 1, section F-d of the standing orders of Government of Uganda Wolimbwa said.

He says these are normal transfers and some of them are as a result of filling gaps while others are a result of the need in other courts.

The memo is addressed to all justices of the Supreme Court, justices of the Court of appeal, Judges of the High Court, all registrars, all deputy registrars, assistant registrars, Chief magistrates,Grade one and Grade two magistrates.

The memo referenced HC/CR/JTO.1, is also copied to the Chief Justice Bart Katureebe, the Deputy Chief Justice, the Principal Judge Dr Yorokam Bamwine and the Permanent secretary to the Judiciary.

Among those transferred is Lilian Bucyana who has been a Nakawa chief magistrate and is now the Assistant Registrar on assignment at commercial court & small scale procedure courts.

Esther Nambayo who has been deputy registrar land division moves to the court of appeal among other transfers.
Blood donation has been the topic in our country for which severe organisations are working for, to raise awareness and save more lives. Meanwhile, Facebook is all set to launch its new feature regarding the issue, on 1st October.

Facebook is about to launch a blood donation feature which will connect the donors to the blood banks and even the person who is in need. The feature, which is designed for India, will launch on Sunday.

Facebook users who are willing to donate blood can sign up as donors, then they will be asked for the blood group and whether they have donated blood before or not. Also, if someone is in need, then the individual can generate a particular kind of post which will contain the information like required blood group, contact person name and number and hospital name so that the donors can contact quickly.

Ritesh Mehta, Head of Programs for Facebook South Asia, said that India faces the problem of shortage of safe blood, like many other countries. So the people turn to Facebook and WhatsApp to find the donors.

Hema Budaraju who is Product Manager, Health, Facebook said that the critical information of donors such as blood group and whether they have donated the blood or not. These will remain private, and the user can set it to only me by default. Also, people can share donor status on their timelines.

Blood banks, hospitals, health industry experts, and people who have used Facebook to find blood donors, are informed about to the new initiative from Facebook. The unique feature will be rolled out in India first and will be available on Android and Mobile Web.

Once the request is created, Facebook will notify the blood donors automatically, who may be nearby. Also, Donors can contact the requestor directly through WhatsApp, Messenger, or a phone call.

As stated in The Hindu, at the national level, there is a requirement of 1.2 crore blood units per annum. But the country grapples with 10% to 20% shortage overall, with some states showing a shortfall, and a few others collecting excess blood units, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Facebooks blood donation feature is a great initiative by the company, Which can help many people and save many lives. Please make awareness regarding the same to make people learn about new possibilities.
By Sandrine Bradley and Tessa Walsh LONDON (Reuters) - Qatari banks and financial institutions in neighbouring countries that have severed diplomatic and transport ties are assessing their exposure to each other and seeking to sell loans in the secondary market as the crisis threatens to deepen. Qatars economy has been under pressure since June 5 when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed travel and trade restrictions and accused Qatar of backing terrorism, a charge that Doha denies. Banks on both sides are concerned that the situation is deteriorating and could further affect regional and global business. Lenders are reviewing existing exposure while writing new loans remains on hold. Qatari banks have been selling non-strategic loans for several months, mainly in countries that have sanctioned them, and banks in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt are now starting to look at their Qatar exposure, loan bankers said. There is starting to be a two-way effect, its taken this long to develop. A lot of institutions have cross-border exposure and all regions are thinking about how to balance it, a senior Qatar-based banker said. Economic sanctions have not yet been imposed and banks are still able to buy loans from each other, but some are opting to use third-party counterparties due to sensitivities. Other solutions, including asset swaps, are also being considered. Banks might consider doing something like swapping assets, the senior Qatar-based banker said. The imposition of economic sanctions could accelerate loan sales and even prompt mandatory repayment if illegality clauses in loan documents are triggered, which could put Qatari banks liquidity under further pressure, bankers said. Qatar has injected about US$38.5bn of its US$340bn reserves into its economy to cushion the impact of its neighbours embargo, according to a Moody's report. Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority, has deposited billions of dollars in local banks to prevent them from suffering funding squeezes after banks from the states imposing sanctions pulled out deposits and loans from Qatar. Official data show Qatar deposited US$10.9bn in its banks during June, and commercial bankers believe it has probably deposited more money since then, Reuters reported last month. FOR SALE Qatari banks have been quietly offering portfolios of performing loans to Middle East bank buyers and loan traders in London in recent months as business has slowed and their liquidity is squeezed, but they are looking for high prices. "Qatari banks are selling assets. All have had liquidity issues - loans are being sold and bond positions too," a senior banker said. Moodys changed the outlook on Qatars banking system to negative from stable in August due to weakening operating conditions and continued funding pressures facing Qatari banks. Commercial Bank of Qatar, the countrys third-largest bank, is in talks to sell its minority stake in Abu Dhabi-listed United Arab Bank , and a unit of Doha Bank , Qatars fifth-largest lender, is seeking to sell some of its assets in the United Arab Emirates to local lenders, Reuters reported. Were adapting to the situation and seeing what is the best way to position the bank, the senior Qatar-based banker said. "We dont know what will occur in the new normal and are positioning our balance sheet accordingly." Banks in the UAE, Saudi, Bahrain and Egypt have also started to review their Qatari exposure in recent weeks, loan bankers said. They are not currently under pressure to sell existing exposure, but are not writing any new business. The bigger banks in the UAE and Saudi are looking at reducing their Qatari exposure and are in the process of looking at what they want to do with it, the senior loan banker said. (Editing by Christopher Mangham)
Much of Europe was scorched this summer from numerous forest fires. In Spain, goats and sheep are helping to fight the blazes  one nibble at a time.

Dubbed "Goat Fire Brigades," the animals are part of a pilot programme in the Girona region of northern Spain, run by Pau Costa Foundation.

Tapping into an old agricultural practice, the herds are set out to graze in strategic areas of the forest identified as being at risk from fires.

The local breeds, particularly suited to the terrain, make quick work of munching through overgrown trees and scrubland vegetation. This not only deprives fires of fuel, but also creates cleared areas for fire crews to easily reach the forest. It's simple, cheap and effective, and also gives the shepherds a unique selling point for their products.

This summer hotter temperatures, high winds, and poorly managed forest and scrubland have sparked devastating wildfires across Europe, including France, Portugal, Italy, and Spain.



Produced by David Ibekwe

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TALLINN (Reuters) - The European Commission will propose new rules next year to ensure that the online sector pays its fair share of taxes, its president Jean-Claude Juncker said on Friday. Critics say online firms such as Google or Facebook pay too little tax in the EU by routing profits to low-rate countries such as Luxembourg or Ireland. The EU has threatened to move ahead alone rather than wait for the world's rich nations to find an accord. "We are of the opinion that in the digital sector, tax has to be paid where it is due, be it online or be it offline," Juncker told a news conference after a summit of EU leaders in Estonia. "The Commission will propose next year new rules on fair and effective taxation that provides legal certainty and a level playing field for all," he added. Not all EU countries agree on how the digital sector should be taxed, but Juncker said he believed they would reach a deal. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Robert-Jan Bartunek; Editing by Alissa de Carbonnel)
By Prak Chan Thul and Matthew Tostevin PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Around half the opposition members of Cambodias parliament have left the country in fear of a crackdown by Prime Minister Hun Sens government, a deputy party leader said. The leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Kem Sokha, was arrested on Sept. 3 and charged with treason for an alleged plot to take power with U.S. help. The government has said there could be more arrests linked to the alleged plot, which the opposition says is just a ploy to ensure Hun Sen keeps his more than three-decade hold on power in next years general election. Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) has a slim majority in the 123-member parliament, which voted on Sept. 11 to allow the prosecution of Kem Sokha in a vote boycotted by opposition members. About half are out of the country in fear, Mu Sochua, one of three deputies to Kem Sokha told Reuters on Friday. Im taking my chances. We cannot live in fear and let the fear paralyse us. She said the party was still in contact with those members outside the country as the opposition tries to rally international pressure on the government. A spokesman for the ruling party said it was an internal issue for the CNRP if its members were abroad. Spokesman Sok Eysan said the CPP believed in a culture of dialogue but Kem Sokhas criminal act had destroyed it. The ship has left the port so its already too late, said Sok Eysan. The government has said Kem Sokhas party could be dissolved if it doesnt drop him as its leader, something the CNRP has said it will not do. While Western countries have condemned the arrest of Kem Sokha and called for his release, Hun Sen has support from his close ally China, by far the biggest donor to one of Southeast Asias poorest countries. Mu Sochua said she was still hopeful that Western countries would take stronger action against the government, but did not specify what. A statement alone is not going to help, she said. The evidence presented against Kem Sokha so far is a video from 2013 in which he tells supporters that he has support from unidentified Americans for a plan to gain power. The opposition says it is evidence of an election strategy, not a coup plot. (writing by Matthew Tostevin; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Enter a Virginia Tech connection. Luong reached out to Jessica Bowling Goddard, a College of Architecture and Urban Studies graduate from 2008 and a friend from his days on the Blacksburg campus. Since graduation, Goddard had relocated to Fort Mill, South Carolina, where she opened MOOSH Creative, a website-building business.

Luong asked Goddard if she could build a website to get information to residents, solicit and organize volunteers, and to funnel potential donors to the neighborhoods GoFundMe site.

Goddard not only took on the project, which resulted in the website https://rebuildbriarhills.org/, she completed it by the end of the long Labor Day weekend. And she did it all for free.

Even as a Hokie grounded in the ethic of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Luong was still stunned by Goddards rapid response.

It had been an emotional week for everyone, but it brought me to tears to know that she did this for us this quickly for nothing, Luong said. Our website is up and running now. We've been able to reach out to the community through our website and have more volunteers than we know what to do with. We're able to direct resources to those who need it now and preserve other resources for those who will need it once the waters recede.

Ive seen 'Hokies United' time and again since 2007, but this is the first time that it has personally sunk in what that means. Jessica truly exemplifies what this means, Luong said.
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. engages in designing, building, overhauling, and repairing military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls Shipbuilding, Newport News Shipbuilding, and Technical Solutions. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. It also provides nuclear-powered ships, such as aircraft carriers and submarines, as well as refueling and overhaul, and inactivation services of ships. In addition, the company offers naval nuclear support services, including fleet services comprising design, construction, maintenance, and disposal activities for in-service the U.S. Navy nuclear ships; and maintenance services on nuclear reactor prototypes. Further, it provides life-cycle sustainment services to the U.S. Navy fleet and other maritime customers; high-end information technology and mission-based solutions for Department of Defense (DoD), intelligence, and federal civilian customers; nuclear management and operations and environmental management services for the Department of Energy, DoD, state and local governments, and private sector companies; defense and federal solutions; and unmanned systems. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Newport News, Virginia.
Ethics board subpoenas DCI for investigation into Noem's state airplane use

The Government Accountability Board subpoenaed the DCI for a report relating to an investigation if Gov. Kristi Noem misused the state airplane.
An Albuquerque man is facing multiple sex trafficking charges after federal agents say he forced five adults and one juvenile to engage in prostitution over the course of several years, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Elizabeth Martinez said Adonis Baker, 32, of Albuquerque is charged with forcing five adult victims and one juvenile victim to engage in commercial sex acts and with transporting them across state lines. She said Baker pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday and was ordered to remain in jail until his trial.

Agents also arrested Leotha Williams, 56, of Tennessee, in Little Rock, Arkansas earlier this week. He faces one count of forcing an adult to engage in commercial sex trafficking and transporting that victim across state lines.

Williams is being transported to New Mexico to face these charges, Martinez said.

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office and the Albuquerque Police Department, Martinez said.

She did not give any additional additional details and court documents were not available Friday.
New Mexicos universities have condensed more than 63 percent of their degree programs into 120 credit hours, thus lessening the time and money students need to spend on their education, Gov. Susana Martinez said Friday.

Speaking in Albuquerque at her annual higher education summit, the governor said the streamlining helps get students into jobs faster and challenges the states public institutions to continue moving in that direction. She singled out New Mexico Highlands University, where 92 percent of degrees require only 120 hours, and Eastern New Mexico University  nearly 90 percent  for their efforts.

Students who take more than four years to finish a bachelors degree face an extra $68,153 in costs for each additional year  including the cost of attendance and lost wages  according to the nonprofit, Complete College America.

The governor spoke about the importance of designing efficient and relevant degree programs, citing her own college experience. A University of Texas at El Paso graduate, Martinez said she had to reckon with extreme credit requirements to finish her bachelors degree in four years  as a criminal justice major, she said she still had to take a weather course.

Why I needed to know (about clouds), I dont know, but I couldnt graduate without it, she said. So thats a lot of the work thats being done  to say Why is that course there? Other than to make money, other than to have a student pay for (it), other than to delay that student (getting) in the workforce.

The University of New Mexico, the states largest university, publicly announced in 2014 its intention to focus more degree programs into 120 hours. It has reduced credit requirements in 87 percent of its programs, according to a spokeswoman, with 72 percent down to 120 hours.

Interim President Chaouki Abdallah cited the lowered credit-hour requirements among the key contributing factors to the universitys improved graduation rates. UNMs four-year graduation rate has nearly doubled to 29.4 percent since 2012.
The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government will honor three individuals and an organization as champions of transparency during its annual luncheon on Wednesday.

Speaking at the event will be James Neff, a prize-winning author and the Philadelphia Media Groups deputy managing editor for investigations and projects. Neffs books include: The Wrong Man: The Final Verdict on the Dr. Sam Sheppard Murder Case; Vendetta, a book about Robert F. Kennedys war against Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa; and Mobbed Up, a biography of Teamster president Jackie Presser, adapted into an HBO movie.

Receiving this years Dixon First Amendment Awards are: whistleblower and citizen advocate Sondra Everhart, data journalist Sandra Fish, attorney A. Blair Dunn and Animal Village New Mexico.

Doors open at 11 a.m. at Embassy Suites in Albuquerque, with the program starting at 11:30.

I am very excited about this years group of awardees, said FOG President Gregory P. Williams. It is inspiring to have so many people in our state fighting to open up our government.

The awards have been presented since 2002 in memory of FOG co-founder and longtime board member William S. Dixon. They recognize individuals who, like Dixon, are advocates for the First Amendment and the states sunshine laws.

Everhart was an ombudsman for nursing and assistant-living homes. She was terminated after releasing public documents about substandard housing that mentally ill patients live in following their release from the state Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, N.M.

Fish is being honored in the journalism category because of her reporting initiatives for New Mexico In Depth since 2014, which advanced transparency in New Mexico government, especially in lobbyist spending, capital outlay funding and in following the flow of money in politics. Fish said the states open records laws are essential to the work of journalists.

Dunn is being honored in the legal category. He has represented plaintiffs in several public records disputes and has taken on a mayor, the state Attorney Generals Office and even judges, among others.

ANIMAL VILLAGE NEW MEXICO is based in Alamogordo, and is being honored in the organization category. The group spent 17 months trying to, and eventually obtaining public records on, two puppy mills from Dona Ana County through the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. The county was eventually ordered to hand over the records and to pay more than $90,000 in damages and attorney fees. Las Cruces attorney Peter Goodman represented Animal Village.

If you go

WHAT: New Mexico Foundation for Open Governments annual Dixon First Amendment Awards luncheon.

WHEN: Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: Embassy Suites, 1000 Woodward Place NE, Albuquerque.

COST: $60 per person. All proceeds benefit NMFOG. For tickets, visit nmfog.org. Deadline for purchasing tickets is Monday.
David Ortiz, a former Santa Fe Fiesta Council president and assistant sergeant at arms for the New Mexico state Senate, died Thursday at the age of 64 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Ortiz served as the president of the Fiesta Council from 2014-2015. Ray Sandoval, who worked with him closely as the event chairman for the burning of Zozobra, said Ortiz dedicated his life to upholding Santa Fes culture and traditions.

Its a huge loss for our community, he said. David was just a powerhouse and very instrumental with keeping our traditions alive.

Sandoval described Ortiz as warm-hearted and funny as well as a blatantly honest person.

Being of Native American descent, Ortiz was candid about his struggles with how that side of his history fit in with traditions like the Fiestas Entrada pageant, according to Sandoval, but he still loved the old customs and strived to make relations between all groups better.

This year, Mayor Javier Gonzales declared July 22, Ortizs birthday, as David A. Ortiz Day because of his contributions to the city. In addition to working for the Senate and Fiesta Council, he also served as Gov. Jack Campbells personal chauffeur in the 1960s and more recently volunteered for organizations like The Neighborhood Housing Service and Youthworks. Her served as the assistant sergeant of arms at the Senate from 2005 to 2015, according to the Chief Clerks Office.

Even in his illness, Ortiz attended the 2017 Zozobra and Fiesta celebrations in early September, which he Sandoval called a testament to Ortizs strength and will. Santa Fe Fiesta announced his passing on Facebook, writing The Santa Fe Fiesta, Inc. expresses its deepest condolences to the Ortiz family at this difficult time.

Those who knew Ortiz should remember the lessons he taught everyone about reaching out to those struggling and being a helping hand, said City Councilor Signe Lindell.

She met him through his involvement with Fiesta when she became a councilor in 2014 and they were good friends ever since.

He had a skill for forming community with everyone that he met, said Lindell. He had a friendliness. One of the great things David did was make everyone feel like they were (included).

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and three sons.
NEW YORK  A U.S. citizen who joined al-Qaida was convicted on Friday of participating in a failed suicide bombing in 2009 at an American military base in Afghanistan.

A federal jury in New York reached the verdict in the case against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, whos originally from Houston.

Farekhs case drew extra attention because of reports that American officials had initially debated whether to try to kill him in a drone strike, a step almost never taken against U.S. citizens. President Barack Obamas administration ultimately decided to try for a capture and civilian prosecution instead.

Farekh was captured in Pakistan and brought to the U.S. in 2015.

Today, an American al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a U.S. courtroom, said Bridget Rohde, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, using an alternate spelling for the militant groups name.

She said Farekh faces the possibility of life in prison for his efforts to murder Americans and his commitment to one of the worlds most infamous terrorist organizations.

There was no immediate response from Farekhs lawyer, Sean Maher. He had argued the forensic evidence was too weak to convict Farekh, calling fingerprint experts testimony junk science in a closing argument.

Most of the charges against Farekh stem from an attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost City, Afghanistan, on Jan. 19, 2009.

The attackers drove two vehicles rigged with explosives. An initial blast injured several Afghans, including a pregnant woman, but a much larger bomb failed to go off, sparing the lives of American soldiers.

The jury heard testimony about how forensic technicians in Afghanistan recovered 18 of Farekhs fingerprints on packing tape used to bind the detonators on the unexploded bomb.

Farekh was convicted of conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb a government facility and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

During the trial, the jury also heard testimony from Zarein Ahmedzay, one of three men convicted in a thwarted plot to bomb New Yorks subway system. Ahmedzay told jurors he was trained by an al-Qaida operative identified by prosecutors as a co-conspirator of Farekhs who traveled with him from Canada to Pakistan in 2007.

Deliberations were briefly interrupted when the judge learned the defendants father had encountered four jurors in an elevator and complained to them that hed been denied direct contact with him. The judge decided to replace the jurors with three alternates and ordered the deliberations to continue with a panel of 11 instead of the usual 12.
SANTA FE  A Santa Fe district court judge this week ordered that a former Northern New Mexico College employee who won a whistleblower lawsuit against the college be immediately reinstated to her previous position, or to one in which she is qualified at the same rate of pay, and awarded her attorneys fees.

But Judge Francis J. Mathew also cut back the amount the employee had been awarded previously by about $200,000.

Melissa Velasquez, who had served as director of NNMCs El Rito campus and earned approximately $85,000 in salaries and benefits prior to being fired in 2014, is still to receive more than $475,000 in lost wages, interest and emotional distress. That amount includes $200,785 in attorneys fees that the judge awarded.

But an attorney for the college has already filed a notice of appeal. One of the orders Mathew signed this week was denial of a defense motion for a new trial.

When asked on what grounds the college planned to appeal, NNMC attorney Mark Komer referred questions to the states General Services Department, which did not immediately respond to emailed questions on Friday.

Komer said the college will identify its grounds for appeal in a court document due within the next 30 days. He said that because the case is being appealed, Velasquezs reinstatement remains up in the air.

Velasquezs attorney, Christopher Moody, said he hoped the college would do what the judge ordered it to do. We tried this case to a 12-person jury and they unanimously agreed with our case, he said. Were disappointed that the judge cut the amount  but were confident that on appeal the damages will be reinstated.

Velasquezs lawsuit claimed that she was demoted from her position as director of the El Rito campus to coordinator of continuing education at the colleges main campus in Espanola after she reported financial abuses. She was later fired after she took various complaints  about malfeasance by college regents, mistreatment of women at the college, and waste and fraud in grant programs  to the state Auditors Office, the Higher Education Department and Gov. Susana Martinez.

NNMC had claimed she was let go as part of reduction in workforce while the college was in the midst of a financial crunch.

A Santa Fe jury sided with Velasquez and awarded her $420,000 in May. Before his actions this week, Mathew had increased the amount to $676,402, doubling what the jury had awarded for lost wages.
WASHINGTON  A 29-year-old bank teller stole more than $185,000 from a homeless customer who tried to deposit a garbage bag full of cash at a Wells Fargo branch in Georgetown, according to court filings and attorneys in the case.

In a deal with prosecutors, Phelon Davis of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty Thursday to one federal felony count of interstate transportation of stolen property, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The victim was unnamed in court filings but was described as a homeless street vendor and longtime Wells Fargo customer who had more than one account that had gone dormant because of a lack of activity.

Court filings did not identify the customer or say why a homeless person would have a large amount of cash in a bag when he showed up at the branch where Davis worked. Outside the courtroom, Davis attorney, Bruce Allen Johnson Jr., said he also did not know how the individual came to have the cache of cash. Thats the million-dollar question, Johnson said.

In plea papers, Davis acknowledged that the customer had thousands of dollars of cash that he wanted to deposit in October 2014, but he lacked identification. Davis told the customer where to get ID documents and a Social Security card, and also noted the customer had a surprisingly large balance with the bank, according to a signed, three-page statement of the crime.

On two consecutive days that October, Davis fraudulently opened a new account by forging the customers signature, set up an ATM card, personal identification number, email address and online login that Davis controlled, and funded the account with $3,000 from one of the customers other accounts, according to the court filing.

Over the next two years, the filing disclosed, Davis transferred $177,400 between the customers accounts, withdrew $185,440, and transported at least $5,000 from automated teller machines in the District of Columbia across state lines to his home in Maryland, the basis of the federal charge.

The customer did not receive mailed statements, use email or have access to a computer and so remained oblivious. The customer could see the balance of only one of the checking accounts at an ATM, Davis and prosecutors agreed.

Davis used the stolen money for the down payment on his home, to pay off personal debt, and to fund vacations in Aruba, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.

Court documents did not say how Davis was caught. He was charged July 19.

As part of his plea, Davis agreed to pay back the stolen money, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman said he would probably face a sentence of 18 to 30 months under federal guidelines. U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan of the District would be free to go higher or lower.

Did you, in fact, take money from an account as Mr. Kleinman described? U.S. Magistrate Robin Meriweather asked in the Thursday plea hearing.

Yes, maam, I did, said the soft-spoken Davis.

Daviss attorney, Johnson, said outside of court that he greatly regrets the decisions he made and is dedicated to doing everything he can to make it right, including restitution. He is putting everything aside to repay the money and do what he can to repair what hes done to his name, his reputation and to the victim.

A sentencing date has not been set.
SANTA FE  There is a disagreement over transparency in the way public money is spent in Las Vegas, N.M., so the City Council has asked the State Auditor to come in and initiate a special investigation into city business.

Las Vegas City Councilor Barbara Casey said Friday the council asked representatives from the State Auditors office to give a presentation to councilors Monday on the process of a special investigation and later voted 3-1 in favor of asking for one. She said councilors havent been getting clear answers on how money is being spent from City Manager Richard Trujillo or Finance Director Ann Marie Gallegos.

We requested an audit from the state auditor because we felt we needed more transparency with financial transactions and personnel issues, Casey said.

We ask questions and dont get adequate answers from anybody. We need to know and feel confident that what we voted on was brought about ethically. We dont want to approve something just based on what they say. We act in good faith, but we dont really know whats going on sometimes.

State Auditor Tim Keller confirmed in a press release Friday that his office will look into conflicts of interest with a city vendor, contracting without seeking competitive prices, and budget adjustments without the approval of the Las Vegas City Council.

We are going to look into concerns about whether the City of Las Vegas has followed the rules when it comes to purchasing, Keller said. Competitive bidding and other practices are designed to safeguard tax dollars from patronage, fraud and abuse. We appreciate the cooperation of the City as we work to get to the bottom of this.

In one instance, Casey said the city ordered a street paving machine worth roughly $260,000, but it was sent back after workers said they werent comfortable using it. She then said councilors got the runaround when they asked where the money to pay for the machine was returned to.

We asked where the money went, and we were told that they didnt know where the money was, that its in the system, Casey said. Then we were told it was in the general fund. We got three different stories three different times, so thats why we asked whats going on.

Trujillo said the equipment never left the trailer it was delivered on and was never paid for, so the money stayed in the general fund. He said the money for that machine then went towards improvements at the Abe Montoya Recreation center.

Several (street maintenance workers) told me it was not conducive to what they do, Trujillo said. They told me it was to complicated for them to use, so we sent it back. The money went back into the general fund, and we explained that to the council two or three times.

Gallegos said she and Trujillo are always available for councilors questions. We provide them with a monthly report and try to answer their questions as accurately and as quickly as we can, she said. We try to be as accurate and transparent as possible.
SANTA FE  Efforts to implement ranked choice voting in time for the 2018 municipal election in Santa Fe were renewed Friday when an emergency petition was filed in state District Court.

Last week, the state Supreme Court rejected a similar petition.

Since that decision, however, the software needed to implement the ranked choice voting method has been certified.

On September 27, 2017, New Mexicos Voting System Certification Committee unanimously recommended it for certification, and as mandated by the States election code for voting systems, it has now been certified and will be used throughout the State in the upcoming 2018 elections, according to the petition filed by Maria Perez of FairVote New Mexico  a nonpartisan group that advocates for electoral reforms at the local, state, and national level  and others.

Ranked choice voting, also called instant runoff, would apply in city elections where there were more than two candidates. Voters rank their choice in order of preference. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the first-ranked votes in the initial count, the last-place candidate is eliminated and the process is repeated until a winner is determined.

City councilors considered implementing ranked-choice voting for the March 6, 2018, election, but a majority of the council decided to delay it until 2020 because the software had yet to receive certification and because of concerns there was not enough time to educate voters about the change.

Santa Fe voters in 2008 overwhelmingly approved changes to the citys charter that ranked-choice voting be implemented for city elections, but not until the vote-counting software was available and affordable. A company has offered the software now for about $40,000.

The petition asks a judge to issue a writ to compel the city to comply with the will of the voters and implement ranked-choice voting for the March 6 election, or show cause why it should not.

The city clerk, city attorney and citys public information officer did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the new filing on Friday.

Last week, after the Supreme Court ruling, City Clerk Yolanda Vigil said in a statement, As always, our focus is on administering another successful election process this March, and we look forward to implementing Ranked Choice Voting following this election cycle (in 2020).
A renewed annual grant of $60,000 for three years from Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico earmarks 11 low-income schools as recipients of Roadrunner Food Banks Childhood Hunger Initiative.

The announcement of the grant was made Friday at Van Buren Middle School, during a delivery of food for 100 school families.

Over the past three years, the Blue Cross Blue Shield grant helped provide more than 780,000 pounds of food to 50,000 clients, each of whom received 50 pounds of food per month.

In all, Roadrunners Childhood Hunger Initiative provides food to 90 schools around the state this year, about 20 of them in Albuquerque. Each week, the food bank serves 70,000 people statewide, providing 130,000 pounds of food daily. Yearly it distributes roughly 32 million pounds of food.

Because Van Buren is a Title 1 school, all students get free breakfasts and lunches, said principal Shawn Morris. At home, however, families may not have much food. The Roadrunner program allows these families to pick up additional food items once a month.

It may not last a whole month, but at least it will sustain them for a period of time so we dont have hungry kids at home, Morris said. Then, when they come to school they are ready to learn because their stomachs are filled. If kids dont have the basic needs, then what we are trying to do in the classroom wont make a difference.

Roadrunner chief executive officer Melody Wattenbarger said schools are a safe place, where families are used to coming, and it makes an ideal place for food distribution. Sponsors, like Blue Cross Blue Shield, make the Childhood Hunger Initiative possible because we bring food in from across the United States, and there is a cost to do that.

The food distributed is a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, grains, cereals, juices, snacks and some frozen meats or meals.

Miriam Guerrero, 23, was at Van Buren to collect 50 pounds of food on Friday. Her 13-year-old sister is an eighth-grader at the school.

There are six people at home and my dad is the only one who works, she said. His construction job depends on the weather and if the weather is bad and they cant work that day, then he doesnt get paid for that day. So this really helps my family because we start to run low of food in the house toward the middle of the month.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico committed to the project because we believe New Mexicans are healthier when they have nutritious food, said president Kurt Shipley. There is some reason for us to be involved, in that we want our members to be healthier. But we really want to help all New Mexicans become healthier.
America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. To me, it means all Americans who are brave enough to follow their dreams and find their own niche are free to live as they choose  according to their own principles  as long as they dont harm others or break the law.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a Colorado case in which both sides say their constitutional rights were violated. It raises the question: Whose constitutionally guaranteed rights matter most?

Heres the dispute in a nutshell: In 2012, Charlie Craig and David Mullins wanted a special cake to mark their marriage, so they visited the Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colo. The owner, an artistically gifted and religious man named Jack Phillips, politely said, Ill make you birthday cakes, shower cakes, sell you cookies and brownies. I just dont make cakes for same-sex weddings. Doing so, he said, would violate his Bible-based beliefs.

The aggrieved couple filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission. They argued Phillips slight wasnt just about a cake; it was about discrimination. He simply turned us away because of who we are, Craig said.

The commission ruled the baker violated the states anti-discrimination law that businesses may not deny service based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Phillips was ordered to provide wedding cakes on an equal basis  i.e., to any customer willing to pay for one. Then the state Court of Appeals also ruled against Masterpiece Cakeshop.

Phillips, whos been described as a cake artist with a shop that is an art gallery of cakes, took a financial hit and simply stopped creating his popular wedding cakes. He appealed the case to the Supreme Court, believing his constitutional rights of freedom of religion and freedom of speech are as important as the couples.

Phillips wrote an impassioned letter to The Denver Post, saying, There is no policy at my shop, real or imagined, that says, We dont sell cakes to homosexuals.' Phillips said he will sell any cake in his display case to anyone who asks. However, he wrote, I wont design a cake that promotes something that conflicts with the Bibles teachings. And that rule applies to far more than cakes celebrating same-sex marriages. I also wont use my talents to celebrate Halloween, anti-American or anti-family themes, atheism, racism, or indecency.

In other words, dont come to Phillips looking for one of those anatomically correct gag-gift cakes for a bachelorette party. The man clearly has a set of principles he lives by.

It should be noted that, in 2015, the Supreme Court ruled the Constitution guarantees the right to same-sex marriage. Even before that, the state had enacted several laws legalizing same-sex unions and protecting those in them. So Craig and Mullins seem to stand on solid legal ground, right?

But wait a minute. Dont laws that protect the couple also punish the sizable portion of the population trying to live life as the Bible instructs, those religious citizens whose faith prevents them from embracing birth control, abortion, the death penalty and, yes, same-sex marriage?

Thats not just my government telling me what I can and cant do, Phillips wrote. Thats my government telling me what I can and cant believe. Theyre treading way beyond my cake shop  and deep into my soul.

I can certainly sympathize with a couple who want to celebrate with a special dessert and then have their hopes dashed. But I can also sympathize with a hard-working entrepreneur who tries to live a faith-filled life.

As the highest court in the land considers this case of competing constitutional rights, its a good time to ponder the underlying issues of individual choice, freedom of opinion, and the common-sense idea of real and lasting harm done versus a perceived harm. There is a flaw if one persons constitutional rights are deemed less important than anothers.

Im thinking there were lots of other bakeries available to Craig and Mullins, so they could have gotten what they wanted. And Phillips sees only one suitable path if he wants to keep his principles intact. It makes me wonder whether we will ever reach a point in this country when adversaries amicably agree to disagree and walk away without calling a lawyer.
SEATTLE  In this city, which is a petri dish of progressivism, a prevailing theory is that when you raise the price of something, people will buy less of it, except when they do not. Another, and related, theory is that constitutional and statutory texts should be construed in the spirit of Friedrich Nietzsche: There are no facts, only interpretations.

The city council has voted to impose a tax, effective next year, on sugary soft drinks, raising the price of a 2-liter bottle of soda about $1.18. Presented as a public health measure to combat obesity, the tax is projected to generate about $15 million a year, although the aspiration of sin taxes  e.g., Seattles taxes on guns and ammunition  should be zero revenues because chastened consumers will mend their benighted ways. Still, proponents of the tax are confident that it will make people behave better by consuming less of the disapproved drinks.

Three years ago, the city council, adhering to another current tenet of progressivism, voted  unanimously, of course  to increase the citys minimum wage incrementally from $9.47 to $15 an hour. The council rejected the contention that when the price of entry-level labor increases, employers buy less of it. The city commissioned a study from six University of Washington economists ranging from left to right, presumably expecting their findings to be congruent with other studies purporting to show that the demand for such labor, unlike the demand for sugary sodas, is price-inelastic. And unlike in Denmark, where the minimum wage increases 40 percent when a worker turns 18 and the employment of young workers declines one-third.

The University of Washington study, however, published as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, concluded that the costs to low-wage Seattle workers have been three times larger than the benefits. Using a richer trove of data and more sophisticated statistical methods than have been available for other studies of minimum wages, the report concluded that Seattles still-advancing increase has cost more than 5,000 jobs, and that workers whose wages were increased to comply with the new minimum lost an average of $125 a month as employers reduced their hours. Although total employment in the restaurant industry, which hires a substantial portion of minimum-wage workers, did not decline, employers replaced less skilled, low-productivity workers with others able to produce higher-value work products. As one of the studys authors said, Basically, what were doing is were removing the bottom rung of the ladder.

The city responded by seeking alternative facts. Forewarned about the six economists conclusions, it sought more congenial findings from some economists at the University of California, Berkeley, who are known for research that supports the agenda of the national Fight for $15 movement. The Berkeley economists were so prompt that their findings were publicized before the University of Washington economists report was released.

Seattles city council is as undeterred by constitutional and statutory language as it is by social science. In July, it enacted  unanimously, of course  a city income tax, setting the tax rate on incomes below $250,000 at 0 percent and a 2.25 percent rate on individuals incomes above $250,000 and on household incomes above $500,000. Washington, which has no state income tax, has a law that says: A county, city or city-county shall not levy a tax on net income. The city council, which overestimates its cleverness, claims it is taxing total income as defined on IRS 1040 forms. But that is net income, after deductions and exclusions. Furthermore, the states constitution has this uniformity clause: All taxes shall be uniform upon the same class of property. Twice, the state Supreme Court has held that a graduated income tax is unconstitutional.

A suit challenging the city councils tax notes that cities, as creatures of the state, have only such taxing authority as is expressly granted by the state Legislature. And the tax is explicitly designed to test the constitutionality of a progressive income tax, on which Washingtons Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled. In 2010, advocates of a progressive income tax submitted this for a referendum. It lost almost 2 to 1  64-36. It lost even in King County, home of Seattle and its Nietzschean city council.
WASHINGTON  For Tom Price, the price is right.

The fake-news media is attacking our hard-working (and now former) secretary of health and human services. First, those losers at Politico reported that Price took $60,000 in charter flights, including a $25,000 flight to Philadelphia, apparently at taxpayer expense. Politico pointed out that a train to and from Philly cost $72.

The clear implication: Price is not worth the additional $24,928 of taxpayer money. Wrong!

Sure, a train would have gotten him there nearly as quickly. But we cant have the nations top health official risking an unhygienic Amtrak bathroom.

Now, Politico is reporting that Price took a government-funded private jet to a resort in Georgia where he owns land, and to Nashville, where his son lives. As if theres something wrong with this.

It is impossible for Price to fly commercial, because that could expose him to the unwashed masses  and nobody wants a repeat of what happened in West Virginia when a reporter had to be arrested for asking Price a question. Also, as one of the lower net-worth individuals in President Trumps Cabinet  only $14 million, so little he cant afford to dye his eyebrows gray to match the rest of his hair  Price needs the subsidized travel, just as he needed to enhance his meager congressional pay by trading stocks of health care companies that had interests in legislation he pushed.

The persecution of Trump officials by the media does not stop with Price. They carp about Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin trying to use a government plane for his European honeymoon and flying on a government plane with his wife to Kentucky on solar eclipse day. They natter about EPA chief Scott Pruitt securing round-the-clock security for himself as he shrinks the rest of the agency and having a $25,000 soundproof booth built in his office  the noise of fired bureaucrats cleaning out desks can be quite distracting. They moan about Trump officials using their offices to promote Ivanka Trumps shoes and Mnuchins Lego Batman movie. They whine about the hundreds of millions of dollars being paid to Trump properties by foreign countries, the Pentagon, the Secret Service and more.

The critics just dont get it. For America to dream big, its leaders must live large. Rich people are the smartest people and to lure the best into government service, you have to entice them  with more riches. Besides, after Mnuchin gets Trumps tax cut through Congress, all Americans will be able to afford charter planes.

It is time that we drain the swamp of watchdogs at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Send those namby-pambies back to Nambia.

Few appreciate the sacrifice these public servants make. Dude U have no idea! Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb wrote in an email to a restaurateur who was worried about losing his health insurance. I walked away from $4 million annually to do this, had to sell my entire retirement account for major capital losses.

The horror! This is why Im not worried about Trump officials taking taxpayer-funded gratuities.

I have no objection to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos being guarded by U.S. marshals for an extra $1 million a month or so. With grizzly bears attacking public schools, its only a matter of time before they go after her.

Im not troubled by Trump White House official Christopher Liddell meeting with CEOs of 18 companies in his personal stock portfolio.

I dont believe its anybodys business that former national security adviser Michael Flynn was getting money from Russia.

I dont lose sleep over Jared Kushners family using his Trump ties to lure Chinese real estate investors.

Im OK with China granting copyrights to Ivankas fashion brand on the same day the Chinese and American presidents dined.

I dont care if Trump releases his tax returns; or if he divests himself of his businesses; or if he touts his properties during official appearances; or if federal political committees spend lavishly at the Trump properties; or if Trumps administration is paying Trumps businesses for space at his properties; or if foreign powers splurge at D.C.s Trump International, leased to Trump by the federal government.

Im with Mnuchins wife, actress Louise Linton, who posted a social media photo of her getting off a military jet. Her caption noted her Hermes scarf, Tom Ford sunglasses and Valentino shoes. When one taxpayer complained, Linton shot back: Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband?

Exactly!

It is high time we held government to a lower standard.

Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. Email: danamilbank@washpost.com. Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group.
The New Mexico Public Education Departments Straight A Express tour made a stop in Rio Rancho Wednesday to celebrate the districts five A schools.

Education Secretary-designate Christopher Ruszkowski met with Superintendent Sue Cleveland, district administrators and principals at Rio Rancho Middle School, which has earned two As in a row.

Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary, Mountain View Middle School, Rio Rancho Cyber Academy and Cleveland High School also received top grades for 2017.

Rio Rancho is a lighthouse district, Ruszkowski said. Other districts talk about Rio Rancho.

Overall, 28 percent of RRPS schools earned an A this year  the same percentage as 2016, according to results released by PED in August. Bs rose from 28 percent in 2016 to 44 percent this year, while Cs declined from 33 percent to 22 percent. Only one school earned a D this year: Rio Rancho Elementary. The district has never gotten an F.

Statewide, 16 percent of public schools received Fs, up from 13 percent in 2016. The number of A rated schools held steady at 14 percent.

During the past month, Ruszkowski has visited dozens of high-performing schools across the state. He is about halfway through the 60-stop tour.

On Wednesday, principals and staff from Rio Ranchos five A schools discussed their best practices and concerns with Ruszkowski.

Julie Arnold, Mountain View Middle School principal, said her teachers are talented and committed, but also noted that math and science teaching positions are tough to fill.

Its the lack of people wanting to go into education in this day and age, she said.

Other school administrators said they worry that teachers dont feel as respected or appreciated.

Matt George, Cleveland High social studies instructional leader, said he thinks the states teacher evaluation system can be demoralizing and difficult to understand.

The conversation also touched on the PARCC testing schedule and technology needs in the district.

We appreciate you listening, Cleveland told Ruszkowski.

Ruszkowski said he takes district feedback seriously and wants to tackle educational challenges, but also celebrate progress.

I know we push you, Ruszkowski said. We push you because we need you to keep setting the pace for New Mexico.

He complimented Rio Rancho Public Schools pioneering spirit and stable leadership. Cleveland has been superintendent since the district launched 24 years ago.

You are holding the bar higher, Ruszkowski said. It doesnt happen without visionary leadership.
Prosecutors have wrapped up their portion of the case against Esias Madrid, whom they name as the primary shooter in the death of a popular Manzano High teen in 2015.

Their witnesses Friday focused on explaining the different types of bullets found at the scene and the unfolding of the investigation, which included two suspects arrested and then released and cleared of charges before detectives zeroed in on Madrid.

Prosecutors are attempting to prove that Madrid was one of two shooters who fired out of a car at a home shared by two men who weeks before had beaten up one of Madrids friends, Dominic Conyers.

One of the bullets fired at the home on Nakomis NE, north of Lomas, struck Jaydon Chavez-Silver, who was not the intended target.

Instead, Albuquerque Police Department Detective Jodi Gonterman, in charge of the investigation, testified Friday that the intended target or targets were the men who lived at the home, one of whom had months before been arrested in connection with another shooting incident and was a witness in that case.

Gonterman testified that one of her initial suspected motives in the case was retaliation against that man, Marcus Purdue.

She said she abandoned that as the primary motive and focused on the fight in which Conyers was beaten.

She testified that Conyers was later charged in the case after he reneged on an agreement to testify against the other people in the car during the shooting. Conyers took a plea deal and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

At first, Gonterman wanted Conyers to testify against Donovan Maez and Christopher Cruz, but charges against them were later dismissed, and a civil lawsuit was filed by them against the city for what they said were their wrongful arrests.

She said she next homed in on Esias Madrid after one of the teens in the car, Nicholas Gonzales, came forward and offered to talk to police in exchange for leniency, naming Madrid as the other shooter in the case.

Gonzales pleaded guilty and was sentenced in July to one year in juvenile prison.

Madrid, who is already serving a 16-year sentence for another 2015 homicide, faces more than 60 years in prison if given consecutive, maximum sentences on all of his charges.

The case will resume and is expected to wrap up on Monday before 2nd Judicial District Judge Jacqueline Flores.
The view of the Maroon Bells, especially this time of year, is a study in contrasts, from the fiery gold of autumnal aspens lighting up the hills below to the wintry white of snow and ice that rib the iconic Colorado peaks above.

There is much beauty here. The Aspen Chamber of Commerce calls the Maroon Bells the most photographed mountains in North America, their unique sanguine hue the result of layers of hardened metamorphic sedimentary mudstone.

But with beauty comes the ugly lethality of the areas unforgiving nature. Mens Journal lists the Maroon Bells as one of the 10 most dangerous destinations in the world. Colorado Mountaineer calls them the most dangerous fourteeners  the term for peaks with elevations of at least 14,000 feet  in the state.

In 1965, Maroon Bells earned the nickname the Deadly Bells after eight people died in five separate incidents. Mudstone, as it turns out, is unstable, crumbly terrain.

In the last decade, the Bells have claimed seven climbers. Two more died this year.

And then there is Dave Cook.

The Corrales husband, father, businessman and former Marine was a worthy challenger to any imposing peak, including the Bells. He was physically fit and mentally nimble, a careful climber who prepared thoroughly for ascents. He had been honing his mountaineering skills since high school and had summited 46 or 48 fourteeners, depending whom you ask.

On Sept. 19, 2016, a week after his 49th birthday, he arrived at the parking lot below the Maroon Bells.

It was warm and sunny at 11 a.m., according to the parking pass he left in his black Jeep. He was spotted heading up toward the Bells around 1:40 p.m. Pings off his cellphone from one of the peaks were noted between 4 and 6 p.m.

Later that evening, a storm rolled in, dumping 2 inches of snow on the peaks.

The next morning, a parking attendant said she had spoken briefly with him.

He was never seen or heard from again.

Extensive air and ground searches were conducted over eight days, with no less than a dozen agencies and countless volunteers assisting. Friends and family created the Dave Cook Search & Rescue Maroon Bells page on Facebook, where they posted 4,000 high-resolution images of the terrain in hopes that fresh eyes could spot from their computers what searches could not from the air.

In all, four organized searches were conducted, the last one just this Wednesday. Each time, the searchers came up empty.

Before this last search, Cooks wife, Maureen, and their three children had already decided it was time to hold a memorial service at the San Ysidro Church near their home in Corrales.

The memorial took place Friday, the penultimate day in September, a month that had special meaning for them. Dave and Maureen would have celebrated their 18th anniversary on the 11th. On the 12th, Dave would have turned 50.

On the 20th, he was gone.

We were supposed to be climbing his last fourteener today with him  Handies Peak, Maureen Cook wrote in a Facebook post on his birthday, referring to a summit in southwest Colorado. Its one thats easy enough for the kids and our plan was to invite all of our friends and family to celebrate by hiking with us  to 50 great years of Dave.

For the backdrop to his memorial site, www.davecook.info, they chose a beautiful photo of the Maroon Bells in autumn.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Maroon Bells, please note that the hiking and climbing routes have areas of very dangerous terrain, the Cook family said in a statement. We would like to raise awareness that the peaks are among the most difficult of the Colorado 14ers.

I did not know Dave Cook, but I know something about losing a loved one who suddenly disappears, leaving no trace, no answers, no ending. In a Facebook post, Maureen Cook called it the gray area of not knowing.

And still, in your bones you know.

When something goes unfinished, you look back for what is solid and affirming. That was easy to find among the things Dave Cook left behind.

On a card he kept above his desk, he wrote out eight missions he lived by: Have a positive attitude; PT (physical training) and live healthy; motivate yourself and others; earn respect; set goals; live with integrity; mentoring; have fun.

Maybe, for now, those are the best answers there are.

UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Lack of good moral character.

Risk to public health.

Those were among the terms used to deny James Beverly a medical license as a physician assistant in Utah in 2009.

Less than a year later, he received a license to practice as a physician assistant in New Mexico.

And on Sept. 12, deputies arrested Beverly at his family practice office in Cedar Crest after he was accused of the repeated sexual abuse of a young relative. He is charged with criminal sexual contact concerning the abuse of a child between March and August.

Its not the first time Beverly has faced charges in connection to sexual crimes against children. He was arrested in Utah for enticement of a minor in 2001 and charged in 2004, serving three years probation, according to documents obtained by the Journal.

When the New Mexico Medical Board found out about the conviction in 2004, it moved to revoke his license, but Beverly voluntarily surrendered it until he could get the Utah charges overturned  which he did, due to a change in the law since he was arrested.

Beverly reapplied for licensure in both New Mexico and Utah in 2009, but the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing still wouldnt grant him a license.

The Division is not relying on the criminal conviction as we do note that ultimately the case was dismissed, the license denial letter states.

The 2009 letter cites Beverlys admission that he attempted to have sexual activity with a 13-year-old leading to the 2004 case, saying that violates moral turpitude and ethical standards.

Your attempts to mislead the Division and minimize the gravity of this behavior leads the Division to believe that issuing you a license would put the public at risk, the letter states.

But the New Mexico Medical Board reinstated his license.

A spokeswoman for the medical board said she could not comment since Beverly was licensed in New Mexico under a previous administration, but action has now been taken to suspend his license in light of the recent allegations.

Our priority is protecting the health and safety of New Mexicans, Amanda Quintana, public information officer for the board, told the Journal. Which is why weve moved to suspend his license, and will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement as their investigation moves forward.

A physician assistant is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional who practices medicine on health care teams, with physicians and other providers, on all age groups.

Beverly could not be reached for comment, but his attorney, Ryan Villa, said the allegations against Beverly are not true.

We look forward to demonstrating that in court, Villa said.

One former patient is surprised at the allegations against Beverly and that he was allowed to practice medicine after the 2001 Utah arrest.

Its unconscionable that after a vote to revoke his license way back in 2004, he slipped through the cracks and kept practicing 13 years longer with no one batting an eyelash, said Michele Powers-Hardy, a former patient, in an email. Im not saying hes guilty or not guilty because Im sure there is more to this story than we are getting.

Powers-Hardy said she didnt notice anything unusual about Beverly, except for the innocuous rumors that he would do pull-ups in his office doorway, calling him professional, knowledgeable and persistent in helping her through a very serious illness.

All roads indicated I wasnt going to be around much longer and he wasnt going to let that happen on his watch. No matter how busy his patient load was, he took whatever time was needed to work with me, she said.

Beverlys family practice, New Mexico Medical Family Practice & Urgent Care Providers, would not comment. Beverlys profile as a physician assistant, which was displayed on the practices provider page until the week of his arrest, has since been removed from the website.

Prosecutors filed a motion for preventative detention, due to his prior conviction in Utah, but it was denied because that conviction had been expunged and Beverly was released from jail Sept. 15.

The conditions of his release include no contact with anyone under 18, including during employment.
A suspect who police say stabbed a man to death last Saturday turned himself in to police around noon Friday, according to an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman.

Officer Simon Drobik said 27-year-old Jose Perez was booked into jail without incident for the murder of Christopher Atencio, 25.

He is charged with murder and robbery with a deadly weapon.

Police responded to a stabbing call last Saturday and found Atencio bleeding severely in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 5405 Tucson.

Atencio was taken to a hospital where he died from his wounds.

Atencios girlfriend told police that Perez, her ex-boyfriend, and Atencio were drinking together in her apartment. An argument broke out between the two men and Perez then stabbed Atencio before fleeing on a bicycle.
September 26, 2017

The independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan is a hot issue in the Iranian press, with ongoing coverage of the vote and its aftermath. Along with the Iranian government, most media outlets are reacting negatively to the plebiscite, worried that such demands will spill into the Kurdish part of Iran.

Hard-line Kayhan daily, whose editor-in-chief, Hossein Shariatmadari, is appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, opined that Western powers and Israel were behind the referendum plot to destabilize the Middle East. The Zionists and the leaders of the Israeli regime, who voiced their concern over the elimination of takfiris and Daesh [Islamic State (IS)] from the regional equations during recent weeks and months, have been deeply excited about a referendum being conducted in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Shariatmadari wrote in a news report in Kayhan on Sept. 26.



The report continued, [Kurdistan Region President Massoud] Barzani, as he himself says, seeks to establish an independent state in Iraq based on Kurdish ethnicity by holding a referendum. If Barzani's policy in the entire region of West Asia becomes a [common] course of action, it will have dangerous [consequences].



Noting the United States' and the Wests opposition to the referendum, Kayhan added, It should not be ignored that Washington and Western governments opposition [to the vote] is limited to the timing of the referendum, and they have no problem with the referendum itself.

Furthermore, Ali Akbar Velayati, a former foreign minister who now serves as foreign policy adviser to Khamenei, described Barzani as a fixer working for Zionists bent on causing the disintegration of Muslim states. Barzani, unfortunately, has long been connected with the Zionists.  Barzani's connection to the Israelis is the beginning of his political fallout, said Velayati on Sept. 26. He added, The people of Iran and the region do not stand silent against this move and this deviation. Barzani will have to retreat; otherwise, he will be confronted.

Heshmatollah Falhat-Pishe, a Kurdish member of the Iranian parliament, argued that the referendum would lead to a serious conflict between peshmerga forces and Iraqi security forces, including the Popular Mobilization Units, amid the possibility of new action by IS forces who are still in Iraq  including the Kurdish parts of the country.

Falhat-Pishe wrote in the state-run Iran daily on Sept. 26, Despite the wrong position and actions of the [Iraqi] Kurdish authorities, regional countries such as Iran, Turkey and Iraq should use their political wisdom to control the situation after the referendum. The region now needs serious and continued talks with Kurdish parties as well as between the influential powers of the region and even the world.

Referring to the continued presence of IS forces in some parts of Iraq and the preceding talks between Iraqi Kurdish officials with their Iranian counterparts, parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani said on Sept. 26, When various groups from the [Iraqi] Kurdish region came to Iran, we explicitly told them that this [referendum] would create new tensions in Iraq, because the terrorism [issue] is still unresolved while you are creating a new crisis. We said that your issues should be addressed through political talks and no crisis should be created due to these issues.

He emphasized, We do not support the breakup of Iraq and other countries in the region by any means.

Meanwhile, an op-ed in the Reformist Shargh daily written by history professor Nemat Ahmadi opined that the Kurdistan referendum is not a new plan launched by Barzani but in fact has roots dating back to 1916 when Britain and France reached the Sykes-Picot Agreement, a secret deal that formed the borders of much of the modern Middle East but didnt pay any attention to language, culture and religion.

Whether we want it or not, the referendum has been held. A country in the midst of the mountains, surrounded by [other] countries, with no free land, air and naval borders will be established, argued Ahmadi in the Sept. 26 op-ed.

Mentioning a weather map on Iraqi Kurdish TV that counted the Kurdish parts of Iran as belonging to the Kurdistan Region, the historian remarked, It is enough to see the weather map from Iraqi Kurdistans TV; that is the beginning of a dispute! We have to think about the day after the referendum. You can no longer study the Kurdish issue after the referendum like before.
The four-door incarnation of the GT, which no longer uses the Continental particle since the last revamp , is currently in its advanced development stages, with the lavish sedan set to make its debut next year.A prototype of the 2019 Flying Spur was recently spotted cruising in German traffic, with the saloon having been caught on camera in Stuttgart.Sure, the test car is covered in heavy camouflage, but the bewildering appearance of the coupe means we can expect one of the most impressive looking sedans on the market.Keep in mind that the 2018 Conti GT brings the first all-new incarnation of the model since the 2003 original. This means the Flying Spur will also make full use of the fresh platform.We're talking about the MSB architecture shared with the second generation of the Porsche Panamera. As far as the numbers go, the architecture will bring a modest scale footprint drop, along with an increase in torsional rigidity.Nevertheless, the more important changes have to do with the weight distribution and the positioning of the wheels. From the shorter front overhang to the engine being situated further away from the nose of the car and lower, the newcomer will bring benefits on both the handling and the cabin space fronts.The debut engine for the 2019 Flying Spur will be Bentley's latest generation of the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12, delivering 635 hp and 900 Nm (664 lb-ft), but a twin-turbo V8 engine will obviously follow.And, once the Bentayga Hybrid kicks off the gas-electric revolution for Crewe, we'll also see the Flying Spur going green - even if you're not that concerned about saving the planet, the silence delivered by the all-electric mode should float your boat.
SUV

Not that the Range Rover lineup is cheap. The British SUVs sell for well over $100,000, and if you dip into the more exclusive SVO models, you're looking at prices close to $200,000 or even more, if you go crazy with the extras.However, considering the brand's history, it's not like Range Rover has a choice. SUVs are all the company has always done, and since it's been doing it well, it saw no reason to step sideways and branch out into other segments.That looks set to change to a certain degree with the (re)introduction of the Road Rover nameplate . The first model to bear this monicker is expected to be an electric crossover built on the same platform as the next Jaguar XJ full-size sedan, but not everyone seems to agree.Brazilian digital artist Kleber Silva believes that Land Rover would be better off if it built a Road Rover sedan borrowing the brand identity of the Range Rover SUVs. There are lots of "rovers" there, but do try to keep up.His Photoshop skills may not be on par with those of other people you can find on the Internet toying with cars, and yet his proposal has us sold. If Road Rover made a sedan, Jaguar 's sales would probably be in trouble (even though they would likely sell for more money than the Coventry-based models).The fact he constructed his rendering on a Jaguar XE doesn't help with the proportions either, but we should just focus on the front end for now. Thanks to the much slimmer Velar, the Range Rover design can now be translated into a shorter vehicle with ease, meaning the company should be fine if it decided to go even less-like than a crossover and enter the limousine market.Back to the real world, we have a little over a year until the Road Rover model will be unveiled, most probably at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. As for a Road Rover-branded sedan, that could prove to be a much longer wait. But at least we can now get a better idea of what it is we would be waiting for.
Air France is facing a daunting technical challenge to repair an extensively damaged A380 at one of Canadas most remote airports. Flight 66 from Paris to Los Angeles was almost across the Atlantic when the No. 4 engine had an uncontained failure that blew off the cowl and caused the fan to separate. The crew diverted to Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. Twitter photos show extensive damage to the engine and it appears the pylon and perhaps the wing are also affected. Passengers reported hearing a loud noise followed by vibration and an hourlong flight to Goose Bay. Its the second uncontained engine failure on an A380 but the first one, on a Qantas super jumbo in 2010, involved a Rolls-Royce engine. The engine that blew on Saturday was made by Engine Alliance, a joint venture by GE and Pratt & Whitney. The aircraft had about 520 passengers and crew on board and the airport is not equipped to handle that kind of influx so passengers were kept on the airplane waiting for a Boeing 777 and a chartered Boeing 737 to pick them up. They made it to LAX almost 24 hours after landing in Goose Bay. The A380 likely isnt going anywhere soon.

Goose Bay is a former U.S. Air Force Base used in the Cold War as a nuclear weapons staging base and it has 11,000-foot and 9,000-foot runways. These days only a small Royal Canadian Air Force helicopter squadron is based there. Only regional airlines offer scheduled service so it doesnt have facilities to do major repairs on an A380. The airline will have to ship in the parts and create temporary facilities to fix the plane. Last February a Swiss Global Airlines Boeing 777 had to land in Iqaluit, Nunavut, due to engine problems and the airline swapped the engine in a large tent. But there was no secondary damage to the aircraft in that incident and the A380 repairs are likely to be more involved. Engine Alliance says its investigating the incident.
30 September 2017 13:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 158 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on September 30.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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30 September 2017 10:17 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club hosted the first CEO Lunch Tbilisi in Georgia on September 29.

CEO Lunch Tbilisi has been held with participation of Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili within the framework of the official ceremony marking the resumption of activities of Caspian Energy Georgia.

First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of Georgia Dimitry Kumsishvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, State Governor of Kvemo-Kartli region Grigol Nemsadze and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Georgia Dursun Hasanov attended CEO Lunch as honourary guests.

Kvirikashvili hailed establishing of Caspian Energy Georgia, noting that this organization will play an important role in the development of Georgia-Azerbaijan trade and economic ties.

Kvirikashvili added that against the backdrop of the wide range of opportunities such meetings acquire a special sounding and enable business representatives to get to know each other better, to discuss joint promising projects.

The Georgian prime minister also thanked the organizers of today's meeting, stressing that from now on such meetings will be hosted on a regular basis.

This will boost a birth of new business initiatives, expand contacts not only between businessmen of Georgia and Azerbaijan, but also representatives of other countries, he said.

Speaking about bilateral relations, the prime minister said that Georgia and Azerbaijan are not only the strategic partners.

By cooperating in many large projects, we together are building even more stable and developed region, he said. We are also contributing to ensuring the energy security of Europe, connecting regions and markets. These ties and cooperation are a springboard for economic revitalisation and prosperity, and stability well as.

Also Kvirikashvili noted that the government of Georgia spares no effort to facilitate attraction of investments into the country and Georgia is always open for Azerbaijani entrepreneurs.

I expect the Georgian businessmen to expand their activities in Azerbaijan, the prime minister said.

CEO Lunch Tbilisi hosted today is the first event within the framework of resuming activities of Caspian Energy Georgia, First Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club Telman Aliyev said.

He added that the 5th International Caspian Energy Forum will take place in March 2018 with the support of the governments of Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the Caspian European Club.

Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili is expected to attend the opening ceremony.

Telman Aliyev said the next CEO Lunch Tbilisi is scheduled for October 27, 2017 and will be held every last Friday of the month.

CEO Lunch is one of the key tools for networking and is hosted with the aim to create opportunities for CEOs to communicate in an informal enviroment and establish new contacts.

He noted the Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club host CEO Lunch events with participation of top managers of the CEIBC member companies every third Wednesday of the month in Baku and every last Friday of the month in Tbilisi.

The presentations of PASHA Bank Georgia and Debet Georgia were held for the events attendees. Problems facing entrepreneurs were discussed in an informal environment. Issues concerning business doing in different regions of the country, as well as proposals on expansion of cooperation in different sectors of economy were touched upon.

Certificates were given to companies which joined and extended their membership in the Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club.

Telman Aliyev recalled that the Caspian European Club was established in June 2002 with the support of the largest oil and gas companies operating in the Caspian-Black Sea region.

Telman Aliyev added that since the very establishing the Caspian European Club has promoted attraction of revenues from the oil industry for the development of the non-oil sector.

Caspian European Club, which brings together more than 5,000 member companies and organizations, operates in 50 countries around the world and is active in supporting the dialogue between the government agencies and the private sector.

Caspian Energy, Caspian Energy Forum, Caspian Energy Award, Caspian Energy Club, Caspian European Club, Caspian Business Club, Caspian American Club, Caspian American Forum, CEO, CEO Lunch, Brand Award, and many others are the registered trademarks and belong to the Caspian Energy International Media Group.

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30 September 2017 13:39 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The citizens of Turkey who visited the occupied Azerbaijani territories are known for their pro-Armenian position, Azerbaijans Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov told reporters in Baku on September 30.

They support the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), promote the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, noted Garalov.

According to him, the position of these people is not a position of Turkey.

Criminal cases will be filed against those who illegally visited Nagorno-Karabakh, and their search will be conducted in all countries, said the prosecutor general.

It should be recalled that on September 22, Turkish citizens Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu and Erol Katircioglu illegally visited the territory of Azerbaijan  Nagorno-Karabakh, which is occupied by the Armenian armed forces.

The Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan filed a criminal case under Article 318.2 (illegal crossing the state border of Azerbaijan) of the Criminal Code. Under a court decision, a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against those people. They have been declared internationally wanted.

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30 September 2017 14:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The investigation into the case of a group of servicemen and civilians accused of espionage will be completed until the end of 2017, Azerbaijans Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov told reporters in Baku on September 30.

According to him, the group was identified by the Ministry of Defense, and currently, the investigation is conducted by the Military Prosecutors Office of Azerbaijan.

Earlier, Prosecutor Generals Office, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security Service of Azerbaijan said in a joint statement that a group of servicemen and civilians were identified in the country that transmitted secret military information to the Armenian Armed Forces intelligence and special authorities.

On the basis of gathered information, a criminal case was filed on May 3 and an operational investigation team was created from employees of the above mentioned authorities in order to conduct a preliminary investigation.

As a result of urgent operational and investigative measures, provocations and terrorist acts planned to be committed in public places of Baku were prevented.

Servicemen and civilians involved in the matter were brought to criminal responsibility and arrested.

According to the joint statement, necessary operational and investigative measures continue, to identify and bring to justice all the perpetrators.

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30 September 2017 10:27 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Once the Iranian government set up the Free Trade and Special Economic Zones it was seeking to increase the countrys exports, but the critics of the plan now say the organization has failed to meet its goals.

The critics of the performance of the Free Trade and Special Economic Zones believe that the organization has led to a dramatic hike in the amount of the goods smuggled into the country.

"The latest reports and analysis prove that the free trade zones have turned into a hub for organized smuggling of goods into the country," Mehrdad Seyed Asgari, a Norway-based Iranian financial analyst, told Trend.

Seyed Asgari added that the idea behind forming the Free Trade and Special Economic Zones in the country was to contribute to the exports of domestic goods and commodities.

Hassan Hossein-Shahroudi, the secretary of Irans parliamentary commission for economy, also suggests that a considerable amount of goods are smuggled into the country through the official checkpoints, in particular the free trade zones.

The new Iranian Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade Mohammad Shariatmadari earlier said that about 90 percent of foreign goods offered in the Iranian market have been smuggled into the country.

However, the secretary of Iran's High Council of Free Trade and Special Economic Zones, Morteza Bank, earlier said the volume of goods exported from Iranian free trade and special economic zones has increased by 25 percent over the current fiscal year (started March 20), to reach $1 billion.

Back in May, the Iranian central task force for combating smuggling of commodities and currency has said that about $12 billion worth of goods were smuggled into the country over the last fiscal year.

Irans total non-oil exports (including gas condensate) in the first five months of current Iranian fiscal year stood at $17.193 billion, which indicates a fall by 5 percent year-on-year.

Iran imported 14.225 million tons of goods, worth $19.442 billion during the five-month period, which indicates a 7.1 and a 16.5 percent rise in terms of volume and value, respectively, compared to the same period of preceding year.

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30 September 2017 10:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Fatih Karimov/ Trend

Iran enjoys huge reserves of mineral and hydrocarbon resources that have made the country to an attractive market for foreign investors.

Proved oil reserves in Iran, according to its government, rank fourth largest in the world at approximately 158 billion barrels as of 2013. The country is also the worlds biggest gas reserve holder (33.5 trillion cubic meters, 18 percent total).

The Islamic Republic is among the 10 major mineral-rich countries. It possesses 7 percent of the worlds total mineral deposits with about 68 kinds of commercially valued minerals, including gold reserves. The volume of Irans minerals is estimated at 57 billion tons.

Such reserves present a unique opportunity for the countrys development, but they can also be seen as a negative factor, if the administration is encouraged to gain huge money through sell of raw materials.

In particular when the governments, confident with the billions of revenues through selling huge reserves, prefers to mobilize more supporters via populist money-draining policies such as giving social subsidies rather than directing the revenues to infrastructural, value-add projects.

We have witnessed this policy in the last decades in Iran, in particular under the populist president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (2005-2013).

Lack of long-term planning and constructive cooperation with the world has made the economy of the Islamic Republic highly dependant to selling raw materials in particular hydrocarbon reserves.

A look at the list of Irans top exports indicates that raw materials share the dominant part of Irans non-oil export basket. Gas condensates, propane, butane and some other raw petroleum products - which Iran puts in the non-oil exports basket - made the countrys top exported goods during the first five months of current fiscal year(started March 20).

The existing table of exporting semiprocessed goods however is contradicting with objectives of the current governments economic policies. The government tries to benefit from the removal of the international sanctions, attracting foreign investments to form a more diverse and globally competitive economy and safeguard the economy against future shocks and restrictions.

However the country can make its raw material reserves an opportunity to attract foreign investors. Mining and mineral industries are suitable grounds for attraction of investment and Iran has defined some $30 billion worth of projects in mining and mineral industries such as steel, copper, aluminium and gold, according to local officials.

Foreign investors are also well-aware of the Iranian mineral markets benefits. A visiting French official involved in plastic industry, who has attended the Iran Plast Exhibition in Tehran, described the abundant raw materials as the main reason behind the interest of the Europeans to cooperate with Iran in this sphere.

There is a painful but brilliant path ahead of the Iranian administration, to revise its regional policies, expand cooperation with the globe, to gain trust of the foreigners for investment, in order to revive the countrys sanction-hit economy.

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30 September 2017 11:41 (UTC+04:00)

Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman was approved as the US ambassador to Moscow by the US Senate.

The vote took place at the end of the session and was held under a simplified procedure,TASS reported.

The US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on Tuesday approved Jon Huntsman Jr as US Ambassador to Moscow.

During his nomination hearings, held on September 19, Huntsman said the United States had no other choice but to interact with Russia in solving a number of global issues. He also said he was set to discuss with the Russian authorities the issues of anti-terrorism, arms control and non-proliferation, as well as political settlement of the Syrian conflict and the Ukrainian crisis.

Huntsman, 57, served as the governor of the US state of Utah between 2005 and 2009. He speaks Chinese and is a father of seven children. The politician became the youngest ambassador over a century in the countrys history, when in 1992 he was appointed the US ambassador to Singapore at the age of 32.

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30 September 2017 12:31 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Although uncertainties about the future of Irans nuclear deal has cast shadow over Tehrans plans to renew its aged aviation fleet, the next year appears to be a great chance to acquire modern planes.



Following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/ nuclear deal) last January, Iran concluded deals to acquire 100 planes from Airbus, 80 from Boeing and 20 from ATR.



The giant aircraft manufacturers have already delivered nine planes, including three Airbus and six ATRs as two new ATR 72-600 planes were the latest ones to touch the ground at an airport in Tehran this morning.



However strained relations between Iran and the US as well as the aggressive rhetoric of President Donald Trump against the Islamic Republic have caused concerns over the prosperity of aviation deals between Iran and the European and US manufacturers.



While the leading manufacturers require licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to complete the sales to Iran, the US House of Representatives earlier in September voted in favor of new measures that block sales of commercial aircraft to the Islamic Republic, which means that the bill, once signed into law by President Trump, would prevent OFAC from clearing licenses to allow the aircraft sales.



Although Iranian officials sound confident that the manufacturers would continue to fulfill their commitments under the existing deals, an official with ATR appeared hesitant about the capability of his company to materialize the commitments, watering down Irans plans to renew its aviation fleet.



The ATR representative during a ceremony held for marking the delivery of new aircraft to Iran in Tehran said that the manufacturers have an OFAC license which covers 2018. Therefore, the company will make efforts to deliver as many aircraft over the next year as possible.

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30 September 2017 14:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan discussed the preparation for the official visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Ashgabat, scheduled for October 2, at its meeting, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news agency reported on September 30.

A number of bilateral documents are planned to be signed following the high-level talks.

During the Cabinets meeting, Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted the importance of the upcoming talks.

Turkmenistan and Russia have friendly relations, according to him.

Our countries demonstrate closeness or coincidence of positions on such global key issues as ensuring universal peace and security, countering the challenges and threats of our time, noted the Turkmen president.

It was also noted that there is an impressive potential for building effective cooperation in the trade and economic sphere.

Berdimuhamedov also spoke about the dynamic nature of partnership with big companies of Russia, facilitated by the regular holding of various events, including joint business forums and cultural events.

Diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Russia were established in April 1992. More than 100 intergovernmental agreements covering all spheres of cooperation have already been signed by the two countries.

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30 September 2017 18:20 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

An international conference on security and sustainable development in Central Asia under the auspices of the United Nations will be held in Samarkand in November 2017.

The conference Central Asia: One Past and a Common Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity will be held on 10-11 November 2017, UzDaily reported.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed an order On preparation and holding of the International Conference on Security and Sustainable Development in Central Asia under the auspices of the United Nations Central Asia: One Past and a Common Future, Cooperation for Sustainable Development and Mutual Prosperity.

The document said that about 150 foreign guests, including the heads of international organizations, the leadership of the UN and the EU, foreign ministers of foreign countries, representatives of the expert community, as well as foreign news agencies and media are expected to attend the international conference.

The head of Uzbekistan approved measures to prepare and hold the conference at a high level.

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A new Anthem policy that took effect July 1 for local plan members in Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin drives patients who need outpatient imaging services to freestanding facilities. The policy went into effect for members covered in Ohio on Sept. 1.

Under the new policy, AIM Specialty Health began reviewing the requested level of care for imaging services; patients admitted to the hospital will be covered for outpatient imaging services at hospital-owned facilities, but all other requests for outpatient imaging will be steered toward freestanding centers. Members who undergo outpatient imaging services at hospital-owned facilities deemed medically unnecessary in the setting will be responsible for the entire bill.

Pediatric patients are included in the new policy and will be driven to freestanding imaging centers that meet criteria for pediatric patients if they are available; if not, pediatric patients will be able to undergo outpatient imaging at hospital-owned facilities.

Outpatient imaging services at freestanding facilities are typically less expensive than the same services at hospital-based facilities, meaning members that pay a percentage of the overall cost out-of-pocket could see reduced costs; members with facility copay plans likely won't see a reduction in their out-of-pocket expenses.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Missouri Senior Clinical Director Jay Moore, MD, told the St. Louis Dispatch the insurer saw cost differential of around 500 percent between the hospital-owned and freestanding facilities.The new policy could decrease spending on outpatient imaging services.

In the past year, Anthem stopped paying for "unnecessary" emergency room visits, including those for the common cold or sore throat, in select states. Instead, the insurer instructed customers to seek care in lower cost settings such as urgent care facilities. The St. Louis Dispatch hinted the payer could take further steps to rein in costs, which could include driving care such as surgery to the most cost-effective setting.

Other payers may be moving in that direction as well; RAC Monitor reports a memo from Humana notified providers earlier this year that 145 surgeries on the inpatient-only list could now be performed in the ASC for Humana Medicare Advantage patients, including total knee and hip replacements, cervical spine fusion and carotid artery stenting.
A federal grand jury indicted Williamsburg, Va.-based Cullom Eye and Laser Center's former administrator for alleged embezzlement, according to the Williamsburg Yorktown Daily.

Here are five things to know:

1. Cullom Eye and Laser Center employed Sherea Darnell as administrator from March 2012 to September 2016, during which time she is accused of embezzling around $500,000 from the center. She is charged with wire fraud, bank fraud and filing false tax returns in addition to unauthorized access to a device, according to the report.

2. During her time as administrator, Ms. Darnell had access to two business credit cards to purchase supplies and office equipment. However, she allegedly used the cards for personal purchases including private school tuition for her son and maid services.

3. Court documents reveal more than $90,000 in cash advancements were made on the eye center's credit cards while Ms. Darnell had access to them.

4. Ms. Darnell resigned from her post in September 2016 and moved out of state. Center owners examined bank accounts more closely after her resignation and noticed large payments were made to the office cards.

5. In this case, Ms. Darnell faces penalties of 30 years on each bank fraud case, 20 years on each wire fraud case and three years for filing false tax returns, according to the report.
From the U.S. Department of Justice bringing charges against two former executives of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare to a Wisconsin health system suing Cerner, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.

1. South Carolina health system to pay $7M to settle false billing case

Anderson, S.C.-based AnMed Health agreed to pay more than $7 million to resolve allegations it submitted false claims to Medicare.

2. Feds charge former Tenet executives in $400M fraud case

The U.S. Department of Justice brought new charges against two former executives of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare and the ex-CEO of a prenatal clinic who were allegedly involved in a $400 million fraud scheme.

3. Wisconsin health system blames Cerner software for $16M in losses

Fond Du Lac, Wis.-based Agnesian Healthcare is suing Cerner, claiming issues with its revenue cycle management software caused the system to lose $16 million.

4. Federal lawsuit: Texas medical practice owners tried to make staff 'more godly'

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit Sept. 20 against Shepherd Healthcare, a medical practice in Lewisville, Texas, alleging the company violated federal law by failing to accommodate the religious beliefs of at least four employees.

5. Whistle-blower: Former Broward CEO concealed major losses tied to 25-year cancer care contract

A recently unsealed lawsuit accuses Fort Myers, Fla.-based 21st Century Oncology of paying kickbacks to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Broward Health's former CEO in exchange for help in securing a 25-year contract that was extremely lucrative for the cancer care provider.

6. Washington AG sues second hospital over charity care practices

The Washington Attorney General's office filed a lawsuit against Capital Medical Center in Olympia, Wash., alleging the 110-bed hospital's charity care practices violate state law.

More articles on legal and regulatory issues:

Former Las Vegas hospital CEO's second theft trial barred by double jeopardy

Ex-CFO of Florida medical group settles false billing allegations for $100k

Former Cleveland Clinic executive charged in $2.7M fraud scheme
Is AMR Modern-day FRANKENSTEINS MONSTER?

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) continues to pose a significant public health problem in terms of mortality and economic loss. The rising AMR is a matter of huge concern that needs to be tactfully handled and health authorities of several countries, including India, have formulated action plans for its containment. Significant efforts by the government, an active involvement of startups and diagnostic players is a good start. The question remains, whether this will be enough.

For Feedback, please email us at: communications@mmactiv.com
Augmenting the sustained efforts to achieve key health and nutrition outcomes, the state government had signed a memorandum of cooperation with BMGF in 2010.

Bihar health Minister Mangal Pandey launched the second phase of technical support programme by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and CARE India recently.

Augmenting the sustained efforts to achieve key health and nutrition outcomes, the state government had signed a memorandum of cooperation with BMGF in 2010. Accordingly, a technical support unit (TSU) was established in the state in 2014. In the first phase of the TSU, it worked closely with the health department and integrated child development services (ICDS) on maternal and child health, family planning and nutrition intervention.

The minister stated that despite some positive changes in healthcare scenario in the state, there were many areas that would further be looked into in the second phase of TSU programme. He also stressed on the use of technology to bring efficiency in the health delivery system and connect healthcare workers such as ASHA workers to these technologies.

The human resource of healthcare providers in the state needs to be developed. A system is required to train hospital management. Hospital managers have to be guided to maintain standard as required and good public relations with the people who visit the hospital. Supply chain system of medicines and medical equipment also needs to be monitored.
This knowledge, they say, can be used to develop combination therapy along with conventional drugs to tackle aggressive triple negative breast cancer or TNBC

Scientists at the University of Calcutta and the Saroj Gupta Cancer Care and Research Institute in Kolkata have identified mechanisms that make breast cancer stem cells resistant to chemotherapy.

This knowledge, they say, can be used to develop combination therapy along with conventional drugs to tackle aggressive triple negative breast cancer or TNBC.

TNBC is a subset of breast cancer which is resistant to most drugs and tends to recur once drug therapy is stopped.

The research team included Dr Urmi Chatterji, Pritha Mukherjee, Dr Arnab Gupta, and Dr Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay. The study was funded by the Department of Biotechnology.

Pritha Mukherjee, a member of the research team explained, Breast cancer stem cells are resistant to drugs, live longer and proliferate once chemotherapy ends. This is because elevated expression of drug efflux pumps that throw out the drug from cells.

The study has found that three molecules  SOX2, ABCG2, and TWIST1  play an important role in this process. The researchers have further showed that on shutting down the SOX2 molecule (which further affects TWIST1) and treatment with anti-cancer drug paclitaxel, restricts migration of cancer stem cells. Even after removal of the drug, these cells did not migrate.

Professor Urmi Chatterji of the University of Calcutta said, This means obliterating SOX2 expression specifically in breast cancer stem cells before or during chemotherapy is a possible approach to eliminate their population within a tumour, with a promise to prevent post-chemotherapy recurrences.

Dr Arnab Gupta, director of Saroj Gupta Cancer Care and Research Institute said, The outcome of this basic understanding may be translated into a clinical method for controlling tumor recurrence. A treatment strategy which ensures eradication of persistent drug resistant cells would serve as a complete therapy.

Professor Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, vice chancellor of Amity University and co-author of the study said, Designing new methods which would target SOX2 would in effect render resistant cell population sensitive to anti-cancer drugs.
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The man who taught me to identify the song of the indigo bunting died last week at the age of 78 after 30 years of contending with Parkinsons disease.

On a sunny day many years ago we walked along a trail near Lake Superior when he stopped and pointed to a bird singing at the top of a tree nearby. He asked, could I identify it? I couldnt. We stood listening to the indigo bunting, and Ive ever since enjoyed its song in summer and remember the moment as an example of how Andy Larsen was always teaching about nature.

Our children benefited from that teaching through the programs of Riveredge Nature Center at Newburg, Wis., where Andy served as executive director. Riveredges tribute on its website said, Andys motivating drive was inspiring a deeper understanding and appreciation for our planet in those around him. He succeeded mightily; hundreds of thousands of people have developed a closer relationship to the natural world because of his life and his work.

We met Andy and his wife, Judy, when we lived in Cedarburg. They were a team in the effort to build Riveredge into an exemplary environmental education program  a lesson for Gretchen and for me, both in awakening our interest in conservation and in learning about fund raising for environmental causes. Those were lessons we would later use in our work here as volunteers with Mississippi Valley Conservancy.

Judy and Andy had a camp on land they inherited from Andys father near Little Sand Bay in Bayfield County. As had many of their friends, we enjoyed camping there with them. Gretchen may recall the summer camp when Andy challenged her to demonstrate her farm-girl credentials by driving his tractor. And there were visits to the camp at maple syrup time. I remember one such visit in March 2003 when it was spring-like in Onalaska, but winter-like with deep snow by the time I arrived at the camp.

As I pulled up behind Andys pickup, he emerged from the summer kitchen which had been enclosed in plastic for the cold weather camp. We took a hike through the snow to look at the selective logging that had been done since the last time I was there. Then he introduced me to the new sugar shack, a small hexagon building dominated inside by the evaporator he had received as a gift on his retirement at Riveredge. The board-and-batten-sided structure, built with lumber from the pines his father had planted, is weathered gray as the woods, with red door and red trim on the windows. Vents on the roof allow steam to escape as the sap boils down to syrup. Tucked into the sugar bush of tall, gray-bark, straight-trunked maples, some them already festooned with red buckets, the shack looked right at home.

I lay in my sleeping bag that night listening to barred and great horned owls hooting under the full moon. They were joined near dawn by a chorus of coyotes.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon cooked over the campfire, we got to the task of tapping the trees. Andy drilled the holes and I followed through the now-mushy snow pulling spiles out of the bleach bath, tapping them into the holes and hanging a bucket on each one.

By the following day we had collected enough sap to fire up the evaporator. Soon smoke from the maple-wood fire poured from the chimney and steam billowed from the vents, forming a fluffy cloud above the shack. We settled in to listen to the low growl and occasional snap of the fire, the soft sibilance of the evaporator like someone shushing a child, the rustle of cards for cribbage and the slurping of tea sweetened with boiling sap.

Maybe we joked about our mutual affection for lutefisk. Probably I learned about his joint project with the Milwaukee Public Museum to develop environmental education programs at a rain forest in Costa Rica. I dont recall exactly. But I do have these treasured memories of Andy and his remarkable life now ended. Andys spirit lives on in the song of the indigo bunting for me and for others in whatever inspiration they received from him, his lifes teaching like the pebble dropped in the water, the rings ever growing.
VijayaDashami- Melting Pot Of Celebrations Faith Mysticism oi-Staff

Vijaya Dashami is celebrated for different reasons and observed differently in various parts of the country. It's known as Dussehra in theNorth, Dashain in Nepal and VijayaDashami in the South. In fact, many consider this festival as a true representationof our multicultural society.

Vijaya Dashami is the symbolism of triumph of righteousness over evil. What better time of the year to celebrate this occasion other than during the culmination of the fasting period for Hindus. Dussehra is derived from "dasha" and "hara",two Sanskrit words, which mean destroyer of the evil, the ten-headed Ravana. It carries a positive message that evil can never reign for long.

In North India, Dussehra marks the 10thepic battle between the exiled prince Rama and the evil king Ravana, who abducted Rama's wife Sitaand called for the battle. The festivities start with staging of Ram Leela, which is an elaborate drama based on Ramayan,followed by burning colossal effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhkaranand his son Meghnath,which signifies end of evil.

In West Bengal, Dussehra is celebrated in form of Durga Puja. It is a 5-day festival celebrated with immersed festivities of aarti rituals, traditional dance performances and gala processions. This is the time of the year everybody gets together and the most exquisite sarees andsherwanis finally come out of closets to mark the pandalvisits.

Pandals are temporary pavilions that house the deities;almost every neighborhood builds their own pandal with their respective themes and decorations.In Maharashtra, it is an auspicious occasion to start a new venture or business.

In Gujarat, Dussehrais celebrated in the form of Navratriwhich encapsulates 7 days of garba, which is the folk dance and main attraction of the festival. After theaarti of the goddess, garba is played throughout the night to keep the festivities at the peak of their excitement.

Southern states have their own flavour of Dussehra, it is the most extravagant festival with most cities coming alive with lighting and festivities of grand processions. The most popular one takes place in Mysore Palace-which is official residence of the royal Wodeyarfamily.

In Kerela,SaraswatiPuja holds lot of faith forthe initiation of education of the younger kids in the family;whereas, in TamilNadu and Andhra, people tastefully arrange dolls of god and goddesses in their homes, which is calledBommaiKolu or Golu.

Dussehra:          | Places where Ravana is worshiped | Boldsky

This exhilarating and inspiring festival provides ample opportunity to capture highlights of the best moments spent with family and friends. What better partner than the Selfie Expert Oppo F3 that comes with a dual front camera with a 16-megapixel lens and a wide-angle lens for taking the perfect group selfies. Besides the dual selfie camera, it comes with a built-in facial recognition to adjust focal modes as per lighting and surroundings.

From fasting,feasting to fireworks, there's plenty to treasure from this festive season. Happy Dussehra!

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Story first published: Friday, September 29, 2017, 14:59 [IST]
3MF, or Ministry to Mature Members and Friends, of First Presbyterian Church, 223 West Ave. S., will host Tom and Susan Counters, who will provide a program about fraudulent activities and scams on Monday, Oct. 9. The couple are part of the AARP Fraud Watch Network.
The long-awaited South Jerrabomberra development, formerly known as South Tralee, will still go ahead despite more than half the buyers pulling out of the project.

In November, Village Building Co announced pre-sold lots would not be ready by the end of 2017 as originally planned. Due to this, the company offered buyers the opportunity to walk away.

Village Building Company's former managing director Bob Winnel, pictured in 2015 overlooking South Jerrabomberra before his retirement. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

The delay was largely due to an agreement on a cross-border road which hadn't been finalised.

Just over half of the 146 buyers at South Jerrabomberra followed through on the offer to rescind the contracts.
The Immigration Department and the Great Barrier Reef watchdog are the latest government agencies confirmed to have bought phone-hacking technology.

The hardware, developed by Israeli-company Cellebrite, is used by law enforcement and defence agencies and can bypass user locks, download passwords and data  including texts and emails  and recover location information.

The Cellebrite system has a cable for every phone on the market. Credit:Tessa Stevens

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Immigration Department joins a list of agencies using the tool, which includes the Department of Human Services and the Employment Department.

Meanwhile, data from the Department of Human Services  which includes Centrelink and Medicare  show the welfare body is slowly increasing its use of the technology in fraud investigations.
Townsend's book is full of affectionate nods to London, including its Tube network. Credit:AP "Originally it was part of a different story I was plotting out and that was going to be about a little girl who went to live with her aunt Morrigan, who was this slightly magical strange, eccentric and interesting woman," Townsend says. "As I started to write little bits and pieces I realised actually the aunt was much more interesting than the niece. I started to think what her childhood would have been like and how she grew up and what turned her into this interesting person. I let that incubate for a while. The Harry Potter comparison is oft-used, but Townsend has publisher Hachette very excited. Credit:AP "When I was 22 I moved to London. I needed to place the story somewhere that was big and bizarre and slightly frightening to explain why this character did grow up so peculiar. It was the matching of the character and this bizarre place that became Nevermoor."

Even without the children's fantasy genre connections, comparisons have been drawn to the Harry Potter series. Jessica Townsend's Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow was 10 years in the making. Morrigan is the neglected/unloved/marked child with a noble quest to fulfil, unknown enemies stalking her every movement, unaware of a hidden world that lies beyond her understanding. Townsend has something of Rowling's knack for memorable characters, of balancing darkness with whimsy and building from scratch the geography and politics of an immersive fictional world. The Brolly Rail and Courage Square of the Free State, an alternate London, are affectionate nods to the Tube and Trafalgar Square.

"I grew up in this beach town on the Sunshine Coast and when I moved to London that was the first time I had lived in a city and it was a pretty crazy city for your first city life experience," Townsend says. "It's such a nerdy thing to say but I love the Tube, because where I'm from you basically have to wait an hour for the bus to come along. "Think about the mechanics of it. Around 7 million people ride the Tube every day, or something ridiculous like that, it criss-crosses undergrounds and overgrounds and all these other lines. "Didn't you think it was weird when you were on the platform and the little sign would come and it would say, 'Seven minutes to the next train', and everyone would groan and it was the worst thing. And I would be thinking: 'Are you mad people? This is a public transport miracle'." Such is Hachette's faith in Nevermoor, the publisher has embarked on an unusual publicity campaign.

In advance of its release, Hachette Australia's joint managing director, Louise Sherwin-Stark, sent out signed uncorrected proofs to booksellers pronouncing Nevermoor to be the "biggest Australian publishing story in a decade, perhaps longer", comparing Townsend's international reach to Man Booker Prize winner Richard Flanagan, Tim Winton, Graeme Simsion and Liane Moriarty. The first Sherwin-Stark heard of Nevermoor was from publishing director Fiona Hazard, on the ground at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Word had got around that Townsend, an Australian debut author, was attracting serious global attention. "Within the first few lines, I was transported from a white box room in Sydney to Jessica's completely immersive and magical world," Sherwin-Stark says. "Within a page, I was captivated by her lead, Morrigan Crow. By the next chapter, I knew that we had a very special book on our hands. Nevermoor already feels like a classic." Hachette made an offer too good to refuse the same day.

Amelia Lush, manager of Better Read Than Dead, Newtown, was the first bookseller in the country to read Nevermoor, having arrived at her house as an unmarked manuscript with no synopsis and no age recommendation. ''I am not prone to hyperbole, nor do I pay much attention to publisher hype  and as you can imagine, the Harry Potter comparison is oft-used and has little impact these days. "Nevermoor is definitely one of, if not the most worthy, cases for such a claim." Townsend says her writing bears the influence of everything she has ever read, including the Harry Potter series, which she devoured when she was 13 and 14, the 1980s movie thrillers Willow and Return to Oz that scared her witless but had her coming back for more, as well as John Marsden's Tomorrow series. "I really did write the thing I most wanted to read. I was that really annoying kid who constantly had a book in their face  getting out of the car in the morning, crossing the road to school, nearly getting run over because I was reading as I was going along." Townsend was seven when she made the connection that books were not created by magic and writing was a job to which you could aspire.

"That's when I decided I was going to write," Townsend said. "I did it because I loved it and it never occurred to me to stop writing stories, even if I wasn't showing it to anyone and they would languish in a drawer for the rest of my life." It was only when Townsend came to live in London that she got serious about her story of Morrigan Crow. Even then, progress was slow. "I know there are writing classes but I never really took any. It was reading books and picking that up through osmosis and learning what I like to read that taught me how to write a book, although I'm not entirely convinced I know how. I ask that of myself every day - 'Do you know how to do this Jez?'" The second book in the Nevermoor trilogy has been all but written ahead of an international publicity tour that will take Townsend around the country, to the US and Britain. Seven more books have been plotted out in her head. Creating a spreadsheet of agents to send her book to three years ago, Townsend was prepared for rejection. Her "very far-fetched" dream was to quit her job in insurance and become a full-time writer, and that happened within a month of the auction.
Larry Anthony addresses the Nationals' federal conference, which he chairs. The conference floor voted to freeze and then phase out renewable energy subsidies. Credit:Patrick Griffiths One company, Indue, operates the cashless welfare card being trialled in several states in an attempt to reduce gambling and alcohol spending. Indue has won government contracts worth tens of millions of dollars since 2009 and a group of Nationals MPs is pushing for a widespread rollout of the welfare card. Mr Anthony, a former minister responsible for Centrelink, served as deputy chairman of Indue until 2013. Another client, Santos, was among the energy providers that met Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this week to strike a deal on domestic gas reservation.

Mr Turnbull and National Party leader Barnaby Joyce called on the NSW government to expedite a major coal seam gas project Santos hopes to build at Narrabri, National Party heartland in the state's north. Meanwhile, Delta Electricity plans to build a solar farm but also expand its coal-fired power generation, arguing that Mr Turnbull should pressure banks to lend money for the extension of coal-fired plants. The government is struggling to devise a clean energy policy that would keep the peace between Liberal Party factions while also satisfying the National Party. After a federal conference debate moderated by Mr Joyce and Mr Anthony this month, the Nationals passed a motion urging the government to freeze and then phase out renewable energy subsidies. Opening the conference, Mr Anthony thanked corporate sponsors, saying they and regional Australia backed the party "because we are focused and we deliver, we are transparent, and non-factionalised, we are loyal to our leaders, and ministers of the day".

"This is what sets us apart from other major political parties," he said. When he became party president in 2015, Mr Anthony was criticised for lobbying for the Shenhua Watermark mining project. At the time, he said he had removed himself from lobbyist registers and had no conflict of interest. "We do a lot of things aside from government relations  media, communications, stakeholder relations, et cetera," he said. "But executive director? Yes, I might have to come off that." Two years later, he remains an executive director. The SAS Group website has promoted the fact Mr Anthony attended the Liberal National Party's Queensland convention in July. Asked whether his party presidency helped to attract clients, Mr Anthony said: "I don't know about that, but my name is synonymous with the National Party."

His father, Doug, served as party leader from 1971 to 1984 and his grandfather, Larry snr, was a Country Party minister. Until this year, SAS Group listed its Canberra office as in the same building as National Party headquarters, John McEwen House, a low-rise office building a few streets from Parliament House. Mr Anthony said that in 2014 SAS was one of a number of companies that rented space in the building, at commercial rates, but it moved out the next year. Fairfax Media could find no former lease for SAS on the historical title deed. The proprietor of the building, John McEwen House Pty Ltd, also acts as a fundraising vehicle for the party, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Trading as the National Policy Forum, the company advertises seats at National Party events in corporate membership packages that cost up to $55,000.

Mr Anthony sits on the fundraiser's board, while SAS Group clients Santos and National Trunk Rail have attended its events. When SAS Group chief executive Peter Costantini attended one he was photographed separately with Mr Anthony and Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker. "When I took on the National Party job a couple of years ago I came off the lobby registry, so I'm not directly a lobbyist, although I am still clearly an owner of the company," Mr Anthony told Fairfax Media. He said he managed staff and provided general advice to clients, but advisers handled "direct engagement with government". As for the Nationals' policy committee meetings, he said he could not remember attending any.

"I don't blend the two," he said of his political and commercial work. "We do take [the lobbyist code of conduct] very seriously and we comply with it to the letter." The code prohibits lobbyists from being a member of a party executive. It also requires anyone who lobbies or employs lobbyists to register on a public database. University of Melbourne politics lecturer George Rennie said even if Mr Anthony had not technically breached the code, his failure to appear as a registered lobbyist "so undermines the intent of the code, as to make it nearly useless". "Being a part-owner and director of a lobbying firm, while concurrently serving as president of the National Party, creates a clear conflict of interest," Mr Rennie said. When asked whether Mr Anthony may be conflicted, a spokesman for the parliamentary leader Mr Joyce said "not at all because Mr Anthony isn't involved in any way with the decisions of government or cabinet".

"The policy committee is just that," the spokesman said. "They are not government. They do not craft or have any input into cabinet submissions upon which ministers make decisions." Delta Electricity spokesman Steve Gurney said: "We're not making any comment about SAS." Santos and Indue did not answer directly when asked whether Mr Anthony had facilitated access to government representatives or provided other lobbying services. "We draw on SAS's energy sector experience, so we've had very little interaction with Mr Anthony," a spokeswoman said. "We have supported the Nationals' National Policy Forum for a number of years, and we are even-handed when it comes to supporting the policy forums of political parties that support gas development."
The major highways heading to the coast just couldn't catch a break on Saturday, with heavy congestion for motorists heading out of Brisbane for the second consecutive day.

The long weekend exodus started early in the afternoon on Friday, creating at least 15 kilometres of delays on the Bruce Highway, M1 and Gateway Motorway.

Northbound traffic on the Bruce Highway through Burpengary at 1pm on Saturday. Credit:Department of Transport and Main Roads

Australian Traffic Network reporter Ben Mihan said that at 2pm on Saturday there were about 50 kilometres of on-and-off northbound delays between Burpengary and Sippy Downs on the Bruce Highway. There were also more than 10 kilometres of southbound delays between Sippy Downs and Beerburrum on the Bruce Highway.

However, by 3.30pm northbound delays had cleared and there was only a small patch of southbound delays stretching about five kilometres between Beerburrum and Caboolture.
A 12-degree drop in the space of one day is expected to signal the arrival of long-awaited rain in south-east Queensland, which will dampen the spirits of beach-goers but breathe life into lawns.

Brisbane hit 34 degrees on Saturday but was forecast to plummet to a top of just 22 on Sunday as cooler air from down south reached the south-east.

The long weekend was expected to be cut short for beach-goers as temperatures drop and rain moves in. Credit:Michelle Smith (file picture)

A significant band of rain was also predicted to develop and strengthen as it moved across the interior of the country before reaching the south-east late on Sunday.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gordon Banks said "pretty widespread" falls were expected in south-eastern, Wide Bay Burnett and Capricornia regions during Sunday night and Monday.
No one went hungry at our place.

My father killed our meat, grew our vegetables and was a champion at bartering. A leg of lamb was worth a tub of crayfish to fishermen down the coast. My mother always had chooks, and there were warm eggs collected every morning.

The old boy would snort at the idea of selling a paddock of sheep or cattle without first selecting a fat lamb or a fine steer for the table and the freezer. When Mum took eggs to market, there were plenty put aside for our frypan.

It doesn't bear contemplating, now they're gone, what they might have thought about a country that allowed its entire store of gas to be flogged off without first setting aside enough of the stuff to ensure the nation's power grid continued humming and that consumers could afford to turn on a light switch.
Phone connections still are spotty with a La Crosse couple visiting friends and relatives in Puerto Rico, but they have been able to fill their daughter in on the potentially deadly conditions surrounding them.

Dr. Julio and Maribel Bird have been able to move from their farm outside of the island territorys capital of San Juan into the city, Denise Rivera of La Crosse said Friday during a phone interview.

My mother is still waiting to see whos dead or alive, Rivera said. In the rural areas, you can smell the stench of death, but nobody knows whether the decay is from humans or other animals.

Although Rivera said she was concerned initially about whether her parents would survive the Category 4 Hurricane Maria that virtually leveled Puerto Rico and killed almost 20 people on Sept. 20, she finds comfort in the fact that her parents have the means to get food and other staples.

Most of the 3.5 million Americans who live in Puerto have been left without electricity, water, food and transportation, and damage estimates tally more than $1 billion, while debate has grown more heated there and on the mainland over the U.S. governments slow response to the humanitarian crisis.

Outside, Im scared for other people because of the class distributions, she said. Its the haves and the have-nots. The haves have lost a lot, but the have-nots have lost everything.

Maribel retired this past spring from teaching Spanish at Viterbo University in La Crosse. Julio is a cardiologist at the Gundersen Health System Heart Institute and phasing in to a new role as medical research director of the Gundersen Medical Foundation.

In addition to the property the Birds own, they also have an apartment. Almost 20 members of their immediate family live in Puerto Rico, along with tons of other relatives.

Videos from her parents indicated that one of the most dangerous perils during a hurricane is flying debris, Rivera said. Fearing that a corrugated window treatment could become a deadly projectile, her father went outside (into the teeth of the hurricane) because hes crazy like that.

But he was able to secure it so it didnt turn into a battering ram and shatter several windows, she said.

The stories of life-or-death situations  especially with the shaky conditions of hospitals and nursing homes that depend on diesel generators for electricity  are not exaggerated, Rivera said.

She cited the plight of her husbands 91-year-old grandfather, who is kept alive with a feeding tube in a nursing home that has electricity only because of a generator.

If they run out of gas, he will die, she said.

The longer it takes to get (supplies) to people, the more desperate they will become, Rivera said. They are not going fast enough. People will start fending for themselves, out of desperation, which would spawn even more dangerous conditions.

Anxiety has become increasingly obvious in the mainland United States, where relief agencies and members of Congress have alleged that the Trump administration has taken a lackadaisical approach to helping Puerto Rico  especially in comparison with the rapid response to hurricane victims in the Gulf States.

When challenged, Trump responded by praising the federal response, describing the aid operations as running smoothly even though the situation is difficult because the territories are islands.

Trump administration officials also have defended the presidents actions, although he balked at lifting a ban on non-U.S. ships delivering aid to Puerto Rico before finally doing so. But examples to the contrary have arisen almost daily, even as San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz has become increasingly vocal about her peoples dire straits.

Cruz was especially angry Friday in her reaction to a statement Thursday by Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, who said I know it is really a good news story in terms of our ability to reach people and the limited number of deaths that have taken place in such a devastating hurricane.

Bristling, Cruz shot back during an interview with CNN Friday, saying, Dammit, this is not a good news story. This is a people-are-dying story.

Among other things, babies lives are imperiled, dialysis patients and other critically ill people are not receiving treatments and food shipments are sitting in ports instead of being delivered.

Rivera indicated that she believes part of the problem is that many in the United States do not realize that Puerto Ricans are Americans.

When she tells people that her husband, Ricky, is a veteran, they ask her what country he served in the military.

Its the U.S. military. He was a Marine  doh! she said.

Rivera asks that people who want to help donate through the Hispanic Federation, a New York-based nonprofit that is organizing major relief efforts for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The Hispanic Federation Relief Effort intends to use 100 percent of the proceeds to help the hurricane victims, she said.
Outspoken Anglican priest Rod Bower has courted controversy by labelling Immigration Minister Peter Dutton a "Sodomite" in a social media post that has attracted thousands of shares and divided the religious community.

Father Bower, the controversial rector at the Anglican parish of Gosford who is famed for his roadside billboards, posted a photo on Facebook late on Thursday of a billboard bearing the words "Dutton is a Sodomite".

Gosford Anglican Church priest Rod Bower with an earlier billboard in 2014. Credit:Marina Neil

The sign appears to be located on a roadside but Fr Bower said it was made "only for social media". It is accompanied by a lengthy post in which he explains a sodomite is "someone who has no compassion, no capacity to love the stranger, the persecuted, the outcast or the homeless".

The assistant archbishop of Melbourne took umbrage at the post, labelling it "a very personal slur on a government minister".
More than $600,000 worth of drugs were seized as a result of investigations by the Queensland crime watchdog in the past year.

The Crime and Corruption Commission annual report reveals $636,809 worth of drugs were seized during 2016-17.

More than $600,000 worth of drugs was seized as a result of CCC investigations. Credit:Chris Howey

There were 24 people arrested on 724 charges from organised crime investigations.

Chairman Alan MacSporran said the CCC continued to prioritise organised crime investigations into high-threat criminal networks involved in the production and supply of dangerous drugs.
Queenslands first premier, Robert Herbert, was most likely gay and his constant companion, John Bramston, became Queenslands first-ever Attorney-General.

Herbert lived with Bramston in a Brisbane home and farm they named Herston by blending their surnames.

The home and the land around it became the site of Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital, directly across Bowen Bridge Road from the Royal National Association Showgrounds.

Herston, the home Robert Herbert and John Bramston resided in. Credit:John Oxley Library

Herbert was appointed premier by Queensland governor Sir George Bowen in 1859. He served until 1866, when he returned to England, where he was knighted.
At a charity football match in June. Credit:Getty Images But that is to oversimplify. Hers is a rags-to-riches story: a childhood below the poverty line in Nizhny Novgorod, a bleak industrial city in western Russia. She and her mother, Larissa, were abandoned first by her father, then her stepfather after her half-sister Oksana was born with autism and cerebral palsy. By 11 she was selling fruit by the side of the road. Cold, hunger, survival  these were not alien or romanticised concepts. The mark of poverty is still on her, she says, most explicitly in her understanding of the "shame" that surrounds it. When I ask if she can see it in others, she surprises me: she starts to cry. It touches something visceral. "It's a very emotional question. For those simple families who nobody cares about, really living with that stigma [for example] of disability, then even if I give them money, it's not enough. The best thing I can do is spend time with them."

She says shared traumatic experiences such as living in poverty or losing someone to cancer transcends friendship, nationality, blood "or any other bond". In an ideal world, she says, we would draw on our experiences to comfort one another more often. "We have blind corners  we may have next door someone who we could understand." I'm sure psychologists could find an unconscious link between the hardship of childhood and her attraction to extremely rich men. But one driving, and very conscious, ambition has been to improve her mother's life. "And I have succeeded. My mother has a little business and is independent. She can buy me presents that I did not pay for." She says Larissa instilled in her two things: self-reliance and a steely drive. ("I tell myself this is the heritage I am leaving my kids: a work ethic.") "My mother was in a desperate situation, working four jobs, raising kids alone. From a young age she taught me, 'Only rely on yourself. You have to be strong. You have to do it for yourself.' "And she lived it. For me, the government was a faraway thing that did not affect me, touch me or help me." Of course, her children are growing up in a different universe, with easy proximity to the government. She has met French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte.

We sidetrack to discuss the age difference of 25 years between Macron and his wife, and Natalia gives a Gallic shrug and says this is not unusual in Paris. "I often see it where you have this incredibly handsome young guy with this beautiful older woman  and obviously much older. It's quite common. If he wasn't the president, no one would blink." We are sitting in the showroom of made.com on Rue Etienne Marcel surveying yet another of her projects combining tech and fundraising, a children's furniture range she has designed for the online company co-founded by her friend Brent Hoberman of lastminute.com fame. A bedroom scene  bed, wardrobe, bookshelves decorated with matryoshka dolls  has been set up in a little tableau vivant beside us. Natalia tells me she met Hoberman through the online community of tech entrepreneurs, Founders Forum, and he insisted she get involved, which wasn't a chore as she loves tech. Importantly, all proceeds go to Naked Heart. She takes me through the detail  the pull holes for drawers to stop little fingers getting trapped. "This is a phobia for me because when I was five someone closed the door on my finger. I still remember the pain." So what was her own bedroom like growing up? "I didn't have a bedroom," she says.

In 2015 with her children by ex-husband Justin Portman: Lucas, Neva and Viktor. Credit:Getty Images "Every single one" of her children  Lucas, 16, Neva, 11, Viktor, 10, with Portman; Maxim, 3, and Roman, 1, with Arnault  have just done a publicity shoot here and "loved it", she says. She softens when she talks about her kids, flipping one thigh-high boot over the other, her rod-straight back dissolving a little. They were all breastfed, "which is very, very tiring. None of my children slept, so for 15 years I've been up every night twice at least." She has help  "of course, or I wouldn't be here"  and keeps tabs on each of the children by carving out one-on-one time. "I have moments where I feel I'm losing control  that's motherhood." They don't complain, although recently she overheard the youngest of the Portman brood saying to the eldest, "Yes, but you had Mummy to yourself for four years."

The three eldest moved to Paris from a rural house in England's West Sussex in 2012. "Of course, they left friends behind and I do sense that they miss the pleasures of the countryside because they don't have this in Paris. But they've settled well. And now they speak another language." Are they very Parisian now? She smirks. "No, they are still very English." Paris was the first European city the 17-year-old Natalia experienced on arriving from Russia as a fledgling model. "I spent one year here as a girl with no money, going on the Metro, really discovering the city. And it's probably the city I know the most, apart from my home town." At 18 she moved to New York, where she threw herself into work. And it was there she met the sybaritic Portman, an artist and prince charming with a taste for models (he's recently been dating Ukrainian Anna Shut, 23). Natalia could have lived happily ever after if her happily ever after had been going to parties, looking pretty and staying up late. She once said that "the biggest differences between England and France is royalty versus republican, and my marriages reflect that. My first husband was a member of the aristocracy, did not work, but was a walking encyclopaedia. My second husband is a workaholic." I ask her to elaborate. "I am a workaholic as well," she says brightly. "That's why it didn't work with my ex-husband. We loved each other but we were just very " She searches for the elusive word. "Our rhythm of life was different."

In the past she has described Portman's parenting as 'hands-off'. "With Antoine, we love to get up in the morning, be with the children, then go to work." The British aristocracy, she says, was "another world", not necessarily welcoming to outsiders. "It's a beautiful world, yes. But if you haven't been born into it, it can be difficult to be part of. I was born into a working-class family." By age 19, she was married to Portman and had her first child. She stepped back on the runway 10 days after giving birth. "[Portman] had all this free time to follow me and our baby around in my crazy career. At the time I thought I knew everything. I thought that it didn't matter that we were so different because we had complicity elsewhere. In emotional ways we were very supportive of each other." On returning to England, they bought a country house and filled it with children and animals. But the "glue" of their relationship began to come apart and Natalia's patience with Portman's partying wore thin. She first met Arnault in 2008 at a shoot for Louis Vuitton, although she doesn't remember it. They met again in 2011, and after two dates she was smitten. Moving her three children to Paris wasn't difficult, as Portman spends so much time wrapped in a sarong on a sprawling estate in Uruguay.

But shortly after they separated, Portman wrote a post on Facebook saying that his life was not in "synchronicity" with her "fashion" life. He claims she was embarrassed by him, treated him like an "old Louis Vuitton handbag" and that after a stint in rehab she didn't receive him home with any warmth. She describes the 40-year-old Arnault  chief executive of menswear brand Berluti and the chairman of Italian cashmere company Loro Piana  as "always happy to go to work: very driven and very hardworking". She continues, "We are very well balanced. He inspires me and I think I inspire him because of the same energy I give, but to philanthropy. "He is an incredibly compassionate person. But like any man his view is, 'Make your own money first, secure your career, your wellbeing, the wellbeing of your family  and then you think of everything else'." She says she feels guilty about working so hard, "especially when, in principle, I don't have to work any more". Loading
This is because it was the headline finding of a much-publicised 2015 report by the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia. Got that? Forty per cent of jobs will disappear. So when Australians aged 18-36 were asked about their work futures, guess what proportion thought that automation posed a threat to their jobs? Forty per cent, according to the Deloitte Millennial Survey this year. Similar studies of the job-stealing potential of robots and artificial intelligence in other countries have come to similar conclusions. Forty, fifty, sixty per cent of jobs will be displaced by smart machines and self-teaching software. Barack Obama's farewell speech in January stoked the fear: "The next wave of economic dislocation won't come from overseas," he intoned. "It will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good, middle-class jobs obsolete." "Intelligent machines: The jobs robots will steal first" was the headline on a BBC story, typical of the genre, that ran earlier this month. It ran through a list - factory worker, doctor, cocktail waitress, journalist, taxi driver. The anxiety is building. Techno-panic beckons. But is it well founded? Gittins pointed out the flaw in any economic modelling - your results are only as good as your assumptions. In other words, "garbage in, garbage out". He cited economists shooting holes in the basis of the CEDA research. And research by the Paris-based OECD estimated that, across the developed countries, a much smaller 9 per cent of jobs were vulnerable. But this is such a speculative exercise that you can choose your study and pick your number. The McKinsey Global Institute, for instance, estimates that only 5 per cent of occupations will be able to be fully automised by 2065. But it reckons that about half of the activities within occupations will be automatable. So, 95 per cent of occupations will remain but the work within will change. Over the next half-century. You can see why this study didn't get as much publicity as the apocalyptic ones - jobs will change over the next 50 years, nothing too shocking, not many hurt. Hardly a sexy news story. But the most important counter to the panic is the evidence of the past three centuries. As each wave of technological change has hit, from the agricultural revolution to the industrial to the digital, many job categories have indeed been wiped out. But many more have been created. So that there has been a net gain every time.The simple fact is that we can always see jobs disappearing but we can never imagine the jobs that will arise in their place.

Australia should be able to take further reassurance from its recent experiences. Two in particular. First was the 1980s wave of economic reform under the Hawke-Keating governments. As they tore down the tariff wall that had protected Australian industry for a century, we were beset by hysteria. It would mean the death of Australia's manufacturing sector and national ruin. And the end of protectionism did wipe out great swathes of Australia's factories, jobs lost by the tens of thousands. Manufacturing's share of the economy today is half its level of the Hawke-Keating revolution. But rather than national ruin it led to national rejuvenation. Paul Keating was asked in 2000 what he'd say to blue-collar workers who lost their jobs as a result of his reforms. "What do I say: What is your new job like? One of the 2.5 million created since the early 1980s. People have found better jobs. I mean, did we ever hurt anybody liberating them from the car assembly line?" Second was the mining boom that ended some four years ago. Every previous Australian mining boom has ended in a bad bust, a national recession. The mighty convulsions in an economy riding a mining boom are like a cowboy trying to hang on to a wildly bucking brumby. This latest boom was the biggest in two centuries of European settlement yet it was the first that did not end in a bust. The newfound flexibility of the economy allowed a smooth dismount. Australia has now enjoyed 26 years of unbroken growth, a record for any developed nation. Ah yes, say the prophets of doom, but the tech transformation that is about to hit is unique. This time it's different, they tell us. A book on the subject published this week by a federal Labor MP, Jim Chalmers, and the former head of the NBN, Mike Quigley, tells us so. How? "Earlier evolutions replaced human effort" but "this one goes a step further to directly challenge some some intrinsic traits that make us human - thinking, problem-solving and decision-making", they write in the book titled Changing Jobs: The Fair Go in the New Machine Age. Gratefully, however, this isn't an exercise in extended hysteria. Chalmers, the shadow finance minister, and Quigley don't waste their book making the ahistorical argument that this time, unlike all other experience, Chicken Little will be proved right and the sky truly will fall. They point out that the world's top experts are split down the middle on whether the new robotics will mean breakdown or boon for the next generations. They cite a survey of 1900 experts by the well-regarded Washington research institute, Pew. Of the experts, 48 per cent saw net job destruction, worsening income inequality, big pools of unemployable people and a breakdown in the social order in just the next eight years. So this time the revolution will be different, in their view.

And the other 52 per cent? They foresaw people displaced from some jobs but that human ingenuity would produce new jobs and new industries. In other words, this time it's not different at all. Chalmers and Quigley have chosen not to take sides. Instead, their book, cogent and clear, takes a "no regrets" approach to the future. They set out 33 policy recommendations that are designed to make Australia a better place regardless of whether the new robots turn out to be benign or bastards. Most of their recommendations are sensible and can indeed be taken up with "no regrets". They advocate that we should train more teachers in the STEM subjects - science, technology, engineering and maths. And that all states should take up Queensland's "digital solutions" curriculum. Refreshingly, they urge that we sharpen communication skills and critical thinking by promoting debating, drama and advocacy. More venturesome ideas are that Australia should implement lifelong learning accounts, lifelong learning programs like Singapore's SkillsFuture initiative, portable worker entitlements and "income smoothing" to better distribute our incomes across our working lifetimes. Some of their suggestions merely show up the failures of Australia's dismal politics - they recommend, for instance, the implementation of universal high speed national broadband and the introduction of needs-based schools funding. Both of these were supposed to have been substantially delivered already and might have been but for the awful partisan politics of Canberra. Loading
A total of 23 hotel properties, totalling more than 87 million between them, sold in Ireland during the first nine months of 2017, according to new data from Commercial Property Consultants, CBRE Ireland.

The figures confirm that transactional activity in the Irish hotel sector is down year-on-year after a slow start to the year. CBRE claim the relatively low volume of transactions signed compared to recent years is largely attributable to the scarcity of large-scale assets being released for sale compared to last year with very few Dublin hotels having traded so far this year.

However, the property consultants say there is currently more than 63 million of hotel transactions sale agreed and a further 6 million of transactions where contracts have been signed, which will boost transactional activity in the final quarter of the year. In addition, almost 70 million of hotel investment activity (which is counted separately in investment spend numbers) occurred in the first nine months of 2017.

Souirce: www.businessworld.ie
Ryanair, Europe's busiest airline, was warned to deliver "action, not words" by British aviation authorities on Thursday after it failed to inform 400,000 customers of their full rights regarding canceled flights through Christmas.

Ryanair has more than doubled its unprecedented cancellations since last week, with cuts now affecting more than 700,000 customers over the next five months.

Ryanair has denied it has a pilots shortage and has blamed the wave of cancellations on pilot rostering problems.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority rebuked the Irish budget airline for providing "misleading information" after it offered affected customers refunds or alternative Ryanair flights.

The rules oblige Ryanair to also offer customers flights on other airlines if there is no suitableRyanair service available.

The CAA also accused Ryanair of failing to inform passengers about its obligation to cover additional expenses incurred because of a canceled flight, such as hotels and meals.

"We will be meeting with the CAA and will comply fully with whatever requirements they ask us to," Ryanair said in a statement on Thursday.

CAA CEO Andrew Haines told Sky News on Thursday that the CAA was "furious" with Ryanairand that the regulator wanted to see "action, not words."

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary last week sought to address the airline's problems with a first wave of 315,000 cancellations.

He told investors then that the impact would be less than 25 million euros and that Ryanair was finalizing a bid for struggling Italian carrier Alitalia.

On Wednesday, that cost figure doubled and Ryanair abruptly dropped its planned Alitalia bid.

"We've made it clear their behavior is unacceptable... It's only when we get to steps of court action very often that they are prepared to comply with the law," the CAA's Haines said.

The CAA has the power to seek legal undertakings from operators to make sure they comply with consumer rights law and to take court action if they fail to do so.

Ryanair shares were down 2% on Thursday. The stock gained more than 3% on Wednesday as analysts welcomed the company's plan to restrict growth this winter and its decision to drop its planned bid for Alitalia. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Activist group Avaaz stepped up its battle to stop Rupert Murdoch buying Sky, launching a legal challenge to the regulator's view that the pay-TV group would still be a "fit and proper" owner of a broadcasting license if the deal goes ahead.

Britain's broadcasting regulator Ofcom ran a "fit and proper" test when it assessed whether the $15 billion deal to bring Sky under the full control of Murdoch's Fox should be reviewed on the grounds of broadcasting standards and media plurality.

It said in June that if Sky were fully owned by Twenty-First Century Fox, it would still be "fit and proper" to hold a broadcasting license, and also said it had no serious concerns about Fox's commitment to broadcasting standards.

Despite Ofcom's recommendations, Britain's Culture Secretary Karen Bradley decided this month to refer the deal to a wide-ranging review on the grounds of broadcasting standards and media plurality, which looks at Murdoch's influence across Britain's newspaper and broadcasters.

Online pressure group Avaaz said it was filing papers in court on Friday seeking a judicial review of Ofcom's "fit and proper" decision.

It claims Ofcom did not correctly assess standards at Fox News and the track record of Fox CEO James Murdoch, Rupert's son, who was responsible for Murdoch's British newspapers during a phone-hacking scandal in 2011.

"Repeated, large-scale scandals in the Murdoch empire indicate that something is very rotten at the core of their businesses," said Avaaz campaign director Alex Wilks.

"Ofcom didn't dig deep enough before declaring the Murdochs fit to own even more of our media."

Ofcom said it would defend its ruling.

"We will defend our 'fit and proper' assessment, which was independent, expert and based on the evidence," a spokesman said.

James Murdoch said earlier this month that the deal should be assessed solely on the evidence and not to settle political scores.

"Whether or not 30 years ago someone had a grievance about a political position that a newspaper took ... is irrelevant," James Murdoch, who is CEO of Fox and chairman of Sky, said at the Royal Television Society's Cambridge Convention. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
TOWN OF ADAMS  A Wisconsin company that stores up to 2.8 million gallons of industrial waste water in open tanks is under fire from rural neighbors who say the smell sometimes gets bad enough to make them sick.

And when the wind is going the other way so you cant smell it, its like Hallelujah, were going to have a good day, said Pam Scheider, who lives near the tanks. But that just means somebody else isnt having a good day, because it will be blowing on them.

Scheider and others say they have been rebuffed repeatedly when they have asked state and local government officials to investigate how such powerful odors could come from tanks that are supposed to hold only wash water from food-processing plants.

They treat us like an enemy, said Martha Ladwig.

She and her husband moved to Green County to raise children in fresh air, but she said in recent years they have been forced to keep their windows shut and their six boys indoors on summer days when the nauseating smell is at its worst.

Company president Stephan Byrne said in a statement that Monroe-based Bytec takes seriously its obligation to be a good neighbor, and it follows strict state Department of Natural Resources standards.

Bytecs DNR permit allows them to store a variety of liquid industrial waste products in three tanks at the town of Adams site and four more elsewhere in Green, Richland and Iowa counties.

Bytec trucks pick up waste water from food-processing companies and deliver it to the town of Adams tanks. It is then pumped into other trucks and carried to farm fields where it is spread as fertilizer.

Bytec pollution violations prompted state lawsuits that resulted in Green County courts ordering Bytec to pay $5,154 in 2006 and $10,000 in 2010.

Settlement terms havent been disclosed from a 2013 lawsuit filed by a Lafayette County woman who claimed health problems including a vocal cord disorder from fumes after the company spread waste next to her home.

The DNR disclosed Friday that since 2012 it has issued three notices of noncompliance to Bytec for failing to report a spill and improper waste spreading. A 2016 violation notice was issued for a spill near Shullsburg. The department didnt provide details.

Clients in nonfood industries

The company has emphasized that its town of Adams site handles wash waters from cheese plant(s) and other food-processing operations.

Using waste water from cheesemaking to fertilize fields has been going on for decades, and many rural residents had become as accustomed to the materials mild smell as they were to the odor of manure from small dairy farms.

But the Green County residents complaining about Bytec say its liquid waste smells much worse, and they wonder what may be in it.

Cheesemakers have found markets for just about all the whey they can filter out of their waste water, selling it to manufacturers of products such as protein bars, said UW-Madison soil science professor Francisco Arriaga.

Its a very different type of waste water than it was 10 or 15 years ago, Arriaga said. Now its just wash water with detergents, or it could include other ingredients such as flavorings.

Most large cheesemakers have land for disposing of their own waste water, he said.

Bytecs permit lists a variety of other materials that it collects from industrial sources. The permit allows spreading of sludge from meat processing and waste water from animal food manufacturing as well as byproducts from processing of corn, cheese and other dairy products.

When the DNR in 2014 approved a new 1.5 million gallon tank in the town of Adams, Bytecs management plan included new client categories in nonfood industries that include bio-fuel waste water, ethanol production, animal kill operations and unknowns.

A DNR spokesman didnt respond to a request for specifics about Bytec tanks holding those materials.

Headaches, dizziness

When organic matter rots, it can release ammonia and hydrogen sulfide gases that smell bad and cause eye and respiratory irritation and other symptoms including headaches, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and loss of sleep, according to state and federal regulatory agencies.

Residents testified about Bytec odors at a July 2016 county Board of Adjustments meeting and asked the county to enforce an ordinance that prohibits conditions that are noxious or seriously offensive to the health, safety or general welfare of the public.

Green County zoning administrator Adam Wiegel responded in a memorandum saying that Bytecs waste wasnt a health hazard and concerns about odors should be forwarded to the DNR.

After residents met with DNR officials, the agency sent them a memo saying they should keep logs to document odors and submit them to the DNR. The company samples its waste for substances that commonly pollute water, including nitrogen, chloride, phosphorus, ammonia and potassium, the DNRs Stephen Warrner said in a reply to two of them, Jim and Sue Weber.

Jim Weber, a retired real estate agent who lives in Fitchburg, bought a house and land in Green County near the Bytec site, but he said he cant stand to spend much time there because when the smell gets bad it makes his throat burn.

Sometimes it smells like rotten eggs or rotten milk, Weber said.

Weber, Scheider and Ladwig are among the residents who filed a lawsuit this year asking a Green County judge to stop Bytecs plans to build a new 1.3 million gallon tank to replace two older ones in the town of Adams. The suit also calls for Bytec to abate the nuisance and empty the current tanks and to pay unspecified damages.

It woke us up in the middle of the night, said Ladwig, who lives less than mile to the northeast of the facility. Its horrendous. I dont even hang out clothes anymore. Ive hung out clothes everywhere Ive lived all my life, but it stinks too much here.

Pam Scheiders husband, Jim, said the fumes twice have left him dizzy, weak and unable to milk his 44 cows.

The wind starts blowing into the barn and next thing I get this headache pressure ... and I was on my back, Scheider said. I cant think of anything to compare the smell to. I use two words: nasty and rancid.

Bytec president Byrne said he didnt want to discuss pending litigation, but he said the company is in compliance with its DNR permit.

Odor issues may exist from either the storage location or field application locations, Byrne said in a 2016 letter to county officials. When these issues are prevalent we may use odor mitigating responses or odor eliminating responses.

Byrne didnt respond to a State Journal request to describe steps taken to reduce odors.

Kriss Marion, a Blanchardville farmer and member of the Lafayette County Board, said she has been hearing complaints for years about companies that haul and spread dairy waste.

Because the liquids ingredients can vary and the way it affects crops can be unpredictable, many farmers have stopped accepting it, even though the haulers pay to deposit the material on fields, Marion said.

It pays good money to get waste out of the cities and we are kind of a dumping ground for that, Marion said.

Questions about

Bytecs permit

Bytec says it has had a 300,000 gallon tank and 1 million gallon tank on the town of Adams site since the late 1990s, and it added a third tank, which can hold 1.5 million gallons, late in 2013.

Handling of waste water must be permitted under the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System to ensure compliance with the federal Clean Water Act. But when the DNR provided the Wisconsin State Journal with a copy of Bytecs January 2013 permit last week, it didnt include any information on the 1.5 million gallon tank.

Jim Dick, DNR spokesman, said the permit allows changes to be made to it without the changes being noted in the document itself.

Asked for documentation that the DNR had approved the new tank, Dick provided a March 2014 DNR memo approving construction specifications and 46 pages of management plan changes submitted by Bytec and initialed as approved by a DNR employee in May 2014.

Dick didnt respond when asked to comment on the companys statement that the tank was built in 2013, before it was approved.

He said additional permit changes have been made since 2014, but documents wouldnt be available until Monday.

Sarah Geers, an attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates, said she hadnt seen many permits amended without changes being incorporated into the official document. Uncertainty about what is permitted can lead to ambiguity about whether a company is in compliance with the federal Clean Water Act, Geers said.

Companies can use their permits as shields if they are accused of violating the federal law, Geers said.
Qingdao, Hangzhou and Xiamen ranked top in smart city governance, according to a report released by the National Development and Reform Commission and the China Center for Urban Development on Sept 22.

The report evaluated 293 provincial and prefectural level cities based on five key indicators, including the locals' conception of smartness, smart management and smart services.

The results showed that around 52 percent of the cities scored between 40-50, offering room for further improvement.

Let's take a look at the 10 cities.

No 10 Wuxi
Archbishop of Canterbury accuses BBC of failing to show same 'integrity' over child abuse as the Church

The BBC has defended itself against criticism from the Archbishop of Canterbury that it lacked 'integrity' in its response to the Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal.

Archbishop Justin Welby said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the corporation had not shown the same integrity the Anglican and Catholic churches had.

Invited to reflect on the programmes 60th anniversary of being on air, he said: 'I think we are a kinder society more concerned with our own failures, more willing to be honest where we go wrong in most of our institutions.' But there were still 'dark areas'.

He continued: 'If I'm really honest, I'd say the BBC is one. I haven't seen the same integrity over the BBC's failures over Savile as I've seen in the Roman Catholic Church, inthe Church of England, in other public institutions over abuse. We may be proved wrong about that but you know that's one area.'

The Archbishop also referred to the dispute over the pay gap between men and women at the BBC, and said that in the church, male and female bishops received exactly the same stipends.

Archbishop Welby was speaking just weeks before Lord Carlile publishes his review into how the Church of England handled a claim by 'Carol' into allegations of abuse by the late Bishop George Bell of Chichester, who died in 1958.

In Australia, where the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches have been under investigation by a royal commission into institutional child sex abuse, and the Catholic Cardinal George Pell is facing multiple historic child sex abuse charges, only yesterday it emerged that one victim was forced to take the Anglican Church to court over failure to pay a $1.5 million settlement.

The BBC, Church of England and Roman Catholic Church will all be examined soon in the UK's own version of the Australian commission, chaired by Professor Alexis Jay. This December, the UK inquiry will look at the English Benedectines and next March, at the Church of England's Chichester diocese.

Meanwhile six church sex abuse survivors silence condemned the Archbishop's attack on the BBC.

In a statement they said: 'Speaking from our own bitter experience, we do not recognise Archbishop Welby's description of the integrity with which the Church of England handles cases of abuse in a church context.

'Far from the 'rigorous response and self-examination' he claims, our experience of the church, and specifically the archbishop, is of long years of silence, denial and evasion. The Church of England needs to confront its own darkness in relation to abuse before confronting the darkness of others.'

Matthew Ineson, who as a teen was raped by a C of E vicar, Trevor Devamanikkam, who killed himself just before he was due to appear in court to answer to the charges, told The Guardian: 'I know from my own experience, and the experience of others, that safeguarding within the C of E is appalling.

'The church has colluded with the cover-up of abuse and has obstructed justice for those whose lives have been ruined by the actions of its clergy. I have been fighting for five years for the church to recognise its responsibilities and I'm still being met with attempts to bully me into dropping my case.'

Keith Porteous Wood of the National Secular Society told Christian Today: 'Dr Welby seems to have forgotten the findings of the Gibb Report he commissioned, of his Church's withholding of evidence at the highest level from the police relating to jailed ex bishop Ball. Has he also forgotten the misery all this abuse caused over decades, compounded by the resistance of his Church to admit guilt and pay compensation?

'Is he unaware despite numerous complaints that some abuse victims continue to be bullied throughout their lives for failing to remain silent?

'Does he think that the 4,444 victims of Catholic abuse found by the recent Royal Commission in Australia or the countless thousands identified in numerous reports on Ireland provide an upstanding exemplar?

'Until this interview with the BBC, I had been optimistic that Dr Welby was going to be the desparately needed new broom on child abuse for the Anglican Church.'

A BBC spokesman defended the corporation. He said: 'This isn't a characterisation we recognise. When the Savile allegations became known we established an independent investigation by a High Court judge. In the interests of transparency, this was published in full. We apologised and accepted all the recommendations.

'And while today's BBC is a different place, we set out very clear actions to ensure the highest possible standards of child safeguarding.'

Regarding the Archbishop's comments on the gender pay gap, the BBC added: 'Gender pay is a challenge for all organisations not just the BBC. The national gender pay gap is 18 percent. The BBC's is under ten percent and we have committed to closing it in 2020. We know we have to go further and faster. We are not unique in this. The Church of England's own published pay gap for non-office holders is 41 percent. We all collectively have more work to do, to sort an issue that is a problem across the vast majority of organisations.'

Lambeth Palace said: 'We fully accept the failures of the Church of England in the area of safeguarding.

'Since the Archbishop took up his role, he has been very clear that the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults should be the highest priority of all parts of the Church and was one of the first to call for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

'The Church's National Safeguarding Team was created in 2015 and there are now robust House of Bishops safeguarding policies in place along with independent audits for all dioceses and dedicated training on hearing disclosures for all senior clergy.

'The Archbishop fully supports the Church's commitment to develop a stronger national approach to safeguarding to improve its response to protecting the vulnerable.

'The Archbishop believes this level of rigorous response and self-examination needs to extend to all institutions, including the BBC.'
Church youth group leader finds baby abandoned at side of the road with birth certificate and $5,500 in cash

A church youth group leader driving a bus load of young Christians back from an amusement park made a startling discovery on Saturday afternoon.

Rodger Prater, 46, told People.com he and his wife Nancy were driving the group of youngsters back after the day's outing when he noticed a one-month-old baby on the side of a busy interstate in its car seat.

The child was sitting in the carrier around 10 feet from the white line marking the outer boundary of the two-lane highway, said Prater, who is a youth worker at Abba's House of Worship Center in Ada, Oklahoma.

But that's not all. Found along with the infant was a birth certificate, social security card, and $5,500 in cash.

Prater said that at first, he 'couldn't fathom' what he was seeing. But then the feet moved and that confirmed to him what he thought it was, a little baby.

'He was just a little fella,' says Prater. 'Thank God we got there in time.'

The baby was taken to a local hospital to be checked over and was found to be fine. Police were also informed and, according to People magazine, the mother was located thanks to the details in the documents that were found along with the baby. No arrests have been made, it reported, although the baby remains for now in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

Prater is convinced God had a hand in finding the baby when he did. He told People: 'All I know is that God intervened.

'One day when the baby is old enough to understand, he can call me and I will tell him that it was no fluke that we found him. We found him for a reason. I will tell him that God has a plan for his life.'
'Criminal Minds' season 13 episode 2 plot news: BAU investigates suitcase with dead body

In the next episode of "Criminal Minds," the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) led by David Rossi (Joe Mantegna) investigates a dead body that turns up in a suitcase.

The trailer for the latest installment titled "To a Better Place" was recently released and showed the killer pulling a suitcase with a supposed dead body inside. The mysterious murderer apparently lures and kills his victim in his home. Dr. Spencer Reid (Matthew Gray Gubler) believes that the killer experiences a moment of rage before he becomes extremely tender towards his victims.

Another strange piece of information is that the perpetrator's grandmother is supposedly involved with the murders. The victim is introduced to his grandmother apparently before he kills her. "That is fascinating," agent Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness) says to her colleagues upon realizing the strangeness of the case.

It remains to be seen how the team will capture the demented murderer before he kills any more women.

In the last episode, the BAU managed to locate the psychotic villain Peter Lewis a.k.a. Scratch (Bodhi Elfman) who forced the former director Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) to go into a protection program. The insane stalker went on a quest to kill Hotchner last season which caused the loss of some lives including Stephen Walker (Damon Gupton).

Scratch tried to escape from the side of a building but the metal staircase gave way and fell which made him latch on to the ledge for dear life. Agent Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) was about to save him but he could not hold on and fell to his death.

With Scratch now gone, Hotchner could return to the BAU but opted to retire instead making Rossi the new head of the unit.

"Criminal Minds" season 13 episode 2 will air on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 10 p.m. EDT on CBS.
Rapturous homecoming given to freed priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil

The freed priest Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who endured 18 months in captivity in Yemen, could not but help shed a tear of relief as he was welcomed home by Salesians in his native India, World Watch Monitor reports.

He was met at Indira Gandhi International Airport by Alphons Kannanthanam, the first Christian inducted into Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet, along with more than 30 Salesian priests who had travelled from throughout India to meet him and his brother, Mathew, 72, and sister, Mary.

After meeting Modi and Sushma Swaraj, India's foreign minister, he said: 'I am no more a property of the family or the Salesians of Don Bosco. I understand that I belong to the entire world.'

He said he believed his safe release was the result of the millions of prayers offered worldwide.

'There was loneliness during my 18 months of captivity. I had no fear of death [though] I faced tremendous uncertainty. What was going to happen to me? Still I never lost hope. Faith in God and prayers sustained me,' he said in a written statement given to journalists that in the end he was too tired to read out himself.

He also said his captors never tortured or harmed him.

He recovered enough to speak at the end of a thanksgiving Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi and went on to the Salesian provincial house in the suburb of Okhala, before catching a flight on to Bangalore

Tomorrow, Sunday, he is due to travel to Kochi and then go onto his native parish of Ramapuram, 70km from Kochi.

Father Tom was abducted in March last year when Islamic State terrorists attacked a home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Aden. He was after negotitions by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Oman.
Why is Hungary's PM Viktor Orban granting cash to Russian Orthodox churches?

Twice a month a few dozen Russian orthodox believers gather in a small Catholic chapel whose foundations date back to the 11th century, their temporary place of worship as they do not have a church of their own in western Hungary.

These worshippers now have a good chance of having their own church built in the spa town of Heviz, after Prime Minister Viktor Orban granted 2.4 billion forints (6.81 million pounds) in the budget to the renovating and building of Russian Orthodox churches.

Channelling state money to the Hungarian branch of the Russian church, which had just 2,365 followers in the latest census in the mostly Catholic country of 10 million, was seen by political analysts and critics as a bid to win favour with President Vladimir Putin.

Orban signed off the decree and it was published on Feb. 1, the day before he received Putin in Budapest. It was their fourth meeting in two years and Putin was back on Aug. 28 for a judo event when they met again. On that day, Orban allocated an additional 313 million forints to the Russian Orthodox church.

Although the amounts are small, some analysts and critics see the bolstering of the Russian Orthodox Church with state cash as significant in the context of Russian-Hungarian relations.

'This move is on the one hand a gesture towards Vladimir Putin, and the Russians, a small community living here in Hungary, but at the same time it really shows the ... influence of Russia on Hungary,' said Peter Kreko, director of think-tank Political Capital.

Hungary's alignment to Russia is unsettling to fellow European Union member states where Russia's alleged interference is taken with such alarm that several countries have moved to set up agencies to counter it.

Inside the European Union, Hungary promotes scrapping economic sanctions imposed after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, saying it hurts trade.

Trade ties between Russia and Hungary include a gas supply pact with Gazprom and a deal for Russia to finance and build a nuclear power plant. Construction is due to start next year.

In February, Orban said Hungary wanted 'open and transparent' relations with Russia.

'On the western half of the continent, there is a strong anti-Russian sentiment ... and anti-Russian politics has come into fashion,' Orban said at a joint news conference with Putin. 'We had to defend our economic relations in this environment.'

When asked about the church grant, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told Reuters: 'We work together with all the churches very closely.'

The 2.4-billion-forint grant to Russian Orthodox churches compares to around 11 billion for similar investments and programmes in other churches also in the 2017 budget.

Andras Racz, an associate professor at Pazmany Peter Catholic University, said that both sides wanted different dividends from the relationship.

'The cooperation is pragmatic from both sides, just they want different things: the Hungarian side wants primarily economic benefits ... while the Russian side has primarily political and strategic motivations, which of course includes some long-term strategic economic position building,' he said.

After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Russian Orthodox church emerged from decades of oppression to find post-communist politicians ready to help re-establish its role.

Religion helped fill the ideological vacuum left by the failure of Marxism, while the church, an integral part of Russian history and culture, fitted well into the new nationalism.

The church has developed into a thriving institution that works closely with the Kremlin to promote common interests.

With backing from oligarchs, it has built or restored tens of thousands of churches, mostly at home but also in over 60 countries including distant locations such as Havana, Caracas, Bangkok and Pyongyang.

As the Russian Orthodox believers left the small, Christian chapel in Zalavar, with the smell of incense lingering, priests removed Russian icons from the walls.

Some Russian tourists were happy to hear that a church would be built in the spa town of Heviz, where thousands of Russians arrive on charter flights to take the waters of one of the world's biggest thermal lakes, landing at a nearby airport at a former Soviet army base.

'I think this is not only a matter of religion, but also our history ... so this is good, this is appropriate,' Aleksander Kulchitskii, on holiday from the Russian city of Ryazan, said.

Some Hungarians, however, were less convinced.

Klara Kispal, a pensioner on holiday in Heviz, said she agreed with Orban's anti-migration policies but she could not support paying for a Russian Orthodox church in the town.

'I don't think this is a good move... I am religious, Roman Catholic, and (the government) should promote our religion not a foreign religion,' she said.
Columbia Journalism Review held a half-day conference in Atlanta looking at how the election of 2016 transformed the media, the voters, and the presidency. CJR Editor and Publisher Kyle Pope and some of the nations top journalists will participate in the event: The Year That Changed Journalism.

Watch the event below:

Glenn Thrush, White House correspondent, The New York Times

Erik Wemple, media writer, T he Washington Post

Celeste Headlee, host, On Second Thought, Georgia Public Broadcasting

Andra Gillespie, professor, Emory College of Arts and Sciences

Paul Beckett, Washington bureau chief, The Wall Street Journal

Ben Jacobs, political reporter, The Guardian

Tamar Hallerman, Washington correspondent, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Vanessa Gezari, managing editor, Columbia Journalism Review

Jason Szep, US national affairs editor, Reuters

Jonathan Peters, press freedom scholar, University of Georgia

See a full schedule here.

TRENDING: Site sparks uproar on social media with Vegas massacre headline

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

The Editors are the staffers of the Columbia Journalism Review.
It's that time again! Jim Cramer rang the lightning round bell, which means he gave his take on callers' favorite stocks at rapid speed:

RPM International : "I'm concerned. Frank Mitsch put out a note from Wells [Fargo]. He's the best there is. He's saying maybe we've got to be careful about the quarter coming next week, so I'm going to subscribe to his view."

General Dynamics : "I say buy, buy, buy! One of my favorites. Right now, Raytheon's my No. 1, though. I've got to tell you, I think Raytheon's terrific."

MasTec Inc. : "It's part of the big rebuild for the hurricane, so that's why it went up a lot. I think it can go further too, though."

Commercial Metals Company : "Yeah, it's a good company. Commercial Metals is a very good company. I've followed it from when I was a hedge fund manager. I like your choice. It's good. I do worry about Nucor's quarter, as I told members of the ActionAlertsPlus.com club."

Altria Group Inc. : "It now yields 4 percent. This is exactly when I would come in to buy the stock of Altria."

Ultra Clean Holdings : "It's a red-hot stock. It's good. I'm going to say that, you know what, as good as that is, I would go with Applied Materials or Lam [Research] ."
This year, all of the more than 1 million children enrolled in New York City public schools will be eligible for free lunch, regardless of how much money their parents make.

New York is one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Yet 75 percent (roughly 780,000 children), are eligible for free or reduced lunch due to their family income, which is less than $37,000 for a family of three.

Giving out lunch based on this criterion has led to what some observers have branded as "lunch shaming." As a result, many kids chose to skip lunch to avoid bullying.

New York City Council member Ben Kallos knows that effect all too well. He grew up in the Upper East Side section of Manhattan, which is known to be very wealthy, and attended the Bronx High School of Science. However, he stood out among his classmates.

"Not only did I come from a single parent household, but a multi-generational household, which meant I was eligible for free or reduced lunch," Ben Kallos, NYC Council member told CNBC's "On the Money."

He added that every day his friends would go out and buy lunch instead of staying in the cafeteria. So he had to make a choice between friends and food.

"I would tell them I wasn't hungry, when the truth is, I was starving," Kallos said.
Johnny Morris founded Bass Pro Shops in 1971 in a corner of his dads liquor store. A recreation of the store is included in the new museum.

It's been a wild couple of weeks for Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, who just last week completed a $4.5 billion acquisition of rival outdoor retailer Cabela's.



Around the same time, former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, along with a boatload of actors, country western stars and outdoor enthusiasts, helped Morris celebrate the opening of his 350,000-square-foot Wonders of Wildlife (WOW) National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield, Missouri.

"It's been like a whirlwind," Morris told CNBC a day before the museum opened. Morris started his business in 1972, selling fishing gear out of a corner of his father's Springfield, MO liquor store.

Fast forward to the present day, and "two of the biggest things in my life are happening at once," he added. "It was not by design, I'll tell you that."

It took more than 10 years to complete the 350,000-square-foot WOW compound adjacent to the sprawling Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters, about an hour's drive from Branson. CNBC recently took a tour of the facility, which is billed as being larger than even the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
At the request of nurses throughout the 17th state Senate District, I recently authored Senate Bill 417 to make Wisconsin a member of the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact. This legislation updates our current nurse licensure compact statute to maintain Wisconsins status as a compact state.

The eNLC provides an opportunity for nurses in Wisconsin to receive a multi-state license and allows nurses from other states to quickly fill vacancies in Wisconsin without receiving a duplicative single-state license. Nearly all Wisconsin nurses currently enjoy the benefits of an interstate license authorized by our current nurse licensure compact and will continue to have the benefit of an interstate license under this bill.

The eNLC was developed to add more value and state representation to the compact organization. It also takes advantage of new technology and national databases to insure that compact-licensed nurses meet consistent standards and background check benchmarks. As is the case today, the eNLC will not interfere with Wisconsins ability to hold any nurse practicing in Wisconsin accountable for meeting all Wisconsin nurse practice laws.

I have heard from dozens of nurses from the 17th District, as well as hospital administrators and doctors who have asked me to sponsor this legislation. Following are several messages I have received throughout the last month:

At Southwest Health, being part of the nursing compact has meant that nurses in Iowa who want to work in Wisconsin can serve our patients immediately  rather than wait several weeks to process an additional nursing license. High quality health care, like Wisconsins, draws high performing workers, and this is true at Southwest Health where almost one in five nurses are from Iowa, according to Dan Rohrbach, CEO, Southwest Health, Platteville. Our hospital appreciates the leadership of Sen. Marklein, Rep. VanderMeer and Rep. Tranel in moving this legislation forward and ensuring that our nurses and patients can continue to enjoy the benefits of this important interstate agreement.

Gundersen Boscobel prides itself on fostering an environment of education and learning. Our tuition investment program is intended to grow nursing leaders and advance practice clinicians for our future and the future of rural health care, but those future nurse leaders and nurse practitioners must have a place to obtain a degree, according to David Hartberg, CEO, Gundersen Boscobel Area Health and Clinics. Online education makes it possible for nurses in our community to access highly experienced nurse educators from across the country while continuing to provide critical services for patients in rural Wisconsin. Without the nurse licensure compact, education institutions would face additional licensure barriers as they would have to seek separate certifications in every state where they offer education.

With a 70,000-square-foot expansion and renovation underway, we are focused on serving the current and meeting the future demands of an aging population in our community, according to Nicole Clapp, president/CEO, Grant Regional Health Center. It is important to maintain a nurse licensure compact agreement with Iowa and 25 other states to ensure we do not encounter unnecessary licensure barriers as we build our Wisconsin nursing workforce to meet the patient care needs our community faces into the future.

The enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact is supported by Wisconsins Board of Nursing and numerous Wisconsin health care organizations including the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives and the Wisconsin Nurses Association. SB 417 was also developed in consultation with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS).

SB 417 was introduced on Sept. 21. I am working with my colleague, state Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Brookfield, to move this bill swiftly through the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services so that we can bring it to the floor this fall.
In celebration of its 115-year anniversary, Harley Davidson is releasing eight new motorcycles to fire up its existing base while inspiring "a whole new generation of people to join in," CEO Matthew S. Levatich told CNBC on Friday.

All eight new bikes, "have a specific personality," Levatich explained in an interview. The bike names have a personality all their own: Fat Boy, Heritage Classic, Low Rider, Softail Slim, Deluxe, Breakout, Fat Bob and Street Bob.

Levatich said the company's outreach to "women, African Americans [and] Hispanics," along with younger people has been successful. Those coveted demographics now make up 40 percent of their sales, compared with 34 percent in 2010.

"We feel very good about our efforts to speak differently to different types of people that aren't yet riding," he said. "It's about the ability to have our great products available to more consumers in those markets so that we can grow faster," the CEO said.

He added the company is planning to build a motorcycle factory in Thailand, and its goal to make international sales make up more than half of their business in the next 10 years.

Previously, President's Donald Trump promised to help the classic American motorcycle company. However, he shot down the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, an agreement Levatich said would haven been beneficial to Harley Davidson.

"Markets like Asia are particularly strong for motorcycles," Levatich told CNBC's "Power Lunch."
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the launch of a Hwasong-12 missile in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on September 16, 2017.

Several North Korean missiles were recently spotted moved from a rocket facility in the capital Pyongyang, South Korea's Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) reported late Friday amid speculation that the North was preparing to take more provocative actions.

The report cited an unnamed intelligence source saying South Korean and U.S. intelligence officials detected missiles being transported away from North Korea's Missile Research and Development Facility at Sanum-dong in the northern part of Pyongyang.

The report did not say when or where they had been moved. The missiles could be either intermediate range Hwasong-12 or intercontinental ballistic Hwasong-14 missiles, according to the report, though the missile facility at Sanum-dong has been dedicated to the production of

intercontinental ballistic missiles.
In this U.S. Navy handout, sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) move move pallets of supplies on the flight deck during a replenishment-at-sea with the fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) for continuing operations in Puerto Rico on September 28, 2017. Kearsarge is assisting with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

If you're thinking about emptying out your pantry and clearing out your closet to donate to Puerto Rico disaster relief, think again. The help may actually be more harmful.

The Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster recommends cash donations, telling visitors to its website that most organizations aren't able to handle a deluge of material goods in the early stages of a recovery effort. That's largely because of challenges with storage and sorting. Donations often spoil while they are waiting to be distributed.

Regine Webster, a vice president at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, said material goods often create "a second disaster" for organizers who are already struggling to set up logistics in a challenging environment.

"There are systems in place to get people what they need," she said. But often after a large disaster, heavy winter coats will be sent to relieve people in warm climates and other snafus. "It's really awful."

However, cash has been pouring into relief efforts for the areas ravaged by hurricanes in the last few weeks, including parts of Texas, Florida and, especially, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico.

Through Thursday, $295.3 million has been collected for Harvey relief, with $98.3 million for Irma and $21.9 million for Maria and more coming in daily, according to the Foundation Center.

The Center for International Disaster Information has a list of 55 ways people can convert their material items in to cash that can be donated  including having a garage sale and donating the proceeds or giving generously to local food banks and shelters.

A number of long-running organizations, including Unicef, the American Red Cross and Save the Children are taking donations, according to USAID's website devoted to the hurricanes, and there are some recently organized efforts.

United for Puerto Rico is a disaster relief effort put together by the First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rossello. It is sponsored by a number of large companies, including Banco Popular, Coca-Cola, Burger King, Walmart, Walgreens, JetBlue and Bacardi.

In addition, Global Giving is a crowdfunding site aiming to raise $5 million for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, so far it has $2.7 million from 22,803 people. It matches donations to local charities and groups in 170 countries.

The One America Appeal is headed up by all the living former U.S. presidents. The organization sprang up in response to Harvey, but expanded to include relief for Irma and Maria.

Money for Harvey will go to the hurricane relief fund in Houston, and for Irma to the Florida Disaster Fund. For Maria, money will go to United for Puerto Rico and the Fund for the Virgin Islands.

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy began four funds in response to recent disasters including the earthquake in Mexico. Its Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund was set up to address rebuilding over the medium and long term in the storm-torn regions.
Catalan police officers 'Mossos d'Esquadra' try stop pro-referendum people from going into 'Escola Collaso i Gil' school on September 29, 2017 in Barcelona.

Authorities in Madrid have moved to stop an independence referendum in the Spanish region of Catalonia this weekend, with reports that police have sealed off polling stations and raided a telecommunications center.

The national government has said police have secured 1,300 of 2,315 schools in Catalonia which had been designated as voting stations, according to Reuters. This comes after 163 schools were occupied by families to prevent their closure.

Police will also remove people from polling stations on Sunday, the news agency reported citing a government source. The source did not give details on how this would be carried out but said it would be up to the police as to how they remove people. Volunteers staffing the centers will be liable for fines of up to 300,000 euros ($354,360), according to the source.

Pro-independence lawmakers hope the northeastern region will gain complete political and economic autonomy from Spain despite the referendum putting Catalonia in open defiance of central authorities in Madrid. Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont told Reuters on Friday the vote would go ahead, without any last minute compromises.

Earlier on Saturday, Spanish police raided the Catalan government's telecommunications and information technology center, the La Vanguardia newspaper reported, citing RAC1 radio station. Spain's Interior Ministry could not confirm the raid, according to Reuters.
In this U.S. Navy handout, sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) move move pallets of supplies on the flight deck during a replenishment-at-sea with the fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) for continuing operations in Puerto Rico on September 28, 2017. Kearsarge is assisting with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

President Donald Trump issued a plea for unity on Saturday in response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico, yet critics heaped new scorn and outrage on the president after he lambasted the mayor of San Juan for her "poor leadership."

In a series of early morning posts on Twitter, Trump lashed out at Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz, who a day earlier said officials were "killing us with the inefficiencies" in the effort to recover from Hurricane Maria.

Although she did not name Trump directly, the federal government's assistance to the island has been widely criticized, particularly after Maria laid siege to Puerto Rico's already fraying infrastructure.

Still, Trump hammered Cruz for her "poor leadership ability...and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help." Trump, who said he would visit the ravaged island this week, has vowed to pull out all the stops to help the commonwealth recover, and congratulated the efforts of the military and Puerto Rico's first responders.

Later in the day, the president made an appeal for cooperation while imploring the public to dismiss what he called "fake news" that painted the government's efforts in a negative light.

Critics, however, continued to assail Trump's initial response, and rallied around Cruz and the effort to alleviate the disaster, which has left the island reeling.

We must all be united in offering assistance to everyone suffering in Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the wake of this terrible disaster.

To the people of Puerto Rico: Do not believe the #FakeNews! #PRStrong
The Lost Majority: The 2017 election, the Conservative Party, the voters and the future by Michael Ashcroft

Victory has a hundred fathers and defeat is an orphan. But while Michael Ashcroft is around, the Conservative Party can at least rely on him to point out, with tactless lucidity, the causal link between its defeats and the way the party is seen by the voters, which in turn has something to do with how the party actually is.

He did this first in Smell the Coffee: A wake-up call for the Conservative Party, his study of the 2005 general election defeat, which ended with the devastating words:

The problem was not that millions of people in Britain thought the Conservative Party wasnt like them and didnt understand them; the problem was that they were right.

Twelve years later, he reports, the deeper misgivings that had held the party back for so long had not gone away. Ashcroft has discussed his findings in The Daily Telegraph, and today on ConHome, but a reading of the whole hundred pages of his book should be undertaken by anyone who wants to think about what went wrong in the 2017 general election, and how to set about correcting it.

The paradox of 2017 is that by recent standards, the Conservatives did very well, with the party gaining 5.5 percentage points compared to 2015, and recording its highest share of the vote since 1983. The problem almost no one foresaw (I certainly didnt) was that Labour would end up only two points, or under 800,000 votes, behind.

What went wrong? Why did Theresa May commit the giant miscalculation, as Ashcroft calls it, of trading in a working majority for a hung Parliament? How did the party manage to miss out on the greatly increased majority which had so confidently been expected?

One thought prompted by this book is that in politics, rigidity of mind can be fatal. It is tempting to reach an analysis which is correct at the time, and hold on to it long after various developments have rendered it wrong.

When she called the general election, May seemed to be heading for a great victory, with opinion polls showing a vast Conservative lead over Labour, and Jeremy Corbyn written off as hopeless.

But politics is a fluid business, and this huge lead, though confirmed by anecdotal evidence gathered by campaigners and journalists, also concealed, or distracted attention from, the opportunity which the election presented to Labour.

May told the country the election was about Brexit. But as Ashcroft remarks, for millions of people this was not the Brexit election at all. For Labour supporters who had voted Leave in the referendum, Brexit was less important than the NHS.

The voters did not want a single-issue campaign. They were looking for a party which wants to help ordinary people get on in life and stands for fairness, and on a list of 15 qualities of that kind, put to 20,000 people in Ashcrofts post-election survey, the Conservatives were ahead on only two: willing to take tough decisions for the long term (by a 22-point margin) and competent and capable (by only three points).

The response was even worse when people were asked for the first word or phrase which came to mind when they thought of each of the two main parties. For the Conservatives, rich, strong, liars and nasty were the most commonly used words, all of them unprompted.

For Labour, the words fair and fairness appeared most often, and the idea that the party was caring, was for the many not the few, and represented the working class also featured prominently.

Ashcroft establishes that more than half of those who voted Labour made their decision in the month before polling day, and more than a quarter in the last few days. With the help of these late converts, Corbyn improved Labours performance by ten percentage points over the 2015 result.

In focus groups conducted by Ashcroft after the election, voters said the Tories had seemed cold and distant, and were only interested in holding rallies for party members, while Labour seemed grounded in the community. Corbyn was going out meeting people, getting to the heart of what people really want, while May sounded quite naggy  she kept droning on the same message and it made me switch off.

Labour had a far greater presence on social media, where a number of Tory policies were torn to shreds: Shes on about bringing back fox hunting. I mean, whats that? Tally-ho and running up and down and ripping foxes to pieces for the elite.

Ashcroft suggests the Conservative victory under David Cameron in 2015 came down to competence, leadership and the lack of a plausible alternative. The party remains vulnerable when its competence and leadership are called into question, and when Labour starts, however unexpectedly and in Conservative eyes implausibly, to get its act together.

Mays observation in 2002 that some people see the Conservatives as the nasty party is still true, and her declaration on entering Downing Street that she wanted to help the people who are just managing, with the government driven not by the interests of the privileged few, but by yours, was exactly right.

Her error was to run a general election campaign in which these aspirations were almost entirely obscured by Brexit, leaving Corbyn with the chance to portray himself as the true enemy of the privileged few, and the leader who understood ordinary people.

To analyse a problem is not to solve it. Ashcroft observes that for the Conservatives to stay in office after the next general election means assembling a coalition of voters, and observes how, despite gaining 2.3 million more votes in 2017 than 2015,

Those leaving the Conservative voting coalition were younger, more highly educated, more white collar, more socially liberal and less enthusiastic about Brexit and continued austerity than those who stayed or joined.

What a task! But as Ashcroft says, Corbyns task of continuing to enthuse young voters, while developing a credible manifesto, is by no means easy. In the search for the lost majority, there is still everything to play for.
Two weeks ago a group of concerned citizens from the Viroqua/Westby area met with representatives from Premium Iowa Pork (PIP). The purpose of the meeting was to clarify and gather information concerning the proposed hog slaughtering operation which PIP plans to open in the near future on the site of the former Driftless Meats.

The initial plan is to enlarge and remodel the present facility to accommodate the slaughter of 700 hogs/day. The PIP representatives stated that, to begin with, the hogs will be trucked from existing hog raising/finishing operations in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Their future plans are to engage the Amish community in finishing/raising 200 to 600 hogs per Amish farm.

Amish farms are relatively small averaging 45 acres or less per farm, with but few exceptions. Amish farmers in our area have told us that they are not set up to raise even 200 hogs per farm. Without electricity to power fans that exhaust the ammonia vapors created by hog manure from the building where the hogs are kept; and without sufficient running water to feed and cool the hogs on hot days, there is but one option open to PIP. Establish concentrated hog feeding operations (CAFOs) through- out Vernon and the adjacent counties to supply the 182,000 hogs which this hog slaughter will require annually.

According to environmental agencies who have been studying and tracking these large-scale hog slaughtering operations for 20-plus years, they typically establish hog raising farms within a 50-mile radius of the slaughter plant. To supply hogs for this proposed plant for one year of operation would mean establishing 15 hog farms with 4,000 hogs per farm in relatively close proximity to Viroqua and Westby. Take a drive sometime along Hwy. M between Barre Mills and West Salem, and savor the aroma created by the concentrated hog feeding operation along that stretch of highway. And then ask yourself: Is this what I desire for Vernon County?

The initial response from citizens living in Viroqua and Westby and the surrounding region has been that over 90 percent of the people contacted to date have signed a petition to keep the PIP hog slaughtering operation out of our county.

Paul Stuebs, Viroqua
Carnival Corporation has announced it will shift purchasing policies across its nine leading cruise line brands by 2024 to improve the welfare of sourced chicken, becoming one of the first companies in the travel industry to commit to adopting comprehensive broiler chicken welfare policies, according to a statement.

Working with animal protection organizations, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and The Humane League, Carnival Corporation is committed to aligning welfare standards for broiler chicken, ensuring that 100 percent of chicken sourced will be certified by the Global Animal Partnership (GAP).

"Carnival Corporation and our brands recognize animal welfare is an important issue for our guests and the general public, as well as us, and by teaming up with leading organizations that have made this commitment to responsible sourcing, we are optimistic that this will help advance broader adoption of these conscientious practices," said Julia Brown, chief procurement officer for Carnival Corporation. "With this latest initiative, we will expand on our responsible sourcing efforts across the corporation by working closely with our suppliers to assure that the broiler chickens we purchase are treated humanely, under appropriate animal welfare standards."

By 2024, Carnival Corporation will require sourced chicken to be GAP-certified and produced under standards that require all chickens to be given more space and enhanced environments  including litter and lighting. Additionally, these new policies will ensure that Carnival Corporation's chicken suppliers process their products in a humane manner through a multi-step controlled-atmosphere system and demonstrate compliance with these standards.

"Carnival Corporation has continued to uphold their position as a leader in the industry on many fronts, including animal welfare," said Joyana Hunt, corporate policy specialist for HSUS. "We applaud the company's commitment to broiler chicken welfare."

This broiler chicken purchasing commitment is the latest stride in Carnival Corporation's continued dedication to addressing animal welfare in its supply chain. In 2015, working with the Humane Society of the United States, Carnival Corporation committed to switching to 100 percent cage-free eggs across all its brands by 2025.
Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean
The following companies are subsidiares of Clean Harbors: Ace/Allwaste Environmental Services of Indiana LLC, Altair Disposal Services LLC, Aquilex Finance LLC, Aquilex Intermediate Corporate Holdings LLC, Aquilex Intermediate Holdings LLC, Aquilex LLC, Baton Rouge Disposal LLC, Bridgeport Disposal LLC, CARBER Holdings Inc., CB Canada Acquisition Inc., CB Canada Holdings Inc., CB US Holdings Inc., CH International Holdings LLC, Car-Ber Investments Inc., Clean Harbors Andover LLC, Clean Harbors Aragonite LLC, Clean Harbors Arizona LLC, Clean Harbors BDT LLC, Clean Harbors Baton Rouge LLC, Clean Harbors Buttonwillow LLC, Clean Harbors Canada Inc., Clean Harbors Caribe Inc., Clean Harbors Chattanooga LLC, Clean Harbors Clive LLC, Clean Harbors Coffeyville LLC, Clean Harbors Colfax LLC, Clean Harbors Deer Park LLC, Clean Harbors Deer Trail LLC, Clean Harbors Development LLC, Clean Harbors Disposal Services Inc., Clean Harbors El Dorado LLC, Clean Harbors Energy Services ULC, Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services Corp., Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Services LP, Clean Harbors Energy and Industrial Western Ltd., Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc., Clean Harbors Exploration Services Inc., Clean Harbors Exploration Services LP, Clean Harbors Exploration Services ULC, Clean Harbors Florida LLC, Clean Harbors Grassy Mountain LLC, Clean Harbors India LLP, Clean Harbors Industrial Services Canada Inc., Clean Harbors Industrial Services Inc., Clean Harbors Innu Environmental Services Inc., Clean Harbors Kansas LLC, Clean Harbors Kingston Facility Corporation, Clean Harbors LaPorte LLC, Clean Harbors Laurel LLC, Clean Harbors Lodging Services LP, Clean Harbors Lodging Services ULC, Clean Harbors Lone Mountain LLC, Clean Harbors Mercier Inc., Clean Harbors Pecatonica LLC, Clean Harbors Production Services ULC, Clean Harbors Quebec Inc., Clean Harbors Recycling Services of Chicago LLC, Clean Harbors Recycling Services of Ohio LLC, Clean Harbors Reidsville LLC, Clean Harbors San Jose LLC, Clean Harbors San Leon Inc., Clean Harbors Services Inc., Clean Harbors Surface Rentals Partnership, Clean Harbors Surface Rentals ULC, Clean Harbors Surface Rentals USA Inc., Clean Harbors Tennessee LLC, Clean Harbors Westmorland LLC, Clean Harbors White Castle LLC, Clean Harbors Wichita LLC, Clean Harbors Wilmington LLC, Clean Harbors of Baltimore Inc. (DE Corp.), Clean Harbors of Braintree Inc., Clean Harbors of Connecticut Inc. (DE), Confined Space Services L.L.C., Cousins Waste Control LLC, Crowley Disposal LLC, Cyn Oil Corporation, Debusk Industrial Services Company LLC, Disposal Properties LLC, Emerald Services Inc., EnviroSORT Inc., EnviroSORT Inc., Eveready, Evergreen Holdings, GSX Disposal LLC, Global Vapor Control Inc., Green View Technologies Inc., HPC PetroServ Inc., Hilliard Disposal LLC, HydroChem Canada ULC, HydroChem Industrial Cleaning LLC, HydroChem LLC, HydroChemPSC, IISG Central Region LLC, IISG Gulf Coast LLC, IISG Real Estate LLC, Industrial Service Oil Company Inc., Inland Industrial Services Group LLC, Inland Waters Pollution Control Services LLC, Inland Waters of Ohio LLC, Jesco Industrial Service LLC, LJ Energy Services Holdings LLC, LJ Energy Services Intermediate Holding Corp., Lonestar Sylvan Inc., Lonestar Vacuum Inc., Lonestar West, Lonestar West Enterprises LLC, Lonestar West Inc., Lonestar West Services LLC, Murphy's Waste Oil Service Inc., Northeast Casualty Insurance Company, Omnichem LLC, PMS Industrial Services LLC, PSC Industrial Holdings Corp., PSC Industrial Inc., PSC Industrial Outsourcing LP, PSC Industrial Outsourcing of Michigan LLC, PSC LDAR Services LLC, Peak Energy Services, Philip Services/North Central LLC, Plaquemine Remediation Services LLC, Power Vac Construction L.L.C., RMF Aquilex Corp., Roebuck Disposal LLC, Romic Environmental Technologies, Rosemead Oil Products Inc., SK D'Incineration Inc., Safety-Kleen, Safety-Kleen Canada Inc., Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company, Safety-Kleen Envirosystems Company of Puerto Rico Inc., Safety-Kleen Inc., Safety-Kleen International Inc., Safety-Kleen Systems Inc., Safety-Kleen of California Inc., Sawyer Disposal Services LLC, Seaport Environmental LLC, Service Chemical LLC, Speed Industrial Corporate LLC, Speed Industrial Service Catalyst LLC, Speed Industrial Service LLC, Speed Industrial Service of Beaumont LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Lake Charles LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Louisiana LLC, Speed Industrial Services of Texas LLC, Spring Grove Resource Recovery Inc., The Solvents Recovery Service of New Jersey Inc., Thermo Fluids, Thermo Fluids Inc., Tri-vax Enterprises Ltd., Tulsa Disposal LLC, Universal Environmental, Veolia North Americas U.S. Industrial Cleaning Services Division, Versant Energy Services Inc., Versant Energy Services LP, and Vulsay Industries Ltd..

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PetroChina Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in a range of petroleum related products, services, and activities in Mainland China and internationally. It operates through Exploration and Production, Refining and Chemicals, Marketing, and Natural Gas and Pipeline segments. The Exploration and Production segment engages in the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. The Refining and Chemicals segment refines crude oil and petroleum products; and produces and markets primary petrochemical products, derivative petrochemical products, and other chemical products. The Marketing segment is involved in marketing of refined products and trading business. The Natural Gas and Pipeline segment engages in the transmission of natural gas, crude oil, and refined products; and sale of natural gas. As of December 31, 2021, the company had a total length of 26,076 km, including 17,329 km of natural gas pipelines, 7,340 km of crude oil pipelines, and 1,407 km of refined product pipelines. The company is also involved in the exploration, development, and production of oil sands and coalbed methane; trading of crude oil and petrochemical products; storage, chemical engineering, storage facilities, service station, and transportation facilities and related businesses; and production and sales of basic and derivative chemical, and other chemical products. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. PetroChina Company Limited is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.
The following companies are subsidiares of Accenture: 2nd Road, ?What If!, ?What If! China Holdings Limited, ?What If! Holdings Limited, ?What If! Limited, ACN Consulting Co Ltd, AD.Dialeto (Digital Agency acquired by Accenture), AFD.TECH, AGS Business and Technology Services Limited, AIG Shared Services Business Processing Inc, ASM Research Inc., ASM Research LLC, ATAN, Accenture (Botswana) (Proprietary) Limited, Accenture (China) Co. Ltd., Accenture (Shenzhen) Technology Co. Ltd., Accenture (South Africa) Pty Ltd, Accenture (UK) Limited, Accenture 2 Business Process Services S.A., Accenture 2 LLC, Accenture A/S, Accenture AB, Accenture AG, Accenture AS, Accenture Africa Pty Ltd, Accenture Agencia Interativa Ltda, Accenture Australia Holding B.V., Accenture Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Accenture Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture B.V., Accenture BPM Operations Support Services S.A., Accenture BPM S.C.R.L., Accenture BPS Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Branch Holdings B.V., Accenture Bulgaria EOOD, Accenture Business Services for Utilities Inc, Accenture Business Services of British Columbia Limited Partnership, Accenture Business and Technology Services LLC, Accenture C.A., Accenture Canada Holdings Inc, Accenture Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Capital Inc, Accenture Central Europe B.V., Accenture Chile Asesorias y Servicios Ltda, Accenture Cloud Services GmbH, Accenture Cloud Software Solutions Limited, Accenture Cloud Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Accenture Cloud Solutions LLC, Accenture Cloud Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Co Ltd, Accenture Co. Ltd, Accenture Communications Infrastructure Solutions Ltd, Accenture Company Ltd, Accenture Consulting Pty Ltd, Accenture Consulting Services Ltd Tanzania, Accenture Consultores de Gestao S.A., Accenture Consultoria de Industria e Consumo Ltda, Accenture Consultoria de Recursos Naturais Ltda, Accenture Credit Services LLC, Accenture Customer Services Distribution SASU, Accenture Customer Services Ltd, Accenture Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, Accenture Defined Benefit Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Defined Contribution Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Accenture Delivery Poland S.p. z o.o., Accenture Dienstleistungen GmbH, Accenture Digital Holdings GmbH, Accenture East Africa Limited, Accenture Ecuador S.A., Accenture Egypt LLC, Accenture Enterprise Development (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Accenture Federal Services LLC, Accenture Finance II Limited, Accenture Finance Limited, Accenture Finance and Accounting BPO Services S.p.A., Accenture Finance and Accounting Services S.r.l., Accenture Financial Advanced Solution & Technology S.r.l., Accenture Flex LLC, Accenture GP LLC, Accenture Global Capital Designated Activity Company, Accenture Global Engagements Limited, Accenture Global Holdings Limited, Accenture Global Services Limited, Accenture Global Solutions Limited, Accenture GmbH, Accenture HR Services S.p.A., Accenture Healthcare Processing Inc, Accenture Holding Brasil Ltda, Accenture Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Accenture Holdings (Iberia) S.L., Accenture Holdings B.V., Accenture Holdings France SASU, Accenture Hungary Holdings Kft, Accenture Inc, Accenture Industrial Software Limited Liability Company, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions Kft, Accenture Industrial Software Solutions SA, Accenture Insurance Services B.V., Accenture Insurance Services LLC, Accenture International B.V., Accenture International LLC, Accenture International Limited, Accenture Japan Ltd, Accenture Korea B.V., Accenture LLC, Accenture LLP, Accenture Lanka (Private) Ltd, Accenture Limited, Accenture Lithuania UAB, Accenture Ltd, Accenture Ltda, Accenture Maghreb S.a.r.l., Accenture Managed Services SRL, Accenture Management GmbH, Accenture Marketing Services LLC, Accenture Marketing Services Limited, Accenture Middle East B.V., Accenture Minority I B.V., Accenture Mozambique Limitada, Accenture Mzansi Pty Ltd, Accenture NV/SA, Accenture NZ Limited, Accenture Nova Scotia Unlimited Liability Co., Accenture OOO, Accenture Operations GmbH, Accenture Operations S.p. z o.o., Accenture Operations Services Private Limited, Accenture Operations Services Sdn Bhd, Accenture Outsourcing S.r.l., Accenture Outsourcing Services S.A., Accenture Oy, Accenture Panama Inc, Accenture Participations B.V., Accenture Participations II Limited, Accenture Peru SRL, Accenture Post Trade Processing SASU, Accenture Post-Trade Processing Limited, Accenture Process (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Pte Ltd, Accenture Puerto Rico LLC, Accenture Qiyun Technology (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Accenture S.C., Accenture S.L., Accenture S.R.L., Accenture S.p. z o.o., Accenture S.p.A., Accenture SASU, Accenture SG Services Pte Ltd, Accenture SRL, Accenture Saudi Arabia Limited, Accenture Sdn Bhd, Accenture Service Center SRL, Accenture Services (Mauritius) Ltd, Accenture Services AB, Accenture Services AG, Accenture Services AS, Accenture Services GmbH, Accenture Services Morocco SA, Accenture Services Oy, Accenture Services Pty Ltd, Accenture Services S.p. z o.o., Accenture Services SRL, Accenture Services and Technology S.r.l., Accenture Services s.r.o., Accenture Single Member S.A. Organization Information Technology & Business Development, Accenture Solutions Co. Ltd, Accenture Solutions Private Limited, Accenture Solutions Pte Ltd, Accenture Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Solutions S.p. z o.o, Accenture Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture State Healthcare Services LLC, Accenture Sub II Inc, Accenture Sub III Inc, Accenture Sub LLC, Accenture Systems Integration Limited, Accenture Sarl, Accenture Tanacsado Kolatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Accenture Technology Solutions (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (HK) Co. Ltd., Accenture Technology Solutions (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions - Solucoes Informaticas Integradas S.A., Accenture Technology Solutions GmbH, Accenture Technology Solutions Oy, Accenture Technology Solutions Pty Ltd, Accenture Technology Solutions S.A. de C.V., Accenture Technology Solutions S.r.l., Accenture Technology Solutions SASU, Accenture Technology Solutions SRL, Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd, Accenture Technology Solutions Slovakia s.r.o., Accenture Technology Ventures B.V., Accenture Technology Ventures SPRL, Accenture Tecnologia Consultoria y Outsourcing S.A., Accenture Uruguay SRL, Accenture Vietnam Co. Limited, Accenture Zambia Limited, Accenture do Brasil Ltda, Accenture plc, Accenture s.r.o., Acceria, Acquity Group, Adaptly LLC, Adaptly UK Limited, AddVal Technology, Adqptly, Advantium Inc., Advoco, Agilex Technologies Inc., Alfa Consulting, Allen International, AlphaBeta Advisors, Altevie Technologies S.r.l., Altima, Altima (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Altima Asia Ltd, Altitude, Altitude LLC, Altius Consulting Limited, Altius Data Solutions Private Limited, Analytics 8 LP, Analytics 8 Pty Ltd, Analytics8, Aorui Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Apis, Apis Group Pty Ltd, Appaloosa Technology SASU, AppsPro, AppsPro, Arca, Arca Ingenieros y Consultoria S.L., Arca Telecom S.L., Ariba - BPO, Arismore, Artio People (Payroll) Pty Ltd, Artio People Pty Ltd, Aspiro Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Automation Partners Pty Ltd, Avanade (Guangzhou) Computer Technology Development Co. Ltd., Avanade Asia Pte Ltd, Avanade Australia Pty Ltd, Avanade Belgium SPRL, Avanade Canada Inc, Avanade Consulting Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Denmark A/S, Avanade Deutschland GmbH, Avanade Europe Holdings Limited, Avanade Europe Services Limited, Avanade Finland Oy, Avanade France SASU, Avanade Holdings LLC, Avanade Hong Kong Ltd, Avanade Inc, Avanade International Corporation, Avanade Ireland Limited, Avanade Italy S.r.l., Avanade Japan KK, Avanade Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avanade Middle East Limited, Avanade Netherlands B.V., Avanade Norway AS, Avanade Poland S.p. z o.o., Avanade Schweiz GmbH, Avanade South Africa Pty Ltd, Avanade Spain S.L., Avanade Sweden AB, Avanade UK Limited, Avanade do Brasil Ltda , Avanade Osterreich GmbH, Avenai, Avieco, Axia Ltd., BABCN LLC, BCS Consulting, BCT Solutions, BCT Solutions Pty Ltd, BENEXT, BPO Servicos Administrativos Ltda, BRIDGE Energy Group, BRIDGEi2i, Beacon Consulting Group Inc., Beijing Genesis Interactive Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing Zhidao Future Consulting Co. Ltd, Benext, Berico Technologies LLC, Bionic, Bionic Solution LLC, Blue Horseshoe, Boomerang Pharmaceutical Communications, Bow & Arrow, Bow & Arrow Limited, Brand Learning, Brand Learning Group Limited, Brightstep AB, Byte Prophecy, Byte Prophecy Private Limited, CAS, CRMWaypoint, CS Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, CS Technology (UK) Limited, CS Technology Group LLC, CS Technology LLC, CadenceQuest Inc., Callisto Integration Europe B.V., Callisto Integration Europe Limited, Callisto Integration LLC, Callisto Integration Ltd, Capgemini - North American health practice, Capital Consultancy Services Inc, Certus Solutions Consulting Services Limited, Certus Solutions Ltd, ChangeTrack Research Pty Ltd., Chaotic Moon Studios, Chengdu Mensa Advertising Co. Ltd., Cimation, Cirrus Connect Australia Pty Ltd, Cirrus Connect Limited, Cirruseo, Clarity Insights, ClearEdge Partners, Clearhead, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas Japan G.K., Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Limited, Cloudeasier SAS, Cloudpoint Limited, Cloudsherpas Inc, Cloudworks, Cloudworks Consulting Services Inc, Cloudworks Technology LLC, Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda, Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda, Context Information Security, Context Information Security LLC, Context Information Security Limited, CoreCompete LLC, CoreCompete Limited, CoreCompete Private Limited, Corliant Inc., Creative Drive LLC, Creative Drive US LLC, CreativeDrive, CreativeDrive Digital Content Services (Shenzhen) Co Ltd., CreativeDrive EMEA Limited, CreativeDrive Singapore Pte Ltd, CreativeDrive UK Group Limited, Cutting Edge Solutions Limited, Cygni AB, Cygni Norrsken AB, Cygni Stockholm AB, Cygni Syd AB, Cygni Vast AB, Cygni Ost AB, Cygni Ostersund AB, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. Limited, DI Futures Corporation, Data Essential SARL, Davies Consulting, DayNine Consulting, DayNine Consulting (New Zealand) Limited, DayNine Consulting LLC, Declarative Holdings LLC, Decora Marketplace LLC, Decorado Marketplace Ltda-EPP, Defense Point Security, Deja vu Security, Design Strategy and Research de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Designaffairs LLC, Digiplug S.A.S., Digital Results Group LLC, Double Digit Limitada, Double Digit Pty SA, Droga5, Droga5 LLC, Droga5 Studios LLC, Droga5 UK Limited, Duck Creek Technologies, ESR Labs, ESR Labs AG, EdenOne Solutions Limited, Edenhouse ERP Holdings Limited, Edenhouse Solutions Limited, Enaxis Consulting, Enaxis Consulting LP, End to End Analytics LLC, End-to-End Analytics, Endorphin Medici (M) Sdn Bhd, Energuia Web S.A., Energy Management Brokers Limited, EnergyQuote JHA, Enimbos, Enimbos Global Services S.L., Enkitec, Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions LLC, Enterprise System Partners, Enterprise System Partners B.V., Enterprise System Partners Bilisim Danismanlik Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Enterprise System Partners Global Corporation, Enterprise System Partners Limited, Enthusian Pty Ltd, Entropia, Entropia (M) Sdn Bhd, Entropia Holdings Pte Ltd, Entropia Intercraft Sdn Bhd, Epylon, Ergo, Espedia S.r.l., Ethica Consulting Group, Ethica Consulting S.p.A., Evopro Group, Exactside Limited, Experity, Exton Consulting, Exton Consulting Spain Strategy&Management S.L., Exton Germany GmbH, Exton International SAS, Exton Italia S.r.l., Exton SAS, FGM LLC, Fairway Technologies Inc, Farah BidCo Limited, Farah MidCo Limited, Farah Topco Limited, Filmproduction ApS, First Annapolis Consulting Inc., First Annapolis Consulting LLC, Fjord, Focus Group Europe, Formicary, Founders Intelligence, Fruendo S.r.l., FusionX, Future State Consulting LLC, FutureMove (Beijing) Automotive Technology Co. Ltd., FutureMove Automotive, FutureMove Automotive Co. Ltd., GRA Supply Chain Pty Ltd, Gagel Group S de R.L. de C.V., Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda, Gapso Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Genfour, George Group Consulting L.P., Gestalt LLC, Gevity, Gren utvikling AS, H.B. Maynard and Co. Inc., HRC Retail Advisory, Hagberg Consulting Group, Hahntel Ltda, Halo Partners LLC, Hamilton Holding Company S.A, Hangzhou Aiyunzhe Technology Co. Ltd., Happen, Happen GP Limited, Happen Limited, Headspring, Hjaltelin Stahl, Hjaltelin Stahl A/S, Hjaltelin Stahl K/S, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting AS, Hytracc Consulting Malaysia Sdn Bhd, IBB Consulting, ICM.S S.r.l., IMJ Corp, IMJ Corporation, INSITUM, IQSP Consulting LLC, IT One Company Limited, ITBS Servicios Bancarios de Tecnologia de la Informacion SL, Icon Integration, Icon Integration (NZ) Limited, Icon Integration Pty Ltd, Imagine Broadband (USA) Limited, Imagine Broadband USA LLC, Imaginea Inc, Imaginea Technologies LLC, Industrie IT (Hong Kong) Ltd, Industrie IT (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Industrie IT Group Pty Ltd, Industrie IT Pty Ltd, Industrie&Co, Infinity Works Consulting Limited, Infinity Works Holdings Limited, Infinity Works Management Limited, Infinity Works Midco Limited, Informatica de Euskadi S.L., Innotec International EAD, Innotec International S.p. z.o.o., Innotec Marketing GmbH, Innotec Marketing International Ireland Limited, Innotec- Marketing Spain S.L, Insitum Consultoria Argentina SRL, Insitum Consultoria S.A. de C.V., International Biometric Group LLC, International Biometric Group UK Limited, Intrepid, Intrepid Futureworks Sdn Bhd, Intrigo Systems Inc, Intrigo Systems India Pvt. Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Technology Ltd, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, ItSafer Continuity Services S.L., JKD Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, K Comms Group Limited, KSC Studio LLC, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, King James Group, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Limited, Kogentix Singapore Pte Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LINKBYNET Indian Ocean (L.I.O) Ltd, LabAnswer, Lexta GmbH, Lexta UK Limited, Lien par le reseau Inc, Lien par le reseau infrastructures Inc, Lin Bo (Shanghai) Network Technology Co. Ltd., Link By Net SAS, Link By Net SRL, Link By Net Vietnam Company Limited, Linkbynet East Asia Ltd, Linkbynet Singapore Pte Ltd., Loud & Clear Creative Pty Ltd, Lumenup S.A., MAXIM Systems Inc., MCG US Holdings LLC, Mackevision CG Technology and Service (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Mackevision Japan Co. Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision LLC, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte Ltd, Mackevision UK Limited, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd, Maihiro, Matter, Maud Corp Pty Ltd, Maxamine International, Measuretek LLC, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing LLC, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mistral Wind Operations  Servicos Empresariais Unipessoal Lda., MobGen, Mortgage Cadence LLC, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, Mudano Limited, Myrtle Consulting Group LLC, N3, N3 (Dalian) Business Consulting Co. Ltd., N3 Brazil Consultoria em Marketing Ltda, N3 Germany GmbH, N3 LLC, N3 North America LLC, N3 Results Australia Pty Ltd, N3 Results Ireland Limited, N3 Results Japan G.K., N3 Results Limited, N3 Results Malaysia Sdn Bhd, N3 Results Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., N3 Results S.A.S., N3 Results Singapore Pte Ltd, N3 Results Unipessoal Lda, NYTEC, Nanjing Demeng Advertising Co. Ltd., Nashco Consulting, NaviSys Inc., Nell'Armonia Israel Ltd, Nell'Armonia SAS, Nell'Participation SAS, NellArmonia, Neo Metrics Analytics S.L., Neo Metrics Chile S.A., New Content, New Content Editora e Produtora Ltda, New Energy Group, News Imaging LLC, NewsPage, NewsPage (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, NewsPage Pte Ltd, Northstream, Novetta Holdings LLC, Novetta LLC, Novetta Solutions LLC, Novetta Topco LLC, OCTO Technology, OPS Rules Management Consultants, Octagon Research Solutions Inc., Octo Technology Pty Ltd, Octo Technology SA, Odgaard ApS, Olikka, Olikka Pty Ltd, Olympus Systems Corporation, Openmind, Openmind S.r..l., Openminded, Openminded SAS, Operaciones Accenture S.A. de C.V., OpusLine, Orbium, Orbium AG, Orbium Consulting Limited, Orbium Inc., Orbium Ltd, Orbium Pte Ltd, Orbium Pty Ltd, Origin Digital, PCO Innovation, PLM Systems S.r.l, PRION GmbH, PT Accenture, PT Asta Catur Indra, PT Kogentix Teknologi Indonesia, PacificLink Group, Paja Finanssipalvelut Oy, Parker Fitzgerald Inc, Parker Fitzgerald International Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Limited, Parker Fitzgerald PTY Ltd, Parker Fitzgerald Services Limited, Parker Fitzgerald Solutions Limited, Pecaso Ltd., Pegasus Production A/S, Pegasus Production K/S, Phase One Consulting Group, Pillar Technology, Pollux, Pollux Automation Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pollux Canada Inc, Pollux S.A.S., Pollux USA LLC, Pragsis Bidoop, Pragsis Bidoop UK Limited, Pramati Technologies Europe Limited, Pramati Technologies Private Limited, Presence of IT Workforce Management North America LLC, PrimeQ, PrimeQ Australia Pty Ltd, PrimeQ Ltd, PrimeQ NZ Pty Limited, Procurian Inc., Prof. Homburg GmbH, Proquire LLC, PureApps Ltd., Qi Jie Beijing Information Technologies Co. Ltd., RBCP Fund 1-A Vapor Blocker LLC, RBCP Platform Vapor Blocker I LLC, REPL Consulting LLC, REPL Consulting Limited, REPL Digital Limited, REPL Group K.K., REPL Group Pty Ltd, REPL Group Worldwide Limited, REPL Pte Ltd, REPL Software Limited, REPL Technology Limited, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Root LLC, Rothco, Rothco Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SALT Solutions GmbH, SEC Servizi, SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Salt Solutions, Sandbox Studio LLC, Sapling Bidco Limited, Sapling Midco Limited, Sapling Topco Limited, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Search Technologies BPO Inc, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Securiview SAS, Sentelis, Sentor Managed Secuirty Services AB, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Seven Seas Business Ventures LLC, Shackleton, Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton S.L.U., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., SigInt Technologies LLC, Silveo, Silveo Consulting India Private Limited, Simian Pty Ltd, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., Sirvart S.A., Sistemes Consulting S.L., Skylink SAS, Soltians Limited, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Somers Ventures Ireland Limited, Somers Ventures LLC, Spacelink SAS, Storm Digital, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Synership LLC, Systor AG, T.A. Cook, TXF LLC, Tambourine, TargetST8, Tech - Avanade Portugal Unipessoal Lda, Tecnilogica Ecosistemas S.A., Tecnilogica, The Brand Learning Partners Limited, The Callisto Integration Corporation, The Monkeys, The Monkeys Pty Ltd, The Myrtle Group, Total Logistics, Tquila, Trivadis, Trivadis AG, Trivadis Austria GmbH, Trivadis Denmark AS, Trivadis Germany GmbH, Trivadis Holding AG, Trivadis Partner AG, Trivadis Services AG, Trivadis Services SRL, Troop Studios Pty Ltd, VanBerlo, Vector Acquisition Company LLC, Vector Topco LLC, Verax Solutions, Vertical Retail Consulting (Shanghai) Ltd, Vertical Retail Consulting Ltd, Vivere Brasil Servicos e Solucoes SA, Vivere Brasil Solucoes De Credito Ltda., Wabion GmbH, WaveStrike LLC, White Cliffs Consulting LLC, Wire Stone, Wire Stone LLC, Wise Partners SAS, Wolox, Wolox Colombia S.A.S, Wolox LLC, Wolox Mexico S.R.L de C.V., Wolox S.A., Wolox SpA, Workforce Insight, Workforce Insight LLC, Yesler, Yesler LLC, Yesler Limited, Yesler Singapore Pte Ltd, Zag, Zag Australia Pty Ltd, Zag Limited, Zag USA LLC, Zebra Worldwide Australia Pty Ltd, Zebra Worldwide Group Limited, Zebra Worldwide Media Pty Ltd, Zenta, Zenta Global Philippines Inc, Zenta Mortgage Services LLC, Zenta Recoveries Inc, Zenta US Holdings Inc, Zestgroup, Zielpuls, Zielpuls (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut.

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Black Diamond Group Limited rents and sells modular space and workforce accommodation solutions. It operates through two segments, Modular Space Solutions and Workforce Solutions. The Modular Space Solutions segment provides modular space rentals to customers in the construction, real estate development, education, manufacturing, health care, financial, government, and defense industries in North America. Its products include office units, lavatories, storage units, large multi-unit office complexes, classroom facilities, banking and health care facilities, custom manufactured modular facilities, and blast resistant structures. This segment also sells new and used space rentals units; and provides delivery, installation, project management, and ancillary products and services. The Workforce Solutions segment provides workforce housing solutions, including rental of accommodations and surface equipment, and provision of turnkey lodging and travel management logistics services in Canada, the United States, and Australia. This segment also provides associated services, such as installation, transportation, dismantlement, and sale of used fleet assets. This segment primarily serves the resource, infrastructure, construction, disaster recovery, and education sectors. company also provides specialized field rentals to oil and gas industries. Black Diamond Group Limited markets its rental assets, custom sales, and ancillary products and services through in-house sales personnel, its website, social media, web campaigns, and its digital marketplace. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in banking, trust, securities, and other businesses related to financial services in Japan, the Americas, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through five segments: Retail & Business Banking Company, Corporate & Institutional Company, Global Corporate Company, Global Markets Company, and Asset Management Company. The company provides deposit products; syndicated, housing, and card loans; business matching services; and advisory services related to overseas expansions, and mergers and acquisitions-related services. It also offers consulting services, including asset management and asset succession; payroll services; and sells lottery tickets issued by prefectures and ordinance-designated cities. In addition, it offers financial solutions, such as bonds, mergers and acquisitions advisory, risk hedging products, etc. for corporate customers to meet their needs in fund-raising, investment management, and financial strategies; solutions based on their capital management, business strategy, and financial strategy; real estate agency services; advisory services and solutions, such as advice on proposals on various investment products to financial institutions; and financial services that include funding support and public bonds underwriting. Further, the company offers sales and trading services to meet needs for customers; investment products for individual customers; and consulting services for institutional investors. Additionally, the company provides products and services related to trust, securitization and structured finance, pension, and stock transfers; securities services; and research, private banking, and information technology-related services. Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
TransUnion provides risk and information solutions. The company operates in three segments: U.S. Markets, International, and Consumer Interactive. The U.S. Markets segment provides consumer reports, actionable insights, and analytics to businesses. These businesses use its services to acquire new customers; assess consumer ability to pay for services; identify cross-selling opportunities; measure and manage debt portfolio risk; collect debt; verify consumer identities; and mitigate fraud risk. This segment serves various industry vertical markets, including financial services, insurance, tenant and employment, collections and services, technology, commerce and communication, public sector, media, and other markets. The International segment offers credit reports, analytics, technology solutions, and other value-added risk management services; and consumer services, which help consumers to manage their personal finances and consumer credit reporting, insurance and auto information solutions, and commercial credit information services. This segment serves customers in financial services, retail credit, insurance, automotive, collections, public sector, and communications industries through direct and indirect channels. The Consumer Interactive segment provides credit reports and scores, credit monitoring, identity protection and resolution, and financial management solutions that enable consumers to manage their personal finances and take precautions against identity theft. This segment offers its products through online and mobile interfaces, as well as through direct and indirect channels. The company serves customers in approximately 30 countries and territories, including North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, India, and the Asia Pacific. The company was formerly known as TransUnion Holding Company, Inc. and changed its name to TransUnion in March 2015. TransUnion was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
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.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates as an energy infrastructure company in North America. The company operates through four segments: Natural Gas Pipelines, Products Pipelines, Terminals, and CO2. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment owns and operates interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline, and underground storage systems; natural gas gathering systems and natural gas processing and treating facilities; natural gas liquids fractionation facilities and transportation systems; and liquefied natural gas liquefaction and storage facilities. The Products Pipelines segment owns and operates refined petroleum products, and crude oil and condensate pipelines; and associated product terminals and petroleum pipeline transmix facilities. The Terminals segment owns and/or operates liquids and bulk terminals that stores and handles various commodities, including gasoline, diesel fuel, chemicals, ethanol, metals, and petroleum coke; and owns tankers. The CO2 segment produces, transports, and markets CO2 to recovery and production crude oil from mature oil fields; owns interests in/or operates oil fields and gasoline processing plants; and operates a crude oil pipeline system in West Texas, as well as owns and operates RNG and LNG facilities. It owns and operates approximately 83,000 miles of pipelines and 143 terminals. The company was formerly known as Kinder Morgan Holdco LLC and changed its name to Kinder Morgan, Inc. in February 2011. Kinder Morgan, Inc. was founded in 1936 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
The following companies are subsidiares of Pfizer: AH Robins LLC, AHP Holdings B.V., AHP Manufacturing B.V., Agouron Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alacer, Alpharma Holdings LLC, Alpharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharma Specialty Pharma LLC, Alpharma USHP LLC, American Food Industries LLC, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Angiosyn, Array BioPharma, Ayerst-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, BIND Therapeutics Inc., BINESA 2002 S.L., Bamboo Therapeutics, Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Baxter International - Marketed Vaccines, BioRexis, Bioren, Bioren LLC, Blue Whale Re Ltd., C.E. Commercial Holdings C.V., C.E. Commercial Investments C.V., C.P. Pharmaceuticals International C.V., CICL Corporation, COC I Corporation, Catapult Genetics, Coley Pharmaceutical GmbH, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Continental Pharma Inc., Covx, Covx Technologies Ireland Limited, Cyanamid Inter-American Corporation, Cyanamid de Argentina S.A., Cyanamid de Colombia S.A., Distribuidora Mercantil Centro Americana S.A., Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., Esperion LUV Development Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Farminova Produtos Farmaceuticos de Inovacao Lda., Farmogene Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Ferrosan A/S, Ferrosan International A/S, Ferrosan S.R.L., FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Foldrx Pharmaceuticals, Fort Dodge Manufatura Ltda., G. D. Searle & Co. Limited, G. D. Searle International Capital LLC, G. D. Searle LLC, GI Europe Inc., GI Japan Inc., GenTrac Inc., Genetics Institute LLC, Greenstone LLC, Haptogen Limited, Hospira, Hospira (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Hospira Adelaide Pty Ltd, Hospira Aseptic Services Limited, Hospira Australia Pty Ltd, Hospira Benelux BVBA, Hospira Chile Limitada, Hospira Deutschland GmbH, Hospira Enterprises B.V., Hospira France SAS, Hospira Healthcare B.V., Hospira Healthcare Corporation, Hospira Healthcare India Private Limited, Hospira Holdings (S.A.) Pty Ltd, Hospira Inc., Hospira Invicta S.A., Hospira Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, Hospira Ireland Sales Limited, Hospira Japan G.K., Hospira Limited, Hospira Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hospira NZ Limited, Hospira Nordic AB, Hospira Philippines Inc., Hospira Portugal LDA, Hospira Produtos Hospitalares Ltda., Hospira Pte. Ltd., Hospira Pty Limited, Hospira Puerto Rico LLC, Hospira Singapore Pte Ltd, Hospira UK Limited, Hospira Worldwide LLC, Hospira Zagreb d.o.o., ICAgen, Idun Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Santa Agape S.A., InnoPharma, InnoPharma Inc., International Affiliated Corporation LLC, JMI-Daniels Pharmaceuticals Inc., John Wyeth & Brother Limited, Kiinteisto oy Espoon Pellavaniementie 14, King Pharmaceuticals Holdings LLC, King Pharmaceuticals LLC, King Pharmaceuticals Research and Development LLC, Korea Pharma Holding Company Limited, Laboratoires Pfizer S.A., Laboratorios Parke Davis S.L., Laboratorios Pfizer Ltda., Laboratorios Wyeth LLC, Laboratorios Wyeth S.A., Laboratorios Pfizer Lda., MTG Divestitures LLC, Mayne Pharma IP Holdings (Euro) Pty Ltd, Medivation, Medivation Field Solutions LLC, Medivation LLC, Medivation Neurology LLC, Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC, Medivation Services LLC, Medivation Technologies LLC, Meridian Medical Technologies Inc., Meridian Medical Technologies Limited, Monarch Pharmaceuticals LLC, Neusentis Limited, NextWave Pharmaceuticals, NextWave Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, P-D Co. LLC, PAH USA IN8 LLC, PF Americas Holding C.V., PF Asia Manufacturing B.V., PF PR Holdings C.V., PF PRISM C.V., PF PRISM Holdings S.a.r.l., PF Prism S.a.r.l., PFE Holdings G.K., PFE PHAC Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Pfizer Holdings 1 LLC, PFE Wyeth Holdings LLC, PFE Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) LLC, PHILCO Holdings S.a r.l., PHIVCO Corp., PHIVCO Holdco S.a r.l., PHIVCO Luxembourg S.a r.l., PN Mexico LLC, PT. Pfizer Parke Davis, Parke Davis & Company LLC, Parke Davis Limited, Parke Davis Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Parke-Davis Manufacturing Corp., Parkedale Pharmaceuticals Inc., Peak Enterprises LLC, Pfizer, Pfizer (China) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Pfizer (Perth) Pty Limited, Pfizer (Thailand) Limited, Pfizer (Wuhan) Research and Development Co. Ltd., Pfizer AB, Pfizer AG, Pfizer AS, Pfizer Africa & Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Veterinarian Products & Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer Anti-Infectives AB, Pfizer ApS, Pfizer Asia Manufacturing Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Pfizer Atlantic Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Australia Holdings B.V., Pfizer Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Pfizer Australia Investments Pty. Ltd., Pfizer Australia Pty Limited, Pfizer B.V., Pfizer BH D.o.o., Pfizer Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer Biofarmaceutica Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Pfizer Biologics (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd, Pfizer Biologics Ireland Holdings Limited, Pfizer Biotech Corporation, Pfizer Bolivia S.A., Pfizer Canada Inc., Pfizer CentreSource Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Chile S.A., Pfizer Cia. Ltda., Pfizer Colombia Spinco I LLC, Pfizer Commercial Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Commercial Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Commercial TRAE Trading Kft., Pfizer Consumer Healthcare AB, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare GmbH, Pfizer Consumer Healthcare Ltd., Pfizer Consumer Manufacturing Italy S.r.l., Pfizer Corporation, Pfizer Corporation Austria Gesellschaft m.b.H., Pfizer Corporation Hong Kong Limited, Pfizer Croatia d.o.o., Pfizer Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Development LP, Pfizer Development Services (UK) Limited, Pfizer Domestic Ventures Limited, Pfizer Dominicana S.R.L, Pfizer ESP Pty Ltd, Pfizer East India B.V., Pfizer Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer Egypt S.A.E., Pfizer Enterprise Holdings B.V., Pfizer Enterprises LLC, Pfizer Enterprises SARL, Pfizer Europe Finance B.V., Pfizer Export B.V., Pfizer Export Company, Pfizer Export Holding Company B.V, Pfizer Finance Share Service (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Financial Services N.V./S.A., Pfizer France International Investments, Pfizer Free Zone Panama S. de R.L., Pfizer GEP S.L., Pfizer Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer Global Supply Japan Inc., Pfizer Global Trading, Pfizer Group Luxembourg Sarl, Pfizer Gulf FZ-LLC, Pfizer H.C.P. Corporation, Pfizer HK Service Company Limited, Pfizer Health AB, Pfizer Health Solutions Inc., Pfizer Healthcare Ireland, Pfizer Hellas A.E., Pfizer Himalaya Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Holding France, Pfizer Holding Ventures, Pfizer Holdings Corporation, Pfizer Holdings Europe Unlimited Company, Pfizer Holdings G.K., Pfizer Holdings International Corporation, Pfizer Holdings International Luxembourg (PHIL) Sarl, Pfizer Holdings North America SARL, Pfizer Hungary Holdings TRAE Kft., Pfizer Inc., Pfizer Innovations AB, Pfizer Innovations LLC, Pfizer Innovative Supply Point International BVBA, Pfizer International LLC, Pfizer International Markets Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer International Operations, Pfizer International S. de R.L., Pfizer International Trading (Shanghai) Limited, Pfizer Investment Capital Unlimited Company, Pfizer Investment Co. Ltd., Pfizer Investment Holdings S.a.r.l., Pfizer Ireland Investments Limited, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 1 LLC, Pfizer Ireland PFE Holding 2 LLC, Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Ireland Ventures Unlimited Company, Pfizer Italia S.r.l., Pfizer Italy Group Holding S.r.l., Pfizer Japan Inc., Pfizer LLC, Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Limited, Pfizer Laboratories Limited, Pfizer Laboratories PFE (Pty) Ltd, Pfizer Leasing Ireland Limited, Pfizer Leasing UK Limited, Pfizer Limitada, Pfizer Limited, Pfizer Luxco Holdings SARL, Pfizer Luxembourg Global Holdings S.a r.l., Pfizer Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer MAP Holding Inc., Pfizer Manufacturing Austria G.m.b.H., Pfizer Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland GmbH, Pfizer Manufacturing Deutschland Grundbesitz GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizer Manufacturing Holdings LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Manufacturing LLC, Pfizer Manufacturing Services, Pfizer Medical Technology Group (Belgium) N.V., Pfizer Medicamentos Genericos e Participacoes Ltda., Pfizer Mexico Luxco SARL, Pfizer Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pfizer Middle East for Pharmaceuticals Animal Health and Chemicals S.A.E., Pfizer New Zealand Limited, Pfizer Norge AS, Pfizer North American Holdings Inc., Pfizer OTC B.V., Pfizer Overseas LLC, Pfizer Oy, Pfizer PFE ApS, Pfizer PFE AsiaPac Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Australia Pty Ltd, Pfizer PFE B.V., Pfizer PFE Baltic Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Belgium SPRL, Pfizer PFE Brazil Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE CIA. Ltda., Pfizer PFE Chile Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Colombia Holding Corp., Pfizer PFE Colombia S.A.S, Pfizer PFE Commercial Holdings LLC, Pfizer PFE Croatia Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Eastern Investments B.V., Pfizer PFE Finland Oy, Pfizer PFE France, Pfizer PFE Global Holdings B.V., Pfizer PFE Ireland Pharmaceuticals Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco 2 S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Italy Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Pfizer PFE Limited, Pfizer PFE Luxembourg S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Mexico Holding 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE Netherlands Holding 1 C.V., Pfizer PFE New Zealand, Pfizer PFE New Zealand Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Norway Holding S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE PILSA Holdco S.a r.l., Pfizer PFE Peru Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Peru S.R.L., Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Holding LLC, Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer PFE Private Limited, Pfizer PFE S.R.L, Pfizer PFE Service Company Holding Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer PFE Singapore Holding B.V., Pfizer PFE Singapore Pte. Ltd., Pfizer PFE Spain B.V., Pfizer PFE Spain Holding S.L., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding 2 S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Sweden Holding S.a.r.l., Pfizer PFE Switzerland GmbH, Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 1 B.V., Pfizer PFE Turkey Holding 2 B.V., Pfizer PFE UK Holding 4 LP, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 1 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 2 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 3 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 4 LLC, Pfizer PFE US Holdings 5 LLC, Pfizer PFE spol. s r.o., Pfizer PFE Ilaclar Anonim Sirketi, Pfizer Pakistan Limited, Pfizer Parke Davis (Thailand) Ltd., Pfizer Parke Davis Inc., Pfizer Parke Davis Sdn. Bhd., Pfizer Pharm Algerie, Pfizer Pharma GmbH, Pfizer Pharma PFE GmbH, Pfizer Pharmaceutical (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceutical Trading Limited Liability Company (a/k/a Pfizer Kft. or Pfizer LLC), Pfizer Pharmaceuticals B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Global B.V., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd., Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Korea Limited, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pfizer Pigments Inc., Pfizer Polska Sp. z.o.o., Pfizer Private Limited, Pfizer Production LLC, Pfizer Products Inc., Pfizer Products India Private Limited, Pfizer Research (NC) Inc., Pfizer Romania SRL, Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A., Pfizer S.A. (Belgium), Pfizer S.A. de C.V., Pfizer S.A.S., Pfizer S.G.P.S. Lda., Pfizer S.L., Pfizer S.R.L., Pfizer SRB d.o.o., Pfizer Saidal Manufacturing, Pfizer Sante Familiale, Pfizer Saudi Limited, Pfizer Seiyaku K.K., Pfizer Service Company BVBA, Pfizer Service Company Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Services 1, Pfizer Services LLC, Pfizer Shared Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Shareholdings Intermediate SARL, Pfizer Singapore Holding Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Singapore Trading Pte. Ltd., Pfizer Spain Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Pfizer Specialties Limited, Pfizer Strategic Investment Holdings LLC, Pfizer Sweden Partnership KB, Pfizer TRAE Holdings Kft., Pfizer Trading Polska sp.z.o.o., Pfizer Transactions Ireland Unlimited Company, Pfizer Transactions LLC, Pfizer Transactions Luxembourg SARL, Pfizer Transport LLC, Pfizer Ukraine LLC, Pfizer Vaccines LLC, Pfizer Venezuela S.A., Pfizer Venture Investments LLC, Pfizer Ventures LLC, Pfizer Worldwide Services Unlimited Company, Pfizer Zona Franca S.A., Pfizer spol. s r.o., Pharmacia, Pharmacia & Upjohn Company Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn Company LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn S.A. de C.V., Pharmacia Brasil Ltda., Pharmacia Hepar LLC, Pharmacia Holding AB, Pharmacia Inter-American LLC, Pharmacia International B.V., Pharmacia LLC, Pharmacia Limited, Pharmacia Nostrum S.A., Pharmacia South Africa (Pty) Ltd, PowderJect Research Limited, PowderMed, Purepac Pharmaceutical Holdings LLC, Redvax, Renrall LLC, Rinat Neuroscience, Rinat Neuroscience Corp., Roerig Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Roerig S.A., Sao Cristovao Participacoes Ltda., Searle Laboratorios Lda., Serenex, Servicios P&U S. de R.L. de C.V., Shiley LLC, Sinergis Farma-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Site Realty Inc., Solinor LLC, Sugen LLC, Tabor LLC, The Pfizer Incubator LLC, Therachon, Thiakis Limited, Treerly Health Co. Ltd, US Oral Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Upjohn Laboratorios Lda., Vesteralens Naturprodukter A/S, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AB, Vesteralens Naturprodukter AS, Vesteralens Naturprodukter OY, Vicuron Holdings LLC, Vinci Farma S.A., W-L LLC, Warner Lambert, Warner Lambert Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Warner Lambert del Uruguay S.A., Warner-Lambert (Thailand) Limited, Warner-Lambert Company AG, Warner-Lambert Company LLC, Warner-Lambert Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Warner-Lambert S.A., Whitehall International Inc., Whitehall Laboratories Inc., Wyeth (Thailand) Ltd., Wyeth AB, Wyeth Australia Pty. Limited, Wyeth Ayerst Inc., Wyeth Ayerst S.a r.l., Wyeth Biopharma, Wyeth Canada ULC, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare LLC, Wyeth Europa Limited, Wyeth Farma S.A., Wyeth Holdings LLC, Wyeth Industria Farmaceutica Ltda., Wyeth KFT., Wyeth LLC, Wyeth Lederle S.r.l., Wyeth Lederle Vaccines S.A., Wyeth Pakistan Limited, Wyeth Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Company, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals FZ-LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Limited, Wyeth Puerto Rico Inc., Wyeth S.A.S, Wyeth Subsidiary Illinois Corporation, Wyeth Whitehall Export GmbH, Wyeth Whitehall SARL, Wyeth-Ayerst (Asia) Limited, Wyeth-Ayerst International LLC, and Wyeth-Ayerst Promotions Limited.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. 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Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, and international news to media organizations, professional, and news consumers through news agency and industry events. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation operates a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.
BWX Technologies, Inc. manufactures and sells nuclear components in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates in three segments: Nuclear Operations Group, Nuclear Power Group, and Nuclear Services Group. The Nuclear Operations Group segment provides precision naval and critical nuclear components, reactors, nuclear fuel, and assemblies for the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration's Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program and other uses; missile launch tubes for United States Navy submarines; close-tolerance and equipment for nuclear applications; and converts Cold War-era government stockpiles of high-enriched uranium, as well as receives, stores, characterizes, dissolves, recovers, and purifies uranium-bearing materials; supplies research reactor fuel elements for colleges, universities, and national laboratories; and components for defense applications. The Nuclear Power Group segment offers commercial nuclear steam generators, nuclear fuel, fuel handling systems, pressure vessels, reactor components, heat exchangers, tooling delivery systems, and containers; engineering and in-plant services for nuclear power plants; designs, manufactures, commissions, and services nuclear power generation equipment; in-plant inspection, maintenance, and modification services, as well as non-destructive examination and tooling/repair solutions; and supplies medical radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals for research, diagnostic, and therapeutic uses. The company was formerly known as The Babcock & Wilcox Company and changed its name to BWX Technologies, Inc. in June 2015. BWX Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia.
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products. The Proprietary Products segment offers stoppers and seals for injectable packaging systems; syringe and cartridge components, including custom solutions for the needs of injectable drug applications, as well as administration systems that enhance the safe delivery of drugs through advanced reconstitution, mixing, and transfer technologies; and films, coatings, washing, and vision inspection and sterilization processes and services to enhance the quality of packaging components. It also provides drug containment solutions, including Crystal Zenith, a cyclic olefin polymer in the form of vials, syringes, and cartridges; and self-injection devices, as well as a range of integrated solutions, including analytical lab services, pre-approval primary packaging support and engineering development, regulatory expertise, and after-sales technical support. This segment serves biologic, generic, and pharmaceutical drug companies. The Contract-Manufactured Products segment is involved in the design, manufacture, and automated assembly of devices used in surgical, diagnostic, ophthalmic, injectable, and other drug delivery systems, as well as consumer products. It serves pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device companies. The company distributes its products through its sales force and distribution network, as well as contract sales agents and regional distributors. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. was incorporated in 1923 and is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania.
LEXINGTON  Area residents gathered Wednesday afternoon to honor the service of 25 veterans set to take off for a brief trip to the nations capital in the fourth installment of the Dawson County Hero Flight.

More than 100 people attended the event, which featured a free will donation lunch served by members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, catered by Jolene Block and sponsored by the Heartland Wounded Veterans Group.

The send-off bid farewell to 25 veterans and their escorts for about two days in Washington D.C.

Students from Sandoz Elementary Schools choir sang various patriotic songs, including "God Bless America," the national anthem and "If you love your country thank a Vet."

Dawson County Hero Flight Committee members Max McFarland and Mike Schulte moderated the event. Both will travel on the Hero Flight, with McFarland as the flight commander and Schulte as the crew chief.

McFarland said with the fourth Hero Flight, the program will have served 98 veterans and escorts, with 26 of those being Korean War veterans and 71 being Vietnam War veterans.

All veterans get a free trip to Washington D.C., with the funds for the trip coming from donations and the trip itself is organized by volunteers, he said.

Billy Rayburn, a Patriot Guard Rider, spoke at the event. She said Patriot Guards like herself dont have to have a motorcycle, they just have to have a heart for service members.

Her group supports veterans and holds American flags at funerals, sendoffs and welcome home events, she said.

"We love you. We thank you for your service, and have a great time," Rayburn said to veterans at the event.

Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg also spoke at the event. He said whether talking to a group of students in Pleasanton or a group of bankers in North Platte, he realized it was due to the freedom veterans had won for the country.

Williams commended the sacrifice of brave Americans who served in the military and the bravery of those 56 Americans who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

"We are so proud of you and so honored to be here to celebrate your honor," Williams said.

The ladies of the Eddyville American Legion No. 255 made the flight bags for veterans.

Kenneth Anderson, a U.S. Army veteran and Hero Flight participant, said he was going on the trip to honor other veterans for the sacrifices they have made.

He said his grandfather served as a combat medic in World War I and his grandson was awaiting deployment in the U.S. Army.

A Vietnam veteran, Anderson said he served as a helicopter mechanic. Although he has seen the traveling wall version of the Vietnam Memorial Wall, he said he was looking forward to seeing the real one in Washington.

"Ive been watching the Vietnam series (on NET). Its sad. I hope Im not disappointed in going to Washington," Anderson said.
COZAD  Oct. 1 marks the one year anniversary of the opening of DawsonHome in Cozad.

The business offers home furnishings and decor and in a years time has had constant turnover in its inventory.

"Weve had a great response from Cozad, the area and the state," said owner Tom Gosinski.

He said he tries to stock items that are nice and unique. While some items available might be repeated, Gosinski said he tries to be sensitive to the fact that some people dont want to see what they bought at a friends house. "I pick everything that we buy for the store," he said.

"Its exceeded my expectations. I never imagined we wouldnt have a single piece of furniture that would have a first birthday," said Gosinski. "Nor would I have imagined the distance from which we draw customers."

Customers have come from Kearney, North Platte, Lincoln, Broken Bow, Johnson Lake and Jeffrey Lake. He has also arranged for items to be shipped to Omaha, Denver and Kansas City. In those cases, a shopper saw something they liked in the Cozad store and Gosinski arranged for it to be shipped from the manufacturer.

Gosinski said success in the first year has led to plans to expand the stores offerings to include bedroom furniture, bedding and linens.

"We hope to be able to continue to provide unique furniture for people with discerning tastes," said Gosinski.

DawsonHome is located at 829 Meridian. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with extended hours of 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursdays and hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

An open house to celebrate DawsonHomes first year of business is planned for Thursday, Oct. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. Artist Beth Cole from Broken Bow will display original artwork with pieces available for sale. Refreshments will be served, including wine from Macs Creek Winery and Vineyards.

"We hope everyone will join us in celebrating our first year birthday," said Gosinski.
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LEXINGTON  A successful entrepreneur who launched her business in Sumner was the keynote speaker for Sumner Schools first career fair which took place on Sept. 15.

Judith Larsen lived two houses away from the school when she began making pies to sell in 2002. Her two children were grown so the risk if she failed seemed more likely to impact only her and not them, she said. At the time she had $2,000 in savings, a 1988 Ford Escort, a house payment and two dogs.

"If this fails and I end up with my car and dogs then so be it," she remembers thinking. She also felt strongly she needed to try. She wanted to know the answer to: Could she do it?

Previously Larsen drove a school bus for Sumner and was a bus driver and maintenance worker for Lexington Public Schools.

She said she wanted to work for herself and baking pies was something she knew how to do well, having been taught the skill from her grandmother, Gladys Karre, who learned from her mother-in-law.

Larsen converted her sons former bedroom into a second kitchen with four sinks and two freezers and took the pies she made to Farmers Markets in search of customers. She also sold pies while parked along I-80 and played a fiddle between sales.

Larsen said she hopes Sumner students will remember that even in a small town you can start something. She emphasized that while her business started someplace small, it wasnt limited to its roots. Today Village PieMaker pies are sold in 17 states with the business operating out of a former creamery in Eustis and Larsen now resides in Arkansas.

Rob Hartman is a business partner and they have Terry Warner as general manager, Cynthia Wolf as production manager, a full time sales representative in Larsens husband Chuck and 35 good employees, who include pie makers, packagers and truck drivers, said Larsen.

"Without the employees, this wouldnt be possible," said Larsen. "Weve come a long way."

"Its been a really interesting ride," she said. Pies are made using 2,000 to 5,000 pounds of fresh fruit every day.

"For years I did work 80 hours a week and was exhausted," Larsen recalled, likening the business to a growing child. The long work days were during the toddler phase when she never dared to take her eyes off of things for fear of mischief and ruin. Gradually, she felt comfortable leaving for a day, progressing to the present.

"It was serendipity to me to get the call (to speak), including the timing because I was already going to be traveling to Nebraska. I was so tickled when they called me. This is full circle now," said Larsen.

In addition to hearing from Larsen, students attended break-out sessions for presentations on technical schools, military options, scholarship opportunities, study skills, test preparation, time management, building a resume and the job application process. They also met representatives from military, colleges and cosmetology school, who shared one-on-one what they had to offer. A representative from EducationQuest talked about financial planning for education beyond high school.

"Were excited to have this. We want the kids to have the opportunity to explore, expand and be exposed to a variety of things," said K-12 counselor and assistant principal Roger Doud.

He said the message to "work hard, dream big and you can achieve whatever you put your mind to" is often promoted, but this time with a greater impact because of Larsens ties to Sumner. "People have success stories, but this is a local success story," he said.

Students also got to sample Larsens pies.

Student Ana Flores, 16, said the day was planned by the schools FBLA organization, now in its second year. "Its a newish organization and we are trying to make it an active organization. We are trying to get it to the level of FFA," she said.

Flores said Larsens presentation made an impact and gives her hope for her future. She said Larsen talked about her haunting thoughts that she should make a pie business because it was the one thing she knew how to do.

She also noted that Larsen is happy at how far she has gotten because with her success she can help her family.

Flores said as she considers her future, she likes business and art and has the hope to travel to Japan. After visiting with representatives from Central Community College, she is thinking about attending a two-year college to study graphic design before transferring to another college or university.

"I learned a lot from the seminars," said Flores. "It made me feel more prepared for college. I will be a first generation college student. My parents didnt go to college. Its nice to have people come and tell us things."

Sidney Ripp, 15, said the career fair was eye opening. The military stood out to her for the opportunity to be trained in a skill and have college expenses paid for.

"There are so many career options. I have no clue what I want to do yet, but it showed me a bunch of things I could do," said Ripp.
On Thursday evening, the co-hosts of the 2018 AVN Awards Show were revealed to the hundreds of guests assembled at the second annual AVN House Party. At the event, which was sponsored by MyFreeCams.com, the night began with a star-studded red carpet and a set by vocalist Vonzell Solomon, aka Baby V, who took third place on American Idol (behind Carrie Underwood and Bo Bice). Then up came AVN Media Network CEO Tony Rios, who let the cat out of the bag, calling on performer/director Angela White and cam star Harli Lotts one at a time and then showing this video of the two together.
By Jeremy Deaton

People play dirty when they cant win by playing fair. This is, more or less, the story of climate change denial in the U.S.

Scientists overwhelmingly agree that humans are altering the climate, reaping changes with potentially catastrophic consequences. Climate deniers cant dispute the data. They cant win on facts. Instead, they impugn the credibility of scientists, a tactic which has proved both ugly and effective.

Right-wing groups are using open records laws to obtain scientists emails, and then misrepresenting the content of those emails to question the integrity of researchers and cast doubt on their findings, all of which has a chilling effect on scientific inquiry. But scientists have earned powerful allies in the fight to protect their researchincluding, by a strange set of circumstances, the Trump administration.

Climategate led to a wave of harassment.

The current spate of invasive records requests back to Climategate, a 2009 controversy that erupted when a hacker obtained more than 1,000 emails sent and received by climatologists at East Anglia university in the United Kingdom. Parts of some emails, taken out of context, suggested scientists had manipulated data to exaggerate the warming trend.

Climate deniers harped on the leaks to paint climate scientists as ideologically motivated and dishonest. Though an official inquiry into the matter exonerated scientists, the damage was already done. Their calls for universities to investigate climate scientists prompted institutional probes that hampered research efforts. Today, conservative advocacy groups point to Climategate when making open records requests.

I think anyone who looks at the whole Climategate manufactured controversy understands now that its bogus, but thats the rationale that theyve used, said Lauren Kurtz, executive director of the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund, a nonprofit working to protect researchers threatened by legal attacks.

The Energy & Environment Legal Institute (E&E), a conservative think tank with ties to coal and oil companies, cited Climategate as the impetus for its transparency project. In 2011, the group sued to obtain more than 10,000 emails written or received by Michael Mann, a researcher at the University of Virginia and one of the scientists implicated in Climategate. The Virginia Supreme Court sided with Mann, who lamented the coordinated assault against the scientific community by powerful vested interests.

That same year, E&E requested more than a decade of emails from University of Arizona climate scientists Jonathan Overpeck and Malcolm Hughes, another researcher ensnared by Climategate. E&Es legal brief alleged there is a climate scientific-technological elite which has behaved badly in the past, a reference to Climategate. In a gesture of surprising candor, E&E acknowledged that it was searching for emails to embarrass both Professors Hughes and Overpeck, whom it characterized as academic climate alarmists. That suit continues to this day.

The University of Arizona case volleyed back and forth between the trial court and the appellate court, which recently determined the trial court had failed to consider a statute that protects unpublished research data, manuscripts, preliminary analyses, drafts of scientific papers and other documents produced by researchers at Arizona public universities.

Now the case will go back to the trial court, which will reevaluate the records request in light of this statute. The ruling is a pyrrhic victory for researchers and the university, who must dedicate even more time and money to fighting off E&E. Thats basically as good as we could have hoped for, Kurtz said. Even when scientists win, they lose.

Jonathan Overpeck. University of Arizona

The lawsuit has taken a hefty toll on Overpeck and Hughes. Overpeck said he spent six weeks of his sabbatical sorting through 90,000 pages of emails, explaining the case was a grave distraction from his work and family. Hughes spent an entire summer collecting emails, failed to attend to his work and lost a research grant as a result.

These injuries are temporary. More worrisome is the long-term effect that records requests have on research. Hughes noted that, due to his involvement in the case, other scientists have been reluctant to email him. While Hughes is nearing the end of this career, he said that, were he a young man, he would consider a different line of work or another institution.

Even if E&E loses in the trial courtand it most likely willthe group will have nonetheless succeeded in bullying climate scientists. This, rather transparently, was the point. If E&E had concerns about the empirical rigor of climate research, it could have scrutinized the findings of specific studies. Instead of interrogating the final product, it went after the hastily scribed emails exchanged between colleagues.

Malcolm Hughes. University of Arizona

I have taught, researched and administered in academia for more than 40 years and have not seen a time in which freedom of inquiry has been more needed, or more imperiled than it is now, Hughes wrote in a letter to University of Virginia president Teresa Sullivan when E&E was working to obtain Manns emails. Nothing is more likely to quash the creativity of Americas scientists than the ever-present ear of a hostile listener intent on finding, at all costs, the appearance of malfeasance. Nothing is more calculated to discourage research into topics that may challenge power interests.

Today, some states are enacting policies to protect scientists. Rhode Island and North Dakota recently passed laws guarding academic freedom. The Rhode Island statute specifically shields drafts, notes, impressions, memoranda, working papers and work products from open records requests. Kurtz hopes more states follow suit.

Climate scientists have an unlikely ally in the Trump administration.

At the federal level, the issue becomes more complicated. The legal protections that guard the emails of federally-funded climate scientists also shield government employees, including those working for the president. As a result, climate scientists have an unlikely ally in the Trump administration.

In 2015, the conservative nonprofit Judicial Watch made a FOIA request to obtain the emails of climate scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Judicial Watch has a history of harassing opponents with records requestsmost notably Hillary Clinton. Its president, Tom Fitton, claimed the NOAA documents requested would show the Obama administration put politics before science to advance global warming alarmism.

This case is interesting because it was actually started under the Obama administration, but the Trump administration continued it, I think, because the Trump administration recognizes that its important to maintain these open-records protections, said Kurtz.

The administration, though leaky, is notoriously secretive. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, who regularly antagonizes climate scientists, recently installed a $25,000 soundproof booth in his office. Pruitt has also been sparing in his use of email, in part, as a response to a 2014 open-records request that revealed his close ties with the fossil fuel industry. The Trump administration, I dont think, is eager to be turning things over under open-record laws, said Kurtz.

Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, at the Conservative Political Action Conference 2015. Gage Skidmore

The rationale for protecting scientists emails from public disclosure is simple. FOIA was enacted to make government more transparent, but it also threatened to discourage open conversations among federal employees. Judges have interpreted the law to exclude these conversations from records requestswhats known as deliberative process privilege.

The deliberative process privilege was designed to allow agency employees to have freedom to communicate with each other and toss around ideas and engage in devils advocate debates and what-if arguments and really feel like they can be candid with each other, Kurtz said. In addition, theres the rationale that people might toss out ideas that are later determined to be bad ideas and never implemented, and if you produce all those emails, its really going to confuse the public.

The NOAA suit was settled in August. The trial court judge agreed that the emails in the NOAA case were exactly the sort of emails that this deliberative process privilege was designed to protect, Kurtz said. Judicial Watch declined to appeal to the ruling.

As with the University of Arizona case, the damage was already done. If Judicial Watch had concerns about the empirical rigor of the NOAA study, it could have scrutinized the data, the method or the resultsall of which were publicly available. But, the group didnt want to debate the merits of the science. Its goal was more specific.

Invasive records requests undermine scientific inquiry.

A 2015 report from the Union of Concerned Scientists found that researchers in numerous fieldspublic health, environmental science, genetic engineeringface attacks from groups on both sides of the ideological spectrum. The report explains that individuals and well-heeled special interests across the political spectrum are increasingly using broad open records requests to attack and harass scientists. It warned that such tactics can can curb the ability of researchers to pursue their work, chill their speech and discourage them from tackling contentious topics.

With climate change, there is evidence that this is already happening. A 2015 study found that climate scientists frequently downplay the gravity of their findings in response to harassment. Authors wrote that,  in response to constant, and sometimes toxic, public challenges, scientists have over-emphasized scientific uncertainty, and have inadvertently allowed contrarian claims to affect how they themselves speak, and perhaps even think, about their own research. This erodes public understanding of science.

We all lose when scientists self-censor due to continued harassment. We have a poorer understanding of the science and are less able to make good personal and policy decisions, said Michael Halpern, head of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Scientists will be more likely to keep their heads down and refuse to publicly engage or ask contentious research questions if they dont feel that their peers who are attacked are adequately protected.

How then do scientists balance privacy with transparency? Where is the line between confidentiality and obfuscation?

The Stand Up for Science Rally in Boston. Josh Landis

We think its totally appropriate to FOIA for funding information and conflict of interest information, Kurtz said. When youre getting into research emails and candid communication, I think thats really harmful. She added, Short of something where you have actual evidence of criminal fraud, I think those things should be protected.

FOIA is designed to give a window into the policymaking process, but science is already transparent. When youre doing a peer-reviewed study, your peers are looking at your research and giving you feedback on it, and they are determining whether or not it is appropriate for publication, said Kurtz. Scientists must publish their data, their methods, their results, and they must disclose their source of funding .

That sort of transparency is actually what you need to replicate the research, evaluate the research, said Kurtz. That is not happening in the policymaking field where FOIA was originally designed to operate.

Lauren Kurtz. Nexus Media

Because science is transparent, it is also self-correcting. Researchers can interrogate, criticize and improve upon each others work. In 2013, Thomas Herndon, a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts made headlines when he found a number errors in an influential study authored by two Harvard economists. The paper showed that economic growth slows down in countries with high national debt, and it was used to justify austerity measures following the Great Recession. Herndon, 28, published a paper which called attention to the errors and refuted its conclusions about national debt.

This is how research works. Researchers evaluate and attempt to replicate the findings of their peers. They have every incentive to prove each other wrong. Herndons work earned him the acclaim of serious economists, weeks of fawning press coverage and a star turn on The Colbert Report. Any person who could do the same for climate research would be similarly celebrated.

If E&E, Judicial Watch or any other groups were to find and publicize flaws in peer-reviewed climate research, they would be doing a public service. But, overwhelmingly, the data show that humans are driving the warming trend. So instead, right-wing groups go after emails, looking to defame scientists.

Scientific transparency is obviously important, Kurtz said. What we want to preclude is scientists having to live in a fish bowl.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Nexus Media.
By Julia Conley

While much media attention has rightly been focused on the devastation in Puerto Rico this week as calls have grown louder for President Donald Trump to deploy more resources to help the recovery from Hurricane Maria, the White Houses inaction has caused attention to be pulled away from the U.S. Virgin Islands and other parts of the Caribbean that were also ravaged by the storm.

Forty-eight thousand people in the U.S. Virgin Islands are without power following both Maria and Hurricane Irma, which made landfall two weeks earlier. More than 600 residents are still in shelters across St. John, St. Thomas, Water Island and St. Croix, which was spared much of the damage of Irma but overtaken by floodwaters after Maria.

Gov. Kenneth Mapp has been asking the public for help via Twitter and in a radio interview on WBUR:

We need help, Mapp said just after Maria hit last week, as the islands were assessing the second wave of destruction. With our FEMA partners and our cruise ship partners, were bringing in a lot of food, water, tarpaulins, personal hygiene packs, cots and blankets. Thats really the immediacy of the need. Were asking folks who can to go to USVI Recovery and they can donate there.

The economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands evaporated pretty much overnight, according to Clinton Gaskins, a restaurant owner interviewed by the New York Times. Tourism revenue makes up about a third of the islands gross national product, and the marine industry was also hit hard. As the Times reported, following Maria:

Harbors are littered with ferries that capsized or were washed ashore, leaving fewer vessels to carry supplies back and forth. Masts from sunken sailboats jut out of the water. Charter boats, a big economic driver, lie on beaches, their hulls ripped open.

The small island country of Barbuda was reported to be nearly uninhabitable in the wake of Irma. The 1,600 residents have still not been able to return home after the hurricane almost completely destroyed the island. Neighboring Antigua has been hosting many in shelters. Earlier this week, the Red Cross delivered bottled water, kitchen utensils, and toiletries to 300 Barbudan families who were most in-need; the aid came after a week-long assessment process, suggesting that relief efforts are moving slowly due to the immense destruction.

Almost every structure on the island was damaged and officials say the hospital, which is receiving priority, still wont be open for weeks. The Antigua Observer reported on Tuesday that Barbudans themselves are beginning the recovery process, with 150 residents joining the islands solid waste cleanup crew to help remove debris from rooftops. The do-it-yourself effort is leading to concerns about exposing the population to diseases like cholera, dengue fever and Zika.

The fact of the matter is that the surface area of Barbuda, including the settlement of water, has created an environment that has to be carefully managed, said a spokesperson for the Barbudan government.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Common Dreams.
Defra Secretary Michael Gove has "reassured" the Northern Irish farming industry following news that local exports could "collapse" if the UK fails to agree a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.

Mr Gove visited Northern Ireland to discuss the future of the food and farming industries outside the EU.

It comes as news that the Northern Irish meat industry could decline by 21%, with exports to the EU declining by over 90%, if the UK reverts to WTO trading conditions in the event of a failure to agree a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.

But the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) president, Barclay Bell, said it was encouraging that Mr Gove accepted the "overriding need" for farms to be profitable.

This is the second meeting we have had with the Secretary, and I believe he is taking on board the issues raised by the farming industry, said Mr Bell.

'Undermine'

Mr Gove showed his support to maintain the current arrangements between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and also with the European Union.

Mr Bell said: We were pleased to hear him restate his position that lower standard imports should not be allowed to undermine UK producers. We also received assurances about farming and the food industry maintaining access to labour, which was welcome.

The UFU said it was encouraged by Mr Goves commitment to continue the existing level of support during the current Parliament and also his willingness to see decision making devolved to the UK regions, in line with existing funding commitments.

We discussed his suggestion of a freeze in individual payments to farmers during a transitional period until a new support system was introduced and of the potential to pilot new support mechanisms, which we could possibly implement at a regional level, said Mr Bell.

'Grasp opportunities'

Speaking after the meetings, Mr Gove said the Northern Irish food and drink industry is the leading sector the economy, employing tens-of-thousands people and generating around 5 billion from food sales.

"As we prepare to leave the EU, we have the chance to design a new approach to food and farming that works for the whole of the UK, not least for Northern Ireland," Mr Gove said.

"Todays meeting with agricultural leaders was a chance to hear first-hand from them as we move towards life outside the EU. We will continue to work closely with industry to ensure we grasp the opportunities that leaving the EU presents."

The roundtables held are part of a series of ongoing Government engagements across all parts of the UK ahead of EU exit.
Summary

Company Announcement Date: September 29, 2017 FDA Publish Date: February 08, 2018 Product Type: Food & Beverages

Prepared Food

Food & Beverage Safety Reason for Announcement: Recall Reason Description Listeria monocytogenes Company Name: Greencore USA, LLC Brand Name: Brand Name(s) Hannaford, Nice!, Fresh Selects, Enza's Choice Product Description: Product Description Egg Salad Sandwiches, Ham Salad Sandwiches, and Seafood Stuffing

Company Announcement

Greencore, USA, LLC is voluntarily recalling egg salad sandwiches, ham salad sandwiches, and seafood stuffing as listed below. The products are being recalled because Listeria monocytogenes was found in environmental sampling conducted by FDA.

No finished products have been found to have Listeria present and no confirmed illnesses have been reported.

Listeria monocytogenes can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.

Greencore is recalling lots distributed between September 24 and 27, 2017. Sandwiches were only distributed to American Food and Vending, Hannaford Brothers, Target, and Turkey Hill in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. The Use By Date of sandwiches is listed on the back panel of the sandwich. In addition to fresh ready to eat sandwiches, Hannaford Brothers Seafood Stuffing is being recalled with Lot Codes between 10/2/2017 and 10/19/2017.

The Products that are affected by this recall are:

Customer Product Size UPC Code Use by date Hannaford Egg Salad Club Roll 5.1 oz 4126816587 9/28  10/2 Ham Salad Club Roll 5.1 oz 4126816589 9/28 -10/2 Seafood Stuffing 10 oz 4126820509 10/2  10/19 Walgreens Egg salad on White Bread 6.1 oz 4902272043 9/29  10/1 Turkey Hill Fresh Selects Egg salad on Homestyle Bread 4.7 oz 7350875001 9/29  10/1 Ham salad on Homestyle Bread 4.9 oz 7350875003 9/29  10/1 Target Egg salad on White Bread 5.9 7350875792 9/29  10/1 American Food and Vending Enza Choice Egg Salad on White Bread 4.7 7350875735 10/1 American Food and Vending Enza Choice Ham Salad on White Bread 4.7 7350875815 10/1

Greencore has not received any reports of confirmed illnesses associated with these recalled sandwiches. As of September 29, all customers have been instructed to remove and destroy impacted product. Customers who have purchased this sandwich are urged to not consume the product and should dispose of the recalled sandwich. No other Greencore products are affected by this notification.

Customers may call Greencore at 630-786-2011 between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm (CST) for more information.

Company Contact Information Consumers: 630-786-2011
Existing Nokia smartphones will receive Android P update, confirms HMD News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Its confirmed! Nokia phones will get Android P.

Earlier this week, we came across a report tipping that the existing Nokia Android smartphones will receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update by the end of this year. The same was confirmed by HMD Global and it meant the Nokia 6, Nokia 5, and Nokia 3 smartphones.

Following the same, there came another report on Friday confirming that the Nokia 8 flagship smartphone will receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update by the end of October this year. We already knew that the Nokia 8 will receive the update anytime soon as the Oreo update was being tested on the smartphone and teased on Twitter by HMD a few days back.

Now, HMD has gone a step ahead and confirmed that all the existing Nokia smartphones will receive the Android P update that Google will release next year. The company announced the same at a launch event that was held in the Philippines. The same was revealed in a video posted on a Facebook page and you can click on it to listen to the same.

From this announcement, we can expect all the other upcoming phones to be launched next year with the Android P OS out of the box except for the Nokia 2. Likely to be the cheapest one to be launched by HMD, the Nokia 2 might not be powerful enough to receive the Android P update. However, we are yet to come across that.

As of now, we know that the Nokia 2 will be the most entry-level smartphone to be launched by HMD Global. The device is believed to be made available sometime in November in select markets. The reports point out that there will be another product, perhaps the Nokia MD-22 wireless speaker that might be launched with the smartphone. The smartphone is rumored to be launched with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor under its hood.

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Motorola finally releases Android 7.1.1 Nougat update for Moto X Play News oi -Samden Sherpa Moto X Play Android 7.1.1 update reportedly released in Brazil.

Well, Moto X Play owners there is some good news for you. While Moto India has already confirmed that Moto X Play would be updated to Nougat, the smartphone has reportedly started receiving Android 7.1.1 Nougat. However, the update has been rolled out in Brazil as we write this.

A Twitter user has spotted the update in the Moto X Play forum, and the news was first reported by The Android Soul. In any case, now that the Android 7.1.1 Nougat update seems to have started rolling out in Brazil, Moto X Play (review) units in India should also be getting the update in the coming days. Better check your notification panel once in a while.

Users should receive a notification for the update. If not, then they can always go to Settings > About Phone > System updates to check for availability manually. If the update is available then they can download and install the same.

In any case, Moto X Play users will now be able to experience Android 7.1.1 Nougat hands-on. Besides, the update will bring features like split screen mode, better battery life, new emojis that reflect gender equality and support for GIF images directly from the keyboard on supported apps. The Android 7.1.1 Nougat update also brings app shortcuts which will allow users to launch actions on any apps by simply long pressing the app icon. And there's more.

Apart from the OS upgrade, the update will most probably bring the latest security patch to the device as well. So with the new security patch, the handset will be safe and secure from malicious attacks.

Notably, the company has also announced the list of smartphones that will be getting the latest version of Android that is Oreo. Motorola has said that the update will basically be rolled out starting in fall. Besides, you can check the list here.

Meanwhile, if you have got the update then you can let us know in the comments what changes you have noticed.

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8 declared Gadget of the Year at India Mobile Congress 2017 News oi -Samden Sherpa According to judges, the phone got the prize mostly because of the Make for India Bixby optimization that allows the assistant to understand various Indian accents.

After being launched recently, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 has now taken the title 'Gadget of the Year' at India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2017 held early this week in New Delhi.

While Samsung has been really innovative with its new flagships, the Galaxy Note 8 is among the top-end devices from the company. Besides what sets it apart is the new Infinity Display design language that was introduced with the Galaxy S8 series and features like Bixby optimization that allows the assistant to understand various Indian accents and S Pen.

The Judges were of the same accord and basically awarded the new Galaxy Note 8 with such title. The device has received the award mainly for its "Make for India" initiatives.

"Our ear to ground approach led by innovative technologies across product and service categories have made Samsung a popular choice amongst consumers and it is a great honor to be bestowed upon with this recognition," said Asim Warsi, Senior Vice President, Mobile Business, Samsung India.

On the other hand, we can't also deny the fact that the phablet does pack in some nifty features and hardware as well. Galaxy Note 8 is the first Samsung flagship to sport a dual rear camera setup. It consists of two 12MP rear cameras where one is a wide-angle lens while the other one is a telephoto lens. The primary camera has f/1.7 aperture while the telephoto lens has f/2.4 aperture and both the lenses support optical image stabilization even with 2x optical zoom. Up front, there is an 8MP camera with a f/1.7 aperture for low-light selfies.

Moreover, the Note 8 comes with a 6.3-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display with dual curved edges and is powered by company's own Exynos 8895 chipset which is paired with 6GB RAM and 64GB expandable storage. The Galaxy Note 8 features an improved S Pen with translation support and new live message feature. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is backed by a 3300mAh battery.

In any case, Samsung has stated that the Galaxy Note 8 has already received an overwhelming response in India and that it is focused on further strengthening its position in the premium smartphone segment.

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U.S. Department of Defense

Press Operations

News Transcript

Presenter: Colonel Ryan Dillon, Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve Spokesman; Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, Pentagon Spokesman September 28, 2017

Department of Defense Press Briefing by Colonel Dillon via teleconference from Baghdad, Iraq

MAJOR ADRIAN RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Good afternoon, everyone.

Today, we're joined by Colonel Ryan Dillon. Colonel Dillon is the spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. He is located in Baghdad, Iraq.

Before we get started, Colonel Dillon, how do you hear us, sir?

COLONEL RYAN DILLON: Adrian, I hear you very well. How me?

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: We hear you great, sir. The floor is yours, sir. Please take it away.

COL. DILLON: All right. Fantastic. Thanks, Adrian.

Good morning, everybody.

Today, we'll start in Iraq and then we'll move to Syria.

The past week, our Iraqi security force partners have continued pressing the fight against ISIS on multiple fronts, showing their capacity as a strong, united fighting force. In the two-and-a-half weeks since launching simultaneous operations in Hawija, Sharqat and West Anbar, the ISF has made steady progress defeating ISIS while it is liberating Iraqi citizens.

The Iraqi security forces quickly completed phase one of operations in Hawija and Sharqat, clearing more than 1,300 square kilometers and liberating more than 100 villages. The ISF are conducting security patrols, back clearance operations, and consolidation as part of the continued offensive. For operations in western Anbar province, the town of Ana is already clear of ISIS fighters and IEDs. And operations to back-clear nearby Rayhanna are underway.

As Iraqi security forces move towards Rawah, ISIS has established roving patrols to prevent the estimated 65,000 civilians there from leaving. As we have seen too often, ISIS captures and executes those who attempt to flee, evidence of the enemy's deliberate efforts to endanger and trap civilians.

The Kurdish independence referendum occurred this week. And while there's been much coverage of this event, the coalition and the ISF have stayed focused on operations to defeat ISIS. Coalition operations out of Erbil, specifically the use of the airport there, have not been affected.

Our Iraqi partners have fought a long, bloody war and have sacrificed a great deal to liberate their people and clear terrorists from cities and villages. More than 42,000 square kilometers have been cleared and more than 4 million people are now free from ISIS control.

ISIS is on the run, and we must remain focused on delivering a decisive defeat in their few remaining holdouts in Iraq. While doing that, we must also ensure our partners have the training, equipment and support to finish ISIS' defeat and prevent their return.

Yesterday, ISIS militants conducted three attacks near Ramadi in an apparent attempt to distract Iraqi security forces' attention from their successful operations in Hawija and Sharqat. The Anbar police responded quickly and heroically. Their ability to defeat ISIS and restore security is evidence of the significant gains in performance and capability among the ISF over the past three years. The Iraqis have the momentum, and there's no doubt about that.

In Syria, our partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, have made clear progress, and we are seeing the terrorist group begin to lose its grip on their self-declared capital in Raqqa. More than 75 percent of the city is now clear of ISIS, with more than 50 city blocks cleared in the past week. ISIS is trying to control the remaining civilians in the city, holding them hostage as terrorists cling to the final square kilometers they hold.

Despite these attempts, the SDF provided safe passage for about 300 civilians seeking refuge from Raqqa this week. The SDF, the Raqqa Civil Council, and Iraqi internal security force are all working together to screen, move and provide food and supplies to those in need.

They are also attempting to warn of the IED and mine threat throughout the city. Unfortunately, two families triggered booby-traps this week while returning to their homes after their neighborhoods were cleared of ISIS. Incidents such as these remind us of the treacherous and inhumane tactics ISIS has used, and we call on the world to hold ISIS accountable for the thousands of innocent civilians that have been lost as a result of their inhumane actions and violations of the laws of war.

As the SDF moves through the city eliminating ISIS remnants, more than 1,600 trained Raqqa internal security force members stand ready to ensure security after Raqqa is rid of ISIS. In Deir ez-Zor province, the SDF continued deliberate movement towards the Syria-Iraq border and have reached the town of Al-Suwar, liberating more than 1,000 square kilometers along the way.

The flow of displaced civilians traveling north and west fluctuates from 500 to over 2,000 per day as the fighting in the province intensifies. The SDF prioritizes IDP safe passage to camps in Ar-Rashi, Mabrouka and as far away as Ayn Issa.

Checkpoints along main travel ways ensure roads are clear from common criminals, as well as ISIS fighters attempting to harm or infiltrate these group of evacuees.

On Monday, Russian-backed Syrian regime forces conducted artillery strike in the vicinity of SDF fighting position northeast of Deir ez-Zor. The SDF immediately reported the impacts in their area, and later announced casualties.

Coalition officials immediately passed SDF and impact locations to the Russians through the de-confliction line, with the intent to inform Syrian regime forces of impacts on or near SDF positions.

The coalition and its partners remain committed to the defeat of ISIS, and we will continue to use the de-confliction line as a means to prevent accidental targeting and to ease tensions.

The coalition is committed to our SDF partners in their operations against ISIS in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor province, and we retain the right of self-defense at all times.

It is important to remember, the singular mission of our Combined Joint Task Force is the annihilation of ISIS. And, in total, across Syria, about 2 million people are no longer under ISIS control, and more than 44,000 square kilometers have been cleared.

In a Pentagon press briefing early this month, I announced the coalition's successful strikes on high-value individuals, all tied to ISIS' unmanned aerial surveillance network. Today, we'll add three more to that list: Abu Mawad Al-Tunisi and Sajid Farooq Babar were killed in succession, September 12th and 13th, respectively, by coalition airstrikes conducted near Mayadin, Syria.

Abu Mawad and Sajid were responsible for manufacturing and modifying commercially produced drones. These strikes were followed by two other airstrikes on September 14th against Abu Salman, an ISIS drone developer, along with his research lab, located in Asharah, near Mayadin.

Abu Salman was killed while traveling with a terrorist associate in a vehicle from Mayadin to Al Asharah. His death and the destruction of his drone facility will disrupt ISIS' development of weaponized drones, as well as testing new software.

The removal of these three highly skilled ISIS officials disrupts and degrades ISIS ability to modify and employ drone platforms as reconnaissance and direct-fire weapons on the battlefield.

ISIS is losing on all fronts, and they are losing their grip on their few remaining strongholds in both Iraq and Syria. But, make no mistake, we fully expect fierce fighting in the days ahead. And while these terrorists remain a dangerous and desperate enemy, our ISF and SDF partners have proven they're up to the task.

This week, our coalition mourned the loss of one of our own, a master sergeant from the French army's 13th Dragoons Parachute Regiment was killed during combat operations in support of our fight against ISIS.

We stand in solidarity with our French partners and extend our thoughts to his family, friends and his comrades of the 13th. We will honor and remember his sacrifice, made in the name of freedom and our shared values.

And with that, I'll now take your questions.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Bob Burns, Associated Press.

Q: Thank you.

Colonel, regarding the Kurdish referendum, you said that, so far, use of the airport has not been affected. Are you certain that it will not be affected in the days ahead? If I understand correctly, the ban that was declared as -- takes effect tomorrow.

Have you been given any assurances that it won't be affected? And can you speak a little more broadly about the impact of the referendum on the counter-ISIS campaign, given the political tensions that are escalating?

COL. DILLON: Sure thing. Yes, sir.

So you're absolutely correct. So right now, there's absolutely no effect on current military operations out of Erbil using the airport. And we remain in contact with both elements from the Kurdistan Regional Government, and also with Iraqi -- government of Iraq and Iraqi security forces. So I don't want to predict anything on the future, but right now current operations continue and we continue to go after ISIS.

Now, as far as, you know, effects and what has happened as a part of the referendum in the current fight against ISIS, we have obviously continued to push on with what is going on in Hawija and Sharqat and in western Anbar, and that has not been affected.

However, I will say that prior to the referendum, there were no questions about where the focus was from the Iraqi security forces. What I'll say now is that there are a lot of posturing and a lot of things that have been said about what, you know, could or may happen. And as military planners, we know that we are always trying to stay a couple steps ahead of our boss. So, what I will say is that the focus, which used to be like a laser beam on ISIS, is now not 100 percent there. So, there has been an effect on overall mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq as a result of the referendum.

I hope that answers your question, sir.

Q: Okay. Could I have just a quick follow up?

On your last point there about the 100 percent focus is something less than 100 percent now, can you elaborate a bit on what the impact -- implications are of that in practical terms?

COL. DILLON: I cannot. Right now, I can't. I can, you know, clearly tell you that, you know, that there are, you know, plenty of things that are -- have been said, and things that are -- that are drawing attention away from, you know, defeating ISIS. And I think there's plenty of it that is out there to talk about, i.e. forces going into particular locations.

But again, you know, the focus is not on ISIS as it once was prior to the referendum.

Q: Thank you.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Over to Ryan Browne, CNN.

Q: Colonel, thanks for doing this.

Just right now, we're hearing reports of new audio being released purporting to be ISIS leader al-Baghdadi. Are you aware of this audio release? Is the military -- is the coalition analyzing it to determine its authenticity?

COL. DILLON: All right, Ryan. It just came out. I was not aware of it. And so as of this morning from when I left to come over here, or later on in the afternoon, this is the first I've heard about it.

Q: Sir, and just to go back on something you said about the incident on Monday with the Syrian Democratic Forces reported coming under artillery fire from regime Russian-backed forces. Were there any coalition advisers present with those SDF units that received that artillery fire from the regime troops?

COL. DILLON: Ryan, I am not aware of any coalition, you know, forces that were nearby when those strikes happened.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Over to Carla Babb, Voice of America.

Q: Hi, Colonel. Thanks as always for doing this.

Going back to Raqqa really quickly, more than 75 percent is cleared. How many ISIS fighters do you estimate are still in the city?

COL. DILLON: All right, Carla. The -- I know that we had estimated between 400 and 800 ISIS fighters remain in Raqqa. And we're talking about a -- about a four square kilometer area that remains in the city. The ISIS fighters still hold the stadium and are still holding the national hospital compound that they've turned into their headquarters and logistics location.

But that is isolated. Those are the -- the remaining areas where the focus needs to be. And the Syrian Democratic Forces are continuing to push and make progress every single day. There was quite a bit -- quite a bit of progress that was made this last week as far as clearing these blocks, but there's no question about it  the remaining areas are multi-story-level buildings, and we expect also that the majority of the fighters that remain are foreign fighters and hard-core fighters that will fight to the death.

Q: And one follow-up. Because you had mentioned that they're using civilians as hostages, what type of measures are the coalition using currently to ensure that the civilians will not get targeted as operations intensify for that last 25 percent of Raqqa?

COL. DILLON: Yes, Carla. The thing is -- is that, just as we do with any of our strikes and any of our targeting, we will always take into account civilians and noncombatants. We know the tactics that ISIS has used because we've seen it already. We've seen it in Mosul. And, you know, some of the things that they do with traveling with groups of civilians to prevent from being struck, and then also the tactics of gathering and herding people into buildings, welding doors shut.

So we are mindful of that. We're keeping an eye on this prior to making strikes. These are also -- this is the final remaining area. There's a difference between deliberate strikes and dynamic strikes. So, our ability to deliberately watch and look at a smaller area helps us recognize and know where those targets are. And when we can hit them with the right amount of precision and the right type of munition to minimize any other damage in and around the target that we want to hit, legitimate military targets.

Q: And I have one last follow-up, while I'm thinking about it.

Back in March, there was an airstrike in Raqqa that was contested. Human Rights Watch has said that it was a school and civilians were killed. I believe you guys had determined that there were not civilians; that that was a building that was being used by ISIS. Human Rights Watch went in in July and did some more investigations.

Just to confirm, you guys still stand by no civilians were killed in that attack, correct?

COL. DILLON: That is correct. And if it's from the most recent report that came out, that was outside of Raqqa, and I believe it was a place called Mansoura. We did conclude, and through our investigations that, on -- I think it was the July 7th civilian casualty report -- you know, it was -- we determined that there were no civilians present at the time of the strike, as we conducted our investigation.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Now, to Kasim Ileri with Anadolu.

Q: Hi, Colonel. Thanks for doing this.

My question will be about Hawija. When do you think Hawija city is going to be liberated? And is Peshmerga now taking part in support of the fight for Hawija?

COL. DILLON: Okay, Kasim. So, first off, as I mentioned, the first phase of operations for Hawija and Sharqat went very, very quickly. The first phase, which the Iraqi Security Forces predicted would take a week, was complete within the first 72 hours. So they moved very quickly on that.

That's not to say that -- the fighting in the future is not going to be easy. We fully expect it to be difficult. I'm not going to set a timeline, just as with any of our operations on what we are doing to clear ISIS. You know, we have clearly seen that the Iraqi Security Forces, as we've seen in Tal Afar and in these other locations -- Aqashat, Anna, Rayhanna -- those have gone very, very well, and we certainly want to keep up that trend, and -- and move in that direction. But I'm not going to set a timeline on Hawija.

And as far as the Peshmerga and their role in Hawija, they are not playing a direct role, meaning they are not on one of the axes of advance that is attacking into Hawija. But just like we've seen in Tal Afar, they did not play a role in the attacking force. However, they did play a role -- a vital role in stopping ISIS that were trying to attempt to flee north from Tal Afar, and they killed several hundred and captured several hundred ISIS fighters as a result.

And because of where Hawija is in relation to the Kurdistan defensive line, we see them playing a very similar part in the Hawija operation that they did in Tal Afar.

Q: Also, there -- there are some claims that ISIS has been asking ISF to allow them to leave Hawija, and then to move to Deir ez-Zor. Is there any kind of information like this coming to -- come to you?

COL. DILLON: Okay, Kasim, I have not heard of that. I know what the -- what the prime minister has said and -- about unconditional surrender. They will either surrender, or they will die. And so, that is the words that I have heard from the commander in chief, and I have not heard anything other than that.

Q: Very quick, follow-up; sorry.

And there -- there is -- there is some reports that some Russian officers have been abducted by ISIS inside Syria. Is there any kind of cooperation or any kind of support that you extended to Russians to find their officers inside Syria?

COL. DILLON: Kasim, no.

Our interaction with the Russians is purely, you know, through the de-confliction line, and that -- you know, we've talked quite a bit about that, to make sure that we can continue our operations against ISIS.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Laurie Mylroie from Kurdistan 24.

Q: Thank -- thank, Colonel, for -- for this.

Just -- just to be clear about Kasim's questions, last week you described ongoing coordination between the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga regarding Hawija. That coordination still continues?

COL. DILLON: As far as I know, that does continue.

And there was talk about movement of Iraqi Security Forces between the -- the Kurdistan defensive line, so that they can maneuver and get into positions in order to attack Hawija. And as far as I know, those coordinations and that continues.

Q: And another question. You described the problem that the referendum has created with a lack of focus on ISIS. It's a lack of focus on the Iraqi side? And it seems like the Iraqi parliament calling for the Iraqi forces to take Kirkuk and its oil fields now. Is that the kind of thing you mean?

COL. DILLON: I'm talking across the board. So I'm talking from -- from Iraqi Security Forces. I'm talking from, you know, Peshmerga. I'm talking about, you know, ourselves, you know, as well, and the planning efforts that -- that we have to look into in -- in playing out the what-ifs.

I know we don't -- I don't talk about the what-ifs, but we have planners that try to predict and -- and plan for potential, you know, potentials. And so that's where, you know, some of our efforts and our brainpower has gone towards -- after the referendum has kicked off.

Q: My final question. On Tuesday, General Dunford in Senate testimony gave a suggestion that in six months, ISIS would essentially have lost all meaningful territory in Iraq and Syria. Would you agree with that estimate of about six months?

COL. DILLON: I would agree that we are moving along very well. I mean, you've got the last two holdouts in Iraq that are about to be taken. And you're at 75 percent in Raqqa, and there still does remain some work in the Middle Euphrates River Valley.

But really, essentially once Raqqa is complete in Syria, you know, to say, you know, they are completely, you know, hampered, I don't know about that. What I would say is that, you know, the -- the battlefield and the military successes in Iraq and Syria are necessary, but that doesn't mean the end of ISIS.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Next to Joe Tabet from Al Hurra.

Q: Colonel Dillon, I want to go back to the KRG referendum. Could you tell us if coalition leaders have had any communications with the KRG about the referendum, about its timing? Could you tell us if the coalition feels disappointed about this referendum? And what kind of implications do you see in the next few days between Erbil and Baghdad?

COL. DILLON: Okay, Joe. So, going to the first question, you know, when we talk about coalition, clearly there's been, you know, Special Presidential Envoy McGurk as the global coalition. He has certainly played a part in dissuading the Kurdistan Regional Government from holding the referendum.

As far as the coalition, when you're talking about, you know, those that wear this patch on our left shoulder, you know, this is -- this is a political issue and we're focused on the military efforts to defeat ISIS. And as far as I know, there have been no -- any kind of conversations from military folks trying to, you know, talk about the referendum.

And I think you had another question.

Q: Let me -- yeah, let me put this question this way. As coalition -- as U.S. military on the ground, would you -- would you ask Erbil to cooperate with Baghdad?

COL. DILLON: No -- (inaudible) -- role, Joe. So that would not be on us to do that.

Q: Okay. Let me switch to Syria. Could you give us an update about the de-confliction lines with the Russians? How much are they working right now? And what about Deir ez-Zor? We have seen multiple attacks from the Syrian regime on SDF. Could you give us an update what's going on on the ground? How much the Syrian regime is advancing in -- in that area?

COL. DILLON: Okay. So I'll parcel these. So the first thing about the de-confliction and now often that is. I talked last week about the face-to-face meeting. You know, that happened. There has not been another face-to-face meeting that I'm aware of.

I know that de-confliction happens multiple times during the day. So I've mentioned before, you have the lines between the ground elements, and then you have a phone line between the air components and the air elements, both Russian and with the coalition side. You know, they talk on those lines multiple times a day.

And, you know, as far as the attacks that have happened or the impacts that have landed nearby SDF troops, that happened on the 16th of September and on the 25th of September. And in both cases, you know, we immediately informed the Russians and attempted to de-conflict. And so we will continue to do that so that we can continue to focus on our mission on defeating ISIS.

As far as where the Syrians are and the regime is, they are still maneuvering to take, you know, to try to move on ISIS in Deir ez-Zor city, but there are elements that are on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River. And we've maintained a distance with the SDF and with the regime elements on that eastern side, and that's why these de-confliction measures are -- are so important so that we can stay focused on our mission.

Q: Thank you.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Sylvie Lanteaume from Agence France-Presse.

Q: Hello, Colonel.

I would like to go back to the Erbil airport. You said that you don't want to predict anything at the moment. So, you -- I suppose there are some negotiations right now. If the coalition planes cannot use this airport, what is the plan B?

COL. DILLON: Well, it hasn't happened and I don't want to go to a plan B until it does. So right now, military operations and operations out of Erbil airport continue and elsewhere throughout -- and other places in Iraq. So I'm not going to, you know, make any kind of predictions to say what will the plan B be.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Next to Corey Dickstein from Stars and Stripes.

Q: Hey, Colonel Dillon.

On the -- or I'm sorry -- the shelling on Monday from the Syrian troops towards the SDF, you said you guys, you know, used the de-confliction measures immediately. Did the shelling stop quickly? Would you say that the de-confliction worked properly? And do you guys assess that it was an accidental targeting of them? Or did they intentionally strike the SDF?

COL. DILLON: Okay. So Corey, the indirect fire happened and it stopped and it was immediately, you know, reported the points of impact. And then there was no indirect fire that happened as a -- after that.

Whether or not to say that they were purposely, you know, aiming at that, we don't know and can't tell that. But that's why we have the de-confliction line in place, you know, so that we can, you know, prevent these things from happening. And, you know, prevent -- try to prevent them from happening again in the future.

Q: And then on a totally different topic. These three high-value targets that you guys hit that were involved in the drone reconstructing, manufacturing, what have you. Do you guys have any idea on where they learned their skills on, you know, turning these drones into, you know, kind of, weapons? Are they -- are these foreign guys that have come in from Europe or somewhere else?

COL. DILLON: Corey, I'm not sure where they learned how to do it. I know that we found out, you know, who was doing it, and we've been able to dismantle and, you know, really pull apart this entire network. And -- you know, so they're not doing it anymore, that's for sure.

But I -- you know, to answer your question, I don't know where they learned these skills. But I know that they can't teach them anymore, and we know that they cannot, you know, use these skills anymore in Iraq, Syria, and then push it out to others globally.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Elizabeth McLaughlin from ABC.

Q: Hi, Colonel Dillon.

Since we last talked Thursday, has there been any additional meetings between Russians and the U.S. in face-to-face in Syria?

COL. DILLON: There have not.

Q: And then, going back to the Baghdadi audio, there -- in the translations that are coming out, there are indications that this is a -- a recent audio -- references to Raqqa, Mosul, North Korea. Can you give us a sense, has there been any change in the assessment of where -- his whereabouts may be; assessment of whether he's alive or dead? I know we -- we talk about this quite a bit. But can you give us your latest sense for what the coalition sees?

COL. DILLON: Yeah, Elizabeth, I know that we have always -- without verifiable evidence of his death, we have continued to assume that he is alive. And I know that we have professionals that are out there in our organization that are specifically looking for Baghdadi and, you know, people like him, you know.

And clearly, today, with the -- the HVIs that I've mentioned, and the, you know, going to probably the 50 or 60 that I've mentioned since I've been here, you know, we are good at -- at what we do, as far as going after and dismantling these networks, and going after these high-value targets.

Again, you know, even when General Townsend was here, prior to his departure, we don't -- we don't -- we did not know where Baghdadi is.

I'm sure that, you know, our professionals are looking at this audio just as quickly and as thoroughly as you guys are. So if there is any evidence to point to, or say where he is, you know, we may have folks moving in right now.

Q: Thank you.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Next to Kevin Barron.

Q: Hi, Colonel.

I came in late, so apologies if this is repetitive. But on the -- on the Kurdish reaction, I wonder if you could describe kind -- any kind of mood or communication you're hearing from Peshmerga up in Erbil, such as the ones who've been training with Americans for the last couple years for that ISIS fight. I know there was never any kind of expectation on the future, but certainly, among those fighters, there was a -- there was an assumption there would be at least a referendum, and America that would be -- would be backing them.

So, I mean, are you hearing words of -- of betrayal, of -- of questioning? And I know it's -- not at the political level, but I mean, commander to commander, with the partners you -- you've had shoulder to shoulder out there.

COL. DILLON: Hey, Kevin.

I -- I don't know that, and that's a good question. I have not talked to, you know, our -- our comrades who are, you know, working with them up in -- and in Erbil. But I have not heard any reflections, negatively or otherwise, you know, from -- from what has happened. So I just don't know that answer for you. I apologize.

Q: All right.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Ryan Browne, CNN.

Q: Colonel, just a quick follow-up.

Last week the Russian Ministry of Defense released what it said was images -- satellite surveillance images, of what it said were U.S., coalition and SDF positions in Syria. Now, whether or not these images -- If the images are accurate -- real, is this kind of in the spirit of de-confliction? Does this not provide ISIS with kind of intelligence on SDF and coalition movements? And was that publication protested via the de-confliction line?

COL. DILLON: Okay, so, Ryan, you know, the -- we saw the -- the same pictures, and what I'll just say is that, you know, the de-confliction that is happening, you know, with our counterparts here in Syria and on the ground continues, and it goes well.

You know, some of the things that have been, you know, coming out of the MOD are not exactly in line with the efforts that are going towards de-confliction here.

So, what I'll say is, you know, we're going to continue to work through the de-confliction just as we did in May when -- when tensions ran high. And we'll continue to work it. You know, we are always available on the other end of our de-confliction line, 24/7.

Q: Just to follow up, though, if the Russians were to publish images of coalition positions, isn't that -- doesn't that pose a serious risk to U.S. and other coalition forces?

COL. DILLON: Well, if they were accurate, you know, perhaps. But what I'll do is, you know, if there is -- if it does pose a risk, that will be something that would go direct with -- with Russia, the MOD, probably from OSD. And we would like have, if they were accurate, we'd likely have those same discussions on the de-confliction level between General Funk and his counterpart as well. But those -- those at our level have no -- we have not had to come to those discussions.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Idrees Ali, Reuters.

Q: Hey, Colonel, just to follow up to Bob Burns' question.

Obviously, the Kurdish referendum, like you said, did have impact on the focus in the fight against Islamic state. Is there anything beyond the loss of focus that's been impacted by the referendum?

COL. DILLON: Not that I know of, Idrees, not at the coalition level. I can't, you know, speak for any levels higher, whether it's, you know, from the embassy or elsewhere, but at the coalition level, no.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: All right. I think we're at the end of our queue. Are there any more questions for Colonel Dillon?

All right. Thank you very much, sir. Are there any closing words for the group?

COL. DILLON: No. Thank you very much.

MAJ. RANKINE-GALLOWAY: Thank you very much. Have a good day.

http://www.defense.gov/News/News-Transcripts/Transcript-View/Article/1329003/

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Yemeni army advances in Midi front and foils Houthi militias attacks in Al-Joaf

Saudi Press Agency

Thursday 1439/1/8 - 2017/09/28

Aden, Muharram 8, 1439 H., September 28, 2017, SPA -- Supported by the Arab alliance forces, the Yemeni army made great strides against the Houthi militias and pro-Saleh troops stationed in the southern parts of Ibn Abdullah valley, north west of the Yemeni city of Haradh.

A Yemeni military source said the advance reached crowned fierce battles between the Yemeni army and the Houthi militias and pro-Saleh troops, noting that the skirmishes flared up last Thursday, resulting in the killing and injury of a big number of the enemy who fled away as the Yemeni army was advancing.

On the other hand, units of the Yemeni army foiled a surprise attack launched by Houthi militias in Al-Joaf province in an attempt to weaken the grip of the army in Khabb and Shaaf directorate in the northern parts of the province.

In a statement carried by 26 September website, a media affiliate of the Yemeni armed forces, a military source was quoted as saying that the Yemeni army was able to defeat the militias and force them to flee at large.

--SPA

23:03 LOCAL TIME 20:03 GMT

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Military Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Sept. 29, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 39 strikes consisting of 50 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 34 strikes consisting of 37 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIS staging area.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units, destroyed two fighting positions and a supply route and damaged a fighting position.

-- Near Raqqa, 26 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed 14 fighting positions, six vehicles and an improvised explosive device and suppressed six fighting positions.

-- Near Shadaddi, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit, destroyed a mortar system and suppressed a fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of 13 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Fallujah, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Huwijah, two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed two staging areas, a command-and-control node, a headquarters and a weapons cache.

-- Near Qaim, a strike destroyed an ISIS staging area.

-- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed two ISIS vehicle-borne-bomb facilities.

Previous Strikes

Additionally, six strikes consisting of nine engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Sept. 27 that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, three strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed two fighting positions.

-- Near Shadaddi, Syria, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Huwijah, Iraq, two strikes destroyed 51 ISIS vehicles and five vehicle-borne-bombs.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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Strikes Kill ISIS Drone Experts

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Sept. 29, 2017  Coalition airstrikes killed three senior and highly skilled Islamic State of Iraq and Syria officials near Mayadin, Syria, Sept. 12-14, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Abu Salman, an ISIS drone developer, was killed during airstrikes Sept. 14 while traveling with a terrorist associate in a vehicle from Mayadin to Asharah. His research workshop, located in Asharah, near Mayadin, was also destroyed in the strikes. His death and the destruction of his drone facility greatly disrupt ISIS' development of weaponized drones and testing of new software.

Abu Muadh al-Tunisi and Sajid Farooq Babar were killed on Sept. 12 and 13, respectively, by coalition airstrikes near Mayadin. Both were responsible for manufacturing and modifying commercially produced drones.

"The removal of these key ISIS leaders disrupts and degrades ISIS' ability to modify and employ drone platforms as reconnaissance and direct fire weapons on the battlefield," said coalition spokesman Army Col. Ryan Dillon.

The coalition will continue to exert pressure on ISIS senior leaders and associates across multiple networks to degrade, disrupt and dismantle ISIS structures and defeat terrorists throughout Iraq and Syria.

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Army aviators bring their expertise to Romania in medevac exercises

By David Vergun, Army News Service September 29, 2017

CAMP MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania -- When Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade arrived here in March, they hit the ground running -- or in this case, they hit the air flying. Within just 24 hours of landing here in their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, the battalion conducted an air-assault mission with Romanian counterparts, said Capt. Jeff Timmick, Company B commander.

Operations over the summer occurred at a rapid pace during exercise Saber Guardian 17, he said. Saber Guardian involved some 25,000 U.S. and NATO forces, who participated in joint and combined training in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. It was the largest exercise in the region in recent memory.

Timmick described a typical day of training during the exercise, in this case with a Romanian unit on a medevac mission.

Three U.S. Black Hawk helicopters carried Romanian troops. Leading the formation was a Romanian IAR 330 Puma aircraft, which is similar to a Black Hawk. The mission took them to multiple locations, including the Carpathian Mountains, where a simulated medevac and perimeter security mission was conducted.

Sgt. Cory Edwards, a platoon sergeant, crew chief and standardization instructor of Company B, recalled that this particular mission was an incredible opportunity to meet and learn alongside the Romanians.

With over 1,000 flight hours logged since joining the Army six years ago, Edwards said safety is still his number one priority during missions. For example, besides a pilot and co-pilot, each Black Hawk helicopter has two crew chiefs who served as the eyes for the pilots as they land in rugged terrain or fly in difficult conditions.

A senior crew chief is always paired with a junior one, he said, so that there's someone who knows the ropes and serves as a mentor for the junior members.

Besides guiding the pilot, each crew chief is also familiar with all of the mechanical, electrical and hydraulic systems of the aircraft, Edwards said. Should there be a funny noise or leaky seal, the crew chief will be there to diagnose the problem and advise the pilot on the best course of action to take.

"It's a huge responsibility," Edwards said. After a while, "you get to know each helicopter's personality, and you can even anticipate what might go wrong," he added. Edwards said that he even gives nicknames to the helicopters because they seem to have their own unique moods.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Michael Falk, a maintenance test pilot, also emphasized the importance of training with the Romanians. "This is a necessary mission to enable a stronger and more self-sufficient Europe," he said.

The former Marine Corps infantryman, who served multiple tours in Iraq from 2004 to 2008, said he knew he would eventually want to transfer to some sort of aviation job, since his father flew A-10 Warthogs and F-4 Phantom jets in the Air Force, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Falk's current duties involve conducting auto-rotation testing on aircraft, which involves climbing up to 5,000 feet and then dropping over 1,000 feet without power. Additionally, he said, any time there is a new part or repair, or if the pilot or crew chief senses something is wrong with an aircraft, it is his job to test the part and certify its airworthiness. No one flies until the test is successful, he said.

A bank of sensors and cameras helps Falk diagnose every blade movement and vibration, he said. The test indicates if the trim tabs need to be bent at a new angle, or if small steel weights need to be added inside a compartment at the end of a rotor to balance it.

The hardest job, he said, is coordinating logistics in this remote area of the world where it can take weeks for a part to arrive. But anticipating what is or will be needed in spare parts is also part of his job, he said.

There is also a system in place to ensure enough aircraft are available to fly at any given time. No more than 30 to 40 percent of the helicopters fly at one time, in order to ensure a reserve in case some helicopters need to be pulled for maintenance.

At any given time, five to 10 percent of the aircraft are being worked on by the mechanics, Falk said. About 10 percent of the helicopters are spending one to two months in phase maintenance, which means being fully disassembled, checked and then reassembled with new or refurbished parts at a distant depot.

Although Falk knows his job inside and out, he said there is always a chance to learn. For instance, he said he picked up pointers from the Romanians on corrosion control, since they operate in a dusty and salty air environment year-round. In turn, he has provided his Romanian counterparts with advice on using checklists and standardizing procedures. This exchange of information has been just one benefit of the battalion's rewarding stay in Romania, he said.

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US Soldiers, South Korea conduct first combined short range air defense exercise on Korean Peninsula

By Capt. Jonathon Daniell September 29, 2017

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- Soldiers assigned to 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment partnered with Republic of Korea forces for the first combined short range air defense training event on the Korean Peninsula.

The purpose of the exercise was to integrate efforts between the ROK and U.S. forces on Short Range Air Defense, known as SHORAD. The field exercise allowed the ROK and U.S. troops to gain familiarity with each other's weapon systems and capabilities, with an end goal of building an enduring partnership between the two units.

"The best part of the training was being able to work through real-life scenarios that required coordination between the ROK and U.S. leadership to effectively complete our short range air defense mission," said 2nd Lt. David Lara, platoon leader, 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment. "We also forged a relationship with our ROK counterparts that could prove greatly beneficial in a wartime scenario."

The idea behind the training started in earnest with the 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment battalion commander, Lt. Col. Marc Pelini, reaching out to the ROK 516 Air Defense Artillery leadership to gauge interest. The idea of a combined training event was received in kind and planners on both ends immediately launched into action.

Lara reached out to one of the 516 Air Defense Artillery's platoon leaders, 1st Lt. Seung Joo Kim, and they laid the foundation by scheduling a combined network communication exercise to ensure both units would be able to talk via radios in an arduous field environment.

The controlled communication exercise was critical to the success of the operation, according to Lara, and the lines of communication were seamless throughout their field training exercise. Furthermore, the two platoon leaders bridged the language gap by leveraging Korean augmentees to the United States Army and translators with the 516 Air Defense Artillery, nullifying an identified obstacle.

While in the field, both units trained on their mission essential tasks of emplacing combined SHORAD assets to defend a critical location, de-conflicting engagements of enemy aircraft based on sector of fire, and utilizing secondary means of targeting enemy aircraft when their primary weapon system becomes combat ineffective.

For U.S. Soldiers, this meant using the man-portable air-defense system, where two-Soldier teams are capable of eliminating low altitude cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems and air breathing threats.

The ROK army simulated those targets by providing the oppositional force throughout the exercise, and tested the combined short range air defense with scout helicopters and a perimeter attack by ROK Special Forces.

"It was incredible to see how quickly the Soldiers adapted to each other," said Lara. "By the end of the exercise, we had built a level of cohesiveness that will be a great foundation for future combined operations with our ROK allies."

The units are planning more combined training events to further expand their scope of understanding and strengthening their newly casted relationship. The next exercise will occur over the next few months and build on their recent successes, while also working to improve on areas identified during their after action review.

"The combined exercise helped us by learning about the equipment capabilities of our ROK army counterparts," said Spc. Nick Riley. "We were able to integrate our systems, then develop and test our defensive plans to provide the best short range air defense possible."

Battery E, 6th Battalion, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment was realigned with 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade in April after being under the operational control of 210 Fires Brigade for the past several years. They are the only U.S. Avenger unit in the Korean theater of operation.

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CATC Camp Fuji provides a premier training venue for U.S. forces and JSDF

US Marine Corps News

By Lance Cpl. Danielle Prentice | 10th Marine Regiment | September 29, 2017

Located at the base of the highest mountain in Japan, Mount Fuji, is a premier training venue that is put to great use by U.S. armed forces and the Japan Self-Defense Force.

Combined Arms Training Center Camp Fuji in Shizouka, Japan, provides training facilities capable of supporting Marine Air-Ground Task Force level training requirements, which is the heart of the Marine Corps warfighting doctrine.

The MAGTF is made up of four core elements: a command element, ground combat element, aviation combat element, and logistics element. This organizational structure, in which the Marine Corps fights, integrates both air and ground assets to achieve a combined arms effect. CATC Fuji allows the Corps and its sister services to train and improve their abilities in the Pacific.

aCATC Camp Fuji provides a premier training venue in the Pacific,a said Col. Christopher R. Escamilla, the commanding officer of CATC Camp Fuji. aIts 34,000 acres of training area provides a venue to forward deployed forces from all branches of service to enhance their combat readiness.aA

In 1912, the Imperial Army established the Fuji Maneuver Area and several surrounding bases including: Camp Takigahara, Camp Itazuma, and Camp Komakado. After World War II, the United States Army occupied these bases; in 1953, what is now known as, Camp Fuji, was transferred to the U.S. Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force. For more than 60 years, CATC Camp Fuji has provided space for the execution of artillery, aviation and maneuver training.

"The maneuver areas are unique and some of the best I've seen,a Maj. Caleb Reed, the operations officer with Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. aIn other training venues around the world, you find vast openness with no concealment or densely-wooded regions with difficult mobility. CATC Fuji allows units to effectively maneuver with cover and concealment and enables high-quality infantry training."

According to Reed there is an austerity in the atmosphere of Camp Fuji that brings a much deeper focus to training and unit cohesion. These attributes create an exclusive experience for service members and some of the best combined-arms training available in the world.A

"Camp Fuji allows Marines to capitalize on the individual and squad-level training they have conducted, and apply that training on a much larger scale,a said Reed.A

According to Escamilla, CATC Camp Fuji is the only place in the region, which spans roughly three-fourths of the globe, which Marines have to enhance their combined arms capabilities. This has led to the centeras growing reputation of excellence. All branches of the U.S. armed forces and elements of the Japan Self-Defense Force seek to improve their readiness and capabilities aboard the camp.A

aThe demand for units to train here has increased dramatically. Thatas a good thing,a added Escamilla.

To meet this demand, MCIPAC looks to the future and ways to optimize training opportunities.

"Our mission is to prepare and provide installation support to III MEF operating forces, from maneuver areas and ranges to taking care of service members and families - the whole nine yards,a said Brig. Gen. Paul Rock Jr., commanding general of MCIPAC. aI see our operational forces as the arrow and the installations of MCIPAC as the archer's bow; we must be strong so the arrow flies true. Understanding the MEF's needs and our capabilities to support are key, and Camp Fuji makes that happen."

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North Atlantic Council visits UK strategic nuclear forces

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

29 Sep. 2017

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, together with Representatives of the North Atlantic Council and members of NATO's Military Committee, visited Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde at Faslane, Scotland, on Friday (29 September 2017) to mark the United Kingdom's 350th nuclear submarine patrol.

"I welcome the UK's strong contribution to NATO, from its commitment to defence investment to its operational deployments." Mr Stoltenberg said. "The nuclear forces of the Alliance, including those at Clyde Naval Base, are the supreme guarantee of the security of allied countries and populations."

At the invitation of Sir Michael Fallon, the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence, the Secretary General, Allied Ambassadors and the members of the Military Committee visited a Vanguard class strategic nuclear submarine, a training facility and a Royal Navy frigate.

Addressing media alongside Secretary Fallon, Mr. Stoltenberg said that at a time of evolving security challenges the Alliance is protected by the full spectrum of defence and deterrence capabilities. "Allies will continue to ensure that NATO's nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective", the Secretary General said. He added that NATO was committed to creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons in line with the Allies' commitments to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The Royal Navy's four Vanguard-class submarines at Clyde naval base have provided continuous at sea deterrence for almost 50 years. After meeting with officers and enlisted personnel, Mr. Stoltenberg thanked the submariners for their service, dedication and professionalism. Mr. Stoltenberg pointed out that the number of Europe-based nuclear weapons available to NATO has been reduced dramatically since the end of the Cold War but that efforts for nuclear disarmament need to take into account the realities of the threats the Alliance faces. At the Warsaw Summit in 2016, NATO Allies made clear that the fundamental purpose of the nuclear capabilities of Allies is to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression.

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P-8 Poseidon Aircraft from Patrol Squadron 4 Arrive in Hawaii for Rotational Deployment

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS170929-02

Release Date: 9/29/2017 8:44:00 AM

From Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- Two P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft assigned to the Skinny Dragons of Patrol Squadron (VP) 4 will deploy to Marine Corps Base Hawaii and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in support of maritime security initiatives starting this week.

This is a part of a rotational deployment of forces, and the first time a P-8 detachment will be deployed to Oahu. Previously, these maritime security missions were flown by P-3C Orion aircraft.

This is VP-4's first deployment flying the P-8A Poseidon. The P-8A, a militarized version of the Boeing 737, is the most advanced long-range maritime patrol aircraft in the world. It is a capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The aircraft brings the latest avionics and onboard systems to the maritime patrol and ISR mission, making it the most advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft in the world.

VP-4, which is stationed at Whidbey Island in Washington, has a long history in Hawaii, dating back to 1928 when it was first established in Hawaii. The squadron operated here during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. In recent years, VP-4 deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations including Italy, Greece and Spain, to name a few.

VP-4 departed Oahu for the last time as a Hawaii squadron in March 2016. While on deployment, VP-4 executed a permanent duty station change to Whidbey Island. Maritime patrol squadrons now temporarily deploy to Hawaii on a rotational basis.

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Fresh Saudi airstrikes leave over dozen civilians dead in Yemen

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 06:23PM

More than a dozen civilians have been killed and several others injured when Saudi military aircraft carried out separate airstrikes against residential areas across Yemen as the Riyadh regime does not shy away from its atrocious bombardment campaign against its southern neighbor.

An unnamed security official told Arabic-language Khabar news agency that Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters targeted al-Hamli area in the Mawza district of Yemen's southwestern province of Ta'izz on Friday, leaving 13 people dead and six others injured.

The official added that paramedics transported the wounded to hospitals in the port city of Hudaydah, located 150 kilometers southwest of the capital Sana'a, to receive medical treatment.

Separately, five people lost their lives and 11 others sustained injuries when Saudi warplanes launched aerial attacks against Sahar district in Yemen's mountainous northwestern province of Sa'ada.

Later in the day, Saudi fighter jets struck an outdoor market in the Bakil al-Mir district of the northwestern province of Hajjah, killing and injuring a number of civilians.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstate Hadi, who is a staunch ally of the Riyadh regime.

More than 12,000 people have been killed since the onset of the campaign more than two and a half years ago. Much of the Arabian Peninsula country's infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and factories, has been reduced to rubble due to the war.

The Saudi war has also triggered a deadly cholera epidemic across Yemen.

According to data provided by the World Health Organization and Yemen's Health Ministry, the country's cholera outbreak, the worst on record in terms of its rapid spread, has infected 612,703 people and killed 2,048 since it began in April, with some districts still reporting sharp rises in new cases.

The United Nations also says the Saudi war has left some 17 million Yemenis hungry, nearly seven million facing famine, and about 16 million almost without access to water or sanitation.

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Dissident FARC leader killed in Colombian air force operation

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 05:58PM

Colombia's armed forces have killed a dissident leader of the former rebel group FARC during a military operation in the country's southeast.

Euclides Mora was second-in-command of a dissident group that rejected the November 2016 peace accord, under which FARC transformed itself into a political party earlier this month.

Mora, 51, who was said to be engaged in drug trafficking, was killed in an air force operation in the jungle. Mora was killed "in a joint operation of the army, air force and police in the Calamar municipality," part of the coca-producing southern region of Guaviare, the army said.

President Juan Manuel Santos said in a message posted on Twitter, "The message is clear: surrender, otherwise jail or the grave awaits."

Mora commanded a group of FARC guerrillas who refused to disarm during the lengthy peace process, and was expelled with other dissident leaders from the rebel group last November.

An army statement said Mora was involved in drug trafficking and extortion in the central region of Meta and in Guaviare and Caqueta in the south, as well as recruitment of fighters.

During the military operation in which he was killed authorities captured another member of the group and confiscated weapons.

Some 7,000 ex-guerrillas disarmed and are currently undergoing transition to civilian life under the banner of the new FARC political party that emerged from the accord signed to end a half-century of conflict.

According to military estimates, at least 300 FARC rebels remain at large having rejected the peace deal.

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Police attack Shia Muslims in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 04:35PM

Indian police have attacked Shia Muslims taking part in a procession to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), the third Shia imam.

Shia Muslims held a mourning procession in Srinagar in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday, chanting religious slogans. Police attacked the mourners and arrested an unspecified number of them.

Every year, during the month of Muharram, Muslims from around the world hold religious mourning ceremonies for the third Shia imam, who was martyred in the desert of Karbala in 680 AD.

Reports say authorities in Indian-controlled Kashmir imposed restrictions in some parts of Srinagar, fearing religious processions marking Muharram would turn into anti-India demonstrations.

Tensions are high in the Indian-controlled region, where the Muslim-majority population stages regular protests against the Indian rule and demands autonomy from New Delhi.

India regularly accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants and allowing them across the restive frontier in an attempt to launch attacks on Indian forces. Pakistan strongly denies the allegations.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two were partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947. The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory. Despite a ceasefire agreement that was reached in November 2003, sporadic skirmishes continue in Kashmir.

New Delhi has deployed some 500,000 soldiers to the disputed region to further boost the security of the borderline and enforce a crackdown on pro-independence demonstrations in its share of Kashmir, where anti-India sentiments are high.

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Trump plans to accelerate US weapons sales abroad

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 03:27PM

US President Donald Trump is planning to accelerate American weapons sales abroad, and has prepared to ease the restrictions his predecessor, Barack Obama, in this regard, according to a new report.

Trump's move is likely to spark concerns about further flooding the global market with high-tech American weapons and fueling conflicts in hot spots like the Middle East, POLITICO reported on Friday.

President Trump will issue an executive order or presidential memorandum in this autumn, asking the State Department and Pentagon to more actively advocate on behalf of US arms manufacturers, according to three administration officials involved in the discussions.

The White House National Security Council (NSC) is working on Trump's "arms transfer initiative," which aims to make American companies more efficient in selling fighter jets, ground vehicles, warships, missile defenses and other military gear in an intensely competitive market, the officials told POLITICO.

The new plan would include establishing a more active government role in marketing American military products internationally. The process would help the US military-industrial complex.

"It is about making sure we are doing everything we can to promote the competitiveness of American trade," said a State Department official involved in the deliberations, speaking on condition of anonymity. "The message from the NSC is we can certainly be doing more."

US weapon exports to foreign countries this fiscal year is set to equal or surpass the $69 billion record reached in 2012, according to a recent analysis.

American arms sales needing US congressional approval have already totaled $59 billion, according to research published by Roman Schweizer, a managing director and defense analyst at Cowen Washington Research Group.

Add "the big hardware purchases announced during President Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia" and the total is a new record, he said.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar are buying weapons "to counter Iran", he said.

The analyst said countries across the globe will be buying weapons to defend themselves against Daesh, NATO and [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The United States sold over $40 billion worth of weapons last year, maintaining its position as the world's dominant arms supplier.

US arms sales increased by around $4 billion in 2015 and represented about half of all weapons agreements globally, according to figures released by the Congressional Research Service, a public policy research arm of the US Congress.

France was far behind in second place at $15 billion in arms sales. Russia came in third with $11 billion. Next were China, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Britain and Israel.

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ICRC: Yemen cholera cases could reach 1 million by 2017 end

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 10:38AM

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned against the spread of cholera in Yemen, saying the number of those infected with the disease could hit one million by the end of 2017.

At a news briefing in Geneva on Friday, Alexandre Faite, the head of the ICRC delegation in Yemen, said the situation caused by the cholera outbreak in the war-torn Arab country is a "catastrophe."

"We could be to one million (cases) by the end of the year," he added.

So far, 2,119 people have died of the epidemic, which emerged earlier this year amid the ongoing Saudi-led military campaign against the Arabian Peninsula state. The ICRC says there are currently at least 750,000 cases of cholera in Yemen.

The United Nations said in June that Yemen was facing the "world's worst cholera outbreak."

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection that is spread through contaminated food or water. It can be effectively treated with the immediate replacement of lost fluids and salts, but without treatment it can be fatal.

The Saudi aggression has killed more than 12,000 people since March 2015. Saudi Arabia has also imposed an all-out blockade against Yemen

Faite further called for the reopening of the International Airport in the capital Sana'a to commercial flights for aid supplies.

The airport, which was heavily bombarded by Saudi warplanes in 2015, remains closes as part of the regime's aerial siege against Yemen.

Riyadh has turned a deaf ear to all international warnings against the dramatic humanitarian situation in the impoverished country.

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Al-Shabab attacks base in Somalia, kills 15

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 07:52AM

The Takfiri al-Shabab terrorist group has attacked a military base near Somalia's capital, capturing the base and a nearby village and killing at least 15 soldiers.

Somali officials said on Friday that the militants used guns and car bombs in an early-morning attack to take control of the base and a nearby village, Barire, 50 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu.

The militants also took 11 pickup trucks with machine guns mounted on them, known as "technicals," claimed a spokesman for al-Shabab, who claimed that other soldiers had fled and the militant group was now in control of the base and the village.

A Somali military officer put the number of the dead at 15. Al-Shabab claimed 21 had been killed.

"There was a battalion of soldiers but it was a fierce fighting; twin suicide car bombs and hand-to-hand fighting," Captain Osman Ali told Reuters.

"The attacked soldiers were Somali military and the special forces trained by the US called Danab. There were neither AMISOM nor other foreigners there," Ali added, referring to the African Union peacekeeping troops.

Reinforcements were being sent, he said.

Meanwhile, a car bomb blast has killed five people in Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, ending a period of calm in the city.

Police said an explosive-laden car blew up outside a restaurant in Mogadishu's Hamarweyne district on late Thursday.

Captain Mohamed Hussein said those killed in the blast had been mostly civilians.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. However al-Shabab often carries out such attacks.

A period of calm had begun in Mogadishu with large security presence in the city following a series of attacks by al-Shabab militants, who are linked to al-Qaida and fighting the Somali government and African Union forces in the country.

Despite being ousted from large parts of the south and central Somalia, al-Shabab continues deadly attacks across the country, which has been ravaged by decades of war and poverty.

The militant group aims to oust the western-backed government in Mogadishu and drive out African Union peacekeeping troops. It has been carrying out militancy since 2006.

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U.S. Vice President Calls For Ratification Of Montenegro Border Deal In Meeting With Kosovo President

RFE/RL September 29, 2017

The White House says U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has encouraged Kosovo to ratify a border-demarcation deal with Montenegro.

Pence met with Kosovo President Hashim Thaci in Washington on September 29, two days after Kosovo's new prime minister said the Balkan state had no deadline for resolving the border standoff, which the European Union insists Pristina must approve before its citizens can travel visa-free within the Schengen zone.

In addition to calling for a resolution to this "long-standing issue," Pence reaffirmed U.S. support "for a sovereign, democratic, and prosperous Kosovo," the White House said in a statement.

It added that Pence expressed appreciation for efforts by Thaci and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to advance normalization between Belgrade and Pristina under an EU-facilitated dialogue.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and is recognized by 115 countries, but not by Belgrade.

The European Union has urged Pristina and Belgrade -- both seeking to join the EU -- to normalize relations and is sponsoring talks aimed at ending years of hostility.

In a Facebook post following the White House meeting, Thaci called the United States a "guarantor of independence" for Kosovo and a "powerful" advocate for Kosovo's accession to the EU and NATO.

Thaci in March backed away from a controversial vow to push through a law turning the country's security force into a national army after meeting resistance from the United States and NATO.

The White House said in its statement that Pence expressed support for the transformation of NATO-trained security forces "via constitutional means."

Kosovo has a substantial ethnic Serb minority, and the draft law Thaci had sent to parliament -- unlike constitutional amendments -- would not have required voting approval from Kosovo's ethnic minorities.

The United States and NATO warned earlier that they would reduce military cooperation if Kosovo transformed its NATO-trained security forces into a regular army without consulting all groups.

The White House added that Pence and Thaci "agreed on the importance of advancing reforms to strengthen the rule of law, fight corruption, and boost economic growth."

With reporting by RFE/RL's Balkan Service, AP, and RTK

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kosovo-us- urges-montenegro-border-deal-thaci- pence/28765039.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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US Statements on Russian Arms Supplies to Taliban Unproven - Foreign Ministry

Sputnik News

17:46 29.09.2017

A statement issued by the Russian foreign ministry said that Pentagon's claims on Russia's aid to the Taliban were groundless.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Pentagon's claims on Russia's supply of arms to the Taliban terrorist group, which is banned in Russia, are not backed up by any evidence, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday.

"Such statements are not supported by any evidence," the ministry said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that the US military proceeded with its claims that Russia supported Taliban militants in order to divert international attention from the US failures in Afghanistan.

"There is a firm impression that the US attempts to slander Russia in the Afghan context are being undertaken in order to distract the attention of the world from its numerous mistakes made during the 16-year stay in Afghanistan," it said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had stated that the alliance had no evidence of Russia's support for Taliban movement.

On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary James Mattis, answering a reporter's question about the volume of Russia's arms deliveries to Taliban, said that it would be unwise of a country to support terrorists in another country without any consequences.

US generals have repeatedly accused Russia of supporting Taliban terrorist group, which was called absurd and unsubstantiated by the Russian Foreign Ministry. According to Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, such allegations do not correspond to reality, as the Russian Defense Ministry, unlike US government agencies, had never had any contacts with Taliban, let alone supplied arms to the terrorist group.

 Sputnik

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Finnish Defense Minister Threatens Demilitarized Archipelago With Civil Service

Sputnik News

14:13 29.09.2017(updated 16:32 29.09.2017)

Defense Minister Jussi Niinisto's plans to engage inhabitants of the demilitarized Aland islands in civil service have predictably stirred up a hornet's nest among islanders, who perceive this as an encroachment on their historic privilege not to be drafted into the Finnish Armed Forces.

The inhabitants of the autonomous and Swedish-speaking Finnish province of Aland, which has been demilitarized for over 160 years, feel their exemption from conscription to be under threat after Finland's Defense Minister Jussi Niinisto voiced plans to involve the islanders in civil service.

According to the Finnish constitution, all Finnish citizens are obliged to engage in the defense of the country. The inhabitants of Aland, however, have been historically relieved from recruitment and instead been given the positions as ship pilots, operate lighthouses or engage in civil jobs. In reality, though, the law is not applied because there is no replacement service. Now the Defense Ministry wants to send the islanders to civil service alongside their fellow Finns who don't do military service, as Jussi Niinisto called Aland's dated self-government law a "dead letter" and called to revise it.

In his crusade for equality, Niinisto argued that the service time on Aland should be set as 347 days, as it is on mainland Finland.

"Certainly, the people of Aland are Finns like the rest of us. We should have the same rights and obligations. But so far it has not been like this," Jussi Niinisto told the Finnish daily Hufvudstadsbladet.

On Aland, as expected, this initiative is anything but welcome. Finnish MP Mats Lofstrom from Aland called it a "political stance."

"Aland's demilitarization is older than Finland's independence and is guaranteed by three different international agreements. For this reason, Aland is not to be included in the conscription system," Mats Lofstrom told Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

Eighteen-year-old Jakob Mattsson encapsulated the islanders' skepticism toward Niinisto's proposal.

"We are not forced to do it and I'm not interested in doing it either," Jakob Mattsson told Yle.

Furthermore, it appears that Niinisto's designs are more on the side of private initiative rather than a coordinated action.

"This thought sounds completely alien and contradicts the generally accepted principles," Defense Committee deputy chairman Mika Kari told Vasabladet, suggesting that Niinisto has been "toying with Aland's position" for some time now.

Previously, Niinisto called to abolish Aland's demilitarized status, which the archipelago has enjoyed since 1856, in order to fill what he referred to as a "military vacuum."

The Aland Islands are an autonomous and demilitarized region of Finland, situated halfway to Sweden at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea. The archipelago of roughly 30,000 is Finland's only region to have Swedish as the only official language, which constitutes yet another obstacle to the islanders' military service, as Finnish is the main language used in Finland's Armed Forces.

Aland enjoys a broad autonomy, maintaining its own flag, police force, airline and web domain (.ax). The archipelago also has its own postage stamps and can issue its own passports, in addition to being a separate member of the Nordic Council. Incidentally, Nordic Council President Britt Lundberg of Aland recently voted alongside her Swedish colleagues against the Finnish delegation's initiative to make Finnish an official working language in the Nordic Council.

The islanders gained this unparalleled level of autonomy after Finland's declaration of independence from Russia in 1917. As an overwhelming majority of Aland voted to leave and join Sweden, Finland refused to give up sovereignty, whereupon the League of Nations allowed Helsinki to keep the islands as long as they were granted significant rights and protections.

Aland was first demilitarized during the times of the Grand Duchy of Finland, as a concession to Russia's Crimean War adversaries in 1856, after Aland's then foremost fortress of Bomarsund was destroyed by British and French warships in 1854. In 1922, another agreement was signed by the UN's predecessor, the League of Nations, guaranteeing Aland demilitarization in peacetime and neutrality during a war. In 1940, a separate agreement was concluded between Finland and the Soviet Union. Since then, a consulate of the Soviet Union and later Russia has been present in Saltvik, Aland, to oversee Finland's obligations regarding the island's demilitarization.

 Sputnik

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Over half of schools remain closed in epicentre of Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria - UNICEF

29 September 2017  About 57 per cent of all schools are closed in Nigeria's Borno state, worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency and the subsequent humanitarian crisis, leaving an estimated 3 million children in need of emergency education support, even as the new school year begins, the United Nations child agency said today.

"Children in northeast Nigeria are living through so much horror," said Justin Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), in a press release on his three-day visit to Maiduguri, the epicentre of the crisis.

Since 2009, over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 have been displaced across the northeast. Almost 1,400 schools have been destroyed with the majority unable to open because of extensive damage or because they are in areas that remain unsafe.

The use of children as human bombs has sown a climate of mistrust among communities in the northeast, and a cholera outbreak has affected more than 3,900 people, including over 2,450 children.

"In addition to devastating malnutrition, violence and an outbreak of cholera, the attacks on schools are in danger of creating a lost generation of children, threatening their and the countries future," Mr. Forsyth added.

However, some displaced children in Borno state are benefiting from education for the first time in their lives. In the Muna Garage camp on the outskirts of Maiduguri, an estimated 90 per cent of students are enrolled in school for the first time.

In the three most-affected states of northeast Nigeria, UNICEF and partners have enrolled nearly 750,000 children in school this year, establishing over 350 temporary learning spaces, and distributing almost 94,000 packs of learning material that will help children to get an education.

UNICEF is also working with partners to rehabilitate schools and classrooms and training teachers to build a stronger education system for the future.

UNICEF's life-saving emergency programmes in northeast Nigeria remain underfunded. With only three months left in the year, UNICEF has a 40 per cent finding gap in its needs for 2017.

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In Afghanistan, Mattis Confident of Eventually Breaking Stalemate

By William Gallo September 29, 2017

The new U.S. strategy for the war in Afghanistan unveiled last month by President Donald Trump is already showing results insisted senior military officials who met with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Afghanistan this week.

General John Nicholson, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, told reporters traveling with Mattis that Trump's conditions-based approach to the conflict has improved troop morale, stunted Taliban gains, and stunned insurgents.

"We're seeing an effect amongst the Taliban leadership," Nicholson said. "For years they thought we were leaving; now with the renewed commitment at Warsaw, (and) with the new U.S. policy, they realize we're not leaving, so this has put them in disarray."

Stalemate for now

But speaking on background, U.S. officials were more restrained in their assessment about the 16-year-old battle.

"We still put the conflict within the bounds of a stalemate, where neither side has the capability right now to have a decisive victory in the campaign," a U.S. military official acknowledged.

According to the latest U.S. assessment, 64 percent of the Afghan population lives in territory controlled or influenced by the Afghan government, with the rest either contested or under Taliban control.

But U.S. officials are hopeful that will change soon.

The coalition says it has halted Taliban advances, especially in provincial capitals and major population centers. And coalition forces are "definitely on track" to achieve Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's goal of having 80 percent of the population under government control by 2020, says a U.S. military official.

U.S. officials also point to what they say is the Afghan military's increased capabilities. Next week the inaugural class of Afghan pilots will begin learning to fly the first of around 160 Black Hawk helicopters the U.S. is giving to Afghanistan as part of a new seven-year effort to modernize the country's air force.

How to define success?

Afghan officials welcome the new U.S. approach, saying it provides more certainty and won't allow the Taliban to wait out timelines for troop withdrawal.

But the Trump administration hasn't laid out what metrics it will use to define success in Afghanistan. And many of the factors Trump has mentioned  crushing the terrorists or denying safe haven to militants, for example  are not easily measurable, leading some to worry about a perpetual war.

During Mattis' visit to Kabul, he suggested coalition forces will regularly evaluate the more than 200 benchmarks that President Ghani has set in conjunction with Washington.

"Who initiates the most fights with the enemy? How are we doing on selection of junior officers from NCO ranks? How are we doing on counter-corruption? All of this comes together in an integrated, whole of government, whole of coalition campaign," Mattis said.

"And the ongoing evaluation will be transparent," he added. "In other words, we will share all of our data, we will review it together and make adaptations as needed."

Two easily quantifiable factors are bombs and troops, and the U.S. is sending more of both to Afghanistan.

The U.S. last month dropped more bombs (503) on Afghanistan than any single month since 2012, according to military figures. Mattis recently announced the U.S. would send another 3,000 U.S. forces to Afghanistan, bringing the total number in the country to around 14,000.

The new U.S. plan also involves pressuring Pakistan to end its support for Afghan militant groups, and envisions India playing a bigger role in helping bring stability and prosperity.

Different enough?

But for all the ways that Trump's Afghanistan strategy allegedly differs from that of former President Barack Obama, many former Obama officials praised the policy's continuity.

"I was pleasantly surprised," said Shamila Chaudhary, who worked on Afghanistan policy in Obama's White House. "I thought it was a very pro-establishment approach they took. They played it very safe."

Speaking on background, a U.S. military official acknowledged that under Trump's new plan "the authorities to conduct the campaign are broadly the same" as under the previous administration.

But U.S. officials are confident their new strategy is different enough to break the stalemate and will eventually force the Taliban to the negotiating table.

What isn't clear is how long it will take.

Ongoing violence

As Mattis arrived in the Afghan capital, the Taliban provided a grim reminder of the path ahead, sending a flurry of rockets toward the Kabul international airport. Though Mattis had departed the area hours earlier, the insurgents described the attack as an assassination attempt, drawing headlines that dominated news coverage of the secretary's visit.

Insurgents also killed at least 12 Afghan security forces in a suicide attack in Kandahar late Wednesday, hours before Mattis landed in the western city to meet with coalition officials.

Despite the setbacks, Mattis says he is confident of success.

"War is principally a matter of will," he said, standing alongside President Ghani and NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg. "And we've made clear we have the will to stand together."

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ICRC: Yemen in Grips of Unprecedented Cholera Outbreak

By Lisa Schlein September 29, 2017

The International Committee of the Red Cross reports Yemen is in the grips of an unprecedented cholera outbreak. The Swiss humanitarian organization said the number of suspected cases in the impoverished, war-torn country could reach 900,000 by the end of the year.

This latest projection far exceeds the ICRC's worst case scenario in July, when it forecast 600,000 suspected cases of cholera by the end of 2017. To date, the ICRC estimates around 750,000 suspected cases throughout Yemen, including more than 2,100 deaths.

ICRC Yemen delegation head Alexandre Faite said he fears more records could be broken.

"Nine-hundred-thousand  considering the figures I was given in the past, we could be to one million at the end of the year," he said. " I am told now that probably this is the worst health crisis of a preventable disease in modern times. So, I think, we have reached a new threshold in the Yemen conflict that really deserves to be underlined."

Faite said Yemen's public services are collapsing and the health sector is struggling. He said the Red Cross is providing health care workers with food because they are receiving no salary.

He told VOA there does not appear to be any quick resolution to this crisis.

"The situation from a humanitarian standpoint is a catastrophe," he stressed. "We have something, which is close to a million cases of suspected cholera, maybe by the end of the year. And, this ... is only a possible external illustration of something more serious. We could have an outbreak of something else."

Faite said he sees no political settlement to the war, which has claimed thousands of lives and injured many more. He said he fears an extension of the conflict will lead to many more, even worse problems.

A recent U.N. report said conflict, cholera and severe food shortages have made Yemen the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

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UN Deploys Peacekeepers After DRC Clash

By VOA News September 29, 2017

U.N. peacekeepers have deployed to a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after clashes between armed groups and the Congolese army.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUSCO, said it sent troops to Uvira to protect civilians and deter any attack on the city, located near the Burundian border, on the northern end of Lake Tanganyika.

A reporter for VOA's French to Africa service said a militia known as the Mai Mai Yakutumba sent four motorboats filled with armed men over the lake to attack a bridge early Thursday.

The head of the Uvira district, Sephanie Milenge Matundanya, said army troops drove the militiamen out of the city and several villages they had occupied.

A local resident said U.N. helicopters were in the area but that the city was calm later in the day.

Eastern Congo has been wracked by violence for years as the government and various militias fight for control of rich mines that produce gold and coltan, a material used in mobile phones.

Tensions have run even higher due to the failure of the DRC's government to organize elections and President Joseph Kabila's refusal to leave office at the end of his term last December.

MONUSCO said it has sent its deputy force commander to oversee the situation around Uvira.

The head of MONUSCO, Maman Sidikou, said in a statement he "urged the armed groups to immediately cease this hostility, including all forms of violence against constituted authority and innocent civilians."

VOA's French to Africa Service and Swahili Service contributed to this report.

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General: 30 Killed in Shabab Attack on Somali Military Base

By Mohamed Olad September 29, 2017

At least 30 people were killed Friday when al-Shabab militants stormed an army base, Somali government officials said.

The militants attacked the base in the town of Barire, 47 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, with two suicide car bombs followed by fighters armed with heavy machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and small arms.

Speaking on Somali government radio, General Shegow Ahmed, the commander in charge of the base, said 12 soldiers and at least 18 militants were killed as the sides exchanged fire.

Ahmed said dozens of heavily-armed militants sneaked into Barire by river in wooden boats, then deployed the two car bombs which he said were apparently prepared in the town ahead of the attack.

In a statement aired by Radio Andalus, al-Shabab's mouthpiece in Somalia, the group said its militants overran the base, killed 30 government soldiers and seized 11 vehicles, five of which were "battlewagons" -- pickup trucks with weapons mounted on the back.

General Ahmed denied the claims and said the Somali National Army remains in control of the base.

Another government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the gunbattle lasted about two hours.

"Our troops briefly lost the base but we have managed to go back with force," the official said.

Heavy casualties

The deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, Ali Nuur Mohamed, told VOA's Somali service that both sides sustained heavy casualties, but said he wasn't authorized to give exact numbers.

Friday's attack came hours before the commander of Turkey's armed forces, General Hulusi Akar, arrived in Mogadishu.

The Turkish army will open its largest foreign military base in Mogadishu on Saturday, in a ceremony expected to be attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More than 200 Turkish military personnel will be stationed at the base, training some 1,500 Somali troops at a time.

The training is a part of an international effort to strengthen the Somali National Army to a point where it can take over security responsibilities from African Union troops currently fighting al-Shabab. The African Union has said it wants to begin withdrawing troops from Somalia next year.

Al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab is attempting to overthrow the government and install a strict form of Islamic law throughout Somalia.

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Spain's Government Says No on Catalan Independence Vote

By VOA News September 29, 2017

The Spanish government says there will be no Catalonia independence vote Sunday, even as the regional government continues preparations for the referendum.

Spanish Culture Minister Inigo Mendez de Vigo said Friday the independence vote violates Spanish law and the government will not accept the results of the referendum.

"We are open to dialogue within the framework of the law. As you would understand nobody can ask us  to engage in dialogue outside the framework of the law. It's impossible," he said. "No European political leader can even consider dealing with an issue that is not in [Spanish] government hands."

Catalan authorities say they will declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of the vote if residents there choose to secede. The Spanish government has fought the measure and has instructed police to confiscate all referendum materials, as well as prevent the use of public buildings as polling stations.

On Friday, Catalan farmers rode tractors through the streets of Barcelona, driving slowly and waving pro-independence flags and banners. The tractors eventually stopped, converging on the regional government building.

At the same time, European Union officials say they will not mediate the dispute between Spain and Catalonia, calling it a matter of Spanish law.

"[It is] a Spanish problem in which we can do little. It's a problem of respecting Spanish laws that Spaniards have to resolve," said European Parliament President Antonio Tajani.

European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans called on Europeans to respect the constitution and rule of law in their countries. He said people in the EU need to organize themselves "in accordance with the constitution of that member state."

"That is the rule of law  you abide by the law and the constitution even if you don't like it," he said.

Catalan authorities previously had appealed to the EU for help, saying the Spanish government undermined their democratic values.

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Analysts: Russia May Be Helping Catalonia Secessionists

By Martin Arostegui September 29, 2017

Catalonia's secessionists, who are trying to organize an independence vote from Spain on Sunday, may be getting aid from Russia as part of the Kremlin's ongoing strategy to destabilize the European Union, according to European Union analysts.

Spain's central government has deployed thousands of police to contain expected disorder. They have threatened local officials who support the referendum with stiff fines and jail. Spain's constitutional court has declared the pending vote illegal.

Despite what some see as a heavy-handed response by Madrid, the United States and most EU governments have backed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in his efforts to keep Spain united.

Russian state media have disseminated reports consistently favorable to Catalan independence in a move some analysts consider to be Moscow's latest attempt to interfere in Western electoral processes.

The Kremlin has taken no public position on the referendum, calling it an "internal" matter for Spain.

Russia's use of hacked information and dissemination of "fake news," however, has been detected in recent Western electoral events, including the 2016 U.S. elections, Britain's decision to leave the EU, or Brexit, and the just-concluded German elections.

"It's not that Russia necessarily wants the independence of Catalonia. What it's principally seeking is to foment divisions to gradually undermine Europe's democracy and institutions," said Brett Schaffer, an analyst of the Alliance to Safeguard Democracy, a project supported by the German Marshall Fund, which monitors pro-Kremlin information networks.

The Russian social media outlet Voice of Europe (@V_of_Europe) has run such headlines as "The EU refuses to intervene in Catalonia even as Spain violates basic human rights," calling Catalonia's referendum "a time bomb that threatens to destroy the EU."

The internationally broadcast Russian Television, or RT, alleged on September 20 that a "state of siege" has been imposed on Catalonia and dubbed cruise liners chartered to house additional police agents being deployed to the Catalonia as "Ships of Repression."

The Russian digital newspaper Vzglyad borrowed a page from the Western media's treatment of uprisings against Soviet domination in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, with the September 20 headline "Spain brutally suppresses the Catalan Spring."

Some editorials and Kremlin-sponsored academics took note of how the U.S. and EU neglected to recognize a Russian-sponsored Crimean referendum approving reunification with Russia and compared that with their current indifference toward the Catalan vote.

Catalan secessionist politician Enric Folch, who is international secretary of the Catalan Solidarity Party for Independence, has said on Russian media that a Catalan state would support Moscow in world forums and recognize the independence of territories of Abkhasia and South Ossetia, which separated from Georgia with Russian support.

Folch was a star participant at a Kremlin-sponsored conference of independence movements in Moscow last year.

David Alendete, an investigative reporter with the newspaper El Pais, said the conference was organized by a Russian lawyer who is defending Russian computer hackers arrested in Spain and is wanted by the FBI in connection with the hacking of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential election campaign in the U.S.

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Cameroon Tries to Quash Independence Movement in English Regions

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka September 29, 2017

About 700 pro-independence protesters  mostly youths  are attacking government buildings and police stations at the Cameroonian border town of Ekok, and hoisting what they call the flag of their independent state of Ambazonia.

Elias Tambe, a leader of the separatists, says they no longer recognize Cameroon president Paul Biya as their leader.

"He is nobody and he will never mean anything to the Ambazonians," said Tambe, 27. "This is the border between Southern Cameroon and the Republic of Nigeria at the frontier Ekok. You can see the flags, you can see the flags, this is the border. Now they have closed the border, they don't want us to cross to Nigeria, but we are there. Biya must go."

Members of the group tried to cross over to the Nigeria border state of Enugu to inform authorities there that a new nation has been born, but were blocked by Nigeria immigration police.

The separatists promised to declare their independence on October 1, and have appointed Julius Ayuk Tabe, who is in exile, as their interim leader.

In response, Cameroon has deployed thousands of troops to the English-speaking northwest and southwest regions to stop all demonstrators. However, observers say the separatists may be relocating to smaller localities such as Ekok where the military is not yet present.

French-speaking Cameroonian Debong Ignatius says the presence of the military can exacerbate the crisis.

"Men in uniform and the police circled our neighborhoods, entered the various houses, insisting that people should bring out Ambazonina flags they were hiding," Debong said. "I do not think it is their duty to go harassing people at this precise moment because it can exacerbate the situation."

President Biya has told English-speaking ministers and senior state functionaries working in Yaounde to go home, in an effort to urge the population not to accept separatists' ideas.

Fame Ndongo, communication secretary of the ruling CPDM party, says party officials were dispatched to encourage supporters to rally on Saturday and Sunday as a sign of disapproval and condemnation of violence and anti-constitutional acts perpetrated by secessionist groups.

Schools have been closed in the English-speaking northwest and southwest since November, when lawyers and teachers called for a strike to stop what they believe is the overuse of the French language.

Leaders of the strike were arrested, but pressure groups have been calling for their immediate and unconditional release. Fifty-five of the 75 protesters were released, and charges against them were dropped.

While separatists are calling for complete independence, Biya has said he is not open to any negotiation on the matter and that Cameroon is one and indivisible.

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National Guard continues exodus of gear and personnel to Caribbean in Hurricane Maria's aftermath

By Sgt. 1st Class Jessica Barnett, 105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment September 29, 2017

ARLINGTON, Va. -- While the United States eyes hurricane relief efforts in its Caribbean territories, the National Guard continues to respond with vital assets, resources and Guard members.

As of today, more than 3,500 Guard members are working around the clock to support relief efforts across the spectrum from communication, medical and sustenance distribution, to name a few functions.

With cell service at 91 percent out of commission in Puerto Rico and 63 percent out in the U.S. Virgin Islands, communication has become the chief priority for relief agencies.

Twelve Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) systems are operational and aiding Hurricane Maria relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with 10 more assets in the process of being set up.

The JISCC offers a communications bridge to first responders through satellite communications that enable the use of High-frequency (HF) radio, data, video and voice capabilities. Small enough to be airlifted, the system fits in an 18-foot trailer, equipped with its own lighting and power generation, along with a satellite dish.

Three days after the storm's Sept. 20 landfall, eight Airmen of the 126th Communications Flight, Illinois Air National Guard, set up their JISCC alongside the Puerto Rico Air National Guard's 156th Wing operations building at Muniz Air National Guard Base, providing invaluable, non-stop communication support to the command post.

"We have a satellite link that allows the local command to communicate with agencies back on the mainland," explained Capt. Chris Kruse, the flight commander. "This gives the wing commander and his senior leaders reliable connection with the outside world."

Maria brought 155 miles per hour winds and 30 inches of rain, making conventional means of travel ineffective due to flooding, landslides and damaged roadways along with debris.

Assessments are ongoing as water recedes from flooding. The emphasis in both the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are debris removal, communication, route clearance, and points of distribution, public safety and employing engineering assets.

Airlift operations are focused on movement of life-sustaining items, rotary aircraft, military police and engineers as the Guard is planning for robust, long-term support.

Within the U.S. Virgin Islands, majority of Guard support efforts have shifted from search and rescue to route clearance operations in the last few days.

Dozens of military police from the New York National Guard are in affected areas, as requested through an official agreement with Puerto Rico and New York.

Originally slated for Hurricane Irma relief, the 105th Military Police have made use of the delay created by Maria.

"For the 10 days or so, we've been conducting a lot of training at our armory in Buffalo, getting any supplies and everything that we needed to go down there to assist with the mission," explained Staff Sgt. Eric Sheffer.

The 29th Infantry Division, Virginia National Guard, will be taking over relief operations from the U.S. Virgin Islands National Guard, passing out food and water at points of distribution.

Nearly 60 Soldiers of the 285th Medical Company (Area Support), Ohio National Guard, are treating civilian and military patients at the St. Croix hospital.

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania National Guard sent about 15 crew members and two CH-47 Chinooks to assist Puerto Rico.

Seven shelters are operating on the U.S. Virgin Islands, housing more than 600 civilians.

To help with recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, more than 300 Guard members have returned home from the U.S. Virgin Islands, where they were supporting Irma relief efforts. The rest of the Puerto Rico National Guard is focusing on assessing 69 hospitals and provisions. Of the 37 facilities assessed thus far, 29 are operational.

Guard members on the ground are also developing plans to better replenish fuel at hospitals and medical facilities currently running on generators.

A total of 258,596 meals, 416,260 liters of water, and nine military vehicles arrived in Puerto Rico Sept. 27. Two air support missions are slated to transport 1.4 million meals to San Juan for distribution to 12 Guard armories throughout the island for points of pick up.

Echoing the thoughts of National Guard personnel throughout the United States and its territories, Air Force Maj. Gen. Tony Carrelli, the Pennsylvania adjutant general, said, "Our thoughts are with the people of Puerto Rico as they recover from this storm. As always, the Pennsylvania National Guard is proud to assist those in need whenever and wherever we are called."

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Trump Touts Puerto Rico Relief Effort as Critics Fault Washington's Response

By Peter Heinlein September 29, 2017

President Donald Trump is touting his administration's disaster response in Puerto Rico, even as officials in the U.S. territory warn that much more help will be needed to fend off mass hunger and disease on the hurricane-ravaged island.

Adding to his running series of Twitter posts on the subject, Trump noted that Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rossello had praised Washington's responsiveness to the island's needs.

But the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital, hit back at stories about how well the relief efforts are going.

"This is a 'people are dying' story. This is a life or death story," Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz told CNN.

Yulin Cruz was reacting to an earlier comment by acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke that the life-saving efforts of relief workers was a "good news story."

"Maybe from where she's standing it's a good news story," Cruz said after hearing Duke's remarks. "It's irresponsible," she said, urging Duke to come to Puerto Rico to see for herself.

Duke is likely to visit the U.S. island territory to see the recovery effort next Tuesday, along with President Trump. They also will stop at the U.S. Virgin Islands, which were also hard-hit by Hurricane Maria.

As he began a speech Friday to the National Association of Manufacturers, Trump said he was sending thoughts and prayers to people of Puerto Rico.

"We've never seen anything like this," he said, noting that Washington is sending 10,000 federal personnel, including 5,000 National Guard members.

"The recovery effort probably hasn't been seen for something like this," Trump said. "We want the people to be safe and sound, and we will be there every day until that happens."

Speaking at a hotel a few blocks from the White House, Trump mentioned that Puerto Rico's electrical grid and infrastructure had been in poor shape beforehand, saying, "we're literally starting from scratch."

The president said Puerto Rico's government would have to work with Washington to determine how the cleanup will be funded and what to do with the tremendous amount of existing debt already on the island.

"We've closely coordinated with territorial and local governments which unfortunately aren't able to handle this catastrophe on their own," said the president.

A three-star general was named Thursday to head the relief effort, and a 1,000-bed hospital ship, the Comfort, was departing Friday from its home port in the U.S. state of Virginia to assist in the recovery. Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert said 44 of Puerto Rico's 69 hospitals have been restored to operation.

But critics say the response may prove to be a case of too little, too late.

Russel Honore, highly lauded for commanding the military response after another big storm, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said the military deployments to Puerto Rico should have begun at least four days earlier.

Honore told National Public Radio that because of its distance from the mainland and the loss of its power grid, Puerto Rico "is a bigger and tougher mission than Katrina."

The head of the U.S. relief effort, Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan, said Thursday it would be a long-term project. "We're bringing in more," Buchanan told CNN. "This is a very, very long duration."

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US plans major withdrawal of diplomats from embassy in Cuba

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 06:50AM

The United States is preparing to announce a major withdrawal of staff and family from the US embassy in Cuba in response to mysterious health attacks targeting diplomats. Only essential personnel will be left.

An internal memo had been sent to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson advising that the US withdraw nonessential employees in Cuba, CBS News reported Thursday, citing several sources.

Tillerson threatened earlier this month that Washington would shut down its embassy in the Cuban capital.

Washington has expelled two Cuban diplomats over the health-related episodes, although it has not directly blamed Havana for the incidents.

Tillerson met with Cuban Foreign Secretary Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrillan Washington on Tuesday to discuss about recent emergence of symptoms of hearing loss and nausea among US diplomatic personnel and their families in the Cuban capital Havana.

But the meeting did not offer the secretary any reassurance that Havana was taking steps to protect US diplomats in the country, according to CBS.

"The Cuban government has never perpetrated nor will it ever perpetrate attacks of any kind against diplomats," according to a Cuban readout of the meeting. "The Cuban government has never permitted nor will it ever permit the use of its territory by third parties for this purpose."

"There is no evidence so far of the cause or the origin of the health disorders reported by the U.S. diplomats," it read.

US diplomats have complained about symptoms ranging from hearing loss and nausea to headaches and balance issues. The State Department said "incidents" began affecting them in late 2016.

Despite the presence of several theories, including a sonic attack, experts have been unable to explain the matter. Audiologists, for instance, have questioned the possibility of whether a sonic weapon exists that can be covertly used to bring about the range of symptoms reported by affected diplomats.

Former President Barack Obama re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2015 and loosened some restrictions on doing business in the country. The two states had been long-time Cold War adversaries.

US President Donald Trump vowed in June to partially roll back the detente devised by Obama. Trump described Havana as "corrupt and destabilizing" in his address to the United Nations General Assembly earlier this month.

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US State Dept. Confirms Departure of Embassy's Non-Emergency Personnel From Cuba

Sputnik News

18:03 29.09.2017(updated 18:44 29.09.2017)

The United States has taken a decision to pull out more than half of its diplomatic personnel from the embassy in Havana. Routine visa operations are suspended.

The decision was made after an incident involving an audio device, a senior US Department of State official told reporters on Friday.

"On September 29, the [State] Department ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel assigned to the US embassy in Havana as well as all family members," the official said. "Until the government of Cuba to ensure the safety of US government personnel in Cuba, our embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel."

The United States does not eliminate the possibility of a third country being involved in sonic attacks against US diplomats in Cuba, the official added.

"We have not ruled out the possibility of a third country as a part of the investigation, but that investigation continues," the official stated.

The official added US investigators do not know the methods, the means or how the sonic attacks were carried out.

The last report of attacks was received in August, the official noted. Meanwhile, the State Department has not confirmed that the incidents have completely stopped.

The Cuban government is cooperating with the United States in the ongoing investigation into the incidents, the official said.

The United States is suspending issuing visas in Cuba, the official told reporters.

"Routine visa operations are suspended indefinitely," the official said.

Previously the US media reported the US was planning to withdraw most of its diplomats from Cuban capital of Havana after embassy workers allegedly suffered brain injuries caused by sonic weapons.

In August, US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said diplomatic personnel working in the US embassy in Cuba were involved in an incident that resulted in physical symptoms. The investigation into injuries of US diplomats allegedly sustained in Havana had not found any evidence that ccould confirm the injuries' origin.

The incidents, allegedly caused by a sonic weapon, have affected at least 21 diplomats, some of whom appear to have suffered permanent hearing loss and possibly brain injury, according to media reports.

On September 14, US senators sent a letter to State Secretary Rex Tillerson, urging the State Department to close the embassy in Havana and expel all Cuban diplomats from the United States, since Cuban authorities failed to ensure the security of US diplomats.

Last week, Tillerson told CBS that the US government was considering closing its embassy in Cuba. On Thursday, a meeting between Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez and Tillerson took place in Washington. The talks between the two diplomats focused on ensuring the safety of US diplomatic staff.

 Sputnik

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Actions Taken in Response to Attacks on U.S. Government Personnel in Cuba

Remarks

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 29, 2017



Over the past several months, 21 U.S. Embassy employees have suffered a variety of injuries from attacks of an unknown nature. The affected individuals have exhibited a range of physical symptoms, including ear complaints, hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping. Investigators have been unable to determine who is responsible or what is causing these attacks.

On September 29, the Department ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, as well as all family members. Until the Government of Cuba can ensure the safety of our diplomats in Cuba, our Embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel in order to minimize the number of diplomats at risk of exposure to harm.

In conjunction with the ordered departure of our diplomatic personnel, the Department has issued a Travel Warning advising U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Cuba and informing them of our decision to draw down our diplomatic staff. We have no reports that private U.S. citizens have been affected, but the attacks are known to have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens. The Department does not have definitive answers on the cause or source of the attacks and is unable to recommend a means to mitigate exposure.

The decision to reduce our diplomatic presence in Havana was made to ensure the safety of our personnel. We maintain diplomatic relations with Cuba, and our work in Cuba continues to be guided by the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. Cuba has told us it will continue to investigate these attacks and we will continue to cooperate with them in this effort.

The health, safety, and well-being of our Embassy community is our greatest concern. We will continue to aggressively investigate these attacks until the matter is resolved.

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US Pulls Diplomatic Personnel From Cuba Following 'Health Attacks'

By Cindy Saine September 29, 2017

The U.S. State Department has announced it is pulling all of its non-essential diplomatic personnel out of Cuba in response to "health attacks" on 21 American diplomats in Havana.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is en route to China, released a statement Friday saying the United States is maintaining diplomatic relations with Cuba, but must put the health and safety of American diplomats first.

"Until the Government of Cuba can ensure the safety of our diplomats in Cuba, our embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel in order to minimize the number of diplomats at risk of exposure to harm," Tillerson said.

Attacks unexplained

The secretary noted the nature of the attacks on U.S. diplomats remains unexplained.

"The affected individualshave exhibited a range of physical symptoms, including ear complaints, hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping," Tillerson said in the statement. "Investigators have been unable to determine who is responsible or what is causing these attacks."

President Donald Trump expressed outrage on Friday, while speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn. "They did some bad things in Cuba," Trump said.

In a conference call Friday, two senior State Department officials said the U.S. is also issuing a warning advising Americans not to travel to Cuba, because some of the attacks on U.S. employees happened at hotels in Havana. Other attacks reportedly occurred at diplomatic residences.

The officials said until Cuba can guarantee the safety of Americans, the State Department has a travel warning in place.

Reporters on the call repeatedly inquired on the cause of the attacks, but the senior officials declined to comment, saying an investigation is ongoing.

Asked if a third country might be behind the attacks, the officials said they could neither confirm nor rule it out.State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters during a briefing Thursday the Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken the lead in the probe.

The decision to pull all non-essential American diplomatic personnel from Cuba comes two years after then-President Barack Obama restored full diplomatic relations with the island nation in 2015.

Obama was the first American president to travel to Havana in more than 50 years. U.S. airlines also resumed commercial flights to Cuba and tourism began to flourish.Earlier this year, President Donald Trump traveled to Little Havana in Miami to announce that he is reversing Obama's opening toCuba.

"I am canceling the last administration's completely one-sided deal with Cuba," Trump said in June. "It's hard to think of a policy that makes less sense than the prior administration's terrible and misguided deal with the Castro regime."

US Sanctions

The U.S. Treasury Department has not yet reinstated sanctions against Cuba. Not not much actually changed in U.S.-Cuban relations, until Friday's announcement of the travel warning and reduction of U.S. embassy staff.

Cuba says the decision is "hasty" and will affect bilateral ties.

Cuba had mounted a last-minutediplomatic push to try to avert any punitive action, saying Havana has no idea who is behind the attacks and offering to cooperate with the U.S. to investigate them.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez,requested and held an urgent meeting with Secretary Tillerson at the State Department on Tuesday to try to avoid any U.S. actions.

Experts are puzzled as to what sort ofdevice could have caused such an array of health symptoms without detection.Initial reports speculated about "sonic attacks" because some of the affected diplomats reported hearing loud noises.

The U.S. has thus far not blamed Cuba for carrying out the attacks, and has not announced any new expulsions of Cuban diplomats from the United States.

U.S. Republican Senator Marco Rubio said on Twitter that the U.S. decision was "shameful." He said it allows Cuba to keep as many of its diplomats in the United States as it wants.

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Moscow says ready to cooperate with Pyongyang to resolve missile crisis

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 05:36PM

Russia says it is ready to work with North Korea to try to find a peaceful resolution to the missile crisis on the Korean Peninsula.

The Russian Foreign Ministry made the announcement in a statement issued on Friday after a meeting between Russian ambassador-at-large Oleg Burmistrov and Choe Son-hui, director-general of the North American department of North Korea's Foreign Ministry.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the North Korean official also met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov.

"The Russian side confirmed its readiness to combine efforts in the interests of finding ways to solve the problems in the region by peaceful, political and diplomatic means," the Kremlin said.

The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads over Pyongyang's weapons and nuclear programs and Washington's military posture against the North.

Pyongyang says it will not give up on its nuclear deterrence unless Washington ends its hostile policy toward the country and dissolves the US-led UN command in South Korea. Thousands of US soldiers are stationed in South Korea and Japan.

Tensions have recently significantly risen between North Korea and the US. The latter flew bombers over waters east of North Korea on September 23, and Pyongyang said afterwards that it had every right to shoot down those planes.

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North Korea Threatens to Shoot Down US Planes That Enter its Airspace

Sputnik News

23:30 29.09.2017(updated 23:36 29.09.2017)

Six days after the US Air Force flew the furthest it ever has past the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean Peninsula, North Korea issued its first response - and it's not exactly a friendly suggestion for the US to not repeat its behavior.

Speaking through Uriminzokkiri, a state-run North Korean outlet, on Friday, the DPRK released an editorial dubbed "Provocative Behavior That Arouses Tens of Millions of People's Will For Revenge," as a critique of the US' latest move.

The commentary began by stating that such aggressive moves would not be tolerated by the regime.

"The US flying its B-1B Lancers strategic bomber squadron over international waters in the East Sea was an immensely dangerous and reckless act that intends to drive the situation on the Korean Peninsula to extremes and an anti-North Korea provocation cannot be overlooked," the article noted.

Things escalated.

"The US' bellicose, youthful bravado is rather fanning the will for retaliation among tens of millions of our soldiers and civilians," the article stated. "Our military has been highly motivated with a resolve to shoot down the US flights seeking to trespass in our territorial skies."

According to the Pentagon, the flyover was part of a demonstration by the Trump Administration to show that US President Donald Trump "has many military options to defeat any threat."

"This is a demonstration of US resolve," Dana White, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in a statement Saturday following the flyover. "North Korea's weapons program is a grave threat to the Asia-Pacific region and the entire international community."

"We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the US homeland and our allies," the statement added.

Pyongyang failed to act when the flyover occurred on September 23; officials in South Korea's spy agency suspect their northern neighbor's air defense capabilities are not adept enough at detecting flights to have noticed them, according to The Korea Times.

But there is some doubt about this theory. In the same article, the publication noted it has detected several other flights, but made no mention of the Saturday flight.

"This year alone, the US sent its B1-B strategic bombers for 19 times on the Korean Peninsula and they were done in the form of a joint drill with its puppet [South Korea]. But this time, it was done as a unilateral move without a prior consultation with its puppet."

Despite the newspaper's claims, South Korean President Moon Jae-in was notified and gave his consent before the flight took place, the Times reported.

The weekend flyover also included an escort by US Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter jets from the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. The forces flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea, the Business Insider reported.

 Sputnik

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U.S. Says Russia Trying To 'Shield Iran' From Some Nuclear Inspections

RFE/RL September 29, 2017

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on September 28 said Russia is trying to "shield Iran" from inspections by the UN's nuclear watchdog of some activities that could contribute to developing a nuclear bomb.

Nikki Haley has been pushing to increase and broaden the inspections conducted by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is charged with monitoring compliance with restrictions on nuclear activities that Tehran agreed to in exchange for sanctions relief under the 2015 nuclear deal.

But while Haley has been urging the watchdog to broaden its inspections in Iran, UN diplomats say Russia has been trying to diminish the agency's role by arguing it has no authority to police one critical section of the deal.

That section, known as section T, bans "activities which could contribute to the development of a nuclear explosive device." It lists examples such as using computer models that simulate a nuclear bomb, or designing multi-point, explosive detonation systems.

Unlike many other parts of the deal, section T makes no mention of the IAEA and does not specify how compliance with the section will be verified.

UN diplomats said Russia is arguing that means the IAEA has no authority to monitor compliance with the section by conducting inspections. Russia is one of the six world powers that signed the deal with Iran.

The United States and its Western allies Britain, France, and Germany, which also signed the deal, disagree with Russia's interpretation, and Haley took their case public in a statement at the UN.

"If the Iran nuclear deal is to have any meaning, the parties must have a common understanding of its terms," Haley said.

"Iranian officials have already said they will refuse to allow inspections at military sites, even though the IAEA says there must be no distinction between military and non-military sites.

"Now it appears that some countries are attempting to shield Iran from even more inspections," Haley said. "Without inspections, the Iran deal is an empty promise."

The matter is particularly important to the United States right now because U.S. President Donald Trump faces a mid-October deadline for deciding whether to certify that Iran is in compliance with the deal.

Haley has said his certification is in doubt unless the IAEA is able to conduct broader and more vigorous inspections of Iran's sites and activities.

Iran and Russia have not commented publicly on the matter.

Earlier this month, the head of the Iranian nuclear program, Ali Akbar Salehi, accused Washington of trying to sabotage the agreement by demanding more inspections, and called on the IAEA to resist Washington's "unacceptable demands."

With reporting by AFP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-says-russia -trying-shield-iran-some-nuclear- inspections/28763701.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iraqi top cleric urges defending country territorial integrity

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sep 29, IRNA -- Iraqi religious leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani emphasized on Friday the urgent need for protecting the country's territorial integrity.

According to Ahmed al-Safi, Ayatollah Sistani's senior representative, the Iraqi Shia top cleric in today's Friday Prayer sermon reacted to the referendum held in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq on September 25 despite the Iraqi government and regional and international opposition.

The cleric warned against the consequences of such a referendum, adding that 'Even, it can prepare the ground for foreign and international interference.'

'I advise my Kurdish brothers to return to the constitution for resolution of disputes,' he said.

This is the first time, since Monday's referendum, the top Shia cleric, comments on the disputed event.

Despite Iraqi federal government opposition and amid the regional and international disagreement, Iraqi Kurdistan region's ruling party led by Masoud Barzani held a referendum on Monday.

Translator: Hamdollah Emadi Heydari

9191**2044

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US 'does not recognize' Iraqi Kurdistan referendum: Tillerson

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 08:45PM

The United States does not officially recognize a unilateral independence referendum held by the Iraqi Kurdish, says Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The controversial secession referendum was held on Monday in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in defiance of widespread calls for its cancellation.

According to Kurdish officials, over 90 percent of the voters said 'Yes' to separation from Iraq.

"The United States does not recognize the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s unilateral referendum held on Monday. The vote and the results lack legitimacy and we continue to support a united, federal, democratic and prosperous Iraq," Tillerson said in a statement on Friday.

"The United States asks all parties, including Iraq's neighbors, to reject unilateral actions and the use of force," he said, adding, "We urge calm and an end to vocal recriminations and threats of reciprocal actions."

Except for Israel, all major regional and international parties have voiced serious concerns over the secessionist move, saying it would compound the problems of the country, which is currently conducting counterterrorism operations against Daesh.

Iraqi Kurdish officials have been strongly criticized for holding the unconstitutional plebiscite before any negotiations and consultations with the central Iraqi government.

KRG President Masoud Barzani has said the vote would not lead to an immediate declaration of independence from the rest of the Iraqi territory, and would rather open a chapter in negotiations with the Baghdad government.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, however, demanded the annulment of the referendum, saying, "We will never hold talks based on the results of the referendum."

Iraq's top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani also voiced opposition to the secession of the referendum, warning of the negative repercussions of such "unilateral steps."

Pressure has been building on officials in Erbil, Kurdistan's regional capital, over the referendum, with regional carriers, including Turkish Airlines, EgyptAir and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines submitting to Baghdad's request to suspend their flights serving Iraqi Kurdistan.

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Iran's top Sunni cleric backs Iraq's integrity, unity

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 05:08PM

Iran's prominent Sunni cleric Molavi Abdul Hamid has voiced his objection to the potential secession of the northern Kurdistan region from Iraqi mainland, urging the Kurdish people to maintain their unity.

"The territorial integrity and independence of Muslim countries are vital and important," Abdul Hamid said in an address to Sunni worshipers during the weekly Friday Prayers in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

He emphasized that the rights of people of different faiths and ethnicities living in one country must be protected; however, their homeland's territorial integrity and independence must not be undermined and no geographical change must be made.

The senior cleric also warned of enemies' plots to break up Muslim countries, including Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

"Enemies are hatching plots to partition Iran and many other countries and seek to turn Muslim countries into small states," Abdul Hamid said.

In defiance of Iraq's stiff opposition, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a non-binding referendum on September 25 on secession from the central government in Baghdad. Kurdish officials said over 90 percent of the voters said 'Yes' to separation from Iraq.

With the exception of Israel, all major regional and international parties have voiced serious concerns over the secessionist move, saying it would compound the problems of the country, which is already busy with counterterrorism operations against Daesh.

Iraq's top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani also on Friday voiced opposition to the Kurdistan's separation, warning of the negative repercussions of such "unilateral steps."

Tensions have been running high between the central Iraqi government and the Kurdish leadership over the vote, which has prompted Baghdad and regional states to take a number of punitive measures against the semi-autonomous region.

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Iraqi forces retake nearly dozen villages in new push to free Hawijah

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 04:14PM

Iraqi government forces, backed by allied fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, have established control over nearly a dozen villages around Hawijah after the launch of the second phase of offensive to dislodge Daesh Takfiri militants from their stronghold in the oil-rich northern province of Kirkuk.

The commander of the Hawijah liberation operation, Lieutenant General Abdul AmirYarallah, said on Friday that army troops, soldiers from the Federal Police Force and Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) the Interior Ministry's elite rapid response forces and pro-government fighters  better known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha'abi  had completely retaken 11 villages, including Gharib, al-Karnah, al-Hajamah, al-Shajarah and Namilah.

Yarallah noted that government forces and their allies had raided al-Abbasi region southwest of Kirkuk, liberated its residential complex and hoisted the national flag over a number of buildings there.

The high-ranking military commander went on to say that army, federal police, rapid response units and Hashd al-Sha'abi brigades had liberated the towns of Rashad and Ryadh in addition to surrounding areas.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Friday announced the start of the second phase of offensive to liberate Hawijah from the grip of Daesh Takfiris.

"We announce the start of the second phase of the liberation of Hawijah and all the surrounding areas to the west of Kirkuk, and as promised the sons of our country are continuing to liberate every inch of the land of Iraq and crush the gangs of terrorist Daesh group," said Abadi in a statement.

The first phase of the operation to liberate Hawijah was launched on September 21.

The operation to free Hawijah came as tensions are running high between Baghdad government and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan after the Kurdish region held a controversial referendum on independence of Kurdistan and disputed areas, including Kirkuk, from the rest of the Iraqi territory.

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Kurdistan refuses to relinquish border crossings to Iraq amid referendum tensions

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 01:57PM

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has refused to relinquish control of its border crossings to the Iraqi government as Arab-Kurd tensions simmer in light of Monday's referendum on the independence of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region from the rest of the Iraqi territory.

Iraq's Kurdish-language Rudaw television network, which is affiliated to the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by KRG president Massoud Barzani, reported that the local government had taken the measure in defiance of an earlier demand by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Kurdistan to hand over oil revenue, airports and border crossings.

A ban on international flights into and out of the Kurdish region took effect on Friday in response to the independence referendum.

Earlier in the week, Abadi had called for the return of jurisdiction over all land and air border-crossings in the Kurdish region to the central government in Baghdad within three days.

The Iraqi prime minister further noted that Baghdad would suspend all international flights to and from the Kurdistan region.

"We will protect the rights of all Iraqis, including our Kurdish citizens. We will not punish them for the mistakes of regional officials," Abadi pointed out.

On Wednesday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi in a call that Ankara would break with past agreements on oil trading with Kurdistan region and deal only with the Baghdad government over oil exports from Iraq.

Turkish officials later said it had stopped training Peshmerga forces in northern Iraq in response to the Kurdish independence vote.

Turkish military trainers had been instructing the Kurdish troops in the campaign against Daesh terrorist group since late 2014.

Kurdish officials said on Wednesday that the referendum on independence from Iraq was approved by more than 92 percent of the voters.

Hendrin Mohammed, the head of the Kurdish region's election commission, announced the official results at a press conference in Erbil, saying the referendum passed with 92.73 percent support, and turnout stood at more than 72 percent.

Mohammed said vote counting was complete and that the results would be considered final once they were certified by the Kurdish region's department of justice.

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Iraq's Grand Ayatollah Sistani opposes Kurdistan's secession

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 10:30AM

Iraq's top Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has voiced opposition to the secession of the northern Kurdistan region from the mainland, warning of the negative repercussions of such "unilateral steps."

Grand Ayatollah Sistani's representative Ahmed al-Safi said in a Friday sermon on his behalf in the holy city of Karbala that the senior cleric wants the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) "to return to the constitutional path" pursuing self-determination for the Kurds.

The senior leader also warned against the unfavorable repercussions of separation and division in the Iraqi nation, stressing that this would pave the way for foreign interference in the affairs of the country.

The Kurdish vote "is an attempt to divide Iraq and take its northern part by setting up an independent state," said his message, adding that all parties should respect the Iraqi constitution.

The "unilateral steps" toward dividing Iraq will lead to internal and external reactions that will have consequences on our "dear Kurdish citizens and could have more dangerous repercussions," said Grand Ayatollah Sistani.

The cleric also called on the Iraqi government and parliament to preserve the rights of Kurds.

In defiance of Baghdad's stiff opposition, the KRG held a non-binding referendum on secession from the mainland. Kurdish officials said over 90 percent of the voters said 'Yes' to separation from Iraq.

With the exception of Israel, all major regional and international parties have voiced serious concerns over the secessionist move, saying it would compound the problems of the country, which is already busy with counterterrorism operations against Daesh.

Iraqi Kurdish officials have been harshly criticized for turning a deaf ear to Baghdad's objections and going ahead with the unconstitutional plebiscite before any negotiations and consultations with the central Iraqi government.

Tensions have been running high between the central Iraqi government and the Kurdish leadership over the vote, which has prompted Baghdad and regional states to take a number of punitive measures against the semi-autonomous region.

From 6:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Friday, international flights to and from Iraq's Kurdistan region were set to stop after Baghdad imposed a ban in retaliation for the region's unconstitutional plebiscite.

Almost all foreign airlines halted flights to the airports of Erbil, the local capital of the Kurdistan region, and Sulaimaniya, in compliance with a notice the Baghdad government.

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Turkey Calls For Summit With Iran, Iraq Over Kurdish Independence Vote

RFE/RL September 29, 2017

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on September 28 that he wants to hold a summit with Iranian and Iraqi leaders to coordinate their response to the Kurdish vote for independence in Iraq.

"We are planning to come together in the near future to coordinate the steps to be taken for the next period," Yildirim told reporters in Turkey. "We want a three-way summit," he said.

Yildirim's office said he discussed the referendum in a phone conversation with Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri on September 28.

Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey all have sizable Kurdish populations and have had to deal for years with Kurdish restiveness and calls for autonomy.

The biggest share of the approximately 30 million Kurds in the region live in Turkey, which for decades has battled the PKK Kurdish militant group fighting for independence within its borders.

Although the Kurdish region in northern Iraq already has a considerable degree of autonomy from Baghdad, its voters this week endorsed a nonbinding resolution calling for independence by a margin of 92.7 percent.

Baghdad, Ankara, and Tehran have refused to recognize the results of the vote and are now seeking to pressure the Iraqi Kurds to back down on their bid for independence by cutting economic ties and isolating the region.

Turkey has threatened to shut its border with Iraq's Kurdish region and halt the flow of oil from that region through a pipeline to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's office said on September 28 that Turkey also agreed to deal only with the Baghdad government in the future on crude oil exports.

Iraqi Kurdish officials say they can withstand an economic blockade because they are self-sufficient in power generation and fuel supply, and have fertile agricultural land.

They also say that most of the trucks crossing the Turkish border are only traveling through the Kurdish region on their way to territory controlled by Baghdad, so any blockade would hurt Turkey's and Iraq's economy as well as the Kurdish region.



With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkey-yildirim-prime minister-calls-summit-iran-iraqi-leader-over-kurdish- independence-vote/28763628.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Baghdad Plans to Take Control of Iraqi Kurdistan's Border Posts

Sputnik News

20:35 29.09.2017(updated 23:35 29.09.2017)

Iraqi Defense Ministry stated that it plans to take control of Iraqi Kurdistan's border posts 'in coordination' with Iran and Turkey, as quoted by the Reuters news agency.

Earlier in the day, Baghdad said that three military convoys would be sent to Iraqi Kurdistan in order to establish control over the border crossings located in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Iraqi Kurdistan refused to place any border crossing from Erbil to Baghdad to the Iraqi federal government.

The Iraqi demand to transfer the control over the border crossings from Erbil to Baghdad followed the Monday independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan. On Wednesday, the Iraqi authorities also ordered to stop all international flights through the airports of Erbil and Sulaymaniyah.

On Monday, Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as a number of areas officially controlled by the Iraqi authorities, held the referendum on the independence from Baghdad. According to the Independent High Elections and Referendum Commission, 92.7 percent of voters supported the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan.

The independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan had been widely criticized not only by Iraq itself, but also by Iran, the United States and the United Nations.

 Sputnik

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Erbil Ready for Talks With Baghdad on Iraqi Kurdistan Status  Patriotic Union

Sputnik News

20:10 29.09.2017

Iraqi Kurdistan is ready to hold negotiations with the Iraqi government on the region's status after the independence vote, with two options available.

CAIRO (Sputnik)  These variants include either full independence from Iraq or turning Iraq into a confederation, Mala Bakhtiar, a member of the political bureau of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), told Sputnik on Friday.

On Monday, the referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan's independence took place in the autonomous region as well as in the number of areas officially controlled by Iraqi authorities. According to the Independent High Elections and Referendum Commission, 92.7 percent of voters supported the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan from Baghdad.

"We are ready to discuss these two variants [full independence and confederation]  Now it is necessary to 'clear' the negotiating table, to include new and old projects in them [talks]  Let any country, the UN Security Council, the United Nations, embassies of big countries in Baghdad control these negotiations," Bakhtiar said.

Bakhtiar expressed confidence that, first of all, it was necessary to improve the "atmosphere in Iraq," saying that it did not promote dialogue. Bakhtiar also described the measures aimed at introducing a blockade of Kurdistan as a "rush and nonconstructive" measure.

The member of the PUK political bureau added that Iraqi Kurdistan was ready to protect its rights with military means.

"To find a political solution is our common responsibility. But if Baghdad decides to impose its decisions on us, if they choose a military solution, we have a right to resistance. Resistance is our sacred right," Bakhtiar added.

The independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan has been widely criticized not only by Baghdad, but also by Iran, the United States and the United Nations.

 Sputnik

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Iraqi Kurdistan International Flights Canceled Amid Protests

By Heather Murdock September 29, 2017

As the last international flights to and from the Kurdistan Region in Iraq were grounded Friday, hundreds of protesters wielding colorful balloons and signs with messages like "compassion" and "love" gathered outside the airport.

Protesters say they are hoping Baghdad backs down on its decision to establish a no-fly zone over their region after a controversial independence vote passed by more than 92 percent.

"This doesn't just impact Kurdistan," said the protest's organizer, Rowand Hussien. "It impacts refugees, displaced families and all the forces fighting [Islamic State militants]."

The Iraqi government has called the referendum illegal, and has vowed to force the Kurdistan Region to remain united with the rest of the country. In recent days, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has received calls from leaders in France, Britain, Iran and Turkey expressing their support for Iraqi unity, according to his Twitter account.

"We will not compromise on Iraq's unity or sovereignty. Iraq is strong. Some wanted to weaken it. They have miscalculated," Abadi tweeted the day after the ballot.

Besides canceling international flights, Baghdad has ordered the Kurdistan Region to hand over land borders and oil revenues to federal authorities. In response, the Kurdish leadership has been defiant, calling for talks to negotiate the Kurdistan Region's transition into an independent country.

At the protest, students gathered quietly, saying they support their leaders' calls for dialogue but worry about the economic impact of isolation.

"This will impact Kurdish people," said Amir, a 24-year-old business administration graduate. "But to create a new country, we will have to be patient and suffer a little."

A new life

A few meters away from the protest, another crowd gathered dressed in gray, brown and black. They were waiting for the bodies of their loved ones to arrive on the last flights in from Turkey.

The body of Bangin Pirot, a journalist in his 30s, was among the dead. He died on a boat carrying more than 80 passengers attempting to get to Europe to apply for asylum. Pirot had a paralyzed leg, and he was seeking medical care.

"They just wanted a better life," said Sarkar, his cousin, as they waited.

The young people protesting nearby said their dreams were not so different from those of the returning dead.

Kurdistan is a region that shares a culture, language and history but it overlaps the borders of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. The referendum for independence was exclusively for Iraqi Kurdistan, already a semi-autonomous region.

Countries around the world objected to the referendum, especially Turkey, which faces an armed insurgency from Kurdish separatists at home. Turkey has threatened oil sanctions on the Kurdish Region, a move that could cripple its economy.

Other world powers, including the United States, have said the Kurdish independence movement in Iraq could destabilize the region and negatively impact the war with Islamic State militants.

But for the students at the airport, the century-old dream of Kurdish independence is more important than the potentially devastating consequences.

"We do not deserve this kind of ban," said Vian, 21, "We deserve a country. We deserve a home."

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Libya's Haftar requests helicopters from Europe to curb migration

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 02:08PM

Powerful Libyan military commander General Khalifa Haftar has requested helicopters and drones from Europe to curb rampant migration on Libya's southern border.

Haftar, who supports the Libyan government based in the eastern city of Tobruk, traveled to Rome and Paris to bolster his stature as a main player in international efforts to stabilize the North African country.

"When it comes to controlling the southern border, my forces can supply the personnel but you Europeans must send help: drones, helicopters, night vision and vehicles," the military commander said in an interview published by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Friday.

Libya currently has two governments, one based in the capital, Tripoli, and the other based in Tobruk. Haftar does not recognize the authority of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), which is recognized by the UN.

Italy has been the strongest backer among Western allies for the GNA.

Libya has faced a power vacuum since a US-led military intervention resulted in the downfall of its longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Since then, the country has been grappling with chaos and the emergence of numerous militant groups, including Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Since the ouster of Gaddafi, the country has also become a key departure point for refugees and asylum seekers, who risk their lives on ill-equipped boats in the hope of reaching Europe. The boats are usually intercepted by European vessels once they enter international waters.

"I have presented a plan based on the principle that Libya is not the arrival point but only a corridor for migrants who want to get to Europe," Haftar said in the interview.

Haftar urged "all European countries interested in stopping migration" to revoke the UN arms embargo on Libya, which has been in place since 2011.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Haftar said Italian Defense Minister Roberta Pinotti had "already accepted a training program for our soldiers in Italy."

Pinotti, however, told parliament on Thursday that Italy did not take sides in the row between the rival governments in Libya.

"We want a united and peaceful Libya and we are ready to work with all those who intend to work peacefully for the unity of the country", she said.

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US says Myanmar's 'ethnic cleansing' of Rohingya Muslims shames Suu Kyi govt.

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 07:53AM

The US has accused Myanmar of the "ethnic cleansing" of minority Rohingya Muslims, saying the violent bloodshed in Rakhine state had shamed the government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Speaking on Thursday at a UN Security Council meeting in New York, US Ambassador Nikki Haley expressed sharp criticism of Myanmar's civilian government and pressed the UN to consider action against members of the country's military in response to the violence.

"We cannot be afraid to call the actions of the Burmese authorities what they appear to be: a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority," said Haley, using an alternative name for Myanmar.

"And it should shame senior Burmese leaders who have sacrificed so much for an open, democratic Burma," she added.

"The time for well-meaning, diplomatic words in this council has passed. We must now consider action against Burmese security forces who are implicated in abuses and stoking hatred among their fellow citizens."

Haley's comments at the UN mark the strongest criticism yet from Washington.

During Thursday's UN Security Council meeting, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres denounced Myanmar for creating a humanitarian "nightmare" for the country's Rohingya Muslims.

Myanmar's troops have intensified attacks against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, home to over a million members of the desperate minority, since October 2016. The attacks have seen a sharp rise since August.

Suu Kyi is under fire by the international community and rights groups for allowing the government troops and the Buddhist mobs to impose the violent clampdown.

The volatile Rakhine state has been the scene of communal violence since 2012. Many of the Muslims have lost their lives while tens of thousands have been displaced as a result of attacks by Buddhists. The refugees largely live in camps in dire conditions.

More than 500,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed into the neighboring Bangladesh in recent weeks, creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as aid agencies struggle to provide food, clean water and shelter.

Many of those who have managed to take refuge in Bangladesh say Myanmar's soldiers and Buddhist mobs have been attacking civilians and burning down their homes.

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UN chief calls on Myanmar to end military operations against Rohingya

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 01:23AM

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has denounced Myanmar for creating a humanitarian "nightmare" for the country's Rohingya Muslims, calling on the government of Aung San Suu Kyi to "halt" military operations and allow "unfettered access" for humanitarian aid in the Southeast Asian country's conflict-wracked western region.

"The situation has spiraled into the world's fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare," Guterres said in a speech to the UN Security Council on Thursday.

His comments came as more than 500,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed into the neighboring Bangladesh in recent weeks, creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as aid agencies struggle to provide food, clean water and shelter. Many of those who have managed to take refuge in Bangladesh say Myanmar's soldiers and Buddhist mobs have been attacking civilians and burning down their homes.

Myanmar's troops have intensified attacks against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, home to over a million members of the desperate minority, since October 2016. The attacks have seen a sharp rise since August.

The latest bout of violence in Rakhine has killed more than 1,000 people, according to the UN.

The UN has received "bone-chilling accounts" of refugees being subject to "excessive violence and serious violations of human rights, including indiscriminate firing of weapons, the use of landmines against civilians and sexual violence," Guterres further told the public session of the council, adding, "This is unacceptable and must end immediately."

The volatile Rakhine state has been the scene of communal violence since 2012. Many of the Muslims have lost their lives while tens of thousands have been displaced as a result of attacks by Buddhists. The refugees largely live in camps in dire conditions.

Suu Kyi is under fire by the international community and rights groups for allowing the government troops and the Buddhist mobs to further impose a violent clampdown on the desperate minority.

Her government denies full citizenship to the Rohingya, branding them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Dhaka, in turn, regards the desperate refugees as Myanmarese. The Rohingya, however, track their ancestors many generations back in Myanmar.

The UN chief also called on the Myanmar government to grant nationality to the Muslims of Rakhine state.

"The reality on the ground demands action - swift action - to protect people, alleviate suffering, prevent further instability, address the roots of the situation and forge, at long last, a durable solution," Guterres added.

He also warned that the "systematic violence" could cause unrest to spill into the heart of Rakhine, threatening 250,000 Muslims with displacement.

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India Rules Out Mediation Between Myanmar, Bangladesh on Rohingya Issue

Sputnik News

22:42 29.09.2017

The Indian government has denied reports that it is interested in mediating between Myanmar and Bangladesh to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that the government has no plans to act as a mediator between Myanmar and Bangladesh to solve the Rohingya refugee crisis.

India has categorically said that the government will only provide humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh to deal with the heavy influx of Rohingyas who have been entering the country after fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

"We are focusing on the humanitarian assistance under 'Operation Insaniyat' and we have sent out three sorties of relief material. Thousands of family packets have been delivered, these items consist of materials to be used by the families who have been displaced and who are in Bangladesh," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said today.

"The two countries are in close touch, they are coordinating the situation which is developing out of the arrival of the displaced persons in the country. We are committed to assist Bangladesh and are extending our full support in handling this issue," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said.

Earlier, Bangladesh had asked India to use its influence to put pressure on Myanmar to end violence in Rakhine state.

The sudden influx of around half a million Rohingyas in Bangladesh has put enormous strain on the government. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has appealed to the international community for help.

 Sputnik

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Myanmar to UN: 'No Ethnic Cleansing, No Genocide' of Rohingyas Here

Sputnik News

17:26 29.09.2017(updated 20:07 29.09.2017)

Myanmar has rejected accusations of "a humanitarian and human rights nightmare," the violent crackdown on the Rohingya minority allegedly authorized by the country's government, and blamed the current crisis on "terrorists."

"There is no ethnic cleansing and no genocide in Myanmar," Myanmar's national security adviser U Thaung Tun told a UN open session on the crisis in his country.

The angry denial came after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the ongoing conflict in Myanmar as "the world's fastest developing refugee emergency and a humanitarian and human rights nightmare".

More than half a million minority Rohingya Muslims have fled an army campaign over the past few weeks crossing into neighboring Bangladesh.

U Thaung Tun said that, concerned as it was by reports of thousands of people fleeing the country, the government needed to carefully analyze the reasons for the "exodus," which he blamed on "terrorists."

He insisted that half of Muslim villages in the country's northern Rakhine state remain intact.

Meanwhile, United Nations humanitarian agencies are being denied access to the conflict zone and are unable to bring food, water and medicine to civilians stranded there.

Simultaneously, aid workers in Bangladesh warn of a looming humanitarian catastrophe for hundreds of thousands of refugees kept in camps along the border.

The Rohingya Muslims are not recognized as citizens by Myanmar and are largely seen as illegal immigrants from across the border.

The conflict between the country's Buddhists and Muslims, which actually originates from the 19th century, intensified on August 25, 2017, when Muslim insurgents of Rohingya origin attacked security posts in Rakhine.

The attacks prompted a tough response by Myanmar's authorities, resulting in clashes and the death of hundreds of Rohingya, while thousands have fled the conflict zone.

 Sputnik

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Aid Groups Demand Unfettered Access to Myanmar Conflict Zone

By Joe Freeman September 29, 2017

Calls are mounting for Myanmar to resume access for aid groups in northern Rakhine state, more than a month after attacks by Rohingya Muslim insurgents prompted an army operation that sent nearly 500,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

While most Muslims living in northern Rakhine have fled across the border, an unknown number remain at home and under increasingly isolated conditions, with little access to regular food and health supplies as the lean part of the harvest season approaches.

"The situation in northern Rakhine state is really a humanitarian catastrophe in the making," said Pierre Peron, spokesman in Myanmar for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA.

United Nations staff and international nongovernmental organizations have had to relocate many of their staff members to other parts of the state and longstanding operations, such as malnutrition assistance and medical services, were dramatically scaled back.

"Since the violence broke out a month ago, all these life-saving important humanitarian activities have been suspended," Peron said. "So we really are calling at the moment for humanitarian access, unfettered access to these areas in order to meet the needs of what were communities that were already very much in need of humanitarian assistance and who are likely to be in even more dire need of life-saving aid."

Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said as part of a joint statement with other relief agencies on Thursday that "it is chilling to imagine the situation of those who might be left behind, unable to flee."

Egeland urged Myanmar's authorities to allow NGOs "full, free and unimpeded access to reach everyone in need everywhere in Rakhine."

Bias toward Rohingya

Aid is a sensitive issue in the western state.

Rakhine Buddhists believe international agencies are biased toward the Rohingya, and the government inflamed these tensions at the beginning of the conflict by publishing photos of World Food Program biscuits that were found in a raid on an insurgent training camp. Aid groups strenuously denied allegations they were somehow supporting the fighters.

Meanwhile, a Rohingya man named Hussein called VOA Burmese in Washington this morning. He said he is from Mi-chaung-zay village north of Maungdaw in northern Rakhine state. He said he was calling from a hideout near his village, and wanted to be anonymous as he is afraid of retaliation.

"I am from Mi-chaung-zay village. Buddhist Rakhines came to raid our village and looted our belongings, including cows. Even though we have informed concerned authorities, they did not take any action. We don't have food supplies anymore and no security for our safety. I would like to you to know that we have no food and [it is] not safe to live here. There were about 50 Buddhist Rakhines with catapults and knives who came to loot our village lately."

Attacks on aid workers

In a joint statement released by the Norwegian Refugee Council and signed by 19 humanitarian agencies, the organization pointed to increased pressure on local aid workers from members of their own communities.

"Threats, allegations, misinformation and public accusations against humanitarian staff have led to genuine fears amongst humanitarian workers, in particular national staff, and have contributed to an environment where targeted attacks on humanitarian staff have taken place," it said.

A local mob in the state capital Sittwe last week attacked a delivery of supplies with stones and Molotov cocktails, according to reports. No one was hurt, but the government arrested and charged nine people.

In its September 22 bulletin, OCHA pointed to parts of Rakhine state where Buddhist landlords and contractors were under pressure not to rent property to or work with aid groups.

Normal deliveries also slowed to other Rohingya camps in the central part of the state in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

The Myanmar government has tasked the Red Cross Movement with delivering aid in northern Rakhine, but groups fear the task is too large for one organization. The Norwegian Refugee Council's joint statement said agencies were "very concerned that this will not be sufficient to meet the enormous humanitarian needs across this region."

Cecilia Goin, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yangon, said it's true that it cannot completely fill the vacuum left by the U.N. and other humanitarian organizations. But it is scaling up its response.

"It's very intense, the needs are huge, and we are trying to provide assistance to as many people as possible," she said.

The violence in northern Rakhine has also displaced tens of thousands of Buddhists into other parts of the state, while other ethnic minorities have been swept up in the fighting.

Earlier this week, the government said it found a mass grave of dozens of Hindus killed by ARSA fighters at the beginning of the conflict. Though relatives have corroborated some of the allegations, ARSA rejected them, saying it doesn't attack civilians.

Khin Soe Win of VOA Burmese contributed to this report.

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Pakistan Army Chief to Visit Afghanistan Sunday

By Ayaz Gul September 29, 2017

Pakistan's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, will undertake a crucial visit to Afghanistan on Sunday where his delegation is to discuss with Afghan counterparts ways to strengthen bilateral security cooperation and border management efforts.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been marred by mistrust and suspicion, with both sides routinely accusing each other's security institutions of backing fugitive anti-state militants to plot terrorist attacks against the other.

While no official details of Bajwa's expected engagements in Kabul have been announced, he is scheduled to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, a Pakistani official told VOA on condition of anonymity.

General Bajwa is expected to reiterate offers of training for Afghan soldiers and police personnel in Pakistani institutions and emphasize the need for the two countries to resolve differences by relying on bilateral mechanisms and dialogue.

The Afghan government and the United States allege Taliban insurgents use sanctuaries on Pakistani soil for launching attacks in Afghanistan.

Islamabad rejects the charges and insists no such activity is taking place on its side of the largely porous border because of sustained anti-terrorism operations Pakistani security forces have undertaken over the past few years.

Pakistani officials also cite building of a fence and new security outposts on the nearly 2,600-kilometer border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Chief military spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor said the fence will be in place within the next two years.

"If Afghans are willing to build the fence and posts on their side, we are ready to do it for you so that only peaceful citizens can cross the border," he recently told a group of Afghan and Pakistani reporters.

Until a few years ago, he said, the border was free of observation posts, terrorists were "roaming freely" in both directions but "today from our side 90 percent of the areas are difficult to infiltrate."

Kabul, however, opposes the fencing project because it traditionally disputes the demarcation established in 1896 under British rule.

Pakistan dismisses the objection and recognizes the boundary as an international frontier the country inherited after gaining independence from Britain in 1947.

Afghan officials maintain that Taliban insurgents are being harbored in major Pakistani cities, including Quetta and Peshawar and simply fencing the border will not address their concerns.

For their part, Pakistani authorities maintain that militants who have fled security operations have taken shelter in Afghanistan and plot attacks against the country with the help of the Afghan intelligence agency.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, at a public talk in New York earlier this week, recounted his country's contributions to fighting terrorism and helping U.S.-backed efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. He criticized U.S. attempts to single out Pakistan for all the ills plaguing the war-ravage country.

"The drug production in Afghanistan has gone up by 3,700 percent. Are we responsible? Daesh [Islamic State group] is there in three [Afghan] provinces, proven presence. Are we responsible for that? Forty percent of territory lost to the Taliban in the last 15 years. Are we responsible for that? The corruption, Afghan soldiers selling their weapons in open market to the Taliban. Are we responsible for that?"

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Ukraine's Military Chief Says Russia Left Troops In Belarus After War Games

September 29, 2017

The Ukrainian military's chief of staff says Russia left troops behind in Belarus after staging military exercises there, despite Moscow's pledge not to do so, Reuters reports.

Viktor Muzhenko's comments in an interview with the news agency on September 29 could heighten tensions further between Moscow and Kyiv, which have been locked in a standoff over Russia's 2014 seizure of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and its backing of separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The claim also contradicts a statement by the Belarusian Defense Ministry, which said that the last train of Russian troops who participated in the Zapad (West) 2017 military drills left Belarus on September 28.

"We had information that they had withdrawn only a few units of the declared 12,500 troops, of which 3,000 were Russians, but there were significantly more of them there," Reuters quoted Muzhenko as saying.

The September 14-20 war games in Belarus and parts of western Russia triggered concerns in neighboring NATO member states already wary of Moscow's intentions after its seizure of Crimea and military interference in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow and Minsk said the maneuvers involved some 12,700 troops in the two countries combined, but Western officials have said the true number may have been around 100,000.

Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said on the final day of the exercises that all Russian troops involved in the drills would leave Belarus.

There was no immediate comment from Russia on Muzhenko's claim.

Based on reporting by Reuters and RFE/RL's Belarus Service

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-ukraine- says-russia-left-troops-after- zapad-games/28764925.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russia warns US over military observation flights

Sputnik News

Fri Sep 29, 2017 05:48AM

Russia has warned the United States against further deteriorating bilateral ties by pushing a dispute over the so-called military observation flights.

Washington claims Moscow has breached the Open Skies Treaty, an agreement designed to build confidence between the two countries' military forces, and has said it plans to take restrictive measures against Moscow.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the US restrictions on Russia would include restricting Russian military flights over American territory in response to what it said was Moscow preventing US observation flights over its heavily militarized Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad.

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow would retaliate against any new restrictions by Washington.

"Nobody has canceled the principle of reciprocity in international relations," she said.

Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov had made similar remarks.

"I have no doubt there will be a (Russian) response," Ryabkov told reporters on Wednesday. "But before announcing something on this, we have to analyze the situation with our military and look at how we'll respond to the Americans."

Ryabkov described Washington's approach in the dispute as one-sided and said Russia would not yield to US pressure for it to make concessions.

The Treaty on Open Skies was struck on January 1, 2002 by the US, Russia, and more than thirty other countries. The treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants a direct role in gathering information about the military forces and activities of concern to them.

 Sputnik

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UK marks 350th UK deterrent patrol

29 September 2017

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has today marked the UK's 350th nuclear deterrence submarine patrol.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has today marked the UK's 350th nuclear deterrence submarine patrol by hosting talks on collective global security with NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the North Atlantic Council.

The UK Defence Secretary welcomed Jens Stoltenberg and all 29 NATO ambassadors to the home of the UK's independent strategic nuclear deterrent, Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde. Sir Michael also took the opportunity to confirm that the UK will continue to play a leading role in NATO's deterrence missions and will modernise and upgrade the Clyde Naval Base through 1.3 billion investment over the next ten years.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

"From our nuclear submarines that stand ready to defend us against the most extreme threats to our way of life, to nearly a thousand UK troops based in Eastern Europe, our commitment to the NATO Alliance, the cornerstone of European security, is clear and unwavering."

"NATO is a nuclear alliance. Only by having a deterrent of our own are we able to help guarantee our nation's security and that of all our NATO allies."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said:

"I welcome the UK's strong contribution to NATO, from its commitment to defence investment to its operational deployments. The nuclear forces of the Alliance, including those at Clyde Naval Base, are the supreme guarantee of the security of allied countries and populations."

HMNB Clyde has been home to the submarine based nuclear deterrent for five decades. The UK Government is investing 1.3 billion over the next 10 years to update and upgrade its engineering and training facilities. The Base will be home to the entire UK submarine service by 2020, and supports 6,800 jobs today, which will rise to 8,500 in the 2030s.

The NAC's visit included a tour of a UK Vanguard class deterrent submarine and the Base's extensive Trident Training Facility.

Designing and building the new Dreadnought class of four ballistic missile submarines is one of the largest and most complex programmes that the MOD and UK industry has undertaken. The UK has shown its commitment to the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty having reduced the number of deployed warheads on each submarine from 48 to 40, the number of operationally available warheads to no more than 120 and remains committed to reducing its stockpile of nuclear warheads to no more than 180 by mid-2020s.

The NAC also toured a Royal Navy frigate taking part in Exercise Joint Warrior, the UK-led multinational exercise that will begin days after the visit, on Sunday 1st October. It is one of the largest military exercises of its kind in Europe, bringing together 35 naval units from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Spain and the US, as well as aircraft from Canada, France, Norway, the UK and US. As Scotland's largest military establishment, HMNB Clyde is also the operational headquarters for Joint Warrior.



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Russia's intelligence agency arrests two for spying

Iran Press TV

Fri Sep 29, 2017 09:45AM

Russia's intelligence service has detained two citizens, including a member of the armed forces, who allegedly passed military secrets to Ukraine.

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) said in a statement on Friday that it had detained a man, who had been serving as a conscript in the Russian armed forces in Crimea, and a woman. The statement said the pair "had been gathering and passing to the Ukrainian special services information that is a state secret about the activities of the units and divisions of the Black Sea naval fleet" based in Crimea.

It added that a criminal case into treason had been opened for the suspects. If they are found guilty, the two will be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

The FSB had in August captured a suspected Ukrainian agent who was planning acts of sabotage in Russia, including blowing up power lines.

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a dispute since 2014, when Crimea declared independence from Kiev after holding a general plebiscite and formally applied to become part of Russia.

A deadly conflict also broke out in eastern Ukraine when Kiev launched military operations to crack down on pro-Russia protests there.

The crisis has left over 10,000 people dead, over 22,430 others injured, and more than a million others displaced since it began in mid-April 2014, according to the United Nations.

The warring sides have previously signed several shaky truce deals.

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European Lawmakers To Consider Resolution On 'Rights Abuses' In Crimea

Rikard Jozwiak September 29, 2017

BRUSSELS -- The European Parliament is scheduled to debate and vote on a resolution highlighting what European lawmakers say are human rights abuses by Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine's occupied Crimean Peninsula.

The October 5 session in Strasbourg will focus on the arrests and trials of figures like RFE/RL journalist Mykola Semena and Crimean Tatar leaders Akhtem Chiygoz and Ilmi Umerov since the Ukrainian peninsula was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

"Semena is a very important person in terms for free journalism and his court trial [on separatism charges] should be condemned by the free world because, first of all, his activity was clearly, purely noble -- fulfilling his professional obligations," said Anna Fotyga, Poland's former foreign minister and a current member of the European Parliament.

The drafting of the resolution was expected to take place during the next week.

Lawmakers who are expected to take part in drafting the resolution told RFE/RL that they expect it will accuse Russia of violating the rights of Semena and others in Crimea who have publicly opposed Russia's military seizure and annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula.

They said they expect the resolution will call on Russia to annul the 2 1/2-year suspended sentence and ban on future journalistic activity that Russian-installed judges issued against Semena earlier this month.

Nils Muiznieks, the human rights commissioner of the Council of Europe, told RFE/RL on September 26 that Russia is the only member of the 47-country Council of Europe that has not cooperated with his office in the last few years.

The UN Human Rights Office on September 25 said the situation in Crimea "has significantly deteriorated" under Russian occupation.

It said "grave human rights violations, such as arbitrary arrests and detentions, enforced disappearances, ill-treatment and torture, and at least one extra-judicial execution were documented."

Russia seized Crimea in March 2014, sending in troops and staging a referendum denounced as illegal by dozens of countries, after Ukraine's pro-Russia former president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted from power by mass protests in Kyiv.

The European Union, along with the United States and other Western countries, have imposed sanctions against Russia in response to the takeover of the Ukrainian territory.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/semena -crimea-rights-abuses-eu-lawmakers- resolutions/28764176.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Ukrainian President to Sue Russia Over Crimea Bridge Construction

Sputnik News

19:21 29.09.2017(updated 21:59 29.09.2017)

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is going to sue Russia over the alleged environmental damage from the construction of the Kerch bridge to Crimea.

KIEV (Sputnik)  Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has given instructions to sue Russia for causing "environmental damage" as a result of building a bridge to Crimea, Ukrainian presidential spokesman Svyatoslav Tsegolko said Friday.

"The president gave instructions to sue the Russian Federation because of environmental damage from the construction of the Kerch bridge," Tsegolko wrote on Twitter without specifying the court Poroshenko planned to file a lawsuit with.

According to Poroshenko's press service, the instructions were made during the meeting on forestry reform and improvement of state environmental policy.

"I would like the issue related to the disaster caused by the construction of the Kerch Bridge to be considered and a respective lawsuit to the international structures to be submitted," Poroshenko said, as quoted by the press service.

The president added that he would like to receive the information about the lawsuit as soon as possible.

Previously, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry delivered a protest note to Russia with regard to restrictions on maritime traffic through the Kerch Strait in August-September 2017 due to the construction of a bridge that will connect the Russian peninsula of Crimea with the Krasnodar Territory.

The ministry claimed that the construction of the bridge is contrary to international law, yet again refusing to recognize Crimea a part of Russia despite the 2014 referendum.

The Crimea Bridge across the Kerch Strait will connect the peninsula and the Krasnodar Territory. Its total length is 19 kilometers, which will make it the longest bridge in Russia.

Car traffic via the bridge is expected to start in December 2018. The investment in the project amounts to 200 billion rubles ($3.47 billion).

 Sputnik

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Moscow Court Authorizes Arrest of Two Russians Suspected of Spying for Ukraine

Sputnik News

18:24 29.09.2017(updated 20:06 29.09.2017)

The FSB operatives detained two Crimea's residents, suspected of collecting data on the activities of the units of Russia's Black Sea Fleet and passing it to the Ukrainian security services.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Residents of Crimea Anna Sukhonosova and Dmitry Dolgopolov, suspected of spying for Ukraine, were arrested Friday following a ruling by the Moscow District Military Court, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said.

The FSB operatives detained Suhonosova and Dolgopolov, who collected and passed on to the Ukrainian security services secret information on the activities of the units of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, earlier in the day.

"The suspects were taken to the Moscow District Military Court, which ruled that a measure of restraint should be imposed on them in the form of arrestThe investigation is underway," the statement said.

Dolgopolov is a serviceman, his unit is stationed on the Crimean peninsula. The suspects are facing up to 20 years in prison under the article "High Treason" of the Russian Criminal Code.

 Sputnik

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Rachel Carson's expose shocked the world. And we're better for it
Four MILFs share a thirst for young and sexy girls. Abella Danger gets a chance to interview celebrated fashion designer Sandy Fantasy, who invites her into the bathroom and answers questions as she soaks in the tub. Nice seduction scene. Abella gets into the tub with her and thats where all the sex takes place, including some pussy-bumping underwater.

Wide-eyed blonde Kylie Page finds that she needs a good divorce lawyer, so she contacts infidelity settlement expert Alexis Fawx. Kylie wants to clean out her husbandHe cheated on the wrong fucking person. Alexis is smooth and slick and Kylie is pretty but dumb as a rockand their dialogue exchange is quite funny. Seducing her isnt hard. Kylie confesses that Ive never had a woman touch me down there. When Alexis goes to work on her pussy with fingers and tongue she has the younger woman screaming.

Alice March needs a tutor and Vicki Chase is recommended. The subject is Shakespeare and they get into discussing Romeo and Juliet. Alice fantasizes about Vicki making a move on her. Vicki picks up on whats going on and starts coming on to her. Vicki takes charge with her tongue work and makes Alice love it. I could study all night, she gushes.

Grad student Abby Cross gets hired by the DAs office to do psychological evaluation on a woman involved in a case. Its Cherie DeVille, and shes nuts, totally paranoid, constantly freaking out. They sent me a student! In the internship! Shes convinced shes being bugged and that someone is watching them, so she tells Abby, youre my new lesbian lover. She seduces her aggressively, since Abby has never done this before. Cherie as always is hot but also very funny. Everyone is well directed by Stills by Alan.
Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc. Arranges Sale of the Hampton Inn, Horse Cave, Kentucky

Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc., a member of Hotel Brokers International, is pleased to announce the successful closing of the Hampton Inn located in Horse Cave, Kentucky. Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc. represented the Seller, Dhami, Sohal & Sehgal Properties, LLC. The 101-room hotel was sold in conjunction with an auction on Ten-X for $4,400,000.

"The sale presents an incredible opportunity for the Buyer to rebrand and operate as a newly flagged Holiday Inn Express after completion of the Formula Blue renovation. The new modern exterior will be like none other in the Cave Country market attracting more customers for greater occupancies, said Brandt Niehaus, President of Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc.

Brandt Niehaus, President of Louisville, Kentucky-based Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc., is a licensed broker in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio and Tennessee. He earned the coveted Broker of the Year award in 2014 and is an eleven-time recipient of Top Regional Broker recognition. Since 1975, Huff, Niehaus & Associates has evolved into a full-service real estate firm providing many services exclusively to the hospitality industry and lenders, including Brokers Opinions of Value, expert witness testimony, development consultation and brokerage services.

Founded in 1959, Hotel Brokers International members lead the industry in hotel real estate sales. HBI hotel brokerage specialists have successfully negotiated more than 10,000 hotel real estate transactions and consistently account for the largest share of all select-service and economy hotel sales in the United States. The organizations database currently comprises more than 100 property listings and the HBI website attracts site visitors from all over the world. Founder and host of the popular Hotel Investors Marketplace Webcast, HBI also developed the Certified Hotel Broker professional designation program. In addition to hospitality real estate advisory services, HBI offers affiliate membership to professionals in allied fields, including franchising, lending, appraisals and investment services. For more information about HBIs hotel listings or to become a broker or affiliate member, visit www.hbihotels.com.



For more information contact:

H. Brandt Niehaus CHB, CCIM

Huff, Niehaus & Associates, Inc.

Louisville, Kentucky

502.254.7787

hotels@huffniehaus.com



Glenda J. Webb, Managing Director

Hotel Brokers International

Kansas City, Missouri

816.505.4315

gwebb@hbihotels.com
As Donald Trump continues to be criticized for his attitude towards the disaster in Puerto Rico, Jay-Zs TIDAL is doing their best to help those in need. The streaming service is teaming with New York Governor Andrew Cuomos Empire State Relief and Recovery Effort, and will be sending cargo planes filled with supplies to aid the relief from Hurricane Maria.

Fat Joe shared some details of the aid on Instagram. As the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico grows, our brothers and sisters are desperate for our help, he said. Please join myself, TIDAL, Governor Cuomo, and Ruben Diaz Jr. as we collect and transport much-needed supplies to the island. The goal is to fill and send as many cargo planes as possible. Donate or find your local drop-off location and help save lives. Head to TIDAL.com/PuertoRico. If you are in the New York area, we are collecting non-perishable items such as water, batteries, can foods, diapers, baby wipes, canned formula, etc. on September 30th at the Jacob Javits Center. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart and I promise all these items will be delivered by ME personally to Puerto Rico. God bless. #savepuertorico

Rihanna has also directed fans attention to the TIDAL efforts, writing on Twitter, If you have even the smallest donation, you can help save lives!

A list of donation locations can be found below. Planes will be sent between the U.S. and Puerto Rico between now and 10/17. Online donations can be made at TIDAL.com/PuertoRico.



Capital Region Empire State Plaza Main Concourse, Albany

Central New York Senator John J. Hughes State Office Building 333 E. Washington Street, Syracuse

Finger Lakes State Police Zone Station 1155 Scottsville Road, Suite 400 Rochester

Long Island Perry B. Duryea State Office Building 250 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge

Mid-Hudson Valley Yonkers Armory 2 Quincy Place, Yonkers

Mohawk Valley Utica State Office Building 207 Genesee Street, Utica

New York City Jacob K. Javits Center 655 W. 34th Street, New York

Shirley A. Chisholm State Office Building 55 Hanson Place, Brooklyn

Jamaica Street Armory 93-05 168th Street, Queens

Roberto Clemente State Park 301 West Tremont Ave, Bronx

Department of Motor Vehicles 696 E Fordham Road, Bronx

Southern Tier Binghamton Armory 85 West End Avenue, Binghamton

Western New York Connecticut Street Armory 184 Connecticut Street, Buffalo
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The cholera outbreak in Yemen is set to become the largest epidemic since records began, British charity Oxfam has said.

Yemen descended into a full-blown civil war in March 2015, and has been suffering from a cholera epidemic since March of this year.

Charities had already warned the crisis is the fasting-growing cholera epidemic in history, and have said the number of cases will soon overtake the total of 754,373 cases recorded in the aftermath of Haitis 2010 earthquake. Experts believe it will hit a million by November.

 The child victims of Yemens civil war

More than 2,100 Yemenis, around half of them children, have died from the disease to date. While in some areas the infection rate has fallen, in the most conflict affected and hard-to-reach provinces up to 5,000 people a day are falling ill.

Yemen is the worlds worst humanitarian crisis and it is getting even worse. More than two years of war have created ideal conditions for the disease to spread, Nigel Timmins, Oxfams Humanitarian Director, said in a statement.

The war has pushed the country to the edge of famine, forced millions from their homes, virtually destroyed the already weak health services and hampered efforts to respond to the cholera outbreak.

Two and a half years of civil war have decimated Yemens infrastructure and put seven million of the 27-million strong population on the brink of famine.

The situation in Yemen Show all 14 1 /14 The situation in Yemen The situation in Yemen Houthi supporters trample on a US flag during a gathering mobilizing more fighters into several Yemeni battlefronts, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen People carry the coffins of men, who were killed in the recent Saudi-led airstrikes during their funeral, in the Old City of Sanaa, Yemen AP The situation in Yemen Pro-government fighters give food to Yemeni children on the road leading to the southwestern port city of Mokha. Yemeni rebels are putting up fierce resistance in a key Red Sea port city where they are encircled by pro-government force Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni stands in front of a graffiti protesting US military operations in war-affected Yemen, in Sana'a, Yemen. According to reports, US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen US Special Forces troops allegedly disembarked from US helicopters in the Yemeni town of Yakla and attacked several houses belonging to members of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda, killing three high-ranking Al-Qaeda members and nine civilians, six women and three children. One American serviceman has been killed and three injured in the attack EPA The situation in Yemen A Yemeni female fighter supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, takes part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen Yemeni female fighters supporting the Shiite Huthi rebels, and carrying weapons used for ceremonial purposes, take part in an anti-Saudi rally in the capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A boy shouts slogans next to pro-Houthi fighters, who have been injured during recent fighting, during a rally held to honour those injured or maimed while fighting in Houthi ranks in Sanaa, Yemen Reuters The situation in Yemen Balls of fire and smoke rise from a Houthi-held military camp following alleged Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sana'a, Yemen EPA The situation in Yemen Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty Images The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy looks on as Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa Getty The situation in Yemen A Yemeni boy sits amidst the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa AFP/Getty The situation in Yemen Marine One with US President Donald Trump flies with a decoy and support helicopters to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, for the dignified transfer of Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens who was killed in Yemen Getty Images The situation in Yemen US President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One to greet the remains of a US military commando killed during a raid on the al Qaeda militant group in southern Yemen on Sunday, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, US Reuters

The collapse of the medical system has allowed cholera to balloon across the entire country. Aid organisations are struggling to reach people in remote, recently hit areas, and critical medical as well as food supply lines are being strangled by the Saudi-led blockade on Yemens airspace and ports.

Less than half of the countrys medical centres are still functional, 14.5 million people dont have regular access to clean water, and in several provinces health and sanitation workers are still going to work despite not receiving their pay for a year.

While it is easily preventable and treatable in hygienic conditions, cholera can kill the old, young and otherwise sick in hours if fluids are not replaced.

As part of its emergency response, Oxfam has provided water and sanitation assistance to more than 430,000 people in Taiz, Aden, Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, and Amran governorates, but warned that visas and access for cholera experts have been taking up to two months thanks to both Houthi and government restrictions. The UN said last month that vaccine shipments had also been delayed.

Saudi Arabia and its regional partners have justified an extensive bombing campaign on Yemens Shia Houthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, at the request of the exiled, internationally recognised Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

The intense air strikes  which in some cases have targeted civilian buildings such as hospitals and funeral gatherings  have killed thousands of civilians.

Western governments including the UK have been heavily criticised for selling weapons export licences to Saudi Arabia, which rights groups say are destined for use in Yemens war.

 Michael Fallon claims Saudi Arabia is only 'defending itself' when attacking Yemen

Officials within former US President Barack Obamas administration worried the sales could amount to complicity in war crimes.

The UN estimates $2.1bn (1.6bn) is needed to stop Yemen become a completely failed state, but donor governments only pledged half that amount at an aid conference in Geneva in April.

Yemens tragedy is a man-made catastrophe for which all sides bear responsibility. Yet it is being fuelled by deliberate political decisions in London, Washington and other world capitals, Mr Timmins added.

Billions of dollars worth of arms are being sold with little if any concern for the destruction of lives their use is causing. Our common humanity tells us this has to stop and efforts to foster peace have to start."

An earlier version of this article appeared saying the outbreak had already surpassed the levels seen in Haiti in 2010. Oxfam subsequently retracted the statement, but added the number of cases is forecast to top those seen in Haiti "within ten days".
The top priority for pregnant women is to find the best maternity hospital that will provide optimal care to the mother and to the newborn baby.

You can begin by making a checklist of all the things that you need to be sure of before finalizing on a hospital for pregnancy in Pune.

Doctor

If you already have been seeing an obstetrician then you can look for hospitals where he is allowed to practice. In case you have a medical insurance that covers pregnancy and childbirth, then it is crucial to check if the hospital your doctor is allowed to practice in accepts the insurance.

Length of stay

It is important to know the average length of stay both after a vaginal delivery or a C-section delivery. Some mothers will want to stay little extra days in the hospital so one should know the rules of the hospital in advance.

Number of patents

If the hospital is normally full then it may be difficult to extend the stay after the delivery. However, if the hospital has open rooms available then the mom can choose to stay longer which will help the transition from a pregnant woman to a new mom easy.

Ratio of nurse to patient

This is a very important point to consider because the number of patients to nurse ratio will give an indication of the support that the pregnant woman and a new mom get at the hospital. If the ratio is large, then the nurse will not be able to provide proper care.

Availability of private rooms

If you need a private room after delivery to have some privacy with the baby then you can ask the hospital about the procedure to book it in advance.

Night visits

If you would like your husband to stay along with you in the private room, then you can check if the hospital allows night stay facilities for the father of the baby.

After birth care In case the baby needs special care after the mom is released, find out if the hospital provides accommodation to moms and gives her a place to stay when the baby is under the doctors care.



NICU

In case the baby has any complications after being born, then the baby may need to care in a NICU. Neonatal intensive care unit is a must in the hospital that you choose to deliver in. The hospital should also have specialized caregivers who are a specialist in caring infants who are critical.

Pediatrician and obstetrician on call

Choose those hospitals that employee a pediatrician and an obstetrician to be at the hospital overnight so that you know a doctor is always available in the case of an emergency.

Lactation help

Lactation support is essential for new moms and it is thus important that you select a hospital that has an in-house lactation consultant who can help you with breastfeeding.

Reviews

After you have crossed out all points in the list and have decided on a hospital to give birth in, ask your friends and colleagues for reviews and their experiences when they had delivered at the hospital. You can also check the online reviews which will let you know individual patients experiences at the hospital

The first moments of your babys life have to be perfect and it is thus important that you carefully choose the best maternity hospital in Pune.
Toronto, Sep 30 (IBNS): The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) celebrated Durga Puja in different pockets of the city, with numerous Bengalis, Indians, or just a mix of Asians flocking together.

The four day festivities was marked with a lot of pomp and vigour, as people queued up from far and wide to enjoy the festival with their families. Although the Puja happened in the normal hours of the day, following the traditional Bengali calendar time, yet the attendance was commendable.



Samir Dey, a member of the Toronto KalibariDurga Puja Committee, explains, It is the spirit of the Bengalis and the love for Ma durga that brings them here in the temple, irrespective of the time or day. When it is Durga Puja, Bengalis become Bengalis in the true sense, nothing can hold them back.

It is not only at the Toronto Kalibari that the footfall was commendable, The Bangladeshi Hindu Temple, located in Dohme Avenue, also was heavily crowded. And it is not only Bengalis in Toronto who make it for the pujas in different parts of the city. The city gets an additional footfall of Bengalis coming from different parts of Canada to celebrate the puja.



Suchitra Halder married to Iqbal Sheikh lives in Denmarks Copenhagen and have just received their Permanent residency status in Canada. An elated Suchitra says, We do not have many pujas in Copenhagen, therefore, we thought it is the best time to come to Canada, especially Toronto to validate our PR and then make a final move to the country later on. Her husband Iqbal adds, Getting a chance to see Ma Durga among my other fellow Bangladeshi friends here was just ecstatic.



Shubhra Dey became a permanent resident of Canada and moved to Toronto earlier this year. She is ecstatic that she could get a slice of Kolkata during Durga Puja in Toronto.  I did not know where the celebrations were taking place, and was sad that I would miss it. However thanks to my friends who helped me reach out to the different venues where the auspicious celebration is taking place. It's a feeling that cannot be expressed in words. My parents and in-laws back home are also happy and relieved seeing us enjoying the festival here with our friends.



I always knew Durga Puja as a homecoming festival every year, as my aunt used to come back from UK to India during this time, recounts 29-year-oldKakoli Das. However this year although i could not make it to Kolkata to participate in the big family celebration, owing to the birth of my little boy. I am happy that my slice of Kolkata my parents and my in-laws are at least here with me today and we are celebrating it together as a family.



Durga Puja is all about inclusion. It is not only a festival of Hindus or Bengalis alone. Fariha Sheikh, born in Bangladesh, a Muslim by religion, says, We come to East York every year ever since we moved to Toronto. Although we do not have any religious significance with DurgaPuja, we love it as we have grown up among Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh and have Bengali Hindu neighbours too here in Toronto. We equally celebrate the four days of the festival with our friends here.



Even after a tiring day in office, I was excited in the evening to see some different tradition and meet my friends, explains SmitaChitkeshwar, who moved to Toronto from Pune years back on an official assignment with her family. When we entered the temple, I felt very spiritual. It was my first time in a Bengali puja in Toronto and i was spellbound. I just felt it was Sanjay leelaBhansalis movie set with beautiful Bengali ladies moving in traditional sarees and jewellery. Smita adds, I loved the opportunity to shop beautiful sarees, salwars, jewellery on display.





It was a nostalgia ride, recounts Nandita and Prashant Pathak. We had witnessed severalDurga Puja celebrations being born and brought up near Jamshedpur. But getting a chance to recall the childhood celebrations and be a part once again in Toronto is unbelievable. We loved the festive ambience, the mouth-wateringKhichudiprassad, and the beautiful idol of the Goddess here at Kalibari.



However, Prashant adds, It would have been a real cherry in the pie if there were some street side food stalls selling egg rolls, phuchkas, ghugni, and more like the way we have it back home during Pujas.


Srinagar, Sep 29 (IBNS): Grand Mufti of Syria, Dr. Ahmad Bader Eddin Mohammad Adib Hassoun, on Friday called on Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti as the two discussed several issues.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed several issues confronting the Muslim ummah (Muslim world) and the need to weed out the cult of violence from the Muslim society. According to official spokesman they also underscored the need for inculcating values of peace, tolerance and coexistence among the younger generation.

The two leaders also exchanged ideas on education, social system, history and welfare of the Muslim ummah and the need for an effective inter faith communication to spread the message of Islam.

Mufti informed Dr. Adib Hassoun of various socio developmental initiatives undertaken by her Government in the State including the education and empowerment of women.

The Chief Minister invited the Grand Mufti and his delegation to visit the state again for exhaustive sessions with the ulema, local religious scholars and academicians.

The Grand Mufti informed the Chief Minister that he was happy to meet her and know about her views on the subjects discussed. You are a role model for the Muslim world and Syrian women would take an inspiration from your personality, he told the Chief Minister while extending an invitation to her to visit Syria.

The visit of the Syrian Grand Mufti has been coordinated by Indian Council of Cultural Relations, New Delhi.

Ambassador of Syria to India, Dr. Riad Abbas; Advisor in Syrian Embassy, Nazen Nasri and other officials of Syrian Embassy besides Regional Director, ICCR, Balwant Thakur accompanied the Grand Mufti during the visit.

(Reporting by Saleem Qadri)
Patna, Sep 30 (TheBiharPost/IBNS): In a rare incident, a woman in Bihar filed a case against her in-laws for not constructing a toilet at home.

The woman, identified as Rangeela Devi, is a resident of Jiyan-Khurd village under Karja police station in Muzaffarpur district.

She registered the case with the local police after finding the toilet missing at home.

In her complaint, she said she reached her in-laws home five years ago after her marriage but is condemned to go out to meet natures call in utter humiliation.

I have been facing this humiliation for the past five years. Several eyes continue chasing me once I go out to meet natures call. I requested so many times to my in-laws but they didnt take any notice of my request, she was quoted as saying in her complaint petition.

She withdrew the case only after her in-laws filled a bond in the police station promising to construct toilet within a month.

As per an official report, 14 million households out of Bihars 110 million population currently dont have toilets at home, forcing them to defecate in the open.

Last week, the Narendra Modi government even censured the state government headed by chief minister Nitish Kumar over the issue.

So far, 192 districts across India have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) but none from Bihar figure in this list, Union minister of state for drinking water and sanitation SS Ahluwalia told the media last week.

The minister was here to review the progress of toilet construction in Bihar.



(thebiharpost.com)
New Delhi, Sep 30 (IBNS): Addressing a crowd on Vijaya Dashami on Saturday, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat supported the Modi government's plan of deporting the Rohingya refugees who came from Myanmar, media reports said.

Bhagwat called the Rohingyas "a national threat" and urged the government to take any decision keeping that in mind.

He also raised a question as to why the Rohingas have come to India, indicating an imminent threat to the country.

The central government had already said they want to deport the Rohingyas as they are a threat to the national security.

The Centre, days ago, filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that the presence of Rohingyas Muslims in the country poses national security threats as intelligence reports suggest links of a section of the immigrants, branded stateless in Myanmar, with Pak-based terror groups.

According to reports, the Centre also told the apex court that whether or not Rohingya refugees should be allowed to settle in the country be left to the executive.

The top court had asked the government to file an affidavit following a petition against the deportation of the illegal immigrants to Myanmar.

The Centre said in the apex court: As far as Rohingyas are concerned, they claimed to have entered from Myanmar using porous border between India and Myanmar. The total number of such illegal immigrants into our country would be more than 40,000 approximately as on date.

Rohingya presence in the country has serious national security ramifications and it poses national security threats. Illegal influx of Rohingyasinto India started in 2012-13 and inputs suggest links of some of the immigrants with Pak-based terror groups. 

The Supreme Court has granted Centre time till October three to submit its response to petition filed by Rohingyas opposing proposed deportation.

Reacting to the Rohingya issue on last Thursday, home minister Rajnath Singh said it is irrelevant to criticise the central government when Burma (Myanmar) is willing to take back the illegal immigrants, media reports said.

"If Burma is willing to take them back, why criticise the central government?" Singh raised a question on Thursday, lashing out at opposition parties.

The home minister even stated that the Rohingyas are not the refugees but illegal immigrants.

"There is a process of attaining the refugee status but none of them (Rohingyas) have gone through it" Singh said.

He even denied to term the ongoing Rohingya crisis as a Human Rights issue.
New Delhi, Sep 30 (IBNS): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday condoled the demise of thespian Tom Alter.

Alter, who was diagnosed with stage four skin cancer, passed away on Friday, following a prolonged battle with the illness.

"Tom Alter ji's contribution to cinema & theatre is immense. Sad to know of his demise. The void left behind by him will be difficult to fill," Rahul's tweet read.

The actor's family released a statement which was quoted in the media: "It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father."

Apart from theatre, he also worked in a number of acclaimed films.

One of his popular films was Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khilari along with Kranti, Sardar.

The actor was awarded Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 2008, for his contribution towards the field of performing arts.
New Delhi, Sept 30 (IBNS): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is on a four-day visit to the state of Uttarakhand.

On the third day of his visit on Saturday, Singh visited the Lapthal and Rimkhim Border out Posts (BOPs) of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

The Union Home Minster interacted with the jawans and greeted them on the occasion of Dussehra festival.

He inaugurated the Civic Action Programme and Blood Donation Camp at Joshimath and addressed at the free medical camp organized by ITBP.

He had visited the BoP Mana of ITBP yesterday.

He will conclude his visit to the state on Sunday.
Mumbai, Sep 30 (IBNS): Actor Tom Alter, the Padma Shri award winner, who was suffering from cancer, has died at an age of 67, media reports said.

The actor's family released a statement which was quoted by the media:"It is with sadness we announce the death of Tom Alter, actor, writer, director, Padma Shri, and our dear husband and father."

Alter, who was suffering from a stage four skin cancer, returned home on Thursday and died on Friday, news reports said.

Alter was mostly known for his acting in Hindi films, who has also worked on television. One of his popular films was Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khilari along with Kranti, Sardar.

He is famous for his archetypal role of Sahib which he played in Indian cinema over the years.

The actor was awarded Padma Shri in 2008.

President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his condolence on Twitter, as saying: "Sad to hear of demise of veteran actor Tom Alter. He will be remembered by film lovers. Condolences to his family."

Sad to hear of demise of veteran actor Tom Alter. He will be remembered by film lovers. Condolences to his family #PresidentKovind  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 30, 2017

Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted to say: "PM expressed grief on the demise of Shri Tom Alter and recalled his contribution to the film world and theatre. He extended condolences to the family & admirers of Shri Tom Alter."
Barcelona, Sep 30 (IBNS): Thousands took to the streets in Catalonia ahead of Sunday's referendum on independence from Spain, reports said.

The activities were backed by Regional President Carles Puigdemont, who told the crowd to believe that Catalonia will be taking its first steps as a sovereign nation, a BBC report read.

However, Madrid, who remains adamant about not granting the region independence, has deployed extra police to prevent the vote from taking place.

The action has also forced tech giant Google to delete an app dedicated to the voting process.

In its defence, the company said that it simply followed court orders.

However, those who already have the app installed, can still use it for finding polling stations.

Madrid has issued orders for police to prevent use of residential buildings as polling stations.

Additionally, if anyone is found guilty of running the campaign, that person will face prosecution.

In defiance of the order, the regional government has said that it'll open more that 2000 polling stations and aid in the polling process.

The existing crisis

The first hint for the separation of Catalonia was dropped in 2014, when Catalan secessionists held a trial referendum.

However, it was downplayed by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who offered no concessions to their demand for a legal vote.

Rajoy has termed the referendum as unconstitutional, while vowing to stop the vote.

People rallying for a united Spain have already said that the region enjoys autonomy.

According to government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo, Catalonia is inflexible and one-sided, a charge that the latter refutes, while blaming the former for being the same.



Catalonia in numbers

Catalonia, a region in north-eastern Spain, houses a population of 7.5 million people.

It has its own language and culture.

The Catalonian population makes up for 16 percent of Spain's population.

Spain derives 19 percent of its GDP from Catalonia.

About 25.6 percent of the nation's exports come from the region.

Banner Image: Screengrab from Youtube

Body Image: Sujoy Dhar/IBNS


Toronto, Sep 29 (IBNS): Former US President Barack Obama will visit Canada on Friday, a day after Hillary Clinton, the defeated candidate in the US presidential election 2016, addressed a gathering in Toronto, media reports said.

Obama is expected to address a gathering of around 3000 people at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto. He will speak on global citizenship.

The former US President will be hosted by a left leaning, non-profit Ottawa based think tank, Canada 2020.

This is Obama's second visit to the country. Earlier, he came to Montreal in June.

Alex Paterson, a spokesman for Canada 2020, considers Obama's visit to be a major political event in Canada and he also expects a huge crowd to gather.

Paterson, however, feels the event will not be attended by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, though the latter dined with the former last time in Montreal.

It would be an interesting event to see whether Obama criticises the present US President Donald Trump at a time the latter is dismantling several policies made by the former.

One of the recent examples is the Paris accord from where the US has withdrawn its name.

Clinton, the former US secretary of State, said on Thursday that the "democracy is under attack", not just in the US, but also in Canada and elsewhere.

The former US first lady even said she will fight against all forces that are trying to subjugate democracy with all her capabilities.

"Democracy is under attack everywhere. It's not only my country," she was quoted the CBC News.

Facebook page of Hillary Clinton

She was present in the city to promote her memoir on the US presidential election 2016, What Happened.

Clinton, who had written her experiences in the memoir, wants the future generation to know what happened in the presidential election 2016. "But I also want a concerned world to recognize that democracy is under assault," she added.

The former secretary of the state will also visit Montreal and Vancouver in the following weeks.

Clinton was defeated by Republican candidate Donald Trump in the US presidential election 2016.

(Reporting by Souvik Ghosh)
Seasonal Trend Alert: Soybeans Blue Line Futures - 1 hour ago March soybean futures have trended higher for 14 of the last 15 years from November 16th to January 9th. The average profit has been roughly 65 cents, while the one loss (highlighted below, 2018) was...

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Dateline Dateline Irrawaddy: There is a Media Crisis in the Country

This week, The Irrawaddy explores journalistic ethics.

Ye Ni: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! This week, well discuss reporting of the Rakhine issues by local and foreign media. U Sein Win of Myanmar Journalism Institute and writer and journalist Daw Mon Mon Myat will join me to discuss this. Im Ye Ni, editor of The Irrawaddys Burmese Edition.

Dateline Irrawaddy :            Posted by The Irrawaddy  Burmese Edition on Friday, September 29, 2017

There have been allegations of ethnic cleansing concerning issues in Rakhine. Whats worse, it is even labeled as textbook example [of ethnic cleansing]. So, we should also ask this questionif the Rakhine issue has become textbook example of journalism. The foreign media only covered the voices of Rohingyas, and neglected other ethnicities like Mro as well as Hindusmass graves of Hindus have been foundweve also made reports earlier that 100 Hindus were missing. We dont see reports about this in foreign media.

What would you like to say about the reports that fail to analyze the background situation, U Sein Win, as you are also a teacher at the journalism institute? In journalism, there is conflict sensitive reporting, which is about making reports concerning conflicts. According to media ethics, if you are to make a report about a conflict, you are supposed to avoid fanning the flames of that conflict. Ko Sein Win, what do you think of such reporting?

Sein Win: Id like to say two things: the first is about the foreign media. In the early days of the conflict, they were quite partial and biased. Some were heavily biased, and some, not that much. But what is sure is all of them were partial. They were partial because their news angle was excessively focused on humanitarian grounds. And regarding international coverage about Myanmar, reporting is usually done by junior journalists. In reality, they dont have expertise and dont know about Myanmar, and the government was not able to give access to information.

With a combination of all these factors plus international media being played by campaigners and hardliners, the image of our country was marred badly. And about the local media, they are not able to get access, or their access is limited in covering the situation in Bangladesh. You cant get a journalist visa to get into Bangladesh for reporting. Bangladesh denies access as it is a sensitive issue there. So, there is polarization on both sides. And we have only a few media outlets that have wide international readership and that can make in-depth reports in English with a sole focus on journalism. All these factors combined have led to a media crisis in the country. There is also a crisis among ordinary people in the society. But here I just want to focus on media. So there arose a media crisis regarding the issue.

YN: Ma Mon Mon Myat, youve been countering potentially misleading reports on the Rakhine issue. Youve pointed out that a news story by Reuters didnt match its photo. How did you feel about the narrative of the international media?

Mon Mon Myat: I saw three groups on social media. The first one is media agencies which are trying to portray Rakhine issue as ethnic cleansing. Besides the terrorist group, there are also INGOS and rights groups which try to portray it as ethnic cleansing. Such a portrayal is oriented toward a particular end. They are trying to portray Myanmar as committing ethnic cleansing. Most of the hard news by international media for the time being is oriented towards that end. This makes me wonder if they have certain reasons and intentions to work to that end. Again, the incident coincides with UN General Assembly. These are the factors.

I have monitored what my friends working in international media wrote on their Facebook and Twitter. And I found that they are imperceptibly biased. For example, they dont describe terrorists as who they are, but as freedom fighters fighting for the rights of their people. They dont check if their descriptions are correct or not. I can point out some reports as an example. The AFP described ARSA as freedom fighters at the end of its first report about the issue. The international media also causes problems. Because of their portrayal, the international community has perceived them as a group of heroes fighting for the rights of a minority group. And that group also propagates about the Rohingya through social media and Twitter as well as rights groups and international media connected with them in order to win attention from international media.

So, I thought about what I could do to fix this. The only thing I can do is to monitor them individually and point their mistakes out. I have to monitor each of those who are reporting for international media and whose reporting is influential for international readers. For example, Andrew Marshall [of Reuters] is a very well known journalist in Southeast Asia. He didnt go out on the ground in person, but made phone calls and wrote a report. The headline of his report is Well kill you all and in the photo a man was brandishing knife and other people were surrounding him. So I thought something was wrong, and I took a close look and found that it was the photo about distributing food at a camp. And the story is based on a phone interview with a man in a village in Myanmar. So, it is quite misleading. I told him directly on his Facebook that it fanned the flames of conflict. The following day, he asked his editors to change the photo. If they make mistakes, we have to point it out. You cant assume that journalists of international media will always be correct. They may also make mistakes and breach journalistic code of ethics.

YN: Youve made an interesting point, Ma Mon. And drawing conclusions from what you two have said, there is a wrong narrative because there is no access to information on the ground, and journalists learn the situation secondhand and report from afar. There are suggestions that journalists should be allowed to go to ground to solve this. The government might have its reason not to allow it: it might be concerned that some wrongdoings might be disclosed, as well as about the security of journalists and also concerned that other problems might arise. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has also said that there is an iceberg of misinformation. So what do you think of the governments handling of media to make sure reports about the Rakhine issue are close to reality?

SW: Concern about security forces is reasonable. Not only in our country, but also in any other country in the world, security forces have their own classified information. So, they are concerned about it. They are concerned about bad guys. In journalism there are not only ethical journalists, but there are also black sheep. If I were the government, I would select and invite journalists to make reports in case of a crisis. We know who understands the situation in Myanmar. There really are only a few journalists who understand Myanmar and its political complexity. Myanmar is a big country to us, but normally the world only comes to know it when problems arise here. Normally, when I talk about Myanmar [to foreigners] I have to explain that it is beside Thailand and India. I mean, Myanmar is not a center of focus. And foreign leaders coming to Myanmar for diplomacy are not the highest-level leaders, but are at a secondary level. We know the journalists who understand the complexity of Myanmar. Select and invite such journalists. Let them go anywhere and ask any person, and provide them with security if necessary. The government can select and invite those who have a good attitude and understand the complexity of Myanmar.

And about the long-term media strategy, the government must turn out information officers. I mean trained information officers, not public relations officers. Many of the existing officers are transferred from the military, and they dont understand [the nature of media]. So it is useless to blame them. They dont know how to do at all. So, we have a lot to do. What the government should do for the time being is to revive the badly tarnished image of the country. Then, it must go start long-term plans.

YN: Ma Mon Mon Myat, as youre a writer as well as a journalist, what is your advice for journalists concerning the crisis?

MMM: The ethical crisis is that some [local journalists] with nationalist attitudes think that those who have fled [to Bangladesh] are not the same race as them and therefore they dont need to cover their situation. And international journalists asked us if we dont have sympathy for hundreds of thousands of displaced persons. What you can do is to ask yourselves if you would protect the national sovereignty as a Myanmar citizen or display humanity.

There is however no excuse for any terrorist act. But then before making any accusations, we should draw comparisons with terrorist act in international countries, for example intimidating large numbers of people to flee, slaughtering and abduction of women for sex slavery are no doubt the acts of terrorism. You have to compare the acts of terrorists and those of security forces who are supposed to provide security for civilians. This is the message you have to give to the international community to determine if their acts are really terrorist acts. Anyway, we must have humanity. We just cant ignore and report about them, thinking they dont belong to the same race as us, and therefore need not protect them. We must be balanced in our reporting. We must also convey the voices of the other side as much as possible. Rather than protecting the minorities in Myanmar, local media should also interview those who have fled to the other side like India Times has done. This is about journalistic ethics.

YN: Thank you both!
A parliamentary panel has recommended that the Coalition Government direct and enable the NBN Co, the company rolling out Australia's national broadband network, to complete as much of the remaining rollout as possible using fibre.

The joint standing committee on the National Broadband Network in its first report, issued on Friday, said NBN Co should use fibre-to-the-kerb (what NBN Co calls fibre-to-the-curb) or fibre-to-the-premises for the premises which are yet to be connected.

It also said that the NBN Co should be told to produce a plan that took these options into account and a timetable for how long it would take.

The committee comprises six Coalition parliamentarians, including chairperson Sussan Ley, seven Labor parliamentarians, one from the Greens, one from One Nation, one from Nick Xenophon's party, and one Independent.

Ley dissented from the recommendation, saying: "While signing the committee's majority report in my capacity as chair, I and other government members on the committee do not agree with all of the conclusions and recommendations contained in the majority report."

The panel also recommended that the government commission an independent audit and assessment of the NBN Co's financial projections and business case set out in its plan for 2018-21.

A total of 23 recommendations were made by the panel.

Setting up a regional and remote reference group to support the NBN rollout in rural and remote areas was another recommendation made.
Microsoft last year announced that there will be a successor to Office 2016, the non-subscription version of the application suite, and that the upgrade would ship in about a year.

The bundle, named "Office 2019," will be geared to customers, primarily corporate customers, "who aren't yet ready for the cloud," according to Microsoft.

But other than that description, Microsoft has been vague about the prospect of Office 2019 with a "perpetual" license, one that lets the customer run the suite as long as desired without further payments. So, we collected some of the pressing questions business may have about the suite.

What is a 'perpetual' Office?

Microsoft categorizes software by how it is paid for, discriminating between a license that was bought outright from one that is essentially "rented" because it's paid for over time, like a subscription.

Most of the time Microsoft uses the term "one-time purchase" to label a software license that is paid for with a "single, up-front cost to get Office applications for one computer." The purchase gives the buyer the right to use Office in perpetuity. In other words, the license has no expiration date, and users may run the suite as long as they want.

When will Microsoft release Office 2019?

The company pegged the launch of the suite during the second half of the year. "This release, scheduled for the second half of 2018, will include perpetual versions of the Office apps ... and servers," wrote Jared Spataro, general manager for Office, in a September post to a company blog.

Spataro called out "Office 2019" at the time as the nameplate for the application collection.

When will Microsoft release Office 2019?

No date yet, but there are hints enough to take a guess.

In late September 2015, Microsoft offered the Windows edition of Office 2016 to Office 365 customers first, then followed with retail versions. Office 2019 will likely appear around the same time of the year, in that same order.

Here's why.

Microsoft now issues two Office 365 ProPlus feature upgrades  ProPlus is the standard suite that provides rights to the locally installed applications, including Excel, Outlook and Word, for 365 subscribers  annually. Those feature upgrades begin reaching customers in September and March of each year. (Last Sept. 12, Microsoft issued a feature upgrade, designated 1708, to Office 365 ProPlus.)

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Because the perpetual licensed version of Office 2019 will be built from code already released as Office 365 ProPlus  and because a beta of Office 2019 will debut in mid-2018  it's more likely that Microsoft will use the March feature upgrade for Office 365 ProPlus subscribers than the September 2018 feature upgrade as the basis for Office 2019.

The three months between the March 2018 appearance of the ProPlus feature upgrade and the July 2018 launch of the Office 2019 preview will give Microsoft time to digest feedback from customers and fix any bugs that surface. The change from Office 2016's beta release date (May 2015) to Office 2019's (mid-summer 2018) was probably necessary to accommodate the March feature upgrade timetable; Microsoft didn't adopt the Windows 10-esque feature release schedule for Office 365 until after the launch of Office 2016 in September 2015.

All Microsoft has to do to declare the applications delivered to ProPlus subscribers  Word, Outlook, and so on  as officially "Office 2019" versions is to rename them. It could do that on Sept. 11, 2018, the likely date it will release that year's second ProPlus feature upgrade.

What will be in Office 2019?

Microsoft's not saying.

The feature set may not be revealed until mid-2018, when Microsoft releases a preview of the suite. For his part, Spataro hinted at some of what will make it into Office 2019, calling out such features as Ink replay in Word and Morph in PowerPoint, which have been available to Office 365 subscribers for one and two years, respectively.

And that's important to remember.

There's little to no chance that Office 2019 will include any groundbreaking new features. Why? Because the perpetually-licensed version of the suite is built by taking the accumulated changes since the predecessor appeared  the changes issued to Office 365 subscribers over the past several years.

Microsoft will take the version of Office 2016 that Office 365 ProPlus users have in, say, the spring of 2018  and that version of Office 2016 is different than the 2015 version of Office 2016 sold as a one-time purchase  freeze the code, and call it Office 2019.

In which forms and formats will Microsoft sell Office 2019?

Microsoft's not saying. One-time purchases of the current office range from Office Professional Plus 2016 (Windows) and Office Standard 2016 for Mac (macOS), the enterprise-grade SKUs available only via volume licensing, to retail packages such as Office Professional 2016 (Windows) and Office Home and Business 2016 for Mac (macOS).

It's certain that Microsoft will offer Office 2019 to commercial customers via volume licensing, but it may be questionable to assume that it will sell single-copy versions at retail.

Microsoft will, at some point, discontinue sales of Office perpetual licenses, analysts have agreed. (Microsoft has made no secret that it prefers subscriptions  Office 365 in this case  for the recurring revenue they generate.) Dumping single-copy one-time purchases would be the logical place to start reducing the perpetual option.

Spataro did not say so, but Office 2019 will come in versions for both Windows and macOS. There would be little reason to cull the latter, for instance, since Microsoft dominates that OS's productivity space, too.

Why is it important that Microsoft ship Office 2019 this year?

Another great question.

In 2017, Microsoft slashed the rights of users running non-subscription Office when it announced that perpetual-licensed versions of Office 2016 will be barred from connecting to Microsoft's cloud-based services, including hosted email (Exchange) and online storage (OneDrive for Business) after Oct. 13, 2020.

Under the new rules, owners of a perpetual license for Office 2016 can use those services only during the first half of their 10-year support lifecycle, the portion Microsoft dubs "mainstream." Office 2016's mainstream support ends Oct. 13, 2020.

By releasing Office 2019 this year, Microsoft will give enterprises a year or so to migrate from Office 2016 (or an earlier edition) before the cloud service cutoff.

Will Microsoft sell a one-time purchase version of Office after Office 2019?

We don't think so.

Why? Simple: Microsoft is slashing support for Office 2019 by 30%.

Rather than the usual decade of support  the first five in what Microsoft dubs "Mainstream," the second five as "Extended," which provides security-only updates  Office 2019 will get only seven years.

"Office 2019 will provide 5 years of mainstream support and approximately 2 years of extended support," said Spataro in the Feb. 1 announcement. "This is ... to align with the support period for Office 2016. Extended support will end 10/14/2025."

That's the same day Office 2016's support expires.

The simultaneous retirement of the two perpetually-licensed suites is the strongest signal yet that Microsoft plans to shut down the one-time purchase option after Office 2019. By shortening 2019's support lifespan  something Microsoft has <i>never</i> done to Office for Windows  it will be able to wash its hands of both suites at the same time, ending the decades-old purchasing option and making the subscription-based Office 365 the only way to license the applications.

The late-2025 deadline will let Microsoft sell Office 2019 for years  during the Mainstream stretch, most likely  while hedging about a successor throughout. But it can still give enterprise customers a multi-year heads-up that it's the last of its kind (and that those customers need to move to subscriptions).

Is it true that Office 2019 won't work on Windows 7? Or even Windows 8.1?

Yes, that's true. Or maybe, no, it's not.

Along with its announcement that Office 2019's support will run out after seven years, Microsoft also painted the system requirements with a broad brush. The requirements are substantially more restrictive than Office 2016's.

According to Spataro's Feb. 1 post, Office 2019 will be supported only on Windows 10. No love for Windows 7 (which retires in January 2020, or a year-and-change after Office 2019's debut) or Windows 8.1 (January 2023, four years and more). Those two older OSes will have to be satisfied with Office 2016 (which, again, doesn't fall off support until October 2025).

Spataro did not offer an explanation for the support limitation. Previously, like when Microsoft said that Office 2016 could not be used to connect to the company's own cloud services after Oct. 13, 2020, it's rationalized the decision by claiming that tying new (Office 2019 in this case) technologies to old (Windows 7 or Windows 8.1) resulted in substandard security and unimpressive features.

From Microsoft's perspective, the same reasoning could be applied to this ruling. The cynical among us would instead see it as another push to move everyone onto Windows 10 ASAP by limiting the functionality of prior editions of Windows.

But although Microsoft was crystal clear that it would not support Office 2019 on Windows 7 or 8.1, there's no guarantee that the suite won't necessarily run on devices powered by those operating systems. For all we know, Office 2019 may work, perhaps not perfectly, on the older OSes. Even if that were the case, however, Microsoft can easily bar Office security updates from reaching Windows 7 or 8.1 PCs. Historically, it has done exactly that, such as when it blocked Windows 7 systems from receiving Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) security updates after January 2016.

Okay, so we'll just move our Windows 8.1 systems to Office 365 to get an upgraded Office. Right?

Uh, no.

When Microsoft means it won't support Office 2019, it really means it. Along with the no-Office-2019-support-on-Windows-8.1 rule, Microsoft also put the kibosh on Office 365 ProPlus for 8.1.

"Effective January 14, 2020, ProPlus will no longer be supported on ... [Windows 8.1 and older]," said Microsoft's Spataro. "This will ensure that both Office and Windows receive regular, coordinated updates to provide the most secure environment with the latest capabilities."

In other words, three years before Windows 8.1's official retirement date, Microsoft will limit Windows 8.1 to running the perpetual versions of Office 2016 or Office 2013. (The latter's support runs out in April 2023, three months after Windows 8.1's expires.)

Blocking updates to Office 365 ProPlus on Windows 8.1 likely didn't make Microsoft blink; the operating system accounts for such a small slice of the overall Windows pie. In January, analytics vendor Net Applications pegged Windows 8's and 8.1's combined user share as about 7.6% of all Windows editions.

And by the time January 2020 rolls around, Windows 8/8.1 should be under 5%, if the decline trend remains close to that of the last 12 months.

This story, "FAQ: Office 2019 is coming; here's what you need to know" was originally published by Computerworld .
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

According to the Kurdish news site Rudaw, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson weighed in on the Kurdistan referendum on independence from Iraq, held last Monday, saying it is illegitimate and the US does not recognize it. The statement of the Department of State said, The vote and the results lack legitimacy and we continue to support a united, federal, democratic and prosperous Iraq.

At the same time, Tillerson asked the Baghdad government of PM Haydar al-Abadi to reject threats or even allusion to possible use of force. At the same time, he said, Kurdistan leaders must respect the constitutionally-mandated role of the central government.

The Iraqi government has imposed a ban on international civilian airline flights to Kurdistan.

In a continuing sign that Congress has its own foreign policy (something not envisaged by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution), Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement completely contradicting Tillerson. Schumers position is closer to that of the Israeli government than to that of the executive branch of the United States government:

Mondays historic vote in Iraqi Kurdistan should be recognized and respected by the world, and the Kurdish people of northern Iraq have my utmost support . . . I believe the Kurds should have an independent state as soon as possible and that the position of the United States government should be to support a political process that addresses the aspirations of the Kurds for an independent state.

In contrast to Schumer, all the politicians in the Middle East have condemned the Kurds for their referendum.

The Department of State had opposed the referendum before it was held, issuing a prescient statement on Sept. 20:

 The United States strongly opposes the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Governments referendum on independence, planned for September 25. All of Iraqs neighbors, and virtually the entire international community, also oppose this referendum. The United States urges Iraqi Kurdish leaders to accept the alternative, which is a serious and sustained dialogue with the central government, facilitated by the United States and United Nations, and other partners, on all matters of concern, including the future of the Baghdad-Erbil relationship. If this referendum is conducted, it is highly unlikely that there will be negotiations with Baghdad, and the above international offer of support for negotiations will be foreclosed. The costs of proceeding with the referendum are high for all Iraqis, including Kurds. Already the referendum has negatively affected Defeat-ISIS coordination to dislodge ISIS from its remaining areas of control in Iraq. The decision to hold the referendum in disputed areas is especially de-stabilizing, raising tensions which ISIS and other extremist groups are now seeking to exploit. The status of disputed areas and their boundaries must be resolved through dialogue, in accordance with Iraqs constitution, not by unilateral action or force. Finally, the referendum may jeopardize Iraqi Kurdistans regional trade relations, and international assistance of all kinds, even though none of Iraqs partners wish this to be the case. This is simply the reality of this very serious situation. In contrast, genuine dialogue, the alternative, which we urge Kurdish leaders to embrace, holds the promise of resolving a great many of Iraqi Kurds legitimate grievances, and establishing a new and constructive course for Baghdad-Erbil relations that benefit all the people of Iraq.



Related video added by Juan Cole:
Stuff reports:

After ripping the Hutt South seat from Labours grasp for the first time since the electorate was established more than 20 years ago, Nationals Chris Bishop put the monumental swing down to a change of mood among Wainuiomata voters. A wise old head told me if you ever want to win Hutt South, you have to win Wainuiomata, Bishop declared following his election-night victory. Only, Bishop didnt. Voting booth figures show Labours Ginny Andersen comfortably outshone Bishop in the seven Wainuiomata locations on election day, winning six to Bishops one. In total, Andersen collected 3445 votes, compared with Bishops 2141.

Yes Andersen won more votes in Wainuiomata, but Bishop closed the gap considerably compared to 2014.

In 2014 Bishop got 26% of Wainui votes and Mallard 61%.

In 2017 Bishop got 36% of Wainui votes and Andersen 57%.

So the gap went from 35% to 21%. Bishop picked up an extra 10% of the vote in Wainuiomata because he had an office there and campaigned there. It isnt about winning the booths (that is nice) but about getting extra votes.

How did he do it? Through good old-fashioned campaigning, the man known by some locals as the Mr Everywhere Man entrenched himself in the community, never missing an opportunity to raise, or maintain, his profile. Bishop is also the subject of a fan-led Facebook meme page, where he is referred to by Hutt Valley teenagers who created it as The Bish.

The Bish is The Man!

The general feeling is that Bishops intensive campaigning won him the seat, and the man himself was in no doubt his relentless presence in the electorate played a large role. People appreciate that Im very active and physical in the community and I put the effort in, that I work hard. And I want to keep doing that.

It is more than just hard work thought. It is also being effective Bish made things happen. He set up awards. He lobbied the Council. He did more as a List MP than most Electorate MPs do.

Mallard vacated his electorate seat in July last year to chase his dream of being Speaker of the House, opening the way for Andersen.

He did not vacate his seat to become Speaker. There is no connection between the two. He vacated the seat because he thought he would lose to Bishop, and the result shows he would have.

But ultimately, it was Bishops extensive campaigning, which began in 2014, that got him across the line. Andersen was confirmed as the Labour candidate in October last year, and began campaigning fulltime in April. With Bishop having already laid a significant amount of groundwork, Andersen had some distance to make up. The answer is hes been campaigning for four years, Andersen said when asked what the difference was. It was always going to be a big job. We knew that and we gave it everything. Im proud we did as well as we did with the time that we had.

He wasnt campaigning for four years. He was being a highly effective MP. There is a difference. Also he lived in the electorate.

Ken Laban, Greater Wellington regional councillor for Lower Hutt, agreed there was no great secret behind the Hutt South swing; it simply came down to Bishop out-campaigning Andersen. Chris was born and raised in Hutt South, lives in Petone, hes been the list MP for the last three years, Laban said. Hes had three years of community visits, getting in front of community issues, physically attending events, and, to be fair, hes been absolutely outstanding in that role. On top of that, he had the prime minister out at Wainuiomata High School, out at the Hutt South electorate on a fortnightly to monthly basis for the last couple of years. He thoroughly deserves that win, because hes worked so hard. Andersen, in contrast, was from outside the electorate and had only eight months to campaign, he said.

The lesson her is to work hard. Campaigning in this sense doesnt mean writing angry press releases every day. It means getting out there and doing stuff.

Bishops achievements could not be understated, given he was up against a lifetime of Labour dominance, Laban said. I think his win is arguably the greatest achievement of any of the MPs that got elected. I cant think of any that have overcome the adversity that he had to overcome.

To win what was a solid Labour seat when your party has been in office for nine years is exceptional. The majorities in Hutt South over time have been:

1996: 2,456

1999: 8,885

2002: 7,771

2005: 5,740

2008: 4,086

2011: 4,825

2014: 709

So from 1999 to 2011 Mallard held it with majorities from 4,000 to almost 9,000. And in 2014 Bishop knocked it down to 700 and then won it in 2017. A great achievement.

Andersen, who has entered Parliament ranked 28 on the Labour party list, has vowed to be back again in 2020. Ill be doing exactly what Chris did to Trevor  campaigning for the next three years. Ive got the electorate office and I get resourced and I get paid. And I get to be able to compete on an even footing.

The interesting thing is that in his three years as a List MP, Bishop never attacked Mallard. Bishop promoted himself as a good MP, but never attacked the incumbent (this was not reciprocated).

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The Herald reports:

So the Greens await their fate, hinged to Labour largely because of their belief they are and will always be part of the principled left bloc.

Where Labour goes, the Greens believe they have to follow.

And this is a major flaw, I think.

The Greens should be a swing party. In fact, in an ideal world James Shaw would be in coalition talks right now with Bill English, selling his party as a better coalition option then New Zealand First. Less volatile, less prickly, more predictable, more stable, younger, fresher, more reflective of the issues that are central to the concerns of the work force.

And yet again, people have raised this question with me since the election. Why, they want to know, isnt there a blue-green option in this country? Well, why indeed?

Once the dust settles on Election 2017, the Greens should rethink their strategy and rethink how they can best effect change. There is a very real appetite for a blue-green ideology in New Zealand  and James Shaw is the man to lead that change as the sole leader of the party.
Stuff reports:

Even if ships are happily heading into Whangarei instead of Auckland, theres still the question of how the goods get to their final destination, from there.

About 70 per cent of what goes into Aucklands ports stays within the region.

That stuff will have to come back to Auckland, anyway, Young said.

So all youve done is add to the cost of it by sending it to Northport.

At the moment, it is impossible for containers to be transported by rail from Northport to Auckland. What rail line there is is constrained by the fact that its tunnels are not big enough to accommodate containers.

KiwiRail has estimated the cost of getting Northlands rail network operating to the same standard as other regions as up to $1 billion, and improving the rail link for freight through Auckland at another $2b to $3b.
The Vandals were a Germanic people who sacked Rome and founded a kingdom in North Africa that flourished for about a century, until it was conquered by the Byzantine Empire in A.D. 534.

History has not been kind to the Vandals. The word "vandal" has become synonymous with destruction, in part because the texts about them were written mainly by Romans and other non-Vandals.

Despite this modern name association, the Vandals were likely no more violent or destructive than their contemporaries. While the Vandals did sack Rome in A.D. 455, they spared most of the city's inhabitants and didn't burn down its buildings. "Despite the negative connotation their name now carries, the Vandals conducted themselves much better during the sack of Rome than did many other invading barbarians ," Torsten Cumberland Jacobsen, a former curator of the Royal Danish Arsenal Museum, wrote in his book " A History of the Vandals (opens in new tab)" (Westholme Publishing, 2012).

Vandalism

It wasn't until after the French Revolution, in the late 18th century, that the name "Vandals" became widely associated with destruction, Stephen Kershaw, who holds a doctorate in classics, wrote in his book " The Enemies of Rome: The Barbarian Rebellion Against the Roman Empire (opens in new tab)" (Pegasus Books, 2020).

Kershaw noted that the French abbot Henri Gregoire de Blois used the term "Vandalisme" to describe the destruction of artwork during and after the French Revolution, in reference to the "barbarian" sacking of the "civilized" ancient Rome . The word "vandalism" then became widely used to describe acts of damage and destruction.

A map of the Vandals' and other Barbarian's routes into the Roman Empire. (Image credit: North Wind Picture Archives via Alamy Stock Photo)

Early Vandal history

Around the fourth century A.D. the name "Vandal" tended to be applied to two tribal confederations, the Hasding and Siling Vandals, but in earlier times it likely covered a greater number of tribes under the name 'Vandili,' Jacobsen wrote.

Jacobsen noted that the Vandals may have originated in southern Scandinavia, and that the name Vandal "appears [in historical records] in central Sweden in the parish of Vendel, old Swedish Vaendil."

There are few surviving records of the Vandals' early years. One of the oldest written records of the Vandals comes from the Roman writer Cassius Dio (A.D. 155 to 235). He told of a group of Vandals led by two chiefs named Raus and Raptus, who made an incursion into Dacia (around modern-day Romania) and eventually made a deal with the Romans to acquire land.

Another writer named Jordanes (a person of Gothic descent who lived in the sixth century A.D.) claimed that in the fourth century A.D., the Vandals controlled a substantial amount of territory north of the Danube River but were defeated by the Goths and sought refuge with the Romans. Today, some scholars believe this claim is untrue. "Recent historians divide roughly fifty-fifty on whether to take Jordanes" word about this defeat and [resettlement in Roman territory]," Walter Goffart, emeritus professor of history at the University of Toronto, wrote in his book " Barbarian Tides: The Migration Age and the Later Roman Empire (opens in new tab)" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2006).

Ultimately, evidence of the Vandals' early years in written records remains scarce, and there are also few early archaeological remains to help fill in the record.

"From their first appearance on the Danube frontier in the second century to [their defeat of the Romans in southern Spain] in 422, the Vandals appear only fleetingly within our written sources and leave little or no mark on the archaeological record," Andy Merrills, an associate professor of ancient history at the University of Leicester in the U.K., and Richard Miles, a professor of Roman history and archaeology at the University of Sydney in Australia, wrote in their book " The Vandals (opens in new tab)" (Wiley, 2014).

Crossing the Rhine

Around A.D. 375, a people called the Huns arrived north of the Danube from the Eurasian steppe, and they drove a number of other peoples  likely including the Vandals  to migrate toward the Roman Empire . This put a great deal of pressure on the Roman Empire, which by this point was facing frequent crises and had divided into Eastern and Western halves to better control the empire's vast territory.

"In 401, [Roman general] Stilicho, himself of Vandal origins, managed to stop the Vandals' plundering migration through the province of Raetia and engaged them as federates [allies] to settle in the provinces of Vindelica and Noricum," near the Roman frontier in central Europe in an area that now includes parts of Germany and Austria, Jacobsen wrote.

A hand-colored woodcut of Roman general Flavius Stilicho as he confronts Radagaisus, Ostrogoth leader, at Fiesole in A.D. 406. (Image credit: North Wind Picture Archives via Alamy Stock Photo)

This arrangement soon fell apart. On Dec. 31, 406, a group of Vandals successfully crossed the Rhine river and advanced into the Roman territory of Gaul [what is now France, parts of Belgium and parts of western Germany], and they fought battles against the Franks, another Germanic people. The Franks had already crossed into Roman territory allying with them at times.

Roman inaction and counterattack

At first, the Vandal march into Roman territory did not attract much attention, as the Western Roman emperor Honorius faced more immediate problems: One of his generals had seized control of Britain and part of Gaul and styled himself as Emperor Constantine III.

"Constantine [III's] usurpation, and the invasion of the troops from Britain, was perceived to be a far greater threat to the stability of the empire than the activity of some barbarians to the north," Merrills and Miles wrote.

Amid the chaos engulfing the Western Roman Empire, the Vandals made their way to Iberia (modern-day Spain and Portugal) around A.D. 410. There, the Siling Vandals took over the province of Baetica (south central Spain), while the Hasding Vandals took part of Gallaecia (northwest Spain).

In A.D. 418, the Siling Vandals suffered a defeat at the hands of the Visigoths. The Hasdings were then pushed out of Gallaecia by a Roman army, Goffart wrote.

A bust of the western Roman emperor, Honorius (A.D. 384 to 423). He was the son of emperor Theodosius I. (Image credit: Lanmas via Alamy Stock Photo)

After these losses, the Vandal survivors united in southern Spain and fought against the Romans again in 422. This time, they won a pivotal victory in a battle near Tarraco (now called Tarragona), a port city in Spain. The victory saved the Vandals from destruction.

The Vandal forces were led or co-led by a man named Gunderic, while a general named Castinus led the Roman forces, who tried to starve the Vandal forces by cutting off their supply lines, Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele, a senior postdoctoral research fellow at Ghent University in Belgium, wrote in his book " The Last of the Romans: Bonifatius  Warlord and comes Africae (opens in new tab)" (Bloomsbury, 2015).

At first, this strategy was successful. However, the Visigoths, who had been allied with the Romans, deserted the Roman contingent, reducing the size of the Roman forces. Then, Castinus launched a full-out attack against the Vandals rather than continuing to cut off their supply lines.

The Romans were "soundly beaten" in the assault, and the Vandals "won their first major victory since having crossed the Rhine and were clearly established as the dominant force in southern Spain," Wijnendaele wrote. In the years following their victory, the Vandals consolidated their hold on Spain, capturing Seville after launching two campaigns against the city in 425 and 428, Wijnendaele noted.

Vandal conquest of North Africa

In A.D. 428, a new Vandal leader named Genseric (also spelled Gaiseric or Geiseric) ascended the throne and led the Vandals to North Africa. Under Genseric's rule, which lasted about 50 years, the Vandals took over much of North Africa and established a kingdom there.

This conquest was made easier by Roman infighting. In A.D. 429, the Western Roman Empire was ruled by a child named Valentinian III, who depended on his mother, Galla Placidia, for advice. A Roman general named Aetius had her ear and conspired against the governor of North Africa, a powerful rival named Bonifatius (also spelled Bonifacius). This resulted in Bonifatius being deemed an enemy of the Western Roman Empire.

By the time the Vandals invaded North Africa, Bonifatius' forces had already beaten off two attacks launched by the Western Roman Empire, Wijnendaele wrote.

Some ancient writers claimed that Bonifatius invited the Vandals into North Africa to fight on his behalf against the Western Roman Empire. However, Wijnendaele noted that the ancient writers who made that claim lived at least a century after the events took place, while the ancient writers who lived in Africa around the time of the invasion made no such claim.

Regardless of whether Bonifatius invited them, the Vandals scarcely needed an invitation. North Africa, at that time, was a wealthy area that provided Rome with much of its grain.

The Vandals advanced quickly into North Africa and laid siege to the city of Hippo Regius (modern-day Annaba, Algeria) in A.D. 430. Wijnendaele noted that even in the best-case scenario, Bonifatius' troops would have been outnumbered 3 to 1.

The Columns of Hippo Regius, a Phoenician, Berber and Roman city in the Annaba Province, Algeria. (Image credit: Siempreverde22 via Getty Images)

The Vandals laid siege to Hippo Regius for over a year but were unable to take the city, and they were eventually forced to withdraw. Procopius, a writer who lived in the sixth century, wrote that the Vandals "were unable to secure Hippo Regius either by force or by surrender, and since at the same time they were being pressed by hunger, they raised the siege" (translation by Wijnendaele).

Reinforcements from the Eastern Roman Empire arrived and, with Bonifatius' forces, directly attacked the withdrawing Vandal force. The attack was a disaster for the Romans. "A fierce battle was fought in which they were badly beaten by the enemy, and they made haste to flee as each one could," Procopius wrote. After this defeat, the Romans abandoned Hippo Regius, and the Vandals sacked the city.

In A.D. 435, the Romans signed a peace treaty in which they ceded part of North Africa  what is now Morocco and Algeria to the Vandals. But in A.D. 439, the Vandals broke the treaty and captured the city of Carthage (modern-day Tunis, Tunisia), before advancing into Sicily.

As the Vandals took over territory in North Africa, they persecuted members of the Catholic clergy. The Vandals followed a different type of Christianity, known as Arianism.

"Arianism was the teaching of the priest Arius [A.D. 250 to 336], who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, in the early fourth century. His main belief was that the Son, Jesus , had been created by his father, God. God was therefore unbegotten and had always existed, and so was superior to the Son. The Holy Spirit had been created by Jesus under the auspices of the Father, and so was subservient to them both," Jacobsen wrote. The Catholic belief (the Trinity) is somewhat different, holding that God is present in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, making them one and equal.

These differing beliefs set the Vandals apart from the Romans, which led to the Vandals persecuting Roman clergy and the Romans condemning the Vandals as heretics.

Vandal sack of Rome

At its height, the Vandal kingdom encompassed an area of North Africa along the Mediterranean coast in modern-day Tunisia and Algeria, as well as numerous islands that included Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Malta, Mallorca and Ibiza. This gave them control of much of Rome's grain supply.

The Vandal king Genseric had become extremely powerful and influential by A.D. 455, and his son, Huneric, was set to marry a Roman princess named Eudocia. When Valentinian III, who had by that point reached adulthood, was murdered in that year, Eudocia was pledged to another man. In response to this offense, the enraged Genseric moved his forces toward Rome.

The Romans were powerless to stop him. According to one tradition, the Romans didn't even bother to send out an army but instead sent Pope Leo I out to reason with Genseric. Whether this really happened is unknown, but the Vandals were allowed to enter Rome and plunder it unopposed, so long as they avoided killing the inhabitants and burning down the city.

Painting of Genseric the Lame invading Rome. (Image credit: Album via Alamy Stock Photo)

"For fourteen days, the Vandals slowly and leisurely plunder the city of its wealth. Everything was taken down from the Imperial Palace on the Palatine Hill, and the churches were emptied of their collected treasures," Jacobsen wrote.

"Despite the great indignity of the sack of Rome, it appears that Genseric was true to his word and did not destroy the buildings. Also, we hear nothing of any killings" Jacobsen wrote. However, in some ancient accounts, Genseric captured Romans and took them back to North Africa as slaves.

Following the sacking, the Vandals returned to their kingdom in North Africa. However, North Africa was a key source of grain, and the Romans tried to take it back on several occasions. The emperor Avitus (reign A.D. 455 to 456) launched a campaign against the Vandals that failed, and in response the Vandals cut off Italy's grain supply, Kershaw noted, which fueled civil unrest in Rome. Avitus' successor, Majoran (reign 457 to 461), launched a campaign against the Vandals that also failed, and he was forced to sign a peace treaty with them. The emperor Procopius Anthemius (reign 467 to 472), aided by forces from the Eastern Roman Empire, launched another campaign to take back North Africa that included an armada of 1,100 ships, noted Kershaw. After some initial success, this fleet suffered heavy losses due to the Vandals' use of fireships (ships loaded with flammable materials and set on fire near enemy ships), and ultimately this campaign also failed, and the Romans were forced to sign another peace treaty.

Vandal decline

Genseric died in A.D. 476 and ultimately outlived the Western Roman Empire, which came to an end in A.D. 476 when the last Roman emperor was deposed. "For almost fifty years, he had ruled the Vandals and taken them from a wandering tribe of little significance to masters of a great kingdom in the rich provinces of Roman North Africa," Jacobsen wrote.

However, Genseric's successors faced economic problems, quarrels over succession (Vandal rules stipulated that the eldest male in the family should be king) and conflicts with the Byzantine Empire , the Eastern Roman Empire that was based at Constantinople.

An illustration of the surrender of the Vandal king Gelimer. Here he is being forced to kneel down before the Byzantine general Belisaire. (Image credit: SPCOLLECTION via Alamy Stock Photo)

Later Vandal rulers attempted various remedies to fix the kingdom's precarious situation. A Vandal ruler named Thrasamund (died A.D. 523) forged an alliance through marriage with the Ostrogoths, who controlled Italy. Another Vandal ruler named Hilderic (died A.D. 533) tried to improve relations with the Byzantine Empire but was forced out in a revolt.

After Hilderic's death, the Byzantines launched a successful invasion of the Vandals' kingdom, and the last Vandal king, named Gelimer, was captured and taken to Constantinople. Byzantine Emperor Justinian I treated Gelimer with respect and offered to make him a high-ranking nobleman if Gelimer would forgo his Arian Christian beliefs and convert to the Catholic form of Christianity. However, Gelimer declined the offer.

"Refusing the rank of patrician, for which he would have had to abjure his Arian faith, Gelimer was nevertheless invited by Justinian to retire to an estate in Greece  rather a subdued end for the last of the Vandal kings," Merrills and Miles wrote.

Additional resources

This British Museum (opens in new tab) blog post written by curator Barry Ager offers a perspective on why the Vandals have such a bad reputation.

blog post written by curator Barry Ager offers a perspective on why the Vandals have such a bad reputation. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (opens in new tab) has an illustrated essay that looks at the "Barbarians" and Rome.

has an illustrated essay that looks at the "Barbarians" and Rome. This paper published in the journal Revue belge de Philologie et d'Histoire (opens in new tab) (French for "Belgian Review of Philology and History") in 2013 and written by Arbia Hilali, details the importance of North Africa's agriculture for Rome.

Originally published on Live Science on Sept. 29, 2017 and updated on Aug. 30, 2022.
Let your imagination run wild

(Image credit: Boston Dynamics)

If you can imagine it, someone, somewhere has tried to weaponize it. Humans have been trying to kill each other for our entire existence as a species, and in that time, we've developed a lot of clever and outright silly ways to accomplish that goal. From lightning bolts to dolphins, here's a list of some of the most outlandish and bizarre military weapons ever dreamed up.

Robot dog

(Image credit: Clayton Filipowicz/U.S. Marines)

While dogs are routinely used in war for tasks like bomb-sniffing, the military has also taken inspiration from Fido to build robots. Enter the "Big Dog," a robotic creature built by the company Boston Dynamics. The large, rough-terrain robot shambles slowly up rocky terrain while carrying heavy loads, and is currently being tested in Afghanistan. The robotic beast sounds like a swarm of bees, and its mincing gait makes it look more like a show poodle than a truly large dog, meaning it's probably not all that stealthy or fast. But the goal of the 240-lb. (109 kilograms) behemoth isn't to be quiet or quick; it's to carry about 100 lbs. (45 kg) so troops don't have to shoulder their own loads. However, in 2015, the military seemed less enamored of the idea, saying the size and noise would give away soldiers' positions, according to Military.com.

Eye-blinding rifle

(Image credit: U.S. Air Force)

This weapon won't kill you; it will just blind you with its bedazzling laser beam. The PHASR, or personnel halting and stimulation response rifle, is essentially the equivalent of a gazillion laser pointers aimed at the eyes, designed to lead to only temporary blindness. The goal is to blind criminals or others who mean harm for long enough that they can be apprehended. However, the PHASR has one problem: The United Nations banned blinding weapons in 1995, according to an addendum to the Geneva Conventions.

Laser-induced plasma channel

(Image credit: U.S. Army)

Move over Thor  the military has stolen your thunder (and lightning). Engineers at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey have figured out a way to harness the power of lightning, designing a weapon that shoots lightning bolts along laser beams to kill targets. The laser-induced plasma channel, as it's called, is aimed at targets that conduct electricity better than the air or the ground, according to a press release. The laser light, with its high intensity and energy, focuses the lightning bolt to keep it along a straight and narrow path, so it can be precisely aimed at a target, according to the release.

Pulsed energy projectile

(Image credit: E.P. Industries/Mission Research Corp. )

The pulsed energy projectile is yet another nonlethal weapon under development by the U.S. military. The goal? Fire a laser at people to create a little pocket of exploding plasma in the air around them. This would hypothetically create a pressure wave to knock out the person, also producing painful nerve sensations, according to Globalsecurity.org.

Pigeon-projected missiles

(Image credit: Department of Defense)

Bats weren't the only animals recruited to the war effort. Another project, called Project Pigeon, was an effort to create a pigeon-guided bomb. The birds were trained using B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning to hone in on a target shown on a screen and then peck at it when they found it. The program was scrapped in 1944 and then revived in 1948 under the name Project Orcon, but eventually, newer electronic guidance systems proved to be more valuable. An exhibit at the American History Museum in Washington, D.C., details the history of this avian instrument of war.

Bat bombs

(Image credit: Time Life Pictures/US Navy/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty)

In World War II, the U.S. Marine Corps had an ambitious idea: Train bats to be the kamikaze bombers that the military didn't want humans to be. A Pennsylvania dentist first proposed the idea, inspired by the bat-infested caves at Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. The idea? Load the bats with explosives, and train the animals to use their echolocation to find targets. While the military used thousands of free-tailed bats in experiments, officials eventually scrapped the plan when the atomic bomb seemed more promising, Live Science previously reported.

Soviet attack dolphins

(Image credit: U.S. Navy/Getty)

The Soviet Union was also very interested in harnessing animals for warfare. The killer animal in this instance? War dolphins. The project, developed in the 1960s, aimed to train dolphins to search for submerged warheads or other items, according to the Sevastopol State Oceanarium, Live Science previously reported. But Russia isn't the only country training dolphins for war; the United States has its own dolphin-training program, though the adorable marine mammals are not trained to carry weapons or kill people, because they'd have trouble distinguishing between enemies and friendly soldiers, according to the website for the U.S. program.

Chicken nuclear weapons

(Image credit: Getty)

During the height of the Cold War, the British devised a 7-tonne (8 tons) nuclear weapon called Blue Peacock, a massive nuclear mine to be placed in Germany that could be detonated if the Soviets decided to invade from the East. One problem? The ground gets really, really cold in winter, making it hard for all the equipment in the mine to work. So, one outlandish proposal (along with wrapping the machinery in fiberglass pillows) was to heat the nuke with chickens, who would have been encased in a shell and given enough food, water and oxygen to survive for a week. The heat generated by the chickens could keep the project warm enough to function. Ultimately, the plan was scrapped because of the risk of nuclear fallout, according to the BBC.

Kill-proof human soldiers

(Image credit: NHPA/Photoshot/Newscom)

One way to make a deadlier fighting force is to create an invincible one. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has long been working on projects to make soldiers "unkillable," or more able to survive assaults, maintain endurance for long periods and withstand extreme environmental challenges. One project, called Inner Armor, looked at the genetic adaptations that allow other species, such as harbor seals and archaeobacteria, to travel for days without stopping, survive underwater with little oxygen, or recover from radioactive or chemical weapons without getting sick. The goal? Either manipulate neural pathways or give people special "vitamins" that could protect against such assaults, according to a 2007 presentation on the project.

Hallucinogenic artillery rounds

(Image credit: Steve Ruark/AP)

Weapons don't always have to injure the body; sometimes, they can incapacitate the mind. In the 1950s, the Central Intelligence Agency investigated the use of psychoactive substances such as LSD under the agency's notorious MKUltra project. One of the "nonlethal" weapons the CIA developed was the BZ bomb, a cluster bomb filled with the hallucinogen 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate. One army recruit who underwent experiments with the substance described experiencing some bizarre dreams, as well as feeling restless, having trouble focusing and suffering headaches. The plan was ultimately scrapped because BZ's effect on the psyche was not reliable, according to an article in the Quarterly Journal of the Harvard Sussex Program on CBW Armament and Arms Limitation.
Whenever Apple introduces a new technology to its devices is a good time to freak out about said technology.

Writing for Mashable, Jack Morse declares Ill never use Apples Face ID. (Tip o the antlers to Tibor Csapo, SamT, James and Brian.)

And Ill never love again. Unrelatedly. Well mostly unrelatedly.

The first batch of shiny new iPhone Xs is slated to ship on November 3

November 4th: Skynet become active.

the Cupertino-based company has assured everyone that the system is mostly secure and that it presents no real privacy concerns. Unfortunately, the arguments arent all that convincing

Apple was very transparent about the inherent security of Face ID. Is it impossible to trick? No. Guess what, though: its not supposed to be. And if the privacy features of the company most concerned about privacy arent good enough, then perhaps technology is not for you.

its clear that Face ID makes a device less secure, opens you up in new ways to coercion, and sticks you with an unchangeable password that everyone knows.

If you want to live in a world of perfect, Platonic security, dont use Face ID. Or Touch ID. Or short passcodes. Dont own a smartphone at all. Also best to randomize your own memory if at all possible.

Morses complaints about Face ID are mostly true. Its not perfect and you can be forced to unlock your phone with biometric data by law enforcement. The only problem with this article is the fact that it totally misses the point of Touch ID and Face ID. Other than that, A-O-K. Good stuff. Other than totally missing the point.

Essentially, Schiller is admitting Face ID can be tricked.

Yes. They said that on stage. They told people that. Very shady.

Simply disable Face ID before politely handing your smartphone over to the authorities and youre good to go! Yeah, that doesnt work in the real world.

If youre worried about that, and maybe you should be, do not use Face ID. Because perfect security is not what its for. And nobody said it was.

Apple created Touch ID and Face ID not as the best ways to secure your iPhone but as better ways than you were probably using. These are conveniences, not foolproof security systems. When Apple shipped Touch ID, it knew that most people werent using a 128-character alphanumeric passcode, they were using 4-digit numeric passcodes (if anything). Why? Because they wanted to unlock their phones quickly. MY SANDWICH MUST BE INSTAGRAMMED AS FAST AS IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. 4-digit numeric passcodes are terrible security. They are easy to guess, hack or simply jack by watching someone type it in. Fingerprints and faces are not perfect, but they are considerably better for most security situations.

This semi always on nature of Face ID is a huge red flag for privacy experts.

Privacy experts that love to jump immediately to vast global conspiracies, possibly involving space aliens.

Morse takes the time to explain how the secure enclave, created by Apple for Touch ID and now used with Face ID, works by turning each set of biometric data into a mathematical representation. Or, at least how it works if you believe the man. We then get this gem:

But the face is different than a thumbprint

Sure, my hard drive may be able to store all these fancy cat pictures, but can it store pictures of teacup poodles?! Probably not because they are different! Back here in the non-hyperbolic part of the universe, the secure enclave works exactly the same way with both fingerprints and faces, as outlandish as that sounds. Thats how Face ID works out of the box with everything youve already set up to use Touch ID.

Morse also insinuates that because Senator Al Franken asked questions of Apple about their potential use of Touch ID data, we should all be very concerned that Apple will one day have a big database of our fingerprints and faces that they will sell to balaclava-clad neer-do-wells. Also, possibly space aliens.

It is ironic that, at the same time as people are railing against the low security of Face ID, the iPhone is also being criticized for being the phone of choice among sexual predators because its so secure. They have achieved a positively Schrodinger-like level of security.

Franken is right to ask the company about its intentions. But Apple isnt an advertising company and has turned privacy into a cornerstone of its marketing. The amount of attention they get on these matters is completely out of proportion to their likelihood to be acting outside the interest of the people who use their products compared to their competitors. Amazon, a company that loves to feed the Macalopes search data over to Instagram ads, just announced a camera that will sit next to your bed, for crying out loud.

The only concern that Morse unceremoniously dumps into this manically boiling pot of concern soup that resonates comes from Edward Snowden. Snowden praises Apples implementation and then makes the point that Apple successfully marketing facial recognition technology will normalize it, making it easier for companies that would love to collect all our data to sell their own privacy-free versions.

Security measures are on a sliding scale. Is facial recognition as strong and secure as only using a complicated and long passcode? Or eschewing all technology and living in a cave in the Canadian Rockies? No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. But it could very well be better than what youve been using. And thats the point.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, September 28, 2017

IPG Mediabrands, the media arm of Interpublic Group, has struck a global data deal with Acxiom in a bid to further strengthen the holding companys data and analytics capabilities.

Through this partnership, agencies across the IPG Mediabrands network will have access to Acxiom data, including its two big media agencies: UM and Initiative.

The goal is to help those shops accelerate their people-based targeting efforts.

In an ever-evolving media landscape, data continues to underpin our business solutions for clients, stated Philippe Krakowsky, Chairman of IPG Mediabrands and Chief Strategy Officer for IPG. This global partnership will keep Initiative, UM, Reprise and all of Mediabrands on the leading-edge when it comes to data and analytics.

Mediabrands described the arrangement as its largest analytics and data integration alliance to date, with 14 markets impacted across the globe, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, France, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, United Kingdom and the United States.

Arun Kumar, Global Chief Data & Marketing Technology Officer, IPG Mediabrands, will manage the relationship with Acxiom.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, September 29, 2017

Google released its biannual transparency report Thursday, which reveals the frequency of the requests it receives from governments for private information about the public -- about the people who use search and its other services.

In the first six months of 2017, requests for information broke records. From governments worldwide, Google received 48,941 requests for data from 83,348 accounts between January 1 and June 30.

Not all requests were fulfilled, the report says. About 65% of the requests were fulfilled, up from 60% in 2016. Google reviews the requests it receives to ensure that they meet applicable legal requirements and policies. If the request is too broad  one that asks for too much information, given the circumstances  Google seeks to narrow it. In certain cases the company will "push back" regardless of whether the agency making the request decides to challenge it legally.

Google has argued over the right of government agencies to request information because it means handing over content such as a search on google.com, videos that someone has watched on YouTube or messages in email. It's not easy for a law enforcement agency to retrieve information. They must have a search warrant, fill out mounds of paperwork and detail the request for specific information.

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Governments are more frequently looking for information on tech companies, from social platforms such as Facebook to mobile devices from companies like Apple. On Thursday, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted: "At Apple, we believe privacy is a fundamental human right."

Apple's push to protect privacy got it into hot water with six ad industry groups. Earlier this month, when Apple implemented technology to help users keep their data private, representatives at the 4As, American Advertising Federation, Association of National Advertisers, Data & Marketing Association, Interactive Advertising Bureau, and Network Advertising Alliance blasted Apple over changes in changing cookie-tracking technology in Safari 11.

The technology known as Intelligent Tracking Prevention (IPT) will change the tracking procedures and limit the ability to capture cross-site browsing data that advertisers require to target ads.
by Ray Schultz , September 29, 2017

Monitoring your financial records in the wake of the Equifax data breach? Be careful  youre at risk of being victimized by a phishing attack that mimics emails from banks, according to a report from Barracuda.

Since the Equifax story broke, consumers and businesses have been hit by a wave of spam emails purporting to address security concerns. This is being done via Secure Bank Message Impersonation  email attack delivered by spoofed messages from financial institutions, Barracuda states.

Case in point: an email purportedly from Bank of America, using that institutions logo. It appears to address the post-Equifax security issue.

This is a secure message from Bank of America.

Download attached document 2017-08-25 0255 GMT to read your message. After that, either open the attachment or request the sender to re-send the message. If you have concerns about the validity of this message, please contact the sender directly. This message will expire after 90 days.

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Barracuda concludes that theres a high risk of malicious behavior.

So whats going on?

Typically, the type of secure messages were seeing in these scams are received from private banking clients who have stewards assisting with bank transactions, monitoring, or opening encrypted messages, Barracuda continues.

It adds: This is appealing to criminals because the targets are of high value and already trust intimate communications from their banks. Criminals also like that in order for targets to act on these messages, they need to be connected to the internet because the viewing happens in a web portal, which means that they are now vulnerable to downloading malicious content.

In another example, an email claims to be from TD Canada Trust, and uses its Commercial Banking logo.

Protected Documents

This email was sent from a notification-only email address which cannot accept incoming email. Please do not reply directly to this message.

To unlock/view your documents, follow the instructions below.

Look for an attachment (ProtectedDoc.coc) (typically at the top or bottom; location varies by email service).

Your authorization code is 2878JDDjsbaB(SB.

Enter the authorization code when prompted.

The secure message expires on Sep. 15, 2017 @ 09:21 AM (GMT)

Please check attached documents for more information.

The submission number is id: 3d6as412-223e1bvi-2SM 613-1b4ds129

Please quote this number in any communications with TD Canada Trust.

Based on scan analysis, theres a high risk of malicious behavior on this one as well, Barracuda notes.

Fleming Shi, senior vice president of technology at Barracuda, told The Washington Post that the company tracked 300,000 fraudulent emails in recent weeks impersonating Bank of America and 150,000 mimicking CIBC.

But Shi said: Its still too early to confirm a definite correlation between these secure message attacks and the Equifax breach just yet, according to the Post.

Barracuda says in its report: Typically, the type of 'secure messages' were seeing in these scams are received from private banking clients who have stewards assisting with bank transactions, monitoring, or opening encrypted messages.

It adds: This is appealing to criminals because the targets are of high value and already trust intimate communications from their banks. Criminals also like that in order for targets to act on these messages, they need to be connected to the internet because the viewing happens in a web portal, which means that they are now vulnerable to downloading malicious content.

Barracuda continues that some of these messages have an attached Word document that contains a malicious script.

Anti-virus software wont always catch the threat because the Word documents contained in these 'secure messages' could be benign and allowed to be downloaded or opened when theyre first received, Barracuda states.

The danger is that the cyber villains can access and update script at a later time to something more malicious, it adds.

And then? The outcome for recipients who act on these messages isnt a good one, Barracuda concludes.

Those arent the only phishing scams pouring into peoples inboxes. The Consumer Federation of America alerted consumers about three possible scams related to the Equifax breach:
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, September 29, 2017

Wavemaker, GroupMs newly merged MEC/Maxus agency, has appointed Aaron Smith to the post of global chief client officer. Smith joins next week and will be based in Chicago.

Smith was previously with brand and marketing consultancy Prophet, where he was a partner in the firms Chicago office. He has worked with various brands, including GE, ExxonMobil, Moen, Target, Kimberly Clark, Staples, McDonalds, Best Buy, Gulfstream and Nike.

Prior to joining Prophet, Smith worked at consultants Envision and the Sterling-Rice Group.

Smith will report to Wavemaker CEO Tim Castree who stated: Aaron has over 20 years of experience in consulting to CMOs and brands. That makes him the perfect choice to head up a client-leadership practice that delivers on our purpose to grow and transform our clients brands through unique purchase journey insights and a deep understanding of their business needs.
9:25pm: Just wanted to mention that this deal has been finalized. For the player to be named later, the Padres will choose from a list of three players (two of them pitchers). Padres exec Paul DePodesta weighed in on the deal at his blog. Next on the agenda: acquire a replacement shortstop. Kevin Towers prefers the trade route.

3:21pm: Tom Krasovic believes the Padres are kicking in at least $1MM, since the trade requires the approval of the commissioners office. Meanwhile, Jonathan Mayo takes a closer look at Worrell.

1:17pm: MLB.coms Corey Brock says itll be Worrell and a player to be named later.

12:48pm: Scout.com writer Dustin Mattison sent along this interview with Cardinals reliever Mark Worrell. Worrell is quite confident in his abilities and seems upset that the Cardinals didnt give him more of a chance this year. Pure speculation, but Mattison wonders if he could be one of the relievers headed to San Diego for Greene.

8:15am: One of the relievers in the trade is right-handed, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

THURSDAY, 1:08am: Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune says the Padres have reached an agreement to send Greene to the Cardinals. Krasovic believes clearing Greenes salary may improve the chances of the Padres retaining Jake Peavy.

WEDNESDAY, 10:41pm: Sherman has an update: the Padres are closing in on a deal that will send Greene to the Cardinals for two relief prospects.

8:29pm: According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Padres are expected to trade shortstop Khalil Greene prior to Mondays Winter Meetings. Sherman was unable to ascertain Greenes destination, but he guesses it could be the Orioles or Cardinals. The Padres are intent on clearing Greenes $6.5MM salary.

The Padres requested Garrett Olson from Baltimore for Greene a few weeks ago, but maybe the price has come down. One team not expected to acquire Greene is the Tigers.
The Mets are indeed preparing to tender righty Matt Harvey a contract, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports. MLBTRs Steve Adams examined the matter just yesterday, explaining why the club likely sees the 28-year-old as a worthwhile investment despite his marked struggles. GM Sandy Alderson had already made that rather clear, but Heyman suggests its all but a done deal and adds some context. New York, he says, may mostly plan to rely on the teams slate of internal rotation options while investing instead in the bullpen.

More from the NL East:
Chief Executive Officer of Kaya Tour, Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey Santana, has called on the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture to ensure cultural exchange during foreign tourist visits in the country in order to promote socio-cultural sustainability.

He also called on the government to ensure constant promotion of cultural tourism to bring in more revenue to support the country's economy, adding that Ghana's tourism industry could become a major foreign exchange earner given the necessary policy interventions and direction.

In a statement issued to mark this year's World Tourism Day which fell on Wednesday September 27, Abeiku Santana, who is also a destination marketer, stated that the World Tourism Day is to foster awareness on the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value.

According to him, the event seeks to address global challenges outlined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and to highlight the contribution the tourism sector can make in reaching these goals.

Abeiku Santana stressed that the theme for this year's World Tourism Day provides Ghanaians with the opportunity to reflect on the urgent need to ensure accessibility to the country's tourist attractions.

He highlighted that some of the challenges facing the tourism industry in the country include lack of professionalism, inadequate investment, lack of economic stability, poor environmental sustainability and lack of socio-cultural sustainability.

The CEO of Kaya Tours, therefore, called on the Ministry of Tourism and its implementing bodies to ensure that negative impacts are minimised and focus drawn on positive values such as preserving cultural exchange.

He urged the ministry to ensure that the government's policies for tourism development fully embrace the principles of sustainability.

Abeiku Santana averred that tourists' arrival in Ghana increased from 172,000 in 1991 to 1,093,000 in 2014, and this has also contributed an average of eight percent to GDP in the last 10 years.
Cina Soul and Nana Yaa will on Saturday, September 30 perform at the Goethe-Institut in Accra as part of events marking 'Germany Goes Ghana', an event that celebrates 60 years of relationship between the two countries.

Activities lined up during the day include symposium on studying in Germany, workshops on mobile media reporting, panel discussion on youth perspectives in Ghana, snap course in German language, live graffiti painting and question and answer session with the German ambassador in Accra, H.E Christoph Retzlaff.

With an exceptional voice that has caught the eyes of distinguished musicians, Nana Yaa has recorded and shared stages with a number of the greats in African music such as Ghana's Osibisa, Miriam Makeba and Sonti Ndebele, all from South Africa.

A product of Aburi Girls' Senior High School and the University of Ghana where she studied Psychology and Archaeology, Cina Soul is an amazing 'soultress' who came into the limelight after emerging as the first runner-up at the Vodafone Icons remix edition.

The programme is being sponsored by the Germany Embassy in Accra alongside German companies and institutions in Ghana.
As the world marks World Heart Day on Friday, September 29, host of Drive Time on Joy FM will be hosting an awareness walk on Saturday, September 30 to commemorate the day.

The walk up the Aburi Mountain is part of Lexis Bills Walk with Lexis campaign which seeks to encourage the culture of exercising and healthy living among Ghanaians.

Saturdays walk, which begins at the Ayi Mensah toll booth, will further seek to encourage people to avoid cardio-vascular diseases by exercising regularly.

This years theme for World Heart Day is Share the Power. It encourages people across the world to take care of their heart and inspire others to do the same.

The regular health walk campaign by Lexis Bill, which kicked off in April last year, has seen several personalities and Ghanaians join the award winning radio host to push a healthy living agenda.

Lexis Bill has constantly maintained that, he is passionate fitness lover and over the years I have seen the benefits of working out and thought I shouldnt keep it to myself so lets step out there and get a lot more people live a healthy life.

Participants of Saturdays Walk with Lexis, apart from walking up the Aburi Mountain, will also engage in vigorous aerobics, health talk and screening.

Participants will also win amazing prices during the walk.

Saturdays Walk with Lexis is sponsored by Garmin, Awake Mineral water, Yomi Yoghourt, Rexona, Medicas Hospital, Castrol and Invest Eye Capital.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Ernest Dela Aglanu (Twitter: @delaXdela / email: [email protected])
JEROME  A dairy worker ran a stop sign and struck another vehicle, injuring the driver Monday in a hit-and-run crash.

Amy Harper of Buhl was injured and hospitalized after a man known as Rocendo Perez-Perez blew through a stop sign in the 10-wheeler he was driving for a local dairy. The man then disappeared into a neighboring cornfield, Jerome County Sheriffs Capt. George Oppedyk said Friday.

But Perez-Perez is not who he says he is, Oppedyk said. When deputies arrived at the address he gave his employer in Jerome County, they discovered he didnt live there.

Were pretty sure hes here illegally, Oppedyk said. He gave his employer false documents, so we dont have much to work with.

Deputies searched unsuccessfully with a dog and a drone for the man in the cornfield, he said. The Sheriffs Office has requested a warrant, which Oppedyk hopes to get early next week.

Were not going to let this one go, he said. He could have killed the other driver.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

The multi-talented Nigerian rapper, Tim Blaze, after the success of his 3rd Mixtape 'Young Boy With A Dream' released in April 2017, has returned with an amazing lyrical rap version of Olamide's Wo.

This one comes off his forth coming Mixtape 'The Genius Tape 2' which is a yearly collage of rap remixes by Timi blaze to chart topping club bangers.

This advanced show of lyrical dexterity shows that great rap could be done on even club banging beats.

We hope to see a proper collabo from Olamide and Timi Blaze in the nearest future.

The Genius Tape 2 drops on 20th of October 2017.

Download and Enjoy this!

Audio Mack: https://www.audiomack.com/song/timi-blaze/wo-the-genius-version

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/timiblaze/wo-the-genius-version

NotjustOk: https://my.notjustok.com/track/275304/timi-blaze-x-olamide-wo-the-genius-version-
The Accra Regional police have busted seven suspected armed robbers/land guards said to be very notorious. They are believed to have formed a gang and deterring land owners and other developers from developing their lands.

The suspected land guards were apprehended in an operation Wednesday afternoon.

They are Tetteh Attram aka Tawiah, 41 years old; Omega Agoe, 41; Ofori Joel, 30; Derrick Aryee, 20; Godwin Amegashie, 47; Joseph Okaijah, 30 and Aryee Boye, 21.

Currently, they are in the custody of the police assisting in investigations.

Briefing the media, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP George Alex Mensah, said his outfit gathered intelligence about the activities of the land guards in the area after one person had reportedly been shot dead while another was butchered a month ago by supposed land guards in a clash over a piece of land.

At about 2:00 pm on Wednesday, the police again gathered intelligence that two groups allegedly engaging in land guards activities had clashed over a piece of land at Kokrobitey.

A police patrol team was immediately dispatched to the area where they swooped on the suspects.

The seven persons were immediately apprehended but others managed to escape into nearby bushes, leaving behind their motorbikes.

Those arrested were immediately sent to the Weija District Police Command for safe keeping while investigations continue.

According to DCOP George Alex Mensah, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects, who belong to two groups of land guards, had gone to the area to claim what they termws 'digging fee from a developer.

The 'digging fee,' which they claimed is GH1,500, is an amount they forcefully collect from a person who has lawfully acquired the land and is about developing it, hence the clash.

Four of the suspected land guards were wounded and in all, sixteen motorbikes and a Ford pickup vehicle with registration number GR 6949 Z were impounded.

The wounded suspects were taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention, and would be arraigned before court today.

DCOP George Mensah warned individuals sponsoring the activities of land guards to desist from the act or would be prosecuted when caught.

( [email protected] )

By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey
30.09.2017 LISTEN

The Minority in Parliament has stated that, sanctions imposed by the National Communications Authority (NCA), on 131 radio stations amounts to an attempt to monetize freedom of expression.

The stations, including Accra-based Radio Gold, Atlantis Radio and Radio XYZ, were either fined or had their licenses revoked by the National Communications Authority (NCA) following the completion of a nationwide FM Spectrum Audit.

Radio XYZ were fined GHc 4,090,000, Atinka FM GHc 14,800,000, while Radio Gold and Atlantis Radio picked up the heftiest fines with GHc 61,330,000 and GHc 60, 350,000 respectively.

The Minority believes the huge fines imposed on the stations were unreasonable and all but ensured the collapse of these media organisations who ought to be acknowledged for their invaluable contributions to the growth of our democracy.

A statement by the Minority, signed by the Ranking Member on the Communications Committee, A.B.A Fuseini, called on the NCA to suspend the action and resort to dialogue with the affected stations.

We urge the NCA to as a matter of urgency suspend the on-going exercise and use dialogue and more flexible means to ensure compliance with relevant regulations, the statement said.

This, we believe, will avert a situation where monetary value is placed on the right to free expression with its attendant difficulties.

According to the Minority, the use of past breaches of regulations as the basis for the sanctions imposed on the stations, was unfortunate and poses a mortal danger to the expansion of the frontiers of free expression.

Regulatory enforcement ought to be undertaken in a reasonable manner that factors in the fragilities inherent in the operations of many radio stations, the statement from the Minority added.

5,000 jobs at risk

The Minority also lamented that the sanctions could deprive up to 5, 000 people of their jobs.

They described the development as troubling, and one that could have grave implications for press freedom and media pluralism.

The NCA does not also appear to have considered the deleterious impact this will have on jobs in the sector. We estimate that close to 5,000 people working in the affected stations will be rendered jobless should the current action persist.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

The National Communications Authority (NCA), will soon clamp down on television stations and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) flouting its regulations.

This will be after it completes a thorough audit it is conducting into the operations of companies within the sector.

The Head of Consumer and Corporate Affairs of the NCA, Nana Dufie Badu, who confirmed this to Citi News said the NCA is poised to streamline the operations of all companies within the industry.

She said the NCA's recent actions against radio stations that have violated their terms of authorization was not an act of political witch-hunting.

The NCA had to face the Public Accounts Committee for something of this sort to answer as to why it had allowed some companies it regulates to close down, and not to pay the required regulatory fees. This is an effort that the NCA is making to streamline the operations of all service providers within the communication industry. This is not aimed at any of the FM broadcasting stations, she said.

She added that, A similar audit is also going on for TV services and ISPs among others If there are companies that are not in compliance with the terms and conditions of the authorization, they will be sanctioned.

A total of 131 radio stations, including Accra based-Radio Gold, Atlantis Radio and Radio XYZ were sanctioned by the National Communications Authority (NCA) on Friday for various violations of the terms of their authorization.

The offenses included operating without a license, and operating with expired license among others.

The sanctions meted out to them ranged from fines to the total revocation of licenses. Radio XYZ was fined GHc 4,090,000, while Atinka FM was fined GHc 14,800,000.

Radio Gold and Atlantis Radio were fined GHc 61,330,000 and GHc 60,350,000 respectively.
The Right to Information Coalition-Ghana has reiterated the need for the passage of the RTI bill, saying the absence of the law does not help the image of the country.

Project Coordinator of the Coalition, Ugonna Ukaigwe said without an RTI law, the office of the yet-to-be-established Special Prosecutor will be useless since it will need information to operate.

Speaking on a special edition of Joy FM's Ghana Connect sponsored by Star-Ghana Friday, she said efforts to fight corruption will not yield the required results if the passage of the RTI bill is not prioritised.

"We need to see that Ghana is losing its reputation at the global level because of the promises were made [that the bill would be passed] at the global level not just in Ghana," she said.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor is a campaign promise by the Nana Akufo-Addo-led NPP to take away some of the prosecutorial duties of the Attorney-General who is often deemed to be influenced politically and hand same over to an independent Office of the Special Prosecutor.

The rationale is to avoid the never-ending stories and allegations of political witch-hunting which has bedevilled prosecutions of political officers in the past.

But Madam Ukweigu said the government should stop paying lip service about passing the bill and deliver on its promise if it wants the Special Prosecutor to be effective.

Also, she said the current system where a person is denied access to public information is problematic and needs to be reviewed.

Ghanas attempt to pass the RTI bill started in 1999 when it was first drafted by the former President Jerry John Rawlings regime.

The bill has since gone through a number of reviews in 2003, 2005 and 2007 to correct some inconsistencies lawmakers and RTI Coalition claimed were present in the bill.

Last year marked the 13th year the country tried to pass the bill but has failed.

Madam Ukweigu questioned governments commitment to passing the bill after the Attorney-General in May promised that the bill will be passed when the just ended Parliamentary session begins.

Sadly though, it was not even listed. Although there were other bills, given the peculiar nature of the RTI Bill, it should have been specifically listed as part of bills. It just wasnt there, she said.

According to her, the Vice President also spoke about how happy he will be when the bill is passed within Akufo-Addos 100 days in office but here we are in September and I hear the next Parliament is going to be discussing the Budget.

Madam Ukweigu charged Members of Parliament (MPs) to discuss the bills they are working on and their importance to the lives of their constituents and the country in general to start a public debate.

She believes if this was done and the constituents get to understand the importance of the RTI bill, they will force MPs to pass the bill.

Chairman of Parliaments Legal and Constitutional Committee, Ben Abdallah, who was also on the programme could not assure parliament will pass the bill when it resumes.

I believe that Nana Akufo-Addo is someone who does not want the public to be put in the dark regarding what is happening in his government. A number of bills like the Zongo Development bill which is also important, he said.

According to him, it is too early for anyone to be judgmental about the current administration since it has four years to deliver on promises made to Ghanaians.

To the extent that the President promised that in his tenure, people should rest assured that the RTI Bill before the four-year tenure, the bill will be passed.

Multimedia journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni who was also a panellist blamed Parliament as an institution for not being proactive and ready to work and pass the bill.

It is not only the case of the Executive because I think Parliament should also take the bigger blame. This is not the first time the bill is coming to them," he said.

He believes it is as if the two governments of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) are unwilling to pass it.

It is as though they are afraid of scrutiny because Ghanaians will be asking questions like MPs common funds and how it is used, he said.
Washington (AFP) - Human rights organizations announced Friday they are suing the Trump administration over the latest version of the president's controversial travel ban, continuing a long-running legal battle over the restrictions.

At the forefront of the challenge is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which along with partner organizations submitted a letter to the US District Court in Maryland seeking to amend an existing lawsuit they already filed.

The new travel ban, unveiled by the White House late Sunday, forbids citizens of seven countries from travelling to the United States -- citing national security reasons.

Under the ban, citizens of Yemen, Syria, Libya, Iran, Somalia, North Korea and Chad are all prohibited from entering the US.

Also suspended are certain Venezuelan government officials and their families, due to what the US called poor security and a lack of cooperation with American authorities.

The new ban "is still a Muslim ban at its core, and it certainly engages in discrimination based on national origin, which is unlawful," ACLU director Anthony Romero said Friday.

"Adding a few North Koreans and a tiny group of Venezuelan officials doesn't paper over the original sin of the Muslim ban. We'll see President Trump in court  again," he added.

The second version of the travel ban was the subject of numerous court battles, and was poised for examination by the Supreme Court in Washington on October 10.

But the court cancelled the scheduled hearing Monday while it considers whether the new travel ban renders it irrelevant.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

I unreservedly agree with Mr. Yaw Oppong, the law professor and practitioner with Pastor Mensah Otabils Central University, that the two Senior High School Principals fired for illegally charging unapproved fees to their students may have been dismissed from their posts without the benefit of what may be aptly termed as due process. The alleged culprits include Mr. Wisdom Blazu, of the Pentecost SHS in the Eastern Region.

This is the sort of gross reportorial incompetence that instructors at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), and such other similar establishments around the country, ought to be instructing their students to guard against. For instance, precisely where in the Eastern Region the Pentecost SHS is located is not told readers. And so the critically thinking reader is left wondering if this quite sensational news story was not mischievously concocted to embarrass the authorities of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and, indeed, the Ministry of Education, as well (See Sacking of Headteachers Over Free SHS May Be Illegal  Law Lecturer MyJoyOnline.com 9/16/17).

The other SHS administrator allegedly sacked was Rev. S. P. Eleworkor, of the Daffuor Senior High School. Here again, we are not told of where the Daffuor SHS is located. But for good or ill, I am strongly inclined to believe that Messrs. Blazu and Eleworkor are staunch supporters of the countrys main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) who were determined to buck or derail the smooth and salutary implementation of the fee-free policy initiative implemented by the Akufo-Addo-led government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). I came by/to this conclusion, and I stand to be corrected, based on the fact that these two principals, Rev. Eleworkor is, in fact, described as an Assistant Headmaster or Assistant Principal, have Ewe ethnic surnames. And, of course, it is a scandalously known fact that the NDC is the party of over 90-percent of the countrys ethnic-Ewe population.

Whatever the full details of this clear, or open-and-shut, case of extortion may be, nevertheless, the authorities of the Ghana Education Service were well within their rights to promptly and summarily fire Messrs. Blazu and Eleworkor, even to the extent of breaching the laid-down procedure for effecting such disciplinary measure. The fee-free SHS policy has become so politically charged that any mischievously regressive attempt to stall the process had to be promptly and severely punished to serve as a deterrent to those seen to be brazenly and unconscionably hell-bent on stalling the process, perhaps, in hopes of affording the NDC a fighting chance at Election 2020.

Of course, I also fully recognize the fact that there may not be any ethno-ideological angle to this story at all, for there have been reported several similar instances of extortion around the country, each of which I intend to take up for discussion in due course. In the end, though, any Disciplinary Committee established to properly, as well as promptly, address the professional illegalities of Messrs. Blazu and Eleworkor, and such other similar cases across the country, will not amount to the proverbial hill of beans. For starters, the decision to dismiss these two men was apparently taken based on testimonies provided the GES authorities by the culprits themselves.

To be certain, the GES could have more harshly handled the cases of Messrs. Blazu and Eleworkor through the criminal courts. And so their executive guild colleagues or leaders of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) had better restrain the self-righteous urge, or tendency, to push the proverbial envelope too hard. I am, however, of the well-measured opinion that in the end, a more evenly measured settlement could be reached, in order to ensure that the culprits get to keep their jobs but at a lower rung of their profession, and one that requires absolutely no administrative heavy-lifting. I am, here, of course, suggesting some substantive level of demotion.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Several years ago and still counting, Ghanaians were and still eager for purposeful Sustainable Development of the Country. It is obvious that the expectations of the populace have been truncated by the practice of 'Dirty' Politics in the last few years. Many decades as a country, the activities of some individual Politicians have become clogs in the wheel of development of the Country because structures of Government that suppose to sanitize the corrupt administration are weakened and loose. Making,

Political actors that suppose to put things in order is dirty hence what do you expect in the country? Here in Ghana, when a wicked man is working with the rich he is clean. Thus why

The Country's development and transformation trend is basically an academic work where papers are presented to the citizenry for applause. The corrupt tendencies and self aggrandisement of the Leaders is because politics is called a 'Dirty game' and many corruption cases are in law courts across the country. The question is how many convict have been brought to book?

The call of fighting Corruption here in Ghana is to pave way for sustainable development. But it is very unfortunate that the agencies that were established to fight this canker are influenced by the Government. Hence, the duty for establishment of institution made to fight corruption are underpinned.

Indeed, it is worthy to alert the citizenry that most of the ill act that take place here in Ghana is as a result of dirty politics. The dirty politics played in this Country has beclouded the visions and aspiration of Mother Ghana.

Amongst many is the excessive borrowing of government; Interrupted power supply, Bleak policies of past and present Governments. Undoubtedly, Politics centres on self and not on the Principles of politics. Everything is getting messier and issues in government get unfolded. The above examples is very common in the country but treated with kid gloves.

Again, There are so many contracts abandoned for many years without real probe to ascertain the cause of abandonment. A classicall example is the Pedestrian over pass at Madina Zongo junction, Suhum overpass, Accra (Amasaman) Nsawam highway, the cocoa roads at Akim-Swedru as well as other major roads across the country. The approach to issues of urgent public attention is unpredictable in recent times.

Few years as a country, the unfolding dirty political activities in the country is causing serious apprehension of what we are evident of how it characterized itself in the 2016 General Elections. Like i always say; the incumbent executive arm must juxtapose traditional political events so as to reflect on this famous adage which reads "To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Expected".

Still around, the political uncertainty in recent Dabgon is also a clear case of dirty politics in Ghana. Politicians are economical with truth of what is happening within the corridor of power. Many weeks ago, there was political imbroglio orchestrated from both the two big political parties that even saw the exit of innocent populace passed away. To bad! May their soul rest in peace.

Indeed, politics they say is dirty, many active citizens had no time to assess and investigate the antics of politicians. The fact is that all kind of bizarre and unfounded allegations will be levied against the perceived stubborn elected Leaders. Hence, the effect of dirty politicking is cancerous and is causing under development of the country.

In so far, If the process that brings leaders to gain political power is dirty, invariably the leaders are dirty themselves. (Food For Thought)

On a point of fact, award of contracts to contractors is also done in a questionable manner that Ghanaians cannot question. In fact, the system of politics in Ghana and Africa is becoming worrisome considering the way political Leaders carry out administrational policies. The mindset that politics is dirty in Ghana and in extension Africa should be quickly erased to avoid severe negative effect on the country(ies).

As much, the effect of dirty politics is glaring in Ghana. Populace must rise against the threat and effect of dirty politics in Ghana.

It is worthy to note that dirty politics is played with bitterness. Dirty politics has led to the death of many people in Ghana likes of Adams Mahama, JB Danqua and even judges that were killed in 1982 Mrs Cecilia koranteng Addo, Justice Adjei Agyepong and Poku Sarkodie etc.

The independence of Ghana is matured enough to give room for credible Politics in the land thus it is only good policies that can redirect the pace of substantial development in Ghana.

Hence, its about time to neglect/put aside 'Dirty' Politicking that is in tandem to underdevelopment of our beloved Nation.

Long Live Unionism

Long Live Ghana

McMichael NanaKojo Appiah

Socialist/Youth Activist

Level300, University Of Ghana

#ForGodAndCountry
A UK based native of Kwapong in the Asunafo south District of the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Yaw Okyere has suggested that the yet to be created region for the people of Ahafo should be called Ashanti West Region.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has hinted that the processes leading to the creation of the Ahafo region would in a few months be completed.

He said, the time for the creation of the Ahafo region is due. I promise you that within the next few months, the opportunity is going to be given for you to have the Ahafo region.

The Council of Chiefs and Queenmothers of Ahafo have also thrown their support behind the president and stated that the imminent creation of Ahafo Region will leave a positive and indelible impressions about the president.

But 54 year old Business man, Mr Yaw Okyere belives it will be inappropriate to name that area Ahafo region.

He explains that about 99 percent of the natives of Ahafo are purely Ashantis and that all Ahafo chiefs pay serve his royal highness Otumfour the occupant of the Golden stool.

Mr Okyere further argued that anytime the name Ahafo is mentioned, most Ghanaians picture a remote and underdeveloped area far from the city which should not be the case.

Meanwhile an Ex Chairman for Ahafo Youth Association and current Vice Chairman of NPP Council of Elders in the Brong Ahafo Region who also hails from Hwidiem in the Asutifi South District, Nana Kofi Sarbeng has supported the call.

He reveals that the struggle to get Ahafo Region under the name Ashanti Western Region started in 1986.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

The Northern regional Director of the Ghana Education Services, AlhajiHarun Cambodia was on Wednesday applauded by the ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for playing active role in promoting tourism in the region.

As part of measures to encourage students and ignite their interest in tourism and its related activities, the Northern regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) initiated the Inter-School Tourism Quiz competition among the some selected schools in the region spearheaded by AlhajiHarun Cambodia.

This according to the Ministry was laudable it will promote the development tourism in schools and the country at large.

Speaking at the event to mark the 2017 world Tourism day Celebration which was also termed Northern Ghana Tourism Investment Summit, the sector minister, Mrs. Catherine AbelemaAfeku said students are the future of tourism development in the country.

According to her, students are the future leaders of the country and so having interest in tourism means that, the sector has a bright future.

The Tourism Arts and Culture Minister also observed that, Ghana especially the three regions of the North has lots of potentials in tourism, and when giving the needed attention can help turn the fortunes of country in job creation and improve the livelihood of the people.

Adding that, the Northern region was not chosen as a venue to host the 2017 World Tourism Day Celebration for nothing but to help expose the many tourists attraction site in the area

Speaking on the theme for the celebration Sustainable tourism, a tool for development, Madam Afeku said tourism plays an integral role in the economic transformation of every nation.

She said government through her ministry will continue to support the growth and development of tourism in Ghana. Stating that, as part of efforts to promoting tourism in Ghana the ministry earlier this year launched the Eat-Ghana, Wear-Ghana and See-Ghana campaign to encourage Ghanaians to patronize made in Ghana goods to boost local industries, adding that, a smock village will be opened at Gushegu in the Northern region to promoting weaving and wearing of the smock in Ghana.

Madam Afeku also used the opportunity to call on Ghanaians to all support the efforts by government and other players in the tourism industry to promote tourism in every part of Ghana.

Madam Afeku also appealed to the 2017 Tourism Ambassadors to use their talents in music and Arts to promote tourism Arts and Culture in the country to attract visitors.

On his part, his royal majesty the Yonyoo Dana YamyoTooka the second advised Ghanaians to attach importance to time. According to the chief, Ghanaians have developed a habit of going to functions late which affects productivity.

The chief who could not hide his anger said in his closing remarks in my acceptance speech, I left out this protocol I have just completed. Because delivery at that time my heart was burning with anger. Because we have been sitting here before 6:30-9:00 and there was no sign that, anything was going to happen, little did I know that, we are going to leave here smiling.

He also called on Ghanaians to all contribute towards making tourism attractive in country so that people can benefit from it.

The World Tourism Day Celebration is celebrated on the 27thSeptember every year as part of the United Nations efforts to promote tourism and culture across the globe.

The event allows countries who are part of the United Nations World Tourism Organizations (UNWTO) to use roll out plans aim at transforming Culture, Arts and Tourism for the benefit of the people.

This years Celebration of the event in Ghana was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in collaboration with the Savanah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA)

The three-day event started on Monday 25th to Wednesday 27th September 2017 with many activities such as Inter-school Tourism Quiz Competition, Northern Ghana Tourism Investment Summit among others.
TWIN FALLS  Over the past few years, voices have risen up in Twin Falls against refugees, bringing the city into the national spotlight again and again.

First a movement against refugees, and later a sex assault that got spun into fake news, painted an unflattering image of rural Idaho.

Now, a local group has reached out to an Idaho coalition and asked it to provide anti-discrimination training in Twin Falls. On Sunday, United Vision for Idaho will present a lecture it hopes will help stop the escalation of hateful language in the city.

We have to all stand up to racism, in all its forms, said lecturer and United Vision for Idaho Executive Director Adrienne Evans.

Evans, who described Twin Falls as a haven for white nationalists, said she became acutely aware of anti-refugee language escalating during the 2016 presidential election. She believes President Donald Trumps hate speech regarding immigrants has emboldened others to speak out, too.

This kind of rhetoric is not appropriate, Evans said. Its not normal. Its not acceptable.

United Visions for Idaho is a coalition of 40 nonprofits throughout the state with a common goal to advance justice on myriad issues such as immigration, health care and raising the minimum wage. The coalition has delivered its anti-discrimination lecture to 800 Idaho students and 400 Idaho leaders in more than a year.

The coalition designed The Spiral of Injustice program in partnership with the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, home of the Idaho Anne Frank Memorial. The program, as part of the lecture, will walk people through the stages of discrimination: language, avoidance, discrimination, violence and elimination.

The Words Matter lecture will also cover how people can, as individuals and collectively, disrupt these cycles.

The presentation takes place at 4 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, 209 Fifth Ave. N.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Menu for Change campaign against climate change launched at the Slow Food International Congress in Chengdu

We are all involved. Climate change is a current crisis that demands the united efforts of all of humanity. Each of our choices can make a difference, because it is the sum of all our individual actions that will drive change.

In front of the 400 delegates from 90 countries gathered in China to represent the Slow Food and Terra Madre network, Carlo Petrini reaffirmed that global warming is a reality, that it does not affect some indefinite future but is making its effects felt today.

And so the need to reinforce the message: It is Slow Foods duty to work on climate change: There can be no quality, no good food, without respect for the environment, for resources and for human labor.

During the Congresss opening session delegates and experts from the Slow Food and Terra Madre network shared their experiences:

Remi Ie, Japan. President of Slow Food Nippon.

In Japan, 2017 was a devastating year for fishers and farmers. Our country used to be known as the land of four seasons but this year we experienced very heavy rains that devastated the island of Kyushu. In the north, fishers could not catch salmon because of the changed ocean currents and fish species typical of temperate seas are being found. And everyone noticed the unusual changes in the flowering of the cherry trees.

Francesco Sottile, Italy. Lecturer in Arboreal Cultivation and Special Arboriculture at the University of Palermo.

Europe saw a severe drought this summer, interspersed by sudden downpours that caused hydrogeological disasters. These exceptional events have dramatic effects on agriculture, shaping history and traditional cultures, particularly in the most vulnerable rural areas. For many years climate change has been attributed to the incessant emissions from industry, and it is only recently that there is awareness about the role that agriculture and livestock farming play. But do different agricultural models exist? We need to act, governments by setting global objectives to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and each of us with our everyday choices.

Tiejun Wen, China. Executive dean, Institute for Advanced Studies of Sustainable Development at Renmin University and Institute for Rural Reconstruction, Southwest University.

In order to tackle the changes currently underway it is necessary to work on the integration between the urban and rural context and on a new urbanization as a strategy for development and system innovation. In China, there are currently 30,000 cities, 600,000 administrative villages and 3 million rural villages under the management of 3,000 counties, cities and districts, where around 30 million small and medium businesses are located. However, the system based on the development of urban areas and the standard education system is often not able to respond to the needs of rural areas. The rural population, which numbers between 500 and 800 million, and rural cultures, need to have their own specific characteristics recognized, in order to be able to launch an eco-sustainable development. Three concepts should be placed at the heart of this development: solidarity for the rights of farmers, ecological agricultural security and rural environmental sustainability. To tackle the change, it is necessary to tackle the shift from a political model based on capital towards one that is based on people.

Mbaye Diongue, Senegal. Senegalese migrant to Italy.

In Senegal, the devastating consequences of climate change have already started an insidious and unstoppable process in coastal areas like Bargny and St Louis, where whole neighborhoods have been swallowed up by the inexorably advancing sea. The big question for us Africans, and poor or developing countries in general, is: Do we deserve all of this? Is it our fault? In Africa, we have contributed little or nothing to climate change. Why should we have to suffer it without even having the tools, means and capacity to cope with the changes underway?

Alma Rosa Garces Medina, Mexico. Biologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

In the southeast of Mexico the inappropriate use of tropical ecosystems and the adoption of unsuitable production systems has caused a serious crisis, with impacts that are not just ecological but also economic and social. To address the devastation created by these changes it will be necessary to adopt different public, educational and production policies and to embrace a strategy of sustainable local development.

John Kariuki Mwangi, Kenya. Vice-president of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, coordinator of Slow Food projects in Kenya and member of the Slow Food International Council for Central and East Africa.

In Kenya, my country, the pastoralist communities are the hardest hit and many are being forced to migrate. If mitigation and adaptation measures are not taken into serious consideration, the situation will only worsen. Slow Food is working on this in Africa and the whole world through the promotion of agroecology and the protection of biodiversity, standing alongside producers. There is much to be done, and Slow Food cannot be victorious on its own.

Today Slow Food is launching Menu for Change, the first communication and fundraising campaign to connect food and climate change. With Menu for Change we want to show that starting from food, every one of us can and must make a difference, and to share how the Slow Food network supports and promotes solutions for producing food while mitigating the impact on the climate by working to protect biodiversity, to encourage food and environmental education, to raise awareness among all actors and to try to influence politics at all levels.

Agriculture is responsible for 21% of total global emissions (FAO 2015), compared with 37% from energy, 14% from transport and 11% from industry. Within the agrifood sector, the main source of greenhouse gas emissions is the methane produced by intensive livestock farms, which accounts for 40% of the sectors total greenhouse gas outputs. The next biggest source is the application of synthetic fertilizers, responsible for 13% of agricultural emissions. A further source of CO 2 is the transport of food products from where they are produced to where they are distributed and sold: The average distance that our food has to travel to reach our table has doubled in the last 30 years.

Slow Food has chosen as its partner South Pole Group , which has certified the event as Carbon Neutral. South Pole Group is an international company specializing in the reduction of greenhouse gases and a wide range of sustainable solutions for public and private organizations. South Pole Group will compensate for the impact and emissions generated by the Congress, including flights, through its Huoshui Grouped Small Hydropower project.

The Slow Food International Congress has been organized by Slow Food, the Chengdu Municipal Commission of Commerce and Slow Food Great China; it has also been made possible by the support of the following partners: Autogrill, Colussi, Di Martino, Easy Home, Eataly, Eatown, Imperia, La Spinetta, Lavazza and Xibei. Legal partner: BLB Studio Legale. Service provider: Somos.
Vice President Of Tanzania & African Court President

30.09.2017 LISTEN

The African Court on Human and Peoples Rights has ordered the United Republic of Tanzania to release two Kenyans: Kennedy Owino Onyachi and Charles John Mwanini Njoka from the Ukonga Central Prison in Dar es Salaam.

The African Court also ordered the Tanzania to take all necessary measures that would help erase the consequences of the violations established, restore the pre-existing situation and re-establish the rights of the Applicants.

It said such measures could include the release of the Applicants and inform the African Court within six months, from the date of this judgment  September 28 of the measures taken.

The African Court unanimously, also dismissed the United Republic of Tanzanias (Respondent) preliminary objection on the lack of personal and material jurisdiction of the Court and declared that the Court has jurisdiction.

The African Court also dismissed the Respondents preliminary objections on the admissibility of the Application for non-exhaustion of local remedies and for not having been filed within a reasonable period of time after exhaustion of local remedies and declared that the application was admissible.

African Court ruled in the matter of: Kennedy Owino Onyachi and Charles John Mwanini Njoka; the Applicant who were represented by

Advocate Donald DEYA, Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) verse the United Republic of Tanzania.

The Government of Tanzania was represented by: Ms. Sarah MWAIPOPO, Acting Deputy Attorney General and Director of Constitutional Affairs and Human Rights, Attorney Generals Chambers; Ms. Nkasori SARAKIKYA, Assistant Director of Human Rights, Principal State Attorney, Attorney Generals Chambers.

Others are: Mr. Elisha E. SUKA, Foreign Service Officer, Legal Affairs Unit, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Mr. Mark MULWAMBO, Principal State Attorney, Attorney Generals Chambers; and Ms. Sylvia MATIKU, Principal State Attorney, Attorney Generals Chambers. APPLICATION NO. 003/2015.

The African Court also declared that the Respondent has not violated Articles 3, 5, 7 (1) (a), 7(1) (b) and 7(2) of the African Charter but finds that the Respondent violated Articles 1, 6 and 7(1), and 7(1) (c) of the Charter.

African Court also ordered that in accordance with Rule 63 of the Rules of Court, the Applicants to file submissions on the request for reparations within 30 days hereof, and the Respondent to reply thereto within 30 days of the receipt of the Applicants submissions.

African Court ruling made available to the CDA Consult in Accra revealed that the court however reserves its ruling on the prayers for other forms of reparation and on costs.

The African Court was composed of: Sylvain ORE, President; Ben KIOKO, Vice President; Gerard NIYUNGEKO, El Hadji GUISSE, Rafaa BEN ACHOUR, Solomy B. BOSSA, and Angelo V. MATUSSE, Judges; and Robert ENO, Registrar.

After deliberation, delivers the following Judgment:



1. The Respondent is Tanzania. The Respondent became a State Party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (hereinafter, referred to as the Charter) on 18 February 1984, and the Protocol on 7 February 2006; and deposited the declaration accepting the competence of the Court to receive cases from individuals and Non-Governmental Organizations on 29 March 2010.

II. SUBJECT MATTER OF THE APPLICATION

2. The Application was brought by the Applicants on 7 January 2015. The Application reveals that the Applicants were first arrested in Kenya on 30 November 2002, on suspicion of having committed robbery in Tanzania. They remained in custody until 20 December 2002, when they were arraigned before the Resident Magistrate at the Nairobi Law Courts on charges of armed robbery.

3. Following a request in 2002 for the Applicants extradition to Tanzania, the Resident Magistrate at the Nairobi Law Courts ordered on 21 March 2003, that the Applicants be extradited to Tanzania to answer armed robbery charges against them. The Resident Magistrate then granted the Applicants leave to appeal the order within 14 days.

4. On 22 March 2003, before the expiry of the 14 days time for appeal against the order, the Applicants were bundled by Kenyan and Tanzanian police straight into waiting Police cars and transported to Tanzania.

However, the relatives of the Applicants appealed on their behalf against the decision of the Resident Magistrate, to the High Court of Kenya. According to the Applicants, the Appellate Judge later delivered his ruling on this application on 30 July 2003. The Applicants did not avail the ruling of the appeal to this Court despite being requested to do so.

5. On arrival at the Namanga border post, the Applicants were received by a contingent of Tanzanian Police and media personnel from the Independent Television Limited (I.T.V) and Tanzania Television (TVT).

The Applicants also allege that they were then immediately taken to the Dar es Salaam Central Police Station on 22 March, 2003, where identification parades were conducted on 25 March, 2003, by which time their images were already published in various local newspapers and television channels. The Applicants aver that this made it easier for witnesses to identify them, as the latter had already seen them in the local media.

6. On 26 March, 2003, the Applicants were arraigned at the Kisutu Resident Magistrates Court in Dar es Salaam and charged with two counts in Criminal Case No. 111 of 2003: conspiracy to commit an offence contrary to Section 384 and crime of armed robbery contrary to Sections 285 and 286 of the Penal Code. On 30 March, 2004, the case number was changed to Criminal Case No. 834 of 2002.

7. On 11 March 2005, the Applicants were tried and acquitted by the Kisitu Magistrates Court, but the Tanzanian Police re-arrested them and detained them at the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam.

The Applicants complain that they remained in the Police cells with no food and were denied communication with anyone until 14 March 2005, when they were arraigned before Court on what they claim are trumped up and fabricated charges.

The new charges against them were of (i) stealing, contrary to Section 265 of the Penal Code in Criminal Case No. 399/2005 and (ii) Armed Robbery, contrary to Section 287 of the Penal Code in Criminal Case No. 400/2005. According to the Applicants, these two charges had already been heard and determined by the Kisutu Resident Magistrates Court in Dar es Salaam.

8. The Respondent then lodged an appeal in Criminal Appeal No. 125/2005 in the High Court of Tanzania at Dar es Salaam against the Magistrates decision in Case No. 834/2002, challenging the Applicants acquittal .

9. On 19 December 2005, the High Court overturned the acquittal of the Trial Magistrate, convicted the Applicants and sentenced them to 30 years imprisonment. The Applicants then lodged an appeal against the conviction and sentence in Criminal Appeal No. 48 of 2006, in the Court of Appeal. The Court of Appeal affirmed the conviction and dismissed the appeal on 24 December 2009.

11. The Applicants were served copies of the judgment of the Court of Appeal on 2 November 2011, almost 2 years after the dismissal of their appeal.

12. On 9 June 2013, the 2nd Applicant filed at the Court of Appeal for a request for extension of time to file for a review of both the conviction and sentence in the Court of Appeal.

The Applicant alleges that his Application for extension of time to file the Application for review was dismissed on 9 June 2014 on the ground that the review should have been filed within 60 days from the date of judgment. This was in spite of the fact that the Applicants received copies of the appeal Judgment almost 2 years after the Court of Appeal delivered the judgment.

III. ALLEGED VIOLATIONS

13. On the basis of the aforementioned, the Applicants make the following allegations:

i) That they were held in custody for 3 weeks by the authorities in the Republic of Kenya, in violation of their basic rights, before being arraigned in Court.

ii) That they were deprived of their right of Appeal as the Kenyan and Tanzanian Police transported them to Tanzania on 22 March 2003 before they appealed to the Kenyan High Court.

iii) That at the time the two Applicants were being extradited to the United Republic of Tanzania, the Republic of Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania did not have an extradition treaty between them.

iv) That the Kenyan Government, violated all accepted principles of human rights and international law.

v) That the Respondent violated all accepted principles of human rights and international law.

vi) That the Applicants were deprived of their liberty after they were acquitted on 11 March 2005 in Case No. 834/200 at the Kisutu Resident Magistrates Court in Dar es Salaam by the authorities of the Respondent. That they were detained at the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam by the authorities of the Respondent from 11 March 2005 to 15 March 2005 without food and denied communication with anyone.

That the conviction and sentence of thirty (30) years imprisonment was unconstitutional and is contrary to Article 7 (2) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

IV. SUMMARY OF THE PROCEDURE BEFORE THE COURT

14. The Application was filed on 7 January 2015.

15. On 25 February 2015, the Registry, pursuant to Rule 35(2) and (3) of the Rules of Court (hereinafter, referred to as the Rules) transmitted the Application to the Respondent State, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and to the Executive Council of the Union, as well as to all the other States Parties to the Protocol.

16. The Registry also sent a copy of the Application to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya, pursuant to Rule 35 (4) (b) of the Rules, and invited the latter, should it wish to intervene in the proceedings, to do so within thirty (30) days of receipt.

17. The Respondent filed its response on 31 July 2015.

18. During its 36th Ordinary Session held from 9 to 27 March 2015, the Court instructed the Registry to request the Pan-African Lawyers` Union (PALU) to provide legal assistance to the Applicants. By a letter dated 16 April 2015, the Registry requested PALU to offer legal representation to the Applicants.

19. By a letter dated 30 June 2015, PALU notified the Registrar and the Respondent that PALU would represent the Applicants and by a letter dated 4 August 2015, the Registrar transmitted a copy of the case file to PALU.

20. By letter dated 25 February 2016, PALU filed the Reply to the Response out of time and requested the Court to deem it as properly filed, stating that the delay was caused by various unforeseen and inevitable circumstances.

21. During its 41st Ordinary Session, held from 16 May to 3 June 2016, the Court granted leave to PALU as requested.

22. On 29 July 2016, the Registry transmitted a copy of the Reply to the Respondent for information and advised the Parties that pleadings were closed.

V. PRAYERS OF THE PARTIES

23. In their respective submissions, the Parties made the following prayers.

On behalf of the Applicants,

The Applicants seek the following orders from the Court:



1. A declaration that the Respondent State has violated the Applicants` rights guaranteed under the Charter, in particular, articles 1 and 7

2. A declaration that the Applicants` right to a fair trial was violated when their images were shown on television and in newspapers before the identification parade was held.

3. A declaration that the testimony tendered by Prosecution Witness (PW 8) was unlawful as evidence from the identification parade should have been dismissed in its entirety.

4. A declaration that the Respondent State violated Article 7 of the Charter by not providing legal aid at the Court of Appeal.

5. An order that the Respondent State takes immediate steps to remedy the violations throughout the trial especially at the Appeal.

6. A declaration that the extradition process violated international standards of the right to a fair trial by not affording the Applicants the opportunity to appeal the primary Court`s Extradition Order.

7. An order for reparations

8. Any other orders or remedies that this Court may deem fit."

On behalf of the Respondent State,

The Respondent prays the Court to order as follows, in respect of jurisdiction and admissibility of the Application:



I) That the Court has no jurisdiction to adjudicate over this Application.

II) That the Applicants have no locus to file the Application before the Court and hence, should be denied access to the Court as per Articles 5 (3) and 34 (6) of the Protocol.

III) That the Application be dismissed as it has not met the admissibility requirements stipulated under Rule 40 (5) of the Rules.

IV) That the Application be dismissed as it has not met the admissibility requirements stipulated under Rule 40 (6) of the Rules.

24. With regard to the merits, the Respondent requests the Court to rule that

 i) the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has not violated accepted principles of Human Rights and International law;

ii) the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania abides to the rule of law during extradition process.

iii) the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has not violated article 3 of the Charter.

iv) the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has not violated article 6 of the Charter.

v) the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has not violated article 7 (1) of the Charter.

vi) the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has not violated article 7 (2) of the Charter.

vii) the Applicants request for Reparations be denied.

viii) this Application be dismissed in its entirety.

ix) the Applicants are denied all reliefs sought.

VI. JURISDICTION OF THE COURT

25. Pursuant to Rule 39 (1) of the Rules, the Court shall conduct preliminary examination of its jurisdiction 

26. In its submissions, the Respondent raised objections to the material and personal jurisdiction of the Court. Accordingly, the Court shall first address these preliminary objections to establish its competence to examine the instant matter.

A. Objections to Material Jurisdiction

i) Respondents Submissions

27. The Respondent objects to the material jurisdiction of the Court averring that neither Article 3 (1) of the Protocol nor Rule 26 (1) (a) of the Rules allows the Court to sit as a court of first instance or as an Appellate Court. The Respondent argues that the instant Application contains allegations that require this Court to sit both as a first instance and an appellate court.

28. The Respondent submits that, the Applicants are raising the following allegations for the first time before this Court and, their determination would require the Court to sit as a court of first instance:

i. The allegation that the Tanzanian Government through all its official actions violated all accepted principles of human rights and international law;

ii. The allegation that the Respondent State violated Article 3 of the Charter;

iii. The allegation that the Respondent State violated Article 6 of the Charter by re-arresting the Applicants on 11 March 2005, after their acquittal by the trial Magistrate, of charges of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit crimes, and by detaining them incommunicado in a police cell at the Central Police Station in Dar es Salaam for four days without food;

iv. The allegation that the conviction and sentencing of the Applicants to 30 years imprisonment by the High Court is unconstitutional and contrary to Article 7 (2) of the Charter.

29. The Respondent also avers that the allegation of the Applicants that the identification parade was flawed with procedural irregularities is a matter requiring the Court to sit as a supreme appellate court. The Respondent argues that the Applicants are asking the Court to adjudicate on an issue of evidence, which was already addressed and concluded by the Court of Appeal of Tanzania.

30. Finally, the Respondent challenges the material jurisdiction of the Court contending that the Applicants allegation that it violated all acceptable principles of human rights is vague and does not disclose any particular article alleged to have been violated.

ii) Applicants submissions

31. On their part, the Applicants argue that the Court has material jurisdiction to deal with this Application. In this regard, the Applicants contend that there have been violations of their fundamental human rights as provided in the Constitution of the Respondent and the Charter to which the Respondent is a State Party.

32. Responding to the Respondents objection that the Application requires the Court to go beyond its jurisdiction and sit as an Appellate Court, the Applicants submit that as long as the rights allegedly violated are protected by the Charter or any other human rights instruments ratified by the Respondent, the Court has jurisdiction.

iii) The Courts assessment

33. In order to ascertain its material jurisdiction, the Court will consider three of the preliminary objections raised by the Respondent: the allegation that the conviction and sentence of the Applicants to 30 years imprisonment was unconstitutional and contrary to Article 7 (2) of the Charter; the allegation that the identification parade was flawed with procedural irregularities is a matter that requires this Court to sit as a Supreme Appellate Court; and the allegation that the Respondent violated all accepted principles of human rights is vague and does not disclose any particular article alleged to have been violated.

34. The Court notes that Article 3 (1) of the Protocol provides that the material jurisdiction of the Court extends to all cases and disputes submitted to it concerning the interpretation and application of the Charter, the Protocol and other relevant human rights instruments ratified by the State concerned.

35. In this regard, the jurisprudence of the Court has, in the judgment of Peter Chacha v The United Republic of Tanzania, established that:

As long as the rights allegedly violated fall under the aegis of the Charter or any other human rights instrument ratified by the State concerned, the Court can exercise its jurisdiction over the matter.

36. The instant Application contains allegations of violations of human rights protected by the Charter and other international human rights instruments ratified by the Respondent, specifically, ICCPR. As such, the substance of the Application falls within the ambit of the material jurisdiction of the Court. Accordingly, the preliminary objection of the Respondent that the Application contains a vague allegation disclosing no particular article of the Charter does not oust the subject matter jurisdiction of the Court to examine the instant Application.

37. Regarding the argument of the Respondent that the Application raises issues involving evaluation of evidence and challenges to the length of penalty specified in the domestic law, matters which require the Court to sit as a Supreme Appellate Court, this Court, in the matter of Abubakari v Tanzania, held that:

As regards, in particular, the evidence relied on in convicting the Applicant, the Court holds that, it was indeed not incumbent on it to decide on their value for the purposes of reviewing the said conviction. It is however of the opinion that, nothing prevents it from examining such evidence as part of the file evidence laid before it so as to ascertain in general, whether consideration of the said evidence by the national Judge was in conformity with the requirements of fair trial within the meaning of Article 7 of the Charter in particular.

38. Consequently, in the instant case, the Court has the power to examine whether the evaluation of facts or evidence by the domestic courts of the Respondent was manifestly arbitrary or resulted in a miscarriage of justice to the Applicants. The Court also has the jurisdiction to investigate the manner in which the particular evidence that resulted in the alleged violation of human rights of the Applicants was collected and whether such process was carried out with adequate safeguards against arbitrariness.

39. With regard to the Applicants submission that the penalty imposed by the domestic legislation for armed robbery violates the Constitution of the Respondent and the rights enshrined in Article 7 (1) of the Charter, the Court observes that it does not have jurisdiction to examine the constitutionality of domestic legislation. However, the Court can examine the extent to which such legislation violates the provisions of the Charter or other international human rights instrument ratified by the Respondent. Doing so would not require this Court to sit as a Supreme Court of Appeal because the Court is not applying the same law as the Tanzanian national courts, that is, Tanzanian law. The Court rather applies exclusively the provisions of the Charter and any other relevant human rights instrument ratified by the State concerned .

40. In view of the above, the Respondent`s preliminary objection to the material jurisdiction of the Court on these grounds is dismissed and therefore, the Court finds that it has material jurisdiction to examine this Application.

B. Personal Jurisdiction

i) Respondents Submissions

41. The Respondent challenges the Courts personal jurisdiction stating that the Application contains allegations against a State, the Republic of Kenya, which has not made the declaration accepting the Courts competence to receive complaints from individuals and NGOs as required by Article 34(6) of the Protocol.

ii) Applicants Submissions

42. On their part, the Applicants argue that the Application is not filed against Kenya, and that the allegations against the Republic of Kenya are made to provide a full narrative of events as they unfolded in relation to the case.

iii) The Courts Assessment

43. The Court notes that the Application is brought against the Republic of Tanzania, which is a State Party to the Charter and the Protocol, and which deposited the declaration in terms of Article 34(6) of the Protocol on 29 March 2010, accepting the competence of the Court to receive cases from individuals and NGOs filed against the Respondent.

44. Concerning those allegations that implicate the Republic of Kenya, the Court observes that the Republic of Kenya has not made the declaration required under Article 34 (6) of the Protocol allowing individuals to directly file an application before this Court. In this regard, the Court notes that the Registry of the Court has, in accordance with Rule 35 (2) (b) and (4) (b) of its Rules, invited the Republic of Kenya to intervene in the case, if it so wishes, since the Applicants are its nationals, but the Republic of Kenya did not do so and in these circumstances, the Court lacks personal jurisdiction to entertain allegations against Kenya.

45. The Court observes that its lack of competence on some allegations of the Applicants directed to the Republic of Kenya does not prevent it from proceeding with the examination of this Application and address those allegations raised against the Respondent. Articles 5 (3) and 34 (6) of the Protocol empower the Court to examine allegations brought before it in so far as these allegations involve the Respondent, which has deposited the required declaration.

46. In view of the above, the Respondent`s preliminary objection to the competence of the Court on the basis that the present Application contains allegations which implicate the Republic of Kenya is dismissed and the Court finds that it has personal jurisdiction to examine the allegations against the Respondent in the instant Application.

C. Other Aspects of Jurisdiction

47. With regard to the other aspects of its jurisdiction, the Court notes:

(i) that it has temporal jurisdiction since the alleged violations are continuous in nature, the Applicants having remained convicted on grounds which they believe are flawed by irregularities [see the Courts jurisprudence in the Zongo case] ;

(ii) that it has territorial jurisdiction in as much as the facts of the case occurred on the territory of a State Party to the Protocol, i.e. the Respondent State.

48. In view of the foregoing observations, the Court finds that it has jurisdiction to examine this Application.

VII. ADMISSIBILITY OF THE APPLICATION

49. The admissibility requirements before the Court are provided in Articles 50 and 56 of the Charter, Article 6 (2) of the Protocol and Rules 39 and 40 of the Rules. These provisions mandate the Court to conduct a preliminary examination of an Application in accordance with Article 50 and 56 of the Charter. Rule 40 of the Rules provides as follows:

Pursuant to the provisions of article 56 of the Charter applications to the Court shall comply with the following conditions:

1. disclose the identity of the Applicant notwithstanding the latters request for anonymity;

2. comply with the Constitutive Act of the African Union or the Charter;

3. do not contain any disparaging or insulting language;

4. are not based exclusively on news disseminated through the mass media;

5. are filed after exhausting local remedies, if any, unless it is obvious that this procedure is unduly prolonged;

6. are filed within a reasonable period from the time local remedies were exhausted or from the date set by the Court as being the commencement of the time limit within which it shall be seized with the matter; and

7. do not raise any matter or issues previously settled by the parties in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the provisions of the Charter or of any other legal instrument of the African Union.

50. In its Response, the Respondent raises objections concerning two of the above conditions, namely, the requirements of exhaustion of local remedies and the time limit for seizure of the Court.

1. Objection based on non-exhaustion of local remedies

51. The Respondent argues that this Application fails to meet the requirement of Article 56(5) of the Charter. It contends that all allegations of violation of the rights of the Applicants are being raised and brought to its notice for the very first time in the instant Application, although local avenues of redress existed.

52. In this regard, the Respondent asserts that the Applicants had the possibility of lodging a petition regarding the alleged violations of their constitutional rights before the High Court pursuant to the Basic Rights and Duties Act No.9, Chapter 3, 2002. According to the Respondent, the Applicants should have utilised these available local avenues before approaching the Court. The Respondent adds that the Court is not a Court of first instance, but a Court of last resort.

53. The Applicants, in their Reply, argue that the local remedies indicated by the Respondent are extra-ordinary remedies, which, pursuant to the jurisprudence of the Court, need not be exhausted.

The Courts Assessment

54. The Court notes that six of the allegations made by the Applicants relating to: the alleged violation of all accepted principles of international law; alleged violation of the right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law; the re-arrest of the Applicants after their acquittal; the incommunicado detention of the Applicants following their re-arrest; the failure of the Respondent to give copies of judgments of national courts in due time and the non-provision of legal assistance were not explicitly raised in the domestic proceedings. These are matters that are being raised for the first time in this Court. However, these allegations happened in the course of the domestic judicial proceedings that led to the Applicants conviction and sentence to thirty (30) years imprisonment. They all form part of the bundle of rights and guarantees that were related to or were the basis of their appeals. The domestic authorities thus had ample opportunities to address these allegations even without the Applicants having raised them explicitly. It would therefore be unreasonable to require the Applicants to lodge a new application before the domestic courts to seek redress for these claims

55. With regard to the other two claims relating to the procedural irregularities claimed to have existed in the identification parade and the alleged violation of the Applicants presumption of innocence contrary to article 7 of the Charter, the records available before the Court show that the Applicants raised these matters before the domestic courts. Therefore, the Applicants have exhausted local remedies with respect to such claims.

56. Furthermore, the jurisprudence of this Court has established that the requirement of exhaustion of local remedies is applicable only with respect to ordinary, available and efficient judicial remedies but not extraordinary or non-judicial remedies. In this regard, the Respondent alleges that the Applicants could have filed a constitutional petition to the High Court before they bring their matter to this Court. On this issue, this Court has held that the said constitutional review is not common, that it is not granted as of a right and that it can be exercised only exceptionally and is available as extraordinary remedy in the Respondent State, thus, the Applicant was not required to pursue it. In the same vein, it was not necessary for the Applicants in the instant Application to approach the High Court to seek constitutional redress for the violations of their rights because such remedy was extraordinary.

57. In view of the foregoing, the Court therefore decides that the requirement of exhaustion of local remedies is satisfied in the instant Application in terms of Article 56 (5) of the Charter.

2. Objection based on the alleged failure to file the Application within a reasonable time

i) Respondents Submission

58. The Respondent submits that the Application should be found to be inadmissible on the ground that it was not filed within a reasonable time after exhaustion of local remedies. The Respondent contends that the Applicants received the Court of Appeals judgment on 19 December 2005 (sic) and the Respondent deposited the declaration in terms of Article 34 (6) of the Protocol on 29 March 2010. According to the Respondent, reckoned from the date when the Respondent deposited its declaration, it was after four (4) years and two (2) months that the Application was filed before the Court on 7 January 2015.

59. With regard to the second Applicant, the Respondent argues that the decision on his Application for review of the Court of Appeals judgment was delivered on 12 June 2013 and as the Respondent had already accepted the individual complainant mechanism under Article 34(6) of the Protocol on 29 March 2010, this date, that is, 12 June 2013, should be the relevant date to calculate the time under Article 56 (6) of the Charter. On this basis, the Respondent submits that three (3) years and two (2) months lapsed when the Application was filed, which according to the Respondent is not a reasonable time.

ii) Applicants Submission

60. On their part, the Applicants argue that the Court of Appeals judgment was delivered on 24 December 2009, but the copies of the judgment were served on them about two years later, on 2 November 2011. Relying on the Courts jurisprudence , the Applicants contend that the assessment of reasonableness of the time under Article 56(6) of the Charter depends on the circumstances of each case, and in the present case, given that the Applicants are both lay, indigent, and incarcerated persons without the benefit of legal education or assistance, their particular circumstances provide sufficient grounds for this Application to be admissible.

iii) The Courts Assessment

61. The Court notes that Article 56 (6) of the Charter does not indicate a precise timeline in which an Application shall be brought to this Court. Its mirror provision in the Rules, that is, Rule 40 (6) simply provides for reasonable time from the date local remedies were exhausted or from the date set by the Court as being the commencement of the time limit within which it shall be seized of the matter. It is therefore within the discretion of the Court to determine the reasonableness of the time in which an Application is filed.

62. On several occasions, this Court has emphasized that whether an Application has been filed within reasonable time after exhaustion of local remedies is decided on a case by case basis depending on the circumstances of each case. The Court has also held that when domestic remedies were exhausted before a State made its declaration under Article 34 (6) of the Protocol, reasonable time under Article 56(6) of the Charter shall be reckoned from the date the Respondent deposited the instrument of its declaration.

63. In the instant case, the Court notes that the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Criminal Appeal No. 48 of 2006 was delivered on 24th of December 2009 and that the Applicants received the decision of the Court of Appeal only on the 2nd of November 2011. The Court also notes that the second Applicants application for review of the Court of Appeal decision was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on 9 June 2014. There is no evidence on record showing that the first Applicant also pursued a similar Application for review.

64. Although the judgment of the Court of Appeal was rendered on 24 November 2009 both Applicants received the copies of the judgment only on 2nd of November 2011. With respect to the first Applicant, the relevant time should thus run from this date when he received copies of the judgment. From this date until the date the Court was seized of the matter, that is, 7 January 2015, about three (3) years and two (2) months had lapsed for the first Applicant.

65. On the other hand, as the second Applicant opted to pursue the application for review proceeding in the Court of Appeal, the date on which his Application for review was dismissed, that is, 9 June 2014, should be the relevant date to assess reasonableness under Article 56(6). Accordingly, from this date, about seven months had lapsed until the date when the Application was filed before the Court.

66. The key issue for the Court to determine is whether the three years and two months period for the first Applicant and the seven months time for the second Applicant are, in view of the circumstances of the case, to be considered as reasonable in terms of Rule 40 (6) of the Rules.

67. With respect to the second Applicant, given that he is lay, incarcerated and indigent person with no legal assistance, the Court holds that seven months period is not unreasonable.

68. Regarding the first Applicant, the Court observes that three years and two months time is relatively long to bring an Application to the Court. However, like the second Applicant, he is also lay, incarcerated and indigent person without the benefit of legal education and legal assistance until this Court assigned PALU to provide him with pro bono legal representation services. In view of this, with respect to the second Applicant, too, the Court finds that the time in which the Application was filed is reasonable.

69. The Court thus, finds that the filing of the Application was done within a reasonable time in terms of Article 56 (6) of the Charter as restated in Rule 40(6) and therefore, that the Application meets this criterion.

3. Admissibility requirements that are not in contention between the Parties

70. The requirements regarding the identity of Applicants, the language used in the Application, compliance with the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the nature of the evidence and the non bis in idem principle (Rule 40(1), 40(2), 40(3), 40(4), 40(7) of the Rules) are not in contention between the Parties.

71. The Court also notes, for its part, that nothing in the records submitted to it by the Parties suggests that any of the above requirements has not been met in the instant case.

72. Consequently, the Court holds that the requirements under consideration in this regard have been fully met and concludes that the Application is admissible.

VIII. ON THE MERITS

73. The Applicants` allegations relate to violations of Articles 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the Charter. The Court now makes an assessment of each of these alleged violations, the Respondents responses thereto and the merits of the parties claims. In line with the sequence of events which gave rise to the various alleged violations, the Court deems it appropriate to examine first those allegations relating to article 7 of the Charter.

A. Allegations of violations of the right to a fair trial under Article 7 of the Charter

74. In relation to Article 7, of the Charter, the allegations of the Applicants have several prongs, which are treated separately below.

1/ Allegation regarding illegal extradition

i) Applicants Submissions

75. The Applicants submit that they were extradited from Kenya unlawfully as there was no extradition treaty between Kenya and Tanzania. They also allege that they were prevented from exercising their rights of appeal following the order of extradition issued by the Nairobi Law Court on 22 March 2003 as they were immediately taken to the United Republic of Tanzania by a contingent of both Kenyan and Tanzanian police.

ii) Respondents Submissions

76. On its part, the Respondent avers that the extradition of the Applicants was not illegal as it was carried out in accordance with the Extradition Acts of both countries on a reciprocal basis. The Respondent annexed a document titled the Extradition Act, 1965 showing an extradition agreement between the Respondent and the Republic of Kenya. On this basis, the Respondent contends that this allegation lacks merit and that it should be dismissed.

iii) The Courts Assessment

77. The Court notes that the Applicants` complaint in respect of their extradition has two related facets: first, the claim that the Applicants were extradited without a pre-existing extradition agreement between the Respondent and the Republic of Kenya. Second, the allegation that the Applicants were denied their right to appeal against the extradition order because of the swift implementation of the order by a joint Kenyan and Tanzanian Police force.

78. However, the Court recalls its earlier finding that its jurisdiction is only limited to allegations involving the responsibility of the Respondent, as the Republic of Kenya has not made a declaration allowing individuals and NGOs to access this Court and is not party to these proceedings.

79. The Court observes that it is the Republic of Kenya which extradited the Applicants and the Respondent may not be held responsible for the conduct of the Republic of Kenya in the course of the extradition. Therefore, the allegation of the Applicants that they were extradited unlawfully and that their extradition violated their right to appeal under article 7 (1) (a) of the Charter is hereby dismissed.

2/ Alleged Violations relating to the Identification Parade

i) Applicants Submissions

80. The Applicants allege that the identification parade exercise of 25 March 2003, was carried out after their pictures and descriptions taken by I.T.V and TVT media, the day before at the Namanga border, were in most of the local newspapers and had been aired by different TV channels in Tanzania. The Applicants contend that this made it easier for some witnesses to identify them, and therefore, the identification parade was null, as it was not carried out following standard procedures.

ii) Respondents Submissions

81. On its part, the Respondent argues that the identification evidence was highly scrutinized by the Court of Appeal in Criminal Appeal No. 48 of 2006, that the Court of Appeal discarded any evidence that was not watertight, and only admitted the identification evidence that met the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt. The Respondent submits that this allegation lacks merit and should be dismissed.

iii) The Courts Assessment

82. Article 7 (1) of the Charter provides as follows:

Every individual shall have the right to have his cause heard. This comprises:

1. The right to an appeal to competent national organs against acts of violating his fundamental rights as recognized and guaranteed by conventions, laws, regulations and customs in force;

2. The right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty by a competent court or tribunal;

3. The right to defence, including the right to be defended by counsel of his choice;

4. The right to be tried within a reasonable time by an impartial court or tribunal

83. From the submissions of both parties, the main issue for determination is whether the identification parade that led to the conviction of the Applicants was conducted in manner contrary to the Charter or other international human rights standards.

84. From the records available before it, the Court notes that the only evidence on which the Court of Appeal relied to sustain the conviction of the Applicants by the High Court is the testimony given by an eye witness (PW 8) who claimed to have identified the Applicants during the identification parade.

85. The Court also notes that the witnesses who participated in the identification parade have, while providing their testimony, indicated that they did not see the Applicants on TV before the date of the said parade. However, the Applicants further allege that their images were disseminated not only on TV but also through newspapers before the parade, which the Respondent has not directly refuted.

86. It is a matter of common sense that in criminal proceedings, identification parade is not necessary and cannot be carried out if witnesses previously knew or saw a suspect before the identification parade. The Court notes that this is also the practice in the jurisdiction of the Respondent State .

87. In the instant case, the records of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal do not show that this requirement was fulfilled. Although some of the witnesses provided affidavits stating that they had not watched TV before the identification parade, neither of them (including PW 8 whose only testimony was used to sustain conviction) clearly stated that he/she did not see the images of the Applicants before the said parade in local newspapers. This implies that the identification parade was conducted despite the fact that the witnesses may have had a chance to see the Applicants in local newspapers.

88. In this regard, the Respondent has not supplied evidence showing that the domestic courts took measures to verify whether or not the witnesses read newspapers. In light of the probability that witnesses may have seen the Applicants on local TV channels and newspapers, the safeguards which applied in the assessment of the evidence were inadequate. Given that the conviction of the Applicants depended only on evidence from a single witness testimony obtained during this identification parade, there is an additional reason to doubt the context in which they were convicted. In these circumstances, the Court concludes that the procedural irregularities in the identification parade affected the fairness of the Applicants trial and conviction.

89. The Court, therefore, holds that there was a violation of the right to a fair trial of the Applicants under Article 7 (1) of the Charter.

3/ The allegation concerning the defense of Alibi

i) Applicants Submission

90. The Applicants argue that their right to respect for the presumption of innocence under Article 7 (1) (b) of the Charter (sic) was violated because both the Court of Appeal and the High Court arbitrarily rejected their defense of alibi.

91. The Applicants complain that they submitted evidence attesting that they had never been to Tanzania before their extradition and they were in Kenya on the day and at the time the crime allegedly was committed. The Applicants assert that both the High Court and the Court of Appeal also acknowledged, in their respective judgments, that the passports of the Applicants show nothing suggesting their travel to Tanzania on the day of the crime. The Applicants allege that, this notwithstanding and even though no corroborating evidence was adduced, both Courts disregarded their defense of alibi on a wrong assumption that the Applicants could have used illegal routes (panya routes) (to enter Tanzania and this would not have been reflected on their passports.

ii) Respondents Submission

92. The Respondent has not made any submissions on this allegation.

iii) The Courts Assessment

93. The Court notes that an alibi is an important instrument of evidence for ones defense. The defense of alibi is implicit in the right of a fair trial and should be thoroughly examined and possibly set aside, prior to a guilty verdict. In its judgment in Mohamed Abubakari v Tanzania, this Court observed that:

Where an alibi is established with certitude, it can be decisive on the determination of the guilt of the accused. This issue was all the more crucial especially as, in the instant case, the indictment of the Applicant relied on the statements of a single witness, and that no identification parade was conducted.

94. In the present case, the records of the domestic judicial proceedings clearly evince that the Applicants had invoked an alibi during their trial, and the domestic Courts of the Respondent indeed considered the issue. The Court of Appeal specifically addressed the matter and rejected the defense after weighing it up vis-a-vis the testimony given by the witness PW 8 and found that this witnesss testimony is strong enough to dispel the defense of alibi raised by the Applicants.

95. The Court however recalls its finding above that the testimony of the single Prosecution Witness (PW8) was obtained following an identification parade which was marred by procedural irregularity. Therefore, the conviction of the Applicants relying solely on this single witness (PW8)s testimony and on the basis of an uncorroborated assumption that the Applicants might have used other illegal (panaya) routes to enter Tanzania did not amount to due and serious consideration of the Applicants alibi defense and thus, violated their right to defense under article 7 (1) (c) of the Charter.

4/ The Allegation relating to the Applicants conviction and sentencing to a 30 years imprisonment

i) Applicants Submissions

96. The Applicants allege that their conviction and sentencing to a 30-years imprisonment term was unconstitutional and contrary to Article 7(2) of the Charter.

ii) Respondents Submissions

97. The Respondent denies the Applicants allegations and submits that the conviction and sentencing of the Applicants was based on Sections 285 & 286 of the Respondents Penal Code Cap 16 (which define the offences of robbery and armed robbery), and the Minimum Sentences Act of 1972 as amended by Act No 10 of 1989 and later by Act No. 6 of 1994 (which provides the punishment of the offences of robbery and armed robbery). It submits that the conviction and sentencing of the Applicants were done according to the Respondents applicable laws and therefore not contrary to the Constitution and Article 7(2) of the Charter. The Respondent also adds that, if the Applicants are complaining of the length of penalty for armed robbery, the Court does not have the authority to examine the constitutionality of the length of a punishment stipulated for a crime in its domestic legislation.

iii) The Courts Assessment

98. The Court observes from the particulars of the case, that with regard to the length of the imprisonment imposed on them, the Applicants simply assert that their sentence to 30 years imprisonment violates the Constitution of the Respondent and Article 7 (2) of the Charter. Article 7 (2) of the Charter provides that:

No one may be condemned for an act of omission, which did not constitute a legally punishable offence at the time it was committed. No penalty may be inflicted for an offence for which no provision was made at the time it was committed. Punishment is personal and can be imposed only on the offender.

99. It emerges from the file that the relevant question at stake is whether the penalty to which the Applicants were sentenced on 19 December 2005 and upheld on 24 December 2009 was not provided for in the law.

100. The records before this Court indicate that the armed robbery for which the Applicants were convicted was committed on 5th of November 2002. Following their extradition to the Respondent on 24 March 2003, the Applicants were charged at the Resident Magistrate`s Court of Dar es Salaam at Kisutu for crimes of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit crimes contrary to Sections 285 and 286 of the Penal Code as amended by Act No. 10 of 1989. Both crimes were defined in the Penal Code and the amending Act. According to Section 286 of this Penal Code a person convicted of armed robbery is liable to a penalty of life imprisonment with or without corporeal punishment. Section 5 (b) of the Minimum Sentences Act of 1972 as amended by the 1994 Written Laws Amendment, also prescribes that the minimum sentence for the said offence is thirty (30) years. The two provisions read together show that the applicable penalty for armed robbery is a minimum of thirty (30) years imprisonment.

101. It follows that the Applicants were convicted and punished on the basis of legislation that existed before the date of commission of the crime, that is, 5 November 2002 and the punishment imposed on them was also prescribed in the same legislation. The Applicants allegation that their conviction and penalty violates the Charter thus lacks merit and the Court therefore finds that there was no violation of Article 7 (2) of the Charter.

5/ The Alleged Violation relating to free legal aid

i) Applicants Submissions

102. In their submissions, the Applicants aver that their rights protected under Article 7 (1) (c) of the Charter were violated because they were not given legal assistance in the Court of Appeal, although they were lay, indigent and incarcerated persons facing offences carrying heavy sentences. They further claim that the non-provision of legal aid violated the rule specified in many international instruments, including soft laws, which impose obligations on the Respondent to afford legal assistance.

ii) Respondents Submissions

103. The Respondent has not responded to this allegation.

iii) The Courts Assessment

104. The Court notes that the Charter does not explicitly provide for the right to legal assistance. However, in its previous judgment in the matter of Alex Thomas v. The United Republic of Tanzania, this Court stated that free legal aid is a right implicit in the right to defense enshrined under Article 7 (1) (c) of the Charter. In the same case, the Court identified two cumulative conditions required for an accused person to be eligible for the right of legal assistance: indigence and the interests of justice.

105. In assessing these conditions, the Court considers several factors, including (i) the seriousness of the crime, (ii) the severity of the potential sentence; (iii) the complexity of the case; (iv) the social and personal situation of the defendant and , in cases of appeal, the substance of the appeal (whether it contains a contention that requires legal knowledge or skill), and the nature of the entirety of the proceedings, for example, whether there are considerable disagreements on points of law or fact in the judgments of lower courts.

106. The Court observes that, as long as the conditions which would warrant legal assistance exist, free legal assistance should be made available in all trial and appellate proceedings

107. In the instant case, the Court notes that the Applicants were represented by lawyers both at the trial Magistrate`s Court and the High Court, although from the records of the case file it is not clear if the lawyers were contracted by the Applicants themselves or by the Respondent. Thus, it was only in the Court of Appeal that the Applicants were not represented. The issue that shall therefore be addressed is whether the conditions that justify the provision of legal assistance were available during the appellate proceedings at the Court of Appeal.

108. With regard to the first condition of indigence, the Respondent has not disputed the claim of the Applicants that they are indigent. The Court thus considers this requirement as having been met.

109. With respect to the second requirement that the interest of justice must warrant the provision of legal assistance, the Court considers that the crime of armed robbery that the Applicants were convicted of was serious and the 30 years imprisonment that they were sentenced to was severe with grave repercussions on the right to liberty of the Applicants.

110. The case further contains numerous complex legal and factual questions (involving 22 prosecution and 10 defense witnesses) that require considerable legal knowledge and technical pleading skills, which ordinary and lay individuals, as the Applicants are, do not often have. In this regard, the Court notes that, in the course of the domestic proceedings, the trial Magistrate Court and the High Court made divergent findings both in law and fact. Whereas the trial magistrate acquitted the Applicants, the High Court reversed the acquittal and convicted the Applicants. Furthermore, although the Court of Appeal confirmed the decision and sentence of the High Court, it differed in its reasoning. All these confirm the complexity of the case.

111. In these circumstances, the Court is of the view that the interest of justice made the provision of free legal representation particularly indispensable in the appellate proceedings of the Court of Appeal.

112. The Court thus concludes that the failure of the Respondent to provide the Applicants with free legal aid in the Court of Appeal was a violation of their right to defense under article 7 (1) (c) of the Charter.

6) Allegation concerning the delay in the delivery of copies of the judgment

i) Applicants Submission

113. The Applicants submit that their right to a fair trial was violated by the Respondents failure to provide them with copies of the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Criminal Appeal No. 48 of 2006 until about two years later. They contend that the delay led to their inability to file a petition for a review of the Appeal Courts judgment, and the subsequent dismissal of their Application for extension of time to file a petition for review.

ii) Respondents Submissions

114. The Respondent admits that the judgment in Criminal Appeal No. 48 of 2006 was delivered on 24 December 2009 and that the Applicants received the decision of the Court of Appeal only on 2 November 2011. The Respondent also concedes that the time in which the Applicants could have lodged a request for review of the judgment had already expired when the Applicants received the copies of the said judgment.

115. Nevertheless, the Respondent argues that the reason for the dismissal of the 2nd Applicants application for extension of time to file a review was not based on the lapse of time, but on the merits of the application, which according to the Judge of the Court of Appeal, did not warrant the granting of the extension of time.

iii) The Courts Assessment

116. From the submissions of the Parties, the Court deduces that the matter in dispute here is whether the delay in the delivery of copies of judgment of the Court of Appeal affected the right of the Applicants right to request for review of the judgment and whether this constitutes a violation of their right to have ones cause heard, which is a fair trial right stipulated under Article 7 (1) of the Charter.

117. The Court observes that the right of an individual to have his cause heard includes a set of other rights listed under article 7 (1) of the Charter and other international human rights treaties ratified by the Respondent. The term comprises in article 7 (1) of the Charter predicates that the list is not exhaustive and the right to be heard may also include other entitlements available for individuals both in international law and the domestic law of the concerned State. In the instant case, the Applicants have had appeals heard by the High Court and Court of Appeal of the Respondent. The national law further provides for the possibility of a review of the decision of the Court of Appeal in the event that a decision is tainted by procedural irregularities, which have caused injustice to a party.

118. A party would not be in a position to lodge a meaningful application for a review of a particular judgment unless it is in possession of copies of the judgment that it seeks to get reviewed. In this regard, the timely delivery of copies of a judgment is an important consideration especially in circumstances where a considerable delay affects the right of individuals to pursue possible redress available in the domestic system. In Alex Thomas v. the United Republic of Tanzania, this Court held that:

It was the responsibility of the Courts of the Respondent to provide the Applicant with the Court record he required to pursue his appeal. Failure to do so and then maintain that the delay in the hearing of the Applicants appeal was the Applicants fault is unacceptable. , the Applicant made several attempts to obtain the relevant records of proceedings but the judicial authorities unduly delayed in providing him with these records.

119. The Court notes that in Alex Thomas v Tanzania, the delay was related to the provision of court records to pursue an appeal. In contrast, in this instant case, the delay relates to the provision of copies of judgments to enable the Applicants to pursue an application for review. The Court considers that the principle laid down in Alex Thomas v. Tanzania equally applies in this case in that the right of Applicants to pursue possible redress available in the domestic system was affected by the delay in providing them with copies of the judgment.

120. The Court accordingly considers that the failure of the Respondent to provide the Applicants with copies of the judgment of the Court of Appeal for almost two years, without adducing any justification, is an inordinate delay. The Court also holds that the delay certainly affected the right of the Applicants to request for review within the time specified under the domestic law.

121. In view of the above, the Court finds that the unjustified delay of two years to deliver the copies of the judgment to the Applicants violated their right to be heard under Article 7 (1) of the Charter.

B) Allegations relating to arbitrary arrest contrary to article 6 of the Charter

122. Under article 6 of the Charter, the Applicants invoke the responsibility of the Respondent for the violation of their right to liberty as a result of their alleged arbitrary arrest in the Republic of Kenya before their extradition and their re-arrest by Tanzanian authorities after they were acquitted of criminal charges by the Magistrates Court.

1) The Allegation relating to the Applicants being held in custody for three weeks

123. The Applicants submit that they were held in custody for 3 weeks by the authorities of the Republic of Kenya before being arraigned in court, and that this was in violation of their basic rights. The Respondent contends that it is directed to the Republic of Kenya, which is not a party to the instant Application.

124. The Court reiterates its position that it lacks personal jurisdiction to entertain allegations against the Republic of Kenya and therefore, dismisses this allegation.

2) Allegation relating to the re-arrest after acquittal

i) Applicants Submissions

125. The Applicants allege that their rights under Article 6 of the Charter were violated when they were re-arrested by the Police after the trial Magistrate at Kisutu acquitted them. The Applicants argue that after they were acquitted of charges of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit crimes, they were immediately re-arrested and charged before the Resident Magistrate Court of Dar es Salaam at Kisutu with the crime of stealing contrary to section 265 and armed robbery contrary to Section 287 of the Penal Code of the Respondent. They claim that the re-arrest and subsequent charges of stealing and armed robbery violated their right to presumption of innocence.

ii) Respondents Submissions

126. The Respondent argues that the Applicants were lawfully re-arrested and that the second charges were subsequently withdrawn in the interest of justice and the rights of the Applicants.

iii) The Courts Assessment

127. From the records available before it, the Court notes that on 26 March 2003, the Applicants were arraigned at the Kisutu Resident Magistrate Court in Dar es Salaam and charged with two counts under the Penal Code, Cap 16. The first count was conspiracy to commit an offence contrary to Section 384 and the second count was armed robbery contrary to Sections 285 and 286 of the Penal Code. The particulars of the case, undisputed by the Respondent, also show that after the Kisutu Resident Magistrates acquitted them of these counts, they were, on 14 March 2005, again arraigned before the same Court on two new charges:(i) stealing, contrary to Section 265 of the Penal Code in Criminal Case No. 399/2005 and (ii) armed robbery, contrary to Section 287 of the Penal Code in Criminal Case No. 400/2005.

128. These charges were later dropped when the appeal made on the original charge of armed robbery succeeded at the High Court, where their acquittal was set aside and substituted with conviction and a sentence of 30 years imprisonment. It appears from this series of facts that the authorities of the Respondent issued a new charge on different sections of the Penal Code against the Applicants on the basis of the same facts as those relied upon in the original armed robbery charge and to the same trial Magistrate.

129. In view of the above, the question this Court should address is whether the re-arrest of the Applicants was contrary to Article 6 of the Charter, which provides that:

Everyone shall have the right to liberty and security of his person and that no one shall be deprived of his freedom except for reasons and conditions laid down by law. In particular, no one may be arbitrarily arrested or detained.

130. Under Article 6 of the Charter, the right to liberty prohibits arbitrary arrest and this generally involves the deprivation of liberty of individuals contrary to the law or against the reasons and conditions specified by the law. The notion of arbitrariness also covers deprivation of liberty contrary to the standard of reasonableness, that is, whether it is just, necessary, proportionate and equitable in opposition to unjust, absurd and arbitrary.

131. The established international human rights jurisprudence sets three criteria to determine whether or not a particular deprivation of liberty is arbitrary, namely, the lawfulness of the deprivation, the existence of clear and reasonable grounds and the availability of procedural safeguards against arbitrariness. These are cumulative conditions and non-compliance with one makes the deprivation of liberty arbitrary.

i) The lawfulness of the detention

132. The Court notes that arrest or detention that lacks any legal basis is arbitrary. Any deprivation of liberty shall have a legal basis or shall be carried out in accordance with the law.

133. In the case at hand, the Respondent generally argues that the re-arrest of the Applicants was lawful without indicating the specific law on the basis of which the re-arrest was made. Nonetheless, the Court infers from the undisputed submission of the Applicants that they were re-arrested on the basis of section 265 of the Penal Code of the Respondent. The Court thus, holds that there was an adequate legal basis for the re-arrest and that it was conducted in accordance with the law.

ii) The Existence of clear and reasonable grounds

134. The Court notes that a deprivation of liberty shall also have clear and reasonable grounds. Although Article 6 of the Charter does not explicitly require that the grounds should be clear or reasonable, the expression reasons and conditions in the same implies that any arrest or detention should not be conducted without adequate or reasonable grounds.

135. In the present case, the Applicants were arrested on the basis of a criminal charge. It is a trite law that the arrest or detention of individuals for purpose of criminal charge is a common and valid ground for detention recognized by both the domestic legislation of the Respondent and international human rights law. However, the Court considers that the validity of a particular ground for deprivation of liberty shall also be examined in accordance with the circumstances of each case and in the light of the requirement of reasonableness. In the context of criminal proceedings, once an accused is acquitted of a particular crime by a court of law, the fundamental right to liberty and also the standard of reasonableness require that s/he shall be released forthwith and be allowed to enjoy his liberty unhindered.

136. In the instant Application, the Applicants were released in accordance with the decision of the trial Magistrates Court acquitting them of charges of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit crimes, but re-arrested immediately and kept in detention. They were subsequently charged with another crime of stealing and armed robbery based on the same facts under different sections of the Penal code. The Respondent has not proffered any reason as to why it was necessary to charge the Applicants with a new crime of stealing and armed robbery on the basis of the same facts after a court of law had already acquitted the Applicants of similar charges.

137. The Court is of the view that it is inappropriate, unjust, and thus, arbitrary to re-arrest an individual and file new charges based on the same facts without justification after s/he has been acquitted of a particular crime by a court of law. The right to liberty becomes illusory and due process of law ends up being unpredictable if individuals can anytime be re-arrested and charged with new crimes after a court of law has declared their innocence. The Court thus finds that there was no a reasonable ground for the re-arrest of the Applicants in the time between their acquittal by the Resident Magistrate`s Court and their conviction by High Court for the initial charges.

138. In view of this finding, the Court deems it unnecessary to examine the issue whether the third requirement relating to the availability of procedural safeguards against arbitrariness was met.

139. The Court therefore holds that the Respondent has violated the right to liberty of the Applicants under Article 6 of the Charter by arbitrarily re-arresting and charging them with fresh crimes based on the same facts after they were acquitted of the same by a court of law.

C) The Alleged Incommunicado detention of the Applicants in contravention of Article 5 of the Charter

i) Applicants Submissions

140. The Applicants submit that, following their re-arrest by the Respondents authorities, they were detained for four days in a police cell without food and access to the outside world. They allege that their detention was unlawful and violated their rights as guaranteed under Articles 5 of the Charter.

i) Respondents Submissions

141. The Respondent on its part denies the allegation that the Applicants were detained incommunicado without food, and requests that the Applicants be put to the strictest proof thereof.

ii) The Courts Assessment

142. The Court notes that it is a fundamental rule of law that anyone who alleges a fact shall provide evidence to prove it. However, when it comes to violations of human rights, this rule cannot be rigidly applied. By their nature, some human rights violations relating to cases of incommunicado detention and enforced disappearances are shrouded with secrecy and are usually committed outside the shadow of law and public sight. The victims of human rights may thus be practically unable to prove their allegations as the means to verify their allegation are likely to be controlled by the State.

143. In such circumstances, neither party is alone in bearing the burden of proof and the determination of the burden of proof depends on the type of facts which it is necessary to establish for the purposes of the decision of the case It is therefore for this Court to evaluate all the circumstances of the case with a view to establishing the facts.

144. In the instant case, the Applicants simply assert that they were detained for four days in a police cell without food and access to the external environment. Given the particular condition of their detention, the Court understands that it may be difficult for them to prove their contention.

145. Nevertheless, the Applicants have not submitted any prima facie evidence to support their allegation which could enable the Court to shift the burden of proof to the Respondent. The Court recalls that the Applicants had lawyers both at the Magistrates Court and the High Court and there is nothing on record to show that they raised the matter before the courts of the Respondent or communicated the condition of their detention to their lawyers, or their government.

146. In view of the foregoing, the Court finds that the allegation lacks merit and is hereby dismissed.

D) Allegation of violation of Article 3 of the Charter

i) Applicants Submissions

147. The Applicants generally allege without providing specifics, that the Respondent has violated their right under Article 3 of the Charter.

ii) Respondents Submissions

148. The Respondent maintains that Articles 12 and 13 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania firmly guarantee these rights and that the Applicants have failed to demonstrate how these guarantees of equality were not applied to them therefore resulting in the alleged violations. The Respondent also reiterates that Section 9(1) of the Basic Rights and Duties Enforcement Act [Cap 3 RE 2002] also provides adequate safeguards against the alleged violation.

iii) The Courts Assessment

149. Article 3 of the African Charter provides that:

Every individual shall be equal before the law. Every individual shall be entitled to equal protection of the law

150. This provision has two limbs, namely, the right to equality before the law and the right to equal protection of the law.

151. With regard to the right to equal protection of the law, the Court notes that this is recognized and guaranteed in the Constitution of the Respondent. The relevant provisions (Articles 12 and 13) of the Constitution enshrine the right in its sacred form and content on equal par with the Charter, including by prohibiting discrimination.

152. Concerning the right to equality before the law, in their submissions, the Applicants have alleged that their right under Article 3 of the Charter has been violated by the Respondent without specifying how and under what contexts that they have been discriminated against. The Court has, in the case of Abubakari v Tanzania, held that it is incumbent on the Party purporting to have been a victim of discriminatory treatment to provide proof thereof. The Applicants have not indicated circumstances where they were subjected to unjustified differential treatment in comparison to other persons in a similar situation. As this Court has stated in its case law of Alex Thomas v Tanzania, General statements to the effect that [a] right has been violated are not enough. More substantiation is required. 

153. The Court therefore dismisses the Applicants allegation that their rights under Article 3 of the Charter were violated.

E) The Allegation concerning the violation of all accepted principles of human rights and international law

i) Applicants Submissions

154. The Applicants also make a general submission that both the Kenyan and the Tanzanian Governments have violated all accepted principles of human rights and international law through their actions.

ii) Respondents Submissions

155. With regard to part of the allegation directed against it, the Respondent State submits that this allegation is not clear and specific. It argues that the Applicants have not specified with precision which principles and what areas of international law have been violated. In the opinion of the Respondent, the phrase all accepted principles of human rights and international law is vague and general.

iii) The Courts Assessment

156. The Court has already dismissed the claim of the Applicants against the Government of Kenya for lack of personal jurisdiction as specified above (para. 44).

157. As far as the Respondent is concerned, the Court has previously decided that it can only examine a specific allegation of human rights violation only when either the facts indicating such violation or the nature of the right which was allegedly violated is adequately stated in the Application. The instant allegation lacks precision in both respects. The Applicants have not clearly stated the specific right or principle of human rights or international law, which is said to be violated nor have they sufficiently indicated the factual basis of such alleged violation. As a result, the Court is unable to make a determination on the merits of the substance of the Applicants` allegation because of its generalised nature and finds no violation of a right protected in the Charter or other international human rights instruments ratified by the Respondent.

F) Allegation that the Respondent State has violated Article 1 of the Charter

158. The Applicants allege that the Respondent has breached its obligation under Article 1 of the Charter by failing to give effect to the rights enshrined in it. The Respondent has not made any submission on this allegation.

159. The Court reiterates its position in the matter of Alex Thomas v Tanzania that Article 1 of the Charter imposes on States Parties the duty to recognize the rights guaranteed therein and to adopt legislative and other measures to give effect to these rights, duties and freedoms. Accordingly, in assessing whether or not a State has violated Article 1 of the Charter, the Court examines not only the availability of domestic legislative measures taken by the State but also whether the application of those legislative or other measures is in line with the realization of the rights, duties and freedoms enshrined in the Charter, that is, the attainment of the objects and purposes of the Charter. If the Court finds that any of the rights, duties and freedoms set out in the Charter are curtailed, violated or not being achieved, this necessarily means that the obligation set out under Article 1 of the Charter has not been complied with and has been violated.

160. In the instant case, the Court has found that the Respondent State has violated Article 6 and Article 7 of the Charter. On this basis, the Court thus concludes that the violation of these rights also simultaneously violates Article 1 of the Charter requiring the Respondent to respect and ensure respect for the rights guaranteed thereof.

IX. REPARATIONS

161. In their Application, the Applicants requested, among other things, the Court to grant reparations and order such other measures or remedies as it may deem fit.

162. On the other hand, the Respondent prayed the Court to deny the request for reparations and all other reliefs sought by the Applicants.

163. Article 27.1 of the Protocol provides that "if the Court finds that there has been violation of a human or peoples rights, it shall make appropriate orders to remedy the violation including the payment of fair compensation or reparation."

164. In this regard, Rule 63 of the Rules of Court provides that "the Court shall rule on the request for reparation by the same decision establishing the violation of a human and peoples right or, if the circumstances so require, by a separate decision.

165. In the instant case, the Court will decide on certain forms of reparation in this Judgment, and rule on other forms of reparation at a later stage of the proceedings.

X. COSTS

166. In their submissions, the Applicants and the Respondent did not make any statements concerning costs.

167. The Court notes that Rule 30 of the Rules provides that unless otherwise decided by the Court, each party shall bear its own costs.

168. The Court shall decide on the issue of costs when making a ruling on other forms of reparation.

Signed

Sylvain ORE, President

Ben KIOKO, VicePresident

Gerard NIYUNGEKO, Judge

El Hadji GUISSE, Judge

Rafaa BEN ACHOUR, Judge

Solomy B. BOSSA, Judge

Angelo V. MATUSSE, Judge

and Robert ENO, Registrar.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Why do Africans wait until it is too late for our rescue? Right now most African oil producing countries are still fighting about which regions produce more oil. Areas that are not producing oil are exploring other regions for oil. Many of us lost our thinking faculties in hedonism, greed and are spread all over the world beyond value to Africa. So, Not Thinking Beyond Crude Oil.

Only in Nigeria do looters go to court to recover loot or oil blocks! Oil became a curse in Nigeria. Many now wished oil were never discovered around their areas because of devastating effect it had, leaving their land an environmental swamp. Farmers cannot cultivate crops and fishermen have been idled. Parent watched children restlessly forming gangs of kidnappers, thugs used by politicians and militias as a way to make a living and use the poors plights to enrich themselves.

Yet, all the planning to divest away from oil have not materialized after many years. Right now, it is a race against clean energy. Many countries have promised to stop producing automobiles that are powered by oil in about ten years or less. While fear has griped right thinking Africans, we are still waiting for African innovation in automobiles powered by other forms of energies like electric, water, hydrogen or just air. Our scientists are too busy looking for the next meal.

So, it is not that we do not have brilliant scholars and well skilled people in Africa that can see beyond crude oil. They are either unmotivated, underemployed or busy scraping or eking out a living. In other words, academics are far from their minds. It is cost-effective to keep scholars in their research space. But many of them would make a better living as politicians. This is the reason you would find many magnificent folks resigned to politics instead of using their brains.

What is this writer, as any other Africans doing about it? God created all humans with talents to make contributions. We always leave the task to the other guy and preach to others. This writer would have to go back to school in his older age and train to become an engineer with specialty in digital field. This may not be a good excuse since there are some billionaires that can sponsor research into space or Car Company, called Tesla. Well, this writer is far from being a billionaire.

You see O, you see how Africans make excuses? We all yap and yap. When it is time to put talk into action, we come up with variety of reasons; why we cannot. For a long time many of us have been thinking how we could make a difference but the tasks are so overwhelming, many do not know where to start. We helplessly watch Africa as those in power waste resources. Instead of leveraging the income from oil, hedonists decided to lavish it on themselves.

We have many Africans working hard at home but they are overwhelmed; cant form quorums. Luckily for this writer, he found a niche. Those of us that qualified in those days were lucky in the sense that Nigerian Government used to come overseas and recruit. Actually, most were called: it was time to go home before we killed our mothers. There was no reason to waste our talents elsewhere when it could be better used in Africa. The truth was we were only tolerated. We could not wait to go home in view of discrimination, some lack of respect and appreciation. All of us cannot be politicians. Okay, time has changed. Well-qualified Africans are now afraid to go home. Those that went were not gainfully employed. Many had to return and face the music of being under-employed, disrespect despite their amazing talents. Mothers no longer cry for their children to come home. Indeed, they ask you not to come home. Parents want returned tickets so that they can enjoy the civilized environment where everything works.

Even, well-qualified folks at home are looking for ways to get out. The highly qualified or highly skilled are looking for ways to do anything overseas until they can pass regional examinations and work in their professions of choice. Many are disappointed because they had to seat those examinations many times. What some of them do not realized is that they actually passed the examinations but most professional bodies regulate the amount of workers allowed to practice.

African countries spend a great deal of money to train medical and natural scientists. It is sad and disappointing when it was published that 85% of trained Nigerian physicians are lost to developed countries! There was a publication on social media teaching physicians that want to leave the country for greener pastures. It informed them of the process and the examinations they need to take before departing their shores. We are losing our most expensive investments.

Many trained Africans in social and other sciences were given scholarships to train overseas. But once they finished, they were lost to Africa. During the first coming of Rawlings as a military officer in Ghana, he detained some scholars that came back on holidays until they could pay back their scholarships. He could have been less harsh, but he made a point on brain drain.

The days most African politicians used their brains are over. It was used to get Independence and fight off colonialist powers. Once the next generation got into position of power, replacing those that oppressed them, African politicians started oppressing their own people. Africans politicians are so wicked, some people think they are worse than the colonial powers.

There is no difference between the African rulers of Africans and the African chiefs that sold us into slavery in exchange for mirrors. When they ran out of slaves, the chiefs and kings started capturing one another to sell as slaves. As they were disembarking from the slave ships, slaves they had sold overseas recognized them. Humiliated chiefs faced subjects they had sold off. A few wanted to bow to their chiefs; other slaves kicked them in the groin.

There is a difference between todays Africans and those taken as slaves in those days. In those days, slaves revolted at home, revolted on the high seas, inside the slave ships and they also revolted in the New World. Many of them actually jumped into the high sea and die, than land on the shores of strange lands. They fought their oppressors as Mau-Mau, many as night marauders fought against night marauders that came to capture them.

Yes, African slaves were brave and some lynched and used jungle justice against those chief and kings. Today Nigerians are so fed up; they take it out on poor hungry folks stealing food in the markets. They are beaten mercilessly and some are lynched. These are symptoms of angry folks that hate dishonesty and went too far to show their displeasure on poor soul instead of leaders.

The Buhari/Idiagbon would have got those looters, worse than armed robbers, faced a firing squad. Nigerians recoil when asked to go after their oppressors. Jungle justice for politicians that loot us blind is undemocratic, contrary to the rule of law and due process. Even looters came out and said they loot because we allow them to. So, French and Russian Revolutions or Romanian executions were democratic, they followed the rule of law and due process, abi?
Abidjan, Cote dIvoire 29 September 2017  The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a private sector multi-currency line of credit of US$ 100 million and 1.3 billion South African Rands to Industrial Development Corporation Plc (IDC) of South Africa.

The operation will support industrialization projects in both South Africa and other Regional Member Countries (RMCs).

IDC is South Africas pre-eminent development finance institution (DFI), owned by the South African government. Its mandate is to promote industrialization in Africa by investing in, and developing the industrial base of South Africa and other RMS, thereby helping to scale-up the AfDB s High 5 agenda, particularly Industrialize Africa. Fifty percent of the funding (the rand tranche) will be used for projects in South Africa and the balance (the USD tranche) will be directed to regional projects in Mozambique, Malawi, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Mauritius, Swaziland and Sudan.

IDC is managed as an independent DFI, operating in a sustainable and self-financing manner with a strong governance structure.

The Bank has a good and long-standing relationship with IDC. The current operation is the 3rd non-sovereign guaranteed Line of Credit from the Bank.

The recently concluded extended supervision of the previous facility (US$ 200 million) indicated that the Banks support resulted in creation and retention of over 15,000 jobs by supporting agro-industries, logistics, transport and other industry infrastructure in Senegal, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Swaziland.

This project is timely considering current economic challenges in South Africa as AfDB and IDC together can play a countercyclical role. The support is much needed as raising funds is becoming more difficult for South Africa and government owned entities such as IDC due to the country sovereign downgrade. The project will address the IDCs funding gap and reduce asset-liability mismatch.

The LOC is intended to support IDCs 5-year Corporate Plan for the period 2016/172020/21. Specifically, it will be on-lent to IDCs clients in key focus areas, including (i) priority industrial value chains such as chemical and pharmaceuticals, metals and mining, agro-processing and agriculture value chains. It will also support (ii) industrial infrastructure, including energy, logistics, water, and telecommunications; (iii) new industries that derive from innovation, science and technology. The LOC will also significant opportunities in high impact labour intensive sectors and assist businesses in distress.
Sited at the heart of South Africa, visit Robben Island known to be the National Heritage and UNESCO World Heritage spot because of its 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 it 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 27-years 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, brought to bear the need to persevere, endure, overtake and break all the shackles that bind and entangle the power of imagination. The vivid story of Lionel Davis 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 long hours during his stay on the island, was one of the most powerful experiences for my comrades and I, and 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 insightful 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.

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 leadership skills, unearth their potentials and also understand the role of leadership in the development of Africa.

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 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 lectures#

#Mr. Emmanuel Ametepey, thank you for the nomination#

Tristan Gorgens and Celine Dufor, I am most grateful for the reviews.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Accra, Sept. 29 CDA Consult  The former President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Mr Edward Ameyibors name missing from the list for former GJA President for the Journalists Election.

Mr Ameyibor known in journalism circles as "Oga" have served the GJA under various leadership capacities even after his dedicated service as GJA President during the difficult developmental stages of the association.

Mr Edward Ameyibor, former Supervising Chief Editor of the Ghana News Agency was surprised that his name was omitted by the GJA Elections Committee.

Mr Edward Ameyibor for several years also served as GJA Annual Awards Committee Chairman.

Mr Ameyibor, the current Secretary General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) Pensioners Association expressed surprise and shocked for the omission.

In an interview, Mr Kwesi Kpodo, GJA Elections Committee Member described the omission of Mr Edward Ameyibors name from the GJA voters lists as shameful and embarrassing.

Mr Kpodo explained that the GJA Election list was compiled by the GJA secretariat and apologized to Mr Edward Ameyibor for the embarrassment.

The GJA listed Ms Ajoa Yeboah- Afari, Mr Kabaral Blay-Amihere and Ms Gifty Afenyi-Dadzi as former GJA President.
A recently released report by the Stockholm Center for Freedom (SCF) has revealed how the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has abused the rule of law and jailed innocent people on absurd charges, from possessing a dollar bill and cancelling a cable TV subscription to purchasing the most highly circulated daily and membership in a union.

By the governments own admission, 50,510 people were arrested and 169,013 have been faced legal action, most in the form of detention. More than 150,000 judges, teachers, doctors, police, academics and other civil servants were summarily fired and branded as terrorists by the governments decree-laws, otherwise known as Erdogans royal decrees, in the last year alone.

If you look at the purported criminal evidence cited by prosecutors and the courts for jailing tens of thousands of people on terrorism and coup charges, the Erdogan government can easily label millions of people in Turkey as terrorists and putschists, Abdullah Bozkurt, SCF president, said.

The Turkish government is inventing new crimes that have no basis in the penal code and are clearly against the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Turkey is party, he added.

The witch-hunt persecution has taken a toll on participants and volunteers of civic group the Gulen movement, inspired by US-based Turkish Muslim scholar Fethullah Gulen, who has been an outspoken critic of President Erdogan over corruption in the government and Erdogans aiding and abetting of armed jihadist groups in Syria. The Kurdish political movement and leftist groups have also received their share of persecution under the Erdogan regime.

In this study, SCF reviewed tens of thousands of pages of court documents, indictments, depositions and arrest warrants to identify the absurd pretexts used by prosecutors to indict suspects and judges to jail innocent people who are alleged to have been affiliated with the Gulen movement.

The most notable ones that stand out from the rest include the following. The list is certainly not an exhaustive one but tells the tale of the terrible state of the rule of law in Turkey.

Subscription to the Zaman daily: The newspaper sold as many as 1.2 million copies at its peak, especially right after corruption scandals that incriminated Erdogan, his family members and his business and political associates.

Being a client of Bank Asya: One of three banks in Turkey with the highest liquidity, it was seized by the government on false charges. It had 1.5 million clients.

Union membership: The Aksiyon-Is Union, a confederation of unions representing labor in various sectors, was targeted by the government because of its opposition. It had 22,104 members.

Membership in business association TUSKON: The Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists, best known by its acronym TUSKON, was the umbrella organization for 211 businessmens associations in Turkey and 150 others in several countries. It had more than 40,000 members.

Volunteering for the Kimse Yok Mu charity: A charity organization that was a member of UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and partner to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had been listed as terrorist organization by the government over its links to the Gulen movement. It had over 200,000 volunteers in 2015.

Doctors and medical professionals: Tens of thousands of doctors, medical staff and professional health workers in Turkey and those who were employed by hospitals, health centers and medical schools and members of health professional associations affiliated with the Gulen movement were branded by the government as terrorists.

Lawyers associations: Thirty-four lawyers societies or associations have been arbitrarily shut down in the last year alone. Their members were treated as suspects. A total of 523 lawyers including the heads of provincial bar associations were arrested and 1,318 lawyers have been prosecuted since 2016.

Possession of books by Fethullah Gulen: Publishing houses that printed and distributed Gulens books were shut down, copies were collected and destroyed. Anybody who has a copy of one of the 64 books authored by Gulen is being treated as a suspect in Turkey. Some of Gulens books sold as many as 1 million copies.

Cancellation of Digiturk subscriptions: Digiturk, a cable TV platform, unlawfully removed critical TV networks from its lineup under government pressure, and many people cancelled their subscription in protest. Some 168,000 people reportedly cancelled their membership after main opposition political party the CHP joined the protest. Court documents show the cancellation was accepted as membership in a terrorist organization.

Possession of one-dollar bills: Turkish investigators claimed possession of a one dollar bill and the serial number on the note is a mode of secret communication among members of the movement. This far-fetched claim has led many people with a dollar bill to languish in Turkish jails including a US national who works at NASA. The US Federal Reserve reported $11.7 billion in one-dollar bills in all letter series in circulation as of 2016 and plans to issue $2.4 billion in 2017.

ByLock messaging application: Using and/or downloading a smart-phone application called ByLock, which was freely available on Google Play and the AppStore, is considered to be criminal evidence by Turkey. Very little, if any, content has been produced thus far, yet anybody who is alleged to have downloaded it is regarded as a suspect. The app was downloaded a million times and reportedly had 215,000 users.

Being a relative of a suspect: One of the most outrageous illegal practices carried out in Turkey has manifested itself in the form of violation of the principle of individual criminal responsibility. The government started arresting family members and relatives of suspects without any evidence other than blood and marriage links.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Accra, Sept. 27, GNA - Mr Yaw Osafo-Marfo, the Senior Minister at the Presidency, on Wednesday, said the Government by an Executive Fiat, has declared a : 'RED ALERT,' in all forms of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing methods in Ghana.

He said the relevant law enforcement agencies were, therefore, enjoined to carry out the order to the letter.

He has also called on the media to partner the Government and other stakeholders to fight illegal fishing, as in the case of illegal mining, to ensure sustainable development of the fishing industry.

The Senior Minister was addressing a conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment, held in Accra, on the general theme: 'The Changing Marine Fisheries and Coasts: Challenges and Opportunity for Changing Mind'.

Mr Osafo-Marfo noted that the harm being caused to the fishing industry far outweighed the harm caused to the environment through illegal mining.

'I am reliably informed by the experts in the fishing industry and the sector Minister that the harm we cause to the fishing industry in Ghana through illegal and unregulated fishing is far worse than what illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, is causing to our rivers, forest reserves and farming lands,'' he said.

The Senior Minister said over the period, there had been emphasis on voluntary compliance of the fishery laws but regretfully, most of the fisher folks had failed to heed to the call, giving way to increase in illicit fishing methods coupled with its economic and health implications.

He noted that the importance of fisheries in national economy was very great and that the industry provided direct and indirect support for over two million people in the country.

He said in terms of the economy, fisheries contributed about four per cent of Gross Domestic Product; while it was also the main source of animal protein in many homes, thereby contributing substantially to food security.

About 60 per cent of protein content of our food is from fish sources, he said.

Mr Osafo-Marfo said given the importance of fish and fisheries resources in the lives of the people in the country, it was important that no stone was left unturned in the collective effort to rebuild sustained fisheries.

He, therefore, commended the UCC, USAID-SFMP and other partners for organising the conference and collaborating with the Government to help sanitise the fishing industry.

He said the Government for its part, was committed to seeing that the fisheries were developed, sustained and exploited rationally in a cost effective manner.

He enjoined all stakeholders to also commit themselves in achieving the goal of sustainable fisheries for the betterment of all.

'Those of you who have the responsibility of overseeing the activities of the landing beaches are equally enjoined to provide all necessary support and cooperation to the law enforcement agency to ensure an effective implementation of this order in our common effort of building an independent, prosperous and great nation,' the Senior Minister said.

GNA

By Lydia Asamoah / Thelma Abbey, GNA
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Tema, Sept 27, GNA - The Ghana Chamber of Shipping has commended 'the patriotic zeal" that characterized the efforts of the previous and current administrations in pursuing the maritime border litigation between Ghana and Ivory Coast matter despite the inherent risks.

"We also commend the Legal and technical team composed by Ghana, both foreign and local, for the demonstration of commitment and the exhibition of dexterity in the handling of the case."

A statement signed and delivered by Mr Ben Owusu Mensah, Chairman of the Chamber to the Ghana News Agency, called on government to manage any post-judgement sensitivities so as to keep intact the bonds of fraternity and cooperation that have for a very long time been a cherished and preserved hallmark in the relationship between the two countries.

According to the statement, 'In view of the time already lost, The Chamber entreats Tullow Oil and its partners to work expeditiously and assiduously towards meeting its targets.

It is the hope of The Chamber that this landmark decision would not cement further the strong bonds of friendship and partnership between the two countries but also be a fillip towards the social and economic development of the two countries for the benefit of their teeming populations.'

The Ghana Chamber of Shipping welcomed with satisfaction the decision of the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea in the maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Cote D' Ivoire noting that 'the decision of the Special Chamber of the International tribunal of the law of the sea judgement delivered by the president of the Special Chamber, judge Boualem Bouguetaia was unanimous and emphatic.'

'The Chamber further notes that in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), there is no appeal to the decision delivered by the Special Chamber.

It is the hope of The Chamber that in view of the clarity that attended to the jurisprudential issues so adeptly dealt with by the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea, no occasion would arise to necessitate a call for clarity by either party even though such a vent is provided by UNCLOS,' the statement said.

The Chamber said,' Without doubt, the decision of the tribunal went in favour of Ghana. CAte d'Ivoire however was not left bereft of its claims and certainly made gains in respect of the decision, thus leading to the attainment of the end of maritime boundary delimitation - an equitable result.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Juaso (Ash), Sept 28, GNA - Workers of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies have been urged to be resourceful and demonstrate the willingness to work hard to increase productivity.

Mr. Alexander Frimpong, the Asante-Akim South District Chief Executive (DCE), cautioned against wasting valuable working time attending to personal issues unrelated to their job.

That, he indicated, was completely unacceptable and could not continue to be tolerated.

He was speaking at a meeting with members of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association (CLOSSAG) at Juaso, the district capital.

Present was the Ashanti Regional Chairperson of the Association, Mrs. Mercy Acheampong together with some other regional officers of the CLOSSAG.

The DCE said it was important for everybody to learn the most efficient way to perform their assigned tasks to deliver the expected outcomes.

He reminded them that the assemblies could not afford to disappoint the people.

Mrs. Acheampong underlined the need for the workers to accept to work with passion to improve the performance of the assemblies.

She rallied them to forge a united front and said this was necessary to advance their welfare.

She encouraged the workers to take advantage of the association's credit scheme, land and car loan facilities to better their lives.

GNA

By Yussif Ibrahim, GNA
Cassia County

Felony sentencings

Jasmyn Dawn Gasser; felony possession of controlled substance, guilty, three years probation, two years determinate, two years indeterminate, penitentiary suspended.

Desiree Rupert, felony possession of controlled substance, guilty, $535.50 costs, one year determinate time, 43 days credited; misdemeanor drug paraphernalia, dismissed on motion of prosecutor.

Tearle Spencer Mai; felony controlled substancemanufacture or deliver or possess with intent to manufacture or deliver, guilty, $535.50 costs, guilty, $535.50 costs, 11 years indeterminate time, 27 days credited; felony possession of controlled substance, dismissed on motion of prosecutor; misdemeanor drug paraphernaliause or possess with intent to use, dismissed on motion of prosecutor.

Felony dismissals

William Allen Kyes; felony grand theft by receiving, possessing or disposing of stolen property, dismissed on motion of prosecutor.

Driving under the influence sentencings

Jarod D. Shiner; misdemeanor driving under the influenceunder age 21 amended misdemeanor driving under the influence, guilty, $300 fine, $202.50 costs, 90 days drivers license suspended, 12 months probation, 180 days jail, 178 days suspended, two days credited; misdemeanor drug paraphernaliause or possess with intent to use, guilty, 180 days jail, two days credited; misdemeanor possession of marijuana, guilty, 180 days jail, two days credited.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

New Obuasi (C/R), Sept 28, GNA - The joint military/police taskforce set up to enforce the ban on illegal mining, to help save the environment, has been making good progress in its assigned task.

It has so far arrested 362 suspected illegal miners including some Chinese and seized a number of mining equipment, among these are over 1,500 'chang fa' and water pumping machines.

Twenty-four (24) of those arrested have been convicted by the courts with some of them sentenced to fines ranging from GH1,080.00 to GH6,000.00, while others have been jailed - doing between four and 18 months.

Major Gariba Adams Pabi, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Taskforce, which has been code-named 'Operation Vanguard', made this known to journalists at New Obuasi (Denkyira-Obuasi) where they had made a stopover to visit the site where the late army officer, Major Maxwell Mahama, was gruesomely murdered.

He said they were happy about the way things had gone and called for continued support, understanding and cooperation of everybody.

He underlined the need for all to accept to get right with the law and work together to protect the water bodies and forest reserves.

It was a quite an emotional moment, when the Commander, Colonel William Agyapong, led the officers and men to pray for the soul of the deceased officer.

He also thanked God for the mercies, favour and protection as they carried out their duties to the nation.

Major Mahama was killed on May 29, this year, whilst leading a military taskforce to stop illegal mining in the Denkyira-Obuasi.

'Operation Vanguard' was officially inaugurated on July 31, to enforce the ban on illegal and small scale mining across the country.

GNA
Tamale, Sept. 28, GNA - The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, in collaboration with the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives and the Savannah Accelerated Development Agency (SADA), has marked the 2017 World Tourism Day in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale.

The event, which was on the theme: 'Sustainable Tourism: A tool for development,' is aimed at meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability and capacity of future generations to also meet their needs.

Madam Catharine Abelema Afeku, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, said tourism's strategic role as a driver of socio-economic transformation could not be over-emphasised adding that it provided jobs, generated foreign exchange and enhanced national cohesion through regular domestic tourism exchange.

She said tourism contributed immensely to economic growth and, as such, major interactions were on-going in the sector including the fight against galamsey, improvement in road infrastructure, rehabilitation and construction of railways, and airport refurbishment and construction in Accra, Tamale and Wa.

She said the Ministry had also launched the 'See, Eat, Wear and Feel Ghana, Campaign' aimed at developing a renewed sense of nationalism, promoting Made-in-Ghana goods and facilitating domestic tourism.

Madam Afeku noted that government was also taking steps to address the training needs of the industry with the view of establishing a credible training institution with satellite campuses in the regions to train personnel.

She said representations at the highest levels were also being made to ease the burden of high energy cost of accommodation and catering services.

'We have also identified three iconic products in each region and will work with other partners and stakeholders to develop them into first class tourist attractions,' she said, adding that work on the Marine Drive Investment Project was also in progress.

Madam Afeku later introduced 30 tourism ambassadors who, through their talents, popularity and influence, would promote Ghana as a tourist destination of choice over the next two years.

Tourism celebrities include musicians, actors/actresses, bloggers and disk jockeys who would combine their efforts to present a coherent and consistent image of Ghana.

The Minister commended SADA for its commitment to tourism development and the collaboration with Ghana Textiles Printing to promote the G-Stock under the 'Wear Ghana Campaign' and encouraged all to embrace the 'See, Eat, Wear and Feel Ghana.'

Mr Solomon Buah, the Deputy Northern Regional Minister, said the celebration was a way of showcasing to the world the potentials of the three regions of the north, as well as to encourage investors to take advantage and develop the area.

He said: 'The celebration of the global event in the region is expected to expose the untapped resources of the northern part of Ghana to investors to come in and develop the area'.

Mr Buah urged the chiefs to take advantage of their role in society to preach peace to the people, for without peace there would be no development.

GNA

By Hafsa Obeng, GNA
Aspiring National Youth Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kamal-Deen Abdulai, has denied reports that he has withdrawn from the race.

Media reports in some quarters suggested that the current NASARA Coordinator is pulling out of the race for personal reasons.

The NPP will be electing new National Officers in 2018 for a four-year tenure in accordance with the party's constitution.

Kamal-Deen Abdulai is in the race with two others who are hoping to replace Sammi Awuku.

Below is Kamal-Deen Abdulai's full statement

It has come to my attention that there is a fictitious news item circulating in some section of the media and going viral on social media that I Kamal-Deen-Abdulai, the National Nasara Coordinator of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has withdrawn from the partys National Youth Organiser race slated to take place somewhere in 2018.

This is a second fictitious statement that has gone viral about the youth organizer contest this week alone. I wish to state that neither I Kamal-Deen Abdulai in any form of communication have I communicated such to anybody nor any of my official communication team members communicated such to any person or group of persons.

I see this as a machiavellian tactics by my detractors who feel my continuous existent in the race poses a huge threat to their uninspiring persona, assigns or allies.

For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state that the said news item is a hoax, complete fabrication, a figment of somebody's imagination, total lies to dampen the spirit of the many youth of the party who see Kamal-Deen Abdulai as their next choice of a youth Organiser.

It is absurd for anybody to think that this childish hogwash of a propaganda can stand in the face of the tsunami Kamal Deen that is coming.

I, however, wish to state as I have stated on several other platforms already that I Kamal-Deen Abdulai shall pick nomination to contest for the National Youth Organiser position when the party opens nomination and no amount of lies, inferiority tactics, fabrications and propaganda can stop that.

Thank you

signed..

Kamal Deen-Abdulai



By: Sammi Wiafe/citifmonline.com/Ghana
30.09.2017 LISTEN

It is reported that Ghana has lost a whopping sum of money from non-repatriation of proceeds made on the export of about $2.3 billion worth of gold.

The proceeds from the gold exports were not repatriated, thus, enriching unscrupulous foreign gold dealers, mainly Indians and Chinese, and their Ghanaian collaborators in the process.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Kojo Opare Hammond confirmed the report last week stating that, US$2.3billion worth of gold was shipped through PMMC and none of the money that was earned was returned into the country as required by law he stressed.

In the wake of this news, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) has revoked the export license of the PMMC, a company that exports gold and other minerals.

This has been confirmed by Mr. Hammond last week.

As at now, we are not doing shipping of Gold. Even with our diamond which we do not have any problems with, most of the time I have to really go and plead with them (BoG) to allow us to move. In fact, Bank of Ghana is really upset with this situation that we came to find ourselves in. But as we speak now, PMMC cannot export goods because of what happened previously Mr. Hammond said.

He noted that investigations are being conducted by the CID.

This issue actually came up at one of the meetings we held with the Minister of Finance and he immediately asked the CID to take over and begin investigations into this and that is what is ongoing now.

The Bank of Ghana in 2016 announced PMMC as the sole exporter of gold.

PMMC is a limited liability company operating under the Companies code, with the Government of Ghana as the sole shareholder.

Meanwhile, a tax expert, Ali Nakyea, has called for those responsible for the loss of revenue to the country to be named and punished.

According to Ali Nakyea, anyone found to have been involved in the scam, should be sanctioned, and that efforts should be made to recover the lost funds.

Illicit financial flow is not only the trade mis-pricing, bribery and corruption is also one. If you bring in items valued at one million and falsify the documents to read 300, 000, we are losing a tax element there. This is why the paperless system is welcome because you cant falsify a document as there arent documents, he said.

We have to make sure that any person found culpable does not stay in there. I believe in finding where the loss is, recovering the money and punishing the person. We need to recover first before we punish. We should just name and shame. We need to name, recover and punish; and these three make it shameful.

The various causes of illicit financial flow, trade mis-pricing, bribery and corruption and transfer pricing, are areas we should pay attention to so that we get enough to ensure that our tax system worksIf the report is now out, I will be interested in how they can follow up and make sure we receive these monies. If indeed the gold moved out then we should get the compensation and the payment. 

Ali Nakyea expressed his frustration with the apparent lack of records detailing the countrys gold exports.

He insisted that Ghana may not have applied for a bailout from the IMF had the proceeds from the exports been repatriated, potentially making Ghana a net-creditor.

Im not surprised about the amount because it was published on the front page of the Daily Graphic that the Swiss Government indicated that they imported GHC2 billion worth of gold from Ghana in 2016. My question at the time was, what is the record of receipt in Bank of Ghana and the record of export of gold with the Minerals Commission. We need to get these institutions to liaise and reconcile their figures, he said.

My other worry is, we have a trade attache in our mission to Switzerland, what is he also checking and reporting back to us? Institutionally, we need to collaborate and check our records. If there are illicit flows, well see clearly that with what we are losing, if accounted for, we dont need to borrow. If we are going out for $938m over a three year period [from IMF] and we are losing billions in a year, then we [could have been] net creditors and we didnt need to borrow.

The Association of Gold Exporters of Ghana (AGEG), had earlier asked the BoG to rescind appointing the PMMC as the certifier for gold exports.

They argued that the PMMC was involved in dubious business deals including money laundering by Indians and Chinese with help of some managers of PMMC.

Mr. Nakyea was of the view that the countrys export earnings should be enough to stop the government from borrowing.

If there are illicit flows, you will see clearly that what we are losing if accounted for we are net creditors. We dont need to borrow he exclaimed.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

A good news coming from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has said petroleum service providers that sell products meant for export on the local market risk losing their licences, as it intends to go hard on the tax evasion practice.

This news comes weeks after the Authority had impounded about 15 trucks, containing fuel supposedly meant for export to Mali but were being rerouted back onto the local market.

According to the field report, each of the trucks carried 54,000 litres of either petrol or diesel, worth some GH1.4 million in total.

It was explained by the NPA that the trucks, which had Malian number plates, were driven to a hideout at Kpong where the number plates were replaced with Ghanaian ones.

This is just confirmation of the numerous complaints and red flags raised in past years of the syndicate of the illegal trade in the country.

Oil Marketing Companies in the country have been wailing over the impact of the practice on their volumes, as it undercuts them and makes them sell less.

The incentive for the smugglers lies in the fact that, due to ECOWAS protocols, products meant for neighbouring countries do not attract levies, taxes and margins, which constitute up to 51% of the pump price of products sold locally.

By diverting products meant for export back onto the Ghanaian market, the illegal operators are able to sell at lower prices and undercut genuine operators.

The NPA Boss narrating the story to journalist stated that, We have taken custody of those trucks. They are parked at the NPA yard in Kpong. What we intend to do is to go hard on people who deliberately try to evade tax.

What we will be doing, in the fullness of time, is to confiscate the products, confiscate the trucks and revoke the licences of that particular petroleum service provider and ban the directors of those companies from ever playing any roles in the downstream petroleum industry. That is the way to go. We are not going soft on any of such malfeasance.

Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko had earlier also expressed worry over the illegal fuel trade. The practice has created an artificial increase in export volumes. Export volumes for Diesel, especially, grew by an astronomical 1829% from just above 10million litres to over 196million litres, while petrol grew by 102%.

The volumes, he said, did not match the volumes recorded by the Malian and Burkinabe regulators as official imports from Ghana, confirming that most of these products do not reach the declared destinations.

The OMCs have long been calling for sanctions, threatening to lay off workers if the government did not clamp down on the underhand activity.

Until somebody is arrested and processed and sent to prison, this thing will never ever stop, William Tewiah of Zen Petroleum said during an interaction with the Energy Minister, in May.

As part of measures to curb the dumping of products meant for export on the local market, government has decided that the Bolga depot of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) should be the sole export depot for the northern sector and its Accra Plains depot as the sole export depot for the southern sector.

If this is effectively implemented, a truck with a Burkinabe or Malian number plate is not supposed to be seen down south in the name of carting fuel for those countries.

Among the negative consequence of this activity in the downstream oil sector is that, Ghanas international reputation will suffer a dip if it fails to stop the illegal sale of petroleum products in the immediate term.

According to some industry watchers, the country could serve as an attractive destination for pirates as they would capitalize on the lax regime to perpetuate their illegal acts.

The caution comes days after

Also, among some of the economic effect was evident by the call made the Association of Oil Marketing Companies recently threatening to sack about 4000 workers as the businesses of its members are no longer profitable.

Their plight has been as a result of the impact of the activities of illegal traders of petroleum products.

The National Chairman of the General Transport Petroleum and Chemical Workers Union, Bernard Owusu related that, the development will also be dire for the industry.

This is very dangerous because, in the petroleum industry, rumour and quality are non-negotiable. When these things are allowed to continue in the country, what is going to happen is that those pirates that go out there with petroleum products will be coming into our country and that is very dangerous to our economy, he observed.

I understand the ministry is working on tracking vessels that convey these products but I think we should go beyond that and ensure that we have good security and network that will be working with personnel with integrity because there are a lot of money involved in this illegal trade, he stated.

Also, the Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) of commercial banks is likely to worsen if the government fails to stop the illegal trade in the petroleum downstream sector.

According to the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), the development has made it difficult for their members to repay debts due to the low sales.

Its a very dire situation in that if this one continues we will not be able to service our debt obligation as we ought to because we rely on this sale of fuel to generate our revenue. So if the revenue is not forth coming it remains difficult to determine where you could get money to service your debt on a monthly basis, the CEO of the AOMCs, Kwaku Agyeman Duah said.

Consequently, the Executive Director of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers of Ghana (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has suggested that illegalities in the sale of contaminated fuel is more costly than illegal mining hence requires a strong political will and adequate resources to tackle it.

According to him, Ghana lost about GH850 million in just one year as a result of the illegal fuel trade.

He again suggested that some security agencies will require the backing of the president before any military intervention to address the menace of illegal contaminated fuel trading in the downstream petroleum sector.

There is a greater problem downstream and those down here are very much aware of the challenges, yet when you talk to some NPA officials, some will tell they will tell you they will need the backing of the president with the military to be able to destroy those illegal makeshift facilities where our fuel is mixed and contaminated daily.

If you compare the fuel mafia currently, it is bigger than the galamsey operators. In one year, Ghana lost $850m to these operators of which Zup Oil is part and other illegal operators dotted across the Kpong area. These facilities exist physically, he added.

Duncan Amoah believes much more resources must be committed by the President to address the illegal fuel trade.

He added that, Security agencies are unable to deal with them effectively because you will go on and a bigger person from somewhere will call and say you should leave.
The Council of Chiefs and Queen mothers of Ahafo in the Brong-Ahafo Region has expressed its gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the implementation of policies aimed at improving the living standards of Ghanaians.

The Omanhene of the Yamfo Traditional Area, Nana Ansah Adu Baah, who is also chairman of the Ahafo Council of Chiefs, told President Akufo-Addo that we are equally delighted at the introduction of the Free SHS initiative that has hit the spine of the entire nation.

He assured the president that we pledge to assist you to actualise this bold programme and make it a success for posterity.

The Ahafo Council of Chiefs was also specifically grateful to President Akufo-Addo and the government for choosing to launch the programme  'Planting for Food and Jobs'  at Goaso.

With residents of the Ahafo engaged predominantly in farming, Nana Ansah Adu Baah told President Akufo-Addo that we have seriously ventured into agriculture, given the conducive factors of production which exist in the Ahafo areas.

The Omanhene was confident that through the programme, the country would record a bumper harvest and export some foodstuffs.

The council made this known on Wednesday, 27th September, when members paid a courtesy call on President Akufo-Addo to congratulate him on his victory in the 2016 elections, and wish him well during his tenure of office.

Touching on the issue of the proposed Ahafo Region, Nana Ansah Adu Baah told President Akufo-Addo that the imminent creation of Ahafo Region will leave positive and indelible impressions about you. This will be for posterity. We trust the commitment and zeal you have exhibited so far in re-shaping the destiny of Ghana.

In his response, President Akufo-Addo thanked the Ahafo Council of Chiefs for their visit and for wishing him well during his tenure of office.

Citing the example of the United States of America, which began to transition to publicly funding high school education in the mid 19th Century, President Akufo-Addo indicated that this development set up America for its 20th Century success, creating a workforce fit for rapid economic development, which he noted, has inspired the emergence of the most powerful economy so far known to human history.

I want you to support and back me fully in the implementation of the Free SHS policy. We are implementing this policy because we want rapid progress of our country. So I am happy that you, the Ahafo Council of Chiefs, are in support of this programme, he declared.

On the declining fortunes of agriculture inherited from the previous administration, President Akufo-Addo said that such was the dire state of the country's agriculture that the country had to resort to the importation of plantain from neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire.

It is for this reason that we instituted the programme for 'Planting for Food and Jobs.' This is just a pilot programme, beginning with just 200,000 farmers. I am hopeful that by the end of the four years, at least two-and-a-half million farmers would have been involved in the programme, he assured.

Nana Addo continued, We want to make food staples affordable in Ghana, and also export the surplus. This has been done before in Ghana and I am confident we can repeat this feat again. I need the support of all of you in combating the smuggling of inputs and fertilisers. Those engaged in these despicable acts only hurt our collective future.

On the proposed Ahafo Region, President Akufo-Addo noted that it is long overdue.

He indicated that in the coming weeks, he would appoint a commission of inquiry to work on the creation of the Ahafo Region, and should the commission be convinced that such a need pertains, it would recommend the places and issues for a referendum.

The president asserted that he would be obliged to refer the matter to the Electoral Commission for a referendum to be held according to the recommendations of the Commission.
Police in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, have launched an inquiry into the death of a level 100 BA Geography and Rural Development student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

Stephen Nana Agyei Manu was reportedly found lying in a prone position inside a female washroom in the CCB building on the campus of the university in the hot afternoon of Thursday with an empty bottle of Nopest insecticide.

Security officers of the university, who alerted the police, initially rushed the 20-year-old student to the KNUST Hospital for treatment after he was alleged to have taken in doses of the insecticide in a suicide mission.

The police said at about 3:00 pm Thursday they received information from the KNUST security officers that a student of the institution had attempted suicide by gulping down poisonous insecticide.

According to the law enforcement agents, crime scene officers dispatched to the place found the young man dead and later identified him as Stephen Nana Agyei Manu, who was pursuing a BA degree in Geography and Rural Development.

He was reportedly dressed in a pair of blue jeans trousers matched with white, blue and black shirt.

The police indicated that no marks were found on his body, which has since been deposited at the morgue of the KNUST Hospital.

Investigation is ongoing, whilst the cause of death has provisionally been put as insecticide poisoning, pending confirmation by the coroner during the inquest.

From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi

Pix saved as Nopest in 2017

Caption: The empty bottle of Nopest insecticide
A total of 131 FM stations which are said to have committed various infractions pertaining to their authorisation to operate as contained in Section 13 of the Electronics Communications Act 2009 (Act 775), have been sanctioned by the National Communications Authority (NCA).

Thirty-four of them, including Laterbiokoshie-based Montie Fm in Accra, which are said to be operating illegally following the expiration of their permits, have had their licences revoked.

Some of the radio stations, according to the NCA, have refused to renew their licences for close to 17 years.

This was contained in a press release issued by the NCA on September 28, 2017.

It explained, This follows the completion of a nationwide FM Spectrum Audit conducted this year to determine compliance of Authorisation Holders with their Authorisation conditions and to determine which FM stations were in operation or otherwise.

The FM Spectrum Audit also forms part of a wider and ongoing audit of all services regulated by the NCA, including TV and ISP services.

Captured among the 131 sanctioned companies with their radio stations is Zee-Zee FM Radio Co. Ltd, owners of Montie 100.1 FM, which had three of its pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) panellists jailed in the run-up to the 2016 elections for insulting judges of the Supreme Court.

They were, however, freed by former President John Dramani Mahama.

The List

Also on the list are Paradise Vision Estates Limited Accra, 101.7; University For Development Studies Navrongo Campus, 95.1; Foundation For Rural Education Empowerment and Development at Nandom, 92.3; Farich Company Limited, Salaga, East Gonja, 95.7; Acapella Media Company Limited (Filla FM) Tamale, 89.3; Northern Diamond Communications Limited, Bulpe 98.1; S&S Communications Limited Tamale 94.1; Skylark Radio and Television, Yagaba, 103.7.

Radio Labari Foundation, Chereponi, 95.1; Denkyembour Media Limited, Akwatia, 95.3  owned by defeated MP for Akwatia, Mohammed Baba Jamal; Voice Sene, Kwame Danso, 104.7; Kantinka FM Limited, Agona Swedru, 97.7; Imperial Broadcasting Company Limited, Kumasi, 97.1; Price Media Company Limited (Price FM), Kumasi, 107.3; Yesterday's Pal Company Limited, Cape Coast, 102.9; Big Brother Motors (Jaydee FM), Ho, 99.9; Advocate For Gender and Development Initiative Ghana (Dayi FM), Anfoega, 89.7; Multi Systems Prestige Company Limited, Akatsi, 96.9; Beyond The Word Ministries (Beyond FM), Nkwanta, 90.7; Elite Multimedia Company Limited, Ho, 93.1; Scorpion Unit Security Limited (Star FM), Hohoe, 95.1; Dawurokese Media House, Kadjebi, 94.7; Gateway Communications Limited, Nkwanta, 92.1; 1962 Media Investment Limited, Essam, Bia District, 104.9 and Brosaman Radio Limited, Enchi, 99.1.

Also listed are Horizon Communication Company Limited, Tarkwa, 103.5; Jam Media Consult Limited, Tarkwa 93.7; West End Radio Limited, Essiema, 100.3; Help FM Ghana Limited, Sekondi/Takoradi, 103.9; Borderline FM, Half Assin, 99.5 and Georichcat Company Limited, among others.

Basis For Sanctions

Section 13 of the Electronics Communications Act 2009 (Act 775) states, among other things, that the Authority may suspend or revoke a licence or a frequency authorisation where: (a) the licence or the authorisation holder has failed to comply materially with any of the provisions of this Act, Regulations or the terms and conditions of its licence or frequency authorisation; (b) the licensee or the authorisation holder has failed to comply materially with a lawful direction of the Authority, among others.

Revocations

According to the statement, 21 FM broadcasting stations have had their authorisations revoked completely since their authorisations had expired over several years and were operating illegally.

According to the release, they had also failed to apply for renewal three months before expiry of existing Authorisation and as stipulated in their Authorisation, adding that The FM broadcasting stations in question also did not respond to a notice the NCA sent to them to regularise their operations earlier this year.

It further observed that 13 FM broadcasting stations would also see their authorizations revoked completely since they (authorizations) had expired, and as such they were operating illegally.

They had also failed to apply for renewal three months before expiry of existing authorization and as stipulated in their authorization, it noted.

Penalties

NCA said it had subsequently slapped fines ranging from GH50,000.00 to GH61,000.00 on some of the 'recalcitrant' stations, depending on the infraction and the duration the infraction persisted.

Eleven radio stations have been requested to pay application fees for renewal of Authorisation and to pay a fine in accordance with the NCA's gazetted Schedule of Penalties for failure to apply three months before expiry of Authorisation within 30 days, it stressed, adding that 16 radio stations have been asked to submit renewal application, pay application fees and pay a fine in accordance with the Authority's gazetted Schedule of Penalties within 30 days.

A further 24 radio stations have been asked to submit omitted documents and pay a fine in accordance with the Authority's gazetted Schedule of Penalties within 30 days.

It disclosed that affected stations had also been given 30 days to settle their indebtedness or submit the relevant documentations as indicated in the letters sent to them by the NCA.

By Melvin Tarlue
SPEAKER OF Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, has called for electoral reforms across Africa to ensure good governance and prosperity for the continent.

Specifically, has proposed the establishment of a special electoral body to supervise elections in the West Africa sub-region.

Prof. Oquaye made the call on Friday during the opening ceremony of a two-day high-level policy dialogue on the future of governance in Africa.

The dialogue, organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was under the theme, the future of governance in Africa: Is a new concept of governance the key to accelerating the prosperity agenda?

The speaker posited, I believe Africa working in tandem should be able to compare and establish the best practices for the electoral process.

Many African nations are notorious for disputed elections resulting from lack of credibility in the electoral processes.

Making reference to a case where Spain and Portugal were denied membership of the European Union on the grounds of weak democratic credentials, Prof. Oquaye quizzed, What are the established democratic credentials in Africa?

As part of the reforms process, he has also appealed for a tougher regime of stricter term limit to ensure regular democratic transition on the continent.

According to the speaker, a strong collaboration is needed among African nations for the establishment of a sub-regional electoral body that can oversee issues relating to elections on the continent and providing remedial solutions whenever crisis emerges as a result of elections.

That, he said, can grant Africa the opportunity to handle its own electoral issues rather than relying on observers from the western world.

He was of the view that electoral laws on the continent are weak, hence the ability of some heads of state to hang onto power even if their tenure is over or they have reached the age limit as stipulated by their respective national constitutions.

Prof. Oquaye urged, You have to revise the laws that regulate the process and make them bite. And all this can be done by comparative analysis as to what are the ways they have been done in some places. When we are strong in Ghana, we learn something that is also strong in another country.

The laws relating to our elections must be sealed and tight. Nobody can regulate us one week, one month, three months to elections because the tendency is that people will regulate to favour what they want to favour.

Women's Right

He also stressed the need for the protection of women's rights across Africa, urging that 'true' affirmative actions and policies be introduced to promote the well-being of women and their children.

On poverty eradication from the continent and ensuring economic justice, Prof. Oquaye called for a new global economic order in which Africans must rise up and bring an end to the era of making their natural resources raw materials for industries in the western world.

Ghana Country Director of UNDP, Dominic Sam, observed that the current leadership structure on the African continent seems not to be serving many needs of the masses.

According to him, peace and stability appear to be absent on the African soil after several decades of gaining independence from colonial powers.

Caption: Prof. Oquay (sitting fifth left) in a pose with participants after the opening ceremony of the dialogue

BY Melvin Tarlue
AUTHORITIES AT the Kumasi Airport have vehemently debunked rumours being churned out that they offered a hero's welcome to Frank Kwaku Appiah popularly called Appiah Stadium, to Kumasi on Wednesday.

The manager of Kumasi Airport, Kwadwo Abrefa Sarkodie, described the news as a hoax, claiming that Appiah Stadium had not done anything to deserve a hero's welcome.

He entreated the public to disregard the speculations, insisting that his outfit is made up of professionals who are rendering quality services to mother Ghana, devoid of any political bias.

Appiah Stadium danced to Kete tunes at the Kumasi Airport minutes after an airline he traveled on from Accra had touched down Wednesday evening.

The brief perfomance by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) serial caller was captured on video and it has since gone viral on social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.

In the video, Appiah Stadium, who was wearing all white attire, perhaps, to portray that he had emerged victorious after being released from police custody, was seen displaying his dancing skills, amid smiles.

The video has been captioned to portray that Appiah Stadium, who was arrested on Tuesday for insulting President Akufo-Addo, was given a hero's welcome at the Kumasi Airport.

Mr Abrefa Sarkodie explained that the Ghana Airport Company is celebrating its ten years' anniversary, and that the Kete was part of the celebrations.

He said as part of the celebrations, the management of the airport last week marked Safety and Environment Week with some programmes.

Mr Abrefa Sarkodie claimed that this week is Customer Service Week and as part of the celebrations management decided to play music to entertain customers and since Kumasi is a traditional city, we engaged the Kete drummers.

He said Appiah Stadium, who had returned from Accra, decided to dance to the Kete tunes with intent to record his performance and circulate it on social media to deceive the public that he was accorded a hero's welcome.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
To the locals, its garish; to the tourists, cool.

At least that seems to be the informal divide confronting the Destination for all Seasons mural painted on the pavement at the intersection of Aspen Avenue and Leroux Street in Flagstaff.

Responses have been pretty negative, honestly, City Councilman Scott Overton said. People arent really excited about it.

Overton said he was sure the citys Convention and Visitors Bureau, which created the project, had good reasoning for the design of the mural and its placement.

Marketing takes on all different formats, and there are creative differences, Overton said. I dont know if this fits Flagstaff as well as we hoped it would.

The project never went before the city council for approval, and was instead supported by the citys Tourism Commission. The image was created by a partnership between the CVB and the Downtown Business Alliance.

In this case, it was outside of the council purview, Councilwoman Eva Putzova said. Of course, we see people reacting, mostly negatively.

Putzova said after seeing the mural and peoples reactions to it, she thinks it would be a good idea to look at the citys sign code to see how to address and hopefully prevent something that the community doesnt embrace.

The citys Tourism Commission was briefed on what the mural would be, but the choice did not come before the city council, Putzova said.

I think that advertising Flagstaff is not necessarily a bad thing, but we need to think about what we are going to say and in what forms, Putzova said.

Vice Mayor Jamie Whelan said she thought the mural was certainly an advertisement.

I think the biggest piece is that citizens really want to be involved in decisions, Whelan said. This is how we learn, hindsights 20/20.

Whelan said she really enjoyed the (mural) at the Visitors Center in the train station, which she said was appropriate.

Councilwoman Celia Barotz said she felt that more locals who had expressed an opinion about the mural felt negatively about it, but she had seen comments on social media from locals who said they felt like they could live with it.

I think theres a sense of dismay as far as the aesthetic, and about the process to put such large advertising on a central corner in downtown, Barotz said.

Residents of Flagstaff really do have a strong sense of ownership of the community, and I hope that in the future when these projects come up we can engage the community in such a way that the concept has broad support, she said.

PROJECT HAD EARLY OPPOSITION

Coconino County Supervisor Art Babbott, who originally opposed the project when it was presented to the board, said the project could have been done with more of a public art aesthetic, rather than a design perceived as just advertising.

Flagstaff has unbelievable examples of public art installations, Babbott said. This is not a public art installation from where I sit.

In March, Babbott wrote in an email to County Manager Cynthia Seelhammer, If you want my two cents worth I would recommend against this at this point without engaging a conversation.

In the same message, Babbott said he had seen many other on-street paintings that look kind of trashy after they get really dirty and (torn) up.

The lack of community engagement in the paintings design was a missed opportunity to have a conversation to make sure this was something the community wanted, Babbott said Friday.

In an email sent to the mayor and city council, City Manager Josh Copley said the reaction shows a need for more thorough communication between the city and the public.

I remain confident that we as city staff will take away from this experience a new perspective and better understanding of the need for improved all-around communications and thorough community conversations about things that profoundly affect the look and feel of a place we all hold so dearly in our hearts, Copley wrote.

Meg Roederer, the spokeswoman for the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the graphic project cost $11,000 and was funded by the bed, board and beverage (BBB) tax, which was approved in the CVBs fiscal year 2018 advertising budget.

The vendor, Phoenix-based Creative Paving Solutions, was selected due to the fact of the guaranteed sealing process for better wear and tear as well as project completion in three days -- but four days were necessary due to rain, Roederer said in an email.

Roederer said the Tourism Commission approved the idea of street graphics, and this particular project is meant to have a social media focus, with the hope people take pictures of it and share on various online platforms.

The mural is temporary and not meant to last long-term, Roederer said.

TOURISTS LIKE IT

The mural was popular with tourists walking through downtown Flagstaff Friday afternoon.

One couple, visiting from upstate New York, said their town also does street paintings, but theirs are a little more artistic and fantasy-like. The two added that the street mural looked stenciled, but said they thought it was a nice addition to a central intersection in the downtown area.

Another couple, visiting from Scottsdale, said they thought the project was really cool.

Its street art, literally, they said.

LOCALS UNIMPRESSED

The mural has not been received as kindly by locals.

How many tourists are going to back into the street trying to get the perfect selfie with the pine cone painted on the street? Flagstaff resident Cindy Dorfsmith said on Twitter.

Downtown resident Robert Larkin said he thinks the mural is ugly, especially when compared to the high quality public art in downtown Flagstaff.

We have great-looking murals in abundance in Flagstaff, a couple are even in sight of someone crossing Aspen and Leroux, so by comparison, the work looks a little cheesy, like it was produced by a committee of businesspeople, not artists, Larkin said in an email. I appreciate the desire to show civic pride, but those of us who live here are already pretty darn proud of our mountain town, and any tourists who see it are already here and know what the weather is like.

Larkin said he is also worried the painting may become a distraction for pedestrians, and said he would have preferred the design to be on the actual crosswalks, rather than in the middle of the intersection.

MORE PUBLIC INPUT IN THE FUTURE

James Hasapis, a former member of the Tourism Commission, did not mince words when describing the project.

I think its garish, Hasapis said. Thats something youd expect to see in Vegas or New York City, not something youd expect to see in a small town. Its way too commercial. It doesnt reflect the culture of Flagstaff.

Hasapis said he met with CVB leadership to discuss the mural and voiced his concerns.

I do feel like my voice was heard, he said. We will have a follow-up meeting about putting together a focus group to give input on these types of projects.

Although he is not a fan of the execution, Hasapis said he does like the idea of finding creative ways to share messaging and leveraging social media.

Its rather blatant, he said. I think it could have been a welcoming message, or a message thanking people for coming to Flagstaff.
TWIN FALLS COUNTY

FELONY SENTENCINGS

Burton Jerry Kimball, 23, Twin Falls; Murder II, $245.50 costs, 46 years penitentiary, 24 years determinate, 21 indeterminate, 767 days credited. Batttery with intent to commit a serious felony, 20 years determinate, 767 days credited. Conspiracy to commit murder I charge dismissed. Conspiracy to rob charge dismissed. Robbery charge dismissed. Second charge battery with intent to commit a serious felony charge dismissed.

Trevor Lee West, 35, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, $2,376.26 restitution, seven years penitentiary, two determinate, five indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction.

Trevor Lee West, 35, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, seven years penitentiary, two determinate, five indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction.

Malachi Nathaniel Thomas, 22, Twin Falls; grand theft by receiving, possessing of disposing of stolen property, $245.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, five years penitentiary, two determinate, three indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction, sentence to run concurrent to 2017 case.

Malachi Nathaniel Thomas, 22, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture or deliver, $245.50 costs, five years penitentiary, two determinate, three indeterminate, credit for time served , 365 days retained jurisdiction, sentence to run concurrent to other 2017 case.

Lisa Marie McGinnis, 42, Twin Falls; grand theft by receiving, possessing of disposing of stolen property, $245.50 costs, $7500 restitution, $100 DNA, ten years penitentiary, two determinate, eight indeterminate, 41 days credit for time served. Destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence charge dismissed.

Kristopher Leslie Kunz, 44, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, $60 workmans comp. program fee, $1235.22 restitution, seven years penitentiary, three determinate, four indeterminate, credit for time served, sentence suspended, three years supervised probation.

Clint Ivory Henderson, 35, Jerome; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, $60 workmans comp. program fee, seven years penitentiary, three determinate, four indeterminate.

Edward Keyes Jr, 22, Twin Falls; Injury to a child, $245.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, eight years penitentiary, four determinate, four indeterminate, credit for time served sentence suspended, five years supervised probation.

Jayd Sle Rasmussen, 21, Mountlake Terrace, WA; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, $60 workmans comp. program fee,$786.51 restitution, five years penitentiary three determinate, two indeterminate, 136 days credited, sentence suspended, three years supervised probation,

Lindsay Jean Langlois, 24, Twin Falls; possession of a controlled substance, $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, four years penitentiary, two determinate, two indeterminate, credit for time served, sentence suspended, three years supervised probation, sentence to run concurrent to 2017 case.

James Sydney Dillman, 48, Kimberly; possession of a controlled substance marijuana in an amount greater than three ounces in any prepared form, $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, $1,095.50 restitution, five years penitentiary, two determinate, three indeterminate, credit for time served, sentence suspended, three years supervised probation.

Heather Irene Thomas Sharp, AKA Heather Yundt, AKA Heather Yuholt, 35, Twin Falls; $285.50 costs, $500 public defender, $100 DNA, $772.68 restitution, seven years penitentiary, four determinate, three indeterminate, 365 days retained jurisdiction.

Lindsay Jean Langlois, 24, Twin Falls; accessory willfully withholds or conceals knowledge of a felony from a peace officer, judge or jury, $245.50 costs, five years penitentiary, three determinate, two indeterminate, credit for time served, sentence suspended, three years supervised probation.

Trevor Lee West, 35, Twin Falls; rape, $545.50 costs, $500 public defender, 15 years penitentiary, eight determinate, seven indeterminate, credit for time served, 365 days retained jurisdiction, sentence to run concurrent to two 2016 cases.

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE SENTENCINGS

Roger Lawrence Fisher, 63, Hansen; DUI, $400 fine, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 178 suspended, two days credit, 10 days discretionary, 180 days restricted drivers license suspension, 12 months supervised probation.

Abrina Marie Casillas, 18, Twin Falls; DUI under age 21, $1,000 fine, $800 suspended, $202.50 costs, guilty withheld jail sentence, 90 days drivers license suspension, 12 months supervised probation.

Augustis Lionel Lowe, 22, Shoshone; DUI, $400 fine, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 176 suspended, one day jail, 10 days discretionary, guilty withheld judgment, three days work detail, 180 days restricted drivers license, six months supervised probation.

Michael Anthony Allgood, 29, Twin Falls; DUI excessive, $500 fine, $202.50 costs, 365 days jail, 329 suspended, 36 days credited, one year drivers license suspended, 24 months probation with 12 to be supervised, attend victim impact panel.

Melissa Fay Speer, 40, Yucca Valley, California; DUI, $202.50 costs, 180 days jail, 107 suspended, 73 days credited, 180 days drivers license suspension, 12 months supervised probation. Driving without privileges, $172.50 costs, 180 days jail, 107 suspended, 73 days credited.

DIVORCE CIVIL PROCEEDINGS

Richard VanNoy v. Melissa VanNoy

Alicia Leon v. Roberto Leon

David Wright v. LaDora Wright

Breean Kootstra v. John Kootstra

Cherice Sheaffer v. Kevin Sheaffer

Kourtney Specht vs Zachary Specht
30.09.2017 LISTEN

In the wake of banks considering various options of how to raise its minimum capital as required by the regulator of the industry, the public is told not to expect much mergers as the desired option.

According to some experts of the financial industry, it will really be difficult to record some numbers of mergers among the banks due to the lack of trust and believe nature of the Ghanaians.

The immediate former Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr Adu Anane-Antwi at a roundtable organized by the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalist (IFEJ) emphasized that some bank mergers may suffer setbacks due to lack of trust.

He explains that the lack of trust among businesses and companies in Ghana is a major challenge to the industry.

But, surprisingly the management of HFC Bank has noted that the two banks approached HFC after the Bank of Ghanas announcement to find out whether they can come together as a single bank.

However, the management remained silent on announcing the said two banks.

We have started preliminary discussions with two banks that have approached us since the announcement was made and if there is progress, then you will see some kind of merger or an acquisition take place. But remember we will not just want to merge or acquire other banks but we will consider whether we have some common grounds especially when it comes to culture which will impact on our way of doing business together seamlessly, the HFC Managing Director, Anthony Jordan have said.

Mr. Jordan confirmed that, there have been conversations within the banking industry around mergers and acquisitions among the banks; and HFC is open to offers from other banks.

HFC was one of the three banks that applied for the purchase of UT and Capital banks.

Mr Jordan affirmed that, even without any merger and acquisition or any kind of inward investments, HFC will meet the new capital.

We intend to meet this new threshold long before the deadline in December 2018. There are strategic reasons why we will meet the deadline. Based on the discussions I have had with our majority shareholder the Republic Bank, we have decided to reinject the additional capital to meet the requirement of GH400 million just after our next Annual General Meeting which is set to take place in April 2018, he said.

Notwithstanding, he downplayed calls by some other stakeholders within the financial industry for the central bank to take a second look at the increase which they deemed to be too high.

Mr. Jordan stated that: I will not say the amount set by the regulator is too much. One has to look at it from the context of the problems and the losses some banks have run into in times past. We must look at capital requirement as a buffer, which is able to help the banks to stay in business if there are shocks within the industry.

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Ernest Addison this week announced that the central bank has received some proposals from banks pushing for mergers and takeovers, following the announcement of the new capital requirement.

The Bank of Ghana increased the capital requirement of banks from 120 million cedis to 400 million cedis in September 2017.

The increment was applauded by some financial observers as a good development that may force mergers in the banking industry to reduce the growing number of banks in the country.

Touching on the issue, Dr. Anane-Antwi said the lack of corporate governance may push some banks to conceal some critical information that may affect the mergers.

We have always talked about mergers and acquisitions even straight from table top businesses. I discussed this with a friend who said I can assure you mergers and acquisition will never be prominent in Ghana because we dont trust each other. We have lived for sixty years but still no trust so everybody wants to deal with their individual businesses. What belongs to me is not the same as what belongs to us he said.

He pointed out that mergers among local businesses have suffered setbacks due to breach of trust and dishonesty. As soon as you come together, within three weeks there is a problem. So capital reason is supposed to help people merge.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

As the Minority in Parliament is questioning the decision by the government to hand over to China, the country's highly-enriched uranium, the government has said, a partnership with China is a win-win approach.

The Vice President, Dr Mahmudu Bawumia has said, We want the Chinese government to encourage businessmen in China to come and set up businesses in Ghana and also make the climate conducive in China for Ghanaian businesses.

The Minority in a statement signed by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP) Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign Affairs said, their demand is in line with transparency and good governance ethics required of every government.

The statement said:  The Minority in Parliament is, therefore, requesting that the Government of Ghana submits to Parliament the full details and true nature of the agreement with the Chinese and the Americans who appear to have funded the operation.

While reminding Government of its obligations to several other agreements yet to be ratified by Parliament, the Minority shall be pursuing this very important development in the spirit of transparency and good governance consistent with the view taken by the apex court of the land.

But, Dr Bawumia within last week reiterated governments commitment to the strengthening of bilateral relations with the Peoples Republic of China.

He made this known when the Chinese Vice Minister for Commerce, Mr. Qiam Keming, paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House.

The Vice President in June this year, led a delegation of government officials to China in a quest to deepen diplomatic and economic ties, as well as create opportunities for Ghanaian businesses to form partnerships between the two countries.

Government is seeking to leverage Ghanas natural resources, specifically bauxite, through its recent partnership with China to commit about $19 billion to Ghanas economy.

Dr. Bawumia disclosed that the government sees several opportunities to cooperate with her partners in areas like agriculture, infrastructure, trade and even culture.

The Vice President underscored the importance of prioritizing projects in Ghana to meet pressing demands, with employment creation projects topmost on the list. We have to prioritize what we do.

The One District One Factory, One Village One Dam, road construction and agriculture products processing are very important for this government and so we will appreciate it if Chinese experts will partner with us to see them realized Dr Bawumia indicated.

Below is the statement of the Minoritys Statement on the handing over of Ghana's Highly-Enriched Uranium to China President Akufo-Addo revealed during his address to the United Nations 72nd General Assembly on Thursday the 21st of September, 2017 that:

"Three weeks ago, highly-enriched uranium was flown out of Ghana back to China, signaling the end of the removal of all such material from the country. Our nuclear reactor has, subsequently, been converted to use low-enriched fuel for power generation.

A world, free of nuclear weapons, must be in all our collective interest. Considering the recent Supreme Court decision in the GITMO 2 case when interpreting Article 75 of the Constitution of Ghana, it is clear that this arrangement which has been shrouded in utmost secrecy ought to have received Parliamentary ratification at the very least before handing over our highly-enriched uranium to the Chinese if that is the path we consider to be in our strategic national interest.

The Minority in Parliament is, therefore, requesting that the Government of Ghana submits to Parliament the full details and true nature of the agreement with the Chinese and the Americans who appear to have funded the operation.

While reminding Government of its obligations to several other agreements yet to be ratified by Parliament, the Minority shall be pursuing this very important development in the spirit of transparency and good governance consistent with the view taken by the apex court of the land.

But, during the visit, Mr. Qiam Keming on his part said, he is in Ghana to follow up on Dr. Bawumias recent visit to China during which discussions on bilateral trade were held. He emphasized that the two countries intend to complement and strengthen further their industrial and agriculture cooperation to add value to agricultural products, especially cocoa.

China seeks to strike a balance between short and long-term development and is focused on prioritized projects. Ghana is a fast developing country and we are ready to partner with you in global development.

In the meantime, a Chinese team is undertaking feasibility studies on a number of projects including a medical facility, 13 bridge projects in Western region, Daboya and Nagone in the Northern region, he disclosed. China is also partnering Ghana to provide human capacity building training in Ghana.

This is to develop human resources and equip them with the requisite skills to stay abreast with contemporary trends in development. Present at the meeting were H.E. Mdm. Sun Baohong, Chinas Ambassador to Ghana; H.E Mr. Edward Boateng, Ghanas Ambassador to China and other government officials.
Due to the various opportunities that avail itself to the country by utilizing fully the digital economy, the government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that all aspects of the economy are digitized.

This comes after the release of the UN-based Better Than Cash Alliance report documenting the Ghanas progress in creating an economy where everyone can pay and get paid digitally, instead of cash.

The results show the country has made significant gains, including almost 100 percent of government payments to people and payments within the government now processed digitally.

The findings were made known at an event Wednesday that brought together key government stakeholders, including the Finance Ministry, and business players.

The findings also reveal there are opportunities for providing more choice to customers. This move is already translating into direct benefits to people, particularly women, support for small businesses and cost savings for the government.

The data also predicts that if the government continues to make progress, savings could reach over GH250 million (nearly $60 million) each year, which may result in more than GH 1 billion ($230 million) by 2020.

For digital financial services to reach all segments of the society, Interoperability is a key and critical ingredient to evolving larger payment ecosystems.

Commenting on the report, the Deputy Communications Minister, George Andah has emphasised that, digitisng the economy will minimise the tendency of officials to be corrupt and increase drastically revenue in different sectors of the economy.

He noted that the digitisation of the various sectors of the economy and the use of modern technology is in line with the Presidents vision of making Ghana the most business-friendly country on the continent.

George Andah believed that governments digitisation agenda is in line with the ITU Telecom World 2017 theme in Busan, South Korea, Smart digital transformation

In Ghana, we say its Digi-time. The President insists he wants Ghana to become the most business-friendly and the most people friendly economy on the continent and obviously everything like this is going to run on solid technology. So when you talk about the theme I think its in sync and in line with what Ghana believes in. All our services, you talking about the Health sector, Agriculture, Security, Housing, Transportation, Education, the backbone that all these services are going to run is technology he stressed

The Deputy Communications Minister also mentioned some initiatives he was optimistic formed a good starting point for the country in its quest to digitalise the economy.

He pointed out that we looking at the National id system, we looking at Housing address system, we looking at paperless offices and E-government services and it's interesting that at the ports just one-week after we introduced the paperless transactions, our revenue went up 56% year on year, so it's just cutting down waste and taking away the opportunity for people to be corrupt

George Andah observed that despite the effort by government to introduce these innovations, its implementation hasnt been smooth.

He recounted that there are a number of challenges that we envisaged. One will be people resisting change, people are used to doing things in a different way and now having to use technology and they feel like it's difficult to change their old habit. That is normal, we just have to keep engaging them but he was quick to add that the other thing is t ensure that we have the right policies and the right regulatory framework to make sure that we are ready for the take off that is happening. There is a bit of infrastructure that needs to be put on the grounds. One other thing is to ensure that we are building the right skills, the right capacity, the right competencies to take advantage of the whole digitisation process

He declared that considering the benefits of transforming the economy and witnessing a smart city, very soon Accra, should become a smart city. It is not negotiable and we are ready for that opportunity as well

He hailed the organisers of the ITU Telecom World 2017 for providing such a platform for networking and giving countries like Ghana the opportunity to learn and show others what Ghana is capable of doing.

The Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) today provides the largest interoperable domestic network for multiple services and provides interoperability as the core service to the community, said Deputy Finance Minister, Charles Adu Boahen.

The Government of Ghana is determined to harness the benefits of digitization by developing a nationally inclusive digital payments ecosystem where everyone can make  and receive  payments digitally.

Government is taking the lead in this process by digitizing its payments in order to bolster the effectiveness of fiscal operations, improve security of government transactions and eliminate wastes and leakages through a stronger transactions audit trail.

While Ghana has built the necessary ingredients to transform to a cash-lite economy, the Government recognises the need to bring together the private and public sectors as well as our development partners to come out with a common approach to scaling-up digitization in the country, he adds.

The report provides key insights on the status of digital payments in Ghana and tangible recommendations on how to successfully move forward. In particular, three priorities emerged to help the government and citizens achieve the most benefits:

Investing in infrastructure for digital public utility payments: 80 percent of the population uses public essential services such as water and electricity, but only 20 percent of the population has access to digital technology such as smart meters.

By investing in smart distribution infrastructure that digitize end-to-end delivery and payment, it will increase inefficiencies and ease of use for citizens  ultimately increasing adoption.

Digitizing payment of government fees and fines: With 97 percent of fees and fines currently paid in cash, the Ghanaian government could gain enormous cost savings if they commit to using digital payments exclusively and mandate all government agencies to use a central payment system.

Encouraging digital payments in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) value chain to support digitization of small retailers and customers: For FMCG companies operating in Ghana, 96 percent of distributor payments and 59 percent of vendor and employee payments in volume are made in checks.

However, 99.9 percent of individual payments for consumption goods by volume are still completed in cash, as individuals continue to purchase essential consumer goods, including food, in the informal economy with small retailers. This indicates the tremendous potential impact any shift to digital payments in this value chain can have on the overall ecosystem.

By transitioning away from cash, small business owners can avoid storing large amounts of cash, drive customers adoption and boost access to formal saving and loan products which can expand their economic potential. This will especially improve the lives of women, who represent many of the small retailers in the FMCG sector.

We want to congratulate the Government of Ghana for its leadership in building the foundation for an economy less dependent on cash. Under this leadership, the country is making considerable strides to improve transparency, accelerate opportunities for economic growth and empower women by bringing them into the formal financial system, said Dr. Ruth Goodwin-Groen, Managing Director of the Better Than Cash Alliance.

Ghana is at a tipping point in its shift to digital payments. We at the Better Than Cash Alliance look forward to continued work with our colleagues across the digital ecosystem in government, companies and international organizations to continue this great progress.
Chairman and CEO of DP World, Ahmed Bin Sulayem has expressed optimism about the systems being introduced by his company; Customs world to breach the current glitches in the paperless clearance system in the country.

Dubai-based company, Customs World, which is a subsidiary of Ports Customs and Free Zones Corporation (PCFC) has acquired West Blue Ghana Limited in the provision of a national single window and risk management system in Ghana.

The Information Technology systems providers for the paperless processes, were mainly West Blue Consulting and the GCNet but has been acquired by Dubai based company, Custom World.

Speaking to pressmen at the sidelines of their visit for the Flagstaff House, Mr. Sulayem said that the investments being introduced by his company; Customs World will secure Ghana a more efficient service as far as operations at the countrys ports and customs operations is concerned.

we believe that the investment we have in this company will be the vehicle to introduce and develop systems that will allow people in the logistics and Cargo business to be able to communicate to each other and finalze transaction in a good time, he said.

Customs World, under the Ports Customs Free Zones Corporation founded DP World, which is currently present in 40 countries and 78 ports around the world including Australia, US, United Kingdom, France, Korea, Canada, Belgium, Indonesia, Thailand, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, and India.

In 2016, Dubai Customs received an award for innovation from the World Customs Organisation, which is the highest award for the maturity of a customs organisation.

In 2012, the World Customs Organisation gave them a certificate to recognise them as a benchmark for industry practices citing that Dubai Customs has an impressive range of IT Systems which can be rightly regarded as World Class in which other Customs Administrations around the world could learn from.
Cape Town (AFP) - Eleven people were killed in a series of overnight shootings in a Cape Town township, police said Saturday, including four victims shot dead when gunmen opened fire in a bar.

Extra police officers were deployed to the Philipi district of Cape Town, a city that suffers from regular gang violence and armed clashes between rival criminal groups.

"We have deployed teams comprising specialist detectives, high-risk units and intelligence operatives," police spokeswoman Novela Potelwa told the News 24 website.

"We already executed search operations that are set to continue throughout the day. The police are doing their best to arrest those responsible."

Tens of thousands of people live in informal shack settlements in Philipi, located in the notoriously crime-ridden Cape Flats area of the city.

Four people were shot dead at an informal "shebeen" bar on Friday evening, with three other bodies found by police nearby. Another four more people were killed elsewhere in the district.

The ruling ANC party condemned the deaths.

"Regardless of the circumstances, these mass murders -- related or not -- are criminal acts which must be punished using the full might of our law," party spokesman Zizi Kodwa said in a statement.

"Criminals live amongst our communities, they are harboured by us and until society stands as one against this scourge, it will not be defeated."

On average, there are 51 murders per day in South Africa, according to official figures released last year.

Crime is seen as a major issue hampering the country's social cohesion, economic development and international reputation -- especially as a tourist destination.

Last week 36 Dutch tourists were robbed on a bus on route to their hotel after landing at Johannesburg airport for a three-week holiday.
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AND THERE was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet IsaiahSo Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' And he said, 'How can I, unless someone guides me? (Acts 8: 27- 31a).

In the last few weeks, we have been discussing the need for Christians to spend adequate time to read their Bible, and hear it being taught. However, the problem many people face is the same problem the Ethiopian eunuch faced. He was reading God's Word alright, but he lacked the grace to understand it. Oftentimes when believers are asked if they understand the biblical passages they read or hear, they join the eunuch, saying, How can we understand it?

You see, when it comes to understanding God's Word as we read and hear it, we may be assisted by learned people filled with the Spirit of God. We may also be assisted by the Spirit of God, a great Teacher who lives in our hearts to understand what we read or hear. The Holy Spirit is a Teacher who gives illumination to the Word.

One truth Christians must know is that, God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4: 24, KJV). This means every act of our worship like teaching, singing, dancing and giving to God must be done by the leading, inspiration or guidance of the Holy Spirit.

True apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists and teachers of Christ are commissioned to explain the various mysteries of God to His children. They are to impart wisdom. They are not called, appointed and sent out to communicate the wisdom of the world.

They are not assigned by the Lord to engage in party political discourses. No, not at all! Faithful men of God know that they are sent out to utter the deep things of God. They are to impart secret and hidden wisdom of God.

Interestingly, however, the secret and hidden wisdom of God cannot be understood by carnal minds or un-regenerated minds. An un-regenerated mind is the one which has not been spiritually reborn or converted. Such a mind can be referred to as a carnal or natural mind. It cannot fathom the wisdom of God. It takes only the Spirit of God to understand the things of God.

For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2: 11, 14).

Indeed, most things about Christianity are spiritual. It takes the Spirit of God to fully understand the things of God. It takes the Holy Spirit dwelling in a believer's heart to understand scriptures, the gospel of Christ, the ways of God, and the mysteries of God. A person without the Spirit of God dwelling in his heart cannot understand the things of God.

The problem in many churches today is that a lot of Christians have not really been born again or been baptized in the Holy Spirit. This is the reason why many people cannot accept, obey and practise the commandments of Christ. We cannot love, forgive, humble ourselves and give to the poor as commanded by our Great Creator.

We should understand that Christianity is a spiritual kingdom headed by an unparalleled, huge and massive Spiritual Being who is the Lord of hosts, King of kings, Lord of lords  the Lord Jesus Christ.

For a person to understand the things concerning the kingdom of God, he must receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in his heart. Without this, he cannot comprehend the Word of God. To comprehend is to understand something that is complex or difficult. The word of God cannot easily be understood by someone who does not have the Holy Spirit in his heart.

I believe that the Word of God was not designed for the carnal mind but for the spiritual mind. This is why for a sinner to hear the Word of truth, the gospel of salvation, and believe in the name of Jesus Christ to be made a child of God, he must be drawn by the Holy Spirit and the preacher also carried along by Him. Without the presence of the Spirit of God, a sinner cannot genuinely be converted.

FROM James Quansah, Kumasi

[email protected]
The National Insurance Commission (NIC) is warning the public not to deal with International Insurance Ghana Company as the company is engaged in activities that have not been licensed by it.

The Deputy Commissioner, Michael Andoh, said the issue first came to their attention after some monitoring on various social media platforms.

According to him, the insurance company which operates from the Eastern region has been selling motor insurance policies to the public.

Over the past days some photos and documents have been trending on social media and it seems to be documents of an Insurance Company called International Insurance Company Ghana, with initials, IIC.

"Apparently, this company is selling policies to Ghanaians and we want to alert the public that we have not licensed them, he said.

Mr Andoh added that they working with the police to track-down the company as we need to collaborate with the law enforcement agencies and get the necessary investigations done and arrest those behind the company.

Most of the documents that we have seen so far are motto insurance, which they print fake stickers and issue fake certificates with the initials IIC on them.

He advised people in the Eastern region to watch out for the insurance company "because if you buy their policies and you get an accident, it would be difficult to get your insurance.

Mr Andoh rejected arguments that activities of insurance firms like the International Insurance Ghana Company demonstrates some lapses in NIC's supervisory role of the sector.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline | Abubakar Ibrahim
A rainstorm which lasted for almost two hours on Friday has caused a major holdup in Kpetoe in the Agortime-Ziope District of the Volta Region affecting commercial activities in the area.

The downpour overflowed the drains around the Kpetoe market, and its surroundings causing floods that saw traders and residents stranded.

The front view of the District Education Office was not spared the flood as officers were locked up in their offices.

The movement of goods and people was virtually distracted as a result of the rains. Traders who spoke to Citi News said the rains affected their sales and wares.

Although National Disaster Management Organizations assessment has so far not recorded any causality, the Regional Coordinator, Devine Bosson, has cautioned residents against threats of the flood.

According to him, the topography of that part of the town is prone to flooding, hence the need for residents to move to higher grounds.

Kpetoe is the Capital of the Agortime- Ziope District located along the Eastern Borders of the country.

Residents are known for their rich kente culture and their cross-border trades.



By: King Nobert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Ave-Dakpa (V/R), GNA - Mr Anthony Kwaku Amoah, a Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Education Service (GES), has called on the public to support the Free Senior High School (SHS) programme to succeed.

Speaking at a town-hall meeting, which was organised by the Akatsi North District Assembly recently, Mr Anthony Amoah said the programme would enable many children to acquire SHS education.

'There is no way that the Free SHS programme can be successful without the support of all of us. Now, it is a matter of the child being helped to study harder and being motivated to pass his or her examinations so as to enjoy free, quality senior high school education', he said.

Dr Prince Sodoke Amuzu, the District Chief Executive of Akatsi North, assured the participants of the resolve of the Akufo-Addo-led government to improve the living conditions of citizens through the creation of jobs and ensuring free access to quality education.

In another development, Mr Anthony Amoah donated used clothes, school bags and pairs of shoes to pupils in some 21 schools in the Akatsi North District, including Ave-Afiadenyigba Islamic, Ave-Afiadenyigba R/C, Ave-Afiadenyigba D/A, Ave-Hevi D/A, Ave-Metsrikasa D/A, Ave-Bame D/A, Ave-Wuata D/A, Ave-Havi D/A, Ave-Dzadzepe E/P, Ave-Dakpa R/C Primary, Ave-Posmonu D/A, Elinam International, Ave-Kpeduhoe D/A, Ave-Amule D/A, Ave-Atanve D/A, Ave-Dzalele D/A, Ave-Kpegbadza Presbyterian, Avega D/A, Agormor D/A, Avevi D/A basic schools and Free-Star Academy.
GOODING COUNTY  A man driving a semitrailer told police he couldn't see a tractor pulling hay before he crashed into it Friday evening.

About 6:15 p.m., Jack M. Gray, 65, of Gooding was westbound on 1300 South hauling two empty double flatbed trailers. The sun was shining in his eyes, he said, and he didn't see the tractor driven by Tomas Huarilloclla Zapana, 35, of Gooding.

Gray struck the back of the trailer loaded with hay near 2450 East and the tractor overturned.

Both men were taken by ambulance to North Canyon Medical Center in Gooding. Neither was wearing a seat belt.

The road was blocked for about four hours.

Idaho State Police is investigating, with assistance from the Gooding County Sheriff's Office and Gooding police.
Accra, Sept. 28, GNA - The preliminary rounds of the pilot Senior High School Moot Court Competition is underway in Accra with a call on the citizenry to have interest in law.

The event is on the general theme: 'Human Rights Education in Secondary Schools'.

Dr Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, a Senior Lecturer of the School of Law, University of Ghana, who made the call in Accra at the launch of the maiden competition on Thursday, advised the citizenry to make law a subject of passion by applying for and reading it at the university level.

He said owing to most students not being conversant with the Constitution and not knowing much about their fundamental human rights, had necessitated the organisation of the competition.

The programme, which is organised by the UG School of Law, in partnership with the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria, South Africa, has the objective of engaging mooting skills of senior high school students throughout the country over a topical Constitutional Law issue that affects their fundamental human rights on the campuses.

'By doing so, it is hoped that the exercise will help the students to develop their knowledge, understanding and application of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the values that it embodies,' he said.

Mr Appiagyei-Atua noted that the two-day programme, slated for September 28 and 29, had eight schools competing.

They are St Mary's Girls School, Presbyterian Boys Secondary School, St Thomas Aquinas, West Africa Secondary School, Achimota School, Odorgonno Secondary School, Accra High and Accra Academy.

'It is our plan to extend the coverage nationwide from next year and organise it as an annual event,' he said.

According to Mr Appiagyei-Atua, who is also the Programme Organiser of the event, the preliminary rounds would see the two best teams going for the finals on Friday, September 29, with trophies to be awarded the winning school and prizes for individual students who would excel.

He said three serving judges have been nominated by the Chief Justice for the competition.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Serigu-Nyorkokor (U/E), Sept. 28, GNA - Dr Michael Wombeogo, the Executive Director of the Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), a Non-Governmental Organization, has expressed worry about the lack of midwives in many Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) in the Region.

The Director of PARDA, made the call during ground durbar held at Serigu -Nyorkokor near Bolgatanga Municipality.

It was aimed at getting the support of the community members to help confront the cultural barriers that prevent the adoption of optimal breastfeeding behaviour, as well as create demand for ante-natal and post-natal services.

He said the project dubbed, 'Mother Baby Friendly Health Facility Initiative (MBFHI) Project' was to ensure increased demand for ante-natal and post natal services, early initiation of breast feeding by every new mother within 30 minutes after birth, exclusive breastfeeding and promote basic essential new-born care including Kangaroo Mother Care.

He said his outfit over the years has embarked on community mobilization, advocacy and sensitization programmes aimed at getting more midwives into the CHPS compounds but this has not led to the expected results.

Funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with support from UNICEF Ghana and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), the MBFHI would target traditional rulers, mothers of new born babies, pregnant women, husbands, mothers-in-law, community leaders, religious leaders, the informal sector actors and change agents at the Serigu-Nyorkoku community and communities in the municipality.

The project, he said, was also targeting individuals and groups to be taught proper cord care among others using existing GHS protocols and the need to provide respectful, courteous and supportive facility-based care for every mother and every baby at the health facility level.

He said advocacy programme would also focus on various areas including care during pregnancy, labour and delivery; postnatal care with more emphasis on the first 24 hours and first week of life; early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding of up to six months including lactation management, infant and young child feeding; as well as care of the sick child and good hygiene practices.

Mrs Ameyure Eunice, a Nutrition Officer, used the occasion to educate the community members about the importance exclusive breastfeeding and the need for mothers to regularly visit health facilities to access healthcare.

Mr Francis Amoah, the Assemblyman for the Serigu -Nyorkokor electoral, area urged traditional and religious leaders to ensure that exclusive breastfeeding is upheld in the community.
30.09.2017 LISTEN

Takoradi, Sept. 28, GNA - Mrs Yaa Pokua Baiden, the Western Regional Chairperson of the Ghana Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), has called for the responsible use of drugs and other orthodox medications in order not to incur complications and worsen health situations.

She said drugs though prepared to soothen health problems may have adverse effects on the individual if wrongly used hence the need to avoid self medication.

Mrs Baiden, who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Takoradi during the World Pharmaceutical Day, said the Regional branch of the Association has embarked on an outdoor sensitization effort to help spread the message on the need to desist from self medication.

The PSGH members, she said, have already visited selected schools and churches in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis to educate them on the responsible use of medicines.

She said there is the need for every individual to seek professional medical advice and stop the abuse of drugs as well as self medication.

"Make it a point to consult a doctor or a pharmacist in times of illness", she said.

The Day is celebrated annually to organize activities that promote and advocate the role of pharmacists in improving health care in every corner of the world.

It also creates a platform for people and patients to have direct interaction while benefitting from the services of pharmacists.

She said pharmacists are to ensure that the people are educated on the safe and effective use of medicines.

'We also create awareness on the side effects of the over dosage of medicines and taking fake drugs as well as getting rid of counterfeit drugs', she said.

Mrs Baiden said the potential dangers that come with self-medication far exceeds its benefits.

She said any medication that had been approved for use has undergone strict scrutiny and assured the people that they should have faith in registered pharmacy shops since they are monitored by the PSGH.

'Self-medication is an important health concern and we believe that health education on the radio and regulation of pharmacies may help in limiting the self-medication practices', she said.
Accra, Sept. 28, GNA - The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Robert Porter Jackson, on Thursday commended the Government for successfully rolling out the Free Senior High School (SHS) Policy.

He said secondary education played a vital role in the socio-economic development of every nation and, therefore, urged beneficiaries of the Free SHS Policy to make meaningful use of the opportunities offered them.

Addressing students and patrons at the United States Higher Education Fair in Accra, Mr Jackson said there were about 3,000 Ghanaians currently studying in the US.

He, therefore, urged students seeking admissions to educational institutions in the USA to take advantage of the fair and learn about the courses and scholarship opportunities available in those institutions.

'Those who have gone to the US to study before have had great experiences and many had come back to lead large corporations, in government and non-governmental organisations, with some becoming doctors, lawyers and professors.

'As a former teacher myself, going to another country to study can be very intimidating, but I also think that it offers you the opportunity to learn a lot more about yourself, so I encourage you to put your best foot forward and ask the necessary questions to see if this meets the dreams you have about your future education,' he said.

Twenty-four universities and colleges from the USA exhibited their programmes and opportunities at the fair and were at hand to explain and answer pertinent questions, while they gave out educational materials.

Some of the universities and colleges that participated were; Webster University, Handover College, Oral Roberts University, Portland Community College, Point Park University, Lewis-Clark State College, California University, Drexel University and Santiago Canyon College.
General Secretary for The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) David Ofori Acheampong has disputed claims that their request for a motivational package for their members and other teachers across the country is solely about money.

Acting GNAT President Ms Philippa Larsen at the lunch of the world teachers day (WTD) which falls on October 5, in Accra under the theme Teaching in freedom, empowering teachers called on the government to provide teachers in the country a motivational package to promote hard work.

This call from GNAT has suffered criticisms from a section of Ghanaians who believe the teacher union is putting much pressure on the government.

But in a rebuttal, General Secretary of GNAT, Mr David Ofori Acheampong says their call for the motivation policy should not be considered to be only about money.

Speaking in an interview with Otec News, Mr Ofori explained that though they wished government could increase their salaries, their recent call is based on the needed logistics for a teacher.

According to him, they have been requesting this for quite a long time but government has ignored their request.

He says their requests is to put government on track in terms of making a special package for teachers who are posted to the rural areas.

He explains that government made a promise to ensure that teachers have a better life so that the free SHS policy would work effectively hence their call to put government on his toes and provide the necessary gadgets and support to ensure the progress of the free SHS policy.
The Forestry Commission says it is satisfied at mining firm C and G Aleska Companys land reclamation programme in Upper Wassaw Forest Reserve in the Western Region.

The firm has attracted public criticisms following the lynching of a military officer who led a detachment to protect the concession in Amenfi East District.

Major Maxwell Adam Mahama was beaten to death in broad day light by residents of Denkyira Obuasi who mistook him for an armed robber last May.

Then District Chief Executive for Upper Denkyira West, Daniel Appianin, who questioned the military presence in the area, was suspended for what was considered a reckless comment.

The Forestry Commission, led by Chief Executive, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, undertook an inspection tour of the companys mining site which is located in the Amenfi East District on Friday.

Officials which included Deputy Chief Executive John Allotey, Corporate Affairs and Media Relations Manager Joyce Ofori Kwafo and other managers discovered C and G Aleska had covered deep mining pits, with over 20 excavators and 6 bulldozers busily at work at time of the visit.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources granted a mining lease to the company on December 23, 2016 to mine in the forest reserve which covers an area of 71 kilometre square, containing about 338 blocks.

An impressed Mr. Owusu Afriyie wants such initiative replicated in other parts of the country.

"I can see that a lot of investments is gone into this[reclamation; monies have been spent even the fuel alone to do this kind of job is massive. And until and unless you have people who are committed to the job, you cannot get this kind of [reclamation] thing.

Having seen this, I will go and inform my minister [to] also let him come and see for himself . We are going to replicate what we see here but I'm satisfied and I am very happy," he said.

Managers of the mining company say a lot of investment has gone into the project as part of the company's mining obligations.

Managing Director, Emmanuel Donald Entsuah told Joy News millions of cedis has been spent on the reclamation program which will continue throughout the firm's mining activities.

"We are humbled by the comments from no mean a person than the CEO but we are looking at it from the angle that we are just being responsible to the commitment as per the terms of engagement.

I will say not less than 6 bulldozers and over 20 excavators at work; not to talk of the manpower and other factors than gone into it. I cannot give you specifics but headcount I will say hundreds of millions in Ghana cedis"
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated in the past few months after North Korea launched missile tests - some successful, others not - that purportedly showed increasing sophistication in the nuclear state's weapons program.Missile tests over the summer showed successive progress in the North's efforts to develop long-range missiles.

On Sept. 11, the United Nations voted unanimously to impose the toughest sanctions yet on North Korea, though they stopped short of stronger measures that Washington had been seeking. This is how the latest UN resolution affects the North: limitations on crude-oil imports, ban on textile exports and inspecting ships.

What is USA doing

U.S. President Donald Trump's options appear limited in dealing with a challenge that has vexed his Oval Office predecessors. In addition to their favorite weapons - economic sanctions, the White House relies on covert actions, diplomatic negotiations and military force.

Covert action: The United States, tried, but failed, to deploy a version of the Stuxnet virus to attack North Korea's nuclear weapons program in 2009-2010, Reuters reported in 2015.

Another semi-covert approach would be for Washington to use electronic warfare or cyber attacks to disable North Korean missiles during or shortly after their launch. The high failure rate of the North's missile tests has prompted speculation that the United States is already doing so.

Diplomacy: China, backed by Russia, has been urging an immediate return to talks, predicated on the U.S. halting joint military exercises with South Korea and the North suspending its weapons development. But few in the U.S. government have advocated direct talks with the North Koreans until their behavior significantly changes.

Military force: The U.S. military for years has had a full range of contingency plans prepared for potential strikes on the North to try to disrupt its nuclear program or dissuade it from developing further. But over the years, the military options have consistently been viewed as unworkable, owing to the sheer horror that would ensue if North Korea retaliated, as would be expected, by striking South Korea. The North Koreans have massive military assets stockpiled on what is the world's most heavily fortified border.

The U.S. has roughly 28,000 troops in South Korea, and there are hundreds of thousands more American citizens just in Seoul, the capital, with a metro area population of 25 million. General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said if war broke out, there would be heavy civilian casualties in the first few days before the U.S. could mitigate the North's ability to strike Seoul.

What is Seoul doing?

Tensions with the North re-emerged this year as South Korea grappled with a severe political crisis and the election of a new president.

New President, Mr. Moon, whose election set up the South's first liberal government in a decade, made a campaign vow to reconsider the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defence system, which his predecessors had authorized the U.S. to build and which China - a country with fraught relations with the new Trump administration in Washington - characterized as a provocation.

Mr. Moon favours closer ties with North Korea, saying hard-line approaches failed to prevent the North's development of nuclear-armed missiles and only reduced South Korea's voice in international efforts to counter North Korea.

What China is doing?

China is North Korea's only major diplomatic ally and economic partner, and the U.S. and others have called on Beijing to use what leverage it has to pressure Pyongyang into curbing its nuclear tests and missile launches. For now, China has called for a return to multi-sided talks that ended in a stalemate in 2009, during the rule of North Korea's previous leader, Kim Jong-il.

Mr. Trump has expressed some impatience that China is not doing enough to rein in North Korea, using his Twitter feed to goad Beijing into doing more. Mr. Trump took a more conciliatory tone at a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at July's G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. The week after the summit, China hit back in unusually strong terms at expectations that it can fix the Korean dilemma, urging a halt to what it called the "China responsibility theory."

China and Russia have proposed a double-freeze plan which would see Pyongyang suspend its nuclear and ballistic missile tests in exchange for a halt in joint US-South Korea military exercises. That plan has been rejected by Washington.Beijing cant allow the US or other countries to provoke North Korea into a military conflict as that could mean the use of weapons of mass destruction near its borders.

And finally what North Korea is doing

North Korea has warned that the more sanctions pursued by the US and its allies, the more quickly it will complete its nuclear force, official state news agency KCNA reports.

The latest sanctions represent the most vicious, unethical and inhumane act of hostility to physically exterminate the people of the DPRK, let alone its system and government, a foreign ministry spokesman said, as cited by Reuters.

North Korean leadership will do anything to protect itself from external threats and because of that, work on the nuclear program would not stop while the United States and its allies allow the scenario of foreign intervention and forceful displacement on Pyongyang regime.The development of this scenario could lead to very dire consequences as the North Korean authorities would realize all possibilities they have in their possession.

It cannot be disputed. As the world practice shows, never and nowhere did unilateral sanctions have a positive effect.Pyongyang will not stop its missile and nuclear programs under pressure of sanctions and military threats, because the examples of Iraq and Libya have convinced it that nuclear deterrence is the only credible way to ensure its security.Ramping up military hysteria in such conditions is senseless, its a dead end. It could lead to a global, planetary catastrophe and a huge loss of human life. There is no other way to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, save that of peaceful dialogue.
'The big truck is still on ...
BURLEY  A Declo woman who decided she needed to walk the walk as a Christian has signed up for two years as a volunteer teacher on board a ship designed to provide free medical care to an impoverished country.

Emilie Moore, 25, has been aboard the Africa Mercy for about two months, where she teaches the ships medical staff and crews children.

Her work allows other volunteers to spend more time on the ship because they are able to take their families with them.

Moore was a teacher at Paul Elementary School for two years before she signed up to teach on the Africa Mercy.

When you look down on the dock and see the people who have received no medical care, it is mind boggling, Moore said during a phone interview Monday with the Times-News.

Many of the conditions treated on the ship would have been immediately taken care of in the United States, Moore said.

But untreated, they grow into something life-threatening here, she said.

Emilie teaches so that Africans can have free surgeries on the ship, said Pauline Rick, a spokeswoman for Mercy Ships. She enables volunteer families to serve so that their children can maintain their education while living on board. The Mercy Ships volunteers raise their own support to pay monthly crew fees to help cover room and board while donating their time and skills.

The decision to become a volunteer teacher came from a culmination of things, that included an end to her teaching contract in Paul, her desire to travel and her wish live a Christian life, Moore said.

It is such a blessing to be part of something bigger than myself, she said.

The ship is currently docked at Douala, in the Republic of Cameroon, Africa. The ship will stay for 10 months in the port of Douala.

Mercy Ships plans to provide 3,000 to 4,000 life-changing surgeries onboard the Africa Mercy hospital ship, to treat over 8,000 at a land-based dental clinic as well as providing healthcare training to local medical professionals, Rick wrote.

Moore heard about the ship from a friend who had volunteered on it. Teaching small classes of students and a multi-cultural group appealed to her.

Moore teaches eight-, fourth- and fifth-graders, and she has students from the U.S., Holland, Australia and Brazil. There are 13 teachers on the ship and 44 students from more than 10 countries.

As she fulfills a background role to the ships mission, she is able to teach her students what it means to live a good life.

Im also getting to work with these children who are growing up in this unusual role, she said.

The ships crew includes medical personnel, the captain and deck hands as well as the people who prepare food and people fulfilling numerous other roles.

The volunteers receive no pay for their service, and the monthly crew fee they pay is based on the length of service they sign up for.

Moores monthly fee is $525, which comes from her savings and a sponsorship from her church.

At 6 feet 4 inches tall, Moore said adapting to life on a ship is interesting.

When I first got here I thought I was going to hit my head on one of the sprinklers and cause a flood, she said.

The berths where they sleep can have anywhere from four to 10 bunks. Moores berth has four bunks and a 10-foot-by-10-foot sitting room.

I dont really feel claustrophobic, though, she said.

The ship sails from only 10 to 30 days out of the year, and the rest of the time it is in port.

I cant believe I am part of this, Moore said. I get to live what I say I believe.
Elton Quintin Redick View Photos

Sonora, CA  A few more details have surfaced about the man who stands accused of a killing a Big Oak Flat man in his home along Black Road Monday.

According to Sgt. Andrea Benson, Elton Quintin Redick, the 42-year-old man now charged with first-degree murder in the death of the victim, Marc DeJong, was living on the property near DeJong at the time of the crime but is originally from Florida. A name search indicates a man with Redicks exact name and age as being from Pensacola.

She adds that detectives are still not able to share any details regarding motive or a kidnapping charge filed against Redick but that the charge stems from Redicks actions at the property during the incident. As reported earlier here, DeJong received multiple gunshot wounds but the official cause of death was one sustained to his head. Redick remains in the Tuolumne County Jail on a million-dollar bond.
Even though a year still separates it from now, the 2019 presidential election is on the horizon and permutations have started trickling in from political analysts and observers.

Fola Ojo, in a piece published by the Punch, listed top politicians who are desirous or in some cases, with potentials and qualities to occupy the exalted position President Muhammadu Buahri occupies today, September 29.

READ ALSO: Beware of London used phones, police issue warning to Nigerians

Ojo, in his piece listed former president Jonathan as one of few politicians who could probably displace the incumbent from office.

1. Goodluck Jonathan

Though the former president has not come out publicly to announce his intention of taking a shot at the presidency once again, his supporters, however, believe that Goodluck Jonathan has an unfinished business in Aso Rock.

2. Rabiu Kwakwanso

Kwakwanso who is a sitting Senator from Kano has always wanted to be president. He contested in the APC primaries in October 2014 but came second to President Buhari.

3. Aminu Tambuwal

Aminu Tambuwal, the governor of Sokoto state and former speaker of the House of Representatives is allegedly believed to be interested in occupying the position Buhari now occupies.

4. Sule Lamido

The former governor of Jigawa state and one-time foreign affairs minister under the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo has always appeared prepared for the presidency. Lamido may end up clinching the PDP ticket in an easy ride if the APCs Atiku Abubakar does, Fola Ojo predicts.

5. Atiku Abubakar

The former vice-president under Obasanjo has never hidden his desire to occupy the exalted position of Nigeria's presidency. His position at the moment is not strong as he awaits President Buhari's decision before he makes a concrete move.

6. Bola Ahmed Tinubu

The former Lagos state governor and strongman behind the birth of the APC is beloved by many who want him to take a shot at the presidency.

7. Governor Ayodele Fayose

The Ekiti state governor, despite opposition by leadership of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) had already declared his intention to contest the 2019 presidential election. Fayose also promised to better President Buhari if elected.

8. Nyesom Wike

Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor, is believed to be fast replacing Rotimi Amaechi as the lion of Niger Delta. He is a grassroots politician who understands the language of his people.

Though it seems the governor is only interested in the politics of his state and region, some believe the governor has potential to run for the presidency.

9. Governor Rocha Okorocha

Some people are of the opinion that if there is a chance of an Igbo president in Nigeria in 2019 or even in not too-distant a future, the road goes through Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha.

Okorocha contested in the APC primaries in October 2014 and came third. So it is believed that Okorocha may chose to contest again in 2019?

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Nigerias presidential and National Assembly elections will hold in 505 days from now as INEC revealed real date for exercise.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Nigerias 2019 presidential and National Assembly election will hold on Saturday, February 16, 2019, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Yakubu Mahmood, announced.

Watch this video as Nigerians speak on the possibility of Governor Ayo Fayose becoming president in 2019:

Source: Legit.ng
- The federal government says the 2nd Niger Bridge will be completed

- Osinbajo said the FG under President Mohammadu Buhari is committed to completing every federal project in the southeast

- He said the president went China to negotiate with them about the second Niger Bridge and East-West road

The federal government has re-stated its resolve to complete work on the second Niger Bridge as well as other federal projects in the southeast zone.

The vice-president, Prof Yemi Osinbajo gave the assurance during a funeral mass for late Mrs Roseline Akabueze, the mother of Mr Ben Akabueze, the director-general, Budget Office, Abuja at St Gabriel Catholic church, Ifitedunu, Anambra state.

READ ALSO: Politicians who may want President Buhari's job in 2019

Osinbajo explained that the FG under President Mohammadu Buhari was committed to completing every federal project in the southeast especially the second Niger Bridge.

According to him: President Buhari went to China to negotiate with them about the second Niger Bridge and East-West road.

He said that everything have also been put in place to ensure the completion of Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

Osinbajo urged the National Assembly to consider and accommodate all the federal projects during their deliberations.

He re-stated that one of the cardinal principles of Buhari administration was fairness, which according to him has offered every political zone the opportunity to benefit from his government.

Also speaking, Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra recalled that Ifitedunu Community had benefited immensely from his administration, especially in the area of appointments.

Obiano urged the people to apply for the second phase of his N20 million community Choose your Project initiative, which is geared toward developing every community simultaneously as well as empowering the youths.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 new app

Dignitaries present include the minister of Labour, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, minister for Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma.

Others are minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okey Enelama, and Sen. Uche Ekwunife.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported about a year ago that Femi Adesina, special adviser on media and publicity to Muhammadu Buhari, informed the general public about the details of the president's visit to China.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the first African Head of State to visit China was invited by Chinese president, Xi Jinping, to enhance bilateral relations under the new cooperation plan.

Watch this video of Governor Ayodele Fayose's declaration for the 2019 presidential election:

Source: Legit.ng
- The status and whereabouts of Nnamdi Kanu is of interest to the British Government

- The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader has not been seen in public after a Nigerian Military raid in his country home in Abia state

- Kanu is a Nigerian and British citizen

A report by Punch indicates that the United Kingdom has asked the Nigerian government to clarify the status and whereabouts of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

According to the report, the British government said it had asked the Nigerian government if the British/Nigerian national was alive or dead.

This was made known by the press officer, United Kingdom High Commission in Nigeria, Joe Abuku.

Nnamdi Kanu is a Nigerian and British citizen. Photo credit: Al Jazeera

READ ALSO: 14 IPOB members remanded in Aba Federal Prison

Abuku stated that the inquiry followed reports that Kanu had been missing since Thursday, September 14, after a Nigerian Military raid in his country home in Abia state .

We are seeking urgent clarification from the Nigerian authorities about the status and whereabouts of Mr. Kanu, a British-Nigerian man, who has been reported missing since September 14, Abuku told Punch via email on Thursday, September 28.

When asked if the UK would strip Kanu of his British citizenship on account of the declaration by the Nigerian government that he was leading a terrorist organisation, Abuku said they don't comment on individual cases.

His words: One of the conditions that can make the United Kingdom strip its citizen of nationality is if the person engages in a terrorist activity at home or abroad. And Kanu has dual citizenship and therefore a citizen of Nigeria and the UK.

On whether the UK supported the Nigerian governments proscription of IPOB, Abuku responded saying the group was not a proscribed organisation under the British law.

The Indigenous People of Biafra is not a proscribed organisation in the UK, he stressed.

He also declined comment on whether the IPOB might be designated as a terrorist group or proscribed by the British authorities.

We do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not under consideration for proscription. A decision to proscribe an organisation must be based on a belief that it is concerned in terrorism as defined in the Terrorism Act 2000, and it must be proportionate, he added.

It could not be immediately ascertained if the Nigerian government had responded to the inquiries or not.

The United States had earlier said it did not consider IPOB a terrorist group and urged Nigerians to de-escalate tension and embrace peaceful resolution of grievances.

Within the context of unity, we encourage all Nigerians to support a de-escalation of tensions and peaceful resolution of grievances. The Indigenous People of Biafra is not a terrorist organisation under US law, spokesperson for the American Embassy in Nigeria, Russell Brooks said in a statement.

READ ALSO: Igbos in Oyo state okays IPOB proscription

Watch Legit.ng TV video of Nnamdi Kanu's father talking about the activities of his son as IPOB's leader:

Source: Legit.ng
- The disappearance of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is still somewhat a mystery

- The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader has not been seen in public after a Nigerian Military raid in his country home in Abia state

- The Defence Headquarters however said it is not interested in declaring the IPOB leader wanted

The Defence Headquarters has said that it has no business declaring IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, wanted.

This was made known by the director, defence information, Major General John Enenche at a press briefing with journalists on Friday, September 29.

Enenche also informed journalists present at the briefing that Kanu was not in military custody and so they couldnt be held accountable for him.

Major-General Enenche said the military cannot be held accountable for Kanu's disappearance. Photo credit: DHQ

READ ALSO: British Government seeks Nnamdi Kanu's whereabouts from FG

His words: Kanu is not in the custody of the military. It is not the responsibility of the DHQ to declare him wanted.

If the court says that if he does not show up for hearing, it will hold the military responsible, (then) let us wait till that time.

The military never raided Kanus house. I watched the whole operation live on that day. Even I dont have any right to stop you while passing on a public route.

I saw that the Biafran Security Service and the Biafran National Guards mounted roadblocks, and the soldiers came out peacefully and said, Boys, let us pass. But the Biafrans attempted to collect their guns. Nobody went to Kanus house or raided him or took him away.

He also clarified that the military was not involved in the proscription of IPOB.

The statement of the DHQ on IPOBs activities is not opposed to what the army chief came out to say. Did we say IPOB was proscribed? No. But some people had a mindset and were in a hurry to attack the military.

The military did not proscribe IPOB; due process was followed before the proscription. What the military did was to diagnose the security elements and warn of consequences. The military also knows the law, he said.

Enenche also said that the military deployment in states all over the country was to complement the efforts of other security agencies.

It is the military that can tell you the signs and symptoms of a security element. Other countries passed through what we are passing through before they got to their present developed state, he added.

Meanwhile, a magistrates court sitting in Abia state on Wednesday, September 27, remanded 14 members of IPOB in Aba Federal Prison.

They are: Anthony Nnamani (20 years), Chima Chukwumere (22 years), Kingsley Sunday (21 years), Michael Onyedikachi(26 years), Eze Okereke (25 years), Christian Sylvester (45 years), Etim Effiong Ade (22 years) and Emmanuel Onwukwe( 29 years).

Others are Ndubuisi Ukoha (29 years), Ogbonna Nwaji (24 years), Salvation Stephen (22 years), Chizoba Nwosu (21 years), Ejike Elom (21 years) and Kelechi Anusie (26 years).

They were arraigned on eight count of conspiracy, murder, arson, unlawful association, unlawful assembly, stealing with other two charges dealing on burning of the Ariaria Divisional Police Headquarters building and the cars at the premises.

READ ALSO: Igbos in Oyo state okays IPOB proscription

Watch Legit.ng TV video of Nnamdi Kanu's father talking about the activities of his son as IPOB's leader:

Source: Legit.ng
- The Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos Archdiocese, Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, has warned President Muhammadu Buhari against seeking re-election in 2019

- Okogie who was former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said that Nigeria will be worst off if he gets second term

- He also accused the legislature of moving the country backwards

The Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos Archdiocese and former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie on Friday, September, 29 argued that Nigeria would be worse off should President Muhammadu Buhari get a second time in office.

New Telegraph reports that the cardinal said in a telephone interview that Buharis performance so far had been below the average mark, which does not support the calls for his second term.

Legit.ng gathered that this is coming on the heels of another bombshell from former President Olusegun Obasanjo, in which he carpeted the president as not doing enough to expand agriculture business and youth employment in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Buhari, Saraki and others come together for Nigeria at 57 (photos)

Obasanjo who was quoted by a Liberian Magazine, AfricanArguments, explained that, Buhari has made some announcements.

He had tried to keep on going in the area of agribusiness, but not enough. It is not yet enough to prepare the ground for uninhibited growth of the economy, which we need. Is Buhari doing enough about it? I dont believe he is.

Can he do enough about it? Of course he can", the ex-president said. Obasanjo also maintained: All youths in Nigeria have legitimate reasons to feel frustrated and angry, noting that some of those protesting dont even know what the struggle is all about, but if it gives them false hope, why not hang onto it?

Okogie, who added that the presidents first term report card would be a stumbling block for his quest for re-election, said those calling him out for another shot at the Presidency do not mean well for Buhari and the nation. They are simply enemies of Nigeria, he insisted.

He said: As far as Cardinal Anthony Okogie is concerned, his first term is bad; I think its below the average mark.

So, this will not give him a better chance to stand for a second term. From what is on ground, I dont think he will get anywhere. The main thing that Nigerians want now is to see the dividends of democracy in action.

They are telling us that we have pulled out of the recession. Go to the market, theres nothing like that. Theres no sign of improvement. What is sold for N10 still sells for N10 or even at N12. Is that what you call improvement of the economy?

They promised to do everything but on getting into saddle, they keep procrastinating. Look at the state of the nation today. Its as if there is no government. Okogie also lampooned the legislature, saying they are moving the country backwards.

Look at the parliament, what are they doing in the House of Representatives? What are they doing in the Senate? What are the so-called big men doing? Its very painful. We are going from bad to worse. Very soon, well get to worst if theres no change before December.

Everybody is taking the laws into their hands the way they like. Would you call this a nation? You cant walk freely on the street. You are not sure of having a meal per day. You are not sure of seeing tomorrow.

People are not asleep. People are opening their eyes every day to see what these people are doing. And that is why they are struggling to have their man at the top. There are many other people lined up. And were talking about Buhari and Atiku.

"Can they even win the primaries? These noisemakers are just making people to know that they are alive, he said.

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Also speaking, Bishop Steven Ogedengbe, presiding bishop of Evangelical Ministries (a.k.a Wisdom Chapel), Akowonjo, Egbeda, Lagos, said that those who love the president should preoccupy themselves with prayers for God to help him finish the first term. Second term, according to him, has not even come into the equation because God is the owner of time and purpose.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Fola Ojo, in a piece published by the Punch, listed top politicians who are desirous or in some cases, with potentials and qualities to occupy the exalted position President Muhammadu Buahri occupies today, September 29.

Watch this video as Nigerians speak on the possibility of Governor Ayo Fayose becoming president in 2019:

Source: Legit.ng
This appeared in Fridays Washington Post.

When the best that can be said is that the nation can breathe a sigh of relief, as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., put it Wednesday, thats better than a dive over the cliff. The deal struck by President Donald Trump and Congress to postpone until December a divisive battle over fiscal matters is hardly an ideal solution. Nonetheless, the presidents decision to reach out to Democrats to ensure against a disastrous default on the nations debts is encouraging, both as a matter of responsible governing and for its bipartisan character.

Surprising the GOP congressional leadership, Trump quickly agreed with a proposal by Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to extend the governments borrowing capacity until December, fund the government until then and provide billions of dollars in hurricane relief. According to The Post, 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 grandstandingand threats to the nations financial stability.

The deal announced Wednesday, and Senate action that followed Thursday, wouldwith House concurrenceput off until December an anticipated congressional fight over the 2018 budget. 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 rescindedon 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 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. Trump offered a nod in that direction Thursday by issuing a tweet, reportedly requested by Pelosi, assuring dreamers that they would not suffer harm for the next six months. But whats 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.
- MASSOB has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to let Biafra go

- The group said that Operation Python Dance 2 could not stop Biafra agitation

- It also noted that the agitators were not calling for disintegration of Nigeria but the freedom of Igbos

The Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to let Biafrans go.

According to a report, the group noted that Python dance and other forms of intimidation cannot stop the agitation for Biafra.

READ ALSO: APC wants to scuttle my presidential ambition because I will defeat Buhari in 2019 - Fayose

Legit.ng gathered that MASSOB also stated that they were not calling for disintegration of Nigeria but the freedom of Igbos.

This was contained in a statement issued in Enugu on Friday, September, 29 by MASSOBs national director of publicity, Samuel Edeson.

The statement read: MASSOB is not saying that Nigeria should disintegrate. What we are demanding is freedom of Biafrans. Any Igbo man or woman who wishes to remains in Nigeria is free and if any Nigeria feels to live in Biafra, he will be accepted.

If President Mohammad Buhari is supporting the states of Palestinian and Saharawi, why is he against Biafra freedom? MASSOB wishes to make it clear that no amount of threats by Nigerian army, police and other security agents can ever stop us from pursuing our freedom.

What we are doing is legal, constitutional and justifiable and nobody can ban us because self-determination is guaranteed by United Nations and the African Union charter, which Nigeria is signatory to both organisations.

The Pro-Biafra group alleged that it was for fear of international prosecution that the Nigerian government was considering pulling out of 90 international organizations it belonged to.

Nigerian government is afraid of prosecution by all these organizations. The genocide and war crime cases are at the door of Nigeria government. The Chief of Army Staff and the GOC 82 Division must face ICC.

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Python should go ahead and dance, after dancing we shall see the end of Python. Biafra agitators cannot be banned. Nigeria, let Biafra go and you will have peace, he stated.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that MASSOB said that Nnamdi Kanu has shaken hands with the federal government and therefore compromised the struggle to achieve an independent state of Biafra after he met with some politicians.

Watch this video of Nigerians speaking on Nnamdi Kanu and his Biafra Secret Service:

Source: Legit.ng
- Notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwumadike popularly known as Evans is still waiting to face justice

- Evans amassed quite a fortune for himself as his 'business' boomed, most of which he spent on luxurious houses, cars, and other accessories

- The police has just discovered a multi-million truck yard owned by the notorious kidnapper

Notorious kidnapper and billionaire, Chukwudumeme Onwumadike popularly known as Evans, may have more properties and assets than initially declared.

A report by Daily Sun indicates that policemen attached to the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have uncovered a truck yard which he acquired from the proceeds of kidnapping.

This is even as police detectives have arrested his secretary, one Ngozika Ezeokoye who went into hiding as soon as she learnt that police had nabbed her employer.

Evans was one of the most notorious kidnappers in the Lagos metropolis

READ ALSO: Evans the kidnapper house and cars

Evans had confessed to the police that he used the proceeds from kidnapping to establish several businesses including a haulage company that has not less than 10 trucks.

He was said to have accessed the financial worth of some of his victims who patronised his haulage company.

He also told the police that four of the most recent trucks acquired were gotten from the N150million ransom paid by one of his victims.

Now in police custody, Ngozika claims that she never knew that her boss was into kidnapping.

Her words: I used to work with a bank till I retired because of the poor condition of work. I got a job with CMT motors in 2015.

Initially, our warehouse was in Apapa till they moved us to 235 Ago Palace way in Okota in 2016. My job was to take note of trucks that go to work, their destination and amount due for each trip.

The company has eleven trucks and all the vehicles original documents in my possession. The name of my boss is George Onwuamadike and every money is paid into Chinwuba multi trade limited.

I was paid N70,000 a month. I only knew about it on TV. I did not run away, I only travelled to visit my Uncle in the village when I received a call that I should bring the documents. I was planning to come to Lagos when the police arrested me.

Legit.ng had reported that Evans had challenged his continued detention by the police and for not being taken to court.

The notorious kidnapper then pleaded guilty when he finally made his court appearance.

READ ALSO: Police forced Evans to plead guilty to kidnapping - Counsel claims

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Evans being remanded at Kirikiri after appearing in court:

Source: Legit.ng
- Nnamdi Kanu's lawyer has assured his sureties that they have nothing to worry about

- The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader has not been seen in public after a Nigerian Military raid in his country home in Abia state

- There are fears that the government may go after his sureties

Nnamdi Kanu's lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor has stated that sureties of the IPOB leader should not entertain any fear over the disappearance of his client.

In an interview with Daily Sun, Ejiofor said the circumstances of the present case had gone beyond the sureties' control.

He said the federal government have a duty to produce his client before the case makes any headway.

Nnamdi Kanu has not been seen in public after a Nigerian Military raid in his country home in Abia state. Photo credit: Al Jazeera

READ ALSO: We wont declare Nnamdi Kanu wanted -DHQ

He said: The point is that you cannot under the circumstance lay hands on the sureties, because the circumstance that presented itself is such had gone beyond the sureties control. In legal parlance, its called force majeure. Its not a situation they would be able to control.

The court is a human being; it can listen to our application. If at all this incident never took place and by tomorrow we start looking for Nnamdi Kanu, they will be told to go and produce him.

But in this case, Nnamdi Kanu had been visible; moving around, going places, meeting people and was very certain of coming to Abuja before now to face trial, so, people who attacked him, killed people in his house, wounded people and arrested people, should be in a position to show us where he is.

He added that Kanu's whereabouts now lies with the army, adding that its out of the sureties hands and they cannot be held liable.

Ejiofor stated that the military should would have extended invitation to him instead of invading his private residence.

Forget about the lies theyve been telling; they must produce him. By the process we have initiated, if they have killed my client; they should come and tell the court.

Then we will now know what to do, because he has to be given befitting burial if at all such thing happened. But God forbid!, he added.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has asked the Nigerian government to clarify the status and whereabouts of Kanu.

The British government said it had asked the Nigerian government if the British/Nigerian national was alive or dead.

This was disclosed by the press officer, United Kingdom High Commission in Nigeria, Joe Abuku.

READ ALSO: Igbos in Oyo state okays IPOB proscription

Watch Legit.ng TV video of Ejiofor alleging that his client is facing a political trial in the hands of the federal government:

Source: Legit.ng
- APC has finally fixed its national convention for November

- The party said that defectors would no longer be allowed to contest until after one year of probation

- It also said that the partys NWC would soon have power to sanction erring members

All Progressives Congress (APC) has finally fixed its national convention for November this year after its repeated inability to convene its mid-term non elective national convention.

Vanguard reports that ahead of the 2019 general elections, the party had continued to draw flaks from some party chieftains following its inability to hold the convention in April, but party leaders had attributed the delay to the health challenge of President Muhammadu Buhari, a situation that saw him out of the country for long.

Legit.ng gathered that asked when exactly the party would hold its convention, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun told Saturday Vanguard in an exclusive interview that while plans have been concluded to convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and that of the caucus in October, the APC would hold its non-elective convention the following month.

READ ALSO: Let Biafra go now, python can dance forever but cant stop our agitation - MASSOB tells Buhari

We hope in November. There is no tentative date yet, but we are certain. The NEC and Caucus will hold next month, that is, October, said Chief Odigie-Oyegun.

Article 25 (A)(i) of the current APC constitution stipulates that the National Convention of the Party shall be held once in two (2) years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by the National Working Committee and approved by the National Executive Committee subject to the giving of the statutory notices to the Independent National Electoral Commission and at least fourteen (14) days notice given to members eligible to attend.

The Convention is used to ratify policies and programmes of the Party; Elect or remove the national officers of the Party; Elect the Presidential Candidate of the Party; Amend the Constitution of the Party from time to time as the need may arise among other issues. Since the last convention of the party in October 2014, it has been difficult holding another convention.

The partys effort to hold the convention in April and later in August were futile especially as a result of the ill-health of President Buhari and the actions of some political strategists who did not want the then acting President Yemi Osinbajo to chair the all-important meetings of NEC, the Caucus and the national convention in the absence of the president as critical decisions that could subtly affect the presidents chances of re-election could be taken at such meetings.

Allays fears over Constitutional Review

With the APC Constitution already reviewed and awaiting ratification by the convention, there were concerns that the National Working Committee NWC would be granted too much powers if the document sails through. Chief Odigie-Oyegun allays such fears.

I cannot remember any such thing. No, not at all. The highest organ of the party is the convention. In the absence of the convention, the highest decision-making body is the National Executive Committee NEC and not the NWC who are just managers of the party. And that is the way it is going to be. I do not think anybody can change that. So, it is not true.

Inaugurated on January 25, the Muiz Banire-led CRC had on July 28 submitted its report to Chief Odigie-Oyegun, with 85 proposals for amendment. A copy of the report which was exclusively obtained by Saturday Vanguard shows that on the issue of discipline, the Odigie-Oyegun led NWC now has the power to discipline any member of the party no matter his status.

The party is also proposing to replace its moribund Board of Trustees BOT with an Advisory Council, the implication of which is that when ratified, the council would merely play an advisory role as its decision does not carry a force of law and the partys national chairman is not bound to accept its advice.

The party is (a) corporate entity hence corporate entities do not require Board of Trustees, the CRC said, explaining its rationale for the alteration. The Advisory Council does not give directives.

On the composition of the State Executive Councils SEC of the party, the CRC also proposed that, There shall be for each State Chapter of the Party, a State Executive Committee SEC consisting of National and Officers/zonal officers of the Party from the State. In the order of hierarchy, they also now come before other SEC members.

Defectors cant fly ticket until after Probation

The party is also proposing to edge out new entrants who merely defect to it in order to clinch its ticket ahead of a major election.

The initial provision on Elections and Appointments was that, All Party posts prescribed or implied by this Constitution shall be filled by democratically conducted elections at the respective National Convention or Congress subject, where possible, to consensus, Provided that where a Candidate has emerged by consensus for an elective position, a vote of yes or no by ballot or voice shall be called, to ensure that it was not an imposition which could breed discontent and crisis.

This initial provision had led to acrimony in many state chapters of the party, like in Benue state where Gov. Samuel Ortom had defected to the APC just weeks before the governorship election and days after he had lost out in the governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP.

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Consequently, and in order to stave off such incidences, the CRC has added a caveat to the above provision which is that; Unless and otherwise provided for: (b) Eligibility to contest any political office under the platform of the Party shall require minimum period of one year membership.

However, in order to allow the flexibility to review cases on an individual basis, it has also been proposed that; Subject to the approval of the National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee may in special circumstances grant a waiver to a person not otherwise qualified under this constitution if, in its opinion, such a waiver is in the best interest of the party.

Saturday Vanguard checks revealed that the APC Constitution or any part thereof shall stand amended if a proposed amendment is supported by at least two thirds of the delegates present and voting at the convention, but before then, the proposed amendments must also have been submitted to the partys National Executive Committee NEC.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that Ekiti state Governor, Ayodele Fayose has said the imminent defeat of President Muhammadu Buhari in a free and fair election in 2019 is the main reason the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government is harassing and intimidating his aides and associates.

Will you vote for Fayose? Watch this Legit.ng video:

Source: Legit.ng
- Former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, has said that Nigeria has failed

- Obi specifically referred to the fact that the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed

- He stated this during an anniversary where he was the guest speaker

Former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, has described Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari as a failed country.

According to Premium Times, Obi made the comment in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital on Saturday, September 30.

The former governor who was the guest lecturer at the event, spoke on the topic Change and changing Nigeria through harnessing of investment potentials of Ebonyi state: yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Peter Obi is of the opinion that Nigeria is a failed country. Photo credit: The Platform

READ ALSO: Politicians who may want President Buhari's job in 2019

He lamented that Nigeria was still operating in the past with no qualified leadership to revitalize the economy.

He blamed the recent rise in agitation of youth across the country to the poor leadership of the present administration of the federal government.

His words: For me the country has failed, If any body tells you that Nigeria is doing well, tell them it is a lie.

They said that we are out of recession but almost all Nigerians are still feeling greatly the impact of recession.

He urged the governor of Ebonyi state, David Umahi, to always tell the people he is ruling the truth adding that the people will trust and believe him the more.

Meanwhile, the national coordinator, Freedom and Justice Movement (FJM), Dr. Breakforth Onwunbuya, has warned that, if proper measure was not taken ahead of the 2019 election, there would no longer be Nigeria afterwards.

According to the veteran politician, the way the economy was being run by the APC-led government, it could lead to mass exodus of Nigerians out of the country.

Onwunbuya, who is the immediate past deputy national chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), handed this warning on Monday, September 18 during the meeting of stakeholders of the proposed Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) in Abuja.

READ ALSO: Buharis performance is below average, Nigeria will be worse off if he gets second term - Bishop Okogie

Watch Nigerians talk about the recession on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
Editors note: The leader of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanus whereabouts has continued to raise questions among Nigerians both locally and internationally. Two days ago, Nigerian Defence Headquarters dispelled the rumours that Nnamdi Kanu is in its custody.

Legit.ng gathered that a social commentator, Tony Ademiluyi, in this article, writes about the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu and the categorization of the group as terrorist.

According to radical writer, Tariq Ali, a true revolutionary is one who disregards personal safety in the pursuit of ones beliefs. He cited Che Guavara who left the comforts of Argentina to fight in the jungles of Bolivia and died while in combat.

He never failed to also mention Malcolm X as one of his heroes who was to meet his waterloo in the heady, violent days of 1965. Unfortunately, there was a disconnection between what he espoused and what he practiced.

During the brutal dictatorship of General Ayub Khan in his native Pakistan where thousands of citizens died in bloody demonstrations, the students urged him to return home to lead the struggle from within and use his vast global contacts to yank off the military from power. Khan had other ideas and preferred to sit in London, editing a journal because he was scared that his passport might be confiscated.

READ ALSO: 2019: APC finally fixes its convention for November, says defectors will no longer contest until after 1 year

He refused to go to Paris in 1968 to attend an important conference because he was scared he might not be allowed back into Britain since he had five months left to become a British citizen. He was tragically a safety first radical apologies to Adewale Maja-Pearce, former editor of the Index on Censorship.

The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu once boasted that he would deal with any invading force from Abuja and that it would be Biafra or death. When death came in the face of Operation Python Dance, what did he do? He allegedly vanished into thin air as his whereabouts have been unknown since his fathers palace was invaded by the military marauders.

His disappearing act must have come as a gargantuan shocker to his horde of disciples who called him a Lion and swore that he would stand as the Rock of Gibraltar in protecting their interests.

What his zealous supporters failed to acknowledge was that their idol failed to stand up for some of his supporters who were detained. He earlier promised not to live them behind in jail but when his bail came through, he made a volte-face. Wasnt that a sign of more sinister things to come?

He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day seemed to be his mantra as he was not ready to toe the path that Che Guevara, Martin Luther King Jnr, Patrice Lumumba etc trod.

His followers were at the mercy of the army goons who whipped them mercilessly to submit to the constituted authority. They needed succour from the man who touted himself as the next big thing in revolutionary warfare but alas all they got was an elitist conspiratorial silence.

IPOB as part of the fallout has been proscribed as a terrorist organization. The alleged presence of a Biafran intelligence service lent and Kanus call for the purchase of weapons made the Federal Government move swiftly to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

To categorise them alongside Boko haram was in bad taste. It would been interesting to hear Kanus voice denounce the actions of the Buhari led administration on his organization.

Tragically, he has been turned into a fugitive and enemy of the state.

He now has the charge of terrorism in addition to the earlier treason charge and this wouldnt be easy to deal with as being let off the hook may be nothing short of wishful thinking.

One wonders why there has been deafening silence by his supposed foot soldiers and erstwhile sympathizers! No official statement from his bail sureties or any from his horde of disciples. Is it that they failed to successfully buy into his vision? Has the tide of the times made it unsafe to publicly associate or identify with him?

Is it a failure on his part as a leader that he had no loyal crop of loyalists? Some traditional rulers went as far as asking the state government to withdraw the staff of office from his father. The greatest blow came from the southeast governors who denounced him and his organization.

Lets not forget that Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe was among those that stood surety which meant an indirect governmental backing from his homeland. Was his fame a nine day wonder accentuated by his prolonged detention and as such had no roots and substance?

Successful liberty fighters have their machineries well-oiled either during their time of flight or even death. The likes of Oliver Thambo, Walter Sisulu, Desmond Tutu, Thabo Mbeki etc spread forth the anti-apartheid message while Mandela and the 26 others were behind bars.

The 1917 Bolshevik revolution was spearheaded by Lenin from exile in Switzerland. Why hasnt the so called international support of IPOB seen a propagandist machinery to keep its ideals alive?

We recall with gusto the way and manner Ralph Uwazurike swept the south-east with his Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). After his first spell in detention, it fizzled out like the musical candle in the wind.

Some of Kanus traducers accuse him of succumbing to hubris by allowing a guard of honour to be mounted by his foot soldiers which he inspected and infamous picture that circulated virally which saw him step his feet on an overzealous disciple.

For a man who enjoyed support from the likes of Pat Utomi and Chukwuma Soludo, this is not the best way to end up.

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Some cold comfort is coming from the United States who disagreed with the Nigerian government that IPOB is a terrorist organization.

The UK and France have come to deny their countries being used as a funding conduit for the marked organization. Nothing has come in the way of support for Kanu from any of the aforementioned countries and it is crystal clear that he has been left to stew in his own juice.

Will Kanu go down the way of Uwazurike? Would he like the phonix re-emerge as another Dim Odumegwu-Ojukwu who was still held in high esteem despite his 1970 cowardice?

Time never fails!

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the United Kingdom asked the Nigerian government to clarify the status and whereabouts of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng.

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Watch Legit.ng TV video of Nnamdi Kanu's father talking about the activities of his son as IPOB's leader:

Source: Legit.ng
We now know the motives. In backing Donald Trump, Russias oligarchical class sought not only to disrupt U.S. politics but also to reverse sanctions, both those applied in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine and those connected to the Magnitsky Act, which targeted officials involved in human rights violations. In seeking Russian support, Trump sought not only to become president but also to make money: Even as he launched his presidential campaign, he hoped to receive a major influx of money from a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow.

Along with the motives, we know the methods. As The New York Times has just graphically demonstrated, professional Russian Internet trolls, probably operating out of St. Petersburg, set up hundreds of fake Facebook and Twitter accounts during the election campaign. The trolls then posted thousands of fake stories, memes and slogans, supported anti-Clinton hashtags and narratives, and linked back to DCLeaks, the website that posted emails that Russian hackers stole from the Clinton campaign. The emails revealed by that hack were utterly banal. But the fake operatives said they contained hidden truths, hinted that they were part of a secret Soros operation, after liberal financier George Soros, and persuaded people to click. This is a method Russian operatives had used before. Previous elections, in Poland and Ukraine, demonstrated that stolen materialany stolen materialcan be used to foment conspiracy theories that never die.

We know what happened next: The fake stories, memes and slogans moved from the network of Russian-sponsored American accounts into the networks of real Americans. Some, such as pizzagate, the theory that Hillary Clinton was part of a pedophile ring being run out of Washington pizza parlor, got a lot of attention. Others, such as the theory that Barack Obama founded the Islamic State, or the theory that the Google search engine was working on Clintons behalf, got less attention but were notable for another reason: They were not only promoted on the fake Russian network, which bought advertising in order to push them further, but also were promoted on open Russian news networks, including the Sputnik English-language news services. Afterwards, they were repeated, also openly, by candidate Trump.

Now here is a piece of the story that we dont know: How did the Russians behind the fake American accounts know which real Americans would be most excited to read conspiracy theories on Facebook? How did they know how to target their ads? Perhaps they just got lucky. Perhaps they just happened upon broad networks of people who were willing to click on their conspiracy theories and pass them on. Or perhaps they had some help. Certainly the Trump campaign had this kind of informationrecently, one of Trumps online campaign managers bragged to the BBC about their ability to target on Facebook and elsewhere.

Here is another piece we dont know: How did Trump happen to use the same conspiracy theories that were proliferating on Russian media, both real and fake? Again, this could be coincidence. Or, again, there could have been coordination. Messages tested by Russian trolls might have been passed on to the Trump campaignor vice versa.

I still believe, as Ive been writing for months, that Trumps sympathy for Russian President Vladimir Putin, a cynicial and vicious dictator, should, by itself, have eliminated him from U.S. politics. Nothing else that we will ever learn about him makes him more unqualified to be president of the United States.

But for those who want something more, do be aware that circumstantial evidence of Russian collusion with his campaign is already available. And direct evidence is getting very, very close.

Author Information:

Anne Applebaum writes a biweekly foreign affairs column for The Washington Post.
- Former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, has reacted to the ongoing agitations from all parts of the country

- Babangida praised the armed forces of Nigeria for working to protect the nation's unity

Former head of state, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, has weighed in on the numerous agitations for secession posing threat to the unity of Nigeria.

Babangida, in a recent interview, said that the resilience of the armed forces of Nigeria to curtailed secessionist and agitations throughout the nations post independence has reduced tensions in the country, Daily Post reports.

He said: Peace remains the best option in resolving conflicts and agitations in the country, adding that recent conflicts and agitations, chanting slogan of war and hate speeches are derailing the nations development and unity.

READ ALSO: British government seeks Nnamdi Kanu's whereabouts from FG

As an active participant in the civil war and a retired military officer, with the hard lesson learnt, I will never be tired on calling for the oneness and unity of our great nation. We will forever be ready to sacrifice for a united and prosperous Nigeria whenever the need arises

During our tenure in government we deliberately formulated policies, programmes, projects and even the creation of states to further weaken unwholesome agitations for secession and promote mutual and peaceful coexistence devoid of ethnic, religious and regional discriminations.

He urged Nigerians to support the government in its fight against insecurity, poverty, hunger in the country.

He said: We should support the government in addressing the security and economic challenges as I urge Nigerians to extend their gestures with a hand of fellowship to one another and assists those affected by natural disasters, conflicts and communal clashes that are presently confined at various Internally Displaced Persons Camps (IDPs).

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, has described Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari as a failed country.

Obi made the comment in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital on Saturday, September 30.

He lamented that Nigeria was still operating in the past with no qualified leadership to revitalize the economy.

He blamed the recent rise in agitation of youth across the country to the poor leadership of the present administration of the federal government.

Watch Nigerians talk about the recession on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- Osita Chidoka has urged the Nigerian government to lift the ban on IPOB

- Chidoka said there are no terrorists in the southeast and the people do not feel terrorised

- He advised that designing the IPOB as a terrorist organisation will not secure the unity of Nigeria

Former minister of aviation, Osita Chidoka, has called on the Nigerian government to lift the proscription it placed on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

During the flag off of his governorship campaign in Uli, Anambra state, Osita argued that the proscription and the declaration of IPOB as a terrorist organisation is unnecessary and would not strengthen the unity of Nigeria.

Legit.ng gathered that Osita, who is currently running for the governorship office in Anambra state, said that the Igbo voice against marginalization and injustice will not be achieved on the streets but by engaging the government.

READ ALSO: Opinion: Where is Nnamdi Kanu?

He said: While we salute all those who through one legitimate way or the other had pursued the struggle, we state today that we are stepping into a new frontier. The Igbo voice against marginalization and injustice will not be achieved on the streets.

It will rather be won with a determined engagement of our institutions of government and with other Nigerians who feel aggrieved to redefine the meaning of Nigeria and remove the inequalities that have fanned the embers of discord and restructure our nation along the lines of justice, equality and fairness.

How can Igbos be terrorists? We have always actively participated in the Nigerian project, yet in this country, we have suffered since June 1945 British inspired ethnic violence, nineteen incidents of pogroms, wanton killings, and violence against our people living across the country."

Osita, a governorship candidate under the United Progressive Party said there is no form of terrorism in the south east and the people of the region do not feel terrorised at all.

He said: In March 2015, our country went to an election that divided us greatly. Today the nation is still greatly divided, and almost back to her primordial lines. Our country is troubled; our people are afraid; our future is uncertain.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

We cannot build a great nation without unity at home. We cannot be a nation where people are hated, branded and then hounded and ostracized.

We stand here to declare that there are no terrorists in our state; there are no terrorists in our region and we do not feel terrorized as a people.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Defence Headquarters has said that it has no business declaring IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, wanted.

This was made known by the director, defence information, Major General John Enenche at a press briefing with journalists on Friday, September 29.

Enenche also informed journalists present at the briefing that Kanu was not in military custody and so they couldnt be held accountable for him.

Watch Legit.ng TV video of Nnamdi Kanu's father talking about the activities of his son as IPOB's leader:

Source: Legit.ng
- The Presidency has released 57 achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari to mark the Independence day

- The release of some of the Chibok girls is one of the 57 achievements listed

- Another achievement credited to the president is the Nigeria's recent exit from recession despite fall in oil prices

The office of the Nigerian vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, has released a list of 57 achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari's administration to mark Nigeria's 57th Independence day anniversary.

The Punch reports that the presidency listed the release of some Chibok girls as well as the war against Boko Haram as some of the main achievement of the Buhari's administration.

Below are some of the achievements on the list:

1. The release of 106 Chibok girls

2. The arrest of 16,000 Boko Haram members

3. Tackling insurgency

READ ALSO: Boko Haram attacks military barrack in Bama days after IDPs tried to return to town

4. Decimation of Boko Haram in the North East

5. Recovering 14 local governments and territories previously under Boko Haram control

6. Rebuilding the lives of citizens affected by Boko Haram

7. Curbing the incidence of kidnap across the country including the arrest of kidnap kingpins

8. Restoring morale of the Nigerian military

9. Re-organising and better equipping the Nigerian Armed Forces

10. Purchase of 12 Super-Tucano aircrafts worth $600 million

11. Ensuring continued peace in the Niger Delta through consistent funding of the FG amnesty programme for ex-militants

12. Introduction of an improved mechanism for distribution of aid to IDPs

13. The implementation of the National Economic Recovery and Growth Plan to aid economic recovery

14. Taking the country out of her first worst recession in 29 years, despite fall in oil prices

15. The N1.2 trillion expended on capital/infrastructure projects nationwide

16. The effective implementation of the Treasury Single Account

17. Increasing government revenue by over N3 trillion

18. Entrenching transparency and accountability

19. Implementation of the Bank Verification Number

20. The signing into law of two bills from the National Assembly (Acts are the Secured Transactions in Movable Assets Act, 2017 (otherwise known as Collateral Registry Act) and the Credit Reporting Act, 2017) to improve ease of doing business

21. The establishment of the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum

22. The prosecution of corrupt alleged public officers

23. Institutionalising E-governance

24. The successful establishment of the whistle-blower policy

25. Voluntary Income Asset Declaration Scheme

26. Signing of agreements with a number of nations to provide Automatic Exchange of Information

27. Signing of the Extradition Treaty between Nigeria and United Arab Emirates toward strengthening Nigerias anti-corruption campaign

28. The establishment of PACAC

29. The eradication of polio in the country

30. The introduction of the One Primary Health Centre per ward

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the senate president, Bukola Saraki, joined President Buhari and other top officials of the current government to observe Jumaat prayer at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Friday.

The leaders prayed for Nigeria which would be 57 on Sunday, October 1.

Among the Muslim faithfuls at the prayer session was Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar of Bauchi state.

Watch a Legit.ng interview of what Nigerians have to say about the Buhari's administration:

Source: Legit.ng
(Natural News) Republicans failure to repeal and replace Obamacare like they promised to do for seven years means that tens of millions of Americans who are already financially crippled by premium increases and high deductibles as a result of the law will continue to be economically brutalized.

And its about to get even worse.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the coming rate increases are exemplified by one Denver couple, both electrical engineers who retired five years ago.

The Hansens, who had put away a decent nest egg for their retirement, found themselves decently priced insurance that seemed reasonable to a couple in their late 50s, the paper noted. But then, as Obamacare kicked into overdrive in the years since, insurance prices have risen dramatically. Since 2015, the Times reported, their private insurance premiums have more than tripled and are expected to cost the couple almost $18,000 in 2018.

Frankly, thats criminal  but not criminal on the part of the insurance companies, who have to provide a higher level of coverage as mandated under the provisions of Obamacare, a Democrat-passed law that is stripping the middle class of more of its wealth. (Related: Fact-check of Bernie Sanders claims that Americans are in RUSH to adopt his single-payer system reveals theyre actually NOT.)

It just doesnt make sense, said Jim Hansen, who now has had to recalculate retirement finances.

What is even more absurd, however, is that the Times is blaming the rising prices on President Donald J. Trump and Republicans whose only role in any of this has been their failure to repeal this expensive disaster:

The Affordable Care Act made life-saving protections available to millions, many for the first time. But the transformation of the nations insurance markets has been a bumpy ride, particularly for one group  people like Hansen who get health insurance on their own, rather than through a job, but whose income is too high to qualify for government aid.

Now, these same consumers, whom Republicans have held up as victims of the current law, stand to see insurance bills soar even higher unless Congress acts quickly to stabilize insurance markets that have been weakened by the Trump administration.

This kind of revisionist history might play well to the insanely Left-wing readership of the Times, but the papers attempt to lay this debacle at the feet of anyone other than Democrats is outrageous.

First of all, there is the fact that not a single Republican voted in favor of the Affordable Care Act. So there are no GOP fingerprints on this bill at all.

Secondly, there is no data to prove that Obamacare has proven to be life-saving for anyone who got coverage for the first time under the law. No data whatsoever. So that claim is the Times reporter making a personal observation, not a claim of fact. But there is data proving that the ACA has saved NO lives.

Third, the expansion of Medicaid under Obamacare is breaking the national bank, so to speak. During Obamas eight years in office, the national debt doubled from $10 trillion to $20 trillion, and this was after Obama called George W. Bush unpatriotic for a doubling of the national debt on his watch:

How much of that was due to Obamacare? The Congressional Budget Office puts the figure at $1.1 trillion. Perhaps the Times doesnt realize that when the country collapses under the weight of its debt, nobody will receive healthcare  except maybe the rich guy at the top who owns the paper.

Fourth, Congress would have already passed reforms to Obamacare that would have helped lower insurance premiums if a few Democrats  just a few  would have bothered to support the two reform bills that have already been proposed. So we could say, in truth, that not only have Democrats given us this monstrosity, they are now ensuring that we continue to be burdened by it.

Fifth, why has transformation of the nations health insurers been a bumpy ride? Wasnt Obamacare sold as the end-all, be-all of health insurance and healthcare delivery reform? Why, yes. Yes, it was. And several other lies the president and his Democratic congressional allies told about the law.

Finally, insurance markets that have been weakened by the Trump administration? I wasnt aware that the Times allowed its reporters to smoke crack on the job. The entire private health insurance industry was weakened by Obamacare  which, in review, was passed without Republican support.

So again, how is any of this Trumps fault?

Fakestream media outlets like the Los Angeles Times are contributing to the downfall of American society, and this is a huge example of how theyre doing it. They are not public servants, they are enemies of the people. Its just too bad more Americans cant see it.

Sources include:

LATimes.com

NaturalNews.com

NationalReview.com
One community health center in New York has frozen hiring. Another in Missouri can't get a bank loan to expand.

The nation's 1,400 community health centers are carefully watching expenses in case the financial rescue they hope Congress delivers this week doesn't arrive. With four days left in the government's fiscal year, Congress has not voted on reauthorizing billions of dollars now going to community health centers and other health programs for the 2018 budget year that starts Sunday.

"The anxiety level is increasing on almost a daily basis," said Dan Hawkins, senior vice president of the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) in Washington, D.C. "There is broad support and agreement in Congress that it should get done, but we are working against a ticking clock and a crowded legislative calendar."

For the past two weeks, the GOP's scramble to repeal the Affordable Care Act before the month ends pushed other health care matters off the congressional agenda. That effort ended Tuesday when Senate Republicans said they would not seek a vote this week because they lacked enough support to pass the bill.

Use Our Content This KHN story can be republished for free (details).

It's not clear if lawmakers' lighter agenda will now leave room for funding health centers or deciding other issues, such as renewing the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which also expires Saturday. At a hearing Monday, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) urged his colleagues to work with the Senate's health committee to settle the matter. NACHC officials privately express optimism that a deal might come later in October if not by Sunday.

Community health centers operate in more than 9,500 locations, serving 27 million people, according to the NACHC. They are the main source of health care for many low-income Americans  and the only source of primary care in many underserved areas.

Health centers provide preventive care, counseling, dentistry and primary care to everyone, whether or not they can pay. A sliding fee scale based on income and family size is available to patients without insurance.

In 2015, nearly 1 in 6 Medicaid beneficiaries received health center services, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported this year. (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the foundation.)

"The end result is these are people who will be locked out of health care" without new funding, Hawkins said.

Community health centers gained billions of dollars in federal revenue under the ACA, which created a special trust fund to support them from 2011 through 2015. The Community Health Center Fund was extended in 2015 for two years with an additional $3.6 billion annually.

That money represents 70 percent of all federal grants to health centers and about a fifth of their annual revenue. Medicaid reimbursements account for the largest share, about 40 percent.

One beneficiary is Pamela Richardson, a 60-year-old patient of Valley Community Healthcare in North Hollywood, Calif., who suffers from an iron absorption disorder called hereditary hemochromatosis. She was unable to get health insurance before Obamacare prohibited insurers from excluding people with preexisting medical conditions. The clinic helped her sign up for coverage through the Medi-Cal expansion.

Once Richardson was covered, she received long-delayed primary care, which revealed she had "scary high" blood pressure and a lump in one breast (which proved benign). "When you don't have insurance you don't get breast exams. You don't have Pap smears," she told a KHN reporter earlier this year. "I wish people had a little more patience with Obamacare. Once you get what's wrong with you under control, the cost would come down."

California has by far the most federally funded health centers and they serve 6.2 million Californians, according to CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates, which represents state clinics. They have received over $1.6 billion from 2011 through 2016 from the Community Health Center Fund, more than any other state, the Congressional Research Service reported in January.

If health centers receive no new funds for 2018, the ensuing financial crunch would cost 51,000 jobs, force the centers to close 2,800 locations and cause 9 million people to lose health care services, according to a budget document that the Health and Human Services Department gave Congress in July.

Uncertainty about what Congress will do now is already causing problems. Hawkins said his members call him and his staff every day, fretting about employment contracts, lease agreements and equipment rentals that run past Oct. 1.

Neighborhood Health in Nashville, Tenn., has federal grant money that will carry it through Jan. 31, but CEO Mary Bufwack said some of her 180 staff members live paycheck to paycheck and are getting nervous about Neighborhood's stability.

Bufwack is worried the health center won't receive money it needs to replace a clinic, a project now being planned.

She fears that a new doctor she recruited to join Neighborhood next June will take another job before she can get his signature on an employment contract. And she doesn't want to do that until she's sure about her budget.

Mostly, she worries that whatever Congress gives her will be only for one year.

"We're already worried about next Sept. 30," Bufwack said.
WHAT: Using genetically modified (GM) mosquitoes to reduce or prevent the spread of infectious diseases is a new but rapidly expanding field of investigation. Among the challenges researchers face is ensuring that GM mosquitoes can compete and mate with their wild counterparts so the desired modification is preserved and spread in the wild population. Investigators at Johns Hopkins University have engineered GM mosquitoes to have an altered microbiota that suppresses human malaria-causing parasites. These GM mosquitos preferred to mate with wild mosquitoes and passed along the desired protection to many generations of offspring.

The research was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.

The researchers genetically modified Anopheles mosquitoes, which in nature spread the malaria-causing parasite Plasmodium. The team caged equal numbers of wild and GM mosquitoes and monitored their breeding over 10 generations. Ninety percent of the offspring in each generation passed along the GM trait. Even when combining 10 percent GM with 90 percent wild mosquitoes, the Plasmodium-resistance trait dominated after a few generations. Importantly, the GM mosquitoes maintained their resistance to the malaria parasite for 7 years.

The group also showed that the change in the microbiota resulted in a mating preference among the GM and wild mosquitoes. GM males showed a preference for wild females and wild males preferred GM females; these preferences contributed to the spread of the desired protective trait within the mosquito population.

The authors note that work was conducted in a laboratory setting and that more research is needed to determine if what they observed in the laboratory also will occur under natural conditions. Nevertheless, the study suggests that mosquitoes can be genetically modified to compete in nature with wild populations and spread resistance to the malaria-causing parasite. If implemented, this strategy could eventually result in decreased disease transmission to humans.

ARTICLE:

A. Pike, et al. Changes in the microbiota cause genetically modified Anopheles to spread in a population. Science DOI: 10.1126/science.aak9691 (2017).

WHO:

Adriana Costero-Saint Denis, Ph.D., vector biology program officer in NIAID's Parasitology and International Programs Branch, is available to discuss the findings.
Indiana University, the Regenstrief Institute and Indianapolis-based technology company LifeOmic have announced a first-of-its kind collaboration to advance the development of precision medicine, a personalized approach to disease treatment and prevention.

Under terms of the agreement, LifeOmic receives a blanket license to a broad range of intellectual property owned by IU and Regenstrief as well as access to faculty. In return, IU and Regenstrief receive a minority equity position in LifeOmic. The strategic agreement will greatly facilitate collaboration across the three partners, removing traditional barriers between for-profit and not-for-profit organizations.

"Indiana University's expertise in precision health research, combined with the Regenstrief Institute's long history of innovation in medical records data and LifeOmic's impressive capabilities in genomic data storage and management, make for a powerful partnership that will help our institutions collaborate to improve health in Indiana and beyond," said IU President Michael A. McRobbie, PhD. "We look forward to seeing the discoveries that will stem from this alliance of academia and industry."

The mapping of the human genome has made it possible to discover the underlying genetic causes of diseases in individuals and to tailor therapy based on that information. But the field of genomics also poses new challenges, as vast volumes of data must be analyzed, stored and incorporated into physicians' decisions about diagnoses and treatments.

LifeOmic will work with scientists at IU and Regenstrief to develop a "data commons" to store genetic and other medical data for millions of patients within a single repository. The result will be a platform that can be used by researchers and clinicians around the state to make discoveries and improve the delivery of personalized health care.

The agreement also enables individual investigators at IU and Regenstrief to seamlessly collaborate with LifeOmic on other projects. For example, an IU immunologist might work with LifeOmic to develop a test to help physicians more efficiently and accurately diagnose autoimmune disorders. Such partnerships with industry are common but typically require separate, time-consuming negotiations for each project.

Genetics & Genomics eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

"The problems and challenges we are facing in health care today are too big to be solved by any one institution," said Anantha Shekhar, MD, PhD, IU associate vice president of research for university clinical affairs and executive associate dean for research affairs at IU School of Medicine. "To make progress, we must collaborate with other universities and with private industry across multiple fields. My vision is to forge more industry partnerships like this with minimal bureaucratic barriers to collaborations, so we can tap into the expertise we need to serve patients in Indiana and elsewhere."

Regenstrief President and CEO Peter J. Embi, MD, and LifeOmic founder and CEO Don Brown, MD, also praised the potential benefits for patients and the state of Indiana.

"The work we will do through this partnership will leverage all of our strengths and expertise to build systems that will support the future of health care," Dr. Embi said. "We could not be more excited to work across our organizations to realize this vision and develop innovative systems that improve the health of people everywhere."

"We're excited to work with IU and Regenstrief to build a platform that can not only advance the delivery of precision medicine but serve as the basis for an entire ecosystem of health care innovation in Indiana," Dr. Brown said. "We hope to see dozens of new companies spring up to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities ahead."

Source: http://www.regenstrief.org/article/iu-regenstrief-lifeomic-announce-collaboration-revolutionize-medicine/
Intrapartum fever -- fever that occurs during labor -- occurs in approximately 1-2% of deliveries and is often associated with maternal and neonatal complications. But the precise reasons for the fever and its different outcomes are unclear.

A new Tel Aviv University study finds a link between the duration of intrapartum fever and maternal complications; and, when intrauterine infection is a trigger for the fever, a link between the fever and subsequent neonatal complications.

The study was led by Dr. Liran Hiersch, of TAU's Sackler School of Medicine and Tel Aviv Medical Center, together with Dr. Eran Ashwal, also of Sackler and Tel Aviv Medical Center. It was published recently in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine.

A new link between fever and infection

"We set out to explore which specific maternal and neonatal complications are associated with intrapartum fever. More specifically, we were interested to learn if the presence of abnormal bacterial cultures affected the duration of the fever. This would indicate that the fever is probably due to intrauterine infection, affecting the risk of complications in the mother," Dr. Hiersch says.

The research is a retrospective study of 309 women admitted for vaginal delivery at full term to Rabin Medical Center in Israel. The perinatal outcomes of the deliveries complicated by intrapartum fever (body temperature equal to or greater than 100.4F/38.0C) were compared to those of 618 women who delivered without intrapartum fever.

The researchers assessed maternal complications according to the incidence of cesarean sections (CS), operative vaginal deliveries (OVD), retained placentas or post-partum hemorrhages.

"We found that women with intrapartum fever had higher rates of operative vaginal deliveries (34.3% versus 19.6%) and cesarean sections (20.7% versus 8.7%)," Dr. Hiersch says. "The fever duration was related to maternal complications, specifically to a higher incidence of cesarean sections. And when we looked for the existence of maternal bacteremia in the same women, positive placental cultures were found to be risk factors for neonatal complications compared to those with negative cultures (23.3 % versus 9.8%).

"The duration of fever during labor adversely affected the risk for complications. This hadn't been reported previously," Dr. Hiersch continues. "But it's important to note that the duration of fever did not affect the risk of complications to the newborn, but only to the mother -- leading to a caesarean delivery or vacuum extraction, for example.

"Professionals can reassure expectant mothers that although a high fever detected during labor is a risk factor for complications, we don't have to rush for an immediate caesarean section. Even if labor time is being prolonged, this extra 'labor time' does not adversely affect the fetus."

Since cases of positive bacterial cultures were at even increased risk for neonatal complications, it would be very important to obtain blood and placental cultures and inform the neonatologists regarding the results of the cultures in order to optimize neonatal care, says Dr. Hiersch. "Even so, most infants were free of complications even in cases of intrapartum fever. With proper monitoring after birth, most adverse outcomes can be overcome."
The major structures of a baby's heart form in just four days, according to new research using the latest imaging techniques.

Identifying the precise time when the four chambers of the heart develop opens up the possibility that doctors could eventually be able to monitor babies during this critical phase of their development.

The lead investigator - Dr Eleftheria Pervolaraki from the University of Leeds - hopes the findings will mean that doctors would be able to intervene when a baby's heart fails to grow properly.

She said: "We have identified a critical time of development of the human heart in pregnancy. We now have a map that we can use to interpret problems during development and look at ways of trying to resolve those problems."

The research involved the imaging of 23 fetal hearts with a gestational age range of 95 to 143 days in the womb.

The study, published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, looked at how the heart developed 13 to 20 weeks into pregnancy. The researchers used the MRI technology, specifically-written algorithms and 3D computer software to visualise the growing heart.

They found that the most remarkable changes occurred over a four day period 124 days into the pregnancy.

Within this short period, the muscle tissue of the heart rapidly organise. Cardiac fibres were laid down to form the helix shape of the heart within which the four chambers of the heart form. Without this essential architecture in place, the fetal heart cannot survive outside the womb.

One in 10 miscarriages is believed to be caused by the failure of the heart to form normally.

Dr Pervolaraki, from the School of Biomedical Sciences at Leeds, said there was a remarkable consistency around that fact that this phase of the heart's development started between the 16 and 17 week point, precisely at 124 days into pregnancy.

The research team, which included collaborators at the Universities of Durham and Edinburgh, also identified a possible mechanism involved in heart development. During the critical four day period, they found increased levels of two proteins: connexin 40 [correct spelling] and connexin 43.

Dr James Dachtler, from Durham University, said: "The expression of connexin 40 and connexin 43 helps cells in the heart to communicate with each other.

"As the amount of these proteins increases, cells can 'speak' to each other more effectively, which is why we believe we observed this structural development of the heart."

The scientists acknowledge that the development timeline of the human heart remains elusive because of the difficulties of measuring development in the womb.

At the moment, doctors can only effectively monitor a baby's heart after 20 weeks into a pregnancy, and by then developmental problems are difficult to resolve.

The research team believe the specialist imaging techniques that they used could be adapted for use in hospital clinics, allowing clinicians to spot whether a baby's heart is failing to form properly.
University of Tsukuba researcher discovers why we have the tendency to fall asleep in the absence of motivating stimuli, i.e., when bored.

Tsukuba, Japan - Losing yourself in your favorite things without sleeping, or falling asleep during boring lectures -- As humans, we often defy sleepiness and stay awake when attention is necessary, but also experience an inescapable desire to sleep in boring situations. The brain mechanisms governing the regulation of sleep by cognitive and emotional factors are not well understood. A new paper published in the journal Nature Communications finds that a part of the brain that is associated with motivation and pleasure - the nucleus accumbens - also can produce sleep. The new findings may explain why we have the tendency to fall asleep in the absence of motivating stimuli, i.e., when bored.

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Researchers at the University of Tsukuba's International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS) and Fudan University's Department of Pharmacology in the School of Basic Medical Sciences used chemo-genetic and optical techniques to remotely control the activities of nucleus accumbens neurons and the behaviors they mediate. As a result, the Japanese-Chinese team discovered that nucleus accumbens neurons have an extremely strong ability to induce sleep that is indistinguishable from the major component of natural sleep, known as slow-wave sleep, as it is characterized by slow and high-voltage brain waves.

"The classic somnogen adenosine is a strong candidate for evoking the sleep effect in the nucleus accumbens," says Yo Oishi, the lead author on this project. Adenosine has long been known to represent a state of relative energy deficiency and to induce sleep via adenosine receptors. A specific subtype of adenosine receptors, the A2A receptors, are densely expressed in the nucleus accumbens. Caffeine, the most widely consumed psychostimulant in the world, produces its arousal effect also in the nucleus accumbens by blocking A2A receptors. Compounds that activate A2A receptors in the nucleus accumbens may open safe therapeutic avenues for treating insomnia, which is one of the most common sleep problems with an estimated prevalence of 10-15% in the general population and 30-60% in the older population.
The floods stretched as far as you could see, and then farther, in every direction. Rainfall totals were reported in feet, not the usual inches. Dozens of people died. Highways were submerged; thousands upon thousands of square miles of land were deluged. The damage totaled billions of dollars.

It happened 24 years ago, in the Great Flood of 1993 in the upper Midwest.

After that disaster, the Clinton administration directed an experienced federal interagency task force to study what had happened and report on the flood and its causes. That report, Sharing the Challenge, was prepared by Army Brig. Gen. Gerry Galloway and released in 1994. It made more than 100 recommendations for policy and program changes to address and reduce flood risks and improve the nations floodplain management everywhere, not just in the area along the Mississippi River that had been underwater. The government found that many policies were encouragingrather than discouragingpeople to build homes and businesses in places with increasingly high risks of flooding by allowing new building in those areas, constructing insufficient flood-control projects that give residents a false sense of security and subsidizing redevelopment after disasters without mitigation. That often compounded the costs and problems caused by floods.

Ultimately, though, very little changed. The lessons of 1993 were largely ignored, especially in parts of the country that were most vulnerable to floodingsuch as Houston. Experts and policymakers have known for a long time that we need to change the way we approach flood mitigation and prevention, but that hasnt stopped the nation from making the same mistakes over and over. Now, as the federal government prepares to spend billions more cleaning up from catastrophic floods, were in danger of doing it again.

--

The Clinton administrations report seemed like it might change things at first. It suggested offering voluntary buyouts to owners of buildings that flooded repeatedly, clearing the most at-risk land of businesses and residences and leaving it as open space that could be devoted to flood-tolerant uses such as parks, recreation areas and wetlands. Especially in states such as Missouri, Iowa and Illinois that had been hit hard by the 1993 disaster, governors visibly supported this new approach. More than 10,000buildings were bought so their owners could move outside floodplains. The federal government spent $121 million on this type of mitigation after the 1993 floodsacquiring land or elevating, relocating or flood-proofing buildings. That investment probably saved $600 million in disaster relief: The National Institute of Building Sciences estimates that each dollar spent on flood mitigation saves $5 in future flood damage.

Four years after the Great Flood commission issued its report, the two of us collaborated on a follow-up report released by the National Wildlife Federation, Higher Ground. We looked at the nascent successes of the Midwest floodplain buyouts and relocations that took place after the 1993 floods. In Missouri, where there were major buyouts, one study showed that disaster relief after a 1995 flood cost 99 percent less than after the 1993 flood, even though 85 percent of the same area was affected. We also looked at the class of properties considered by the National Flood Insurance Program to be repetitive loss propertiesplaces where the program had paid repeated claims within a 10-year span. We found that substantial benefits for property owners and taxpayers could be gleaned by simply removing damaged buildings, rather than repairing them only to see them flooded out again. We also concluded that many flood insurance policies were heavily subsidized and underestimated risk, leading to prices for coverage that were far too low to make homeowners realize just how flood-prone their locations were.

Still, we also found that paying to relocate a relatively small number of people could significantly reduce the risk. About 2 percent of the flood insurance policies with repetitive losses were generating 40 percent of the claim payoutsmany of them making expensive claims frequently. But these properties were seldom subject to risk mitigation (such as elevation or relocation), even after a flood caused damage worth more than 50 percent of their value, which is considered substantially damaged and is supposed to require mitigation. We also found that about 20 percent of these properties were located outside the designated 100 year floodplains, areas where the chance of a flood in any given year is predicted to be 1 percent. The maps, in other words, were badly out of date, even then.

But owners often found few realistic options for getting out of harms way, even with some of the new programs that were established, because the government was slow to provide assistance and there seemed to be little real resolve for making difficult changes.

The city where we chose to release the report was Houston.

At the time, Houston ranked third (and surrounding Harris County fourth) in the nation in the number of repetitive-loss buildings, behind only Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, and New Orleans. It was too late to change policies in a way that would help New Orleans, which was already mostly built outand mostly at or below sea level. But Houston and its adjacent areas, even with explosive growth and development underway, still had clear options to prevent future floods. They could conduct watershed planning and management. Officials could buy out or relocate the most endangered buildings, or put them on stilts, and could adopt higher building-elevation standards and stronger building codes. They could regulate the expansion of impervious areas in a way that would limit paving over pastures and wetlands to construct parking lots and endless subdivisions, and they could establish shoreline protections to reduce flood risks and costs going forward. This was the array of approaches needed to stay and hopefully reverse the growing costs of flooding. The nations floodplain organizations, at the same time, pleaded with city leaders to heed these warnings and act.

--

They didnt. Houston did some buyouts, but repetitive losses continued to mount as development pushed along mostly unfettered. Over the past week, many news reports have highlighted long-ignored studies chronicling the steady encroachment on Houston-area bayou floodplains, and the paving and building over of pastures and wetlands that used to act as sponges absorbing and slowing precipitation runoff. At least 4,000 residential and commercial structures have been built within the identified 100-year floodplain since 2010, and, according to one Texas A&M University study, 30 percent of Harris Countys coastal prairie wetlands were paved over from 1992 to 2010.

Now we have yet another chance to get things right. Congress will return this coming week to a flood insurance program requiring reauthorization by Sept. 30 and owing $25 billion to the treasury. Lawmakers will have to approve billions in disaster assistance funds and an increase in the cap on federal debt. The sheer scale of the crisis might finally be enough to force politicians and policymakers not to stick to what hasnt worked in the past. True, Harveys rain fell in such volumes that it might have defeated any flood management plan. But the damage could have been lessened. And the floods also underscored problems weve long known about.

Congress should consider forgiving the flood insurance programs current debt, most of which can be traced to storms such as Katrina, Rita and Wilma, which hit in 2005, before Congress gave FEMA better toolsto manage financial risk for these types of events. Forgiving the debt owed by one part of the government to another is no different from paying for disaster relief without requiring offsetting budget cuts, which only die-hard fiscal conservatives advocate; clearing it off the books will mean old costs from previous storms dont burden the agencys ability to manage floods now.

After the most damaging flood in U.S. history, we also need to fund accurate flood mapping for the entire nation. We need better maps out ahead of development, so people know how to build and wont get caught with costly flood insurance premiums if maps are drawn after an area is developed. It would take an estimated $7.5 billion to map all the floodplains in the nation.

Congress should also reinstate the federal flood risk management standard President Trump recently revoked in an infrastructure executive order to assure a reasonable building standard for states and municipalities that use federal money to rebuild after disasters. This could be as simple as constructing most buildings one or two feet above the 100-year flood level (and two or three feet higher for critical facilities such as hospitals and police and fire stations). That way, taxpayers wont have to pay to rebuild these facilities as often. Houston already required putting new buildings one foot above the 100-year flood level. Studies of Harveys rain may soon show that to be too low for the city, which may instead want to consider the 3-foot standard Dallas has in place might be worth considering.

The government must clarify either through law or regulation that Department of Housing and Urban Development disaster relief funds can be used for voluntary building acquisitions, removals and relocations. We cant keep paving over watersheds and filling them with parking lots and rooftops, taking away the grounds capacity to absorb rainfall. We must make wise use of natures natural ability to store floodwaters to protect us.

Finally, leaders should immediately focus on improving and streamlining voluntary buyouts and other mitigation options to help residents move out of harms way within reasonable time frames, especially after disasters, allowing communities to reform their land use in response to natures realities.

The nation has not been particularly good at learning from past flood disasters, which have occurred with discouraging frequency. This time, we need to actually fix some of the problems. If we dont, Americans facing some new devastation in the future will be looking back at Harvey and wondering why we didnt act now.
To heal broken bones using medical help, the surgical method of choice for decades have been metal screws, mainly made of titanium or stainless steel. During and after the healing process, these metal screws are seen by the body as disturbing foreign bodies and often have to be removed in a further unpleasant surgical intervention.

Together with TU Graz's Institute of Biomechanics, in 2013 orthopaedist Klaus Pastl developed an alternative in orthopaedics and accident surgery: the "Shark Screw", made of the specially compact and hard middle layer of the human thigh bone (femur). So what exactly are the advantages of screws made of donated bone material? The metal doesn't have to be removed and a second operation - as unpleasant as it is risky and expensive - doesn't have to be carried out because the donated material has completely healed into the bones. So well healed that the transplant is no longer visible in an x-ray after one year. On top of this, the body recognises the bone screws as belonging to its own body, and danger of infection and complications is reduced to a minimum. The Shark Screw is being produced from the start-up surgebright, which was founded in 2016, in cooperation with the German Institute for Tissue and Cell Replacement (DIZG) in Berlin. The patented technology is already being used in 14 Austrian hospitals.

Further development for foot and jaw surgery

Just as before, surgebright works closely together with the Institute of Biomechanics at TU Graz. Together, they are developing new prototypes of bone screws for foot and jaw surgery in the FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency) funded project Bonescrews.

Gerhard Sommer, from the Institute of Biomechanics at TU Graz, explains: "We have to completely rethink the bone screw for application in foot and jaw surgery, and want to develop prototypes for both applications in the framework of the project. In maxillary surgery, extremely small screws are necessary, approximately 20 mm long, which have to withstand great stresses. Because relative to size, the jaw muscle is the most powerful muscle in the human body. In foot surgery, although the screws are bigger, between four and six centimetres long, they are also exposed to large forces, for instance bending forces in surgical corrections on the tarsus."

Complex biomechanical tests

The design of the thread of the screws alone has an enormous effect on the bending and shear strength and breaking torque. In an initial step, researchers have to investigate and understand the forces active in the bone structure of the foot and jaw using laboratory measurements and simulations. When the parameters for the optimum strength of the screw are defined, such as the inner and outer thickness of the thread or the radius of the thread grooves, the bone screws will be subject to real tests based on DIN standards. "In general there is a big difference between working with metal screws and screws made of biomaterial. The mechanical principles are the same, but we also have to consider that donated bone material shrinks somewhat during sterilisation and two hours after the operation expands again in the body and becomes more elastic. For this reason, we are carrying out extensive investigations and tests - both in dry and rehydrated states," explains Sommer.

Preselection of donor material

The starting material is also crucial. The donated bone material comes from organ donors and is only allowed to be used after strict selection procedures and serological screening. Not all donated bone material is suitable for the production of bone screws. What is pivotal is the size of the Haverian canals; these are canals in the cortical bone which blood vessels and nerves travel through. The basis for the preselection of bone material was worked out using electron microscopic investigations at FELMI-ZfE Graz (Austrian Centre for Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis).
Community Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE:CYH) announced today that subsidiaries of the Company have completed the divestiture of five Pennsylvania hospitals and their associated assets to subsidiaries of Reading Health System. Hospitals included in the transaction are 169-bed Brandywine Hospital in Coatesville, 148-bed Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia, 63-bed Jennersville Hospital in West Grove, 151-bed Phoenixville Hospital in Phoenixville and 232-bed Pottstown Memorial Medical Center in Pottstown. The effective date of the transaction is October 1, 2017.

The five hospitals included in this transaction are part of the 30 planned hospital divestitures discussed on the Company's second quarter 2017 earnings call.
Captain Marvel and the X-Men crossover for Revenge of the Brood and Lord of the Brood

Captain Marvel and the X-Men are about to embroiled in a two-part Brood-centric story
16th century nude drawing found in France resembles Mona Lisa

Paris : A nude charcoal sketch of a woman from 16th century, believed to be made by Leonardo da Vinci of Mona Lisa, has been found in France, claim experts.

French government art experts are examining the painting to know if it has been drawn by Leonardo da Vinci, before creating his 16th Century masterpiece.

After a month of analysis, the curators from the museum believe that the drawing is at least in part by Leonardo.

The drawing has a quality in the way the face and hands are rendered that is truly remarkable. It is not a pale copy, curator Mathieu Deldicque told AFP.

We are looking at something which was worked on in parallel with the Mona Lisa at the end of Leonardos life, he said.

It is almost certainly a preparatory work for an oil painting, he added, with the obvious inference being it is closely connected to the Mona Lisa.

The government-run Centre for Research and Restoration of the Museums of France says its experts are studying the sketch and that it will stay out of the public eye until the examination is complete.
The New York Pass is highly rated, but don't just take our word for it.
Amazon is dramatically ramping up its production for next year, moving forward with three new high-concept series (ringworld, Snow Crash and Lazarus One). These new efforts represent a significant production investment from the studio, which is currently in preproduction, production or post on 67 TV series and 20 movies around the world.

The hunger for content and the competition from Netflix, Amazon, HBO and others for shows should see many more classic Science Fiction making it to TV and movies.

 Ringworld, a co-production with MGM, is based on Larry Nivens sci-fi book series from the 70s. It tells the story of Louis Gridley Wu, a bored man celebrating his 200th birthday in a technologically-advanced, future Earth. Upon being offered one of the open positions on a voyage, Louis joins a young woman and two aliens to explore Ringworld, the remote artificial ring beyond Known Space.

Known Space is the fictional setting of about a dozen science fiction novels and several collections of short stories written by Larry Niven. It has also become a shared universe in the spin-off Man-Kzin Wars anthologies.

This series should definitely have Protectors and Kzinti.

 Snow Crash, which is based on Neal Stephensons cult novel, is a one-hour science fiction drama set in futuristic America. In reality, Hiro Protagonist delivers pizza for Uncle Enzos CosoNostra Pizza Inc., but in the Metaverse hes a warrior prince. Plunging headlong into the enigma of a new computer virus thats striking down hackers everywhere, he races along the neon-lit streets on a search-and-destroy mission for the shadowy virtual villain.

 Lazarus, based on a comic book by Greg Rucka (Marvels Jessica Jones), is set in an alternative near future, where the world has been divided among 16 rival families, who run their territories in a feudal system. Each family has allies and enemies among the other families. To crush uprisings and fight wars, most families have a Lazarus: a one-person kill squad.

Rucka serves as writer and executive producer on Lazarus, along with Michael Lark (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Angela Cheng Caplan.

Also in production is Carnival Row, a fantasy noir series which stars Orlando Bloom and Cara Delevigne and produced by Rene Echevarria, which starts shooting in Prague this week.

Amazons untitled David O. Russell project (Prices memo called the scripts great)  with Julianne Moore and Robert De Niro  starts shooting next year. He also praised Paul Attanasios Tong Wars scripts for Wong Kar-Wai as truly fantastic.

There seems to be a serious project to finally bring Isaac Asimovs Foundation series to TV or movies.
Bell Helicopter is so confident in their new V-280 tilt-rotor prototype that they want the Pentagon to accelerate the Future Vertical Lift program by five to eight years. This would pull production of the first future helicopter replacement, twice as fast and longer-ranged replacement for Army UH-60s and Marine UH-1s, from the 2030s to as early as 2025.

The Army should cancel its $10 billion Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), which aims to boost existing helicopters power by 50 percent and reallocate the money to the all-new FVL.

Russian rockets and massed rifle fire during the Iraq war showed the vulnerability of existing US helicopters.

Boeing and Sikorsky dont share Bells passion for accelerating FVL, either. They both build helicopters in current service with the Army  the Boeing CH-47 and AH-64, the Sikorsky UH-60  so keeping those systems in service longer is a sure bet for their business. Replacing those current helicopters with FVL, by contrast, runs the risk that Boeings and Sikorskys products will be replaced by Bells.
First of a two-day series

Amanda Millner is an Arizona teacher who left the state after five years in the classroom. Now she is ready to come back  but as a guidance counselor.

The system just ate me alive, she said, citing low pay, frustration with administrators and budget cuts.

Millner is just one of the thousands of Arizona teachers who leave the classroom every year. According to a study by the Arizona State University Morrison Institute for Public Policy, nearly half of recently hired teachers leave the profession or the state within three years. Around 22 percent of teachers hired between 2013 and 2015 left the state after one year and 42 percent left the profession within three years. More than one-third of Arizona teachers have been in the classroom for four years or less.

A new program, the Arizona Teachers Academy, is supposed to provide $1 million of funding in scholarships for free tuition for 200 teachers at one of the states three public universities for each year they teach in Arizona. According to Gov. Doug Duceys office, the three state universities, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona, are paying for the program through existing scholarship funds and Pell grants.

Millner, a theater teacher, beat the statistics by teaching for about five years in Arizona before leaving for a teaching job in South Korea. She returned to the U.S. a few years ago and has been substitute teaching in Santa Fe, N.M., while earning her masters degree in counseling and hopes to find a job as a guidance counselor at an Arizona school.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the annual median pay of an Arizona teacher around $39,300. That means that half of Arizona teachers earn more and half earn less than that, a pay rate that is near the bottom of the 50 states.

Millner taught theater at three different school districts in the state, first on the Navajo Nation for two years, then a year at Kingman Unified School District and last at Coolidge Unified School District. She said the last straw came about five years ago when she was laid off at CUSD after budget cuts forced the district to cut many of its arts, music and honors classes.

I got into this because Im passionate about the children, she said. But they were cutting programs that for some kids is the only reason why they come to school. They work to keep their grades up in their other classes so they can stay eligible for these programs. I thought why bother (teaching) if they (the districts) dont value what makes these kids come to school. It still makes me depressed that some of these kids still dont have some of these programs.

Millner ended up taking a position teaching theater in South Korea, which is an entirely different experience, she said. Education there is about students cramming in as much information as they can. Students who receive high test scores are chosen to go on to higher education. Students who dont make the cut are sent to trade schools. That is why it isnt really fair to compare U.S. schools with Korean schools -- its only the students with the best test scores who move on to higher education in Korea, she said.

The respect for teachers is greater in South Korea, too, she said. In Arizona, Millner said she didnt feel supported by the administrations of the three districts she worked for. She said some administrators didnt understand teachers because they had never taught themselves. These administrators seemed to be more interested in students being able to pass tests.

Millner said she felt frustrated and stifled as a public school teacher and she didnt have an outlet for that frustration.

Teachers arent allowed to be themselves, to teach in the best way for their students, she said. Thats why charter schools appeal so much to students and teachers.

Charters give teachers the freedom to find the best ways to teach their subject to their students, and students get the freedom to learn the subject in a way that they can understand, Millner said.

I really do believe in and support the public school system. Were one of the only nations in the world that has a public education system that students dont have to pay to go to, she said.

Millner said she attended a public school system but shes not sure that it provides the same education that it once did.
The sun rose Wednesday morning in the low mountains of north-central Puerto Rico, near the town of Corozal, to reveal the world that Hurricane Maria has made: shattered trees, traffic lights dangling precipitously from broken poles, and, here on the face of a weedy hill, a gushing spring, one of the few places where people from miles around could find fresh water.

At 6 a.m., about a dozen trucks and cars had parked nearby. People brought rain barrels, buckets, orange juice bottles.

Some men clambered up the steep face of the hill, placing plastic pipes or old pieces of gutter underneath the running spring, directing the water into massive plastic tanks, then hauling them away. Others crouched at a spot where the water trickled down to the pavement. Jorge Diaz Rivera, 61, was there with 11 Clorox bottles. He lives in a community a few minutes drive away where there is no water, no food, and no help. The National Guard helicopters have been passing overhead, and sometimes he and his neighbors yell at them, pleading for water. But so far he has seen no help.

They have forgotten about us, he said.

Puerto Rico has not been forgotten, but more than a week after Hurricane Maria hit, its a woozy empire of wreckage; of waiting in line for food, water and gas and then finding another line to wait in some more. A team of New York Times reporters and photographers spent 24 hours  from dawn Wednesday to scorching afternoon heat, to a long uneasy night and Thursday morning without power  with people trying to survive the catastrophe that Hurricane Maria left behind.
'Medicine can also be studied in Tamil medium!' - CM Stalin's efforts are getting a growing response

Mayor Priya is not the puppet but the savior - How did Chennai recover from the floods?

7th Pay Commission for Tamil Nadu: Benefits coming in January

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Recommended Video

7th Pay Commission : Tamil Nadu to soon implement recommendations | Oneindia News

There is good news on the way for the government employees of Tamil Nadu as the 7th Pay Commission recommendations are set to be implemented.

The additional chief secretary to the government submitted the report of the committee that was appointed to study the recommendations of the pay panel so that it is implemented in case of the Tamil Nadu government employees.

The official committee headed by the additional chief secretary of finance submitted its report to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K Palanisami.

Meanwhile the Tamil Nadu government informed the Madras High Court that the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission would be implemented in four months.

Advocate General Vijay Narayan submitted a Division Bench comprising Justices K K Sasidharan and G R Swaminathan that a committee had been constituted to study the pay panel recommendations and its report was expected before September 30. After getting the report, in another four to five months the recommendations would be implemented.

Counsel for Joint Action council of Government teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations Prasad said though the commission had been formed one year ago, not even interim relief had been given by the government. The Advocate Geneal said the interim relief would be decided only based on the recommendations of the commission.

The judges said the employees should be given interim relief if the implementation of the commission was delayed.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 8:29 [IST]
Cabinet meeting in January end

Although no official date has been given for the meeting date, sources indicate it would take place in the last week of January. The Cabinet is meeting to clear the proposal made by the National Anomaly Committee.

Fitment factor

The NAC is set to meet in October to decide on the pay hike. It would suggest that the fitment factor be risen from 2.57 to 3 times. This would make the minimum salary Rs 21,000 as opposed to the existing Rs 18,000.

What will NAC decide

Central government employees have been demanding that their basic pay is hiked. Within the NAC, the thinking is that the basic pay should be hiked from Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000. The CG employees however feel that the hike should be at Rs 26,000. The NAC however would have two choices. It could either hike the basic pay to Rs 26,000 or grant Rs 21,000 with arrears.

If the basic pay is hiked to Rs 21,000, then the employees would demand arrears from January 2016 onwards. For now, the government feels that the pay hike would be effective starting January 2017 and there would be no arrears. With the unions pushing hard, the NAC would be compelled to give one of the following.

7th Pay Commission discussion

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has agreed that the basic minimum pay should go up. Facing flak for the shape that the economy is in, he would not want to anger 50 lakh CG employees. Many employees will thank him profusely, if he agrees to clear the NAC proposal to hike the basic minimum pay.
New India is proud of its culture, heritage, and tradition, says UP CM Yogi

Dasara 2017: Stage set for spectacular Jamboo Savari in Mysuru

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Showcasing the best of the traditional and modern, Dasara will unfold to a sea of humanity on Saturday in what is a continuation of a tradition started in A.D. 1610.

Mysore, the heritage city, attracts huge crowds from across the world and is known for its jumbo savari or elephant march. The carnival of caparisoned elephant march has been the main attraction on the last of dussehra festivity to mark the celebration of victory of good over evil. Mysore, a part of the tourist circuit is attracting huge crowd for this jumbo savari.

Customs on Vijayadashami

Chief minister Siddaramaiah will inaugurate the procession at 2.30 PM at Mysuru Palace, the starting point of procession, after performing puja to Nandi dwaja, a customary practice, at the north gate of Mysuru Palace around 2.15pm. The final leg of the procession will be Arjuna carrying the deity in the howdah to which CM will offer puja by showering flower petals along with other dignitaries between 4.30pm and 4.45pm, as 21 cannon shots will be fired and the National Anthem is played.

Arjuna and team set for finale

Arjuna has donned the lead role of carrying the howdah since 2012. He also shouldered the responsibility in 1999 after the death of Drona, the then howdah elephant.

Besides Arjuna, three other elephants Abhimanyu, Balarama, Gajendra - are also fit to carry the howdah and have cleared all the tests during rehearsal.

Female elephants 39-year-old Kaveri and 60-year-old Vijaya will accompany Arjuna. While Balarama, who carried the howdah 13 times, will perform the role of 'Nishane' elephant, Abhimanyu will be the 'Noupath' elephant.

The 44-year-old Vikrama will be the pattadaaane for the royal family to perform Vijayadashami rituals and 35-year-old Gopi will join Vikrama. The other elephants, including first-time participants in Dasara, Bheema, Krishna and Drona, Varalakshmi, Prashanth, Gajendra, Harsha and Gopalaswami will be the 'Saalanes'.

History

According to the legend, goddess Chamundeshwari, a reincarnation of Durga, consort of Lord Shiva, eliminated demon Mahishasura after 10 days of fierce battle atop Chamundi hill. The 10th day is celebrated as Vijay Dashami (day of Victory). On Vijay Dashami the Mysore Dasara will conclude with Rs Jumboo SavariRs , a procession of 12 caparisoned elephants with the lead tusker carrying the idol of Chamundeshwari placed in the 750-kg golden howdah.

It began when Raja Wadiyar ascended the throne at Srirangapatna in 1610 AD and ordained that Navaratri be celebrated on a grand scale; a heritage and cultural practise inherited from the rulers of the Vijayanagar empire.

A state festival

The State government which has taken over the conduct of the festival after the abolition of the privy purse in 1971, has continued with the tradition which is a celebration of the cultural diversity of the State and the country.

A sea of humanity

Thousands of visitors from across the globe have thronged Mysore for the daily festivities apart from Ayudha Pooja and world famous Jumbooo Savari on September 30 being the main attractions. Many religious and cultural activities atop the Chamundi hill, a symbol of Mysore adds to all the glitter. The hundred year old illuminated palace in Mysore is the main attraction apart from great exhibition of golden howdah and other artifacts.

Security beefed up

The city police have beefed up security given the crowd the procession normally attracts and more than 5,000 police personnel have been drafted for duty. This includes 34 platoons of KSRP, 25 platoons of CAR, two bomb disposal squads among others.

The torch light parade will be held late in the evening.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 7:42 [IST]
Elphinstone stampede: Committee to probe delay in tender for new footbridge

Mumbai: Built by Indian Army, new Elphinstone road foot-over bridge is now open for public

Stampedes will happen in Mumbai till migrants continue to pour in, says Raj Thackeray

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has planned a 'Morcha' on October 5 to Western Railway headquarter at Churchgate to ask the railway authorities about facilities available at suburban railway stations.

Raj Thackeray minced no words when he said, "Why do we need terrorists or enemies like Pakistan? It seems our own railway is enough to kill people".

Stampedes will continue to occur in Mumbai till hordes of migrants keep pouring into the city, Thackeray said.

The MNS leader, who has in the past stoked controversies with his anti-migrant rhetoric, told reporters, "There has been a collapse of infrastructure facilities due to the migrant influx from other regions."

Saying that he travelled in Mumbai suburban trains for two years while studying arts at the Sir J J College here, Thackeray said, "What you call the famed spirit of Mumbai which overcomes such tragedies is actually hopelessness in face of such calamities."

Congress and Shiv Sena are on offensive mode since the tragic stampede at the Elphinstone Road station which claimed 22 lives on Friday.

Soon after the incident Congress and Sena hit out at the BJP for launching of bullet train project at a time local suburban railway stations lack basic facilities.

However, Western Railway officials announed that funds were sanctioned by then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for the renovation of the Elphinstone Road station footbridge, but work hasn't started yet.

(With agency inputs)
Elphinstone stampede: Committee to probe delay in tender for new footbridge

Mumbai: Built by Indian Army, new Elphinstone road foot-over bridge is now open for public

Elphinstone stampede: PIL filed in Bombay HC to book railway officials

India

oi-PTI

Mumbai, September 30: A Mumbai resident has filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court seeking that railway officials be booked for negligence and culpable homicide in connection with the stampede at the Elphinstone Road railway station in which 22 people were killed on Friday.

The public interest litigation (PIL) was submitted yesterday to the high court registry by city resident Pradeep Bhalekar.

"The petition has been submitted to the registry. We will mention it on October 3," Bhalekar's advocate Nitin Satpute said.

The petition has sought an inquiry into the incident, urging the high court to supervise the matter and issue appropriate directions.

The PIL alleged the issue of the Elphinstone Road bridge being too narrow had been raised by citizens time and again but the government and the railways failed to take action.

"This is complete negligence on part of the railways. A case under section 304 (II) of the IPC for culpable homicide needs to be registered against the railway officials concerned," the petition said.

The PIL said, "The railways has to be also directed to take action against illegal hawkers and encroachers on foot overbridges (FoB) to reduce crowding."

The plea also sought measures to be undertaken to ensure the safety of commuters.

PTI

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 13:45 [IST]
Forget bullet train, give us infrastructure first: Opposition, netizens ask Modi government

India

oi-Anusha

By Anusha Ravi

" Rs 1.1 lakh crore bullet train for what when you can't assure passenger safety and basic infrastructure?" is the question opposition parties, allies and citizens alike are asking the Narendra Modi government. Social media is abuzz with comparisons of railway safety and infrastructure in India and the need for a bullet train given the priority given to citizen's safety in the country.

Not just opposition parties like the Congress, Lalu PRasad Yadav's Rashtriya Lok Dal but even Bharatiya Janata Party's allies like Shiv Sena have lashed out at the Modi government for its priorities. Netizens did not fail to highlight the fact that infrastructure and not super speed trains were the need of the hour in the country.

How is this terrible tragedy at #Elphinstone a govt. issue?

I did some maths.

We put "nationalism" over infrastructure.#Priorities pic.twitter.com/5BYtvkTxMg  Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) September 29, 2017

Indian Railway's old & overburdened infrastructure urgently needs renovation & replacement. It must be the priority rather then bullet train  Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) September 29, 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai has been under scrutiny ever since it was launched along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Friday's tragedy added fuel to the raging fire over bullet train and rail safety in India. In Munbai, several leaders of the Shiv Sena staged a protest outside the KEM hospital. Their demand was to scrap the bullet train project and use the intended funds to improve the existing railway infrastructure.

Elphinstone stampede is a grim reminder of failing rail infrastructure which causes weekly derailments. But PM busy with 1L Cr bullet train https://t.co/r9LgGgsMFj  Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) September 29, 2017

Terrible tragedy in Mumbai.Hearts & minds with loved ones of those killed.Wish injured speedy recovery. @PiyushGoyal scrap bullet train 1/2  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) September 29, 2017

The Maharashtra government, union railway ministry as well as the Bruhanmumbai Municipal Corporation has come under severe fire for ignoring repeated requests for a new foot overbridge at the station where tragedy struck on Friday. 22 people love their lives and several others sustained injuries after a rumor of short circuit and overcrowding led to panic and stampede.

bullet train is cool, but basic infrastructure first.  taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) September 30, 2017

Bullet train cannot be a face of nations progress, when common man is dying daily in local trains. #Elphinstone @narendramodi @PiyushGoyal  Ashwin Hawelikar (@ch_ashwin) September 30, 2017

"The bullet train project only works as a massive propaganda to showcase Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his home state Gujarat," slammed Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar. Many people reflected similar opinions on social media questioning if the government had its priorities right.

List priorities and work on it. I'm not against #BulletTrain but basic infra should be improved as per the requirements.  Ishwar Bichewar (@IBichewar) September 30, 2017

An inquiry has been ordered into Friday's incident. According to Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, action will be initiated on those responsible for the tragedy but why were several warnings ignored was one question left unanswered. Hundreds of netizens asked the government if it was rushing into new projects, quite literally, before bettering current projects.

With multiple incidents of rail accidents in the recent past and now the tragedy at Elphinstone Road station, is India really ready for bullet trains?

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 14:23 [IST]
Free will is a lost cause with 'conversion' and 'reconversion' centres of Kerala

India

oi-Anusha

A Hindu woman alleged that she was tortured, physically and mentally, at a Hindu conversion center in Kerala. Incidentally, only three days prior, another Hindu woman who had converted to Islam credited the same institution for helping her 'return to her faith'. While Kerala's Arsha Vidya Samajam is being accused of using force to reconvert converted Hindus, Islamic organizations like Satya Sarani and Therbiyathul Islam Sabha are being accused of carrying out conversions under the influence of radical Muslim organizations.

Kerala has seen a spate of such 'conversion' and 'reconversion' bids recently, especially at a time when the Supreme Court has ordered a National Investigative Agency probe into one such case of conversion- with a 'love jihad' angle to it.

Authorised conversion centers in Kerala

Despite allegations, no evidence of 'forced conversions' has emerged in many cases including that if Hadiya, which is before the NIA now. However, conversion is not illegal in Kerala. While many states constrict conversion through evangelism, allurement, and fraud, Kerala has recognized institutions that facilitate religious conversions. Select institutions, of all faiths, can hold conversion ceremonies and provide certificates of conversion.

All churches have the authority to facilitate conversion in Kerala. The government has given official recognition to Calicut Arya Samaj, Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham, Kerala Hindu Mission, All India Dayananda Salvation Mission and Sri Rama Dasa Mission Universal Society for conversion to Hinduism and Therbiyathul Islam Sabha and Maunathul Islam Association for conversions to Islam. Hadiya claims that she received her conversion certificate from the Therbiyathul Islam Sabha. All these organizations claim that they only help people who approach them out of their own free will to convert to another religion.

The role of institutions like Arsha Vidya Samajam and Satya Sarani are in question since they are not authorised to either convert, reconvert or force anyone to accept or reject a faith.

Free will, choice under threat?

Athira, a 23-year-old computer science graduate from Kasargod district 'returned to her faith' after her relatives shifted her to Arsha Vidya Samajam in Ernakulam. Days later, she addressed a press conference where she said, "I am returning to Hinduism. I was attracted to Islam while studying computer science in college since most of her friends were Muslim. They told me that Hindus worship stones. They even asked me how stones could protect people"

Within days another Hindu woman who married a Christian man accused the same institution of torture. A 26-year-old woman alleged that she was forcibly detained at the center and physically and mentally tortured. She registered a complaint that she was forcibly taken to the center by her parents who conspired with the head of the Arsha Vidya Samajam and tried to force her to marry a Hindu man. She also alleged that at least 65 other women and girls were detained at the center.

These claims are similar to what Hadiya's parents have alleged about Satya Sarani. Hadiya's parents who approached the court after she converted and married a Muslim man claimed that she was forcefully converted under influence of the Popular Front of India (PFI). Parents alleged that her conversion and marriage was a ploy to induct her into the IS. The court annulled the marriage and ordered a NIA probe into the matter.

Cases of Athira, Hadiya and many others who have been in the news for conversion and reconversion reflect the fight freewill has to put up in Kerala. While activists have questioned infantilizing of the women, the courts too seem to be keen on paying attention to the 'conversion ploy' narrative. Caught between the conversion and reconverstion centres of Kerala, is freewill becoming the ultimate victim, remains the qiestion.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 10:00 [IST]
How Google helped student accused of murder get acquitted

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A student arrested for the alleged murder of boy was acquitted thanks to Google. With the help of the search giant, he managed to prove his innocence.

Jai Pratap Singh, alias Mohit, was let off on Thursday by additional district and sessions judge Rajat Singh Jain, who also observed that the role of police in the case was suspicious.

The college student, son of a warrant officer in the Indian Air Force, was arrested by Kanpur police for the murder of Rehan, who disappeared on August 20, 2016, around 6.30pm. Rehan's body, with the throat slit, was found after two hours.

Jai was acquitted after material evidence presented by the prosecution did not support the claims made by police, and internet giant Google indicated that Jai's IP address was in use at the time of murder, indicating he was not at the scene of crime.

The Google report stated that Jai's IP address was in use from 4 to 11 pm. During this time, he visited several websites. The police had however claimed that murder took place at around 6 pm. The police arrested him on August 26, but the arrest was shown on August 30. He had claimed that he was being falsely implicated by the police.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 8:39 [IST]
How this Hyderabad qazi solemnized 200 weddings without Wakf board's certificate

India

oi-Anusha

The Hyderabad police who have arrested foreign nationals in connection with 'child bride for sale' racket has alleged that a qazi used fake certificates to solemnize illegal marriages. The number of marriages he solemnized, including those involving minor girls, stands at a whopping 200.

The Hyderabad police are questioning Ali Abdullah Rafai over using fake Siyahnamas (marriage forms) to solemnize marriages. A qazi from Mumbai, Farid Ahmed Khan, is also being interrogated for following a similar modus operandi and being an associate of the accused qazi.

The police have so far arrested three qazis and have found that the Waqf Board had not issued a single Siyahnama to Rafai since 2014. He has, however, solemnized 200 marriages, including those of minor girls to Arab nationals. Marriages have taken place using fake certificates not authorized by the Wakf board in the last two years. Officials probing the racket told the media on Friday that when they contacted the Waqf Board authorities to ascertain the authenticity of the Siyahnamas issued by Rafai for the marriages, the board claimed that they had not supplied a single Siyahnama to him since 2014. The board however, claimed that the certificates may have been what was issued to Rafai's father, who was also a qazi, before he passed away.

Officials were also told that the qazi in question, Rafai was even suspended from his post but had moved the High court against the order which is currently pending. The Wakf board even claimed that the qazi did not have the permission to perform the duties and hence Siyahnamas were not given to him.

The police, who are having a tough time communicating with the accused in the same, have sought the help of Waqf Board's Nasirul Qazath, supervisor of qazis, and two Waqf Board employees who are experts in Arabic. Wakf board members are helping the police search and understand documents from Rafai's room, most of which are in Arabic.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 17:29 [IST]
JEE Main 2023 exam dates to be out soon: Check details

Modi to take part in Dussehra celebrations at Red Fort in Delhi today

India

oi-Madhuri

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday attend Dussehra celebrations at Red Fort ground in the New Delhi.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister greeted the nation on Vijaya Dashmi,"Greetings to everyone on the auspicious occasion of Vijaya Dashmi," PM Modi wrote on Twitter.

It will be the second time, after 2014, that PM Modi will celebrate Dussehra in the capital.

Earlier in 2015, Modi was in Andhra Pradesh where he laid the foundation stone of Amravati, the new capital of the state and in 2016, he celebrated Dussehra in Lucknow.

According to reports, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu are also expected to take part in Dussehra celebrations at Red Fort along with PM Modi.

President Kovind also took to Twitter to offer his greetings on the festival. In a tweet, he said, "Greetings to fellow citizens on Vijaya Dashami, a celebration of victory of good over evil. Shubho Bijoya!" Delhi BJP President Manoj Tewari, along with Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel are also expected to be present at the event.

Around 8000 personnel have been deployed at the Red Fort and adjoining areas in which Special Cell team, SPG and Paramilitary Forces will be deployed at Red Fort.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 8:48 [IST]
Kejriwal now claims BJP offered to spare Sisodia, Jain if AAP backs out of Gujarat polls

AAP \"merely a party of UT Delhi\", only Cong can challenge BJP in Gujarat, HP: Azad

On Gandhi Jayanti, AAP to take its plunge into Gujarat polls with roadshow, candidates' announcement

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Ahmedabad, Sep 30: Gujarat is gearing up for the forthcoming Assembly elections, likely to take place later this year, as hordes of national leaders are heading to the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's three-day tour to the poll-bound state recently, it is the turn of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to test its fortunes in the forthcoming elections.

The AAP decided to start its Gujarat electoral battle on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on October 2. The Gujarat unit of AAP on Friday said it would announce the first list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls on October 2 after holding a roadshow.

Out of the total 182 Assembly seats, the AAP had recently conducted meetings in 21 to get a sense of the ground situation. A total of 125 people have expressed their desire to fight polls on these 21 seats, said a party release.

After getting the nod of the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the final list of candidates for these seats will be announced after their roadshow in Ahmedabad on October 2, said the release.

The roadshow will officially kick-start the AAP's election campaign in Gujarat. It would start from Naroda and culminate at Mahatma Gandhi's statue on the Ashram road after covering a distance of around 22 kilometers.

Earlier this month, the party had announced that the aspiring candidates wanting to contest the polls on party ticket must have a clean track record. "They must also be prepared to serve the people without taking any VVIP benefits," stated a party press release.

It is not yet clear whether AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will take part in the mega-event of the party in Gujarat on October 2.

OneIndia News
Operation X: When the no first use became a policy of the past

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The policy of no first use is a thing of the past. India had always been defensive in its approach. However there has been a new sense of grit, determination and vigour since the past year. What changed all that? Operation X.

The surgical strikes carried out on the intervening night of September 28-29 2016 across the Line of Control was code named 'Operation X.' Lieutenant General (retired) D S Hooda, the architect of the surgical strike says that the operations were live streamed back to the Army Headquarters in Udhampur and Delhi. We were getting the images live, he said.

The morale of the Indian Army was down following the Uri attack in which it lost 19 of its brave soldiers. Questions were being asked as to why the Army was not hitting back. There was a relatively muted response even after the Pathankot attack.

However the attack at Uri changed everything and the Indian Army decided that it was not going to sit quiet and let Pakistan strike. The surgical strike was a successful one and the Army inflicted considerable damage on the terror launch pads. Scores of terrorists were even pushed back during that strike.

Today the stand of the Indian Army has become very aggressive. Pakistan continues to resort to cross border fire, but the response by India has been very strong.

Quick punitive action is taken in case Pakistanis violate ceasefire by firing at our posts, often to provide cover for terrorists trying to infiltrate. The action is so severe that it becomes difficult for the opposite posts to operate for a long time to come. Due to the newly-adopted aggressive posture on the LoC, the morale of troops seems to be very high.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 9:03 [IST]
India's stand on Rohingyas gracious so far but housing them would be risky

The Rohingya influx continues as Tripura police nets seven of them

Rohingyas are intruders, not refugees, says Yogi Adityanath

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Lucknow, Sep 30: At a time when several international organisations, including the United Nations (UN), have opposed the Narendra Modi government's plan to deport 40,000 "illegal Rohingya Muslim immigrants" from India, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the Rohingyas in India were intruders, not refugees.

Talking to news agency ANI, Adityanath said, "It's sad that some people are showing concern towards them as in Myanmar, many innocent Hindus were killed brutally. It was also found that they have links with terrorist organisations."

He added that the Indian government had made its stand clear on the Rohingyas.

The Centre recently filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court about its plan to deport the "illegal Rohingya immigrants" as they pose "security threat to the country".

Thereafter, the apex court received one more petition favouring the Centre's stand to identify and deport around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar staying in various parts of the country.

The latest plea against the illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis in the Supreme Court was filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.

Meanwhile, Rohingya immigrants Mohammad Salimullah and Mohammad Shaqir, who had filed a PIL in the apex court, claimed they had taken refuge in India after escaping from Myanmar due to widespread discrimination, violence and bloodshed against the community there.

They have recently filed their rejoinder affidavit responding to Centre's affidavit that some of the refugees have links with Pakistan's ISI and terror organisation ISIS and they may pose serious threat to national security.

"The government cannot make a blanket claim that all Rohingya refugees have terror links and there being a fear of them being radicalised by terror recruits operating in India.

"This ground is unsustainable against a whole class of largely destitute Rohingyas who have fled their country over the last few years fearing for their lives, as military operations against the Rohingyas in Myanmar have escalated by the day and there has been a mass exodus of about 400,000 Rohingyas from Rakhine province in Myanmar which is the epicentre of the ethnic conflict," the two Rohingyas said.

The Supreme Court will take up the matter again on October 3.

The latest figure released by the UN in terms of the number of Rohingyas escaping violence-hit Myanmar and taking shelter in Bangladesh has gone up to more than 500,000 lakh.

The number of Rohingya refugees who have fled to Bangladesh since violence broke out in Myanmar's Rakhine state on August 25 has exceeded half a million, the UN said on Thursday.

OneIndia News
Why Punjab farmers burn stubble at this scale when others do not

In the killing of those protecting Hindus in Punjab, a massive ISI plot revealed

Seven arrested in Punjab for terror links

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The Punjab Police has arrested seven persons from Ludhiana for allegedly having links with a terrorist group.

They were reportedly in touch with a UK based terrorist on the Facebook and were planning to target people who wrote against Khalistan. Some weapons were also recovered from the arrested individuals.

"They were in contact with Surinder Singh Babbar, a terrorist based out of England, through Facebook," Ludhiana Police Commissioner said.

"They had a motive of targeting people who wrote against Khalistan but our timely intervention foiled their plan," he added.

Several Khalistan supporters, who are settled outside India, try to mislead youth in Punjab to take up arms to revive Khalistan movement, which was at its peak in the 1980s but was crushed by the security forces.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 17:05 [IST]
Telangana: 2 killed after terrace collapses during Dusshera festivities

India

oi-PTI

A woman and a minor girl were killed and 17 others injured when a portion of the parapet of a house collapsed on them in Nizamabad district of Telangana on Friday, the police said.

The incident occurred in Alur village at around 6.30 pm when a large number of people had gathered near a temple to watch various programmes organised on the eve of Dussehra festival, deputy superintendent of police (Armoor sub-division) Shiva Kumar told PTI.

"Due to crowd, a group of people went atop a nearby house to watch the programmes when a portion of the parapet of the house collapsed on the people standing on the ground, apparently due to heavy weight, resulting in the death of two and injuries to 17 others," the officer said.

The deceased are identified as Yashoda (23) and Harika (7), he said, adding that the injured were rushed to a nearby hospital. Further investigation is on.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 9:53 [IST]
Hafiz Saeeds political party stares at ban in Pakistan

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Pakistan is set to assess the status of the Milli Muslim League, a political party backed by Lashkar-e-Tayiba boss Hafiz Saeed.

Pakistan's interior ministry has asked the country's elections overseeing body to ban from politics a new party backed by Islamist Hafiz Saeed, who carries a USD 10 million US bounty on his head for alleged involvement in 2008 terror attacks in India. Haroon Shinwari, a spokesman for the Election Commission of Pakistan, said on Friday that they will assess the status of Milli Muslim League party next month.

The MML party is headed by Saifullah Khalid, a friend of Saeed, who is the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group. India accuses Saeed of links to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 160 people, and he has been designated a terrorist by the US government. Saeed is currently under house arrest in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 8:49 [IST]
With the number of anonymous rogues from Pak rising, here's how BSF is beating down the drones

Pak-trained al Qaeda member convicted for helping blow up U.S. military base

International

pti-PTI

Washington, Sep 30: A Pakistan-trained American al- Qaeda member has been convicted by a US court for his involvement in a number of terror attacks in Afghanistan, including one on a US military base.

Convicted on nine counts, Muhamad Mahmoud Al-Farekh now faces up to life in prison. "Today, an American al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a US courtroom," said Acting United States Attorney Bridget Rohde.

The trial evidence showed that he was involved in a variety of terrorist activities, including a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack on a US military installation in Afghanistan in 2009, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente. According to court papers, prior to travelling overseas to join al-Qaeda, Farekh was a student at the University of Manitoba in Canada. In 2007, Farekh and two fellow students travelled to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces overseas.

Farekh and his co-conspirators had become radicalised by watching video recordings encouraging violent jihad and listening to jihadist lectures, including lectures by now- deceased al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader Anwar al- Awlaki. They travelled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, an area in the northern part of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan and is home to al Qaeda's base of operations, where they joined and received training from al Qaeda, federal prosecutors alleged.

One of Farekhs co-conspirators, Ferid Imam, provided weapons and military-type training at an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in September 2008. Among Imam's trainees were Najibullah Zazi, Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin, of Queens, New York, who intended to return to New York City to carry out a suicide attack in the subway system.

During the trial, Ahmedzay identified Imam as his weapons trainer. Zazi and Ahmedzay pleaded guilty pursuant to cooperation agreements and have yet to be sentenced. Medunjanin was convicted after trial and sentenced to life imprisonment. Imam has been indicted for his role in the plot. The government proved Farekh's participation in the building of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) that was used in an attack against Forward Operating Base Chapman (FOB Chapman) on January 19, 2009 in Khost, Afghanistan.

PTI
Rohingya camps in Bangladesh stare at epidemic disaster as disease stalks

International

oi-PTI

Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh), September 30: The Uited Nations has warned of a humanitarian "nightmare" unfolding in Bangladesh's refugee camps, where half a million people have taken shelter after fleeing violence in Myanmar in unprecedented waves. It has grown into one of the world's largest refugee settlements in just weeks.

Rashida Begum steers clear of the water pump near the reeking latrine shared by more than 100 families in a grim corner of Bangladesh.

"The pump works, but the water stinks, so we don't drink it," the Rohingya woman said in the squalid camp where her family of 11 has lived since fleeing Myanmar a fortnight ago.

With a lack of clean water and toilets, aid workers say a major health disaster is imminent. Heavy monsoon rain is compounding the risk of disease outbreak, with field doctors reporting a huge spike in cases of severe diarrhoea, especially among children.

The near daily torrential downpours send streams rushing through areas where tens of thousands openly defecate every day. For some, this murky runoff is their only source of drinking water.

A stench of excreta hangs in the air on the outskirts of Kutupalong, a camp that already housed tens of thousands of refugees before the latest influx saw it mushroom into a fetid tent city stretching for miles. At a field clinic, a long queue of refugees waiting to see the only doctor available stretched beyond the tent into the pouring rain.

Dr Alamul Haque sees upwards of 400 patients a day and looked exhausted as he described the spiralling number of children presenting with water-borne illnesses. "Earlier parents were bringing one or two children with them. Now it's three to four," Dr Haque, from Bangladeshi charity SDI, told AFP. "It's been raining, so human waste is running everywhere. There is a high chance of a diarrhoea epidemic here."

New groundwater wells are being dug quickly across the camps, which stretch along the Cox's Bazar district bordering Myanmar. But there remains a serious shortage of fresh water, with the sheer scale of the disaster -- described as one of the fastest-growing refugee crises in years -- outpacing aid efforts on the ground.

"There are long queues whenever we go to collect water. There are far more people than there is water," said one Rohingya man, knee-deep in mud as he dug a pit latrine on a hillside. At Unchiprang, a enormous hillside shanty town of nearly 30,000 people, close to three-quarters of a million litres of water needs trucking in every day. But the roads are virtually impassable, hampering delivery.

Further down the coast at Nayapara and Leda camps experts warn existing water sources will run dry by January. But sanitation is a more immediate concern. Toilets are being filled as fast as they are being built, forcing people to defecate wherever they can. "There are hundreds of people queued for the toilets. It's a big problem, especially for the children," Hasina Begum, an elderly Rohingya woman, told AFP.

"There are other toilets on the hillsides, but they're basic pits. They're filled up now, and stink, so nobody uses them." The Red Cross says camps are teetering on the precipice of a full-scale health disaster. Conditions are ripe for an illness like cholera to tear through the densely-populated camps, experts say, where refugees live cheek by jowl.

An international health and sanitation expert, on condition of anonymity, said, "The risk of there being an acute, watery diarrhoea epidemic is real and serious."

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Story first published: Saturday, September 30, 2017, 10:47 [IST]
School librarian rejects Melania Trump's book donation, calls it racist

International

pti-PTI

Washington, Sep 30: US first lady Melania Trump's donation of books to a California school was rejected by its librarian, describing them racist and unneeded. Melania had sent packages of 10 Dr Seuss books to one high-achieving school in every state.

The packages included titles such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham and a personal favourite that she and her son, Barron, 11, read together "over and over:" Oh, the Places You'll Go! In an open letter to the first lady posted on a book blog, Liz Phipps Soeiro, a library media specialist at the Cambridgeport School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, said that while she was grateful for the books, she would not be accepting them. Soeiro said she was returning the books because "...my school doesnt have a need for these books."

"Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seuss' illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes," Phipps Soeiro wrote, citing If I Ran a Zoo, which some critics say contains caricatures of Africans and Asians. She also criticised the Trump administration's policies on funding schools and libraries, USA TODAY reported.

"Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalised and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?" she proposed. Her letter prompted her school district to distance itself from her, saying in a statement that she has the right to her opinion but it is not an official position, according to the Boston Globe.

The White House responded by saying that the first lady wanted to use her platform "to help as many children as she can." "To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the first lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere," her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.

PTI
Is Online Gambling the Solution to Pennsylvania's Budget Impasse?

Published September 29, 2017 by Elana K

The Pennsylvania Senate has put the kibosh on the recently-introduced revenue plan from Republican lawmakers, bringing the state to a budget impasse and an official credit downgrade.

The Pennsylvania Senate has put the kibosh on the recently-introduced revenue plan from Republican lawmakers. The plan had been approved by the House but has now come to a full halt, bringing the state to a budget impasse and an official credit downgrade for the government.

The Republicans' bill attempted to garner the $2.3 billion owed by the state government from a hodgepodge of sources, including special government accounts with high, unused balances, court settlements, unspent funds from previous yearly budgets, legislative surpluses, and the like.

The Senates rejection of the bill came as no surprise, given that this so-called Taxpayers Budget would only provide a temporary fix, drawing money from one-time sources, without actually addressing and fixing the problem of the states overspending. The bill lost in a 43 to 7 vote.

The Obvious Answer

Pennsylvania has been simultaneously dealing with a budget shortfall for months as well as the question of legalizing online gambling. While the two may seem unrelated on paper, they are actually heavily intertwined. Legalizing and regulating online gambling could be the long-term solution the state needs in order to fix its billion-dollar deficit. There have so far been two gaming bills that were introduced, but they never moved forward due to intentional vagueness, lack of details, and a simple lack of bipartisan support.

Should one of these bills lay out detailed provisions for online gambling, there is the chance that it could be approved. Gov. Tom Wolf seems to be on board in a vague and general way, but there also needs to be agreement on all sides about issues such as Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs), satellite casinos, casino tax rates, and more.

The question now remains - can the revenue plan can be sorted out without including the issue of iGaming, or is it integral to the solution? We will see what the Pennsylvania Senate and House have in store for us next week.
From Gush Shalom

THIS IS the story: at 7 o'clock in the morning, an Arab approaches the gate of Har Adar, a settlement close to the Green Line near the Israeli-Arab village of Abu Ghosh.

The man is a "good Arab." A good Arab with a work permit in the settlement. He lives in the nearby West Bank Arab village of Beit Surik. He received a work permit there because he fits all the criteria -- he is 37 years old, married and father of four children. The inhabitants of Har Adar know him well, because he has been cleaning their homes for years.

This Tuesday morning he arrived at the gate as usual. But something aroused suspicion among the guards. He was wearing a jacket, though the weather was quite hot on this early autumn day. The guards asked him to remove his jacket.

Instead, the man took out a loaded pistol and shot three of the guards in the head at close range -- two civilian guards and a member of the semi-military Border Guards. One of the victims was himself an Arab. Another security officer, the local commander of the guards, was severely wounded. Since the assailant had never received military training, the precision of his shots was astounding. The pistol had been stolen 15 years ago.

All Israel was shocked. How could this happen? A good Arab like this? An Arab with permits? Why would he do such a thing in a place where he was well liked and well treated? Where he played with the children? And that after he was thoroughly vetted by the Security Service, which has innumerable Arab spies and is considered well-nigh infallible?

Something extraordinary must have happened. Someone must have incited him against the Jews and the nice people of Har Adar, who had treated him so well. Perhaps the UN speech by Mahmoud Abbas. Or perhaps some secret contacts with Hamas. "Incitement!" cried Binyamin Netanyahu.

But then another fact emerged, which explained everything. The man had quarreled with his wife. He had beaten her up, and she had escaped to her family in Jordan, leaving the four children behind.

So, obviously, he had become temporarily unhinged. In a state of mental derangement he had forgotten the kindness of the Har Adar people. Just a unique case, that need not trouble us further.

But it all shows that you can't trust the Arabs. They are a bunch of murderers. You cannot make peace with them until they change completely. So we must keep the occupied territories.

THAT IS the story. But there is another story, too. The story as seen by the man himself.

From his home in neighboring Beit Surik, the man -- whose name was, by the way, Nimr ("leopard") Mahmoud Ahmed al-Jamal -- could see Har Adar from his home every day when he woke up. For him, as for every Arab, it was a flourishing Jewish settlement, built on expropriated Arab land. Like his own village, it belonged to the Palestinian West Bank which is occupied territory.

He had to get up in the darkness of the night in order to get to Har Adar on time -- 7.00 o'clock in the morning -- and work hard until late in the night, arriving home at about 10 o'clock. This is the lot of tens of thousands of Arab laborers. They may look friendly, especially when their livelihood depends on it. They may even be really friendly to benevolent masters. But deep in their hearts they cannot forget for a moment that they are cleaning the toilets of the Jews who came to Arab Palestine and occupied their homeland.

Since most of the agricultural land of their villages has been expropriated for Jewish settlements, they have no choice but to work in these low-status jobs. There is no industry to speak of in the West Bank. Wages are minimal, often below the legal minimum wage in Israel proper (some $1500 dollars per month). Since they have no choice, they are not far from being slaves. Like the nice slaves in "Gone with the Wind."

Such a man may be at peace with this reality, but if something bad happens, he may suddenly become upset with his status and decide to become a martyr. Nimr left behind a letter in which he defended his wife and absolved her from any responsibility for the deed he had planned for the next day.

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By Hamma Mirwaisi

President Trump was very vocal toward North Korea. He is not sure about the Russian and Chinese reaction if wars break out with North Korea. But he is quiet toward new alliances between Turkey-Iran under the Russian support. Iraq and Syria are puppet regimes loyal to Iran, while Barzani Kurdish enclaves of Kurdistan Regional Governments of Iraq (KRG) or former North of Iraq are puppet regime loyal to Turkey.

President Trump's weaknesses in the home and overseas are piling up because of his actions. He failed recently in Alabama and overseas even Barzani Kurdish tribe leader did not listen to his Government request to stop Kurdish referendum in Northern Iraq.

The US Government is listening to lobbyist think tanks that predicted the war between Shi'a Islam and Sunni Islam in last few decades. The Shi'a Islam is led by Iran and Turkey leads Sunni Islam. Iran is running Iraq and Syrian Governments while Turkey and Iran are running the Kurdish region run by Barzani and Talabani Kurdish tribes.

The US Governments trained enemies of the US in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, while Russian built friendship with Iran first and now with Turkey.

I do not have knowledge about North Korea region. But growing up in Iraq, Iran, and the US, I can say that the US made many mistakes in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. To balance Russian threat in those four countries the US must support the Kurds who are loyal to Abdullah Ocalan teaching. The Kurdish Guerilla forces loyal to Abdullah Ocalan teaching can defeat Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syrian Governments and chase out Russian from the Middle East without using 'Atomic Bomb'. The US does not need to wait for Shi'a Islam and Sunni Islam wars.

Kurdistan under the leadership of Abdullah Ocalan teaching will be new Afghanistan for the Russian interference. The Kurdish land from the Mediterranean Sea to the Caspian Sea with the connection to the Persian Gulf can unit the entire region in one economic union similar to EU of Europe to oppose Russian mischief in the region from Russia to India and from Egypt to Mongolia if the US play it right.

References

Alabama loss for Trump candidate bolsters insurgents

.ft.com/content/47a1ed9c-a355-11e7-9e4f-7f5e6a7c98a2

The emerging Turkish-Iranian alliance

.atimes.com/emerging-turkish-iranian-alliance/

Turkey Chooses Russia Over NATO for Missile Defense

click here

Can Trump Break Up the Russian-Iranian Alliance?

click here
From Smirking Chimp

Donald Trump threatened to "totally destroy North Korea" in his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 19. That threat violates the UN Charter, and indicates an intent to commit genocide, crimes against humanity, the war crime of collective punishment and international humanitarian law. Moreover, a first-strike use of nuclear weapons would violate international law.

By threatening to attack North Korea, Trump is endangering the lives of countless people. In the past, he has indicated his willingness to use nuclear weapons and Kim Jong-un has threatened to retaliate. The rapidly escalating rhetoric and provocative maneuvers on both sides has taken us to the brink of war.

Trump's threat prompted North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho to state, "Given the fact that this [threat] came from someone who holds the seat of the US presidency, this is clearly a declaration of war."

Ri added, "Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make counter-measures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country."

Such a move by North Korea would violate international law. But that does not justify US law-breaking. Two wrongs do not make a right. Moreover, the use of military force by either country would prove disastrous.

The UN Charter Requires Peaceful Dispute Resolution

After two world wars claimed millions of lives, the UN Charter was adopted in 1945 "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war."

The Charter mandates the peaceful resolution of international disputes and forbids the use of force except in self-defense or with Security Council authorization.

Article 2 requires that UN members "settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered." Peaceful means are spelled out in Article 33: Parties to a dispute likely to endanger international peace and security must "first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice."

In 1953, after one-third of North Korea's population was decimated, the United States and North Korea signed an armistice agreement. But the US never allowed a peace treaty to be adopted. North Korea has repeatedly advocated the signing of a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War. To this day, 30,000 US troops continue to occupy South Korea.

The US has also refused to pursue the "freeze-for-freeze" strategy suggested by China and Russia. Under this plan, North Korea would freeze its nuclear and missile testing, and the US and South Korea would end their annual, provocative joint military exercises. Vassily Nebenzya, Russia's ambassador to the UN, said this path would offer "a way out" of the current situation.

Instead, the US has engineered punitive sanctions against North Korea, which have only strengthened the latter's resolve to develop usable nuclear weapons. Since 1953, North Koreans have lived in fear of annihilation by the United States.

In his speech to the General Assembly, on top of his threats toward North Korea, Trump also issued a veiled threat to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. That sends a dangerous message to North Korea that the US cannot be trusted to abide by its agreements.

The UN Charter Prohibits Threats and Preemptive Use of Force

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From Reader Supported News

Anthony Weiner is in for an experience that he'll never forget -- and not in a good way. Being convicted of a crime is bad. Being convicted of a felony, with all the accompanying losses of civil liberties, is worse. But being convicted of a child sex crime is life-changing in the worst possible way. On November 6, Weiner will begin a 21-month federal sentence for transferring obscene material to a minor.

I served nearly two years in a federal prison after blowing the whistle on the CIA's torture program. One of the first things I learned in prison, on my very first day, was that there is a hierarchy there, and it's set in stone. Those convicted of crimes not associated with children -- and who did not rat on codefendants -- are at the top of the heap. That includes those people convicted of drug and white-collar offenses. Rats and those who act as informers for the corrections officers are a distant second. And "chomos," prison slang for "child molesters" or anybody convicted of any sex crime involving a child, are at the very bottom of the pecking order.

Pedophiles are divided into two categories -- clickers and touchers. Clickers are people who looked at child pornography online. They may not have had physical contact with a child, but some of them have hoarded thousands, or in some cases even millions, of images or videos of children engaged in sex acts. The mandatory minimum sentence for those monsters is five years, even for possessing, receiving, or transmitting one single image. There are also aggravating factors. Was the person selling child porn? I knew one prisoner who was described to me as a "major east coast distributer of child porn." He had millions of images and videos on six hard drives. He was doing 22 years. Another was manufacturing child porn and was in the middle of a 30-year sentence.

Touchers are the lowest of the low. They are the ones who have actually violated children or, as in Weiner's case, attempted to violate a child. I've written in the past about how the prison library and the prison chapel were safe havens for pedophiles. They knew that nobody would harm them there (there were always guards present) and so they spent whole days there. Many spent their entire sentences sitting in the library or the chapel.

When I worked in the prison chapel at FCI Loretto, we had a rule: Nobody was permitted to talk about his case. The chapel was supposed to be a place of reflection and prayer. But pedophiles can't help themselves. A psychiatrist friend told me during a visit that pedophiles get sexual gratification by talking about their cases and reliving their crimes. I can't tell you how many times I had to shout, "Hey! Stop talking about your case!" only to be told indignantly, "She liked it. She came on to me," or "She said it felt good." The "she" in question was the perpetrator's daughter. The worst response I heard was, "Jesus loved the little children." It was sickening.

Pedophiles have a tougher time in day-to-day life in prison than your average prisoner. First, they are not permitted to do their time at minimum-security work camps because they pose a threat to society. Medium and high-security prisons are too dangerous for them. So they all do their time in low-security prisons. It's not unusual for 35 or 40 percent of prisoners in a low-security prison to be pedophiles. Second, many of them are not permitted to have access to the prison email system. (No prisoner has access to the internet.) Third, other prisoners do not allow their pedophile cellmates to have visitors. This is a hard-and-fast rule and can result in a hearty beating if violated. Fourth, pedophiles are not allowed to sit in the TV room. If they want to watch a show, they can stand in the entryway, but they are not allowed to have seats, most of which are assigned by the various races' "shot-callers." Most importantly, pedophiles must sit with other pedophiles in the cafeteria. They often share their tables with rats, who also are not allowed to sit with "good guys," which is what prisoners who have no child sex crimes in their pasts call themselves.

Anthony Weiner is going to have a tough time in prison. But I have some advice for him.

Nobody wants to be a friend of a pedophile except another pedophile. Whether or not Weiner is trying to turn over a new leaf, as he told his sentencing judge, he's going to have to keep a low profile and keep his mouth shut. Don't speak unless you're spoken to. Don't try to move into another cell, even though you may not like the one you're assigned to; take what you're given and don't say anything. Learn to get through your time without watching television. Take a seat at the pedophile table in the cafeteria and learn to live with it.

Weiner can pass the time by reading, writing letters, and working a menial job that he'll likely be paid $5 or $10 a month to perform. When he gets out of prison, he'll register as a sex offender and start his three years of federal probation, or "supervised release."

There's no good side to this story. Weiner's life as he knew it is over. There's no coming back from a child sex crime. But he can get through the next 21 months if he keeps as low a profile as possible. It'll be worth the effort.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
Never forget that the reason we have Donald Trump is because the Democratic party decided that they knew better than the American people, so they inflicted Top-down, and worse, rigged primaries upon us, setting up Hillary Clinton to be the losing candidate against Trump.

The same stupid, clueless, failed Democratic leadership is still in charge and they appear to be using the same doomed to fail approach for the 2018 elections.

Here's what should happen. Every open seat that is competing in 2018 should be treated as an open seat. NO INCUMBENTS should be allowed to coast through primaries unchallenged.

NO INCUMBENTS or DNC CHOSEN CANDIDATES should receive funding from the DNC or other incumbent Democrats in the primaries.

Let the wisdom of the crowds identify the best candidates.

Populist energy and contempt and distrust for Hillary put Trump in the White House. The Democrats must fully tap the incredible populist energy Bernie Sanders evoked, just waiting to be tapped. The only way to do that is for the Democratic Party leadership to step aside and really allow a Bottom up election process to occur. Repetition of the Top down leadership and decision making and failure to allow such a Bottom up process will almost certainly insure that the Republicans will retain the control of the House and Senate and increase.

This will be difficult for the people who hold power and the people who benefit from their connections to the existing power system. It's been said that people are desperately fighting to hold onto their desk chairs on the Titanic. So it is not realistic to expect the Top down power holders to let go. They will fight to keep their power. That's right. They will fight. It will take tough, determined leadership to pry the power away from them. We see it happening on the right. Teapartiers are successfully primarying incumbents. The same thing has to happen on the left.

I'm sick and tired of weak, impotent, can't-do centrists, like the DLC and the New Democrats. They are Republican-lite. And we've learned that voters prefer the real thing, not DINOs.

Hillary was a failure because she did not offer bold visions that aimed to bring big changes FOR the middle class and the poor. Progressive candidates must offer a vision that lifts the middle class and poor. Any sane, intelligent economist knows that the best way to create jobs and spur the economy is to get money into the economy. The best way to do that is to help people who spend their paychecks every week. The worst way is to give more money to the wealthy, or to allow them to keep more.

We need to elect leaders who demonstrate that they truly possess and live with Bottom up connection consciousness-- aware that they are connected to nature and people-- people who possess strength, empathy, honesty and, every important, a belief in transparency.

We can do this. It will be difficult. We must be tough and strong, as well as compassionate. And we shouldn't worry about being called names. If we are not, we're not aiming our visions high enough.
Global Radiopharmaceuticals Market Top Company ardinal Health Inc., MallinckrodtPlc., GE Healthcare, Lantheus Medical Imaging Inc., Bayer AG

Global Radiopharmaceuticals Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024

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Data Bridge Market Research provides new industry report "Global Radiopharmaceuticals Market" is expected to reach USD 9.49 billion by 2024 from USD 4.87 billion in 2016, at a CAGR of 8.7% in the forecast period 2017 to 2024. The new market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Radiopharmaceuticals are a group of pharmaceuticals drug which have radioactivity. It can be used as diagnostic and therapeutic agent. Radiopharmaceuticals are unique medicinal formulations containing radioisotopes which are used in major clinical area for diagnosis or therapy. The procedures and facilities for the production, use, and storage of radiopharmaceuticals are subject to licensing by national or regional authorities. This licensing includes compliance both with governing radioactive materials and with those regulations governing pharmaceutical preparations. Additional regulations may apply for issues such as transportation or dispensing of radiopharmaceuticals.Ask for Sample Report Visit @Market Segmentation:The global market is segmented based on type, procedural volumes, application, sources, end-user, and geography.Inquiry Before Buying @On the basis of type, the global radiopharmaceuticals market is sub-segmented into diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. In 2017, diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals segment dominate the market and is expected to grow at the highest in the forecast period. This is due to the production of MO-99 in the U.S., FDA approvals of radiopharmaceuticals, initiatives of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), new irradiation facility in Germany, installation of PET scanners in India, andgovernment investments in Rest of Asia-Pacific.On the basis of procedural volumes, the global radiopharmaceuticals market is sub-segmented into diagnostic procedures and therapeutic procedures. Diagnostic procedures are further sub-segmented into single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) radiopharmaceuticals and positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceuticals. Therapeutic procedures are further sub-segmented into beta emitters, alpha emitters and brachy therapy.On the basis of application, the global radiopharmaceuticals market is sub-segmented into diagnostic application and therapeutic application.Diagnostic application are further sub-segmented into single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET). Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) includes cardiology, lymphoma, thyroid, neurology and others. Positron emission tomography (PET) includes oncology, cardiology, neurology and others. Therapeutic application is further sub-segmented into thyroid, bone metastasis, lymphoma, endocrine tumours and others.On the basis of sources, the global radiopharmaceuticals market is sub-segmented into nuclear reactors and cyclotrons.On the basis of end user, the global radiopharmaceuticals market is sub-segmented into hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic centers, cancer research institutesand others. In 2017, hospital segment dominate the market with the highest market share due to accessibility of highly skilled medical practitioners in the radiology departments of hospitals.Competitive Analysis:The global IoT healthcare market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, expansions, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes IoT healthcare shares for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and South America.Read more about Report Visit @Major Market Competitors:Some of the major players operating in the global radiopharmaceuticals market are Cardinal Health Inc., MallinckrodtPlc., GE Healthcare, Lantheus Medical Imaging Inc., Bayer AG, Bracco Imaging SpA, Eczacibasi-Monrol Nuclear Products, Nordion Inc., Advanced Accelerator Applications S.A., IBA Molecular Imaging, CovidienPlc, Positron Corporation, NTP Radioisotopes Pty. Ltd., Advanced Medical Isotope Corporation, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Jubilant Pharma, Actinium Pharmaceuticals Inc., AREVA Meds,Immunomedics Inc., Merck& Co., Inc., Navidea, PETNET Solutions Inc., Eckert & Ziegler, Siemens Healthcare, and Positron Corporation among others.Related ReportNorth America Digital Health Monitoring Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024North America Digital Health Monitoring Market By Product Type Devices (Blood Pressure Monitors, Blood Glucose Monitors, ECG, Oximeters, Peak Flow Monitors, Multi Parameter Monitors, Sleep Neap Monitors, Neurological Monitors, Others), Software (Healthcare Apps, Chronic Disease Apps, Personal Health Apps, Others), Services (Remote Monitoring, Consultancy Services, Treatment Services, Fitness and Wellness Services, Others), By Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico)  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Report Access:About Data Bridge Market Research:Data Bridge Market Researchset forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Contact:Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit Blog:Follow us on LinkedIn:Data Bridge Market Researchset forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Vishal DixitData Bridge Market ResearchTel: +1-888-387-2818Email: Sales@databridgemarketresearch.comInvestor: investors@databridgemarketresearch.comVisit Blog:Follow us on LinkedIn:
Deer numbers look good in Northern Lower Peninsula, spotty in Eastern U.P.

The annual statewide firearm season for white-tailed deer will begin just before sunrise on Nov. 15 and end on Nov. 30.
MATCH 6: Halved

Hideki Matsuyama/Adam Hadwin (International) halve with Jordan Spieth/Patrick Reed (U.S.)

Holes won: International 4, U.S. 4

Holes led: International 10, U.S. 2

Recap: A late rally allowed the powerhouse American twosome to salvage a half-point, although they certainly had chances in the last two holes to gain the full point. But for most of the match, it appeared the Internationals would pull off the upset, with Matsuyama partnering Hadwin, making his Presidents Cup debut after sitting out Thursday's session. Reed gave the U.S. an early lead with an eagle on the second hole, but from there, a couple of Matsuyama birdies turned the momentum. Matsuyama struggled off the tee on the back side, but the Internationals were still 2-up after Hadwin's birdie at the 13th. That's when the U.S. clawed back. Reed started the push with a 16-foot birdie putt at the 15th, then Spieth's tee shot to within 7 feet set up for a birdie win at the 16th to square the match. Spieth couldn't convert an 8-foot birdie putt at the 17th that would've given the U.S. the lead, then saw his birdie attempt from 21 feet on the final hole lip out. Spieth called it a "dream putt" for him that held too far on the left side.

QUOTES

Jordan Spieth: "With four holes to go, absolutely, we'd probably have signed off for a half-point. But the chances on the last couple holes, we had other sights. Patrick got us going on 15 with just a phenomenal putt that I was able to follow up on the next, but we really played poorly on the front nine. We needed something to get going and we provided it on the back."

Patrick Reed: "Any time you halve or don't win the match, it doesn't sit right. We didn't really play very well on the front nine and we dug ourselves a hole. We were able to claw back on the back nine."

Adam Hadwin: "Obviously we were up against two very good players, two of the best in the world. We made a few putts when we needed to. We had a chance, a couple up with five to play, and they made a couple putts, got the momentum on their side. I think we were a little fortunate to have Jordan miss two putts inside 20 feet. He doesn't normally do that. But we were able to sneak out a halve. We ham-and-egged it a little bit today."

Hideki Matsuyama: "I wish I knew why I haven't been playing well. But all I can do is just keep working hard and look forward to tomorrow and making a comeback."
JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- The United States won six of eight matches in the two Saturday sessions, a dominating performance that sets them up to clinch the Presidents Cup for the 10th time in Sunday's Singles at Liberty National.

The Americans lead 14.5 to 3.5 and need just one point out of the final 12 matches. The 11-point advantage is the largest lead entering Singles in Presidents Cup history. The only way the Internationals could win would be to sweep all 12 matches -- an impossible task for Nick Price and his squad.

"We've just come up against a juggernaut of an American Team that has not put a foot wrong, it seems like, in three days," Price said Saturday evening. "They have had all the momentum and we've had nothing."

"We've had a phenomenal week thus far and our team has played incredible golf," said American Jordan Spieth, who won both of his matches Saturday with partner Patrick Reed.

Here are the match recaps from both sessions Saturday.
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.




Local author Tony Renzoni will be available to sign copies of book

Connecticut Rock 'n' Roll

End

--Long neglected in the annals of American music, the Nutmeg State's influence on the history of rock'n'roll deserves recognition. Connecticut's musical highlights include the beautiful harmonies of New Haven's Five Satins, Gene Pitney's rise to fame, Stamford's the Fifth Estate and notable rockers such as Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Saturday Night Live Band's Christine Ohlman. Rock Hall of Famers include Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of the Talking Heads and Dennis Dunaway of the Alice Cooper Band. Some events became legend, like Jimi Hendrix's spellbinding performance at Yale's Woolsey Hall, Jim Morrison's onstage arrest at the New Haven Arena and teenage Bob Dylan's appearance at Branford's Indian Neck Folk Festival. With in-depth interviews as well as rare, never-before-seen photos, author Tony Renzoni leads a sonic trip that captures the spirit and zenith of the local scene.A graduate of Sacred Heart University, Tony Renzoni is a rock 'n' roll enthusiast and an avid collector of rock memorabilia, amassing a record collection of over ten thousand vinyl records. He has authored over one thousand weekly guest columns published in the Connecticut Post newspaper and website. During a thirty-eight-year career with the federal government, many as a district manager in Fairfield County, Tony was a recipient of more than forty awards, including his agency's highest honor award.Barnes & Noble235 Union StreetWaterbury, CT 06706Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.The combination of Arcadia Publishing & The History Press creates the largest and most comprehensive publisher of local and regional content in the USA. By empowering local history and culture enthusiasts to write local stories for local audiences, we create exceptional books that are relevant on a local and personal level, enrich lives, and bring readers closer - to their community, their neighbors, and their past. Have we done a book on your town? Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com Connecticut Rock 'n' Roll: A Historyby Tony RenzoniISBN: 978-1-6258-5880-1$21.99 | 224 pp. | paperback
Beneath the atrium of Harlems 92-year-old Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, poet Langston Hughess ashes are buried. Kevin Young, award-winning poet and critic, and one of Hughess biggest fans, has been the director of the Schomburg since last fall. Young has keys to all the rooms, and, as he unlocks the Scholars Center, a pleasant private space, we both acknowledge that its perfectly named for us to discuss Youngs new book, Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News, out from Graywolf in November.

Young tells me that he considers Bunk, which has landed on the 2017 National Book Awards longlist for nonfiction, to be a follow-up to 2012s The Grey Album: On the Blackness of Blackness, his second nonfiction title with Graywolf. The Grey Album won the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize and the PEN Open Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism.

For The Grey Album, Id been thinking about the good side of lyinglying as a kind of improvisatory act in black culture, Young says. Afterward, it nagged at me because there are those other kinds of lies that I think are all around us, and I was fascinated about hoaxes in general. So Bunk became a natural extension of The Grey Album.

In the 22 chapters of Bunk, Youngs mission is to explore the history of the hoax as an American phenomenon, in areas such as journalism (the Great Moon Hoax of 1835), literature (James Frey, Margaret Seltzer) and identity (Rachel Dolezal). To supplement the facts, he provides a generous 57 pages of footnotes and 24 pages of annotated bibliography.

It was a hard book to write, in the sense that it required a lot of research, a lot of reading, Young says. Even the footnotes are extensive, but thats because I wanted to get it right. Footnotes are for proving and showing where youve been. Also, theyre for the curiousthey can then go and find the information on their own. I hope the footnotes indicate the ways that we need to learn how to research, write, and think critically. All those are skills that public libraries, especially, are really invested in, and they provide the resources for an individual to go and do that work.

An early observation Young made was how certain hoaxes have fostered racism and fed racial stereotyping. I started to see that history, starting with P.T. Barnum and continuing now with Trump, he says. The divisions that are evoked and spoken of are ones Barnum used beginning in the 1830s. That was really strange, writing this history on the one hand but also trying to write about why hoaxes are more prevalent now than ever. Whats in the culture today that makes these hoaxes more predominant?

Part of his fascination with hoaxes, Young explains, is that once theyre exposed, it seems hard to believe that anyone believed them. In Bunk, he says: I write about what hoaxers do, but I also want us to think about what believers do. Why do we want to believe a story like James Freys A Million Little Pieces? Why did we want to believe that Lance Armstrong really did all these things that, looking back, seemed impossible? And really, its we who wanted to be different; we wanted to believe that we could climb that mountain and not do those drugs, and all the things that these figures embodied. But Im also interested in how many of them, in the end, have to do with power and race.

Young says that he wanted to talk about this history that I saw, of this American fakery on one hand, but also the persistent notion people have that hoaxes are really about this murky line between fact and fiction, which I think is totally untrue. He adds: I think hoaxes are about these really strong divisions that we persist with. And the more I read, the more true it showed itself to be.

Though the book is done, theres little time for Young to relax. In November, he begins as the poetry editor of the New Yorker. And he retains his connection with Emory University, where, before joining the Schomburg, he was curator of both the Raymond Danowski Poetry Library and of literary collections at the Rose Library; he still holds the Universitys Charles Howard Candler Professorship of Creative Writing and English, for which he returns, he says, a few times a year.

Youngs editors at Graywolf are publisher Fiona McCrae and executive editor Jeff Shotts. For his poetry at Knopf, Youngs longtime editor is Deborah Garrison. Not many poets have editors, he says. She understands how I work and is really thoughtful about presentation. I think all poets want their poems to look a certain way and have this feel on the page. Ive been fortunate to have been with Knopf, which is very serious about that and has this long tradition. And, he says, Langston Hughes was published by Knopf.

As for Bunk, Young hopes readers think about both the reasons that we are told these stories and why we choose to believe themand whether there is something very American about that desire.
Detweiler Signs with Holiday

Bestselling YA author Katelyn Detweiler sold North American rights to a new, currently untitled novel to Margaret Ferguson for her eponymous imprint at Holiday House. Detweiler, who published her last two novelsImmaculate and Transcendentwith Viking Childrens Books, follows a 17-year-old bestselling author in the new work. Agent Jill Grinberg, who has an eponymous shingle and represented Detweiler, said the young heroine seems to have it all, but she is harboring a dark secret that threatens to unravel everything. The book is slated for a spring 2019 release.

Rorke Revs His Car for Harper

Sara Nelson at Harper Perennial took world rights to Robert Rorkes debut novel, Car Trouble. Rorke, who was represented by Liza Fleissig at the Liza Royce Agency, is a TV columnist for the New York Post. The book, set for fall 2018, takes place in Brooklyn during the 1970s and documents a sons attempt to keep his family together as his fathers alcoholism threatens to consume the clan. Nelson said the story is told as a flashback and structured by the nicknames of the vintage cars the father buys at NYPD auctions, including the Blue Max, the Green Hornet, the Black Beauty, and the Pink Panther.

Brinks Unleashes Beasts at Running Press

Cindy De La Hoz at Running Press nabbed world English rights to a coffee table book by Melissa Brinks called The Compendium of Magical Beasts. The book, which will be illustrated by Lily Seika Jones, explores, RP said, the anatomy of magical creatures through the controversial findings of a fictional cryptozoologist named Veronica Wigberht-Blackwater. Adria Goetz at Martin Literary & Media Management brokered the deal for the title, which is slated for a fall 2018 publication.

Sanders Universe Guide Goes to Penguin

Meg Leder at Penguin Books took North American rights to Ella Frances Sanders An Illustrated Guide to the Universe in a deal brokered by Jennifer Weltz at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. Illustrator and author Sander (Lost in Translation) delivers in the book what the Penguin Random House imprint described as a whimsical, illustrated look at the principles, laws, and wonders that rule both our universe and daily lives.

Frankenstein Reimagining to Delacorte

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein, a revamped YA take on Mary Shelleys gothic 1818 horror novel, was acquired by Beverly Horowitz and Wendy Loggia at Delacorte Press. Author Kiersten White, who was represented by Michelle Wolfson at Wolfson Literary Agency, has written the work from the point of view of the character Elizabeth, who, the publisher said, is taken in by the Frankenstein family to be a companion for their son, the volatile and mysterious Victor. The book is set for a fall 2018 release, timed to the 200th anniversary of Frankensteins publication.

Khorrams Darius Goes to Dial

In a six-figure preempt, Dana Chidiac at Dial bought world rights to Adib Khorrams YA novel Darius the Great Is Not Okay. The debut follows a 15-year-old boy, who, the publisher said, is a tea-obsessed, clinically depressed, half-Iranian Star Trek nerd whose sense of self is transformed by his first trip to Iran. Khorram, who is Iranian-American, was represented by Molly ONeill at Waxman Leavell Literary Agency. The book is set for a fall 2018 publication.

Grove Atlantic Nabs Louvre Book

George Gibson and Joan Bingham at Grove Atlantic acquired world English rights to James Gardners The Louvre: A History. The book, according to William Clark at William Clark Associates, who represented Gardner, is the first book-length general history of the famed Parisian museum. Clark said the title, set for spring 2019, will delve into the varied history of the institution, which began as a medieval fortress, then became a palace before being turned into a museum in 1793. Gardner (Buenos Aires: The Biography of a City) is the former architecture critic for the New York Observer.

Napolitano Sells Safe

Former governor of Arizona and secretary of homeland security Janet Napolitano sold world rights to How Safe Are We? Homeland Security Since 9/11. Colleen Lawrie and Peter Osnos at Public-

Affairs bought the book, which is written with Karen Breslau and will, the publisher said, reflect on the evolution and effectiveness of homeland security in the United States since 9/11, including what has been achieved, what remains to be done, and the consequences for American freedom and civil liberties. Napolitano, currently president of the University of California, was represented by Peter Bernstein and Amy Bernstein at Bernstein Literary Agency.

Kensington Strikes Agreement with Sullivan

In what its calling a hybrid publishing partnership, Kensington has struck an agreement with bestselling fantasy author Michael J. Sullivan. Through the deal, which Kensingtons Martin Biro negotiated with literary agent Joshua Bilmes at Jabberwocky, the publisher gets North American print rights to the next three books in Sullivans The Legends of the First Empire series. (The first two books in the series have been published by Del Rey, and the third, Age of War, is coming in 2018.) Beginning in 2019, with the release of Age of Legends, Kensington will publish the hardcover editions of the new titles in the series through its Rebel Base Select imprint. Sullivan will simultaneously self-publish the e-book editions of the titles under his own brand. (Sullivan has both self-published and traditionally published his work.) Kensington said the first two books in the Legends series have hit multiple bestseller lists.

Briefs

Michael Hebb, an activist and underground restaurateur (so known because of the celebrated underground dinners hes hosted around the world), sold Lets Talk About Death to Renee Sedliar at Da Capo. The book, which Gail Ross at the Ross Yoon Agency represented, is a self-help title that Da Capo said will bring Hebbs Death over Dinner organization and website... to book form in a guide to help anyone have the most challenging, yet most essential, and often most fulfilling, conversations about death.

Angel Payne struck a five-book world rights deal with Waterhouse Presss Bolt imprint for a collection of superhero novellas. The first title under the deal will appear in June 2018. Waterhouse CEO David Grishman struck the agreement directly with Payne (who did not use an agent), and also acquired 10 full-length novels. The first three novels in the Honor Bound series will be released in December.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled the last name of author Adib Khorram. Additionally, Ella Frances Sanders An Illustrated Guide to the Universe was sold to Penguin Books, not Viking.
Most of the foreign fighters that flooded into in Syria during the past few years came from the West, but some jihadists also arrived from the Far East, including as many as 300 of Western China's Uighurs, the Sunni Muslim indigenous ethnic minority. Now that the Islamic State's caliphate is collapsing, it seems inevitable that some will return to China, bringing with them more of the jihadist ideology and influence that has leaders in Beijing worried.

The Uighurs come from China's western province of Xinjiang that borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. China cannot afford further instability in Xinjiang. With its abundant natural resources, and rampant arms smuggling, Beijing has begun shoring up its border patrol there.

Since Uighur fighters joined jihadists in Iraq and Syria, militant propaganda directed at China's leadership, which already has figured prominently in jihadi propaganda strategy for the past decade, has increased. In March, a video featured Uighur militants threatening China, with an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping imposed on a burning Chinese flag. Some videos appear to have been produced in China, with Uighur foreign fighters expressing their intention to return to China to wage jihad. ISIS and al-Qaida leaders have commented on the situation through various media platforms, criticizing China for policies discriminating against Muslims. One ISIS magazine published a feature article with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi alleging that Muslim rights in China have been forcibly seized and advocating revenge....

The remainder of this commentary is available on defenseone.com.

Colin P. Clarke is a political scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and an associate fellow at the International Centre for Counter Terrorism-The Hague. Paul Rexton Kan is professor of National Security Studies and former Henry L. Stimson Chair of Military Studies at the US Army War College.

This commentary originally appeared on Defense One on September 28, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
We live in a world of algorithms. We love in a time of algorithms. We invest our hard-earned dollars by means of algorithms. We use algorithms to navigate our cars while listening to music selected by algorithms. You get the point.

Data collection, and our reliance on it, have evolved extremely rapidly. The resulting algorithms have proved invaluable for organizing, evaluating and utilizing information. It's a rare day when our lives are not impacted by them.

Network analysis algorithms give you your Google search results, Facebook news feed and Netflix and Hulu recommendations. Routing and matching algorithms guide your Uber through real-time traffic to the most efficient route. According to the Pew Research Center, one in 20 Americans met their future spouse or committed partner through online dating compatibility algorithms. And pity the poor would-be traveler who scouts a hotel online, has second thoughts and then cannot escape, seemingly forever, the ongoing targeted online advertising blasts from any and all Hawaiian getaways.

These successes, made possible, in part, by what can appear to be the removal of human error from the decisionmaking process, have led many to view algorithms as flawless, almost magical solutionsoffering what my RAND colleagues, Osonde Osoba and William Welser IV, describe as an aura of objectivity and infallibility in their recent paper, An Intelligence in Our Image: The Risks of Bias and Errors in Artificial Intelligence. Because numbers do not lie, we assume that if we adhere to the algorithm, we will benefit from the best and least biased results.

But how do individuals' rights come in to play, when data pertaining to their lives is compiled to create algorithms, and then the resulting tools are applied to judge them?

Certain algorithms utilizing machine learning tools tend to mimic human biases. And, in some respects, the repetitive nature of an algorithm is simply doing that. Those shortcomings can have far-reaching consequences. Imperfect travel routes or poor romantic matching are frustrating and annoying. But they are trivial when compared to algorithm's impact on weightier matters, like crime and punishment.

In the justice system, algorithms are now commonly relied upon to determine an individual's sentence, whether parole is being granted, or on a broader basis if police resources are assigned to a given area. Many states now use the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions, aka COMPAS, risk assessment, for example, to estimate the likelihood of recidivism. It and other tools were developed to improve accuracy and efficiency in setting bail by applying algorithms based on metadata of previous arrestees to predict the likelihood someone will commit another crime.

That didn't sit so well with Eric Loomis when he was arrested in 2013 for driving a stolen vehicle connected with a drive-by shooting in Wisconsin. After the COMPAS risk assessment was applied to his case, Loomis was sentenced to six years in prison. See Wisconsin v. Loomis, 881 N.W.2d 749 (Wis. 2016). He appealed his sentence, claiming his due process rights were violated. COMPAS' proprietary nature, he maintained, prevented him from challenging the assessment's accuracy. In addition, he claimed COMPAS' methodology yielded racially discriminatory effects.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard Loomis' claim last year in Loomis v. Wisconsin. The court highlighted some of the significant concerns about the COMPAS risk assessment algorithms. Due to the proprietary nature of COMPAS, judges, lawyers and defendants did not know how certain risk factors were weighted in the algorithm's scoring system, making it harder to identify and correct mistakes. In addition, studies showed that risk assessment scores can disproportionately classify minorities as more likely to reoffend. The underlying data also originated from a national sample, making it less relevant for the Wisconsin population. The algorithm also was not designed for sentencing, but for determining treatment options and conditions of parole.

The court ultimately ruled against Loomis, finding that the sentencing judge had given the assessment little or no weight in his decision, and that without its inclusion in the trial, Loomis would have received the same sentence. However, the Supreme Court also circumscribed future use of COMPAS. Wisconsin law now requires presentence investigation reports utilizing COMPAS to include written instructions to the sentencing judges saying risk scores may not be used to determine whether an offender is incarcerated, or to determine the severity of the sentence. Risk scores also cannot be used as the determinative factor in deciding whether the offender can be supervised safely in the community.

Ideally, algorithms are supposed to provide objective, data-driven measures to help guide decisionmaking. And some algorithms do precisely that  decreasing bias in the decisionmaking process. But as the Loomis court recognized, others do not. So how is it that mathematical equations can be biased? The problem starts with the information collected.

With limited human direction, write Osoba and Welser, an artificial agent is only as good as the data it learns from. Automated learning on inherently biased data leads to biased results. For example, arrest rates filtered by ZIP code may contain racial bias. Citizens in traditionally African-American neighborhoods have, in many communities, statistically been more likely to be arrested because of racially biased policing and other factors. Defendants who reside in one of those neighborhoods may be more likely to be scored as flight risks or as larger threats for recidivism, based on where they live.

Perhaps even more troubling is algorithms' reiterative nature. Some algorithms learn from themselves by running repeatedly, analyzing the results, reapplying that analysis and compounding anew. This process creates numerous models, which are then analyzed and tested as more data becomes available. If even a small amount of bias is introduced, the algorithm can replicate and exacerbate it. It is not immediately clear that the algorithm's recommendations will look strange or weird, and it's not clear that the effects will impact certain groups unfairly, explains Welser. What looks like a 1 percent to 2 percent difference initially can lead to larger problems over time, and there isn't a clear trail of breadcrumbs to see what went wrong.

The explosion in artificial intelligence applications has increased the risk. With the speed at which artificial intelligence is being introduced, there is not enough time for the people who check for bias. We see the AI boom, and we expect that the bias checks are booming as well, says Osoba. In reality, AI use is moving too fast, and the bias is often not being properly accounted for.

Combating these biases is not an easy task. However, some progress is underway. The algorithmic fairness field is growing. Data scientists are increasingly developing technical approaches to certifying and correcting disparate impact in machine learning algorithms. But these tactics alone will likely not suffice. Consumers of algorithm-utilizing tools, who make critical decisions that impact fundamental rights, need to understand the strengths and limitations of those tools and take them into account. Justice's complexity lies in balancing individual and societal demands of punishment, deterrence, proportionality, fairness, empathy and many other factors. Algorithms can help shed light on these complicated goals, but should not be the determinative factors in decisions that impact vital rights.

There is a cost to be paid for the myriad benefits society derives from the use of algorithms. An occasional date from hell, which feels like a jail sentence, is an acceptable cost. Imposing on a defendant an actual prison sentence that fails to meet constitutional standards is not.

Daniel Grunfeld is executive vice dean for strategy and partnerships at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

This commentary originally appeared on Daily Journal on September 29, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
One issueone health care issue, no lesshas brought together a small alliance of congressional Democrats and Republicans in recent years: the need to better help people with chronic health conditions.

A new RAND study shows why, and adds a note of urgency to the effort. It found that 60 percent of American adults now live with at least one chronic condition; 42 percent have more than one. They account for hundreds of billions of dollars in health care spending every year.

The problem is only going to get more urgent. As the RAND study showed, chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure increase with ageas an entire generation of baby boomers is about to find out.

The RAND report comes just as several years of Senate hearings on the state of chronic care in America have led to a bipartisan bill that promises reform. As Sen. Ron Wyden, then-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, put it during a 2014 hearing: The strongest, richest country on earth can do better by those who have these kinds of chronic conditions.

Chronic Conditions Affect Millions of Americans

In just two words, the term chronic condition captures a huge swath of what ails America. As used in the RAND study, it includes any physical or mental health condition that lasts more than one year and either limits ability or requires ongoing treatment. That means high cholesterol and high blood pressure, anxiety and arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.

RAND researchers used data from a national survey on health care expenditures to compile a chartbook with the most up-to-date numbers on the cost and prevalence of such chronic conditions. Their estimates suggest that nearly 150 million Americans are living with at least one chronic condition; around 100 million of them have more than one. And nearly 30 million are living, day in and day out, with five chronic conditions or more.

Those at the highest end of the scale, with five or more conditions, represent about 12 percent of the U.S. adult population, but account for more than 40 percent of U.S. health spending, the RAND study showed.

Percentage of U.S. Adults, by Number of Chronic Conditions Number of Conditions Percentage of U.S. Adults 5+ 12% 3+ 28% 1+ 59% Percentage of U.S. Health Care Spending Number of Conditions Percentage of U.S. Health Care Spending 5+ 41% 3+ 67% 1+ 90%

That could translate into more than $1 trillion a year, based on current estimates of overall health care costs.

But prevalence rates and health care spending provide only a partial measure of the cost of chronic illness. Just ask Jenni Grover.

Living with Chronic Disease Is Hard Work

Jenni was 25 when she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic inflammatory disease that wrenched her fingers and sent bolts of pain shooting up her arms. She remembers her doctor handing her a pamphlet about the condition with the words, Get ready for a life of pain.

Photo by Alix Kramer

For her, multiple chronic conditions means nine prescriptions a day, for fibromyalgia as well as asthma, anxiety, a thyroid disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome. It means one or two doctor visits a week, missed work, the hikes that she can't go on with her new husband. She compares it to waking up with a bad case of the flu, every morning, for the rest of her life: When I wake up, she says, I feel like I'm a million years old. Everything hurts.

It's like a part-time job for me, just to stay well, she says. I dedicate a solid couple of hours a day just to maintain my health. That's not curing anything, that's not getting better. That's just maintaining.

She's 44 years old now, a freelance writer in Chicago, andwith bright orange hair, stylish glasses, and a nose ringnot at all the usual face of chronic disease. Even that pamphlet her doctor gave her featured a gray-haired senior citizen on the front. The RAND study showed that people 65 and older are by far the most likely to have chronic health problems, but it found something else as well. Around half of people in their mid-40s to mid-60s are living with multiple health conditions, too.

Unsustainable Stress on the Health Care System

The researchers found that women are more likely to have multiple diagnosed conditions than men, but that might be because women tend to see their doctors more often. Likewise, white people were more likely to report having chronic conditions than black or Hispanic people, but that could be because they have more access to insurance and health services.

The study used the most recent data available, from 2014too early to detect any possible impact from the Affordable Care Act, whose major provisions were only just starting to take effect. It found little change since 2008 in the overall prevalence of people living with multiple chronic conditions, but that masks some troubling increases in specific conditions. Rates of hypertension jumped 2.5 percentage points among men, for example; among women, rates of anxiety disorders increased by 4.4 percentage points.

People 65 and older will make up nearly a quarter of the population by 2060.

It's still a struggle for the health system as a whole to help people manage these conditions, said Christine Buttorff, an associate policy researcher at RAND and lead author of the study. The issue is slowly starting to gain traction. But as the baby-boom generation ages into Medicare, it's going to become even more important.

Federal census estimates provide some idea of what that will look like. They project that people 65 and older will make up nearly a quarter of the U.S. population by 2060, up from around 15 percent now. A separate study calculated that, as early as 2030, roughly two of every five people in that age bracket will be living with three chronic conditions or more.

Congress Is Paying Attention to the Problem

Numbers like those have the attention of lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Since 2014, the Senate Finance Committee has been working on proposals to improve care for people with chronic conditions. The bipartisan bill that committee members introduced in April seeks to better coordinate care for people on Medicare with multiple chronic conditions, and help them manage their diseases.

Committee members called it the CHRONIC Care Act of 2017, for Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic Care. It has not yet made it to the Senate floor for a vote.

A coalition of patients, health care providers, and advocates, the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, sponsored the RAND study as part of its effort to raise awareness, on Capitol Hill and elsewhere, about the burden of chronic disease. We've got a long way to go, but we are starting to see some very positive steps, said Candace DeMatteis, the policy director of the organization.

Her interest is not just professional. Her 79-year-old father Jim is a diabetic with high blood pressure and such painful arthritis in his hands that it wakes him up at night.

It's just hard to see, she says. He's never been a complainer. But I've noticed, he's really kind of slowing down, having to take breaks more often. And the painit really forces him to slow down, to not do things he used to do. He hasn't been fishing in six months, and that was one of the joys of his life.

Living with Chronic Conditions: Attitude Matters

Jenni Grover likes to say that she doesn't suffer; she endures. She decided long ago to laugh at her multiple chronic conditions whenever she can, a perspective she shares on a blog she has written since 2005 called ChronicBabe. Sample advice: Shout out Hey-oh! rather than groaning whenever the pain gets badto take some of the air out of this big hot-air balloon that is chronic illness. She signs her emails, Be AWAPAs Well As Possible.

We can't be as well as we want to be, but we are working really hard.

She has 6,000 followers on Twitter, and 1,500 subscribers on YouTube.

I think it's important for people to know that there are so many of us who want to be well, she says. We can't be as well as we want to be, but we are working really hard.

She has a tattoo on the inside of her left arm, a quote from a favorite Buddhist teacher, a reminder on her worst days that shenot her chronic conditionsdetermines how to live her life. It reads, Peace is every step.

 Doug Irving
Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used.
A U.S. citizen was convicted on September 29 of supporting the Al-Qaeda extremist group and participating in a failed suicide bombing that targeted an American military base in Afghanistan in 2009.

U.S. prosecutors said Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, 31, was convicted by a federal jury in New York on charges of conspiring to murder Americans, use of a weapon of mass destruction, and supporting a foreign terrorist organization.

Farekh faces a possible sentence of life in prison in a sentencing scheduled for January 11. But his attorney told Reuters on September 29 that he believes legal errors contributed to Farekh's conviction and he will appeal the case.

The defense had argued in court that the evidence provided by prosecutors was too weak to convict Farekh.

Prosecutors said Farekh traveled to Pakistan in 2007 on a mission to join Al-Qaeda and kill Americans.

They presented evidence that his fingerprints were found on packing tape for a bomb that failed to detonate during the attack on the U.S. Forward Operating Base Chapman in Afghanistan.

Prosecutors said an accomplice detonated another device, injuring multiple people on the base.

A man who traveled with Farekh in 2007, Ferid Imam, has also been indicted in the case, but his whereabouts are unknown.

Prosecutors said Imam provided training at an Al-Qaeda camp in Pakistan in 2008 to three men later found guilty of plotting a bombing attack on the New York City subway system.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


Azerbaijan's independent Turan News Agency said on September 29 that it believes the government's tax case against it will be dropped and it will restart operations on October 1.

The agency said its operations were largely suspended in September after its director, Mehman Aliyev, was detained in Baku on August 24 on charges of tax evasion and abuse of power.

Turan called the charges "trumped-up" and "far-fetched," and the arrest was widely denounced as a politically motivated stifling of independent media by Western governments and rights groups.

Aliyev was released from pretrial detention and placed under house arrest on September 12, and Azerbaijani authorities days later reinstated their tax claim against the agency.

In a statement on its website on September 29, Turan thanked Western governments and rights group for their support and said that their outcry after Aliyev's arrest made a difference for the agency.

"We believe that the trumped-up criminal case will be closed. With this faith, we will resume our work on October 1," Turan said.

The news agency said what it called "Black September" was "the most difficult period of its 27-year history, but [it] survived."

Turan was established in 1990. It publishes reports in Azerbaijani, English, and Russian, and cooperates with leading international news agencies.

The arrest of Aliyev last month triggered an outpouring of criticism from the U.S. State Department and other Western governments, which warned that Baku was threatening "freedom of speech" and media freedom, Turan said.

Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus director with the New York-based Human Rights Watch, called the arrest "the latest in a vicious crackdown on critical media in the country."

The New York-based Committee To Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Baku "has repeatedly used politically motivated criminal charges as a weapon to silence independent and opposition media."

President Ilham Aliyev, who has ruled the South Caucasus country of nearly 10 million people since shortly before his father's death in 2003, has often shrugged off the criticism in the past.

Azerbaijan is currently ranked 162nd out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders 2017 World Press Freedom Index.

With reporting by AP


The Kyrgyz state security service has arrested opposition lawmaker Kanatbek Isaev on accusations of planning rioting before and after the country's upcoming presidential election.

The GKNB security service announced on September 30 that Isaev had been arrested for conspiring with criminal groups to organize mass disturbances and "a violent seizure of power" around the October 15 election.

"Certain members" of organized crime groups were also detained, according to the GKNB statement, although no other details were provided.

The service said Isaev was planning a coup in the event that opposition candidate and former Prime Minister Omurbek Babanov loses the election.

The security service alleged that Isaev had selected, paid, and prepared "young people, including members of criminal groups" to use them for illegal actions during and after the presidential election of the Kyrgyz Republic using as a pretext the falsification of the results of the voting," according to the statement.

The statement also charged that Isaev had paid "a large sum of money" to organized-crime groups to carry out the alleged plot.

The Prosecutor-General's Office announced the opening of the criminal case against Isaev earlier in the day.

In May and in July, separate criminal cases were opened against Isaev on allegations of corruption during his time as mayor of Tokmak.

In June, Isaev's Kyrgyzstan party nominated him as its candidate for the presidential election.

However, election officials rejected more than 10,000 of the 37,000 signatures of support that he submitted, putting him below the required 35,000.

There are 12 candidates vying for the presidency, with Babanov and former Prime Minister Sooronbai Jeenbekov, of the pro-presidential Social-Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan, seen as the main contenders.

Under the country's constitution, a president can only serve one six-year term, so incumbent President Almazbek Atambaev is ineligible.

Earlier on September 30, up to 1,000 people demonstrated in Bishkek calling for "fair and clean elections."


A Russian soldier who shot and killed three fellow servicemen with an automatic weapon during target practice in the country's Far East and fled the scene with his weapon was killed by police during a search operation.

Authorities said he was killed in a shootout that erupted after he resisted attempts to arrest him.

Two other soldiers were injured in the incident at a military firing range in the Amur region, Russia's federal Investigative Committee said in a September 29 statement.

The committee's military investigations department has opened a murder case, the statement said.

The suspect fired his weapon at a group of soldiers "waiting to leave the firing line," the Investigative Committee said.

The local administration of the city of Belogorsk, where the shooting range is located, identified the suspect as Gasan Abdulakhadov, a 23-year-old native of Russia's Daghestan region in the North Caucasus.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has dispatched a commission to the scene in connection with the killings, his ministry said in a statement.

The Investigative Committee did not indicate a possible motive.

The Defense Ministry statement said "all versions" of events are being examined, including the possibility that the shooter had a "nervous breakdown."

The Belogorsk mayor's office said Abdulakhadov had joined the unit on September 21.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, Interfax, TASS, and RIA Novosti


More than 300 activists from across Serbia gathered on September 30 in the city of Novi Sad in a bid to set a Guinness world record for the largest mosaic made of plastic bottle caps. Organizers said the mosaic laid out in the city center covers 621 square meters and depicts motifs of ecology and environmentalism, as well as symbols of Novi Sad. (RFE/RL's Balkan Service)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Russia destroyed "all critical infrastructure" in the parts of Kherson recaptured by the Ukrainian army over the past week.



Zelenskiy said there is no electricity, no communication, and no television in Kherson, adding that withdrawing Russian troops destroyed everything intentionally.



"This is what the Russian flag means -- complete devastation," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address after visiting liberated Kherson on November 14, adding all-important facilities in the city and the region are mined.

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.

Earlier on November 14, Ukrainian national energy company Ukrenergo said Russia had destroyed key energy infrastructure supplying the entire right bank of the Kherson region and a significant part of the Mykolayiv region.



"Most of the liberated Kherson region has been without electricity since November 6," Ukrenergo chief Volodymyr Kudrytskiy said. "We are doing our best to supply people with electricity as soon as possible."



The liberation of Kherson at the weekend was one of Ukraines biggest successes in nearly nine months since the start of the Russian invasion.



During his visit to Kherson, Zelenskiy said the liberation of the city was "the beginning of the end of the war."



Ukrainian army chief Valeriy Zaluzhniy said he spoke with U.S. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on November 14 and told him that the Ukrainian military will not accept any negotiations, agreements, or compromise decisions regarding the end of the war.

"I assured that we will fight as long as we have the strength. Our goal is to liberate all Ukrainian land from Russian occupation, Zaluzhniy said on Facebook. There is only one condition for the negotiations: Russia must leave all captured territories," he said in the social media post.



Zaluzhniy said he also informed Milley about the operational situation and the priority needs of the defense forces.



"The situation at the front is stable and under control. We are closely monitoring the enemy's actions on the border with Belarus and are building a reliable shield to protect Ukraine from the north, Zaluzhniy said. The defense forces, despite the fierce resistance of the occupation forces, continue their offensive in the Kharkiv direction.



He said Russian forces are actively attacking areas in the east, including Bakhmut and Avdiyivka, but they are not succeeding.



We hold the defense thanks to the resilience of our advanced units and combat-ready reserves. In the Kherson direction, we are conducting stabilization actions and strengthening the defense lines," Zaluzhniy added.

U.S. President Joe Biden earlier on November 14 hailed Ukraine's retaking of the city of Kherson as a "significant victory."



Biden commented on the development during a press conference after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.



"I can do nothing but applaud the courage, determination and capacity of the Ukrainian people," he said. "I think you are going to see things slow down a bit because of the winter months.... I think it remains to be seen exactly what the outcome will be."

Biden also raised Russias "irresponsible threats of nuclear use," according to a White House readout on the meeting.

The White House announced separately that CIA Director Bill Burns would meet in Ankara, Turkey, with Russian intelligence chief Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russias Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).



Burns underscored the consequences if Russia were to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, according to a White House spokesperson.

The Kremlin confirmed a U.S.-Russia meeting had taken place in Ankara but declined to give details.

Russian officials have alarmed Western governments by raising the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons after suffering massive setbacks in Ukraine.

The official quoted said there had been no change in the U.S. intelligence assessment and declined to offer further detail on timing of the decision to send Burns to meet with Naryshkin.

The Burns-Naryshkin meeting was the highest-ranking face-to-face engagement between U.S. and Russian officials since before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion.

Burns was also expected to raise the cases of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, two Americans detained in Russia. Washington has pressed Moscow to release the two in a prisoner exchange.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials on September 30 on issues including trade, the North Korean nuclear threat, and an upcoming visit to China by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Tillerson called for calm in regard to the situation on the Korean Peninsula but said North Korea must stop its missile tests.

"Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles," Tillerson told journalists in Beijing. "That would calm things down a lot."

Tillerson also told journalists that the United States has "lines of communication to Pyongyang."

"We're not in a dark situation, a blackout," Tillerson said. "We have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang."

The Reuters news agency quoted Tillerson as saying "we can talk to them; we do talk to them."

Following Tillerson's remarks in Beijing, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told journalists in Washington that "North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested or ready for talks regarding denuclearization."

In Beijing, Tillerson also said the United States would not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, but added Washington has no intention of overthrowing the regime of autocratic ruler Kim Jong Un.

Washington wants China to take tougher actions against North Korea in response to its nuclear-weapons and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.

On September 28, China announced that all North Korean companies in China will be required to shut down by early January.

But the notice said companies approved by the United Nations Security Council sanctions committee, including nonprofit and noncommercial infrastructure projects, would be exempted.

That order is linked to the latest sanctions, passed on September 11 by the United Nations Security Council, in response to North Korea's missile and nuclear-weapons tests.

Earlier, Tillerson said his visit gave him an opportunity to assess progress made between the two countries since Xi and Trump met in April in Florida for talks that established a 100-day plan for further trade discussions running through mid-July.

He told top Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi that Trump and Xi had developed a "very regular and close working relationship."

Tillerson also met with Foreign MInister Wang Yi who told the secretary of state that relations between the two countries "overall have a positive momentum and have arrived at an important opportunity to progress further."

Other topics of Tillerson's talks in Beijing include the huge U.S. trade deficit with China and Beijing's military build-up around disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Trump's first official visit to China is expected to take place in November.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, South China Morning Post, and dpa




Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko said investigators are operating under a theory that saboteurs may have used a detonator to trigger a massive explosion and fire at a munitions depot in central Ukraine this week.

Investigators do not believe, however, that a drone was involved in setting off the explosions in Kalynivka in the Vinnytsya region, Lutsenko told the Inter television channel late on September 29.

"We have no proof that it was an unmanned aerial device in Kalynivka, but we have all the facts of a possibly planted detonator, which likely caused the explosion," he said.

Lutsenko said Ukraine earlier this year detected a drone that investigators believe set off a massive explosion and fire on March 23 at a munitions depot on an army base in Balaklia, near Kharkiv.

"We see all signs of sabotage... We detected an unmanned aerial vehicle's flight across the Russian-Ukrainian border in Balaklia to drop thermobaric charges, which caused the explosions near Balaklia. Therefore, this is an act of sabotage on the part of Russia, which is destroying our military capability," he told Inter TV.

The Balaklia base is near the Russian border and about 100 kilometers from the front lines in the conflict between government forces and Russia-backed separatists further southeast.

Lutsenko told Inter TV that although he believes negligence by Ukrainian security forces guarding the depot in Kalynivka may have contributed to the incident there, "we are inclined to presume that all recent blasts are part of the Russian Federation's warfare."

The explosions and fire in both Kalynivka and Balaklia occurred late at night and thousands of people had to be evacuated from the surrounding areas.

The Kalynivka incident, which began late on September 26, forced the evacuation of more than 30,000 people and resulted in two injuries. The Balaklia incident resulted in two deaths, including a woman who died at the scene and another victim who died later in the hospital.

Ukrainian authorities said that almost all evacuees in Kalynivka by September 28 had been allowed to return home, despite some continuing explosions of ammunition in the depot warehouses, which authorities said no longer constituted a threat to the population.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Interfax
Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who is serving a 20-year prison term in Russia, has said he believes he will be transferred to Russia's northernmost prison camp near the village of Kharp in the Yamalo-Nenetsk Autonomous Region.

Sentsov made the claim in a letter to Russian journalist Zoya Svetova that was received on September 29 and made public on September 30.

The letter was dated on September 17 and mailed on September 21 from a remand prison in Tyumen.

Sentsov's whereabouts have been a mystery since early this month. Members of a public oversight commission in the Far Eastern city of Irkutsk reported on September 9 that Sentsov had been transferred from that city to the Urals city of Chelyabinsk. However, defense lawyers have had no idea of his location since then.

"Physically, no one touches me," Sentsov wrote. But you know well that this system can in perverse ways punish and torment a person without the use of brute force."

A Russian court convicted Sentsov and co-defendant Oleksandr Kolchenko in 2015 of planning to commit terrorist acts in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. The two men deny the accusations. Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years, while Kolchenko received a 10-year term.

In the run-up to the annexation, Sentsov was a local leader of the Euromaidan movement that forced Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych out of power. During the Crimea crisis of February and March 2014, he helped to deliver food and other supplies to Ukrainian troops who were trapped on their bases in Crimea by Russian forces. He publicly stated that he did not recognize Russia's presence in Crimea.

Western governments and leading rights organizations have called for Sentsov and Kolchenko to be released. The Russian human rights center Memorial considers both men political prisoners.

Russia has refused two requests from Kyiv to hand over Sentsov and Kolchenko. In December 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that "conditions [for their release] must be ripe."


The Chickenjoy craze has gone overseas.

A market research agency revealed that Chickenjoy from Jollibee is significantly preferred more than another fried chicken from a well-known international fast-food brand in Vietnam.

The Intage Vietnam Research Agency conducted a blind product test among 300 respondents in Ho Chi Minh and results showed a significant preference for Jollibees Chickenjoy.

Jollibee currently has 92 stores in Vietnam, the most number of international stores for the Jollibee brand in a foreign country. It aims to open its 100th store within 2017.

Aside from Chickenjoy, Jollibee Vietnam also offers Saigon Chili Chicken, Spicy Chickenjoy and other rice meals that are part of the special menu items in the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

We are pleased to know that the Vietnamese locals love our Chickenjoy. We are proud of the results of this study, especially since Jollibee Vietnam is different. It is a mainstream market, unlike other Jollibee international stores that primarily capture Filipino customers. In Vietnam, it is really the locals that we hope to engage and serve. This is indeed an achievement for the company and we hope this will continue in the coming years, said Jollibee Foods Corp. chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong.

The study was conducted by Intage Vietnam which belongs to Intage Holdings in Japan, and has been in market research for more than 50 years. It is the first research agency to receive a certification ISO 20252 for its qualifications and standards in marketing research in Vietnam.

Jollibee opened its first store in Vietnam in 2004.

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Two magazines  one fully loaded and one partially loaded  were found next the gun. When police called Macke abroad, she said that all of her babysitters fell through so she decided to leave the kids home alone. Police told Macke that was unacceptable and ordered her to return home immediately. However she cut her trip short by four days, returning to the U.S. Wednesday night. She was arrested Thursday morning and charged with four counts of child endangerment and one count of making a firearm available to a person under the age of 21.



The woman being in Bavaria during her trip

She had her first court appearance on Thursday, when she was ordered held in lieu of $9,000 bail. A sentence in this case could be up to two years in jail or one year in jail and a fine between $625 and $6,250. The gun charge is a serious misdemeanor with up to a year in jail time and a fine between $315 and $1,875. Ive never heard of anything like this before, Johnston Police Lt. Tyler Tompkins told to media relating this case. Iowa Department of Human Services took custody of her children, and they have since been placed with extended family members.
Straight shot up U.S. 31 to I-94 finally open in Berrien County

Last few miles had been unfinished since 2004 because of a lack of money to pay for it.
This is part of a SPACE.com series of articles on the Greatest Moments in Flight, the breakthrough events that paved the way for human spaceflight and its next steps: asteroid mining and bases on the moon and Mars.

A booming thunder roared across the clear skies of the Mojave Desert on Oct. 14, 1947, as U.S. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager nudged an experimental rocket-powered plane faster than the speed of sound. Though only a handful of people realized it at the time, an aviation record had been set.

In 1935, a simplified explanation of the challenges of supersonic flight led to the creation of the term "sound barrier," which seemed to imply a physical wall that could not be overcome. Bullets and cannon balls had exceeded the speed of sound for hundreds of years, but the question loomed as to whether or not a plane  or a man  could withstand the pressures that accompanied it. The U.S. Air Force set out to answer this looming question.

The plane

The Bell X-1 broke the sound barrier with Col. Chuck Yeager at the controls on Oct. 14, 1947. (Image credit: NASA)

Four rocket engines propelled the X-1, and it was built to absorb 18 times the force of gravity. Unlike most planes, it didn't take off from the ground, but was instead dropped from the belly of a B-29 Superfortress, rapidly accelerating in the air on only a few minutes worth of fuel before gliding back to the dry lakes below.

The plane, nicknamed the "Glamorous Glennis" for Yeager's wife, slowly approached the sound barrier over the course of nine flights. Muroc Air Force Base  now known as Edwards Air Force Base  in the empty southern California desert provided an ideal spot for testing a variety of experimental vehicles, including the X-1.

The pilot

The man who would become the most famous test pilot in American history was born in West Virginia on Feb. 13, 1923. Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army Air Corps at the age of 18 and served in World War II, where he flew 64 combat missions.

Like many of his generation, Yeager enrolled in the military in 1941. In a 2017 interview with Forbes, Yeager said he was a gifted mechanic who had never seen an airplane before he turned 18.

"But I noticed that, as a mechanic, my hands were always greasy while the pilots' were clean  and they had good-looking girls on their arms. Flying looked pretty good to me," he told Forbes.

The military required a college education for its pilots, but when they didn't get enough applicants for the cadet flier program in 1942, they dropped the requirements to a high school diploma.

"With my visual acuity and understanding of mechanics, I was really a hell of a lot better than the cadets. From there on, I was in the right place at the right time," he told Forbes.

In 1945, he was assigned as a maintenance officer to the Flight Test Division at Wright Field, Ohio, flight-testing the planes. Col. Albert Boyd, in charge of the test program for the Air Force, invited him to become a test pilot, and Yeager accepted, transferring to Muroc to enroll in the Flight Performance School. It was there that Yeager was selected to be the first person to attempt to exceed the speed of sound.

The flight

Yeager's first test launch of the Glamorous Glennis took place on Aug. 29, 1947, with subsequent attempts increasing speed by two-hundredths of a Mach number. Mach is a unit of measuring the speed of sound in a given medium; a plane traveling at .2 Mach moves at only two-tenths the speed of sound, while Mach 1 is equal to it. (The speed of sound is about 758 mph or 1,220 km/h at sea level, and decreases with altitude.)

Reaching .86 Mach on the sixth flight, the X-1 began to experience turbulence from the shock wave formed by the compression of the air. On the seventh flight, at Mach .94, Yeager lost the ability to control the plane's elevator, which was a problem because the shock waves caused the nose to pitch up and down. He cut the engines, dumped the fuel, and landed safely in the desert. Another pilot suggested using the horizontal stabilizer to correct the problem, and on-the-ground tests seemed to suggest the alternate method of control would work.

Two days before his historic flight, Yeager was thrown from a horse while riding with his wife and broke two ribs. Knowing that he would never be allowed to fly, he traveled to a doctor off base and had them taped up. Unable to close and latch the side door by hand, he utilized a broom handle at the suggestion of a fellow pilot.

On Oct. 14, 1947, Yeager and the X-1 were dropped from the B-29, and quickly accelerated away. When the controls locked up, he successfully used the horizontal stabilizer to keep the plane stable at an altitude of 43,000 feet (13,000 meters). As the plane accelerated to a speed of 700 mph (1,127 km/h), or Mach 1.06, controllers on the ground heard the first sonic boom. (The end of a bullwhip moves faster than the speed of sound. Some say the "crack" is a small sonic boom.)

After exceeding the speed of sound, the buffeting decreased, creating a smooth short flight. The plane remained supersonic for approximately 20 seconds before Yeager turned off two of the four engines and slowly decelerated.

Chuck Yeager continued to act as a flight consultant for the air force until his last flight on October 14, 1997. (Image credit: Air Force Test Center History Office)

The follow-up

Yeager continued to fly experimental aircraft for the Air Force, and was appointed director of the Space School, NASA's precursor, where he trained astronauts to prepare for launch. He flew more than 120 combat missions in Vietnam. After 34 years in the military, he retired in 1975 at the rank of brigadier general, though he continued to serve as a consultant. His last flight as a military consultant occurred 50 years to the day after he broke the sound barrier, at the age of 74.

According to This Day in Aviation, he told the crowd, "All that I amI owe to the Air Force."

In 1979, Tom Wolfe's best-selling nonfiction book, "The Right Stuff," and the subsequent 1983 movie popularized Yeager's exploits to a generation too young to remember them.

Yeager and his wife, Glennis, had four children before her death in 1990. He remarried in 2003.

Supersonic research

In the meantime, research continued on supersonic flight. By 1959, the X-15 would travel five times faster than the speed of sound, paving the way toward human space flight. The 1990s saw the launch of the High-Speed Research Program, a NASA-industry collaboration to develop a concept for the next-generation supersonic passenger jet. Engineers envisioned it carrying 300 passengers at more than 1,500 mph (2,414 km/h).

"Although phased out in 1999 because of economic constraints, the HSR effort set new standards in concepts for propulsion systems, materials and structures, cockpit controls, and assessment of environmental impacts," NASA said in a statement.

In 2016, Langley announced that it was collaborating with Lockheed Martin to assess quiet supersonic technology as part of NASA's latest X-plane initiative New Aviation Horizons.

"We're at the right place, at the right time, with the right technologies," Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, said in a statement. "We need the X-planes to prove, in an undeniable way, how that tech can make aviation more Earth friendly, reduce delays and maintain safety for the flying public, and support an industry that's critical to our nation's economic vitality."

Related:

The Greatest Moments in Flight

The Most Amazing Flying Machines Ever

Image galleries:
NASA will provide an update for the schedule of Exploration Mission 1, the first launch of the Space Launch System, in October.

SYDNEY  NASA plans to publish a revised launch date for the first mission of its Space Launch System in October amid reports that the flight has been pushed back to nearly the end of 2019.

In a statement to SpaceNews Sept. 22, NASA spokesperson Kathryn Hambleton said that NASA will issue an update for the scheduled launch of Exploration Mission (EM) 1 in October.

That schedule, she said, is being influenced by several issues, ranging from work on the European-provided service module for the Orion spacecraft and the impact of several weather events, including both the tornado that struck the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, which shut down the Johnson Space Center in Houston and Kennedy Space Center in Florida respectively by more than a week.

"All of these factors are influencing launch planning and will result in an EM-1 mission in 2019," she said. "An update to the agency's target for EM-1 launch is expected in October."

That statement came after NASASpaceFlight.com, citing internal documents, reported Sept. 22 that the launch date for EM-1 had been delayed until no earlier than Dec. 15, 2019, with EM-2, the first SLS mission to carry a crew, delayed until no earlier than June 2022.

NASA had already indicated that EM-1, originally scheduled for launch as soon as 2017, would be delayed until some time in 2019. In an April response to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations, said that the agency was in the process of establishing a new launch date for EM-1 in 2019 after the report cited issues that threatened to delay the then-scheduled date of November 2018.

NASA confirmed those plans in May when the agency announced that it would not put a crew on EM-1 after performing a study at the request of the White House regarding that. The agency concluded that while it would be feasible to do so, there were cost, schedule and risk issues in doing so.

At that time Gerstenmaier acknowledged schedule issues, including a recent welding mishap at Michoud that damaged a liquid hydrogen tank being built for SLS qualification tests, would push EM-1 to 2019. "We're probably a month or two away from coming up with a final schedule," he said at the time, although the agency has not provided a schedule update since the May announcement.

At that time, Gerstenmaier also said that the EM-1 delay would also likely push back EM-2, which was then scheduled for August 2021. Part of any delay is the need to reconfigure ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center after the EM-1 launch to support the use of an upgraded version of the SLS with the more powerful Exploration Upper Stage.

This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
This black-and-white image of the Earth-moon system was captured on Sept. 25, 2017 by OSIRIS-REx's NavCam 1. At the time this image was taken, the spacecraft was 804,000 miles (1,297,000 kilometers) from Earth and 735,000 miles (1,185,000 km) from the moon.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft now has some nice photos of home to look at during its long flight to a distant asteroid.

OSIRIS-REx took a picture of the Earth-moon system on Monday (Sept. 25), a few days after performing a "gravity-assist" flyby of our planet that boosted its speed and helped set its course toward the 1,640-foot-wide (500 meters) asteroid Bennu.

The probe was 804,000 miles (1.297 million kilometers) from Earth and 735,000 miles (1.185 million km) from the moon when it captured the black-and-white image, NASA officials wrote in a description Thursday (Sept. 28). [OSIRIS-REx: NASA's Asteroid Sample-Return Mission in Pictures]

Also on Thursday, the agency released a shot of Earth that OSIRIS-REx took Sept. 22  the day of the flyby  from a distance of 69,000 miles (110,000 km).

"The image has been rotated so that Earth's north pole is located at the top, and the Baja Peninsula is visible above and to the right of center," NASA officials wrote in an image description. "Cloud cover and the Pacific Ocean dominate most of the image, but Hurricane Maria and the remnants of Hurricane Jose can be seen in the far upper-right portion of the image, off the east coast of the United States."

OSIRIS-Rex took both of the newly released photos with its navigation camera. On Tuesday (Sept. 26), NASA released a color image of Earth that the spacecraft captured on flyby day using its MapCam camera.

During the flyby, OSIRIS-Rex zoomed a mere 10,711 miles (17,237 km) above Antarctica. The maneuver increased the probe's speed by 8,451 mph (13,601 km/h), NASA officials said.

The first image taken by NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft after completion of its Earth gravity-assist maneuver on Sept. 22, 2017, cropped to show in greater detail the spacecrafts view of Earth from 69,000 miles (110,000 kilometers). (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)

The $800 million OSIRIS-REx mission  whose name is short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer  launched in September 2016.

If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft will rendezvous with Bennu in late 2018, then study the asteroid from orbit for more than 18 months. In July 2020, the probe will snag at least 2.1 ounces (60 grams) of material from the asteroid's surface; a return capsule containing this sample will come back to Earth, making a parachute-aided landing in the Utah desert in September 2023.

Scientists around the world will then study this asteroid material, analyzing it for clues about the solar system's early days and the role that dark, primitive asteroids such as Bennu may have played in seeding Earth with the carbon-containing building blocks of life.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
A man has been jailed for kidnap after a distressed woman was found locked in boot of his car in Canary Wharf.

Shafak Abbas, 24, of Wickford Street, Bethnal Green, was sentenced on Friday to 15 months in prison.

Abbas was stopped by police in Kingfield Street at about midday on April 18 while driving a gold Mercedes.

After he behaved evasively when questioned, officers searched his vehicle and found a BB gun in the foot-well of the passenger seat.

In footage captured by officers' body-worn cameras, Abbas then told the officers that a 26-year-old woman, who was known to him, was locked in the boot of the car. The victim was discovered crying and distressed.

He was arrested on suspicion of kidnap, firearms offences, and driving offences and later charged with kidnap, driving whilst disqualified, no insurance and possession of a firearm.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Chris Bailey, said: Body Worn Video evidence has greatly assisted us in securing this conviction. We will not tolerate violence and will do everything in our power to secure a prosecution and to ensure that justice is done."

Abbas, who had already been disqualified from driving, has further been disqualified until June 2021.

He was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court following a four-day trial.
F ans were crushed and four men were arrested amid chaotic scenes as hundreds of fans scrambled to catch a glimpse of YouTube star Adam Saleh in east London.

The blogger was due to make an appearance at a Costa Coffee in Ilford but police shut the event down after a dangerously large crowd of about 600 people showed up.

Police at the scene tweeted that the coffee chain was closed after people were injured in the mayhem, and the Met later confirmed four men were arrested at the scene.

After the meet-and-greet was cancelled, fanatics then chased the popular vlogger through the streets as he was driven away the cafe in Cranbrook Road on Saturday.

Mr Saleh, who has more than three million subscribers on his YouTube channel, was removed from the car along with another man before being escorted by police away from the huge crowds.

But three other people who remained in Mr Salehs vehicle then continued to drive in the area and provoked fans. They were arrest and taken to an east London police station.

The internet sensation has apologised to fans online, and described how he was bundled into a police car and driven to safety after about 60 officers attended.

Images from the scene show huge crowds filling the street outside Costa as the shutters on the shop were closed / Adil Musa

He wrote on Twitter: Firstly, I'd like to say sorry to all those who came and waited patiently. Thank you.

"I promise I wouldn't have done this unless it was organized. But I should've known there's always some who let it down for others.

Mr Saleh added that the police told him it was no longer safe for me to show up at the coffee shop.

Dramatic images from the scene show huge crowds filling the street outside Costa as the shutters on the shop were closed, with some clambering to a vantage point to try and spot the star.

Footage shows a large police presence in the area as officers attempt to disperse those who had gathered at the scene.

In addition to the three arrests made, another man was arrested near to the scene "in order to prevent a breach of peace", police said. He was later de-arrested.

Amid the chaos, Redbridge MPS tweeted: "Fans should avoid the area due to fans being crushed. Public should avoid the area. Costa has now closed."

Inspector Lisa Prior of East Area Command Unit said: "I wish to thank the majority of the crowd who dispersed peacefully despite their disappointment that the event was cancelled.

"There remained genuine safety concerns relating to the movements of the vehicle and the section of the crowd who were running towards it. As a result, officer intervened to ensure the safety of everyone present."

The internet vlogger made headlines last year after he was reportedly forced off a flight at Heathrow when he spoke to his mother in Arabic.
A historian claims to have discovered the final resting place of Jack the Ripper  and its in an overgrown cemetery in south London.

Author David Bullock believes Thomas Cutbush, a Londoner who died in Broadmoor after being sent there for violent attacks on women, is the most viable of hundreds of suspects.

Having spent 26 years researching Cutbush, he has finally tracked down his grave to a family plot in Nunhead Cemetery, Lewisham.

Mr Bullock, 41, said the major breakthrough came after he was granted access to Broadmoor files after three years of dialogue with the high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire.

He told the Standard: I was blown away by the file and how much it told me about Cutbush. It became very clear that he was not buried in Broadmoor despite what most people had told me.

In his book, The man who would be Jack, Mr Bullock sets out the case for Cutbush being the most likely of the many Jack the Ripper suspects.

Thomas Cutbush died while in Broadmoor psychiatric hospital

He worked in Whitechapel, where at least five women were stabbed to death in 1888, and he had an obsession with surgery.

He was also associated with prostitutes - as confirmed by his family - and developed a hatred for them after believing he had contracted a disease from one.

Cutbush was arrested in 1891 for attacking two women and ended up in Broadmoor because he was extremely violent and demented.

The author said he took an unbiased approach to the evidence but it all added up to make Cutbush the clear prime suspect.

However, finding his final resting place proved to be the trickiest part of the puzzle.

An illustration showing police discovering the body of one of Jack the Ripper's victims in 1888 / Getty Images

Mr Bullock began looking in cemeteries in London for the name Cutbush, as his family had been living in Kennington around the time he died.

He said: He hailed from a quite wealthy middle class family, so I started looking at the so-called Magnificent Seven cemeteries built in London during the Victorian era.

I walked around cemeteries literally just looking for his headstone but I was having no joy.

Then I worked backwards and started looking at the wider family members and they provided the answer. His mum and aunt were buried in a family plot in Nunhead Cemetery.

He added: Persistent hard work and dedication eventually paid off. It really felt for me like a momentous realisation of something that I had been trying to gain for so long.

The Cutbush family's burial plot has been taken over by nature (Tom Powell)

The grave has been overtaken by ivy and the words etched into the headstone are no longer visible. It is surrounded by the eerie remains of other headstones and a statue of an angel.

The 52-acre Nunhead cemetery was consecrated in 1840 but abandoned to nature and vandalism after funding dried up.

However, in the 1980s, the Friends of Nunhead Cemetery was formed to renovate and protect the site.

If there was such a thing as the perfect setting its Nunhead Cemetery, because its got that sort of mysterious atmosphere, Mr Bullock added.

Cutbush is known to have attacked his family members but they still had love for him enough to pay for his bodys removal from Broadmoor and the burial.

The mystery of Jack the Rippers true identity has sparked hundreds of theories and books ever since the grisly killing spree in the East End shocked Victorian London.

In 2014, another author claimed that forensic evidence proved Polish-born Aaron Kosminski was the real killer.

A shawl found next to the body of Catherine Eddowes was analysed by Dr Jari Louhelainen, who found DNA from the alleged killer alongside the victims blood.

But according to Andrew Smith, a Gothic expert and leading authority on the Ripper murders, the DNA was contaminated and therefore the evidence is very shaky.

Most historians agree that no totally conclusive evidence will ever be found.
P rotesters drew more than 200,000 white marks outside the Irish embassy in London to represent the number of women who travelled to the UK from the country for an abortion.

The pro-choice campaigners attempted to make more than 205,700 marks in chalk to show how many have made the trip to Great Britain from Ireland for a safe abortion since 1983.

It comes as hundreds descended on the capital to call for change to the countrys strict abortion laws ahead of its referendum next year.

Hundreds of demonstrators joined together outside the Irish Embassy in Belgravia, chanting "Keep your rosaries off my ovaries" and "34 years since 83, stop sending women across the sea".

Pro-choice Campaigners Gather In London To Call For A Change to Ireland's Strict Abortion Law

Placards among the crowd carried messages including: "Healthcare not Ryanair", and: "Irish women deserve better".

The efforts of pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates are set to intensify now that a time frame for the vote has been set.

The London-Irish Abortion Rights campaigners mark over 200,000 tally marks in chalk representing the number of Irish women who have travelled to England for abortions / PA

But Maeve O'Reilly, of the London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign, said protesters would like to see a specific date set for the referendum.

She added: "I do think the conversations have been shifting a lot over the last few years and there is a conversation now, whereas a few years ago it wasn't really in the public domain and it wasn't on the agenda."



She said campaigners were encouraged by recent polls which she said have shown that "most Irish people want to see a liberalisation of Irish abortion laws".

The campaigner added: "We're really confident that the Irish public will engage with this issue, will have a good debate and people will begin to see that abortion is already happening. It's just not happening in Ireland.

"And the time has come to kind of wake up to that and do better for our women and offer this care at home, rather than exiling them to other countries."
O ld Street station in central London was evacuated amid scenes of panic after reports of a bang and a 'suspicious man'.

Dramatic footage posted online showed a large police presence in the area, which is a popular night spot for clubbers in the capital.

Armed police were scrambled to scene at about 9.20pm on Saturday night.

Witness told how they were escorted from the station amid the chaotic scenes.

George Maier said: Just been evacuated out of Old Street station. Armed police came to the platform and told us all to leave immediately.

Nothing heard beforehand from my location on southbound Northern Line platform, was simply waiting when two armed guards came in.

He added: About 15 police vans, including unmarked vans pulling up now, more arriving.

Another wrote on Instagram: "Old street tube is closed... had to flee when special forces arrived."

"Police vans surrounding old street station, including unmarked vans now. Armed officers everywhere."

Scotland Yard later said nothing suspicious was found and that the incident had been stood down.

The station has since been reopened / @RossiTheBossi

A Met Police spokesman said: Officers, including firearms officers and the British Transport Police, attended the Old Street area and the station was temporarily evacuated.

There were no reported injuries. At this stage nothing suspicious has been found and the incident has now been stood down.

There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

The station has since been reopened.
P ro-choice campaigners gathered in central London to call for change to Irelands strict abortion laws, urging the country to have a respectful debate ahead next year's referendum.

The event marks one of the first rallies since the Irish Government set an indicative timescale of early summer 2018 for a referendum based on tight legal restrictions on terminations.

Hundreds of demonstrators joined together outside the Irish Embassy in Belgravia, chanting "Keep your rosaries off my ovaries" and "34 years since 83, stop sending women across the sea".

Placards among the crowd carried messages including: "Healthcare not Ryanair", and: "Irish women deserve better".

Protest: Hundreds gathered outside Ireland's embassy in London as they demand more liberal abortion laws / REUTERS

The campaigners attempted to make more than 205,700 white marks on the pavement to represent what they say is the number of women who have travelled to Great Britain from Northern Ireland and the Republic since 1983 to access a safe abortion.

Maeve O'Reilly, from the London-Irish Abortion Rights Campaign, said: "These journeys, which are often taken in silence and are very stigmatised and shameful in the eyes of our Government, we wanted to make them visible by making these physical marks on the pavement here today."

Ms O'Reilly said campaigners would like to see a specific date set for the referendum, adding: "I do think the conversations have been shifting a lot over the last few years and there is a conversation now, whereas a few years ago it wasn't really in the public domain and it wasn't on the agenda."

She said campaigners were encouraged by recent polls which she said have shown that "most Irish people want to see a liberalisation of Irish abortion laws".

Demonstrators outside the embassy of Ireland on Chapel Street, Belgravia, London, as they take part in the 'London March for Choice' / PA

She added: "We're really confident that the Irish public will engage with this issue, will have a good debate and people will begin to see that abortion is already happening. It's just not happening in Ireland.

"And the time has come to kind of wake up to that and do better for our women and offer this care at home, rather than exiling them to other countries."

The efforts of pro-choice and anti-abortion advocates are set to intensify now that a time frame for the vote has been set.

Ms O'Reilly acknowledged that there is a vocal opposition to the pro-choice campaign but said she did not want to frame it as a "binary fight between two sides".

She added: "I think it's far more nuanced than that and I think the Irish public can pick up on that too - that it's not black and white, it's not 'I'm for, I'm against'.

"It might be framed that way in the media, but hopefully people will engage in respectful debate and work out all the nuances of the issue rather than it being so cut and dry."


C onservative Party members have begun arriving in Manchester ahead of its party conference as pressure on Theresa May continues to mount over Brexit.

Tory ministers will gather for the start of the annual conference on Sunday, though the event is already threatening to be overshadowed by speculation over the partys leadership.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson fuelled rumours he is eyeing Mrs Mays position with another explosive newspaper interview with the Sun, outlining his four Brexit red lines and calling for an increase to public sector wages.

The move will widely be seen as his pitch to become Prime Minister, with senior Tories believed to be frustrated with the lack of progress in Brexit negotiations.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has outlined his "four red lines" for Brexit / REUTERS

In a speech in Florence last week Mrs May attempted to speed up talks with the EU by outlining a series of ambitions for Britain, including a two-year transition period post-Brexit.

But pro-Brexit Tory MPs and business figures in the Leave Means Leave group wrote to the Prime Minister this week saying Britian should walk away from talks: "If the EU is not seriously negotiating a free trade deal by Christmas 2017, the Government should give formal notice that we will move to World Trade Organisation rules in March 2019."

Signatories calling for the hardline stance include former Brexit minister David Jones, and the issue is set to feature heavily at the Tory conference.

However, Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson called for "serious people" to take charge of Brexit process.

The interventions came as Mrs May is attempting to assert her grip on her party ahead of its annual gathering.

As the party faithful converge on Manchester, the Prime Minister insisted Labour was "unfit to govern" as she pledged to listen to the concerns of young voters after the Tories lost their Commons majority in the snap general election in June.

Mrs May said: "As Conservatives, we have a vision of a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few - precisely the direction I set when I became Prime Minister last year.

"I understand the concerns raised, particularly by young people, during what was a disappointing election for my party.

"So my determination to act on those concerns, and crucially, to fulfil the promise of my first speech on the steps of Downing Street, is greater than ever."

Mrs May added that the conference would see the party "setting out our road to a better future for you and your family".

She said: "Yes, we have to get the best Brexit deal - but we must also take action here at home to make this a fairer place to live for ordinary working people.

"The social contract in our country is that the next generation should always have it better than the last.

"Conservatives have a plan to make that a reality."

With most polls putting the Tories and Labour neck and neck, Mrs May said a vote for Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister was too risky.

Mr Johnson, who insisted he was fully supportive of Mrs May, is also urging workers to be given a pay hike as he insisted the current minimum wage of 7.50 an hour - rising to 9 by 2020 - is "not enough".

He told the Sun: "I want people to be paid more.

"People get up unbelievably early and they work unbelievably hard, they deserve to be properly paid."

The comments came as Mrs May told Tory supporters that this week's party conference is a chance for the Conservatives to look to the future after a "disappointing" general election.
R uth Davidson has attacked senior politicians for being overly optimistic about the future of Britain and called for serious people to take charge of Brexit.

The Scottish Tory leader claimed politicians were selling people short, appearing to take aim at Boris Johnson, who recently laid out his own path for a "glorious" future outside the bloc.

It comes on the eve of the Conservative Partys conference in Manchester, which is in danger of being overshadowed by Cabinet divisions over Brexit and speculation over the party's leadership.

In an interview with the Times, Ms Davidson took aim at those setting out what she sees as an unrealistic prospectus.

In 90 seconds: Theresa May's big Brexit speech

She said: "I think optimism, positivity is good. I think overoptimism and not recognising that there are practical realities that have to be faced, that have to be worked through and that complexity is not something you just skip over, that you actually have to work through, I think sells people short."

Earlier this month, Mr Johnson set out a detailed vision for Britain's exit from the European Union that revived the claim Brexit could boost NHS coffers by 350 million a week.

In an article for the Daily Telegraph, he insisted Brexit will allow the UK to "be the greatest country on earth" and "our destiny will be in our own hands".

He also outlined his four Brexit "red lines" in an explosive interview with the Sun ahead of the party conference in Manchester.

Questioned about Mr Johnson's message, Ms Davidson told The Times: "I don't take issue with optimism. I am quite often accused of having a kind-of, sort-of have-a-go element about myself as well.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has outlined his four Brexit "red lines" / REUTERS

"But there is the idea that this is quite hard and it needs serious people to do a lot of legwork and scan the detail to make sure we do get to a place where it will all be OK. It doesn't just happen by accident, it requires a lot of hard work and it requires application."

She also said the 350 million a week figure "wasn't a figure I recognised".

Earlier this month, fears that Brexit could deliver a blow to the economy which the country does not recover from were raised by the Scottish Tory leader.

The remain campaigner conceded Brexit "is going to happen" but said she was concerned there would be a short-term economic hit and "we don't bounce back from it".

Recent polling by YouGov put the Foreign Secretary as the top choice to take over as party leader from Theresa May, with support from 23% of party members. He was followed by Ms Davidson on 19%.

But Ms Davidson has given her backing to the Prime Minister's plans to stay in post after Theresa May said she planned to lead the party in a 2022 general election.

The Scottish Tory leader also backed the decision to hold the snap poll in June, claiming it stopped the SNP moving towards another referendum on Scottish independence.

"Theresa May might have lost her majority but by God she saved the Union," she told The Times.

Despite the backing of 19% of activists in the poll, Ms Davidson has ruled out leaving Holyrood before the next Scottish Parliament elections in 2021, the newspaper said.

The Conservative Party conference takes place in Manchester from Sunday until Wednesday.
B ritish culture is being "swamped" by multiculturalism and "buried" by Islam, Ukips new leader has said.

Little-known former Army officer Henry Bolton used his first leader's speech at the party's Torquay conference to claim that mass immigration is overwhelming public services.

But he earlier told reporters that there should be no cap on the numbers who can come to the country, signalling a major shift in Ukip's position by abandoning the party's pledge to cap net migration.

In his speech Mr Bolton said the present rate of immigration is "unacceptable" and called for an Australian-style points-based system for managing migration.

He told the conference: "Immigration is overwhelming our public services, which themselves are being slashed  25 per cent off the police, for example, in some cases nearly 50 per cent off local government.

"Housing and communities are being overwhelmed, it is harming our own culture, traditions and way of life.

The little-known candidate was elected Ukip leader on Friday / PA

"We must demand that our own concerns about our own British culture are heard and that that feeds into our policy on immigration."

But earlier, he watered down Ukip's past promises to cap immigration.

In 2015 the party promised a temporary block on low-skilled and unskilled migration, and a limit of 50,000 high-skilled immigrants a year, while in 2017 the party committed to zero net migration.

Prime Minister Theresa May remains committed to a target of reducing net migration to the "tens of thousands".

Mr Bolton told reporters: "Anybody who says put a figure on it is actually being entirely unrealistic and trying to paint politicians like me into a corner that gives you a nice thing to hang a comment on, but you're not going to get it from me because actually we need to be a lot more practical and operational about it."

Mr Bolton said British culture is being "buried" by Islam / PA

On Brexit, Mr Bolton described a transition period as proposed by the Conservatives and Labour as "unacceptable" and said Britain must be "prepared" to leave the European Union immediately.

He claimed Mrs May's major Florence speech, in which she set out plans for a two-year transition and made a first offer towards a financial settlement, showed "the UK does not want to leave the EU in anything but name".

The PM's promise of a security partnership with the EU showed she was prepared to "subordinate" the UK's foreign policy, defence and aid to Brussels, Mr Bolton said.

"Does any of this suggest to you that we're on the way out of the European Union?" he said.

"I can only conclude that the Conservative Government either has no intention of taking us out of the European Union, or that they are simply too incompetent or negligent to care.

"Surely, whichever the case, the Conservatives are unfit to govern and cannot be entrusted with Brexit.

"The Government, far from offering strong and stable leadership, has proven inept and unable to set and pursue clear strategic goals.

"We must demand the repeal of the European Communities Act and be prepared to leave now."
A hang the Tories banner seen on a Manchester bridge ahead of the Conservative party conference has caused outrage.

Michael Fabricant, Tory MP for Lichfield, shared an image of the sign as members arrived for their annual conference in the city.

Under the bridge, two effigies that appeared to be wearing suits were seen hanging from ropes.

The banner and effigies sparked outrage, with politicians and other social media users speaking out to condemn them.

It comes as major anti-Brexit and anti-austerity protests are expected in the city during the conference.

Mr Fabricant wrote on Twitter: What a charming welcome to Manchester and the Conservative Party Conference. These aren't protesters, theyre fascists.

MPs from other political parties also moved to condemn the sign, with Labours Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner saying she was disgusted by what was written.

She added: Those that do this let Manchester down.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said of the sign: "This is just wrong. We will always protect the right to protest but never to threaten, abuse or incite violence. It should come down."

Liz Rawlings, producer of the BBCs Daily Politics, also posted an image of the sign on twitter under the caption: People who do things like this add absolutely nothing to political debate. Disagree with policies, sure. Make those arguments. Urgh.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible.

Protests in the northern city are expected, which have been organised by anti-Brexit and anti-austerity activists, amid reports that 50,000 are to attend.

Around 1,000 extra police will be drafted as part a 2m operation during the conference, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Chief superintendent John OHare acknowledged that two particularly large protests are to take place on Sunday.

He added: We have been really clear with protesters to say we are here to facilitate lawful, peaceful protest and will be doing everything can so they can exercise their right to free speech, to protest and express their opinion.

"But with that comes a degree of responsibility. There is a line between whats acceptable and whats not acceptable.

"When that line is crossed and it becomes more intimidatory behaviour and people are in fear or oppressed then at that point we will take action.

Sir Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat leader, is among those expected to attend the pro-EU rally in city centre.

I believe it would be a healthy exercise in democracy to participate in a peaceful, dignified protest on the big issue of the day by marching, he told the Independent.

And the issues dont come any bigger than Brexit  which is why I will be addressing marchers protesting at the Conservative conference in Manchester this weekend.

Tory ministers will gather for the start of the annual conference on Sunday, with Prime Minister Theresa May arriving in Manchester earlier on Saturday.

Britain's EU divorce deal and the scope of any post-withdrawal transition period looks set to dominate the gathering.
Where To Go When Your Local Emergency Room Goes Bankrupt?" During the past ten years 84 California hospitals have declared bankruptcy and closed their Emergency Rooms forever. Financially crippled by legislative and judicial mandates to treat illegal aliens have bankrupted hospitals! In 2010, in Los Angeles County alone, over 2 million illegal aliens recorded visits to county emergency rooms for both routine and emergency care. The cost is $1,000 dollars for every taxpayer. VIVA LA RAZA?
R yanair has released the full list of flights it is cancelling between now and March, with 400,000 passengers set to be affected.

The operator has already revealed the 34 routes being dropped entirely from its winter schedule due to a roster fiasco. These include routes between London and Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Now the entire list of cancelled flights has also been revealed, with Stansted airport suffering the most.

It comes as Ryanair agreed to make sure its customers are fully aware of their rights to compensation.

The airline said passengers with seats on cancelled flights will receive full refunds or be booked onto alternative Ryanair flights or "other comparable transport options".

Scroll down for the full list of flights cancelled to and from Stansted airport and then the rest of the UK.

London Stansted airport cancelled flights

These flights are cancelled from November 1 to March 24. Other flights at different times on the same routes will operate as normal.

Rest of UK cancelled flights

These flights are cancelled from November 1 to March 24. Other flights at different times on the same routes will operate as normal.

Ryanair has also completely cancelled 34 routes over the winter period.

The suspended routes from November to March Bucharest  Palermo Chania  Athens Chania  Pafos Chania  Thessaloniki Cologne  Berlin (SXF) Edinburgh  Szczecin Gdansk  Warsaw Glasgow  Las Palmas Hamburg  Edinburgh Hamburg  Katowice Hamburg  Oslo (TRF) Hamburg  Thessaloniki Hamburg  Venice (TSF) London Gatwick  Belfast London Stansted  Edinburgh London Stansted  Glasgow Newcastle  Faro Newcastle  Gdansk Sofia  Castellon Sofia  Memmingen Sofia  Pisa Sofia  Stockholm (NYO) Sofia  Venice (TSF) Thessaloniki  Bratislava Thessaloniki  Paris BVA Thessaloniki  Warsaw (WMI) Trapani  Baden Baden Trapani  Frankfurt (HHN) Trapani  Genoa Trapani  Krakow Trapani  Parma Trapani  Rome FIU Trapani  Trieste Wroclaw  Warsaw

Ryanair said the cancellations were brought about because of an error with pilot holiday rosters and the latest reduction in its schedule will "eliminate all risk of further flight cancellations".

Kenny Jacobs, Ryanair's chief marketing officer, said: "We apologise again sincerely for the disruption and inconvenience our rostering failure has caused some of our customers.

"We have taken on extra customer service staff and are moving now to process and expedite all EU261 claims from affected customers.

"We are committed to processing all such claims within 21 days of receipt and hope to have all such claims settled before the end of October."
P olice have sealed off more than half of the schools in Catalonia dedicated as polling stations for the region's banned independence referendum.

The move from Spanish authorities to step up their attempts to stop the vote comes amid mass protests and rising tensions across Spain.

Politicians in the north-eastern region are holding the referendum on independence on Sunday, despite warnings from the courts and the Spanish government the poll is illegal.

Protesters in favour of a unified Spain have taken to the streets in Madrid to demonstrate.

The referendum has sparked protests from both sides in Barcelona / REUTERS

Police in Catalonia gave parents, children and activists a Sunday morning deadline to vacate the schools they are occupying to safeguard the buildings ahead of the vote.

Spain's Constitutional Court suspended the vote more than three weeks ago and police have received orders to stop ballots from being cast.

Catalonia's government has pressed ahead anyway and called on the region's 5.3 million registered voters to make their voices heard.

Police have now occupied the regional government's telecommunications centre.

The planned ballot has been declared illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.

Parents supporting the referendum organised to camp out throughout the weekend at schools that are among the 2,315 designated voting facilities to keep police from them shutting down.

A Catalan regional policeman stands guard near a pro-independence "Yes" banner in Barcelona / REUTERS

The Catalan police force has been directed to empty the buildings by early Sunday, but to refrain from using violence to remove parents and students.

Spain's foreign minister Alfonso Dastis called the referendum a mockery of democracy.

He said: What they are pushing is not democracy. It is a mockery of democracy, a travesty of democracy."

A masked man protesting on the streets of Barcelona / REUTERS

The politician accused the Catalan government of trying to promote an exclusionary system which runs counter to the goals and ideals the European Union is trying to advance.

He said voter referendums cannot be equated with democracy and asserted that they are actually the "instrument of choice of dictators".

The other big question is whether the Catalan government can distribute enough ballot boxes and ballots to the polling stations. Police have confiscated millions of paper ballots in the days leading up the vote.

Roy said that there were no ballot boxes or ballots at Congres-Indians primary school on Saturday. He shrugged his shoulders, saying "they will appear."
D onald Trump has launched a scathing attack on the Mayor of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria, accusing her of "poor leadership".

Tweeting from a golf resort in New Jersey, the US President lashed out at Puerto Rican officials for wanting everything to be done for them as the country looks to recover from the devastation of the storm two weeks ago.

It comes amid growing criticism of the United States response to the crisis engulfing the Caribbean, with the Mayor of San Juan having made an impassioned plea for help from the US Government.

But in a series of provocative tweets on Saturday, Mr Trump accused the Democrats of meddling in crisis and lashed out at Puerto Rican authorities.

Hurricane Maria - In pictures 1 /45 Hurricane Maria - In pictures Trees are ripped out in a car park in San Juan, Puerto Rico AFP/Getty Images An uprooted tree covers a small house in the village of Viard - Petit Bourg, near Pointe-a-Pitre AFP/Getty Images A man and his daughter flee from the rain on a beach in San Juan, Puerto Ric AFP/Getty Images Islanders board up windows of a business in Puerto Rico AFP/Getty Images Powerful winds and rains of hurricane Maria battering the city of Petit-Bourg on the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe AFP/Getty Images Rocks swept by strong waves onto a road in Le Carbet, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Maria which bore down menacingly on the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Tuesday after devastating the tiny island nation of Dominica and Hurricane Jose (top) are both seen in the Atlantic Ocean Reuters Refugees are seen at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum refuge in San Juan, Puerto Rico AFP/Getty Images Five U.S. Navy vessels maneuver around Hurricane Maria before eventually returning to assist the U.S. Virgin Islands, in the Caribbean Sea REUTERS Storm damage to a tool shed/dog house, caused by Hurricane Maria in Bouillante, Guadeloupe AP A lady holds her rosary as she takes part in a prayer circle at a makeshift at the Juan Ponce de Leon Elementary School before the arrival of Hurricane Mari, in Humacao, Puerto Rico, AP Shoppers at a Wal Mart load up on supplies in preparation for a direct hit from Hurricane Maria in San Juan, Puerto Rico Getty Images People stand next to debris at a restaurant in Le Carbet, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria AFP/Getty Images People clear debris in Saint-Pierre, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria AFP/Getty Images A motorist drives on the flooded waterfront in Fort-de-France, on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, after it was hit by Hurricane Maria AFP/Getty Images A man walks in a flooded street after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe island Reuters A man looks at a fallen tree as he walks along a street after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe island Reuters A man removes a branch in a flooded street after the passage of Hurricane Maria in Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe island Reuters Shopping carts are seen in a flooded parking after the passage of Hurricane Maria on the outskirts of Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe island Reuters A flooded street in Pointe-a-Pitre after the powerful winds and rain of hurricane Maria battered the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Maria approaching the Leeward Islands, as the hurricane intensified into a "potentially catastrophic" category five storm and continued on a collision course with British overseas territories already battered by Irma NOAA/PA Hurricane Maria flattened homes in Dominica Members of the Guadeloupe Adapted Military Service Regiment gather detritus on 18 September 18, 2017, as they clean Sandy Ground on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma, and in order to limit the risk of flooding and projectiles as Hurricane Maria approaches the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Members of the Guadeloupe Adapted Military Service Regiment gather detritus on 18 September 18, 2017, as they clean Sandy Ground on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma, and in order to limit the risk of flooding and projectiles as Hurricane Maria approaches the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images 40 Commando Assault Engineers boarding up windows at Road Town Police Station in preparation for Storm Maria on the British Virgin Islands EPA Prefet de Guadeloupe People board up windows in Dominica AFP/Getty Images Women in Dominica prepare for Hurricane Maria AP Army soldiers wait with their belongings on a beach for transport on a Navy landing craft while evacuating in advance of Hurricane Maria Reuters Crewmen brace themselves from the propeller wash of a Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey departing the aboard the USS Kearsarge as U.S. military continues to evacuate from the U.S. Virgin Islands in advance of Hurricane Maria Reuters Category 3 hurricane: Soldiers board a Navy landing craft during an evacuation in advance of Hurricane Maria Reuters Soldiers wait on a beach for a Navy landing craft as their unit evacuates in advance of Hurricane Maria Reuters Hurricane Maria makes landfall in Puerto Rico in Fajardo AFP/Getty Images Winds lash the coastal city of Fajardo in Puerto Rico as Hurricane Maria arrives AFP/Getty Images

He said: The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump.

Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help.

They want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.

The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. Puerto Rico was totally destroyed.

Puerto Rico without power after being hit by Hurricane Maria

Officials have warned that Puerto Rico could be left without power for months, with the category four storm having flattened buildings and devastated parts of the country.

Sixteen people were killed on the island and millions left in need of emergency aid.

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said in a news conference: We have no time for patience any more.

"I am asking the president of the United States to make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives.

"I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell."

Maria struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm as the island was already facing the largest municipal debt crisis in US history.

The storm was expected to have caused $45 billion in damage and lost economic activity across the Caribbean, with at least $30 billion of that in Puerto Rico, said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeller at Enki Research in Savannah, Georgia.

Elsewhere in the Caribbean, 14 deaths were reported on Dominica, an island nation of 71,000 inhabitants. Two people were killed in the French territory of Guadeloupe and one in the US Virgin Islands.
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PHOENIX -- Health care for more than 22,000 Arizona youngsters is in jeopardy because of congressional inaction.

The federal budget year expired Sept. 30 without lawmakers taking action to fund the Children's Health Insurance Program for the new year. It is those dollars that states use to provide care for about 9 million children of the working poor, including 22,389 at last count in Arizona.

But the failure of Congress to act on the $15 billion annual appropriation does not immediately leave these youngsters uninsured.

Heidi Capriotti, spokeswoman for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, which administers the CHIP program, said officials from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services say they have some unspent dollars from the fiscal year just ending. Capriotti said there should be enough to carry Arizona through October and November.

There is broad bipartisan support for the program. But the debate over how to fund it, coupled with the recent dysfunction of Congress, leaves the question of whether it can be restore -- and how quickly -- up in the air.

"We expect the Congress is going to take action soon,'' she said, saying the debate on this health care program "kind of got derailed by Graham-Cassidy,'' the last version of an unsuccessful effort by Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

But she conceded that may not happen.

"Obviously we want to give our members 30 days' notice prior to any program change,'' Capriotti said.

There is another option: The state could pick up the tab.

But that is unlikely, given that the Republican-controlled Legislature balked last year at renewing the program even with no state dollars needed.

Arizona already provides health care for individuals and families up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. That is $28,180 for a family of three.

CHIP, approved by Congress in 1997, is designed to cover the children in families who earn more than that but not enough to be able to afford private health insurance. Children can get covered if the family income is less than twice the federal poverty level, or $40,840 for that same family of three.

Arizona joined the federal program in 2001 under Gov. Jane Hull, a Republican. She said the federal match -- three dollars for every state dollar -- made it a good deal.

There have been bumps before in what is called the Kids Care program in Arizona, though not due to what is happening in Washington.

In 2010, lawmakers seeking to cut state spending said they could not afford even that 25 percent match. They imposed a freeze on enrollment, though those already in the program could remain as long as their families remained eligible.

The result was that the program, which had 45,000 children enrolled, dropped by last year to fewer than 1,000. It also left Arizona as the only state without a functioning program.

A divided legislature last year agreed to reinstate the program after Congress agreed to pick up the full cost, at least through Sept. 30 of this year. It is that authorization -- and more to the point, the funding -- that is awaiting renewal.

But even with the state no longer having to provide a match, there was opposition among at least some Arizona legislators.

Andy Biggs, then the Senate president, said he wasn't buying arguments that there would be no cost to the state. But he aid even if that were not the case, Arizona shouldn't be lining up for the federal dollars.

"While every program ... has an advocate and a desire to accomplish a certain albeit potentially even altruistic or beneficent purpose, at some point one realizes that perhaps we can't afford every program,'' said Biggs who at the time was running for Congress. He has since been elected.

And Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, was unimpressed by arguments that Arizona has been the only state without a CHIP program.

"Well, kudos to us,'' she said.

It actually took a bit of political gamesmanship to get the program restored over the opposition of GOP leadership and the lack of support from Gov. Doug Ducey.

Rep. Regina Cobb, R-Kingman, attached language to restart enrollment to Kids Care into legislation making changes in the program to allow more parents to use public dollars to send their children to private and parochial schools, something the Republican leaders wanted.

That gambit succeeded as the House attached the amendment and approved the bill with 38 votes, as 15 of the 36 Republicans joined with all 24 Democrats to override the GOP leaders.

Cobb, in pushing to restore Kids Care, conceded at the time that federal funding beyond Sept. 30 of this year was not assured. But she pointed out that if that happens, the measure contains language allowing the state to once again stop enrolling children, just as it did in 2010.
@alextdaugherty

Miami Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo has a habit of blocking critical voices on Twitter.

Curbelo has blocked at least seven Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee staffers from his official or personal accounts, according to DCCC spokesman Cole Leiter. This comes after local progressive activist Tomas Kennedy was blocked by Curbelo's personal account in August after pointing out that the second-term congressman does not live in Florida's 26th district. Curbelo lived in the 26th district until the lines were redrawn in 2015 and members of Congress are not required to live in the districts they represent.

.@RepCurbelo blocked me and possibly deleted his tweet when called out about not living in CD26, the district he claims to represent. pic.twitter.com/Lg2oai4Qnr  Tomas Kennedy (@Tomaskenn) August 2, 2017

Leiter said that none of the seven accounts that were blocked are Curbelo's South Florida constituents.

Curbelo's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Curbelo's blocking habits mirror President Donald Trump, who has blocked many advocacy groups and constituents on the social media platform. Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine was sued last year by a local radio host for blocking people on Facebook and Twitter.

Trump is also the subject of a lawsuit by Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University over blocking people on Twitter. This week, Trump admitted that he blocks people on Twitter as part of a process in the lawsuit where both sides agree to a set of facts.

Alice Visocchi, a researcher with the DCCC, was blocked by Curbelo after asking him a sarcastic question about his vote in favor of the American Health Care Act, which repealed parts of Obamacare.

In July, a federal judge in Virginia ruled that a politician committed "a cardinal sin under the First Amendment" after blocking a constituent on Facebook. The politician argued that the page was personal but the judge ruled that the politician was using the account as a public official because it asked for comments from constituents.

Curbelo's personal account, @carloscurbelo, is mostly links to news articles and his work as a member of Congress. His official account, @repcurbelo, includes information that assists constituents. On Thursday, his official account included an office phone number so that constituents recovering from Hurricane Irma could receive assistance in applying for a Small Business Administration loan.

If you need assistance applying for an @SBAgov loan, my staff stands ready to assist you. Call our office at 305-222-0160 #KeysRecovery https://t.co/SHiMlSmRdt  Rep. Carlos Curbelo (@RepCurbelo) September 28, 2017

Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is running against Curbelo in a Miami-to-Key West district that is one of the most Democratic-leaning in the country to be currently represented by a Republican.
In mid-2017 the United States decided to pay for a major expansion of the Afghan Air Force and that led, in September, to an order for 150 MD-530F armed helicopters for about $9.25 million each. This includes delivery, pilot and maintainer training, maintenance equipment, spare parts and tech support. This is part of another program to equip the Afghan Air Force with all non-Russian aircraft. This was made necessary because of the 2014 Ukraine related sanctions on Russia. These sanctions made it difficult to keep the Afghan Air Force Russian helicopters operational. By early 2017 two of the four Russian made Mi-35 helicopter gunships are grounded because of this and there are problems getting technical support for the 26 Mi-17 transport helicopters as well. The solution for this problem was to replace the Russian made helicopters with American helicopters, mainly UH-60s and MD-530Fs. Some Afghan Mi-17 pilots have already received training for this and report that the conversion training is not a problem and for experienced pilots is quite easy.

The Afghan Air Force expects to be receiving at least 18 UH-60s by the end of 2018. The U.S. had already supplied twenty MD-530F helicopters armed with machine-guns, missiles and rockets and at first the U.S. agreed to supply 30 more. These MD-530F gunships were found to be easier to operate and maintain than the Mi-35s and cheaper as well. Since UH-60s can also be armed that will be the solution to the grounded Mi-35 problem and the shortage of helicopter gunships.

The Afghan Air Force had been planning to increase its helicopter force from 71 now to 214 by 2024 and replace all the Russian helicopters with American ones in the process. With the new order for MD-530Fs the size of the Afghan helicopter force will get faster sooner because the 150 new MD-530Fs will all arrive by 2022.

In August 2016 the Afghan Air Force received the last four of 27 MD-530Fs that were already on order. The first six arrived in 2011 followed by twelve armed ones in 2015 that had a fire control system that was difficult to use with the two 12.7mm machine-guns on the helicopters. A new fire control system was installed on later MD-530Fs and is being added to the earlier models as well as the unarmed models that were upgraded (to handle weapons) earlier in 2016. The new fire control system made it possible to effectively used two rocket pods each with a seven 70mm rockets each, instead of the two 12.7 machine-guns or one of each. MD-530s can also be equipped with 70mm air-to-ground missile. These APKWS II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System) have been used, successfully, on MH-530s. The APKWS is the same size as the 70mm unguided rocket and require a modification to the 70mm rocket launcher and the addition of laser aiming equipment. Afghans are already using this system in fixed wing recon aircraft.

The MD-530F can also carry three passengers in the back. So far the Afghans have lost two MD-530Fs; one to a bad landing and the other one that landed on a landmine. The MD-530 is the civilian version of the U.S. SOCOM (Special Operations Command) MH-6. Used for scouting and commando operations the MH-6 (and the similar AH-6) were developed from the 1960s era OH-6 light reconnaissance helicopter. The SOCOM version showed up in the early 1980s. The MH/AH-6, or "Little Bird" is a 1.6 ton helicopter with a crew of two and a top speed of 280 kilometers an hour. Sortie length can be as long as three hours but more often are one or two hours. Nearly 5,000 MD-500 type helicopters have been built so far and they are particularly popular with police and military users.

The MH/AH-6 was designed so it could be armed with two 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine-gun pods, or two 70mm rocket pods (seven or 12 rockets each) or four Hellfire missiles. The current MH-6 model is often equipped with a day/night targeting system, including a laser designator and laser guided missiles. Without weapons, the MH-6 can carry six troops (usually Special Forces operators) externally.

Early on some Afghan Air Force officers complained that the MD-530F did not have a powerful enough engine for flying over the mountains surrounding Kabul, where the first MD-530Fs were based. That may make a great headline for foreign journalists but the low cost and simplicity of the MD-530 was the main reason the United States bought MD-530s for the Afghans. The Americans had learned, by trial and error, that more powerful, complex and expensive aircraft cannot be effectively operated or maintained by the Afghans. What some Afghan officers would like is the sort of helicopters used by the American commandos. But these aircraft use systems Afghanistan does not have the people, or cash, to maintain or operate. Moreover American special operations troops had been using a version of MD-530 in Afghanistan for over a decade before the Afghans got theirs and managed to adapt. This experience was passed on to the new Afghan operators.

Most Afghan air force personnel who operate and maintain the MD-530s are satisfied with the performance of this helicopter. The ground troops MD-530s are called on to help are satisfied as well. Most MD-530s fly several sorties a day doing reconnaissance (especially along convoy routes to spot ambushes) and to provide ground support for troops who need some help fast. Because of their short range MD-530s are meant for local support and American troops had learned since 2002 where this model of helicopter could, and could not operate in Afghanistan.
Basic forms of Artificial Intelligence have been around for decades, but the technology has moved forward in leaps and bounds during recent years. It's advancing so quickly that many are warning it could wipe humanity from the earth.

Self-aware machines that turn on their makers have long been the stuff of sci-fi, but there are those who worry the fiction could one day become fact. Elon Musk is a famous proponent of regulating AI development, having warned it is like "summoning the demon" and "more dangerous than North Korea." Even Stephen Hawking believes thinking machines could threaten our existence.

On the flip side of the coin, however, some say modern AIs won't advance to the point where they become malevolent entities that destroy us all; instead, they could potentially solve some of the world's biggest problems, such as healthcare, energy, and transportation. Mark Zuckerberg is in this camp, as is former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski, who believes in AI so much that he wants it to become a god for his religion.

For this weekend open forum, we're asking for your take on AI. Now that it can beat humans at Go and Dota2, is the next step complete domination over its squishy masters? Could it really make the world a better place to live in, addressing the issues we struggle with? Or will it continue to be primarily used as an ad tool, utilizing Facebook and browsing data to decide who might want to buy Hello Kitty bags?
Echo Show owners were dealt some bad news earlier this week when Google suddenly disabled the ability to stream YouTube videos on the device.

Amazon said the decision came as a total surprise without any explanation or notification. Google took a difference stance, claiming Amazon's implementation of YouTube on the Echo Show violates their terms of service and creates a broken user experience.

As it turns out, Google's reasoning may be a bit more complex.

Multiple sources have told TechCrunch that Google is building its own version of the Echo Show. The tabletop smart device, codenamed Manhattan, will reportedly feature a display that's similar in size to the 7-inch screen on the Show and feature support for Google Assistant, Google Photos, video calling and of course, YouTube. One person said it'll run a version of Android - good news for developers.

Sources note that Google was originally targeting a mid-2018 launch date but due to the success of the Show, they're trying to expedite the launch and squeeze it in by the end of the year.

Google was previously working on devices with larger screens that would compete with full-sized televisions but according to the publication, they've since shifted focus to the smaller Manhattan project.

Amazon launched its touchscreen-equipped Echo Show home speaker back in June. The company doesn't release sales figures but given the overall success of Amazon's voice assistant, it's probably doing just fine in its slot as a higher-end Alexa device.

Google has a press event scheduled for October 4 where it plans to unveil its new Pixel 2 smartphone. It's entirely conceivable that Manhattan could also make an appearance, assuming of course that it is ready by then.
EVE Online is an open-universe MMO sandbox where players can do just about anything. It is a living world where wars, alliances, espionage and political betrayal are commonplace.

On September 12, a player named The Judge completely dismantled the giant military alliance Circle of Two (CO2) from the inside. As a high-ranking member of the group, he was able to abscond with more than a trillion ISK (the in-game currency) in assets. He was also able to establish control over CO2's space stations and sell them to its sworn enemy, Goonswarm.

The total theft was in the neighborhood of 1.5 trillion ISK which translates to more than $20,000.

However, the theft was not the entirety of CO2's losses. The space stations were the home to over 4,000 players who frantically tried to retrieve their belongings as Goonswarm forces moved in. Many were driven to sell their ships to Goonswarm for less than market value and some were able to retrieve their belongings by paying a fee to NPCs. After the dust settled, CO2 had lost around five trillion ISK (about $60,000) thanks to the betrayal.

Circle of Two's fall sprang from its desertion during the Casino War. The reasons for The Judge's betrayal are convoluted but Rock Paper Shotgun does a good job of explaining it in detail. The reaction to his move was predictable.

The leader of CO2, gigX, was furious after logging in and seeing everything gone. He began asking everybody for The Judge's real name and address. He issued threats against The Judge saying, "you gonna die," and "you will lose both hands."

Iceland's CCP, the developer of EVE Online, did not take kindly to the real-world threats and permanently banned all of gigX's accounts.

The Judge told RPS that gigX was a toxic player and got what he deserved.

"Anyone that's dealt with gigX knows he's a loose cannon. He would almost flip a switch and go from being your best friend to a raging maniac on comms, swearing at everyone when anything went wrong."

The Judge does feel bad about some of the 4,000 players who ended up as collateral damage in the incident and has been using the money he stole to help some of the former members of CO2 get back on their feet.

When asked is he was ever afraid for his safety, The Judge said, "There have been a number of relatively credible threats toward me at EVE Vegas." He added that CCP has been very good with security though, even being willing to cancel people's event tickets if a threat is severe.

Circle of Two is still in operation with a new leader but the group is down to around 400 members. The Judge, meanwhile, has joined Goonswarm and is taking a break from leadership roles for a while.
Brazil's vice-president-elect and coordinator of the transition team of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government, Geraldo Alckmin, asked Jair Bolsonaro's government for access to complete... | Read More
Ivanka Trump, with husband Jared Kushner, on a day she did not fly commercial. Photo: Getty Images

As revelations about Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Prices use of private jets continued to pelt the Trump administration ahead of his Friday resignation, Ivanka Trump took a well-timed commercial flight into Washington, D.C.  an endeavor documented with glamorous photos by the tabloid the Daily Mail, which obsessively covers her every move.

The First Daughter and adviser to the president landed at Ronald Reagan National Airport on Tuesday after visiting Detroit to tout a $200 million computer science and coding education grant, news broken by the Daily Mail the next day. The British tabloid reported that she looked incredibly chic as she made her way out of the airport, wearing a bright orange-red shirt and a blue-and-red pinstripe skirt, however she had changed out of the gold high heels she was seen wearing earlier in the day in favor of some comfy flats. Despite the presence of her Secret Service detail, they wrote, she got a small taste of life as a normal member of the public.

Ivanka Trump flies commercial as she returns to D.C. https://t.co/ro2lrGHDPl  TrumpFirehose (@TrumpFirehose) September 27, 2017

This glossy item came amid a series of stories, by Politico and other publications, detailing Prices Rich Kids of Instagram travel preferences, for which the taxpayers had been footing the bill. His office had attempted to justify the expense by claiming he traveled however was most effective to remain connected with the real American people. This explanation didnt quite work, and by midweek, the president was criticizing him in public and sources were leaking to the press that his future was uncertain. By Friday afternoon, he was gone.

When the president or vice-president travels, the White House distributes an advisory to the media with the logistics: where theyre going and when, how theyre getting there, and what kind of access the press will have at different junctures throughout the trip. For Ivankas jaunt to Detroit, no similar notice was sent out, meaning that even though the trip itself had been announced, most reporters werent aware of how or when she was flying. An administration official told me that the Daily Mail was not tipped off about the flight, and neither was any other tabloid or news publication. (I could find no other coverage of this momentous event besides the one article.)

The Daily Mail reported that Tuesdays flight was thought to be Ivankas first commercial flight since entering the White House. During the transition, she made headlines flying with her family on Jet Blue when another passenger was removed for screaming at her. But the administration official claimed that was not true and that Ivanka has flown commercially multiple times. The official said she flew back from the first foreign trip commercially is one example and that she traveled to the W20 summit in Berlin in April on a commercial airline, too.

As is so often the case for the first First Daughter, she was passively where the White House needed her to be to help shape a message.
BOATS AT THE GWADAR PORT IN PAKISTAN ON THE ARABIAN SEA. China Overseas Ports Holding Company is leasing the port until 2059 and has already started expanding it. China has been looking to secure sea trading lanes along the so-called Maritime Silk Road, and the Pakistani port is an important piece in the puzzle. (J. PATRICK FISCHER/CC BY-SA)

Chinas Takes Economic Risks to Gain Political Influence

There are myriad initiatives  but will they be successful?

Since the current regime leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, China has launched many a prestige project, like the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB). Ostensibly they are for economic development in the region, however most experts agree that this is just one reason for the massive Chinese investment in trade and infrastructure abroad.

China has a deliberate strategy to translate its economic capabilities all of the tools it has in its disposal, to translate that into political influence, said Evan Medeiros, head of Asia-Pacific research at Eurasia Group, at the Foreign Policy Associations World Leadership Forum in New York Sept. 28.

For this reason China founded the AIIB alongside 56 member-states and an initial capital investment of $100 billion. In 2016, the bank pledged $1.7 billion to nine projects, mostly in Central Asia.

Medeiros says the strategy of investment creates dependency without confrontation. There is a coercive but non-confrontational element, he said.

Examples of using economics to pursue political ends included an export ban on rare-earth exports to Japan in 2010, and restriction of agricultural imports from the Philippines in 2012. The goal of the Chinese is to further their geopolitical agenda centered around territorial disputes in the South China Sea and to expand their navy reach to the Indian Ocean.

The Chinese use different tools to deny these countries access to Chinas markets, says Medeiros.

Poor Track Record

However, with huge investment projects like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the AIIB, the biggest pressure point is to exclude countries from being recipients of Chinese investment.

The BRI is by far the biggest project and promises to advance central Asian countries economies. It was announced by Xi Jinping in 2013. Although estimates vary, China has called for up to $5 trillion in infrastructure investments over the next five years in the 65 countries along land-locked and maritime trade routes. Ports in Sri Lanka, railways in Thailand, and massive roads and power plants in Pakistan are just a few examples of the planned investments.

The idea, at first, sounds good: Plow trillions of dollars into infrastructure projects in the undeveloped region that is most of central Asia, and trade will start to bloom, economies will prosper, and peace will reign. However, the experts on the panel at the World Leadership Forum think there is a significant risk involved.

When you look at what the BRI has accomplished after four years, its much less than what people would have imagined. You read the headlines of what the Chinese pledged Roughly a third of that gets realized, said Elizabeth Economy, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow and Director for Asia Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Although not officially part of the Belt and Road Initiative, the $3.6 billion Myitsone Dam project in Burma is an example of a Chinese infrastructure project in a very poor country that hasnt gone as planned. Construction has been suspended for six years, as both countries could not agree on how to proceed.

Another not-so successful model for a Chinese development initiative is Venezuela, said Daniel Rosen, founding partner of the Rhodium Group (RHG). China lent $65 billion to the troubled nation in South America, the vast bulk of which will never be recovered. It has even undermined its development process, Rosen said.

He also points to Chinas poor track record in getting returns on its investments. This is not the first time China has put out a great plan that didnt achieve its objectives.
Sun Zhengcai attending the National People's Congress in Beijing, on March 6, 2017. Chinese state media reported on Friday that he has been ousted from the Chinese Communist Party. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

In Chinas Political Game of Thrones, a Top Official Loyal to Former Leader Is Expelled From Party

A top party official once considered a contender to succeed Chinas current leader has been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party. On Friday, Chinese state media reported that the partys anti-corruption body charged Sun Zhengcai with accepting bribes, abusing his powers to benefit his relations, using sex to gain power, among others.

Sun was removed from his position as Party Secretary of Chongqing City back in July. The Party announced that he was officially under investigation for severe violations of discipline.

The swiftness with which he has been charged is unprecedented. The news also comes just weeks before the 19th national congress will convene to determine the incoming group of political elite who will rule the country for the next five years. Current leader Xi Jinping is expected to continue as the top party boss.

However, there remains a faction within the party loyal to former leader Jiang Zemin. In recent years, Xi has consolidated his power by taking down a number of high-ranking officials in the Jiang faction, via his anti-corruption campaign.

Sun is the latest to be exterminated. Sun was a close ally to several high-ranking Jiang loyalists, including Zeng Qinghong, the former vice-chair from 2003 to 2008. He was Jiangs close confidant and ruthlessly destroyed Jiangs opponents to enable Jiangs rise to power.

Jiang became known for his violent tactics to win control: he vouched for the crackdown on student democracy activists during the Tiananmen Square massacre; bungled the countrys response to the SARS epidemic; and launched a nationwide genocide to eliminate adherents of the Falun Gong spiritual practice.

Sun Zhengcai rose through the ranks under Zengs guidance, according to China current affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan. By taking down Sun, Xi Jinping is assuring that Zengs path to survival is eliminated, Tang said. That will weaken Jiangs remaining influence in the party.

Annie Wu contributed to this report.
A view of the University of Nairobi from the main entrance, 2006. (Wikimedia Commons/Kenyaverification)

Kenya Watchdog Says Investigating Police Over Actions at University

NAIROBIA Kenyan government watchdog said on Friday it was investigating whether police had assaulted students during protests this week at the University of Nairobi over the detention of an opposition lawmaker.

Police fired tear gas on Thursday at the protesting students. Video footage posted on social media later in the day showed uniformed officers outside dormitories and inside classrooms using batons to hit people who did not appear to be involved in the campus protests.

It was the latest crackdown by police on protests since an Aug. 8 presidential election that was later annulled by the Supreme Court. A re-run of the vote has been set for Oct. 26.

The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) this morning noted from social media reports of an incident in which members of the National Police Service allegedly stormed the University of Nairobi and assaulted students at the institution, the authority said on its Twitter feed.

It requested that any member of the public come forward to provide information to aid the investigation.

The students had been protesting against the re-arrest of a lawmaker, Paul Ongili Owino, on Wednesday, shortly after he was released on bail on charges of subversion for calling President Uhuru Kenyatta a son of a dog at a campaign rally.

Violence

Kenya is a key Western ally in a region often roiled by violence. Preparations for the re-run of the election are being closely monitored for signs of instability, after at least 28 people were killed in unrest following the Aug. 8 vote.

The IPOA watchdog was created in 2011, after police came under severe criticism for the number of protesters killed during demonstrations against disputed elections in 2007. The violence then killed around 1,2000 people.

But local and international rights groups say the institution is struggling to fulfill its mandate to investigate allegations of police brutality in a country rife with reports from civilians of extrajudicial killings by security forces.

The IPOA has secured two convictions of police officers in the four years it has been operational.

The watchdog pledged last month to fast-track investigations into high-profile deaths such as that of a baby allegedly killed by police in the violence after the election.

But people familiar with the status of these investigations say the police are not cooperating with them, and that senior officials in the police force and the interior ministry insist officers killed only thieves and thugs.

Reporting By Maggie Fick and Humphrey Malalo
Mexico Experiences Raining Fish After Recent Series of Earthquakes

Residents saw fish falling from the sky in northeastern Mexico.

On Sept. 26, small fish rained down along with a light spray of water in the city of Tampico. Civil protection director for the state of Tamaulipas, Pedro Granados, received reports of the strange phenomenon from residents. According to Granados, the event was weird but not overwhelming, NPR reported.

Not to say there were a lot of fishone here, one there, Granados told AztecaNoreste. It has to be said, theyre very small fish, which weigh a few grams. Its strange, not normal.

He explained that Mexico is experiencing a lot of unusual activity these days. He makes reference to the recent series of earthquakes that Mexico is still recovering from.

I dont know if its climate change, said Granados, but weve had tornadoes, storms, rains, floods, raining fish, eclipses, earthquakes, all kinds of natural phenomena that we arent used to, but that we are experiencing these days.

Although it is not a normal occurrence, the phenomenon is not unheard of. There have been past reports of raining frogs, fish, and even shrimp. A New York Times article talks about an impoverished town in Honduras that receives a fish rain at least once a year, becoming the only time the residents have access to seafood. The residents credit divine sources for the fish storms. They even hold festivals in celebration and crown a lucky young woman Miss Fish Rain.

A 2014 fish rain in Sri Lanka allowed villagers access to copious amounts of small, edible fish, BBC reported. The fish were very fresh, too. Some of the fish were still alive after they hit the ground, adding further questions to the phenomena.

Other incidents, even those from the 1600s, are detailed in a Newsweek article. The article talks about fish rains from even extremely early times, like Roman fish rains in the first century.

Scientists pin the phenomenon on sea life being lifted out and thrown huge distances from seas by waterspouts. A waterspout is like a tornado that forms over bodies of water. Waterspouts and sea life are the inspiration behind Sharknado.

According to the Newsweek article, the most famous occurrence was the 1947 Great Fish Fall of Marksville, when fish as long as 9 inches fell from the sky over Louisiana.

From NTD.tv
There are some wise books, such as the Bible, the Q'uran or the Ramayana, where you can turn to nearly any page and divine a sermon in the poetry. Jacqueline Woodson's "Another Brooklyn" is cut from similar cloth.

A lyrical coming-of-age novel about four girls in New York's Bushwick neighborhood in the 1970s, "Another Brooklyn" is told in verse, like Woodson's previous book, "Brown Girl Dreaming," which won a National Book Award. Her spare poetry conjures way more than what's on the page to bring the girls, their world and their dreams to vivid life.

"I wanted to make an ensemble piece where one story was just as important as another, and all the storytellers had to rely on each other for a sense of completion," said Woodson. She also wanted to fill in the "yawning gaps in the literature about black girlhood."

"Young people are often ignored and disregarded, but they are acute observers and learners of everything we say and do. My own daughter knows a heck of a lot about racial profiling."

Woodson has spent most of her career writing for youngsters. This is her first adult novel in 20 years. "Given what I know about black girlhood and womanhood, a lot of it was gonna be about the body and walking through the world in my black skin."

She spoke by phone in early September from her home after a sojourn in Europe. She and her partner, Juliet Widoff, a physician, spent the dog days traveling mostly in Italy and Scotland.

And what did they do? "We drank a lot of wine," she said, laughing.

The couple live in Park Slope, a tony part of Brooklyn far removed from Bushwick.

"We're an interracial family, and we're dealing with all that entails at this juncture in history," she said.

CONJURING AN ERA

Woodson was born in Ohio but soon moved to Greenville, South Carolina, to live with her maternal grandparents after her parents separated. Her mother, a devout Jehovah's Witness, eventually found a home in Bushwick in the late 1960s, sending for her daughter and son just as an exodus was underway.

A wave of families of color was moving into New York, while "white families were taking flight," she said. "Those who could afford it moved to Long Island and those places. Those too poor just moved across the tracks, literally."

New York City in the 1970s was a heady cultural stew where immigrants from all over the world interacted with native-born strivers to create a dynamic culture. The city itself was mired in neglect and devastation underlined by drugs and shellshocked Vietnam vets. Against this backdrop, DJ Kool Herc hooked up speakers and toasted over records to give birth to hip-hop, and graffiti artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat perfected their lines.

Brooklyn was ground zero for much of this creative ferment. Woodson's book evokes the milieu as we see August, Gigi, Sylvia and Angela  all with mothers who, for various reasons, cannot be present for them  turn to one another for support and comfort. The girls go through puberty amid the rough streets, learning to be wise and feisty in an inhospitable world.

"Another Brooklyn," published a year ago, recently came out in paperback and was a finalist for the National Book Award. Woodson said she wanted the book to nod, stylistically, to James Baldwin's novel "Another Country," set in 1950s Greenwich Village, and Nina Simone's song "Four Women," about black female archetypes. These works helped broaden the dream space for young people, especially those who felt like outsiders.

What she saw, growing up, was different from what she read or saw on the news.

"Our stories have been told by outsiders, and what they saw were junkies or addicts or crime. They saw pathology," she said. "But this was a neighborhood of strivers who were trying to make their way. I knew these people, and they had decency and strength and majesty. They were troubled, definitely, like all people."

Tragedy is present in "Another Brooklyn," but it comes with heart-rending poetry and evokes empathy  not pity, as so often happens in accounts by outsiders. Woodson points specifically to Meryl Meisler's recent photo book about 1970s New York, "A Tale of Two Cities: Disco Era Bushwick."

"She took photographs of the worst block in Bushwick to represent us, and juxtaposed that with Studio 54," said Woodson, still offended. "All the houses on that block were condemned or burnt down except for maybe five. My street, Madison  not far from there  had big Caribbean, Latin and African-American families. Strivers all, but she didn't see us at all."

CHURN, CHURN, CHURN

The churn is continuing in her old neighborhood as Brooklyn rapidly gentrifies, with white hipsters displacing poor and middle-class people of color. "It's getting Columbused, as we like to say," she said, laughing.

The author is careful not to try to be a spokesperson for causes or to posit herself as an expert. "I always say I write because I have questions, not because I have answers," she said. "It's true that you begin the conversation  that's the role of the artist. But it's not my job to tell us what to do next. I wish I had those tools."

Woodson maintains a regimen for her health and her writing life. She jogs to purge her head. And she meditates.

She returns frequently to the neighborhood where she grew up, even if her connection to it has changed. In "Another Brooklyn," she wanted to bring a high literary imagination to bear on people who were often misunderstood or dismissed in the popular culture.

"What I write comes from a place of deep love, and a deep understanding of all kinds of otherness," she said. "People who are living in economic struggle are more than their circumstances. They're majestic and creative and beautiful. I wanted to take readers inside the joy of double Dutch, running through the spray of a fire hydrant, or bringing out a grill to barbecue. In response to the outsider gaze, I wanted to show a place of love, where queer people and people of color had their joys. It's time we started taking up space inside our own narratives."

The author was surprised by the sensations that came rushing back as she did research for the novel. During the Reagan era, government trucks used to roll up in the neighborhood to hand out cheese.

"That was so offensive," she said. "People who took overprocessed government cheese were so pissed. I was a teenager and I understood it. 'What do they think we are, rats?' I remember the offense my mother took when they were handing out free lunches in the park, too. I wanted a baloney sandwich so bad, but my mother was like, 'I'd better not see you on that line.'

"The thing I found out is how much I held onto, how much stayed with me without my knowing that I needed to hold onto it," she said, pausing. "From people plugging their speakers into the lampposts to very graphic and very visceral moments of seeing the effects of heroin. My family was pretty religious, but I had friends, aunts and uncles who died of overdoses, or HIV from shared needles. Going back to those memories helped me to figure out what the book was going to be and what it was trying to say.

"Memory is the thing that we can hold onto and can own. No one can steal it or say it wasn't so."

Tell that to the hipsters.
A NHS (National Health Service) sign is pictured outside St Thomas's Hospital, near the Houses of Parliament, in central London on March 8, 2017. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

NHS Is Not Fit for the 21st Century Says New Chief Inspector of Hospitals

The National Health Service is not fit for the 21st century, the new chief inspector of hospitals has warned.

Professor Ted Baker claimed that hospitals are in danger of running out of beds and staff, with around half of the hospital beds taken by people who should not be there. He said major transformations need to be made to the system.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the former medical doctor said that the National Health Service (NHS) failed to spend money on the right thingsnamely, transforming the model of careduring the last Labour government.

It should have done it thenthere was a lot more money coming inbut we didnt spend it all on the right thingswe didnt spend it on transformation of the model of care, he said.

Professor Ted Baker has written his second column as Chief Inspector of Hospitals. You can read it here: https://t.co/UgP4YL4LsS pic.twitter.com/dKvQ10VfWY  CQCProf (@CQCProf) September 29, 2017

The new head of hospitals at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) criticized the NHS, saying it was stuck in the past.

The model of care we have got is still the model we had in the 1960s and 70s, he said.

He added, That is the fundamental thing that needs to change; we need a model of care that is fit for the 21st century and the population as it is now.

The former medical doctor expressed concern of a learned helplessness culture in some accident and emergencies (A and E).

Baker has written to all hospital chiefs, urging them to improve safety for A and E patients. He cited fears that the NHS may find it hard to cope with overcrowding this winter.

In an eight-point plan, he pointed out it was inappropriate for patients to be queuing in corridors and patients should not be left waiting in ambulances.

Baker became chief inspector of hospitals in August this year, succeeding Sir Mike Richards. The CQC is expecting to launch a report on the state of care next month.
North Koreans watch a statement by dictator Kim Jong Un on a television screen outside of the railway station in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Sept. 22, 2017. (ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images)

North Korea Admits Sanctions Are Having an Impact

Just weeks after the U.N. Security Council imposed new sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, the regime admitted that the restrictions were having an impact.

The new sanctions were passed on Sept. 11 in response to a sixth underground nuclear test by North Korea. They ban all natural gas sales to the North, limit the amount of oil that can be sold to the country, and ban its exports of textile products.

President Donald Trump, who pushed for the sanctions, originally had wanted a complete halt to the sale of oil, but received pushback from Russia and China.

North Koreas state media said on Sept. 29 that the sanctions are causing a colossal amount of damage. The media also threatened the United States with extinction.

It is a rare admission by the North Korean regimewhich frequently prides itself, in its propaganda, on being a model socialist nation that is indispensable to the worldof the effects of sanctions.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said while visiting China that new sanctions imposed on North Korea are starting to have an effect.

The Chinese are also telling us that its having an effect, and they have a pretty close-up view of it, Tillerson said during a joint press conference with U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad on Sept. 30.

Dictator Kim Jong Un has relentlessly pursued the development of nuclear weapons. The program was initially started by his grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and further advanced by his father, Kim Jong Il.

North Korean state media reported last month that its state nuclear program is nearing completion.

The regime has a history of continuing its expensive nuclear program despite the great suffering experienced by its people. At least 1 million people have died from starvation and disease in North Korea over the past 10 years, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.

Women work at the assembly line of a South Korean textile factory in Kaeson, North Korea, on May 22, 2007. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

A former guard at one of North Koreas prison camps said in a witness testimony released by the U.S. State Department on Aug. 25 that many of those imprisoned are like walking skeletons, dwarfs, and cripples in rags.

The regime spends up to 24 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on military expenditures, according to the most recent numbers from the State Department.

By comparison, NATO members have a target of spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense each year, with most members falling short of that. The United States spent 3.6 percent of its GDP last year on defense.

While visiting China on Sept. 30, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States has up to three direct lines of communication with North Korea at the moment.

We can talk to them. We do talk to them, Tillerson said.

Trump said on Twitter on Oct. 1 in response to Tillersons comments that hed told him he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man, referring to Kim Jong Un. Save your energy Rex, well do what has to be done! Trump wrote.

I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) also dismissed the idea that talks with North Korea would result in an end to its nuclear program.

[Tillersons] working against the unified view of our intelligence agencies, which say theres no amount of pressure that can be put on them to stop, Corker said.

Kim sees nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as his ticket to survival, Corker said.

Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly last month, Trump said that while the United States has great strength and patience, it would have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea if it is forced to defend itself or its allies.

Americas highest-ranking military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford Jr., said that it should be assumed that North Korea has the ability to strike the United States with a nuclear-armed missile.

Frankly, I think we should assume today that North Korea has that capability and has the will to use that capability, Dunford said before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Sept. 26.

China

Under pressure from Trump, China has agreed to impose stricter sanctions on North Korea. On Sept. 28, China gave North Korean companies 120 days to close down.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a meeting in Beijing on Sept. 30, 2017. (ANDY WONG/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinas Central Bank also instructed other Chinese banks to no longer provide funding to North Korea.

Chinas recent moves have been praised by Trump, who has described Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a friend.

Communist China is a vital lifeline to North Korea, which relies on it for trade and funding. China has been instrumental in the development of North Koreas nuclear program.

However, under Xis rule, things are appearing to change. Close relations with the North mainly had been cultivated by former Chinese communist dictator Jiang Zemin. While Xi is officially in power, Jiang still controls parts of the regime through his loyalists, limiting Xis ability to implement reform.
I'm very fond of poems in which the poet stands at a distance from whatever is going on and offers a report. This poem by Dorianne Laux, from her book What We Carry, (BOA Editions, Ltd.), gives us the flavor of an entire high school homecoming by observing just one father and daughter. And the third person in this third-person poem is, of course, the poet. Laux lives in North Carolina.

***

At the high school football game, the boys

stroke their new muscles, the girls sweeten their lips

with gloss that smells of bubblegum, candy cane,

or cinnamon. In pleated cheerleader skirts

they walk home with each other, practicing yells,

their long bare legs forming in the dark.

Under the arched field lights a girl

in a velvet prom dress stands near the chainlink,

a cone of roses held between her breasts.

Her lanky father, in a corduroy suit, leans

against the fence. While they talk, she slips a foot

in and out of a new white pump, fingers the weave

of her French braid, the glittering earrings.

They could be a couple on their first date, she,

a little shy, he, trying to impress her

with his casual stance. This is the moment

when she learns what she will love: a warm night,

the feel of nylon between her thighs, the fine hairs

on her arms lifting when a breeze

sifts in through the bleachers, cars

igniting their engines, a man bending over her,

smelling the flowers pressed against her neck.
OTTAWAConcern is growing that federal negotiators arent doing enough to protect the personal information of Canadians from prying U.S. interests at the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations.

Information technology companies and other digital economy insiders say federal negotiators appeared unprepared during this weeks third round of talks to counter an American proposal that would forbid the storage of sensitive data in computing facilities on Canadian soil.

Some warned that Canada appeared soft on the issue and might concede to the American demands in the interest of horse-trading  to potentially win concessions on higher-profile areas of contention, such as autos and agriculture.

They say giving in to American demands to open up a freer flow of cross-border data would not only undermine domestic privacy rights, but hamstring the ability of emerging Canadian companies to compete in the growing digital economy.

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At issue is so-called data localization, which would allow the government to protect the sensitive personal information of Canadians  especially health and financial records  from unwanted American intrusion, by storing it in Canada.

A senior federal official, who would only speak on the condition they not be identified, said the government would stand up for Canadians data and privacy rights at the bargaining table.

Widespread global concern has been stoked by fears of U.S. surveillance on private citizens, and requirements under the post 9-11 Patriot Act that gives American law enforcement access to data stored in U.S. facilities. Big companies such as Amazon and Microsoft have built servers in Canada to address privacy concerns.

Sources say U.S. negotiators proposed NAFTA terms that banned data localization, lifting language directly from the failed Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The U.S. position contrasts with British Columbia and Nova Scotia laws that require local data storage and appears to conflict with federal policy, which says sensitive or protected data under government control will be stored on servers that reside in Canada.

Canada lacks an overall strategy on the data and should not give in to American demands until it develops one, said Keith Millar, senior vice-president of Ottawa-based technology firm Pythian.

Data localization seems not to be negotiated as aggressively as agriculture or auto, said Millar.

Until Canada gets a national strategy together, we should keep it out of NAFTA.

Morgan Elliot, vice-president of Mississauga-based SOTI Inc., said data is the new gold of the 21st century economy and giving up access to it in NAFTA could have catastrophic consequences for the competitiveness of Canadian companies in the future.

We worry that might be something that could be given up in terms of supporting legacy industries like autos, said Elliot. The U.S. is playing the long-term game and I just worry that 10 years down the road we go, whoops that was more important than we thought.

One source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said industry representatives came away from a meeting this week with Canadian negotiators feeling that they were not up to speed on key issues.

Another source, who also insisted on anonymity for the same reason, said he believed Canada was preparing to give ground to the U.S. on data in exchange for an easier ride on autos and demands by the American dairy industry for greater market access.

The Canadian Council of Innovators, a group representing small- and medium-sized companies, urged the government prior to the latest round of talks to resist the U.S. proposals, citing concerns over the Patriot Act and less stringent restrictions on access to data for U.S. companies.

Allowing our data to reside across the border will grant the U.S. a significant economic advantage, as they will be able to access and use Canadian data in ways Canadian companies cannot, it said in a letter to Steve Verheul, Canadas lead negotiator.

This data could be used to identify trends to guide the investment, product development, commercialization and marketing initiatives, creating an un-level playing field.

Millar said Canadian negotiators need to address the concerns and clarify what theyre fighting for and what theyre giving away.

This isnt protectionism, said Millar.

Just giving up sovereignty of data and having North America viewed as the island of (the) Patriot Act would be detrimental to Canadian interest.

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The happy couple  event planner Esther Katzman and food writer Suresh Doss  were expected to host the perfect wedding.

Indeed, a month before the big day, every detail was in place  the remote Niagara estate was booked, the elaborate vanilla-ginger and chocolate-hazelnut cakes were ordered and the embroidered parasols from India were ready to be hung in the dining tent.

And then their caterer ghosted them.

Ive worked with chefs in the past and knew that a lot of them didnt check emails and preferred to keep their head down, Doss said. But when it came down to the three and four weeks before the wedding, we were in a bit of a panic mode, he admitted.

The first thing people said to us when we were sending invites was that the food and drinks were going to be amazing, said Katzman, 31, a senior account manager with event and marketing company Mosaic. I had people ask if they could buy a ticket to the wedding.

But with the wedding less than a month away, they had no food to serve their 128 guests.

The anxiety was growing and I told Esther that we needed to make a drastic decision, said Doss, 39. He called off the original caterer and with the last-minute help of a few of the citys best chefs and old friends in the food industry, the race was on to create a multi-course feast for 130 guests at a remote backyard venue in just 12 days.

Doss is the print editor of the Toronto edition of Foodism magazine and the new host of a weekly food segment on CBCs Metro Morning that explores the GTAs multicultural food spots. He leads private food tours introducing diners to international cuisines at family-run restaurants tucked away in the vastness of GTAs suburbs. So, while food is an important part of most weddings, the pressure to have good food was paramount.

In late July, after the caterer fell through, Doss ran into his friend Carl Heinrich, chef and co-owner of downtowns farm-to-table restaurant Richmond Station. The chef casually offered to help any way that he could. Days later, Doss fired off a late-night email to Heinrich asking if he could cater the event, which happened to be taking place on one of the busiest wedding weekends of the summer.

We didnt have the staff to do it, maybe if he asked us six months ago, but I told him Ill see what I could do, Heinrich said. He was keen on making sure there would be food at their wedding. After calling around to different chefs and caterers without any luck, Heinrich stepped up.

When a friend needs help, Im going to do what I can, Heinrich said. Hes always been supportive of my career, so we turned it into a collaborative food event, which is always fun for a chef to do.

Heinrich rounded up Richmond Stations general manager Jenn Hornak and three chef friends who happened to be free that weekend: Jesse Vallins of the Maple Leaf Tavern, Heinrichs fellow Top Chef Canada Season 2 competitor Trista Sheen and his former sous chef, Alex White, now the chef at Niagara Colleges Benchmark restaurant.

The chefs divided and conquered, hashing out a menu of dishes that could be assembled quickly on site using ingredients they already had, or could easily source such as carrots, fennel, zucchini and radish from Heinrichs bounty grown at the 100-acre organic farm, called the New Farm near Creemore, Ont.

Eight days before the wedding, Heinrich emailed the couple the first draft of the menu  including quinoa and corn lettuce wraps with soybean hummus, scallop crudo, duck liver pate on toasted brioche, and pork and rabbit terrine to start. Doss and Katzman were elated with the menu that spoke to their love of local produce and tapas-style dining.

With the main menu attended to, the Sri Lankan-born Doss concentrated on finding a caterer to make hoppers, sweet and savoury crepes made from a batter of rice flour and coconut and cooked in a wok.

We kept striking out because a lot of these guys arent used to cooking on such a big scale or could make the drive to Niagara.

So once again he turned to a chef friend, this time it was Johnne Phinehas, chef and owner of downtowns Saffron Spice Kitchen, a kothu roti takeout spot.

He had a friend who could do it, and we had a three-way phone conversation where Johnny acted as the translator since I wasnt completely fluent in Tamil, he says.

Two days before their big Niagara bash, the hopper station consisting of a half dozen mini woks and butane camping stoves was confirmed.

On the day of the wedding, all the food stations were ready. Guests parked on the side of the dusty country road and walked across the sprawling lawn of the venue, where the chefs were at their stations, grills fired up and coolers unpacked.

Carl showed up the day before to survey the venue and, with the exception of showing him where to put the garbage, we basically had no contact till it was time to eat, Doss said. As soon as I saw him and the other chefs pull up, we knew we didnt have to worry about the food.

It was the wedding feast of their dreams.

Everyone started their conversation with me by saying how the food was amazing and that I had to try this or that.

A sangria dispenser awaited guests at the bar along with wine and beers and ciders made for the couple by Oast House Brewers and West Avenue Cider.

Meanwhile, guests were welcomed with platters of pintxos and tapas: polenta fries with marinara sauce, grilled vegetables, salt cod on crusty bread, rabbit and pork terrine.

There were grilled sausage coils from Vallins, Heinrich and Sheen worked another grill serving bites of thinly-sliced charred skirt steak with chimichurri and flaky Sous-vide trout with corn puree.

A vegetable station offered wraps and beet salads, lighter fare than the late-night poutine truck White arranged from Niagara College.

The dessert buffet included the ginger-vanilla and chocolate-hazelnut cakes, marshmallows, meringues and pate de fruits made by Michelle Edgar of the Sweet Escape patisserie in the Distillery District. Platters of burfi, a dense and milky South Asian confection typically served at celebrations, from Al-Karam Sweets in Scarborough, rounded out the dessert table.

There was a point when the sun was going down and I was looking out on the yard, seeing people at the bar and at the tables with a glass in one hand and a plate of food in the other and we were relieved and honoured that Richmond Station was able to pull everything together, Katzman said.

Guests feasted and drank, celebrating the union, unaware that the wedding of two of the most food-obsessed people they knew almost didnt have any food on the table.

The couple did concede there was still one hitch that night: they forgot to put out the takeout food boxes for their guests.

karonliu@thestar.ca

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American tastemaker John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthiest passenger on the Titanic and founder of the five-star St. Regis hotel in New York City, perished in 1912 when the ship struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic.

Astors style-setting legacy, and hotel standards, live on and are coming to Toronto in a way that will join the city skyline. His St. Regis brand will illuminate the former Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto at 325 Bay St.  currently operating as the Adelaide Hotel.

The 65-storey hotel and residence will be rechristened St. Regis Toronto after an extensive renovation for a new look, new amenities and a new vibe. It will be the first St. Regis Hotel in Canada.

Seventy-four residential condominium suites, known as the St. Regis Residences Toronto, were to be offered for sale starting Sept. 28. The units, from 1,200 square feet up to 12,000 square feet, are priced from $1.6 million to $23 million.

JFC Capital acquired the Trump Towers 211 hotel units, 74 condos and amenity space this past March. In the previous 10 years, the Trump hotel had been plagued by construction delays, lawsuits, loan defaults and protests from people unhappy with the new American president. Donald Trumps company never owned the Toronto tower but licensed out the name and managed the property.

JCF bought out the Trump management contracts this past June and sold the hotel to InnVest Hotels, one of Canadas largest hotel portfolio holders. The hotel will be operated by Marriott International under its St. Regis brand, known for luxury, impeccable service and innovation. JCF retained ownership of the residential condo suites. (There are 118 condo residences in all; 42 had been sold before the JCF acquisition and one has been sold since).

This was a unique opportunity, says Jay Wolf of JCF Capital about the Trump Tower acquisition. It was an exceptional asset in the heart of the third largest real estate market in North America. That type of opportunity doesnt come around every day.

Tim Terceira, general manager of the St. Regis Residences Toronto and the Adelaide Hotel, says condo residents will enjoy the privileges of being connected to a five-star hotel and will have a dedicated director of residences.

Our job is to make sure this is the best investment in their lifestyle theyve ever made, says Terceira. We will get to know them as appropriate and make them feel at home. The service will be gracious, intuitive and prestigious.

A personal butler will assist residents with everything from arranging theatre tickets to organizing their daily itinerary. A private chauffeured car will be available. Theyll have access to the hotels amenities and services, including restaurant, bar, fitness centre, spa and room service, with preferred pricing.

The original hotel staff  including housekeepers and front office workers  has been retained. The restaurant, bar and spa, that had been contracted to third party operators, will now be operated and controlled by the hotel management. Guillaume Robin, former executive sous chef at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Naples, Florida, is now in charge of the kitchen.

From a service perspective, this hotel is already a four- or five-star and the staff understands luxury, says Terceira. What we will be doing is bringing the culture of the St. Regis, its processes and rituals. Those rituals include Afternoon Tea, Midnight Supper and Sunset Sabrage, where a ceremonial sabre is used to open champagne bottles.

The hotel lobby, amenity spaces, bar and restaurant will be refurbished before the hotel is rebranded as the St. Regis and are still in the planning stage. However, the residential condo suites in the Astor Collection have been updated and two model suites created by Toronto interior designer Ann Johnston.

Ive created transitional spaces that are more refined, not as theatrical, as they were, says Johnston. We also want to appeal to a new generation of multinational luxury travellers.

Shes opted for contemporary furnishings and neutral palettes that mix textures, with a few punches of jewel-toned hues. Light fixtures and countertops have been replaced and hardwood floors have been refinished to a modern, warm grey tone.

The condo suites feature coffered ceilings in foyer and principal rooms, hardwood flooring and wainscotting, electric fireplaces, Downsview kitchen cabinetry, Miele appliances and recessed halogen lighting.

There has been a lot of interest in the suites, and the original developer did a clever job of designing a building on a tight lot, says Kate Hay of JCF Capital. Its a prime location in the financial district ... There are a lot of condos for sale in the luxury space, but whats different with these is you dont have to buy off plans and are able to walk through the actual suites.

Buyers of the Astor Collection suites  named for John Jacob Astor IV  will receive a furniture package from Elte, initiation and membership in the private National Club and two years of free valet parking for two cars. They will also enjoy a favoured St. Regis ritual by attending a polo match in an international destination.

Toronto, like most major metropolitan markets, tends to have a very sophisticated clientele that appreciate and demand this level of services, says Wolf of JCF Capital. One of the things I find really compelling is the story of the St. Regis brand and it has an impact on everything we do. Its steeped in tradition and quiet luxury, and is the perfect brand for this building.

ST. REGIS RESIDENCES

Location: 325 Bay St.

Description: 73 residential condominiums within a 65-storey luxury hotel that was formerly Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto. The hotel is currently operating as the Adelaide Hotel and will be rebranded as Canadas first St. Regis Hotel.

Architect: Zeidler Partnership Architects

Interior designer: Ann Johnston (model suites and Astor Collection suites)

Suite sizes: 1,200 to 12,000 square feet

Prices: $1.6 million to $23 million

Suite features: Coffered ceilings, minimum ceiling heights of 10 feet, marble and hardwood flooring, electric fireplaces, separate showers and stand-alone tubs, heated bathroom floors, Downsview kitchen cabinetry, Miele stainless steel appliances.

Amenities: Access to all hotel amenities including bar, restaurant, spa, pool, fitness centre, housekeeping and room services at preferred pricing. Residence-only Sky Lobby on the 32nd floor. Twenty-four hour concierge, personal butler, valet parking (two years free), chauffeured car service.

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OTTAWACanadas finance minister got a grilling Friday from taxpayers who are boiling mad about the Liberal governments proposed tax changes for small businesses.

Bill Morneau was in Oakville, Ont., for a town hall meeting where a question-and-answer session boiled over more than once into a shouting match. Some were bellowing at Morneau to answer their questions, while others tried to shout them down to let the minister talk.

All the while, Morneaus fellow cabinet minister, Karina Gould, tried to maintain calm even as time was wrapping up with several people still lined up at microphones, anxious to give the finance minister a piece of their minds.

Morneau sat silently near the end of hour-long session as person after person approached the microphones in the room to argue against the measures.

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This is not the first room like this that Ive sat in, he said at the start of his closing remarks.

He brought up one question that stood out to him about what the government planned to do next, only to be asked by more than one person to answer it directly, once and for all.

Just to be clear, Im trying to say what were focused on. Im certainly not going to address the tax policy issues that we may consider after that. You cant do that.

You wouldnt expect us to come to policy decisions on the fly, he said, at which point the uproar began anew, and Gould had to ask the audience to let Morneau finish.

The Liberals have faced heated opposition to their plan ever since Morneau unveiled the proposed changes over the summer, with questions from within the Liberal caucus.

Opponents of the reforms insist the changes would hurt Canadians at different income levels and from many different sectors, including doctors, farmers and small business owners.

The rhetoric has become even more heated in recent days as the Opposition Conservatives have linked the changes to Morneaus family company, Morneau Shepell, which offers individual pension plans. One expert told the Commons finance committee those kind of plans could become more appealing if the tax proposals are implemented as-is.

Morneau brushed off the questions about his family business, which he helped run before entering politics.

I expect that when people have a strongly held point of view, theyll use multiple tactics to try and make that point of view heard. Thats what it means to be a politician.

Morneau has been waging a public relations campaign to reassure different sectors of the country concerned at how the changes would affect them. On Thursday, he said technical fixes were in the works to address farmers concerns that the changes would impair their ability to bequeath the family farm to the next generation.

During the Oakville meeting, Morneau told the audience the changes would only apply on a go-forward basis and that the Liberals would protect whats been done in the past.

Speaking afterwards, Morneau said the governments messaging on the proposed changes has turned into a game of broken telephone.

Many people seem to be focused on changes to things like income sprinkling and passive investments  strategies that probably dont apply to them because they are used by only a small subset of tax filers, he said.

Weve just been unable to get through the message that we want to keep small business tax rates low, that people could be looking at only some advantages that are available to only a very small subset of pretty wealthy Canadian controlled private corporations and concerned that impacts everyone.

Conservative finance critic Pierre Poilievre called the town hall meeting a rendezvous with reality for Morneau. Poilievre summarized what he heard from the meeting: Morneaus plan will not only pick their pockets, but screw up their life plans.

Morneau isnt ready to say what, if any, changes the Liberals will make to the proposal  only that he will keep listening to Canadians.

The issue will be on the agenda next week when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with his provincial counterparts.

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An Air France flight bound for Los Angeles from Paris made an emergency landing in Canada on Saturday after one of the jumbo jets four engines exploded in midair, passengers said.

Passengers aboard the double-decker Airbus A380, the worlds largest passenger airliner, described hearing a loud noise about five hours into the flight. The plane, which had just crossed the southern tip of Greenland, vibrated for several minutes.

About two hours later, the plane landed at Goose Bay Airport in Labrador, on the far northeast edge of Canada.

Photographs and videos shared by passengers on social media showed tattered metal surrounding the exposed interior of an engine, its white covering blown away. One fragment, dangling from the main body of the engine, bobbed in the wind.

Air France said in a statement that the engine had suffered serious damage but that the plane landed safely. The regularly trained pilots and cabin crew handled this serious incident perfectly, the statement said.

The company did not address a possible cause for what happened.

A passenger, John Birkhead, said he and his wife had just stood up to stretch when they heard the explosion.

We were just stretching and talking, and suddenly there was an enormous bang, and the whole plane shook, said Birkhead, 59, who was returning home to California after a two-week vacation. We were lucky we werent tossed to the ground.

Sarah Eamigh, another passenger, said she had been dozing when she felt her stomach plunge as the plane momentarily dropped, then lurched back up.

Eamigh, 37, who was returning from a business trip, described the sensation that followed as a pervasive humming feeling, entirely unlike the side-to-side motion of turbulence.

Of course, we were all anxious, she said. We had a quick drop, and that obviously made someone yell, and we were white-knuckling our chairs. The cabin remained relatively calm, she said.

Pamela Adams, a travel writer and family therapist from southern California, said she and her husband were on their way home from a trip in France, when six hours into the flight, they got up in the aisle to stretch their limbs.

We heard this tremendous bang. It was like the plane hit a Jeep at 35,000 feet, Adams said in a phone interview. It was a whiplash moment. We grabbed onto something and then we sat down, and the plane righted itself fairly soon.

Passengers nervously joked to one another as they tried to make sense of the commotion, Adams said. She figured the plane had struck a bird, but then, it became clear that the situation was more dramatic.

The pilot came on over the loudspeaker and said the plane had lost one of its engines and would be attempting to land in Canada, said Adams.

About 20 minutes after the disturbance, the captain, whom Eamigh described as sounding shaken, announced that an engine had exploded.

Several hours after landing at Goose Bay Airport, passengers were just getting off the plane.

Birkhead said he had heard the reason for the delay was that the small airport  which is home to three air carriers, a coffee shop, a gift shop and three car rental agencies  was not prepared to accommodate the number of passengers on a jet the size of an A380. (Even the worlds biggest airport, in Atlanta, has had trouble accommodating planes of that model.)

Nobodys told us why, but the speculation is theyve got nowhere to put 500-plus people  thats probably the whole population of Goose Bay, he said in an interview.

Air France said it was working to reroute passengers through one of its connecting sites in North America.

Eamigh said she was content, for the time being, on the tarmac.

You make friends in a situation like this, she said.

She added, with a laugh: It looks pretty cold outside, so were actually OK here.

With files from The Canadian Press

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The race to be leader of the New Democratic Party has rumbled down a long road since it quietly kicked off in January. There have been twists, but the course of the contest has generally followed a familiar route. Candidates came, candidates dropped out, policies were debated, French proficiency was scrutinized, and reporters speculated about who would win and by how much.

Now, finally, it is coming to an end.

Maybe.

Party members have been voting by mail and online since Sept. 18. On Sunday, the fruits of that effort will be revealed at a hotel on the Toronto waterfront. Charlie Angus, Niki Ashton, Guy Caron or Jagmeet Singh may become leader.

Or we may have to wait another week or two to find out who wins.

Chalk it up to the voting process installed by the party for the contest to replace Tom Mulcair as federal leader.

The NDP is voting by ranked ballot, which means each member will rank the candidates in order of preference from one to four. To win, a candidate must have the support of at least 50 per cent of voters. If nobody hits that threshold in the results unveiled Sunday, the fourth-place candidate will be eliminated, and voting will reopen Monday for a second ballot.

That process will repeat until somebody wins 50 per cent plus one vote.

The campaign, in part, has been a referendum on what went wrong in 2015, when hopes of forming government were dashed by Trudeaus Liberals, and the NDP was relegated back to its traditional slot as a third-place party. The result was deflating for the party and its supporters given the massive success of the Orange Wave in the 2011 election, when the late Jack Layton led the NDP to its historic zenith: 103 seats and status as the official Opposition in the House of Commons.

Each candidate in this race has presented a different version of how to get back to that level of success. Ashton has argued the key is to veer left and win youthful voters who were seduced by the Liberals in 2015. Angus says the NDP became too cautious and bureaucratic, and believes it needs to reconnect with its grassroots base to regain the trust of working people.

Caron, a Quebec MP and economist by training, has pitched himself as the man with the policy chops who can bring in the most Quebec seats, thus preserving the 59-seat beachhead from the 2011 election that was reduced to 16 seats in 2015.

And then there is Jagmeet Singh, the perceived front-runner. His campaign boasts that it brought 47,000 people into the NDP during the leadership race. He has also raised more money than his opponents. The Ontario MPP from Brampton blatantly asserts he will win the race, and has said he is best positioned to expand party ranks by bringing in new members from areas  such as his suburban GTA enclave  where the NDP has traditionally been sidelined.

Karl Belanger, a former close adviser to Layton and Mulcair, said in a recent interview that each candidate has tried to frame their campaign around their genuine personality strengths.

He pointed out that the NDP  and its socialist precursor, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation  has never shrunk its seat count in consecutive national elections.

Ultimately winning is what this is all about, he said. That is something that is obvious to me.

Whether thats possible against Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party remains to be seen. But David Coletto, a political observer and CEO of Abacus Data in Ottawa, said his firms polling shows it is at least possible.

Yes, the NDP has fallen from its historic heights under Layton and Mulcair, but many Canadians seem willing to countenance the idea of voting for the social-democratic party.

You look at the fundamentals and it says to me the NDP is down, but I dont think theyre out, Coletto said.

Speaking to reporters outside the House of Commons last week, in what may be one of his last interactions with the media before his successor is announced, Mulcair praised all four candidates in the race.

Im expecting us all to pull together and make sure that we support (the next leader) in everything they do, because whatever else happened in the last campaign, weve got 44 outstanding Members of Parliament now, really bringing the fight to the Trudeau Liberals, he said.

Sundays first ballot event begins in Toronto at 2:30 p.m.

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John Trevor Paul was supposed to spend Saturday celebrating his 33rd birthday, surrounded by his young children and a legion of friends and family.

Instead, Pauls loved ones spent the afternoon  cool but bright, perfect for a celebration  in mourning. Paul was shot in the chest Friday night behind Sheridan Mall, the second victim of a fatal shooting at the North York mall in the past month.

Today I was supposed to come and meet him on the block and we were supposed to play our music and enjoy ourselves before the summer ends, said one of Pauls close friends, 40-year-old John Charlemagne. Hes not there today. Its hurting me and its hurting everybody.

Paul was hanging out with friends in the parking lot behind the mall at Jane St. and Wilson Ave. just before 8 p.m. Friday, listening to music  something he did all the time, Charlemange said  when a vehicle approached the group.

Police said there was an altercation (Charlemange said he believes it was a robbery, but police wouldnt confirm that account). At the end of it, Paul was left with life-threatening injuries. He later died in hospital.

Paul was known in the neighbourhood for his car, a slick black Acura that was his pride and joy. Charlemagne said he believes that car is also what made Paul a target, as the victim had no enemies he knew of.

Hes a loving kid . . . He took care of his kids, his bills, whatever, Charlemagne said. What did they get from him when they killed him? Two chains?

Investigators said theyre searching for four suspects one who stayed in the car, and three others who got out. Police released surveillance images Saturday of a silver truck and three young male suspects, two in gray hoodies, one in a black hoodie.

The shooting happened a month after Jovane Clarke, 22, was shot and killed inside the same mall as shoppers scurried for safety. Police said Clarke was being pursued by four people, two of whom opened fire.

Two days later, on Sept. 2, 44-year-old Awad Hurre, was shot and killed in an apartment complex at Tandridge Cres. and Arcot Blvd., not far from the mall. Police said they were looking for links between the two fatal shootings as Clarke also lived in that same apartment building,

Toronto police Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu said its too early in the investigation to say whether the latest incident is related to the two previous shootings. However, police are looking into all possibilities.

Charlemagne said its the same set of people doing everything, saying his friends killers are cowards.

You never know when theyre going to hit, who theyre going to hit, he said through tears. Were just praying for nothing to happen again so the police can get them off the streets.

The front end of the mall was bustling, filled with shoppers going to and from their cars with arms full of bags. At the back end, however, about 30 of Pauls friends stood, many weeping as they set up a memorial in the parking lot where he was shot.

Foil balloons emblazoned with birthday wishes drifted in the breeze as mourners lay roses beneath them and wrote messages on a photo of Paul attached to a tree.

He doesnt deal with anything crooked, Charlemagne said, shaking his head. He doesnt have a criminal record. This is a good person. He didnt deserve to die like that.

Paul is Torontos 43rd homicide victim of 2017.

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There are eternal optimists. Then there are stubborn optimists.

After his talk in Toronto on Friday, Barack Obama pleaded for optimism, even though his own is now leavened by the recognition that progress can reverse itself.

What other option is there, really?

In many ways this is both the worst of times and the best of times, the 44th U.S. president said in a youth-focused talk to more than 2,000 people (my estimate) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

If you had to choose a moment in history to be born, and you didnt know ahead of time who you were  youd choose right now. This moment.

That kind of inspiring message was what a group of youngsters from Etobicoke/Rexdale had come to hear after community organizer Marcia Brown, who runs youth program Trust 15 persuaded the organizers Canada2020 for free tickets so the students being groomed for leadership would see their hero.

When I asked them what they were looking for, the word inspiration popped up every time. One student said empathy.

Theres not a lot of empathy going around the world, said 16-year-old Devang Ghosh. Barack Obama is the perfect example of someone who portrays empathy. I want to be like him.

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For them, there was more from Papa O.

Despite all the challenges that we face, despite all the bad news that we see flashing across our screens, if you ask yourself when has humanity across the board been wealthiest, healthiest, most educated, most tolerant, least violent, the moment would be now.

But what about the bad news, the xenophobia, the racism, the broken promises on climate change, the threat to walk away from NAFTA?

He kept it classy.

Zero was the number of times Obama mentioned Donald Trump in his 60 minutes with the audience (except in passing, once, as in Obama-Trump voters).

For four years, but especially in the waning weeks of his second term, I waited for Obama to rise up and throw off the yoke of having to appear in control lest he trigger the angry Black man stereotype. I waited for him to pull off a Martin Luther King-like speech from the conclusion of the Selma March of 1965, to rise up and inspire and warn of the dangers of what Trump stood for.

But, as the author Ta-Nehisi Coates has written, Obama was too optimistic to even consider the possibility of a Trump win.

Even on Friday, Obama insisted on focusing on working class voters and hearing what they have to say, although polls show that most white voters of all ages, genders and education levels backed Trump.

I waited, again, for him to take the gloves off  yes, you can, man. He never did.

No-drama Obama was not just a presidential veneer. I cant tell if it is iron will or born of detachment or if he just floats on moral ether outside our grasp. It is him. I find that at once immensely admirable and incredibly unsatisfying.

Oh, he alluded to the toxicity of today plenty of times. Once he said, If leaders are promoting our worst impulses rather than our best, nations can turn on themselves.

Another time, Im an old-fashioned guy. I like the Enlightenment and reason and logic and facts.

Perhaps the snarkiest remark, if you can call it that, was when he spoke about his beloved health-care legacy. You (Canada) dont seem to be having a debate about your health-care system. Were on our 62nd vote to repeal and replace it with something.

Among the five ideas he outlined to rearrange our politics, the first three were: focus on economic equality; work on international co-operation, especially on climate change; and harness diplomacy and nurture alliances to deal with threats such as North Korea.

I found the last two of particular interest. They were on immigration and information bubbles.

Were going to have to work to rebuild consensus to openness to immigrants and refugees, he said. In America, immigrants start about 30 per cent of all new businesses. But what we also have to recognize is that new immigrants can, in some circumstances, in certain markets, compete for services and construction jobs that previously had gone to low wage workers in those areas  And when folks feel that immigration is not orderly or fair, then it puts at risk our ability to sustain our future as a nation of immigrants.

See, there it was again. That gentle push to look at it from the other guys point of view. Hes right, of course. That is what we need right now. Is that what we want to hear right now? That brings us to point No. 5.

The fact that we are so connected also makes it easier for us to retreat into our own information bubbles, to listen to people who think just like we do, to never challenge our own assumptions.

Were going to have to find ways to push back on propaganda, to cultivate and lift up independent journalism, but also to train ourselves to listen to those with whom we disagree to ultimately work to bridge differences.

For the youth listening, his words filled them with hope.

For 15-year-old Hailey Toussaint, to see him in person, the first Black president, is very inspirational because to me he also represents change.

For Jason Owusu, 21, Now that I get the chance to actually see him and hear him talk, I feel like its going to really inspire me and get me to drive myself even more.

For youth like them, Obama urged active citizenship.

Ive often said the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice, quoting Dr. King, but it doesnt do so on its own. It requires those of us of good will to grab hold of that arc and pull it in the direction of justice.

Towards the end, Obama acknowledged his optimism is hard earned. It is not a naivete. It is an optimism that is based on the record of human achievement and progress. But it is leavened by the recognition that progress can reverse itself. It can go backwards  If people are unwilling to try to build trust with those who look differently or worship differently or love differently than they do, then you get less done.

We havent evolved so much that the possibilities of what we saw during World War II couldnt recur.

Shree Paradkar writes about discrimination and identity. You can follow her @shreeparadkar.

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A Sudanese man on track to become a permanent resident with his family has been granted a last-minute reprieve from his scheduled deportation.

Nasreldin Ali Akad Himad, 49, was to be deported Saturday morning. But Federal Court Justice Douglas Campbell ordered a review of the Canada Border Service Agency denial to defer his deportation, while his permanent resident application with his wife and three children was under way.

The family crossed into Canada in January from Saudi Arabia via the United States in January. Although they were all on the same claim, a refugee judge granted asylum to all except the father because she found him not credible.

Himads lawyer said the man is almost certain he will receive his permanent status with the rest of his family given he has already had security and medical clearance. But the border agency insisted on deporting him, tearing the family apart while the application is in process.

The judge found that removing Mr. Himad would constitute irreparable harm to both Mr. Himad and his family, said his lawyer Ashley Fisch, after an emergency request to court to suspend her clients removal.

Its unfortunate and disappointing that we had to take it all the way to the court because there were opportunities for the Government of Canada to have intervened beforehand. Nevertheless justice prevailed.

The judge felt there were serious legal issues raised by the border officers decision to refuse the deferral request and the court will hear about that in due course, Fisch said.

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As ghost hunters bring out their EVP recorders and night vision cameras in preparation for Halloween night, the Old Prison Museum in Deer Lodge is getting ready for a one-night-only engagement they're sure to enjoy.

Participants will follow in the shoes of professional investigators from "Ghost Lab," the Discovery Channel show that visited the prison complex a few years ago.

Tour guides will take ticket holders through the old prison, with the focus being on hot spots where people have reported ghostly experiences. Cameras and research equipment is strongly encouraged.

Tickets cost $50 per person. Visit http://pcmaf.org/paranormal/ghost-tours/ for more information and to purchase tickets. Advance tickets are required.

The tour will begin at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 and continue until 2:30 a.m. the next morning. The museum is located at 1106 Main St. in Deer Lodge.

Those attending the tour will visit the spots most likely to produce a paranormal experience. Guides will also share stories of the prison's past, including a deadly riot.

In April 1959, Jerry Myles, ring leader of the convicts, and accomplices Lee Smart and George Alton, seized rifles from the guard catwalks in both cellhouses. During the 36-hour riot, Deputy Warden Ted Rothe was shot and killed. A total of 26 prison employees and inmates were taken hostage in the siege.
On paper Che Marville was a stellar election candidate, and she was certainly no stranger to high-profile politics.

The prominent health and wellness advocate and mother of four has held leadership positions for the provincial and federal New Democrats and has a York University degree in political science. Politics even runs in the family  her uncle is Ovid Jackson, a former Liberal MP.

Thats part of why the longtime Oakville resident decided to carry the NDPs banner  albeit unsuccessfully  in the 2014 provincial election and again federally in 2015.

But Marville wont be making another bid for public office anytime soon, mirroring a trend among would-be female politicians that a one-of-a-kind research project seeks to analyze with data that suggest as women and racialized minorities chug through the political pipeline  from aspirant to candidate to MP  their prospects narrow, whereas the opposite occurs for white men.

For women, the toughest hurdle is at the nomination level, the first checkpoint into the political realm.

Racialized minorities come up against barriers further along, beginning at the candidate selection stage.

Thats according to Erin Tolley, who teaches political science at the University of Toronto.

Tolley is among the first to map the race and gender of more than 800 people vying for a political partys nomination ahead of the 2015 vote in 136 of the countrys most diverse ridings, where racialized minorities make up at least 15 per cent of the population, half of which are in Ontario. (Her tally uses Statistics Canadas definition of visible minority and therefore does not include Indigenous nomination contestants or candidates.)

Wannabe politicians must first successfully compete for their choice partys nomination in order to become the candidate in an election.

Though Tolleys project is still in the works, early findings suggest political parties arent doing enough to diversify the pool of candidates.

The dynamics for women and racialized minorities are different, she said. Thats important for parties to know because they therefore need to have different strategies if they want to attract and want to run women or racialized minority candidates.

Women make up 52 per cent of the population, but only accounted for 33 per cent of nomination contestants across those 136 ridings. The proportion of female election candidates ticked up slightly, to 36 per cent, and 31 per cent of elected MPs in those districts were women.

That suggests women are less likely to throw their hat in the ring, but once they do, they fare well.

Maybe women dont want to run, they dont want to be called Barbies, for example, Tolley said, citing veteran MP Gerry Ritzs now-deleted and apologized-for recent tweet that referred to Environment Minister Catherine McKenna as climate Barbie.

Tolley put the onus on political parties.

Political parties dont do sufficient work to identify women candidates and encourage them to run, she said. Frankly, not enough fingers are pointed at political parties. We dont need to change the electoral system to get women into politics. All parties need to do is nominate more women. Its actually pretty simple.

Racialized minorities dont experience the same obstacle.

According to the data, minorities declare their candidacy in proportions that match their presence in the population. However, by the time Canadians go to the polls the share of MPs of colour is far below that.

They want to be nomination contestants, but then the party is less likely to select them, and voters are even less likely to select them, Tolley said.

Across the 136 ridings, racialized minorities comprised 38 per cent of the population and 37 per cent of nomination contestants. That dwindled to 33 per cent of election candidates, and to 29 per cent of MPs  an eight-point gap between the number of hopeful nominees and those who won a seat on the Hill.

A contributing factor is one Tolley has previously explored  that minority candidates tend to compete against each other in battleground districts.

Thats because racialized minorities are more likely to run, and win, in more diverse ridings, Tolley said. For instance, three candidates of colour may vie for their partys nomination in an ethnically-rich district, and split the ballot.

So, you have this big pool of people who are interested, but theyre competing against each other, essentially cancelling each other out  and thats happening at each level, she explained.

As for white men, their political possibilities widen.

Thirty-nine per cent of nomination contestants in those diverse ridings were white men, and they comprised 40 per cent of candidates on the ticket. Nearly half, 48.5 per cent, of those who won a seat were white males.

Marvilles aversion to entering the political arena again is to the corporate mentality of a campaign. She isnt hanging up her hat because of back-to-back losses but rather what she considers a laziness that is endemic to all major parties and that stifles grassroots democracy, citizen engagement and diverse voices.

A (political) partys structure is not designed to really reach as many people as possible. It is designed to reach those who are already engaged and to put forward a brand and to put forward a strategic campaign . . . That doesnt seem like politics to me, Marville said.

Marville was acclaimed twice but said she was never naive about her prospects. She ran and lost in Oakville, which has never in its history elected a New Democrat to Queens Park or Parliament Hill. Marville said she was asked to run where she may have a better shot, but she refused because she wanted to represent her neighbours and community.

What institutional obstacles may impede women and minorities in politics is what the second phase of Tolleys research seeks uncover.

On election day, and broken down by the three main political parties in those 136 ridings, 47 per cent of the NDPs candidates were women. The Conservative ticket comprised 24 per cent women, while the Liberal party had 36 per cent female candidates.

Meanwhile, 35 per cent of Tory contenders, 38 per cent of Grit candidates and 27 per cent of NDP contestants had racialized minority backgrounds.

Each party tailors its own recruitment process.

The NDP sets a 50-per-cent target for female election candidates, falling shy of its goal in 2015 with 43 per cent overall, also the highest in the partys history.

But quotas dont automatically translate to proportional representation on the Hill, noted Marit Stiles, president of the federal NDP who is herself running for a provincial seat in Davenport next year.

When its a winnable riding, what you see is, largely, a lot of men in powerful positions that want to run there, she said, adding thats something all parties grapple with.

How do we ensure that we are putting those (diverse) candidates in ridings where they can win, (that) theyre not fringe ridings where we dont have a hope in hell, she said.

Anna Gainey, president of the federal Grits, said she doesnt anticipate implementing hard targets for that very concern. Instead, she trumpeted the Liberals Invite her to run initiative.

According to the party, nearly one-quarter of female nomination contestants and candidates said they chose to run in 2015 at least in part because of that campaign, in which average Canadians could nominate women they thought would make good public servants that the party would then reach out to.

The Tories maintain a merit-based approach, said spokesman Cory Hann.

We of course encourage women and people of all kinds of backgrounds to seek out nominations in our party, but the membership ultimately chooses the candidate they want to represent them  that is democracy, Hann said.

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LINCOLN, NEB.Four Nebraska beer stores criticized for selling millions of cans each year next to an American Indian reservation where alcohol is banned will remain closed after the state Supreme Court on Friday rejected their appeal.

The court thwarted the last-ditch effort to resume beer sales in Whiteclay, Nebraska, a tiny village on the border of South Dakotas Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The ruling upholds an April decision by state regulators not to renew the stores licenses amid criticism that the area lacks adequate law enforcement.

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is plagued by a litany of alcohol-related problems, including high rates of fetal alcohol syndrome, and activists complain that Whiteclay fuels those issues. The four stores  in a village with just nine residents  had sold the equivalent of about 3.5 million cans of beer annually.

Whiteclay has also served for decades as a remote hangout for people to panhandle, loiter, fight and pass out on sidewalks. Its residents rely on a county sheriffs office 37 kilometres away for law enforcement.

Todays Nebraska Supreme Court decision means that the shame of Whiteclay is over, said Dave Domina, an Omaha attorney for local residents who protested the liquor licenses. It also means huge rocks have been removed from the road to recovery for many of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Nation and the Pine Ridge Reservation.

The court rejected the retailers appeal on a technicality, arguing that they failed to include all parties of record when they asked a district court to review the Nebraska Liquor Control Commissions decision. The justices ruled that they couldnt review the case because the district court didnt have proper jurisdiction.

Our decision today does not address the merits of the parties respective positions, but rests solely on jurisdictional grounds, the court said in its opinion.

An attorney for the four stores did not immediately return phone messages Friday. A phone call to the Oglala Lakota Nations main government office rang unanswered.

Bob Batt, the Nebraska Liquor Control Commissions chairman, said commissioners wont likely approve any new liquor licenses in the area anytime soon.

Id say the chances of that are zip, he said.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, whose office defended the liquor control commission, said the ruling affords an opportunity to write a hopeful chapter in the story of Whiteclay.

Some residents in rural Sheridan County, which includes Whiteclay, said they were concerned that closing the stores could lead to an influx of drunken drivers on Nebraska roads. Authorities have reported a slight uptick in alcohol-related crashes but said its too early to call it a trend or to blame the closure of the stores.

Yes, the Whiteclay stores are closed now, but theres still drinking thats happening, said Rushville Mayor Chris Heiser, who opposed the decision to shutter the retailers. I just cant believe that in America these days, the government can come in and shut you down like that.

John Maisch, a former Oklahoma alcohol regulator who produced a documentary on Whiteclay and fought to close the stores, said he was elated with the courts ruling on Friday but noted that many adults and children will continue to suffer for decades with the effects of fetal alcohol syndrome. With the stores closed, he said he would turn his attention to working with local Pine Ridge residents on treatment centres for fetal alcohol syndrome and substance abuse.

Theres still a lot of work that needs to be done, Maisch said.

Sonny Skyhawk, a Rosebud Sioux tribe member and actor who lobbied Nebraska lawmakers to close the stores, said the ruling would help curb the liquid genocide that has taken place for more than a century.

Whiteclay was originally part of a 16-kilometre-wide , 8-kilometre-deep buffer zone created in 1889 to protect the reservation from whiskey peddlers. President Theodore Roosevelt returned all but 1.5 square kilometre of the land to the public domain in 1904, and alcohol merchants flocked to the area.

Well never be able to undo and replace the suffering of people who have encountered alcoholism due to Whiteclay, Skyhawk said. It devastated families from time immemorial. In fact, to this day, you can still feel the repercussions of alcohol on Pine Ridge.

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WASHINGTONBy now, much of the United States knows that Roy Moore is vehemently anti-gay and anti-Muslim.

Lesser known fact: Roy Moore is vehemently anti-preschool.

In fact, he wrote in 2007, the very institution is a liberal conspiracy to indoctrinate vulnerable children . . . just as the Nazis did.

Moore won the Republicans Alabama primary for Jeff Sessionss old Senate seat on Tuesday. His triumph, over a more moderate candidate backed by President Donald Trump, made national headlines.

If he beats Democratic lawyer Doug Jones in the December general election, the man sometimes known as the Ten Commandments Judge will become by far the most ideologically extreme member of the Republican caucus.

Moore, an evangelical Christian, has never been shy about his views about the immorality of homosexuality, the wrongness of Islam or the supremacy of Gods law over secular law.

He got kicked out of his job as Alabamas Chief Justice in 2003 for refusing to accept a federal court order to remove the massive Ten Commandments monument he had installed in the rotunda of the Alabama Supreme Court building.

After getting elected once more in 2013, he got kicked out again in 2016 for ordering state judges to ignore the national legalization of same-sex marriage.

Some of his extreme views have remained largely unknown.

Such as his deep antagonism toward preschool.

He outlined his theory in 2007 in one of his regular columns on WorldNetDaily, a far-right website, while criticizing a proposal for universal preschool from then-senator Hillary Clinton.

Firebrand jurist Roy Moore won the Alabama Republican primary runoff for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, defeating an appointed incumbent, Sen. Luther Strange, backed by U.S. President Donald Trump in an upset likely to rock the GOP establishment. (The Associated P0

Citing studies, he said preschool has proven to be ineffective.

He argued it is dangerous.

Why, then, do social liberals like Hillary Clinton push so hard for the expansion of preschool programs? Perhaps they understand the truth of Proverbs 22:6 better than most parents: Train up a child in the way he should go: and, when he is old, he will not depart from it. When the mind of a young child is subjected to state control before fundamental concepts and basic beliefs are formulated, the child is much more likely to learn a liberal social and political philosophy with the state as his or her master, Moore wrote.

Creation and God-given rights are more easily replaced with evolution and government-granted rights. Totalitarian regimes like those of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin knew well the value of a youth corps. As Hans Schemm, leader of the Nazi Teachers League, once observed, Those who have the youth on their side control the future.

When the Star asked whether Moore still holds his anti-preschool views, his campaign spokesperson and representatives of the foundation he started, the Foundation for Moral Law, did not respond.

Moores WorldNetDaily output included several examples of religious bigotry. In 2006, he argued that Congress should refuse to allow Minnesota Democratic congressman Keith Ellison, a Muslim, to be sworn in. Moore likened the Quran to Hitlers Mein Kampf.

In another 2006 column, he criticized then-president George W. Bush for hiring an open homosexual as ambassador to Romania and an admitted homosexual to serve as global AIDS coordinator. That same year, he argued that the military was endangering the country by allowing Muslims to serve in the military and opening mosques on bases.

In 2007, he castigated the Senate for allowing a Hindu to deliver the opening prayer, saying the countrys founders knew better. In another column that year, he described Hinduism and Islam as false religions.

Many of his columns were conventional defences of the right of Christians to practice their faith in schools and other public institutions. Some of them included revealing personal tidbits; in 2007, he wrote that he and his wife had walked out of the film Alexander, which was released three years before that, in response to scenes that depicted same-sex relationships.

Instead of a biographical story about the ancient Greek conqueror, we found ourselves walking out of a homosexual propaganda film, Moore wrote.

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A Florida school district this week transferred a fifth-grade teacher from working with children into a classroom with adults after the educator requested to be addressed with gender-neutral pronouns.

The teachers preferences  using the prefix Mx. and the pronouns they, them, their instead of he, his, she, hers  had been met with support from some Canopy Oaks Elementary parents and complaints from others, including a handful who pulled their children from the classroom, according to a district spokesperson. The Leon County school district said teacher Chloe Bressacks transfer was a mutual decision.

Given the complexity of this issue, we both agreed a different environment would be best for Teacher Bressacks educational career and for the young students at Canopy Oaks, superintendent Rocky Hanna said in a statement.

Bressack has declined interviews about the situation at the Tallahassee school, but while attending a protest in support of transgender rights in February, the teacher spoke out about the difficulties of being a transgender educator.

I had people look me in the eye and tell me that I am selfish for being a teacher, selfish for putting myself in a position where I am around children and exposing them to the transgender lifestyle, whatever that is, Bressack told the Famuan, a student publication of Florida A&M University. I will not be spending my entire life pretending to be someone that I am not.

Gina Duncan, director of Transgender Equality for the LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Florida, said most school issues involving transgender rights involve students, but faculty and staff have difficulties, as well.

Whats interesting about this is that the pushback is usually based on someone changing their identity, transforming from male to female, or female to male, Duncan said. But when you look at this situation, this person simply wants to be referred to in a certain way.

Bressack was hired by Leon County Schools on Sept. 1. A week later, the teacher sent a letter home with students listing typical welcome letter information  experience, enthusiasm for the new year, favourite animal (giraffe), favourite candy (Sour Skittles).

The letter then included this paragraph:

One thing you should know about me is that I use gender neutral terms, Bressack wrote. My prefix is Mx (pronounced Mix).

Days later, a parent posted the letter on Facebook, and controversy erupted.

I dont think its up to teachers to make these decisions for kids. Its not up to our teachers to teach these kinds of ideas (after all  a boy is a boy and a girl is a girl), wrote Facebook poster Amanda Somerset, who said she knew Bressack and considered the educator to be a great person.

Bressacks letter has garnered worldwide attention, including scorn from many right-wing groups. Some said they took issue with the grammatical use of the typically plural pronouns Bressack preferred. Others, including former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, insisted its wrong to deviate from binary gender designations in schools.

A transgender teacher in New York said teachers should be addressed in the manner they prefer. But the teacher, who asked not to be identified because of difficulties she had after some parents learned she was transgender, said some schools hold transgender educators to different standards than others.

Some teachers want to be called Mr., or Ms., or Mrs., or some teachers let students call them by their first name, she said. Its the same as if a heterosexual teacher got married, and takes her husbands name in the traditional style. If she asks her students to call her by her new name, nobody has a problem with that.

With Bressacks request, she said, the issue wasnt about words.

Its about this teachers humanity, and accepting them for who they are, she said. Our preferences as trans people, thats what theyre not accepting.

In the welcome letter, Bressack, who taught math and science to approximately 110 elementary students, invited students and parents to talk to them or the administration if they had any questions.

I know it takes some practice for it to feel natural, but in my experience students catch on pretty quickly, Bressack wrote. Were not going for perfection, just making an effort!

Chris Sands, secretary of the Tallahassee PFLAG group, which supports the LGBTQ community, said he understands why Bressack was moved if the issue was becoming a distraction to the school.

Its a tough line for the superintendent to walk, Sands said. We have an anti-discrimination policy in Leon County schools. Its about the safety of the students.

Sands said he believes the students didnt have a problem adjusting to the gender-neutral pronouns Bressack requested.

I think the reaction thats happening is loud, vocal, irrational, and coming more from parents than students, said Sands, who has children in Leon Countys elementary schools. I think most kids accept it.

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BEIJINGU.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged on Saturday that the United States is maintaining direct channels of communications with North Korea even as tensions rise over the Norths nuclear and missile programs and the countries leaders spar through bellicose name-calling.

Tillerson said the U.S. was probing North Koreas willingness to talk, and called for a calming of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, adding it was incumbent on the North to halt the missile launches.

We have lines of communication to Pyongyang. Were not in a dark situation, a blackout, Tillerson told reporters during a visit to China. We have a couple . . . three channels open to Pyongyang. We can talk to them, we do talk to them.

Read more: U.S. to send strategic military assets to South Korea to deter the north, Seoul says

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No elaboration about those channels or the substance of any discussions came from Tillerson, who met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top officials in Beijing.

While Tillerson affirmed that the U.S. would not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, he also said the Trump administration had no intention of trying to oust Kim. Despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilizing forces north of the DMZ, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war, and the Demilitarized Zone divides North and South Korea.

Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the U.S. has restored a diplomatic back-channel between the State Department and North Koreas mission at the United Nations. Thats traditionally been a way for the two sides to communicate because they lack formal diplomatic ties.

The main aim of the initial contacts was to seek the freedom of several American citizens imprisoned in North Korea, although U.S. officials have told The Associated Press that there were broader discussions about U.S.-North Korean relations. Those contacts, however, have failed to reduce the deep mistrust between the adversaries and its unclear to what extent they have endured the current spike in tensions.

North Korea has in recent months tested long-range missiles that potentially could reach the U.S., and on Sept. 3 conducted its largest nuclear test explosion to date. The standoff has entered a new, more dangerous phase since then as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Trump have exchanged personal insults and threats of war.

I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down, Tillerson said. Theyre a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first. He did not directly address the impact of Trumps own rhetoric.

Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot, Tillerson said.

Trump gave a combative speech recently at the UN General Assembly in which he mocked Kim as Rocket Man on a suicide mission. Trump said that if forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. Kim responded by saying he would tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.

Tillersons stop in the Chinese capital was helping lay the groundwork for a November state visit by Trump, part of a five-nation swing through Asia. Trump has pressed for sterner measures against the North by China, the Norths chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support.

Beijing adamantly opposes steps that could bring down Kims government, but appears increasingly willing to tighten the screws. China has agreed to tough new UN penalties that would substantially cut foreign revenue for the isolated North.

On Thursday, Beijing ordered North Korean-owned businesses and ventures with Chinese partners to close by early January, days after it said it would cut off gas and limit shipments of refined petroleum products, effective Jan. 1. China made no mention of crude oil, which makes up the bulk of Chinese energy supplies to North Korea and is not covered by UN sanctions.

China has banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore, and seafood since early September. Still, Washington hopes China will exert even greater pressure.

China argues that sanctions alone cannot solve the impasse, and has urged Washington to cool its rhetoric and open a dialogue with North Korea. But the North is coming closer to having a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike America, and says it will only discuss the weapons programs if the U.S. abandons its hostile policy toward the North.

This was Tillersons second visit to China as Americas top diplomat. China is the worlds No. 2 economy and chief U.S. rival for influence in Asia, and increasingly, the world.

In addition to North Korea, the U.S. and China have other security concerns to address.

They are at odds over Beijings military buildup and assertive claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea. Trump is also looking to reduce Chinas massive trade surplus with the U.S.  $347 billion last year  and what American companies say are unfair barriers to investment, including pressure to hand over their technology.

In opening remarks at his meeting with Xi, Tillerson said relations between the sides continue to grow and mature on the strength of the relationship between yourself and President Trump.

He added: We look forward to advancing that relationship at the upcoming summit.

Trump and Xi met in April at Trumps estate in Florida. Trumps planned visit next month will come weeks after Xi is expected to receive a new five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party.

The presidents upcoming meeting promises to be grander and more choreographed than the informal talks in Florida that were most memorable for Trumps ordering a missile strike on Syria and then informing Xi about it afterward as they ate chocolate cake.

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The triple whammy from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria are causing a lot of people to reconsider where they retire. Some of the places that often appear on the many "Best Places to Retire" might now end up on the "Worst Places to Retire" list instead.

But hurricanes are not the only natural disaster that can ruin your retirement. Temperature extremes, earthquakes, tornadoes, forest fires, and flooding also are devastating. As climate change has a greater impact on our environment, the dangers of natural disasters to where you decide to retire are important considerations, writes John Brady, president of TopRetirements.com.

Natural disaster risks might be just as critical as cost of living, taxes, culture, climate, proximity of friends and family, and recreational opportunities, according to Brady, who has researched what and where those risks are, and how to avoid them for a special report on TopRetirements.com.

Here are some of the major risks to your retirement home safety, and how you can mitigate those risks.

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This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.
Canadian grocer Metro Inc. confirmed Wednesday, Sept. 27, that it's in advanced talks to acquire drugstore chain Jean Coutu Group Inc. in a deal valued at about C$4.5 billion ($3.6 billion).

"The Jean Coutu Group and Metro will inform stakeholders and the public of significant developments regarding the proposed combination," the companies said in a statement. "The parties will not comment any further."

Under the terms of the agreement Metro would pay C$24.50 per share, comprised of 75% cash and 25% Metro shares, after talks and a nonbinding letter of intent signed Aug. 22.

Both companies are headquartered in Quebec, Metro in Verdun and Jean Coutu in Varennes. Metro and Jean Coutu did not respond to requests for comment.

Founded in 1969 as a single discount pharmacy in Montreal, Jean Coutu now operates 419 franchised stores in Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario. The company was formerly Rite Aid Corp.'s (RAD) - Get Free Report largest shareholder following Rite Aid's 2006 agreement to acquire Jean Coutu's U.S. operation for $3.4 billion in cash, stock and debt. Jean Coutu gradually shed its 32% stake in Rite Aid, fully exiting the investment in 2013.

The Coutu family, which controls Jean Coutu under a dual-class structure, supports the transaction. CEO Francois Coutu said in a January interview with Francophone network TVA that shareholders were reassessing their investment in Jean Coutu due to the uncertainty of Quebec's planned generic drug reform, which was forcing the family to "reconsider...our investment here" in the province and consider selling. His father, the company's eponymous chairman, added, "There might be hungry wolves around our company. But we're French-Canadian enough to say no."

Metro, operating in Quebec and Ontario, is the third-largest Canadian supermarket chain after Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and Sobeys Inc.

The deal, the latest example of consolidation in Canadian retail, follows Ontario-based Loblaw's $12 billion deal to a different Canadian drugstore chain, Shoppers Drug Mart Corp., in 2013. On Dec. 28, for instance, San Francisco pharmaceutical company McKesson Corp. (MCK) - Get Free Report closed its C$2.9 billion purchase of Canada's second-largest drugstore chain, Rexall Health.

Since its $1.4 billion acquisition of Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.'s Canadian business in 2005, Metro has eschewed transformative acquisitions, sticking to small niche deals.

On Aug. 1, for instance, Metro acquired a majority stake in Canadian meal kit company MissFresh Inc. for undisclosed terms. In April, Metro bought out the shares it didn't already own in Middle Eastern food retailer Marche Adonis, six years after buying a 55% stake in the company. Metro also in 2014 acquired a majority stake in Quebec bakery Premiere Moisson, whose founders retained a 25% stake.

The companies have yet to disclose financial or legal advisers on the transaction, though Jean Coutu took financial advice from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch & Co. and Deutsche Bank AG when it bought part of the Eckerd drugstore chain from J.C. Penney & Co. (JCP) - Get Free Report for $2.375 billion in 2004. McDermott Will & Emery LLP and Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP served as outside counsel for that deal.

For the Rite Aid transaction in 2006, JPMorgan Securities Inc. provided financial advice to Jean Coutu, which retained O'Melveny & Myers LLP as its outside counsel.

Jean Coutu shares rose 5.9% to C$24.45 in midday trading Wednesday. Metro shares rose 4.4% to C$41.87, valuing the would-be buyer at about C$9.5 billion.

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Editors' pick: Originally published Sept. 29.
American International Group Inc. (AIG) - Get Free Report , the insurer that gained notoriety after a $182 billion bailout during the financial crisis, has finally extricated itself from the heightened government scrutiny it was subjected to afterward.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council, chaired by President Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, agreed on Friday, Sept. 29, to lift the New York-based firm's designation as a systemically important financial institution. The label, developed as the government set up safeguards to prevent a repeat of the 2008 crisis, was applied to companies large enough that their failure could imperil the U.S. economy.

The council didn't specify the reasons for its decision, which was made on a 6-3 vote and announced early Friday evening. AIG has, however, paid back the government's investment, pared the assets on its balance sheet by 52% from $1.05 trillion the year before the crisis and sold a number of businesses amid pressure from activist Carl Icahn.

"The council's decision reflects the substantial and successful de-risking that AIG's employees have achieved since 2008," said Brian Duperreault, the insurance veteran appointed CEO in May. "The company is committed to continued vigilant risk management."

The determination was supported by Mnuchin, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Acting Comptroller of the Currency Keith Noreika, Commodities Futures Trading Commission Chairman Christopher Giancarlo, National Credit Union Administration Chairman Mark McWatters and independent member Roy Woodall.

Following the announcement, AIG climbed to 1.4% to $62.23 in after-hours trading in New York.

"The council has worked diligently to thoroughly reevaluate whether AIG poses a risk to financial stability," Mnuchin said in a statement, noting that the group was required to reevaluate its designations at least once a year. "This action demonstrates our commitment to act decisively to remove any designation if a company does not pose a threat to financial stability."

A former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. employee, Mnuchin has worked with the president to loosen post-crisis regulations that Trump argues have curbed economic growth because they were overly restrictive.

But Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat who championed the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and fought for stronger oversight of Wall Street, said loosening the restrictions on AIG is a step backward.

"This decision shows once again that the Trump administration cares more about rewarding Wall Street executives than protecting Americans from another financial crisis," she said in a statement. "AIG got a $180 billion taxpayer bailout less than a decade ago, and without proper oversight, it will remain a huge and interconnected company that could bring down the financial system again."

The removal of AIG's "systemically important" designation leaves only one non-bank company operating under the stricter post-crisis rules, Prudential Financial Inc. (PRU) - Get Free Report

General Electric Co. (GE) - Get Free Report , which previously carried the SIFI label, convinced the council to remove it in 2016 after former CEO Jeffrey Immelt decided to sell most of the conglomerate's once-sprawling lending unit. In the process, GE Capital trimmed its issuance of commercial paper by 88%, from $43 billion to $5 billion, taking it from the top U.S. issuer of such short-term securities to less than a tenth of 1% of the market.

General Electric is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS charitable trust portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer and the AAP team buy or sell the stock? Learn more now.

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Were about to find out what Google has in store for the next Pixel. On Wednesday (Oct. 4), Google is taking the wraps off its next smartphone  along with a host of other revamped products  so we can see whats new with the device thats supposed to embody the purest Android experience.

Early leaks suggest were not in for a radical overhaul of the Pixel lineup. The larger Pixel XL could get a bigger screen with smaller bezels, while the follow-up to the 5-inch Pixel doesnt sound all that different from this years model. And Google may struggle to match what Samsung and Apple have done with their 2017 phone releases.



Given all that, will the Pixel 2 have what it takes to succeed? That all depends on whom you ask, and how you define success. If the rumors about Googles next phone lacking dual cameras and wireless charging pan out, the Pixel 2 has an uphill battle to win smartphone users hearts and minds. But wider distribution could make a big difference.

Wheres the Wow?

Thanks to an abundance of leaks, we already have a good idea of what were likely to see with the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The phones are expected to feature a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of storage and high-resolution OLED displays. Theyll be waterproof, and the larger Pixel 2 XL will have a taller 18:9 aspect ratio and very slim bezels. Sadly, the headphone jack looks to be gone; thats happening to a lot of phones these days.



Google needs to give consumers a reason to buy the Pixel beyond its camera and a clean Android software experience.  Avi Greengart, research director, GlobalData.

But the Pixel 2 phones appear to be missing two features that customers are starting to expect in an $800 smartphone  dual-rear cameras and wireless charging. These arent found on every high-end phone, but theyre starting to become standard, and theyll be conspicuous by their rumored absence in the new Pixels.

(Image credit: DroidLife)

Googles going to have to make the case that neither of these things matter. Wireless charging isnt necessary because  perhaps  the battery life on the new phone will be so amazing that you wont ever need to top off in the middle of the day. Or that the single lens on the new phone can easily achieve amazing portrait shots with neat faux-bokeh effects that dont require a second lens.

And maybe well see really cool augmented-reality apps (using Googles ARCore tools) that quickly and accurately track difficult environments using only a single camera.

Thats all possible, but it doesnt mean Google doesnt have its work cut out for it, especially after all that Samsung and Apple have done this year. Samsung added dual-rear cameras to the Galaxy Note 8, joining Apple, LG, OnePlus, HTC and others in offering that feature. Apple just improved its existing Portrait Mode on the iPhone 8 and iPhone X with lighting effects while also adding wireless charging capabilities to its phones. With those features getting such heavy play, Googles going to have a tough time convincing people that its new Pixels stand out for other reasons.

Thats not to say the Pixel 2 wont have great features, only that theyll be tough to market beyond the well-informed enthusiast market.

Making the Case for the Pixel 2

The current Pixel has three primary selling points. One is an amazing camera  it ranked among the best of any smartphone before the arrival of the iPhone 8 Plus and Note 8  with unlimited full-resolution cloud storage in Google Photos. Look for Google to double-down on camera hype, and thats definitely the kind of thing you can stuff into a 15-second TV commercial to get the public excited.

But the Pixels other distinguishing features are more difficult to advertise. The Pixel is the only Android phone that gets OS updates right away. Other premium phones get them only after months of waiting  if at all.

Whats more, the Pixels real-world performance is truly a cut above. No matter what the benchmarks numbers say, the responsiveness and smoothness you feel when using a Pixel, especially after many months, is unmatched by other Android phones.

Remember last year how distribution was limited to Verizon Wireless and Google Store? Now we expect it to be across all the major carriers here in the U.S.  Ramon Llamas, research manager, IDC

These are likely to remain standout features when the Pixel 2 arrives as well, and theyre going to be the reasons Android enthusiasts will want it. But Google needs to reach out way beyond the faithful. It needs to somehow market these strengths to the average smartphone buyer. And it needs to do so without angering its partners that make other Android phones, or carriers who insist on loading those phones with bloatware.

Google needs a compelling wow feature, and from the looks of the leaked images, the design isnt going to be it.

Google needs to give consumers a reason to buy the Pixel beyond its camera and a clean Android software experience, said Avi Greengart, research director at GlobalData. A great camera is a start but Google needs other marketable features.

(Image credit: DroidLife)

Tuong Nguyen, of Principal Research at Gartner, believes Google is likely to make its case by showing how well software features work together: Yes, hardware is good, but I think what they do with it and how they integrate it with other technologies, thats going to be the differentiator. I think one of the big ones will be around A.I.  how Google Assistant is going to integrate with all your applications. Recognizing my voice, recognizing my contacts, anticipating my needs based off all the stuff it knows about me.

MORE: 10 Cheap VR Headsets (Under $40) Ranked from Best to Worst

Last year, Google Assistant and Daydream VR appeared on the Pixel months before other phones. It wouldnt be surprising to see Google Lens, an image-recognition feature that integrates with Google Assistant and made a big splash at Google I/O, to make its debut on Pixel 2.

Ramon Llamas, research manager for market research firm IDC, argues that success for Google isnt about sales numbers, but building a holistic experience.

Think of all the announcements that Google made at I/O this past spring relative to Google Lens, Daydream, and recent announcements around VR and AR, Llamas said. Googles success will depend on how well those experiences are vis-a-vis what Apple and Samsung have out there now.

Still, to what degree can Google rely on touting software features that will eventually make their way to other Android phones in a few months? The original Pixel may have been the first to offer Google Assistant, but its now fairly ubiquitous on most major smartphones  even iPhone owners can download an Assistant app. Its the same story with the Daydream View virtual reality headset, which now works with multiple phones.

For this years phones, Google will have to persuade the public that its early-access features are, if not exclusive to the Pixel 2, at least best on Pixel 2.

Whats at Stake for Google

Even if Google manages that feat, theres no way the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL can hope to match the sales numbers of the iPhone. No matter how high the demand for Googles next phone may be, the supply chain infrastructure and manufacturing capacity of Google and its partners is simply insufficient to crank out more than 200-plus million phones in a year.

(Image credit: Galaxy S8. Credit: Samuel C. Rutherford/Tom's Guide)

Its also unreasonable to expect Google to outsell Samsungs high-end phones (the Galaxy S8 and Note 8). Samsung has many years invested in carrier partnerships, worldwide distribution channels, and all the deals necessary to get all the parts they need to manufacture tens of millions of those phones. Googles working on it, but those things take time.

But being a sales leader may not be necessary for the Pixel 2 to be a success. The Pixel brand is meant to be a standard-bearer for Android on the high end; it allows Google to show the world the way Google thinks mobile devices should be done. The Pixel brand is a success not if it wins the sales race, but if it fosters a desire in the public for high-end Android phones that dont deviate from Googles harmonious software and services stack.

MORE: What the $1 Billion Google-HTC Deal Means for Your Next Phone

Google wants to make stock Android (or something close to it), Google apps and services, a lack of carrier or manufacturer bloatware and rapid software updates into gotta-have-it features for high-end Android phones. To do that it doesnt necessarily need to outsell Samsung or Apple, but it needs to be popular enough to be a part of our cultural conversation around phones. Something that even the non-enthusiasts have heard about and will seriously consider.

GlobalDatas Greengart summed it up nicely: Google does not need to unseat Samsung at the high end, but if it wants its AI and VR solutions to succeed in place of Samsung's proprietary options, it must have a credible installed base.

Greengart estimates that the Pixel phones have sold over a million units, but that falls way short. I would think that it needs a multiplier, not simply strong growth year over year, he added

Sales estimates for the original Pixel vary, but most put it in the 3 million to 5 million range at best. Gartners Nguyen agrees that sales need to increase drastically, even if the goal isnt to outsell Samsung or Apple. When you think about 3 to 5 million phones, thats a drop in the bucket, he said. Even if they did slightly better than thatthere were 135 million premium phones sold last quarter.

An End to Exclusivity?

The Pixel was only available through one carrier: Verizon. You could buy the phone unlocked from Best Buy or directly from Google, but the vast majority of buyers in the U.S. get new phones from their carriers.

If Google hopes to have a cultural impact that makes its vision for a Google-centric high-end Android phone a reality, its going to have to get into other carrier stores.

Thats tricky. Googles deal with Verizon limited the apps that Verizon could install on the phones to just three: My Verizon, Go90 and VZ Messages. These apps simply downloaded from the Play Store upon initial setup and could be removed as easily as any other app. Whats more, software updates to Pixel phones bought through Verizon roll out at the same time as all the unlocked phones. Verizon phones got Android Oreo a mere three days after Google rolled it out to unlocked Pixels.

(Image credit: Android Police)

These are massive quality-of-life improvements for consumers, but totally anathema to the way carriers typically operate. Can Google strike similar deals with the other three major carriers?

IDCs Llamas believes its going to happen. IDC data indicates that the Pixel sold only 2.8 million units worldwide, but the Pixel 2 will be more widely distributed. I think it is a forgone conclusion that Google will sell more than that number, he said. Remember last year how distribution was limited to Verizon Wireless and Google Store? Now we expect it to be across all the major carriers here in the U.S. Given that dynamic alone, I think Google will sell more.



MORE: Best Galaxy S8 Alternatives

Its not just about carriers, but countries and production volume, too. Greengart points out that the Pixel was limited to North America, Australia, the U.K. and Germany. Even with that limited global footprint, production problems made the phones hard to keep in stock. If Google wants to maximize sales, he says, broad distribution is crucial.

The HTC Factor

Google just bought HTCs smartphone design and engineering departments for $1.1 billion. How does that factor into the Pixel 2s odds of success?

The short answer is: It doesnt. According to reports, the smaller Pixel 2 will be manufactured by HTC and the larger Pixel 2 XL by LG. Its way too late to change that, and as Google integrates HTCs phone design and manufacturing over the coming year, its not going to have any real material change on these particular phones.

The HTC deal sets Google up to have a greater hand in the design and manufacture of the next Pixel, or perhaps the one after that. Its a big step toward giving the company the capacity to entirely design and build its mobile products in-house. But designing and manufacturing a high-end phone is a very long process.

Even if Google moves incredibly quickly, the first phones to show the fruits of this deal are at least a year away.

Outlook

With the Pixel 2, Google has a tough road ahead. Simply making the phone broadly available  more carriers, more countries, better production  would go a long way toward boosting sales. But its tough to get carriers to go along with Googles no bloatware, rapid updates policies.

Even with greater availability, Google must make a jaded public with a lot of other options want a premium phone that doesnt have some of the features Samsung and Apple heavily market on their comparably-priced models. It needs a wow factor, and none of the early information we have has shown that its got it. If Pixel 2 has a compelling story to tell, its going to have to be in software and services.
Viva Bahrain, a top telecom provider in the region, has tested and deployed the world's first ATCA-NFV hybrid cloud core network with Huawei, as a further step in its vision towards advanced mobile network services technologies.



As early as 2016, Bahrain Viva worked with Huawei to deploy a unified cloud platform which lays a solid foundation for the future of network development.



On one hand, with the rapid development of 4G network in these years, bearing 4G voice service over the IMS has become a consensus. On the other, Vivas traditional IMS and EPC network must keep up with the explosion in mobile data demand.



After meticulous evaluation to understand the unified cloud platform advantages, Viva created the "One Cloud" core network construction plan, which overlays the existing Huawei's open and unified cloud platform with a cloud IMS and cloud EPC network without affecting live network services.



Since service networks are hosted on a unified cloud infrastructure, resource utilization and O&M efficiency are improved and TTM is shortened. In addition, the addition of cloud IMS, cloud EPC worked in a hybrid pool with traditional ATCA platform to provide services simultaneously which meet the needs of the network growth and the investment continuity at the same time.



Bahrain Viva has completed the launch of unified CloudIMS, CloudDRA, and CloudEPC and successfully pool with traditional network delivering superior user experience through smooth network deployment and service migration.



Commenting on the One Cloud project, Ulaiyan Al Wetaid, CEO of Viva Bahrain said: Viva Bahrain has consistently been at the forefront of pushing latest technologies beyond just mere enhancements to approaching capabilities closer to 5G.



Through this NFV Cloud achievement, we are laying the foundation for further milestones in preparation for the network slicing technology to serve the next generation network in 2020, along with our partner Huawei Technologies, where the achievement has been complemented by introducing a new business model that allows Viva to accommodate the massive demand of data from its end users with smooth investment every year.



Viva Bahrain is committed to contributing to the Kingdoms future vision by introducing the latest technologies and new immersive experiences to Bahrains community. We will continue to deliver new technologies, which is an essential basis for the premium mobile experience, he added.



Network Function Virtualization offers efficient use of the core network infrastructure compared to other platforms, creating more space to provide agile network and services, and delivering a better network experience overall, said Paul Fengnan, CEO of Huawei Bahrain. The rapid and successful delivery of the world's first hybrid cloud core network is the best proof.  TradeArabia News Service
Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation: 510 N. Leroux St. A special guest in the pulpit this morning, as we welcome our new Monthly Spiritual Theme for October: "Hospitality." This Sunday we welcome Dr. Mohamed Mohamed, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Graduate Program Coordinator - Dept. of Sociology and Social Work, Northern Arizona University. Dr. Mohamed will speak on Islam and Hospitality. Join with us for this special interfaith outreach service of hospitality.

Center for Spiritual Living: 2384 N. Steves Blvd. Our guest speaker at the Sunday service will be Alex Reegan who will open our theme for October "Fulfillment." Prior to Service there will be a guided meditation time.

Christian Science Society of Flagstaff: 619 W. Birch Ave. We hold Sunday worship services and Sunday School (for children and young people up to the age of 20). The subject of this week's sermon is "Unreality." We also have Wednesday testimony meetings each week. Our Christian Science Reading Room, a quiet place for prayer and study, is open from 4-5:30 on Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays or by appointment. 556-0510.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon): Sunday services held at four Flagstaff locations: 4165 S. Lake Mary Road, 625 E. Cherry Ave., 2401 E. Linda Vista Drive and, for young single adults, 239 E. Saunders Drive. Meetings are also held in Williams at 1111 Stockmens Road and at the Shrine of the Ages on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Check azdailysun.com or "Locations and Schedules" at LDS.org for meeting times by ward/branch. Sunday services consist of Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School and special instruction for various age and interest groups (Priesthood Meeting for men, Relief Society for women, Young Men/Young Women for youth and Primary for children).

Church of the Resurrection: 740 W. University Heights Drive South. It's communion Sunday and Pastor Bob Norton's sermon is the first in a new series on "The Unquenchable Fire." His sermon "Cairns of the Reformation" is based on Romans 1:16-17. Music leader Patty Gross leads us in praise and worship. Back by popular demand is the Resolving Everyday Conflict class on Tuesday evenings starting this week at 6:30 p.m. Next Saturday is our Adopt An Avenue clean up. Meet at the corner of San Francisco and Columbus at 9 a.m. to do our part to keep Flagstaff trash free. Our Youth & Family meets every Wednesday evening. Come and join the youth ukulele choir! Mark your calendars for our 10th birthday on Sunday Oct. 8 with a celebration and luncheon after the second service. 699-2715. cor-pca.org.

Congregation Lev Shalom: 2609 N. Patterson Blvd. High Holiday Services. Today there will be a children's service at 9 a.m. and Yom Kippur services and Yizkor at 10 a.m. Yom Kippur will conclude with the Neilah Service at 5:30 p.m. followed by a community Break-the-Fast. Rabbi Mindie Snyder will be leading all services. 527-8747. levshalomaz.org.

First Congregational Church of Flagstaff, United Church of Christ: 740 N. Turquoise Drive. We observe World Communion Sunday (Oct. 1). Rev. George Ault, Interim Pastor, will preach on "Where in the World Is the World?" based on Psalm 8:1-4 and John 1: 1-4, 10-13. In other church news: Oct. 3 (Tuesday) Prayer Circle will meet at noon at the church; on Oct. 4 (Wednesday) we invite all to join us in spiritual meditation discussion and exercise in the evening at 7 p.m. at the church. 774-0890, fccflagstaff.org.

Flagstaff Christian Fellowship: 123 S. Beaver St. Pastor Dan Barton's message Sunday is "Money Always Leaves, Jesus Never Does" from various scriptures. Nursery is available for both services. Children's Church for ages 3-5. Sunday School classes at for all ages; the adult class continues a series on Spiritual Discipline with Pastor Stan Johnson. The evening service will feature guest speaker Isaac Block who will share about his time in Uganda this past summer; Jr High Bible Study on Faith; College Group meets for dinner, worship and a message. Tuesday: Women's Fall Bible Study on Timothy Keller's book "The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith." 774-3603. fcfonline.org.

Flagstaff Federated Community Church: 400 W. Aspen Ave. This Sunday we invite the Rev. Dr. Fritz Lampe to lead us in worship on this World Communion Sunday as we also begin our stewardship season. Lampe is an applied cultural anthropologist teaching in the Department of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University, focusing on the intersections of religion, community development, and faith-based NGOs. This Sunday's sermon, entitled "A Time to Hear" is inspired by Matthew 21:23-32 and Luke 24:13-35. The Wired Word class will continue to examine current events while the Christian Living Class will explore articles from the magazine, "Biblical Archaeology Review" about what archaeology and the study of history can tell us about specific people who are mentioned in the Bible. Children's Church for ages 4-11 is scheduled for both services. Childcare is available for both services. Second Breakfast for High School students will eat and fellowship together while exploring scripture during the first service in room 24. Youth Group for middle and high school students will meet. 774-7383. flagstafffederatedchurch.org.

Flagstaff Unity Church: 417 W. Santa Fe Ave. Rev. Gwen Ethelbah returns to Flagstaff Unity. Her message is titled "Retiring the Old Cliches in the Service of God." Children's program is available. Fellowship time follows the service. 526-8893. unityofflagstaff.org.

Holy Cross Orthodox Church: 6134 Black Bill Road. '9th Hour Morning prayer' and Divine Liturgy with Father Basil. 480-991-3009. holycrossflagstaff.org/.

Living Christ Lutheran Church: 6401 N. US Highway 89. We gather weekly on Sundays to worship through music, teaching, prayer and sacraments.Fellowship time after service. Pastor Kurt Fangmeier will be leading worship. 526-8595. livingchristflagstaff.org.

Peace Lutheran Church: 3430 N. Fourth St. While Pastor Pape is on vacation this week Deacon Gary will lead the worship service speaking on the Gospel reading Matthew 21: 23-27. A Man named Martin will continue during Fellowship time between services. Holy Communion will be celebrated at the first service . Bible studies for all ages. Pumpkin Patch Craft show and Children's Fair will be next weekend Saturday Oct. 7, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 526-9578. peacelutheranchurch.org.

Refuge: A Flagstaff Community Church: 4000 Cummings St. We meet weekly to enjoy God's word, fellowship and worship. Sunday school available for children. 607-5728.facebook.com/refugeinflagstaff/.

The Religious Society of Friends (Quaker): Flagstaff Friends Meeting House, 402 S. Beaver St. At our unprogrammed Quaker Meeting we meet in silence of expectant listening. A meeting may be completely silent, or, as more often happens, someone will feel moved to speak, to share something which may be of help or guidance to others. 779-3517. flagstaffquakers.org/.

San Francisco De Asis Parish: 1600 E. Route 66. Fr. Dan and Fr. Clement will preach the Gospel of Matthew 21:28-32. 774-1118. sfdaparish.org.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church: 1601 N. San Francisco St. Pastor Adam's children's sermon will be on "Cops Mustaches." Following the service will be a Ministry Fair, which will give you an opportunity to identify and share your gifts. Adult education on Oct. 8 at 10:15 will begin a study of the Reformation. Shepherd of the Hills will be celebrathing this important foundation of our faith during the month of October. sothflagstaff.org.

Trinity Heights United Methodist Church: 3600 N. Fourth St. Trinity Heights is celebrating 50 years of ministry in the Flagstaff community! Join us at 9:30 a.m. as we worship with wonderful music, special musicians, words from our Bishop and more! After worship a reception will be enjoyed by all. Please join us for this special celebration. Our Prayer Shawl will be meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 4 beginning at 1 p.m. All skill levels welcome. There are many mid-week Bible Studies available for mixed groups, women's groups or men's groups. 526-1397. thumc.com.
The head of Buttes health department plans to take action on the fact that, despite a 34-year presence in Butte, the Environmental Protection Agency has not begun the initial work on  and is unaware of the human health impacts from  a vaguely defined area known as West Side Soils.

Though ill-defined, West Side Soils appears to largely encompass the Flat as well as the area west of Uptown. That area contains many residences as well as hundreds of abandoned mine sites and old mine dumps.

Butte-Silver Bow Health Officer Karen Sullivan said Friday that after reading EPAs internal report, produced last week by the Office of Inspector General, on the inadequate staffing to Superfund sites, she plans to formally request EPA assign a project manager to West Side Soils and get started on understanding the area's environmental damage and its impact to residents.

I am stunned we dont know the reality of that particular site (West Side Soils). From a human health perspective, Im very, very upset about it, Sullivan said Friday.

The fact that EPA has failed to ensure residents' safety by beginning the initial work on the site leaves Sullivan with the same impression many in Butte repeatedly say they feel  that as far as EPA is concerned, Butte is an afterthought.

But EPA has stated in the past that Butte is a priority.

EPA cannot figure out how to apportion full-time employees to Superfund areas, Sullivan said. We can put men on the moon, right?

The internal report cited Butte, saying that because West Side Soils  one section of the approximately 30-mile-long Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund complex  has never been investigated by EPA, EPA does not know the potential for human health impacts. The contaminants of concern include arsenic and lead.

Arsenic is a known carcinogen. Lead causes irreversible developmental delays in children.

In order to begin the work, EPA would need to investigate the large swath of land  which in the Flat is heavily populated  determine how bad the environmental damage is, and name the responsible party or parties.

Joe Griffin, a retired state project manager for Butte, said the responsible party is not necessarily Atlantic Richfield Company, who is the primary responsible party for the rest of the larger Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area site as well as for Anacondas more than 300-square-mile Superfund site west of Butte.

Sullivan says she has already reached out to the states public health department to try to coordinate a county-state partnership in making the formal request to EPA.

EPA spokesperson Lisa McClain-Vanderpool responded Friday saying the agency has not yet received a formal request. She added that the agency cannot comment on something EPA has not yet received.

The state health departments spokesperson Jon Ebelt called the news that EPA doesnt know the human health impacts due to contamination in West Side Soils an unfortunate situation, and it needs to be addressed.

The Department of Public Health and Human Services is aware that Montana Department of Environmental Quality has urged EPA to begin the formal Superfund process on West Side Soils to fully evaluate the human health risks. DEQ is the lead agency for the state on Superfund and DPHHS will work through DEQ to support these efforts, Ebelt said Friday via email.

President Donald Trump has proposed cutting the upcoming 2018 Superfund budget by $325 million, or one-third of its current budget. Trump also seeks to cut EPAs general operating budget by one-third as well.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that those budget cuts include a proposed cut to enforcement by $67 million. The governments enforcement department identifies the responsible parties and tries to make them pay for cleanup.

The law that enacted Superfund  called the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA  was passed in 1980. The law acquired the name Superfund because Congress established a tax on petroleum and chemical companies to create a super fund to pay for emergency responses and cleanups. Congress discontinued that tax in 1995.

According to a 2015 U.S. Government Accountability Office report, annual federal dollars to the Superfund program generally declined from about $2 billion to about $1.1 billion in constant 2013 dollars from fiscal years 1999 through 2013.

BSB Chief Executive Dave Palmer did not respond to a call requesting comment for this story.
Good Evening,

We've just returned from 3 weeks in Australia and thought some of you would find this information useful. Just an FYI:

*AMX: We were surprised at the number of establishments that accepted the AMX card. I want to mention that most of the vendors at the Salamanca Market in Hobart were accepting the card, which surprised us. They were even running commercials on TV in Sydney. You will need a secondary card as, in the US, not everyone accepts but much more than I thought.

*Opal card: We were in Sydney for 6 nights and used public transport extensively. We used approximately $130 per card (there were two of us) which included a couple trips to and from the airport which charges a larger fee. This also includes the train to the Blue Mountains and extensive use of the wonderful ferry service

*Cash on hand: We only had about $100 on hand, for 3 weeks, which we could work with. One item that came up was parking meters in Hobart. Need coins, which I didn't have but could make change at local businesses.
23 Aug) I was flying to Cairns from Perth on a red eye flight. Because of that I had reserved my accommodation for the day before, knowing I would be arriving at 6:00 am on the 23rd and wanting to rest a bit before starting my day. Having flown Perth to Sydney last year I planned this time to not lose a whole day travelling across the continent. Well, to be honest, I wont do that again. Little sleep and an uncomfortable plane did not make me a happy camper when I arrived. But the warmer weather and a pleasant 50 minute shuttle ($11 and me the only passenger-yay!) from the Cairns airport to Port Douglas made up for some of it. The apartment I was staying in had set the transfer up for me beforehand, and it worked out well. The driver and I chatted all the way and I saw some of the coastline.after the sun came up! Thats when I realized it was so mountainous, green and lush. So different from Western Australia. How exciting!

Once I arrived, settled in and had a short nap, I started to feel a little more human by the afternoon, and walked the less than ten minutes into the main part of Port Douglas to get a feel for this town. There seemed to be lots of choices in types of accommodation. Every street I passed had many you could pick and choose, and if looks are indicative of the service and quality, you would do well in most. I know, looks can be deceiving, but most seemed to be clean and well kept.

Macrossan Street is the hub of the town with restaurants, bars, and a Coles along the street, which was my destination to stock up on essentials for my next few days. Once I got that out of the way, the next stop was the beach. Four Mile Beach is considered the best beach around, beginning at the northern rocky headland and continuing for four more miles (miles not kms, eh?) without any buildings interrupting the views. It is a lovely beach.

After a bit of a wander I headed back to my place for dinner (with my wine, purchased right next door to Coles; how convenient), and ended my evening with the usual emails to the gang back home. Tomorrow was already set aside for something from my bucket list  the Great Barrier Reef!

24 Aug) I was picked up in front of the hotel early in the morning, along with others from different locations, and brought out to the vessel docked at the marina. It had about 65 people onboard, and did both snorkel and diving options. I was a bit surprised with that since I had requested their snorkel-only boat, what I had been looking for, but there must have been a reason why we all ended up on one boat (staffing or not enough people?). I wasnt going to let that get in the way of enjoying my day. You have to accept and go with things sometimes.

It took about 90 minutes to get to the outer reef. The waters were pretty calm, so no seasickness with anyone that I saw. When we finally moored at our first stop I was a bit nervous getting in (novice here), but they had pool noodles that most folks who were snorkeling opted for too, and I quickly got over the uncertainty I felt being out in open waters. The crew also went through the safety drill on what to do if you run into difficulties in the water. I can do this! After a few minutes in the water I got so wrapped up in what I was seeing that I forgot about where I was. I saw fish I had never believed existed and a turtle just swimming by. In the wild, not in an aquarium. I could have pinched myself, but I was wearing a wetsuit. You get my drift. During the day we went to three sites and had morning and afternoon tea along with lunch. I brought along a waterproof camera for some photos for memories, and really was thrilled with the whole experience. How lucky Australians are to have the chance to see this amazing world heritage site right on your doorstep.

Suggestion: Bring along a change of clothes and extra towels. It gets windy and can be chilly when moving from the different spots, and especially when heading back, even if its a sunny day.

25 Aug) Today I took a small group day tour (9 passengers in total) to the Daintree National Park. It is a rainforest that is known as one of the oldest in the world. One entrance to the park is located south of the Daintree River at Mossman Gorge, where a visitor centre and carpark has been built. Cars are not permitted in the park, so a shuttle bus takes visitors to the gorge. Took lots of photos while in this beautiful part of the park.

Next stop was morning tea then on to a river cruise along the Daintree River, enjoying the diverse ecosystem in that area. We also had breaks at a couple of lookouts to see the vistas of rainforest meeting the blue waters of the ocean. There was also a stop at Cape Tribulation Beach.

Lunch was served on private property in the rainforest that still is pristine and untouched. We also had the opportunity, which I took, to do a swim in the river running through the property. Very refreshing. We then continued walking through the forest, learning from the guide about what exists in that type of environment. The last stop before heading home was the Daintree Ice Cream Company. A nice treat to end the tour.

26 Aug) A day of relaxation. Took my time getting up in the morning, did some chores, then headed to town and walked more of the shoreline, taking in some of the historical buildings around. Back to my apartment for a quick lunch. I was thinking of taking a dip in the ocean, but there had been recent croc sightings, so I just walked along the beach for a bit then headed back to the pool at the hotel for my swim. An enjoyable stay in Port Douglas.

To be continued.....
Myself I am a enjoying driving a lot, but some of your stops does not makes a lot of sense to me. Samara for one night only is one such example. Or a long haul between Montezuma and Chirripo, over only 2 days?! And Cerro Chirripo ... it is not doable as an overnight trip, IMO. When you will drive back to the airport, for your flight at 2 pm, there will be zero minutes to be wasted in San Jose, let alone a few hours to kill.

We all have different travel styles, yet your itinerary I can not envision as one that would give me (or you) a lot of pleasant scenic drives. Beside that, you will have almost no downtime to "inhale" the natural beauties around.

As for the 4x4 type of car, most of the SUV have AWD or similar. Not that you will need it. If you are planning to take some side roads then something like Suzuki Jimny would be the vehicle of choice for 2 persons.
Hi! Im staying 4 nights in Tokyo. Then 3 nights in Kyoto, by Shinkansen.

The day i go from Tokyo to Kyoto, i was wandering if its doable and recommended stoping by Kamakura, and then Hakone, while on my way to Kyoto. I really want to go to those places.

2 full days in Kyoto is enough? Do you recommend to send my luggage to the hotel in Kyoto by train, one day before?

Its worth to sacrifice a day in Kyoto to visit Kamakura and Hakone?
I just returned from Fiji earlier today and wanted to shout out to a great service that we received which I found on Trip Advisor and used.

We didn't know whether we should use the booking agents recommendation for the airport transfer but thought the prices they were quoting were really expensive. After doing some research we stumbled across Zain from Epic Transfers and Tours and the reviews were really good. They have a FB page so I sent a message asking about prices etc.

We also wanted to visit a supermarket before we got to our accommodation so we could stock up on nibbles and drinks etc.

Zain was so good at responding to our queries and said picking us up and taking us to a supermarket on the way to Denarau would be no trouble.

Not only was Zain waiting for us at the airport, he took us to the supermarket, AND came and pushed our trolley around and helped us navigate the aisles and helped us find the stuff we needed. We really appreciated this level of service and it didn't change the price of the transfer which was an extremely reasonable $30 FJ. Zain also picked us up for our return journey right on time and we just couldn't fault him.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Zain not only for airport transfers, but any place you want to go. He has a great van with plenty of seats and he couldn't be more accommodating if he tried.

https://www.facebook.com/Epic-Transfer-And-Tours-Fiji-799194303519438/
You should use the 7 day JR Pass and activate it when you leave Tokyo on Mon. and it will be valid until you return to Tokyo on Sun.

I also worry about Karuizawa and Kawaguchiko, which is not a good combination. If you move from Karuizawa to Kawaguchiko, one way is to go via Nagano, Matsumoto, and then Otsuki, but it takes more than 4.5 hours, and it's even faster to come back to Tokyo, and go to Otsuki via Shinjuku. It is better to combine Kawaguchiko with Hakone or Izu Peninsula, while Karuizawa is better to be combined with Shibu Onsen (Snow Monkey Park), Matsumoto and Takayama, instead of Kawaguchiko.
I have driven to New York City from Reading Pennsylvania. We weighed the possibility Of taking the bus Or staying outside of Manhattan And commuting in. But decided to drive Into Manhattan. I'm so glad I did. I wanted to drive the very least amount Possible in Manhattan so I stayed in Hell's Kitchen.

If you come inTo Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel the driving is minimal. I thoroughly researched my route. I knew exactly where I was going and I had a navigation system in my car, also printed instructions. This was before I had a smartphone. I also looked on Google Street View and did my whole route. as soon as I hit the tunnel. So I had "seen"the Route before.

It isn't that much further from the Holland Tunnel up to Hell's Kitchen. As we happened to leave Manhattan from the Holland Tunnel.

A hotel in Hell's Kitchen that I would recommend to you is -The Skyline Hotel. It has its own parking garage. In 2015 the parking was $30 per day.

The Travel Inn is also nearby & alsohas its own parking garage. I stayed at this one in 2012. But, this hotel has gone down considerably in the ratings since then.

You don't mention your budget. These are two Budget Hotel options with their own garages.

You could also choose A garage independent of a hotel in Hell's Kitchen . Then take a cab to Any hotel In Manhattan. It isn't really that difficult to drive the short distance from the Lincoln Tunnel to a garage or hotel garage. And it's so much easier in my opinion and nicer to be in Manhattan than staying outside the city.

Next time I do this trip I may look for a hotel further downtown near the Holland Tunnel. But I would have to look into this
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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 16 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day. Four Ukrainian servicemen were wounded.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

In Donetsk direction, after the morning fire activity of the illegal armed formations, the ceasefire regime was observed in the evening and at night.

The tensest situation was observed in Mariupol direction, where Ukrainian strongholds outside Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk) and Pavlopol (30 km northeast of Mariupol) came under enemy fire. Russian-backed militants also fired at ATO troops near Talakivka (20km north-west of Mariupol), using heavy machine guns.

In Luhansk direction, terrorists shelled Ukrainian strongholds near Novotoshkivske (53km north-west of Luhansk), using anti-tank grenade launchers and heavy machine guns.

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In 2017, UAH 1.3 billion has been allocated for the road construction in Prykarpattia.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said this while opening a new bridge across the Bystrytsia River in Ivano-Frankivsk region, the press service of the Head of State reported.

Poroshenko has stressed that despite the Russian aggression and the huge challenges our country faces, the road construction is one of the priorities for the authorities.

The President informed that Prykarpattia received over UAH 3 billion for the road construction in the past three years. In particular, due to the mechanism initiated by the President when 50% of funds exceeding planned indicators at the customs are allocated for the road construction in the region where they were collected. He added that only in 2017, UAH 1.3 billion was allocated for the road construction in Prykarpattia.

The President assured that the given experiment would be continued next year.

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The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) welcomes the Law of Ukraine "On Education" which is yet another important step by Ukraine on its reform path.

"The Ukrainian World Congress is grateful to all educators in the diaspora who over the past 25 years contributed to changing and developing education in Ukraine. Adoption of the new Law of Ukraine "On Education" and its signing by the President of Ukraine is a joint success of Ukrainians worldwide," Chair of the UWC World Coordinating Educational Council Oksana Wynnyckyj-Yusypovych said.

"The Ukrainian World Congress will continue to actively work with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to ensure that education in Ukraine always meets the highest international standards," UWC President Eugene Czolij stated.

The UWC supports the decision of Ukraine to submit the legislation to the Council of Europe for an expert review and to engage in consultations in view of the reaction by several foreign governments to specifics of the new law.

The Law of Ukraine On Education adopted by the Parliament of Ukraine on 5 September 2017 and signed into law by the President of Ukraine on 25 September 2017 will enable comprehensive reform of the educational system in Ukraine and position the country for inclusion in the European educational network.

The UWC and its Mission in Ukraine have repeatedly supported on various levels the draft Law of Ukraine On Education over the course of its preparation.

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Vann Molyvann, an architect and urban planner who melded modernism with traditional Khmer design and transformed the skyline of Cambodias capital, Phnom Penh, died at his home in Siem Reap province on Thursday. He was 90.

His death was confirmed by his family.

Molyvann was known for pioneering the New Khmer Architecture school of design, which combined modernist concepts with ancient themes. He was widely revered in Cambodian society as the personification of the potential for the Cambodian arts, destroyed by the upheavals of conflict and the Khmer Rouge takeover.

He lived in exile through the bloodletting of recent decades, returning to his homeland in 1991 and spending his final years seeing his work taken apart by a corrupt state presiding over a crony capitalist elite and a development boom that saw exponential urban growth in the capital.

Born on November 23, 1926, under French administration, Molyvann grew up in the countrys southwest, before winning a scholarship to study at Pariss Ecole National Superie des Beaux-Arts. He returned to Cambodia in the mid-1950s and began to put what he had learned into practice in a newly independent Cambodia, becoming chief architect to then-King Norodom Sihanouk.

His late Majesty had a great admiration and respect for his excellency Vann Molyvann, said Julio Jeldres, Sihanouks official biographer, and a former adviser.

Molyvann went on to design some of Cambodias most iconic buildings, including public housing projects and monuments, before King Sihanouk was ousted in a coup in 1970, ushering in a period of war and the rise of the Khmer Rouge, leading Molyvann to seek refuge in Switzerland.

He returned to Cambodia after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1991, which ended Cambodias long-running civil war, later serving in a number of official posts, including culture minister and head of the Apsara Authority, which oversees the administration of the Angkor temple complex. My big difficulties I faced are the business people who dont respect the law, he wrote in a book, My Cambodian City, published in 2004.

When I was the head of Apsara Authority, I saw very fast development due to international tourists. Some hotels were constructed illegally. Some public buildings were sold in connection with dealers and land was consumed illegally. There was no punishment and for this anarchy, I had no power to apply related law codes, he wrote of his frustrations with public office.

He is survived by his wife, Trudy, three daughters and two sons.

Chea Sophara, the land management minister who recently oversaw the demolition of one of Molyvanns most iconic creations, the White Building, said his death was a great loss for Cambodia as Molyvanns works were the best in Southeast Asia during the 1960s.

No one could compete with him, he added.

Christopher Rompre, the director of a recent documentary about Molyvann, The Man Who Built Cambodia, said that although the architect was a private man the time we spent together was really intimate.

Im just thinking about Cambodia; the fact that not many people will have an integrity of the vision that Vann Molyvann had left for his country. Its sad and its a big loss, Rompre said.

While he is best known for his grand designs, including Phnom Penhs Independence Monument and the Basaac Theatre, Molyvann was also a film aficionado and put in charge of the Phnom Penh International Film Festival by Sihanouk.

Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote to Molyvanns wife this week, offering his condolences and calling the death a loss of the main human resource of the nation.

Ashley Thompson, a specialist in Southeast Asian cultural history at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and a friend of Molyvann, said he gave the emerging independent nation an aesthetic harmonizing modernity with tradition in step with King Sihanouk's politics seeking to harness international outlooks to local development.

I find his architecture to strike a remarkable balance between the discreet and the bold, she added.

Rompre, the director, said Molyvann regretted the pace and direction of Cambodian development. He definitely has a lot of regrets. But the interesting thing is that what he regretted is not so much the loss of the buildings. He thought that the purpose of a building is to serve a function. And when a building stopped serving a function, then it is OK to make way for a new building, he told VOA Khmer.

I think what he regretted is that the decisions that have been taken about Cambodias development, about the architecture in Cambodia, have been made for the wrong reasons. A lot of decisions he thinks were made because of the greed of individual people. Or because people want to develop things really quickly without thinking thoughtfully about what the long-term vision of the country and the city, he added.

Residents of one of Molyvanns public housing projects in Phnom Penh said many of the dwellings, largely built in the 1960s, had fallen into disrepair. But Ung Dararathmony, 60, said despite the crumbling facades, he still appreciated the traditional style. Its unavoidable that it will disappear; how many people want to keep [living in] his creations?

The Vann Molyvann Project, a group aimed at preserving Molyvanns legacy and founded in 2009, is currently exhibiting his work at the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh.

We invited The Vann Molyvann Project to show the exhibit here because we really want to show our respect and appreciation for the Cambodian visionary, as most people who know Cambodia should be very proud of Vann Molyvanns work, said Monica Davis, cultural affairs officer at the embassy.

Additional report by Hean Socheata
Cambodia's foreign minister has launched a scathing attack on Western democracies, labeling them hypocritical and interested in promoting human rights and democracy only when it's in their own interest.

Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon told the U.N. General Assembly last week that human rights and democracy issues were raised only "when the specific interests of certain major powers are at stake."

"Otherwise, it is sheer silence, and often a conspiracy of silence," he added.

The comments came amid a surge in anti-American rhetoric from the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen, which has jailed the leader of the country's opposition on allegations he conspired with the United states to unseat the long-term premier.

'One-sided' presentation

In an exclusive interview with VOA Cambodia, Sokhon softened his tone, saying Cambodia wants to "normalize relations" with the United States, "at least back to the original level."

But Sokhon lashed out at the international media's portrayal of the crackdown on dissent in Cambodia.

He told VOA, following the General Assembly meeting, that the international media had given a "one-sided" presentation of recent events in Cambodia.

He said that the closures of the National Democratic Institute in Cambodia, the American-owned Cambodia Daily newspaper and numerous radio stations broadcasting U.S.-funded radio programs were "being done in accordance with the law."

The government has come under heavy criticism from Washington and American allies, while China has lent Phnom Penh explicit support for its crackdown on dissent.

As Sokhon was giving his speech at the General Assembly last week, Cambodian-American protesters gathered at the U.N. headquarters to oppose the government line.

Steven Reach, a New York City resident, said he was unhappy with the "unreasonable" treason charges against Kem Sokha, the Cambodia National Rescue Party leader. He added that he hoped the U.N. could exert some influence over Hun Sen's government.

Annie Van, a Cambodian-American from Massachusetts, said: "I and my colleagues came here to ask Prime Minister Hun Sen to free Kem Sokha ... as well as free the other political prisoners of the opposition party."

China pivot

In the interview with VOA, Sokhon said Cambodia's pivot toward China and away from the West was "for the benefit of the Cambodian people ... only because the relationship with China is based on mutual respect and mutual benefit."

"We have received Chinese aid, Chinese cooperation, Chinese investment," he added, pointing to China's huge investment in key economic sectors, such as hydropower.

"The relationship is considered in the interest of Cambodia, but it does not mean that Cambodia has become a satellite state of China," he said.

Cambodia had proved its independence during the recent diplomatic tensions with North Korea, he added..

Cambodia has historically had a close relationship with North Korea, which it has repeatedly attempted to use as leverage in its bid to act as a mediator in military de-escalation talks. However, following recent missile tests by North Korea, Cambodia has publicly taken a stronger line against Pyongyang.

"Although Cambodia has a good and special relationship with North Korea, Cambodia issued two separate statements last year and two more statements this year regarding the missile launches and underground nuclear test. So we had clearly stated to North Korea that if you want to maintain the friendship, you need to comply with the U.N. Security Council and comply with the resolution of the U.N. member states," Sokhon told VOA.

"We ask [all parties] to consider the proposal of China and Russia" to halt nuclear and missile tests and military exercises, because U.S. and South Korean exercises are "a spark of fire, and that irritates North Korea."

This report appeared originally on VOA Cambodia.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria delivered a message to cadets at the academy Friday: Racism will not be tolerated.

Silveria had gathered cadets and staff members to denounce racism following an incident at the Academy's preparatory school in which racial slurs were found scrawled on dormitory message boards.

He told cadets that if they cant treat other people with "dignity and respect," then they should simply get out of the Air Force Academy. It was a blunt message, but one Silveria thought important for his students to hear.

Its the power that we come from all walks of life, that we come from all parts of this country, that we come from all races, that we come from all backgrounds, gender, all make-up, all upbringing, he said. The power of that diversity comes together and makes us that much more powerful.



His words carry some weight.

Silveria took over as the superintendent of the school just last month, and Air Force Chief of Staff David Goldfein said at Silverias appointment ceremony he couldnt think of a better man for the job.

When it came time to pick the next superintendent, Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria was the obvious choice, he said, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. I dont believe we have an officer serving in the Air Force today with more combat time, more joint credibility, or more operational understanding of the art of modern war.

Silveria has spent 32 years in the Air Force and logged nearly 4,000 hours of flight time throughout his career, including flying combat missions over Iraq and the Balkans.

Prior to serving as superintendent at the academy, Silveria was deputy commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command and deputy commander of Central Commands Combined Forces Air Component in southwest Asia.

Silveria, himself, graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree.

He has received widespread praise for his comments denouncing racism, and a video of the speech posted on the Air Force Academys Facebook page has been viewed more than 1.7 million times.

The Air Force says it has launched an investigation into the slurs left on the message boards.
A U.S. citizen who joined al-Qaida was convicted Friday of participating in a failed suicide bombing in 2009 at an American military base in Afghanistan.

A federal jury in New York reached the verdict in the case against Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, whos originally from Houston.

Farekhs case drew extra attention because of reports that American officials had initially debated whether to try to kill him in a drone strike, a step almost never taken against U.S. citizens. President Barack Obamas administration ultimately decided to try for a capture and civilian prosecution instead.

Farekh was captured in Pakistan and brought to the U.S. in 2015.

Today, an American al-Qaeda member was brought to justice in a U.S. courtroom, said Bridget Rohde, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, using an alternate spelling for the militant groups name.

She said Farekh faces the possibility of life in prison for his efforts to murder Americans and his commitment to one of the worlds most infamous terrorist organizations.

There was no immediate response from Farekhs lawyer, Sean Maher. He had argued the forensic evidence was too weak to convict Farekh, calling fingerprint experts testimony junk science in a closing argument.

Most of the charges against Farekh stem from an attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost City, Afghanistan, Jan. 19, 2009.

The attackers drove two vehicles rigged with explosives. An initial blast injured several Afghans, including a pregnant woman, but a much larger bomb failed to go off, sparing the lives of American soldiers.

The jury heard testimony about how forensic technicians in Afghanistan recovered 18 of Farekhs fingerprints on packing tape used to bind the detonators on the unexploded bomb.

Farekh was convicted of conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiracy to bomb a government facility and conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.

During the trial, the jury also heard testimony from Zarein Ahmedzay, one of three men convicted in a thwarted plot to bomb New Yorks subway system. Ahmedzay told jurors he was trained by an al-Qaida operative identified by prosecutors as a co-conspirator of Farekhs, who traveled with him from Canada to Pakistan in 2007.

Deliberations were briefly interrupted when the judge learned the defendants father had encountered four jurors in an elevator and complained to them that hed been denied direct contact with him. The judge decided to replace the jurors with three alternates and ordered the deliberations to continue with a panel of 11 instead of the usual 12.
A human rights monitoring group says at least 28 civilians, including four children, have been killed in airstrikes in a rebel-held village in northwestern Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday the strikes were carried out on the town of Amanaz, located in Idlib province near the Turkish border.

The Britain-based group said it was not immediately clear if the strikes were carried out by Syria or Russia, a key ally.

Rescue workers have said, however, that Syrian and Russian airstrikes have killed scores of civilians since September 19, when insurgents launched an offensive against government-controlled areas in northwestern Syria.

Syrian and Russian military officials have denied killing civilians, maintaining they only target rebel forces.

Until the recent escalation, the Idlib region had been relatively quiet for six months. It is currently controlled by a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front.

Russia, Turkey and Iran brokered a safe zone agreement for the area in May but the jihadists are not covered by the deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed Thursday to escalate efforts to establish a safe zone in Idlib as part of the broader deal reached in May.
U.S. President Donald Trump's latest restrictions on people entering the United States from eight countries has prompted a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union.

The civil rights group said Friday that it was seeking to amend an existing lawsuit that was filed in a Maryland federal court, challenging a previous Trump immigration order.

The ACLU said it was seeking an injunction to block visa and

entry restrictions on those affected by the order, saying the ban violates the U.S. Constitution and U.S. immigration law.

Trump announced the revised travel order on Sunday as a previous temporary ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries expired.

The new restrictions affect citizens of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.

U.S. officials say these countries have refused to share information about terrorism and other issues with the United States.

The earlier immigration order had barred citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the United States unless they had a "credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.''

That earlier order was blocked by lower courts in the United States, but it was partially held up by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Trump said in the new proclamation: "As president, I must act to protect the security and interests of the United States and its people. The restrictions announced are tough and tailored, and they send a message to foreign governments that they must work with us to enhance security."

Challengers of the immigration restrictions argue that they are aimed at blocking Muslims from entering the United States.

The revised travel order goes into effect October 18.
Dozens of Afghan forces are said to have been killed in repeated insurgent attacks over the past week in western Farah province, which borders Iran.

Politicians and residents in the province have told local media that Taliban insurgents also have captured several security outposts in and around the Bala Buluk district.

While officials have not yet discussed battlefield details, a provincial police spokesman told Ariana News channel Afghan forces, backed by airpower, have killed more than 30 Taliban assailants and destroyed a number of their military vehicles in ongoing counteroffensives.

Farah also shares a border with Helmand province, Afghanistan's largest, where the Taliban controls or influences a majority of the districts.

The fighting in the western Afghan province comes amid allegations Iran and Russia are providing support to the Taliban.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, while speaking on Thursday during his first visit to Kabul, warned both countries against such activities.

Those two countries have both suffered losses due to terrorism. So I think it would be extremely unwise to think that they can somehow support terrorists in another country and not have it come back to haunt them, Mattis said, but he declined to discuss specifics.

Tehran and Moscow have acknowledged maintaining contacts with the Taliban to use the group to counter emerging threats from Islamic State in volatile Afghan regions. But both countries deny they are militarily supporting the insurgents.

Stepped up insurgent attacks across most of the countrys 34 provinces continue to inflict heavy casualties on Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF).

Earlier this week, at least 12 Afghan forces were killed when a Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed vehicle in the Maroof district of southern Kandahar province.

The Taliban has also ambushed and assassinated five Afghan district police chiefs in September.

The Islamist insurgency has extended its control or influence to more than 40 percent of the Afghan territory since the U.S.-led foreign combat troops left the country in 2014.
At the turn of the century, Bangladeshi immigrant Shaker Sadeak packed his bags in New York City and headed to Michigan -- a state that he says afforded him the opportunity to make a living and go to school at the same time.

Seven years later, he took another step, opening his own wholesale and retail fabric shop, India Fashion, in Hamtramck, Michigan's Banglatown. Surrounded by Bengali restaurants, spice shops and groceries, his business, like the street upon which it lives, has flourished over time.

When VOA visited this summer, new and established businesses were steadily replacing abandoned lots along Conant Street, Banglatown's commercial main street.

"Back in 2000, you used to see one car in two minutes. Now we have thousands of cars driving on the streets," Sadeak said. "All the immigrants came into this town and rebuilt the whole thing."

The city of Hamtramck, Michigan, surrounded by Detroit, is home to many immigrant neighborhoods, including Banglatown.

'Bread and butter' issue

In Rust Belt communities, immigration is a "bread and butter economic issue," said Steve Tobocman, executive director of Global Detroit, a nonprofit corporation that pursues strategies to attract international investment and business in southeast Michigan.

Most economists view legal immigration as an overall net benefit to communities and businesses, but the arrival of newcomers can displace some workers, leaving them out of a job or lowering wages.

The Trump administration argues that low-skilled or illegal immigrants in particular are hurting Americans.

Last month, Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump's senior adviser for policy, told reporters that the administration plans to take steps to prevent an influx of such workers into the country.

"In an environment in which you have this huge pool of unemployed labor in the United States, you're spending massive amounts of money putting our own workers on welfare?" Miller asked.

Michigans state government has largely taken the opposite view, arguing that immigrants play a key role in a state that has struggled with the decline of the U.S. auto industry. A state report argued that even undocumented workers who paid back taxes could be beneficial to local businesses.

Michigan had the nations worst unemployment rate in 2009, but that has been improving in years since. The states rate now beats the U.S. national average.

During that time of improving job growth, the states foreign-born population rose by 10.2 percent.

Still, some state lawmakers like Republican Peter Lucido say those numbers dont settle the argument over whether the state should embrace attracting immigrants as an economic strategy. He said other factors are important as well, in particular the fact that undocumented immigrants are breaking the law.

WATCH: A look at Hamtramck

I don't believe that economics should drive how the forces of immigration work. Watch this, if we have laws and we have lawmakers that put these laws into place, what good are these laws if we are going to say, break the law, and just look purely at economics?

To Lucido, the country is in chaos following an influx of undocumented immigrants and re-establishing the rule of law is a greater priority than boosting the economy.

There are millions of people in this country that were not vetted out, he told VOA, We are having troubles and struggles every day from all kinds of crises, that may have been eliminated if we followed the rules.

Michigan, an immigrant magnet

Like other Midwestern states, Michigans population in many cities has been in decline, particularly in Detroit.

Kim Rueben, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute and member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel that produced a comprehensive 2016 report on the long-term impacts of immigration on native-born workers, said immigrants are an important part of keeping such communities vibrant.

The report she produced indicated that that over a period of 10 years or more, the impact of immigration on the wages of native-born workers was small and there's little evidence it affects the overall employment levels of U.S.-born workers.

She maintains any decision to cut immigration numbers, is both economically and fiscally costly.

Immigration policy

But as the U.S. debates its national immigration policy, those numbers are not the only consideration.

Michigan lawmaker Lucido concedes that the economic impact of reducing immigration remains unclear, but he says tightening policies and enforcing immigration laws are beneficial on their own.

Nobody knows how the effect will take place, if it's positive or negative. We just to know this: curbing and deciding to keep things in perspective is in the best interests of the country.
U.S. and Central American law enforcement authorities announced Friday that they have charged more than 3,800 members of the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs in coordinated law enforcement action since March.

The charges, announced in Miami by acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco and the attorneys general of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, reflect a stepped-up effort by the Trump administration to root out transnational criminal gangs in the United States.

With an estimated 10,000 members in the United States, MS-13 is the one of the largest street gangs in the country and the only one designated as a transnational criminal organization by the Treasury Department. The 18th Street gang, also known as Barrio 18, is a multiethnic gang that, like MS-13, operates in major U.S. cities.

"MS-13 is one of the most violent and ruthless gangs in America today, endangering communities in more than 40 states," U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "But under President Trump's strong leadership, the Department of Justice is taking them off our streets."

While the vast majority of the charges were brought in El Salvador, MS-13's home turf, officials said more than 70 gang members living in the United States have been indicted in the past six months.

Racketeering indictment

The gang's El Salvador-based "East Coast Program" leader, Edwin Manica Flores, was charged in a racketeering indictment unsealed in Boston on Thursday, the Justice Department said.

The Trump administration has vowed to get the gang members off the streets.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in February to "dismantle and eradicate" the transnational gangs.

In March, Sessions met with his counterparts from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador to develop "strategies and concrete plans to give a strong and coordinated response to MS-13's increasingly transnational criminal activities."

The arrests stemmed from the joint effort, Sessions said.

"MS-13 coordinates across our borders to kill, rape and traffic drugs and underage girls; we've got to coordinate across our borders to stop them," Sessions said in a statement.

Central American law enforcement officials said their close cooperation with the United States was paying off.

"Studying their modus operandi, we realized tackling [the gangs] would require working jointly with the United States, Guatemala and El Salvador," said Honduran Attorney General Chinchilla Banegas. "This approach has allowed us to share information and strike the financial structures of the gangs."
The Environmental Protection Agency said that an unknown amount of dangerous chemicals may have washed downriver from a contaminated site near Houston, Texas, in the flooding from Hurricane Harvey in late August.

The EPA confirmed Thursday that the flooding damaged a protective cap at the San Jacinto River Waste Pits. The cap, made of rock and fabric, was meant to keep sediments contaminated with dioxins from spreading. Dioxin has been shown to cause cancer and birth defects.

The EPA said its dive teams collected samples of river sediment that showed dioxin at concentrations 2,000 times higher than the level at which the EPA requires cleanup.

The waste pits, which house decades-old refuse from a paper mill, are among 13 designated Superfund sites hit by the hurricane in August. The Houston Chronicle reported that the Superfund sites, which are identified as posing an environmental risk, were submerged for days at the height of Houston's post-storm flooding.

The Chronicle also reported that more than 600 people who live nearby are suing the responsible parties  International Paper and Industrial Maintenance Corporation  claiming the pollutants at the site have harmed their health, property values and livelihoods.

A local television station reports the Harris County Attorney's Office has also filed lawsuits over the waste pits.

A hearing on the case is set for Monday.
The U.N. refugee agency warns that funds for humanitarian assistance for hundreds of thousands of Burundian refugees have dried up, leaving only enough cash for the most essential needs.

More than 420,000 Burundians, who have sought refuge in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance; but, the U.N. refugee agency says it has practically run out of cash.

Only 19 percent of the agencys revised $429 million appeal has been received. UNHCR spokesman Andrei Mahecic tells VOA hard choices must be made. With so little money on hand, he says priorities must be rearranged to make sure life-saving needs are met.

But, there is a cost, there is a human cost attached to it," Mahecic said. "There simply is not enough aid to go around. The services are not kept up to the standards that they should be and, obviously, in many cases, we are now facing the situation where shelter is by now dilapidated. The tents would need replacing. Eighty-eight-thousand refugees are still living under plastic sheeting, obviously vulnerable to heavy rains and so on.

Mahecic says many refugees risk catching communicable diseases, such as malaria and acute watery diarrhea. He says health care services must be urgently expanded. Because the money is not available, he says only 56 percent of identified survivors of sexual and gender-based violence are receiving the physical and psychological care they need.

The World Food Program, which also is suffering from underfunding, has been forced to cut monthly food rations to 60 percent in Tanzania  home to the largest number of refugees.

The UNHCR is appealing for international support so it can maintain its critical humanitarian assistance for Burundian refugees in the countries of asylum. The Burundians fled their country after violence surged in 2015. Many of them are women and children.
As the Islamic State group faces military defeats in Syria and Iraq, the group has an eye on war-torn Libya, hoping to re-emerge there and organize in the country's desert, officials and experts warn.

Siddiq al-Soor, the head of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Tripoli, told reporters on Thursday that IS militants in the country were mostly operating through "a desert army" unit they set up after being pushed out of their stronghold of Sirte on the Mediterranean Sea last year.

"Now they are being monitored in the territories south of Libya," al-Soor said during a news conference.

Al-Soor said IS militants in the desert area were being led by Iraqi national Abdul Qader al-Najdi, also known as Abu Moaz Al Tikriti, with support from other IS leaders, including Mahmoud Al Bur'si and Hashim Abu Sid.

"Most of those leaders were members of al-Qaida and traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the fight before returning to Libya," al-Soor said.

He said Libyan prosecutors obtained information about the whereabouts of the group's desert army from an IS fighter who was wounded and captured after U.S. airstrikes in the Wadi Skir region last week.

Series of strikes

The U.S. military has conducted airstrikes against IS in Libya this week. Two airstrikes 100 miles southeast of Sirte on Tuesday left "several" IS fighters dead, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), which oversees American military activities on the continent, said in a statement.

Six other U.S. airstrikes last Friday killed 17 IS members and destroyed three vehicles in a desert camp approximately 150 miles southeast of Sirte, according to AFRICOM.

IS considers southeast Sirte an important region for its operations because it is home to several major oil fields like al-Bayda, Mabruk, Bahi and Fida.

A country of about 6.4 million people, Libya descended into chaos in 2011 when an uprising and international intervention led to the overthrow and subsequent execution of dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

The civil war has divided the country into two governments, the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord in Tripoli and the Russian-backed Libyan National Army in Tobruk, with each laying claim to power.

Fragile peace

After continued clashes, the two sides finally agreed on a cease-fire in July. Nonetheless, peace between them remains fragile.

Both sides continue to accuse each other of allowing terrorists to operate under their watch to further their own military objectives, with IS taking advantage of the situation to regroup in the country, according to Libyan militias fighting IS in Libya. They warn that IS is reorganizing in the southern Sirte countryside and the desert valleys and inland hills extending to the south of the country.

U.S. officials have echoed those concerns, adding the terror group is trying to use the spaces to recruit and facilitate the movement of foreign fighters.

"[IS] and al-Qaida have taken advantage of ungoverned spaces in Libya to establish sanctuaries for plotting, inspiring and directing terror attacks," AFRICOM said in a statement on Monday following its last Friday airstrikes.

AFRICOM has estimated that nearly 500 IS fighters remain active in Libya, a decrease from a peak of about 6,000 in 2016.

Anti-IS militias say the remaining IS fighters in the country have been mainly operating in smaller groups at night to avoid being detected. They say the fighters are setting up temporary checkpoints to kill and kidnap those opposed to the group.

An IS attack on a checkpoint 300 miles south of Tripoli in August left nine fighters of the Libyan National Army and two civilians dead.

Threat to Europe

Observers say Libya will continue to remain a hotbed for IS activities and other terrorist groups in years to come because of the divided government.

"They are unable to control their borders, unable to police inside the country effectively, and their large geographic area is relatively easy for not just terrorist elements but also criminal elements to operate across the borders," David Mack, an expert at the Middle East Institute and a former U.S. diplomat to Libya, told VOA.

Mack said the U.S. and EU must not let Libya move to their blind spot, because a stronger IS in Libya would threaten Europe, which is only a few hundred miles away across the Mediterranean Sea.

Jonathan M. Winer, a former U.S special envoy for Libya, told VOA that IS has an eye on Libya for a reason.

"They have been under so much pressure that they have to demonstrate that though they are shrinking and weakening, they still have power, and they want to demonstrate they can do it again in some other locations," Winer said.

He added the U.S. and its allies must provide the necessary help.

"The Libyans themselves did all the fighting and all the dying to get IS out of the region of Sirte, and United States and other countries owe it to the Libyan people to continue to assist them in keeping IS from controlling the Libyan territory."
Kosovo's president, Hashim Thaci, says U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has pledged that the United States will be directly involved in reaching a final agreement to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Thaci told VOA's Albanian service after meeting with Pence on Friday at the White House that "Pence will be focused and maximally involved" in reaching a deal between the two countries.

"I believe that this willingness of the U.S. administration and personally of Vice President Pence is a guarantee for the success of this process," Thaci said.

He said he is confident the process will "lead Kosovo into a final agreement of normalization and reconciliation of Kosovo-Serbia relations and would open prospects for Kosovo's integration into the United Nations."

A White House statement Friday said Pence "expressed appreciation for Thaci's leadership, along with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, to advance the EU-facilitated dialog to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia."

The White House said Pence and Thaci "agreed on the importance of advancing reforms to strengthen the rule of law, fight corruption and boost economic growth" and said Pence reaffirmed the "United States' support for a sovereign, democratic and prosperous Kosovo."

The White House also encouraged Kosovo to ratify the border demarcation agreement with neighboring Montenegro "to resolve this long-standing issue."

Thaci told VOA that Pence called on Kosovo to solve the issues as soon as possible. He said Kosovo has "good neighborly relations with Montenegro" and stressed the importance of such ties.

"No one can support you if you build bad relationships with your neighbors. We have a lot of problems with Serbia. We cannot open other problems with our neighbors that could cost us the integration processes" with the European Union, he said.

Thaci said the issue is in the hands of Kosovo's parliament.

The border agreement was signed in 2015 but has not had sufficient support in Kosovo's parliament for ratification.

The European Union insists Kosovo must approve the border demarcation deal before its citizens enjoy visa-free travel within Europe.

Montenegro has recognized Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia, but Serbia vehemently opposes it.
Louisiana regulators agreed to pay just more than $100,000 to resolve a federal lawsuit that accused state officials and inspectors of harassing and discriminating against a group of Vietnamese-American nail salon owners, court papers show.

Records filed in federal court didnt disclose any terms of the settlement agreement in June. But the deals monetary value, $100,000 plus an additional $400 for court costs, is disclosed in a document obtained by The Associated Press through a public records request.

Four salon owners

The settlement proceeds went to four salon owners and their attorneys. The deal resolved their claims against the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology and two board inspectors.

The plaintiffs claimed the board disproportionately targeted Asian-American salon owners for frequent inspections, fines and disciplinary hearings because of their race. Board lawyers denied there was any evidence of racial bias in their regulatory activities.

The plaintiffs said Vietnamese-owned businesses account for 9 percent of the roughly 7,500 salons regulated by the state agency, including hair salons, but paid at least 80 percent of all board-imposed fines in each year between 2011 and 2013.

Salons closed, employees detained

One plaintiff, Thoa T. Nguyen, claimed an inspector unlawfully detained her and her employees for about two hours during a 2013 inspection. U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson ruled in a pretrial order that those detentions were objectively unreasonable.

Another plaintiff, Mai Thi Nguyen, claimed her salon was shut down for three months by the board after they falsely suspected her of fraudulently transferring the business from its previous owner, simply because she and the previous owner had the same last name.

One of the plaintiffs attorneys is former U.S. Rep. Anh Joseph Cao, a New Orleans Republican who was the first Vietnamese-American to serve in Congress.
As international pressure is mounting on Islamabad to do more against militant groups operating from its soil, some militant groups are rebranding themselves as political parties.

"The Pakistan military is allowing militant, virulently anti-Indian groups to enter the political process to enable a vocal political voice against any Pakistani civilian warming relations with India," Thomas Lynch, a research fellow at the National Defense University in Washington, told VOA.

"The aboveground voices of [Hafiz Mohammad] Saeed and [Kashmiri militant leader Fazlur Rehman] Khalil as political figures will meld with their enduring role as leaders of virulently anti-India armed groups in a way that will further constrain Pakistani political leaders from easily undertaking any moves toward rapprochement with India," Lynch added.

New party

Saeed, the leader of Jamaat-ud-Dawa group (JUD), which has been designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. and is widely considered a front group for Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, launched a new political party last month.

Saeed was accused of masterminding Mumbai's 2008 terror attacks that killed 166 people, including six Americans.

The U.S. government has offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest.

JUD's newly established Milli Muslim League party came in third in a by-election in Punjab last week, securing more votes than Pakistan's People's Party contender did.

Lynch said he thought that without the military's blessings, the militants-turned-political parties cannot thrive.

"Nothing of consequence inside Pakistan security, politics or economics happens without the Pakistan military's concurrence, either by direct support or indirect acquiescence," Lynch said.

"This mainstreaming of longtime militant-terrorist groups led by Saeed and Khalil is of consequence [and] therefore must be supported by the Pakistan military," he added.

Last week's by-election was also contested by the Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah, a party of the followers of Mumtaz Qadri, who was sentenced to death after being convicted of murdering Punjab's Governor Salman Taseer, the same person he was paid to guard.

Qadri killed the governor in 2011 because he advocated for reforms in the country's controversial blasphemy laws.

The two parties of militants-turned-politicians reportedly secured 11 percent of the total votes in last week's election.

Increasing pressure

The politicization of militancy coincides with increasing international pressure on Pakistan to take action against militant safe havens in the county.

Announcing his South Asia strategy, U.S. President Donald Trump last month put Pakistan on notice to stop harboring militant groups that use Pakistani soil to plan and launch attacks against Afghan and U.S.-NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Leaders of BRICS, an economic bloc composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, also expressed concerns this month about Pakistan-based militant groups and cited them as a problem for regional security.

Pakistan has long denied that militants enjoy safe havens in the country and has proclaimed itself as a victim of terrorism.

The country's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, however, this week admitted that Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba were liabilities for his country.

"Saeed, LeT, they are a liability, I accept it, but give us time to get rid of them," Asif said at an Asia Society event in New York on Tuesday.

Optimism

Some analysts, however, see the new trend of pushing militants to mainstream politics as a good development.

"Unless these parties and individuals are allowed to be a part of the political system, they might never change their way and will go underground, which will be much more dangerous," said Zubair Iqbal, an analyst at the Middle East Institute in Washington.

The question is: Can violent extremism and politics co-exist? Pakistani-based political analyst Khadim Hussain has his doubts.

"The 'mainstreamed' extremist organizations have not publicly revoked their ideology. They have not yet dismantled their militaristic, welfare and ideological infrastructure. This seems to be legitimizing extremist violence in Pakistan," Hussain said.

Hussain added that " 'mainstreaming ' and 'integration' seem to be a tactic to divert the U.S., BRICS and other regional and international stakeholders' attention from the core issues of policymaking in Pakistan."

Lynch of NDU echoed Hussain's analysis and said it was unlikely that the move would help curb extremism.

"I do not see this move helping to curb extremism in Pakistan over the short term," Lynch said.

As Pakistan is holding national and provincial elections in 2018, analysts fear that militant groups will attempt to use the new platform to influence legislation.

"These groups will inject xenophobia and extremist views in the body politic if given free hand in politics," Pakistani activist Marvi Sirmed wrote in an op-ed in Lahore's Daily Times, urging the state to halt any kind of support to these groups.
The government of Malawi has drafted new regulations on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones. Authorities say the move helps protect people's security and privacy, but some drone operators are against the proposed changes.

The regulations would require drone operators to get authorization from the Department of Civil Aviation before flying their gadgets and have an adequate insurance policy. Those flouting the regulations would pay a fine of about $1,500 or be jailed for up to six months or both.

Drone users say the proposed rules are too restrictive.

Seeking government authorization whenever one wants to fly a drone is not practical, said Ezaus Mkandawire, president of Film Makers Association of Malawi.

"For example, if there was a demonstration, I don't think one can rush to make an application to have your drone flying. I don't think that works," he said. "There are certain circumstances where you need to make a recording all of a sudden."

Freelance video journalist and drone owner Eldson Chagara opposes a rule that would ban operators from flying a drone within 30 meters of any person.

"There are times when you [want to] fly as low as you can, depending on what you want to shoot, because most drones we have in Malawi have got cameras," he said.

Malawi has recently seen a boom in the use of civilian drones, mainly to spice up aerial photography and videography for weddings and music videos.

Alfred Mtilatila, the director of the civil aviation department, says the regulations are aimed at bringing sanity into the airspace.

"The reason why we want to regulate the operations of the drones is to make sure that people are flying responsibly, knowing what to do and what not to do," he said.

Mtilatila says some rules have been adapted from civil aviation departments around the world.

"We physically went to South Africa. They actually told us how they have done it, and also, we underwent [a] regulatory course on how they do it in America. So, we are learning from most all the globe," he said.

Mtilatila says his department is soliciting input from the public before the regulations are submitted to the Ministry of Justice for approval.
Activists with the March for Racial Justice and the March for Black Women took to the streets Saturday in Washington to protest what they called "racist policing practices" in America.

The two groups held individual rallies in the nation's capital and then converged before marching together to the Justice Department building and the National Mall.

Videos of the march posted on social media showed the protest group marching down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the Capitol, while chanting, "No justice, no peace" and "If we don't get it, shut it down."

The protest march spanned several blocks as activists moved through the city before reaching their final destination on the mall.

Organizers of the two marches planned the events on September 30 to mark the anniversary of the Elaine Massacre of 1919, in which 200 black people were killed by law enforcement officers and citizens in Arkansas.

Farah Tanis, who planned the March for Black Women, told The Washington Post she came up with the idea because she felt black women weren't properly celebrated during the large Women's March on Washington following President Donald Trump's inauguration.

"I said to myself that there will not be another March for Racial Injustice that does not truly center on black women and their issues," she told the newspaper.

On its website, the March for Racial Justice said its mission was to "harness the national unrest and dissatisfaction with racial injustice into a national mobilization" aimed at promoting racial equity.

WATCH: Marchers in DC Seek Racial Justice

"Over the past few years, the movement against racist policing tactics and police killings has transformed the U.S. political terrain and brought much-needed attention to police brutality that is endemic in the U.S.," the group said in a statement.
Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in Barcelona to oppose Sunday's referendum on Catalonian independence from Spain.

Waving Spanish flags, the protesters filled the square in front of Barcelona's regional government buildings Saturday.

Madrid has declared the vote illegal, and authorities in Spain began sealing off polling stations and confiscating ballots. While the Spanish national government said there would be no Catalonian independence vote, Catalonia's regional government continued preparations for it.

Hundreds of people supporting the referendum camped out in schools in an attempt to keep them open for Sunday's vote.

Enric Millo, the highest-ranking Spanish security official in the northeastern region, said Saturday that police had already blockaded half of the more than 2,300 polling stations designated for the referendum vote.

He said Spanish authorities also had dismantled the technology Catalan officials planned on using for voting and counting ballots, which he said would make the referendum absolutely impossible.

The president of the Catalan National Assembly appealed directly to the conscience of police officers deployed to the polling stations while speaking to reporters Saturday.

"I am aware they have a job to do, that they have their orders and have to carry them out. We are aware of that. But we also know that they have feelings, conscience, he said.

So tomorrow, when they carry out their orders they will undoubtedly receive, I hope they keep in mind  during the situations they find themselves in  that these could be their children, their mothers or their nephews, members of their family who just want to be able to express themselves in freedom.

Spanish Culture Minister Inigo Mendez de Vigo said Friday that the independence vote would violate Spanish law and that the government would not accept the results.

We are open to dialogue within the framework of the law. As you would understand, nobody can ask us  to engage in dialogue outside the framework of the law. It's impossible, he said. No European political leader can even consider dealing with an issue that is not in [Spanish] government hands."

Catalan authorities said they would declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of the vote if residents there chose to secede.

On Friday, Catalan farmers rode tractors through the streets of Barcelona, driving slowly and waving pro-independence flags and banners. The tractors eventually stopped, converging on the regional government building.

At the same time, European Union officials said they would not mediate the dispute between Spain and Catalonia, calling it a matter of Spanish law.

[It is] a Spanish problem in which we can do little. It's a problem of respecting Spanish laws that Spaniards have to resolve, said European Parliament President Antonio Tajani.

European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans called on Europeans to respect the constitution and rule of law in their countries. He said people in the EU need to organize themselves in accordance with the constitution of that member state.

That is the rule of law  you abide by the law and the constitution even if you don't like it, he said.

Catalan authorities previously had appealed to the EU for help, saying the Spanish government undermined their democratic values.
A volcano threatening to erupt in the South Pacific has led to the evacuation of an entire island in Vanuatu. A state of emergency has been declared on the island of Ambae, where an increase in volcanic activity has raised fears of a major eruption.

Ash, stones and lava have been thrown from the mouth of the Monaro volcano in Vanuatu, an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean. Officials have ordered the entire population of 10,000 to leave their homes on the island of Ambae. Many have left for evacuation shelters in coastal areas.

Authorities have warned that villagers living within about 6 kilometers of the volcano are at risk from from airborne rocks and dangerous gases. There is a warning, too, that acid rain could damage crops.

The New Zealand air force has flown over the area to assess the risk.

Group Captain Nick Olney says the situation is volatile.

Ambae was very active. There was ash clouds, the crater was erupting plumes, lava, smoke, ash," said Olney. "The evacuation of people is quite critical at the moment but there was some good imagery, what we would call hand-held imagery; normal photographs as well as infrared stuff, which the scientists will use.

Australia has responded to the emergency by delivering supplies of food, water and shelter.

It is more than a decade since the volcano on the island of Ambae last erupted.

Vanuatu sits on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire. It is considered one of the world's most prone countries to natural disasters, with half a dozen active volcanoes, as well as regular earthquakes and cyclones.

Another volcano, this one on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, is also rumbling. Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes as authorities warn it could erupt.

The area around Mount Agung has felt hundreds of tremors and other volcanic activity in recent days.
The United States has opened a direct channel of communication with North Korea and is investigating whether the regime of Kim Jong Un is interested in pursuing talks to give up its nuclear weapons, according to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Saturday, who is in Beijing, seeking China's cooperation on a maximum pressure campaign against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"We are probing so stay tuned," Tillerson told reporters after talks with Chinese officials. "We ask. We have lines of communication with Pyongyang. We're not in a dark situation, a blackout. We have a couple, three channels open to Pyongyang."

Amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Tillerson met with Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks on DPRK's nuclear program, and they also were to cover trade and preparations for U.S. President Donald Trump's first visit to China in November.

Earlier Saturday Tillerson met with China's top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.



The U.S. is conferring closely with Chinese officials on Beijing's commitment to curbing imports of North Korean coal, iron, iron ore, lead and lead ore, and seafood.



If fully implemented, the ban on those items could substantially reduce North Koreas revenues this year. North Korea had earned $1.5 billion from the export of these items to China in 2016, according to the State Department.



China is North Koreas number one trade partner. Washington says bringing China on board is key to cutting off Pyongyangs ability to earn hard currency.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peaces Asia Program director Douglas Paal said, however, Chinas influence over North Korea is limited.



The North is very reluctant to take instructions from China. It will exploit whatever it can get from China, but it doesn't look for political guidance from China. So this is a problem we [the U.S.] and South Korea are going to have to handle directly with North Korea as we go forward, Paal told VOA.

VOA's Nike Ching contributed to this report.
North Korea has shown no interest in pursuing talks on its nuclear and missile programs, the U.S. State Department said Saturday after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson acknowledged the United States was communicating directly with Pyongyang.

"North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization," spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement, "despite assurances that the United States is not interested in promoting the collapse of the current regime, pursuing regime change, accelerating reunification of the peninsula or mobilizing forces north of the DMZ [Demilitarized Zone]."

Tillerson was in Beijing on Saturday, seeking China's cooperation on a "maximum pressure" campaign against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Tillerson revealed the U.S. had opened a direct channel of communication with North Korea and was investigating whether the government of Kim Jong Un was interested in pursuing talks to give up its nuclear weapons.

Speaking with a small group of journalists Saturday in Beijing after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials, Tillerson said, "We are probing, so stay tuned. We talk to them ... directly through our own channels."

When asked what they talk about, Tillerson said, "We ask: Would you like to talk?"

The United States and North Korea typically speak to each other through other governments or former officials.

Direct interaction

The remarks from Tillerson were the clearest to date about how the two countries interact, and they came amid rising tensions and a war of words between them.



Over the past few weeks, following North Koreas sixth nuclear test  its most powerful to date  President Donald Trump has referred to the North's leader, Kim Jong Un, as Rocket Man. Trump also said at the U.N. on September 19 that the U.S. would totally destroy North Korea if it carried out an attack.

Kim responded by calling Trump a dotard and North Koreas U.N. ambassador said the U.S. would pay dearly for his speech, threatening to carry out an atmospheric nuclear test over the Pacific Ocean.

Tillerson said Saturday, Actually, what we need is to calm things down. I think they are well overheated right now. I think everyone would like for it to calm down.

He also added, "Obviously, it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles.

One focus of Tillersons whirlwind visit, which came just after Chinese and American officials met this week in Washington to host the Social and Culture Dialogue, was to discuss details of Trumps visit to Asia and China in November.



National Day

China has a weeklong holiday starting Sunday, and shortly after that the ruling Communist Party will host high-level political meetings and a once-in-five-years leadership reshuffle. Tillerson said he made the trip to discuss North Korea and Trumps trip before China got too busy with the party congress.

There were concerns, however, that North Korea might use Chinas National Day anniversary and holiday or the upcoming meetings as an opportunity to carry out more tests. When asked whether an atmospheric nuclear test would trigger a military response from the United States, and whether that would cross a red line, Tillerson said Trump would make that decision.

Tillerson added, though, that as far as he knew, the president had not drawn any red lines.

Trump on Friday announced his forthcoming visit to Asia. In brief remarks to reporters Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he thought Trump's visit to his nation would be special, wonderful and successful, and important to U.S.-China relations.

Implementing sanctions

Earlier Saturday, Tillerson met with China's top diplomat, State Councilor Yang Jiechi, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The U.S. is conferring closely with Chinese officials on Beijing's commitment to curbing imports of North Korean coal, iron, iron ore, lead and lead ore, and seafood.

If fully implemented, the ban on those items could substantially reduce North Koreas revenues this year. North Korea earned $1.5 billion from the export of the items to China in 2016, according to the State Department.

China is North Koreas No. 1 trade partner. Washington says bringing China on board is key to cutting off Pyongyangs ability to earn hard currency.

Douglas Paal, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peaces Asia Program, said, however, that Chinas influence over North Korea is limited.

The North is very reluctant to take instructions from China. It will exploit whatever it can get from China, but it doesn't look for political guidance from China. So this is a problem we [the U.S.] and South Korea are going to have to handle directly with North Korea as we go forward, Paal told VOA.

VOA State Department correspondent Nike Ching contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump asked a judge on Friday to throw out a lawsuit alleging he is violating the Constitution by using his office to profit from his hotels and other properties.

Trump is arguing that the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia do not have standing to bring the lawsuit because they have not shown they have suffered from the presidents actions, among other reasons. The motion to dismiss is Trumps first response to the lawsuit.

The attorneys general filed the lawsuit in June alleging Trump was violating the emoluments clauses of the Constitution that generally prohibits presidents from receiving payments from foreign and domestic governments. It is one of several filed against Trump that cite the clauses.

Government ethics lawyers have widely condemned Trump for holding onto his vast business empire after taking office. They argue that gives plenty of opportunity for people who want to influence U.S. policy to curry favor with the president.

Grounds too speculative

In the motion to dismiss, Trump and his lawyers said the Maryland Attorney Generals argument that business in his state will get hurt by Trumps Washington, D.C., hotel is too speculative, among other faults. The attorney general had argued that businesses hurt by Trump competition will cut into tax revenue.

In response to similar lawsuits, Trump and his lawyers have also argued that critics are misinterpreting the emoluments clauses. They say that the framers of the Constitution did not intend for them to cover fair-value transactions between a business and its customers, such as offering a hotel room for the night for payment.

Trump owns and licenses hotels and resorts around the world, but his decision to hold onto his lavish hotel in Washington is especially troubling to Trump critics. Since inauguration, the Trump International Hotel has hosted parties by foreign embassies and become a favorite gathering spot for lobbyists.

On Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch gave a speech at the hotel. The choice of the venue was widely criticized by liberal groups.

Damages

At a news conference when the lawsuit was filed in June, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine highlighted what he sees as damage from foreign government attempts to use Trumps holding to their advantage.

Were concerned that foreign governments are coming to the Trump businesses with a single purpose of currying special favor from the president of the United States so that their interest can get a higher priority than the interest of the American people, Racine said. If thats not a harm to every American citizen and every resident in the District of Columbia and Maryland, I dont know what is.

If a federal judge allows the case to proceed, Racine has said he will demand copies of Trumps personal tax returns in court to gauge the extent of his foreign business dealings.
Two films on our radar this week are Stephen Frears heartwarming drama Victoria & Abdul about the deep friendship between Queen Victoria and her Indian servant Abdul Karim between 1887 and 1901, and Doug Limans American Made about Barry Seal, a 1970s audacious American pilot, who, during the Nicaraguan Crisis worked for the CIA, the DEA and the Colombian cartel.

As different as these two films are, they are both based on true stories, proving yet again that often life is stranger than fiction. Both films feature intelligent plots and superb acting.

WATCH: Victoria & Abdul, American Made Based on Incredible True Stories

Victoria & Abdul

Stephen Frears film Victoria and Abdul, opens in 1887, with the festivities for Queen Victorias Golden Jubilee, celebrating her 50-year reign.

Abdul Karim, a young Muslim clerk from Agra, India, is sent to the banquet all the way from India to present the queen with a gift from India, a ceremonial coin. To the dismay of Queen Victorias courtiers, the Indian servant strikes a deep friendship with the octogenarian Queen Victoria, defying class and racial boundaries.

According to the movie, Abdul Karim impressed the British sovereign with his depth of spirit and good looks. Soon the unlikely friends became inseparable, discussing philosophy, literature, even Indian cuisine. In a span of 14 years, Abdul Karm became the queens confidant and munshi, her teacher, in Urdu.

But the queens courtesans and her family, sidelined by Abdul, questioned her sanity and considered her removal.

Historian and author Shrabani Basu based her book of the same title on the queens journals in Urdu and on Karims private diary. Basu discovered Abdul Karims personal diary in possession of Karims surviving nephew Abdul Rashid in 2010, over a century after the queens death.

This was the only document on the relationship between royal and servant that survived the wrath of Queen Victorias children. Immediately after her death in 1901, the royals evicted Queen Victorias munshi, burned everything he had received from the queen and swiftly shipped him and his family to India. In 1909 Abdul Karim died in Agra leaving his diary as his only testimonial of his deep friendship with the empress.

Director Frears offers captivating cinematography while Dame Judi Dench portrays a free-spirited Queen Victoria and Indian actor Ali Fazal embodies a charming and loyal Adbul Karim.

Though the film does not depict a romantic relationship between the two, it does hint to it. Dench describes the queens reaction to Karim:

She had a ready eye for somebody good-looking, which he is very, so it was easy to imagine a kind of tired, poor person suddenly looking up and seeing this wonderful good-looking young man. How lovely somebody at last beautiful to look at, Dench said.

But, author Basu says, At the heart of this book is a story of friendship, a friendship of two different people from two different specters of this world, one is the Empress of India, one is a clerk from Agra jail, and somewhere they have a bond they find this link and a common space.

American Made

American Made, by Bourne Identity filmmaker Doug Liman, offers a satirical look at the political crisis in Nicaragua.

It shows the involvement of the United States in the revolution during the late 1970s and 1980s through the perspective of pilot Barry Seal, who, for the right price, delivers guns to Nicaragua on behalf of the CIA, and cocaine into the U.S. on behalf of the Colombian cartel. Somewhere in between, Seal also works for the DEA.

Tom Cruise offers an engaging interpretation as Barry Seal, piloting the plane and doing all the stunts throughout the film. Cruise explains what drew him to the character:

He just couldnt help himself, Cruise said. He just had to live this life. He literally when you are talking about someone living on the edge, he didnt even realize he was on the edge. He was just living life and not really thinking of necessary ramifications and whats going to happen.

As in most of his action film projects, Cruise pushes his boundaries.

I dont make a movie just to make a movie, he said. Its not what interests me. What interests me is the passion of cinema, the passion of storytelling. Thats when it gets very exciting, not just a job. I love this too much.
The White House has made it official: The annual cap on refugees coming into the United States in fiscal year 2018 will be 45,000. Calling it the America First Refugee Program, the late Friday announcement says it is a level that upholds the safety of the American people.

The new limit, which was submitted to Congress earlier in the week, puts the United States on track to accept fewer refugees in fiscal 2018 than in the past 37 years that the current refugee program, known as USRAP (United States Refugee Admission Program), has been in existence.

The White House said Friday that the decision was made after consulting with the secretary of state, the secretary of homeland security, and the presidents national security team.

White House: Safety first

It said the new ceiling is designed to accommodate additional vetting procedures designed to thoroughly and safely process applicants for potential threats to public safety and national security.

The announcement also said, With this new ceiling, the United States will continue to permanently resettle more refugees than any other country, and we will continue to offer protection to the most vulnerable, including those who have been persecuted because of race, political opinion, nationality, religion, or membership in a particular social group.

The White House also said the decision reflects the need to concentrate limited resources on the approximately 270,000 aliens who have applied for asylum but have not been properly vetted, and are already present in the United States.

Refugees: Pillar of national security

Last year, the administration of President Barack Obama set the cap on refugees at 110,000, but the incoming administration of Donald Trump in January issued an executive order reducing the cap to 50,000, saying more refugees would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.

A bipartisan group of 34 U.S. senators, including former presidential candidates John McCain and Bernie Sanders, sent a letter to the White House on Monday, calling the refugee program a critical pillar of our national security and our foreign policy. It said 50,000 is insufficient when compared to the millions of people who have been forced to flee their countries.

Questioned earlier this week about the prospect of a 45,000 cap, refugee advocates also reacted with dismay.

David Robinson, executive director of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, called the new refugee cap shamefully low. He called the change a retreat from global leadership that undermines both our interests and our values.

Linda Hartke, who heads the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service resettlement agency, said the measure would be callous and tragic.

We are not afraid of our new neighbors and are not fooled by cruel and false claims that refugees are a threat to our safety, she said this week.

Legislative remedy

She said if members of Congress want to push back, there are legislative ways to do it.

There are avenues, she said. Whether there are elected officials who choose to exercise those, I dont know.

A proposal put forth by the conservative Heritage Foundation last week suggests that federal lawmakers should reassert congressional leadership in refugee policy, and establish parameters for the executive branch based on historical levels. It also suggested that private sponsorship could be used to bolster the refugee program.

VOA immigration reporter Victoria Macchi contributed to this report.
Hundreds of vultures in Namibia died after feeding on an elephant carcass that poachers had poisoned. Poachers in Zimbabwe used cyanide to kill dozens of elephants for their ivory tusks. In Mozambique three lions died after eating bait infused with a crop pesticide.

Poisoning Africa's wildlife is an old practice, but conservationists fear such incidents are escalating in some areas, saying relatively easy access to agricultural chemicals and the surging illegal market for animal parts are increasing pressure on a number of already beleaguered species. The threat is compounded by the indiscriminate nature of killing with poison, in which a single contaminated carcass can take down a range of animals, particularly scavengers such as vultures.

This month, a continent-wide database was launched to gather data on wildlife poisoning and better understand a phenomenon that has been widely documented in southern Africa, where a reported 70 lions have been fatally poisoned in the last 18 months, according to managers. While the African Wildlife Poisoning Database lacks records from underreported areas including Central Africa, it dates to 1961 and lists nearly 300 poisoning incidents in 15 African countries that killed more than 8,000 animals from dozens of species, including leopards, hyenas, impalas, cranes and storks.

"It's still a big work in progress," said Darcy Ogada, a Kenya-based database coordinator and assistant director of Africa programs at The Peregrine Fund, a conservation group. The goal, Ogada said, is to get governments to pay more attention to the "underground world" of wildlife poisoning that also threatens livestock, water sources and people who eat meat from birds and other poisoned animals.

Poachers with guns have killed hundreds of thousands of elephants and thousands of rhinos in Africa in past years, but wildlife traffickers have increasingly laced carcasses with poison to target vultures that circle overhead and can draw the attention of anti-poaching rangers. Previously, poisons such as strychnine were primarily used by farmers to kill jackals, wild dogs and other predators that attack livestock, though some landowners and communities have responded positively to anti-poison campaigns.

In 2013, between 400 and 600 vultures died after feeding on the poisoned carcass of an elephant that was killed for its ivory in Namibia's Zambezi area, said Andre Botha, a poisoning database manager and special projects manager at the Endangered Wildlife Trust, a South African group.

"This is the highest number of vultures killed in a single poisoning incident that we have on the database to date," Botha said.

Some of Africa's species of vulture, whose body parts are also precious in traditional medicine in parts of the continent, are listed as critically endangered. South Asian vulture populations are a fraction of what they were, largely because of feeding on carcasses of livestock treated with diclofenac, a veterinary drug that is toxic to vultures. Government bans on the drug, however, helped level those declines.

African lions are in peril partly because of human encroachment on habitats and the poaching of animals for food, which deprives lions of prey. The killing of lions by poison, once largely a result of livestock owners trying to protect their herds, appears to reflect growing local and Asian demand for lion claws, bones and other parts used in traditional medicine, according to Botha.

"What we see now is people purposely going out and targeting lions," he said. Some 70 were poisoned in southern Africa since last year, Botha said. The database reports a total of 51 lion poisonings between 1980 and 2015.

In July, officials in Mozambique's Limpopo National Park on the border with South Africa found poacher tracks, bait laced with poison, and the carcasses of three lions and a hyena, according to the Peace Parks Foundation, which develops cross-border conservation areas. It said authorities believe poachers used a substance containing the pesticide aldicarb, which South Africa banned because of its environmental threat.

Another pesticide, carbofuran, is the "abused product of choice" in countries including Botswana, Tanzania and Kenya, said Tim Snow, a South African conservationist who helps train southern African rangers in how to deal with poisoning sites by wearing surgical gloves for their own safety and collecting samples for study in a laboratory.

He said poachers in Zimbabwe have killed more than 90 elephants since 2015 by poisoning water sources with cyanide, a chemical used to extract gold from ore. Authorities have seized cyanide stashes from vehicles at police roadblocks and a warehouse in Bulawayo city, Snow said.

Educating communities about the environmental fallout from poisoning wildlife is key, said Mark Anderson, CEO of BirdLife South Africa. Banning poisons, he said, has a limited impact because "there's an unlimited supply and variety of poisons that can be used."
A member of President Donald Trump's Cabinet was out of a job Friday afternoon for chartering expensive planes at government expense, rather than taking cheaper commercial flights.

"Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the president accepted," a White House statement said.

Price's resignation was effective at midnight, and Don J. Wright, deputy assistant secretary for health and director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, will take over as acting secretary.

About an hour prior to the resignation announcement, Trump told reporters he was not happy with Price as "I certainly didn't like the optics" of the flap over travel.

The president explained why: "We save hundreds of millions of dollars through negotiation. I'll give you an example: With the F-35 fighter plane  me, myself  I've saved hundreds of millions of dollars in negotiating. And that's one of the reasons I don't like seeing anybody even have a question about, you know, flying."

The president, telegraphing what was about to happen, added, "I felt very badly because Secretary Price is a good man."

The president said members of his Cabinet could only take such expensive private flights if they were paying their own way.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, for example, is a billionaire; she uses her own plane for work trips and pays for the cost of the flights herself, according to her office.

According to the news website Politico, the cost of private flights Price took while Cabinet secretary climbed to an estimated $1 million.

On Thursday, Price, a former member of Congress who often attacked government waste, expressed regret for the flights and vowed to repay the government for the cost of his seat but not the full cost of chartering the planes.

The Health and Human Services Department told media outlets that the amount he was expected to repay totaled $51,887.31, far less than the total estimated cost of the more than two dozen flights on private and military jets.

"Tom Price committed the one unpardonable sin in Trump's world: Being rich, but not rich enough to own his own private jet," Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff tweeted.

Call for oversight

A Democratic congressman from Rhode Island, David Cicilline, said, "President Trump promised to drain the swamp. But today, yet another of his top officials has resigned in disgrace."

The congressman, who is the co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, is calling on fellow lawmakers in his party "to conduct real oversight that prevents this type of abuse. Looking the other way cannot be tolerated a single moment longer."

In addition to Price, administrator Scott Pruitt of the Environmental Protection Agency and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are also under scrutiny for the cost of their government travel.

An internal investigation at Treasury is reportedly under way into the travel approval procedures for Mnuchin's chartering of planes, including military aircraft for an overseas trip.

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke dismissed criticism on Friday about his use of private aircraft.

Zinke acknowledged taking three charter plane trips, including a $12,000 flight from an event with a big donor.

"All this travel was done only after department officials determined no other flights were available," Zinke told the audience at the Heritage Foundation. "Every time I travel, I submit travel plans to the department, who determines line by line that I follow the law. And I follow the law."
The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union has embarked on a 'Pockets Out' Campaign in an effort to highlight critical shortages of cash in Zimbabwe as citizens are failing to access money in banks. Some people have literally camped outside banks, in vain, hoping to withdraw money from their accounts.
Pedestrians cross the intersection of North Capitol Street and H Street NE in Washington in May. The the H Street corridor is one of the areas that transformed as millennials flocked to the District after the Great Recession. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

Ryan Ferguson rode into Washington with other millennials who arrived en masse after the Great Recession.

The citys burgeoning tech scene was a draw for him, and young workers infused the city with a vibrancy that touched and transformed neighborhoods like Columbia Heights, Petworth and the H Street NE corridor.

It seemed to be the start of a new era for the city and its inner suburbs. But as it turns out, it was easier to lure millennials than to keep them.

Many are now packing off for job prospects  buoyed by a stronger economy  and a higher quality of life in lower-priced cities across the nation. Some, like Ferguson, are simply moving home.

When it came time to get married and buy a house, there was no question that he would leave Washington. Today Ferguson, 28, lives with his wife, Aly, in a Boston suburb, and hes applying the lessons he learned as the general manager of the tech blog DCInno to a new job in Bostons tech scene.

A new analysis by George Mason University researchers finds that, among those already in the United States, more people are leaving the region than arriving for the first time since the Great Recession. Millennial deserters  ages 20 to 29  are one factor. But another big one is baby boomers leaving to begin retirement life elsewhere. Families and the unemployed are also going.

This shift in trend, experts say, could have long-term consequences.

For decades, the number of people coming into the nations capital has remained remarkably stable. The regions government agencies kept hiring through the recession and the government contracts remained a bedrock for the business community.

But historically, people tend to pack up and leave when jobs are plentiful in other cities.

The current exodus could complicate efforts to diversify the regions mix of business and wean it off its dependence on the federal government. In recent years, Washington has persuaded large corporations like Nestle and Yelp to set up offices here, and local leaders are now mobilizing to lure Amazon.coms second headquarters here.

Cities across the nation have wooed millennials ever since they became the largest demographic in the labor force. Local leaders have touted the city as attractive to millennials  and promoted its well-educated millennials as attractive to companies. And the latest data suggest the D.C. area is losing out as rising rents outpace growth in paychecks.

Its definitely not gangbusters growth in wages right now, said Sonya Ravindranath Waddell, a researcher with the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank.

That often means getting a new job somewhere else is the only way to get a raise.

That was the case for George Joseph, 23, who moved to the District in early 2016 for a journalism fellowship with Atlantic Media. He was paid $12 an hour, or about $25,000 a year. He lived in a repurposed sunroom in Southeast Washington, where he wasnt on the lease, paying about $600 a month in rent.

He spoke fondly of his nine months in the District, but he said late-night cab rides occasionally depleted his bank account. The Metro stopped service after midnight last year, something that he said restrained his social life.

So he job-hopped to another journalism fellowship in New York that doubled his salary to about $50,000 a year. Now he rents a room in Brooklyn that he said is a little nicer, for the same price he paid in the District.

This report clearly reinforces the need to change our trajectory, said Jason Miller, chief executive of the Greater Washington Partnership, a regional economic advocacy group. When you look under the hood at the performance of the region, our growth has been below average compared to other metropolitan areas.

Even so, the metro areas population is still growing, thanks to births and the arrival of immigrants.

Our region has been gaining new residents steadily but has not been able to hold on to them, said Jeannette Chapman, deputy director of the Stephen S. Fuller Institute at George Mason, a center that tracks the local economy. The region has a harder time keeping residents when the national economy picks up.

Others see little cause for alarm. The metropolitan areas fortunes have long run countercyclical to those of the rest of the nation.

During good times in the rest of the country, people leave the Washington area because there are opportunities there, said economist Stephen S. Fuller, whose namesake Stephen S. Fuller Institute based its findings on an analysis of data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service from 2000 to 2015, the latest figures available.

Before the recession, from 2003 to 2008, the region consistently saw more people leaving than arriving, as economic prosperity led to strong job growth across the country. In 2006, for example, those leaving the D.C. area exceeded the new arrivals by about 40,000.

By 2009, that dynamic had flipped. The financial crisis had sent the national economy into a tailspin. Manufacturing-dependent cities like Detroit were decimated and job growth across the country was sluggish. The D.C. area, though, fared comparatively better, insulated from the economic collapse by the presence of federal agencies. People stayed put, the report found, accelerating a surge in redevelopment that transformed urban neighborhoods and pushed up rents.

By 2013, the local job market started slowing. Government contractors experienced the pinch of congressionally mandated sequestration budget cuts, leading many to consolidate and shed jobs at a time when the national economy was heating up.

People started leaving again: The region lost about 20,000 people each year from 2013 to 2015. The losses came even among millennials.

Despite the shift, developers say they see little letup in demand for pricey apartments downtown. It could be that those moving out are being replaced by younger suburbanites moving up in the job market.

I think that as baby boomers are retiring, the younger workforce is taking those jobs and theyre not choosing to live in Sterling or Centreville, said Bob Murphy, managing principal at MRP Realty. Theyre going to Arlington or the District . . . because theyre getting married later and having fun on the weekends.

The Districts younger populations have long been characterized by a certain transience, with people spending a few years getting to know the city before deciding to put down roots elsewhere.

The citys political workforce effectively turns over every four or eight years with the ebb and flow of national politics.

One is James Jimmy Sunshine, 26, a Floridian who briefly worked as a researcher in the Obama White House.

In his case, turnover was by design.

I knew it was going to be temporary, so I tried to stay eyes wide open, he said. The Constitution kind of puts an end date on any administration.

He recounts that when President Trumps administration swept in, many of his former colleagues left for places like New York, Boston or Seattle; places where they had grown up or had previous careers.

Sunshine now attends law school in Michigan. He says he might return some day to help pick up the pieces but has no immediate plans to do so.

The people who are leaving are not the people who were born here, Fuller said. They are eager to leave when the economic conditions wherever they grew up or went to college become more favorable.

That was the case for Ferguson, a Massachusetts native who moved to the District in January 2013 to work as a Senate staffer. He then spent a couple years at DCInno, but said he always considered Boston home. He and his wife closed on a house in Newburyport, Mass., in January to start their new life. His salary now is close to the $80,000 a year he made at DCInno. And their new mortgage is slightly more expensive than the rent they paid in Washington.

One big downside about Washington, he said, was that his friends kept leaving. When you come to D.C., you know a handful of people and within a year theyre all gone, he said. So then you become friends with their friends, but then they move away, too.

By the time I had moved away I was on like our third iteration of friends of friends of friends, he said.

Jonathan OConnell contributed to this report.
Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Or so David Bowie seemed to believe. His appetites for sex and cocaine were so insatiable that he was considered addicted to both  and the two addictions fed each other. Remarkably, he recorded one of his finest albums, "Station to Station" (1976 ), while in that delirium.



****HANDOUT IMAGE David Bowie by Dylan Jones, (credit: Crown Archetype) ***NOT FOR RESALE (Crown Archetype)

Its not the side effects of the cocaine, he sings in the title track, introducing his Thin White Duke persona, the successor to Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and others. Im thinking that it must be love. When youre addicted, it can be difficult to distinguish between the two.

With his capacity for excess, Bowie might have appreciated this overstuffed oral history by Dylan Jones. In David Bowie: A Life, so many people have so much to say about Bowie that, as a biography, it never settles on an overarching interpretation of the man. Oh, there are revelations and confirmations, such as all the testimony about sex and drugs. Theres one instance  probably included just so it would be cited  about someone calling Bowies room in New York with an offer of a still-warm corpse.

The town had never seen anything like David before, says onetime groupie Josette Caruso. And he obviously looked like such a freak that some sick people thought he might be into necrophilia. (He wasnt.)

So, yes, the salacious parts are there, but so is exhaustive testimony about what it was like to grow up near Bowie, go to school with him, go on tour with him, shoot photos of him, design clothes or stage sets for him, fetch cigarettes for him, or lose your virginity to him.

[David Bowie remembered by his admirers, collaborators and friends]

Jones, the editor of British GQ and a veteran cultural journalist, interviewed more than 180 sources to cast the net as wide as possible. Like others included here, Jones maintains that Bowie changed the world, that he was to the 1970s what the Beatles were to the 1960s, and that his ability to combine artistic daring with commercial success is pretty much unparalleled.

Here is where some distinctions blur. It's difficult to write about Bowie's artistic legacy as something separate from his flamboyant sexuality. It's equally difficult to separate the marketing from the art because David Bowie was the greatest creation of David Bowie (or David Jones, as he was previously known). Like Bob Dylan, a formative influence, Bowie assumed and shed so many skins that change seemed his only constant. And, for a while at least, every one of his changes seemed to alter the cutting edge of popular music.

Joness biography takes a while to generate momentum, mirroring Bowies early career, but it offers the discerning reader clues as to how all the pieces fit together, how the Starman eventually morphed into the whiter-than-white soul man of Young Americans and anticipated his own death as Lazarus. Whatever Bowie you want is here, from genius to opportunist. If your Bowie is a visionary artist, youll find him. If your Bowie is a magpie, a plagiarist, a vampire sucking the creative blood of others, hes here, as well. So is the saintly Bowie, the one who resurrected the careers of Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Mott the Hoople. And the Cracked Actor, haunted by his brothers schizophrenia. The hermit, the club hopper, the aristocratic art collector  theyre all here. Martin Scorsese compares him to Gershwin and Astaire (and says the latter saw in him a kindred spirit).

It helps if the reader has a comprehensive recall of Bowies recorded output. Much of his music since his commercial peak with Lets Dance (1983) has been little heard and long forgotten. Until the climactic last act, the highlights of Bowies final decades (and the books second half) are pretty much limited to kicking his habits and marrying the love of his life, the model Iman.

His skyrocket trajectory found him burning through crucial collaborators. The books unsung musical hero is guitarist Mick Ronson, a genuinely nice man who had the sound to match Ziggys vision. Jones also illuminates the key role played by first wife Angie Bowie. In their open marriage of convenience and calculation, she was the brash American who could offset Bowies British reserve and push him toward notoriety.

Bowie's final piece of performance art returned him to center stage. In 2016, "Blackstar," made with a jazzier band, sounded like nothing he had done before and was stronger than anything he had released in years. It received rave reviews, in confirmation that Bowie was back. But then, two days after the album's release, he was gone. He knew he was dying as he was recording it. Every song needed to be reinterpreted as an intimation of mortality.

Elton John, with whom hed once had a falling out, said, Bowie couldnt have staged a better death. It was classy.

Don McLeese is a journalism professor at the University of Iowa and a critic of music, books and popular culture.


Before a recent show of "The Arsonists," Howard Shalwitz, actor and director of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre, gets prop cigars from assistant stage manager Leigh Robinette. (Essdras M Suarez for The Washington Post)

As artistic neighbors go, Howard Shalwitz and Michael Kahn appear to be miles apart. Shalwitz runs the new-plays troupe Woolly Mammoth Theatre; Kahn heads the classical Shakespeare Theatre Company. Woolly seats 265; the STC's two stages combined hold more than 1,200. Shalwitz, 65, keeps his romantic partner of 38 years out of the spotlight at her request; two years ago, Kahn, 80, was married to Charles Mitchem by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

What Shalwitz and Kahn share is more than three decades of transforming Washington theater, developing their own humble troupes  the STC formerly at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Woolly evolving through several small digs around town  into national leaders. For a decade, theyve been cheek by jowl in Penn Quarter, and the STCs Lansburgh stage on Seventh Street NW is even closer to Woolly (around the corner on D) than to its big brother on F, Harman Hall.

This year, Shalwitz announced retirement plans for the end of this season, and Kahn said he'll step down a year later. Both men are putting creative stamps on season openers, with Kahn directing a pair of short Harold Pinter plays ("The Lover" and "The Collection") and Shalwitz acting (in Max Frisch's "The Arsonists") for the first time in seven years.



Coffee first at a favorite cafe, where Kahn often runs into friends here, Angelika Fuenrich). (Essdras M Suarez for The Washington Post)

Swinging up and down Seventh Street between the Lansburgh and Woolly from morning till night, these are glimpses of a day in the life as Shalwitz and Kahn gear up for their latest shows and power down their leadership roles.

11:30 a.m., Java House,

Q Street NW

Kahns favorite coffee shop is near his D.C. apartment; people know him here. Fundamentally a New Yorker, Kahn sips his iced coffee reading the print New York Times and toting Adam Gopniks new memoir, At the Strangers Gate: Arrivals in New York.

Kahn selected the taut, romantically menacing, early-1960s Pinter plays with Washington actor Holly Twyford in mind; they clicked together during Pinter's "Old Times" in 2011. But the project has hit bumps. Twyford instead accepted Signature Theatre's offer to play Desiree Armfeldt in "A Little Night Music," Patrick Kennedy replaced another actor only a week ago, and last night, the show's leading lady, Lisa Dwan, injured her foot onstage during a blackout. Dwan ended up in the emergency room.

How bad is it?

Well see, Kahn says.

12:30 p.m., Lansburgh,

450 Seventh St. NW

The Lansburgh is a darkened warren of designers and technicians huddling over a half-dozen work tables scattered throughout the house. Onstage, a vintage red British phone booth is just visible. So is a collection of fine vases in a bright white box.

How can the collection be dimmed? Kahn asks, his voice commanding the room. We dont have enough light in the phone booth, either. Im not crazy about that framing. The lights behind the booth go out. Thats more interesting, Kahn says.



Kahn, listening to and watching Harold Pinters The Collection cue by cue. (Essdras M Suarez for The Washington Post)

The lights are somehow harder to dim in the collection box. Kahn does not hide his displeasure, but he quickly moves on.

Half an hour later, everyone is still timing The Collections opening sequence of lights and sound. Kahn watches, comments and waits for adjustments, sometimes impatiently tapping his ring on a wooden table until he can see it again.

In costume, Dwan walks onstage favoring her left foot. Good news: Its sprained, not broken. Crisis averted, Kahns attention turns to Dwans wig. Huddling with his longtime friend costume designer Jane Greenwood, he says candidly, Even Julie Christie wouldnt look good in that wig.

2 p.m., Woolly Mammoth,

641 D St. NW

Shalwitz returns to afternoon office duties for the first time in weeks. The routine has been on hold as he takes the central role of Betterman, an everyman whose attic gets overtaken by arsonists  Frischs metaphor for the risks of letting political extremists gain a toehold wherever you live.

Shalwitz meets about extending the show another week. Sales are going well, but putting another block of tickets up for sale is not a slam-dunk decision. (Days later, an extra week is announced.) Then comes call time, an hour touching base with supporters. Hes also picking scenes for the Dinner on Stage fundraiser next month.

Im enjoying it, Shalwitz says an hour later about his return to acting. The hardest thing has been turning off the director part of my brain. And my character is a dupe. You have to figure out how to identify with someone whos making a lot of bad choices.



Shalwitz gets back into the swing of office time, which has been cut back during his return to acting. (Essdras M Suarez for The Washington Post)

Hes still not coming into the office during the mornings. Ive reduced my footprint, he says. Not that hes checked out already as the board searches for his successor: We cant afford for me to be a lame duck artistic director for even one season.

Shalwitz can picture himself acting more post-Woolly, and the oddity that hes doing an older play than Kahn is, the 1950s Arsonists, leads him to ideas about acting and directing Shakespeare. Its another post-retirement interest. I might reach out a little bit, he says.

4:25 p.m.,

Woolly dressing room

Wardrobe supervisor Andy Cutler trims Shalwitzs hair, which peeks out from under his characters wig, in the dressing room shared by the casts five men. Its not Woollys nature to have a star dressing room, Shalwitz notes. Not that Im a star.

4:50 p.m., Lansburgh

Midafternoon brought a fire drill that emptied the theater and cost Kahn more time. The company will postpone an upcoming invited dress rehearsal.

Greenwood and Kahn inspect costumes, and though everyone breaks for dinner, Kahn lingers at the edge of the stage to talk for 20 minutes with actor Patrick Ball.



Patrick Ball and Kahn burrow in during rehearsal of Pinter's "The Collection." (Essdras M Suarez for The Washington Post)

5:30 p.m., Lansburgh

Kahn gets an update from his assistant, David Olson. These rehearsals are the most important for him to be focused on, Olson says. I have to prioritize. Details include casting for the companys upcoming Twelfth Night and organizing next months fundraising gala honoring former Kahn student Laura Linney.

Dwan? Shes a trouper, Kahn says. Its been hard. But were getting there.

7:58 p.m., backstage at Woolly

Shalwitz, in costume, checks his props and places his briefcase by an entrance.



Afternoon into evening: Kahn continues to scrutinize the stage as The Collection gets its look. (Essdras M Suarez for The Washington Post)

8:07 p.m., Lansburgh

Are you being good about your foot? Kahn asks Dwan, who is barefoot as she prowls the stage in her characters robe.

I am, the actress says. I think its better not to rest it. Dwan runs her lines while waiting. Do you think hes the only one I entertain? she murmurs in an English accent, alone in the half-light.

Kennedy asks about having to change a sweater. Its slightly buggering up the wig, taking the jumper off, he says.

Its often the wigs, Kahn said earlier in the day about technical issues.

8:50 p.m., Woolly lobby

Shalwitz, in pajamas, sprints up a side hall from backstage and into the lobby. Cutler helps him with a fast costume change. Shalwitz dashes through the doors toward the stage.



Quick change: Shalwitz runs toward the lobby to switch costumes mid-performance. (Essdras M Suarez for The Washington Post)

10:04 p.m., Woolly lobby

The Arsonists is over. Shalwitz greets friends and family; his day is done. Around the corner, Kahn and company polish for another hour. Tomorrow, both men will do it all again.


As part of a sexual harassment and assault case, Air Force investigators recovered hundreds of text messages that Col. Ronald S. Jobo, left, sent to a female subordinate in 2015. (Photo by Mickey Welsh /The Advertiser; texts obtained by The Washington Post)

For the U.S. Air Force, the case of alleged sexual harassment and assault by a senior officer was exactly the type of misconduct Pentagon leaders had promised Congress and the public they would no longer tolerate.

The victim at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base in Alabama reported in September 2015 that her married boss, a colonel, had repeatedly said he wanted to have sex with her, tracked her movements and sent her recordings of him masturbating in the shower, documents show. She said that she told him to back off but that he would not stop: Twice, she alleges, he trapped her in the office, grabbed her arms and forcibly tried to kiss her.

Air Force investigators quickly confirmed much of her account, aided by hundreds of messages that the officer had texted the woman and by his admission that he had sent the masturbation recordings, the documents show.

In their report, the investigators compiled extensive evidence that the colonel, Ronald S. Jobo, had committed abusive sexual contact against the woman, a civilian in her 30s. Under military law, the charge would have automatically resulted in a court-martial, a proceeding open to the public. The crime carried a sentence of up to seven years in prison and a requirement to register as a sex offender.

The decision on what to do next rested with a three-star general 600 miles away at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In the military-justice system, commanders  not uniformed prosecutors  have the power to dictate how and whether criminal cases should be pursued.

In March 2016, Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, the senior officer in Jobos chain of command, decided against charging Jobo with abusive sexual contact, or any crime at all. Instead, Thompson imposed what the military calls nonjudicial punishment, or discipline for minor offenses.

Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, the senior officer in Jobos chain of command, decided against charging the colonel with abusive sexual contact, or any crime at all. (U.S. Air Force)

Jobo was forced to retire and demoted one rank, to lieutenant colonel. Because the military keeps most disciplinary actions secret, the case was hidden from public view.

There would be no trial, no publicity and no public record  the same for thousands of other sexual assault investigations each year in the armed forces.

An examination of the Jobo investigation, based in part on an internal 400-page law enforcement case file obtained by The Washington Post, casts doubt on the militarys promises to crack down on sexual misconduct and hold commanders accountable for how they administer justice.

This kind of case cries out to be court-martialed, said retired Col. Don Christensen, a former chief prosecutor for the Air Force who is now president of Protect Our Defenders. The group advocates for sexual assault victims in the armed forces and has lobbied for uniformed prosecutors, instead of commanders, to oversee cases. It just cries out for someone to be held accountable in a public forum.

Jobo retired from the Air Force last year. He declined requests for an interview. In a statement to The Post, he said he served honorably in the Air Force for more than 25 years but showed extremely poor judgment by allowing a close work relationship to escalate into an unprofessional personal one.

I was misguided and deeply regret the hurt and embarrassment I caused my wife, daughter, extended family, colleagues and friends, he added.

In an interview with The Post, the woman said she felt betrayed by the generals decision. Disappointment is probably an understatement. I felt strongly that Colonel Jobo should be held accountable, she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect her privacy. (The Posts policy is not to identify victims of sexual assault or abuse.)

The Pentagon has sought to raise the profile of its campaign against sexual assault and harassment in the ranks since 2013, when a string of scandals raised fundamental questions about whether the militarys justice system was too antiquated to cope with the problem. In testimony before Congress, the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff acknowledged that they had neglected the issue for years.

Since then, the armed forces have promised to address the problem and have devoted new resources to training and law enforcement. Last year, the number of reported sexual assaults  defined as acts ranging from wrongful sexual contact to rape  reached 6,172, a new high.

The Pentagon has called the increase a sign of progress, saying that more victims are coming forward because they are confident that offenders will be held accountable. Still, only about 1 in 3 victims last year reported being assaulted, according to military estimates.

More than 90 percent of reported incidents, however, are investigated and adjudicated behind closed doors, Pentagon statistics show. Last year, only 389 sexual assault cases proceeded to trial and produced public records of what happened.

[FBI investigated complaints that Bobby Knight groped women at military spy agency]

Ordinarily, details of the case involving the colonel from Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base would have remained secret, too. The Air Force rejected Freedom of Information Act requests from The Post for records associated with Jobos investigation and punishment, citing his privacy rights.

The documents obtained by The Post from other sources show how the victim futilely pleaded with Thompson, the general in charge of deciding the case, to approve criminal charges instead of meting out what she feared would be a slap on the wrist.

Sir, very respectfully, this is offensive to me, she wrote in a memo in February 2016, when she learned Thompson was unlikely to order a court-martial. I have been afraid that I would not be believed. I was afraid that I would get blamed for what happened. I am afraid that this whole thing would just get swept under the rug because of his rank.

Thompson, who was given a new leadership post in May with the Air Force Space Command, declined requests from The Post for an interview. In a statement, he said military law and Air Force policy restricted him from commenting on the reasoning behind his decisions.

In this case, as in all cases, a thorough investigation was conducted and commanders throughout the chain of command reviewed all of the evidence at multiple stages, Thompson said. He said he had based his decisions on the totality of the circumstances and the maintenance of good order and discipline in the Service.

A history of trouble

Located in Alabamas capital, Montgomery, Gunter Annex is several miles across town from the main base. The annex houses the Business and Enterprise Systems Directorate, which is responsible for managing many of the Air Forces computer systems worldwide.

About 1,500 civilians and uniformed personnel work for the directorate. Roughly 80 percent are men.

Military records indicate that the former civilian chief of the unit  Jobos boss  had previously been rebuked for an overly lenient approach to sexual misconduct allegations.

The Air Force inspector general criticized the chief, Robert Carl Shofner, for his actions in 2015, when he pushed to promote an Air Force supervisor who had a record of sexual harassment and played down another subordinates affair with a junior employee.

According to the inspector generals report, obtained by The Post under FOIA, Shofner was overly friendly with his two offending subordinates. By failing to take appropriate action, the inspector general found, he contributed to a culture at Gunter that condoned sexual harassment.

Mr. Shofner gave the impression that leadership turned a blind eye to sexual harassment and thus allowed an environment where sexual harassment festers, the report concluded.

The Air Force said in a statement that it suspended Shofner without pay for 14 days as a result of the inspector generals findings. He was transferred from Gunter last year to a new job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

In an email to The Post, Shofner said he disagreed with any conclusion someone would make that I failed any integrity tests in showing favoritism or in providing a healthy working environment.

There were many complex issues in work over the course of my tenure and I responded firmly and appropriately as expected and required, he said.

The inspector generals report shows Shofner had been warned explicitly that his handling of the sexual harassment case could backfire. In July 2015, a senior official at Gunter told Shofner in a memo that he was sending the wrong message to the workforce and failing to create a deterrent to future indiscretions.

The warning proved prescient. A few weeks later, Shofner was confronted by another sexual misconduct case  this time involving Jobo, his second-in-command.

Jobo was a systems engineer who had graduated from the Air Force Academy and served in the war in Afghanistan. As the senior uniformed officer at Gunter, he wielded unquestioned authority over the directorate.

Married with a daughter, Jobo, then 47, worked closely with a female subordinate: a civilian executive who specialized in logistics and was about a decade younger. They both told investigators that their relationship was professional at first and gradually became more friendly.

She told The Post that she saw him as a mentor but that in the summer of 2015, he started to become flirtatious, making her uncomfortable. He texted and emailed her at all hours and remarked that they were in a relationship. She said she reminded him more than once that he was her boss and that she had a boyfriend.

Others at Gunter said it was not hard to sense what was on the colonels mind.

One Air Force officer later told law enforcement agents from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations that Jobo hovered over the woman and touched her on the arm during staff meetings, according to the agents case file. The officer, whose name was redacted from the file, said that just watching the interaction made her neck hairs stand up and that she warned the woman afterward to be very cautious.

I told her that he looked at her like he wanted her sexually and that he was in her space and that the touch was weird, the officer wrote in a statement. She said, He touched me? She was oblivious. I told her that she needed to become situationally aware because [it was] just a strange vibe.

Texting around the clock

In August 2015, Jobos behavior suddenly turned more explicit. While the woman was on a business trip to Washington, he left a phone-sex recording on her voice mail, according to investigators records in the case file.

For six minutes, he shared his sexual fantasies and recorded himself masturbating; he also sent her a photo of himself in the shower while holding a toothbrush next to his genitals, the case file shows.

The woman told The Post that she was shocked and scared by the recordings but ignored them, hoping the colonel would stop. I handled it as best I could without prompting or allowing any further thoughts on his part, she said.

But when she returned to Montgomery from Washington, the harassment intensified.

The woman shared some of the original text images with The Post. Jobos texts appear in the gray background and hers are in the green. (Obtained by The Washington Post)

On Aug. 28, her first day back in the office at Gunter, she received a text from Jobo at 8:58 a.m. saying that he wanted to push her against the wall and kiss her, according to the case file.

He texted her nine more times that day, capped with a message at 9:46 p.m.: If I really had balls I would have kissed you today but I figured Id see if I could ignore you first.

Over the next two weeks, at all hours, Jobo sent hundreds more phone texts and instant messages, alternating between work-related notes and outbursts of vulgarity, records show.

He repeatedly called the woman a hopa  hot piece of ass  and asked her out on dates, saying he was a dude youve never experienced before. He also pushed her to attend a conference with him, on the condition that they stay together at a hotel away from everybody else.

On Sept. 5, a Saturday, Jobo texted her a shirtless photo of himself in front of a river. My body is here going through the motions, he wrote. My mind is somewhere else with someone else.

In separate interviews with The Post and Air Force investigators, the woman said she didnt reply to many of the texts. Other times, she said, she flatly told Jobo to cut it out and warned him that people in the office were beginning to gossip about the attention he paid her.

On the morning of Sept. 8, after the Labor Day weekend, the woman met with Jobo in his office to discuss hiring plans for the directorate. As she stood up to leave, he pulled me into a forceful two arm hug, she told investigators, and ran his hands up and down her back and tried to kiss her.

She said she pushed him away, blurted out an expletive and fled. I was confused, scared and embarrassed, she told investigators in a statement.

Later that morning, she reached out to an Air Force tech sergeant who worked in Jobos office, asking whether they could discuss something confidential. She met him in a parking lot, showed him some of Jobos texts on her phone and asked what she should do.

In a statement to investigators, the tech sergeant, whose name was redacted from the report, said he told the woman that their bosss behavior was wildly inappropriate. He asked if she felt she was in danger and whether she intended to report the physical contact and harassment.

Worried about the consequences for her career, the woman said she was reluctant to file a complaint. She was apprehensive and started to cry, thinking about having to move, the tech sergeant said, adding that she knew how things were, in her opinion, swept under the rug in our organization during previous circumstances with other individuals.

Before they left the parking lot, the tech sergeant advised her to tell Jobo in writing that he had to stop harassing her  not only to put him on notice but also to ensure there was a record of her asking him to cease his actions.

Later that afternoon, after receiving another flurry of messages from Jobo, the woman texted him back and told him to cut it out.

Ive worked too hard to throw away my reputation for perceptions, she wrote. Its stressing me out like crazy.

Jobo appeared to back down. He replied that he would quit cold turkey, adding: Ill cut it out.

Later that night, at 8:29, he apologized, sort of.

So I am not sure why you are all in a panic today, he texted, besides me being a jerk and trying to kiss you . . . for which Im sorry.

I need all this to stop

The texts, however, kept coming. The woman told investigators that she ignored most of them but that the colonel was hard to deter.

Jobo monitored her whereabouts by checking when she was signed onto her desktop computer and if her car was in its reserved parking space, the tech sergeant told investigators. Once, as she was leaving for the day, Jobo shot out the door to intercept her but was blocked by the tech sergeant, on the pretext that the colonel was late for a meeting, according to the tech sergeants account.

By Sept. 10, the woman had hit her limit. She told her boss to buzz off. Again.

I need all this to stop, she texted. I want to be able to come in to work and do my job without drama. My trust and foundation have been shaken. With this type of work environment, it makes my job 10 times harder than it already is.

Jobo replied that he loved her and respected her enough to stop. But then he notified her that they needed to review the directorates hiring plans again. He scheduled a one-on-one meeting in his office for 1 p.m. the next day.

Jobo responds to another plea by the woman for him to cut it out. (Obtained by The Washington Post)

The woman said she was afraid to attend but did not want to jeopardize her job by refusing. She confided again in the tech sergeant, who promised to station himself at a desk outside Jobos office for the duration of the meeting. If the colonel tried any funny business, he told her to yell or text him immediately and he would barge in.

On Sept. 11, a Friday, the woman arrived at Jobos office a little after 1 p.m. For about 30 minutes, the meeting proceeded uneventfully. In her statement to investigators, the woman said she tried to wrap things up, but Jobo replied that he had something else to discuss: that he loved her and didnt want to do his job without her by his side.

She told investigators that she tried to avoid eye contact, which only made the colonel angry. He slammed his fists on the table and ordered her to look at him. Then he rambled on about not wanting to lose her, that he couldnt stop thinking about her and that it was affecting his ability to work.

At this point, the woman recalled in her statement, I snapped and raised my voice and said, Sir, you are a f---ing colonel. Why dont you act like one? 

Outside, the tech sergeant sensed trouble and texted the woman asking whether she needed help. She told investigators that she was too preoccupied to answer. She tried to end the meeting and walk out but said that Jobo put his foot against the door, trapping her inside.

She said he grabbed her arm forcefully and exclaimed, Tell me you will answer my texts this weekend! Tell me you will talk to me! Tell me!

The woman said that she tried once more to leave but that he told her he wouldnt let go of her arm until she agreed to respond to his texts. Instead, crying, she swore at him again.

When he raised his other arm, she said she noticed that his foot was no longer blocking the door.

She grabbed the door handle, yanked it and ran out the building.

Plenty of evidence

At Gunter, word spread quickly that something had happened.

Several colleagues sought the woman out to see if she was okay. Shofner, the head of the directorate, noticed that her body language was awry and asked whether there was anything he could do. She was visibly upset but evasive. She told The Post that she didnt know whom to trust or what to say.

That afternoon, Jobo resumed texting. In a series of messages, he told her that he had overreacted, that he didnt want to lose her, according to the law enforcement case file. He called himself an idiot and apologized. I definitely dont deserve you, he wrote at 8:16 p.m.

Before dawn the next morning, he picked up his phone again.

Besides trying to hug you and kiss you on Tues Im racking my brain as to what else I did that broke your trust in me? he texted. Im over my anger. I still dont know why youre really mad at ME other than trying to kiss you.

That afternoon, the woman confided in the tech sergeant once more. She texted him a photo of her left forearm, which had a bruise from where Jobo had grabbed her, according to the law enforcement case file.

That was enough for the tech sergeant. He told her that if she didnt report the assault, he would. He said hed give her a day to decide.

She agreed and called Shofner on his cellphone the next morning to ask for an urgent appointment. He was in church for Sunday services but agreed to meet at 1 p.m. in his office, where she told him what the colonel had done, according to the case file.

He advised her to make a formal report, which she did a few hours later. He declined to comment further about how the case was handled.

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) receives several hundred sexual assault reports a year. In many cases, the evidence is thin or contradictory. Alcohol often plays a role, fogging memories. Cases can boil down to the word of the accuser vs. that of the accused.

In this case, there was plenty of evidence. OSI agents interviewed the woman at length and photographed the bruise on her arm. She showed them the texts Jobo had sent her, which they later corroborated by seizing and examining the colonels phones.

Two days after receiving the complaint, the agents interviewed Jobo. According to the agents notes, Jobo confirmed many of the womans allegations. He admitted sending her numerous texts, including a message in which he said, I want you, I want to make love to you.

Further, he admitted to sending the masturbation recordings and shower photo, although he said they were meant as a joke and not with sexual implications in mind, according to the case file.

He sent the X-rated material, he explained, only because the woman had once sent him a photo of herself in a swimsuit. She confirmed to investigators that she sent the photo but said he pressured her to do so.

The day after his interview, Jobo gave the agents a five-page statement that cast things in a different light. He said she was the one who pursued a relationship with him. He added that she had texted him in July that she would date me but that he didnt take it seriously.

I figured she was just being honest and expressing her thoughts but we both knew the realities, he wrote. We avoided each other at work and it seemed to turn into who can ignore who the most.

In their report, the OSI agents cast doubt on Jobos assertion that the woman had wanted to date him, saying there was no evidence of it in the hundreds of text messages they examined. The woman also told the agents that she had made clear to Jobo that she already had a boyfriend but that the colonel pursued her anyway.

In his email to The Post, Jobo said he cooperated fully and truthfully with a lengthy and exhaustive inquiry, took responsibility for this unprofessional relationship but emphatically refuted other allegations and I maintain this position.

He did not specify which allegations he was contesting.

The colonels fate

On the same day that the woman filed her complaint, Gunter officials flashed an urgent notice up the chain of command.

The alert landed on the desk of Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, the head of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. As the senior officer in Jobos chain of command, Thompson had the final say on how the case would be handled and what, if anything, would happen to Jobo.

U.S. military commanders have wielded near-total authority to impose discipline or criminal charges since the Revolutionary War, but their role has come under sharp criticism in recent years.

Most commanders have little, if any, legal training. Congress has debated whether some of their powers should be ceded to military prosecutors, especially in sexual assault cases.

The Pentagon has vigorously resisted, arguing that commanders need to retain their authority to maintain order and discipline in their units and that they receive plenty of advice from military lawyers.

Lawmakers have started to pay close attention to how commanders deal with sexual assault and harassment. In 2013, members of the Senate raised an outcry after learning of two separate cases in which Air Force lieutenant generals had granted clemency to convicted sex offenders. Both generals retired under pressure.

Under military law, there are few hard-and-fast rules that dictate which cases should go to trial. Commanders can impose discipline for serious offenses  or order courts-martial for trivial ones. In March, for example, an enlisted member of the Air Force from New Jersey was convicted at court-martial for being six minutes late to a meeting with his commander.

Thompson personally assured the woman at Gunter that he would take her case seriously. He told me he was going to treat me like his daughter, she told The Post.

The OSI agents completed their investigation and submitted their report to Thompson on Feb. 3, 2016. The report cited evidence that Jobo had committed abusive sexual contact when he grabbed the woman by the arm and tried to kiss her because he was trying to gratify his sexual desires.

Under a recent change in military law passed by Congress, if Thompson had approved the charge of abusive sexual contact, the case almost certainly would have resulted in a court-martial. Any other outcome would have required review from the highest levels of the Air Force.

A few days after the OSI report was submitted, however, the woman heard rumors that Thompson was considering a more lenient approach. She sent the general an email and memo on Feb. 15 pleading with him to have Jobo court-martialed.

He sexually harassed me and he tried to sexually assault me. It is as simple as that, she wrote. I fear that if this is reduced to a simple assault charge that it will lead others not to step forward because the Air Force will not protect them if they are in a similar situation.

Thompson emailed back the next day. I understand your position, he told her, adding that he had not yet made a decision.

A few weeks later, on March 24, 2016, Thompson made up his mind. There would be no criminal charges.

Instead, he ordered that Jobo be disciplined for attempted abusive sexual contact, assault consummated by a battery and conduct unbecoming an officer. None of those offenses required a court-martial.

Meanwhile, the woman took another job with the Air Force in a different state. She told The Post that she had wanted to stay in Alabama but decided to leave because she didnt feel safe working near Jobo and because the Air Force would not transfer him to another base.

Air Force officials said that Jobo was subsequently forced to retire and that a review board determined that he should be demoted to lieutenant colonel.

Jobo, now 49, retired effective October 2016. He will receive a military pension for the rest of his life.

It is now worth about $72,000 a year, or $10,000 less than if he had not been demoted, according to an Air Force spokeswoman and pension records.
Dear Readers: Now is a good time to aerate your lawn. This means poking small holes in the lawn, or removing small "plugs" of lawn, which will allow air, water and nutrients to get to the roots. A summer of dry, compacted soil, grass clippings and other debris can block the grass from getting fed properly.

Rent an aerating machine at a home-improvement center, and split the cost with a neighbor. The aerator will create plugs in your lawn, which can be 3 inches long and 1/2 inch across.

If your lawn is smaller, a handheld device, which resembles a large fork, will cut holes into the lawn. The plug method is preferred by experts, but both are beneficial.

The soil must be moist, so the day after a big rain or watering is a good time to aerate. After this process, continue regular maintenance of your lawn.

By the way, using high heels is not recommended!

Dear Readers: Iris K. sent a picture of her house rabbits, Babycakes, 12 years old, and Nico and Smokey, both 7 years old. Rabbits don't do well in noisy environments, Iris says.

Finding the right bunny is important for a family. Adopting from a shelter or rescue is recommended, because something is known about the rabbits personality, and it already will be spayed or neutered.

Several bunny pics have come in to Heloise Central  keep them coming, along with pics of your other furry and fabulous friends! Email Heloise@Heloise.com.

Dear Heloise: Can I use people shampoo on my dog?

Tara B. in Utah

Tara B. in Utah: While shampoo formulated for people isn't necessarily dangerous for your dog, it may have fragrance and detergents that could irritate the dog's skin or eyes, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA.org).

A mild baby shampoo is okay, though, especially to clean tear staining around the eyes.

Dear Heloise: For years, Id make myself nuts trying to read the little wash/dry instruction tags before laundering my small throw rugs.

Now I use a permanent laundry marker and jot down the wash/dry instructions on the backside of each rug. Just a quick glance, and Im ready to set the proper wash cycle/water temperature and drying time and temperature. Works like a charm!

Shirley E., Lynwood, Ill.

Dear Heloise: This is just a warning for your readers who consider mixing chlorine bleach with other products: Please dont. Chlorine bleach mixed with ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, pool chemicals or vinegar, just to name a few, can produce a gas that can cause serious problems for the eyes, nose or lungs if inhaled. Even some detergents for laundry do not recommend using bleach with their products. Read all labels carefully. Sadder but wiser!

Frances B., Morgantown, W.Va.

Dear Heloise: Children often assume anything in a drink or food container is safe to drink or eat. Ask a nurse in the emergency room: We never reuse these containers for anything unsafe to consume.

A Texas Reader, via email

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A District man was found dead inside a car in southwest Washington Saturday morning. Police from the Seventh District responded to a reported shooting at approximately 7:45 a.m. in the 100 block of Atlantic Street, SW. There they found an adult male with a gunshot wound inside a vehicle. The vicitim was identified as Marcus Anthony Shepherd, 22, of southeast Washington.

Homicide detectives are investigating the crime. The Metropolitan Police Department offers a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the departments TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411
Ben Jealous, a former NAACP chief, stops in Baltimore on Aug. 1 as part of his campaign for governor of Maryland. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)



Maryland gubernatorial hopeful Ben Jealous. (Christopher Aluka Berry/Reuters)

Two black men from Maryland, with vastly different backgrounds and political styles, are vying for the chance to become the third African American ever elected governor in the United States.

Ben Jealous, a community activist and former president of the NAACP, and Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III are competing against at least five other candidates for the Democratic nomination in a blue state where African Americans make up a third of the population.

Black political leaders in Maryland are watching closely, aware that some African American candidates who have run statewide in the past say they have not felt fully supported by the Democratic establishment. Political leaders say they are worried that Baker and Jealous could split the all-important black vote, especially if policy consultant Maya Rockeymoore, who is also African American, gets into the race.

We know how difficult it is [to elect a black governor] . . . and the fact that we have two black candidates and possibly another, its frustrating, said state Del. Cheryl Glenn (D-Baltimore), who chairs the states legislative black caucus. They could cancel each other out.

Whoever wins the June primary will face off against Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who drew strong support from Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents in 2014 and remains highly popular across party lines.

But at a time of growing racial division in this country, in a blue state where Hillary Clinton beat Donald Trump by more than 26 points, analysts say Hogan could still be vulnerable, especially if Democrats who stayed home three years ago come out to vote.

There are two strategies for Democrats to take, said Mileah Kromer, a political-science professor at Goucher College. They can nominate a progressive and hope they entice that progressive base . . . or they can nominate someone . . . who has a message that has a more moderate appeal.

Targeting the base



Jealous shares a laugh with Minnye King, a volunteer at a Delta Sigma Theta crab fest in Baltimore this summer. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

Jealous, a first-time candidate, has national prominence and strong name recognition for his work as NAACP chief and Maryland co-chairman of Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) 2016 presidential campaign. He is one of four black progressive forty-somethings running for governor across the country. His platform includes a $15 minimum wage, free tuition at community college and a state-run, single-payer health-care system.

"I've spent my life as a community organizer," Jealous said. "My track record is leading big, transformative reform efforts and succeeding despite the odds."

The 44-year-old Democrat stumped for votes this summer at a crab fest in Baltimore County sponsored by the African American sorority Delta Sigma Theta, and he hosted an event for black professionals at his home in Pasadena, a mostly white community in Anne Arundel County.

He has made many stops in Prince George's, Baker's home turf, where low turnout in 2014 was a key factor in Hogan's victory over then-Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D), a longtime politician from Prince George's who stirred little voter enthusiasm.

At a panel discussion on the state of black America at the Congressional Black Caucuss recent legislative conference, Jealous cast the battle for universal health insurance in the framework of the civil rights movement.

We practice the faith of our ancestors, who were the first to stand up en masse for public education across the South, he said. They said, Well find a way. Today its the same responsibility pushing many of us to say, Everybody must have health care. . . . Its the leading cause of bankruptcy, not just in our community, but every community.

Georgia state lawmaker Stacey Abrams (D), a longtime friend to Jealous who is vying to become the nation's first black female governor, said their campaigns are motivated by a sense that "there is an urgency to this moment that cannot be ignored."

We are not waiting our turn. . . . Our turn is now, Abrams said.

Avoiding identity politics

Baker, 58, a state delegate for nine years before becoming county executive, has built a reputation in Annapolis and the D.C. suburbs as a moderate who works closely with party leaders.

He showed no interest in Sanderss anti-establishment campaign, endorsing former Maryland governor Martin OMalley for president and then backing Hillary Clinton once OMalley dropped out.



Baker hugs Cindy Schelhorn of the Alzheimers Association during an organization event at Marylands National Harbor on Sept. 23. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post)

Baker angered some Prince George's voters by joining top Maryland Democrats in supporting then-U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who is white, over then-U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards (D-Md.), who is African American and lives in the county, in their pitched 2016 primary battle to succeed retiring Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D).

While he has targeted the African American community for fundraising  his fraternity brothers held an event for him during the CBC conference, and African American entrepreneur Alexander "A.J." Johnson, a Clinton donor, hosted one in Atlanta last week  Baker shies away from identity politics and has avoided casting his campaign in racial terms. Asked during a recent interview about being an African American candidate for governor, he interjected to say he is "being Rushern Baker for governor."

Were going to take our message to everybody, Baker said.

When he worked the room at the Deltas crab fest, he was recognized far less often than Jealous. An aide who worked for former Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D), introduced him to familiar faces.

Darius Foreman, 26, a college student in Harford County who came over to talk, said later that with the increased racial tension following the presidential election, he is more likely to consider voting for a black gubernatorial candidate.

I think we need to elect people with more diverse thinking and more diverse experiences, Foreman said.

Baker's campaign pitch focuses on how he's rebuilt his county's government and reputation following the 2010 arrest on federal corruption charges of his predecessor, Jack B. Johnson, with a focus on economic development, housing and education.

When I look at what we had to do in Prince Georges County, given the circumstances we were in, and I look at the state, its not dissimilar, he said.



Jealous speaks with Karen Brown, center, and Towanda Brogden during a Baltimore campaign stop Aug. 1. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

New vs. familiar

Jealous has the endorsement of the Collective PAC, a political action committee led by a former NAACP board member that helps recruit, train and fund progressive black Democratic candidates.

The group held a fundraiser for Jealous and three other statewide candidates at the CBC conference featuring U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), among others. Jealous has also won backing from progressive groups with close ties to Sanders, both nationally and in Maryland.

Baker, meanwhile, has received endorsements from a few longtime state lawmakers from Prince Georges, including state Sens. Joanne Benson, Paul Pinsky, Douglas J.J. Peters and Ulysses Currie, who is retiring. Glenn, the black caucus chair, said she will probably support him, as well. Rushern Baker has come up through the ranks, Glenn said. He has a lot of experience with elected office . . . some of us still believe that is an essential factor.

Two Democratic strategists, who declined to be named, said they think voters from the party  black and white  may be more likely to support Baker, who could be seen as less polarizing than Jealous in an era when racial fissures in this country seem deeper than ever.



Baker talks with attendees of the Alzheimers Association event. (Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post)

But several African American politicians said they have seen a groundswell of interest in Jealous from their constituents.

Del. Cory McCray (D-Baltimore), a first-term lawmaker, said voters in his diverse northeast Baltimore district, especially white liberals, seem to like Jealous's platform and approach. "People want to feel connected," McCray said. "They want to feel you are authentic."

Del. Jay Walker (D), chairman of the Prince Georges delegation in the House of Delegates, said voters are curious about Jealous, who has lived in Maryland for less than a decade. Thats not a slight against Baker, Walker said. They know Baker. They are just curious about Jealous.

Parity within the party

The last two African Americans who ran for statewide office in Maryland fell short, which some black politicians say is proof of the obstacles they face.

Edwards lost to Van Hollen. And Brown blew a double-digit polling lead over Hogan in 2014, largely because of tepid turnout from Democrats overall and African Americans in particular.

After the 2016 primary, Edwards blamed her loss on the party establishment's open support for Van Hollen. And while she agrees with those who say Brown ran a lackluster gubernatorial campaign, she also says Maryland's Democratic leaders hurt his chances by failing to fully embrace his candidacy.



Former U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards D-Md.). (Astrid Riecken for The Washington Post)

The former congresswoman, who is weighing a run to succeed Baker as county executive, would not provide any specific examples. Brown, who won Edwards's old House seat last year, did not return calls seeking comment. But Quincey Gamble, who was a senior adviser to Brown, said the campaign would have benefited from having a "stronger operational relationship" with the party during the general election.

I think it would be fair to say we were probably not on the same page on who would play what role, Gamble said.

Yvette Lewis, who served as state chair of the party in 2014, declined to comment.

Edwards said her frustration with the party dates back at least to the 2006 Senate primary, when Democratic leaders backed then-Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, who is white, over Kweisi Mfume, a former NAACP president and congressman.

Disappointed because there were no black candidates at the top of the state Democratic ticket, several Prince Georges politicians endorsed Republican Senate nominee Michael S. Steele, a black former lieutenant governor, over Cardin. Cardin won by 10 points.

The question is what is it that we in the Democratic Party are willing to do for candidates of color, for women candidates? Edwards said.

Kathleen Matthews, the current party chair, said Democrats are taking nothing for granted in 2018. . . . We have to go after every vote.

Baker and Jealous say their messages should resonate with voters regardless of race. But each candidate also acknowledges that he would have to energize and capture a large share of the African American vote to defeat the others vying for the nomination: state Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, tech entrepreneur Alec Ross, lawyer James L. Shea and former Michelle Obama aide Krishanti Vignarajah.

Its still not easy in many states for a black candidate to generate crossover votes in the white community, said Marc H. Morial, president of the National Urban League. Obama broke a glass ceiling. . . . But still the coalition that comes together for white Democrats doesnt come as easily together for black Democrats.
The body of a woman found in Charlotte on Friday has been identified as that of a missing 19-year-old college student who disappeared Sept. 18 in the Virginia Beach area.

Authorities said the Mecklenburg County medical examiners office identified the body discovered behind a church Friday morning as that of Ashanti Billie, a student at a culinary school in Virginia Beach, who was last seen Sept. 18 about 5 a.m. as she entered a military base, where she worked at a sandwich shop.

Investigators did not release a cause or manner of death and gave no indications of how Billies body ended up more than 300 miles from where she was last seen.

At a news conference Saturday evening, Billies parents thanked those who sent prayers and messages of support from across the country and helped search for their daughter and locate her body. Then her mother, Brandy Johnson Billie, delivered pointed words for whoever was responsible for her Ashantis death.

The person or persons that decided they wanted to take my baby away from us . . . you are a coward. You dont deserve to breathe the air that she breathed, Johnson Billie said.



Ashanti Markaila Billie, in this undated family photograph, was last seen Sept. 18 in Norfolk, Va. Her body was found Friday in Charlotte. (Family photo)

Meltony Billie, the teenagers father, urged the public to help other missing people find their way home.

We say to everyone, stay encouraged, he said. This was not one of the outcomes we were seeking, but yet still we stay in the fight because there are other young people who are out there missing. Our desire and our prayers were answered. Shes home. Shes home with God.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police responded about 10:30 a.m. Friday after a caller stated they found what appeared to be a deceased body in the back of a church, police officials said.

The FBI had been investigating Billies disappearance, and police officials said that FBI agents and other agencies are helping with the homicide investigation.

I, along with the entire investigative team, offer our most sincere condolences to the Billie family, especially Ashantis parents Brandy and Tony. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, said Martin Culbreth, special agent in charge of the Norfolk Division of the FBI. Our community should know that our work does not end here. Now our mission is to bring justice for Ashanti, and we will be relentless in our efforts to find who did this to her.

Billie, who graduated from Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Prince Georges County, moved to Virginia to attend the Art Institute of Virginia Beach, where she studied culinary arts. She had recently started working at a Blimpie sub restaurant at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.

In interviews before her body was discovered, Billies parents said she loved cooking and dreamed of opening a bakery or becoming an executive chef. Meltony Billie said his daughter made him crepes for Fathers Day and described her as a comical young lady who also loved dogs, especially their 10-year-old Shih Tzu named Rahab.

Billies parents are Army veterans, and her father told The Post that he encouraged her to take a job on the military base.

I thought it was more of a secure environment, so I was excited for her to work on base, he said.

Investigators said Billie entered the base about 5 a.m. on Sept. 18 but never arrived at work. A short while later, video shows her Mini Cooper leaving the base, but it was not clear whether Billie was in it, officials said previously.

Authorities recovered her cellphone in a dumpster in the Norfolk area, and on Sept. 23 they recovered her car in Norfolk as well.

The FBI and Blimpie have combined to offer a $20,000 reward for information that helps solve this case. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Virginia Beach Police at 757-385-5000, CrimeLine at 1-888-Lock-U-Up or FBI Norfolk at 757-455-0100.
Herbert Kalmbach, President Nixon's personal lawyer, leaves the U.S. District Court after a hearing in Washington on Feb. 26, 1974. (Associated Press)

Herbert W. Kalmbach, a personal attorney to President Richard M. Nixon who was drawn into the Watergate scandal as an alleged bagman and later went to prison for illegal political fundraising that included the peddling of an ambassadorship, died Sept. 15 in Newport Beach, Calif. He was 95.

The death was announced by the family in a notice published in the Los Angeles Times.

Mr. Kalmbach had the distinction, it was written in the New York Times in 1973, of being the most mysterious figure among the strangely assorted cast of characters in the Watergate affair. A California lawyer, he was by all accounts a loyal servant to the president, low-key and capable in matters political as well as private, and was virtually unknown to the public before the Watergate investigation that drove his client from the White House.

Mr. Kalmbach had met Nixon through a mutual acquaintance and had supported his political ambitions since Nixon, as vice president, made his first, unsuccessful bid for the Oval Office in 1960. Two years later, Mr. Kalmbach stood by his candidate when Nixon lost a race for California governor and prematurely declared his political career to be over.

Nixon's election to the White House in 1968  and his choice of Mr. Kalmbach as his private attorney  propelled Mr. Kalmbach's legal practice and burnished his personal prestige. His social circle reportedly came to include Donald Nixon, the president's brother, and actor John Wayne. Mr. Kalmbach's firm, with offices in tony Newport Beach and in Los Angeles, attracted a stream of high-powered corporate clients who, in addition to legal representation, received a certain proximity to the president.



President Nixon's personal attorney, Herbert Kalmbach, during a press conference in Washington on July 17, 1973. (Frank Johnston/The Washington Post)

Mr. Kalmbach was entrusted with Nixons taxes, his estate planning and the acquisition of the lush property in San Clemente, Calif., that became known during the Nixon administration as the Western White House. Mr. Kalmbach also displayed considerable and sometimes controversial skill in courting political donors, raising a reported $18 million for his clients 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns.

Mr. Kalmbach would serve six months in prison after pleading guilty in February 1974 to felony charges of improper fundraising during the 1970 midterm elections and a misdemeanor charge of offering a European ambassadorship in exchange for a $100,000 donation. But he insisted that he did not knowingly participate in any illegality stemming from the notorious events of June 17, 1972.

On that day, five burglars broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington as part of a scheme to spy on Nixons political enemies. The operation and attempt to cover it up were linked to high-ranking Nixon administration and campaign officials.

Among them was Mr. Kalmbach, who helped channel more than $200,000 to the Watergate defendants. He professed that he had understood the payments  later widely regarded as hush money  to be for humanitarian purposes.

My actions in the period immediately following the break-in, he said before the Senate Watergate committee in July 1973, which involved the raising of funds to provide for the legal defense of the Watergate defendants and for the support of their families were prompted in the belief that such was proper and necessary to discharge what I assumed to be a moral obligation that had arisen in some manner unknown to me by reason of earlier events.

Mr. Kalmbach described for the committee the manner in which the cash was distributed: with utmost secrecy, using aliases and containers that included a hotel laundry bag, and with the assistance of Anthony Ulasewicz, a former New York City police detective who made the deliveries.

Ulasewicz, who had been instructed to communicate only by pay phone, recalled carrying so many coins that he had to wear a waist-mounted coin dispenser.

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"I would gather from your success that you must be a great lawyer," Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) said to Mr. Kalmbach during his testimony. "Therefore . . . I find it extremely difficult to believe that you are not aware that illegal activities were being carried out."

Mr. Kalmbach insisted that he had counted on the reputations of Nixon aides, including former White House counsel John W. Dean III, who he said had ordered the payments during a conversation on a park bench in Washingtons Lafayette Square less than two weeks after the break-in.

Senator, I was dealing with the counsel to the president of the United States, Mr. Kalmbach testified. It was a matter of absolute trust in the mans integrity and honesty. And, again, as I say, it was absolutely inconceivable to me that this man could ask me to do an illegal act, and I never have done an illegal act.

As evidence mounted that the money may have been used to buy the burglars silence in the investigation, Mr. Kalmbach testified that it was just as if I have been kicked in the stomach.

Mr. Kalmbach said that he might have been used by Dean, former White House chief of staff H.R. "Bob" Haldeman, former domestic policy adviser John D. Ehrlichman and former attorney general John N. Mitchell, all of whom went to prison for their roles in the misconduct collectively referred to as the Watergate scandal.

Corruption uncovered in the administration included the dirty tricks organized by political prankster Donald H. Segretti to undermine Nixons Democratic opposition in the 1972 presidential election. Mr. Kalmbach was identified as an authority who controlled the fund underwriting those activities.

The felony charges against him related to $3.9 million that he raised through an under-the-table campaign committee, with no chairman or treasurer, and that was funneled to congressional candidates in 1970.

Prosecutors did not charge him in connection with other fundraising efforts that had been investigated, including his alleged role soliciting hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions or pledges from dairy industry officials in exchange for presidential favors.

His misdemeanor offense of selling an ambassadorship was neither the first nor the last such arrangement, or apparent arrangement, by a member of either major party in American politics. Isnt $250,000 an awful lot of money for Costa Rica? another potential donor, Ruth L. Farkas, was said to have asked him. She instead went to Luxembourg.

Herbert Warren Kalmbach was born in Port Huron, Mich., on Oct. 19, 1921. He was 12 when his father died. During World War II, he was a Navy aviator in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters.

He received a business degree in 1949 and a law degree in 1951, both from the University of Southern California. There he met Robert H. Finch, a future California lieutenant governor and Nixon adviser, who helped draw Mr. Kalmbach into politics.

Mr. Kalmbach began his legal career practicing title insurance law and was a founding partner of the Southern California firm of Kalmbach, DeMarco, Knapp and Chillingworth. After Nixons election, the firms clientele came to include corporate giants such as United Airlines, Marriott Corp. and the media giant MCA Inc.

In addition to his prison sentence and $10,000 fine, Mr. Kalmbach received a suspension of his license to practice law. He was reinstated in 1978 and later was of counsel with the firm BakerHostetler.

In 1948, he married Barbara Forbush, a former Rose Bowl princess. She died in 2005. Their son Kenneth Kalmbach died in 1980. Survivors include two children, Lauren Kinsey of Newport Beach and Kurt Kalmbach of Coto de Caza, Calif.

In addition to statements before the Senate Watergate committee, Mr. Kalmbach testified as a prosecution witness in the trials of several Nixon administration officials. He did not, however, implicate Nixon.

When Mr. Kalmbach went to prison, an unnamed friend told the Times that the lawyer had waited futilely for some word of sympathy or encouragement from the President, or at least an expression of gratitude for his . . . years of unquestioning loyalty. Mr. Kalmbach, in keeping with the discretion expected of a man of the bar, made no comment on his relationship with his client.
Iulian Vlad, who led Romanias Securitate, or feared secret police, in the final years of the countrys authoritarian communist regime, and who was jailed for his role in suppressing a popular revolt that led to the overthrow of president Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989, died Sept. 30. He was 86.

Petru Neghiu, a Romanian military officer, confirmed the death to Antena 3, a Romanian television network. Other details were not immediately available.

Mr. Vlad, a onetime general whose rank was stripped from him after his 1991 conviction for favoring genocide, began working for the Securitate in 1951.

After the Romanian government effectively came under Ceausescus control in 1965, Mr. Vlad continued his ascent, holding a number of top posts in the interior ministry, the governmental base of the secret police. He directed the ministrys education program and its military school, from which Securitate agents were chosen.

In 1987, Mr. Vlad became the chief of the secret police, with an estimated 25,000 officers under his command and another 700,000 informants scattered among the countrys 23 million citizens. The Securitate enforced the doctrinaire policies of Ceausescu, including strict limits on the media, dissent and freedom of speech. Along with Ceausescu and the imperious first lady, Elena, Mr. Vlad became one of the most despised figures in Romania.

Unrest began to spread in the 1980s, as the country was gripped by desperate shortages of food, fuel, medical supplies and other necessities. By December 1989, people in the western city of Timisoara were in open revolt against Ceausescus regime, storming the offices of the Communist Party and ripping pictures of Ceausescu from the walls.

At a Politburo meeting on Dec. 17, 1989, Ceausescu berated his ministers, including Mr. Vlad, for not stopping the rebellion and accused them of treason. Soldiers fired blanks at the crowds, leading to an outburst from Ceausescu, recorded in the meetings official minutes:

I didnt think you would shoot with blanks! That is like a rain shower. Those who entered the party building should not leave the building alive. Theyve got to kill the hooligans!

Elena Ceausescu, who was present at the meeting, said the protesters should be locked in the Securitate buildings basement. Not even one should see the light again, she said.

Security forces did open fire in Timisoara, killing and wounding many demonstrators. (The exact number of casualties remains in dispute.)

The spirit of revolution quickly spread across the country and reached the capital of Bucharest. On Dec. 21, Ceausescu had his defense minister killed for failing to quell the uprising. Mr. Vlad pledged support to the president, according to later courtroom testimony, saying that the army would not be disarmed by revolutionaries.

For several days, battles raged on the streets of Bucharest, claiming 1,000 or more victims. Mr. Vlads Securitate troops, including snipers armed with infrared devices on their rifles, were particularly feared.

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Ceausescu and his wife fled the capital by helicopter, as military leaders switched sides and joined the revolutionaries. Mr. Vlad then claimed newfound loyalty toward the people his secret police had been attacking days before.

As the Ceausescus attempted to escape through the countryside in commandeered cars, they were captured and brought before a tribunal. In a trial of less than two hours, they were convicted of genocide and other crimes and summarily executed on Christmas Day.

Mr. Vlad was arrested along with other officials, and the Securitate apparatus was dismantled. Supporters of the revolution immediately questioned his loyalty because he did not ask his former troops to lay down their arms.

One member of the countrys new governing council, Silviu Brucan, a dissident who had been personally interrogated by Mr. Vlad in 1989, confronted the once-feared Securitate chief.

Dont you know me? Brucan said. Havent we met before?

The most serious charge against Mr. Vlad, complicity to genocide  which carried a possible life sentence  was changed without explanation to favoring genocide, which had a maximum sentence of only 10 years.

He was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. After an appeal, his conviction was upheld in 1992, and he received an additional three-year sentence for aggravated murder.

Mr. Vlad was released in January 1994 under a provision offering clemency to prisoners more than 60 years old.

Iulian Vlad was born Feb. 23, 1931, in Gogosita, Romania. Little is known of his youth, other than that he joined the Communist Party at 15 and attended a military college and the University of Bucharest.

Information about survivors could not be confirmed.

After his release from prison, Mr. Vlad maintained a low profile during Romanias prolonged struggles to find political stability.

The few public comments made by Mr. Vlad came mostly at his trial in 1991.

What I did, he said, I did for my country.
The Rockville home day-care center where prosecutors say Millie Lilliston was murdered. The photo on right of the day care center was taken days before her death. (Left: Dan Morse/The Washington Post; Right: Courtesy of Andrew Jezic)

It was their first childs first morning of day care. Just before 11 a.m., the parents of 5-month-old Millie Lilliston received a comforting photo over their phones. There she was  out on a stroll with the day-care owner.

Great picture! one of her parents texted back.

The next day came two photos from a park. This is awesome, was the response. Thank you!

The exchanges in March of last year captured the satisfaction that had quickly built with Kia Divband. After years in the day-care field, Divband, then 35, had recently opened Little Dreamers just blocks from the parents house in Rockville, Md.

The new operation was in the brightly lit, renovated basement of Divbands home. That he was caring for only two children  Millie and his infant daughter  was appealing to Millies parents.

Eighteen months later, unimaginable events have since changed everything.



Kia Divband faces charges of child abuse, assault and murder in Montgomery County, Md., in the death of a baby he supervised at his day-care center. (Courtesy of Andrew Jezic)

On Monday, at a courthouse in Montgomery County, a jury continued to deliberate Divbands fate.

According to the case against him, Divband battered and murdered Millie in the basement accusations aired during a three-week trial in Montgomery County. She suffered more than 25 bone fractures, at least some of which occurred around the time Divband did Internet research about child bone fractures and how difficult they can be to detect.

He beat her, Assistant States Attorney Ryan Wechsler told jurors, and beat her and beat her.

Divband faces charges of child abuse, assault and murder.

Jurors started deliberations at 4:30 p.m. Friday, going home a short time after midnight with no verdict. They returned to the courthouse Monday morning. Then, at 12:28 p.m., a note was sent from the jury room, and read in court by Circuit Judge John Maloney.



(Court records/Millie Lillistons parents say she was happy and healthy before she died.)

The note indicated disagreement, and appears to have not been seen by all the jurors before it was sent out. It wasnt clear, from the note, which way the jury might be leaning.

The note posed one question, What time is lunch?, and included two observations:

We are still talking and will need more time to come to a conclusion.

Also, some of [us] are trying to get out of here quick. Talking about mistrial or hung jury.

Maloney brought the jury into the courtroom, saying lunch was about to start. He wanted them to know that any future notes needed to be read by all of the jurors before they were sent to him. I want to make sure everyone sees your notes when you send them out, Maloney said.

At least two jurors indicated they had not seen the 12:28 p.m. note.

We dont know what it is, one of them said. We dont know whats on there.

Speaking to another juror, Maloney said: Youve got to make sure everyone knows whats going on in the notes.

With that, they jury headed out of the courtroom to a cafeteria in the courthouse basement.

In their vigorous defense during the trial, lawyers for the day-care operator, Divband, said the baby, Millie, probably had a fragile bone condition, possibly rickets, that made her susceptible to accidental fractures. The morning of April 19, 2016, at day care, Millie was deeply congested and choked on the milk Divband was bottle-feeding her before her lips began to turn blue, Divband said.

I put her on the ground and unzipped her hoodie, Divband testified, his voice halting with emotion. Millies parents sat 25 feet away. I put my ear to her chest to listen for anything, a heartbeat, a breath. I heard a heartbeat. So I started chest compressions, two finger compressions, 30 times.

Divband said he raced upstairs with Millie, yelling to his wife to call 911. It was the chest compressions, which continued in the ambulance, Divbands attorneys asserted, that caused many of the childs final injuries.

He loves kids. He loves caring for kids, one of his attorneys, Andrew Jezic, told jurors.

Prosecutors began their case Sept. 12 with testimony from Millies parents  Melanie Lilliston, 39, and Becky Williams, 38.

The women told jurors how their daughter appeared healthy when Williams dropped her at Divbands day care at 8 a.m. They commuted to their jobs in Washington. About 10:45 a.m., Lilliston received a call from Divbands wife. She said the parents should get to the hospital. Millie had choked and stopped breathing, but her heart was beating, and she was in an ambulance with Divband on the way to the hospital.

Lilliston described being led into a room where Millie was. She had bruises to her face.

She was surrounded by probably 15 to 20 adults, you know, all in their scrubs, Lilliston testified. Lots of things on the floor, medical tape, all the things they discard. She was laying on a gurney, one of those adult-sized gurneys. And she was in her diaper. She had all kinds of wires and cords coming out of her.

Williams arrived minutes later.

The doctors told them they thought Millies brain was bleeding and that she needed to be airlifted to Childrens National Medical Center in Washington.

Her mothers drove there, saw Millie being treated, and were asked to step into another room. The nurse and two doctors were kind but direct, Lilliston testified:  The Millie that you had this morning is most likely never going to be the Millie you know, if she survives this. 

At about that same time, Divband had returned to his home, where two detectives and a Child Protective Services worker arrived to ask general questions about his center, before getting more detailed.

So, tell me about today. Start from the beginning, a detective asked, according to a transcript of the recorded interview submitted as evidence.

Divband told them about Millies choking as he gave her milk, his efforts at CPR, his wife calling 911 to summon the ambulance. At this point Im sweating, he said. Theres sweat dripping on Millie. Im trying to do everything.

Divband had testified about growing up in Rockville and studying computer science in college while working at a gas station. Hed always liked being around his younger relatives and took a job as a summer camp counselor, he said, eventually switching his college coursework.

I felt that I could help children, Divband testified.

He spoke of his deep concern for Millie during and after the incident. His attorney, Jezic, asked why he jumped in the front of the ambulance as it took the child to the hospital. I didnt want her to be alone, he said, pausing and crying for 14 seconds. At least she knew someone was there that she knew.

Among the medical experts who testified was Allison Jackson, a pediatrician and child-abuse expert who examined Millie at Childrens National Medical Center as the child worsened.

My diagnosis was that Millie was a battered baby, a baby who had inflicted injuries that were consistent with direct trauma to her head, her neck, her extremities, Jackson told jurors. She was a healthy baby before all of this.

Millies parents were told the injuries were terminal.

We invited all our family and friends who are local and asked them if they would like to come and say goodbye, Lilliston recalled for the jury. We always joked that Millie had a posse that would follow her, this little tiny infant with five or six people who adored her. And she had more than that that came to say goodbye.

At Millies autopsy, doctors took brain samples. A forensic anthropologist conducted a detailed study of some of the bones and counted 23 fractures to her ribs, two to her left arm and three to her legs. In the anthropologists findings, submitted as trial evidence, she wrote that some of the injuries occurred days or weeks before Millie died.

Boring in on that, Assistant States Attorney Ashley Inderfurth asked Divband about Internet research hed conducted several days before Millie was hospitalized. Among the websites and searches: Broken Bones in Children, Why are bone fractures in children sometimes hard to detect, Can you move your foot if your leg is broken.

Divband testified that he was concerned after seeing swelling in Millies leg. He acknowledged not telling Millies parents about his research, even though hed discussed with them conditions like a stuffy nose and a fever.

To me, it wasnt that an alarm went off and said her leg was broken, he testified.

Inderfurth asked Divband why, if he thought Millie was choking, he didnt try to clear the back of her mouth. Divband said he wasnt wearing sanitary gloves.

And she had him recall again how Millie had vomited, before describing a photograph of him after the incident.

Would you be surprised to learn there was no vomit on your shirt? she asked.

No, Divband said.

Why not?

Oh, sorry, yes. I would be surprised. Sorry.
Ashanti Markaila Billie was last seen Sept. 18, 2017 in Norfolk. She did not show up for work or college classes and hasn't been seen since Sept. 18. (FBI) (N/A)

Family members of a missing college student, who disappeared last week in the Virginia Beach area, await information from authorities about the identity of a body found in North Carolina Friday, a family spokeswoman said.

The FBI has taken the lead in the search for Ashanti Billie, 19, who was last seen as she entered a military base on her way to work at a sandwich shop on Sept. 18 about 5 a.m.

On Friday, family spokeswoman Kimberly Wimbish posted a video and statement on Facebook that stated the family awaits updates about an investigation in Charlotte.

We have received information a body has been located in Charlotte, NC. As the family awaits further updates. We ask that you continue with us in prayer, that it is not Ashanti, the statement said.

Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police spokesman Rob Tufano said a womans body was found behind a church about 11 a.m. Friday. Police consider the case a death investigation pending the outcome of an autopsy.



Ashanti Markaila Billie, in this undated photo, was last seen Sept. 18 in Norfolk. (Family photo) )

Investigators have not identified the body, Tufano said.

[Search for missing college student underway in Virginia Beach]

FBI spokeswoman Christina Pullen said that authorities were not prepared to comment until more was known about the body recovered in North Carolina.

We are aware of the situation in Charlotte, but we do not have an identification yet. We cannot confirm anything or if this is related at this time, Pullen said in a telephone interview.

Billie had lived with her mother, near National Harbor in Maryland where she spent her past three years at Henry A. Wise Jr. High School. Now, she is enrolled at culinary arts at the Art Institute of Virginia Beach.

In addition to classes, she recently started a job at a Blimpie sub shop at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. Investigators said Billie entered about the base 5 a.m. but never arrived at work. A short while later video shows her Mini Cooper leaving the base, but it was not clear if Billie was in it, officials said previously.

Authorities recovered her cellphone in a dumpster in the Norfolk area, and on Sept. 23 they recovered her car in Norfolk as well.
Prompted by a recent spate of assaults on bus drivers, Metro officials are pushing for tougher criminal penalties and the ability to ban offenders from the system. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post)

As Metro and lawmakers look for ways to prevent assaults on transit operators and customers  particularly from repeat offenders  they are dealing with issues other transit agencies have struggled with: chiefly, how to balance public safety with the needs of transit-dependent communities.

Prompted by a recent spate of assaults on bus drivers  including an incident in which a woman allegedly threw a cup of urine onto a driver and another in which a driver was spat on  officials are pushing for tougher criminal penalties and the authority to ban offenders from the system.

Under the regional agreement that governs Metro fares and policies, transit police have the authority to keep people out of the system on an immediate, short-term basis, agency spokesman Richard L. Jordan said. But neither Metro nor the police department have a formal process to completely bar people from the system. Instead, they must seek a stay-away order from a judge.

Metro officials have complained that prosecutors usually opt to request limited, short-term bans that prevent a person from riding a particular bus line or entering a single station  rather than bar them from the entire system.

When we have a case where we cant ban someone from the system who has a tremendous track record of doing this on our system, what message does that send? Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld said.

[Woman who allegedly threw urine on bus driver for telling her have a nice day says driver could have been more courteous]

Wiedefeld said he is researching policies that exist at other transit authorities, and whether instituting tougher policies here would require legislation.

One of the agencies on his radar: the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), which has issued more than 12,000 temporary or permanent bans since September 2013. That is when the agency's board of directors passed a new, stricter code of conduct that outlines a process that for the first time allows police to issue suspension citations.

MARTA General Manager Keith T. Parker said it is a delicate balance between maintaining peace and order on the system and overpolicing.

If there is a sense of lawlessness on the system for the small things, those things could quickly get out of hand, Parker said. Our goal is not to create a wild-wild-west environment, as MARTA police out there doing enforcement. . . . We want to be seen as the folks who will make sure everyone has a comfortable ride.

Parker said police prefer to take a more low-key approach to potential conflicts  we treat them with dignity to de-escalate situations  but the ability to ban people from the system, either in the short- or long-term, is an effective deterrent.

If youre a teenager and youre reliant on MARTA to get to your part-time job or to school, and your friend has been banned from the system for a few weeks or a couple of months, you might think twice, he said. The word gets around and they know that were serious about it.

At San Franciscos Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), transit police have the ability to issue prohibition orders at the scene of an incident or altercation, potentially banning someone from BART buses or trains in the district where the incident occurred for 30, 90, or 180 days, agency spokeswoman Alicia Trost said.

The prohibition orders were made possible by a 2013 law passed by the California legislature.

The orders are issued when a person is cited or arrested for battery, threats of battery, drug sales or sexual offenses  or if a person is convicted of narcotic activity or loitering for prostitution on BART property. In addition, a prosecutor can request that a judge issue a longer-term stay-away order to keep a person out of a specific station or away from a specific transit worker.

BARTs board of directors also passed a resolution in 2012 formally requesting that district attorneys in the Bay Area seek maximum penalties when prosecuting attacks on transit workers. Californias penal code has a specific law for battery on a transit operator, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Were going to look at it internally first, Wiedefeld said. What can we do, what can the board do, what do we need? . . . My understanding is that weve tried this in the past and weve failed, so Im going to take a much harder look at this than maybe weve done in the past.

Wiedefeld acknowledged that a long-term solution may also require working with the U.S. attorneys office in the District. Bill Miller, spokesman for the office, said their decision to restrict the stay-away order in the case of Opal Brown, the woman who allegedly threw urine on a bus driver, for example, was based on the facts of this particular case.

We seek stay-away orders on a case-by-case basis, depending on the particular circumstances, Miller said in a statement. As in all of our cases, if defendants violate stay-away orders or commit other crimes while on release, we can take further action.

[After more than 20 indecent-exposure arrests, Metro still cant ban this man from the trains]

Wiedefeld said he wants to see such crimes taken more seriously and made felonies  a legal requirement that already exists to protect public servants such as police officers and postal workers. State lawmakers in New York and Pennsylvania have voted to include public transit employees in a protected class of public servants in assault cases.

I think that our operators  theyre not being addressed the same way we deal with other professional people that . . . have lives at stake, Wiedefeld said. If you were to do something like that to an attendant on an airplane, there are strict laws that would kick in immediately. And our people are moving 40 or 50 people at a time.

Metro board Chairman Jack Evans, who also is a Democratic D.C. Council member who represents Ward 2, supports a heightened penalty for those who attack transit workers, saying its something we need to look at.

D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), chairman of the panels Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, said he is willing to consider such legislation.

Im open to the idea, but we need to be thoughtful and to think it through, Allen said. Would that be a deterrent to a situation like the one with Opal Brown? Is she thinking, Am I gonna get a misdemeanor or a felony if I go through with this? We need to ask whether this does have a deterrent effect.

One concern, he said, is the potential impact on low-level offenders and their ability to provide for their families as they await a trial, or after serving a sentence.

We depend on transit, whether youre getting your kids to school or getting to a job, Allen said. Its problematic to say youre going to ban someone from a public transit system when we know how important transportation is to jobs, child care, school.

Allen said there also is room in existing law to push prosecutors to seek more aggressive charges. And he wonders whether infrastructure improvements or public awareness campaigns could be effective in cutting down the number of assaults that occur on the system.

We have to think about this holistically, and not just look at this as a potential legal change, Allen said.

D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine (D) took a similarly cautious stance. He said in a statement that his office is not opposed to seeking systemwide stay-away orders where warranted by the need to ensure the safety of victims and other important factors, such as the egregiousness of the offense and the defendants criminal history.

As for increasing the penalty for attacks on transit workers, he said he needs more information.

We are open to considering all means of protecting Metro personnel and riders, including enhanced penalties, if the data demonstrates that such an approach reduces the incidence of violence in public transportation, Racine said.

[September 2017: Overall crime is down on Metro, but harassment and assaults on bus operators are up]

Coming up with a systemwide ban for a Metro rider would be particularly difficult to enact or enforce because the system spans numerous jurisdictions, said Casey M. Lingan, chief deputy commonwealth attorney for Fairfax County. A judge could order a defendant to stay away from Metro stations and buses in a particular Virginia county but wouldnt necessarily have the authority to extend the order to the District or Maryland.

Its a tricky situation because youve got multiple jurisdictions, and youre wearing multiple hats depending on where a crime took place, Lingan said.

In Boston, police officers are allowed to bar a person from a particular bus or line for a maximum of 24 hours, said Richard Sullivan, superintendent of transit police at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. A stay-away order for anything longer than that must come from a judge as part of the arraignment process or sentencing.

But Sullivan said he could not recall an instance in which a judge had barred a person from using any of the systems dozens of train stations or hundreds of bus routes.

And he thinks  with a few exceptions for extremely violent crimes  that is probably a good call. For some offenders who are rehabilitated, a complete ban would block their ability to reach a job, or connect with family and friends. A person might be more likely to reoffend if faced with the limited number of employment options that would result from not being able to use public transit.

Sullivan warned that such policies also could have a disparate effect on communities of color  communities that are disproportionately reliant on public transit.

To say you cant ride the T anymore, ever  that has a significant impact on someones life. I wouldnt support all-out bans, Sullivan said. We have to have a balance.
In this autumnal playoff season, find Venus and Mars working a double play, Saturn's rings striking a maximum tilt, the harvest moon lollygagging all night and a few shooting stars peppering the heavens.

Before sunrise now, look toward the eastern sky to see the dazzling Venus at -3.9 magnitude (very bright) rising just before the much dimmer Mars (1.8 magnitude, hard to see, try binoculars).

Keep gazing each morning, as they conjunct Oct. 5.

Catch the pair continue together the following morning, too.

At mid-month, the pair becomes noticeably distant. Mars is higher than Venus in the east.

The sliver of an old, last-quarter moon slips between Mars and Venus before sunrise Oct. 17, and the aging, razor-thin moon tiptoes toward the horizon Oct. 18. At months end, Venus and Mars are far apart.

Celebrate the harvest moon on Oct. 5, which is the closest full moon to the autumnal equinox.

Saturn hangs in the southwestern sky after sunset.

The ringed planet is a zero-magnitude object (bright) that sets around 10:30 p.m. early in October, then around 9 p.m. late in the month. On Oct. 23, the crescent new moon will be to the lower right of Saturn, and on the following early evening, the crescent will be to the upper left of the ringed planet.

Saturns rings will be at maximum tilt  in a 15-year cycle  at 27 degrees Oct. 16, according to astronomer Geoff Chester of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Youll need a telescope to see them.

The Orionid meteors peak Oct. 21, according to the International Meteor Organization (imo.net). With a new moon Oct. 19, the meteors face no threat of lunar light. Albeit a small shower, the group predicts about 10 to 20 meteors per hour at peak  but you won't see them all. Count on a few, if you're patient and stay outside.

Down-to-Earth events

Oct. 2  Catch up on the autumn sky at "Stars Tonight" at the David M. Brown Planetarium, 1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington, adjacent to Washington-Lee High School. 7:30 p.m. $3. friendsoftheplanetarium.org.

Oct. 5  "Disrupted! A Tale of Super-Massive Black Holes and the Stars That Get Too Close to Them," a talk by astronomer Nathaniel Roth at the University of Maryland's Observatory, College Park. View the night sky through telescopes afterward, weather permitting. 9 p.m. www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.

Oct. 6  "Searching for Signs of Habitability and Life on Other Ocean Worlds," a lecture by James Garvin, chief scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, at the Philosophical Society of Washington. At John Wesley Powell Auditorium, adjacent to the Cosmos Club, 2170 Florida Ave. NW (near the Dupont Circle Metro station). 8 p.m. www.philsoc.org.

Oct. 8  "The History of the Universe from Beginning to End," a talk by NASA astrophysicist John Mather at the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club's regular meeting, 163 Research Hall, George Mason University. 7 p.m. novac.com.

Oct. 14  "Debris Disks: What Astronomical Leftovers Can Tell Us About Planets," a talk by astronomer Erika Nesvold of the Carnegie Institution for Science at the National Capital Astronomers regular meeting, held at the University of Maryland Observatory, College Park. 7:30 p.m. capitalastronomers.org.

Oct. 20  "Discovering Exoplanets at the Center of the Galaxy," a talk by NASA researcher Aparna Bhattacharya at the University of Maryland's Observatory, College Park. Afterward, enjoy heavenly views through telescopes, weather permitting. 9 p.m.

www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse.

Oct. 20  "Space Weather, Earthly Effects," a lecture by NASA astrophysicist Antti Pulkkinen, hosted by the Philosophical Society of Washington At the John Wesley Powell Auditorium, adjacent to the Cosmos Club, 2170 Florida Ave. NW. 8 p.m. www.philsoc.org.

Oct. 21  The 35th annual Star Gaze, hosted by the Northern Virginia Astronomy Club. Listen to presentations, talk to astronomers, ask questions, see the sun through safe filters and enjoy the night sky via telescopes. At C.M. Crockett Park, Midland, Va. Parking $7 for non-Fauquier County residents. 3-11 p.m. (Entrance to park ends at 9 p.m.) novac.com.

Oct. 21  "When Was Creation?" at the Montgomery College planetarium, Takoma Park, 7 p.m. www2.montgomerycollege.edu/departments/planet/.

Oct. 21  "Exploring the Sky," hosted by the National Park Service and the National Capital Astronomers. At Rock Creek Park, near the Nature Center in the field south of Military and Glover roads NW. 7:30 p.m. capitalastronomers.org.

Oct. 25  "Pale Rainbow Dots: The Search for Other Earths," a lecture by NASA astrobiologists Giada Arney and Shawn Domagal-Goldman, at the Carnegie Institution for Science, 1530 P Street NW, 6:30 p.m. Free, registration required. carnegiescience.edu/events.

Blaine Friedlander can be reached at skywatchpost@gmail.com.
MICHIGAN

Judge slaps Iran with $63 million in torture suit

A U.S. judge Friday ordered the government of Iran to pay $63 million in damages to Amir Hekmati, a former U.S. Marine who alleged Iranian captors tortured and held him prisoner for 4 years from 2011 to 2016.

Hekmati, 33, from Michigan, was freed in January 2016 by Iran as part of a prisoner exchange along with Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, Christian minister Saeed Abedini, and another American, Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari.

U.S. District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle of Washington granted a default judgment against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which as its custom did not respond to Hekmatis lawsuit in May 2016 for damages. The judgment was split 50-50 between punitive and compensatory damages for pain, suffering and economic loss.

Hekmati, a dual U.S.-Iranian national born in the United States, worked in Iraq and Afghanistan as a cultural analyst and adviser for U.S. defense contractors and at the time of his arrest in August 2011 was making his first trip to Iran to visit relatives before starting graduate school.

 Spencer S. Hsu

TENNESSEE

Church shooting was likely revenge, officials say

A man who opened fire Sunday in a Tennessee church may have been motivated by a quest for revenge for an earlier shooting that targeted black churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., according to people familiar with the investigation.

Police said the suspect, Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, was wearing a mask when he entered Burnett Chapel Church of Christ in Antioch, a small community outside Nashville, and began shooting. One parishioner was shot in the parking lot and died; six other people, including the minister, were wounded.

People close to the investigation said a note found in the gunmans car indicated he may have been seeking revenge for the 2015 shooting at Emanuel AME, a historically black church in Charleston. In that attack, avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof killed nine black worshipers at an evening Bible-study session. Roof was convicted and is awaiting execution.

The Justice Departments civil rights division and the FBI have opened a hate-crimes probe into the Tennessee attack.

Samson, who is facing a state murder charge, came to the United States from Sudan as a child, and church members said he had attended services there.

 Devlin Barrett
LEBANON

Hezbollah leader calls Kurdish state a threat

The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said the Iraqi Kurdish independence vote marks a first step toward the partition of the Middle East, warning that it would lead to internal wars and must be opposed.

Hasan Nasrallah, head of the Iran-backed group, said Saturday that events in northern Iraq, where Kurds on Monday voted overwhelmingly for independence, were a threat to the whole region.

It will open the door to partition, partition, partition, Nasrallah said, adding that partition means taking the region to internal wars whose end and time frame is known only to God.

Nasrallah noted that his groups arch enemy, Israel, had come out in support of Kurdish statehood, and he described the referendum as part of a U.S.-Israeli plot to carve up the region. The United States has stated opposition to the vote.

 Reuters



Power-generating windmill turbines are pictured during the sunset near Larnaca, Cyprus September 30, 2017. (Yiannis Kourtoglou/Reuters)

CANADA

Air France jet makes emergency landing

An Air France flight bound from Paris to Los Angeles made an emergency landing after one of its four engines suffered serious damage, the airline said.

Flight 066 was diverted to Goose Bay Airport in Labrador on Canadas east coast, where it landed safely Saturday, the airline said in a statement. No injuries were reported.

The extent of the damage or what caused it was unclear, but images shared by passengers on social media showed that one of the engines appeared to have crumbled. The commercial aircraft, an A380, is a double-deck, twin-engine jetliner made by Airbus, a European manufacturer.

The regularly trained pilots and cabin crew handled this serious incident perfectly, the airline said. The passengers are currently being assisted by teams dispatched to the location. Air France said it was working to reroute passengers to Los Angeles.

 Kristine Phillips

Human rights groups oppose Egypt's crackdown on gays: Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are calling on Egyptian authorities to halt their crackdown on people suspected of homosexuality after the waving of the LGBT rainbow flag at a recent concert in Cairo. The human rights groups also urged Egypt to cease the physicalexamination of those detained to determine whether they had engaged in same-sex relations.

Kyrgyzstan authorities accuse opposition lawmaker of plot: Kyrgyzstan's state security service has detained opposition lawmaker Kanatbek Isayev, just two weeks before presidential elections, accusing him of planning riots and a violent coup. The GKNB security service said Isayev, a supporter of main opposition presidential candidate Omurbek Babanov, had conspired with criminal groups to orchestrate rioting during and after the Oct. 15 vote.



Police officers offer prayers to their weapons as part of a ritual at the police headquarters on the occasion of Vijaya Dashmi, or Dussehra, festival in Ahmedabad, India September 30, 2017. (Amit Dave/Reuters)

Dozens are reportedly killed by airstrikes in Syria: Airstrikes on villages and towns held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria have killed or wounded dozens of people, a day after an attack by the extremists killed more than 120 pro-government fighters and briefly cut off the highway linking the capital, Damascus, with eastern Syria, opposition activists said. It was not immediately clear whether the airstrikes were carried out by Russian forces or by the U.S.-led coalition. The airstrikes came after two days of clashes between Syrian government forces and their allies against ISIS fighters in central and eastern Syria that left nearly 200 dead.

 From news services
The Post's Sept. 25 editorial "They don't have to stand for it" brought to mind a letter preserved in the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. When I worked as a specialist in the division, I would often proudly show the "Gobitas letter" to visitors.

The letter was written in 1935 by 10-year-old Billy Gobitas to his school explaining why he was refusing to salute the flag. Because the Supreme Court eventually upheld his right to do so, this letter should be seen and read by all Americans today  especially the current White House occupant, who regularly demonstrates his indifference to and ignorance of our history. Kudos to The Post for citing this landmark case and pointing to it in a lead editorial.

Leonard C. Bruno, Chevy Chase
A CENTRAL premise of President Barack Obama's initiative to open relations with Cuba was that more U.S. engagement would lead to change on the island. Change is certainly needed, but recent events suggest that the unpleasant reality of Fidel Castro's dictatorship remains in place, even in the twilight of rule by his 86-year-old brother Raul.

Twenty-one U.S. diplomats in Cuba have reported being hit with unexplained illnesses, including hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, visual difficulties, headaches, fatigue and cognitive, balance and sleeping difficulties. Some accounts have attributed the illnesses to strange "sonic" attacks that surfaced 10 months ago. Originally described by the State Department as an "incident," they are now being called an "attack," and Post staff writer Carol Morello reports that U.S. officials say specific Americans were targeted, that the assaults are ongoing and that they occurred in at least one case in a Havana hotel.

The State Department was prudent to decide last week to withdraw nonessential personnel and family members from Cuba, about 60 percent of the U.S. staff, as long as the danger remains and the cause is unknown. The Cuban people will be hurt by this; the United States is immediately halting the processing of visa applications by Cubans, and urging Americans not to travel to Cuba.

In a meeting Tuesday in Washington, Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez, told Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that Cuba wasn't at fault for the illnesses. Cuba said it had investigated but so far found no origin or cause. There has been speculation it might have been caused by a third country that came to Cuba to target the Americans. Either way, Cuba's reaction is inadequate. For decades, the Cuban state security apparatus has kept a watchful eye on everything that moves on the island, and informants lurk on every block. It begs disbelief that Cuba does not know what is going on. Unfortunately, this kind of deception and denial is all too familiar behavior. The regime took the same "don't blame us" coverup pose when the dissident Oswaldo Paya was killed in a suspicious car wreck five years ago.

Cubans who manage to escape the island are often stunned at what they find beyond it. The New York Times carried an account Friday about doctors who were sent by the government under contract to serve in Brazil and, once there, rebelled at the poor working conditions and low pay. One of them, Maireilys Alvarez Rodriguez, said how different it was to be in Brazil, "a country where you're free, where no one asks you where you're going or tells you what you have to do." These doctors are objecting to being forced to remit much of their earnings to the Cuban regime.

Cubans deserve to work freely abroad  and at home, too. They deserve to be rid of a creaky regime that now claims it has no idea who is attacking American diplomats on its soil. If Cuba sincerely wants better relations with the United States, it could start by revealing who did this, and hold them to account.
Roy Hoffman, a novelist and journalist, is author of the novel Come Landfall and essay collection Alabama Afternoons.

There's a vast barn and field at Oak Hollow Farm 15 minutes from my house that gets rented out as a party venue. This week it served as the media-thronged site of a rally for Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore, with celebrity guest Stephen K. Bannon, invoking God, guns and making Alabama great. At the same hour, at the University of South Alabama across Mobile Bay, a panel discussion was underway on the topic of inclusion. With more than 600 in attendance, six of us from an array of backgrounds  Jewish, Christian, black, white, Asian American  conversed with moderator Soledad O'Brien, the broadcast journalist, about connecting across lines of race, religion, gender and ideology. Such differences challenge not just those of us in this community but also those far beyond.

That these events went on simultaneously was coincidental, but looking back, I see them as representing the two forces at work in my home state, which now is a bellwether for the nation: coming together vs. staying apart. When O'Brien asked me what our state does well and what it doesn't, I spoke of Alabama's famous and often well-deserved reputation for hospitality. Newcomers such as the immigrants of my grandparents' generation arriving at Mobile's downtown blocks and speaking little English felt welcomed enough to stay and put down roots. "Come on in, y'all!" But running against that grain, I added, was the counter-impulse of a culture anxious about outsiders and fearful of those who look, act, pray or speak differently, even if they live on the other side of town. "Trespassers beware!"

This push-pull, this embracing change or bracing against it will still be with us whether our next senator, as predicted, is the far-right Moore, a longtime public figure who's made no secret of his disdain for Muslims, gays and those whose sense of faith differs from his evangelical Christian fervor, or mainstream Democrat Doug Jones, in a possible upset. Either way, I feel strongly that an ever-increasing openness, a cultural diversity, is inching forward, if not evidenced by raw numbers, then in the kinds of people who increasingly call Alabama home. Demagogues can still win at the ballot box, but the opposition  those who yearn for and work toward inclusion, a sensibility that crosses political lines  is growing stronger.

In recent weeks, for example, I have enjoyed being among hundreds of Indian families, all from our area, celebrating the Hindu festival of Navaratri by lighting candles to the goddess Durga. I have visited a Muslim friend who teaches in a Muslim school in Mobile, and I have gone to lunch with a buddy who tells me his daughter, who is gay, stays in Mobile because she loves it as home and does not want to move to some strange, far-off metropolis. I have had drinks with a white couple who joined a predominantly black church because they feel a heightened spirituality there, and I have been to the preview of a documentary on the life of St. Francis being created by filmmakers from close by that emphasizes the unity of all faiths. I have seen mixed-race couples, if still a rarity here, strolling hand in hand, unbothered, on Fairhope Pier.

These stories, under the radar in the nations perception of my home, continue, like the prayers we say at High Holy Day services as part of a small but observant Jewish community in our area. At my temple in Mobile, Moses, with the Ten Commandments in his arms, looks over us from a stained-glass window as we ask forgiveness for our litany of sins.

One of those prayers on Yom Kippur, this weekend, asks pardon for the sin of xenophobia, as well as for the mindfulness to do better in the new year.

I pray it for my fellow Alabamians, too.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) speaks during the 2017 Center for American Progress Ideas Conference in Washington on May 16. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Regarding Stephen Nash's Sept. 24 Local Opinions commentary "Virginia is too slow on climate change":

Mr. Nashs declaration that Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has taken a passive approach to addressing climate change is flat-out wrong. Mr. McAuliffe has done more to combat this growing threat and improve our states resiliency than any other executive in Virginias history.

In May, Mr. McAuliffe signed Executive Directive 11, the first action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at the state level in the Trump era. This will result in regulations that cut emissions from electric utilities and link Virginia to a multi-state carbon market.

One of Mr. McAuliffe's first acts as governor was convening the Climate Change and Resiliency Update Commission. Through that commission and other efforts, Virginia has made enormous strides, including establishing a climate-change and resilience resource center, bringing home more than $120 million in federal funding to help Hampton Roads prepare for sea-level rise and setting a state agency renewable-energy target.

In 2013, Virginia had a meager 17 megawatts of solar installed. Today that number has grown to more than 2,600 megawatts in service or under development.

There is still a great deal of work to be done, but conflating the governors actions with those in Virginias General Assembly who are hostile to the words climate change undercuts the progress we have made.

Roy A. Hoagland, Midlothian

The writer is a board member of

the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.
In a photo taken on August 2, 2017 South Korean soldiers stand guard before North Korea's Panmon Hall (rear C) and the military demarcation line separating North and South Korea, at Panmunjom, in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). China urged North Korea August 6 to make a "smart decision", after the United Nations imposed tough new sanctions on the isolated regime over its missile and nuclear programmes. / AFP PHOTO / Ed JONESED JONES/AFP/Getty Images (Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images)

I was shocked by the depiction of a deadly 1976 incident in North Korea in the Sept. 26 front-page article "N. Korea suggests downing U.S. jets." The article referred to North Korean soldiers having "axed to death two U.S. service members who ventured into the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea." It gave the impression that the two service members acted alone and may have been in a place they should not have been.

The full facts are that they were two officers in charge of a unit with the mission to chop down a tree in the Joint Security Area. The tree was obstructing the view of, and ability to provide protective fire to, the guard post at the south end of the "Bridge of No Return" crossing the military demarcation line between the North and the South. The American officers were where they were supposed to be, doing what they were supposed to do when they were murdered by the North Koreans.

Three days later, a larger unit, supported by hundreds of armed aircraft ready to strike the North Koreans, completed the mission, and North Korea accepted responsibility for the deaths.

Leland Hewitt, Alexandria
Columnist

The political resurrection of Alabama's Roy Moore  the Moses of the South  and the mortal end of Hugh Hefner are not entirely unrelated.

Its not a straight line, mind you. But if Hefners death the day after Moore won Alabamas Senate Republican primary runoff reminded us of how much American culture has changed in a couple of generations, then Moore represents the antithesis of those alterations and a mechanism for reversing them.

Hefner, who validated the objectification of women by embedding their sexualized bodies between the more-respectable pages of first-rate writing, embraced and championed libertinism and materialism. Bad boy behavior  philandering, licentiousness and exploitation  was re-imagined and sold as freedom, a philosophy as distant from the Testaments as Moore is from the zeitgeist.

That Hefner was rarely seen except in pajamas surrounded by Playmates dressed as inflated bunny rabbits was kitschy and self-parodying, if you were more inclined toward Roger Moore than Roy Moore. To the fan base of the latter, whom most will remember as the judge who fought the ACLU to keep a Ten Commandments plaque and pre-session prayer in his courtroom, Hefner might as well have been an agent of Satan. Perpetually stalled in adolescence, he was an early advocate of the socially debased trends Moore saw as having led to the unraveling of the American family.

Never coy about his moral positions, Moore liked to keep the Ten Commandments posted in his courtroom so guests would understand that the tablets were the basis for our legal system. Among his more controversial and unwavering beliefs is that homosexuality isn't only a sin but also a crime.

Needless to say this makes Moore an object of scorn among a majority of Americans who see gays and lesbians as, well, human beings deserving of equal rights and protections under the same laws that Moore views as justifying the criminalization of same-sex relationships.

Adding piquancy to Moore's history, the case before his Alabama circuit court that attracted the ACLU's attention involved two gay strippers, "Silk" and "Satin," who were accused of murdering a drug addict. Moore, who had been appointed to the court, won election to a full term in 1994 by defeating none other than the prosecutor in the stripper/murder case. And in his successful campaign for the state Supreme Court in 2000, Moore argued that Christianity's decline in influence "corresponded directly with school violence, homosexuality and crime."

His tune hasnt changed a note. Though Moore has never singled out Hefner for criticism (that I know of), Playboys cultural influence surely ran counter to the values Moore hoped then  and his constituents hope now  to restore. Indeed, Hefner was long a supporter of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Meanwhile, one notes that the current president of the United States may be Hefners most sterling achievement. Donald Trump, who has surrounded himself with material excess and women worthy of male admiration, is both protege and prototype, the essential playboy who has acquired wealth and glamour  and boasts that he can do whatever he wants to women.

Last week, it was Trump  and by association, Hefner  whom Moore ultimately defeated.

The runoffs outcome may suggest that Trumps political capital is in decline, but, more important, it proves that the Republican base is still wedded to the biblical philosophy expounded by Moore and endorsed by Trumps former chief adviser, Stephen K. Bannon. Thus, the Alabama contest came down to a battle of former allies representing two very different worldviews.

If many have doubted Trumps Republican bona fides, there can have been little confusion over his professed Christian faith. Donald Trump lives his life as Christ did, no one ever said. For the president, religion is a convenience  until its not. Bannon, though no saint, is a Catholic who respects church doctrine, by his own admission, and is a street fighter for the hard-right.

In Alabama, he, too, defeated Trump.

Although incumbent Sen. Luther Strange, whom Trump enthusiastically endorsed, wasn't so far removed from Moore in his positions  including opposition to same-sex marriage  he was viewed, nonetheless, as part of the Republican establishment. His close association with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was no recommendation in the Bannon-Breitbart universe.

Alabama isn't usually considered a bellwether state and certainly can't be viewed as a petri dish for political prognostication beyond the Mason-Dixon. But the standoff between Bannon and Trump via Moore and Strange may foretell the future of the GOP, which can't survive without its Southern Christian base. Ironically, Hefner, who put Trump on his magazine's cover in 1990, penned an essay when the thrice-married reality TV star secured the GOP presidential nomination, defeating Ted Cruz, a pastor's son. To Hefner, this victory signified "massive changes in the 'family values party' " and was "proof of . . . a sexual revolution in the Republican Party."

Not so fast, Mr. Hefner, not so fast.

Read more from Kathleen Parker's archive, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.
Jason Downs is a civil rights attorney who has represented the families of Freddie Gray and Terrence Sterling in civil matters arising from their deaths.

Brutality and lawlessness flourish in an environment that condones violence. We must take a long, hard look at the environment that fostered a police officers failing to activate his body camera and killing an unarmed man by shooting him in the back and neck.

On Sept. 11, 2016, D.C. police officer Brian Trainer shot and killed Terrence Sterling in our nation's capital. Sterling, an unarmed, 31-year-old black man, was shot once in the neck and once in the back. Almost a year went by with only silence from the criminal-justice system. On Aug. 9, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that it had chosen not to seek an indictment against Trainer on any charges related to the killing.

Immediately after news broke that there would be no charges, Police Chief Peter Newsham and Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) asked Trainer to resign. These requests are a step in the right direction. Resignation would be partial justice for the Sterling family, whose lives are forever changed.

But Trainer is not the only problem; there is a culture of violence infecting the D.C. police.

Gangs are known to display colors and symbols to intimidate those outside the gang. Too many D.C. police officers are mimicking these intimidation tactics.

Attorneys with Law for Black Lives DC have uncovered disturbing photographs showing some D.C. police officers displaying logos with a clear message of death. The photos included one of an on-duty officer of the 7th District wearing a T-shirt with a picture of a hooded Grim Reaper holding a rifle and an MPD badge. The T-shirt also subtly depicts a Celtic cross, which has been used by white nationalists, including Norwegian Nazis in World War II.

Does the D.C. police department want its officers to have a gang-like mentality that manifests in the form of symbols of intimidation, hate and acts of violence? The difference between a street gang and these officers is that our criminal-justice system routinely punishes street gang members. But officers display these violent symbols, and the killing of unarmed citizens apparently goes without consequence.

This attitude of invincibility is to be expected given the District's track record when dealing with police killings. According to the 2016 report, "The Durability of Police Reform: The Metropolitan Police Department and Use of Force," released by the Office of the D.C. Auditor, no D.C. police officer has been charged in connection with a fatal shooting in the line of duty.

In Sterling's case, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District closed the investigation before the grand jurors voted on whether charges should be filed, saying there was "insufficient evidence." This prosecutorial decision took power away from D.C. residents to decide whether Trainer should be held accountable in a criminal court of law. Equally as concerning, this decision by prosecutors sent a clear message to police officers: The criminal-justice system condones a police officer shooting an unarmed man.

Trust between the community and the police is disappearing. To even begin to develop trust, our leaders must show a commitment to systemic change, including of the culture within the D.C. police department. Asking Trainer to resign was the first step. The next step is acknowledging the culture condoning violence within the department. Step three would be ridding the department of any police officer who creates, wears or glorifies messages of hate and violence.
John F. Kerry, a visiting distinguished statesman at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, was U.S. secretary of state from 2013 to 2017.

If the United States breaks with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the six other signatories and the conclusions of our own State Department by decertifying Iran's compliance with the nuclear agreement, the deal's fate will rest with Congress under the terms of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act. It would be facing a decision about America's security, not a referendum on President Trump or former president Barack Obama.

Having cast dozens of arms-control votes as a senator  judging not whether they were perfect, but whether we were better off with them  I want to take those who may soon cast a similar vote "into the negotiating room" to explain the product we negotiated to close Iran's pathways to a nuclear weapon, and why it is so important to keep the agreement in place.

Context matters. When I first met with Iran's foreign minister in September 2013, Iran had mastered the nuclear fuel cycle, had built a uranium stockpile that could be enriched to make 10 to 12 bombs, and was enriching just below weapons-grade. It was moving rapidly to commission a heavy-water reactor capable of producing enough weapons-grade plutonium for an additional bomb or two annually. In other words, Iran was already a nuclear-threshold state.

We spent thousands of hours negotiating to get it right, even though Iran's break-out time to produce enough fissile material for a bomb was just a few months. The United States had, through painstaking diplomacy, marshaled our European allies and reluctant countries  including China, Russia, India and Turkey  to implement crippling sanctions on Iran, but even that hadn't stopped it from speeding ahead from a few hundred centrifuges to thousands. Only negotiation would freeze and roll back the program.

Some ask why our agreement didn't stop Iran's destabilizing behavior, including its support of Hezbollah and the brutal Assad regime in Syria. It's a good question with good answers: We were not going to bargain away certainty on the nuclear issue for anything else; as France said, there would be no "quid pro quo." We had deep disagreements with Iran and zero trust, hadn't negotiated with them since 1979, and were on a collision course toward military action as the countdown clock on break-out ticked down.

The world was united on one issue alone  Iran's nuclear capability. We could not have achieved unity or held the sanctions regime together if we added other issues. But we believed it would be easier to deal with other differences with Tehran if we weren't simultaneously confronting a nuclear regime.

We knew that any agreement would be scrutinized by critics who 20 years ago witnessed the United States reach a deal with North Korea that fell apart. We internalized those lessons. The agreement with North Korea was four pages long and only dealt with plutonium. The agreement with Iran runs 159 detailed pages, applies to all of Tehran's potential pathways to a bomb, and is specifically grounded in the transparency rules of the IAEA's Additional Protocol, developed with the North Korea experience in mind. No country has gone nuclear with the Additional Protocol in place. It's that intrusive. We insisted it be a bedrock of the Iran agreement.

What did we achieve? For one thing, contrary to some reports, it was Iran that had to pay up front. Before Iran received a dollar of sanctions relief, the IAEA confirmed that the country had eliminated 97 percent of its uranium stockpile, destroyed the core from its Arak reactor (which blocked the production of weapons-grade plutonium), ripped out more than 13,000 centrifuges, halted uranium enrichment at the underground Fordow site, and opened its program to intrusive monitoring. In eight consecutive reports, the IAEA has confirmed that it's working.

Much attention has been focused on the agreement's "sunset provisions." That is a misnomer for an agreement that has provisions lasting 10, 15, 20 and 25 years, with the most important ones lasting forever. That said, nearly all arms-control agreements contain time elements, which is why so many result in follow-on accords, once confidence is built on both sides.

We were comfortable because the cap on Iran's low-enriched uranium stockpile remains in place until 2030. It is impossible to produce a nuclear weapon with 300 kilograms of low-enriched uranium.

We were also comfortable because the unprecedented monitoring and verification measures we achieved never expire. Because of the permanent IAEA inspections, the world would know if Iran were foolish enough to seek a bomb.

Fundamentally, it seems irrational to leave an agreement thats working today out of a fixation on potential growth of Irans nuclear program more than a decade from now, when such growth could happen tomorrow if we unravel the agreement. Wed be back where we were before, only way worse, with the United States isolated, not Iran.

We maintain leverage by sticking with the agreement, and European foreign ministers tell me that they would join us in confronting other Iranian misdeeds. What leverage do we gain by walking away when we know Iran is complying? We lose our close alignment with our allies. We empower Russia and China. We hand Iranian hard-liners a victory and send a message to any country considering a negotiation with us that, when politics intervene, the United States doesnt keep its word. Moreover, sticking with the deal means we dont jump back in the barrel headed toward military conflict with Iran, and we can focus on North Koreas white-hot nuclear threat today.

The agreement the world forged to stop Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon reflected our best judgment about achieving that solitary goal. It was not a wish list we could impose, but the result of a negotiation. We based our conclusions on verification, not trust. In every way the world can measure, it is working.
Columnist

Terrorist drones.

Two years ago, you would have had a tough time getting a meeting with a junior staffer in Washington to discuss the subject. A year ago, people had begun furrowing brows. Now, this is Topic A for an entire community of experts that has emerged inside the federal government, as National Counterterrorism Center chief Nicholas Rasmussen told a panel of senators Wednesday. Its a real problem, he said.

How real? Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, using off-the-shelf aircraft modified to drop grenades, have repeatedly menaced U.S. Special Operations forces. If they can do it in Raqqa, surely someone will try to do it here.

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, testifying to the same panel, said the threat is palpable and immediate: "The expectation is it's coming here imminently." Drones are "relatively easy to acquire, relatively easy to operate, and quite difficult to disrupt and monitor."

Most drones on sale in the United States are small, short-range birds aimed at the hobbyist market and unsuited to carrying cargo. But for the price of a flat-screen TV, a would-be terrorist can go online and purchase a commercial model heavy enough to deliver a small package. You don't need to be a Hollywood screenwriter to imagine what might come next: A nearly silent, low-altitude little helicopter bearing a small bomb or supply of toxic material hums over metal detectors and barriers and bodyguards to strike a public gathering or senior official or hallowed landmark. In 2015, a hobbyist's drone landed on the White House lawn.

Awakening to the threat, the Trump administration drafted legislation this year to enhance police powers in tracking civilian drones and their payloads  including by codifying the authority to destroy drones in flight that appear menacing. Among the fast-growing number of hobbyists and entrepreneurs who fly drones for fun or profit, many have expressed alarm at the proposed legislation. But perhaps they should take their complaints to al-Qaeda.

The hard fact is that today's danger will soon be followed by a much larger threat. While Rasmussen and Wray were on Capitol Hill testifying about the problem of radio-controlled and GPS-directed drones of relatively small size, many of the top scientists in the field of autonomous flight were gathering in Vancouver, B.C., to share details of their progress on building entirely self-guided aircraft.

One such scientist shared his concerns with me about where this is headed. He says with confidence that off-the-shelf drone technology will move rapidly from grenade-size payloads to cargoes of 10 or 12 pounds. As belt-wearing suicide bombers have shown, a tremendous amount of destruction can be packed into a vessel about that size.

More important, though, is the rapid progress being made toward truly autonomous navigation. Encouraged by Pentagon planners who envision helicopter rescues and resupply missions in combat zones that dont put human crews at risk, the scientists at the Vancouver meeting are well on their way to building drones that fly independently of radio guidance or GPS. These aircraft can see and survey terrain to know exactly where they are and steer themselves accordingly to avoid traffic, trees and power lines on the way to their destinations.

Or their targets.

If you're excited by the idea of one day stepping into a personal aircraft, tapping an endpoint into the control panel and whisking to work high above snarled traffic, the promise of truly autonomous flight is exciting. Deep-pocketed innovators such as Google founder Larry Page and Airbus are pursuing the idea of self-flying personal aircraft.

But if you are a counterterrorism expert, this stuff worries you. Our best defenses against terrorist drones fit into three categories. The first is radar, but radar performs poorly against small, low-flying craft. Alternatively, we can jam radio signals, but the autonomous drones now in development wont need a radio controller. Our third defense is to interrupt GPS. But a drone that can read terrain and react to obstacles will be able to fly without such guidance.

The vehicles we are developing [for the Pentagon] are specifically designed to foil all three prevention systems, the worried scientist told me.

One thing we know about technology: Today's improbable experiment is tomorrow's inexpensive gadget. You likely have more computing power in your car than NASA had on the space shuttle. If autonomous drones are able to execute complex simulated combat missions today  and they are  you can bet that technology will eventually be widely and cheaply available in smaller forms to ordinary buyers.

And one thing we know about terrorists: They love gadgets. Theyve learned to detonate bombs using cellphones, toy cars, garage door openers and so on. Once they have access to nearly undetectable flying machines big enough to carry substantial payloads, we can be confident they will try to use them to wreak havoc. Which is a threat worth all the attention the community of experts can give to it.

Perhaps Washington has been slow to see this new threat. But its not too late. Yet.

Read more from David Von Drehle's archive.
Chelsea Parsons is vice president for guns and crime policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund and is a resident of Northern Virginia.

One hallmark of Terry McAuliffes (D) tenure as governor of Virginia has been his willingness to go toe to toe with the Republican-controlled state legislature on a number of divisive social justice issues, such as LGBT rights, immigration enforcement and funding for abortion services. During his four years as governor, McAuliffe has issued a historic number of vetoes  120 in total  to prevent the enactment of a wide variety of potentially damaging laws.

Bills related to firearms have been one of his frequent veto targets. Sixteen percent of those bills were related to gun policy, including bills that would have lowered the minimum age of eligibility for a concealed-carry permit, weakened the law regarding safe storage of guns by foster parents and eliminated the ability for state agencies to prevent employees from storing guns in their cars. McAuliffe also vetoed bills that would have put victims of domestic violence at risk by promoting a dangerous false narrative that gun possession by victims is a pathway to ensuring safety  an assertion that has been rejected by experts and victims' advocates. One of the bills he vetoed this year seems particularly relevant now: a bill that would have prevented government agencies operating emergency shelters, like those protecting victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, from banning guns in these shelters.

Gun safety has long been a political hot-button issue in Virginia. The commonwealth has been the site of horrific high-profile shootings  the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech , the on-air murder of reporter Alison Parker and cameraman Adam Ward in 2015, and the 2016 murder of Prince William County police officer Ashley Guindon responding to a domestic-violence call on her first day of duty. Virginia is also the home base of the National Rifle Association, and the gun lobby has historically held much sway in the state legislature.

But gun violence is much more than a political issue; it is a public-health crisis. Every 10 hours, a person is killed with a gun in Virginia in cases that involve suicide, domestic violence, accidental shootings or interpersonal disputes. Gun violence does not affect every Virginia community in the same way. The gun death rates in Richmond and Roanoke are more than 50 percent higher than the statewide average, while the rates in Alexandria and Virginia Beach are 71 percent and 31 percent lower, respectively. Communities of color bear a particularly heavy burden of this violence: While African Americans make up nearly 20 percent of the population, they account for approximately 66 percent of gun homicide victims in Virginia.

In addition to these devastating deaths due to gun violence, a substantial number of Virginians survive gunshot wounds every year and face years of physical, mental and emotional recovery from their injuries. According to the Virginia Department of Health, from 2005 to 2014, 5,532 people were nonfatally shot and treated in Virginia hospitals, at a total cost of more than $336 million.

Despite this continuing trauma, the gun lobby has persisted in advancing a dangerous agenda that would result in weakening our already loose gun laws. The NRAs 2017 Virginia candidate questionnaire makes it clear that it is not planning to back down on working to enact its extreme agenda in Virginia and includes questions about many of its top legislative priorities, including eliminating the permit requirement for concealed carry and allowing guns to be carried in K-12 schools, and enacting an expansive stand your ground law.

The NRA's extreme agenda has never been more clear, and the recent series of videos by NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch provided a dark glimpse into the heart of that organization and revealed the NRA for what it has become  an extreme political organization focused on enacting a dangerous agenda that will endanger American communities, all for the sake of generating profits for the gun industry. And it has clearly made its choice for the gubernatorial candidate most likely to pursue this agenda, endorsing Republican Ed Gillespie and awarding him an "A" grade for his positions on gun issues, while giving Democrat Ralph Northam an "F," which comes as no surprise considering Northam's long-standing support for common-sense gun laws.

All eyes are on Virginia this fall as one of only two states that hold gubernatorial elections in the year following a presidential election. Virginia is often viewed as a bellwether, and this dynamic is further heightened as the election results will be dissected as an early barometer of how voters are responding to the Trump administration and the potential impact on the 2018 midterm elections.

But far more important than the tea leaves this election may provide for national pundits to read is the effect that it will have on residents of the commonwealth. Much is at stake in this election, not the least of which is continuing to ensure that there is a strong leader in the governors office who is willing to stand up and be a backstop against the NRAs efforts to use Virginia as a testing ground for its extreme agenda.
Columnist

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments tempting it to plunge into an impenetrable political thicket. It will consider a lower courts ruling that, if allowed to stand, will require the judiciary to determine whether and when partisanship in drawing electoral districts  something as old as the Constitution  is unconstitutional. And courts will wrestle repeatedly with cases requiring them to decide how to decide how much partisanship is too much.

It is instructive that the phrase partisan gerrymandering  the drawing of district lines by one party to disadvantage the other  is a redundancy. It has been since 1812, when Massachusetts Democratic-Republicans, serving Gov. Elbridge Gerry, created a district resembling a salamander. By then, the practice was old hat for New York, which had been hard at it since 1788, the year the Constitution was ratified.

The practice has recently become hotly disputed. This is partly because Republicans control 66 of 98 partisan state legislative chambers, and both the legislatures and governorships of 26 states. (A challenge to Maryland's redistricting by Democrats is percolating in the judicial system.) And it is partly because some members of the political science professoriate, which is as ideologically monochromatic as academia generally, are inventing metrics that supposedly provide objective standards for identifying partisanship that is unconstitutionally excessive.

For several decades, federal courts produced redistricting plans for Wisconsin after decennial censuses because the legislature could not agree on any. In 2010, however, Republicans won control of both houses of the legislature and the governorship and produced a redistricting plan. In 2012, they won 60 of the 99 state assembly seats with 48.6 percent of the statewide vote, and in 2014 they won 63 seats with 52 percent of the vote. However, under the court-devised plan in the previous decade, in five elections the Republicans won an average of 55.2 seats with an average of 49.1 percent of the statewide vote. This is partly because under requirements of the Voting Rights Act, Milwaukee's "majority-minority" districts were protected. And it is partly because Democratic voters, in Wisconsin and nationally, are inefficiently distributed, disproportionately concentrated in cities and college towns, such as Milwaukee and Madison. This is why in 2012, President Barack Obama carried 27 congressional districts with at least 80 percent of the vote, whereas Mitt Romney carried only one that lopsidedly.

The 12 plaintiffs against the Republican plan have three problems, each fatal. First, they are contesting the entire statewide plan rather than their individual districts. So, they are asking the court to change its traditional standards for "standing" to sue, which require persons to demonstrate a "particularized injury"  in this case, that the configurations of their individual districts somehow unconstitutionally devalue their votes. The lead plaintiff is a retired University of Wisconsin professor whose assembly district in Madison has voted Democratic by an average of 67.2 percent in the last five elections. This does not sadden him. What does  his supposed injury  is that the statewide plan diminishes his chances of enjoying a Democratic majority in the assembly.

Second, until 31 years ago, the court held that the inevitable political component of redistricting plans is a non-justiciable "political question" properly consigned to the political (elected) branches. In 1986, the court said a political gerrymander could conceivably be justiciable, but it has never discovered what Justice Anthony M. Kennedy terms "a manageable standard."

Third, the plaintiffs want the court to plunge the judiciary into unending litigation involving dueling professors who will cherry-pick concocted metrics to serve as standards. Tuesdays arguments will illustrate why Wisconsin warns about a social science hodgepodge. Plaintiffs will argue that an efficiency gap (the difference between all the losers votes and the surplus of votes in excess of those the winner needed for victory, divided by the total number of votes cast) that exceeds 7 percent  a figure plucked from the ether  is presumptively unconstitutional. By this metric, one-third of all legislative redistricting maps in 41 states over 43 years were impermissibly partisan.

Using partisan social science, the plaintiffs are asking the court to find in the Constitution a hitherto unnoticed requirement for proportional representation. Justice Felix Frankfurter perhaps anticipated this.

When in 1962 the court first intervened in states' redistricting practices, it propounded only the simple and neutral principle of "one person, one vote"  districts must be numerically equal. Nevertheless, Frankfurter dissented, having warned in 1946 against even entering "this political thicket." He worried that someday the court might be drawn ever-deeper into the fraught business of fine-tuning political processes. Unless the court is careful, that someday could arrive Tuesday.

Read more from George F. Will's archive or follow him on Facebook.
Some members of Congress spend years, even decades, plotting their way up the ladder to become House speaker or Senate majority leader.

The reward? National ignominy is almost a certainty.

Masochism. I always thought maybe thats part of it, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said, only half joking.

In 35 years on Capitol Hill, McCain has never run for a congressional leadership post, possibly one reason he remains an overall popular national figure.

That was once the case for House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.). Now, just 31 percent of Americans approve of Ryan's job performance while 51 percent do not approve, according to the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll.

Ryans base of support is almost nonexistent: Eight percent strongly approve of his performance; 31 percent strongly disapprove.

Tuesday started as a bad day for Mitch McConnell. It only got worse.

Its safe to say that Ryan has now entered into the politically treacherous spot in which House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) found herself as House speaker in 2010 before Republicans took the majority. And it raises the question of when Democrats  and Ryans own party  will begin using the current speakers image against him.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is in a similarly perilous place  he has no base of support, literally. In the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll from the middle of September, not enough respondents held a "very positive" view of McConnell to register even a single percentage point.

For Ryan and McConnell, President Trump has accelerated their dive into infamy. With each legislative battle they waged, liberals grew more angry at their proposal. But when these efforts ended in gridlock, the president went after the two leaders with sharp criticism that depresses their support among conservatives.

The drive toward becoming a despised figure almost certainly results in the other party spending tens of millions of dollars tarring and feathering the leaders image in political ads.

Just before that 2010 midterm, Pelosis favorability with voters fell to 29 percent, according to a Post-ABC poll at the time. Her advisers estimated back then that Republicans devoted more than $50 million in negative advertising targeting her that election season.

You go into this thing believing that on a good day, youre unpopular. On a bad day, youre really unpopular, said Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.).

Seven years after Republicans first started targeting her in ads, Pelosi is a little less toxic but not any more popular. According to the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 25 percent of voters have a favorable view on her and 43 percent have an unfavorable view.

In that same poll, 24 percent of voters have a favorable image of Ryan, while 40 percent hold an unfavorable view on the speaker. He doesnt quite provoke as much of an intense dislike as Pelosi  20 percent of voters hold very negative views toward him, while 28 percent hold such harsh views toward Pelosi.

Still, he has been speaker for less than two years. Pelosi has been the leading face of House Democrats for almost 14 years.

In early November 2015, a week after he took the speakers gavel from John A. Boehner of Ohio, Ryan was a relatively popular figure, perhaps because he had never served in any leadership post and was drafted into the post by his colleagues.

Democrats believe Ryan would grow even more unpopular if they did to him what Republicans did to Pelosi. Shes not spending any money saying, Nancy Pelosis great, probably not even in the California markets, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said. Nobody is running national money against Paul Ryan. Ryan has become unpopular, Brown said, because he isnt doing a very good job.

How Nancy Pelosi is trying to reassure anxious Democrats about her leadership

In the Senate race in Alabama, Roy Moore, the arch-conservative who won the Republican runoff primary Tuesday, used McConnell as a punching bag against the appointed incumbent, Sen. Luther Strange (R). Moores consultants believe the McConnell attack line painted Strange as an establishment figure, propelling the former judge to victory.

McConnells allies believe that Moores background  he had been twice suspended from the state Supreme Court for actions applauded by religious conservatives  appealed to an electorate that wants to disrupt Washington.

Regardless of who is right, conservative activists have vowed to keep up those attacks against McConnell in primary races next year.

Despite disparagement in conservative circles, Ryan has maintained some well of support among Republicans. In the Post-ABC News poll, 53 percent of Republican voters approve of Ryans job performance, while 31 percent disapprove.

That makes it more difficult to use Ryan in Republican primaries, but he will probably become a caricature in general-election campaigns  31 percent of independent voters approve, while 52 percent disapprove of the speakers performance.

I dont consider it a thankless job; I consider it a hard job, Brown said of these leadership posts. He won his first congressional race 25 years ago, and has he never served in leadership.

Graham first won a House seat two years after Brown, and the closest he ever came to a leadership seat were the times he participated in coup attempts against House leaders in the 1990s.

Id rather be in Gitmo than do that all day, he said.

Praising McConnells patience, Graham said he never could have done the behind-the-scenes work of a floor leader, especially knowing the almost guaranteed result is that two-thirds of Americans will consider you a political villain.

I dont know how he does it, God bless him, because if I were in charge wed be down to about 40 senators now, Graham said.

Because he would have killed the rest of them.

Read more from Paul Kane's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
I dont know him, I dont know him, said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

I havent taken a deep dive into his record, said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Lets give him a chance, said Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.).

For most Republicans, Roy Moores run for Senate in Alabama is a subject best avoided.

Before winning Tuesday night's primary runoff to replace Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the former judge was best known for his views that homosexuality should be illegal, that Muslims should not be allowed in Congress and that the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, were God's punishment for Americans' sins.

Yet in interviews since Moore's win, almost no elected Republican has criticized Moore or his views. They dodged most questions about him, but said they'd be eager to accept him as a fellow legislator on issues like health care and tax cuts. Moore, a well-known ideologue, had suddenly become a blank slate.

Obviously, there are a lot of things that get said by different candidates, said Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, in a Thursday interview on MSNBC. I am certainly supporting him, and happy to have him in the Senate.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Moore would fit fine within Senate Republicans broad spectrum of opinion and ideology but also cautioned against prejudging Moore based on media coverage of his beliefs.

I have found, coming here to Washington, you see theres an awful lot of stereotypes of individuals, he said. How the press portrays them is not necessarily the individual that they are.

[How Roy Moores harsh rhetoric harks back to Alabamas past]

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) the only Republican lawmaker to criticize Moore, did so tepidly.

Im obviously not enamored with his politics because thats not the future of the Republican Party, thats for sure, Flake told Politico.

The arms-length treatment of Moore, who Republicans worried would embarrass the party, stands in contrast with how other far-right candidates have been handled. In September, North Carolina Republicans condemned a fringe candidate for mayor of Charlotte who listed being white as one of her qualifications. In May, after Montana congressional candidate Greg Gianforte body-slammed a reporter, a number of Republicans condemned his conduct. (Gianforte won the election, then went to court.)

Most famously, Republicans went into a full-bore panic in 2012 after former congressman Todd Akin, then a Senate candidate in Missouri, told an interviewer that women could not get pregnant from legitimate rape. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney called on Akin to quit the race.

Theres no such demand being made on Moore. The party is confident about keeping the seat despite Moores controversies. Pressed on Moores record  which included being removed from Alabamas Supreme Court twice, questioning President Barack Obamas citizenship and falsely insisting that Islamic law is being enforced in liberal cities  Republicans have shrugged.

I havent had a chance to look through all of those things, Hoeven said Wednesday on MSNBC. The key is going to be what he does when he comes here. Is he going to join us? Lets give him a chance to come down and help us advance the agenda that will be good for our country.

Portman, who in 2013 became one of very few Republicans to endorse same-sex marriage  and whose son, Will, is gay  dodged questions about Moore while suggesting that he could provide a key vote if he wins.

Hes going to be for tax reform, I think, Portman told Politico.

Outside of the White House and Congress, conservatives have been more critical of Moore, describing his win as one more example of the Republican Partys base rewarding invective over ideas.

Moore is the more Trumpian candidate, but thats not a compliment to Moore, wrote National Reviews Jonah Goldberg. Moores M.O. is to say crazy, ill-informed, and occasionally bigoted stuff and play on populist passions.

Gay conservatives, who were once courted by President Trump, were also offended by how quickly Republicans endorsed Moore.

Call me selfish, but I could not justify voting for somebody who would have me incarcerated for who I am, wrote Guy Benson, a gay conservative pundit, in a Thursday column for Townhall. . . . Even if the Senate voted 99-1 against criminalizing homosexuality, Id feel shame for having helped that one dissenting vote get elected.

Democrats, who are still weighing how heavily to involve themselves in the Alabama race, took advantage of their Republican colleagues caution. Their nominee in Alabama, Doug Jones, did a round of interviews talking up his own record as a civil rights attorney and describing Moore as a hard-edge ideologue.

I have a history of passion for equality, passion for fairness, and people recognize that, Jones said in an interview on MSNBCs Meet the Press Daily. The folks down here want somebody who can reach across the aisle and talk to people.

[Who is Doug Jones, and can he defeat Roy Moore?]

Other Democrats have been more adamant about condemning Moore. Rep. Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.), who represents the distict encompassing Selma, called Tuesday nights primary result a wake-up call in a Wednesday interview on CNN.

I think that its really important for Alabamians to really take a hard look at who were sending to Congress, she said. I think that [Moores] election is definitely an indication of the fact that folks are doubling down and feeling emboldened by this presidents sort of blatant disregard for all things racist, to be honest with you.

On Thursday, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) linked to a video that had been obtained by CNN researchers, which showed Moore blaming the 2012 shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., on Americans losing faith in God.

Here Roy Moore says that the Newtown community is to blame for the Sandy Hook School massacre [because] they werent following Gods law. Sick, he wrote.

Democrats expected more to come  and were already getting flashbacks to the times Moore had insulted them or their constituents. In 2006, when Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) became the first Muslim elected to Congress, Moore wrote a column arguing that he should not be seated. Moore, Ellison said, was a lawbreaker with a shoddy understanding of the Constitution.

We have some pretty deep-seated racial, ethnic, and religious divisions that we need to talk about, Ellison said. People like Roy Moore do not buy into the consensus of liberty, justice for all. He has a very clear list of people  including me  who arent included in the embrace of America. Look, Im a congressman. Im have no fear of Roy Moore. But what about all the other folks who are actually vulnerable?

Read more at PowerPost
The next Republican revolution began last week on a bright blue bus parked at a nighttime rally in Montgomery, Ala., days before a firebrand GOP candidate won the states Senate primary.

But unlike previous Republican revolutionaries, the hard-line figures who stepped out to cheers did not want to yank the party to the right on age-old issues such as taxes or spending. They wanted to gut it and leave its establishment smashed.

Fury infused these insurgents raw remarks as did a common theme: The Republican Party has failed its voters, and a national cleansing is needed in the coming year, regardless of whether President Trump is on board.

Longtime Republicans see a charged civil war on the horizon.

There is an emotional component, former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R) said of the frustrations of Trumps core backers, who have grown increasingly vocal. They want someone to kick over the table. And my advice to every Republican is: You better have an edge, or you become the problem.

That populist rage in the base as Trump struggles to enact his priorities  which lifted former judge Roy Moore to victory on Tuesday against Trumps ally, Sen. Luther Strange (R-Ala.)  now threatens to upend GOP incumbents in 2018 as the latest incarnation of Republican grievance takes hold.

Stoked by former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon and his incendiary media platform, Breitbart News, a new wave of anti-establishment activists and contenders is emerging to plot a political insurrection that is with Trump in spirit but entirely out of his  or anyones  control.

Central command is the Breitbart Embassy, a Capitol Hill townhouse where Bannon has recently huddled with candidates, from House prospects to Senate primary recruits. Hedge fund executive Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah  Bannons wealthy allies  have already pledged millions to the cause, said people briefed on their plans.

[Who is Doug Jones, and can he defeat Roy Moore in conservative Alabama?]

In the last seven years, the Mercers have emerged as some of the biggest political donors on the right, plowing tens of millions into GOP committees and super PACs. Their money has gone both to shore up the national Republican Party and to finance outside groups taking on the Washington establishment.

So far this year, the Mercers have contributed $2.7 million to federal political committees and campaigns, finance filings show.

Beyond cash, Mercer and Bannon also offer GOP rebels a vast media and advocacy ecosystem that generates attention on social media as well as small-dollar donations. Run by Rebekah, the Mercer family foundation has given $50 million to conservative and free-market think tanks and policy groups from 2009 to 2015, according to tax records compiled by The Washington Post and GuideStar USA, which reports on nonprofit companies.



Former Alabama chief justice Roy Moore. (Brynn Anderson/Associated Press)

And that blue bus  sponsored by the Great America Alliance and carrying former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, among other conservative celebrities, across Alabama  is scheduling stops across the country.

If you dont do your job, youre going to see the bus, and youre going to get bounced, said Ed Rollins, the groups strategist.

Rollins and Eric L. Beach, another adviser to the advocacy group, insisted that money would not save their elected Republican targets, pointing out that in Alabama they spent about $200,000, compared with the more than $10 million spent by the national GOP and Strange-aligned groups.

Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel  who traveled to Alabama to meet with Bannon and is considering challenging Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) next year  called Moores success inspiring and said he is moving closer to launching a campaign fueled by the establishments betrayal.

The environment feels so much better  people are so much more fed up than they were in 2014, McDaniel said, referring to the year he nearly beat Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) in a Senate primary race.

The rumblings of an uprising come days after Senate Republicans shelved the partys latest health-care proposal and as GOP lawmakers are inching forward on a proposal to cut taxes, but far from bringing legislation to a vote.

Every Republican member of Congress is sitting there saying, s---, this could happen to me,  Rollins said.

Many players from the tea party era have returned to the breach: Palin, Bannon, Fox News personality Sean Hannity, talk-radio host Laura Ingraham and a cast of familiar foils who have long haunted House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Their enemies, however, go beyond those Republican leaders  anyone remotely linked to them is at risk of attack.

You are going to see, in state after state after state, people that follow the model of Judge Moore, that do not have to raise money from the elites, the crony capitalists, from the fat cats in Washington, D.C., New York City and Silicon Valley, Bannon told Moores supporters on Tuesday.

Bannon added that Moores upset of Strange was starting a revolution that would either topple GOP incumbents or prod them to not seek reelection in 2018, as Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) announced on Tuesday.

Seven Senate Republicans are expected to run in next years midterm elections: Wicker, Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Ted Cruz (Tex.), Deb Fischer (Neb.), Orrin G. Hatch (Utah) and John Barrasso (Wyo.).

Wicker, Heller and Flake, in particular, are seen as vulnerable to the coming war because of their ties to McConnell  Wicker is on his leadership team  or because they have clashed with Trump (Heller, Flake).

The early pitch from the challengers overlaps in part with the outcry of previous election cycles, but it is far more about wresting power away from traditional Republicans than Democrats.

The Republican Congress has replaced President Obama as the boogeyman, Steven Law, president of the McConnell-allied Senate Leadership Fund super PAC, wrote in a memo about the Alabama contest.

Businessman Danny Tarkanian, who is running against Heller and has met with Bannon, said: The longtime politicians in the Republican Party havent done anything since they took over and everything is stalled. So while President Trump has tapped into the anger, McConnell hasnt  at all.

In Tennessee, Corkers departure has prompted Republican leaders to find a candidate who in a contested primary race could win over both the Breitbart bloc and the partys major supporters in the business community. They have focused on encouraging Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.)  an upbeat regular at conservative conferences for years  to jump in. Blackburn has said she will make a decision on the race in the coming days.

The lasting national power of Moores victory remains a flash point within the political ranks of the Republican Party. Republican incumbents are optimistic that the successful passage of tax cuts in the coming months will reduce the exasperation voters now feel over the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare  and say organizing successful campaigns is not easy.

I dont buy that the Bannon people are going to be able to get lots of Senate campaigns up and running in time, said Ed Brookover, a former Trump campaign adviser. Its pretty late already in the cycle, and the fields are closer to being set than some of these potential candidates want you to believe.

In contrast to past anti-establishment efforts in the Republican Party, going back to Barry Goldwaters 1964 presidential bid and, more recently, the tea party movement, this crusade is not an ideological project motivated by a desire for smaller government  its about destroying the partys political class in Washington, even if it jeopardizes the GOPs congressional majorities.

The hawkish stances on foreign policy and federal spending and moral values that have defined the Republican Party since Ronald Reagans presidency have been shoved to the background, replaced by a blazing strain of nationalism that is driven by anti-trade and anti-immigration views  views that were heralded by Trump in 2016 but that agitators fret have been ignored in Congress.

Patrick H. Caddell, a veteran pollster who has worked with Bannon, said the Republican electorate is in revolt.

The Republican Party is very close to coming apart, Caddell said. The voters feel economic deprivation, and their children dont have the same opportunities. Theyre becoming more anti-trade than most union Democrats, in some respects, because of anger with the global economy.

Bannon met this week with former Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo to urge him to consider running for governor  another sign of how prominent critics of illegal immigration, like Tancredo, may return to the fore of the GOP scene.

Trumps fingerprints are all over the ruckus  and he has volleyed complaints at Republicans who have criticized him, most notably Flake, who wrote a book about his displeasure with the GOPs Trumpian turn. Trump has lashed back and praised Flakes primary rival, state Sen. Kelli Ward.

But Trump is not the movements standard-bearer, and his positions guide the candidates and groups only to a point, as Stranges defeat attests. More important to them is the presidents anti-establishment style  the aura of authenticity along with his aggressive take on illegal immigration. His supporters and populist leaders celebrate that approach as a model of defiance.

I love the Trump agenda, said persistent Nevada candidate Sharron Angle, who won a Senate GOP primary in 2010 amid the tea partys rise and plans to run for Congress next year. But Angle said Trumps seeming lack of concern for federal deficits has vexed her: Sometimes, I cant figure out the president. And I dont think I am alone in that.

Added consultant Tom Ingram, a Corker adviser: Trumps an aberration, a sign of whats happening out there more than anything. Hes not really Republican, and hes not really tea party. Hes just Trump.

Democrats see an opening to possibly pick up seats if the chaos builds, even in Alabama. Moore, who has made controversial statements on race and sexuality, is facing off against former U.S. attorney Doug Jones, who will soon be joined on the trail by former vice president Joe Biden.

A Decision Desk HQ poll released Friday showed Jones only a few points behind Moore among likely voters  Moore 50.2 percent, Jones 44.5 percent.

McConnells former chief of staff Josh Holmes tweeted about the poll: In a surprise to nobody, looks like the Bannon crowd created a new problem for Trump and the GOP.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee issued a statement declaring that the result in Alabama had poured gasoline over already raging primaries and throws into question how Republicans can confront the insurgent candidates who now feel even more emboldened to run. Reminder: Republicans now own Roy Moore and the uncomfortable questions hell provoke in races across the country.

On the House side, there is also fear of GOP retirements, should challengers and the Bannon-Mercer partnership gain steam. But allies are waiting to see if the threats from those antagonists actually materialize.

Well see if people are going to put up candidates for House races when the deadlines come up in Illinois and Texas, said Scott W. Reed, senior strategist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which opposed Moore.

Are they going to primary House Republicans? You can huff and puff all you want, but until you file, its not a real race.

Michael Scherer and Matea Gold contributed to this report.

Read more at PowerPost
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States is in direct contact with North Korea and is looking into whether Kim Jong Un is open to talks.

The comment, made during a brief trip to China, was the first time the Trump administration acknowledged direct communication with Pyongyang.

We are probing, so stay tuned, he said.

We ask, Would you like to talk? We have lines of communications to Pyongyang. Were not in a dark situation, a blackout. We have a couple, three, channels open to Pyongyang; we can talk to them; we do talk to them, he said.

Heather Nauert, a State Department spokeswoman, said later in the day that despite the U.S. efforts, North Korean officials have shown no indication that they are interested in or are ready for talks regarding denuclearization.

Tillersons remarks came after a day of meetings with top Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping  meetings that saw both sides strike a careful, conciliatory tone.

The secretary of states day-long visit comes amid an escalating standoff over how to thwart Kims nuclear weapons program.

In recent weeks, the conflict has devolved to an exchange of insults and threats between the U.S. president and the North Korean dictator, prompting Chinese calls for restraint.

[Trump escalates a war of words with North Korea]

Tillerson seems to have gotten that message. In brief statements ahead of his meetings with Chinese leaders, the secretary of state did not so much as mention North Korea and nor, for that matter, did the Chinese.

Instead, both sides tried to keep the focus on President Trump's upcoming Asia visit, which Xi promised would be a "special, wonderful, and successful" event.

Yet all the talk of careful planning and close cooperation could not mask the less-than-ideal circumstances.

Tillerson landed in Beijing on Saturday morning after a long delay due to a problem with his plane, arriving on the eve of the week-long Mid-Autumn Festival.

In addition to the holiday, his hosts had much on their minds. For months now, Beijing has been consumed with preparations for twice-a-decade political meetings to be held in October. The focus on the 19th National Congress, as the meetings are called, means the Chinese leadership's interest in off-script moves from either Trump or Kim is lower than ever  and it already started pretty low.

Though arriving late, Tillerson did the Chinese the favor of staying on message, saying nothing publicly that could embarrass them or signal new, unexpected moves.

This is keeping with his style so far. On his first visit, in March, he surprised many China watchers by using some of Beijings preferred talking points  mutual respect and win-win cooperation  in public comments.

The question, now, is how Trump or Kim will chime in.

Earlier in September, North Korea tested a nuclear bomb just hours before Xi delivered a keynote speech, stealing his spotlight. Then as Chinas state news media struggled to keep the focus on Xi, Trump weighed in, tweeting that North Korea has become a great threat and embarrassment to China.

Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, later called Trumps tweet unacceptable.

Tillerson, perhaps trying to avoid that kind of scolding, ended his trip with a call for calm.

I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down, he said. Theyre a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first.

Asked whether Trumps tweets played a role, he switched the focus back to Kim.

I think the whole situation is a bit overheated right now. I think everyone would like for it to calm down, he said.

Obviously, it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot.

Read more:

Trump thanks China for help on North Korea, claims diplomacy is working

Tillerson: All options are on the table when it comes to North Korea

On Chinas border with North Korea, a reduced trade lifeline is still a lifeline

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/09/2017 (1871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If CAA Manitoba used a discount furniture retailers advertising agency, its new advertising might include something like someone left the membership car machine running all night and now we have to sell them at a discount.

Thats right, in a world where it seems like fee increases are just a fact of life, CAA Manitoba is lowering prices on a range of its membership levels, a move that will mean members will pay close to $1 million less in annual fees.

And not only will members experience a fee reduction starting Oct. 1, but Manitobas non-profit automobile association is also enhancing and improving on a range of services.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mike Mager, president of CAA Manitoba, doesnt think the organization will ever need to raise its rates, barring something dramatic.

Oh, and its also increasing its workforce.

The changes are all part of the spinoff effect of last years merger with the South Central Ontario (SCO) CAA club, which covers the Greater Toronto Area.

While business mergers might lead to financial efficiencies, they rarely create more and better services and almost never generate additional employment.

Clearly, this one is different.

Mike Mager, president of CAA Manitoba, who has been with the organization for 32 years, is effusive about the institutional structure he now gets to work with.

Going forward, I dont anticipate we will ever have another fee increase unless something dramatic happens, he said. This is only the first year (of the merger). We have not even recognized the maximum potential.

The merger was finalized a little more than a year ago. It came about after Manitoba had already been tapping the SCO CAA for some of its products, like its range of underwritten property and casualty and health insurance.

Then, as Mager started to plan to replace CAA Manitobas sprawling, old, clunky computer system, he realized SCO was in the process of doing the same thing.

Mager already had a growing working relationship with his counterpart, Jay Woo, an accomplished IT executive and noted innovative thinker. (Mager cant say enough good things about Woo.) A concept for the merger happened quickly.

With about 300 employees  soon to go up by close to 50  and annual revenue of close to $50 million, CAA Manitoba was a financially strong organization. But with 200,000 members in a small jurisdiction, its membership was not likely to grow that much.

Being strategic and thinking ahead, every year it was a little harder to make the budget, Mager said. Costs go up, and you can only charge so much for memberships before they become prohibitive.

Not unlike in the corporate world, there is a merger trend in auto clubs across North America. There used to 27 in Canada and now there are nine. Over the years in the United States, the number has gone from more than 500 to 34.

When Mager realized SCO was in the process of redoing its computer system. Mager and Woo talked and decided the new system would be built for Manitoba as well. It became a catalyst for the merger.

Our reserves are there for rainy days  or cold days, in the case of Manitoba, Mager said. We needed a new computer system that would easily cost $3 million to $4 million. We are a not-for-profit organization. It would have had to be done on the backs of our members.

That new computer system is slated to be installed at the end of 2018. In the meantime, a new roadside assistance dispatching system is also coming on board, as well as call centre technology that will let Ontario and Manitoba staffers help each other out when the call loads get high.

Woo, who is in Europe demonstrating a new machine-learning dispatch system he helped develop that Manitoba will have access to, was unavailable for comment.

When the merger was finalized in June 2016, he said, Today marks a major milestone in our long and rich history. The combination of resources and expertise will deliver greater capabilities, innovations and advocacy expertise to keep our members and their loved ones safe.

Don Main was a longtime member of the CAA Manitoba board, a former chairman of the national CAA board and a Canadian representative on the AAA board. Hes also on the newly created board for the CAA Club Group, the name of the merged Manitoba and SCO CAAs.

The Brandon businessman has had a front-row seat for the changes in CAA Manitoba and across the automobile club world. He said leveraging the shared computer system was a significant factor in the merger.

The board of CAA Manitoba believed that eventually we would not be able to keep up, Main said.

The only way we could possibly do that was to become a partner with a larger entity.

While the merger created excellent opportunities when it comes to capital deployment, the combination has not meant Manitoba had to be subsumed into the Toronto operations.

We have managed to do it without changing the way we respond to our members here, Main said. They are the leaders in the auto club business in Canada. We feel proud to be part of that.

The way its worked out is that CAA Manitoba still exists. It is still just as involved in public policy work here, where it has been a leader for many years in advocating for all things about road safety.

Nothing really has changed in terms of how we do business, Main said. What has changed is our ability to do it at a higher level.

For instance, that means leveraging technology from Toronto that has already lowered average response times to calls by almost 50 per cent.

It also means membership services have been enhanced. Maximum towing distances for members has been doubled in just about every membership class. As well, CAA insurance is now being sold by one independent broker  Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance in Winnipeg  and a couple more are in the works.

Also, three CAA Manitoba member service locations  including the new one in Kildonan Place  have recently acquired MPI licences so they can now sell Autopac insurance. The plan is that the Brandon location will also acquire an MPI licence.

And Mager likes to remind people that CAA Manitoba members can cover the cost of their fees by using the rewards program with a host of retailers and restaurants, and a new gas partner about to be announced.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/09/2017 (1872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Whether youre poor, Indigenous, live up north or simply need to lose a few pounds, the federal government believes a national food policy will help you.

Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay says a national food policy  the first one in the countrys history  will help not only them, but all Canadians.

The problem is right across the country, MacAulay said on Friday at the final regional engagement session for the development of A Food Policy for Canada.

Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press Food is at the heart of all communities, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay says.

Theres problems in the inner cities, theres problems in the north, and thats what we have to address, he said.

Too many Canadians are struggling to put nutritious food on the table.

More needs to be done to address this problem, which is particularly acute to Canadians living in poverty, in the north and in Indigenous communities.

MacAulay said a national food policy is needed because food is at the heart of all communities.

A food policy for Canada is the first of its kind for our nation and it must include the voices and ideas of everyone from coast to coast to coast.

This includes farmers, hunters, fishers, processors who provide the food and those who distribute the food. And those who work to ensure better access to food for all Canadians, MacAulay continued.

We are truly building a policy together.

The Liberals promised during the 2015 federal election to introduce the countrys first national food policy.

Almost two years later, the government kicked off the online consultation stage in May.

Since then, there have been more than 45,000 submissions, with over 13,000 coming from people living on the Prairies.

The government says there will be four pillars to the policy:

 increasing access to affordable food;

 improving health and food safety;

 conserving soil, water and air, and

 growing more high-quality food.

But MacAulay  who was joined by Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler and local Liberal MP Doug Eyolfson  told the people participating at the session that, even when the national policy is in place, much remains to be done.

It is only the start, he said.

This is an ongoing process and we all have to understand this is an ongoing process.

What I want from you is help to put this food policy for Canada together well never solve all of the problems  but if we take the right steps in the right direction we will have done something.

Government officials hope the food policy will be in place by the first part of next year.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 30/09/2017 (1871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The western world doesnt like to talk about death.

Thats something Mike Goldberg believes quite fiercely after years of surrounding himself with it.

The more Ive researched and the more Ive been able to talk to people who are approaching end of life and who are grieving, the more Ive realized that we live in a death-denying society, says Goldberg, who is the community outreach and education co-ordinator at Palliative Manitoba.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Mike Goldberg, community outreach and education coordinator at Palliative Manitoba based at Deer Lodge, says western cultures denial of death causes needless suffering.

Its a job title that often earns him a reaction of shock and a lot of curious questions. People want to know why he does it and they wonder if its hard. They tell him things like, Oh, I cant imagine doing something like that.

Thats partly because of the culture we live in, Goldberg explains. Were so used to people aging out of sight that most of us cant quite imagine what its like to be so intimately involved with dying.

We value youth and vitality over age and wisdom, he says, so what happens when a person gets old and frail typically in Canada is that we tend to put them in senior-care facilities, personal-care homes, they age away from the home and they usually die away from the home and family.

At Palliative Manitoba, Goldberg helps bring death to the forefront. And, he adds quickly, its not just about hospice, despite what many people seem to think. His job involves family support and conversation, he says. It involves hope.

Obviously there are tough days, very emotional days, he says, but the way I perceive it is that Im talking to people and Im with people at very sacred moments of their life, very important times, so its meaningful.

Part of Goldbergs work includes helping people make sense of death and dying. Its emotionally taxing but rewarding work that he doesnt think gets quite as much government support as it should be getting. Thats part of why Palliative Manitoba relies on the support of United Way fundraising.

There could always be more support, he says.

Based out of the Deer Lodge Centre, Goldberg helps spearhead numerous programs.

In addition to helping people connect to volunteers for bereavement support, he runs workshops on palliative care across Manitoba, as well as workshops for younger people faced with death. Theres one support group called Kids Grieve Too for children between the ages of nine and 12 and another, Teens Grieve Too, for adolescents.

It doesnt matter the kind of loss, Goldberg says, although he says most of the younger people who come for support are going through the loss of a loved one. The program gives them an opportunity to share their grief, not just through talk circles, but also art and play, music as well.

I try to advocate as much as I can, he says. Its not just about dying. Its about improving the quality of life for people.

jane.gerster@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/09/2017 (1871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Saving lives on rivers and ponds could be a smoother operation from now on, thanks to a new $1-million investment firefighters say will make water rescues faster, safer and just a little more warm.

At the heart of the buzz are two new Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) water rescue trucks. The vehicles were custom-built in Winnipeg, designed around city water rescue technicians own wish list of features.

Firefighters showed off the new trucks Saturday morning, during a live training exercise near St. Vital Park.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service water rescue team gets ready to launch a boat from one of their new water rescue trucks at St. Vital Park.

Deputy WFPS chief Tom Wallace played the role of the victim in the exercise, bobbing in the Red River current until a water rescue team arrived to save him. (Not that he was in danger: Wallace was wearing a dry suit and life vest.)

After returning to dry land, Wallace praised the new vehicles. Each year, WFPS helps rescue about 200 people from Winnipegs waterways, and the deputy chief said the new vehicles will give rescuers the right tools for the job.

Its really going to take our water rescue program to another level, he said.

So, what makes the new trucks so special? Each one costs $534,000 and is equipped with a variety of bells and whistles, including an automated rescue boat platform and a mechanism to auto-inflate ice rescue equipment.

The WFPSs previous water rescue units required firefighters to inflate ice rescue equipment with an air pump.

Whats more, in the old trucks, rescuers had to change in and out of their dry suits in unheated compartments  a particularly miserable experience in -30 C winter weather. The new trucks have an illuminated and heated changing space.

All told, the new trucks will help get rescue boats set up and into the water up to 75 per cent faster, says WFPS water rescue co-ordinator Raj Sharma. And in a real-life water emergency, every minute matters.

This is a vast improvement over what we were operating on before, Sharma said. It used to be a a lot more physically demanding, and physically dangerous at times as well.

Now, we can operate a lot more safely, he added. We can operate much more quickly. Its safer for our rescuers, and we should be able to save more lives in the process.

Usually, trucks such as this have an active service life of 15 years, before being retired to serve as spare vehicles for five years. But the old units date back to the 1980s, Sharma said.

Five WFPS members, including Sharma, were part of the committee that oversaw the development of the units, which were built by Fort Garry Fire Trucks. The consultation and manufacturing process took about 18 months.

There isnt a template for a unit like this, he said. We did a lot of research before we even started the process. Theres not another city as far as we know that has a unit exactly like this, so we kind of had to start from square one.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/09/2017 (1871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The mysterious arrival of railroad tracks in Churchill has intensified rumours that Via Rail will ship its stranded train cars to Montreal, 18 weeks after losing its rail lifeline to the south.

Were in a quandary, said Dave Daley, president of the Churchill Chamber of Commerce, who is among those planning to form a barricade if the company tries to send its five passenger cars and two locomotives down south on anything other than rail.

We want people to know how displeased we are as Churchillians, Daley said, citing the single-digit temperatures and lack of information on federal talks to change the rail lines ownership.

SUPPLIED These tracks arrived at the Port of Churchill in mid-September, stoking rumours that VIA Rail will remove its train cars by boat.

For weeks, residents have heard that Via Rail plans to place the tracks on the boat that the province is using to send propane to the northern town of 900 people so it survives the winter, costing $6 million. The boat is scheduled to arrive Oct. 8.

The towns last shipment, which arrived two weeks ago, brought a few hundred metres of railroad tracks that were offloaded at the port, furthering those rumours. Its unclear who sent the tracks and what theyll be used for.

Via Rail wouldnt say whether that option is on the table. A final decision has still not been taken, spokeswoman Mylene Belanger wrote.

The federal minister handling the issue, Winnipeg South Centre MP Jim Carr, didnt say on Friday whether hes aware of such plans.

Theres reason to have some optimism that were moving at a good pace, Carr said on Thursday.

Former senior bureaucrat Wayne Wouters is continuing negotiations to transfer the rail line and port from Omnitrax to two northern Manitoba groups.

He reports to me that the progress has been good and every day theres more success, Carr said.

Churchill Mayor Mike Spence was tight-lipped when asked whether hes heard that the rail cars are bound for the bay.

Every effort is being made by the Town of Churchill to resolve the fact that repairs have not begun, he wrote.

Daly said frustration is growing now that officials have passed the early-September deadline to start construction on the line. An independent engineering assessment said work would need to start by that time to get the line operating by the November freeze-up.

Officials have resisted, saying the rail line wont be fixed by the end of the year.

Come out and say, your tracks arent going to get fixed until after winter. Let us know whats going on, so we can plan, Daly said.

Life will get harder in Churchill. Fuel is expected to soon jump to $2.33 a litre, more than a third of the current price. When Omnitrax accidentally posted that price in July, it sparked outrage and cynicism in the town, which is grappling with high food prices, unemployment and families moving away since the rail line became unoperational in the spring due to flooding.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/09/2017 (1872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dr. David Peachey was more than halfway through his 18-month review of Manitoba health care before the idea of closing three of Winnipegs six emergency departments to improve service reached the table.

Peachey, who led the Health Intelligence Inc. team tasked with the substantive review, started his reform deliberations with critical care  people whose lives are at immediate risk: the woman having a heart attack, the man whose lungs are choked with blood, the little boy or girl who isnt breathing.

His analysis was that the level of service at one hospital did not match the level at another; someone needing life-saving care might not have access to the same specialists or equipment at one hospital as they would at a second, even though both facilities are expected to offer the same service.

Where you should go for care: To an ER: Stroke/facial weakness/extremity weakness

Heart attack/chest pain or tightness

Unable to wake/unconscious

Sudden onset of severe headache or confusion

Seizure and/or severe head injury

Severe difficulty breathing or trouble speaking

Uncontrolled or severe bleeding

Major trauma such as loss of limb

Severe allergic reaction

Severe burns To an urgent care centre: Illnesses, injuries or infections requiring same-day attention

Dehydration

ICuts that wont stop bleeding

Injured limbs that might be broken or sprained To your doctor or a clinic: Minor illnesses, flu, rashes or infections

Diagnosis and specialist referral

Ongoing management of health conditions and preventative care

Prescriptions, vaccinations and inoculations jane.gerster@freepress.mb.ca

You cant support the hardware and the people for critical-care services across six sites, says Peachey, the Nova Scotia-based consultant who spearheaded health-care reform in several provinces before tackling Manitoba at the request of premier Greg Selingers government.

You dont have critical mass.

So, you start by recommending critical-care consolidation, he says, and then back it up from there.

If a hospital doesnt have an intensive-care unit, does it really need to offer the same type of emergency surgeries? And if there are no intensive-care beds available at a facility for an incoming patient should the ambulance not be rerouted? Is the emergency service at that hospital even required at that point?

We took people on the trip with us, says Peachey, who sat down with the Free Press earlier this week while in town to help the province usher in the first phase of his reforms.

The pieces for reform locked in place over the course of a few months, he says. Once the critical-care physicians were on board, he says the conversation shifted to include emergency-room physicians and from there, to the surgeons.

We were prepared to make decisions without agreement, he says, but we got agreement.

How Winnipeggers use the emergency room Take a look at the reasons we visited emergency departments in 2016, according according to patient complaint summary data obtained by the Free Press

On Tuesday, one of Peacheys most contentious recommendations  that critical care and emergency care be consolidated to just three hospitals  starts to become a reality: Victoria General Hospitals ER becomes an urgent-care centre. The big red Emergency sign will be removed, all signage linked to the colour-coded floor lines guiding people to the ER will be swapped out and, as of 8 a.m., patients with life-threatening conditions will be stabilized and transferred elsewhere.

Although not actually a direct result of Peacheys recommendations, the Misericordia Health Centre loses its urgent-care centre Monday night. It will, however, continue to offer 24-hour emergency eye care. New signage directing patients appropriately will go up shortly.

Even though the backlash to the changes has continued unabated since Aprils announcement, Peachey isnt bothered; he says no effective reform happens in small increments.

Just tweaking the edges wouldnt do much, he says. It never does in health care.

But whether his prescription will fix what ails Winnipegs health-care system remains to be seen.

Its a very long-standing history of dysfunctional emergency service dating back to the early 1990s, with many high-profile media stories about people either dying while waiting or dying having waited, says Alan Drummond of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians. Something has to give.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Dr. David Peachey, Lead Consultant for Health Intelligence

The through-line of opposition critiques have, largely, centred on simple math: in a city that consistently struggles with some of the longest ER wait times in the country, how does reducing the number of ERs by half improve things for Winnipeggers?

We dont care how many emergency departments there are, says Drummond. We care that if you show up in the emergency department with a bona fide life-threatening injury youre going to have timely access to care.

And that, he says, means beds.

Its been very, very clear the reason that we have a crowded emergency department is that we have a crowded hospital, he says. You need to increase bed capacity.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority plans to open dozens of transitional-care beds later this fall. Its also spending millions to add new intensive-care beds, as well as an expanded ER minor-treatment area at Health Sciences Centre. But many of those expansions wont be ready until late next year or early in 2019. Those timelines have not exactly set peoples minds at ease, considering the more immediate changes at Victoria and Misericordia.

How HSC is trying to cut down ER wait times Currently, patients who arrive at the adult ER at HSC are streamed by the following categories: Resuscitation

Main area (urgent but not life-threatening)

Mid-acuity (less urgent)

Minor (non urgent)

Mental health Resuscitation patients are seen immediately, whereas mid-acuity and minor patients tend to be triaged and wind up in the main area. That tends to clog available beds and increase wait times. The new team will stream patients who present as mid-acuity or minor in an effort to keep them out of the main area beds, which has shown through trials to be an effective way to cut wait times throughout the ER.

But Dr. John Sokal, who heads up the Health Sciences Centres ER, says he expects it will be able to handle the influx of new patients without too much difficulty within our existing space.

That has to do, in large part, with a new plan for streaming patients thats geared towards freeing up beds and has already, during trial runs, cut down on wait times by as much as 40 per cent. The plan involves teams made up of one doctor and one nurse who are tasked with directing the flow of less-serious cases.

Right now, front-line staff at HSC triage a patient into one of five streams: resuscitation, the main unit, mental health, mid-acuity or minor treatment. The main unit, Sokal says, is the problem area because it is, in a way, a dumping ground where many less-urgent and non-urgent patients can languish alongside urgent, but not life-threatening patients.

Thats the most valuable real estate, he says, and thats where we get all our blockage.

It has not been a very effective system, WRHA vice president Lori Lamont says.

If you were in the main department, regardless of what your need was, you go onto a stretcher and you tended to stay on that stretcher until everything was completed.

For two years now, HSC has been doing trial runs with these teams on a limited basis. Their job has been to do a more in-depth assessment of patients whove already been designated less urgent in an attempt to divert them, if possible, from the main unit.

For some people its very clear where they need to go, but for others, not so much, Sokal says.

While it might be obvious when someone comes in with chest pain that its a heart attack or pneumonia, he says, theres a large population in there where you dont clearly know what it is.

In that case, the team steps in to ascertain whether it might be something like a muscle ache that doesnt require a bed. Then theyll divert that person from the main-unit stretchers to keep them clear for those in need.

How ER changes will affect ambulances Ambulances in Winnipeg have a destination priority protocol, which means theyre directed to take acute patients to the centres most prepared to treat them. That means that cardiac patients are taken to St. Boniface, even if another ER might be closer. That protocol wont change very much when ERs start to close. The only change will be a cutback on ambulance transfers between facilities. That means a patient who arrived at the Victoria General Hospital ER but was later transferred to St. Boniface for cardiac care wont be transferred back to Victoria, which occurred occasionally in the past. According to WRHA figures, there were more than 15,000 such interfacility patient transports during the 2016-17 fiscal year. How many patients did each facility transfer? HSC: 3,236

St. Boniface: 4,114

Grace General Hospital: 1,621

Concordia Hospital: 2,109

Seven Oaks General Hospital: 2,390

Victoria General Hospital: 1,928

During two 24-hour trial runs in August and September, Sokal says the teams cut wait times across ER units between 20 and 40 per cent. Theyll be operating 24 hours a day by Tuesday. Lamont says there will be additional personnel scheduled until all staff moving from other facilities to join HSC are in place by the end of October.

Because Victorias ER already tends to see more minor patients than HSC, Sokal says therell be very little change required at the facility. Staff are already versed in transfer protocols for cases in which a patient requiring emergency care walks in.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of the emergency changes will serve as a good indication of whether the system-wide reform is working, says Juliana Wu, manager of acute and ambulatory care information services with the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

ED data is valuable because its a barometer into how well the health-care system is doing, Wu says. CIHI releases an annual report tracking ER data including wait times, how they vary along age lines, and what injuries or illnesses people show up with. Year over year, she says the reasons people go to the ER tend to stay fairly consistent.

If that changes thats probably indicative of something in the system thats different, Wu says, which may mean that a cut or alteration to service elsewhere is resulting in more ER visits.

Lamont says the WRHA has plans to closely monitor all emergency facilities in the city 24 hours a day, seven days a week to make sure the changes are going according to plan. She expects to provide the public with weekly updates throughout October and into November.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 29/09/2017 (1872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As an inquest to look into the death of an epileptic inmate at the Winnipeg Remand Centre draws near, signs of solidarity are cropping up across the city and beyond.

From benefit concerts to online donations to permanent ink, Winnipeggers are donating their time, money and talents to support a widowed mother of four who is searching for answers about her spouses in-custody death.

Theres a precedent of answers not being given, said Wren Robertson of Justice for Errol Greene. The volunteer-run advocacy group has galvanized support for its cause from local business owners, artists, musicians and concerned citizens.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Bram Adey, tattoo artist at Rebel Waltz Tattoo, has a sheet of tattoo designs developed for Errol Greene.

Errol Greene died May 1, 2016, after spending about three days at the Remand Centre following his arrest on a breach charge. The 26-year-old had been previously charged with mischief and was arrested April 29, 2016, for violating his court conditions, one of which prohibited him from drinking alcohol.

While he was locked up, Greene was allegedly denied access to his medication. He had two seizures that caused fatal complications, according to a lawsuit against the province of Manitoba filed on behalf of his common-law wife, Rochelle-Lynn Pranteau.

In this instance, Rochelle really wants answers; thats what this inquest is about  her finding answers about what actually happened. Why are there so many different versions of the story? And I think thats something that we just really want to support her in, Robertson said.

Pranteau declined an interview request from the Free Press, but shes been on the receiving end of donations aimed at helping the couples four children and covering her expenses so she can be represented at the provincial court inquest, which is set to begin in January. A GoFundMe page set up for the family has raised $850 of a $25,000 goal, and like-minded music lovers are expected to pack the West End Cultural Centre for a benefit show Oct. 3 featuring John K. Samson.

Then there are those opting for a more permanent symbol of support. About $2,000 has been raised so far through the work of local tattoo artists who have donated their time to tattoo more than 20 people with designs developed in Greenes memory.

That was something I could definitely get behind, said Bram Adey, an artist at Winnipegs Rebel Waltz Tattoo who worked with Pranteau to come up with four designs. During one day last week, all of the proceeds from those tattoos went toward the cause as Adey and tattooists Vince Patrick and J.R. Harper dealt with the demand. At least one other tattoo artist in Western Canada has asked to use the designs to raise more money on Greenes behalf, Adey said.

The designs  including an eagle feather, a medicine wheel, a dove with an olive branch, and two birds used to represent freedom in prison tattoo culture  all have their own symbolism. They represent a powerful message of permanence, Adey said.

The issues not going away. People who care about inmate safety and people who care about activism dont mind to wear that on their sleeve, generally, he said. Tattoos are powerful for people, and people like a tattoo to have a powerful meaning.

People just want to live in a community where they know Indigenous people arent being oppressed day to day by the police, Adey added. They want to move forward. It is exciting, and cool, that its very grassroots.

Many of the volunteers in the Justice for Errol Greene group, which has been organizing fundraisers via Facebook, are also members of the prison abolition activist group Bar None.

FACEBOOK Errol Greene and his son Darien are seen in this undated Facebook photo. Greene, a father of three, died in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre on May 1 after suffering an epileptic seizure.

It doesnt even have to, necessarily, be a personal connection. Its just knowing that people who are in Remand who havent even (been convicted of) charges are not having their needs met, Robertson said.

It is systemic racism. Its not a coincidence that most of the people dying in custody are Indigenous. Theres a very obvious trend, and its, I think, impossible to ignore.

Pranteaus lawyer, Corey Shefman, said the civil suit against the provincial government is on hold until the completion of the inquest, which aims to find out whether anything could have been done to prevent Greenes death. Its set to run over the course of three weeks from January to February.

Inquests are mandatory for anyone who died in custody, but Pranteau didnt receive provincial funding to participate in the inquest. Shefman said he is doing pro bono work on her behalf, and will be arguing the inquest should consider how systemic racism may have played into Greenes death.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/09/2017 (1871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last week, there was a brief news release from National Defence titled Canadian Armed Forces now Advising, Assisting Iraqis near Hawija. It garnered little media attention as it seemed like a simple relocation of Canadian troops following the U.S.-led alliances successful capture of the city of Mosul earlier this summer.

Canadian soldiers are still battling the Islamic State group  though it is not officially called combat  and we are taking the fight to their last stronghold, the town of Hawija.

The news release deliberately blurs the complexity of the Iraq conflict by generically stating we are continuing to support Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).

Khalid Mohammed / The Associated Press Kurdish Peshmerga fighters stand guard outside polling center shortly before opening for the referendum on independence from Iraq in Irbil, Iraq, Monday, Sept. 25, 2017.

This falsely implies that the ISF is one big happy family, when in fact it is an unholy alliance of diverse factions, each with their own very unique objective in a post-IS Iraq.

The closest the news release comes to stating the truth is in one vague sentence: The CAF has continued to shift its contribution to ISF elements involved in ridding other Iraqi centres of Daeshs (ISs) control. What is not said is that by shifting our support between elements of the ISF, we are in fact switching sides prior to the next round of fighting in Iraqs multi-sided civil war.

Since 2014, when they first deployed, Canadian special forces trainers have been advising, assisting and fighting alongside Kurdish peshmerga militia.

These Kurds have enjoyed absolute autonomy from Iraq since the end of the first Gulf War in 1991. They call the region Kurdistan and have proudly flown the Kurdish flag over their cities and towns for the past 26 years.

The peshmerga also wear that bright red, white and green flag with a yellow sunburst on their camouflage uniforms, even though such a bright patch defeats the purpose of wearing camouflage.

Instead of instructing the Kurds to remove the tactical hazards, Canadian soldiers must have thought they looked cool, and officers misguidedly gave them official permission to wear the flag on Canadian uniforms.

I say misguidedly because Kurdistan is not recognized as an independent state, and Canadas official foreign policy supports a unified post-IS Iraq under a central Baghdad authority. The future status of the Kurdish region is the battle line for the next round of clashes in this war-weary country.

In the upcoming fight against IS in Hawija, the Kurds have already opted out; hence Canadas shift to other elements of the ISF.

Instead, the Kurds are digging in and preparing to repulse any other Iraqi factions from entering the territory that they presently control. That territory includes the city of Kirkuk and the oilfields of Baba Gurgur.

This rich resource was seized by the Kurds back in 2014 as IS swarmed through central Iraq. While the ISF fled from IS, the Kurds took advantage of the chaos to push their peshmerga south to seize Kirkuk.

Those oil fields pump approximately 40 per cent of Iraqs total output and are seen as the economic engine necessary to support an independent Kurdistan. The problem is that Kirkuk was never a Kurdish city. It has always been known throughout Iraq as a Turkmen centre with an Arab minority.

The Turkish-speaking Turkmen are Iraqs third-largest ethnic minority  behind Arabs and Kurds  but they rarely warrant even a passing reference in mainstream media.

Furthermore, Baghdad has made it clear that they will not simply relinquish such a vast economic resource to the Kurds.

Despite tremendous pressure from the Iraqi government (which rejects its legality), neighbouring Iran, Turkey and the U.S., Kurdish Regional President Masood Bazarni has proceeded with his independence referendum.

While considered non-binding, a yes result was not in doubt (93 per cent of Iraqi Kurds voted in favour). Now all that remains to be seen is just how much Kurdish independence will ignite within Iraq and how far it will extend into the Kurd-populated neighbouring countries of Iran, Turkey and Syria.

The Canadian soldiers were advised by the Americans last May to gently remove the flag of Kurdistan from their sleeves. However, we still have trainers advising, assisting and fighting alongside both the Kurds and the central Iraqi Security Forces.

Before they end up fighting each other, Canada needs to pick a side or, better yet, get the hell out of Iraq. IS is finished there, so our work is done.

Scott Taylor is the founder and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine. He is a bestselling author and award-winning

documentary filmmaker.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 30/09/2017 (1871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Shortly after the child was born, somewhere in Manitoba, the cracks in his parents relationship began to grow.

The boys mother was a young adult who struggled with anger and alcohol. While her partner worked late hours, she drank and at least once left the baby alone. The couple often argued about her ability to care for their son.

After the two broke up, they took turns caring for the baby. The childs father remained worried about his ex-partners parenting. Within months, he approached Child and Family Services to report what he had seen.

That action, documented in a recent court case dealing with the childs future, triggered more than four years of involvement by social and support workers. Eventually, CFS apprehended the toddler and placed him in foster care.

The dismayed father asked why he hadnt been granted custody; he and the mother were allowed separate and supervised twice-weekly visits that were later reduced to one a month.

It was during this time that CFS workers made an unusual decision, one that would later shock a judge.

At an internal meeting in early 2015, social workers issued a new rule for the supervised visits: the parents, relative newcomers to Canada and still learning English, should not speak to their son in their own language.

This, even though the parents had spoken that language with the toddler since his birth.

Whether or not the boys father chafed at that restriction, he was eager to maintain a connection with his son. Social workers who sat in on their visits later testified that the father was a willing and affectionate parent.

So when CFS filed for permanent guardianship over the child, his parents objected. This month, Court of Queens Bench Justice Sandra Zinchuk ruled in the fathers favour and ordered the child to be returned to his care by December.

The father, she wrote in her decision, clearly loved his son and was capable of parenting. He understood what he needed to do to care for the child and to rebuild a relationship that had been fractured by a long separation.

Yet heres a sad fact: its been more than two years since that internal CFS meeting that determined the father could not speak his own first language to his son. Their reunion must now also bridge a gap between tongues.

This didnt have to happen. In her ruling, Zinchuk castigated the language decision as an abysmal failure on the part of CFS, noting that the effect of it was only to deprive (the child) of a connection to his culture.

There were two reasons behind it, she noted. Social workers worried the boy associated the language with anger. They also noted he was learning English at daycare; they didnt want two languages to confuse him.

This reasoning is shocking, faulty and destructive, Zinchuk wrote. Language is the cornerstone of culture and its importance to maintaining cultural identity cannot be dismissed in the name of protection.

Finally, the judge dryly added that she expects CFS will not make that decision again. After all, she pointed out, the appropriate guidance for this situation is right in the provinces own Child and Family Services Act.

Its right there at the top, in the acts declaration of principles, declared in no uncertain terms.

Families are entitled to services which respect their cultural and linguistic heritage.

  

In some ways, the wealth of human experience can be counted in tongues. As many as 7,000 different languages echo through the world today, though that figure can vary depending on how you count them.

They all share this much in common: beyond mere words, a language is the heartbeat of its culture. The quirks and rhythms of each tongue shape humour and songs and conversations.

And language binds generations.

When ethnolinguistic groups are surrounded or subsumed by another, the one thing they often fight hardest to hang onto is their tongue. Or, as Irish nationalist Padraig Pearse once said: Tir gan teanga, tir gan anam.

A nation without a language is a nation without a soul.

So when a child is severed from a heritage language, not by natural drift or circumstance, but by an act of institutional intervention, something is lost. Or rather, something precious belonging to that child is taken away.

Canada knows this well, or at least it should. For generations, Metis, Inuit and First Nations have wrestled with the attempted destruction of Indigenous languages through the child-welfare and residential school systems.

Repairing that linguistic damage is a difficult, sometimes fruitless practice. The pain of the loss lingers.

So this much is certain: in this childs case, the CFS workers should have known better, and not only because of Canadas own history and the fact that the value of linguistic heritage is declared in the acts own principles.

It is also that their reasoning  the concern about confusing the child with two languages  is based on a widespread, but thoroughly debunked, misconception. This is a particularly frustrating point in this case.

Children are sponges for language. Even academics who study language acquisition often admit a sense of wonder at watching it happen: the process by which children learn to speak is so natural, even beautiful.

Meanwhile, most of the world is multilingual. So we have a great deal of evidence about how young minds navigate unfurling bilingualism  and for the most part, that evidence shows there is little risk of confusion.

Young minds are able to sift through the sounds they are hearing. Early on, some bilingual kids hit benchmarks in each language a little slower than monolingual children, but are learning more words and grammar overall.

Eventually they catch up. This is the story of multitudes of people in anglophone regions of North America, born to immigrant parents who spoke limited English and who heard only their parents language in the home.

Those children, almost without exception, grow up fluent in English, as adept as any other native speaker. They absorb the language from their peers and from teachers, or from movies and television shows and other media.

So the path the boy in the recent CFS case would have taken  and may yet still take  is well-travelled.

In this case, there is a silver lining: the child is still young. Once reunited with his father, he will almost certainly be able to soak up at least some ability in his heritage tongue  should the father choose to speak it with him.

Yet, if it had gone another way, if the situation had remained stagnant or the guardianship order made permanent, then the child would have had something precious taken  opportunities, choices, options.

A child who can speak his parents language has many paths unfold. It allows him to connect with his heritage culture and region, in ways perhaps otherwise closed. It also offers the chance to connect with relatives in their own words.

Not every child will keep up with their heritage language when they are grown. But the opportunity to learn is a gift that only their family has a right to withhold or bestow, and no government agency should ever interfere.

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
On the eve of the October 1 independence referendum in Catalonia, Spain is in the throes of its deepest political crisis since the fascist regime of Generalissimo Francisco Franco collapsed amid mass working class struggles in the 1970s. After a decade of deep economic crisis, social austerity, and mass unemployment across Europe, Spain is at the breaking point. As Madrid unleashes draconian police repression to block the referendum, with the support of governments across Europe and America, Spain is teetering on the brink of dictatorship and civil war.

Spains minority Popular Party (PP) government, relying on support from the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and the right-wing Citizens party, has pledged to prevent the referendum and to mobilize military police at polling stations. It has imposed a de facto state of emergency in Catalonia, mobilizing 16,000 police and paramilitary civil guards and is trying to seize Catalonia's finances and police. Far-right protesters have gathered at police stations, waving Spanish flags and cheering as police depart to Catalonia, chanting Long live Spain and Go get them.

Fourteen Catalan government officials have been arrested, over 144 websites closed, millions of posters and leaflets seized, print shops and newspapers searched, meetings banned, and over 700 mayors threatened with prosecution for supporting the referendum. The separatist Candidatures of Popular Unitys (CUP) headquarters was raided without a warrant and besieged by police.

The National Court, descended from the Public Order Court set up under Franco to punish political crimes, has filed sedition charges against separatist leaders carrying jail terms of up to 15 years. In the army, sentiment for martial law is rising. Retired General Manuel Altolaguirre has called the referendum an act of high treason that necessitates the application of a state of war.

The PP crackdown enjoys the support of the major European powers and the United Stateswhich fear the break-up of a member of the European Union and the NATO alliancedespite fears that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys measures are inflaming separatist sentiment. Frances President Emmanuel Macron declared alongside Rajoy, I know a partner and a friend, which is Spain, Spain as a whole The rest does not concern me. During Rajoys visit to Washington this week, US President Donald Trump said, Spain is a great country and it should remain united.

After the bloody experience of the 1936 fascist coup and the subsequent three-year Civil War in which Franco came to power, there is deep, historically rooted opposition in the working class to a relapse into war and authoritarian rule. Port workers have refused to unload ships bringing Spanish police to arrest Catalan separatist politicians and voters, and Barcelona firefighters have vowed to protect the polls from police. However, opposition cannot be mounted under the grip of the ruling parties in Madrid or the Catalan nationalists, who are unflaggingly hostile to the working class.

The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) insists that the only viable policy against the danger of war and dictatorship is to fight to unify the working class in Spain and Europe in a struggle against capitalism and for the socialist reorganization of society. This can be carried out only in revolutionary struggle against all of Spains bourgeois factions.

The ICFIs opposition to the EU, the social democrats and the post-Francoite PP does not in any way lessen its opposition to the Catalan nationaliststhe Catalan European Democratic Party, the Republican Left of Catalonia, and the petty-bourgeois CUP. The division of the Spanish working class by the building of a new capitalist state in Catalonia, governed by parties with a long record of supporting war and imposing austerity, offers workers nothing. It would separate Catalan workers from their greatest ally against Madrids onslaught: the entire Spanish and European working class.

Many workers recognise this and will not participate in the referendum. Many will choose to vote and register their social anger. To them, the ICFI urges the casting of a No vote against a move that threatens catastrophic consequences.

The problems facing workers in Catalonia are fundamentally rooted in class and not national oppression. The Catalan working class can respond to the threat of police-military rule only by establishing a fighting unity with its class brothers and sisters.

The calling of the latest referendum and the declaration that a Yes vote would lead to separation was a rotten manoeuvre. Last year, Madrid was without a government for eight months after two general elections produced hung parliaments. In Barcelona, the CUP supported 2016 and 2017 austerity budgets in Catalonia. To give a false, radical gloss to their anti-worker policies, the CUP then advanced the demand for separation, trying to blame its own reactionary role on Madrid.

Advocated by the CUP, the separation demand was then taken up by the other Catalan nationalist parties. Its aim was to divert rising social discontent at unemployment and austerity into nationalist channels, as the Spanish capitalist class faced an unprecedented crisis of rule.

The referendum helped the ruling class by burying socio-economic concerns of workers and youth, both Spanish and Catalan, under a torrent of nationalist rhetoric. This was pursued as a conscious and deliberate strategy. The current Catalan councillor in charge of business, Santi Vila, cynically remarked in a meeting of politicians and businessmen that if Catalonia had not put forward a discourse based on nationalism, how would it have weathered adjustments of over 6 billion?

The Catalan crisis has yet again exposed the Podemos partys reactionary role. After backing Syriza when it took power in 2015 and imposed European Union (EU) austerity in Greece, Podemos is still calling for an alliance with the PSOE, even as the PSOE supports the PPs onslaught in Catalonia. With its law-and-order criticisms of the PP for leaving Spain unguarded by sending too many police to Catalonia, however, Podemos is signaling the ruling class that it is also available to form an alternate government to try to de-escalate the crisis and reach a deal with the Catalan nationalists.

Such a government, were it to be formed, would offer no alternative to the drive to dictatorship and austerity currently being prosecuted by the PP.

Indeed, their own records make clear that they would use the army and the security forces to escalate attacks on the workers. A PSOE government mobilized the army to smash the air traffic controllers strike in 2010. Ada Colau, the Podemos-backed mayor of the Catalan capital, Barcelona, smashed a transit strike and backed the mobilization of the Civil Guard last month to crush an airport security workers strike. Should Podemos come to power, it would respond to strikes and popular opposition, like Syriza in Greece, with police state measures.

The Catalan referendum and the crisis of capitalism

Behind the assault on the working class in Spain is a European and indeed global crisis of capitalism. After a quarter-century of social cuts and escalating imperialist wars across the Middle East since the Stalinist bureaucracy dissolved the Soviet Union in 1991, European capitalism is in an advanced state of collapse. Particularly since the 2008 Wall Street crash and global economic crisis, the ruling elites in Europe and America have all sought to strengthen the military and police agencies while imposing devastating austerity on the workers.

This left Spainlike Greece, Portugal, Italy and much of Eastern Europein ruins. Spanish capitalism is economically moribund. Spains unemployment rate stands at a massive 17.8 percent and at 38.6 percent for the under-25s. One in four unemployed has not had a job for at least four years. Some 2.5 million workers came off the unemployment rolls, not because they found jobs in Spain, but because they emigrated to find work elsewhere.

As a result, social inequality has surged. Half of all households now have incomes below the official poverty level (just 8,010 for single-person households and 16,823 for those with two adults and two children) or are at risk of poverty. In contrast, the nations richthose with at least 700,000 in assetshave increased by over 44 percent; around 0.4 percent of the population now owns half the wealth in Spain. This includes 28 of Spains 100 richest billionaires who are either Catalan or have based their fortunes in Catalonia, compared with 25 billionaires in Madrid.

Across Europe and America, social inequality is reaching levels incompatible with democratic forms of rule. Faced with mass discontent, the ruling elite is turning to war and police state forms of rule. As Trump issues genocidal war threats of total destruction against North Korea, his administration is sanctioning and whipping up fascistic sentiment, applauding neo-Nazis responsible for the murder of a left-wing protester, Heather Heyer, in Charlottesville, Virgina.

One only need look to neighboring France to know where Madrids authoritarian policies lead. The indefinite suspension of basic democratic rights under the state of emergency is being used to impose labour reforms dismantling workers legal rights and protections and to impose cuts in health, education and unemployment benefits despite overwhelming popular opposition.

In Spain, the social crisis has claimed the political order established in 1978 following the death of Franco. The PSOE and the Stalinist Spanish Communist Party (PCE) hailed the Transition as a peaceful turn to parliamentary democracy. Accompanied by a pact of forgetting and a 1977 Amnesty Law for fascist crimes, it allowed the Franco regime to avoid any reckoning for its crimes by incorporating the PSOE and the PCE into the ruling establishment.

During the Transition, the old Franco regime granted substantial concessions to the regional bourgeoisies to ensure their loyalty to the state machine. The Catalan language was allowed to be broadly and publicly used. Since then, it has become the ninth-most widely spoken language in the EU. More than 80 television channels and 100 radio stations are broadcast daily in Catalan, more than 150 universities in the world teach Catalan, and over 400 journals are published in the language.

While the Catalan bourgeoisie in Barcelona flirted with demands for autonomy and separation throughout the post-Franco era, it was tacitly agreed that the Catalan bourgeoisie would not seek separation, and that Madrid would not aggressively attack Catalan nationalist sentiment.

This post-Transition regime has now broken down, and a bitter and violent faction fight is unfolding in the Spanish ruling class. In a country where many workers still can remember the Franco regime from barely 40 years ago, Madrids draconian crackdown must serve as a stark warning. Amid the deepest crisis of capitalism since the 1930s, the post-Transition regime is increasingly turning back toward the authoritarian policies of the Francoite regime from which it emerged.

Workers opposing Madrids crackdown on Catalonia cannot limit themselves to simply opposing one or another repressive measure of the PP. What they face is not the failure of Spains minority government, but a failure of capitalism. They must seek the removal of this government through the revolutionary mobilization of the working class for socialism in Spain and across Europe.

The reactionary role of Catalan separatism and its pseudo-left supporters

The Catalan separatists represent the interest not of left-wing forces struggling against Spains financial aristocracy, but of factions of the ruling class advancing their interests against both the working class and the central government in Madrid.

They would not have been able to capitalize on social discontent, much of it created by their own policies, and to profit from hostility to the EU and Madrid had it not been for the myriad petty-bourgeois left groupings. These parties, which in post-Transition Spain adapted to the PSOE and the Stalinist forces in the PCE and Podemos, have promoted nationalism for decades as an alternative to the class struggle.

Time and again, these pseudo-left groups have proclaimed support for self-determination to justify alliances with right-wing bourgeois movements and to suppress independent struggle by the working classeven using this to justify supporting imperialist proxy wars in Libya and Syria.

They are again intervening to support separatism and divide the workers. International Viewpoint, the central organ of the Pabloite United Secretariat, argues, A victory in Catalonia would be a victory for all the popular, revolutionary and democratic forces of Europe and the world.

The Morenoite Workers Revolutionary Current calls for a mass mobilization in the referendum, which would be a big blow to the Regime, thereby opening a constituent process in Catalonia and the rest of Spain over its ruins. It adds that this would supposedly resolve the great democratic and social demands.

The Balkanisation of Spainallowing global capital to pit workers against one another in a race to the bottom in terms of jobs, wages and conditionswould not be a victory for the working class.

The most telling example of separate states emerging from the ruins of a larger one is the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, where the pseudo-left groups used deceitful invocations of the right to self-determination to back an imperialist drive for dismemberment and capitalist restoration that ended in a bloodbath. In a series of ethnic wars lasting a decade, from 1991 to 2001, an estimated 140,000 people were killed and four million displaced. This culminated in the 1999 NATO war against Serbia. Nearly two decades later, the entire region remains decimated.

The reactionary, anti-working-class policy of the Catalan nationalists is yet another vindication of the assessment of bourgeois nationalism formulated by the ICFI during the wars in Yugoslavia.

Examining the implications of the unprecedented global integration of production processes that objectively strengthened the international unity of the working class and created the basis for a world socialist economy, the ICFI warned nearly two decades ago that these same developments provide an objective impulse for a new type of nationalist movement, seeking the dismemberment of existing states. Globally-mobile capital has given smaller territories the ability to link themselves directly to the world market  A small coastal enclave, possessing adequate transportation links, infrastructure and a supply of cheap labor may prove a more attractive base for multinational capital than a larger country with a less productive hinterland.

Catalonia is Spains richest region, representing a fifth of the countrys GDP. The separatist parties aim to create a new mini-state through which they can claw back taxes presently paid to the central government, while establishing direct relations with global banks, transnational corporations and the European Union. They hope to transform Catalonia into a low-tax free trade area based on stepped-up exploitation of the working class.

The Catalan nationalists and their pseudo-left backers dress themselves up as progressives. However, nothing fundamental distinguishes Catalan separatism from similar separatist formations across Europethe Scottish National Party in the UK or those parties of an explicitly right-wing character such as Italys Northern League and Belgiums Vlaams Belang. In all these instances, separatism has emerged in regions enjoying some economic advantage over the rest of the country, which the local bourgeoisie seeks to exploit to its own benefit.

An independent Catalan republic, were it established, would be nothing of the sort. It would be even more dependent on the major powers, in Europe and internationally. In alliance with the EU, it would continue the policies the Catalan separatist parties pursued in their alliance with Madrid: brutal austerity, slashing funding for education, health care and other social needs and using police to smash strikes and protests. It would be a dead end for workers.

Against war and dictatorship, For the United Socialist States of Europe

Madrids police crackdown and the Catalan nationalists drive for separation are both responses of factions of the ruling class to a mortal crisis of capitalism. The ruling elite is terrified of growing revolutionary sentiment in the population. The EUs own 2017 Generation What poll found that over half of European youth under 34over 60 percent in Spain, Italy, France, and Britainwould join a mass uprising against the existing order.

On the centenary of the October 1917 Revolution and the overthrow of capitalism in Russia by the Bolshevik Party led by Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, the EU is heading towards a massive upsurge of working class struggles across Europe. This objective tendency of development must, however, be made a conscious political strategy.

The threats being exchanged by Madrid and Barcelona are a stark warning. Even before it has entered into mass struggle, the working class faces the danger of civil conflict and war erupting in the heart of Europe. Workers must oppose threats of violence and the escalating attempts to whip up nationalist conflicts, but individual spontaneous actions cannot suffice to resolve the crisis in Spain.

The conflict in Catalonia vindicates the ICFIs insistence that the defense of basic social and democratic rights means building a conscious international and revolutionary movement of the working class against war and dictatorship, and for socialism.

This requires above all the building of a new socialist political party to give leadership to the struggles of the working class. What is necessary is a turn to the traditions of uncompromising struggle of the Bolshevik Party and the Trotskyist movement, represented by the ICFI.

Linking the struggles against all the social ills of life under capitalism with a political struggle against austerity, war and capitalism must be discussed in factories, workplaces, working class districts and schools and universities in Spain and across Europe. This will lay the basis for building a network of popular workplace and neighborhood committees, independent of and in opposition to the pro-business parties and trade unions, and the development of a socialist movement to take state power and reorganize economic life on the basis of social need, not private profit.

Against capitalist Spain and the creation of a capitalist Catalonia, the ICFI calls for building the United Socialist States of Europe. Only the formation of workers governments in every country and the unification of Europe on a socialist basis can prevent a descent into social reaction and war and permit the harmonious development of Europes economy to meet the needs of its population. The ICFI appeals to all workers and youth who agree with this statement to read and distribute its materials, contact the WSWS and join in the struggle to build a section of the ICFI in Spain.
Asia

Korean Air pilots issue strike notice

Unions representing around 2,700 pilots of Korean Air Lines (KAL) issued a strike notice on Thursday in their two-year dispute for a wage rise. Korean Pilots Union and the New Korean Pilots Union members wages have been frozen since 2014. Pilots struck for ten days in December demanding a 29 percent pay increase, down from their original demand for 37 percent.

The unions are currently asking for a 4 percent increase for 2015 and 7 percent for 2016 with an increase in the retirement allowance of one percent per service year. Pilots rejected KALs offer of just 1.9 percent for 2015 and a 3.2 percent increase for 2016.

The average annual salary of KAL local pilots is about 100 million won ($US81,000), far lower than Chinese airlines, which pays 200300 million won. According to the unions, 140 pilots quit in 2015 to join other companies in China and the Middle East on salaries up to three times higher.

In 2010, the government designated KAL as an essential service and set the limit by law that 80 percent of international routes and 50 percent of domestic routes have to operate during strikes. Only 390 pilots are expected to participate in the strikes.

Filipino jeepney drivers strike again

Hundreds of jeepney drivers in the Philippines capital Manila and surrounding cities and towns held a two-day strike on Monday over government plans to phase out passenger jeepneys 15 years or older. The strike followed national stoppages in February, May and July over the issue. The latest strike was organised by the Stop and Go Coalition, while previous strikes included PISTON and the Jeepney Phase-out Coalition.

The Duterte government claims it wants to modernise transport vehicles and make them environmentally friendly. The union groups allege that only big companies can afford the vehicle replacements demanded and called for an upgrade of their jeepneys and improved enforcement of road-worthiness rules.

Under the draft plan, a jeepney operator will be required to have 7 million pesos ($US140,393) for a franchise, have 20 units by 2018 and double that number the following year and install GPS and wi-fi into the vehicles. The jeepney phase-out was due to begin in July and will impact over 600,000 drivers and 250,000 operators.

A drivers representative said that while the government offered loans to drivers and operators, the repayment terms were unrealistic. He said a driver earns only an average of 600 pesos a day, which was 200 pesos short of the estimated 800 pesos daily loan payment.

Burmese garment workers on strike

Over 500 garment workers from the Solamoda Garment factory at Shwe Than Lwin industrial zone in Yangon struck work on Monday and are picketing the factory entrance. Four workers were seriously injured when security guards tried to break up the picket to allow management to enter the factory.

Workers have made 13 demands, including an additional 1,000 kyat to their daily wage. The official minimum daily wage is 3,600 kyat ($2.64). Other demands were maintenance of the 10,000 kyat bonus for not taking leave for a month and abolition of daily quotas.

Pakistan: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government workers protest again

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government employees, including health, education and local government departments in Shangla district, stopped work and demonstrated outside district authorities offices in Shangla on Tuesday over unpaid allowances. This was the second time in two weeks that these workers have taken action to demand a charcoal and firewood allowance due since 2016. The Class-IV Workers Association also demanded an end to the 24-hour duty schedule.

Sindh judicial workers demand promotion

Judicial staff of lower courts in Khairpur district in Sindh province boycotted the courts in Khairpur, Badin and several other towns on Monday to protest the governments failure to upgrade their levels and provide a pay increase. Workers held street protests demanding the government implement a Sindh High court decision in 2016 to lift grades and wages.

India: Orissa power utility workers protest

About 5,000 workers from Orissas power distribution companies demonstrated in the states capital Bhubaneswar on September 14 to demand monthly wages be increased from the current 4,000 rupees ($US61) to 18,000 rupees, and permanent jobs for outsourced employees.

A union spokesman said working conditions were increasingly dangerous with an average of 50 workers dying each year from electrocution. One worker told the media that safety was an afterthought in the states power industry. He said employees were not supplied with personal safety equipment and machinery was unreliable.

Punjab municipal sanitation workers demonstrate

Sanitation workers of the Safai Sewak Union demonstrated outside the municipal council building in Abohar on September 24 to demand overdue wages. Workers complained that they ended their ten-day strike last week after the council president falsely promised to pay wages within two days. A union spokesman said they would not return to work until wages were distributed.

Australia and the Pacific

Western Australia: Griffin Coal strike in seventh week

Griffin Coal mine maintenance workers at the Collie Basin in south-west Western Australia have been on strike since mid-August over cuts to wages and entitlements. According to the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, 70 maintenance workers at Griffin Coal have had their wages cut by around $26,000 a year and lost $100,000 in accrued entitlements of long service, sick and annual leave as a result of a Fair Work Commission decision. They have also been forced onto a fly-in-fly-out style roster of seven days on and three days off.

In July last year the FWC accepted Griffin Coals application to have its expired enterprise agreement cancelled after 18 months of failed negotiations. Workers rejected the companys proposed new enterprise agreement which would mean a 26 percent pay cut and seven hours additional work a week. The maintenance workers were forced onto the inferior Black Coal award, which could cut annual pay by $50,000.

While the union is currently negotiating a new enterprise agreement, it has isolated the maintenance workers, diverted them into harmless protests and promoted illusions in bogus promises of support from the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Queensland: Glencore mine lockout entering fifth month

Multinational mining giant Glencore is continuing its lockout of 190 Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) members at its Oaky North underground coal mine in Central Queensland. CFMEU members have been locked out since June 9, following limited industrial action beginning on May10 over an enterprise agreement. Glencore has hired a replacement, contract-based workforce and used staff employees to maintain production.

The union alleged that Glencore has stripped away 50 percent of working conditions from a version of an agreement that the Oaky North workforce previously rejected overwhelmingly. The CFMEU wants 3 percent per annum pay increases but indicated it would accept a two-year pay freeze if the current enterprise agreement was rolled over.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, three quarters of the 45 workers at the coal wash plant attached to the Glencore Oaky North mine voted against an enterprise agreement put by the company, which would erode their rights and conditions.

Glencore's revenue from Australian coal operations jumped from $US1.77 billion to $3.1 billion in the last half year. Their cash profit on every tonne of coal produced was around 41 percent.

New South Wales public hospital workers stop work

Medical and support workers at the Westmead Hospital in Sydneys west walked off the job for two hours on Wednesday to protest the wages cap introduced by the state Liberal government in 2011. The 35,000-strong NSW Health Services Union (HSU), which covers junior doctors, paramedics, security guards, caterers and linen launderers, said the action was the first of many scheduled for public hospitals throughout the state.

The wages cap bans public servants seeking a pay rise above 2.5 percent, unless they can offset the increases with work practice savings. The government recently reduced the cap to 2.25 percent claiming it is to offset the 0.25 percent increase in compulsory superannuation.

New Caledonian international airline pilots end strike

Pilots from New Caledonias international airline New Calin ended a six-day strike on Wednesday. The pilots struck on September 21 in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions. The stoppage by about a third of the airlines pilots mainly disrupted flights between New Caledonias capital Noumea and New Zealand and Australia.

The pilots union told the media that a key demand was not met but a solution was found by reorganising their work. Pilots were seeking to have cover for some of their insurance costs among other demands. Pay rates remain unchanged, with senior pilots earning a maximum of $US20,000 a month.
A spokeswoman for Melania Trump is calling out a Massachusetts elementary school librarian who rejected the first ladys recent donation of Dr. Seuss books, criticizing them as cliched and full of racist propaganda.

Stephanie Grisham, director of communications for the first ladys office, touted Trumps commitment to helping children and criticized the librarian, Liz Phipps Soeiro, for turning the first ladys gesture  into something divisive.

Mrs. Trump intends to use her platform as first lady to help as many children as she can. She has demonstrated this in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to children across the country is but one example, Grisham said in a statement to PEOPLE. To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the first lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere.

Phipps Soeiro, the librarian at Cambridgeport Elementary School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently turned down a shipment of 10 Dr. Seuss books from Trump, which were sent as part of a White House effort to mark National Read a Book Day on Sept. 6.

One school from each state was chosen to receive ten Dr. Seuss books along with a letter from the first lady that read: Getting an education is perhaps the most important and wondrous opportunity of your young lives, reports CBS Boston.

Phipps Soeiro explained her decision in an editorial for The Horn Books reading blog.

My students have access to a school library with over nine thousand volumes and a librarian with a graduate degree in library science. Multiple studies show that schools with professionally staffed libraries improve student performance, she wrote.

Phipps Soeiro also faulted the first ladys choice of books, which included The Cat in the Hat; One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; The Foot Book; Green Eggs and Ham;and Oh, the Places Youll Go!, CBS Boston reported.

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You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliche, a tired and worn ambassador for childrens literature. As First Lady of the United States, you have an incredible platform with world-class resources at your fingertips, the librarian also wrote, later adding, Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seusss illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.

While some parents at the school voiced their support for the librarian, she has also faced criticism, including from the Cambridge school district, which reportedly released a statement saying the librarian was not authorized to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district.

We have counseled the employee on all relevant policies, including the policy against public resources being used for political purposes, the statement added.
Photo: Getty.

Melania Trump has a new battle to fight as First Lady, one with an elementary school librarian from Massachusetts. Trump has been sending a donation of books to one school from each state as part of National Read a Book Day along with a signed letter in which she writes, Getting an education is perhaps the most important and wondrous opportunity of your young lives. The library at Cambridgeport School outside of Boston, though, wont be accepting her gift.

The schools librarian, Liz Phipps Soeiro, published a letter on the Horn Book Family Reading blog explaining her decision to refuse the First Ladys donation of Dr. Seuss titles. She noted that her school was chosen due to its high standards of excellence, and because of that, had no need for the books. She then asked why the First Lady wouldnt put her resources toward schools that are struggling.

Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Detroit are suffering through expansion, privatization, and school choice with no interest in outcomes of children, their families, their teachers, and their schools, she wrote. Are those kids any less deserving of books simply because of circumstances beyond their control? Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos?

Soeiro then explained her issues with Trumps specific choice in books, calling Dr. Seuss a bit of a cliche, a tired and worn ambassador for childrens literature, and suggested that Trump could have reached out to Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to discover other options. Additionally, she wrote that another fact many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seusss illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes, linking out to the article Is the Cat in the Hat Racist? Read Across America Shifts Away From Dr. Seuss and Toward Diverse Books.

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CBS News spoke to parents outside of the school on Wednesday who were supportive of Soeiros decision to publish the letter. Parent Eric Munson told CBS, Thats the librarians prerogative and I support her decision, while another parent, Alex Vanpraagh, said, I think the letter is really articulate, constructive in its suggestions.

Though the parents may be fine with the letter, the Cambridge School District was quick to distance itself from it. The employee was not authorized to accept or reject donated books on behalf of the school or school district, it wrote in a statement. We have counseled the employee on all relevant policies, including the policy against public resources being used for political purposes.

While the kids at Cambridgeport School may not be getting any books from the First Lady, Soeiro did mention that they were very impressed with the White House stamp on her letter.

This story originally appeared on Vanity Fair.

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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 driver who crashed into a day care in Frisco, Texas Thursday afternoon, sending six to the hospital, has apologized and is working with officials.

The driver, who had his learners permit and was attending the driving school across the street, said he accidentally hit the acceleration rather than the brake pedal causing him to crash into the Primrose School of Frisco at Main and Teels gate, CBS affiliate KHOU reported.

Of the six taken to the hospital, five were children. One is in critical condition and another was admitted to the trauma floor, according to KHOU. Parents picked up their children in the parking lot, and some came to gather their childrens belongings, according to the network.

I hope theyre doing ok, and I hope nobody was seriously hurt, parent Patrick Ludley told KHOU.

We are heartbroken about the accident that happened today at our school, injuring multiple children and teachers. Our Primrose community is our family and nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of the children entrusted to our care, Primrose said in a statement.
The man who co-wrote President Donald Trumps signature memoir is once again railing against the president. This time it's about his mental state. Tony Schwartz, the co-author of Trumps 1987 The Art of the Deal, had strong opinions about the man he once helped to portray as a flourishing real estate mogul in an interview Thursday with CNNs Anderson Cooper.

Is Trump crazy like a fox or is he just crazy? I think the overwhelming weight of evidence suggests that hes just crazy, said Schwartz. And not crazy, casual crazy. Im talking about crazy  Im not a psychiatrist, so I actually can get away with saying this  but crazy as a personality disorder.

Schwartz also discussed what he believes Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly thinks of Trump.

I do believe John Kelly knows clearly that Trump is deeply disturbed and he is utterly untrustworthy, said Schwartz. And he is managing him all the time out of some belief  put aside ideology  that its better that he be there than he not be there. I never met anybody who worked for Trump who didnt know who Trump was within a very short time.

Schwartz spent 18 months shadowing Trump in the 1980s to write The Art of the Deal, PBS reported. The book spent more than 48 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list upon publication in 1987. Since then, Schwartz has come for the president time and time again. When Trump first announced his candidacy, Schwartz said he blamed himself for putting lipstick on a pig. The ghostwriter has often tweeted his anti-Trump sentiments, including a recent string of posts predicting that the president is going to resign before the end of his tenure.

Trump is going to resign and declare victory before Mueller and Congress leave him no choice, Schwartz wrote in August. Trumps presidency is effectively over. Would be amazed if he survives till the end of the year. More likely resigns by fall, if not sooner.

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Following Trumps decision to rescind the DACA Dreamers immigration program earlier in September, Schwartz took to Twitter to slam the president for not giving any of the proceeds from The Art of the Deal to charity.

Trump hasnt given $1 of Art of Deal royalties to charity, Schwartz tweeted. I give 100 percent of mine. All my donations for now will go to endangered immigrants.

Schwartz also told Anderson Cooper in May after the Justice Department appointed a special counsel in the Russia investigation that he believed Trump was in the midst of a significant meltdown.

Hes in pure defensive mode, said Schwartz. I think that hes being run by the part of his brain thats reactive and impulsive, not capable of reflection. The sense of siege that he feels because his sense of self-worth is so, so vulnerable that the series of things that have happened after overwhelming to him.

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San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz slammed the U.S. governments response to Hurricane Maria, which ravaged Puerto Rico on Sept. 20., in an emotional plea for help.

I am begging you. Begging anyone that can hear us to save us from dying, Cruz said during a press conference Friday. If anybody out there is listening, we are dying. And you are killing us with the inefficiency.

The White House has been criticized for not paying attention to Puerto Rico since Maria hit the island. President Donald Trump, who has voiced solidarity with Puerto Rico, also directed attention to the islands pre-hurricane debt burden and infrastructure issues, casting doubt on how much the federal government will help. Trump has said the U.S. is fully engaged in the disaster and the response and recovery effort.

Addressing Trump directly, Cruz asked for him to make sure someone is in charge who is up to the task of saving lives in Puerto Rico.

San Juan Mayor @CarmenYulinCruz - "We are dying and you are killing us with the inefficiency" @nbcnews https://t.co/4qLRNFoRSY  Janelle Rodriguez (@janelleNBC) September 29, 2017

When it comes to saving lives, we are all part of one community of shared values, she said.
Ariel Winter is back at school, but the paparazzi are not giving her a break.

On Thursday, the "Modern Family" star started her new role as a student at UCLA. In the photos shared by Us Weekly, Winter, 19, sported a white shirt, classic jean shorts, and white platform sneakers when she attended her first class.

However, things didn't turn out well, because someone ruined her day. "Well, the paparazzi just successfully ruined my first day of school. Thank," the "Sofia the First" star wrote on Twitter.

Winter's followers had a mixed reaction to her complaint. Some believed that she should deal with it given that she's one of the hottest celebrities in Hollywood. Meanwhile, some are convinced that it wasn't her choice to be in the biz in the first place, because she was only 6 when she started acting.

It was not Winter's first rant against paparazzi. Last week, in a lengthy post on Instagram, the "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" star aired her grievances against the photographers for featuring her in any way they can.

"Something I wish people would realize...I am not TRYING to be featured on Snapchat, I am not trying to be pap'd everywhere I go," Winter wrote. "I am literally just LIVING and unfortunately, I can't do that without paparazzi following me around everyday."

Winter added that she doesn't want to reveal her body whenever she goes to the grocery store. She also complained how those people question her fashion and choice of appropriate clothing. She stressed that she's not perfect and she's not a stylist, while adding that she doesn't want to be in the news unless she's in a public event or has a project coming out. "So trust me. I don't want to see me in shorts," Winter ended her rant.

In related news, Winter's mom, Crystal Workman, accused the actress of reigniting their feud because she craved the attention. Workman also denied Winter's claims that she dressed the star inappropriately since she was a kid, which affected the latter's choice of clothing today. Winter even said that if she had a nude scene when she was 12, her mother would have "a thousand percent said yes."

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"She continues to attack me. It's heartbreaking," Workman said. "I think she wants the headlines. I think she craves attention. If that means throwing your mother under the bus and hurting her and breaking her heart, she's going to do it."

Ariel Winter

Photo: Getty Images/Mike Windle

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Controversial Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is a "white supremacist" who wants to protect on-campus rapists, several Harvard University protesters argued during her speech on the Cambridge campus Thursday.

DeVos stuck to her script about expanding charter and private school choice during the silent protest, even as students unfurled banners protesting her policies, with one sign calling her a "white supremacist" and another demanding that DeVos protect survivors' rights, a reference to her decision to scrap Obama-era guidelines on sexual assault in favor of rules that she believes will better allow accused campus rapists to defend themselves.

In a Q&A session after the speech, DeVos credited the Obama administration for addressing campus sexual assault, and said the Trump administration would not sweep it under the rug.

One sexual assault is one too many, she said. By the same token, one student that is denied due process is one too many. We need to make sure that policy and that framework is fair to all students.

When asked about transgender bathroom guidelines, DeVos said the Office of Civil Rights continues to work with students who feel they have been discriminated against, despite Trumps decision to remove protections for transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice.

Any student that feels unsafe or discriminated against, that is the last thing we want, she claimed.

DeVos also addressed her longtime support for allowing parents to send their children to charter, private or parochial schools with public money, comparing it to dining options that many working-class families do not enjoy.

If you visit a food truck, do you hate restaurants? she asked rhetorically. You are simply making the right choice for you.

Hundreds of protestors also gathered outside the university's Kennedy School of Government, led by one who shouted, "Go back to D.C." Earlier in the day, DeVos was also met by protesters during a visit to George Washington University.

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Harvard Professor Paul Reville was disappointed that DeVos said very little about her agenda as education secretary.

"I found it lacking on a number of counts," said Reville, the former Massachusetts secretary of education. "There was very little discussion on the ends of education and what we are trying to achieve for children. She didn't take a position on any form of choice."

DeVoss appearances came after her Department of Education announced Thursday that it would award $253 million in grants to fund the expansion of charter schools. Nine state education agencies, including those in Minnesota and Texas, were awarded the grants, DeVos's office said.
(BATON ROUGE, La.)  Black Lives Matter is a social movement, like the tea party or the civil rights movement, and therefore cant be sued, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

A police officer anonymously sued Black Lives Matter and DeRay Mckesson, a prominent activist in the movement, after being injured by a rock thrown during a protest over a deadly police shooting in Baton Rouge last year.

But U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson dismissed the officers suit and ruled that Black Lives Matter is not an entity capable of being sued.

Although many entities have utilized the phrase black lives matter in their titles or business designations, Black Lives Matter itself is not an entity of any sort, Jackson wrote in his 24-page ruling.

The judge also concluded that the officers own claims demonstrated that Mckesson solely engaged in protected speech at the July 9, 2016, demonstration, which followed the fatal shooting of Alton Sterling, a black man, by a white Baton Rouge police officer.

Its clear that I did nothing wrong that day and that the police were the only violent people in the streets, Mckesson, a Baltimore resident, said Thursday after learning of the judges ruling. The movement began as a call to end violence and that call remains the same today.

The officer also attempted to add #BlackLivesMatter as a defendant, describing it as a national unincorporated association based in California.

The judge ruled that a hashtag cant be sued, either.

For reasons that should be obvious, a hashtag  which is an expression that categorizes or classifies a persons thought  is not a juridical person and therefore lacks the capacity to be sued, the judge wrote.

The officers attorney, Donna Grodner, said in an email that she was not at liberty to discuss the case. During a hearing in June, she had argued that the Black Lives Matter should be held liable.

Its organized. They have meetings. They solicit money. They have national chapters, Grodner said. This shows a level of national organization.

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Grodner also filed a separate suit against Black Lives Matter and Mckesson on behalf of a sheriffs deputy wounded by a gunman who shot and killed three other law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge last summer. That suit, which is still pending before the same federal judge, accuses Black Lives Matter and five of its leaders of inciting violence that led to the deadly ambush.

Mckesson was one of nearly 200 protesters arrested after Sterlings shooting death. He was arrested near Baton Rouge police headquarters on a charge of obstructing a highway. The local district attorney declined to prosecute roughly 100 protesters who were arrested on that same charge, including Mckesson.

Mckesson and other protesters have since sued the city of Baton Rouge and local law enforcement officials over their arrests, accusing police of using excessive force and violating their constitutional rights.

The lawsuit dismissed Thursday didnt accuse Mckesson of throwing the rock that injured the officers jaw and teeth, but it claimed he incited the violence and was in charge of the protest, and that he was seen and heard giving orders.

Mckessons attorney, Billy Gibbens, said during the hearing in June that Black Lives Matter doesnt have a governing body, dues-paying members or bylaws.

This is a movement, and there isnt a person who is responsible for it, or the leader or the founder of it, he told the judge.

The officer whose lawsuit was dismissed is identified only as Officer John Doe in the suit, saying the anonymity is for his protection. A court filing last year cited the July 2016 sniper attack that killed five Dallas police officers and the shooting 10 days later that killed three law-enforcement officers in Baton Rouge as reasons for concealing the officers identity.

Mckesson and Black Lives Matter also were sued after the sniper attack by Larry Klayman, founder of the conservative group Freedom Watch. A federal judge in Texas ruled on June 2 that the plaintiffs didnt provide any support for their proposition that Black Lives Matter is an entity capable of being sued. All of Klaymans claims against Mckesson and Black Lives Matter have been dismissed or withdrawn.
Washington (AFP) - It was the evening of September 30, 1962 when Agence France-Presse reporter Paul Guihard arrived at the campus of the University of Mississippi.

Tear gas choked the grounds as US marshals clashed with rock-throwing students and others opposed to the admission of the first African-American to the all-white school known as "Ole Miss."

Before the night was done, the 30-year-old Guihard would be dead, shot in the back by a bullet that pierced his heart.

He was the only journalist known to have been killed during the civil rights movement which roiled the United States in the 1960s.

His murder was never solved.

Guihard's death, and the stories of 12 American journalists who covered the violence surrounding the 1962 desegregation of the campus, are the subject of a new book, "We Believed We Were Immortal," by Dr. Kathleen Wickham, a professor of journalism at the University of Mississippi.

The book, published by Yoknapatawpha Press, was released on Saturday to mark the 55th anniversary of Guihard's murder and the rioting at the University of Mississippi against the enrollment of James Meredith, a black US Air Force veteran.

Wickham, in an interview with AFP, said she was drawn to Guihard's story because it has largely been forgotten.

"I've been personally offended that a reporter was killed and nothing was written about it," she said. "I wanted him to be recognized."

She was also determined to try to figure out what happened that night to Guihard on the "Ole Miss" campus, where hundreds of US marshals clashed with several thousand opponents of integration until US troops were sent in to restore order.

"I've worked on it as an investigation to try to determine who murdered him," she said. "Because someone out there knows what happened."

The Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice closed its investigation into Guihard's death in 2011 without filing any charges and Wickham, despite her intensive digging, was unable to reach any definitive conclusions.

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"Though theories abound, Paul's murder remains a mystery," she writes in the book.

What is clear is that Guihard was deliberately targeted that evening. The .38 caliber bullet that killed him was fired into his back from less than a foot away, according to the autopsy report.

- Guihard's final day -

The son of an English mother and a French father, Guihard grew up in St Malo on France's west coast and served in the British Army in Cyprus, according to the book.

A burly man with red hair and a red beard, Guihard was a copy editor in AFP's New York bureau when he was sent to Mississippi to cover the conflict surrounding desegregation, according to the book.

Guihard was accompanied on his final assignment by a photographer, Sammy Schulman, a 56-year-old New Yorker.

After flying from New York to Jackson, Mississippi, Guihard and Schulman rented a white Chevrolet and headed to governor's mansion, where 3,000 people were attending a rally against integration sponsored by the White Citizens Council, the book recounts.

After the rally, Guihard went to interview the executive director of the White Citizens Council and filed what was to be his last story from the offices of the group, Wickham writes.

Guihard and Schulman then decided to drive to the University of Mississippi in Oxford, about fours hours away.

During the drive they listened on the radio to an 8:00 pm speech by President John F. Kennedy, who had ordered US marshals to enforce court rulings that Meredith be allowed to attend classes at the University of Mississippi.

Guilhard and Schulman arrived at the troubled campus around 8:40 pm, shortly after Kennedy's speech had concluded, and were stopped by a Mississippi State Highway patrolman.

"I can't guarantee your life or property if you drive in," Wickham quoted the patrolman as warning the pair.

Guilhard and Schulman acknowledged the warning and continued on to the campus, parking their car and agreeing to meet up again at the vehicle in an hour.

Less than 10 minutes later Guihard was dead.
Ottawa (AFP) - A 29-year-old Canadian was sentenced on Friday to nine years in prison for trying to travel overseas to join the Islamic State group.

Ismael Habib was the first person to be found guilty at trial under a law banning people from trying to leave Canada to commit a terrorist act.

"This wasn't a utopian or irrational project of a manipulated adolescent. Rather, it was done with perfect knowledge of the objectives of the Islamic State and its methods used," Quebec Court Judge Serge Delisle said.

"The offender multiplied his efforts to get to Syria to join the Islamic State.

"He didn't plan on getting there to play a passive role. He was ready to do anything for the Islamic State, up to dying."

The judge sentenced him to eight years for trying to leave Canada under a 2013 terrorism law, and one year for providing false information to obtain a passport.

Minus the time Habib already served in pre-trial custody, he will spend the next six and a half years in prison.

"It is a relatively harsh punishment," prosecutor Francois Blanchette told reporters.

He said he believed Habib's "very intense adherence to the (Islamic State) group's ideology" was a factor in the sentencing.

Habib is the son of an Afghan father and a Canadian mother.

The trial heard that he tried to obtain a fake passport from an undercover policeman after his own was revoked following a failed 2012 attempt to reach Syria, in which he was detained in Turkey and deported to Canada.

The defense argued that police tricked him into confessing that he wanted to travel overseas to join IS and die for God.

His wife and two young children were also living in the war-torn nation, Habib told the court.

The judge, however, rejected his testimony, noting that Habib had scanned online dating sites and was living with a woman in Canada when he was arrested last year.
Barcelona (AFP) - Carles Puigdemont, the president of Catalonia who pushed ahead with Sunday's banned independence referendum, has been a convinced secessionist since his youth, long before the issue moved to the centre of Catalan politics.

The destiny of this 54-year-old journalist changed in January 2016 when he was selected at the last minute to lead a coalition of separatist parties which had won a majority of seats in the regional parliament three months earlier.

A virtual unknown when he became president of the northeastern Spanish region of 7.5 million people, he has since doggedly pursued the goal of winning independence for Catalonia. It has made him the main enemy of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government.

"In these hugely intense and hugely emotional moments, we sense that what we once thought was only a dream is within reach," he told a crowd of cheering supporters Friday, as he closed his campaign for a referendum which has been ruled unconstitutional by the courts.

Puigdemont was born in Amer, a small mountain village of about 2,200 people, on December 29, 1962, the second of eight siblings.

In the village, where he grew up in a modest family of bakers, and in Girona, where he served as mayor from 2011 to 2016, he is recalled as a dyed-in-the-wool separatist.

"In Catalonia many people became separatists in an allergic reaction to Madrid's policies. Not him, he always had these convictions," said Puigdemont's friend Antoni Puigverd, a poet and journalist.

His friend Salvador Clara, a leftwing secessionist councillor in Amer, added that Puigdemont had defended the independence of Catalonia "since he can remember".

Puigdemont, who wears his hair in a shaggy Beatles-style mop, has never hidden his separatist convictions, not even back in 1980 when he joined the conservative nationalist Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya (CDC) party.

At the time the CDC wanted only to negotiate greater autonomy for Catalonia -- far from the idea of breaking away from Spain.

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- Pro-independence family -

"We're a pro-independence family through and through," his sister Anna, who runs the family bakery in Amer, told AFP.

In July 2015 Puigdemont became president of the Association of Municipalities for Independence, which brings together local entities to promote the right to self-determination.

For 17 years he worked for Catalonia's nationalist daily El Punt, which now publishes under the name El Punt Avui after merging with another paper. He later created a regional news agency and an English-language newspaper about his region.

"He always combined his political activism with journalism," said Ramon Iglesias, a journalist with the Cadena Ser news radio station in Girona.

In 1991, while working at a local newspaper in Girona, Puigdemont launched a campaign to change the spelling of the name of the city from the Spanish version, Gerona, to Girona, the Catalan spelling, Iglesias recalled.

For Silvia Paneque, head of the opposition Socialists in Girona, Puigdemont at times carries out a form of nationalism that "insists in separating those for and against independence."

- 'Enormous freedom' -

Puigdemont speaks English and French, as did his predecessor Artur Mas. But the current Catalan leader also speaks Romanian -- his wife Marcela Topor, with whom he has two daughters, comes from Romania.

But unlike Mas, who implemented unpopular austerity measures during Spain's economic crisis, Puigdemont is more of a social democrat who was better able to seduce the far-left members of Catalonia's separatist faction.

Enric Juliana, a Catalan journalist, said Puigdemont's longstanding separatist convictions made him the "ideal candidate" to succeed Mas, who never managed to convince some separatists of his dedication to a cause he embraced only a few years ago.

In June 2016, when far-left separatists withdrew their support, he took a risk and called a motion of no confidence in the Catalan regional parliament, which he survived.

And in July he did not hesitate to dismiss four members of his government whose dedication to the referendum was questioned.

"He arrived where he is by chance. He did not aspire to a political career, and that has given him enormous freedom," Puigverd said.
There is nothing inherently interesting (unless you are a scientist yourself, and even then, maybe) about an intercontinental video conference between the presidents of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Austria Academy of Sciences (AAS). Unless, of course, it happens to be the first time such communication was secured using quantum technology.

We are not aware of what the two scientists spoke about (presumably, they congratulated each other on a job well done, among other things) but irrespective of their words to each other, the world is entering a new era of secure communication  one that relies on quantum encryption instead of classical cryptography.

Most secure communication currently relies on the computational complication involved in cracking certain mathematical functions. However, as research progresses on quantum computers  which would be several orders of magnitude faster and more powerful than classical computers  getting around methods of classical encryption would be like taking candy from a child.

Quantum cryptography, on the other hand, works on the basis of quantum key distribution (QKD). A single photon of light in quantum superposition, following the laws of physics, acts as the key to decrypt data, and thereby guarantees complete security between the sender and the receiver. There are limitations, however, especially when using the technology on Earth.

Photons, being particle of light, need a straight line of sight to travel in, which, given the curvature of Earth and the structures on its surface, isnt always possible. Alternately, they can travel in fiber optic cables, but with diminishing energy. So a solution would be to transmit the photon straight upward into space, where it is captured and stored by a spacecraft, which then beams it back down to its destination on Earth.

Quantum Satellite

Photo: PAN Jianwei's group

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That is precisely what Micius, Chinas quantum communication satellite launched Aug. 16, 2016, did when it connected Chunli Bai of CAS and Anton Zeilinger of AAS for a video conference Friday.

In the 13 months since its launch, Micius has achieved three key milestones that will be central to a global-scale quantum internet, according to a statement Friday by CAS.

These include ground-to-satellite quantum teleportation, KHz rate satellite-to-ground decoy-state QKD over a distance of about 750 miles and satellite-based entanglement distribution between two points on Earth separated by about the same distance. The efficiency of using Micius instead of optical fibers over 750 miles was found to be about 20 orders of magnitude better, according to the statement.

Having reached another milestone in the field of quantum communication and its real-world application for the purpose of securing data, China will carry out some more experiments with some other places in the world that include Italy, Germany, Russia and Singapore, all of which requested for the tests.

China is already using satellite-based QKD in some metropolitan areas, combined with fiber optic cable systems, to set up a large network of quantum communication across the sprawling country.

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Brussels (AFP) - The fight to host major EU agencies leaving London after Brexit reaches a milestone Saturday as Brussels gives its assessment of bids, with one regulator warning the wrong choice could see a mass exodus of staff.

The European Commission, the bloc's executive arm, will publish its views on the 19 candidates to be the new home of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the eight bidding for the European Banking Authority (EBA).

The final decision will however not be made until November when EU states hold a secret ballot.

"It is going to be an objective assessment" based on criteria agreed on by the remaining 27 countries, European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein told reporters Friday.

The European Commission's assessments are not binding, although EU leaders are expected to take its findings into account, and the decision on what is a very closely-fought race will ultimately be a deeply political one.

Between them, the agencies employ more than 1,000 people and promise to bring both money and prestige to the new host cities, and the contest has sparked an intense lobbying campaign.

The cities seen as leading the race for the EMA are Amsterdam, Barcelona and Lille in France, with Athens, Bonn, Bratislava, Brussels, Bucharest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Milan, Porto, Sofia, Stockholm, Malta, Vienna, Warsaw and Zagreb also in contention.

The agency, which employs 900 pharmaceutical experts, biologists and doctors from every corner of Europe, evaluates medicines throughout the bloc.

- 'Public health at stake' -

Earlier this week, the EMA warned that nothing less than "the future of public health in Europe" was at stake as it published a survey showing anywhere between 19 and 94 percent of staff planned to quit after the agency left London.

The EMA did not name the cities in question but said that for some, staff retention rates could be "significantly less" than 30 percent.

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"This would mean that the Agency is no longer able to function and, as there is no backup, this would have important consequences for public health in the EU," the EMA said.

Even the best-case scenario would see one in five staff leave as a result of the move, the EMA said.

And as for the EBA, the German financial hub of Frankfurt is the frontrunner followed by Paris, Luxembourg and Prague, while Brussels, Dublin, Vienna and Warsaw are also in the running.

The EBA, with 159 staff, is perhaps best known for its regular stress tests on the EU's financial sector in the wake of the global financial crisis.

Six countries -- Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland and Poland -- have made bids for both agencies.

Hungary, Cyprus, Slovenia and the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have not bid for any.

Britain will no longer be able to host the agencies as it is set to leave the EU in March 2019.

The commission is assessing the bids against six criteria agreed by the 27 remaining member states.

These include accessibility, geographical spread, availability of schools and jobs for staff families and guarantees the agency will be able to start work as soon as Britain leaves the EU.
Havana (AFP) - Cuba on Friday slammed as "hasty" a US decision to withdraw more than half of its embassy staff from Havana due to mysterious "attacks," and warned the move would affect ties.

"We consider the decision announced by the US government today, through the State Department, to be hasty, and it will affect bilateral relations," said the head of North American affairs at Cuba's foreign ministry, Josefina Vidal, quoted on state television.

But she added: "Cuba wishes to pursue active cooperation between the authorities of the two countries in order to resolve this case."

"The Cuban government has no responsibility in this case and strictly respects its obligations under the Vienna Convention" regarding the protection of diplomats as well as their families, she said.

The attacks of an unknown nature have targeted at least 21 US embassy staff in Havana over the past few months.

Those affected have exhibited physical symptoms including hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues and difficulty sleeping.
After a week without help, Luis DeJesus got out the white paint. S.O.S., read the letters he brushed onto the asphalt entrance to his housing complex. NECESITAMOS AGUA/COMIDA.

Translation: We need water/food.

They havent brought anything to us, DeJesus said Thursday afternoon, as his wife and three children headed down the drive from the house they remained in, even as the storm surge from Hurricane Maria on Sept. 20 brought the ocean up to their thighs. I lost everything. We havent had food or water for seven days. The governor passed through here. He didnt stop. He just went to the beach for some pictures and left.

The beach is just across the road. This is the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, not far from where the eye of Maria made landfall. DeJesus pulled out his phone and played a video of the water rising inside his house. I have gas to cook, but I dont have food, DeJesus said.

As he spoke, a white Toyota Highlander swung into the drive. Three doors and its hatchback popped open, and a handful of young people ran over with white plastic bags. Inside was rice, canned sausages, cookies. There was a bag of bottled water.

Were a non-profit Puerto Rican group of young people, said a slender young man in a ball cap. He identified himself as Jorge Pagan, executive director of Puerto Rico Cambia, or Change.

Pagan said his group has seven collection points around the island, and a church in San Juan brimming with provisions. But it was not allowed to make more than the token distributions they had just delivered to DeJesus, like an answered prayer. The problem that is happening, he said, is the government is taking control of everything.

At a news conference in San Juan on Friday morning, one U.S. official after another acknowledged that the aid response appears sluggish. Its not nearly as fast as everybody wants us to do, said John Rabin, regional director of FEMA, blaming the comprehensive damage of the fifth-most-powerful hurricane ever to strike the U.S.

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Addressing the containers of private aid piling up at the port, Gov. Ricardo Rossello said the government would buy their contents and distribute themthough the U.S. official in charge of coordinating the federal response said that the supply chains required to do so have yet to be established.

Commodity deliverythat has been a challenge, said the official, Alejandro de la Campa, who said it was the governments top priority.

When the general in charge of the 4,600 U.S. troops now in Puerto Rico stepped to the microphone, he kept it short. This response is going to take time, Lt. Gen. Jeff Buchanan said.

President Trump plans to visit the island on Oct. 3.

Meanwhile, back on the coast, at least DeJesuss family had been served. I feel happy now, said his wife, Yennifer Ortiz. I have three kids. But there was nothing for the dozens of other homes in their complex. Just down the road, a National Guard unit was clearing debris from the streets, but offering little else.

They only gave us two bottles of water every two days. Theyre not distributing any food, said Bernarda Vazquez, 59, who after being evacuated the day before Maria hit had moved back into her two-room house, a block and a half from the water. She said the damagethe toppled buildings closer to the sea, a car that had drifted to the curb in front of her house, its interior caked with muddy sandwas worse than Hurricane Hugo, which struck this island of 3.4 million people in 1989.

We didnt have electricity for two months, but everything happened fast because FEMA acted fast, Vazquez recalled. You cant compare the disasters because this was so much worse. Theyre acting too slow, but Im not bothered because the whole island was in danger.

Not everyone is so understanding. Across the street, Gloria Viera leaned on the rake she had been using to scrape her belongings out of her house.

We havent received any aid, she said. A couple of days ago the National Guard brought one bottle of water per person.

We have no help, said her husband Sammy Pagan, 47. Were working, and the community is helping out. Thats what Ive seen.

The spirit of community does stand out here. Police appear to be where they need to be: directing traffic under darkened traffic lights, or, in a Mad Max touch, escorting tanker trucks bearing precious gasoline to the stations where cars queue for blocks, their drivers often waiting five hours to fill up. But where an immediate need appears, ordinary people step right up, taking charge of traffic outside one of the few open supermarkets or acting as flaggers around streets blocked by debris (which, after more than a week, is taking the shape of manageable piles). Together As One was the message painted onto a tattered Puerto Rican flag draped over a shuttered hotel in San Juan.

Its the government response that appears to be lagging. For all the aid arriving on the islandand the hundreds of officials that have turned the San Juan convention center into an air-conditioned beehiveit is very hard to find any out in the countryside. In a four-hour drive around the islands northeast section, a TIME reporter saw only a truck dispensing potable water and just two crews from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

Left on his own in his ruined living room, Sammy Pagan worked to keep a brave face. He had spent the worst hours of Maria with his entire weight braced against the door of an inland house where his family had taken refuge. Those were two hours in my life of: Please, morning come, morning come. Because in the light, you can see whats happening. But in the night, its the sound. Its like the hurricane is talking. 

The aftermath has not been great either. Pagan and his wife have pushed household belongings into the street like garbage, and he worries the factory where he works, which was badly damaged, might not re-open.

I dont have a mind for anything else, Pagan said. Just cleaning the house. Helping my family. He paused, lifting his arms up from his side in a hopeless gesture. His eyes watered. We say well make it together, everyone is helping out. But, wow.

Some moment, I dont know when, I need to scream or to cry or something. I havent been able to, because of the family. I need to be supportive. But I need to do it. Im so strained.

After another pause, he looked up. But we are U.S. citizens, and we deserve more help. We deserve it. We are U.S. citizens.
Pictures of Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un at a market in Beijing - AFP

President Donald Trump will directly confront the issue of North Korea's nuclear programme by traveling to Asia in November.

The White House announced he will take a five-nation trip to the Asia Pacific region in November.

He will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines from November 3 to 14. There will also be a stop in Hawaii.

It will be Mr Trump's first visit to the region as president and comes as Kim Jong-un moves closer to his goal of having a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike the US.

The White House said Mr Trump's visit would "strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula".

Amid fiery rhetoric recently on both sides North Korea has warned that it might conduct the "most powerful" atmospheric hydrogen bomb test in the Pacific Ocean.

Mr Trump is also expected to discuss trade and economic ties to the region and will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in the Philippines.

He has been pressing Beijing for more balanced trade and been openly critical of China's large trade surpluses with the US.

Mr Trump's visit to China will come weeks after Xi Jinping is expected to receive a second five-year term as the leader of the communist party.

On Thursday Mr Trump met Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong in Washington.
Administration sources attributed the decision to drop Sudan from the ban to the country's co-operation with the American government on national security and information-sharing: AFP

Donald Trump has failed to explain why Sudan has been removed from the most recent version of his travel ban by launching into a nonsensical description of the decision.

The US Presidents highly controversial travel ban, which was unveiled on Sunday evening, has been extended to eight countries. Citizens of North Korea, Venezuela and Chad joined the list of those restricted from entering the US.

The newly unveiled ban revealed Sudan had been dropped from the list and would no longer be subject to stringent visa controls but the White House gave no official reason as to why this was the case.

First of all, can you explain to us why Sudan was removed? a reporter asked President Trump during a press briefing.

And second of all, how does the travel ban work in North Korea that doesnt allow their people out of their country?

Mr Trump brazenly dodged the question, saying: Well, the people - yeah, the people allowed - certain countries - but we can add countries very easily and we can take countries away.

When pressed about what Sudan did right to be exempt, the world leader again sidestepped the line of questioning.

He said: And as far as the travel ban is concerned, whatever it is, I want the toughest travel ban you can have. So Ill see you in Indiana. Were going to go over some more points that have not been talked about. Are you all going? Is everyone going?

The presidents proclamation said the Department of Homeland Securitys vetting review led to some improvements and positive results in certain countries but failed to provide any specific detail of why Sudan had suddenly been made exempt.

The north-east African country was one of the six Muslim-majority nations, also including Iran, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia  whose citizens were blocked from entering the US under the previous travel ban which expired on Sunday.

Administration sources attributed the decision to drop Sudan from the ban to the country's co-operation with the American government on national security and information-sharing, the Washington Post reported.

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Nevertheless, others have suggested the choice was in fact politically motivated. Ryan Grim, Washington bureau chief at The Intercept, wrote on Twitter: "Sudan getting dropped from the travel ban comes as the UAE has been lobbying hard for them in DC in exchange for mercenary support in Yemen".

Sudan has supplied thousands of troops to support the Saudi-led coalition, also including the United Arab Emirates and other Middle Eastern countries, to help fight Houthi rebels in Yemen's civil war. America also provided "logistical support" to the coalition.

Sudan continues to be one of three countries, including Iran and Syria, classed by the US government as a state which sponsors terrorism.

In contrast to the president's original bans, which had time limits, the new one is open-ended. The new restrictions are set to start taking effect on 18 October and resulted from a review after President Trump's original travel bans prompted chaos in airports, international fury and legal challenges.

Shortly after the proclamation was released, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: "Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet.

The decision to include North Korea and Venezuela in the list widens the stringent limits from the original, predominantly Muslim-majority list. Some have speculated whether this is an explicit attempt to make the ban appear less clearly targeted.

Amnesty International USA condemned the measures in a statement: Just because the original ban was especially outrageous does not mean we should stand for yet another version of government-sanctioned discrimination.

"It is senseless and cruel to ban whole nationalities of people who are often fleeing the very same violence that the US government wishes to keep out. This must not be normalised.

Officials said that instead of a total ban on entry to the United States, the proposed restrictions vary according to nation, based on cooperation with American security mandates, the threat the US believes each country presents and other variables at play. For example, only certain government officials from Venezuela will be banned.

Experts said the new restrictions could be less susceptible to legal attack because the ban is the consequence of a month-long analysis of foreign vetting procedures by US officials and may be less straightforwardly linked to President Trump's barbed attacks on Muslims during his presidential campaign.
Donald Trump has defended his administration's response to a recent hurricane in Puerto Rico by explaining that the island is surrounded by water.

This is an island surrounded by water, big water, ocean water, he said at a tax reform speech in Washington.

He added that local governments had been totally and unfortunately unable to handle this catastrophic crisis on their own  just totally unable to.

Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico last week, killing at least 16 people. The Category 4 storm knocked out 80 per cent of the islands electricity. Almost all of the island's 3.4m residents remain without power today. Even hospitals are relying on generators to keep the lights on, and the fuel to power them is quickly running out.

Puerto Ricos Governor, Ricardo Rossello, has repeatedly begged for more federal assistance, calling the situation a humanitarian crisis. The mayor of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico, recently joined the calls.

"I am begging, begging anyone who can hear us to save us from dying," Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz said on Friday. "If anybody out there is listening to us, we are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency."

Mr Trump, meanwhile, has defended his administration's response, blaming the media for biassed coverage and repeatedly mentioning the territory's island location.

"This is an island sitting in the middle of an ocean  and it's a big ocean, a really, really big ocean," Mr Trump told reporters earlier this week.

He later informed Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy that Puerto Rico is "out in the ocean. You can't just drive your trucks there.

"This is tough stuff, he added.

Mr Trump also appeared to blame the residents of Puerto Rico for their dire straights, tweeting that the island is in deep trouble because it was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt. It was the Presidents first tweet about the issue, almost a week after the hurricane first hit.

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The military has dispatched 4,500 troops and National Guard members to the island to help with reconstruction. FEMA has sent more than 800 people to distribute food and water and coordinate relief efforts.

Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert defended the administrations response in a press conference on Thursday.

I'm confident that we have enough resources marshalled and deployed forward to make those decisions under the right command and leadership structures," he said.
By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top U.S. communications regulator urged Apple Inc on Thursday to activate FM radio chips in iPhones that would allow Americans access to life-saving information when a natural disaster takes out wireless networks, but the company said its newer models do not have the chips. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said Apple was the one major phone manufacturer that has not activated the chips. "I hope the company will reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria," Pai said in a statement. But Apple, in its own statement, said newer iPhone 7 and 8 models do not have FM chips "nor do they have antennas designed to support FM signals, so it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products." The company added that it has "engineered modern safety solutions into our products. Users can dial emergency services and access Medical ID card information directly from the Lock Screen, and we enable government emergency notifications, ranging from Weather Advisories to AMBER alerts." FCC officials said it is unclear whether the agency would have regulatory authority to require a company to activate the chips. The FCC did not immediately reply to Apple's disclosure that new phones do not have the chips. The FCC said that more than 90 percent of cell sites in Puerto Rico and two-thirds of those in the U.S. Virgin Islands remain out of service after hurricanes damaged them. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Dan Grebler)
Clown

On an early Saturday morning in 1990, Marlene Warren answered her front door in Palm Beach, Florida to what seemed like a friendly face  unless you've recently seen the movie "It."

A clown wearing a red wig, red bulb nose, gloves and a smile painted on its white face stood outside holding a bouquet and two balloons. Before Marlene could accept the creepy gifts, she was shot in the face.

The killer clown calmly walked to a white convertible with no license plate and drove away.

Marlene died two days later.

RELATED: Heartbreaking Details About The 8-Year-Old Boy Who Died Protecting His 7-Year-Old Sister From A Child Molester

After 27 years of not being able to solve her murder, police finally arrested Sheila Keen Warren.

Sun Sentinel

DNA evidence led police to arrest the 54-year-old woman at her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. And here's the real kicker: she's now married to Marlene's husband, Michael Warren.

When the investigation began, police focused on Sheila because they learned she and Michael were having an affair.

She repossessed cars for his auto dealership, and when Shelia separated from her husband five months before the murder, Michael started paying her rent.

Employees of a local costume shop called detectives on the night of the murder and said a woman had bought a clown costume and makeup two days prior. They picked Sheila out of a lineup.

RELATED: Details Revealed About Lesbian Couple's Horrific Abuse Of Their 5-Year-Old Son That Caused Two Strokes And Broken Bones

Clerks at a nearby Publix also said she was the woman who bought flowers and balloons about 90 minutes before Marlene was shot.

Police also learned that Shelia would regularly dress up as a clown and visit an auto parts store.

After searching her home, police found fibers from an orange wig that matched fibers from the getaway car that was ditched in a grocery store parking lot. It was later reported stolen from a rental agency and was linked to Michael's dealership.

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But they didn't have enough probable cause to arrest and for 27 years the case went cold.

Sheila is currently awaiting trial. It's unclear if Michael played any part in the crime.

RELATED: New Details Released About A Mother Who Let Two People Rape And Murder Her 10-Year-Old Daughter While She Watched

Emily Blackwood is an editor at YourTango who covers pop culture, true crime, dating, relationships and everything in between. Every Wednesday at 10:20 p.m. you can ask her any and all questions about self-love, dating, and relationships LIVE on YourTangos Facebook page. You can follow her on Instagram (@blackw00d) and Twitter (@emztweetz).

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President Donald Trump should not have included North Korea in his latest travel ban because it will make it harder for dissidents and defectors to get out of the rogue state, former President George W. Bush reportedly said a private dinner Thursday.

One of Bush's dining partners told Business Insider that the former president, who has rarely criticized his successors, said the North Korean Human Rights Act, which he signed in 2004, was a better way to help human rights groups in the reclusive nation.

There are around 225 North Korean refugees currently in the U.S., and about 250 more have come as legal immigrants after defecting and living in South Korea for a time, CNN reports.

The former president's remarks reportedly occurred during a question-and-answer session led Bush's former adviser on North Korea, Victor Cha, who is now at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Trump is reportedly planning to pick Cha as his ambassador to South Korea, which will be a crucial position given the current heightened tensions with North Korea.

A representative for Bush denied he specifically chastised Trump at the dinner, which was meant to be off-the-record, telling Business Insider that the former president commented "in broader strokes, welcoming and supporting dissidents as he has for years, and referred to the Bush Institute's longstanding and ongoing work in that area."

Last week, Trump added North Korea, Chad and Venezuela to his travel ban, in addition to six predominantly Muslim nations. Some feel Trump only did so in order to stifle critics who say his travel ban is Islamophobic. There have also been many questions and concerns surrounding the addition of Chad, which is a U.S. ally.

The White House defended the new ban, saying that it only covered nations that have not met the new U.S. travel security guidelines.

"Making America Safe is my number one priority. We will not admit those into our country we cannot safely vet," Trump said in a tweet on the decision.

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The U.S. and North Korea have been enemies for decades, but tensions have been particularly high recently as Kim Jong-un and Trump have engaged in a heated war of words over North Korea's nuclear program.

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(Reuters) - Georgia police captured a man suspected of killing one officer and wounding another several hours after the shootings in the northwestern part of the state on Friday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

"CAPTURED" was the single-word Twitter message sent by the agency after it said earlier that a suspect was at large and "armed and dangerous." Authorities had said they were searching for suspect Seth Spangler.

Two police officers in Polk County had approached a car believed to be stolen when one of the people inside fired at them, killing a female officer and wounding a male officer, Polk County manager Mark Denton said by telephone.

A female suspect in the stopped car was taken into custody at the scene, about 60 miles northwest of Atlanta, Denton said.

Neither officer was identified. The wounded officer was in "good condition" at an area hospital, according to Denton.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Colleen Jenkins)
By Alex Dobuzinskis (Reuters) - A team of scientists won approval from Hawaii officials on Thursday to build a $1.4 billion telescope atop a volcano indigenous people consider sacred, but opponents vowed to continue fighting. The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources voted 5-2 to allow construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii's Big Island, state officials said in a statement. Astronomers consider the summit one of the world's best places to view the cosmos, while Native Hawaiians say the project would disturb holy ground crucial to their connection with ancestors and the heavens. A consortium of scientists, after selecting the site in 2009 and applying to build there, initially received construction permits from state officials in 2011. In 2015, the Hawaii Supreme Court voided that decision, saying officials did not follow the proper procedures for a "contested case hearing." That forced the state board to re-evaluate the proposal with more input from opponents. The project calls for building one of the world's largest telescopes atop the dormant volcano. "This was one of the most difficult decisions this board has ever made," Suzanne Case, chairwoman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, said in a statement. The 13,800 foot-tall (4,205 meters) volcano is already dotted with telescopes, the board noted in a 345-page decision paper. "Today, Mauna Kea is the best place on earth to study the heavens," the board's decision paper said. Native Hawaiians and environmentalists will soon stage protests at the site and another legal challenge is expected in the Hawaii Supreme Court, said Kahookahi Kanuha, who is co-founder of the Hawaii Unity and Liberation Institute and is Native Hawaiian. Ilima Long, 40, a graduate student in political science at the University of Hawaii who opposes the project, said Native Hawaiians like herself support science, just not this project. "Hawaiians, our ancestors were scientists," she said. "We're the best navigators and wayfarers of all human history." The board placed dozens of conditions on the consortium, which includes scientists from the California Institute of Technology and Japan, India and Canada. The consortium will be required to provide $1 million a year for college scholarships for Native Hawaiians and other educational initiatives. "In moving forward, we will listen respectfully to the community in order to realize the shared vision of (Mauna Kea) as a world center for Hawaiian culture, education, and science," TMT International Observatory Board Chairman Henry Yang said in a statement. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Paul Tait)
The telescope has pitted scientists against Native Hawaiian activists who say they aren't anti-science but want their culture to be respected.

HONOLULU, Hawaii  The Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources voted 5-2 on Thursday to grant a construction permit for a massive telescope on a mountain many Native Hawaiians believe to be sacred.

The $1.4 billion Thirty-Meter Telescope has been a source of controversy, with supporters arguing its scientific benefits and opponents protesting its planned construction on Mauna Kea, a mountain considered sacred in Native Hawaiian culture.

This was one of the most difficult decisions this Board has ever made, Suzanne Case, chair of the board and of the states Department of Land and Natural Resources, said in a statement. The members greatly respected and considered the concerns raised by those opposed to the construction of the Thirty-Meter Telescope at the Mauna Kea Science Reserve.

Plans for the telescope date back to 2009, when scientists with the TMT Observatory Corporation selected Mauna Kea as the ideal site for what builders say will likely revolutionize our understanding of the universe,according to The Associated Press.

AmongTMTs official partners are the California Institute of Technology, the Department of Science and Technology of India, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Research Council Canada and the University of California.

When complete, the Thirty Meter Telescope, better known as TMT, will allow astronomers to peer some 13 billion light years away and explore the very edge of the observable universe, near the beginning of time. Scientists also expect it will help answer humanitys deepest question: Are we alone in the universe?

TMT project associate director Michael Bolte, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, previously told HuffPost that the universe is unimaginably vast, but he has no doubt that TMT and other giant telescopes now being developed will allow astronomers to break into a new realm of discovery and study objects never seen before.

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I think were going to move into this next golden age of astronomy, to tell you the truth, he said.

But protesters opposed to the large-scale project on cultural grounds blocked attempts to start construction after an initial permit was granted in 2011. They disrupted a groundbreaking again in 2014, and the following yearmore than 30 protesters were arrested for interference. The Hawaii Supreme Court then invalidated the permit, and the project returned to square one.

The projects builders applied for a new permit in 2016. In July, a judge overseeing the permit hearings recommended to the board that they approve the permit.

Supporters of the project have argued that the telescope will provide jobs for Hawaiian workers. TMT will also be required to allot $1 million each year for college scholarships for Native Hawaiians. But activists have staged dozens of protests over the decadesagainst construction on Mauna Keaand in recent years against the telescope, specifically, raising larger concerns about protections for indigenous cultures.

Kahookahi Kanuha, a Native Hawaiian who was arrested twice during previous standoffs atop the mountain, told HuffPost that while Thursdays decision came as little surprise, that didnt make it any less disappointing for those who have fought for years to stop construction on the massive project.

Kanuha said he and other TMT opponents gave the state another chance to do what is right.

Again, they failed miserably, and ignored Native Hawaiians voices, he said.

Lanakila Manguil, an activist whos been protesting against TMT for years, told HuffPost that the battle to keep the telescope off the sacred mountain is not only a fight for Native Hawaiian cultural beliefs, but also for conserving the unique natural environment of the mountains summit, which is designated conservation land.

We are not anti-science or astronomy, Manguil said of the activists opposing the telescope. Its about construction, development and industrial-sized work happening in conservation lands and particularly very sacred lands to our people.

He added, If youre moving and bulldozing, that is damage.

In apost to Facebook, TMT said it has been a long journey to get here and it remains committed to advancing science while benefiting the greater Hawaii community.

TMT is committed to respecting the long history and cultural significance of Maunakea to the Hawaiian people, and we are grateful that this process has allowed everyone the opportunity to be heard, it said.

Measured from its base to its summit, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world at roughly 32,000 feet. The site is already home to the worlds largest astronomical observatory thanks to the dry, clean air at the summit, which rises 13,796 feet above sea level, and the mountains distance from light pollution. Telescopes already on Mauna Kea are able to view the faintest galaxies.

Many Native Hawaiians believe the mountain, whichhouses burial sites, to be the origination point of the Hawaiian islands. Native Hawaiians have also been known to bury their umbilical cords on the mountain as a way of connecting themselves back to the sacred land.

Native Hawaiian cultural practices and beliefs are deeply embedded with taking care of the natural elements of their land, according to Manguil, and he sees the construction of the telescope as an attack on indigenous people.

Its extremely frustrating. You really get that sense of that institutionalized racism. Theres no sense and care of indigenous knowledge, he said.

When indigenous people are no longer a part of their natural environment, or are taken out of that equation, the natural environment suffers.

In astatement posted to Twitteron Thursday, Hawaiian Gov. David Inge applauded the apparent resolution of what he called a complex journey.

But for Kanuha and other Native Hawaiians, the fight isnt over.

The activist said he plans to join others near the summit of Mauna Kea on Friday. He said he expects the company behind the telescope will move quickly to begin construction, and that protests and arrests will follow.

Theyve given us no choice but to resist and fight back, peacefully, he said.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Mohammad Javad Zarif tells Guardian Europe should lead to keep deal intact

Zarif warns US abrogation of nuclear agreement would backfire on Washington

Mohammad Javad Zarif: If Europe and Japan and Russia and China decided to go along with the United States, then I think that will be the end of the deal. Photograph: Richard Drew/AP

Irans foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has called on Europe to defy US sanctions if the Trump administration torpedoes the international nuclear agreement with Tehran.

Zarif warned that if Europe followed Washingtons lead, the deal would collapse and Iran would emerge with more advanced nuclear technology than before the agreement was reached in Vienna in 2015. However, he insisted that technology would not be used to make weapons, in line with Tehrans obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Speaking to the Guardian and the Financial Times, Zarif said the only way Iran would be persuaded to continue to observe the limits on its civil nuclear programme would be if the other signatories  the UK, France Germany, Russia, China  all remained committed to its terms and defy any subsequent US sanctions.

Europe should lead, Zarif said in an interview in the Iranian UN ambassadors residence in New York.

The Iranian foreign minister said he expected Trump to carry through his threat not to certify Iranian compliance in a state department report to Congress on 15 October. Congress would then have 60 days to reimpose sanctions suspended under the deal.

I think he has made a policy of being unpredictable, and now hes turning that into being unreliable as well, Zarif said. My assumption and guess is that he will not certify and then will allow Congress to take the decision.

Trump has said he has already made his decision but has not told anyone outside his immediate circle. He refused to tell Theresa May when she asked him at a bilateral meeting at the UN last week, despite the fact that the UK is a close ally and a fellow signatory to the agreement.

If Europe and Japan and Russia and China decided to go along with the US, then I think that will be the end of the deal Mohammad Javad Zarif

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Zarif warned that US abrogation of the deal would backfire on Washington, saying that Iran would resume uranium enrichment and other elements of its nuclear programme at a more advanced level than before.

The deal allowed Iran to continue its research and development. So we have improved our technological base, he said. If we decide to walk away from the deal we would be walking away with better technology. It will always be peaceful, because membership of the NPT is not dependent on this deal. But we will not observe the limitations that were agreed on as part of the bargain in this deal.

He added that walking away from the deal was just one option under consideration in Tehran.

There are other options and those options will depend on how the rest of the international community deal with the United States, he said. If Europe and Japan and Russia and China decided to go along with the United States, then I think that will be the end of the deal.

However, Zarif pointed out that in a previous era of high tensions between Washington and Tehran  when the US adopted sanctions legislation aimed at punishing European companies for doing business in Iran  Europe had resisted and sought to insulate its firms from US sanctions.

In the 1990s they didnt just ignore it, Zarif said. Europe, the EU, has legislation on the books that would protect EU businesses and adopt counter-measures against the US if the US went ahead with imposing restrictions. And it has been suggested by many that might be the course of action that Europe wants to take.

A 1996 regulation adopted by the EU gave Europeans protection against the application of US sanctions at the time, including the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act passed in the same year. The law could be revived and expanded to cover any new US sanctions.

Following a ministerial meeting on the deal at the UN last week, the EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, stressed that all the signatories, including the US, had agreed that Iran was in compliance with its obligations under the terms of the agreement, and stressed that Europe would do everything possible to keep the deal alive, even in the event of US withdrawal.

In the wake of the Vienna agreement, however, Europe would have to go further than defying US sanctions. It would have to ignore UN measures as well. Under snap-back provisions in the agreement, the US alone could trigger the resumption of UN sanctions, as the provisions allow any participant in the deal to call a security council vote on a resolution on whether to continue with sanctions relief  a vote the US can veto.

The clause was designed to stop any country from shielding Iran if it broke the agreement. The negotiators did not anticipate it being used by a government to break the deal even while all other parties were in compliance.

Such an extraordinary situation would put enormous strain on transatlantic ties, argued Jarrett Blanc, the former US state department coordinator for implementation of the Vienna agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Europe would thus be faced with a choice between a crime under international law and what it considers to be a policy mistake, Blanc wrote in a commentary published by Reuters. In either case, Europe would be justifiably furious about being forced to choose between two important, deeply held policies  adherence to security council resolutions and implementation of the JCPOA.

The UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has confirmed that Iran is abiding by the terms of the agreement, as have the other signatories to the deal, and the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Joseph Dunford, who warned that US abrogation would damage its long-term credibility.

It makes sense to me that our holding up agreements that we have signed, unless theres a material breach, would have an impact on others willingness to sign agreements, Dunford told Congress this week.

Trump and his top officials have claimed that Iran is in violation of a line in the preface of the agreement that says the signatories anticipate the deal would contribute to regional peace and security. In his interview, Zarif rejected that reasoning.

Even without being fully implemented, it has contributed because the region has one less issue to deal with. So it was already contributing to regional stability, he said. If anything, it has been the reaction of US allies in the region  who from the beginning didnt like the deal and since the deal have done everything to undermine the deal  that have exacerbated tensions in the region.
ARBIL (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraq and Iran have turned to economic weapons in retaliation for Iraqi Kurdistan's independence referendum, with Baghdad closing the Kurds' airspace to international flights and Tehran freezing trade in fuels.

After the autonomous Kurdish region's controversial "yes" vote for independence, neighbouring Iran announced joint border drills with Iraq and the fuel trade ban.

In a conciliatory gesture towards the Kurds, however, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Sunday vowed to defend them against any attack.

A day after Baghdad cut international air links with the region, Iran's state broadcaster said all transport companies and drivers have been ordered to stop carrying fuel products between Iran and Iraqi Kurdistan "until further notice".

Diesel is one of Iran's key exports to the oil-rich region, mainly for power plants and vehicles, while the Kurds rely almost exclusively on crude and fuel oil exports to raise revenues.

Iraqi Kurds overwhelmingly voted for independence in Monday's non-binding referendum, which has sent regional tensions soaring.

Tehran, which strongly opposes independence for Iraq's Kurds, fearing it will provoke separatists among its own Kurdish minority, also announced a joint military exercise with Iraq in response to the referendum.

"A joint military exercise between Iran's armed forces and units from the Iraqi army will be held in the coming days along the shared border," Iranian armed forces spokesman Masoud Jazayeri told reporters in Tehran.

The drills will take place at several crossings on Iran's border with Iraqi Kurdistan, he said.

He said that at a high-level meeting of Iranian commanders, "necessary decisions were taken to provide security at the borders and welcome Iraq's central government forces to take position at border crossings".

To head off any military concerns, Iraq's premier, whose country has also staged joint exercises inside Turkey, moved quickly to try to assure his country's Kurds.

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"To our people in the Kurdistan region: we defend our Kurdish citizens as we defend all Iraqis and will not allow any attack on them," Abadi tweeted in English.

- Turkish measures -

Tehran has accepted a request by Baghdad for an Iraqi army presence at frontier crossings.

After the ban on international flights to and from Iraqi Kurdistan was enforced on Friday, the Kurdish region in the north is dependent on its border posts for trade and contact with the outside world that bypasses the rest of Iraq.

Northern neighbour Turkey also strongly opposed the vote.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Ankara had been saddened to see some Iraqi Kurds celebrating the referendum with Israeli flags.

"This shows one thing, that this administration (in northern Iraq) has a history with (Israel's intelligence agency) Mossad, they are hand-in-hand together," Erdogan said.

Fearing, like Iran, that it would inflame separatist aspirations within its own Kurdish population, Ankara has threatened measures including blocking lifeline oil exports from the region via Turkey.

Washington, another critic, said it did not recognise the "unilateral" referendum and urged dialogue and a rejection of the use of force.

"The vote and the results lack legitimacy and we continue to support a united, federal, democratic and prosperous Iraq," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Friday.

Baghdad ordered the halt to all foreign flights to and from the Kurdish region from 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) Friday.

Foreigners scrambled to leave regional capital Arbil and second largest city Sulaimaniyah before the ban took effect.

Arriz Abdallah, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan faction in the Iraqi Kurdish parliament, told AFP that "ordinary people will pay the price" of the "violent reactions" from Baghdad and neighbouring states.

- Key gateway -

Iraqi Kurdish transport minister Mawlud Bawa Murad has said the flight ban would "negatively impact all international businesses in the Kurdistan region, in addition to all civilians, from all nations".

Arbil airport director Talar Faiq Salih has said humanitarian, military and diplomatic flights were excluded from the ban, as were domestic flights.

Arbil is a key gateway for humanitarian aid workers helping Iraqis affected by the battle against the Islamic State group (IS).

Washington had said it would be willing to facilitate talks between the Iraqi Kurdish authorities and Baghdad to calm escalating tensions over the 92-percent "yes" vote.

French President Emmanuel Macron invited Abadi to visit Paris on October 5 to discuss the referendum.

"Faced with the priority of fighting Daesh and the stabilisation of Iraq, Iraqis must remain united," the French presidency said in a statement, using another name for IS.

Iraqi security forces meanwhile have assaulted the northern town of Hawija, one of the last IS bastions in the country along with a stretch of the Euphrates Valley near the border with Syria.

Kurdish forces have been key allies in US-backed offensives against IS in both Syria and Iraq.
London (AFP) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned that the only way to stop its nuclear deal from collapsing is for Europe to defy any US reimposition of sanctions.

In an interview published Saturday by Britain's Guardian newspaper, Zarif said Iran would develop much more advanced nuclear technology -- though not for weapons purposes -- if Europe followed the United States in returning to a sanctions regime.

"Europe should lead," he said during an interview in New York.

The deal, agreed in 2015 between Iran and six world powers -- the United States, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany -- lifts economic sanctions put in place in 2005 in exchange for curbs to Tehran's nuclear programme.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is responsible for verifying that Iran meets the terms of the agreement.

US President Donald Trump has attacked the deal on numerous occasions, vowing to tear it up.

On October 15, Trump is due to testify to Congress whether Tehran is complying with the deal and whether it remains in the United States' interests to stick by it.

If he decides it is not, it could open the way for US lawmakers to reimpose sanctions, leading to the potential collapse of the agreement.

"I think he has made a policy of being unpredictable, and now he's turning that into being unreliable as well," Zarif said.

"My assumption and guess is that he will not certify and then will allow Congress to take the decision."

He said that if the United States scuppers the deal, the decision would prove counter-productive.

"The deal allowed Iran to continue its research and development. So we have improved our technological base," he said.

"If we decide to walk away from the deal we would be walking away with better technology. It will always be peaceful... but we will not observe the limitations that were agreed on as part of the bargain."

Zarif said "walking away" was one of the options being considered by Tehran.

"If Europe and Japan and Russia and China decided to go along with the United States, then I think that will be the end of the deal," he said.

Washington on Thursday pressed for the IAEA to carry out more nuclear inspections in Iran, warning that failure to do so would make the nuclear deal with Tehran "an empty promise".
ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq plans to take control of the borders of its autonomous Kurdistan region "in coordination" with Iran and Turkey, the Iraqi Defence Ministry said on Friday. The statement did not give more detail or indicate specifically whether Iraqi forces were planning to move toward the external border posts controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from the Iranian and Turkish side. The move to seize the border posts is a response to a Kurdish referendum on Monday that produced a vote in favor of secession from Iraq. Following the vote, Iraq, Iran and Turkey demanded that the KRG relinquish control over its external border crossings with Turkey, Iran and Syria. Backed by Ankara and Tehran, the Iraqi government has demanded that the Kurdish leadership cancel the result of the referendum or face the prospect of sanctions, international isolation and possibly a military intervention. Earlier on Friday, a ban imposed by Iraq's central government on international flights to Kurdistan went into effect after the KRG rejected a demand to hand over control of its international airports in Erbil and Sulaimaniya. The KRG also refused to relinquish control of its border crossings, Erbil-based TV Rudaw said on Friday, citing a Kurdish official. The Iraqi Defence Ministry said the implementation of central government decisions to take over management of all the border posts and airports was "going as planned in coordination with the relevant authorities and neighboring countries, and there is no delay in the procedures". Iraqi state television said an Iraqi military delegation had visited the Kurdistan border from the Iranian side. An Iraqi force is also deployed on the Turkish side of the border as part of joint drills with the Turkish army. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
March 11, 2011, had started like any other for thousands of mussels along the Japanese coastline, another busy day clinging to docks and straining snacks out of the water. Until 2:46 p.m. local time, that is, when two warring chunks of the Earths crust set off six minutes of ground-shattering quakes, then a series of gigantic waves powerful enough to crush three-story buildings and rip docks off their coastlines.

Thats when those mussels set off on an incredible adventure across the Pacific Ocean. In the six years since the tsunami, debris has landed all along the western coast of North America and on the beaches of Hawaii. And according to a new study of the tsunamis aftermath published today in Science, just a small sample of that debrismuch of it plastichas carried living individuals of almost 300 species.

"What we report is really sort of a minimum picture of what may have arrived," James Carlton, lead author on the project and a marine ecologist at Williams College, told Newsweek. And the debris is still arriving, even today. "We had no idea it would last until 2017 and beyond, as we now expect."

09_28_tsunami_debris

Russ Lewis

The long trail of rafting debris means that hundreds of species are getting the chance to stake out a foothold in new ecosystems. Scientists have known for a long time that species hitch rides on logs, but its usually incredibly difficult to actually track a piece of debris from take-off to landing. "Nobody has ever witnessed these events," says Martin Thiel, an ecologist who studies species movement at the Universidad Catolica del Norte in Chile and who wasnt involved with the study. "This is really the first large-scale event that we are basically witnessing as it unfolds."

Thats because the tsunami debris has generally been relatively easy to identify. In many cases, an entire dock or boat washed ashore, complete with registration numbers or other identifying information the scientists were able to verify with the Japanese government. The team examined 634 pieces of debris, all believed to stem from the tsunami.

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09_28_tsunami_debris_shell

John W. Chapman

Then, they tallied the animals each piece was carrying, aided by a network of 80 scientists from around the globe who identified species. The team also noted which were alivecritters from 289 species, all told. Those arent necessarily creatures that made the whole journey, they may also be descendents born on the voyage.

But whether long-haul travelers or newborns, thats 289 species (and likely many more on unstudied debris) with the opportunity to try to build a new life for themselves where they landed. Most wont make it, but several could settle downand a couple of those could in theory become the next headline-making invasive species, able to thrive so well they make species that have been there for centuries suffer. Unfortunately, beyond species that have already invaded elsewhere, like the Mediterranean mussel, invaders dont carry red flagsCarlton compares the process to "ecological roulette."

09_28_tsunami_debris_oyster

James T. Carlton

"It's very difficult to predict what species will blossom in the absence of predators or competitors that really could be eyebrow-raisers," he says. Thats why scientists monitor coastal habitats, on the lookout for early signs of an invasion. "Should something novel show up we expect that we would hear something on a fairly timely basis."

But whats been particularly striking to scientists is how much and what kinds of debris are still washing ashore six years later. Natural debris like wood petered out after the first few years, since it breaks down en route. But thanks to our modern reliance on plastic, the debris keeps coming. "We have basically a huge armada of plastics, and those are the ones that have been making it along this very long trip," Thiel says.

09_28_tsunami_debris_plastic

John W. Chapman

And tsunami debris is just one tiny portion of all the plastic in Earths oceans, which means the same odysseys being documented here could be more regular than we realize. "We know that plastic in the ocean is not a good thing for many different reasons, and this is one of the reasons," Thiel adds.

The shift from natural debris to plastic aside, Carlton says that much of what the scientists saw wasnt predictable. "Just when you think you've seen everything here comes something else new," he sayslike a sudden rush of debris covered in sometimes hundreds of orange-spotted sea anemones that came ashore during the spring of 2016, the first time the anemone was spotted.

09_28_tsunami_debris_slugs

John W. Chapman

"The tsunami event was this obviously human tragedy, but the phenomenon that [Carlton] and others were able to document gave us insight into the way that species move around in our world," says Cathryn Clarke Murray, a marine ecologist at the North Pacific Marine Science Organization in Canada, which has been supporting Carltons research and other projects studying the impact of tsunami debris. "It really changed our perception of coastal ecology."

Carlton and Thiel both note that the study is particularly timely given the paths of Hurricanes Irma and Maria across Florida and the Caribbean, knocking plastic and other debris into the ocean as they go. Thats perfectly positioned to hitch a ride on the Gulf Stream and land in Europe. And if current trends continue, more and more of that debris will be long-floating plastic. "Really, it's a story about what the future could hold," Carlton says.

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Jared Kushner - AFP

Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, has been registered to vote as a woman for eight years.

Voter information records in New York showed Mr Kushner was registered as "female".

So it turns out, Trump has a 3rd Daughter-in-Law - - Jared is registered to vote as a FEMALE since 2009 and has been voting as such. pic.twitter.com/HOAJCzkCc3  POTUS Kushner (@KushnerPotus) September 27, 2017

Prior to 2009, Mr Kushner's New Jersey voter registration noted his gender as "unknown".

Mr Kushner, who is married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka, has a White House portfolio that includes everything from seeking peace in the Middle East to reining in the opioid crisis.

He previously filled out paperwork for his White House security clearance incompletely and had to refile it.

Mr Kushner, the scion of a wealthy property-owning family, is one of a number of Mr Trump's inner circle previously found to have been registered to vote in more than one state during last year's election, the Washington Post reported.

Others includes former press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief strategist Stephen Bannon.

Multiple registrations were pointed to by the president as a sign of purported widespread voter fraud in the 2016 election.

Mr Kushner has also recently been accused of using private email accounts to conduct government business.
By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department and the FBI are resisting demands from a Republican lawmaker to hand over documents about a former British spy's dossier on purported Russian support for Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, because the FBI has its own open criminal investigation, officials said. The U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee issued subpoenas in August seeking "any and all documents" about both agencies' dealings with former MI6 officer Christopher Steele, according to a letter seen by Reuters from committee chairman Devin Nunes, a Trump supporter. Steele compiled the so-called Trump dossier, which Trump was told by FBI director James Comey contained salacious material about the businessman-turned president. Trump and his associates have said the dossier's contents were false. Law enforcement and congressional officials said that the Justice Department and the FBI were reluctant to comply with the demand for documents as the FBI had its own probe, under the supervision of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, into U.S. allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign to tilt the November election in Trump's favor. Moscow has repeatedly denied meddling and Trump has denied any collusion between his campaign and Russian officials. Two officials said Nunes met with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein behind closed doors on Thursday to discuss the subpoenas. "The Deputy Attorney General is meeting with Nunes as part of an ongoing negotiation over what information DOJ will provide or how it will be provided," a Justice Department official said. The FBI declined to comment on anything to do with Nunes' request. A spokesman for Nunes declined to comment. According to a Sept. 1 letter Nunes sent to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the subpoenas demand that the department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation produce all documents related to their "relationship" with Steele and the "so-called 'Trump Dossier". Such documents, the letter said, would include any payments the FBI made to Steele, and any efforts the government made to corroborate the contents of Steele's reports. Sessions recused himself earlier this year from the Russia investigation. Nunes publicly recused himself from leading the Russia probe in April following a secret visit he paid to White House officials. Democrats on the committee said Republicans issued the subpoenas in an attempt to discredit Steele. Republicans say it is important to understand the genesis of the dossier and whether it was created to sabotage Trump during his successful campaign for president. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee has also been battling with the Justice Department for months over its request to interview two FBI officials about Trump's dismissal in May of Comey as FBI chief, according to letters from the committee and the department. The department twice refused to allow them to testify, according to the letters. On Sept. 22, it agreed that it would be "appropriate" for the officials to testify provided that it would be in a classified setting and did not interfere with Mueller's inquiry. The Senate panel's chairman, Charles Grassley, had told reporters on Sept. 20 that the committee had begun drafting subpoenas to compel the testimony. In another letter dated Sept. 27, the conditions of the testimony still appeared to be in dispute. (Additional reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Grant McCool)
(This September 29 has been corrected to fix date of election in paragraph 3) NAIROBI (Reuters) - A Kenyan government watchdog said on Friday it was investigating whether police had assaulted students during protests this week at the University of Nairobi over the detention of an opposition lawmaker. Police fired tear gas on Thursday at the protesting students. Video footage posted on social media later in the day showed uniformed officers outside dormitories and inside classrooms using batons to hit people who did not appear to be involved in the campus protests. It was the latest crackdown by police on protests since an Aug. 8 presidential election that was later annulled by the Supreme Court. A re-run of the vote has been set for Oct. 26. The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) "this morning noted from social media reports of an incident in which members of the National Police Service allegedly stormed the University of Nairobi and assaulted students at the institution," the authority said on its Twitter feed. It requested that any member of the public come forward to provide information to aid the investigation. The students had been protesting against the re-arrest of a lawmaker, Paul Ongili Owino, on Wednesday, shortly after he was released on bail on charges of subversion for calling President Uhuru Kenyatta a "son of a dog" at a campaign rally. VIOLENCE Kenya is a key Western ally in a region often roiled by violence. Preparations for the re-run of the election are being closely monitored for signs of instability, after at least 28 people were killed in unrest following the Aug. 8 vote. The IPOA watchdog was created in 2011, after police came under severe criticism for the number of protesters killed during demonstrations against disputed elections in 2007. The violence then killed around 1,2000 people. But local and international rights groups say the institution is struggling to fulfill its mandate to investigate allegations of police brutality in a country rife with reports from civilians of extrajudicial killings by security forces. The IPOA has secured two convictions of police officers in the four years it has been operational. The watchdog pledged last month to fast-track investigations into high-profile deaths such as that of a baby allegedly killed by police in the violence after the election. [L4N1L34FC] But people familiar with the status of these investigations say the police are not cooperating with them, and that senior officials in the police force and the interior ministry insist officers killed only thieves and thugs. (Reporting By Maggie Fick and Humphrey Malalo; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Washington (AFP) - At least 1,200 Iraqi security personnel were killed during the operation to recapture Mosul from the Islamic State group, the US-led coalition against the jihadists said on Friday.

"The October 2016 to July 2017 battle to liberate Mosul reflects a significant sacrifice by our Iraqi partners, who lost 1,200-1,500 personnel in action, with an approximate 8,000 more wounded," the coalition said in a statement.

It did not provide a breakdown of casualties among the various forces that took part in the grueling battle.

The July recapture of Mosul, a city that IS seized more than three years before, was the biggest defeat the jihadists had been dealt since the war to push them back began.

Iraqi forces often release figures for IS fighters they say they have killed, but are extremely reticent about their own losses.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and other support have since regained most of the territory they lost.
In the latest act of bookish resistance, school librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro sent a letter to Melania Trump on Tuesday, rejecting the Dr. Seuss books FLOTUS donated to Cambridgeport School.

The donation was part of the First Lady's National Read a Book Day initiative. The Office of the First Lady said she'd worked with the Department of Education to identify schools in each state with programs that achieved high standards of excellence.

SEE ALSO: Melania Trump gave a good speech on bullying. The only problem? Her husband is a bully.

Each of these schools was to receive a letter from FLOTUS and a package of 10 books including Seuss-isms!; Because a Little Bug Went KaChoo; What Pet Should I Get?; The Cat in the Hat; I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!; One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; The Foot Book; Wacky Wednesday; Green Eggs and Ham, and Oh, the Places You'll Go!

On National #ReadABookDay I encourage everyone to read a book. Let every page educate you & take you on an exciting journey!  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) September 6, 2017

Phipps Soeiro explains that although her school's "beautiful and diverse student body" was excited to read the personalized letter from the First Lady and receive books embossed with official White House name plates, the library would NOT be keeping the books.

Although Melania and Barron Trump are fans of Dr. Seuss, Phipps Soeiro said the author was "a bit of a cliche" and a "tired and worn ambassador for children's literature." She suggested that the First Lady consult with Dr. Carla Hayden, the current Librarian of Congress, for some better recommendations.

The librarian also raised her concerns about the "racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes" in Dr. Seuss's illustrations. One of the 10 books donated to the school, The Cat in the Hat, is among those criticized for racist imagery. Phipps Soeiro cited Gracie Hwang Lynch's article in the School Library Journal analyzing the children's book and the theory that the Cat in the Hat is a caricature of black (or blackface) minstrel entertainers.

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The Trumps aren't the only national figures with a fondness for Green Eggs and Ham.

Theodore Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) has long been associated with children's literacy in the U.S.

In 1997, the National Education Association came up with its "Read Across America" day, which is celebrated annually on March 2, the author's birthday.

President Obama has said he's "still a big Dr. Seuss fan," according to the Washington Post, and FLOTUS Michelle Obama once read Seuss' Oh, The Things You Can Do That Are Good For You! to a group of kids at a White House event promoting her healthy living initiative, ABC reported.

But this wasn't just about Dr. Seuss.

Phipps Soeiro went on to bash the Trump administration's education policies. The librarian explained that her public school didn't "have a need for the books," as she works in a district with "plenty of resources." She expressed sympathy for schools affected by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' policies, which she said had "no interest in outcomes of children, their families, their teachers, and their schools."

Some of Trump's supporters were not happy with Phipps Soeiro's takedown.

.@FLOTUS Thanks Melania for your graciousness. Why on earth do Democrats hate Green Eggs and Ham?  https://t.co/pKLyxgkySK  Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 29, 2017

If you believe Dr. Seuss books are racist, you might be a moron.  Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) September 29, 2017

The "librarian in [her]" prompted Phipps Soeiro to send Melania her own list of 10 books to "offer a window into the lives of the many children affected by the policies" of the Trump administration. The "Dear Mrs. Trump" booklist includes stories of children of diverse backgrounds and walks of life, including The Boy & the Bindi and Mama's Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation.

Cambridge Public Schools told CBS that the librarian's letter was not an official statement on behalf of the school district nor a "formal acceptance or rejection of donated books." The district said it has "counseled" Phipps Soeiro on its policies.

However, Cambridgeport School has recently shared its own politically themed book recommendations on Twitter.

How do you "Stand Up"? pic.twitter.com/yHOdfVsjpi  CPORT | Specialists (@Cport_Special) September 26, 2017

Maybe Melania could read these books to the president to teach him a thing or two.
Rockets could be used instead of planes says Elon Musk (NASA)

Billionaire Elon Musk has unveiled plans for intercontinental rocket flights which could see people travel from London to New York in just 29 minutes.

The entrepreneur said the BFR (which officially stands for Big F*****g Rocket) spacecraft unveiled by his company SpaceX could travel to most places on earth in under 30 minutes and anywhere in under an hour.

He also claims the cost would be the same to an economy flight on a chartered plane.

The passenger rockets could reach speeds of around 7,000mph.

Billionaire Elon Musk (Rex)

Californian-based Musk says the rockets will be able to travel to Mars and says the first launch will take place in 2022.

He thinks we can be ready to begin colonising the planet from 2024.

But he insists that is not the end of their use.

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Musk said the high-speed rockets, as well as travelling around the galaxy, can be put to use much closer to home.

If you build a ship thats capable of going to Mars, what if you take that same ship and go to another place on earth, so we looked at that and the results are quite interesting, he said.

The revolutionary plans were unveiled in Sydney.

Musks company unveiled radical plans on Friday (Twitter/Space X)

SpaceX claims it would be able to fly from Hong Kong to Singapore in 22 minutes, New York to London in 29 minutes, and the 10,500-mile trip from Sydney to London would take 51 minutes.

Musk, who runs electric car maker Tesla, said the rockets could carry 100 passengers at a time.
Napa County supervisors were spared having to decide if the proposed Flynnville winery approval should be overturned or upheld.

The Flynnville owners and a neighbor reached a settlement with the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The neighbor dropped an appeal of an April decision by the county Planning Commission.

That clears the way for the building of a 40,000-gallon-a-year winery on 10 acres at 1184 Maple Lane that fronts Highway 29 near Calistoga. Changes from the Planning Commissions approval included phasing in marketing events and having seasonal visitation hours.

Were happy with the settlement thats been reached, attorney Lawrence Papale told supervisors on behalf of the Flynnville owners.

Appellant Joan Zoloth also told supervisors she agrees to the settlement.

Even so, the Board of Supervisors held an hour-plus Flynnville hearing, with supervisors seeking clarifications and adding to the approval language on the fly.

Flynnville along Highway 29 has long posed a planning challenge for the county. It began as a small area of rural commercial uses more than 50 years ago and became entangled with subsequent agricultural protection laws.

Over the years, Flynnville has had such commercial uses as todays Jims Supply and a now-gone PG&E utility yard. The winery will affect only part of the property, with some of the buildings, such as the one housing Jims Supply, remaining.

Some have called Flynnville  named after a former owneran eyesore. The present-day owners see the planned winery as a change for the better.

We hope you will agree the project as envisioned and is being proposed to you is an improvement over whats there now, Papale told supervisors.

Supervisor Diane Dillon referred to conditions of approval dating back to 1976 calling for warehouses and other buildings at Flynnville to be painted in earth tones to blend in with the rural area. Landscaping was to be installed.

Why the neighbors have complained - this goes to the root of the problem - is that the current conditions of approval have never been enforced, Dillon said.

The current owners inherited a lot of the problems, Dillon said. But she called for painting the buildings slated to remain, building fences and installing landscaping before the winery can be built.

Owner Dan Pina didnt object, though he has his own issues with an agriculturally zoned property that has legal non-conforming commercial uses and room for more than a winery.

One of the biggest difficulties weve had in the 18 years weve owned the property is to get anybody in this building (county administration) to tell us what we can do, he said. Theyre very quick to tell us what we cant do.

Pina said he wants clarity.

We look forward to working in partnerships with you, that we will abide by all the (historic) conditions of approval, as long as youre honest and above board as to what we can do, Pina said. Thats all we ask.

Zoloth told supervisors about the difficulties citizens have in making their cases to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors. Winery owners can afford consultants and attorneys, while citizens may not understand such planning terms as variance.

Mediation might help to resolve such disputes as the one over Flynnville, she said.

I apologize that it got to this situation, Zoloth told supervisors.

Supervisors have the hard job weighing the needs of wineries and needs of neighbors and their right to enjoy their properties, she said. She talked of the need for compromise.

Some in the community are afraid that the county rubberstamps approvals, Zoloth said. She wants Napa County to preserve its brand as a premiere destination.

My fear is were losing a lot of our tourists to Sonoma County and we will lose because we have a situation now where we have diluted our brand to such an extent that people will stop coming here, she said.

With that, supervisors denied the appeal in light of the settlement, added a few twists of their own to the conditions of approval and ended the hearing.
By Philip Blenkinsop and Julia Fioretti TALLINN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel praised French President Emmanuel Macron's ambitions for the European Union on Thursday and said his ideas could be the foundation for "intense" Franco-German cooperation on the future of Europe. Meeting before a summit dinner of EU leaders in Estonia, Merkel and the recently elected Macron are keen for the bloc's founders to drive it forward in the wake of Brexit, though the losses she suffered in winning a fourth term on Sunday mean Europe's leading politician faces uncertain support at home. On Tuesday, Macron outlined bold proposals for a European renewal, calling for the European Union to work more closely on defense and migration and for a euro zone budget. He urged his peers to put European vision above national interests, saying in his address that he had "no red lines, only horizons". However, he faced a cautious hearing when he expounded his ideas to fellow EU leaders over dinner in Tallinn. "European horizons drawn. Important to avoid mirages in the desert on the way," Lithuania's no-nonsense President Dalia Grybauskaite tweeted while the discussion was still going on. The informal get-together was arranged on the fly before a "digital summit" on issues ranging from data and cybersecurity to raising more tax from online firms. It had no set agenda and could range widely, even allowing for Prime Minister Theresa May to pitch her ideas on Britain's looming exit from the European Union. But diplomats said its focus will be on the fizz of new initiatives, notably from Macron. An EU source said there was a "strong and shared willingness to maintain the unity" and that the European Union should be "open to address new ideas" while continuing to work to deliver concrete results for citizens. A French presidential source said France was not trying to impose its ideas on its partners but to show them that they were in their common interest and recognized that some needed time to reflect. "The idea is not about forcing people to give a binary response. France cannot force things," the source said, adding that Paris hoped leaders could agree on a way to work on the ideas in the coming weeks before an October summit in Brussels. The Estonia meeting comes four days after a German election that has raised the prospect of months of tough coalition talks for Merkel, the most influential EU leader, and two days after Macron's rallying cry for deeper integration of national economies. "Macron has stolen the show," one senior EU official said of the dinner debate. Many admire the youthful new French president's energy and oratory after years in which Paris, long a driving force of the European Union, has appeared bereft of self-confidence. Merkel told reporters before a meeting with Macron that his ideas could be the basis for "intense" Franco-German cooperation. "As far as the proposals were concerned, there was a high level of agreement between German and France. We must still discuss the details, but I am of the firm conviction that Europe can't just stay still but must continue to develop," she said. However, she may find it hard to commit Berlin to much as she has barely started the process of building what is likely to be a three-way coalition government. Macron was also likely to face polite but firm resistance at the dinner to his calls for a substantial pooling of national budgets in the euro zone and a possible breakaway by the wealthy, western states into a deeper monetary union. The French presidential source recognized that euro zone matters would not be easy and that it might not be possible to have agreement on all items, although Merkel had not earlier on Thursday ruled anything out. Eastern European leaders are cautious about the risk of new cleavages on the continent leaving them behind, while there are plenty, like Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, a moving spirit behind the Tallinn dinner, who are skeptical about more financial burden-sharing before southern neighbors -- including France -- put their own national budgets on a sounder footing. NEW DYNAMIC Brussels diplomats had been a shade nervous about the leaders being left, unscripted, to their own devices at a time when not only Macron but EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker and others have been delivering a stream of ideas. These focus on how the bloc, emerging from a slump and a series of crises, can reinforce itself in the wake of Britain's departure in 2019. Summit chair Donald Tusk moderated the discussion which went on past midnight and the EU source said he would "consult with his colleagues in the coming two weeks and propose how to take the work forward." May also attended the dinner, despite Britain's increasing isolation as it prepares to quit the bloc in 18 months. May arrived with a better sense of whether her keynote major Brexit speech last Friday has succeeded in unblocking talks in Brussels on Britain's divorce package. The chief EU negotiator, Michel Barnier, praised on Thursday a "new dynamic" to Brexit negotiations created by concessions made by May although progress was still not sufficient to allow discussions on a transition period after Brexit or on future trade relations. EU officials said she should not expect direct feedback in Tallinn from the other leaders. But she was expected to talk to some of them individually as she pursues her quest for agreement to open talks on close ties with the bloc after Britain leaves. The EU insists that cannot happen until "significant progress" is made on divorce terms -- notably how much Britain owes. Her speech in Florence has, so far, averted a stalemate, EU negotiators say, opening the way for some positive movement. (Writing by Alastair Macdonald, additional reporting by Philip Blenkinsop, Julia Fioretti, David Mardiste and Thomas Escritt; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg, Hugh Lawson and Lisa Shumaker)
BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, head of a group of five countries in Africa's Sahel region, has asked the United States to remove a travel ban on Chadian nationals, saying that a failure to do so could affect Chad's security commitments. Security analysts expressed surprise when Chad, a key U.S. security partner since the Cold War, was named last week alongside North Korea and Venezuela as part of an eight-country the travel ban. [nL2N1M50PK] Chad's army acts as a bulwark against local and regional armed movements and played a critical role in pushing back troops from jihadist group Boko Haram when they made a bid to expand beyond northeastern Nigeria in 2015. Its troops continue to hold front-line positions in unstable north Mali where jihadists ousted government authorities five years ago. As recently as February, Chad, also a key French ally, hosted a U.S. military training exercise for special forces as part of a broader strategy to empower regional troops such as the G5 Sahel security bloc consisting of Chad, Mali, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso. "The president of the G5 thinks this decision could affect the commitment of Chad, which has until now shown itself to be a key partner in the fight against terrorism in the G5 Sahel and beyond," said Keita in a statement sent to journalists late on Wednesday. "The president...calls on the authorities to favourably re-examine the matter by lifting the sanctions against Chad," he added. Chadian officials expressed surprised at the decision earlier this week, calling it "incomprehensible". The new U.S. measures, which have no end-date, help fulfill a campaign promise President Donald Trump made to tighten U.S. immigration procedures and align with his "America First" foreign policy vision. The White House says the restrictions are the consequences for countries not meeting new requirements for vetting immigrants and issuing visas. (Reporting by Adama Diarra; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Meghan Markle's choice of clothing when she attended the 2017 Invictus Games with Prince Harry received a thumbs up from the critics.

Markle's great outfit choices have sparked comparisons between her fashion influence on the masses to Kate Middleton's. The Duchess of Cambridge's choice of wardrobe has always gained the interest of the public, and the "Suits" actress is apparently following in her footsteps.

According to Daily Telegraph, when Markle appeared at the Invictus Games with her beau, her style wasn't as glamorous as Middleton's. Prince William's wife usually steps out with a demure and classic style of dress for public events. However, the "Horrible Bosses" actress set a new fashion trend with her white button-down shirt and jeans, which gained the public's approval.

The publication noted that the Meghan Effect has started and it is as potent as the Kate Effect. Markle's $420 jeans by Los Angeles-based brand Mother were sold out moments after she was photographed wearing them. Her $230 Misha NoNoo blouse and $640 Sarah Flint footwear also flew from the shelves shortly after. Meanwhile, her $210 tote bag has become more in-demand with a lengthy waitlist.

There is no doubt that Markle's popularity is growing, especially now that Prince Harry has been spending more time with her in Toronto. In fact, NBC Universal has given the actress new security protocol. The "Dater's Handbook" star has reportedly been given round-the-clock protection courtesy of a personal security team. NBC Universal, the media giant behind the program service USA Network where "Suits" airs, also extended the protection to her home and the set of her hit TV series.

A number of cameras were installed at the back and front of Markle's rented home. There is also a team that performs regular sweeps on the street. According to her neighbors, the street was "full of police" when Prince Harry was there.

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The duke is set to stay in Toronto from Sept. 22 to 30 for the Invictus Games. Earlier this week, Prince Harry also stopped by the set of "Suits" to visit his lady love. She returned the favor by giving the royal a tour around the set and introducing him to her co-stars and the crew.

"He was super low-key, met some crew and was so happy to watch his lady. He's incredibly supportive of her work," a source said.

Meghan Markle

Photo: Getty Images/Robin Marchant

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A librarian at Cambridgeport Elementary School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, rejected Melania Trump's donation of Dr. Seuss books this week, citing illustrations that are "steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes" while also citing how the school is properly funded and also offering criticism of the Trump administration's controversial Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

"School libraries around the country are being shuttered. Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Detroit are suffering through expansion, privatization, and school 'choice' with no interest in outcomes of children, their families, their teachers, and their schools, wrote award-winning school librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro on the Horn Book Family Reading blog.

"Are those kids any less deserving of books simply because of circumstances beyond their control? Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? Why not reflect on those 'high standards of excellence' beyond only what the numbers suggest? Secretary DeVos would do well to scaffold and lift schools instead of punishing them with closures and slashed budgets."

The move prompted a response Friday by the first lady's camp.

Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's director of communications, said Friday in a statement that the librarian's reaction was "unfortunate" because Trump has repeatedly used her position to aid children.

"[Melania Trump] has demonstrated this in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to children across the country is but one example," Grisham said. "To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the First Lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere."

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As a part of "National Read a Book Day," the first lady handpicked a school in each state nationwide to be the recipient of a collection of 10 Dr. Seuss books. "The Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham" were among the list of titles included in the gift.

"As I was thinking of your return to school, I wanted to send you a special gift...Remember, the key to achieving your dreams begins with learning to read," Trump wrote in a letter enclosed with the gift.

Soeiro wrote that she works "in a district that has plenty of resources, which contributes directly to 'excellence,'" and that Cambridgeport students have access to an extensive school library.

Soeiro also pointed out the alleged racism depicted throughout Dr. Seuss' work. She cited "If I Ran a Zoo" and "And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street" as examples that boast racist mockery.

The first lady's efforts mirrored actions performed by Michelle Obama, who was known to read Dr. Seuss books to young children. Melania Trump has read the famed author's books at educational events for children, including a reading in March of "Oh, the Places Youll Go" at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Melania Trump

Photo: Getty Images

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First lady Melania Trump called a librarian who rejected her gift of Dr. Seuss books divisive. (Photo: Getty Images)

A school librarian who rejected a shipment of books from Melania Trump for their racist undertones was brandished divisive by the first lady.

Liz Phipps Soeiro is a librarian at Cambridgeport School in Massachusetts and the recipient of an honor bestowed to one high-achieving school library in each state. To coincide with National Read a Book Day on Sept. 6, each library received a package of 10 Dr. Seuss books: Seuss-isms!; Because a Little Bug Went KaChoo; What Pet Should I Get?; The Cat in the Hat; I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!; One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish; The Foot Book; Wacky Wednesday; Green Eggs and Ham; and Oh, the Places Youll Go!

Melania has called Oh, the Places Youll Go! a favorite book, reading it aloud to children at a New York City hospital in March for Read Across America Day (also Dr. Seusss birthday), much like Michelle Obama in past years.

However, Phipps Serio declined the shipment, explaining her reasoning on the Horn Blog Tuesday. Dear Mrs. Trump, my students were interested in reading your enclosed letter and impressed with the beautiful bookplates with your name and the indelible White House stamp, she wrote. However, we will not be keeping the titles for our collection. Id like to respectfully offer my explanation.

Phipps Serio highlighted her amazing school district adding, School libraries around the country are being shuttered. Cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and Detroit are suffering through expansion, privatization, and school choice with no interest in outcomes of children, their families, their teachers, and their schools. Are those kids any less deserving of books simply because of circumstances beyond their control? Why not go out of your way to gift books to underfunded and underprivileged communities that continue to be marginalized and maligned by policies put in place by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos? Why not reflect on those high standards of excellence beyond only what the numbers suggest? Secretary DeVos would do well to scaffold and lift schools instead of punishing them with closures and slashed budgets.

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Then, Phipps Serio turned her attention to the subject matter of the books. So, my school doesnt have a NEED for these books. And then theres the matter of the books themselves. You may not be aware of this, but Dr. Seuss is a bit of a cliche, a tired and worn ambassador for childrens literature.

She continued by name-checking specific books. Another fact that many people are unaware of is that Dr. Seusss illustrations are steeped in racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes. Open one of his books (If I Ran a Zoo or And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, for example), and youll see the racist mockery in his art.  Scholar Philip Nels new book, Was the Cat in the Hat Black? The Hidden Racism of Childrens Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books, further explores and shines a spotlight on the systemic racism and oppression in education and literature.

You and your husband have a direct impact on these childrens lives, wrote Phipps Serio. Please make time to learn about and value them. I hope you share these books with your family and with kids around the country. And I encourage you to reach out to your local librarian for more recommendations.

Yahoo Lifestyle could not reach Phipps Serio, and her social media channels appear to have been removed. But that didnt stop people from tweeting their disapproval of the librarians gesture.

2. Here's a picture Liz Phipps Soeiro posted actually celebrating Dr Seuss's books, so apparently she likes "racist" reading materials also! pic.twitter.com/F1CY0XJx5f  Deplorable Tigerfan (@Auburngirlx) September 29, 2017

If you believe Dr. Seuss books are racist, you might be a moron.  Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) September 29, 2017

Stephanie Grisham, White House director of communications, released the following statement to various media outlets. [The first lady] has demonstrated [her commitment to children] in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to children across the country is but one example. To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the first lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere.

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Vice President Mike Pence is heading to Manhattan next month to huddle with leaders and donors of the formidable network backed by the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

The two-day private retreat, on Oct. 12 and 13, is designed to help the small-government patrons pick their fights in House, Senate and state-level campaigns in next years midterms. A third of the Senate is in play, as is the entire House and 36 governors offices. The Koch-backed groups expect to spend as much as $400 million during the 2018 election cycle, either directly on these races or on the periphery to push policies that dovetail with the candidates.

As a legislator, Governor and now Vice President, Pence truly understands how good policies can help all Americans improve their lives, Koch executive James Davis said in an email announcing the Pence visit.

The strategy retreat will convene officials and patrons from the major Koch-linked groups: the activist-focused Americans for Prosperity; the Hispanic- and Latino-facing LIBRE Initiative; the military-aligned Concerned Veterans for America; and the young-voter targeting Generation Opportunity. An affiliated super PAC, Freedom Partners Action Fund, will also be on hand. Each group is expected to play a role in defending Republican majorities in Congress and pushing programs that boost the Kochs vision of a smaller government, less regulation and increased freedoms.

These groups are among the most effective in conservative politics. Democrats have consistently cried foul on their millions in spending because many of its donors are never disclosed. Under campaign finance laws, they do not have to be because their efforts, including television ads, seldom are explicitly about the election. Wiggle-phrases like Call your Congressman or Tell your Senator give them a loophole to say the messages arent about elections and thus not subject to donor disclosure. Cash given to the campaign-driven super PAC, however, is disclosed.

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Pence is a familiar face for these seminar participants. Many in the Koch orbit had hoped he would seek the presidency  or that he may yet. The current White House legislative director, Marc Short, ran the Koch network for years and is a former Pence chief of staff from his days in the House. The mind meld between the Koch world and Pences office is strong, and a Koch nudge in 2024 may clear the field for him.

Thats not to say the Koch groups have been particularly helpful for the White Houses agenda. Charles Koch in particular is no friend to President Trump and didnt do much to help his presidential bid. The Koch network was unhappy with the failed outline to scrap Obamacare and is teed up to pick fights as the White House lays the groundwork for a rewrite of the tax code.

Yet one of the top Koch lieutenants, Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity was at the White House on Monday for a dinner with the President. He sat to the Presidents right.
Divers discovered a massive piece of the Space Shuttle Challenger at the bottom of the ocean, the first Gen Z member of Congress has been elec
A model is warning others after an eye tattoo gone horribly wrong may leave her completely blind in one eye.

Catt Gallinger, a model from Ottawa, Canada, decided to get a sclera tattoo, which tints the color of the whites around the eye. However, the 24-year-olds attempt at body art backfired, leaving her partially blind and oozing purple tears.

In a series of posts shared several thousand times on Facebook, Gallinger took it upon herself to inform others of the dangers of sclera tattoos, and has been posting regular updates since her surgery in mid-September.

Gallinger stated she knew something was wrong immediately after the procedure and was rushed to the local hospital. She was administered antibiotic eye drops for a week and a half. However, the drops did not solve the problem and caused the eye to swell completely shut.

I have been to the hospital three times, I had no furry pets to cause any dander, and I wash my hands every time I do anything with my eye, both before and afterwards. I was on antibiotic drops for the first week and a half and have been on steroid drops for four days now, with little success at bringing down the internal swelling. The external swelling lasted for almost a week, she wrote.

Her sclera was torn by the size of the needle. Gallinger also wrote the tattoo was botched by undiluted ink, over injection, not enough/smaller injections sights.

Speaking to the Sun, Gallinger said she wanted to modify her eye color to "make me feel more at home in my body".

Look into not just the artist and their portfolio, but to talk to some of their clients, talk to other artists about them and get experiences beforehand, the model told the Sun, advising those interested in sclera tattoos.

As of today, I have no intention on ever modeling again, Gallinger wrote in another emotional update.

The practice of tinting the white of the eye is a relatively new form of body modification and is gaining popularity throughout the world. According to a 2013 article by the Huffington Post, while the tattoos give a look that is striking and irreversible, it is not clear what their long-term effects on vision would be.

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Body modification artist Russ Foxx from Vancouver, Canada, told Huffington post that there were a number of known short-term risks associated with injecting too much ink during a sclera tattoo, including prolonged headaches, sensitivity to light, and staining of surrounding tissue due to ink migration.

Foxx who also reiterated Gallingers warning and said the profile of the artist who does the tattoo should be studied and caution should be exercised.

Do not attempt to tattoo eyeballs without proper training and understanding of the anatomy and safety risks involved. Do not let anyone tattoo your eyes if they cannot show you that they have a portfolio and a thorough understanding of the procedure and everything involved, Foxx said.

He recommended that an open-minded ophthalmologist be consulted to make sure that you do not have any hereditary eye-conditions that may be adversely affected by the tattoo.

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Its been just over a month since Myanmars military launched a brutal campaign against minority Muslims living in Rakhine state, sparking what the United Nations has called a human rights nightmare. More than half a million Rohingya refugees have fled the country to date, U.N. officials say.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recounted bone-chilling accounts from those who fled, mainly women, children and the elderly in a speech before the U.N. Security Council this week. Their testimonies, he said Thursday, point to excessive violence and serious violations of human rights.

The Rohingya have extremely limited rights in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, and are classified as illegal immigrants rather than citizens. They have long suffered from state-sponsored discrimination and possible crimes against humanity.

But their plight rapidly and drastically worsened after Aug. 25, when Rohingya militants attacked government security posts. The military responded with extreme retaliation, prompting refugees to flee to neighboring Bangladesh  now the worlds fastest developing refugee emergency, according to Guterres.

In the past month, human rights groups have reported rape, arson, killings and other forms of abuse against Rohingyas and their villages by state actors.

Nobi Hossain wades through the water carrying his elderly relative, Sona Banu, as hundreds of Rohingya refugees arrive by wooden boats from Myanmar to the shore near Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, on Sept. 27. (Photo: Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

Desperate to escape by any means necessary, Rohingyas have fled Myanmar by land and sea, sometimes walking for several days without food. On late Thursday, a boat carrying more than 60 Rohingyas capsized off the Bangladeshi coast. Twenty-three are confirmed dead, including several babies. The rest are missing, unaccounted for or feared to have drowned.

This tragedy is a grim reminder of the extraordinary risks that desperate Rohingya are taking in order to escape the violence engulfing their homeland, said UNICEF Bangladesh representative Edouard Beigbeder. Dozens of others are believed to have perished making similar journeys since the crisis erupted in late August, he noted.

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But Myanmars national security adviser, U Thaung Tun, denied accusations of persecution against Rohingyas in an address to the Security Council on Thursday.

I can assure you that the leaders of Myanmar, who have been struggling so long for freedom and human rights, will never espouse policy of genocide or ethnic cleansing and that the government will do everything to prevent it, he said. We are concerned by reports that thousands of people have crossed into Bangladesh. We would like to fathom the real reasons for the exodus.

Rohingya refugees queue for aid at Cox's Bazar on Sept. 26. (Photo: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters)

His claims echoed those of Myanmars U.N. ambassador, Hau Do Suan, who insisted on Monday: There is no ethnic cleansing. There is no genocide of Muslims in Myanmar. He rejected all accounts to the contrary as unsubstantiated allegations.

Myanmars civil leader, Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has so far said little to address the crisis, despite heated international pressure to do so. Suu Kyi, who skipped the U.N. General Assembly this month, has also dismissed mounting allegations of state-sponsored atrocities against Rohingyas as misinformation.

Myanmar has blocked all U.N. aid agencies from delivering urgently needed humanitarian supplies to Rohingya communities.

Also on HuffPost

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An exhausted Rohingya refugee woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesd, on Sept. 11, 2017.

Rohingya Muslim refugees disembark from a boat on the Bangladeshi side of Naf river in Teknaf on Sept. 13, 2017.

Recently arrived Rohingya refugees wait to receive aid donations on Sept. 13, 2017, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Exhausted Rohingya refugees rest on the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, on Sept. 10, 2017.

Rohingya refugees reach out their hands to grab aid packages in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 17, 2017.

Rokeya Begum, 23, holds her 4-day-old twins born in a makeshift tent on Sept. 17, 2017, in Kutupalong, Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Rohingyas are seen after arriving by boat on Sept. 14, 2017, in Shah Porir Dip, Bangladesh.

Rohingya refugee children carry an old woman in a sling near the Balukhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 13, 2017.

This photograph taken on Sept. 12, 2017, shows Rohingya refugees arriving by boat at Shah Parir Dwip on the Bangladesh side of the Naf River after fleeing violence in Myanmar.

A Rohingya Muslim woman gets off a boat after crossing over from Myanmar into the Bangladesh side of the border, in Shah Porir Dwip near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh on Sept. 13, 2017. Rohingya Muslims pay local fishers 36 U.S. dollars in order to cross to Shah Porir Dwip peninsula.

A Rohingya refugee girl sits next to her mother who rests after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 6, 2017.

A Rohingya refugee man pulls a child as they walk to the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh, on Sept. 10, 2017.

Rohingya Muslim refugees build temporary makeshift shelters, after crossing the border from Myanmar, in the Bangladeshi town of Teknaf on Sept. 10, 2017.

Rohingya refugee people take part in Eid al-Adha prayer near the Kutupalang makeshift refugee camp, in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 2, 2017.

Rohingya refugees climb up a hill after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 8, 2017.

A Rohingya refugee boy stands in a queue to receive relief supplies given by local people in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 16, 2017.

A Rohingya refugee carries a child through a paddy field after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 6, 2017.

A local man carries an old Rohingya refugee woman as she is unable to walk after crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 1, 2017.

A Rohingya refugee boy walks in the water after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Sept. 1, 2017.

Rohingya refugees stands in an open place during heavy rain, as they are held by Border Guard Bangladesh after illegally crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on Aug. 31, 2017.

Rohingya refugees stretch their hands to receive aid distributed by local organizations at Balukhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 14, 2017.

Rohingya refugees walk on a muddy path at Thaingkhali makeshift refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sept. 14, 2017.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian troops that took part in war games in neighboring Belarus have returned to their bases, a Russian general said on Saturday. "As for units of Russian forces that took part in a mutual strategic military exercises 'Zapad 2017', they all returned to their permanent disposition," TASS news agency quoted Major-General Igor Konashenkov as saying. "Zapad" is the Russian word for "west". Konashenkov spoke after Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Viktor Muzhenko said Russia had left troops behind after staging the war games despite promising not to. Relations between Kiev and Moscow nosedived after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and supported the outbreak of a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people. Muzhenko told Reuters that Russia had withdrawn only a few units from Belarus and had lied about how many of its soldiers were there in the first place. Konashenkov said Muzhenko's remarks on Russian troops in Belarus were a fantasy. He said the comments were "a reason for an immediate resignation for such an executive officer," referring to Muzhenko. A Belarussian defense ministry spokesman said the last train of Russian troops and equipment had left Belarus on Thursday, Sept. 28. (Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Stephen Powell)
The family of Latesha Bynum (pictured) faced down her accused killer in court. (Photo: WCBS)

They killed my baby, said Bertie Bynum as she left a Manhattan courtroom.

The accused, Allison Spence, 44, of Queens, was arraigned Friday on charges of second-degree manslaughter and unauthorized practice of a profession. Spence allegedly gave silicone injections to Latesha Bynum, 31, who later died as a result.

According to sources speaking to the New York Post, Bynum had gone to a black-market clinic in an unmarked building on East 21st Street near First Avenue in Gramercy Park on July 15.

Two hours after the procedure, Bynum complained of chest pains and dizziness. She called 911 and was rushed to Mount Sinai St. Lukes hospital, but was declared brain-dead shortly after arriving and taken off life support two weeks later.

Spence apparently acted as a nurse for the cosmetic injections. A fake physician associated with the case remains at large. Spence and the fake doctor allegedly opened the cash-only clinic in 2013. Spences bail has been set at $1 million.

Spences sister, Lisa, admitted to the New York Daily News that her sister has no medical background. My sister told me she just massaged the body muscles where she got injected, she said. My sister never injected anybody.

Bynums family are now making funeral arrangements, and their attorney has said they plan to file a $1 billion lawsuit. Bynum is survived by her mother, brother, and two daughters.

Deadly butt injections are not uncommon. Women seeking Kardashian-style curves on the cheap will sometimes turn to black-market doctors for the procedure. In June 2015, Kelly Mayhew, 34, died in Queens after a phony plastic surgeon injected silicone into her buttocks.

The quest for curves is not only an American phenomenon. In May, Brazilian police raided an alleged black-market clinic in Rio de Janeiro offering butt-lifts to women. Footage of the raid was captured by police and shared online.

In that case women were being injected with methacrylate, also known as bone cement, typically used for setting joints or in shaping bone structure in reconstructive surgery. The practice is banned in the U.S. and U.K.

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Buttock augmentation, more commonly known as the Brazilian butt lift, involves injecting fat or synthetic material into the buttocks to give them a fuller shape. Unless performed by professionals, the consequences, as evident from these cases, can be severe.

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Its time to get your flu shot. Does that scare you?

The vaccine can keep you from getting influenza, but on the off-chance that you end up with the flu anyway, it can lessen its severity. And the shots are free for anyone with health insurance, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, and theyre available at doctors offices, clinics, pharmacies and even many schools and businesses.

However, flu vaccination rates have plateaued. Last season, only 43.3 percent of adults got the vaccine and only 59 percent of children. Among health care workers, only 78.6 percent got shots, similar to the 2015 to 2016 seasons 79 percent rate.

Public health officials at the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases annual flu news conference were at a loss to explain the stagnant rate.

But Patsy Stinchfield, senior director of infection prevention and control at Childrens Minnesota, had an idea: Nobody likes shots.

People dont like needles, she said at Thursdays conference. And health care professionals actually have needle phobia just like the general population does.

Flu vaccine rates have plateaued in recent years. (Photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Its safe to guess that most people dont enjoy getting jabbed. But for a small minority of the population, it can grow into trypanophobia, or fear of needles, when the aversion to injections is so severe it produces a physical response, even fainting. Researchers estimate it affects 3 percent to 10 percent of the population.

Sometimes the phobia is so intense that it prevents a person from getting much-needed medical care. In an article for the British Journal of Anaesthesia, clinical psychologist Kate Jenkins writes of three patients she worked with to overcome needle phobia: a 24-year-old man whose fear was so extreme he refused to have chemotherapy to treat Hodgkins lymphoma, a pregnant woman who refused blood tests and a woman who had avoided medical care for so long she ended up with a 9-pound breast tumor.

Addressing needle fear is the driving force behind efforts to research other methods of delivering vaccines, including patches and sprays. But until a reliable alternative for flu vaccine hits the market, people are going to have to rely on psychological coping strategies to get through their doctors visit.

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Jenkins writes that breathing exercises, relaxation strategies and controlled exposure to the thing they fear most are good ways to help people with milder needle phobias. But those who usually faint may need a more intense course of therapy.

Stinchfields advice? Breathe through the mouth, let your arm hang limp like a spaghetti noodle and then imagine your favorite place in the whole wide world.

Because needle phobia is so common, and because there are so many ways to approach the problem, we asked HuffPost readers what helped them get over their fear of needles. Here are four tips from readers that mirror doctors suggestions to dull pain, practice mindfulness or engage in immersive therapy.

1. Numb your skin with ice

After having to receive and give myself a shot every day for 34 weeks and twice a day for four weeks, Ive learned that if you take a deep breath and count to three, I can handle it. Numbing the skin with an ice cube helps too. Cant even feel it.  Morgan A. Flannery

2. Listen to your favorite music

I have them lay me down, I dont look, I relax because tensing makes it worse, and I usually have my favorite music in my headphones. I have had a lot of needles in the last two years (chemo, iron infusions, high risk pregnancy, etc.), and that combination has helped me a lot. Lastly Im a hard stick and letting the staff know ahead of time is beneficial! Dont let anyone dig around for a vein  have them find a phlebotomist who is good at sticking!!!  Julie Conant Wallace

3. Eat a snack before and after

Im a fainter. Ive started eating something, at least a granola bar, before AND after shots. I have to make a conscious effort to breathe in and out and to not hold my breath during the injection. Ive also started telling the people drawing my blood or giving me shots that Im a bleeder and I faint. It makes them be extra careful with me even if its been over a year since my last fainting spell.   Taylor Stoner

4. Face your fear head-on

Got over my fear of them in College when my friends made me type my blood for biology class, donate blood at the Red Cross, get my ears pierced and get my vaccinations all updated (had not been done since I was in grade school). This was all accomplished in the space of 4 hours! I used to break out in hives and get hysterical if the doctor even mentioned using a needle on me. Now I could care less.  Nancy Foulke

Of course, theres also the question of why some children grow up to develop extreme aversions to needles in the first place. A few studies suggest there are some risk factors, and they include parents anxiety about needles, painful past experiences with injections and a high number of same-day injections from ages 4 to 6.

Its worth it to get over the phobia to get that flu shot each year, though. Its especially important for people with chronic conditions including diabetes, lung disease and heart disease; those who are more susceptible to the illness; and people who are in frequent contact with others who are too young or medically compromised to be vaccinated.

And despite the myths, the vaccine doesnt cause the flu, but it can come with some mild side effects, including fever, nausea and soreness at the injection site.

So really, its nothing to fear.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Authorities only became aware the newborn had died after Ms Piland's brother called from California to inform police a baby had died at the couple's home

A mother ignored a midwifes warning their newborn baby could die of jaundice on religious grounds and refused to seek treatment for her child.

Rachel Joy Piland, from Michigan, told the midwife God makes no mistakes, according to a police detective who testified in court last week.

Detective Peter Scaccia said: "Rachel declined to seek any medical treatment for Abigail, stating God makes no mistakes. She indicated to the midwife that the baby was fine."

Two days later on 9 February her daughter died from unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus, according to an autopsy by a medical examiner. Both of these conditions are linked to jaundice  a common condition in newborn babies that can resolve itself on its own but requires a doctor to monitor.

"He [the medical examiner] said if treated, most likely she would've been alive," Mr Scaccia said.

Ms Piland, 30, and her husband, Joshua Barry Piland, 36, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter - a charge that carries up to 15 years in prison.

The case is likely to put the Pilands' apparent belief in divine healing and the religious group they have been involved in Faith Tech Ministries directly against government officials who argue parents are responsible for obtaining medical care for their infant.

Authorities only became aware the newborn had died after Ms Piland's brother called from California to inform police a baby had passed away at the couple's home.

The midwife, who helped deliver two of Ms Pilands previous children, voiced no worry about the babys health when she was born on 6 February but her assessment changed the next day when she saw her jaundiced skin.

According to Detective Scaccia, the midwife recommended Ms Piland to take her child to a pediatrician or emergency room.

She told Piland the baby could suffer brain damage or die if not properly cared for, he told the court.

Although the midwife arranged another appointment for the next day Ms Piland later cancelled it.

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Despite the fact Abigail wasn't eating properly and coughed up blood, the detective said Ms Piland put the two-day-year old child near a window wearing just a diaper utilizing a hair dryer to keep her warm.

On the morning of 9 February, Ms Piland found her daughter "lifeless and not breathing" in a bouncy seat.

"He [the father] attempted one rescue breath but had no success. He did not want to perform CPR because he only knew how to perform it on adults, not children," the detective said.

"They then brought Abigail upstairs to pray for her. Joshua continued to massage Abigail, attempting to get her good air. Both Josh and (Rachel) reached out to friends and fellow church members to come to their home and pray for Abigails resurrection, but never called the police.
KIRKUK, Iraq  As the last polling stations closed on Monday evening, crowds of cheering Kurds thronged the Boulaq neighborhood in Kirkuk. Families waved Kurdish flags from car windows and young men clapped and danced in the street. Kurdish Asayish security struggled to impose a curfew, confiscating an assault rifle from a woman who was firing in the air in celebration.

The festivities followed a controversial referendum on Kurdish independence, which covered not just the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq but also disputed territories currently controlled by Kurds but also claimed by Iraqs central government in Baghdad.

Not everyone was celebrating in Kirkuk. The referendum was held over the objections of citys Turkmen, Arab, and Christian populations, and even staunch supporters of Kurdish independence acknowledged that the city was on tenterhooks. The most sensitive part of any future dialogue between Kurds and Baghdad will be Kirkuk, said 54-year-old Kurd Ali Mohamed, one of the last people to vote at Bekhout School on Monday. Kirkuk epitomizes the problems of Iraq.

The Kurdistan Regional Governments (KRG) gambit to hold an independence referendum against the will of the federal government, neighbors Turkey and Iran, and much of the international community was nowhere more risky than in the disputed territories. Kurdish leaders are betting that if they can maintain calm in the coming days they will be in an improved position to negotiate with Baghdad. But with Shiite militias and Kurdish Peshmerga skirmishing in outlying towns in the disputed territories, and Baghdad and neighbors threatening punitive measures against the Kurds, the risk of major sectarian conflict has risen to an all-time high.

The Kurds claim Kirkuk province is historically Kurdish, but their interest in the city may have just as much to do with the oil fields underneath it, which would play an essential role in keeping afloat the economy of an independent Kurdish state. (Kirkuk fields currently provide the KRG with an estimated 275,000 barrels per day.) The citys Turkmen population contests Kurdish historical claims to the city, however, and like Kirkuks Arabs wish to remain part of Iraq.

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Many of Kirkuks Arabs were resettled from southern Iraq during a campaign of ethnic gerrymandering under former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, which displaced tens of thousands of Kurds from the oil-rich region. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq, though, a new constitution attempted to lay out a road map for resolving the question of governance of disputed territories whose demographics had been affected by Arabization. Article 140 of the constitution stipulated that populations would be normalized by resettling Arabs and Kurds to reverse Arabization, after which a referendum would be held to decide whether remaining residents wanted to join the Kurdistan Region of Iraq or stay in federal Iraq. That referendum was never held, and today there are no reliable figures for the demographics of Kirkuk  holding a census remains too politically fraught  but since 2003 Kurds have returned in large numbers, and in recent years they have consolidated control over Kirkuk.

Two days before the referendum, Kirkuk Governor Najmiddin Karim  himself a Kurd  inaugurated a 26-meter-high statue of a Peshmerga on Kirkuks outskirts. The figure of the flag-bearing fighter in traditional Kurdish clothing was built to commemorate the Kurdish fighters who have controlled the city since federal police and army units fled Kirkuk ahead of the Islamic States 2014 advance across northern Iraq.

The citys Arabs and Turkmen viewed the statue the same way they had the hoisting of the Kurdish flag on government buildings earlier in the year, and the decision to hold the Kurdish independence referendum in the city at all  as an illegitimate move to preemptively decide Kirkuks future. Both Kurdish President Masoud Barzani and Governor Karim deny the charge. This referendum vote is not about Kirkuk being in the Kurdistan region or being in Iraq, Karim told Foreign Policy ahead of the vote. The basis of deciding the future of Kirkuk is still Article 140.

Far from being reassured, Turkmen and Arab leaders in Kirkuk warn of impending communal violence stemming from the referendum. If we go to a referendum without consensus, it will be an sectarian war in Kirkuk, deputy head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front Hasan Turan told FP ahead of the vote. We decided to boycott the referendum.

Likewise, Sunni Arab leaders opposed the vote. The Arab community in Kirkuk fully rejects the referendum being held in this province, local Sunni councilor Sheikh Burhan al-Obeidi said. We consider Kirkuk an Iraqi city.

In contrast to high turnouts in Kurdish areas, polling stations in predominantly Arab and Turkmen neighborhoods were quiet. In the mixed Kurdish-Turkmen neighborhood of Boulaq, a Kurdish election supervisor estimated that just a third of eligible Turkmen had voted. Outside of the city in districts that are even more intensely contested, polling stations were only set up in Kurdish areas, according to researcher Christine van den Toorn, director of the Institute of Regional and International Studies at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. No Turkmen would ever walk over to one of these neighborhoods and vote no, she said.

While Kurdish forces are solidly in control of the city of Kirkuk, areas like Tuz are contested between Kurdish forces and Shiite militias. Formerly a predominantly Kurdish part of Kirkuk province, Tuz was attached to Salahaddin province under Saddam to reduce Kurdish influence in oil-rich Kirkuk. The provincial capital Tuz Khurmatu has been the scene of fierce clashes in the past, and Kurds and Shiite militias again skirmished there on referendum day.

Perhaps the greatest risk of conflict, though, will come if Iraqi forces mobilize in the south. While Kurds in Kirkuk were celebrating Monday evening, the Iraqi parliament demanded that troops be sent there and to other disputed territories. Karim said he hoped such rhetoric would die down and calm would prevail. Were hoping  and I personally believe  that threats of violence will not materialize.

Without a legal mechanism for implementing the outcome of the referendum, Kurds now hope to enter secession talks with Baghdad. The response from Baghdad, however, has not been encouraging. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is under pressure from hardline Shiites not to compromise, was defiant in an address on state television on Monday. We are not ready to discuss or have a dialogue about the results of the referendum, because it is unconstitutional, he said.

The Kurds, meanwhile, are yet to outline a strategy to bring Baghdad to the negotiation table. In an in-depth interview with FP in June, Barzani declined to say how the Kurds would respond to Baghdad stonewalling talks. When asked again in a press conference on Saturday, he replied: We will never, ever close the door to negotiation from our side.

Baghdad, on the other hand, is considering a range of punitive measures against the Kurdistan Region. Already it has asked other countries not to buy oil from the KRG based in Erbil and has threatened to close Kurdish airspace. Turkey, meanwhile, has threatened to shut down the pipeline on which the KRG relies to access foreign markets, and its military has carried out military exercises near the border.

If holding the referendum in Kirkuk was a Kurdish power play, the KRG may have overplayed its hand. If the referendum raises tensions to the point where dialogue collapses, the landlocked Kurds risk being isolated by Baghdad and its neighbors, a scenario that played out once before during the 1990s. I think this referendum was so much about having more leverage for any negotiations that will happen in Kirkuk, said AUISs van den Toorn. I think at this point, though, that opportunity for negotiation is probably lost because of how polarized it is between Erbil and Baghdad, and how in a corner Abadi is.

Back in the polling station in Boulaq on Monday evening, Kurdish voter Mohamed offered an Arabic proverb when asked about the future of Kirkuk. If you want something, you have to compromise, he said. But when asked how this applied to the Kurds in Kirkuk, he answered: The vote was our compromise.

Photo credit: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
By Alex Dobuzinskis

(Reuters) - An Oklahoma man who had converted to Islam was convicted of murder on Friday in the case of a female co-worker who was beheaded three years ago, after the jury rejected his plea of insanity, local media reported.

A jury also found Alton Nolen, 33, guilty of assault crimes after less than two hours of deliberation in Cleveland County criminal court, the Oklahoman newspaper reported.

Nolan had been suspended from his job at a food distribution plant in the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, when he carried out the attack on co-workers in September, 2014.

He grabbed Colleen Hufford, 54, from behind and cut her across the throat with a large knife at Vaughan Foods plant in Moore, police said.

He also wounded co-worker Traci Johnson, who survived. The carnage ended when Nolan was shot inside the warehouse by a company executive.

After his arrest, Nolen confessed to investigators, telling them in a recording that he felt oppressed, the Oklahoman newspaper reported.

"You know all I was doing was ... what I was supposed to do as a Muslim," he said in the recording, which was played for jurors, according to the Oklahoman.

His attorneys asked jurors to find their client not guilty by reason of insanity, the Oklahoman reported, as the lawyers said Nolen had constructed his own religion out of conflicting beliefs.

Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty in the penalty phase of the trial, scheduled to begin next week.

"I'm definitely pleased with the outcome thus far," Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn told reporters after the verdict. "Justice for Colleen is what we're all wanting."

Nolen has said that he wants to be executed.

In October 2015, a Cleveland County judge dismissed claims that Nolen was mentally impaired and declared him competent to stand trial.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
Puerto Rico is suffering following Hurricane Marias direct hit of the island last week. The majority of the people on the island are without safe water and there is no electricity. Homes, buildings and infrastructure were destroyed by the storm. But one area, where the Arecibo Observatory sits, is doing surprisingly well.

News from the observatory is a lot better than we expected considering the devastation of Puerto Rico, Joan Schmelz, deputy director of the observatory, told International Business Times

The observatory sits about 60 miles southwest of San Juan. It was built out of tens of thousands of perforated aluminum panels into a limestone sinkhole. The telescope is a radio telescope that mirrors radio waves with wavelengths between three centimeters and six meters.

arecibo observatory

Photo: NOAA

Engineers are still learning the extent of the damage that the telescope and observatory suffered, but theyre hopeful that it might be up and running as early as Friday. The assessment process has been day-to-day, What we found yesterday determines what we do today, said Schmelz.

Engineers have been inspecting the structures and the telescope for days now, determining what damage was inflicted and whether everything is structurally sound. So far, the news has been good, if it continues to be good, We could observe tomorrow with the main telescope, Schmelz said.

arecibo telescope

Photo: National Science Foundation/Flickr

That news Schmelz and the team are waiting on is about the status of the receivers as well as the platform. Everything with the motion and control of the moving parts of the platform and then the condition of the receivers, she said. Earlier this week the engineers were inspecting the platform of the telescope itself, that was found to be structurally sound, Schmelz said. They were also able to move the tracking components of the telescope which allowed for a more detailed inspection that they were hoping to complete Thursday.

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Schmelz was attending a conference in the United States when the hurricane hit and hasnt been able to make it back since. The first contact she made with anyone on the island was with her husband, via a Ham radio operator based in Connecticut a few days after the storm. When her flights to Puerto Rico were canceled she decided to head to the the Universities Space Research Association headquarters in Baltimore. When her flight landed there from Atlanta, she turned on her phone and had a text from the operator telling her that her husband, who was in Puerto Rico during the storm, was safe.

Since then shes been getting daily updates on the observatory from her staff who got hold of a SAT phone. But she still only gets one update phone call a day. Thats frequent enough though that she knows the status of the observatory and telescope as well as her staff.

All the staff that chose to shelter at the observatory and their families, they are safe, Schmelz said. The staff and their families are given the option to stay at the observatory during storms or to stay at their own homes.

The observatory has a lot of concrete buildings that are some of them are between hills, she said. This makes it an ideal hurricane shelter. By now, the roads to the observatory are clear, a diesel tanker truck even made it up to the road, and some employees who have fuel and a clear path from their homes are headed back to work Thursday.

Inspections Thursday will determined whether or not the telescope is fit for making continuing observations.

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An Oprah Winfrey presidential campaign would be one of our favorite things, but its not going to happen.

The talk show legend started a flurry of speculation on Thursday when she retweeted a New York Post column suggesting she might be the Democrats best hope in 2020.

Thanks for your VOTE of confidence! she added.

@jpodhoretz Thanks for your VOTE of confidence!Democrats best hope for 2020: Oprah | New York Post https://t.co/tvt82v8cMH  Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) September 28, 2017

The idea that Winfrey might run against President Donald Trump got a thumbs-up from many of her Twitter followers:

Think of the campaign posters!! Sunglasses and scarfs!!!   PurplePersister (@KrisIsPissed) September 29, 2017

this woman owns a multi billion dollar enterprise that she built from scratch. she's done more than your president ever could.  Dennis  (@tansahsa) September 29, 2017

# Oprah bankruptcies -0

# contractors Oprah failed to pay 0

# failed enterprises 0

# ppl employed who aren't relatives 1000s  Skipperdee (@Skipperdee2015) September 29, 2017

But apparently its a no-go, according to a publicist for Winfrey.

She was just thanking the reporter, she is not running for office, the publicist told TheWrap on Friday.

Back in June, Winfrey told the Hollywood Reporter that the idea of being a candidate was just a pipe dream.

I will never run for public office, she said. Thats a pretty definitive thing. ... And I dont know [if I could beat Trump]. I dont know the answer to that. I will never have to know the answer to that because I will never run for public office.

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Too bad because she had a potentially great platform if this GIF is any indication.

EVERYONE GETS A CAR!!! pic.twitter.com/2oYvBW6pUK  Waltzing Matilda (@EnslavedByCats) September 29, 2017

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"There is no greater gift you can give or receive than to honor your calling. It's why you were born. And how you become most truly alive."



Photo: Oprah in 1956.

"What I know for sure is this: You are built not to shrink down to less, but to blossom into more. To be more extraordinary. To use every moment to fill yourself up."



Photo: Oprah in 1960.

"The chance to love and be loved exists no matter where you are."



Photo: Oprah in 1971.

"Everything you've ever done prepares you for all that you can do and be. Once you clarify your purpose for doing something, the way to do it becomes clear."



Photo: Oprah in 1973.

"Life isn't about what you have but what you have to give."



Photo: Oprah with Jesse Jackson in 1975.

"We're all called. If you're here breathing, you have a contribution to make."



Photo: Oprah in 2003.

"Everything we've ever done and all we're meant to do comes together in harmony with who we are. When that happens, we feel the truest expressions of ourselves."



Photo: Oprah in 2004.

"Your life's journey is about becoming more of who you are."



Photo: Oprah with Gayle King in 2006.

"Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own."



Photo: Oprah in 2007.

"I know for sure that only by owning who and what you are can you step into the fullness of life."



Photo: Oprah with Eckhart Tolle in 2008.

"The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give."



Photo: Oprah in 2009.

"If you allow yourself to breathe into the depth, wonder, beauty, craziness, and strife -- everything that represents the fullness of your life -- you can live fearlessly. Because you come to realize that if you just keep breathing you cannot be conquered."



Photo: Oprah in 2009.

"No gesture is too small when done with gratitude."



Photo: Oprah in 2009.

"Doubt means don't. Don't move. Don't answer. Don't rush forward."



Photo: Oprah in 2010.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Air France says a passenger flight to California from Paris was forced to land in Canada following 'serious damage' to one of the plane's four engines - NBC News/Enrique Guillen

French aviation investigators arrived in Canada on Sunday amid questions over the cause of an apparent engine explosion that forced an Air France airliner to make an emergency landing.

Passengers reported hearing a loud bang on the Paris-Los Angeles flight, followed by vibrations that shook the cabin for 20 minutes.

By the time the Airbus A380 superjumbo jetliner landed at a military airfield in Goose Bay, Newfoundland on Saturday, the cowling covering one of the planes four engines had been completely torn off.

Here's a video of the landing. pic.twitter.com/aLUoM5avLH  Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) 30 September 2017

Pamela Adams, a passenger, said there was a tremendous bang like the plane hit a Jeep at 35,000 feet. We grabbed on to something and then we sat down, and the plane righted itself fairly soon.

Another passenger, Daniel McNeely, said those in window seats said the entire engine exploded in a giant fireball.

The crumpled engine of the Air France A380 superjumbo is seen in this photo taken by one of the passengers on board. Credit: AFP PHOTO / TWITTER / Sarah Eamigh

Sarah Eamigh said: The cabin started vibrating. Someone screamed, and from there we knew something was wrong. We saw the cabin crew walking through the aisles quickly, and we heard an announcement from the captain that said one of our engines had an explosion.

An Air France Airbus A380 is seen during an emergency landing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay Credit: Reuters

Passengers nervously joked to each other as they tried to work out what had happened, Ms Adams said. Some thought the plane had struck a bird.

The forced landing revived memories of engine damage to a Qantas A380 shortly after takeoff from Singapore seven years ago. The November 2010 incident prompted the grounding of the entire Qantas A380 fleet  six airliners at the time  for more than three weeks.

I talked to the passenger by the window and He said the entire engine exploded into giant fireball.  Daniel McNeely (@DanMcneely) September 30, 2017

There were no injuries among the 520 people aboard the double-decker airliner. Passengers completed their journeys to Los Angeles aboard two planes sent by Air France to Goose Bay, which is used as a emergency landing spot for transatlantic flights.
(CEDARTOWN, Ga.)  Two Georgia police officers were shot, one fatally, Friday while checking on a stolen car in the northwest region of the state, a county official said.

Two suspects had been arrested and a manhunt was underway for a third person in connection with the deadly shootings Friday morning about 60 miles (95 kms) northwest of Atlanta, Barry Atkison, assistant county manager for Polk County, told The Associated Press.

One of the Polk County police officers had responded to a call about a suspicious car about 11 a.m. Friday when a license plate check revealed the car had been stolen, Atkison said. The officer called for backup, he said, and waited for the second officer to arrive before taking further action.

As they approached the vehicle, both officers were shot, Atkison said. One officer is deceased. The other was shot in the chest in the (protective) vest. He appears to be in good condition.

The GBI released a statement that authorities were searching for a man last seen in the area who was considered armed and dangerous. The GBI did not identify him as a suspect, but advised residents not to approach him and to call 911 if hes seen.

The agency used the National Blue Alert System to announce their search for the man. The system is used to foster communication between law enforcement and the public, and was created to support families of fallen officers.

Photos posted by The Rome News-Tribune showed officers gathering at a wooded area along a roadside.

Atkison, who was serving as a police spokesman, did not release the officers names.
By Maria Carolina Marcello BRASILIA (Reuters) - The approval rating for Brazilian President Michel Temer's scandal-plagued government has sunk further since new corruption charges were brought against him, and 92 percent of Brazilians do not trust him, a new poll published on Thursday showed. The survey by pollster Ibope said the number of people who consider Temer's government "bad" or "terrible" rose to 77 percent from 70 percent in the previous survey carried out in July. The proportion of those who rate his government as "great" or "good" slipped to just 3 percent from 5 percent. Only 6 percent of Brazilians still trust Temer, down from 10 percent, the poll said. The government's approval rating collapsed in July after Temer was hit by a first corruption charge that was blocked by Congress in August, which saved him from standing trial before the Supreme Court. But federal prosecutors filed new accusations against him of obstructing justice and being a member of a criminal organization in a corruption case involving the owners of the world's largest meatpacker JBS SA. They accused Temer of taking bribes in return for political favors and of conspiring to buy the silence of a witness who could implicate the president. The lower house of Congress, which has the authority to decide whether a president should be put on trial, is expected to vote on the new charges in mid-October at the earliest. Analysts expect the Congress to again reject a Supreme Court trial for Temer, putting him on course to serve out his term until the end of 2018. But the corruption debate will delay passage of his plan to overhaul Brazil's costly pension system, a key measure to bring a gaping budget deficit under control. "He was already a very unpopular president proposing unpopular measures. Now there is the perception that he, his cabinet and his ruling coalition are involved in a series of wrongdoings," said Lucas de Aragao, partner at the Brasilia-based political risk consultancy Arko Advice. Temer's ratings have fallen below the worst result of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff, whom he succeeded when she was impeached last year. Rousseff and her Workers Party called her ouster a "coup" orchestrated by Temer and his allies so they could shield themselves from corruption investigations. Thursday's poll was commissioned by the National Confederation of Industry lobby and surveyed 2,000 people between Sept. 15-20 across Brazil. It has a margin of error of 2 percentage points. (Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Bernadette Baum and W Simon)
The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting her third child, and as with her previous pregnancies, she is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum. (Photo: Samir Hussein via Getty Images)

Prince William offered an update on his wifes condition this week as she battles hyperemesis gravidarum.

On Sep. 4, Kensington Palace announced that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting the couples third child. The announcement noted that, as with her previous pregnancies, she is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum  a condition that involves severe nausea, vomiting, weight loss and dehydration for expectant mothers.

On Wednesday, Prince William attended an awards ceremony and reception for the Metropolitan and City Police Orphans Fund, where he spoke to 98-year-old Iris Orrell, an award recipient whod suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum herself.

On Wednesday, Prince William attended an awards ceremony and reception for the Metropolitan and City Police Orphans Fund, where he spoke to 98-year-old Iris Orrell. (Photo: PA Wire/PA Images)

During their conversation, Orrell spoke about her experience with hyperemesis gravidarum. According to Express, she told Will her doctor advised her to try dry biscuits.

The prince revealed that Duchess Kate has tried to ease her sickness with ginger. Ginger biscuits  but theres not much ginger can do to stop that. Weve done all that, he said.

Prince William also asked Orrell if her hyperemesis gravidarum got worse with each pregnancy, to which she answered yes.

Ultimately, the award recipient wished the duchess well.

She is feeling better, thank you, Prince William replied.

During their conversation, Orrell spoke about her own experience with hyperemesis gravidarum (Photo: PA Wire/PA Images)

Kates illness has caused her to miss a number of events, including Prince Georges first day of school. The little prince, who started at Thomass Battersea on Sep. 7, is reportedly a bit fed up with school already.

Louise Smith, a mother of two who spoke to Prince William during his visit to the town of Milton Keynes on Tuesday, told reporters about their conversation.

It was really exciting meeting William, she said. He told me hed just dropped Prince George off at school and he didnt want to go. Sounds a bit like mine, really.

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The Trump Administration finds itself increasingly on the defensive over private travel by Cabinet officials. The revelation that Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price took more than a dozen flights on privately chartered jets put his job in jeopardy and his boss into damage control mode. But Price is not the only member of presidents team in hot water, and the Cabinets high-flying ways point to a culture of extravagance at the highest levels of the Trump Administrationoften racked up on the peoples credit card. Trump is upset with Price and may fire him for the offense, officials said.

Neil Gorsuch is acting like a veteran justice. The U.S. responds after diplomats fall ill in Cuba. And the administrations Puerto Rico message problem.

Here are your must reads:

Must Reads

Beyond the Daily Drama and Twitter Battles, Trump Begins to Alter American Life

The unpublicized impact of his administration [Reuters]

Neil Gorsuch Is Already Acting Like Hes Been on the Supreme Court for Years

TIMEs Tessa Berenson on the new Justice before the start of the term

US Cuts Embassy Staff, Urges No Travel to Cuba

After diplomats fall ill [Associated Press]

Price Took Military Jets to Europe, Asia for Over $500K

Accompanied by his wife, the HHS secretary journeyed to Geneva, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo and other cities for events.

Twitter Finds Hundreds of Accounts Tied to Russian Operatives

But lawmakers are frustrated with the companys response [Washington Post]

Republican Tax Plan Quickly Hits First Hurdle

GOP lawmakers from high-tax states oppose repealing individual deduction for state and local taxes [Wall Street Journal]

Politics NewsletterSign up to receive the days top political stories View Sample

Sound Off

If you cant treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out.  Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria, superintendent of the Air Force Academy, in a speech on the power of diversity

Dammit, this is not a good news story. This is a people are dying story.  San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz responding to Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Dukes characterization of the hurricane response effort

Story continues

Bits and Bites

Tom Price Isnt Actually Paying the Full Cost of Those Private Plane Rides That Had Trump Open to Firing Him [TIME]

Zinke took $12,000 charter flight home in oil executives plane, documents show [Washington Post]

White House launches probe of private email accounts [Politico]

Tom Price Apologizes After Using Taxpayer Money for Private Jet Flights [Associated Press]

Gary Cohn says a typical American family earns $100,000 a yearheres how much they really make [CNBC]

Deportations slow under Trump despite increase in arrests by ICE [Washington Post]

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin: GOP Tax Plan Would More Than Offset Its Cost [Wall Street Journal]
Even before Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the islands electric grid was in bad shape. Nearly half the countrys electricity came from expensive oil shipped to the island. Power outages occurred frequently, and electricity prices were higher than anywhere else in the U.S. except Hawaii. The territorys electric authority, mired in debt, could not afford to fix the problem.

Those problems now seem minor by comparison. The vast majority of the islands population is currently living without power. Authorities acknowledge they need months before power returns to some regions. Still, energy experts say the rebuilding effort offers a unique opportunity to outfit the island with the electric grid of the future: a state-of-the-art system built from scratch using renewable energy sources like wind and solar, which would be cheaper to operate and would respond better to the next hurricane.

The reimagined grid would rely on the concept of a microgrid, which are localized electric grids that allow communities to keep power even if centralized power plants are not functioning. Microgrids incorporate small-scale power plantsthink small solar arrays, or a couple of wind turbinesas well as energy storage solutions like batteries to keep electricity flowing. Transmission lines can connect microgrids to the wider grid, but the link is not necessary.

The idea was touted on Friday by Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello, who said he was considering it as one possible step for the island territory of 3.4 million.

We can start dividing Puerto Rico into different regions and then start developing micogrids, says Rossello. Thats not going to solve the problem, but its certainly going to start lighting up Puerto Rico much quicker.

Moving to energy sources like wind and solar also makes sense from an economic perspective, according to energy policy experts. Using microgrids would mean that the island could avoid investing in expensive long-distance transmission lines, which could easily be destroyed by the next storm. Wind and solar would also allow Puerto Rico to move away from oil, a relatively expensive commodity when compared to other electricity sources.

Story continues

If the standard was that Puerto Rico should procure the cheapest electricity for its residents, its not oil, says Jeff Navin, a former deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Energy. Solar and wind, and frankly anything else, are going to be much cheaper.

Despite these advantages, theres no guarantee Puerto Rico will move to a renewable smart grid as it rebuilds. Prior to Maria, the islands energy authorities were slow to move toward renewables, instead planning a transition to natural gas that included a $380 million liquified natural gas terminal. Natural gas, the cheapest source of electricity in many parts of the country, provides the most logical alternative to wind and solar in Puerto Rico. But a number of barriers remain, including the high capital costs of building new transmission lines. The challenge of getting natural gas to the island is compounded by the Jones Act, a federal law that requires such shipments to be made on U.S.-made ships.

Perhaps more importantly, Republican officials in Washington will need to sign off on recovery funding. In the past, many have shown little enthusiasm for renewable energy sources. The Trump administration has launched a number of initiatives in recent months aimed at improving the coal, nuclear and oil and gas industries.

Indeed, Energy Secretary Rick Perry suggested this week that the next generation of nuclear power plants may be the right solution for Puerto Rico, though realistically such a solution would take years to complete.

Wouldnt it make abundant good sense if we had small modular reactors that literally you could put in the back of C-17 [military cargo] aircraft, transport it to an area like Puerto Rico, and push it out the back end, crank it up and plug it in? he asked a clean energy gathering this week, according to a Bloomberg BNA report.

If Puerto Rico wants to restore electricity to the island as quickly as possible over the coming months, nuclear power is not the fastest solution. But whatever the island does, it will likely need the support of Republicans to help pay for it.

With reporting from Karl Vick/San Juan, Puerto Rico
Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price resigned Friday following reports that he spent more than $1 million in taxpayer money on chartered and military flights for official travel across the United States.

Days before Prices departure, President Donald Trump had said he was not happy about the secretarys unnecessary spending, and hours before Prices resignation, the president added, Im disappointed in him.

Prices departure, however, wont bring an end to questions about Trump administration officials spending of public funds on expensive travel. Trump may have promised to drain the swamp, but several Cabinet secretaries appear to fit in comfortably.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is being investigated by the Treasury Departments inspector general for opting to use a government jet to commute from New York to D.C. after an August news conference in Trump Tower, ABC reported last week. The trip of less than an hour cost at least $25,000.

Investigators are also exploring why Mnuchin requested the use of an Air Force jet to travel on his honeymoon to Europe over the summer.

The Treasury Department launched its probe after Munchins wife, Louise Linton, posted a photo to Instagram of the couple disembarking from a military plane in Kentucky on the day of the solar eclipse. In the comments, Linton flaunted her lavish lifestyle and later berated a woman who criticized her for sharing the image along with tags on which designer items she was wearing.

A spokesman for the Treasury Department told ABC that the honeymoon request was eventually withdrawn and that the department welcomed the review.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke also has faced scrutiny for using military and private planes while traveling on official business. The Washington Post reported this week that Zinke and his staff traveled on chartered private planes between the islands of St. Croix and St. Thomas during a three-day trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands in March.

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Politico and the Post also reported that Zinke and his entourage paid more than $12,000 for an oil companys plane to take them from Las Vegas to Montana in June.

The Interior Department said in a statement that Zinkes travel was completely compliant with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, and claimed there were no commercial flights that fit the secretarys schedule.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and members of his staff spent more than $14,000 on a chartered flight for stops in Oklahoma in July, CBS News revealed.

Since taking office in February, Pruitt racked up at least $58,000 in costs for four non-commercial flights, according to The Washington Post.

An EPA spokeswoman told the Post that Pruitt usually flies commercial and that the private flights stemmed from unusual circumstances.

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Mick Mulvaney

Mike Pence

Reince Priebus

Stephen Miller

Steve Bannon

Jared Kushner

Kellyanne Conway

Sean Spicer

Donald Trump

Vladimir Putin

Bonus: Sean Hannity

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During the Aug. 1 Napa City Council meeting, Councilwoman Juliana Inman requested that the City Manager write a letter to AT&T asking them to survey and report on what lead sheathed cable remains in the ground and to remove that stuff before it's forgotten. She went on to say, "As long as it's their utility, what have you got? Where is it? What's the plan for it?

The Napa County Green Party strongly supports Councilwoman Juliana Inman's request and truly appreciates her efforts. The best way to protect our citizens from this omnipresent danger of lead is to remove all known sources of lead from our environment.

Lead sheathed telecommunication cables were installed by the phone company over the last 100 years, and since then, there are serious concerns the cables are aging and deteriorating, leaching lead into our food and water supply.

Last June, the Environmental Defense Fund released a report titled, "Lead in Food: A Hidden Health Threat." The group evaluated data collected by the FDA from 2003 to 2013. This included over 2,000 baby food samples. They found 89% of grape juice samples contained detectable levels of lead.

This lethal element is everywhere in our environment, and it is important to get all the sources, both direct and potential sources, out of our food chain.

These cables are being abandoned or have been abandoned because of fiber optic technology. We need to ask our phone companies to identify all of their locations and present a schedule for prompt removal.

These cables also contain recyclable materials, such as copper, which would help pay the cost of removing the cables, and the phone companies would make a positive net revenue. There would be no cost to pass off to consumers.

The Richmond City Council voted unanimously to send a strong letter to the phone companies in June. If Richmond can do it, so can the city of Napa.

We ask the rest of the Napa City Council to support Councilwoman Juliana Inmans request pertaining to lead sheathed telecommunication cable removal, and send a strong letter to AT&T.

We would also like to encourage the Napa County Board of Supervisors to send a letter as well.

James Hinton
(BEIJING)  U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Saturday for a calming of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, but said it was incumbent on North Korea to halt its missile launches.

Following meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials in Beijing, Tillerson said he believes China has become deeply concerned about the Norths missile and nuclear programs and is working hard to convince Pyongyang to re-enter talks, but did not say specifically what form those talks should take.

I think the most immediate action that we need is to calm things down, Tillerson told reporters. Theyre a little overheated right now. And I think we need to calm them down first.

Asked whether that should apply to recent pointed remarks from President Donald Trump, Tillerson replied: I think the whole situation is a bit overheated right now. I think everyone would like for it to calm down.

Obviously it would help if North Korea would stop firing off missiles. That would calm things down a lot, Tillerson said.

Ties between Beijing and Washington are considered more crucial than ever with the standoff over Pyongyangs nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles entering a new, more dangerous phase as its leader, Kim Jong Un, and Trump exchange personal insults and threats of war with no sign of a diplomatic solution.

Trump has been pressing for tougher measures on Pyongyang from China, the Norths chief trading partner and source of aid and diplomatic support. Although adamantly opposed to steps that could bring down Kims regime, Beijing appears increasingly willing to tighten the screws on Pyongyang, and agreed to tough new United Nations sanctions that would substantially cut foreign revenue for the isolated North.

Tillerson reiterated Saturday that the U.S. would not recognize North Korea as a nuclear power, but said it also had no intention of overthrowing Kims regime.

In opening remarks at his meeting with Xi, Tillerson said relations between the sides continue to grow and mature on the strength of the relationship between yourself and President Trump.

Story continues

And we look forward to advancing that relationship at the upcoming summit, Tillerson said, referring to Trumps first state visit to Beijing expected in November.

Saying he had a good working relationship and personal friendship with Trump, Xi said the presidents upcoming visit offered an important opportunity for the further development of China-U.S. relations. The exchange, he said, would be a special, wonderful and successful one.

Earlier, Tillerson told top Chinese foreign policy adviser Yang Jiechi that a strong relationship between Trump and Xi bode well for dealing with political and economic differences between the two countries.

Our two presidents have developed a very regular and close working relationship, Tillerson said.

Trumps visit, Tillerson said, also provided an opportunity to assess progress made between the sides since Xi and Trump met in April at the U.S. presidents estate in Florida.

There they agreed to a 100-day plan for trade talks. After visiting China this week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said theres been some progress, including a deal to let U.S. beef into China, but they need to tackle bigger things and more difficult things. The U.S. priorities are better market access, less protectionism and protecting intellectual property rights.

Tillerson is making his second visit as secretary of state to the worlds No. 2 economy and chief American rival for influence in Asia, and increasingly, the world. Along with Xi and Yang, he met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who told Tillerson that China-U.S. relations overall have a positive momentum and have arrived at an important opportunity to progress further.

On Thursday, Beijing ordered North Korean-owned businesses and ventures with Chinese partners to close by early January, days after it said it would cut off gas and limit shipments of refined petroleum products, effective Jan. 1. It made no mention of crude oil, which makes up the bulk of Chinese energy supplies to North Korea and is not covered by the U.N. sanctions.

China has also banned imports of North Korean coal, iron and lead ore, and seafood since early September.

Still, Washington hopes China will exert even greater pressure, even while Beijing says the impasse cant be solved by sanctions alone and calls on Washington to cool its rhetoric and open dialogue with Pyongyang.

Other than North Korea, the U.S. and China have other security concerns to address. They remain at odds over Beijings military buildup and assertive claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Tillerson is also expected to restate concerns about Chinas massive trade surplus with the U.S.  $347 billion last year  and what American companies say are unfair barriers to investment, including pressure to hand over their technology.

Washington wants Beijing to make good on its promise to let market forces have a bigger role in its economy, give equal treatment to foreign and Chinese companies and roll back state industrys dominance.

Trumps planned visit to China in November will come just weeks after Xi is expected to receive a new five-year term as leader of the ruling Communist Party.

Despite his tough criticism of Chinas trade practices, Trump has forged a personal connection with Xi over phone calls and while hosting him in Florida, during which they agreed on four high-level dialogues to cover various aspects of relations.

The November meeting of the two leaders will be grander and more choreographed than the informal talks in Florida that were most memorable for Trumps ordering a missile strike on Syria and then informing Xi about it afterward as they ate chocolate cake.

Tillerson, facing criticism at home for his muted impact as the top U.S. diplomat, may also be seeking to put his own stamp on the relationship. He surprised some observers during his first official visit to China in March when he employed Chinas own words to characterize relations between the sides  language the Obama administration had largely rejected as an attempt by Beijing to establish a type of moral parity between the sides.
Digital streaming business Roku has soared in its public debut.

After pricing its IPO Wednesday at $14 per share, Roku finished its first day of trading at $23.50, up nearly 68 percent. And by the end of Friday, Roku closed at $26.54, or up 90 percent in less than 48 hours. The company is now valued at about $2.6 billion.

So this must be great news for the company, right? Well, sort of. Roku's team is probably pleased that the stock market likes it so far, a possible omen for the future.

But it also means that the company could have sold shares for way more. Roku priced its IPO at $14 per share, raising about $219 million. If the IPO were priced at $22, Roku would have raised $345 million and new investors would have still made quick gains over 20 percent. Bankers usually recommend pricing at a 20-30 percent discount so the company makes a good first impression on the stock market. Depending on the share performance in the coming months, it will be more apparent whether this was a $125 million mistake.

Investors are buying Roku, in part because they're bullish on the cord-cutting space in general. Millennials are shunning the traditional cable TV model and are opting to watch more digital content.

Roku has also managed to carve out a significant stake in the United States, despite competition from Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and Google ChromeCast. It generates a lot of its revenue from hardware devices and also from licensing its operating systems to smart TV manufacturers.

The company brought in $399 million in revenue last year, but was unprofitable with losses of $43 million. 2015 revenue was $320 million and the company was in the red for $38 million.

Founder and CEO Anthony Wood told TechCrunch on Thursday that revenue growth has been modest because weve been driving down prices. Low-priced competition inspired the company to introduce the $29 Roku Express device, which Wood calls a huge success.

Wood pointed to the company's platform business as a growth opportunity for the business. This includes advertising revenue generated from streaming content from Amazon, Hulu, Netflix and YouTube. It also generates revenue from content distribution fees.

Roku previously raised more than $200 million in venture funding. Menlo Ventures was the first investor and largest stakeholder, owning 35.3 percent of the company leading into the IPO.
A body of water and more than 4,000 miles separate Alabama and Great Britain, but two events occurring within twenty-four hours on both sides of the pond provide a roadmap for the American political landscape.

Lets start with Alabamas Republican primary.

Though grassroots Republicans may have plenty of anger at GOP leadership, interim Senator Luther Strange reeked of home-brewed quid pro quo. As Alabamas attorney general, Strange forced a delay in the impeachment of sex scandal-plagued Governor Robert Bentley, who would, in turn, appoint him to Jeff Sessionss vacated seat.

The candidacy of theocrat Roy Moore provides a unique pick-up opportunity for Democrats in a state where they havent been competitive in over two decades. Moore will face the anti-Jon Ossoff, the documentary filmmaker who lost his bid for Congress in a Georgia district where he didnt live, in Doug Jones, a lifelong Alabamian who as a U.S. attorney prosecuted and sent to prison two Klansman bombers of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.

Bigger picture, the rhetoric of Moores regional Republican party drives turnout for Democrats, influencing who they run and who can win in Democratic primaries. Elected Republicans nationwide will be in the untenable position of defending Moores decades of repugnant statements, further morphing the national GOP into a regional party with limited viability outside of the South and among their most right-wing conspiracy-minded supporters.

This radicalism on the far right creates an opening for extremism on the far left. The typical winning Democratic playbook is one of triangulation and moderation, but the radicalism of the regional Republicans creates a national opportunity for progressive leaders like Senators Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, both formerly derided as unviable.

An ocean away, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outlined a socialist vision of cradle to graduate school free education alongside the dismemberment of Margaret Thatchers economic privatization. Corbyn pledges not only to return the railways and utilities to government control but also to give the state literal control over your dead body via automatic organ donation.

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Corbyn is so far left, he makes Bernie look like a third way pro-business moderate. As recently as a year ago, Corbyn was a joke within his party. Today  as he pointed out in his speech  hes the leader of the largest political party in Europe.

Post-Brexit, Corbyn has successfully proven that his brand of socialism can resonate and connect with unaffiliated voters. When the Tories set a cocky snap election for June of this year, U.K. polling models discounted the wild card of increased millennial turnout, another example of how the safe calculations of average political cycles are antiquated relics in the post-Brexit and Trump era.

Despite a double-digit Tory lead, Labours neo-socialist agenda turned out more young voters than any U.K. election in the last twenty-five years, as well as a substantial majority of undecided and late-deciding voters, netting 262 parliamentary seats. Considering recent polling that nearly two-thirds of millennials hold an unfavorable view of Trump, its decreasingly far-fetched to imagine a similar outcome in the 2018 midterms or that socialism is an ideological force in the 2020 Democratic primary. Though Millennials remain unenthusiastic about the Democratic Party, Sanders won more votes from the under 30 crowd than Hillary Clinton and Trump combined.

Weve arrived at the whats next inflection point after the shock and awe has subsisted. Brexit voters were willing to blow up the system without knowing the outcome, and the same was true for many Trump voters. But just as many Republicans are frustrated with the failure to repeal and replace Obamacare, U.K. voters are frustrated by the Tories inability to move forward with a plan to exit the European Union.

Corbyn relishes this legitimate point of attack, deftly painting May and her cabinet as the coalition of chaos. Instead of antagonizing Brexit supporters as xenophobes, he reiterates his respect for the legitimacy of the vote and turns fire on Mays rag-tag Cabinet, claiming they waste their time jockeying for internal power instead of negotiating the exit with the European Union.

I imagine that there are plenty of Brexit supporters who are as disgusted with that process as I am with three successive Republican healthcare plans seemingly sketched out by an insurance lobbyist on a cocktail napkin. As Congressional Republicans and Trump flounder on healthcare, Sanders continues to gather steam with a single-payer proposal for Medicare for All that a third of Republicans support. (Every current Democratic Senator speculated as a 2020 hopeful signed on to Sanders bill.) Republican strategist Steve Schmidt calls it the Democrat version of Trumps wall with Mexicothough it probably never happens, the concept moves its supporters.

Outside of culture wars, its unclear how Trump will continue to energize his supporters. Trump supporters may blame the media for fixating on the Russia investigation, but the President has accomplished little during his nine months in Washington unless you count his new thriving hotel, where hes spiked prices and netted nearly two million in profit instead of the two million loss predicted by the Trump Organization itself.

The Trump familys ethical conflicts are only underscored by his Cabinet full of secretaries who only want to fly private. Maybe such corruption would be tolerated if accompanied alongside policy innovation and reform. Thats not what we saw this week, when former Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn, who oversaw sales of dubious mortgage-backed securities for which Goldman paid a $5 billion fine, peddles a tax plan that disproportionately helps the richest Americans, including the President himself. While Corbyn rails that 2017 is the year that there must finally be accountability for the 2008 recession, the White House tasked two of the biggest profiteers from the crash  Cohn and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin  with creating fiscal policy.

Right now, within the National Republican Senate Committee and on Capitol Hill, Republican donors and allied groups are chattering about how they can counter the threat of Roy Moore. But there is a bigger threat coming their way, and the proof is just an ocean away.

Correction: The original version of this story misstated the name of Roy Moores opponent in the upcoming Alabama Senate race. He is Doug Jones, not Greg Jones. A caption also misspelled Roy Moores name.
By Matthias Williams and Pavel Polityuk MELITOPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) - Russia has left troops behind after staging war games in Belarus despite promising not to, Ukraine's Commander in Chief Viktor Muzhenko told Reuters. In an interview on a military plane on Thursday evening, Muzhenko said Russia has withdrawn only a few units from Belarus and had lied about how many of its soldiers were there in the first place. His comments could increase tension between the two neighbors and contradict the Belarussian defense ministry spokesman, who said the last train of Russian troops and equipment had left Belarus on Thursday. Russia's defense ministry did not respond to an immediate request for comment. Relations between Kiev and Moscow nosedived after Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and the outbreak of a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people. Ukraine sees itself as being at war with Russia and has accused Moscow of sending troops and hardware to fight in the Donbass region, which Moscow denies. There are frequent casualties despite a notional ceasefire agreed in 2015. The Zapad wargames, held by Russian and Belarussian troops on territory in both countries in September, are a new source of concern for neighboring Ukraine and NATO member states on Europe's eastern flank. Russia has said the exercise was to rehearse a purely defensive scenario, that the scale of the wargames was in line with international rules, and that allegations it was a springboard to invade Poland, Lithuania or Ukraine were false. But Muzhenko said the wargames were of an offensive nature. Ukraine staged its own drills in northern Ukraine in response to Zapad and built up troops there. "I wouldn't say that the tension has lessened. We can say tension is building up or rising," he said. "We had information that they had withdrawn only a few units of the declared 12,500 troops, of which 3,000 were Russians, but there were significantly more of them there." Muzhenko said the Russians had withdrawn air units from Belarus to make a show of leaving. "Russia demonstrated, and it was primarily a demonstration, the return of aviation units -- they took off from the airfields and flew to airfields in Russia. But we understand that 300-400 km for aviation is a distance that can be overcome in a very short time," he said. The 55-year-old, who became Chief of the General Staff in 2014, said Ukraine was still outgunned in terms of its air defense capabilities in the Donbass war and needed air reconnaissance and anti-missile systems. Kiev is hoping to receive lethal defensive weapons from U.S. President Donald Trump. Muzhenko said talks had been concluded. "We expect the corresponding decision because all negotiations are over and the relevant issues have been agreed -- on the list and types of weapons -- and we expect only the political decisions of our partner countries," he said. (Additional reporting by Sergei Karazy in Melitopol, Andrei Makhovsky in Minsk and Margarita Popova in Moscow; Editing by Catherine Evans)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow is prepared to work with Pyongyang to try to find a peaceful resolution to the North Korean missile crisis, the Russian Foreign ministry said on Friday. The comments came in a statement issued by the ministry after a meeting between Russian ambassador-at-large Oleg Burmistrov and Choe Son-hui, director-general of the North American department of North Korea's foreign ministry. Choe also met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, the ministry said. "The Russian side confirmed its readiness to combine efforts in the interests of finding ways to solve the problems in the region by peaceful, political and diplomatic means," it said. (Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Andrey Ostroukh)
Moscow (AFP) - Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who aims to unseat Vladimir Putin in presidential elections next year, was detained by police ahead of a rally on Friday and could face up to a month in jail.

In the latest attempt to thwart the Kremlin critic's campaign, police held Navalny after he left his apartment with the aim of attending a meeting in the provincial city of Nizhny Novgorod.

Moscow police said Navalny was detained "over multiple calls to participate in an unauthorised public event."

Navalny was released in the evening, telling journalists waiting for him outside the police station, "I feel fine."

"We are not going to stop what we do, whatever the obstacles," he said, adding that he would to fly to Orenburg in southwestern Siberia on Saturday and to the northern city of Archangel on Sunday.

The 41-year-old stands accused of repeatedly violating a law on organising public meetings -- punishable by up to 30 days in jail. His spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said he had been instructed to appear before a judge at 1200 GMT on Monday.

Navalny was detained prior to arriving at his last two rallies in Moscow on March 26 and June 12, serving sentences of 15 days and 25 days for organising unauthorised protests.

Navalny said earlier he did not receive any official explanation for being held.

"I am sitting in a reception room and looking at a portrait of Putin," he said on Twitter.

The anti-corruption crusader linked his detention with another -- bigger -- rally scheduled in Saint Petersburg, Russia's second city and Putin's hometown, on October 7, the president's birthday.

Navalny's campaign chief, Leonid Volkov, was detained in Nizhny Novgorod ahead of the rally, saying on Twitter he would be held overnight before a court hearing Saturday.

The city authorities said they had refused Navalny permission to hold the event. Some 200 to 300 people turned up, an AFP photographer at the scene saw.

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- Underdog -

Navalny has said he wants to stand for president next March, but the authorities have said he is ineligible because he is serving a suspended sentence for fraud.

Putin, who has led Russia since 1999, is widely expected to seek and win another six-year Kremlin term.

Despite his underdog status, Navalny has travelled across Russia, drawing crowds of supporters.

Many applaud Navalny -- whose ally Boris Nemtsov was assassinated in 2015 --- for keeping up the fight when many other dissenters have chosen to leave the country or stay quiet.

Political observers say that verbal threats from Kremlin supporters against Putin's critics is giving way to physical attacks.

After one such assault, Navalny was left almost blind in one eye and had to go to Spain for surgery.

The human rights commissioner at the Council of Europe, Nils Muiznieks, urged Russia on Friday to revise its laws on public events, saying it violated the country's international obligations and its own Constitution.

The council's decision-making body, the Committee of Ministers, last week urged Russia to allow Navalny to stand for election despite his "arbitrary and unfair" conviction for fraud.
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Friday characterized the controversy surrounding his use of private planes as a little BS.

Kicking off his energy speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation, Zinke said: Before we get started, Id just like to address, in the words of General Schwarzkopf, a little BS on travel  a reference to Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, the Gulf War commander who once memorably described a report as bovine scatology.

Zinke said taxpayers absolutely have the right to know official travel costs and that the Department of the Interior makes that information available to the public.

Using tax dollars wisely and ethically is a greatest responsibility and is at the heart of good government, Zinke said Friday. And there are times, however, we have to utilize charter services because we often travel in areas and under circumstances that we dont have other fight options.

I fly coach, he added.

Zinke said hes used a private plane on three separate occasions. Those trips, he said, included a bipartisan congressional delegation to the Arctic Circle led by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee; a trip to his home state of Montana to meet with Gov. Steve Bullock (D) and speak at the Western Governors Association; and a visit to the U.S. Virgin Islands for the 100th anniversary of the transition of power from Denmark.

Zinke said all of his travel aboard private flights occurred only after it was determined by multiple career professionals at the department that no commercial options existed to meet the promulgated schedule.

Every time I travel, I submit the travel plan to the ethics department that evaluates it line-by-line to make sure that I am above the law, he said. (A spokesperson for Interior later clarified to HuffPost that Zinke had meant within the law.) And I follow the law.

He added that he plans to continue flying chartered flights and on military planes when necessary or when invited on official duty.

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Ill always be honest and upfront about my travel, he said. In fact, you can follow me on Twitter. So if you follow me on Twitter, you knew that I traveled by Suburban from Valley Forge this morning.

As of 3:00 Friday afternoon, there was nothing on Zinkes official Twitter page about his travels that morning.

On Thursday, it was revealed that Zinke and several staffers had chartered an oil company plane for a flight from Las Vegas to Montana in June, costing taxpayers $12,375. Zinke joins a growing list of Trump administration officials facing backlash over their use of private or military aircraft for government business.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Prices privately chartered airfare has cost taxpayers more than $400,000, according to a series of reports from Politico. On Thursday, Price said he would reimburse the government for his seat on those flights  a day after President Donald Trump said he was not happy about Prices use of private planes.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt have also traveled lavishly. Pruitts non-commercial airfare has cost taxpayers over $58,000, according to reports.

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Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke snapped back at hecklers who interrupted his Friday speech on energy dominance at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Our decisions will be guided by our flag and not kneel to anyone, a visibly irritated Zinke forcefully told a person who inquired about his meetings with industry leaders, emphasizing the words not kneel.

Zinke  who as Interior chief has met with a slew of oil and gas executives and been accused of prioritizing energy development over conservation  said America is at an energy crossroads.

There are two visions for our future in energy, he said. One side believes we should retreat into a fortress of regulation and red tape, where foreign nations take the lead as American drowns itself in process and procedure.

That vision, he said, is not one shared by President Donald Trump, who continues to make a hard push for increased fossil fuel production and what hes calling energy dominance.

Our goal is an America that is the strongest energy superpower this world has ever known, Zinke said. Our country has inherited an energy-dependent country from previous generations, and in recent years weve struggled to be self-sufficient at producing low-cost, abundant and reliable energy. But a new era is dawning.

Interrupted a second time, Zinke continued with his remarks: As the chief steward of our public lands, he said, my job is to make sure that all Americans have a voice ... And I hear that voice loud and clear.

Zinke managed to quickly drown out the two protesters. At least one was promptly escorted from the event by security, according to ThinkProgress reporter Natasha Geiling.

Fridays confrontation was reminiscent of a May encounter during a visit to Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, when Zinke forcefully order a protester to be nice after being repeatedly questioned about why he didnt spend more time talking with tribal leaders as part of his controversial national monuments review.

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During his speech Friday, Zinke echoed a number of previous talking points, including that it is better to produce energy here under reasonable regulations than to have it be produced overseas with no regulation. And he once again stressed that the Trump administration does not pick winners and losers when it comes to energy production  a claim not supported by Zinkes schedule and social media presence.

Zinke said America has an opportunity to power the world while continuing to be stewards of the environment. For too long, he says, politicians here at home have turned their back on Americas potential for energy dominance.

Its time to stop the bleeding. Its time to put America first. Under president Trump, American energy  mined and produced by American hands  will make America great again.

In an emailed statement, Kate Kelly, public lands director at the Center for American Progress and a former senior adviser under former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, said that Zinkes agenda will grant fossil fuel industries unprecedented control over public lands. His speech at Heritage, she added, confirms that we have entered an era of corporate control, where the relationship between industry and regulator is inverted.

In his words today and in his actions over the past nine months, Secretary Zinke has made clear that his time, his agenda, and the resources he is entrusted with protecting are all up for sale, Kelly said.

Zinke kicked off his speech Friday by addressing the controversy surrounding his use of private planes, which he dismissed as a little BS.

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Carmen Yulin Cruz spoke on about the growing crisis in Puerto Rico  and appealed directly to the US president. Read a transcript of her speech here

Solymlar Duprey holds her daughter Miabella as they try to get on an evacuation cruise ship leaving San Juan. Photograph: Carolyn Cole/LA Times via Getty Images

Carmen Yulin Cruz, the mayor of San Juan, spoke on Friday afternoon at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Like the rest of the US territory, the capital of Puerto Rico was hit hard this month by two hurricanes, Jose and Maria.

The island is now struggling to repair damage, restore basic services and maximise the impact of a federal aid effort which Donald Trump and his administration have trumpeted but which many critics of the president have called slow and politically motivated.

On Friday, Trump continued to insist that Puerto Rican leaders had praised his efforts and said logistical difficulties were slowing the delivery of aid.

This is an island, he said, surrounded by water. Big water, ocean water.

As she spoke to reporters, Cruz became emotional. This is a transcript of her remarks:

We are dying here. We are in trouble

We are dying here. And I cannot fathom the thought that the greatest nation in the world cannot figure out the logistics for a small island of 100 miles by 35 miles. So, mayday, we are in trouble.

Fema [the Federal Emergency Management Administration] asks for documentation, I think weve given them enough documentation.

They had the gall this morning  look at this [gestures to two large binders filled with paper]  they had the gall this morning of asking me: What are your priorities, mayor?

Well, where have you been?

And I have been very respectful of the Fema employees. I have been patient but we have no time for patience any more.

So, I am asking the president of the United States to make sure somebody is in charge that is up to the task of saving lives.

They were up the task in Africa when Ebola came over. They were up to the task in Haiti [after the earthquake of 2010]. As they should be. Because when it comes to saving lives we are all part of one community of shared values.

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I will do what I never thought I was going to do: I am begging. I am begging anyone that can hear us to save us from dying. If anybody out there is listening to us, we are dying. And you are killing us with the inefficiency and bureaucracy.

We will make it with or without you because what stands behind me is all due to the generosity of other people.

Again, this is what we got last night: four pallets of water, three pallets of meals and 12 pallets of infant food. Which, I gave them to Comerio, where people are drinking out of a creek.

So I am done being polite. I am done being politically correct. I am mad as hell because my peoples lives are at stake. And we are but one nation. We may be small, but we are huge in dignity and zealous for life.

So Im asking members of the press to send a mayday call all over the world. We are dying here. And if we dont stop and if we dont get the food and the water into peoples hands, what we we are going to see is something close to a genocide.

So, Mr Trump, I am begging you to take charge and save lives. After all, that is one of the founding principles of the United States of North America. If not, the world will see how we are treated not as second-class citizens but as animals that can be disposed of. Enough is enough.
Earlier this week, I did something perfectly ordinary: I renewed my U.S. drivers license. Thats something I couldnt do in my home country of Saudi Arabia because there is no womens section at the DMV  there is no such process at all. But after decades of protests, The Kingdom announced on September 26th that it will allow women to drive next summer. And while that will be a welcome change, as a Saudi woman, the change Im really waiting for is something far more fundamental. I want women to be called by their own names by their fellow citizens.

As it stands now, our names are not spoken. Instead, women are often referred to as a mans daughter, wife, sister or mother. In fact, a womans name is considered so private that its embarrassing or shameful to some if they are made to say it. Strangers will call a woman auntie or teacher. And we are traditionally not addressed at all by men who are not related to us. Just saying a womans name in public is rare and sometimes jarring to hear.

So, yes, getting a drivers license is an important privilege. (Though our nearest male relative will still have to approve most life choices, even if the national laws are changing.) And we cant wait to take to the roads and pave our own paths. But being addressed by our own names is the next step; and it should have been the first step, in my opinion. A name is what you call yourself, it is your identity, it is your domain. If youre a woman, its quite literally harder to make a name for yourself in the Arab World.

But as it is with many social mores and cultural rules, including the right of a woman to get behind the wheel, the internet may undo centuries of tradition. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are transforming the way men  and women  present their identities and their stories to the world far beyond the borders of their own community or country. Online, men and women can amplify their messages and take part in conversations which are shaping the womens movement in real time. For as long as Twitter has been at the fingertips of Saudi women, many have been taking to Twitter to normalize driving and reclaiming the narrative that women dont care to drive. And with the high consumption of social media connectivity in the Arab World and a large percentage of the population being under the age of 30, its entirely possible that this generations women will be able to reclaim their names as well as drive themselves to work.

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Depending on your perspective, this is either a sign of progress or a questionable development. Handing WiFi-enabled devices to each Arab girl to create a digital profile for herself is probably every Babas worst nightmare when it comes to his daughter. (And Im sure there are parents in the U.S. who would say the same.) Now, there are Arab women who have followers by the millions, showing off their outfits and their personalities, with their names splashed all over the web. These social media influencers are proudly claiming their place in cyberspace, even if they cant in real life.

Meanwhile, global organizations like U.N. Women are tapping into social media to poke at the boundaries of change in the Arab world. In 2015, they asked Egyptian men a seemingly simple question: Whats your mothers name? as part of their #MyMothersNameIs initiative. The very question was mortifying to some, while others responded with giggles. If someone knew our mothers name, we used to sob when we were kids, an older Egyptian man reveals to the camera. Telling you my fathers name is fine, but my mothers? No, was the initial shared response. By the end of the video, the men reluctantly reveal their mothers names and even type it as their profile photo on social media.

Recently, the New York Times reported on a small social media campaign launched by activists in Afghanistan with the hashtag #WhereIsMyName to remind Afghani women to reclaim their names in public spaces. Like Arab women, Afghani women are often also reduced to simply being a mother, a daughter, a wife or a sister.

But despite the pull of Internet culture, its not at all certain that it wil be commonplace to hear womens names on the streets and not just read them in a carefully curated, scrollable stream. We value privacy in the Arab and Muslim world  for good reason. People gossip, and the word around the block could ruin a potential marriage proposal, employment status or the familys honor  perhaps the most valued attribute to assign to a person.

Arabs take great pride in lineage, which seems to tilt more on the fathers side than the mothers. If youre a Saudi father, I already know that all of your children have your name as their middle name. But nobody ever mentions the mothers name. In Islam, a woman keeps her maiden name for life. Even if she gets married, her father doesnt give her away, as is done in the West, but she gets to join her husbands family by being the mother of his children or, at the very least, his wife. In other words, she keeps her birth name forever, which might be seen as an empowering gesture, but people still wont often say it aloud. Itll only exist in print.

I know that many men arent choosing to be blatantly misogynistic by deliberately eliminating womens names; this is a deeply rooted practice passed down without explanation. It should also be said that not all Arab men want to stick with nomadic traditions. During his reign, the Late King Abdullah of Saudi renamed the second campus of a womens university in Riyadh with the full name of his aunt, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman, which is said to be the largest all-women campus in the world. To name a campus after a woman in Saudi Arabia was a revolutionary thing at the time.

And lets remember, these kinds of practices and questions over whether and when to use a female name arent just an Eastern thing or even an ancient one. Women around the globe sometimes opt not to use their female name because they can be seen as less powerful or less respected. Female authors concealed their real names for centuries, for example. And that practice continues. J.K. Rowling sometimes writes under a male name, and even the name she used to publish the Harry Potter books doesnt reveal her gender.

Western countries also still used the phrase maiden name, which bolsters so many stereotypes and expectations for women. Former presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton famously kept her maiden name after marriage, but was pressured into taking her husbands last name when he ran for office. And perhaps the best example of all is Amal Clooney, an Arab-British human rights lawyer who not only took her famous husbands name, but is often referred to as George Clooneys wife in the press, despite her own glowing credentials  a fact that more than a few columnists have railed against.

This debate may have expanded from the kitchen table to a broader global forum, but so far its mostly virtual, at least in the Arab world. Our real mission now is to have that conversation go beyond the screen and into the streets and houses of government. The question is, can we, will we and should we enable women and lift the stigma or shame by simply sharing womens names in public? Well find out. Allowing women the option to drive themselves in Saudi is going to open up doors but my hope is that itll open up minds, too. I want men to proudly address a woman and say her name to her out loud, instead of merely replying to her social media handle in silence. This is about equality and about making women fully present in the community.

In Cuba, where my mother is from, children combine both of their parents last names as their own. First, its the fathers last name, then the mothers. As a Saudi-Latina teenager, I decided to adopt that Latin tradition in unofficial documents. Its a small gesture, but helps me remember that I am the daughter of both of my parents. I want to be reminded, at least virtually, that I attribute myself to the two people who birthed me. I belong to my father, as well as to my mother.

But really, like all women, I belong to myself.
Scientists have rewritten the genetic code of diseased human embryos to fix their DNA

Scientists have coaxed the mutated DNA of human embryos back into healthy code in an experiment which could one day be used to cure a range of inherited diseases.

In a world's first, researchers in China proved it was possible to correct a single error in three billion letters of genetic code to remove the disease beta-thalassemia, a blood disorder.

British scientists hailed the research as a "highly significant" advance.

Darren Griffin, Professor of Genetics at the University of Kent, said: For many years, we have been saying that direct gene editing in embryos is some way in to the future. Now the future is here and there is much to consider."

Although the embryos were not implanted, the team says the approach could be used to fix mutations which cause many inherited conditions.

Acientists have already proved it is possible to fix errors by replacing genetic code with donor DNA using a technique called Crispr, which acts as genetic scissors, but the new experiment is the first which alters the single building blocks of DNA, know as bases.

DNA is made up of four bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine, which are commonly known by their respective letters, A, C, G and T.

How Crispr Works

Different combinations of these bases are what provide the instructions for every function in the human body.

In beta-thalassemia, the disease is caused by a mistake in a single base in the genetic code - known as a point mutation. The Chinese team showed it was possible to find the point mutation and change a 'G' to an 'A.', fixing the problem.

Junjiu Huang, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website: "We are the first to demonstrate the feasibility of curing genetic disease in human embryos by base editor system."

The technique, known as base editing, was pioneered by Prof David Liu of Harvard University, who claims it has fewer side-effects than Crispr.

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He told the BBC: "About two-thirds of known human genetic variants associated with disease are point mutations.

"So base editing has the potential to directly correct, or reproduce for research purposes, many pathogenic [mutations]."

The research group at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou was the first group in the world to use Crisp on human embryos, a breakthrough which shocked some scientists and led to claims that China was acting like 'The Wild West' of science.

The breakthough could eventually cure babies of inherited diseases Credit: PA

Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, from the Francis Crick Institute in London, said the ethics of such procedures were still up for debate, and are unlikely to be available in the near future.

"There would need to be far more debate, covering the ethics, and how these approaches should be regulated," he said.

"And in many countries, including China, there needs to be more robust mechanisms established for regulation, oversight, and long-term follow-up.

It is a complex paper, with some interesting results that might indicate a route to avoiding certain genetic diseases in both somatic and germline treatments  although it is far too early to even consider applying the methods clinically.

Dr Helen Claire ONeill, Programme Director, Reproductive Science and Womens Health, University College London, said: Many hereditary diseases, such as -thalassemia, have life-threatening implications and yet are the result of a mutation which causes a single letter change in an individual's genome.

"The work presented here uses a technique called base editing which attempts to repair a mutation at the single letter (or base), resulting in the hopeful correction of the mutation. It does this without the need for breaking the double-stranded DNA.

More work is needed to assess the precision of this base editing technology (and) to fully investigate both efficiency and specificity of the technique.

The Chinese research is published in the journal Protein and Cell.
(Photo: Emily Molli/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Prominent neo-Nazis, white supremacists and Klansmen are gathering in East Tennessee this weekend  over Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar  for a conference associated with Stormfront, the infamous neo-Nazi internet forum. The topic at hand is protest tactics, according to an attendee.

The attendees would prefer that you not know their whereabouts this weekend, but we think we found a few locations where they may be meeting: a local restaurant in Crossville, Tennessee, on Friday night, and in Cumberland Mountain State Park on Saturday afternoon. (If youre a local with information, tip us: scoops@huffingtonpost.com.)

When white supremacists meet to strategize about the future of the movement, they try to do it as privately as possible. Unless they are engaged in public shows of force, like last months deadly rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, neo-Nazis and white supremacists are careful to cover their tracks, not wanting to attract the attention of antifa and other counterprotesters. Members send out decoy flares and obscure the nature of their meetings when reserving space.

The Stormfront conference this weekend is no different. Stormfront founder Don Black said last month that the event would take place in the still beautiful part of nearly all-White east Tennessee outside Knoxville, but declined to disclose the location. The Nazi waxed poetic: This will be the height of the beautiful color change, but this is about leaves in the deciduous forest, he wrote, his white supremacy outstripping his dendrology.

White supremacists have gathered in public parks before, sometimes posing as a family reunion group.

On Thursday, Billy Roper, a white nationalist who says his father and grandfathers were Klansmen, mentioned to us that he was heading to the Stormfront conference in Tennessee. He said there were going to be a couple hundred people  a claim we could not verify  and said they would be conducting training on how to do real world activism, protests, demonstrations and rallies. (His website elaborated that there would be workshops about Agitation Propaganda techniques and pro-White flash mobs.)

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Roper said he planned to meet Southern secessionist Michael Hill, neo-Nazi Matthew Heimbach, prominent Klansman Thomas Robb and white supremacist Francis John Gilroy. (Most of the people he listed did not respond to requests for comment, though Heimbach said he was going.) We asked Roper if journalists could come. He said no.

Later that night, a source tipped us off to a pre-conference neo-Nazi meet and greet happening Friday evening at the Beef and Barrel Restaurant & Lounge in Crossville. An employee who answered the phone said there was a reservation for 35 people at 7 p.m., but said he did not know whod made the reservation. Bruce Cannon, the restaurants owner, said he was not aware of a planned Stormfront gathering, adding that the restaurant does not ask for the affiliation of groups when taking reservations.

Cannon said he is not a supporter of Stormfront, but said its not up to him to decide who comes to his restaurant. It would be like me not allowing a black person into the restaurant because theyre black, or a liberal into the restaurant because theyre liberal, he said. Denying Stormfront service could result in a lawsuit, Cannon claimed, pointing to litigation involving a Colorado baker who declined to bake a cake for an LGBTQ couple and a New Mexico photographer who refused to work a same-sex wedding.

Daryle Lamont Jenkins, who runs the One Peoples Project, an antifascist organization that monitors far-right groups, told us he called the Beef and Barrel and spoke to an employee who confirmed the white supremacists were meeting there. Jenkins provided us with an audio recording of the call. When we spoke with this employee later, she refused to comment and hung up on us.

Cumberland Mountain State Park is six miles from the Beef and Barrel. We called the park, but an employee told us there were no obvious signs of white supremacists trying to organize there. Employees at Fall Creek Falls State Park and Norris Dam State Park  where Stormfront has gathered in the past  said the same thing.

On Friday, we learned that the Homestead Harvest Restaurant at Cumberland Mountain State Park has a reservation for Saturday for 40-50 people listed under Richard Pumphrey. This appears to be short for C. Richard Pumphrey, the name of a Tennessee resident who has previously reserved space in local state parks for white nationalist meetings. The restaurant confirmed the reservation under Pumphreys name.

There is also a recreation center in the park that hosts events where Stormfront could hold their conference.

A woman who identified herself as Pumphreys wife told HuffPost that there was one meeting that was supposed to happen, but that her husband passed away earlier this month, and she personally canceled a reservation. If theres anybody coming here or going to Knoxville, to Norris or something like that, thats out of their own doing, she said.

A Facebook page called Antifa Tennessee has named the Beef and Barrel and Cumberland Mountain State Park as the likely locations for the Stormfront gathering, and urged activists to attend.

White supremacists who are attending the conference would not confirm whether they are meeting at Cumberland Mountain State Park.

Dubbed the murder capital of the Internet, Stormfront was once the most popular neo-Nazi site in the world. Stormfronts members committed nearly 100 murders between 2009 and 2014, including 77 carried out by the Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors hate groups.

Nevertheless, the website remained online for about 20 years. But after the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, where a man rammed his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing one woman, Stormfronts domain registrar terminated its registration. Since then, members have shared workarounds for accessing the site, which we did not confirm are effective.

The National Park Service has no policy that would prevent Stormfront from gathering in one of its public, taxpayer-funded parks. NPS allows people to use park land for public assemblies, meetings, demonstrations, religious activities and other public expressions of views protected under the First Amendment, NPS spokeswoman Kathy Kupper said in a statement, without specifically commenting on Stormfront. Tennessee State Parks did not respond to multiple requests for comment about whether its policies differ from those of NPS.

HuffPost is seeking more information about this event. If youre a local tipster, get in touch: scoops@huffingtonpost.com.

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A second rockfall was reported at Yosemite National Parks El Captain on Thursday, a day after a slab that dropped from the rock formation killed a British climber and injured another.

According to the New York Times, the rockfall occurred at about 3:40 p.m. EDT, on the eastern edge near a popular trekking route called the Waterfall Route. One person was airlifted from the scene, and search and rescue operations were being conducted in the rubble for possible victims, the NBC Bay Area reported.

Pictures and videos captured Thursdays incident, showing huge plumes of white dust surging through the valley floor below. Tourists were asked to use Southside Drive to exit Yosemite Valley after the Northside Drive was closed due to the rockfall.

Ken Yager, president and founder of the Yosemite Climbing Association, told The Guardian that Thursdays rockfall appeared to be substantially bigger than the earlier one. Yager reported he saw the cloud of dust and emergency services being called to the scene.

A climber, Ryan Sheridan, told The Guardian he had reached the top of El Capitan when the rock formation slid down below him. There was so much smoke and debris, he said. It filled the entire valley with smoke.

Another climber, Peter Zabrok, in a video that captured visuals after Thursday's rockfall, said it was "a full order of magnitude bigger" than the previous one. "We felt the entire mass of El Capitan shaking under our feet," Zabrok said in an interview with NBC Bay Area. "We wondered if the full face of the rock we were standing on was going to collapse," he said.

Scott Gediman, a park spokesman stated that a geologist was being called in to inspect the site and an air ambulance was being flown in, NYT reported. An image posted by Sheridan on Instagram showed the plume of dust clouding the valley below.

Other pictures of the rockfall also appeared on social media.

After a series of at least eight rockfalls killed one man and two other people over two days, the national park re-routed roads around the base of El Captain. The Guardian report said Wednesdays rockfall, which had killed climber Andrew Foster of Wales and injured his wife, was seen as a rare event only because it had turned deadly. A sheet of rock estimated to be 130 feet tall, 65 feet wide and between 3 and 10 feet thick broke off from the 3,000-foot-tall granite rock formation during a series of rockfalls that began at 1:52 p.m., NBC reported.

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A 2013 report by the United States Geological Survey and the National Park Service reveals that 15 people were killed and at least 85 were injured in 925 rockfalls, rock slides and other so-called slope movements that occurred from 1857 to 2011.

Nicholas Sitar, a professor of civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley told NYT that rockfalls were normal in Yosemite. According to Sitar, steep rock faces like El Captain were cut into blocks by regular fractures or joints. Over time, a number of fractures develop due to freezing and thawing of the rock, heating and cooling and gravity. Eventually, a block or a series of blocks become unstable and they fall, he said.

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Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico is still cleaning up the rubble left by its killer earthquake on September 19, but already accusations are flying that shoddy construction, official negligence and corruption made the disaster worse.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake killed more than 350 people and left gruesome scenes of destruction in the capital, such as a primary school where 19 children were crushed to death.

The mayor, education minister and top officials for the district have traded blame over the school's collapse, amid media reports that its principal had illegally built a swank apartment for herself on the roof of the building.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the top district official, pressed charges this week against the principal and two former officials accused of turning a blind eye to major construction irregularities at the school.

Local residents told AFP that one building at the school was condemned for safety reasons from the moment it opened. But the school never closed.

"We don't know if somebody paid a bribe, but the structure was never changed," said one resident, Francisco Fontana, a 30-year-old historian.

The school is not an isolated case.

Across the capital, 1,800 buildings suffered major damage during the quake, including at least seven that were brand new and should have conformed to strict earthquake-resistant building codes.

- 'On the street' -

"Thousands of people have been left out on the street because someone didn't adequately supervise construction or accepted money to look the other way," said Max Kaiser, head of anti-corruption programs at the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness.

Corruption is rarely punished in Mexico, and it can be hard to see, even when evidence indicates it is festering beneath the surface.

But the sight of modern-looking buildings collapsing like houses of cards lays bare the rot in the construction and building permit processes, said Mariana Campos of the public policy research center Mexico Evalua.

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She mentioned the example of the deadliest collapse, that of a seven-story office building in the trendy Roma neighborhood where up to 60 people are feared dead.

"Looking at it, it didn't seem like a building that would collapse the next day. It was beautiful and well-maintained," she told AFP.

"But the (defect) wasn't visible. That's how corruption works."

Now, as the country enters the recovery phase, the risk is that it will fall in the same trap again.

There are already accusations of corruption in the relief effort. The governor of the hard-hit state of Morelos is accused of hoarding food aid to hand it out to his supporters.

- Into the void -

The quake caused some $2 billion in damage, together with an earlier one on September 7, according to the government.

President Enrique Pena Nieto has pledged grants and special low-interest loans for rebuilding from the government's $500-million emergency relief fund.

Watchdog groups are already calling for an independent review of where the money goes.

Pena Nieto meanwhile wants the private sector to set up a committee that will coordinate with the government on how donated funds are spent.

"We don't think the federal government should administer private funds... but we want to help direct where they go," he said.

Mexicans are deeply mistrustful of their politicians.

Just 31 percent approve of the authorities' response to the quake, while 93 percent approve of the way society as a whole responded, according to a poll by the newspaper El Universal.

But there are signs of progress amid the catastrophe.

After the deadliest earthquake in Mexico's history -- a 1985 tremor that struck on the same date as this one and killed more than 10,000 people -- the government was completely overwhelmed, leaving civilian volunteers to fill the void.

This time, the military, police and disaster management officials were on the scene from the first minutes and ran the emergency response.

Kaiser, the anti-corruption crusader, said there was a lesson to be learned.

"Institutions are not disposable, but useless politicians are," he said.
By Alex Dobuzinskis (Reuters) - A man accused of killing a woman in a shooting rampage at a Tennessee church this week might have acted to avenge the murders of nine black people in a South Carolina church two years ago, the Washington Post reported on Friday. A note in the car of Emanuel Kidega Samson, 25, indicated a possible plot spurred by the fatal 2015 shootings at Emanuel AME church, a historic African-American house of worship in Charleston, the newspaper said, citing unnamed people familiar with the investigation. Samson, who police say was wearing a mask, is accused of killing a woman in the parking lot of Burnette Chapel Church of Christ in Nashville on Sunday. He shot and wounded six worshippers in the building, before shooting himself in a scuffle with an usher, police have said. Reuters could not immediately confirm whether investigators had found the note in Samson's vehicle. Representatives for the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to comment. A Nashville police spokesman could not be reached for comment. Dylann Roof, a 23-year-old avowed white supremacist, was convicted last year of 33 federal criminal counts related to the Charleston shooting, including murders as a hate crime. Roof pleaded guilty earlier this year to separate state murder charges in the deaths of the nine black churchgoers he killed. He was sentenced to death. Samson, who is black, was taken to jail after being treated at a hospital, police said, and was charged with criminal homicide. Photos of events at the Nashville church posted on its Facebook page show people who appear to be from a range of ethnicities, including white people. Federal authorities have opened a hate-crimes investigation into the Nashville shooting. Samson lawfully bought a .22 calibre semi-automatic pistol, which was found in his sport utility vehicle after the shooting, Nashville officials said in a statement on Wednesday. The other three firearms, including a .40 calibre semi-automatic pistol believed to have used to fire the shots at the church, were legally bought by a relative and given to Samson for safe-keeping, the statement said. An AR-15 rifle was found in the vehicle. Samson attended the church in the past but not recently, church members told investigators, according to Nashville police. (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Richard Chang)
Confusion and chaos are swelling in Spain, where Catalan separatist leaders have vowed to defy the Spanish government and press ahead with their fast-approaching vote for independence.

Where and how the ballots will be cast, however, remains a bit of a mystery.

Catalonia, a wealthy, autonomous region in northeastern Spain that is home to some 7.5 million people, has its own regional government, but still pays federal taxes. As their slogan, Spain is robbing us, suggests, secession campaigners believe Catalonias economic contribution to Spain is too large.

They have arranged an independence referendum for Sunday, which Madrid has repeatedly deemed illegal and undemocratic.

Spains Constitutional Court has outlawed the vote, and the Spanish government has made clear that it will never change the Constitution to allow Catalan independence.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has been among the most outspoken opponents of the outlawed plebiscite.

Stop this escalation of radicalism and disobedience once and for all, he urged pro-independence protesters in a televised statement last week. It would be sensible, reasonable and democratic to stop and say, there wont be a referendum, which [Catalan independence campaigners] know wont happen, he later told his supporters.

Flanked by Rajoy in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump also advocated for Spanish unity at a news conference this week. It would be foolish for Catalonia to not continue in Spain, he said. I think Spain is a great country, and it should remain united.

Spanish authorities raided Catalan government offices, detained more than a dozen Catalan government officials and seized millions of ballot papers last week as part of a widespread crackdown ahead of the referendum, triggering massive protests.

Today we can affirm that there will be no effective referendum in Catalonia, the Spanish governments representative in Catalonia, Enric Millo, said Tuesday. All the referendums logistics have been dismantled.

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But the vote will be held as planned despite pushback from Madrid, according to Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who accused Rajoy of acting beyond the limits of a respectable democracy in his attempt to block the referendum.

Everything is prepared at the more than 2,000 voting points so they have ballot boxes and voting slips, and have everything people need to express their opinion, he told Reuters. More than 6,000 boxes are being held in a secret place, he said at a news conference. The Catalan government has instructed voters to print their own ballots.

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Barcelona, Catalonias capital, on Friday in support of independence.

Spanish law enforcement officials will guard typical polling locations, like local schools, in an effort to prevent voting on Sunday. Its unclear to all parties exactly what will happen as the referendum looms.

Read more about Catalonias upcoming independence referendum here.

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Bangkok (AFP) - Thailand's junta leader on Thursday said fugitive ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra is in Dubai, a day after she was handed a five-year jail term in absentia for negligence.

Prayut Chan-O-Cha's first clear comments on Yingluck's whereabouts came a month after she ghosted out off Thailand, ducking a court ruling over charges she failed to stop graft and losses in a costly rice subsidy policy by her government.

On Wednesday Thailand's top court sentenced her in absentia to five years' jail, pulling the plug on her political career.

She maintained her innocence throughout the case, which she said was a political fit-up sculpted by her family's enemies among the arch-royalist army and elite.

"I learned from the foreign ministry that now she is in Dubai," said Prayut, who toppled Yingluck's government from office in a 2014 coup.

Once a fresh arrest warrant is issued, Thai authorities may proceed with extradition efforts, he told reporters.

Yingluck's older brother Thaksin, also a former premier, has a home in Dubai.

The 2001 rise of Thaksin, a billionaire former cop with a magic touch at the polls, rattled Thailand's establishment and the country has since see-sawed between elected governments and coups.

He fled Thailand in 2008 to avoid jail on a graft conviction he says was politically motivated.

Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, a key architect of the coup that took down Yingluck's government, said "it's good she is in Dubai."

"Although don't have extradition treaty... Dubai officials informed our foreign ministry that they will not allow Yingluck to make any political move."

The 50-year-old, who still has the right to appeal, has not appeared in public since pulling the vanishing act on August 25, her initial ruling date.

The Shinawatra siblings lie at the centre of a political battle that has chewed at Thailand for more than a decade.

Shinawatra-backed parties have dominated electoral politics since 2001, enraging Bangkok's military-allied elite.

Unable to beat the Shinawatras at the polls, their rivals have turned to court rulings and coups to repeatedly knock their governments from power.
An Ohio woman was arrested Thursday after she faked her own kidnapping. For days she posted on her own Facebook page pretending to be someone else, and then shared pictures and videos of her crying and gagged Wednesday.

This is your Thelma, the caption for the Wednesday post read. A concerned friend called 911 to alert authorities about the apparent kidnapping.

They hacked her old Facebook account. It has video and a picture of her and it says that they have her and theyre going to kill her, the 911 caller told a dispatcher, according to WLWT.

Authorities and a helicopter were dispatched to Williams house where they found her loosely bound and with ripped clothes. She told them the kidnapper recorded the video with her cellphone and posted it to her account. But things did add up and she ultimately confessed to making up the story.

It appears she took the videos herself. We can actually see her waiting for it to come on so she can get her serious face on, Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones told WLWT. Then her story starts unraveling and then we find the story to be totally a fabrication.

Williams, 38, took the video at a McDonalds.

While Jones wanted Williams to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, her daughter, Lorin Karol, didnt think her mother deserved to be arrested. If my mom made this up, its not for attention. Its because she needs help, not because she needs to be behind bars, she told the publication.

Williams hinted something was going to happen on her account a week before the phony abduction. I own this account. I'll do as I please. Fk all of you. Thelma Williams will pay for her mistakes, she wrote September 18. Do you think she'll look pretty with her insides spilled all over the basement floor? she added Sunday.

Hours before the kidnapping she wrote, Do any of you know where your precious Thelma is? I do.

The Butler County Sheriffs Office took to Facebook to post about the incident.

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Thelma Williams, 38, is in the Middleton City Jail awaiting a court hearing for making false alarms F5. Williams initially stated a masked intruder entered her home at approximately 9:00 in the morning, bound her and cut her clothes off. Williams went on to say the suspect used her phone to videotape the event and later posted the videos to her Facebook account, the message read.

It continued: Prior to leaving her home, Williams stated the suspect called a contact in her phone and left the phone by her side. A third party 911 call was received by Butler County Dispatch stated Williams was in distress and needed help. When Deputies arrived they found Williams in the basement, loosely bound with ripped clothes. Detectives responded to initiate the investigation. After interviewing Williams, there were several inconsistencies with her story. Williams later admitted she fabricated the attack. She was arrested and booked into the Middletown City Jail.

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There is a new piece of conventional wisdom on North Korea in Washington: The idea that the United States should recognize North Korea as a nuclear state and move toward a policy of containment and deterrence. To be sure, this may be the only option left, but many who are advocating the policy dont seem to be thinking through its military requirements and possible regional consequences.

It is indeed an astonishing turn that some of the people most deeply involved in the failed engagement or strategic patience policies of the past have been born again as tough-minded deterrers.

There is a sort of thoughtless faux sophistication to all of this. The new realists tell us that North Korea will never give up its weapons voluntarily (many came to that conclusion after North Koreas first test in 2006, or earlier) and that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un can be deterred because he is rational (what does this actually mean?), as long as we deploy the proper missile defenses (too bad we cut missile defense spending so irresponsibly over the last nine years) and other defenses (also decimated during President Barack Obamas tenure). In addition, we are told now that we need tougher sanctions, including the interdiction of North Korean cargo. (Why didnt we start these sanctions years ago? Why was the Proliferation Security Initiative ever stopped?)

Even more dangerous is the implication that a contain and deter policy will be just like the Cold War. In some quarters, the thinking seems to be that if we just ramp up our forces, make sure our signaling is right and our allies are assured, that bingo, Kim will be deterred.

But lets take a closer look at some of deterrences real requirements before we slide absentmindedly in that direction.

First, there is the matter of Kims rationality. In a sense, he is very rational  not in an American or Western context, but in a very North Korean, ideological one. He and his family have told us exactly what they have wanted to do, and they have done it. They said they would acquire the means to unify the Korean Peninsula, to fight and win a nuclear war, and kick out the Americans. They said they would use talks to extort money from the United States, China, and South Korea. Alas, nobody of consequence seemed to take seriously what North Korea actually wrote or said. We treated North Korea as we wanted it to be, not as a strategic actor in its own right, with its own strategy and its own logic.

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How can we be confident that Kims supposed rationality translates to an understanding of U.S. deterrence signaling? There is no evidence that it does. To say that Kim is deterred because he hasnt attacked the South is to say essentially nothing. The Kim family never before had an intercontinental ballistic missile that could carry nukes. We have entered a new phase that requires new intelligence and analysis that takes Kims own goals into account. The assumption that he is playing defense  he just wants to avoid becoming another Muammar al-Qaddafi  is faulty and a projection of how we, not the actual leaders of North Korea, think.

Second, one needs to take a great leap into Cold War revisionism to believe that deterrence is stable. The United States and the Soviet Union had many now-forgotten near misses, and fought a host of proxy wars at great cost. Allied crises of confidence were the norm, and we were willing to risk our soldiers and bases being nuked by the Soviets to prove to our allies that we were in it with them. Are we prepared to do the same now?

Then there is the matter of how well we understood the Soviets before we rejected preventive war or appeasement. We had been allies during World War II. Containments author, George Kennan, had lived in Moscow for years, during which time he assessed the Soviet way of thinking. Do we even have an equivalent when it comes to Kim? American strategists concluded that the Soviets were in the end cautious and therefore could be contained. No one can draw that conclusion when it comes to Kim.

Third, there is the issue of a bipartisan commitment to very high defense expenditures during the Cold War, a basic agreement on the utility of nuclear weapons, and on creative efforts to engage in political and ideological warfare against the Soviets. Today, some of the very people calling for containment were in power when our president and Congress decimated our military. Did they not think to advise the president, that with the growing North Korea threat, it might be a good idea for the commander-in-chief to use his considerable powers of persuasion to call for a military budget adequate to the challenge or to abandon the dream of a nuclear global zero?

The United States has no strategic political and information warfare capability, and Congress is certainly not debating these new functions as it reflects on the State Departments new organization charts.

Fourth, there is the matter of the wages of containment. Here is just a snapshot of what deterrence and containment would require:

We would need to put Kim on the defensive all of the time to prevent his provocations. That would mean a significant change in posture for Japan, South Korea, and the United States, from defense to offense. The three countries would need tremendous intelligence resources, consistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, offensive striking power, and the ability to wage unconventional warfare, to put Kim on notice that he is not safe, so that he spends on defense. The United States would eventually have to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty so as to build more offensive striking power. The president would need the bipartisan support to punish countries benefitting from North Korean proliferation (President George W. Bush decided not to strike the nuclear reactor that North Korea built in Syria). Remarkably, some new realist deterrers are arguing for restrictions on presidential power. How can we deter and contain a dangerous, offensive-minded enemy with such restrictions?

A fulsome debate about these requirements is heretofore absent between the administration and Congress or on the op-ed pages of the major papers of record. For those who are calling for more missile defense, none is in the offing, and efforts to create the capability to hit intercontinental ballistic missiles in their boost phase were killed off long ago.

Fifth, there is the matter of nuclear weapons. The three countries would have to move to a NATO-like structure of nuclear deterrence with systematic, strategic talks, nuclear information posture, and three-way nuclear posture exercises. Most likely, the United States would eventually have to accept one or both countries acquiring nuclear weapons (remember the French during the Cold War). We might be able to reassure allies, but likely they would eventually want their own strategic autonomy.

The administration has not called for a reversal of the Budget Control Act or for a massive effort to establish the means of deterrence. But if it did, would Congress accede? Would the new realists use their influence to change the minds of reluctant members of Congress?

Even if all these military requirements were met, the United States would have to prepare for regime collapse and stability operations. While all services have suffered under Obamas budgetary jackhammer, arguably none have withered more than the U.S. ground force. A cursory glance at a map of the Korea Peninsula should sober the new realists up about what is needed if their preferred policies work.

Finally, there is the matter of the North Koreans themselves, suffering under the most repressive and abusive regime known to man. North Korea is essentially a big concentration camp. Are we ready to recognize and deter, and leave them to the tender mercies of Kim? What would that say about our much-vaunted commitment to upholding a rules-based order, for which many of the new proponents of containment have argued?

If the United States ramped up its defense spending to meet the requirements of deterrence, perhaps the new deterrers would be more persuasive. Add to this the resurrection of the United States Information Agency and other organizations that could pressure Kim persistently, and maybe a strategy could be fashioned.

In my opinion, moving to a policy of unification would be better.

Though it would require a similar amount of new military funding and ideological and political warfare, it would perhaps forestall the irreversible nuclearization of Asia. And there would be real scope for diplomacy. The president or secretary of state would appoint a heavyweight special administrator for unification to argue the case and gain assurances of international money and support for a new Korea, under the South Korea. It would signal our intention to China and countries of conscience that we mean to end the calamity on the Korean Peninsula in a humane manner. It would deal with the human rights crisis as a matter of morality, but also as a pillar of strategy  improving the lot of North Koreans and covert outreach to possibly persuadable North Korean elites would be a necessary precondition of the approach. If that is too much for the traffic to bear, then lets have a real debate about the costs and consequences of deterrence.

Photo credit: JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images
In a shocking incident, a toddler at an unlicensed daycare facility in Dearborn, Michigan, discovered a gun and accidentally shot a couple of toddlers, ages 2 and 4, on Wednesday.

Both the victims were shot by the same bullet. After the bullet went through the first victim, it hit another in the shoulder. Both of them were rushed to a nearby trauma center immediately after the incident.

The toddler who suffered the shoulder injury is expected to make a full recovery, while the other victim remains in serious but stable condition, the City of Dearborn Police Department said in a press release Thursday.

The police received a 911 call at 10:20 a.m. EDT Wednesday about the shooting from someone inside a home in the 3600 block of Harding. Were going to pray these two young kids are going to be OK, Police Chief Ron Haddad said at a news conference after everyone at the facility was questioned, local news outlet the Detroit News reported. However it shakes out, its a tragedy for our entire community.

It is immediately unclear how the toddler came across the weapon in the first place. The facility is run by Samantha Eubanks, 31, and according to the neighbors, she takes care of about 10 or more babies on a daily basis, New York Daily News reported.

Toddler

Photo: Getty Images/ OLI SCARFF

Eubanks sister, Ashley Escobedo, was appalled at the news that a toddler had access to a gun since her sister was strongly opposed to keeping firearms in the house.

She would always say don't you ever think about bringing a gun in this house," Escobedo told local news outlet WCPO. "It's not going to happen so that's why I'm very shocked."

Obviously, there was a weapon in proximity to the kids, and thats totally unacceptable to me, but I dont want to comment any further on that, Police Chief Ron Haddad said. Its totally tragic. Its irresponsible.

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Investigators are expected to meet with staff of the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in order to decide what, if any, charges will be filed in the case.

The residence, where the incident took place has no records of being registered as a child care home, said Pardeep Toor, a representative for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. According to the law, if more than one child, unrelated to the caretaker, receive care for a month or more per year, enabling the caretaker to more than $600 annually from babysitting, the home must be registered as a daycare center.

It is not known whether Eubanks home met these criteria or not. However, if it has violated the laws, it can be considered a misdemeanor on Eubanks part.

Its horrible. You see those kids outside all the time and it makes you wonder: how that could happen? Mary Ramadan, a resident who has lived in the neighborhood for years told local news outlet the Detroit News. How could you have all those kids in your house and have firearms sitting out loaded that they can get a hold of?

The grandmother of one of the victims has started a Go Fund Me page in order to collect money to pay her grandchilds hospital bills and cover the loss of income of the parents as they stay back to help their kid heal. I'm hoping to bring some relief and comfort to my children, parents of my grandson, Cheryl May wrote on the page. Please share this with all your friends and family. They need to miss a lot of time in the job to care and support Damien while he recovers from the incident.

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(WASHINGTON)  A day after President Donald Trumps rebuke, health secretary Tom Price promised Thursday to reimburse taxpayers for his cost on charter flights taken while on government business. He issued a public apology as he fought to keep his job.

I regret the concerns this has raised regarding the use of taxpayer dollars, Price said in a statement. I was not sensitive enough to my concern for the taxpayer.

The Health and Human Services secretary said hell swear off charter flights  no exceptions  and repeated his promise to fully cooperate with ongoing investigations.

Price also said he hopes to keep his job, but at the White House, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wouldnt go that far.

Were going to conduct a full review and well see what happens, Sanders told reporters.

On Wednesday Trump declared that hes not happy with his health chief over reports that Price flew on costly charters when he could have taken cheaper commercial flights on government business. Asked whether he would fire Price, Trump said, Well see.

Price told reporters Thursday, I think weve still got the confidence of the president. About the controversy, he said, Were going to work through this.

In his statement, Price said he would write a personal check Thursday covering his travel costs on charter flights. The taxpayers wont pay a dime for my seat on those planes. He did not address the costs incurred by those traveling with him.

His office did not respond when asked how much Price would pay. Its unclear if it would cover the full difference for flying the secretarys entourage on charters as compared to commercial airlines.

A former GOP congressman from Georgia, Price also played a supporting role in the fruitless Republican effort to repeal Barack Obamas health care law  another source of frustration for the president.

Prompted partly by controversy over Price, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee launched a wide-ranging investigation into travel by Trumps political appointees. On Wednesday the committee sent requests for detailed travel records to the White House and 24 departments and agencies, dating back to the presidents first day in office.

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The letters were signed by the committees chairman, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., and its ranking Democrat, Elijah Cummings of Maryland. Lawmakers are demanding information on use of government planes for personal travel, as well as use of private charters for official travel. The committee wants details by Oct. 10.

The president vented his displeasure with Price to reporters on Wednesday as he left the White House for a trip to sell his tax overhaul in Indianapolis.

I was looking into it, and I will look into it, and I will tell you personally Im not happy about it, Trump responded when asked about Prices travel. I am not happy about it. Im going to look at it. Im not happy about it and I let him know it.

Prices travels were first reported last week by Politico, which said it had identified a couple dozen charter flights at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Cheaper commercial flights were a viable option in many cases.

On a June trip to Nashville, Price also had lunch with his son, who lives in that city, according to Politico. Another trip was from Dulles International Airport in the Washington suburbs to Philadelphia International Airport, a distance of 135 miles.

Last Friday the HHS inspector generals office announced it was conducting a review to see if Price complied with federal travel regulations, which generally require officials to minimize costs.

Prices office had initially said the secretarys demanding schedule sometimes did not permit the use of commercial airline flights.

Trumps publicly expressed displeasure  or ambivalence  has been a sign in the past that the tenure of a key aide will soon be over.

In August, the president was asked if he still had confidence in Steve Bannon, then a senior strategist in the White House. Hes a good person. He actually gets very unfair press in that regard. But well see what happens with Mr. Bannon, Trump said. Bannon was out three days later.

Price, an ally of House Speaker Paul Ryan, is a past chairman of the House Budget Committee, where he was a frequent critic of wasteful spending. As HHS secretary, he has questioned whether the Medicaid health insurance program for low-income people delivers results that are worth the billions of dollars taxpayers spend for the coverage. Hes a former orthopedic surgeon who once practiced in an inner-city hospital.
Tom Price  who resigned Friday as President Donald Trumps secretary of health and human services amid investigations into a growing scandal over his frequent use of private planes for government business  once railed against money spent for non-commercial aircraft by members of Congress.

In a 2009 interview with CNBC, Price, then a Republican congressman from Georgia, blasted House Democrats for attempting to spend $550 million on eight aircraft for use by lawmakers and senior government officials. He also voiced opposition to a smaller request of $220 million, enough to purchase a Gulfstream and three Boeing 737s to add to an executive jet fleet maintained by the Air Force.

I think weve made it halfway where we ought to, and that is cut it from eight to four jets, Price told CNBC at the time. Now we need to cut it from four jets to zero jets. This is just another example of fiscal irresponsibility run amok in Congress right now.

As head of HHS, Price flew on privately chartered planes and military aircraft dozens of times, costing taxpayers more than $900,000, as Politico revealed in a series of reports. On Thursday, a day after Trump said he was not happy about the use of private planes, Price promised to reimburse the government roughly $52,000 for his seat on all non-commercial flights.

The White House announced Prices resignation in a statement Friday afternoon:

Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the President accepted. The President intends to designate Don J. Wright of Virginia to serve as Acting Secretary, effective at 11:59 p.m. on September 29, 2017. Mr. Wright currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

In his resignation letter, Price told Trump: I have spent 40 years both as a doctor and public servant putting people first. I regret that the recent events have created a distraction from these important objectives. Success on these issues is more important than any one person. In order for you to move forward without further disruption, I am officially tendering my resignation.

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Price is one of four Trump administration officials facing growing backlash over their use of private or military aircraft for government business. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitts non-commercial airfare has cost taxpayers over $58,000, according to reports. And Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke chartered an oil company plane in June, costing taxpayers $12,375. Zinke said during a speech Friday that hes used private planes on three occasions when no commercial flights were available and after getting approval from the ethics office. He characterized the controversy as a little BS.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has also come under fire for using or requesting private or military aircraft.

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By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Friday overturned a $663.4 million judgment against Trinity Industries Inc, which had been accused of misleading the government by selling highway guardrails that could impale vehicles.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said a jury's 2014 finding that Trinity had defrauded the government could not stand, and that the Dallas-based company was entitled to prevail as a matter of law.

Trinity shares rose $2.88, or 9 percent, to $34.78 in after-hours trading, following the decision by a unanimous three-judge panel.

The whistleblower case had been brought by Joshua Harman, a competitor who accused Trinity of failing to tell the government about a design change it made in 2005 to its ET-Plus guardrails that could cause vehicles to be speared when struck, potentially causing severe injury or death to occupants.

"We believe the jury properly assessed the evidence in this case and reached the right verdict," Karen Dyer, a partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner representing Harman, said in a statement. "We're disappointed with the decision of the appellate court and we're assessing the options."

Jurors had found Trinity liable for defrauding the Federal Highway Administration and awarded $175 million, which was tripled to $525 million under the federal False Claims Act.

The next year, U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap in Marshall, Texas added $138.4 million in civil penalties, or $8,250 for each of 16,771 alleged false certifications to obtain payments.

Harman was awarded $199 million, or 30 percent, of the total judgment.

But in Friday's decision, Circuit Judge Patrick Higginbotham said the highway agency, which reimburses states for installing guardrails meeting its standards, continued reimbursements for the ET-Plus even with "full knowledge" of Harman's claims.

The judge said this meant Harman could not show that Trinity's alleged misstatements materially affected the government's payment decisions.

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"When the government, at appropriate levels, repeatedly concludes that it has not been defrauded, it is not forgiving a found fraud -- rather it is concluding that there was no fraud at all," Higginbotham wrote.

Trinity spokesman Jeff Eller said the company was pleased with the decision, which "affirms our longstanding belief that the ET-Plus system is safe and no fraud was committed."

The case is U.S. ex rel Harman v Trinity Industries Inc et al, 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, No. 15-41172.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and David Gregorio)
Amid heightened tensions with North Korea and strained relations with America's top allies in the region, President Donald Trump is set to take his first trip to Asia since winning last year's election.

Trump will travel to five countriesJapan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the PhilippinesNovember 3 to 14. This will be his longest trip abroad since his inauguration. He will be accompanied by the first lady.

"The presidents engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the White House said in a statement.

Trump also plans to discuss trade during his trip and will "emphasize the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners."

Trump has long accused China of cheating the U.S. on trade. He's also recently expressed a desire to withdraw from a free trade agreement with South Korea, which is dealing with increased anxiety as Trump antagonizes the nation's aggressive northern neighbor.

The president might find it difficult to pressure the region to make concessions on trade terms that are favorable to the U.S. while he is also urging it to unite against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom he calls "Rocket Man."

Trump and Kim have been engaged in a war of words in recent weeks, as the reclusive nation refuses to dial down its development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

During his first speech at the United Nations, on September 19, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea. In response, Kim referred to Trump as a "dotard," a 10-dollar word for a person who's senile and weak.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has pushed for harsh economic sanctions against North Korea while flexing its military muscle by flying bombers off the North Korean coast.

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President Trump on Friday. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

President Trump lashed out on Twitter at San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz on Saturday morning over what he implied was insufficient gratitude for federal help in the wake of Hurricane Maria.

The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump, the commander in chief wrote. Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help.

Its not clear what, exactly, caused Trump to lash out against Cruz, who has issued increasingly desperate pleas for help as her island of 3.4 million people struggles to obtain clean water, fuel, electricity and other basic supplies.

Cruz has criticized the federal relief effort generally. We are dying, and you are killing us with the inefficiency, Cruz said at a Friday news conference. I am begging, begging anyone that can hear us, to save us from dying.

Trump has repeatedly touted the response effort, suggesting that Puerto Ricos poor infrastructure and massive debt is to blame for the U.S. territorys ongoing crisis. The president also frequently points out that Puerto Rico is an island, which complicates recovery efforts. This is an island surrounded by water, big water, ocean water, he said Friday.

Related slideshow: Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria >>>

A man stands inside a destroyed supermarket by Hurricane Maria in Salinas, Puerto Rico, on Friday. (Photo: Alvin Baez/Reuters)

Administration officials have followed Trumps push for optimistic messaging. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke claimed that the recovery was a good news story.

Cruz fired back during a CNN interview Friday morning.

Well, maybe from where shes standing its a good-news story, said the mayor, who has been pleading for help since Maria hit Puerto Rico more than a week ago. When youre drinking from a creek, its not a good-news story. When you dont have food for a baby, its not a good-news story. When you have to pull people down from their buildings  Im sorry, but that really upsets and frustrates me.

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She continued: Dammit, this is not a good-news story, this is a people-are-dying story.

Trump, set to visit Puerto Rico next Tuesday, also used his Saturday-morning Twitter microphone to attack the medias coverage of the response efforts. See his full social-media barrage below:

The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers to help. They.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

want everything to be done for them when it should be a community effort. 10,000 Federal workers now on Island doing a fantastic job.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job. Puerto Rico was totally destroyed.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to "get Trump." Not fair to FR or effort!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

I will be going to Puerto Rico on Tuesday with Melania. Will hopefully be able to stop at the U.S. Virgin Islands (people working hard).  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's. Shame!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

After Trumps attack, Cruz tweeted that local life-saving efforts should not face distractions.

The goal is one: saving lives. This is the time to show our "true colors". We cannot be distracted by anything else. pic.twitter.com/7PAINk19xM  Carmen Yulin Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) September 30, 2017

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Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump spoke by phone Thursday with Chancellor Angela Merkel, the White House said, after breaking with custom and waiting days to congratulate the German leader on her re-election.

The pair connected after growing questions about a delay in the call between the uneasy allies.

"President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to congratulate her on her election victory and wish her well in the formation of her fourth government," said a statement from the White House on Thursday evening.

The US leader underscored the countries' "deep ties" and Washington's "commitment to our longstanding, strong alliance."

The White House did not immediately congratulate Merkel on her election over the weekend, as is customary, after a campaign which saw Merkel implicitly criticize Trump.

"It's obviously been a complicated relationship," said Karen Donfried, president of The German Marshall Fund of the United States.

That is unlikely to change in Merkel's fourth term.

"For her, clearly this is a critical relationship," she told AFP. "Merkel is still going to try to make the relationship work to the greatest extent possible."

"On Trump's side, my expectation is that he will stay very focused on his two big criticisms, one that Germany doesn't spend enough on defense and two that Germany has a 'massive trade surplus.'"

According to the White House, Trump and Merkel discussed the Iran nuclear deal and "how to counter Iran's malign activities in the Middle East," as well as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Concerning the Iran deal Merkel has "renewed her support for this agreement, which is an important instrument to prevent Iran from equipping itself with nuclear weapons," according to a statement released by German government spokesman Steffen Seibert.
When candidate Donald Trump traveled across the country to make the case for his presidency to the American people, he promised time and time again that he would find the best and most serious people to come into his administration. He was going to drain the swamp of Washington and bring in the top, top people.

It was, after all, the skill that most of the country knew him for on The Apprentice. Trump boasted of his unique ability to spot talent and surround himself with those stars. He could do it in business, and hed do it in government.

But many members of the team Trump assembled have shown few of those qualities, and the president has not been the manager he advertised himself as. In just eight months in office, the president has had to part ways with a shockingly high number of top officials because of misdeeds, controversy and infighting. Its led to an administration without a significant legislative accomplishment under its belt.

On Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned after revelations that he flew on private and military jets that unnecessarily cost taxpayers more than $1 million. The scandal was particularly ironic for Price given that he had branded himself as a fiscal conservative during his days in Congress.

Price is just the latest Trump pick to flop.

Michael Flynn was the first casualty. The retired lieutenant general resigned as national security adviser less than a month into the administration after it was revealed he discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with that countrys ambassador prior to Trumps inauguration and then lied about doing so. Later, it was revealed the White House knew Flynn was under federal investigation for undisclosed foreign lobbying but gave him the national security job anyway, casting doubt on Trumps boasts about selecting only the best people.

Less than three months later, Trump forced out FBI Director James Comey in part because of his agencys investigation into possible ties between Trumps campaign and Russia. In firing Comey, Trump inadvertently set off a series of events that led to the appointment of a special counsel to lead the Russia probe, again underscoring the shortcomings of his management skills.

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Trumps communications shop has been an epicenter of tumult, making headlines more often than Trumps legislative agenda did. The first shakeup came in May. Communications director Mike Dubke resigned after just a few months on the job. While details about Dubkes decision to leave remain scant, its timing so soon after Comeys ouster suggested the fallout from that may have been a factor.

Next to depart was press secretary Sean Spicer, who became a national punchline after starting off his tenure by lying to reporters about Trumps inauguration crowd size and continuing to present misleading statements throughout the remainder of his time in the press office. After six months of gaffes and little support from the president himself, Spicer finally called it quits once outspoken Wall Street financier Anthony Scaramucci was selected to run the communications office.

Scaramucci, of course, turned out to be the most short-lived pick of all, lasting a mere 10 days on the job. His short reign over the press office will be best remembered for his profanity-laced tirade to a New Yorker reporter.

Meanwhile, details of the infighting between Trumps most senior advisers regularly made headlines in publications like Politico and the New York Times. Two of the figures most involved in those fights  chief of staff Reince Priebus and White House chief strategist Steve Bannon  both resigned within one month of each other. Priebus, representative of the GOP establishment, and Bannon, a principal figure in the nationalistic alt-right movement, reportedly clashed for months over control at the White House, leading to countless embarrassing leaks to the press and contributing to the image of an administration in chaos.

In February, Trump insisted that his administration was running like a fine-tuned machine. But after seven months of almost constant upheaval and internal chaos, its hard to square that rosy assessment with reality.

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Puerto Rico, in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, has not been helped by much President Trump.

The U.S. territory has been suffering from a humanitarian crisis over the past week. And while the president hasn't introduced any relief package to Congress, Trump hasn't shied away from discussing Puerto Rico's poor infrastructure and financial problems.

So there's no surprise he's adding the country's geography on the list of unhelpful things to talk about.

The president spoke at the National Association of Manufacturing in Washington about his Puerto Rico relief efforts on Friday. When explaining the difficulties of repairing areas, he had something to say. Something that maybe didn't need to be said. But that didn't stop him.

"This is an island, surround by water. Big water. Ocean water," he said.

SEE ALSO: Trump calls Kim Jong-un 'rocket man' and says the U.S. could 'totally destroy North Korea'

"An island. Surrounded by water. Big water. Ocean water."



Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States of America... pic.twitter.com/bL13LaCHpm  Adam Joseph (@AdamJosephSport) September 29, 2017

The administration has been criticized by their lack of aid and discussion surrounding the humanitarian disaster. Hurricane Maria has left Puerto Rico without power, food and water for over a week. But despite Trump's promising words to help Puerto Rico, Twitter didn't waste time roasting the hell out of him on his water observation.

BREAKING NEWS: Puerto Rico is surrounded by big water, Ocean water !  Albert C. Vizcaino  (@AlbertCVizcaino) September 29, 2017

We get it Trump, Puerto Rico is an island. I live on Vancouver Island, sorrounded by water, big water, the largest ocean, The Pacific Ocean.  Moe Schutte (@momanta68) September 29, 2017

There are planes. Big planes. Surrounded by air. Lots of air. And boats. Huge boats. They float on water. Ocean water. Rubby ducky optional. https://t.co/0vUgAU3F65  Hooks.  (@hoooks) September 29, 2017

Those poor women who had to sit behind him and keep straight faces while he said this. Surprised he didn't mention that water was wet too.  Som Records (@SomRecordsDC) September 29, 2017

.@realDonaldTrumps Little Golden Book of Puerto Rico: Its an island surrounded by water. Big water. Ocean water.  Get.a.way (@purtheil) September 29, 2017

Donald Trump is a lunatic. A big lunatic. An ocean going lunatic.  (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) September 29, 2017

From now on, thanks to @POTUS @realDonaldTrump .. when I order a "Big Water" I'm going to have to specify .. NOT Ocean Water..

SMH...  Moosie (@MaMoosie) September 29, 2017

This aid to Puerto Rico "big water" thing has me puzzled. Is the ocean a problem because we are sending the aid by Dothraki horde pre-Danny? pic.twitter.com/qlk3d0LW1e  Frederick Douglass (@AmazingDouglass) September 29, 2017

Donald trump is a man. Full of water. Big water. Ocean water. Likely polluted. So sad. Vote him off the island.  Edwin Putkonen (@edputko) September 29, 2017

Waiter: Can I start you off with some drinks?



Wife: Just water.



Me: Babe, Im paying. *to waiter* Well have the big water...ocean water.  James Crabtree (@iamcrabtree) September 29, 2017

Trump continued his speech by stating the federal government will continue to work with Puerto Rico to figure out how to fund the rebuilding effort.

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"We will not rest, however, until the people of Puerto Rico are safe. These are great people," he added. "We want them to be safe and sound and secure and we will be there every day until that happens."

Leaders in San Juan, Puerto Rico's capital had a lot of suspicions over these claims.

We'll be waiting for his words to turn into actions, but until then thank you for the geography lesson Mr. President.
Former first lady Michelle Obama is facing accusations of pushing "racist" literature onto children by Twitter users after a school librarian rejected a donation of books from first lady Melania Trump and wrote a blog criticizing her literary choices.

Trump got heat Friday after Massachusetts school librarian Liz Phipps Soeiro declined several Dr. Seuss books donated by the first lady, claiming the material was "cliche" and based on "racist propaganda."

Open one of his books (If I Ran a Zoo or And to Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, for example), and youll see the racist mockery in his art, Soeiro wrote in an open letter to Trump, adding that the books were filled with racist propaganda, caricatures, and harmful stereotypes.

SEE ALSO: Melania Trump fires back at Mass. librarian who rejected her donated books

Now many online are jumping to Trump's defense by posting older photos of Michelle Obama reading children excerpts from Dr. Seuss books, arguing that the books weren't considered "racist" until President Trump was sworn into office.

Dr. Seuss ok when Michelle Obama read it to children but now has racist undertones when our First Lady donates books? Unreal," one user wrote, while another posted: "Amazing... the same books Michelle Obama read to children, are now racist books because Trump is President."

See more Twitter reactions below:



Later on Friday, the first lady fired back at the librarian who rejected her donation, with her director of communications calling Soeiro's response "unfortunate," according to FOX News.

"She has demonstrated this in both actions and words since her husband took office, and sending books to children across the country is but one example," Trump's spokeswoman told the outlet. "To turn the gesture of sending young students some books into something divisive is unfortunate, but the First Lady remains committed to her efforts on behalf of children everywhere."
Updated | The State Department is set to radically scale back relations with Cuba Friday, pulling much of its embassy staff out of Havana and warning Americans not to visit the island, according to reports. The expected moves follow a series of mysterious attacks that are said to have left multiple embassy staffers with ailments ranging from severe headaches to permanent hearing loss and mild traumatic brain injury.

Related: Did Russia Attack U.S. Officials in Cuba? U.S.S.R. Used Microwaves Against American Diplomats During Cold War

United States officials have not blamed Cuba for the incidents and continue to investigate whether a third party is responsible. However, a meeting this week between Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodriguez Parrilla failed to convince officials that Cuba was doing enough to protect the safety of U.S. personnel or to aid with the investigation, CBS reported.

Cuba has vehemently denied any role in any attack, or that it allowed a third party to injure officials on its soil.

There is no evidence so far of the cause or the origin of the health disorders reported by the U.S. diplomats, said the Cuban readout of the meeting.

US embassy Cuba

Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters

Although the U.S. has opted against fully closing its embassy (which was reopened in 2015 as part of President Barack Obamas reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba after more than half a century of tensions), the steps represent a significant blow to diplomatic ties. And they further muddy the waters for Americans wanting to visit the island.

The State Departments actions will not only include scaling back by 60 percent its embassy staff and a halt on processing all visas in Cuba, but will also see a travel warning issued to Americans about visiting the island, according to the Associated Press. The warning will state that some of the so-called sonic attacks have taken place at hotels, and that tourists could be exposed if they travel to Cuba. No American tourists are yet known to have suffered harm from the unspecified attacks.

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The State Department issued the warning Friday afternoon.

Because our personnel's safety is at risk, and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe U.S. citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba, the statement read. Attacks have occurred in U.S. diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by U.S. citizens.

President Donald Trump already has reversed much of the easing of relations initiated by Obama after calling a deal struck by the two countries completely one-sided. But while he said in a speech in June that he was canceling the deal, many of its aspects, including the opening of the embassy, remained in place. What he did do was retighten the restrictions on travel, specifically enforcing a ban on tourism to the island, which was never officially lifted by Obama but was effectively relaxed.

Visitors now need to meet the criteria for one of 12 types of legal travel to the island. But even with the new travel warning, there is no suggestion that airlines will not continue to operate flights to Cuba. Contacted for comment Friday, JetBlue, which began offering flights to Cuba in August 2016, said it was unaware of the State Department's guidance.

The State Department's website already included a warning about travel to Cuba, set as a result of the destruction caused by Hurricane Irma.

This article was updated to include the release of the State Department's warning.

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The United States, puzzled by a spate of bizarre health incidents suffered by its diplomats in Cuba, on Friday ordered the bulk of its embassy staff and their families to go home until they have the answers.

The embassy in Havana will lose 60 percent of its staff and stop processing visas immediately, two senior State Department officials told reporters on Friday. The order is coupled with a new travel notice issued Friday warning U.S. citizens against traveling to Cuba.

The decision to pull out diplomats is the latest bump in the road of already rocky U.S.-Cuba relations since President Donald Trump took office, and it suggests intensifying U.S. concern about the mysterious ailments plaguing diplomats that have left officials and experts scratching their heads.

About a year ago, U.S. government personnel in Cuba began complaining of unexplained health problems, including hearing loss, dizziness, tinnitus, visual complaints, and cognitive issues. Some reported hearing loud noises or vibrations, sometimes only in only specific parts of the rooms they were in, while others felt nothing before experiencing symptoms, according to the AP, which first broke the story.

On Thursday, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert spoke of the incidents  not attacks  in Havana, and said they were under review, including with investigations on the ground by the FBI.

On Friday, a senior State Department official said the targeted attacks affected 21 people, and at least some occurred in hotels. The last reported attacks occurred in late August. While no tourists have been targeted, the State Department isnt taking any chances and is now warning all U.S. citizens to steer clear of the island.

Because our personnels safety is at risk and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe that U.S. citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba, said a senior State Department official.

Investigators initially suspected high-tech sonic attacks targeting diplomats, but they havent found any devices that could cause such symptoms and came up short on scientific explanations for the mystery.

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We dont have any definitive conclusions regarding cause, source, or any kind of technologies that have been engaged or might have been used, a State Department official said.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez to address the issue. Cuban President Raul Castro has steadfastly denied any Cuban involvement in the incidents.

Despite Trumps hawkish stance on Cuba, his administration has not blamed the Cuban government for the attacks, further deepening the mystery of who is responsible. We acknowledge the efforts the Cuban government has made to investigate and its cooperation in facilitating the U.S. investigation, a State Department official said. Officials wouldnt rule out a third country being responsible for the attacks.

The mysterious attacks could strike a blow on efforts to repair ties between the two countries. Following 56 years of a strict embargo and sanctions, former President Barack Obama reopened relations with Cuba in 2015. Trump vowed to roll back parts of what he called Obamas terrible and misguided Cuba policy during a speech in Miami in June, but three months later, he has still failed to issue new regulations to enact his pledge.

The decision to reduce our diplomatic presence in Havana was made to ensure the safety of our personnel, Tillerson said in a statement released Friday. He stressed that Washington maintains diplomatic relations with Cuba despite the episode. We will continue to aggressively investigate these attacks until the matter is resolved, he said.

Photo credit: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
The Department of Homeland Security intends to monitor the social media accounts and internet search history of legal immigrants as part of a new tracking system set to roll out next month.

The policy applies to not just immigration applicants, but also to naturalized U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents. It goes into effect on Oct. 18, the same day that the latest iteration of President Donald Trumps travel ban is set begin.

First reported by BuzzFeed, the new rule was quietly published in the Federal Register last week. Its an update to the Alien File, also known as an A-File, which is the official record-keeping system for an individual going through the immigration system. Until now, A-Files could be kept in either paper or electronic form. Now, the rule says, these records can be kept on paper, electronically or through some paper-electronic combination.

And the information thats now going to be kept in A-Files includes the country of nationality, country of residence, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service online account number, social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information and search results.

Its unclear how DHS plans to collect social media handles and search results from people, although the rule does say it plans to expand data elements used to retrieve records.

The new rule makes clear that the government intends to retain the social media information of people who have immigrated to this country, singling out a huge group of people to maintain files on what they say, Faiz Shakir, American Civil Liberties Union national political director, said in a statement Thursday. This collect-it-all approach is ineffective to protect national security and is one more example of the Trump administrations anti-immigrant agenda.

Its not the first time the administration has floated using social media to vet travelers and immigrants. In February, then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, now the White House chief of staff, announced that the agency was considering asking visitors to give officials their social media passwords. In June, the administration quietly put in place a new visa questionnaire requiring all social media handles used in the last five years.

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And sure enough, the agency says its already been culling social media handles.

DHS, in its law-enforcement and immigration-process capacity, has and continues to monitor publicly available social media to protect the homeland, Joanne Talbot, a spokeswoman for the agency, told Bloomberg Wednesday.

Rights groups have expressed concern about the implications the policy could have on free speech.

Theres a growing trend at the Department of Homeland Security to be snooping on the social media of immigrants and foreigners and we think its an invasion of privacy and deters freedom of speech, Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Adam Schwartz told BuzzFeed.

The policy is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to crack down on both illegal and legal immigration, including Wednesdays announcement that the U.S. would be bringing its refugee admissions quota down to its lowest level yet.

Trump also threw his support last month behind a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), one of the most hard-line immigration lawmakers in Congress, that would dramatically slash the number of people coming to the U.S. every year by cutting down on the number of green cards given out as well as scaling back the refugee program. The bill would also prioritize English-speaking immigrants and ending the immigration lottery program.

Earlier this month, the president threatened to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which granted two-year work permits and deportation relief to undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

This article has been updated to include the ACLU national political directors comment.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
The United States has issued a travel warning against Cuba, advising Americans not to visit and removing some personnel from the island in the wake of what are believed to be sonic attacks on diplomats.

Heres what to know about whats going on in Cuba.

Who was attacked in Cuba?

21 U.S. diplomats and family members have been experiencing mysterious health problems since last November. The incidents have caused a range of symptoms including ear complaints and hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping, according to the State Department.

Who is behind the Cuba attacks?

The U.S. government hasnt determined who is behind the attacks, and the Cuban government denies any involvement. The U.S. government is now describing the situation as specific attacks on American diplomats, which some believe could have been caused by a sonic device.

What is a sonic attack?

No one has yet discovered a device or piece of equipment in connection with the attacks in Cuba. But, according to ABC News, exposing people to sound waves above and below the range of human hearing could cause serious damage, affecting different people in different ways. The Department does not have definitive answers on the cause or source of the attacks and is unable to recommend a means to mitigate exposure, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement Friday.

Who is affected by the Cuba travel warning?

About 60% of U.S. staff in the embassy in Havana will be evacuated, according to the Associated Press, and the embassy will stop processing visas in Cuba indefinitely. The State Department is telling American tourists against visiting Cuba: Because our personnels safety is at risk, and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe U.S. citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba, the official warning states. For now, Cuban diplomats are not being asked to leave Washington.
Washington (AFP) - The US Supreme Court announced Thursday it will hear a challenge to mandatory fees for public-employee unions, with the conservative majority-bench set to make a ruling that could cripple organized labor.

The question before the court is whether public-sector unions can require non-member workers to pay dues. If the court rules against the practice, unions would lose a significant revenue source.

In a 1977 decision, Abood v Detroit Board of Education, the high court had found that workers did not need to pay for the union's political activities, but non-members could be required to pay for its collective bargaining efforts, in order to reduce the incidence of so-called "free riders."

The case the justices will examine in the coming months concerns Mark Janus, who works for the Illinois state government and sued the union, claiming he should not be forced to pay its fees as he disagreed with its positions.

A similar case was heard last year, but the Supreme Court at the time was shorthanded, operating with a vacant ninth seat and thus evenly divided between progressive and moderate justices.

The ruling issued in March 2016 was evenly split, setting no new legal precedent and leaving the existing system in place.

But President Donald Trump's conservative pick, Justice Neil Gorsuch, has since filled the vacant seat, and he is expected to bring the long-awaited fifth conservative vote that could strike a death blow to public-employee unions.
"TRL" fans gathering in Times Square, waiting for a glimpse of *NSYNC, in 2001. (Photo: Getty)

Standing across from MTVs famed Times Square studios, seeing the floor-to-ceiling windows covered in ads announcing the return of Total Request Live, its hard not to feel a little spark of nostalgia.

The windows, behind which stars like Mariah Carey and *NSYNC and Destinys Child would look out upon screaming fans below, have since served various purposes since TRL went off the air in 2008: the cruelly short-lived Nikki & Sara Live, a few MTV specials. Part of the space even briefly became part of an Aeropostale.

On Wednesday, days before TRL would raise its curtain once again, hoping to capture a new celebrity-obsessed generation, the space had been reclaimed wholly by MTV, with the newly constructed studio space stretching uninterrupted from one end of the building to another, 8,700 square feet in total. (The original TRL was filmed in just one corner, about a third of the size of the new space.)

The question asked by many since MTV announced the return of the tentpole music video countdown series is simple: How will TRL, which captured its first fan base in a pre-smartphone, pre-social media era, appeal to todays young superfans? If nothing else, the studio at least seems primed for selfies. One enters the space through a light-up tunnel, coming out to face a huge video screen that, during the tour, was set to a retro-cool palette of television test pattern bars. Giant red leather couches spelling out  what else?  TRL sit in the center, not far from a DJ booth shaped to look like a pair of headphones. A stage backed by another massive screen isnt far off. There are plans, we are told, for a video screen on the floor.

An important aspect of the staging  particularly for young fans whove already grown up with the ability to access their favorite stars on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and the like  is that theres no clear barrier between where fans sit and where talent is interviewed. Theres no separation, no permanent seating to distance audience members from the days guests, as in a traditional late-night show stage. From the moment you walk through that lit-up tunnel, you feel like a part of the action.

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(Photo: Jillian Capewell for HuffPost)

The return of TRL feels monumental to a generation thats aged well past MTVs main demographic.

For Americans who happened to be tween to college age between 1998 and 2008, Rebecca Kinskey writes in We Used to Wait: Music Videos and Creative Literacy, TRL was inescapable. It aired from 3 to 6 p.m., those crucial after-school hours when the extracurricular energies of middle schoolers and high school students were most likely to be both unsupervised and unstructured.

The original show began in Times Square with a then-unknown Carson Daly as host, urging viewers to call in or vote online with their music video requests. At first, there was no studio audience, no horde of fans waiting on the street. The format was strictly a countdown; Daly would introduce each video in ascending order of popularity. And as the shows popularity grew, celebrities began to stop by. Former VJ Damien Fahey tells Billboard in the outlets extensive oral history of the show that when Eminem showed up to promote 8 Mile in 2002, 10,000 fans showed up to see him.

Times Square had to be shut down, he said.

Daly left TRL in 2003, replaced by a rotating cast of names including LaLa Anthony and Quddus. Viewership eventually declined from a daily average of 853,000 in 1999 to 373,000 in 2007. By then, the show played only excerpts of fans favorite videos, and competed against a variety of other music-on-demand platforms  YouTube, Myspace, illegal downloaders. TRL was no longer the sole arbiter of taste.

The programs relevance began to slip among teens and young adults who were taking it upon themselves to decide what was popular to them, and knew exactly how to get that music into their hands and onto their hard drives, Kinskey writes in her book.

The team behind the new TRL promises surprises, though the exact format of the show remains unclear. Showrunner Albert Lewitinn says the plan to attract a generation of digital natives involves embracing social media. Twitter and Facebook feeds for the show are already active, sharing a mix of announcements about whos performing during premiere week and first-person thoughts in the casual style of a brand operating in 2017.

hey @mtv what u doin monday at 3:30 wanna chill?  TRL (@TRL) September 29, 2017

TRL was social media before there was social media, Lewitinn told HuffPost. You came home from school and you turned on the TV and said, Oh my god, oh my god, I just saw Britney Spears do that! Oh my god, Justin Timberlake just did that! and youd talk to people  Did you just see that?

His aim is that fans tune in to the live program to avoid that FOMO moment. There are plans for Facebook Live pre- and post-shows, a daily livestream on Live.ly and a twice-a-week pop quiz on Musical.ly. (Clearly, they didnt listen to former DJ Dave Holmes, who, in an Esquire article, advised MTV keep things simple and not to attempt to be the internet.)

How exactly the show will take requests into account remains a bit of a mystery, though Lewitinn had this to say: I can tell you that the show is Total Request Live. We live in a request society as it is now. You request your Uber, you request your Seamless  what else can you request? Almost everything in the world now. Heres you requesting your pop culture. A press release Friday reiterated, albeit vaguely, that the show will incorporate audience requests.

How about music videos? Will the new TRL incorporate those? What can I tell you ... Lewitinn paused. There will be opportunities to do so. How we do it depends on the artist, depends on the time, it depends on the day.

For its new iteration, MTV has tapped musician and comedian DC Young Fly to host, leading a squad of influencers like Complex alum Tamara Dhia, social media star Amy Pham, and Vine breakouts The Dolan Twins, among others. The guest list for the first week is stacked: The network first announced Ed Sheeran and Migos as premiere day performers, adding on names including Noah Cyrus, Travis Scott, Demi Lovato and Lil Uzi Vert for later in the week. It was announced Friday that DJ Khaled will attend Mondays showing as The Godfather of the program.

While the VJs on the first TRL gained a following thanks to their hosting gigs, the hosts of today are coming into TRL with their own massive fanbases  who, MTV must hope, will follow them to their new gig. Plus, the new show has the distinction of bringing big names in the music business to kickstart its first week, while the opposite was true for the first TRL: Sure, *NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears et al. wouldve been successful without the music-request show, but their presence on TRL allowed their careers to reach new heights.

One hurdle for the new TRL is that the nostalgic pull of its name doesnt register with the younger viewers it now seeks, who were likely infants when the original went off the air. Still, the team is optimistic. The premise, Lewitinn and company expect, will attract a following the same way the initial one did: by capitalizing on young fans flipping through channels (if their parents arent cord-cutters, at least) who want to feel older and cooler by tracking every step of the celebrities du jour.

In Lewitinns words, TRL is a cultural shortcut.

I know exactly what it stands for: Total Request Live, he said. Its powered by me, powered by the requests.

Being powered by fans in 2017 also means being susceptible to criticism  ahead of the shows premiere, outlets are discussing how TRL might handle promoting musicians who are accused of abusing women. (It appears the show, via Lewitinn, hasnt taken a hard stance on the issue.) Its a discussion that mightve been brushed aside in a pre-social media era, but consumers of pop culture raised on the internet are decidedly more woke, with the vocabulary to call out injustices.

MTV has been embracing hot-button issues, recently inviting trans members of the armed services and Heather Heyers mother to speak at the VMAs. When asked whether TRL would pay attention to social issues that matter to its audience, Dhia, a member of the hosting squad, replied with an emphatic yes.

The cool thing about this TRL is its not just going to be about music, though it will be a big part of it, Dhia told HuffPost. Its about pop culture, and to me, pop culture encapsulates whats also going on in the world. We would be remiss not to be bringing that up, cause kids are smart, and they are way more vocal and they understand whats happening very quickly now because of the internet and because of social media. I think its important for us and its our duty to be honest, to talk to them and vocalize where we stand and to just see where they stand as well.

What do we know about the new TRL, really? Not a ton, except that there will be big stars, there will be fans, there will be requests of some form  but most importantly, there will be those iconic windows overlooking Times Square, the sight of which is enough to send any former teenagers heart aflutter. Whether the curtains will stay up is anyones guess.

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"TRL" squad members Ethan Dolan, Grayson Dolan and Tamara Dhia with "TRL" host DC Young Fly in front of the MTV studio's iconic floor-to-ceiling windows. (Photo: MTV)

TRL premieres on MTV Monday, Oct. 2, at 3:30 p.m.

Also on HuffPost

Sisqo with Pink at MTV's Spring Break 2000 in Cancun.

Carmen Electra and singer A. Jay Popoff of Lit perform during MTV's Spring Break 2000 in Cancun, Mexico.

Destiny's Child pauses for photographs during MTV's Spring Break 2000 in Cancun, Mexico.

Singer Enrique Iglesias embrace a bikini contestant (Ed. note: ??? in which women had to compete to wear bikinis?) during MTV's Spring Break 2000 in Cancun, Mexico.

CANCUN - MARCH 16: Rapper Jay-Z and Actress Rebecca Romijn-Stamos perform during MTV's Spring Break 2000 in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

Carmen Electra and Ja Rule backstage during MTV's Spring Break 2001 in Cancun, Mexico.

Mandy Moore backstage during MTV Spring Break 2002 at the Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

Dream performs on Fashionably Loud during MTV's Spring Break 2001 in Cancun, Mexico.

Ludacris performs during MTV Spring Break 2002 on the beach at the Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

Jack Osbourne with some spring breakers by the poolside during MTV Spring Break 2002.

Lead singer of Crazy Town Shifty Shellshock, on left, with TRL host Carson Daly backstage during MTV's Spring Break 2001 in Cancun, Mexico.

Fat Joe and Ashanti perform during MTV Spring Break 2002 on the beach in front of the Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

Puddle of Mudd performs during MTV Spring Break 2002 on the beach in front of the Grand Oasis Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

DJ Skribble stands over his turntable during a taping for MTV Spring Break 2003 at the Surfcomber Hotel March 12, 2003 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Sofia Vergara stands backstage during a taping for MTV Spring Break 2003 at the Surfcomber Hotel March 12, 2003.

Rapper 50 Cent and host Carson Daly appear during a taping for "MTV Spring Break 2003" at the Surfcomber Hotel March 12, 2003.

MIAMI BEACH, FL - MARCH 12: Actress Carmen Electra (C) stands backstage with pop punk band Sum 41 during a taping for 'MTV Spring Break 2003' at the Surfcomber Hotel March 12, 2003 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson during MTV's Spring Break - 'American Idol' Taping at Surfcomber Hotel in Miami, Florida, United States. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

CANCUN, MEXICO - MARCH 8: (U.S. TABS OUT) Model Alicia Hall and actor Nick Cannon pose for a photo backstage during a taping for MTV Spring Break on the beach at The City nightclub March 8, 2005 in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore during MTV Spring Break 2005 - March 9, 2005 at The City in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

CANCUN, MEXICO - MARCH 12: (U.S. TABS OUT) Lindsay Lohan signs an autograph during a game on stage during taping for MTV Spring Break 2004 on the beach deck at 'The City' March 12, 2004 in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

CANCUN, MEXICO - MARCH 12: (U.S. TABS OUT) VJ La La appears on stage during taping for MTV Spring Break 2004 on the beach deck at 'The City' March 12, 2004 in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Mario, Ciara and Omarion during MTV Spring Break 2005 - March 9, 2005 at The City in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)

CANCUN, MEXICO - MARCH 9: (U.S. TABS OUT) Rapper T.I. performs onstage during a taping for MTV Spring Break on the beach at The City nightclub March 9, 2005 in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

CANCUN, MEXICO - MARCH 10: (U.S. TABS OUT) Model Paris Hilton poses backstage during a taping for MTV Spring Break on the beach at The City nightclub March 10, 2005 in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

CANCUN, MEXICO - MARCH 13: (U.S. TABS OUT) VJ Vanessa Minnillo appears on stage during taping for MTV Spring Break 2004 on the beach deck at 'The City' March 13, 2004 in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images)

Paris Hilton during MTV Spring Break 2005 - March 10, 2005 at The City in Cancun, Mexico. (Photo by Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagic)

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Rebecca Bredow insists it is her right as a mother to choose if her son is vaccinated: 7 Action News screengrab

A mother has been told she will go to prison unless her son is vaccinated.

Rebecca Bredow believes she has the right to choose whether to inoculate her child based on her knowledge of vaccines.

But a judge in Detroit has given her a week to comply with the order or be thrown in jail, WXYZ Studios reports.

"I would rather sit behind bars standing up for what I believe in, than giving in to something I strongly don't believe in," Ms Bredow told the TV network.

God forbid he were to be injured by one of the vaccines. Then what? That scares me.

I believe in the choice of the parent to make the right decision based on their knowledge of vaccines.

Ms Bredow said after reading books she applied for a waiver, which the state of Michigan allows for religious convictions or other objections to immunisation.

But the mother-of-two and her ex-husband became locked in a court battle over their son's medical rights.

"I feel angry. I feel backed into a corner, she said. I feel like my rights as a parent have been taken away.

"Why automatically side with the father that wants the vaccines? What about my choice as a mother?"

According to the NHS, parents concerned about overloading their child with vaccines should not be.

Studies show that they do not weaken a childs immune system, as the bacteria and viruses used in vaccines are weaker than the huge number of bugs a baby comes into contact with every day.
The Las Vegas Police Department believes body cam footage shows cops were justified in their actions to detain Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett.

Bennett publicly stated that on Aug. 26 he was wrongfully detained by Las Vegas police. He was in town for the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight. Bennett said he and others mistakenly heard gunshots at a casino, so he ran away from the sound, as many others did. He said officers singled him out for being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time and used excessive force.

Sheriff Joe Lombardo said Friday the officers had reasonable suspicion to detain him, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Footage showed Bennett running out of the casino, as were others, and then police going after him and forcing him into a police car while he asked what he did wrong. Three officers in the footage identify Bennett, two hispanic officers and one black officer. Police said during the encounter they were looking for a possible shooter.

I believe they acted appropriately and professionally, Lombardo said of the officers.

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TMZ had previously posted video of Bennett being held on the ground by an officer as he was asking the officer what he did wrong. That detaining officer held Bennett for 10 minutes, the Review-Journal said, and did not have his body camera on.

The Las Vegas Police Department has maintained that race had nothing to do with Bennett being detained. Bennetts lawyer John Burris said earlier this month that he was advising Bennett of his options, including filing a federal civil rights lawsuit.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett was detained by police after a boxing match in Las Vegas in August. (AP)

      

Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!



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White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump, also a government employee: Reuters

The White House is investigating officials use of private email accounts to conduct government business, it has been reported.

Of particular interest is a private email domain potentially used by Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, it is said.

Mr Kushner did not disclose his use of a personal email account when he met with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian election interference, who learned about it from news stories.

Citing four unnamed officials, Politico said the effort began this week after it reported Mr Kushner and other senior White House officials had used private email accounts to exchange messages for government business.

A congressional committee asked the White House on Monday for information about the initial story.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, asked if Mr Trump was concerned about the reported use of private emails, told reporters on Thursday, The White House has been clear and instructs all staff to fully comply with the Presidential Records Act. All staff has been briefed on the need to preserve those records, and will continue to do so.

During Mr Trumps 2016 election campaign, the Republican real estate developer attacked Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server for official correspondence when she was Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.

Some of Ms Clintons messages were later determined to have contained classified information.

The White House probe could take several weeks or even months to complete as officials are searching for all emails sent or received about government business, Politico reported. Its lawyers are said to be trying to find out whether any messages are relevant to ongoing Russia probes by Congress and special counsel Robert Mueller.

Mr Mueller, the former FBI director, is investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election and possible collusion with Trump associates. Russia has denied any such efforts, and Mr Trump has dismissed any talk of collusion.

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Politico earlier reported that other senior Trump aides had also used private email accounts, including former chief of staff Reince Priebus, former chief strategist Steve Bannon and economic adviser Gary Cohn.

The New York Times reported on Monday that private accounts were also used by the presidents daughter Ivanka Trump after she became a White House adviser and by Stephen Miller, a senior Trump adviser.

Additional reporting by agencies
OSLO - Norways minister of immigration drew comparisons Wednesday between the plight of Europeans suffering from increasingly common terror attacks with the experiences endured by Israel for decades.

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We are experiencing now the fear that you have experienced for decades, said Sylvi Listhaug in an exclusive interview with Ynet in Oslo. Many people now understand the situation you live in. We see what is happening in Sweden, in Britain and in France.

Interview with Sylvi Listhaug

X

European nations, she added, and their citizens need to understand the situation in Israel better because of the terror attacks in Israel.

Since taking office, Listhaug has cracked down on illegal immigration into the Scandinavian country by adopting stringent policies that have resulted in just 1,000 illegal migrants entering the country in 2017 from 30,000 in 2015.

According to Listhaug, her Progress Party, which governs in a coalition with the Conservative Party, is a staunch supporter of Israel.

The Progress Party has always been a supporter of Israels need to protect themselves (sic) in a region where you are the only democracy, she claimed.

Sylvi Listhaug (Photo: Ze'ev Yanai)

That does not mean that we support everything you do but you have a right to defend your people and your borders because you live in a region that has a lot of problems, she acknowledged.

The interview took place a day after Denmarks Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg posted a screenshot of her iPad showing a drawing of the Prophet Mohammad on Facebook, one of the satirical cartoons that caused outrage among Muslims around the world more than a decade ago.

While saying that she did not necessarily agree with the caricature, Listhaug insisted her Danish counterpart had every right to publish it in the interest of free speech.

Satirical cartoon of Mohammas

People have been murdered because they have expressed their opinion like (what happened with) Charlie Hebdo, she highlighted in reference to the French satirical magazine that was firebombed in 2011 for publishing a cartoon of Mohammad and was then the target of an brutal attack by two radical Muslim brothers in 2015 in which 12 people were massacred.

Its the new norm, Listhaug concluded, for Europeans to impose limits on freedom of speech in order to avoid offending minorities.
The most important thing in any tragic narrative, Aristotle explained, is the ending, and especially the realization the ending was actually hidden in the beginning and was in fact foretold. Thats what makes the difference between a sad story and a tragedy. Thats what sets apartand radicalizesthe tragic pain. And thats what turns the Elor Azaria affair, which reached its foreseen ending with the chief of staffs decision to reduce the sentence of the soldier convicted of manslaughter in Hebron, into an Israeli tragedy.

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What makes this affair tragic isnt the fact we always knew, deep in our hearts, it would end with a reduced sentence, but mainly the feeling we havent learned a thing from the affair.

The hubris can be divided between all parties, as it failed to distinguish between Right and Left and was evident both in the coalition and in the opposition. Almost everyone took part in it.

Elor Azaria shortly after shooting a neutralized terrorist in Hebron. Instead of drawing conclusions and correcting our ways, the affair ends exactly as it began

Most of Azarias supporters in the Rightfrom Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who made every effort to conceal his initial condemnation of the shooting by publicly embracing the family, to the ministers and Knesset members who stood in line to defend the soldier and declare him a herowere so busy trying to earn cheap likes, that they ignored the difficult and critical questions raised by the affair concerning the rightist-national worldview, including: What is the moral price claimed by a fulfillment of the vision of Greater Israel, and are we willing to pay it?

Moral corruption is an iron-clad rule that was and will be valid throughout history when it comes to one people controlling another people against its will. Its a time issue that doesnt necessarily delegitimize the continuation of the settlement enterprise, but does force those who believe in it to look in the mirror and admit this is the required priceand they are indeed willing to pay this price to continue the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria.

The leftists stuck to their own predictable agenda: Not only did they rush to generalize and turn Azaria from a frightened young soldier who found himself in an impossible situation before the IDFs collective evil in the territories into a killer, but they forgot there isnt always time or room for civil rights in a war on terror. These rights are reserved for civiliansnot for terrorists.

And it was actually the levelheaded, correct and allegedly moderate ones who were put to shame. Because the voices that kept arguing Azaria disgraced the worlds most ethical army in his conduct are the ones deluding themselves: Whoever insists its possible to sustain a military regime through non-violentand even moralmeans is sticking to an absurd premise. The worlds most ethical army cant take part in an essentially immoral mission. And even if it has to do so, as its quite possible the IDF is forced to do so for security reasons, it should at least spare us the moral pretense in trying to justify it.

The classic tragedies usually end in a conclusion-drawing process: The main characters understand where they went wrong and decide to change their ways, thereby basically justifying the ordeal they went through. But in an Israeli plot twist, the opposite appears to be true this time. Instead of drawing conclusions and correcting our ways, the affair ends exactly as it began. It seems that neither Azaria nor the politicians, nor the split and confused society that jailed him to keep its conscience clear, have learned anything.
The US State Department distanced itself on Thursday from remarks made by American Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who said Israel only occupies 2 percent of the West Bank

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"His commentsand I want to be crystal clear about thisshould not be read as a way to prejudge the outcome of any negotiations that the US would have with the Israelis and the Palestinians. It should also not indicate a shift in US policy," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters in Washington.

In an interview with an Israeli news site on Thursday, Friedman also said he thought "the settlements are part of Israel" proper.





Ambassador David Friedman during his Senate confirmation hearing (Photo: Reuters)

The Yesha Council, which represents Jewish settlers across the West Bank, welcomed the ambassador's comments.

"Ambassador Friedman should be commended for using facts to describe the reality" in the West Bank, it said in a statement.

His comments, which are at odds with decades of US policy in the region, angered the Palestinians.

Nabil Shaath, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, responded in a video clip on Twitter that the US ambassador had displayed "absolute ignorance of facts of law and of the position of the United States."

Friedman's remarks are "very bad news for the future of any American attempt to make peace in the Middle East," Shaath added.

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called Friedman's comments "false and misleading," adding the claim "contradicts international law, United Nations resolutions and also the historical US position."

"Israel is internationally recognized as the occupying power over 100 percent of Palestine, including in and around occupied east Jerusalem," Erekat added.

"Such positions," he continued, "undermine ongoing efforts toward achieving a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine," based on 1967 borders.

He further lamented that "It is not the first time that Mr. David Friedman has exploited his position as US ambassador to advocate and validate the Israeli government's policies of occupation and annexation."

US State Departmen Spokeswoman Heather Nauert (Photo: AP)

In an interview to with an Israeli newspaper earlier this month, Friedman referred to the "alleged occupation" of Palestinian territories. The State Department later clarified that his comments did not reflect a change in US policy.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians have limited autonomy in 40 percent of the area, with Israel in full control over the remaining 60 percent. Palestinians demand the West Bank as part of a future state.

The Palestinians, along with much of the international community, view Israel's West Bank settlements as illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel disputes this, saying the fate of the settlements must be resolved through negotiations with the Palestinians.

US President Donald Trump is seeking to restart frozen peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

Friedman said the president remained committed to a peace agreement but had not set any formal timeframe.

"I would expect (a deal) within months," he said. "But we're not going to limit ourselves to any hard deadline. We're trying to get it done right, not done fast."

The Palestinians have grown increasingly concerned by Trump and his team -- including Friedman -- who have yet to publicly commit to the idea of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, the so-called "two-state solution."

"I think that phrase has lost its meaning," Friedman told the Israeli site. "It means different things to different people."

Asked by the interviewer what the phrase meant to him, Friedman replied, "I'm not sure. I'm not focusing on labels I'm focusing on solutions.
WASHINGTON/HAVANA - The United States on Friday cut its diplomatic presence in Cuba by more than half and warned US citizens not to visit because of mysterious attacks that have caused hearing loss, dizziness and fatigue in US embassy personnel.

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The US embassy in Havana will halt regular visa operations for Cubans seeking to visit the United States and offer only emergency services to US citizns, steps that may further erode the US-Cuban rapprochement begun by former President Barack Obama.

The partial evacuation, while depicted as a safety measure, sends a message of US displeasure over Cubas handling of the matter and delivers another blow to Obamas policies of engagement with Cold War foe Cuba.

US Embassy in Havana (Photo: Reuters)

The Communist Party-run Cuban government was already dealing with several delicate mattersthe aftermath of Hurricane Irma, a steep decline in aid from important socialist ally Venezuela and political transition as President Raul Castro steps down next year.

Cubas Foreign Ministry chief for US Affairs Josefina Vidal said: We consider the decision announced today by the US government through the State Department is hasty and will affect bilateral relations.

Vidal, in a briefing on state-run television, said Cuba was still keen to cooperate with US authorities to clarify what happened.

Officials in President Donald Trumps administration stressed the United States was maintaining diplomatic ties with Cuba.

American tourists in Cuba (Photo: Reuters)

Until the government of Cuba can ensure the safety of our diplomats in Cuba, our embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel in order to minimize the number of diplomats at risk of exposure to harm, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (Photo: AP)

The Cuban government has denied any role and is investigating. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been looking into the incidents, a US law enforcement official said, but so far has not determined the cause.

A senior State Department official said neither the US nor Cuban governments had been able to identify who was responsible but stressed that the government of Cuba is responsible for taking all appropriate steps to prevent attacks on our diplomatic personnel in Cuba.

In a travel warning, the State Department bluntly said because our personnels safety is at risk, and we are unable to identify the source of the attacks, we believe US citizens may also be at risk and warn them not to travel to Cuba. A State Department official said most visa processing had been suspended in Havana. Cuban applicants for nonimmigrant visas may apply at another US embassy or consulate overseas.

The State Department said the attacks on US embassy personnel had occurred at US diplomatic residences and hotels frequented by US citizens. No tourists are known to have been injured.

Canada said it has no plans to change its travel advice for Cuba or to remove any Canadian staff from its embassy there, though some staff have experienced some unusual symptoms, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday.

Pretext?

Trump in June vowed to partially roll back the detente with Cuba agreed by his Democratic predecessor, Obama, and called the Cuban government corrupt and destabilizing in his address to the United Nations General Assembly this month.

US President Donald Trump (Photo: AP)

Engage Cuba, a Washingon-based lobbying group, said the decision was puzzling given that American travelers had not been targeted. It said halting the visa process in Cuba and discouraging Americans from going there will divide families and harm Cubas burgeoning private sector, civil society groups and efforts to improve human rights on the island.

US lawmakers took positions on the issue that appeared to reflect their wider perspective on engagement with Havana.

Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat who favors normalization, suggested the attacks may be an attempt to undermine this.

Whoever is doing this obviously is trying to disrupt the normalization process between the United States and Cuba. Someone or some government is trying to reverse that process, Leahy said in a statement.

American tourists in Cuba (Photo: Reuters)

Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and frequent critic of the Cuban government, called for harsher measures.

Until those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice, the US should immediately expel an equal number of Cuban operatives, downgrade the US embassy in Havana to an interests section, and consider re-listing Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, Rubio said in a statement.

Cuba's President Raul Castro (Photo: AP)

American Tour Operators in Cuba, which counts more than 50 US companies, criticized the travel warning.

The motivation for the US government to issue todays Travel Warning for Cuba is difficult to understand given that the facts and circumstances of these mysterious incidents have never posed a tangible threat to American visitors in Cuba.

American Airlines and United Airlines, both of whom have applied for additional flights to Havana, said the travel warning would not affect their current operations to Cuba.

JetBlue Airways said it would waive change and cancellation fees for Cuba flights booked on or before Sept. 29.

Airbnb spokesman Nick Papas said its operations in Cuba would continue. Cuba reported four million arrivals last year, of which 285,000 were Americans.
Everyone has a dream to meet their favorite icon in their lifetime, and for some people that is the Former President of Ghana, Jerry John Rawlings.

Get the latest news in entertainment and politics on YEN.com.gh

One of the noted African musicians set to perform at the African Legends Night, Congolese soukous musician, Kanda Bongoman finally got his wish to meet the former president on Friday.

Kanda Bongoman and J.J Rawlings (middle)

READ ALSO: First Lady causes arrest of pimp and her son

Kanda Bongoman called on Rawlings at his Ridge office, a meeting the musician has looked forward to for decades.

In a report by Graphic.com.gh, the musician who was delighted at finally meeting his idol said he had missed the opportunity to meet Rawlings in 1994, when he performed at the Panafest Music Festival, alongside Stevie Wonder.

Kanda Bongo Man's dance skills birthed the popular kwassa kwassa dance that has won him the hearts of many fans across the African continent.

Rawlings complimented the musician for his music talents and shared a laugh when he donned a black cowboy hat to match the musicians Fedora hat.

READ ALSO: Lil Win's 'juju man' threatened to 'strike me down'- Wife of Lil Win

YEN is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook page.

Source: YEN.com.gh
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) meets with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong at the White House in Washington D.C. Sept. 28, 2017. It is extremely important to strengthen people-to-people exchange with China, Donald Trump said during the meeting.(Xinhua/White House)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese and U.S. officials wrapped up the First China-U.S. Social and People-to-People Dialogue here Thursday with substantial outcomes.

The one-day dialogue, co-chaired by Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, is one of the four high-level talks agreed upon during the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in April.

Liu said under the new circumstances, strengthening people-to-people exchanges is vital to the sound and stable development of bilateral relations.

The two sides should implement the consensus reached by the leaders, raising people-to-people exchanges and cooperation to a new level so as to lay a firm social foundation for the development of bilateral relations, she added.

The first round of the China-U.S. Social and People-to-People Dialogue concluded with a joint statement and more than 130 outcomes, including an action plan.

Both countries pledged to boost cultural exchanges to enhance people-to-people ties.

The joint statement said both are committed to supporting the establishment of long-term communication and cooperation between their cultural organizations.

China and the United States will help promote bilateral cooperation between public cultural industries, as well as exchange visits among high-level cultural groups.

The statement said exchanges and cooperation at local levels are one of the most active and robust areas in China-U.S. relations, indicating that the commonalities between the two far outweigh their differences.

Local-level exchanges cover a wide range of areas, including education, science and technology, environmental protection, as well as culture and healthcare.

Both countries also agreed to team up to beef up health care and safety in their respective countries and the world at large.

Both will take into account the proposals of the Belt and Road Initiative to deepen cooperation for safety, progress and innovation in health matters and commit themselves to building a community of shared destiny where health matters are concerned.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by Xi in 2013, comprises the overland Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which are reviving and expanding ancient silk trade routes for greater connectivity and trade between Asia, Europe and Africa.

China and the U.S. have agreed to launch cooperative programs to prevent and control such major communicable diseases as AIDS, promote exchanges and dialogue between health personnel at various levels, and boost health research on such non-infectious diseases as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as cancer.

They also agreed to help establish a public health system in African countries in the post-Ebola era, deepening their cooperation to train health personnel in Africa and strengthening the continent's ability to prevent and control diseases. The two countries will jointly carry out public health programs, including vaccinations against hepatitis B for newborns in Sierra Leone.

China and the United States will also promote two-way overseas study and enhance bilateral exchanges among educational institutions and scholars.

They will adopt a "double 100,000" two-way overseas study plan, which will allow China to send 100,000 government-sponsored people to study in the United States and permit 100,000 U.S. students to study in China in the next four years.

Besides, China will provide 10,000 scholarships in the coming four years to encourage excellent U.S. students to study in China on a short-term basis.

The United States will continue to implement the Fulbright scholarship program, a U.S. flagship academic exchange program.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 00:54:56|Editor: yan

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KIEV, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's exports of information and communications technology (ICT) products surged 18.3 percent in the first half of 2017 to 1.3 billion U.S. dollars, the European Business Association (EBA) said Friday.

With the result, the ICT industry became one of the most profitable export-oriented sectors of the Ukrainian economy after agriculture and metallurgy, the EBA said in a statement.

Among the main factors which contributed to the export increase, the EBA listed the growing demand for the ICT products on the global market and facilitation of exporting procedures inside Ukraine.

The Ukrainian ICT exports have been growing since 2013. Last year, the East European country earned 2.3 billion dollars from selling ICT products abroad.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 02:35:25|Editor: Mengjie

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Austrian foreign affairs minister and current OSCE chair Sebastian Kurz (L) and German anti-terrorism expert Peter Neumann attend a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria, Sept. 29, 2017. The threat of terror in Europe is something that will continue to be a challenge for many years ahead, German expert Peter Neumann claimed on Friday at a press conference in Vienna at the presentation of a report on the subject for the OSCE. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

VIENNA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The threat of terror in Europe is something that will continue to be a challenge for many years ahead, German expert Peter Neumann claimed on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference in Vienna at the presentation of a report on the subject for the OSCE, Neumann was joined by Austrian foreign affairs minister and current OSCE chair Sebastian Kurz.

The expert said even if terror militia "Islamic State" (IS) would be neutralized, this could spell more terror attacks in Europe, with other dangerous groups likely to form in its stead.

He said there are several reasons why the threat of terror is presently on the increase, including that returning IS fighters have become battle-hardened, received top training, and are now well-networked, as well as the group's promotion of attacks in Europe that are simpler, less costly, and more difficult to inhibit.

While he argued that it is important to disrupt the so-called caliphate, the security situation in Europe would not immediately be improved. In addition there is no single way to tackle the problem, the efforts from the OSCE just one of many in dealing with the issue.

The threat of terrorist attacks is haunting Europeans incessantly. Plagued by the threat, Europe is rapidly drifting away from a land of tranquility.

As of the end of August in 2017, the whole continent witnessed at least 13 terrorist attacks, leaving at least 58 people killed and over 300 injured in Belgium, Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden, among others.

Unlike sophisticatedly organized attacks such as "9/11," today's terrorist activities are intertwined with "lone wolf" style attacks and organized ones.

In addition, suspects of attacks in Barcelona and Finland were ordinary people who had no criminal records before, making police investigations after the attack more difficult. And the use of social media as well as daily tools when committing crimes also makes the attacks harder to be detected and prevented.

Meanwhile, many suspects of terrorist attacks in Europe are descendants of native immigrants. For a long time, some European citizens were inspired by extremism and joined "Jihad" in the Middle East and other war-torn areas.

As terrorist groups like the Islamic State are being hit hard in the Middle East, they returned to Europe as legal residents. Europol estimates those people number over 5,000 and takes them as a serious concern.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 03:00:31|Editor: yan

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RABAT, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has opened a second office in Morocco, local media reported on Friday.

The new office is set up in the northern city of Tangier, while EBRD's first officer is located in Casablanca, Morocco's financial capital, the Media24.com news site reported.

The office aims to support the local economy in the Mediterranean region of Tangier as well as the eastern region of L' Orientale, the report said.

During his visit to Morocco, EBRD Vice President Alain Pilloux signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Morocco's Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as the Central Bank (Bank Al Maghrib) of Morocco.

The deal paved the way for lending to local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in local currency, which will mitigate their exposure to exchange rate volatility.

Pilloux said the opening of the new office in Tangier confirms the bank's determination to strengthen its activities in Morocco and specifically in the north of the country.

He added that the bank's top priority will be to promote regional inclusion and job creation.

The economy of the northern region of Morocco is based on a network of SMEs and manufacturing firms in the textile and leather, agribusiness and automotive industries.

Morocco is a founding member of the EBRD, which has invested about 1.41 billion U.S. dollars in 30 projects across the country since 2012.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 03:25:41|Editor: yan

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TRIPOLI, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- After four years of political and security crises in Libya, the first stage of a UN-sponsored peace plan has been launched amid optimism by warring parties.

The first UN-sponsored dialogue was held in Tunisia on Tuesday, which aims to introduce amendments to the current political agreement.

The meeting is the first step of an action plan proposed by Ghassan Salame, the UN envoy to Libya, which includes amending the original peace agreement, holding a UN-sponsored national conference among all Libyan political factions, adopting a constitution, and finally electing a president and a parliament.

Libyan observers believe the first dialogue is the most important step, as the political agreement constitutes the basis for finding a solution to the country's problems.

Tarek Saqr al-Jarushi, a member of the House of Representatives, told Xinhua that lawmakers are committed to amending the points of dispute previously announced by the parliament, "as a condition for the return to dialogue and negotiation."

The amendments should follow the principle that the presidential council of the government of national accord must consist of a president and two deputies as stipulated in the draft agreement, not nine deputies as it is now, said Al-Jarushi.

"The government of national accord should be separated from the presidential council. The controversial Article VIII, which has deprived the parliament most of its powers in favor of the presidential council, mainly the post of the supreme commander of the army, must be abolished," he noted.

The government of national accord and the higher council of state were appointed based on the UN-sponsored peace agreement. However, the country remains politically divided.

Al-Jarushi expected the first stage of the UN plan to be completed within three weeks.

"The dialogue committee of the parliament will return after the completion of this stage to present the outcomes of the meeting to the parliament for voting in a formal session," he explained.

The lawmaker also said the stage following the amendments will be a difficult one, as leaders of executive bodies, such as the prime minister and head of the presidential council, will be elected at this stage.

But Saleh Galma, also a member of the House of Representatives, said the amendments to the agreement "are not as easy and fast as some would have expected."

"There are maneuvering and confusion during this stage, and also there is no consideration of the factor of time," Galma told Xinhua.

Following the uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid insecurity and political division despite the signing of a UN-sponsored peace agreement and appointment of a unity government.
Toys, flowers and candles are placed on the avenue to mourn for victims in the terrorist attacks in the Las Ramblas area of Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 19, 2017. A total of 14 fatalities occurred in two terrorist attacks in the Spanish cities of Barcelona and Cambrils that also hurt about 126 people of 34 different nationalities. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

VIENNA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The threat of terror in Europe is something that will continue to be a challenge for many years ahead, German expert Peter Neumann claimed on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference in Vienna at the presentation of a report on the subject for the OSCE, Neumann was joined by Austrian foreign affairs minister and current OSCE chair Sebastian Kurz.

The expert said even if terror militia "Islamic State" (IS) would be neutralized, this could spell more terror attacks in Europe, with other dangerous groups likely to form in its stead.

He said there are several reasons why the threat of terror is presently on the increase, including that returning IS fighters have become battle-hardened, received top training, and are now well-networked, as well as the group's promotion of attacks in Europe that are simpler, less costly, and more difficult to inhibit.

While he argued that it is important to disrupt the so-called caliphate, the security situation in Europe would not immediately be improved. In addition there is no single way to tackle the problem, the efforts from the OSCE just one of many in dealing with the issue.

The threat of terrorist attacks is haunting Europeans incessantly. Plagued by the threat, Europe is rapidly drifting away from a land of tranquility.

As of the end of August in 2017, the whole continent witnessed at least 13 terrorist attacks, leaving at least 58 people killed and over 300 injured in Belgium, Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Spain and Sweden, among others.

Unlike sophisticatedly organized attacks such as "9/11," today's terrorist activities are intertwined with "lone wolf" style attacks and organized ones.

In addition, suspects of attacks in Barcelona and Finland were ordinary people who had no criminal records before, making police investigations after the attack more difficult. And the use of social media as well as daily tools when committing crimes also makes the attacks harder to be detected and prevented.

Meanwhile, many suspects of terrorist attacks in Europe are descendants of native immigrants. For a long time, some European citizens were inspired by extremism and joined "Jihad" in the Middle East and other war-torn areas.

As terrorist groups like the Islamic State are being hit hard in the Middle East, they returned to Europe as legal residents. Europol estimates those people number over 5,000 and takes them as a serious concern.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany July 7, 2017. (Reuters Photo)

MOSCOW, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russia is open to any forms of mutually beneficial cooperation with the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.

"We have a lot of problems that require a joint solution. Not only our countries but also the entire international community are interested in this," Lavrov said at a meeting here with a group of U.S. researchers of political science.

He said the Russian-U.S. cooperation in Syria, which is not free from problems, is an example of "putting aside differences and focusing on common interests," according to an official transcript of the meeting released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Lavrov said that honest and open cooperation between the two powers will help resolve other issues, including arms-control and and anti-terrorism.

"I am sure that the whole world expects this and will breathe a sigh of relief if such an interaction is established," he said.

Lavrov said that Moscow does not accept attempts to blame Russia for all negative things in the United States, but it will not dramatize the situation, expecting this stage of bilateral relations to pass and the wisdom of the American people to prevail eventually.
Bruce Rauner, the governor of the U.S. state of Illinois, addresses a reception held in the U.S. city of Chicago on Sept. 28, 2017 to celebrate the 68th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Liu Yifang)

CHICAGO, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The governor of the U.S. state of Illinois has shown a strong interest in expanding mutually-beneficial cooperation with China in areas ranging from trade to tourism and to educational exchanges.

"I'm a believer in more trade and more investment, especially with the people of China. So I look forward to doing whatever I can to expand it," Bruce Rauner told Xinhua in an interview on the sidelines of a reception held here on Thursday to celebrate the 68th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Rauner is eager to strengthen relationship with China in an all-round way. "I want to expand trade, I want to expand investment, to expand tourism, and expand exchange of students between Illinois and China," he said.

"I believe that China, in the future, will be Illinois' greatest partner, and greatest friend. I want to do everything I can to expand our friendship," Rauner said.

Talking about his trip to China earlier this month, Rauner said that "we met with dozens of chief executives who lead Chinese companies."

"And we were very honored to sign a memorandum of understanding between Zhejiang University in Hangzhou and the University of Illinois, so we can expand the number of students who are studying in each university, so we can expand our education opportunities," he said.

With a population of nearly 13 million, the most populous state in the U.S. Midwest region has a long friendship with China. Its export to China reached 5.11 billion U.S. dollars in 2016.

China has 50 companies headquartered in Illinois, which has a diverse economic base and serves as a major transportation hub, while 400 Illinois companies have a base in China.

Bruce Rauner, the governor of the U.S. state of Illinois, addresses a reception held in the U.S. city of Chicago on Sept. 28, 2017 to celebrate the 68th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. (Xinhua/Liu Yifang)

"I've been there (China) twice so far, I look forward to going again," Rauner said.

Speaking of the first China-U.S. social and people-to-people dialogue held in Washington D.C. on Thursday, Rauner said he is a supporter of the dialogue and that the state of Illinois will create opportunities for this kind of exchanges between the two countries.

Trade between China and the U.S. Midwest states has flourished in recently years. Statistics show that annual trade volume between China and the nine U.S. Midwest states has exceeded 90 billion dollars. More than 200 Chinese companies have invested in the states, creating more than 46,000 jobs.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 06:46:47|Editor: liuxin

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RAMALLAH, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Senior Palestinian officials condemned the blatant bias of U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman for suggesting that only 2 percent of the West Bank is under Israeli occupation, the official news agency WAFA reported Friday.

"The U.S. ambassador to Israel has proved once again that he is completely removed from reality," Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Executive Committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), was quoted as saying.

In a recent interview with the Israeli media, Friedman suggested that only 2 percent of the West Bank is occupied by Israel.

"In addition to his long-standing support for Israeli settlements, and after referring to the 'alleged occupation' of Palestinian land, he has the audacity to maintain that Israel occupies only 2 percent of the West Bank and that illegal settlements that carve, annex and steal Palestinian land are part of Israel," Ashrawi said.

Ashrawi noted that Friedman continued to visit illegal Jewish settlements and even joined the Israeli celebrations in June marking the occupation of Palestinian land in 1967.

"Not only does the ambassador break from long-standing US policy, he is also at odds with the international legal, political and moral consensus," she said.

Friedman's positions reflect the settlers' ideology in Israel's right-wing coalition government rather than that of successive administrations that have claimed to be invested in peace, Ashrawi noted.

"The occupation exists. Settlements are illegal under international law and constitute a war crime. These facts and realities are not in question," she maintained.

She urged the U.S. government ho hold Friedman accountable for his remarks and his "consistently outrageous and morally repugnant attitude, actions and statements."

Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erekat also criticized Friedman's latest statements about Israel "occupying only 2 percent of the West Bank."

He said Friedman's remarks is not only false and misleading, but also contradict international law, UN resolutions, and also the historical U.S. position.

"Israel is internationally recognized as the occupying power over 100 percent of Palestine, including in and around Occupied East Jerusalem," Erekat said.

"Such positions undermine ongoing efforts towards achieving a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine on the 1967 border," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 06:51:49|Editor: liuxin

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HOUSTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Texas state Governor Greg Abbott delivered a 50-million-U.S.-dollars check to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday for urgent needs after Hurricane Harvey.

In a joint press conference held here on Friday, the governor explained that the 50 million dollars came from the 100 million dollars disaster relief fund appropriated during the last legislative session, with the biggest chunk going to debris removal and rebuilding.

Meanwhile, Turner announced that with this additional financial aid from the state, there will be no need for a tax increase or to raise the revenue cap, as he had previously considered as a means to finance the city's recovery.

The Mayor estimated that only debris removal would cost 263 million U.S. dollars, and stressed that the recovery is facing challenges.

Abbott also left open the possibility of having a Texas Legislature Special session to deal with Harvey damage, not just in Houston but in all areas affected by the strom.

Harvey blew ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and damaging some 200,000 houses in a path of destruction that stretched for more than 480 km. The Houston area was hit by severe flooding, after receiving heavy rain.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 07:01:50|Editor: liuxin

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian armed forces withdrew on Friday from the Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, after occupying it for six days to end a series of violent clashes between drug gangs and the police.

Defense Minister Raul Jungmann announced the withdrawal on Thursday of 10,000 troops and 10 armored vehicles from Rocinha, saying the largest favela in the country had been "stabilised" after a series of shootouts had left at least four people dead.

According to Jungmann, the soldiers had fulfilled their mission and no longer needed to remain in the region.

After the army withdrew, the military police set up an advanced base inside Rocinha favela from where it will continue operations against drug trafficking.

Rio de Janeiro Governor Luiz Fernando Pezao had asked the army to intervene after fighting broke out between two rival gangs on September 17.

During the week it took control of Rocinha, the army had arrested 24 people and seized a number of weapons.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 09:12:06|Editor: ying

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SYDNEY, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Australia's shadow treasurer has told a forum in Sydney on Friday afternoon that he is open to signing up to China's Belt and Road initiative (BRI).

During his speech at the Asia Society event, Chris Bowen said the ambitious global infrastructure scheme "will have profound ramifications for years to come."

"We will come to office if we win the next election with an open mind as to how Australia and China can best collaborate on the Belt and Road Initiative, with a clear-eyed approach to our respective national interests," he said.

Of key interest to the Labour Party minister is potential for infrastructure development in the North of Australia to improve shipping and transit routes.

"We will examine proposals on a case by case basis including considering how the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility and the Belt and Road Initiative can best complement each other," Bowen said.

Senator Penny Wong has previously lent her support to China's willingness to invest in regional enterprises that "broaden the material well-being of its citizens and ours."

"China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) provides valuable opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation and our reluctance to join the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank was timorous and self-defeating," she said.

"We need to display much greater confidence in harnessing the opportunities of the BRI and ensure that we do all in our power to contribute to stability, prosperity and the regeneration of confidence."
Photo taken on Sept. 29, 2017 shows a stampede site in Mumbai, India. (Xinhua)

by Peerzada Arshad Hamid

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a stampede that happened Friday at a footbridge near a local train station in Mumbai, India's financial capital city, has risen to 22, officials said.

Over 30 people injured in the incident have been admitted to hospitals, the officials said. However, local media reports put the number at around 50.

"As of now 22 people have been confirmed to have died in the stampede and 27 others have been injured,"a local police official said. "The injured are being provided medical treatment at the nearest hospitals."

Anil Saxena, railway spokesman told the media that the government has ordered an investigation to ascertain reasons that led to the stampede.

"It is not clear yet, what led to the stampede. An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the reasons that led to this tragic incident," Saxena said. "We have reports the heavy rain in the morning resulted in the rush at the footover bridge and when people started moving out a stampede broke out."

According to police and railway officials the stampede triggered at around 10:45 a.m. (local time) on a narrow footbridge near the Lower Parel and Elphinstone stations.

Television visuals showed people on the ground, some unconscious and people trying to revive them with water and first aid. Footwear and bags were seen lying scattered next to the bridge.

Reports said the two train stations are used by most of the commuters in Mumbai as the areas are close to many office buildings.

Locals said over 400 people were present at the bridge at the time of the stampede.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have expressed grief and sorrow over the deaths in thestampede.

"My deepest condolences to all those who have lost their lives due to the stampede in Mumbai. Prayers with those who are injured," Modi wrote on twitter.

"Situation in Mumbai is being continuously monitored. Piyush Goyal is in Mumbai taking stock of the situation and ensuring all assistance."

Goyal is minister of railways in India.

"My heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured persons," Goyal said. "Have ordered a high level enquiry headed by the Chief Safety Officer, Western Railways."

Authorities have rushed disaster response personnel on the spot to carry out rescue work, officials said.

Indian sprawling railways is the world's third largest network, ferrying around 23 million people each day.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 10:27:18|Editor: ying

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BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's non-manufacturing sector expanded at the fastest pace since June 2014 in September, official data showed Saturday.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the non-manufacturing sector came in at 55.4 in September, up from 53.4 in August, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below that reflects contraction.

"The growth momentum for the non-manufacturing sector has become stronger," said NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.

The sub-index for new orders rose to 52.3 this month from 50.9 in August, indicating faster expansion of market demand, while that for business outlook rose to 61.7 from 61, higher than 60 for a fifth month.

Other sub-indices rose across the board, including those for sales prices, employees and export orders.

NBS data also showed that manufacturing PMI stood at 52.4 in September, the fastest expansion since May 2012.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 10:57:22|Editor: ying

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VIENTIANE, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China Southern Airlines has officially launched a direct flight from Lao capital Vientiane to Guangzhou as part of a scheme to support China's Belt and Road Initiative.

With flight code CZ 6091/6092, the flight will be operated with airbus A320 planes on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The inaugural flight with more than 140 passengers landed at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane on Wednesday evening.

Talking about the launching of the new direct route between Vientiane and Guangzhou, the airline's Deputy General Manager in Bangkok Zhao Yang said the launching is to answer the call of the Belt and Road Initiative.

China has been an important and consistent partner for Laos historically, politically and economically since the signing of an air service agreement between the two countries in 1987, according to a report by the Lao state-run media Vientiane Times on Friday.

"Our bilateral relations are strong and fruitful," Acting Director of the Civil Aviation Department under the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport Bouakhao Khounpaya said during his speech to mark the inaugural flight at a dinner reception in Vientiane.

"In the same way, China Southern Airlines business in Laos will grow strongly because this will certainly help people-to-people connectivity, particularly on the Guangzhou and Vientiane and vice versa routes, and relations between our two countries will bear more fruit," he added.

Bouakhao said he believes the number of Chinese tourists visiting Laos will significantly increase and China Southern Airline's flights will help Laos access destinations around the world.

"Such flight operations would lead to prospects of amicable and closer aviation ties between the two countries, which is essential for the development of the aviation markets of Laos and China," he said, adding that this will ensure mutual benefits and friendly exchanges between Laos and China.

"The flight operations will give greater exposure of Laos and China to the people of both countries, and will bring about even more passenger services, promoting trade and investment between and beyond both countries. There is no doubt that the economies of both Laos and China will benefit as a result," Bouakhao said.

According to the Department of Civil Aviation in Laos, many countries are operating direct flights to the country, as well as some charter flights.

Many Chinese nationals are flying to several destinations in Laos, while tourist attractions in China are also proving popular with scores of Lao people.

Direct flights from Laos to China consist of Vientiane-Kunming, Vientiane-Guangzhou, Vientiane-Nanning, Vientiane-Hainan, Luang Prabang-Chengdu and Vientiane-Changzhou.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 11:02:23|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Senior leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state paid tribute and laid floral baskets to the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square on Saturday morning.

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the event.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 11:47:29|Editor: Yurou

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BANJUL, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Gambia, based in the west African country's capital Banjul, held a reception to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China here on Friday.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jiming said the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1 in 1949 was historic for China and the world.

"From 2013 to 2016, China topped the world with an annual GDP growth at 7.2 percent and contributed more than 30 percent to the growth of the world economy," Zhang said.

"Over 13 million new urban jobs are being created every year and the surveyed urban unemployment rate has been kept at around 5 percent," he added.

Zhang said the past five years showed that over 55 million Chinese have been lifted out of poverty, while over 700 million have rid themselves of poverty in the past four decades.

Gambian Justice Minister Aboubacarr Tambadou said Gambia has always welcomed China as a significant partner.

"We will continue to support the one-China policy," Tambadou said.

Gambia and China resumed bilateral relations in 2016 after they had been severed for some 20 years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 11:57:31|Editor: Yurou

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by Raimundo Urrechaga

HAVANA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. decision to withdraw up to 60 percent of its diplomatic personnel in Cuba opens a "negative period" in bilateral ties, said a top Cuban analyst Friday.

Carlos Alzugaray, a former Cuban diplomat, said these are "unjust and arbitrary" measures taken by the U.S. State Department.

The State Department ordered all of its non-essential personnel to leave the island in response to the "attacks" suffered by its at least 21 diplomats.

"It is a negative, extemporaneous and inexplicable measure about incidents that are under investigation which the U.S. government itself states that it has no evidence Cuba perpetrated it," Alzugaray said.

Analysts believe that the decision announced Friday by the United States is an enormous setback in the recent bilateral relations and brings uncertainty to the future of the ties.

Cuba has repeatedly denied its involvement in the alleged attacks, and President Raul Castro ordered an investigation which is still unfinished.

"The United States has politicized this issue in an exaggerated way and its own intelligence agencies have acknowledged there is no evidence the Cuban government has perpetrated these alleged attacks," Alzugaray said.

He said that even the incident itself would have to be questioned because several months later Washington has not presented to the public any proof that these attacks ever happened.

"So far we don't know who these people are, we have not seen photographs of them or their injuries, and nobody knows about the weapon or technology used to perpetrate the attack. With such a serious incident it would seem inappropriate to take a politically motivated step," Alzugaray said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington would maintain diplomatic ties with Cuba and the two countries would continue to cooperate in investigating the attacks.

At a meeting in Washington this week Tillerson reminded Bruno Rodriguez, Cuban foreign minister, of the country's obligation under the Vienna Convention to protect diplomats and their families.

Rodriguez said that Cuba had an "impeccable record" when it came to the Vienna Convention and urged the United States not to make "hasty decisions" based on inconclusive evidence.

Cuban foreign minister also said the incidents should not be made a "political issue" and reiterated the importance to continue the active cooperation with U.S. authorities to clarify the alleged attacks.

While announcing a substantial reduction of its diplomatic staff in Cuba, Washington recommended its citizens not to travel to the island for security reasons.

A measure of this type, said Alzugaray, is a major concern for the Cuban tourism industry and especially for the private sector.

"We still have to see how Americans who want to travel to Cuba interpret this measure, but it would not be logical to think the travel warning won't have a negative impact on the tourism sector," he said.

From January to May this year, 284,565 U.S. citizens visited the island, a number exceeding the total number of U.S. visitors in 2016, according to official data.

The State Department also announced that it will indefinitely suspend granting visas to Cubans in Havana, a measure that violates Washington's commitment to awarding at least 20,000 visas a year to Cubans.

According to Alzugaray, this new step by the Trump administration constitutes a "negative element" that will affect not only the future development of ties between Cuba and the United States but will disturb relations between Latin America and Washington.

Cuba and the United States resumed diplomatic relations in 2015 after more than 50 years of enmity, although the White House still imposes economic sanctions against Havana.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 12:07:33|Editor: Yurou

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Sep. 29 (Xinhua) -- The number of millionaires in Brazil grew 10.7 percent in 2016, although the country faced a poor economic situation, according to a report released on Friday.

According to the "2017 World Wealth Report", which was compiled by French IT consulting firm Capgemini and the Royal Bank of Canada Wealth Management, the number of millionaires in Brazil rose from 148,500 in 2015 to 164,500 in 2016, above the global average of 7.5 percent.

Among the 25 countries included in the report, Brazil had the fourth highest increase in the number of millionaires, after Russia (20 percent), Sweden (13 percent) and China's Taiwan (12 percent).

Millionaires in the report are people who have over one million U.S. dollars in easily saleable assets, not counting their homes, collection items and durable goods.

According to the report, the total wealth of Brazilian millionaires increased from 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2016.

The figures registered in Brazil ended a downward trend in the previous two years. In 2015, Brazil had registered the sharpest fall in the number of millionaires among all the countries in the study, dropping 7.8 percent.

It is also worth noting that the number of millionaires in Brazil grew significantly in 2016 despite the country's poor economic situation.

Brazil has been facing a recession in the past few years, and only now seems to be recovering, albeit slowly. In 2016, the country's GDP fell 3.6 percent, and in 2015 it fell 3.8 percent.

However, according to the report Brazil's stock market registered considerable gains in 2016, helping to boost the number of millionaires.

The Sao Paulo Stock Exchange's Ibovespa indicator rose 66.46 percent in 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 12:37:39|Editor: Yurou

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- A woman was arrested in the U.S. state of Iowa after she left her four young children at home while she travelled to Europe for a 12-day vacation, local media reported Friday.

The woman, 30, was charged with four counts of child endangerment and one count of transferring a firearm to a person under the age of 21, Johnston police spokeswoman Janet Wilwerding said.

The woman flew to Germany on Sept. 20, leaving her four children-- two 12-year-olds, a seven-year-old and a six-year-old at home unsupervised.

The woman said she had arranged for babysitters, but all of her options fell through.

The father of one of the children was called by his child on Sept.21 and notified the police of the situation. The children looked confused when they were found, said the police.

Iowa Human Services Department took custody of the children before handing them over to relatives.

The woman was arrested upon arrival on Thursday after being contacted by police to demand her immediate return.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 12:37:39|Editor: Yurou

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. regulators on Friday rescinded the federal oversight of American International Group (AIG), saying the insurance company no longer poses a threat to U.S. financial stability.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), a group of financial regulators including U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve, voted 6-3 to rescind AIG as a "systemically important financial institution," which requires stricter oversight by the federal government.

"This action demonstrates our commitment to act decisively to remove any designation if a company does not pose a threat to financial stability," U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

The FSOC designated AIG, which was on the brink of collapse during the financial crisis, as "systemically important" in July 2013.

The latest move means that AIG is no longer subjected to stricter supervision by the Federal Reserve, such as tighter capital rules and enhanced prudential standards.

It's the latest sign of the Trump administration's attempt to roll back Obama-era financial regulations.

President Donald Trump has made deregulation a key part of his financial agenda and repeatedly blamed the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, which was designed to prevent another financial meltdown, for stifling economic growth.

But Fed Chair Janet Yellen warned last month that policymakers should not ignore the lessons from the 2008 financial crisis that hit the U.S. economy and households hard.

Yellen said any changes to the post-crisis financial reforms should be "modest" as these reforms have made the financial system substantially safer and resilient.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 12:57:47|Editor: liuxin

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by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United States is gearing up for even more weapons sales to allies, after months of already increased arms sales worldwide.

At a time when tensions around the world are on the rise, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is preparing to ease restrictions on weapons sales to U.S. allies, the U.S. news source Politico reported Friday.

The changes, which could see the U.S. State Department and Pentagon playing a more active role on behalf of U.S. weapons manufacturers, will be included in an executive order this fall, Politico reported.

That is a stark change from the previous administration, which sought to set limits on the export of weapons from the United States, the world's biggest arms exporter.

Indeed, new data finds that U.S. arms sales have nearly doubled, to 48 billion U.S. dollars, over the last eight months since Trump came to office, compared with the same period last year, Politico reported.

Much of the reason is that the White House wants to bump up U.S. trade and boost the economy. But a surge in U.S. weapons sales also comes amid growing global tensions, and some experts fret that all this could have a destabilizing effect.

"Much of the increase in arms sales is driven both by the Trump administration's concern about security in (certain) areas, as well as a desire to boost U.S. exports, even for weapons producers," Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, told Xinhua.

"In these regions where there are increased arms sales, it reflects the Trump administration's concerns about regional stability, as well as the desire to increase partners' capabilities and reduce their reliance on the U.S. military," Mahaffee said.

"In the Middle East, much of the capacity-building and weapons sales efforts are focused on better-equipping Gulf Arab allies to be able to contain Iran," Mahaffee said, referring to U.S. tensions with the Islamic Republic.

Similarly, Asian allies will likely have access to weapons sales, considering tensions on the Korean Peninsula and U.S. desires to create a stronger security architecture in that region, Mahaffee said.

Experts have differing views on whether the uptick could have unintended consequences, such as making the world a more dangerous place as nations beef up their weapons arsenals.

"I understand some of the concerns that tensions could increase or arms races could result, but improving the capabilities of U.S. allies is key to deterring some of these tensions," Mahaffee said.

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua that Trump has the U.S. economy in mind.

"Trump is ramping up weapon sales as a way to boost the economy. He sees this as a valuable export and an avenue for companies to increase their markets. In general, Trump is pro-military so this is in keeping with his philosophic bent," said West.

"The risk is that increased weapon sales will destabilize the world," West added. "Putting more military equipment into the hands of governments could increase conflict and lead to a global arms race."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 13:02:50|Editor: ying

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by Xinhua writer Liu Chang

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in Beijing on Saturday to lay the ground work for U.S. President Donald Trump's first China visit later this year.

The top U.S. diplomat's visit comes at a time when the world is toiling to foster a sustainable global economic recovery and seeking to handle an array of hotspot issues.

As the world turns increasingly interdependent among nations and regions, it is imperative for the world's top two economies to step up cooperation, and important for Tillerson to build as much consensus as possible on three major fronts in the coming days in China.

Surely, Tillerson's top priority is to search for more common ground with China on how to contain Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

For the record, Beijing has firmly opposed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear program and is committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula through political means.

Upholding these principles, China has over the years been trying to facilitate dialogue among all parties concerned, while fulfilling its responsibilities according to UN Security Council resolutions.

However, Washington and Pyongyang's indulgence in tit-for-tat war of words has left any diplomatic efforts in vain and made a final solution to the crisis even harder.

Currently, all incendiary rhetoric and moves can do nothing but wreak havoc and must be halted. More efforts are in urgent need to create an atmosphere in which Pyongyang, Washington, Seoul as well as other relevant parties can sit down together and talk.

In addition, those who believe that China is obliged to and is able to alone single-handedly fix everything are unrealistic and irresponsible as the two sovereign countries -- Pyongyang and Washington -- are leading roles in the dispute. Synergy holds the key to solving the crisis.

Another area in which the two countries can further their cooperation is trade and investment that have over the decades brought real benefits to both sides.

Through trading with China, low-cost and high quality products have helped raise living standards of Americans.

Instead of stealing American jobs, employment by Chinese-owned firms across America has jumped ninefold since 2009 to 140,000 last year, according to a recent report by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and Rhodium Group.

As for the U.S. trade deficit with China, to blame are an evolving global distribution of industries and value chains, not Beijing.

Earlier last month, Washington initiated a protectionist probe into what it calls China's theft of U.S. intellectual property by evoking the Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that allows the U.S. president to unilaterally impose hefty tariffs and other trade limits on partners deemed to possess unfair advantages.

Such a move may sound pleasant for protectionists ears in America, yet it would only sow the seeds for a possible future trade war in which no party could emerge unscathed.

The smart way is for both countries to take a more rational view to their trade differences and resolve frictions via the World Trade Organization.

Dealing with such pressing global challenges as climate change is also where China and the United State can join hands to make the world a better place.

Washington, which has been inclining to backing away from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, needs to tread carefully and not be blinded by short-term self-interest.

Facts showed that shared interests that bind China and the United States far outweigh the disputes that divide them.

It is encouraging to see that Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, have maintained close contact on a regular basis.

They also created a four-pronged dialogue mechanism that aims to promote constructive communication in areas like trade, law enforcement and cybersecurity, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The world's most important bilateral relationship is picking up steam under joint efforts and the momentum should be maintained for the good of all.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 13:37:55|Editor: Yang Yi

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A Rwandan boy performs martial arts in the community of Nyamirambo Sector in Kigali, Rwanda, on Sept. 29, 2017. The Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda-College of Education (CIUR-CE) together with Rwandan Wushu clubs on Friday brought Chinese martial arts Wushu to residents of one community in the capital city Kigali. (Xinhua/Gabriel Dusabe)

KIGALI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute in Rwanda on Friday brought Chinese martial arts Wushu to residents of one community in the capital city Kigali.

Confucius Institute at the University of Rwanda-College of Education (CIUR-CE) together with Rwandan Wushu clubs performed martial arts in the community of Nyamirambo Sector in the capital city, in a bid to raise awareness of doing physical exercises and deepen understanding of China and its culture.

Since 2015, CIUR-CE has cooperated with Rwandan Wushu clubs and Rwanda Kungfu/Wushu Federation to bring Wushu into communities across the country. Currently they have introduced Wushu to Rwandans in the capital, Southern Province, Northern Province and Western Province.

To popularize Wushu in local communities, CIUR-CE launched its own Wushu club in Nyamirambo, and the number of its Wushu players have increased from some 100 in 2015 to nearly 400 today.

Twelve-year-old Wushu player Prince Ishimwe, who performed Wushu in China in 2016, said he is proud of being a Wushu player.

"I urge my fellow youths to join me and stop saying they have nothing to do. Wushu contributes to our daily life," the Nyamirambo resident told Xinhua on the sidelines of Friday's event.

Another Wushu player Theophile Abijuru said Wushu keeps him physically fit, adding that it inspires him and others to never give up. "We do believe in patience, and we know everything is possible in life."

Abdallah Temarigwe, 64, performed carrying 60 liters of water by using his mouth and hands. He said bringing Wushu into local communities has health benefits, especially for young people. He ended by saying it also brings joy to community residents.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 14:03:02|Editor: Yurou

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BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of overseas shops in countries all over the world now support Alipay payment in hope of attracting Chinese tourists during the upcoming eight-day national holiday.

Sixteen international airports have real-time QR code-scanning tax refund services for Chinese Alipay users, two in the Republic of Korea, and 14 in Europe, according to Ant Financial, the parent company of Alipay.

"The holiday is not just a festival for Chinese, but for us as well," said Wu Qing, manager of overseas market department of King Power, a duty-free chain in Thailand. "In addition to introducing payment methods that Chinese consumers are most familiar with, we offer Chinese language service everywhere in our stores," Wu said.

The upcoming holiday starts on Oct. 1.

Justin Watson, chief commercial officer of Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand, said the airport had undergone many changes to attract young Chinese tourists, including supporting Alipay.

He said over 400,000 Chinese tourists visited New Zealand last year, most of them young people.

"For every 10 international travelers, there is one Chinese traveler, either shopping, or on the beach, or in natural or cultural monuments," said Xu Jing, executive secretary and regional director for Asia and the Pacific of the World Tourism Organization.

Statistics from Ivy Alliance Tourism Consulting show that the number of Chinese outbound tourists in 2016 topped 122 million. So far in 2017, about 315 billion U.S. dollars of overseas tourism revenue comes from Chinese tourists.

A report by Ctrip, one of China's largest online travel platforms, said an expected 6 million Chinese tourists would travel and shop overseas during the upcoming holiday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 14:28:07|Editor: liuxin

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TALLINN, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated her country's ongoing commitment to maintaining European security in an address to British troops in Estonia on Friday.

May delivered the speech at the Tapa Army Base in northern Estonia where British and other allied troops are stationed.

May said that by stepping up the deterrence and defence posture of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the allies' collective commitment to NATO's common defense "remains as strong as ever," according to a statement from the British Prime Minister's Office.

At the Warsaw Summit in July 2016, 28 leaders of NATO member nations decided to establish an enhanced forward presence in eastern Europe, which comprises four multinational battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and other contributing allies.

Over 800 British servicemen and women are leading a multinational force in Estonia. This is one of the largest British deployments in eastern Europe in recent times, said May, who later on Friday attended the Tallinn Digital Summit hosted by Estonia, which holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).

May reiterated Britain's commitment to meet the target of spending 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defence, adding that her country will remain at the forefront of the NATO alliance.

"And while we are leaving the European Union, as I have said many times, we are not leaving Europe," May noted, adding that Britain will continue to offer aid and assistance to EU member states that are the victims of armed aggression, terrorism and natural or manmade disasters.

Joining the British prime minister, French President Emmanuel Macron and Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas also visited the Tapa Army Base.

The NATO battalion battlegroup at the Tapa Army Base in Estonia started service in April. The allied soldiers led by Britain include a French unit of about 300 troops.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 14:33:09|Editor: liuxin

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Chinese President Xi Jinping straightens red ribbons on the floral baskets during a ceremony to pay tribute and lay floral baskets to the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2017, the country's fourth Martyrs' Day. Other senior leaders Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli also attended the ceremony. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders Saturday paid tribute and laid floral baskets to the Monument to the People's Heroes at Tian'anmen Square.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joined representatives of all walks of life to mark the country's fourth Martyrs' Day, on the eve of National Day.

Other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, also attended.

A military band played trumpets to commemorate the martyrs before the ceremony started.

At 10 a.m., participants sang the national anthem, and then bowed their heads in silent tribute to those who devoted their lives to the liberation of the Chinese people, the establishment and development of People's Republic of China, which was founded in 1949.

Following a patriotic song sung by children, 18 honor guards laid nine sets of flowers in front of the monument.

Baskets were presented in the names of the CPC Central Committee, China's top legislature, the State Council, the top political advisory body, the Central Military Commission, All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, non-communist party and non-party individuals, mass organizations, veterans, senior cadres and the families of martyrs, as well as China's Young Pioneers organization.

President Xi straightened red ribbons on the baskets and led a group of senior officials in a walk around the monument to pay tribute.

Children and other attendees followed them and laid bouquets of flowers at the foot of the monument.

The ceremony was presided over by Cai Qi, secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC.

It is estimated that China has about 20 million martyrs.

China's top legislature approved Sept. 30 as Martyrs' Day in 2014 to commemorate those who lost their lives for national independence and prosperity.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 14:38:10|Editor: liuxin

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KABUL, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people, all civilians, were injured as a blast hit a bazaar in Jamal Agha district in the eastern Afghan province of Kapisa on Saturday, an official said on the condition of anonymity.

"The terrorists placed explosive device in a bicycle and detonated it in the bazaar of Jamal Agha district at around 9 a.m. local time, injuring eight innocent civilians including some children," the official told Xinhua.

Some of the injured were in critical conditions, the official added.

Meantime, Farhat, a local news agency quoted a police official Ayub Yusufzai as saying that only three civilians sustained injuries in the blast.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 14:53:20|Editor: Yurou

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NANNING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The test event for the Gree Tour of Guangxi, the last stage of 2017 UCI WorldTour Series, finished on Friday in the South Chinese city of Guilin. Organizers said all is set for the upcoming UCI WorldTour Series event.

Over 100 cyclists from 30 local teams participated in the test event.

Before the test event in Guilin, organizers also held similar events in Beihai, Qinzhou, Nanning and Liuzhou, which will host different stages of the Gree Tour of Guangxi.

The Gree Tour of Guangxi will take place from Oct. 19 to 24 with the participation of 18 elite teams recognized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 15:28:25|Editor: Mengjie

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MANILA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines is looking forward to the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump in Manila in November, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said on Saturday, adding the visit "affirms the strong partnership between the two allies."

"President Trump will definitely receive a very warm welcome in Manila," Cayetano said after the White House confirmed on Friday the U.S. chief executive's participation in the East Asian Summit.

"(Philippine) President (Rodrigo) Duterte is looking forward to welcoming President Trump in Manila," Cayetano said, adding that "our people are excited to see the first face-to-face meeting between our two leaders."

The White House said Trump's visit to the Philippines will be part of a 12-day trip from Nov. 3 to Nov. 14 that will also take him to Japan, South Korea, China, and Vietnam.

"Trump's visit underscores the improving relations between the Philippines and the United States, which no less than Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told me is on an upward vector," Cayetano said.

Cayetano also described relations between the Philippines and the U.S. to be strong and irreversible in his interview by National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington on Thursday.

"The American-Filipino relationship is so resilient that it bounces back right always regardless of personalities and issues," Cayetano told NPR anchor Mary Louise Kelly.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 15:53:30|Editor: Mengjie

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TEHRAN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Road Trafficking Organization banned the transportation of crude oil products to and from the Iraqi Kurdistan, official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

With reference to recent developments in the region, the international and local transportation companies are banned from loading crude products to and from Iraqi Kurdistan by the next notice, the organization said in a statement.

Any disregard of the notice will have consequences to the transportation agency, it said.

Iran has already closed its airspace to the flight commuting between Iraqi Kurdistan region and the country.

Tehran, Ankara, Baghdad and the United States have rejected the results of referendum in Iraq's northern Kurdish region, which voted for independence on Sept. 25.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 16:28:37|Editor: Mengjie

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JALALABAD, Afghanistan Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 militants loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group were killed and their hideout was completely destroyed in drone attacks in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar on Friday night, a local official said Saturday.

"An unmanned plane of NATO-led troops targeted IS militants' hideout in Nazian district of Nangarhar province on Friday night, leaving 15 rebels dead," Ataullah Khogiani, the provincial governor's spokesman told Xinhua on Saturday.

The NATO-led Resolute Support (RS) troops, stationed in Afghanistan, usually conduct drone strikes against militants in the conflict-battered country.

Militants loyal to the IS that are active in parts of Nangarhar province have yet to make comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 16:53:45|Editor: Mengjie

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CAPE TOWN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Gang violence flared up in a slum district here overnight, leaving ten people dead and two others wounded, police said Saturday.

Several shooting incidents took place in the informal settlement of Marikana, which is notorious for crimes linked to rivalry among different gangs.

This was believed to be the worst gang-related violence in recent years.

In the first incident, shots were fired inside a shebeen, fatally wounding four people, local police Captain FC van Wyk said.

In the second one, three more were shot dead in a shack and one outside the dwelling, said van Wyk.

Not far from where the second incident occurred, two more bodies were found lying between the shacks, he said.

A man and a woman with serious injuries had to be taken to the hospital, van Wyk said.

Also in Marikana, charred bodies of three men were discovered earlier this month. Police also linked this incident to gang-related violence.

Elsewhere, gang violence also escalated. On Tuesday night, seven people were shot dead in the Nyanga area.

These incidents highlight the seriousness of gang fighting in impoverished areas in the city, police said.

Residents in the affected areas have appealed to Police Minister Fikile Mbalula to intervene.

Some areas in Cape Town have been ravaged by gangs for a long time. Every year, dozens of people are killed in gang violence.

In November 2011, South African authorities sent army troops to quell gangs following rising gang-related violence.

Authorities have mediated a series of peace agreements between gangs, but the agreements did not last long.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 17:28:51|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Saturday, discussing U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China later this year.

"Currently the most important event in our bilateral relations is President Trump's China visit in November," Xi said. "His visit will be a major opportunity for the development of China-U.S. relations."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 18:19:00|Editor: Mengjie

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French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a press conference after the Tallinn Digital Summit in Tallinn, Estonia, on Sept. 29, 2017. French President Emmanuel Macron has called for fair competition in the digital sector to achieve social justice. (Xinhua/Sergei Stepanov)

TALLINN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has called for fair competition in the digital sector to achieve social justice.

"The digital sector is at the heart of transformation of our society," Macron said after the Tallinn Digital Summit on Friday. Estonia now holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).

He said that fair and efficient projects are needed to boost the job markets and provide support to the young people.

The French president dismissed the allegation that there will be a new type of tax on technology giants.

He said the EU leaders discussed the issues of digital regulation, digital market, digital economy and society as well as cyber security at the Tallinn Digital Summit.

France has the talents for a digital economy and needs to speed up the process toward building up an EU digital single market, Macron said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 18:24:02|Editor: Yang Yi

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BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's central bank Saturday announced a targeted reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cut to encourage inclusive financing at commercial banks, such as credit support for small and micro-sized enterprises, startups and agricultural production.

The People's Bank of China said commercial banks, whose annual outstanding or new loans in inclusive financing account for more than 1.5 percent of the total, will enjoy a 0.5 percentage point RRR cut from the central bank's benchmark level from next year.

The RRR will be cut further by a 1 percentage point if the ratio exceeds 10 percent, the bank said.

Inclusive financing will also cover credit support for small business owners, impoverished groups and students.

The targeted cut, which goes into effect in 2018, is a structural adjustment that does not change the country's overall monetary policy stance, the central bank explained, stressing that it would continue to implement "prudent and neutral" policy to guide reasonable credit and financing growth.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 18:29:04|Editor: Lu Hui

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FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban local commander along with his three fighters was killed, following Afghan forces onslaught in northeastern province of Badakhshan on Saturday.

Twelve villages were also cleared from insurgents during the raid, an official said.

"A cleanup operation was launched in Yaftal-e-Payan district of Badakhshan province, where insurgents have been driven out of 12 villages after leaving their commander, Maulawi Ekram and three more fighters dead," police spokesman Ghulam Hazrat Karimi, told reporters here.

Taliban militants have not made comment on the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 18:34:05|Editor: Lu Hui

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BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Beijing railway police held an anti-terror drill Saturday, ahead of the week-long National Day holiday and the upcoming 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

In a simulated hostage scenario in a railway station, armed police rescued the hostage and arrested criminal suspects.

Advanced anti-terror tools such as an anti-explosion robot were tested in the drill.

Huang Ping, a Beijing railway police officer, said the drill was designed to examine the emergency response and attack ability of railway police.

"With the simulated drills, railway police are expected to deal with emergency situations successfully with high efficiency," he said.
Zimbabwean people hold national flags in a protest mobilized by the social media in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Aug.6, 2016. (Xinhua)

HARARE, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- While social media has proved to be an effective medium of communication, the Zimbabwean government is worried that some people are abusing it with the intention to cause political chaos and prop up the opposition ahead of the 2018 elections.

The recent panic buying of basic commodities where some shelves were literally emptied in retail shops while prices of some goods skyrocketed has been attributed to false social media, with the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa warning that the government would take drastic measures against "economic saboteurs."

Chinamasa said while Zimbabwe had its challenges, there were attempts by some forces to destabilize the country through triggering economic turmoil, New Ziana reported Thursday.

He said false messages on social media had spurred panic buying which had resulted in artificial shortages of fuel and goods as people rushed to hoard the commodities.

"It came to most of us as a complete surprise and in fact it was like a bombshell because there were no shortages in the market and what happened was not in sync with the prevailing situation in the economy at all," the finance minister told a media conference Wednesday.

"The developments in the economy are very positive and all indicators are in the right direction, the trajectory is on the right path," he said.

Chinamasa said the government would follow the direction of the European Union in introducing strict laws that deal with abuse of social media and other new technologies to spread lies.

With the impending elections, the government suspects that some people will use social media to prop the opposition by highlighting purported government failures.

Police on Sunday arrested a pastor who is well-known for using social media to express his discontent with government failures after he posted a video of long queues of motor vehicles waiting for fuel at some filling stations in Harare.

The state wants to charge Evan Mawarire with inciting members of the public to revolt against the government through the comments he made in the video clip.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has also had its fair share of false media and has been forced to make advertisements refuting various policy pronouncements seen on social media.

The government is drafting a law to penalize the "abusive" usage of social media with five-year jail terms to be imposed on offenders as it seeks to regulate the cyber space law and order.

According to the draft, any person staying either in Zimbabwe or overseas can be found guilty of intentionally generating, possessing and distributing an electronic communication with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, threaten, bully or cause emotional distress to another person.

The Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Bill, together with two supporting bills on information technology, is intended to manage the cyber space following various acts of civil disobedience triggered by social media messages on WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook.

Zimbabwe has seen a sharp rise in mobile internet penetration rate thanks to the proliferation of affordable smart-phones and cheap data packages.

The country's telecommunication regulator Potraz reported in 2016 that active mobile internet subscriptions rose to 6.5 million by the end of 2015, which is nearly half of the entire national population.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 19:14:12|Editor: Mengjie

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GARDEZ, Afghanistan, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 militants were killed and six others wounded, following a counterattack by Afghan forces against militants in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktia, said a statement of provincial government released here Saturday.

"Hundreds of militants attacked security checkpoints in Yusufkhil district of the province on Saturday morning to overrun the district but police returned fire, leaving 10 militants dead and six others wounded," the statement said.

The province has Gardez as its capital, 100 km south of Kabul.

The attacking Taliban fighters fled the area, the statement said without mentioning the possible casualties inflicted to security personnel.

Taliban have not commented on the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 19:14:12|Editor: Yang Yi

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SOFIA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Confucius Institute in Sofia Saturday celebrated the Global Confucius Institute Day for the fourth consecutive year.

During the nearly four-hour event held in the institute's courtyard in one of the busiest places in the Bulgarian capital city, various cultural activities were arranged including tea tasting, quiz and performance of Chinese martial arts, calligraphy and paper cutting.

For the visitors interested in Chinese learning, a Chinese class was available on spot in addition to the information about the activities of the Confucius Institute and Chinese language courses.

Ge Zhiqiang, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute in Sofia, said at the opening ceremony that more and more people in Bulgaria are interested in Chinese language and culture. Some 20 schools and universities with nearly 2,000 people studying Chinese language are under the guidance of Confucius Institute in Sofia.

Confucius Institute in Sofia was established in 2006. In 2015, it opened its new building and became one of the 14 model Confucius Institutes worldwide.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 19:24:15|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Saturday, discussing U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to China later this year.

"Currently the most important event in our bilateral relations is President Trump's China visit in November," Xi said. "His visit will be a major opportunity for the development of China-U.S. relations."

Xi said China-U.S ties had been generally stable, and that he had maintained sound communication with President Trump.

Chinese and U.S. teams should implement consensus reached by the two heads of state, grasp the direction of bilateral relationship, respect each other, and focus on cooperation while dealing with differences properly, Xi said.

"China attaches great importance to President Trump's visit, and I look forward to working with him to outline and advance our bilateral relations in the years to come," Xi said.

He said the teams on both sides should work closely to make the visit "successful and special."

Tillerson conveyed Trump's greetings to Xi, saying the U.S. president looks forward to his visit to China.

Hailing the progress in U.S.-China relations under the auspices of the two presidents, Tillerson said the United States values its relations with China and hopes to increase mutual trust and practical cooperation in various areas as well as to jointly tackle international and regional challenges.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 19:29:16|Editor: Mengjie

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KINSHASA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- An army cargo plane of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) crashed near the capital Kinshasa on Saturday morning, and there was no survivor, an anonymous source told Xinhua.

According to the same source, the army plane headed for Kalemi with nine military crew members and logisticians but was forced to return due to technical reasons. Unfortunately the aircraft was unable to return to N'djili Airport, and crashed on a farm in Nsele, some 100km west of Kinshasa.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 19:34:18|Editor: Mengjie

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ISTANBUL, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Istanbul, once renowned for its beauty and richness as the ancient capital of both Roman and Ottoman Empires and a city straddling Europe and Asia, has been increasingly acknowledged now as a place going uglier.

The ongoing urbanization process, accompanying mega projects and restoration works in particular, is blamed for the most populous Turkish city being degenerated into a concrete jungle with fast destruction of its green areas and historic tissue.

The city's uglification is a hot topic among the residents in different platforms, giving rise even to a social media account devoted to "Ugly Istanbul," in which videos and photos showcasing its "mean landscape" are shared.

"The account tries to raise awareness among people against the spreading hideousness of the city," Ece Ergin, a devout follower of "Ugly Istanbul," told Xinhua.

She believes that only increased social awareness could unite Istanbulites in combatting flawed administrative decisions that are transforming the city into a "more grotesque" place filled with concrete buildings and squares.

Not long ago people were ignoring the ugly side of the city and chose to hang around in their neighborhoods or in locations where they liked the most, she said, adding "But now, through growing social awareness, people have started to raise their voices and say 'stop' to dubious projects."

The iconic Taksim Square at central Istanbul is among the renovation projects most criticized, as the area lost its historic fabric after being turned into a granite-covered place.

Pinar Seyran, another follower of "Ugly Istanbul," groaned about the "horrific" illumination system set up in the square on top of its loss of green area, an issue of contention on the Twitter account.

In Seyran's view, the charm of Istanbul has been compromised in these details. "I find these social media accounts very useful in terms of revealing the truth about the city," she said.

For Ahmet Vefik Alp, an academic and urbanist, the landscape of Istanbul is turning uglier each day and the city is gradually becoming a place in which no one would like to live.

"We are on the verge of a catastrophe, as everywhere is full of concrete structures," he told Xinhua.

Alp argued that until late 1950s Istanbul was a calm, tranquil, balanced and most importantly a green place, saying "There were no bridges, no highways and the Bosphorus Strait was a unique feature of the city flowing calmly in between the continents."

The influx of people from Anatolia that began in 1960s and the building of ghettos, highways and bridges afterward started the inevitable demise of Istanbul, according to the urbanist.

In Alp's opinion, Istanbul is losing its eco-balance particularly after the city's last green spot, forests in the north, is being demolished to make way for the third bridge over Bosphorus and a third airport.

Millions of trees were cut down, forcing animals to abandon their nests, during the construction of the third airport, slated to be opened in 2018 as the biggest in Europe, according to press reports.

Alp cautioned that people will see the negative impacts of these mega-projects in years and "their children will suffer the most."

"Due to all these reasons, I strongly recommend residents of the city to raise their voices louder in every platform to save Istanbul," he said. "Istanbul is a global treasure and let's come together and find a way to restore Istanbul as a balanced, livable and secure city again."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 19:54:23|Editor: Mengjie

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TRIPOLI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Some 26 people has been killed and 170 others injured since the beginning of the clashes in Libya's western city Sabratha late Friday, the Ministry of Health said.

Many of the injured people were transferred to private clinics in the cities of Aljailat, Zintan, Tripoli, Misratah, Sorman and Zwara, said the ministry in a press release.

Those who couldn't be treated inside Libya have been transferred to hospitals abroad, the ministry added.

Sabratha, located some 70 km west of the capital Tripoli, has been witnessing violent clashes since Sept. 10 between rival armed groups.

The clashes broke out after a member of armed groups affiliated with the city's military council was killed by the rival anti-IS operation chamber.

Since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime, the North African country is plagued with escalating violence and unrest.
A member of Zimbabwean parliament undergoes HIV testing during the launch of HIV testing, and circumcision campaign at the Africa Unity Square in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, June 22, 2012. (Xinhua/Alice Lee)

HARARE, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Non-governmental organizations in Zimbabwe have voiced concern this week over the shortage of anti-retroviral (ARVs) drugs in the country.

The shortage puts the health and welfare of over one million people living with HIV in Zimbabwe at risk, the organizations said.

"The Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+), Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Diocese of Mutare Community Care Program (DOMCCP) express grave concern over the slow pace at which the on-going shortages of anti-retroviral (ARVs) drugs, particularly the second line regimen drug, Abacavir, is being resolved," the organizations said in a joint statement.

The organizations said over the past two months, thousands of people living with HIV have been facing shortages of the life-saving second line ARV drug, Abacavir.

Zimbabwe is facing an acute shortage of foreign currency which has crippled importation of essentials such as drugs, industrial raw materials, electricity and fuel.

"We are equally concerned that the country will not be able to cope if the clients on second line have to be moved to third line (a much more expensive combination) due to treatment failure and an increase in defaulters due to unavailability of treatment in public health institutions," the organizations said.

They urged the government to urgently prioritize the allocation of foreign currency towards the procurement of ARVs, noting that the shortage has the effect of watering down remarkable progress made by the country in fighting HIV.

"We appeal to both the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Ministry of Health and Child Care to avail the desperately needed foreign currency to ensure an uninterrupted supply of the lifesaving drugs."

The organizations also urged the government to make ARVs available to people living with HIV free of charge to reduce morbidity and mortality due to HIV and AIDS.

They called for localization of the manufacture of ARV drugs, saying this will assist in preventing interruptions caused by time lags and potentially bring down the prices of ARV drugs.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 20:29:31|Editor: Mengjie

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DUBAI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been named the fastest growing destination city in the Middle East and Africa, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism said on Saturday.

"Abu Dhabi's growth as a destination of distinction in the region places it above Riyadh, Tehran and Dubai," said the report, citing the 2017 Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index, which indicates a 18.9 percent growth rate of the city in 2016.

The Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index ranks cities in terms of the number of their total international overnight visitor arrivals and the cross-border spending by these same visitors in the destination cities in 2016, and gives visitor and passenger growth forecasts for 2017, said the statement.

Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General from the Department of Culture and Tourism, said Abu Dhabi welcomed 4.4 million visitors in 2016. With a strong year-on-year growth rate, "by the end of 2017, we are looking to reach our target of over 4.9 million visitors to the emirate."

He also mentioned the recently announced launch of the much-anticipated Louvre Abu Dhabi and several cultural exhibitions, saying that the capital's reputation as a destination of distinction continues to grow, building on the unique experiences and cultural heritage offered.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 20:49:38|Editor: Liangyu

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Graphics shows that delegates to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) feature more workers and women, according to a statement by the CPC Central Committee's organization department Saturday. (Xinhua/Ma Yan)

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Compared with the delegates to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), more CPC members from frontline production and women have been elected as delegates to the 19th congress.

According to a statement by the CPC Central Committee's organization department Saturday, a total of 771 delegates, or 33.7 percent of the total, are from frontline production and manufacturing, an increase of 3.2 percentage points compared with the 18th congress five years ago.

Among them, 198 are workers or migrant workers, 86 are farmers and 283 are professional technical personnel, it said.

The representation of female CPC members and members from ethnic minority groups are also rising, reaching 24.1 percent and 11.5 percent of the total respectively, the statement said, noting that ethnic minority members come from 43 out of the country's 55 ethnic minority groups.

The statement also noted that the election of the delegates was conducted in adherence to strict standards regarding political integrity and clean work styles and that 27 people, including Sun Zhengcai, former Chongqing Party chief, and Mo Jiancheng, a former senior official with the Ministry of Finance, have been disqualified during the process.

A total of 2,287 delegates have been elected to attend the congress, to be held in Beijing from Oct. 18.

The delegates, who were elected from across the country when local CPC committees held their congresses this year, will need to pass a further check to get final approval to attend the congress.

The delegates were elected in accordance with the Party constitution and CPC Central Committee requirements, the statement said.

The average age of the delegates is 51.8, about 0.2 year younger compared with the 18th congress, and about 70.6 percent of them are under the age of 55, according to Saturday's statement.

The statement said 2009 delegates, or 87.8 percent of the total, joined the CPC after December 1978 and 416 of them joined the Party after January 2000, a fact indicating that the Party spirit is passing on to younger generations.

Strict procedures were observed all through the process, from the nomination and candidate selection to the organizational review and election.

Grassroots CPC members have shown enthusiasm and fully expressed their will in the election and the delegates elected are outstanding representatives of CPC members from various sectors and social spectra.

Various measures were also taken to ensure Party members in remote areas and those engaged in field work participated in the election, the statement said, noting that the average participation rate has reached 99.2 percent.

It also stressed that the election was a competitive one, and more than 15 percent of the preliminary nominees had been eliminated during the process.

According to convention, some retired CPC members will also attend the 19th CPC National Congress as specially invited delegates, the statement said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 21:04:40|Editor: Mengjie

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MOSCOW, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- All the Russian servicemen who participated in Russia-Belarus military drills "Zapad 2017" have returned to their bases, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

The ministry's statement was in response to the claim by Viktor Muzhenko, chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,that the troops had been left in Belarus after the drills.

Muzhenko had said this in an earlier interview with Reuters.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov dismissed Muzhenko's words as a demonstration of his "professional incompetence," saying the latter had no knowledge of the operational situation hundreds of kilometers away, and had based his allegations on imagination.

"As for units of Russian troops that took part in the joint strategic exercise ... they all returned to their permanent deployment," Konashenkov said.

Zapad 2017, reportedly the largest military drills between Russia and Belarus since the Cold War, was held from Sept. 14 to 20. It has stirred up controversy over Moscow's "real intentions."

The West criticized "a lack of transparency" in the drills, while the Russian side repeatedly claimed the exercises were purely defensive in nature.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the drills involved up to 12,700 troops, 70 warplanes and helicopters, as well as 680 units of military equipment. More than 90 foreign representatives from over 50 countries attended the exercise as observers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 21:04:41|Editor: Yang Yi

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HANOI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Top leaders of Vietnam sent messages of congratulations to their Chinese counterparts on the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which falls on Oct. 1, Vietnam News Agency reported on Saturday.

In the messages, the Vietnamese leaders congratulated the Chinese people on their achievements over the past 68 years and wished the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China a success.

The Vietnamese leaders also said the party, state and people of Vietnam attach great importance to the friendship and comprehensive cooperation with China.

The Vietnamese side is willing to join hands with China to develop relations between the two parties and states in a stable and healthy manner, bringing concrete benefits to their people and contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and the world, the leaders said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 21:54:50|Editor: Mengjie

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by Eric J. Lyman

ROME, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The path to next year's elections in Italy has recently become clearer after the country's two largest parties determined their candidates. But experts here say it's still not the time to speculate on the election as a major uncertainty, a new electoral law, is yet to be finalized.

A week ago, the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement picked political newcomer Luigi Di Maio to be its standard bearer in the upcoming vote. Therefore, the two largest parties in Italy have both decided on their candidates as the Democratic Party picked Matteo Renzi, former prime minister, in April.

The two parties each enjoys the support of a little more than a quarter of the electorate, according to recent opinion polls.

And the two, also according to the polls, are each at least 10 percentage points ahead of other parties, including the Forza Italia party of former prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi and the euro-skeptic Northern League.

As the most likely rivals in the next year's showdown, Di Maio and Renzi wasted no time to attack each other.

On the day of his selection as a candidate, Di Maio went out of his way to say he was ready to do battle with the more established Renzi. For his part, Renzi struck back, barely attempting to hide his view that Di Maio is a populist.

"We have emerged from the economic crisis, but it is not enough," Renzi said, referring to signs that the Italian economy may finally be emerging from a long economic malaise. "It will not be easy to push the populists back."

"It is not a race between these two parties at this point, it is a public relations battle," Mauro Calise, an author and political scientist at Federico II University in Naples, said in an interview. "For the time being, Di Maio and Renzi have to be concerned about keeping their own parties together. They can't afford to let them erode."

Considering there are still months to go before the holding of the election scheduled in the first half of next year, and another key factor, the new electoral law, is still pending, analysts say it's hard now to predict Italy's political landscape after the election.

Italian political parties have been discussing a new electoral law for more than two years. When completed, it will include rules on how power will be divided up after the vote, including potential bonus seats in parliament for the most successful party. The goal is to make Italy's notoriously unstable political system more stable.

"Until we have a new electoral law we cannot know what to expect in the elections," Arianna Montanari, a professor of sociology of politics at Rome's La Sapienza University, told Xinhua. "In regard to the vote, we're also speculating about something that could be six months away, or longer. A lot can happen in that time frame."

The best guess is that the electoral law will be finalized late in the year or perhaps in the first few weeks of 2018.

It is unlikely that any party will win at least 50 percent of the vote, which means barring an electoral law that provides a large bonus for the top party, some coalitions will have to be formed. That could put Berlusconi's Forza Italia, the Northern League, or some of the smaller parties into influential roles.

For his part, Di Maio said the Five-Star Movement will accept support from other parties if it tries to form a government, but noted that it won't offer ministerial positions to those parties, something Montanari said is unlikely to garner much support.

Calise, meanwhile, said he worries that if the electorate remains as fragmented as it is today when it comes to vote, no big change will happen, regardless of the electoral law.

"We might see a stalemate for six or nine months after the vote with neither side able to form a majority," Calise said. "In that case, don't be surprised if a respected, non-polarizing leader like (current Prime Minister Paolo) Gentiloni stays on while everything gets sorted out."
Soldier ride armoured vehicles near the Habur crossing gate between Turkey and Iraq during a military drill on September 27, 2017 in the Silopi district, southeast Turkey. (AFP Photo)

TEHRAN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran will hold a joint military exercise with Iraq in response to the Iraqi Kurdistan region's "illegitimate" independence referendum, an Iranian military official announced on Saturday.

Iran, which borders Iraq and the autonomous Kurdish region, strongly opposed the vote held Monday, fearing it would provoke separatists among its own Kurdish population.

Iraq's central government has demanded the annulment of the referendum, which resulted in a huge "yes" for independence.

"A joint military exercise between Iran's armed forces and units from the Iraqi army will be held in the coming days along the shared border," Iranian Armed Forces spokesman Masoud Jazayeri told reporters.

The drills will take place at several crossings on Iran's border with Iraqi Kurdistan, he said, speaking after a high-level meeting of Iranian commanders.

Tehran has accepted a request by Baghdad for an Iraqi army presence at border crossings.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 22:55:05|Editor: yan

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NEW DELHI, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A regional party leader in India's Maharashtra state Raj Thackeray Saturday warned he would not allow the work on bullet train project until the infrastructure of local railways was made better.

"I shall not allow even a brick for the bullet train project to be laid. First resolve all the basic problems of Mumbai commuters. If (Narendra) Modi wants, let him construct it in Gujarat. If they use force, we shall also retaliate," Thackeray said.

Thackeray's comments came a day after a stampede on a footbridge at the Elphinstone railway station in Mumbai killed 23 and injured over 30 others.

Thackeray, head of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party, is the nephew of Bal Thackeray, the founder of the right-wing Hindu Shiv Sena party. He left the Shiv Sena and formed MNS in March 2006.

The MNS has been campaigning for greater rights for the ethnic Marathi people of Maharashtra and the party has been accused of carrying out attacks on migrant workers in the past in city.

Indian government launched work to build its first high-speed train in Gujarat this month. The bullet train likely to be built in five years' time will run between Ahmedabad city and Mumbai.
Actor Steve McQueen, who personified cool during his nearly two decades as a Hollywood superstar, retreated from the glamour and excesses of the movie scene late in his short life and embraced Christianity.

When he died at age 50, McQueen was clutching a Bible  one given to him by Billy Graham.

In fact, it was Grahams personal Bible, the one he preached from at crusades. The Charlotte-born evangelist had handed it to the actor, then gravely ill with cancer, during a private meeting Nov. 3, 1980  just four days before McQueen died after surgery in Mexico.

Nearly 37 years later, the story of Steve McQueens faith journey is finally about to be told on the big screen  the medium that made him internationally famous as the action hero in hits such as Bullitt and The Great Escape.

And though Billy Graham, now 98 and living in his mountain-top Montreat home, doesnt speak or appear in person in Steve McQueen: American Icon, the preacher and his Bible play a major role in its final minutes.

The faith-based documentary feature film, originally shown at 7 p.m. on Sept. 28 at theaters around the country, including Shiloh 14 in Billings, will have an encore showing on Oct. 10. The host for the event will be Greg Laurie, a lifelong McQueen fan and the pastor of one of Americas biggest megachurches, Harvest Christian Fellowship in Southern California.

Much of the drama in the new film comes late: Viewers are told that McQueen took along the Graham Bible  with a prayerful note from the evangelist on an inside page  when he traveled to Juarez, Mexico, for the operation to remove a tumor.

The actor died of a heart attack shortly afterward, on Nov. 7, 1980. And when Grady Ragsdale, the manager of McQueens ranch in California, went to retrieve the body, he pulled the sheet back and found that McQueen had died clutching the Bible to his chest.

Laurie puts it this way in the film: He was holding on to the Bible of Billy Graham as he entered eternity.

'Closest thing to God on Earth'

In an 1980 interview with the Asheville Citizen not long after McQueens death, Graham called his meeting with the actor one of the most heartwarming stories of my ministry. I think it illustrates how lonely most well-known people are, how guarded they must live and how they really are searching for something. Steve McQueen found what he was searching for.

The film  Steve McQueen: American Icon  also features interviews with actor Mel Gibson, other actors who worked with McQueen, a renowned stuntman, pilots who taught McQueen how to fly, his pastor, his biographer and the last of his three wives, model Barbara Minty McQueen.

Steve McQueen became a movie star in the 1960s, establishing his image as the King of Cool in the roles of the motorcycle-riding POW in The Great Escape and the Ford Mustang-driving police detective in Bullitt. Other McQueen hits in that decade and in the 1970s included: The Magnificent Seven, The Cincinnati Kid, The Sand Pebbles, The Thomas Crown Affair, Towering Inferno, The Reivers, Le Mans, The Getaway and Junior Bonner.

But toward the end of his life, McQueen disconnected from Hollywood, sought more privacy and meaning and started attending church.

He wanted to meet with Billy Graham, Laurie recounts in the film. And Billy at that time was really, in many ways, the visible representative of evangelical Christians.

Adds McQueen biographer Marshall Terrill in the film: He felt that Billy Graham was the closest thing to God on earth. He could give (McQueen) either some sort of insight or  some sort of wisdom.

Graham and McQueen finally met privately in California on Nov. 3, 1980. When the actor said he wished he had a Bible with him, the evangelist gave him his own weathered, marked-up copy.

On screen, viewers will see that Bible, with Billy Graham on the cover, and Grahams personal note to McQueen:

To my friend Steve McQueen, May God bless you and keep you always. Billy Graham. The evangelist also wrote Phil 1:6, a reference to a passage in Pauls Letter to the Philippians in the New Testament.

It reads:   being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

'Ill see you in heaven'

A spokesman for the Charlotte-based Billy Graham Evangelistic Association told the Observer that the story the film tells about the meeting of Graham and McQueen is true. As proof, the BGEA emailed a copy of the 1980 Asheville Citizen article.

As Graham was getting ready to leave his private meeting with the actor, the film says, McQueen said to him: Ill see you in heaven.

After he died, McQueens widow says in the film that her first phone call was to Graham, who counseled her and gave her a prayer.

In the 1980 interview with the Asheville Citizen, Graham described his meeting with McQueen this way:

I wouldnt have recognized him. He looked like a little old man of 90, all wrinkled and shrunk. But his eyes sparkled above the oxygen mask he was using.

Steve McQueen: American Icon ends with an audio of the actor talking three weeks before his death.

I want to change some peoples lives somehow, to tell people that I know the Lord, McQueen says. I used to be more macho. And now my body is gone, is broken. But my spirit isnt broken.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 23:05:07|Editor: Yamei

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (C), Premier Li Keqiang (3rd L), and other senior leaders Zhang Dejiang (3rd R), Yu Zhengsheng (2nd L), Liu Yunshan (2nd R), Wang Qishan (1st L) and Zhang Gaoli (1st R) attend a reception held by the State Council to celebrate the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

BEIJING, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China will open wider to create and share development opportunities with other countries, Premier Li Keqiang said here Saturday.



Li made the remarks one day ahead of China's National Day on Oct. 1, when addressing a reception at the Great Hall of the People.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, together with other senior leaders including Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, as well as some 1,200 people from home and abroad attended the reception.

China will make new contributions to global governance and the promotion of world peace and development, said Li.

Li summarized the major events in 2017 and highlighted the improvement in economic structure, drop in overcapacity and booming entrepreneurial and innovation activities.

"All these are testimony to the great vitality, potential and resilience of the Chinese economy," said Li.

Looking forward, he said China will work to maintain steady and sound economic development, strive for greater social progress and deliver an ever better life to the people.

"We will ensure that people's essential needs are well met, and that our people will have fewer worries and complaints and lead a more fulfilling and happier life," Li said.

Li also reiterated the "one country, two systems" policy in Hong Kong and Macao affairs.

Regarding ties across the Taiwan Strait, Li said the Chinese mainland will continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus as the political foundation, and firmly oppose "Taiwan independence."

"[We will] work with our compatriots on Taiwan and all those who support the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations to move toward the complete reunification of the motherland," said Li.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 23:25:11|Editor: Yurou

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CAPE TOWN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) on Saturday called for an urgent probe into the killing of 11 people in Cape Town.

This came after 11 people were shot dead in the informal settlement of Marikana on Friday night.

The ANC "condemns in the harshest possible terms" the mass murders, ANC national spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.

The 11 people were killed in several shooting incidents in Marikana which is notorious for crime linked to rivalry among different gangs.

In the first incident, unknown suspects fired shots inside a shebeen, fatally wounding four people, police's Captain FC van Wyk said.

In the second scene, three more were shot dead in a shack and one outside the dwelling, said Van Wyk.

Not far from the second scene, two more bodies were found lying between the shacks, he said.

Two other people who sustained injuries had to be taken to hospital, said Van Wyk.

But one of the injured died later in hospital, bringing the death toll to 11, police said.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shootings.

"While the details around these deaths are still not quite clear, regardless of the circumstances these mass murders - related or not - are criminal acts which must be punished using the full might of our law," Kodwa said.

It is suspected that rivalry among different gangs has led to the shootings.

Some impoverished settlements in Cape Town, including Marikana, have been plagued by gang-related violence.

Also in Marikana, the charred bodies of three men were discovered earlier this month. This incident was also believed to be linked to gang-related violence.

Elsewhere, gang violence also escalated. On Tuesday night, seven people were shot dead in the Nyanga area, Cape Town.

These incidents highlight the seriousness of gang fighting in impoverished areas in the city, police said.

Residents in the affected areas have appealed to Police Minister Fikile Mbalula to intervene.

The ANC calls on the affected communities and anyone else to come forward with any information they may have to assist police in apprehending the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, Kodwa said.

"Criminals live amongst our communities, they are harbored by us and until society stands as one against this scourge it will not be defeated," he said.

Some areas in Cape Town have been ravaged by gangs for long. Every year, dozens of people are killed in gang violence.

In November 2011, South African authorities sent in army troops to quell gangs following rising gang-related violence.

Authorities have mediated a series of peace agreements between gangs, but the agreements can not last long.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 23:25:12|Editor: yan

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by Cui Yuanlei

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua and Barbuda, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- "I have never been so close to danger, even when I was in Afghanistan," 40-year-old Ge Jianping said, still traumatized by his close encounter with Hurricane Maria in Dominica.

The category 5 storm devastated the tiny Caribbean island on Sept. 18, killing at least 15 people, leaving 20 missing, and paralyzing the infrastructure, including electricity and water supplies as well as communications.

Ge, deputy manager at China Railway 14th Bureau Group, had been involved in building a bridge in Dominica, a Chinese government assistance project. He had worked on similar projects in five countries, including Afghanistan, for nearly 13 years and had seen adverse situations but the aftermath of the hurricane still had the power to leave him shellshocked.

"Dominica had a forest cover rate of nearly 80 percent. But the next morning ... I could barely see anything green," he recalled.

Ge was among the over 400 Chinese who were given shelter in Antigua and Barbuda, arriving here in two batches after the storm. The local Chinese community and Chinese companies working here have welcomed them with open arms, chipping in to provide food and accommodation.

One group of the evacuees have been put up at the base camp of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) here.

Chen Sichang, deputy manager of CCECC, said the base camp comprising 10 portable dwellings had been set up to accommodate the workers building the V.C. Bird International Airport.

The airport was built and handed over to the local government and began operations nearly two years ago. But the camp was not dismantled as a small number of the workers stayed on to provide technological support.

Now it is serving another useful purpose, taking in some of the arrivals from Dominica. Though the accommodation part was comparatively easy, Chen had a hectic time organizing logistics to meet the basic needs of so many people, from getting pillows and quilts to obtaining food and even drinking water.

"They suffered both physically and psychologically after the hurricane," Chen said, explaining that is why it was necessary to make them feel welcome and be put at ease.

Some of the other evacuees have been put up near the downtown area of the capital, hosted by Li Yucheng, chief of the local Chinese association. About 40 people were accommodated on the second floor of a building Li had originally rented for business expansion.

Li, who has been living in Antigua and Barbuda for over 20 years,owns a supermarket. He told Xinhua he was impressed by the local Chinese community.

The nearly 250-member strong community has donated money and materials unstintedly, no matter whether rich or poor, after learning that several of their countrymen would be arriving from Dominica and would need to be looked after, Li said.

Jiang Litao, who had made Dominica his home for 20 years and was running a small hotel and restaurant there, said he appreciated the efforts of Li and the local Chinese community.

He said his wife and he left Dominica "just like refugees fleeing from calamities" and could carry few of their possessions with them. "It is Mr. Li and so many other kind-hearted people who prepared everything ... and made us feel at home," he said.

Jiang also said that Antigua and Barbuda felt like a safe haven. "Compared with what we experienced in Dominica, it is like paradise here," he said, tears coming into his eyes.

Jiang said he had offered to work at Li's supermarket to show his gratitude but Li refused, insisting that the visitors rest and treat their new place "just like home".

Wang Xianmin, the Chinese ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, said thanks to the efforts of the Chinese companies here and the local Chinese community, the 400 people rescued from Dominica had a sense of security and warmth even though they were thousands of miles away from home.

They will soon be able to go home, Wang promised. Two chartered planes funded by CCECC are due to arrive in Antigua and Barbuda to transport most of the evacuees back to China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 23:30:14|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- 28 civilians were killed in air strikes on Syria's planned safe zone in a bombing campaign against jihadists, a monitor said Saturday.

Four children were among the dead in the overnight airstrikes on the town of Armanaz, in Idlib province near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The airstrikes were triggered by an offensive by jihadist fighters led by Al-Qaida's former Syrian affiliate launched against government-held villages in neighbouring Hama province.

The jihadists control nearly all of Idlib province after driving out Islamist former allies earlier this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to step up efforts to establish a safe zone in Idlib as part of a wider agreement struck in May.

Three other safe zones have already been set up -- in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, parts of the south and some areas of the central province of Homs.

The de-escalation agreement excludes both the Islamic State group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the alliance dominated by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate.

The Islamic State group is under attack in its remaining strongholds in eastern Syria by both Russian-backed government forces and U.S.-backed fighters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-30 23:35:15|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Iran has embargoed exports and imports of fuel products to Iraqi Kurdistan in response to its controversial independence referendum, state broadcaster IRIB said Saturday.

Iraqi Kurds overwhelmingly voted for independence in Monday's non-binding referendum, which has aroused strong opposition from regional states.

Iran strongly opposes independence for the Iraqi Kurds, fearing it will provoke separatists among its own Kurdish population.

Gas oil is one of Iran's main exports to the autonomous Kurdistan region, which imported 110 million litres of it from Iran last year, IRIB said quoting figures from the National Oil Company.

Iran is one of the main exporters of fuel products to Kurdistan, IRIB said.

Total annual trade between the two stood at 5 billion U.S. dollars, according to the broadcaster.
28 civilians were killed in airstrikes on Syria's safe zone on Sept. 30 in a bombing campaign against jihadists. (Reuters Photo)

DAMASCUS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- 28 civilians were killed in air strikes on Syria's planned safe zone in a bombing campaign against jihadists, a monitor said Saturday.

Four children were among the dead in the overnight airstrikes on the town of Armanaz, in Idlib province near the Turkish border, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The airstrikes were triggered by an offensive by jihadist fighters led by Al-Qaida's former Syrian affiliate launched against government-held villages in neighbouring Hama province.

The jihadists control nearly all of Idlib province after driving out Islamist former allies earlier this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to step up efforts to establish a safe zone in Idlib as part of a wider agreement struck in May.

Three other safe zones have already been set up -- in Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, parts of the south and some areas of the central province of Homs.

The de-escalation agreement excludes both the Islamic State group and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the alliance dominated by Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate.

The Islamic State group is under attack in its remaining strongholds in eastern Syria by both Russian-backed government forces and U.S.-backed fighters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 00:25:26|Editor: yan

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LONDON, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The maximum prison sentence for people convicted of animal cruelty in Britain is to be increased from six months to five years under plans announced Saturday.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said animal abusers who commit the most heinous crimes will face the harsher punishments.

Gove said the government is to bring forward new legislation that will increase the current punishment tenfold to send a clear signal to potential offenders that there is no place for animal cruelty in England.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "There have been a number of recent shocking cases where courts have said they would have handed down longer sentences had they been available, including a case in April last year when a man bought a number of puppies just to brutally and systematically beat, choke and stab them to death. The new legislation will also enable courts to deal more effectively with ruthless gangs involved in organized dog fights."

Secretary Gove said: "We are a nation of animal lovers and so we must ensure that those who commit the most shocking cruelty towards animals face suitably tough punishments. These plans will give courts the tools they have requested to deal with the most abhorrent acts."

Defra said the number of people convicted of extreme animal cruelty in Britain averages 1,150 people a year.

Under the government plan, courts will have the ability to hand out unlimited fines and ban offenders from ever owning animals in the future, but they will also have the ability to sentence the worst cases appropriately.

The move has been widely welcomed by animal welfare groups and follows dedicated campaigning from Battersea Cats and Dogs Home and the RSPCA.

Claire Horton, CEO at the famous Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, in London welcome the move.

She said: "Since we launched our campaign calling for five year sentences in February, the momentum has clearly been building and the response has been tremendous, with close to 62,000 members of the public across the UK calling on their MPs to back this change."

David Bowles from the animal RSPCA said: "Our inspectors regularly rescue animals from horrific circumstances of mistreatment, brutality and neglect."

Last month Defra announced plans to make closed circuit cameras mandatory in all slaughterhouses and committed to take steps to control the export of live farm animals for slaughter.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 00:30:27|Editor: yan

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YANGON, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Miss Universe Myanmar on Saturday crowned Hnin Thway Yu Aung, representative from Bago region, to be a contestant in the 67th Miss Universe competition which will be held in 2018.

Hnin Thway Yu Aung won the Miss Universe Myanmar 2018 at an event held in Yangon late Saturday.

Miss Universe Myanmar Pageant is the sixth time of such an event which has been held since 2013.

Meanwhile, Zun Than Zin, Miss Universe Myanmar Pageant 2017, will be a contestant in the upcoming 66th Miss Universe Competition which will be held on Nov. 26 2017 in Las Vegas, the United States.

Miss Universe France won the crown of the 65th competition which was held in the Philippines last year.

Miss Universe Beauty Pageant is one of the world's oldest and most important beauty pageants.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 01:10:34|Editor: yan

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BAGHDAD, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi security forces on Saturday seized two oil fields in second phase of offensive to dislodge the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants from Hawijah and surrounding areas, the Iraqi military said.

The security forces managed to free the oil fields of Allas and Ajil in the eastern part of Iraq's northern central province of Salahudin, after two days of clashes with IS militants, a source from Salahudin Operations Command, told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

By Saturday evening, the troops recaptured all the oil wells of the two oil fields and seized the nearby Himreen mountain range in south of the IS-held city of Hawijah, which itself located some 230 km north of Baghdad, the source said.

Before the offensive, the IS militants seized roughly 100 oil wells of the 200 wells of the two oil fields, and they used to extract crude oil and refine it in primitive ways, leaving many nearby valleys filled with leaked oil, he said.

The militants set fires in some 34 oil wells, some of them were on fire for about three years since the extremist group captured the area in 2014, the source added.

In the past, Ajil oil field used to give some 35,000 barrels per day (bpd). The two oil fields, Allas and Ajil, were seized by IS militants following the June 10 blitzkrieg when the group seized large swathes of territories in predominantly Sunni provinces.

The oil fields became an important source of funding for the IS group, which extracted about 10,000 bpd and transported to others areas under its control.

The battles in the oil fields were part of an offensive began on Friday when the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the launch of the second phase of offensive to dislodge the extremist IS militants from their stronghold in the city of Hawijah and surrounding areas.

"We announce the start of the second phase of the liberation of Hawijah and all the surrounding areas to the west of Kirkuk, and as promised the sons of our country are continuing to liberate every inch of the land of Iraq and crush the gangs of terrorist Daesh group," said Abadi in a statement.

The first phase of the operation was launched on Sept. 21 to liberate Hawijah in the western part of Iraq's oil-rich Kirkuk province.

The operation to free Hawijah came as tensions are running high between Baghdad government and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan after the Kurdish region held a controversial referendum on independence of Kurdistan and disputed areas, including Kirkuk.

The independence referendum was opposed by many countries because it would threaten the integrity of Iraq and it could undermine fight against Islamic State militants.

In addition, neighboring countries such as Turkey, Iran and Syria see that such a step would threaten their territorial integrity, as larger populations of Kurds live in those countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 02:10:41|Editor: Yamei

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LONDON, Sept.30 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson laid down four demands Saturday in what his second controversial Brexit intervention within days.

Elsewhere, a group of leading Conservatives urged Prime Minister Theresa May to walk away from Brexit talks altogether if European Union negotiators fail to start talks on a future trade deal by Christmas.

The moves, widely reported in Britain's Saturday morning national newspapers, came as thousands of Conservatives started to converge on Manchester for the party's annual conference which starts Sunday.

May faced calls to fire Johnson after his controversial intervention with an article he penned just before her keynote Brexit speech in Florence.

In his latest intervention, Johnson has laid out what are four red-lines for Brexit. He has told the tabloid Sun newspaper a Brexit transition period must be a maximum of two years, not a second more. He also said Britain must refuse to accept new EU or ECJ (European Court of Justice) rulings during a transition period.

Johnson also said there should be no payments for single market access when the transition ends, and Britain must not agree to shadow EU rules to gain access to its market.

He said in an interview with the newspaper's respected political editor Tom Newton-Dunn: "When it comes to paying for access to the market, that won't happen any more than we would expect them to pay us for access to our market. There is no point in coming out of the EU and then remaining in rotational orbit around it. That is the worst of both worlds."

Newton-Dunn said all of Johnson's demands go further than the agreed position of May's governing executive, her cabinet of ministers.

It now risks reopening the bitter feud among her senior ministers, commented Newton Dunn.

The Daily Telegraph said the Manchester conference is seen by many as a make-or-break moment for May's hopes of leading the Conservatives for years to come, and is likely to be dominated by Brexit and the leadership question. The newspaper claimed May faces four separate rebellions on Brexit and domestic issues going into the four-day conference.

Meanwhile, the pressure group Leave Means Leave, which counts dozens of Conservative MPs among is supporters, published a letter to May Saturday,demanding Britain gives notice of its intention to leave the EU on World Trade Organisation terms in March 2019 if talks on a trade deal are not well underway by Christmas.

The MP David Jones, a former Brexit minister, and one of the signatories of the letter, told the Daily telegraph: "They (EU negotiators) are behaving really very badly, they are trying to hold us for ransom and we have to make it perfectly clear we are not prepared to be held to ransom."

In an eve of conference message, May said: "As Conservatives, we have a vision of a country that works for everyone, not just the privileged few, precisely the direction I set when I became Prime Minister last year.

"I understand the concerns raised, particularly by young people, during what was a disappointing election for my party. So my determination to act on those concerns, and crucially, to fulfil the promise of my first speech on the steps of Downing Street, is greater than ever."

On Britain's future outside the EU, May said: "Yes, we have to get the best Brexit deal, but we must also take action here at home to make this a fairer place to live for ordinary working people."

May will make a keynote speech next Wednesday on the final day of the party conference.
When Kathy Best began her career in journalism, she was one of 18 statehouse reporters in Springfield, Illinois, one of only three women and the only one writing for a newspaper.

A few years later, she moved to the Washington, D.C., bureau of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A couple other female reporters invited her out for a drink, and when she walked into the Jefferson Hotel bar her jaw dropped.

There were 15 women sitting around a table, all who did what I did, Best, now editor of the Missoulian newspaper in Missoula, told a crowd Friday at the 20 Exceptional Women luncheon at the Northern Hotel. It was a revelation. I wasnt isolated anymore.

Best found an impromptu support group where she could go for help and explanations, swap information and advice, and enjoy what developed into lifelong friendships.

Those relationships helped give me courage to take risks, Best said, to a roomful of honorees and guests at the third annual luncheon sponsored by Billings Gazette Communications and Underriner Motors.

One of the biggest risks, she said, was taking a job as managing editor for digital news at the Seattle Times, and later becoming editor. During her tenure at the paper, she helped lead the team that won two Pulitzer Prizes.

Best called Friday an inspirational day getting to see all of the women who have been honored here. Each of the women every day makes the world a better place, she said.

You teach, you heal, you invent, you make laws, you build bridges, you run companies, you fight fires, you dream big, even when its sometimes tough to get out of bed in the morning, Best said. And through it all you never forget to reach out your hand to bring others along on your journey.

The United States is living in troubled times, she said, where its citizens have lost the ability to talk with each other, to hear each other and trust each other. Dysfunction exists in politics, on TV and across social media, where anonymous insults fly fast and free.

She compared online commenting to a kindergarten class. As long as a grownup is in the room, things remain civil, but without full-time monitoring the forum spins out of control.

We need more grownups in the world these days, and we especially need exceptional women in the room, she said. Your voices need to be heard and we need your skills to build a chorus of exceptional women.

When Best moved to the Seattle Times, her boss told her to take three months to talk to the people she worked with, to learn and listen. She spoke to digital designers and news producers who were half my age and had three times my skills.

What she learned informed her leadership for the next five years, and created a bond of trust that paid off when big news broke. One story involved a man who shot four police officers in a Tacoma suburb and then fled.

We did everything in our power to be the trusted source of information for a very frightened community, Best said.

Because of the trust she had built up with her staff, Best gave the OK to use a new online platform she didn't know much about called Google Wave. The staff also employed Twitter and every tool available to get verified information out to people as the hunt went on.

Our use of social media in real time and the fact that we were doing investigative reporting on the run is the reason the Seattle Times won its first Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting, she said.

Five years later, with Best the editor, her staff again employed cutting-edge technology to inform readers what happened after half a mountain near Oso, Washington, gave way, killing 43 people.

More than a million people went online to the newspapers website to visually understand what happened during the mudslide, an idea that young producers pitched to Best. Another editor worked tirelessly to put a face on the tragedy, posting photos and biographies of all of the victims.

That, with all of the papers coverage of the tragedy, helped win a second Pulitzer Prize.

You women understand what it takes to pull the best out of people because its what makes you so good at what you do, she said to the honorees.

Those 20 women got to where they are today because they know how to listen and take calculated risks. They know how to build trust and how to succeed.

Pass along the lessons youve learned," Best said. "Live your exceptional lives loudly. Well all be the better for it."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 03:30:53|Editor: Yurou

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GABORONE, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Batswana (citizens of Botswana) across the country celebrated their 51st Independence Day on Saturday, with President Seretse Khama Ian Khama calling for national unity.

In his Independence Day message to mark the 51st anniversary in the country's capital, Gaborone, Khama described the day as the time Batswana should reflect on some of the core values of unity and respect.

He said the Botswana society has over the years been built on respect and unity and reinvigorated on progressing and overcoming some of the key socio-economic challenges.

Botswana gained her independence from being a British Protectorate on September 30 1966.

"Most importantly, we should be mindful not to let our differences on whatever issue divide us as a nation," said Khama.

"Sustaining our unity in diversity calls for continued adherence to fundamentals values of mutual respect and culture of consultation," he said.

Botswana is rich in natural resources like diamond and today the country has achieved one of the highest per capita income rates in Africa.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 03:35:55|Editor: Yurou

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BAKU, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev on Saturday described the development of security cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan as "successful."

Patrushev, who was currently on a visit to Azerbaijan, made the remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, according to Azerbaijan state news agency.

He said that Russia attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan through the Security Council, and that communications in this area were developing very constructively.

"Together with the Azerbaijani side, we define the new threats emerging in the world and ways to combat them," Patrushev said.

Aliyev, for his part, said that bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Russia in the political, economic, security and other spheres were developing successfully.

Trade and economic cooperation between the two countries have expanded and there was a dynamics in the development of export-import, the Azerbaijani president said.

Aliyev underlined the importance of close contacts between the two countries amid the growing threats in the world and the region.

He expressed hope that the visit of Patrushev will contribute to further expansion of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia in the security sphere.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 03:40:56|Editor: Yurou

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A former deputy minister of the Ethiopia Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation and 20 others were charged with corruption offenses before the Ethiopia Federal High Court in Addis Ababa on Saturday.

The 21 defendants are accused of swindling the Ethiopian government millions of U.S. dollars in fraudulent tender bids, illegal payments to brokers and transferring illicit money to private accounts.

The court adjourned the case to October 15 to decide on the defendants' request for bail.

The Ethiopian Government has indicated that the large-scale anti-corruption investigation and arrest of high-profile individuals is part of the Ethiopian government's reform agenda, which was started at the end of 2016 following mass protests in various parts of the country.

The Ethiopian government has since then stressed bad governance and corruption among the major reasons for the preoccupations of the public that rocked the East African country back in late 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 03:40:57|Editor: liuxin

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Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Rao Hongwei (R) and Theophile Rurangwa, Director of Asia and Australasia Unit at the Rwandan Foreign Ministry, lay a wreath at the monument of the ten Chinese aid workers who died when working in aid projects for Rwanda at the Chinese martyrs' cemetery in Rulindo district, Rwanda, on Sept. 30, 2017. The Chinese embassy in Rwanda, Chinese community and representatives of the Rwanda government on Saturday paid tribute to ten fallen Chinese aid workers here. (Xinhua/Gabriel Dusabe)

RULINDO, Rwanda, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Rwanda, Chinese community and representatives of the Rwanda government on Saturday paid tribute to 10 fallen Chinese aid workers.

Chinese Ambassador to Rwanda Rao Hongwei, Director of Asia and Australasia unit at the Rwandan foreign ministry Theophile Rurangwa and Mayor of Rulindo District Emmanuel Kayiranga attended the event at a Chinese martyrs' cemetery in Rulindo district, Northern Rwanda.

Rao and Theophile delivered speeches after participants observed a moment of silence.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Rwanda, many Chinese experts have come to Rwanda, supporting Rwanda's social and economic development, said the Chinese envoy, adding that the 10 Chinese citizens buried in the cemetery become the "guardian angels of the land they loved so much."

The cemetery is a monument of faith, courage and indomitable spirit of the Chinese foreign aid people in Rwanda, a symbol of the profound friendship between the Chinese and Rwandan peoples, a reflection of Chinese support and commitment to Rwandan local community, said Rao.

"They left their country and families and came here to partner with Rwanda so that they can contribute to our development," said Rurangwa, adding that the Chinese unfortunately passed away doing the activities that were aimed at "helping Rwanda and Rwandans."

"On behalf of the government, we are honored to get together with Chinese community to remember these people and we recognize the work of the Chinese government in our country," said the director.

People need to understand the level of sacrifice of these comrades and that we should learn never to underestimate personal efforts of people in any country's development, he said.

The ambassador and the director jointly laid a wreath at the monument of the 10 Chinese who died in Rwanda. All participants presented flowers to the tombs of the deceased and watched the photo gallery which reviews cooperation between China and Rwanda.

Rulindo Chinese Martyrs' Cemetery was first built in 1982 by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) for a deceased employee. In 1997, another employee of CRBC, Chen Jian, perished in the line of duty. Chen was recognized as a martyr and buried in the cemetery. From 1982 to 1997, a total of 10 Chinese, who passed away while working in aid projects for Rwanda, were buried in the cemetery.

On Sept. 30 of every year, China's Martyrs' Memorial Day, Chinese people will pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the great cause of peace and development of China and the world.
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko salutes while standing in front of servicemen during the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises Zapad-2017 (West-2017) at a training ground near the town of Borisov on September 20, 2017. (AFP PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- All the Russian servicemen who participated in Russia-Belarus military drills "Zapad 2017" have returned to their bases, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday.

The ministry's statement was in response to the claim by Viktor Muzhenko, chief of the general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,that the troops had been left in Belarus after the drills.

Muzhenko had said this in an earlier interview with Reuters.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov dismissed Muzhenko's words as a demonstration of his "professional incompetence," saying the latter had no knowledge of the operational situation hundreds of kilometers away, and had based his allegations on imagination.

"As for units of Russian troops that took part in the joint strategic exercise ... they all returned to their permanent deployment," Konashenkov said.

Zapad 2017, reportedly the largest military drills between Russia and Belarus since the Cold War, was held from Sept. 14 to 20. It has stirred up controversy over Moscow's "real intentions."

The West criticized "a lack of transparency" in the drills, while the Russian side repeatedly claimed the exercises were purely defensive in nature.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the drills involved up to 12,700 troops, 70 warplanes and helicopters, as well as 680 units of military equipment. More than 90 foreign representatives from over 50 countries attended the exercise as observers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 04:26:03|Editor: yan

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ACCRA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana Saturday marked the Global Confucius Institute Day with a colorful ceremony in Accra.

At the ceremony, which was held at one of the biggest shopping malls in the capital, students from the institute's teaching sites displayed their achievements and expressed their love for the Chinese language and culture through excellent performances.

The students thrilled the audience with lively performances such as varying musical performances, dances, Chinese language lessons while some visitors also enjoyed Chinese tea art, martial arts as well as painting of facial masks of Peking opera.

Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong firmly believes that as long as people from the two countries join hand-in-hand, the torch of China-Ghana education and cultural exchanges would be passed on, and shine out dazzling in the new generation.

She urged the students to study hard and support the cause of China-Ghana friendly relations.

"I wish you become ambassadors of China-Ghana friendship in the new generation," Sun said.

Director of the Institute Mei Meilian said her outfit would continue to work hard to carry out its responsibilities by making Chinese classes and Chinese cultural programs available to more Ghanaians, helping them to attain more scholarships and organize more of them to visit China.

Established four years ago, the Confucius Institute has made gratifying achievements in carrying out Chinese teaching and spreading Chinese culture with the joint efforts of both sides.

Currently, there are more than 2,000 students with several teaching points, a variety of courses and several kinds of cultural activities which are widely welcomed by Ghanaians.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 04:41:07|Editor: yan

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by Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- When Amazon announced in September it would build a second headquarters in North America, governors across the country started licking their chops.

While Denver and San Francisco are considered front-runners for Amazon's mega-expansion, a recent New York Times analysis showed that Denver in the western U.S. state of Colorado is the top choice for the world's top retailer.

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper's Press Secretary Jacque Montgomery confirmed to Xinhua on Friday that Colorado will submit a proposal to Amazon in the first week of October for Denver to host the proposed 21st century campus.

Winning the competition for Colorado's capital was regarded as Hickenlooper's key step to continue his legacy as a successful politician and businessman.

Hickenlooper reacted quickly to the news: last week leading a western governor's workshop and talking all about how great the Rocky Mountain State would be for the retail titan.

"This is his last term and he's pulling out all the stops -- it would guarantee his legacy," Matthew Roeser, a 1992 University of Maryland journalism graduate, told Xinhua on Friday.

"The governor jumped on this opportunity like he does with everything related to benefitting Colorado," said the Carbondale contractor Roeser.

Hickenlooper has been in public office since 2003 -- elected twice as both Denver mayor and Colorado governor. He has dominated state politics since the millennium began.

In addition to his political successes, the Colorado Democrat is also called the father of Colorado's world-renowned craft beer industry.

He opened Wynkoop Brewery in a downtrodden part of Denver in 1988, which stands as a testament to his vision and business acumen.

The economic benefits of attracting a company the caliber of Amazon are immeasurable, Hickenlooper contended.

Amazon, surpassing even Wal-Mart last year in total sales and market capitalization, with revenues of 136 billion U.S. dollars last year, said it will take 15 to 20 years to hire 50,000, mostly highly skilled workers, at an average annual wage of 100,000 U.S. dollars where it landed.

But offering one of the world's most profitable companies lots of money incentives doesn't appeal to all looking to bring Jeff Bezos's company to their state.

Silicon Valley's Democratic Federal Representative Ro Khanna tweeted earlier this month that Amazon should be "investing in communities" and that governments should avoid a "race to the bottom."

Colorado state and local governments give corporations roughly 1 billion dollars a year in taxes subsidies, according to a story released by the International Business Times (IBT.com) last week.

The Denver Post cautioned earlier this month that any proposal Colorado makes to host Amazon's second headquarters campus will have to address a critical bottleneck: "finding enough workers for the tech giant in what is already one of the tightest labor markets in the country."

Moreover, an IBT.com story published this week alleged that the governor had perhaps acted improperly when he hired the same lobbying firm that is used by Amazon.

Brownstein Hyatt -- the firm that helped finance Hickenlooper's election campaign -- also represents Amazon.

IBT said that federal records show that at the beginning of 2017, Amazon hired Brownstein Hyatt to lobby for the company. A few weeks later, Hickenlooper's office awarded a 210,000 U.S. dollars taxpayer-funded government lobbying contract to Brownstein Hyatt.

IBT noted that Brownstein is simultaneously representing Amazon and a governor's office" that is spearheading a plan that could enrich Amazon."

Hickenlooper's office was quick to reject the allegations.

"No conflict of interest whatsoever," Press Secretary Montgomery told Xinhua on Friday. "Our work with Brownstein is completely different than what they do with Amazon."

"He's a rainmaker," Roeser said of the governor. "He gets things done and knows the rules."

Still some people had reservations.

"All politicians are slippery," said Kirk Blue, a retired U.S. Navy engineer in Colorado.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 04:46:09|Editor: yan

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ANKARA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces have detained a total of 2,553 people over illegal border passing, the military said on Saturday.

The Turkish General Staff said in a statement that 2,488 people were captured Friday while attempting to cross into Turkey from Syria, two others from Greece, and another from Iraq.

Border forces also detained 61 others while they attempted to illegally enter Greece and one into Syria, it added.

There were no details on the nationalities of the detainees. Turkey has enhanced its security measures on border areas in recent months, building security walls along its borders with Syria and Iran, to combat smuggling and illegal border passing.
A Russian tank crew member looks out of the tank during the "Maintenance battalion" of International Army Games 2017 contest in Omsk region, Russia, on Aug. 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn)

BAKU, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev on Saturday described the development of security cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan as "successful."

Patrushev, who was currently on a visit to Azerbaijan, made the remarks during a meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, according to Azerbaijan state news agency.

He said that Russia attaches great importance to cooperation with Azerbaijan through the Security Council, and that communications in this area were developing very constructively.

"Together with the Azerbaijani side, we define the new threats emerging in the world and ways to combat them," Patrushev said.

Aliyev, for his part, said that bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Russia in the political, economic, security and other spheres were developing successfully.

Trade and economic cooperation between the two countries have expanded and there was a dynamics in the development of export-import, the Azerbaijani president said.

Aliyev underlined the importance of close contacts between the two countries amid the growing threats in the world and the region.

He expressed hope that the visit of Patrushev will contribute to further expansion of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia in the security sphere.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 05:11:14|Editor: Yurou

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A young lady playing Queen Cleopatra participates in a festive event themed "Cleopatra's Dream", in Alexandria City, Egypt, Sept. 30, 2017. The Egyptian coastal province of Alexandria on Saturday held a festive event themed "Cleopatra's Dream" to highlight the discovered sunken palace and city of the ancient Egyptian queen. (Xinhua/Meng Tao)

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian coastal province of Alexandria on Saturday held a festive event themed "Cleopatra's Dream" to highlight the discovered sunken palace and city of the ancient Egyptian queen.

A massive ancient-like parade, starting from Qaitbay Citadel, headed through the corniche avenue to newly-inagurated diving center Alexandria Dive, with a young lady playing Queen Cleopatra seated on a golden throne, dressed in golden royal robes and wearing a distinctive crown. She was also accompanied by an entourage of dozens of officers and maids dressed in ancient Egyptian outfits.

After arriving at the diving center, Queen Cleopatra was taken to a boat trip during which she handed over the key of Alexandria to Governor Mohamed Sultan when the boat passed by a yacht club, while Cairo Symphony Orchestra was giving a live performance of Aida Opera music in the background.

The celebration sheds light on Cleopatra's sunken city and other underwater ancient Egyptian and Greek antiquities in order to promote tourism and make the Mediterranean Sea city a top diving destination in Egypt and around the world.

Held in coordination with the Egyptian Tourism Ministry, the event was attended by Ashraf Sabry, head of Alexandria Dive, French underwater archeologist Franck Goddio whose team discovered the city in the 1990s, Volkhard Windfuhr, head of Cairo Foreign Press Association, among others.

"Alexandria is distinguished by having the sunken city, as well as shipwrecks dating back to the fourth and second centuries BC, besides other shipwrecks dating back to the first and second world wars," Sabry said.

Egyptian renowned filmmaker Khaled Youssef directed the carnival, where at least 50 young men and women participated in the simulated Pharaonic parade.

Not only the last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom, Queen Cleopatra VII is also considered one of the most famous ancient Egyptian rulers, since Egypt fell into a province in the Roman Empire during her reign.

Being of Greek Macedonian descent, the Egyptian queen drove the merge of the Pharaonic and Greek cultures in Egypt. She was a daughter of King Ptolemy XII and succeeded him as queen in 51 BC at the age of 18. She was born in 69 BC and died in 30 BC.

Boasting thousands of artifacts, the sunken city of Cleopatra, along with the city of Heracleion, was discovered beneath the eastern harbor area of Abu Qir Bay in the 1990s.

In 1996, the Egyptian government proposed establishing an underwater museum to display the treasures of the two cities, an idea that is supported by the UNESCO but yet to be carried out.
COLLECTIVE MADNESS



Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 05:56:20|Editor: Yurou

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TUNIS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China has donated maritime control and surveillance equipments to help Tunisia strengthen maritime borders security, Chinese ambassy in Tunis said on Saturday.

The donation, including two mobile scanners which cost 12 million dinars (about 4.8 million U.S. dollars), was received by the Tunisian customs at the port of La Goulette, located in the northern suburbs of capital Tunis.

"The surveillance system will concern the maritime and land borders, and thus immunize the national economy against contraband and parallel trade," said Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed in the presence of the Chinese Ambassador to Tunisia, Bian Yanhua.

"This donation reflects the high level of bilateral cooperation between Tunisia and China that extends to the customs sector," said the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Khemais Jhinaoui.

This fruitful cooperation affects several areas, particularly the cultural sector, he added, saying China intends to create two cultural centers in Ben Arous and El-Menzah, a luxurious district in the north of the Tunis conurbation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 05:56:23|Editor: yan

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ALGIERS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- An Algerian top military officer said on Saturday that the army is willing to modernize the naval fleet for more "operational efficiency."

The remarks were made by Chief of Staff Gen. Ahmed Gaid Salah during his visit to Naval Forces Command, according to a statement from the National Defense Ministry.

He said the modernization of fleet is part of the national development plan to modernize the army in order to enhance defense capabilities.

The navy should carry out its missions with required efficiency in coordination with other forces, and consolidate its permanent and efficient presence in the Mediterranean, Salah noted.

The general also called on the navy to win challenges and deter potential threats.

"It has been imperative for us to ensure the success of the actions and to guarantee all factors of success in the missions assigned," he said.

Algeria aims to build a deterrent navy force in the Mediterranean region. Since 2011, it has bought several state-of-the-art warships capable of operating within a very wide radius to accomplish various missions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 06:06:25|Editor: yan

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ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The prime minister of Yemen's internationally-backed government urged on Saturday the local and foreign oil companies to avoid conducting any deals or relations with Houthis in the country's northern provinces.

The Yemeni PM Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr held a meeting with high-ranking officials in southern port city of Aden and strongly warned all the oil producing companies against making any deals with Houthi rebels in Sanaa and elsewhere, according to a statement released by Saba News Agency.

"Oil companies that violate the government's rules will be accountable for their decisions and will face financial punitive measures," the statement said.

"The prime minister also discussed with the governor of the oil-rich province of Shabwa the ongoing preparations to reopen some oil companies there and resuming oil production in the government-controlled provinces," the statement added.

Yemen's internationally-backed government, allied with the Saudi-led Arab military coalition, has for more than two years been battling Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels over control of the country.

The coalition began a military air campaign in March 2015 to roll back Houthi gains and reinstate exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to the power.

The coalition also imposed air and sea blockade to prevent weapons from reaching Houthis, who had invaded the capital Sanaa militarily and seized most of the northern Yemeni provinces.

UN statistics show more than 10,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed since the coalition intervened in the Yemeni civil war that also displaced around three million.

The impoverished Arab country is also suffering the world's largest cholera epidemic since April this year, with about 5,000 cases reported every day.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-01 06:36:31|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Islamic State (IS) militants have recaptured the town of Al-Qaryatayn in the eastern countryside of Homs Province in central Syria, pro-government al-Watan online daily reported Saturday evening.

The recapture of Al-Qaryatayn comes as part of a recent large-scale counter-offensive by IS in the Syrian desert.

The Syrian forces laid a siege to the town following its recapture by IS, al-Watan said.

The Syrian army dislodged IS militants from the town in April.

The recent attacks from IS aim to release the pressure on its fighters in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, where the army is tightening the noose on the terror group.

On Thursday, IS militants launched an attack and cut off the road to Deir al-Zour, before the army recaptured it on Friday.

The series of attacks reflect IS determination to survive at a time when it has become the target of international powers.

It is feared that IS may launch more attacks in the desert region, which is not far from the Palmyra road linking the capital Damascus with Deir al-Zour.
Nearly 1,000 youth will be on the University of Wyoming campus on Saturday for the annual Campus Pass event, a day full of activity designed to give prospective students a taste of campus life.

Among them will be more than 300 members of Boys & Girls Clubs of Wyoming, and more than 40 from the Central Wyoming sites in Glenrock, Casper and Buffalo.

The concerted effort to get Boys & Girls Club members from throughout the state to Laramie is part of an expanded commitment and partnership between the university and the state's clubs, which provide positive reinforcement to youth in kindergarten through age 18.

"I am proud to announce this morning that UW pledges to extend our commitment to Wyoming's Boys & Girls Club members through dedicated scholarship support," Laurie Nichols, UW president, announced in Casper last week. "Starting in the upcoming year, we'll offer a competitive scholarship for up to three club members to receive full tuition and fees at UW based on their academic merit and financial need."

In addition to the Boys & Girls Club members, another 200 students from throughout the region are expected at the Saturday event, as well as another 500 students and parents from around the country.

"During the event, students will have a presentation about admissions, the opportunity to tour campus and the residence halls, and lunch," said Amy Fenolia, associate director of admissions at the University of Wyoming.

The event begins at 9 a.m., at Prexy's Pasture. High school students will be given information on admissions and scholarships, while younger students will be given age-appropriate presentations.

Tours will be given around the campus and residence halls. At 11:45 a.m., participants will be at the Rochelle Gateway Center to see the UW Cowboy Walk and eat lunch before heading to the Pregame Zone in the Indoor Practice Facility and then attending the Wyoming-Texas State game at 2 p.m., in War Memorial Stadium.

"It gives them the flavor of what it means to be part of a campus community and what it means to be a Poke," said Shauna VanderLinden, marketing and communications specialist for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Wyoming.

In addition to the increased scholarships and Campus Pass one-day event, Nichols said the university is instituting the "Wy Not Me Project," a collaboration that will use UW student mentors in an ongoing role "to instill the belief and confidence that a University of Wyoming education is possible for Boys & Girls Clubs members in Wyoming."
Mountain View Elementary, Frontier Middle School, University Park Elementary and Willard Elementary have been recommended for closure at the end of this academic year in light of recent falling enrollment, the Natrona County School District announced Friday.

The schools -- all of which housed students this year -- are the latest buildings to be closed by the district after recent years of falling elementary enrollment, likely brought on by the economy.

Mountain View lost 18 students compared to last year and 83 since 2012-13, one of heaviest losses in the district. Willard actually gained 12 since 2016-17, but is down 28 since 2012-13. University Park has lost 10 since last fall, and Frontier is down 16.

In addition to those currently populated schools, district officials recommend closing the Special Education Service Center, the already vacant Westwood and North Casper elementary schools and Willow Creek.

North Casper and the special education building are both recommended for sale. Frontier is slated for closure, while the remaining buildings will be mothballed.

It's unclear when the district's school board will vote to close the schools, though officials have said it will be at one of the two October meetings, on the 9th and 23rd.

District officials said last week that a Natrona County elementary school would likely be shuttered because of falling enrollment. The district's elementary enrollment fell by more than 150 students compared to last year, continuing a recent trend. Districtwide, there are 350 fewer elementary students than there were in 2014, and there are currently 970 empty seats in elementary schools here.

Officials have said the falling enrollment is likely because of the downturn in Wyoming's economy.

Last November, the district announced it was closing Grant Elementary, a 94-year-old Casper school that had falling enrollment and needed significant infrastructure repairs. Officials have said that should they need to close a school this year, they want to give affected families as much advance notice as possible.
LARAMIE, Wyo.  Pistol and Pete  the University of Wyoming's draft horse team  might be rising stars around the state, but that doesn't preclude them from earning their keep around the ranch, a university representative said.

"We do several things with them around the (UW) Beef Unit," said Travis Smith, the livestock manager at one of the university's experimental ranching stations. "We pull a hay wagon loaded with supplemental feed and take it out to the cows and flake it off. We'll pull a metal drag called a harrow in the spring and break up some of those areas where we did feed. Pretty much anything you would do with a flatbed pickup, they do."

Chestnut brown with flaxen manes, the two are nearly identical.

"I have a few ways of telling them apart," Smith said, patting the horses gently. "Pistol is slightly taller. He's 14.2 hands tall, and Pete is 14.1 hands. Pistol has a full mane; whereas, Pete is balding. And the other give away is Pistol has a black mark right here on his (butt) cheek."

The haflinger draft team is a recent addition to the UW mascot armada and pulls wagons during parades and ceremonies to highlight the efforts of the UW Extension.

"The team and the wagons are billboards for UW," Smith said. "These two love people."

Purchased in 2015 to celebrate UW agriculture research, he said the horses were somewhat of a dream come true.

"The university's Wyoming (Agriculture) Experiment Station was celebrating its 125-year anniversary last summer, and they wanted to go all out," Smith recalled. "They already owned a hay wagon and an old sheep wagon, and I had a strong desire for a team of horses."

A UW graduate, Smith started at the Beef Unit as an intern before being promoted to livestock manager more than a decade ago. Tipping his straw cowboy hat back, he explained he's always had an affinity for equines.

"After talking about it, we decided a team of horses would be a perfect set of ambassadors for the experiment stations," Smith said.

In the Rocky Mountain region, draft horses have become a common choice for marketing efforts in part because of their temperament, he said.

"Draft horses by nature are gentle creatures," Smith explained as Pistol nuzzled his hand, seeking attention. "I think it might have been bred out of necessity. Quite often, they were working in tight places where they couldn't have a negative disposition."

An Austrian breed, he said haflingers are utilitarian horses.

"The haflinger was developed as a dual purpose horse  riding and pulling carriages," Smith said. "They needed them to be able to handle the work they were doing in the mountains but still be able to ride them to town on windy trails."

Once acquired by UW, the team was put to work almost immediately.

"They were doing parades a few months after we bought them," he said. "They've been to Powell, Sheridan, Douglas, Lusk, Torrington and, of course, Laramie Jubilee Days. They're well-traveled  I'll say that much."

Brass buttons on the draft team's brown leather harness gleamed brilliantly in the midday sun as Smith trotted them around the UW Hansen Arena.

"I don't think most people get it, but riding a wagon with a team of horses on a beautiful day through the Laramie Valley is an experience unto itself," he said, raising his voice above the jingling harness.

In addition to parades, hay rides and field work, Smith said Pistol and Pete are beginning a fledgling modeling career with a calendar already out and appointments to appear on UW President Laurie Nichols' Christmas cards.

"They've turned into rock stars wherever they go," he said. "I think by and large, people are drawn to animals, and these two are just gentle giants."
An elderly woman was displaced from her home in Mills after a fire early Friday.

The Mills Fire Department arrived at her home at 1 a.m. and found smoke coming from the roof and attic area, according to a release from the department. The woman and her dogs were not injured and were evacuated. Firefighters found the fire burning in the home's walls and attic.

The house sustained minor smoke damage and damage from where drywall was removed to extinguish the fire. The home is uninhabitable until repairs can be made and utilities restored. The woman is receiving help from the Natrona County Burn Fund and the American Red Cross.

Smoke detectors in her home were not working. The woman's dogs woke her and alerted her to the fire. She called 911 and said she could smell smoke but couldn't find the source.

The fire's cause has not been determined.
Montana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton sent a letter to thousands of Montanans two weeks ago stating that we need election reform to thwart voter fraud in Montana based on how mail-in ballots had been handled in recent Federal elections. Stapleton reports that in the recent congressional election to replace Ryan Zinke, 381,416 votes were cast and that 1,833 mailed-in ballots were not counted. He wants election reform to greatly reduce this number; he further states that far too many people are voting other peoples mail ballots.

Stapletons allegations about fraud are stunning and, because they totally lack evidence, irresponsible. No Montana citizen was charged or convicted of voter fraud in the last election (and police investigated some claims of fraud). There was one mail-in ballot actually voted in Missoula County where election officials missed that someone other than the named voter signed the affirmation envelope transmitting the ballot. There is no evidence of any other improper vote being counted in Montana.

Stapleton that apparently does not understand the difference between the use of absentee ballots, which are used in federal, state-wide elections, and which a voter must specifically request, and mail-in ballots, the term Stapleton uses, and which apply only to total election-by-mail events, with no open polling places, such as state law allows for school elections, sewer district elections, etc.

No fraud evidence

Of the 1,833 absentee ballots not counted in the last election and with which Stapleton suggests there is rampant voter fraud, 831 were not counted because the voters failed to sign the affirmation envelope. Another 596 were rejected because they were delivered to election officials too late, under state law, to be counted. No statutory election reform is going to validate the ballots of voters who fail to follow existing law and dont sign the affirmation envelope containing their ballot, or who do not submit them timely. No fraud there.

This leaves, in the last election, 363 absentee ballots not counted because of mismatched signatures on affirmation envelopes (this is a signature not the voters, either a different name or a forgery; it is most typically one spouse signing for the other). Every absentee ballot is tracked by election officials; every signature is compared to the voters signature on his or her voter registration card. State law explicitly requires election officials (typically, the clerk and recorders office) to contact every single voter by the most expeditious method available whose absentee ballot cannot be accepted for any reason to try to have the voters do what is necessary to make them valid.

Gallatin count

In Gallatin County, for example, 648 voters were contacted by phone and by letter when their returned ballots either were unsigned or had a mismatched signature. This was every single unacceptable ballot. Of these, 383 voters took corrective action in a timely fashion and their ballots were counted. None claimed fraud in this process. In the end, 336 absentee ballots were rejected: 141 had no signatures, 71 were mailed too late to be counted, 124 ballots had mismatched signatures that the voters whose ballots were sent in did not clarify. None of these ballots was counted, in accordance with law.

A similar process was followed by every county election office. Every voter whose absentee ballot is found to be irregular or not appropriate is, by law, contacted by the county election office. Those offices cannot make people vote or unilaterally correct their errors. But, in almost all cases, they do reach the voter and tell them how to correct an improper ballot so that it can be counted.

Why would Stapleton make the alarming and disquieting claim there was voter fraud in the last election when there clearly wasnt? How can our secretary of state not know the difference between mail-in ballots and absentee ballots? These questions raise serious issues involving Stapletons judgment and competence. Stapleton should address them directly for the benefit of all Montana voters.
Montanas claimed Theodore Roosevelt Republican U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has finally proved that hes nothing more than a lapdog for Trump and the extractive industries. Zinke would in fact sell out the very legacy that Roosevelt left all Americans, our public lands.

We all knew Zinkes sham monument review had a pre-determined outcome. Zinke is proposing to shrink some of the most incredible natural treasures in our country, all at the behest of the extraction industries, a handful of local county commissioners and ranchers who want total control of the land. Zinkes worst example: Bears Ears, a landscape so stunning and so rich in archaeological sites that the five tribes with centuries of history on the land asked Obama to protect, since Congress, led by Utahs members, refused to act.

Contrary to Zinkes fake claims, the locals were heavily involved in Bears Ears and the other monuments designated. These landscapes would have been protected with a normal, functioning Congress, but instead they purposely opposed anything Obama did. So he stepped in and used the vital tool of the Antiquities Act to make these national treasures monuments. I and the vast majority of Americans are glad he did.

Zinke needs to study basic U.S. history to understand Roosevelt and how we got the protected lands we have. Maybe then hell shut his mouth about being a TR Republican and at least admit what a yes man he is for Trump and others who want to destroy our shared public lands legacy.

Austin Rogers

Billings
The Burleigh County Sheriff's Department recently welcomed a third K-9 to its force.

Echo, a 21-month-old Dutch Malinois, is trained in marijuana, meth, heroine and cocaine usage, as well as tracking.

"She's already uncovered some meth at the new jail," said Burleigh County Sheriff Pat Heinert. "Someone tried to sneak some in, and she uncovered it."

Echo was received from Working Dogs International, located in Kansas, and was awarded to Burleigh County through a grant. The county was responsible for costs related to travel.

Echo is not big enough to be a patrol dog, so she will be utilized within the schools and the jail.

"She's the kind of puppy who will lay down in front of a bunch of first-graders and let them pet and rub her all over her and take pictures," Heinert said. "She's perfect for taking to the schools."

Sgt. Jeff Olson will be Echo's handler.

The other two K-9s on the force are full-fledged patrol dogs trained in narcotics detention, attack and tracking and trailing.
President's of India Ram Nath Kovind Dussehra greetings

New Delhi, Sat, 30 Sep 2017 NI Wire

The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind has sent his greetings to his fellow countrymen on the eve of Dussehra.

In a message, the President has said, "On the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, I extend my greetings to all fellow citizens.

The festival of Dussehra signifies the victory of good over evil and the power of ethical and moral values. These values are of universal appeal and have great relevance for all mankind yesterday.

Celebrated in different parts of our country as well as overseas, this festival is an expression of the shared values and culture of our great nation. It reminds us of the human and social values related to the life of Lord Rama. The ideal character of Lord Rama teaches the lessons of dedication to duty, morality and social service to all of us.

Let us resolve to make our contribution to building an ideal family, society, country and the world while fighting against all evils.

Source: PIB
People have right to know how decision-making happens at the highest level and what national security entails: Vice President

New Delhi, Sat, 30 Sep 2017 NI Wire

Releases book 'Securing India: The Modi Way'

The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Indian people have the right to know how decision-making happens at the highest level and what national security entails. He was addressing the gathering after releasing the book Securing India: The Modi Way' authored by Shri Nitin Gokhale, here today. The Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President said that the book provides the most intimate and sweeping account yet of the NDA Governments approach to national security and foreign policy initiatives. He further said that drawing on internal memos, as yet classified information, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of interviews with key players in the national security team, Shri Gokhale brings alive inside stories of decision-making at the highest levels in the government.

The Vice President said that the book details hitherto unknown aspects of the planning and execution of the surgical strikes, revamping of New Delhi's policy towards China and Pakistan, India's renewed global policy focus on Middle East, Prime Minister Modi's attempt to leverage the Indian diaspora worldwide, besides focusing on some small but far-reaching steps taken to secure India in every possible way - on land, space, cyber and maritime domains.

The Vice President said that the issue of terrorism is at the fore front of governments foreign policy world over. He further said that terrorism has no religion; its a threat to humanity and it should be curbed and we must be humane and sensitive in our approach while interacting with others. If there is tension there cant be attention towards development, this should bear the basic principle, he added.

The Vice President said that in democracy violence has no place and bullet cannot bring change where as ballot can. The policy of government should be zero tolerance towards terrorism and corruption both will eat away the vitals of our system, he added.

Following is the text of Vice Presidents address:

I am pleased to release the book Securing India: The Modi Way', written by senior journalist, Shri Nitin Gokhale.

Normally, matters relating to defence and security aspects are kept shrouded in a veil of secrecy and not put in public domain by most nations the world over. Understandably, in most cases utmost precautions are taken not to make public important decisions and their processes in order to protect security and national interests.

No doubt, legitimate security concerns could be the reason for maintaining complete secrecy in such matters. However, a balanced view has to be taken on the extent to which such information could be made available to the public as complete lack of transparency would give scope to corruption.

In this background, the book by Shri Gokhale provides the most intimate and sweeping account yet of the NDA Governments approach to national security and foreign policy initiatives.

Drawing on internal memos, as yet classified information, meeting notes and hundreds of hours of interviews with key players in the national security team, Shri Gokhale brings alive inside stories of decision-making at the highest levels in the government.

Painstakingly researched, the book details hitherto unknown aspects of the planning and execution of the surgical strikes, revamping of New Delhi's policy towards China and Pakistan, India's renewed global policy focus on Middle East, Prime Minister Modi's attempt to leverage the Indian diaspora worldwide, besides focusing on some small but far-reaching steps taken to secure India in every possible way --on land, space, cyber and maritime domains.

The book provides an authentic account of the Modi government' decision making process on vital issues. This is by no means an analytical document. In fact, it is mostly factual and narrated from the point of view of those involved. In that respect, some might view this book as an incomplete account. Its a start nevertheless. Till then, read the book for what it is: a journalistic record of some of the bold and unconventional decisions taken by the Modi government since 2014.

There is no denying the fact that this book has gained immensely by the trust reposed in the author by people in very sensitive appointments. For the first time, people holding sensitive positions have spoken on record about some major incidents like the Pathankot Operation, the two surgical strikes - one in Myanmar and one in PoK - and the standoff at Doklam.

The book contains interviews with Former Defence Minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar, the National Security Adviser, Shri Ajit Doval, current and former Army Chiefs, Special Forces officers and men, NSG commandos and IAF personnel.

By writing this book, Shri Gokhale has brought the complicated subject of national security to the common citizen. Indian people have the right to know how decision-making happens at the highest level and what national security entails. This book provides rare insight into that process. I commend the author for accomplishing this task in a short time and bringing to light some of the unknown aspects of governance.

I am a happy that issue of terrorism is at the fore front of governments foreign policy world over.

Terrorism has no religion; its a threat to humanity. It should be curbed and we must be humane and sensitive in our approach while interacting with others but at the same time we must be firm in assuring and maintaining Indians unity, integrity and internal security.

If there is tension there cant be attention towards development, this should bear the basic principle. We have to secure our borders and also assure the internal security so that the government and the administration can focus on development.

In democracy violence has no place. Bullet cannot bring change where as ballot can. This has been witnessed world over. The policy of government should be zero tolerance towards terrorism and corruption both will eat away the vitals of our system.

Jai Hind.

Source: PIB
The Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo gave the assurance during a funeral mass for late Mrs Roseline Akabueze, the mother of Mr Ben Akabueze, the Director-General, Budget Office, Abuja at St Gabriel Catholic Church, Ifitedunu, Anambra State.

Osinbajo explained that the FG under President Mohammadu Buhari was committed to completing every federal project in the South East especially the second Niger Bridge.

According to him, President Buhari went to China to negotiate with them about the second Niger Bridge and East-West road.

He said that everything has also been put in place to ensure the completion of Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

Osinbajo urged the National Assembly to consider and accommodate all the federal projects during their deliberations.

He re-stated that one of the cardinal principles of Buhari administration was fairness, which according to him has offered every political zone the opportunity to benefit from his government.

Also speaking, Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra recalled that Ifitedunu Community had benefited immensely from his administration, especially in the area of appointments.

Obiano urged the people to apply for the second phase of his N20 million community Choose your Project initiative, which is geared toward developing every community simultaneously as well as empowering the youths.

Dignitaries present include the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, Minister for Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma.

Others are Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okey Enelama, and Sen. Uche Ekwunife
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described the alleged forceful deportation of over 100,000 Nigerian asylum seekers by Cameroonian military as worrisome and disturbing.

Dabiri-Erewa in a statement on Friday decried the inhuman treatment meted out to Nigerian asylum seekers who were affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.

She said despite the friendly disposition between the two countries, the alleged deportation of Nigerians was disturbing and calls for concern.

The Presidential aide said Cameroon should heed the UNs call on all countries to protect refugees fleeing the carnage in the North-East Nigeria and not to return them there.

This unfriendly attitude of the Cameroonian soldiers to Nigerian asylum seekers is really worrisome, Dabiri-Erewa said as she appealed to ECOWAS and other West African regional groups to prevail on Cameroon to be their brothers keeper in a situation like this.

The deportations, according to Human Rights Watch, defy the UN refugee agencys plea not to return anyone to North-East Nigeria until the security and human rights situation has improved considerably.
The Lignite Energy Council, a regional trade association representing more than 300 companies, will be hosting its fall conference at the Bismarck Event Center, Bismarck, on Wednesday and Thursday.

The speakers reflect two of our major focus points this year  advocacy and innovation, said Jason Bohrer, president and CEO of the Lignite Energy Council. Under the Trump Administration, companies are more optimistic about the future. However, we are not sitting idly by. We are continuing to work with government agencies and technology developers to ensure our ample reserves of lignite remain a low-cost fuel for the future.

Two keynote speakers will focus on their respective area of advocacy expertise. At 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Lori Shaw, a co-founder of Colstrip United, will discuss the grassroots advocacy lessons shes learned. The native of Colstrip, Mont., uses social media and other venues to combat the negative opinions held by environmental activists about coal-based electricity.

Another speaker  Trent Loos  will close the conference at 12:20 p.m. Thursday as he talks about being a passionate advocate for production agriculture. Loos is a noted radio personality with Nebraska farm roots. He has been an outspoken proponent of family farmers throughout the United States. His passion for promoting agriculture was born out of the reality that people were spreading vicious untruths about the industry he grew up in and dearly loved and nobody was setting them straight.

Three panels will address innovation. The first is a panel of utility and mining experts who will talk about managing, planning and implementing the next generation of energy sources to power the homes, farms and businesses in the Upper Midwest. That panel begins at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Two more panels will follow on Thursday morning. The first focuses on opportunities and challenges facing the industry when it comes to capturing and using carbon dioxide at North Dakotas lignite facilities. One of the presenters  Anthony Armpriester  represents a project near Houston, Texas, that is successfully capturing CO2 from an existing power plant and using the CO2 in Texas oil fields to increase oil production.

The second panel includes a variety of people associated with North Dakotas Empower Commission, which was started more than a decade ago to help the states Legislature develop policies that would benefit all energy industries in the state.

Besides the speakers, the Wednesday luncheon will recognize several companies in the lignite industry who have won safety awards. Other award winners will be honored for outstanding reclamation, community service and outstanding careers in the industry.
Reports reaching is that North Korean rockets are been transported from a rocket facility devoted to the creation of intercontinental ballistic missiles in Pyongyang.

Unnamed South Korean and US intelligence sources have reportedly detected several missiles being moved from North Koreas Missile Research and Development Facility at Sanum-dong in northern Pyongyang.

The report does not provide any information on when the transportation occurred or where the missiles have been moved.

The KBS report speculates that amid escalating tensions over Pyongyangs nuclear program, such development could mean that North Korea is preparing to take additional provocative actions.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un looks on during the test-fire of inter-continental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 in this undated photo released by North Koreas Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang, July, 4 2017.

However, a source from South Korean Ministry of Defense could not confirm whether there has actually been any suspicious activities in the area mentioned.

South Koreas military is concerned that North Korea may carry out provocations on October 10, the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the ruling North Korean Workers Party.
Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo has said President Muhammadu Buhari had gone to China to negotiate with them about the second Niger Bridge and East-West road, as part of his commitment towards the completion of the projects.

The Federal Government has restated its resolve to complete work on the second Niger Bridge as well as other federal projects in the South-East zone.

The Vice-President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo gave the assurance during a funeral mass for late Mrs Roseline Akabueze, the mother of Mr Ben Akabueze, the Director-General, Budget Office, Abuja at St Gabriel Catholic Church, Ifitedunu, Anambra State.

Osinbajo explained that the FG under President Mohammadu Buhari was committed to completing every federal project in the South East especially the second Niger Bridge.

According to him, President Buhari went to China to negotiate with them about the second Niger Bridge and East-West road, he said, adding that everything have also been put in place to ensure the completion of Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

Osinbajo urged the National Assembly to consider and accommodate all the federal projects during their deliberations.

He re-stated that one of the cardinal principles of Buhari administration was fairness, which according to him has offered every political zone the opportunity to benefit from his government.

Also speaking, Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra recalled that Ifitedunu Community had benefited immensely from his administration, especially in the area of appointments.

Obiano urged the people to apply for the second phase of his N20 million community Choose your Project initiative, which is geared toward developing every community simultaneously as well as empowering the youths.

Dignitaries present include the Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, Minister for Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udo Udoma.

With NAN
Getting ready for Sunday. Photo: NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Catalonia, a region of northeast Spain with a population of 7.5 million, is moving ahead with a hugely contentious independence referendum to be held on Sunday as Spains central government pledges to prevent it from taking place.

The Spanish government has confiscated ballot boxes, detained Catalan officials, blocked electoral websites, and threatened sedition charges for anyone who helps facilitate the vote. Thousands of Spanish police officers have been deployed to Barcelona, Catalonias capital, and other towns, leading to the potential for confrontation or even violence. Catalans have begun to occupy polling places, challenging security forces to kick them out.

The government will have big difficulties stopping the referendum in the territory, the state simply cannot control the whole region, but they will try to prevent it taking place in key areas such as Barcelona, Lluis Orriols Galve, a professor of politics at the Carlos III University of Madrid, told Al Jazeera.

Polls have shown that support for independence has hovered below 50 percent, with the vast majority of people approving of the chance to put the issue to a vote.

In 2010, Spains Constitutional Court struck down a law that would have given Catalonia nation status within Spain. The court also blocked a 2014 attempt at a referendum, which evolved into a nonbinding poll in which 80 percent of voters favored independence  but with less than half of the electorate participating. The leader who orchestrated that vote, Artur Mas, was banned from holding public office for two years.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy, who fiercely opposes the referendum, has much to lose politically. If Catalonia votes for independence, or the vote turns into a fiasco, he could be pushed out of power.

Catalonia, where residents speak Catalan as opposed to the Castilian Spanish spoken almost everywhere else in the country, has maintained a strong regional identity for hundreds of years, and its history has been punctuated with bouts of separatist fervor dating back to the 17th century. We have been waiting for this moment for 300 years, one enthusiastic teenager told the New York Times.

Catalonia briefly became its own republic within the Iberian Federation in the early 1930s, and Barcelona was at the vanguard of resistance to General Francisco Franco. But after Franco triumphed in the countrys traumatic civil war, he repressed Catalan culture during his decades in power. After Franco died and Spain transitioned to democracy in the mid-1970s, Barcelona was granted semi-autonomous status, and the region developed into an economically thriving tourist magnet, boosted by Barcelonas successful 1992 Olympics. Catalonia is the countrys most prosperous region.

Spain was left economically devastated by the global recession that began in 2008, with unemployment rates rivaling the United States during the Great Depression. Many Catalans resented the central governments role in the countrys crisis and felt that Catalonia, as an economic powerhouse, was being shortchanged by Madrid. Such economic grievances fueled the thirst for true independence in the region, which had never really gone away.

If Catalonia does vote for independence and manages to break away from Spain, both sides are likely take a hit. Whether Catalonia could prosper as an independent nation is an open question  as is what will happen on Sunday.
At least one Trump official has paid the price for his mistakes. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Its a testament to how thoroughly weird things are now here in Washington that so far the most normal event of the Trump era is a political scandal.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price was revealed, in a series of reports by Politico, to be unnecessarily and improperly traveling on private jets, at a total cost of over $1 million to taxpayers. Following public condemnation from President Donald Trump, Price resigned  effective 11:59 p.m. on Friday.

This is how it ought to go down, of course, anytime a public servant is found fleecing the public. But political normalcy as we once understood it feels very far away these days. Administration scandals of yore  from gaffes to behavioral or ethical misdeeds  appear quaint next to the strange new category of questions that hangs over the current president, who uses the office to promote his chain of hotels and is being investigated by multiple entities for allegedly colluding with Russia in the run up to the election.

The fall of Price is a rare example of a violation of the rules by an administration official having immediate consequences, and a rarer example of Trump appearing mindful of optics in a traditional sense. The president even used the term himself: I dont like the optics, he remarked on Friday afternoon, before Prices fate was known. He said it would be unacceptable for Price to only partially reimburse the government for his flights, like he had announced he planned to.

Enough Trump officials (and Trump himself) have made mistakes that we can be fairly certain it wasnt that mistake alone that did Price in. Rather, it was the kind of mistake he made and his standing with the president when he made it.

The Trump campaign was in many ways about the candidates own excess. During his announcement that he would seek the Republican nomination, on June 16, 2015, Trump bragged, Im really rich, and disclosed, I have a total net worth of $8,737,540,000. He traveled the country on his private Boeing 757  Trump Force One  complete with gold-plated seat belts. But during that same speech, Trump explained that there was a method to his ostentatiousness, one that he believed would guide the country to a better place. It came up while he criticized the Obama administration for spending too much money on the Affordable Care Act website. I have so many websites, he said. I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a website, it costs me $3. Translation: The government is screwing you over because they dont know the Art of the Deal. Prices publicly funded jets, then, were a form of unsanctioned gaudiness, and not compatible with Trumps own displays. As the president explained on Friday afternoon: We have great secretaries and we have some that actually own their own planes, as you know. That solves that.

Sam Nunberg, a former advisor to the Trump campaign, agreed to speak on the record about Price. I dont care, the fucker is gone, he said, describing Price as a hypocrite.

Price made him look like a bad manager with government appointees who are taking advantage of the taxpayer, Nunberg said of the implications for the president.

Additionally, he noted, Price failed to get the Obamacare repeal through. So, he had two big strikes.

In March, as his colleagues attempted to get the votes for the Republican health-care bill, Price was photographed drinking at Bullfeathers, a bar on Capitol Hill. As Maggie Haberman of the New York Times explained on Twitter, Price has been out of [Trumps] favor since that night.

A source close to the White House suggested that the president had additionally been disappointed that Prices jet scandal was distracting from the unveiling of the White Houses tax proposal. This displaces 30 percent of the weekend shows when the president needs his best spokesmen out there pitching his tax agenda, not airplanes, the source said.

Ultimately, Prices departure seems less like a sign that the Trump administration will adopt the old standards for acceptable behavior in Washington, and more like a warning for officials who mightve considered breaking the rules before building up sufficient goodwill with the president. So, perhaps all remains normal in Trumps D.C., which is to say not at all.
Tillerson says the U.S. has dropped Pyongyang a few lines. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

The Trump administration is communicating directly with the North Korean government, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson confirmed on Saturday. It was the first time anyone in the White House has acknowledged such efforts, though Tillerson did not say whether the regime in Pyongyang had been receptive to the communications. The U.S. is probing to see if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would be open to negotiations, Tillerson said, so stay tuned. (Update: The answer appears to be no, if the U.S. is still asking the country to get rid of its nukes.)

We ask, Would you like to talk? We have lines of communications to Pyongyang. Were not in a dark situation, a blackout. We have a couple, three, channels open to Pyongyang, we can talk to them, we do talk to them, Tillerson explained, adding that he thought that the whole situation is a bit overheated right now, and would be made less complicated if North Korea stopped firing missiles.

The confirmation of the back-channel efforts came after a day of meetings in China between Tillerson and Chinese government officials, including one with President Xi Jinping. Tillerson has avoided references to North Korea during his visit, in what the Washington Post suggested may be an attempt to avoid another round of inflammatory rhetoric.

Its not clear when direct communications between the U.S. and North Korea began. Within the past two weeks, President Trump and North Korean officials have exchanged numerous threats and insults, including North Koreas assertion that it would shoot down U.S. warplanes even if they arent flying in North Korean airspace.

There were also signs of a thaw, however. North Korean officials had reportedly reached out to GOP-linked analysts in an attempt to decipher Trumps responses to the crisis. Their number-one concern is Trump. They cant figure him out, a source told the Washington Post.

Now, North Korea will have the additional option of using the State Department as President Trumps bluster translator. But as is usually the case, it remains to be seen whether Trump himself will play along with his administrations diplomatic efforts  assuming North Korea is even interested, which apparently they arent:
The suddenly disgraced Tom Price left no obvious successor at HHS. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The sudden resignation of Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price is already leading to speculation about his successor in this very public job. According to the usually well-connected Axios, there are three front-runners for the gig:

Speculation about who would succeed Price permanently has focused on Seema Verma, who oversees Medicare, Medicaid and parts of the ACA. Shes a close ally of Vice President Pence. Former Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb are also seen as potential candidates.

Scott Gottlieb would in some respects be the easy replacement. Hes a physician, like Price, and like Price has already been through a relatively contentious confirmation. But rightly or wrongly, he bears the sins of the pharmaceutical industry, to which he has had a long relationship as a consultant. In the broader HHS job that oversees health-care policy, that might be fatally narrow.

If Axios is correct, that leaves two fascinating candidates in line to succeed Tom Price.

Verma is in the classic position of the regulator who exerts enormous power without the kind of visibility that led Price to roam around the world at excessive public expense. She made a lot of money as a consultant helping conservative states cut deals with the Obama administration exchanging conservative policy fetishes for expanded Medicaid coverage, negotiating, most notably, the Indiana compromise that nowVice-President Mike Pence embraced. At HHS, she has mostly concentrated on convincing Republican state officials and members of Congress that this or that GOP health-care proposal would move health-care policy in a conservative direction without vastly reducing eligibility for coverage.

More important, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans might decide Seema Verma is too valuable exactly where she is.

As for Bobby Jindal  well, on paper he is perfect for the next HHS secretary. He was, after all, assistant secretary of HHS back in 2001, after running Louisianas Medicaid program (and a portion of the states university system). He then spent some time in the U.S. House before becoming a two-term governor of Louisiana.

Bobbys problem (other than leaving his gubernatorial office as a Chris Christielevel pariah) is that he ran for president in 2016, and in an effort to separate himself from other conservatives, he said some things about the 45th president that will be forever problematic:

[T]he governor bashed Trump for being an egomaniacal madman and jabbed at him for declining to name a favorite Bible verse in an August interview after saying it was his favorite book.

You may have recently seen that after Trump said the Bible is his favorite book, he couldnt name a single Bible verse or passage that meant something to him, Jindal said. And we all know why, because its all just a show, and he hasnt ever read the Bible. But you know why he hasnt read the Bible? Because hes not in it.

He was just getting warmed up. He called Trump a nonserious carnival act, a very weak and small person, an unserious and unstable narcissist, and someone who could destroy Americas chance to be Great Again.

Thats not what you want on your Trump-administration background report. Jindal eventually crawled back to the GOP column before the general election, but its not clear it was enough to merit a cabinet post.

So Gottlieb and Verma may be too valuable where they are, and Jindal may be too toxic to bring aboard. The suddenness of Prices disgrace and dismissal was a bad thing for Team Trump. Theres now talk of Rick Santorum at HHS. That would provide a really interesting confirmation hearing.
WEST FARGO -- North Dakota pharmacists should be more active in prescribing the opioid antidote naloxone, according to instructors at a continuing education event here Friday.

During the North Dakota State University School of Pharmacy forum, two associate professors said pharmacists should consider prescribing naloxone to people at risk for opioid overdose, even if the patients dont ask.

You have the authority, the right and, I would argue, the obligation to offer naloxone in those cases, said Elizabeth Skoy, associate pharmacy professor.

A 2015 law gives pharmacists in North Dakota the authority to prescribe naloxone without a doctors approval, provided theyve gone through certified training.

There are about a dozen naloxone-certified pharmacies in Fargo, one in West Fargo, and about a half dozen in Grand Forks, according to the state Board of Pharmacy website.

However, NDSU associate pharmacy professor Amy Werremeyer said she doesnt think pharmacists are dispensing the antidote as often as the opioid crisis requires.

So thats one of the purposes, to try to ramp that up even more so that naloxone is in the places where it needs to be, when people need it, Werremeyer said.

Statistics provided by Fargo Cass Public Health show naloxone was administered 99 times by F-M Ambulance in 2016, and 16 times by the Fargo Fire Department during the last half of 2016.

There were 31 opioid overdose deaths in Cass County in 2016, and 14 such deaths through the first half of 2017, said Community Health Educator Melissa Markegard.

We are on course to either meet or exceed that death toll, which you know, we want to be going down, Markegard said.

SouthPointe Pharmacy, along 32nd Avenue South in Fargo, is authorized to prescribe naloxone.

Owner Dave Olig has several signs posted advertising that fact.

We havent had a request (for naloxone), not one, he said, and we dispense, like many others, thousands of doses (of opioids).

Pharmacists there offer naloxone as an option to all new patients receiving opioids, if they indicate they may be at risk for misuse.

Its safe, theres no downside, Olig said.

Warning signs for opioid abuse include patients who see multiple doctors, ask for early refills and only pay cash for prescriptions.

Pharmacists can try to identify those at highest risk by using an opioid triage tool and checking the states Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, or PDMP, Skoy said.

Beyond prescribing naloxone, a pharmacists other role in opioid abuse prevention is education.

That includes informing patients about the option of partially filling their prescription and explaining that opioids are meant to make pain tolerable, not non-existent, she said.
Buganda kingdom has called for caution in the manner, in which constitutional matters are handled, in order to avoid tension and consequential conflicts.

In a statement by the kingdom's premier, Charles Peter Mayiga released yesterday, the kingdom makes reference to events that followed the suspension of 25 MPs accused of disrupting parliament business in their quest to block the presentation of a motion to amend Article 102 (b) of the Constitution. The article puts the cap on the presidential age at 75.

Charles Peter Mayiga

Chaos and drama characterized the House on Wednesday when legislators resorted to fist fights with a group of plain-clothed security personnel who were deployed to eject them from the Chambers. They destroyed the public address system and furniture in a fight that left a number of them injured.



"The kingdom of Buganda is watching the developments taking place in the country, especially with regard to what took place in parliament two days ago, with great anxiety," the statement reads.



Mayiga notes that matters of the Constitution affect all Ugandans and that like the rest of the citizens, the people of Baganda are concerned over tensions arising out of acrimony on matters touching upon the sanctity of the Constitution.



Mayiga says that all Ugandans, whether they support or oppose the constitutional amendments, have the constitutional and legal right to express their views without being hindered, intimidated or arrested. Several protestors against the age limit amendment have been arrested with police calling the demonstrations illegal.



"We express our sympathies to all those who were injured during the scuffle in parliament, and we do hope that there shall be no repeat of such incidents," Mayiga said in a statement.
Judith Nabakooba

Members of parliament from Mityana were forced to flee from their own constituents, who reportedly stoned them, accusing the legislators of supporting the lifting of the presidential age limit from the Constitution.



Mityana North MP, Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi, also state minister for Tourism and Judith Nabakooba, Mityana Woman MP had to be rescued from the angry residents in Kiyoganyi town in Mityana by the police.



According to a news report by CBS radio, the MPs had gone to attend a council meeting yesterday to discuss infrastructure developments in the district.



But on arrival in Kiyoganyi, Bulera sub-county, according to the report, the MPs were not even allowed to disembark from the vehicles, with residents throwing stones at the legislators.



Kiwanda, reportedly did not take the threats seriously and attempted to get out of his vehicle. At this point, the residents now started picking up sticks threatening to beat him up.



For Nabakooba, however, she drove away quickly, blaming her political rivals for paying off the youth to assault the MPs. She reportedly called on government to beef up the security of NRM MPs.

However Kiwanda dismissed the report as 'unprofessional reporting' claiming CBS radio had no reporter on the ground. He said the meeting went on "peacefully" without any trouble as reported. But the reporter, Nsubuga Kasumba insists his story is true and that the youths attempted to lynch the MPs.

According to him, the youth were chanting "Togikwakatako" [don't touch the Constitution] accusing the MPs of being in support of what they called life presidency of President Yoweri Museveni. The youths according to Nsubuga said, this time round, they won't be bought off and used because this time they are not settling for less.

Mityana district police commander (DPC) Emmanuel Makumbi had to deploy his police officers to safely evacuate the MPs. As she was being driven away, Nabakooba reportedly said she had identified the abusive youth and vowed to return with presidential guards - Special Forces Command (SFC) to hunt them down.

MP Kiwanda (L) sent us this picture to 'prove' the meeting went on 'peacefully'

After two days of brawling inside the chambers, Igara West MP, Raphael Magezi finally tabled a motion seeking leave to draft a bill that would among other things amend to Article 102(b of the constitution to lift presidential age limits in a one-sided parliament attended only by NRM MPs.



The largely unpopular proposal has been vehemently resisted by a large section of the citizenry and civil society.
Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye has called for an establishment of a West African Electoral Commission to check electoral conflicts and discrepancies that characterize elections in Africa.



Delivering a speech on Africa's governance system under the theme Will a new concept of governance accelerate the prosperity agenda? Prof. Mike Oquaye noted that having this electoral commission will ensure "there is one credible international register" which will resolve any bone of contention in Africa's electoral body.



If we have a West African Electoral Commission, the [electoral] register which becomes a bone of contention can become international [because] you cannot be on the Cote dIvoire register, on the Ghana register and the Togo register at the same time because, there is one credible international register", he said.



To him, Africa's democracy "may not be sustainable until we have an answer to this.



If we had a powerful West African Electoral Commission they become themselves a regulatory body so that no person, [president] can do whatever he or she likes in his or her backyard", he added.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Since January 1, 2005, the Czech Ministry of Environmental Protection subsidizes individuals who have installed and use boilers on fuel briquettes or other renewable energy sources. The program will work until the final disbursement of the fund, which provides grants. The grant for installed solid fuel boilers is up to 50,000 CZK or 50% of the investment costs.

Modern technologies and production facilities in the Czech Republic allow the supply of high-quality biomass fuels to the market. A build-up of production capacity and the creation of a plant raw material base for biofuel, will create new jobs in the country. The development of the domestic market of fuel briquettes will reduce the dependence of the Czech economy on land-based coal mines and natural gas, compensate for the deficit of non-renewable energy sources, and also reduce emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. The growth in production, as well as the domestic market for consumption of fuel briquettes, has a huge potential for further development of the country. In turn, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic actively promote the development of biomass, creating support mechanisms and programs for research and development of technologies for the production of environmentally friendly fuels.
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A play that was professionally produced last summer in Lake George found a less-than-welcome reception at a high school in Michigan this month

Almost, Maine," which was presented by Lake Theater in late August and early September last year, was supposed to be the fall play at Benzie County (Michigan) High School. That is, until school and district administrator read it.

According to the news website UpNorthlive.com, officials said the play contains "mature content," and is inappropriate for the high school theater group. This is the second time the play has been cancelled because of these concerns. Three years ago Maiden High School in North Carolina canceled a production of 'Almost, Maine' after "some parents and area churches complained about the plays inclusion of a same-sex couple according to students.

However, in 2009-2010 and 2011-2012, it was the most-oreduced high school play in America, according to Billboard Magazine.

"Almost, Maine" contains several short plays about love and loss, including one with two men declaring their love for each other. According to the Traverse City Record-Eagle, Superintendent Matt Olson said he nixed the show after local residents voiced some concerns. He said the decision was not based on that part of the play.

Instead, the students will perform the old standby, "Our Town."
GLENS FALLS  Jonathan Canning has been mulling over the installation of the upcoming folk art exhibit at The Hyde Collection for some time.

I have seen this exhibition at two other venues, said Canning, the director of curatorial affairs, who is overseeing the installation of A Shared Legacy: Folk Art in America.

I believe we are the smallest venue the exhibition has been installed in; The Hyde has around 3,400 square feet, he said. I saw it at one venue of 5,000 square feet ... I hope to have everything in; it will be tight.

But according to The Hydes Interim Director, Anne Saile, Cannings design and the creation of a carousel for some of the pieces is exciting. Each museum that has the show relies on the curatorial staff to decide on the best display or colors, she said. I have seen it elsewhere, displayed differently.

The exhibition  comprising more than 60 works made by self-taught artists between 1800 and 1925  is drawn from the Barbara L. Gordon Collection and is organized and circulated by Art Services International, Alexandria, Virginia. The exhibited works were made primarily in New England, the mid-Atlantic states and the Midwest.

Making its debut at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, A Shared Legacy was exhibited at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, the Nevada Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Art Museum. It opens to the public at The Hyde Oct. 8 and runs until Dec. 31.

So many people can relate to this art, Saile said in an interview on Thursday, adding that those attending The Hyde Gala next Friday or Hyde Collection members can see the show before it opens to the public next Sunday.

There is a members opening on Saturday  Barbara will talk about the collection and some of her favorites, Saile said. Members will get to hear the back story of the collection. If someone is thinking about becoming a member, this would be a good time.

Gordon, along with former Hyde Director Erin Coe, is the Galas guest of honor and will lead a private tour of the exhibition Friday evening.

Folk art represents the quintessential American art, Gordon said. It tells the story of our country in vivid colors, beautiful shapes and forms. Part of the joy for me has been to live with these beautiful objects that were woven into the texture of daily life for Americans.

Gordon currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, and has been involved with the American Folk Art Museum for 17 years.

Her professional experience includes a career as a litigation attorney at the United States Department of Justice and stints at the U.S. Trade Representatives office, The Executive Office of the President and the Office of Management and the Budget. After a 20-year career as a lawyer, she became an antiques dealer and president of Gordon Estate Sales, which she ran for many years in Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia.

Canning said a scale model of each of the galleries  Charles R. Wood, Hoopes, and Whitney-Renz galleries  has been out in The Hyde offices for several weeks as he has prepared the exhibition layout.

On Monday, the low platforms I had made to display furniture and trade figures were delivered and we positioned these to get a sense of how their presence impacted the space, he said. A few small changes to the plan had to be made, but its basically intact. We will start to bring out the furniture and to layout the paintings along the walls to make sure it all fits comfortably before we actually hang anything.

Once they had the exhibition laid out, they started to think of wall colors.

There are five different colors. We painted test patches on a movable wall that could be moved into the gallery and examined under the LED lights, Canning said. Colors never quite look like their swatches. We have an off-white, a green, a red, a blue and a gold. Reds are always difficult, but the blue was the hardest to choose. One was too green, another too purple, a third too dark, the fourth is just right.

Canning said the carousel animals are the highlight of the exhibition. I think we have come up with a great installation concept that visitors will appreciate, he said.

A big issue is security. Saile said as the pieces are transported, a curator travels with them to assure their safety. They have to inspect the art when it gets here, she said. Then The Hyde takes over the care and conservation.

Additionally, there are security restrictions that have to be adhered to, said Canning.

Visitors have to be kept three feet from the surface of the sculpture and furniture. For the free-standing figures, including the carousel, that meant they could only go in Wood Gallery, our largest exhibition space, he said. That dictated that portraits and household objects would be installed in the two smaller galleries: Hoopes Gallery and Whitney-Renz Gallery. I wanted to present a mixture of media in each space: painting, sculpture, furniture. I have grouped pieces, in part, by decoration. A portrait of a child with a bird in it is near a chest decorated with a bird.

As part of the exhibition, Saile said they have reached out to a number of schools to invite them and there will be a number of programs for children. They will get to make their own folk art, she said.

As the holidays approach, Saile said The Hyde plans on doing more to celebrate the holiday season.

We are going to decorate the house and have candlelight tours, consistent with a folk art show, she said.
HARTFORD  With 2017 the centennial year of both Americas entry into World War I and the start of womens suffrage in New York state, many exhibitors at the Washington County Historical Societys 2017 History Fair at Hartford Central School had displays or programs related to one of those events.

Matthew Zembo, who teaches history and military history at Hudson Valley Community College, wore the type of uniform that would have been worn by a corporal in the South Wales Borderers, a British regiment, in 1915. During an all-ages presentation, he explained that although the regiments uniforms didnt change much during the Great War, headgear did. Stiff caps in 1914, the year the war started, were replaced with simpler, more comfortable caps in 1915. The British did not issue helmets until 1916.

Both sides used poison gas against the foe. Zembo modeled a replica of an early gas mask. It was almost impossible to see out of the mask or to speak, but they saved lives, Zembo said.

Regular rations were either canned or dried. Soldiers were issued a Tommy cooker, the first use of Sterno-type cookery, Zembo said. Water was carried in a canteen identical in shape to canteens from the Revolutionary War. Being British, soldiers received tea and stopped daily for tea breaks.

Outdoors, Zembo led the youngsters who came to his presentation in some basic infantry drills, essentially the same drills that British soldiers practiced during the Revolution. Zembo carried a Short Magazine Lee Enfield that he had rebuilt, and handed out wooden rifles to the children.

Zembo had a bayonet for his rifle. Bayonets were mostly for psychological reasons, he said. As weapons, they werent very effective, but they scared people more than bullets, he said.

Zembo is doing his doctoral thesis on military tactics. When he found out about reenacting, it sounded really interesting, he said. Reenacting is like a lab for someone who studies military history. Part of the fun of reenacting is hanging out with people who are interested in the same things you are.

Zembo said he enjoys doing educational programs because it makes kids interested in history in general. History has been so politicized by the left and right.

Not all battles are fought with bullets. Historian Debi Craig led a room of more than 25 people on a photographic tour of local sites associated with abolitionist and womens rights advocate Susan B. Anthony.

Anthony and her family moved to Battenville, east of the village of Greenwich, in 1826, where her father Daniel Anthony operated a cotton mill. Susan B. Anthony spent most of her childhood and young adult years in southern Washington County. The Anthonies lived in several houses in the area until they left for Rochester. They were members of the Easton Friends Meeting (Quakers) and were friends with local abolitionists. After her family went bankrupt, Susan B. Anthony taught in one-room schoolhouses and private homes.

Except for two signs at the Anthonies last home in Battenville, there are no historic markers connecting local sites to Susan B. Anthony, Craig said. Some of those buildings are still standing. Others are gone. Her childhood home, built in the early 1830s, was taken over by the state a few years ago but is in disrepair due to neglect and mold problems.

When history is not really being taught much in schools, we need to keep this history alive, Craig said. Its important. People who were part of history need to be remembered.
Family members who took their fight over oil and gas minerals to the North Dakota Supreme Court said theyre elated over an opinion issued this week in their favor.

The Supreme Court reversed an earlier ruling in a court case involving the William S. Wilkinson family and the North Dakota Board of University and School Lands, sending the case back to district court.

The Supreme Court, in the opinion released late Thursday, also ruled that new legislation adopted this past session related to minerals under Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River should apply retroactively to the mineral dispute.

Jon Patch, a descendant of the Wilkinson family, called the ruling a big win for those who care about personal property rights.

The family argues the state took their oil and gas mineral rights from property acquired by the federal government for the construction of the Garrison Dam.

North Dakota legislators earlier this year adopted Senate Bill 2134, which clarifies that the state does not own minerals under Lake Sakakawea and sets up a process to define the ordinary high water mark of the Missouri River channel as it existed before the Garrison Dam.

The familys attorney, Joshua Swanson, said he believes that, if the district court applies the new legislation, the Wilkinsons should be the party to end up with the mineral rights.

The Supreme Court also ruled that the Wilkinsons are entitled to compensation if the governments action results in a taking of mineral interests.

Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said in a statement Friday that his office will consult with the Department of Trust Lands and the state engineer to further analyze the opinion and determine what course to pursue.

The Supreme Courts decision is not wholly unexpected, given that the Legislature took the action to require a review survey of the historical ordinary high water mark of the Missouri River bed channel by the Department of Mineral Resources while this case was still before the court, Stenehjem said.

Patch said the legal battle has been a very long and hard, stressful fight for his family, who are seeking to preserve his grandfathers legacy.

Patch estimates his family spent about $400,000 in legal costs to take on the state and two oil companies. He said the family doesnt expect oil and gas royalties will be much more than that amount.

Its not like were going to be seeing a windfall off of this, Patch said. Were doing this to do whats right for the legacy of my grandfather and for all citizens who care about private property rights.

The case has been closely watched by the oil industry and other mineral owners.

The Wilkinson case illustrates how complex these cases are and why the Legislature decided to get involved, said Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources.

Meanwhile, work began this week by the consultant selected to conduct the review survey required by the new legislation. The consultant, Wenck Associates, is expected to complete the work in the spring. The survey will be available for public comment before the Industrial Commission will consider adopting it.
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I feel 'betrayed', have 'no respect' for Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag, says Cristiano Ronaldo

T20 World Cup: Anil Kumble thinks separate teams in red-ball, white-ball cricket is the way forward

Sam Billings pulls out of playing in IPL 2023 in order to focus on longer format of the game
RAPID CITY, S.D. -- Sixteen more people from Nebraska to North Dakota have been indicted for the illegal trafficking of eagle and endangered migratory bird feathers and parts in South Dakota.

The men and women, many listed along with the name of pawn shops they were associated with across western and central South Dakota, are in addition to the 15 individuals who were indicted earlier this year as a result of a two-year undercover operation dubbed Project Dakota Flyer.

The indictments, unsealed Friday in Rapid City, this time included the arrests of 13 people or pawn shops from South Dakota and one person each from North Dakota, Nebraska and Idaho.

Ages of those indicted ranged from 20 to 74.

The North Dakotan arrested was Sheldon Tree Top, 43, of Mandan, charged with violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and Lacey Act.

From Nebraska, Jason Brodersen, 46, of Omaha was indicted for eagle protection violations, and from Idaho, Manuel Lieras, 39, of Pocatello was charged with violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Also indicted for violating eagle protection laws from South Dakota were Christopher Pomani, 37, of Chamberlain, Michael Pomani, 20, of Fort Thompson, Arvella Pomani, 35, of Pierre, Wanda Dupris, 44, of Eagle Butte, and Larry Belitz, 74, of Hot Springs.

An individual indicted for violating the migratory bird act from South Dakota was Melinda Sue Relf, 37, of Pine Ridge.

Indicted under their name as well as their South Dakota business name for migratory bird violations were Kenneth Foster, 28, of Rapid Pawn in Rapid City, Elray Rosaaen, 72, of Buffalo Gap Trading Post in Buffalo Gap, Jeffrey Alan Jensen, 53, of Jerrys Pawn Shop in Mobridge, Amanda Silbernagel, 30, of Jerrys Pawn Shop in Mobridge, and Steven Ray Marin, 46, of Mobridge Pawn in Mobridge.

Two indictments listed businesses only. They were Pawn With Us of Rapid City and Fair Deal Pawn of Rapid City.

In the indictments unsealed Friday and last spring, documents said a confidential informant purchased thousands of dollars worth of protected eagle parts, as well those from other migratory birds in danger, from the individuals or businesses.

The informant with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the purchases starting in 2014 and lasting into 2016

Under federal law, only American Indians in federally recognized tribes are allowed to own eagle feathers for use in their religious and cultural ceremonies.

The only legal supplier, however, is the federal government, which operates an eagle cool-storage facility called the National Eagle Repository in a suburb of Denver.

The repository operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service cant keep up with demand from tribes, however. About 2,000 eagles each year are brought to the repository by federal wildlife agents or from other sources. Most of the eagles are victims of road traffic accidents, power lines or poachers.

Initial appearances in federal court for those newly indicted this week will be in Pierre on Oct. 6, in Rapid City on Oct. 11 and in Aberdeen on Oct. 12.

Assistant U.S. attorneys for South Dakota Meghan Dilges and Eric Kelderman are prosecuting the cases.
T-shirts held on rods formed in the shape of a cross are set up in two rows in front of First Presbyterian Church, Davenport.

This is Memorial to the Lost, a project from the Heeding God's Call to End Gun Violence organization in Philadelphia, Pa. It is posted at the historic Presbyterian church, 1702 Iowa St., and will be in at least three other churches in the next several weeks in the Hilltop Campus Village,

The Rev. Richard Miller of First Presbyterian organized the memorial, and he talks about his concerns on the random violence because of guns in the United States, as well as the many Americans who are resigned to the situation.

This was brought home, Miller said, after the Dec. 14, 2012, incident in which 26 people, including 20 children ages 6-7 years old, died in a mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. That event impacted no meaningful change in legislation concerning guns, and who owns them, he said.

The innocent bystanders killed by gunfire number 19 in Scott County in the past three years, according to Miller. These names were provided by the county medical examiner from publicly available death certificates.

The youngest person on the list is Ayana Culbreath, who was killed June 26, 2016, when she was 15 years old. Ayana was in her yard when she was shot, Miller said.

Trevor D. Owens, 18, and Kamario C. Hill, 15, were slated to be tried Sept. 18 in the Culbreath case, but that trial has been delayed to Dec. 11.

The oldest person on the church's list is Mark Jasper, who was 64 years old when he died on Jan. 7.

His wife, 52-year-old Shiela Jo Jasper, is charged with the crime and has been ordered for a psychiatric evaluation at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Oakdale.

First Baptist Church, Davenport, will host the memorial in October.

"We aren't satisfied with the way things have been going, so we are offering a way to have a better living environment, as well as better place to worship," the Rev. Ralph Kelly said.

Kelly, community minister at First Baptist, said it's the responsibility of the faith community to point out alternatives when things are going wrong as well as when they are going right.

"These are our children, and our neighbors," he said of the victims.

Each T-shirt in the display represents a person who was killed in the past three years. Miller said that time period was chosen because First Presbyterian has been hosting prayer vigils on the subject since 2014.

The shirts display the name, age and date of death of each victim.

People struggle to understand the deaths, Miller said, but might find the shirts to be a clear way to honor the dead. "These deaths are so senseless; they do not need to happen," he said.

One important point to be made: The churches will unite to assure survivors that their loved ones have not been forgotten.

The rows of T-shirts are accompanied by handouts to explain the memorial. It's on public view, in Davenport along both Iowa Street and Kirkwood Boulevard, where people walking, driving or biking past can see it, and be reminded of the violence and death.

The partnership with Heeding God's Call to End Gun Violence is a welcome one, according to Miller. The organization began in Philadelphia during a period when the was extreme gun violence in the City of Brotherly Love.

This memorial will raise awareness of the issue in the community.

"Nineteen deaths of innocent victims is 19 too many," Miller said.
Lissie's song

Around the world, strangers listen to Lissies songs while driving or making dinner or trying to survive a breakup.

They know her lyrics about not wanting to go to work or not wanting to be famous or, most recently, not wanting a boyfriend. They sing along with thousands of other people at her concerts in Norway or Minneapolis or London or New York.

And near the end of Lissies shows, her most dedicated fans count on hearing one song  one she didnt write  and they keep cheering until she plays it. Its about what she wants. Its about what everyone wants.

Read this week's Big Story detailing Lissie's life here.

Davenport man charged with gun possession

This weekend will see Sunday closures on the government bridge.
DES MOINES -- Iowa Democrats hope one revival in 2017 precedes more revivals in 2018 and 2020.

On a sun-drenched early autumn afternoon Saturday at Des Moines Water Works Park, the Polk County Democrats hosted the Steak Fry, a fundraiser and party organizing event that used to be hosted by longtime U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin until his retirement in 2014.

Event organizers said they sold roughly 1,500 tickets for the event, which featured speeches by Democratic candidates for governor, Congress and -- maybe -- president.

The candidates and hundreds of party faithful talked about how Democrats can bounce back from electoral disasters in 2014 and 2016 to have success in 2018 and 2020.

Nine months ago people were counting us out, but all of us are here to say with one voice that we are not going away, we are not backing down and we are going to win in 2018, state party chairman Troy Price said.

But how will Democrats win in 2018? That was on the mind of the hundreds in the crowd on Saturday.

People in the crowd Saturday talked about normal Democratic issues, like health care and the environment, but also said Democrats need to have an economic message and reach out to voters in rural areas.

I think the labor issue is so big. I think the party needs to represent labor and make sure that that message is there to try to get some of that back, said Ryan Gillum, of Des Moines.

Said Laurie Wells, of Des Moines, The rural areas -- they need to get that message out to the rural areas. Without them ...

A similar plea was made by Congresswoman Cheri Bustos of northwest Illinois, one of the events main speakers.

Bustos in 2016 won re-election by more than 20 percentage points in a district narrowly won by Republican President Donald Trump. The district includes the Illinois portion of the Quad Cities but also many small towns.

With her victory in a Midwest district won by Trump, Bustos has become a rising star in the national party. She deflected questions Saturday about being a possible presidential candidate in 2020 but did talk about how Iowa Democrats can win back rural portions of the state.

I think it starts by showing up. This state is full of small towns in every corner of every county. Its just like downstate Illinois, Bustos told reporters. I think it starts by showing up, No. 1, and I think No. 2 it starts by listening, something not all politicians are very awesome at. Then its doing something about what we learned.

Bustos said in 2016 Trump tapped into rural voters economic anxiety, although she also said the president has not delivered on his promises to those voters.

I think there are too many places in too many towns all over this country that feel left behind. And Donald Trump tapped into that, Bustos said. People I meet have in some cases not lost their jobs once but maybe twice. And now a decade or a dozen years later theyre making half what they did before their jobs were sent to China and Mexico. Donald Trump acknowledged that and made a lot of empty promises that now were seeing he treats us, where were standing here, like flyover country.

Bustos added that Democrats cannot just criticize Trump, but must also present to voters what they stand for.

Weve always been the party of jobs, and weve got to start making sure that people believe that again. And how we make people believe that is we show them, Bustos said.

The events other main speakers were Congressmen Tim Ryan of Ohio and Seth Moulton of Massachusetts.

Democrats message must focus on jobs, said Sean Bagniewski, chairman of the Polk County Democrats.

I think the top three issues are jobs, jobs, jobs. And then jobs after that, Bagniewski said. When (Rep. Ryan) was here with us in July, he said you know the Democrats do a certain speech for the LGBT folks and a certain speech for people of color. Everybody needs a job. Lets start talking about jobs again.
Our Lady of Angels Church has survived several major earthquakes, but Tuesday's magnitude 7.1 shake proved to be the final death knell for the Mexico City building's historic cupola.

Violent cracks crisscrossed the dome, and stone from the roof continued to fall onto the church's wooden pews. On Sunday evening, the cupola split and half crashed to the floor.

"Each earthquake has left its mark," said Marco Antonio Fuentes, part of the church's ministry. "This one seems to be the straw that will break the camel's back."

According to the Archdiocese of Mexico, more than 150 religious temples in this deeply Roman Catholic country were damaged by Tuesday's deadly quake. Statues of saints have been left maimed, missing hands and feet. Once towering, celestial church naves now open to the sky. Dust from fallen stone and concrete cover altars.

Many of the battered churches are in the state of Puebla, where the quake's epicenter was located. There in the city of Atzala, a child's baptism turned into tragedy when the roof of a church collapsed, killing 11 family members inside, including the 2-month-old girl being christened.

On the first Sunday since the earthquake, priests no longer able to say Mass inside collapsing churches instead held services outside paying homage to victims and survivors.

"Our religion is more than a building," Colin Noguez, the priest at Our Lady of Angels, told parishioners inside a tent with a table holding a cross and candles from the building.

Many of the collapsed buildings where rescuers have been searching for survivors held offices and apartments, places where people worked and lived. The damage to churches hit a different chord  striking places that in many Mexican cities serve as pillars of strength in times of distress.

"It's our mother," Azalia Ramirez, 60, said of Our Lady of Angels, which sits in a working class neighborhood. "We come here looking for communion, peace and tranquility."

Our Lady of Angels is believed to be the most heavily damaged church in Mexico City, while the severity of destruction to religious structures is largely concentrated in Puebla.

In Atzala, a town of 1,200 people, little remains of the golden yellow church with a red roof where the 11 people died. The interior where worshippers once prayed from pews is now a mess of twisted metal and fallen stone leading to an altar where the word "merciful" now hangs at a slant.

"Everything happened in the blink of an eye," said Sergio Montiel, the church's sexton.

As the Santiago de Apostol church shifted to recovery mode, a planned wedding instead took place outside under a beige tent with mariachi players standing nearby. The bride and groom exchanged rings and a kiss before being showered with rice and confetti just feet from the destruction.

"I'm very sad for the church," said Aremy Sanchez, the bride. "But we must go on."

At Mass in Puebla and elsewhere, priests urged parishioners to use the painful moment as a time of reflection. Damaged churches held mass in plazas and auditoriums. In San Francisco Xochiteopan, clergy members moved broken statues of saints into a gym and proceeded with a service. At the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a national shrine in Mexico City, Cardinal Norberto Rivera asked God to deliver peace.

"It pains us to see our city hurt, so many hopes lost," he said, speaking before a giant Mexican flag. "For that reason, we come to you, consoler of the afflicted."

The origin of Our Lady of Angels dates back 433 years, when a painting of the Virgin Mary transported by a Spanish ship was found to have been damaged by water during the journey. A painter in the city's then-predominantly indigenous community was commissioned to create a replica.

The replica, cracked and with progressively fading paint, has stood at the altar from the time the church was little more than a small hut to its present-day construction, built in the 19th century. The Virgin Mary painting has withstood seven floods and more earthquakes than parishioners can remember.

"I say Our Lady of Angels holds the miracle of perseverance," said Adela Corona, a member of the ministry.

Engineers told the church's leaders that the cupola has a 60 percent to 70 percent chance of collapsing. It contains stained glass brought from Germany depicting singing archangels. Projecting above the roof, the cupola is meant to symbolize how the church brings those inside closer to God.

"It is an important part of our historical heritage," Fuentes said as the sound of small bits of the dome falling onto the floor echoed in the church. "Our idea is to save it."

But just hours later, half the cupola came crashing down. No one was inside and the painting of the Virgin Mary, protected by a glass case, appeared unscathed.

"Hijole," Fuentes said after the dome fell, using a popular Spanish word to express astonishment. "There's sadness, surprise and fear for those who live here."

But, he added, the Virgin Mary painting's survival is what mattered: "She's the boss here."
BROOKINGS - A survey of more than 1,000 farmers showed that a large majority did not understand how to interpret research results and, according to Sara Berg, SDSU Extension Agronomy Field Specialist, the language used in reporting may be to blame.

"Terms commonly used and understood in the research world can be confusing, unless you understand their true meaning," Berg explained.

Berg is part of a multi-state team of Extension personnel working together to clear up confusion among producers when it comes to research. Together they are publishing a series of articles which delve into four research topics including: the best practices for side-by-side comparison trials, how to set up on-farm research and the topic of this article, what common research terms mean. The fourth and final article, not yet released, will focus on helping producers see legitimate research from biased information produced to sell inputs.

To view past articles, visit iGrow.org and search by Sara Berg's name.

In addition to Berg, the team includes: Lizabeth Stahl, University of Minnesota; Josh Coltrain, Kansas State University; John Thomas, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Lizabeth Stahl, Extension Educator with University of Minnesota, is the author of this article.

Not significantly different

"When a producer sees two numbers that are clearly not the same labeled as "not significantly different," it can be confusing," Stahl said.

In agriculture research, Stahl explained, just because there may be a five bushel per acre difference, one may not be able to say with any confidence that the treatments actually differ based upon how the study was set up and/or the amount of error found within the study.

"We encourage producers to consider the purpose of the research," Stahl said. "Research is typically conducted so that we can use the results to help make the best decisions possible in the future."

Least significant difference

Another phrase, the least significant difference (LSD), is used to describe a measure of value when the difference is considered statistically significant.

"In a hybrid variety trial, for example, the LSD describes the minimum bushels-per-acre that two hybrids must differ by before we would consider them to be "significantly different,'" she explains.

There is no way to calculate the LSD if a researcher simply splits a field in half and puts one treatment on one side of the field and a different treatment on another side of a field.

"In this scenario there is no way to sort out if a difference in observed yields was due to underlying factors such as soil type, planting population, drainage, compaction, disease, insect pressure, harvest issues, topography, etc., or the treatment," she said.

Stahl further explained that when the LSD is calculated at the .05 significance level, this means researchers can be 95 percent certain that the treatments (or hybrids, etc.) really did differ in yield if the difference between them was equal to or greater than the LSD.

"A significance level of .05 or .10 is most commonly used in agricultural research," she said.

No significant difference

What does it mean when data is labeled as having "no significant difference?"

Stahl explained the answer this way. "This can occur when there is so much variability in the results due to other factors that researchers can't make a conclusion with confidence, or when the treatments or hybrids in the study simply don't differ in yield," she said.

For example, results from a University of Minnesota tillage trial demonstrates the importance of statistical analysis in helping determine if a yield difference is likely "real."

Three long-term tillage systems were evaluated at multiple locations over three years across southern Minnesota. Tillage treatments were randomized and replicated four times at each location.

At one site in 2011, average corn yield for strip tillage was 10 bushels per acre greater than in moldboard plow. Yet, yield was not statistically significant.

Based on results, researchers could not determine that one tillage system produced significantly higher yields than another.

"Although average yields were numerically different, statistical analysis determined researchers could not say with any confidence that the tillage systems resulted in different yields," Stahl said. "If yields are not statistically different, don't treat them differently. Resist the temptation to put economics to average yields if they are not significantly different. Doing so could lead to poor and costly decisions in the future."
A judge has thrown out a lawsuit that challenged voting by absentee ballot in Detroit, saying a Republican candidate for secretary of state failed to produce any evidence of violations. Wayne County Judge Tim Kenny says critics have raised a red flag of election law wrongdoing. But Kenny says his ruling takes down that flag. Kristina Karamo and others sued to try to force Detroit voters to vote in person or go to the city clerks office to get an absentee ballot. They made a variety of allegations about how Detroit reviews signatures on absentee ballots and monitors ballot drop-off boxes. The judge says they failed dramatically to back up any of it.
FARGO  President Dean Bresciani delivered a pep talk to a North Dakota State University campus that is weathering steep budget cuts but has managed to accomplish achievement despite adversity.

In his eighth State of the University address delivered on Friday as NDSU celebrates its homecoming, Bresciani focused on achievements by faculty and students, including top-tier research.

We know what our strengths are, Bresciani said. We know what our potential is. Were good at what we do. We know where we fit in the higher education ecosystem. We have a strong niche as a challenging research university with PhD, tenure-track faculty who work with full-time students who seek this environment.

As an indicator of the caliber of research being done at NDSU, Bresciani highlighted seven projects supported by one of the National Institute of Healths most competitive grant programs, a portfolio that has brought in more than $9.5 million to the universitys research enterprise.

Seven is an impressive number, especially for an institution that does not have a medical school, Bresciani said.

Those medical research projects include new treatments for Alzheimers disease, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and diabetic vascular disease as well as identifying behavioral factors to determine the success of weight-loss surgery.

Other examples of research endeavors touted by Bresciani include two of NDSUs Grand Challenge interdisciplinary research projects. One involves efforts to make drug-delivery systems to treat cancer, while the other is a doctor of public health degree drawing upon fields from six colleges.

We have a history of achievement despite adversity, he said, noting that signs of the universitys resilience include almost $78 million in building projects underway or in the pipeline. These projects include the new sophomore residence hall and an upgrade to University Village.

A $28 million expansion of Sudro Hall, which will enable NDSUs nursing program to expand, is expected to begin in March, funded entirely by private donations. Churchill Hall, a historic residence hall, has just undergone $11 million in renovations.

In a hopeful sign, NDSU is preparing to begin hiring new faculty. Although Bresciani didnt give specifics, Provost Beth Ingram has said NDSU will begin hiring a handful of new faculty in high-demand areas experiencing enrollment growth, starting next fall.

Academic performance also has been improving, Bresciani said. NDSU just welcomed its second-largest freshman class, whose members had a 3.47 grade point average. NDSUs graduation and retention rates have improved, with a 7 percent increase in the four-year graduation rate in recent years.
Our countrys founders understood that public education is essential to the continued success of our representative democracy. Voting and protection of individual rights are dependent on educated and engaged citizens.

The 2017 Montana Legislature overwhelmingly supported Senate Bill 242, which encourages Montana public high schools to administer the U.S. Civics Test to students. Ninety-seven percent of immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship pass this test the first time. Yet in surveys, 35 percent of Americans can't name one branch of our federal government.

Free, online study and teaching guides can help Montana public schools offer civics education. The U.S. Civics Test materials can be found on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/study-test/study-materials-civics-test. Ultimately, students will think more deeply about our history and their civic responsibilities by participating in this exam. Examples of test questions include:

 What is one purpose of the U.S. Constitution?

 What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?

 What is a right or freedom from the First Amendment?

 What was the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

In 2016, 58 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the US presidential election. Only 50 percent of eligible 18-to-29-year-old Americans voted that year. Engaging a knowledgeable young electorate is important.

This year, our nation is celebrating the 230th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. During National Constitution Week, Sept. 17-23, Montana public schools are encouraged to promote civics education.

This new Montana law also encourages the Montana Office of Public Instruction to recognize school efforts in implementing successful citizenship programs. Montana has the opportunity to be a national leader in preparing the next generation of educated and engaged citizens. We are excited that Montana will increase civics education for all of our students. We have a precious democracy to defend and together Montanans will do it!

Sue Malek, sponsor of SB 242

Senate District 46-Missoula

Elsie Arntzen

State Superintendent
Fall has arrived and so has the blame game for wildfires. Never mind that for thousands of years, fire has created healthy forests and diverse habitats. It, like snow, is an integral part of the Northern Rockies.

Montana politicians Zinke, Gianforte, and Daines converged on the Lolo Peak fire. Their message was clear; were not managing forests and radical environmentalists are using frivolous lawsuits. According to Steve Daines, If we dont address the litigation issue, the frivolous litigation from extreme environmental groups -- were never going to get ahead of this curve." He also says, If you do not manage the forest they become unhealthy. With that thinking, one can imagine how unhealthy forests were 400 years ago without industrial logging and thousands of miles of roads cutting through them.

I contacted a Bitterroot Forest employee and requested a list of all projects since 2010. The forest website has good data but its not complete. I met with this employee on two occasions to be sure I correctly understood the data.

Since 2010, there have been 118 projects. These range from timber sales, to trail relocations, to grazing allotments. All required a decision document and all could have been litigated. What I found was at odds with what our politicians are saying. Of the 118 projects, not a single one was halted by an environmental group or anyone else. That bears repeating; out of 118 projects, not a single one was halted. No log or 2x4 was prevented from coming off the forest. A homeowner litigated the Westside Timber Sale, not over timber, rather concerns for their private property. That was settled and as the Darby District Ranger has said, We wouldnt have been able to implement it (Westside Project) that quickly even without the lawsuit.

The data led to other finds. Since the BNF began the objection process, there have been 41 people/groups submitting objections. Listening to our politicians, one would believe that environmentalists were abusing the system. Its false. Objectors include Ravalli County Commissioners, homeowners, mountain bikers, OHV groups, environmental groups, local realtors, a state politician and many individuals. Its a diverse group. All are exercising their rights to question government. Its the democratic process.

Something else came to light. There have been about 88 total objections over the years. Of those, not a single one resulted in any on the ground change for a project. Thats an important concept. Even when objections are filed, they do not result in any on the ground alterations. The objections are overridden.

A letter in the Bitterroot Star claims a Forest Service employee on the Stevensville District stated environmentalists had thwarted plans near Bass Creek. The data does not show that nor do my meetings with the employee who provided the data. It would be nice to meet with this employee and the Forest Supervisor for clarification.

According to the BNF data, no project is being stopped by anyone, much less radical environmentalists. Objecting to government practices is part of the democratic process. Were blessed in the U.S. that citizens can challenge the government. It applies to all, not just those we agree with.

Its noteworthy the politicians didnt mention human-caused climate change or building in forested areas. Scientists/Forest Service personnel know those are important factors. Climate change has led to fire seasons that are now on average 78 days longer than in 1970  Increasing development in fire-prone areas also puts more stress on the Forest Services suppression efforts (The Rising Costs of Wildfire Operations, USFS. 2015 p. 2).

Name calling and alternative facts are common now but they dont replace real facts or science. Its fortunate we live in a country where we can challenge our government, no matter who we are. When people like Zinke, Gianforte, and Daines accuse groups of stopping projects, they should include the data and the fire/ecological studies to back them up. The claims they are making are not true on the Bitterroot National Forest.

Gary Milner, Corvallis
I know by now the children must be crying in the land where they let the children cry, and tonight the stars'll be out, and don't you know that God is Pooh Bear? -On the Road





Everything belongs to me because Im poor. - Visions of Cody





Finding Nirvana is like locating silence. - Dharma Bums




Frequenters of all things fantastic do well to put Slash on their radar. Austrias premiere genre festival has, over the course of eight years, succeeded in building a loving home for the weird, wild and wonderful.

Housed in Viennas Filmcasino, a fifties-styled movie theatre where any cinephile or movie nut is sure to leave a piece of his or her heart, Slashs 2017 edition treats patrons to a cornucopia of greatness from all corners of the world. Audiences come in droves, inspired events tie the community together and before every screening theres a palpable energy of excitement as well as an eager sense of discovery in the air. Plus, when a friendly reminder in the movie theater warns fans not to reserve seats by leaving their jacket behind lest it be sacrificed to Cthulhu you know theyve got a very good thing going indeed. Travel with us for a moment and read a report on some films ScreenAnarchy was able to catch while in Vienna.

Kicking off the first Saturday evening was Veronica. Paco Plazas latest follows the misadventures of Vero, a teenager who tries to contact her deceased father by way of an Ouija board, during an eclipse no less  a double horror faux pas if ever there was one. Throw in a blind, sinister-looking nun who seems to spend most of her time chain-smoking in a rundown basement and warns of the Evil (!) that now stalks Vero, and youll be forgiven if you want to pass right off the bat. Think twice, though. If Veronica is by the numbers, its by the numbers done right, as an incredibly assured, tonally consistent homage to horror films of the eighties and nineties.

The films is also not without surprises. For every reference that links an eclipse to something ominous, Plaza finds a nifty match cut to enliven things visually and turn sun, moon and stars into an overarching motif that gains power through repetition. Likewise, while a soundscape comprised of organ, whistling and retro synth fondly recalls classics and establishes old school charm, it is Centella that becomes the films secret weapon. A washing powder commercial is yet to pack a more brilliant punch than it does in Veronica. The jingle, sung by Vero and her siblings, is catchy, comical and affecting all at once during a climax that doesnt disappoint provided you dont expect the cut-throat intensity of Rec. The talented young folk who carry the film deserve special mention. (For an alternate and more in-depth take on the film check out Shelagh Rowan-Legs full review.)

The fun showed no signs of dying down when Alan Hofmanis popped up around midnight to bring Wakaliwood to Vienna in the form of Bad Black and Who Killed Captain Alex. The double dose from East-African director Nabwana Isaac Godfrey Geoffre was a breath of fresh air around midnight. Made with next to no money, Bad Black is a Ugandan action movie that exists as an act of sheer will. Look past the constraints and youll see a director who has ingested many a film and who, with no formal training, has cultivated a keen eye for choreography. As an added bonus: Nabwana packs no shortage of idiosyncrasies.

The Video Jockeys voiceover (that plays alongside the films dialogue and comments on the action as it unfolds on the screen) is not unlike an MC freestyling over a beat and firmly roots Bad Black in the oral traditions that typify African culture. Without turning a blind eye to the plight of Ugandas slums and its inhabitants (far from it), Nabwanas film forgoes the often sappy manipulations of social realism (a lens through which the West loves to capture Africa), offering instead spikes of humor that are as intentional as they are good-natured. Bad Black is way over-the-top and the best kind of crazy; a form of versioning that riffs on products of Western culture to tell its own tale which, much like Swaaz, Ugandan Schwarzenegger, becomes fiercely unlike any other. More of this African cinema coming to the West? Dr. Ssali (Hofmanis himself, sampled into the Wakaliwood world) will help provide the cure. (For more on Bad Black, Shelagh Rowan-Leg has you covered once more. Click here for the full review.)

Post-midnight fatigue set in and little sleep quickly gave way to Sunday afternoon, which is when scrappy indies made on a shoestring budget continued to reign supreme. This Giant Papier-Mache Boulder Is Actually Really Heavy was first at bat. Christian Nicolsons film came out swinging and landed more than one hit but ultimately overstayed its welcome. The story is centered on three guys who are sucked into a cheesy sci-fi movie. At risk of never being able to leave and becoming characters of this goofball world, they must do battle with evil space dictator Lord Froth (Joseph Wycoff, pictured on the left) to escape their lowbudget trappings.

The actors acquit themselves well on a quest that sees them hopping from one zany planet to the next. Love of practical effects is married with special ones that stand out for their charming chintziness in a film that takes its economic straits in stride to realize a lowbrow aesthetic of a bygone era. Standout humorous bits include a Benny Hill-like riff that sees Neanderthal people being chased by a giant lizard but the film often feels too random. An improvisational approach to storytelling and lack of thematic ambition make This Giant Papier-Mache Boulder feel like sketch comedy that (much like the long title) goes on interminably. By the time the end credits roll it felt like something an episode of Community could have pulled off with much more wit sprinkled into the proceedings.

Fairing much better, first and foremost because of its sense of pacing, was Bill Wattersons Dave Made a Maze. Throughout the first weekend in Vienna, no other film got the crowd going like this and its easy to understand why. Cobbled together with loads of cardboard and a can-do spirit, Wattersons debut centers on a protagonist who cant seem to commit and never sees anything through till the end. Dave drops the ball, though. His apartment becomes home to a labyrinth he builds and which is much bigger on the inside. He entraps himself in gorgeous sets laced with deadly booby traps and will need a helping hand or two from his friends if he ever hopes to carry on with life.

Underneath the dazzling surface a strong psychological dimension is at play. This indie winner pairs innovative art design with an evocative soundscape to become way bigger than the sum of its parts. Dave may have made his maze but Watterson, in crafting a rollicking adventure that doubles as a meditation on the creative process, emerges as the real talent to watch. (For a deeper dive into Slamdance sensation Dave Made a Maze, please read Loic Valceschinis review.)

It would be an injustice not to give a shout-out to an event screening of William Castle's campy cult hit,The Tingler, which descended on the Filmcasino In Percepto. What that means is the audience was treated to a very interactive showing that let the titular Tingler loose among the rows. Buzzers under the seat cushions, a staged fainting and plenty of top-of-the-lungs screams cumulated into a cathartic experience.

Another weekend highlight included a zombie walk through Vienna that lead the Undead to shuffle back into the Filmcasino where they were welcomed by the rocking tunes of the Bloodsucking Zombies from Outer Space. Now that is how you set up a screening, even if the actual zombie flick  It Stains the Sands Red  ended up being pretty run-of-the-mill with implausibility in spades. Far be it from a criticism, however. Instead it's a sign of how alive and kicking Slash is, able to uplift the weakest films in its program with the support of the community and strength of its inspired side events.

Take in some of the fest's atmosphere with a selection of choice shots in the gallery below (all of them taken by photographer Mercan Sumbultepe ()).
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This well-established Blog is worth visiting on a regular basis for a wealth of information of interest to Armenian nationals and to the Armenian Diaspora world-wide. Although it has a particular role in promoting international recognition of the Genocide, the Blog encompasses much more and includes many articles of general appeal to all those concerned with Armenian affairs. Much of the content is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere and the long list of links provided gives easy access to a plethora of material on social, political, religious, educational and cultural matters, and many news items from around the world.




JAMESTOWN  Polly Peterson will take over the reins of the University of Jamestown as president when Robert Badal retires at the end of February.

The announcement was made by Jim Unruh, chairman of the universitys board of trustees, during a press conference Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, at the dedication of Harold Newman Arena.

It was an easy decision, he said. Polly has an unusual combination of backgrounds that have helped us to this point.

Peterson called her appointment as president a life-long dream.

It is truly an honor and I am blessed to be given the opportunity, she said.

Peterson has 25 years of experience at the university, she said. She has worked as a controller in the financial office, taught in the business department and served as a vice president of the university for the last 11 years, including her current role as executive vice president.

Peterson is a 1989 graduate of the University of Jamestown and holds a Master of Business Administration from Regis University in Denver, Colo., and a doctorate in higher education from North Dakota State University.

Obviously, we had our candidate, Uhruh said. We didnt need to take the risks associated with bringing in someone we didnt know.

Unruh said Badals announcement of his retirement did not come as a surprise and that a personnel committee had been reviewing possible replacements for Badal most of this year.

The only surprise was the date, not his contemplation of retirement, Unruh said.

Badal has served as president of the University of Jamestown since 2002. During his time in office, he oversaw a change of the schools name from Jamestown College to the University of Jamestown and an aggressive building program that has included a new fine arts building, computer and business building, the Harold Newman Arena and upgrades to other facilities on campus.

Badal said he has no immediate plans to leave the Jamestown community after retirement but plans to spend more time at a lake cabin in Wisconsin.

Peterson becomes the 14th president and the first woman to lead the University of Jamestown. She said she sees a bright future for the school.

I want to build on what Dr. Badal placed in motion, she said. I believe the opportunities for small colleges are very positive.
Google may be throwing a bit of a wrench into the city of Mountain View's plans to expand housing as they ask to modify an already agreed-upon deal to make more room for their newest campus.

According to a report from the Mercury-News, the company is asking for clearance to build more office space before it proceeds on an already agreed-upon development plan that they developed in tandem with the city council. This plan for the North Bayshore section of Mountain View  property that is owned by Google  originally called for 9,850 homes to be built in the area, with another 3.6 million square feet of space going to Google for the development of their new architecturally significant "Charleston East" office campus. Things were going fine until Tuesday's city council meeting, when Google announced that they would block development of housing unless they get another 800,000 square feet in office space on top of what was already approved for them.

Regarding the demand, Vice-Mayor Lenny Siegel tells the Merc, "That was a zinger. That caught everybody by surprise. Forgetting the issue that Google has loads of cash, my view on that is that our North Bayshore plan shouldnt make the jobs/housing imbalance appreciably worse."

Margaret Abe-Koga, a city council member, says that in order to accommodate Google's request for more office space, the number of housing that needs to be built must also go up to compensate  something to the tune of 2,700 additional units on top of the 9,850 already accounted for. Without that counter-balance, Abe-Koga said, the development would "negate anything we were trying to do"  which is to improve the city's dismal ratio of jobs to housing. Unfortunately, there's just no room for those homes on the given lot.

The Mercury News also reports that Joe Van Belleghem, the senior director of the firm overseeing the development wrote, "We are supportive of the preliminary approval of a North Bay Shore Precise Plan which includes 9,850 units of housing, 1,600 of which would be affordable. In order to create an economically vibrant and balanced community, we believe the plan has to include office, retail and community spaces, alongside parks and residential units."

The tech giant also argues that as part of the development, they stand to lose some already existing office space on the site, and thus are demanding more out of the end deal. In their statement, they wrote, "The development of residential units in North Bayshore will require significant investment and the demolition of existing office space, while we are also continuing to grow our business in North Bayshore. Thus, the addition of net new office development in North Bayshore will be required in order for Google to develop residential units in North Bayshore."

As Curbed SF points out, this new campus is a bit of a novelty for Google, a company that previously seemed satisfied with fairly nondescript architecture for their sprawling offices. But with the advent of Apple's "mothership" campus (designed by Norman Foster) and Facebook's similar expansion (designed by Frank Gehry), Google clearly wants to show off their trophy building as well.

Related: Google's New Circus Tent Campus Approved, Construction To Begin In April
Hussein made the statement during the 40th meeting of the Malaysia-Indonesia General Border Committee on September 28, which he co-chaired with his visiting Indonesian counterpart Ryamizard Ryacudu.



The Malaysian minister said the two countries will set up five more joint command posts along the borders in Sabah and Sarawah states of Malaysia and Kalimantan region of Indonesia to prevent any possible activities of insurgent groups.

Along with joint marine patrols of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, the three countries also will conduct trilateral air and land patrols, he added.

With five additional centres, the two countries will have nine joint command posts which are expected to increase cooperation, information exchange and border control of the two countries armies.

During his visit to Malaysia, Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu also met with Prime Minister Najib Razak, source from Vietnamplus.
Bokova also thanked the Vietnamese Government for hosting her visit last August.For her part, the Vietnamese diplomat stressed UNESCOs multi-sector projects has contributed to sustainable growth in Vietnam.Relations between the two sides are fruitful, particularly in culture, Mai added, sharing her wish for the cooperation to expand to tap the potential in the fields of science, education and information.She said Vietnam has made practical contributions to the UNESCO by actively engaging in the organisations World Heritage Committee and Executive Board, and by sending experts to work for the UNESCO.Mai vowed to do her best to cement the friendship and partnership between Vietnam and the UNESCO and to boost Vietnams involvement in the organisations operation during her tenure.

VNS
SIOUX CITY | A three-story-tall bison will greet traffic traveling eastward on Fifth Street later this fall as the centerpiece of one of two new murals planned at downtown Sioux City buildings.

The other mural, visible to westbound vehicles and pedestrians in the Historic Fourth Street District, will feature prominent Sioux City landmarks, according to preliminary designs shared with the Journal by Downtown Partners.

Downtown Partners has commissioned murals from a state and an international artist at the new Goosmann Law Firm building at 501 Douglas St. and at M's on Fourth, 1021 Fourth St., using a $25,000 grant from the Gilchrist Foundation awarded in August. Both artists will complete their work during the month of October.

The bison mural, at a three-story building being renovated by Goosmann Law Firm at 501 Douglas St., has been designed by world-renowned street artist Martin Ron, of Argentina.

A preliminary design features a large bison staring westward toward oncoming traffic with two people sitting atop its head. Birds, including an eagle, pheasant, goose and other red birds, are flying around the image. The mural covers the full side of the building and measures 1,125 square feet.

Ron, a resident of Buenos Aires, will travel to Sioux City Oct. 9 and paint the mural in two weeks with the help of a single assistant.

Downtown Partners executive director Ragen Cote said one of his first steps will then be to tour the city and photograph some of the people to get a feel for how to approach the design.

"He incorporates people and nuances, and gets a feel for the culture of our city," Cote said. "His work is supposed to blend all of these things together in an interesting way that you would normally never see this type of work done."

Cote said she did a double-take when she first opened Ron's concept image and was taken aback at the giant bison, which appears to be walking directly out of the side of the building.

Ron is a prominent 3-D artist known for his imaginative mural work, particularly throughout Buenos Aires. The Goosmann building, currently under renovation, is part of an expansion by the local law firm and will house administrative staff as early as mid-October.

Goosmann Law CEO and Managing Partner Jeana Goosmann said in an email the entire staff is excited for the uniquely designed mural.

"Im thrilled to see our Midwest culture get brought to life using our 501 building as the canvas," she said. "Martin Rons work is incredible and quite simply breathtaking. His pieces make you feel as though they are going to come to life."

At M's on Fourth, Des Moines artist Jenna Brownlee will paint a mural with a floral design that incorporates a handful of Sioux City landmarks: the Sergeant Floyd Monument, Woodbury County Courthouse, Chief War Eagle Monument and others.

Cote said the colorful mural would be strategically positioned to allow for "selfie moments" for those walking by in the Historic Fourth Street District. She said Brownlee was selected by organizers because of her unique script-writing style and experience working in historic districts.

M's on Fourth co-owner Vernon Meyer said he believes the mural will "bring a little life" to Fourth Street, and that he was a strong proponent of incorporating the area's history in the design.

"That's our heritage, and I think that's important," Meyer said. "If you're going to do something, let it reflect all of Siouxland. And it does."

Sioux City's Planning and Zoning Commission approved a conditional sign permit for the first design Sept. 12. On Tuesday, the commission will take up a similar application for the second mural at Goosmann Law building.

If all goes according to schedule, Cote said, she expects painting to conclude in late October.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY | An Illinois drone advocate plans to file a federal lawsuit against the city of South Sioux City if it adopts a proposed ordinance to regulate drones.

South Elgin, Illinois, resident Keith Kmieciak, who has partnered with a Chicago attorney to fight drone regulations in a handful of Midwestern cities, told the Journal Thursday he believes the current draft of the ordinance violates federal law.

"No municipality can control the airspace within their city," he said. "The only thing that a municipality could do is limit or restrict (flight) from their property, meaning any public property."

Kmieciak's announcement comes days after the city decided to postpone further voting on the ordinance to conduct a more in-depth legal review, citing issues cities have run into nationwide in adopting such ordinances.

Kmieciak and attorney Jeffrey Antonelli, who leads the Chicago-based Antonelli Law Firm's drone practice group, have challenged drone ordinances in a handful of Illinois cities and villages, prompting changes in communities such as South Elgin and Evanston. Kmieciak said he plans to issue a cease and desist letter against South Sioux City and take further legal action if the ordinance moves ahead.

"We just got Evanston, Illinois, and we were able to get in there and they backed down on it," Kmieciak said. "We're comfortable with South Sioux City that we can get them to change their mind."

The South Sioux City Council on Sept. 11 passed the first reading of an ordinance that will require drones to remain within 400 feet of the ground, within the eyesight of the operator, during daylight hours and only over property for which the drone operator has permission to fly over. Drone flying would be banned near airports, electric facilities and wires, and water intake facilities. Violations, enforceable by local law enforcement, carry a $500 fine.

City administrator Lance Hedquist said the ordinance stems from a desire for safety and privacy of local residents and serves to embed the language of the Federal Aviation Administration's guidelines into city code.

Hedquist said the city is having a few legal experts review the ordinance, including the Nebraska League of Municipalities, before the city proceeds. He believes the review could postpone further voting for about 90 days.

Hedquist said Kmieciak has contacted the city with his concerns.

"We always want to listen to issues people have with any ordinance or action the city takes," Hedquist said.

According to a fact sheet issued by the FAA in December 2015, consultation with the federal agency is recommended before a state or local government implements restrictions on drone flight altitude, flight paths or "any regulation of the navigable airspace." However, regulations such as prohibiting the attachment of weapons to drones or the use of drones for voyeurism are within a local government's jurisdiction.

Kmieciak, 62, said he began advocating against city regulations of drone flight in September 2016, when he received a $50 citation for flying his drone in a public park. After discussions with Kmieciak and his attorney, the city rescinded the ticket and tweaked its ordinance, giving Kmieciak a permit to fly his drone in city parks with a few agreed-upon restrictions.
THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn. -- A preliminary report indicates the passengers killed Sept. 23, in a plane crash 3 miles from the Thief River Falls airport were expecting a bumpy ride.

The National Transportation Safety Boards report states there were overcast skies and low clouds when a Cessna TR182 aircraft with three occupants bound for Rawlins, Wyo., crashed.

Pilot Moy Wing, 69, Brian Duke, 27, and Zach Ostertag, 26, all of Rawlins, died when their small plane crashed in a stubble wheat field at about 7:45 a.m.

The men worked for Mountain West Motors Inc. in Rawlins. Mountain West owner Dean Parker said the men were returning home after spending a week in Thief River Falls, where mechanics Duke and Ostertag completed training to work on Arctic Cat machines. Wing, Mountain West's 27-year finance manager, was their pilot.

Parker said Wing was an experienced pilot who had his license since the 1970s.

According to the report:

Wing flew the men to Thief River Falls on Sept. 17, and returned to Rawlins the same day. He returned to Thief River Falls on Sept. 22, and told witnesses the trip was terrible because cloud conditions forced him to fly 1,500 feet above ground level.

A hotel employee who spoke to the men the morning of the crash said the pilot was checking weather conditions and planning the flight at about 5:30 a.m., according to the report. The employee told investigators the passengers skipped breakfast and were concerned about turbulence during the flight.

A witness who was about a mile southwest of the crash told investigators he could hear the engine screaming before hearing an impact.

The pilot did not file a flight plan, according to the report. When Wing flew into Thief River Falls on Sept. 17, he asked the local fixed-base operator for a local area sectional chart.

A final report could be several weeks away.
Astronauts Mark Vande Hei (left) and Paolo Nespoli work on science gear inside the Destiny laboratory module. Credit: NASA. NASA

The International Space Station boosted its orbit Wednesday to prepare for the arrival of a pair of Russian spaceships before the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Expedition 53 crew continued getting ready for next weeks spacewalk and explored how living in space affects their bodies.

The docked Progress 67 resupply ship fired its engines Wednesday for three minutes and 40 seconds lifting the space station to a higher orbit. The reboost is the first of three with the next two taking place in November. The reboosts will place the station at the correct altitude to receive a Progress 68 resupply ship in mid-October and the Soyuz MS-07 crew ship in mid-December.

Spacewalkers Randy Bresnik and Mark Vande Hei are getting their U.S. spacesuits ready ahead of an Oct. 5 spacewalk. They inspected their suits today, scrubbed the cooling loops and filled them with water. The duo will work outside for about 6.5 hours next Thursday and replace a latching end effector at the tip of the Canadarm2.

NASA astronaut Joe Acaba attached sensors to himself and worked out on the stations exercise bike today to help scientists understand how microgravity affects physical exertion. The VO2max study is researching how astronauts expend energy in space and how it may impact emergency situations and spacewalks.

On-Orbit Status Report

MagVector: The crew completed setup activities and began the 7-day MagVector #14 experiment run. The European Space Agency (ESA) MagVector investigation studies how Earths magnetic field interacts with an electrical conductor. Using extremely sensitive magnetic sensors placed around and above a conductor, researchers can gain insight into ways that the magnetic field influences how conductors work. This research not only helps improve future International Space Station experiments and electrical experiments, but it could offer insights into how magnetic fields influence electrical conductors in general, the backbone of our technology.

At Home in Space Questionnaire and Photo: The crew took photos to document ISS culture in support of the At Home in Space investigation. This Canadian Space Agency experiment assesses culture, values, and psychosocial adaptation of astronauts to a space environment shared by multinational crews on long-duration missions. It is hypothesized that astronauts develop a shared space culture that is an adaptive strategy for handling cultural differences and they deal with the isolated confined environment of the spacecraft by creating a home in space. At Home in Space uses a questionnaire to investigate individual and culturally related differences, family functioning, values, coping with stress, and post-experience growth.

Circadian Rhythms: The 51S crewmember removed and stowed the Double Sensors and Thermolab Unit equipment that was used to complete a 36 hour Circadian Rhythms session that began on Tuesday. Circadian Rhythms investigates the role of synchronized circadian rhythms, or the biological clock, and how it changes during long-duration spaceflight. Researchers hypothesize that a non-24-hour cycle of light and dark affects crewmembers circadian clocks. The investigation also addresses the effects of reduced physical activity, microgravity and an artificially controlled environment. Changes in body composition and body temperature, which also occur in microgravity, can affect crewmembers circadian rhythms as well. Understanding how these phenomena affect the biological clock will improve performance and health for future crewmembers.

Two Phase Flow: The crew setup the Two Phase Flow laptop in the Multi-Purpose Small Payload Rack (MSPR). The Two Phase Flow investigation seeks to build a database on the heat transfer efficiency of liquids in space that can be used in the design of high-performance thermal management systems for future space platforms.

Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Camera Robot: Following yesterdays checkout activities, today the crew conducted a cable swap to allow the ground team to perform a software update. This device is a free-flying camera robot that provides real time video downlink and photographs. It is expected to reduce the crew time requirements to support video recording of activities, especially at the blind spot of existing JEM internal cameras.

Meteor Hard Disk Drive and Antivirus Update: The crew removed and replaced the hard drive in the Meteor laptop located in the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF) and transfered an updated Antivirus file to the laptop. The Meteor payload is a visible spectroscopy instrument with the primary purpose of observing meteors in Earth orbit. Meteor uses image analysis to provide information on the physical and chemical properties of the meteoroid dust, such as size, density, and chemical composition. Since the parent comets or asteroids for most of the meteor showers are identified, the study of the meteoroid dust on orbit provides information about the parent comets and asteroids.

Device for the study of Critical Liquids and Crystallization) DECLIC Hose Relocation: The DECLIC supply and return hoses from the Upper Control Panel (UCP) to the Lower Control Panel (LCP) were relocated to continue troubleshooting the moderate temperature loop (MTL) flow issues to the DECLIC directional solidification insert (DSL). DECLIC is a multi-user facility utilized to study transparent media and their phase transitions in microgravity onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The DSI portion of the DECLIC multi-user facility experiment will study a series of benchmark experiments on transparent alloys that freeze like metals under microgravity onboard the International Space Station (ISS) using SCN (succinonitrile-a transparent organic substance in the liquid state that is used to study the phenomena related to solidification processes) based alloys. The DSI insert will be installed for the second run of the three series of DECLIC experiments.

Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device (SLAMMD) Hardware Setup and Control Run:

The crew performed a SLAMMD control run by setting up the calibration arm and attaching the calibration mass, prior to setting the software to implement a control run and payload body mass measurement. SLAMMD follows Newtons Second Law of Motion by having two springs generate a known force against a crewmember mounted on an extension arm, the resulting acceleration being used to calculate the subjects mass. The device is accurate to 0.5 pounds over a range from 90 pounds to 240 pounds.

Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) preparations: Today the crew configured EVA tools, inspected the EVA Mobility Unit (EMU) Sublimators, performed an EMU loop scrub, filled the Liquid Cooled Ventilation Garment (LCVG), recharged the EMU water, and performed a conductivity test on that water in preparation for the upcoming trio of EVAs in October. The goals of the EVAs include Remove and Replace (R&R) of a Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) Latching End Effector (LEE), lubrication of the LEEs, and R&R of two external cameras.

Todays Planned Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Reminder for On-Orbit Fitcheck Verification (OFV)

RELAXATSIYA. Charging battery for Relaksatstiya experiment (initiate)

At Home In Space Culture Photo

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Cooling Loop Maintenance Scrub

iPad Air 2 Install Part 1

Rechecking basic sets of Quick Release Screw Clamps (???) in MRM1 and DC1. Video recording and downlink via OCA. Tagup with specialists as necessary

European Modular Cultivation System Gas Valve Close

Equipment Lock (E-LK) Preparation

JEM Camera Robot Cable Swap

Replacement of Pretreat Container (E-K) and hose, Replacement of Pretreat and Water Dispenser (????) in [???]. [???] Activation after Replacement

Max Cycle Ergometer w/Vibration Isolation & Stabilization (CEVIS) Portable PFS Subject

Preparing For Upcoming MagVector Science Run

Circadian Rhythms Deinstrumentation

Two Phase Flow(TPF) Experiment Laptop Terminal 2(ELT2) Relocation

Two Phase Flow(TPF) MMA Laptop Terminal 2(MLT2) Cable Connection

MSPR ELT Relocation

Handover of Increment 53 Crew

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Configuring

ESA Weekly crew conference

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Post Scrub Cooling Loop Water (H2O) Sample

Water Recovery System Waste Water Tank Drain

Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Sublimator Flange Inspection

??? maintenance

Soyuz 736 Kazbek Fit Check

Meteor Hard Disk Drive and Antivirus Update

DAN. Experiment Session. Tagup with specialists

DAN Operator. Experiment Session. Tagup with specialists

SSC-12 and SSC-16 Logout

DECLIC Hose Relocate

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Liquid Cooling Ventilation Garment (LVCG) Water Fill

COSMOCARD. Setup. Starting 24-hr ECG Recording

Extrvehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Water Recharge

Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Conductivity Test

Vacuum Cleaning of ??1 and ??2 air ducts in DC1

Inventory Management System (IMS) Conference

SLAMMD Hardware Control Run

PROFILAKTIKA-2. Countermeasures System (CMS) Exercise session using ???-01-? set

Public Affairs Office (PAO) Social Media Event

ISS HAM Service Module Pass

IMS Update

RELAXATSIYA. Parameter Settings Adjustment. Tagup with specialists

Health Maintenance System (HMS) Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Inspection

RELAXATSIYA. Observation. Tagup with specialists

Health Maintenance System (HMS) ISS Food Intake Tracker (ISS FIT)

Health Maintenance System (HMS)  ESA Nutritional Assessment

Flight Director/ISS CREW CONFERENCE

Completed Task List Activities

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER) On-Board Trainer (OBT) for CDR, FE-2 and FE-3

WHC UR R&R #2

Ground Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Standard commanding

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Friday, 09/29: EVA Preps, Finemotor, LMM AFC config, PMM Hygiene Curtain Install

Saturday, 09/30: EarthKAM Shut Down, Crew Off Duty

Sunday, 10/01: Crew Off Duty

QUICK ISS Status  Environmental Control Group:

Component  Status

Elektron  On

Vozdukh  Manual

[???] 1  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1)  Off

[???] 2  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2)  On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab  Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3  Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab  Idle

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3  Operate

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)  Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)  Standby

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab  Full up

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3  Off
Freehold Raceway hosted the $55,300 Renaissance Final for two-year-old filly pacers on Friday (September 29), in a early race before the card. The third race was the NJSDF Final where three-year-old filly trotters competed for a $50,000 purse.

Hurrikane Empress was parked to the quarter in :28 before taking the lead from Some Renditions. The John McDermott Jr. trainee kept the lead throughout the rest of the mile until stopping the timer in 1:58.3 in rein to Dan Dube.

The Hurrikane Kingcole daughter notched win number five from 10 starts and bumped her lifetime earnings to $131,815 for owners Jonathan Klee Racing, Kuhn Racing LLC and Pegasis Investment Group.

Cruzinforavictory recovered from an early break behind the gate to finish second, while Some Renditions came in third.

In the third race of the card, Southwind Avanti returned to her winning ways at Freehold Raceway in the $50,000 New Jersey Standardbred Development Fund Final for three-year-old filly trotters.

This victory bettered the Muscle Hill filly's record to three wins in four starts on New Jersey's half-mile track.

Jason Bartlett and Southwind Avanti left from post position No. 4 to wire the field in 1:58.1.

Owned by SRF Stable and bred by Southwind Farms of Pennington, New Jersey, Southwind Avanti now has lifetime earnings of $121,495.

Easy Passer finished second while Romancing Rachel came in third.

Live racing resumes at Freehold on Saturday, Sept. 30 with a post time of 12:30 p.m.

(With files from SBOANJ)
Pasithea Face S dominated in Friday evening's first Grand Circuit event at Dayton, the $167,000 Dayton Trotting Derby, with a 1:53 track record performance before the late-closing Rockin Ron stole the show in the $140,000 Dayton Pacing Derby.

Driven by Tim Tetrick, the Swedish-bred Pasithea Face trotted out from post four and took over the lead from insider JL Cruze (David Miller) during a :27 first quarter. She continued to lead through a half in :54.4 and turned away the 2-1 favoured mare Hannelore Hanover (Matt Kakaley), who was parked out the whole way leaving from post seven. Pasithea Face was left all alone on the lead by the 1:24.2 third quarter mark and cruised home in a three-length romp. Crazy Wow (Chris Page) came on to finish second ahead of JL Cruze.

Pasithea Face's 1:53 winning time was a new track record for aged trotting mares. Jimmy Takter trains the five-year-old Muscle Hill-Jovelinotte mare, who notched her third stakes win since arriving in North America earlier this year, for Courant Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida.

After finishing third last time out in the Maple Leaf Trot north of the border behind JL Cruze and winner Hannelore Hanover, Pasithea Face was sent postward as the 7-2 third choice in the Derby and paid $9 to win. Hannelore Hanover finished seventh.

"I thought it was her race to win if I could get the lead," said Tetrick. "I put her in a bad spot two weeks ago in the Maple Leaf Trot, but I knew shed be good if I got her a clean trip tonight."

Rockin Ron swept past the dueling leaders in the stretch to win the Pacing Derby with Matt Kakaley aboard for trainer Ron Burke.

Leaving from the inside post position, Luck Be Withyou (Brett Miller) fired out to a quick two-length lead into a :26.3 opening quarter with seven starter Boston Red Rocks (Josh Sutton) moving up to challenge into the second panel. After a half in :54.4, Boston Red Rocks was on even terms with the early speedster and gained the advantage outside approaching three-quarters in 1:21.4. Luck Be Withyou fought back entering the stretch while Dealt A Winner (Aaron Merriman) rallied off cover.

However, Rockin Ron, who got away seventh and was positioned fourth-over in the outer flow tracking Missile J (Tim Tetrick), swept by on the far outside to prevail by one and three-quarter lengths in 1:50.2. Dealt A Winner finished second while Missile J secured third-place in a show photo finish with pocket pursuer Easy Lover Hanover (Doug McNair) and Mach It So (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.).

Rockin Ron paid $12.60 to win as the 5-1 fourth wagering choice. McWicked, the 2-1 favourite, was buried inside and finished ninth.

Campaigned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Rtc Stables Inc., Rockin Ron has won seven of 24 starts this year and 27 races in his career. With the victory, the five-year-old son of Real Desire and Im All A Roan passed the $1 million mark for U.S. earnings.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), the Department of Agriculture, and the Pennsylvania Winery Association (PWA) will kick off Pennsylvania Wine Month on Monday by hosting meet-the-winemaker events at Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection stores in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County; Easton, Northampton County; Lewisburg, Union County; and York.

According to a news release, each event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. and will feature winemaker-led tastings and an opportunity for attendees to interact with winemakers.

Meet John Skrip III, owner of Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery, at the Clarks Summit Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection store, 222 Northern Blvd., Clarks Summit. John Skrip and his wife Pat founded Clover Hill. John, a civil engineer, and Pat, a teacher, had a fondness for wine and committed themselves to pursue their passion as an occupation. In the early 1970s, they began planting grapes as a hobby at their home in Breinigsville, Lehigh County. They were impressed with the quality of the grapes, and it encouraged them to establish a full-time vineyard and winery business. In September 1985, the Skrips proudly opened the doors of Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery to the public. Over the years, the winery has grown, and they have been joined by two of their children who share the passion of Clover Hill Winery. John Skrip III joined Clover Hill in the early 1990s after studying enology at Fresno State University in California. "We are very proud that Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery continues to produce premium Pennsylvania products, as it has for the past 32 years," John Skrip III said. "It is exciting to be part of a growing industry and one of the pioneers in PA wine business."

Meet Franklin Hill Vineyards head winemaker Bonnie Pysher at the Easton Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection store, Northampton Crossings, 3718 Easton-Nazareth Highway, Easton. Pysher started with Franklin Hill in 1982. After beginning in the wine business as a young mother of twins with no experience in winemaking or viticulture, she has grown to be one of the area's top winemakers. She's heading into her 36th harvest this year and is still every bit as passionate about what she does as she was on day one. Her approach to wine is simple -- drink what you like. Pysher is a pioneer in the industry. As one of the first women winemakers in Pennsylvania, she has been an integral part of Franklin Hill Vineyards' success. "I love making wine and teaching the consumer what goes into making their bottle of wine," says Bonnie Pysher. "If given the opportunity, I will give the consumer some hands-on experience while they are visiting the winery."

Meet Fero Vineyards & Winery owner Chuck Zaleski at the Lewisburg Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection store, Penn House Commons, 310 N. 10th St., Lewisburg. Chuck and Daneen Zaleski, owners of the winery, produce wines from their 13-acre Viniferia Vineyard in Lewisburg. The Zaleskis produce dry and sweet wines to serve all palates. They have been producing wine since 2010 and are always working to make their grapes the best they can be. In return, this allows them to offer interesting, well-balanced, and enjoyable wines. Chuck Zaleski says, "One day in the near future, Pennsylvania vineyards will be known as the home of premium wine in the eastern U.S. Come visit our wineries and grow with us."

Meet Allegro Winery owner Carl Helrich at the York Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection store, York Marketplace, 2547 E. Market St., York. One can take many different paths to becoming a winemaker. Helrich's path started when he was helping his father bottle home-brewed beer in the 1970s. After a variety of disparate career choices, Helrich eventually landed a job at a local winery. This sparked an epiphany for him -- he could combine his skills with his desire for new tastes and aromas for the creative outlet he had always sought. He and his wife Kris purchased Allegro in 2001 and have been there ever since, growing grapes and a family of four. "My life's work is to find and express the true voice of our soils through our wines in this emerging wine region," CHelrich says, "and to help bring Pennsylvania wines to the world of wine and share them with our neighbors."

In celebration of Pennsylvania Wine Month, all Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection stores will feature Pennsylvania wines at their regularly scheduled in-store wine tastings the weekend of Oct. 6-8. Additionally, wine specialists at Premium Collection stores will add Pennsylvania wines to other regularly scheduled tastings throughout October.

The Pennsylvania Winery Association, a trade association representing more than 100 member wineries and advocating on behalf of the state's growing multi-billion-dollar wine industry, is also making available at select Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores a touring guide featuring a list of Pennsylvania wineries and a map.

Pennsylvania ranks fifth nationally in grape production, seventh in wine production, and seventh in the number of licensed wineries.

Dozens of events celebrating Pennsylvania wines and wineries will be held across the commonwealth in October, including farm and vineyard tours; festivals featuring music and celebrations of the fall harvest; and tasting and food pairing opportunities. Pennsylvania Wines will be available to the public on happy hour menus across neighborhoods in Philadelphia, including Tria Cafe Rittenhouse, Tria Cafe Washington Square West, Vintage, Panorama, and Jet Wine Bar. More information is available at this link.
When harness racing returns to historic Rosecroft next week, there will be a few noticeable changes.

The biggest? Rosecroft is going prime time.

After running on Tuesday and Thursday evenings the past several meets, Rosecroft will race live every Saturday and Sunday beginning Saturday, Oct. 1 through Dec. 23, and Fridays on Nov. 3 and Nov. 24. First race post is 6:40 p.m.

In the past the thought was to run when no one else was running to garner simulcast handle on Tuesday and Thursday, said Sal Sinatra, President and General Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. But in my opinion, in order to build the business you have to run when people are able to go to the racetrack. I believe thats either Friday night, Saturday or Sunday.

Since Friday is a horrible traffic day in this area, we felt the best bet was Saturday and Sunday. We will race Fridays on Breeders Cup weekend and Black Friday. Weve started to clean up the facility and we want to be open to let people see the new Rosecroft and enjoy the amenities.

As far as generating handle and business, I told the horsemen I think its a good thing to run when the Meadowlands is running because at least we know theres harness players out there. Its not someone watching on a whim.

Rosecroft, which opened in 1949, was purchased in August of 2016 by The Stronach Group, the parent company of the Maryland Jockey Club. Sinatra said the Maryland Jockey Club has spent the past year observing handle, crowds, service, security and racing.

We did a little facelift of the facility but weve continued doing some more over the summer, he added. Weve put some new flooring down, added flat-screen televisions, and weve looked to fix the concession stands and the dining service and buffet.

Sinatra said the $100,000 Potomac will return for a second consecutive year on Sunday, Nov. 5. The inaugural Potomac, which resulted in the best group of pacers to race at Rosecroft in some 30 years in the first $100,000 race at the track in nearly 10 years, was won by All Bets Off. There will also be Maryland Sire Stakes on Oct. 7-8, 14-15 and 22 and Nov. 11-12, 18-19 and 26.

Sinatra said hes been pleased with the cooperation the Maryland Jockey Club has received from horsemen the past year. In a move to enhance integrity, the Maryland Jockey Club will implement new security measures for horses shipping for the nightly races.

We have a security plan similar to the Thoroughbreds, Sinatra said. If youre racing, and youre not going to the paddock for the first six races, you will be assigned stalls. In the past horsemen would go into any of the four barns. Now there will be a stall, cameras and a guard. We just want to make sure the playing field is fair for everybody.

(with files from Rosecroft)
She may not be a meteorological phenomenon created by an array of unusual circumstances due to light and temperature, but Rainbow Room could very well be classified as a phenom. After an already stout start to her career, this royally-pedigreed young lady seeks to add another Grand Circuit triumph to her resume in her Red Mile debut on Saturday (Sept. 30) in an $87,400 division of the Bluegrass Stakes.

She began to separate herself training down in late winter and early spring, said Joe Holloway, the fillys conditioner. That is when we knew she could be something special.

Owned by Crawford Farms Racing, Val DOr Farms and Ted Gewertz, Rainbow Room is a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere and 2012 Hall of Fame inductee Rainbow Blue. The filly, a 100,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, is a full sister to world champion Somwherovrarainbow and with that kind of family tree, all eyes were upon her when she was unveiled at the Meadowlands for two contests solely for two-year-olds.

Since those initial forays on the track, Rainbow Room has compiled a record of 7-6-1-0, has collected $311,199 in earnings and has a record of 1:51.2f.

The filly will leave from post six on Saturday with regular reinsman David Miller guiding her journey. She is 8-5 on the morning line, but has some serious competition in the field from rivals Kissin In The Sand (post three, Yannick Gingras, Nancy Johansson, 3-1), Double A Mint (post five, Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke, 4-1) and Majorsspeciallady (Tim Tetrick, Ron Burke, 6-1).

Rainbow Room enters this event after defeating Majorsspeciallady by a hard-fought three-quarters of a length at Hoosier Park on Friday (Sept. 22) in the $200,000 Kentuckiana Stallion Management Stakes. The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion was third in mid-stretch and raced first-over to catch Double A Mint, then fend off Majorsspeciallady and Strong Opinion to reach the wire.

After she displayed antics in the winners circle similar to those of 2015 U.S. Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit, Holloway was succinct.

Shes really something special, he told Emily Gaskin, Race Marketing Manager, Commentator and Publicist at Hoosier Park, in a post-race interview. Shes the nicest filly Ive had the opportunity to train.

Holloway, who has been responsible for the careers of the fastest female Standardbred ever in Shebestingin, world champion Shes A Great Lady and 2015 Dan Patch Award winner Divine Caroline, is one of the most humble individuals in regards to the ability of his horses. Holloway also trained triple Breeders Crown victor Jenna's Beach Boy and developed harness racing's fastest horse Always B Miki, so his assessment of Rainbow Room should not be taken lightly.

In addition, he and his employees were graciously accommodating when prying eyes wanted to witness this filly up close and personal at Hoosier Park.

She can be tough, but she knows she is a diva, her caretaker explained. We just work around that with her.

Holloway echoed those words and added his own insight.

She did not get over the track very well at Hoosier, he said. But that was my fault because I already had her shod for Lexington and we had that rain before the race. We did bring her there (Hoosier) in preparation for the Breeders Crown, but we are really looking forward to Lexington with her.

She does have her own mind about her, but who doesnt? We just let her be herself and appreciate the opportunity to be around her. We also know this is a tough division with other talented fillies out there too. We are just thankful to have her.

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.
KALAMA  Although Tom Merz wants to be mayor of the city where he was born and raised, he may be ineligible to hold the office hes running for.

Thats because Merz, a write-in candidate for mayor, only registered to vote in the city four months ago. Nevertheless, his late declaration to seek the office has shaken up whats now a three-way race.

Merz, a paramedic with deep family roots in Kalama, is challenging City Councilwoman Rosemary Siipola and City Planning Commission member Mike Reuter. They are vying to replace Pete Poulsen, who is stepping down after serving 16 years.

While Merzs father and grandfather were both firefighters in Kalama, Siipola  a former transportation planner  has lived in the city for the last 32 years. Reuter, who works as a technician for Pacific Office Automation, has been active in the community since he moved to Kalama 11 years ago.

According to state law, no person shall be eligible to hold elective office under the mayor-council plan unless the person is a registered voter of the city at the time of filing his or her declaration of candidacy and has been a resident of the city for a period of at least one year next preceding his or her election. Kalama has a mayor-council form of government.

Records show Merz did not register to vote in Kalama until May 16, 2017  just a few months before filing paperwork with the Cowlitz County Elections Office to declare his write-in candidacy. Voter registration is one of the easiest ways to establish residency.

Merz was previously registered to vote in Wahkiakum County, where he cast ballots in general elections held in November from 2013 to 2016, according to voting records.

According to real estate documents from the Cowlitz County Assessors Office, Merz and his wife purchased their home in Kalama on April 13, 2017. Merz says on his campaign website that he worked as a welder while his wife ran a salon in Cathlamet  but its not immediately apparent where they lived before they bought their Kalama home.

Merz, who declined to be interviewed in person or over the phone, did not respond by press time to questions sent by email. Its not clear whether he knew his eligibility could be challenged before he decided to declare; its also an open question as to how he would proceed if he wins election.

Merz has said on social media that he opposes the citys plan to build a new $2.5 million police station at what is now Maruhn Park. The plan hinges on the passage of a $2.2 million bond that will appear on Novembers ballot. Instead, Merz said he favors building a public safety complex that could house firefighters, paramedics and police officers at a different location. Kalamas police force has operated out of a makeshift headquarters at the Community Building on Elm Street since the citys downtown was flooded in December 2015.

The situation has generated so much interest with the county elections office that the Cowlitz County Prosecutors Office has weighed in on whether the county auditor is responsible for ensuring candidates are eligible to hold office.

Under state law, prospective candidates for office must declare that they possess the qualifications by law for that office, the prosecutors office said. In addition, its up to candidates to make sure that they meet the necessary requirements to hold office, according to the Washington Secretary of States candidate filing guide.

In other words, it was Merzs responsibility to ensure that he was eligible to run for mayor.

Siipola declined to comment on Merzs qualifications, but Reuter said hes worried a significant number of people arent aware that Merz is ineligible to hold office. So far, the controversy surrounding Merzs qualifications has been confined to a closed Facebook group called Citizens for Kalama.

The problem is, I dont think the city knows, Reuter said. People on Facebook do. Theyve got a good sense of whats going on, but the city in general doesnt know and thats what is really making me concerned.

Reuter said Merz is aware that his eligibility has been called into question.

He knows people know, Reuter said.

What happens if a winning number of Kalamas 1,700 registered voters write in Merzs name on Nov. 7?

Things could get murky. If Merz wins, a voter in Kalama  any voter  has three days to challenge his qualifications in Cowlitz County Superior Court.

Under state law, voters are allowed to challenge the right of a candidate to assume office on the basis that the candidate was not eligible at the time they declared.

It wouldnt be pretty, Reuter said. What happens if he says I voted (in Wahkiakum) but I really lived at my parents house in Kalama? 

A similar situation played out in the Wenatchee mayoral race of 2000, when candidate Gary L. Schoessler won the election but a court later found him ineligible to hold office because he did not satisfy the citys one-year residence requirement. The state Supreme Court later upheld the decision.

Eligibility aside, Merz still appears to be waging an uphill battle. According to local election officials, theres never been a successful write-in campaign in Cowlitz County.

The most recent example of a moderately successful write-in candidate is Tim Sutinen, who filed for state representative in 2012. One major difference with that campaign, though, is that Sutinen filed as a write-in candidate for the primary and only needed 1 percent of total votes cast to advance to the general election.

Sutinen ended up winning 4 percent of the primary vote. With his name appearing on the general election ballot, he went on to lose to Rep. Brian Blake by more than 15 points.
Officials are seeking the publics help to identify a man they believe set fire to three Clark County churches in May 2016.

One fire broke out at the First Congregational Church, 1220 N.E. 68th St. in Vancouver on May 25, 2016. Another started the next day at the Liberty Bible Church of the Nazarene, 12401 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave. A third burned a vacant building at 11910 NE 154th Street in Brush Prairie on May 29, 2016. The vacant building formerly was Bethesda Slavic Church.

Authorities still have not made any arrests, but they believe surveillance footage collected during the investigation could help them identify the suspect.

The footage shows the suspect running from a crime scene. A hat decorated with the comic book character Deadpool was also found at one of the crime scenes.

A task force comprised of the Clark County Fire Marshals Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Clark County Sheriffs Office, Vancouver Police Department and Vancouver Fire Department is investigating the arsons.

Authorities declined to comment further on the investigation.

A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered for any information leading to an arrest.

Authorities ask anyone with information to call the Clark County Sheriffs Office tip line at 1-877-CRIME1 or ATF Fires Tip Line: 1-888-ATF-FIRE.
A man who was laid off after working 16 years for Hewlett-Packard Enterprise is accused of shutting down Oregons Medicaid system computers for a day as a last act of retaliation.

Hossein Heydari entered a not guilty plea Thursday to a federal indictment charging him with computer fraud.

Heydari, who lives in Maryland, was responsible at Hewlett-Packard for providing technical support for Oregons Medicaid Management Information System. The system allows physicians, pharmacies and patients to exchange eligibility information for care, prescriptions and benefits provided by Medicaid and managed by the Oregon Health Authority.

Heydari also was assigned to the Medicaid computer management systems for three other states.

On Oct. 14, 2016, Hewlett-Packard gave Heydari notice that hed be laid off in two weeks as part of a work-force reduction.

About two weeks later on Halloween, Heydari is accused of intentionally altering Oregons Medicaid computer system, shutting Oregon Health Authoritys computers for a day, Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford said.

The indictment alleges that crashing the computer system caused more than $5,000 in losses to Hewlett-Packard and the Oregon Health Authority and threatened public health by jeopardizing Medicaid recipients medical care.

Heydari turned himself in to federal authorities on an arrest warrant in Maryland on Aug. 25. Hes out of custody and flew to Oregon to make his federal court appearance in Portland.

The prosecutor asked that a judge add conditions to his pretrial release supervision, including restrictions on his computer use and a requirement that Heydari notify future employers of the federal indictment pending.

Heydaris defense lawyer, T.J. Hester, objected, saying Heydari is presumed innocent and the allegation doesnt suggest Heydari benefited financially in any way from the offense charged. Heydari remains unemployed, living in Maryland with his wife and a child who attends high school, Hester said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You said Heydari wouldnt have to notify an employer of the charge he faces, but would have to inform a pretrial services officer once he obtains another job. The pretrial services officer also will be able to monitor Heydaris internet activity, the judge said.
Editors note: Todays editorials originally appeared in The Columbian. Editorial content from other publications is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

Cheers: To good economic news. The latest revenue forecast for the state of Washington shows improved projections over the next two years. The expected intake through mid-2019 has increased $288 million to about $44 billion, reflecting the states booming economy.

With state government facing increased expenditures for education, labor, and mental health in the budget that was passed this year, the state revenue projection is particularly welcome. But it also calls for a cautionary reminder: Extra money should not be seen as a call for increased spending. As the economic downturn of the past decade taught us, the key to state budgeting is not to grow solely because times are good, but to prepare for when times are bad.

Jeers: To opportunistic criminals. While stealing is always wrong, some thefts are simply more egregious than others. Such is the case with thieves accused of prowling cars at a high school during the chaos created by a school shooting. One parent who arrived at Freeman High School in Northeast Washington last week to look for her child had a purse stolen from her car; she later noticed $36,000 worth of fraudulent charges on her accounts.

Bad people will do bad things, but it takes an extreme level of callousness to view a school shooting as an opportunity to rifle through cars.

Cheers: To Cody Hershaw. Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night can keep Hershaw from being on the job and performing it in a safe manner. Because of that, the 76-year-old Vancouver man has been honored by the National Safety Council as the safest U.S. Postal Service driver in the 15-state Western Area.

In 48 years as a postal carrier, Hershaw has never had an accident. He also never has been late for work and has missed only five days  four of them last year for a knee replacement. Hershaw, who now is one of seven finalists for a national safe-driving award.
WASHINGTON  In Alabamas Republican Senate primary on Tuesday, Steve Bannon defeated Donald Trump. The states GOP voters showed how sharply divided their party is. And right-wing insurgents were given a license to challenge Republican incumbents all over the country in 2018.

Judge Roy Moores victory over Senator Luther Strange was a sign of just how extreme Republican rank-and-filers have become. Moore, who believes biblical law should override the Constitution, beat Strange 55 percent to 45 percent. Contrast that with the 2006 gubernatorial primary in which then-Gov. Bob Riley trounced Moore by a margin of 2-to-1.

Moore is now 70 years old and was twice suspended as the chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to obey laws he saw were at odds with his religious beliefs. Normally all this would be career ending. But that was before the Age of Trump. What Donald Trump has done, said Republican pollster Whit Ayres, is embolden the Roy Moores of the world.

The most remarkable aspect of the Moore-Strange confrontation is how it became a test of wills between Trump and Bannon, the avatar of nationalist conservatism ousted last month as the presidents chief strategist.

Encouraged by the Republican leadership in Washington, Trump endorsed Strange, the 69 establishmentarian appointed to the seat in February. He dubbed him Big Luther. (Trump was so embarrassed by his chosen big guys big defeat that he deleted earlier pro-Strange tweets.)

Bannon saw the Alabama contest as an occasion for teaching his former boss a lesson. Trump seems to think that his support base is so loyal to him that it will follow him anywhere. Bannon would beg to differ. He threw his all behind Moores candidacy to show that Trumps movement is attached even more to a rebellious right-wing ideology than it is to the president himself.

Bannon got exactly what he wanted. Ironically, given who Trump supported, what got Moore nominated is what got Trump nominated, said Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster. Whats going on is bigger than Trump, and he is just a vehicle.

The good news for Bannon is very bad news for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who put millions of dollars behind the campaign to defeat Moore. Stranges defeat came on the same day that McConnell was forced to back off his latest effort to repeal Obamacare. Taken together, the two events showed how the GOP is fractured several ways at once. Even as the partys far right threatens to run rampant in future primaries, its more pragmatic wing in the Senate refused to rally behind a health care bill destined to be deeply unpopular and rushed forward in a way that violated the norms of responsible legislating.

Moores triumph, in the meantime, presents Democrats with opportunitiesand a hard choice.

The judges views can only be called wacky  or worse. Among other things, he has said that parts of America are under Muslim Shariah law; suggested that the 9/11 attacks happened because the country had forsaken Gods word and trust; said of Russias president Vladimir Putin: Maybe hes more akin to me than I know; and likened homosexuality to bestiality.

Democrats will relish asking Republican candidates everywhere to take a stand on Moores catalog of zaniness. But they will also have to decide how big a push to make on behalf of Doug Jones, a former U.S. attorney who is their nominee for the December special election.

Jones has the potential to be a strong candidate, but some Democratic strategists have counseled against committing substantial resources to a state where successes for their party have been scarce. Advocates of a major undertaking on behalf of Jones see this as precisely why taking on Moore would be worth the gamble. Jones could do in Alabama this year what Republican Scott Brown did in a 2010 special election in Massachusetts: demonstrate the dominant partys vulnerability going into the midterm elections by capturing a Senate seat far inside opposition territory. A Jones win would also cut the Republicans already tough-to-manage Senate majority to a bare 51 seats.

And whatever happens in December, Bannon himself is determined to make the job of Congress current GOP leadership as difficult as possible. At an election eve Moore rally, Bannon called out McConnell and Karl Rove, President George W. Bushs top political adviser, by name.

Your day of reckoning is coming, Bannon declared.

Its a statement that also applies to Trump. The message from Alabama is clear; he and his party have unleashed forces they cannot control.
After years of receiving failing grades from the state, Indianas first full-time online charter school will shut down at the end of the school year, according to local media reports .

The charter schools own board voted this week not to re-up Hoosier Academies Virtuals charter contract, because it didnt believe the school could make a successful case for renewal.

The fate of the school, which currently enrolls around 1,750 students, had been in limbo for a couple of years as state officials continued to defer taking action on closing the school , despite assigning it a failing grade for six consecutive years. That track record had led to the state board of education to ban the school from enrolling more students last May.

The head of the Hoosier Virtual, Byron Ernest, sits on the state board of education. He has recused himself from all decisions related to the schools fate.

The move to close Hoosier Virtual is notable because its very rare for an online charter school to be shut down, even when its failing to meet academic benchmarks, as I wrote in an investigation by Education Week into full-time virtual charter schools last fall:

Despite more than a decade of state investigations, news media reports, and research that have documented startling failures and gross mismanagement in full-time online schools, the sectordominated by two for-profit companiescontinues to expand, spreading into new states and enrolling more students. Virtual charter schools, which collectively receive more than $1 billion in taxpayer money each year, are rarely shut down. The reasons are often a mix of weak state regulations, the millions of dollars spent on lobbying, and the support of well-connected allies, more than a dozen policymakers, advocates, and researchers told Education Week.

As part of that investigation, Education Week reviewed hundreds of news stories and dozens of state audits and reports across the country. You can see all of that information compiled here in an interactive map:

Cyber Charter Schools: Widespread Reports of Trouble

Hoosier Virtual Academy is run by one of those two aforementioned companies, K12 Inc., which is based in Herndon, Va. It is the countrys largest operator of online charter schools. (To read K12 Inc.'s response to Education Weeks investigation, which includes details about Hoosier Academies Virtual School, click here .)

Despite a string of studies showing that students in full-time virtual charter schools often perform much worse academically than their district-school peers, the niche sector has received at least a rhetorical boost recently from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has held up online education oppoortunities a way to provide school choice to rural students . DeVos also used to invest in K12 Inc.

School officials from Hoosier Virtual have blamed student absenteeism for much its academic struggles. Getting students to show up and log in to their classes is a persistent problem facing cyber charters nationally .

Although Hoosier Academies Virtual will be shut down, two other online schools run by K12 Inc. and the same school board, including one that was spun off from Hoosier Academies Virtual last year, will remain open in Indiana.

Our intention is to give our families and teachers as many options as possible, Hoosier Academies Virtual school board president John Marske told the Indianapolis Star . Meanwhile we are also focused on improving results of the Hoosier hybrid school in Indianapolis, as well as the Hoosier Insight school.

Related stories:
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has reinstated a lawsuit that argues that the states school-funding system violates the states constitution.

The ruling, which restores a lawsuit first filed by the William Penn schools , could set the stage for a complete overhaul of the states educational landscape, attorneys for the plaintiffs say. But any effects wouldnt be immediate; the decision merely overturns a Commonwealth Court ruling and sends the case back to trial court.

The list of plaintiffs includes six school systems, the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools, and the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference.

Lawyers for the districts have maintained that the states adoption of academic standards, not in place when prior funding lawsuits were dismissed, meant it had a responsibility to provide adequate funding to meet them.

The majority opinion by Justice David Wecht issued Thursday argues the courts should evaluate whether the constitutional promise of providing a thorough and efficient education is being met and determine if the lawsuits allegations that poorer districts are shortchanged has merit.

It just brings tears to my eyes that were allowed to go further with this, Superintendent Jane Harbert of the William Penn schools told the Philadelphia Inquirer. Were fighting a battle not just for William Penn but for the whole state of Pennsylvania.

Advocates for small and rural districts have long fought to change the states school-funding system, which allows for wide spending gaps between low- and high-income districts.

Todays ruling ensures that our schoolchildren across Pennsylvania will finally have their day in court, Deborah Gordon Klehr, executive director of Education Law Center-PA said in a prepared statement. We look forward to presenting extensive evidence proving that decades of underfunding and inequity in our public education system violate Pennsylvanias Constitution.

The Education Law Center, the Philadelphia-based Public Interest Law Center, and pro bono counsel represented the plaintiffs in the case.
Govt allocates Tk 54 thousand crore to alleviate poverty





Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said in Mymensing on Saturday the government has allocated Taka 54 thousand crore under social safety programme with a view to build a poverty free middle-income country by 2021.

Over the years, he said, percentage of poverty has reduced and living standard of poor and distressed people has improved in the country.

"The government has fixed a target to alleviate poverty at zero level by 2030," he told the inaugural function of a workshop on "Social safety programme for alleviating poverty" at a local hotel organized by the cabinet division in cooperation with Mymensingh Division.

Additional Secretary at the Cabinet Division Md. Abdul Wadud and its Joint Secretary Saidur Rahman spoke with Mymensingh Divisional Commissioner GM Saleh Uddin in the chair.

Shafiul Alam urged the concerned field level officers to work sincerely to make the programme success for socio-economic development and welfare of underprivileged section of the society .

Additional secretaries, joint secretaries and high officials of the

concerned ministries, additional divisional commissioners, DCs, UNOs, Zila parisad chairmen, upazila chairmen, mayors and other district level officers took part in the workshop.
Trade war over internet domain

Francisco Mingorance. :

Companies developing open connectivity standards are under threat from Silicon Valley's gatekeepers, who are attempting to wrestle away control of these innovative technologies in order to dominate the internet of things.

Their game plan is to undermine the financial basis for shared open standards and replace them with alternative proprietary solutions.

European policymakers need to put a stop to this if they want to protect the European digital economy, innovation, interoperability and quick consumer access to the best technologies.

Time to bust a few myths about innovation in the internet of things era

Small European tech companies might be about to lose out if the European Commission's new patent guidelines favour giants like Qualcomm and Ericsson, writes Morgan Reed.

Europe excels in developing innovative connectivity standards. Many of Europe's pioneering technology brands, like Ericsson, Nokia and Orange, have focused their business operations on developing the open standards, like 2G, 3G, and 4G, that make it possible for your smartphone and tablet to connect to other devices.

They enable all the services that we currently enjoy - like online messaging, mobile payments, music downloads and e-ticketing - as well as guaranteeing device interoperability between brands.

For two decades, European innovators have contributed their intellectual property to these open standards and allowed manufacturers to integrate 2G, 3G, and 4G patents into their hardware immediately, without having to first negotiate a contract.

In return, manufacturers are expected to pay a Fair, Reasonable and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) license fee.

A 2015 study into FRAND licence fees in the global mobile phone market, for example, showed that the average royalty fee for access to all these standards was around 6 per phone, while the average mobile phone sale price was approximately 185.

Unfortunately, despite this small fee, non-payment or "patent freeriding" is growing among global tech giants. One recent study found the proportion of devices using standards without licences has grown internationally from 27% in 2006 to over 60% in 2016.

When the revolutionary fifth generation of open connectivity standards is ready in Europe after 2020, driverless cars will use 5G to be constantly connected and responsible for safety features, hugely increasing their market value. A vending machine may occasionally use 5G to order restocking.

FRAND-based licence fees take this disparity into account by basing fees on the economic value that a standard adds to a product. Silicon Valley companies want this to change.

Rather than agreeing to pay licence fees based on this decades-long industry best practice, American tech giants are responding to the proximity of 5G standards by claiming licence fees are a "tax" on their activities. Royalties are not a tax. They support a system that enables all "things" to be interoperable by using 5G open standards, seamlessly connecting objects across the world.

The real goal of the Silicon Valley giants is to destroy the financial basis for open standards sharing and to replace them with alternative proprietary solutions.

In 2015, Silicon Valley giants hijacked a committee of the IEEE - a US standards body that develops, among others, the WiFi standard - to rewrite its intellectual property rights policy and exponentially reduce licence fees. That removed incentives for companies to invest millions of dollars in creating open connectivity standards that could benefit the world.

As a result, the IEEE's own data show a trend towards organisations becoming unwilling to grant licenses to their WiFi-related IP under the changed patent policy. There is growing uncertainty about whether the IEEE will be able to formally adopt new standards to support the future evolution of WiFi technology.

Research released in March 2017 found that if the IEEE rule change were imposed in Europe, "a decline in overall European R&D of 8% could be precipitated, yielding a negative impact on GDP figures of 0.5% in the long run. Such an impact would amount to 465 billion (at 2016 rates)".

This now seems all too possible. In Europe, the same cabal is aggressively lobbying EU institutions to change the definition of FRAND-based licence fees.

Such a system would make it impossible for standards developers to receive a fair return on investment for their innovations, and for implementers with lower market potential (like a vending machine manufacturer) to operate in the internet of things.

Any decline in industry investments and technology contributions to open standards will lead to an increase in the use of proprietary solutions. The owners of proprietary solutions can act as 'gatekeepers' to impose conditions on industries that could deprive them of the ability to bring new products to the market or to derive value from data generated by the equipment they have manufactured.

We now await a communication from the European Commission on FRAND licensing this autumn.

In finalising and responding to that document, European policymakers should ask themselves, "Do we want the internet of things to be built on strong open standards that encourage innovation and competition? Or to be dominated by a handful of Silicon Valley giants that can impose conditions on other industries?"



(Francisco Mingorance is executive secretary of IP Europe, a lobby group representing European technology companies and research institutes).


Imam Husein made supreme sacrifice for democratic legitimacy

TODAY is the Holy Ashura, the day of noble sacrifice of Imam Husein, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SM) on the 10th Muharram 61AH (October 11th 680 AD). The Muslim Ummah observes the day remembering his great sacrifice with solemnity all over the world.







On this day Imam Husein with 71 of his family members and loyal companions were brutally killed at Karbala on the bank of river Euphrates in Iraq in his fight against tyranny and misdeeds of Yazid as his father Mu-awiyah declared him the monarch usurping the power and disowning the authority of the Caliph of the Islamic nation run from Madina.







The Imam traveled the long way from Madina to Iraq to organize the people against Yazid to restore a legitimate government in the province of Iraq and was killed by Yazid forces bringing conspiracy and sedition in running the Islamic nation destroying its foundation to elect the ruler through democratic consensus.







The Muslims remember Ashura with public mourning and prayers and the Shi-ite community particularly brings out Tazia or horse laden cart and perform blood staining street rituals of grief on the occasion. Imam Husein laid his life for the sake of truth over falsehood. The tragedy of Karbala represents a conscious confrontation and courageous resistance to the illegal rise of people to state power by corrupt and dishonest man like Yazid.







Imam Husein took the responsibility upon himself to save the Islamic nation from falling into the hands of an unelected tyrant and as it appears his fight and principle still hold valid from country to country far from his time. History said, Imam Husein took the decision to travel to Iraq at the invitation of the people of Kufa to save the Caliphate from the tyrannical hands of Yazid who was an evil person posing a serious threat to the Islamic State of Madina.







It is for this reason that the sacrifice of Imam Husein is commemorated annually throughout the Muslim world. It acted as guidance how to resist evils and restore legitimate government -- no matter it demands supreme sacrifice. Imam Husein left behind a rich legacy to be cherished by the Muslim Ummah to seek democratic legitimacy of their governments.







We have also tyrants in our times and Imam Husein has left the message that usurpers' and undemocratic rulers must not have any place and be resisted unitedly to establish the rule of law and justice in public life. Muslims are now globally facing Karbala at many places like Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Philistines, Turkey and such other regions. The Rohingya Muslims are the latest edition of such misrule. Disunity and domination of vested interest are destroying most Muslim nations and only selflessness and respect to people's authority and aspirations can help us avoid the tragedies. We remember Imam Husein's great sacrifice. May Almighty Allah keep his soul in peace. Ameen.






Regulate plying of Easy Bikes

ABOUT one million electric vehicles, popularly known as Easy Bikes, are running in the streets for transporting 2.5 crore passengers in both townships and rural areas across the country. Without a government policy and plan, people of low-income groups over the last few years adopted the cheap, fuel-efficient, environment-friendly but dangerous mode of transport for their everyday communication. The growth of Easy Bike market is expanding rapidly but there is no provision of license which deprives the government exchequer severely. Thousands of unemployed or underemployed youths amid the demographic dividends become employed by the introduction of cheap transport which consumes only 450MW electricity a day. Innovation is highly recommended to make the bike more sustainable and safe with government regularization.





The New Nation, quoting a study, reported that private entrepreneurs are importing and assembling the vehicles in the country. Lack of state-level policy and fixed charge stations, alongwith vested groups are involved in illegal electricity trading that are resulting in losses of huge revenue for the government each year. The volume of the Easy Bike market is about Tk 17,500 crore which includes Tk 5,000 crore battery requirement every year. Combustion of fossil fuel in the transportation sector results in an increased emission of greenhouse gases but the locally assembled Easy Bikes have shown potentials of immense opportunity in conserving the environment, use of green energy, plus also generating huge employment, developing local automobile industry and creating a revolution in the mass transportation system. Meanwhile, the transport gives enormous financial, social and environmental opportunities in the aspect of over populous Bangladesh.







Despite huge potentiality, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority is unable to register Easy Bike as motor vehicles, provide license, route permits and fitness certificate for some procedural and mechanical shortcomings. On a stopgap arrangement, Easy Bikes are now plying on roads with parking numbers given by City Corporations and Union Parishads. Regularizing the mode of transport by removing mechanical and legal shortcomings and making them efficient mass transportation systems should be a priority for the government.
Europe wary but muted ahead of Catalonia`s independence vote

Thousands cheer and wave esteleda, or Catalonia independence flags, during the \'Yes\' vote closing campaign in Barcelona, Spain on Friday.

AP, Brussels :

Across Europe, people are watching the independence referendum Spain's Catalonia region plans to hold Sunday closely and nervously, but quietly.

A strong turnout that results in a majority vote for the "yes" side could embolden other breakaway-minded regions. A secession trend on the continent would put new strains on the European Union and carry the potential for unleashing violence.

Yet most European leaders have shied away from taking a public stand on the upcoming referendum.

Despite tensions behind the scenes, they're reluctant to back either the Catalan separatists who are bucking Spanish law to conduct the balloting or Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's heavy-handed efforts to block the vote.

Here's a look at how other European countries - and Venezuela's outspoken leader - view the situation in Catalonia:

While the vote hasn't inspired mass public rallies or viral social media campaigns outside of Spain, it did prompt small demonstrations in Scotland, where many dream of obtaining independence from the U.K.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has shown clear, if muted, support for the Catalonia vote.

Sturgeon, who leads the Scottish National Party, called it "entirely legitimate for Spain to oppose independence for Catalonia," but told lawmakers last week: "The right to self-determination is an important international principle, and I hope very much it will be respected in Catalonia, and everywhere else."

Secession-leaning figures in Belgium's Flanders region see hope in Sunday's vote and sympathize with prosperous Catalonia's complaints that it subsidizes poorer regions of Spain.

"I think there is already a dynamic (toward independence around Europe). You only have to look at Scotland. It's an evolution that no European government can avoid," Jan Peumans, speaker of Belgium's Flanders regional parliament, said.

Italy's far-right Northern League, which has spearheaded referendums for more autonomy in northern Lombardy and Veneto, spoke out against the recent arrests of Catalan leaders ordered by Spain's government.

Catalonia's independence movement also received unexpected backing from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who recently won a referendum that consolidated his powers and has been criticized by the Rajoy government in Spain.

The silence from the European Union over developments in largely pro-European Catalonia has been especially conspicuous since Catalan officials appealed to the bloc to mediate the dispute.

In response to the region's requests for intervention, the European Commission - the EU's executive arm - repeated that the referendum was an internal Spanish affair and that it respected Spain's constitutional order.

EU officials refused to engage even as concerns mounted Friday about post-vote violence. "We will, as everybody else, be watching events unfolding," commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein said.

Privately, officials are slightly more forthcoming about their fears.

"We are following the whole process with great, great concern," a senior EU official said last week. The official briefed reporters on condition that she not be named.

Denmark has been non-committal. The Faroe Islands and Greenland - two Danish semi-autonomous territories - have floated the idea of breaking away.

The Faroes plan to hold a referendum on a new constitution in April.

Russia has largely ignored Catalonia's vote. While some have used the vote to point out Europe's weaknesses, Moscow is not disposed to alienate Rajoy's government since Spain has been one of the friendliest countries toward Russia since it annexed Crimea.



Even Serbia, still smarting from the 2008 secession of Kosovo, hasn't explicitly backed the Spanish government - even though Spain is one of the five EU states that doesn't recognize Kosovo's independence.

TREADING CAREFULLY WITH RAJOY

Rajoy has alienated potential political supporters by sending in police to block the vote. No other European leader has come out definitively against the referendum, a likely disappointment to the Spanish leader.

His clearest backing came from French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country has faced low-level breakaway sentiment from Corsica and Basque Country in the southwest.

"I know a partner and a friend, which is Spain, Spain as a whole. I have an interlocutor and he is here by my side and his name is Mariano Rajoy. The rest does not concern me," Macron was quoted in French media as saying at a June meeting with Rajoy.

Others are treading more carefully.

At an EU summit in Estonia on Friday, Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaite was her usual forthright but succinct self when asked about the situation in Spain: "Not easy. Sensitive. But we wish Spain to stay strong."

Powerful Germany is playing it safe.

"We have a great interest in Spain's stability being maintained," German government spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin.

Even one of Rajoy's closest EU allies, European Parliament president Antonio Tajani, has refused to explicitly back him and instead called for more dialogue - suggesting Rajoy hasn't done enough to find a solution.

"I think it's important to talk on a political level after Monday and to respect laws - Catalan laws and Spanish laws," Tajani told reporters Friday.

He said he hoped there would be no violence Sunday. "The rules of politics can't be with violence," he said.




Why did Alia, mom Soni Razdan go to hospital in Kashmir?

Oh chill, there's nothing to worry about as it turns out the mother daughter duo were shooting for an intense hospital scene for Raazi.

As you know, Alia Bhatt is currently shooting for Meghna Gulzar's Raazi in Kashmir, in which she stars alongside Vicky Kaushal. What's exciting is that Soni Razdan is playing her mother in the film. It's going to be the first time we'll get to see the mother-daughter duo on screen. Team Raazi recently shot for an intense scene in a local hospital in Pahalgam.

In synergy with Mumbai Mirror, a source revealed: "Over 300 local fans of Alia Bhatt had gathered to watch the actress shoot a lengthy sequence for her upcoming film, Raazi. Soni Razdan, who had accompanied her daughter, plays her mother in the film too. Both were without makeup and dressed in cotton salwar-kurtas.


Iraq cuts Kurdistan air links with outside world

Travellers line up to check in at the Irbil International Airport, in Iraq on Friday. Many travellers boarded the last flights out of the cities of Irbil and Sulaymaniyah as an Iraqi government order to halt all international flights in Kurdish territory

AFP, Arbil :

The Iraqi government cut autonomous Kurdistan's direct air links with the outside world indefinitely on Friday, partially isolating the northern region after it voted a massive "yes" in an independence referendum.

The move increases the pressure on the Iraqi Kurds amid soaring regional tensions following Monday's non-binding but deeply contentious vote.

Washington said it did not recognise the "unilateral" referendum and urged all parties to reject the use of force and engage in dialogue.

"The vote and the results lack legitimacy and we continue to support a united, federal, democratic and prosperous Iraq," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a statement.

The central government in Baghdad had ordered the halt to all foreign flights to and from the autonomous Kurdish region from 6:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Friday.

Foreigners scrambled to fly out of the region's capital Arbil and its second largest city Sulaimaniyah before the ban took effect.

Iraqi Kurdish transport minister Mawlud Bawa Murad told AFP at Arbil airport that the ban would "negatively impact all international businesses in the Kurdistan region, in addition to all civilians, from all nations".

It would "negatively impact our daily life," he said. "We will do our best to find a viable alternative, or succeed to bring back international flights."

Arbil is a key gateway for humanitarian aid workers helping Iraqis affected by the battle against the Islamic State group (IS).

Washington said earlier it would be willing to facilitate talks between the Iraqi Kurdish authorities and Baghdad to calm escalating tensions over the 92-percent "yes" vote.

Neighbouring Turkey and Iran also strongly opposed the vote, fearing it would inflame the separatist aspirations of their own sizeable Kurdish populations.

Ankara has threatened a series of measures including blocking lifeline oil exports from the region via Turkey.

The Kurds, whose borders with Turkey, Iran and Syria remain open, have condemned the flight suspension as "collective punishment".

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said it was not "punishment" but a legal measure that would be reversed if the transport authority was transferred to Baghdad in line with the Iraqi constitution.

The ban saw people, many of them foreigners, flock to Arbil airport to avoid being stranded.

Iraqi Kurdistan is home to a large international community, most of whom enter on a visa issued by the regional authorities that is not recognised by the central government, so they cannot travel elsewhere in Iraq.

On Friday, around 100 passengers waited eagerly for their planes in Arbil, where the last flight out was to Vienna at 4 pm.

"We were supposed to go back to Brazil next Saturday but we rescheduled our flight," said Isidoro Junior, a 32-year-old volunteer for an NGO providing medical assistance to Iraqis displaced by the war against IS.

The director of Arbil airport, Talar Faiq Salih said humanitarian, military and diplomatic flights were excluded from the ban.

Earlier, the UN humanitarian office OCHA said it was working to ensure aid could continue to reach tens of thousands of needy Iraqis.

In Sulaimaniyah, foreigners and others needing to leave sped to the airport before the ban took effect, while Kurds who were abroad for business or tourism rushed home.

"There have been masses of people for two days," said airport spokesman Dana Mohammad Said, adding that the airport remained open for domestic flights.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's highest Shiite religious authority, called for all sides "to abide by the Iraqi constitution and to appeal to High Federal Court to solve the Kurdistan crisis".

"The latest political developments should not have a negative impact on the strong relationship between sons of the homeland, Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds and others," his representative said.

Washington said it would be prepared to "help facilitate a conversation" between Arbil and Baghdad.

"We would like to see some calm on all sides," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, noting that the US had opposed the referendum "because we thought it would be destabilising".

On Thursday, the spokesman for the international coalition fighting IS in Iraq and neighbouring Syria said the referendum had taken focus away from the war against the jihadists.




News / Africa

by Staff reporter

Recent talk is suggesting the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO), or as it is more commonly known, the point demerit system, could be fully implemented in 2018, says MasterDrive.The Aarto amendment bill faced many difficulties since it was first tabled in parliament in 1998 and many motorists dismissed the possibility of its full implementation.This may soon change as the bill passed in the National Assembly on September 5.How will this affect motorists?MasterDrive managing director, Eugene Herbert, says drivers should brush up on their driving skills: "The system is not merely meant to punish law breakers but change driver behaviour all together. South Africa has a culture of drivers who push the boundaries. Punishments are not severe enough to create any real fear of the consequences. Now drivers need to break these habits and place more importance on safe and responsible driving."How will the demerit system work?Each person starts with a 0 point balance. Every time you are caught committing a traffic offence points are added according to the offence's seriousness. Once you have 13 points your license is suspended for three months. For every three offence-free months, one point is deducted from your balance. If your license is suspended three times, it can be cancelled.Aarto - Examples of driver demeritsWhere does this leave businesses?AARTO can have serious ramifications on businesses, especially those involved in logistics and commercial transport.Herbert said: "Harsher consequences for traffic offences mean harsher consequences for your business. If a driver is suspended they cannot drive for you anymore leaving you to source and train new drivers. Additionally, if the driver accumulates points in their private capacity it will affect your business operations as well."Business owners need to also be aware that the owner of the vehicle is held responsible for demerits unless you notify RTIA that someone else was driving. This also creates a larger administrative burden and requires changes to employment contracts."How can business owners prepare?Businesses, particularly, should be preparing for it before implementation. "A substantial amount of administration requirements need to be in place before implementation to protect your fleets. It's for this reason that MasterDrive launched its latest programme (with updated legislation) to specifically deal with AARTO. It helps every fleet owner/manager understand what the pending legislation means for them," says Herbert.
Imam Husain (Ra)`s sacrifice for social justice

Mahdi Mahmud :

What did really happen in the desert of Karbala in the tenth of Muharram that resulted into killing of Hazrat Imam Husain (Ra), the beloved grandson of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Aalih), for which even after more than thirteen century and half still we are lamenting?

Was it a clash to grab power, crown and throne? No. It was not a war between Imam Husain (Ra) and Yazid for political power. It was not a communal war between Bani Hashim and Bani Umayyah as some try to term it. In fact the event of Karbala was the most glorious and glorifying instance of struggle in the human history where the Imam, the guide of his time, and the ideal for followers of Islam, sacrificed along with himself his six month old son Ali Asghar, brother Abbas, nephew Qasim and other 72 of his devoted companions. Moreover, his wife, daughters, sister and children and all other close relatives accompanied him and were tortured and taken captive after Imam Husain (Ra) had been butchered by the Yazidi army.

There were at least two reasons behind the movement of Imam Husain : to protest against the zulm (tyranny) of the Umayyad monarchy and to make the people awaken from the unconcerned state and insouciance.

It is really a wonderful piece of quote from Charles Dickens, "If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desire then I do not understand why his sister, wife and children accompanied him. It stands for reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam."

Tyranny or aggression is such a sin which will never be forgiven by Allah until that is forgiven by the person or persons to whom tyranny or aggression was done. So Imam Husain (Ra) said: "If you neither believe in religion, nor fear the hereafter, then at least be free from doing aggression."

The tyranny and aggression of the rulers are the worst kind of aggression one can think of. If for even one instance aggression, tyranny, monarchy and arbitrariness of rulers are taken as granted without protesting, then it implies that silently there is a process of decaying going on in the system and that will soon backfire to the people in general who shut their eyes to aggression. It was the period of Umayyad rule when aggression and sup pression reached to the highest peak.

In front of the army of Hur bin Yazid, Imam Husain (Ra) gave a sermon. He said, "O people! The Prophet (Sm.) said: If anyone notices the ruler to be a tyrant who makes the Halal (lawful) to be Haram (prohibited) and the Haram to be Halal, and makes the Baitul Maal (State Treasury) his personal property along with trampling the laws of Allah, the Almighty, and doesn't ensure protection for the wealth of the Muslims, then, if the individual stay silent, Allah will punish the individual (equally) with that tyrant ruler."

Again he said in that sermon, "The rulers of this nation take the worship of Satan to be obligatory, given up allegiance to Allah, publicly violated the laws of Allah and made His laws obsolete, embezzled the Baitul Maal and war booty, and have made the permissible by Allah to be impermissible. So, I am entitled to rise against the system."

The difference between Yazid and the other Umayyad leaders was that Yazid did all his misdeeds publicly without any sense of guilt. Sitting in the pulpit of the Holy Prophet (Sm.) Yazid was busy with doing prohibited deeds with woman, gambling, liquor, music, and playing with dog and monkey. During the period of Umayyad rule the class discrimination became acute and went to the extreme height in the history of Muslim Ummah. Rich and the slave-dealers were getting richer day by day. And all these were becoming more and more normal, legal and generalized." (Social Justice in Islam By Martyr Sayyid Qutb can be studied for more information).

In this regard one of the sayings of the Prophet (Sm.) can be related, "A country can stay even in the hand of a disbeliever but not in the hand of an oppressor."

And, so, the grandson of the Prophet (Sm.), the rightful guide Imam Husain (Ra) chose the path of struggle and rose against Yazid. The motto of the Imam was 'enjoining the good and forbidding the evil." Imam said: 'Don't sell yourself for this world, be free and independent and don't let yourself to be chained in the chain of servitude to the world."

The Imam again reminded the people saying, "I haven't risen to spread evil or show off, nor for spreading immorality or oppression. But I have risen for the betterment of the Ummah of my grandfather and I desire to propagate the religion and forbid the evil, following the footsteps of my grandfather and my father Ali."

The revolutionary scholar Martyr Ayatullah Mortaza Mutahhari said, "There will be no limit of misery if by deceiving the ignorant people religion is made a tool of politics. May Allah protect us from seeing the day when religion be made the tool of politics." (Hamsaay-e-Husaini)

Imam Husain (Ra) made the plots of shrewd and so-called mullahs of the Yazidi Court exposed and nipped in the bud their master plan to make the religion a tool of politics.

It is indeed appropriate to remember what the Holy Prophet (Sm.) said, "Husain is from me and I am from Husain." (Sahih Tirmizi and Sahih Ibn Majah) It means that Husain (Ra) is from the lineage of the Prophet (Sm.). He was brought up under the guardianship of the Prophet and fought in the battle of Karbala for keeping the message of the Prophet (Sm.) alive.
Imam Husain (Ra): Symbol of justice and truth

Abdullah Akber :

The Muslims all over the world observe the Day 10 of the Arabic month of Muharram in memory of Imam Husain (Ra) and his 71 companions, who died for the cause of Truth and Justice. They fearlessly courted martyrdom at Karbala in Iraq in the year 679 AD, but did not compromise with Yazid, the evil. Imam Husain, son of Hazrat Ali (Ra) and Hazrat Fatima (Ra), grandson of Hazrat Muhammad (Sm) was six years old when the Prophet died in 633 AD.

However, with the death of Hazrat Muhammad (Sm), history witnessed sharp division among the Muslims centering the election of the Caliph of of the Republic of Madina. The members of Hashemite argued for Hazrat Ali (Ra) saying that the Prophet prior to his Tabuk expedition in 630 A.D. appointed Hazrat Ali (Ra) administrator of Madina Republic. Hazrat Ali (Ra) asked the Prophet (Sm) : Do ye consider me among the women and the children that you are leaving me at Madina? In reply, the Prophet said: You are in such a position with me as was Haraun with Musa (As). But after me there will come no prophet. Hazrat Saad-bin-Abi Wakkas narrated the event, recorded in the Bukhari Sharif.

According to the holy Quran, Hazrat Harun (As) was Prophet of Allah as well as Chief Adviser of his brother Hazrat Musa (As).

The second reason may be referred to the strategic flight of Prophet Muhammad (Sm) from Makka in June 622 A.D. Prior to journeying, the Prophet summoned Ali and said: I am leaving Makka for strategic reason. You will sleep in my bed throughout the night to confuse the eyes of the Quraish. Ali responded spontaneously and slept in his bed until the rise of sun in the following morning.

Hazrat Ali's obedience was sign of total allegiance to Allah and His Prophet. The next morning eight men of the Quraish, who surrounded the house to foil Prophet's flight to Madina, awoke Ali breaking open the door and wanted to know about the location of the Prophet. Ali refused to say anything. He was undaunted.

Yet, some influential members of the Banu Tamim and the Banu Umayyad met together secretly and Hazrat Umar (Ra) proposed the name of Abu Bakr, a trusted lieutenant of the Prophet, as the Caliph of Islam.

Hazrat Umar (Ra) succeeded him as the Caliph and ruled for 10 years. It is during this time that Muawiah, son of Umayyad leader Abu Sufian became the Governor of Syria. He became more powerful after Hazrat Uthman (Ra) brought several changes in the administration, some of which proved ineffective. He appointed Walid bin Ukba, Governor of Kufa, dsmissing Saad bin Wakkas, removed Abu Musa Ashkari from the key post of Basra and posted Abdullah bin Amer there. Hazrat Uthman (Ra) sent his foster brother Abdullah-bin-Saad to Egypt as governor and dismissed Aamar-ibnul-Aas. But to utter surprise within a short period, Aamar forgot the humiliation and joined Muawiah, the rebellious governor of Syria.

All these changes sown the seeds of division in the republic. The situation became serious when Hazrat Uthman (Ra) made his cousin Marwan bin Hakam his secretary. Marwan was an evil man, lustful, greedy, conspirator, libidinous and feudalist. Historians castigated him as the man behind all anarchism and civil wars in the Arabian peninsula. In truth, he was devising to establish Umayyad dynasty under the banner of Islam. About the ill motives and conspiracies of Marwan, on several occasions Hazrat Uthman (Ra) was apprised, but no action was taken, and he became desperate.

In fact, When Hazrat Ali (Ra) as Caliph of Islam did some administrative and economic reforms, the rich and the feudalists among other clans deadly opposed. They began to conspire and rallied round Syria's rebellious governor Muawiah raising the issue of the murder of Hazrat Uthman (Ra), the 3rd Caliph.

One of the conspirers was Marwan-bin-Hakam, former adviser of Hazrat Uthman (Ra) . In the battle of Camel, Marwan joined Talha and Zubair's combined forces against the central government of Hazrat Ali (Ra). But the moment Talha and Zubair saw Arnmar-bin-Yasir in the camp of Ali (Ra) they withdrew from the war field. But Marwan did not spare them.

He himself killed Talha and by mercenary murdered Zubair. The reason of Talha and Zubair's late decision was that the Prophet once said to Ammar-bin-Yasir: Sadly, the rebel Muslims will kill you." So, seeing Ammar with Ali, Talha and Zubair left the battlefield.

But Ammar's life was short, as the troops of Muawiah killed him in the battle of Siffin in 661 A.D. It is Marwan who provoked Muawiah to nominate his notorious son Yazid as the Caliph, burying the agreement signed between Imam Hasan (Ra) and him. Imam Husain in order to remind Yazid about the clause of the agreement, organised a peaceful Road March towards Kufa in Iraq. He had no intention to go to war against Yazid, as all his 71 companions were unarmed men, women and children.

But the Syrian troops loyal to Yazid intercepted him at Karbala near the river of Euphrates and asked him to accept Yazid as the legal ruler. But the Imam rejected the proposal. The Syrian troops killed them all except Imam Joynul Abedin (Ra) and few women whom they sent to Damascus.

History reveals that Imam Husain (Ra) was the symbol of truth, champion of human rights and social values, equality and justice. He just demanded the implementation of the agreement that Imam Husain would become the Caliph after the death of Muawiah. But the Umayyad ruler dishonoured the agreement and nominated his worthless son Yazid Caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate. The three most nefarious devices of the reign of Yazid were: To set the Ka'ba to fire, ii) to kill the members of the House of the Prophet (Sm), and iii) to plunder the city of Madina-the city which sheltered Prophet Muhammad (Sm) during the most critical time of his life.

It was during the reign of Yazid that feudalism and monarchy got institutional shape, contrarily the ideology of Islam that every man shall work according to his capacity and that the State will give every one his due. Imam Husain (Ra) and his associates were the soldiers of that ideology.
Hazrat Husain (Ra)'s martyrdom

The Day of Ashura marks the death anniversary of Hazrat Imam Husain ibn Ali (Ra), a 7th century revolutionary leader who was killed in The Battle of Karbala. The Day of Ashura is mourned by crores across the world to remember Imam Husain's valiant stand for Islamic state and Economy and social justice, against the most corrupt tyrant called Yazid.

Hazrat Husain ibn Ali (Ra) was the grandson of Hazrat Muhammad (the last Prophet of Islam), born in 620 AD to the family famed for their unique values of love, honour and peace. Husain was a leader who was known widely for his compassion, wisdom and integrity. Not long after the death of Muhammad (Sm), the Muslim empire had slid into political turmoil and corruption as Yazid (from the Umayyad dynasty) usurped power and slowly began destroying the moral fabric of society.

Husain ibn Ali (Ra) is buried in the land of Karbala, Iraq, where millions of visitors come annually to pay homage to him.

Yazid wanted Husain to pay him an oath of allegiance in order to gain credibility for his illegal rule. Husain out of moral obligation towards his principles of Islamic social justice and honour refused to do so, despite it being a risk to his life.

Husain (Ra) chose to make a stand, and began a small but mighty uprising - he chose to leave the comfort of his own city and begin a journey eastwards towards modern day Iraq. Husain (Ra) travelled with his family and 72 companions to make it clear that he did not want violence, but was prepared to defend himself and sacrifice all he had for the greater good of his people.

Word reached Yazid of Husain's movement and out of fear that it would gain momentum he dispatched an army of 30,000 to halt Husain (Ra) and his supporters in their tracks. They were blocked from moving further until Husain pledged allegiance, but Husain resisted. Yazid ordered his army to attack and kill Husain and his supporters, on the 10th day of the first month of the Islamic calendar (Muharram) - which is known as The Day of Ashura (the 10th day).

Husain (Ra) and his supporters had been stopped in the desert land of Karbala (in Iraq), where they had been denied access to water for 3 days. At dawn on the Day of Ashura, Husain and his men made their prayers, knowing that what was ahead of them was certain defeat. Yet they all remained steadfast and loyal to their principles.

The battle of Karbala commenced at noon, small bands of men dispatched Husain's camp to go and fight valiantly against the army of Yazid. One after the other his supporters fought and died until eventually Husain (Ra) had no one left to support his resistance.

He was fatigued, thirsty and heavily wounded having fought bravely against the enemy, until eventually he fell. The enemy forces attacked him from all sides with swords, spears and arrows until a man by the name of Shimar ruthlessly beheaded Husain (Ra) on the burning plains of Karbala.

Whilst Imam Husain (Ra) accepted martyrdom in the battle, he was victorious through his legacy. His actions and the stand he made at Karbala triggered a series of small uprisings against the tyrannical regime of Yazid which led to his eventual demise. Yazid's army took the women and children from Husain's camp as war prisoners and marched from Iraq to Syria where they were held captive.

Husain's sister Zainab (Ra) and his son Zain Al-Abideen (Ra), defied Yazid in his own courtyard in famous sermons which unnerved even his closest allies. Thereon, the remaining members of Husain's family spread the word to the people about the massacre which took place and the crimes that were committed on The Day of Ashura.

Imam Husain ibn Ali (Ra) is remembered around the world as a symbol of resistance who stood for Truth-Islamic state and humanitarian values.

The Day of Ashura is mourned and remembered by crores and crores of people across the world as the day Imam Husain (Ra) and his supporters were martyred in the battle of Karbala. Today, pilgrims from all across the world visit the shrine of Husain ibn Ali in Karbala where he is buried, to pay their tribute to his unique courageous stand.

On the day of Ashura many Muslims partake in large peaceful gatherings where they recite poems in memory of Imam Husain (Ra) and his sacrifice whilst lamenting and beating their chest as a cultural tradition to display their grievance. Many people use the day of Ashura as a day to perform acts of kindness and charity as a way for them keep alive the very same principles and values Imam Husain (Ra) gave his life for.

-whoishussain.org
COMILLA: A colourful rally was brought out in the town marking the 43rd founding anniversary of Fulkuri Ashor yesterday.
International lobbying urged for returning Rohingyas

Chittagong Bureau :

Chittagong Citizen's Forum demanded that Bangladesh government should create pressure on Myanmar by international lobbing to return the Rohingya refugees. Barrister Monwar Hossain, President of Chittagong Citizen's Forum held a press conference at Chittagong Press Club on Saturday morning and placed 14 recommendations to the government in connection with the Rohingya issue.

Barrister Monwar Hossain read out the written statement on behalf of the Chittagong Citizen's Forum. He said in the statement that more than 10 lakh Rohingya people will create various types of crisis in Bangladesh particularly in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong. "So, the Rohingya refugees will have to go back. Our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has given shelter to them for humanity.



But, our government should start international lobbing for creating pressure on Myanmar for taking back their people and stopping genocide at Akiab and Myanmar." He said Bangladesh should demand imposing economic sanction on Myanmar for torturing Rohingya people. "The United Nation (UN) should play a role to solve the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar permanently." He also said, "Bangladesh should share some Rohingya refugees with the neighboring countries as well as USA and UK."

He further said, "Rohingya refugees are passing their days at the Ukhia, Kurtupalong and other sides very badly. We should set up some medical centers at the areas for the treatment of Rohingya refugees." "Sanitation system and water supply should be ensured at the Rohingya areas in Cox's Bazar. Besides, Bangladesh government should give them Refugee Identity Card (RID)," he added.

Among others, secretary of Chittagong Citizen's Forum Mohammad Kamal Uddin, Vice-Chairmen Hasina Jafar, Mohammad Younus, Nur Ali and Mohammad Musa, Joint secretary Dr Nahida Khanom Shimu, Akram Hossain, Hazi Abul Bashar, Dr Sheikh Mohammad Jahed, Mohammad Ali, Nur Nobi, S M Shafiq Ullah, Rahoma Akter Doly, Lovely Lee were present at the press conference.


Education will change by 2030

Elizabeth Koprowski :

Can you believe that we're more than half-way through the second decade of the new millennium?! Every day brings new developments and breakthroughs, and there are few things that are changing faster than the technologies and methods by which we learn. The next few decades are bound to bring many new and exciting things to classrooms and universities, but before you start imagining hover-desks and homework-bots, let's see what educators are predicting for the future of learning.

1. Meet me in the Holo-Classroom

The technology for truly immersive augmented reality is still in its infancy, but virtual reality is a hot topic in some of the most forward-thinking tech programs around the world. Researchers speculate that we're only ten to fifteen years away from the practical application of augmented reality technology in classrooms and schools. Already, 3D technology and cognitive theories involving the way that people learn are being used to enhance the learning process, but we're still a few years off art students walking through digital galleries or medical students performing virtual surgery.

2. Beam Me Up!

Virtual reality doesn't just have applications for hands-on and augmented learning. Technology that gives people the ability to be in one place while experiencing another has some very real potential for distance-learning and international education. In fact, many researchers into the future of education expect that inter-connected campuses and distance-learning will be one of the big changes we'll see in the next few decades. Even now, many universities have shifted to online and interactive media for course material, lectures, and assignments, and it's likely that in the future, students might be able to attend university or complete degrees without ever leaving home. While it's unlikely that brick-and-mortar campuses will disappear entirely, or that online videos could ever replace talented and engaging real-life lectures, the increasingly digital learning environment could offer a wealth of opportunities for collaboration, exploration, and innovative studies.

3. Are These the Droids We're Looking For?

For years, sci-fi novelists, blockbuster filmmakers, and doomsday-preppers have been imagining a future overrun by sinister machines where humans are either obsolete or enslaved. We're not predicting the rise of Skynet or morally ambiguous robots, but the reality is that robotic technology is already a major part of many industries and computer programs are becoming increasingly (and sometimes eerily) intelligent. The real concerns for the near future aren't sentient telephones or robot assassins, but rather how educated humans can remain relevant in an increasingly automated word. Researchers speculate that universities in the future will focus more on developing students' ability to learn and adapt, to think logically, and to master abstract concepts. In short, the universities of the future may concentrate more on thinking and less on rote learning...

4. Live long and keep learning.

Which is why the future of education is most likely a move away from concrete milestones like exams and graduations to a more fluid definition aimed at life-long learning and individual development. If jobs and industries become automated, students will need to cultivate aspects of their intelligence and personalities that cannot be replicated by machines. They'll also need to be more flexible. Already, the concept of a 9-5 job is becoming a thing of the twentieth century. More and more people work online, as freelance consultants, in multiple roles, or across disciplines. And just as digital technologies are making distance-learning more accessible, so will it help people develop and evolve their skills and careers throughout their lifetimes. Online courses and global networking could allow students to adjust their knowledge base and move seamlessly from one position to another.

5. Don't Panic!

And remember your towel. Or book. Or whatever 'obsolete' object 'experts' are lamenting now. The truth is, no one can predict the future, and every generation has expected that the newfangled technology of the moment would destroy traditional learning and completely alter the world as we know it. But really, humans are both very adaptable and very conventional. We can embrace new gadgets and methods without completely abandoning the tried-and-true ones, and while the next few decades might see some very exciting innovations (fingers crossed for a working time-machine!), we might also see a return to basics. Psychologists are already speculating that some of the digitization of academia could leave students without the skills needed for deep analysis or theoretical thinking (vital skills for an automated world), which could lead to a resurgence of traditional educational methods. And regardless of what the future holds, the world will always need creative, energetic, forward-thinking leaders. So whether you're looking to learn from history, working in the solve a current humanitarian crisis, or discovering how to educate a new generation of innovators, remember that the future is unpredictable.





(Elizabeth Koprowski is an American writer and travel historian. She has worked in the higher education system with international students both in Europe and in the USA).
Why indigenous studies are important in Canadian higher education

Alyssa Walker :

It's First Nations Day in Canada-and the first day of summer! Also called National Aboriginal Day, Canada celebrates the heritage, cultures, and achievements of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis. The Canadian government recognizes these three groups of people as Canada's indigenous.

Why summer solstice to celebrate Indigenous cultures? It's the longest day of the year and historically many Indigenous communities have celebrated their culture and heritage today.

Announced in 1996 by then Governor General of Canada, Romeo LeBlanc, National Aboriginal Day came together when various Indigenous groups voiced their political support to have a national day.

The Canadian government celebrates National Aboriginal Day by working with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and Canadian Heritage and by offering funding for promotion and events.

Why is National Aboriginal Day important in Canadian Higher Education? Let's take a closer look at four reasons it resonates on campuses around the country.

1. Indigenous culture is part of campus culture.

With many campuses around the country embracing Indigenous culture, students are finding new requirements: courses on Indigenous culture as pre-requisites for graduation. Why? It's more difficult for racism and discrimination to thrive when students understand and celebrate other cultures.

Last year, every new student at the University of Winnipeg had to take a course in indigenous cultures. Its effect?

In an article in The Guardian last summer, Kevin Settee, an Anishinaabe and Cree student said, "It's an opportunity for people to wake up a little bit. "He added, "No matter what field you're going to be working in, you're going to be interacting with indigenous people. Everyone needs to have that baseline understanding of history and culture."

These requirements continue to be important because despite successes like this one, prejudices are still alive and well. See #2.

2. Prejudices are still strong.

The stereotypes are still strong. Negative perceptions of indigenous people and their culture persists, both in and outside Aboriginal communities.

Why? Canadian-Indigenous history is complicated - and full of injustice, violence, and discrimination against the country's native populations.

What needs to happen? The course in Winnipeg is a good start, but there's more. Canadian indigenous leaders, as well as the country's government, believe that people need opportunities to learn about the history of Indigenous cultures in Canada. See #3.

3. History can teach us a lot about Indigenous cultures.

INAC has an online resource available to the general public that offers an outstanding history of First Nations in Canada and how they have changed over time.

Its target audience is Canadian high school students, but it's appropriate for anyone interested in learning more about the historical factors that shaped First Nations communities over time-from before the arrival of Europeans to the present day.

The goal of INAC's resource? To show that First Nations are relevant to everyday Canadian life and to disabuse the general public about prejudices.

4. Indigenous studies involve more than just culture.

Some have described the relationship between Canada and its Indigenous people as "broken." Despite Canada's constitutional protection to First Nations over 30 years ago, in many ways the protection is in name only, not in practice.

As a result, there are significant gaps in socio-economic situations between Indigenous Canadians and non-Indigenous Canadians. Those living on reservations are among the nation's poorest.

The Canadian government's provisions for infrastructure, health, education, and basic amenities still do not reach many First Nations groups, particularly in remote areas.

University degrees among indigenous populations remains low-just 6.5 percent, compared to over 25 percent of all Canadian adults who hold a Bachelor's degree.

First Nations Day-or Aboriginal Day-aims to end the stereotypes and shed light on serious inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

Interested in learning more? Check out the Toronto Sun's most recent piece on the day, entitled, National Aboriginal Day: Our Chance To Get It Right.

The key to getting it right? Education.

Learn more about studying in Canada.

(Alyssa Walker is a freelance writer, educator, and nonprofit consultant. She lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her family).
Admission ban on 5 medical colleges

M M Jasim :

The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has asked five private medical colleges not to enroll any student this year in the MBBS course as the colleges violated the rules of the Establishment of Private Medical College and Guideline Policy-2011, the Ministry sources said.

The Ministry also asked the students and guardians not to choose those colleges for their admission.

The Ministry took the decision at a meeting held in the Secretariat with Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim in the chair on September 27.

The colleges where this year's admission is banned are Shahabuddin Medical College, Ad-din Bashundhara Medical College, Eyeche Medical College, Care Medical College and Northern International Medical College. Deputy Secretary of the ministry Umme Kulsum in a press release said that the medical colleges did not follow the rules and regulations. That is why the Ministry asked them not to enroll any student this year.

The Ministry sources said Ad-din Bashundhara Medical College is yet to buy land for its permanent campus. It has no registration also and is run by inadequate number of teachers. Shahabuddin Medical College is set up on a small piece of land, without conference room and poor number of teachers.

Care Medical College's hospital is not standard and the number of teachers is less than it needs. Northern International Medical College needs to expand its land and academic building. The number of teachers is inadequate. Eyeche Medical College has no separate academic building and sufficient teachers. The Ministry observed overall activities of the five medical colleges over the year and took decision of stoppage of admission after discussion with concerned authorities of the Ministry, an official of the Ministry wishing anonymity told The New Nation on Saturday evening.

It may be mentioned that there are 31 government medical colleges and 69 private medical colleges in the country. As many as 9,568 seats are in all medical colleges. Of them, 3,318 seats in government medical colleges and 6,250 seats in private medical colleges.

Admission test for first year MBBS courses is scheduled to be held on October 6. About 82,000 applicants will contest for 9,568 seats.


Casualties mount in Trump's first eight months

AFP :

Traffic through the exit door of Donald Trump's administration has been astonishingly high since he became president on January 20.

On Friday, Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price became the latest casualty of eight months of bedlam in the executive offices of the world's most powerful country.

Here are the main Trump aides who have come and gone since January, before Americans ever really got to know them: National Security Advisor Mike Flynn -

Trump steadfastly defended his national security adviser, even though Flynn had been fired by Barack Obama from his job as defense intelligence chief and was deeply distrusted across the intelligence community.

Flynn lasted only 22 days, forced out on February 13 over top-level concerns that he could be compromised by false statements he made over his contacts with Russian officials and his paid lobbying for Turkey during the campaign.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer -

Spicer's troubles began immediately when he was called to defend his boss's false claim about the size of the crowd at his inauguration. Spicer described the turnout as "the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period." But aerial photos clearly showed the crowd was much smaller than when Obama was sworn in for his first term in 2009. Spicer instantly lost credibility with the media.

He quickly became the favorite administration target of the comedy show Saturday Night Live, played as an oafish and irritable Trump fall-guy by comedian Melissa McCarthy.

Seeming to know his days were numbered, Spicer took to fending off questions about his boss's most provocative statements by telling the media that "the tweet speaks for itself. I'm moving on." Out on July 22, he lasted 182 days. He left when Anthony Scaramucci was named White House communications director.

Chief of Staff Reince Priebus -

The faceless former chairman of the Republican National Committee was supposed to manage the White House and control the door to Trump's office. But he couldn't manage the president himself and thus failed at any attempt to quell the chaos swirling in the West Wing. A close ally of Spicer, Priebus took a hard fall when Trump named Scaramucci as the new communications director. Scaramucci publicly described Priebus as a "paranoid schizophrenic" and when Trump let that statement stand, rather than defend Priebus, he took the exit door after 189 days, on July 31.

Scaramucci, 'the Mooch' -

Scaramucci's no-holds-barred play for Priebus's job after he was hired on July 21 was a display of his brash New York tough-guy approach to office politics. It sat poorly with the man Trump ultimately chose to be chief of staff, then Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. Within days "the Mooch"-already a late night TV icon for his tailored suits, aviator sunglasses and slicked back hair-had all the attention on himself, which was a no-no for Trump. He ended up with the shortest tenure of anyone in the Trump White House: a paltry 10 days.

Chief Strategist Steve Bannon -

The architect of Trump's nationalist-populist political stances and his election victory, Bannon was called the Prince of Darkness, Darth Vader, and even the Shadow President. His economic nationalism became the lynchpin of Trump policies, even as many of his other ideas were rebuffed by policy rivals. But after Kelly arrived, his constant clashes with other Trump advisors became untenable, as did his ties to the extreme right, which drew accusations that Trump represented racists. Bannon lasted 210 days.

Health Secretary Tom Price -

A former doctor and congressman, Price spearheaded Trump's efforts to "repeal and replace" Obama-era healthcare reforms that offered millions more Americans access to treatment, but which Republicans argue are unsustainable.

Before that dream could be realized, Price was forced to resign when it emerged that he had flown 26 trips this year on chartered private aircraft, costing the US taxpayer around $400,000.

Other casualties of the first eight months: Derek Harvey, Middle East advisor on the National Security Council; early Communications Director Mike Dubke; KT McFarland, deputy national security advisor; Katie Walsh, White House deputy chief of staff; Craig Dear, National Security Council Western Hemisphere Affairs director; and Angela Reid, White House chief usher.
Holy Ashura today

Holy Ashura, commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), will be observed in the country today (Sunday) with due religious fervour and solemnity.

On this day in the Hijri year of 61, Hazrat Imam, the grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), along with his family members and 72 followers embraced the martyrdom in the hands of Yazid's soldiers at the desert of Karbala to uphold the teachings of the Prophet (SM).

The day is a public holiday.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the occasion.

Shia community members will bring out Tazia processions in the city marking the day.

The Tajia procession will start from Imambara Husaini Dalan in Old Dhaka and the procession will be surrounded by law enforcers.

Adequate security measures have already been taken around Imambara Husaini Dalan to ensure smooth observance of Holy Ashura.

Apart from Husaini Dalan, police will be deployed on the rooftops on some buildings at some major points of Imambara for security reasons.

Security will be provided in some major places in Imambara where the Shia community will gather to celebrate the day.

Meanwhile, police have banned carrying of lethal weapons like metal weapons, knife, sword and other sharp weapons during Tajia procession.

Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television and private TV channels will air special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries founder, Prophet Walter Magaya, yesterday flew to Swaziland on a private jet at the invitation of King Mswati where he had dinner with the queen, government officials and the elderly.The Prophet was welcomed by two princes and a princess at King Mswati III International Airport.He was invited by the Royal Kingdom of Swaziland King Mswati for two days where he is expected to pronounce a blessing to the royal family and spearhead projects being carried to help the less privileged people.His arrival drew traditional chiefs, church leaders, captains of industries that business came to a halt as people clad in Swaziland traditional attire and port officials jostled to catch a glimpse of the man of cloth.Prophet Magaya landed aboard a private jet accompanied by his wife Tendai Magaya along with PHD ministry workers.They were escorted by Prince Guduza Mswati to Swaziland Secrets to pronounce a blessing to a project funded by King Mswati III.Police officers were seen holding guns along the roads before Prophet Magaya met Queen Mswati who runs the Swaziland Secret project for a briefing at Dvokolwako village.In an interview Acting Prime Minister, Paul Dhlamini said the coming of Prophet Magaya is a blessing to the nation that God will change people's lives."We thank Prophet Magaya for coming to Swaziland, his visit is a blessing to the nation and many people's lives," said Dhlamini."His visit to help the needy is commended," he added.Government officials who got opportunity to meet Prophet Magaya included Home affairs minister Princess Tsandzile, agriculture minister of labour Moses Vilakati, Minister of Sport Owen Nxumalo and Minister of Constituencies Small Gcamphalala.Her Majesty Queen Mother Mswati of Swaziland welcomed Prophet Magaya in her speech saying the people of Swaziland have been blessed by the visit of Prophet Magaya."I want to welcome my son and Prophet of God Walter Magaya and his team here," said Queen Mother Mswati."I want to believe his coming is a blessing to the Swazis and the gifts he brought for the elderly will change their lives."Many people gathered here to receive a blessing from the man of God and believe me; your prayers have been heard before he lays hands on you and the ailing people are healed," she said.
Goodbye to their own after boat capsizes

Reuters :

Grieving Rohingya Muslim refugees buried 18 of their own, including children, on Friday, hours after they drowned off the Bangladesh coast where their boat capsized in heavy seas.

Relatives wept after they identified the bodies in a makeshift morgue and took them away to be buried in a mass grave.

"Our boat hit a big rock and it turned over," said Lalu Miya, whose wife, daughter and two sons died in the accident late Thursday. Another two children are missing.

Suna Miya said, he lost three daughters, aged 10, 8 and 3, in the accident. His wife and three other children survived. As men prepared the burial ground in daylight, relatives squatted around babies covered in cloth. Hands reached out to touch the children. Miya bent over his daughter to cradle her head, and kissed her goodbye.

More than 60 refugees from Myanmar are believed to have drowned, the latest victims in what the United Nations says is the world's fastest-developing refugee emergency.

A surge in the numbers of Rohingya fleeing the Myanmar military campaign has taken the total to more than half a million in Bangladesh.

Abul Kalam, 55, who survived, said his wife, two daughters and a grandson were dead. Kalam said armed Buddhists had taken away his livestock and food a week ago. He said villagers had been summoned to a military office and told that there were no such people as Rohingya in Myanmar.

The refugee boat capsized as darkness fell, in driving wind and rain, and high seas. An official with the International Organization for Migration said 23 people were confirmed dead and 40 were missing. Seventeen survived.
Too little for too many

1,548 tons relief received so far

A number of countries and international aid agencies have so far provided 1,548 tons of emergency relief for the Rohingya refugees who took shelter at the makeshift camps in Cox's Bazar since a renewed violence erupted in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

Out of the total quantity, some 1000 tons relief were received on Thursday and Friday, officials said.

"So far, we have received 1,548 tons of emergency aid. Several countries and international aid agencies have provided the assistance for the Rohingya refugees," Habibur Rahman, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) of Chittagong told The New Nation yesterday.

He said cargo planes carrying relief supplies have arrived at Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Morocco, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, the UAE, China and the UK.

Aid agencies however said that relief that they have received in the last 21 days is not adequate to cover all the Rohigya refugees.

"It is too little to help all the refugees. The donors should scale up their support so that we can smoothly respond to the crisis," an aid worker told The New Nation yesterday on condition of anonymity.

On Friday morning, a cargo plane carrying 85 metric tons of relief of British government arrived at Chittagong Shah Amanat International Airport.

Later, another cargo plane landed at the airport carrying 60 tons relief materials donated by Norway and Finland Red Cross. On Thursday, a British cargo plane carrying 98 metric tons of relief materials arrived at the airport.

The relief materials include shelter kit, blanket, sleeping mat and medicine.

Authorities on Saturday released the relief materials from the aircraft and sent them to the government storages at Cox's Bazar.

Azerbaijan and Malaysia were the first countries to send aid. Azerbaijan sent 100 tons of goods on September 9 and has promised to provide more, while Malaysia sent 12 tons of relief goods that included rice, lentils, oil and sugar.

The Republic of Turkey sent 55 tons of food aid as well on September 9, as well as an ambulance and toys for the children. The food aid includes rice, vegetable oil, lentils, sugar and salt.

Indonesia has so far sent four cargo planes carrying 77 tons of relief items, including electric generators, family kits, different food items, biscuits and coconut oil, while Morocco sent 14 tons of goods, including tents, blankets, medicine, powdered milk, mattress and rice.

India provided 53 tons of relief on September 14 and another 107 tons arrived the following day (September 15) at the Shah Amanat Airport. An Indian Navy ship carrying 700 tons of aid arrived at Chittagong Port on Thursday morning totaling its aid to 860 tons.

Indian aid included rice, lentils, salt, sugar, tea, powdered milk, biscuits, soap and mosquito nets.

Forty tons of relief from Iran including mattresses, tents, blankets, biscuits, dry food and medicine reached Chittagong on September 15.

China has so far sent a total of 110.53 tonnes of aid for the Rohingyas.

The UAE has given 830,000 Dirham (Tk1.83 crore) for the Rohingya.

Besides, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark, Kuwait, European Union and many other countries have promised to provide aid for the Rohigya refugees.
First span of Padma Bridge installed

The first 150-metre long span was installed on two pillars of long cherished Padma Bridge. This photo was taken from Jajira area on Saturday.

UNB, Munshiganj :

The much-hyped Padma Bridge is now a visible reality as the first span (superstructure) of the bridge has been placed on pillars on Saturday morning.

The 150 metres long span was installed on the pillar No 37 and 38 that took two hours, starting from 8:00 am.

"Through the installation of first span, the Padma Bridge is now a visible reality, removing all uncertainties", said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.

The long-cherished Padma Bride has been progressed one step forward through this span installation, he added.

Munshiganj-2 constituency MP Shagufta Yasmin Emily, Bridge secretary Anwarul Islam, Padma Bridge Project Director Shafiqul Islam, engineers concerned of the Bridge, Bangladesh Army general Abu Sayeed, representatives from China Major Bridge, among others, were present.

The construction work is going on in a full swing to finish the project by the stipulated time, said Quader.

The second span will be installed on pillar No. 38 and 39 in the last end of October, he said, adding that the construction work of pillar No. 39 will end soon.

The construction work of the much-talked Padma Bridge started in December in 2015.

Around 47 percent of the bridge had been completed so far.

It is expected that the mega construction will be completed by December next year.
Durga Puja ends with immersion of Idols

Five-day Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu Community ended yesterday with immersion of Devi Durga\'s idol amid much enthusiasm and festivity. This photo was taken from Buriganga River.

BSS, Dhaka :

The five-day Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bengali-speaking followers of Hindu community, ended yesterday with immersion of Devi Durga and other goddesses amid much enthusiasm and festivity.

Durga Puja began on September 26 with the incarnation (Bodhon) of the Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Shashti at temples across the country.

Maha Saptami puja was observed on Wednesday (September 27),

Maha Ashtami, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja on Thursday and Maha Nabami Puja on Friday. As many as 30,077 permanent and temporary pandals were erected in the country including 231 in the capital city this year, while 1,767 puja pandaps were set up in Chittagong, 1,242 in Dinajpur and 1,175 in Gopalganj. Talking to BSS, a group of devotees of Hindu Community yesterday said that Bangladesh is an instance of communal harmony as people of all Hindu faiths have been observing their Durga Puja with liberty for long.

They viewed that the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly so that people of all religions can live with peace and enjoy equal rights. A puja udjapan committee member said that thousands of devout Hindus including Jagannath Hall joined colourful marches on the city streets and elsewhere in the country as the idols of all Gods and Goddesses were being carried to Buriganga River at Wasieghat point at evening. Mohanagar Sarbojanin Puja Udjapan Committee president D N Chattarjee and general secretary Advocate Shyamol Kumar Roy thanked to the Prime Minister, law aneforcemenr agencies and journalists for their cooperation to hold peaceful Durga Puja. Besides, the idols of all Gods and Goddesses were being carried to nearby rivers, ponds, canals and other water bodies for immersion after Bijoya Dashami, the last and largely attended ritual to bid farewell to Devi Durga, daughter of the majestic Himalayas. Bijoya Dashami, marking the Victory of Good over Evil and God over Devil according to the Hindu faith, is celebrated on the 10th day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the early autumn month of Ashwin and is the grand culmination of the 10-day annual Navaratri or "nine nights" festival.

Before removing the idols of Durga and other Gods and Goddesses from the altar of all mandaps (makeshift worship pavilions) for immersion, the Hindu devotees danced and sang 'kirton' expressing their deep emotional pathos as "Durga Maa" was leaving all of her sons and daughters for full one year. On the occasion of Bijoya Dashami, the main traditional puja procession arranged by Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee with the image of Durga started from Dhakeshwari Temple here at 4 pm and ended at Sadarghat on the bank of the river Buriganga after parading different city streets. Yesterday was a public holiday. On the day of Bijoya Dsahami, Dashami Bihit Puja was held at different puja mandaps in the morning. President Abdul Hamid hosted a reception at Bangabhaban yesterday for the members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Durga Puja.

Different socio-cultural organisations of the community as well as Mandir managements arranged blood donation programme and distributed clothes among the poor on the occasion. The government enforced the tightest possible security around the Puja mandaps or makeshift venues decorated with flowers and multi-coloured lights for smooth celebration of the Hindu community's greatest religious festival. Plain clothe policemen were on the vigil alongside thousands of policemen to prevent any possible act of sabotage during the festival. Reports coming from Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Barisal, and Rangpur divisional cities as well as other district towns said that the Hindus immersed their Gods and Goddesses including Devi Durga quite peacefully and ceremonially after the end of the five-day grand celebration. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and other private TV channels as well as radio stations aired special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.
Myanmar military has to be punished to stop humanitarian nightmare

The Rohingya crisis has undeniably spiralled into the world's fastest developing refugee emergency, a humanitarian and human rights nightmare. The first-hand testimonials of the Rohingya refugees clearly hint at excessive violence and serious violations of human rights, including indiscriminate firing of weapons, use of landmines against civilians and sexual violence. Not to mention that this is not a sad tale of mere ethnic cleansing or outburst of communal hatred - it is the combination of multiple crimes being committed deliberately by a reckless and malicious military for more than over five decades inside a closed country. Moreover, the army is continuing to do it by ignoring and justifying its crimes at the cost of wreaking havoc on another nation.





America, Britain and France were joined by many Council Members in demanding an immediate end to the violence and a strong council response. A global coalition of 88-civil society and human rights organizations urged the Security Council to step up pressure on Myanmar's authorities by seriously considering options for imposing arms embargo against the military and targeted financial sanctions against individuals responsible for crimes against humanity, but the prospect of a strong response from the Security Council, however, appeared unlikely after both China and Russia supported the Myanmar government's approach to tackle the crisis.





According to the Secretary General of the UN the situation in Myanmar is "fast developing into a humanitarian nightmare". He has urged Myanmar to end its military operation which has sparked the exodus of Rohingyas since August. The Secretary General Mr Guterres confirmed he has received bone-chilling accounts from those who fled, mainly women, children and the elderly. But despite such en-masse killing, Russia and China remained unmoved.





The Security Council could not pass any resolution for taking action against Myanmar because Russia and China were found supporting the butchering in Myanmar of men, women and children with no consideration for humanity. There is no big power politics involved and yet China and Russia refused to come to the aid of Rohingyas who have been denied their citizenship and threw them out their homeland most savagely. They lost no time in forgetting the good relationship Bangladesh maintained with them. Rohingya crisis has caused awful uncertainty to cope with the refugees who came from Myanmar.





Bangladesh could do nothing to stop them except killing them like the Myanmar army. Even if the allegation is true, no country can legally throw out a whole ethnic population. These people used to have Rakhine State as their independent country.





Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the United Nations accused Myanmar authorities on Thursday of carrying out a brutal, sustained campaign to cleanse the country of an ethnic minority.





She has shown foresight when she categorically expressed the view that "The tome for well-meaning diplomatic words in the (Security Council) has passed. She said elsewhere in her statement: We must now consider the security forces who are implicated in abusing and stoking harmed among their own citizens. It was the first time that the US has called for punishment of Myanmar army.





Bangladesh had nothing to do with the crisis in Myanmar. But Myanmar has committed an act of aggression against Bangladesh by pushing nearly ten lakhs of their own people into Bangladesh. The people are still coming as the killing of Muslims continuing unabated.







One can also say that Myanmar has thrust a war on Bangladesh if immediately the Rohingya refugees are not taken back under an international arrangement. Myanmar does attach no such importance to bilateral agreements reached in the past.





Now it is an international genocide case and it has to be settled through an internationally binding pact.





Responsible observers say that Myanmar calculated that Bangladesh is weak for a military response. Myanmar should not have thought in terms of military response. It may aggravate the crisis within Myanmar also. Nowadays no war is fought alone. If any such eventuality occurs then Myanmar will be a hot bed for international terrorists. In Bangladesh, there is likely to raise public anger and unrest among its own people.





Let the existing peace continue in this region.





So let us think of a peaceful solution of the refugee crisis. No country can accept any other country's people as its own.
Teenaged girl allegedly raped in Mirpur

UNB, Dhaka :

A teenaged girl was allegedly raped at a hotel in the city's Mirpur area on Friday.

Sources at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) said the girl, aged around 16, was rescued by one Nazma and her husband Sajjad Hossain Jiban, a security guard, from in front of the Prince Bakery in Mirpur-1 at around 8:20 pm on Friday night.

"As the girl was very sick bleeding from her lower parts, we took her to a local clinic and then Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, and finally shifted her to DMCH," Nazma said.

Replying to a question, Nazma said the girl told her that she was going to Gazipur from Tangail to meet her brother-in-law on Friday morning. One Shakil took her to Mirpur promising that he would help her to go to Gazipur, she said.
Free visa trap

Several thousand BD workers become jobless in KSA

Reza Mahmud :

Several thousand Bangladeshi workers have become jobless in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as the authorities there decided to reduce the number of foreign workers there by the year 2020.

Sources said, most of these jobless Bangladeshi workers went to the Kingdom with "free visa" which means no job guarantee. They said, these workers went to Saudi Arabia with only job assurance from the recruiting agencies, their agents or relatives living there. These ill-fated migrants are now facing a very hard time in absence of any job opportunity.

In the past, many Bangladeshi free visa holders managed suitable jobs with good wages. But the scenario has changed now-a-days.

Meanwhile, hundreds of illegal Bangladesh workers are now leaving Saudi Arabia as the country on September 16 announced another amnesty for illegal foreign workers in Saudi Arabia. The date will expire on October 15.

According to the sources, currently more than 20 lakh Bangladeshi expatriates are working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"A huge number of expatriate Bangladeshi workers are now living in an unemployed condition in different areas in the Kingdom. They are now facing hard days," said Abu Hasan, an expatriate Bangladeshi working in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.

Hasan said, "It is the result of the Saudi government's decision to reduce the number of foreign workers."

Another expatriate Amir Charu Bablu who works in Saudi capital Riyadh, said, "Thousands of Bangladeshi workers who had been working for long are now unemployed. The permanent job holders have become day labourers."

Bablu said that those who have capacity to speak in Arabic and skilled in different works could manage jobs on daily basis here in the country. But those who do not know Arabic and are unskilled are sitting idle.

"Most of the Bangladeshis are in troubles. Some of the workers are trying to leave for Bangladesh but still most of them are trying their best to stay in Saudi Arabia as they had spent huge amount of money to come here," said Amir Charu Bablu.

About shrinking of job market in the KSA, Bablu said, "It is because of Saudization."

"Most of the Saudi companies' condition are now vulnerable. "As a result, they are trying to cut manpower to reduce loss," he said, adding if the country hires only Saudis for shops and groceries then around 300,000 Bangladeshi workers might become jobless.

According to expatriates, they have given at least Tk 600,000 to the local agents or recruiting agencies to come to Saudi Arabia.

"Even a free visa holder also had to pay some amount of money to the agents. But in that case, the agents or agencies have no liability of assuring him a job," said Liton Hossain, an expatriate in Jeddah.

Sources said, Saudi Arabia has decided to start "National Transformation Programme" in last May. According to the progaramme, every public job will be transferred to Saudi nationals by 2020.

Under the policy, no job in grocery or other shops would remain open to foreign workers. The authorities of the country want to create more employment facilities for the Saudi people.

The sources said, all foreign workers must leave the country within 2020.

Despite attempts on several times over phone, Dr. Nomita Halder, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment, could not be connected for comments in this regard.






News / National

by Staff reporter

Illegal foreign currency dealers disappeared from the streets yesterday and immediately went underground following the promulgation of harsh regulations that criminalise cash vending without permission from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ).A survey by the Daily News showed yesterday that illegal foreign exchange trading points in the major cities of Harare and Bulawayo were deserted as money changers retreated underground for fear of arrests.This was after plain-clothed police officers launched a blitz against the money changers in areas that had become a haven for illegal money changers.In Harare, there was no sign of any foreign currency trading at the popular Eastgate Mall - along Sam Nujoma Street - Fourth Street bus terminus; Ximex area and Copacabana.While the money changers also disappeared from their favourite spots in the second largest city of Bulawayo, including from the popular Usiphatheleni - also known as the World Bank - illicit dealing is still taking place in hidden corners.The usually congested street corners of Bulawayo were conspicuously empty, as the money changers have devised new ways of trading in currencies that are in high demand.Most of them are now leaving their money in cars to evade being detected by police unlike in the past when they would publicly parade the notes for all to see.On Thursday, government gazetted regulations that criminalise cash vending without permission from the exchange control.Through the regulations, police have been empowered to arrest illegal money changers and seize whatever currency they will be trading in.Another law is in the offing, according to Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa that will send unlicensed foreign currency dealers to jail for 10 years."Trading in currency without a licence is an offence. The regulations make it clear that anyone who deals in currency as commodity either at a premium or at a discount commits an offence," Chinamasa told parliamentarians on Thursday.The new law is expected to be rammed through the bicameral Parliament, where President Robert Mugabe enjoys a commanding two-thirds majority in both houses.For now, the authorities can, however, not claim victory as yet as illegal foreign currency dealers are still operating discreetly in both Harare and Bulawayo.Legal experts welcomed the move, but said there was need to address the root cause of crisis which has led to the sprouting of money changers and the availability of notes in the street, while it's scarce in banks.Harare lawyer Emmanuel Mukweva told the Daily News yesterday that even though the sentence might be deterrent, it is not the panacea to the money problems the country is facing, as the solution is to deal with the root cause."Generally, I think the solution is to address the economic situation that the country is facing and to get rid of the parallel market. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe must do its mandatory duty to deal with the crisis. Even if they arrest the money changers, it will not change the situation at all."The current situation involves bigger players, because the notes that we see on the streets are crispy, meaning the money is being taken from a certain source. They get the money from the bank, someone is supplying that money, there is someone doing all these things. The one supplying the notes is the biggest problem and that primary player must be held accountable," Mukweva said.Another Harare lawyer Dumisani Mthombeni commended the move to jail the money changers although he said this came a little too late."A welcome move albeit belated. Laws alone will not achieve much without implementation and the right attitude from us all," Mthombeni wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter account.He further told the Daily News in a telephone interview that the laws should be used uniformly to deal with the money changers."Laws are only effective as we want them to be. We can have a law in place but the law is useless on its own unless we implement it. We hope there will be uniformity in the application of the law and law enforcement agents will not use the laws corruptly for self-enrichment through bribery," Mthombeni said.Zimbabwe is currently suffering a cash crisis as banks have run dry of bank notes.Nonetheless, wads of cash are being channelled into the informal sector, where the exchange rate for the bond note introduced in November last year is running wild.While the bond notes were meant to trade at 1:1 viz-a-viz the United State dollar, rates have gone up by as much as 50 percent if not more.The market has also experienced a three-tier pricing system with each form of transaction having its own price.Heavy premiums apply to electronic transfers effected through the Real Time Gross Settlement system.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A Harare man reportedly bashed two cops before stealing a bag with $65 in traffic fines.Piyano Simbarashe, 33, appeared before Harare magistrate Barbra Mateko charged with assaulting a peace officer and theft.He denied the charges and is currently out of custody pending finalisation of the case.The complainant is Priviledge Fadziso Nyongani, a cop employed by Zimbabwe Republic Police National Highway.Prosecutor Idah Maromo alleged that on September 23 around 2pm, Nyongani was at corner Robert Mugabe Way and Innez Terrace Way in the city on traffic duties in the company of one constable Magura and observed Simbarashe failing to obey a stop sign.It was alleged that Nyongani signalled for Simbarashe to stop and advised him that he had breached road regulations before ordering him to pay a fine but he refused and suggested that a docket be compiled for him to contest the matter in court.Nyongani and Magura forced themselves into Simbarashe's car ordering him to go to Harare Central Police Station but instead he diverted route and drove to Karigamombe Centre claiming his driver's licence was kept there.The court heard that when Simbarashe arrived at Karigamombe, he disembarked from his car and locked the detectives inside the car before returning with a mob that threatened to kill the detectives if they attempted to arrest him.It was alleged that commotion broke at the scene and some of Simbarashe's accomplices - who are still at large - stole a traffic porch bag number 0240 and $65.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Zimbabwe National Army is equipping its combat engineers with relevant knowledge in civil engineering for efficiency in both combat and civil engineering assignments, ZNA Commander Lieutenant-General Philip Valerio Sibanda has said.Speaking at the inaugural graduation ceremony of National Diploma students in Civil Engineering at the Zimbabwe School of Military Engineering at Pomona Barracks, Lt-Gen Sibanda said the graduation was a sign of the organisation transforming itself into a contemporary force, capable of undertaking any task globally."The graduates are ice-breakers, they are the first intake when the Zimbabwe School of Military Engineering got affiliated to the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and enrolled for Higher Education Council," he said.Lt Gen Sibanda said efforts were underway to address challenges affecting the civil engineering course."Army headquarters is aware of the challenges affecting this training establishment in the execution of your duties and responsibilities. Efforts are underway to address the challenges of workshops, laboratories, standard library and other logistics required to efficiently run civil engineering courses,," he said.Lt-Gen Sibanda said all the graduates should take note that the training was the cornerstone of any formidable army."Let me hasten you to remind you that you will be required to design, construct and render advice and apply yourselves diligently without cutting corners," he said.Lt-Gen Sibanda thanked the guest lecturers for their support and urged them to continue supporting the school. He said the successful completion of the inaugural civil engineering course did not bring gratification to the Corps of Engineers alone, but to ZNA as a whole. School of Military Engineering Commandant, Lieutenant Colonel Augustine Ruwambara, said the aim of the course was to impart the required civil engineering knowledge and skills for students to work as technicians."I would like to assure you that we will continue with the spirit of achieving the best. I also confidently assure you that these graduates now have the requisite knowledge to suit any civil engineering assignment," he said.There were 16 graduates who managed to complete the course out of 22, the other six students were sent back to their units because of indiscipline and poor performance.
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. JONATHAN MORALES, Petitioner - Appellant, v. SECRETARY, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, Respondent - Appellee. No. 13-15593 Decided: September 28, 2017

Before JORDAN, JULIE CARNES, and JILL PRYOR, Circuit Judges.

Jonathan Morales appeals the district court's denial of his pro se 28 U.S.C.  2254 petition. We granted a certificate of appealability on four issues concerning defense counsel's effectiveness under the Sixth Amendment. Upon review, we affirm the district court's denial of habeas relief. See Madison v. Comm'r, Alabama Dep't of Corr., 851 F.3d 1173, 1182 (11th Cir. 2017) (relief under  2254 is available when state court's decision (1) was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States, or (2) was based on an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented in the State court proceeding. ) (quoting 28 U.S.C.  2254(d)).

After his convictions on two counts of murder, Mr. Morales filed a motion to set aside the judgment. The trial court rejected his claims as meritless. On appeal, the Fourth District affirmed per curiam without opinion, see Morales v. State, 92 So. 3d 839 (Fla. 4th DCA 2012), which we also treat as a rejection of Mr. Morales' claims on the merits. See Shelton v. Sec'y, Dep't of Corr., 691 F.3d 1348, 1353 (11th Cir. 2012); Wilson v. Warden, Georgia Diagnostic Prison, 834 F.3d 1227, 123132 (11th Cir. 2016) (if the last adjudication does not explain the state court's reasoning, the federal court must determine what arguments or theories supported or  could have supported the state court's decision). Mr. Morales then attacked his judgment through a federal  2254 habeas petition. The district court denied the petition, and we granted a certificate of appealability on four claims. This appeal followed.

Mr. Morales first argues his attorney was ineffective for failing to strike juror Karen Taylor. A court employee overheard Ms. Taylor questioning why Mr. Morales would not testify in his defense and admitted to making the comments when later questioned by the court. Mr. Morales maintains that any reasonable attorney would have struck the juror because the comments show she could not be impartial. See Morgan v. Illinois, 504 U.S. 719, 726727 (1992) (a juror who is not impartial must be removed for cause); Butts v. GDCP Warden, 850 F.3d 1201, 1213 (11th Cir. 2017) (ineffective assistance claim requires proof that counsel's performance was deficient, and that the deficient performance prejudiced the defense) (citation and quotation marks omitted). His argument, however, ignores the subsequent questioning of the juror. During examination, Ms. Taylor confirmed that she absolutely understood Mr. Morales had a right not to testify and that she absolutely could be a fair juror even if Mr. Morales did not testify. See D.E. 12-3 at 22:1517; 1925. This was enough to establish she could be impartial. See Skilling v. United States, 561 U.S. 358, 398399 (2010) (it is sufficient if the juror can lay aside [her] impression or opinion and render a verdict based on the evidence presented in court); Hallford v. Culliver, 458 F.3d 1193, 1204 (11th Cir. 2006) (jurors are presumed to follow the law as instructed by the trial court). Moreover, both defense counsel and Mr. Morales told the trial court that they wanted to keep Ms. Taylor on the jury.

Mr. Morales next argument takes aim at his counsel's alleged failure to investigate and call Brandon Hammond as a witness. Mr. Morales was convicted of two murders that, based on trial testimony, occurred after he and a group of individuals drove to Mr. Hammond's home to purchase a large amount of cocaine. Mr. Morales points to a written statement by Mr. Hammond which states Mr. Hammond never met Mr. Morales. This testimony, Mr. Morales argues, would have established his innocence. But the statement is generally consistent with the witnesses' trial testimony, which established that another member of the group had known Mr. Hammond and was the one to go into Mr. Hammond's home to purchase cocaine. Under the circumstances, counsel's failure to call Mr. Hammond did not constitute ineffective assistance. See Raleigh v. Sec'y, Florida Dep't of Corr., 827 F.3d 938, 956 (11th Cir. 2016) (Which witnesses, if any, to call, and when to call them, is the epitome of a strategic decision, and it is one that we will seldom, if ever, second guess.) (citation and quotation marks omitted); Nejad v. Attorney Gen., State of Georgia, 830 F.3d 1280, 1290 (11th Cir. 2016) (Under Strickland, a defendant is prejudiced by his counsel's deficient performance if there is a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's unprofessional errors, the result of the proceeding would have been different.) (citation and quotation marks omitted).

Mr. Morales' third argument challenges counsel's failure to object to statements made by the prosecutor at closing argument, specifically, alleged statements painting Mr. Morales as a crew or gang member hired to commit murders. Mr. Morales contends the comments were unsupported by the record and amounted to objectionable prosecutorial misconduct. We disagree. The comments made by the prosecutorthat Mr. Morales and a group of individuals traveled to Mr. Hammond's house to buy cocaine; that the boss of the drug house was Mr. Hammond; that Mr. Hammond went nuts when he found out strangers, the eventual victims, had been brought to the drug house; and that Mr. Morales and his co-defendant killed their victims to silence the boys who saw something they were not supposed to know, where B [Mr. Hammond] is, where his drug house is, where the drugs arewere all reasonably supported by the record. See Tr. Tran., D.E. 12-4 at 259:12260:17; Stephens v. Sec'y, Florida Dep't of Corr., 678 F.3d 1219, 1227 (11th Cir. 2012) (rejecting ineffective assistance claim where prosecutor's comments were not improper).

Finally, Mr. Morales argues his counsel's alleged cumulative errors deprived him of a right to a fair trial. We are, however, limited to the issues presented in the certificate of appealability, see Jordan v. Sec'y Dep't of Corr., 485 F.3d 1351, 1356 (11th Cir. 2007), and we have rejected all of the claims of error before us. There are, therefore, no errors to cumulate.

Accordingly, we affirm the district court's dismissal of Mr. Morales' habeas petition.

AFFIRMED.

PER CURIAM:
MURPHYSBORO  More than 40 local musicians in Southern Illinois are coming together next month to raise money for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Hurricane Irma in Florida.

The weekend of performances, dubbed Couldnt Stand the Weather, is set for Oct. 6 through Oct. 8 at three Southern Illinois venues. Musicians are donating their time for the event, said Bill Harper, a Murphysboro-based performer who is organizing the effort.

Natural disasters seem to connect with people in a unique way," Harper said in a news release. "It brings out our sympathetic and empathetic natures. Musicians, especially, make that connection because of our inherent abilities to create from joy, pain, suffering and redemption. It was not difficult to find professionals to volunteer their time and talents to this worthwhile endeavor.

The event is taking place rain or shine.

The first event kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct.6, at Brews Bros. Taproom, 1105 Chestnut St. in Murphysboro.

A food truck also will be on site for the evening of music.

A $10 minimum donation will be collected at the door. Musicians on tap for this evening include Candy Davis, Roy Hitman Hawk, Bill Carr, Larry LowDog Davis, Ethan Taylor Stephenson, Clayton Gribble, Sarah Lannom, The Twang Kings, Kristen Kearns Duo and The Violet Hour.

The second day of this musical benefit will be at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, held at the Varsity Center 418 So. Illinois Ave. in Carbondale. The concert will be held in the newly refurbished balcony theater with a $25 minimum donation to enter.

The bar opens at 6:15 p.m. Acts that night include Mama Rocket, the Naas Brothers, Dakota Holden, Sweet KayTeeJay and Exeters Landing Duo, with Harper and Ray Maring.

The third day starts at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at Trails End Lodge, 425 Skyline Drive in Cobden.

Donations will accepted all day. Food and drinks will be on sale on site, with a percentage of receipts being donated. Musical acts include Clear Eyed View, Moving Mary, Loose Gravel, Ethan Stephenson Band, Radio Days, Blackberry Blossoms, Lone Howl, Exeters Landing Band, and Low Dog Band.

Marshall Anderson and Chris Brown are providing sound and stage management for the events.

All proceeds will be split between The Houston Food Bank in Houston and the Second Harvest Food Bank in Clearwater, Florida.
PICKNEYVILLE  Pickneyville Elementary School school superintendent has been named superintendent of the year by the Egyptian Division of the Illinois Association of School Administrators.

Tim OLeary, who has served as superintendent of Pinckneyville School District No. 50 for 23 years, represents school superintendents from seven Southern Illinois counties in the statewide Illinois Association of School Administrators Superintendent of Distinction award program, according to a news release from Du Quoin Community Unit School District 300 Superintendent Gary Kellys office.

We are pleased to have an experienced veteran like Mr. OLeary representing our group, selection committee member and Du Quoin Superintendent Gary Kelly said in a written statement issued Tuesday. Kelly went on to explain that OLeary is the longest serving school superintendent in Southern Illinois.

Throughout his career, he has led his district by example, nurturing and mentoring his local and regional colleagues, both formally and informally in the process, Kelly said in the release.

The release said this nomination comes at a critical juncture in public education in Illinois and that OLeary has been an excellent example to other educators.

Tim embodies the idea of hard work, dedication, and progressive education, Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District No. 196 Superintendent Jason Henry said. Hes not only strong in the functional areas of school administration, but he loves helping students and staff members succeed.

The Egyptian Division of IASA, the regional branch of the statewide superintendents association, serves district superintendents in Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Perry, Washington, Wayne, and White counties.
MARION  Alzheimers Disease is becoming more and more common, according to Courtney Finigan, manager of special events for the Alzheimers Association.

Currently, around 220,000 people in Illinois are living with the disease, and it affects 5 million people in the U.S.

Every 66 seconds somebody is diagnosed, and two-thirds of those living with Alzheimers disease are women, Finigan said. We are hoping to raise funds to do our part.

They're doing so by participating in the Marion Walk to End Alzheimers. Finigan said plans for the event are well underway.

The walk on Oct. 7 will be at the VA Hospital in Marion. Registration starts at 8:45 a.m., with opening ceremonies at 9:30 a.m. The walk starts at 10 a.m.

People do not have to register in advance. They can register at the walk. People even can fundraise without attending the walk.

Registered walkers who raise $100 or more will receive a free T-shirt.

In addition to the walk, activities will be available for the entire family, such as face painting and pumpkins to paint and decorate. Finigan added that sponsors will be giving away donuts, cotton candy and all types of goodies.

Now, we have about 100 walkers registered, but we are expecting at least 250 walkers. The goal for fundraising is $36,000, Finigan said. We have raised about 63 percent of our goal.

Funds go to care support and research. A lot of research is not local, according to Finigan. Some is even being done overseas.

This is our third year for the Marion walk. We have great sponsors, volunteers and team captains. Its been a great success so far, and we hope to hit our fundraising goal, Finigan said.

We do have two walks in the area. Marion is the next one coming up, Finigan said.

The Carbondale Walk to End Alzheimers was Sept. 23.

For more information or to sign up to volunteer or walk, contact Finigan at 618-985-1003 of cfinigan@alz.org.
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. DAVID NICOLL * MELISSA SINGH, Appellant *(Pursuant to Rule 12(a), Fed. R. App. P.) No. 15-2901 Decided: September 28, 2017

Before: AMBRO, KRAUSE, Circuit Judges, and CONTI  , District Judge

OPINION*

David Nicoll purchased a blood testing laboratory that became the center of a bribery and kickback scheme by which he would pay bribes to physicians to induce them to refer their patients' blood samples to his laboratory. He pled guilty to the charges against him and, as part of the plea agreement, agreed to forfeit all of his rights, title, and interest in property listed in the agreement. One item of real property on that list was a Manhattan condominium worth approximately $700,000 that was purchased by Appellant Melissa Singh. She had a romantic relationship with Nicoll, and he gave her the necessary funds using the laboratory's company account (that is, it was purchased with illegal kickbacks he received while running his criminal enterprise). Singh holds title to the property and has been in exclusive possession of it.

The District Court entered a First Preliminary Order of Forfeiture that included the condominium. Singh filed a third-party petition claiming an interest in the property but the Court dismissed it. It determined that Singh had purchased the unit with money furnished by Nicoll from the proceeds of his criminal activity and thus it was properly forfeited. It also found that, because Singh purchased the condominium with money given to her as a gift, she was not a bona fide purchaser of the unit and could not claim a third-party interest in it under the criminal forfeiture statute, 21 U.S.C.  853. Singh appeals.

In criminal forfeiture proceedings, the Government must establish the requisite nexus between the [forfeited] property and the offense. Fed. R. Crim. P. 32.2(b)(1)(A). A court will then make a preliminary forfeitability determination based on evidence already in the record, id. at 32.2(b)(1)(B), and which is made without regard to any third party's interest in the property, id. at 32.2(b)(2)(A). By statute, a third party cannot challenge an order of preliminary forfeiture in criminal proceedings over property forfeited to the Government as a result of a criminal conviction. 21 U.S.C.  853(k). Instead, a third party claiming an interest in forfeited property may file an ancillary proceeding in which he or she demonstrates that interest. Id.  853(n). Only if the third party has established it has a vested right in the property superior to that of the defendant, or it is a bona fide purchaser of the property, will the court amend the preliminary forfeiture order. United States v. Lavin, 942 F.2d 177, 185 (3d Cir. 1991) (citing 21 U.S.C.  853(n)(6)(A) and (B)).

Singh asserts that the District Court erred in permitting the Government to demonstrate the requisite nexus after the property was listed in the preliminary forfeiture order. She claims the Government must make that demonstration prior to the property's entry in the order, and thus the District Court erred, affecting her rights in the proceeding. She is incorrect. We need not address whether the District Court committed procedural error afoul of Rule 32.2 because, even if it did, that error is irrelevant to Singh's claimed third-party interest.

Rule 32.2 creates a bifurcated forfeiture procedure for all interested parties. At the first stage, only the Government and defendant are involvedthe court makes a preliminary forfeiture determination without regard to any third party's interest, which can only be considered later after the preliminary order is issued. Fed. R. Crim. P. 32.2(b)(2)(A). At this stage, the requisite nexus analysis affects only the rights of the defendant. That is, the Rule's purpose is to require that the Government demonstrate why forfeiture of the defendant's property is appropriate to ensure that it does not wrongly seize property unrelated to a defendant's criminal activity. It is a procedural safeguard to protect the defendant. See Libretti v. United States, 516 U.S. 29, 41 (1995) (Rules regarding criminal forfeiture generally attach heightened procedural protections to imposition of criminal forfeiture as punishment for certain types of criminal conduct.). Third parties are immaterial to the requisite nexus analysis. Indeed, they are expressly barred from intervening in it. 21 U.S.C.  853(k).

The second stage of the forfeiture proceedings allows third parties to file ancillary proceedings and establish their superseding or bona fide-purchaser interests in the forfeited property. Fed. R. Crim. P. 32.2(c). But this does not provide the opportunity to re-litigate matters pertinent to the prior stage of the proceedings from which that third party was statutorily excluded. That is what Singh attempts to do here. Whether the District Court followed the exact steps outlined in Rule 32.2(b) is of no import to her. Per the Rule and the forfeiture statute, any error would implicate Nicoll's property rights, not Singh's. The only relevant question on appeal as it pertains to Singh is whether the District Court correctly determined that she did not possess a superior property interest or was not a bona fide purchaser of the condominium (and thus whether she had a third-party interest in the property for the purpose of forfeiture).

Turning to that question, the District Court concluded that Singh had no superior property right at the time of the commission of the acts which gave rise to the forfeiture of the property, as required by 21 U.S.C.  853(n)(6)(A). It is undisputed that she purchased the condominium during the commission of Nicoll's criminal scheme. The Court also determined that, because Singh admitted that the condominium was obtained with money given to her by Nicoll as a gift, she was not a bona fide purchaser of it as alternatively required by 21 U.S.C.  853(n)(6)(B). See United States v. Kennedy, 201 F.3d 1324, 1335 (11th Cir. 2000). Singh does not contest these findings. Under the forfeiture statute she has no third-party interest in the property that warrants its excision from the stipulated list of property in the forfeiture order.

Accordingly, we affirm.

FOOTNOTES

. Furthermore, the District Court eventually determined that the Government met its burden in demonstrating the requisite nexus between the condominium and proceeds from Nicoll's criminal activity before entering the final forfeiture order. To the extent there was any procedural error in making this determination, that is Nicoll's appeal to take (as it implicates only his rights), and he does not pursue such an appeal.

AMBRO, Circuit Judge
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump's health secretary resigned Friday, after his costly travel triggered investigations that overshadowed the administration's agenda and angered his boss. Tom Price's regrets and partial repayment couldn't save his job.

The Health and Human Services secretary became the first member of the president's Cabinet to be pushed out in a turbulent young administration that has seen several high-ranking White House aides ousted. A former GOP congressman from the Atlanta suburbs, Price served just eight months.

Publicly, Trump had said he was "not happy" with Price for repeatedly using private charter aircraft for official trips on the taxpayer's dime, when cheaper commercial flights would have done in many cases.

Privately, Trump has been telling associates in recent days that his health chief had become a distraction and was overshadowing his tax overhaul agenda and undermining his campaign promise to "drain the swamp" of corruption, according to three people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The flap prompted scrutiny of other Cabinet members' travel, as the House Oversight and Government Reform committee launched a governmentwide investigation of top political appointees. Other department heads have been scrambling to explain their own travel.

Price's repayment of $51,887.31 for his own travel costs and his public expression of regrets did not placate the White House. The total travel cost, including the secretary's entourage, was unclear. It could amount to several hundred thousand dollars.

An orthopedic surgeon turned politician, Price rose to Budget Committee chairman in the House, where he was known as a fiscal conservative. When Price joined the administration, Trump touted him as a conservative policy expert who could write a new health care bill to replace the Obama-era Affordable Care Act.

But Price became more of a supporting player in the GOP's futile health care campaign, while Vice President Mike Pence took the lead, particularly in dealing with the Senate. The perception of Price jetting around while GOP lawmakers labored to repeal "Obamacare" including a three-nation trip in May to Africa and Europe raised eyebrows on Capitol Hill. Price flew on military aircraft overseas.

Although much of Trump's ire over the health care failure has been aimed at the Republican-controlled Congress, associates of the president said he also assigns some blame to Price, who he believes did not do a good job of selling the GOP plan.

A Pence protege, Seema Verma, has been mentioned as a possible successor to Price. Verma already leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which runs health insurance programs that cover more than 130 million Americans.

Another possible HHS candidate: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who won some bipartisan support in his confirmation and is well known in policy, government and industry circles.

Trump named Don J. Wright, a deputy assistant secretary of health, to serve as acting secretary.

Price, 62, was seen in Congress as a foe of wasteful spending. As HHS secretary, he led a $1 trillion department whose future is the key to managing mounting federal budgetary deficits. As secretary, Price criticized the Medicaid health program for low-income people, saying it doesn't deliver results commensurate with the hundreds of billions of dollars taxpayers spend on it. As a congressman, he favored Medicare privatization.

But Price's image as a budget hawk took a hit when reports of his official travel started bubbling up. Price used private charter flights on 10 trips with multiple segments, when in many cases cheaper commercial flights were available. His charter travel was first reported by the news site Politico.

On a trip in June to Nashville, Tennessee, Price also had lunch with his son, who lives in that city, according to Politico. Another trip was from Dulles International Airport in the Washington suburbs to Philadelphia International Airport, a distance of 135 miles.

The reports triggered a review by the HHS inspector general's office, which is looking into whether Price's travel violated federal travel regulations. Those rules generally require officials to minimize costs.

The controversy over Price was a catalyst for Congress launching a bipartisan probe of travel by political appointees across the administration. The House oversight committee has requested travel records from the White House and 24 federal departments and agencies.

Initially, Price's office said the secretary's busy scheduled forced him to use charters from time to time.

But later Price's response changed, and he said he'd heard the criticism and concern, and taken it to heart. His office said it would cooperate fully with investigators and he'd cease using charter flights while the inspector general investigated. Finally, he offered regrets and a repayment of his own costs, and said he'd stick to commercial flights.

Trump on Friday called Price a "very fine person," but added, "I certainly don't like the optics."
United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Karl POPOVSKI, Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-4178 Decided: September 28, 2017

Before Wood, Chief Judge, and Easterbrook and Rovner, Circuit Judges. Scott Michael Edenfield, Attorney, OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, Chicago, IL, for Plaintiff-Appellee. James G. Vanzant, Attorney, BLAINE & VANZANT LLP, Evanston, IL, for Defendant-Appellant.

Karl Popovski pleaded guilty to wire fraud. 18 U.S.C.  1343. The criminal scheme entailed obtaining credit-card or debit-card numbers from abroad, encoding them onto blank cards, and using those cards to withdraw money from automated teller machines. Popovski, one of a large group directed by Gheorgui Martov that implemented this scheme, was responsible for more than 1,000 account numbers but planned to use 800 of them in Peru. The district judge disregarded those 800 numbers and calculated an intended loss based on actual or planned transactions in the United States. The judge concluded that the intended loss attributable to Popovski was $131,000, which added eight offense levels under U.S.S.G.  2B1.1. The judge sentenced Popovski to 30 months' imprisonment, the middle of the Guidelines range (27 to 33 months). Popovski contends that his offense level and sentence should have been lower.

A card reprogrammed with a stolen number for use in an ATM is an unauthorized access device as defined in 18 U.S.C.  1029(e)(1), (3). Application Note 3(F)(i) to  2B1.1 provides: In a case involving any counterfeit access device or unauthorized access device, loss includes any unauthorized charges made with the counterfeit access device or unauthorized access device and shall be not less than $500 per access device. In United States v. Moore, 788 F.3d 693 (7th Cir. 2015), we concluded that this includes all access devices that the defendant possessed, whether used or not. The district court calculated loss at $500 per reprogrammed card or stolen number that was to be used within the United States.

Popovski maintains that a card or number counts under Application Note 3(F)(i) only if it produced money or was demonstrably functional. He insists that cards with canceled numbers, or those whose accounts or credit limits have been exhausted by earlier withdrawals, do not count toward the number of devices. He relies on United States v. Onyesoh, 674 F.3d 1157 (9th Cir. 2012), which held this, while the prosecutor relies on United States v. Moon, 808 F.3d 1085 (6th Cir. 2015), which disagreed with Onyesoh.

Onyesoh relied on the statutory definition of an access device in  1029(e)(1) as a card, number, or other identifier that can be used to obtain goods or money. (Application Note 3(F)(i) refers to this statute for the definition of access device.) The Ninth Circuit thought that used means able to be used successfully. But Moon relied on the fact that the definition of unauthorized access device in  1029(e)(3) includes any access device that is lost, stolen, expired, revoked, canceled, or obtained with intent to defraud. This necessarily implies that a card, number, or other identifier with a potential to obtain goods or initiate a transfer of funds remains an access device even if it is expired, revoked, [or] canceled. These two statutory paragraphs can work together only if paragraph (1) defines an access device according to its naturethe sort of thing that could in principle be used to get goods or funds, whether or not it would work in practice. Application Note 3(A)(ii)(II) adds that intended loss includes all loss that the defendant sought to inflict, including intended pecuniary harm that would have been impossible or unlikely to occur. Popovski does not deny that he intended to steal from all of the persons whose account information he possessed, and this Application Note tells us that his inability to carry out that intent does not diminish loss. Sensibly so, Moon observes, because even a device that cannot be used to siphon funds can injure the account's owner by helping the thief create a false identity at the owner's expense. 808 F.3d at 1092.

The Ninth Circuit's conclusion was based on a desire to eliminate extreme situations, such as a long sentence based on a cache of credit cards that had been buried for a generation and dug up long after all of them had expired or been canceled, or the discovery in a museum of clay tablets that the Persians used for banking. Like the panel in Onyesoh, we too think that a district judge should not increase a sentence just because the defendant possessed ancient pieces of plastic or lists of numbers useful only during the reign of Xerxes. But we disagree with Onyesoh's view that this result should be achieved by treating the language in  1029(e)(3) as irrelevant to the meaning of access device. Courts must read the statute to reconcile these paragraphs.

After United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 125 S.Ct. 738, 160 L.Ed.2d 621 (2005), all sentences must be reasonable in light of the criteria in 18 U.S.C.  3553(a), no matter what the Sentencing Guidelines say. If a calculation under Application Note 3(F)(i) overstates the seriousness of the offense, a district judge must adjust accordingly. That process, rather than warping the language of  1029(e), is the way to avoid the Ninth Circuit's parade of horribles. We accordingly agree with the Sixth Circuit's reading of the statute and Guideline 2B1.1.

Popovski does not contend that a significant fraction of the numbers encoded onto his blank cards was ancient or unlikely to work. The district judge therefore was entitled to rely on the rule in Application Note 3(F)(i) without requiring card-by-card proof of functionality while the scheme was in operation. The Application Note's aggregate approach takes account of the possibility that some access devices won't work, while others could produce more than $500. Popovski does not contend that a sentence of 30 months is unreasonably high, in light of the statutory criteria, for his criminal conduct. He relies entirely on a contention that  1029(e)(1) requires card-by-card proof of functionality. As we have rejected that reading of the statute, the judgment is

Affirmed.

Easterbrook, Circuit Judge.
By Trend

Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club hosted the first CEO Lunch Tbilisi in Georgia on September 29.

CEO Lunch Tbilisi has been held with participation of Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili within the framework of the official ceremony marking the resumption of activities of Caspian Energy Georgia.

First Vice Prime Minister, Minister of Finance of Georgia Dimitry Kumsishvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia Giorgi Gakharia, State Governor of Kvemo-Kartli region Grigol Nemsadze and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Georgia Dursun Hasanov attended CEO Lunch as honourary guests.

Kvirikashvili hailed establishing of Caspian Energy Georgia, noting that this organization will play an important role in the development of Georgia-Azerbaijan trade and economic ties.

Kvirikashvili added that against the backdrop of the wide range of opportunities such meetings acquire a special sounding and enable business representatives to get to know each other better, to discuss joint promising projects.

The Georgian prime minister also thanked the organizers of today's meeting, stressing that from now on such meetings will be hosted on a regular basis.

This will boost a birth of new business initiatives, expand contacts not only between businessmen of Georgia and Azerbaijan, but also representatives of other countries, he said.

Speaking about bilateral relations, the prime minister said that Georgia and Azerbaijan are not only the strategic partners.

By cooperating in many large projects, we together are building even more stable and developed region, he said. We are also contributing to ensuring the energy security of Europe, connecting regions and markets. These ties and cooperation are a springboard for economic revitalisation and prosperity, and stability well as.

Also Kvirikashvili noted that the government of Georgia spares no effort to facilitate attraction of investments into the country and Georgia is always open for Azerbaijani entrepreneurs.

I expect the Georgian businessmen to expand their activities in Azerbaijan, the prime minister said.

CEO Lunch Tbilisi hosted today is the first event within the framework of resuming activities of Caspian Energy Georgia, First Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club Telman Aliyev said.

He added that the 5th International Caspian Energy Forum will take place in March 2018 with the support of the governments of Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the Caspian European Club.

Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili is expected to attend the opening ceremony.

Telman Aliyev said the next CEO Lunch Tbilisi is scheduled for October 27, 2017 and will be held every last Friday of the month.

CEO Lunch is one of the key tools for networking and is hosted with the aim to create opportunities for CEOs to communicate in an informal enviroment and establish new contacts.

He noted the Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club host CEO Lunch events with participation of top managers of the CEIBC member companies every third Wednesday of the month in Baku and every last Friday of the month in Tbilisi.

The presentations of PASHA Bank Georgia and Debet Georgia were held for the events attendees. Problems facing entrepreneurs were discussed in an informal environment. Issues concerning business doing in different regions of the country, as well as proposals on expansion of cooperation in different sectors of economy were touched upon.

Certificates were given to companies which joined and extended their membership in the Caspian European Club and Caspian American Club.

Telman Aliyev recalled that the Caspian European Club was established in June 2002 with the support of the largest oil and gas companies operating in the Caspian-Black Sea region.

Telman Aliyev added that since the very establishing the Caspian European Club has promoted attraction of revenues from the oil industry for the development of the non-oil sector.

Caspian European Club, which brings together more than 5,000 member companies and organizations, operates in 50 countries around the world and is active in supporting the dialogue between the government agencies and the private sector.

Caspian Energy, Caspian Energy Forum, Caspian Energy Award, Caspian Energy Club, Caspian European Club, Caspian Business Club, Caspian American Club, Caspian American Forum, CEO, CEO Lunch, Brand Award, and many others are the registered trademarks and belong to the Caspian Energy International Media Group.




By Trend





The citizens of Turkey who visited the occupied Azerbaijani territories are known for their pro-Armenian position, Azerbaijans Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov told reporters in Baku on September 30.

They support the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), promote the establishment of an independent Kurdish state, noted Garalov.

According to him, the position of these people is not a position of Turkey.

Criminal cases will be filed against those who illegally visited Nagorno-Karabakh, and their search will be conducted in all countries, said the prosecutor general.

It should be recalled that on September 22, Turkish citizens Ufuk Uras, Ali Bayramoglu, Said Cekinoglu and Erol Katircioglu illegally visited the territory of Azerbaijan  Nagorno-Karabakh, which is occupied by the Armenian armed forces.

The Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan filed a criminal case under Article 318.2 (illegal crossing the state border of Azerbaijan) of the Criminal Code. Under a court decision, a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against those people. They have been declared internationally wanted.
A stampede on a footbridge at a Mumbai railway station has left 22 people dead and injured more than 30, reported BBC citing senior Indian officials.

The tragedy occurred during the morning rush hour at Elphinstone station, which connects two major local lines.

It was triggered by overcrowding and people seeking shelter from monsoon rains, the officials said.

The injured have been taken to a nearby hospital and senior railway officials are at the scene.

"The incident occurred as heavy rains lashed Mumbai and passengers took refuge on the foot overbridge. People at the front slipped and the huge crowd toppled over, leading to the stampede," Indian Railways spokesman Ravindra Bhakar told AFP news agency.

"Twenty-two dead have been confirmed, 14 men and eight women... Some 32 passengers are injured."

"Trains were rolling in and some people wanted to get out of the station, but others were not making way. When a few tried, it led to a stampede," said a passenger.

TV footage from the scene showed commuters trying to rescue fellow passengers from the crush and revive people by pumping their chests.

"We put everybody who was injured in cars, police vans and ambulances and tried to take them to the hospital as quickly as possible," said one witness quoted by AFP.

An investigation has been launched into the causes of the disaster, but overcrowding on India's vast, crumbling railway network is a perennial problem.
The UAE has won the bid to host the 71st International Astronautical Congress (IAC), the largest specialised conference in the global space sector in 2020.



The announcement of Dubai as the winning city was made by International Astronautical Federation (IAF) today (September 30) at a ceremony held during IAC 2017 in Adelaide, Australia.



With this, the UAE has become the first country in the region to host the mega event since it was held for the first time in 1950, said a statement from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), which is organising the event in co-ordination with the UAE Space Agency.



UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: "We are proud that the UAE has won the bid to host the mega event which will attract more than 5,000 scientists, astronauts and experts."



These achievement coincide with a series of accomplishments in this sector," remarked Sheikh Mohammed.



"The conference will take place immediately after the launch of the first Arab space mission to Mars and the Mars Science City project, the largest space simulation city ever built," he added.



"I am proud of the youth of the UAE who have laid the foundations of the UAE Centennial 2071 vision. We have started implementing our vision for 2071 now," stated Sheikh Mohammed.



"Our ambitions have no limits, and to be number one is not an unreachable objective as we will do all that it takes to achieve it, including developing talent, and launching projects and initiatives that support youth and stimulate creative thinking. The doors are open for everyone to participate in shaping the future," he noted.



"This is what we expect from the Emiratis who proved their capabilities in all the missions they were assigned. The worlds recognition of the UAEs accomplishments across sectors is testimony to the positive impact our country has made regionally and globally," he added.



Sheikh Mohammed pointed out that space science and research were key components in the UAEs drive to achieve its Centennial 2071 goals.



They are also key factors in its efforts to be among the worlds leading nations in terms of prosperity and progress and gain leadership in sectors like space that help improve peoples lives and serve humanity, he added.



Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and chairman and general supervisor of the strategic plans and projects of MBRSC, said the remarkable progress made by the UAE in the field of space science with a series of unique projects has given the nation a special position in the global space sector.



"Thanks to the futuristic vision of the UAE leadership, who provided all the necessary encouragement to achieve such success and distinction, the country has won international recognition for its innovative thinking," he stated.



Sheikh Hamdan pointed out that the UAE had greatly contributed to making the Arab region an important player in the global space industry with a series of projects that have built on what the world has already achieved in the space sector.



"We are now pursuing new initiatives that can help humanity understand space and how advanced space technologies can be used to enhance mans life," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Saudi-based King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (Kacare) is in talks with top international groups from Russia, US, Japan and South Korea for a major atomic energy project in the kingdom.

Kacare held a series of high-level meetings with officials of various delegations on the sidelines of the 61st General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) being held in Vienna, reported the Saudi Gazette citing its president Dr Hashim Bin Abdullah Yamani.

Dr Yamani briefed the delegations' officials on the latest developments of the National Atomic Energy Project in the kingdom and displayed the project's components and key elements.

They also discussed ways of co-operation to support the kingdom's national project, especially with regard to the feasibility study of the initial technical aspects of the engineering designs (FEED) for construction of the first two reactors in the Kingdom and the maximization of interest in this field, stated the report.

Apart from this, they discussed aspects of the partnership aimed at the localization of the nuclear and renewable energy industries in the Kingdom, increasing the local content and implementing the different components of the national project, it added.
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
A Natrona County judge found earlier this month that the Casper City Council violated public meeting laws in 2015 when they conducted an investigation into a then-city manager behind closed doors.

A Casper resident sued the city after the council privately handled an investigation into whether City Manager John Patterson improperly gifted city labor and equipment to clean a residents private pond.

Natrona County District Court Judge Daniel Forgey ruled in favor of petitioner Debra Cheatham and stated that the citys actions violated the Public Meetings Act, according to a transcript of the Sept. 7 oral ruling.

The Public Meetings Act required the council to take any such action in a public meeting, not privately entering executive session, states the transcript. Because that did not happen in this case, whatever action the council took is, by law, null and void; and any portion of the record of the executive session at issue that reflects what action the council took should be publicly disclosed.

Cheatham said Friday that she feels vindicated by the judges decision and plans to address council members at their next meeting.

I will point out that the judge said that information should be disclosed, and I will ask them again to have them tell me what happened, she remarked.

Cheatham appeared before the City Council in April 2015 and asked them to investigate whether Patterson illegally gifted staff time and equipment to dredge Casper Mountain resident Donna Foxs pond. Fox had complained her pond was damaged after silt drifted into it during work on the city-owned Hogadon ski resorts retention pond.

The city issued Cheatham a letter two weeks later stating the investigation was complete. The letter explained that any actions taken by the Council in regard to Patterson would be kept private because the matter was considered a personnel issue.

Cheatham said Friday that she repeatedly asked council to disclose information from closed meetings that were held about the investigation and became concerned when they refused.

The law prohibits them from taking action outside of a public meeting, she said. Its a matter of principle.

Mayor Kenyne Humphrey said Thursday that she recalled the meeting in question and said that the council decided to take no action. The mayor declined to comment further at this time.

Interim City Attorney Will Chambers did not return a call for comment.
Lawmakers discussed giving money to school districts as an incentive to steer more at-risk students to the Wyoming Cowboy Challenge Academy, but educators said money wasnt their primary obstacle.

In June, Maj. Gen. Luke Reiner  who runs the Wyoming Military Department, which in turn oversees the academy told the Joint Education Committee that the programs enrollment could be improved if the states 48 school districts became more active participants in the process. He suggested mirroring a policy in Montana, in which districts continue to receive some of the funding they had when the student was still enrolled in their school.

The primary source of where the cadets come from has been our judicial system, its been referrals, Reiner told the education committee at its meeting last week. The principals will say, Hey listen, I cant let that guy go because I really need that funding here. The natural tendency is to try to keep the child for as long as you can.

In Wyoming, each student is worth more than $16,000 in funding to his or her district. Should a student leave his or her school  to, say, drop out and enroll in the academy  the district would lose that money.

Lawmakers and educators alike agreed the academy was valuable and effective. Sixteen- to 18-year-old high school dropouts voluntarily enroll at the academy in Fort Guernsey, where they spend 5 and a half months. They undergo a regimen of education, physical fitness, citizenship and leadership, Reiner has said. More than 80 percent receive their GED, and up to 15 percent return to high school and graduate.

After the June meeting, officials drafted a bill on Reiners suggestion, and Sen. Hank Coe, a Cody Republican and co-chairman of the education committee, proposed on Tuesday to give districts who sent students to the academy 30 percent of the money  roughly $5,000  they would have otherwise lost.

But there was resistance to the proposal. Some was predictable: Rep. Landon Brown, a Cheyenne Republican, said districts shouldnt need money to do whats best for a child.

But then, as the lawmakers opened up the discussion to the public, educators came forward and said that they supported the academy and that the barrier to them wasnt the money.

Its about drop-outs, said Superintendent Charles Auzqui of Sheridan County School District No. 3.

In order to enroll at the academy, a student must have dropped out of their original school. If a student were to leave and go to another, accredited institution, it wouldnt harm the original districts graduation rates. But because the academy isnt an accredited school, a student leaving and enrolling there hurts the district.

Accreditation is the paramount issue, Brian Farmer, the executive director of the Wyoming School Board Association, told lawmakers Wednesday afternoon. Were not driven by, We want to keep the money.

Under Wyomings education accountability system, schools and districts are judged partially on their graduation rates. So students dropping out  even if its for the best of the teen  harms a district.

The solution is unclear. The committee did not vote to advance the bill, and Chairman David Northrup said it was likely dead as written. There was talk about giving districts credit should a student who dropped out receive a GED after graduating from the academy. Such a provision was not included in the bill draft.

Some lawmakers also discussed working to get the academy accredited, but Reiner and Eric Brooks, the director of the program, said that distinction was too burdensome for the academy in the past.

Its also not clear if simple accreditation would fix the problem: Students would apparently still have to drop out to enroll, as mandated by certain federal guidelines. State Department of Education and legislative staffers are going to do more research in the coming weeks, Northrup said.

The education committee may take up the issue again, at its next meeting in November, he added. There was broad support for both the program and for working together to find a way to move it forward. Farmer said as much when he started testifying before the committee.

I think its important to start with two things that are undisputable, he said. Number one is that the Wyoming Youth Challenge program is a good program. It does good things for our kids. The only thing I submit thats undeniable is that Wyoming school districts will do the best they can for their students.
Back Alley Productions will host its annual Halloween show and is producing the "terrifying and haunting story" of the Woman in Black. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. through October.

Keeping with tradition, there will be a midnight show on Saturday, Oct. 28. Attendees to the midnight show are encouraged to come in Halloween costumes to receive a free large popcorn. Tickets are available online at www.BAPshows.com, or at the lobby 30 minutes before showtime. The holiday shows tend to sell out fast. The historic theater is at 117 N. Chattanooga St., in LaFayette.

Review for The Woman in Black:

The framework of this spinetingler is unusual. Set in an abandoned theatre, a timid lawyer hires a professional actor to tutor him in the performing arts. The goal, the lawyer explains, is for him to learn the art of acting in order to retell a horrifying story that has long troubled him, all as a form of catharsis. The tale itself concerns dark events that transpired after the funeral of an elderly recluse. It was then that the lawyer first caught sight of the Woman in Black, a terrifying figure whose mere mention frightens the locals... for anyone who sees her befalls unimaginable horror.



Our company is a huge fan of Woman in Black, said director Kaylee Smith. Weve wanted to do this story for several years. Theres just something wonderfully chilling about using the theatre to bring a ghost story to life. Its a rare treat for our area because only a few production companies in the country are allowed to produce this show this year. But the wait is worth it because a good ghost play is hard to come by.

Sure, ghosts float in and out of a lot of Shakespearean dramas, and we use ghost lights to keep the theatre lit when no one is there. Theres plenty of theatrical superstitions out there. But this is the only play I know of thats a full on ghost story designed to make you jump out of your seats.



"The plays fear factor thrives in its simplicity. It consists of two actors, some props, and a cocktail of sound, light and fog that plays on the inherent fears and imaginations of the audience. Oh, and a heavy dose of the unexpected and downright creepy.

This isnt a scary movie thats happening on the screen, allowing you to look away if things get too intense. This is a good old fashioned ghost play that deserves a lively audience. A true horror rollercoaster, set in an immersive black box theatre. Its in front of you, around you... behind you... all happening live, with real actors, and real screams. And that makes it that much more fun to be scared. We had a big hit with last years War of the Worlds, and know our audience loves these kinds of unique shows. Diehards and dabblers of all things haunted will not be disappointed.

Because of the level of horror the show aims to invoke, families are advised not to bring small children who could be easily frightened. Visit www.BAPshows.com for more information.
Frontier Middle School and University Park, Willard and Mountain View elementary schools have been recommended for closure at the end of the academic year in light of falling enrollment brought on by the economic downturn, the Natrona County School District announced Friday.

The schools  all of which housed students this year  are the latest buildings to be closed by the district. In the past year, the district has shuttered Grant Elementary and several other facilities because of budget constraints and students leaving the district.

The districts board will consider the latest school closures at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23.

Mountain View lost 18 students compared to last year and 83 since 2012-13, one of heaviest losses in the district. Willard actually gained 12 since 2016-17, but is down 28 since 2012-13. University Park has lost 10 since last fall, and Frontier is down 16.

Small and inefficient

District officials said in a press conference Friday night that they chose the four schools because they were small and inefficient. For instance, two were small, at capacity and had no room to grow, while Mountain View was significantly below what it could handle and had been losing students steadily since 2012.

Michael Jennings, the districts executive director of human resources, said that Mountain View, despite its low enrollment, had a principal and administrators, just like a school that was near full capacity. It is inefficient to have an undercapacity school operate with the administrative services of a full facility, when those students could be taught elsewhere, district officials reason.

Jennings said the closure of the schools was driven primarily by the dropping enrollment but that the districts financial situation also played a role. Natrona County is bracing to lose roughly $12 million in state funds in the coming years as the state grapples with an education funding crisis that could leave Wyomings schools in a $530 million hole in 2018 and 2019.

The district has 970 empty elementary seats as a result of the dropping enrollment. Should the board decide to close the four schools, it will account for 970 spots. But, because Frontier is a middle school, there will still be around 200 empty elementary seats in the district.

In addition to the four in-use schools, district officials recommend closing the Special Education Service Center, the already vacant Westwood and North Casper elementary schools and Willow Creek, which closed in 2016.

North Casper and the special education building are both recommended for sale. Frontier is slated just for closure, while officials called for mothballing the remaining buildings.

Frontier currently shares space with the Casper Classical Academy, which is not closing.

When Grant Elementary was closed last year, its students were given priority in choosing new schools. Conveniently, the new Journey Elementary was opening and could absorb Grants entire population. About 50 percent of Grants kids went there.

Such an option wont be available next year. But students whose school will close will begin selecting a new school in December, while the open enrollment process will begin for the rest of the district in January.

No layoffs planned

Jennings said the district remains committed to not laying off any teachers. As Natrona County has worked to absorb its share of the state funding woes, officials have said repeatedly that layoffs are the last option and that it will use attrition to avoid them. Should the four schools be closed, teachers will follow students, Jennings said, meaning that where needs arise across the district, teachers will be sent.

Its unclear how much money the district will save in administrative and utility costs should the recommendations be approved. Dennis Bay, the executive director of business services, said a building can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000 in maintenance and utilities. Jennings said administrative costs at a full-capacity facility run around $500,000.

Bay said at the press conference that his office had received inquiries about district buildings that may be for sale, but he wasnt sure of the districts prospects for selling the facilities. Prior to this announcement, the district had listed Grant and Mills elementaries  which were both closed at the end of last year  for sale. In the winter, it successfully sold the old Roosevelt High School and the Fairgrounds Center; both buildings were recommended for sale in the districts last round of building and school closures.

That took place in November, when the district decided to close Grant. At that time, condition played a role in Grants demise. The school was 94 years old and needed $500,000 in repairs. Jennings said condition played a much more minor role this time. First was the capacity issue, and second was the districts own budget constraints.

District officials said last week that a Natrona County elementary school would likely be shuttered because of falling enrollment. The districts elementary enrollment fell by more than 150 students compared to last year, continuing a recent trend. Districtwide, there are 350 fewer elementary students than there were in 2014, and there are currently 970 empty seats in elementary schools here.

For years before the downturn, Natrona Countys elementary enrollment was growing at a steady clip. The district began building new schools  like Journey and the addition to Bar Nunn  to accommodate the growth.

But as the economy slipped, families left Wyoming and enrollment fell. Even as new buildings were completed, the district began to realize that it needed to right size its facilities to its students needs.

Tanya Southerland, the spokeswoman for the district, said that officials decided to announce the closures on Friday evening so students and staff could have the weekend to absorb the news and discuss it with family.
University of Wyoming researchers were given a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation to research different fungi, bacteria and microbes  a living thing that is too small to be seen by the naked eye.

The research teams will take a close-up look at the microbes using technology including DNA sequencing and computational modeling with the aim of learning the ecological and distribution consequences of microbes. The discoveries may help address statewide challenges, from managing range land, forest and water resources, to improving crop productivity.

University Institutions Director Chad Baldwin said Wyoming was one of five nationwide grants because of our terrain, we have both untouched and disturbed parts to study.

With the grant, botany professor and leader of the microbe project Brent Ewers hopes the five-year project will improve how students think about ecosystems and how they are integrated with microbes while helping the university receive national recognition for ecology.

The university also hopes to stimulate business opportunities across the state and engage people from different walks of life, from children in elementary school to business leaders, in scientific discovery.

This will enhance our research capacity and competitiveness along with the states workforce and economy, creating intellectual property that can be applied to economic sectors relevant to Wyoming, including the fast-growing field of data science, which has an enormous range of applications, said Ed Synakowski, the schools new vice president for research and economic development.

The project will bring together researchers and educators from multiple UW colleges. Besides Ewers, the work will be led by principal investigators and botany professors Cynthia Weinig and Alex Buerkle. Associate professor of molecular biology Naomi Ward and Linda van Diepen, assistant professor of ecosystem science and management, will also be main figures.

This is an age of discovery in microbiology, says Buerkle in a release. Just as modern telescopes have given astronomers the ability to see the universe with amazing detail, our new genomic sequencing capabilities have opened a whole new world in the study of life.

Sampling of soil, plants, water and air as evidence will be done at hundreds of sites across the state, from locations ranging from mountaintops to basins. The pipeline of sampling and analysis will involve university and community college students, K-12 teachers and others.

Once we know what organisms are there, including their genetic capacity, we can figure out how we can make use of them, van Diepen said in a statement.

The project will also train members of the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes in sample collection and laboratory analyses of microbes from the Wind River Indian Reservation. Ewers hopes this work will increase the number of Native Americans interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) jobs. The work will also help improve reservation ecosystems and strengthen the relationship between the university and the tribes.

The grant will also fund equipment for the universitys Advanced Research Computing Center, create new on-campus centers for biogeochemistry and data science and allow the hiring for new faculty members and researchers.

A pilot study began earlier this month, focusing on future sampling protocols and planning. Next summer, training for faculty, students and tribal members will begin on how to sample for microbial diversity.

Although the project is in beginning stages right now, Baldwin says the leaders are ready to roll right away.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation fined a local construction company $40,250 this summer for failing to complete a roughly $16 million project on time.

Jeff Goetz, the senior public relations specialist for the transportation department, said Friday that Hedquist Construction was contracted by the state to repair bridges and pavement along Interstate 25 from the North Popular intersection to the Wardwell Road interchange.

The project started in 2015 and had a deadline of Oct. 31, 2016, but it was not completed until that following December, said Goetz.

Craig Hedquist, the owner of Hedquist Construction and a former Casper city councilman, declined to comment.

Goetz said that the company had yet to pay the fine, but theres no set date for doing so.

The department assesses the situation when deadlines are missed and uses the states guidelines for construction management, called the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, to apply liquidated damages, Goetz explained. Penalties are used to encourage companies to complete projects on time.

We want to close out jobs  we dont want them to linger, he said.

Companies working on projects that cost between $15 and $20 million are charged $5,750 for each additional working day the project took to complete, according to a copy of the Standard Specifications.

Goetz said the department takes into consideration unforeseeable occurrences that could have have delayed work.

If it rains for two weeks and they cant do anything, then that can be an excusable two weeks, he explained.

Disputes between a contractor and the department can sometimes be mediated, but a contractor can ultimately take the matter to the state court, said Goetz.

Hedquist Construction disputed the initial fine handed down from the department, but accepted the negotiated figure of $40,250, he added.

This isnt the first time Hedquist Construction has faced issues with project delays. The company was ordered to pay $97,000 in penalties by the city of Casper in 2014 over three contracts the city claimed were not finished on time, and the city ended a fourth contract with the company.

Hedquist is currently involved in a three-year legal battle with the city of Casper.

The former councilmans lawsuit claims that former manager John Patterson violated his civil rights by conspiring to sabotage both his political career and the success of his construction company. A lower court dismissed his case, but Hedquist is taking his lawsuit to the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to court documents filed in May.
CHEYENNE  School finance is like a Russian novel. Its long, its boring and in the end everyone gets killed.

I wish I had said that. But I didnt. A Denver consultant on school finance named John Augenblick uttered the quote many years ago.

Perhaps he heard it from someone else.

Regardless of the source, the comparison is apt for the struggle the Legislature endures over public school finance.

There are all these funds and accounts and, oh yes, the formulas. And dont forget the legal requirement that the state fully fund a cost-based education system that provides every Wyoming public school student an equal opportunity to a quality education.

Try to fit all that into a $530 million shortfall of money for K-12 operations for the biennium.

In addition, since since there are no more coal bonus payments, the state is in the hole by $195 million for school capital construction, for the same period, according to a Legislative Service Office memo to the Joint Interim Revenue Committee.

Although revenues are perking up a tad, these are the official figures for now.

While the Revenue Committee is looking for extra funding, the Joint Interim Education Committee is looking under the cushions on the couch for a few extra bucks.

In their Sept. 15 memo to the education committee, authors Matthew Wilmarth, senior school finance analyst and Ted Hewitt, staff attorney, said the state saved $56 million from K-12 operations through budget cuts last year and this year.

The memo suggests potential savings and cost efficiencies for the public education system going forward.

The options gave the committee members something to chew on at their meeting last week in Casper.

The proposals range from changes in the costs of health insurance, counting attendance, and advertising, to mention a few.

The states funding model allows money for school districts to pay for health insurance for their entire staffs, including employees who do not participate in the plan.

As a result, most of the states 48 school districts spend less on health insurance than the funding model allows.

For the 2015-2016 school year, the school districts were allocated $182.6 million for employee health insurance, but spent only $140.8 million or $41.8 million less.

The report suggested one option to save money would be to require all school districts to participate in the state health insurance plan and eliminate any funding for health insurance through the school.

Savings are unknown but could be substantial from this switch, the report said.

Another option, one that should be of interest to the Wyoming Press Association, would reduce the amount of legal advertising that the districts must publish in local newspapers.

Instead they could post the information on the school district web sites. The districts spent a total of $824,000 in newspaper legal advertising in the 2016 fiscal year, the report said.

Then there are the charter schools. The state spent $6.8 million on six new charter schools since the 2002-2003 school year. The current law allows double counting for the first year and adjustments for the second and third year of operation. These benefits are not available to traditional new schools, the report said.

An amendment passed by the 2015 Legislature to include workmens compensation coverage of special education teachers and assistants in the extra hazardous category had unintended consequences.

The state Department of Education estimated the cost of premiums for special education workers increased by about $3 million in fiscal year 2016 as a result of the amendment.

Five school districts recommended that coverage be required only for those special education employees whose duties place them in an extra hazardous environment; not all of them.

A larger potential source of savings can be found in the education world of counting students  the ADM or average daily membership.

Simply put, the decision of which counting method to use currently rests with the schools. Shifting that decision responsibility to the school district level can provide more accurate numbers and less duplication for a savings of about $10 million a year, more or less.

Its a lot more complicated than that, of course, but then so are many pieces of the school finance model.
WASHINGTON  Florence Copper officials could break ground on a $24 million in-situ copper mining facility by December, after an administrative appeals board last week turned down objections to the project from the Town of Florence and another opponent.

The ruling by the Environmental Protection Agencys Environmental Appeals Board rejected challenges that the in-situ form of mining  which injects acidic water into copper ore deep underground to draw it out and refine it  could pose a threat to the areas drinking water.

An attorney for the town said in an email that Florence officials were disappointed with the ruling, which they fear leaves the water supply at risk of pollution, a condition that is not acceptable to the town. She said the town is reviewing legal options.

But officials with the mining company welcomed the decision, which capped a six-year permitting process.

Clearly it is our view, and the view of the agencies, that there is no danger, said Brian Battison, vice president for corporate affairs at Taseko Mining Ltd., a Canadian company that owns Florence Copper. These agencies are charged with protecting drinking water, that is their priority.

The mining company said the Florence project could eventually create as many as 800 jobs in the state. After a two-year pilot period, the project is expected to produce about 85 million pounds of copper a year over most of its planned 25-year life, adding $3.4 billion to the states economy, according to a 2013 study by Arizona State University.

Stacy Gramazio, a spokeswoman for Florence Copper, said the company has continued to do extensive outreach, including local presentations and site visits to show community members that the project is safe and environmentally responsible.

Gramazio called the permitting process for the Florence project one of the longest in Arizonas history and said the amount of environmental vetting that went into it ensures the safety of the program.

But Jess Knudson, assistant town manager for Florence, said the towns appeals were all about protecting the residents water resources. The project was also challenged by John L. Anderson, who worried that the in-situ process would contaminate area drinking water.

A four-judge EPA panel rejected both appeals last Friday, writing that it appreciates Mr. Andersons concerns about potential impacts to drinking water sources, but holds that Mr. Andersons Petition does not satisfy threshold procedural requirements necessary to support Board review.

Anderson did not immediately return requests for comment.

Town officials had challenged an aquifer exemption for the project that was issued by referencing a permit issued in 1997 as part of a previous project. The town said that because of changes since 1997, EPA administrators should have rescinded or revoked the 1997 aquifer exemption and prepared a new aquifer exemption specifically tailored to the small scope of Florence Coppers Production Test Facility.

But Battison said experts from state and local agencies thoroughly reviewed the safety and environmental impact of the systems and decided they were safe.

The EPA panel said it is not the proper forum to resolve the Towns aquifer exemption-related arguments because aquifer-exemption decisions are discrete final agency actions  that must be challenged in the appropriate federal circuit court of appeals.

Barbara U. Rodriguez-Pashkowski, an environmental attorney representing the town, said she was disappointed in the denial.

She said in an email that the EPA did not dispute the fact that circumstances have so substantially changed since the 1997 issuance of the Aquifer Exemption.
The Integrative Pain Center of Arizona permanently closed Friday after 15 years in business  a move leaders say was fueled by a misguided health-system response to the opioid crisis.

The centers recent financial setbacks could not be overcome in a system where U.S. health insurers are rewarding physicians for treating the symptoms of chronic pain rather than the root causes, center co-founder Dr. Bennet E. Davis said last week as he walked through his darkened north-side Tucson clinic.

Also, federal grant money to address issues of opioid misuse tend to focus on downstream treatment of symptoms, he said.

Its like treating diabetes by increasing funding for kidney transplants and amputations and treating blindness, Davis said.

That flawed response is only further increasing the number of people becoming ill and dying from opioid overdoses, he said.

As deaths continue, he is worried that new dosage restrictions are too drastic and will further endanger people by pushing them into illicit drugs.

Davis is one of three co-founders of the local pain center, which had 2,000 patients in Southern Arizona, in addition to a telemedicine program consulting with primary care physicians across the United States.

A lot of pain clinics, you just go in and get pain meds, but (Davis) was a firm believer in not just putting a Band-Aid on the pain, said Nick Stavros, chief executive officer of Community Medical Services, which is the largest opioid addiction treatment program in Arizona and has two clinics in Tucson.

If every pain clinic in the country ran like his, we probably wouldnt be in the midst of an opioid epidemic, Stavros said.

While there are some signs the health system is catching on to the idea of doing more integrative treatment for pain, Davis and his clinic co-founders say they arent able to stay in business until that happens.

I dont think the community was ready for what we did. We need to redesign health care where we have contextually appropriate treatment, Davis said. We are in a poorly managed trauma crisis, which has led to lots of things, including increased opioid poisonings.

Setbacks

The center had some recent financial setbacks  a contract with a management company did not go well; there was a paperwork problem with Medicare that left them without reimbursements for several months; and referrals were down.

But the center could have weathered those issues if theyd had better support all along from health insurers and from the health system in general, including from primary-care doctors, Davis said.

We ran on thin margins, he said. But the health system was doing its best to make it hard for us. Their focus is not on individual or population health. Their focus is networks and contracts.... There is a lot of pushback against clinics trying to do integrative care.

The clinic was created in 2002 by Davis, clinical psychologist Cela M. Archambault and nurse practitioner Kathy J. Davis, who is not related to Bennet Davis. Their vision was to treat pain by integrating behavioral health with medical care to treat the whole patient, not just the symptoms. Interventions ranged from joint injections, nerve blocks and pain medication to cognitive behavioral therapy and acupuncture.

Before creating their own clinic, Kathy Davis, Dr. Bennet Davis and Archambault all worked together at the University of Arizona, where Dr. Davis ran the UAs Arizona Pain Institute from 1995 to 2002.

Archambault, a clinical psychologist with a specialization in health psychology and pain management, said integrative care for pain was around in the 1980s and 90s, so its not a new concept. But inadequate funding for health psychology  a branch of psychology designed to change behavior to improve physical health  means not many clinics are offering it, she said.

Insurance paid for about one-third of the cost of providing psychology services at the Tucson clinic, its leaders said. The founders used money from pain procedures to finance the gap and pay Archambault.

Davis could have made a lot of money by focusing on pain procedures, but he remained committed to creating a clinic he knew would help patients, as difficult as that was, said Steve Nash, who spent 22 years as executive director of the Pima County Medical Society and is now executive director of the Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation.

Its this combined team approach to work together to approach all the issues, Nash said. One in six of us is going to have a chronic pain episode at some point in our lives, whether its from surgery or injury.

But to really get to the root cause of chronic pain, rather than throwing pills at it, isnt the norm, Nash said. Thats where the Integrative Pain Center of Arizona stood out, he said.

Trauma care

Frequently, the root of chronic pain is unresolved childhood trauma, Davis said. Thats why all patients at the Integrative Pain Center of Arizona were given a 10-question screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Davis thinks more members of the medical community should be using the ACEs score tool, since a high ACEs score is connected with poor health outcomes.

If you witness someone falling off a building and onto a sidewalk, it will rewire your nervous system, right then and there, Davis said. Your rewired nervous system will work differently.

Davis estimates at least 25 percent of the pain centers patients needed help with addressing unresolved trauma that typically occurred during their childhood development in various forms, including neglect, exposure to violence, or physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Trauma is bad at any age, but its worse for children because their nervous systems are still developing, he explained.

Such exposures impact brain development, brain structure, hormones and the immune system, said Davis. Studies have shown adverse experiences disrupt the release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, which is the pleasure and reward center of the brain; inhibit the prefrontal cortex, which is associated with impulse control; and alter the amygdala, which processes fear.

Once that developmental trauma is acknowledged and addressed with appropriate therapies, those patients dont need downstream treatments for chronic pain like nerve blocks or opioids, Davis said.

Effective interventions can include nutritional help, exercise, physical therapy and therapies to rewire the nervous system such as somatic experiencing, Davis said. Somatic experiencing is an alternative treatment that focuses on body sensations as a way of resolving and healing trauma.

Illicit drugs

Davis is hopeful government health-insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare will eventually have payment systems more supportive of integrative care in dealing with chronic pain.

And he was encouraged by the reaction to his talk about trauma and chronic pain, and by other presenters mentions of the subject, during last months first-ever Southern Arizona Opioid Abuse Prevention Symposium.

But it wasnt soon enough to save his clinic. And hes worried about the immediate future under government and insurance rules on restricting prescribing doses.

Limiting someone to a maximum 100 milligrams per day, for example, wont work if they have been taking 600 milligrams or more per day  a common scenario, Davis said.

Those patients need a more gradual weaning off what Davis refers to as pill island. And patients need to be treated with trauma-informed care, not hard-line tactics that could re-traumatize them or lead them to use illicit drugs, he said.

I think were just going to push them off of pill island into the water of getting it on the street, he said. The Mexican cartels are all over this opioid crisis. They know with the government shutting down access to opioids, these anxious people are going to want more drugs.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Sept. 30 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
"Salute to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base"

What: DM50, a group of business and civic leaders who advocate for Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, are hosting a 90th celebration of the base in Tucson.

When: Oct. 5 from 4 to 8 p.m., including dinner and entertainment by the swing-style Manhattan Dolls, golfer-singer Armen Dirtadian and Broadway star Robert Shaw.

Where: Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road

Cost: Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased in advance at DM50.org and information can also be obtained about business sponsorships.
The race to replace outgoing Tucson City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich has both candidates promising changes inside City Hall.

Retired attorney Paul Durham, a Democrat, uses the slogan of New energy for the Old Pueblo while firefighter Gary Watson, who is running as an independent, says he is putting people before politics.

The two are running to represent Ward 3, which stretches primarily north of Grant Road to the city limits, east to about Swan Road and a portion west of Interstate 10. There are no Republicans in the race, which will be decided Nov. 7 through a largely mail-in ballot election.

The general election allows Tucson voters citywide to decide the ward races. The only other contested race is in Ward 6.

On paper, Democrats have the advantage regarding political registration. While outnumbering Republicans nearly two to one, registered Democrats inside the city limits also outnumber so-called registered independents  107,000 voters to 74,000.

Durham has long been associated with local Democratic politics, serving as the chief of staff for former Councilwoman Nina Trasoff for a year and as the local Democratic partys treasurer several years ago.

He credits his win in the Ward 3 primary to knocking on about 5,000 doors leading up to the election. But Durham also leveraged public funding to raise more than $89,000 for his campaign, spending most of it during the three-candidate primary race.

Watsons politics are a bit more nuanced. He is registered as an independent, but changed parties about six months ago after spending most of his adult life as a registered Republican.

The split with the GOP came after a meeting with local party officials, with Watson saying he walked away after they wanted him to take strong stances on taxes and solar.

It was a pretty interesting meeting, to be polite, said Watson, a captain with the Northwest Fire District. There are some taxes that are good. The Republican Party was telling me that there are no good taxes.

But Watson points to his professional life as someone who works for solutions.

My history as a firefighter, as a teacher, as a union leader for crying out loud as an independent, Watson said. We have to be free-thinkers; we cant follow party lines.

The citys top issue:

solar or the budget?

Looking past November, the two candidates have different concerns when it comes to the citys future.

A consultant in the private sector for over 20 years, Durham said the city still hasnt fully recovered from the Great Recession.

Were still catching up, so there are many issues and problems that I think we need to address, Durham said.

But Durham has made one issue a priority  making Tucson a leader in solar energy and sustainability.

He believes it is one of the biggest issues facing the city in the coming years. Durham proposes that all city buildings be 100 percent powered by renewable energy by no later than 2025.

Watson sees things with a vastly different viewpoint  saying the citys finances rely too heavily on the health of the local economy.

The city, he argues, is one disaster away from having to make some very tough choices.

If we do have another recession right now or something drops in the economy, all we can do is raise taxes or lay people off, Watson notes. We dont have any kind of fiscal solvency.

Watson suggests the city go through a ground-up budgeting process that looks at all city services and considers whether they are vital core services. From there, the council can plot out long-term strategies to build up departments as well as establish financial reserves.

The net result, he said, would allow for employee raises and increase the number of police officers patrolling city streets.

Should the city keep offering tax breaks

to attract businesses?

For Watson, the answer is qualified yes. Incentives are appropriate when it comes to helping local companies.

We need to focus on our current small-business community and not go to bringing in new businesses, Watson said.

An instructor at the countys Joint Technical Education District, Watson said the focus should be on training the next generation of workers rather than trying to lure Fortune 500 companies.

He approved of the regional approach to bring Caterpillar to Tucson, but still has his doubts every last nickel was necessary to bring the company here.

I am not convinced that Caterpillar wasnt coming here without the incentives, Watson said. They have their proving grounds here. Arizona is a massive mining state; the bulk of their business is in South America. Tucson is in the pipeline right down to South America and everything else made sense for them to come here.

Watson said that agribusiness giant Monsanto decided to open a research greenhouse on the northwest side even without getting all the incentives it wanted.

Durham said the city should look at every proposal on a case-by-case basis.

A good example is Caterpillar. We offered lots of incentives to get them here, Durham said. Now that theyre here, companies that do business with Caterpillar are looking at opening offices in Tucson.

Those secondary jobs, he argues, wont require some kind of financial carrot from the city because the incentive is Caterpillar and theyre already here.

Durham said he has learned a lot as a consultant working with small, locally owned businesses for the last two decades and believes the city should focus on helping them grow.

Hiring more police officers

Both Durham and Watson are calling for the city to hire and train more police officers.

Durham suggests the city could fund additional personnel by expanding the citys boundaries.

We do need to increase the number of police officers on the street, Durham said. I believe we can find the money to do that by speeding up our process of annexations so that we increase the state revenues that we receive.

Also, the city can curb the number of officers leaving Tucson for other jobs by increasing their salaries, he said.

Our first priority should be to ensure that officer pay is competitive with comparable cities, he said. Its important that we need to stop the loss of police officers that the city has invested time and resources to train; this is just money walking out the door.

Watson offers a measured assessment, saying various groups will offer a general number on how many officers should be patrolling the street  but those are based on various national standards.

The City Council needs to sit down with the police chief and (the Tucson Police Officers Association) and look at national standards and look at crime rates in Tucson and lets find out what that number (of officers) is.

Losing trained police officers, especially experienced officers, to other jurisdictions is a big problem, he argues.

Were wasting money in the police budget, he said. Sixty-six officers have left in the last year, so thats money thats going out the door since were losing those officers. It costs a lot less than it does to hire and train them.

The suggestion to reassess the entire city budget, he argues, should allow staff to identify ways to put more money back into hiring officers, offering pay raises.

Working with the state, neighbors

The two are at odds with some recent high-profile decisions by the City Council.

Watson would have, for example, never fought the state when it came to the legal challenge over destroying some seized firearms. The city recently lost a court case with the state over the citys program to destroy guns turned in by residents or seized by police.

We have to follow Arizona Revised Statutes, Watson said. We can find better ways to work within it without wasting the precious tax dollars we have without fighting with the state.

The decision to destroy guns was political pandering, a symbolic act rather than working to find a lasting solution, Watson said.

Durham said he supported the policy to destroy guns and believes the city had the legal authority to dispose of surplus firearms. He called the Arizona Supreme Court decision against the city unfortunate.

It terms of the one-square-mile city known as South Tucson, Watson says Tucson may need to look at its relationship with the cash-strapped neighbor.

With Tucson firefighters regularly going into South Tucson as part of a mutual aid agreement, Watson said the relationship is not reciprocal. South Tucson simply doesnt have the staffing to assist on fire calls in Tucson.

He suggests South Tucson should be asked to pay for incidents when Tucson firefighters assist in South Tucson. Tucson shouldnt be shouldering the costs, he said. South Tucsons government needs to figure out how to pay for it or not be a city, Watson said.

Asked about the citys relationship with South Tucson, Durham said the city should be economically independent.

He said the City Council may have to revisit the issue in the future if it reaches a tipping point where Tucson taxpayers are paying too much to provide services in South Tucson.

Both men said they are comfortable with the decision to make Tucson an immigrant welcoming community rather than a sanctuary city. They agree the council has done what it can without drawing the ire of federal officials with a sanctuary designation.

First of all, the federal government hasnt even defined what a sanctuary city is, Watson said. With federal funding (at risk), why would we even play games with that?
Lee Universitys Stacey Isom Campbell, associate professor of creative writing, has had two plays receive staged readings.

Professor Campbells play, Dough & Cookies, was selected for The Barter Theatres Appalachian Festival of Plays & Playwrights in Abingdon, Va., and received a staged reading there. In the play, Darlene and Charlene, twin sisters from South Carolina, use a loophole to steal $20.5 million from the Department of Defense. What begins as an accident turns into a seven-year fraud that these middle-aged Baptist women justify.

On the same day, Ms. Campbells 10-minute play, Laundry at the Coin & Spin, was an official selection at the Rockford New Play Festival and received a staged reading that was streamed live on Facebook. In the play, Oletas routine at a Georgia laundromat is disrupted when a young woman seeks refuge from her tour group.

Professor Campbell is a fellow of the Hambidge Center, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico. She is also a recipient of the David Scott Sutelan Memorial Award.

An accomplished playwright, some of Ms. Campbells plays include Letters to John Lennon, Touching Aurora, Smokin Devils, California Dreamin, On the 8s, and more. Her work has been seen or won awards at The Barter Theatre, Pittsburgh New Works Festival, The Great Plains Theatre Conference, and L.A. First Stage, among others.

Professor Campbell earned a Master of Fine Arts in script and screenwriting from Regent University and an MFA in creative writing from Old Dominion University, where she was the recipient of a teaching assistantship.

To read more of her work, visit stacey-isom-campbell.squarespace.com.
Hanois plan to restore 127 support archways under the citys iconic elevated railway has local residents anxiously awaiting word on how the project will affect those whose livelihoods depend on street-side businesses below the arches.

The elevated stone railway was built between 1900 and 1902 on the 1.2 kilometer stretch along Gam Cau Street, beginning at Phung Hung Street and ending at Long Bien Station.

A total of 131 arches ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 meters tall were built to support the railway.

By the 1980s, the area under the archways had become a hotbed for pollution and social disorder, prompting authorities to seal them off.

Today, only four of the 131 arches are kept open to traffic.

The proposed revival plan calls for the 127 arches to be reopened and repurposed as a multipurpose area hosting book streets, coffee shops, and artistic activities.

Nguyen Van Van, 87, repairs electric fans as a living along the railway. Photo Tuoi Tre

Memories

Sealed or not, the domes hold the storied history of generations who have called the area home.

According to Dinh Thi Sam, an 84-year-old resident, the archways have been a neighborhood landmark since long before her birth.

During the Vietnam War in 1972, the archways were a place to seek shelter when the area was under attack.

I still remember the sound of the trains running above the structure, carrying weapons and food supplies from the southern region, Sam recalled.

Between 1960 and 1970, the arches became home to several families who cooked, ate, washed clothes, and even raised chickens under their shade.

Oftentimes, residents would trade their space under the arches in the same way real estate transactions are done in todays market, said Nguyen Luan, a local resident.

Luan recalls wartime memories when the railway was used as a staging point for soldiers from northern Vietnam to be transported to battle in southern regions.

Family members would line up along the railway in the early morning to wave goodbye to loved ones being carried south, Luan recounted.

Among those soldiers, many returned but several did not, he added.

In 1974, people living under the archways left the area for their new houses allocated by city authorities.

As residents moved out from the archways, they turned into tea stalls and artisan workshops until being sealed in the 1980s.

Many citizens, particularly the elderly, are excited to see the archways being returned to their nostalgic glory.

Cars are parked in front of the railways sealed domes. Photo Tuoi Tre

Livelihood

Alongside the excitement, a considerable number of residents worry that their livelihood will be affected by the project.

Nguyen Van Van, 87, has been earning a living by repairing electric fans near the closed archways for the past 50 years.

Van and his wife have 10 children who depended on his income for their survival.

Although his children are now grown, the octogenarian still works daily to take care for himself.

Van is now worried that hell lose his workspace once the archways are restored.

Pham Duc Hung, another worker who has toiled for years along the structure, says the shops and diners around the arches have become a distinctive aspect of the area.

Authorities should considered keeping their tradition alive while breathing new life into the old railway.

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U.S. President Donald Trump will visit Vietnam this November as part of his five-country Asia tour, the White House said on Friday.

President Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania, will travel to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, as well as a stop in Hawaii, from November 3 to 14, according to the White House announcement.

The U.S. president will participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, demonstrating his continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the United States in the region, the document reads.

President Trump will discuss the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to America's prosperity and security. He will also emphasize the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners. The White House said Trump's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, or APEC Vietnam 2017, is hosted by the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang.

At regular press conference on Thursday last week, Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang said Vietnam and the United States are exerting their full efforts to prepare for President Trumps visit to Da Nang next month.

Hang said careful preparations are being completed for the trip, reiterating that the U.S. head of government stated he would attend the 2017 APEC during a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, when the Vietnamese premier visited the U.S. in May.

APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 and comprised of 21 member states, including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.

The forum is aimed at creating greater prosperity for the peoples of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and secure growth as well as accelerating regional economic integration.

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The chairman of the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang has been given a warning, whereas its Party chief now faces disciplinary actions for their multiple violations unearthed by the Inspection Commission under Vietnams Party Central Committee earlier this month.

During its 18th session in Hanoi on Friday, the Inspection Commission decided to give a strong warning to Huynh Duc Tho, deputy secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee and chairman of the municipal Peoples Committee, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Tho, who is also secretary of the Party delegation to the municipal Peoples Committee, was disciplined for holding responsibility for violations committed by the municipal Party Committees Standing Board for the 2015-2020 tenure and those in land and urban management, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

At the same session, the commission officials also looked into taking disciplinary actions against the Standing Board of the Da Nang Party Committee for the 2015-2020 tenure and its secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh.

Discipline urged for Da Nang secretary

A member of the Party Central Committee, Anh is also chairman of the municipal decision-making Peoples Council.

At the session, the commission said Anh had made many serious violations that hurt the prestige of the municipal Party Organization and authorities and causing concern among officials, Party members and people.

Consequently, the commission called on the Politburo and the Party Central Committee to consider disciplining the Standing Board of the Da Nang municipal Party Committee for the 2015-2020 tenure and Nguyen Xuan Anh within their jurisdiction, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Da Nang secretary Nguyen Xuan Anh

Anh has been found to hold the main responsibility for multiple violations by the municipal Party Committees Standing Board during the 2015-2020 tenure, the Party Central Committees Inspection Commission said in a report earlier this month.

Anh violated the principle of democratic centralism and Party and state regulations on personnel work by making arbitrary appointments to city government positions, actions that caused division and affected the solidarity and unity in the Standing Board of the Party Committee, according to the report.

The Da Nang Party secretary has also been found to use inappropriate certifications and dishonesty in declaration, which also violated the code of ethics for Party members.

The Party Central Committees Inspection Commission also condemned him for not being conscious of setting an example when receiving two cars and two houses as gifts from private enterprises, creating public outrage, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

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Readers in Ho Chi Minh City are questioning whether they are brave enough to film local traffic police even though they have the right to do so.

During a press meeting on September 22, Lieutenant Colonel Huynh Trung Phong, chief of the road and railway traffic unit under the municipal Department of Police, confirmed that citizens are allowed to supervise and record on-duty traffic cops, as long as it doesnt interrupt their work.

A special surveillance camera system will also be installed to monitor traffic conditions across the city as well as to supervise local traffic police officers when dealing with violators.

Although residents are encouraged to take part in the supervision, several readers are wondering if it is safe to do so, especially when there have been reports about some assistants preventing and threatening those who try to film the officers.

According to Nguyen Van Duc, a Ho Chi Minh City-based lawyer, wherever citizens are confronted by strangers after capturing traffic cops on camera, competent authorities should investigate and determine who they are and if they have any connection with specific traffic officers.

It is a strange coincident that these assistants are often found near the same patrol spots of local traffic police units, Duc said.

Meanwhile, many people have expressed their support for the idea, stating that it is a good way to ensure transparency in how law enforcers perform their jobs.

Joachim Muhlhiem, a French national who has lived in Ho Chi Minh City for nine years, said that commuters would not be wrongfully charged as long as they file their conversation with traffic police.

Le Minh, a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reader agreed with the opinion, adding that the best way for citizens to prevent confrontation with traffic police units, however, is to strictly comply with traffic regulations.

Another reader named Phong Vu said that commuters should not disrespect officers and be accountable for their video clips if they do not reflect the truth.

Implying a slightly different idea, Pham Hoang Nam suggested that each officer be equipped with a voice recorder so that their conversations with civilians are monitored.

The audio will reveal if a traffic cop uses appropriate manners when dealing with offenders, Nam said, adding that it would cost less than installing a camera system.

Another opinion pointed was for leaders of police units to carry out unannounced inspections at their officers patrol posts.

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Vietnamese police have launched legal proceedings against three more individuals involved in a high-profile mismanagement case with enormous financial losses at PetroVietnam Constrction (PVC), a subsidiary of the state-run oil and gas giant PetroVietnam.

The investigation police agency under the Ministry of Public Security on Friday initiated legal proceedings, without an arrest warrant, against PVC general manager Nguyen Anh Minh on charges of embezzlement assets, according to a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Minh has had his workplace searched and is banned from leaving his place of residence during the investigation.

Also on Friday, police also arrested and detained Bui Manh Hien, chief of the secretariat of PVC, and Nguyen Duc Hung, a former head of the finance-accounting department of a management board of a PVC-run project, on the same charges of embezzlement assets.

The latest police actions sent the number of individuals charged in the case of intentional breach of state rules for economic management causing serious consequences at PVC and its subsidiaries to 15. The economic mismanagement at PVC resulted in losses of around VND3.3 trillion (US$145.37 million).

The case involves other ex-oil executives including Vu Duc Thuan and Trinh Xuan Thanh, who fled the country in September 2016 but eventually returned and turned himself in to police in August.

On Wednesday, Le Dinh Mau, chief accountant of PetroVietnam, was also arrested on charges of on charges of "intentionally violating state regulations on economic management with severe consequences" for his role in the case.

Fridays legal proceedings were launched hot on the heels after a court in Hanoi sentenced Nguyen Xuan Son, a former PetroVietnam chairman, to death for embezzlement, abuse of power and economic mismanagement.

Son received the death penalty for his mismanagement when working as general director of Ocean Bank.

Sons co-accused in the Ocean Bank case, which involves 51 bankers and businessmen, got life at Fridays trial, which also announced other sentences ranging from 22 years in prison to 18-month suspended sentences and re-education outside of prison.

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Many manholes in Ho Chi Minh City have been left without a cover, creating hidden death traps for local residents, especially when it rains.

Two deaths relating to missing manhole covers have been reported in southern Vietnamese provinces in the past week, sparking immense concern over the potential danger behind such carelessness in urban management.

Fatal accidents

On Wednesday evening, Nguyen Tan Truong, an 11-year-old student in Dong Nai Province, fell down a sewer on his way home after school.

The young boys body was found on Thursday night at a section of the Dong Nai River.

On September 20, 16-year-old Vu Thao Uyen in Binh Phuoc Province accidently walked onto a manhole without cover during a heavy downpour. Her body was discovered a day later about 500 meters from the scene of the accident.

People in Ho Chi Minh City have become more concerned than ever given the unattended cover-missing manholes lying across their neighborhoods.

According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters observation in District 9 and Thu Duc District, many deep sewers are not protected with any kind of cover.

Huynh Thi Thanh, a resident on Le Van Viet Street, District 9, said that recent rains have caused water under the sewers to push the covers aside, revealing a large space at their entrance.

Some manholes are located near bus stops, which pose high risks for commuters. Authorities should promptly deal with the problem for safety reasons, Thanh stated.

Locals put a stick at a sewer entrance to warn others of the danger.

These death traps are also very common near the Thu Duc Market, where flooding often occurs whenever it rains heavily.

When the streets are inundated, local residents have to put warning signs at these drains so that others are aware of the danger.

A road leading to the dormitory of the Vietnam National University- Ho Chi Minh City in Thu Duc and some streets in Binh Thanh District are also filled with these open sewers.

A manhole cover has been put aside on le Van Viet Street, District 9.

Pending reports

Bui Van Truong, an official from the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Drainage Company, stated that the firm had examined and repaired all broken and missing manhole covers in neighborhoods under its management prior to the rainy season.

Regular inspections have also been carried out during the rainy period to fix emerging issues to ensure safety for local people, Truong continued.

According to a representative from the municipal Department of Transport, several documents have been sent to developers of the sewer and drainage system in the city, requiring frequent examinations and maintenance of the structures.

The transport department is waiting for reports of these units to determine specific solutions of the problem, the representative stated.

Makeshift warning sign is created by local residents at a manhole on Man Thien Street, District 9.

This open sewer poses serious danger to commuters, especially when it rains.

This open sewer poses serious danger to commuters, especially when it rains.

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A police raid late Thursday into the largest slaughter house in Ho Chi Minh City discovered thousands of pigs injected with a sedative shortly before being slaughtered for meat.

A source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper said the surprise inspection had been conducted at Xuyen A slaughterhouse in the citys outskirt district of Cu Chi by a joint team of police officers and inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The officers had been tracking illicit activities at the slaughterhouse for some time, before deciding to launch the raid at around 11:00 pm on Thursday.

At the time of the inspection, six empty bottles of Combistress, a tranquillizer, was found together with 51 500-milliliter infusion bottles containing water that had been mixed with the sedative.

A number of merchants were also caught in the act of injecting pigs with the sedative solution right before having them slaughtered.

In total, the authorities demanded a stop in the slaughter of around 10,300 swines that showed signs of having been sedated.

Some of the pigs were found to have been injected with the sedative while being transported to the slaughterhouse, while the rest were sedated on site, an inspector said. [The sedative] makes the meat softer and better-looking.

According to the official, Xuyen A is the largest slaughterhouse in Ho Chi Minh City, capable of slaughter over 5,000 pigs per night to supply local markets and supermarkets the next morning.

Pigs at Xuyen A are sourced from the southern provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Thuan, Ba Ria  Vung Tau, Long An, Tien Giang and Ben Tre.

It is allowable to use sedatives to keep aggressive animals calm during transportation, but not in slaughtering, according to Dr. Le Thanh Hien, dean of the infectious diseases and animal health faculty at Nong Lam University.

Once administered, it takes the drugs five to seven days to be completely excreted from the animals, Hien explained, while pigs that are sedated at slaughterhouses are typically killed just hours later.

With such a short time between sedation and slaughter, the pigs have no chance to excrete the drugs, making those who eat their meat facing health risks, she warned.

Consumption of pork with sedative residue can cause low blood pressure, sluggishness, weight gain, dry mouth, constipation, allergic reactions, drowsiness, prolonged depression, and reduced ability to regulate body temperature, Hien said.

Clinical complications can ensue if the consumer is under medications, is a minor or senior, or has a history of cardiovascular, liver or kidney diseases, Hien warned.

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I told him, that, with all due respect, I found his remark about Mr. Luce to be obtuse because Luce had been dead for 18 months, and I was merely representing his organization. I remember the careful, measuring, challenging look he gave me. I went cold for a moment, but then, all of a sudden, his whole manner changed. I guess he had seen that I wasnt the usual submissive toad-eater, and therefore I had become an object of interest to him. He suddenly, very abruptly, asked me if I knew French literature. I told him I did.

I was pathologically shy, but I liked to take risks. I saw this man, I knew he taught diplomacy in Southeast Asia, and I knew that with his personality, he completely dominated his students. You could tell that right away. So I thought, if I am to succeed here, I must be rude, to subvert the usual.

You might comment that he wasnt a modest man, but no great man was ever modest. He told me that he didnt like LIFE Magazine, and said he despised its founder, Henry Luce, and said he wouldnt cooperate with him in any way. I was watching him very carefully. I was very, very shy at that time. I was puzzled as to why he would agree to an interview with a publication he despised.

So I said Id go, and I did. It was an extremely cold, rainy night with gusty winds. I made my way to Muss office and entered. No one was there, but then he came striding in. Mus was the first man of genius I had ever met. Mus was a short, dark haired man; he wasnt handsome, but he was all personal force and he was extraordinarily intelligent. But he had a giant ego too, and he began right away to brag about how, in Paris during the Nazi occupation, and how, at the age of twelve, he had razored off gold buttons from the Nazi uniforms while riding the subway in Paris. It was crime punishable by death, but he hadnt cared. In fact, he ended up having more gold buttons than the other boys.

I was curious. I asked him who the goddama Frenchman was, and Gene replied it was Paul Mus. I was blank. Who the hell was Mus? Farmer gave me a pitying look, and explained that Mus had signed three peace treaties with Ho Chi Minh on behalf of French government. He was teaching up at Yale because hed had a falling out with de Gaulle. He was an Oriental Scholar.

My third day at LIFE Magazine, in January, 1968, I was being introduced to various staff, and was taken to the Text Department as part of my orientation. The Text Department did long analytical articles on subjects of importance Vietnam, the Cold War, the Mafia and organized crime. There I met a man with a game leg named Gene Farmer, and he was grumbling resentfully to me about having to take a train to New Haven to interview some `goddamn Frenchman.

By luck, the previous year I had read through the French novel, doing it chronologically, beginning with the Princess of Cleves, Manon Lescot, Benjamin Constant, Stendhal, lots of Stendhal, and Flaubert, lots of Flaubert, three volumes of Proust and ending up with the novels of Mauriac. Mus looked at me as if I had two heads, but he still had his high school principal manner, and considered me for a bit, and then asked me, Out of all that reading, what book did I like best? My mind went blank, but finally, I said Baudelaires notebooks, especially the part where he wrote about the Belgians. You see, Baudelaire said that the Belgians were a people born to think in unison, and I told Mus that I feared that this pitiable conformity was likely to be Americas fate.

It was like a hole being broken in a jar  all kinds of history came gushing out. Details of Ho, how Ho Chi Minh had visited President Wilson, his love of the Declaration of Independence, how the French had tried to assassinate him, how France had betrayed him by bad faith and by breaking treaties with him. It was remarkable. Mus talked about Hos cooperation with the OSS which was trying to extricate American flyers downed by the Japanese. Mus had handled Frances negotiations with him from 1945-47. He talked for three hours non-stop. I was scribbling notes as if I was deranged. I remember one of Muss observations. I asked if Ho was a genius, and Mus replied, "Ho is above geniusthe greatest man I ever met. Ho had the manner of Gandhi and a mind of steel. Ho was utterly intractable. He had a thin voice that almost suggested a lisp."

Mus made clear that Ho had never fully committed himself to Moscow or Peking. He was more of a Vietnamese nationalist.

I cannot remember all the details. But I remember one peace conference with the French where the Vietminh were not invited. On Sept. 14, when ho signed this basically hollow document, he was heard to murmur, I am signing my own death warrant. But to a colleague he concluded, "there is noting else to do but fight. Ho returned to Vietnam, but then fighting broke out in Haiphong, Mus said, that Ho had been betrayed, adding, I use the word betrayed with full knowledge of what it means. After that, Ho never placed faith in negotiations.

At one point, Ho went to Paris for talks again, but the French put him aboard a very slow ship while behind Hes back, they tried to install a French puppet government in his absence.

In another attempt to negotiate, Mus met Ho 1 April 1947 in an attempt to avoid war. They met in a hide out. But Paris has limited Muss negotiating power, and he was ordered to give Ho an order to surrender. Ho replied, "There is no place in the French Union for cowards, and rebuffed the ultimatum. Seven years of war followed.

I went back on Monday and typed my notes, but I got in trouble. I had applied to LIFE for a position of war correspondent or reporting on riots. Instead, my job was covering movies and plays. I was told that war correspondents could come and go but they needed to have people who had read a lot of books and could write well.

By going up to see Mus, I had exceeded my authority. I got bawled out.

But without my knowing, I had scored an exclusive. I was never praised, of course, but my interview notes were copied and sent to the magazines correspondn3t in Saigon, a tough ex-Marine, Frank McCullough.

In early March, LIFE did a cover story on Ho based on McCullough and my notes. The cover story appeared on March 22, 1968: A Study in Intransigence.



I knew a French photographer, Charles Bonnet, who took the cover photograph. One day he appeared in my office. Ho liked it so much, he was passing it out to his friends and he agreed to talk to me. Ho said I could go and see him, which of course, everyone was trying to do.

My sons godfather, Mike Huberman, lived in Paris on the Rue to Clichy in the 9th quarter, and he hung out with a lot of leftist ad communists in the city. We came out with a plan. I was to fly to the Philippines where I would meet a guide who would take to me Hanoi. It meant that the two of us to parachute into Laos and make our way on foot to Hanoi. I was convinced the plan would work.

It was in August of 1968, when my doctors in New York told me I had to be hospitalized for nervous exhaustion. I had been living with a 4500-member black gang, dealing with a lot of death threats, plus my tonsils were so infected they were pearly white with pus.

But then a telegram came in ordering me to Chicago to cover the 1968 Democratic covention, and assigned to the street violence. I developed asthma from being tear gassed, my tonsils had to be taken out, and I was sick for three months. Early the next year, Ho died. I kept thinking of that line from Lord Jim, What a chance missed. What a chance missed.
I lived to tell about it.....

You are leisurely rolling down the runway and 12 seconds later you realize that the wheels hanging from the wings have lifted off the ground. Dallas sized houses along the runway with their own hangers gradually recede as the plane lumbers skyward. It banks left and barely slides by Grindstone Mountain and you worry how it got that name.

Just another escape from the ravine that is Collegedale Airport but this time in a vintage Ford Tri-motor. You think --what is in better shape than when it was born 87 years ago? A person? My couch? Any machine in my garage? What about this airplane?

I am comforted by the awareness that the pilot, Bill Sleeper, is as confident as Tom Cruise in Top Gun that well make it back. The cabin of this plane could easily fit in the upper deck first class section of the 747s that Bill has flown around the world.

Yet, here he is piloting this plane which has a mahogany bakelite-looking steering wheel ..yes, a steering wheel that looks like it came out of your grandfathers 1953 Oldsmobile. He doesnt have to do it but he is jockeying this antique at 90 mph instead of tooling through the air at jet speed. I tell myself that you dont get to fly 747s with 500 people aboard without being at the 99+% level on the human rationality scale.

So I do not sweat a thing... just revel in the view. Which is unlike any Ive seen before. We are flying over spreading subdivisions you had never known existed in the furling hills of East Hamilton County. Swimming pools shimmer in the afternoon sun. We are so low their yellow rubber duckies might be getting a push from our prop wash. Im thinking we must be in drone territory but, if some yahoo is flying his birthday present up where we are, well gleefully chew it to bits with our three props. No gaping jet intake on this baby to cause major indigestion like on Sullys plane.

Looking around, I see nine other wide-eyed passengers  from kids to grandpas - taking it all in. Im thinking about the passengers who were aboard during this planes 1929 birthday year. Surely, they were outfitted in their best suits, dresses and shoes. Remember, people used to get dressed up to travel somewhere and a flight on this plane would have been like going to Paris on the Concorde. No jeans, tank tops, flip flops or jeans like those adorning the captives on the last airliner I was on.

Think about this..in 1929 you are boarding an airplane powered by gasoline internal combustion engines which were cousins of the engines in your rattling cars, cars that routinely wouldnt start or would quit a few miles down the road. And now you are going up in an airplane.

Henry Ford, the Steve Jobs/Elon Musk of his era, and his associates thought they knew a thing or two about getting the populace to embrace a new technology. What would it take to get people to take to the air? Confidence and a sense of elegance were the emotions the Tri-motor was designed to evoke. Three engines, count them .. not just two. Corrugated aluminum skin, the picture of strength, not shod in thin-looking metal or the fabric that still was standard.

And in the cabin, no structural innards to snag your Sunday s finest. It was 1929 and, if you are flying in the first real airliner, you certainly were not in the group wiped out in the crash. Undoubtedly, not the best time to launch the concept of long distance air travel but who can see the financial future that was only going to get worse for a half dozen years? Enjoy the wood-paneled cabin, comfortable seats, personal lights and ventilation spigots overhead. Room to stretch your feet. A center aisle permitting an easy trip to the lavatory or a view of the 2 pilots, their steering wheels-- even a stewardess.

This model may have been the inaugural plane that made us think that air travel could be special, not a bus ride. Generations of boys and girls dreamed to be part of it. Pan Am was an early adopter of the Tri-motor ..and was there ever an airline that lifted ones thoughts higher to what an elegant life included more than Pan Am? Once upon a time?



Oh, now we are coming down to earth, gliding, fortunately, not grinding, by Grindstone mountain again. What is that sweet aroma coming through my personal ventilation vent? It must be Little Debbie baking day at McKee. Life is Good.

You can experience the same  if you are quick .. Hurry over to Collegedale airport today through Sunday, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The local Collegedale/ Chattanooga Experimental Aviation Association club is holding an open house. .. no charge to see the visiting Trimotor (or the best $75 you ever spent for a ride on an airplane). Its a once-in-a- life-time experience.

Willard Rice, Jr

Ooltewah


One of the most controversial and highest profiled sheriffs in the country, David Clarke, has abruptly announced his resignation. In response, critics have rejoiced on social media and are celebrating Clarke's outing.

Clarke, out

In recent years, several names linked to law enforcement have made headlines, but often for the wrong reasons. For David Clarke, his name has been tied to controversy, as the now former Sheriff of Milwaukee County has been more than outspoken with his own personal political views. Clarke has been a regular on Fox News, usually bashing Democrats and more liberal Americans, slandering the Black Lives Matter movement, Barack Obama, and others.

During the 2016 presidential election, he gave his support to Donald Trump while also speaking at the Republican National Convention. Earlier this year, Clarke announced that he had accepted a job with the Department of Homeland Security, but after allegations of plagiarism followed, the sheriff backed off the position. As reported by the Associated Press on August 31, Clarke is now out as sheriff.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, an outspoken supporter of President Trump, has resigned. https://t.co/eg4Rp5t3zr  The Associated Press (@AP) August 31, 2017

On Thursday afternoon, David Clarke sent in his resignation letter and is no longer the Sheriff of Milwaukee County. As of press time, no reason has since been given for why Clarke decided to step down, but unconfirmed rumors have reported that he could soon be accepting a job in the Donald Trump administration.

Earlier this month, former head of the Department of Homeland Security, John Kelly, left his spot to become Trump's new Chief of Staff, leaving the job vacant.

Sheriff Clarke resignation letter pic.twitter.com/l6IDbkaLPy  Laura Jarrett (@LauraAJarrett) August 31, 2017

Twitter reacts

Not long after the news broke that he had resigned from his job as Milwaukee County sheriff, critics on social media were quick to fire back.

"With (sheriff) leaving office, it is unclear who will enforce Milwaukee County law at the bar of the Trump hotel in DC," Ben Jacobs of The Guardian sarcastically tweeted out.

With David Clarke leaving office, it is unclear who will enforce Milwaukee County law at the bar of the Trump hotel in DC  Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) August 31, 2017

So they gave David Clarke the boot, but is their anyway we could have him cashiered? It'd take twenty minutes to rip all those medals off.  Weedlewobble (@weedlewobble) August 31, 2017

Seeing that David Clarke resigned..... pic.twitter.com/prl15tV91i  Lond0 (@Kblxbox) August 31, 2017

"In the same week david clarke & tomato lahren left triple A for the racism majors," Desus Nice posted.

"It's ok, should any criminal indictments fall David Clarke's way I'm sure Trump has a ready-to-go pardon for him," an additional tweet added. "David Clarke is the Donald Trump of Joe Arpaios," another Twitter user wrote.

In the same week david clarke & tomato lahren left triple A for the racism majors  Desus Nice (@desusnice) August 31, 2017

I heard Sheriff David Clarke quit to be the opening act on the Trump World Tour.



Wonder what his talent is?  #DavidClarke  Nicki (@nickiknowsnada) August 31, 2017

"So they gave David Clarke the boot, but is their anyway we could have him cashiered? It'd take twenty minutes to rip all those medals off," yet another tweet read. The backlash against Clarke continued as his future currently remains unknown.
As Donald Trump and Melania Trump made their way to Texas on Tuesday in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the first couple were criticized on social media for a variety of reasons. As expected, Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway quickly came to their defense, but was also on the receiving end of some heavy backlash.

Conway's defense

Over the last year, Kellyanne Conway has gone from little known veteran Republican pollster to a household name who defends Donald Trump ad nauseam. After former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort was forced to resign once his financial link to Russia was made public, the former host of "The Apprentice" brought Conway on board as his replacement.

In the months that followed, Conway would make a name for herself by clashing with several cable news hosts, even when her talking points were clearly debunked with factual evidence. Following Trump's election win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Conway was brought to the White House as the president's special counsel. Despite this, Conway has had her fair share of negative attention, most notably her use of the term "alternative facts" to describe Trump's falsehoods. After the destruction of Hurricane Harvey this weekend in Texas, the president and first lady made their way to the state, with Conway quick to defend them during a August 31 interview on Fox News.

Presidential priorities  v. peevish pettiness  https://t.co/fyNysK5wEW  Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) August 31, 2017

Joining the hosts of "Fox & Friends" on Fox News, Kellyanne Conway was pressed about the criticism the first couple received, including Melania Trump wearing stilettos to a flood zone.

"Predictable," Conway said of the aforementioned backlash. " We saw what was in the president and the first ladys hearts that day, not what was on their feet," she continued.

.@KellyannePolls: We saw what was in the president and the first ladys hearts that day, not what was on their feet. https://t.co/GM6nBZ28pE pic.twitter.com/VBc69Ri7fZ  Fox News (@FoxNews) August 31, 2017

"It's suggested to me that the left is really worried that the president is successfully showing leadership, and compassion, and empathy, and resolve, and action," Kellyanne Conway went on to say.

"It was predictable," Conway said, before adding, "by the way, she didn't wear those shoes down in Texas. She wore them onto the plane." Conway continued, before ripping into "the feminists" for "having judgement end on end."

Twitter reacts

Not long after Kellyanne Conway made her comments on Fox News, social media critics of Donald Trump were quick to respond.

"What was in his heart that day was a photo op," one Twitter user wrote.

Your president is the the #MAGA supreme emperor of peevish pettiness. He's the the smallest man-child with the thinnest skin to ever "lead."  Doc Hudson (@PoliticoRx) August 31, 2017

She looked out of touch and tacky. Deal with it. Tired of this victim crap from this administration.  HoneycombJackass (@ScottyBeHotty) August 31, 2017

Yeah what's in his heart is popularity and rating. He didn't speak about the deaths or anything that truly matter. Just go away Kellyanne.  Liz Weinblatt (@LizWeinblatt) August 31, 2017

"They tried to sell hats for profit, did NO work & didn't meet w/ one victim. Photo-op was in their black hearts, nothing more," an additional tweet noted.

"It's funny we can't make mention of the first ladies shoe wear but a tan suit will set their hair on fire. Who knew," another social media user pointed out in reference to conservative outrage over a tan suit once worn by former President Barack Obama.

Very true, selling hats and bragging about crowd size, again. He is a disgrace and I, for one, cannot wait until I see him behind bars.  Josia Goodbody (@connaig) August 31, 2017

@realDonaldTrump didn't see any victims. So far he cut disaster funding, bragged about crowd size, schilled hats, played on a fire truck.  BAW (@blakemsu) August 31, 2017

KC, if Michelle O. were to wear stilettos to a disaster flood zone, (she would not), you and yours would be all over it. #noclue #noclass  Terri Mac Adkins (@irish468) August 31, 2017

"Did you see that Drumpf did NOT visit any impacted sights but claimed he did?

He commented on crowd size and not victims. Sold swag = hat," one tweet read. "Very true, selling hats and bragging about crowd size, again. He is a disgrace and I, for one, cannot wait until I see him behind bars," another comment added. As the backlash continued it was made clear that the rift between Donald Trump and his critics was not going to end at any point in the near future.
As a result of efforts by US and Central American law enforcement, thousands of gang members were arrested across four countries. An operation was started in March after Attorney General Sessions met with law enforcement agencies from across the region to discuss transnational criminal activities. According to the Justice Department, the arrests were made in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Law enforcers in these four countries studied the modus operandi of the criminal gangs, shared information amongst each other and dismantled their financial structure.

The gang's leadership and transnational ties were also targeted in the operation.

In an announcement through the department of justice, Attorney General Sessions stated that "MS-13 is one of the most violent gangs that endangers communities in more than 40 states". He also said that "MS-13 members kill, rape and traffic drugs and that the US Department of Justice will maintain its policies of dismantling the gang.

MS-13

The MS-13 gang originated in Los Angeles, California in the 1980's. The group was formed by Salvadorian immigrants to protect themselves from other more established gangs that were in L.A, according to the Washington Post.The gang has spread to Canada and Central America. Most of the members are from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.

They are usually covered with tattoo markings with words such as "MS," "Salvatrucha," the "Devil Horns".

Passed a semi that had MS 13 devil horns on it. MS 13 is also one of the most dangerous gangs..  pic.twitter.com/tLR8ae5epx  Jourden Casey (@j0urdy_j0) January 7, 2014

Last month, two members of the gang were charged with murdering 19-year-old Julio Cesar Gonzales-Espantzay after luring him into a forest on Long Island.

The two are alleged to have attacked Julio with machetes and stabbed him with knives. They were also responsible for 21 other murders in New York in the last two years, just to gain reputation, according to Nassau County police.

18th street gang

18Th Street Gang is a multi-ethnic street gang that began in Los Angeles in the 1960s'.

Most of its members are from South American countries like El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. The gang has a membership of between 30 t 50 thousand members in the United States according to a January report by Insight Crime. Crimes committed by members of the gang include drug trafficking, assault, robbery, money laundering, extortion, arms and human trafficking, theft, and murder. In recent months, 18th street gang members that were deported have been arrested trying to cross the US-Mexican border.
Like her husband Jared Kushner, First Daughter Ivanka Trump was exposed for using a private email account to communicate with members of Donald Trump's administration. Once the news broke, critics of the president were quick to point out the irony across social media.

Ivanka's email trouble

One of the biggest talking points used by Republicans against Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election was her use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State. Clinton admitted that she was in the wrong for doing so, and several investigations found nothing technically illegal on the server.

However, that didn't stop Donald Trump, the GOP, and the right-wing media from highlighting the issue, which was one of Clinton's downfalls in losing the election to the former host of "The Apprentice" last November. The email issue raised its ugly head once again earlier this month when Clinton released her book titled "What Happened?" summing up her feelings about her lost to Trump. While Trump and company took time to hit back at Clinton, with attention paid to her email scandal, a new report exposes trouble within the current White House. According to The Hill on September 25, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have both been using private email accounts to conduct government business.

Ivanka Trump used personal email to conduct government work: report https://t.co/pgYpfrfY7i pic.twitter.com/4Wvu6IkuKL  The Hill (@thehill) September 25, 2017

In the report from The Hill on Monday, American Oversight were able to obtain official documents via the Freedom of Information Act that showed Ivanka Trump using her personal email for communication with Linda McMahon, head of the Small Business Administration.

In the documents, Ivanka contacted McMahon in an attempt to "explore opportunities to collaborate" together with the new "women's entrepreneurship." While the emails were exchanged weeks before Ivanka became a official member of the administration, she had taken part in several "high-level meetings" in the White House at that time.

It appears the president's son-in-law & senior adviser Jared Kushner set up the email for unofficial communications. https://t.co/f9dLepDIIo  NPR (@NPR) September 25, 2017

The news comes just one day after Politico reported that Ivanka Trump's husband, Jared Kushner, used his own private email to plan future administration events with former White House officials in Steven Bannon and Reince Priebus.

As of press time, neither Ivanka or Kushner have made public comments.

Twitter reacts

In response to the news about Ivanka Trump using a personal email server to speak to officials in the administration, critics wasted no time lashing out. "OK media & GOP: expect you to go after @IvankaTrump as hard as you went after HRC over emails. When do the hearings begin? Signed AMERICA," one tweet read.

Ivanka Trump used her personal e-mail to send the President tons of emails that read "Daddy, I want an Oompa Loompa."  Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) September 25, 2017

They need to check Miss. #Complicit @IvankaTrump 's emails and pull BOTH of their security clearances.   (@Idess_HaloStar) September 24, 2017

Using personal emails for government business seems to be a trend in the #Trump administration: https://t.co/kNadKMcVXx  American Oversight (@weareoversight) September 25, 2017

"Ivanka Trump used her personal e-mail to send the President tons of emails that read "Daddy, I want an Oompa Loompa,'" filmmaker Jermy Newberger tweeted.

"Using personal emails for government business seems to be a trend in the #Trump administration," the official American Oversight Twitter account posted.

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump both used private emails for government business, but it's okay because they weren't wearing pantsuits.  Crutnacker (@Crutnacker) September 25, 2017

I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump using private emails, like that they're criminals.  New Name (@TimDuffy) September 25, 2017

"I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump using private emails, like that they're criminals," another tweet added. "Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump both used private emails for government business, but it's okay because they weren't wearing pantsuits," yet another tweet noted. The backlash continued as those who oppose Donald Trump had a field day with the news.
On September 29, the US government received criticism from the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulin Cruz, who pointed out that the federal relief effort provided after the natural disasters would be useless if the logistics issue was not solved. She noted that the situation in Puerto Rico could become "close to a genocide, the Guardian reported.

The devastating conditions in Puerto Rico

More than 3.4 million residents of Puerto Rico lack food, water, and fuel, there is no power in some regions and mobile connection is lost. The debris on the streets has made moving around even more difficult.

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Cruz showed two large paper binders and said that there is enough documentation for the Federal Emergency Management Administration. She cried and said that she would be calm or polite until anybody saves her people from death.

Donald Trump's position about conditions in Puerto Rico

In his official account on Twitter, President Trump stressed that the Fema and first responders did great, praising their relief efforts. On Saturday, the president wrote: "The military and first responders, despite no electric, roads, phones etc., have done an amazing job."

Trump noted the contribution of Elaine Duke, the FEMA administrator and acting Homeland Security Secretary, who later was accused of calling Puerto Rico a "good news story" and received criticism for it.

Cruz responded with these words: This is a people are dying story. This is a life-or-death story. Duke explained that she had been impressed with the authorities' coordination, although the conditions in Puerto Rico were obviously unsatisfactory. She noted that "Together we are getting there and the progress today is very very strong."

The "massive federal mobilization" after the storm included 10,000 federal personnel, CNN reported.

Trump explained that the island is surrounded by ocean water, so the rescue and relief teams were unable to act quickly.

Trump also spoke about the way to pay for recovery efforts in the future, reminding the American people about the huge amount of Puerto Rico's existing debt. Trump added that the rebuilding effort should be funded and organized in a way that the local officials would have to work with federal authorities.

10 officials from the White House and Senate took part in a delegation to the damaged territories, the Washington Post reported. On October 3, President Trump is going to visit Puerto Rico.
Texas County, Missouri authorities are not describing the murder of a transgender teen as a hate crime, but the nature of his brutal murder would seem to indicate otherwise. Four arrests have been made thus far for the slaying of Ally Steinfeld, 17, formerly known as Joseph Steinfeld. Steinfield had only recently come out as being Transgender.

Andrew Vrba, 18, one of three people indicted by a grand jury for first-degree murder September 25, told Texas County authorities in gruesome detail about how he committed the crime, according to the probable cause statement, saying he gouged Steinfeld's eyes out and stabbed him in the penis multiple times in the living room of the Cabool, Missouri trailer home where Steinfeld was living with Briana Calderas, 24.

The stabbing became necessary, Vrba told the law enforcement officials after he attempted to poison Steinfeld's drink, but Steinfeld did not drink it. Calderas was also charged with Steinfeld's murder, as was Isis Schauer, 18.

Accused killers put transgender teen's corpse in blanket, burned it

In addition to the first-degree murder charges, Schauer was also charged with armed criminal action, while Schauer and Calderas were both accused of abandonment of a corpse. The probable cause statement indicates Vrba, Schauer and Calderas wrapped Steinfeld's body in a carpet, then took it outside, where they burned it. Some of Steinfeld's bones that did not burn were placed in a nearby chicken coop.

After Texas County authorities received word that Steinfeld had been missing since the beginning of September and was last seen with Calderas, Vrba and Schauer, the investigation quickly centered on Calderas' mobile home.

Calderas denied knowing where Steinfeld was but spurred on by cryptic Facebook messages between Vrba and Schauer. Deputies were able to collect enough evidence to bring them in for questioning. It did not take long for the suspects to begin telling what they know, according to the probable cause statement.

While Calderas insisted she had not wanted Steinfield to be killed, Vrba and Schauer both claimed she was in on the murder and Calderas was the one who told the deputies where they could find the knife.

Calderas and Schauer said Vrba bragged them about how he killed Steinfeld.

Search warrant uncovers transgendered teen's remains

Texas County deputies found the burned remains of Ally Steinfeld exactly where Vrba indicated they would be. A few days after the trio was arrested, a fourth person, James Grigsby, 25, was charged with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with evidence.

Online Texas County Circuit Court records show the next hearing in Vrba's case is scheduled for October 3, while hearings for Calderas, Schauer, and Grigsby will be held October 10.

Texas County authorities say they do not know if it was a hate crime and if Steinfeld had been targeted because he was transgender. Steinfeld's sister, Ashleigh Boswell, said her brother talked to the family about someday having gender-reassignment surgery.
As Puerto Rico struggles to recover from the devastation left by Hurricane Maria, President Donald Trump has come under fire due to his response. After the president's recent critical remarks about the mayor of San Juan, Trump returned to social media to blast the media and Democrats.

Trump on Twitter

Hurricane Maria was the third storm in just over a month to make headlines news due to the damage it caused to the impacted areas. After Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and Hurricane Irma in Cuba and Florida, the latest storm left Puerto Rico a shell of its former self.

The island is mostly without power for a second straight week, with dozens left dead and thousands unable to contact their family members. Nearly a week after the storm hit, Donald Trump finally acknowledged the situation on social media, but did so by quickly pointing out Puerto Rico's debt to the United States and Wall Street. Due to the president's slow response, San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz made sure to call Trump out during an interview on Friday, pleading with the American people that "people are dying" in her home. Not happy with the criticism, Trump lashed on Saturday morning, blaming Cruz and the media for the lack of progress in helping the island recover. Taking to his Twitter feed once again on September 30, Trump went on to accuse the media and the Democratic Party of working together to make him look bad over the issue.

Despite the Fake News Media in conjunction with the Dems, an amazing job is being done in Puerto Rico. Great people!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

As seen on his Twitter feed on Saturday morning, Donald Trump once again returned to social media to defend himself over his administration's controversial response to the hurricane in Puerto Rico.

"Despite the Fake News Media in conjunction with the Dems, an amazing job is being done in Puerto Rico," Trump tweeted out, before adding, "Great people!"

Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to "get Trump." Not fair to FR or effort!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

Donald Trump's tweet comes just hours after he blamed the media initially for their reporting on the hurricane in Puerto Rico.

"Fake News CNN and NBC are going out of their way to disparage our great First Responders as a way to 'get Trump,'" the president posted, before stating, "Not fair to FR or effort!" "The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's," he added, while writing, "Shame!"

The Fake News Networks are working overtime in Puerto Rico doing their best to take the spirit away from our soldiers and first R's. Shame!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2017

Next up

As Donald Trump continues to deflect blame away from himself and onto others, in this case the media and the Democrats, the island of Puerto Rico is fighting to keep their head above water and save as many lives as possible. On Tuesday, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are scheduled to arrive in the area, and only time will tell how that all plays out.
After Politico reported that jared kushner had set up a private email account at the White House over the weekend, Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) sent a letter to the White House. Their letter was for White House counsel Don McGahn requesting the names, phone numbers and private email accounts for all top administration officials.

Clinton's response to Kushner's private email

The fact that Rep. Gowdy was involved in making the request, stands out as ironic due to his history with private email related scandals. This is because he spent years going after Hillary Clinton when it was revealed that she had her own private email account, domain, and server while she was secretary of state.

In fact, even Clinton herself recently commented on the reports on the discovery of Kushner's private email account as "the height of hypocrisy". Here is a clip of Clinton's statement in an interview with Zerlina Maxwell on SiriusXM.

The source of hypocrisy, Republican 'witch hunt'

The fact that Gowdy is involved with the request only throws more fuel on the fire of partisan politics as they are today, where hypocrisy runs rampant throughout from sunrise to sundown, day after day, week after week and year after year. One only had to look at the media reports during the days when Clinton was being investigated after leaving the Obama administration.

The results of an immediate investigation found that Clinton had not made any deliberate attempts to hide information through those emails but the information and even the outcome of the investigation was scrutinized by Republicans anyway.

It seemed then that with endless obstruction from Republicans in Congress -- as long as there was no real legislation taking place -- why not put all of their efforts and energy into investigating Clinton?

The last 'gasp' of Clinton's email investigation

Again, Gowdy would remain as the Republican who would single-handedly go after Clinton for her use of a private email server, even stressing the patience of Congress forcing him to eventually drop the investigation, or at the very least, suspend it until a light breeze would pull the trigger to start up the investigation again.

Such was the case when former FBI director James Comey notified committee leaders -- both Democrats and Republicans -- of what they thought would be a re-opening of his investigation on her emails. The letter referred to the possibility of a connection with Clinton through a different and unrelated investigation that was being conducted towards the end of 2016.

That investigation was over a sexual scandal that involved New York congressman Anthony Weiner, who was married to Clinton's aide Huma Abedin. The suggestion was that there were some emails found in laptops that had been turned in which he was informed might be connected to Clinton.

He later said that there was no connection. Rep. Jason Chaffetz would be the one who stirred up controversy again, mentioning the letter via Twitter. Since then, Hillary Clinton would lose the presidential election, President Trump would fire James Comey and Anthon Weiner would be sentenced to 21 months in prison.
On Monday, the Kurdish region of Iraq held their independence referendum, which was announced back in June and organized by Kurdish authorities. The Kurdish region has been held a high degree of autonomy for years, and their decision to hold a vote has been one that has shaken the region and led to threats and international warnings.

Referendum sees high turnout

The voting saw a high turnout that was estimated to be 72% according to the region's election commission. It delivered a resounding yes vote, as the Kurdish Rudaw website showed that over 90% voted for independence.

The independence referendum is not a binding vote, so technically it means nothing and is just a show of support. However, it designates the head of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Massoud Barzani, a mandate to negotiate the succession of the area with Iraq and neighboring countries.

When the Ottoman Empire collapsed over the last 19th and early 20th centuries, the Iraqi Kurds were the largest ethnic group that were left stateless. That is why the vote is being held, along with such high turnout, despite all of the threats and warning not to hold the referendum.

Regional and international warnings

Iraq's government has been putting pressure on the Kurdish region not to hold this referendum, as Iraq does not want to lose its oil-rich region and northern territory.

Baghdad has already asked other countries to stop direct oil trading with the Kurds and had demanded control of all airports and border posts in the region. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has also called the vote unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, neighboring countries with largest Kurdish populations like Iran, Turkey, and Syria have been making threats.

With an estimated 30 million ethnic Kurds in scattered among Iraq and those four countries, they do not want their separatism to spread to their own Kurdish populations.

Top Turkish officials have already said their country will not recognize the referendum and that they would be in talks with Iraq's central government about the issue.

Turkey has been fighting Kurdish groups they deem as rebels in the southern and eastern parts of their country for decades.

There have also been international warnings, including from the US State Department. The referendum was held in areas that are disputed between the Kurdish regional government and Iraq, which led the State Department this issue this warning: holding the referendum in disputed areas is is particularly provocative and destabilizing. Following the vote, they said they were deeply disappointed it went through.
Cleveland State Community College student Brandon Conley received a $2,500 Tennessee Poultry Association Career Track Scholarship and was honored at the TPA annual awards banquet on Aug. 5 at the Sheraton Nashville.



TPA serves as the collective voice for the Tennessee commercial poultry sector in support of promoting education, policy and public relations for the sustainment of the industry. The TPA works in partnership with the broiler and primary breeder poultry companies, growers, universities, UT Extension, TN Department of Agriculture and the associated agribusinesses to promote, protect, and enhance the commercial poultry industry in the state.



This is the second year I have received a scholarship from TPA, said Mr. Conley. Im very appreciative to them. It feels really good to win. This money helps a lot.



Mr. Conley is a student in CSCCs new agribusiness program at CSCCs Athens Center. His plan is to pursue his association of applied science in agribusiness, then transfer to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to complete his bachelors degree in agriculture economics.



Agriculture Instructor Mitch Ingram stated, Brandon is the epitome of dedication and hard work. not only for his personal education in agribusiness, but he is also a tremendous leader in the poultry industry and our community, as well.



Mr. Conley said, I was already enrolled at CSCC in animal science because that was the closest thing to what I wanted to go into, but when they started this degree, I decided to switch. Im really excited about this major because this was what I wanted to begin with. Id like to get a job in agribusiness and continue my familys farm.



Mr. Conley is also excited that he was chosen to serve as president of the new club at CSCC, the Future Farmers of America, FFA, a position he held for two years at Bradley Central High School.



Mr. Ingram asked me if I would be interested in serving in this role, and I said yes because I was president of that club in high school, and I really enjoyed it. Im looking forward to it. I think its a good opportunity to get out and do some good for the community. I want it to be a success, and I think it will be. A lot of the people I was in FFA with in high school are now at CSCC, so Im hoping they will join, as well. Even if people arent interested in the ag aspect, they may still want to become involved because of the community aspect.



Mr. Conley is a 2016 graduate of Bradley Central High School. He is the son of LeBron and Karen Conley of Cleveland. For more information on the agribusiness program at CSCC, contact Ingram at 423-472-7141, ext. 766 or email him at ringram01@clevelandstatecc.edu.
URUMQI  A new China-Europe rail-sea cargo transport route was launched Friday in Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The first train carrying Chinese goods left Urumqi Friday, bound for the Port of Riga in Latvia, via Kazakhstan and Russia. The goods will then be transported to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, by sea.

The new rail-sea route will shorten the distance by more than 1,000 kilometers and cut the transportation time from more than 20 days to just 14 days, said Liu Changlin, general manager of an international logistics company in Xinjiang.

The new route was launched under cooperation between China and Kazakhstan to further reduce logistics costs.
Wu Jianhua contacts businesses over the phone at his company in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on Sept 19, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Locals in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, are exploring ways to revitalize the time-honored handicraft of Song brocade, which originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Wu Jianhua, an inheritor of traditional silk-weaving technologies, is one of them.
Hong Kong International Airport saw its lowest-ever punctuality rate this summer, slipping behind those of major cities on the Chinese mainland. Various factors, including bad weather and aircraft malfunctions, were blamed for departure delays. Provided to China Daily

Hong Kong airport passengers suffer frequent delays amid capacity crunch

This summer vacation has witnessed the lowest-ever punctuality rate at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) but, unfortunately, delays seem to have been and will be a reality for years.

The HKIA recorded a stunning 15 percent to 20 percent punctuality rate, respectively, in July and August - ranking at the bottom of 88 airports with more than 2,000 monthly flight movements in the Asia-Pacific region, according to air data provider VariFlight.

The data include all flights that actually took off, and those less than 30 minutes behind schedule are regarded as punctual. Based on the calculation, HKIA's average delay is one hour.

This has continued throughout this year. Tanja Lan, an insurance company agent and frequent flyer from Hong Kong, has had several painful experiences. Up to last month, she had flown from HKIA six times in this year, with four of the flights delayed. Two of these were early-morning flights.

The Air China flight CA118 she took to Beijing on July 26 was the most memorable, Lan recalled. She had chosen this flight, scheduled to be take off at 8:30 am, to make an important appointment at noon.

However, the flight waited by the runway for nearly two hours and only reached the gate at 1:20 pm. It forced her to reschedule her appointment.

But her story was not the most tragic among those on board. Sitting beside her was a French couple with their baby, who live and work in Hong Kong, going back to Paris via Beijing for home visit. According to the schedule, they had nearly three hours to deal with the transfer, which they said had been enough for their previous trips, Lan recalled as she had chatted with the couple and helped them with some translations.

In the end, they missed their flight to Paris and had to wait in a long queue at the rescheduling counter after arriving at Beijing, Lan recalled.

"This may doom our confidence in arranging urgent meetings with clients," Lan stressed. "If this continues, my colleagues and I may have to take one more day off for a business trip, which is ridiculous in this era of mobility."

According to VariFlight data, last summer, HKIA achieved 53 percent on-time departures on average - at least on the same level as airports in Beijing and Shanghai. But this summer, even the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, where 19,305 flights are executed - 4,000 more than in HKIA - recorded about 50 percent on-time departure in August.

In response, however, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said the official punctuality rate was 69 percent from last year to June this year, even 4 percent higher than in 2015.

However, the department's official definition of punctuality is a plane leaves its parking bay within 15 minutes of schedule - not including taxiing or queuing time after that.

The authority states there are many reasons for delays, including bad weather, air-traffic control, aircraft malfunction and airline service changes, but gives no statistics on the proportion in each category.

Extreme weather is no doubt one critical reason as the city suffered a dozen typhoons this summer, including Hato for which the rare Hurricane Signal No 10 was issued.

Crowded airspace

From July 1 to Aug 24, the CAD handled about 2,100 flights every day on average, including flight movements at HKIA and overflights, an increase of about 7 percent compared with the same period last year, CAD Director-General Simon Li said.

This means the department must manage 1.45 flights every minute and even more when considering there are almost no flights between 3 am and 6 am.

Congested airspace is also another issue that has been blamed for the low punctuality rate of HKIA for a long time. In the Pearl River Delta (PRD) area, five airports share 150 square-kilometers of airspace.

And it is only becoming more crowded. The International Air Transport Association, the trade association of the world's airlines, expects air passenger demand in the PRD to reach 387 million in 2030, but the five airports here can only provide for an estimated 240 million.

HKIA's third runway system will provide more space for planes to land but won't be completed until 2022.

"I'm afraid there's not much hope for improving on-time departure and landing until the third runway opens," said Achim Czerny, associate professor of the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

"HKIA is making full use of its capacity today. This makes it more difficult to recover from disruptions in flight operations caused by, for example, bad weather conditions," he added.

But the professor pointed out delays are not always "evil". Under such circumstances, delaying flights somehow becomes the sacrifice we have to accept. He noted that some airports try to control the number of flights in a more restrictive way to ensure they can recover from interruptions in a shorter period of time.

A digital solution

Leon Lee, an analyst from VariFlight, presented one solution which he believes will reduce flight delays by 10 percent.

His suggestion is to improve airport operating efficiency through an Airport Collaborative Decision Making system (A-CDM) between airports, airlines and air-traffic controllers.

The CAD introduced a new Air Traffic Management System (ATMS) last year, gradually replacing the old one that had been used for almost 20 years and which is expected to allow for five times more flights than the old one.

But Lee stressed that the ATMS focuses on managing flight plans, while the core of the A-CDM is to share information among the above three sides on a platform.

Most of Europe's large airports have adopted the A-CDM system and the Chinese mainland's aviation authority is also promoting it, requiring airports with passenger throughput of more than 30 million to link their A-CDM data with the air control authority's by the end of next year.

Lee said the difficulty was that airport and airline companies are prudent and reluctant to share data due to safety concerns and a lack of accurate data to provide.

"It means a digital upgrade of operating and a complete change of working process, which require airports to know the exact readiness of land facilities, such as real-time location of airport vehicles," he said.

Contact the writers at grace@chinadailyhk.com
Being seen, recognized and greeted instantly by shop assistants with a big grin used to be a privilege for VIP customers. Going the extra mile, a startup in Shenzhen is developing a camera with facial recognition technology, offering a new experience for shoppers in future.

"Our camera can match a face that's detected with the image logged in a store's member data base and quickly tell retailers a customer's identity using a smartphone application," says Ding Xiaogang, founder and chief executive of Shenzhen Xiaozhou Technology, which has secured investments of tens of millions of yuan to date.

If successfully applied, the technology can considerably upgrade the overall consumption experience, he promises.

With the development of artificial intelligence, face-reading cameras are being widely used in security systems but, according to Ding, getting it done in the retail industry is another story and is much more difficult.

"In a security system, we could use suspected recognition," he explains. "That is the camera only needs to detect a few suspects and the police can check on them one by one."

But, for the retail business, it demands accurate recognition, stresses the 36-year-old entrepreneur. "It would be awkward if a shop assistant greets a customer with the wrong name."

"Nonetheless, we can still guarantee the accuracy rate of hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of people in the member data base. We're still working on ways of improving that figure to millions."

Facial recognition technology is developing rapidly on the Chinese mainland and has begun penetrating people's daily lives. It's now applied in unlocking the latest iPhone X, aircraft boarding and making payments. Retail titans like Walmart, Amazon and Alibaba have invested heavily in developing the technology.

Research company MarketsandMarkets expects sales of facial recognition equipment to hit $6.2 billion globally by 2020.

Li Zhengwei, production director of data service provider Talkingdata, said retailers used to rely on shop alerts to observe customer behavior, but are now turning to IOT (Internet of Things) devices.

Nanjing-based Suning Commerce Group - one of the largest private electronic product retailers on the mainland - has developed a smart camera empowered by AI technology and has applied it at some 1,500 stores, according to Xu Hongping, vice-general manager of the group's research center.

One of the key functions of these cameras is to locate a customer's position, and this has profound influence on a shop's layout, says Xu.

However, a major concern over the wide use of such technology is data security. Ding explains that the data they've collected is based on customers' virtual identity.

When a client decides to become a member of a brand, he or she would usually provide telephone numbers, email addresses and a surname. Such information makes up the virtual identity of a client, on which all of the customer's consumption behavior and other data collected by Ding's camera are based on.

Established in 2014, Shenzhen Xiaozhou Technology has been focusing on developing smart cameras and a data management system for retailers. Their hit production is a camera to count the number of people passing by or entering and leaving a store by recognizing their heads and shoulders.

Chief Marketing Officer Yin Xiongzhou says the digitalization of the retail industry is developing very slowly as many retailers are still relying on reports from staff at each store to collect operating data, and the accuracy and update rates of manual records is relatively low.

He says big data analysis is crucial to proper management decisions, especially when retailers face sluggish growth, and the company's technology can help retailers lift sales by an average of 3 to 5 percent.

The startup also claims that the accuracy rate of its traffic-calculating camera is as high as 95 percent, and more than 50,000 stores have been equipped with their devices on the mainland, in particular, the clothing industry in which the company has the largest market share.

But, Yin admits that retailers' acceptance of the new technology was low in 2016, resulting in unstable sales for the startup. "The number of our employees had to be cut from 70 to about 25," he recalls.

Sales, however, began to pick up this year, especially after business tycoon Jack Ma proposed the "new retail" concept in March. "Although most retailers have yet to figure out the 'new retail' model in detail, they're more willing to invest in new technologies," says Yin.

About 100,000 stores have agreed to use the company's product this year - double the number of clients in 2015 and 2016.

grace@chinadailyhk.com
US President Donald Trump greets Vice-Premier Liu Yandong at the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong told US President Donald Trump on Thursday that Beijing is ready to work with Washington to make his first state visit to China a "successful, historic" one.

During their meeting at the White House, Liu also conveyed President Xi Jinping's greetings to Trump, who in return asked Liu to send his greetings to Xi.

The White House announced early on Friday that Trump and first lady Melania Trump will travel to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines from Nov 3 to 14.

Trump will also attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam.

Trump said he is very much looking forward to his China trip and to meeting again with President Xi.

The two presidents have met twice this year, at Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in April and in Hamburg, Germany, during the G20 summit in July.

Trump said he believes the visit will be a great success, according to a news release from China's Foreign Ministry.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson left for Beijing later on Thursday to prepare for Trump's visit. It will be Tillerson's second trip to China as secretary of state.

Liu also told Trump that the first China-US Social and Cultural Dialogue has yielded positive results, thanks to the concerted efforts of the two sides.

The dialogue, one of four Cabinet-level dialogues agreed to by Trump and Xi at their Florida meeting, was co-chaired by Liu and Tillerson on Thursday and focused on the theme of "living together for the next 50 years based on mutual understanding".

Liu said she hoped the two sides will implement the consensus of the presidents by giving full display to the role of cultural exchange in building stronger social and public support for the development of Sino-US relations.

Trump also stressed the importance of US-China social and cultural exchange, saying that he hoped the two sides would expand exchange and cooperation in various areas, according to the news release.

Heather Nauert, spokeswoman for the US State Department, said the inaugural China-US Social and Cultural Dialogue was "terrific".

"That dialogue focused on advancing cooperation in seven areas: education, social development, science and technology, health, subnational, arts and culture, and environment and conservation," she said.

At the dialogue on Thursday, the vice-premier said that for the China-US exchanges to move steadily forward over time, they should lay a solid foundation for Sino-US relations by considering the development of the bilateral relationship over the next 50 years.

The two sides should also respect each other's development path and social system as well as each other's sovereignty, security and benefits, Liu said.

Tillerson said the US is ready to expand exchange and cooperation in various social and cultural areas, which he said is of great importance to the bilateral relationship, according to the release from the Foreign Ministry.

The two sides issued a joint declaration after the first dialogue and the First China-US Social and Cultural Dialogue Action Plan, which details at least 130 projects for the two sides to implement.
Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), talks with staff in the Urumqi ground station, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept 29, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

China launched a 2,000-kilometer quantum fiber link connecting Beijing and Shanghai on Friday, allowing unhackable communication between the cities.

This is the world's longest and most sophisticated quantum link, and it will serve as the backbone connecting quantum networks in four cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Jinan in Shandong province and Hefei in Anhui province, said Pan Jianwei, China's leading quantum physicist.

During the link's launch in Beijing, Bai Chunli, the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, made video phone calls using the quantum link with scientists and government officials in Jinan, Hefei and Shanghai, congratulating them for their hard work.

Using Micius, the world's first quantum communication satellite, which was launched by China last year, Bai also made the world's first intercontinental quantum video call with Anton Zelinger, the president of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, on Friday.

Micius has been integrated into the Beijing-Shanghai link, creating the world's first space-to-ground integrated quantum network capable of sending messages via landlines and from space, Bai said.

Zelinger said, "This begins a new era of international quantum communication.

"I would like to congratulate my Chinese friends in their achievements, and I hope other countries can follow and together build a global quantum internet," he added.

With these new developments, China can also vastly extend the distance of ultrasecured quantum communication, paving the way for further practical applications, said Pan.

During the event, two employees from the Bank of Communications completed a transaction from Shanghai to Beijing using the quantum link. The State Grid is also developing a managing application using a quantum link.

In the future, Chinese scientists will improve the stability of the quantum channel, improve quantum satellites' communication efficiency and stability during the daytime, and launch high orbit quantum communication satellites, said Pan.

"China will also cooperate with Germany, Russia, Italy, Singapore and other countries to explore the practicality of a global quantum communication network," he added. But for residential use, "it will still take around 10 to 15 years, after the cost has been reduced".

Quantum communication uses subatomic particles such as photonsthe individual particles of lightto send data using quantum mechanics, said Nie Jiming, a quantum researcher at the CAS.

This communication is regarded as the most secure because these particles cannot be destroyed or duplicated and can detect eavesdroppers and alert authorities, he added.

"It will have great application in defense, finance, energy and other fields where security is paramount," he said.

In 2009, military officials used a quantum communication hotline to orchestrate the military parade for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

In 2015, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China used a quantum network to transmit data within Beijing, becoming the first Chinese bank to use the technology.

Given its potential, many countries, including the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, are also racing toward quantum communication supremacy, but "I believe China will still lead the race in the next five years," said Pan.




BEIJING - China will open wider to create and share development opportunities with other countries, Premier Li Keqiang said here Saturday.

Li made the remarks one day ahead of China's National Day on Oct 1, when addressing a reception at the Great Hall of the People.

President Xi Jinping, together with other senior leaders including Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, as well as some 1,200 people from home and abroad attended the reception.

China will make new contributions to global governance and the promotion of world peace and development, said Li.

Li summarized the major events in 2017 and highlighted the improvement in economic structure, drop in overcapacity and booming entrepreneurial and innovation activities.

"All these are testimony to the great vitality, potential and resilience of the Chinese economy," said Li.

Looking forward, he said China will work to maintain steady and sound economic development, strive for greater social progress and deliver an ever better life to the people.

"We will ensure that people's essential needs are well met, and that our people will have fewer worries and complaints and lead a more fulfilling and happier life," Li said.

Li also reiterated the "one country, two systems" policy in Hong Kong and Macao affairs.

Regarding ties across the Taiwan Strait, Li said the Chinese mainland will continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus as the political foundation, and firmly oppose "Taiwan independence."

"[We will] work with our compatriots on Taiwan and all those who support the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations to move toward the complete reunification of the motherland," said Li.
File photo taken on July 13, 2017 shows US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price (R) speaking at a news conference at the US Department of Justice in Washington DC, the United States. US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price resigned on Sept 29, said the White House. [Photo/Xinhua]

WASHINGTON - US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price resigned on Friday amid increasing fire over his frequent and expensive private jet trips, becoming the first cabinet secretary to leave the Donald Trump administration.

Price offered his resignation on Friday and President Donald Trump accepted it, White House Press Secretary said in a statement.

"The President intends to designate Don J. Wright of Virginia to serve as Acting Secretary, effective at 11:59 pm on Sept 29, 2017," the statement said. Wright currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Price has been under heavy fire since US media outlets found he had flown on at least 26 private flights since May, including five domestic flights within one week this month.

He apologized on Thursday, saying he will pay a portion of the costs of his official travelling on private charter planes and will permanently halt his use of charter flights for official business as the health secretary.

However, the total cost of the private jets Price flew on was reportedly more than $400,000 and Price would pay only $51,887.31 for his seat on those planes, according to an HHS spokesperson.

Price is not covering the cost for his staffers who flew with him on those charter planes, said the spokesperson on Thursday.

Many of Price's flights were between major cities that offered inexpensive alternatives on commercial airlines. One leg was from Washington DC to Philadelphia, a distance of some 130 miles (208 kilometers).

Moreover, on some of those trips, Price reportedly mixed official business with personal affairs such as having a lunch with his son.

On Wednesday, Trump said he was not happy with Price's private jet travel, saying "we'll see" when asked whether he will remove Price over the issue.

The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday launched a bipartisan investigation into the use of private planes by all members of the Trump cabinet. Senator Chuck Grassley on Thursday sent a letter asking the White House to detail its efforts to control officials' travel costs.

Price has frequently criticized government waste since his appointment as health secretary and during his tenure in the House of Representatives, where he once chaired the House Budget Committee.